antibullying – Angelina Singer Author Updates

Battling Project Overload: Coffee & Concepts

And no – it’s not a cool science fiction title. This is literally just the story of my life as an overactive busy-brained freelance writer.

My brain is so tired – like all the time. And I’ve found I also don’t retain things as well because of it. So, it’s high time I handle my crazy workload before it gets too big for me to manage. That’s why I really enjoyed my recent conversation with Walt Robillard – Editor in Chief of WarGate Books.

I was fortunate enough to land a spot on his podcast show, Coffee & Concepts, to talk about my books and my writing process. What so many people don’t think of when it comes to interacting with their favorite stories, is the way authors have to weave these narratives from literally nothing. And finding time / motivation to write can be challenging at best and near impossible at its worst.

We talked about what kinds of coffee we like (which is largely frappuccinos and lattes for me), as well as what kind of inspiration I gathered for my latest release of The Rewind Duology. This series is so important to me, because it really took the struggles I experienced as a kid, and flipped them all around. Where I used to feel weak, these books transformed into a triumph – and I’m also donating a portion of the proceeds to KIND Campaign as well!

Giving back to the community is a crucial component of my work – that’s why I love being able to support an amazing charity that I believe in. Alongside my work with high school students who have an interest in getting into the writing field, as well as my work on the Board of Directors for ARIA, it’s been a blessing to donate my time and efforts.

Excerpt from Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember (The Rewind Duology #1):

“Maybe getting older lets you finally see all sides of the dice – not just the ones that are facing up.”

Vera Bartlet is a soon-to-be college graduate with absolutely no idea how messy her life is about to become. It’s not just the job search looming on the horizon or her lack of a boyfriend that’s got her stomach in knots – rather, her dad has been missing for almost a decade, and no one knows what happened to him.

When Uncle Edgar mysteriously arrives back onto the scene, he comes armed with some interesting new ideas about what may have happened to Vera’s dad – and an even more revolutionary idea of how to find him. With nothing short of bending time and space, Edgar sends Vera back in time in the hopes that she might find the clues they need to get her dad home.

As she sifts through the mangled pieces of reality and her altered memories of middle school drama become jumbled in between truth and fantasy, Vera has to choose which elements of her past should stay in the past, and which she might like to incorporate into her future. Time travel is never simple, and there are always side effects – but in this case, it might just hold the key to finding her dad. Will Vera stay sane long enough to find her dad and make peace with the bullies who made her miserable?

I have plans to start drafting my next concept, but my life has been so chaotic. Here’s hoping things settle down soon. But until then, keep hustling!

“Diamond Heart” x The Rewind Duology

“The most beautiful things can come from the hardest times.”
Madilyn Bailey

Just like you may have seen in The Rewind Duology, the idea of a character interacting with her younger self is present in Madilyn Bailey’s new music video. Of course, this is a bit more voyeuristic of a style, in that she’s more watching over her younger self – but the nostalgic feeling is the same! Just like my character, Vera, Madilyn was an outcast as a kid, but that didn’t stop her from accomplishing amazing things later – namely, being a semi-finalist on America’s Got Talent (in addition to garnering millions of views on YouTube).

I love seeing art like this that directly relates to my work, because it becomes a great tool to layer my own writing up against. It also proves to me that the things I’m working on matter to people, because other people are writing about issues like bullying too. What it comes down to, is that you cannot ever let people put you in a box – break out of that shit and get moving. You’re better now than you’ve ever been!

This song is so powerful, seriously – check out these lyrics:

“I took all the sticks and stones
All the blows and bricks they throw
Everything that ever gave me scars

All the hurt and bridges burned
Every word and lesson learned
And turned it into art
And in time built a diamond heart.”

As cliché as it may seem to say, it is those experiences that are tough at the time, but they make us who we were always meant to be.

In my books, Vera has to grapple with her past alongside her present moment to be her best self – and that includes going head to head with her old bullies, but now as an adult. The Rewind Duology is something that I am incredibly proud of, and I’m so humbled to be able to give a portion of the proceeds to KIND Campaign to prevent bullying in school. Might as well do some real-world good with my pain, right?

My new business cards, signifying the new era of my freelancing career! And I am SO EXCITED.

But honestly, I’ve already healed so much. I am so grateful for the lessons I learned. If I wasn’t forced to make due with being by myself for as long as I did, I probably wouldn’t have been half as motivated to make something great of myself. That’s why I’ve really thrown myself into freelancing more recently – and that has been so incredibly fulfilling for me!

