My tenth writing-related blog post in which I go down the memory lane and look at all the publishing mistakes that I've made

Two heavily self-pity-riddled posts later, I've finally pulled myself together. I'm bursting with ideas for books I want to write as well as for writing-related blog posts and I'm filled with hope and optimism again. I guess letting oneself wallow in misery and self-pity is a kind of therapy after all. Today I'm going down the memory lane just for the heck of it, looking back at all the newbie publishing mistakes that I've made. Trust me, I've made more than a few. The good thing is that I've learned my lesson, right? However, looking back, I can justify myself by saying that I desperately wished to be published. I still do, of course, but I'm better at controlling my publishing-related urges now and I know that I mustn't rush headlong into another publishing enterprise. Here is the evidence of my failed attempts for everyone to see and learn what not to do!

I completed my first book (a novella-length fairy-tale) in 2005 and, fully convinced of my genius and feeling that I've created an actual masterpiece, I started sending out submissions — only to receive rejection after rejection after rejection. Of course, looking back I can plainly see the reason why (that book while charming was absolutely awful - if that makes any sense) but back then it was a terrible blow to my writing ego and to all of my hopes. I didn't complete my next book (a fully-fledged regency novel) until 2009. I was quite proud of myself; I'd been really scared to start writing it, being highly insecure about my knowledge of the era and my capabilities. But prompted by a friend I did it and I felt really great and optimistic about it until I started submitting it — only to receive rejection after rejection after rejection. 

By that time I'd become used to the prickle in my eyes and in my throat whenever I read another "unfortunately we don't think that your book is right for us" letter. I knew that the prickling would pass and the tears that inevitably came would be brushed away with a resolute gesture of my hand that spelled "I don't care". I would put a smile on my face and hope that the next submission would bring the coveted "yes!". I was impatient. I wanted to be published more than anything. I found a website where they published classic and modern books written by women. I sent them my book and they were happy to publish it. It was a tiny, two-people epub, but I was so happy to be finally accepted that I signed on and the book was soon out. It had a simple cover that depicted sweet rusticity and no editing and barely anyone knew about it. Obviously it didn't bring down the house. I was very nervous on the "release day" and ridiculously optimistic. I don't know what I expected. I was a clueless newbie and I was blundering in the dark. As far as sales and exposure goes it was a notable failure. I tried promoting it myself but nothing I did made much of a difference.

My next book was an experiment. It was a regency m/m novella. I completed it in a record time of two months (but then again, it was rather short) and sent it out. An independent publishing house I'd set my eyes on showed an interest in my submission. They agreed to publish it and we signed a three-year contract. This time the book went through a rigorous editing process. It is my belief that they were quite in despair when they started working on it and realized how much still had to be done. But in the end the book was published with a rather fine cover (from an actual cover artist) and thoroughly edited. I hoped it would do good. In comparison with my first book it did indeed do reasonably well. The publishing house had more outlets for exposure and several reviews appeared on websites they usually send their books to. But the earth didn't move. Gradually the sales became less and less and by the time the contract was up no one thought of prolonging it. Once again I tried doing some promotion on my own but being shy, cripplingly insecure, and not really knowing anyone I didn't fare very well. 

Driven by desperate frenzy to do something else after my failed attempts at getting my books noticed despite my best (or worst) efforts, I went and published my very first book with the same epub I'd published my second. I don't have to tell you that it was another disaster in terms of sales. The last book that I published was another m/m regency novel. It was the book that I disliked from the start but for some unfathomable reason was compelled to write. It attracted attention of a new epub back then and I grabbed the chance to get published, completely discounting another publishing house's interest in the book because they told me to revise and rewrite it before re-submitting it to them. I didn't want to wait. I had the itch that had to be satisfied. I plunged forward. I signed the contract. I changed several editors in the process and it took longer than I expected but finally the book was completed and published. I regret this decision more than any other I've ever made. It wasn't a good book and I despised it and was ashamed of it and did nothing to promote it at all. I just wished to forget it. Still it managed to get several one-star reviews.

