Tag Archives: novel

Save the Cat!: The Writing Method That Saved My Novels

Tips February 18, 2020 Leave a comment

Saggy middles, plot points, pinch points… Sounds gibberish and scary? Yeah, I’ve been there. Every time I started writing a novel, I had to stop because it was going nowhere. I worked and worked, but nothing substantial came out of it. Until I stumbled upon Jami Gold’s Save the Cat! beat sheet, which led me to the book itself by Jessica Brody.

Its title, Save the Cat!, really achieved what it claims: It saved the Cat (my name’s Catherine).

The Beat Sheet (Jami Gold)

This beat sheet is marvellous! Not only does it have the titles of each important plot point, with the number of pages on which it should happen no less, it also offers short descriptions of those points! As a newcomer to this method (a year ago), I didn’t understand this jargon right away. But the descriptions, damn, did they help me! I figured out what they meant overall and started applying my story to the plot points and… magic! I had a workable, substantial storyline; not perfect, mind you, as I still had to learn the whole method, but my story could hold on its own now!

It drastically changed my plotting method. Plotting is my most hated part of writing (I love all others! Yes, even marketing), but now I see it as crucial and even pleasant to see the story form before my eyes and stand on its own. Whenever I have a new book idea, I print the beat sheet and fill it in first thing. It might take a few days, since this is plotting, but it works for me. The Save the Cat! method is a godsend to me!

You can find the beat sheet here.

The Actual Book

Now, I mentioned a book, didn’t I? Well, Jessica Brody wrote a book about novel writing using the Save the Cat! method. And guess what? I’m damn glad she did!

Here it is:

Indigo

Amazon

It is insightful, helpful and precise. There’s little fooling around, and you’ve got actionable steps, theory and a lot of examples (yes, beat sheets examples, too!) I purchased it a while ago and I cherish it. I can finally immerse myself in this technique instead of simply “guessing” like I used to do with only the beat sheet.

Really, give this book a try if you’re like me, stuck on plotting, saggy middles or don’t really know what to do with those plot and pinch points… It’ll save your novels, too. I can vouch for this!

Jessica Brody’s course

What if I told you there’s a course built around this very book? Well, there is! The author is the one offering this course (we lucky champs!) You can access it by paying a monthly membership fee ($12), and it’s full of resources, beat sheets, examples, and clear and precise explanations by the Jessica Brody herself.

If you’re interested (like I was—I am paying that membership for this course precisely), head over here.

In Conclusion

Wow, that’s a lot! Don’t you feel better and energized by finding more about the Save the Cat! method? I believe it will help you like it helps me—tremendously, every day. Now I feel confident (or at least, less afraid) about my plotting skills, and I discuss the plot of my novels with others in a straightforward way. No more stuttering and losing myself in “maybe” or “I think they’ll do this, but I’m not sure”, etc. The doubts and hesitations about plot are easier to overcome.

I encourage you to try out this proven, successful method. It’s highly rewarding.

Remember: trust your centre and have fun!

**Please note that this article contains affiliate links. I earn a percentage if you purchase said item through my links, but it doesn't cost you a cent more! It's all free for you. Thank you very much!

Second Star: A Book Review

Book Reviews October 19, 2019 Leave a comment

Amazon.ca

Genre: Fiction, Young adult, Science-fiction, Retellings, Fantasy, Romance

Pages: 352

ISBN: 9781948583008

ASIN: B07DH1PJS3

Format: eBook, Paperback

Publication date: March 5th, 2019

Publisher: Bleeding Ink Publishing

Type: Fiction, Novel (Series), Retellings

*A big thanks to Bleeding Ink Publishing, NetGalley and J.M. Sullivan for granting me this much-loved ARC in exchange for an honest review. I received no compensation and reviewed it willingly.*

Second star to the right. Such a beautiful phrase in Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie and a brilliant idea for a retelling novel, Second Star by J.M. Sullivan. The title itself is what grabbed my attention, the gorgeous cover held it for a while, and the blurb had me requesting it on NetGalley. Here’s a hint to my review: I loved it!

