I always loved the movie and didnāt know it was based on a book. Once I discovered this, I borrowed the audio version from Borrowbox with my library card.
This was one of the best audio books I have ever listened to. There was a main narrator, and every character had their own voice. The story was as magical as I remember. It is a perfect modern fairy tale that will be loved for many years to come.
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Posted on YouTube on 22nd December 2023.
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This was an incredible read. Iād no idea what to expect but it was better than anything I could imagine. It is violent and bloody, but the story explores our morals.
Set in the future, death is no longer a problem. If you were to become deadish, you can be revived. To restore the balance a group called Scythes take on the sacred duty of gleaming (killing) life. They have quotas and rules to follow.
Teenagers Roman and Citra both (on seperate occasions) meet Scythe Faraday on a gleaming job. Their interactions with him stand out and he makes them his apprentice. Never before has a Scythe taken on two apprentices and thereās no rule against it. Still, it causes uproar and an edict is agreed that when one of them passes their apprenticeship, their first task will be to kill the other.
Scythe Faraday blames himself for putting Citra & Rowan in this position. He gleams himself to free them from the apprenticeship, but instead two other Scythes step forward to train them.
Rowan is taken on by Scythe Goddard who has a reputation for his blood lust, enjoying massacres to hit his quotas.
Citra is taken on by the famous Grande Madam of Death, Scythe Curie. She shows compassion to the family members of those gleamed.
Now the pair have very different apprenticeship experiences. Citra doesnāt believe Scythe Faradayās death was an accident, and her inquisitive mind gets her in trouble.
Meanwhile, Rowanās training involves parties and mass killings as Scythe Goddard tries to encourage him to find joy in kill craft. Goddardās cruel methods push Rowan too far and he is no longer the boy he started out as.
The story continues to move toward the final conclave where theyāll both have to pass their last test. Passing the test will means one of them gets ordained and must kill the other. Despite all that has happened since Faraday, they still care deeply about each other. Both are plotting for a loop hole in the edict.
This was a brilliant story. There is a lot of death as they are Scythes, but the twists and surprises in the story is what makes you gasp and need to read another chapter!
Read it for a story full of twists and surprises, and to explore ideas of mortality and morals. Donāt read it if you donāt like blood, gore, or sensitive about death.
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You can buy this book from:
Amazon: The Toll (Arc of a Scythe) https://amzn.eu/d/eMwAIU2
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[Kofi]
You can see the initial goals I set for 2023 by checking out my January post: https://lde.tuq.mybluehost.me/2023-goals/
I love doing these posts. I always feel like Iāve not done much, then I look back at the last three months and realise I have a lot to celebrate.
Sky Heart: Book 2 in the Soul Heart Series
My editor had a health emergency that delayed her being able to return the Copy Edit. She is a Trooper, and once she was better and rested she still did it. She returned it on 4 June 2023.
I had an important event to prepare for in June, so didnāt really deep dive into my final edits until the end of the month, finishing it by 1 July 2023.
So, this technically falls into the Third Quatre of the year but Iām too excited to keep it to myself. Once I finished editing, I sent my manuscript to my Formatter to make it pretty. I then realised she needs front & back matter too, so I wrote this and sent it over by 3 July.
Due to the editing delays, I lost my Formatting slot but will get slotted in soon. Once back Iāll be able to look for ARC readers.
Seeing my publishing plan, I noticed I missed a step. Now trying to see if I Cassidy has time to proofread for me, because sheās got a good eye. When she ARC read Ocean Heart, she spotted some minor typos that got missed despite all the edits, and I was able to change those before it went on sale to the public. Fingers crossed she can help me again.
Summer Heart: Prequel of Soul Heart series
I added a little more. Itās not going to be 85k. Iāve no idea why I set that as the word count target! Itās currently at 36.5k words, and some of that is notes. It is nearing the end of the story, so itās not going to get much longer.
Dark Heart: Another Soul Heart spin off/sequel
Iāve had this story bubbling in my head for a few years. I tried to write it before but got too scared. This time it felt less scary, and the words poured out of me. This story is at 21k words and almost finished. It will be another novella.
Public Appearances: I attended both my author events.
May: Herts Book Festival
This was so much fun. I sold books. I took part on a Fantasy panel with other fantasy authors, and I met and made author friends.
