Tag Archives: literature

The Portraitist by Susanne Dunlap & the Author Behind the True Story of Adélaïde Labille-Guiard

Want to read the true story of Adélaïde Labille-Guiard's fight to take her rightful place in the competitive art world of eighteenth-century Paris?

Read on, friend, read on!


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What about the whole blurb?

With a beautiful rival who’s better connected and better trained than she is, Adélaïde faces an uphill battle. Her love affair with her young instructor in oil painting gives rise to suspicions that he touches up her work, and her decision to make much-needed money by executing erotic pastels threatens to create as many problems as it solves. Meanwhile, her rival goes from strength to strength, becoming Marie Antoinette’s official portraitist and gaining entrance to the elite Académie Royale at the same time as Adélaïde.  

When at last Adélaïde earns her own royal appointment and receives a massive commission from a member of the royal family, the timing couldn’t be worse: it’s 1789, and with the fall of the Bastille her world is turned upside down by political chaos and revolution. With danger around every corner in her beloved Paris, she must find a way to adjust to the new order, carving out a life and a career all over again—and stay alive in the process.  

Published on August 30th, 2022 by She Writes Press

 

Now, thanks to Books Forward and Susanne Dunlap, I was offered a free e-copy of The Portraitist for a review (coming soon!) and the opportunity to shout out about this book depicting a true story of an artist woman (please see this very article).

But who's behind this great story and research?

Here's Susanne Dunlap:

Susanne-dunlap-author

Not only is she a wonderful author, she's quite savvy and passionate in her field. She published her first at 50 years old (amazing! dreams and talents are worth following!), and she's now an Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach in fiction and nonfiction (impressive!). I particularly love how she first fell in love with historical fiction: I first by reading T.H. White’s The Once and Future King! I mean, already I was intrigued that Miss Dunlap had found and told a woman artist's tale mostly unknown to the general public, but now I gotta admit I feel a certain kinship with her. Arthurian legends, historical fiction, feminism, and all that good stuff? OMG, sign me up!

16 Historical Novels That Make History So Much Fun

 

Want to know more about The Portraitist?

You can visit the Goodreads page

the Amazon page

and the official page on the author's website

(there's even a Book Club Guide on there, woohoo!)

 

Please, take a look at Susanne Dunlap's bio (it's worth a read, it's impressive!), and at her blog and courses. Ah, finally a historical research course worthy  of the name…!!!! 

Wow GIFs | GIFDB.com

You can bet I'll take that course when I can fund it!

Don't forget to add The Portraitist: A Novel of Adelaide Labille-Guiard to your Goodreads bookshelves, or any other bookshelves for that matter, and visit Dunlap's site as well as my dear Books Forward!

Then, stay tuned for my upcoming review! 🙂

Happy reading, loves!

Opposed Desires (F/F, Sapphic Romance): A Book Review

COVER - Opposed Desires

Hot Tree Publishing

Amazon Canada

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Universal Link (Books2Read)

Goodreads (Add it to your TBR!)

 

By Katherine McIntyre

 

Author: Katherine McIntyre

Publishing Company: Hot Tree Publishing

Release Date: Friday, November 12 2021

Format: eBook

Is This Book Romance?: Yes

ISBN: 978-1-922359-94-0

Price: 3.99

Story Type: Novel, more than 50k words

Word Count: 50k

Cover Artist: Booksmith Design

Genres: F/F Contemporary Romance

Pairings: F/F

LGBTQ+ Identities: lesbian

Tropes: enemies to lovers

 

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. No compensation has been given, and I write this book review willingly. A big thanks to Katherine McIntyre and Other Worlds Ink!*

 

Introduction

What can I say besides that I saw a cute sapphic romance with my favorite trope (enemies to lovers) offered to me for a blog tour and I was so thrilled I just jumped on the bandwagon and shouted HOOT-HOOT happily?

Yeah, basically that's me with Opposed Desires!

Curious about my blog tour post and an excerpt from this book? 

I feel like sapphic romance are rare; more so than gay books, y'know. While I love both, I identify with the first… Representation matters and so does romance, not only erotica. So, I think this book, with its great and lovely characters, incredible voices, and the rollercoaster romance is true to us.

And I love it.

How about I show you around Opposed Desires by Katherine McIntyre?

Have fun discovering your next fave romance!

 

Blurb

Closet Romantic falling for the Hookup Queen? Never gonna happen… until one memorable vacation changes it all.

When it comes to women, Aubrey Moore believes in no-strings-attached hookups and keeping things simple. On her beach trip, her plan is clear—hit the bars and find single hotties. What she doesn't bargain on is the phone call from her sister. Distraught, Aubrey would like to have a breakdown in private, but the one woman who’s never fallen for her slick lines takes her by surprise and blurs her simple rules.

