Science Fiction Meets Romance – Where to Start?

Unless you’re new here, you’re probably aware that science fiction and romance are my bread and butter. Not only are they what I specialize in, but the two blended together is one of my all-time favorite genres to read. That’s also why for my next book, Breakup Queen, I’ll be doing just that. Sure, it’ll be a fake-dating rockstar romance, but I recently came up with a loose science fiction twist that should crank it up to the next level.

I really think it’s going to heighten the stakes and make the story a lot more nuanced. Whenever you’re writing a new concept, you’ve got to have the stakes high enough that the reader actually cares about the outcome. I know that sounds obvious enough, but it’s something I think a lot of authors accidentally overlook. That’s why I’m reading Cinder by Marissa Meyer to get myself in the mindset for the kind of story I want to build.

So this month, I wanted to share 3 ways I think sci-fi heightens the stakes more than a story without it:

• Life versus Death: While some heartache feels like it could kill you, everyone knows it can’t literally end a life (assuming the absence of a Romeo and Juliet situation, of course). With a science fiction or even dystopian twist, your characters could literally lose their life over the course of the story.
• Bigger world implications: Is there an evil overlord threatening to take over the tri-state area? Well, unless they’re as innocent and harmless as Dr. Doofenshmirtz, your protagonist could have a serious issue on their hands. Bonus points if the story also makes some bigger points about real-society outside of the story.
• Extra Plot Complexity: Suddenly, it’s not quite as simple as telling the guy you loved him the whole time; now you’ve got cyborgs to fight off. That’s a silly example, but I’m sure you get the idea.

Some of the best parts about contemporary science fiction is that while it’s situated in society as we know it, there are twists and new complexities that the reader maybe wouldn’t have expected. At the end of the day, we just want that escape from reality, right?

I know that’s why I’ve written my science fiction books. Whether it’s time travel or dystopian thrillers, there’s always an escapist quality that I’ve seen readers really connect with.

Happy reading and writing!

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Ready for the Next Level

Hey everyone! While I hope you’ve been doing well, I gotta be honest and say, I’ve had a lot of things working against me.

It’s fine, I know it’s just time to level up and hit my stride with the next era of my life. And I’m feeling overall good about it. But what no one tells you in the aftermath of a breakup or losing a writing gig (as both of those things happened to me recently) is that it’s perfectly normal for emotions to fluctuate.

Meaning, some days I feel great like I want to take on the world, pouring myself into my new blonde attitude and motivating myself to meet my goals. Other days, I’d rather just sit around and scroll through Instagram. If you relate to that feeling, I wanted to take a moment and share what I’ve been doing to combat that sluggish, icky, “why me?” energy that does more harm than good.

• Get out and about more! For me, that meant joining a gym. The way I see it, this has two, very crucial components to it: both feeling good and meeting new people.
• Refocusing my short- and long-term goals. Kinda hard to make progress in any one direction when you don’t even know where you’re going, isn’t it? That’s why investing even a little bit of time in knowing exactly what you want out of your life is going to pay dividends. Or, if you’re not sure yet, that’s totally okay. Just think about the general direction of where you want to end up, and take concrete steps to get that momentum going.
• Changing up my look. Now I’m not asking you to go crazy and pierce your whole face or something radical, but if you’ve been craving a particular new sparkle, I say go for it! I’ve had my nose pierced for a couple years now and it’s pretty much my favorite decision I’ve ever made. That plus changing my hair color gave me a much-needed new perspective on life and all the messiness that it brings.

While these ideas aren’t guaranteed to change your mood permanently, they’ll certainly help you find your stride again, so I highly recommend giving them a try.

I also believe that once you look at challenges at opportunities to grow and better yourself, your whole outlook changes. Suddenly, the things that snuck up on you out of nowhere don’t feel so bad. Once you learn that you control the mindsets you move into, you’ll be unstoppable.

As for the concept of leveling up, it’s something that I’ve been thinking about…

… for a while as I wrote the second book in my virtual reality coming-of-age duology, Forgiving What I Couldn’t Change, a couple years ago. While Vera quite literally has to survive the game to get out alive, she’s also got to level up her mindset to make her life better. I’m so proud of this book, and if you liked Maze Runner, Sword Art Online, or Jumanji, it’s safe to say you’ll love it too.