That was my wake-up call. It's been more than five years now since I published my last book. I've been reworking my fairy-tale into a fantasy novel ever since. I've already written several drafts, thinking that each one was the last one and submitting it to agents, but going back to revision after next batch of rejections. I want to go the traditional way and I want to do it right this time. I've stopped submitting it for the present because I feel that it still needs a lot of work and that it has the potential to become really good and despite the need and the urgency to get published that sits within me I want it to be the best book I can write before it hits the shelves. I've learned my lesson. I think I've come a long way. I've learned things. I'm making short-term and long-term plans how to go about it now and I'm not going to publish another book unless I'm 100% sure that it's ready to be out there and that it's exactly what I want it to be and that's the way I want to do it.

Have you ever made any publishing mistakes? I have. Tons! bit.ly/1OYmEi2 via @faridamestek (Click to tweet) 

My ninth writing-related blog post (and my 100th post!) in which I look at my failed attempts at networking, connecting with others, making people take notice of me and engaging their help

I always hear how important it is for writers who wish to establish their online presence to forge acquaintances with other bloggers and fellow writers. They say that you have to leave comments and feedback, take part in online discussions, bloghops and memos, use social networking sites to expand your network of 'friends', become part of the community, etc.. They say that it will inevitably help you create your own circle of online friends and critique partners who will support you and will always be there for you, reposting your posts, retweeting your tweets, cheering you on when you're down, whatever. Well, guess what? I've tried all that and got nothing. I've tried time and time again to engage with other fellow writers, readers and bloggers, with whom I share similar opinions in writing, common interests in reading and whose blog posts I enjoy. I left feedback, commented on their posts, took part in different discussions, online reading groups and bloghops — somehow managing to remain largely unnoticed, snubbed, ignored and un-befriended. I always feel left out. I've discovered that people out there just don't care about what I think and they don't have the need (or maybe room) for another online friend. At most we exchange a comment or two but my attempts at prolonging the conversation usually leads to nothing. The point is that I want to connect with other people and geek out over my favourite books, films and TV-shows, but they are not so keen on the idea, because, unlike me, they have others to do that with. 

In any case, I follow many different blogs and try to leave comments whenever I have something relevant to say or when I have the need to squeal over a favourite book or something. But when I repeatedly leave feedback without getting acknowledged even once, I start feeling like a stalker and stop. I guess I just assumed that making friends online would be easier than making them in real life and that once we see that we have something in common, we'll hit it off straight away. Well, what can I say? I'm a foolish, naive idiot. I have always been! Last week as I was desperately trying to engage my so-called friends' help in voting for the story idea that I'd submitted for a competition, it become clearer than ever that I have no resources whatsoever and that I can't even count on people I actually know in real life. I don't know, do I have to be a cute kitty or a cuddly otter to garner views, retweets and reblogs? I suppose being a celebrity would help. It's a mystery to me how someone become an online celebrity. I'm sure I could keep blogging for millennia and still have only a bunch of followers (if that!). Case in point: I've been blogging roughly since 2009 - when I started working on my first big writing project. I think I had around 30 followers when in 2012 I made a mistake on my blog that I couldn't correct and had to start a new blog, losing all of my followers, who chose not to follow me elsewhere. I've been blogging regularly and semi-regularly ever since then and I still have only 5 followers and they never comment on my posts anyway. That's really depressing. It's like I keep trying and all my efforts are for naught.

Another thing that struck me rather forcibly while I was trying to find someone to vote for me (the organisers of the competition actually actively encourage us to involve our «friends» in the voting process — apparently without giving a single thought to the fact that some of us don't have a lot of friends on- or off-line) was that while I was desperately trying to breach the impenetrable walls of English-language book market and get published there, I lost a golden opportunity to connect with other authors in my own area and make my entrance into the Ukrainian-language publishing world before one of the publishing houses I really wanted to get published in closed for submissions until further notice. I never questioned my choice to write in English. While it is not my native language, I feel at home using it. So when I started writing, I started doing it in English. It was a subconscious choice. But now I can plainly see that I should have been developing both lines. But it was only two years ago that I suddenly decided to attend a writing conference in L'viv; it was quite illuminating, educational and interesting as it provided a glimpse at our publishing industry, but being my shy self, I managed to make only two friends there! It was then that I conceived an idea to try and write in my own language and started reworking what had been a short fairy-tale in English into a longer and more expanded version in Ukrainian. It took me over a year to finally finish it — just in time to take part in the competition. 

