#TeaserTuesday

 

Mya will follow her sister anywhere, no matter what it takes...

BUY NOW: http://www.books2read.com/LOFF

 [ID: A dark forest background with the title LIGHTS OFF at the top and Out now in ebook and paperback just below it. The except reads:

Swallowing down that tinge of fear, she was ready to move, falling into step behind Garnet. This would be the start of the rest of her life, this would be the moment she would look back on and see that the course of her whole life would be shaped by this decision.
She hoped it would be everything she wanted, and more. But for now she had to be careful, had to concentrate.
Her life depended on it.

At the bottom is Joey Paul and just below that the website www.joeypaulonline.com and in the bottom right corner is the logo for Bug Books. END ID]

 

The Self-Edit - The After Process

THE SELF-EDIT

One universal thing about being a writer, no matter which path you choose for publication, is that you will have to edit. No one, not even the greats that you look up to and admire, have written a first draft and it be so perfect that it needs no editing. I know that a lot of people don't like the idea that what they're writing is garbage, and I'm not fond of it either. It's one of the reasons I will edit as I go, but that's a topic for another day. The point isn't that you shouldn't finish your first draft because it won't be perfect, it's that you should expect to have to go back and do some revisions or edits, or whatever you want to call them, and make it all that much better.

So what can I share with you that makes this better? What tips can I pass on, after revising and editing several books, and having been through the indie process a number of times? I'm glad you asked, because today I'm gonna be letting you know all about the self-editing process and what you can do to make it feel better for you as the author, and also bring out the flaws in that first draft.

#1 READ THROUGH FIRST
I think this should be obvious, but depending on how long it's taken you to write the first draft, and depending on how much planning went into it, you may not have a good enough idea of things at the start and in the middle as you would the things you just wrote. So my first step is always to have at least one, but usually two, read throughs. Try and do as much of the read through in the same session as you can, this means that you might spot mistakes that you missed before simply because you're tired or forgot the part you left off at.

#2 MAKE NOTES
Even if you're a pantser, or like me, a mixture of the two, notes are going to be the thing that saves you. I generally do at least two full read-throughs and make copious notes along the way. If something doesn't make sense, or if I spot something later that contradicts something earlier on, then I make notes on it. I make sure that I have a note, either in the document, or in a notebook, whatever works for you, because that way when I go back to edit, then I know that I've got ideas of what needs to change and where.

#3 SPOT A PLOTHOLE, DON'T FIX INSTANTLY
This is one that appeals to me because of the way I do the self-edit/revisions. If I see a plothole, I won't always fix it instantly, I'll note it down, mark it in the text so it doesn't get mixed, and then I'll brainstorm ideas that might work. I do this because while sometimes it ends up being the first idea I thought of, sometimes the best ideas take a while to come to fruition. I'll brainstorm ideas in a notebook so that I have a record of everything and allow the ideas to kind percolate so that when I do go back to make the changes, I know I've really given this some serious thought.

#4 READ AGAIN AFTER YOU'VE MADE CHANGES
This one should be obvious, but once you've started to go through and fixed everything, make sure you read the manuscript through completely again, just in case. You'd be amazed how many things I've picked up on because of this. I've spotted spelling errors, or names wrong, or even just more plotholes that I missed the last time. The self-editing phase should not be rushed and should take as long as it needs to. For some people that's a few drafts, for others it's a lot more. There is no one size fits all thing here.

So there we go, those are my four tips when it comes to the self-editing process. As I said above, every single writer will go through this, and you may find that you develop your own way of doing things, and that's great. So long as it works for you, it doesn't matter how you approach it. I have been doing the self-edit for years and while I've had some books that are pretty much an easier edit than others, I also have never written a first draft and called it perfect, because that just doesn't exist!

