Blog Tour | Askefise by Rebecca Schmid

About the Book:

Askefise
by Rebecca Schmid
Publication: 12 October 2022
Publisher: Schara Reeves Press
Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Tales of Redemeré: Book I
ASKEFISE
n. One who blows on ashes to bring them to flame.

In a time before the Great War has ravaged the land, two sisters stumble across a lone traveler who calls himself Tyron. They tell him that they’re just passersby. He tells them that he’s nobody.

They’re all lying.

When the sisters begrudgingly agree to take Tyron with them to safety, they have no idea what they set in motion. One thing’s for certain: The world of Eatris will never be the same.

For once Tyron has started, there’s no turning back.

Amazon
Goodreads

"The story is splashed with action and romance, has simple but well done political intrigue, and includes thoughtful disability representation. It also pictures complex familial relationships and how trauma shapes us as we grow up. It got me engaged all the way through."
-Tiny Elf Arcanist
"it's a very well written book with a very solid storyline and characters that you can't help but root for."
-Patricia
"Overall, this is a great book for fantasy fans, with flawed but likeable characters in a detailed and fascinating world. Bring on book 2!"
-Books, Cats, Etc.


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About the Author:

Rebecca Schmid is an author and pianist from upstate New York. She credits her parents for fostering her love of books and writing. With their encouragement, she has been writing since she was a teenager (though she cringes at the thought of those early drafts) along with her best friend and sister-in-law, Niamh Schmid. Together, they co-authored the series, A Daughter’s Ransom, debuting their first book in 2020. Both have continued to explore the TetraWorlds in solo works as well as joint projects.

While books and music take up most of her time, Rebecca enjoys dabbling in many other hobbies such as painting, horse riding, history, archery, hiking, martial arts, and more. If anyone asks her why she needs so many past times, her excuse is simple: “I’m researching…for my book, of course.”

You can find her on many different social media platforms under her imprint name, Schara Reeves Press (@ScharaReeves)

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Blog Tour | ADVOCATUS by A.R. Turner

ADVOCATUS by A.R. Turner
Publication: 17th January 2022
Publisher: Cloaked Press
Genre: Fantasy

About the Book:

ADVOCATUS tells the tale of Felix, a junior lawyer with one last case before he can strike out on his own.

His client? A terrifying magical warlord accused of, amongst other horrifying crimes, two counts of Attempted Genocide (and six counts of Theft). His plea? Innocent, of course! All in a day’s work for Felix.

Psychic frogs, downtrodden goblins, time-travelling wizards, and a whole host of other magical defendants become his caseload as Felix begins trying to make a name for himself as a successful lawyer in a world rife with sorcery.

The biggest case of his life: defending humanity in front of Habeus, the God of Justice himself. Lose, and it’s all over. Not just for him, but for the whole of mankind.

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About the Author:

Born on the Isle of Wight in the south of England, Alex now lives in South Wales with his wife and cat, where he divides his time between reading, writing and board games. Having always wanted to read a book about a lawyer in a fantasy world (but never successfully finding one), Alex finally realized that there was nothing else for it: he was going to have to write it himself. His other passion in life is a board game called Blood Bowl. He talks about it often in his podcast and one day hopes to compete in the Chaos Cup or other big global tournaments. Check his podcast here: https://anythingbuta1podcast.wordpress.com

Author Socials:
Website: https://www.arturnerauthor.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/A_R_Turner
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/A.R.Turner.ART
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22043280.A_R_Turner
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_r_turner_writes/
Cloaked Press: https://www.cloakedpress.com/ata-arturner/

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Blog Tour | HAG OF THE HILLS by J. T. T. Ryder

HAG OF THE HILLS
by J. T. T. Ryder
Publication: March 1st, 2022
Publisher: Old World Heroism ENK
Genre: Adult Fantasy

About the Book:

“Nothing is unconquerable; even our gods can die.”

Brennus is destined from birth to become a warrior, despite his farmer’s life. But when the Hillmen kill his family and annihilate his clan, he now has the opportunity to avenge those who he loved.

Brennus must survive endless hordes of invading Hillmen and magic-wielding sidhe, aided by only a band of shifty mercenaries, and an ancient bronze sword.

