Joey Paul's Blog, page 12

5 DAYS TO GO UNTIL TRANSLUCENT!!

5 DAYS TO GO UNTIL TRANSLUCENT!

 

PRE-ORDER HERE: www.books2read.com/TRANSLUCENTPRE-ORDER SWAG:  https://forms.gle/MJ4pNtSEav89XdnK6

 

 

6 DAYS TO GO UNTIL TRANSLUCENT!!

 

6 DAYS TO GO UNTIL TRANSLUCENT!

 

PRE-ORDER HERE: www.books2read.com/TRANSLUCENTPRE-ORDER SWAG:  https://forms.gle/MJ4pNtSEav89XdnK6

 

7 DAYS TO GO UNTIL TRANSLUCENT!

 

7 DAYS TO GO UNTIL TRANSLUCENT!

 

PRE-ORDER HERE: www.books2read.com/TRANSLUCENTPRE-ORDER SWAG:  https://forms.gle/MJ4pNtSEav89XdnK6

Keeping Going When Imposter Strikes

KEEPING GOING WHEN IMPOSTER STRIKES

With my next book, Translucent, coming out this month (pre-order here) I thought that I would talk about imposter syndrome and how to keep going even when it's there on your shoulder, as an ever-present beast. I will have been published for twenty years in August. It blows my mind to think back to that time, and the time when I first started writing, and see just how far I've come. Translucent will be my 23rd book, which is mad when you think about how I started off just wanting to write and publish ten books because anything more than that seemed to be impossible.

For reference, I've now written over double that. I've gotten to a point in my writing career where I'm focusing more on older projects than penning new ones. I will go back to drafting, I have two new ideas bouncing around in my head already, so the plan will be to go back to it, but for now my focus is elsewhere. I say that simply to give you some idea of how far I've come, and to know that even with all of that behind me, all of those published books and the like, I still get imposter syndrome from time to time, and it still impacts me.

I've been lucky to have a good support system. I've been lucky to have people who have my back and will tell me straight, and I love my job. I love what I get to do and how I get to create and build worlds and stories for readers, but sometimes that imposter will lean down to whisper in your ear that even with all of that behind you, you are not meant to be here, meant to be doing what you do, and being real? It sucks.

I get that after this long doing this, some new writers might want to hear that imposter syndrome goes away, that it gets better, that you don't ever have times when you wonder, and I hate to break it to you, but that's just not the case. I know of other big authors who also have the same issues, some more than others, and it's just something that you have to learn to deal with.

I can tell you a million ways that you are not an imposter, but if you're a stranger to me, then it feels like it falls flat. It feels like a platitude and something I'm saying just to make you feel better, when I know nothing about you, your work, or your process. But here's something that applies to everyone, no matter where they are in their writing journey, or publishing journey. Imposters don't question if they belong. They just do it and never question themselves.

I always found it hard to accept that, just by questioning my own status, my own validity, I was proving to myself, and the world, that I am not an imposter. I should just keep writing, keep my eyes on the page, and work on what I'm doing, because I am valid as a writer, as an author. The same is true of anyone reading who's ever felt this way before.

If you've searched for something about imposter syndrome, and you're questioning whether you have the skills or talent, or right to be where you are and doing what you're doing. You do. You belong here. You are meant to be doing this. You're not an imposter because you question your place. Imposters don't do that.

Hope that helps, and keep writing!

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments! 

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Review of Chasing The Stars by Melanie Hooyenga

 They’ve both sworn off romance, but love is written in the stars.

Naomi
Insta-love isn’t a thing. Even if fans of my podcast think differently. But I can’t deny the insta-sparks with the cute boy Hunter on my family camping trip. My fans think I’ve got it all figured out, so maybe it’s time to follow my own advice and listen to my heart.

Hunter’s scowly attitude almost makes me hit rewind, but our interfering siblings convince me to give him another chance. Just when he starts to open up, I get an offer that could change everything I had planned for the future—and ruin my shot at happily ever after.


