Evy Journey's Blog

June 27, 2024

Bordeaux and Sarlat—Wine, Foie Gras, and Black Truffles


Not until I’ve traveled to countries with centuries of civilization have I appreciated history. My early exposure to history didn’t leave me wanting for more. Memorizing dates and places without putting such facts into relatable contexts elicited mere indifference. My first ventures into foreign countries usually lasted a very short time, sometimes less than a day. Still, such short visits can leave a few memories and a desire to keep exploring.

Palais Gallien, ruins of a Roman amphitheater

Du...

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Published on June 27, 2024 05:58

June 14, 2024

First Impressions: II. My First European Visit

Part 2: Impressions of my first visit decades ago

I’ve since returned a few times, concentrating on certain places.

Athens, Greek IslandsSeptember 3

I’m not exactly prepared for what I see in the airport. It’s small and understaffed. A lot of tourists visit Athens but it seems the city won’t coddle them.

More surprises await us in our hotel room. The bathroom sink is huge, about 18” by 24”, but the shower at 18” by 18” won’t accommodate a large person. Sonia is flabbergasted. All we could do is...

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Published on June 14, 2024 01:40

May 31, 2024

First Impressions: I. My First European Visit

This June, I’ll be in France, a country I’ve been to many times, though most often, Paris was my destination. On my very first visit to Europe as a young woman, I was wide-eyed and wide open to new experiences. Once there, I wrote my impressions of the places I visited. But we were decades away from cellphone selfies, and all I have to show for those trips are a few photographs, now nearly-faded, snapped with a relatively bulky analog camera.

Part 1

I’m on a three-week break from my first job af...

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Published on May 31, 2024 11:44

April 15, 2024

A Literary and Historical ebook Giveaway

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For a chance to win an ereader loaded with a dozen literary and/or historical ebooks that appeal to book clubs: ENTER (Click on image)

The post A Literary and Historical ebook Giveaway appeared first on .

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Published on April 15, 2024 18:44

March 26, 2024

Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Tour: The Golden Manuscripts

Monday, February 5

⭐ PUYB Virtual Book Club⭐: ⭐Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Tour Kick Off⭐The Golden Manuscripts by Evy Journey

A few excerpts from past virtual book tour stops:

Monday, February 12

Interview at CBY Book Club

“I amassed a lot of material for this novel. I read books and journal articles, watched movies and documentaries. So, the most difficult part was deciding what to include in the story and what to leave out.

Thursday, February 15

Interview at The Avid Reader

“Little is publicly...

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Published on March 26, 2024 16:00

January 29, 2024

Writing Cross-Genre: 1. “Sugar and Spice” Is About Food, But What About “All Those Lies”?

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Sugar and spice

Two characters in Sugar and Spice and All those Lies commit crimes. The victim in both cases is Gina, the main character. One crime is more serious than the other and it pushes Gina to the edge of death.

Despite the crimes in the story, this book is not a cozy mystery. A detective comes, but not to solve whodunit questions nor to track down criminals to bring them to justice.

We know from the beginning of the criminal acts who the perpetrators are, and they’re not about to run aw...

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Published on January 29, 2024 15:41

October 24, 2023

Art Is Good For You

[image error]Art Is good for you. That is both the starting point and eventual conclusion of Your Brain on Art,  by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross. Ms Magsamen is the founder and director of the International Arts + Mind Lab, Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine where she also teaches. Ms Ross is Vice President of Design for the Hardware Product Area at Google

I didn’t know what to expect from this Amazon 2023 Best Book pick and New York Times bestseller.  But it sou...

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Published on October 24, 2023 11:04

September 28, 2023

The Golden Manuscripts—Review by K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite

The Golden Manuscripts is a work in the literary, cross-cultural, and interpersonal drama subgenres. It forms the sixth novel in the Between Two Worlds collection, each of which is a stand-alone story focusing on multiracial women and the pursuit of their passions through travel.

 

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Très Riches Heures_duc de Berry

Penned by Evy Journey, this tale is inspired by the historical theft of medieval manuscript illuminations during the Second World War. Our displaced hero of the story is Clarissa Mar...

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Published on September 28, 2023 17:28

June 28, 2023

Many Beautiful Moments: The Golden Manuscripts—International Review of Books:

Which line stood out from all the others in The Golden Manuscripts?

“Everyone has a home they’ve set roots in. We may not be aware of it, but a significant part of who we think we are—who others think we are—depends on where we’ve lived. The place we call home. A place I don’t have. Not yet. But I will.

General Summary for Context:

Clarissa is a graduate student with a deep and passionate love for illuminated manuscripts. A magazine article questioning the validity of current manuscripts for sa...

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Published on June 28, 2023 09:47

June 24, 2023

Originality of Plot in The Golden Manuscripts:: Asher Syed for Readers’ Favorite

The Golden Manuscripts by Evy Journey follows a young woman named Clarissa who feels connected to two medieval manuscripts and wants to solve the mystery around their disappearance in this sixth stand-alone book of the Between Two Worlds series. Two point-of-view characters narrate in the first person against the backdrop of World War II and the early noughties, with fluctuation of decades between. The first point of view is an unnamed WWII soldier who steals the manuscripts and keeps them, just...

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Published on June 24, 2023 16:44