Gabriella Slade's Blog: The JOY of Writing, page 3

Author Interview: Janeen Ippolito

Happy Saturday, Soul Questers!

Today, we’re doing an author interview!! I’m so excited about having Janeen Ippolito with me on the blog today! We’re celebrating the release of her newest book, If Wishes Were Curses, so I asked her to come on the blog and chat! I hope you enjoy and consider picking up her newest book.

[image error]

About the book:

So I accidentally killed a shifter. On purpose.

With genie powers, I shouldn’t be able to use, thanks to my curse-mark.

In my defense, the d*** grizzly was threatening civilians and might have been a vampire as well. Pittsburgh is safer without him. Only the Fae court doesn’t believe my story, and the shifters are out for blood.

Now I’ve lost my job as a romantic investigator, and I’m on death row. My only hope is an oddly outgoing vegetarian vampire lawyer who seems strangely familiar. Too familiar.

Almost like we’ve met before, and this whole thing was a set-up to take us both down.

Wishing won’t get us out of this mess.

But my forbidden wish magic just might.

A snarky urban fantasy with a heart, some romance with heat (nothing graphic), and gleeful send-ups of many tropes, all wrapped up with an otter-shifter in the bargain.

With that all said and done, I’d like to welcome Janeen!

 

Tell us about yourself

I’m a woman on a mission to ensure every reader has endless TBR piles and amazing reading experiences. I do this by writing books, coaching, and editing for authors, and running a publishing company. I also sword fight, read, wood burn, and seek out weird foods to eat. I’m a Slytherin who uses her ambition and cunning for good, and I love nothing more than to understand all the things!

What inspired your book If Wishes Were Curses?

I love Pittsburgh, and I’ve always wanted to set a series there. Also, when I was brainstorming that series, a genie side character showed up. At that time, I was focused on my kicka** monster-hunting fox-shifter and my elven enforcer. But the idea of a genie-turned-matchmaker stuck with me, and thanks to some ideas from a writing friend, it took off instead. I love the idea of the main character who is working to reconcile relationships and stop bad things from happening before the monster-hunters and cops have to come in.

Why did you decide to be an author?

I couldn’t get the words out of my mind, and my husband encouraged me to keep pursuing it after college. 

Who are some of the authors that inspire you?

Gail Carson Levine. Patricia Briggs. H.L. Burke. A.C. Williams. Anne Bishop. Mike Duran.

What is some must haves for a writing session?

My laptop, internet access, a playlist, and a glass of room temperature water. 

When you’re not writing, what are you usually doing?

Working on the publishing company or my author services business. Wood burning. Reading. And when I’m stuck on a story item, cleaning the house.

What’s one thing readers can expect when going into IWWC?

Fun. This book has a lot of serious elements woven into it, but I wanted the overall tone to be light-hearted. That comes from my own instincts of “whistling in the dark.”

Thank you so much for coming onto my blog! It was great to chat with you. 

Thank you for hosting me!

Janeen’s social media links are listed down below, and again, go check out If Wishes Were Curses! 

[image error]

Social media links:

Website: https://janeenippolito.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janeenippolitounique/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaneenIppolito

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janeen_ippolito/

 

[image error]

6 Books By Teen Authors That Everyone Should Read

Happy Saturday, Soul Questers!!

Today I want to talk about teen author novels!

If you don’t know, I’m a teen author. I published my debut novel, Show Me at sixteen years old. Before that, I had a goal for a long time to publish a book before I turned fifteen. Little did I know that there was already a huge community of teen authors. I thought I was the only young author out there, but boy was I so wrong!

So today, I want to share some of the books I’ve read that have been written by teens like me that I really love! (Note: these are not all the books by teens I’ve read, these are just some of my top favorites. There are still so many on my TBR and I’m sure some of them will also be favorites.)

