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Warcross – Book Review

By Yolandie Horak / 19th November 2019

About a year ago, my cousin sent me a series of texts telling me I have to read this book...

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Warcross – Book Review

Behind the Scenes – Editing

By Yolandie Horak / 14th November 2019

I figure I might as well clue you all in on how it goes behind the scenes. You know, the...

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Behind the Scenes – Editing

Personal

November Life Update

By Yolandie Horak / 12th November 2019

The last time I wrote a life update, I had a wrist injury. Guess what. Funny story, but I tend...

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November Life Update

How AHA moments changed A Study of Ash & Smoke

By Yolandie Horak / 7th November 2019

We all have little aha moments while writing. Those moments come to us either through brainstorming, talking to others about...

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How AHA moments changed A Study of Ash & Smoke

Art

Inktober 2019

By Yolandie Horak / 5th November 2019

I want to start by saying I don't feel like a failure this time. But that makes no sense, so...

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Writing

Let’s Write – The Structural Edit (Continued)

By Yolandie Horak / 31st October 2019

In the last post, we talked about the first two elements we must revise during the structural edit--plot and setting,...

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Let’s Write – The Structural Edit (Continued)

Yolandie’s Favourites

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I’m Yolandie – Revisited

I’m Yolandie – Revisited

Personal

A few years ago, I had an epiphany–I’m not done […]

Personal

Calgary

Toronto is a city of skyscrapers. Steel and glass. Grey. […]

Personal

A Tribute

This morning, my grandmother passed away. It was a long […]

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ALL

Inadequate

Writing

You know what I mean. That so-out-of-my-depth feeling that hits […]

Art

Watercolour Forest Tutorial

In moments when my anxiety runs away with me, I […]

Exploring Lake Minnewanka

As with most of the well-known tourist spots, we’ve visited […]

Visit to Duisburg

Would you believe we’d been living in Germany for almost […]

Calgary Library

If you, like me, love books, this is the place […]

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Writing

Confessions of a Writing Addict

I’m obsessive. Very, very obsessive. It’s just the way I’m […]

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CAPTION? WHAT CAPTION?

So, I mentioned yesterday that I'm editing A Trial of Sparks & Kindling. This is an ongoing phenomenon. I've fixed the mistakes and will now go on to flesh out a few scenes. Point is, it's going so well I'm constantly wondering what I'm forgetting.

Folks, I'm so excited about this book, I can't even. And I hate that expression. 😂

How's your Tuesday going?

#teaandbooks #teanadtales #teaandtalestuesday #teatuesday #tinycups #noritake #teacups #tealover #firstacuppatea #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #sabookstagrammer #crookedkingdom #sixofcrows #leighbardugo #grishaverse #ya #youngadult #yaloves #yalove #yareader #grandmascrochet #greatgrandmamadethis #booksandblooms #booksandflowers

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...EDITING...⁠
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This little post is brought to you while I'm up for air, taking a five-second break from editing my novel. Because, yes, I got back my editorial notes. And, yes, I'm in full-on *write till I pass out* mode. A Trial of Sparks & Kindling is shaping up to be one hell of a WIP, and I hope you all love it as much as I do.⁠
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I shared in my stories what my wonderful editor, @nerinedorman, said about the book, but in case you missed it, here's a quote.⁠
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*This story is so masterfully written. So many feels. And devastatingly poignant near the end.*⁠
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I've been hyperventilating since I got the email from her yesterday morning. Someone send a brown paper bag.⁠
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Anyway, as the clock is ticking on my few precious seconds, I thought I'd share a pic of the map in Days of Blood and Starlight, by Laini Taylor. I can't wait to get stuck in this book.⁠
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#mapmonday #map #cartography #maplover #fantasymap #eretz #lainitaylor #daysofbloodandstarlight #ya #youngadult #yalover #yaloves #bookstagram #booklover #bookish #becauseofreading #booksandblooms #sweetpea #tinycups #teacups #teatime #noritake #grandmascrochet #greatgrandmamadethis

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BECAUSE IT'S ADORABLE⁠
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I'm literally one of those folks who wears all black (or grey) and stomps around in combat boots. Underneath, though, you'll always find me wearing cutesy socks.⁠
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These adorable puppies are FLUFFY. Can you even? Because as if they weren't the sweetest thing ever, they're fluffy too. Sure, I'm weird. :D⁠
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Do you wear cute socks?⁠ On a side note, A Study of Ash & Smoke is now available for print through a new printer, and is much higher quality than it used to be. I'm so excited about this I've been squealing nonstop since Friday. You can still get your copy on Amazon, but I'm in the process now to make it available in brick and mortar stores too. Watch this space. ⁠
#socksunday #cutesocks #comfysocks #socks #putasockinit #astudyofash&smoke #astudyofashandsmoke #asosaas #yolandiehorak #debutnovel #steampunknovel #steampunk #newadult #newadultnovel #na #fantasy #speculativefiction #scifi #newbook #newauthor #indieauthor #southafricanauthor #booksbooksbooks #becauseofreading #bookish #bibliophile

