Friday, 14 February 2025

Review of Catch The Bride by RosaLinda Diaz


Jade didn’t mean to run away the week of her wedding.

It just...happened.

One minute she was refereeing family drama and the next she was speeding down the road in the dead of night like an escaped convict.

But she wasn’t ready to go back...not yet.

Being a first-year teacher and a bride-to-be left Jade a frazzled shell of her usual bubbly self – which isn’t who she wants to be. Now the school year’s over, the wedding is a week away, and she’s panicking about the reception, the seating chart, and most of all their future together.

It’s not that she doesn’t love Vance, they're high school sweethearts, after all. When she finds a box of mementos Jade’s reminded of what it was like to fall in love. But so many years together have left their once exciting relationship in a rut. Not exactly an enticing preview of married life.

Will her once doting boyfriend, turned distracted fiancé become a distant husband?

With miles between her and wedding responsibilities, Jade’s looking back on their relationship and wondering if their happily ever after isn’t guaranteed after all. The Belles, her three best friends since college, come to the rescue...but are they in time to keep Jade from making the biggest mistake of her life?

Will Jade catch feelings instead of flights or is this bride bound to bolt for good? 

Amazon

My Review: 5 STARS

I picked this up as the last book in this series and was desperate to know what lay ahead for Jade and Vance. The last couple for the series and one that seemed to be already pretty much cemented. I adored the glimpses back to their first meeting, loved the way the story wove stress and happiness all together and made you feel like you were living the whole thing along side the characters. The way everything came together was just perfect, and a delightfully sweet romance to end the series on a high. I adored it, and can not recommend it enough!

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, 11 February 2025

#TeaserTuesday

Tara doesn't have an uncle, and she doesn't know how to deal with the press...

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

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

“When did this uncle call, and did he leave a name?” I asked, my voice shaky.
“A few times yesterday and then once early this morning, is there a problem, Tara?” she said, picking up on my tone.
“As far as I’m aware, I don’t have any other living relatives. I don’t have an uncle,” I said, trying to force the words out over the lump of fear now lodged in my throat. “If he calls again, can you get his name please? Or at least a number for me?”

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, 10 February 2025

5 Facts On My Current Working Projects

 5 FACTS ON MY CURRENT WORKING PROJECTS

It's been a while since I did a five facts piece, but since I've not been drafting for over six months, it's just not been something I could do. I thought that I would give you five facts about the projects I'm currently working on. But before I get into that, lemme tell you about those projects.

I am revising four projects currently. I'll See You Thru is a YA paranormal/romance standalone. It's about witches and curses and falling in love. This Is How It Ends is a YA thriller standalone. It's about friendship, death, loss, secrets, and hunting for the truth. Visible is the third in the Invisible quartet which is a YA dystopian series. It's all about viruses and disability, adaptation and resilience. And Cramping Chronicles: The Fourth Torment is the fourth in the Cramping Chronicles series, which is YA urban fantasy. It's about empaths, disability, and saving the world whether you want to or not.

So those are my four projects. I'm also doing line edits for Translucent which is the second in the Invisible quartet and due out later this year. I'm gonna focus on the revision projects though since I feel like I can give some facts on those without falling into spoilers. So here we go!

FACT #1: ALYA & FREYA HAVE NO IDEA THE THINGS THEY'LL GO THROUGH
So these two are from I'll See You Thru and both of them are about to sit their first year A-level exams, so about seventeen. Both of them wake up as see thru, wraiths in other words, and they both have to work together to find out who cursed them, why, and how to undo it all. While Ayla has no experience of the witches in their world, Freya does, even if she's not a fan of them. Both of them have to overcome their own worries and try and stay together to find answers. It's not easy, there's a lot keeping them apart, and also Ayla isn't fond of lying, and she's in a position of having to do a lot of that which she is not happy about. But hopefully, at the end, all will turn out right.

