by Laura W

While I’m no expert in literature, I do know that it does play a key part of how we, as humans, function. We’ve all got books that we absolutely adore. Some of those books have even been turned into films (Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Fault in Our Stars to name a few). Either way, literature plays a role in our day-to-day lives. That being said, what about children’s literature? There’s always conversation about those grown up books you’ve read, or how they’ve impacted your life.  What about children’s literature, however? Everyone had to start somewhere.

by Hayley Charlesworth

With the final book in Keira Andrews’ Gay Amish trilogy, we are returned to where the story started, but this is a book that is all about change. With Isaac and David forced to reconcile their past, A Way Home ultimately looks to the future, and once again demonstrates Andrews’ skill at crafting multi-layered complex characters and riveting narrative journeys.

by Laura W

It’s bunny time! Okay, not so true. It’s Easter, and it’s the time of year we get to coo over adorable animals, such as bunnies, baby lambs and chicks. What, exactly, would happen if you took those adorable bunnies, and placed them into popular stories? We got to thinking about this over a discussion on Facebook, and now we’ve taken it one step further!

by Mj Rain

I was raised in a Baptist church and spent the first eighteen years of my life a member. Ever since I can remember, myself and my brother always knew our Christmas gifts came from our parents and Easter was more about the leg of lamb, than a magical rabbit. In my home growing up, Easter was about celebrating the death and miraculous resurrection of Jesus.

 Because of this, when I do think of Easter, I don’t think of a wildly generous bunny rabbit who leaves special baskets for children, filled with toys and candy …

I think of The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, even today.

by Laura W

With the recent release of Kenneth Branagh’s beautiful adaptation of Cinderella, it seems to be the season of fairy tales and fairy tale announcements. We’ve had Disney’s Into the Woods, Cinderella, along with the recent casting announcement of Disney’s live action version of Beauty and the Beast. However, let’s take a look at the literary version, as many forget that’s where the stage and film versions are adapted form.

by Laura W

It has finally happened. I, and other Potter fans, have only been waiting for this day for seven years, eight months and 12 days to be precise. That’s a grand total of 2812 days. Earlier, J. K. Rowling finally made the announcement that Potterheads have been waiting for - there is finally going to be a sequel to her hit Harry Potter series. 

by Paul Robert Scott

Letter writing is becoming one of the true lost arts of our society. In this modern day of instant communication to anywhere in the World, whether that be by email, phone or social media, it would seem that the desire to sit and write in depth letters to each other is slowly dying. However, the notion of putting to paper our inner most thoughts and feelings for another to read has had a massive impact on our society and history over the centuries. Once upon a time, the only way to communicate over distance was via the written word, and because of this, it is a medium that deserves to be celebrated. Fortunately, that is exactly what Letters Live aims to do, all this week at the Freemasons’ Hall in London. 

by Laura W

I honestly thought I’d missed it. However, as it’s on March 31st, I haven’t!  I know I’m a few days early, but alas, this seems to be the perfect time to look back on the past year and how things have changed over the past 365 days (give or take).

Have things changed over the past year? Yes, they have. I’ve got a little more confidence, a little more pride, a little more self-respect. My communication skills are far better than they used to be, as are my negotiating skills. People are starting to take me FAR more seriously than they did a year ago. The rejections are far fewer, and while some of them hurt (I’m eyeing one in particular, but that’s a story for another time), the rejections don’t bother me as much as they did.

by Laura W

Oh, the places you’ll go – at least, with Dr. Seuss. Now, there’s another place for readers to venture, in the form of a real life Dr. Seuss museum. The first ever Dr. Seuss museum will open in Springfield, Massachusetts, Seuss’ birthplace. Known to millions as Dr. Seuss, his real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel. Let’s take a look at some of his best work.

by Hayley Charlesworth

Historical romance is nothing new or revolutionary; in fact it is one of the most popular subgenres under the romance umbrella. What is new and exciting is when an author takes a period of history not often used as the backdrop to their story. This is the case with Tournament of Shadows, a blend of romance, espionage and peril set during The Great Game of the 18th Century.