Keely Knightley's Blog, page 2
November 21, 2014
Free Kindle Promo!
You can grab “I Haven’t Lived At All” on Kindle for free for 5 days, starting 21st November.
Please take advantage, spread the word and heck, feel free to leave a review!
Consider this an early Christmas present from me to you.
October 13, 2014
Kindle Offer
For a limited time only, you can grab “I Haven’t Lived At All” for your Kindle at the bargain price of 77p!
Take a look, treat yourself, spread the word.
September 23, 2014
I swear you’re the fiercest calm I’ve been in.
Hi Guys!
Needless to say, blogging really has slipped off my radar. I wish I could give a legitimate reason for this, but the only explanation I have is ‘life,’ and I’m not sure that’s a very good reason. It’s not very often that I find myself sat in front of the computer, but be reassured that my pen and notebook are always by my side. A lot of writing has happened, most of which will probably never leave the pages of my notebook. However, I do have plans for some of it!
I’ve announced this over on Facebook, and I had the full intention of writing a blog post about this immediately afterwards, but my attention span failed me and I probably got lost in an episode of Game of Thrones, or something as equally unproductive.
I will be releasing a new version of “I Haven’t Lived At All.” There’s no solid back bone to it yet, other than the current version that is already released. I just wanted to explain why I feel this is something I want to do.
“I Haven’t Lived At All” was a massive learning curve for me. As a 20-something year old, I knew nothing about self-publishing and everything this entailed. For me, the first release was always going to be first and foremost an opportunity to learn. I was going to leave it at that, leaving it out in the world with no further intention than that. Over the past months I’ve found myself having a very torn opinion of my own book (which is, of course, natural.) I feel I wasted an opportunity to make something I could really be proud of. The idea of what I wanted to create is now a lot clearer in my head, and I feel I need to do this book justice.
So, what can you expect? I can’t tell you for certain! Just, more. Poems will leave the book, new ones will enter. Artwork will grace the pages and a more solidified, rounded version will be born. I’m going to take my time, I’m going to be patient and let everything fall into place organically. Nothing will be introduced to you all until I can honestly say “This is something I can be proud of.” Who knows how long that will take. I want this to not just be for the benefit of learning, but I want it to be something that you, the reader, can take something from.
There is a chance that I will be starting another Kickstarter campaign in the future to help fund this re-release, and your support would be sincerely appreciated. Please watch this space!
I really will try to be better with this blog, but if I go awol for another couple of weeks, someone just give me a nudge and tell me to stop being anti-social and come back to the blogosphere.
As always, “I Haven’t Lived At All” is currently available on Amazon and you can leave a review there and on Goodreads!
-E
x
August 29, 2014
Now on Instagram!
You can now follow me on Instagram: @aliveatdawnpublishing
I’ll be posting excerpts, artwork, sneak previews and anything I find inspiring. Come over and say hi!
I’ve also launched a new website: evelynknightley.com
Take a look and let me know what you think!
Keep your eyes peeled for an update in the not too distance future ;)
-E
X
July 22, 2014
Where are you supposed to be?
Sometimes I sit and question all of the choices I’ve made in life, and I question if I’m letting myself down or if I’m doing okay. In times like that, I remind myself of this:
You are exactly where you are supposed to be.
March 15, 2014
* Review: Angel War by Philip Dodd
Angel War by Philip Dodd
Cover Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Overall Rating: ★★★☆☆
My Favourite Chapter: Chapter 23- ‘Eden’
Would I recommend? ★★★☆☆
“Pattern broken, orders forgotten, bands of his rebel angel servants fled before them, to his dismay, and cowered away from their path. As those who retreated gathered thickly around him, he heard many of them rage in agony against the thought of their defeat, which was not to his liking, nor that their eyes no longer shone with the arrogance of certain victory.”
Available for purchase from Amazon
About
From an early age, Azel, the Prince of the White Castle of the Angels of Light, plans what he calls his great rebellion against the Father. After his self transformation into a four legged, scaled beast, he names himself the Dragon. At the head of his rebel angel army and his dragon flocks, he brings war to the angel lands. His intention is to dethrone the Father and rule in his place. Khem, the Child of the White Mountain, vows upon his Silver Sword to be his slayer. The lonely, perilous path of the dragon slayer, he takes. At its end, he stands alone, to challenge the Father’s foe to combat.
Review
I’ll start by saying that at 536 pages long, this book requires a lot of time, concentration and dedication. I’ll add to that by saying, it’s worth it. Teamed with a steady pace, this book is packed full of beautiful description and captivating action from cover to cover.
Dodd states in the acknowledgements that the King James version of The Holy Bible was the main inspiration for the book, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that is solely a biblical story. Although it is indeed laced with interpretations of stories from both the old and new testament, you need not know any background of this as the imagination of the story holds strong and true throughout.
This isn’t something that can be read over a couple of sittings, in fact it took me a few months to finish it (and I consider myself a fast reader,) but I found myself needing a break every so often before returning to the book. This isn’t necessarily due to the length of the book, more so the content. It takes a while to fully absorb the characters and their surroundings, and I find it important to take time away and order it in my head so I can fully grasp what is happening within the story before returning to read more. This isn’t a negative attribute, if you like a book that takes time and thought and takes place as more of a journey than a story, this would be perfect for you.
