Friday 30 October 2020

Review of Twisted By Time by R.L Perez

A fall through time. A reckless witch. A war of monsters.

17-year-old witch Desiree Campbell tries to cast a spell to go to Miami for spring break.

But she ends up in Cuba a hundred years in the past.

The year is 1898. The Spanish-American War rages. Demons thrive in the city, preying on humans. Desi is caught between the war of mortals and the war of monsters.

She meets Oliver Gerrick, a handsome American soldier and warlock. He offers to help her fight off demons and find a way home.

But the path to returning back to her own time won't be easy. Demons attack, hungry for blood. And Desi suddenly finds herself targeted by a powerful demon lord.

He knows she's time-traveled. And he wants to keep her trapped in 1898 forever.
My Review: 5 STARS
I picked this up because the blurb and cover called to me, and I was desperate to start it the day it was released. A witch who has no plans on doing anything with her life but ballet, ignoring everything to do with her witch heritage ends up making a mistake with a spell, and trapped in the past in the middle of a war. I adored Desi from the first few chapters, and as the story went on, I was hungry for more. The characters were all well rounded and engaging and the story fast paced and leaving you desperate to know what happens. I will be looking for more by this author, and reading more in this series when they come out. Overall, a great read and one I recommend!

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here.

Tuesday 27 October 2020

#TeaserTuesday

 

Making friends is coming a little easier for Jessie than she expected it would be...



[ID: A graphic with a red background and the header of Cramping Chronicles: The First Twinge and underneath the words: Coming October 13th 2020. The excerpt reads:
 
“Rowena,” she said, with a small smile. She spoke quietly still, and that made me think she wasn't usually someone who approached a stranger. “Where do you want the table?”
“Along the back row would be awesome, thanks,” I said.
She moved the table with ease, making sure to line it up with the others. “That okay?” she asked, stepping back.
“That's perfect, thanks.”
 
At the bottom is Joey Paul, her website of www.joeypaulonline.com and the logo of a green and purple bug in the far right corner.

END ID]

 

Monday 26 October 2020

Spoonie Writer: Keeping On Deadlines

 

 SPOONIE WRITER: KEEPING ON DEADLINES

I've spoken before about how deadlines are hard for most writers, but especially so for those of us who are also spoonies. One of the reasons I stuck on the indie path for publishing was that the majority of my deadlines would be ones I've set for myself and could therefore change. It's not always the case, when I have other people working for me, editors and the like, I can't miss those deadlines. And while it adds to my stress levels, it's also a small thing for me. My editors are all people I really like and get on well with, so they get when things are just not going to happen, and the same is true for me with them.

That said, there are times when you can't miss a deadline, and while I'm a spoonie writer who's on the indie path, I know there are other spoonie writers who will go the traditional route, and will have deadlines that they have no control over. This piece isn't just for them, some of these tips and such have worked for me when it comes to meeting those editing deadline, along with the ones that can't be moved because of other restrictions on me.

So how do I cope with deadlines? How do I plan my time? You all know that I am an extensive planner when it comes to my to-do list, but part of that plays into how I cope with deadlines when I'm already struggling with my health. I'm going to give you some of my tips, and hope that they can help you too.

#1 PLAN FOR SICK DAYS
This is true for anyone planning, but especially true for spoonies. We are going to have good days when we get everything on our to-do list done, and we are going to have bad days when nothing seems to be going right, and we're just physically, mentally unable to do the work needed. So if you plan to have days off, days when you won't work, then you can move those days around as needed. It means that if a flare hits on a day that's not planned as a day off, you take the day off, have it then, and start work when you're able, either the following day or when you're next able.

#2 DON'T OVERLOAD YOURSELF
This is a tip that really kinda only applies to indie authors, but it can apply to traditional depending on your circumstances. As I said above, I have the choice to where I put my deadlines. If it's revising, then I have the choice to make it this month or that. I know what I'm capable of doing in a month, so I know that if I set myself the whole draft to be done in a week, it's just not going to happen, and if I attempt to do it, I will burn out, or flare, and that's just gonna bite me in the backside.

