Victoria Zigler's Blog: Zigler News, page 44

#MondayMotivation - #Hygge #Quotes + Words Of #Wisdom 30-03-20

Sometimes you just need to step outside, get some fresh air, clear your head, and remind yourself of who you are and where you want to be.
~Unknown

It isn’t always a change of scenery needed to make life better. Sometimes it simply requires opening your eyes.
~Richelle E. Goodrich

Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.
~Oprah Winfrey

Be happy in the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.
~Mother Teresa

Life is a spell so exquisite that everything conspires to break it.
~?Emily Dickinson

Live out of your imagination, not your history.
~Stephen Covey

The beautiful thing about memories is making them.
~Sukh Sandhu

Whenever you are creating beauty around you, you are restoring your own soul.
~Alice Walker

In stillness lives wisdom. In quiet you'll find peace. In solitude you'll remember yourself.
~Robin Sharma

Life is the moment we are living right now.
~Paulo Coelho

Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures.
~H. Jackson Brown Jr

Take a shower, wash off the day. Drink a glass of water. Make the room dark. Lie down & close your eyes. Notice the silence. Notice your heart. Still beating. Still fighting. You made it, after all. You made it, another day, you're doing just fine.
~Charlotte Eriksson

#Pet #Photo And Video: Lilie The #Westie Celebrates Turning 3

Hi everyone. This is Lilie the Westie.

Guess what?

I had one of those birthday things yesterday, and got more new balls!









Yeah, yeah, I know I have several already. But you can never have too many balls. I love balls!

Daddy also made me a special birthday dinner of fish cake and hamwich, which was very tasty. If you don't know: a hamwich is a nice and crispy toasted cheese and ham sandwich. I love them!

It was a great birthday, even though people are being weird and wouldn't say, "Hi," to me when I went walkies, which is very strange, because normally people always want to talk to and pet me, especially if I do my wiggle dance. I only got little walkies, and between that and nobody wanting to be my friend, I thought I maybe did something bad without meaning to. Mummy says I didn't though. She says it's because of something called, "Avirus," - at least, I think that's what she said - and that I'm a good girl. Then we did my birthday, and there were all those new balls, and that nice dinner Daddy made for me, so I guess either I didn't do anything bad, or at least Mummy and Daddy aren't mad at me for it. I'm happy about having a birthday though, and getting all those new balls, as well as my special birthday dinner.

Lots of licks,
Lilie

#AmReading + #AmWatching + #AmListening - Media Shares And #Reviews 26-03-20

I want a story to take me to a place that I’ve never been to before and make it come vividly alive for me.
~George R.R. Martin

Welcome to this week's weekly media shares and reviews post!

*Disclaimer: no matter what's being reviewed, all opinions in this post are entirely my own, and I reserve the right to have them, regardless of who may or may not share them. Feel free to express your own in the comments, but please respect my right - and the rights of other commenters - to have opinions that might differ from yours, and to express those opinions too.

Also, please remember that I read/watch/listen to things in a variety of genres, and for all ages, so you should make sure you check that the book/movie/show/song is suitable for the intended audience before reading/watching/listening to it, especially if children are involved. I take no responsibility for anything which may happen as a result of failing to do so.

If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.

Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.

Unless otherwise stated, all music videos are via YouTube.

OK. Let's see what I've been reading, watching, and listening to, and which song I'm going to share this week, shall we? After all, that's the point of this post, and why you're here today, right?

Reading:This week I only read one book, because it was quite a long one. So, here's what I read, along with my book review.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I'm glad I decided to go with the audio version of this, because I dread to think how hard it would have been to read most of it with a screen reader of some kind. It took some getting used to even with the audio version... Enough that I very nearly deducted a star for it. However, since apart from the Scottish dialect taking a bit to get used to, I loved this book, I'm giving it the full five stars. The historical aspects were fascinating, and the characters were interesting. I look forward to the next book.

Watching:This week I watched more of "Game Of Thrones" season 3, as well as more "Redwall" episodes.

I also broke down and got Netflix, so have been watching "Fuller House" on that. I loved "Full House" so have been really wanting to watch this one. I'm enjoying it, but it's not as good as the original series was. The first half of the first episode especially wasn't great, since it felt like an info dumping session to make sure you knew who was who and what they'd been doing between the end of the original series and the start of this one. Still, like I said, I'm enjoying it. Although, despite the fact I'd give five stars to the original series, I only give this series four out of five stars.