Speaking of the competition, I wish they would not insist on online voting or at least not take into consideration (they have a jury to pick up the winner after all!) and prolonging it for another week too! It's pure torture. I mean, if that had been the plan from the beginning - the online voting - they should have made sure that each entry had an equal exposure by promoting them all on different, specialized websites. I mean, they can't imagine that we all have a lot of friends who use social networking sites and who will spread the word and help us get as many votes as we can. In any case, I'm mostly over it by now. My aunt managed to engage the help of some of her friends and though I'm still far from the top spot (about a million years away from it actually), I'm not at the very bottom, so that's something. But in view of recent events I've decided that I need to work on expanding my acquaintances not only online but also in real life and with that in mind I'll keep an eye on other writing conferences and literary events in my area and maybe try and be a bit more forward and active, get out of my shell (ha!) and get to know more people. I will also continue looking for more blogs to follow in hopes that some blogger or other will one day become a good friend, perhaps even a critique partner...

My failed attempts at networking and connecting with other bloggers, writers and readers bit.ly/1LS3tGu via @faridamestek (Click to tweet)

My eighth writing-related blog post in which I look at my writing strengths (and see if I have any)

I thought that after I made a post about my biggest weaknesses as a writer I should write about some of my strengths. But my current mood is such that I hardly think I have any strengths at all. It seems to me that if I had them, I would have something to show for by now. But all I have is a bunch of books that failed. Utterly. I've been writing my whole life. You'd think I'd've figured out by now how to write something worth publishing. But years go by and I'm still where I was when I started thinking about getting my books published and building my writing career. 

In all fairness, my non-writing life has not changed much since then either. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm just not the kind of person who wins lottery or gets a book deal of a lifetime or whose dreams are destined to come true. I feel like I'm reaching that level of lowliness where I succumb to apathy and despair. My January euphoria has evaporated by now and with each passing day I write less and less. I know I should stop whining and pull myself together, because there are so much more people whose luck is even worse than mine and whose opportunities are even less. So let's see... my strengths... Hmm... 

I love telling a story, just narrating some bit of history or other. I always know a lot more backstory than I need and sometimes I'm interested in the backstory more than in the actual story. I think it can be said that I have a certain mastery of the language and my prose is smooth and flowing, once it's polished, of course. I love writing dialogues. I always have fun constructing them. I think I'm quite good at it too as I've had lots of practice and I think I manage to make them sound natural and lively most of the time. I love describing people and nature and I think I manage to do a good job with both. 

Of course, I may just be totally delusional, but I doubt that anyone will be bothered to stop by and tell me that, so I'll continue with my delusion, thank you very much.

P.S.

I feel I should explain myself, because I feel kind of bad that this is such a pathetic and uninspired post. But like I said before: I'm in a very low place right now and this is the reason why. I'm taking part in a literary competition organised by one of our TV channels in collaboration with one of the publishing houses - "Looking for a new childhood hero". The winner will receive 15,000 hrivnas in prize money, the winning story will be illustrated and published by the publishing house in the edition of 15,000 copies, and there is a possibility that it will be turned into a cartoon and a computer game. I submitted a story idea for my fairy-tale about "Stella, the star that returned".

Yesterday, the submission window closed and online voting began. So far I managed to get only 20 votes and I'm currently in the 148 spot, though I keep losing my position whenever another story gets another vote. The organisers encouraged us to involve our friends in the voting. I don't have a lot of friends in real life but I thought that I could try using Facebook and Twitter to spread the word and get some votes from those people I actually know or those I've been in touch with. Judging by the number of votes I managed to get, you can easily imagine how that worked out.

Naturally, I feel bitter and sorry for myself. Social networking failed me again. But worse than that, I've once again saw how very few people I can actually count on.

REVIEW: Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Uprooted 

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood. The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her. But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose. 

