Author Interview: Caitlin Conlon

Hi guys! So in this week's blog I'm going to be interviewing poet Caitlin Conlon, the author of Cavity. I hope you enjoy this interview and if you or someone you know is a poet and would like to be featured, let me know in the comments!

Interview

Was it difficult to write Cavity since it's about the months following on from a breakup?

I think it would've been more difficult for me if I hadn't written Cavity. After the events that sparked Cavity occurred I was left in a very desolate place. Ironically, these events occurred in the middle of April, National Poetry Writing Month, which means I was participating in the challenge of writing a poem a day for the entire month. 

So despite wanting nothing to do with anything, I kept forcing myself to write (not wanting to let this ruin my writing alongside everything else). And about a month later I was looking at all that I'd written, a lot more than I probably would've been able to write normally, and realized that I had something to work with.

The most difficult part wasn't so much the writing, but having to relive the pain every time I sat down to edit or work on the finer details of the chapbook. It took a lot out of me, constantly thinking about my own heartache. But at the same time I was forced to confront the reality of my situation which again, I might not have done otherwise. It seems I've gone off on a tangent, but to sum up my answer: writing Cavity was something that, looking back on it, I had to do. It was born out of necessity. 

Who is your favourite poet/author right now? Do you have an all time favourite book/poetry collection?

 

My all-time favourite poet is Richard Siken and his debut collection, Crush, is my favourite poetry collection. I first read Crush when I was a freshman in high school, which is also when I first began getting serious about writing poetry. I can so vividly remember finishing the collection, looking up from the final page, exhaling, and thinking to myself "I want to make people feel the way that I'm feeling right now." Everything since has been an attempt to do that.

Do you have any future plans for books or publishing any more work?

Definitely! I'm keeping it very hush hush right now, but I'm currently in the middle of working on a project much bigger than anything else I've done. It's something I'm really, really excited about, and can't wait to eventually share more information!

If you had to pick a quote to live by, what would it be?

"And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good." - John Steinbeck.

What would be your advice to an aspiring author?

My biggest piece of advice is to just keep practicing your craft. When I was first beginning to write I became so easily frustrated with myself because I wasn't creating the type of work that I wished I was. I thought that writing was something that just came to you, but it isn't. It's a muscle that you need to keep working and stretching. And you get better with utilizing that muscle the more you focus on it.

As long as you continue to write, and continue to read as much as possible, you're going to improve. Don't let your perception of how talented or untalented you are influence how dedicated you are to it.

Now, this is a fun question I love. You're stranded on an Island and you can only pick 3 people and 3 objects/things to take with you. Who and what would you take?

Okay so as far as people go I'd bring Margaret Atwood, because I believe in her survival instincts, Lorde, because I have a suspicion that she's a witch and could cast spells in order to keep us comfortable, and John Mulaney, because that man could sit in front of me doing absolutely nothing and be more entertaining than most of the general populace. 

As for three objects...this is a bit more difficult. An unlimited supply of journals (does that count as one object? I'm going to say it does), a solar-powered radio, and a Kindle pre-loaded with every book I could ever want. (I feel like I definitely cheated on this question.)

I hope you guys enjoyed this post and I'll see you next week! Love, Vee x

How To Achieve Your Dreams

Hey everyone! For those of you who know me, you'll know that my dream is to become an editor/writer. I have recently decided I'm going to do anything it takes to get to where I want to be, even if it means sacrificing my time, money or anything else.

I have been trying to gain experience in publishing and editing because to become an editorial assistant, you usually need to have a degree and some relevant editorial experience. And after weeks of feeling low, I've managed to secure myself an editorial internship with Society19, a student magazine. I've submitted a few articles already which is very exciting! 

The great thing about this internship is that I don't have to be a student or a graduate; usually, to do an editorial internship you need to have a degree. I'm so excited about this journey that I'm going on at the moment. Good things are coming.

I never thought I could succeed because of my education and lack of qualifications but I managed to achieve one of my goals! And you can too. Don't let your negativity, background or anyone stop you from achieving your goals. 

I'm going to be an editor one day and no matter how many times I get knocked down, I'm going to get back up and fight for what I want. I've had so many fantastic opportunities in my life. Some things may be rubbish, such as a job or a negative person in your life, but I promise you that you can do whatever you set your mind to. You just need to believe in yourself.