Love And The Sea And Everything In Between by Brian Mcbride–My last blog post was actually a review for Love And The Sea. You can read it here. I really enjoyed my experience reading this book. It’s really focused on mental illness and while I don’t have much knowledge when it comes to that subject, I just found McBride’s writing really insightful and eye-opening. Also, he wins points for having a gorgeous cover.
Wings by Olivia Faye Scott–I won my copy of Wings in a giveaway. I was so excited to pick it up after hearing so much about it and I ended up finishing it in two days. I thought Scott did a great job keeping me engaged and I was never bored. Isabelle’s growth was really interesting to read about. If you like books that aren’t super long but are about growth and healing, I would totally recommend it!
The Fire And Ice Book Series by Erin Forbes--The Fire And Ice books are some of my favorites to read about! They are so lighthearted and are the kind of book I love to read when I need a book that isn’t super dark or serious. Obviously, there’s still a bit of a dark force, but I just think these books are great to read when you need a light fantasy. Plus, the characters and culture within this series are SO GOOD.
The Girl Who Could See by Kara Swanson–Now, I’m a HUGE Kara fan. She’s an amazing person and I’ve had the huge honor to get to beta read some of her future novels. Her first book though, The Girl Who Could See is one of my favorites. The atmosphere is so compelling and I love Kara’s writing style. I love her characters too. Tristian, for example, is amazing.
Honey Butter by Millie Florance–Millie is one the younger teen authors in the community, but personally I love her writing style. I read Honey Butter in one night because it was so well written. Again, it’s one of those books that’s really lighthearted if you just want to escape the real world. I love the friendship dynamic and the whole idea of collecting paint cards is something I would have totally loved to do if my parents had let me.
So Sang The Dawn by AnnMarie Pavese–This was one of my first reads of 2019. I was a part of a month long readathon hosted by the author, and boy did I enjoy this beast of a book. If you like Narnia, or Lord of The Rings and need a new read with a bit of a similar vibe, I think you should really give this book a chance. I was so impressed with So Sang The Dawn, and it was a great way to start of the reading year.

So those are five teen-written books that I loved when I read them. Now, there are so many other books in the teen author community I have yet to read and I’m sure I’ll read some I wish I could add to the list.

Teen authors have so much talent inside of them, and sometimes I think we’re brushed off sometimes as being ‘amateur’ and that our writing isn’t very developed yet. And while I do agree that we all have room to grow, I think teen authors are so talented and really need more recognition. It takes a lot to write a novel, much less edit and publishes it and the fact that there’s actually a little corner on the internet dedicated to a group of us I think is really commendable.

So that wraps up today’s post. If you want me to write a sequel post about teen author books I have yet to read, please comment down below so I know and I will do that for you.

[image error]

Love And The Sea And Everything In Between: A Book Review

Happy Saturday, Soul Questers!

Today, I’m doing another book review! I’m really excited to review this particular book! The book I’ll be reviewing is Love And The Sea And Everything In Between by Brian Mcbride!!

[image error]

Here’s the blurb:

WINNER OF WATTPAD’S 2016 WATTY’S AWARD “We are bright. We are brave.” College Freshman Adam West’s world has been falling apart for a long time. Broken, betrayed, abandoned, alone… there’s nothing left for him but a handful of mental illnesses. He’s tired and ready to end it all. Then, Elizabeth Richards comes along. All it took was the kindness of a stranger to make Adam’s world just a little bit brighter. For the first time in a long time, as they travel the West Coast together, he’s starting to see that there are still some adventures worth living for. But pain isn’t easily forgotten. And the past doesn’t just disappear. Sometimes the only way to come alive is to fight and wrestle through all the darkest places. For fans of Stephen Chbosky’s THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER and John Green’s THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, LOVE AND THE SEA AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN shines a light on some of the darkest places of human struggle. Heart-rending and raw, it reminds us that love has the power to bring healing to even the most broken places. 

First, before we even get into the book itself, I just want to say that I love this cover! It’s even more stunning in person. I’m obsessed with the colors and the fonts altogether. It really is what got me to look more into this book.

