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Add A Monster To Your Next Novel: The Erymanthian Boar

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Come with us on another monster adventure! Last post we focused on the Mesopitamian creature the Aqrabuamelu (Scorpion Man). Today we jump to Greek mythology with the Erymanthian Boar!

It is always fun to learn and test out new creatures in your novels, so while we are focusing on the Erymanthian Boar today, we encourage you to do some research of your own and see what monsters you may find, and we would love to hear about them!

But let’s get started…

If you are familiar with the story of Hercules, then you may have seen this particular creature. Hercules was tasked with bringing Eurystheus an Erymanthian Boar alive for one of his twelve heroic labors, which is no small task. 

In Greek mythology, the boar was a giant creature who lived on Mount Erymanthus and would lay waste to anything that came in its path with it’s strong and large canine teeth. 

How to use this creature in your next novel:

  • Your take on the legend of Hercules
  • A modern day example of the Erymanthian Boar
  • Your character travels to Mount Erymanthus

We hope you enjoyed our little journey through Greek mythology, and hope it inspired you to do some research of your own! And maybe even a new novel idea!

Happy Monster Hunting!

Source: https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Creatures/Erymanthian_Boar/erymanthian_boar.html

Let’s Write A Shapeshifter Romance!

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Spooky season is upon us! And if you prefer a little growl with your romance, then get to writing! While animal instincts and natural raw behaviors may not be what you want in your real-life partner – doesn’t mean you can’t can’t write about them!

When writing in this specific category of paranormal romance here are a few guidelines to go off of:

Dive deeper into the sensory realm – readers want to embrace the wild side!

Do your research! – what paranormal animals do you want to use, and what special abilities do they have amongst others?

Purpose of shapeshifting – do you want them to be stronger, can they blend into the environment?

How will the character be different in human form? – What traits will make them stand out?

Story line, story line, story line! – It is very important to identify the origin story! How were the shifters created? Who was the first one? How do they reproduce? Etc. 

When thinking about a shapeshifter romance most people strictly think werewolves (shoutout to Twilight). However, there are other shapeshifters you can base your character off of, many countries have their own version of a shapeshifter. For example:

Canada : Bear Walker is from First Nations folklore of that area. It’s an evil sorcerer who walks around in the form of a bear.

Haiti : loup-garou can change into anything, both plant and animal.

Ireland & Scotland : The selkies are seals that take off their skins to become human. Dark-haired Celts may have their genealogy explained via the selkies. Selkies are helpful creatures who watch over fishermen.

Portugal : The bruxsa or cucubuth is a vampire-werewolf that consumes both flesh and blood. 

And there’s so many more! Writing is work! Especially when building a complex and dynamic world. But you can do it, don’t be afraid to put your mind to the test! Do some research and have fun. 

Happy Writing!

Sources:

List of Shapeshifters from Around the World

Start Your Summer Reading List

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I don’t know about you but I get most of my reading done in the summer! There’s something about the warm weather and a good book that just goes hand in hand! But before I even crack open a book I make my summer reading list! It’s a great way to get started, and to keep me on track plus sometimes I even forget what I want to read. 

If you know you want to start your summer reading journey but don’t know what to put on your list I am here to help! I will list some out based on genre and if something catches your eye add it to your list! Alright..here we go!

Romance

Teen and Young Adult

Fantasy

Biography

Historical Fiction

Thriller

Happy Reading!

How to Build A Reading Group

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Having a dedicated space for readers is a great way to stay connected with your audience, promote your work, and get inspiration. Some authors may choose to have groups based on a specific series, but that is up to you. 

Many authors will use Facebook to house these communities. Unlike a Facebook Page, group updates will appear on the members’ new feed. They will also get notifications of new updates to the group, unless they opt out of notifications

Once you create your Facebook group don’t forget to promote it on your other socials so your readers know it’s there! After all it is for them! 

  1. Post on it frequently. When it’s small, welcome each new member, get them excited! Plan your posts in advance  so you won’t have to worry about it for the week.
  1. Don’t forget to engage! Answer all the questions you can and comment on posts that your readers make. 
  1. Host events. Set up a group meeting, post a video and answer questions about yourself, have a giveaway of your upcoming release! The possibilities are endless!

Have fun with your reader group! Once you get the hang of posting on one group, maybe you can start another!

How to Spice Up Your Bookshelf

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I scroll through instagram a lot…and I ALWAYS come across these beautiful bookshelves! So today our blog post is inspired by just that…bookshelves.

#bookshelf as over 6 million posts on instagram- because people love it! This might encourage you to post a picture of your bookshelf and rack up some likes OR inspire you to spice up your own bookshelf. Either way let’s get started!

  1. The first simple yet effective way to organize your bookshelf is by size. Play around with vertical and horizontal stacking for fun! Some people might even want to take it to the next level and sort the books by color too!
  1. Update your bookshelf by painting it or applying wallpaper to the back. This will give it a wonderful and new look!
  1. Don’t let your bookshelf get too cluttered. If you want to display small knick knacks put them in a fun jar:) Let your books breathe!

Have fun!

How to Work the Instagram Algorithm

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In times like these Instagram can heavily influence your business. The algorithm can be updated frequently, so it’s important to stay on top of it for your content strategy.  

According to Instagram the 6 key factors that influence the Instagram algorithm are:

  1. Interest – How you interact on Instagram plays a role! Who you follow and what type of posts you like. That is why consistently showing up on Instagram is important.
  1. Relationship – Instagram uses your interactions to see who is closest to you (a little creepy but we all know it’s happening). As soon as you follow someone they will monitor how you engage with it.
  1. Timeliness – They care about when you posted, because they want to provide the latest most interesting posts. By finding your personalized best time to post on Instagram you can increase your reach!
  1. Frequency – If you open the app often your feed will be more chronological. However, if you check less often your feed will be based on what Instagram thinks you’ll like. 
  1. Following – If you follow a lot of people then Instagram has more options to choose from so you won’t see all of the posts from everyone’s account. 
  1. Usage – Depending on how often you open the app the more content you will see. 