Stay positive and remember to take time for yourself. There's no point stressing over things right now; good things are coming, just believe in that. Surround yourself with like-minded, positive people who want you to be happy and you'll start to feel more confident and positive in yourself.

Remember, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. You are your own person and you can tell people what you think. Speak up for yourself and be heard. You have the power to do anything with your life! Isn't that exciting?

I hope you take away some positivity from this post and work hard to achieve your dreams. It may be difficult but I promise every hurdle will be worth it. Until next time, love, Vee x

Book Review: Eliza and Her Monsters

Hey guys! So I've been desperate to read Eliza and Her Monsters for so long since I saw the cover and blurb. This week I'll be reviewing the book for you! Let me know in the comments whether you've read it and what you thought.

About Eliza and Her Monsters

Eliza and Her Monsters was written by Francesca Zappia in 2017 and the Children of Hypnos, which features in the book, is a bi-weekly serial posted twice a week.

Eliza Mirk is known online as LadyConstellation, the creator of Monstrous Sea, an online web comic with millions of views. Eliza spends every waking second drawing her comic, whether it be at school or home - she even misses Christmas because of how busy she is. She doesn't have any friends at school; they're all online. Until she meets Wallace, the new boy at school who's a fan of Monstrous Sea. When Eliza gets caught up in a lie, will she be able to tell Wallace who she really is before her identity is exposed?

My Review

Trigger warning: this review mentions depression and suicide.

When I started reading this I thought that Eliza was a fairly average teenager who spends too much time online. She doesn't have friends outside of the internet and she's never met her best friends - I can relate to this and I think a lot of you will too. But Eliza starts developing mental health problems; it starts off slow but becomes more intense and she can't find the motivation to practice her art anymore. We've all been there. But the difference with Eliza is, she thinks Monstrous Sea is all she has - it's who she is and without it, she fears she's no one. But if she writes the ending to her comic, she's frightened her fans will hate it.

The clever thing that Zappia has done, was to write the mental health into the book without really addressing that it's an issue to Eliza. Eliza doesn't think that it's unhealthy to spend all her time online. It's where she belongs.

Towards the end, Eliza is faced with a decision that is triggering for those with depression or suicidal thoughts. She pretty much loses everyone but her family and feels like she has nothing anymore. Her anxiety and stress over finishing the comic for Wallace to get a book deal consumes her. She feels guilty and useless. But she'll soon realize she means more than her work, and that she can still draw without it consuming her. Her parents and brothers, online friends and Wallace are a supportive network that Eliza needs in this time of self discovery.

This book is about discovering your self worth, and realizing that your art, your work, is a separate part of you; it's not why people love you or like you, you are what people love.

Full of fandom, online friendships and self discovery, Eliza and Her Monsters is a must read for lovers of Geekerella and Fangirl. You can find out more about Zappia here.

I hope you all enjoyed my review, don't forget to subscribe to receive updates on my posts. Until next time, love, Vee x

Things to Do While in Croatia

Hey guys! I recently went on holiday to Croatia with my partner and his family so I wanted to share my experience with you all. I'll be telling you where we went and what we ate in Dubrovnik, which is where we stayed.

We were staying near the old town in Dubrovnik, which is a beautiful tourist spot. They film parts of Game of Thrones there because it's so medieval looking! We stayed just above Banje Beach where we spent a lot of time swimming. I've never been in the sea before so it was a very strange feeling.

Eating Out and Supermarkets

The currency in Croatia is mainly in Kunas but some places accept euros or cards. Just be aware that there are a lot of expensive places to eat in the old town as this is where the boats come in and it's a top tourist spot. We found a nice ice cream stall in the old town that was fairly cheap at 10 kunas a scoop and it's located right next to the old port.

We also went to several restaurants in Dubrovnik's old town and had some wonderful dishes, including pasta, pizza and burgers (obviously). One place that Oliver and I really liked was Burger Tiger. It was a fast food place which also had seating and served pizza, pasta and burgers. Their chips were delicious! If you want to know more about them, here's their website.

We had several supermarkets around where we stayed, called Pemo which were relatively cheap but probably would have been much cheaper if we had been staying on the other side of the old town.