FACT #2: MAGGIE HAS NO IDEA THE SECRETS SHE WILL UNCOVER
Maggie is the main character of This Is How It Ends. She's been sure that when Delia died, she knew everything that happened, but a random photo on Facebook has her questioning everything. She wants to believe that Paula and Juliet will tell her the truth, but it soon becomes clear that both are hiding something, and with the mysterious DJ demanding Maggie uncover the truth, she's in a position of having to question everything. Would her friends lie? Did they have something to do with Delia's death? And if they did, how did they get away with it? Along the way she's going to uncover a whole bunch of secrets, some of them she kinda isn't sure what to do about.

FACT #3: ZYA ISN'T SURE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF WHERE THEY ARE
Zya is one of the main characters from the Invisible quartet and while I can't go into details of where they are because that would spoil book two, I will say that Zya is sure that while they've all been told one thing about the people in charge of the country, she's not completely sold on it being the whole truth. She's lost a lot, faced countless dangers, and she's not sure that this is the end of it all, and she has no idea who to trust.

FACT #4: JONAH WILL FIGHT FOR WHAT'S RIGHT

Jonah is the other main character from the Invisible quartet and the same applies here in that I can't go into major details because of book two not being out yet. I will say that Jonah is pretty solid on his use at the end of that book, and things happen in Visible that allow him to see for himself that he has something he can do to save the people he cares about. Betrayal and violence lay ahead, but he's going to get through it, if he can.

FACT #5: JESSIE WAS NEVER PREPARED FOR THIS

Jessie is the main character in the Cramping Chronicles series, and I need to be somewhat careful with spoilers because of how Third Ache, the third book, ended. Jessie has a battle on her hands and she is woefully unprepared for what lay ahead. She doesn't have much time, but enough to maybe come out of it and save everyone, even if she loses herself in the process.

So there we go, those are five facts about my current projects. I should be handing over Fourth Torment to the editor in April, so that's in the later stages, and the first two will be done with revisions, for now, in March/April time so it's gonna be different projects I work on then.

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

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Friday, 7 February 2025

Review of Flicker by Melanie Hooyenga

 Biz is a perfectly normal teenager except for one minor detail: she uses sunlight to jump back to yesterday. She takes advantage of flickering by retaking Trig tests, fixing fights with her boyfriend (or reliving the making up), and repeating pretty much anything that could be done better.

Trouble is, flickering makes her head explode from the inside. Or feel like it anyway.

No one knows about her freakish ability and she’s content to keep it that way. Guys don't stick around because she refuses to let them in, but all that changes when Cameron, her best friend, starts looking oh-so-yummy. Suddenly she's noticing his biceps, his smile, and the cute way his eyes crinkle when he—gah! This is her friend!

But the butterflies come to a screeching halt when little girls start disappearing, then take a nosedive when the police link the kidnappings to Cameron's sister, who vanished years earlier. As the police grasp for clues, Biz photographs a strange man lurking in the shadows and realizes that her flickering can help more than just herself.

Amazon

My Review: 5 STARS

I picked the perfect time to read this series because it helped keep me distracted while I was in hospital myself. Hooyenga has knocked this one outta the park. Biz and her ability pull you in and allow you to get lost in the twists and turns of the story. I adored the romance and mystery element, and she brings it all together to allow you to get hooked on her words, as well as desperate to know more. I’ve already picked up book two because I need to know what lies ahead for Biz and everyone else involved. An amazing start to a series and one I very much 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, 4 February 2025

#TeaserTuesday

Crime waits for no one, not even sleep...

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

[ID: A dirty green background with the title WALK A MILE at the top and out now in ebook, paperback & audiobook just below the title The except reads:

I was rudely awoken the next day at three am by my tablet and my watch buzzing with an important call. I worried it might be Mum getting back to me.She wouldn’t normally call this late unless there was a problem. I answered the call, feeling my heart beat a little faster than normal.
“Sorry to wake you, Fyfe, but there’s been another murder and the DI wants us to check it out,” she said, with a grimace.

