It has taken me a lot longer to decide to read this series than I would have liked. I started with the Throne of Glass novella collection, The Assassin’s Blade, in mid-May and have been devouring the following books since.
Throne of Glass was an excellent series starter with exciting characters and masterful world-building. Celaena, our firey protagonist, finds herself in an interesting position in this book. A deadly and difficult competition that really gives us an opportunity to watch her character grow and face ever more complicated challenges. I really enjoyed the style of Sarah J. Mass’s writing. With evocative descriptions and relatable characters, I had no trouble immersing myself in the Throne of Glass world. As soon as I finished reading it, I rushed out to buy the next two books in the series. I would highly recommend you read these books if you haven’t yet discovered them!
At the beginning of April 2022, I stepped out of my comfort zone (highly recommend) and entered a short story writing contest that required me to write a 1500-word story with a theme of ‘Happily Ever After.” The contest was The Write Practice’s Spring Writing Contest in partnership with the online magazine Short Fiction Break. I am so excited to announce that my short story, “Beezlebub’s New Beginnings Bingo” was shortlisted as a favorite of the judges!! While this means I was not an official prize winner, I am still over the moon that my story was selected from hundreds of others and recognized by the judges. Sharing my writing with others is exciting but makes me feel incredibly vulnerable because it’s essentially putting a piece of my soul out there for the world to see and more often than not, the world can be cruel and constructive criticism is a skill that few people have mastered. Therefore, writing requires a person to have thick skin, unfailing perseverance, and a willingness to take risks. I’m so glad I did! If you haven’t had a chance to check out the story, here is the link to read it on Short Fiction Breaks online magazine:
I admit I am a bit late to the Sarah J. Maas fandom, but I do prefer not having to wait for the books in a series I love to release. I find the wait excruciating **cough** GRRM, Rothfuss, et al. **cough** I immediately fell in love with Maas’ writing style and The Assasin’s Blade was a perfect appetizer for what I anticipate will be an emotional rollercoaster ride of a series. This book is especially great if you prefer shorter stories as it is actually five novellas contained in one book. We are introduced to the fiery, young assassin, Celaena Sardothien, and her life as Adarlan’s Assassin and with each novella, we are given another glimpse into who she is and how her values and principles challenge her and her life as an assassin. There is just a hint of her past laced throughout each story that creates the right amount of intrigue leaving the reader desperate for more details. Celaena is deadly with a blade and her tongue, and she is surrounded by a cast of interesting and well-written characters that really enhance each story as it unfolds. I laughed, cried, and raged reading this prequel to the Throne of Glass series, and to me, that is what makes a great story and distinguishes a great writer from a good one. I want to feel what the characters are feeling. I want to be changed in some way when I close the book at the end. I want those moments that are so real, that I have to close the book and close my eyes just to process them. This book fulfilled all my expectations. I absolutely recommend it.
I received an advanced copy of this book with no obligation to leave a review. All opinions are my own. As an aspiring author, I have been reading a lot of books to help improve my craft and if I had to recommend only one book to a new author that would really accelerate their writing journey, it would be Mastering Character Arcs by Lewis Jorstad. I found this book enormously helpful. Jorstad gives a step-by-step blueprint for how to navigate the complex process of creating realistic and dynamic characters. If you are like me, and do not have an education in writing, and are therefore unfamiliar with a lot of the industry lingo and buzz words, you will LOVE this book. Each arc is broken down, explaining not only what it is, but how to use it with concrete examples followed by thought-provoking questions that you can ask yourself about your own writing. I cannot say enough good things about this wonderful tool that Jorstad has created for writers of all backgrounds and experience levels. This is a must-have in your writing toolbox.
As it turns out, I love entering writing competitions. They are exhilarating and so valuable for my growth as a writer. Possible awards aside, the community of writers and the challenge of not always writing in a genre or about a topic that I am comfortable with is great for my author muscles. Also, getting to read all the other entries is wonderful.
As I write this, I anxiously await results from the Spring Writing Contest where I entered my short story “Beezlebub’s New Beginnings Bingo.” You can read it here:
I also have completed my 100-word story for the first round of NYC Midnight’s 100 Word Flash Fiction Contest.
Fingers crossed that I make it to round two!
I loved the experience with NYC Midnight, so I decided to register for their 1000 Word Flash Fiction Contest that is coming up in June. Essentially it is the same idea as the 100 words only instead of 24 hours, I will have 48 hours to complete the story (1000 words versus 100) based on an assigned genre, location, and object assignment. The contest consists of 4 rounds, so that means I may have the chance to write four separate short stories! I am pumped!
Also, I recently submitted a poem to the Canadian Author’s Poetry Competition, which I am excited about. The contest doesn’t close for a while yet so the wait for results will be agonizing!
