Hailey Rose's Blog, page 13
October 12, 2016
Book Review: Family Reunion by Kelsey Bryant
I haven’t done a book review in a good long while, so here’s one! :)
Family Reunion was one of those books that kept popping up on numerous blogs. Finally, I decided that a change of pace might be nice, so I got the book. At first glance, I didn’t expect much, but as I read on, the little treasure that this book is came to light.
Plot/Storyline: 4/5
Though this is far from an action-packed adventure, the message of this book is so absolutely invaluable. It packs a punch, about something every person struggles with at one point in time or another; being kind to those we don’t like.
Characters: 5/5
The characters were likable, except for those who weren’t supposed to be so.
Writing: 5/5
Though I felt that some trimming of excess words and sentences wouldn’t be amiss, Bryant is a talented writer. I look forward to seeing her skill develop and grow.
Dialogue: 5/5
Very nicely done.
Want-to-read-ability: 3/5
There were some parts that truly seemed to drag by. Unlike some, this book wasn’t in my hands at every spare moment, though I looked forward to when I could sit down and read a few chapters. I’m excited to read the next book in the series.
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October 8, 2016
VAVC #1 & I’m BAAACCCCKKKKK!!!!!
HELLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOO, everyone!!!!!!! :)
I have returned to the world of blogging. The month-long break was exactly what I needed. So amazing. Seriously, everyone should take a blogging break.
*ahem ahem*
Back to business. First and foremost is my VAVC #1 vlog!
VAVC #1 from Ivy Rose on Vimeo.
(Wondering what VAVC is? Click here to learn more!)
By the way, thank you amazing people who have participated in the challenge already. I’ve loved watching your videos! Keep them coming!
I have a few announcements. *drumroll*
Firstly, I WILL NOT be participating in NaNoWriMo this year. *sobbing* It’s so sad. I can’t believe it. I really want to do it, but unfortunately, it just isn’t going to happen. Even so, I wish all of you the best as you peruse your NaNoish writing endeavors. Have some fun for me. *sniff*
Secondly, in a few weeks, I will be publishing my very first short story, Even Through Rain. And guess what the best part is? It’s going to be FREE!!! That’s right, F-R-E-E free.
Want to see the cover?
*Squeals* Isn’t it awesome!?! I’m so excited.
And thirdly: You must wait. I can’t wait to tell you. It’s super big and exciting.
How’s that for a teaser? (Mwa hahahahaha!)
Over the past few weeks, my family went on an epic vacation. I was gonna post a bunch of pics, but that isn’t happening right now. But here is a short video for you to see of how I write when traveling.
RV writing from Ivy Rose on Vimeo.
Well, now that I’ve been absent for the past few weeks, you must tell me what YOU’VE been up to. How’s life treating you? Any new story news? Can’t wait to hear from all you lovelies!
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September 6, 2016
A Time of Rest
Yeah, I know I skipped the August wrap. Sorry. It just wasn’t happening.
Last year, about this time, I took a bit of a blogging break. When I came back, I was far more refreshed and ready to carry on gung-ho. I’d been hoping to avoid it this year, and thought I would be able to. But to be honest, I need a break. This month is going to be incredibly busy, with lots of traveling, company, school–you name it. So…
I’m taking the month off!!!
However, I will still be around and available, I just need to stop thinking about blogging for awhile. :)
And the vlog challenge is still on! And I’m still watching it closely, so don’t stop posting your videos! :) I’ll be posting mine when I get back in October. But don’t wait for me! :)
I will return on October 8th. With my VAVC vlog.
Have a great month!
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September 4, 2016
It’s Working! It’s Working!
August 31, 2016
The Very Awesome Vlog Challenge
WATCH THE VLOG, then read the post.
(Note: Excuse my choppy speech and general breathlessness. I was having asthma because of the smoke in our area.)
VAVC Introduction from Ivy Rose on Vimeo.
Sound exciting? I think so!!!! I can’t wait!!
Here are the questions/actions for the Aug-Oct edition:
What is ONE of your favorite books? (What makes it your favorite?)
Show your room and/or writing space.
What is your favorite food?
If you do this, grab the post image and link to my website so everyone else can join. Give me until the weekend and I’ll have all the info on the VAVC page of my website.
You can use Vimeo or YouTube–whatever you are most comfortable with. I don’t have a preference.
You have until October 15th to post your vlog. The linkup site is not working at the moment, but I will (hopefully) get it up and going shortly. And there will be a page of this website, available in my header, dedicated to the VAVC!
To get this ball rolling, I am going to tag Hope and Abi to do this–cuz they’re my friends/critique partners and I really want to see their videos!!!! :)
NOTE: this is not a ‘tagging’ kind of thing. I am ONLY doing it for the FIRST TIME so people will actually give it a try.
