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I Finished Writing My Poetry Collection!!!

chit-chatting with Cat, My Projects, poetry November 25, 2021 Leave a comment

Hello, folks!

Yes, yes, yes, today, I reached a huge writing achievement for me: I finished my poetry collection!!!

WOOHOOT!

(My sweetheart Rachel Berry from Glee, thank you very much!)

This might not seem "big", but to me it is: it's the first lengthy and professional writing project I finished.

Ever.

So, this means a lot, and it makes me burst with pride and enthusiasm.

Through illnesses (yes, several), deep grief for my beloved grandparents, and many other bad events, I managed to hang on and seal the deal with my poetry.

Finally, I can do something big with my poetry! Like self-publishing!!!

Next step?

Well, I'll soon be reaching out to you dears for Beta Readers, so be on the lookout, won't you?

Please note there are Trigger Warnings, such as: death, abuse, suicide, murder, blood, self-harm

On the upside, it's an immersive reading where we go from status quo to the deep end and up to life and hope. It explores all of this through micro-stories and personal poems.

If you'd like to get a taste of my poetry, please go here for The Queen of Justice (what I call one of my "positive" poems) and here for Cold (a much darker poem, Trigger Warnings apply here). These two give you a glimpse at the range and intensity of my poems.

Still interested? Amazing!

If you already want to sign up as a Beta Reader, please do send me a message at catherinegv.writertranslator@gmail.com or on Twitter (@CatGV6).

Don't forget to contact me to be one of my Beta Readers, loves!

See you next post!

Animated gif about girl in mt: Legally Blonde the musical 🎀💖🌸 by -Na

plan it

A Dash of Romance: A Book Review

Book Reviews April 28, 2021 Leave a comment

Paullett Golden's Web site

By Paullett Golden

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Historical romance, Regency romance, historical regency
Number of pages: 231
ASIN: B08BJFSBHS
ISBN: 9781735236001
Format: eBook (Kindle), paperback, audiobook (iTunes)
Publication date: July 20th, 2020
Publisher: Self-published
Type: Book, Anthology, Novella, Flash fiction collection

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

Introduction

I’m not an avid romance reader… In fact, I dislike that all books have strong romance storylines. So, I read a few per year, and they must be different from the get-go. When I was offered by BookTasters to review A Dash of Romance by Paullett Golden, the charming cover caught my attention as well as the clever, sweet title. I read the blurb and… A regency-era romance with a lie surrounding their marriage, a big misunderstanding, and a young woman strong enough to write in those times?

Sign me up! I mean, yes, please, let me read this!

Let me tell you it didn’t simply meet my high expectations of a romance book… it exceeded them!

So, here’s my review and why you should totally give this book a read!

11 GIFs All Book Lovers Can Relate To | Edmonton Public Library

Blurb

With quills and fantasies, they write their future.

Percival Randall lives an uncomplicated life of luxury, as he likes it. Not even an ultimatum requiring marriage can tip the scales. A conniving young lady who compromises his name to force a betrothal, however, is an impediment to happiness Percival must confront.

Abigail Walsley dreams of publishing novels rather than marrying dashing heroes. An unexpected proposal and a subsequent Banbury tale tumble her into a betrothal with a man she has never met. Following her dreams proves a challenge with a marriage of inconvenience on the horizon.

This is the love story of Percival and Abigail, two dreamers who write their love story one scene at a time.

From second chance romances to mistaken identities, experience A Dash of Romance in this collection of one short novel and fourteen bonus flash fiction pieces.

The Positive Sides

First, let’s talk about the unusual format of this book. It’s an anthology featuring a short novel with a collection of flash fictions. I found it rather interesting! I enjoyed that there was a novel and that there were several flash fictions accompanied by drawings. It felt like a big treasure followed by smaller but amusing discoveries in the same world. Quite uncommon but highly enjoyable.

As for the writing, the choice of words is precise, and immersive in that era and each situation. Plus, several sentences were fun and well-written. I particularly loved this one, which, I think, is very reflective of an author with her characters and of a romance as well: “The good knight needed her as much as she needed him.” I’d say Miss Golden hit two birds with one stone here.

