Jen's Blog

Pixie and the Green Book Mystery Book Review

2019-07-06T14:49:00.000-04:00

Pixie and the Green Book Mystery

Author: Coraline Grace

Illustrator: Encarna Dorado

Where to get it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JNJ35C7

Author Coraline Grace introduces us to Pixie, also known as Marigold. Pixie is an elementary school student who loves books and the library. After a bad day at school, Pixie visits the library and discovers a mysterious green book. When she opens the book, familiar characters begin to speak to her. We see Cindi, Alice and the White Rabbit who are all trapped in mixed up fairy tales. Pixie agreed to help the characters and stop their enemy known as The Book Guardian.

I love books with a little bit of magic in them, so this was a treat to read. I had trouble understanding why Pixie had two names. But other than that I loved it. I can't wait to see what happens in the next one. Overall it was a cute and fun book to read.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Newsletters - A New Territory for Me

2019-07-05T11:18:00.001-04:00

I've attended some great webinars organized by Kevin T. Johns titled the Writer's Craft Summit. It was a great series of webinars that rejuvinated my writing. One of the things they stressed was the importance of having an e-mail list. It is a great way to continue to get your name out there and let readers know about your work.

So, I took the plunge and began my newsletter.

First I needed to decide WHAT to put in my newsletter. After thinking about it, I decided on updates on my work, book recommendations and freebies for signing up. Now that my newsletter had a design. I was ready to promote it. I advertised to spread the word and offered a sign up bonus. It's still going on if you want to get in on it. When you sign up form the newsletter, you get free coloring pages and a free lesson plan that goes with one of my books. You can sign up here!

This is still a new area for me but I'm learning more and more every day. What are some of your favorite newsletters?

Angel Donor Book Trailer

2019-06-19T12:26:00.001-04:00

I'm so excited to share my updated trailer for Angel Donor! Please check it out, give it a like and share <3

June 2019 Guardian Angel Kids

2019-06-09T10:29:00.000-04:00

If you haven't made it over to check out the e-zine Guardian Angel Kids, make sure you do. They have several features for great reading. And #authors, GAK is a paying market. Here is what they have this month.

Guardian Angel Kids an online Magazine

JUNE 2019 I Am Me

http://www.guardian-angel-kids.com

Book Feature

Ulysses the Befuddled Bassett by Emma M. Glover, art by KC snider

Features

POETRY

All About Me by Corinna M. Johnson

Unique by Stephanie Malley

FICTION SHORT STORIES

New Game by Jessica Marie Baumgartner

Harold and Halifax by Anita G. Gorman

The Birdie by Brenna Miller

NON-FICTION ARTICLE

You are Unique and Miraculous in Every Way by Irene S. Roth

PARENT/TEACHER ARTICLE

Mindset and Me by Kelly Bakshi M.S. Ed.

__._,_.___

The Writer's Craft Summit

2019-05-28T21:07:00.003-04:00

I just happened to see a post on one of my groups telling about the Writer's Craft Summit. I've been looking for something like this for a while. The videos are free to watch during the timeframe of the summit.

I've seen a few videos so far, but one of my favorites is the video titled "Creating Complex Characters". Megan Linski had many great suggestions on how to develop your character. One thing that really hit me was when she said how difficult it is to write your novel if you haven't fully developed your character yet. She mentioned that sometimes the character sheets we use to develop our characters can limit our creativity. One suggestion is to interview and observe your character. Put them in situations and see what they do. I loved these ideas and I definitely plan to apply this to my work in progress.

My Work in Progeress is a novel that I have been working on for a long time. I go through dry spells with it because I often feel I hit a wall. After watching this video I am inspired to take another serious look at my book's characters and see where they need to further develop.

One thing I asked myself was, What do you love about your favorite characters in other novels? Can you predict what they would do? How did the author convey this character's traits so clearly? I definitely walked away from that video inspired.

Have you joined the Writer's Craft Summit? What video did you enjoy?

May Issue of Guardian Angel Kids

2019-05-16T17:17:00.001-04:00

Guardian Angel Kids Ezine has a new issue out. Stop on by at the link below. The poems were sweet and catchy and I really loved the story A Fish Named Fred by Linsy Hunsaker.

