"100 Days Of Sunlight" Book Tour | Interview With One Of My Favorite Humans Ever + Giveaway

I have been reading Abbie's blog for over 3 years. I'm pretty sure she didn't know I existed for most of that
time but I still freaking adored her. Her enthusiasm and writing style and videos are all so awesome. A lot
of her stuff (especially on youtube) is geared more toward fiction writers and doesn't exactly interest me
but all of her posts on scheduling and productivity are so crazy inspiring. So when she said she was
releasing her first book I absolutely had to read ittttttt. I was gifted an arc ebook copy (but all thoughts are
of course my own. This post is going to be an interview with Abbie, my thoughts on the book, and a
giveaway at the end!

                                                

Mini Review

If you want a full summery of the book you can check out the good reads page but basically it's about a
poetry blogger named Tessa that gets in a car accident and loses her eyesight for 100 days. So that she can
keep writing, her grandparents hire a teen boy named Weston to help her type. Because she is blind she
doesn't know that Weston has a disability as well. He doesn't have his legs and he makes everyone promise
not to tell her. 

This book was absolutely amazing and honestly not what I expected at all. Weston is one of my favorite
humans on planet earth, I love that Tessa is a blogger, you get so much background insight on the
characters that makes there actions that much more meaningful, and it's just honestly adorable. If you want
a cute little love story with a whole lot of meaning, than this is the book for you. 

Interview Time!

What has been the hardest part of self publishing?

Indie publishing is a lot of work, which is one of the big reasons why a lot of people choose not to go
indie. Unless you hire a team (or bribe unsuspecting siblings and friends into helping you out) you're
juggling this whole book-publishing thing alone. And that's a lot to take on. 

I always tell aspiring indies one thing: really research the indie publishing process and get a good
understanding of how much work you'll have to do. Make sure you're willing to put in that work, or else
your book won't be the success you dreamed of. The whole process is a major learning curve and a lot of
work.

How did you first get interested in writing?

I fell in love with stories when I was growing up. My mom would read tons of books with me and my
sister, and English was my favorite subject in school because of all the reading I had to do. I think that’s
what first inspired me to become a writer – I was amazed by the way stories can transport you to another
world and make you feel. It struck me as being pretty darn magical, and I immediately wanted to write
stories of my own.

What’s your favorite thing about your work? 

I love being creative every day. It’s so fulfilling to be able to create and express myself in my work, every
single day. Even if I’m doing something more technical like graphic design or video editing, it all requires
creativity – and it’s awesome!

How do you get over writer's block? 

By doing something totally different. Whether that’s another creative expression, exercise, road-tripping
somewhere, or just taking the day off to go see a movie or take a long drive -- anything that breaks the
cycle. I find the best way to get inspired is to break free from the habits and routines we lock ourselves
into. Doing something adventurous and fun may seem like “a waste of time”, but sometimes it’s the very
thing you need to boost productivity!

What is your favorite and least favorite thing about being a writer? 

Favorite thing: being able to create new worlds and stories and emotions out of thin air!! It’s amazing. I’ve
always had a bit of an overactive imagination and writing is the perfect thing to get all those ideas and
feelings out of my head. Telling meaningful stories is the most satisfying thing I’ve ever done. 

Least favorite thing: self doubt!! It happens to every creative, that little annoying voice in the back of your
head questioning if the thing you’ve created is really good enough. But I’m learning to shove that
self-doubt monster out of my mind and just do my best. :)

If you could tell your younger self one thing what would it be? 

Be confident. Never, ever be afraid to be yourself. You have an incredible future and you should hold your
head up high, girl. Listen to your heart. Enjoy every single breath, every single heartbeat of this journey. 

What’s the first story you ever wrote? 

Oh gosh. I wrote lots of books as a kid, but the first novel I finished was called “Izzy” (about a girl named
Izzy! So clever!) and it was terrible. I think I was thirteen years old. I’ve written over a million words
since then, and I’m happy to say that I’ve improved a lot. Haha!

Who is your biggest writing inspiration?

So many people inspire me! But my mom, sister, and dad have to take first place for the most inspiring
people I know. They constantly encourage and uplift me, and give me confidence when I need it most.

Thank you so much for having me on your blog today, Nabila! It was a pleasure chatting with you about
all things writing. :D

Ahhhh you're amazing!! Thanks for being on my blog Abiee!

Giveaway Giveaway Giveaway

And now finally it's giveaway timmmmme.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you enjoyed this post and good luck if you entered the giveaway (it's incredibly worth it)! Comment down below your recent book fave! 

