In this week’s Tuesday Treasures, I’m back to Bexhill, where I was on a writing retreat with my sister in law at the end of September/beginning of October. These were a number of pictures I took throughout our stay. And in the final morning, before we started packing to leave, we had breakfast on the balcony, watching the sunrise as a final farewell from Bexhill to us…
In this week’s Tuesday Treasures, I’m back to Bexhill, where I was on a writing retreat with my sister in law at the end of September/beginning of October. This was our last evening there and after writing hard, I looked up to see this sunset roaring across the skies. So I grabbed my camera, went out to the balcony and stayed there for the next half an hour as the skyscape put on a farewell for us.
In this week’s Tuesday Treasures, I’m back to Bexhill, where I was on a writing retreat with my sister in law. We’d been writing hard all day, when there had been a number of showers. And in the late afternoon, it brightened up so we decided to go for a walk. And this is what I found… And yes, those are rocks that have been sculpted by the sea. They are covered at high tide. On the return journey, the sun was starting to sink in the sky and that is why the statue is tinged pink – it isn’t that my camera is on the blink!
This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books and blogs they have written.
All my frenetic activity of last week was slammed into reverse after Monday’s Pilates class – as I woke up on Tuesday very stiff, with a sore throat which has progressed into a cold (I think!). But whatever it is, my Fitstep teacher and hairdresser don’t deserve to find themselves having to quarantine ‘just in case’. So I’m staying in until it goes away. And writing… Work on Picky Eaters 2 is going well, and is great fun to write, but because I’m feel fairly awful – I’m not getting as much done as I want! My life has lit up with binge-watching The Big Bang Theory – what I’m going to do when I finally get through all 12 seasons, I’m not quite sure… And hurrah for The Great British Bakeoff and Strictly Come Dancing, as well as Portrait Artist of the Year…
This week’s photos are from a walk I took along the beach at Bexhill.
Last week I read:
The Ministry For the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson
Established in 2025, the purpose of the new organization was simple: To advocate for the world’s future generations and to protect all living creatures, present and future. It soon became known as the Ministry for the Future, and this is its story. From legendary science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson comes a vision of climate change unlike any ever imagined.
Told entirely through fictional eye-witness accounts, The Ministry For The Future is a masterpiece of the imagination, the story of how climate change will affect us all over the decades to come. Its setting is not a desolate, post-apocalyptic world, but a future that is almost upon us – and in which we might just overcome the extraordinary challenges we face.
Despite NOT being a post-apocalyptic horrorfest, the earlier stages of this interesting book did made tough reading. But I’m glad I persevered as it does provide a message of hope, along with a host of possible fixes. Review to follow.
NOVELLA Masquerade in Lodi – Book 9 of the Penric and Desdemona series by Lois McMaster Bujold
Bastard’s Eve is a night of celebration for most residents in the canal city of Lodi — but not for sorcerer Learned Penric and his Temple demon Desdemona, who find themselves caught up in the affairs of a shiplost madman, a dangerous ascendant demon, and a very unexpected saint of the fifth god.
It was a real treat to turn to more Penric and Desdemona goodness – this is an engaging fast-paced story that I tore through in a single sitting. Review to follow.
Map’s Edge – Book 1 of The Tethered Citadel by David Hair
Dashryn Cowl has run out of places to hide. The erstwhile sorcerer of the Imperial College fled the Bolgravian Empire when his high-flying family fell from grace, but the tyrannical empire is still hunting for him. So when he gets his hands on a map showing a place outside the known lands rich in istariol, the mineral that fuels sorcery, he sees a way back to power. There’s only one problem: it means masquerading as an Imperial Cartomancer (an instant death sentence) and finding some dupes to help him mine the istariol in secret, no questions asked.