Days Out

Montenegro

Oliver's parents rented a car for a few days so that we could travel to Montenegro. It's a beautiful place to take photos. We had some lunch in a shopping centre and there's some ruins and a little church that you can walk up to (quite steep). There's also a cat museum (I didn't get to go because I found a kitten and we wanted to take him home, so if I saw more, we would have had to rent a truck and drive them all back to the UK).

The Old Town

I know that I've already mentioned the old town but it is a beautiful place to go in Dubrovnik. With plenty of tours, cosy restaurants and cute book and candy stores, there's something for everyone. Definitely go in Captain Candy which has massive pieces of all types of sweets! The alleyways and buildings are beautiful, especially when lit up at night. We really enjoyed walking around and sitting near the water at the old port when we could.

Lokrum Island

Lokrum Island is just a 15-minute boat ride from the old port in Dubrovnik but costs 150 kunas each which is roughly £20. I wanted to go over to the Island because I wanted to swim in the "Dead Sea" which is a rocky pool situated on the island. It was beautiful but I recommend bringing some sort of swimming shoes as I did cut my foot!

You don't receive a map when you buy the tickets - I took ours from the apartment with us which was extremely handy. But if you don't have a map, don't worry, there are plenty of signs on the Island. We also climbed the very steep hill to Fort Royal, a small building at the top of the Island. We were both so exhausted by the end we had a nap as soon as we got back!

Although the view from the Fort was gorgeous, it was a very tiring day. We did see baby peacocks which were so cute!

I recommend taking snacks with you because the cafes and restaurants are really expensive.

Cable Car

The cable car was about 150 kunas for a return ticket but we only got a one-way ticket and walked all the way back down. It is really rocky and takes at least 45 minutes. It was a really amazing experience to see Dubrovnik from so high up. Just don't buy anything in the gift shop if you don't want to be bankrupt!

There's a war museum at the top as well which tells you all about the fire that happened there.

Don't forget to tell me if you are going to Croatia or have been; I'd love to know what you get/got up to!

Until next time, love Vee x

Author Interview with Shelby Leigh

Hey guys! So in this week's blog post, I'm going to be interviewing author and poet, Shelby Leigh, who has written It Starts Like This. I hope you enjoy this post and if you are an author/poet or know someone who is, let me know and I'll see if I can interview them and their book.

Interview

It Starts Like This is about love, loss and hope. Was it difficult to write your emotions for everyone to see?

Yes! It is definitely difficult to write these subjects, even if I'm the only one seeing it. I wrote anonymously for so long because I dreaded the thought of anyone knowing the person behind the poems. But, I am so glad I got the courage to begin writing publicly, because I would have never gotten the courage and support to self-publish if I hadn't.

How long did it take to write It Starts Like This? Was it hard getting published?

Well, the book happened (kind of) accidentally. I started writing poems on my blog and challenged myself to write a poem a day for a year. 365 poems later, I had an audience that encouraged me to make a book out of those poems! I had no idea how to do so, but I selected my favourites, put them in an order that would tell a story, and decided to self-publish. To answer the second part of the question, I'm not traditionally published. However, that doesn't mean self-publishing wasn't hard. I did everything on my own (except finding an artist who submitted their lovely painting for the cover), from formatting to editing to marketing. It wasn't easy, but very worth it!

What's your advice to anyone looking to publish their poetry?

My advice is to just go for it. Whether you try the traditional route or the self-publishing route, do your research, stay true to your voice, and don't get discouraged if your work is rejected. Every writer has been there. If we all gave up, there would be no books (and that's a sad, sad world to think about!).

Do you have a favourite poet/author and book/collection?

My favourite poet of all time is Maya Angelou. Her work has inspired me so much. I also love the work of Audre Lorde. As far as modern poets, there are far too many favourites to name. I have been fortunate to become friends with many modern poets and be part of a wonderful poetry community on social media.

Do you have any plans to publish any more poetry collections or books?

Yes! I am currently working on my second poetry book, and then I would like to get back into writing fiction. My second poetry book is coming sometime in 2019.

Now, this is a fun question I love to ask. You're stranded on an island and you can only pick 3 people and 3 objects/things to take with you. Who and what would you take?

This is such a tough question! I would take my boyfriend, for sure, but I would feel guilty dragging anyone else along to a deserted island. As for objects, I would bring a water filter, pens, and journals. (And a huge supply of chocolate, if possible.)