Positive Sides:

I rarely do this, but I'll start right away with the writing itself because it's note-worthy! Not only is it good and pretty, but it's also action-oriented and all showing, very little telling. I really like her writing! The names of the companions as acronyms for the robots and parts are excellent! Wow!! This made me grin and giggle so much. It's a nice spin on them. Moreover, the author makes creative genius and touchy feelsy uses and explanations of real quotes like "the second star to the right". She uses the quotes brilliantly and they're so faithful to the characters. It made my heart squeeze with so many feels!

As for the action of the story, the book jumps right into the action and lasts a long while which is highly entertaining. Because when action starts, it's action upon action and it's always the worst-case scenario that happens! In my opinion, this is the best reading experience, and it's thrilling. The action scenes had me engrossed and captivated, with my heart beating faster in real life. I have to give kudos to the author for they're fun, well-written, and there is no confusion about what's happening or who's doing what. At some point in the book, things got slow, but I swear the thrill picked back up on the next page or so. It was expertly woven.

That's all very good, but what about the story itself? Well, I thought the setting was genius! It's so different and creative in a retelling, yet so many hints and equivalences are there like Tink and more. In a space academy? Then off onto a spaceship? And landing on the Neverland planet? That's genius right there. Neverland is both stunning and foreign, and I love how everything is beautiful yet tinged or made slightly different. The fact that it's an alien planet has been taken into consideration – neat! Also, I love how there is coding and technical and engineering stuff that appear prominently; that makes it realistic for the future. This might be a silly remark, but it overjoyed me that Peter is a redhead! Often in retellings he is blonde or brown… but I prefer red heads, so it made me squeal as I could imagine him even more easily. Thanks, Miss Sullivan!

As for Wendy, I like that she's at school and one for the elite at that! Plus, the fact she has no brothers and that Johns and Michaels are her besties is a cool way to to reinvent the wheel! Her relationships with her "soul brothers" is so friendly, cute, and platonic (amazing!). In addition, I looooove how Wendy is in charge! She's different, and this makes her complimentary to Peter. And there's this special treat of how Wendy always has to look proper even in most dire situations. This trait reminds me of her mother role to the boys in the original and the era she's from where everyone of status looked dapper. What about Peter? He and Tinc are immensely likable! They're mine, okay? MINE!

And… the villains! Yes, villains are AWESOME. Dangerous, too! I'm so glad the author put in the original good form argument and attitude from Hooke. I'm also quite impressed by the twist and use of Peter's shadow; very surprising and innovative. Can I add that the showdown at the end is marvelous? WOW! Furthermore, I love how science is used in this book as well as the new concepts for devices, ships, and so on. Last, I swear the author made the Mermaids' Lagoon as important as in the original (if not even more), which made me so happy.

On a side note, may I talk about the thimble? YES, she included the thimble! Oh, my emotions! I cried and all the feels and I ship it!

You may now proceed to the negative sides, thank you.

Negative Sides:

Besides its many good points, this book has two main issues, in my opinion: cheesy romance and inconsistencies. In my book, romance is not very important in books, but this one was way too cheesy to believe in. I mean, Wendy and Peter just got to know each other for a week or two. I barely buy it, which makes me go rather "bleh" and rolling my eyes or sighing while reading. So, I'm warning you: this might get on your nerves like it did with mine. If only more time had passed, that would have been more understandable. While I know love at first sight might happen for a few people (does it even exist, though?), this was brimming full with insta-love.

The other issue is how regular are the inconsistencies. I noted two of them, glaring ones, but there are a few more. For example, in the beginning, the power is out and in the previous paragraph it is said that the ship Jolly Roger is pitch black, so then how come Peter can see cook’s face and his men like in daylight? The only source of light is Tinc, and it’s not said whether or not she is near him for this scene. Also, much later in the book, there's a scene where the gun isn't working anymore, but two chapters later it does with no explanations how. This is so confusing! I had to reread several times the passages, yet I couldn't make any sense of it, so I figured these were inconsistencies. It's annoying, but mostly because the book is so good overall that you want to understand.

In Conclusion:

So, I got this ARC months ago but only got to write this review this week due to health issues, BUT what I'm about to say still stands strong: Second Star is one of the few best retellings I've ever read and the best book I've read in 2018, clearly. Heck, it's the end of 2019 and I'm still thinking about it a lot, remembering all those charming characters, engrossing action and enticing world. Thanks to all of this, I give Second Star by J. M. Sullivan a rating of 4.5 out of 5. I didn't take a point for the cheesiness of the romance (which is still cute), but I took a .5 for the (unfortunate) inconsistencies. All the rest is amazing! I'm eager to read the sequel!