I first heard of the author, Brian McBride, when I was reading an ARC (Advanced reader’s copy) of Project Canvas, which is a collection of writing advice and inspiration by various teen authors. Brian’s chapter particularly intrigued me, especially when he talked about how his award-winning Wattpad novel had impacted people. Soon after, I heard it was being published and immediately after seeing the cover and reading the blurb, I knew I had to get my hands on it.

I do want to thank Brian for sending me a copy of his book to review. However, this is my blog and anything I write are honest truths. I don’t let free books stop me from being honest about my feelings for the story.

I was really impressed with Love And The Sea. It was so raw and real and I really found myself rooting for these characters within the first few chapters.

Both the main characters, Liz and Adam, are each wounded in some way. They are both fighting their individual battles. It’s what brings them together and helps these two college students bond. Throughout the book, we get to see their history in short clips of backstory. I really appreciated how the flashbacks weren’t super frequent and they didn’t take over the story. They were pieced in at good points and really helped you appreciate both the leads on a deeper level.

With other books I’ve read, the backstory sometimes tended to feel more like a subplot that I didn’t care to read about, but Brian does a good job with only inserting backstory when it’s relevant and not stretching too far. In the end, it does its job of helping me build a deeper understanding of the characters.

Liz and Adam bond over the different road trips they take so Adam can show Liz the different landmarks on the West Coast like the Golden Gate Bridge and the Grand Canyon. I found all those moments so sweet and it surprised me to see how much Adam opened up to Liz in such a short amount of time. However, there were a couple points it felt like it was getting repetitive and I expected some sort of conflict to pop up, and there wasn’t that much of it.

Despite that, the last quarter of the book was very suspenseful and made up for the lack of tension throughout the middle of the book.

If I’m being honest, I didn’t expect how their relationship developed. I thought it was going on more of a friendship level, but it was more romantic. I’m OK with that though. For one, I love a good romance. This one didn’t feel super forced. It developed very nicely, though some people may find it a little Insta-lovey.

Brian did a great job writing emotional scenes. It was really easy for me to connect with the characters, When I don’t connect with characters, I don’t usually enjoy the story.

This is a book I definitely see myself rereading in the future. It was so heartbreaking and beautiful and eye-opening and I definitely recommend picking it up.

Right now, I’m following along with Brian’s second book on Wattpad:  Every Bright And Burning Thing and I love that book too so you should read it if you aren’t.

So that concludes my review of Love And The Sea And Everything In Between by Brian McBride. I hope you enjoyed reading it!

In the end, I gave this book a shining 5/5 stars!

Buy the book here.

My Most Anticipated Book Releases Of 2019

Happy 2019, Soul Questers!!

Actually, at the time of writing this, it’s still 2018. In fact, it’s Christmas Eve. My family doesn’t go out much for Christmas and honestly, I’m in a bit of a blog post writing mood, so I might as well take advantage of it and pre-write a blog post or two.

Today, I’m really excited to discuss the books I’m MOST excited for in 2019. Now, I’m sure more are going to pop up throughout the year that I’m also going to be super excited for as well, but as of now, these are the books I’ve written down that I CAN’T WAIT to read. Sorry for the overuse of caps lock.

Without further ado, let’s just dive in.

(P.S. None of these are really in any particular order.)

MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASES OF 2019

ROMANOV by Nadine Brandes–I know this book is on so many peoples’ lists at this point. I mean…Who isn’t excited about a new Nadine Brandes book with Anastasia vibes? OK, if I’m being honest, I know little to nothing about Anastasia, but I do want to learn a little more about it before the release of the book. Fawkes was my #2 on my top 10 reads of 2018 so I am on the edge of this seat waiting for the release, especially after being rejected an early copy by Netgalley.
TO BEST THE BOYS by Mary Weber–I read both Storm Siren and The Evaporation of Sofi Snow in 2018. While Storm Siren honestly wasn’t my favorite thing to read, I LOVED Sofi Snow and can’t wait to read the sequel. To Best The Boys, her 2019 release sounds so fun and gripping! I also got rejected for this book on Netgalley but I really hope there are opportunities to try to win a copy of this book anyways.
WITHIN THESE LINES by Stephanie Morrill–Stephanie actually got me into the teen writing community. I found her blog and eventually was led to the GTW Facebook group which has introduced me to so many like-minded souls. I was on her launch team for The Lost Girl Of Astor Street, which was my first launch team experience. While Historical Fiction isn’t my normal genre, I do like to read one every once in a while to get me out of my comfort zone and Stephanie writes great novels so of course, I’m really excited to get to her World War 2 inspired novel!
FIRE AND ICE: THE KINDRED WOODS by Erin Forbes–OK, I L-O-V-E Erin’s books SO much. The Lost Dreamer is SO good! I get to be a part of the cover reveal which is happening “tomorrow” though if you’re reading this, it’s already been revealed in all of its beautiful gloriousness and it’s here for you to stare at. I CANNOT wait for this release and I will support Erin in all of her endeavors and continue to read her books inside and outside The Gifted Society.
CORAL by Sara Ella–I haven’t read many mermaids inspired novels before, but they sound so fun, and Sara Ella is a beautiful writer with a lyrical writing style I can’t get enough of. When I heard she was publishing a mermaid book I got so excited, especially when I saw this cover!! (JUST LOOK AT THIS) If you haven’t read Unblemished or the sequels, I highly recommend them! I have yet to read the finale, but I just need to buy the hardcover and I haven’t gotten around to it yet. (Update: I ended up buying it with my Christmas money!)
JADED SPRING by Kristen Martin–Kristen Martin, you may know is one of my inspirations as an author. I plan on rereading Shadow Crown very soon so I can finally read my beautiful new copy of Renegade Cruex. I already knew that this book was going to make it onto this list. As of now, I plan on reading every book she puts out. After Renegade Cruex, I’ll be all caught up until this next installment in her fantasy series.
THE KILLING TIDE by Dani Pettrey–Fun fact: My mom worked for Dani for a period of time. She was her virtual assistant, which was how I got into her books. I binged her entire Chesapeake Valor Series, and when I saw she had a new book on the way, I was super excited. Dani’s books are another out-of-my-comfort-zone genre, but I really enjoyed them and it made me more interested in the Christian Suspense genre.
LYDIA GREEN OF MULBERRY GREEN by Millie Florance–Millie is a fellow author in the teen author community. I read her debut, Honey Butter and it’s such a cute feel-good story. Lydia Green sounds like one of those lighthearted fantasy stories I’m going to cuddle up and read and then share with my 10-year-old sister. Millie is an absolute gem and you must follow her if you don’t already. 
ON THE COME UP by Angie Thomas–The Hate U Give is practically a must-read for anyone who can handle the topic and the language. I think it’s an important story read less for the entertainment and more for the message. On The Come Up was supposed to come out in 2018 but it was delayed because of the release of THUG’s movie in October. Nevertheless, I’m so excited to read her next book. 

And those are my most anticipated releases for 2019! I hope you enjoyed today’s post.

What are your most anticipated releases for 2019? Leave them in the comments so we can chat!!

[image error]

The Scarlet Archer: A Book Review

Happy Saturday, Soul Questers!

Today, I’m doing a book review!! My goal in the new year is actually to do a lot more book reviews here on my blog. (If you are interested in having me review your book, feel free to contact me here.)

So today I am reviewing The Scarlet Archer by Magdalene G Jones.

[image error]

Here’s the blurb:

Queen Rowan of Itul— the gangly, red-haired, archery enthusiast— has never wanted the throne. She is more than happy to remain at Courtmere Castle, outside the capital and its intrigues, while her aunt and uncle act as regents. Itul is saturated with turmoil, both within and without. Now more than ever the burdens of ruling seem too much for a seventeen-year-old, but Rowan’s aunt and uncle believe the country needs their queen at this hour. 

Life has other plans. 