The last thing owner of the Renegades bar, Selina Beckett, expects to see on vacation is Aubrey Moore in the middle of a personal crisis. Every time they meet, they clash—whether Aubrey was picking up women at Selina’s bar or flirting to try and get her attention. Selina’s not interested in flings, cheaters, or womanizers, so she’s made a point to avoid Aubrey at all costs. But this raw, real side of Aubrey convinces her to bend those rules, just a little.

The more Selina gets to know Aubrey beyond the bravado, the more she begins to fall. But each day closer to the end of their vacation marks a return to reality—one where this entanglement between them won’t survive.

 

The Positive Sides

First of all, the character of Aubrey struck me instantly as a badass hilarious woman I wished I was as cool as. I connected right away with her sense of humour. Next came her charming gang of friends, and Selina… Oh, dear Selina. She's a bookworm–romantic, at that!–, naturally cool, confident, and witty. I related strongly and decided right then and there she was my favorite. Sorry, look the other way, Sel's mine! 

Then, the enemies-to-lovers trope is in its own way quite amusing AND sweet. I mean, it's not the big "hatred" story, no; it's more like Aubrey wants to have a fling with Selina, but said awesome woman doesn't say yes, so Aubrey teases her instead–it's become almost an art. It's more like teasing bickering, you know? And I'm a sucker for that! But then, Aubrey shows some vulnerability, and Sel gives her a helping hand by talking with her on the beach. Isn't that just sweet?! And it just keeps going like this, a rollercoaster ride of sweetness, feels, and awwwwwwww's. 

Moreover, the representation is amazing! I just love how the author showed not only "smut" (which seems like the trademark of LGBTQ+ stories, unfortunately…), but also various types of personalities, likes and dislikes, and love stories in the community. I felt like part of the gang. 

I felt somehow like I was with friends.

Or better yet: home.

It doesn't get much better than that!

 

The Negative Sides

No matter how entertaining and sweet this book is, there is a certain point that bugged me. Her repetition technique sounds much like drilling vocabulary or notions to me. For example, when Selina discovers a new, vulnerable side to Aubrey, she finds it extremely alluring (which is cute in itself). However, every two sentences or so, she will reiterate this fact using other words for the whole chapter. It made me feel like: "yeah, okay, I know, I get it."

Otherwise, the whole book was pretty fun, light, romantic and a good enemies-to-lovers trope!

 

In Conclusion

Overall, even with its repetition flaw, Opposed Desires is one of the best sapphic romances out there! I give it a shoutout and I throw my recommandations your way. I had a blast reading it and falling in love with both Aubrey (who made me laugh at first read) and Selina (with whom I related right away) and their ship! Hence, I give this sweet and fun book a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5. If you want to have a good time relaxing with a couple you'll just love and make friends with a whole new gang, this is your book! It definitely scored on my favorite sapphic reads, and that's coming from one who feels well represented! 😉

Quatre point cinq

 

Don't forget to check out my blog tour post for an excerpt of Opposed Desires and an exclusive author guest post!

If you want to learn more about the author, Katherine McIntyre:

AUTHOR PIC - Opposed Desires - Kathrine McIntyre

(Come on, she's adorable! And she looks so funny!)

Katherine McIntyre is a feisty chick with a big attitude despite her short stature. She writes stories featuring snarky women, ragtag crews, and men with bad attitudes—and there's an equally high chance for a passionate speech thrown into the mix. As an eternal geek and tomboy who’s always stepped to her own beat, she’s made it her mission to write stories that represent the broad spectrum of people out there, from different cultures and races to all varieties of men and women.

You can follow her on: 

Author Website

Facebook Page

Twitter

Instagram

Goodreads

Author Amazon

 

A huge thanks to Other Worlds Ink for this amazing blog tour opportunity!

See you next post, lovelies!

LOGO - Other Worlds Ink

 

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Blog Tour – Opposed Desires by Katherine McIntyre with Other Worlds Ink (F/F, Sapphic Romance)

BANNER - Opposed Desires

Hello, folks!

Today is a special blog tour day for the sapphic romance (F/F) novel, Opposed Desires, by author Katherine McIntyre! 

There's a fun bonus, too: if you read till the end, I share an author guest post with you. 🙂 Also, you can read my book review to get an insider's look

Let's start with more info about the book!

