There's Always Something.

I got up early this morning. I love getting up early, despite my equal love of sleeping in. It's quiet, which it almost never is in this house, and I'm the only one up. I can sit and write, or draw, or just get a head-start on schoolwork. It's the definition of peace.

Except this morning, all of my siblings decided to get up with me.

Anyway, I pulled out my laptop despite their racket and continued my work on the Etsy store. I finally got everything listed that I have so far, and with a great internal celebration, clicked, "Next."

Payment Information. The very name sent a shudder through me.

I opened my very own bank account last week, and got a debit card. As my mom put it, I'm "all grown up with nowhere to go." (Which is, sadly, quite true.)

So I began filling out the payment information. Card numbers and social security and what-the-heck-does-this-even-mean and then...

You know those lovely red words that let you know when you've filled something out wrong? I hate them with a burning passion.

You must be at least Eighteen (18) years old to open an Etsy store.

Hai's face fits my mood.

I hate you, dear Etsy.

On to less depressing matters.

I read a book yesterday. Yes, I read a lot of books. But this one... this one was different. It was special. I actually liked it. And still like it. I'd reread it right now if I knew where the copy was.

It's called Story Thieves, by James Riley.

It's actually a Middle-Grade book, I believe. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommend to everyone. Especially writers. If you're a writer, read this book. Read it now. The author jokes are hilarious.

Life is boring when you live in the real world, instead of starring in your own book series. Owen knows that better than anyone, what with the real world’s homework and chores.
But everything changes the day Owen sees the impossible happen—his classmate Bethany climb out of a book in the library. It turns out Bethany’s half-fictional and has been searching every book she can find for her missing father, a fictional character.
Bethany can’t let anyone else learn her secret, so Owen makes her a deal: All she has to do is take him into a book in Owen’s favorite Kiel Gnomenfoot series, and he’ll never say a word. Besides, visiting the book might help Bethany find her father…
…Or it might just destroy the Kiel Gnomenfoot series, reveal Bethany’s secret to the entire world, and force Owen to live out Kiel Gnomenfoot’s final (very final) adventure.

I can't even recommend it strongly enough. The characters are amazing. The plot twists are the best. The dialogue is realistic (a big one for me). And the entire thing is absolutely hilarious. I was laughing so many times through it...

I'm also planning a Kiel Gnomenfoot cosplay. And convincing either my sister or Nixie to do Bethany so we can walk around and just be a fictional character and his half-fictional companion. It would be way too much fun.

Signing off to go eat breakfast now. I think there's pancakes left from yesterday.
~Dee