Looking for your next great read? Head over to Smashwords and get Love Lies Bleeding now for 50% off! Love Lies Bleeding, a novel about delusion, obsession, and blood, that one reviewer called “abominably good!”
Don’t forget Blood Magic, a free story in the Love Lies Bleeding universe, about choices, transformation, and retribution.
E-books not your thing? You can also get Love Lies Bleeding in paperback at most online booksellers, including many independent bookshops (see full list here).
The sale is on until 31 July. Thanks for supporting indie ❤
Happy Canada Day to all Canadians, no matter where they find themselves on 1 July!
Did you know that Canada Day is not our independence day? It’s Canada’s birthday (happy 152nd!) July 1st marks the anniversary of Confederation, or the day the first four provinces officially joined to create the Dominion of Canada.
Long weekends are also the perfect time to catch up on your reading (how else are you going to digest all that BBQ?) Take advantage of Smashword’s sale and get Love Lies Bleedingfor half price (and Blood Magic, as always, is free). Support Canadian indie writers and have a good day 🍁
If you want to learn more about Canada, watch this short video by a couple of resident experts:
Almost three months ago I started reading a book series that I’d been meaning to get to for a while. I’d read the first book in the series years ago, but decided to re-read before (finally) continuing with the rest of the books. Although I remembered liking it at the time, I noticed a lot of issues while reading it again. A lot. Still, the main character was a good one, the story was compelling and had promise, and I already had the rest of the books. I was going to read this series.
You may have noticed I’m not mentioning the author’s name, series name, or book titles. That’s because I do not recommend them. I don’t want anyone else thinking they couldn’t possibly be that bad and deciding to find out for themselves. Don’t waste your time on these, guys. I finished the series about a month ago and can’t stop thinking about it–and not in a good way.
I am bothered. I’m bothered on a personal level as a human, on a “customer” level as a reader, and on a professional level as both a writer and editor. That awesome character from the first book? Diminished into mediocrity. It’s six books of her being chipped away at until there’s nothing left. The compelling story? Bogged down in excessive fact spewing and repetition, unnecessary/superficial side characters, and ridiculous/pointless/nonexistent plot lines. The promise the story had? Disappeared without a trace. Besides that, the end of the series was so unbelievably infuriating I still can’t get over it. It actually left me feeling personally betrayed. I’ve never so wanted to contact an author and ask them wtf they were thinking.
What do you do when something you despise gets stuck in your head? As a reader it’s difficult not to get emotionally invested, especially over the course of six 500+ page books, one of which was actually decent. As a human who needs to get on with life, though, that kind of attachment is a problem. How do you let it go?
I’m still not really sure. I can tell myself it’s “just a story,” but that doesn’t help much. It’s a story that was also an emotional investment, time investment, and an actual financial investment too, since I bought the books. But it wasn’t an investment that paid off in any way. Maybe the best thing to do is to focus on the good parts: the character’s strong beginning, the one book in the series I enjoyed, and the intellectual curiosity inspired by the setting. Maybe I should take heart that even though the author gaslit the main character (and, by extension, tried to gaslight the reader), I didn’t fall for it. That might not have been the case had I read all the books when they first came out. Maybe appreciating the little wins in a giant fail is the best–and only–way to move on.
Photo by Gelgas on Pexels.com
How about you? Have you ever felt betrayed by an author’s choices? Have you ever disliked a book/series so much that you couldn’t let it go? How did you deal with that? Share in the comments.
I’m a big fan of crafting. When I’m not reading or writing (and sometimes when I am) I can often be found working on a project, usually needlepoint, but also crocheting/knitting, jewellery making, sewing, or something else along those lines. I get inspiration from all kinds of places: my own tastes, magazines, Pinterest, friends and family–but why not combine forces and get inspired by books? Not craft books, but actual novels?
Well, other crafters thought the same thing and have come up with some great literary-inspired projects. Here are some of my favourites:
You can’t go wrong with The Little Prince. This amigurumi version by Eda Gizem K., over on Ravelry is adorable and would be fun to make. Get the free pattern here.
Perhaps not the most practical item of clothing for the non-archers among us, but still a pretty cool project. Elderflower on Craftster shares her free downloadable pattern.
