Joey Paul's Blog, page 7

Review of Moon Born by Ashley Olivier

  One girl, one curse, one fate...

Myla knew she was different from the first moment she drew breath. Blood moons spawn dark magic, and she’s been drowning in it since that fateful day she was born. Something changed that day. Monsters now haunt the forest, snatching villagers under darkness. Fellow humans look at Myla in fear, and no one can understand how a simple girl brought on such a terrible fate for the village.

The other side calls to her, something dark and all too familiar. There has to be a way out of this curse—a way to free this place, and Myla, from the darkness.

Emer grew up in a palace plagued by shadows and secrets. The throne is waiting for him, but he can’t let himself be drawn to this power. Not when there’s a tear in the veil that’s been growing for the past eighteen years, allowing more and more darkness into the other side to terrorize the humans.

Nothing the king has tried has been able to remedy this, and Emer’s world of shadows is at risk of completely spilling over into the human world.

But when the prince of darkness meets the girl born under the blood moon in his quest to close the veil, a new host of questions come to light, and neither of them have any idea of the danger waiting for them. Nor that love and hope could possibly be so painful. AmazonMy Review: 5 STARS
I picked this up because the cover called to me, and the thought of an intriguing fantasy with hints of romance just made me want to jump right in and lose myself in the story. The world building is beautifully done, and while there are some hard hitting scenes, it really did add to the depth of the story itself. I adored Myla and Emer, and hope that with where the book ended, we get the next book soon because I need to know what happens to them both. Overall an excellent start to a series, 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

Editing With... Chronic Pain [CC]

Giving you some tips about editing while having chronic pain! #Authortube 
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#TeaserTuesday

Jessie is trying to rise above, but it's not easy!BUY NOW: http://www.books2read.com/ACHE03

[ID: A orange background with the title CRAMPING CHRONICLES: THE THIRD ACHE at the top and out now in ebook & paperback just above the title The except reads:

Of course, I wasn't sure if Tyra was actually hurting because of a medical condition. Maybe she got into a fight and wanted to hide that from her parents. Maybe she'd had a fall or something. I wasn't a doctor, I couldn't diagnose her. Yes, I could feel that the pain wasn't fake, but I didn't know the actual cause.
On top of that, there was a part of me that thought: fuck it. She'd threatened me. She'd gone out of her way to attack me. She'd knowingly hurt me. This wasn't like with Meera, who had been a bit of a bitch when we first met. This was active bullying.

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]

 

Spoonie Writer: Working On Bad Days

SPOONIE WRITER: WORKING ON BAD DAYS

I've always been a big proponent for not pushing yourself to breaking point, to taking breaks when you need them, to making sure you don't fall into that trap of thinking you have to earn your rest days. I fully believe in that, and yet I still get asked sometimes why I work on days when I have pain, or more fatigue. I've tried to explain that part of my conditions and disability is that these are symptoms that never go away, but for some people, they don't really get that, and I thought that today I would touch on why I work on what other people see as 'bad' days.

For those new to me, I've been an indie author for almost 20 years. I'm 43 and chronically ill and disabled with a fair few conditions, two of which are Fibromylagia and M.E. These are, usually, the big ones that impact my ability to work both a conventional job and sometimes when I'm writing too. I try to work when I can, but my work day is, at most 3 hours. The rest of the time, I'm in bed resting, napping, medicating, or just trying to have some kind of function. 

I know that the thought of being in constant severe pain can be a little hard for some people to imagine, or process, but if I didn't work when I had pain, I would never work. I would never get anything done. The point I'm making is not to tout myself as better or that anyone else with my conditions should be doing the same, but to just make it clear that what a healthy person would consider a bad day, I see as normal. 

Before you jump in with how inspirational I am, remember that I've been sick for over half my life. I have lived with this pain in varying degrees the majority of my life. My lungs have been bad all of my life. My mobility has been impacted for over 25 years. I've been in a wheelchair for about the same amount of time, full time for the past 15 or so. Again, this is not about making out how super amazing I am, but to point out one thing that a lot of people forget, you do adapt. Everyone does it. Whether it's adapting to a new house or a new job, or a new sleep schedule, we all adapt, and the same can be said for those of us with chronic conditions.

