#I have 2 different copies of the hobbit and I had to tell myself not to buy a pretty green one today

[jessybarnes]

Congrats on 500 followers!!!!

5️⃣ and quotes

Hello, sweet anon! Thank you so much for your ask and for congratulating me! 🥰🥰

These were hard to narrow down, but I finally picked my top five favorite quotes. I've put them below the cut since it's a longer post. I hope you enjoy them! ❤️

1. "I choose to live, not just exist."

This quote was said by Metallica's lead singer, James Hetfield. He wrote a letter to the Metallica fans and this was written in that letter. Fun fact: I met Metallica on March 11th, 2019, and since James and Lars are my two favorite band members, I asked Lars to write James' quote on a piece of paper. Now, Lars is Danish, and when I had him write this quote for me, I asked him to write it in Danish! He did, and I've since gotten it tattooed on my left forearm. Here are pictures of James' letter, Lars writing the quote on a piece of paper for me, and then my arm.

2. "Embrace your differences and the qualities about you that you think are weird. Eventually, they're going to be the only things separating you from everyone else."

This one was said by Sebastian Stan, and it really speaks to me because I've never felt like I've really fit in anywhere. I've always been shy and kind of kept to myself and this quote is one I hold near and dear to my heart. Another fun fact: I took my little girl to meet Sebastian last year at New York Comic Con. She proposed to him in her photo op and I filmed the moment she met him during the autograph session. Click here to watch it! ❤️

3. "The best kind of love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds."

This is a quote from the movie The Notebook based on the book written by Nicholas Sparks. This is by far my favorite movie of all time, and I've seen it so many times that I can quote it from beginning to end. Yet another fun fact: I'm a former active duty Marine and was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station (or MCAS) Cherry Point in Havelock, North Carolina. One year for a charity event, Nicholas Sparks came to our base to sign books and take pictures. I was fortunate enough to meet him and tell him that I named my daughter after a character from the movie. Also, when I married my husband this quote was incorporated into our ceremony. Below is a picture of me meeting Nicholas Sparks.

4. "They say it is the first step that costs the effort. I do not find it so. I am sure I could write unlimited 'first chapters'. I have indeed written many."

The amazing J.R.R. Tolkien said this one. I am a huge Tolkien fan and have been since I was a little girl. I'm full of fun facts today: My dad used to read me the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy as bedtime stories, and a couple of years ago he gave me his original copies that he bought back in the 1970s. Here's a photo of them.

5. "You cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you."

One of the greatest writers, Stephen King, said this. Well, he's one of the greatest in my personal opinion anyway. He's been one of my favorite authors for as long as I can remember. I don't have any fun facts about him though, other than my grandma gifted me her entire collection of his works that she collected over the years. 🥰 One day, I hope to meet him and thank him for inspiring me to want to get my writing out there. I hope one day I become a published author.

Thank you again for asking me this! It was fun to share!

Do you want to ask me a 'Top 5' question? Click here to join my 500 Followers Celebration!

[sapphicmireu]

my bookshelf is too full so you think 4 different copies of lord of the rings is too much?

[putschki1969]

Wakana Covers ~ Anime Classics ~ Release

It’s officially the 9th of December in Japan which means it’s the release day of 『Wakana Covers ～Anime Classics～』! BANZAI! The album is now available for purchase in digital format in Japanese stores. 

❗Please SUPPORT Wakana and BUY her album❗ ❗BUY a PHYSICAL COPY on CDJapan❗ ❗BUY it digitally on MORA JAPAN ~ TUTORIAL (no OTOTOY this time)❗ ❗Check your local iTunes store and Spotify after midnight❗

Here’s a quick REVIEW

THIS IS A GREAT ALBUM. I LOVE IT!! The tracklist is not what I would have hoped for but then again, I only know a handful of old anime songs so it’s really no surprise that none of them made it onto the album. I wasn’t really familiar with any of Wakana’s chosen songs but to her credit, she made me fall in love with almost all of them. The only tracks I do not like are “Yatsura No Ashioto No Ballade” and “Rain” but that’s not Wakana’s fault, it’s just that I do not care for those types of songs. Wakana’s vocals are really solid throughout the album, her voice was made for classical arrangements like this and I am forever grateful we are getting a full album and a concert on top of that. There are just a few sections here and there where I am not too happy with her choice of singing style but it doesn’t take away from my enjoyment. Question: Is it just me or are the instruments (strings in particular) overly loud sometimes? Occasionally they seem to almost drown out Wakana.

Detailed review below the cut〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→

1. 時には昔の話を (Toki ni wa Mukashi no Hanashi wo) Arranger: Sin; I understand why they chose this as the leading track to promote the album. Everything about it is absolutely beautiful, Wakana’s vocals, the arrangement, the lyrics, the PV (from what we have seen so far). I have mentioned it before but her “hashitta” in the second chorus(?) kills me every time. And the way the strings build up in the first and last chorus. Ahhh, be still my heart I cannot take it. Btw, I am still not sure if you consider those two last lines in each of the three verses a proper chorus or if the song just consists of three elaborate verses..? But for the sake of this review, I will call them choruses XD 2. やさしさに包まれたなら (Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta Nara) Arranger: Miki Sakurai; Gorgeous arrangement (especially with the added tin whistle). Kinda reminds me of the Concerning Hobbits theme from LotR. I am a big fan of Celtic and folk-ish elements. Miki Sakurai apparently is a big fan too. After all, her “Yakusoku no Yoake” which she wrote for Wakana’s first album also had strong Celtic vibes. My favourite part of the song is when Wakana sings that final “meseeji” in the last chorus, the arrangement here is beautiful. Still think Wakana’s vocals are a bit too cutesy but hell, it’s a cute song so I guess it seems fitting.  3. Rain Arranger: Shu Kanematsu; Wakana sounds great but the song doesn’t do anything for me. T_T 4. いのちの名前 (Inochi no Namae) Arranger: Shu Kanematsu; OMG, this brought tears to my eyes. SO SO BEAUTIFUL. The way her voice just blends with the strings. Her vocals are a tad quiet though compared to the instruments. Or is it just me?  5. やつらの足音のバラード (Yatsura No Ashioto No Ballade) Arranger: Sin; I can’t put my finger on what exactly I don’t like about this but I can’t seem to get into it. I guess it sounds a little too jazz-y for me...or is it blues? Either way, not my cup of tea but I can see why Wakana would like it this way. And hey, she does pull it off perfectly so who am I to complain? On a side note, those lyrics are just so perfect for Wakana, she doesn’t often get the chance to sing about dinosaurs :P EDIT: Future!Sarah is coming back to revise her opinion. After listening to the album on repeat for hours on end, I now LOVE this song. It’s charming. 6. Get Wild Arranger: Sin; One of the coolest arrangements on this album!! The strings are just PERFECTION. And Wakana SLAYS!! Who would have thought she can pull off a song like that. I mean, we already knew from gettign that teaser video but this is on a whole other level. Too much awesomeness.  7. 風のとおり道 (Kaze no Toorimichi) Arranger: Miki Sakurai; Ahhhhh, so precious and mystical, such a gorgeous arrangement!! I love how we start with just Wakana’s vocals. And then Miki Sakurai adds her magical touch again by inserting all those Celtic elements. The tin whistle fits perfectly. A couple of Wakana’s high notes no longer sound good to my ears here but overall I enjoy her singing. 8. 君をのせて (Kimi wo Nosete) Arranger: Sin; The arrangement is utterly charming, both the piano as well as the strings are perfect here, Wakana’s vocals in the verses are literally flawless. I kinda find myself wishing she had sung the chorus with a different voice though. Mind you, I don’t hate the one she is using here but it’s bordering on being a teeny-tiny bit too shrill and thin for my taste. It’s still solid (and nothing at all like her strained “ring your bell” voice let’s say) but it’s not what I personally enjoy most from her. Either way, I think she is hitting her notes just fine (as far as I can tell at least) and the style fits the overall sound of the song. Pus, they made up for the slightly thin vocals by adding a little harmony layer which I appreciate.  9. 愛にできることはまだあるかい (Ai ni dekiru koto wa mada aru kai) Arranger: Sin; Most of you may know this already but I am a HUGE fan of the cello so I am happy we have such a strong cello presence here. Those cello parts are so cool. Anyways, this turned out to be one of my favourite tracks even though I didn’t think I would ever like this song based on the YouTube teaser we got a while back. There is just so much raw emotion and fierceness in Wakana’s voice, towards the end she is hitting me right in the feels. I just can’t help but be drawn to the song. I am surprised by how well she handles songs that are originally sung by males. Her covers of this and “Get Wild” are just exceptional imo. They bring out a new side of Wakana which I really love. 10. 夢のゆくえ (Yume no Yukue) Arranger: Shu Kanematsu; While I didn’t know this song before listening to Wakana’s cover version, the melody reminded me a LOT of the old anime songs I used to like back in the day. The feeling of nostalgia is super strong in this one so naturally I enjoy it quite a bit. It’s not an outstandingly beautiful song or anything but the arrangement is lovely and Wakana’s vocals are on point. 

»»—— CLICK ME 🎁 CLICK ME ——«« 

FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, if you have the means, support Wakana in any way you can. Order a physical copy of her album, purchase it in digital format. Stream it legally on various streaming services. au

[mandaloriandy]

Fic Writer Interview

I suppose I should... actually get around to doing this.

I was tagged by @maderilien, @stormwarnings, and @willowcrowned! (that’s what I get for putting off doing this, I get ganged up on.) (I’m just joking, I am very touched that you all thought of me)

How many works do you have on AO3?

49

What's your total AO3 word count?