It’s really not scary, I promise! I cannot wait to see all of your vlogs!!!!!! I’ll be posting mine soon! :)
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Are you excited?!?!?!?! :)
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August 24, 2016
Book Review: God’s Will by Meghan M. Goreki
God’s Will thoroughly shocked me. I LOVED IT! I was not expecting to love it as much as I did (and do). This is a book I originally bought in Kindle, but soon after finishing it I bought the paperback. It’s one I can’t wait to share with my siblings. YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK.
Plot/Storyline: 4/5
The beginning was a little slow, but not enough to make me stop reading. The story itself felt very realistic to the time period.
Characters: 5/5
WOW. All of the characters were so deep and well-developed. I felt like I knew each of them personally.
Writing: 5/5
It was absolutely beautiful, especially for a debut novel.
Want-to-read-ability: 5/5
After I got beyond the first three chapters, I was completely sucked in and couldn’t put it down.
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Have you read God’s Will? What did you think of it?
Next week I have a very special announcement!!! Stay tuned for something super cool (or, at least, I think it is cool). :)
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August 17, 2016
Scary Stuff!!!! :)
I’m telling you guys–this being an author stuff is scary.
*deep breath*
I have officially made my first public appearance as an author.
And the worst thing was, it was a LOCAL event, so people knew who I was.
*cringe*
To my delight, I only met a few people with whom I was aquatinted.
*sigh*
Anyway, onto things of more substance…
The event was a kind of bizarre/fair sort of thing. I’m not really sure what it was…to be honest, I’m kinda shocked our little redneck community even did something like this. ;-) However, despite the blistering heat and general redneckedness of the event, I was surprised at the reaction to my book. I sold 15 copies in just a few hours! Is that not completely awesome or what?!?!
At the booth (okay, tent) :)
Something else super awesome (and quite frightening) is that my book was featured in a local news publication. I got the entire center spread of the paper!
In the next few weeks, I’m going to send out a few more press releases in hopes of getting more attention in my local area. Hopefully, the lure of the book being about my area will be enough to find new readers!
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August 9, 2016
My New Money Dump
Maybe it’s just me, but I tend to go through phases of something I’m interested in that my ‘wild’ money gets funneled into. For a time it was thrift stores, then antique stores, and now it’s …
Well, it’s a few things right now.
At the moment, I’m mildly obsessed with Converse All Stars. Just mildly. Believe me, I know people who are CRAZY obsessed with them. Ahem anyway, one of the reasons I love them is that they are the perfect blend between sporty and trendy. And since I tend to lean toward the more casual side of dressing, they’re perfect. And I can wear them with skirts. But the MAIN reason I love them so much is because if I buy a half-size bigger and take out the insole, they fit my bulky, ugly foot orthotics (that not a lot of cute shoes can accommodate). They’re the perfect summer-weight shoe, and my orthotics fit. Win win all the way around
Back to what I was saying: I had some birthday money accumulating, so I decided to purchase another pair of said shoes (*only* my second pair, mind you). No biggie.
Fast forward a day.
I was introduced to this lovely website called ThriftBooks.com by an friend who shall remain nameless. (You know who you are. ;-) ) Since the books were so awesomely inexpensive, and since I had some MORE birthday money to spend, I was able to buy 7 classics for under $20.
Umm, OK. Is this awesome or what?!?
Later that evening, I told my dad that I had found my new favorite money dump. He got this pained look on his face and said, “Converse shoes?”
I laughed at him.
If only I had THAT much money to spend on shoes with any amount of frequency.
No. ThriftBooks. It’s awesome. Seriously, go check it out. They don’t have a lot of newer books, but all the classics I needed were available and cheap. Can’t go wrong.
Have you gotten any books from ThriftBooks?
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August 6, 2016
Song of the Sword by Hope Schmidt Blog Tour
My dear friend Hope is releasing her second novella! I don’t usually like fantasy, but I’ve read several of Hope’s yet-to-be-published books (as well as the ones that have been published!) and they are all amazing!!!
Welcome to the launch of Song of the Sword, the second novella in the Legends of Light series! Although the history of Aslaria and the conflict between the Prince and the rebel, Tauscher, flows chronologically though the series, each novella is a stand-alone retelling of a favorite fairy tale. Each story in this nine novella series focuses on one of the nine aspects of the Fruit of the Spirit while also retelling popular fairy tales in a clean, exciting, and inspiring manner.
A glittering sword.
An ancient oath.
A blackened rose.
And a melody which ties it all together.
Evrard and Roinette, twins separated at birth, are caught in a battle beyond their own limited powers. With their ability to walk in the melody realm, catching glimpses of the light and darkness underlying Aslaria, comes even more danger.