Finally, I decided to submit the first 10 pages of the novel I have been working on to the Page Turner Awards (UK), in the Writer Mentorship Category. If chosen, I will have the opportunity to be mentored by someone in the industry for up to a year in some cases. I will find out if I am successful in September! Ugh, more waiting!
I have one more exciting announcement!
The name of my novel, which will hopefully be the first book in a series, finally has a TITLE…
The Oraculis Chronicles !!!
In truth, that’s the name of the series and each book will have a unique subtitle but it’s a place to start!
I have surpassed the 30,000-word mark and even though I have been busy, I am still making progress.
Thank you for taking the time to read my posts and come on this journey with me ❤
I received a copy of this book from BookSirens.com.
As a history enthusiast, I admittedly know very little about Japanese History. I hoped this book would give me a look into the basics of the rich culture and history of Japan and its people. I was not disappointed. History Brought Alive does a great job starting at the beginning and moving through the culture or country’s historical journey with a clear and concise explanation that includes mythology and socioeconomic aspects which creates a hunger for more in the reader. I learned a lot from this little tome, and there were a few surprises with respect to what I thought I knew as well which is always exciting. I have read and reviewed several of HIstory Brought Alives books and I definitely recommend any of them, especially this one if you are interested in history but maybe don’t have a lot of time to really dig in deep. This is the perfect size book to get your toes wet and see if you want to explore further!
As you know, if you’ve been following me on this crazy journey, I recently participated in The Write Practice’s Spring Writing Competition! I am still waiting to hear the results but I thought I would include a little excerpt of Beezlebub’s New Beginnings Bingo and a link to Short Fiction Breaks website where it is currently published!
“Two down, one to go. Doug made a deal with the Devil. Three souls in exchange for his happily ever after. Whatever that meant. He’d been in Hell for a long time and played Beelzebub’s New Beginnings Bingo faithfully. Finally, his number came up. The prize? A second chance at living; a chance to redeem his wretched soul…” To read the rest go to: https://shortfictionbreak.com/beezlebubs-new-beginnings-bingo/
My entry for the NYC Midnight’s 100 Word Micro-Fiction Challenge was submitted today! I am really excited about it, and as soon as I am able to share it with you, I will! This Challenge consists of three rounds, so in total, I may get the chance to write three unique 100-word stories! I will be sure to update you about my progress should I be fortunate enough to see future rounds.
I really enjoy entering these competitions for several reasons but mostly the experience is invaluable to me as a writer. The challenges allow me to flex my writing muscles and push me out of my comfort zone. The best part is that they are open to ANYONE! So, if you are feeling a little creative, why not give one a try and let me know how it goes!
I received a copy of Way of the Stoic by Thomas Swain from Booksirens.com.
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” – Marcus Aurelius
Thomas Swain did an exceptional job at breaking down the basics of the ancient art of Stoicism. From a brief history to practical advice on how to incorporate the principles and practices of stoicism into everyday life, this book is written in a way that anyone and everyone can understand. Oftentimes, philosophy is written in such a way that it can be difficult for the uninitiated to grasp or even read through without stumbling. Swain has overcome that obstacle making an ancient practice accessible to all. A quick read, this guide to living a happy and fulfilled life is a great introduction to Stoicism. My only complaint is there were several typos and grammatical errors that I found distracting as I read. Once corrected, this book is a 4-star read! I especially appreciated the way Swain highlighted the main principles in the conclusion. It reinforced the importance of self-mastery inherent in a Stoic approach to living your best life. I’d absolutely recommend it to everyone!
As many of you know I recently entered a short story writing contest and while I am still awaiting the results of the competition it would be awesome if you voted in the Reader’s Choice Awards! I will put the link below! My story is called “Beelzebub’s New Beginnings Bingo” If you can, take a peek and share it with friends!! There are many other awesome stories to read on there too! Thanks!
This book is not one of my “typical” reads but I have to say, I loved it. It’s a twisted tale of mental illness, crime (including but not limited to drug use), and several cases of insatiable sexual appetite brought on by the arrival of a prehistoric beast to a small town.
This book had me rolling with laughter. Definitely not suitable for everyone, but if you’re the kind of person who isn’t easily offended, this is a very entertaining read. The characters were well developed and very relatable given the crazy circumstances they find themselves in. At first, I felt like I was a rubber-necker at an accident scene. I wasn’t sure what I was seeing but I couldn’t look away. The more I read, the more I enjoyed it.
Moore has a way with words. His wit and imagery are wonderful, and even though this story is as bizarre as the title implies, it was masterfully written. The story wrapped up in a satisfying way and I cannot wait to read more from this author.
Alicia's Word Haven 