My paperback is in libraries and I wanted my eBook to be available too. You see growing up, I really valued the library. I couldn’t afford loads of books but the library gave me access to them.
It felt like Christmas walking through the doors and knowing I could take home any book. Pre- pandemic, I took my kids to the library so they could experience the same joy I had (and still do). My kids are always so excited, I struggle to control them but the lovely staff never judge. It’s given me a greater appreciation of my mum for taking me and my siblings (three under five) to the library so often, and hauling home the heavy bounty of books.
These memories have made the library important to me. And, I know I’m not alone. That’s why it’s been so important to me to have my books in libraries.
But it turns out, Overdrive will not deal with authors directly. So, I had to find an aggregator to be the middle man. They recommend D2D or Smashwords. I chose Smashwords as during my recent review of Aggregators I was impressed by their own store and the deals they do to promote indie books.
Now, Ocean Heart is on Smashwords, I celebrated by enrolled it in their Summer/Winter Sale. This means Ocean Heart is FREE for July 2021!
Ocean Heart free on Smashwords for July 2021
If you are looking for your next Summer Read go check out the sale. You can download Ocean Heart for FREE. I didn’t need to enter the code but if it asks, it’s: SW100
You can then read the ePub on whatever app is your favourite eBook reader.
Ocean Heart ISBN Numbers
If you missed this deal, you should now be able to borrow the paperback and eBook at your library. If it’s not in their catalogue, ask how to request it in. It helps to provide your librarian with the ISBN number.
I read this book as part of the #MerMayReadalong on Instagram where author Hannah Reed did weekly interviews with readers to see what they thought about her book.
The Peace Treaty fails and war breaks out between the Legged and Mera. The teens of important families are about to uncover secrets hidden on both sides. Can these be the used to bring about peace?
Setting
The book is set in a world very similar to ours, however, humans are aware of the merfolk. The book starts off with a peace treaty being agreed as the two groups are historically not allies.
The underwater world is much like our own but under the sea. They have their own cities, climates, and transport system.
We are called the Legged by the Mera. The Mera use pearls of different colours to use their magic. Different colour pearls have different powers. This is probably why the series is called The Pearl Weilders.
Main Character
April is the main character. She is a mermaid princess with the ability to weild all the pearls. The peace treaty is important to her parents and something her father has worked hard to accomplish.
Alex & Connor are legged sons of President Darius. They start off relaxing out of the way on Shell Island. Connor finds an unconscious girl on their beach who he takes in. The boys and their staff care for the mysterious girl and become very fond of her.
There are also many other important characters like Ethan, King Nathaniel, Megan, Kayla, and Fredrick. The chapters are mainly told from April’s perspective but they swap to be told from different characters throughout the book.
Review
This story was brilliant. The stakes were high, the danger real, and it had me turning the page every chance I got.
April is easy to like and relate to, despite being a mer princess. All the characters are well thought out with clear motives that make sense, even the villains.
There isn’t a romance although there is the potential that one is growing. The immediate threat is resolved in the book but the overall threat is ongoing, leaving it open for the next book.
This was got 5 stars for me. I loved it, and really enjoyed being part of the Readalong. I didn’t want it to end.
Thank you to everyone who entered my MerMay Giveaway for a chance to win a book token.
Entry was free and open to all. My newsletter subscribers got an extra entry.
I decided to use Miniwebtool.com random name picker, to choose from the entries from both Instagram and webform (link was in the newsletter ).
The giveaway is now closed and the winner has been notified.
The Book Token wasn’t the only thing I gave away during May!
Free eBook
To celebrate Ocean Heart now being available on Google Play, I made it free to all for the first week of May. In addition, to thank my followers on Ko-Fi, I provided them a link that enabled them to get Ocean Heart for free for the entire month of May.
Thank you to everyone that took advantage of my MerMay book deal and treated themselves to a free copy of Ocean Heart. Happy reading and if you have time, please write a review. Reviews are super important to authors as it helps our books get discovered. ?
More Freebies
In April, I tried out the shop feature on Ko-Fi by offering a free digital Book Tracker. I made this product free and it’s still Free! Go download it now.
You can also buy Ocean Heart from my Ko-Fi shop and there’s an option to purchase a signed copy.
Charity donations
For MerMay I did an ocean themed spread on Instagram. It made me want to do something to support a cause that helps the sea and/or marine life.
Choosing a charity to donate to was harder than I thought. There are so many amazing charities out there.
