Sidetracked
June 2025
Hello everyone!
This month I deviated from the course quite violently, but at least I was still writing…? Read on to find out what strange paths inspiration took me down this month!
The Projects In Progress
I started off June very focused on God Words and the edits. I finished my read-through of the manuscript, consolidated all of my notes and started hacking away at it like a madwoman. What followed looked a lot like the initial scenes of Disney’s Tangled - when Rapunzel is equal parts elated to be out of the tower and miserable for going against Mother Gothel’s commands. I wish I could say the days of gleefully chopping scenes outweighed the days of crushing existential dread, but then I’d be lying.
So how did I cope with this?
I wrote a short story, of course!
Okay, I didn’t set out specifically to write a short story. It wasn’t planned, it just… happened. An idea popped into my brain, an opportunity presented itself and I gave in to the universe. It’ll be tied up in something for a little while, but I hope to share it with you all later in the year on my website!
The Other Worlds I’ve Gotten Lost In Lately
I fell foul of a particularly crappy flu this month, which was actually great for my reading slump as I managed to finish not one, but TWO books!
The first was S.K. Stapar’s Midnight Gate and… oh my lord. I finished it in around 48 hours. Not because it was a short book, but because this story had me by the short and curlies and wouldn’t let me go! I adored the enemies-to-lovers romance: the fact that Edric and Nevena love the same book and how that flavoured their interactions was just chef’s kiss perfect. Also, the locations were described so beautifully that they still live rent-free in my head weeks later.
If I’ve sold you on this incredible read, you can grab your own copy from Amazon here, and go give S.K. Stapar a follow on Instagram here.
Okay, so June was definitely the month for romantasy for me! The second book I devoured, Lady’s Knight by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner, was such a great read. If this book were a person, they would definitely be a girl’s girl - the beautifully portrayed relationships between the almost all-female cast of this book just made my heart so happy to read. The romance between Gwen and Isobelle had me kicking my feet and grinning more than once. It was an amazing feminist, sapphic twist on classic medieval fantasy, and I cannot recommend it enough!
You can buy it here or at most booksellers, and find Amie Kaufman on Instagram here and Meagan Spooner here.
Off On Tangents
Did you know that I was once a nail polish swatcher?
It’s basically like being a hand model, except it’s mostly DIY. I used to work with a number of brands, big (think like the affordable chemist brands) and small (Aussie independent hand-mades), to create content for their socials and websites.
I learned a bit on the fly about photography (shout out to Emma for her crash courses on this over the years), marketing and building a brand that way. I also made some amazing friends, and had opportunities to do some of my first professional writing this way. It was ultimately this that gave me the confidence to finally put myself out there with my fantasy writing: to start up some socials, hold myself accountable to my work and also connect with all of you lovely people!
If you want to stalk my hands, you can check out my nailstagram - although I no longer work with brands, I still do nail art over there!
I’ll leave you now with a small piece of advice from a nail person: cracked and ouchy cuticles? Nail oil with jojoba oil as a main ingredient, or just the pure oil itself. Once or twice a day (the more often, the better the result), dab it on, let it soak into your skin.
Happy oiling!
Ashley Marasco
If you’ve enjoyed reading this month’s wrap-up, make sure you’re subscribed to receive the next one as soon as it posts to your inbox!