Writer and Editor C.B. Calsing/ G.G. Royale

The Beast Is an Animal  by Paternelle van Arsdale is a compelling tale with pretty dark overtones. Alys is left orphaned by "soul eaters," twin sisters who float about the countryside with the promise of rest for the weary. Alys and the other surviving children of the village are taken to a new village, where they are forced to work nights, protecting the sheep and the citizens from the threat of the soul eaters. Alys learns as she grows that she is different than the other children and the citizens of her adoptive town, and she is forced to strike out on her own to set things right. I particularly love this book because of how it plays off the ideas of what is truly good and what is truly evil, and how each individual can decide that for themselves. It's a good message for young readers, that right and wrong can be subjective and just because someone is in power doesn't make them good. The world-building and atmosphere of the book were also well done, so all in all i...

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones mixes folklore with fantasy, horror, and young-adult romance. Aderyn is the daughter of a grave digger, and she's one of the few people who believes in, and deals with, the bone houses, essentially the reanimated dead. Recently, they've started leaving the forest and terrorizing the village. Aderyn, with the help of a mapmaker from the capital Ellis, head into the forest to break the curse and free her village from their violence. Along the way, the relationship between the two grows as they confront their pasts and what they've believed true for their entire lives. I feel so fortunate that I managed to download this audiobook right after House of Salt and Sorrow because I can give two glowing reviews back to back. I LOVED this book too. The heroine is not traditionally beautiful, but she is strong and comfortable in her body, and she makes her living in a traditionally male work, digging graves. She is an awesome role model for young re...

 I have a writing article posted over at Readers' Favorite. Check it out if you'd like to find a new way to motivate yourself to write. This method works for me, and helps me also keep track of how much I accomplish each day. During my morning pages, where I review my tasks, set my intention for the day, and reflect on the previous day, I'll look at my score and think of why I got that and what I could do to improve it. I've found a low-scoring day leaves me feeling a little down as far as my writing goes. Striving to meet my bench mark, or beat a high score, keeps me working.

Erin A. Craig’s House of Salt and Sorrows tells the story of the Thaumus family from the point of view of one of the twelve sisters, Annaleigh. At the beginning of the story, her mother and several of her sisters have already died, and the remaining sisters are burying another while trying to adjust to a new stepmother in the house. The circumstances around the most recent sister’s death are suspicious, and while there is talk of a family curse, Annaleigh attempts to uncover the truth about what really happened to her sister. During this, she deals with the competing feelings for her childhood friend, Fisher, and a mysterious newcomer to their island home, Cassius. To be honest, my summary doesn’t even do justice to the rich, intertwined plot of this book. I loved it. It is mysterious, opulent, dark, romantic… It borrowed from fairy tales and Poe-esque plots and settings. It ticked so many boxes for me. I loved that I only figured out a few of the twists moments before they were revea...

I am currently open to new editing gigs and can promise a super quick turnaround on manuscripts up to 100,000 words. Check out the page on this site to learn about my rates and other information. Using the pen name G.G. Royale, I wrote and edited for Loose Id for over a decade. My specialty is spicy romance; the higher the heat level, the better, but I also want to make sure you have a good solid story line and characters your readers will love. I can help you create your owns style guide as we work together (if you don't already have one). I have the heart of the teacher, and my goal is to help you polish your work for publication or submission to agents.