Failure means his family and clan go unavenged. Victory will bring glory to Brennus and his ancestors.

Hag of the Hills is a heroic fantasy novel set in 200 B.C. on the Isle of Skye, steeped in Celtic mythology and culture.

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About the Author:

   

Joseph Thomas Thor Ryder is an archaeologist and author of the heroic fantasy novel HAG OF THE HILLS, book 1 of THE BRONZE SWORD CYCLES duology. He is a published author of Viking archaeology, and a doctoral candidate specializing in the Viking Age and Celtic Iron Age. He resides in Norway where he conducts archaeological research and writes heroic fantasy set in historical periods.

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MY WORD FOR THE YEAR 2021

A long time ago, my maternal grandfather used to talk about the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. In so many words, he had described it as horrible three years. He was a newly-graduate Agricultural engineer then. And being educated, the Japanese officers forced him to teach school instead, where he eventually met my aboriginal grandmother. So, good things sometimes emerge from horrible times. While most people want to count off those three years of suffering, my grandfather cannot and will not because of love.

Why share this story? Well, we all experienced the Year 2020. Horrible things happened, and although we wanted to count them off, we can’t. Our frontline heroes deserve to be remembered and honored. We continue to thank those who provide us with relief from depression and worries each day. For me, it’s Twitter, friends, and family, and books. A colleague, who lives alone, brings in coffee for us on days we have to come for work. He said that still seeing us face to face allows him to hope despite the mask and the 6-feet gap. And I have to say that we’ve now perfected smiling with our eyes. Also, I was relieved that my students like my playlist during tests. Thanks, Tones and I, for Dance Monkey!

Don’t get me wrong, my fears are still here, but I have hope as my shield. For 2021, I have resolved to soldier on despite the odds. Overcome. Yes, I believe it is a fitting word for me this year. And that’s what I hope for everyone as well.

By the way, The Page Walker turned eight (8) this year, another reason to be thankful. And I am grateful for my readers, for the publishers, publicists, and authors who collaborated with me all these times. Godspeed!

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READ AWAY THOSE PANDEMIC BLUES

  

I am reading sporadically since our province declared a state of emergency last March 18 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Under normal conditions, I would portion any book I will read into (at least) five, and then I make sure to finish a portion each day. Rule. But since the lockdown, to pick a book up again was difficult. Oftimes it takes days to nudge me back.

The night used to be my best buddy because it is quiet, the ideal time to read. I already lost count the many times I told myself “just one more chapter” right after finishing the last one. But lately, the idleness of the day leaks into the night, and I would lie awake in bed, not reading at all, wishing the Sandman will be kind.

The last two months of winter were the most challenging as I cannot walk around the park or sit on a bench and read. The best I could do was taking the pup for a quick walk out on the sidewalk.

Boohoo, right? My husband said that it was from the stress of worrying, which is true. So, I thought of ways to bust these pandemic blues away and get my reading mojo back on track.

MORE AUDIOBOOKS

I’ve been reading with audiobooks before. Although I usually set them aside for walking and long bus rides, I now cling to them more often. I bought the audiobook copies of my most anticipated list from Google Play. I read along while listening as much as I could, but often, I switch to just listening. And those I could not go thru even in audio, I drop. I figured it is not the time to dawdle on things I cannot finish on the first go.

WHILE EATING

I work mostly from home, even before the lockdown. And so, weekdays leave me eating lunch alone. The house rule is no reading, or internet browsing, or phones while we are having meals together. Technically speaking then, reading while eating on my own isn’t breaking any rules.

WHILE SHOVELING

I’ve learned the art of heaping snow more efficiently during the lockdown. I’ve emptied all my worries and frustrations into it. Oh yes, that double-truck driveway and sidewalk were no match for me while I was listening to Brittany Pressley and January LaVoy.

WHILE OTHERS

I know people who also mastered the "reading while on treadmill" trick. Believe that you can do it too. I listen to audiobooks whenever or however I can squeeze them into whatever I am doing as well. I play them on speakers while cooking, folding the laundry, and (lately) gardening.