The Blood Prince Blog Tour | Interview With Josie Jaffery AKA GETTING TO INTERVIEW ONE OF MY FAVE AUTHORS + Giveaways

I have a superrrrrr exciting interview planned for today! If you follow me on Instagram you have probably heard me talk about how much I lovvvvve The Sovereign Trilogy especially the first two books. It has literally become one of my favorite series on earth. I love the writing and the format and the storyline and the characters and the relationship between the characters and just ahhhhhhhh. YOU SHOULD READ THEM. Today I'm celebrating the release of the 3rd book, The Blood Prince. Josie Jaffrey has kindly let me interview her!! If you want to read some awesome answers (and questions if I do say so myself) about lots of things (but especially writing and of course her new book!!) then read on. :)

When did you start writing and why?

I’ve always written stories, but my first foray into novel-writing was back when I was in
University. I wrote about a tenth of a novel, then gave up and started another, then gave
up and started drawing a graphic novel instead, and so it continued until I started writing
A Bargain in Silver in 2014. Then, for the first time, I felt like I had a story with enough
momentum to get me to the end of a whole book. I’ve been writing novels ever since.

I can totally relate to starting a writing project but just never finishing haha. Can
you remember the first story you ever wrote? What was it?

The first story I remember writing was in primary school. I must have been about six,
and I wrote a story about a dinosaur, illustrated by a picture of a T-Rex. A lot of my
stories were about dinosaurs! Then I moved on to ghosts and vampires, and I’ve never
looked back. I love paranormal stories, and I’m a sucker for mythology too.

Nice! I love everything paranormal and mythology to! What are your biggest tips
for others who want to get into writing?

Write! It’s easy to spend months and months ‘planning’ a book, but honestly I find it
difficult to work out the smaller plot details of any novel upfront. I start with a clear arc
for each of the characters and the novel as a whole, then just wing it from there. A lot of
the intricacies of the story turn up while I’m writing. I think a lot of writers are
perfectionists, but you have to accept that you likely won’t have your book perfectly
plotted before you start writing it. Things will change as you go along, and your first
draft will never be your last one.

My other piece of advice is to read. Read widely and constantly, because there’s no
better way to learn how to write well than to analyse the way that other people craft
stories.

It's crazy how much things can change after you actually start. What are your
biggest tips for others looking into publishing?

If you would like to get a book published, then there are basically two routes: you can
self-publish, or you can submit to agents and try to get published by a traditional
publisher. It’s important to understand the benefits of each approach, and decide which
is for you before you start. I’ve recorded some YouTube videos in which I discuss this
further, and you can find those here:

-Why I self-publish

-How Jericho Writers can help you to get published

What's your favorite character that you've written? If there one that largely
reminds you of you?

In the Solis Invicti series, my favourite was Sol. I love his rational detachment. There’s
something slightly psychopathic about it that I find really engaging. In the Sovereign
series, my favourite is definitely Cam. He’s just the best friend anyone could ever wish
for.

A part of you always ends up in your characters, because the way we write stories
reflects the way we think about the world, but honestly there isn’t any one of my
characters that entirely reminds me of myself. There’s a little of me in each of them, but
I try to impose some distance.

Ahhhh I love Cam too haha. And yeah totally that makes sense! Who are your
biggest role models and inspirations?

Although my writing is very different from his, I always found Terry Pratchett very
inspiring. I love his novels, particularly the Discworld, and I aspire to write people as
sympathetically as he did.

Cool! Where did you get the inspiration for this series?

The Sovereign series really suggested itself. The Solis Invicti series ends with a zombie
apocalypse having been contained, but with millions dead. I found myself wondering
how society was going to put itself back together, and what the world would look like
hundreds of years later. Predictably, I imagined a world a little darker and more broken
than I first expected it to be. I had a huge amount of fun creating that world.

When you're not writing what are some of the most likely things we would find you
doing?

I spend most of my free time reading. I run The Gin Book Club, posting written and video book reviews (www.theginbookclub.com), and I generally read a couple of books a week. I also love rowing (I live in Oxford, where rowing is a fairly popular sport), and am just about to start getting back into it.

Yesss reading is the best! And rowing sounds so fun! Good luck with getting back into it and everything. :)

Yay wasn't that super cool?! Now that you are obsessed with Josie and everything that she is as I am?? I'm going to tell you a bit more about the book and how to buy itttt.

About The Blood Prince:

The price of freedom is always paid in blood.

The sovereigns of the Silver have awakened, but the Queen is a fractured shell of
the woman Cam remembers. He hopes to put her back together by finding her son,
the missing prince. At least, that’s what he tells his friends when he leaves for the
Red.