But somehow, amid the dangers of the road (floods and avalanches, beasts, barbarians and monsters), a strange thing begins to happen: Dashryn starts to care about his ragtag followers and their strange odyssey into the ruins of an ancient forgotten civilisation. But his past won’t let him be: the implacable Imperial Bloodhound Toran Zorne has caught his scent, and Zorne has never yet failed to bring his quarry to ground. At the edge of the map, there’s no going forward and no going back . . .
If I’m a tad bleary-eyed today, it’s because I sat up faaar into the night, unable to put this delightful fantasy adventure down. It felt a bit like one of those wagon train Wild West stories I used to watch on TV when I was a girl – but with evil sorcerers, instead of corrupt sheriffs. Review to follow.
My posts last week:
Castellan the Black and His Wise Draconic Sayings
Review of NOVELLA Night’s Tooth – Book 1 of Tales of the River Vine series by Jean Lee
Friday Face-off featuring How To Break a Dragon’s Heart – Book 8 of the How To Train a Dragon series by Cressida Cowell
*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of The Postscript Murders – Book 2 of the Harbinder Kaur series by Elly Griffiths
Cover Love – featuring the covers of Elly Griffiths
Can’t-Wait Wednesday featuring Fallen Princeborn: Chosen – Book 2 of the Fallen Princeborn series by Jean Lee
*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
Tuesday Treasures – 16
Review of AUDIOBOOK The Stranger Diaries – Book 1 of the Harbinder Kaur series by Elly Griffiths
Sunday Post – 18th October 2020
Interesting/outstanding blogs and articles that have caught my attention during the last week, in no particular order:
Blogger Statistics: a Quick Look https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress.com/2020/10/23/blogger-statistics-a-quick-look/ If you’ve ever wondered who else enjoys blogging alongside you – here are some stats…
10 of the Best Poems About Absence https://interestingliterature.com/2020/10/poems-about-absence/ Do you agree with this selection?
My #BookLaunch #Countdown for #FallenPrinceborn: Chosen Continues with #WritingTips on #Plot and #Character https://jeanleesworld.com/2020/10/22/my-booklaunch-countdown-for-fallenprinceborn-chosen-continues-with-writingtips-on-plot-and-character/ Another interesting article, revealing the writing process of a talented author…
Soaring https://charlesfrenchonwordsreadingandwriting.com/2020/10/21/soaring/ Cindy’s pics are often featured here, as they are fabulous. But this time around I caught up with them on Charles French’s blog…
Kids Books That Share True Stories of Native Peoples https://platformnumber4.com/2020/10/11/kids-books-that-share-true-stories-of-native-peoples/ This list looks both instructive and delightful. And important…
Thank you for visiting, reading, liking and/or commenting on my blog – I hope you and yours have a peaceful, healthy week. Take care.
In this week’s Tuesday Treasures, I’m returning to Bexhill, where I was on a writing retreat with my sister in law. On this particular day, we had a procession of sunshine and showers and watching the rainclouds travelling across the sea towards us was incredible. And – for the record, I haven’t added any filters or tweaked the colours in any way. The clouds really looked like this…
I’ve recently returned from a two-week writing retreat in Bexhill where I was writing alongside my lovely sister in law, who is in the final stages of her thesis on the perceptions of despair within the monastic community of the Middle Ages. Meanwhile, I was cavorting across the skies with grumpy old Castellan, while writing Picky Eaters Part 2. And what a place to imagine a flying dragon! The sea and sky were just amazing and so inspirational…
This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books and blogs they have written.
I haven’t been around this last couple of weeks, as I’ve been away on a writing retreat with my sister-in-law in Bexhill in a lovely flat overlooking the sea. That’s where the photos are from. My sister-in-law is on the last lap of her thesis on looking at how the issue of despair was discussed within monastic circles during the Middle Ages. As for me, I took along Picky Eaters Part 2 and managed to write 27,000 words, charting the further adventures of Castellan the Black, in between watching storms and sunshine sweep across the bay. We have been working hard – only watching The Great British Bakeoff and writing into the night, hence the significant lack of books I managed to get through. Though what I lacked in in quantity, I made up for in quality…
Apologies for my lack of interaction, particularly visiting other blogs, but my laptop has major memory issues at present, so I had to disconnect from the internet, which I was only accessing with my phone. Hopefully I’ll be able to start catching up during the coming week!
