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Katie's Literature Corner

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The Inkeeper by Keaton D. Winter - A humbling reminder of the beauty in kindness
Darkwind by Renee Dugan
updated on July 22, 2021September 8, 2020

‘Daughter of the Deep’ Review: A Swashbuckling Adventure Rich In Wit, Mythology and Mystery

Daughter of the Deep by Lina C. Amarego – My Review, followed by Character Discussion + Analysis – [Spoiler-free] โ€œA wedding to end a war…โ€ …

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updated on July 22, 2021September 6, 2020

Hi, I’m Katie – Welcome to my Literature Corner!

Hello! Katie here. You might know me from @katiesliteraturecorner on Instagram. I’ll be posting thoughts, photos and reviews on here – as well as hopefully getting to know lots of you! I look forward to discussing books, films and favourite things with you all. Here’s a bit more about me…

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Katie Morrowick
๐Ÿฅ‚What's something you're looking forward to in ๐Ÿฅ‚What's something you're looking forward to in 2022?

A while ago, my lovely friend @b.solis_ was telling me how at the end of each year, she picks a particular focus-word for the upcoming one.

It could be 'Gratitude', 'Adventure', or 'Self-forgiveness' - and you can tailor it to apply to your personal goals and hopes for the year. 

I've decided that mine for 2022 will be 'Quality over quantity'. Something I struggle with in life is juggling multitudes of options: which TV show to watch; which photo filter to choose; which synonym works best. 
Though I love being detail-oriented and interested in lots of things, it can also get overwhelming and unfulfilling. 
To help with this, I want to narrow my field of view with projects and tasks; to focus on depth, rather than breadth. 

โ€ข I plan to sift through old photos and select the most important ones, to put in photobooks I can actually enjoy and treasure, rather than having to wade through a huge file store every time I want to look back at memories. 

โ€ข I hope to declutter my room and let go of items that don't hold much meaning or purpose for me - the random odds and ends in a box that I haven't needed, or the ornaments I've had for ages but that I'm not really attached to.
I'll put them in a 'quarantine box' for a while to see if I miss them over 6 months, then if not, they can go - out of sight and out of mind.

โ€ข For both uni work and while drafting, I endeavour to refine my writing: not so much to lose my cadence and tone, but enough to bring my points into sharper focus.

We'll see how it goes๐Ÿ˜‚

๐Ÿฅ‚Here's to a new year, enchanted folk.
May it bring you wonder and magicโœจ
โ€ข

(P.S. Thank you to everyone in this community who has contributed to making many moments of this year positive and joyful. Sorry I couldn't fit everyone in the tags - I added them in a random order and stopped when it was full๐Ÿ˜… You all know who you are๐Ÿฅฐ)

โ€ข
๐Ÿ“– What is your focus-word for 2022?๐Ÿ“–
โœจ๐ŸŽ„ Sending magic your way this Christmas Eve โœจ๐ŸŽ„ Sending magic your way this Christmas Eve day๐ŸŽ„โœจ

Christmas has always been magical for me, and I'm certain that no matter how old I get, and even though its form changes over time, it always will be. 
Even the memories of beautiful times can carry the magic of the past into the present. 

From the mellow cinnamon warmth of fruit punch, to the minty sweetness of candy canes; watching Christmas films during the day and reading illustrated storybooks in the evening. 

The excitement of hanging stockings, and leaving cookies out for Santa (with a carrot for Rudolph). Tiptoeing out to the front porch in gingerbread-print pyjamas, to scatter glittery oats on the driveway for the reindeer. 

Looping the shiny red ribbon of the magic key around the door handle, in lieu of a chimney, for Santa to post through the letter box after delivering the presents. Eyes squeezed shut with twinkly excitement as night-time settles; not daring to peek until the blue dusk of morning wakes the magic of Christmas day...

This was the Christmas of my childhood, and even though it might be a little different each year, the magic still carries through it.

In the words of Kermit:

"I don't know if you believe in Christmas
Or if you have presents underneath the Christmas tree
But if you believe in love, that will be more than enough
For peace to last throughout the coming year"

And in the words of Terry Pratchett:

"It didn't stop being magic just because you found out how it was done."

Wishing you a magical Christmas Eve and Day, folks - no matter how you celebrate (if at all)โ˜ƒ๏ธ

โœจ๐ŸŽ„What are your Christmas Eve traditions?๐ŸŽ„โœจ
๐Ÿฐ What's your favourite setting that features i ๐Ÿฐ What's your favourite setting that features in your writing project - or your current read?

From my book, I reckon my favourite location has got to be the gothic mansion the characters visit midway through. It becomes a hub and a safe space for them, as well as a place of learning and uncovering mysteries. It also becomes very important for my main character Zoe's arc as the story progresses.
 
It's spooky, rickety, grand, and just a little bit haunted...

โžก๏ธ Swipe for some quotes from my draft. 