Guardian Angel Kids

May 2019

Theme: Living in a Fish Bowl

http://www.guardian-angel-kids.com

Book Feature

Don't Put Gum in the Fishbowl by Stuart Wesley, Sirac-illustrator

Features

POETRY

I ♥ My Fishbowl by Jan Cornebise

Fishbowl Feelings by Stephanie Malley

FICTION SHORT STORIES

A Fish Named Fred by Linsy Hunsaker

Otter’s Greenhouse by Pamela Love

NON-FICTION ARTICLE

Fishbowls of Our Own Making by Irene S. Roth

Looking through Glass: The World of Snow Globes by Carol J. Douglas

PARENT/TEACHER ARTICLE

In Favor of Field Trips by Kelly Bakshi M.S. Ed.

Book Review: What is That Strange Noise

2019-05-14T18:21:00.001-04:00

What is That Strange Noise

Written by Karen Carr and Piper Anderson

Illustrated by K.C. Snider

I was delighted to have a chance to read this fun book about Piper and Grandma’s interesting car ride. The story starts out with Grandma and Piper going on one of their adventurous car rides, when something odd happens. A strange noise grabs their attention and they discover an even stranger guest in the car. The story continued, picking up many other guests along the way.

I liked how the story incorporated animal names and animal sounds, which can make this book a great tool for preschool and early childhood teachers. I also loved how Grandma names every animal every time they picked up a new guest. This is a great way to continue to review animal names.

One thing that could have made the book even better is the ending. I would have loved to see where Grandma and Piper were going and what happened to all their guests at the end of the car ride.

Overall, this was a delightful, fun story that would work well in a classroom as well as at home.

Where can you get it?

Amazon

Visit Karen's Website

My Light Magazine is hosting a Writing Contest

2019-03-05T21:33:00.001-05:00

The magazine I publish, My Light Magazine, is hosting their first writing contest!

See the flyer below for all the details. You can also visit the Writer's Guidelines on www.mylightkids.com for things we regularly look for in submissions.

Writing contests are good for practicing the skill of adhering to guidelines including word count and style. When I first began my writing career, contests were helpful in developing my professionalism.

The reason we are hosting (and hope to contine to host) the contest is because we are trying to find a way to keep the magazine free for readers, yet allow us to pay our talented contributors.

More details are in the flyer below.

My Light Magazine Returns

2019-02-20T13:49:00.002-05:00

I chose to wait a few months before announcing the news here. Now that it seems there is a definite momentum going, I am thrilled to announce that My Light Magazine has officially relaunched. We are located at My Light Kids. We also brought back the PDF version. It has been a core part of us, and we definitely felt something was missing without it.

We have had three issues published already. The December 2018, January/Winter 2019 and February 2019. We're currently working on the March issue. We have several other plans involving My Light which we hope to announce in the near future.

Now that the new year has begun, what are your writing goals for the new year?

#GAP Highlight

2018-11-04T10:07:00.003-05:00

Guardian Angel Publishing's newest E-zine is out for November. In this issue we will see:

SPECIAL FEATURE

Little Isaac’s Big Adventure Tracy Schuldt Helixon and Illustrations by Jack Foster

POETRY

Bird’s Eye View by Pamela Love

The Butterfly and the Balloon by Jill Clark

FICTION SHORT STORIES

Up in the Air by Caroline Kiberd

Abel the Angel by Brenna Miller

NON FICTION ARTICLE-

Star Light, Star Bright by Irene S. Roth

Sweeping the Sky by Carol J. Douglas

The Sky is the Limit by Mary Sue Roberts

PARENT/TEACHER ARTICLE

Our Very Own Star by Kelly Bakshi M.S. Ed.

The special feature this month is Tracy Schuldt Helixon 's book Little Issac's Big Adventure. I, being a very short person, can appreciate what Little Isaac goes through in the book. The illustrator, Jack Foster, is absolutely incredible with his work. I can think of no better combination of creative people to put together an empowering picture book. Be sure to head on over and see the other features in this months Guardian Angel Kids EZine!

So It's November

2018-11-03T19:34:00.001-04:00

I've been in a writing funk for a while. Mostly this is because I've had a lot of things to take care of on my end. I'm finally gaining the Muse back and I know it never really left. It's always there. It's quiet voice whispers an idea as I drive past the brown and orange trees or as I pass an old, curious building with endless possibilites. I love those moments. I just need to continue to "feed" the Muse and let it do its job. The relationship between an Author (or any creator) and its Muse is like any other relationship. If you ignore or neglect the relationship, it will fade.