Listening:This week I've been listening to very little again. But Kenny Rogers died, and it made me want to listen to some of his music. Not that I don't listen at other times, since I'm a fan of it, but still. Anyway, I'll be sharing one of his songs with you this week. So, here's Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton singing "We've Got Tonight" for your listening pleasure - enjoy!

#WriterWednesday: The #AuthorsGiveBack #Smashwords #eBook #Sale + Writerly #Quotes And Links + #WritersLife 25-03-20 - #AmWriting

As I mentioned in Sunday's post, Smashwords has launched an "Authors Give Back" sale to help readers and authors cope with Covid-19. It runs until April 20th 2020.

All my books are enrolled, with some at 60% off, and others at 30% off, making them all $2.00 or less, and a couple of them completely free.

So, if you're looking for something to read while stuck at home right now - especially if you have children, are a fan of children's stories yourself, or enjoy poetry - you might want to check out my books.

Since I enable all formats I can, my books are available in multiple formats, including - but not limited to - mobi for Kindle, and ePub (which works with most eReaders). In fact, there's even a html version, which works with your browser, and means if you can read this post, you can read my books.

This is exclusive to Smashwords, and codes should apply themselves automatically at checkout.

You can find my books by going to my Smashwords author page.

Anyhow, other than the details of the sale, there's not much to say as regards my writing this week. Not because there hasn't been any progress on getting that story ready to be let loose in to the big wide world, but because there's not much to say other than that I'm still working on edits and such. I'll be starting to focus on a new project soon, but just can't face it right now with the global situation and the anxiety it's causing. Editing is one thing. Writing is another. Anyway, I'll actually be giving you some details of this story soon, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, I hope your own writing is going well, and that you and your loved ones are doing OK. Stay safe!

Writing fiction is a solitary occupation but not really a lonely one. The writer’s head is mobbed with characters, images and language.
~Hilma Wolitzer

OK. Let's see what I've found to share with you this week.

The writing process, and writing life in general:
When you learn writing gets lonelyTips for working at home, AKA how to survive being a shut-in writerYou might be too worried about having the most 'original' ideaWriting in a time of anxiety

The act of writing is an act of optimism. You would not take the trouble to do it if you felt it didn't matter.
~Edward Albee

Writers' block, and finding inspiration:
12 tips for writing when you feel like you've run out of good ideasWhy every writer needs to make time for 'free thinking'
Random writing tips:
Story elements: give them purpose7 tips to writing cults in fantasyWhy write wrong, #1Putting cliffhangers in a series

I live with the people I create and it has always made my essential loneliness less keen.
~Carson McCullers

Marketing:
Book launching in the time of Covid-19

To any creators who feel guilty making art when the house is on fire, please remember: you make the doorways out.
~Victoria Schwab

This last link isn't actually writing related, but I wanted to share the silver lining from the Covid-19 cloud.

The Inside And Out #Book Tag - #AmReading

I got this tag from Cat over at The Strawberry Post. You can see her post for it here.

As usual, I'm not tagging anyone. But, if you want to play too, feel free to join in, either by posting your answers in the comments, or doing this on your own blog. If you do the latter, make sure to let me know, so I can come read your answers, since I'd love to know what they are. For now though, here are the questions, along with my own answers to them:

1  Inside flap/back of the book summaries: Too much info? Or not enough?

Somewhere in the middle. I'd kind of like to know what I'm committing to reading, but I hate spoilers, so don't want it too detailed.

2  New book: What form do you want it in? Be honest: Audiobook, eBook, Paperback or Hardcover?

I've got nothing against physical books - books smell great, after all - but it has to be either audio book or eBook for me, unless it's in braille. Mostly I don't care which, unless I've got part of a series in one format or another. I only care that it's an accessable to me format as a rule, but I like to have a whole series in the same format whenever possible.

3  Scribble while you read? Do you like to write in your books; take notes, make comments, or do you keep your books clean, clean, clean?

Write in books? *looks shocked* Definitely not! I never even did that as a child, and I hate that people do that.

4  Does it matter to you whether the author is male or female when you’re deciding on a book? What if you’re unsure of the authors gender?

No. I don't care whether the author is male or female. An author's gender doesn't make any difference as to whether the book will be enjoyable or not - a woman and man are equally likely to write either a good or bad book - so why should it matter?

5  Ever read ahead? Or have you ever read the last page way before you got there?

Absolutely not! I hate spoilers.