My thoughts:

I must confess that I have mixed feelings about this book. I've heard a lot of great things about it. Everyone seemed to be enraptured and enamoured by the story and I can understand why. In fact, I don't think I have ever heard anything but praise. I was intrigued by the premises. I loved the cover. I decided to read it too. I don't really have any criticism per se. I think the author has done a marvellous job creating her world, its history, its traditions, its magic, etc, rooted deeply into Slavic folklore. It's been almost a week since I've finished reading the book and I still can't think about woods and forests without recalling the Wood in the novel. The description of corruption within it was visceral and so real I sometimes thought I could feel it leaving the pages of the book and tainting me. Maybe that's why it didn't seat well with me. From the very beginning I couldn't get rid of some strange feeling, as though of something indecent or unclean crawling all around me. I can't explain it and I don't know why the book made me feel that way. Though, I suppose, I could put it down to the author's talent of creating a powerful, vivid, disturbing, magically-enhanced picture.

It was as though I was walking in the flower garden surrounded by the sweetest of aromas, but under all that sweetness I could feel an unmistakable scent of something rotten and decaying. I think that alone speaks volumes about the author's skill in making the corruption of the Wood so real. I'm from Ukraine and it was a bit bizarre for me to read about Polnya and Rosya being at war, because they obviously refer to Poland and Russia and their tumultuous past. I also found the names both familiar and strange to the eye when spelled in English. I don't know how I feel about Baba Jaga, because in my country she is considered a nightmare for young children and as a child I was often sent to bed under the threat of her coming and taking me away, because that's what happened to naughty children who didn't go to bed on time. Another thing that wouldn't leave me from the very beginning and till the very end of the book was the depiction of the Dragon aka Sarkan. Call me crazy but he strongly reminded me of Professor Severus Snape: unpleasant, sarcastic, scathing, unapologetic, skillful, powerful, distant, etc.. I just saw him all through the story.

All in all, I can't say that it was a pleasurable read for me but I can definitely say that the book makes a profound impression on you and is without a doubt excellently written.

My seventh writing-related blog post in which I'm looking at my greatest weakness as a writer and at my attempt to overcome it

Ah... weaknesses! I'm sure I have more than a few when it comes to writing but the most crippling one is that I seem to be incapable of writing action and adventure, which is most unfortunate for someone who lives in the 21st century. I mean, it is not a problem when I'm working on one of my regencies, but it does seem to become an insurmountable obstacle when I'm trying to write a fantasy novel for young adults. I guess a lot of it is connected with the fact that my reading preferences are deeply rooted into the 19th century literature and that I've subconsciously made it my job to emulate it when working on my books. It is also, I believe, conditioned by the fact that I'm not an adventurous person and I've always preferred slow walks and quiet evenings at home to going out and having fun. In fact, I sometimes think that I've somehow managed to trap myself in the mindset and life circumstances of a 19th century woman. I'm weird that way. It's a huge problem in real life and it definitely effects my writing. 

I love slow openings and beginnings. If you want to know just how slow I can be I can give you a hint: I'm 40K into my current regency WIP and my main characters haven't even met yet! I love using adverbs, exclamations, passive constructions, convoluted sentences, stilted speech and way more telling than showing. I think that they make writing more poetic and — yes — old-fashioned. Basically, if you make a list of writing don'ts, I'll have them all. In my defence, I do believe that such rules cannot be considered general and absolute and depending on the genre of your book can either benefit or suffer from them. All these things definitely work with regencies, making them more natural and authentic for that time period. However, they don't work with modern fantasies for young adults and that's why it's such a huge weakness and the one that has to be rooted out if I want to have a chance at succeeding in publishing it. I've finally stopped resisting and started implementing some of these rules in my writing. I also started reading a lot more modern books written in this genre.

I have several ideas for stories set in different times (one about fifty years in the future, one in Victorian era and one a bit of steampunk) that will require a lot of action and adventure and fast pacing, so I'm going to challenge myself and see if I can make it if I put my mind to it and use all the resources that I have. I'm quite excited about plotting them out and not a little scared to see what will come out of it. And now I'd like to share with you my previous and current attempts at writing the beginning of my long-suffering fantasy novel that has gone through countless drafts and versions. I'd also love to hear your feedback. Which do you prefer? Which makes a better impression? Which is more appealing and hooking? Should I continue with the second version? Or should I stick with the first? Should I drop writing altogether? No way! - to that, by the way :D

BEFORE 

Almendra opened her eyes on the seventh chime of the clock. She quickly sat up, stretched and smiled. Just then the door to her room opened and in entered a large, grey wolf with a tray on his back.