TWITTER STORIES

While some people make sure to stay away from social media to reduce stress, I go to Twitter and Facebook in search of people who share a story or two. Lucky days turn my searches into gold. Other days, my find could be an animal rescue story too. Then my faith in humanity is restored, and I am happy to pick up my book again.

TFG TO THE RESCUE

I joined the latest two online book discussions with my beloved book club. And it turned out my dear bookish friends was all I need to vanish this blues away finally. They made me realize again why I love to read. Nothing thumps the spark of lively chatter. I’ve missed them so much.

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Now that the warmer months are here, and the province is phasing its way to reopening public places and the economy, I get to walk in the park longer, seat and read, and drink my coffee in tranquility again. 

My worries, of course, is not more valid than what others may have, and we battle them differently as well. I merely hope my undertakings during these difficult times will motivate you likewise to read your pandemic blues away too.

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STAND!

  

Hello, 2020

A New Year and a new decade have come. Most people have made their list of resolutions by now, but it's certainly not too late to join the bandwagon if you haven’t yet. I for one am not fond of making a list of resolutions every year. I choose my yearly word instead. And this year is…
                 Stand!

I am contemplating on the things I should be standing in still and those things I may have failed to stand for and if I do have regrets about them. Regret is such an inauspicious word to start the year, so I might have to skip that part and move on.

As always, I stand for kindness. Let us be kinder to ourselves and others. Flex the effort to be kind, even in mourning or victory; to be firm in being kind before anything else. I stand for family and friendship. Let us be more generous in giving them the gift of time. Take the time to laugh and listen and the time to share. I stand for peace. Not the quiet kind, but the one that resonates. The kind of peace that heals gaps, multiplies charity, holds the light up, and flames hospitality. We can all be couch potatoes for our serials and dramas, but we have to stand for something firmer at the end of the day. The adage "If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything." is quite accurate on that. 

And, speaking of moving on, The Page Walker is in its 7th year today. Yay! Thank you for staying with me. I appreciate all the visits, comments, and emails I receive. I also acknowledge every author, publicist, and publisher whom I have worked with and trusted me with their books. Here’s hoping for more books and collaborations this year.

Godspeed, everyone!

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THIS IS NEW

Hello. It’s been a while since my last entry and that got me thinking if any of you are still out there. 😅*crossing fingers The last few weeks had been very busy and, as you may know, moving into another country (another continent, really) is never easy. As of now, it’s acquainting with the new house, the new bed, the climate, and a timeline for me. The most challenging, right now, is getting acquainted with the new church. Will I ever be acquainted? That is. I’ve always believed in the fact that to belong to a church I need to have a purpose. So, let’s see if I can identify my purpose here.

Did I say I was busy? Well, I’ve been busy touring around Alberta, Canada. Believe me, it’s not a posh endeavor. Don’t get me wrong, the places we’ve been are absolutely interesting and wonderful, but the drive was long and, well, long. Good thing we have Cindy Lauper to accompany us most of the time. 🎵 I drove all night to get to you.🎶

My hubby, being adorable as he’d always been, drove me to browse around CrossIron Mills Outlets Mall. I unashamedly bought boots, clothes, and food. Go ahead, judge me for being a girl.😜 But, even though, there’s an Indigo outlet, I didn’t get any book. I was busy looking at what book people picked up, instead.

There was this one morning when we drove to see the beautiful frozen Lake Louise, which is absolutely pristine, but freakishly cold too. Hubby said that we should go back in the summer, and we really should. We also went to see the Banff Park Museum, which was very educational and startling. Although, it’s a place I’m sure my daughter would never enter by choice, because of the huge taxidermy collection. She’s an animal person, you see. They have some really interesting shops in that town. Plenty of people, too. The line at Starbucks was ridiculous, I tell you, but it gave me enough time to observe people. I’ve been spending a lot of time observing people lately, hmmm.

We spent one Sunday afternoon walking around downtown Calgary –taking pictures and internalizing how to be tourists. This is followed by an even more interesting Monday, driving around looking into Calgary’s independent bookstores and chatting with their accommodating store clerks. I’m going to write a piece about that on a different post.

