Celeste, Author at A Literary Escape

2022 Support Book Bloggers Challenge: May Check-in

Published on May 24, 2022May 22, 2022 by Celeste5 Comments

In an effort to support and promote book bloggers further in 2022, Pages Unbound is hosting a (very casual) “Support Book Bloggers” Challenge. The idea is simple: we will work together to read blog posts, share them, comment on them, and boost book bloggers in other ways. To learn more about the challenge and the 12 prompts involved, visit the original post here. (The above banner was created by Pages Unbound.)

If you decide to join in on the fun, the social media hashtag to use is #BookBloggerSupport22.

Here are my responses to the previous prompts:

January: Find 10 book bloggers you’ve enjoyed reading and give them a shoutout
February: Find 10 new-to-you book bloggers to follow
March: Comment on 10 book blog posts
April: How to support book bloggers

Without further ado, keep reading for May’s prompt.

I interpreted this as sharing directly from a book blogger’s website. So here are 10 blog posts I shared to my Twitter account.

#Blogtour #Review – Sistersong by Lucy Holland on Blue Book Balloon
Book Review: The City Of Dusk (The Dark Gods #1), by Tara Sim on KBbookreviews
How to Use Post Tags Correctly | SEO Basics on Reader Voracious
I n Praise of Mythopoeic Fantasy on Peat Long’s Blog
A Deep Dive Into The Book Community’s Toxic Cancel Culture on Frappes and Fiction
Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber – ARC Review! on Becky’s Book Blog
SEO Beginners Guide For Bloggers on Tales from Absurdia
When Women Were Dragons book review on Curiosity Killed the Bookworm
Decolonizing Story Structure & Literary Form with Lilly Lu on Bookish Brews
Let’s Talk: Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week on Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub

Book Review: The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick

Published on May 23, 2022November 29, 2024 by Celeste3 Comments

Today’s review is about THE NORTH WIND by Alexandria Warwick. It’s the first book in The Four Winds series, though I believe it reads as a standalone within a series. This first installment is a dark fantasy romance billed as a cross between Hades and Persephone and Beauty and the Beast.

Author: Alexandria Warwick
Series: The Four Winds #1
Age Category: New Adult/Adult
Publisher: Andromeda Press
Publish Date: January 13, 2022
Print Length: 551

Want to support local bookstores? Buy a copy of The North Wind on Bookshop.org!*

*These are not affiliate links and I do not make a commission from any purchase made using these links.

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The Dark Side of Fantasy

Published on May 20, 2022June 11, 2022 by Celeste2 Comments

IMAGE CREDITS: tree wolf image by chic2view on 123RF.com. The gorgeous tree wolf is not royalty-free, but is licensed for use to promote Wyrd and Wonder online. You are welcome to use the banner on your Wyrd and Wonder posts, but please make no changes (except to resize if needed) and always credit the artist!

Wyrd and Wonder is a celebration of all things fantasy. The format of figurative consumption doesn’t matter. You can read, watch, game, puzzle, etc. anything fantasy! To learn more visit my introduction post, which includes links to the hosts and more information about this month-long appreciation of the fantasy genre.

Today’s Wyrd and Wonder prompt is “dark:”

Time to celebrate a subgenre – choose your path wisely, whether you love grimdark, dark fantasy, or horror.

When I stop to think about the type of fantasy I read, it comes down to either fantasy with romance or dark fantasy. Usually there’s some of both subgenres in a fantasy book that I pick up.

What is dark fantasy? Fantasy Book Fanatic describes this subgenre as “typified by a deliberately ominous tone, reinforcing what is commonly perceived as a “gloomy” atmosphere. Standard features of fantasy are deliberately intertwined with a sense of terror and dread to create this sinister subcategory of fantasy.” FBF lists characteristics often found in dark fantasy books, which can include a deliberately ominous tone; the possibility that evil can win; themes of good vs. evil; a lack of heroes; elements of horror; and a gloomy atmosphere.

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Fantasy Landscapes

Published on May 18, 2022June 11, 2022 by Celeste6 Comments

If you’re not sure what Wyrd and Wonder is, check out my introduction post for more information. Imyril, one of the hosts, also has a post with all of the prompts.

Today’s Wyrd and Wonder prompt is fantasy landscapes.

What landscapes or locations feel particularly fantastical to you – and why? Could be (cover) artworks, film / tv locations, places you’ve visited, castles, spooky houses, soaring towers in mountains, beautiful woodland groves, shadowy urban fantasy streets, pools like portals to other worlds – what makes your imagination sing?

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BBNYA 2022 Panelist Announcement

Published on May 17, 2022May 15, 2022 by Celeste3 Comments

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I wanted to make a quick post to announce that I’m a panelist for the 2022 Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA)! After some internal deliberation and reaching out for more information, I decided I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to join a team of like-minded individuals. I reviewed or spotlighted a few BBNYA 2021 books earlier this year through The Write Reads. And after enjoying these stellar books I thought it would be fun to help with the selection process!

For those who don’t know what BBNYA is, it’s “a competition for indie authors (both self-published and published by small indie presses).” To learn more about BBNYA, visit their website. Author sign-ups are open through May 28. So there’s still time to enter your self-published or small indie press book into the competition.

I look forward to discovering some new favorites throughout this process. If you’re also a panelist, let me know!

Credit for these BBNYA images goes to Jenn @JennieLy from Jenniely.com.

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