Category: Features

All the other things

Website Theme Offer // Blogger Edition

| Claudia Victoria

Blogger Site Offer

Woo!

It’s that time again!

Web Design Shop w sig

For those who don’t know, last year (was it last year? Yeah, it was last year) I did a thing where I basically said, “HEY! I’M NEW AT CODING! SEND ME ALL YOUR DESIGN REQUESTS AND I’LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO!”

Not much has changed, to be honest.

Ha, no, well, some did. I’m more experienced. I sort of have a system going. But by all means, I’m still not a pro. I’m quite sure if a professional web designer/developer took at my code they’d freak a bit because it’s probably a bit of a mess.

But hey. I’m still learning.

Right now, I’m not able to do self-hosted WordPress themes (you’ll have to wait a bit until things are set up) but I can certainly do Blogger themes. Hence “Blogger Edition.”

Anyway, I know there’s still plenty of y’all who need some designs. And most of you probably don’t have the money/don’t care to drop $50+ on a new site design. (I know I don’t which is why I learned. Hehe.) So if you’re willing to put up with me and my still-green programming skills, I’ll be happy to do some for you.

Just remember that again, I’m still fairly new to this web designing scene. Don’t expect the most top-notch stuff, or quality on par with all the pros. I’ll try my hardest, but god knows I still have a ways to go.

If you’re looking for the best of the best (or if you’re a business) you’re better off looking for a professional designer to ensure the quality you get is the best in the business.

examples

  BAB-screenshot   

MIMDW-screenshot

TRATC-screenshot

HBT-screenshot

EOB-screenshot

ARUTS-screenshot

basic rules

  • I reserve the right to deny any request I see fit
  • I will not permit more than 4 complete redos on the initial site design. After those four redos are up and you still do not like the design, you are free to let me know that I’m not what you’re looking for and find a better match for you elsewhere. I hope it doesn’t get to that, though!
  • Time frame can be from five days to two weeks, depending on how smoothly everything goes and how busy I get with IRL stuff.
  • I do this all out of my own free will and time. Please respect that and do not use the theme I give you as something to redistribute and/or sell.
  • Credits placed in the footer of the site may not be removed.

Quick note, though: I got absolutely overwhelmed with responses last time, so this form will shut down after I get 20 of them. It’ll be down for two or three months before I put it back up again to accept another 20 forms.

Cheers!

June SST // Outrun the Moon + Interview with Stacey Lee

| Claudia Victoria

9780399175411_OutrunTheMoon_BOM.inddAuthor: Stacey Lee
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Series: N/A
Genre: Contemporary, Historical Fiction
Pages: 400
Release Date: May 24, 2016
Goodreads • Amazon

San Francisco, 1906: Fifteen-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to break from the poverty in Chinatown, and an education at St. Clare’s School for Girls is her best hope. Although St. Clare’s is off-limits to all but the wealthiest white girls, Mercy gains admittance through a mix of cunning and a little bribery, only to discover that getting in was the easiest part. Not to be undone by a bunch of spoiled heiresses, Mercy stands strong—until disaster strikes.

On April 18, a historic earthquake rocks San Francisco, destroying Mercy’s home and school. With martial law in effect, she is forced to wait with her classmates for their families in a temporary park encampment. Though fires might rage, and the city may be in shambles, Mercy can’t sit by while they wait for the army to bring help—she still has the “bossy” cheeks that mark her as someone who gets things done. But what can one teenage girl do to heal so many suffering in her broken city?

heya peeps! it’s me. (of course.)

so, the last time i was here, i did an interview with the ever-wonderful erin l. schnieder. now, i’m here with the amazing stacey lee, writer of beautiful stories with vivid characters.

(also, i WILL have a proper post up. soon. someday. next week. soooon.)

 

What was the strangest thing you had to research for this book?

Whether there were koala bears in the Golden Gate Park in 1906. There apparently were koala bears at some point (as well as bison, zebra, and peacocks), but they don’t make it into the story

What made you pick the title for it? You come up with really pretty titles, so I’m curious on how you pick them!

