Book Spotlight: Jasmine Perez Series by Joharra Harper

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Hi everyone! Today I am doing a spotlight post! These are posts where I haven't read the book but I am sharing information about it to help authors reach a wider audience. If you are interested in checking out the book, the links are included!

Jasmine Perez and the Wicked Sorceress (Book 1)

by Joharra Harper

Summary: 

This is a story about Jasmine Perez. She is the Princess of one of the many Kingdoms in that Realm. But one day, a Wicked Sorceress kidnapped her people, including her father, the King. Jasmine has to leave her Palace, even though she has never left the Kingdom walls, along with two servants and her fiancé. They go on a long journey and find something that can help the on their mission, and find people who can help them as Jasmine practices her newly discovered magic. There is love, hate, adventure, action, anticipation, and lots of magic. Will she be able to stop arguing with her companions long enough to stay focused? Will she be able to defeat Lilac and save her people? Watch as Jasmine figures out who she is in time to save her Kingdom, and her entire Realm. 

Links:

Goodreads

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

Jasmine Perez and Another Realm. (Book 2)

by Joharra Harper

Summary:

It has been a year since Jasmine and Lucas disappeared through that portal. The group has been a mess since. Jax is distraught. Ben is trying to be there for everyone. Ava has other things on her mind. Ginny is hanging on by a thread. Lucas is close to breaking Jasmine, and Lilac is picking off her friends one by one. But when Amara comes to them, it looks like they may be able to save Jasmine after all. But first, Jasmine has to learn about both Rosemary and Alice's past. With Jasmine back in her Realm, the race is on. It is time for them to cook up a plan. To save Ben and Ava. To stop Lilac for good. But that may not be so easy. With everyone telling Jasmine she will have to Kill Ava, she looks to Alice and Rosemary for advice. But it may be hard for Jasmine to follow her heart, when the power inside her tries to take over her soul.

Links:

Goodreads

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

If you’d like to see more bookish content please check out my YouTube channel!

If you are an author and you’d like your book/s to be considered for a spotlight post please email me with your book information to lucyisreading@gmail.com

Book Spotlight: Tales of Lunis Aquaria by Tessa Hastjarjanto

This post contains affiliate links

Hi everyone! Today I am doing a spotlight post! These are posts where I haven't read the book but I am sharing information about it to help authors reach a wider audience. If you are interested in checking out the book, the links are included!

Tales of Lunis Aquaria
by Tessa Hastjarjanto

Summary:
The balance is tipping. Something shifts in the world of Lunis Aquaria. Menacing creatures, daunting deserts, and treacherous mountains. Hardships and solace, friendships and love. Read the stories of what went on before the world is lost in disparity and meet the heroes who will one day restore harmony.

Tales of Lunis Aquaria is a collection of nine short stories set in the fantastical world of Lunis Aquaria.

The coming of beasts ~ The sacred maiden ~ Moonflower ~ Thomas and the wolf ~ The witch from Monterra Mountain ~ Shepherd’s Stick ~ Archipelago of wonder ~ Decapod’s ire ~ Lovers across time

Links:

Goodreads

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

If you’d like to see more bookish content please check out my YouTube channel!

If you are an author and you’d like your book/s to be considered for a spotlight post please email me with your book information to lucyisreading@gmail.com

Guest post- Gut Feelings: Helping Myself and Others By Writing My Cancer Memoir

In 2018, I wrote an article for Lucy Turns Pages on Writing About Mental Health and Cancer Survivorship. In it, I talked about my diagnosis of colon cancer in 2010, the effect that has had on my mental health and how writing helps me work through these things. Fear of recurrence means that I’m often wondering if the cancer will come back and if I’ll need to continue to use writing as therapy in this way – and a couple of years ago, that’s what happened.

In 2018, I was diagnosed with duodenal cancer and uterine cancer, both within two days of each other. I had a hysterectomy in September 2018 for the uterine cancer and Whipple surgery in November for the duodenal cancer. Whipple surgery is a big surgery that involved removing the duodenum (part of the small intestine); the head of the pancreas; the bile duct; and the gall bladder. The operation took eight hours and I was in the high dependency unit for two days and in hospital for a total of ten days. My hysterectomy means my partner and I are unable to have biological children, so cancer has been emotionally difficult again in new ways.

But once again, writing has helped me. Firstly, it’s helped because I decided to do my PhD on how creative writing can help cancer survivors to cope with emotional issues. I’m now in the second year of my PhD and I’m enjoying it a lot. My studies have given me a new and exciting purpose, bringing meaning to my cancer experiences.

Secondly, in 2019 I began writing my memoir and now that book has been published! Gut Feelings: Coping With Cancer and Living With Lynch Syndrome spans the time from my first diagnosis in 2010 to recovering from my surgeries in 2018. It covers not just the physical and medical aspects, but commentary on the effects and how cancer survivors can practice self-care.

My memoir was very difficult to write because it meant revisiting hospital experiences and memories of illness that are very hard for me to think about. However, it was also useful to write as it helped me to organise my thoughts and place the experience in a self-contained book. I aimed to make the book true to what happened, not just in terms of illness but other things that happened in between, like my travels and other new experiences. I also tried to make the book funny, so you’ll spot my dark humour in there a little. But most of all, I wanted the book to be an empathetic read for other cancer survivors or those at the beginning of their experience, to help them know they are not alone. Because of this, I want to reach as many people as possible who may benefit from reading about what has happened to me.