339,898

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

oh fuck there's so many. uhhhh 32 apparently. big yikes. I'm just gonna copy-paste the list over, that'll be easiest. A lot of these are overlaps but alas such is life

1. Star Wars - All Media Types (24) 2. Star Wars Prequel Trilogy (18) 3. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types (7) 4. TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms (4) 5. Homestuck (4) 6. Doctor Who & Related Fandoms (3) 7. Avatar: Legend of Korra (3) 8. Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling (3) 9. Marvel Cinematic Universe (2) 10. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV) (2) 11. The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types (2) 12. Doctor Who (2) 13. Ender Series - Orson Scott Card (1) 14. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) (1) 15. Iron Man (Movies) (1) 16. Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (1) 17. Original Work (1) 18. Sherlock (TV) (1) 19. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) (1) 20. Big Hero 6 (2014) (1) 21. Emelan - Tamora Pierce (1) 22. The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien (1) 23. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga (1) 24. The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien (1) 25. Captain America (Movies) (1) 26. Paranatural (Webcomic) (1) 27. Torchwood (1) 28. Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica (1) 29. Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) - All Media Types (1) 30. Star Wars: Rebels (1) 31. Doctor Who (2005) (1) 32. The Hobbit - All Media Types (1)

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

To nobody's surprise, my top 5 fics by kudos are (in order) the first 5 parts to the Jedi Shmi AU.

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Oof. I used to. But I ended up spiralling pretty badly uhhhh a couple years ago and had to stop. I feel like I should reply to comments, especially those wonderful long ones, but even though I do this whole writing thing, I always have a really hard time, like, knowing what to say to them? Like "akjsdfk;jf thank you" always feels inadequate, but writing a well thought-out reply takes a stupidly large amount of brainpower, and I'll leave them marked as unread if I want to reply to them and then they just accumulate in my inbox and I end up spiralling again, since it just continues to exist as a mental load of something I have to do and the avoidance just gets bigger and bigger the longer I put it off and–

look, I just get into my own head too much about it. I respond to questions, usually. I love all the comments but I can't let myself overthink it, and the easiest way to do that is to not let myself reply.

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

I guess Obi-Wan’s Terrible Horrible No-Good Very Bad Life doesn’t count because it... doesn’t have an ending yet? and I don’t know how angsty that ending is going to be. Even Composing Hallelujah doesn’t count because it ends happier than in canon, even though it’s... y’know, not exactly happy-ending.

Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you've written?

Hahaha I don't do crossovers often, but I have done them, and the craziest one I've actually written is probably my Sailor Moon/Puella Magi Madoka Magica fic. It’s especially crazy because I’ve only seen a few episodes of sailor moon lol

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

lmao YEP

There's this one, like Ender's Game/Doctor Who fic I wrote and posted on FFN back in middle school. And it got a ton of hate, as far as I can tell mostly from the same person, talking about like, how bad and non-canonical and whatever it was. And when I migrated over to AO3, I reposted it there too. This was in like 2012. The migration, at least, the fic was written in... idk, 2010?

And then. In 20-fucking-19.

I got a comment saying "Terrible. Makes zero sense. It’s like the author threw canon out the window and took a shit on it." like lmao what??????

(for reference: https://archiveofourown.org/works/361723?show_comments=true#comments and https://www.fanfiction.net/r/7621672/)

(like what the actual fuck was this person on)

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Not any that I've been brave enough to post. And… also… nothing that I've actually written more than a few paragraphs on… I keep chickening out. I did recently make a deal with a friend, though, so… we'll see. If I do, it’s probably going to be quite dark, because that’s the kind of smut I like to read.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I sincerely hope not.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes!! See how the blackbird walks into russian and just recently In all your wanderings into french!!!

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I've tried. It's never gone… especially well? I don't think any of them ever actually ended up complete, they all just petered out after a while.

What's your all time favorite ship?

I don't really have an "all-time favorite" anything, let alone a ship. I'm a horrible multishipper and I'm going to cause problems on purpose

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

Sigh. Probably my intricate, 30-something-k unpublished Silmarillion Helcaraxë fic. It has so many moving pieces. I know where most of them end up but it's going to take so much effort to get there

What are your writing strengths?

writing

What are your writing weaknesses?

writing

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Hm. Given that I mostly write fic for SF/F, I don't run into the "real life languages" problem a lot. I end up working with conlangs of various complexity, for the most part, and for those… I'll sprinkle in a word or two if it makes sense, especially swear words and stuff. But for most of those conlangs, grammar is… less well-determined than vocabulary, so I almost never do phrases, let alone full sentences. I'll just put it in italics (if the POV character understands it) or say "and they said something unintelligible in [x language]" or the like.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

I think………. let me check the dates on this. I think the actual first fanfiction I wrote was sometime in fifth or sixth grade, for this "Zenda" book series I read?? Either that or Harry Potter.

What's your favorite fic you've written?

A big shout-out goes to The Lichtenberg Figure, which I can’t believe is the only Tamora Pierce fanwork I’ve published, but for my favorite... it's gotta be Messenger. Like, looking back, there is a bunch about it that I am very not happy with, and a lot of things I think didn't come across the way I wanted, and things I would not write the same way now, years down the line, as I have very differently balanced understandings of… well, a lot of these same characters. But, fuck, I just can't let go of Mandalorian!Beru.

No pressure tags!! @apaladinagain @determamfidd @faeymouse @lumateranlibrarian (apologies if you’ve already done this one and I haven’t seen it!)

[skyerana]

tagged by @ashipwreckcoast​ for a question thinger. I’m bored out of my skull and I like these questions so here you go. You should do it. Yes, you. Why? Because? I don’t have real reazons.

Putting this under a cut because its long and I don’t want to clog up your dash.\

1. Do you prefer writing with a black pen or blue pen? Black, specifically Pilot G2 pens. But really? I like a good dark dark green. My dog ate my favorite pen and I haven’t been able to find one in that color since.

2. Would you prefer to live in the country or city? I’ve sort of done both. I love living in a city, with all the vibrancy and life that it entails. There’s public transit, arts and culture, so many kinds of food, interesting people and always something going on. But for the last few years, I’ve been wanting to get back to something like where I went to school, where I lived for 7 months on a lake and the next closest people (besides us 9) were 5 miles away (the road up to the field station was 2 miles by itself and we got snowed in and flooded in on more than one occasion). I miss being close to deep nature and the peace that comes from being alone.

So which do I prefer? I don’t really know. I’ve been living back in a city for the past eight years but I’m feeling like its time for a change. I don’t think I’ll leave cities forever though. I like people and diversity too much.

3. If you could learn a new skill what would it be? For fun, I’d want to pick up leatherworking, blacksmithing, and/or woodworking. I’m currently not set up well to do any of them though. For practicality though, I’d want to learn general house maintenance.

4. Do you drink your tea/coffee with sugar? Depends on the tea, but often yes. Coffee gets an obscene amount of hazelnut creamer because I hate coffee but I love caffeine.

5. What was your favourite book as a child? The Hobbit. My dad and step-dad both read it to me at different points of my childhood and my dad gave me his copy (The Hobbit or There and Back Again, 1977 Illustrated edition)

6. Do you prefer baths or showers? Showers. Baths are well and good if you have a big enough one (which I don’t) and you don’t stay in so long it gets cold (I don’t).

7. If you could be a mythical creature, which one would it be? Upon reading this question, every single mythical creature that I’d ever read about immediately vanished from my memory. I’m going to have to come back to this one.

I came back to this one and I still don’t know. I like the idea of flying. But I don’t really want to be hunted out to extinction.

8. Paper or electronic books? I love paper books, but I read much better via ebook. I still haven’t read Gideon the Ninths because the pages are so soft I just sit and pet them instead of read.

9. What is your favourite item of clothing? BOXERS! Or rather, boxer-briefs. I know this sounds weird but bear with me. For some reason, when I started transitioning, it did not occur to me to buy mens underwear. When I finally did, It Was Amazing. I looked great. I felt great. I finally understood why so many people had “fun” underwear that they liked. Before, I had like one or two that had patterns/stuff on them. Now? I’ve got Star Wars and Captain Marvel and Deadpool and mountains and mushrooms and one with boxers that makes me laugh because there’s boxers on boxers!! And I can wear them whenever the fuck I want! So I always have something fun on, even (especially) if other folks can’t see it. Switching to boxers was such a weirdly affirming thing for my gender and I love it.

10. Do you like your name or would you like to change it? This is complicated. I like my legal name, sure, but its not me, not really. I did get the spelling updated on it legally when I was 16 so I could actually get my driver’s license. I haven’t had a chance to change my legal name since transitioning (between the election and COVID, I don’t know that I’d get through all of the legal rigmarole in time to vote in November), but I really like my chosen name and an altered version of my legal name will be my new middle name.

11. Who is a mentor to you? I’ve had so many over the years. I learn so much from people, but I had so many great mentors when I worked at the museum. Timshel stands out. If I can be half the mentor she is to someone, I’ll have put some real solid good into the world. 

12. Would you like to be famous and if so, what for? No. Not in the everyone knows you sense. That’s not my jam. I wouldn’t mind having fame more in the sense of within a tiny field, being well known and respected.

13. Are you a restless sleeper? Yes... to the point where I’m seeing a sleep specialist in a month to sort it out.

14. Do you consider yourself a romantic person? Very much so. But there’s so many different ways to be romantic.

15. Which element best represents you? I hate these questions. I see bits of myself in all of the elements. People often associate me with air or water though.

16. Who do you want to be closer to? Distance wise, my family in California. I come from a bunch of very close knit families and so having folks on the other side of the country that I’m super close with is ihard.