Read the full Rewind Duology on Amazon HERE.

Thank you for being here, and best wishes as you hit your stride on your next journey. Exciting, isn’t it?

Hello Summer, Goodbye Free Time.

As we approach the official-unofficial start to summer, I was just thinking the other day how I used to look forward to this time of year more than any other. I’d be out of school (no more homework – yay), away from the bullies (duh), and could wear whatever I wanted (no dumb private school dress codes at home). Given how amazing this time of year typically is for me, I’m actually going into it this year feeling a bit stressed.

Wait no – that sounds depressing.

I don’t mean this to sound like a total downer, but there are so many different things happening this summer that I didn’t have to juggle back in my school days.

Things like…

• Freelance blogging
• Editing
• Crocheting art for my vendor shows
• Training to teach guitar
• And somehow still carving out time with my boyfriend (yep, that’s new – read this post for more on that)

They’re all good things of course – but I’ve learned that not all stress is something negative. In fact, sometimes the best things in life freak us out for totally normal, human reasons. And that’s totally okay! But these particular things are requiring a fair amount of adjusting, so I better step it up and reorganize if I ever want to make any headway on my next book.

It’s not what you do with your time so much as the habits you form.

If you’re like me and plan on nixing your habit of laying in bed until noon, that’s naturally going to free up a lot of your time. So sometimes the little changes you apply to your life make all the difference. Don’t be afraid to celebrate those! I’m learning to listen to my body. When I’m tired, I sleep. When I feel motivated to work, I work. Simple as that! Of course, sometimes there are hard deadlines that I have to hit, either for clients, or for a scheduled art show. But aside from those caveats, I let me body and mind lead the process.

Productive rest is also something I want to get a lot better about.

You know, doing something restful besides mindlessly scrolling through Instagram for the umpteenth time that day. Watch your favorite movie, cook something yummy, go out with friends. There’s so much more to life than what you can do. Instead, think about what you can be.

“Be a human being, not a human doing.”

My Quantum Energy Healer, Dr. Mark Mincolla

This particular mantra has always been the toughest for me to master. But I’d wager that’s largely due to societal pressures that make us feel worthless unless we’re actively producing something. But you’ve gotta remember that there are so many wonderful things you bring to the world just by being yourself. Don’t forget that.

Hopefully you’ll be able to have a restful and productive summer. If you have any tips for striking that perfect balance, feel free to reach out to me in the comments. I’d love to hear what you’ve managed to accomplish despite feeling burnt out like I often do!

Happy summer, everybody. Let’s roll.

P.S. – Add my books on Goodreads if you’d like. That would be pretty cool 😉

One Mile at a Time, I’m Making Life Happen.

It’s February (or more specifically, the long-awaited TWOS day of 02/22/22) and oddly enough, my life has felt pretty blah the past couple weeks. There were moments of intriguing progress that seemed to be made, and moments of sparks that fizzled out. But you know what? I’ve learned that it is these moments of bland boredom that bring the best opportunities to reflect on progress.

I started out 2022 by buying a brand-new car. Yes, seriously. Like, fresh from the lot, covered in smell-good chemicals, and connected to Apple play (just the way I like ’em). How did I afford this? Well, it was a combination of my freelance work, a smattering of book sales, and longtime saved revenue from my crocheted art business. Point is, I worked my butt off for this car. And it was a lovely consolation prize after getting rejected by yet another crush (now that I know buying a new car makes rejection hurt a lot less, I might file away that technique for the future).

From there, I started hitting the ground running by leveraging my resources (as all good leaders do). I looked at all the publications I’ve been writing for, and figured out ways to make those writing samples work for me. I can’t even tell you all the potential I’ve been able to squeeze out of a recent article I wrote about aromatherapy. There’s also a secret journalism project that I’m not permitted to talk about yet. But it’s really cool and something I’m very passionate about. See? The possibilities are endless – if you know where to look for them.