Still using old receipts as bookmarks? Nothing wrong with this practical-but-dull approach. Then again, for a little effort you can mark your place in a more colourful–and personal–way with a DIY bookmark.
Morena’s Corner provides a tutorial for one of my favourite DIY projects, ever: an Alice in Wonderland-inspired flamingo croquet set. Anyone up for a game?
I’m normally not a fan of crafts that use (read: destroy) actual books, but some books really have outlived their usefulness and can be ethically sacrificed. And this awesome book bag by Mollie Makes is a worthy cause (but do try to find a book that’s damaged beyond repair, is missing pages, or isn’t valuable). Video tutorial and written instructions here.
Magnets
There are no instructions with these magnets, but they’re simple enough, and can be customized however you want. Use a clean mint tin or jar lid. Glue pictures, quotes, mini figures, and so on inside to create a scene evoking a favourite book. Then glue magnets on the back and adorn your fridge with your handiwork.
This gorgeous terrarium was originally posted on Catch My Party. Although there are no instructions, as with the magnets above it’s a pretty straightforward craft and can be customized for any theme. Keep costs low by looking for the container at secondhand stores or garage sales (you could even use a clean pickle jar, if you want).
For the Lemony Snicket fans out there, here’s a cross stitch Baudelaire bookmark from SealStitchery on Etsy. They also used to offer a “The World Is Quiet Here” pattern, but alas, no more.
Why settle for making book-themed crafts when you can make your own books? Here’s a tutorial from Homemade Gifts Made Easy on how to hand make a hardcover, Japanese-style ribbon-bound book. What’s that, you ask? Why, yes, I do accept gifts…
And just for fun, here’s a cross stitch I made in honour of Love Lies Bleeding. I didn’t use one pattern but put it together from a few patterns I found online.
Vampires Suck cross stitch by Aspasía S. Bissas
Do you craft? Have you completed any literary-inspired projects? Do you know of any good patterns online? Share in the comments…
If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥
Happy World Dracula Day! Today we celebrate the anniversary of the first publication of Bram Stoker’s vampire standard Dracula. Many of us in English-speaking countries are familiar with Stoker’s creation, but how do other countries view the Count?
Drácula, a 1931 Spanish film adaptation of Stoker’s work, was filmed at night using the same sets as the 1931 English version starring Bela Lugosi. Because the Spanish crew got to see the English dailies every night, they had a chance to adjust camera angles and other details to produce what many fans believe is a superior film.
Evil of Dracula
Evil of Dracula
Toshio Kurosawa in Evil of Dracula.
Evil of Dracula (original title: Chi o suu bara “Bloodsucking Rose”) is the third part of a Japanese trilogy, known as the Bloodthirsty Trilogy, of Dracula adaptations (some more loosely adapted than others). In this version, the vampire bites his victims on the breast, rather than on the neck (hey, it was the 70s).
Dracula, the Musical
Dracula, The Musical, poster in Seoul
Dracula, The Musical, debuted in South Korea in 2014, starring Kim Jun-su in the titular role. Although based on a 2004 Broadway musical, the Korean version seems uniquely their own. This post has plenty of photos and info, including lyrics to one of the songs. Anyone else think North America could use a rebooted musical Dracula, including the pink hair?
Dracula Adult Panto
Dracula Adult Panto in South Africa
Another stage adaptation, Dracula Adult Panto brings the gender-bent Count(ess) to South Africa, along with a dash of humour and an LGBT+ twist. At the end of the show, the venue transforms into a dance floor, and attendees spend the rest of the night partying.
Tomb of Dracula aka Κόμης Δράκουλας
Tomb of Dracula, Greek version
Not a unique adaptation, but I thought the Greek edition of Marvel’s Tomb of Dracula was worth a share. Interestingly, his title can translate to either Count or Earl (you’ve heard of Earl Grey–now tremble before Earl Dracula!) I wish my parents had thought to pick me up a few copies of these when I was a kid learning Greek; alas, my Greek-language education remained pitifully vampire free.
Which is your favourite non-English version of Dracula? Is there another one you think I should know about? Share in the comments…
Morena’s Corner provides a 
Aspasía S. Bissas 