Book Review: The Belle of Eden by Sofia B. Ashford

⭐⭐⭐⭐

*Disclaimer* I read this book a while ago, and to my knowledge, it is the only book by this author, but as I set out on my own “Author’s Journey,” I want to make sure that I celebrate and draw attention to other creative geniuses along the way!

I received a free copy of The Belle of Eden by Sofia B Ashford from Book Sirens, and boy, am I glad I did.

“The noose lay innocently in the dirt as if it were only a rope.” (Pg. 12)
I was hooked from the beginning of this story. The opening pages of any written work are so critical. They should create questions in the reader that encourages further reading to find the answers. It shouldn’t give too much away and in this, Ashford was masterful. Based on the introduction, the story seems to be set in the Golden Age of piracy somewhere in the 17th or 18th century. I love pirate stories, so I was eager to keep reading!
Right from the start, the author’s use of language painted a vivid picture in my mind’s eye, creating for me, the illusion that I was not just a mere reader, but a part of the story itself. We meet Belle, a pirate who narrowly escapes being hung for her crimes. The circumstances of her “rescue” soon come to light and she is thrust into an arrangement that could spell her freedom from the inevitable hangman’s noose that awaits her for her life of piracy.
I love how the author uses real historical elements throughout the story. I love when fantasy mimics reality. I think it makes stories more interesting and relatable. This author also includes aspects that are less realistic which helps to induce the sense of mystery and magic inherent in all great stories.
We follow Belle as she makes the voyage back to the place that so haunts her, not for herself but as part of an agreement she makes with an unlikely acquaintance in return for the chance to be free. Unfortunately, their journey would not be an easy one, though facing danger has a way of bringing people together. Fiercely independent, Belle, finds herself drawn to her apparent savior. As they continue on their quest we see the walls that she has built up around herself slowly begin to fall. The author did a good job with the character development throughout the story and I find myself relating to Belle in many ways as she battles with her demons within.
This book is definitely a must-read. My only criticism, as with every good book, is that it wasn’t long enough and the author could have expanded the story a lot. I feel as though I am left without the closure I hoped for upon completion. I do hope to read more from this author going forward…and who knows, maybe there is still more of this story to tell?

Read this book 😉

It’s Time for an Update

Untitled Novel/Series:
I am excited to say that I have almost reached the 27,000-word mark and 10 Chapters completed on my upcoming novel! I feel like I can confidently say this is probably the halfway mark for this book. I thought about sharing some of my favorite quotes from what I’ve written so far, but not quite yet!
I have also been focusing a lot on the back story for this novel and its characters, and when I say back story, I mean Back…think “In the Beginning…”
I have written a unique creation/origin story and I am really excited about it!

Challenges & Competitions:
As you know, I participated in a 21 Day Poetry Writing Challenge in October 2021, and was rewarded for my efforts with those poems being published! It has been fantastic seeing everyone receive copies and getting feedback! I love it.
In keeping with my belief that personal and professional development is never done, I have recently entered two more writing challenges/competitions, both taking place in April 2022.
The first is the NYC Midnight Micro Fiction Writing Challenge! Essentially, on the day of the competition, they will send me a genre, action, and word assignment and then I will have 24 hours to write a 100-word fiction story using the information they provided! Crazy right? Anyway, the competition has 3 levels, and the first one will be in April. If I am successful, the second round will take place in June 2022!
The second competition is The Write Practice’s 2022 Spring Writing Contest! I will have 1500 words to write a story using a theme that they provide me. I can start writing immediately (I have) and part of the process involves submitting the story to a small group workshop, where myself and a few other contestants give each other feedback before the story is submitted to the judges!
The prizes for both include various cash prizes and the winner of the 2022 Spring Writing Contest will have their story featured on the front page of Short Fiction Break, a monthly literary magazine, and be offered the opportunity to be a monthly contributor! Most importantly though, the biggest reward is the chance to step outside my comfort zone and increase my experience and skills as an author. I can’t wait to share the journey (and the stories) with you! I will post the links to both competitions below (This paragraph is an example of what 100 words looks like).

Wish me luck!