โ€ข
โ€ข
For those intrigued, here's an extended snippet from the scene where it's introduced:

' โ€œ๐‘ฑ๐’–๐’”๐’• ๐’๐’๐’๐’Œ ๐’‚๐’• ๐’•๐’‰๐’Š๐’” ๐’‘๐’๐’‚๐’„๐’†!โ€ ๐‘ญ๐’Š๐’๐’ ๐’”๐’•๐’†๐’‘๐’‘๐’†๐’… ๐’Š๐’ ๐’‚ ๐’„๐’Š๐’“๐’„๐’๐’† ๐’˜๐’Š๐’•๐’‰ ๐’‚๐’“๐’Ž๐’” ๐’๐’–๐’•๐’”๐’•๐’“๐’†๐’•๐’„๐’‰๐’†๐’…, ๐’‚๐’” ๐’‰๐’Š๐’” ๐’ˆ๐’“๐’Š๐’ ๐’๐’Š๐’• ๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐’Ž๐’Š๐’”๐’• ๐’‚๐’“๐’๐’–๐’๐’… ๐’–๐’”. โ€œ๐‘พ๐’๐’–๐’๐’…๐’โ€™๐’• ๐’•๐’‰๐’Š๐’” ๐’ƒ๐’† ๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐’‘๐’†๐’“๐’‡๐’†๐’„๐’• ๐’‘๐’๐’‚๐’„๐’† ๐’‡๐’๐’“ ๐’‚ ๐‘ฏ๐’‚๐’๐’๐’๐’˜๐’†๐’†๐’ ๐’‘๐’‚๐’“๐’•๐’š?โ€

โ€œ๐‘ถ๐’“ ๐’‚ ๐’Ž๐’–๐’“๐’…๐’†๐’“ ๐’Ž๐’š๐’”๐’•๐’†๐’“๐’š.โ€ ๐‘ฒ๐’‚๐’Š ๐’ˆ๐’“๐’–๐’Ž๐’ƒ๐’๐’†๐’….

๐‘บ๐’‚๐’–๐’ ๐’”๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’๐’†๐’… ๐’ƒ๐’†๐’”๐’Š๐’…๐’† ๐’Ž๐’†. *๐‘ป๐’‰๐’†๐’“๐’†โ€™๐’” ๐’‚๐’ ๐’Š๐’…๐’†๐’‚.*

๐‘ฐ ๐’ƒ๐’‚๐’•๐’•๐’†๐’… ๐’‰๐’Š๐’” ๐’‚๐’“๐’Ž ๐’˜๐’Š๐’•๐’‰ ๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐’ƒ๐’‚๐’„๐’Œ ๐’๐’‡ ๐’Ž๐’š ๐’‰๐’‚๐’๐’…, ๐’‚๐’๐’… ๐’‰๐’Š๐’” ๐’‘๐’–๐’“๐’”๐’†๐’… ๐’๐’Š๐’‘๐’” ๐’•๐’˜๐’Š๐’•๐’„๐’‰๐’†๐’…. 
๐‘ด๐’†๐’•๐’“๐’†๐’” ๐’‚๐’‰๐’†๐’‚๐’…, ๐‘ต๐’‚๐’•๐’‚๐’๐’Š๐’† ๐’ƒ๐’†๐’„๐’Œ๐’๐’๐’†๐’… ๐’‚๐’” ๐’”๐’‰๐’† ๐’“๐’†๐’‚๐’„๐’‰๐’†๐’… ๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐’†๐’๐’•๐’“๐’‚๐’๐’„๐’†, ๐’˜๐’‰๐’†๐’“๐’† ๐’‚ ๐’…๐’“๐’‚๐’Ž๐’‚๐’•๐’Š๐’„ ๐’”๐’•๐’‚๐’Š๐’“๐’„๐’‚๐’”๐’† ๐’”๐’•๐’“๐’†๐’•๐’„๐’‰๐’†๐’… ๐’•๐’ ๐’‚ ๐’ƒ๐’–๐’“๐’ˆ๐’–๐’๐’…๐’š ๐’…๐’๐’๐’“. 
โ€œ๐‘ฒ๐’†๐’†๐’‘ ๐’–๐’‘, ๐’ˆ๐’–๐’š๐’”. ๐‘พ๐’† ๐’…๐’๐’โ€™๐’• ๐’Œ๐’๐’๐’˜ ๐’‰๐’๐’˜ ๐’Ž๐’‚๐’๐’š ๐’“๐’๐’๐’Ž๐’” ๐’•๐’‰๐’†๐’“๐’† ๐’‚๐’“๐’† ๐’•๐’ ๐’”๐’†๐’‚๐’“๐’„๐’‰.โ€

โ€œ๐‘ณ๐’๐’๐’Œ๐’” ๐’๐’Š๐’Œ๐’† ๐’‚ ๐’‡๐’‚๐’Š๐’“ ๐’‡๐’†๐’˜.โ€ ๐‘ญ๐’Š๐’๐’ ๐’๐’Š๐’‡๐’•๐’†๐’… ๐’‚ ๐’‰๐’‚๐’๐’… ๐’•๐’ ๐’‰๐’Š๐’” ๐’ƒ๐’“๐’๐’˜, ๐’”๐’’๐’–๐’Š๐’๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’ˆ. โ€œ๐‘ช๐’๐’–๐’๐’… ๐’•๐’‚๐’Œ๐’† ๐’–๐’” ๐’…๐’‚๐’š๐’”.โ€

โ€œ๐‘ฌ๐’™๐’‚๐’„๐’•๐’๐’š. ๐‘บ๐’ ๐’‰๐’–๐’“๐’“๐’š ๐’–๐’‘.โ€ ๐‘ฏ๐’†๐’“ ๐’†๐’š๐’†๐’” ๐’๐’‚๐’“๐’“๐’๐’˜๐’†๐’… ๐’‚๐’” ๐’‰๐’† ๐’”๐’‚๐’–๐’๐’•๐’†๐’“๐’†๐’… ๐’•๐’๐’˜๐’‚๐’“๐’…๐’” ๐’‰๐’†๐’“.