So if you know that you can only manage a certain amount of work in one day, then make sure you don't go above that, make sure you set your schedule for the minimum you can manage, not the max, because even if it's not a day that you physically or mentally can't work, it might be a day that isn't you at your best, and pushing yourself is only going to make you feel worse.

#3 COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS
This is more of a tip for traditional authors, though indies will have this too. If you're struggling to meet your deadline, talk to your agent, they should be able to help. If you're indie and you have a deadline for an editor, talk to them, explain the situation. They might have to move you back, but it's also not worth making yourself horribly ill because of it. You are human, you need breaks, you need rest, and that's okay.

#4 START WITH SMALL TASKS ON MIDDLE DAYS

By middle days I simply mean those days when you're not unable to work, but you're also not at your best. Small tasks, like writing a blog post, or recording a video, or making an instagram story. Little admin tasks that will feel productive, but also won't push you to the brink. If you need to write, then start with a lower word count/page count/whatever to make sure that you are gentle with yourself and don't push through to a flare the next day.

And finally, #5 BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF
Deadlines aren't easy for the majority of people, there's so much that goes into writing, marketing and publishing a book that you're going to find that there are days when you just can't, and you need a break. Reach out to friends, have some down time, reward yourself when you hit milestones, and accept that you are human and it's okay if things get too hard or you miss a deadline. You are more important than that, and you need to be gentle with yourself both physically and mentally.#

Do you have any tips for helping with deadlines? If you do, lemme know in the comments!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books

Friday 23 October 2020

Review of The Last Summer by Cait Marie

For the first eleven years of their lives, neighbors Lila and Gavin were inseparable best friends. They did everything together. Until they didn't.

Every detail of Lila's life has been meticulously planned out since she was a child. To the point where she forgot one vital thing: to live. When she receives news that drastically alters the path of her future, she realizes she has one last chance to create memories and make the most of her summer.

Gavin, on the other hand, is known for his carefree attitude. He has lived a charmed life for almost eighteen years. He's never short on friends or a good time, he has a supportive family, and he's all set to go off to college and follow his dreams. The one thing he doesn't have is the girl.

He doesn't know why Lila pushed him away all those years ago, but when Gavin finds her summer bucket list, he's determined to help his goody-two-shoes neighbor cross off every item and hopefully mend their friendship in the process. Even if that's not all he wants from her.

He just hopes it's not too late.

My Review: 5 STARS
I picked this up because of the blurb and hoped for a good romance and I was not disappointed. I loved Lila, and Gavin and I adored the story, it pulled at the heart strings, and had me sold on them both as a couple from the first few pages. I loved the bucket list, loved watching them cross things off, and loved watching them get closer and closer! The story was super romantic, light but with some serious moments, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good teen romance. Highly enjoyable!

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here.

Tuesday 20 October 2020

#TeaserTuesday

 

Jessie has a solution, but it may just blow up in her face...



[ID: A graphic with a red background and the header of Cramping Chronicles: The First Twinge and underneath the words: Coming October 13th 2020. The excerpt reads:
 
“What?” Gray said, sounding confused. “What are you talking about?”
I opened my eyes. “I'm talking about fixing the pain. If I solve the root of it, the cause, then Meera never has to know, right? That way she won't be hurting and neither will I. It's a genius idea, Gray, trust you to come up with it.”
“I didn't come up with that!” he protested.
“Well, it's a genius idea anyway.”
 
At the bottom is Joey Paul, her website of www.joeypaulonline.com and the logo of a green and purple bug in the far right corner.