Moreover, the characters are charming, lovable, hilarious, strong, clever, and multidimensional. I loved them dearly and even believed in them as though they’re real, which I bet in the author’s heart and mind is true as well as mine now that I’ve read this great book. Also, I love that Abigail, the main character, is a writer herself. And she is part of a ladies’ literary society where the ladies talk about real writing issues and weaknesses, such as characters being one dimensional. It was wonderful to see our reality as writers and authors reflected in this book and I laughed. Speaking of Abigail, I love her strong and flawed personality with good values and feminism for her time. She’s also got a lot of courage as well as a head on her shoulders. Her father, the vicar, is charming and loving. As for Percival, her dandy knight, he’s hard to resist, funny, gentleman, but he’s got his own flaws which make him even more rounded as a character and intriguing… It’s like you’re discovering a new layer of him with each chapter.

Lastly, I curled up in bed with my Kobo every night and often told myself I’d read this book for fifteen minutes only because I was too tired… and each and every time I found it was an hour later!!! This is a huge compliment because usually I barely read for fifteen minutes when I’m that tired (and I have been exhausted these last weeks due to university and personal events) but this book had me hooked, laughing, smiling, and enjoying the moment. As pure and simple as this may be.

The Negative Sides

Alas, there is one negative point. I noticed that when Percival meets Abigail, he finds her drab… But in the next chapter when he talks to her, she’s suddenly interesting and charming. But then, this goes back to a reasonable balance in the following chapters… It was confusing and offsetting on the moment. However, it was not essential enough to take away a star or even a half star.

In Conclusion

As I mentioned, the single negative point isn’t worth taking a star off this delightful book, which leads me to giving it a rating of 5 out of 5 stars for all its amazing positive sides! It made me smile, laugh, stay up late to get to the next chapter! But most importantly, it made me stop aching for a while, made me forgot I cried a lot at night just while reading it, and it gave me friends I couldn’t wait to get back to as well as their misfortunes… or were they fortunes in the end? 😉

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit her Web site, you can also follow her on her Amazon author page and Goodreads. You can also add A Dash of Romance to your bookshelves on My Book Pledge, Goodreads, LibraryThing, and Storygraph.

Tavern: A Book Review

Book Reviews October 14, 2020 Leave a comment

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Deston J. Munden's Web site

By Deston J. Munden

Genre: Epic fantasy, high fantasy, fantasy, swords and sorcery, adventure

Pages: 447

ISBN: 9781795562584

ASIN: B07PWTR89Q

Format: Paperback, Ebook (Kindle)

Publication date: March 2019

Publisher: Self-published

Type: Book, Novel, First in a series

*I received a 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 Deston J. Munden!*

Introduction:

I was kindly offered by BookTasters to review one of the books they had, and Tavern’s blurb stood out to me. It sounded so fantasy-like and magical… How could I resist? So, here I am, reviewing it with pleasure!

I hope many of you will find this read to their liking as I did.

Shall we go on a quest together and explore this book in more details?

Come, dear reader…

Blurb:

Information, Power. Respect.

Xelnath of the Gnarled Root—a tavern owner, information broker, healer, and guildmaster of the Blackwind Company—has found a place, far better than the forest from which he came in the magical metropolis and city-state of Lladad in the Magiian Empire.

When a simple act of kindness draws the ire of a troubled assassin, his love-stricken Archmage father and an army of magically constructed golems, Xel must scheme with vipers of the high court, mingle with royalty at the castle, blackmail drug dealers in the slums, and fight assassins and mercenaries in the streets.

He needs to lean on the support of his motley crew of a dark elf assassin, a dragon pirate, a high elf royal, and a talking dog artificer to keep him from his own inner demons and doubts.

The Positive Sides:

For starters, may I say this lad writes excellent descriptions of fights and action scenes? Because it’s true. They were so engrossing and immersive! Moreover, the whole reading experience was amusing and thrilling (despite the first confusing chapter, though). The quest Xelnath embarks on is fun and so are the other, smaller adventures in his path.

Another magnificent point is how really exotic the story and settings are! There is an orc for a main character, as well as other creatures and tribes. And magic! Did I talk about this one yet? Nope. Here goes: I love the nature-based magic system found in Tavern. All this variety gives me the feeling I am reading The Witcher, which is amazing as I love this series. (I’m even reading it in Polish! Yup, that’s a polyglot for you.)

