#amazon english bestsellers

[thebibliosphere]

I love how transparent you are about what its like to be a self published author in this day and age, and i was just wondering if there was a difference on your side between amazon ebook/paperback and audible - and also if Scribd is any better, because i use it as an alternative to amazon whenever possible (and whenever the library doesnt own a copy of whatever im looking for) is it functionally all the same? What is best for you?

Thank you!

I actually did a huge long post a while back when I got the audiobooks produced and uploaded to various platforms. I included Scribd in the breakdown after people falsely claim that Scrib is better for authors than Amazon/Libraries.

A lot of people were not happy when I burst that particular bubble by showing that Scribd paid me 97 cents out of the 19.99 price tag. Which is less than what Audible paid me.

Now, obviously, Scribd is different because it's a subscription service, and you’re paying for access to multiple things with that subscription. But saying it is better than libraries is just false because I also showed the numbers for that, and my income from libraries was several times higher than both Scribd and Amazon combined (for audio), which is why authors are always begging people to request their work in libraries.

Libraries pay us better and are usually free. Not always. I know it depends heavily on the country, but for most of my English-speaking audience, that is the case.

Now, this is not to say people shouldn’t use services like Scribd. If Scribd is what you can afford and it gives you access to things your library can’t fantastic. Please continue to access our work through that legal option. I would much rather earn 97 cents than zero.

But uh, yeah, Amazon pays me more than Scrib for digital stuff and I really don’t like when people who aren’t on the author side spread misinformation and frame it as some more “gotcha.”

The sad truth is Most retailers pay us the same or within the same royalty range. The difference I earn between Kobo vs Kindle is literal pennies with Amazon coming out on top. I make my work available on multiple platforms to give people options, but unless you’re buying directly from my personal storefront, it's all roughly the same.

I do actually earn more from Amazon paperbacks than I do any other retailers (for self-pub, paperbacks are a flat rate regardless of how much a retailer is charging), but the difference is about ten cents, so I always tell people to buy from wherever is best for them.

I like bookshop.org because they give some of the profit on their end to indie bookstores. Same with libro.fm for audio.

Audiobooks are just a whole fucking nightmare. Audible sets your price point for you and takes 80% of your royalties. And because Audible does that, I have to then use that price tag on all other platforms or risk being fucked by the algorithm gods. Other audio retailers take about 60-70% in royalties, most of them veering toward 70%.

As we say in radical acceptance therapy, it is what it is—fucking end-stage monopoly driven capitalism.

Now, speaking personally, when it comes to digital media, I earn the most royalties from my Payhip store where I keep 90% of my income.

That's the best place for me.

It's also why it's worth looking up an author you like to see if they have their own storefront. It doesn't help our sales rankings or put us on any bestseller lists, but frankly after launch week, who cares. I’ll take being able to feed me and my dog.

I hope that helps!

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

The Radio Times magazine from the 29 July-04 August 2023 :)

THE SECOND COMING

How did Terry Pratchett and Neil gaiman overcome the small matter of Pratchett's death to make another series of their acclaimed divine comedy?

For all the dead authors in the world,” legendary comedy producer John Lloyd once said, “Terry Pratchett is the most alive.” And he’s right. Sir Terry is having an extremely busy 2023… for someone who died in 2015.

This week sees the release of Good Omens 2, the second series of Amazon’s fantasy comedy drama based on the cult novel Pratchett co-wrote with Neil Gaiman in the late 1980s. This will be followed in the autumn by a new spin-off book from Pratchett’s Discworld series, Tiffany Aching’s Guide to Being a Witch, co-written by Pratchett’s daughter Rhianna and children’s author Gabrielle Kent. The same month, we’ll also get A Stroke of the Pen, a collection of “lost” short stories written by Sir Terry for local newspapers in the 70s and 80s and recently rediscovered. Clearly, while there are no more books coming from Pratchett – a hard drive containing all drafts and unpublished work was crushed by a vintage steamroller shortly after the author’s death, as per his specific wishes – people still want to visit his vivid and addictive worlds in new ways.

Good Omens 2 will be the first test of how this can work. The original book started life as a 5,000-word short story by Gaiman, titled William the Antichrist and envisioned as a bit of a mashup of Richmal Crompton’s Just William books and the 70s horror classic The Omen. What would happen, Gaiman had mused, if the spawn of Satan had been raised, not by a powerful American diplomat, but by an extremely normal couple in an idyllic English village, far from the influence of hellish forces? He’d sent the first draft to bestselling fantasy author Pratchett, a friend of many years, and then forgotten about it as he busied himself with continuing to write his massively popular comic books, including Violent Cases, Black Orchid and The Sandman, which became a Netflix series last year.

Pratchett loved the idea, offering to either buy the concept from Gaiman or co-write it. It was, as Gaiman later said, “like Michelangelo phoning and asking if you want to paint a ceiling” The pair worked on the book together from that point on, rewriting each other as they went and communicating via long phone calls and mailed floppy discs. “The actual mechanics worked like this: I would do a bit, then Neil would take it away and do a bit more and give it back to me,” Pratchett told Locus magazine in 1991. “We’d mess about with each other’s bits and pieces.”

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch – to give it its full title –was published in 1990 to huge acclaim. It was one of, astonishingly, five Terry Pratchett novels to be published that year (he averaged two a year, including 41 Discworld novels and many other standalone works and collaborations).

It was also, clearly, extremely filmable, and studios came knocking — though getting it made took a while. rnvo decades on from its writing, four years after Pratchett's death from Alzheimer's disease aged 66, and after several doomed attempts to get a movie version off the ground, Good Omens finally made it to TV screens in 2019, scripted and show-run by Gaiman himself. "Terry was egging me on to make it into television. He knew he was dying, and he knew that I wouldn't start it without him," Gaiman revealed in a 2019 Radio Times interview. Amazon and the BBC co-produced with Pratchett's company Narrativia and Gaiman's Blank Corporation production studios, with Michael Sheen and David Tennant cast in the central roles of Aziraphale the angel and Crowley the demon. The show was a hit, not just with fans of its two creators, but with a whole new young audience, many of whom had no interest in Discworld or Sandman. Social media networks like Tumblr and TikTok were soon awash with cosplay, artwork and fan fiction. The original novel became, for the first time, a New York Times bestseller.

A follow up was, on one level, a no-brainer. The world Pratchett and Gaiman had created was vivid, funny and accessible, and Tennant and Sheen had found an intriguing romantic spark in their chemistry not present in the novel.

There was, however, a huge problem. There wasn't a second Good Omens book to base it on. But there was the ghost of an idea.

In 1989, after the book had been sold but before it had come out, the two authors had laid on fivin beds in a hotel room at a convention in Seattle and, jet-lagged and unable to sleep, plotted out, in some detail, what would happen in a sequel, provisionally titled 668, The II Neighbour of the Beast.

"It was a good one, too" Gaiman wrote in a 2021 blog. "We fully intended to write it, whenever we next had three or four months free. Only I went to live in America and Terry stayed in the UK, and after Good Omens was published, Sandman became SANDMAN and Discworld became DISCWORLD(TM) and there wasn't a good time."