Deadly mistbenders. Writhing walls of blankness. Hateful drumbeats. As a warrior in the Melody, Evrard has seen it all. But his own ability in the melody realm pales in comparison to the Prince’s melody, the legendary prowess of past Wingmasters, and even the depth of his sister’s song.
To rescue Roinette and evade the trap almost certainly set for him by those who want his power, Evrard knows he’ll have to be careful. Even if he can find the Wingmaster’s sword, there’s no assurance he’ll be able to defeat a mistbender on his own. In the end, will his and Roinette’s efforts matter if the Prince brings an ancient oath to fulfillment, shaking the very foundation of Aslaria?
Available on Kindle, iTunes, and Smashwords
Add on Goodreads
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My Review:
I know I’ve said this many times: I’m not a huge fantasy lover. Hope’s stories, however, are an exception. Maybe it is her suck-you-in writing style, maybe it’s the depth of the characters, maybe it’s the creativity of the setting–I don’t know exactly. This twist on Rapunzel…wow. It was so good. So much less cheesy than the real story. ;-) One little (LITTLE) thing that bugged me was it sometimes got confusing with all the realm-hopping. However, that may very well be because I read too fast and skip over things accidentally.
Hope is a fantastic author. I cannot wait to see what happens in stories to come. It can only get more amazing from here!
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My interview with Hope:
When you were ten years old, did you ever think that you would be an author?
When I was ten? Oh dear, I can hardly remember… I already was writing some things, so if you would have told me I would be self-publishing fantasy when I was twenty-one, I probably would have believed you about being a writer though I’d have been incredulous about the self-publishing part. But it was until I was in my teens that consciously began thinking of myself as a author.
What is something that writing has taught you?
Endurance and steady persistence. Writing isn’t always easy. I’ll go through stages in about every story, moving from loving the book, to thinking it’s awful, to recognizing it’s not all that bad. But I’ve learned, no matter my current emotional feelings about the story, to keep writing, to keep going, to not give up. And in the end, I do get somewhere. Even if it takes a while.
Has writing brought you closer to the Lord? If so, how?
Yes, it has. I weave allegorical themes into my stories, and I tend to learn from them as I write. The theme of joy in Song of the Sword is a case in point. I knew the idea of our joy being founded in Christ, and that joy and happiness are not necessarily the same thing. But as I wrote the story and worked through Evrard’s struggle with the source of true joy, I came to a deeper understanding of how our joy is based in Christ alone, no matter what happens around us. Even if we might be in heaviness due to personal sorrow, we can still hold to the joy give us through Christ’s death and resurrection. A joy which transcends earthly suffering.
How do you get through the ‘low points’ in writing?
When I get depressed with my writing, I’ll pray about it. I figure that I want to honor God and inspire people with my work, and that if He wants the story to get done, it will get done. Then I work through it. I write no matter if I’m feeling good or bad about the story, because I know that, sooner or later, my spirits will lift again. The slump might last a few hours, like after getting beta reader feedback (not, of course, that I resent or don’t want the feedback. I need it. I just don’t tend to realize the amount of work I still need to do sometimes) or a few weeks after discovering a gaping flaw in my story.
One trick which helps me, is to figure out what is really wrong. If I look at my story and think it’s awful, the changes needed seem overwhelming. So I sit down and figure out what exactly needs to be done. Maybe the characters lack emotion and I need setting details. Both are fairly big things, but once I know that, I can figure out a course of action. A battle plan. Such as going though one chapter a day and focusing on adding emotion. Then I’ll go back over it and look over where I can add setting details. At the rate of a chapter a day, I can get it done in five weeks… suddenly the whole project doesn’t seem as overwhelming since I know what I need to do and how I will go about doing it.
What is one of your favorite writing-related memories?
That’s hard, there are so many compiled small moments which make up the pleasures of writing. Most recently, my favorite memory is sitting on the tire swing, muttering about a subplot I had to figure out with a minor character. And then suddenly the pieces all snapped together in one great ‘ahhhh’ moment as I realized what I could do and how the solution was already built into the story. I’d just not recognized it before. Those moments are that make writing worthwhile.
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About the Author
Hope Ann is a Christian authoress who lives on a small farm in northern Indiana. She was homeschooled and now helps teach several of her eight younger siblings.
She has been writing for over five years, and has so many story ideas that she doubts she will ever stop. Her favorite genre to write is high fantasy with a touch of the allegorical. A close second is futuristic suspense. Her goal is to not only entertain with her stories, but to provide inspirational fiction for young adults.