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, 3 February 2025

Celebrating Your Wins - The Creative Process

CELEBRATING YOUR WINS

I did a video about this last year (linked here) and thought that I would also write about it because I feel like it's something that often gets forgotten about. Everyone has wins sometimes, and a lot of the time, in the writing space at least, we're kinda taught that we have to only celebrate the big ones. Whether that's getting a publishing deal from trad pub, or hitting a bestseller list, or anything huge like that, those are seen as the ones that are more 'worthy' than the others.

To be honest, I've been guilty of this. When I first started writing when I was 19 (turned 43 last month) I celebrated every little thing. If I finished my work early, then that was cause for a little joy. When I finished a book, same thing. I got into the habit, and then, as things changed, I got out of it again. It's really only been the last five or so years that I've started to get back into it. I celebrate book releases of course, always have done, though they've become a bigger celebration in recent years, but I don't always think to celebrate when I finish the editing cycle, or when I finish a draft, or when I'm done with revisions. And these things should be celebrated.

At the end of the day, writing is hard, most creative pursuits are because you're putting a piece of yourself into your work, whether planned or not, and sending it off into the world to be seen and looked at by other people. That is terrifying! And sometimes they do really well, and other times they just don't. But for me as an author, someone who doesn't make lists, and who rarely gets shoutouts from readers, it can be easy to fall into that trap of thinking that you didn't really achieve anything because you didn't get one of these huge things.

That's not true. I write my books because I know there are people out there who need my stories. I don't know if that's a huge number of people, or just a small pool. I don't know if they will ever get to the point of going viral and being huge breakout hits. But, I still did an amazingly impossible thing. I wrote a book. I wrote a lot of them, and I managed to get through all those many steps to publishing, and they are out there, for people to read and devour and love. That is huge. It is something that should be celebrated and hyped up, even if only by you, and the people who care for you.

I know it can be hard to acknowledge your own wins. Like I said, it's not something that comes easy to me, but it is something that you should, hopefully, learn to do. You are the only one who can define what a win for you looks like. For me right now, I'm celebrating finishing dev edits for my next release. I'm into the line editing phase and that always feels like a much smaller mountain to climb than dev edits. It's something I'm proud of myself for managing, especially with everything else going on.

My wins may not match your idea of your own wins, and that's okay, but it is something you should think about doing, because at the end of the day, you did something amazing, and you should be proud of yourself, even if no one else in your home life is, or even online. You should be proud of you for managing to do this.

Happy writing!

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments! 

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Friday, 31 January 2025

Review of Afterthoughts by Justine Alexi

Kanara never meant to kill her mother. A lifetime in prison awaits her. But the judge gives her a break and sentences her to ten years at Zylen Mental Hospital.

At first glance, the hospital isn’t bad. The food is edible, the other patients don’t know about her crime, and Eliot, the intern assigned to her case, is gentle and kind, not to mention gorgeous.

But the hospital has a few secrets of its own.

Like the cryptic message on the wall in Kanara’s room, written in a cipher only she and her sister know.

And the new voice in her head that seems to be able to predict the future.

And the doctors whispering in secret that their experiment is failing, the patients are dying, and they’re all running out of time.
 
 
My Review: 5 STARS

I picked this up on pre-order because the blurb and cover intrigued me and I dove into it the day it was released. I loved the world, the characters, seeing them put the pieces together and all the danger and intrigue, the twists and turns the plot went through, and overall just how real and engaging it was. Alexi has crafted a world and characters that you want to know more about, that you root for, that you want to win the day and come together at the end. All of it was brilliantly crafted and well written and I will be reading the next in the series. 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, 28 January 2025

#TeaserTuesday

This is a case like nothing else Tara has worked on...

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

[ID: A blurred photo of firelights with the title DYING THOUGHTS - SIXTH CHANGE at the top and out now in ebook & paperback just below the title The except reads:

“Hang on, phone’s ringing.” I dug it out of my jeans and answered. It was Mike. “What’s up?” I asked.
“I need you to come to the station,” he said, sounding solemn.
“Case?” I said.
“Worse. He struck again, Tara, and this time he raped someone,” Mike said.
I could feel Kaolin’s eyes on me.