 

COVER - Opposed Desires

 

Author: Katherine McIntyre

Publishing Company: Hot Tree Publishing

Release Date: Friday, November 12 2021

Format: eBook

Is This Book Romance?: Yes

ISBN: 978-1-922359-94-0

Price: 3.99

Story Type: Novel, more than 50k words

Word Count: 50k

Cover Artist: Booksmith Design

Genres: F/F Contemporary Romance

Pairings: F/F

LGBTQ+ Identities: lesbian

Tropes: enemies to lovers

 

Where you can purchase Opposed Desires:

 

Hot Tree Publishing

Amazon Canada

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Universal Link (Books2Read)

Goodreads (Add it to your TBR!)

 

Book Blurb

Closet Romantic falling for the Hookup Queen? Never gonna happen… until one memorable vacation changes it all.

When it comes to women, Aubrey Moore believes in no-strings-attached hookups and keeping things simple. On her beach trip, her plan is clear—hit the bars and find single hotties. What she doesn't bargain on is the phone call from her sister. Distraught, Aubrey would like to have a breakdown in private, but the one woman who’s never fallen for her slick lines takes her by surprise and blurs her simple rules.

The last thing owner of the Renegades bar, Selina Beckett, expects to see on vacation is Aubrey Moore in the middle of a personal crisis. Every time they meet, they clash—whether Aubrey was picking up women at Selina’s bar or flirting to try and get her attention. Selina’s not interested in flings, cheaters, or womanizers, so she’s made a point to avoid Aubrey at all costs. But this raw, real side of Aubrey convinces her to bend those rules, just a little.

The more Selina gets to know Aubrey beyond the bravado, the more she begins to fall. But each day closer to the end of their vacation marks a return to reality—one where this entanglement between them won’t survive.

 

MEME2 - Opposed Desires

(Selina, my baby. She sounds just like me!)

 

Want to know more already?

I knew it! I was just the same when I was offered this blog tour opportunity!

Here's an excerpt for you to be thrilled over (I think it depicts Selina–my fave–and Aubrey–a funny, cool woman–and their rollercoaster-relationship well!):

 

MEME1 - Opposed Desires

They reached the edge of the boardwalk, the sand and the sea stretching before them in a pale strip that clashed with the inky darkness of the waters. Something loosened in Selina’s chest at the sight. The ocean always calmed her, especially at night when most of the daytime rabble had retreated. She was used to being surrounded by people, but sometimes she preferred the solitude.

“I’m sorry for dragging you away from your friends,” Aubrey said, loosening her ponytail to run her fingers through her hair. The moonlight highlighted her deep brown strands, and the way they fell down to her shoulders made her seem a little softer than the sharp, pointed woman Selina’d come to know. She found this side of Aubrey far more alluring.

“I could’ve done this by myself,” Aubrey admitted. “I just lost my mind a little bit back there.”

“I wouldn’t have left if I didn’t want to.” Selina shrugged. “Bars aren’t really my scene.”

“Said the bar owner.” Aubrey gave her the side-eye. “Why even own one then?”

Selina swung her arms by her side, staring at the half moon overhead. It glowed with pearlescent promise, a steadiness she’d always longed for. “Spend your whole life traveling from one town to the next and you get desperate to set down roots. I wanted to create a safe space for folks like me, and I needed to stay in one place. Renegades ensured that.”

Aubrey shook her head, a throaty laugh escaping her throat. “I’ve known you for four years now, and I’m pretty sure that’s the most you’ve ever shared about yourself.”

“Well, we’re having a truce tonight,” Selina said. “Tomorrow I can go back to loathing you, and we can return to the usual witty repartee.”

Aubrey pointed at herself. “Me? Witty? Glad you think so, doll. I don’t keep track of half of the things that leave my mouth.”

“Good to know,” Selina murmured, a smile nudging her lips. The earnest note in Aubrey’s voice had her warming up to the woman far faster than she had in years. The lack of an agenda helped too. Selina slipped off her sandals to hold them in her hand, walking barefoot on the sandy shore. “Won’t the girls be wondering where you went?”

Aubrey shrugged. “They’ll assume I took someone home. It’s my MO when I pull the vanishing act.”

“That sounds pretty lonesome.” The words slipped out before she could help herself. Selina licked her lips, not knowing what to say. The salt air wove past her, caressing her senses.

“Different bed every night? How could that be lonely?” Aubrey joked, yet her voice scraped over the words like a tire crunching uneven rocks. She cast Selina a sideways glance. “Maybe a little,” she admitted, her dark eyes somber in the surrounding dark. The slight gleam from the moonlight only enhanced that sharp, vibrant beauty. This version of the woman, framed by moonlight and unguarded with her hair down, struck Selina as far more gorgeous than the sweet-talker she regularly saw at the bar.

