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Emily R. McCormick's Blog

April 3, 2025

Food for Thought

If you are not comfortable with baring the deepest (and sometimes darkest) parts of your soul, then you might want to reconsider perusing writing as a career. That stuff you want to keep hidden is typically what creates the best sellers. And if you think people will never know because it's 'fiction', you would be wrong. You have to understand it to write it well. What we do is beautiful, even the ugly parts. ESPECIALLY, the ugly parts. 🖤
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Published on April 03, 2025 09:24

December 31, 2024

Happy New Year!! 🖤

206 books read and here are the top three favorites of 2024:

Heir by Sabaa Tahir
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
The Perfect Blindside by Leslea D. Wahl

You guys, it KILLED me to take The Maze Runner off the list; it has been my favorite book for six years! But it had to be done this year. These books earned their spot. Petition for TMR to make a comeback in 2025? I can definitely see a reread.

So, without further ado, the best book of 2024 is Heir by Sabaa Tahir.

!!!!

I did not expect to love this one as much as I did, AT ALL. Literally, the only reason I ended up reading it is because my Fairyloot subscription made it so dang stunning that I was looking for an excuse to keep it. AND THEN IT GOES AND BECOMES THE FAVORITE? Unreal. Like, who gave you permission. 😂 Despite what I say though, this book totally deserves all the hype. Sabaa is one heck of a writer. It was without a doubt, the best book that I have ever read. Full review to come!

Happy New Year, peeps!
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Published on December 31, 2024 20:32

December 29, 2024

My 2024 Indie Gem of the year! ❤️

Where Iron Meets Flame by Louise Everett.

This book...has not left my head since I read it back in May. That is how fantastically hooked I am. The setting, the characters, the romance! Louise weaves a tale I will wait decades for if that is what it takes her to finish this series.

It is just as good as Stalking Jack the Ripper and is the ONLY book that can make this claim!

My thoughts are all jumbled when it comes to this novel, so go read my review on ŷ to get them all sorted in one place. 😂

/review/show...

Where Iron Meets Flame by Louise Everett
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Published on December 29, 2024 10:48

December 26, 2024

Yearly Top Ten Favorite Books

With just five days left in 2024, it is time to announce my yearly top ten favorite books! Some are treasured books I have loved for years, while others are new.

🖤 Heir, by Sabaa Tahir. 2024 read. Sabaa shocked me with her stories this year and she takes a new spot on my list proudly. I don't know how the woman can write that good!! She is phenomenal!
🖤Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco. 2023 read. Cresswell. Need I say more?
🖤The Perfect Blindside/eXtreme Blindside by Leslea D. Wahl. 2015 read. Still the best Christian author I have had the pleasure of reading!
🖤The Maze Runner by James Dashner. 2014 read. A classic!
🖤Where Iron Meets Flame by Louise Everett 2024 read. I am STILL thinking about this book and I read it back in early spring!
🖤Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare. 2023 read. The Last Hours still managing to snag the spot for best Shadowhunter trilogy to date!
🖤A Beast as Dark as Night by Jennifer Kropf. 2022 read. her writing style is so whimsical and magical! I will buy anything she publishes.
🖤Foretold by Jana Oliver. 2021 read.
🖤The Shadow of Death by Mckenna Rowell. 2024 read. The eldest sibling rep is fantastic! Mckenna also has one of the best writing styles I have ever seen.
🖤The Keepers: The Harp and the Ravenvine by Ted Sanders. 2015 read.

In the coming days, I will be announcing my favorite indie read of 2024 as well as my overall favorite book of 2024, so keep a lookout! Any guesses as to which of these ten hold those two titles?

What are some of your favorite reads?
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Published on December 26, 2024 13:58

December 25, 2024

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!
💗
I am a writer who has always written her stories from the start of October to Christmas Day. To me, that is the most magical duration of the entire year. It just seems like more enchantments float around then, more opportunities to catch a story.
💗
For example, today. I had an idea when my sister got tired of me talking and stuck a bow to my lips saying, "Stick a bow in it." Bingo! My MMC just got himself a motherly figure and one heck of a scene. 🤣 I hope you enjoyed that little tidbit of family chaos that I will be incorporating amongst the pages.
💗
In other news, my family and I had a wonderful day together! I hope yours was as filled with as many blessings as mine was. Merry Christmas everyone!
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Published on December 25, 2024 18:52

December 19, 2024

Winter College Class and Writing Update!