17. Do you miss someone at the moment? “Everyone. Being solitary by choice as opposed to demand is a big difference.” I’m just going to leave @ashipwreckcoast​‘s response here because it fits. I’m very lucky that I am still working in a (relatively) safe environment, but we’re all missing out on things like throwing a housewarming party for one of my closest friends/coworkers. Even though we see each other almost daily, we’re still missing out on a lot that we’d normally do. That’s even worse for folks I’m not seeing at all because of COVID.

18. Tell us about an early childhood memory. I legit thought I was a wolf and would howl at the neighbors when mom packed me into the wagon to go do laundry at the laundromat. The neighbors, being good people, howled back.

19. What is the strangest thing you have eaten? There have been a few times where I wasn’t sure what I was eating. One was at a wedding with 10 or 12 courses (I lost count) and some of them were foods I’d never seen before. I know jellyfish was on that list but there was a bunch of other stuff that I don’t know what it was. The few times I’ve been out of the country, I ate stuff I couldn’t identify (often due to language barriers). The seafood soup at the one place was just whatever they caught that day and it had a lot in it. I remember being disappointed in my fellow grad students when some of them turned it down. You don’t turn down food when you’re a guest unless you have a medical reason for doing so. But the thing is, none of these are strange, except by the US standards. So if that’s true, then the deep fried dragonfly should also be on this list. 

20. What are you most thankful for? Most? That’s so hard to quantify. If I really think about it, it’s things like having a loving partner and a home and food and the ability to pay my bills, I guess.

21. Do you like spicy food? I do not like capsaisin related spices but I love horseradish type spices. I do liked well spiced, but not necessarily spicy, foods.

22. Have you ever met someone famous? A few times. Sometimes at the museum (worked with some of them). Sometimes at special events, like attending lectures.

23. Do you do you keep a diary or journal? Generally no. I do sometimes get the urge to write and reflect on stuff, so I’ll do that when the mood strikes.

24. Do you prefer to use a pen or a pencil? I’ve been trained to use pens for everything (I work in a chem lab). Pencils are fine, but you need the right kind for the satisfying scratchiness. I cannot abide scratchiness in my pens.

25. What is your star sign? Cancer. Why is this important?

26. Do you like your cereal soggy or crunchy? Not super soggy but not straight out of the box crunchy. Does that make sense?

27. What would you want your legacy to be? I  want my legacy to be built on kindness and helping others. I know that’s cheesy and cliche, but I have so much privilege that I want to use to benefit others.

28. Do you like reading, what was the last book you read? I love reading. I’m on book 30 for the year. The last one I finished was Starsight by Brandon Sanderson, which is book 2 of 3 of the Skyward series and HE HASN’T STARTED BOOK 3 YET!! I read Skyward and Starsight in four days total.

29. How do you show someone you love them? I often cook for them.

30. Do you like ice in your drinks? Only for certain things. I don’t mind drinking most drinks at room temperature and ice waters stuff down. It’s good for iced tea though, but only if you need to cool it.

31. What are you afraid of? This isn’t a fair question. I’m afraid of being abandoned or fucking things up. I’m also afraid of spiders and the milk in my fridge expiring. I’m afraid of filling out forms (forms are really hard and make me extremely anxious). I’m afraid of phone calls, but I’m good at them. I’m afraid of public speaking, but you’d never know it unless I told you. I’m afraid of losing the people I love, of dying without having put some good into the world. I’m afraid for my neighbors, for my brothers and sister, for my niece. The world is overwhelmingly scary right now.

32. What is your favourite scent? Campfires, the smell of a fresh spring rain, leather, the weird musky scent of my kitten, of garlic and onions cooking low and slow. There’s too many.

33. Do you address older people by their name or surname? Depends on who and in what context I know them.

34. If money was not a factor, how would you live your life? I’d travel a lot more. I’d donate to a lot of things. Museums, arts, individuals. I’d love to just go on to gofundme and just straight up fund folks to their goals plus a bit extra. And then go figure out where the systematic failures were that lead to them not being able to afford it in the first place.

35. Do you prefer swimming in pools or the ocean? Ocean. Absolutely. But this is also lake and river erasure.

36. What would you do if you found £50 on the ground? I guess exchange it for USD.

37. Have you ever seen a shooting star? Yeah. They’re magical every time.

38. What is the one thing you would want to teach your children? Be kind. To yourself and others.

39. If you had to have a tattoo, what would it be and where would you get it? I’ve got several I want. I was supposed to get an anchor with an octopus chilling on it on my inner forearm for my one year anniversary on testosterone but then COVID hit and well... who know when I‘ll get it.

40. What can you hear now? Mostly just the AC and the tack of the keys on the keyboard. Occasionally a particularly loud vehicle makes itself known.

41. Where do you feel the safest? Curled up with my partner and dog.

42. What is the one thing you want to overcome/conquer? Probs my anxiety.

43. If you could travel back to any era, what would it be? 

44. What is your most used emoji? The crying laughing one. I survive on sending stupid memes and shit back and forth with too many people. After that, the heart.

45. Describe yourself using one word. Oof

46. What do you regret the most? Not trusting myself when I figured out I was trans back in undergrad. That whole decade of burying it all and internalizing a lot of transphobia really did a number on myself.

47. Last movie you saw? I think it was Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn

48. Last tv show you watched? Rewatching Avatar with my partner right now. We just finished She-Ra.

49. Invent a word and its meaning. I just... I don’t know. I’m a Webster. I just compile what other people say in a book.

[bee-kathony]

The Oath | Ch. 7 “An Adventure”

a/n: thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter, I’ve been waiting for it for quite some time ;) and thank you @lburks226 @claryclark and @julesbeauchamp for all the screams when I told them about this...

Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6

February 8th, 2019

“What does it say?” Geillis knocked lightly on the door.

“I haven’t looked yet, my timer hasn’t gone off,” Claire dared a glance at her phone — thirty seconds left.

Thirty seconds until she found out if she was pregnant or not.

How could she have been so stupid that night at the party? Of course, there was an equal chance that the baby could be Frank’s.

“Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ,” Claire cursed under her breath, stamping her foot on the tiled bathroom floor.

She hoped it wasn’t Frank’s. There was no doubt whether she would keep the baby or not — Claire had always wanted to be a mother. But her circumstances were not quite what she had expected.

What Claire expected was to be married by now or at least engaged. At twenty-seven, she imagined that her personal life would look very different to how it actually was. Here she was, pacing in her friend’s bathroom, waiting to find out if she was pregnant or not. And not only was she single but one possible father had cheated on her, while the other was a near stranger!

“Please don’t let it be Frank’s,” she whispered to the empty room and then her timer went off.

“What does it say, Claire?” Geillis asked a second later.

“Would you be patient please?” Claire took a deep breath and walked over to the small stick that had the power to change her life. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to see but tears filled her eyes as she looked at the results and a smile spread across her face.

Geillis opened the door, holding the key in one hand and looked at Claire. “What does it say, lass?”

“I’m going to be a mum!” Claire smiled and held up the test with two pink lines and then fell into Geillis’ open arms.

“That’s wonderful, Claire! I ken ye wanted a baby, it doesna matter that it was a one night stand, look at what ye got out of it,” she laughed and then Claire released her.

“Well that’s the thing…” Claire twirled a lock of hair around her finger nervously. “I’m not entirely sure it’s Jamie’s.”

“I thought ye said ye and Frank hadna—“

Shaking her head, Claire looked down at the test again, “We hadn’t for a bit, but the night before I found out he was having an affair, we slept together.”

“Ye mean the day before the party?”

“Exactly,” Claire sighed. “And I’m not on birth control because Frank and I had decided to try for children a few months back and I feel like I was half asleep anyway.”

Geillis crossed her arms and leaned back on the doorframe. “And ye didna use protection with the wee fox cub,” Claire shook her head. “So it could be Frank’s, but it could be Jamie’s.”

“I’ve gotten myself into a bit of a situation haven’t I?”

“If this is what ye call a ‘bit of a situation’ then I need a whisky,” Geillis smirked and then walked towards the kitchen, forcing Claire to follow. “None for you though, mam.”

“Oh Christ, that’s right. No alcohol,” Claire ran her fingers through her curls. “How the hell am I going to get through this without alcohol?”

“That’s what ye have me for, lassie,” Geillis smiled and winked as she poured herself a glass. Claire looked at the bottle and her heart leapt. It was one of Jamie’s and she remembered that they had given out a bottle to everyone as the night ended.

“Are ye goin’ to call him?”

“Who?”

“Well that’s up to ye,” Geillis laughed, taking a sip of her drink. “Do you want either of them to know?”

The last thing that Claire wanted was for Frank to find out. Perhaps she was being selfish, but she knew that he would come to her and demand that the child was his. He was a proud man and he was the kind of man that wanted the seemingly perfect family. A wife at home to cook him dinner while she also folded the laundry and took care of their child. Claire didn’t want that life — even less with Frank. He certainly didn’t care for her and if he found out about the baby, he would only pretend to so he could be a part of the baby’s life.

“I’m not calling Frank,” Claire decided then and there. “Ever.”

“Will ye call Jamie then?”

“I don’t have his number, we didn’t get that far,” Claire blushed.

“Ye went so far to possibly create a bairn wi’ the lad, but ye didna exchange numbers?” Geillis laughed and finished off her glass. “Ye are a feisty one Beauchamp.”

“I found his company on Instagram,” Claire blurted.

“Then ye can message them and ask for Jamie’s number, easy as that.”