The reason why I’ve had cancer three times is because I have Lynch syndrome, which is a genetic condition that makes it more likely for people to get certain types of cancer. This also features heavily in the book, alongside colon cancer, womb cancer, having a colostomy bag and then an internal pouch, and of course, the mental health issues surrounding cancer survivorship. I hope anyone who can relate to any of those things, or is a caregiver or relative of someone experiencing any of those things, will get something out of this book.

If you are reading this and you would like to talk to someone about your own cancer experiences, please feel free to reach out to me. I’m on Twitter at @writersamr and my website is https://www.writersam.co.uk.

My memoir, Gut Feelings: Coping With Cancer and Living With Lynch Syndrome, is available on Amazon.

3 Ways To Keep People On Your Website For Longer

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You've got a business website, but there's a recurring problem. You're finding ways to get people to land on the site, but they barely stay on it for more than a few seconds. If you're lucky, someone is on there for over a minute, but they always seem to leave.

Fantastic Ways To Beat Writer's Block

This is a collaborative post and it may contain some affiliate links.

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Writer’s block is a dreaded condition for any wordsmith who has a deadline approaching. Whether you are trying to finish your next best-seller for an award-winning indy publisher or an overdue presentation for your business, writer’s block can stop you in your tracks and derail any chance of success. Here are five great ways to get your mind working again if you hit upon some writer’s block.

I Now Talk About Books on YouTube (A Little Update)!

Hi everyone! So today I am writing just a little update post to let you know that I am now talking about books on YouTube!

I have been wanting to make book videos for a long time but I finally took the leap and started a couple of weeks ago. I have been back and forth with planning my schedule and what types of videos I would like to share but I think I have decided that I will aim for two videos a week, which I will likely post on Saturdays and Mondays. I will be doing TBRs (what I hope to read that month) at the beginning of each month and wrap-ups at the end with individual book reviews throughout the month depending on how much I read. My other videos will include recommendations, tags and upcoming releases that I think sound exciting. 

I have been really enjoying making book videos and discussing books with more people on YouTube. This project has been a really helpful focus for me and it is something that I am really passionate about. I love talking about books and sharing them with other people. I am having so much fun coming up with video ideas and giving them a go. 

So I will mainly be posting bookish content over on my channel but I will still be posting on my blog sometimes! I will be posting a lot of content on my channel so please feel free to check that out if you would like to talk about books with me! 

Thank you so much for your support throughout my blog's journey and this is not the end but an extra book that I am so happy exists.

4 Ways To Feel More Mentally Alert In Your Day

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It’s no secret that some people struggle to stay focused during the day. As you can imagine, it can cause problems for people trying to work or do things outside of work. You’re likely reading this article because your constant lethargy is taking a toll on your mental health.

If you’ve been to your GP and they can’t find any apparent reason why you seldom feel mentally alert each day, don’t despair. There are a few things you can do to boost your mental capacity and feel more fresh and alert. Take a look at these examples for inspiration:

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Getting Your Office Ready For Winter

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Winter is approaching and, just like everywhere else, the office can become a victim to turns in the weather, especially the cold. If your employees have complained about working during the winter before and you have noticed that the office isn’t as equipped to handle the cold as you would like, then here are a few tips that can help you better deal with it.

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Should you encourage workers to come in?

This year, more than ever, there is a better reason to allow your team to work as remote workers from home. Aside from the obvious issue of the pandemic that we’re hoping to ease our way out of by early next year, you also need to keep an eye on weather forecasts. The roads can be especially dangerous in the winter and if your team has to commute far to reach your property, then it may be worth simply closing the office and letting everyone work remotely.

Support UK independent bookshops without leaving your home

This post contains an affiliate link, if you buy books through this link, I may earn a commission from Bookshop, whose fees support independent bookshops. All views are my own.

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We all know the feeling of entering a bookshop and being swept away with the view of all those books, all of those worlds waiting to be explored, all of those stories that have been loved by others before us and may be loved by us in the future. 

I love exploring bookshops but unfortunately due to the current situation many of us have not been able to go to bookshops to the extent that we may have before. In the US, there is a website called Bookshop where you can buy books online and support independent bookshops. They announced that a UK site was coming and I was eagerly awaiting for it to open. Bookshop's UK site is now up and running with so many books in their catalogue (the only book I haven't found so far is a pre-order book but they do say that their catalogue is updated automatically so I expect it will be added). The prices are great for most of the books that I have looked at so far and best of all, through every purchase you support independent bookshops, publishers and authors. 

Why Everyone Should Be Looking To Make Money at Home From the Internet

This is a collaborative post and it may contain some affiliate links.

Most people go to a simple 9-5 job and are satisfied with their work and their salary. This is perfectly fine and there’s nothing wrong with working a regular job with regular shifts. In fact, many people prefer this because they can easily separate their work responsibilities and their other commitments. However, there are a couple of good reasons to look at opportunities to make money at home in a more comfortable environment.

In this article, we’re going to talk about how you can make money using the internet. It’s something that you can do as a full-time business opportunity, but it’s also something you can just do in your spare time if you need a bit of extra income now and then.

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