I loved being on this reading adventure with Xelnath the orc and his motley crew. It reminded me of why I enjoy High and Epic fantasy (I’ve been falling out of touch with it lately, but now I want to resume The Witcher books—still in Polish—and go back to Lord of the Rings). I call this a win by this book and author!

The Negative Sides:

However, I found that the text was sometimes too telling and not showing enough—it was rather straightforward in multiple occasions, but I’m not sure whether it’s a fault or the author’s intention. Hmmm… Also, the first chapter was confusing as h.

It took me a while to get used to the whole situation, the world, and the orc main character! Everything was too vague, and while I understand the strategy to keep his MC’s nature a mystery at the beginning, it doesn’t help the confusion. I had a hard time immersing myself or believing the story at first. But then after the first chapter, I had a blast reading!

In Conclusion:

What can I say? It rekindled my flame for this genre. I’ve had a blast (except that damn first chapter) and I can’t wait to read the next one in this series! I will definitely follow this series and author (already doing so on his Amazon Author’s page, yup). All in all, I give Tavern by Deston J. Munden a rating of 4 stars out of 5! If you enjoy high or epic fantasy, a big and varied cast of characters, and an intricate story with amusing parts, this is the read for you!

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit his Web site, you can also follow him on Goodreads and Twitter. You can also add Tavern to your bookshelves on Goodreads and LibraryThing.

Face Your Word: A Book Review

Book Reviews April 11, 2020 Leave a comment

Amazon.ca

Amazon.com

Goodreads

Genre: Fiction, Poetry

Pages: 162

ISBN: 9780578448237

ASIN: B07NVS6V2B

Format: Paperback, eBook (Kindle)

Publication date: February 7th, 2019

Publisher: Self-Published

Type: Poetry collection, Short story collection

*I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. No compensation has been given and I write this book review willingly. A big thanks to dear Michal Yaccoby, Shmuel Yaccoby, and BookTasters!*

Introduction:

I was intrigued by the concept of words running amok through poems and stories, accompanied by what seemed to be cute drawings. So I decided to give this book a try.

It turned out to be quite unique and an enjoyable read despite its few flaws.

Let’s go over it together, shall we?

The Blurb:

Written words leave their text and become alive. Each has its own expressive face and mysterious personality. Amusing short stories and poems with lessons for those who are forever young. Seasoned with surprising word characters: Stucker and Unstucker, who deal with being stuck in life; the difference between an ambitious one who likes TooBee and another who prefers NotTooBee; the funny virtual MaxiMax-Axe who breaks Box to activate Think-Outside-Box; the Scratch each of us carry through life; Known and None particles that handle our body and Mind within Atoms; the revenge journey of Cancer Cell; and much more. Written by Professor of Medicine, Shmuel Yaccoby (Ph.D.), and illustrated by his wife, Michal Yaccoby. They live in USA with their three children.

The Positive Sides:

For starters, this book is greatly original, unique. It was a surprise with each page and I couldn’t wait to keep reading to find out what drawing and topic was on the next page! Creativity and imagination run wild in this book, that’s for sure. The drawings of the words are so cute and adorable. Plus, these drawings and the play on words are all linked to the actual text in very clever ways. Honestly, I loved the illustrations and their names (and the twists on those!). Also, I liked the Capitalization (see what I did there?) of the names of the drawings/words; it makes you think they’re even more important than usual, just like people. And you start to recognize them as the stories go on like characters, which is a nice bonus.

Moreover, I really enjoyed how the poems could go on for a few pages, like a slow-going story to savour. The humour is fun to read and sprinkled here and there and everywhere.

I must say the last few pages were WOW. The mix of each of the words/drawings telling a story with a small sentence, all in line for a bigger one, just makes for a great and surprising experience. It left me with a sense of amazement and deep contemplation about what had been said, along with my own life. This was the highlight of the book, certainly!

The Negative Sides:

While this book is entertaining and original, I had the displeasure of sometimes stumbling over verses that are confusing—one can’t grasp their meaning quite easily. Even though they make you think, I’m not sure they’re meant to be confusing to the frowning point (which I did a few times). In the first poems/stories, the wording is strange here and there, which doesn’t help understanding.

