Personal Touch. In the land of Liberty, citizens add their seal to official documents. A design’s seal is unique … and usually of personal significance to the person who carries it. Do you recognize this seal?

Personal Touch. In the land of Liberty, citizens add their seal to official documents. A design’s seal is unique … and usually of personal significance to the person who carries it. Do you recognize this seal?

May of 2017 was when I jumped in and really learned the ropes at GoodReads, a wonderful site for book lovers. I put down a 50-book goal for the 2017 Reading Challenge. I began writing reviews for every book I finished. I organized my shelves. I joined an online book club and read their Book of the Month. I took part in an A-Z Challenge. I entered giveaways. I even created a bunch of lists on Listopia. And by the end of the year, logging into GoodReads became an enjoyable part of my daily routine.
So here we are in January 2018, and I have the Whole Year ahead! I’ve set a new goal for the site’s 2018 Reading Challenge, and I’ve signed up for a handful of other reading challenges in the groups.

GoodReads 2018 Reading Challenge
my goal is 150 Books
Great Middle Grade Reads A-Z Challenge
my goal is to get through the alphabet twice
All About YA Master of Reading Challenge
my goal is to read 20 books in the steampunk genre
How about you? What are your reading goals for the new year?
Friend or follow CJ on GoodReads >>

Frey’s statues are famed the world over for being beautiful, loyal, protective, and deucedly affectionate.”
—MEADOWSWEET by C. J. Milbrandt
You won’t meet a more protective person than Zane. Except perhaps his mother. Aunt Laurel can be scary.”
—THROUGH THE NOTCHES: A ZANE JOHNS ADVENTURE
For your Bookshelf. Nothing encourages kids to read and reread a series like having copies on your home bookshelves. The award-winning Byways Books are available as both paperbacks and hardcover library editions. (Contact CJ via email if you’re interested in ordering author-signed copies.)

Pred are pierced once they complete their coming-of-age hunt. A brutal, bare-handed, and bloody rite of passage.”
—MEADOWSWEET by C. J. Milbrandt
Every one of the Byways Books includes beautiful full-color art by my illustrator, Hannah Christenson. Here’s a sampling from Book #2, Aboard the Train: A Ewan Johns Adventure.

Hurlock!” Ganix rushed to the man’s side and slipped his fingers under the collar. It wasn’t too tight, but it was ugly and awful.
—ACROSS THE LINE: A GANIX JOHNS ADVENTURE

On Your Marks. I love the Byways header, which features some of the magical, mythical creatures inhabiting Libery’s wild places. It adapts its hues to suit the setting. It shifts like a Changer to show which brother’s story you’re holding. (You noticed that, right?) AND, it blocks a good portion of Hannah Christenson’s cover illustrations. So I thought you might enjoy a peek at unseen things. Over the next several weeks, I’ll show you what’s going on behind the scenes. Continue reading BYWAYS: Behind the Header