Back in 1991, Pratchett elaborated, "We even know some of the main characters in it. But there's a huge difference between sitting there chatting away, saying, 'Hey, we could do this, we could do that,' and actually physically getting down and doing it all again." In 2019, Gaiman pillaged some of those ideas for Good Omens series one (for example, its final episode wasn't in the book at all), and had left enough threads dangling to give him an opening for a sequel. This is the well he's returned to for Good Omens 2, co-writing with comic John Finnemore - drafted in, presumably, to plug the gap left Pratchett's unparalleled comedic mind. No small task.

Projects like Good Omens 2 are an important proving ground for Pratchett's legacy: can the universes he conjured endure without their creator? And can they stay true to his spirit? Sir Terry was famously protective of his creations, and there have been remarkably few adaptations of his work considering how prolific he was. "What would be in it for me?" he asked in 2003. "Money? I've got money."

He wanted his work treated reverently and not butchered for the screen. It's why Good Omens and projects like Tiffany Aching's Guide to Being a Witch are made with trusted members of the inner circle like Neil Gaiman and Rhianna Pratchett at the helm. It's also why the author's estate, run by Pratchett's former assistant and business manager Rob Wilkins, keeps a tight rein on any licensed Pratchett material — it's a multi-million dollar media empire still run like a cottage industry.

And that's heartening. Anyone who saw BBC America's panned 2021 Pratchett adaptation The Watch will know how badly these things can go when a studio is allowed to run amok with the material without oversight. These stories deserve to be told, and these worlds deserve to be explored — properly. And there are, apparently, many plans afoot for more Pratchett on the screen. You can only hope that, somewhere, he'll be proud of the results.

After all, as he wrote himself, "No one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away, until the clock wound up winds down, until the wine she made has finished its ferment, until the crop they planted is harvested. The span of someone's life is only the core of their actual existence."

While those ripples continue to spread, Sir Terry Pratchett remains very much alive. MARC BURROWS

DIVINE DUO

An angel and a demon walk into a pub... Michael Sheen and David Tennant on family, friendship and Morecambe & Wise

Outside it's cold winter's day and we're in a Scottish studio, somewhere between Edinburgh and Glasgow. But inside it's lunchtime in The Dirty Donkey pub in the heart of London, with both Michael Sheen and David Tennant surveying the scene appreciatively. "This is a great pub," says Sheen eagerly, while Tennant calls it "the best Soho there can be. A slightly heightened, immaculate, perfect, dreamy Soho."

Here, a painting of the absent landlord — the late Terry Pratchett, co-creator, with Neil Gaiman, of the series' source novel — looms over punters. Around the corner is AZ Fell and Co Antiquarian and Unusual Books. It's the bookshop owned by Sheen's character, the angel Aziraphale, and the place to where Tennant's demon Crowley is inevitably drawn.

It's day 74 of an 80-day shoot for a series that no one, least of all the leading actors, ever thought would happen, due to the fact that Pratchett and Gaiman hadn't ever published any sequel to their 1990 fantasy satire. Tennant explains, "What we didn't know was that Neil and Terry had had plots and plans..."

Still, lots of good things are in Good Omens 2, which expands on the millennia-spanning multiverse of the first series. These include a surprisingly naked side of John Hamm, and roles for both Tennant's father-in-law (Peter Davison) and 21-year-old son Ty. At its heart, though, remains the brilliant banter between the two leading men — as Sheen puts it, "very Eric and Ernie !" — whose chemistry on the first series led to one of the more surprising saviours of lockdown telly.

Good Omens is back — but you've worked together a lot in the meantime. Was there a connective tissue between series one of Good Omens and Staged, your lockdown sitcom?

David: Only in as much as the first series went out, then a few months later, we were all locked in our houses. And because of the work we'd done on Good Omens, it occurred that we might do something else. I mean, Neil Gaiman takes full responsibility for Staged. Which, to some extent, he's probably right to do!

Michael: We've got to know each other through doing this. Our lives have gotten more entwined in all kinds of ways — we have children who've now become friends, and our families know each other.

There have been hints of a romantic storyline between the two characters. How much of an undercurrent is that in this series.

David: Nothing's explicit.

Michael: I felt from the very beginning that part of what would be interesting to explore is that Aziraphale is a character, a being, who just loves. How does that manifest itself in a very specific relationship with another being? Inevitably, as there is with everything in this story, there's a grey area. The fact that people see potentially a "romantic relationship", I thought that was interesting and something to explore.

There was a petition to have the first series banned because of its irreverent take on Christian tropes. Series two digs even more deeply into the Bible with the story of Job. How much of a badge of honour is it that the show riles the people who like to ban things?

David: It's not an irreligious show at all. It's actually very respectful of the structure of that sort of religious belief. The idea that it promotes Satanism [is nonsense]. None of the characters from hell are to be aspired to at all! They're a dreadful bunch of non-entities. People are very keen to be offended, aren't they? They're often looking for something to glom on to without possibly really examining what they think they're complaining about.

Michael, you're known as an activist, and you're in the middle of Making BBC drama The Way, which "taps into the social and political chaos of today's world". Is it important for you to use your plaform to discuss causes you believe in?

Michael: The Way is not a political tract, it's just set in the area that I come from. But it has to matter to you, doesn't it? More and more as I get older, [I find] it can be a real slog doing this stuff. You've got to enjoy it. And if it doesn't matter to you, then it's just going to be depressing.

David, Michael has declared himself a "not-for-profit" actor. Has he tried to persuade you to give up all your money too?

David: What an extraordinary question! One is always aware that one has a certain responsibility if one is fortunate and gets to do a job that often doesn't feel like a job. You want to do your bit whenever you can. But at the same time, I'm an actor. I'm not about to give that up to go into politics or anything. But I'll do what I can from where I live.

Well, your son and your father-in-law are also starring in this series. How about that, jobs for the boys!

David: I know! It was a delight to get to be on set with them. And certainly an unexpected one for me. Neil, on two occasions, got to bowl up to me and say, "Guess who we've cast?!"

How do you feel about your US peers going on strike?

David: It's happening because there are issues that need to be addressed. Nobody's doing this lightly. These are important issues, and they've got to be sorted out for the future of our industry. There's this idea that writers and actors are all living high on the hog. For huge swathes of our industry, that's just not the case. These people have got to be protected.

Michael: We have to be really careful that things don't slide back to the way they were pre the 1950s, when the stories that we told were all coming from one point of view and the stories of certain people, or communities within our society, weren't represented. There's a sense that now that's changed for ever and it'll never go back. But you worry when people can't afford to have the opportunities that other people have. We don't want the story that we tell about ourselves to be myopic. You want it to be as inclusive as possible

Staged series 3 recently broadcast. It felt like the show's last hurrah — or is there more mileage? Sheen and Tennant go on holiday?

David: That's the Christmas special! One Foot in the Algarve! On the Buses Go to Spain!

Michael: I don't think we were thinking beyond three, were we?

