Linzé's Mischief: 26 June 2016

Art weekend did not turn out quite the way I planned. Firstly, I underestimated the amount of time I would have available - way too much laundry. Another factor that I didn't anticipate is the paper I chose for the project. I don't think it is quite the quality I need - the dust from the pastels keep sticking to the paper, making it difficult to remove without messing with the painting itself.

I wanted to do the entire painting with pan pastels, but the yellow in the set is the wrong tone, and the set does not contain white to blend with the yellow. I am reluctant to blend it with another pastel, since the texture of the pastels are not the same.

I did manage to make some progress, but there is much more to do before the project will be finished.

With the excitement of the feedback I have been getting from the editor of my non-fiction book, I completely forgot to post Chapter 2 of The Billionaire Baritone last week. *facepalm*

To make up for my inattention, I have already scheduled two chapters for the coming week. Chapter 2 will be live tomorrow, and Chapter 3 on Thursday as planned.

Hopefully, things will be back on track for the coming weeks.

Preliminary Book Cover Design

July introduces another Camp NaNoWriMo and I have already done the necessary planning for a new cozy mystery series - Tai Chi Mysteries - with Li-Ana Baker as the sleuth who has to apply her wits to help her assistant stay out of jail in the first book.

I will finish the Nations of Peace fantasy romance series (there are several more books to come) before adding another spin-off from that in a new series. Since it will be a while before that happens, I am keeping the rabbit in the hat.

I have two vampires calling my name to finish their story, so I will love and leave you until next time.

Linzé

Book Review: My Last Love Story by Falguni Kothari

Amazon link

I volunteered to review this book with some trepidation since I didn't like another book written by the same author. Boy, was I surprised...in a good way.

This is not a romance, it is a love story. Love as the definition of more than the relationship between husband and wife, between lovers. The relationships in this book are complicated and such a reflection of the issues of real life, that you cannot help but being drawn into their problems.

This is no boy-meets-girl, overcome some issue and live happily ever after story. It a story that explores the pain and uncertainties of suppressed needs, deep-seated guilt, the dictates of society and family expectations.

Meet Nirvaan, Simeen's husband. A character portrayed with such a zest for life that at times you forget that he is struggling with cancer.

Meet Zayaan, Nirvaan and Simeen's best friend. The third of their trio who enters their lives after a long absence. An absence that is shrouded in secrets, pain, and uncertainty. While they need each other, the three friends struggle to resurrect their deep connection amidst their physical attraction, their families, and Nirvaan's looming demise.

Lastly, there is Simeen who is the center and the point of view character of the story. The reader lives through her struggles as she tries to please everyone, despite her own wishes, and battles to find the courage to stand on her own two feet. The reader learns the secrets of her nightmares and the journey she is on to find peace and strength amongst people who judge her harshly. She learns that relationships are more complex than what they first seem and that love, friendship and support often come from unexpected people.

The story is a painful journey of dealing with the past, struggling with the present and learning to form real relationships to face the future.

The author handled the intricacies of all the relationships with a sensitive hand. The problems in all the relationships were there, but not overwhelming the main story between the three friends. The story is emotional and touching. The bedroom scenes were well written, and the reader experiences Simeen's emotions with her, good and bad.

Some scenes in the story were a bit long, but it was not a struggle to read the entire book. Be prepared to giggle, to cry and live with a bunch of amazing characters for twenty chapters and finding real love in all its forms. Overall it was a book well worth the time, and I will gladly recommend it to anyone who will appreciate a literary love story.

My rating of My Last Love Story by Falguni Kothari

Linzé's Mischief: 19 June 2016

Indulging in editing snacks has paid off! Okay, not the snacks because those chocolate chip cookies are way too decadent for my waistline. While I had my fair share of the chocolate decadence mentioned, I also did the work: editing. Negotiating the Maze, my first non-fiction book, is now with the editor in charge of making my words look good.

Even the cover design made the deadline before the manuscript. I am so bad...where is my cookie!

And yet cookie indulgence notwithstanding, I am now back to the weight I was before my mother passed away. I never thought myself to be a comfort eater (more of a keeping my mouth busy while my hands are typing or holding a book, kind of eater) but it would appear that under some circumstances I do comfort eat.

But I dropped the 5kgs again, and now I am looking forward. I won't say to the next weighing, but yeah, I am a work in progress. July is going to be a real challenge with Camp NaNoWriMo coming up again, and snacking forming such an essential component of my writing. But I can, and I will make the target - word count and weight.

In celebration of the completion of my book (professional editing feedback notwithstanding) and meeting the first target of my weight-loss, I will be indulging in creating some art in the coming weekend. I might even make it an art week since my focus in July will be on writing the first book of a new mystery series, Open the Door to Murder.

I am still committed towards my 2016 resolution of doing more art, in practical terms that means one weekend each month, but writing remains my first choice.

The coming week will my third week using the Bullet Journal technique to help me plan my days. So far so good. To be honest I think the technique has helped me to finish the editing of Negotiating the Maze, a task I really don't like. But I got it done. I am hopeful that future editing projects (and that future starts this coming week for editing of Waiting for Adrian) will also be more productive as a result of using a Bullet Journal.

And so I wish you a productive week, my friends. Stay away from the cookies...they are mine! 😈

PS: There is another book review up tomorrow. If you like contemporary/romantic literature, you might like this book. Cheers!