END ID]

 

Monday 19 October 2020

The Trials Of A Crime Writer: Search History Revisited

 

THE TRIALS OF A CRIME WRITER: SEARCH HISTORY REVISITED

I talked about this before (piece found here) but it was a hell of a long time ago, and so I wanted to revisit the subject because things have changed in some ways, but are the same in the others. You know those youtube videos where someone famous answers the most googled questions about them? It's kinda like that, but for my search history it would be everything from magic usage and systems, to the best way to degrade bone marrow, and how quickly one would die if bitten by this particular venomous animal.

We, as writers, always joke about the fact that we're probably already on some list somewhere, and it's most likely true that there are some searches that ding the bell at whatever agency and draw attention from the sneaky eye of the government. Personally, I don't think I've ever searched for anything *that* bad, but it did remind me of a story from way back when the internet was super slow, and didn't have the powers of Google like it does now, and I was writing my début, Blackout.

Before I continue I just wanna say this will contain no spoilers, but there might be hints of what the book is about so if you don't wanna know, then it's better to click off this post, scroll down or what have you and move on.

They gone? Good.

So picture this, a young nineteen-year-old me is trying to work out just how much of a certain medication someone would have to ingest for them to end up in serious medical trouble. I didn't have Google, but I did have a very understanding and patient lung consultant who was called Andrew. (When you see a doctor as much as I saw him, you skip the formalities!) He knew that I was writing, and I was going through a particularly bad period with my lungs and pain issues. I wasn't yet in the wheelchair full time, but it was the start of me needing one.

So I went to my appointment, still mulling this question over, and we went through the normal stuff. How I was feeling, whether I had any issues with meds, and things like that. And just out of the blue, I opened my mouth and said: "How long would it take to die if someone took enough X?"

He was silent, but his eyebrows raised and he looked seriously worried. I was oblivious and carried on.

"I mean, if I gave someone a high dose of X, would they die slowly? Is it possible they might flounder for a bit? What if I got them medical treatment? Would there be a protocol for that?"

Andrew went from panicking that I was suicidal to suddenly wondering is I was homicidal. He stuttered something, open his mouth to say something, but I had more to ask.

"I just mean in broad terms, I don't need to know the exact dosage, it's not like the character will have access to that kind of information either. But with me as the author, I kinda need to know how much is too much."

Andrew burst out in laughter. "This is for your book??"

"Yeah," said I, who couldn't quite work out what the joke was.

"Thank god for that, I was thinking you were going to kill yourself, or kill someone. I can give you the vague terms, I'll write them down for you now."

And he did, he also offered to read any of the other medical jargon, turns out I had it covered.

Looking back I realise that I must have scared the crap outta him, and the relief on his face was easy enough to see. Andrew left the area about two years later, and then I was with another doc, who offered the same advice and am now with another doc who does the same, and actually trained under Andrew, so I think he'd heard Andrew tell the story more than one.

So yes, times before search histories and times when maybe it would've been better to Google! You have any funny stories about finding out facts from people other than the internet? Lemme know in the comments!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books

Friday 16 October 2020

Review of Mad Magic by Nicole Conway

Josie Barton is a high school student living in terror. Invisible creatures torment her everywhere she goes, constantly getting her into trouble at school, and even haunting her apartment. But just when Josie thinks things couldn’t get any worse . . . she meets the guy from across the hall.

Zeph Clemmont is a changeling with enemies in all the worst places, fighting to undo a curse that threatens to end his life. Survival means he will have to swallow his pride and trust Josie with all his darkest secrets.

With the help of a gun-slinging shaman and the enigmatic Prince of Nightmares, Zeph and Josie are only a heartbeat away from defeating one of the most diabolical faerie villains their world has ever known.

My Review: 5 STARS
I picked this up because of the blurb and the cover, and dived right in, happy to read about Josie’s life and the weird things going on. I adored the characters from the start and couldn’t help but get pulled into the story. It’s beautifully told and while I had some reservations about the love story, I liked the way it was subverted and turned out in the end. Overall, an amazing book and a series that I might have to read more of, I loved it!

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here.

Tuesday 13 October 2020

Happy Release Day!!

  

 HAPPY RELEASE DAY!!

