Facebook Pages and Recent Changes

Are you following Journey with Words on Facebook? If you are, are you getting all the posts on your News Feed? I know I don’t post every single day, but you might not be getting even the ones I do post. Why? Because it seems that Facebook is changing its engine to force us to pay to push our feed unto yours.

Facebook’s new feature only shows the Page content on the feeds of those who have had more interaction with any given page. If you like to see the content but don’t comment or “like” many or any of the links and messages, you will not receive the updates on your News Feed.

But, like everything in life, there seems to be a workaround to this new “feature;” two actually. Thanks go to Cinda Baxter from Always Upward: The Blog for noticing this issue and more importantly, for letting us all know about it and how to fix it. I read about these workarounds on her blog first; I’m only re-posting it so that you, my followers, are aware. All credit goes to her (included on the credit section below).

So what can you do if you’d like to see our updates in your News Feed? Click on the links to reach their respective section:

• Be sure to have the “Show in News Feed” Checked, or 
• Create a Fan List, don't forget to 
• Read the Credits! 

So, here is how: (Psst, This can be applied to as many Pages as you “Like”)

Blog Affiliation

Blog Affiliation and what it means to Journey with Words and its followers.

I have caved; Journey with Words is officially affiliated. What’s an affiliate? Which are my affiliations? What does this means for me and the blog? What does this means for you, the follower? How does it affect the blog? Will reviews be influenced by this? Why did I do it? What will I use the money for? I’ll answer your questions here.

What is an affiliate program?
Affiliate programs or “affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought about by the affiliate's own marketing efforts.” (Taken from Wikipedia)

Basically, for every customer that I refer to the affiliated site I get paid a commission.

Which are my affiliations?
I have applied (and been approved) to two affiliation programs; Amazon Associates and The Book Depository Affiliate Program. Therefore, only links to either of those two websites will have any effect on commissions. I sometimes add links to other places (sites) like Goodreads or Smashwords. You will usually see them in posts that are tied to a Blog Tour or Hop (or related event); I do not have any affiliation with those sites. I only add them to give you guys better content.

What does this means for the blog?
For the blog it means that now, whenever you click on a link that takes you to Amazon or Book Depository, there is a chance that I get a commission from the transaction. The commission percent begins at 4% from the sale.

What does this means for me?
This means that now I have a way, or at least the possibility, to maintain the blog effectively.

What does this means for you, the follower?

Survival Guide to “Based on” Movies

Some of 2012's Upcoming Movies that are based on a book or other type of work (click the image to enlarge).

So you intend to watch a movie that is based on somebody else’s work or experience? Maybe your favorite series or author has landed the opportunity to become a blockbuster hit and you are already waiting in line for tickets. Such an endeavor can be an excruciating experience, especially to the more hardcore fan base of the adapted work. And let’s be honest, now-a-days half the movies that are being produced are based on either a bestselling book, a graphic novel, a video game, somebody’s life experience, or my personal favorite (sarcasm intended) a remake of a classic (some of them are not even old enough to be considered classics; Hello Spiderman, Yes! I’m talking to you!).

As an avid reader myself I have become cautious whenever I hear or read that one of my beloved stories will soon be gracing a Big Screen near me or even my TV. I have reread books just before going to a cinema so that I have a fresher memory of the events detailed on the story, just to exit the movie theater arguing while having to explain to my boyfriend (he is not a book lover) all the inconsistencies in the plot line and why it was such a letdown. Which is why –noting the continuous influx of this type of material being produced– I have decided to put together a list of tips or advices to help you survive the tumultuous journey that is watching a “based on” type of movie.

DISCLAIMER: This list is by no means comprehensive, it is not a set of rules or laws that have to be obeyed; it is nothing more than a mere recollection of what I have learned while going through this particular experience several times before.

Tips & Advices:

First of all, and it is extremely important that you understand this crucial factor; movies are meant for entertainment, they are supposed to reach and touch those fibers that make up your feelings and emotions; it is not meant to be accurate, it is not going to be a word by word translation of the actions described by the author of the original scripture. It is but an interpretation of said events or stories imagined by those who direct it and produce it and the rest of the cast and crew.

1. If you haven’t read the book yet, do not, I repeat DO NOT read the work on which the movie is based prior to watching it. For example, if you are going to see The Hunger Games this month but haven’t read the books yet, don’t do it. Reading the book before watching the movie, solely because you are going to watch it, will automatically put you on a defensive stance the moment the movie starts rolling. 

