A License to Quill

Writer ~ Reviewer ~ Editor ~ Foodie ~ Earthmomma ~ Crazy Cat Lady

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    • About Lori
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  • Book Reviews
    • Request A Review
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    • The Little Red Pen
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    • Second Life Editing
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  • CowTown Cooking
  • HodgePodge
    • Living Simply
    • Seattle Stories
    • The Aether Salon Archives
    • Aether Chrononauts Calendar
    • Edmund Dulac Portal Index
  • This Writer’s Life
    • About My Books
    • Writer’s Resources
    • Why Should I Pre-Order A Book?
    • Fun Lorem Ipsum Generators
  • Blog
  • About
    • About Lori
    • Contact Lori
    • Privacy Policy
  • Book Reviews
    • Request A Review
  • Editing Services
    • The Little Red Pen
    • Services and Rates
    • Second Life Editing
    • About My Logo
  • CowTown Cooking
  • HodgePodge
    • Living Simply
    • Seattle Stories
    • The Aether Salon Archives
    • Aether Chrononauts Calendar
    • Edmund Dulac Portal Index
  • This Writer’s Life
    • About My Books
    • Writer’s Resources
    • Why Should I Pre-Order A Book?
    • Fun Lorem Ipsum Generators
  • Blog
  • About
    • About Lori
    • Contact Lori
    • Privacy Policy
  • Book Reviews
    • Request A Review
  • Editing Services
    • The Little Red Pen
    • Services and Rates
    • Second Life Editing
    • About My Logo
  • CowTown Cooking
  • HodgePodge
    • Living Simply
    • Seattle Stories
    • The Aether Salon Archives
    • Aether Chrononauts Calendar
    • Edmund Dulac Portal Index
  • This Writer’s Life
    • About My Books
    • Writer’s Resources
    • Why Should I Pre-Order A Book?
    • Fun Lorem Ipsum Generators
  • Blog
  • Anthology,  Book Reviews,  Dystopian,  Fantasy,  LGBTQ+,  Science Fiction,  Speculative Fiction

    Book Review: Fix the World

    Lori Alden Holuta / August 27, 2022 / 0 Comments

    There's lots of ways to break the world, and plenty of diverse, interesting ways to fix it. There's twelve good examples in this engaging, enjoyable, extremely inclusive, joyously LBGTQ+ anthology

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  • Book Reviews,  Cookbooks

    Book Review: Flavor by Fire

    Lori Alden Holuta / August 21, 2022 / 0 Comments

    What drew me to this cookbook was the promise of flavor. Dietary restrictions in my household mean that I strive to cook delicious meals while staying very low-sodium.

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  • Book Reviews,  Poetry,  Self-Help

    Book Review: A Cry For Mercy

    Lori Alden Holuta / August 21, 2022 / 0 Comments

    Peter Okonkwo is a self-defined fatalist poet with a gift for cutting directly to the chase. His poems are unflinchingly angry, his scenarios heartbreakingly dismal.

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  • Book Reviews,  History,  Non-Fiction

    Book Review: 1980: America’s Pivotal Year

    Lori Alden Holuta / August 15, 2022 / 0 Comments

    I had trouble getting into the groove of this book, as I kept waiting for that light-bulb moment when I would be convinced that 1980 was a pivotal year.

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  • Book Reviews,  Cookbooks,  Memoir

    Book Review: Rambutan: Recipes from Sri Lanka

    Lori Alden Holuta / August 7, 2022 / 0 Comments

    Half cookbook, half memoir, wholly satisfying. I recommend settling in to read Rambutan as you would read a memoir, while keeping a pad of post-it bookmarks handy to mark recipes you'll want to…

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  • Biographies and Autobiographies,  Book Reviews,  History,  Middle Grade,  Non-Fiction,  Womens Literature,  Young Adult

    Book Review: The Rebel Girls Handbook

    Lori Alden Holuta / August 3, 2022 / 0 Comments

    This colorful, engaging book provides an introduction to 300-plus notable women throughout history, along with a few facts about each of them and what they've accomplished.