"๐‘พ๐’†๐’๐’, ๐’Š๐’‡ ๐’˜๐’†'๐’“๐’† ๐’•๐’ ๐’ƒ๐’† ๐’‰๐’๐’–๐’”๐’†๐’Ž๐’‚๐’•๐’†๐’” ๐’‡๐’๐’“ ๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐’๐’†๐’™๐’• ๐’˜๐’‰๐’Š๐’๐’†..." ๐’‰๐’† ๐’ƒ๐’†๐’ˆ๐’‚๐’, ๐’‚๐’๐’… ๐‘ฐ ๐’˜๐’‚๐’•๐’„๐’‰๐’†๐’… ๐’‡๐’“๐’๐’Ž ๐’ƒ๐’†๐’‰๐’Š๐’๐’… ๐’‚๐’” ๐’‰๐’† ๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’•๐’†๐’… ๐’‰๐’Š๐’” ๐’‰๐’†๐’‚๐’…, โ€œ๐‘พ๐’† ๐’Ž๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’‰๐’• ๐’‚๐’” ๐’˜๐’†๐’๐’ ๐’Ž๐’‚๐’Œ๐’† ๐’Š๐’• ๐’‚๐’ ๐’‚๐’…๐’—๐’†๐’๐’•๐’–๐’“๐’†, ๐’๐’?โ€

Do you reckon they go into the house after that?...
โ€ข

โœจTell me about a location from your Work-In-Progressโœ๏ธ
๐Ÿ•ฏ๏ธDo you enjoy horror in books and movies?๐Ÿ•ฏ๏ธ

Despite loving spooky aesthetics and stories, I don't like horror films. My imagination tends to spin vivid images from them and I'll inevitably be freaked out for a long while afterwards. 

I think psychological thrillers are the most affecting, because they mess with your mind's sense of reality and what is safe. It's the ones that take the simplest, most innocent things of daily life and make them jarring and unnatural, that I find the most harrowing.

As shown in Doctor Who episodes 'Listen' (where a disembodied shape lurks under a blanket on the bed) and 'Midnight' (where an invisible spirit takes over people's minds and makes them copycat everything you say until it can speak at the exact same time as you), some of the scariest things are the ones we can't see.

I attempted watching The Haunting of Hill House last month, and made it through the first episode! But I almost chickened out 3 times because of the tension build-up. It was literally a person sitting in a bed in a mansion room as the camera zoomed in - but my anticipation of something scary was far worse than the actual scare itself, and that's the part I hate๐Ÿ™ˆ

It depends what it is, though. If there is creepiness framed within a world that feels comfortable - cosy, even - and you feel safe with the characters.. elements of horror can be fun. It also helps when there is plenty of humour to balance out the scary stuff: E.g. Supernatural, Doctor Who, The Addams Family, BBC Ghosts, What We Do In The Shadows.

In the latter 3, the 'creepy' or unusual characters are the protagonists we root for - shown to be endearing, vulnerable, funny and human - which means we aren't scared of them, but laugh with them.

One of my absolute favourite movies is Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, and one of my favourite book series, Lockwood and Co., involves some pretty spooky ghosts (I'm rereading them now and they're still effective!). I find both so comforting.

As you'll have noticed, those are designed for the young adult age, so it's no wonder they're not too scary. 

Why? 

Because of how the scariness is framed.

๐Ÿ•ฏ๏ธWhat scares you most?๐Ÿ•ฏ๏ธ
โœจ๐Ÿ“š What have you read recently that has broug โœจ๐Ÿ“š What have you read recently that has brought you joy?๐Ÿ“šโœจ

Whether it's a new book world you've been absorbed in, a gripping article, or even an Instagram caption that made you smile - what is something that has captured your joy of reading lately?

Or perhaps you've been in more of a slump. I had some weeks this year where my love of reading seemed to be obscured in a dull fog.

But this week, it's returned stronger and more vibrant than it has been for the entire year! I've actually enjoyed reading multiple 40-page criticism documents for my four uni modules, so I've got that satisfied sense of having completed work and learnt things.

I've also been enjoying a readalong with the lovely Anna @booksilove.gr. We're reading The Great Chimera, and the prose is so beautifully lyrical - reminiscent of Greek epics!

Has anyone else been feeling nostalgic for old favourites and comfort reads as we draw nearer to Christmas? I've been rereading The Wee Free Men (the book that made me fall in love with the fantasy genre, and Terry Pratchett's writing, when I was about 8!) It's so cosy and fun to reread - and I'm getting so much out of re-experiencing it years on. 

I also hope to finish An Evanescent Shadow by Brianne Wik, and Lightfall by Renee Dugan - two books I've had on pause and that I'm very excited to jump back into. 

Probably, my brain has realised it's near the end of the year and now wants to catch up on my Goodreads goal as much as possible ๐Ÿ˜‚ The cosy winter weather probably helps too!

Now I'm going to tune in to @reneeduganwriting's livestream to celebrate the release of book 5 from her Starchaser Saga - 'BLOODSINGER'!

Happy Tuesday all - sending well-wishes and cosy winter vibes your wayโœจโ˜•

โ€ข
๐Ÿ“š Anyone else been on a reading spree this week too? ๐Ÿ“š
โ€ข
โ„๏ธ Share a snow day memory of yours?โ„๏ธ โ€ข โ„๏ธ Share a snow day memory of yours?โ„๏ธ
โ€ข
It snowed on Monday!! 
We haven't had snow in November for years, I don't think๐Ÿ˜ฎ

I woke up to golden sunlight streaming into my room, and lifted the blind to see a glittering blanket of icing-powder covering the whole village view. The snowflakes on the sloping roof beneath my window were actually sparkling! It was magical๐Ÿ˜

In my cosy red dressing gown, I put fluffy socks and my black lace-up boots on, then tiptoed across the edge of the garden (so as to avoid leaving footprints through the even white) armed with toast, hot chocolate and a new book - 'The Name of the Wind' by Patrick Rothfuss. 

Perching on a chair in the outbuilding, I sat and read while eating my breakfast. 
The chapter I read fit the vibe well, featuring an atmospheric tavern, mysterious innkeeper, and autumnal landscapes in a fantasy setting. It was also named 'A Beautiful Day', which I think was rather apt.