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit her Web site, you can also follow her on Twitter and Goodreads. You can visit her publisher, Bleeding Ink Publishing. You can also add Second Star to your bookshelves on Goodreads and LibraryThing.

How An Authortube Video Helped Me Win Against (Severe) Writer’s Block

Tips September 19, 2019 Leave a comment

I watch YouTube a lot (guilty as charged, dang) and love to learn through tutorials and how-to videos. I didn't venture into book reviews BUT Authortube caught my eye as an aspiring author myself… And I must mention Miss Kate Cavanaugh is my new obsession (Whoa! I mean in a "I'm watching all of her videos non-stop" and not like a creep, okay? Okay!)

Most importantly, she just saved my Heaven's Army: Down to Earth series with one of her methods.

How did she contribute to saving my cherished story?

And also, why do I appreciate Kate's videos so much?

I'll first list all her qualities and what makes her videos the best, in my opinion. Then, I'll introduce you to the specific video which helped me and what I realized and what I proceeded to do. Lastly, I'll explain how it works and what's new on the horizon for me and my story as well as this seemingly innocent technique. All interspersed with images and wishing Miss Cavanaugh the best (and please, do make other awesome videos so I can binge-watch them, oki-please??)

Ready?

What About That Kate Cavanaugh?

I'll be blunt here: her videos are the best and the most inspiring I've found because

* She's hilarious both in what she says and how she edits her videos

* She's so lively it's sweet and entertaining and cannot not move you into action (talk about motivational!)

* She finds different angles to tackle the eternal struggles for writers and explores various methods

* She has an amazing series where she writes like a famous author (using their own routine!) and it's both extremely funny and useful to see what works and how you can tailor it for you!

* She's honest and kind and enthusiastic

* Kate deals with writers's problems, her own progression, tips and tricks, "I tried writing like…", honest talks about writing and money (and so on), and amusing topics like "Sh*t writers thinks // Coffee Shop Edition".

If after such compliments you still don't want to take a look at her videos, you… Who the heck are you, then?! (Just joking. Nah.)

The Life-Changing Video

There is one video that affected me more than the others in terms of resounding with me and the potential technique. If there is one thing you need to know about me before I go into explanations, it's that even though I read eBooks and own three ereaders, paper is always the best (and it smells SOOOO enchanting).

So, what video am I talking about, the one that changed the course of my problems with Down to Earth and helped me beat writer's block with this story?

Well, here it is:

And the Lightbulb Was Turned On!

As for the issue with my story, I was stuck. The plotting never seemed good enough, and I’d had terrible feedback and gratuitously mean comments. So, nothing I ever did worked (plotting and character-wise), and I was pretty hurt. So, sadness took over.

I spent months working this issue over…. Okay, I’m lying. Years. But then, a week ago I watched Kate’s video and it hit me!

I have to print the goddamn story like a book (or at least, as professional-looking as I could right now)! And I did. Like she says, it doesn’t cost much (it was $32 for me at Staples) and it looks GORGEOUS what with those white spirals, protector sheet and hmmmmm all those sheets with written words on them. My words.

While it’s beautiful, do you want to know what’s best about it?

It works!

The Innocent-Looking But Powerful Technique

It might not seem much and you’ll probably go “Well,

You just had to print it to advance.’’

But nah uh! Printing it out is only half of the issue solved. What makes it work is having it look professional and not just sheets you took out from your home printer and stapled together. The answer lies in its appearance and practicality.

Okay, sure, it’s easier to do with your home printer. But it’s less striking, and most importantly, less inspiring. And that’s the trick. You need to hold your story (completely drafted or not) and feel closer to your goal. You need to look at it and go: “Wow, I did that?!’’ With the protector, colour cover and spirals, you’ll feel it’s going somewhere and, I hope, have your confidence renewed! Desire and drive to get somewhere with that story will come at your beck and call after that!

“But what did it give you honestly?’’

Well, since you asked, I’ll answer it in the next section!