Aubrey bent down to slide off her sneakers, and Selina couldn’t help but follow the motion. Those long legs were on full display, all corded muscle and defined calves, and the red shorts she wore showcased a gorgeous sculpted ass. Selina never argued that the woman was hot—Aubrey Moore undeniably, unequivocally raised her temperature, but she was also the exact sort of person Selina needed to avoid.

She wanted someone to settle down with. Someone who wouldn’t get bored, or cheat, or ditch her when the routine got too monotonous. Been there, done that. She’d learned her lessons well and committed them to heart.

 

MEME3 - Opposed Desires

 

These two characters are hot-and-cold and I love it. Anyhow, what about that SURPRISE I mentioned earlier? 

Here comes the amusing and insightful author guest post by Katherine McIntyre (thanks for sharing this gem with us, Miss!):

 

MEME4 - Opposed Desires

 

How Opposed Desires Came About…

            One of the things I’ve noticed through the years is that even if you plan for a standalone, occasionally characters come along that demand a sequel. Or, usually in my case, enough of them cluster to turn the whole thing into a series.

            When I first started writing Confined Desires, I planned for a standalone—a fun jaunt for me while I was furloughed during the pandemic. I certainly hadn’t planned for a sequel, let alone a trilogy. However, then Aubrey made herself known, a side character in Confined Desires who was snarky, flirty, and so blunt that I fell in love immediately. With a character like Aubrey though, I knew she wouldn’t fall quietly into a relationship though. No, she’d be loud, abrasive, and fight it every inch of the way.

            Hence my enemies to lovers vacation romance was born. Selina had been mentioned briefly in Confined Desires, and the aloof bar owner formed the counterpoint to Aubrey. If Aubrey was fire, Selina was ice, and the two opposites clashed on just about everything. Except in this book, once they start getting to know each other behind their defenses, that’s when they begin to uncover similarities too, things that end up drawing them together.

            And, of course, while I was writing Opposed Desires, the third member of the Rehoboth Pact crew, Kyle, came along and stole my heart. She was the adorkable cinnamon roll sort who charmed me immediately, and writing the third and final book came as fast as the second in this series, all inspiration as this noisy band of best friends chattered in my ear. So, if you’re looking to return to summer for a little bit, dive into Opposed Desires today!

AUTHOR PIC - Opposed Desires - Kathrine McIntyre

Katherine McIntyre, author (look at the sweet-looking woman, awww! <3) 

About the Author

Katherine McIntyre is a feisty chick with a big attitude despite her short stature. She writes stories featuring snarky women, ragtag crews, and men with bad attitudes—and there's an equally high chance for a passionate speech thrown into the mix. As an eternal geek and tomboy who’s always stepped to her own beat, she’s made it her mission to write stories that represent the broad spectrum of people out there, from different cultures and races to all varieties of men and women.

You can follow the author on:

Author Website

Facebook Page

Twitter

Instagram

Goodreads

Author Amazon

 

Thank you so much to all readers of sapphic romance (yay for representation, WOOHOOO! Call me maybe? Ok ok, just jokin'… maybe I'm not? All women are wonderful! YOU ROCK, SWEETHEARTS!), to Katherine McIntyre for creating Aubrey and Selina I just adore and instantly clicked with (it's rare), to Other Worlds Ink for this blog tour offer. I had a blast writing this post and sharing Opposed Desires with you!

Don't forget to check out my book review of Opposed Desires!

And if you've stayed to the end (well, first of all, CONGRATS!), there's a giveaway for you with this awesome tour 🙂 :

Katherine is giving away an Amazon gift card with this tour:

Giveaway for fantastic readers

May the sapphic love be with you on this December 4th–What, we're on December 2nd? Bah, still, the mantra still stands, loves. 😉

Make sure not to miss the rest of the blog tour by Other Worlds Ink!

Next stop: Emotion in Motion's blog tomorrow, Friday, December 3rd!

LOGO - Other Worlds Ink

 

BANNER FB - Opposed Desires

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Updates on My Writing

Follow my blog with Bloglovin (P.S.: I just created it, so I hope you'll check it out and help me over there! :)) Ahum. Hello, lovelies! I hope I find you all well and happy. Several major updates about my writing are coming your way! Let's start:

  • I'm currently working on three poems I'll soon send to a poetry journal in Ireland. The first two are nearly complete (only a quick revision and they're done) whilst I still need to write the third one. But I should be finished at the end of the weekend, so I can send them next week. Yay!

 

  • Speaking of literature magazine, I'm working on a short story that I find rather entertaining and poignant. Once it's done, I'll send it to two Canadian literature magazines (yes, they do accept simultaneous submissions). I'm excited!

