What Makes a Good Ebook? | Author -Carole Parkes
Ask anyone that question, and they’ll probably give you an answer based on plot, characters, flow, grammar, or presentation. Each reader will expect to read, in their view, a perfect ebook, and this is where the problem of defining whether it’s good or not, lies. The book loving population is huge. Each reader is different from another, all of them unique, and everyone with their own distinct view of what makes a good book. I believe, the perceived quality of a book depends just as much on the perceptions of the reader as on the prowess of the author.
Read more here.
10 Tips For Learning Any Language
When it comes to learning a language, some people feel like it’s an innate ability: they either have it or they don’t. However, in most areas around the world, learning 2-4 languages is just normal. It’s not that these people have better brains, it’s that for them it’s not geographically optional. Anyone at any age can learn a new language, and if you’re reading this, chances are you’ve been toying with the idea. So roll up your sleeves, grab some coffee and let’s jump into what you need to know to pick up any language.
Read more here.
I’m still trying to decide what new language I want to learn or if I should just stick to my ‘old’ languages and try to get better at them. In any case I find it really hard to ‘immerse’ myself in any language except English (and my own Swedish). There’s so little to choose from or at least so little that I can find.
Feyland: The Dark Realm by Anthea Sharp
I just finished reading another fascinating and well written book on Wattpad, Feyland: The Dark Realm by Anthea Sharp. It’s a modern (actually futuristic) take on the Tam Lin legend and the one about Thomas the Rhymer. In this story, the maiden is a girl playing a very advanced 3D computer game. She discovers to her cost that her game has a connection with Faerie. To return to Feyland, to regain what she’s lost, she needs a champion and finds it in the form of a boy at her new school. He gladly accepts her plea for help, because he’s impressed with the pretty girl and because he loves playing computer games. His personal life is complicated and at first this offer seems very attractive. After a while, he realizes the seriousness of his undertaking but accepts it anyway.
I found both characters quite easy to relate to and like, and the same goes for the boy’s other friend, a girl I don’t think is based on any character from one of the legends. In fact, all characters seem interesting, although the villain is naturally neither pleasant nor likeable. If I have any complaint about this book, it’s mainly that it could have been longer and even more developped, but that’s a minor complaint. I’m just greedy. 🙂
The author sketches a realistic and depressing dystopia (the real world setting). I imagine it’s supposed to be a relatively near future (twenty-thirty years ahead maybe, though that’s just a guess).
This mix between fantasy and a future setting with advanced technology is something I really enjoy. Somehow they go well together.
Fortunately, there’s a prequel and a second book in what looks to be a trilogy about Feyland. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series. If you like fantasy and technology you’ll probably enjoy it too. The books are available for purchase in several online bookstores, for instance Amazon and Smashwords, as well as for free on Wattpad.
William Gillette: Five ways he transformed how Sherlock Holmes looks and talks
A 1916 silent movie featuring Sherlock Holmes – long presumed lost – is due to have its premiere in Paris. It stars a man who changed the way we see Conan Doyle’s famous sleuth forever.
He was the first great Sherlock Holmes. But few will have heard of US actor William Gillette.
Read more here.
The Rune House by L J Hutton
I recently read The Rune House by L J Hutton. The book starts in 1574
when a strange house in the shape of a rune is built somewhere near the border between England and Wales. Strange and tragic events begin to occur near the house. In the present day two police officers begin to investigate an old case from one of the officers’ past. It leads them to the strange house where they begin to unravel the mystery connected to the building.
The book is quite well written (but as usual, these e-books would benefit from more proofreading.) Sometimes the plot gets a little too gruesome for my taste, but I see the necessity for it. I love this type of mysterious story. Another thing I’m rather fond of is sympathetic characters and a happy ending, both of which I get in this book. If you like fantasy, with a rather dark twist, then this might be a book for you.
It’s available on, among other places, Amazon.com, (Amazon.co.uk for those who live in the UK) and Smashwords.
10 Great Words Coined by P. G. Wodehouse
P. G. Wodehouse invented some fantastically expressive words. He is widely regarded as a master of the English language – even being compared to Shakespeare – and some of his coinages have been honoured with an entry in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Read more here.
How Do I Make This Different?
Is your story too similar to another story? Or is to too similar to the inspiration?
Read more here.
Greek Mythology: “The Nereids, Fifty Sea Nymphs”
The Nereids were fifty goddesses of the sea, daughters of Nereus (eldest son of Pontus, the Sea and Gaia, the Earth) and Doris (an Oceanid and Sea Nymph). They were sisters of Nerites (a young minor sea god).
They Nereids were the patrons of sailors and fishermen, who came to the aid of men in distress.
Read more here.
Top 10 Storytelling Cliches Writers Need To Stop…
Read more here.
An interesting day
Yesterday was a rather interesting day. I don’t mean that the snow had melted after New Year’s Eve, which it had and which I loved. Some not so nice things had happened lately too – but fortunately not to me or my family or anywhere near here.
A relatively famous popular historian (real, academic historian, but with a big popular following) had written an editorial piece for one of our biggest (conservative) newspapers about how immigration can be an asset, not a drain on our resources. Immediately after the piece had been published, he’d been hit really hard by internet hatred. I happen to know that he has been bullied in the past, and this must have been rather traumatic for him, but he decided to post about it on his History Blog in the same newspaper, and that’s where I read about it. He claims not to be scared and will continue to stand up for what he believes in.
Since I have enjoyed numerous fantastic books by him, a tv show about history, a ‘live’ lecture by him as well as many fascinating blog posts, I decided to email him to show my support. Very soon afterwards I received an email in reply where he said that emails like mine make him realize the world is a lot better than it’s seemed lately, in his inbox. It was very nice of him to reply although I know he tends to do that, since I’ve emailed him twice before and asked for blog posts about different interesting historic topics and he’s always posted about those topics almost right away.
All this was nice enough, but also on the same day, I read a blog post by an author whose first two (fantasy) books I’ve read and enjoyed, where she talked about her writing and book related plans for the year and asked her readers for our plans. I decided to dare to reply and before the end of the evening I got a very nice reply where she thanked me for my well-wishes and in return wished me luck with my writing. I’d never imagined this woman who is sort of famous in Swedish writing circles would be so nice.
It’s not the first time though, that authors I admire have been nice and replied to my comments on their blogs.
A writer of historic romance even found my blog and commented (another blog than the one I’d posted my review on) and added it to her links list.
A science fiction writer and I even had a long conversation about his books in the comment fields on his page on Goodreads.
Another sf writer didn’t reply for nearly a year so I assumed he didn’t check that blog or had decided not to reply to any comments, but then suddenly I received a very polite reply.
A fantasy writer of two books I really loved, also replied politely and told me he had an idea for a sequel but that other projects had come up instead.
I guess that’s it, but it’s unusual for me to have such nice things happening to me. Maybe it’s a good omen for the new year.
