If you want a blog about one topic, this isn’t the one for you. My interests change and I use this blog for all of them. Right now (2017), you can expect a lot about books, running, writing, and habits.
Typical series/posts include:
- Top Ten Tuesday posts (meme credit to The Broke and the Bookish)
- Book reviews
- Lyse Links — roundups of great journalism & interesting articles
- Tired Legs — my ongoing series about running
- Reading Recaps — monthly updates on my reading goals
Why Lyse of Llyr?
Lyse is my name in this corner of the wide, wide cyber universe. Llyr is a figure in Welsh mythology, a name derived from an Irish word for the sea. In Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain Chronicles, Llyr is a sea kingdom. The women of the royal family are enchantresses and the men are warlords.
On YouTube and Twitter, you’ll find me as Belle.
Book Reviews
I do accept books for review. You can submit requests in the comments below or in my email (ytbellereads@gmail.com). See my nope-list of genres below. I don’t guarantee good reviews and I reserve the right not to review books even when I receive review copies. (I try really hard to get to them, but forcing myself to read a book if I’m not interested is a good way to guarantee an unfavorable review.)
Genres I probably won’t read: paranormal, horror, Christian (unless really, really good), children’s (flex on middle grade)
Editing
I’m a full-time writer and editor in real life and I will consider requests for editing assistance. Please send any questions or proposals to ytbellereads@gmail.com.
Hey, sorry to use your reply section for this, but..
Thank you for following my blog – “A Way With Words” @
http://www.writingforfoodinindy.wordpress.com
I am having trouble with WordPress. I’m still posting daily. Please keep visiting. I hope to have it resolved soon.
Thanks again, Tony
I remember being the only one married and pregnant in my grad program. Then again, I preferred hanging out with my hubby then at the pub with the group.
Oh goodness. I’m desperately hoping not to get pregnant during grad school! (Well, hoping and taking birth control :P) I haven’t met any of my classmates yet, but my program (Professional Communication) seems to draw slightly older students, so I might not be the only married one. But I will probably also prefer hanging out with my husband (or a good book!). 🙂
Did your baby come while you were out of school? or did you manage having a baby and grad school? Either way, kudos to you!
My daughter was two when I finally graduated. I was highly pregnant receiving a grant. The Kiwanis MC joked not to worry since there were at least three doctors in the audience. I went into labor three days later!
So amazing what mothers manage to do! I’ll have to come to you for advice if I end up in a similar situation. 🙂
Haha–those years are now a blur of persevering. You just learn to do the best you can with what you’ve got. Having an understanding partner is essential and an excellent care provider.
Dear Lyse,
Right now, my short story is a single plankton in an ocean of sharp toothed books, but I am hoping that once you and your peers review it, it would amass to much more than that.
My name is Vanya Ferreira and I am a new author hoping to make a long, productive career out of writing. My short story – “The Story of Lucius Cane” – was published on Amazon twelve days ago. It belongs to the dark fantasy genre and it has approximately 7,000 words.
http://www.amazon.com/Story-Lucius-Cane-Book-One-ebook/dp/B01BMYYVLG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1455272055&sr=1-1&keywords=vanya+ferreira
Here is the synopsis:
London, 1794. Lucius Cane, a peculiar vampire, comes upon an opponent the likes of which he has never seen before – a brute with remarkable abilities. But not all is as it seems as their encounter unfolds in a manner that neither of them expected.
If requested, I can provide the MOBI, ePUB or PDF copy of the story.
Hoping that it will spark your interest and that is review worthy….
Thank you very much in advance.
Sincerely,
Vanya
Vanya, I generally love reviewing books and short stories and I’m so glad you asked. However, I’m not especially fond of paranormal or dark fantasy though, so I’m probably not a good reviewer for this particular story.
Dear Lyse,
Thank you for for your honest reply.
I wish you all the best.
Vanya
Hi Lyse !
Great to connect with you via cyberspace.
I am impressed with some of the detailed and honest reviews written about books that you have read.