Links

If you would like to purchase and find out more about Shelby, you can visit her website here. Her Instagram and Twitter usernames are:@shelbysleigh

Thank you for reading! Until next time, love Vee x

Favourite Book Covers

Well hello there fellow bookworms. I hope your week is going well! In this week's blog I'm going to be looking at some of my favourite book covers and asking you about yours!

Now, we are always told not to judge a book by its cover but I'm the complete opposite; as I work in marketing, the most crucial thing is a cover, poster, leaflet images etc. If the graphics are rubbish, there's no point in me picking it up. You know the covers I mean with the people on the front like they're from a teen chick flick? Yeah... that doesn't draw me in - it makes me want to run away.

The covers I love are bright with illustrations or interesting pictures. As long as it's creative and colourful, I will pick it up, even if I'm not sure about the story line. I'm going to be sharing the covers and blurbs from some of the books I love. Let's see if you prefer the cover or story line or hopefully both!

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren

Do I really have to say it? This cover is gorgeous because of the illustration and I'm a sucker for sunsets. Plus, there's a book on the book cover! What more could you want?

Blurb:

Three years ago, Tanner Scott’s family relocated from California to Utah, a move that nudged the bisexual teen temporarily back into the closet. Now, with one semester of high school to go, and no obstacles between him and out-of-state college freedom, Tanner plans to coast through his remaining classes and clear out of Utah.

But when his best friend Autumn dares him to take Provo High’s prestigious Seminar, where honor roll students diligently toil to draft a book in a semester, Tanner can’t resist going against his better judgment and having a go, if only to prove to Autumn how silly the whole thing is. Writing a book in four months sounds simple. Four months is an eternity.

It turns out, Tanner is only partly right: four months is a long time. After all, it takes only one second for him to notice Sebastian Brother, the Mormon prodigy who sold his own Seminar novel the year before and who now mentors the class. And it takes less than a month for Tanner to fall completely in love with him.

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst

I bought this book because of the blurb but then fell in love with the cover! Needless to say I bought it and can't wait to read about a queen falling for a princess.

Blurb:

Betrothed since childhood to the prince of Mynaria, Princess Dennaleia has always known what her future holds. Her marriage will seal the alliance between Mynaria and her homeland, protecting her people from other hostile kingdoms.

But Denna has a secret. She possesses an Affinity for fire--a dangerous gift for the future queen of a land where magic is forbidden. Now Denna has to learn the ways of her new kingdom while trying to hide her growing magic. To make matters worse, she must learn to ride Mynaria's formidable warhorses before her coronation and her teacher is the person who intimidates her most, the prickly and unconventional Princess Amaranthine, sister of her betrothed. When a shocking assassination leaves the kingdom reeling, Mare and Denna reluctantly join forces to search for the culprit.

As the two work together, they discover there is more to one another than they thought--and soon their friendship is threatening to blossom into something more. But with dangerous conflict brewing that makes the alliance more important than ever, acting on their feelings could be deadly. Forced to choose between their duty and their hearts, Mare and Denna must find a way to save their kingdoms--and each other.

The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo

I saw the cover of this book on a fellow Instagrammer's page and fell in love with it and the story. It turned out to be one of my most favourite books I've ever read! And it was outside of my comfort zone which is a big plus. 

Blurb:

Lucy and Gabe meet in New York on a day that will change their lives – and the world – forever. As the city burns behind them, they kiss for the very first time. Over the next thirteen years they are torn apart, then brought back together, time and time again. It’s a journey of dreams, of desires, of jealousy, of forgiveness – and above all, love. And as Lucy is faced with a devastating choice, she wonders whether their love is a matter of destiny or chance.

Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Obviously this was another impulse buy because of the cover... And I loved the story line too!

Blurb:

Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot.

With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad s old costume), Elle s determined to win unless her stepsisters get there first. Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons before he was famous. Now they re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he's ever wanted, but Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob.

As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise. But when she disappears at midnight, will he ever be able to find her again? Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom. You can read my blog post on Geekerella here. 

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

Even though I haven't purchased it yet, I really can't wait to read this. The cover is so pretty and unique and I purely would love it for the photos if I'm honest! Although the story line seems quite interesting.

Blurb:

Marin hasn't spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she's tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit and Marin will be forced to face everything that's been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart.