For this one, I read a lot of poetry! I read Coleridge, Blake, Shakespeare, London. London got me thinking about the sky, and the idea that while the earth shakes, the sky remains still. The title eventually followed!

Do you listen to music when you write?

No. I find it too distracting because I’ll want to listen to the words. Occasionally, I’ll turn on classical.

Last line you wrote?

(This line isn’t from OTM, is that okay?)

Girls hung out the windows, and sour mash blew in your face every time the door opened.

What job would you have, if you had never wanted to be an author?

Ooh, I would love to work with sea otters. or on some wildlife refuge.

How does any of your past experiences shape the story of your novels?

I think authors can’t help having their books reflect some aspect of their experience. For me, the theme of family influence on choices seems to come up a lot!

Most helpful thing you’ve learned about the publishing industry?

Just because a publisher puts major dollars behind a book does not mean a book is good, add vice versa. Marketing dollars spent is not a reflection of quality.

Favourite quote (of all time)?

Oscar Wilde said, ‘Some cause happiness wherever they go, others whenever they go.’ Strive to be the former.

Team Iron Man… or Team Cap?

I’m behind on my pop culture, one of the many things I miss now that I maintain a full time writing schedule. One day, I aim to catch up.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stacey Lee is a fourth generation Californian with roots in San Francisco Chinatown. Born in Southern California, she graduated from UCLA then got her law degree at UC Davis King Hall. She has lots of experience with earthquakes, having skinned her knees more times than she wants to remember diving under tables. One day she hopes to own a hypoallergenic horse and live by the sea. See what she’s up to on Twitter & Instagram: @staceyleeauthor.

Let me just say one thing, before y’all trample me to get to the three (!!!) glorious giveaways?

Her covers.

Are gorgeous.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

May SST // Summer of Sloane // Interview With Erin Schneider!

| Claudia Victoria

SummerOfSloaneAuthor: Erin L. Schneider
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Series: N/A
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 304
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Goodreads • Amazon

Warm Hawaiian sun. Lazy beach days. Flirty texts with her boyfriend back in Seattle.

These are the things seventeen-year-old Sloane McIntyre pictured when she imagined the summer she’d be spending at her mom’s home in Hawaii with her twin brother, Penn. Instead, after learning an unthinkable secret about her boyfriend, Tyler, and best friend, Mick, all she has is a fractured hand and a completely shattered heart.

Once she arrives in Honolulu, though, Sloane hopes that Hawaii might just be the escape she needs. With beach bonfires, old friends, exotic food, and the wonders of a waterproof cast, there’s no reason Sloane shouldn’t enjoy her summer. And when she meets Finn McAllister, the handsome son of a hotel magnate who doesn’t always play by the rules, she knows he’s the perfect distraction from everything that’s so wrong back home.

But it turns out a measly ocean isn’t nearly enough to stop all the emails, texts, and voicemails from her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend, desperate to explain away their betrayal. And as her casual connection with Finn grows deeper, Sloane’s carefree summer might not be as easy to find as she’d hoped. Weighing years of history with Mick and Tyler against their deception, and the delicate possibility of new love, Sloane must decide when to forgive, and when to live for herself.

Hey guys! Today, I’ll be posting an interview with Erin Schneider, the author of Summer of Sloane for the May SST tour. if y’all don’t know what the sst tour is, go check out the lovely founder of this street team, nori, over here!

 

So I’ve done some (stalking) poking around, and I found that you’ve attended college in Honolulu! That’s so cool, since Summer of Sloane is set in Honolulu as well! How did your experiences there shape the setting of your story?


ELS: My mom’s side of the family is Native Hawaiian and I’ve been traveling back and forth to the Islands my entire life — so when it came time to pick a college, well, what better place than Hawai’i right? And somehow I always knew I’d write and set a book there, so when I started SLOANE, Honolulu just felt like the right home for it. Besides, writing about a place I’m so familiar with is definitely much easier than guessing at a place I’ve never been!