While not everyone can adapt to the same level, I've been able to do so, and I've also found ways, cheat codes if you will, in my years of being an author. I've known how much I can push myself, and trust me I've also gone too far and paid for it, which is why I'm so big on people having down time. I know how much I can manage, and because I track my time, I know how long a certain task will usually take me. I've got all this lived experience that I'm able to tell when and how I'll be able to get things done, and also when I won't.

There are times when I have to take time off, unplanned time off. Recently I've been going through the process of diagnosing a possible new condition, and that has caused hospital stays and time at home when things are just not good. I've taken that time off because I'm not someone who is going to work no matter what. All that does is make a mess of my body, my health, and it also produces work that I have to go back and fix in a big way. So even though I normally have at least two days off each month, some months it's more because of health blips. And that's okay. I didn't have to earn them, I needed them and I took them.

Too much of the time, with hustle culture and all that goes with that, people are expected to turn up to work and do whatever they can to push through. That's not healthy, it's not sustainable, and it's actively harmful to the people involved. So what do I think about working on bad days? No, rest, take the time you need, and take care of you.

Anyone saying otherwise does not have your best interests at heart. Take care of you, you are important and need rest.

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments! 

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Review of A Secret Deep And Savage by Lisa Amowitz

 

Rosalie Gatell may have saved Salttain Island, but her triumph comes at a devastating cost. With Liam cursed and her own scars still raw, she's plunged into the perilous depths of the Institute, surrounded by whispers of conspiracy and potential traitors.

Faced with an impossible choice, Rosalie must decide: embrace her family's dark legacy or forfeit her memories and any hope of saving the boy she loves. Fate forces her hand when a terrifying new threat emerges, binding her destiny to her fiercest rival, Jessica. Their explosive connection hints at unimaginable powers, but it also puts both girls in grave danger. Jessica might just be the key to Liam's salvation, but can Rosalie trust her?

As darkness closes in and the clock ticks down, Rosalie and her unlikely allies find themselves on the run. Liam's life hangs in the balance, and unimaginable evil breathes down their necks. They must race against time to thwart a disaster that could obliterate not just their world, but the entire planet.

Amazon

My Review: 5 STARS

I read the first book, and the prequel, so it made sense for me to dive into the second book and see what lays ahead for Rosalie and Liam. I adored the worldbuilding and the way Amowitz always has you in the centre of the action. While there were parts I liked less, overall the story has you hooked and pulled into the world, the twists keeping you turning the pages. The whole thing was a wild ride, and a series I’ll have to finish off to know the final ending! 

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

Cover Reveal: Cramping Chronicles: The Fourth Torment [CC]

Finally doing a cover reveal for Cramping Chronicles: The Fourth Torment! #Authortube 
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#TeaserTuesday

Tara has to keep so much secret, no matter who it is...BUY NOW: http://www.books2read.com/DTSS

[ID: An out of focus sky with leaves background with the title DYING THOUGHTS - SECOND SIGHT at the top and out now in ebook, paperback & audiobook just above the title The except reads:

“Nothing,” I told her, my voice a little too bright.
“Yeah, and if you lay your hands on me, I’ll see again,” Cassie replied, her voiced dripping with sarcasm.
“It’s nothing, honestly,” I tried.  If I’m honest, I wouldn’t have believed me if I’d been in Cassie’s shoes. I blame Kaolin for all of this.
Cassie leaned towards me, her face was set, she looked kind of pissed off. “Tara, I don’t really care what it is you and Kaolin keep whispering about, honestly, I couldn’t give a monkeys. But, if you will insist on whispering about it whilst I’m within hearing distance, then I’m going to want to know. So, either tell me or shut up.”

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

 

Planning Admin - The Creative Process

PLANNING ADMIN

I've always been someone who loves to be organised. I like to know what I'm doing and when I'm doing it. I have my planner, I have check lists on my iPad and I like to make sure that when it comes to the end of the month, the next month's stuff is all ready to go. Some of that is because I'm chronically ill and disabled, and just don't know how my health is gonna be from one moment to the next, and some of it is because I just like to ease that anxiety and having things planned helps me do that.