November is here and I know I'm not ready to plunge into NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month) , but I am grabbing the spirit of it. I am using this time to nurture the writer in me again. I have set alternative goals for me to reach this time. They are just basic writer things that I used to to all the time. Some goals I have are to blog more, write down those ideas that come to me, explore one of those ideas, and add more to that novel I am working on.

So what about you? What are your goals this November?

Happy Halloween

2018-11-01T14:58:00.001-04:00

Another Halloween has come and gone. With that the rest of the holidays are upon us. Every year around this time I am reminded of a creation my artistic husband did for me. A few years back I asked him to carve a jack-o-lantern to resemble Corky, a character from my book Teresa's Shadow. The process was long, but this is what he came up with.

Once it was complete, we decided to light it up.

This definitely resembles the "glassy yellow eyes" Teresa saw in the story.

Hope you all had an awesome Halloween!

Fleeting Inspiration

2018-10-15T19:18:00.000-04:00

I think the most ironic part of writing is the whole process of inspiration. I know most writers have been in the situation where you are in the middle of something at work or you are running an important errand and then all of a sudden an inspiration for that next book or article comes along. Did it come when you were focused and brainstorming? Nope. Did it come along while you were outlining? No again.

I have found that my inspirtation always comes when I am not equipped to act on it. I even have a notebook with me for these moments, however many times you can't just stop what is going on. So why does this happen?

Research from an article I read in Psychology today suggest that not only are we more creative when we least expect it, but we come up with creative answers when we are least alert or not totally focoused on coming up with an idea. Maybe trying too hard creates a block for us rather than a quick solution. Could this be why some of our best ideas come just as we are falling asleep?

So, what can we do to harvest those fleeting inspirations that are just too good to miss? One idea is that if you aren't able to jot down your ideas ( maybe you are in a car or you are without a pen and paper) you can use your phone's voice recorder to campture the inspirational moment. Another idea is if your inspiratioal was visual, take a photograph of what inspired your idea.

Just like writing itself is a creative action, capturing that fleeting muse takes creativity as well. What are your ideas to capturing an idea when you aren't able to jot it down?

Photo Credit: G. Crescoli @freegraphictoday

Guardian Angel Kids October Issue

2018-10-11T20:10:00.001-04:00

My publisher, Guardian Angel Publishing, has been doing a great job with their E-Zine for kids. They cover a variety of topics and there are many different engaging activites. There are stories and artilces along with poetry and a parent/teacher article. Here is what is included in their October issue.

Guardian Angel Kids- Online Magazine

October 2018 Boo-Hoo, Boo-Boo

www.guardian-angel-kids.com

BOOK FEATURE

Lola B. And the Skinned up Knee by Nancy E. Hughes

and Illustrator- Dougie K

POEMS

Heart-Hurt by Stephanie Malley

FICTION SHORT STORIES

Halloween Surprise! by Nancy Engler

Dr. Fix-It by N. Engler

The Birthday Kittens by Caroline Kiberd

The Rainbow Ghost by Bonnie Kloster

Be Careful, Braden by Pamela Love

PARENT/TEACHER ARTICLE

When a Child Gets Hurt by Kelly Bakshi M.S. Ed.

I enjoyed all of the content, but I thought the Halloween Surprise by Nancy Hughes was especially heartwarming. I loved how the main character, Emma, came up with a creative solution to her Halloween problem. If you haven't checked it out yet, head on over.

Taking on the Fear

2016-08-03T15:35:00.001-04:00

Last November I participated in #NANOWRIMO, the month-long challenge to write a 50,000 word novel by the end of November. I came nowhere near that goal as I was not ready. It was something I joined almost last minute. All was not wasted though. I ended with a good start. I had the first few chapters written and had lots of notes together. As the months passed by, I eyed my notes folder and considered opening my files on my laptop.

Something's been stopping me though. After all this time, I think I'm letting my fear of taking on something new block my writing. I found myself frozen, afraid to take any steps. However, simple words from a great writing friend was enough to encourage me to keep going. The words? "You can do it."

