It is time to say goodbye (or not)

Dear all,

this might come as a surprise to you all but this has been on my mind for quite some time already. As you have all noticed, I haven’t been posting here for quite some time and not that often. There is couple of reasons to it; I haven’t been motivated to keep this blog going, I wasn’t happy with how it looked and I couldn’t identify with it anymore. I have been playing with this thought since September-October last year and I haven’t done anything about it. And now, the time has come to say goodbye to this chapter of my life. It is not the final goodbye as I’m not giving up blogging. Writing has always been my passion and it will stay like that for sure. But it is time to say goodbye to toyangi. You can now find me at Ana’s column.

I hope you will still continue to support me on my new adventures and continue to keep on reading. I’m not stopping on book blogging, I’m just adding few more stuff to it.

At this point, I would like to thank all of the people that I’ve met throughout the blogging and to all the people that I’ve worked with on this blog. I hope we can continue to work together over on my new blog as well. Stay healthy everyone!

Best regards,

Ana

Blog tour: 52 weeks of writing by Mariëlle S. Smith

52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner

Are you ready to become the writer you were always meant to be?

52 Weeks of Writing will get you cracking by making you plan, track, reflect on, and check in with your progress and goals an entire year long.

52 Weeks of Writing will help you dig deep by offering questions and writing prompts designed to unravel whatever truths about your writing you’re ready for.

52 Weeks of Writing will keep you inspired by delivering a thought-provoking writing quote every week.

 

• Do you struggle with setting goals that reflect your daily reality?
• Do you want to practise breaking goals down into manageable chunks?
• Would you like more insight into your writing habit(s) and figure out why you keep getting in your own way?
• And do you want to create a sustainable writing practice that honours your needs and desires as a writer?

 

Then the 52 Weeks of Writing: Author Journal and Planner is for you.

52 Weeks of Writing brings together every lesson Mariëlle S. Smith has learned as a writing coach and writer. Wary as she is of comparisonitis and unhealthy competition, this author journal and planner was designed to help writers develop and fine-tune a practice that works for them.

If you’re ready to get out of your own way and become the writer you’re meant to be, pick up your copy of 52 Weeks of Writing today.

Purchase Link

https://mswordsmith.nl/journal/

Author Bio –

Mariëlle S. Smith is a coach for writers and other creatives, an editor, (ghost) writer, and custom retreat organiser. In 2019, she moved to Cyprus, and island in the Mediterranean Sea, where she organises private writer’s retreats, is inspired 24/7, and feeds more stray cats than she can count.

 

 

Social Media Links –

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mswordsmith

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellessmith/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtnYOpjmj83mvMM2L348F1w

~Review~

If you follow my blog for a while, you know that I enjoy writing so when I’ve received an e-mail about reviewing this book, I gladly took the opportunity to see if there is something for me in this book. Let’s start with the things I liked.

The ‘Clarity’ part was so amazing. It brought me back to the roots so to say and made me remember why I started writing and how writing makes me feel. It is often easy to forget why and how we started and what made us passionate about writing. Especially when we are stuck in a writing block. It also helped me to see what my current struggles are and to see which one of those are something I’ve made up in my mind.

The weekly plans are so good! They make you set up a goal (duh) and also make you check are those realistic or not. They kinda make you set up a whole weekly schedule for your writing which is something I need because I often find a lot of other things to do instead of writing. You also get a writing prompt that you can use but don’t have it. It is just something for you.

The only thing that I didn’t quite like was the goals page. There were questions about your goals in 10, 5, 3 and 2 years (which was really nice to think about those). But then the question about how am I going to celebrate each of those goals came and I seriously thought about throwing my pen into the wall. Maybe it is just me but I’m not much of a celebratory type and I’m introvert on top so I don’t really like celebrating stuff a lot. Yes, of course, you don’t have to throw a party but it just put some kind of pressure on me. Maybe that was actually a goal of this section.

If you feel like you’re stuck and don’t know what goals you want to give yourself, you might want to check this book out. Especially if you have a lot of time on your hands and like to procrastinate.

With love,

Ana

Rating: 4* out of 5

Giveaway to win….