Predictably, she loves reading fantasy, fairy tales, mythology, and futuristic suspense. Her favorite authors include J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Dickens, Frank Peretti, Mark Twain, and Serena Chase.
Her hobbies include photography, movie making, knitting, tree climbing, writing e-mails to friends, listening to Celtic music, and collecting shiny trinkets for story inspiration.
You can visit Hope’s blog at authorhopeann.com, or follow her on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, or Twitter.
Giveaway(s)!!!
USA Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
International Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blog Tour Schedule
August 2
Jennifer Kibble – Review and interview
Faith Blum – Spotlight on Andrinian
August 3
Keturah – Review and interview
Heidi Burke – Interview and sneak peek
August 4
Rebecca Morgan – Interview and spotlight on Punzel
Claire Banschbach – Sneak peek
August 5
Jaye L. Knight – Spotlight and sneak peek on Evrard
August 6
Ivy Rose – Review and interview
Kendra E. Ardnek – Review and interview
August 7
Bethany Smith – Review and spotlight on Roinette
August 8
Anna S. Brie – Review and interview
Olivia – Sneak peek
Amanda Tero – Review
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August 2, 2016
July Wrap
Yes, yes, yes, I know it is August 2nd. I’m sorry. I’m going to blame this on college (stupid deadlines), and the fact that I got a new computer and for several days was in the limbo of making sure all my data transferred. And I was completely calm as all of my half-finished manuscripts leapt from my old computer to my new one. (LIE!!!! I was a complete and total nervous wreck!!!! But it’s over now, and everything is working fine. My stories all survived.)
~Reading~
Goal: 8
Read: 8 (Ha! :) )
Favorite(s):
Brothers and Betrayal by Sarah Holman
~Writing~
Writing (again) fell by the wayside this month. But hey, that’s allowed, right? I mean, I released my first book, so that’s reason enough not to write.
~Blogging~
I stayed alive blogging! Whaddaya know. Wasn’t expecting that, but I made it work. Nothing terribly profound, just my blog tour, How I Write, and sweet Jesseca’s blog tour.
My goal from last month was to get 5 new subscribers. Guess how many I got? 16!!!!!! 16 people who are crazy enough to let me flood their inbox with posts. How awesome is that?!?!
Other exciting news: This blog post marks 120 posts, and 500 comments. How awesome is that?!?! I’m pretty excited. ;-)
And, as I said last month, I haven’t yet crawled out of my dark hole of hobbitness yet. I’ve been a bad bloggy friend. (yell at me if you wish). August is looking better!!! (Hallelujah I just want to BREATHE!!)
Coffee makes everything better, right? (And it looks pretty to boot.)
HOWEVER, here is a really great post from Go Teen Writers.
~Beta-Reading~
Kendra’s Lady Dragon, Tela Du
~Life~
There were lots of awesome things about this month.
1). My very first book released.
2.) I turned 18. Yikes. Scary stuff. This is how I feel:
3). I spent a week at music camp, hanging out with family, friends, and helping my teacher teach her class of 33 kids. Honestly, I could do a whole post on music camp. It was an absolute blast. If I had thought of taking pictures I would show you, but I was too busy making sure 8 year olds didn’t sit on or trip over their fiddles. Music camp is just the best thing ever. I stayed up until 2:30 jamming. We jammed for 5 hours straight. I think that’s the longest I’ve ever played with people I hardly know. Actually, that’s probably the longest I’ve ever played. It was so much fun.
Also, at camp this year, I managed to dislocate my shoulder while playing volleyball. (And no, I was not playing that aggressively—I actually have a genetic condition that causes my joints to dislocate frequently.) Anyway, thank goodness that didn’t affect my week, and I didn’t realize how much it hurt until we got home at the end of the week.
4). I finished one of my college classes!!! It’s soo good to have ONE class, the THREE credits under my belt.
5). I spent 5 hours at a trap/skeet range shooting shotguns. And because of my still-healing dislocated shoulder, I decided to shoot what is called “mirror image” or, weak-handed. So the whole day, I shot with my left hand, left eye—totally the opposite of what I usually do. It was good to see what new shooters feel like. Sometimes it’s hard for me to remember what it’s like to be new. And believe it or not, I hit more “birds” than I missed.
6.) I found a new money dump. (And I’m completely going to blame this on my sweet friend, Abi. Love you, girl!!! :) ) Forthcoming post on this horrible amazing site called ThriftBooks.
~Goals for next month~
Read some books. (‘cuz numbers are too specific.)
Write 10,000 words
Announce the project I’ve been working on for the past few months. (I think you’re all gonna like it… :) )
Keep plugging away with school. (Though I suppose this one is kind of inevitable.)
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How was your month? Is anyone else experiencing freak summer storms, featuring marble-sized hailstones?
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