In England, we're lucky if we get more snow than 5 centimetres once a year - so snow days tend to stick in my mind because of their rarity and novelty.

I remember the year it snowed on my sister's birthday and school was cancelled, then the time many people from the village went out for a walk all wrapped up warm, and we went sledding at the park. A different year, we built a huge snowman in the front garden - and another, my sister built a snow-Gruffalo with the light dusting we had in the back garden one February.

It always reminds me of the magic that exist in this world, and how beautiful even the coldest of winters can look.
It also put me in such a Christmassy mood, which ive been feeling since!!

โ€ข
๐ŸŽ„Are you feeling the Christmas spirit yet? (If you celebrate)๐ŸŽ„
๐Ÿƒ"How the grinning jester might be a leering sk ๐Ÿƒ"How the grinning jester might be a leering skull in disguise"...๐Ÿ’€

Are morbidity and humour intertwined?

There's a duality to everything, and it's strange to think how closely alike two seemingly opposite themes can be.  Sometimes, visual associations help us to notice those similarities - such as the skull being compared to a jester in this book. 

Picture a sharp metal implement, one that can be wielded to cause damage. 
Are you imagining it? 

What did you see?

Maybe a dagger, or a sword... 

...but how about a pen? 
They're not far different in description: both made of metal, both drawing to a fine point - maybe even utilised to similar effect! But the main difference is in their intended use, and the subtle linguistic difference between drawing a sword vs. drawing WITH a pen. It's also down to the visual associations they conjure: the enrobed monk hunching over a writing desk, versus the chainmail-clad warrior striking an enemy with a steel sword. 

So, two contrasting concepts can be separated by a finer line than we might think, such as humour in death, mercy in violence, peace in war.
Those opposing themes, when placed side-by-side, reveal differences that help solidify their similarities. 

โ€ข Humour reminds us that life is short, and we must laugh while we still can. 

โ€ข Mercy highlights how our quality of life always hangs in the balance of a single person's actions.

โ€ข Peace reveals what exists in the space we take for granted in the absence of conflict, and how miniscule a difference there is between silence and disruption.

At least, that's what came to mind for me when I thought about it a bit.

โ€ข
๐ŸƒI'm interested to know if you've found examples of this in your current writing project, or in your current read... 

One of the key things that springs to mind for my book is the duality of my main character, Zoe. She feels extremely anxious in front of a crowd, and wants to be away from people... yet her biggest dream is to read her own writing aloud to a large audience. It's a sort of paradox, I suppose.

โœจDo you recognise this within yourself? What other contradictions do you, or your favourite characters, have? I'd be fascinated to know!โœจ
๐Ÿ“œOnce upon a time, eleven wordsmiths gathered o ๐Ÿ“œOnce upon a time, eleven wordsmiths gathered outside an apothecary, before journeying from bookshop to bookshop until they arrived at a candlelit tavern. Each took their place at an oval oak table, where stories were told and glasses were clinked and laughter echoed into the evening. There was something in the air that day, floating on the breeze... and those willing to look closely enough knew that it was Magicโœจ

I had the honour of being invited to a UK writers meet-up yesterday, and it really felt as fairytale as that! The magic of Bookstagram continues in person. 

I found the small gathering at the train station (keeping an eye out for Venetia's beautiful candyfloss-pink coat), and we were chatting right away. 

When we walked into Waterstones, an energy filled the space, as if the books knew they were in the presence of enthusiastic readers. I picked up a book that looked interesting, and Rebecca (who happened to be standing nearby) said she loved it, and it got her out of a reading slump a few years ago. So I had an immediate recommendation for the first novel I saw - and you bet I bought it! 

We laughed about failing book-buying bans with Sam, and trying to relate to non-readers with Megan, before trooping through the rain to a rather posh bookshop. All the books were wrapped in plastic coverings, and they had a His Dark Materials edition for ยฃ3000๐Ÿ˜ฎ Kat was tempted, but somehow none of us ended up getting that one... though I did buy a signed copy of Stephen Fry's latest book.

We went on to the pub, which was decorated like a Victorian study with a Christmas tree in the corner and two pretty chairs by the fireplace, and chatted over roast dinner. I related to Victoria about the drafting process, praised literary classics with Charli, gushed about fantasy with Esme, and marvelled at book covers with Victoria P.

After much laughter and taking photos, it was time to go - but not before getting a signed book from Luke!

As we shared our joy for reading and writing, I realised how safe it felt, like here on Bookstagram. It's as if I've known them my whole life. 

Here's to finding 'our people'.๐Ÿฅ‚

๐Ÿ“šWho do you like to go book-shopping with?๐Ÿ“š
โžก๏ธSwipe for a snippet of the audiobook I've na โžก๏ธSwipe for a snippet of the audiobook I've narrated!โš“

Do you like listening to audiobooks? Depending on the narrator, I do - but I definitely don't listen to them as often as I'd like, especially considering I'm now contributing to that sphere of media!

Curious to know more about this audiobook I recorded?..

It's called Daughter of the Deep, written by Lina C. Amarego (@lina_amarego_writes), and it's a new-adult book (so there is some explicit material throughout). The story involves pirates, seafaring, mythology, magical creatures, war, singing, bloodshed, dancing, tears, and lots of laughter.

"The sea was silent, the day of my wedding..."

It's available to buy from Audible, Amazon and iTunes now!

Thank you so much to all those who have shared, commented and generally shown enthusiasm and support for this project - Lina and I really appreciate itโค๏ธ And a special thank you to those who have already messaged me saying you've bought it!!๐Ÿคฉ 

(In case you haven't heard the full trailer yet, see my previous post - and its caption, for more details behind the audiobook and the process!)