So case in point – even if life ends up looking different than you originally expected it to be, you can still make something beautiful out of the cards you’ve been dealt. Don’t believe me? Watch “Diamond Heart” by Madilyn Bailey HERE.

If you’d like to read or listen to The Rewind Duology, you can access it on Amazon / Audible HERE. And if you’d like to meet me at one of my upcoming events, you can view those on my website!

Late-Summer Job Updates – Stepping into the Sunshine

I know I’ve dropped the ball a little in the blogging department – sorry about that! It’s been a really unique season of change for me – which is obviously a really great thing! Regardless, I still hope to be more present on here to chat with you. It means a lot to me that you’re here, and I never want to take that for granted.

From my recent book signing at The Looff Arts Festival in Riverside, RI

So here’s the lowdown: You may know that in addition to being a published author, now with SIX BOOKS on Amazon, I’ve also been a freelance editor and music critic. These gigs are usually far and few between… until now. More recently, I’ve really hit my stride by partnering with brands and companies I care about (like KIND Campaign for my anti-bullying time travel fiction, and Dash of Social for copyediting). I’ve also started doing some copywriting work for my favorite YouTube cover band ever First to Eleven (they play amped-up versions of favorite rock and pop songs). Plus, I finally launched my own website, which is angelinasinger.com.

Long story short – I know it’s cliché, but I’m here to tell you: don’t give up. Ever. I know you’ve probably heard that from everyone and their grandma, but it’s true! I graduated from college in 2019 with an English degree I had no idea what to do with. I had some small gigs here and there, but nothing that I could live off of. It was so disheartening to leave school with absolutely no idea of what to do with my life. That is, until I found L’Abri Collective – a very exclusive ghostwriting coalition that hired me onto their team of writers. It’s an incredibly holistic approach to collaboration which frankly, I never knew existed in the professional world of cut-throat desperation and frustration. So now not only do I have all that going on, but I also still have my smaller reviewing gigs and fun stuff on the side. It’s a really amazing opportunity that will grow as much as I want it to.

Quote from Forgiving What I Couldn’t Change

Sure, it might take a little longer for my books to take off, but that’s okay. I have big plans for those too. Ideally, I hope to pitch my newest fake-dating rockstar romance concept to an agent who can get me into a big 3 publisher. If that happens, then I would think my other books will get some extra readers as well. All in God’s timing of course – as I’ve already seen with my professional life as well.

So I’m heading into the fall happier and more well-adjusted than I’ve ever been. I’ve got some good work to keep me busy and productive, amazing friends and family who love and support me, and, big dreams to keep me motivated. I’m also training to teach guitar lessons on the side, so I guess in many ways, I’ll always have a full plate. But honestly, that’s how I like it! My latest audiobook is in the works now, and should be available for your listening pleasure in a matter of a couple months. My narrator is truly the best – to hear her work on book one of my time-travel duology, access Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember HERE.

Recent shopping trip where I found a trinket VERY similar to The Lacune Diamond (item in *The Rewind Duology*).

That isn’t to say that my life is perfect – far from it, actually. I’m still trying to balance all my skills and interests in a way that allows me to maintain a healthy work-life balance. And I think that will take a bit to develop – but that’s all part of the process. I’m also still very, very single. And I don’t talk about that often enough. But guys in this age group are usually really immature (most of the time – there are some exceptions, of course). It’s finding those exceptions that’s the hard part. But I’m leaving all aspects of my life in God’s hands – He’s never scared me wrong yet.

Thank you for all your continued support, and I can’t wait to hear what you’ve been up to this summer or what your hopes and dreams are. Drop me a line anytime!

Forgiving What I Couldn’t Change RELEASES TOMORROW!

Tomorrow, my sixth book gets launched into the world. Being that this isn’t my first rodeo, so to speak, I always think about how weird it is to publish a story. Like, you pour your whole heart into this thing, just to slap a $2.99 ebook price on it and hope that someone deigns to spend their hard-earned cash on your emotional journey.

Okay, that definitely came out way more cynical than I really intended, but hear me out: writing a story is no small matter. Especially, one as big and important to me as this one.

The Rewind Duology came about as a result of me still trying to work through the bad emotional patterns I sustained as a result of chronic bullying as a kid. My bullies were kids with significant psychological and emotional issues. And as I’ve become an adult, I’ve become privy to some knowledge about them that definitely shed some light on their situations.

That doesn’t make it right – but it does make it make a little more sense than it used to, perhaps.

