Hello all!
I would like to start doing 2-3 book reviews per month. I will be doing them on a simple 1-5 star basis and my reviews will be spoiler-free. I will also do some author interviews for willing participants with 4-5 star ratings. If you would like me to review your book (or know someone who would) please contact me via G+ (see widget above) or on Twitter (@AlleySaltz).
Genres I like (though am not limited to) are:
Romance
drama
fantasy
chick lit
sci fi
self help
historical fiction
various nonfiction.
I DO NOT read Horror, that's the only one that is all out. I will consider any other book/genre but this one. Please send me a brief description along with the length of your book and if it is a series and I will contact you to let you know if I am in.
Thanks & please pass it on! :)
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Monday, June 23, 2014
3 fundamental truths we should all believe in.
When you are a child you are told several things as if they are undeniable truths. As we grow older, we lose faith in these truths and many people even begin to consider them to be lies.
For some reason, I missed the memo to stop believing them, and live by 3 main fundamental beliefs.
1. You can do anything you put your mind to.
I actually believe this. The power of will is far stronger than any of us truly know, and I have proved to myself over and over again (and have seen others prove) that this is true. If you are willing to fight for something, work hard for something, and make it happen for yourself, it will happen.
I have 2 bucket lists; a realistic bucket list, which I really and truly would like to accomplish before my time on this earth is up, and an unrealistic bucket list, full of things I would love to do but aren't necessarily terribly feasible.
Some examples from my bucket list: Learn to surf, write a best seller, get more tattoos...
Some examples from my unrealistic bucket list: Star in a movie, attend the Oscars, have a lip-sync battle with Jimmy Fallon.
2. The only opinion that matters is yours.
Now keep in mind, not about EVERYTHING, just opinions about YOU.
If I hate myself, who I am or who I have become and everyone else loves me, it really doesn't matter because I will still be miserable. Likewise, if I am happy with who I am but others dislike me, that doesn't really matter either, as long as I am being true to myself (and myself is not a jerk).
3. Stand up for what you believe in, even if it means you're standing alone.
Neville Longbottom is one of my favorite characters in Harry Potter because despite his gumpy and awkward ways, he always had a true sense of who he was. He stood up for what he believed in from book one, even if people disliked him for it. Ten points to Gryffindor.
We no longer live in a society where people are encouraged to stand up for what they believe in, especially if the majority disagrees. I honestly admire people who are willing to do this, even when I don't agree with their opinion, I know how much courage it takes to stand up for yourself on big or small scales.
I have had (unfortunately) several experiences in adulthood where I see people who are strongly morally against something, defend it because someone they love was doing it. I am not that kind of person. If I love you and I think you are making a mistake, I am going to tell you, because I would rather you feel hurt by my words than get hurt by your own actions and have regrets.
Don't get me wrong, I am not the type of person who goes up to random strangers and tells them how to live their lives, but if I KNOW you, and I see you running toward a metaphorical cliff, you can count on it that I'm going to tell you. You can take it or leave it, but I feel like it's my responsibility to say SOMETHING.
So that's it, those are my fundamental beliefs, my rules of life as it were, and I think if we could reawaken ourselves to believe in them, we would be a far more beautiful and productive society.
For some reason, I missed the memo to stop believing them, and live by 3 main fundamental beliefs.
1. You can do anything you put your mind to.
I actually believe this. The power of will is far stronger than any of us truly know, and I have proved to myself over and over again (and have seen others prove) that this is true. If you are willing to fight for something, work hard for something, and make it happen for yourself, it will happen.
I have 2 bucket lists; a realistic bucket list, which I really and truly would like to accomplish before my time on this earth is up, and an unrealistic bucket list, full of things I would love to do but aren't necessarily terribly feasible.
Some examples from my bucket list: Learn to surf, write a best seller, get more tattoos...
Some examples from my unrealistic bucket list: Star in a movie, attend the Oscars, have a lip-sync battle with Jimmy Fallon.
2. The only opinion that matters is yours.
Now keep in mind, not about EVERYTHING, just opinions about YOU.