• THREE paperback copies of the 52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner,
• TWO paperback copies of Tarot for Creatives: 21 Tarot Spreads to (Re)Connect to Your Intuition and Ignite That Creative Spark, and
• ONE coaching session.

https://mswordsmith.nl/en_GB/giveaway/

Blog tour: A springtime to remember by Lucy Coleman

A Springtime to Remember

Let Lucy Coleman transport you to glorious, sun-drenched France, for the perfect feel-good read. Paris and the Palace of Versailles have always meant a lot to TV producer Lexie. Her grandma Viv spent a year there, but her adventures and memories were never discussed, and Lexie has long wondered why they were a family secret.

When work presents the perfect excuse to spend Springtime in Versailles, Lexie delves into Viv’s old diaries and scrapbooks, and with the help of handsome interpreter Ronan, she is soon learning more about the characters that tend to the magnificent gardens, now and in the past.

In amongst the beauty and splendour of the French countryside, a story of lost love, rivalry and tragedy unfolds. Can Lexie and Ronan right the wrongs of the past, and will France play its tricks on them both before Lexie has to go home? Will this truly be a Springtime to Remember…?

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://smarturl.it/SpringtimeToRemember

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/a-springtime-to-remember

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/a-springtime-to-remember/id1481640123

Author Bio –

From interior designer to author, Linn B. Halton – who also writes under the pen name of Lucy Coleman – says ‘it’s been a fantastic journey!’

Linn is the bestselling author of more than a dozen novels – including Summer on the Italian Lakes, Snowflakes over Holly Cove, The French Adventure and A Cottage in the Country. She is represented by Sara Keane of the Keane Kataria Literary Agency.

When she’s not writing, or spending time with the family, she’s either upcycling furniture, working in the garden, or practising Tai Chi.

Living in Coed Duon in the Welsh Valleys with her ‘rock’, Lawrence, and gorgeous Bengal cat Ziggy, she is an eternal romantic.

Linn is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the SoA and writes feel-good, uplifting novels about life, love and relationships.

Social Media Links –

Website: http://lucycolemanromance.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LucyColemanAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LucyColemanauth

~Review~

If you’re following my blog for a while, you know very well that I’m fan of Lucy’s. I’ve read and reviewed a few of her books and I have to say that I’m always nicely pleased by all of them. So when Rachel contacted me and asked me do I want to review another one of her books, I’ve accepted it right away.

Like all of her books, I’ve loved this one as well. It was set in Paris and even though, I wasn’t that big fan of France and Paris lately, I’ve started to like it. This book was perfect to make me get more excited about everything as well. Especially since I plan to go to Paris in May. Lucy has done an amazing job in describing the setting which made me feel like I’m there.

What I loved a lot about this book wasn’t only the romance but the way history was incorporated and the way it was discovered made everything even more enjoyable. I’m a sucker for history so this book was right up my alley.

If you love books that are set in Paris or Paris in general, I’m sure that you will love this book. With spring coming, it is a really great time to read it. It makes you excited about the warmer days that are about to come our way.

Thanks to Rachel from Rachel Random Resources for inviting me to this blog tour.

Rating: 4,5* out of 5

 

Giveaway to Win a signed paperback of ‘A French Adventure’ and a metal leaf bookmark. (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Reading and writing goals

Hi!

Today I wanted to talk about some of my reading and writing goals that I’ve set for myself in 2020. It is okay if I don’t succeed in all of them but I just wanted to have some orientation for myself.

• Reading goals

This year, I aspire to read 24 books (30 would be even better). That would be only 2 books per month and I think it is doable with a full-time job. I often use my travel to and from work to read, especially if I have an ebook. The phone is almost always in my hand so it is somehow easy to read it. Even though, I have to admit that I’m not always successful in reading an ebook because of this. I often get messages or notifications which have to be checked at that moment. Having an actual physical book would probably stop me from doing this because my phone is always on silent so I wouldn’t be bothered to check any notifications but I feel like this is a topic for another time.

Along with reading 24 books this year, I want to read more non-fiction books, LGBTQ+ books, mangas and also YA and fantasy. As you all know by now, I’m an avid reader of romance and there is nothing bad about it. But I’m craving some nice fantasy books and LGBTQ+ books. If you have any to recommend, I would be happy to read all of your recommendations.

This year, I’ve also started a reading journal so that it is easier for me to track my reading. Even if I’m using Goodreads and another app on my phone, I just enjoy writing it all down. And also, my app doesn’t have all the books that I’m reading. At the same time, it would be great to go down my tbr / unread pile on my bookshelf because seeing all those unread books gives me slight anxiety.