Any questions, lemme know in the comments below!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books

Happy Release Week Lights Off! - Weekly Writing Vlog - June 2021 [CC]

 Taking you along with me during release week for my newest book Lights Off! #Authortube #WritingVlog

LIGHTS OFF PAPERBACK AMAZON UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lights-Off-Out-3/dp/B095PNF6H9/
LIGHTS OFF PAPERBACK BOOK DEPOSITORY: https://www.bookdepository.com/Lights-Off-Joey-Paul/9798719744346

BUY EBOOK OF LIGHTS OFF: http://www.books2read.com/LOFF

BUY MY BOOKS: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/p/aboutjoeys-books.html
BLOG: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/
TUMBLR: http://authorjoeypaul.tumblr.com
FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/JoeyPaulOnline
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/MsJoeyBug
INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/authorjoeypaul
GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/joeypaulonline

 

Review of The Sapphire Eclipse by Amy Hart

 A vampire. A murder. A prophecy.

I’m Emily Sanderson. I used to be an ordinary girl. Now I’m a vampire, living at Mistwood Academy, a school for supernatural teenagers. It’s not how I pictured my life turning out, but I’ve made friends, and I’m doing okay in my classes. I know I’ll figure things out.

But then I’m attacked and everything changes. There are whispered voices. Threats. And dark magic. Something sinister is going on at Mistwood … something that results in murder.

Now I’m caught up in an ancient prophecy. A prophecy I need to stop before it’s too late.

 

Amazon

My Review: 5 STARS

I picked this up because the blurb spoke to me. I’m not usually someone who enjoys a vampire story but this one had me intrigued and by the first few pages I was hooked and desperate to know more. Emily was an amazing character, engaging, funny, and so relatable, watching her navigate this new life as a vampire, and also the mystery and intrigue of the school, the world she’d known nothing about before this, and then the prophecy that seemed destined to ruin her control and the life she was building for herself. I ended up breezing through the book in one sitting and very much enjoyed it!

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here.

Questions From Writers - June 2021 [CC]

Answering questions from the writers in my audience today! #Authortube

BUY EBOOK OF LIGHTS OFF: http://www.books2read.com/LOFF

BUY MY BOOKS: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/p/aboutjoeys-books.html
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#TeaserTuesday

 

Lock has been luckier than some...

BUY NOW: http://www.books2read.com/LOFF

 [ID: A dark forest background with the title LIGHTS OFF at the top and Out now in ebook and paperback just below it. The except reads:

“So you're an aunt?” Hanna asked as she put my tea on the small counter in front of me. “Why didn't you ever say?”
“It felt... it felt like I would be rubbing people's faces in it, y'know? I mean I'm disabled and had a job, I'm a second child. People here, they're barely surviving, and yet there was me in the next cityship with so much and yet I'm complaining? It just felt shitty to do.”

At the bottom is Joey Paul and just below that the website www.joeypaulonline.com and in the bottom right corner is the logo for Bug Books. END ID]

 

Spoonie Writer: Taking Time Off

SPOONIE WRITER: TAKING TIME OFF

It feels like all the time I'm writing these that I'm always talking about self-care and taking time off, and as you'll have seen if you're a follower of the blog, or even just someone who reads from time to time, I do talk about it a lot. Today I wanted to talk to the fellow spoonie writers in my audience, that doesn't mean that other people can't read as well, you may find that it resonates with you, that it's something you need as well, but sometimes that pressure to keep working is placed heavily on a spoonie because of the way society views productivity and tying it to your worth.

When you're someone who's already struggling with some kind of physical, or mental illness, you're already finding it hard to achieve to the same level as those in your peers who don't have that holding them back. I don't mean that in a negative way, I've been disabled for a number of years and I don't see it as a negative thing. However, the truth is that even though we don't want to 'let our illness(es) stop us/hold us back' sometimes, by the very nature of what they are, they just do. It's hard to accept, hard to live with and hard to explain to people who don't have that hanging over their heads.