Overall
I was really torn as to what ‘star’ rating I should give this book. It’s so beautifully and thoughtfully written, but it’s not something I’d pick up again and I’m not too sure if I would recommend it to anyone. I think it’s simply a case of ‘it’s not quite my cup of tea,’ and this bares no reflection on the book itself. Having said that, it’s a book I am glad to have read and it left me with a lot to think about after completing it.
* Book was sent for free in exchange for an honest review.
October 18, 2013
A very delayed update!
Hi All,
Wow, it’s been a long time since I’ve actually updated over on this blog. It’s been something I’ve intended to do for a couple of weeks but it has remained on my ever growing to-do list. I guess I just wanted to drop in and make my excuses as to why updates have been so few and far in between (this includes on facebook and twitter too, my bad.)
The first thing I really want to mention is book reviews, and this is mostly to those of you who are still waiting for your book to be reviewed. I can only apologise for the delay in this, I was beginning to get up to date however I’ve since fallen behind my planned schedule. Please rest assured that the reviews WILL be done, I just don’t want to rush through reading the books and have my review be about something that I’ve only skimmed through- it’s not fair on you, as the writer, and it’s not fair on people who enjoy reading book reviews. Again, I apologise.
There’s a few reasons for this delay, and for the lack of updates in general, and without going into too much detail I’ve had a lot going on. I’m trying to get things back on track, however now I’m back at the full time job (after a couple of weeks of being signed off) time isn’t my greatest friend right now. I’m guilty of living under the illusion that my days have twice as many hours as your average day, I’m slowly learning that this isn’t true.
On to more positive updates, I have started real work on my next book and although it is a long, long way of being anywhere near completed, I’m pretty excited about it. Progress is slower than I would like (for the above reasons) but it’s exciting to be starting the whole creation process all over again. It’s becoming a completely different story to how I had originally planned it, but I really do think it’s for the better.
I’ve been working on a few other things too, I like being busy and giving myself new things to work on but sometimes I tend to overwhelm myself and this results in me achieving absolutely nothing. I’m sure there’s a life lesson in there somewhere.
This probably wasn’t very informative or of any interest to any of you, but I just wanted to take a few moments to share a bit with you and rather spin you lines of overwhelming positivity and productivity, I wanted to be a bit more honest. I hope that was okay with you.
As always, I can be contacted by email: contact@evelynknightley.co.uk
and you can find a list of places to buy “I Haven’t Lived At All” here!
(Oh, and if you’ve happened to have read the book already, it would be great if you could leave a rating/review over on Amazon and Goodreads.)
-E
x
September 29, 2013
Interview | Tribe Magazine
Hi!
I was recently interviewed by Tribe Magazine, so I thought I’d share it with you!
You can access the full article by clicking the image above. I hope you like it, let me know what you think!
I’ve been pretty busy working on a few things…but more on that in the future!
“I Haven’t Lived At All” is available to purchase from Amazon
- E
x
September 25, 2013
September 22, 2013
* Review: Truth Be Told: Adam Becomes Audrey by Alexandra Bogdanovic
Truth Be Told: Adam Becomes Audrey by Alexandra Bogdanovic
Cover Rating: ★★★☆☆
Overall Rating: ★★★★☆
My Favourite Chapter: Chapter 10
Would I recommend? ★★★★☆
“That really sucks,” I would inevitably say after listening to their tale of woe. “But I bet I’ve got a story that tops it.”
Available for purchase from Amazon
About
Chastity Bono is now Chaz. Her decision to “become” a man made headlines around the world, but she is not alone. Transgender men and women frequently appear on television talk shows and reality programs to share their stories. By doing so, they inevitably get the attention they seek, but not necessarily the kind of attention they want. While some come forth in an effort to promote tolerance, acceptance and understanding in mainstream society, their decision to live as or in some cases have surgery to become – the opposite gender often sparks curiosity and more visceral reactions born out of ignorance. But this is the other side of the story. Truth Be Told: Adam Becomes Audrey is a tragedy, a comedy and a love story. It is my story. In vivid detail, I recall how I met, fell in love with and married the man of my dreams, only to find that he self-identified as and wanted to become a woman. Read what happened after I learned the truth. Originally from the New York City suburbs, Alexandra Bogdanovic is an award-winning reporter based in Connecticut. Her next book is based on her father’s life as a staunch anti-Communist and political refugee in post-World War II Europe.
Review
This book tells the story of Alexandra and her discovery of her husband’s hidden secret. Written from a stance that I didn’t quite expect, I fully appreciated the attention to detail and the need to bring the reader into the situation; achieved through the use of an almost informal tone, openness and the abundance of description.
With a clearly interesting life anyway, I took more away than ‘just’ having read a book about how a woman recovers after learning the truth about her husband. At times, I felt myself so captured and eager to turn the next page that it was as though I was reading a piece of fiction.
As I’ve said already, this wasn’t what I was expecting from the book. If, like me, you appreciate an honest story where the small details truly matter, this is the book for you. If you’re looking for something a bit more fast-paced, you’re looking in the wrong place. Given how captivating the writing style is, the pace of the book really doesn’t matter. In fact, it is quite jumpy in places; with vast detail given in some areas and very little in others, but as a non-fiction book this just reflects on the fact that is a true life story.
Overall
This was a book that I read from cover to cover; partially due to the length of it (160 pages) but also due to the ease of reading. The writing style, for me, was definitely the shining point of this book and made me want to carry on. If you enjoy non-fiction, I would highly recommend this book.
* Book was sent for free in exchange for an honest review.