Regardless, the first book of The Rewind Duology was Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember – and that was a coming-of-age time travel. My character, Vera, went back in time to find her dad, who was trapped in a virtual reality world. So in book 2, Forgiving What I Couldn’t Change… Vera gets stuck in that very same virtual reality world.

This is a picture of my dad and I from today – Vera’s dad is modeled a lot after him!

It’s really interesting to reflect on all this, because the sequel almost didn’t happen. About two weeks before I published the first book, I got this wild idea of a way to continue the story – not just in the VR world, but in Vera’s life as well. Because after all – there’s still her friends Willow and Zander, her brother Jet, and her – well, whatever the heck Alex is to her these days.

I’m so excited about this latest and final installment of The Rewind Duology, and I really hope you love it as much as I loved writing it. But most importantly, I hope it shows you how healing truly isn’t a linear process – and the key to getting there, is embracing the journey – with all its twists and turns – as long as it takes.

READ The Rewind Duology HERE: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093YG13VF?ref_=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_tkin&binding=kindle_edition

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more updates! Thank you so much for being here.

– Angelina Singer

Life Doesn’t Come with Cheat Codes.

Hello friends! I’m writing today with some VERY exciting news about my yet-to-be-published book.

Before anyone else, I’m going to let you see my book cover and cover blurb. How cool is that?

But first, a little background: So this newest book, Forgiving What I Couldn’t Change (The Rewind Duology Book 2) is the sequel to Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember. Both books deal heavily with coming of age, struggles with bullies, and finding yourself amidst the noise. Vera Bartlet is the main character, and in book one, she has to track down her missing dad while dealing with issues like time travel, dating, and learning to adult. If you like snark and clever tagline, you’d probably like this book, and you can find it on Amazon HERE.

Here’s the blurb for book 2:

Life doesn’t come with cheat codes.

Vera Bartlet finally lands her dream job after rescuing her dad from the psychotic bullies who held him captive. Despite dealing with the recurring trauma from being bullied and the psychological struggles surrounding it, Vera’s moving in a much better direction. With time travel under her belt, happily engaged friends, and an improved relationship with her previously estranged Uncle Edgar, life is stable – until the time machine gets stolen.
Vera’s family worries that a machine immune to the limits of time and space in the wrong hands would spell disaster for more than just their family. But when she’s quite literally dragged into the epicenter of the nefarious operation, Vera gets thrown into the very same virtual reality world that imprisoned her dad for the better part of a decade.

This place isn’t like anywhere Vera’s been before. Sporadic sky patterns with a deadly acid nightfall, man-eating purple-blooded wolf creatures, and an avatar with totally unnecessary upgrades is only the beginning of what she has to deal with. Her only saving grace is the frustratingly attractive Fader, who’s been in the game longer than she has and knows a way out.

Can Vera make it out of the game alive, forgive her bullies, and level up before her whole world glitches?

AND HERE’S THE COVER…

Seriously, how cool is this?!?! I’m obsessed with this cover. My designer really nailed this one.

As of now, I’m planning far a soft-release, maybe later next month if all goes to plan. But I’m not making any formal announcements yet as I’m still in the editing process right now. Even the cover may be subject to change depending on how everything is laid out, but I’m really excited to see how it goes.

There’s just so much that goes into all this, and I’m really hoping that it’ll all go smoothly, but the key is to just keep rolling with it and not panic. But then again, that’s also just life. And lately, I’ve been really bogged down with all my freelancing work on top of it all. And getting out of burnout is really, freaking difficult. I’ll probably blog about that soon too – but today is not the day.

In the meantime, if you want to join my review team, you can do so at this link: http://eepurl.com/df6qqf

Thank you so much for all your continued support! Angelina signing off for now, but I’m never too far away. Comment below to connect or follow me on Instagram and Tiktok.

I Finished the First Draft of My Latest Book!

Forgiveness isn’t linear, and neither was writing this book. I wish I could tell you it was straightforward, super easy, and so much fun. But that’s not totally true 🐳✨

It was actually a lot of thinking, plotting, and handling my issues in real time. I forced myself to write this sequel because after finishing Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember, I felt that all-too-relatable pull of another story floating just below the surface. And I knew I still had some old hurts that weren’t fully handled yet either. This book gave me the creative license to do just that. When you read it, you’ll know that Vera’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences very much match mine. We’re not completely the same, but we’re definitely more similar than we are different 😅

What I hope to show through all this, is that forgiveness is a choice you make. At the end of this book when everything comes to a head, Vera has a choice to make. You’ll have to read the book to find out what she chooses, but I can promise you that you’ll like how things end up. As for me, in my life right now, I’m finally in a good place. I’ve broken away from my past, and I’m so ready to step into my greatness (had to quote #julieandthephantoms there because you might know by now it’s currently my favorite show).