“I’m just—“ Claire fidgeted with a button on her sweater. “I don’t know if I want him to know either. Geillis, it was one night. One perfect night and if I tell him I’m pregnant and he could be the father… it’ll just mess everything up.”

“Having unprotected sex tends to make things a wee bit messy, Claire,” Geillis leveled with her and then seeing Claire’s defeated posture, set her glass down and embraced her friend. “Och, lass. Ye dinna have to decide now, ye only just found out yerself.”

“That’s true,” Claire sniffed. “I’ll take a week to think about it and then decide.”

“A week and no more,” Geillis rubbed her back. “I saw yer wee fox and if he is the father then ye’ll have a beautiful bairn.”

“Geillis!” Claire laughed. “You’re not wrong. And well… if the baby has red hair then that’ll be quite obvious.”

“Ye can have a paternity test while they’re still in the womb though nowadays ye ken?”

“Wouldn’t it be loads more fun to wait nine months to find out?”

“Or ye just dinna want to find out yer carryin’ that bastard Frank Randall’s child before ye set yer sight on the wee bairn?”

Geillis was always right and Claire just rolled her eyes, leaned back against the counter and looked the test one more time.

“Pregnant,” she said softly. “I’m going to have a baby.”

++++++

Two weeks flew by and Claire was so caught up at work that she didn’t realize how much time had passed. She promised Geillis that she would decide whether or not to call Jamie and that was a week ago.

She wasn’t even sure how he would react. How does one react when you find out the woman you slept with at your business’s launch party is pregnant and you may or may not be the father?

When she got back to Geillis’, Claire took a slice of pepperoni pizza from last night’s dinner and ate a bite cold. There was nothing better than leftover pizza. Her stomach rumbled and she had the oddest craving for pickles all of a sudden.

“I haven’t had a pickle in years,” Claire grinned and then slid her hand over her still rather flat stomach. “What are you making me eat little one?”

With the slice consumed, she pulled out her phone and searched for Fraser & Co. again.

Pressing message, she typed out a greeting, “Hello, my name is Claire Beauchamp and I met the owner Jamie,” she backspaced on his name and instead typed, “James Fraser. I’m interested in buying some whisky and need to get in touch with him.”

Staring at her words before she pressed send, her heart started to race as doubts crept in. What if he didn’t want to see her? Or what if when she told him she was pregnant, he accused her of lying to try and get at his money?

“He’s not Frank, Beauchamp,” Claire muttered to herself but her thumbs still hovered over the keyboard. Sighing, she pressed the delete button and locked her phone. She sounded insane and she felt insane for what she’d gotten herself into.

Of course, she knew that she should tell him he might be a father just like she knew she should tell Frank as well. But there was something holding her back. Claire hadn’t had the best experiences with men and she didn’t want to bring anything in to her latest predicament that would shake things up. Her life, while not going the way she planned at the moment, was slowly turning around.

All of her belongings now had a place in Geillis’ home and she felt she could call it that too. Her job performance was doing well since she now had nothing else in her life, she poured herself into it. And she was going to be a mum.

Sitting at the kitchen table on a late February day, Claire decided that she wanted to keep things just as they were… at least for awhile.

“It’s just you and me baby,” Claire smiled and laid her hand across her stomach.

++++++

Throughout the next several days, Jamie entered her mind often. While she was at work one day, she treated a little boy with a mop of red hair. And on her way home, she could have sworn she saw him on the street walking into town.

Perhaps it was a sign that she should contact him and tell him. Or maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her. Whatever it was, Claire was still unsure what her next step was.

She did, however, know what she was going to be doing when she got home. Yesterday after work, she had gone to the bookstore and purchased a copy of The Lord of the Rings — Jamie’s favorite.

Claire told herself that it wasn’t creepy at all. He had told her to read it and so now she was. It had been raining all day as well, so what else was better than curling up in bed with a good book?

As soon as she got home, she put on the kettle, brewing her favorite cup of tea and then climbed into bed. Claire had started the book last night, but had been so tired, she’d fallen asleep in the first chapter.

Hours later, she was still laying in bed, turning page after page. She paused at something Gandalf had said, "A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.”

Her hand moved to cover her stomach, rubbing slowly. “You arrived precisely when you meant to didn’t you wee wizard,” she laughed. As she continued to read, she couldn’t help but imagine Jamie’s thick Scottish accent in her head and she saw him in her mind — that fourteen year old boy who’d just lost his mother, reading about hobbits and wizards.

She certainly didn’t regret being pregnant — at least not the short time she had been. Claire only hoped she wouldn’t regret her decision whether to call Jamie or not. Shaking her head to clear her mind, Claire focused her attention back on the book in front of her and lost herself once again in the Shire.

Chapter 8: The Bump 

[jamlocked]

For the identity ask thing: 2, 6, 15 :)

2. have you ever found a writer who thinks just like you? if so, who?

Uhhhh…hmm. I think there’s a reason I’ve lived on a steady diet of Terry Pratchett since I first read Reaper Man at age ten. But then, the very fact I start reading him young could mean that he influence the way I thought, rather than just resonating with how I thought already. Either way, a pretty bloody good worldview to identify with.

I also have to shout out to @summeringminor here; we might differ in the odd Jim Moriarty headcanon, but we’re both pretty much here for the beauty of pain and suffering. :D

6. are you religious/spiritual?

In a word…yeah. I guess. I would not call myself religious at all, though I grew up going to church most weeks. The older I’ve got, the more anti-organised religion I’ve become. Hard not to be, when you start seeing the things people do and say while using God as an excuse. But I also can’t deny that I’ve known many, many wonderful people who are religious and use that faith to do great, helpful, caring things. I will also never tell anyone they’re wrong to believe what they believe, as long as they’re not hurting anyone else with those beliefs. 

As for me, personally - well, I’m not an aetheist, lets put it that way. It’s  complicated, in that no one ever really knows, but really simple in that I have no trouble believing in a higher power. And it may just be humans and our collective power, but if so there’s no truer God than that. 

15. five most influential books over your lifetime.

…oh man. What a question. GAH. 

Okay, well, I’m just going to pick five that have stood out at different points in my life because otherwise I will have a shortlist of hundreds. 

Good Omens - Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. 

I must have read this a dozen times when I was a teenager. I used to get to the end of it, then go right back and start it over again. I think it was the first book that made me think about religion, and the way it is in the world. I think I was about eleven when I read it first, which was also the age I was both confirmed, and stopped going to church. Reading Good Omens made me think about religion outside the confines of organised religion, and massively expanded my horizons. 

 It - Stephen King.

I was also a teenager when I read this. I think books are usually the most influential when you’re that age, probably? Anyway, I think I was thirteen. There had been lots of books - every book, practically; I used to read one a day - that I just couldn’t stop until I’d finished. But this is the first one I clearly remember not wanting to finish. It scared the everloving shit out of me, but it sucked me into a world that was so fully realised, both on the page and in my head, that I just couldn’t get out of it. That was the first horror book I read, the first Stephen King, and it opened my eyes to a whole new kind of fiction. I’d read a multitude of kid’s books, and Enid Blyton, and I’ve mentioned my early love of Terry Pratchett. I’d also devoured a good chunk of the classics by that age (I counted Far From the Madding Crowd as my favourite book) - but this was something new. I read a ton of SK after that, but none quite held the magic of It. 

Unnamed kid’s story/author unknown

Okay, so, in primary school you get set reading books for your age, et cetera, and when you get through those you’re allowed to be a ‘free reader’ - or that’s how it was when I was that age, idk. So anyway, I blazed through all the set stuff, and once I had the freedom of the library, I picked up this random book of short stories one afternoon. They were age-appropriate, of course, and this one story was about a group of kids who built their own go-karts, and had a massive race with them. Maybe once a year, maybe more often, idk. So of course, there was one kid who was better than all of them, won every time, built his own kart and no one could beat him et cetera. I strapped in for the usual kid’s fare of a new pretender showing up, and either taking the crown, or this kid - who I think was called Billy - overcoming the odds to win again. It was told from the POV of another kid, who also raced but couldn’t touch Billy. And Billy seemed like a decent guy, he wasn’t a bully or anything. 

So anyway, blah blah, they built their karts, they had the race. All was as expected. And then…a car showed up. Billy and New Pretender were neck and neck at the finish line, everyone’s screaming and cheering, and…Billy crashes into the car. God, I can still remember my shock, and how I jumped from ‘this is exciting, but normal’ to ‘omg, wtf is happening.’ But I also remember thinking, ‘but he won, and he’ll be fine.’ And the reason I remember it all so clearly is because…well, here’s Billy’s final words. ‘No, I didn’t. I lost.’

Someone told him that he won the race. But he didn’t, and then he hit the car, and then he died. And he died knowing he’d been beaten.

Like…I was young when I read this, about eight. Maybe younger. The notion that the focus of a story could not win and then actually die…I was not prepared for that. It stuck with me as the first real idea that things don’t always turn out the way you think. Good guys don’t always win, you don’t always achieve the things you think you will. A pretty hard lesson for a primary schooler, but it made me think about things in a different way from then on. 

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert M. Pirsig

Moving on from childhood…this book. Fuck, man, this book. I was 21 or 22 when I read it, and I‘m not even going to talk too much about about it because I can’t remember the details. There’s too much in it to try and explain anyway. But I remember reading it because my best mate recced it, and it didn’t seem very promising at first. And then I got sucked in, and I just could not stop. It’s semi-autobiographical, it’s about a road trip a man is taking with his son, it’s all about philosophy and self, and then mental illness, and…God. There wasn’t a single page that didn’t make me think. It made me start a course in philosophy. It was just a wonderful experience from start to finish, and I’ve never read it since because I don’t want to break that magic. But I will read it again. I’m going to find free time, and indulge myself fully. It was just that good. 

sdlfkj I really can’t pick a fifth and I’m rambling on forever, so I’m going to go for a really simple and obvious choice. 

