Jane Austen to Grace England's 10 Pound Note!

This September, England is releasing a 10 pound banknote featuring the image of Jane Austen, her writing desk, and a quote! How cool is that? The only other woman currently featured on an English banknote is Queen Elizabeth II. 

To learn more about the new Jane Austen banknote read the article on Bustle titled, How Jane Austen's 10-Pound Banknote Is Secretly Witty by Nicole Einbinder.

So What Exactly Does A Book Editor Do?

I've always had a rough idea of what a book editor does for a living, but after reading What Does A Book Editor Do? Macmillan's Rhoda Belleza Has Some Insight On The Covetable Job by Kerri Jarema, I have a better understanding of what a book editor does on a weekly basis.

In the article, Kerri Jarema wrote the following:

So we went right to the source to find out. You might recognize Rhoda Belleza's name from the cover of her popular YA fantasy book Empress Of A Thousand Skies. But did you know that she is an editor at Macmillan offshoot Imprint, too? She has worked on a ton of anticipated upcoming titles including The Wicker King by K. Ancrum; Ink, Iron and Glass by Gwen Clare; A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney; and Sweet Black Waves by Kristina Pérez.

"My day job as an editor can be pretty varied, but I’d say everything I do falls into three major categories," Belleza says. "Editing the book and supporting the author; advocating for the book and author; and networking and finding new content. There’s not really a typical work day because it’s so dependent on what deadline I need to hit."

So read on by clicking the very top link to learn more about the three major categories a book editor deals with on a weekly basis.

The Dead of Sanguine Night by Travis Simmons

Paranormal Short Story

The Dead of Sanguine Night by Travis Simmons is a paranormal, short story approximately 51 pages in length.

I was able to download the ebook edition of The Dead of Sanguine Night by Travis Simmons to my Kindle for FREE from Amazon.

Below is my honest, unbiased review of The Dead of Sanguine Night by Travis Simmons.

The Dead of Sanguine Night by Travis Simmons was a pretty good read, although it needed some minor editing. The first chapter was a bit slow to me, but the remaining chapters were fairly engaging and pretty fast paced. I liked the storyline for The Dead of Sanguine Night by Travis Simmons.

The following is a plot summary for The Dead of Sanguine Night by Travis Simmons from Amazon:

When death knows your name, there is no escape.

By day, Danthea is a thriving port city, full of life and laughter. At night, demon hunters go sword-to-teeth with monsters to keep humanity safe.

Margaret Vantasyl spends her days studying books and bestiaries, learning all she can about the monsters that plague the sleeping hours. It’s when the sun falls behind the horizon, and the moon reigns that her family takes to the streets to combat the surge of demons that threaten the safety of their city.

When countless young woman are found dead in abandoned homes, Margaret knows there’s something more sinister afoot than mindless vampires and scavenger ghouls. A creature that’s able to enslave the vampires and band the ghouls together in gangs.

All evidence points to a necromancer bending the living and the dead to its will.

But when Margaret is kidnapped, it will take all of her knowledge and skill as a hunter to defeat the vile sorceress. Will Margaret be able to save herself from becoming the necromancer's next victim? Or is she already good as dead?

I am giving The Dead of Sanguine Night by Travis Simmons a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters by John Steinbeck

I am a HUGE fan of John Steinbeck's novel, East of Eden. I read it for the first time in 2008 and feel in love with East of Eden. The writing in East of Eden is exquisite. Suffice it to say that East of Eden by John Steinbeck is one of my all time favorite novels ever written.

I learned about Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters by John Steinbeck shortly after reading East of Eden and I knew that some day I'd have to read Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters by John Steinbeck as well.

Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters by John Steinbeck is a work of nonfiction and covers each of Steinbeck's working days while writing his novel, East of Eden in 1951. 

I found reading Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters by John Steinbeck to be very insightful with regards to his inner thoughts while writing East of Eden as well as insights to his daily life and interests besides writing. 

