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Here we are Wrimos, NaNoWriMo 2016!

I've been waiting for this for months, and it's finally here!

However, I didn't get off to the start I imagined. I've wanted to start this book for what feels like a longÌýtime now, so I thought I'd write a load on day one. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Almost every word had to be forced out of me. At one point I stopped and said, "I'm supposed to be good at this."

The good news is, as I stand now, I'm ahead of 3 of my past 5 NaNoWriMo counts at this point.

The thing I learnt this week was to stop looking at other people's word counts. Some people are just superhuman. I am human. And that's okay.

So today before writing, I stood at 14,254 words, and that's perfectly good thank you very much!

Fingers crossed I can keep this up during the dreaded week two!







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Yesterday I had a great time at the incredible children's bookshop in Brentwood.




I've been looking forward to this event for months, so typically, I had a stinking cold! Of course. I never get ill, which made it even more annoying!
The silver lining to that though - isn't there one for everything? - was that the nerves I would normally feel before speaking in front of an audience didn't show up. And that was fine by me! I talked about my journey as a writer and why ZA's so special to me, a subject that if writtenÌýdown, would fill far too many pages!
Of course, I came dressed as a ZAÌý²õ³Ü°ù±¹¾±±¹´Ç°ù.
James, my incrediblyÌýtalented fiancé,Ìýcarved me some amazing pumpkins which will be displayed proudly in our window tonight. He never ceases to amaze me. Anything can become art when he's around.


I had an awesome time meeting and chatting with fellow zombie lovers. Thank you to everyone who came to listen to me! I really appreciate it! And a massive thank you to the Chicken and Frog for having me!


Also, while we're in the Halloween mood, you can check out the I wrote for Movellas!
Happy Halloween!



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Exciting news! You can win a signed copy of ZAÌýon Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ! The giveaway is running until 12th November in celebration of both Halloween and the start of NaNoWriMo!

Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýÌýTO ENTER GO HERE!

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Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Book Giveaway ZA by Molly Looby Giveaway ends November 12, 2016.
See the giveaway details at Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ. Enter Giveaway

Good luck, survivors!


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I've had The Owl ServiceÌýon my bookshelf for a long time. My writers' group told me to read it years ago. This is no exaggeration. I think it's been on my shelf for almost four years. So on a bookless free Saturday, I decided to pick it up.

The first issue I had with this book was its age. I rarely read books that are over ten years old, and this one's almost 50 years old. I didn't think this would matter, but even in the first chapter it felt very strange as it's so old-fashioned and dated. The dialogue especially suffered from this. I'm fairly certain children don't speak this way to one another in the 21st Century. By the end of chapter one, I wondered what I'd got myself in for as I struggled onwards.

The characters were bi-polar a lot of the time. One minute they'd be happy chatting to each other, and then they'd be arguing or fighting and hating each other. A lot of the time none of the characters liked each other at all, and I found it very strange. I could hardly keep up with their emotions they changed so fast. I also didn't feel like I got to know them very well. I wanted to know their fears and hopes and dreams, and I felt I only got a little snippet of that.

As for the plot, I'm not sure what was going on a lot of the time. I followed it, sure, but nothing seemed to happen.

It might be because this is aimed at younger readers than I'm used to, but this felt more like a short story than a novel. It seemed to end quickly, and I was left wondering what I was supposed to have taken away.

I'm not sure if I totally followed it. It's very bizarre and strange. I put it down thinking, what did I just read? I wasn't really sure what to think. I didn't particularly enjoy it or know what to say.

Just a very, very bizarre, old-fashioned book.

The Owl ServiceÌýmay have been great once, but today it's strange and old-fashioned.



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Here's another collection of my book reviews. These reviews are from July toÌýSeptember. Maybe I'm writing too many reviews again. Oh well. Don't worry, there will be many a NaNo blog post coming soon. In the mean time, enjoy :)



- Steph Young and Jill Dickman 7/10Ìý(Fangs, Claws, and Wings)

Ìý- Lisa WilliamsonÌý5/5 (Movellas)

Ìý- J.K Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John TiffanyÌý9/10 (Fangs, Claws, and Wings)

-ÌýJasmine WargaÌý4/5Ìý(Movellas)

- Tanya Byrne Ìý4/5Ìý(Movellas)

- Jennifer Niven 4/5 (Movellas)

- Pittacus Lore 7/10 (Fangs, Claws, and Wings)

Ìý- Rick YanceyÌý10/10Ìý(Fangs, Claws, and Wings)
- Mark Tamplin 7/10 (Fangs, Claws, and Wings)
Ìý- Rick Yancey 10/10 (Fangs, Claws, and Wings)







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Before you read this review, please note that The Revenge of Seven is book five in the Lorien Legacies series.