 

YOU CAN NOW BUY CRAMPING CHRONICLES: THE FIRST TWINGE IN EBOOK AND PAPERBACK 

Amazon | Book Depository | Indie Bound  

Young Adult Urban Fantasy with chronic illness rep, and the start of a brand new series.

Meet Jessie. She’s fifteen, newly disabled and adapting to all that comes with that. She’s got her best friend Gray, and a new school to fit in to.

Only Jessie is more than she seems. She’s an empath. The powers are new. The film clips are included and up until now, she’s only had two triggers. Her mum and Gray.

On the second day of school, she spots Meera, a beautiful girl who Jessie could see herself falling for. The only problem is Meera causes Jessie pain when she’s in the same vicinity.

Can Jessie solve the mystery behind Meera’s worries? Or will she get caught up in the danger and only be able to save herself? 

 

 

Monday 12 October 2020

Authortube: Being Consistent

 

 AUTHORTUBE: BEING CONSISTENT

I've talked before about things that you need to do when it comes to Authortube (piece found here) and in that I mentioned the need for consistency, but I thought I would branch out and make it clearer and more detailed as to why, and how, you should strive to do that. A lot of people know me as someone who's very organised, and I just want to make it clear that I know that's not the case for everyone. I'm lucky enough to be in a position where I don't have any other job, I'm basically a full-time author without the pay cheque to go with it. So when I talked about making a schedule, I know that my situation is unique and doesn't apply to the majority of writers, or event hose on Authortube.

With that out of the way, let's talk about why it's important that you're consistent with your channel, and posting.

#1 VIEWERS KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT AND WHEN.
When it comes to the people who will subscribe and follow your channel, they'll expect to have regular content, unless otherwise stated on the channel. They'll want to know what they should be getting by clicking that red button and they come to the channel with that expectation in mind. Personally, I wasn't consistent when I started. I posted four videos a month and fitted them in where I could, without any planning that went into them, then I switched to a date that moved through the week every month, and finally hit the Thursday posting, and I'll be honest, the majority of my subs joined AFTER I stuck to the Thursday posting. They could expect to see content then, with the occasional bonus video on a Sunday and that made them more likely to watch.

#2 IT SENDS A MESSAGE OF YOUR BRAND.
A lot of the time, an authortube channel is started to both connect with the community and readers, and also to build a brand for yourself. I know Dal Cecil Runo hit that one out of the park when she branded herself an alien that never showed her face on camera. It works for her, and with the fact she mostly writes sci-fi, it gave her brand a boost.

For me, being organised was part of my brand, so knowing that unless I was unwell or in hospital, I would post every Thursday and keep on top of recording and the like, helped me a lot as both building my brand, and letting my viewers know they could rely on me to do what I said I would do.

#3 IT BUILDS UP SUBS
This is the final point really, the more consistent you are, and the better quality of what you're putting out, the more people who will return week after week to watch you content. This applies to livestreaming if that's your thing, as well as regular videos, though as someone who doesn't attend many livestreams and watches more regular videos, be sure to have a good mix of both!

And then onto the how do you stay consistent? These are just some of my tips, and like I said above, they may not apply or be possible for everyone.

#1 BATCH FILM/RECORD IN ADVANCE
It's no secret that a lot of authortubers will batch film, personally I record the videos a month in advance. It means that unless the video is time sensitive, by the end of the month, I have all the following month's videos done, uploaded, and captioned ready to just press publish when it's time to do that. I started out by doing extra filming the first month, and then just kept it up. If that's possible for you then I highly advise you do it. If it's not, the batch filming can be another good way to have some videos done in advance so that if life falls apart, you still have something to post on the right day.

#2 PLAN CONTENT IN ADVANCE

This is something that I think a lot of us do, we think up video topics, and write them down and then try and fit them into your schedule so that we know what we're filming next. That gives you a chance to write the script if you use one, and also just lets you think more on the subject before getting in front of the camera. Personally, I script and have a lot of my content planned, so will do the vlog scripts for the following month at the end of the last one, and then go from there.