Yes, we say that to anyone trying to accomplish a goal whether it's scoring that first goal or conquering an exercise routine. However, those simple words mean so much more than encouragement. Writers often support each other and demonstrate faith in each other. That is just the thing we need when our self doubt wants to take over. That paralyzing self doubt.

I saw a meme the other day that pointed out many successful people (such as Disney, JK Rowling and Hershey) that have failed and if they stopped the world would be missing Disney stories, Harry Potter and Hershey's Candies.

After reflecting on these things, I feel ready to take on this new adventure of finishing that novel of mine. The hardest part is those first few minutes when I'm convinced I have nothing to go on, however when I push through it, I'm always glad I did. Sometimes I accomplish chapters at a time. Other times I only accomplish a few notes, blogging and marketing. What I do know is that I feel I'm past that paralyzing fear. I have learned a few things during this time. The most important lesson is that even if I doubt myself, even if what I wrote is terrible, it's important to keep going. There's time for editing later.

What's in your Bookshelf?

2016-07-17T13:42:00.000-04:00

Summer. It's a time to unwind and relax a little - whether you're just out of school for 2 months or are looking forward to a few days away from work. My summer days gave me time to catch up on things that I let slide during the busy year such as reading and writing.

I've been reading many things so far this summer, but for this post I narrowed it down to three: 10 Steps to Girlfriend Status by Cynthia Toney, Emerge, by Heather Sunseri and A Faerie's Secret by Rachel Morgan. Yes, there is quite a variety in themes for these books, but I do that on purpose. I like to mix things up when I read and explore different worlds.

10 Steps by Cynthia Toney is a coming of age YA novel. While the title makes you wonder if the main character is superficial, you'll soon see that is not the case. This is the second book in the Birdface series where we follow Wendy through achieving her goals, uncovering a conspiracy, and helping others. Her helpfulness may come at a cost to the people already in her life. I recommend
giving this book a try. No worries if you didn't read book one. While 10 Steps continues where book one left off, it certainly can stand alone.

Emerge, by Heather Sunseri is a compelling mysterious drama mixed with medical conspiracies. When a deadly virus destroys 90% of the country, the airtight city of New Caelum was born to protect the people from the disease. Christina, the only person to contract the virus and survive, flees New Caelum leaving behind West, her first love and best friend. When it becomes clear the virus is returning and West's sister contracts the virus, he sets out to find Christina. What follows is a race against time to defeat a deadly virus
and revive a city destroyed by corruption. If you're looking for something different, give this book a try.

A Faerie's Secret by Rachel Morgan is the fourth book from the Creepy Hollow series. This is the first of three detailing Calla's story. The Creepy Hollow books are set in a magical fantasy world filled with Faeries and other magical beings. Calla wants nothing more than to become a heroic guardian like her brother Ryn ( who we meet in books 1-3). However, her overprotective mother and her unique magical ability(classified by the makes Calla's goal of becoming a Guardian even more difficult. I enjoyed all the surprises and twists and turns in this book as Calla learns that not everything is as it seems and there is more than one way to be a hero.

So as you see, all three I found intriguing and engaging, yet they all have very different premises. Up next for me are:

Uprising by Heather Sunseri
A Faerie's Curse by Rachel Morgan
Nyssa Glass and the House of Mirrors by H.L Burke

Now it's your turn. What's in your bookshelf this summer?

Author News

2016-05-06T16:32:00.002-04:00

I have some news to share!

First, my new picture book, Caitie the Caterpillar was just released from Guardian Angel Publishing. This is my fourth picture book with GAP and I can't wait to share it with all of you.

Here's a little more about the book:

Caitie the Caterpillar
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing
ISBN: 9781616337513 1616337516

Purchase Links:

Guardian Angel Publishing

Amazon

Blurb: It is a beautiful day for milkweed, until Caitie the Caterpillar runs into Swift Sparrow. Soon, Caitie and her new friend Alexander Ant, must find a way to escape the hungry bird. As Caitie faces Swift Sparrow and her own fears, she begins the process of a beautiful transformation.

My second piece of news is my recent visit to Ringing Rocks Elementary School. It was a beautiful school with enthusiastic first graders.

We read Teresa's Shadow and discussed the writing process. I asked the question, "How long do you think it took me to write Teresa's Shadow?" My favorite answer was, "10 minutes!"

