Yolanda Sfetsos's Blog, page 18

HELENA by Claire L. Smith

Helena by Claire L. Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Last night, while looking through the many books I have on my Kindle, I decided to get stuck into this one.

It's 1855 and Helena Morrigan is a mortician struggling to make ends meet. That's how she ends up living in an old house that's close to the graveyard. But it also means that she befriends the Tarter siblings and realises she's not the only one with secrets...

I loved the rich atmospheric gothic vibes that dripped from every page of this nov...

I have some awesome news!

Hey! How are you today? I hope February is treating you well.
I thought I'd pop in to mention some great news!
Here's the first bit:

That's right!
I have a new book coming out next month from Anuci Press. I'm SO excited!
Check out that fantastic cover, which was made by the very talented Adrian from Fabled Beast Design. I love it because this cover fits the story perfectly!
I can't wait for this book to be out in the wild. And that happens to be March 29th. ☺️
The other very cool piece of news is this:...

Finally got some reading done!

 

Open House by Nico Bell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After a super busy month, I wanted to start February with a bit of reading. And this novelette was the perfect choice because I read it in one sitting.

Caleb is an ambitious realtor in LA who's trying to sell a modern high-tech mansion to establish himself professionally and financially. But during an open house, he meets a mysterious woman who sends him down a twisted path he wasn't expecting...

Yikes. This is such an intense story! I was hooked fr...

HER HEART BEATS FOR ANCIENT BEASTS by Calvin Demmer

Ancient beings, merciless monsters, unearthly creatures, and other beasts roam these pages.

A short story collection.

When the author of this short story collection reached out, I was excited about reading his latest selection of short stories because I've enjoyed the other ones Calvin has released.
Here are my thoughts on each story...
HIGHWAY HUNGER: I really enjoyed this one. There's some great imagery and Dudley Ellington is a flawed but likeable main character.
NEVER SLEEP AGAIN: Reginald Barton...

This Novel is Done!

Hey, how are you today?

Well, this week I got stuck into the final read-thru of my current revision. That means I sat down with my Paperwhite and read the story from start to finish.

This is when any weird sentences or repeated words stand out. Also, awkward phrasing and any excess. During this part of the revision process, I focus on all the nitty-gritty details. I added some words, then cut a bunch more. I also made all the changes on the Word doc after finishing each chapter.

Technically, I reac...

More Revision & Some Editing!

Hey! How are you today? It's been a SUPER busy week, and it's left me feeling mentally exhausted. To be honest, the shitty weather didn't help. 😫

I'm SO glad the weekend is finally here!

Anyway, my goal for this week was to get through the third draft of the unhinged/wild novel I'm currently revising. So, I got stuck into it on Monday afternoon and ended up reaching the end by Wednesday night. Yay! It always feels good to reach this point because it means the story is almost done. There's only one...

Revision Time!

Hey! How are you today? I hope you all had a lovely new year! 😊

Although January always moves very slowly and my brain hasn't fully grasped that the lazy festive season is done, I decided to get stuck into my first writing project of 2024: the second draft of the novel I wrote back in November.

This is to kick-start my writing goals for this year, and to make sure that I continue to stick to my plan of staying on top of my finished first drafts. I did very well last year and revised the stories I ...

First 2024 Reads: Two Short Stories by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Lover by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wanted to start the year with something quick and sharp, and this story definitely did the trick.

Judith longs to be free and escapes to a small shack in the woods whenever she can. Still, she can't escape all the chores and responsibilities that her prettier older sister, Alice, makes her do. Not until she really opens her eyes...

Wow, I loved this deliciously wicked fairy tale!

It's a little Red Riding Hood, a bit Cinderella, with a good...

Some Kind of Goals

HAPPY NEW YEAR! ☺️🎉
The beginning of January always feels like a clean slate. A time to make personal plans and goals. A chance to get stuck into new things or continue doing the familiar, but with a new twist.

So, it's time for me to post my 2024 Goals.

I don't like to make New Year resolutions because I never stick to them. But I do put together a goals list because there are always things I want to accomplish.

This is everything I'd like to achieve/continue to do this year:

Go for long daily walks...

Books Read in 2023

IN AN ABSENT DREAM(Wayward Children #4):Seanan McGuire
JUICE LIKE WOUNDS(Wayward Children #4.5):Sean McGuire
THE TOLL HOUSE:Carly Reagon
THE LITTLE WITCH:M. Rickert
THE COLOUR OF EVIL:Sarah Jane Huntington
BAD DOLLS:Rachel Harrison
ALL THE LIVING AND THE DEAD:Hayley Campbell
EMILY WILDE'S ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FARIES: (DNF)Heather Fawcett
WASPS IN THE ICE CREAM:Tim McGregor
SAGA #61:Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
SUFFER THE DARKNESS:Yolanda Sfetsos
LOVE, PAMELA:Pamela Anderson
THE GOONIES:James Kahn
THIS IS WHE...