Eleni Konstantine's Blog: Eleni's Taverna, page 4

Eleni's Library: Knowing lots of writers..a nice problem to have

Eleni's Library: Knowing lots of writers..a nice problem to have: Tricia Stringer When you know a lot of writers because of being part of a wonderful organisation like Romance Writers of Australia and ...

Decluttering is a state of mind

I've continued down the path of decluttering. Though it's a slow process for me. 
A hoarder's life I'm a hoarder and changing one's mindset from keeping everything to not is not an easy task. I do reuse or recycle or repurpose, so some things get a second life but a lot don't. So this begs the question, 'why is it kept?' 
Some are for sentiment reasons, others because i may use/ reuse in future, and many times because I haven't had a chance to sort out of its (or a replacement) is needed or not, and some need a home that hasn't been created yet. 

Daily tasksI've stopped and started decluttering my office a few times over the last few years but thanks to family and volunteer commitments it always got put on the back burner. I'm trying to get it to become part of the daily cycle of my life where one day I may declutter paperwork or go through a box or bag, and other days I'm decluttering emails (yes they take up space too). The trick is not to leave either too long or you lose momentum. Or so I find. 

The beauty of digital In this day and age with digital photography, taking photos of items is a way of keeping the memory alive but not getting crowded with the physical items. This is the case with the Golden Book Encyclopaedia. I remember the hours spent perusing the books as a kid (they got tatty from overuse). I decided to take photos of the ones that sparked the nostalgic feeling of childhood and then recycle the books. It's been nice going down memory lane but it was time to let the actual items go. I'm almost done with these. I'm sure there's plenty of other items that can use the same treatment. 

 Before it becomes clutterThe best way is to not allow things to become clutter in the first place. This means having a system in place that works for me. There's no point having an in-tray if the items do not get sorted regularly. In times of great stress, this sorting has fallen behind but it adds to the stress when i can't find what I'm looking for easily. Making time at least a couple of times a week will help reduce the clutter for my future self.  And I know she will be most grateful.

Iris, the Unlikely Hero! Shadow Eyes Re-Release Blog Tour and $50 Amazon Card Giveaway with Dusty Crabtree

Welcome to Dusty Crabtree as she visits Eleni's Taverna as part of her Shadow Eyes Re-Release Blog Tour


Thank you for hosting me! It’s been a long time coming, but I’m so thrilled to finally be re-releasing my young adult, urban fantasy, Shadow Eyes ! It was first released in 2012 by Musa Publishing. Musa closed in 2015, and since Shadow Eyes was my first novel, I took the opportunity to revise and change a few minor things before self-publishing it this time. I am very happy with this second version and I hope you will love it too!


(Everyone, don’t forget to enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win a print copy of Shadow Eyes and a $50 gift card to Amazon!)


Let’s check out the synopsis for  Shadow Eyes  first…

Iris thought she could ignore the shadows…until they came after everyone she loved.

Seventeen-year- old Iris Kohl has been able to see both dark and light figures ever since a tragic incident three years ago. The problem is, no one else seems to see them, and even worse…the dark figures terrorize humans, but Iris is powerless to stop them.

Although she’s learned to deal with watching shadows harass everyone around her, Iris is soon forced to question everything she thinks she knows about her world and herself. Her sanity, strength, and will power are tested to the limits by not only the shadows, but also a handsome new teacher whose presence scares away shadows, a new friend with an awe-inspiriting aura, and a mysterious, alluring new student whom Iris has a hard time resisting despite already having a boyfriend. As the shadows invade and terrorize her own life and family, Iris must ultimately accept the guidance of an angel to revisit the most horrific event of her life and become the hero she was meant to be.

So Why is Iris an Unlikely Hero?

I’ve always been a fan of strong female characters. Take Katniss Everdeen for example. She is, beyond a doubt, the hero of her story. She doesn’t need a male to save her or take care of her, although she has a few who would and sometimes try. In fact, she takes care of them a few different times. She’s independent and isn’t afraid to rebel against the corrupt culture she lives in. Aside from that, Katniss is also hard-working, protective, loyal, loving, and genuine.

Strong female characters are so popular because they become heroes to the girls, young and old, who read about them. As readers of their stories, we then try to emulate and strive to be like them some day.