I went into this book a little wary because it'd been a year and a half since I finished book four, The Fall of Five. I couldn't really remember what was going on other than the basics, and I was concerned it was going to take me a long time to get into it. Massive credit must go to Lore, as it turned out I hadn't forgotten any of the main characters.

Even though I was thrilled to fall back into the story without much Ìýof a worry, I struggled to get into it. It felt really slow to start, especially because everything is running out of time and some serious battles are about to happen. I just wanted to get on with it. I couldn't help but feel like a lot was saved for the next book as, to be honest, not that much happened in this one.ÌýThe Revenge of SevenÌýfelt a lot shorter and simpler than usual. It didn't feel like it had quite as much plot. Not that there wasn't enough going on -- there was -- but it didn't feel as much as usual. There was less action than usual too, but it was still pretty intense.

Once I got into it, I read huge chunks at a time, and it didn't take me many sittings to devour the whole thing. I even bought the last two books before I finished this one! This series sort of grabbed hold of me when I read I am Number Four,Ìýand it hasn't seemed to let go of me since. I still have no idea how the series is going to end, and I love that.

As before, I liked Six's narration the best, and I was disappointed when her chapters were over. Nine and Six are still my favourite characters, but I do love all the Garde. They're all so different from each other, which makes them interesting to read about and kept me turning pages. I have to say though, the human characters didn't grip me nearly as much.

Unfortunately, I've only just finished The 5th WaveÌýtrilogy, and as far as alien stories go, I can't help but compare. I know I shouldn't because John and the Garde are awesome and we're not so fussed by the humans in this seires, but I'm afraid the awesomeness of The 5th WaveÌýdid make this a little less exciting than it would've been a few months previous.

Even so, I had a wonderful time reading this book, and I can't wait for books six and seven to come through my letter box.

The Revenge of Seven felt like a filler book, but was still intense and gripping!


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Thank you to everyone who's worked with us in the past year. I've loved every minute of it - almost - and although we've had our ups and downs, I wouldn't change it for the world. I have learnt so much more in the past year than I ever have before, and I love it!
And waking up on a Monday morning and actually wanting to get started with your work is a feeling like no other.
I am changed for the better, and I can't wait to see what the next year brings. It's going to be bigger and brighter, just you wait!


To celebrate our birthday, we can finally announce that our website is up and running!
Thanks for all the love and support. I don't know where I'd be without it.
Molly :)
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I know it's only September, but in a blink, it'll be the 31st of October and you'll have to scrape your plans together ready for the starting whistle at midnight. You might not like the reminder, but there are only 56 days left until we're scribbling away into the night.
Unlike other years where I've blogged just before the start of NaNo, I thought this year I'd do one earlier to try and convince as many of you unsure writers as I can.
For those of you thatÌýdon't know, is National Novel Writing Month, where hundreds of thousands of writers plan to write a novel in November. More specifically, we pledge to write 50,000 words in 30 days.

Yes, it's as mental as it sounds.
But wait, before you run off into the distance screaming and waving your arms, I'm here to tell you it is an incredible experience. I've taken part in this madness for the past five years, and NaNo '16 will be my sixth year. NaNoWriMo, honestly, is one of the main reasons my writing improves year on year. There's nothing quite like writing only for yourself with only the pressure of word count to contend with. During NaNo, we don't care what our words sound like, only that they're making it onto the page.Ìý
We are free.



I wouldn't miss a November for the world, and I want to share this magical experience with all of you. And I'm here to tell you that you can do it. And if you're still in doubt, there's no reason not to try. At the end of November, you could have a finished novel, and whether it's your first or fifty-first, there's nothing more amazing in the universe.
Please join us as we pledge to write 50,000 words in 30 days. It's only 1,667 words a day. I know you can do it.
The community is so fantastic and supportive as well. We help each other through times of hardship, sleep deprivation, and caffeine lows. I'll be cheering you on! Just add me as a buddy on NaNoWriMo's website. My username is MollyLooby, you can get to it .
Give it a go. It might be just what your writing needs.
And Wrimos past and present, I'll be waiting for you at the starting line!

