Victoria Zigler's Blog: Zigler News, page 35

#MondayMotivation - #Quotes + Words Of #Wisdom 03-08-20

The soul has been given its own ears, to hear things that the mind doesn’t understand.
~Rumi

The world is full of wonderful things you haven't seen yet. Don't ever give up on the chance of seeing them.
~J. K. Rowling

No one has ever become poor from giving.
~Anne Frank

Sometimes miracles are just good people with kind hearts.
~Unknown

Sometimes what looks like an obstacle in your path is actually a gift meant to move you in a different direction.
~Jane Lee Logan

Your mind is like a vacuum: it will not remain empty. If you don't fill it with positive thoughts, it will fill with negative thoughts.
~Brian Tracy

Do not stand in the way of your own good. Get rid of your bad thoughts, inferior attitudes and limited behaviors and good will be attracted to you. What you give out will be returned to you. It's not easy. It's not magic. But it works.
~Iyanla Vanzant

Most of us are just about as happy as we make up our minds to be.
~Abraham Lincoln

Discipline Your Mind to Think Positively: Discipline your mind to see the good in every situation and look on the best side of every event.
Roy T. Bennett

Peace is not just the mere absence of violence or disturbance. It's when there is a possibility of conflict, but you deliberately avoid violence and adopt methods to solve the problem through peaceful means. That is real peace.
~Dalai Lama

The answer lies within ourselves. If we can't find peace and happiness there, it's not going to come from the outside.
~Tenzin Palmo

You alone have the power to determine your value. Don’t let somebody else paste a discount sticker on you. You’re priceless.
~Toni Sorenson

So, We Moved...

In my last non-pet related update I mentioned there was something happening that I’d explain about once I understood it myself.  Well, now that I understand it enough to do so, I’m going to explain, though I expect the title gives you some idea of the gist of where this post is going.

 

~

 

Yes, that's right: We moved.  Yes, I know we're in the middle of a pandemic, with the country in partial lockdown.  Hey, don't judge me; it wasn't my idea.  Read on.  I'm going to explain how it happened.

 

*~*~*

 

On May 20th 2020 we got a letter from someone claiming to be the owner of our flat.  He mentioned our landlords by name, said they’d been working on his behalf, and we should get in touch with him because he wanted to be acting for himself from now on, so we should pay him rent from then on, not the landlords.

 

~

 

To be honest, since we were under the impression our landlords owned the building – because they acted like they did – our initial thought was that this was some kind of new scam.  But we called our landlords – figuring they should know about it, especially if they were being mentioned by name – and they confirmed it was genuine.  Sure would have been nice to know there was a higher power we could have gone to when we were having all that trouble with nasty neighbour, but there you go.  Regardless, to cut a long story short, our landlords and the owner had an agreement that allowed them to act as if they owned the property, collect rent on it, etc, but it wasn’t really theirs, and now the owner wants it back.

 

~

 

Remember the beach trip Logan posted about, where Kelly left me and Lilie out there for a long time by ourselves? Yeah, that was so I could socially distance while the owner and his solicitor came to look at the place, and see what kind of condition he was claiming it back in.  Kelly took us out there shortly before they were due to arrive, and came back to fetch us once they left.

 

*~*~*

 

On the one hand this is a pretty simple matter from our point of view.  We’d just need to sign a new tenancy with the owner so he became our landlord instead, and life could continue as normal.  But there’s a complication: repair work.

 

~

 

As long time readers of this blog will know, there are several repair jobs that need doing on this building and haven’t been – another thing we wish we’d known we could have gone to a higher power to force to get resolved – which the owner now wants to get done.  The trouble is, while it’s possible to do repairs and things with someone in the property, with how much needs doing it would be easier to do it with the place empty.  Not to mention, the owner is incredibly reluctant to do as much work as needs doing with a blind person in the property, given the extra safety risks involved in that.

 

~

 

To cut a long story short: he told us we needed to move, and sooner rather than later, even giving us official notice, since the property was, "Not fit for purpose," as he put it.

 

*~*~*

 

What followed was a very stressful couple of weeks where I tried to get the council to rehome us – like they’re officially meant to do if a disabled person is at risk of becoming homeless – and they told me I had three options:

 

1.      Stay put for the couple of years it would take me to get issued a place of theirs.

2.      Let them put me in their emergency accommodation once the date of our notice came up, which would mean putting almost everything we own in to storage, rehoming all of the petkids, and waiting in that emergency housing for however many years it took for us to get a proper place from them.