I See the Horizon!(And Glimpse at What It Holds)

I envision my completed novel, at last. The feel of just-printed pages and the smell of just-fresh ink. And at last, written in big, bold letters at the very last page: "The End".

This might be in a little while, but now it's much clearer and tangible for me. I see and feel it. I *know* I will reach that vision.

And in the end, isn't it what counts?

Thank you so very much to you for reading and to Kate Cavanaugh for inspiring me with every upload. Please go and check out her channel.

What tip have you tried and loved?

Is there any you learned through Authortube?

See you next post, lovelies!

The Vault of Verona: A Book Review

Book Reviews September 4, 2019 Leave a comment

(Copyrighted Catherine Girard-Veilleux, 2019)

The Literature Factory

Genre: Fiction, Young adult, Fantasy, Romance

Pages: 282

ISBN: 9780648127918

Format: eBook, Paperback

Publication date: July 5th, 2017

Publisher: Marissa Price (Literature Factory)

Type: Fiction, Novel (Series)

*I received this free ecopy in exchange for an honest review. No compensation has been given and I write this book review willingly. A big thanks to BookTasters and Marissa Price!*

Introduction:

I was browsing the selection of books by BookTasters when I stumbled upon this gem: a Romeo & Juliet retelling! You have to know that it's my favorite love story, ever. And yes, I know it's not realistic (don't care) and it's a tragedy (exactly why I love it). I read the blurb and… a modern girl who goes back to 14th century Verona?! As Juliet?!

You guessed it: I chose The Vault of Verona as this month's book. Let's be honest here: I couldn't have possibly scrolled past it. Not with my love for the play, retellings, AND such a good idea with a modern girl facing the Middle Ages as one of them!

The Blurb:

Harriet Hunter, a modern Australian and teenage student, has to write a homework about Shakespeare's romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Harriet's feminist personality doesn't like this story, nor weak Juliet much, and she draws a picture of what she'd look like if she existed. Overnight, Harriet is transported back in time to Verona with Paris, Romeo, Friar Lawrence, and other play characters… but she finds herself as Juliet! And so the race begins to try and end the play (or is this real life?) in another manner than the original and to find a way back home.

The Positive Sides:

For a start, the MC, Harriet, oozes feminism and equality as the pop references and the story itself do. This story has strong beliefs and stands up for women. I enjoyed how it paints women from earlier times just like us but without the means and rights to be who they were, as well as how other people aren't magnified, but simply human and humane (for the most of them, that is). Also, I love, love, love Harriet's feminist interventions with the ladies in Verona. It's so funny and empowering! In summary, it's undoubtedly a novel written by a woman for women and lauding their strength.

Speaking of Harriet more precisely, I loved her! She's intelligent and cultivated. She thinks quickly. All these elements are so hard to pull off. Her intelligence and the deft writing that shows it believably. I so rarely see this in books that I read—I'm just awed! FINALLY that's a smart character and not one-whose-author-tried-to-make-them-like. The three only other intelligent characters done well (in my opinion) are Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and Thomas from the Maze Runner, and Annabeth Chase from Percy Jackson. So, cheers to the author for this feat! Moreover, I loved how Harriet cared about saving Juliet and the lives of those around her in the 14th century. Her gradual understanding of Juliet's character and own strength by being in her shoes is beautiful and inspiring.

On a character side note, I love the Nurse character. Her love for Juliet is clear to see and so heartwarming. I also appreciated the switch of POV to Paris and other characters we either saw very little of in the play, or not at all. It allowed us to explore their thoughts and personality as well as situations.

As for the realism of the Middle Ages, I liked the details of life in that time such as the velvety black sky with twinkling stars that is so much different from the one we see in cities nowadays. Also, the short breaths because of corsets and the very pale lights due to only the moon and a candle. Nice ones!

The friendships were on the spotlight in The Vault of Verona. I loved the talk of equality between one of the main characters and Harriet and her interest about marriage equality as well as the truth of women's equality and how it had to be fought for. It filled me with pride and hope for women and other marginalised people.

As for her writing, the vocabulary is well chosen and not childish, but often literary. Admirable. Indeed, she has good writing, mostly in metaphors and comparisons (as well as her literary words). For example, "against the hunger of the dark" (I find this beautiful, poetic and poignant.) The descriptions of her settings are precise and gripping without being overwhelming. Also, the transitions are smooth between thoughts, actions, events and chapters. The hooks at the chapter ends are awesome and make you want to find out the famous "What happens next?"

