Tuesday 30 November 2021

#TeaserTuesday

 

Lock believes in the system, until she starts to realise it's rigged...

BUY NOW: http://www.books2read.com/LOUT

 [ID: A light blue background with the title LIGHTS OUT at the top and Out now in ebook and paperback just below it. The except reads:

“We’ve got Jonathon Baker, but he’s also got his granddaughter with him, don’t know how old she is, too little for this that’s for sure. I promised him a quiet corner. You think you can manage that?” I asked her.
“Sure thing, Lock, I’ll take good care of him,” she replied as she walked beside me.
I wheeled back over to the desk and introduced them. “This is going to be your nurse for the event, Clara, she’s a good one and she’ll make sure all your needs are met. May your sleep be ever peaceful,” I said to Jonathon as Clara caught the eye of Sadie.

At the bottom is Joey Paul and just below that the website www.joeypaulonline.com, in the top left corner is the Readers' Favorite Review Seal, and in the top right corner is the New Apple Award Seal and in the bottom right corner is the logo for Bug Books. END ID]

 

Monday 29 November 2021

Authortube: The Community

AUTHORTUBE: THE COMMUNITY

I will have been on Authortube for five years in January. It's closer to six, but the first year of my videos are long gone because I just didn't like them. The sound was terrible, the editing worse, thumbnails also terrible, and I just didn't want to have them on my channel anymore. However, I have been doing better editing and such since, and so I look back on the videos from the start and I realise that while it took me a long time to work out what I was doing, I'm doing pretty okay these days.

The one great thing about Authortube has to be the community around in, within in, not just fellow writers, but readers and others who just like the content that Authortube produces. It took me a long time to find that community, but that was more because I was doing things wrong, not that it's hard to find. You have the big name channels, sure, but you also have a lot of smaller channels that are there to help cheer you on in whatever way that may be. The plus to that is there are always new channels popping up, or ones that I hadn't found before, and now have. It's a great experience, and an amazing thing to be part of.

I may still only be a small fish, in that I have just over 500 subs, but I like the people who come back to my channel, week after week, and add their comments. I love getting to sit down every morning and catch up with whoever has posted the previous day. I have my own routine when it comes to who posts when and while I don't watch absolutely every video, I do very much enjoy getting to know other writers, and getting to see their process whether they plan or not, whether they want to be trad pub, indie pub, or a hybrid of the two, it's great to have all these different people from different walks of life, and get to know as much about them as they are willing to share.

There are so many different types of channels out there these days that I guarantee that if you're looking, you'll find a writer who clicks with you, and from there you can find yourself enveloped into their part of the community. There's the straight up writing advice channels, there's the ones that do vlogs and take you along for the journey of their process and what they're up to. There's ones that do a mixture of vlogs and writing advice. There's ones that solely do livestreams and you can find time to chat with them while also getting some work done.

I could go on and on, but my point is that the community on Authortube is so very welcoming. I look at Twitter sometimes and see some of the subtweeting and such that goes on, and I find it a hard space to get into. Don't get me wrong, I have some good people on Twitter and I very much enjoy their posts, but Authortube, for me, feels more like a homely place where we can all gather around and chat writing, life, and everything in between. It's been something that I'm so glad to be a part of.

I have made actual friends because of the Authortube community, I have people around the world that I feel like I can talk writing with, and reach out to, and it's because of the community that I found my small circle or people that I feel at home with writing wise. So if you're looking to make the jump to creating videos, I can't recommend Authortube enough. Even if you just want to watch and engage with the content, the same applies. It's a great space to be a part of.

Any questions? 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 26 November 2021

Review of Forty-Two Minutes by Janay Harden

 It wasn’t until she held his remains that she knew she was in big trouble.

Indigo Lewis is counting down the days until high school graduation. As editor of the high school newspaper, she's put in her time and hopes it's enough to get her away from her troubled family life. Her father is constantly struggling to pay the bills and her mother is locked away in a mental hospital. Even with an after school job it doesn't seem like she will ever get enough money together to go to college.

Jaxon Green is a kid of wealth and privilege — but with a secret.