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BLACK AND GOLD⁠
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I don't know what it is, but black and gold is my current favourite cover combination. I especially love the cover of King of Scars and, much as I like the golden outer cover, this black and gold inside cover has my toes curling. It's freaking amazing, and I wish this was the cover the world got to see first.⁠
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What do you think? Tell me about your favourite book cover in the comments. :)⁠
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#stack #bookstack #stacksaturday #kingofscars #leighbardugo #danceofthieves #maryepearson #thehazelwood #melissaalbert #tinycups #noritake #teacups #booklove #blackandgold #coverlove #booksandblooms #southafricanbookstagrammer #southafricanbookstagram #booksbooksbooks #bibliophile #bookphotography

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ALL THE USUAL SUSPECTS ⁠
Before I get to this photo, it's my baby's birthday! Happy birthday, Kayla! Six years old today. I'm so blessed to be this little girl's mom. Love you, sweetheart! Photos incoming later!

On to today's book photo. If there's one thing I love about Dragon Age (and there's a lot more than just one thing I love about it) it's the characters.⁠
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You've got your sweethearts, those you don't really like, those you downright loathe, those you love to hate, but there are very few of them that you don't have an opinion about. Which, IMO, is the greatest testament to the writing in this series.⁠
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Even in DA2, which fans consider the worst instalment of the series, everybody agrees the characters make it worthwhile. Incidentally, I love DA2, because I know the map like the back of my hand, I don't have to think too hard about fatigue due to armour choices, and I can happily hack and slash away my anxiety without too much thought.⁠
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Anyway. This little 'family portrait' artwork is at the front of The World of Thedas (Vol2). I absolutely love the style of this art, and how it captures so many personalities, even if they're all just staring ahead.⁠
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Have you played Dragon Age? If not, WHY NOT?! 😀 Who's your favourite character?⁠
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Mine is by far Varric Tethras. I mean, sarcasm, chesthair, and total loyalty. What's not to love?⁠
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#dragonage #theworldofthedas #worldofthedas #bioware #dragonageart #gamergirl #collector #gamer #girlgamer #dragonageinquisition #dragonage2 #dragonageorigins #characters #art #artlover #booklover #bookphotography #bookishart #fanart #fangirl

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REST OF THE YEAR TBR⁠
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These are the books I desperately want to read before the end of the year. I'll probably read others too, but these are the essential ones.⁠
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I've got King of Scars sitting on my shelf, but I'm seriously considering not reading that one until the next book is out. Anybody out there doing the same?⁠
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What are your essential reads for the rest of 2019?⁠
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#tbr #toberead #warcross #marielu #daysofbloodandstarlight #dreamsofgodsandmonsters #lainitaylor #anenchantmentofravens #margaretrogerson #teaandtales #booksandblooms #teatime #tinycups #noritake #china #finechina #heirlooms #grandmascrochet #greatgrandmamadethis #bookphotography #bibliophile #booklover #allthebooks #becauseofreading

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IT'S MAGICAL OUTSIDE⁠
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Everything is pretty much covered in frost, and the sky was diffused oranges and pinks this morning. There's something amazing about these snowy mornings, that's for sure. I'm not a fan of frigid weather, and I hate having to scrape snow off the sidewalk too often, but I'm the first to admit glittering snow is magical.⁠
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Anyway, for One Line Wednesday, I'm kicking back to a scene about halfway through A Study of Ash & Smoke, where big revelations are made. This whole scene was one of my favourite ones to write, from the location to the stuff that happens in it.⁠
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If you haven't yet, check out my debut novel (link in the linktree)! A Study of Ash & Smoke is the story of a young woman who must hide from her murderous father as a physician's apprentice, in a kingdom under an impenetrable forcefield, right when a deadly plague breaks out. Also, there are plenty of political intrigues, loads of deceptions, and threats popping up everywhere. :)⁠
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#onelinewed #astudyofash&smoke #astodyofashandsmoke #asoaas #fallofthemantle #bookone #debutnovel #indieauthor #indiewriter #indieauthorsunite #indie #onelinewednesday #bookgram #booksbooksbooks #bookish #beacuseofreading #bibliophile #flatlay #bookphotography #scentedcandles #booklover #readersofig #instabooks #booksandblooms⁠