Writers, tell me which of your books challenged you the most. Did it help you work through your issues? This one (and the prequel – on Amazon HERE) definitely did for me ☀️💕

This book challenged me in so many ways, but I’m so glad I chased those ideas. As I mentioned, this book almost didn’t happen! But I really think it sums everything up in a much more organic way than book 1 did. And that’s largely because I actually have forgiven my old bullies (and it only took two books and ten years to get there!).

Thank you so much for reading this far, and if you’d like to join my ARC team ahead of my next release (to read my newest book before anyone else) you can do that HERE.

Forgiving What I Couldn’t Change is the second and final installment of Vera Bartlet’s journey… and this time… she’s the one stuck in the virtual reality world. It’s set to be released later this summer.

Meet the Characters of My Latest Book

Have you read my coming-of-age time travel yet? If not, well, maybe this blog post will convince you. Besides the fact that I literally wrote my old middle school bullies into the story, and then cosplayed as a couple of them (yes, seriously, keep on reading below), the story is romance and family drama all rolled into one. Oh yeah – and all the awkwardness of growing up and stuff is front-and-center too.

“Maybe getting older lets you finally see all sides of the dice – not just the ones that are facing up.”

Click HERE to “Meet” the characters of my book, cosplayed by me 😉

Book 1 of The Rewind Duology, Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember

I had way too much fun dressing up like my characters, as seen in the hyperlink above. Seriously, they’re a unique bunch. And Summer’s makeup took FOREVER to wash off. But it was so worth it, LOL.

The sequel to this book will be available hopefully later this year, but if you wanna catch up and read Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember ahead of time, you can do that HERE. It’s available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook if that’s more your thing 😉

And oh boy, let me tell you – the plot twists in book 2 are BONKERS. Literally, there are a few things that will drop your jaw. I’m honestly blown away I even thought up these things in the first place, but I’m super excited about it. Now, I just need the motivation and focus to finish. If you have any tips to share for crossing that finish line, feel free to share below. I would truly appreciate it.

What I’m Thankful For

Ahead of Thanksgiving Day this week, I thought it would be high time to tell you about some of the things I’m grateful for.

Author life isn’t usually as glamorous as you might think. And with all the varied levels of uncertainty in the world right now, it’s so hard to stay focused and peaceful in the midst of the storm. So ahead of my favorite holiday of the year (Thanksgiving Day, DUH), I thought it would be high time to tell you about some of the things I’m grateful for. Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list – I’ve just picked a handful of things to share. The real list would probably be way too big to share on a single blog post. And the biggest thing, is obviously Jesus – whenever I’m scared, I know He’s got my back and sees the whole picture, especially when I can only see what’s directly in front of me.

#1: Creativity

The ability to build worlds on paper is sheer magic. I honestly love how I can bring a story to life effortlessly. It feels like a superpower some days! Then again, it’s probably because I’m epically bad at anything math or science related. I guess Jesus knew that my brain would have to be good at something, so He made me extra artistic and creative. I am definitely not complaining! So whatever you’re good at, and whatever you love doing – just keep doing those things when times get hard. You’ll be surprised at how mediative and relaxing hobbies can be.

I’m also a big fan of music, and I’ve been studying guitar in various capacities for over 12 years now. My hope is to be able to teach guitar someday, but for now, I’m just really enjoying honing my skills.

#2: Home + Family

Yes, my parents drive me nuts sometimes (read, all the time) and I’d say Only Child Syndrome is largely to blame. But they love me so much, and they’re always there for me. Especially after losing my grandfather recently, they’ve really been an amazing support system for me even while they were obviously saddened by the loss also. If you’re grieving a difficult loss, you can read about my grappling with this in this post HERE: https://angelinasingerauthor.wordpress.com/2020/10/01/where-creativity-meets-grief-managing-emotions-in-the-wake-of-loss/

So I guess what I’m saying is, hug your loved ones tight, this season and always – you never know how much time you have left with them.