Used to gliding his way through life, he offers Indigo a simple deal: write a newspaper blog to help him get into college and he will use his family's wealth and connections to get her into college too. He promises it will be a no-strings attached deal to get them both what they want after high school. Always used to pushing the envelope, Jaxon uses his position of power to get Indigo caught up in increasingly uncomfortable requests and eventually black mails her.

As her deal with Jaxon spirals out of control, Indigo also learns shocking secrets about her family and begins to lose her grip with reality, and with it — her mental health.

With voices inside her head growing louder by the day, can she escape the fate of her family and allure of murder?

 Amazon

My Review:  5 STARS

I picked this up because the cover and blurb spoke to me, and I was in for a hell of a ride. The starting chapters hooked me to the point where I had to force myself to close the book to sleep, and from there I wanted to know everything I could about Indigo, and her journey. The characters were well-rounded, relatable, engaging and made you want to root for them. I adored the mystery woven between the words and that ending had me gasping. I can not wait for book two, and this is an author to follow! Highly recommended!

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 23 November 2021

#TeaserTuesday

 

It's Tara's first proper relationship, and she's still learning how to do things...

BUY NOW: http://www.books2read.com/DTSD

 [ID: A light blue background with the title DYING THOUGHTS - SEVENTH DEATH at the top and Out now in ebook and paperback just below it. The except reads:

“I wish they would stop spending money on crap and actually fix the fucking heating,” I said, thinking back to my earlier observations.
“I love it when you swear,” Nate said, his smile showing off his dimple.
“Ummm,” I said, desperate to think of something to say, anything would do. So long as it didn’t make me look like a love struck teen who needed to take some time and learn more vocabulary. “Thanks?”

At the bottom is Joey Paul and just below that the website www.joeypaulonline.com, in the bottom left corner is the Readers' Favorite Review Seal, and in the bottom right corner is the logo for Bug Books. END ID]

 

Monday 22 November 2021

Spoonie Writer: Taking It One Day At A Time

SPOONIE WRITER: TAKING IT ONE DAY AT A TIME

One thing that I learned very early on as a spoonie was that you had to take things one day at a time. There would be days when I would feel great, the pain and fatigue would be low, and my lungs would behave and then I'd get a chance to do the things I wanted to do. I was always careful not to overdo it, but something that happened and the flare up that came would knock me back. That said, there were other days when I hadn't overdone it, and was just wiped out no matter how much resting I did, and that's just the life of having a chronic illness. You learn to go between the ups and downs and make the most of them all.

When it came to writing, the same can be applied. As a spoonie and a writer, I knew that it was a careful juggling act to work out when to push, when to hold back, and when it was time to call it a day and just rest. I've been very fortunate in that I have all the time in the world to do what I want to do. I've found, through trial and error, a way that works for me, and because of that I generally know what I'll be doing one day to the next.

However, there are still times when a flare of something will hit me out of the blue, and I'll have to slowly crawl my way back up to the usual level of work that I do. That's why I wanted today to talk about the whole idea of taking it one day at a time as a writer, and as an author. So much emphasis, online and off, is placed on being productive, the idea that our worth is tied to how productive we are, how much money we make and so on, and in my mind that's simply not a way to do things.

I did a video on Auhorube about Hustle Culture (video here) and while I was nervous to share it, a lot of the comments were people very much agreeing with me. As a spoonie there's this idea that we can be 'good enough' if we push ourselves to get the same amount of work as an able bodied person, and again, that's not right. There is nothing wrong with taking things one day at a time. Sure you'll, hopefully, have good days where you can get a lot of stuff done in a short amount of time, but those aren't the norm, and that's okay.

I have never been someone who wanted to be an inspiration in the disability and chronic illness sense. I know that a lot of people admire the way I get things done, the level of organisation that I apply to most areas of my life, but at the same time, I feel like I need to be clear. None of this happened overnight. For a long time when I first started writing, over twenty years ago now, I had to work to a different kind of schedule, in that I didn't have one.