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

 

Monday, 27 January 2025

Spoonie Writer: Writing Every Day Doesn't Apply

SPOONIE WRITER: WRITING EVERY DAY DOESN'T APPLY

I talked recently about pieces of writing advice that I hate (found here) and among them was this gem about how you have to write every day to be valid as a writer. It's something I've been outspoken about over the years simply because it's not true and it leads to things like burnout. I don't want any writer, abled, healthy, or otherwise to face the fear that because they don't or can't write every day, they are therefore not valid or not a 'real' writer.

I've been writing since I was 19, I just turned 43. You wanna guess how many days I've written every day? Probably a number close to zero. I was, when still drafting, writing most days, but there were always, and will be always, days when I didn't write, because it's harmful piece of advice, and none of us are machines that can function on nothing but caffeine and writing advice. It just doesn't work like that.

When it comes to spoonies, of which there are a lot in the writing space, it feels even more harmful because there can be serious medical issues that stem from pushing your body into writing every single day even if you do not feel well enough. So let me be clear when I say that for spoonie writers especially, this piece of advice does not apply to you. It doesn't, or shouldn't, apply to anyone else either, but there are some writers who swear by it, so I guess they do what works for them.

In the days when I still did NaNo, before it blew itself up I mean, I would set out to write a certain number of words, but I wouldn't write every single day because it's not sustainable for me, or for pretty much anyone. I am chronically ill, disabled, and I have days when I just can't. Writing and being an indie author is my job, it's the thing I do to make money to live and function, and yet even with it being my one and only full time gig, I can't push my body to sit down at my desk and work and write every single day because it's just not feasible.

So if any of this resonates with you, then know that you do not have to write every day to be a 'real' writer. You can write a chunk here and there, still a writer. You can write once every full moon, still a writer. You can be taking a chunk of time off, guess what? Still a writer! There is too much emphasis on being productive and being worthy of time off, and while it's something that I struggle with myself, it's also something where I will try, and continue, to challenge.

At the end of the day, we all need breaks. Writing is a creative pursuit and if you don't refill your well at times, then you will run out of steam and end up in burnout, and trust me, no one wants that. The hustle culture and the whole productivity tied to worth that's been popping up for years now is something that needs to stop. I don't like it. I never have. I don't like even that because of being organised and knowing how to best use my spoons to get work done, that I'm held up as productive and therefore worthy, despite (which I hate that word when used in this sentence) my disabilities and conditions.

I am a disabled, chronically ill, indie author. I have found a way that works for me, but that is not, and never will be, writing every day. I am also not more worthy of the title of author because I get as much done as I do. It's not a race. It's not a competition. It takes as long as it takes, and that's okay. You do not have to write every day to be valid, and that is a hill that I will gladly die on!

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

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Friday, 24 January 2025

Review of It’s Complicated by RosaLinda Diaz


Belles before Beaus is an unbreakable friendship code. Can Andie bend it for her BFF’s brother?

Absolutely not. Jake's totally off limits...

…unless they keep it a secret.

Jake is five hundred miles away, which makes keeping this romance under wraps a simple solution. Virtual dating is sort of the worst, but their chemistry is electric, even if their relationship status is complicated.

It’s the perfect plan...until it isn’t.

When worlds collide, Andie’s scrambling to keep this budding relationship hush-hush. Will she lose her best friend and Jake in this charade? Long-distance dating is hard. Secretly dating her best friend’s brother is downright dangerous.

After applying to many teaching positions across multiple districts, Andie’s stuck subbing. It feels as if she’ll never get ahead professionally. When an unusual teaching opportunity falls in her lap she accepts, but it reveals the cracks in their already fragile relationship.

Can Andie keep everything from falling apart, just as her life seems to be finally coming together?