“Good morning, Woo,” said Almendra, her face splitting into a grin. She pecked the wolf on the nose and took a large mug of hot tea from the tray. Breathing in the familiar scent of mint, she clutched the cup in her hands and raised it into the air like one would a goblet at a feast, her hazel eyes bright with humour. 

“Cheers!” she said loudly and “May today be the day!” before bringing the cup to her lips, an expression of bliss on her face. Woo walked towards the window and drew back the curtains with his teeth – the sky outside was murky grey. 

AFTER 

I never hear the striking of the tower clock. But I always wake up on the seventh chime. I open my eyes as soon as its nagging echo stops bouncing back and forth in my brain and sit up in bed, clutching the blankets around myself against the morning chill as it penetrates through my thin nightgown, setting my teeth chattering. The fire in the grate is fast asleep. The room is shrouded in darkness with the curtains drawn but I can just make out thick grey light outside, like a wall of mist, through two spots on either side of the slit where the material has been worn down to a thread by constant tugging. I sigh and as soon as I force myself to smile, feeling my face twist unpleasantly, and murmur a quiet supplication to forces unknown that today may finally be the day our fate will change for good, the door to my room opens and my faithful wolf friend and guardian enters with a tray on his back. 

“Good-morning, Woo!” My smile is genuine this time. It feels natural too and it doesn't hurt. Woo is like a bright beam of sunlight I have only ever seen on the pages of a book. He is like a warm shawl and a cup of hot tea. He greets me through the bond that we share and though he doesn't use human speech I understand his meaning as perfectly as if he did. He has been by my side ever since that horrible night. The night my mother was dethroned, my people slaughtered or driven away and my kingdom plunged into ruin, surrounded by a curse. Woo is my animal companion. But sometimes I think that he is so much more than that. My grandmother says that it's loneliness and wishful thinking talking. Maybe she's right. She's almost always is. Woo comes up to the bed and I heave an ornate tray with a large cup of tea onto my lap. 

So... what do you think? *bites her lower lip and runs for cover*

My biggest writing weakness and my attempt to overcome it. bit.ly/1oFZeZE via @faridamestek (Click to tweet)

My sixth writing-related blog post in which I look at three key elements I absolutely need to know about a new story in order to start writing one

Though I have not been even remotely successful in my writing career and, to be honest, I can hardly call it one, I've been writing long enough to know what I can't start writing a new story without. Today, I'm going to look at three main elements that enable me to proceed with the new project: the plot, the names of characters and places, and the first sentence or paragraph. These are the three crucial keys that I need in order to unlock the content of a blank notebook page or a computer document that is concealed there. Let's look at each one of them in turn. 

I: THE PLOT. I learned a long time ago that vague ideas, however great and numerous, are not sufficient as a foundation for me to build my new story upon. I need to have something more substantial than that. I need a plot. I'm a plotter. I must know, even roughly, the beginning, the middle and the ending of the story. I'm not saying, of course, that I plot every little thing and detail that is going to happen throughout the story — writing, after all, is a journey and an adventure and there's nothing more exciting than to come across some unexpected revelation, to be surprised by the characters or the story itself — but I must have a solid idea of where the story is going, otherwise it has little to no chance of moving forward. Sometimes, I write a chaptered outline with an estimated number of chapters that can and will vary during the process. Sometimes, I just write an outline, dividing it into parts or segments if chapters don't work. Sometimes, I simply sit down and write a summary of the story without breaks but with lots of ellipses and question marks in place of the information I don't know yet. Naturally, these first outlines never stay unchallenged or unchanged and I usually have piles and piles of notes to wade through once I decide upon a definitive outline. 