But what about the rhythm and coherence? Well, the tension and action imposed by the situation and Harriet's actions are fun and engrossing. You feel the ticking bomb. Something else that pleased me was how every little thing or mention finds meaning at some point in the story. It's beautiful. Another thoughtful thing is how the author talks about all the characters' new situations at the end. There is a real satisfying closure.

All in all, this book messes up with your expectations and there's an excellent middle plot twist!! It was a long time since I was so hooked to a book, thinking about it even when I wasn't reading, while doing banal chores (I'm looking at you dishes and showering). I had a blast!

P.S.: There is such a good hint about where she's headed next towards the end.

The Negative Sides:

Now, there were a few mistakes that I can't just toss away such as how the dialogues are a bit too revealing about information the characters should already know. Also, the Harriet's main setting (Wineglass Bay, Australia) was hard to grasp before a good thirty pages. The author gives such small crumbs of info it was hard to piece them together until she mentioned the name of the city later so I could google it. This was more annoying than a real mistake per se, mind you.

Also, I found a few spelling mistakes ("focussed", for example), but the real problem was the editing. Let me explain with examples. There is an instance where Juliet's father is called "Lord Montague" instead of "Capulet". Wrong family. Moreover, there's this part where it says "Taking a deep breath (…), she took a deep breath." in the same sentence! And such other editing issues appear throughout the book. Has this been edited? Because I'm sure an editor would have caught them and it would have made this already awesome book into a perfect one.

Lastly, Romeo doesn't seem to care about the murder of his best friend, Mercutio—he only has eyes for Juliet. And I noticed a bit of head-hopping, but it's always introduced with the name of the following head-hopped character in a sentence right before it. So this doesn't really count as a mistake, but more of a technique to improve, I think?

In Conclusion:

Seriously, this read was captivating and thrilling! Like I said, it's been a long while since I was so hooked to a book. Despite its editing flaws, I think this book is a gem in terms of historical fiction, retelling, and feminism; it makes you care. I took out a point for the editing, but I can't give The Vault of Verona any less than a rating of 4 stars out of 5 for how fun reading this book was and how many emotions it made me feel.

I'll gladly recommend this book to everyone I know, mostly if you have tastes in these genres! Also, I'll keep myself updated about the author and her books because this is certainly not the last of hers I will read! In fact, I'm staring at the second volume. I'll try to get it as a review copy (because more promotion for this great series!), but if I can't it's a sure purchase!

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit her Web site and The Literature Factory. You can also follow her on Twitter and Goodreads. You can also add The Vault of Verona to your bookshelves on Goodreads and LibraryThing.

The Move from WordPress (A New Adventure Begins! Beam Me Up, Scotty!)

chit-chatting with Cat July 26, 2019 1 Comment

Hello, folks!

I hope you're doing well!

I'm sorry I've been absent lately, but it was due to my moving my blog from WordPress.com (https://adlibrumaeternam.wordpress.com/) to TypePad (here). I thought it was high time I implemented an email list and have a Web site of my own for my writing and book reviews, hence the move. TypePad allows me to do this. So I switched.

If you're interested, please do follow me on here (you can use your email address or feed app!) It will delight me!

As usual, you'll see posts on writing, book reviews, languages, and anything I find of interest for you and my writing journey. 🙂

I'm preparing a few new series and surprises.

With that, I hope to see you around and

WELCOME TO MY NEW WEB SITE, AD LIBRUM AETERNAM.COM!

Oh, Outline, Outline… (OLD POST)

chit-chatting with Cat, My Projects July 24, 2019 Leave a comment

As you probably have guessed from the title, I’m currently outlining my new novel in the NaNoWriMo Prep, titled The Stranger: The Rise of a Heroine. I have the beginning and the middle, but the ending has yet to be found… I’ll update you when it’s complete! For now, I’ll need a

P.S.: Dylan O’Brien is my faceclaim for my deranged Thomas Lance, one of my two main characters. I think he has his potential and energy, along with his sense of humor, which clearly show in his roles. Thank you, Dylan, for being my Thomas’ appearance and source of inspiration along with my imagination.

