Total Pageviews

Thursday 25 February 2016

Radish - What is it?

Hello Lovelies,

So in big response - and I mean (no joke) fifty private messages on my Wattpad page about it - I am here today to let you all know about Radish, what the app is and how you can use it. If you have any more questions, then let me know in the comments section or contact me using any of my social media. I'd be happy to help at the best of my ability. 

What is Radish?
In simple terms: it's a reading/writing app. Users (such as yourselves) will download the Radish app (currently it's only available on iOS, but is coming to Android in the summer), and you can browse loads and loads of fantastic authors novels. The difference with Radish is that the creators select the authors that are featured on the site. This means that you can be assured that the writing is quality over quantity of writers. Unlike Wattpad, their is a choice when uploading your novel to have the story set as Premium (which is what I have done) where the readers are able to use coins they have purchased (I believe 6 coins are £0.79, which is roughly over a dollar). These coins unlock chapters so you can read them.
So yes, this does mean that us authors are gaining literally the tiniest profit from our loyal readers purchasing our chapters. If you think about it this way: writers get known when their work is out there, and perspective publishers can see if a novel is worth publishing if people are already paying to read it.

How can I become a writer on the site?
I don't know all the ins and outs of how this happens, but I believe the creators are already sifting through a ton of suggestions, applications and other cool things like that and looking for unique writers to join their site. I think you may have to email the creators of Radish for this to happen, but I am unsure of the actual answer.

What does this mean for you?
This for me, is big. Like really big. I've always been super insecure about my writing. I have struggled with things academically when it comes to things that people may overlook as being a problem, i.e: my pen can't catch up with my brain. For me, this means that my writing, my inner ramblings and characters are being seen by someone. This to me means that somebody has seen something inside what I am writing that they think is worthy - which is ridiculously humbling and overwhelming at the same time.
Radish is giving me the opportunity to put my work out into a brand new platform where I can show my writing to others and possibly people pay for my chapters. I want people to be excited by what I'm writing, as if my chapter was a next episode of a TV show.

I want to support you, but I can't afford to.
That's fine! Honestly, I'm so totally cool with this. This is primarily the reason while I will always have Wattpad, so I can still share my work with others that can't pay for my work. I understand, I'm seventeen. I get it. I am just lucky enough to even have some of you who wouldn't mind spending a tiny bit of money on some coins for my chapters.
I love Wattpad for the reason that it is free. I won't stop posting (definitely not in the near future).

List some differences between Wattpad and Radish

  • Wattpad is free, parts of Radish are not.
  • Radish work is edited. This means what is being put out is gaurnteed to be of high standard. 
  • Radish only selects certain authors, so the writing you will find will be of all different genres and styles, but will be again, at a high standard.
  • You are supporting your favourite authors by using coins to purchase chapters. This is step further you can do for your favourite amatuer writers in order to encourage future publishing.
My story
My story is something that has been floating around my laptop for a while, and it's the Radish opportunity that has allowed me to develop it. Here is everything you need to know plus a teaser to the fourth and paid for chapter of the novel. (The first 3 CHAPTERS are free, the rest will need coins to unlock).

I have also made a trailer for the novel if you care to check it out, it's based loosely off of the type of actors I could see Aubrey and Alex looking like:

Teaser for chapter four:

The competition for FREE coins
I am going to be giving away to 10 people free coins to use on Radish. These coins can be used on any story. You can support mine, or switch between mine and someone else's or don't look at my novel at all. You can choose what you want! 

Info:
50 coins each for 10 people. I will pick the winners randomly and send off your usernames to the Radish creators to add it to your account. This means you need to download the app and actually make an account or you will not win the coins.
The way you enter is to follow this Rafflecopter link and enter in all the info asked for. I will be picking the ten winners in less than a month.

REMEMBER:
You must download the app, follow all the rules on the competition in order to win. 

Thanks guys!
Hollie xo

February Wrap Up and March TBR

Hello!
So this month I have been crazy busy with launches of new stories on new, cool apps (cough, cough Radish) - another blog post coming on that soon! I have been drowned in coursework for my A Levels and I have been busy with other personal bits and bobs. But nevertheless, I've seemed to do pretty well on the reading front this month, reading 6 books when I only thought I'd get through 3. As usual, I will let you know what I have thought about each individual novel and give my star rating out of 5. Hope you all had a good reading month, what are your to be read books? I'd love some recommendations!

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
This book killed me. Killed me once, twice, three times I read it this month. I literally have no words to describe to you the 320 page wonder of this book. I loved it. This novel centres on our protagonist who is seemingly allergic to everything. Yep, everything. She lives at home with her mother and has a really nice nurse who takes care of her and understands her needs and what she wants. She's just like any other teenage girl, but with crap loads of time. So when handsome, wonderful (all around lovely) Olly moves back in next door, things go up a notch. 
I honestly loved this novel. It is a beautiful, heartwarming coming of age story that focuses on a girl having something that would honestly be life stopping. Though the climax of the story was predictable, I didn't mind as I was sooooo invested into these characters and Maddy's life that I was happy with what happened. Definitely, definitely, definitely recommend!

