Author Shout-out: AJ Knox

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AJ Knox was born in Syracuse NY (1970- ) to Italian and German ancestry. He has worked overnights as an emergency dispatcher and spent his days dreaming of a better world.

A person who loves stories, it was only a matter of time before AJ starting writing stories of his own. He prefers stories to have a strong female lead and that is evident in his works.

His debut novella, The Universe Corps - Book 1: Cadet Margaret McBride was written to homage Star Trek, with Margaret starting her career and almost immediately finding herself in very serious situations.

AJ also has a short story in the recently published collection Beyond The Levee and other ghostly stories edited by Peter Talley. He has also published a collection of short horror stories that occur one night during the 2020 pandemic.

AJ is currently working on the second book for The Universe Corps.

Let's take a look at AJ's books!

The Universe Corps

They hated all living beings and were heading right for us.

Book Review: Skate the Thief by Jeff Ayers

This book was kindly sent to me to review. However, all opinions are my own and honest. This post also contains affiliate links.

Title: Skate the Thief

Author: Jeff Ayers

Genre: YA Fantasy

Buy links: Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com

Available in paperback and on Kindle. Currently free on Kindle Unlimited in the UK!

Review:

In Skate the Thief, we follow a young girl named Skate who lives on the streets. She is a member of a gang and steals things to give to her boss. One day, she unknowingly tries to steal from a wizard. Wizards are seen as strange in this world and are relatively few in number, especially where Skate is. The wizard offers her a place to stay if she steals books for him.

Firstly, this book has a fascinating premise and it really did deliver. The writing was descriptive, the dialogue and characters felt real and fleshed-out and parts of this plot just felt so unique. I loved the "guardian" spider/bat creature that lived with the wizard! 

Parts of the story did feel slower in pace but it really allowed us to see Skate's life and what it is like to be homeless and alone. I really appreciated how the author did this.

The magic in this book was also really interesting and I wanted to find out more about it and the wizards.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it if you enjoy fantasy books. I feel like this book should be more known than it is so please check it out!

My rating: 4/5 stars

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5 Reasons For Choosing A Job

This is a collaborative post and it may contain affiliate links

Finding a job can be challenging, but it can be made much more difficult if you don't know precisely what you're searching for. There are various reasons to choose a profession, as well as many advantages and drawbacks to consider, and what you really desire will rely on your personality and future ambitions. We've compiled some of the most important reasons for picking a profession, and maybe they'll help you choose the right career for you.

Photo by Justin Hamilton from Pexels

Content Creator Shout-out #1 Awesome Advocates

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I have had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful content creators during my time online. So many of these deserve a shout-out so here is the first (of many). Check out these creators!

Author Shout-out: O.J. Barré

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O.J. Barré hails from the lushly forested, red-clay hills near Atlanta, Georgia. From birth, O.J. was a force of nature. Barefoot and freckled, headstrong and gifted; she was, and is, sensitive to a fault. Books became her refuge as a young child, allowing O.J. to escape the confines of her turbulent alcoholic home on adventures to untold places and times. Her daddy's mother was a Willoughby, making O.J. a direct descendant of William the Conqueror. Her Awen series is a love letter to that distant past.

Let's look at O.J.'s books!

Awen Rising: A Near-Future Pre-Apocalyptic Urban Fantasy (The Awen Trilogy Book 1)

A secret society of Druids. An ancient Reptilian foe. Earth teeters in the balance.

Author Shout-out: Tessa Hastjarjanto

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Tessa Hastjarjanto is a Dutch/Indonesian writer from the Netherlands. She writes speculative fiction, and blogs at narratess.com about books, fountain pens, and writing.

From a young age, she imitated popular stories and games in creating her own worlds. This love eventually led to a master's degree in media and game studies at the University of Utrecht. However a mundane desk job was enough to inspire her to follow her creative passion. The first fanfics were written in lunch breaks and soon original fiction followed.

With the support of her husband, she now focuses on her writing career while battling chronic pain. Swiss white shepherd, Shiro, acts as a therapy dog to keep her healthy and reduce stress through extensive cuddle sessions.

Let's take a look at Tessa's books!

Devil's Deal (Infernal Contracts Book 1)

When two angels break their deal with the Devil, he comes for the one they’re trying to protect.

Guest Post: Depression Nest by Rachael Hawksworth

Depression Nest

It may not seem like much but today I cleaned my room.
Days like these dont come too often
Even if I didnt wake up till noon,
I still cleaned my room.

Life gets heavy sometimes
Depression weighs you down,
And no matter how much you want a clean, welcoming space
Motivation isnt easily found

Today I cleaned my room
Iv been meaning to do it for a while now
I swear Im not lazy, just down

Most days I feel happy
Some days I feel overcome
Other days arnt great at all
But the worst are when I'm numb

Not happy,
Not sad,
Not excited,
Not even bad…

While this might sound ideal,
life doesnt feel real
and its absolutely no way live…
…not able to feel.

Thats when I let myself go
Self care isnt a priority
Iv lost myself and I dont know…
How do I get back to ‘’normality’’

My personal space is neglected
Before I know it Im living in a mess
It may seem weird from the outside
But theres something comforting about my Depression nest

A small part of the world
Which is mine alone
Safe, messy, mine
In my nest, unknown.

To the outside world
I seem put together
Organised, confident, happy
Little do they know, I'm untethered.

But today, I cleaned my room.
To most, this had no meaning.
Something normal, a part of life
But for me, its healing.

Rachael is a lifestyle, travel and self-care blogger at https://rachaelhawksworth.com/. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Book Review: The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant

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Title:  The Hatmakers

Author: Tamzin Merchant

Illustrator: Paola Escobar

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Buy links: Book Depository - Waterstones - Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com

Review:

In The Hatmakers we are introduced to a unique and creative magical world set in England in the past but with a difference: there are families who make magical clothes and accessories that impact the wearer. Items that can make you feel brave or calm or sleep and so many other things. Cordelia is the youngest hatmaker. Her father has gone missing and strange things start happening. With a war looming, can Cordelia find her father and work out what is going on? 

A Look At... Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega

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Title: Witchlings
Author: Claribel A. Ortega
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Buy links: Book Depository - Waterstones - Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com

Synopsis:

A middle grade Latine witch story with action-packed adventure, a coven of quirky Witchlings, humour and girl-power vibes.

Every year, in the magical town of Ravenskill, Witchlings who participate in the Black Moon Ceremony are placed into covens and come into their powers as full-fledged witches.

And twelve-year-old Seven Salazar can't wait to be placed in the most powerful coven with her best friend! But on the night of the ceremony, in front of the entire town, Seven isn't placed in one of the five covens. She's a Spare!

Guest Post: An Iota of Visibility

Most people don't know that I have seizure disorder. I can walk in a (quote-unquote) "normal" way and talk in a "normal" way. I can respond to social cues. When I inform people that I have a disability, they say things like "You're not in a wheelchair; you can't be disabled," or "My cousin is blind. Whatever you have isn't so bad."

I'm not wheelchair-bound and I'm not blind, thank goodness. But I do deal with seizures every single day of my life.

I get small "absence" seizures that last 1-3 seconds long. If I'm standing under bright light (like a florescent lightbulb or the sunlight), the seizures will repeat over and over. Trying to focus when this happens feels chaotic and disorienting, like trying to read while being in a wavepool. I'll slur my speech and blink my eyes rapidly. I cannot get tasks done. I'll lose my place in a conversation, forgetting what I had just said, or what has just been said to me.