I decided to use Miniwebtool.com random name picker again. This time I used it to select a charity from my shortlist. It picked Blue Marine Foundation
By working together, we can turn the tide on overfishing and the destruction of biodiversity. By supporting BLUE, you can help to create marine reserves around the world.
Blue Marine Foundation
Don’t miss out…
The best way to make sure you don’t miss out on any future freebies or Giveaways is by:
Hello my mermaid loving readers. It’s the month of mermaids and MerMay 2021 is going to be MerMazing!
#MerMay
Readalong with Hannah Read
Author Hannah Read has created a MerMay readathon for May! She has encouraged people to get her novel Tenebrasco and set chapter goals throughout the month, so we can read along together.
As a mermaid fiction author myself, this sounded like so much fun. I’ve downloaded the book to my Kindle and despite being a slow reader I will try my best to keep up.
Follow #MerMayReadalong , #PearlWielders & @hannah.reads on Instagram.
I have been developing my technical skills to produce digital products. I decided to share my Book Tracker as a free download from my Ko-Fi Shop.
In addition, I’ve posted a link there that enables Ko-Fi fans to download Ocean Heart for free from Google Play ALL month.
It’s Free to follow me on Ko-Fi, so why not? That way you can enjoy the freebies and won’t miss out on future freebies.
Apple iBooks
ITunes Connect’s webpage is currently not loading on the page that allows new authors to join. The technical team have apologised for the issues and are working on resolving these.
Update: 30 May, I managed to create an author account but I think I have to wait 24h to add a book. So maybe later this month I’ll be on Apple. ?
Ocean Charity
I want to donate to an Ocean charity. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for ages and there are so many good ones out there.
I recently watched Seapiracy on Netflix and it reminded me of how crucial the ocean is to all of us.
This month I will pick a charity and donate. Let me know if you have any recommendations.
There are so many amazing bookstagramers. It was hard to choose only 15, but I wanted my list to reflect the wide variety of accounts.
Each of these accounts bring something different but are united by a shared passion for books and reading. I’m hoping this list will be an inspirational starting point for anyone interested in starting a bookstagram account.
I hope you enjoy this list and I’d love to hear your recommendations too.
Sophie takes stunning photos of her books like any bookstagrammer but what makes her account stand out is her incredible talent with makeup. Sophie creates makeup looks with a similar style/theme of her read. I think the account was previously called GoBookYourself.
If you love books and makeup, check out Spoops, She also includes the ”making of” in her posts which I love – it’s like magic seeing an artist at work.
This bookstagram features stunning hardback editions and a rainbow theme. Not only that, but fluffy Colin the cat features in many pics adding that extra enchanting factor.
If you want to discover new books to read, check out Laura. She is relentless in her pursuit of discovering hidden gems and actively supports new authors in getting discovered. She’s often one of the first to review the books she reads.
Michaelea shows how simple your gram can be. Her feed is mostly the book covers and her star rating. Her gram isn’t about arty book pics but helping her followers discover their next steamy romance. Michaela often reads Betas are ARCs enabling her to be up on the latest releases. She was in fact the first reviewer of Ocean Heart.
This feed is beautiful, it’s got an artistic aesthetic where every picture is unique but has the same colour tones. Then certain pics have been animated to give a hint of magic.
Chloe’s feed is very clever. It’s not instantly obvious, but she somehow finds objects/props to add to her pics to compliment the book. There are a few instances of her painting her hand, which is different.
This feed uses rainbows and flowers to present pretty bookish pics and start conversations about reads. Look out for the little finishing touches that makes this account stand out.
Sophie is a collector when it comes to books, not just the books but the collectables that go with them. I saw a live unboxing of her getting a limited edition and the excitement was very real.
Abby is a book reviewer and writer. What I love about her feed are the pets that feature in her pics. I especially love her hedgehog. I once wanted a hedgehog but then found out they eat worms – yuck.
This account is so new it started on 1st January 2021. But it already has an impressive feed. It has a rustic, country cottage vibe (like the fairy god mother’s cottage in Cinderella is Dead). I hope this bookstagram sticks around as I love the warmth and magic radiating off these pics.
If you’re on Instagram, please give me a follow too. Like most authors, I also post about the books I am reading as well as those I am writing. Here’s my first bookstagram of 2021.
Something I love about Goodreads is how easy it is to track my progress towards my reading goals. At the end of the year, Goodreads gives stats on my reads.