NYC Midnight Micro Fiction Challenge: https://www.nycmidnight.com/100
The Write Practice 2022 Spring Writing Contest: https://thewritepractice.com/writingcontests/spring-22/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=NEW+Writing+Contest+now+open%21&utm_campaign=Contest+1%3A+NEW+Writing+Contest+now+open%21

Book Review: Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo (King of Scars Duology Book 2, Grishaverse Book 7)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“They were just the people who had shown up and managed to survive.
But maybe that was the trick of it: to survive, to dare to stay alive, to forge your own hope when all hope had run out.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

It has been a great privilege to read all 7 of Bardugo’s Grishaverse books, and the most recent, Rule of Wolves, was an absolute masterpiece from my perspective. We get to delve deeper into the politics of the realm, experience a deeper connection with characters we have grown to love, and we have developed a new appreciation for their struggles. We get a brief reunion with beloved characters from past stories and meet a few new friends too. We have also witnessed Leigh Bardugo grow as an author which is an amazing experience for me as an aspiring author.


This story ties up a lot of loose ends for me after what could only be described as an emotional rollercoaster ride. The complaints I had from King of Scars were dealt with beautifully in this book and I didn’t mind the back and forth between the characters this time. The story flowed and made sense. It made me laugh out loud and cry from feeling the heartbreak of the characters. By far, one of the best books I have read in a long time. The ending was tidy, satisfying and really all that I could hope for at the end of the story you wish would NOT end. It also left an opening. If Bardugo ever wanted to continue writing in this world or not, the ending fits. Thank you for this awesome story, Leigh Bardugo!

New Poem

I can’t sleep, so here is a brand new poem that I just wrote:

Who will speak for the voiceless?
Who will comfort the ones left behind?
Who will hold the hands of the hopeless?
As the helpless and innocent die?

Who is right, who is wrong, does it matter?
If the vulnerable still suffer the same,
Who will say, ” Stop political chatter!
Each life lost is a crime, is a shame.”

Time is ticking, and war marches onward,
Devastation, destruction, and pain
Peace is shattered and freedom is threatened
And not only for those in Ukraine,

Everyone tosses around the word, “Freedom.”
Yet so many do not have a clue,
Sometimes words aren’t enough to secure it
Sometimes difficult actions are due

Why is history always repeating?
Surely humans are not so inane.
It’s all stemming from ego and power,
All this mess for political gain.

Where are the warriors and leaders,
Who will do what is right, not refrain?
It is times such as these that define us
When we overcome suffering and pain

What is great, will never come easy.
And the cost of freedom is high
But it’s worthy and right to defend it,
We must act, and stop just standing by

No more words, more than sanctions, Take action!
Be decisive, deliberate, and firm,
The time for talking is over
“Freedom for all!” It is time to affirm.

-Alicia Doyle, 9 March 2022

Book Review: King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

⭐⭐⭐⭐

King of Scars is the sixth book by Leigh Bardugo, set in the brilliantly crafted Grishaverse, and is the first book in the King of Scars Duology.

I continue to be impressed with how Bardugo’s writing improves with each new book and it is a wonderful experience for me as an aspiring author. I love this world, and the characters continue to surprise and delight me. They have depth and are extremely relatable even though many of them are Grisha (capable of a type of elemental magic). The interpersonal relationships in this story and the dialogue are what I enjoy most.
The reason why I give this book only 4 stars is that I found Bardugo’s method of writing each chapter from a different character perspective, like the previous books, interrupted the flow for me. Particularly, the chapters involving Issak. They threw off the rhythm of the story and detracted from the big picture for me. Also, the book jumped around more than usual which I typically don’t mind, but I didn’t enjoy it this time.


As always, the overall story and the characters were wonderful and my love of the world and those characters, as well as the lore, kept the pages turning for me. If you have read the other books before this one, you will understand what I mean.
I do hope going forward that we get to reacquaint ourselves with Kaz Brekker and Inej and the rest of that crew again. I am excited to read the next book, Rule of Wolves.

It’s been a while…

It has been a couple weeks since I have posted anything, so I thought I would take a few minutes to give an explanation and some updates.

My whole family recently recovered from a very mild version of the dreaded COVID-19. Other than drastically limiting my desire to be creative, we made out very well.

As far as my writing goes, I want to say THANK YOU again to everyone who bought a copy of my recently published book of poetry. It was really exciting to see it in the hands of people I love and care about. Your support means everything to me.

The progress on my untitled Sci-Fi/Fantasy novel slowed considerably but I am getting back at it and will be starting Chapter 10. I have found myself more and more distracted with everything going on in the world which I know is the main reason I am not further along. It feels odd to try and be creative.

Even my reading has taken a hit because I can’t seem to focus on it with all the other distractions. I am currently reading another book by Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars, set in the familiar Grishaverse like the previous books I have reviewed. I am hopeful that I will find time to finish it soon and will review it for you.