Does that mean that we can't achieve our dreams? That we can't do great things? No, not in the slightest, but it does mean that from time to time, while our peers are reaching for this milestone, we're having to take a moment to catch our breath and actually maybe will take a lot of moments, and catch a lot of breaths, because we have to stop. I've talked about this before (piece found here) but stopping and needing a break doesn't make you lesser than, it doesn't mean you don't work as hard, or that you're not as capable of what you're doing, as the person next to you who isn't disabled or chronically ill. It just means that we needed that break, and that's completely okay.

I have struggled over the years at knowing when I'm 'allowed' to take time, when it won't blow back on me, when I won't be seen as lesser because I've needed that time. I get that the public image of me is this writing machine who doesn't let anything stop them, and while some of that is true, there's also the things that I only show in glimpses. I write a lot yes, but I also have a hell of a lot of downtime. I have days, weeks even, when all I can manage is to sit up for an hour at a time and sometimes I use that to write and sometimes I use it for other things. The point is, that even if people see this writing machine, it doesn't match the narrative of what I'm actually feeling.

And that's simply that taking time off can be, at times, seen as less than. In the indie author community we're all about the hustle, about the releases that are upcoming, about the next project, about this and that, it's the same on Authortube, the idea that we need to be creating and reaching massive word counts to be valid. I'm as guilty of it in some ways as other people, in that I do, generally, have a massive word count at the end of the month, but, and here's the crux, I know what it costs me, I know how long I've been doing this and the short cuts I've taken along the way, and I know that it's the reason I'm struggling with stuff now. You can't keep burning the midnight oil and not expect to get burnt in the process.

So when you're in the middle of a flare, when you're struggling, remind yourself that you don't have to be hustling to meet this deadline and that, especially if you're someone who knows that when you crash, you crash hard, because I am finding that more and more that as I keep working, I keep needing to crash, and eventually I will just crash for a long long time. So take those small breaks, and make sure you keep in tune with your body. It's okay to need time, it's okay to need space to breathe, and it is more than okay to take time off completely. You will be stronger for me.

Any questions, lemme know in the comments!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books

Review of Asylum 54.0 by Nadege Richards

 Bionic assassins. A deadly virus. And one wicked plot for revenge.

Three weeks after being captured by a league of madmen known as the Jackets, I can no longer remember the person I used to be. They say my name is Ari, that I'm a bionic assassin with powerful abilities. I work for the people who created me. I kill for them, warding off the alien-like beasts that fall from the sky and roam the desert hills, feeding on unfortunate victims. Killing is the purpose and mission for all bionics, but I'm not compliant. I can't be controlled, and my memories are returning with every new day. To find the answers buried in my past, I'll need to force myself into a life of exile and hunt every city until I locate the five bionics like me: my legion.

Even though our powers are stronger when we're together, there are far more capable beings that want to change us, erase us. Jonathus and I are the most alike, but there is something in our blood threatening to rip us apart. We'll either be the victors to win the war against our creators, or we'll be the catalyst that unleashes a fatal virus and a world of pain.

For years we have been misused as weapons, but now we are hellbent on our revenge, even if we must make sacrifices to get it.

My name is Mathai Porter. The invasion starts now.

 

Amazon

My Review: 5 STARS

I’ll admit that the cover drew me in and when I started reading this, I couldn’t quite work out if it was my kinda book, I’d not really read the blurb and found it easy to get lost in the bits and pieces of the first few chapters. By the end of chapter 5 I was hooked and had to know more, so I ended up buying the second book and plan to devour that shortly. I adored the characters, the danger, the intrigue, the strength and the growing that happened throughout the pages and loved the ending! Overall an amazing book and one I recommend to all those who love a good sci-fi!

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here.

44 More Facts About Joey's Books [CC]

 Giving you 44 more facts about my books, and all that goes with it! #Authortube

BUY EBOOK OF LIGHTS OFF: http://www.books2read.com/LOFF

BUY MY BOOKS: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/p/aboutjoeys-books.html
BLOG: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/
TUMBLR: http://authorjoeypaul.tumblr.com
FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/JoeyPaulOnline
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/MsJoeyBug
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Happy Release Day #LightsOff!