June: Felixstowe Book Festival.
I have wanted to be part of this event for a long time! I was part of the Childrenās events. My event was called Letās Talk Fantasy, and it was me and a local avid reader. It created a great dynamic. Afterwards, I sold and signed some books, and enjoyed more of the festivals events.
I forgot to take pictures and videos, until after the event. I only got a photo of my signing table, and fortunately Phoebeās mum took some pictures she was willing to let me use on Social Media.
Aug: Booked to attend Legends Comic Con on 6 Aug 2023
I have updated my websiteās Events page with details. I will be three with three other local authors I have gotten to know via Instagram, including Rachel Churcher who had the stall next to me at Herts Book Festival.
12 out of 18 books: I set my Goodreads goal at 16 books and have read 12 books so far.
Reviews: All the books have a Goodreads review. I have been so busy, Iāve not posted reviews as frequently to my blog. I posted three more book reviews on my YouTube channel channel.
Felixstowe Magazine: I have fallen behind with submitting articles for Felixstowe Magazine. Iāve been so busy with my kids, my new job, and festivals, that the weeks have flown by. This is a reminder, I need to get back on that as itās a really good opportunity.
Website: Iāve been good about updating my websites Event page with what Iām up to. Iāve not updated my book titles. I need to update Sky Heartās progress, rename New Moon as Summer Heart, and add Dark Heart.
Iām also not happy with my current host provider, Hostinger. I paid for 2 years, so Iām stuck with them for another year but in the autumn I need to check out other providers and prepare for a migration.
Ko-Fi: I havenāt posted as frequently. Everything dropped up during chicken pox season, and busy with book festivals. Iāve started posting quick updates on my progress, and my YouTube videos. Nobody is there so it feels like Iām talking to a brick wall.
[kofi]
YouTube: i usually record when Iām off work on a Friday, but due to bank holidays and sick kids, Iāve worked a lot of Fridays and this has impacted my ability to record anything. I have made a few shorts in Canva. Iām proud of my long form Vlog video of going to Herts Book Festival.
Consistently Post: To keep the algorithm happy, I set the following schedule and included how I got on sticking to it:
Followers: Eek, I was okay with no growth, but to lose followers was a shock. Itās so slight, I hadnāt even noticed. I wasnāt surprised that my TikTok count dropped as I deleted the app for a bit – Iām just not a fan and donāt trust them to respect my privacy.
Iām chuffed I have already beat my YouTube annual goal. This is encouraging as I am still trying to figure things out.
Itās good to see I am connecting with readers. I was surprised by this as I donāt always remember to post to BookBub & Litsy.
The Author Diaries: The authors that agreed to do The Author Diaries collab with me are still up for it but we still havenāt set down a time. Iām starting to worry we might never do it.
Reviews: Iāve heard from people that bought Ocean Heart tell me they are loving it, but no new reviews.
Skincare routine: Got a new face wash which I love, by Auriella Probiotics. I got a new foundation, eyebrow pencil, and lip and cheek tint.
Visit Jimmyās Farm: I was worried with the kids keep getting ill, my hubby working weekends, and my festivals, that we wouldnāt get to go. We did.
I was having an awful weekend where the kids were driving me barmy and decided I wanted to change it. So, I took them to Jimmyās Farm to burn their energy and we all had a great time.
Date Nights: No more date nights, but we took the day off for Sports Day and got to have lunch, just my hubby and I, on the seafront.
We almost booked a spa day at Riverhills for our wedding anniversary. We got the time off work but we were so distracted by life we never booked it. Just as well, because the night before we would have gone, the spa burned down.
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You can see the initial goals I set for 2023 by checking out my January post.
Todayās post is to look at what I have achieved during the first three months of the year (January to March) 2023.
Sky Heart: Book 2 in the Soul Heart Series
It took me until end of March to finish the Developmental Edit which is longer than I had hoped but still good progress.
I have also finalised the cover for Sky Heart and waiting for Sky Heart to be closer to publishing to do a cover reveal.
Summer Heart: Prequel of Soul Heart series
I havenāt worked much on this during Quarter One. I have been distracted by a shiny new idea. Iām not too worried as Sky Heart was always the priority but Iād like to finish this at some point this year.
Public Appearances: I have booked two events.