6  Organised bookshelves or outrageous bookshelves?

At the moment mine are a bit of a mess, but I prefer my physical books - audio book and braille books - organized as a rule. Alphabetically. First by author's first name or initials, with their last name considered next if needs be, then by series (if applicable) and then by title. Oh, and if the title is "A" or "The" something - like "A Christmas Carol" or "The Witches" - then that is considered. The titles are "A Christmas Carol" and "The Witches" and not "Christmas Carol, A" and "Witches, The" - just so you know.

7  Have you ever bought a book based on the cover (alone)?

No. Not even when I could still see them. A cover might have caught my attention, but it wouldn't ever be the deciding factor. These days I don't even know what's on the covers of most of my books, and that fact doesn't bother me.

8  Take it outside to read, or stay in?

Either option works for me. I usually end up reading inside these days, but would be perfectly happy reading on the beach, in a park, in the garden, or whatever, and have done so several times in the past.

#MondayMotivation - #Quotes + Words Of #Wisdom 23-03-20

Will the lesson be learned? Will our appreciation of beauty be seen as a gift, the enjoyment of which should not be confined to an annual holiday? Will it become a part of our everyday lives? It is almost past belief that we ever chose to reject it.
~C.R. Milne

Life is like the ocean. It can be calm or still and rough or rigid, but in the end it’s always beautiful.
~Unknown

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.
~William A. Ward

If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it.
~Jonathan Winters

Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.
~Anne Lamott

The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever
~Jacques Cousteau

Do not lose hope, please believe that there are a thousand beautiful things waiting for you. Sunshine comes to all who feel rain.
~R. M. Drake

Sometimes when you’re in a dark place, you think you’ve been buried but you’ve actually been planted.
~Christine Caine

Don't give up when dark times come. The more storms you face in life, the stronger you'll be. Hold on. Your greater is coming.
~Germany Kent

Deal with the world the way it is, not the way you wish it was.
~John Chambers

This is the world. Beautiful and terrible things happen. Don't be afraid.
~Frederick Buechner

Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows.
~Native American Proverb

The #AuthorsGiveBack #Smashwords #eBook #Sale

Smashwords has launched an "Authors Give Back" sale to help readers and authors cope with Covid-19. It runs until April 20th 2020.

All my books are enrolled, with some at 60% off, and others at 30% off, making them all $2.00 or less, and a couple of them completely free.

So, if you're looking for something to read while stuck at home right now - especially if you have children, are a fan of children's stories yourself, or enjoy poetry - you might want to check out my books.

Since I enable all formats I can, my books are available in multiple formats, including - but not limited to - mobi for Kindle, and ePub (which works with most eReaders). In fact, there's even a html version, which works with your browser, and means if you can read this post, you can read my books.

This is exclusive to Smashwords, and codes should apply themselves automatically at checkout.

You can find my books by going to my Smashwords author page.

If you want, you can also browse the sale catalogue to see what other authors have on sale, and grab yourself even more eBook bargains.

Pet #Videos: Lilie The #Westie And Logan the #Cavapoo At Play

Hi everyone. This is Lilie the Westie.

Guess what?

We got new piggy toys!













Well, to be honest, these were taken a few weeks ago, and the piggies aren't looking so great any more, because toys never last me long. I don't know why. Mummy says it's because I play so rough with them. I say they should make them better, because toys should be able to handle a bit of rough playtime. But never mind. We enjoy them while they last anyway, which Mummy says is the thing that matters most, even if she does also kind of wish they lasted longer around me. I kind of do too, especially when it's the piggies, because I love those honking piggy toys!

They do last a bit longer than they used to though, especially now I've gotten so good at taking out the bit that makes a noise without actually destroying the whole toy, which means there's a decent amount of toy left for me - and Logan, I guess - to play with afterwards, and Mummy doesn't have to throw the toy away immediately.

Anyway, I thought you'd like to see us having fun with our piggy toys.

Speaking of having fun with things...

Another thing I love to play with is the hoover. A lot of dogs think the hoover monster is scary. Not me. I think it's great fun, as you can see in this video of when I was playing with it while Mummy was trying to do whatever it is humans do with that thing. Hey, if she could play with it, why not me, right? Anyway, here's the video:







Lots of licks,
Lilie

#AmReading + #AmWatching + #AmListening - Media Shares And #Reviews 19-03-20

Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light.
~Vera Nazarian

Welcome to this week's weekly media shares and reviews post!