 

  • As for my main writing project, I've finally found the big plot and ending of my Nightshade series! Moreover, I've even got a few extra ideas about the settings, powers, creatures, worlds, etc. featured in it. I'm so powered up and I am working hard at writing it all down and revising (a.k.a editing) what I've already done! If I didn't do that, let me tell you there would be major plot holes and stuff like that for my beta readers to… not enjoy, that's for sure. Once I'm done revising the first 7 chapters, I'm going to… WRITE! YES!

Here is a picture featuring an interview with Rosellia's father, Ryan Lovelace:

  • Surprise: I've decided to write a free novella for you! Yes, I'll distribute it for free on via sites like Instafreebie, etc. once it's ready. You'll have nothing to purchase. Nada. Exciting, isn't it?! I ran a poll on Twitter (The Novella Poll) in order to know which story idea between two I had people prefer. The answer was straightforward: the two of my poll participants voted for a retelling of Persephone's kidnapping! Yes, the Persephone from Greek mythology. I've always been a huge Greek and Egyptian mythology nerd, so I was quite surprised and immensely overjoyed they chose that particular idea (I promise, I didn't sway them! Otherwise, what's the point of a poll?)

I intend on using a new angle—something we've yet to see done with Persephone's kidnapping. Oh, and it's not a romance story! I didn't want to do what most of the other authors are doing with it. It'll be more an adventure/drama story. I already have the main storyline, so I just need to come up with a few scenes and the outline, then I'm on my way!

  I'll keep you updated about all this, don't you fret! Pinky swear! What do you all think of my progress? Are you as interested in the free novella idea as I am? Please tell me in the comment section! See you next post, lovelies. Muah!  

Never Enough Time: A Review

40178580

by R.T.W Lipkin

Amazon.com

Amazon.ca

Goodreads

LibraryThing

Genre: YA, Sci-fi, Fiction, Magical Realism

Pages: 243

ISBN: 9780648056905

Format: Paperback, Kindle eBook

Publication date: June 7th, 2018

Type: Standalone novel

 

*I was given an ARC of Never Enough Time by Advance Read. Thank you!*

 

The Story:

What if your entire life passed by in just seven days? 16-year-old Delaney Archer’s mother is always complaining that there’s never enough time to get anything done. Delaney, on the other hand, always waits until the last moment to do everything. Nevertheless, she’s the top student in her class. She’s even about to graduate as valedictorian . . . . . . Until one morning, when she wakes up in a strange place. Suddenly, she finds herself in graduate school. Seven years of her life have disappeared without a trace since she went to bed last night . . . but how? It takes a while for Delaney to get used to things. But it’s not all bad, right? After all, she can drink alcohol now, and she’s almost finished school . . . Then she wakes up the next day . . . and another seven years have passed. Every day is another brand-new adventure for Delaney as she struggles to adjust. But no matter what she tries, she just can’t seem to break the cycle. Now she just has to figure out what’s happening . . . before time runs out . . .  

 

The Introduction:

This book is my first ARC from Advance Read and it delivered. I had to take Never Enough Time; come on, time travel? Intriguing time travel? With a dangerous deadline? I couldn't pass this one up!  

 

The Positive Sides:

The most wonderful thing about this book (besides the sheer idea for the story, which was expertly developed) is undoubtedly the teen talk. It's reminiscent of a teenager's voice and thoughts. I haven't been one for many years now, but I felt like fifteen years old again—or at least an insight into a teen's mind. Also, it was done without slang, which made it even more enjoyable and true. In the same line of thought, the tone of voice of Delaney Archer (the MC) is clear and sharp. Her humor is sometimes really funny. There are witty bits from all the characters and they've all got distinctive, lovable personalities. The chapters' endings are worth mentioning too! Most of the times, they leave you guessing for they're either quite tense or intriguing. Speaking of endings, the last pages of this book are beautiful, kick-ass and full of feels. It's so sweet—I didn't expect it. I thought it would end with a small bang, probably an ''ordinary'' (a.k.a boring) explanation. Good grief was I wrong! I LOVED it and will always remember how Never Enough Time broke all the barriers of expectations.  