Hiya! ^+^

Well you can call me Silros. I am a fifteen year old girl that is really interested in ALL kinds of books, mostly fantasy, and gothic fiction. My fave subjects to read about are angels, demons, vampires and magic in general. I DO NOT like reading the dumb, slow and boring novels I have to read for my Spanish class! Although I can’t read adult books yet in a couple of years I will be able to. So in the meantime I will be reviewing young adult books and books suitable for all ages. I’m actually new to this whole reviewing what I read thing so truthfully I’m not the best reviewer so please bear with me. I do promise that with more practice my reviews on books will get better.

UPDATE:

Due to academic overload Silros won't be able to join me here in the blog.

Book Rating System

Five Stars Rating System:

DISCLAIMER: This system, although popularly use to for rating movies, books, items, etc. I am making it my own. This is the way that I will rate my book and movies; under this system those that I like will most likely end up a 4 stars book. I want to limit the 5 stars rating for those works that can make you take a moment and reflect about your life; if I simply love it won’t get anything life changing out of it then it will remain a 4 star.

THE 5 STARS:
★★★★★
I confess, I have bit of a double standard in this particular category. Any book rated as a five star book is an outstanding work of literary art; it was amazing to read. There are life changing perspectives that can alter one’s personal thinking or views. For example, a book that I have rated with 5 stars is The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. However, some books are not life changing but are simply AMAZING and -in my honest opinion- worth giving a chance; so occasionally there will be some of those rated with 5 stars simply because I'm obsessing over them.

THE 4 STARS:
★★★★
Well worth the time. I love it, it is not life changing, but is extremely enjoyable. I will most definitely recommend it to anybody who loves the particular genre. For example, a book that I have rated as 4 stars is the Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 1) by Jeaniene Frost.

THE 3 STARS:
★★★
I actually enjoyed this book, like it but didn’t love it. It has some issues, but nothing that cannot be overlooked. Overall I feel very neutral about this book, will most likely buy the next installment but I won’t rush to do it. For example, a book that I have rated 3 stars is Evangelina Green by Susan Firtik.

THE 2 STARS:
★★
The book has its moments, unfortunately the bad outweighs the good; the potential is there, but overall could have been better. For example, a book that I have rated with 2 stars is Sacrifice (Mortal Path Book 2) by Dakota Banks.

THE 1 STAR:
★
I did not liked this book; I only finished it because I was giving it time for the story to get better, it never happened. In my opinion not worth reading, there is no way that I’ll recommend it. For example, a book that I have rated with 1 star is The Forest of Hand and Teeth (The Forest of Hand and Teeth, Book 1) by Carrie Ryan.

For a more simplified version of the rating visit my revamping post.

Any questions or doubts please comment below, i'll be happy to answer them.

Hello There and Welcome!!

First off let me start with Hello, welcome and thank you for reading my blog. It is my first attempt at blogging and I’m a little apprehensive of the experience. So for the subject of my first post I will do my best to introduce myself and try to define my blog. I’m still not totally sure if it will be personal, or book reviews, or about my writings; probably a combination of all the above ^.^

So my name is Melisa and I’m from the beautiful Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. Feel free to call me Mel, my parents call me Melisa and they usually do it when they want to be formal or are just angry, everyone else calls me Mel, Mely or another variation. I’m an avid reader; I have so far read 52 books this year alone (according to Goodreads, where I log them) and I’m not done yet. My favorite genres are fantasy, urban fantasy, PNR, dystopian, as well as Sci-Fi. Movies are another passion of mine, to the point that I’m my family’s breathing, walking database. Music is also an important part of my life, although cats can sing better than I can, I always have music on, even if is just for background noise.

After many years of reading stories, I have decided to start writing my own. I’ve had a bunch of characters in my mind for well over 5 years and I just haven’t given them their deserved attention. One of the reasons for me to start this blog is to have the means put the story out there. Another is to have a place to showcase my favorite reads. Thinking about it I guess this blog will end up being a medley of this and other related works. I have a few of unpublished works, a few poems and essays that I would like to share as things move along.

So this would be it for my introductory post. Hope you have enjoyed it and that you’ll come back for more.

Here is one of my works; I found a picture online once (can't remember where) and i tried to draw it, this is the my end result:

It was over a year ago, and it still need more shading and finishing touches but i don't think i'll do it, not yet anyways.

PS: My first language is Spanish with English being my second; chances are that I will make mistakes grammar wise. Another thing is that some of my writings might be in Spanish instead of English.