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  • Book Reviews,  Fantasy,  LGBTQ+,  Magical Realm

    Book Review: Thistlefoot

    Lori Alden Holuta / August 2, 2022 / 0 Comments

    Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott My rating: 5 of 5 stars A retelling of the old Russian/Ukraine/Belarus stories about Baba Yaga and her chicken-footed house. This time around though, she’s not just a creepy,…

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  • This Writer's Life

    Clarity

    Lori Alden Holuta / August 1, 2022 / 0 Comments

    I'm happy to announce that my flash-fiction story, "Magic Mirror" was chosen for this year's Queer Sci-Fi anthology.

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  • Action and Adventure,  Book Reviews,  Historical Fiction,  Humor,  Short Stories

    Book Review: Triggernometry

    Lori Alden Holuta / July 29, 2022 / 0 Comments

    The clever title word caught my attention, and the teaser blurb had me lunging for the 'buy' button. But as a lifelong Mathophobic, I wondered if I'd be able to really get into…

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  • Browse the best books to read at Shepherd
    This Writer's Life

    A New Way To Discover Books

    Lori Alden Holuta / July 25, 2022 / 0 Comments

    Shepherd.com intends to give readers a new way to discover books.

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  • Recipe Box,  This Writer's Life

    Steamed and Steamy: The eBook Six Years in the Making!

    Lori Alden Holuta / July 24, 2022 / 0 Comments

    Perhaps you know about my little cookbook, Steamed and Steamy: Recipes from the Steampunk World of Industralia, published as a paperback in 2016. Almost immediately people started asking me when the eBook would…

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  • Second Life,  This Writer's Life

    Werks from the Iron Road releases Werk-Books Version 3.0

    Lori Alden Holuta / July 19, 2022 / 0 Comments

    Werks from the Iron Road, a webstore and design house based in the virtual world of Second Life, has announced the arrival of Werk-Books Book Scripts Package, version 3.0, to its Second Life…

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  • Book Reviews,  Coming of Age,  Dystopian,  Science Fiction,  Young Adult

    Book Review: Crudrat

    Lori Alden Holuta / July 15, 2022 / 0 Comments

    This charmer of a story highlights relationships between lifeforms, first and foremost. It's a YA story filled with intimate bonds that aren't romantic, family dynamics that are both adversarial and caring, and even…

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  • Book Reviews,  Fantasy,  Graphic Novels,  Steampunk

    Book Review: The Trials and Tribulations of Miss Tilney

    Lori Alden Holuta / July 5, 2022 / 0 Comments

    Our intrepid Miss Tilney definitely endures trials and tribulations, which have been heaped upon her by her own choice.

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  • Black Authors,  Book Reviews,  Non-Fiction,  Poetry,  This Writer's Life

    Book Review: Two Poems by Peter Okonkwo

    Lori Alden Holuta / June 29, 2022 / 0 Comments

    I enjoy poetry of all sorts, whether it’s cheesy limericks, genteel sonnets of love, harsh dystopian viewpoints, odes to nature, and more. In the category of ‘more’ is the work of Peter Okonkwo.…

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  • Book Reviews,  Fantasy,  LGBTQ+,  Romance,  Short Stories

    Book Review: Blown Away

    Lori Alden Holuta / June 25, 2022 / 0 Comments

    Blown Away by Holly Day My rating: 3 of 5 stars Espen is the closest you can get to being a big cuddly teddy bear. He loves his creature comforts (and yes, I…

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  • Book Reviews,  Cookbooks,  Non-Fiction

    Book Review: Modern Asian Baking at Home

    Lori Alden Holuta / June 25, 2022 / 0 Comments

    Modern Asian Baking at Home: Essential Sweet and Savory Recipes for Milk Bread, Mooncakes, Mochi, and More; Inspired by the Subtle Asian Baking Community by Kat Lieu My rating: 5 of 5 stars…

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  • Book Reviews,  History,  Non-Fiction

    Book Review: The Fulton Fish Market: A History

    Lori Alden Holuta / June 24, 2022 / 0 Comments

    Years ago, when I lived in New Jersey, I'd take weekend trips into 'The City' to explore its nooks and crannies. When I mentioned to a friend that I'm always interested in a…

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  • Book Reviews,  Cookbooks,  Non-Fiction

    Book Review: Smorgasbowl

    Lori Alden Holuta / June 16, 2022 / 0 Comments

    We quickly learned to love bowl dinners, but they've been limited to spaghetti, chili with cheese, and the occasional homemade ramen vegetable soup. But that's about to change.