• Writing goals

My writing goals for this year can be summed up in only one: finishing the project “Between us”. I’ve started it last year for Camp NaNoWriMo and I’m now over 50k words in it. It would be great if I could finish it this year and maybe publish it. I don’t even need to publish it the typical way as a book or an ebook. A huge step for me would be publishing it somewhere online and let people read my work. Until now, only one person has read what I’ve written for the project. It was a huge step for me to share my project with someone like this but I’m glad that I did it.

When talking about NaNoWriMo and Camp NaNo, I would like to participate this year again but I’m not sure which project. For Camp NaNo, I could easily take “Between us” and finish it during the two camps. First Camp is in April so I still have a bit of time until then. And NaNo is in November. I can relax until… Well, probably October when it will hit me that NaNo is next month and I should probably use October as Preptober.

 

Do you have any reading or writing goals for this year? Let me know!

With love,

Ana

Book Blitz: The Marseille Millionaire

The Marseille Millionaire
by Kaya Quinsey Holt
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 24th 2020

Summary:

Elise Laird has just sold the most expensive home in the history of Ashfield, USA, at $4.2 million dollars. The French multimillionaire whose home she sold is thrilled – so much so that he recommends her to a fellow French friend. And when Luc Dubonier steps off of his private jet with the intention of investing in some of Ashfield’s best properties, Elise is shocked to find that the successful tycoon is single.

At least, until she gets to know him. In a series of blunders, Elise learns that Luc may be tough in business, but couldn’t imagine anyone’s personal life being more of a mess. After she impresses him with her sales pitches, Luc asks her to do one more sale for him – his $88 million home in Marseille, France.

When Elise arrives in France, she learns that there is more to the house, and Luc, than meets the eye. If she sells the house, the commission check will be more than her lifetime salaries combined. But after learning why he is selling it, Elise finds herself conflicted, wanting to convince Luc to keep it. Will Elise choose between her bank account or her heart? And while selling million dollar homes, will Elise cash in her chance at love?

Add to Goodreads

Purchase links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Marseille-Millionaire-delightfully-romance-France-ebook/dp/B083HLJ8K3/
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-marseille-millionaire-kaya-quinsey-holt/1136007825?ean=2940163950614
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-marseille-millionaire
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1494316078
Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-marseille-millionaire/9781393025504-item.html?ikwid=kaya+quinsey&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=4

Excerpt:

“Welcome to Marseille,” Luc said as he walked over, greeting her with a kiss on each cheek. It would take her a while to get used to that custom, she thought, as she suppressed the urge to give him a big hug.
She beamed back at him in response, taking in his bright expression. “It’s good to be here,” she said, and she meant it. Their eyes locked and her legs felt like they were about to melt beneath her right there in that lobby. She looked away and pushed an errand stand of hair behind her ear.
He stepped back a moment to survey her. “You look good here,” he declared.
Elise felt herself flush and laughed. It came out more high pitched than she had intended. “Where? In this lobby? In Marseille?”
He shook his head. “Both, I suppose.” Elise smiled and jutted out her hip with a playful wink. She couldn’t believe the confidence that had washed over her. She felt good. “Well, I suppose I wanted to come over and see that you arrived all right. You know, Marseille isn’t the safest city. So I wanted to make sure you were, you know, all right.”
Elise’s heart thudded in her chest. Before she could reply, the concierge came over again. “And MadameLaird, would you like your birthday champagne sent up now or later?”
Elise’s eyes widened. Birthday champagne? She opened her mouth to reply, before realizing this must be a gift from Joe and the team at Cotherington Realty. They were the only ones apart from Rose who knew where she was staying and her birthday.
“Later is fine,” she said, trying to brush it aside. “Merci.”
Luc’s eyes widened. “Ah, it is your birthday?”
Elise nodded, averting her gaze to a modern art piece nearby. She hated celebrating her birthday. Today had been perfect. Low-key, some shopping, the end.
But Luc continued. “Well, we must celebrate. You have plans tonight, or non?”
“No, but—”
“Ah, ah, ah,” Luc held up his hands, as if to signal he had won. “I won’t take no for an answer. Luckily, you are staying at my favorite hotel in Marseille, which has one of the best restaurants. Three Michelin-stars, too,” he added with a wink.
Elise flushed. Okay, so her arm wouldn’t need to be twisted too much to go out for a dinner with Luc Dubonier. Especially when the words ‘Michelin’ and ‘star’ were included. “Okay,” she finally agreed with a smile. She and Rose had wanted to go to a three-star Michelin restaurant since, well, forever.
As Luc reserved a table for them later that evening, Elise’s entire body tingled. Was this it? A do-over to their disastrous-ending first and only date? If it had even been a date. She was still unclear where they stood with one another.
When Luc turned to her and announced he had made them reservations for seven o’clock that evening, his face was telling. “I’ll see you tonight,” he added with another wink. Elise smiled. Suddenly her birthday seemed like the best day in the world.