Amazon

My Review: 5 STARS

I read the first two books in this series and was desperate to read the next. The thought of a complicated love story staying within the series and friend group intrigued me and I couldn’t have been happier with the way it all played out. I loved Andie and Jake and the way they both complemented each other, the two of them were sweet and perfect for each other. The whole book was one thrilling ride with twists and turns along the way that made the story all that more engaging. I adore Diaz’s writing style and the way she makes you feel like you’re right there with the couples. 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

Thursday, 23 January 2025

Working With Sensitivity Readers [CC]


Talking about working with sensitivity readers and tips for the process! #Authortube
 
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Tuesday, 21 January 2025

#TeaserTuesday

Cat refuses to deny who she is just to please her parents...

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[ID: A blue to pink gradient with the title IT'S NOT ALWAYS RAINBOWS at the top and out now in ebook, paperback & audiobook just above the title The except reads:

All I could do was nod, but inside I was screaming and swearing like a sailor. How dare he tell me I needed to treat them with respect? How dare he tell me I had to bow to their decisions? It was my damn life and I would live it any damn way I bloody pleased!
I didn’t wait to drink the tea that Mum had been making while the conversation had been going on, I just left the room before I said something I would live to regret. Once I reached my bedroom, I made sure the door slammed hard enough to shake the frame. F*ck him, he had no f*cking idea what life was like for me! I would see and speak to and hang around with whoever made me feel good about being the person I was and not the person they wanted me to be. Sod that!

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 next to the New Apple Award seal, and in the bottom right corner is the logo for Bug Books. END ID]

 

Monday, 20 January 2025

The Trials Of An Indie Author: Working With Multiple Deadlines

THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: WORKING WITH MULTIPLE DEADLINES

As an indie author, I can tell you that one of the things that really changed the landscape for me, was learning how to manage working with all the different deadlines. I'm sure this applies to trad pub too, but since I've only ever been indie, I can only speak of that. I know not everyone is able to manage to work on multiple projects, and might, therefore, not be able to manage having multiple deadlines, but for those of us who can and do, I thought that I would give you some insight into how I make it all work for me.

I will have been published for twenty years in August. At the moment I am revising four projects and editing one, just to give you some idea of the deadlines on my plate. Of those five projects, two have set deadlines coming up, one has a deadline in the middle of the year, and the remaining two are a long way off deadline wise, so I don't need to worry about them so much.

It sounds like a whole lot, and it is, and while my ability to plan and dedicate certain days to each have saved me when it comes to working and juggling those deadlines, it doesn't always stop the anxiety and stress that come with this life. I'm constantly worried that I might drop the ball with one of the more upcoming deadlines, and even the ones further off can sometimes feel like they're bearing down on me. I don't say that to be told that maybe I should drop a project here or there and only focus on the ones with more urgent deadlines, I am happy with the way I work, and it's the way I work, so I know that dropping one or two would just add to my stress levels.

My point is simply that there are ways to work, and you personally will know yourself best, and you gotta do what works for you. Just as I know that dropping this or that will impede my ability to function, you might know that there is no way you could ever work on more than one, or maybe two, projects, and both ways of working are valid and should be respected.

So how do you manage? I'm going to give you some of my tips!

#1 PLANNING MIGHT HELP
I say might because I know that for some people, planning isn't possible. It's not the way their brain works, and to do so would just make them even more stressed, and who wants to add to stress? I will say that I have found planning to be a perfect way for me to quiet the anxiety constantly in the back of my mind. It allows me to know when and what I'll be working on, it allows me to think ahead and tick things off, which gives me a nice serotonin boost. It gives me the chance to see, at a glance, just what I need to get done for the remainder of the week/month, and it's just a way for me to stay organised. If it works for you, embrace it, if not, then I hope you're able to find something that does help.