 

LIGHTS OFF IS RELEASED!

YOU CAN BUY YOU COPY HERE: http://www.books2read.com/LOFF

Six Month Check In With Goals - The Creative Process

SIX MONTHS CHECK IN WITH GOALS

I set many goals for myself over the year, from weekly, to monthly, and bi-monthly on my Authortube channel, but I also set myself yearly goals, and I like to, around this time of the year, do a check in to see how I'm doing. Last year I set myself fifteen goals and I'm gonna take you through each one and let you know how I'm doing!

1. RELEASE LIGHTS OFF IN MAY 2021 - KINDA DONE

See the thing is, today is the release day for Lights Off (buy here) and this is obviously June, but I had surgery last December and didn't foresee there being an issue with editing and the like, but then after the surgery there was an issue and I had to push everything back a month. So this one is kinda done, but otherwise, it's not the month I set so it might also be a fail.

2. RELEASE CRAMPING CHRONICLES: THE SECOND PANG IN OCTOBER 2021 - NOT DOING

I've talked about this before, how I won't be releasing a second book this year (piece found here) and so as far as this goal goes, it won't be happening. I'm somewhat okay with this, I will be more mindful of how I set my goals this December, but for now this one isn't going to be done.

3. READ 250 BOOKS - ON THE WAY TO EXCEEDING

I set this because I read about 300 books in 2020, and I didn't think that I would have another 'good' year, so I didn't want to overextend myself, in pops 2021 with a hold my beer moment, and here I am at nearly 200 books read already. I've increased the goal on Goodreads to 350 and we'll see how it stands at the end of the year!

4. FINISH PROJECT: ISOLATION & I WISH I COULD STOP YOU - DONE IN APRIL 2021

I finished both books at the end of April 2021, and I was really pleased with how they turned out. I'll have some kinks to iron out when it comes to the revisions, but those are a way off and I'm okay to forget about them for now and let the ideas brew.

5. START BOOKS PROJECT: DIAGNOSIS & KEEP YOUR SECRETS - DONE IN MAY 2021

I started both of these at the start of May and am now in the midst of writing them. I'm loving the ideas, loving where the stories are going and just adoring getting to call this my job!

6. DO FIVE COLLABORATIONS WITH OTHER AUTHORTUBERS OVER THE YEAR - NOT STARTED

I think last year I managed to do about four collabs with Authortubers, but this year I have done zero, it's not for lack of trying, just haven't had the energy or the time to get them done. I'd like to say I still have six months and maybe then I can give it a go, but honestly? I'm calling this one a fail!

7. KEEP UP WITH WRITING LOG - DONE SO FAR

I know this might seem like an odd goal, but it works for me. I like to have a record of what I write, when I write it and how much. I've been doing this for years, and so far this year, I've kept up with it, even going so far as to record it in my planner as well, which is a new thing for the past year or so.

8. KEEPING UP WITH AUTHORTUBE CHANNEL - DONE SO FAR

I've posted every Thursday without fail, I've also started doing the monthly weekly vlog from March onwards, and that means I'm also posting on the last Sunday of the month. I'm very much enjoying my Authortube channel, and loving that I'm growing, abliet slowly, and reaching new people.

9. KEEP UP TO MONDAY AND FRIDAY POSTS ON BLOG - DONE SO FAR

I've been doing this as well, keeping up with my Monday advice posts, and my Friday review posts, and have, for the next few months, got content planned for them both so I don't see this one falling by the wayside.

10. DO 60 REVIEWS IN 2021 - HALFWAY THERE

I needed to have 488 reviews for me to have reached 60 reviews in 2021 and I'm about half way, so this is looking to be another win for me. I've been making sure that I do more reviews, even though I rate every book I read, sometimes they touch me enough to want to leave a review as well.