The Negative Sides:

One aspect of the characterization got on my nerves. Delaney is supposedly a smart girl with extraordinary grades (much like her scientific parents), yet throughout the book she sticks to stupid explanations for what happened. She never ceases to turn them over in her mind—it's frigging annoying! But the worst part is that she dismisses reasonable options such as amnesia or a psychotic episode. Or perhaps that was exactly the point… Yet it's not realistic unless the story stated beforehand that she was interested in the occult. There are way too many swear words to be okay. It took me half the book before I tolerated them. It was that bad. I understand the author meant to show the character's voice, but it just sounded as though she tried too hard. Several cussing in the dialogue would have been enough to grasp how foul-mouthed Delaney is—but was it truly necessary everywhere in the narration too? Speaking of exceeding numbers, I found there were too many italicized words. It becomes natural and breaks the ''special effect'' it's used for. It's the same thing with repetitions. Delaney repeats the same idea or sentence over and over again in very few pages, even in paragraphs. That is unpleasant to read. I think with it being mentioned once or twice would be enough to get the drift. Last, there's a friend of Delaney who's named ''Marie''. So far so good. But the issue here is that she's Latina… Her name sounds completely French to me (and I would know since it's my first language)—it's even written in the French way! To respect the Latino origins of this character, she should have been named ''Maria'' or something similar.  

 

In Conclusion:

I give it a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. However, if I considered only the entertainment it offered me, I'd give it a 5, no kidding. But the excessive swearing and over-the-top voice took half the book to get used to, so I had to take a star out for it was driving me crazy. BUT just to tell you how much I liked it, I even subscribed to her newsletter on her Web site. Yup! I can't wait to hear more about her work. Quatre

If you want to learn more about R.T.W Lipkin, feel free to take a look at her Web site. Don't forget you can follow her author page on Amazon.com. Last, Lipkin was interviewed in June by Ellen from It's Write Now about Never Enough Time.

A Breakthrough & Paradise

Hello folks! Okay, get this (like Sam loves to say in Supernatural): I lied only ever so slightly in the title. I didn't have a major breakthrough… I had two! Yes! I realized what was missing in both my Nightshade series and Heaven's Army: Down to Earth. *shocked face* Thus, I was able to outline better and now know the endings along with the villains' implications in the stories. There were also ideas about the infamous saggy middle, as we writers know, but trust me: there won't be one anymore! I've got so many exciting plans for this particular part.

My Paradise

Believe it or not, I have found Heaven. It might not be to everyone's tastes, but it sure is to mine. Here's what it looks like:

image1 (2)

(Copyrighted Catherine G.V., Saint-Luc Library, iPhone, 2018)

Yes, my local library, of course! And you can see I'm reading the second volume of the Captive Prince trilogy by C.S. Pacat. Good LGBTQ+ stuff. 😉 It's in French, by the way. Now, why did I take this picture? Because due to family complications (my grandfather has Alzheimer's disease and my grandma has serious heart issues like me), I spend a lot of time studying for university at the library. We don't have the Internet yet at my gramps'. I feel so good and at ease, even at peace, in this library (in most libraries to be honest) that I figured showing you guys how much a paradise it is would be a great invitation for you. I mean it for both work and pleasure, since in my breaks I peruse all the aisles and pass my hands over books lovingly. Really, you should try and shake the routine by doing some work at the library (unless you already do, haha!). If you love the library, it'll be a perfect experience, I'm telling you. P.S.: Please forgive me for my lack of posts in the last weeks; like I mentioned above, I must take care of my grandparents, so it has delayed my publications on this blog. But don't worry, I'm picking the pace up again!

See you next post, lovelies!

Résultats de recherche d'images pour « love you gif »

A Breakthrough & Paradise

Hello folks!

Okay, get this (like Sam loves to say in Supernatural):

I lied only ever so slightly in the title. I didn’t have a major breakthrough… I had two! Yes! I realized what was missing in both my Nightshade series and Heaven’s Army: Down to Earth. *shocked face*

Thus, I was able to outline better and now know the endings along with the villains’ implications in the stories. There were also ideas about the infamous saggy middle, as we writers know, but trust me: there won’t be one anymore! I’ve got so many exciting plans for this particular part.

My Paradise

Believe it or not, I have found Heaven. It might not be to everyone’s tastes, but it sure is to mine.

Here’s what it looks like:

image1 (2)

(Copyrighted Catherine G.V., Saint-Luc Library, iPhone, 2018)

Yes, my local library, of course! And you can see I’m reading the second volume of the Captive Prince trilogy by C.S. Pacat. Good LGBTQ+ stuff. 😉 It’s in French, by the way.

Now, why did I take this picture?

Because due to family complications (my grandfather has Alzheimer’s disease and my grandma has serious heart issues like me), I spend a lot of time studying for university at the library. We don’t have the Internet yet at my gramps’.

I feel so good and at ease, even at peace, in this library (in most libraries to be honest) that I figured showing you guys how much a paradise it is would be a great invitation for you. I mean it for both work and pleasure, since in my breaks I peruse all the aisles and pass my hands over books lovingly.

Really, you should try and shake the routine by doing some work at the library (unless you already do, haha!). If you love the library, it’ll be a perfect experience, I’m telling you.