Last fortnight I have read:
The Invisible Lives of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world. But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
I absolutely loved this one. Accomplished and unputdownable – this is a tour de force from a writer at the height of her powers. Review to follow.
A Deadly Education – Book 1 of The Scholomance series by Naomi Novik
A Deadly Education is set at Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death (for real) — until one girl, El, begins to unlock its many secrets.
There are no teachers, no holidays, and no friendships, save strategic ones. Survival is more important than any letter grade, for the school won’t allow its students to leave until they graduate… or die! The rules are deceptively simple: Don’t walk the halls alone. And beware of the monsters who lurk everywhere.
El is uniquely prepared for the school’s dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out millions. It would be easy enough for El to defeat the monsters that prowl the school. The problem? Her powerful dark magic might also kill all the other students.
Another stormingly good read – though in case you’re wondering… Hogwarts it ain’t. No teachers – the students are instructed via the magical school and manage to keep safe from the constant threat of deadly monsters drawn by their magical abilities by forming allies and learning a raft of defensive spells. Gripping and highly readable. Review to follow.
AUDIOBOOK The Stranger Diaries – Book 1 of the Harbinder Kaur series by Elly Griffiths
A dark story has been brought to terrifying life. Can the ending be rewritten in time?
Clare Cassidy is no stranger to murder. As a literature teacher specialising in the Gothic writer RM Holland, she teaches a short course on it every year. Then Clare’s life and work collide tragically when one of her colleagues is found dead, a line from an RM Holland story by her body. The investigating police detective is convinced the writer’s works somehow hold the key to the case.
Not knowing who to trust, and afraid that the killer is someone she knows, Clare confides her darkest suspicions and fears about the case to her journal. Then one day she notices some other writing in the diary. Writing that isn’t hers…
This is a solid delight. I was attracted by the promise of a murder mystery after the style of Agatha Christie, within a contemporary setting with modern characters. And that is what I got. The audiobook works especially well and this one is highly recommended for those who enjoy gripping characters and nicely twisty plots with plenty of suspects. Review to follow.
Fallen Princeborn: Chosen – Book 2 of Fallen Princeborn series by Jean Lee
Charlotte just wanted to start a new life with her sister Anna out of the reaches of their abusive uncle. When their journey led to Anna’s disappearance from human memory, Charlotte hunted for her sister and the mysterious creatures that took her behind an ancient Wall that hid a land of magic the world had long forgotten. Charlotte woke the Princeborn Liam Artair, and with his return the conflict between factions of the magical Velidevour turned cursed and deadly.
Now Charlotte must end this conflict before the land of River Vine and the inhabitants she’s befriended are consumed by Orna, Lady of the Pits, who is still very, very eager to see her beloved return. And Orna is not the only one who wants hold of the Princeborn Liam’s heart. These Velidevour come armed with firey wings, crimson claws, and pale fire, and like dead magic, they know no kindness.
The Bloody Days are soon returning, and they will not end until a choice is made, a choice that could tear the heart of River Vine apart.
This book continues the story directly from the ending of Fallen Princeborn: Stolen – and immediately scoops the reader up into the high-stakes action, that just goes on growing, as Charlotte battles for Liam and his followers. Highly recommended for fantasy fans looking for sharp contemporary writing and a vivid fantasy setting. Review to follow.
My posts last week:
Review of The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken – Book 3 of the Vish Puri series by Tarquin Hall
Review of The Ruthless – Book 2 of The Deathless series by Peter Newman
*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of Attack Surface by Cory Doctorow
Thank you for visiting, reading, liking and/or commenting on my blog – I hope you and yours have a peaceful, healthy week. Take care.