II. THE NAMES OF CHARACTERS AND PLACES. I can't start writing a story without knowing the names and surnames of its major characters as well as those of important secondary ones. I spend hours and days looking through lists of names and surnames. I use websites, my notes, and books. Sometimes I forget myself and look through them for the fun of it. A DICTIONARY OF ENGLISH SURNAMES has been of great help to me in particular and, when you come to think of it, it is a bit of a surprising find in my family library, considering that before I started learning English, no one in my family really knew it or had any use for such a book. But it is an excellent source of inspiration and I often pore over its pages when I'm looking for some. I open it at random or with a particular letter in mind and start writing out all the surnames that I find promising or appealing. Then I start working my way through them, discarding some, contemplating the others. I need to feel the names doing their job. I need to know that they fit. I try them out. I play with them. I see how they look both written in longhand or typed. I speak them aloud. It can take a long time... The problem is that if I don't know the names, I can't write the story. I don't see the characters. I don't feel them. They are vapour. They need a name — and not just any name, but their rightful name — to start to take shape. The same goes for the names of the places I am going to use within the story. That's often something of a problem because I almost always need fictional names for kingdoms, towns, villages, estates and houses and I can spend ages coming up with them. They also must fit just right and they must hold within them some hint or clue or just roll off your tongue. I sometimes use words from different languages, mashing them together. I like scribbling down something that struck my fancy and play with words. In fact, I'm a certified word maniac.

III. THE FIRST SENTENCE OR PARAGRAPH. Finally, I won't be able to start writing the story if I don't have that first sentence or paragraph that feels just right. I usually take my time thinking about how I want to begin. I mull the sentences over in my head, say them aloud, savour them, then rush to write them down. I write different versions one after another in the same document and if none of those work I usually change the angle and try it over and over again until I know — feel — that I've got it at last. Here are some of the first sentences from my books that I really love: 

James Westfield was not an idle man and was never known to neglect his duty, unless it concerned his sister-in-law, in which case, like any man facing an unpleasant task at hand he was in no hurry to fulfill it. 

MARGARET'S REMATCH 

Almendra opened her eyes on the seventh chime of the clock. She quickly sat up, stretched and smiled. Just then the door to her room opened and in entered a large, grey wolf with a tray on his back. 

ALMENDRA'S JOURNEY 

Mr McBride and his lady were at breakfast when a letter was brought in. Mr. McBride, a big man of five and forty, took the letter from the tray and upon seeing that it was from his uncle's solicitor exclaimed “Ha!” and tore off the seal. “So!” he muttered a moment later, clearing his throat. “The old coot is dead. Well, well!” 

CURRENT REGENCY WIP 

So... once I have all these elements together, I am ready to embark upon another writing journey. What about you? What elements are crucial for you in order to begin writing a new story? 

Three key elements I can't start writing a new story without. What are yours? bit.ly/1Ldifr1 via @faridamestek (Click to tweet)

REVIEW: Miss Ellerby and the Ferryman by Charlotte E. English

Miss Ellerby and the Ferryman 

Tilby, Lincolnshire, 1812. Miss Isabel Ellerby is a dutiful daughter to her loving parents, and more than happy to go along with the marriage they have planned for her. But the revelation of a long-held secret turns her neatly-arranged life upside down. When an unwise promise to the mysterious Ferryman of Aylfenhame lands her in the midst of an adventure, Isabel is forced to choose: Will she pursue a safe, conventional life as Miss Ellerby of Ferndeane, or will she follow her heart and her destiny to Aylfenhame? 

My thoughts:

It is the most charming and most delightful read! I swear. It has magic. It has magical creatures galore. It has a flying boat! It has a mysterious Ferryman. It has fine ladies and gentlemen as well as rogues that will naturally cause trouble for our heroine. It is set in Regency England but with an added bonus of the magical realm of Aylfenhame. The main heroine, Miss Ellerby, is a proper English lady – sweet, earnest, obedient, dutiful – but what she doesn't know is that she is also a witch. When she learns the shocking truth about herself, she finds it difficult to reconcile herself to lies and disguises associated with her secret heritage and for the best part of the novel struggles with her two different identities. However, despite her inner struggles, which are severe indeed, there are also lots of adventures in the magical realm, some flying, running, sneaking out at night, facing trouble, and the cutest magical companions and creatures imaginable. I swear I literally felt them jumping off the pages! The fashions are bewitching. I sound quite enraptured, don't I? But the story does have such an effect on you)) Also, the book is interspersed with the most enchanting illustrations. You can find some of them HERE. (You must totally have a look!) So, if you like sweet regencies and magic then I would definitely recommend to your attention this excellent story. However, you should probably start with the first one in the Tales of Aylfenhame series – Miss Landon and Aubranael.