The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkein

My dad gave my sister a copy of this when I was ten, and she was thirteen. I remember thinking how grown up it looked because it was all black and had a dragon on the front. By the time I was twelve I had nicked it off her bookshelf, and I don’t think she ever got it back. It’s another one I read endlessly through my teen years, and it was influential because it my first introduction to that type of fantasy. I couldn’t tell you exactly why Tolkein’s fantasy feels different to Pratchett’s - maybe it’s just more Old Worlde, and of course the writing style is more old-fashioned. It just felt more highbrow, less ‘fun’, but just as enjoyable. It was like travelling back in time, as well as to a different world. I massively preferred the Discworld to Middle Earth - and still do - but I remember loving The Hobbit for its introduction to something I’d never come across before. And when I wrote my first fantasy story when I was about fifteen, it was a perfectly terrible mish-mash of pterry’s satirical style and Tolkien’s highbrow backdrop (and I am serious when I say it was terrible. It was terrible). But any time I think of books that have influenced me and what I like, what I use as a touchstone, what I think of fondly - The Hobbit is always among the first that springs to mind. 

(I re-read it a couple of years ago, and was struck by how simplistic and childlike it seemed. Inevitable, given I’m so much older and have read so much more now. But it doesn’t diminish the fond memories I have of that first love for it.)

I AM SORRY FOR RAMBLING ON FOREVER. Me and books, idk. But thanks for the ask. :)

[ancient-trees]

Reading Meme

(Sorry for taking forever on these, guys...!  I got tagged for a lot of memes at once, and this one is long. I apparently have a lot of things to say about books... who knew?) 

Tagged by @theticklishpear​. Thank you again!

(Tag-ees, btw, don’t feel obligated to read my long rambly answers if you just want to copy/paste the questions.)

1. Which book has been on your shelves the longest?

I have a picture book of St George and the Dragon whose illustrations are BEAUTIFUL (it’s this one). Technically hasn’t been on MY shelves longest - a while ago I found it in our shelves of books from when my brother and I were kids and repossessed it because I love the art so much.

2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next?

Currently in the middle of Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire. Also in the pile are The Edge of the Sea by Rachel Carson (whom I love) and Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter by Thomas Cahill (which is ...okay, but more of a slightly-more-opinionated refresher on what I learned in college than anything new). I’m also most of the way through a reread of Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (one of my favorite books). 

Last thing I finished was Shadowheart, the last book in Tad Williams’s Shadowmarch series. (It’s not without its problems, but overall I really enjoyed that series. It’s got the ensemble-cast-and-unlikely-heroes thing going on.)

I’m not sure what’s next. Fiction might be American Gods by Neil Gaiman or Aftermath by Chuck Wendig... or I might need to keep going with the series and track down the second October Daye book. We’ll see when I get there.  Nonfiction - been meaning to start The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt by Toby Wilkinson or Writings from Ancient Egypt (translations from original sources, by the same). But I also have a book about pirates off the coast of Virginia my mom got on a recent trip to Jamestown... and a book about the Silk Road I happened upon in Barnes and Noble the other week, which MIGHT have edged its way to the top of the list... (this is why I’m all for brick-and-mortar bookstores. Search algorithms are great, but they don’t accomplish quite the same thing as wandering the shelves.)

3. Which book does everyone like and you hated?

Ehh, I’m not sure what “everyone” likes, but a lot of the series my high school friends loved I could never get into. I remember really liking the first Wheel of Time book, but got bored of the series pretty quickly after the first one. Same with Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth. I tried to like Dragonriders of Pern, but didn’t get far with that one either. And I hear the series gets better after the overenthusiastic-Tolkien-fanboying of the first book, but I really didn’t enjoy The Sword of Shannara.

Oh.. and I never read any Discworld JUST because in high school I knew a guy who EXTOLLED ITS VIRTUES TO THE HEAVENS. Constantly. Now that I’ve learned more about the series and the author I will definitely have to read some someday, though.

(I’m not a big fan of most “~Literature~” either, Pear.)

4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t?

I don’t know. My TBR list is pretty ridiculous, and anything’s possible, so I hate to relegate anything to “probably won’t read” status. Finishing A Song of Ice and Fire might be close. I received the whole series as a birthday gift from a friend (long before the TV show existed), read the first two back-to-back at a time when I really wasn’t in a great place, and got burned out on the grimdark rocksfalleveryonedies of it all. I did enjoy the books, and I’ll probably dive back into it someday, but it’s not really high on my Fun Things to Read list right now.

I also come home with an armload of unexpected finds every time the local college has a charity used book fair... most of which end up sitting on my shelves for a long time, still unread...

5. Which book are you saving for “retirement?”

Nothing really, but I’ve got a big stack of novels from Japan that I’ve been saving for “once I’ve brushed up on my kanji” - since reading is excruciatingly slow when I have to look up every other word. I’m being optimistic and not putting them under the “probably won’t read” heading, though.

6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end?

noo, wait till the end! I will confess that sometimes I’ll flip ahead if I’m at a really slow point, or I know I don’t have time for another chapter but can’t quite bring myself to put the book down yet... but I’m trying to get better about it. I always regret it when I accidentally spoil the book for myself.

7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?

There should ABSOLUTELY be acknowledgements. The ones that involve stories or interesting background info are cool, but even the ones that are just lists of names 110% should be there - they’re for those people, not the reader, and after all the sweat and tears that go into putting a book together they deserve that place of honor.

8. Which book character would you switch places with?

When I was a kid this question would always trip me up - it would be so cool to be a character in the books I read and have awesome adventures... but at the same time, being in a book-world would mean giving up all the other book-worlds... unless you had access to an interdimensional library and spare time for reading while you weren’t busy saving the world...

If I’m being honest, though, I’d probably end up being Ged from A Wizard of Earthsea. I can relate pretty intensely to a lot of his journey.

9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?

Quite a few books remind me of a certain school librarian who was always ready with a recommendation and frequently asked the student library aides what books the library should add to their shelves. She was really cool.

10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.

My copy of the first Harry Potter book was given to me (right after it was first published in the US) by a good friend whose last name happened to be Potter.. along with a message that said “Wow, Harry Potter has such a cool name! I wish I had a cool name like that! OH WAIT...!”

I also seem to inherit a lot of manga from friends who want to free up shelf space.

11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?

I give books as presents a lot, so nothing specific really stands out. For some reason I keep losing copies of The Silmarillion to people I lend it to who never return it...

Come to think of it, I gave a copy of Howl’s Moving Castle to one of my students in Japan before I left - since she’d been doing extra English language work just for fun, and she was a fan of the Ghibli movie.

12. Which book has been with you to the most places?

I don’t know, offhand. This might be more a Question #9 story, but I remember reading Shadowmarch during downtime between classes in the teachers’ room of my schools in Japan. The other teachers kept exclaiming over how HUGE the book was (~800 pages in mass-market paperback). In Japan novels are pocket-sized - words in Japanese take up less space to print than English, they use thinner paper, and they separate books into Part 1/Part 2 etc if they’re too long.

13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later?

The Hobbit, actually. I’d read it probably in middle school/jr high or so and thought it was kind of silly and childish. Then when it was assigned representing the fantasy genre in high school lit class, I was annoyed enough that I didn’t bother rereading it - just skimmed it well enough to answer test questions. Once I’d read The Lord of the Rings and gotten into the Tolkien mythos I could appreciate The Hobbit a lot more.

14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?

In used books and library books I’ve found bookmarks, old receipts, the usual stuff... I think I found a pressed flower once or twice. A friend of mine used to hide money in her books (to be found as a surprise for herself later, after she’d forgotten about it), so once in a while I’d borrow one and find a random $10 bill or so in it. (I left them there, of course!)

15. Used or brand new?

Either one. New is good for supporting authors, but my town has a really good used book store that I’ll check for older series.

And Book Off (huge Japanese used book chain) is a thing of beauty. So much manga is published so quickly over there that people don’t tend to hang onto their tankobon copies once they’ve finished reading them (they don’t have the space to keep them all), so you can get a ton of books for really cheap. I spent way more shipping them home than I did buying the actual books.

16. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses?

I haven’t read much Stephen King, apart from The Gunslinger (which I wasn’t really a fan of at the time) and his On Writing.  I admire his work ethic, at any rate.

17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?

I think there have been a few, but I can’t think of them now. I grew up with the Neverending Story movie, so I was a little thrown off when the second half of the book continued in such a different direction, but I liked them both. The book doesn’t have quite the same place in my heart that the movie does, though. And I enjoyed the Shannara Chronicles TV show a lot more than the first book in the series (see #3 above), but I haven’t read the specific books the show was based on, so I can’t really say there. (Though “Elessedil” still makes me cringe every time I hear it...)

18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid?

oh god. The Scifi Channel Earthsea miniseries had me laughing-slash-crying within the first five minutes, it was such a garbage fire and breathtaking masterpiece of missing the point. I remember having a similar reaction to Disney’s version of The Black Cauldron, though that was a much longer time ago, and that was less bewildered rage and more a disappointed “what did you do to my Prydain?? And what is this talking schnauzer?”

19. Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question?

Not that I can recall. For some reason reading about Tom Bombadil’s always makes me want bread and honey, though.

20. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?

Hah, I don’t know. The friend who gave me the Harry Potter book was a huge influence on what I read as a kid, but I lost touch with her a long time ago, so I don’t know what she’s reading these days.