The Daughter of the Deep audiobook features me attempting to do various accents for different characters, which was good fun! Apologies to anyone who actually has one of the accents I attempted; I tried me best๐Ÿ˜‚

โš“Out of interest, which do you think is more difficult to do accurately:
A Yorkshire accent, cockney accent, or Irish accent?โš“
๐Ÿ”ŠExciting news, folks!!! The audiobook I've bee ๐Ÿ”ŠExciting news, folks!!! The audiobook I've been talking about is finally here!โš“

Narrated by me, this New Adult adventure tells the story of Keira Branwen - a pirate whose father was killed at sea. Now, four years later, she must wed to end the blood feud between the two families - and the person she has to marry? Her father's killer: childhood friend Ronan Mathonwy. Or, so she believes...

Discover more in this audiobook of Daughter of the Deep, by Lina C. Amarego. (@lina_amarego_writes)

Lina was such a help during the whole process, always on hand to give feedback when I was finding the character voices or asking how to pronounce a word. Recording this book was so fun, challenging, and rewarding. There's a whole host of different characters, which means lots of different voices and accents! I hope you have as much fun listening as I did recordingโค๏ธ

Here's a trailer I've made, using snippets of dialogue from the whole book (so it's not a sample, but a compiled edit). The music track is 'Raise The Stakes' from Pirates of the Caribbean.
The image is of me dressed as the main character, Keira๐Ÿ˜‚

A note on buying the audiobook: this was an upfront-pay agreement for me, so I do not personally profit from the sales of this audiobook. HOWEVER, any sales will be a great attribute to my profile as a narrator, and you'll be supporting Lina - which in turn helps the success of the project!

I believe it is about ยฃ20 to buy (we don't have control over this - Amazon chose the price for us), and a percentage of that will go to Lina in royalties. 

Please be aware: if you listen to the audiobook via a free audible trial, Lina won't get any revenue from it (so if you can, it'd be great if you could buy it! But listening via the trial is better than not listening at all, if that helps๐Ÿฅฐ)

Whether or not you listen to audiobooks, I hope you enjoy this trailer. It is also available in book and ebook-form, those of you who like to read along while listening!

For authors wondering about hiring me as a narrator: I'm booked until Spring next year, but if you'd like to ask anything about the process, I'm happy to get the discussion started now!

Fair winds to ye, bookish folkโœจโš“
๐ŸŽWhat's your favourite fairytale/children's sto ๐ŸŽWhat's your favourite fairytale/children's story?๐ŸŽ

...And what's an aspect of it that captures your imagination?

Perhaps it's the chilling wintry aesthetic of The Snow Queen, the kinship of the dwarfs in Snow White, the bookishness of Belle in Beauty and the Beast, the timeless romance of Cinderella, or the childlike freedom of Peter Pan...

I'm counting all stories that are included in the TV show Once Upon A Time - so the classic Grimm's fairytales, but also Frankenstein, 101 Dalmatians, Jekyll and Hyde, and basically any other Disney princess movie you want to count!

๐Ÿ„Then, do you have a favourite movie adaptation of a fairytale? Is it the same one as your first answer?๐Ÿ„

My answers:

I struggle to choose a favourite fairytale, but I do adore Beauty and the Beast - I feel like the story is more unconventional than the typical fairytale setup, I relate to Belle a lot, and I love that she has such agency in the plot. On the other hand, my favourite adaptation of a fairytale has got to be Tangled - just the humour, the aesthetics, the poignant undertones, and Flynn Rider (the best Disney prince, I accept no other answer๐Ÿ˜Œ)

I'd love to know your responses!๐Ÿง™โ€โ™€๏ธ
๐ŸŒณโœจ Once Upon A Dream, I ventured into the for ๐ŸŒณโœจ Once Upon A Dream, I ventured into the forest... 

My trailing cloak, dark as death, ruffled the sleeping leaves of ochre and bronze that the earth wore like a shawl. The soil bore their weight as a spine clutches parchment; entwined as the vines on the peeling trunks I passed; inseparable as the green veins in my pale hand, clutching the steady staff that pressed into the soil beside my floating steps. 

Not a sound did my pointed leather boots make, concealed by shadow as mist swirled over the silver of my rings. Velvet hung heavy from my shoulders, and time weighed dearly on my heart. 

As the night wind rippled with life, emerald light fizzed from my fingertips. I twirled it like a goblet between the talon-sharp nails of my left hand... until the glow whirled up and up, and round and round, past the apple-red of my smirk, along the sharp edges of my elven cheekbones, round the piercing green of my widened eyes, until it caressed the ribbed ebony of my spiralled horns...then floated away into the indigo sky. 

The magic flew, with wings free as my own, all the way to the ivory beacon gleaming from that mysterious swirling pool, peering from her throne amongst the ink-steeped cotton-wool clouds.

My solitude whispered through the midnight chill as I wandered through the woodland, my path parting the arms of branches like a serpent gliding through water. 

Though I was the most frightening creature in the forest that night, my presence conjured no harm for those who slumbered under the blanket of darkness. After all, my only witness was the moon - singing her ballad of serenity over my midnight-draped shoulder.

[- written by me]
โ€ข

๐ŸŒณA bit of a Maleficent-inspired perspective for you there, folks!
I LOVED dressing up as her for Halloween - I didn't quite walk through a forest like that, but this description is what I'd imagine it would've been like if I had!! I was wearing green contact lenses, but I have edited my eyes in these photos to look even brighter green, for the effect! 