#3: My Friends

When OCS (Only Child Syndrome) sets in with a vengeance and I really need to talk to someone not blood-related to me, friends are an amazing alternative. When I was a kid, I didn’t have many friends I could depend on. That was probably compounded by the fact that I was always a bit more mature than other kids my age. Plus, it didn’t help that I exclusively attended private schools miles away from my hometown. Add in a good dose of bullying, and ya girl had it pretty rough. That’s why I’m so beyond grateful for the friends I found in high school and college. They fill in the gaps of friendships I was lacking in the past in the most honest, wholesome way. I even got to meet a long-distance friend IRL for the first time this year, and you can read about that surreal experience HERE: https://angelinasingerauthor.wordpress.com/2020/08/25/when-writers-meet-closing-the-distance-from-800-miles-apart/

But this isn’t meant to be a sympathy post – no. What I’m trying to show you is that no matter how bad things get, time and life experience fix most things. I used the struggles I had to write my latest book – Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember – all about overcoming bullying and the long-term damaging effects it can have. All fictionalized, of course – the story is about Vera Bartlet who travels through time and meets her younger self. Navigating some romance and estranged relatives in the mix too, this is a story you don’t want to miss! Grab a copy before the sequel, Forgiving What I Couldn’t Change is released mid-2021: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084QK6DFW?pf_rd_r=5TKMY5SCHQFM95MN0S40&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee

So no matter what your holiday looks like this week, I truly hope that you find time to thank God for all that He’s given you, big or small. Even the tough things always happen for a reason, and that understanding is getting me through so many of my struggles. Things will get better soon! And until it does, counting your blessings is a great place to start ❤

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

P.S. – Although in person events are obviously cancelled right now, I’m participating in the digital Rhode Island Author Expo on December 5th. Click this link to see the events I’m in, and register for free if you’d like to virtually meet me!

https://sites.grenadine.co/sites/authorexpo2020/en/rhode-island-author-virtual-expo-2020/person/96/Angelina%20Singer?fbclid=IwAR1jN_iVQarAHEsysSm_wWcMuSWcHAYdtHVOWZj1qA-wWm30zTNdtTdn0uc

#authorexpo #whatimthankfulfor #thanksgiving #foodie #localauthors #fiction #struggles #thankyouJesus #thistooshallpass #youngadultbooks #newadultbooks #writers #novelists #localauthor #timetravel #comingofage #thrillers #editing #writing #holidayseason #hugyourlovedones #reconnectwithfamily #friendships #antibullying

When a Song Hits Just Right and You Feel Like it was Written For You

Sophie Pecora’s song “Seventh Grade” fresh from the studio really hit home for me, as she deftly tackles issues – like bullying and feeling like you don’t belong – with ease and sensitivity. I first heard this song while she was competing on America’s Got Talent a couple years ago, and it’s really stuck with me ever since.

But that’s not to say that she sugarcoats things either. Absolutely not. This girl took all the things I remember feeling in middle school. You know the stuff – like somehow no one understands you, and most other kids were too snotty and rude to even give you the time of day.

In my experiences, more often than not, I always felt like the odd one out, and that I had to just suck up whatever the bullies threw at me, because if I didn’t, the teachers would punish me worst of all. Looking back, I realize now that the entire situation was incredibly messed up, and it was beyond unfair of my superiors to take away my human need to defend myself (verbally or otherwise).

Listen to “Seventh Grade” HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kA10k_O3bw

So how is this relevant to my author blog?

My latest book, Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember (Book 1 of the Rewind Duology), tackles these very issues through the narrative structure of (what I hope) is a really fun and intriguing time-travel coming-0f-age romance:

View this book on Amazon HERE: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084QK6DFW?pf_rd_r=JM9ZE02090JSY3VEVQZT&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee

Thank you so much for your interest in my writing blog – I’m so excited to get to know my followers a bit better, so please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below and tell me if any of this resonated with you too. For your sake, I hope you don’t relate, because it was a really tough subject for me to deal with and I’m still dealing with the repercussions even today, over ten years later.

But I’m convinced this is why art is so important – it’s an incredibly effective medium for sharing relatable struggles and connecting with others who have been through the same (or similar) things.

By creating and sharing our work, we can show others that they’re not alone, and maybe even connect on a deeper level.

So I guess I’ll get off my soapbox now, but I’ll leave you with this: Don’t be afraid to share the things that matter to you, because I’d wager there’s a really good chance that it’s going to matter quite a lot to someone else too (just the way Sophie’s song mattered quite a lot to me) ❤

#indieauthors #writing #storytelling #music #newmusic #middleschool #comingofage #antibullying #bereal #schoolstruggles #friendships #writing #sciencefiction #newstories #timetravel #romance #growingup #writingspace #pinkhair #cute #bravery #newideas #supportindieauthors #amwriting #authorcommunity #writingcommunity