Tagging: @possiblyelven, @taskitron, @whitherling, @arionwind, @december-soulstice, @byjillianmaria, @eggletine if you guys want to do it!

[muffindragon227]

Readers’ Questionnaire

Tagged by @lizard-is-writing

I thought this was interesting and decided to give it a go.

1. Which book has been on your shelves the longest? Probably Black Beauty, though I’ve had a couple different copies of it. I’ve had it since I was a child but the original copy either got lent out or was falling apart. Physical book that’s lasted the longest might just be The Princess Bride, which I found at a small convenience store up north while on vacation at 14-15.

2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next? Current Read: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman Last Read: The Book of Atrix Wolfe by Patricia A. McKillip Reading Next: The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (Provided TGC picks up it’s pace a little)

3. Which book does everyone like and you hated? Confession time. I’ve tried to pick up A Handmaids Tale five times now and I’ve yet to make it past the first chapter. I couldn’t get into Silence of the Lambs either, though I made it further with that one.

4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t? 1984. It’s been sitting on my book shelf for years, and I’ve yet to pick it up.

5. Which book are you saving for “retirement?” Probably the vast majority of “the classics” I have a hard time convincing myself to read anything heavy these days. Not when I can pick up a fantasy book or something light and fun that won’t have me thinking too much on the state of the world and where we’re headed.

6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end? Wait until the end. I think maybe once did I skip ahead to the end of a book and I can’t even remember what it was.

7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside? An important part of the book for the author and the people listed, much like credits after a movie. I’m normally not one to stick around for them, but every once in a while I’ll be curious about them, and I think they ought to be there.

8. Which book character would you switch places with? This is tough, but I think I’d be down to trade places with a character from Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld Series.... maybe Adam, who’s a half demon and doesn’t have nearly as many bad things happen to him as the rest of the characters.

9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)? Macbeth will forever remind me of my Grade 5 teacher Ms. Hildebrand who taught it to us. She was amazing and I swear she got all of us into it and probably created a love of Shakespeare that might never have developed without her.

10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way. I picked up The Princess Bride from a random convenience/ general store while on holidays with my family and it’s been my favourite book since. I’m not sure that it’s really interesting, but most of my books are bought or gifted so that’s as close as I’ve got.

11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person? Given away? No. But I bought my husband (then sorta friends with benefits/romantic interest) A Dance with Dragons, because I knew he’d been reading the series and was debating getting it so I left work on lunch (we worked together) and went up to the book store just north of us where a friend worked and grabbed it for him.

12. Which book has been with you to the most places? Uh.... The Princess Bride, only because I’ve had the copy for so long and I’ve moved around with it.... but I can’t say there’s a book that’s really been lugged around otherwise. Maybe my collection of Jane Austen books. Maybe.

13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later? I’d like to say the Great Gatsby might be worth a reread at this point, but I haven’t gotten around to it. I usually didn’t mind the required readings but my teacher killed this book to death for most of our class. Not only was it sold as some great love story (which I had a hard time buying) but we analyzed that book to death. There may come a day when I’ll pick it up and try again knowing what I’m getting into, but it’s not happening anytime soon.

14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book? I’ve found a couple of pressed flowers in my husbands books. Also some pictures.

15. Used or brand new? I can’t lie, I love brand new. I love matching too. But for the sake of my wallet I tend to buy used.

16. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses? I’ve never read Stephen King. Horror is not my thing at all, but there has to be some level of skill involved in publishing best sellers so consistently. I don’t think a book is lesser just because it’s marketable.

17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book? Lord of the Rings. I won’t say the Hobbit just because they were just milking it at that point, but the Lord of the Rings trilogy was fantastic and I couldn’t actually get myself through Tolkien’s swaths of description to finish the books so, I think this is a case in which this applies.

18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid? I’ll be honest, I think a lot of the time, I’ve watched the movie first and that’s pushed me towards reading the book, so you know, that says the movie did at least part of it’s job. I’ll let you know when they actually turn something I’ve read and loved into a movie, the answer will likely be different. (As I was writing this I remembered that they turned Kelley Armstrong’s Bitten into a tv series, and I was pissed with the changes, but I can’t hate on it that much cause she deserves some more attention.)

19. Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question? Nope, can’t say that I have.

20. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take? There is not a soul on this planet that I would ALWAYS trust with reading advice. I’m a picky reader, and I tend to judge books by their excerpts more than other people’s recommendations, but I guess my husband is the closest. He’s as picky as I am, but we like different styles and want different things from our books so I take the recommendations with a grain of salt. Tagging @kanarenee, @hotrodren, @momocicerone, @angrylittlesliceofpizza, @theticklishpear, @mcubed35, @celestialcontrail, @beezarre, @xambedo, and anyone else who wants to.

[bestbooksforkids]

A Range of Book Reviews

Wow! I had a great response when reaching out for book reviews. Here are a range I received over the last week. I will definitely be reading a few of these myself. Thank you to everyone who contributed.

I Am David by Anne Holm 

Suggested for older KS2 children from around 9 yo. An exciting and thought provoking look at the journey of David, who escapes a terrifying concentration camp during World  War II and travels across Europe to find his mother. On the way he has lots of adventures, meets kind (and not so kind) people, and learns an awful lot about himself and the places he travels through. This is an amazing book, set in difficult times and shows that, no matter how hard things seem at the moment, if you believe in yourself and never give up, you will surprise yourself and many others. I first read this when I was ten and I have never been without a copy on my bookcase (or the boys' bookcase) since - Simon (parent)

The Worrysaurus by Rachel Bright

I saw this book in Sainsbury’s this week and found it quite fitting with the current situation we all find ourselves in. It’s a lovely book for children, with beautiful illustrations that teaches all of us to live in the moment and not fret over things that are not happening or that are out of our control. A little Worrysaurus has a lovely day planned when suddenly he begins to worry about what might ruin his day. He comforts himself with his favourite things and reminds himself of something his mum told him (which I think we can all live by), “if it’s not a happy ending, then it hasn’t ended yet”. I cannot wait to be back at work and share this story with the children to help them to set their butterflies free! - Miss Hughes Y2

The Fox in the Dark by Alison Greene  

One of my favourites is the Fox in the Dark by Alison Greene. Every group of children I have ever taught from Early Years right through to Y4 always adore it. The story is about a scary fox in the dark and the animals that are trying to escape her. All the animals end up in a slightly disgruntled rabbit’s house and it is really funny in parts, due to rabbit being a bit fed up they are all there. There is lots of repetition as each animal knocks and explains how afraid they are. All of the animals are of course oblivious to rabbit’s bad mood as his house becomes full of animals. For me, humour shared with little ones especially when there is an unspoken understanding that we all get it, is key to a great children's book. I have read it to 2 Ireland and they adore it and often take my copy for independent reading time. - Mrs Gallivan Y2

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein

I love how Tolkein transports us to a completely new world through his use of description. It does all seem quite familiar though as he describes a quiet village holding a festival and neighbours all knowing each other. As the story continues, however, you realise that you are in an amazing world where things are different. There are Hobbits (small people who walk around in bare feet - very hairy bare feet!) There are also dwarves, elves, wizards and, of course, a dragon. In fact, the dragon, called Smaug, is hoarding a lost collection of treasures which he stole off the dwarves many years ago. The dwarves go on a quest to win back their treasure but need the help of the wizard, Gandalf. Gandalf knows that they will also need the help of someone, surprising… a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. The story sees the group going on many adventures and facing many perils on their way to face Smaug. Will they succeed in their quest? Without giving too much away, something important happens to Bilbo on the way – he finds a magic ring. This led to the follow up trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. This is a fantastic book which is exciting, scary and very imaginative. It will grip you from the start all the way to the end! - Mr Howarth Y4

Prince Caspian by CS Lewis

My class recently read 'Prince Caspian' by CS Lewis, what a corker! I would recommend share reading this, my class loved taking turns and I could explain some of the trickier vocabulary. The main characters are the same as those from 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe', whom most of us already know either from films or the books.I'm recommending this book as a bit of fantasy is what we all need at the moment; to step into an alternative world, where animals talk and children can be kings and queens. The best reason I can give you for this is; I promised my class when we had finished reading we could watch the film, on the penultimate day before the Christmas holidays, we still had a chapter to go but watched anyway... we didn't have time to watch the complete film either.... my class begged me on the last day of term to read the last chapter to them before we watched it as there was so much more detail in the book. Hurrah!!!!! They preferred the book to the film! Loads of children came home after the holidays saying they had carried on reading other books in the series over Christmas. What better recommendation could you ask for! - Miss Rushworth Y5

A book with a message for the world right now and for all time…Cicada by Shaun Tan

Shaun Tan’s book Cicada is a great children’s book because it can be read in many different ways. I would highly recommend this telling of the story. Although it is a picture book, it is definitely a story better suited to readers age 11 and up.

On one level, there is a story about valuing each other as individuals, looking out for those who may be put aside or marginalised.  What makes this book great is that it can also be interpreted on a very complex level that would challenge even adults because of how much imagination goes into reading the story. In his own words, Shaun Tan mentions how mysterious the story is. The pictures are incredibly rich, but there is so little detail on whom the cicada is, where the cicada is, or what their job is. The reader is free to imagine an entire backstory. As an adult reading this, it makes me think of Kafka’s Metamorphosis; a story that just starts right away with little introduction, a story about what life can be like in a modern world and how it affects individuals. In an interview, Shaun talked about the artist’s responsibility to spur us on to looking at the world differently, to question how we live and to make the world a more humane place. Cicada is a story that reminds us to look out for one another: a message that has special meaning for the world right now. -Mr Howarth Deputy Principal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEzEy4LnIPg

 Spy Dog by Andrew Cope

Are you a fan of funny stories? Are you a fan of adventure stories? If the answer is ‘yes’ to both, then meet LARA - Licensed Assault and Rescue Animal. Join her on her mission to return to her government trainers without being captured by Mr. Big, the leader of a criminal gang who wants revenge on LARA for destroying his criminal empire. Her strategy is to hide in a dog pound. Guess who comes into the pound? Mr. Big – find out how Lara avoids being picked by him. Eventually she is adopted by the Cook Family. The children are shocked and amazed by LARA’s antics which include using the family toilet and wiping her own bottom, Tae Kwando, eating at the table and reading newspapers!