P.S.: Please forgive me for my lack of posts in the last weeks; like I mentioned above, I must take care of my grandparents, so it has delayed my publications on this blog. But don’t worry, I’m picking the pace up again!

See you next post, lovelies!

Résultats de recherche d'images pour « love you gif »

The Benefits of a Kobo EReader

Hello everyone,

A few months ago I got myself a Kobo eReader. An Aura H2O second edition that is. There have been rare times where I’m immensely satisfied I purchased an item… Well, this is one of those times, folks.

Here it is (with Never Enough Time by R.T.W Lipkin as background—a great ARC of mine for which you can read the review here):

Now, what about its benefits? Let me tell you I found many!

The Pros:

  • My sleep has improved SO MUCH since I bought this sweet Kobo, no kidding. I used to toss and turn at night for AT LEAST an hour (it was usually for an hour and a half), but now thanks to reading on my Kobo every night before going to sleep, it only takes me 20 to 40 minutes. It’s a wonder!

But why is that?

  • It’s because it’s got ComfortLight Pro! This means you set a time for the screen to become a light orange, thus it’s sweet for the eyes. More importantly (and that’s the winning point here), this feature removes most of the blue lights! So it does make it easy on your eyes and relaxes you. Perfect for sleep!

It’s been a real game changer for me. Or should I say… sleep changer? Please let’s never talk about this joke again.

  • The fonts are lovely and adjusting them is simple. Same goes for the paragraph spacing, a tool I particularly enjoy. I like when there’s a clear distinction between the paragraphs.
  • The search function is very useful.
  • It has Pocket Reader. If you don’t know what it is: a place (or account) where you can store Web pages and other important bits you find while browsing to read later on your account, then come back to it offline. Basically, you can read Web pages, watch embedded videos and other great stuff on your favourite eReader, yes! You can learn more here.
  • The Kobo shows you the percentage you’re in the book and your time spent reading a particular book and in total. It also lets you decide if you wish to see the percentage of completion or the page numbers, which is pretty neat and practical for book reviewers like me who prefer the latter.
  • One amusing thing Kindle doesn’t have, it’s badges (they’re called ”achievements”, but they look like badges!) When you’ve read 10 books, let’s say, you’ll have a full badge on your ”Achievements” page and you can share them on social media. What for? Boasting, I guess. I love checking what progress I’ve made now and then. There’s one problem though… It’s been acting crazy for the last three months. The system doesn’t give me the badges when they’re obviously complete and sometimes they’re filled to a certain percentage, then when I look again on another day the numbers have changed again! In other words, it was high fun in the beginning, but now it’s malfunctioning. And the worst part is they told me I would need to wait for the next update (which could be in months or even YEARS, they told me) to fix this issue. That’s frustrating.

Speaking of bad things, what of its cons?

The Cons:

  • It’s expensive. There,  I said it. If you want good quality and all, it’s approximately $200 CAD and it’s without the official case which costs about $50. Pricey, pricey. There was a $30 discount when I bought it, but then I purchased the official case and it came near $250 in the end.
  • Oh and it’s also a bit slow, but nothing major. I bet the software is to blame because my Kindle contains way more books and it’s faster than the Kobo. Imagine that!

That’s it. There’s mainly one bad thing about the Kobo and it’s its price, in my opinion.

In Conclusion:

Though being fair, I think the price is worth it. I mean, sleep? I’m in! And I like all the control you get and how it shows you everything you need to know about your reading progress and habit.

If you’re looking for an eReader, may I suggest a Kobo one?

And if you already have yours, what do you think of the Kobo?

See you next post, lovelies!

(As a little bonus, here’s my official Kobo case (I’d have chosen the red one, but there was none where I went…))

Never Enough Time: A Review

40178580

by R.T.W Lipkin

Amazon.com

Amazon.ca

Goodreads

LibraryThing

Genre: YA, Sci-fi, Fiction, Magical Realism

Pages: 243

ISBN: 9780648056905

Format: Paperback, Kindle eBook

Publication date: June 7th, 2018

Type: Standalone novel

*I was given an ARC of Never Enough Time by Advance Read. Thank you!*

The Story:

What if your entire life passed by in just seven days?

16-year-old Delaney Archer’s mother is always complaining that there’s never enough time to get anything done.

Delaney, on the other hand, always waits until the last moment to do everything.

Nevertheless, she’s the top student in her class. She’s even about to graduate as valedictorian . . .

. . . Until one morning, when she wakes up in a strange place.

Suddenly, she finds herself in graduate school. Seven years of her life have disappeared without a trace since she went to bed last night . . . but how?

It takes a while for Delaney to get used to things. But it’s not all bad, right? After all, she can drink alcohol now, and she’s almost finished school . . .