#2 PRIORITISE IF POSSIBLE
This one might seem obvious. After all, if you're planning, isn't it built into that? I mean yes, it can be, but for those who can't plan, this might be an option for them. If you have a project that's due sooner, make that your main focus, put as much time into that as possible, and use the other projects as a buffer should you need that as well. By this I mean, one of the reasons I work on multiple projects, beyond deadlines, is because I find it hard to focus on just one at all times, my brain loses interest and I miss things. Hence my juggling act. So if this is you, then make sure that you put the more important one, or ones, above the others, and get the majority of your work done on them.

#3 BREAKS AREN'T OPTIONAL

While it might seem silly to add in breaks here, especially with those deadlines looming, they need to be part of your working life. Yes people can push themselves through, but if you're constantly doing that, you will end up burned out, or worse, and will find that you can't do anything, and what's going to happen to all those deadlines then? So even if you think that you can't possibly spare time, try and slip them in there somewhere, because you do need them, and they will help you in the end.

So there we go, those are my three tips when it comes to working with multiple deadlines. I need to get back to editing, and from there, into my downtime for the day. I hope you're able to find a way that works for you, and good luck!

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

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Friday, 17 January 2025

Review of The Edge Rules by Melanie Hooyenga

 
Being a bully isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Sixteen-year old Brianna had everything she wanted: money to ski all over the world, underlings to do her bidding, and parents who gave her every freedom—as long as she played by their rules. But when she’s busted shoplifting and assigned to the Chain Gang, she ditches her shallow ways and realizes being herself is easier than manipulating people.

Forced to partner with kids she’d never dream of befriending, including Xavier, a boy who makes her pulse go into hyperdrive, Brianna vows to be a better person. Breaking Old Brianna’s habits isn’t easy, but her infatuation with Xavier—someone her parents would never approve of—motivates her to keep trying.

Even when he convinces her to trade her swanky skis for a beat-up snowboard.

Brianna lets go of her need to control everything and finally starts to feel free—until her past threatens to jeopardize her first real chance at love. She discovers balancing on the edge is as challenging in life as it is in snowboarding, and when a new friend is in trouble, Brianna must decide between the superficial things that used to be her world and putting her friend’s safety before herself.

Amazon

My Review: 5 STARS

I picked this up having read the first two books and fallen in love with Hooyenga’s style of writing and telling a story with hard hitting topics wrapped up with relatable and engaging characters. I was a little wary about it focusing on Brianna since she’d been such a big bully in the first book, but I couldn’t help but fall in love with her as she grew and changed and became the person she wanted to be. I adored Xavier and the conflict was beautifully crafted and allowed you to sink into the pages and fall in love with the story. A series for all those who love sweet romance that doesn’t shy away from serious topics. 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

Thursday, 16 January 2025

Questions From Readers - January 2025 [CC]


Answering questions from the readers in my audience today! #Authortube
 
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Tuesday, 14 January 2025

#TeaserTuesday

Tara knows what she wants to do with her life... just not how to get there...

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[ID: A blue and black with the title DYING THOUGHTS - FIFTH SECRET at the top and out now in ebook & paperback just above the title The except reads:

"There is no such thing as a CID officer who *only* works on murders. You’ll be dealing with other crimes and I just think you need to factor all of that into your plans before deciding *right now* what you want the rest of your life to be like.”
“Your point, Kaolin?”
“I guess my point is that your dad just doesn’t want you to end up hating your job and wishing things had gone differently. He probably has no problem with you joining the police. I bet he’s really proud of you for wanting to do that. I think he just wants you to be sure that through the highs and lows of police work, you’ll be happy. He just wants you to be happy.”

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

 

 

Monday, 13 January 2025

The Trials Of A Crime Writer: Planning Your Twist

THE TRIALS OF A CRIME WRITER: PLANNING YOUR TWIST

One thing that always appealed to me as a crime reader, were the twists. The ones that you could never see coming, the ones that seemed to turn the whole story on its side and allow you to view things through a different lens. I always wanted to recreate that with my own work, and while with some stories I feel like I've pulled it off, with others, it's harder to quantify.