On her journey back to the capital, assassins attack her entourage and Rowan’s aunt and uncle are killed. Rowan narrowly escapes into the forest, and her best friend Lady Miriam tracks her there. Miriam secretly supplies Rowan with necessities and convinces the young queen to remain in hiding until her enemies are identified. While waiting, Rowan discovers others in need of a safe haven. Her group of outcasts slowly grows in numbers and purpose; and stories spread of a Scarlet Archer, his band of Night Hunters, and their ‘Haven’ for the oppressed. As Rowan brings more people under her care, she discovers disturbing mysteries surrounding the newly crowned king. Will Rowan be able to sacrifice her own desires and shoulder the burdens of a kingdom at war?

I actually really enjoyed my experience reading The Scarlet Archer. Jones is actually a fellow teen author and her book was on my TBR for a little while.

This book actually reminded a lot of a female Robin Hood retelling. I’m not actually sure if that was done on purpose or not, but regardless, if you’re a fan of Robin Hood I think you would really like this.

Rowan was a really fun protagonist. I love how she broke standards of royalty. She was a good POV for this novel. It was great to watch Rowan caring for her kingdom and putting her people over her disregard at being queen. I applaud everything she did for them.

I think the best part of this book was the romance, though I won’t say who ends up with who because it’s probably spoiler territory. I wanted this relationship from the moment we saw these characters interact, but I wouldn’t say it was predictable. I just personally loved these two together and would have shipped them together regardless of whether or not they were endgame.

Now, into my negatives, though there really aren’t that many.

The first thing is I wasn’t a big fan of was the number of named characters in the story. The reason for that was because I lost track of who was who as the story went on and I was confused at times. There was only a handful that I remember by name and that was it.

The other problem I really had was that this wasn’t my favorite writing style ever. Now, Magdalene is a debut teen author much like myself and I have received the same comment on my own writing. I believe a developed writing style comes from consistent writing and I believe Magdalene’s writing will mature and develop the more she writes.

Despite both these negatives, I believe this was an amazing story and I highly recommend you pick it up if you’re interested.

Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Scarlet-Archer...

Thanks for joining me for this review of The Scarlet Archer. Overall, I gave this book 4/5 stars on Goodreads!

Look out for more book reviews coming soon!

 

[image error]

Kade’s Music Playlist: Part 1

Happy Saturday, Soul Questers!

Today’s blog post is going to be a part of a bit of a mini series! I want to start sharing my writing playlists for the different characters in my main series, The Dragon Artifacts Series.

My playlists are put together by character so I have Kade’s Playlist, Argent’s playlist, etc. I choose a song if the lyrics fit a certain character’s personality. I’m constantly adding to these playlists and depending on my mood and who I’m writing about.

For the first part of this series, I’m going to be sharing 7 of Kade’s songs on his playlist and why I chose those particular songs.

Kade’s Playlist–Part 1

Superheroes by The Script–This song automatically gives me Kade feels because, in Kade’s head, he wants to be a superhero. He wants to fight for the things he believes in, though in the first book we do see him hide away because he hasn’t learned yet how to embrace who he his and what he is capable of. Believer by Imagine Dragons–This was one of the very first songs I wanted to put on Kade’s playlist. We’ve already seen Kade struggle with his beliefs in Show Me. He’s grown up with a lot of pain throughout his childhood and it shapes who he is in present time. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons–Just a warning in advance that there are a good bit of Imagine Dragon songs on here. I repeat a few artists throughout my playlist. Whatever it takes is what I like to call Kade’s theme song because is my little rebel and if he has his heart set on something, he’s going to do whatever it takes to get it done. Counting Stars by OneRepublic–Similar to Whatever It Takes, this song reminds me of Kade’s want to be accepted. He doesn’t want money or any other alternative forms of happiness. He knows what he wants and he’s ready to strive and get it. Secrets by OneRepublic–If you’ve read Show Me, then you probably already know about Kade’s distaste for secrets. In his eyes, secrets means distrust so if someone close to him is keeping a secret from him, then that must mean they don’t trust him. Naturally then, Kade doesn’t like to keep secrets from the people he trusts.  I Lived by OneRepublic–Kade doesn’t like to sit around. He has one life so he’s going to take advantage of that life. Kade is going to live. When the moment comes that he is taking his last breath, Kade wants to be able to look back on his life and say that he lived. Fix You by ColdPlay–I know! It’s not an ImagineDragons or OneRepublic song! Compared to the other songs I’ve shared so far, this song is more sad, and reminds me of Kade’s mournful side that he feels when he thinks that he’s failed someone or when he loses someone close to him. He knows he needs to learn from his mistakes and move on.