11. START EDITS FOR INVISIBLE & CRAMPING CHRONICLES: THE THIRD ACHE READY FOR RELEASE IN 2022 - HALF DONE

I started revising Invisible in April 2021, and I will continue to revise it throughout the year. I, however, won't be starting the revisions of Third Ache until November 2022 because next year I plan to do only one release next year and I can't start revising the third book until the second has been to the editor which it should, all plans working, go to on April 1st 2022.

12. DO 2 LIVESTREAMS ON CHANNEL - NOT DONE

I haven't had a lot of time and spare energy to do any livestreams this year so far. I'm hoping that things will change, but for me, it's just so hard to sit up and do the livestreams, and while I get that they're a big part of Authortube right now, I can't seem to find a way for it to work for me. So I'm calling this one an impending fail too.

13. DO #JOWRIMOGO EVERY MONTH - DONE SO FAR

I don't post about it anymore, but I do still make sure that if nothing else, I manage to do my page for every day of the month there is. It's something that really got me back into writing, and sometimes I think about increasing it to two pages a month, but for now, this is a goal that I can check off.

14. TAKE AT LEAST ONE DAY OFF COMPLETELY EACH MONTH - DONE SO FAR

I've managed to rework things so that I usually have at least two days off in the month, and that's not including Mepo, and I'm feeling better mentally for it. I will come to the end of the month sometimes and find that I'm feeling less drained than I would if I'd kept working every single day, so that's a win!

15. DO 12 SPREADS IN PLANNER - SIX DONE SO FAR

I love my planner, I love the freedom it gives me and I adore getting to see if all come together, so for this one, I have taken great pleasure in getting it done. I think this is gonna be another win for me.

So there we go, that's how I'm doing so far, some wins, some fails, and some on the way to both! How's your year treating you so far? How are you doing with any goals you've set yourself? Lemme know in the comments!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books

#LightsOff Countdown - 1 day to go!

 

 

 It's 1 day until release day!

I will share one fact a day until we get to the 14th!

FACT SEVEN: The revolution will be televised.

PRE-ORDER HERE: http://www.books2read.com/LOFF

PRE-ORDER SWAG: https://forms.gle/Z3KmCMGPcSAmBRTi9

 

#LightsOff Countdown - 2 days to go!

 

 

 It's 2 days until release day!

I will share one fact a day until we get to the 14th!

FACT SIX: Lock & Clara will do whatever it takes for change

PRE-ORDER HERE: http://www.books2read.com/LOFF

PRE-ORDER SWAG: https://forms.gle/Z3KmCMGPcSAmBRTi9

 

#LightsOff Countdown - 3 days to go!

 

 

 It's 3 days until release day!

I will share one fact a day until we get to the 14th!

FACT FIVE: Mya just wanted to follow her sister

PRE-ORDER HERE: http://www.books2read.com/LOFF

PRE-ORDER SWAG: https://forms.gle/Z3KmCMGPcSAmBRTi9

 

Review of Aberrant by Jemma Blue

 Twenty-seven abducted teens. Three Competing Factions. One Secret Laboratory. Zero time.

When Julia wakes strapped to a strange bed, she’s surrounded by white. Machines beep in her ears, her head spins. One teen boy beside her, with eyes bluer than the sky.

Nothing makes sense.

Outside her room, 25 other teens train incessantly for the Institute of Genetic Enhancement and Manipulation otherwise known as the Gem Institute. 

Only she didn’t sign up for this position. 

No one did. 

The only thing they all have in common is their unique albino blood, that mixed with the right genetic enhancements, will create a super-force against their enemy - The Republic of HOPE.

 

Amazon

My Review: 5 STARS

I picked this up in a dystopian mood and was happily pulled along for the ride, Julia and the others are trapped and being experimented upon, and with it comes new powers, a chance to be part of something great and a little bit of romance in there for the mix. The story had me hooked from the first chapter, and reading both POV helped me get closer to both characters. I adored the ending, and can’t wait for the next book, very much a series that I want to follow. Overall, highly recommended for those who love a dystopian with a different twist.