 

Do you remember the first story you’ve ever written? What was it about?


ELS: I wrote a lengthy story about Giraffe and his bed friend, Monkey. I remember being so enthralled in this story that I tried to convince my mom to let me get a pet giraffe — who could live in our fireplace / chimney. And if that wasn’t going to work, then at the very least, she should let me have a monkey. To this day, while I know a giraffe probably wouldn’t make the best pet, I’d still like a monkey.

 

Who were the authors that you always found yourself looking up to?


ELS: Definitely Roald Dahl — to this day, he’s still one of my all time favorite authors! And of course, J.K. Rowling…I’m not quite sure another author of her caliber will ever come along, at least in my lifetime.

 

What would you do if you had hit writer’s block when writing Summer of Sloane?


ELS: I don’t know what it is, but I always have my worst bout of writer’s block every Fall. It never fails, I swear. Come September – October, I will sit and stare at my laptop for HOURS. So finally after the fourth year of having the same problem, I realized I just needed to stop writing during that time and instead, I focus on the months that I usually have my best writing moments — which is spring, usually from April – June. Not sure if it’s because of the end of the school year and the weather changing, but that’s when I do my best writing.

 

Summarize your entire book in a single photo.

ELS: This quote was actually one of the first lines I wrote for SLOANE and somehow I just knew it was going to be what I centered most of the story around:

SoS

Name a book that had the biggest impact on you in the last year?


ELS: Hands down, THE LOOSE ENDS LIST by Carrie Firestone. It’s been a long time since I sobbed uncontrollably while reading a book, but this one had me completely undone. It deals with cancer and losing people that mean the world to you, which is something I can personally relate to.

 

What sparked the idea of you becoming an author?

ELS: I’ve always wanted to write for as long as I can remember…ever since I read my first Roald Dahl book. To this day, it’s because of him, the far away make-believe worlds I created were ever put into words on paper.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Erin L. Schneider is native to the Pacific Northwest, attended college in Honolulu – and although Hawaiian – should never be allowed on a surfboard. With more than twenty years in corporate merchandising, she’s now a full-time writer living in Seattle with her husband, Neal; their baby boy, Kellan; a rowdy German shepherd named Ronin; and two crazy cats, Ono and Poke. She’s a member of both the Pacific Northwest Writers Association and SCBWI, and is also co-founder of the YA Buccaneers.

SUMMER OF SLOANE is her debut novel, out May 3, 2016 from Disney-Hyperion. Visit Erin online at Erin L Schneider or on Twitter: @ErinLSchneider1.

Erin is represented by literary agent Lisa Grubka of Fletcher & Company.

Summer of Sloane looks like the PERFECT read. Surfing + Hawaii = yes please! There’s also a wicked giveaway for y’all to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How to Be A YA Main Character // A Tutorial

| Claudia Victoria
satire is found in the post below. you have been warned.

How to be a YA Main Character

Hey there! So, wanna be a MC? Star in a book and be your own celebrity? Well, then I think you’ve found just the post! Since I’m such an expert in the field of YA MC studies, I’ve compiled a simple how-to guide to help you on your way to YA book stardom!

 

your special snowflake-ness must exceed the standard special snowflake-ness

Nobody wants to read about ordinary, plain, standard people like you and I. Totally not. That won’t sell a story. Didn’t you hear? “Normal” isn’t going to cut it. I suggest you go discover that your neighbour is actually some ancient powerful wizard who has personally been assigned as your bodyguard because clearly he doesn’t have anything more important thing to do than watch over you since you’re the next Ruler Of Magicaland. If you’re not special enough to be a unicorn (including shitting out glitter) then I think being a YA MC isn’t for you.

 

describe yourself with society’s ideal looks but deny being attractive

Part of being a main character is a crippling sense of low self-esteem when you really don’t have a reason to be one! After all, you’re the main character and you always meet society’s expectations of attractiveness and everyone thinks you’re just gorgeous. But you can’t say it, obviously. That would be too boastful. Just moan and whine about it until the people lavishly compliment you.