A Discovery of Writing Wealth

chit-chatting with Cat, Tips June 30, 2019 Leave a comment

Hello, fellow adventurers! Yesterday, I was looking for more information about the writing craft. Perhaps I was hoping to find a book that wasn't so expensive or a few online articles from trusted sources… but I hadn't expected to stumble upon podcasts.

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Now, I knew what a podcast was and I doubted listening to celebrities talk about their life and such would help me improve. What I did not know was that I had listened to the wrong podcasts a few years ago!

Let me explain: I thought podcasts were only by celebrities (from the music industry, the movie industry, etc.) and book reviewers. Why would I want to listen to that? I mean, it's good if you like this stuff as podcasts, but I don't. I was looking for something to help me improve my writing craft.

The first writing podcast I found is I Should Be Writing (ISBW) by Mur Lafferty. Since I don't have the money right now to buy her book I Should Be Writing: A Writer's Workshop, I figured I could glean some information via her podcast. And it did not disappoint! So, of course, I opened iTunes and subscribed.

Then, I looked up other writing podcasts. Just so you know, it felt like bliss because I had just found that podcasts could actually teach you important stuff instead of just wasting your precious time!

Here are the two other writing podcasts I found that are worth subscribing to:

Helping Writers Become Authors by K.M. Weiland (an indie author I personally admire).
The Self Publishing Podcast by Sterling & Stone.

They have a wealth of information and tips on the writing craft and also how to be an indie author in our years. I encourage you to at least try them.

Go on, listen to one episode and see for yourself!

Did you know about writing podcasts? If so, which ones do you like to listen to?

If not, what other free writing resources do you use?

See you next post, lovelies!

Updates on My Writing

chit-chatting with Cat, Nightshade (My Series), poetry June 30, 2019 Leave a comment

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!

The Big Surprise: Interview with Author Chris Babu

Book Reviews, Interviews May 13, 2019 Leave a comment

Hello, hello, folks!

Remember a few months back when I foreshadowed some big reveal on Twitter? Well, here we are:

I had the great pleasure of interviewing Chris Babu, author of The Initiation and The Expedition, both YA sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, dystopian first books in the trilogy with Permuted Press.

PLEASE NOTE that this is an audio interview (I’m sorry I said “video” in it).

On this, I really hope you enjoy this interview with Chris Babu! It was a fun experience for me (my very first interview!) and I won’t stop there.

Thank you to the awesome Chris Babu and Permuted Press for this glorious experience!

Listen here:

The Interesting Links

Chris Babu’s Web site

His Goodreads account, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

The Initiation: Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Indigo, Goodreads, LibraryThing, WorldCat

The Expedition: Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Indigo, Goodreads, LibraryThing, WorldCat

My review of The Initiation and my review of The Expedition

Permuted Press

Tell me, what did you prefer? What answers spoke to you or not? Also, are you excited for the third book?

Thank you very much for tuning in!

See you next post, lovelies. *Mwah!*

My YA Urban Fantasy Novel: First Chapter Free for You!

My project, Nightshade (My Series) May 7, 2019 Leave a comment

Hello folks and lovelies!

I have excellent news today!

Yes, yes, yes. Remember my Nightshade series? Well, the first chapter of Nightshade: The Death Stone (first volume) is FREEfor you all on Inkitt! YES!

Here’s the blurb:

Rosellia Rowland-Lovelace lives three lives at the same time: in three different dimensions! A teenager raised in Montreal by a poor mother, she misses her deceased father and struggles with serious heart issues. But that doesn’t stop her from exploring the worlds beyond… Until some black-hooded men come and kidnap her. What is the Death Stone they’re talking about? And who are the Nightshade they want to find? Speaking of the devil, a Nightshade rescues her. From then on, Rosellia agrees to become one of them and enjoys her time in other worlds now that her powers are known. But what if she can find the Death Stone before everyone else? Will she be able to bring her father back with its resurrection powers?

You can read it the chapter here: https://www.inkitt.com/stories/fantasy/298025

Please like or leave a comment as more of these might help me strike a publishing deal on this platform! Also, feel free to give feedback as well.

I can’t wait for you to read it!

YAY!

Thank you!

See you next post, lovelies. *Mwah*