Hi, loves! I've continued writing my TV show, and I managed to finish Philip's exercise scene I mentioned in Daphné's scene. Hopefully, you will connect with Philip and his quirky but loving personality. Who is my faceclaim for dear Philip Grayson? The amazing Cameron Monaghan, ladies, gents, and all other folks! Yes, in my head, my Philip is a redhead ^.^. Continue reading

About the Book: In Hiro’s world, youkai are a supernatural story used to scare children into obedience, and to keep men out of back alleys and brothels. Until Sakurai Hideyoshi walks through his door with a fantastical tale of a samurai who had killed a thousand men and drank the blood of his enemies, a man that lived in darkness but sought beauty to keep it at bay. A story both terrifying and romantic…and completely ridiculous. Unless it is true. Convinced something softer lurks behind Hideyoshi’s hard mask, Hiro follows him home. And discovers the story is real. Continue reading

Hello, folks! So, I've told you a year ago how I started screenwriting. I love it! While I paused the writing of my movie, I'm having a blast writing my TV show! I took three screenwriting courses, including one last month for a TV show pilot and it was not only extremely enjoyable but also very informative (which I'll tell you about in another post as a review). As an exercise in the last course, I had to write a scene where my protagonist went to a restaurant alone. Since I have two protagonists, Daphné and Philip, I decided to write two scenes. Thus, I am sharing the scene with Daphné so you can get a taste of my screenwriting and connect with her (hopefully). Continue reading

What do I have to say about Yellow Wife? Here, summarized: I… Well… my feels… I just… Wow!!! Okay, wait a minute now! Let me explain my reactions better. Please do proceed by reading my review and I promise it will make sense. Continue reading

Now, what a title: Exorcism! Shocking, I know. But when it comes to horror stories, whether movies or books, my favorites are about possession (demonic, please). Why? I don’t know but I find it fascinating and horrifying. So, when I was offered by BookTasters (thanks!) to read The Exorcism of Little Billy Wagner, how could I say no? It was right there in the title! Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. In my opinion, while it has some strong flaws, it’s also pretty enjoyable and I had a good feeling reading it. Care to know all of my reasons and why it’s a good book nevertheless? Read on, folks! Come with me into the abyss of a possession story… Continue reading

I don’t know if I’ve been clear enough, being a polyglot and all, but I adore languages. They make me vibrate and live! But the grammatical cases in certain languages such as Greek (the first time I encountered them), Finnish, and Polish. While they’re all difficult in their own right (I deem Greek’s cases being the “softest one”, thus the easiest), none beats those in Polish. I love the language, its sounds and conjugations and vocabulary and rhythm just make my heart warm. But the cases? They’re my biggest hurdle in learning this wonderful language, and they’ve been from day one. However, I’ve lately realized to change my usual learning pattern in order to better accommodate to the Polish specific requirements. I believe the answer to master the cases lies in a simple switch of thought pattern and method. Since I applied this new technique, I learned the genitive, the accusative, and the instrumental, which is a great improvement from my stagnation! Now, how did I do it and how can you implement it, too? Let’s see this together, folks! Continue reading

Get this: I’m at the 70% mark in my novel The Rise of a Heroine: Resurgence!!! Yup, I’m nearly at 3/4 and I think my progress amazing! I never got this far in any of my books, but this one’s really hitting it (if I may say so what with Miranda being a boxing student). Continue reading

When I saw Other Worlds Ink offering a blog tour for Warren Rochelle’s The Wicked Stepbrother and Other Stories, I immediately felt compelled to sign up to help spread the word about an LGBTQ fairy tale retelling short story collection! I hope you'll do just the same. Missed the book review? Click here! Today I've got something special for you, dears. An interview between the author, Warren Rochelle, and one of his characters, His Majesty, Aidan IV, King of Joria and Prince of New Roesk. Now, that's exciting! I always had a fondness for character interviews, so this delights me, too! Ready? Have fun reading like I have! (And read until the bottom of the page: there's an Amazon giveaway!) Continue reading

When I saw Other Worlds Ink offering a blog tour for Warren Rochelle’s The Wicked Stepbrother and Other Stories, I immediately felt compelled to sign up and review it. Kindly enough, I received an ARC of what felt both a revelation and an exciting event: an LGBTQ fairy tale retelling book by an own voice for us! I. just. couldn’t. resist! There are so many good sides in this book to explore. Care to do so with me? Read on, loves! Continue reading

When I was offered to review Extreme by Joan Gelfand (a paperback copy no less!), I couldn’t say no. I was intrigued about the techy and Silicon Valley aspects of this story right from the start. A startup? Seen from a woman’s perspective? I had to read it. If this sounds interesting to you as well, then let’s explore the story’s strengths and flaws together, shall we? Continue reading

Introduction: I was kindly offered by BookTasters to review one of the books they had, and Tavern’s blurb stood out to me. It sounded so fantasy-like and magical… How could I resist? So, here I am, reviewing it with pleasure! I hope many of you will find this read to their liking as I did. Shall we go on a quest together and explore this book in more details? Come, dear reader… Continue reading

When I was offered the opportunity to review a historical fiction book for Harper Collins via the Harper Collins Canada Frenzy program, The Paris Model’s cover and title caught my eye. “What is this beautiful, beautiful book about?” I wondered. As I read the blurb, I knew I couldn’t pass this one up. I’m a fashion lover and a huge France fan, so this was the book for me. I knew it! I was so psyched when my request was granted and I received this beauty of a galley in the mail. Huge thanks to Harper Collins and the author, Alexandra Joel, for this jewel! Now, how about we explore this book together in more details? You’ll see, it’s full of elegance, twists, and travel. But mostly, it’s a humane story full of emotions that will leave you breathless but with a feeling of satisfaction. Continue reading