Then she wakes up the next day . . . and another seven years have passed.

Every day is another brand-new adventure for Delaney as she struggles to adjust. But no matter what she tries, she just can’t seem to break the cycle.

Now she just has to figure out what’s happening . . . before time runs out . . .

 

The Introduction:

This book is my first ARC from Advance Read and it delivered. I had to take Never Enough Time; come on, time travel? Intriguing time travel? With a dangerous deadline?

I couldn’t pass this one up!

 

The Positive Sides:

The most wonderful thing about this book (besides the sheer idea for the story, which was expertly developed) is undoubtedly the teen talk. It’s reminiscent of a teenager’s voice and thoughts. I haven’t been one for many years now, but I felt like fifteen years old again—or at least an insight into a teen’s mind. Also, it was done without slang, which made it even more enjoyable and true.

In the same line of thought, the tone of voice of Delaney Archer (the MC) is clear and sharp. Her humor is sometimes really funny. There are witty bits from all the characters and they’ve all got distinctive, lovable personalities.

The chapters’ endings are worth mentioning too! Most of the times, they leave you guessing for they’re either quite tense or intriguing. Speaking of endings, the last pages of this book are beautiful, kick-ass and full of feels. It’s so sweet—I didn’t expect it. I thought it would end with a small bang, probably an ”ordinary” (a.k.a boring) explanation. Good grief was I wrong! I LOVED it and will always remember how Never Enough Time broke all the barriers of expectations.

 

The Negative Sides:

One aspect of the characterization got on my nerves. Delaney is supposedly a smart girl with extraordinary grades (much like her scientific parents), yet throughout the book she sticks to stupid explanations for what happened. She never ceases to turn them over in her mind—it’s frigging annoying! But the worst part is that she dismisses reasonable options such as amnesia or a psychotic episode. Or perhaps that was exactly the point… Yet it’s not realistic unless the story stated beforehand that she was interested in the occult.

There are way too many swear words to be okay. It took me half the book before I tolerated them. It was that bad. I understand the author meant to show the character’s voice, but it just sounded as though she tried too hard. Several cussing in the dialogue would have been enough to grasp how foul-mouthed Delaney is—but was it truly necessary everywhere in the narration too?

Speaking of exceeding numbers, I found there were too many italicized words. It becomes natural and breaks the ”special effect” it’s used for. It’s the same thing with repetitions. Delaney repeats the same idea or sentence over and over again in very few pages, even in paragraphs. That is unpleasant to read. I think with it being mentioned once or twice would be enough to get the drift.

Last, there’s a friend of Delaney who’s named ”Marie”. So far so good. But the issue here is that she’s Latina… Her name sounds completely French to me (and I would know since it’s my first language)—it’s even written in the French way! To respect the Latino origins of this character, she should have been named ”Maria” or something similar.

 

In Conclusion:

I give it a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. However, if I considered only the entertainment it offered me, I’d give it a 5, no kidding. But the excessive swearing and over-the-top voice took half the book to get used to, so I had to take a star out for it was driving me crazy.

BUT just to tell you how much I liked it, I even subscribed to her newsletter on her Web site. Yup! I can’t wait to hear more about her work.

Quatre

If you want to learn more about R.T.W Lipkin, feel free to take a look at her Web site. Don’t forget you can follow her author page on Amazon.com. Last, Lipkin was interviewed in June by Ellen from It’s Write Now about Never Enough Time.

Collages of My Nightshade Series

Hello everyone!

Remember my Nightshade series? With Rosellia Rowland-Lovelace?

Well, I’ve got two aesthetic themes to introduce them to you!

Let’s start with my main character, Rosellia:

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She looks great and fierce, doesn’t she? All the images you see do relate to her in some ways. 😉

Now, how about an aesthetic theme for the Nightshade series itself?!

Here you go:

image1

All these elements will have a big impact on the events of the story or its essence.

I just want to point out it’s not a love story at its center, but a real adventure. However, romance and true feelings do play a large role since my Rosellia isn’t all nice and fair about it…

Also, I keep working on it and it’s going pretty well!

I’m almost done with the outline of the first book. All that’s left to do is finding out what the concepts really mean and how things work in the Nightshade world, then it’s time to draft and bingo!

Please note that I posted these images two weeks ago on my Twitter, but due to my computer breaking (yes, again) I couldn’t post them on here. I hate writing on my cell phone… The screen is so tiny as well as the keyboard. It’s just not for me.

If you want to follow me on Twitter, here’s my account!

I will post them on Instagram soon too. Here’s where it’s at!

Thank you for reading, lovelies, and I hope you enjoyed it!

See you next post.

Mwah!