There were days, in those early years, where I felt like I wouldn't ever finish my book, that I wouldn't ever get to the point where I had more than one book under my belt. I worked hard, don't get me wrong, but when your body is actively fighting against you, it's a battle that you can't always win. Back in those days I was usually in hospital like clockwork every two weeks. I would spend that time as an inpatient and then another week recovering, before I'd be able to dedicate a little time to writing before the next exacerbation would land me back in the hospital.

It was slow going, and while my health has gotten better in some ways, and worse in others, I know that I'm very lucky to be able to manage the way I do these days. And even then, sometimes a flare hits and there's little else that I can do about it. So, if you're new to writing, or new to chronic illness, or both, and you're beating yourself up over the fact that you're not managing a lot in a short space of time, be kind to yourself, remember that it will take time, and there's nothing wrong with that.

As my editor, Kim, once said to me: it takes as long as it takes, and that's okay.

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments down 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 19 November 2021

Review of Stop My Bleeding Heart by Victoria Anders

When I was five, my mother died.
When I was seventeen, my father was murdered.

I try to heal and count down the days to escape from my evil stepmother.
Little do I know, she's also counting down.

On my eighteenth birthday, I find myself orphaned, homeless, and broken-hearted. The only place I can seek shelter is in a home with seven guys.

I’m living in an all new world, making new friends, and unraveling the mysteries of the boys surrounding me.

Can I unravel my own mystery and finally heal from my father’s death, perhaps with a prince charming to stop my bleeding heart?

Amazon

My Review: 5 STARS

I picked this up because of the cover and the blurb, and dived into it late at night, and found it almost impossible to put down. Jade and her misfortunes on her 18th birthday leading to a romance that slowly builds through the story. I loved the loose take on Snow White, and adored the twists and turns the novel took. It was an engaging, heart warming story and the ending just made me smile even more. An excellent romance and one that I very much enjoyed. Highly recommended!

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 16 November 2021

#TeaserTuesday

  

Hetti's first day on the job, and she's off to her first murder scene...

BUY NOW: http://www.books2read.com/WAM

 [ID: A green background with the title WALK A MILE at the top and Out now in ebook and paperback just above it. The except reads:

“So, Fyfe,” Sabrina said. “Let’s go show you your first crime scene.”
She had a wry grin on her face and I saw a glint in her eye. This was another part of her plan to see how well I’d stand up over the coming weeks. I knew that if I fainted or puked at the sight of a dead body, then I was probably never going to live it down. I took a deep breath and followed her and John as they led the way to the scene of my first murder case.

At the bottom is Joey Paul and just below that the website www.joeypaulonline.com, in the bottom left corner is the New Apple Award seal, and in the bottom right corner is the logo for Bug Books. END ID]

 

Monday 15 November 2021

Making Time For Fun - The Creative Process

MAKING TIME FOR FUN

We are now half-way through NaNoWriMo 2021, and I wanted to do something today that would both help spur you all one, but would also talk about something that's been on my mind a lot recently, and that is making time for fun amidst all the writing.

As you all know, I'm disabled, chronically ill, and I don't really get out much. I write as my job, and I don't have many other commitments when it comes to my time. That said, I don't really have a lot of free time for fun things. There's an occasion where B, my best friend and carer, will be talking about doing something away from home, and being the way I am, I'll usually explain it's a writing day and that I'm busy. It was really only when I went on holiday in October to Cornwall, that I realised how isolated I'd made myself, and how little time I made for fun alongside the writing.

I know that for some people, they can only squeeze writing in between other commitments, and that because they want this to become their day job, they don't want to risk taking time away from that precious writing time to do other things. There's nothing wrong with that, working hard isn't a bad thing. However, never taking time out, never spending some time with friends and family, and never doing something fun that might cut into the writing time is a cause for concern.

I'm pretty lucky that my writing time usually happens first thing in the morning, before everyone else has woken up, and so while away I was able to have two writing days. I thought about doing more, I'd taken along everything I needed to do so, but B, and my mum, were strict. I could write first thing on the two days I'd planned to, but otherwise, this was a break, there were sights to see, and a hot tub calling my name. And they weren't wrong.