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KEEPING IT CURRENT⁠
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I just finished Aurora Rising and started on Warcross. I know I'm SUPER late to the party (I always am) but I've heard only good things about this book.⁠
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Meanwhile, I've scrapped everything I'd written for book 3 and have started anew. Pantsing, kids. It's a journey.⁠
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What's your current read?⁠
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#marielu #warcross #scifi #ya #yalovers #yaloves #yabooks #bookstagram #teaandtales #teaandtalestuesday #teatuesday #tinycups #noritake #booklover #bibliophile #booksbooksbooks #becauseofreading #readersofig #yareaders #southafricanbookstagrammer #bookstagram #wordnerd #storylove #booknerd

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STARRY SKIES
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This little watercolour is one of my personal favourites (and is actually available for purchase too). I just love how vibrant the colours came out.
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I think this is around the time I finally figured out how to paint pretty skyskapes, and I became stuck in painting them.
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What do you think?
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#watercolourwed #watercolorwed #watercolourwednesday #watercolorwednesday #watercolour #watercolor #artist #indieartist #artistsofig #instaart #painter #watercolourpainting #artlover #southafricanartist #artstagram #artsy #skyscape #starryskies #nebula #pinkandblue #sparkly #landscape

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WATERCOLOUR WEDNESDAY
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This is an old watercolour, part of a series inspired by Inktober a few years back. I tried to catch an emotion in each of the paintings in the series, and this one is my take on anxiety. It's called Sometimes Growth Hurts.
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As someone who struggles with intense anxiety, this was the painting in the series that most resounded with me. Sometimes, in order to grow, you must face changes. For me, change is incredibly scary and often sends me into inescapable thought spirals.
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I painted this right in the belly of that change, when we were looking for ways to leave Germany. Immigrating for the second time, after we were so sure we would stay in Germany forever, was scary as hell.
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Looking back now, it was an important part of my personal growth journey, but at the time, I pretty much felt like this painting.
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#watercolourwednesday #watercolourwed #watercolourpainting #watercolour #throwback #greenhair #greenhairdontcare #anxiety #anxietyjourney #painting #artist #immigrant #southafricanartist #southafricanlivingabroad #artistsoninsta #artistsofinsta #instaart #artistsofig

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DAY 15

Better late than never, right? Ive been having trouble with my wrist, which means lower art productivity than usual.

I'm glad to be back at it with my skull chart. Once this one is done, I'm moving on to the kidney. Please send me requests for after that!

#inktober #inktober2019 #inktoberday15 #day15 #skull #humanskull #medicalchart #medicalsketches #medicalsketch #medical #artnerd #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #artist #art #ink #uniballpen #blackandwhite #bicpen #ballpointpen

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VIRIDIAN
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Because I love me some green. This is a throwback to one of my older pieces, and this gloriously green duo is actually available for purchase in my Etsy store (link in the bio).
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Green scapes are just so soothing. I love painting them, and I love the calmness they bring to a room.
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What's your favourite colour?
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#green #viridian #mountains #trees #forest #landscape #watercolour #watercolor #watercolourpainting #watercolorpainting #throwback #tbt #throwbackthursday #artist #artistsofig #artlover #artsy #orange #grandmascrochet #greatgrandmascrochet #imadethis #indieartist #southafricanartist #artistic

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FIN

I don't have it in me to draw something for Inktober today, but I did take some time to finish my brain chart.

I'm really happy with how this one came out. I'm thinking I can maybe give this a vintage feel and sell prints, if anyone is interested? What do you think?

#brain #humanbrain #medicalsketch #medicalchart #medicalsketches #inktober2019 #inktober #inkdrawing #uniballpen #ballpointpen #bicpen #fineliner #art #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #artist #artistsofig #indieartist #southafricanartist #imadethis

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DAY 8

My new medical page is filling up nicely. It's a miserable snowy day here in Calgary, so I plan on adding more to this sketch today while binging Gilmore Girls.

What are you up to today?

#inktober #inktober2019 #inktoberday8 #day8 #inkdrawing #uniballpen #ballpointpen #bicpen #artist #indieartist #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #southafricanartist #skull #humanskull #medicalchart #medicalsketches #medicalsketch #medical #artnerd

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DAY 7

Starting a new medical chart today, all about the human skull.

My wrist is acting up again, so I'm starting small for this chart. Just a zoomed in jawbone.

Because I sincerely don't want to end up back on medication to keep my wrist functional, I might not be able to keep up posting Inktober stuff every day. I'll keep you updated.

#inktober #inktober2019 #inktoberday7 #day7 #ink #inkdrawing #skull #humanskull #jawbone #medicalsketch #medical #medicalsketches #artist #artistsofig #independentartist #indieartist #artistsofinstagram #art

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