And that is the first 7 songs on Kade’s playlist!! I really hope you enjoyed this inside look into Kade’s personality. 

And as an extra bonus, I’m going to share with you the Spotify playlist for Kade that I personally use when I’m writing. If you’re impatient and don’t want to wait for me to write another playlist blog post, you can check out the link below and listen to Kade’s playlist for yourself. 

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/user/jmji4y2...

[image error]

My Top 10 Reads Of 2018

Hello Soul Questers!

Today’s post is really exciting!! I’m going to be telling you my TOP 10 FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2018!!

I read 30ish books in 2018. There were so favorites, some not so favorite…it was overall a really good year of reading.

I read Harry Potter for the first time this year, I started listening to audiobooks for the first time. I cannot wait to share my favorites with you.

(Honestly, if I read one of my favs in December I’m going to cry that I didn’t put it in this post.)

Also, my personal rule is when talking about series, I can only include one book for that series to make this list fairer.

First are my two honorable mentions!!

Honorable Mention #1: Wings by Olivia Faye Scott!–I won a free copy of this book and was so excited to read it. I read it in (I think) two days, but I remember being so encaptured in the story. Olivia did an amazing job writing this and I can’t wait to read any of her future books.

Honorable Mention #2: Honey Butter by Millie Florance!–Millie is one of my dear teen author friends. Her new book, Lydia Green Of Mulberry Glen looks like it’s going to be soo good. Back to Honey Butter though, I read this book in one evening. I loved the friendship dynamic featured in this book. It gave me a lot of warm fuzzies.

Now…Onto My Top Ten Of 2018!!!!

Number 10 is…

Blind Spot by Dani Pettrey!!–I read Dani’s entire Chesapeake Valor Series this year and this one was my fav, though honestly I just love this series as a whole.  Personally, though, this particular book’s plot kept me reading the most.

Number 9…

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas!–This book was so raw and real it gave me goosebumps. It’s not really one of those books I would really call entertaining, but I did love certain aspects about it like the Fresh Prince references. I definitely think everyone should read this at one point or another.

Number 8 is…

Unraveling by Sara Ella!–I love this series. I love this author. I can’t wait to read the conclusion to this trilogy as well as Sara’s newest book, Coral. I love all of her characters soo much and the magic system really interests me!

Number 7…

Cress by Marissa Meyer!–Honestly, I struggled soo much choosing which book to put on this list because honestly, this was one of my favorite series I read this year. (I’m surprised I didn’t put it higher.) These characters make me happy. I always look forward to hanging out with them. Hopefully, I’m not in a hangover after finishing the series.

Number 6…

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling–please don’t hate me for not putting this book at #1. Honestly, it’s just because there are other books I really wanted to put there instead. Harry Potter is…Harry Potter. I love it like I love The Hunger Games and The Chronicles of Narnia. Just because it’s Harry Potter doesn’t mean it has to be in the  #1 slot.

Number 5…

Fire And Ice: The Lost Dreamer by Erin Forbes–Erin Forbes is a QUEEN when it comes to teen writing. I love reading about the gifted society. It gives me happy feelings and I love cuddling in bed while reading them. Like with The Lunar Chronicles, these characters make me so happy. I’m so looking forward to the next book in the series–Fire And Ice: The Kindred Woods.

