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Continue reading →: Movie Review: Begin Again
Stories can lose their soul if edited too much. This is true regardless of the medium used—books, movies, music. It’s a struggle not to polish a piece so thoroughly that it loses its humanity, a truth told in the film Begin Again. Dan used to be a successful music label…
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Continue reading →: 3 Ways to Heal Through Storytelling
The storytelling process is often described as healing; it lets us explore situations on a deeper level. There’s nothing like uncovering heartbreak, letting wounds heal in fresh air; however, it takes courage to bare your soul in a way that’s often public and raw. Even truths told in allegory can be…
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Continue reading →: Book Review: Unrivaled by Alyson Noel
Success can be a vicious game. Unrivaled by Alyson Noel follows three young people participating in a competition to best promote the hottest new clubs in downtown LA. They all hope to win best promoter and use their victories to pursue other ambitions. None of them could foresee how fiery…
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Continue reading →: Movie Review: Walt Before Mickey
Storytellers learn so much researching those who came before us. From them, we learn there’s never an easy path to getting an audience; tears will be shed, friends lost, and there’ll be moments in which we’re tempted to give up. I have a book about Walt Disney in my towering…
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Continue reading →: Book Review: Char by Kristina Wojtaszek
I accepted a review copy of Char, having been told beforehand that it was a good read. I think I expected it to be a good read anyway, because I love stories about faeries. The book did not disappoint me; I was excited to read this book and see what…
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Continue reading →: 3 Lessons I Learned Self-PublishingOn June 1 I celebrate my first book birthday; it marks one year since the publication of Dissonance. I am not promoting one method of publishing over another; traditional has great benefits. I am simply recounting my experience taking the ‘least popular’ road. If you haven’t read Dissonance, new readers make an author’s day;…
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Continue reading →: Book Review: The Paris Winter by Imogen Robertson
The Paris Winter leaves a proper chill in your soul after you finish reading it. It is the haunting story of Maud Heighton, an English painter who takes art classes in Paris, all the while struggling to get her daily meal. Her situation doesn’t go unnoticed at the academy, especially…
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Continue reading →: Why Write Realistic Heroes?
Your hero has been chosen to carry out a risky, important task. Lives depend on their ability to get the job done. They will face countless obstacles enduring sleepless nights in the cold at the mercy of nature. There is a chance they will die carrying out this quest. How…
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Continue reading →: 3 Things Writers can Learn about Storytelling from Children
HOW MUCH EFFORT DOES IT TAKE YOU TO TELL A STORY? I don’t mean with regards to practice and skill—it’s important to produce quality writing when your storytelling medium is the written word. Readers can usually tell when we haven’t paid attention to quality, and few things are more irritating…
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Continue reading →: Book Review: Under the Trees by Ashley Maker
Desperate to prevent an abusive arranged marriage, Princess Araya flees to a neighboring kingdom, only to land at the mercy of the impulsive Crown Prince Thoredmund, who provides refuge in a secluded forest and teaches her survival skills. Her surprise at the unexpected hold the prince has on her heart…
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Continue reading →: Book Review: Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
Ship of Magic sweeps us into a world of pirates and sailors, traders and sea serpents. Don’t let the length of the story frighten you: There’s hardly a dull moment in this novel, the first installment of Robin Hobb’s Liveship Traders trilogy. It’s crafted with so much care, I found…
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Continue reading →: Writing Tip: Character Complexity
No choice is ever simple. Decisions are complex, though they might seem impulsive at the time. We’re influenced by the world around us; the hows and whys of our behavior are shaped by things that seem pointless. Characters are people; they behave realistically when written with care. Details revealed to readers should have…
Hello,
I’m Mariella
Welcome to my cozy corner of the internet. This blog will be dedicated to all things books and reading, which happen to be my obsessions. Note the faint scent of coffee in the air; coffee is a must for me.
I will be sharing book reviews for reads that I enjoy. I’ll also be posting updates about my life as an indie author. Since I’m exploring the classics, expect the occasional poem or short piece as I experiment.
For centuries, land-bound descendants of Merpeople have been confined to hidden districts. Read The Sea Rose and sequel The Sea King if you wish to read their stories.
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Recent posts
Miss Marjorie Brahms, daughter of a mysterious wizard known by the townsfolk as Bamoy, is having a bizarre autumn. Her father, Johann, had reasons for purchasing an abandoned house situated in the middle of a graveyard in which to raise his family. That did not mean that evil spirits could never find them.
Mariella Hunt 