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here.

Life Of Joey - June 2021 [CC]

  Letting you know what I've been up to over May! #Authortube

 READERS' FAVORITE REVIEW OF BLACKOUT: https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/blackout/2

READERS' FAVORITE REVIEW OF DYING THOUGHTS - FIRST TOUCH: https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/dying-thoughts-first-touch

PRE-ORDER LIGHTS OFF: http://www.books2read.com/LOFF

GRAB THE PRE-ORDER SWAG: https://forms.gle/Z3KmCMGPcSAmBRTi9
SIGN UP FOR A LIGHTS OFF ARC: https://forms.gle/k3jVNsrzQXdakVZW6

BUY MY BOOKS: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/p/aboutjoeys-books.html
BLOG: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/
TUMBLR: http://authorjoeypaul.tumblr.com
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TWITTER: http://twitter.com/MsJoeyBug
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GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/joeypaulonline

 

#LightsOff Countdown - 4 days to go!

 

 

 It's 4 days until release day!

I will share one fact a day until we get to the 14th!

FACT FOUR: The King will never give up.

PRE-ORDER HERE: http://www.books2read.com/LOFF

PRE-ORDER SWAG: https://forms.gle/Z3KmCMGPcSAmBRTi9

 

#LightsOff Countdown - 5 days to go!

 

 

 It's 5 days until release day!

I will share one fact a day until we get to the 14th!

FACT THREE: It's not just the one cityship

PRE-ORDER HERE: http://www.books2read.com/LOFF

PRE-ORDER SWAG: https://forms.gle/Z3KmCMGPcSAmBRTi9

 

#LightsOff Countdown - 6 days to go!

 

 

It's 6 days until release day!

I will share one fact a day until we get to the 14th!

FACT TWO: Lana will stop at nothing to win

PRE-ORDER HERE: http://www.books2read.com/LOFF

PRE-ORDER SWAG: https://forms.gle/Z3KmCMGPcSAmBRTi9

 

#LightsOff Countdown - 7 Days To Go!

 

It's 7 days until release day!

I will share one fact a day until we get to the 14th!

FACT ONE: Lock is a big part of the revolution

PRE-ORDER HERE: http://www.books2read.com/LOFF

PRE-ORDER SWAG: https://forms.gle/Z3KmCMGPcSAmBRTi9

The Trials Of A Crime Writer: Back In The Saddle

THE TRIALS OF AN CRIME WRITER: BACK IN THE SADDLE

A few months ago I wrote a piece about how I was moving away from crime and mystery stories and wasn't all that sure if I should keep going with this series of advice pieces. (Piece found here) Of course my brain likes to make me out to be a liar because then I got an idea that is, at its core paranormal/mystery. It's the first book in a long time that hasn't been urban fantasy or dystopian and I'm more than okay with that. I've never been a writer who likes to be boxed into one type of genre, and have written a wide array of them over the years.

So here I am, about to start a brand new project and I'm technically back in the saddle of being a crime writer, and I just wanted to talk to you all about it because I'm super excited about getting to write this project. I won't give away any details, I have a 5 facts piece planned for the coming months, but I did wanna just give you some idea of what it's like to have been away from something, only to come back and find that it's just like meeting up with an old friend you've not seen in a while, and picking up where you left off.

I first started reading mysteries when I was a teen, I was never one for Nancy Drew, but I did love Dick Francis and Harlan Coben. My mum would listen to a lot of books from the library on audio while we took long trips, or even short ones, and I'd find myself caught up in the whole idea of trying to solve something before the characters did. I very rarely did, and even now when I read mysteries and crime thrillers, it's rare for me to put all the pieces together before the characters do, and I adore that about the genre.

