Luke Harkness, Author at Luke’s Blog

08Oct 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

How to Drive FREE Engagement to your Blog

It doesn't matter how many social media followers you have or how great your articles are, if you're not managing to find a way to drive people to your blog then none of it really matters. [caption id="attachment_1223" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] I've realised over the past few months of blogging that keeping people on your site and keeping them coming back is absolutely crucial to making sure your content is being seen. If you want your time on your blog to feel worth it, then having people return, visit, comment and appreciate your content is the best way to do this. I've been blogging for a few months now so by no means am I the most experienced at this. However, I have a few years in…

07Oct 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book Review: Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

Book reviews, Contemporary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Lisa Jewell is a bug author among the online bookish community and Then She Was Gone is considered one of her bigger stories so I felt it was a must for me to pick it up. I'm impressed and very ready to tell you why. [caption id="attachment_1218" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase The Song of Achilles via one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you to support the blog. These links do not affect my final opinion of the product. Then She Was Gone is a story by Lisa Jewell, arguably her first big hit, that features the story around a mother whose daughter goes missing…

05Oct 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

My 5 Most Successful Blog Posts from September

Features, Monthly Round Ups

September has been a great month for my blog setting the second-highest amount of views in a month I've had (the first was July when the Goodreads vs StoryGraph article went a little viral). This is good news as it inevitably means the blog is growing slowly but surely. Here's to October being the biggest month I ever have! [caption id="attachment_1211" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest[/caption] Do note, the list below are the articles that have been most successful for me that I posted in September. Oddly, The SIlent Patient review got the most amount of views this month, though based on the large number of spammy comments it gets, I feel this is because it may have fallen onto some spam radar, unfortunately. Please note that this article contains…

03Oct 2021 by Luke Harkness 2 Comments

Blogger Spotlight: Felix Felicitated

Blogger Spotlights, Features

In today's Blogger Spotlight, we're looking at Felix Felicitated run by Esha. Her blog features a wide array of different content, focusing on lifestyle content and book reviews. With a huge push on self-improvement, Felix Felicitated's blog features articles that talk honestly about her experiences. What is your blog about? I blog about a variety of things that interest me. For instance, I look at books and review them every month. I also talk about lifestyle content and mental clarity. I am big on self-improvement and try to find ways to develop my life for the better. What do you think makes your blog stand out from others? I have mentioned this many times in my blog that I am not someone who has her life put together. The reason…

01Oct 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

The Seven Spectacular Books I Read in September

Features, Monthly Round Ups

In September I read four five-star books, one of which is an absolute classic, one of which is a sequel to a hit book from 2020, one of which is a truly life-affirming book and the final of which is a contemporary masterpiece about the struggles of love and class set in Greek mythology (take a guess!). I also read three other books which I've given summaries of below. [caption id="attachment_1194" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means that if you choose to purchase any products via the links below to support the blog, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my opinion of the products themselves. To Kill a…

29Sep 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Blogger Spotlight: Cosmic Taryn

Blogger Spotlights, Features

Today's Blogger Spotlight is ironically highlighting someone who loves to interview other people. Taryn's blog focuses on telling the stories of people she finds interesting around the world. This isn't limited to just fellow bloggers, she interviews authors, artists, developers, entrepreneurs and many more. [caption id="attachment_1181" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Taryn also has two books of poetry out that I have linked at the end of the post! What is your blog about? I have a blog where I interview interesting people. I believe everyone has a story to tell or something worth sharing with the rest of the world. I’d love for my readers to be able to connect with anyone from authors, artists, podcasters, website developers, programmers, entrepreneurs etc. What do you think makes your blog…

27Sep 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book Review: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Book reviews, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance

You can't go too far on bookstagram without The Song of Achilles being recommended to you. In Madeline Miller's debut novel, she focuses on the story of Achilles and Patroclus as they grow from boys to men and the different directions life takes them despite their love for one another. [caption id="attachment_1176" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase The Song of Achilles via one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you to support the blog. These links do not affect my final opinion of the product. The Song of Achilles very much intrigued me as I'm a huge fan of Greek mythology (as any nerd is) and…

25Sep 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book Review: One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M McManus

Book reviews, Contemporary Fiction, Crime, Mystery

A couple of years ago I picked up One Of Us Is Lying but for some reason or another ended up DNFing it. I've picked it up again though however and managed to plough through and I must say I have mixed feelings about it. [caption id="attachment_1172" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase The Final Empire via one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you to support the blog. These links do not affect my final opinion of the product. One of Us Is Lying is the first book in what is going to be a trilogy. It focuses on the unraveling events after five teenagers walk…

24Sep 2021 by Luke Harkness 2 Comments

Book Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Book reviews, Historical Fiction

The Book Thief is described as a "life-affirming bestseller" in it's Kindle title on Amazon and I must say, this is very true. The Book Thief is the story of a young girl starting in 1939 as she grows up in Nazi Germany and the stories of those around her as the bombs begin to fall. [caption id="attachment_1169" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase The Final Empire via one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you to support the blog. These links do not affect my final opinion of the product. I'll be honest, I picked up The Book Thief three or four years ago and DNFed…

21Sep 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Blogger Spotlight: Primary Bookstagram

Blogger Spotlights, Features

Not all blogs are there to be uploaded to constantly. Some work as an alternative platform and a basis to promote your other successes. Primary Bookstagram, run by Claire, is a blog that currently only features one post as her main source of traffic is from her Instagram page, highlighting high-quality texts for year 6 students. [caption id="attachment_1161" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] What is your blog about? I believe children should read as many high-quality texts as possible to use as models and inspiration for their writing. Readers are writers, yet it is very time-consuming to find a real wealth of writing examples. I blog about which page numbers in quality children's literature can be used for writing models. I find specific setting descriptions, characterisation and atmosphere examples…

Author: Luke Harkness