Beth Martin's Blog, page 4

Book Review: The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno Garcia

I saw this book at my local bookstore and loved the cover with all the vibrant colors. After purchasing it, it sat in my office for a while before I finally picked it up and started reading it. Only a few pages in, I broke down and purchased the Kindle version. As much as I love and want to enjoy print books, the printing on my copy was particularly light, and I had a hard time

New Journals

Being an indie author, I’ve made it my business to learn all kinds of cool stuff about publishing. There’s a branch of self-publishing where people create something called ‘low-content’ books, which are any type of book that doesn’t have a lot of text, like sketchbooks, journals, planners, etc. All you need is a cute cover and some lined pages, and you’ve put together a journal.I don’t have much

Happy New Year 2024: New Year Energy

Happy New Year! I’m excited for 2024—so excited I’ve even created a vision board with all my writing goals and personal, professional, social, and family aspirations for the coming year. I’ve also picked a word for the year, which is something new for me. My word for 2024 will be “Harmony.” I love the idea of all the different and unique parts of my life coming together beautifully,

Happy Holidays 2023

I wasn’t sure what to write in this end-of-the-year wrap-up post, so I looked at my website archive to see what I’ve said in years past, and it turns out I’m not one for writing end-of-the-year wrap-up posts. Therefore, I shall keep this short and sweet! If you enjoy my books and/or content, consider signing up for my newsletter. It’s the best way to keep in contact with me. Join

Book Review: Can You Get Out of This Book? By SOLV

This book looks cool, and from the cover, you know what you’re getting into: an escape room style book full of puzzles that requires the use of your phone. I don’t like when books and board games require me to use a specific app or website, but I'll give it a pass if it’s simply for checking answers.Let’s start with the good: clearly, a lot of thought went into this book. The book is full of

Introducing December's Theme: Gentle Snow

Although I’m sad to see fall come to an end, I’m excited for the beautiful crispness of winter to take hold. So, to embrace the upcoming winter, my theme this December will be “Gentle Snow.” From the peaceful, serene snow-covered landscapes to the cozy indoor activities, welcome the new season with me as we celebrate the joys of winter.Chemistry shows that water molecules are extraordinary,

The Beauty and Complexity of Drop Caps in Books

Ever since I was getting my first book ready to publish, I’ve had a fascination with book design. There are a lot of elements in book design that are there to ease the reading experience, make the text easy to follow, and let the rest of the page disappear. But one of my favorite elements not only looks pretty but also better draws you into the story. And that lovely design element is

Surviving November with a Writing Survival Kit

I’m excited to introduce my theme for the month of November: Writing Survival Kit. My plan for this month is to draft my next sci-fi thriller novel, and since I’ve written several novels before, I have lots of experience and advice pertaining to the matter. Throughout the month, I’ll be sharing writing tips, my favorite writing tools, updates on my novels, and fun movies about writers,

Halloween Goodies for All My Readers

Last year for Halloween, I posted about why I always include a non-food item in treat bags for trick-or-treaters. You can read that post here. This year, I returned to my original fun handout—a booklet of Halloween-themed mazes. All the mazes are new and made specifically for this year’s booklet. Since so much time and effort went into it, I thought it might be nice to share it here

October's Theme: Embracing the Ghostly Vibe of the Season

Halloween is the ideal holiday: you get to decorate, the spooky vibe is a fun departure from the normal, role-playing as a variety of characters is celebrated and even encouraged, you don’t have to worry about buying a bunch of gifts, people are encouraged to get out and meet the neighbors, and the whole focus is collecting lots of candy. Although Halloween would be a great theme for the month, I