3.      Find somewhere ourselves.

 

~

 

Of course, option one wasn’t really open to us, since he wasn’t about to wait several years.  As for option two... Well, I’d have moved back to Wales and lived with one of my parents before I picked that one, and – as I told the woman from the council – taking away most of my stuff, and then taking away my petkids, was just asking for problems from a mental health point of view, because quite frankly I wouldn’t have been able to deal with this year without them.  So that left us with option three, and the need to find somewhere to live... During a pandemic, with a lot of things closed because of the stage of lockdown we were in.  I mean, some things are still not open.

 

*~*~*

 

Luckily, as it happened, the guy who moved in to the place below ours when nasty neighbour moved out had given his notice back in February.  We just assumed he was spending lockdown with his girlfriend, since he spent a lot more time with her than in his place anyhow, so we didn’t realize.  I mean, we saw so little of him under normal circumstances, and with lockdown... Well, like I said, we assumed he was just staying elsewhere with his girlfriend or something.  But it was discovered when the owner was trying to get access to that flat to look at it too that he’d moved out and the landlords hadn’t found anyone else because of the whole virus situation.

 

~

 

Why luckily? Because the owner suggested he did the work that place needed and had us move in there, and then do the work in the upstairs flat before renting it out to someone else, which – after some consideration - we agreed to.  Partially because it wasn’t like we were having any luck finding somewhere else, and partially because we like living here, and it was the closest thing we could get to staying.  That flat also needed a lot less work done on it.

 

~

 

In fact, by the time you’re reading this, we’ll be moved in, since we agreed to it towards the end of June, when we could see the work in it was progressing well, and have been moving our stuff downstairs throughout July.  The official date for the tenancy for the upstairs flat to end and the one for the downstairs one to start is August 1st, but we had most things scheduled to switch to the new place on or around July 21st.  Or, at least, that was how it was meant to work, though I'll tell you what actually ended up happening - and why it's only because of scheduling posts ahead that there have been any from me for the past two weeks, and you almost didn't get any Thursday posts for the past two weeks - another day.

 

*~*~*

 

We were still able to keep Lilie and Logan’s vet and grooming appointments, but I had to move Artemis’ vet trip and my dentist appointment, since they were right when we had the BT engineer coming to swap the phone and internet to downstairs and the guys coming to help with the heavy stuff we couldn’t manage, neither appointment was urgent, and I needed to be here (if nothing else then at least to keep Lilie and Logan out from under everyone’s feet).  So now Artemis’ vet trip is on August 11th at 2:15pm, and my dentist appointment is on September 1stat 12:30pm.

 

~

 

I'll update you on the rest of the random day to day stuff later, but... Yes, as you can imagine, my days have been very busy.  I've been keeping up with writing posts for my blog, and keeping my eMails from becoming overly out of control, because I had several posts already scheduled, and all the stress has meant I've not been sleeping well, so I've been working on stuff during sleepless nights, and letting it cut in to my reading and watching times.  A good idea? No.  But I did it anyhow.  Needless to say, the closest thing to writing I've gotten - besides writing blog posts, eMails, etc - has been dealing with the production of the paperback and audio versions of my latest release.  So, if I've been slow to answer eMails or comment on posts lately, sorry, and if you don't see any comments or anything from me for a few days, it means I finally got some decent sleep.  Something I honestly hope happens.  Yeah, sorry not sorry, because I really do... I'm incredibly exhausted.  Oh, and a word of advice: if you're ever in the same situation, don't try and keep up with everything while also dealing with the move, because it will just leave you physically and mentally exhausted.  Just saying.

 

*~*~*

 

Anyway, the downstairs flat is very slightly smaller than the upstairs one, and there’s a slight layout difference, but the differences in both aspects are slight.  The main change for us is that we’ve gone from having to climb 40 stairs when we come home to only needing to climb 24.  Yes, I counted.  Since we’re still in the same building, the doors to the places are right next to each other, and the layouts are so similar, it’s good for me from a mobility point of view, since I don’t have too much adjustment to make in learning to navigate.  Plus, we like living where we are, so are glad we still get to.