About the Author
Kaya Quinsey Holt is the author of three romantic comedies. She holds her undergraduate and master’s degree in psychology. Her first novel, Paris Mends Broken Hearts, was released in April 2018. Since then, her books have sold in seven countries. They have been translated into multiple languages and been formatted into audiobooks. Kaya’s passion for culture, travel, and psychology intertwine for books that are romantic and full of surprises.

When she’s not typing away, Kaya loves chatting with friends over a glass of wine, playing with her fluffy Pomeranian Shih Tzu puppy, spending time with her family, attempting to learn a new a new language, and indulging in one too many cups of coffee. Always planning her next trip and adventure, Kaya’s favorite places are usually somewhere near a beach. She lives in Toronto with her husband.

Author Links:
Website: http://www.kayaquinsey.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17925781.Kaya_Quinsey_Holt
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kayaquinseyholt
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kayaquinseyholt/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kaya-Quinsey/e/B07CBR7JJL/

GIVEAWAY:
 Please jon the giveaway here

Book Blitz Organized By:
YA Bound Book Tours

Review: Percy Jackson and the Lightning thief by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse – Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy’s mom finds out, she knows it’s time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he’ll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena – Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

~Review~

The first book that I’ve read this year, is probably a book that everyone has read by now but I’m a little bit late to the game. You can say a little bit. Actually, I heard about this book a lot before but never had the intention to read it. But last year my favorite band, BTS, had published an album and one of the songs is Dionysus. I have to say that inspired me to read the book and the series.

I liked this book from the start. What amazed me was world-building. Of course, everyone knows how good Rick Riordian is in this but reading it myself was so great. I often felt like I was there with them and could picture the places they were at.

What I also found amazing, was to see how much the author has explored the subject and knows what he’s doing and writing on top. It wasn’t like he just threw in some details and made the rest out. He really dug deep to learn about all the gods and goddesses which in return makes me want to learn more about them.

My favorite character currently is Annabeth. I love powerful female characters, as you all know. And I feel that, as much as she doesn’t show it, you can see how much she cares about others. It is very subtle but it is there. This opinion might change throughout the series but we shall see. As well as my opinion about Percy; let’s say he wasn’t my favorite character.

If you are like me and didn’t read the series yet, please start. It is quite a quick read but so interesting. If you are starting to get to know Greek mythology, this might be something you want to pick up and give it a go.

Rating: 4,5* out of 5

~ 2019 Rewind ~

Hi there,

it has been 4 days in 2020 and I hope that you all are doing good. Also, that the start of this year has been great. For today’s post, I was thinking about doing a rewind of the last year and point out one of my favorite memories, songs and books of the last year (in no particular order). So, let’s start!

Favorite memories:

• BTS concerts in London
• Monsta X concert in Berlin where I finally got to meet Dorka in real life
• Got7 concert in Berlin
• Dreamcatcher concert in Berlin (and VIP ticket)
• traveling to Norway to meet my friend from there
• got a new job
• started a journey of self-love
• wrote more than 50k words
• won Camp NaNoWriMo & NaNoWriMo
• talked more about how I feel
• met some cool new people
• BTS movies

Favorite books:

• These witches don’t burn by Isabel Sterling
• Am I ugly? by Michelle Elman
• Leah on the offbeat by Becky Albertalli
• How (not) to date a prince by Zoe May

Favorite songs:

• Boy with luv by BTS
• Dionysus by BTS
• Feel Special by Twice
• Lion by G-IDLE
• Silent night by Dreamcatcher
• Diamond by Dreamcatcher
• Gotta go by Chungha
• Page by GOT7
• 9 3/4 by TXT
• Play it cool by Monsta X

Tell me about your favorite moments of 2019; also your favorite books and songs, would love to hear those.

Until the next time,

Ana

Happy New Year!

Hello everyone!

It has been some time since I wrote here but I decided that the 1st of January would be a great day to come back. First of all, I wish you all the greatest year in your life and may it be better than the last one. Also, may this decade be amazing for you all! I hope you all spent New Year’s Eve feeling great and in the company of those you love. If you were alone on New Year’s eve just like I was, it is also okay. I hope that the next year you won’t be celebrating alone (unless that’s what you’ve wanted of course).

