Welcome to “Workshopped It!” a series where I take a published book and workshop it like I would a draft in a writer’s group. The series is meant as a part developmental edit and part book club meeting.
5 Bad Ass Ladies Found in Kindle Unlimited Books
Is it a trope to have a strong female lead who is street savvy, strong, and an asset in a fight? Maybe, but when done well it’s too fun a story to stop telling. Join me as a review 5 books available on Kindle Unlimited that feature braves, strong women, you’d want on your side in a brawl.
Workshopped It! Willy’s Wonderland
Today we’re looking at “Willy’s Wonderland”, a recently released horror movie, with Nicolas Cage cast as the janitor working one night at the in a haunted pizzeria, to pay for car repairs. The janitor gets more than he bargained for when the animatronic mascots come to life and attempt to kill him as he works.
I am really excited to dig into the movie as there are a bunch of cool style elements to mention. There’s some great uses of visual storytelling, and that’s huge considering Cage plays a silent protagonist–who is only identified as “the janitor.”
5 Compelling Fictional Relationships
Join me as I try to figure out what I keeps me engaged when reading fictional relationships and what makes me put a book down in dismay. Today I cover 5 different stories and evaluate how well their romantic relationships work and why.
Workshopped It! Sworn Saga
In this session, we’ll look at “Sworn Saga” book 1 “Red Rider,” book 2 “Silver Wolf,” and book 3 “Black Veil” by Kate Avery Ellison. Sworn Saga takes place in a post-apocalypse world where human society may have collapsed, depending on werewolves to drive back the threats.
Workshopped It! Final Fantasy X
To celebrate Valentine’s Day week/ Lupercalia week, I’m discussing Final Fantasy X, a story I love! Join me while I praise the story, characters, worldbuilding, visuals, music, and gameplay. It’s an adoring review and recommendation. I could do soooo many more videos on this topic as I barely scratch the surface of character development and plot points. Let me know if you’d like to see a deep dive into a specific character or element of this story.
Workshopped It! Stray Magic, The Faerene Apocalypse
Today we’ll look at “The Faerene Apocalypse” series and it’s first book “Stray Magic” by Jenny Schwartz. Faerene, an alien race of fantasy creatures, take advantage of a weakness in Earth’s planetary shield to invade.
Workshopped It! (part 2) Frank Herman’s DUNE
Part 2 of my in depth Review of Frank Herbert’s book “Dune.” Previously I covered genre, structure, and characters. Part 2 will discuss worldbuilding, philosophy/themes, plot, and why I can’t wait to see the movie!
Workshopped It! (part 1) Frank Herman’s DUNE
To prepare for the 2020 movie release (now 2021) of Dune, I decided to read Frank Herbert’s Dune for the first time. And boy, do I have some thoughts! Join me for a deeper look at Dune’s genre, structure, and characters.
Workshopped it! Wonder Woman (WW84)
Today in Workshopped It! we’ll take a deeper look at Wonder Woman 1984 (WW84) and discuss what worked while suggesting changes for parts of the story that missed the mark. There’s a lot that fun and exciting in this movie, but for me it didn’t come together to a cohesive moment. With a few simple changes, I hope to take this story from “acceptable” to “amazing” Tell me what you’d change in the comments below!
Top 10 Reads of 2020
My 10 favorite reads of 2020. Most of them are available on Kindle Unlimited.
Workshopped It! Ninth House
This episode’s book is “Ninth House” by Leigh Bardugo. It’s a new adult urban fantasy/mystery featuring Alex Stern as a young college student by day and “gray” aka ghost seeing detective/secret society enforcer by night. Yale’s campus alone holds the magic that allows these secret societies the “houses” to function, and everyone is fighting for their share. Can Alex keep them all in line while she deals with her dark past, looks for a lost companion, and struggles with the rigors of class, or will the darkness within this world take her down?
Fanfic … Maybe? Demon King
There are some odd similarities between “Demon King” by Elizabeth Briggs and “Lucifer” (2016). Let’s look closer. Do you think “Demon King” is suspiciously like “Lucifer”, or are the similarities in my head? Leave a comment and let me know.
Workshopped It! The Rejected Mate
This episode’s book is “The Rejected Mate” by Caitlin Andrews. It’s a young adult urban fantasy/paranormal romance featuring teen werewolves finding their “mates” and figuring out how to procedure with these romantic relationships.
Questions for the author 
Author’s Podcast Channel
Author’s YouTube Channel
Book on Amazon