~

 

Now we're hoping the owner/new landlord continues how he's been so far in getting repairs done, and we have a better time of it when it comes to that kind of thing in the future.  Oh, and that whoever moves in upstairs when the work is finished up there will be the kind of people you don't mind living below, if you know what I mean.

 

*~*~*

 

We could have done without the stress and hassle of moving though, even if it was just downstairs.  Especially considering we were already dealing with the stress of the whole virus situation - even if it hasn't changed much for us personally, it affects everyone, after all - and still being on partial lockdown while dealing with all this – not to mention trying to observe social distancing as much as possible while dealing with it all - added an extra layer of complications and stress.  Plus, now we’ve had to pack the stuff we’d unpacked to move it downstairs, so have to start again with unpacking.  Although, not entirely from scratch, since some stuff we just carried downstairs and put away immediately, without bothering to actually pack it.  But I hate moving, especially all the packing and unpacking that goes along with it, and wish I didn’t have to keep doing it.  I hope, if we have to move again, it’s not for a very long time, and we can be in a position to pay a little extra to get someone else to do the packing part for us.

 

~

 

In the meantime, I need a nap.  A long nap.  Let's hope my mind will now agree.  Maybe this weekend I can have a quiet and relaxing couple of days, with plenty of sleep involved... That would be nice. *sigh*

 

~

 

I think Logan would like that too, considering how upsetting he found it that I sometimes whent down to the new flat without him to go put stuff away.  He really didn't like his Mummy keep leaving, as you can tell from this clip Kelly got for me one of the times I popped down stairs.

  *~*~* Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going for that nap, and taking my Logi-Bear with me.  Hey, is it too early to hibernate?

10 #Book Themed #Quotes - #AmReading

“You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book.”

~Dr. Seuss

 

*~*~*

“Nothing can do what a book can do. Lifts you out of your life… to a whole new world, whole new perspective. A book is like a dream you are borrowing from a friend.”

~Dave Kellet

 

*~*~*

 

“If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.”

~J.K. Rowling

 

*~*~*

 

“We may sit in our library and yet be in all quarters of the earth.”

~John Lubbock

 

*~*~*

 

“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.”

~Emilie Buchwald

 

*~*~*

 

“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.”

~Maya Angelou

 

*~*~*

 

“Knowing you have something good to read before bed is among the most pleasurable of sensations.”

~Vladimir Nabokov

 

*~*~*

 

“Literature is the most agreeable way of ignoring life.”
~Fernando Pessoa

 

*~*~*

 

“Time spent reading, like time spent loving, increases our lifetime.”

~Daniel Pennac

 

*~*~*

 

“BOOKS ARE THE PLANE, AND THE TRAIN, AND THE ROAD. THEY ARE THE DESTINATION, AND THE JOURNEY. THEY ARE HOME.”

~Anna Quindlen

 

#WriterWednesday: A #Sale Reminder + Writerly #Quotes And Links - #AmWriting 29-07-20

Don't forget: the Smashwords Summer/Winter sale is now on.  At least, it is for a few more days.  So, if you want to grab yourself some eBook bargains, pop over to my Smashwords author page, pick your books, and add them to your cart.  Then make sure to check out before July 31st 2020, since that's when the sale ends.  As I mentioned in this post from July 8th, my books are at various levels of discount, making them all $1.50 or less, and some of them completely FREE! 
In other news: I forgot to mention this when I did one of these posts a couple of weeks ago, but... I recently did another interview - first one this year, actually - which went live on July 1st 2020 over on Campbell's World.  If you'd like to read it, you can find my interview here. 

*~*~*

 

“There are many reasons why novelists write – but they all have one thing in common: a need to create an alternative world.”

            ~John Fowles

 

*~*~*

 

OK.  Let's see what links I've managed to gather together for you this time around, shall we? The writing process, and writing life in genral:We are all creating
Guest post: how I stay motivated to write through difficult times
12 writing struggles that are (yes, really) only temporary
5 ways of balancing your writerly life
Stressed about making time for writing? Try timed writing sessions
What if I don't want to be a bestselling author?
 
Interviews and appearances:Tips to succeed on a video interview

The Ultimate #HarryPotter #Book Tag - #AmReading And #AmWatching

OK, how did I not come across this one in the past? I mean, really! Well, of course, when I stumbled across this one while searching for fun tags to post, I had to do it, didn't I? After all, we're talking Harry Potter here people!