So is it time for a conscious uncoupling for you two — Eric and Ernie say goodbye?

David: Oh, never say never, will we?

Michael: And it's more Hinge and Bracket.

David: Maybe that's what we do next — The Hinge and Bracket Story. CRAIG McLEAN

[alcestas-sloboda]

I really hope Jack Edwards chokes. "Oh look we made Dostoevsky number one bestseller on Amazon!" as if that fucking guy needed any hype. Maybe you can spend all this time and energy promoting books and authors that truly are not represented? I don’t know, make a video on Georgian literature, spend hours trying to find at least one English translation of the biggest Lithuanian authors? Of course, it’s going to be hard, all of the money was spend on English translations of Russian authors and all of us had only last 33 years trying to do anything to promote our culture while you all were simping for chauvinists, who hated the bare existence of us. Google at least the names of prominent Polish and Latvian authors. What are their names? What were they writing about? Could they afford to write about some highly intellectual suffering while their nations were balancing between life and death? Read the names of modern Ukrainian writers that were killed in the last 2 years. Who killed them? What would they think of Dostoevsky? Were they the "trembling beast" or "did they have the right"? Literature does teach a lot and for some reason the countries that were (are) under Russian attacks don’t like Dostoevsky, why his philosophical thought is so pathetic in our eyes? Do some research, then we’ll talk.

[mariacallous]

How do you say “Winter is coming” in Japanese?

It’s hardly a criticism to say the new series Shogun, currently airing on FX and streaming on Hulu in the United States and Disney+ elsewhere, may remind audiences of Game of Thrones. The HBO spectacle based on George R.R. Martin’s novels was one of the more transformative television events of our age, inspiring several close-but-no-scimitar imitators. Netflix has The Witcher, Amazon has the preposterously expensive The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and HBO has the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, all of which have their charms, but none have quite caught the wildfire-in-a-bottle of the original.

It is with great joy, however, that I can report an heir is finally here. The wannabes prove it wasn’t the wizards and winged beasts that ignited our collective passions: It was the palette of complex characters at cross purposes, the knotty alliances, and the inscrutable schemes that conquered our imaginations. Shogun, based on James Clavell’s bestselling 1975 doorstopper—which was previously adapted for television in 1980—is a fictionalized version of a power struggle in early 17th-century Japan, in which five regional lords vie for control after the death of a leader who maintained stability but whose son is too young to rule. Adding spice to the stew are Portuguese Jesuits (whose black ships are building a secret base in Macao) and the arrival of a crafty English pilot sailing under the Dutch flag with a secret mission to destabilize Portugal’s foothold in the region—but maybe to also make a buck or two. That’s the very shortened version, anyway, but hopefully enough to hook you.

Shogun is that rare television series that demands extra mental effort but truly rewards for the work. (Blessedly, FX has created a thorough study guide to help you keep all the characters straight.) Moreover, its roots in history and genuine customs lend it a great deal of gravitas. Truth, as we know, is often stranger than fiction.

But “strangeness” is a wobbly term these days, particularly for a Hollywood-based production about another nation’s history. As soon as the series was announced in August 2018, producers made it clear it would deviate from the earlier, NBC television event. The 1980 iteration of Shogun, which featured Richard Chamberlain, the legendary Toshiro Mifune, Welsh character actor John Rhys-Davies chomping it up as a strapping Spaniard, and narration from Orson Welles, was arguably the apogee of the big-budget miniseries trend that included Roots, Jesus of Nazareth, The Winds of War, and North and South and was a ratings juggernaut perfectly timed for a growing American interest in all things Japanese. And it was very much told from the perspective of its Western protagonist, deploying a classic white savior trope.

That storyline—loosely based on the real life of William Adams, the first Englishman to navigate to Japan—is still core to Shogun, but the new series, developed by the husband-and-wife team of Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo, takes what Clavell wrote and broadens it. The Adams character, John Blackthorne, played by Cosmo Jarvis, is now one of three equally important main characters, including Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) and Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai). Indeed, it is Sanada who gets top billing in the opening credits.

One indicator of the new telling is this: In the 1980 version, when characters spoke Japanese, it went untranslated. “The viewer will be in the same situation as Blackthorne and will learn what is going on just as he does,” a producer boasted of this creative choice at the time. In the current version, spoken Japanese has subtitles; it is text, not ornamentation. What’s more, while I didn’t use a stopwatch, I’d say about three-quarters of the show is in Japanese.

While some of the producers are Japanese, the writers are not (though some are of Japanese heritage), so the dialogue was written in English, then rigidly translated into Japanese, then handed off to a Japanese playwright who spoke no English but had expertise in this time period, and then translated back for subtitles. Many of the scenes involve tense conferences in which language is translated on the spot, which is incredibly fertile soil for a brilliant performer like Sawai to say one thing with her voice but mean something else with her expression. (Not to make this too complicated, but within the story, no one is speaking English; however, some characters do speak Portuguese, which we at home hear as English—trust me, this makes sense when you watch it.)

This is just one reason why Shogun is not passive viewing. Those who watch television with one eye on Instagram are going to have problems with this one. (And they should—put down the damn phone!) Not only is there a cascade of characters with different shifting alignments, but one of the central themes is deception and delayed revelation. This is a story in which not really knowing what the hell anyone is thinking is central to its success. This is symbolized by the “eightfold fence,” a Japanese philosophy of isolation that has played into its political maneuvers over the years but in a rich drama like Shogun means that when a woman is professing her undying love to her husband, she may secretly wish nothing more than to be dead.

The new series’ decision to broaden the perspective (and also beef up the women’s roles) may have been a red flag for some worried that it would sand down some of the material that, let’s face it, makes 17th-century Japanese culture look a little, well, intense. To put it bluntly: Could a series for our overly sensitive age show a character boiling a prisoner alive just so he can zone out to the sound of his anguished screams in a prurient haze? The answer is yes. And while that sadistic character isn’t exactly a good guy, you kind of end up liking him a little bit by the end.

Even more extreme (and also in the first episode) is when a character accepts that an underling, who spoke in his defense but did it in a way that defied protocol, must not only commit ritual suicide but also have his infant child killed so as to ensure his family line is obliterated. What’s more, the guy who approves of this is our hero, Sanada’s Toranaga.

Indeed, the frequent act of seppuku is just one of the Japanese customs that is baffling to Blackthorne’s Western eyes, and his character remains a stand-in for the audience in that regard. (Far more benign is the belief that it is disrespectful to step on moss—OK, note taken!) But an important change from Chamberlain’s Blackthorne is that Jarvis’s version is frequently a whiny, nasty jerk. Jarvis’s performance, which owes a bit to Tom Hardy at his most energetic, is a spitting, cursing blowhard with a short fuse who would probably have a much easier go of things at first if he would just chill out. (It is, at times, meant to be funny, and it is.) The Japanese call him “The Barbarian,” and given English attitudes at the time toward bathing compared with the much tidier Japanese, you can see why. One of the best compliments I can give Shogun is that, periodically, you will think, “Wait, why am I rooting for any of these people?!” but still feel a lot is at stake in the drama.