Redfae Bookshop is my Affiliate Bookshop.org shop link. NB: This post contains these affiliate links.
2020 Reading Goals
My goal was set at 12 books, thinking I could easily read one a month but I hadn’t taken into account how busy I’d be certain months launching my own book, Ocean Heart. It turned out just 12 books was harder than I thought.
The year has include some books I absolutely loved, and one I hated. I’m pretty good at choosing books I know I will love that I wasn’t surprised that my average rating was high. I just don’t have time to read books I won’t like. ?
Wiccan Romances: Amelia’s Story by Nicola Hebron
This was my first read of 2020. It was a book I’d been eager to buy, but was lucky enough to win a copy from the author on Twitter! Whoop! Whoop! I love fantasy set in the real world so it was a good start to my year.
My last two reads of 2020 were Garden in the Sands by Ellie Mitten and… I rather unusual choice for me… The Substantial Meal by Florence Green. I’ve rated them both on Goodreads but still need to write the review.
Garden in the Sands by Ellie Mitten
I think I preordered this book, but I’m such a slow reader, by the time I got to it, it’d been out a little while. I’m going to write a review very soon but as you can see from my 5 star rating, I LOVED THIS BOOK!
The Substantial Sandwich by Florence Green
I can’t remember how Florence & I got talking, but I was a bit glum I wasn’t going to make my pathetic reading goal of just 12 books. I was beating myself up. Then Florence cheered my up by sending me his recent release, an erotic satire using innuendos and puns about the Covid restrictions. It was a quick short read and succeeded at cheering me up. Review coming soon.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas is the most popular book I read. I’m not surprised as I saw it all over Instagram. I actually bought my copy in summer 2019 at YALC.
Another YALC buy was Sea Witch by Sarah Henning. It’s a historical fantasy/fairytale retelling of The Little Mermaid. I really loved the book, and hope to read book 2 in the series this year.
A book that should be more popular is Sorceress of Truth by J D Groom. It’s contemporary fantasy and has everything I love in a book. The MC was relatable, but all the side characters were well developed. With a modern day sorceress, fairies and vampires, what’s not to love?
2021 Reading Goal
To alleviate pressure, I’ve lowered my reading goal to 10 fiction books. I know, some people can read that amount in a month. But, I read for pleasure. And, I have to be in the right mood. If I’m too tired or engrossed in my own writing, I just can’t get into the book.
I also have a few resource books I need to read and review. I didn’t review any last year despite reading some. So, you can look forward to that. These are separate from my reading goal.
The novel is set in the future. Cyan and her mother are hunted because they are the last Caucasian women. They are wanted for science, trafficking, etc. Cyan’s mother was lost, presumed dead, when she was younger during an attack in their home. Cyan has spent most of her life on the run with her dad until he was murdered. Cyan is then on the run getting help from an unlikely companion, her father’s murderer.
Beginning
The book starts off by showing us this futuristic world. As Cyan’s needs to live off the grid to keep her safe, they actually live a very simple life. Cyan grows up in an extremely sheltered life where her mum is her main companion.
The start of the book is a little disorientating as we jump back and forth in time and between the viewpoints. You best get used to this style of story telling as it is used throughout the book.
Middle
I’m not keen on books where the characters are travelling. As Cyan is never safe, she’s always on the move.
Cyan lost her mother when she was young during an attack in the family home. She then spent a number of years raised solely by her dad. Her dad is getting old and struggling to keep her safe so he gets Devin (someone who has hunted them for years to get the bounty) to kill him and take on the role of protecting Cyan. The promise Devin makes to Cyan’s dad forces them together.
It was uncomfortable to read at times. There wasn’t only one rape scene but several, told by different characters and at different times.
At first Cyan doesn’t like Devin, he killed her dad. Devin keeps their relationship strictly business as he worries that if he gets emotionally involved it will cloud his judgement. Cyan learns to depend on Devin for protection and Devin learns to trust Cyan and her premonitions. The romance between them grows and I enjoyed the steamy scene in the barn.
I also liked Cyan’s powers and would have liked to have seen more of this but then she would have been less vulnerable. She gets a vibration feeling when danger is coming and premonitions that cone true. She also has a very destructive power which she used to attack hunters when they hunted her family. All the time in hiding, they never thought to encourage her to practice her powers to use them to keep them safe. So sadly, Cyan can’t use them.