STAR RATING OUT OF /5: 5, duh :-)
WHERE TO BUY IT: click me

Did I Mention I Need You? by Estelle Maskame
Ah, so there is this thing about sequels not being quite as good as the first book. I haven't experienced this much before, but there was something about the second book in the DIMLY trilogy that made me find Eden (our main character), really annoying. 
SPOILER: I don't know about you, but she seemed to pine wayyyyy too much for Tyler in this book as if she was a puppy asking for treats at his feet. She felt untrue to herself (or what I felt for her in the first book). I'm not sure how to put it, she was just off.
On the other hand, I did enjoy this book. I do like where its set and the descriptions Estelle gives makes me excited as if I'm there with her. I loved Tyler's roommate and I do think I will purchase the third novel.
Okay, so this book focuses on Eden's summer trip to visit her stepbrother Tyler in New York where he is now living. Old memories and feelings and torn up and it's about Eden trying to sift through these whilst being a girlfriend to his best friend.
Maybe it was because I had such high expectations going into this novel, I just found it to be lacking.
Let me know if you have similar (or different opinions) below!
This was on my TBR list for last month.

STAR RATING OUT OF /5: 3
WHERE TO BUY IT: click me

Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski
Another love of the month. My favourite thing about this book was that it wasn't set in anyone in particular's point of view, it was set in ALL of the characters points of view, all at the same time. It was incredibly written and I felt as if I could understand the fact that these characters all were able to read minds.
As you may have gathered, this book is about a group of students (the majority of their homeroom 10B) have received a flu shot that is sort of dodgy. Now, it's only happened to 10B, (as far as they know), and suddenly the students find themselves being able to read each other's minds and suddenly the idea of privacy is out the window quicker than a cat being pinged out of a catapult. 
I really, really, really enjoyed this book and finished it in one sitting. I thought the characters were diverse and the problems they faced were ones that everyday people do, theirs were just magnified by the fact everyone knows about it. 
I thought the idea was original, particularly as we got everyone's perspective pretty much at the same time and the book is written as they have all sat around a table and written it together. For example: we all felt sad for Chuck because he was going through a rough time. (Made that up, but you get the idea).
I definitely will be continuing with the story and will be on my next TBR this month!

STAR RATING OUT OF /5: 4
WHERE TO BUY IT: click me

Never, Never Part Two by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher
I don't know if it's getting more confusing or not, but everytime I read another book in this series, I'm left like 'whuuttt' and not sure if it's the good or bad way? I do enjoy this series and I do like the characters, I'm just not sure where the hell this plot is going.
This book focuses on a girl and guy who have completely lost their memories (they forget everything after a day) and are trying to figure out why and what is happening to them. The ultimate question is: who took them? If so, why?
I will read the final book in this series because I'm curious to what the answer is, however, I have a feeling it may be farfetched.
I'm not sure, what do you guys think?

STAR RATING OUT OF /5: 2.5
WHERE TO BUY IT: click me

Davy Harwood by Tijan
Another big love of mine this month. I am a big fan of Tijan's books, ever since I got my Kindle. I have read pretty much all of her work which is usually young adult romance or new adult, but this one is a nice new fantasy novel that I really, really did enjoy.
This novel focuses on a girl who knows that she is able to sense people's emotions and feelings (emphatic) but she realises that it may be more than that when things start happening. She's aware of vampires, so in walks gorgeously frustrating vampire who sheds some light onto Davy's darkness. Basically, the book is a predictable vamp romance, but I have a weakness for these type of books.
I really, really, really did enjoy the characters. Davy is levelheaded and kind and I felt as if she cared about everyone because she could literally feel everything they are feeling. I did find her choices irritating sometimes though, they were slightly selfish.

STAR RATING OUT OF /5: 4
WHERE TO BUY IT: click me

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
God. I really really really really didn't like this book, and I love books with this genre. I don't know what it was, I guess after the massive hype about how good it was, I picked it up and only got round to reading it now, but I felt like it was seriously lacking in many areas. I hated the main character. She is obnoxious and annoying and off the bat I didn't care for her (this never happens for me in a book). I didn't like how she treated people, she just seems like someone who would step on you to get to what she wants and not apologise for it afterwards.
I didn't enjoy the story line or when it was set, it felt forced and I'm not sure why - I can't exactly pinpoint it. I did like Arin's character - he was relatable and I did like him.
I'm unsure if I'm going to continue with the series, I felt the whole thing was badly done. The writing was enticing or intriguing to me and I didn't have any emotional connection to the characters. Ugh. Let me know if you guys enjoyed it. 

STAR RATING OUT OF /5: 2 (pushing it)
WHERE TO BUY IT: click me


March TBR (to be read):




Thanks Lovelies!
- Hollie x