The reason why Iris is an unlikely hero is because she doesn’t come across as a strong female character right away. To put it gently, she has some issues. But I think that makes her relatable. We all have issues we need to work through, right? We all have a past we must overcome. We most likely don’t have the same issues or the same past, but when we see Iris eventually work through all of her mess and end up on top, it gives us hope for our own struggles. It gives us hope that we’ll eventually turn our mess around for good, too.

So, I guess what I want to say is, don’t give up on Iris. She may at first seem weak and ineffective, and you may feel sorry for her at times and frustrated with her at other times for not stepping up. But be patient and remember she’s not perfect just like we’re not perfect. And if you stick with her to the end, you’ll be so glad you did as you’ll get to see a huge transformation where Iris is empowered beyond what she ever thought possible. 
And that’s just the beginning of Iris’s story…



Author Bio 
Dusty Crabtree loves a good story, but she also loves young people. These two loves are evident in all parts of her life. She has been a high school English teacher since 2006 and a creative writing teacher since 2014. She's also been a youth sponsor at her local church for as long as she’s been teaching. She feels very blessed with the amazing opportunities she has to develop meaningful relationships with teens on a daily basis. With her love of reading in the mix, becoming an author of young adult books was just a natural development of those two passions in her life. She lives with her husband, Clayton, in Yukon, Oklahoma, where they often serve their community as foster parents.


Check out Dusty’s blog
Find her on Facebook 
Follow her on Twitter
Follow her on Instagram – dustycrabtree12
Check out  Shadow Eyes  on Goodreads

View the book trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7UP9A0Fm78


Buy  Shadow Eyes  on Amazon or other major online bookstores like Barnes&Noble and Apple (Print is also available on Amazon)

Amazon | Apple | Barnes&Noble | Smashwords




a Rafflecopter giveaway


Rafflecopter Link - http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/aa7efb191/


To see other posts on this tour and to increase your chances of winning, visit Dusty’s blog for the schedule with links as they are posted. 

Thanks for dropping by Dusty! ~Eleni

Decluttering and being ruthless - aka The Taverna is back!

A blast from the past. This used to be on my website.
It reminds me of writing dreams.
Under licence from Dreamstime
Yep, I'm still here in my cluttered office living day by day. I've still been trying to declutter my life - I think that's always going to be a process for me as I tend to take on more and more without realising - and have made a little headway. 
I'm still reading though since end of July not as much thanks to family illness and attending the RWA conference here in my hometown (I'll do a post about that soon).

I've been sporadic on Facebook and Twitter but around. 
I'm making writing plans! Yay.
One of them is to write on the blog more. I find it helps my writing - if I don't overdo it.
Starting to see a theme with me? 
Yep.
My limitations change from day to day, hence why it is a bit of a battle with tasks I take on, because I need to think of my bad days (this includes family health too) not the good days when I take something on. If I have a whole week of bad days then the task won't get done. And to protect my writing, I need to be more ruthless in what I do with my time. 
Ruthless Eleni. Sounds like a title of a suspense novel.
I'll be posting more beginning on the 4th September (tomorrow) with a special guest appearance by ex-Musa Publishing stable mate, Dusty Crabtree. She's on a re-release blog tour and dropping by in the Taverna.
So get your glasses filled with some wine, taste the meze on offer, sit back and relax.  The Taverna is back!
Yia!!~Eleni

A little bump in the road

It's been a while, I know. 
After being busy with dad's one year memorial services in March, I was going to take a small break and then begin my slow road to writing regularly and catching up with some projects. 
It started off well- I even managed to do some design work but I found that I was having a downward spiral with my fatigue, pain and general well being. While I've had a few good days and moments, it hasn't been sustainable or consistent. Most days I need a solid sleep in the afternoon as my sleep at night is not restful. 
I haven't really been at my computer and usually only skim my emails on my phone. It's very frustrating when there are so many things I'd like to undertake and be consistent on. I have managed  step by slow step to get a couple of projects done at home that have been hanging around for ages. 
I'd been thinking I needed to check in a couple of weeks ago and my lack of computer time had this go to the back of my mind. Right now, I'm laying down using an iPhone app to write this. Love that the words pop up so it helps not having to type up each letter of the post. 
I have done fly ins to social media but not really been involved. Mainly I have been watching TV and reading. I've borrowed audio books that I can hear on the phone as I rest. And I'm trying to tackle the mountainous to be read pile one book at a time. 
I'll keep on keeping on and hope this bump doesn't continue for too much longer. 

