Monthly Archives: March 2020

Napowrimo, poetry

Napowrimo Beginning Soon! #30poemsin30days

April is National Poetry Month. An entire month dedicated to poems and poetry bringing attention to and bring appreciation toward poets of all styles and types. Napowrimo is a challenge for poets with the hashtag #30poemsin30days, similar to Nanowrimo which focuses on completing a book in a month (I finished and won last year).

I came across this last year and fell in love with this entire concept. I love anything that can inspire and challenge me. Since it begins tomorrow, April 1st, I decided to begin with a small post letting those that may not know aware the time is upon us.

Head to the official website of Napowrimo to read and catch up. They give prompts to help those that may need some inspiration. They also provide resources to poets.

Are you going to take part in this month of poetry? Why?Why not? Let’s talk about it!

The Blasphemer Series

The Most Surprising Thing I Discovered While Writing: The Blasphemer Series Edition

May 21st, 2020 the re-release of The Blasphemer Series is happening with the release of book one, Maxwell Demon. I’m thrilled that this is coming out again. This series of mine has been a product of many years and seems to be the underdog that never gives up.

The ups and downs I’ve had just getting this series out would be more than enough to make any author give up. From narrators becoming ill to them no longer wanting to take part in the audio book process. I’ve struggled to write the books and even struggled finding the right way to present them to readers with beautiful formatting, first by myself and then by staff of Three Furies Press, my publisher. Whatever has knocked my little series down has only encouraged me to pick back up and keep going with them.

Why? Why not give up? Maybe it’s my stubbornness or perhaps its my passion for this project. I really truly believe that others will enjoy the books as much as I’ve enjoyed researching and writing them. With all of that said, I have learned some things while writing the series.

The series isn’t complete yet, but 2020 will bring you both book one, Maxwell Demon, and book two, Harvest later this year.

What have I learned?

  • I have learned that I still love my characters and the books I’ve written.
  • This is the series that with simple character development as a kid, as a result I can relate the most to the characters int his series.
  • I have learned giving up really isn’t apart of who I am as a person.
  • Self-care is so very important. This includes standing up for myself and what I want with my own work.
  • With the compliments I’ve gotten over my ‘battle scenes’ I learned that I may be alright at it. These were the scenes I worried the most about written throughout all the books.
  • Anne Rice’s advice I came across long ago is true. I wrote what I loved and found readers along the way.
Recommendations

2020 Book Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

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I admit, I didn’t read this book until after the movies were all fully released. I was curious about the original books because of the movies. They gripped me so greatly and being such a big fan of books I wanted to see what the books had to say with their voice, what the author’s voice had to say while saying the story.

It is heartbreaking with the life Katniss’ lives. How her father passed and how it forced her into more responsibilities since her mother became depressed. She is strong; I don’t know many that would take a stand like this girl did. She’s not even an adult and able to realize without someone going out and hunting people would die she loves, including herself.

I had many questions, but ultimately realized this is all she knew. This brutal world is all she’s know, Katniss. I felt for her; I wanted her to win.

I got to a certain part in the book, while the children were already murdering each other where I thought of the gladiator games. I couldn’t help but think, “Are they not entertained?” They weren’t. They wouldn’t be fully until one stood above all others.

It’s an emotional rollercoaster of a book. I can see why it was made into a movie. I can see what it’s popular. I can see why so many have loved it despite the morbid factor of children killing each other. That is one thing about books I love. They can take you anywhere. From the magical world of Mr. Potter to the brutality of The Hunger Games.

This review is a part of my 2020 yearlong self-challenge to read and review. I have reread some books for the purpose of reviewing them on my website whereas I have read others for the first time. Check out Book Reviews and Recommendations to find other book reviews, book recommendations, and more information about the books I’m reading, have read, or are sharing.

Have you read this book? What were your thoughts? Do you agree with me? Do you disagree? Let’s have a conversation about it.

little lunacies, The Blasphemer Series

Limited Free Digital Editions Available – Read For More Info (A Call to Reviewers)

As everyone knows, The Blasphemer Series has been picked up by the publisher, Three Furies Press. This is causing the books to be re-touched and re-released. An ARC (advanced reader copy) of the digital ebook is up for grabs on the website Booksprout.

This is a great way to find new books, be available for advanced reader copies of books before they release, and to review!

Copies are limited, so it’s important to grab your copy before they run out! Go to the page for The Blasphemer Series: Maxwell Demon.

Besides the ARC for Maxwell Demon, you can also grab a limited supply of Little Lunacies, the anthology of my short stories! This collection released in paperback and digital editions Feb. 13th, 2020.

Go to the page for Little Lunacies.

Take note, the nature of these editions have been watermarked and are not for resale. If you see a watermarked edition, being sold, it is stolen from this offer!