I would like to offer you a copy of the book that I recently co-authored, entitled, “From Headless Chicken to Golden Goose- How to Change your Life from Struggle to Joy and Successfully Start Your own Business.”
My partner and I are new to this, I will admit. However, so far the book seems promising.
The ARC received reviews from Janet Bray Atwood ( # 1 New York Times Best Seller Author of ” The Passion Test” and ” Your Hidden Riches”) and Marci Shimoff (#1 New York Times Best Selling Author of ” Happy for No Reason”, ” Love for No Reason” and ” Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul”)
In essence, the book is about how to find your passion and transform that into purpose and meaningful living through having a business that serves.
The launch date is April 3rd 2016.
I will be honoured if you are able to review the book. On your request, I can send a Kindle File or Mobi file to you.
Looking forward to hearing from you and if not, well, hey…it was worth a shot!
Thank you for your time and I appreciate you taking the time out to read this.
With kind regards,
Neeta Maharaj
Neeta,
Thanks so much for the offer, but I don’t think your book is a good fit for me. Best of luck!
Hi Lyse,
I am looking for reviews for my non-fiction book One of the Few: A Marine Fighter Pilot’s Reconnaissance of the Christian Worldview. It’s about my struggle with doubt during a search for truth and a reasonable defense of the Christian faith.
Please let me know if you would be interested in receiving a copy and providing a review on Amazon and Goodreads. I can provide the ebook in Kindle, ePub, and PDF, and Audible audiobook format, and softcovers on request.
(I can provide you a free promotional code for Audible!)
Publish Date: November 2015
Publisher: Boone Shepherd
Genre: Christian non-fiction
Page count: 318
Accolades: #1 Bestseller on Amazon, 2016 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist
http://www.OneoftheFewBook.com
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016X0HL84/
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26253930-one-of-the-few
I look forward to hearing back from you!
Sincerely,
Jason B. Ladd
Hi Jason!
Your book sounds like a great fit for me. I’ll email you about the details. Thanks!
awesome!
Greetings Vanya-
I enjoyed browsing your reviews on your site. I am nearly ready to release a new fantasy novel with science fiction elements and I wondering if you would be interested in reviewing it?
Author: Lars Teeney
Number of published books: 4
Title: The Shackled Scribes
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Self-published
Release date: 9/20/16
Target audience: New Adult/Adult
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lars-Teeney/e/B012MSAI5Y/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14185745.Lars_Teeney
https://www.facebook.com/larsteeney/
https://twitter.com/lars_teeney
Synopsis:
Futharkia is a city built upon the layout of an ancient rune shape, and a foundation of slavery. The Broxanians have been enslaved by the Olgoikhorkian Masters to exploit the Broxanian talent for rune-scribing. In exchange, the rune-scribes are compensated with the sweet, golden liquid, Ichor, that the giant worm-like Olgoikhorkians secrete from their glands. The Ichor also happens to be highly addictive and psychoactive. The system has worked for millennia. However, the Great Fern Jungle that surrounds Futharkia is dying, being bleached white by some unseen force. Coupled with the fact that the simian-like Fern Lice have been hunted to near extinction to provide for Futharkia’s ever-increasing demand for food, the ecosystem is near collapse. It is amid this setting that Cyesko Limariar, an aging rune-scribe makes one last attempt at greatness to lift himself out of poverty, even if by fraudulent means.
Cover Image:
http://larsteeney.tumblr.com/image/148721265504
Word count: 48,300
I understand there will not be a deadline for review.
I can furnish a .mobi or Epub, doc file, print
Thank you,
Lars Teeney
Lars,
Sounds interesting! You can send an epub to ytbellereads@gmail.com.
Thanks!
Vanya,
I want to first thank you on behalf of all authors like myself who are requesting reviews. Whether or not you accept my own request, I appreciate that you are willing to share your opinions and read the work of relatively unknown authors who are trying to build a name for themselves (like me!). With that in mind, I am wondering if you would like to check out my first novel, which is the beginning of my new epic fantasy series.