 

remember, knocking over stuff is endearingly clumsy and not at all irritating

Clumsy is the new cute in the YA world. Tripped over air and accidentally destroyed an object that was the world’s only hope? No big deal. I’m sure your friends can just buy another one off of eBay. Running away from Imminent Doom or Super Deadly Killer and trip over every single root, crack, and bush? It’s all cool, since they’ll never catch up to you anyway, even if you did trip over that last one. And the one before that. And the one before that.

 

popular = evil, so never be popular. but if you are, always secretly hate it

Haven’t you noticed that all the contemporary bad guys are the popular ones? There’s a reason for that. Not a good one, but many books follow it so it must be right! See, you’re a main character. Main characters don’t like mainstream stuff. And main characters aren’t supposed to be popular. Ugh. Always always always hate on them. If you happen to be one of them, don’t forget to secretly loathe it. Popular is synonymous with evil – never forget that.

 

make sure whatever you say is deep and profound (or at least quote shakespeare)

See, since you’re the MC, you’ve got to sound like it. That means always spouting perfect metaphors without mulling over them three days prior. And make sure you add some deep-but-cliche quotes from famous literary authors and figures to make you look wise and knowledgeable. Even if you say you hate books or reading, you’ll still be able to magically form amazing analogies and metaphors.

Well, that’s it! With a bit of practice here and there, anyone can be a MC! Including you!

 

Kickoff Questionnaire // Love-A-Thon 2016

| Claudia Victoria

loveathon

Today’s February 20th. That means it’s the kickoff to a wonderful thing called the Love-a-Thon! It’s hosted by the beautifuls from Alexa Loves Books, The Novel Hermit, Stay Bookish & the Daily Prophecy.

What’s your name?

Claudia!

Where in the world are you blogging from?

CANADA, BABY! And I’m currently very upset by this since winter decided that it wasn’t over and proceeded to shove away the warm, glorious sun. My jaw is still frozen from a 5min walk without a scarf.

How did you come up with your blog name?

To be honest I have no idea. I think at this point I was just pitching names around, seeing which were taken as domains and which weren’t. Typed in PenMarkings, page unavailable, boom! Blog name.

What genre do you read and review the most on your blog?

YA fantasy, mainly! Although sometimes I do dive into other YA genres.

Name the 5 books you’re most excited for this 2016!

Name the 5 books you want to read this 2016 that you didn’t get to in previous years!

What’s an underrated book or series that you think everyone should read?

DANGEROUS GIRLS, hands down. No question. Fight me.

Apart from reading, what are your other hobbies or interests?

I love to code. Web design and graphic design are like my side-hobbies, aside from blogging. I also like to play music. Of course, not well…

Apart from book shopping, what else do you like shopping for?

I love to shop for notebooks! And random art supplies. Usually they end up unused for years (which was why I only window-shop now instead of actually buying them).

What would your dream library look like?

Oh, it’d be something HUGE. Like the library from Beauty and the Beast. But bigger. Waaaaayyyy bigger.

 

That’s it! Check out those blogs I’ve lined to at the top for a list of every single blog participating in the Love-a-Thon!

Weekly Rewind #1 // My Laziness Destroyed

| Claudia Victoria

Weekly Rewind

Guess what?

(What?)

I’ve finally decided to put some effort into making a weekly recap. Now, these might be sparse because I am a lazy book potato and usually likes to ignore responsibilities with the magical phrase, “later.”

random personal updates

 

  • I CAME OUT OF MY READING SLUMP. WOOOOOO.
  • I’ve been having a bit of a Raven Boys week. Actually, I’ve been having a bit of whythefuckdoihavefeelingsifithurtssomuch week.
  • Aside from that painful reminder that I indeed do have a heart, contrary to popular opinion, I’ve been slowly grinding on my story. Which is a lot more painful than I thought it’d be.
  • I did a thing! I did a Tumblr! Find me over here.
  • I’ve been obsessing over The Raven King theories. IT’S KILLING ME. ABSOLUTELY KILLING ME.