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  • Book Reviews,  Detective and Mystery,  Suspense and Thriller

    Book Review: All Dressed Up

    Lori Alden Holuta / June 15, 2022 / 0 Comments

    All Dressed Up by Jilly Gagnon My rating: 3 of 5 stars I’m a huge fan of murder mysteries, and have been ever since discovering the Nancy Drew mystery series in grade school.…

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  • Book Reviews,  Fantasy,  Horror,  Humor,  Short Stories

    Book Review: Dare vs the Doll

    Lori Alden Holuta / June 13, 2022 / 0 Comments

    This very short story is sassy, weird and oddly cute. The dialog is giggle-worthy sass, and the situation is so far removed from the realm of possibility that you just can't help but…

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  • Book Reviews,  Dystopian,  LGBTQ+,  Science Fiction,  Short Stories

    Book Review: Real Sugar is Hard to Find

    Lori Alden Holuta / June 12, 2022 / 1 Comment

    Real Sugar is Hard to Find by Sim Kern My rating: 5 of 5 stars It’s always a good day when I add a new author to my ‘favorite writer’s’ list. Sim Kern’s…

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  • Book Reviews,  Non-Fiction

    Book Review: Atlantis Solved

    Lori Alden Holuta / June 8, 2022 / 0 Comments

    The author made a really good case for having found Atlantis. He really did.

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  • Book Reviews,  Cozy,  Detective and Mystery

    Book Review: Gone But Not Furgotten

    Lori Alden Holuta / June 5, 2022 / 0 Comments

    I cannot, and never will, resist a book that celebrates cats! I pounced like a kitten on Gone but Not Furgotten.

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  • Action and Adventure,  Book Reviews,  Dystopian,  LGBTQ+

    Book Review: Deuces are Wild (Aces High, Jokers Wild Book 6)

    Lori Alden Holuta / June 1, 2022 / 0 Comments

    If you've been following along since book one, The Hands We’re Given, by now you've probably come to think of Base 1407's Wild Cards team as friends, or perhaps they've become your fictional…

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  • Book Reviews,  DIY,  Non-Fiction

    Book Review: Cricut: 11 Books in 1

    Lori Alden Holuta / May 31, 2022 / 0 Comments

    When an instructional book does exactly what it says on the tin (thanks for that cliché, England), I have to rate it five stars.

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  • Book Reviews,  Cookbooks,  History,  Non-Fiction

    Book Review: A History of Herbalism

    Lori Alden Holuta / May 19, 2022 / 0 Comments

    By the time I finished reading the title, "A History of Herbalism: Cure, Cook and Conjure", I was already clicking my mouse to grab this book, which I did *not* set aside to…

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  • Book Reviews,  History,  Middle Grade,  Non-Fiction

    Book Review: The History of the Computer

    Lori Alden Holuta / May 17, 2022 / 0 Comments

    While I enjoy the illustration style and find it engaging in a way that will help readers feel comfortable with the learning process, I have concerns about the book's content.

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  • Book Reviews,  Cookbooks,  Non-Fiction

    Book Review: Spanish Cooking for Beginners

    Lori Alden Holuta / May 16, 2022 / 0 Comments

    I was curious about this cookbook since I don't have a lot of experience with cooking Spanish food. But is this book really for beginners? Read on...

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  • Book Reviews,  Cookbooks,  Non-Fiction

    Book Review: Everyday French Cooking

    Lori Alden Holuta / May 12, 2022 / 2 Comments

    Jacques Pepin taught me long ago that French cooking doesn't have to be difficult or complicated. Fresh, wholesome ingredients are the main requirement, along with a sense of adventure. A sense of humor…

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