Moreover, what bothered me was the overall lack of depth in the poems/stories. There are several with depth, such as the one about Atoms (capitalized in respect to the word running free in the book) and the one about Cancer, but the rest is very light and seems superficial. I don’t mind either, but doing both in the same book that’s advertised as “funny” and “for those young at heart”, is kind of against the point. One must choose between the two, and in this case for the promotion of the book, I think more light poems/stories would fit better.

Lastly, I found several poems/stories to be a bit too much on the religious side, which doesn’t fit the lightness of the book. I don’t think religion belongs in a light and funny read, unless you make jokes about it, but this is not the case. However, I greatly enjoyed the medical poems; they were both highly amusing and informative, coming from a Professor of Medicine.

In Conclusion:

This book was a wild, unique and informative ride, though it came with a few points to improve in my opinion. For all these reasons, I give Face Your Word by Shmuel Yaccoby & Michal Yaccoby a rating of 3.5 out 5! I recommend it to all types of readers, and mostly to those enjoying twists on formats, poetry and humour! Overall, if you’re looking for a unique reading experience, this is the book for you.

If you want to learn more about the author, you can follow him on his Twitter account. You can also add Face Your Word to your bookshelves on Goodreads.

Hello: A Book Review

Book Reviews March 28, 2020 Leave a comment

Amazon.ca

Amazon.com

Jonathan Parker Bell's Web site

Genre: Poetry, Prose Poetry, Short Story
Pages: 123 (289 pages in the paperback edition)
ASIN: B07ZXM7JC6

ISBN: 9781687225122
Format: eBook (Kindle), paperback
Publication date: November 1st, 2019
Publisher: Self-Published
Type: Collection

*I received a free eCopy in exchange for an honest review. No compensation has been given and I write this book review willingly. A big thanks to Jonathan Bell!*

Introduction:

You know me, a poet myself and writer, and a great lover of the poetry in prose genre and short stories, I couldn’t resist Bell’s offer to review his prose poetry and short stories book. Plus, his publication age (he’s 15 years old!) really impressed me and his activism intrigued me, and so I wanted to help him out.

Let me tell you I don’t regret the choice I made!

The Blurb:

It's a risky business, saying hello. In "Hello," Jonathan Bell explores themes like hope, faith, adventure, loneliness, relationships, and life itself through insightfully crafted short stories and poems that transcend traditional genre boundaries. "Hello" is a cultural commentary, a longing for something more, and a voice speaking out and standing up.

The Positive Sides:

I noticed two things right away: the wit in his verses, which is admirable, and there’s such imagery! I feel like in another world yet I relate. His texts are so personal and profound, yet accessible, and all delivered with an enhanced vocabulary and beautiful, gripping, and surprising imagery. Seriously, these points are what made the book a success to me! It made me feel the stories, the emotions, and think about the different situations. Wonderful!

It’s very pleasant to read and touching, and I like how there are subtle activist messages about environment and the human nature. They were hard but satisfying to read because most of them ring true, at least to me.

There’s something intriguing he does in his writing. I sometimes do it myself in my poetry. The author intertwines nature with the texts, making it resound with importance, as well as putting important words such as “Hope” and “Someone Else” in capitals for a touching effect.

Finally, I couldn’t wait to resume reading every day. I would look forward to going to bed to read more of his prose and poetry, and most importantly, to feel intensely. Now, I feel stuff intensely on a daily basis, but his book really grabbed me to the point I connected with his words and they echoed in me. And it was all so beautiful, I just wanted to see what was in store next, and so on.

The Negative Sides:

Despite all these good sides, there is one thing that bothers me. The introduction, which is uninterested and careless is off-putting. It’s quite a shame because the rest of the book is wonderful and enriching!

There are people who read these introductions (like me!) and this one is more harmful than fun or informative. More professionalism is preferable in this particular aspect.

As you can see, my complaint isn’t about the work itself, the prose and poetry are great. But the introduction needs polishing.

In Conclusion:

While the introduction is upsetting, I’m telling you this book deserves to be read. Thanks to its relatability, its depth and sublime imagery, I give Hello by Jonathan Bell a rating of 5 out 5! I recommend it to all readers either for a discovery of the poetry in prose genre or for an emotional, poignant read that makes you think and feel.

