On writing

These are the most honest and helpful tips on being a writer. Stephen King nailed it!
I've got the reading down, I write, now off to kill the darlings.......

http://azevedosreviews.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/stephen-kings-20-quotes-on-writing/

Be creative! Just do it!

Image via azevedosreviews.wordpress.com

Cleansing warming drink

This is a wonderfully cleansing, warming drink, feeling a cold coming on or simply to get warm inside. Just cleansing is a great reason too....

All you need:

4 freshly cut slices of ginger ca 1/8 inch thick 
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1-2 tbsp raw honey
1 pinch of cayenne powder


Pour hot water over the ginger, squeeze in lemon juice, and the cayenne.
Let steep for a few minutes, stir, add the raw honey when cool enough to drink! Add maybe a leave of mint or basil to decorate....

Drink 3, 4 times a day. 

Enjoy!

Image my own.

On the wings of a new book

Evan Burl and the Falling by Justin Blaney

This book fell into my lap on a Friday night. Last Friday night... I love intriguing teen stories, coming of age of sorts.... fantasy and mystery rolled in one.
Of course I could not resist the free download offer either.  By Saturday morning I was done.
As I begun reading, the old, yet every time new feeling of excitement and flatter in my stomach took hold of me and I read Evan Burl's tale in one go.... Given a few hours in between to feed the family and pick the kids up from school.
I am in awe of the amazing plot, which wraps itself in an almost timeless, yet futuristic setting. I had steampunk images floating through my head, while following Evan through the mysterious rooms, the cauldroen, the walls of the castle. The basic story follows a boy and his friends, mostly orphaned children living with him under the rule of his uncle, working hard for something untold, a frightening, magic treasure of sorts... Something which inflicts some with death, others with powers so large, it becomes almost unmanageable. Evan's self detected fate to become a monster seems unavoidable, yet he fights the demons around him, there is always this shady glimmer of hope to escape the foretelling. It's a wrestling with the good and bad inside oneself, the world at large and the people who have power over us.
The language is rich and the images are lush. Justin Blaney has managed to create a believable magic world, one, far enough from our reality to make it true fantasy and close enough to life to experience all the ups and downs of a teen, trying to follow his heart. 
The story is complex and rich, but I felt gently guided into all the different viewpoints. It helps to slip into the different characters/minds to follow the storyline and to get the picture.
Knowing that Evan Burl, Henri, Pearl have not finished their journey into freedom helped tremendously to overcome my slight disappointment with the final pages, there is just a little too much suspense for my need for  somewhat happy endings... But it makes me anticipate the next sequel with impatience.
I absolutely can see this turned into a movie, ( I'd love to be the set designer) and at the same time as an audio book... I love to listen to such stories.
I recommend it for all fantasy lovers and teens who love to glide into a different world, yet close to their own feelings.




Image via Goodreads.