#3 FIND TIMES THAT WORK FOR YOU

If you know that you want to post on a Wednesday but that the only time you can record and such is Monday or Tuesday, and you feel like you're always doing it right at the last minute and the whole process is stressing you out, then maybe you need to rethink things. Either you post on a different day, or you try to get ahead by batch filming and such. Personally, I like the Thursday posting and I'm already aware that I have time during the week to record and such if something were to go wrong and I had to change the video for that week.

I'm sure there are a lot of other points and tips that I could use, but if you have any lemme know in the comments!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books

1 Day To Go!

  

1 DAY TO GO!

 

FACT SEVEN: JESSIE IS DETERMINED TO HELP MEERA, NO MATTER WHAT!

PRE-ORDER HERE: http://www.books2read.com/TWINGE

PRE-ORDER SWAG: https://forms.gle/mhSyY4ErpFrJmub99

 

[ID: A square background with Cramping Chronicles: The First Twinge at the top, just below that is Coming October 13th 2020. To the left is the front cover of the book, a red background with a photo of Meera, a  dark skinned teenage girl eating lunch and staring angrily at the camera. To the right is big text with 1 Day To go written, below that is fact seven: Jessie is determined to help Meera, no matter what!, and below that is the pre-order link. At the very bottom is the bug books logo and Joey Paul alone with the website www.joeypaulonline.com END ID]

 

Sunday 11 October 2020

2 Days To Go!

 

 

2 DAYS TO GO!

 

FACT SIX: JESSIE IS A FULL-TIME WHEELCHAIR USER

PRE-ORDER HERE: http://www.books2read.com/TWINGE

PRE-ORDER SWAG: https://forms.gle/mhSyY4ErpFrJmub99

 

[ID: A square background with Cramping Chronicles: The First Twinge at the top, just below that is Coming October 13th 2020. To the left is the front cover of the book, a red background with a photo of Meera, a  dark skinned teenage girl eating lunch and staring angrily at the camera. To the right is big text with 2 Days To go written, below that is fact six: Jessie is a full-time wheelchair user, and below that is the pre-order link. At the very bottom is the bug books logo and Joey Paul alone with the website www.joeypaulonline.com END ID]

 

Saturday 10 October 2020

3 Days To Go!

 

 

3 DAYS TO GO!

 

FACT FIVE: ONLY MEERA SEEMS TO HATE JESSIE

PRE-ORDER HERE: http://www.books2read.com/TWINGE

PRE-ORDER SWAG: https://forms.gle/mhSyY4ErpFrJmub99

 

[ID: A square background with Cramping Chronicles: The First Twinge at the top, just below that is Coming October 13th 2020. To the left is the front cover of the book, a red background with a photo of Meera, a  dark skinned teenage girl eating lunch and staring angrily at the camera. To the right is big text with 3 Days To go written, below that is fact five: Only Meera seems to hate Jessie, and below that is the pre-order link. At the very bottom is the bug books logo and Joey Paul alone with the website www.joeypaulonline.com END ID]

 

Friday 9 October 2020

4 Days To Go!

 

 

4 DAYS TO GO!

 

FACT FOUR: MEERA IS A TRIGGER FOR JESSIE

PRE-ORDER HERE: http://www.books2read.com/TWINGE

PRE-ORDER SWAG: https://forms.gle/mhSyY4ErpFrJmub99

 

[ID: A square background with Cramping Chronicles: The First Twinge at the top, just below that is Coming October 13th 2020. To the left is the front cover of the book, a red background with a photo of Meera, a  dark skinned teenage girl eating lunch and staring angrily at the camera. To the right is big text with 4 Days To go written, below that is fact four: Meera is a trigger for Jessie, and below that is the pre-order link. At the very bottom is the bug books logo and Joey Paul alone with the website www.joeypaulonline.com END ID]

 

Review of A Crucible Witch by Ashley McLeo

Demons are taking over our world. 