I've been using a paper planner for about four years now, and it's really opened things up for me. Before that I would plan on a private blog, and would just do things when I could. I did a stint of using the sticky notes app on my computer, and again, it was just about making sure that I had something visual I could look at and know things were all in their place and ready to me done. Even with my planner, I still use my iPad calendar app as a way to plan months in advance.

My point is that when it comes to writing and revising and all of the writing work, I'm pretty solid in how things go. I work on one thing a day, most days anyway, but there's other days when I have to do the admin work. Like writing these blog posts, and the vlog scripts, or doing the month's instagram images, and the reels and all of that. I like to put aside a day here and there where I can sit down at my desk, or in bed, and get these things done with little fuss.

Of course, I've found ways that work best for me. Like I know that in my planner, I will have vlog scripts and blog posts on the same day, but I actually, usually, do them on different days because they eat up my time and take way too long to bash them all out in the same day. This works for me, and it allows me to move things around if and when the need arises. Like sometimes I'll do all the scripts or posts in one sitting, and other times when there are more of them to do, I'll split them over two days just to give myself some breathing room.

Doing all of that helps with my anxiety, it helps me not push through and do too much in any one day, and it allows me to know that come the first of the month, I will have a whole months worth of posts, and images and all of that ready to go. It's been a tool that's helped me a whole lot throughout my writing career, and it's been something where I've learned new things, and pivoted to others. I've also got some idea of how long these will all take, because I track my time, so I know what time to set aside.

With all that said, I wanted to try and give some tips when it comes to planning those admin tasks. Whether you, like me, are chronically ill and disabled, or not, sometimes the admin side of writing and being an author can be monumentally overwhelming and it's hard to work out what will work for you, and what will leave you stressed to the max, and rushing around to try and get everything done.

#1 DO ONE THING A DAY
This works for me because it allows me to just focus on one thing, and I'm not putting all my energy, focus, and time onto several different things. I usually have about nine admin days a month, and those work for me, and if it's something you can do, then start there.

#2 BE READY TO CHANGE
If something isn't working for you, don't keep pushing, change the way you do things, and even if it takes you time to get into a groove, that's okay. This doesn't have to be set in stone, and you just gotta do what works for you, and that may change over time.

#3 PACE YOURSELF
This was a big one for me. While I usually only work on one thing a day, I also have days scattered here and there where I will do two things, and on those days I make sure they're not all in a row because that will burn me out. So be ready to pace yourself and take it easy. Don't jump in at the deep end, start small, and work up as and when you can.

So I hope those help, and I hope you're able to find a way that works for you. The admin of the author life is never ending, and you just gotta do what works for you, and don't worry about anyone else.

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments! 

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Review of Everything Blue by Elizabeth Caroline

"The blue sky was her last favourite thing from the old world, and when it was taken, so was Nate and pretty much every reason she’d had to smile."

In a world left in ruins by a devastating virus that claimed the lives of every adult, Tori, a torn teenager, finds herself navigating a fragile existence alongside a small group of survivors. Haunted by the death of her best friend Nate, Tori clings to the protection of Sky, Nate's older brother and the one constant in her chaotic world. 

Together, with the rest of their small gang, united by a shared loss, they strive to rebuild a semblance of normality in a world unravelling at the seams. 

Yet, as external threats loom and their sanctuary faces peril, she finds an unexpected connection with a newcomer, who mirrors her own anger and distrust. Together, they grapple with the uncertainties of love and friendship, mirroring the shifting hues of a world forever altered.
Amazon 

My Review: 5 STARS
I picked this up because the blurb and cover made it sound like something that I’d be interested in. Diving in on release day, I was hooked. The world was rich, the characters relatable and engaging and the plot just took you along on a ride that you did not want to get off of. I adored Tori, and Sky, and all of the characters and found myself desperate to know more, to see how it all came together and to see what would come next for them in this world of so much difference. Very much recommended and a good read for all those who love apocalyptic fiction.

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

Life Of Joey & Bi-Monthly Goals - July 2025 [CC]

Letting you know what I got up to last month, as well as reviewing and setting goals! #Authortube 
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