At the end of the day, twists are not just for crime fiction. While they may be the main staple of thrillers and the like, it's not the only time a story will have one. I've found through my years of reading more and more different genres, that most books will have something they hold back, and there can still be a lot of twists thrown in there, and you still get that excitement both as the author writing them, and as the reader devouring them.

But today I thought that I would give you some of my insights and thoughts about what you need to be doing when it comes to planning your own twists, whether or not that's crime writing. I will stick to that mostly because it's a subject I know better, but as I said, you can still have twists in other genres, they just might not be seen as common as the tropes in crime and thriller fiction are.

So how do you go about planning that twist? I feel like you have to take a lot into consideration because a good twist is one that people don't guess, but also one that you have foreshadowed in some way. For me, the ones that literally come out of nowhere, when there's been not even the tiniest hint, don't land as well as the ones that you can trace back, to the small pieces of information the author has given you along the way. Of course, your mileage may vary there. I know for some authors, they will create their twist around a popular trope and use that to advertise and sell the book, but for me it's not something I've ever done, so I can't speak of it.

But when it comes to planning, and implementing those twists, there seem to be a few steps you have to follow, and I'm going to try and lay them all out for you here!

STEP ONE: LAY THE GROUNDWORK
Like I said above, you need to have some kind of basis for this twist. It's no good deciding in the third act and in the big reveal that the killer has been the detective all along if you don't leave some hints along the way. If the book is in their POV, then you need to have left some blanks, some things that point to everything not being all it seems. If you don't do that, it smacks of lazy planning and writing, and a way of putting the twist in because you know no one will get it. They won't, because you've skipped the part where people can even start to have some idea and guess. It does not, generally, lead to a happy reader if you don't do this.

STEP TWO: PLANT THE SEEDS, AND REMEMBER TO WATER THEM

Like the first step, this is something you need to be doing before the twist is revealed. You need to have little snippets, here and there that will allow the reader to start questioning things. It doesn't have to be big things. It can be a piece of throwaway description, or a line of dialogue, or even a scene that doesn't quite fit until you know the full story. Whatever you do, don't water them too much, but also don't mention it right at the start and then never again. Little bits here and there are going to have those suspicions blooming in reader's minds and that's what you want.

STEP THREE: LEAVE ROOM FOR SUSPICION
By this I simply mean that you can make it so that the reader suspects a whole lot, but can't be sure of anything. If you rule someone, or something, out completely, it can close that avenue for the reader, and while that can be a great twist in itself, I've found myself enjoying the stories when I literally suspect everyone and can't quite work out who to rule out in my mind. It allows you to feel like you're right there with the detective or whoever, and might be able to spot inconsistencies that they've missed.

STEP FOUR: DON'T PROLONG THE BIG REVEAL
When it comes times to actually execute and reveal that twist, don't leave it too late. While there's a lot to be said for thrillers that have twists right at the end, and leave the reader hanging, for the main twist, there should be some resolution, otherwise you might leave your readers a tad annoyed. So whatever you do, don't leave everything to the last minute and then rush through it all. That leaves to an unsatisfying experience for the reader, and it makes the ending seem, well, rushed.

So there we go, those are my four steps when it comes to planning your twists. I wish you all the luck with your writing and planning, and I hope these help.

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

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Friday, 10 January 2025

Review of Destination Christmas by RosaLinda Diaz


When snowmageddon grounds their flight...
...a festive teacher and a frosty businessman must work together to reach Aspen by Christmas Eve
.

It’s finally winter vacation for first-year teacher Lexie Knox, and she can’t wait for the festivities to begin—heck she started listening to holiday music in October. However, the minute she steps foot out of school all her carefully laid vacation plans fall apart—starting with her flight.

Her seatmate is an un-festive businessman who does not appreciate her holiday cookies or musical tutu.

But not even a handsome Bah Humbug is going to dampen Lexie’s Holiyay all the way spirit.