Never Mind James Bond, join LARA, the world’s one and only Spy Dog as she sniffs out danger wherever she goes! - Miss Conlon Y5

Dragons at Crumbling Castle - Terry Pratchett

I won’t lie!! I have not read all the way through this one but I love terry Pratchett’s humour and weird thinking. Dragons have invaded Crumbling Castle, and all of King Arthur’s knights are either on holiday or visiting their grannies. It’s a disaster! Luckily, there’s a spare suit of armour and a very small boy called Ralph who’s willing to fill it. Together with Fortnight the Friday knight and Fossfiddle the wizard, Ralph sets out to defeat the fearsome fire-breathers.

But there's a teeny weeny surprise in store . . .

Fourteen fantastically funny stories from master storyteller Sir Terry Pratchett, full of time travel and tortoises, monsters and mayhem! - Mrs McKenzie Y4

Wonder by R.J.Palacio

If you have seen the film of the book and didn’t like it, do not be put off!! The book is really human, uplifting and funny.

Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things - eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary - inside. But ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren't stared at wherever they go. Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he's being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted - but can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all? - Mrs McKenzie Y4

[yespoetry]

An Interview with the Authors of 'DICTIONNAIRE INFERNAL' (And Download It For Free Here)

DICTIONNAIRE INFERNAL is a co-authored with Chris McCreary and Mark Lamoureux and was originally published by Empty Set Press on Halloween 2017. With the close of Empty Set earlier this, we have partnered up with ESP and are offering the chapbook as a free ebook. You can read a poem from the chapbook here, an interview with the authors below, and download the collection here and below.

Did you write this collection to any kind of music?

Mark: This is a hard question to answer, because I listen to music more or less constantly and I listen pretty widely (Bill Corbett once told me I have "big ears").  Looking at the poems in Dictionnaire Infernal I see references to Skinny Puppy, Big Black and the theme song for The Karate Kid Part II by Peter Cetera, but that was probably Chris.  I'm sure I was listening to a lot of other stuff, too, but it's impossible to say what.

Chris: In general, I write while listening to instrumental music. The band Earth is probably my favorite for this. That said, this chapbook does have a sestina, “Abraxas,” that is in part a riff on lyrics from the band Baroness, who we both admire. (After the chapbook was published, I sent a message to the band’s singer asking if he would want a copy, but I never heard anything back from him. This might be for the best - it would be mortifying if he read the poem and didn’t like it.)

Describe your favorite meal.   

Mark: There's the socially responsible answer to this question and the honest one.  

The socially responsible one is good moules frites and a bottle of burgundy.  Red wine with seafood because I’m a madman who lives on the edge.

The honest answer is a cheeseburger that they serve at a dairy restaurant where I grew up called Shady Glen where they fry a specific type of American cheese on the fry table so that it gets sort of brown and curled and bubbly, paired with a vanilla milkshake.  Said restaurant was more or less the inspiration for my chapbook 29 Cheeseburgers.  It’s definitely Americana kitsch where the servers all wear these anachronistic uniforms and these little paper hats. 

Chris: Jenn McCreary makes great vegetarian chili. If I could cap off that meal with coffee and a salted chocolate chip cookie or three, all would be right in the world for a moment.

Choose three books that you've always identified with?  

Chris: I’ve always felt an affinity for Tolkien’s hobbits, who mostly want to avoid trouble and stay at home with a book and a good snack. Maybe The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings count as two of the three books?  I think The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was probably formative for me as well, particularly in terms of its fatalistic dark humor. 

Mark: I’ve definitely always identified with Satan in Paradise Lost--he is actually an ethical person who has no choice but to fractiously rebel against his creator because that’s how he was made.  He feels bad about leading the fallen angels into a conflict they are destined to lose, but he doesn’t know how to do anything else. Like Chris, I was weaned on fantasy and science fiction books--the first book I ever took out of the school library of my own accord was Ursula le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea because I liked the cover.  I felt an affinity to the main character, the wizard Ged, who winds up in a conflict with his own shadow, which he liberated in a ritual he was not supposed to be doing.  The shadow winds up killing his beloved pet otak, which spoke to me at the time because my parents had just gotten divorced and my mother bought me a jet-black rabbit at the state fair that I named Obsidian that was eaten by a coyote about a week later. 

Before I read “serious” books, the first books I read were comic books and I was obsessed with the X-Men, particularly the character Nightcrawler, who was the most freakish of the already freakish team. There is a graphic novel called God Loves, Man Kills in which a televangelist tries to exorcise Nightcrawler, which I found particularly moving.  I have a drawing of Nightcrawler’s signature “BAMF” onomatopoeia that appears when he teleports done by his late creator David Cockrum for me at a comic book convention when I was 12 or so that is one of my prized possessions.

Choose one painting that describes who you are. What is it?  

“The Sphinx & The Milky Way” by Charles Burchfield (Mark)

“Torches Mauve” by Franz Kline (Chris)

What’s a gif or meme that you relate to?

Mark:  I see this as akin to Caspar David Friedrich’s Wanderer above the Sea of Fog but with more screaming. 

via GIPHY

Chris: This meme is a pretty solid representation of chronic anxiety.

What do you imagine the apocalypse is like? How would you want to die?  

Chris: In middle school, I thought a lot about nuclear war and assumed that we’d all die in a fireball at any moment. (There was a period of several months where I didn’t want to be in a room without a radio or TV playing because I wanted to be able to hear the warning broadcasts as soon as they started.) Now I imagine the apocalypse as slow moving, a game of inches where basic resources like clean water are hoarded by the wealthy. As for how I’d want to die… I hope I’m at peace with friends and loved ones, no matter the circumstances.

Mark: Under the Baron Trump administration, faculty at Trump National Stable Geniuses University College must, in addition to their yearly self-evaluations, submit paperwork detailing how they are employing The Art of the Deal Parts 47-72 in their curriculum to Make America Great Again Again Again in order to justify their annual rations of Trump Sausage and potable water.  I will forget about the deadline and be summarily executed the last semester before I retire at age 108.

If you could only watch three films for the rest of your life, what would they be?  

Chris: The Empire Strikes Back, The Fellowship of The Ring, and Heathers.

Mark: Labyrinth, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  (It was really difficult to just pick three). 

Where do you find inspiration lately?

Chris: The second season of the show Fleabag is one of the best things that I’ve seen in ages. 

Mark:  I have been writing poems to Bill Evans compositions lately, as well as finishing up a project where I “write” poems to episodes of the old Leonard Nimoy paranormal TV docuseries In Search Of.  I have done almost all of the hundreds of episodes, so I will need to find something else pretty soon.  

Where did you write most of your book? 

Chris: The poems in Dictionnaire Infernal are part of five years’ worth of poems that Mark and I have written together. Each April (aka National Poetry Month), we’ve written a poem a day and posted it to a blog. At the point when we were writing this particular series, one of us would choose a picture of a demon and riff on it, then the other person would finish the poem from there. I would often write my half of the poem first thing in the morning before homeroom at the high school where I teach or maybe later in the day while proctoring a study hall. 

Mark:  Likewise, definitely written either at home or at my office at Housatonic Community College. 

What was something surprised you recently?

Chris: This summer, we went to the shore for the first time in a few years. Our kids, who are now 16 years old (they’re fraternal twins), just got up and… went to the beach with a friend, aka without us. It was a jolt to realize that, Oh, right, they’re at an age where we don’t have to watch them in the water the whole time and scold them if they swim out too far. Although of course we ended up doing some of that, too. If I turned this anecdote into a piece of creative nonfiction, I’d begin to work some sort of metaphor here. 

Mark: At the risk of sounding cliché, as Chris mentions, parenting is pretty much a continuous stream of surprises.  To be honest, I was pretty ambivalent about becoming a parent, but ultimately I find it to be the best thing in the world.  Even at 2, my daughter is my best friend and we continue to discover surprising things about the world. I find it really easy to adopt the perspective of a small child and to see the world in that way, which is a nice panacea to the way I usually see the world. 

What do you carry with you at all times?   

Mark: Major depression and my iPod.  Yeah, I still have an iPod. 

Chris: Journal, iPhone, a 20-sided die, and an asthma inhaler.

Tell us a bit about your writing process. What works and what doesn't? What doesn't, but you keep trying it anyway?

 Chris: Left to my own devices, I’m a fairly slow, fussy writer who builds from scraps and takes a long time to shape those fragments into whole poems. I’ve tried to push myself to approach the process differently, often through the use of source texts, but the idea of a larger “project” tends to fall flat each time, and I end up writing more lyric poems with Duran Duran references in them. Collaborating with Mark over the years has freed me from my own obsessiveness - with those poems, I work quickly and don’t look back. Sometimes, though, there is still some Duran Duran.