Number 4…

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare--As of now, I’ve only read 3 of Cassandra Clare’s books and of those three, Clockwork Angel is my favorite. I haven’t read much of Clockwork Prince but I already know it’s going to be great. I can’t believe this year I have fallen victim to hyped YA books.

Number 3…

The Evaporation of Sofi Snow by Mary Weber–This was my first ever audiobook experience since I was little and I have to say this was really good! I love Sofi and how much she cares for her brother, Shilo. She makes every decision in the book for him and it really helped me love her a lot.

Number 2…

(I’m going to say right now that I struggled with the number 1 and number 2 slot. I probably should have put this as number 1 for a reason I’ll explain in a moment.)

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes–This was probably no surprise since Nadine Brandes as we know is a queen. This was my first time reading one of her books but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this book. I wish it wasn’t a standalone novel, to be honest. I love the concept of Color Magic and the politics that arose because of it. Nadine did a fantastic job exploring it without bogging down the story.

And my Number 1 read for this year is…

Drumroll, please…

A Darker Shade Of Magic by V. E. Schwab!!!–The only reason I probably shouldn’t have labeled this as number one is because I haven’t actually finished the novel yet. So why is it at number 1? Because I am LOVING it SOO much I knew I couldn’t wait to finish it before putting it as my favorite of this year. I decided my blog, my rules.  The concept of other Londons fascinates me so much, and I love Kell and following him around. The magic, as well as the writing style, is why I love this book SO much. V.E. Schwab’s style is amazing, and once again this is my first time reading one of her books (Are we seeing a trend here?)

That is IT for my top 10 of 2018!! Please be sure to comment below YOUR favorite read from this year.

Time Management For The Creative Entrepreneur

Happy Saturday, Soul Questers!

Recently, I’ve really been struggling with time management. I have so much stuff I want to do and not enough time to do it…or do I?

This post if for me as much as it is for you. Today, we’re going to list the top 8 tips for getting more done in our everyday lives without attempting to add nonexistent hours to our day.

Prioritize! Let’s be honest, if we cut down on the mindless activities we did every day, we would have so much more time on our hands. Think about your day to day activities. What are the most important tasks for you? Which ones don’t matter as much? Spend less time doing the ones that matter least to you like scrolling on your phone or watching Netflix and use that time for writing or whatever it is you have prioritized. That will save you soo much time.
Batch Your Tasks This is a term I only recently learned about. It’s when you do similar activities such as writing, marketing, cleaning, etc. all in one day. When you batch your activities, your mindset is already set to do those tasks and you get more done. I haven’t done much batching myself yet, but it’s definitely something I am interested in trying in the near future.
Create To-Do Lists I bullet journal and set monthly, weekly and daily goals which help me see ahead of time what I need to get done. With the larger goals, I break them up into smaller goals to help me achieve them. Breaking down tasks makes them so much less daunting, and writing them down gives me a visual of what I need to do. Not to mention, it’s super satisfying to cross off a completed task. If you come up with a new to do, write it down. That way, you won’t forget.
Reward Yourself What would motivate you to get all these things you just wrote down on your to-do list done? Is it an episode of your favorite Netflix show? A cup of coffee? A pizza for dinner? Remember those things I told you to do less so you could prioritize the more important tasks? Use them as your rewards. I let myself go on Pinterest if I get my writing done, and I’ll even spend some time reading my latest novel.
Listen To Your Favorite Music! This might sound crazy at first, but listening to my favorite jams motivates me to get stuff done! It helps pump me with energy, and I have a mini dance party, I’ll go to cross all those daunting tasks on my to-do list.
Get dressed Similar to listening to music, getting dressed is another way to motivate you to work. If I’m my PJ’s, I just want to lie on the couch all day and scroll through Instagram. By the end of the day, I haven’t gotten anything done. Getting out of my sleepwear, doing my hair and even some makeup if I’m planning on leaving the house helps me tell my body that rest time is over and it’s time to kick butt.
Spend Time With Jesus Do NOT consider this one of your tasks to spend less time doing so you can get more done. Spending time with Jesus is the most important part of your day and it should not be skipped out on. Making Jesus a priority really fills me with joy and propels me to start my day on the right foot.
Take Breaks Don’t work so hard that you completely burn yourself out. If you can, take one whole day off to relax and make up for what you might have missed. Even small breaks between tasks can help you move forward. For me personally, I take breaks when writing because then when I come back, I want to keep working now that I’ve spent five minutes on my phone or getting a glass of water. Don’t take too many breaks though because then you’ll get nothing done.

