February Wrap-Up 2022

I don’t know about all of you, but February is not only a short month, it is a busy one! For me, it is a whirlwind because I celebrate several birthdays (including my own) and there are several three-day weekends. This month was especially busy because I launched the sequel to Etania’s Worth, Etania’s Calling. I also joined a dozen other authors in a Winter Bookfest on Facebook, which was super fun. This is in addition to a birthday party, going to a Melodrama, and contracting COVID! (I feel fine, by the way. My case of COVID was very mild). Overall, I loved this month and look forward to sharing about it with you.

What I Watched

I really enjoyed this Korean historical drama, The King’s Affection. The premise of the show is that the Prince of Korea had twins. Twins are considered a bad omen in the palace, so the Emperor decided to kill his granddaughter and keep his grandson. The Princess decided to fake her daughter’s death and send her far away to keep her safe. Through various circumstances, Domi (her daughter), returned to the palace. With her return, members of the court soon realize that she is the daughter that “died” and seek to her kill her. On accident, they kill the prince instead, forcing Domi to take the prince’s place and act like her brother (thus why she looks like a man in the picture above). Things get more complicated as her first love (pictured on the right) returns to the palace and Domi must decide whether she will be a puppet “prince” or rule righteously for the people.

Politics, intrigue, adventure, romance, betrayal, death….this drama had me glued to the screen for all twenty, hour-length episodes. I rarely cry during movies or books, but this show made me cry several times. And I fully admit that I skipped ahead to see what would happen to some of the characters just so I could sleep at night. For those of you interested, there is English dub and an eventual (a bit spoilery) happy ending.

The only drawback I have with this series it the awkwardness that Domi’s “gender” places upon her love interest, Jung. Jung falls in love with her when she is acting like a man, and declares that it doesn’t matter whether she is a man or not, he loves her. That goes against my Biblical beliefs. It should matter if Domi is a boy or girl to Jung. Eventually (spoilers), he discovers her true gender, but once again declares that it doesn’t matter. Again, it should, and because of the disguise of her gender, many suspect they are in a homosexual, rather than heterosexual relationship. This gender confusion was too near to modern day sexuality issues, so I didn’t like that element. Everything else about their romance was cute and clean, making me swoon, cheer, and aww every time their relationship grew.

Overall, I recommend this show to adults who enjoy Asian dramas and complicated political intrigue.

What I Read/Am Reading

As I write this, I still haven’t finished this book. I’m working on it, and I may finish it this weekend. What I’ve read is enjoyable. It gives me Longmire vibes with its motorcycle gangs and “tough” characters. I will say that I probably won’t try a western fantasy again. This isn’t really my genre, and I do think that my lack of interest is probably due to that, rather than the skill of the writer. I absolutely love C.M. Banschbach’s other books, but they are more medieval fantasy, which is my preference. So we shall see what I think when I finally finish it.

Another reason I haven’t finished Then Comes a Drifter yet is because I’m beta-reading my friend’s book, Retribution, the sequel to Starganauts. I’m super excited about the sequel because it will feature the Trylithians, blue-skinned aliens with face coverings and cool powers. They are my favorite alien in C.E.’s universe. The Myds are probably a second, along with the Coradites. That is what will be the most fun about this sequel: exploring the expansive universe! I’m very excited about it.

What I’m Writing

I’ll be honest. Because of the book launch, I haven’t touched much of my writing. However, I have had several updates. First, if you haven’t claimed your bonuses for buying my book, make sure to email a picture of your receipt to author@mhelrich.com. You can still get a bookmark or character art cards for buying any of my books. Second, if you’ve posted a book review and haven’t received your short story, let me know so you can get that as well. Third, I have another “book” coming out March 1st. Where Giants Fall is a fantasy anthology about light overcoming darkness. My short story, “Wavering Loyalty,” is featured alongside other awesome authors. Fourth, I was recently accepted into Finding God in Anime: A Devotional, Vol. 2! I have been enjoying reading the first one and I am super excited about being published in the second volume. I’m not sure when it will be published, but I think it will be in May.

This is all good news! As for negative news, I received a rejection of one of my short stories, “A Price to be Paid.” This was a Rapunzel-esque retelling set in my Legends of Tamanarae universe, my name for the retellings I (eventually) want to write. I haven’t decided if I’m going to publish this myself or try to pitch it elsewhere. Another bit of negative news is that I haven’t written anything of Etania’s Destiny or Promisekeeper. However, despite these drawbacks, I’m not going to pressure myself too much. I have several responsibilities because of teaching that will be taking my time away from writing. So I don’t want to be anxious about all of this. I’m also considering rewriting and republishing Toothbreaker as a Kindle Vella or Wattpad story. The reason for this is to attract more readers and get paid while doing so. What do you think? Would you read Toothbreaker or Promisekeeper on either of these platforms? If so, which one would you prefer?

What I’ve Learned

Just like Etania, I have struggled to accept God’s call for me. God called me to teach in 2013, but I strayed from His path for years before returning in 2018. Even then, I felt like God forced me to teach against my will. Adding to my stress is the fact that teaching consumes a lot of energy. I not only have to deal with rambunctious, sometimes loveable, preteens and teenagers, but I also have to spend hours grading essays, worksheets, and other assignments. This leaves me with very little desire to write, publish, or market books. However, I know that God has called me to this assignment.

So, recently, I’ve been praying for contentment. I’ve been praying God would help me to accept my calling and not fight it. And you know what? It worked! I feel a lot happier with my job and more content, even when stressed by all I have to-do. I also realized that teaching preteens and teenagers is a ministry, and I pray daily for the salvation of my students. Plus, I’ve felt more fulfilled in serving at BSF, an international, inter-denominational, Bible Study. Overall, I am more content and joy-filled.

Wrap-Up Posts You May Have Missed:

January 2022

Over to You: Have you read any of these books or watched any of these movies? What are your thoughts about what I’ve learned or written?