WOW, guys and gals! Guess what I reached last week? That's right, 50% of my novel Rise of a Heroine: Resurgence! I'M AT 50%!!! HALFWAY THROUGH! I might not be done with it, but I count this as a big win. It's the farthest I ever got in a novel of mine, so this is huge. But also quite motivating and humbling, since it's proof of how I can succeed at this. I'm longing for the first draft. Speaking of draft, here's a picture of my thick baby printed out (of course, it's half of it since that's what I got but still it's pretty good, right?): Continue reading

There's an App for That Actually, there are many apps. I don't know if many or all of them are both on Android and iOs as I have an iPhone... Nevertheless, let's explore my favourite apps for learning Japanese! Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any of them, I just use them on a daily basis in my own study. Continue reading

This book was recommended to me on Goodreads by none other than… the publisher! Yes, Black Lawrence Press added me as a friend, followed my reviews and sent me this recommendation. I couldn’t help adding Waiting for Achilles to my “Want to read” list and, desperate for a review copy of this poetry collection, I contacted them. Graciously, they granted me a copy. I’m so thrilled to have read this raw, moving and mythical-inspired poetry book! So, not only is the cover gorgeous and quite relevant to the topics explored, the book is entertaining and deep with meaning. Let’s delve into it together, shall we? Continue reading

As for an introduction, I wanted to start in a very mature and serious way: WHERE WAS THIS BOOK WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER?! IT’S EXACTLY WHAT I WISHED FOR ALL THIS TIME! I NEEDED IT! Now that this main thought and raw emotions have been made clear, how about we explore further together the reasons why I feel this way towards this book? Continue reading

Ah, Italian. With its singsong pronunciations and poetic wordings. Just like Elizabeth Gilbert said in Eat, Pray, Love, Italians could read a grocery shopping list and their language would inspire awe. I wasn't immune to this language's charm in my teenage years, and while I'm more of a book and paper-type of language learner, I have to admit I used a few online resources over the years to master Italian. I hope these will help you in your learning as they did me. Please note I used all of them at some point or another, so I can vouch for them. Now, how about we discover more tools for your amazing endeavour? Come, read on with some red wine (perhaps), an open mind and a love for Italian. Continue reading

When I saw that beautiful cover with three women and a dragon (a dragon, so great!) who all looked powerful and intriguing, I knew I wanted to review this book. I was kindly granted my request, but alas I don’t think this book fulfilled all of its promises. At least to me. Read on to find what worked and what didn’t! *I received a free ecopy in exchange for an honest review. No compensation has been given and I write this book review willingly. A big thanks to BookTasters and V. E. Patton!* Continue reading

Resist, stray, then say no to the easy path. Time and time again. Setting goals and progressing on the path you lay for yourself is the easy part. Indeed, resisting going down the branched road titled “Easy Path” is where you’ll face the most challenges and temptations. And yes, I’m talking about all those “Learn a language in 10 days!” or “Speak fluently in 3 months!” While I don’t believe you can learn all the nuances and appreciation of a language in such little time—and that’s from being a self-taught polyglot—, I’m mostly targeting our diligence in reaching realistic goals and not straying from the path we chose. There will be obstacles. There will be temptations. And then there will be you, satisfied and proud of your hitting your goal. Just like I am now. Continue reading

When I was offered the chance to review this book, the first in the Kit Melbourne series, not only was I thrilled but it would be nearly a euphemism to say I jumped on it. An urban fantasy with a strong young woman with an intriguing, magical plot, a promise of action and a pretty good time? How could I say no? I received a free ecopy in exchange for an honest review. No compensation has been given and I write this book review willingly. A big thanks to Kater Cheek! Continue reading

Indeed, my blog, Ad Librum Aeternam, is listed as part of this beautiful and highly useful book! Not only is it a thrilling honour, but I believe it will help authors looking for the right reviewers for their book(s). And it will do so in an easy, structured manner to help you find them quickly. Continue reading

I've wanted a long-lasting, high quality pencil case to carry with me to libraries and outside for writing sessions for a long time now. Stumbling upon indie author K. M. Weiland's video of her unboxing the Writer's Medic Bag from Galen Leather Co. gave me the answer I was looking for. I'm a fan of writing utensils and stationery. While I was browsing Galen Leather Co.'s Web site, I came across a beautiful, sturdy pencil case. The best part? Not only was it purple (you can choose from several colours), it was also big enough to carry an eraser, a small ruler, and many pens while being small enough to carry with me wherever I went. So, I checked the price, which might seem a bit on the expensive side, but you have to think it's handmade out of real leather, so it's resistant. I bought it a few months ago and I've fallen in love with this pencil case as well as the Turkish family-owned company, Galen Leather Co. Continue reading

It’s no secret that I’m writing young adult (a.k.a YA) novels and series. As soon as I saw this book on NetGalley, I knew I had to read it! Hopefully, it would give me advice and guidance on how to think like a teenager and what it is to be one now that I’m an adult. I was looking to supplement my knowledge both of the craft and my audience. Guess what? It did just that and more! Let’s see how together, shall we? Continue reading

Ever wanted to read in the language you love or you’re learning but the shipping and customs costs are too high for so many times? Fear not, I found a way! The upfront cost of an ereader from another country may seem high, but then you’ll only need to purchase the ebooks to go with it. In the process, you’ll save a ton of money on import while still enjoying a pleasant time reading in the desired language! Let’s explore the two sides of this method, shall we? Continue reading

Schumann’s cover caught my eye with its different dimensionality and pleasing aesthetic. The blurb tugged at my interests and emotions, so I decided to give Praising the Paradox a chance. Poetry, you know, is something I can’t live without. And this book left a positive memory in me. Let’s see how together, shall we? Continue reading