I found this on Sassy Geek, but she says it wasn't her who made it. So, if you know who did, feel free to let me know so I can give them credit. In the meantime, at least I've told you where I got it.

Anyway, as usual, I'm not tagging anyone, but if you want to play along, feel free to do so, either in the comments, or on your own blog, because I'd love to see your answers. For now though, here are the questions, along with my answers.

1. Favorite Book

"Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" has always been my favourite. For those who don't know, it's the third book. It's also the one where we meet Sirius Black, and get to know about Hippogriffs and other magical creatures.

2. Least Favorite Book

"Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows" - the final book - because, while I appreciate that Harry had to do what he had to, and school would have gotten in the way somewhat, I felt kind of cheated that he didn't go to Hogwarts for his seventh year. Plus... SPOILER ALERT : Dobby dies in this book, and I'm still annoyed and upset about that.

3. Favorite Movie

"Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone " (or "Sorcerer's Stone" to some of you) - the first one. Why? Because it did the best job of sticking to the book it was based on.

4. Least Favorite Movie

"Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince" - the sixth movie. Why? Because they cared more about the romance elements than the memories and discoveries Harry and Dumbledore were supposed to be involved with.

5. Favorite Quote

Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?
~Albus Dumbledore, in "Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows"

6. Favorite Weasley

Ginny, because she's tough and fiercely loyal.

7. Favorite Female Character

Luna Lovegood. Because she's fun, and not afraid to be exactly who she is, despite what others may think of her for it.

8. Favorite Villain

Bellatrix Lestrange, because she's crazy and evil, and a whole lot tougher than Voldemort could ever hope to be.

9. Favorite Male Character

Severus Snape, because - despite how things appear - he's the bravest character in the whole series.

10. Favorite Professor

Professor McGonagall, because she's tough but fair, and she's an extremely powerful witch.

11. Would you rather wash Snape’s hair, or spend a day listening to Lockhart rant about himself?

Ugh! Wash Snape's hair for sure! I just want to slap Lockheart. Well... SPOILER ALERT : since he lost his memory, and is in a mental ward, I won't, but when he was the way he was before the accident with Ron's wand, I wanted to slap him, and I'll want to again if he goes back to being like that.

12. Would you rather: duel an elated Bellatrix, or an angry Molly?

Oh, give me Bellatrix to duel, please. Bellatrix is an amazing villainess, but I think I'd stand a better chance with her than an angry Molly Weasley... Especially if Molly thinks I'm threatening her children. NOTE: Molly, I'm not, OK? I think your kids are great, so put down the wand. Please... *whimpers and backs away slowly*

13. Would You Rather Travel To Hogwarts Via The Hogwarts Express or Flying Car?

Hogwarts Express for sure! It's a train, and I love trains in general, so there's that. But also there's the food trolley.

14. Would you rather: kiss Voldemort, or give Umbridge a bubble bath?

Kiss Voldemort. Either that would be over quickly, or I'd be dead quickly. Bathing Umbridge would take a while, and no doubt I'd do it in a way she wasn't satisfied with, so end up losing lots of points for Ravenclaw (my Hogwarts house) or getting detention, or both. Yeah... Definitely going with a quick kiss for Voldemort on this one.

15. Would you rather: ride a Hippogriff, or ride a broom?

Ohhh... Hippogriff! Do you even have to ask?

16. Is There Any Character You Felt Differently About In The Movies?

Draco Malfoy. I liked his character a lot more in the movies than I did in the books. I'm not sure why.

17. Is There Any Movie You Preferred To The Book?

No. There was the odd scene here and there I liked more in the movies than the books, but either it balanced out and I liked the movie and book version of the movie equally, or I liked the book more overall.

18. Richard Harris or Michael Gambon as Dumbledore?

Richard Harris. Sorry, Michael, you're a great Dumbledore, but Richard Harris was exactly how I imagined Dumbledore, and I still wish he'd survived to play Dumbledore all the way through.

19. Your Top Thing (Person or Event) That Wasn’t In The Movie That You Wanted There The Most?

Peeves. I'm still annoyed they cut him from the movies, especially since they did originally cast him, but cut him for some stupid reason involving people not being able to avoid laughing when he was doing his scenes, or some such nonsense. If that was the case, they should have filmed his scenes seporately, and added the other people's parts in afterwards.