If I hate myself, who I am or who I have become and everyone else loves me, it really doesn't matter because I will still be miserable. Likewise, if I am happy with who I am but others dislike me, that doesn't really matter either, as long as I am being true to myself (and myself is not a jerk).
3. Stand up for what you believe in, even if it means you're standing alone.
Neville Longbottom is one of my favorite characters in Harry Potter because despite his gumpy and awkward ways, he always had a true sense of who he was. He stood up for what he believed in from book one, even if people disliked him for it. Ten points to Gryffindor.
We no longer live in a society where people are encouraged to stand up for what they believe in, especially if the majority disagrees. I honestly admire people who are willing to do this, even when I don't agree with their opinion, I know how much courage it takes to stand up for yourself on big or small scales.
I have had (unfortunately) several experiences in adulthood where I see people who are strongly morally against something, defend it because someone they love was doing it. I am not that kind of person. If I love you and I think you are making a mistake, I am going to tell you, because I would rather you feel hurt by my words than get hurt by your own actions and have regrets.
Don't get me wrong, I am not the type of person who goes up to random strangers and tells them how to live their lives, but if I KNOW you, and I see you running toward a metaphorical cliff, you can count on it that I'm going to tell you. You can take it or leave it, but I feel like it's my responsibility to say SOMETHING.
So that's it, those are my fundamental beliefs, my rules of life as it were, and I think if we could reawaken ourselves to believe in them, we would be a far more beautiful and productive society.
Friday, June 20, 2014
June adventures; Beta reading
Just stopping by for an update on my progress.
June has been one of the most difficult months since I set my goal. For one of the first times in my life, I had serious writer's block for over a week.
I did everything I could think of to kill it, but it just wasn't happening, and I was at a transitional point in all 3 of my works-in-progress. (yes, THREE)
This was pretty much me:
I did things I don't normally have time for, like...clean...and cook healthy meals...
I finally DID get over it, thankfully, and am caught up on my word count-- for now, but I did order some "performance-enhancing drugs" AKA some ENVISION essential oil this month just to keep the juices flowing, just in case, because:
In other news, Elle Quinn Cage (Find her on Twitter @ElleQuinnCage) is writing a romance novel, and I have been privileged with the honor of beta reading/editing it for her.
She's hoping to release by September (which happens to be when I am also hoping to release Make a Wish) and I just have to hyper her a little bit here.
If you like steamy romance, this book has it. Thick plot? check. Twists & surprises? Double check.
This is not your cliche, dark broody man is fixed by the girl next door kind of story, but is a completely different take.
It has far more realistic elements than many other romance novels I've read, which I love because it helps you get lost in the story more easily.
I am probably giving away too much, but anyway, I will be giving a full review in September when it's released, but stay tuned because this baby is going to be good!!
Also, if you or someone you know is a BETA READER or a BOOK BLOGGER, feel free to contact either me or Elle if you would be interested in reading/reviewing our upcoming works. Mine is a (non-erotic) romance, Elle's is a steamy romance, and both are ready for their beta phase!
June has been one of the most difficult months since I set my goal. For one of the first times in my life, I had serious writer's block for over a week.
I did everything I could think of to kill it, but it just wasn't happening, and I was at a transitional point in all 3 of my works-in-progress. (yes, THREE)
This was pretty much me:
I finally DID get over it, thankfully, and am caught up on my word count-- for now, but I did order some "performance-enhancing drugs" AKA some ENVISION essential oil this month just to keep the juices flowing, just in case, because:
In other news, Elle Quinn Cage (Find her on Twitter @ElleQuinnCage) is writing a romance novel, and I have been privileged with the honor of beta reading/editing it for her.
She's hoping to release by September (which happens to be when I am also hoping to release Make a Wish) and I just have to hyper her a little bit here.
If you like steamy romance, this book has it. Thick plot? check. Twists & surprises? Double check.
This is not your cliche, dark broody man is fixed by the girl next door kind of story, but is a completely different take.