 

the newish things i did on the blog

Ahah… ahahahahah…

See, about that.

I didn’t do shit this week. Unfortunately, I became one with the inner pinterest trash and sat on my chair clicking through all. the. photos.

All of them.

This is what I’ve posted this week:

  • Six Fictional Situations That Would Never Happen to Me

…and, fin.

 

stories i abandoned life for

 

posts that were greater than nutella

I lied.

Nothing is greater than nutella.

But I digress.

 

all the things going on

how are you?

How’d your life go? Anything fun? Interesting? Mildly horrifying? Let me know in the comments, and tell me your favourite post you’ve read this week!

 

The Infinity Dreams Awards

| Claudia Victoria

The Infinity Dreams Awards

Hey guys! The lovely Mishma from Chasing Faerytales (aka one of the coolest/greatest/loveliest blogs ever) has been kind enough to nominate me for the Infinity Dreams Award in this post of hers. Normally I forget to do these kinds of stuff, but NOT TODAY.

Maybe next month.

But anyway.

The rules of the Infinity Dreams awards are:

Thank and follow the blog that nominated you

Tell us eleven facts about yourself

Answer the questions that were set for you to answer

Nominate 11 bloggers and set questions for them

 

Let’s get started!

eleven facts about yours truly

  1. I think the most stories I’ve been writing at the same time was seven. I never made it past  chapter five in any of them >.<
  2. I hate typing the actual number unless it’s math or a really big number. I prefer doing them word-style.
  3. Small talk is my greatest enemy.
  4. I play the bass, guitar, some piano, clarinet and am attempting to learn the drums.
  5. I consider these facts about me terribly boring I am so sorry.
  6. I’m fluent in three languages: english, fandom, and sarcasm.
  7. Percabeth is my OTP anyone who wants to disrupt my ship fIGHT ME.
  8. Don’t actually fight me I’m like 4’11” and a potato I wouldn’t survive.
  9. I once wrote a story in first grade that was a ripoff of Goldilocks except with dragons
  10. I apparently don’t know enough facts about myself to fill this with eleven of them
  11. I’ve officially run out of ideas so yeah

 

mishma’s questions

The million dollar question….Batman or Superman? 😀

nanANANANAN BATMAN.

I like ‘em dark.

Is there a book which you would recommend to any one?

Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, basically. I cheated and named two series teehee.

What movie do you wish was a book?

I actually will never be able to answer the question because I am utterly terrified of seeing my beloved stories getting butchered by ill-directed movies so I think I’ll skip.

What? I can’t skip? Fine. Then… maybe the Grisha. I don’t love it enough to be utterly crushed by a terrible movie but I love it enough to wish for it on the big screen (TEAM DARKLING BABY.)

Is there any fictional character you would swap lives with?

To be honest not really because all the fictional characters I’d consider switching lives with have incredibly active and dangerous experiences and I’m pretty sure if I was faced with anything bigger than a spider I’d pass out. Even spiders make me cringe.

What’s your favourite beverage?

Mountain Dew!

Who was your first ever fictional crush?

Percy Jackson.
Sorry Annabeth.

Which book do you never get tired of rereading?

This post is already 80% Percy Jackson.

Let’s make it 85%.

So Percy Jackson (the whollleeee series!)

Who’s your OTP?

I will say it again and again.

PERCABETH.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how artistic are you?

Uhm… maybe a seven? Eight? Not too too artistic mind you.

Which genre do you never touch?

Honestly I’m trying to stay away from the paranormal scene because I feel like so many of them are cookie-cutters of each other.

Let’s spread some blog love! Name your top 5 favourite bloggers and tell why!

Oh let’s go! cracks knuckles

Mishma – Why else? She’s an amazing potato and she’s got great posts that really gets you thinking and questioning.

Gabi – This girl’s an A-grade fangirl and an A-grade friend. I honestly can’t believe we’re friends when there are so many greater people than me.

