March in a Nutshell

*imitating trumpet*

Bum-bada-BUM!!!

*flings open door*

Hey, hey, hey people!  It’s Allison and another one of her nutshells!

It seems to me that my nutshells keep getting smaller and smaller, but I GUESS THE PEOPLE STILL WANT THEM, SO THAT’S WHY THIS IS STILL SHOWING UP IN YOUR INBOX LIKE A ‘LIL BURST OF SUNSHINE!

So are you ready to ramble, ramblers?

– WATCHED –

The Magnificent Seven

Storm World (mini-series)

Two boys, Jason and Lee are transported to an alien world (Stormworld) through a vortex while on a boat trip. The boys receive help from Flees a seasoned veteran living on Stormworld. The boys, as new arrivals or “access crashers” find shelter at The Settlement.  The surface of Stormworld is a salt water ocean with many islands that have a generally hot climate. Fresh water is a scarce resource that is central to the survival of all inhabitants.

I have to say, I’ve never seen any other filmmakers beat the adventurous vibe and imaginative genre-bending like the Australians.  This show is exciting, nail-biting and full of unique world building.  And let’s take a moment to mention the characters.  🙂  Jason, the lead, is especially good, oozing personality and charm.  It was fun to finally see an extrovert in the lead, especially when he was a layered character who was allowed to be smart and serious (when called for), instead of just making them the typical gung-ho airhead.

Check it out, guys.  If you like speculative adventure – you won’t be disappointed by this show.

Little Women.

This was a lot better then I thought it was going to be!  Some of the time-cutting was pretty confusing, but it was an interesting way to tell the story, and I loved the contemporary setting that lent a classic story a sort of “Penderwicks” feel, blending the homey familiarity of a classic with the accessibility of the contemporary.

The contemporary setting makes some of the plot points and scenarios a lot more poignant and relatable even than the novel.  The scene where Jo cuts her hair, well, I won’t spoil it for you, but it was a beautiful moment and far more emotional and touching then the the scene in the book or any other adaption.

– READ –

I read 14 books in March and TWO OF THEM were five stars!   *le gasp*

Can you guess which two were awarded a shiny five stars?  Without cheating, now.  🙂

– WRITING –

I wrote and submitted a short and humorous how-to article to an author seeking non-fiction submissions for his upcoming release.  Fortunately, I don’t have to wait long too hear back from him.

Aside from that, I wrote over 10,000 words in March, and 95 percent of it was on The Tales of Ambia!

Annnnnd . . . I finished Poppy’s Peril!

*capers*  This is the origin story for one of my characters in A Royal Masquerade!  You can add it to your Goodreads shelf HERE.

I ALMOST finished my Cynthia short story!  I know there are some Cynthia fans who are champing at the bit for a little more of the no-nonsense doctor-in-training, and I hope they’ll enjoy this one.

Joined my Camp Nano cabin.  My Camp project is going to be The Frog Prince, book 2 in my Tales of Ambia series.  You can read snippets from this book right over HERE.

The idea is to finish the first draft of The Frog Prince.

Yeaaaaah, we’ll see how THAT goes.

BUT DID I PREP FOR IT?  HAHAHAHAHA – NOPE, NOT ME!!  SO I HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO PROCEED AND SUSPECT THAT I WILL FAIL SPECTACULARLY IN FINISHING THIS VERY SCARY 1ST DRAFT IN APRIL.

Things are crazy right now and my work output is lower than I’d like, so, you know, if I don’t finish, it’s okay.  I’m taking my own advice from my Nano post, and decided to set the bar low so my own goals don’t destroy me.  🙂

– OTHER –

Had a cookout with my family, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows and reveling in the sunlight and new warmth that is sloooowly returning to the world.  #PleaseHurry

Had a long visit at one of our local libraries and set aside the schedule for two evenings to just read to my heart’s content (i.e. until my eyeballs nearly fell out)

Visited an archery club.  Even if I was sitting on a bleacher, indoors, and in jeans.  In my heart, I was wearing a tall, pointed hat with ribbons and wearing a handkerchief.  The melodious zing and thwack of the arrows flying through the air and hitting their targets excited my Robin Hood loving heart.

Did some baking which included, caramel chip cookies, fudge brownies and EXTREMELY DELICIOUS APPLE BARS.  I wanted to eat the whole pan and tried my best, but my family beat me to some of it.  🙂

Offered some “very helpful” tips about how to nail Camp Nano.  You can read all about my amazing wisdom right here.  😉

Our family started implementing a bunch of new scheduling and work changes.

🙂  They ARE good changes, and we’re excited but it’s one big adjustment for everyone.

And that concludes our feature presentation.  I have reached the end.

What about you, friend?  Are you still trapped in The White Witch’s winter, or is it Spring again?  Are you doing Camp Nano?  Watch did you watch or read in March?  Tell me EVERYTHING!