I know that we all set goals every new year and then we are mad at ourselves if we don’t fulfill them. This year, I ask you all to only have one goal; be kind to yourself! I know that it’s easier said than done but just try it. It isn’t always easy, I know that myself but trying being nice to yourself is something that can benefit you a lot.

Also, try exploring something new this year. Maybe it is a new hobby or just exploring a neighborhood that you live in. Or even a new genre. You might find something that you like and wasn’t aware of before. This year, I will try journaling; I feel like I need to do something creative and journaling is something I like watching and seeing. Also, calligraphy is something I would like to learn so I will try to do it.

What are your goals for this year? Feel free to share them in the comments down below.

Once again, I wish you all the year filled with happiness, love, health and joy and may it be blessed! Believe in yourself!

With love,

Ana

Promo: The good in goodbye by Lasairiona McMaster

The Good in Goodbye

Relationships are complicated. Long distance ones, even more so.
When Lisa Millar met AJ Williams online through mutual friends, she wasn’t prepared to fall in love with the man of her dreams. She was even less prepared to discover that he already had a wife. In a heart-wrenching story of love attempting to transcend miles, Lisa finds herself pregnant and on the wrong side of the Atlantic from the man she loves.
Will their love conquer all? Or will the intricacies of a relationship woven across the Atlantic be too much to take and tear them apart once and for all?
(Warning: This book ends on a cliff hanger)

Purchase Links
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Goodbye-Lisa-Millar-Book-ebook/dp/B07XKM7YM5
US – https://www.amazon.com/Good-Goodbye-Lisa-Millar-Book-ebook/dp/B07XKM7YM5

Author Bio – Lasairiona McMaster grew up dreaming of an exciting life abroad, and, after graduating from Queens University, Belfast, that is exactly what she did – with her then-boyfriend, now husband of almost ten years. Having recently repatriated to Northern Ireland after a decade abroad spanned over two countries (seven and a half years in America and eighteen months in India), she now finds herself ‘home’, with itchy feet and dreams of her next expatriation. With a penchant for both travelling, and writing, she started a blog during her first relocation to Houston, Texas and, since repatriating to Northern Ireland, has decided to do as everyone has been telling her to do for years, and finally pen a book (or two) and get published while she tries to adjust to the people and place she left ten years ago, where nothing looks the same as it did when she left.

Social Media Links –
FB: https://www.facebook.com/QueenofFireLas/
Blog: http://www.lasandcolgotexan.com/
Twitter: @QueenoffireLas

NaNoWriMo 2019

It was that time of the year again aka NaNoWriMo. If you know nothing about it, I’ve made a post a few months ago.

I was doing NaNo once in my life and once I did Camp NaNo. The original NaNo I didn’t win but I’ve won the Camp one. This year, I’ve thought that I could maybe try it again, especially since I have this story that I’m writing ever since the Camp NaNo so I wanted to make progress. Technically, I cheated a bit because I didn’t start from 0 words, I’ve already had around 30k words written. But I just started a new job in November so I knew, that for me, continuing the project is much better than starting a new one. Writing 20k was a big deal for me; 20k in a month means writing around 660 words per day. Some days I didn’t write a word, other days I would write around 1000 words. There were days where I struggled to write those 660 words and was counting EVERY SINGLE WORD that I typed, just wanting to be finished with it. At the end of the month, I can proudly say that I’ve written 50k. It wasn’t an easy journey and the journey isn’t even done yet. There will be a lot more words written for this story and I’m not even sure when and how will it end.

Now that I’ve hit 50k words, I was thinking to buy a winner shirt but sadly, shipping for it is 30$ to Germany which costs more than a shirt itself. 😦 That’s why I’m still deciding what to do as a gift for myself. I’ve recently ordered a perfume online so I might just take it as a gift. Nevertheless, I’m proud of myself for hitting this amount of words. It has been a long time since I’ve written something this long and something that’s brought me this much joy. I’ve been struggling with my writing as of the past few years and I didn’t really think that this story will come this far, but here we are. I use it also as a therapeutic writing, which helps me a lot on top of it all. I’m so grateful that I’ve found my passion for writing again which has been lost for so long, I feel like.

Have you done NaNo this year? Would you even consider ever doing it? Let me know!

With love,

Ana