Deanna – This lady’s something fantastic. Is amazing at defending her beliefs and doesn’t back down PROPS TO YOU.

Maha – One, she’s a UNICORN. Two, she’s incredibly sweet and incredibly kind. I just I just HOW ARE YOU SO AMAZING?

Sophie – Weelll can I say that it’s amazing because we’re CANADIAN BUDDIES? Not to mention that she’s a fantastic NaNo cheerleader!

(I’m going to cheat and add a couple more people because SERIOUSLY Y’ALL ARE SO AMAZING)

Alexandra – She’s just so happy and fabulous and you can’t help yourself but smile when you’re talking to her

Cat – Not only is she INCREDIBLY ADORABLE but she’s a great human being who you can’t help but admire

Xan – I don’t talk to her a lot but her bookish photos are literally GOALS. GOALS, PEOPLE.

 

as for my questions:

  1. Greatest moment of 2015? Be it blog-wise or life-wise.
  2. Make your ultimate book squad! Which fictional characters do you pick and why?
  3. If you had to go to any fictional place for vacation, where would you go?
  4. Name a strange habit you have you didn’t know you did until someone pointed it out to you.
  5. What would you have named your blog besides the name you already have?
  6. What was the last song you listened to?
  7. GUESS WHAT YOU’RE A SUPERHERO. State your power, costume, and origin
  8. Create your OTP from characters in different series
  9. Name your biggest blogging fear!
  10. How did you find your blogging voice?
  11. FREEBIE (aka I ran out of questions).

 

i nominate…

  1. Gabi & Deanna at Reading in the Rain
  2. Maha at Younicorn Reads
  3. Sophie at Sailing Through Books
  4. Alexandra at Literary Legionnaire
  5. Izel at A Bookish Flower
  6. Tamara at Tamaraniac
  7. Cat at Let the Pages Reign
  8. Lillie at Little Lillie Reads
  9. Ava at Bookishness and Tea
  10. Alex at Fiery Reads
  11. ANYONE WHO WANTS

Let’s Talk About Book Formats // Guest Post from Maha at Younicorn Reads

| Claudia Victoria

Hey guys! We’ve got the lovely Maha from Younicorn Reads gracing my blog with her presence today! She’s got a great post ready for us, and there’s plenty more of that at her blog here! Pop on over there and give her some love!

Lets Talk About the Book Format GP

I feel like there have been recently a lot of talk about what format of the book is the best. There have been these questions on Instagram/polls on Twitter for Hardcover VS Paperback (VS ebooks sometimes). So I told myself: Well, this is an idea for a post.

So I asked this on Twitter:

 

 

 

It seems like 45% of the people who voted usually get their books in paperback, which means paperback wins!

(If you’re asking yourself why I didn’t put audio books in the poll it’s because 1) I never read on an audio book, 2) there is only 4 options for polls on Twitter, and 3) I actually made a poll about it, and 3 persons voted for audio books)

So now to the real talk.

Here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to make a pros and cons for each format (paperback, hardcover, and ebook) for you to choose which one is the best for you, then share my personal opinion.

So let’s start:

Paperback

Pros: Paperbacks are light. Because, let’s be real, light books are amazing. You don’t struggle a lot with it.

And paperbacks are cheap. SO CHEAP. Usually people who don’t have a lot of money get a paperback, especially if they like physical copies.

Cons: Paperbacks are easily damageable, we all know that. So we, people who buy paperbacks, are very careful with our books. We don’t want a cousin to come and play with it. Seriously if this happens Mr/Miss Cousin will be in serious trouble.

Hardcover

Pros: Hardcovers are in a really good quality. It’s usually difficult for them to get damaged. So if Mr/Miss Cousin plays with it, the book will be safe. He/She will get in trouble anyway, though.

Hardcovers are also BEAUTIFUL. Have you ever saw a hardcovers bookshelf? Well, if you let me tell you, it’s BEAUTIFUL.