Hello everyone! I hope your holidays are going well. 🖤 Tell me about them if you have a sec. I know mine certainly have been eventful.
💗
I started Winter classes for college this Tuesday! I am taking my English class, which is compressed from the original 16 weeks into 4. I am taking it early so that when spring comes around, I can sign up for a writing class they are offering!
💗
How is it going? Pretty well I think. Obviously taking a full course over just one month is a lot of work, but while it is time consuming, I am finding it rewarding and am really enjoying it. I feel that it is going to change how I plan my WIP's in a good way. Already I am seeing a difference just from reading the textbook and doing the daily essays and exercises.
💗
Well now I have brought up writing, so what's new with that? I am going to be honest and say that I have been a bit too busy to keep at it faithfully, so for now I am just working on outlines and notes. I plan to get that done over the next week so when CWW comes around next month I can write until my heart's content! *which is never in case you are wondering* I also had an idea for a new WIP, and before you come after me, I am thinking it would only be novella sized. No promises, but perhaps that means I can publish two books in 2025?!
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Published on December 19, 2024 10:06

December 5, 2024

A miracle *it feels like*

12 years old, and I finally got my baby brother to read a book. He even picked it out himself! He hasn't left the couch in the last eight hours and has breezed through three of them in just two days. Graphic novel for the win, because he likes books with pictures. He has moved onto the Wimpy Kid books; think we can get full length novels one day? I hope so.
But for now, we are counting this as one small step for a big sister, and one giant leap for the book community.
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Published on December 05, 2024 11:08

December 4, 2024

ŷ Choice Awards 2024

NINTH?? Heir by Sabaa Tahir got NINTH?? Okay, y'all, this SHOCKS me. This was the best book I have read in a long long time...and I wasn't even planning on reading it at first! This was a surprise read!! And I am hooked on the whole world now!! HOOKED!! NINTH??

No shade to any of the authors because I love most of these books that placed higher, but ninth really shocks me for this book. Heir deserves way way better.

I will be sharing my review soon. It deserves all the love. 💙

*None of my chosen books won sadly.*
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Published on December 04, 2024 23:36 Tags: goodreadschoice

December 1, 2024

Welcome to the holiday season. The most Wonderful time of the year! ❤️

Its officially the holiday season for us mundanes and that means I can finally start talking about my new WIP! *Who are by no means mundane*

Follow me on my socials to keep up with the latest news as well as see all the stunning graphics!

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Published on December 01, 2024 16:31

November 30, 2024

Holy Bliss Three Year Anniversary!

With the holidays and getting ready to start college, I completely forgot about my debut's birthday! *shame to me I know*

On the 26th of November 2021 I published her after getting the idea from an English essay and had her written in three weeks. *it very much shows but we will not focus on that just now.*

No matter how many books I write or how far I go in the book world, she will always be my baby. The first born. The one that started it all. That final push. Landon's story will forever be a part of me.

It's kind of bittersweet that I plan on changing the whole thing and giving the story to a new character because Landon was with me for so long even if I wasn't actively writing him. *But don't worry, I am not writing him off!*

Tomorrow, I plan on announcing a new theme. Bliss will becoming a backstage project for the time being. I wanted to take a moment to reminisce all that Bliss has been to me and all she will be. She WILL get published again, that is a promise, I am working on her actively and the graphics are stunning.

Thank you Landon, Tyler, Jake, Amanda, and Ginger. Until we meet again.

And thank you to the few readers who got to see her in her raw form. Hang on to your copies, I hope they will be as rare as your favorite copies or ARC's someday!!

Welcome to the holiday season. ❤️
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Published on November 30, 2024 22:07