While there is a great deal of gore in the series (now I know what a computer-generated horse looks like when hit by a cannonball), there is an overwhelming amount of beauty. The kimono budget must have been through the roof on this thing. Even scenes that clearly include additional greenscreen are lit with care. This is key for a culture that, despite some shocking violence, places importance on order and grace. With 10 one-hour episodes, there is time to linger on how tea is properly served, how sake is poured, or how a geisha who takes pride in her trade can elevate it to artistry.

But none of that would matter if the storyline weren’t compelling, and I suppose Clavell would not have sold 21 million books if he wasn’t on to something. Shogun is probably his most famous, but I recall seeing his name on covers everywhere as a Gen X kid. My own mother dragged around the enormous Noble House, split into two volumes in hardcover, for what seemed like months. Most of his work fits into a larger “Asian Saga,” though he had enough clout in the early 1980s to direct a television special based on a dystopian short story (The Children’s Story) and get parodied on Late Night With David Letterman.

For all the exoticism and complicated history, however, it’s the inner hopes and desires of these characters that will linger. “Flowers are only flowers because they fall” might seem like a corny line out of context, but in the delicate world of Shogun, it is a moment of perfection and one of several in this extraordinary series.

[hollymbryan]

Blog Tour: Top 5 Reasons to Read THE REAPPEARANCE OF RACHEL PRICE by Holly Jackson! #tbrbeyondtours

Welcome to Book-Keeping and my stop on the TBR and Beyond Tours blog tour for The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson! I've got all the details on this taut and twisty YA thriller, which released yesterday, for you below, along with my top 5 reasons to read it!

About the Book

title: The Reappearance of Rachel Price author: Holly Jackson publisher: Delacorte Press release date: 2 April 2024

From the author of the multimillion bestselling A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series and Five Survive comes a new true-crime fueled mystery thriller about a girl determined to uncover the shocking truth about her missing mother while filming a documentary on the unsolved case. Lights. Camera. Lies. 18-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished and young Bel was the only witness, but she has no memory of it. Rachel is gone, long presumed dead, and Bel wishes everyone would just move on. But the case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary. Bel can’t wait for filming to end, for life to go back to normal. And then the impossible happens. Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again. Rachel has an unbelievable story about what happened to her. Unbelievable, because Bel isn’t sure it’s real. If Rachel is lying, then where has she been all this time? And – could she be dangerous? With the cameras still rolling, Bel must uncover the truth about her mother, and find out why Rachel Price really came back from the dead . . . From world-renowned author Holly Jackson comes a mind-blowing masterpiece about one girl’s search for the truth, and the terror in finding out who your family really is.

Add to Goodreads: The Reappearance of Rachel Price Purchase the Book: Amazon | B&N | Bookshop

About the Author

Holly Jackson is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling series A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, an international sensation with millions of copies sold worldwide as well as the #1 New York Times bestseller and instant classic, Five Survive, and her forthcoming novel, The Reappearance of Rachel Price. She graduated from the University of Nottingham, where she studied literary linguistics and creative writing, with a master’s degree in English. She enjoys playing video games and watching true-crime documentaries so she can pretend to be a detective. She lives in London.

Connect with Holly: Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Top 5 Reasons to Read

There are *a lot* of reasons to love this latest book from YA thriller queen Holly Jackson, but I've tried to capture here my top 5 for you!

It's Holly Jackson. Enough said! I mean, not only does she have the best name (ha!), but she is quite possibly *the* reigning YA thriller queen! Seriously, I must not have even looked at the synopsis when I signed up for this, because I thought the title referred to a teen who'd gone missing--that's how eager I was to read the next HoJay book!

The book is a great examination of how our past traumas shape us, even if the event itself happens when we are far too young to actually remember it. Because trauma isn't just a one-time thing, is it? There are residual emanations that last--sometimes years, sometimes forever. Traumas shape who we are as people, and they affect our relationships with other people far into the future.

There is an amazing bond between Bel and her cousin Carter that I loved so much and just really had me missing my older sister.

The mystery is *so* well-done, I was quite literally oblivious until the moment Bel discovers the truth herself. And I'm not saying this in a cocky way, but that literally almost NEVER happens to me at this late stage in my life when I've read hundreds of mysteries and thrillers.

The book is a great examination of the lengths to which a parent/parents will go to protect their child. What do you do if you find yourself suddenly a single parent of a 2-year-old, with a missing spouse and suspicion on you for their disappearance? What would you do if that missing spouse suddenly reappears? What do you do if you are instead the missing spouse who has returned--do you tell your child the truth about what happened to you? So many points during this book had me questioning just what I would do for my own son!

Seriously, I cannot recommend this one highly enough. And in typical Holly Jackson fashion, it's not only twisty and thrilling but also deeply emotional. Also, she never writes as if teens are too young to handle the horrors of the world, which is one reason I especially love reading her books. Go pick this one up, you won't regret it!

Rating: 5 stars!

**Disclosure: I received an early e-copy from the publisher for purposes of this blog tour.

Make sure you check out the Bookstagram tour too! You can find my post here, and the full schedule is here.

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Yes, I Sat Up All Night to Finish This One

Very occasionally, something wild happens and you end up sitting up all night reading a book. In my case, my sister literally messaged me on August 8 with a screencap of the Red, White & Royal Blue Amazon release date (August 11) and was like "Want to do a watch party when this comes out?" And so, dear reader, once I was off work at 10pm, I grabbed this book off my physical TBR pile and dived in. I had expected to take a couple of days to just barely get it read before we do the watch party. Reader, I sat up all night and inhaled this book in one sitting. Let's talk Red, White & Royal Blue.

*SPOILERS BELOW THE BREAK ON THIS ONE*

I'd be lying if I said I picked this book up for any reason other than a cute premise expecting it to be kind of kitchsy. I was pleasantly sursprised by this book! It has some weight to it, it has real stakes to it, it has fun, it has heart, and holy cow I am in AWE of how well Casey McQuiston differentitated their character voices in emails and text messages. That is challenging for writers, and they knocked it out the park.

Alex and Henry are quite literally the most adorable couple, and in the spirit of this book, I want to share the text messages I was sending one of my dear friends as I was reading. Yes, it's unhinged. Yes, it's all caps. Yes, you can skip to the rest of the review if you want, I won't take it personally. For those of you sticking around, here we go:

1:31 am

HOW IS THIS BOOK SO FUCKING ADDORABLE!?!?!?!

2:03 am

AT ONE POINT HE THREW OUT JONATHAN SWIFT TO WATCH HIS PRESS TEAM HAVE A CORONARY!?!? I AM IN THIS BOOK AS A HOT GAY PRINCE AND SOMEHOW THAT FEELS APPROPRIATE!?!?!?!?!?!?

2:22 am

HIS MOTHER MADE A POWERPOINT TITLED INTERNATIONAL ETHICS AND SEXUAL IDENTITY DEBREIF *SEE ATTACHED BIBLIOGRAPHY* IN A GODDAMN LOVE EMAIL I AM DYING

2:48 am

HE HAS A KEY TO THE V & A

3:18 am

ZAHRA AND SHAAN ARE YOU KIDDING ME OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!