Author / Editor in Chief atÌýÌý/ Freelance Editor / Writing Coach / Reviewer / Blogger /ÌýWrimoÌý/ÌýMovellianÌý/ ZA [email protected]

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Now I've written many blog posts in the past to do with my self-published books and recently one to announce and it's arrival in the world, and it's got me thinking about how dreams warp and change as we do.
When I first started writing, my dream was to finish a book. Then a trilogy. Write five books. Write ten. Now I'm not sure I'll hit another goal until I've written twenty-five, fifty, a hundred. What I do know is that I won't stop setting them.
I'm one of those people who loves to set huge goals and then race towards them with little time for celebration once the end has been reached. I might have a tiny celebratory whoopÌýwith my hands in the air before I move straight onto the next thing. When I was fifteen and I wrote the final full stop of my first novel, I mourned for a few days and then asked myself,Ìýso what should I write next? The answer to that was, a book's not challenging enough, let's write a trilogy.

Then when I was in the midst of doing that, I decided the next thing was to get published. Of course, I got rejected over and over (who doesn't?), and now with that beautiful thing called hindsight, I know my books weren't ready. But that didn't stop me ploughing towards my goal. I self-published all three of the trilogy, which was exhausting and stressful and . . . well, either you know the joy and pain of the self-publishing world or you don't. Let's just say I had mixed feelings.

Boom, another dream realised.

So why wasn't I satisfied?

Here I am typing this now, co-director and editor-in-chief of Molten Publishing, and I think maybe I'm getting somewhere. Sharing my knowledge with people and going around talking about books seems to be giving me much more joy than these stupid targets ever did.

Don't get me wrong, writing is my ultimate passion, and there's nothing like writing--and finishing--a book, but now I'm a little older and a little wiser, and I know that dreams aren't always what they seem.

I have officially landed in the publishing world, and I'm so excited to see what everyone thinks of Zane andÌýZA.ÌýAnd this time, I'm making the most of it.

Here's hoping my little whoopsÌýget louder. Maybe next time you'll hear them . . .


ZA will be back in stock on Amazon in September! Watch this space! :) #ZAReady



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I know a lot of people loved The Cursed ChildÌýand a lot of people were disappointed by it and that's fascinating to me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and it made me want to watch the play even more than I already did!
It took a little while to get into the format. After all, I've never read a play for pleasure before. I wouldn't call it a challenge to read, it was more of a challenge for my imagination. But as usual, I relish challenges. It was a little bit bizarre not to have any description, and a lot of people felt like it lacked 'magic' because of it, but I'm a dialogue girl, so I got on with it really well. It was exciting to read something not quite like anything I've read before.
I laughed more than I thought I would. Maybe more than I was supposed to. Not sure if that's a fault or not. It might just be me. Those Potters are still full of sass.Ìý
It didn't take long for me to be speeding through the pages. I couldn't turn them fast enough. I was so desperate to know what was going to happen next. I got so into Act Two that I actually felt my body growing hotter and hotter. At one point I shouted at the book like an idiot. I was so invested that I kept gasping. I did it so much that I started to annoy my fiancé.Ìý
I read all of Act Two and almost Act Three in one go. I would've read all of Act Three in one goo too if not for needing to eat and sleep and stuff. Stupid human necessities.
Although I wanted to stop and savour it, for the life of me, I couldn't. I actually couldn't stop myself. And once I realised thatÌýI felt like an addict. I wanted to savour each page because I knew I could only have the experience of reading it for the fire time once, but nothing could stop me from devouring the pages. This book made me an addict. A regular reading junkie.
However, for most of the book I wanted to follow round adult Harry, Ron, and Hermione and that really isn't the point. It took much longer than it should've for me to become invested in Albus, and that kinda made me think I was focusing on the wrong thing. Don't get me wrong, I loved Albus. Though Scorpius Malfoy was easily my favourite character, and I am not alone in that opinion!
I did start getting jumbled at times, but at least I could stop and think about it. I'm glad I read the script first. This way I know I won't get confused!
Just one final thing, I know a lot of people are criticising this book by saying it reads like fanfiction, and it does, they're not wrong, but really? It's been nine years since we've had any Potter, and it's set well after the Deathly Hallows, so I don't think there would've been any way to avoid it sounding this way.
Whatever people think, I don't care. I loved every page.
I'm a true Potterhead forever!

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