After we read Teresa's Shadow we also talked about how shadows are made and even created some of our own shadows with our hands.

It was a fun day and everyone was extremely welcoming at the school. As an added treat,I did a book reveal of Caitie the Caterpillar since it was just released. They were so excited to be the first group of children to see the new book.

Z is for ZERO #AtoZBlogging Challenge

2016-04-30T10:00:00.000-04:00

Today I do a happy dance as I focus on the word ZERO for the letter Z. That's right! There are zero posts left in this April blogging challenge!

To be quite honest, I'm pretty surprised I completed it. There were a few days when I thought I was going to slip and either miss or fall behind. However, I pulled through no matter how difficult it became. I'm excited that this challenge was a success. I think it accomplished the purpose of the event, which was to get everyone blogging and writing more.

While I feel I developed a better blogging habit, I have several more things I'd like to get back to focusing on. I hope to continue a regular blogging schedule, but it may be reduced to once a week or something similar.

Why do that when I have a good routine going? Well for starters, I have a brand new picture book out that was released April 20, 1026 title Caitie the Caterpillar. So that will need some well deserved attention. In addition, I'm working on a fantasy novel ( a brand new task for me). And, as I've stated earlier this month, one of my goals was to write more and keep up with my projects. Now that I've tackled this goal, it is onward to the next!

It was fun blogging with all my new A to Z friends. I discovered many new and interesting blogs which I plan to continue following.

Zippity-Do-Dah! A to Z Blogging Challenge 2016 is complete and a success.

Y is for Yippee #AtoZBlogging Challenge

2016-04-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

With only two posts left, including this one, I tackle"Yippee" for the letter Y.

The end is in sight and our blogging goal is almost met. Anyone who has been going through it with me knows the strength and dedication it is taking to complete the challenge.

When I felt "Weary" like I did a few posts ago, I mustered up the strength to not only carry on with my posting, but I even planned out around my other obligations. When I wanted to read an extra chapter instead of blogging, I mustered up the strength to put the book down until I met my daily goal.

This all certainly calls for a celebratory "Yippee" from all the bloggers participating in the challenge. I'm not sure if I will throw myself a reading party, bog down with more writing time, or take a mini writing vacation.

How will you celebrate your victory? Don't be shy! You earned it!

X is for eXtremely Difficult #AtoZBlogging Challenge

2016-04-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

I tried not to do it. I scoured the Internet and even my printed dictionaries for an X word that had SOMETHING to do with writing. I tried not to include words with "ex", but that was extremely difficult. I would have ended up blogging unsuccessfully about a word that I just learned the meaning of.

So in keeping with my theme, I will point out that letter X was an extremely difficult letter to tackle. Since I had the blogging energy a few days ago, I seized the opportunity and pre-planned this post. I could not be sure I'd be able to attempt it if I weren't fully up to the "challenge".

So, when tackling a writing project, what do you do when you run into and extremely difficult situation? Our initial response, as it should be, is to tackle it head on and push through. With every problem, there is a solution, correct?

While that is true, there are many difficult problems where the solution is not always obvious. In extreme situations like that, we need to look outside the box. We need to get creative. In my case, I had to search other ways to satisfy the "X" requirement of this challenge.

Another thing I did was go back to visiting other blogs. What did they come up with for x? Did they choose only "X" words? Some did, while others went for "Ex". What I discovered was that everyone had their own unique way of tacking this post. Which got me to wondering, what did you do to tackle this extremely difficult letter? Did you use "X" or "EX"? Leave me a link to your post in the comments.

W is for Weary # A to Z Blogging Challenge

2016-04-27T10:00:00.000-04:00

You knew I'd pick this word, didn't you? After all, we're on the letter W for the A to Z Blogging challenge and the word Weary is just too perfect for my theme.

By now, after blogging for 27 days straight (except Sundays), you can bet this blogger is growing weary. The thing keeping me going is knowing that the finish line to this marathon is now in sight. And while it has certainly helped me gain a better blogging routine, I feel that blogging weekly might be a better fit for my personal and other writing schedule.

I'm pretty sure getting "weary" in the blogging process happens to most of us. I find that a change of scenery helps when the computer screen is just a dull, blank, uninspirational sheet staring back at me. If it's a nice day, I might take a nice walk. It's interesting what ideas and thoughts occur to you as you walk.