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

This cover is cute and modern and everything I adore. I can't wait to get my hands on the hardcover! The story line reminds me of Fangirl and Geekerella so if you have read either of these, it might be a good idea to try this one out.

Blurb:

Eighteen-year-old Eliza Mirk is the anonymous creator of Monstrous Sea, a wildly popular webcomic, but when a new boy at school tempts her to live a life offline, everything she’s worked for begins to crumble. In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, smart, and friendless.

Online, Eliza is LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of a popular webcomic called  Monstrous Sea With millions of followers and fans throughout the world, Eliza’s persona is popular. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves her digital community.

Then Wallace Warland transfers to her school, and Eliza begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile. But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.

Let me know in the comments what your favourite book covers are so I can check them out! Until next time, love Vee x

Book Review: What Nobody Knew

Hey book lovers! I was recently asked to review What Nobody Knew by Amelia Hendrey. It's a book about her life growing up in an abusive environment around her dad and step mum. It's a story of abuse, violence, coming to terms with life and how to get by on your own. I recommend not reading this if you will be triggered by the abuse and violence.

Trigger Warning

This review contains sensitive content such as abuse, violence, rape and suicide. Please stop reading at any point if you feel triggered by these events.

Review

I have wanted to read Amelia's book, What Nobody Knew, for a while now so when she messaged me asking if I would like to review a copy, I jumped at the chance. I knew it would be a hard read, having gone through abuse myself, but it was even more graphic than I expected.

However, I think that it's important that Amelia went into so much detail of the violence, as it will open up people's eyes to what really happens behind closed doors. Amelia's story is an important one and lays out what it's like to have to keep quiet when you know you'll get hurt if you tell anyone what is really going on.

Domestic abuse is still a taboo topic. I know that there are organisations out there spreading the message - I even worked for a domestic abuse charity and heard the awful things that people were going through. But we need more coverage out there. 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, and over 750,000 cases of child abuse are reported in the UK each year. We need books like Amelia's to bring to light what happens behind closed doors.

As you can probably tell, I am very passionate about this subject, so receiving a copy of this book was really interesting to me. I've never read anything like it. The closest I've gotten to reading about abuse is in Jacqueline Wilson's Lola Rose, which I adored.

Reading about how Amelia was abandoned by her mum as a child and brought up with an alcoholic, abusive father was scary. I can't imagine how she must have felt. The book mentions suicide because sometimes that feels like the only way out of such a terrifying situation.

I remember reading it thinking, it can't get worse than this, it just can't. She described her dad beating her, punching her and throwing her down the stairs. I thought it would get better as she went to boarding school as they couldn't hurt her anymore. But I was wrong. There are, of course, the holidays where you go back home. And that's when it got worse. This part of the book goes into detail about rape and how Amelia had to go to court to take her father to prison. It's such a devastating feeling knowing that rape happens, but when you're reading about it and the repercussions that it has, it is truly heartbreaking and eye-opening.

This book is a must read and we need more books like this to help people speak up. You don't have to go through it alone. Amelia thought she did. She had no one and then when she found people willing to help her, there was hope. It's heartbreaking and tragic but there's also a message of hope. Don't give up the fight.

Until next time, love, Vee x

6 Powerful Poems from the witch doesn't burn in this one

Hey guys! In this week's blog I'm going to be sharing some of the most powerful poems from Amanda Lovelace's collection: the witch doesn't burn in this one. Please tell me in the comments some of your favourite and inspiring poems.

1. This has to be one of my favourites from the book because it's so damn unapologetic. Do not, I repeat, do not let anybody walk over you.

2. You have all the strength in you that you need; use it and empower others.

3. The simple line is, you need to look after yourself just like you would a small child. Treat yourself with respect, self care and love.

4. We are strong, independent women and we've got this. When our enemies intend for us to crawl up in a ball, stand up and fight back. Not because you want to but because you have to.

5. You have no idea what you are capable of until you pick up a pen and write your heart out. Inspire others just like you and not like you to stand up for themselves, fight for what they want and live their happiest life.
















6. It is not normal to go through abuse. I've learnt this throughout the years and I'm here to tell you it isn't right. Society has altered our perceptions of what a healthy relationship is.

















I hope you feel as inspired as I did when I read Lovelace's books. Be powerful, inspire and take care of yourself. Until next time, Vee x