THE BILLIONAIRE BARITONE

Amethyst loves music and enjoys hip-hop dancing to spice up her dull and dreary life. But one evening on her way home from dance class, she hears a voice that drew her away from her route.

Caught in the act of eavesdropping, her life is about to change in a way she has never foreseen.

♥︎

David didn't quite know what to do with the beautiful trespasser, but when he learned that she was injured, taking care of her was the only solution.

Little did he suspect that she was about to take care of his lonely heart in return.

CHAPTER 1

It was dark, but not late. I readjusted my backpack and tried not to put too much weight on my left ankle. Stupid kid, I thought not for the first time. Although at the time I had used much stronger language to express the pain when a fellow dancer misjudged his turn and kicked my ankle.

Hip hop wasn't a dance known for its gentle movements. I winced as pain shot up my leg once more. I stopped and rested my hand on the wall of the bridge. Taking deep breaths, I waited for the pain to pass. It was only a bruise, but it still managed to hurt like a bitch.

A breeze started up and floated around me. I canted my head. What a beautiful voice!

Ignoring the pain now I walked as fast as I could to get past the wall blocking the sounds from the city.

There it was again. A rich, dark baritone. I closed my eyes and lifted my head to determine the direction of the music.

Without even thinking that I had to work tomorrow and still had some way to go to get home, I opened my eyes and followed the sound.

A few hundred meters down the road the sound no longer drifted. I could see a house with what looked like an open theatre at the back and side of the property.

On the stage was a man dressed in a suit. His face was cast in shadows, but it was him. Shivers ran down my spine at the notes he sang. I pulled a face. Opera wasn't my favourite music, but I couldn't see him singing anything else with that incredible voice.

As a rock 'n roll bunny, I had no idea if he was a famous opera singer or not, but I didn't want to leave.

I moved as close to the edge of the theatre as I could, but staying in the shadows. I would hate to disturb that performance in any way. I closed my eyes once more and just listened.

How long I sat there, I didn't know. So caught up in the emotions in his voice, I screamed when I felt a touch on my shoulder.

I jumped up and screamed again when my injured ankle gave way under my weight.

I looked up at a tall guy in a uniform. He was holding a torch and backed up a few steps. He crouched, fortunately keeping the light on the ground and not on my face.

“Ma'am,” he said, “are you okay?”

I frowned and tried to get up. My ankle hurt but so did my ass and right hand. I must have fallen on a rock or something.

“What do you want?” I asked feeling distinctly stupid and hurt.

He held up both hands, making the torch light flash over his face. “This is private property ma'am, and you are—”

“Almost trespassing?” another voice added.

I stumbled but managed not to fall this time. This has turned out to be a nightmare of a day.

“I am sorry,” I managed, “I didn't mean...I will go...sorry.”

“Please wait,” the second man spoke up. The first seemed to have faded into the background.

I tried a miserable smile and hitched my backpack higher on my shoulder. “I am okay, really. Sorry for being a bother.”

It was hard, but I managed to walk without crying out in pain. How the hell I am going to walk all the way home, I didn't know.

A warm hand touched my arm. “Please, don't leave. You are hurt.”

I stopped and turned around. He had a point, but I was wary. I didn't know him from Adam, and a girl couldn't be too careful these days. I had already been stupid enough not to go straight home.

He stepped back and nodded to the security guard that had appeared again. “We are not going to harm you. I know you are scared, but please let us help you. At least let me call a paramedic.”

It set off a different bell of panic in my head. “It's okay. Really, I am fine.”

I shifted my weight to my other leg. My hand hurt, but the thought of medical bills on my already small income, made me head hurt.

I heard a radio crackle for a moment before more people arrived. Amongst them was a woman.

“David,” she started, “what on earth are you scaring this young woman for? Can't you see she is hurt?”

The man, David, turned towards her. “I am trying to help her, Mother, but I cannot force her to accept my help.”

Linzé's Mischief: 12 June 2016

Sometime during the past week a Facebook friend, Rosanna Leo, made a comment that writers need to eat from the four essential food groups: reading snacks, writing snacks, editing snacks, and the depths of despair snacks.

While I am not yet ready for number four, I have been indulging in number one and number two. The problem is that number three is not quite to my taste and one I tend to avoid as much as possible. That said, the time does come when the editing snack is an essential part of healthy writing. And I eventually succumbed to the pressure two days ago.

While I had to give in, it doesn't mean that I gave in without a fight! And I made it a good one, trust me. All the way to the chocolate chip cookie. I stared at the shelf in the store for a long enough time that I am sure my fellow shoppers took their trolleys to the next aisle with all due haste.

One cannot be too careful around these cookie-staring-people after all.

Three chapters are done and sent off to the editor. The next three will be tackled into submission with grit and red pen this coming week. I will not let this non-fiction book get the better of me. Cookie, please!

I was happy to see that my fellow Tweeps on Co-Promote did their part to get the book review I did on the debut novel of Ed Kurst out there this past week. We can all use the extra push, and I hope you got your copy of The Know Preservation to enjoy too.

The next book's review is already scheduled on my blog, but since it is part of a blog tour, you will have to wait and see what I thought about, My Last Love by Falguni Kothari. It will feature on the 20th. Yeah, I know, another week!

The good news is that The Billionaire Baritone will make his appearance on the Broomstick from Thursday and on Wattpad a day or so later.

And on that grand note, I have to find some reading snacks, I have a story to read (and comment on) from one of the JOURNEY authors. Now what will it be? Chocolate? Chips? Hmm...

Until the next installment, snack away dear friends!