It can be so easy to get caught up in the daily grind, either as someone with a day job, or someone who's a full time writer. There's this idea that if we're not working, then we're doing something wrong, we're wasting time, when that couldn't be further from the truth. With a challenge like NaNoWriMo, you'll find that a lot of people are having to squeeze in time around other things so that they can end the month with 50K. It's all well and good for one month out of twelve, but sometimes, I notice that it doesn't stop there.

We are human, we all need breaks. Whether that's spending a week in a cabin in the woods with a hot tub, or whether that's going out and about with friends and family doing things that you also very much enjoy. Whatever the reasoning, it's important to have that downtime and have those breaks, because otherwise we're all going to end up burned out, or worse, hating what we're doing and quitting it altogether.

I've heard enough horror stories of writer and author friends who just get to the end of their tether and up and quit because they just got burned out to the point where telling stories no longer appealed to them. I don't want that to happen to any writer, unless it's what they want, so I'm here to tell you that it's okay to take time off, it's okay to take breaks, it's okay to make time for fun along the way.

Writing is hard, it's isolating, it takes a lot of energy and brain power, and there will be times when you need to push through, but there are more times when taking a break, leaving the writing to sit and heading off to have some time, is the right thing to do. Self-care is not a bad thing, and it's something that I will never tire of saying. You need breaks, the writing will be there when you come back, recharged and ready to pick it back up again. You may even find that you've managed to solve a plot thing, or even come back with more stories to tell.

In the end, having fun is an important part of being a human being, so make time for it, and go out and enjoy yourself.

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments down 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 12 November 2021

Review of Spirit Of Fire by Elin Dyer

Seventeen-year-old Jade Taylor is used to getting into a spot of trouble, but everything changes the night she and her twin brother Jack confront their sister's predator. Faced with a vicious gangster, an impossible fire, and a mysterious old woman, Jade witnesses a coverup of enormous proportions that threatens to change humanity as we know it.

While Jack's biggest concern is getting revenge for their sister, Jade throws herself into investigating the strange occurrences that spiral around her: fields spontaneously combusting, reports of flames erupting from people's fingertips, and hundreds of men and women being secretly contained underground. But those are not the only problems, because something is happening to Jade's body--and she doesn't understand it.

With no one to talk to about the impending danger that night-time now has, and no way to explain the bizarre changes that are happening to her, Jade can only turn to Ariel, a mysterious stranger who seems to have answers. A man who may--or may not--be involved in the gang led by her sister's abuser.

Jade must decide who she can trust--and quickly--else she'll never save her sister, and the rest of humanity will become the pawns in a supernatural battle.

Amazon 

My Review: 5 STARS

I picked this up for the chronic illness rep, and was not disappointed with the story at all. The story was engaging from the first page, a story that twists and turns and brings you to the end leaving you waiting for more, desperate to know what will happen next. Jade and the others were all well-rounded characters, all engaging and with little bits of themselves that made you root for them. I adored the book and ended up reading it in one sitting. Very much recommended!

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 9 November 2021

#TeaserTuesday

 

Everything is changing for Tara and not all of it is good...

BUY NOW: http://www.books2read.com/DTSC

 [ID: A yellow lights background with the title DYING THOUGHTS - SIXTH CHANGE at the top and Out now in ebook and paperback just below it. The except reads:

I sat there and tried to process what he’d just said to me. He’d *forgotten* my birthday? What the hell? This was not like my dad to forget my birthday. Then again, it was the first birthday since he’d re-launched his career.
“You forgot? For real? You’re not just trying to set up a surprise?” I asked, trying to keep my anger in check. Maybe it was all an act? Dad usually has a tell, but I wasn’t seeing it.

