Author Guest Post: Jamie Baywood – Getting Rooted in New Zealand

Hi guys! I’m very happy to welcome Jamie Baywood to the blog today. Jamie is the author of a fun, new travel memoir, Getting Rooted in New Zealand, and she is here to share a bit on her adventures in New Zealand, writing a book, and what lies ahead.

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It was always my dream to live abroad when I was growing up in California. I had bad dating experiences in California and read in a New Zealand tour book that the country’s population at 100,000 fewer men than women.  I wanted to have some me time and an adventure. New Zealand seemed like a good place to do so.

I consider myself an accidental author. I didn’t go to New Zealand with the intentions of writing a book about my experiences there. I had funny experiences that I had trouble believing were true. I wrote the stories down to stay sane. I wrote situations down that were happening around me and shared them with friends. The stories made people laugh so I decided to organize the stories into a book and publish in the hopes to make others laugh too.

Around the Web #6

A brand new round-up of webby links: from banned books, new technologies, to movies and a bit of controversy. 

Goodreads
Recently, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the new Review Guidelines at Goodreads. The new policy certainly roused the book-loving community and raised many questions. But whether you agree or not, it’s always best to be informed. So here are the rules, the discussions, and a great post on the subject.

Recipe: Pot Roast

The weather is certainly getting cooler outside, and now we bade summer adieu. But, the cooking season is just beginning. I think fall is the perfect season to get back into the kitchen and make good use of that almost forgotten oven. It is also a perfect season for hearty dishes, such as pot roast. So, pick up a nice piece of boneless beef chuck roast, some bright and crisp carrots, leaks, herbs, and a bottle of nice red wine. Three hours and you got yourself a delicious meal, perfect for a cool fall night.

Pot Roast
Servings 4 - 6

Book Review: Lady of Devices

Lady of Devices (Magnificent Devices #1)
Shelley Adina

Release Date: May 29, 2011

Book Description:
London, 1889. Victoria is Queen. Charles Darwin’s son is Prime Minister. And steam is the power that runs the world.

At 17, Claire Trevelyan, daughter of Viscount St. Ives, was expected to do nothing more than pour an elegant cup of tea, sew a fine seam, and catch a rich husband. Unfortunately, Claire’s talents lie not in the ballroom, but in the chemistry lab, where things have a regrettable habit of blowing up. When her father gambles the estate on the combustion engine and loses, Claire finds herself down and out on the mean streets of London. But being a young woman of resources and intellect, she turns fortune on its head. It’s not long before a new leader rises in the underworld, known only as the Lady of Devices . . .

When she meets Andrew Malvern, a member of the Royal Society of Engineers, she realizes her talents may encompass more than the invention of explosive devices. They may help her realize her dreams and his . . . if they can both stay alive long enough to see that sometimes the closest friendships can trigger the greatest betrayals . . .

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review
I want to write something positive about this one, but the truth is I found it underwhelming. I was expecting a fun and exciting romp in Victorian England, charming and witty but this was neither. The premise, the steampunk elements, and the fact that this series has been popping up on my radar for quite some time convinced me to finally give it a chance [and you know I don’t miss a good Kindle deal – the first book of the series is indeed free]. Perhaps my expectation was a bit too high, so I’ll say this was still a cute little novel that was entertaining in parts and made an interesting attempt at world-building. But, even though, this was highly reminiscent of Gail Carriger’s novels, at the end it was not.

I'm back!

Hi guys! I’m back from Canada and ready to take on the weekend. So just wanted to pop-in and wish everyone a good weekend as well and share a few of the beautiful photos from my trip. Unfortunately, I didn’t take too many photos, but, nonetheless, I quite enjoyed my trip to the capital of Canada.

The Rideau Canal