To stop them, I need to embrace the black magic inside me.

I hate the idea. And yet, I realize just how powerful the darkness can be. 

That it’s probably the only thing standing between failure and success.

And keeping those I love alive. 

Can I master the demon magic running through my veins? Or will I succumb to the darkness?

What’s more, if I fall, will the world fall with me?

Amazon

My Review: 5 STARS

I have been reading this series since the first book, and I was desperate to read this one when it popped up on my radar. I adore Odie, Eva and the guys and I loved the way the second book ended and so was happy to jump into this one to see how the story would go. From the first page, I was hooked on their journey. McLeo has a way with words that makes you want to read the book all in one sitting and devour the words. It was enthralling and wonderful and I highly recommend both the book and the series!

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here.

Thursday 8 October 2020

Life Of Joey - October 2020 [CC]

  

Getting ready for #NaNoWriMo for Plansters! #Authortube
 

 

5 Days To Go!

 

 

5 DAYS TO GO!

 

FACT THREE: HER BEST FRIEND, GRAY GOES TO HER OLD SCHOOL

PRE-ORDER HERE: http://www.books2read.com/TWINGE

PRE-ORDER SWAG: https://forms.gle/mhSyY4ErpFrJmub99

 

[ID: A square background with Cramping Chronicles: The First Twinge at the top, just below that is Coming October 13th 2020. To the left is the front cover of the book, a red background with a photo of Meera, a  dark skinned teenage girl eating lunch and staring angrily at the camera. To the right is big text with 5 Days To go written, below that is fact three: Her best friend, Gray goes to her old school and below that is the pre-order link. At the very bottom is the bug books logo and Joey Paul alone with the website www.joeypaulonline.com END ID]

 

 

Wednesday 7 October 2020

6 Days To Go!

 

 6 DAYS TO GO!

 

FACT TWO: JESSIE ISN'T GOOD AT MAKING FRIENDS

PRE-ORDER HERE: http://www.books2read.com/TWINGE

PRE-ORDER SWAG: https://forms.gle/mhSyY4ErpFrJmub99

 

[ID: A square background with Cramping Chronicles: The First Twinge at the top, just below that is Coming October 13th 2020. To the left is the front cover of the book, a red background with a photo of Meera, a  dark skinned teenage girl eating lunch and staring angrily at the camera. To the right is big text with 6 Days To go written, below that is fact two: Jessie isn't good at making friends, and below that is the pre-order link. At the very bottom is the bug books logo and Joey Paul alone with the website www.joeypaulonline.com END ID]

 

Tuesday 6 October 2020

7 Days To Go!

  

 7 DAYS TO GO!

 

FACT ONE: JESSIE IS AN EMPATH, AND NEW TO BEING DISABLED.

PRE-ORDER HERE: http://www.books2read.com/TWINGE

PRE-ORDER SWAG: https://forms.gle/mhSyY4ErpFrJmub99

 

[ID: A square background with Cramping Chronicles: The First Twinge at the top, just below that is Coming October 13th 2020. To the left is the front cover of the book, a red background with a photo of Meera, a  dark skinned teenage girl eating lunch and staring angrily at the camera. To the right is big text with 7 Days To go written, below that is fact one: Jessie is an empath, and new to being disabled, and below that is the pre-order link. At the very bottom is the bug books logo and Joey Paul alone with the website www.joeypaulonline.com END ID]

Monday 5 October 2020

Working With A Planner - The Creative Process

 

 WORKING WITH A PLANNER

I have always been someone who loved to organise. It was the way I did my exams as a teen, and again as an adult. It's how I function and how I work, and it's just my process for working through things. If I have a plan and am organised, then things can't go wrong, and if they do, I'll have a plan for that as well!