The End
There was a decent end to the book. There were two plot twists and Cyan finally used her powers to save them.
The ending is left open for possibly another book.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this book was not for me. I was provided this book by Net Galley for an honest review.
I wasn’t keen on the constant danger or the idea that being the last woman with blue eyes meant men wanted to rape you. I found it hard to understand and it felt racist at times because men of colour were unable to control their urge and behaved like savage animals. If these are trigger points for you, give this book a miss.
Another gripe was her father’s plan for her survival. I found it a bit odd – why die. I couldn’t understand why Devin was risking his life for a promise to a dead man he had never really known. I didn’t believe Cyan would willingly go with Devin after seeing him murder her dad, especially as she didn’t know why and only had Devin’s word that it was what her dad wanted.
However, there are also many good points. The book is very well written with lots of showing and the world was brought to life in a natural way that sucked you in. I loved Cyan’s powers and wanted more. I loved the secret behind her necklace and it was a great reveal at the end. The slow burning romance kept me turning the page and I was thrilled when the pair finally got it on.
The author has written plenty of other books and maybe another title would be more my thing but I don’t think I will be in a hurry to read another one unless it comes highly recommended by someone who knows my reading tastes.
Have you read a book by Maddie James? Do you like novels set in the future or characters with powers?
My son is coming to an age where he can start building his own Roald Dahl collection and these are high on Father Christmas’ list for 2019. It seemed like a good time to share my own childhood memories of these books.
NB: This is a post from 2018 that has been edited.
My earliest reading memories are built on Roald Dahl’s books. His books brought joy and fear to my childhood and today I shall share those memories and my fondness for his characters.
Roald Dahl’s birthday is 13 September. Each year during September activities are planned close to his birthday to celebrate his books. Find out how to celebrate on his website.
My memories
As a child he was one of my favourite authors and his books will always hold a special place in my heart.
The first novel I stayed up to read
As a little girl, my dad read me a chapter of a book each night at bedtime. One night, we started the BFG (Big Friendly Giant).
He finished the first chapter, tucked me in and turned off the light. But, I couldn’t sleep as I wondered, what happened next to the kidnapped little girl in giant land?
Their was a dim glow coming from my nightlight and I sat up and took a sneaky peek at the next chapter… – Next thing I knew, it is morning. The book was finished and I hadn’t slept a wink. I think I had to take the day off school to recover from my reading marathon.
I wasn’t a fan of the film. The little girl wasn’t how I pictured her but it may be that it was a long-time since I read the book.
The scariest book I never finished
After that, my dad thought I was able to read before bed on my own. He reminded me of the importance of sleep and tucked me in.
One night, Roald Dahl engrossed me in a world where terrible child-loathing withes existed. It was so real and terrifying, I never finished the book.
I have since watched the film and loved it but the book is still too much.
My all time favourite
It has to be Matilda. She’s a likable character that is strong and determined and doesn’t let her misfortune hold her back. She has telekinetic powers and uses them to make things right. I wanted to be her.
The film is great fun for kids. All the characters look exactly as I imagined, especially, the villain, Ms Trunchball.
I wonder if this book gave birth to my love of contemporary fantasy.
https://youtu.be/XuyElRs_48Q
Final thoughts…
I hope my son loves Roald Dahl as much as me so I can relive my favourite books with him. I think he will enjoy the Twits as the disgusting humour is just his cup of tea.
Noah has just finished the Reading Challenge over the summer holidays and he is getting more confident in his ability to read himself. He is currently reading Dirty Bertie (Mascot) by David Roberts as his first chapter book, although we still take it in turns to read pages.
Space Chase, Reading Challenge Winner
What is your favourite Roald Dahl Book? Have you ever stayed up all night to finish a book or found a book more scary than the film?
This book came highly recommended on Instagram and when Bethany Atazadeh and Brittany Wang did their #STCExperiement – YouTube videos of them using the book to outline a novel – I decided I had to get it so I could join in.
The book is based on books by Blake Snyder who writes guides for scriptwriters. Jessica identified that the best novels use the same structure. In this guide to writing she adapts the ‘Save the Cat’ beats for novel writing. She also gives plenty of examples form best sellers – even if you haven’t read them you will know their names.
How it works?
This guide splits the novel into four Acts. Each act is broken down into beats. The Beats have names and descriptions to prompt you what needs to be happening in your novel.
Once you read the book you will start noticing the beats in films you watch. It is a real eye opener.