~yia, Eleni

Tuesday Tunes: Mark Ronson ~ Uptown Funk featuring Bruno Mars

Feel like a little bit of music today and could not go passed Mark Ronson~ Uptown Funk featuring Bruno Mars.

Get your funk on....



Youtube link


Have fun bopping along!


~yia~

Writing Buddy Wednesday with Lilliana Rose: Renovation Rumbling on Writing

I'm lucky to have a special guest today on the blog - in the first Writing Buddy Wednesday for 2016.

Lilliana Rose is a fellow SARA and DarkSider who is supportive of her fellow writers and has a stringent work ethic. You can find her in coffee shops around Adelaide with laptop or pen and paper in hand working on her latest pieces (evidence is presented on her Facebook timeline in the form of pictures). She also has great taste in bags (yes, I notice bags!) and is great company at conventions.

Lilliana experiments with her writing and writes from Steampunk mysteries to rural romances to poetry.

Lilliana is generously giving away a free copy of her latest release to one lucky commentator.

Now it's over to Lilliana!

~~~
Renovation Rumbling on Writing 
by Lilliana Rose


As part of my writing routine I have given myself a break for the month of January this year to allow my mind to rejuvenate and the stories to simmer quietly in my subconscious. To fill the space when I would normally write, I decided to begin a renovation project of a cabinet, which I’ve been meaning to do for, um, well a few years now.

Already this sounded a little like writing. I have manuscripts on my computer in need of some renovations. And it was these stories which filled my mind, growing and transforming, as I stripped back paint, about three layers, the top two were enamel, and sweat covered my body along with little flakes of paint in the summer heat. Mixed with the difficult discussion of having to pick out what colours to use – my art form is with words not colours!

I couldn’t help compare the process with writing. There are layers to peel away on a manuscript and sometimes it takes a while to get to a project. When I went to the hardware store for the fiftieth time, the guy looked at me weird for having stripping the paint off, for if I hadn’t done that then I could’ve just painted over the top and wouldn’t have to have put on an undercoat. Sometimes when editing the direction I go in might not be the same, but then again sometimes I’ve needed to strip the manuscript down to the bare wood in order to get the full inspiration of the new direction to take in it.




This is an approach I took with Change of Heart (The Clockwork Mysteries #1) last year where I re-looked at the story, stripped it back, and then started rewriting the second half. And while I ended up deleting thousands of words, the result was not only a better story, but also the flow of more ideas and I’ve since written Heart of Gold and Heart’s Desire. While stripping back paint, picking new colours, working out how to attach wall paper (not really believing the guy at the hardware store that I could simply use clag glue) my mind has secretly churned through and developed more stories, not just for The Clockwork Mysteries series, but also others (I’d better get writing!).

So the cabinet isn’t finished (like all creative projects it always takes longer than expected), and I’m now back at my day job, and back into writing with renewed inspiration. And I’m Glad I could see the benefits from recycling something old, like the cabinet, stripping away the years of misuse by other people, and making it my own. The process has also given me hope not to give up on some of my manuscripts that haven’t yet seen the light of day.




Leave a comment below for a chance to win a Kindle copy of Heart of Gold. Only one copy to be given away.



Lilliana is a creative writer and poet. She enjoys pulling levers and turning cogs in steampunk worlds, and dreams of travelling in an airship.

Check out more of her work at these sites: website, blog, Goodreads, Facebook or Twitter.





Heart of Gold
by Lilliana Rose

Vickie's husband, George, insists she undertakes self defence lessons before starting her private eye business. George worries about her safety but doesn't want to stop her from developing her newly found skill of solving mysteries.

The training sessions are difficult and Vickie is exhausted. Now that her and George have rekindled their love, Vickie is determined to find the time to keep the sparks flying between them as much as possible.

When her trainer is injured, Vickie discovers he isn't entirely human, and has mechanical parts. But George doesn't believe her. Vickie insists something untoward happening and she must investigate. Can she solve another mystery while maintaining the renewed spice between her and George?



Available on Amazon Direct.

Thanks, Lilliana!


Readers don't forget to comment for your chance to win a copy of this latest instalment of The Clockwork Mysteries.


~yia~

Super Sunday - 8 of my favourite things for January

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the latest Star Wars instalment. It was also such a joy watching a new generation getting enthralled by the saga.


The Force is strong with this one.