Although, I enjoyed reading Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters by John Steinbeck very much, by no means did I find it to be the perfect read. Steinbeck reiterates many of the same subject matter/topics throughout Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters. For instance, Steinbeck repeatedly talks about writing East of Eden at his own pace and he will not be rushed into writing it faster, the subject of weariness comes up frequently and putting off writing, and several other topics... And sometimes this book seemed a bit dry, but otherwise, Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters by John Steinbeck was a fabulous book to read. Especially, if you are a John Steinbeck or simply want to know more about an author's writing process during the time in which he wrote his novel.

The following is a blurb about Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters by John Steinbeck from Amazon:

Each working day from January 29 to November 1, 1951, John Steinbeck warmed up to the work of writing East of Eden with a letter to the late Pascal Covici, his friend and editor at The Viking Press. It was his way, he said, of "getting my mental arm in shape to pitch a good game."

Steinbeck's letters were written on the left-hand pages of a notebook in which the facing pages would be filled with the test of East of Eden. They touched on many subjects—story arguments, trial flights of workmanship, concern for his sons.

Part autobiography, part writer's workshop, these letters offer an illuminating perspective on Steinbeck's creative process, and a fascinating glimpse of Steinbeck, the private man.

I am giving Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters by John Steinbeck a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until next post, happy reading!!

Books About Strong Women Trailblazers Are Awesome!

I love reading memoirs, biographies, and other works of nonfiction about women trailblazers. So, when I noticed on Bustle's website a fabulous article titled, 13 Illustrated Books About Women Who Changed The World by Susanna Princivalle, I looked forward to discovering which books made the list. 

Several of the book titles mentioned in Susanna Princivalle's article are ones I've heard of before (but have yet to read), while other book titles mentioned were new to me. 

Click on the above link to discover which 13 illustrated books about women have made the list!

Famous Book Hoarders

It's always fun to learn who is a book hoarder... Especially when it comes to famous people. In fact, I was surprised to learn the identities of top three famous book hoarders in an article titled, 10 FAMOUS BOOK HOARDERS by Emily Temple. Click on the link to learn more!!

Luca's Mate (Dirk's Pack Book 1) by Kristina King

Paranormal Romance

Luca's Mate (Dirk's Pack Book 1) by Kristina King is a paranormal romance short story approximately 65 pages in length.

I was able to download Luca's Mate (Dirk's Pack Book 1) by Kristina King to my Kindle for FREE from Amazon.

Below is my honest, unbiased review for Luca's Mate (Dirk's Pack Book 1) by Kristina King.

There were some minor issues that needed to be edited in Luca's Mate (Dirk's Pack Book 1) by Kristina King, otherwise it was a pretty good paranormal romance. I enjoyed Kristina King's writing. The characters in Luca's Mate (Dirk's Pack Book 1) by Kristina King are fun and nicely developed. I feel like Luca's Mate (Dirk's Pack Book 1) is a great start to the 'Dirk's Pack' series.

The following is a plot summary for Luca's Mate (Dirk's Pack Book 1) by Kristina King from Amazon:

Meet Luca. He's a strong and independent Beta, whose patience with his Alpha pack leader, Dirk, has worn thin.

Luca tried his best to support his alpha, but Dirk was making radical decisions without talking it over with the rest of the wolves; like moving his pack of young single werewolves to live a 'simple' off-grid life in the wilderness.

Moving to the middle of nowhere didn't seem to have any upside, until a rainy, stormy night when a young woman appeared on his doorstep.

Melissa was determined to prove she could survive on her own, she wasn't just a spoiled rich girl who got handed everything with a silver spoon in her mouth. However, she bit off a little more than she could chew when she decided to go into the woods alone to prove she could take care of herself. She got lost and ended up stumbling upon Luca's compound, asking for help. Drenched and cold, the spark between them was instant. Throwing caution to the wind, Melissa gave in to the wild chemistry that brewed between the two of them.