At the bottom is Joey Paul and just below that the website www.joeypaulonline.com, in the top right corner is the Readers ' Favorite 5 Star Review seal, and in the bottom right corner is the logo for Bug Books. END ID]

 

Monday 8 November 2021

Being Healthy With Your Goals - The Creative Process

 
BEING HEALTHY WITH YOUR GOALS

It's coming up to that time of year when some of us look back at the year behind us and start to look forward and think about what we'd like to achieve in the coming year. I do a bunch of goals of different speeds. I do monthly goals on a private blog, bi-monthly on my Authortube channel, yearly there as well as here on the blog. I also do weekly goals in my planner. My point is that you can approach goal making in a number of different ways and they're not always going to be the same.

For example, my yearly goals are more broad, they stretch over the whole year, and I'll do a six month check in during June or July. My bi-monthly goals are more focused, as the name suggests, on the coming two months and the tasks that I'll need to achieve to be able to reach my yearly goals. The monthly goals on the private blog are like that too, but on a month basis, as are the weekly ones in my planner. You get the point. I start broad and work my way down to seeing what I have to manage each week/month/bi-month to achieve those goals I set at the start to the year.

You can also do quarterly goals, which are quite popular, but have never really appealed to me, but if that works for you, then go for it. I know there are a number of Authortubers who do goals this way and it's always interesting to see how they structure them all.

But why bring this up in November? Well like I said above, we're coming to the end of the year, it's not here yet, but it soon will be, and one thing I really wanted to stress this year, after the hellscape that have been 2020 and 2021, is that you need to be healthy with your goals. I don't mean that you should be making exercise or weight loss goals (unless you want to) but that you need to be sure that the goals you're setting yourself aren't going to have a negative effect on you, either physically, mentally, emotionally, or otherwise.

For me, the point of starting afresh with a new year is to try and make some positive changes. I know a lot of people will aim to lose weight, or start a new positive habit, like writing, or reading a certain number of books, and these are all fine things. They don't work for everyone, but the point of goals is to focus on you, and what you want to achieve and where you want to be in the coming year.

But they need to realistic. I understand wanting to aim high, and that works great for some people, but personally, I know that if I'm getting to the end of the year and I know that I told myself I would release ten books and write ten more, I'd be anxious as anything, and I'd be setting myself up to fail. I know that, usually, I finish four books a year, I also know that I don't think I can manage more than two releases in a year, so setting a stretch goal that I know I would have to double or triple my workload to manage, is not healthy for me personally, and it'll just lead to lots of stress, burnout and the feeling that I'm failing myself and everyone else.

So what can you do to make sure that you're being healthy with your goals? My advice has always been to start small, and that's no different here either. I know from years of writing consistently that I can achieve at most four books in a year. The way I write, the time constraints my conditions put on me mean that I can't write daily, and I can't, usually, manage more than twenty chapters in a month. There was a period a few years ago when I would aim for twenty-four chapters every month, and all it got me was burnt out. So now I stick to twenty on the regular, and then when I start two new projects, usually in May and November, I'll write two chapters in one day for a few days and call it done.

If you know what you're able to achieve in one month, one week, or even a year, and you want to stretch yourself a little, then by all means up the goal slightly. Just be honest with yourself about whether or not you can realisticly achieve it. If you know you can't, don't set yourself up to fail because no one wins in that scenario.

So when setting your goals this month, or even in 2022, make sure that you're healthy about it. Bear in mind that you have a limited time, what you're able to manage and aim higher if you want to, but make sure you won't be pushing yourself to breaking point to get there.

Any questions? 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 5 November 2021

Review of Death By Midnight by Nicole Nadeau

When her inventions put her loved ones in danger, can this brilliant teen rescue them from hostile international agents?

Anna Goode feels her gift is more of a curse. Bullied at school for her high IQ, the sixteen-year-old genius can’t even tell her parents about her clever contraptions for fear they’ll treat her differently. But when a Russian madman kidnaps her family and demands she build him a doomsday device, her sharp mind is the only thing that can save them.

Teaming up with her best friend, Anna races against the clock to gather the materials to meet the villain’s deadline. And now struggling to stay off the CIA’s radar, the daring high schoolers could be the only people between a maniac and millions of lives.

Can these fearless spy kids free Anna’s parents and protect the rest of humanity?

