I've Got a Dream | 2018 Debut Author Challenge

Have you ever seen Disney's Tangled? Yes? Oh good. Wait, what's that? Somebody in the way back there says he hasn't? Well, what are you still doing here, sir? Close out of this tab immediately and go watch it! It is a museum-worthy masterpiece, not that we put movies in museums...but you get the idea. Actually, please don't leave yet. If you could continue reading this post, I would appreciate it. But seriously, go watch it after.

Anywho, about halfway through Tangled, we meet a ragtag bunch of ruffians who all have very unique dreams and aspirations – which they detail to us via song and dance. I mean, it is a Disney movie, after all. Tor would like to quit and be a florist, Gunther does interior design, and I too, have a dream. Yes, I've got a dream!

Deep in my heart of hearts, I want to be an author. There are so many characters and kingdoms built in my head, each one dying to come alive through words. But you see, that's the problem. The whole "words" part. I'm a perfectionist and I like everything to be just so. When they aren't...well, I get a bit frustrated. On a subliminal level, I get that writing doesn't come out perfectly the first time – that's why it's called a rough draft. You've got put it through the polishing process. And then again. And again. And probably again. You get the idea. But eventually, you're left with a story that glitters and shines like a diamond.

Or so I would guess. Seeing as I've never made it past page twenty-two of any of my draft attempts, I can't be certain. But unlike me, some authors actually do make it. They write, rewrite, polish, shine, and finish their story. And then something about their little baby catches the eye of a publisher. Isn't that amazing? A debut author must feel so gloriously triumphant, don't you think? I can't even imagine how it would be to see your own book – one with your name on it – in a bookstore. To see people blogging about it, bookstagramming it, and rating it on Goodreads.

But then again...what if they aren't? What if you've finally done it: you've labored and slaved over your manuscript, found a publisher and an editor and who knows what else what you need behind the scenes. It's finally out there for people to read, and they just aren't. Authors like Stephen King and J.K. Rowling are legends and anything with their names on it flies off the shelves like, well, diamonds. But debut authors have a harder go of it. They don't have a worldwide fanbase. Their names aren't in the proverbial book Hall of Fame. So how can they get their book out there into the hands of readers like you and me?

Well, that's what I want to help out with. I want to support these dreamers – these debut authors whose books are newly printed and freshly unboxed – by reading their first forays into the world of publishing. And I plan on doing that by joining ThatArtsyReaderGirl's 2018 Debut Author Challenge. I'm a bit late in the game on this one (it started back in January), but I don't think that will matter. I've already (unwittingly) completed a few reads by debut authors, so even though there are only six months left in the year, I think I can obtain my goal, which is to read ten books by 2018 debut authors. The following are the books I plan to read. Stay tuned for book reviews and challenge updates!

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi ✅(Finished Reading April 10th)

Everless by Sara Holland ✅(Finished Reading April 20th)

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo   ✅ (Finished Reading July 21st)

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

The Bird and the Blade by Megan Bannen  

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian  ✅(Finished Reading May 15th)

Mirage by Somaiya Daud  

A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney  

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning 

Current Total = 4/10