I am giving Luca's Mate (Dirk's Pack Book 1) by Kristina King a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Mad Flashes by Lindsey R. Loucks

Horror Flash Fiction

I like flash fiction in general. They are short reads that are shorter than short stories and make for great reading when you don't have a lot of time. 

I decided to read Mad Flashes by Lindsey R. Loucks, which is a collection of 10 horror flash fiction stories written by one author.

I was able to download Mad Flashes by Lindsey R. Loucks to my Kindle for FREE from Amazon.

Below is my honest, unbiased review of Mad Flashes by Lindsey R. Loucks.

Overall, I liked the flash fiction written by Lindsey R. Loucks. Some of the stories, I didn't quite fully understand. But, as I already mentioned in my previous sentence, overall the stories were good and well written. 

I am giving Mad Flashes by Lindsey R. Loucks a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Death Visits The Hair Salon by Amy Andersen

Cozy Mystery Novel

I really enjoy a well written cozy mystery!! I read a cozy mystery short story titled, Death Visits The Hair Salon by Amy Andersen, this month. Death Visits The Hair Salon by Amy Andersen is approximately 52 pages in length.

I was able to download Death Visits The Hair Salon by Amy Andersen to my Kindle for FREE from Amazon.

Below is my honest, unbiased review of Death Visits The Hair Salon by Amy Andersen.

The only thing I didn't like about Death Visits The Hair Salon by Amy Andersen was the cliffhanger ending!! I am not a fan of cliffhanger endings. Otherwise, I really enjoyed reading Death Visits The Hair Salon by Amy Andersen. I liked Amy Andersen's writing, characters, and plot development for her cozy mystery short story. I would never have initially guessed the murderer!

Even though there is a cliffhanger ending for Death Visits The Hair Salon by Amy Andersen, I may go ahead and read the next installment of this cozy mystery series.

The following is a plot summary for Death Visits The Hair Salon by Amy Andersen from Amazon:

If you like mysteries with a hint of romance...

When Marion and Ruth open their salon, just as they do every morning, they’re horrified to discover a corpse seated in a styling chair. The police determine that the cause of death is strangulation. The murderer has to be someone from Chippingville, someone who knows Marion and Ruth. 

In their quest to discover the truth, they receive the unexpected help of their hair salon's clients, and that of the attractive village doctor, Glenn Steel, who has a secret.

If you like short mystery stories, get hooked with the first book in the Marion Fox mystery series. Marion is a character that will amaze you with her ingenuity and tenacity.

I am giving Death Visits The Hair Salon by Amy Andersen a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Project Snow by Cherita Smith

SciFi Fairy Tale Short Story

I read Project Snow by Cherita Smith in one sitting. It is a science fiction, dark fairy tale, short story that is approximately 36 pages in length.

I was able to download Project Snow by Cherita Smith for FREE to my Kindle from Amazon.

Below is my honest, unbiased review of Project Snow by Cherita Smith.

I love the cover art for this short story! I think the cover for Project Snow is one of the most beautiful book or short story covers on a book I've read this year.

As far as, Project Snow by Cherita Smith goes. I thought it was okay. The writing wasn't all that captivating or engaging. The storyline felt very predictable to me for the most part. The ending and the epilogue had a gap in the storyline, which made the story feel jarring and odd. I just don't understand the 4 star average customer rating for Project Snow by Cherita Smith on Amazon.

The following is a plot summary for Project Snow by Cherita Smith from Amazon:

Snow White meets genetic engineering in this captivating blend of science fiction & dark fairy tale that will hook you from the very first line...

Like most engineered kids, Amara can't wait to turn sixteen. Sixteen means confirmation of immunity to the aging infection that plagues mankind. And confirmation means freedom, leaving behind the quarantine of the Tower for a new life in the city — no filtration veils required.

But the queen has other plans. The queen is dying and needs a new heart. Daughter or not, Amara's will do. With her mother out to destroy her, Amara can't afford misplaced trust. A Guardsman wants to help save her, but is it for love or a dark plan of his own?

I am giving Project Snow by Cherita Smith a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!