โ€ข
๐Ÿง™โ€โ™€๏ธIf you were to join me (as Maleficent) for a moonlit midnight walk, which other Disney/fairytale villain would you dress up as? Let me know in the comments!๐Ÿง™โ€โ™€๏ธ
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  • Hi folks, long time no see! This is different to my usual content (which I'll be back with soon!) but I felt the creative and emotional pull to post this todayโค๏ธ

Aged 12, I'd been learning drums for 2 years when I came across 'The Pretender' by a band called 'The Foo Fighters': an explosion of energy and syncopated rhythms, sung by a dude with long dark hair and loud, raspy vocals, and a drummer who looked like his twin but blonde. It was awesome. So, I listened through their discography, air-drumming with Taylor Hawkins.

In secondary school, my friend and bandmate was also a drummer, and we'd often talk about the Foo Fighters and listen to their music. I remember us jumping around in his kitchen to Everlong, playing Learn To Fly when we were supposed to be doing our graded pieces, and singing along to Best Of You in the car on the way to practice.

In February I started listening to the frontman Dave Grohl's new book, read by him. It's beautifully-written; full of life-stories, musings on change, loss, chasing dreams and finding magic in everything. I resonated with it deeply, and finished it yesterday. It ends with a tribute to those closest to him - one being Taylor, whom he described as his brother, someone he was glad to have known in this lifetime, and together they were an 'unstoppable duo'.

I chatted to my soul-sister @kabyburton_music last night, who'd also just finished the book. As a musician, she found Dave's reflections inspiring. We said when she's touring and I'm there drumming, we'll be an unstoppable duo too.

Then this morning I heard the news of Taylor's death.

My secondary-school friend messaged me, and we both listened to Foo Fighters today. Then Kaby & I spoke about transience and unpredictability.

As those songs wing their way to my heart again like they did 8 years ago, I think of the map of my own life and how we never know where the road will end. Yet, Dave's book and the joy of their music highlight exactly what makes life so beautiful: appreciating it while it lasts.

So, here's a little tribute to one of my favourite Foo songs. (I'm playing to a drumless track, edited shorter.)

"It's times like these you learn to live again."๐Ÿฅ
  • ๐Ÿฅ‚What's something you're looking forward to in 2022?

A while ago, my lovely friend @b.solis_ was telling me how at the end of each year, she picks a particular focus-word for the upcoming one.

It could be 'Gratitude', 'Adventure', or 'Self-forgiveness' - and you can tailor it to apply to your personal goals and hopes for the year. 

I've decided that mine for 2022 will be 'Quality over quantity'. Something I struggle with in life is juggling multitudes of options: which TV show to watch; which photo filter to choose; which synonym works best. 
Though I love being detail-oriented and interested in lots of things, it can also get overwhelming and unfulfilling. 
To help with this, I want to narrow my field of view with projects and tasks; to focus on depth, rather than breadth. 

โ€ข I plan to sift through old photos and select the most important ones, to put in photobooks I can actually enjoy and treasure, rather than having to wade through a huge file store every time I want to look back at memories. 

โ€ข I hope to declutter my room and let go of items that don't hold much meaning or purpose for me - the random odds and ends in a box that I haven't needed, or the ornaments I've had for ages but that I'm not really attached to.
I'll put them in a 'quarantine box' for a while to see if I miss them over 6 months, then if not, they can go - out of sight and out of mind.

โ€ข For both uni work and while drafting, I endeavour to refine my writing: not so much to lose my cadence and tone, but enough to bring my points into sharper focus.

We'll see how it goes๐Ÿ˜‚

๐Ÿฅ‚Here's to a new year, enchanted folk.
May it bring you wonder and magicโœจ
โ€ข

(P.S. Thank you to everyone in this community who has contributed to making many moments of this year positive and joyful. Sorry I couldn't fit everyone in the tags - I added them in a random order and stopped when it was full๐Ÿ˜… You all know who you are๐Ÿฅฐ)

โ€ข
๐Ÿ“– What is your focus-word for 2022?๐Ÿ“–
  • โœจ๐ŸŽ„ Sending magic your way this Christmas Eve day๐ŸŽ„โœจ

Christmas has always been magical for me, and I'm certain that no matter how old I get, and even though its form changes over time, it always will be. 
Even the memories of beautiful times can carry the magic of the past into the present. 

From the mellow cinnamon warmth of fruit punch, to the minty sweetness of candy canes; watching Christmas films during the day and reading illustrated storybooks in the evening. 

The excitement of hanging stockings, and leaving cookies out for Santa (with a carrot for Rudolph). Tiptoeing out to the front porch in gingerbread-print pyjamas, to scatter glittery oats on the driveway for the reindeer. 

Looping the shiny red ribbon of the magic key around the door handle, in lieu of a chimney, for Santa to post through the letter box after delivering the presents. Eyes squeezed shut with twinkly excitement as night-time settles; not daring to peek until the blue dusk of morning wakes the magic of Christmas day...

This was the Christmas of my childhood, and even though it might be a little different each year, the magic still carries through it.

In the words of Kermit:

"I don't know if you believe in Christmas
Or if you have presents underneath the Christmas tree
But if you believe in love, that will be more than enough
For peace to last throughout the coming year"

And in the words of Terry Pratchett:

"It didn't stop being magic just because you found out how it was done."

Wishing you a magical Christmas Eve and Day, folks - no matter how you celebrate (if at all)โ˜ƒ๏ธ

โœจ๐ŸŽ„What are your Christmas Eve traditions?๐ŸŽ„โœจ
  • ๐Ÿฐ What's your favourite setting that features in your writing project - or your current read?

From my book, I reckon my favourite location has got to be the gothic mansion the characters visit midway through. It becomes a hub and a safe space for them, as well as a place of learning and uncovering mysteries. It also becomes very important for my main character Zoe's arc as the story progresses.
 