Another thing I do is if I know I'm going to be busy one week, then I plan out my posts. For example this weekend that passed, all three of my children were in a play that had 3 show times throughout the weekend. That was just the show. That didn't include preparing and feeding everyone. So I planned for that. Had I tried to squeeze it in, I'm sure I would have felt overwhelmed.

One final thought about defeating the blogging weariness, is to find something that energizes you. It could be a break with a good book. It could be mental break of a day out with a friend. Or it could mean a nice cup of caffeine. Whatever it is, recharge.

V is for Voice #AtoZBlogging Challenge

2016-04-26T17:31:00.003-04:00

As I ponder the letter V in this A to Z Blogging Challenge, I look to the word Voice. Voice is something writers focus on in blogging or in any of their writing. When I started this challenge, I knew my blog was about writing and I have a certain voice that goes with the blog. Sometimes, I feel I'm still struggling with it.

www.openclipart.com

Another challenge for me was to see if my blog's theme and voice would work with my Blogging Challenge Theme. As I decided that my theme should be about the struggles of keeping up with the challenge, I pondered my voice as well. Do my posts "sound like me" ? While I was pretty sure I was up to the "challenge", I wanted to be sure I didn't stray from my voice.

As I read up on the blogging voice, I kept coming across a united theme: your blog is not for everyone. So relax knowing you do not have to be everything to everyone.

Another tip I came across for someone trying to find and/or keep their voice is Reading. Just like reading more books makes us better writers, reading more blogs make us better bloggers.

A third tip I found was to be useful. I'll admit. I may be lagging here on this one. I really am just struggling to stay afloat in the challenge. However, before the challenge I often blogged about writing tips and book reviews.

How do you find your voice? Have you thought about it at all or is it just something that you see across all of your writing?

U is for Ultimate #AtoZBlogging Challenge

2016-04-25T17:37:00.002-04:00

In this final week of the A to Z Blogging challenge, we continue with the letter U. I have been at a loss for words on this one. Ultimately, I settled on the word ultimate.

As we wind down on this ultimate challenge, I'm experiencing first hand how difficult it is to discuss a theme in 26 different unique (Hey! Another U word) ways. Mix that up with a weekend full of kids' activities and I was struggling to find the time to blog.

However, I am pushing through because I have made it this far will reach the end. It is my ultimate goal to complete the challenge, so that I can tackle some of my other writing goals. And while I feel this post has been a challenging one, I carry on. Yes, this post is quite short, Ultimately, I'm impressed I came up with this much.

T is for Time #AtoZ Blogging Challenge

2016-04-23T08:03:00.000-04:00

Today's word of the day for our blogging challenge is TIME. The hardest part of the challenge in the beginning for me (other than finding content) was finding the time to do this regularly. This weekend especially, is hard. All three of my children are in a high school play this weekend, so it is amazing to me that I've been able to steal away a few minutes.

I'm also working on a writing project and trying to get My Light Magazine up again. I'm beginning to get a little better at time management when it comes to my writing. It is much easier to put the writing on the back burner when we have work and kids. However, I feel like the brain is another muscle ( so to speak). The more we exercise our writing, the stronger it becomes. In fact, I used to journal every night. Time permitting, I may revisit journaling. Writing routinely, no matter what it is I was writing about, helped shape my future writing.

And so, in this busy mom's life, I am grateful that I am still finding the time to keep up with the challenge. I think I just might make it.

S is for Surprise # AtoZ Blogging Challenge

2016-04-22T10:00:00.000-04:00

For today's challenge I'm looking at the word SURPRISE for the letter S. I am truly surprised at myself for my accomplishments in this challenge. This was a last minute decision to join the challenge at the end of March. I was pretty sure that life would somehow get in the way.

One of the things I found helpful the most in this challenge was taking it step by step and trying to have some idea what I would do next. The first week I was trying to find a good routine, but as time went on, I found my own way. Usually I tried to post one night in advance. I had a goal of doing a few a head of time, but I never found time for that...yet. I love how this has helped me sit down routinely and write.

I'm also surprised how much easier it became to take time out to blog. Once I let my perfectionist in me step aside a little and sat down to just write, it was much easier.

What are some things that have surprised you about this challenge so far?