Faith L. Potts's Blog, page 19

The Thief, the Damsel, and the Dragon || Cover Reveal

Happy Saturday, lovelies! I'm off to a graduation party this morning, but first I have a wonderful treat for you all. 
My friend Angela from The Peculiar Messenger is releasing her darling little novella—The Thief, the Damsel, and the Dragon—and today is the cover reveal! It looks amazing and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. :D 
Half of y'all probably skipped this intro anyway (let's be honest, here... I do it too xD). So let's move along to the gorgeous cover and book details! 


Synopsis“... the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.” ~ Psalms 91:13

Edward Prosner is going to steal from the small town mayor of Fall Springs, North Carolina. He’s got a flawless plan of action and is determined to return honor and justice to his father’s good name. The problem he faces? He needs a date for the mayor’s dinner party.

Lucy Levitt is a huge romantic at heart, but with her family’s ranch and her part-time job, she has no time for dating. She believes God will place her soulmate in her life when the time is right. When the new man in town asks her out, how can she say no?

The first date seems ordinary enough, but then they begin to realize that they can’t fight their dragons alone.



Author BioAngela R. Watts is a sinner saved by Yahweh's Grace and she strives to glorify the King in all she does. She’s a homeschooled highschooler who lives at Step By Step Sanctuary, Tennessee, with her loving family and ranch animals. She’s been writing stories since she was tiny and hasn’t stopped since, though she also enjoys ranch and housework, painting, babysitting, and watching sunsets.

Blog || Youtube || Facebook || Instagram || Goodreads || Pinterest 


Are you as excited to read Angela's debut as I am?! :D

Window Fellow {pt.2}

Find pt.1 here, if you missed it! :) 

The next day, I was actually a few minutes ahead of schedule as I tromped down the rickety stairs from my apartment and waved to Mr. Phelps. I wanted to have a few minutes to talk to my window fellow before the bus came, so I’d actually crawled out of bed after only hitting the snooze button once. 

I cast a furtive glance to the heavens as I trekked on, praying those weren’t rain clouds I was seeing. Navigating campus was exhausting enough without having to stay dry in the midst of it all.

Halfway to the bus stop, an alarming shriek caused me to jump out of my skin—and slosh coffee all over my shirt sleeve. Ick. 

Swapping my remaining coffee to the other hand, I shook the liquid from my hand and forearm. Deciding the stain wasn’t too bad, I glanced into the yard to my right. 

A woman—probably 60-something—stood under the stoop outside her backdoor, broom in hand and gaze focused on a bush a few feet away. 

“Something wrong, ma’am?” I felt inclined to ask, having already been inconvenienced by whatever her dilemma. 

Obviously perplexed, she glanced up, seeming to see me for the first time. “Oh, thank heavens. I’m ever so grateful for the sight of another human being. A man would be better, but you’ll do.” 

The way she said it, I almost felt like she was doing me a favor by letting me help her. 

Still unsure as to what my purpose was here, I traipsed across the grassy lawn to the stone path that wound around from the front of the house to the back stoop—where the problem was apparently located. 

It didn’t take long for the missus of the house to relay to me that there was a family of mice in that bush and that ‘divine intervention’ had planted me in her yard as a means of getting rid of them. 

Having never cared for mice (or any other tiny, crawly rodent, now that we’re on the subject), I wasn’t too gung-ho about the task that was rather shoved upon me. But feeling a bit obliged—I did offer to help her—I resolved to do my best. 

Unfortunately, that meant helping the lady decapitate and capture all seven of the little critters. By the time, I’d been thanked for my assistance, collected my forty-pound bag of belongings and the newsboy hat that had somehow became disconnected from my head, and resumed my walk (now at a much quicker pace), the rain had found us. 

Drat! Despite my disdain, the wet weather only increased. I ended up racing all the way to the bus stop, possessing a fear of being late and a dislike for arriving saturated. 

At the bus stop, I ducked into the crowded space under the rickety roof. Usually, I avoided getting this close to others, but this sideways-blowing rain was all-business. 

Remembering my ritual of waving to Window Fellow, I turned and glanced up. Sure enough, he was at the window. When he caught my eye, he lifted a hand in greeting but made no moves to open the window and conduct a conversation. 

I waved back and returned to the pitiful protection of the bus stop’s covering. 

It looked like I would have to wait another day to learn his name. 


*


The day following the one in which I killed mice and got caught in a downpour, I was again a few minutes early as I sprinted down the street toward where my window friend was presumably waiting. 

When I reached the street corner, no one was waiting at the bus stop yet—which clarified my earliness. He probably wasn’t even expecting me yet. 

“Good morning, Annalyse.” 

Or...maybe he was. I turned and smiled up at the guy, dangling halfway out the window with shirtsleeves rolled up his forearms. 

“Good morning, Nameless.” 

“Ahh, getting cocky, are we?” He wiggled his eyebrows, seeming to enjoy this as much as I was. 

“Perhaps.” I crossed my arms and pinned him with a glare. “When do you plan on telling me your name?” 

“Hmm…” Elbows propped on the windowsill, he tapped his chin with a long finger. “Possibly never.” 

“What?!” I sputtered. “But you said—” 

“I said I would tell you if you came yesterday.” 

“I did come yesterday!” I squinted over at him as the morning sun broke over the building across from me and invaded my eyes. “And I would have been here before the rain if a grandmother hadn’t recruited me as a critter-catcher.” 

“Intriguing tale, madam, but I’m not buying. You’re running late more mornings than not.” 

Rude. I switched on a scowl, hoping he could see it at this distance. “As if it’s any of your business.” 