It's spooky, rickety, grand, and just a little bit haunted...

โžก๏ธ Swipe for some quotes from my draft. 

โ€ข
โ€ข
For those intrigued, here's an extended snippet from the scene where it's introduced:

' โ€œ๐‘ฑ๐’–๐’”๐’• ๐’๐’๐’๐’Œ ๐’‚๐’• ๐’•๐’‰๐’Š๐’” ๐’‘๐’๐’‚๐’„๐’†!โ€ ๐‘ญ๐’Š๐’๐’ ๐’”๐’•๐’†๐’‘๐’‘๐’†๐’… ๐’Š๐’ ๐’‚ ๐’„๐’Š๐’“๐’„๐’๐’† ๐’˜๐’Š๐’•๐’‰ ๐’‚๐’“๐’Ž๐’” ๐’๐’–๐’•๐’”๐’•๐’“๐’†๐’•๐’„๐’‰๐’†๐’…, ๐’‚๐’” ๐’‰๐’Š๐’” ๐’ˆ๐’“๐’Š๐’ ๐’๐’Š๐’• ๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐’Ž๐’Š๐’”๐’• ๐’‚๐’“๐’๐’–๐’๐’… ๐’–๐’”. โ€œ๐‘พ๐’๐’–๐’๐’…๐’โ€™๐’• ๐’•๐’‰๐’Š๐’” ๐’ƒ๐’† ๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐’‘๐’†๐’“๐’‡๐’†๐’„๐’• ๐’‘๐’๐’‚๐’„๐’† ๐’‡๐’๐’“ ๐’‚ ๐‘ฏ๐’‚๐’๐’๐’๐’˜๐’†๐’†๐’ ๐’‘๐’‚๐’“๐’•๐’š?โ€

โ€œ๐‘ถ๐’“ ๐’‚ ๐’Ž๐’–๐’“๐’…๐’†๐’“ ๐’Ž๐’š๐’”๐’•๐’†๐’“๐’š.โ€ ๐‘ฒ๐’‚๐’Š ๐’ˆ๐’“๐’–๐’Ž๐’ƒ๐’๐’†๐’….

๐‘บ๐’‚๐’–๐’ ๐’”๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’๐’†๐’… ๐’ƒ๐’†๐’”๐’Š๐’…๐’† ๐’Ž๐’†. *๐‘ป๐’‰๐’†๐’“๐’†โ€™๐’” ๐’‚๐’ ๐’Š๐’…๐’†๐’‚.*

๐‘ฐ ๐’ƒ๐’‚๐’•๐’•๐’†๐’… ๐’‰๐’Š๐’” ๐’‚๐’“๐’Ž ๐’˜๐’Š๐’•๐’‰ ๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐’ƒ๐’‚๐’„๐’Œ ๐’๐’‡ ๐’Ž๐’š ๐’‰๐’‚๐’๐’…, ๐’‚๐’๐’… ๐’‰๐’Š๐’” ๐’‘๐’–๐’“๐’”๐’†๐’… ๐’๐’Š๐’‘๐’” ๐’•๐’˜๐’Š๐’•๐’„๐’‰๐’†๐’…. 
๐‘ด๐’†๐’•๐’“๐’†๐’” ๐’‚๐’‰๐’†๐’‚๐’…, ๐‘ต๐’‚๐’•๐’‚๐’๐’Š๐’† ๐’ƒ๐’†๐’„๐’Œ๐’๐’๐’†๐’… ๐’‚๐’” ๐’”๐’‰๐’† ๐’“๐’†๐’‚๐’„๐’‰๐’†๐’… ๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐’†๐’๐’•๐’“๐’‚๐’๐’„๐’†, ๐’˜๐’‰๐’†๐’“๐’† ๐’‚ ๐’…๐’“๐’‚๐’Ž๐’‚๐’•๐’Š๐’„ ๐’”๐’•๐’‚๐’Š๐’“๐’„๐’‚๐’”๐’† ๐’”๐’•๐’“๐’†๐’•๐’„๐’‰๐’†๐’… ๐’•๐’ ๐’‚ ๐’ƒ๐’–๐’“๐’ˆ๐’–๐’๐’…๐’š ๐’…๐’๐’๐’“. 
โ€œ๐‘ฒ๐’†๐’†๐’‘ ๐’–๐’‘, ๐’ˆ๐’–๐’š๐’”. ๐‘พ๐’† ๐’…๐’๐’โ€™๐’• ๐’Œ๐’๐’๐’˜ ๐’‰๐’๐’˜ ๐’Ž๐’‚๐’๐’š ๐’“๐’๐’๐’Ž๐’” ๐’•๐’‰๐’†๐’“๐’† ๐’‚๐’“๐’† ๐’•๐’ ๐’”๐’†๐’‚๐’“๐’„๐’‰.โ€

โ€œ๐‘ณ๐’๐’๐’Œ๐’” ๐’๐’Š๐’Œ๐’† ๐’‚ ๐’‡๐’‚๐’Š๐’“ ๐’‡๐’†๐’˜.โ€ ๐‘ญ๐’Š๐’๐’ ๐’๐’Š๐’‡๐’•๐’†๐’… ๐’‚ ๐’‰๐’‚๐’๐’… ๐’•๐’ ๐’‰๐’Š๐’” ๐’ƒ๐’“๐’๐’˜, ๐’”๐’’๐’–๐’Š๐’๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’ˆ. โ€œ๐‘ช๐’๐’–๐’๐’… ๐’•๐’‚๐’Œ๐’† ๐’–๐’” ๐’…๐’‚๐’š๐’”.โ€

โ€œ๐‘ฌ๐’™๐’‚๐’„๐’•๐’๐’š. ๐‘บ๐’ ๐’‰๐’–๐’“๐’“๐’š ๐’–๐’‘.โ€ ๐‘ฏ๐’†๐’“ ๐’†๐’š๐’†๐’” ๐’๐’‚๐’“๐’“๐’๐’˜๐’†๐’… ๐’‚๐’” ๐’‰๐’† ๐’”๐’‚๐’–๐’๐’•๐’†๐’“๐’†๐’… ๐’•๐’๐’˜๐’‚๐’“๐’…๐’” ๐’‰๐’†๐’“.