20. If You Could Remake Any of the Movies Which Would It Be?

"Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince" - see my answer about my least favourite movie above for why.

21. Which House Was Your First Gut Feeling You’d Be a Part Of?

I was sure I'd be a Ravenclaw, though there was a sliver of doubt in my mind about it.

22. What House Were You Actually Sorted Into On Pottermore?

Ravenclaw, so YAY!

23. Which Class Would Be Your Favorite?

Care Of Magical Creatures! Because the textbooks are cool, Hagrid is your teacher, and there’s magical creatures (obviously).

24. Which Spell Do You Think Would Be The Most Useful To Learn?

Mrs. Weasley's best cleaning spell, because... Ugh... Housework!

25. Which Character Do You Think You’d Instantly Become Friends With?

Either Hermione Granger or Luna Lovegood, because I've got plenty in common with both. I'd probably have been more likely to end up friends with Luna though, because we're both in Ravenclaw.

26. If You Could Own One of the Three Hallows, Which Would It Be?

The cloak, because sometimes it would be nice to hide for a while.

27. Is There Any Aspects of the Books you’d want to change?

Besides changing the deaths of all of my favorite characters? No I wouldn’t change a thing.

28. Favorite Marauder?

Sirius Black, AKA Padfoot.

29. If You Could Bring One Character Back To Life, Who would It Be?

Sorry to those who didn't know this happened, but... Dobby. Why did Dobby have to die?

30. Hallows or Horcruxes? 

Neither. Going after either will get you killed eventually. Though if I had to choose, Horcruxes, because at least maybe I could help others have a better chance of survival if I found - and destroyed - some of those.

#MondayMotivation - #Quotes + Words Of #Wisdom 27-07-20

Let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.
~Albus Dumbledore

It's your road, and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.
~Rumi

What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything.
~Vincent van Gogh

Don't wish it were easier, wish you were better.
~Jim Rohn

Successful people are not gifted; they just work hard, then succeed on purpose.
~G.K. Nielson

Sometimes, we just have to be happy with what people can offer us. Even if it’s not what we want, at least it’s something.
~Sarah Dessen

Each of us guard a gate of change that can only be unlocked from the inside.
~Marilyn Ferguson

If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.
~Lao Tzu

Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.
~Lucille Ball

Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.
~Jack Canfield

Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.
~C. S. Lewis

Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you.
~Mary Lou Retton

Lilie The #Westie And Logan The #Cavapoo's Socially Distanced Grooming Session - #Covid19 #Coronavirus #Pets #Dogs

Hi everyone.  This is Lilie the Westie.

 

~

 

A few weeks ago (Mummy says it was July 1st) me and my Cavapoo brother, Logan, went to the doggy groomer.

 

We hadn’t been since before Avirus, so we needed it real bad.  Plus, we like going to the doggy groomer, because we love all the attention – even though we could do without the part where Mummy and Daddy leave us there, and go away for lots of time.

 

~

 

Normally, when we go to the doggy groomer, all four of us – that’s me, Daddy, Logan, and Mummy – ride a taxi to a place not far from the groomer, walk down the road a bit to it, go inside, and Mummy and Daddy talk to the groomer man together, before he takes us and puts us in a puppy jail – another part we could do without - until it’s time for us to get bathed and have our fur cut.  After that, Mummy and Daddy leave, and the groomer takes us out one at a time, makes us all clean and tidy, and smelling all funny, and puts us back in.  Then Mummy and Daddy come back for us, somehow managing to know when it’s the right time to come back before the last of us to be done has been in the puppy jail for long.  I don’t know how they do that, but they always do.  When Mummy and Daddy come back, me and Logan get let out of the puppy jail, and go jump all over Mummy, while Daddy pays someone called Bill – which I’m pretty sure isn’t the groomer’s name, but he takes Bill’s money... I hope he remembers to give it to Bill afterwards.  Anyway, after Daddy gives the groomer Bill’s money, we all walk down the road a bit, and then Mummy plays with her plastic ringing thingy and makes a taxi come get us.

 

~

 

But this time things worked slightly different.