Mark: I guess I am an ideal counterpoint to Chris because I tend to work quickly and improvisationally.  I identify with Jack Spicer’s adage that writing is dictation--it’s like capturing a mere segment of a steady flow of words.  Most of the “writing” occurs in revision and making things more (or less, depending) lucid and readable to other people, although I don’t necessarily concern myself with this too much.  It helps to have something to focus on, so I do a lot of what might be called ekphrastic writing, though the pieces themselves are rarely that ekphrastic.  Oftentimes I wind up with pieces titled for the source of the inspiration or improvisation that have little or nothing to do with the source content. I liken this to the jazz tradition of improvising upon standards. 

When I try to write something specifically “about” something starting from scratch, it usually fails pretty miserably.  Lately, though, I have been able to write more narrative things stemming from my quotidian life, which is definitely something I’ve had trouble doing in the past. 

 What are some of your daily rituals or routines?  

Chris: I’m trying to get better at establishing healthy routines. I want to meditate more regularly, for instance, but I have a tough time really establishing it as a daily practice. A lot of my established ritual is based around preparation and consumption of coffee, ideally La Colombe’s Corsica blend with Silk soy milk and raw sugar. 

Mark:  Routines are literally impossible for me - despite even my conscious intentions I will subconsciously sabotage anything that smacks of routine to my unconscious brain, which is troublesome when one is caring for a routine-oriented toddler.  I do my best to adhere to her strictly ritualized schedule nevertheless. The only part of my day that is really sacrosanct is reading non-work related stuff, sometimes for even just five minutes due to exhaustion, before I go to sleep. 

What was the hardest part about writing this book?

Chris: The most difficult aspect for me was the self-imposed deadline of finishing a poem every day, but it was also liberating. Mark and I have now completed five Aprils worth of poems - 150 of them! - without missing a day.

Mark: With these and some of the other ekphrastic projects Chris and I have done for NaPoWriMo, it is challenging to write something that isn’t merely a description or a riff on the song or image that we are writing to or about. 

Define happiness for you.  

Chris: Taking an unnecessarily long nap with my cat Frida.

Mark: Hanging out at the beach with my daughter.

Chris McCreary is the author of four books: [neüro / mäntic], undone : a fakebook, Dismembers, and The Effacements. His review of Arrive On Wave, the Collected Poems of Gil Ott, is forthcoming in Tripwire. Mark Lamoureux is is the author of four full-length collections of poems, It’ll Never Be Over for Me, 29 Cheeseburgers + 39 Years, Spectre) and Astrometry Organon. A fifth book, Horologion, is forthcoming from Poet Republik, Ltd. in 2019. Joanna C. Valente is a human who lives in Brooklyn, New York. They are the author of Sirs & Madams, The Gods Are Dead, Marys of the Sea, Sexting Ghosts, Xenos, No(body), and is the editor of A Shadow Map: Writing by Survivors of Sexual Assault. They received their MFA in writing at Sarah Lawrence College. Joanna is the founder of Yes Poetry and the senior managing editor for Luna Luna Magazine. Some of their writing has appeared in The Rumpus, Them, Brooklyn Magazine, BUST, and elsewhere. Joanna also leads workshops at Brooklyn Poets. joannavalente.com / Twitter: @joannasaid / IG: joannacvalente / FB: joannacvalente

[jillsreviews]

JOFFE BOOKS: What the Bloggers & Readers think. Day 17: Black Books Blog. #TeamJoffeBooks

Good morning.  As we have heard from all the authors today I am starting something new and hearing what the Bloggers and Readers think.  To start this off I am very pleased to introduce Simon from BLACK BOOKS BLOG. Simon has joined nearly every Joffe Books Blog Tour since he started blogging.  

Hello Simon. Could you tell us a little about yourself and what made you start blogging?

My name’s Simon and my blog is called Black Book s Blog.

I live in a lovely village in Kent with my wife and 2 children (both girls so you can imagine what my home life is like being completely outnumbered).  During the day I work in payroll and finance, which entails paying 500 employees every other week and raising invoices.

To get away from my mundane job I turn to reading, which I have done since I was very young as my dad used to read to me before bedtime, something I now do with my two children.

I have always enjoyed fantasy and sci-fi books, the first proper book I remember being read to me, and also reading myself is The Hobbit when I was around 8.  This then lead me to David Eddings and Anne McCaffrey through my dad’s book collection.

I now read pretty much anything but mainly stick to Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Dystopia and Crime/Thriller books.

I started my blog after joining The Book Club on Facebook (TBConFB) after reading Justin Lee Anderson’s Carpet Diem, where he recommended the group at the end of his book.  After joining the group I realised that people enjoy reading recommendations from like-minded people and that there are bloggers out there who review books.  After following a couple I decided to start my own and from there it has gone from strength to strength.

How long had you been blogging when you started joining Blog Tours?

I set my blog up in April 2017 and pretty much started joining blog tours from there, firstly to get my blog known and then it became addictive and I thought I would need to keep doing it for people to notice my blog.  Since then I have realised I can say no to people and try to restrict myself to only two blog tours a week.  I very rarely stick to this especially when Joffe release their books.

Do you join blog tours for a lot of publishers? About how many?

I do tours for publishers as well as independent authors.  I generally stick with 3 publishers Joffe Books, Orenda and Bloodhound Books, but also do a lot for independent authors who either approach me to run a tour, or go through one of the other tour operators, whose lists I am on, these include Jill Burkinshaw, Anne Cater, Rachel Gilbey and Kelly Lacey.

What do you think of the books Joffe publish are they usually good, average, bad?

Unlike some other publishers I have yet to read a bad book by a Joffe author.  The books are really well written by the author and edited and proofread by Joffe, which definitely makes them easy to read.  Obviously mistakes do happen but once they have been pointed out Joffe always correct them promptly.

How do Joffe Blog Tours compare to the ones run by other publishers?

The tours are always run well with the organiser sending out the book and all media kits with enough time that if anything needs changing it can be modified easily before the tour starts.  Personally I can also have the date I want 95% of the time, which helps me to organise it around all of the other tours I am taking part in.

The organiser is always really helpful and approachable, especially if personal reasons prevent anyone from completing their stop, she will always supply a promotional or guest spot instead.

Joffe Books is run differently to other publishers is the short notice of book releases a problem given how much in demand bloggers are?

As I have been on Joffe’s blog tours for a year now I am used to the short turnaround where you normally only get a week or so notice.  I have now adjusted the order I read the books and if I don’t think I would be able to read it for the start of the tour I request to close it giving me an extra week or so to finish it.

Now that I try to stick with only 2 or 3 blog tours a week I can easily fit in another one from Joffe, which I always do as I love the books they publish.

Some Bloggers leave room for Joffe Books are you one of those? If so why?

As mentioned above I am one of the people who always leave room for a Joffe book, especially when I know in advance that a book is due to be released shortly.  I leave space for them as I know they will be well written and hold my attention throughout the whole book.  This does become an issue as it means that once I have started a Joffe Book I don’t want to put it down and always feel a tiny bit sad when I have to due to life and work.

Joffe Books has a launch team that get together in a virtual party setting and many of the authors support each other and chat with the readers and bloggers. Do you think this is a good idea? If so why?

I think the virtual parties are a great idea for both authors, bloggers and readers alike as it is a great way for the readers to get to know the authors in a fun setting, plus it helps create a bond between author and readers, ensuring that when the next book comes along the reader will associate this with how much fun they had chatting to the author at the last party.

I think it also helps that the authors who are friendly at their own party also go to the other ones, therefore keeping their name out there and helping to create a great united front between the Joffe Authors.

All the books which have a party have also done well on Amazon in UK, USA and Australia, which I think has come from the fact that almost everyone who goes to each party ends up buying a copy of the book, if they don’t win one at the party itself.

Do you think the Joffe Blog Tour experience could be improved? If so what would you recommend?

Not really I think it is organised and executed really professionally and with minimal fuss.

Is there anything else you would like to say about Joffe Books, their authors or Social Media Promoter?

I personally think that Joffe have done very well hand picking the authors they have and all of them seem to love working with Joffe, which doesn’t always happen where writers and publishers are concerned.  This love seems to bring the best out of the authors and help them to write some amazing books.

The Social Media Promoter does a sterling job of filling the spots promptly, especially given the short notice Joffe like to give her, and she is always really friendly and approachable whenever there are any issues.  She does such a great job for Joffe that I don’t think the books would have the same amount of success if she wasn’t there organising everything.

She also does a great job organising the parties as well as offering great prizes at them.

By Simon Leonard, Black Books Blog

  JOFFE BOOKS ROLLING BLOG

JOFFE BOOKS – What their authors think. Day 1 – T J Brearton

JOFFE BOOKS: What Their Authors Think. Day 2 – Ken Ogilvie

JOFFE BOOKS: What their authors think. Day 3: Helen Durrant

JOFFE BOOKS: What their authors think. Day 4 – Janice Frost

JOFFE BOOKS: What their authors think. Day 5 – Stewart Giles

JOFFE BOOKS – What their authors think. Day 6 – Derek Thompson

JOFFE BOOKS – What their authors think. Day 7 – Charlie Gallagher

JOFFE BOOKS – What their authors think. Day 8 – Joy Ellis

JOFFE BOOKS – What their authors think. Day 9 – Daisy White

JOFFE BOOKS – What their authors think. Day 10 – Faith Martin

JOFFE BOOKS – What their authors think. Day 11 – Anne Penketh

JOFFE BOOKS: What their authors think. Day 12: Gretta Mulrooney

JOFFE BOOKS: What their authors think. Day 13: Michael Hambling

JOFFE BOOKS: What their authors think. Day 15: Taylor Adams

JOFFE BOOKS: What their authors think. Day 16: Chris Collett

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