4:02 am

THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS ON HIS GODDAMN TIE SERIOUSLY!?!?!?!?! Oh my god that book was too darling for freaking words

Unhinged, all caps reactions are not usually my thing for books, but uhhh...it was extremely warranted for this one.

Romance novels get a lot of crap, even the ones that end up as NYT Bestsellers and film adaptations, but honestly as someone who dabbles in writing, I am blown away by how well this book was done on every level. The writing was great. The character work was phenomenal. The plotting was tight and well paced. The premise 100% did it's job of getting me in the door.

And it was GENUINELY SMART and genuinely well researched. There is gay history, there is a solid and nuanced understanding of English literature, and when Alex and Henry get to the point of exchanging passages from historical love letters, it was absolutely incredible.

Oh, and DID I MENTION THE STAR WARS ALLUSIONS??? Because the star wars allusions are there, they're wonderful, and honestly I need fanart of the Alex and Henry and Han and Leia mural.

In addition, the book has significant weight to it, because you have two young adults--one who is, in his own words, "very, very gay" and the other who is just discovering his bisexuality--who are struggling with the realities of being public figures trying to overcome the collective conservative prejudice against LGBTQIA+ people in two countries while also being immediate family members to heads of two different states. That is given exactly as much weight as it warrants, and poor Henry just needs a hug and a safe space, because JFC that poor guy is being smothered to death by English conservatism.

There is also Alex and Henry's desire to do good in the world and to actually do something with the places in history they have been handed, and wrestling with what that means when expectations and reality absolutely do not match up. Navigating that as an early twenty-something is never easy, and most of us don't have to do it in the public eye.

Overall, this book was amazing, I loved it, I inhaled it, and I cannot wait to watch the Amazon adaptation. I seriously recommend picking it up, because it's DARLING.

[where-fading-princesses-live]

People don't create for money (or shouldn't)

This has been bugging me.

I guess there's been a misconception here about why people write books.

I am not an author, but I have friends who are writers, some published (like Denny Reese), and others are just starting out and never been published before like Sarah Rose and Catharine. Some of my friends even make fancomics like Gabi and Kayla but they're darn good fancomics at that!

But here's the thing.

If you think people are writing books or making art for the sole purpose of making money that's a wrong assumption and here's why.

I follow a ''Writers helping Writers'' Facebook group and all these struggling writers get advice from published authors. And I've read their posts and I've listened to what Denny has had to say, having been through it, and according to most people, realistically, most writers don't generate a big income no matter if it's a bestseller or not. Sure, *certain* authors make millions, like JK Rowling, but she is a rare exception. Very few authors become millionaires off their work alone even if they're moderately successful. Most writers take other jobs to make a living. Most lecture at colleges or teach English because publishing books doesn't really bring in a lot of money and I guess according to some who work in the publishing world, royalties are not what they used to be either. According to Denny (and this is something I didn't know beforehand) but especially for writers who sell on Amazon, I guess Amazon takes most of the profit anyway and Denny has said most writers don't push Amazon sales because they don't make much! He has even said ''Other people have made more money on my book than I have.''

Did he do it for the money? NO. And he has other businesses to pay the bills. His books are selling and successful but he is not rich, and he has two books out and another one on its way. So if it doesn't make money why do people do it?

Because they genuinely enjoy writing!

They want to tell stories. They want to share with the world a subject they're passionate about. Most writers are writing from the bottom of their heart, and in Denny's case, he's written a book about the Gomer Pyle series as a fan for fans! There weren't any other books about it and so he put one out for us! He didn't do it for the money.

And my friend sarah Rose is writing a Jim Nabors bio. She has no book deal, she has no agent, she's never published before and she makes no money as an English tutor but she's been funding research out of pocket just because it's something she really enjoys doing! And no one is paying her to do it! she probably won't make back half of what she spent on the project but she's doing it anyway NOT FOR THE MONEY but because she has a story she wants to tell, as a fan for the fans! It comes from a place of love, in honoring this man's life, not profiting from it, and yes, a lot of fans want to read the book and a lot of friends of Jim want to read it too! Ruth Buzzi wants to read it, Karen Morrow wants to read it... and it's not for the money. Even Hollywood bios don't make a lot of money these days unless you're an A-list Hollywood director or actor... the agent will probably take so much percent of it and the publisher will take the other the other half of the cut I guess? (I'm not exactly sure how that works but that's the gist of what I've heard).

So many people have written books about Mayberry and most of them didn't make money, and most of them are out of print these days but they were created with love and were by fans for fans, to preserve the humanity and the spirit of the show. It didn't make anybody rich!

So people who think that writers write for the money, you're dead wrong and have unrealistic expectations when it comes to publishing!

If there are writers out there wanting to make a fast buck then writing is NOT the way to do it ... it is NOT a money making field (or at least it's not the most money making field) unless you're a cult leader who writes a self-help book or something. You'd be better off becoming a dentist because writing takes a tremendous amount of time, effort, skill, and the most dedicated ones pour all their sweat blood and tears into their work and may NEVER see their work on a bookstore shelf. But they do it anyway and they keep trying and pushing through the rejection! even if it slowly kills them, they keep writing because writing for them is like breathing. It's a way of life. It's a way they express themselves. A writer is not what they are it's WHO they are and they know nothing else.

So I read a post from a guy who wrote 6 books so far. He said: ''All of them were written in those times when I wasn’t seeing patients, kids are in bed, and my wife fell asleep. I turn on the gentle light, and I write. The books take up the time and energy that I can’t spare. And they bring really no income to speak of. Retire on them? I don’t see how.

But, I write them. It organizes my mind. Writing regularly creates order in my mind. Some people meditate. Some pray. I write.''

I think that perfectly sums it up. This guys has a day job and he raises a family and he still writes even if it doesn't support him financially. He writes because it's a passion of his.

Most writers don't get rich and famous, that's just the reality, but that's not why most people do it.

There are so many other jobs and career options out there that will make more money than becoming a writer.

So anyway, just to clear the air, for most writers, the motivation for writing a book has never been money (or shouldn't be).

Sure, it would be nice to be able to support yourself off your art, and it doesn't make you a bad person if you do make some money from it, because let's face it, that's almost like saying, ''Oh that singer shouldn't make an album to make money'' or ''That actor shouldn't do that TV series to make money!'' Well yeah and most don't it FOR the money, they do it because they enjoy creating, but you know, artists gotta eat, too, and even they can't be putting on concerts or making movies for free, they gotta support themselves! But they don't do it FOR the money. It's not the only reason. It's a job, yes, but it's also their sentiment and if we're gonna fault people for selling commissions of their work, then you clearly are just horrible and judgemental for no reason who obviously isn't a starving artist.

Here's a quote from Mike Awoyinfa, journalist, publisher and author:

''It’s not about riches. It is about having a good, original story,  carrying it in your head like pregnancy, nurturing it and giving birth  to it in the labour room of solitude, passion and persistence.''