Recommendations

2020 Book Review: Secret Language of the Soul by Jane Hope

I can only speak for myself, but being a fan of religious studies. I absolutely loved this book when I read it, and it still is a favorite of mine. I love books that have over one line of study in them. This is like that. It covers many topics, and I learned a lot from it.

From Native American religious beliefs to Tibet and even Egypt, this book really covers a vast array of topics within the beliefs of different cultural beliefs and religions.

This is a short review. It was one I wanted to do, but it was difficult to cover everything within its pages. I recommend this to anyone looking to learn more about different religions, or why certain religions do certain things. It goes into the history of specific rituals, rites, and or celebratory events.

Beautifully illustrated as well on top of all else this book gave me..

This review is a part of my 2020 yearlong self-challenge to read and review. I have reread some books for the purpose of reviewing them on my website whereas I have read others for the first time. Check out Book Reviews and Recommendations to find other book reviews, book recommendations, and more information about the books I’m reading, have read, or are sharing.

Have you read this book? What were your thoughts? Do you agree with me? Do you disagree? Let’s have a conversation about it.

Recommendations

2020 Book Review: The Witches by Stacy Schiff

Who hasn’t heard of the Salem Witch Trials in 1692? It’s a subject has fascinated me with since I was young. I never could truly understand why people acting in such a way or even if the condemned had really done anything wrong. In my early teenage mind wondered if they really had magical powers and had done some of what they had claimed as I aged, I learned more and realized it was all hysteria and paranoia of the time.

Even though I learned the truth, I still continued reading books and even watching movies, actual or not on the topic. This book became one of my purchases as I wanted to see if it said anything new or was an interesting read. I found it to be interesting. It was difficult to understand; I am not sure if others felt this way or not, but it seems like I was being led along a historical journey by someone who knew the way, but sometimes forgot the straightest route.

I take full blame of this, I would sit the book down and pick it up when I could take a few moments to myself to read it again. I sometimes have trouble with a book if I’m not able to read large portions all at once and have to pick through getting a page or two or a chapter here and there.

This is a historical documentary novel about the horrific trials with tons of information. I learned some new things as I worked through the pages. The author is a great writer and I compliment them on tackling this subject; it isn’t easy in the very least to write something on Salem and what happened. It’s something I’ve not attempted, that is for sure.

Side note: This post was not planned to fall on Friday the 13th. I didn’t even realize the date until I went to click the button. It made me chuckle. I wrote a long list of books I had read and then narrowed down the ones I wished to review for the website. This book was next in line.

This review is a part of my 2020 yearlong self-challenge to read and review. I have reread some books for the purpose of reviewing them on my website whereas I have read others for the first time. Check out Book Reviews and Recommendations to find other book reviews, book recommendations, and more information about the books I’m reading, have read, or are sharing.

Have you read this book? What were your thoughts? Do you agree with me? Do you disagree? Let’s have a conversation about it.

Recommendations

2020 Book Review: The Carpathian Castle by Jules Verne [Contains Spoilers]

Originally, I had heard this is the book that inspired the setting for Dracula’s castle and country in the book by Bram Stoker for his infamous novel Dracula. Having read that novel, I knew I wanted to read this one. It took some time before I could find a copy for my very own, but when I did, I dug in deep.

Knowing going in that this book may have inspired the other, I couldn’t help but see the similarities and the differences. It inspired, throughout the book, the gothic Victorian dark romantic beauty that is surroundings for me, from Stoker’s novel. I have never been there myself, but it gives me a mysterious daydream of what it could have been a hundred years ago. It sets this story in a town in the Carpathian mountains, in Transylvania, called Werst.

The Spoiler:

The character Count Franz de Telek hears stories about how ‘the devil’ has come to Werst and lives in the castle’s owner is that of Baron Rodolphe de Gortz. The Baron and The Count know of each other as they fought over an Italian Prima donna La Stilla. Thinking she is dead, it surprises him when he hears her voice coming from the castle and even sees her there. It reveals the mystery of her either being alive or dead to only be a phonograph recording of her.

This is a single book that is part of a series called Extraordinary Voyages and considered one of the harder books from Verne for readers to find.

I rarely enjoy spoiling a story, but did it this time, but I gave the warning in the title and another before I did it. It’s a story spoiler, but the book has much more to give than the little mystery reveal I typed.

This review is a part of my 2020 yearlong self-challenge to read and review. I have reread some books for the purpose of reviewing them on my website whereas I have read others for the first time. Check out Book Reviews and Recommendations to find other book reviews, book recommendations, and more information about the books I’m reading, have read, or are sharing.

Have you read this book? What were your thoughts? Do you agree with me? Do you disagree? Let’s have a conversation about it.