Cons: Let’s admit it: hardcovers are heavy. I’m struggling to carry them sometimes.

And hardcovers are also expensive. Sometimes they’re double the price of a paperback. WHY ARE YOU MAKING LIFE SO HARD?

Ebook

Pros: As you may know, we don’t always find the book we want in the bookstore. But ebooks are easily affordable, you click that download button and MAGIC! You can read the book.

And with ebooks you can read on your phone or tablet, so it won’t take space on your bag (maybe it will take space on your phone though).

And HOW ON EARTH CAN YOU DAMAGE AN EBOOK?

Cons: Let’s be serious, staying in front of a screen for hours can damage your eyes. So reading can make your eyes in danger.

And also, this may be my personal opinion but, am I the only one who isn’t comfortable with ebooks? I don’t know how to describe it, but I’m more comfortable with physical copies than digital ones.

 

I personally get myself paperbacks most of the time, because hardcovers are expensive for me. But I sometimes get myself a hardcover if I have enough money. nless it’s for ARCs, and I usually avoid them because (as I said before) I’m not comfortable with them.

But, real question: does the format of the book matter more than the actual content of it?

Like, sometimes people (sometimes even me) ask themselves: In which format should I get the book? before asking themselves: Is the book good?

I know you care about the beautiful-ness of your books and how it will look on your shelves, but sometimes it becomes over-caring.

What really matters is the actual book, what story lives between its pages, what does it tell you.

How do you read a book does not matter more than what you’re reading about.

That’s why I invite you to seriously stop making a fuss about the format of the book, and care more about the content.

What about you? In which format do you get your books? Do you think the format of the book is really important?

 

Signature made by Ccovertocover

Because Coming Back is the New Black

| Claudia Victoria

Because Coming Back is the New Black

Let’s pretend I wasn’t dead for the past few months, yeah?

A new year calls for something new, and there is a lot of new things going on here at PenMarkings.

 

the purge

I’ve been blogging for… six months? Six and a bit? Six and a day and an hour? Probably.

Anyway.

Because I’m crazy about new beginnings and starting things clean (and because my past posts mortify me like nothing else) I’ve commenced a purge of all my blog posts from the past, leaving a handful left that I personally loved. The posts aren’t really deleted; they’re in a folder stored somewhere on my computer. Maybe I’ll bring them out and dust them off so I can make them fresh and new.

 

the looks

A new avi?

Claudia, is that you?

Why yes, yes that is me. I am actually not a cartoon piece of albino flesh but a person who looks great in Black and White. Also not black and white in real life. Just a disclaimer. Also does not look that great in black and white, regardless of what I said. Also a disclaimer.

But new profile picture aside, did you notice something new when you arrived here? Did you?

Did you?

Did you?

Behold, a new site design!

cue applause

Thank you, thank you. Now gaze upon the Before and the After, which will make you appreciate my new design. Because my last one was… uh… this.

Sure, it’s not bad, but it had three problems:

  • The blue, which turned horribly neon and impossibly blinding on certain screens
  • The search bar, which was broken for what reasons I will never know
  • The theme, which, while nice, did restrict the variety I allowed myself to have since I am a sucker for keeping to the theme even if that’s clearly

It’s been (sorta?) fixed, so I’m happy with it.

 

the voice

Okay, so my main beef with old PM was that it just wasn’t… me. It wasn’t.

The voice was wrong – it was a strange fusion of properness and stiff words with nonsensical walls of text. Nothing that made sense. Nothing that was actually me.

The real me? I speak I talk I think differently than how I’m blogging, and I love that voice rather than the one I used before.

I would always filter my thoughts, trim and tweeze and tear it apart to make it more, more professional than I really was. I was unhappy. I was funny, because the moments where I was talking properly, blogging properly, wasn’t even on my own blog. It was for guest posts.

So here I am. Speaking clearer than I did last year the way I want it.

A fresh start begins with a clean slate. This post is my clean slate.
So, nice to meet you. My name’s Claudia, and this is my blog.