reading books | Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers

Bibliophile’s Collective Tuesday – Back to the Work Office, Reading & Book Reviews and Four-legged Distractions

June 16, 2020
mandyevebarnett

Photo by Ken Tomita on Pexels.com

Two weeks ago saw me return to the work office, it was rather anxiety giving but once I had moved my desk to increase distance, cleaned it with disinfectant and posted signs all over the place – I calmed down a little. It is symptomatic of how many people must feel returning to their workplace. We have been in a safe bubble remotely working from home. Then to be plunged back into an environment, which prior to COVID19 was normal and we didn’t give it a second thought about. Now there are people from other households with differing levels of ‘safety’ protocols. I am taking extra care and will continue to do so. The second wave will come…unfortunately.

It is an adjustment for everyone and we will need time to settle into routine again. In the meantime, I am continuing to read some great novels and edit other author’s work. For some reason my own steampunk manuscript has lacked attention. I need to get back to it. There is the new distraction, of course – Sammie the Schnoodle – and a sharp increase in my step count. Currently I am walking between 10K – 12K a day. So health benefits – yay!

Here she is after her first grooming appointment – a different dog entirely.

Sammie groomed

111

life

Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Read

Really enjoyed the parallel lives of Hannah. It is similar to Sliding Doors but not if you get my drift. Great alternatives lives and how one choice can change everything.
Loved the characters, particularly Henry!
If you could see the results of your choices – would you want to know?

Currently reading: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31449217-the-heirloom

Heirloom

What are you currently reading? Have you left a review?

Do you have a book recommendation?

Why not friend me on my Goodreads page? https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6477059.Mandy_Eve_Barnett

Bibliophile Collective Tuesday – So Am I Losing It Or Is It Puppy Love?

May 26, 2020
mandyevebarnett

late

So again I am behind with my blog posts, is it lack of routine, worry over COVID19 or something else? We are all feeling out of sorts as the saying goes. Although, I am working remotely from home and that gives me some structure, there has been an addition to the household. We have been searching for a small, older dog to rescue for quite sometime, over a year. Well, last Tuesday we went to meet one!

Now we are the happy and grateful adopters of Sammie. She is about ten years old and a Schnoodle (poodle/schnauzer mix). She was surrendered, which is sad but now we can give her a loving home. We drove over an hour to meet her and thought it would just be a meet and greet but….we brought her home. Now I have early morning, lunch time and evening walks, (my step count is over 9,000 a day!) a snuggle pup, who sleeps on my bed all night & who loves playing fetch.

So please forgive my distraction. You never know she might be in my next book? #storyidea

Reading Update:

I am really enjoying Tom Hanks book – Uncommon Type. Each story has great characters and settings.

I also read a new manuscript from a fellow author which will be fantastic for speculative and sci-fi readers. Watch this space for the book launch.

So onward & upward! I will get my act together – I promise.

Bibliophile’s Collective Tuesday – Why I Write in Multiple Genres & Reincarnation Book Review

February 4, 2020
mandyevebarnett

fantasysubgenres_reduced

When I am asked about the stories I write, one question arises quite often. Why do you write in multiple genres instead of just one?

To answer this is not as simple as it first appears. It is linked to my process of writing. I allow the story to evolve as I write and do not steer it in any specific direction. Enjoying where the characters take me is, for me, the best part of writing. I may have an idea what the story is going to be about but more often than not, it diverts into another direction – many times to somewhere I have not thought of. There are many writers that need a lot more structure to their writing, such as complete plot notes from start to finish and I admire that but it is not something I can do. It stalls my creativity. Once the first draft is written then I begin refining the narrative and decide on the genre it suits best.

For example, my Edmonton Best Seller, The Twesome Loop began as a light-hearted romance with a few characters finding their soulmate. However, the complexity of writing in two time periods required a significant amount of detail to be incorporated to allow my readers to understand the backgrounds and personality traits of these people from their past lives to the present. Other secondary characters also began to take on a life of their own and the subsequent narrative follows several love stories intertwined with the main characters.

Clickety Click

https://www.amazon.ca/Clickety-Click-Mandy-Eve-Barnett/dp/1927510856

In my YA novella, Clickety-Click, I had what I though was a definite plot arc but young Alice, the central character and the circumstances of her finding out about her true self went in a surprising direction. It still deals with self discovery and self confidence but also has a twist that I hope will delight the reader.

As a reader what captures you about a book?

Do you prefer one genre over another?

111 Reincarnation themed

Past Presence by Nicole Bross

42856212 Absolutely loved this book! Well crafted characters, a sense of place and a great plot, I didn’t guess the culprit! Woven with regression tales, which is an interest of mine it has wonderful elements in the story to propel you onward.
Can’t wait for the next book, Nicole.

What book have you just reviewed?

Ask A Question Thursday

April 4, 2019
mandyevebarnett

Today the question is: Is today’s generation more aware of the literary art or less?How do you think concepts such as Kindle, and e-books have changed the present or future of reading?

Books versus ebooks

ebook-vs-print

Last week’s discussion: What is your view on co-authoring books; have you done any?

Karen Probert

The meetings about how to set up the book and what to include in it were really interesting as three of us discussed our ideas. As we did this the original idea was reworked into what seemed a cohesive plan. We each took on several aspects and then edited each others work until the book became cohesive and workable. All three of us were open to the others ideas and no one forced their ideas as better than any others. Choosing the people with whom to collaborate would be the most important aspect of starting to do a book together as it takes listening, rethinking, planning to do it well. and scheduling things into our busy lives made it a challenge. We’ve had only good feedback about the book.

mandyevebarnett

I found it to be a fascinating project.

Natasha Deen

This was a similar process to what I’ve done when working on collaborative projects. Your point about choosing collaborators is well-made, Karen….I agree, I think it’s the most important aspect of a shared project.