When it come to writing myself, my first book wasn't a mystery, it was more fanasty/adventure and it was more middle grade than young adult. The first mystery book I wrote myself was Blackout, and in ten days I had the story on the page and was ready to kick off a chance of writing more and more of them, which I did with the Dying Thoughts series, and other books beyond that. I never really, and this is embarrassing to admit, realised about the whole paranormal angle when it came to the Dying Thoughts series, until a lot later. It was when that hit home that I realised I adored that, combining two genres that I love and making it all about the mystery? Oh yeah! Sign me up!

Of course the majority of my books have had some kind of mystery element, even the Lights Out trilogy has a mystery element, as does the Cramping Chronicles series, but this new book will be the first one in a long time where that mystery is the focus of the plot. It's not about other worlds or the dystopian, it's about here, and now, and teenagers thrown into the mess of having to solve some kind of crime before they end up with consequences none of them want to pay.

I adore that kind of story, I love YA and I love writing mysteries and so for me, this kind of idea just spurs me on to want to try and lose myself in my own work. By the time this post goes live, I'll have, most likely, written the first few chapters, and from there it's just about getting to know my main character and the mysterious elements that are following her around. I might even manage to squeeze in a little bit of romance!

So yes, while I didn't write crime/mystery for a while, I'm back doing it now and I couldn't be happier about it! I know that I will branch out into other genres, that I won't stick with just the one because I go where the ideas take me and I'm more than happy about that, but I will adore getting to delve into this new world and see where it takes me.

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books

Lights Off Book Trailer [CC]

 The Trailer for Lights Off! #Authortube #BookTrailer

PRE-ORDER LIGHTS OFF HERE: http://www.books2read.com/LOFF

MUSIC BY KIM: http://apollostowel.tumblr.com

PRE-ORDER LIGHTS OFF: http://www.books2read.com/LOFF
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Review of Awakened by Maddy Child

 Ever since my mother died when I was young my life has not been an easy one. You would think being the daughter of the leader of the vampire coven I would be living the sweet life. But my father is hard, demanding an elite coven to protect America from the werewolf infection plaguing our streets.
Thank goodness for my saving grace and bestie Sage Petrovik who makes my days bearable.
Clubbing on my birthday, an unnaturally gorgeous werewolf knocks me on my butt literally and sends my world spinning in 300 different directions.
Since then, my life has been filled with werewolves, Fae, a banshee, and the Wild Hunt. Oh and violet swirls shooting up my arms.
Torn between everything I have been taught my entire life and these unknown feelings that are starting to emerge.
Either way something is coming, I just don’t know what side I am supposed to be on.

 

Amazon

My Review: 2.5 STARS

I picked this up because the cover and the blurb made me think it would be a book I’d enjoy, and while I liked the premise and the story, there were numerous editing mistakes that took away from that enjoyment. The story felt half-formed, and a little rushed through to the end. There seemed to be little point to the subplots and everything got resolved without an issue. I was hoping that as the story continued it would pick up, but it didn’t seem to. It’s a promising start to a series, but not one that I will be following, that said, if you like fast-paced stories with a lot of paranormal and urban fantasy elements then this might be a book for you.

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here.

My Writing Journey: Why I Love Drafting [CC]

 Giving you all the reasons I love drafting when it comes to the writing process. #Authortube

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#TeaserTuesday

 

Lana has her own priorities, she won't let Lock win...

COMING JUNE 14TH 2021

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 [ID: A dark forest background with the title LIGHTS OFF at the top and COMING JUNE 2021 just below it. The except reads:

If she didn't get an answer soon, she may not be sent for a final sleep, but Maggie would be passing it up the chain of command all the ways Lana had failed in her missions.
She couldn’t let Lock’s betrayal be the thing that defined her. She wouldn’t let it.

At the bottom is Joey Paul and just below that the website www.joeypaulonline.com and in the bottom right corner is the logo for Bug Books. END ID]