Goodbye...
...friends down the street.
...playground and basketball court across the street.
...babysitting sweet kiddos down the street and beyond.
...bedroom plastered in quotes and memories with my stuff lying everywhere.

...house, where so, so many memories were made.
...beaches that seem to have more rocks than sand, and yet still are some of my favorite places in the world.
...Tillamook ice cream and cheese.
...sunsets that never cease to take my breath away.

...Seattle, with its Space Needle, market where fish are thrown and the best Greek yogurt is served, and fountains that kids play in.
...hauling cartons of milk and bags of bagels delivered by the milkman into the house every Thursday.
...bike rides down gravel roads.

...Mt. Rainier peeking out of the ever-present clouds, snow still coating her even in the summer.
...forests that never cease to remind me of Narnia.
...sound of rain pittering and pattering outside my window nearly every day.
...cloudy days and cloudy nights.

...walking to the mailbox with high hopes of a letter or package.
...lakes, ferns, and mosses that make the world look magical.
...picking blackberries in the summertime and eating them like candy.
...coffee shops that serve the best cocoas and mochas.

...sunshiny days that everyone in the Pacific Northwest lives for, because when the sun is out, there is no more beautiful place in the world than here. 

...trips to the Oregon coast on weekends. 

...spot on the map that I've come to love, the place that I've come to call home. 

Goodbye, home.
I miss you. 

As I'm sure you can tell by this post, my family is moving from the beautiful Pacific Northwest. We're heading to the Lone Star state! Although I already miss this place I've come to call home, I'm excited to see what God has in store for me in Texas! 

 Because of my move, I'll be taking a hiatus this May-minus one special post. ;) Don't worry, I'll be back in June! =) Until then... See you soon!

In 27 Days Book Review

The book is set during autumn/winter, hence the wintery background photo. It's the best I could do, okay? xD  

I gobbled up Alison Gervais's In 27 Days in only two days. I. Could. Not. Put. It. Down. For a person who doesn't read as much as I'd like, I sure picked a great book to read! Read on to see my review. =)

My Rating: Four and a Half Penguins out of Five 

Back Cover Blurb (Taken From Amazon)

The cover... Did I mention how pretty it is?!

Hadley Jamison is shocked when she hears that her classmate, Archer Morales, has committed suicide. She didn’t know the quiet, reserved guy very well, but that doesn’t stop her from feeling there was something she could have done to help him. Hoping to find some sense of closure, Hadley attends Archer’s funeral. There, Hadley is approached by a man who calls himself Death and offers her a deal. If Hadley accepts, she will be sent back 27 days in time to prevent Archer from killing himself. But when Hadley agrees to Death’s terms and goes back to right the past, she quickly learns her mission is harder than she ever could have known.

Hadley soon discovers Archer’s reasons for being alone, and Archer realizes that having someone to confide in isn’t as bad as he’d always thought. But when a series of dangerous accidents starts pushing them apart, Hadley must decide whether she is ready to risk everything—including her life—to keep Archer safe.

From award-winning Wattpad author Alison Gervais (HonorInTheRain) comes In 27 Days, a story of redemption, first love, and the strength it takes to change the future.

What I Loved...

Aaaaalllllll the cuteness. I think I was squealing for about 50% of the book. Just ask my poor sister. Yes, there are some pretty dark elements to In 27 Days, but that didn't stop Alison Gervais from adding so many cute moments. ESPECIALLY THE ONE WITH THE PENGUINS (if you've read In 27 Days, you know what I mean). I should probably stop before I spoil the book. xD 

Mama Rosa's Coffee Shop. First of all, there was sugar in the form of cinnamon rolls and Danishes and all sorts of baked goods. Second of all, there was hot chocolate. Third, a fireplace. If only Mama Rosa's was real.... It would be the greatest place EVER to write. And read. And do it again.  

The personification of Death and *spoilers*. Death's character really was done well. Death was interesting, and he had some depth to him that I didn't expect seeing. Basically, all of the characters were spot on! 

The way the author handled the topic of suicide. I appreciated that the author portrayed suicide in a negative light and showed that there is hope for those who feel suicidal, but I did wish that she dealt with it a little more than she did. I felt that it almost became a background issue. Maybe it's just me that feels this way though? 

Aaaaaaalllll the quotes. I have about a dozen or so quotes from this book that I may or may not have saved on my phone. See the one below to understand. 