Hunter
My friends say I have a one-track mind, but it’s not what you’re thinking. If I’m going to finish college in three years and be a book editor in New York, I don’t have time for distractions—not even by girls as charming as Naomi.

Despite my attempts, it’s impossible to ignore this love interest who’s fallen into my orbit. I finally have the opportunity to be the hero in my own story, but I have a secret that puts more than just my future at stake, and if I make the wrong decision, it could alter my plotline forever. Amazon
My Review: 5 STARS
I have read other books by Hooyenga and I had to read this series, and the first book blew me away and settling into the second I was hoping for more of the same, and I got it. Relatable characters, tough choices, an adorable and swoony romance, all of it wrapped up in the realness and twists of an amazing story. This was a book I enjoyed immensely and I can’t wait to dip into the third and final book of the series and see where Hooyenga takes us because I already know I am here for it. Loved it, and very much recommended!

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here

Choosing Your Tropes [CC]

Talking about choosing your tropes for your work! #Authortube 
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#TeaserTuesday

 
Jackson wants to make sure Jonah is still in touch with Zya...BUY NOW: http://www.books2read.com/TRANSLUCENTPRE-ORDER SWAG: https://forms.gle/MJ4pNtSEav89XdnK6

[ID: A blue DNA background with the title TRANSLUCENT at the top and coming May 13th 2025 just below the title The except reads:

“Did you check the broadcast?” Jackson asked softly, after I'd done the peeing thing. He seemed to want to hang back for a moment, and I wasn't going to argue with him. Hadn't I wanted this moment anyway?
“I did in the night while you and Lumi were off collecting the rabbits,” I said, mimicking his soft tone. “What's the issue? Why were you both in the forest?”
“Did you get another message?” he asked, waving away my question.
“The coded one? No. I reached out to Zya again. I've not heard back, and I've not checked this morning, should I?” I asked.

At the bottom is Joey Paul and just below that the website www.joeypaulonline.com, in the bottom left corner is the Readers' Favorite Review Seal, and in the bottom right corner is the logo for Bug Books. END ID]

 

How I Plan My Down Time - The Creative Process

HOW I PLAN MY DOWN TIME

I talked a couple of weeks ago about how I plan my writing time (found here), and I thought that today I would discuss the same, but for the time when I'm not working. Like I said in that piece, I've always been someone who is organised. I've always preferred having a list I can check things off when I'm done, and I've always wanted to have a plan before doing things. Now that I've found a way for it to translate into planner spreads and on my calendar app, it made sense that I started to do the same with the time when I'm not working.

I've had a goal for the past couple of years to have at least two non working days a month. It doesn't matter if I missed a day for health reasons, or even other reasons, I do my work on working days, and I do not on days when I'm supposed to be relaxing and enjoying the time without the need to produce work. Of course I also post to socials on my days off, but I don't see that as work because I'm not having to do anything major to heavily promote. You may disagree, but for me it's not a work thing.

So how do I plan and decide which days are gonna work for me? I simply choose the last two to three (depending on the month) days of the month to take that time off. I know for some people that wouldn't work, but I'm someone who when I have time off, I wanna know that all those little bits and pieces for the month that need doing, are already done, before I kick back and relax.

Sometimes I'll plan something for that day, like going out with the family to a theme park, or taking my time and snuggling up with kitties and a book. But the point of these days, for me anyway, is not to fill them with things that gotta be done. It's to let them be whatever day they're gonna be. If that's chilling in bed, great, if it's catching up on a Netflix show, also great, but the point is to not have that pressure to do anything, and sometimes when you plan to the extent that I do, having a lot of time to do nothing is the best feeling in the world.