 

~

 

We still took a taxi ride to the spot we usually do, and walked down the road a bit to the groomer.  But then Mummy and Logan went inside while me and Daddy stayed just outside the door, and I had to wait with Daddy while Mummy talked to the groomer guy, even though I didn’t want to wait outside.  Once Mummy was done talking to the groomer guy though, he went and put Logan in the puppy jail while Mummy came back outside, and then – finally – Daddy took me in, and then the same thing happened with me and Daddy as what happened with Mummy and Logan.  After that things happened like before, except I saw when he was finishing grooming me that Mummy and Daddy were back early and sitting on a bench nearby.  I didn’t pay much attention to them though, because the groomer said I should pay attention to him, and I’m a good girl and listen.  Plus, I was enjoying the attention I was getting.  Anyway, after I was all sorted, Mummy and Daddy came to the door, and Mummy only came in enough to grab Logan before going back outside again, so I had to wait to jump all over her until after Daddy had finished paying Bill, because it was only then that I could get close enough.  We did get a taxi ride home again like we usually do, but we usually go stand in one spot, and had to stand in a different one because someone said we weren’t allowed to go over there because it was blocked.  I don’t know why, but Mummy and Daddy didn’t seem too surprised.

 

~

 

Mummy and Daddy say things got done a bit different because of that social distancing thing humans keep talking about.  I’m still not sure what that’s all about, except that it’s got something to do with Avirus.  A lot is happening differently because of Avirus lately.

 

~

 

The other thing that got done different was our photo.

 

~

 

We always get a photo after we get groomed, and Logan is what Mummy calls, “A typical boy,” and Daddy calls, “A dirt magnet,” which means he gets dirty almost right after we leave the groomer; so Mummy and Daddy have been taking the flashy thing with us to do our photo before we leave the groomer.  Before we got Logan, I used to have my after grooming photo at home though, and we did that again this time.  I think Mummy had sort of hoped we could still do the photo at the groomer, because she had the flashy thing with her in the walkies backpack, but Daddy said it would be easier to wait until we got home, and she agreed, even though she seemed a bit disappointed, and what she knew would happen did, and it gave Logan time to get his face a bit dirty by the time they were ready to point the flashy thing at us.  At least they managed to get the photo before he got more than a very tiny bit dirty.  Anyway, here we are after we got home from our grooming session:

 

 
~

 

Lots of licks,

Lilie

12 #Book Themed #Quotes - #AmReading

The person who deserves most pity is a lonesome one on a rainy day who doesn’t know how to read.
~Benjamin Franklin

Rainy days should be spent at home with a cup of tea and a good book.
~Bill Watterson

What better occupation, really, than to spend the evening at the fireside with a book, with the wind beating on the windows and the lamp burning bright.
~Gustave Flaubert

To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.
~Victor Hugo

Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere.
~Mary Schmich

If you don’t know the trees you may be lost in the forest, but if you don’t know the stories you may be lost in life.
~S. Elder

That perfect tranquility of life, which is nowhere to be found but in retreat, a faithful friend and a good library.
~Aphra Behn

To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.
~W. Somerset Maugham

There’s always room for a story that can transport people to another place.
~J.K. Rowling

A life without books is a thirsty life, and one without poetry is… like a life without pictures.
~Stephen King

I always read. You know how sharks have to keep swimming or they die? I’m like that. If I stop reading, I die.
~Patrick Rothfuss

Reading is very creative - it's not just a passive thing. I write a story; it goes out into the world; somebody reads it and, by reading it, completes it.
~Margaret Mahy

10 #Quotes About #Writing

An artist is a sort of emotional or spiritual historian. His role is to make you realize the doom and glory of knowing who you are and what you are. ~James Baldwin

A day in which I don't write leaves a taste of ashes ~Simone de Beauvoir

The only cure for writer's block is insomnia. ~Terri Guillemets

The best time to plan a book is while you're doing the dishes. ~Agatha Christie

If there’s any single talent a writer needs, it’s persistence. If you can keep at your writing and you can learn as you write, you can tell any story you want to tell. ~Octavia Butler

If the notion is good enough it will haunt you till it’s written. ~Truman Capote

One always has a better book in one’s mind than one can manage to get onto paper. ~Michael Cunningham

The idea doesn’t have to be big. It just has to be yours. The sovereignty you have over your work will inspire far more people than the actual content ever will. ~Hugh MacLeod

Dare to tell the smallest of stories If you want to generate large emotions. ~William Zinsser