However, I haven't, really, since starting writing ever been one for a planner. I loved the idea of a bullet journal, but my artistic skill is zilch and it just doesn't appeal to me in that way. I saw a fellow authortuber with a flowery planner, and I had to get one. Up until that point I had been using the sticky notes app on my computer and it was starting to get glitchy so I didn't want to have to fight with it every month when a planner was a lot easier, and more able to be carried around.

I got the planner in February, it had been a birthday gift from my mum, but arrived late, and then settled down to use it for the first time in March, and boy, I was in love. All the stickers, all the coloured pens and all the ways I could reward myself with getting things done, and track how many books I read as well as my usual count of chapters, pages and words. It opened me up to a whole new way of planning, and I have to say, over six months later, I will be keeping this system for as long as it works for me. I've already ordered next years planner since it'll take a while to get here.

So why does it work for me? I think it's because it allows me to look ahead at the coming months and pencil things in, it allows me to keep a plan both on my ipad and on the planner itself and to see what the week ahead is going to look like without the need to worry too much about whether the app would glitch and lose my notes. I still use sticky notes to keep track of things like post orders for blogs, and my Friday posts, and authortube. I also have a long note with all the publishing deadlines for the next seven years (yeah I know I won't need all that but it calms me, don't judge!) and another that has big things that need to be done soonish, but not right now.

And the planner itself allows me to keep track of appointments and bills, and other such things. It lets me break down my goals on a monthly level and then again on a weekly one. I have the pretty stickers and the pens in colour co-ordinated fashion depending on the project, and I also have the ability to move things around if needed. It doesn't need to be messy, but it can let me look ahead on a yearly scale, which was something I didn't have before. I always had a vague idea of when things would happen, but like that seven years of publishing, I can keep track of deadlines that way, and it's all either in the planner for that year, or on the ipad calendar for the upcoming year.

All this time I thought that I would never be able to find that I wanted - a planner that I could use one month and not the next without worrying about wasting the pages. Because the Flowery planner isn't dated, (and it has space for 13 months) I don't have to worry about if I skip a month or something. It's just opened up a whole new world to me that before was out of my reach.

Working with a planner has been amazing, and I did a whole video on how I plan, which I will link here. Overall, it feels like when people ask me how I manage to be so organised and such, I can point them to the planner and actually show them rather than not really knowing how to explain it. Planners are awesome, and if you use one, lemme know in the comments below!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books

Friday 2 October 2020

Review of Out Of The Woods by BB Swann

17-year-old Zaidyn Mitchell thinks being known as a book nerd is weird enough—until he wakes up on his bedroom ceiling. 

A newbie-weird-wizard-extraordinaire—Zaidyn must navigate his newfound identity, learn to fit in with his fellow freaks, and avoid scaring away Piper Duke, the girl of his dreams. 

Thinking to impress her, he agrees to help Piper’s father promote a project for a new library in a fairytale-like wooded area outside of town—but Project-Impress-Piper-With-a-Library backfires as Piper, along with his parents, strives to protect the wooded land.

The rules for the magical community are simple: avoid discovery and keep to your own kind. Despite warnings from friends and foes, Zaidyn pursues a relationship with the normal human Piper, earning them both the ire—and retaliation—of the ones in charge. 

Zaidyn seeks answers. Who really owns the woods? Why is someone so bent on destroying them? And what are his parents and the other magical adults hiding in there?

As he grows closer to the answers—and to Piper—the outside pressure mounts, building toward a conclusion that makes Zaidyn wonder if they will ever truly be…

…out of the woods.

Amazon

My Review: 5 STARS

I picked this up because I’d read books by Swann before and couldn’t wait to jump into a new story and new world and I was not disappointed.  The world is engaging from the first page, the idea of a normal teenage boy being faced with something brand new, and yet more secrets behind held back. The characters were so complex and well rounded, and I couldn’t help but cheer on for the young couple. I loved the way this book dealt with some issues, and the mystery element left me guessing and desperate for more. Overall an amazing read and one I recommend for those who love the paranormal with a hint of mystery entwined in the words.

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