Yolanda Sfetsos's Blog, page 30

ALL THE LIVING AND THE DEAD by Hayley Campbell

 

All the Living and the Dead by Hayley Campbell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I found this book listed on Kindle Daily Deals and was instantly intrigued. I mean, I write horror stories, watch true crime documentaries and read a lot of thrillers, so of course I'm curious about the business of death and the people who do these jobs.

Actually, I wrote a novel featuring a funeral home (that needs revising) last year, so... yeah. I had to read this.

Before I say anything else, let me just mention how heavy th...

BAD DOLLS by Rachel Harrison

 

Bad Dolls by Rachel Harrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was looking forward to checking out this short story collection and read it over the weekend.

So, here are my thoughts...

REPLY HAZY, TRY AGAIN:

Jordan is friends with Maggie and she lives with Kenny. When a Magic 8 Ball enters her life, everything changes...

I found myself captivated by this tale about one woman's quest to have someone else—or in this case, something else—make the hard decisions for her. Deep down inside, she knows what she ...

THE COLOUR OF EVIL: Sarah Jane Huntington

 

The Colour of Evil by Sarah Jane Huntington
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, this was yet another fantastic book by this very awesome author.

After living with an abusive parent for years, Isabelle suffered a brain injury that makes her forgetful and scatters her thoughts. She can also see auras. All she wants to do is read, spend time with her cat, and enjoy a nice cup of tea. But when several murders happen in the village, it doesn't take long for people to suspect her...

Wow! I enjoyed this story...

THE TOLL HOUSE by Carly Reagon

 

A house with history. That's how the estate agent described the old toll house on the edge of the town. For Kelda it's the perfect rural home for her young son Dylan after a difficult few years.
But when Kelda finds a death mask concealed behind one of the walls, everything changes. Inexplicable things happen in the house, Kelda cannot shake the feeling of being watched and Dylan is plagued by nightmares, convinced he can see figures in his room. As Dylan's behaviour becomes increasingly chall...

The First Week

I don't know if it's because I'm tapping into some sort of New Year Energy, but I wanted to post a little something to mark the end of the first week of 2023. 😊

(I'm really hoping this is the year when the world moves away from the ridiculous.🤞)

Anyway, Monday was a public holiday so we enjoyed the last day of hubby's break. On Tuesday, he went back to work and I got stuck into several small writing projects.

Firstly, I completed the third draft of a short story I wrote late last year but got pushe...

My New Planner

If you've ever read my blog at the beginning of the year, then you know that a New Year also means a New Planner.

Last year I went with this Peanuts design:

 And this year I picked this one... 

The Frida Kahlo Moleskine planner selection is bright and beautiful.

This particular Moleskine is my favourite format. It has One Page for a week with Opposite Blank Page on the other side. I love being able to keep a record of everything I do daily on the left (calendar side), and then add more detailed note...

JUICE LIKE WOUNDS by Sean McGuire

 

Juice Like Wounds by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I finished reading In an Absent Dream last night, so of course I had to read this today.

Juice Like Wounds is such an awesome title, and tells the story of what happened when Moon, Lundy and Mockery go up against the wasp queen. Knowing the sad outcome didn't ruin this tale, and didn't lessen the blow. But it did deepen the friendship and consequences between Moon and Lundy. Highlighted why their strong friendship was doomed from the begi...

IN AN ABSENT DREAM by Seanan McGuire

 

In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wanted to start the year by returning to a series that I really enjoy but have fallen behind on. I've read and loved the first three Wayward Children installments, so I was looking forward to reading this one.

Katherine Lundy is a young girl who would rather spend time lost in the pages of her favourite books than being around people. She thinks adventures in stories are safe and exciting, but when she walks through a doorway located...

Tracking Words & Pages

 

Hey! How are you today? It's time to post another New Year tradition on my blog. I've been posting a screenshot of my previous year's Word Count Tracking Sheets for a while. So, why stop now? 😁
So, here are my 2022 stats:

Total words written: 160,534.Total pages revised 3,843.
Although 2022 turned out to be an extension of the previous two years, as far as WTFuckery? was concerned, I managed to complete several writing goals. And the most exciting thing was finishing up my leftover Revision Projec...

Some Kind of Goals

Welcome to my 2023 Goals post. 😁
I'm not a big fan of resolutions because they don't usually stick, but goals are a different story. I love putting together a goals list at the beginning of the year, and post them here.
These are the things I'd like to achieve/continue to do this year:Go for two daily walksGet back into yoga and schedule more workouts Write between 100-200k wordsRead 100 booksRevise/finalise my NaNoWriMo 2022 first draftWrite a novel or twoWrite a novella or twoKeep writing short ...