I don't know if people know this about me, but I'm a very anxious person. I'm someone who needs to have a plan for most things, so unplugging, not having that plan, started off being very hard for me because I genuinely didn't feel like I had any right to sit and read, and not be doing something. People will talk about switching off and rest, and while rest means something different to disabled and chronically ill, it's really hard to go from being on the go with your plan and checkbox list, to having nothing to do, and planning on nothing. So it took time, a lot of time, for me to really be able to sink into that state every month around the same time, which I'm realising now is a plan of its own! But once I got there, it got easier each time.

I have friends who work regular 9-5 jobs, and they've said like, why don't you take the weekends off? You shouldn't have to work all the time. My answer always varies, but it's usually because I, as someone with chronic illnesses and disabilities, have such a small window in which I can work. I don't like to waste it. I don't mean that I therefore push myself to breaking point, but I make the most of the days when I can manage to get things done, and make it work for me.

So remember that down time isn't optional, and even if it takes you time to get used to it, keep going with it. Your body will thank you later.

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

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Interview With Hayley B Halliwell

I would like to welcome Hayley B Halliwell to the blog for an interview. I reviewed her debut novel recently and it is stellar!

 Onto the interview!

Do you have a set routine for writing?

I don't really! Each story had its own routine.

What's your favourite tip for newbie writers?

Don't discount the writing you did yesterday. I've been writing since I was seven. Sure, it wasn't good writing. But we all have to start somewhere, and we almost all start out bad. And then you get better the more you write. I have learned with every single story I've written. There are stories I wrote as a teenager that are so incredibly cringe, but I learned SO MUCH from those mistakes.

What was your experience writing your first book?

The first novel I ever finished writing was actually Lowercase. And it took me almost six years to get to this point where it's out in the world. I actually wrote a second book like halfway into it! So it's really been quite the journey. And very much a learning experience, as I self published and did all of my own editing and formatting and all of it. I think “exciting” and “terrifying” and “frustrating” are the words I'd use to describe the experience. And I'm ready to do it again!

Do you have a favourite place to write outside of your usual space?

Yes! So my usual space has been my side of the bed I share with my husband, usually at night after he's fallen asleep and I'm waiting for my meds to kick in. But I've been working on turning our spare room into my office for over a year, and I finally have a pullout loveseat in there. I did a lot of revisions in there during the end of January.

Do you hoard notebooks or anything else writing related?

All of it. Notebooks, pens, stickers, stamps, bookmarks. I have way too much of all of it.

Which genre is your favourite to write in?

Contemporary. It used to be horror, surprisingly. I almost only wrote horror during college. But I found that contemporary fiction and I really have a strong relationship. And I really enjoy it.

Would you ever use a pen name? And if so, why?

I actually currently use a pen name! My first name IS Hayley, and my middle initial IS B, but Halliwell is a name I chose for myself.

Which social media do you enjoy using the most?

I really fell in love with threads. But I'm on TikTok a lot, too.

How old were you when you were first ready to start publishing?

I published my first book, a poetry collection, two years ago, a month before I turned 32. I might've thought I was ready before then, but I'm not upset that it didn't happen until my 30s.

Do you have any pets?

Yes! My husband and I have a tortie who is the Queen of the house and her name is Roswell Soup.

Do you keep good reviews and reader comments?

I do. I have screenshots saved.

Paperback or ebook? And why?

I have always preferred paperback. I'm someone who likes to see my journey with a book in the lines along the spine and creases among the pages. However, I switched to ebook for ease almost a decade ago. And I very recently switched to mostly audiobooks.

Where do you see yourself, and your writing, in ten years?

My hope–my dream–is that I'm a full time writer by then. And that I'm still putting out books!

What's your favourite writing snack?

Ooh this is tough, because I will be stuck on a snack for weeks or months at a time. But I think any snack that doesn't stick to my fingers is good. Right now, I'm obsessed with cookies and cream puppy chow, and the powdered sugar sticks to my fingers and gets everywhere!
 

You can follow Hayley on her website, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and TikTok!

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here 

44 Facts About Translucent [CC]

Giving you 44 facts about Translucent and the world its in! #Authortube 
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