On our way to Saskatchewan, we drove first into Drumheller. Dinosaurs walk that town. We went to see the Tyrell Museum, Homestead Museum, and the Hoodoos. The whole trip was wonderful. I literally want to take pictures of every hump and rock formations. It’s a warm place, where the sun sets a couple of hours before midnight. And it was funny and cool walking around wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night.😎

Here’s the thing, moving continent, I also need to move my files and whatnot. So I’m doing my best to move my book reviews into one place, where there’s actually a working chronological order. Be forewarned that I’ll be posting pre-Blogger book reviews I wrote in Shelfari, Goodreads, and Tumblr. Hopefully, they will not bore you.  You let me know, okay?

Before I forgot, I’ve been to concerts and had drinks, of course. Thank you to all the wonderful people who provided our tickets. So, yeah, I just want you guys to know that I still have a nightlife, despite the cold, here in the new continent.

Sorry for not writing sooner. I’ll sit again to write something actually book related, promise.

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ON HOW I HANDLE REJECTION

by Legami

Every now and then, I get book-related questions, through email or through the blog’s contact form, from different sorts of visitors – authors, fellow reader, students with paperwork, surveyor, and trolls. I’m not sure how many of them are actually my blog followers, but I do appreciate their effort in bothering to contact me (trolls included). I admit to having varied ways of neglecting them; oftentimes, it took me weeks before I can sort the interesting from the insignificant. Most interesting at times, it’s the trolls who have more significant questions, if you can believe that.

I was asked a few months back if I was ever declined by a publisher in Netgalley. I assumed that the question came from a fellow site user, who is pretty new at it, and have been recently declined. However, since my querier did not leave any contact information, I decided to answer this question here. And hopefully, this will help others, out there, who experienced the same.

The truth.

The answer is a resounding YES, I have. I was declined 56 times, the last one, in fact, was last January 14 of this year. Now, that was almost as many times I was approved. The general reason I got for being declined was that the publisher already hit their galley limit.  It probably meant that I sent my request too close to the publishing date, or a number of requests already came through before mine. However, there were three incidents wherein publishers declined me because they were dissatisfied with my profile information. They cited several reasons as to why. Some of these rejections even came from publishers who approved my previous requests. Some were even sequels to books I have reviewed for them before.

Keep at it.

Was I disappointed? Yes. Was I discouraged? No.  I just keep on requesting for other books I like. I continue updating my profile, because, of course, changes happen. And I keep reading and blogging.  And, then I get pre-approval from publishers. Not just for one particular book, but for all their new releases. To show them my appreciation, I request and review books from their racks every month. I can be a grateful bitch if I want to. 

There were times, too, when the author or a publicist will directly email their galley, or send download links, which is generous, of course. 

I am not trying to boast here. I am simply telling you, guys, good things also happen to hardworking and honest reviewers/bloggers.

Not just a reader.

Every time I get declined, I’d tell myself that it was not my loss; it was theirs because mine was another recommendation they will never have. What some publishers failed to see was that not all reviewers from Netgalley are just professional readers. Most of us are “book lovers”, we are born to read books. Readers like me will not just submit feedback for the galley, we will actually buy a printed copy if we liked it, take pictures of them, and put them on display or post them on social media. 

There are two motives for reading a book;
one, that you enjoy it;
the other,that you can boast about it.
~Bertrand Russell

Crazy as this may sound, but I even buy the audiobook when it becomes available. I became a completist of authors, because of some great galley proofs I’ve read.

My advice to my fellow NetGalley users, keep going to the site, keep requesting for books that appeal to you, and keep recommending; because you are there not for the rating, not for the pride of badges, but FOR THE LOVE OF BOOKS. For a bit of more cohesive advice on how to improve your approval rate, though, you may want to read Savy's post.

P.S.

And this last bit is for the publicists who use “Review Opportunity” on their email heading:  Whose opportunity are you referring? May I suggest Barb Drozdowich’s Book Blogger Survey for references before emailing book reviewers?

Good day, everyone. Thanks for keeping with my ramblings.

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Why Read Translated Works?