I would go on with what I loved, such as the plot, but that would take waaaayyyyy too long! xD

What I Didn't Love...

There was a tiny bit of language. But only a tiny bit! I feel that when there was a bit of language it was unnecessary, but it didn't detract from my reading experience. Overall, this was a pretty clean read. 

Typos. Be warned that there are some noteiceable typos in the hardcover format, and I read in another review that it was the same way in the Kindle format. To be honest, they didn't bother me that much, but I felt that they should've been cleaned up. 

Overall...

In 27 Days was a great story with a great message and memorable characters and settings that had me hooked from the first chapter. Because of some more mature elements, I would recommend this book for readers ages 14 and up. 

About the Author (Taken From Blink's Website)

Watty Award winning author Alison Gervais is an undergraduate student at Colorado State University Pueblo, and has been writing for as long as she can remember. In 2011, she began posting her work on Wattpad.com, and has been active on the site for the past five years.

Visit Alison's website

View In 27 Days on Goodreads

View In 27 Days on Amazon

View my review on Goodreads

Have you read In 27 Days? If so, what was your favorite cute moment? If not, what about it sounds most interesting? 

5 Places To Find Inspiration For Your Writing-Guest Post At Audrey Caylin's Blog

Guess who did a guest post? MMMMMMEEEEEEEEEE. =D Click here to head over to my friend Audrey Caylin's lovely blog, where you'll find me rambling about five places to find inspiration for your writing when you desperately need it. And while you're there, be sure to leave a comment and stick around! Audrey has an amazing blog, and she's one of the most inspiring bloggers out there. =) I hope to see you there!

February/March Cocoa Break

It's time for another cocoa break! This time, it's a cocoa break for both February and March because I totally failed and didn't do a cocoa break for February. And yes I know it's April. Bear with me, folks.   

Real Life...

February wasn't all that exciting, to be honest. School. Babysitting. Rain (it's the PNW, of course there was rain). But then March came.... AND I TURNED SIXTEEN?!?!?! *cue gasps* It was the sweetest sixteen ever. I mean, there were three types of cupcakes. Chocolate with salted caramel frosting, red velvet with cream cheese frosting, and coconut with coconut frosting. My mom is the greatest on so many levels. =)

There was also a sweet party with some of the best friends ever. =) Everyone spoiled me rotten for my sweet sixteen! I still almost can't believe that I'm sixteen now. I'M OLD ENOUGH TO DRIVE?!?!? Don't worry, I still haven't taken driver's ed, so the roads of America (and this writer) are safe... For now. xD 

This March, I also got to take my younger siblings to Barnes and Noble. I picked up a Sherlock Holmes collection, and my younger siblings brought home quite the haul. I'm a proud big sister. =) Of course, a trip to Starbucks was also called for (thanks, Mom!). Starbucks and books. They go together like chocolate and caramel, peanut butter and jelly, Oreos and milk.... I need to stop. xD And yes, I did shop for books online after Barnes and Noble. THERE IS NO END TO MY OBSESSION.

Of Notebooks...

...Think, think, think. SERIOUS BRAINSTORMING IS GOING ON. I have a whole notebook that I'm filling up with snippets, prompts, etc. Brainstorming is fun and not-so fun at the same time, to be honest. The fun part is brainstorming. The not-so fun part is not being able to use every single idea/prompt OR trying to fit the prompts together. #writerproblems

This is how I celebrated. Such a sweet way to celebrate. =) And yes, that is salted caramel. 

Also... My short story "Dear Jamie, Love Rory" won the One Teen Story writing contest! HOW AWESOME AND INSANE IS THAT? =D Click here to see the announcement on One Story's blog.

Of Novels...

I AM AN EMBARRASMENT TO BOOKWORMS EVERYWHERE. I've only read one book a month this whole year?!?! SOMEONE HELP ME. But honestly, the books I have read were GREAT. I gobbled up Alison Gervais's In 27 Days in two days. That is seriously one of my favorite books ever now! I highly recommend it (don't worry, a review will come!). And don't get it in ebook form. Grab it in print. The cover is too pretty. =) 

Looking back on this, I'm pretty sure that all you guys think I do is read, write, and eat sugar. xD So tell me, what's an amazing book you've recently read? An amazing sugary treat? What's your favorite Starbucks drink? Let's chat, friends!