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit his Web site and you can also add Hello to your bookshelves on Goodreads

The Author’s Guide to Self-Publishing for Canadians: A Book Review

Book Reviews August 22, 2019 1 Comment

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Amazon.ca

Genre: Non-Fiction, How-To, Writing, Indie Authors, Self-Publishing

Pages: 264
ASIN: B07BMH2J44
ISBN: 9781988821146
Format: eBook, Paperback
Publication date: March 20th, 2018
Publisher: Self-published/Barb Drozdowich
Type: How-To, Non-Fiction

*I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I got no compensation and I write this book review willingly. A big thanks to Barb Drozdowich and NetGalley!*

Introduction:

I'm a huge fan of self-publishing and I've read multiple books on the topic. Plus, I already had a few books by Barb Drozdowich about writing and blogging.

But the real deal with *The Author’s Guide to Self-Publishing for Canadians* is that it covers an area that no one explored previously: the Canadian self-publishing process! Being a Canadian, I had still many questions after reading other books about this topic from the US and UK. At last someone knowledgeable tackled this topic for my country!

There was no way I wouldn't read it. So, of course, I did.

And its information was all I needed for my self-publishing endeavour.

Here we go with the review!

The Blurb:

From editing and finding free ISBNs to book structure and sales, this self-publishing guide for Canadians shows you the right way to go! For those of you who are uncertain about how to proceed with self-publishing your book, this author's guide contains all relevant information and answers to your questions when it comes publishing in Canada.

The Positive Sides:

Starting right off the bat, there's an easy introduction in the topic of this author's guide. Plus, her chapters are short but loaded with information (I'm sure the pages are bursting!) and are in quite a logical order.

But what about the writing itself? Well, her writing is good, straight-forward and even kind, verging on friendly. She gives us clear and precise, almost step-by-step instructions and information-I can't stress enough how helpful and reassuring that is! And with all the content she put in, there's no wonder she knows what she's talking about! But, I guess, from self-publishing so many well-appreciated how-to books, you have to master the field, right?

As for the content itself, it ranges from editing to book structure interspersed with so much more. The chapters might be short, but I never read one and been disappointed! One of the two major points I take out from this is the eye-opening tip about ISBNs for Canadian and general process (you can get one free, legally, no joke!). So, instead of purchasing one in those US or UK self-publishing help businesses, buy this book and you'll save the price of your ISBN. Amazing! The other major point is the book structure. Please, hear me out. Miss Drozdowich makes us really look at a book, its content, what are the inner pages like both in paper and ebook formats, what it must have, and so on. It was enlightening AND fun because she tells you to the examination yourself. She encourages such a process. There's also a "bonus" (I consider it so): the author explains concepts and the jobs (such as editor, formatter,…) and tells you exactly why you need them to work on your book. That's great and will make you think twice about ditching one to the curb, figuring you don't need them.

Lastly, it's an effing amazing idea to write such an author's self-publishing guide for Canadians! With all those tips and nooks and crannies (such as the free ISBNs!), this book is invaluable for us. It was high-time someone wrote this guide for Canada amidst all those self-publishing guides from the US and UK (don't get me wrong: I'm grateful they exist, but some things in them that are not relevant to us). We needed our own version and didn't even know!

Well-played, Miss Drozdowich!

The Negative Sides:

Err, I considered striking this section since I found NO negative side, but why mess with a good structure, right? 😉

In Conclusion:

If you're considering self-publishing (even just a tad!) and live in Canada, this is the book for you. It's jam-packed with juicy information you won't find elsewhere for our specific country. Plus, she covers the most important areas of self-publishing and gives you the information in a clear-cut but helpful manner. Frankly? I give The Author's Guide to Self-Publishing for Canadians a rating of 5 stars out of 5 for how helpful I've found it because, yes, I'm going to self-publish my first book. Thank the world she wrote this book, or I'd have (uselessly) paid for an ISBN and missed out on great points such as how important other publishing jobs are to the well-being of my book.

Read this book. You can thank me and the author later.

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit her Web site, you can also follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can visit her book blogger listing site. You can also add The Author's Guide to Self-Publishing for Canadians to your bookshelves on Goodreads and LibraryThing.