This was a question sent to me a few months back. I never had the chance to answer this earlier, mainly because I feel I have no substantial answer, to begin with. You see, I’m no expert on the subject, and anything I’ll say here is purely based on my opinion as a reader or a person who delights in reading good books. If it’s an expert’s opinion you’re after, then you’re on the wrong page. If you want to stick around, you have to take everything with a grain of salt.

I learn.

Did I buy them because they were translations? No.

So far I have read a number of translated works, none of them I bought for that reason. The truth is, only after reading most of them did I realize that they were translations. (Just to show you how deep my expertise on this subject.) And it took a while before I did realize what I like about them. 

Translation in literature, for me, is more than breaking the language barrier. It helps us learn about other cultures, their fashion, their spirituality, and their political views, how they really feel about family values and their passion for food. Most of the answers to these made me laugh, shocked at the huge difference with mine, and marveled at the similarities.

Lost in translation.

Transmitting cultural aspects through literature is a difficult mission. It is a multifaceted collection of experiences in daily life. And I am often fascinated with the translator’s ability to capture and project them, and to be understood by readers outside the original cultural condition. Sure, some readers are vexed because some sense does get lost in translation, but heck, it's not about to cause World War III, right?

Without translation, I would be limited to the borders of my own country.

The translator is my most important ally.

He introduces me to the world. -Italo Calvino

Oh, the places you'll go!

Translation is also akin to traveling to places we have not reached yet.  It’s been years, but the image of Stockholm is stockpiled in my memory on how Reg Keeland translated it for Stieg Larsson. I felt the melancholic voice of José Saramago when Margaret Jull Costa translated his memories of Azinhaga and Lisbon. I will always miss the lights of Barcelona as Lucia Graves translated it for Carlos Ruiz Zafón.

Keeping the windows open.

Lastly, whilst I read English-written works more often, I also read translations because I think it’s abnormal and restrictive to lock myself from the rest of the remarkable literature mankind have written.

It is better to have read a great work of another culture in translation

than never to have read it at all. -Henry Gratton Doyle

While we’re at it, here are the Best Translated Novels and Favorite Translated Literature from Goodreads Listopia. And THE MILLIONS announced the Winners for the Best Translated Book for 2016.

I'm also interested in your opinion on this matter. Please, do share.

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I Am Three and Have Plenty of Excuses

I did not forget that The Page Walker turned three this month. I intentionally did not rush off to write a post, because I’ve been thinking of the changes I need to make and how best to do them.

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2013 Reading Goals, Plans and Resolutions

Welcome! I thought it was very significant to open this new blog with this theme. 2013 is barely starting and the air hums with expectations. New Year, new life, new possibilities, and I guess in my case -a new blog.

Let’s start with the reading goals for 2013. Last year wasn't so bad, although I didn't get to read as much as I want. I think 72 books, 20,062 pages were decent enough. So this year, I am considering finishing 75 books. Every month will be halo-halo (mix) of F2F Book of the Month, one or two from a series I am following, a literary winner, a Filipino-authored book, and/or from out of random (in which, I am very fond of). For this, I am going to provide a required reading list for every month *crossing fingers*.

Moving on to Plans. Well, this new blog is one of them. I realized that I’d be depending on this for the coming months, and maybe years. I’ll need something to really focus on other than being a mom, a teacher and a reader from now on. My husband is going abroad, for God-only-knows how long. So, I’ll be clinging to this blog like a-leech-on-a-foot to vent all my “would be” feelings, rants, and raves, since my hubby will not be here to accommodate all of that. I hope you’ll bear with me, please. I’ll be setting up the “My Bottle” page for this.

Lastly, My Resolutions. During the conception of this blog, Neil Gaiman posted his New Year’s Wish on Goodreads and on his journal. Bravery and Joy was his solemn wish for everyone. For someone afraid of scattering herself across the web, this all-out blogging will be my first step into bravery. So, pray for my sake and those who will follow me that I will find joy in blogging regularly instead of mopping around and missing my husband. My second step into bravery is to face our church ministry on my own. Well, not really alone. I’m just used to doing these things with my husband as partners. So, it seems, we will serve together still –me, here on this side of the planet; and him, on the other side –with a fervent prayer that it will work out.

Wish me luck and Godspeed!

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