How I used it?
Editing (Jewel of the Sea)
When the book arrived I had just decided that Jewel of the Sea needed yet another edit! I wanted to re-write the ending, however, that’s not as easy as just jumping to the end and writing it. There are little details that need to be woven in throughout the novel.
After reading STC, I created a spreadsheet based on my word count and used the percentages to see where certain beats should be happening. It turned out I had a lot of the beats but in some places my pacing was off. I then used STC to help with that.
Plotting Act 1 (Scarlet Dresses)
For Camp NaNo April, I used STC to draft out the first Act for a new novel called Scarlet Dresses. During the challenge I made a really good start on this novel.
My only hold up was that I felt my characters were a bit flat as I had not spent long enough developing them. I feel the story had got potential so I plan to return to this project and complete it… one day.
Plotting and editing (Diamond in the Sky)
This month, I decided to do Camp NaNo July. Jewel of the Sea is out with Beta Readers and I need to start thinking about writing the next novel in my shifter series. Now, Diamond in the Sky has been started but never finished. Now I am more familiar with STC, I decided to use it for both editing and plotting.
To start with I need to edit what I already have. I have used STC to plot the first Act and created my spreadsheet to check the pacing is right. There are a few instances where it is slightly off and I have noted this on my spreadsheet to check later. First, I want to get the novel written.
The next step will be to use STC to plot the rest of the novel – the unwritten chapters. I will use STC to check that when I create the different beats that I am getting the pacing right.
Final thoughts…
This book has changed the way I write. I have always been a pantser and found editing incredibly hard. Writing without a plan often can take you off on wayward paths that are not necessary or haven’t been preempted to create the right impact. This results in a lot of editing – something I hate.
With STC, I feel have a guide keeping me on track and I can check my pacing is working. Previously, my outline was incredibly brief and left a lot of gaps for me to fill but having a plot keeps me on track and I don’t get stuck.
If you need help plotting and with pacing, then I highly recommend this book. Now, it is always close to hand and I wouldn’t write a novel without it. I love it.
Do you have any writer resources that you swear by?
This is the first book in the series that I have read and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The funny thing is I first heard about this book at YALC 2017 when they were promoting it with #RedQueenForADay but it had taken me almost two years to pick it up to read.
Please excuse the silly picture, I was not feeling very photogenic after the long train ride to London.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXLBzKahLYo/
What is the book about?
The book is set in a world with two species of humans. There are those with red blood who are treated as a low class species and those with silver blood who are treated as nobles and have super power type abilities.
The MC, Mare, is a red blood. She lives in a family that are struggling to get by and she hasn’t got a job to be able to contribute to supporting her family. Mare is a thief. Eventually, when she comes of age she will be sent to war, to fight for the silvers on the front lines with a high risk of being killed.
Mare’s best friend is due to be sent away very soon and Mare decides to help them escape but first she needs to get enough money to pay for their travel. The risks are high so those that could help them escape have set a high fee.
Mare’s sister has a good job where she makes fine clothes for the Silvers. Mare tags along with her to get into the city. Whilst there a terrorist attack takes place causing bedlam. Mare panics and tries to pick a pocket but gets caught. Her sister takes the blame to save her and has her hands broken, resulting in losing her trade. The girls return home with very bleak prospects.
An unexpected request comes for Mare to come and work at the palace. This will save her from war and give her family money to survive but she will have to leave them behind.
The middle
Early on, Mare discovers she is different from other Red Servants when she accidentally manipulates lightening. She earns the nickname Little Lightning Girl and the attention of the Queen.
The Queen fears that news that a red could have powers will encourage the rebels so she marries Mare to her son and concocts a story about how Mare is a silver that was raised as a red.
Mare is watched by the Queen’s guards and the cameras in the palace. She has to keep up the ruse but despite falling for the princes (both of them), her heart is still red and wants revenge for her kinds spilt blood. Under the watchful eyes she seeks to join the rebels and take down the silvers from the inside.
How it ends
I don’t want to spoil it for you but there is a big battle where the odds are not in Mares favour.
She is placed in an arena for her execution where, for entertainment, selected silvers will use their powers to torture her before her end. Mare will have to battle them all if she is to live.
Final thoughts…
I wish I had read Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard sooner. If you like powers, submersible world building and a touch of romance then give this YA Fantasy is worth a read.
Can you guess my next read? There’s a sneak peak in the photo.