May: Herts Book Festival. I will be there selling signed copies of Sky Heart.
June: Felixstowe Book Festival. I will be taking part on a panel for the Childrenās events.
Other Stories: I gave some examples of some plot bunnies bouncing around in my head. However, none of these were the shiny new story I started writing during quarter one.
6 out of 18 books: I set my Goodreads goal at 16 books and have read 6 books so far. I bought some ear pods and tried audio books again. Iām having more success, but, I still prefer the written word to the verbal word.
Reviews: All the books have a Goodreads review. I have posted reviews on my YouTube channel for four books so far and plan to do more.
Felixstowe Magazine: I have been fortunate enough to write for Felixstowe Magazine throughout 2022 and will continue in 2023. Check out my News page to discover the articles.
Website: I need to make sure my pages stay up-to-date. For example, whilst writing this Iāve found that āNew Moonā is listed on my books page but hasnāt updated to the new title āSummer Heartā. This isnāt a biggie as Iām not marketing it yet, but I mustnāt lose sight of it.
Iām also not happy with my current host provider, Hostinger. I paid for 2 years, so Iām stuck with them for another year but in the autumn I need to check out other providers and prepare for a migration.
Ko-Fi: I have been posting more often to Ko-Fi and trying to post some content that canāt only be seen there by more followers. I am finding it hard to think of content to post each day.
[kofi]
YouTube: Despite the challenges affecting my life during the first quarter, I have managed to record, edit, and lost fortnightly to YouTube. This schedule is challenging for me but still achievable so I will keep this schedule.
Consistently Post: To keep the algorithm happy, I set the following schedule and included how I got on sticking to it:
Followers: Eek, I was okay with no growth, but to lose followers was a shock. Itās so slight, I hadnāt even noticed. I wasnāt surprised that my TikTok count dropped as I deleted the app for a bit – Iām just not a fan and donāt trust them to respect my privacy.
Iām chuffed I have already beat my YouTube annual goal. This is encouraging as I am still trying to figure things out.
Itās good to see I am connecting with readers. I was surprised by this as I donāt always remember to post to BookBub & Litsy.
The authors that agreed to do The Author Diaries collab with me are still up for it but we still havenāt set down a time. In the meantime, I have been creating fortnightly content for my YouTube channel.
Reviews: Although Iāve had two people tell me they read and loved Ocean Heart, the review count has not increased.
Skincare routine: I got in a good routine and then got lazy again. I also treated myself to some Korean makeup. I used to love Korean makeup before I went organic. I got a cute foundation, highlighter, and bronzer.
Visit Jimmyās Farm: Iām so disappointed that we havenāt been. It hasnāt been the best weather, cold and rainy. When it has been nice my husband had either been working or someone has a bad cold. Hopefully we will get to go during Q2.
Date Nights: My hubbyās best mate baby Sat so we could go watch Avatar together. This was right before I lost my job. Once I was unemployed my hubby and I went to lunch a few times when we was on his rest days.
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I didnāt really set any goals last year and it left me feeling like I didnāt achieve everything I wanted to. Having no milestones left me unaccountable.
After reflecting on this, and learning from it, I must set goals for 2023! I went back to my Jan 2021 post to use as a goal setting template.
Sky Heart: Book 2 in the Soul Heart Series
I wanted to publish this by the end of 2021. The goal rolled into 2022, and itās still outstanding! This is my top priority for 2023. I am halfway through the developmental feedback. Completing this step by the end of Jan is doable.
For accountability, I will post my feedback on Ko-Fi & share to Twitter.
Summer Heart: Prequel of Soul Heart series
Originally this was titled New Moon (or Dennyās Story) and it was going to be a short novella that I would offer out as a readers magnet, butā¦ Iām not good at short stories. This is fast becoming a full length novel.
Public Appearances: I would really love to do another face to face event. They are scary but I think they are important to be seen as an author. Iām not sure what though.
Other Stories: I would like to start a new novel. I have ideas for some stand alone novels. As I struggle for time to work on my main projects, these get pushed aside. When I want a change, I will work on:
12 – 24 Books: When I am working on my writing, I tend not to read. It depends on how productive I am towards my publishing goals. The last two years, Iāve doubled it but my progress in other areas were reduced.