The world is a crazy place right now with a lot of uncertainty and fear in the air. Take care of yourself and those you love. This too shall pass.

Officially a Published Author!!

It’s done, it’s done, IT IS DONE!!! My poetry book from Bookleaf Publishing’s Poetry Writing Challenge is officially available on Amazon.ca!! I am so thrilled! The link is below if you are interested! No pressure! Just seeing a book that has been published with MY NAME on it is worth it! I am over the moon! I added it to Goodreads (just waiting for my application to be approved to become a Goodreads author) 😁😁😁😁😁😁

If you do want a glimpse inside my head! Don’t forget to leave reviews!! They are appreciated more than I can ever express in words!

Here’s the link:

Thoughtful Thursday: Book Bans are NOT the Answer!

I have always believed that one must be given all the information on a topic to be able to independently assess, explore and intelligently discuss that topic from all possible angles and only then determine what their opinion ought to be. But where can one find accurate, reliable, and non-biased information? The truth can be complicated, and often, very little is absolute. Furthermore, the death and/or denial of expertise is a major contributing factor to the nigh insurmountable accumulation of misinformation and plague of cancel culture that is out there.

I’ve been following the rising tide of attempted book bans in the United States for the past few months. For the “Land of the Free,” there is a startling number of books that various individuals, organizations, and even governments feel are an insidious threat.  In the last six months of 2021 alone, 155 book ban attempts were recorded. (1)

Sadly, this isn’t just a problem in the US but around the world too. Whenever information of any kind is surprised, but especially books, I often wonder, what are those trying to ban them afraid of? Humans are remarkable creatures, but our fear and ignorance are limiting. If we would only teach people to think and do so critically, and from a place of trying to understand instead of trying to elevate our own opinions, most of which are rarely based on a proper evaluation of all information, what we could accomplish as a species would be mind-blowing.

People might respond to my question with, “but what about all the nonsense, and the purposeful misdirection that occurs? What about the outright lies, false narratives, and dangerous opinions that might ensnare the weak-minded or vulnerable?”  That is a risk, yes. But they will find that information if they are seeking it with or without access to these banned books.

Being able to hear someone’s opinion, course-correct your own as appropriate, and then move on with your own life, has become a long-forgotten or ignored skill. Maybe that’s where we need to start to have a brighter future. Banning books is not the answer.

(1) https://bookriot.com/book-censorship-around-the-world/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=RR%20Feb%208%2C%202022&utm_term=BookRiot_TheRiotRundown_DormantSuppress

Book Review: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Crooked Kingdom was AWESOME! It was full of all the best elements of storytelling and ended in a way that did all the storylines justice. It has twists and turns and was un-put-down-able. Even though there was always something going on, I never felt lost or confused which can sometimes happen with a novel that is so jammed full of content. I LOVE this book and the more I read by Leigh Bardugo, the more excited I am to read what comes next. Bardugo makes you feel as though you are right in there, and part of the gang. And as criminal as Kaz may seem, I would follow him and his brilliant mind into even the most impossible situations, because loyalty is a language he speaks and understands. I would trust Inej to have my back in all situations because she is principled and deadly. All of the main characters are relatable, which makes you more invested in what happens throughout the story. If you get the opportunity to read this book, do it. It would be a mistake not to.

Book Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Leigh Bardugo does an awesome job painting the picture of life in the criminal underbelly of the Grishaverse. Unlike the Shadow & Bone Trilogy (which is a great read), this story focuses more on a colorful crew of miscreants who are trying to pull off the ultimate heist, which would allow them each the opportunity to change their fate.

I really enjoyed the story (first in a duology). I was thrown a bit at first because unlike the Shadow & Bone Trilogy which was written from the first-person point of view, Bardugo chose to switch to the third-person point of view for Six of Crows. Additionally, each chapter focused on an individual character versus meshing the characters all together in one chapter. I find this so intriguing because when I started the novel I am currently writing, I struggled to decide which point of view to use. I wonder why Bardugo decided to change it up, but I can say that she did an excellent job of it.

For me, each author I read had a certain voice and even if you read different stories by that author, you can still hear or feel their unique voice. It feels different for me with Bardugo and the multiple points of view, but it definitely opens up the idea to me that as an author it is possible and even sometimes necessary to switch things up. Leigh Bardugo is one of the greats, and I cannot wait to read the next book in this duology, Crooked Kingdom.

Leigh Bardugo, if you ever see this review, as an aspiring Fantasy/Sci-Fi author, I would love to know why you chose to switch points of view, which one you found easier, etc.

Definitely read this book. It’s great!