"๐‘พ๐’†๐’๐’, ๐’Š๐’‡ ๐’˜๐’†'๐’“๐’† ๐’•๐’ ๐’ƒ๐’† ๐’‰๐’๐’–๐’”๐’†๐’Ž๐’‚๐’•๐’†๐’” ๐’‡๐’๐’“ ๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐’๐’†๐’™๐’• ๐’˜๐’‰๐’Š๐’๐’†..." ๐’‰๐’† ๐’ƒ๐’†๐’ˆ๐’‚๐’, ๐’‚๐’๐’… ๐‘ฐ ๐’˜๐’‚๐’•๐’„๐’‰๐’†๐’… ๐’‡๐’“๐’๐’Ž ๐’ƒ๐’†๐’‰๐’Š๐’๐’… ๐’‚๐’” ๐’‰๐’† ๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’•๐’†๐’… ๐’‰๐’Š๐’” ๐’‰๐’†๐’‚๐’…, โ€œ๐‘พ๐’† ๐’Ž๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’‰๐’• ๐’‚๐’” ๐’˜๐’†๐’๐’ ๐’Ž๐’‚๐’Œ๐’† ๐’Š๐’• ๐’‚๐’ ๐’‚๐’…๐’—๐’†๐’๐’•๐’–๐’“๐’†, ๐’๐’?โ€

Do you reckon they go into the house after that?...
โ€ข

โœจTell me about a location from your Work-In-Progressโœ๏ธ
  • ๐Ÿ•ฏ๏ธDo you enjoy horror in books and movies?๐Ÿ•ฏ๏ธ

Despite loving spooky aesthetics and stories, I don't like horror films. My imagination tends to spin vivid images from them and I'll inevitably be freaked out for a long while afterwards. 

I think psychological thrillers are the most affecting, because they mess with your mind's sense of reality and what is safe. It's the ones that take the simplest, most innocent things of daily life and make them jarring and unnatural, that I find the most harrowing.

As shown in Doctor Who episodes 'Listen' (where a disembodied shape lurks under a blanket on the bed) and 'Midnight' (where an invisible spirit takes over people's minds and makes them copycat everything you say until it can speak at the exact same time as you), some of the scariest things are the ones we can't see.

I attempted watching The Haunting of Hill House last month, and made it through the first episode! But I almost chickened out 3 times because of the tension build-up. It was literally a person sitting in a bed in a mansion room as the camera zoomed in - but my anticipation of something scary was far worse than the actual scare itself, and that's the part I hate๐Ÿ™ˆ

It depends what it is, though. If there is creepiness framed within a world that feels comfortable - cosy, even - and you feel safe with the characters.. elements of horror can be fun. It also helps when there is plenty of humour to balance out the scary stuff: E.g. Supernatural, Doctor Who, The Addams Family, BBC Ghosts, What We Do In The Shadows.

In the latter 3, the 'creepy' or unusual characters are the protagonists we root for - shown to be endearing, vulnerable, funny and human - which means we aren't scared of them, but laugh with them.

One of my absolute favourite movies is Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, and one of my favourite book series, Lockwood and Co., involves some pretty spooky ghosts (I'm rereading them now and they're still effective!). I find both so comforting.

As you'll have noticed, those are designed for the young adult age, so it's no wonder they're not too scary. 

Why? 

Because of how the scariness is framed.

๐Ÿ•ฏ๏ธWhat scares you most?๐Ÿ•ฏ๏ธ
  • โœจ๐Ÿ“š What have you read recently that has brought you joy?๐Ÿ“šโœจ

Whether it's a new book world you've been absorbed in, a gripping article, or even an Instagram caption that made you smile - what is something that has captured your joy of reading lately?

Or perhaps you've been in more of a slump. I had some weeks this year where my love of reading seemed to be obscured in a dull fog.

But this week, it's returned stronger and more vibrant than it has been for the entire year! I've actually enjoyed reading multiple 40-page criticism documents for my four uni modules, so I've got that satisfied sense of having completed work and learnt things.

I've also been enjoying a readalong with the lovely Anna @booksilove.gr. We're reading The Great Chimera, and the prose is so beautifully lyrical - reminiscent of Greek epics!

Has anyone else been feeling nostalgic for old favourites and comfort reads as we draw nearer to Christmas? I've been rereading The Wee Free Men (the book that made me fall in love with the fantasy genre, and Terry Pratchett's writing, when I was about 8!) It's so cosy and fun to reread - and I'm getting so much out of re-experiencing it years on. 

I also hope to finish An Evanescent Shadow by Brianne Wik, and Lightfall by Renee Dugan - two books I've had on pause and that I'm very excited to jump back into. 

Probably, my brain has realised it's near the end of the year and now wants to catch up on my Goodreads goal as much as possible ๐Ÿ˜‚ The cosy winter weather probably helps too!

Now I'm going to tune in to @reneeduganwriting's livestream to celebrate the release of book 5 from her Starchaser Saga - 'BLOODSINGER'!

Happy Tuesday all - sending well-wishes and cosy winter vibes your wayโœจโ˜•

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๐Ÿ“š Anyone else been on a reading spree this week too? ๐Ÿ“š
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