Back in the Blue, Julia’s old tormentor Rufus is hounding her at every turn. She’s
sick of feeling powerless, but she has a plan that will bring the Nobles to their knees.

All she needs is blood.

The Blood Prince is the final book in Josie Jaffrey’s Sovereign trilogy, set in a
dystopian Europe where vampiric Nobles control the last remnants of the human
race.

Check out the other stops on the tour!

Links:

-Author Website

-Kindle edition of The Blood Prince*

-Get a free kindle copy of the first book

-Paperback copy of the first book*

-The second book: The Silver Queen*

*If you buy through my link I will gain a small commission at no extra cost to you

Some Giveaways

1. Living Underground, a very short standalone vampire romance, is currently FREE to download (until 17th Feb). Download here.

2. The Gilded King, the first book in the Sovereign series, is FREE to download. Links here.

3. Join Josie's Readers' Club and get a FREE short story (a prequel to the Solis Invicti series). Join here.

4. Enter Josie's giveaway for a chance to win a signed paperback copy of one of her books (winner's choice). Enter here. 

Comment down below if you've read any of her books or if you want to! Also, I alwayssss love reading recommendations and I would love to know your fave book. :) 

The Daily Life Of Hailey Grace Book Giveaway

I have a super exciting post today! Beloved is doing a guest post as part of her blog tour for her new
book The Daily Life Of Hailey Grace. First up I'm going to share a bit about the book and her and
everything. :) There is also a giveaway for the book at the end!!

Beloved is a ministry leader and Christian Romance Author born and raised in Miami, FL. She spends
much of her time studying the scriptures and has a gift for sharing the Gospel. Through her debut
novel, Beloved hopes to inspire youth to seek God whole-heartily, knowing there is nothing impossible
with Him on their side!

Website: www.belovedauthor.com
Facebook: belovedchrist
Instagram: @belovedforever2018
Twitter: beloved4jesus

Book Blurb:

For Hailey Grace, birthdays suck! She hopes with all her heart that her big day passes without gifts, or
even a birthday wish. But with loving parents and two witty best friends who keep her on her toes,
there’s no telling what adventure Hailey Grace will be forced to explore this time. Unexpectedly, her
best friend Alex challenges her to do something she’s never done before. With that comes a whole new
set of rules, and another life Hailey isn’t sure she’s quite ready for. Now questioning all that she has
ever believed, she takes Alex up on the dare by asking for something that no one but God can give her.
Her request also comes with a twenty-four-hour deadline. As the minutes slowly but surely tick by,
Hailey’s life shifts into overdrive and she wonders if she has asked for too much too soon.

Now for the guest postttttttttt

Thank you for having me on your blog today! I am so excited to be featured and I am honored that you
have taken the time to share my heart with your readers. I must say it is rather liberating to be able to
discuss a topic of my choice. So, I’ve decided to share with you all today about an author who has and
continues to inspire me. I’m sure you have heard of Christian Fiction author Colleen Coble. Right?
 Well, if you haven’t then I encourage you to pick up any one of her titles today. She has an amazing
gift for storytelling. I was personally led to read one of her books by the Holy Spirit one day. That was
truly the day I discovered a beautiful writer. A lovely suspenseful tale that kept me on the edge of my
seat. I couldn’t stop reading. Throughout every novel she writes, I find myself praying for her and even
her characters! I must say that’s when you know you’ve written a good book.
I wanted to take a moment to honor Colleen Coble because her literary works inspired me while on my
own writing journey. God blessed her and many other authors to write life-changing fiction, and
through their stories, my hope is rekindled. My faith soared. My passion for Jesus burned. That fire is
still igniting, and I am grateful for this genre. I believe stories are a very powerful weapon that is useful
for ministry. The gift of stories has sustained the oppressed. Comfort the brokenhearted. Enriched the
thirst for knowledge and healed the sick. Those who were sick in their body, mind, and soul, often
found deliverance in storytelling. Whether those stories were written, read, or spoken. Words paint
pictures. They restore hope. They never cease to be a refuge in the midst of the storms. Let’s face it, we
all have that one in common. We endure storms. You wouldn’t be drinking in these words right now if
you haven’t endured a storm or two.
   “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) That scripture doesn’t come with an age
requirement. But it does come with a promise. A promise of peace, because Jesus is our peace.  A
promise that we will overcome because Jesus has overcome. In that my beloved, is what Colleen Coble
books give me. Tales of faith. Promises of hope. Inspirations of love.
                                                                                                                                        Eternally,
                                                                                                                                        Beloved

a Rafflecopter giveaway