It has far more realistic elements than many other romance novels I've read, which I love because it helps you get lost in the story more easily.
I am probably giving away too much, but anyway, I will be giving a full review in September when it's released, but stay tuned because this baby is going to be good!!
Also, if you or someone you know is a BETA READER or a BOOK BLOGGER, feel free to contact either me or Elle if you would be interested in reading/reviewing our upcoming works. Mine is a (non-erotic) romance, Elle's is a steamy romance, and both are ready for their beta phase!
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
360 in 365
With the turn of the year January 1st, I did something I had never done before; I made a New Year's resolution.
I have set goals in the past but I rarely do resolutions since most people break them by valentine's day anyway.
So my resolution was simply this: to write more.
When I was a kid and all through high school I wrote all the time, and when I went to college I planned to major in English and become a writer. Life happened, however and with that, I stopped writing. I went through a solid five year writing drought where the only things I wrote were for assignments.
I missed it though, and I decided 2014 was the year of Alley, since 14 has always been my favorite number.
I wrote in January, started Reed, and eventually finished it in early February. When I realized what I was capable of, I decided to better define my resolution to "write more."
I joined a small facebook group collaboration called 30 in 30, whose goal is to write 30k words in 30 days, three times a year. This is similar to the goal of Nanowrimo to write 50k words in the month of November. Instead of only doing it a few months out of the year, though, I decided to really push myself and try to do 30 in 30 every month of 2014.
This is month six, and, in case you are wondering, blog posts don't count. If I am successful, I will write 360,000 words this year. Keep in mind, 30k is only the minimum quota for the month, and if I finish early, I keep writing. I ended off May with a whopping 56,333.
So why am I telling you all of this? Because, my friends, I need your encouragement. I know there will be moments when I lose steam or feel like giving up, and I have the sinking feeling about 3 days out of the month that I am complete and utter rubbish, wanting to scrap everything I have ever written and taking Reed off the market.
I need encouragers, you see.
The second reason is, I need Beta Readers! I am averaging a novel every 2-3 months and need people to read, proofread, and give me constructive feed back!
If you would be interested in helping in this capacity, contact me via Twitter @AlleySaltz or on G+
I know I am not the best writer, but I want to continue to grow and get better, and the more I write, the more I get sucked into the magical worlds I can create with my words.
Thank you for reading.
Alley
I have set goals in the past but I rarely do resolutions since most people break them by valentine's day anyway.
So my resolution was simply this: to write more.
When I was a kid and all through high school I wrote all the time, and when I went to college I planned to major in English and become a writer. Life happened, however and with that, I stopped writing. I went through a solid five year writing drought where the only things I wrote were for assignments.
I missed it though, and I decided 2014 was the year of Alley, since 14 has always been my favorite number.
I wrote in January, started Reed, and eventually finished it in early February. When I realized what I was capable of, I decided to better define my resolution to "write more."
I joined a small facebook group collaboration called 30 in 30, whose goal is to write 30k words in 30 days, three times a year. This is similar to the goal of Nanowrimo to write 50k words in the month of November. Instead of only doing it a few months out of the year, though, I decided to really push myself and try to do 30 in 30 every month of 2014.
This is month six, and, in case you are wondering, blog posts don't count. If I am successful, I will write 360,000 words this year. Keep in mind, 30k is only the minimum quota for the month, and if I finish early, I keep writing. I ended off May with a whopping 56,333.
So why am I telling you all of this? Because, my friends, I need your encouragement. I know there will be moments when I lose steam or feel like giving up, and I have the sinking feeling about 3 days out of the month that I am complete and utter rubbish, wanting to scrap everything I have ever written and taking Reed off the market.
I need encouragers, you see.
The second reason is, I need Beta Readers! I am averaging a novel every 2-3 months and need people to read, proofread, and give me constructive feed back!
If you would be interested in helping in this capacity, contact me via Twitter @AlleySaltz or on G+
I know I am not the best writer, but I want to continue to grow and get better, and the more I write, the more I get sucked into the magical worlds I can create with my words.
Thank you for reading.
Alley
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