2. Family celebration

Flowers for engagementAlways grateful for my family but I was so ecstatic that my gorgeous god-sister had her engagement party to her lovely young man. Was so nice to laugh and I even danced for the occasion. Though I do need to work on my fitness. Once upon a time, I could Greek dance all night long but after one dance, I was puffed out! Oh and can I just mention
the deserts, my goodness!! I put on weight just by looking at them.









3. 52 week challenges

As I mentioned previously I'm participating in a reading challenge and an illustration challenge. Not do I take joy in participating, but I also in reading/viewing the updates.

I mean check out the 52 week Illustration challenge blog and you can see what I mean.


Sketched design on paper and retraced in Photoshop. Coloured in Photoshop.
4. Canva

I've done a few things with Canva for this blog and for my reading blog...








5. Monopoly Billionaire
It's a faster version of the original and I was introduced it this month by Masters 7 and 11. Fun and definitely brings out the competitive side. I actually one of the games. Huzzah!




6. Reading

Rachel Johns' 'The Patterson Girls' was an amazing read. Here's the review I put on Goodreads.

What can I say about this book - it was absolutely amazing!! If it wasn't for other commitments this month, I would have finished it much sooner. But in a way this delay only made me savour the read more.
Rachael Johns has written an easy to read book that grabs you from the first chapter following the story of four sisters scattered around the world. Together for their first Christmas without their mum, we witness their emotional journey as they all come to grips with their loss and finding out about The Patterson Curse. Each sister has a different voice but this doesn't jerk you out of the story. This story shows how even when you love your family you don't necessarily always get along with them. And that a loving family is there no matter what.

Having lost my father last year, this book was also therapeutic for me - the right book for me at the right time.

Thanks for the fabulous read, Rach!
Disclaimer: I personally know Rachael but I don't automatically give 5 stars to books of people I know. I'm a reader first on Goodreads.

7. Person of Interest season 2 finale

Yes, I am way behind on this series but I'm watching repeats of it on Foxtel. I thoroughly enjoy the premise of the show and the acting as well.

the blurb from IMBD: An ex-assassin and a wealthy programmer save lives via a surveillance AI that sends them the identities of civilians involved in impending crimes. However, the details of the crimes--including the civilians' roles--are left a mystery.

Semi- regular star Amy Acker is amazing! Lots of action scenes, which are done really well, and of course there's the questions of AIs and surveillance. As well as entertain, it does make you think about the freedoms we have lost in the guise of security. 





and last but not least 8. Star Wars Colouring Book

My amazing friend Alison gave me a Star Wars Colouring book for Christmas! The designs are in the Art-Nouveau style and just amazing. I've only done one so far, but I'm in need of more mindfulness real soon.







How about you - what were your favourite things for January?

~yia~

Review of The Earth's Place in Space

Earth's Place in Space by Nicolas Brasch

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Had read bits and pieces for a school project for my godson. Finished the rest off today. Lovely illustrations and clear explanations for school children - and for the adult like me who likes to see concepts in a visual form.



View all my reviews

Flash Fiction Friday: Diaspora and some inspiration behind it

I have a body of flash fiction behind me and I wanted to share some on the blog (though you can get to them from my website).

Here is my first flash fiction that I had done as part of a Clayton's challenge many years ago. The theme had been 'left behind' and a picture of my grandmother came into my head as had a moving song by the Greek singer, Glykeria.








DIASPORA
The land cried out for all those who had dispersed from its shores. The old woman sat on the wooden stool knitting with a tear in her eye, blistered hands trying to work a delicate pattern into shape. It is for her grandchild, half a world away. The seeds of a generation lost to this land, who had taken root in another. Here was her life and her world; she could not go with them. She was lucky – she still had family with her. But like the land, while it lessened the loss and the ache, she still missed them.

~~
I hope you enjoyed.
I think it appropriate I post at a time when there is such a migration of people today their leaving war torn countries behind by any means necessary. My heart goes out to these people as how could they stay even if they wanted to - the places they flee from are in rubble. 
*rant begins* Some people forget there have been countless migrations before with people wanting a better life for their children, so please don't ostracise. Humanity and kindness shouldn't have any borders. Remember it could be any one of us.*rant over*

~yia~