Frosty-the-businessman is traveling to Aspen days before Christmas to seal a crucial deal. It’s not like he has any family to spend the holidays with—none that he wants to see that is. But being distracted by an overly festive teacher, no matter how cute, is not on the agenda.

Snowmageddon has other plans.

Could a Christmas detour with an almost stranger be the best present of Lexie's life?

Amazon

My Review: 5 STARS

Having read book one in this series, I dove into book two and was delighted with all the Christmas feels. I loved getting to know Lexie more about the first book and the way Diaz sets the scene has you falling in love with the characters as if you’re there with them. I adored the way the story wove happiness and delight, and falling in love through the pages. Loved seeing it all come together and think Cole and Lexie were a perfect match. Overall a brilliantly Christmassy story that can be enjoyed all year around. 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

Thursday, 9 January 2025

Life Of Joey & Bi-Monthly Goals - January 2025 [CC]


Letting you know what I got up to last month, as well as reviewing goals from two months ago, and setting new ones! #Authortube
 
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Tuesday, 7 January 2025

#TeaserTuesday

Harriet has to be extra careful with what she says...

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[ID: A light grey with the title DESTINATION: UNKNOWN at the top and out now in ebook, paperback & audiobook just above the title The except reads:

“And where do you live, Harriet?” she asked. I’d forgotten that I’d told her my name on my first trip here.
“A place similar to this,” I told her. I wasn’t lying, but I also wasn’t being a hundred per cent honest with her either. “I live with my mother, whom I care for. I go to school and I do the normal things a teenager would do.”
“Teenager?” she asked. Great, two sentences and I’d already given away a bit of the future.

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 bottom right corner is the logo for Bug Books. END ID]]

 

 

Monday, 6 January 2025

Being A Writer/Author - The Creative Process

BEING A WRITER/AUTHOR

For my first post of 2025, I wanted to talk about being a writer and an author. I will have been published for 20 years in August which just blows my mind, and I'll have my 23rd and 24th books coming out this year too (hopefully)! I have been writing since I was at school and it really only became an option for me as a career when I was medically retired from the working world at 19. (For reference, I just turned 43, today in fact!) My plans for my adult life were very different than the one I ended up with, and to be honest, I'm now okay with that because I couldn't think of anything else I would rather do.

But what does being a writer/author mean? I mean beyond the obvious, that you write, that you publish, that you keep telling stories however you wish to do so. For me it has meant a lot of things. It gave me an outlet for all those stories rolling around in my head. It gave me a chance at a career when I didn't know if I would ever do anything with my life again. It gave me friends and loved ones that I would not have met if it hadn't been for my writing. Writing, and being an author, have opened up my world and I love every second of it.

That said, I always have stories, I have a deep abiding need to share those stories with the world, even if they don't go on to become bestsellers, even if they don't reach a wide array of people. I just want those stories told and out there, and for them to come alive for the people who need them most. Being a writer and author is a very big part of my identity and while I know we're encouraged not to make one thing about us our whole personality, I can't help but feel like writing is very much a core piece of who I am and what I do.

Life can have a way of knocking you down, and to be honest, this past year has not been great for me. I'm hopeful for 2025, but I'm also ready to get back into making my writing and career into something I've not been capable of for a while. I don't know what I could do if I couldn't write. I know that's always a possibility with my health as fragile as it is, but I also know I would find a way to keep telling my stories, because these are stories that need to be told.

If there's one thing I've learned in all my years as an author, it's that things can change in an instant. You can go from selling poorly to selling well, and vice versa, with just a few days in between. It's a long hard slog, and I know that doesn't apply just to indies, but trad pub as well because they have to work just as hard as we all do.

For as long as I'm able, I plan to spend my days writing, publishing and all that goes with that, and getting my words, my stories, my characters and worlds, out there for people to see. After all, there are people out there who need to be seen, and maybe they will find that in one of my books. It's all about just keeping moving forward, no matter how fast or slow you may go.

I hope 2025 holds great things for you, and keep writing!

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

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