Reviews: I wish to continue posting reviews on my blog, and Goodreads. If itās on Litsy or BookBub, I will post it there too. In addition, Iād like to review books on my YouTube channel.
Felixstowe Magazine: I have been fortunate enough to write for Felixstowe Magazine throughout 2022 and will continue in 2023. Check out my News page to discover the articles.
Website: I need to make sure my pages stay up-to-date. For example, whilst writing this Iāve found that āNew Moonā is listed on my books page but hasnāt updated to the new title āSummer Heartā. This isnāt a biggie as Iām not marketing it yet, but I mustnāt lose sight of it.
Iām also not happy with my current host provider, Hostinger. I paid for 2 years, so Iām stuck with them for another year but in the autumn I need to check out other providers and prepare for a migration.
Ko-Fi: I joined last year, and really enjoy this site. It is now my shops home as itās so easy to use. I need to update this more often and encourage people to follow me there.
[kofi]
YouTube: I really want to grow my YouTube channel. Itās hard because I need quiet to make videos. I also donāt want you to see my messy home, so I must tidy first (recently we had a leak in the kitchen that spread to the dining room – this is an ongoing nightmare). Then once recorded I need to edit, and my laptop is on the way out. There are lots of obstacles but this is a goal Iām not giving up on!
Consistently Post: I know this is important to keep the algorithm happy, but during 2022 I just lost my enthusiasm to post. I think it was burn out. However, this is what I will aim for:
Followers: Iām not too worried about building up my following as Iād rather have people Iām engaging with than big numbers. Iāve set my goal to increase by 10%, especially as I havenāt really tracked it for two years.
I barely sent out any news letters during 2022. To send one every other month would be an increase. It would be nice to get more subscribers but I wonāt be pushing this.
I donāt like Facebook, so Iām going to drop this off completely.
I recently returned to Twitter. I stopped using Twitter because there was so much hate and preaching American Democrats. It pushed me to check out Parler. Parler was very American Republican and nothing else. Since Elon has taken over Twitter, it feels less political, and there is more rounded discussion. Iām enjoying Twitter again.
TikTok is an app I feel I should use more as people make book sales there, but it terrifies me. Iām not going to force myself to do it, if I feel inspired to post there I will but Iām not too bothered about my growth.
I had an idea to do a collab feature on YouTube called The Author Diaries. We found it challenging to find a time we were all free but I am still interested in doing this. In the meantime, I will create content for my YouTube channel on writing a book reviews.
BookBub, Goodreads, and Litsy are social apps for readers. Iām not very active on these except to post reviews. I canāt see that changing.
Reviews: Reviews are really important for a books visibility, so I will be tracking how many I have and ā eek ā remind my readers to leave reviews.
Skincare routine: I havenāt really bothered with my skincare or makeup products during 2022 as I tried to save money. It could be aging or my lack of care but my skin is in need of some attention. For 2023, I will invest in some nice products and look after my skin better.
Visit Jimmyās Farm: My mum treated me to an annual pass so we can go whenever we like. We will be making the most of that. The pass also includes discounts at other places so we could check them out too.
Date Nights: My hubby and I are both busy working, looking after the kids, keeping up appearances with friends & family that we barely have quality time together. When we are together we are often exhausted. My hubby and I have agreed that we will try harder this year to make time for each other.
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This book is a prequel to the Sorceress of Truth series by J.D. Groom.
Blackpool, 1894, and a deadly creature lurks in the shadowsā¦
Shadows of the Circus by J.D. Groom
This is my first Historical Fantasy. The story is set in Blackpool, 1894, and tells the story of vampire Kylan.
Kylan is working at Blackpool Tower in construction and getting things ready for the grand opening of the famous landmark. He is struggling with managing his vampire urges.
Then he meets Mary, a well established vampire who takes him under her wing and gives him a crash course in control. When Kylan finds Mary in a dangerous situation, the fangs come out and everything is ruined.
Although this novel is a prequel to Sorceress of Truth (YA Contemporary Fantasy), this has a different feel with a male voice, more adult themes, spicy scenes and violence. There is a glossary of Victorian slang at the end, I particularly liked the words for idiot.
Read it for vampires, historical settings, and a little spice and gore.
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You can get this book from:
This book is currently only availabile for free direct from the authors website by joining her newsletter: https://jdgroom.com
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[kofi]
