K.J. Chapman's Blog, page 31

Blogmas Day 2

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Etsy Gifts for Booklovers

Blogmas day 2 is here! I love making these posts because I basically get to online shop for things I like. I also like to keep it real and showcase handmade gifts that average, working class families can afford. None of the gifts I have found breach the £20 limit.

Under £5

make and sell the most adorable bookmarks. My favourites are under £5. There is a £1.50 postage charge, but as the item itself is less than £5, I wanted to include it in this section.

As an alternative, bookmarks printed on cardstock are cheaper still.

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£5-£10

creates beautiful Kindle sleeves to keep your Kindles safe and snug. A Kindle sleeve costs £7.50 with £1.50 postage.

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£10-£15

have so many stunning prints that booklovers will gush over. This Little Women quote is just £11.99 with free p&p to the UK.

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£15-£20

make weighted, fabric bags that make nifty bookends. You can grab a pair for £17.50 and free p&p.

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I hope these gifts have given you inspiration to buy a perfect gift for your loved one that won’t break the bank.

Content belongs to K.J.Chapman

Photos belong to the ETSY sellers (follow links for original sources)

Blogmas Day 1

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I’m doing something new this year… 24 days of Blogmas. I shall post a festive post everyday until Christmas day. I hope you enjoy what I have in store for this series. Keep your eyes peeled daily for topics such as DIY Christmas decorations, gift ideas for book lovers, and no bake Christmas treats. Not all posts will be writerly or bookish, but I will try to include aspects where I can. However, I can guarantee they will all be festive.

Bookish Advent

As you can guess from the title, this post is an alternative to a chocolate advent calendar. My daughter receives a chocolate calendar from the grandparents, and my son is just 7 months old, so we have chosen to do something a little different- 24 days, 24 books.

A bookish advent calendar is great for young or old. Just purchase books that suit the recipient’s age and tastes.

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‘This must be pricey?’ I hear you cry. No, not if you’re thrifty. All the books I have purchased are second hand. Thrift shops and social media selling sites have been my best friends for this project. I managed to get 3 for £1 deals in the thrift shops, and I even bought many books for just 20p!

There are some sellers on Etsy and Ebay that will sell a set of 24 gift wrapped, children’s books for this very reason. If you don’t have time to scour around for good quality, second hand books, this is a great option.

Once you have your 24 books, you wrap them individually and allow the recipient to open one a day until Christmas. Children’s books that are shorter in length can be used as your bedtime read each night.

I used different wrapping papers for my children to make it easier to differentiate.

Bonus suggestion:

We have elves stay with us from December 1st to the 24th. It is getting harder and harder to think up fun, mischievous things for them to get up to each night. This year, our elves will hide each day’s books for the kids (my daughter) to find.

Content belongs to K.J.Chapman

Update 30/11/18

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I have had a productive month. I bet you didn’t think I’d kick of this post with that. I’m just as shocked myself. Lots of stuff got done, not all the stuff I had planned, but lots all the same.

Writing

It happened, not the amount I had hoped for, but more than previous months. Knowing the feel of the narrative and characters has made a huge difference.

I won’t share a teaser this month as everything I have written is spoilerific. Maybe next month.

I have also been having a serious think about my 2019 writing plans. This year was a big year personally, so I finished writing zero books. Next year, achievable but challenging goals are a must. I want at least to complete the first draft of my zombie novella, and to get my Indigo Flame book 2 well underway.

Blogging

I have been a busy bee, scheduling posts, organising 2019’s series ideas, and wait for it… planning Blogmas.

Blogmas day 1 starts tomorrow, and I hope you enjoy this festive series. There will be a Christmas related post every day until Christmas day. Whether you want help to find the perfect, bookish gift, no bake treat ideas, or recipes to use up leftover turkey, then Blogmas on Writerly Bookish Stuff is a must.

I will announce my new series for 2019 in the New Year.

Reading

I have read one short story. This is definitely where I underachieved this month. With my daughter’s birthday party, playdates, and my blog post scheduling, reading fell to the bottom of the list.

Find the review for Our Frozen Wings by Becky Wicks here.

I’m not going to do a ‘What’s next?’ section this month as I have explained a little bit about my plans above. A more extensive 2019 plan list is coming in January.

Please come back tomorrow for Blogmas day 1!

Content belongs to K.J.Chapman

Writerly Wisdom

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Writerly Wisdom

‘Love and marriage are wonderful arenas in which to place a character. We are most likely to risk our morals and beliefs while in love. Betrayal gives tremendous insights into a character as well.’

~Anita Shreve

Find K.J.Chapman on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

Writerly Wisdom

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Writerly Wisdom

“ Honestly, I think there’s a cycle to the popularity of fantasy and fairytales that usually coincides with times of unrest or hardship in our own world. By retelling these legends or immersing ourselves in fantasy realms, we can safely explore the very real, very day-to-day darkness of our own lives. “

– Sarah.J.Maas

Find K.J.Chapman on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

Writerly Wisdom

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Writerly Wisdom

“An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all. “

– Oscar Wilde

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Blogmas Day 3

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Gifts for Bookworms

It’s day 3 of Blogmas, and I bet many of you are now thinking long and hard on gift ideas for loved ones. I hope I can make it a little simpler for you, especially for those bookworms in your family.

The following is a list of 10 bookish gift ideas from Etsy.

1. make and sell beautiful bookmarks. You xant have too many bookmarks, right?

2.

Review: Our Frozen Wings by Becky Wicks

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Our Frozen Wings by Becky Wicks 3.5/5

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“It wasn’t like regular butterflies, Ella thought, watching Oscar turn from distant shapes into the boy she loved as he walked towards her in the snow. Regular butterflies were the sign of a sudden realization, a sudden flash in time that marked the start of all your words and emotions and actions being said and done for someone else. With Ella, there had been no such moment.

Ella’s love for Oscar was advanced, she liked to think. It was more like a fleet of caterpillars moving slowly but surely through her world. Each little caterpillar carried on its back a secret, traveling back and forth between her and Oscar; strong, silent and consistent until one day, the caterpillars simply grew wings.”

Review:

This short was pleasantly surprising. Wicks handled the narrative well and fed the conclusion to the reader in tidbits. However I did guess the ending pretty early on in the story, hence my rating.

This short was free on Amazon, and I am glad that this isnt just another ‘come and pay to read my other books to get the conclusion’ short story. This book can standalone, and has a full conclusion. If the reader wants to pay to reads Wicks’ other books it is based on writing skill alone. So, thumbs up for that.

The opinions expressed here are those of K.J. Chapman and no other parties

All books reviewed on this blog have been read by K.J.Chapman

K.J.Chapman has not been paid for this review

Writerly Wisdom

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Writerly Wisdom

“Y ou’ll work hard to create characters that are compelling and unforgettable. But in the end, it’s the story that matters.”

– James Dashner

Writerly Wisdom

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Writerly Wisdom

“ All I can guess is that when I write, I forget that it’s not real. I’m living the story, and I think people can read that sincerity about the characters. They are real to me while I’m writing them, and I think that makes them real to the readers as well.”

– Stephenie Meyer

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