Now, what do you do with all of this information to improve your engagement? The best thing you can do is drive as many interactions (likes, comments, DM, save, and share). Another way to increase engagement is to use all that Instagram has to offer, such as their newer Reels and Stories. 

Adding hashtags is the most effective way to reach people on Instagram and we want those views don’t we? Search what hashtags will work the best for your posts.

Another helpful tool is to keep track of your Instagram analytics. Use the “Insights” button to see what is working and what isn’t, what post got the most likes, and so forth. 

I know this is a lot of information, but once you have a better understanding on how to use the app you will get more out of it! Make it your focus for the next month if you want more followers or likes and get posting! Let us know how it goes. 

Be A Masterpiece and A Work In Progress

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You are already a masterpiece, but your current situation is a work in progress. Always set yourself up for success! You are allowed to be both. Or let’s say you already have your masterpiece out in the world… and there’s no shame in starting back from the beginning to create another masterpiece!

The thing I love most about these messages is that they can be viewed in many different ways. After reading this, how would you describe the connection between being a masterpiece and a work in progress at the same time?

Happy Monday!

A Guide to Writing Romantic Comedy…

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Let’s get our romance on! In the spirit of the coming love holiday let us take a step into the world of romantic comedies. A genre designed to give anyone butterflies, has a very straight forward plot. Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy tries to get girl back. We have seen it over and over and yet I always find myself being drawn towards these novels. Now, we are not here to take an in depth look at my personal library but instead how you can get started on creating your own rom com!

In terms of the structure a typical rom com goes as follows:

Introductions: The reader meets the characters individually, before they meet each other. 

The meet cute: This is when the two characters meet and sparks fly! The “meet cute” is memorable for the characters. For example, in Romeo and Juliet when they meet for the first time and lock eyes followed by a kiss all within 5 minutes of meeting each other!

Falling in love: This is when the lovey-dovey love sequence happens in movies. Where clip after clip you see them simply being in the act of love with one another. Now, in terms of a novel we have a little more time to grow the chemistry between the characters. So, let their relationship grow!

Conflict: Of course there has to be a turning point. The hurdle the couple must go through where an argument or an act threatens their relationship. For example, one of the characters can’t let go of a past relationship. 

Breakup: More often than not the characters breakup or are separated briefly. But this gives them time to realize what they are missing!

Happy ending: The conflict is resolved, and love is back!

Now that the basic structure of the novel is out of the way…how do you make it entertaining for the reader. Because as I said, most of the time the structure is the same, it’s how you build the story that makes it worth reading. 

Here are some more tips…

Make it relatable. Why does the reader find love? Are they lonely or went through a bad breakup recently? Give them a reason to find love. 

The sidekick! There’s almost always the friend who gives bad advice or lightens the mood. But the character needs someone to depend on when the conflict arises. 

Give them romance. This might be a given but the reader knows they picked up a romance so give them a romance! Create memorable scenes to make a compelling story. It’s okay to be over the top romantic too!

Stay true to your character. Don’t lose sight of your character just because they are in love. It’s okay for them to grow individually..but still together.

I hope this helps you on your journey of writing a romantic comedy!

Happy Writing!

The Perfect V-Day Gift for Your Lovely Reader!

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Valentine’s Day is just about a week away! While chocolates, flowers, and a card can be a no brainer, this year dazzle it up and give your book lover something a little more special!

I know I would adore any one of these literary inspired gifts! So get ready to scroll, and see if anything catches your eye..for the apple of your eye (I had to)!

  1. Kindle Book Cover

The woman’s purse has been a mystery for centuries…what goes in may never come out. SO this year get your S/O a case to protect the keeper of their books! If they don’t already have one they will thank you…and if they do have one get something to remind them of their favorite book! Like this Winnie the Pooh case!

  1. Novel Teas

Tea and book lovers go together like..well tea and book lovers so if your partner fits this pair then look no further for the perfect Valentines gift! Novelteas has tea of course..inspired by literary favorites and disguised tea tins! I mean c’mon how cute!

  1. Candles

We have finally arrived at the candle portion of this scroll…which may or may not be my favorite section. Now every book lover knows there is just something about the smell of those old pages…well you guess it right…there’s a candle for that!

  1. Personalized Bookmark

Sometimes the best gifts are the ones you make. So if you are down to get crafty pick up some scissors and paper! You can write your S/O favorite quote or attempt to draw a favorite character? Pinterest is a great place to go for inspiration, like this one!

  1. Literature Glass

If your reader would prefer a glass of whiskey over tea consider a literary inspired glass. Etsy is another great place to go for this gift where you can find an assortment of novels from Les Miserables to Jane Eyre! Check it out!

I would like to mention that while I have provided a link for each gift idea there are more ways than one to get these items. Just type something that interests you into my good friend Google and they will for sure give you the best option! 

I hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day! May it be filled with more literary love!

Happy Friday!

January Audiobooks!

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New year, new audiobooks! Check out this month’s dazzling audiobooks to get your year started! Whether you’re an audiobook pro or you’re just getting started scroll to see if anything catches your eye! And don’t forget to click for a sample!

https://www.amazon.com/Demons-Touch-Reverse-Harem-Mountain/dp/B08S4BBKKF/ref=sr_1_1?crid=UQYHTRD0FO4V&dchild=1&keywords=demons+touch&qid=1611770162&sprefix=demons+touch%2Caudible%2C170&sr=8-1

Happy Reading!