*Disclaimer: no matter what's being reviewed, all opinions in this post are entirely my own, and I reserve the right to have them, regardless of who may or may not share them. Feel free to express your own in the comments, but please respect my right - and the rights of other commenters - to have opinions that might differ from yours, and to express those opinions too.

Also, please remember that I read/watch/listen to things in a variety of genres, and for all ages, so you should make sure you check that the book/movie/show/song is suitable for the intended audience before reading/watching/listening to it, especially if children are involved. I take no responsibility for anything which may happen as a result of failing to do so.

If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.

Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.

Unless otherwise stated, all music videos are via YouTube.

OK. Let's see what I've been reading, watching, and listening to, and which song I'm going to share this week, shall we? After all, that's the point of this post, and why you're here today, right?

Reading:This week I read two books. So, here's what I read, along with my book reviews.

Survive by Vera Nazarian
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If I could give this more than five stars, I totally would! I've been dying to read this one ever since finishing the other three books in the series, and can tell you it was well worth the wait. It's a long book, but needs to be; it's just the right length to tell the part of the story it needs to tell. I was torn between being desperate to know what happens, so wanting to keep reading until I was done, and wanting to take my time with it so I could spend as long as possible with the characters. The worldbuilding is incredible, the descriptions are beautiful, the characters are well-rounded (and it's great to see how they've developed as the series has progressed) and the plot moves at a perfect pace. The series as a whole is awesome, and this book is the perfect ending to it, even if part of me wishes there was more, just so I could spend more time in the world, and with the characters - especially Aeson.

The Law of Three and Other Relationships by Barbara G. Tarn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is another great collection of sweet stories by this author.

Watching:This week I watched the rest of "Game Of Thrones" season 2, and started season 3. I also watched more "Redwall" episodes.

Listening:This week I once again haven't really been listening to much. However, deciding on a song to share this week is easy, because I've had one that's been quite the earworm for me all week. The title of the song was mentioned in something I read towards the end of last week, and the song became so stuck in my mind afterwards that I've quite literally been singing snatches of it on and off all week (mostly in my head, but sometimes out loud). Not even listening to it in its entirety a couple of times got rid of the earworm. So, since it's been my constant companion for the past week, so I have to share it, here's "Can't Help Falling In Love" by Elvis Presley. Enjoy!

#WriterWednesday: Writerly #Quotes And Links + #WritersLife 18-03-20 - #AmWriting

The first thing that distinguishes a writer is that he is most alive when alone.
~Martin Amis

Between medical situations all being under control in my case (I have a slight cough that won't go away, but other than that the cold/flu thing has gone, and I'm healing well from the recent medical procedure by the look of it) and having a week where there weren't a lot of other things to deal with, I managed to start working on the first stage of editing of the story inspired by Lilie and Logan, as well as write another poem or two. So, it was a pretty good writing week for me, and I'm definitely on track for having this story ready in time to be publishing it in May as planned. If you're a writer as well, I hope your writing is going well too.

Tomorrow may be hell, but today was a good writing day, and on the good writing days nothing else matters.
~Neil Gaiman

OK. Let's see what I've found to share with you this week.

The writing process, and writing life in general:
Novel writing: a little every day is enoughYou can't keep stopping and starting againYou shouldn't worry about getting published if you haven't started writingWhy perfectionism could be stifling youWhy (only) reading books about writing won't make you a better writer12 tips for writing when you're not calm and the world is burning

Commit yourself to the process, NOT the project. ...Invest yourself in the lifestyle...NOT in the particular piece of work
~F Conroy

Writers' block, and idea generation:
What if writers' block is the best thing that ever happens to you?Kids, and the daunting world of writing100 poetry prompts10 tips for writing when you don't know what to write about

The true alchemists do not change lead into gold; they change the world into words.
~William H. Gass

Characters:
Homebody characters: there are wolves out there
Writing romance:
Happily never after: writing romance when you're breaking up

Let me live, love, and say it well in good sentences.
~Sylvia Plath

Random writing tips:
Tips for writing action scenesStorytelling decisions: what's the right pace for your story?

There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.
~Frank Herbert

Marketing:
Dual use of fiction meta-content, part 4: newsletters
Reviews:
The dos and don'ts of handling book reviews
The business side of writing:
Business musings: disruptionCould the coronavirus impact writers? A few ways for writers to prepare for covid-19

I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.
~Anne Frank