Series: Evorath
Title: The Birth of Death
Word Count: Apprx 95,000
Brief synopsis:Meet Artimus, the head investigator for the elvish kingdom of Erathal who begins to notice the flaws in his apparently perfect society. As he develops feelings for Savannah, a beautiful elvish druid hiding an important secret, he struggles to separate his personal feelings from his responsibilities to the kingdom.
In a nearby center village, the young warrior Irontail struggles to distinguish himself in a tribe where independent thought is discouraged. When their paths cross, they both discover that their own people’s shortcomings may be the least of their concerns. Putting aside their own personal troubles, they must fight against the clock to ensure the very survival of their peoples. As they work towards this common goal, they find that they each have their own, unique gifts to offer. But, will they be strong enough to survive?
The first tale of many taking place in the world of Evorath, this series gives readers the thrill of a fantasy epic while introducing heroes that probably have more flaws than they do good. One thing is for sure: at the end of it all, nothing will be the same.
Amazon for more info: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K9PRWQA
Website: http://www.evorath.com
If you enjoy the fantasy epic genre, I would love if you gave this one a shop.
Kindest regards,
Joseph P. Macolino
Hi, hey, and hello! On behalf of Wondertale Press, I’d like to formally invite you to read and review our new young adult fantasy novel.
It all began when the ruling elders of Wondertale Press first laid eyes on the original manuscript of the novel.
“Zango!” they shouted.
It was like a mythical creature had landed in their midst. “Gather the magicians!”
Straight away they embarked on a quest to have this tale published. They threw down bags of gold at the feet of the authors and set the magicians to work editing and designing.
It was an exciting time. Everyone knew this was going to be mega.
And what is the name of this flamtabulous tale? The Magician’s Workshop. Readers find it to be a playful coming-of-age story, full of childhood wonder, whooshing magic, and incredibly complex characters.
It all takes place on a distant planet, billions of trillions of skyblips from our own. Everyone there lives on islands, and they can all do magic.
Yup. Everyone is magical. Anything anyone can imagine can be projected into existence. Their entire world is crammed full of augmented reality.
So what does this mean for the characters?
As kids, this magical ability means silly fun, endless adventures, and deep personal expression. But as they grow, they’re forced to face great emotional conflict, oppressive rules, and a whole lot of vicious competition.
This book was designed for teens, but in Wondertale’s market testing, they’ve found that adults love it just as much.
If you think it might be monkey-flipping-mega to check the book out and give it a review, I’ve made it available as an ePub, MOBI, and PDF for any device – please email me for the link.
Thanks for your time. Best wishes, and happy reading!
—From Jennifer, director of marketing, and all of the others at Wondertale who still believe in magic. woowoowhoosh@gmail.com
(Oh! And in case you’d like some more information, and don’t find things like “details” or “numbers” to be boring, drenchous, or otherwise fragdaggaling, I’ve included them for you here at the bottom.)
Webpage: http://www.oceea.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQGHGBH
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Magiciansworkshop/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32948256-the-magician-s-workshop-volume-one
The Magician’s Workshop, Volume One
Authors: Christopher Hansen, J.R. Fehr
Published by: Wondertale, California
Ebook Publication Date: November 8, 2016
Paperback Publication Date: April 25, 2017 (estimated)
ebook ISBN: 1-945353-11-2
ebook ASIN: B01MQGHGBH
Genre: Coming of Age, Fantasy, Magic
Ages: 12 and up.
Length: 85,000 words / 290 pages
Dear LyseofLlyr
I recently came across a couple of your book review entries and particularly enjoyed your writing style and content, which is why we would love to invite you for a collaboration with us.
Recently, KidGuard published a short guide on, “How to Monitor & Spy on Text Messages of Your Child Like a CIA agent” and we would love to send you a free digital copy to review. Does that sound like something you’d be interested in?
I know you’re probably really busy so I’ll follow up with you later on if I don’t hear back!
Hi Jesse!
Thanks for asking! Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be able to provide a helpful review of your guide as I am not a parent. A lot of my readers aren’t either.
I’d love to hear from you about other books though!