Drops of Inspira

  Hello again! I'm atrociously late with this post, but in my defense, my life was upended late last Saturday and my Wi-Fi access has been spotty. This has also been my first NaNoWriMo without caffeine due to health reasons, so it's been interesting to say the least. Today, I'm answering some questions from  Christine Smith's   Know the Novel series. So, without further ado, let's drop into the questions. KNOW THE NOVEL PART TWO: WITHIN THE WIP: Q1: How's the writing going overall? A:  So, here's the thing... Sometimes, I've been the "Little Engine that Could" and other times I'm a speedy penguin The first half of the month, everything just poured out like liquid gold, but certain life events have slowed things down. It's been hard writing when everyone around you is in panic mode.  Q2: What's been the most fun aspect of writing this novel so far? A: Yup. That's pretty much it. My characters go from serious to goofballs in 0-60 ...

  Hello again! I've been reflecting on my favorite places where I live, and at the top of them, is this place:     You can kind of see it in the lefthand corner, the schoolhouse with the bell tower. When I was little, it was the town library, and I loved to go there and get as many books as I could, or just hang out there in the old, one-room schoolhouse. So, there's no prompt picture today, but I'll give a prompt all the same. Prompt: Pick a place in your hometown, and write a poem or do something creative inspired by it. Here is my response based on the above picture: Well, that's it for today. I will be back later this month with the second part of the Know the Novel Link-up. Until then... - Julia Garcia / Arysta Henry

    Hello! Today I'm posting a review of my most recent read, The Beauty of Magic by Rachel Ann Michael Harris .  Here is my review: When I saw the bear on the cover, I knew I had to read this book. I'd just recently finished writing a short story of my own with a bear as the main character and so was feeling like more stories with bears. This one did not disappoint.    I thoroughly enjoyed this blend of fairytale retellings. Right away I spot elements of GoldieLocks and the Three Bears, Snow White and Disney's Brave. Such a unique, delightful blend!    One of the things I loved about the heroine, Svana, is that she was a strong, sweet main character.  She knew how to fight,  but that wasn't all there was to her. She loved her family, her people and the others in her life, willing to put her life on the line for others. In a word,  Svana was selfless.  The settings were unique and interesting too. A castle in the woods, a large cave...