Amazon

My Review: 4 STARS

I was intrigued by the premise for this book and wanted to give it a shot. It starts fast-paced and it caries on that way throughout the novel. Anna and Jake are engaging characters, jumping into their mission with only one goal: to saving Anna’s parents and stop the worst from happening. I ended up reading the book in one sitting and found it hard to pull myself away from it. There were a few bits and pieces that made me stumble with the disbelief, but at the end of the day, it was a good book, and an enjoyable read.

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 2 November 2021

#TeaserTuesday

 

Cat is sure about what she wants, even if her parents don't agree...

BUY NOW: http://www.books2read.com/INAR

 [ID: A blue and purple gradient background with the title IT'S NOT ALWAYS RAINBOWS at the top and Out now in ebook and paperback just above it. The except reads:

“I’ll just take one of the ones that have a free space,” I said, feeling a bit smug. I know, I know, best interests at heart and all that. However, I already got the speech from my parents on an almost daily basis; I didn’t need my girlfriend telling me the same thing.
“I despair of you!” Sarah said, sighing. I knew she was joking though because we’d had these discussions a number of times before.
“Now you sound like my mother,” I said, joking. Sarah leaned over and her lips met mine. We shared a gentle kiss before she pulled away slowly.
“I bet your mother doesn’t do that,” she whispered.

At the bottom is Joey Paul and just below that the website www.joeypaulonline.com, in the top right corner is the Readers ' Favorite 5 Star Review seal, next to it is a New Apple Award Seal, and in the bottom right corner is the logo for Bug Books. END ID]

 

Monday 1 November 2021

Writing & Isolation - The Creative Process

WRITING & ISOLATION

One thing that has always been hard for me is how isolating the writer life can be. As most of you know I'm disabled, and mostly stuck at home these days. I live with my best friend, who's also my carer, and her child, and while we all have our own space in the house, we do still talk between the rooms and all of that. Mx. D is a buddying writer, and they have a lot of fun talking out ideas and the like, but it's still isolating. I have a friend, who's also my editor, and we talk daily and chat about this and that, but at the same time, it's still isolating being a writer.

So what can you do about it? There are, even with the plague times still upon us, places you can go to try and help with that isolation, and help with the want to speak to like-minded people, who know the feeling of being trapped a little in the world of your characters and not really being able to talk to other people who get it within your own home. For me, a lot of these are inaccessible either because of the way I work, or the places they're held being just literally inaccessible. That's not to say that you shouldn't try to get out there and have a go at relieving some of that isolation, just that not everything will work for you, and that's completely okay.

#1 WRITING GROUPS ONLINE

I've specified online because for someone like me, who's trapped inside a lot of the time, the online space can be so welcoming and accessible. You can find people who think like you, who write stories like you, who want to connect and all the rest on places like Facebook and the like. These are great spaces for trying to branch out without having to leave the comfort of your own home.

#2 WRITING GROUPS IN PERSON
I would be remiss to mention one without the other. If you're someone who can travel, and is comfortable doing so, then yeah these can be a goldmine. It allows you to get out and be face to face with other writers, and they're usually local to you, and meet regularly.

#3 LIVESTREAMS
These have been so popular in the Authortube space for a while now. It's not something I've found easy to use, because I personally don't have a good enough computer to run sprints, and my sleep schedule is so off-kilter with everyone else's that I'm awake and able to write at the wrong times. I'm also not someone who writes well to short sprints. I much prefer going into a chapter and writing for a big chunk of time, so it's really not something that I've found useful, but if it works for you, then great!

#4 DISCORD GROUPS

I've made this a separate point than writing groups online because I usually find that discord is a whole different beast. On these groups you can easily do sprints, talk to people, share your work, and all of that. It's a great way to meet up with people and still get to do your writing and such in your own way. I've found a fair few that work well for me, and they sometimes have a sprinting bot that allows you to just jump into a sprint whenever you feel like it.

So there we go, those are my four things that help with the isolation around writing. It's not something that gets talked about a lot, we'll discuss things like burnout but less about the feeling of just being very alone in your writing space. I find that every little thing helps, and I hope some, or all, of these were useful to you!

Any questions? 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