This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books and blogs they have written.
This has been a week of two halves. I started it in Bexhill, where I’ve spent nine glorious days with my sister-in-law at our writing retreat in a turreted flat overlooking the sea. It’s been wonderful. The weather was fabulous – bright sunshine and warm temperatures so we had the joy of wonderful sunsets every day turning the whole sky gold and pink. 
Typical that because I was travelling by train with two heavy cases I left my cameras behind this time around… Last Sunday, as a special belated birthday treat, Celia took me to see Eddie Izzard’s Wunderbar Tour at the iconic art deco building that dominates the lovely sea front. It was a wonderful evening as I roared with laughter at his madcap, surrealist humour – he is an amazing, clever person and I’m so heartened that he is 
planning to go into politics.
We also went to a meditation session on Monday night, and walked every day along the seafront. And in amongst that, we had the joy of sitting down to write in this lovely turret. I managed to complete another editing pass for Mantivore Prey, write the character arcs for all the main protagonists in Mantivore Warrior, which meant I was ready to make a start on the novel. I got the first two chapters written and am halfway through the third one, feeling very happy with the way its going.
Returning on Thursday was a bit of a wrench – we both felt that we were really hitting our stride and could have done with another week – but the massive upside is that I got to see Himself again. Yesterday we had breakfast together at a café in Littlehampton with my sister, before scoping out another flat for her and hopefully, she will be joining us for roast dinner tonight.
Last week I read:
Circe by Madeline Miller
In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe
is a strange child—not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves. Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.
This is one that’s been on my TBR list since forever, and I was delighted that it was worth the wait. A wonderful, engrossing read with an ending that brought a lump to my throat.
The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes
Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life 
in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically. The leader, and soon Alice’s greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who’s never asked a man’s permission for anything. They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Horseback Librarians of Kentucky.
What happens to them–and to the men they love–becomes a classic drama of loyalty, justice, humanity and passion. Though they face all kinds of dangers, they’re committed to their job–bringing books to people who have never had any, sharing the gift of learning that will change their lives.
This one caught my eye on Netgalley – I read the start of the blurb and was sold… It was a delightful read, full of incident and drama in a wonderful setting – and based on a real scheme to bring books into the lives of poverty-stricken households living way off the beaten track.
My posts last week:
*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of The Forgotten Palace: An Adventure in Presadia by Luke Aylen
Friday Faceoff featuring The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearn
Interesting/outstanding blogs and articles that have caught my attention during the last few weeks, in no particular order:
#writersproblems: finding help writing that d*** #bookblurb with #inspiration from #tvthemes https://jeanleesworld.com/2019/09/19/writerproblems-finding-help-writing-that-d-bookblurb-with-inspiration-from-tvthemes/ And no… it wasn’t just because I was namechecked in this one 😊. It is also because I feel PASSIONATELY about this issue as anyone whose ploughed through a handful of my reviews will know…
Attack every moment of every day with that attitude of a pet https://chechewinnie.com/attack-every-moment-of-every-day-with-that-attitude-of-a-pet/ One of those pieces of advice that’s far harder to achieve, but nonetheless is worth attempting… Besides, he’s just soooo cute!
The Story of Romana https://jenniefitzkee.com/2019/09/18/the-story-of-romana/ This one brought a lump to my throat as I watched the video of these lovely children… I hope it all works out for them! Thank goodness they’ve had Jennie in their lives.
Quotations on Fantasy Literature https://charlesfrenchonwordsreadingandwriting.wordpress.com/2019/09/19/quotations-on-fantasy-literature/ I felt Tolkien’s quote has a sense of trying to justify the genre, which simply isn’t the case these days.
Teleportation https://rosieoliver.wordpress.com/2019/09/20/teleportation/ This fascinating article on the subject is a must-read for any hard sci-fi reader or writer…
Thank you for visiting, reading, liking and/or commenting on my blog – I hope you have a wonderful week…
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