Azubuike Ishiekwene: journalist, author:

''Riches and fame are, in a sense, relative. I think contentment and purpose are the key things.''

Artists feel fulfilled when we create something even if nothing comes from it. I went to art school to be an animator. For Disney or Pixar or something... Did I? No. Will I ever? Probably not. I've been working retail since I've been out of school and I was rejected from Cal Arts.  I don't draw as much as I used to and I've never sold my art, but I doodle occasionally because it's still fun for me even if it didn't end up paying my rent.

But we're content, right? Most of us are living in poverty, but we're rich in the soul because we love to create and make things that make us happy, even if the rest of the world doesn't like it, it doesn't matter because it's our own personal accomplishment and self fulfillment.

Anyway it just irks me when people think writers or artists do it for the money because no you're wrong and you're obviously not a writer or an artist if you think that way. You should see how empty my bank account is and my friends, always looking for work, never knowing where our next pay check is going to be coming from and none of us got rich and famous from our creations but hey we still do it in our spare time because we love it!

[thecrownnet]

In ‘The Crown,’ Claire Foy plays a young Queen Elizabeth II. ROBERT VIGLASKY/ASSOCIATED PRESS

‘The Crown’ Jumps Into Netflix’s Top 10 for Weekly Global Viewership

By Alyssa Lukpat, The Wall Street Journal Sept 14, 2022

“The Crown,” the award-winning Netflix series based on the queen’s life, was one of the most-watched series on the streaming service in recent days as interest has surged for content about the royal family.

The first season of the series was Netflix’s seventh most-watched English-language show worldwide since Thursday, the day Queen Elizabeth II died, according to the streaming service.

“The Crown,” which released its fourth and latest season nearly two years ago, was on Netflix’s top 10 most-watched list alongside mostly new content, including the latest season of “Cobra Kai.”

“The Crown” dramatizes the life of the royal family through Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. The first season begins with Princess Elizabeth’s 1947 marriage to Prince Philip and follows her early years as the queen alongside Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The most recent season focused on the 1980s, covering the queen’s clashes with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Prince Charles’s ill-fated marriage to Lady Diana Spencer.

The first season, which premiered in 2016, was one of the most-watched shows in 26 countries in the past week, including the U.K., Ireland, Bolivia and Mexico, according to Netflix. It wasn’t among the top 10 most-watched shows in the U.S., however. Subscribers around the world watched the season for 17.57 million hours from Sept. 8 through Sept. 14, Netflix’s website said Wednesday morning.

The fifth season of the hit show, which has already been filmed, is set to be released in November. The show temporarily suspended production of its sixth season on Friday because of the queen’s death. Netflix said last week that it would pause production again as a mark of respect on the day of the queen’s funeral, scheduled for Sept. 19.

Netflix didn’t immediately return a request for comment Wednesday.

Books about the queen and the royal family have been climbing up Amazon.com Inc.’s book charts in recent days as well. Six of the top 10 bestselling books about European history were about the royal family, according to Amazon.

*Olivia Colman plays Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown Season 3 and 4.

**Imelda Staunton will take over the role in Season 5 and 6.

[anitabyars]

Tijan's newest hockey with benefits romance is LIVE!!!!

Grab it at @tijansbooks or www.tijansbooks.com

Hockey With Benefits by Tijan is now live!

Description

Hockey with benefits. That was what Mara proposed, and I was down.

She said no feelings and she meant it.

Just benefits. No strings attached. Nothing else. Not even friendship.

College was her escape, including us.

I didn't have time for a girlfriend.

I had classes, the team, my family, and the game.

It was all working too...

Until somewhere down the line, things got messy.

Until somehow we were dealing with threats, secrets, rivals, and so much more.

Until I began to want her in ways that weren't part of the deal.

Our agreement didn't just get checked into the wall, it got obliterated.

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3J9vzEs

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/HockeyWithBenefits

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3lqdR69

Meet Tijan

Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing after college and once she started, she was hooked. She's written multi-bestsellers including the Fallen Crest series, Ryan's Bed, Enemies and others.

She is currently writing many new books and series with an English Cocker she adores.

Connect with Tijan

Website: http://www.tijansbooks.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4851199.Tijan

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tijan/e/B00DJG52QE

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tijansbooks/

Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/tijansreadergroup

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tijansbooks/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/tijansbooks

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@tijan_author

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tijan

My Review

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book has it all! It was passionate and intense, it’s heartbreaking and hopeful, it’s sexy and emotional, poignant, and filled full of drama, lots of drama. It’s gripping, all consuming, and so addictive, it will take your breath away. It brings all the feels, I laughed, cried and cheered and got all melty, watching these two finally lay down their armor and give in to the love. Five huge stars for Hockey With Benefits by Tijan.

Mara Daniels doesn’t do relationships, and she doesn’t have any friends. She has learned that it’s best if she keeps her walls up and relies only on herself. But she does like sex, and the chemistry between Mara Daniels and Cruz Styles is sizzling from the moment they meet. But it’s just sex, no friendship, no texting just hookups.

Cruz loved the deal when she presented it to him, because he didn’t need a girlfriend. Hockey took too much of his time, along with his family and school. It was a win, win. Until… it isn’t.

Cruz sees Mara the real Mara and understands her more than she knows. Their story will pull at your heartstrings. I believe the circumstances of our childhood shapes us into the adults we become, even more than genetics. The traumas we have to survive and the way we are made to feel about ourselves stay with us.

This amazing story touches on some abuse issues. It was beautiful to watch Cruz and Mara peel back the layers of each other as they take back their lives. But the love and friendship that surrounds Mara and Cruz is humbling as they struggle with secrets, threats, rivals and feelings. I loved learning about both of their past, and being with them in the present, I understood and empathized with every thought and emotion. A thought provoking, captivating romance with all the feels!!

I received an early copy and this is my honest review.

[allthingsdarkanddirty]

MAFIA ROMANCE  ROCKSTAR ROMANCE  SMALL TOWN ROMANCE There's something for everyone in this huge #FREE book sale from Quinn Marlowe! FREE MAFIA ROMANCE: https://geni.us/HerRomeo

Sloane Brennan. Daughter of the Irish mob, my one-time best friend… and the forbidden fruit I'm not allowed to have.

FREE ROCKSTAR ROMANCE: 

He’s got everything she ever wanted. She’s got everything he’s always needed. But when it comes to giving in to love, he’s going to give her a run for her money. FREE SMALL TOWN ROMANCE: 

A history they can't ignore. A contract they have to satisfy. And a tour that goes so wrong, it might just be right.

About Quinn:

Quinn Marlowe is the bestselling author of the Rossi and Southern Heroes series and a certified California girl. After studying English and film at UCLA, she decided to pursue storytelling full time. She loves red wine, cheesecake, perfect hash browns, really good punk rock, fast cars, autumn, and cooking, but she is most likely to be found spending time with her horses, snuggling her dogs, or taking orders from her small army of cats. She is a professional eye roller with a penchant for swearing like a sailor, and some of her favorite people (her nephews) are convinced she is a spy. She makes her home in San Diego with her loving husband and her prized collections of books and lipstick, neither of which ever fail to lift her spirits when she's feeling down. 