Seeing your name on the book cover is like hearing your book saying, "Hi. Thanks for writing me!” ~Hafizh Syahrin

The #HarryPotter Spells #Book Tag - #AmReading

I found this on this blog, right here, and had to do it, because... Well, it's Harry Potter, and it's a book tag, so... Look, I just had to, OK? *wink*

Anyway, I'm not tagging anyone, as usual. But I would love to read your answers, so feel free to play along... Even if you're not a Harry Potter fan. For now though, here are the questions, along with my own answers:

1. Accio. An upcoming release you wish you could get your hands on right now.

This book will already be released by the time this is going live, but at the time I'm writing it, the book that springs to mind is "Viper's Daughter" by Michelle Paver. It's the 7th book in her "Chronicles Of Ancient Darkness" series, and I've been hoping she'd do more for that series ever since reading the final book several years ago. Now, at long last, she's done so, and I'll soon get to read more of Torak's adventures. I can't wait, and so wish I could be reading that book right now. Hopefully I'll have my copy and have read it before this post goes live.

2. Alohomora. Favorite series starter.

"Slip" - the first book in the series by the same name, which is a series by David Estes.

3. Cheering Charm. A book that gave you all the warm fuzzies.

"The Bear Father Christmas Forgot" by Diana Kimpton. It makes me smile and feel all warm and fuzzy every time I read it.

4. Aguamenti. A book that made you ugly cry.

"Lilac Girls" by Martha Hall Kelly. How could I not cry when reading that one?

5. Expecto Patronum. Bookish hero or heroine you want around to protect you in real life.

Jamie from Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series. Who wouldn't want a ruggedly handsome and fiercely protective highlander protecting them? He's got looks, brains, courage, and strength. A bit battered and bruised, maybe. But nobody's perfect.

6. Lumos. A book you intentionally spoiled for yourself.

There isn't one. I hate spoilers, and wouldn't do that to myself. Bad enough if others do it to me.

7. Imperio. A book you wish you could make everyone read because you loved it so much.

Any book I've given a five star rating to on Goodreads.

8. Engorgio. A book or series you wish never ended.

"Serang" by C. S. Boyack. Serang is a great character, and I'm really glad we get to read more of her in the trilogy she's a part of. However, while thinking the story was perfect, a part of me did wish it had been longer, just because it was so good I didn't want to stop reading it.

9. Wingardium Leviosa. A book with an uplifting ending or message.

All the books in the "Dalai Lama's Cat" series by David Michie have wonderfully uplifting messages.

10. Obliviate. A book you wish you could forget you ever read.

"Lord Of The Flies" by William Golding. I know it's a classic, but I found it rather disturbing.

11. Anapneo. An author whose books always get you out of a slump.

I don't end up in reading slumps, so this one doesn't really apply to me.

12. Jelly-Legs Jinx. A swoon-worthy hero or heroine.

Aeson Kassiope from Vera Nazarian's "Atlantis Grail" series.

13. Aresto Momentum. A book that caused you to stop doing all other things until you finished it.

Several books have done this, and more would if I let them, so I really can't pick just one here.

14. Crucio. A book that was painful to read (for whatever reason) or broke you.

"The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah. Such a heartbreaking story.

15. Rictumsempra. A book that had you laughing out loud.

"Doggerel: Life With The Small Dog" by Sue Vincent. Nobody can avoid laughing at Ani's antics.

16. Expelliarmus. A book that made you want to send it (or your eReader) flying.

The books in the "Wideacre" series by Philippa Gregory. Especially the first two books. Because, while it's a great series in many ways, there are parts of it that frustrated me, and other parts I found disturbing.

17. Portus. Bookish world you wish you could visit.

Narnia. Yeah, anyone who knows me well probably saw that one coming.

18. Stupefy. A book with a shocking twist or ending.

"My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult. You have to read it to understand, because telling you why would be a spoiler.

19. AvadaKedavra. A character death that destroyed you.

SPOILER ALERT: Dobby's death in "Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows" still makes me tear up, and I still find myself wanting to ask J K Rowling how she could do that to me. Surely there was another way? *sniffles*

20. Finite Incantatem. Best series conclusion.

I could mention several here, but one I haven't talked about much, which deserves some attention, is "The Chestnut Soldier" - the third book in the "Snow Spider" trilogy by Jenny Nimmo. Beautiful ending to a lovely series.