Those are my top 8 tips for managing your time. I hope these help you, and if you have any advice to add, please feel free to drop them in the comments.

[image error]

Show Me Received Its First Negative Review

Happy Monday, Soul Questers!

I originally had plans to write a different post for this week, but when I was checking my Amazon Reviews this morning, I learned that I received my first 1-star review for Show Me and I wanted to address my feelings on it.

Every author receives negative reviews–it’s going to happen. Honesty, I was waiting for one to pop up because I know that my book isn’t for everyone and that’s OK.

I will admit, I did not expect the lengthy review from the reader who gave her very honest opinions on what bothered her about the book.

I’ve said this before–I appreciate the honesty from my readers. I just texted my best friend/critique partner this week to ask her ‘What do you honestly think needs to be fixed in book 2 to help my writing develop?’ And she was very honest, but in a nice way in the obvious issues that needed to be addressed.

I respect that my book is not for everyone–heck, Harry Potter has 86K 1-Star Reviews on Goodreads!

Funny enough, many of the issues were the same issues I had talked with her about–Kade’s character needing to be further developed and the magic is confusing. This makes my life easier because I knew about my problems with the book and already had plans to fix them. I spent this week working on an eight-page portfolio for Kade’s character to help me get to know him better.

Reading this review did hurt a little because when you spend hours working on your novel, only to see that someone has spent their time dissecting all the problems with the story, it feels like a piece of you has been ripped from your body.

But this reviewer did not attack me in any way and didn’t even hate on the book at all. She was just honest.

I’ll say what I said to my mom–I have to write a bad book before I can write a good book. I’m still growing as a writer and there are going to be issues with my writing. Besides, my book is not going to be for everyone–I’ve had my fair share of books I didn’t enjoy myself.

So thank you to whoever gave me a nice long review with your honest thoughts on my book. It may sound weird to hear that from the author, but as I’ve already said, negative reviews will help impact my future books. If you’ve read my book, and you had issues with it–please be honest. It will help me grow as an author.

So that’s how I feel about my book baby’s first one-star review.

Have you ever received negative reviews for your book? How do you feel about it? Please tell me in the comments below! I’d love to chat with you.

[image error]

What Once Upon A Time Taught Me About Series Writing

Happy Saturday, Soul Questers!

Today I’m doing something really, really exciting!

I am going to be talking about one of my favorite TV Shows, AND Books at the same time!!

I really LOVE ABC’s show, Once Upon A Time! It’s a guilty pleasure for me. I can’t help loving all the characters and the plots and the different directions it goes in. It honestly made me really want to take the time and list all the different things I’ve taken into account for my writing after watching (and rewatching) the series.

So, that’s what we’re going to do today! Here are the 5 things I learned about writing a series after watching Once Upon A Time!

All Magic Comes With A Price!–The iconic quote when fans think of OUAT. It actually holds a good chunk of advice in it. This can be applied to stand alone novels, as well as series, but I knew I couldn’t write a post about OUAT themed writing advice without mentioning it. If you’re writing any sort of magic in your stories, remember that your magic should cost something for its users. We see this repeatedly throughout the show. No one can wield magic without sacrificing something in return. Maybe that price is a life, or health or even personal freedom. Without diving into spoilers, I will say that at the end of my own novel, Show Me, Kade faces the price of using his magic prematurely.
Foreshadowing, Foreshadowing, Foreshadowing–OUAT is the queen of foreshadowing. Dare I say the Evil Queen of Foreshadowing?