Follow Quinn Online! Amazon: https://amzn.to/3qoxxq9 BookBub: https://bit.ly/3x9iX9Y Facebook: https://bit.ly/3BpUy2g Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3Qvq2s2 Instagram: http://instagram.com/quinn.marlowe.smokeshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@quinnmarloweauthor Twitter: https://twitter.com/quinnmarlowe Web: https://quinnmarlowe.com 

[innerdreamercollective]

HEARTBREAKER HANDOFF BY LEX MARTIN

Release Date: March 8th

Genre/Tropes: Sports Romance / Baby Isn't His (But no cheating) / Football player/cheerleader / Forbidden Romance / Coach’s daughter / He falls first / Fake Dating / Small Town / Slow Burn But Steamy

Get ready to dive into the steamy world of forbidden romance with Heartbreaker Handoff by Lex Martin!

Follow cheerleader-turned-mom-to-be as she navigates fake relationships, small-town drama, and undeniable chemistry with the bad boy football player. Will they make it work or get tangled in their own game? Find out now!

Grab your copy TODAY!

Ebook https://geni.us/HeartbreakerHandoff

Paperback https://www.amazon.com/dp/1950554163?

Add to Goodreads:

Blurb:

Billy’s not my baby daddy, but he doesn’t mind pretending to be…

I’m a Division 1 cheerleader with hopes of becoming a sports broadcaster. None of my plans for college include getting knocked up by a cheating ex who just got engaged to another girl.

When my father finds out I’m pregnant, he goes ballistic. That’s when my BFF, bad boy Billy Babcock, comes to my rescue and agrees to “take responsibility.”

Billy and I solidify our contract on a napkin—he’ll pretend to be my baby’s father, and I’ll help him clean up his image. The only problem is my father, the football coach, hates Billy. He warned me off dating players a long time ago, and he thinks Billy’s the biggest player out there.

Now that we’re in a “relationship,” Billy thinks we should spend some quality naked time together, but I’m worried about crossing that line. Because athletic guys with big muscles, intricate tattoos, and sexy smirks are my biggest weakness, and Billy ticks off all those boxes.

Can my football player “boyfriend” walk the straight and narrow for me?

Or did I just get handed off from one heartbreaker to another?

Heartbreaker Handoff is an angsty, friends-to-lovers, forbidden romance featuring a sassy cheerleader, who’s about to be a single mother, and a criminally charming football player determined to prove he’s the man for her, one sizzling kiss at a time. Heartbreaker Handoff is a dual POV standalone in the USA Today-bestselling series Varsity Dads.

About the Author:

Lex Martin is the USA Today bestselling author of Varsity Dads, Texas Nights, and the Dearest series. She writes contemporary romance novels, the steamy kind she hopes readers love but her parents avoid. A former high school English teacher and freelance journalist who’s lived all over the country, she currently resides in her hometown of San Antonio with her husband, twin daughters, a bunny, and a rambunctious Shih Tzu.

Connect with Lex:

Website: https://www.lexmartinwrites.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLexMartin

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/336647169822184/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorlexmartin 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlexmartin/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorlexmartin

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7792877.Lex_Martin

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lex-martin

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Yd9PhG

Newsletter Signup: http://bit.ly/3XxIW5d 

[animatedvideoagency]

4 Things to Remember While Hiring a Self-publishing Agency in London

If you are all set to print your book yet not interested in approaching the famous publishers and waiting for their judgment on whether the book should get published or not, connect with a self-publishing agency now! London, being the harbinger of English literature and language is proud of having quite a few world-class self-publishing studios across the city extending their professional expertise to both celebrated and new writers seeking immediate help from acclaimed book publishers in London.

You must also be equally keen to team up with such a prolific publishing agency prudent in not only publishing your new book in printed books whether in hardcopies or paperbacks- they can also go a step forward to approach you with Amazon publishing services – quite a trend these days!

Here are the four things to remember while hiring a self-publishing agency in London—

Already published quite a few bestsellers

The self-publishing agency should have the reputation of publishing a couple of bestselling books whether the writer chooses to self publish on Amazon or print the book.

Bestselling authors work with them

Despite working with debutants or new writers of various genres, the agency should have teamed up with celebrated authors as well.

 Have a pro team of illustrators, designers, editors & eBook converters 

Make sure that the agency has experienced and highly talented childrens book illustrators, cover designers, editors and eBook converting experts onboard and they work as a close team for publishing the new book on behalf of their writer client.

Client-friendly & supportive 

Working with a client-friendly team of professionals is essential for the ease of creativity. The self-publishing agency should be supportive in offering effective guidance and suggestions that will help you get more readers as buyers.

Start selling your book on Amazon and later come out of your comfort zone to showcase your self-published book at bookstores.

[galateafans]

👉 GALATEA UNLIMITED Points generator 👈

GALATEA has grown rapidly since its launch, becoming one of the world’s fastest-growing reading apps with hundreds of thousands of active users consuming over six million episodes per month. GALATEA has received positive reviews from both users and authors, who praise the app for its innovative and addictive features. GALATEA has also won several awards, such as the App Growth Awards 2019 for the Fastest Growing App and the Mobile Star Awards 2019 for the Best Entertainment App. GALATEA is constantly updating its app with new stories, features, and improvements to enhance the user experience and satisfaction. Inkitt then offers publishing deals to the most promising authors and helps them reach a wider audience. Inkitt has published over 100 books, many of which have become Amazon bestsellers or have been adapted into movies or TV shows.

In 2018, Inkitt launched GALATEA as a separate app to offer a new way of reading stories. GALATEA was inspired by the success of chat fiction apps, such as Hooked and Yarn, which present stories as text messages between characters. GALATEA took this concept further by adding sound effects, visual effects, and haptic feedback to create a more immersive and realistic experience. GALATEA also introduced audiobooks as an option for users who prefer to listen to stories rather than read them. GALATEA works with a team of over 20 Hollywood screenwriters to adapt the original stories on Inkitt into GALATEA versions. GALATEA also collaborates with the authors of the stories to ensure that their vision and voice are preserved.GALATEA is available for free download from the App Store or Google Play Store.

Users can read or listen to the first chapters of each story for free, or purchase points to unlock more chapters. Users can also subscribe to GALATEA for unlimited access to all of its stories. GALATEA supports multiple languages, such as English, Italian, German, French, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Tagalog, Indonesian, and others. GALATEA also has an online book club community where users can join discussions, share opinions, and interact with other readers and authors. GALATEA is a mobile app that aims to revolutionize the way people read and enjoy stories!

[cocktailsfairytales]

A Christmas Song by Tijan is now live!

The first year was fun. Simple.

I had a great roommate, and I was hooking up with a basketball player.

Then life happened, and my whole trajectory changed.

Gone was the hook-up. Gone was the roommate.

My new goal in life wasn't to enjoy it. It was to get through each day by being blissfully numb.