Then, I started sharing my expertise in my field with others. If you’ve been following me for a while, then you’ll know that I’ve been appearing on as many podcast shows that will have me (and you can listen to them all via my website here). The way I see it, I have learned so much by chasing this particular profession of being a writer. While I have ties in both the publishing and freelance branches of the industry, the lessons I’ve learned are the same, and basically boil down to asking for what you know you’re worth. And then, perhaps the most important part of it, is showing up for your clients and giving them the best of what you have to offer. Sounds simple, right? But it’s so critical to building that client base that you can rely on – then, they’ll rely on you right back!

So where does this all situate me in the coming weeks and months? Hopefully somewhere amazing. And I’m already shifting my focus into that positive attitude – because that’s the key. Haven’t you heard? Whatever you focus on the most expands. For me, that means I’m focusing on my physical and mental health, while making my dreams a reality (and that starts with my next book concept, lovingly dubbed Breakup Queen). So on this TWOSday (and every mundane Tuesday after this one) I’m choosing to focus on only the best and brightest versions of my dreams – and hopefully, you’ll feel empowered to do the same.

If you’re looking for a unique and sassy read to take your mind off things, why not check out my latest time-travel concept? The Rewind Duology is available in paperback, ebook, and audio – and I’m confident that if you love Back-to-the-Future and Sword Art Online, you’ll love this goofy romp of love, liplocks, and lunkheads.

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

Hit Summer With Your Best Shot 6/21 – SEQUEL PREMIERE

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! In the spirit of this occasion of remembering those who gave their lives for America (may they always be honored and remembered), I thought I’d make a pretty big announcement of my own.

The sequel to my time-travel coming-of-age romance Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember is called Forgiving What I Couldn’t Change. And you can read it on June 21st (yes – the first day of Summer). Summer isn’t just a season; if you’ve read book one, you know that Summer is the name of the biggest grade-school-baddie-turned-psychopathic-criminal. So of course, I figured the best way to forgive her once and for all was to drop this second and final installment on the first day of her season.

Forgiving What I Couldn’t Change actually takes place in the SoCal fall, but that’s basically still warm weather (with the addition of pumpkin spiced everything). It was really fun to situate the characters in that season of blending the savory with the summertime. That also mimics the interesting blend of spastic daytime patterns as experienced by Vera and Fader in the virtual reality world they get trapped in.

The book will be available in ebook, paperback, and eventually, audiobook – narrated by the amazing Chelsea Kwoka. She voiced book 1 and hit it out of the park, so I knew we absolutely had to work together again.

To catch up on book 1, you can find it on Amazon HERE. I always like to tell people how personal both books are to me (but the first book especially – because it’s basically me traveling back in time to enact some justice on my old bullies).

I also have (what I hope) is a fun book trailer on YouTube all about book 1 – care to take a look? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUUTZ820GTI

Thank you so much for all your continued support. Comment below with more content you’d like to see from me. I could talk about my writing for ages, but I know that lifestyle stuff is important too, of course!

I’ll leave you with a quick spoiler-free passage from the sequel that I particularly enjoy. This is a moment between Fader and Vera while navigating the digital reality world:

Between the sound of the falling acid just outside, and the repetitive drip-drip-drip of hidden water somewhere in the cave, the silence was bearable. But only for so long. 

            “I don’t bite, you know.” 

            Fader huffed. “That hasn’t been proven. You looked like you were in enough pain to bite me if I hadn’t have given you that cloth to chomp on instead.”

            I rolled my eyes, even though the gesture may have been left unseen in the faint neon halo light. “That’s not entirely true.”

            “You sure? Because I can’t stitch up my own wounds. Don’t think I’d have the stomach for it.” 

            “What I’m sure of right now is that… I want you.”

            He froze, like being stung by an unseen predator. “What?”

            “Want you next to me, I meant. Yeah, like, scoot in. I’m cold.” Turning away momentarily, I prayed that Freudian slip didn’t just damage everything good we had going on. In a virtual reality world built on real-world death, you’d be surprised at how hard good stuff was to find.

            Before he could find a proper rebuttal, he moved closer to my side, wrapping his arm around my bare shoulders as shivers ran up my spine. “Okay, you have me. Is that all you wanted?”

            The ambiguity in his words wasn’t lost on me, so I treaded lightly. “It’s definitely a step in the right direction.”

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.