It was working.

Until I woke up in my ex's bed one morning.

No purse. No phone. No keys.

No memory of what happened.

First things first: I needed to get my ex off my vagi--back. I needed to get him off my back.

I needed to get my things.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to remember the night before, but my ex was suddenly reminding me how he's overbearing, arrogant, demanding, and hot.

Damn. He's still so hot.

He's also making me remember things that could have disastrous consequences.

For him. For me.

And most certainly for my heart...

* A Christmas Song is a Ryan's Bed + spin-off novella because it is written from Mackenzie's point of view and Maren's point of view (Mackenzie's roommate.) Both girls will take the reader on the day after from the fallout of a prior night's event and the end will surprise everyone.

* Expect lots of Ryan and Mackenzie, but also get ready for Maren and Cristiano!

Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo!

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3GwufJD

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/AChristmasSong

Apple Books: https://bit.ly/3RtGexY

Nook: https://bit.ly/3uNnDnE

Kobo: https://bit.ly/47QsD9O

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3t0kArI

Meet Tijan

Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing after college and once she started, she was hooked. She's written multi-bestsellers including the Fallen Crest series, Ryan's Bed, Enemies and others.

She is currently writing many new books and series with an English Cocker she adores.

Connect with Tijan

Website: http://www.tijansbooks.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4851199.Tijan

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tijan/e/B00DJG52QE

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tijansbooks/

Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/tijansreadergroup

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tijansbooks/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/tijansbooks

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@tijan_author

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tijan

[adrianodiprato]

+ “Three keys to more abundant living: caring about others, daring for others, sharing with others.” –  William Arthur Ward

2023 | A Year in Review

What a year 2023 has been. For me, it has been year of great growth and learning. As I look back across the year, I share with you all these wonderful moments:

In January 2023 I was recognised by ISC Research UK, on their Edruptor of 2022 list, recognising me as an influential educator within international education. ISC Research, the leading provider of English-medium K-12 international school data, trends, and intelligence, has compiled a list of highly rated thought leaders within international education.

In January I commenced at LCI Melbourne, as their new Academic Operations Manager. LCI Melbourne is a private institute of higher education that specialises in art, design, and enterprise education. LCI Melbourne is one of 23 campuses from across the global as part of LCI Education.

In February, we launched Series Thirteen of our Game Changers podcast featuring seven remarkable Indigenous Australians, Thomas Mayo – an author and signatory to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, Nicole Brown – the 2022 Darwin Community NAIDOC Volunteer of the Year, Corey Tutt – the Founder and CEO of DeadlyScience, Tammy Anderson – a dynamic School Principal, Lucy Amon – a school Indigenous Programs Coordinator, Anita Heiss AM one of Australia’s foremost Aboriginal authors, poets and Karen Mundine – social commentator and the CEO of Reconciliation Australia. During this period the podcast hit 450,000 plus listens.

In February, I had an article ‘Without Technology Schools Will Become Irrelevant’ published by Norwegian online education Lucubrate Magazine on his thoughts about artificial intelligence.

In March, my co-authored 2022 book Game Changers: Leading Today’s Learning for Tomorrow’s World hit the bestseller list. The book is now available via Amba Press and on Amazon, Booktopia and Barnes & Nobles.

In March, I delivered a leadership keynote titled ‘Game Changers’ at the 2023 World Education Summit, the globe’s largest online educational conference. 

In March, I delivered a two day High-Performance Schools Masterclass at Toddle - Your Teaching Partner’s 2023 #SchoolLeadersBootcamp.

In April, I was invited to be a guest on Joshua Stamper’s global ASPIRE Podcast.

In May, I was invited by EdLeaders to be on the selection panel for their inaugural EdLeaders Impact list for 2023.

In July, in collaboration with the Student Experience Manager we launched a new Student Success Strategy framework for LCI Melbourne where the institute is committed to amplifying student voice, agency, and advocacy.

In July, I was recognised as one of The Educator's Most Influential Educators in 2023. This is a testament to the Game Changers’ dedication to transforming education and driving positive change within our community.

In July I was invited to facilitate a leadership masterclass titled ‘Leading A High Performance School’ for the executive team at The Hester Hornbrook Academy. The Hester Hornbrook Academy (HHA) provides alternative flexible education and learning options for young people from the ages 15 to 24 who are experiencing disadvantage, significant trauma, and disengagement from mainstream schooling.

In August, I was invited to deliver a keynote address at the annual New South Wales Secondary Deputy Principal’s Association conference, titled ‘Setting the Scene: For Designing A Better Normal.’

In August, I was invited to present and facilitate the two-day annual Catholic Secondary Deputy Principal’s Association (CSDPA) conference in Western Australia. My opening keynote was titled ‘Setting the Scene: For Designing A Better Normal.’

In August, I was invited by We Teach Well to host a conversation on artificial intelligence in education ‘AI & The Age of Humans: A Paradox’ at the annual Digital Innovations Futures Festival in Victoria.

In September, together with a group of key staff from Catholic Education South Australia (CESA) we were recognised by ACER Teacher Magazine in their inaugural Teacher Awards 2023 in the Curriculum Design and Implementation category for our work in designing Limitless Possibilities, a model of social entrepreneurial learning accessed through a digital toolkit, for all 103 CESA schools, which empowers students to recognise and innovate for a socially just, equitable and sustainable world. Limitless Possibilities draws on a body of entrepreneurial education research and is underpinned by Catholic Social Teaching Principles, explicit teaching, and inquiry methodologies such as Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Design Thinking. 

In October, we launched Series Fifteen of our Game Changers podcast featuring Glenn Savage – the Associate Professor of Education Policy and the Future of Schooling from the University of Melbourne, Drew Cortese – the Director of Global Partnerships at Avenues The World School, Sandra Milligan – the Executive Director and Enterprise Professor at the Assessment Centre at the University of Melbourne, Rosemary Kairuki – an Author and the 2021 Australian Local Hero recipient, Ali Durban – the Co-Founder of the Gesher School UK, Joann McPike – the Founder of THINK Global School, and Dr Jason Dewling – the President of Western Canada and Asia Pacific, LCI Education Network. During this period the podcast hit 600,000 plus listens.

In October, I was invited to present at the annual Independent Public Schools alliance conference in Brisbane, Queensland. His keynote was titled ‘Leading Today’ Learning for Tomorrow’s World.’ 

Wrote 28 blog entries via my Tumblr - Permission Is Triumph.

Continued to be my elderly mother’s carer, especially post her stroke. My time with her is the most precious gift of 2023.  

As we stand on the threshold of 2024, my heart brimming with anticipation, I eagerly welcome the boundless possibilities that lie ahead. The canvas of the new year stretches before us, blank and full of potential, waiting to be painted with the hues of our aspirations and dreams.

Go gently my friends. Know you are enough. And always remember to be kind. 

Adriano xx

Adriano Di Prato is a best-selling author, broadcaster and the Academic Operations Manager at LCI Melbourne, a progressive art, design + enterprise private institute of higher education.

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