“Never said it was.” He grinned, still hanging out the window. Honestly, it’s impossible to stay mad at this guy for more than 8.973 seconds. 

The notorious drompa-drompa-drom of the bus can be heard as it crests the hill just south of the grocer’s. It’ll be here in less than a minute, true to my previous calculations. 

You know, the calculations I made in the days before I spent my time at the station chatting with a handsome window guy. 

Not that I’m saying he’s handsome. 

(His smile isn’t bad, but you didn’t hear that from me.) 


*


And so our relationship continued. We chatted every other weekday morning, at least. Daily, at best—sometimes in the evenings too. 

Window Fellow insisted that, since it was raining the day that he was supposed to reveal his name to me, fate didn’t want it to happen. (I’m pretty sure he made that up, like I made up the line about patterns being broken.) 

But he was never anywhere other than that window, and I never had too much time to spend standing on the street corner and carrying on an often-near-shouting conversation. 

Until one day, smackdab in the middle of semester finals. 

My last class of the day had been canceled, so I was walking home earlier than usual. Instead of taking the bus, I decided to walk the extra two miles and enjoy the spring sunshine. 

As I neared the corner where Window Fellow lived, I wondered if he would be there. Not likely. Typically, if I saw him during my evening commute, it was on a day when I’d stayed out later than normal. 

I reached the corner, stopped at the crosswalk, and pressed the button. While I waited for a walk signal, my gaze wandered to a van that had just pulled into the short drive at Window Fellow’s house. 

The back door opened, a ramp unfolded, and a young guy in a wheelchair emerged. I could hear him talking to the driver, but at the distance and with the traffic, I couldn’t make out their words. 

As he turned to wheel around the van and approach the house, he swiveled— jarring to a stop when his gaze snagged upon me. 

I stared back, mouth agape, just as shocked as he was. So that was why I’d never saw him around… 

It was my window fellow. Seated in the wheelchair, hands paused in midair, face blank and expressionless—so odd for the smirking, joking personality I’d become friends with. 

Without a word, he turned away and wheeled toward the house. I wanted to say something, wanted to tell him that I hoped this surprise meeting would have no bearing on our newly-formed friendship. But not even knowing his name, I would feel awkward calling him back. 

So I kept my mouth shut, crossed the street, and continued on my way. 


But the heaviness in my heart as I recalled Window Fellow’s expression when he saw me was difficult to ignore. 


*

Class of 2018 || A Letter

Dear Class of 2018,

First, let me congratulate you amazing people. You've accomplished something that 25% of high school freshmen in the US never do. (Yes, I googled it.) You've made the most of the opportunity of education available to you in your country of residence. You powered through rough days, less-than-satisfactory grades, and the moments you just wanted to give up.

But we did it. We finished 12 or 13 years of schooling before our 20th year of life. We earned the cap and gown, swapped the tassel, and now the future is stretching out before us—gleaming bright and free and slightly daunting.

Now that I've built you up a bit, let me say something on another note.

This isn't your moment of glory. This isn't the time you were born for.

Your destiny is so much greater than high school gradation.

I know, it feels pretty special—and it is. It's the end of something that has been apart of our lives for so long. But in the journey of life, this is only a beginning, y'all.

God's plans for our lives are playing out, and we're living it, and it's beautiful to watch. It's only getting better from here. There's adventures yet to be lived and memories yet to be made.

We're the first graduating class that was born in the 21st century. We're millennials, sure. We have cell phones and more technology than any prior generation. We speak the language of Snapchat and Instagram, and talk in the slang terms of lit, fire, legit, cray, OTP, dead, ship, and TFW.

But the millennial stereotype doesn't have to define us. We're young, y'all. We have our whole lives ahead of us to make a impact in this ol' world. Because, let me assure you, you are making an impact. Every life effects another—or, more accurately, many others. It's your choice whether you will have a positive or negative impact.

Let's change the world for His glory.

Whether you're going to college, taking a gap year, or just sitting back and contemplating your options, know that I am praying for you. Whatever you decide, however God leads, great things are in store for you.

Follow the Savior, my friends. By His power and in accordance with His plan, we truly can change the world.

~Faith


No mirrors for looking back, no room for somedayWe can play it safe or we can play it loudNot afraid to stand out in the crowdThese are the days we've been givenRight now we gotta live 'emWhoa oh whoa, this is our time
~ This is Our Time, Emerson Drive 

Third Blogiversary {How it All Began}

This past weekend marked three years since I entered the blogging world. And wow, y'all, what a three years it has been. I've made some amazing friends; learned a lot about writing, blogging, God, and life; and became an author.

To celebrate my third blogiversary, I'm hosting a giveaway on Chosen Vessels and sharing the story of how I found the blogging world here, along with some stats to look back on. :)

Story In the summer of 2014, I read the Circle C Adventures series by Susan K. Marlow. After reading book-1, I flipped to the end, scanned the author information, and saw the URL of the author's blog. Hmm...looks like fun. I grabbed the iPad or a parents' phone (can't remember) and pulled it up.

What I discovered was a treasure trove of Circle C goodness—fan stories and behind-the-scene tidbits and photos of characters. Over that fall and winder, I soaked it all up, reading every new post and every old one as well. I began writing fan stories of my own, some which I finished and some which I never will.

By the next spring, I was following several blogs that I found through Andi's Blog. The more I read and interacted with other bloggers in comment sections, the more I wanted to do something other than just read others' life tidbits and stories and randomness. I wanted to share my own.

So in June of 2015, I started this blog, and then almost immediately split it into here and Chosen Vessels. Things I wanted to post and share was quite varied, so I thought two blogs might be the best route. And it's worked pretty well. ;)

467 blog posts later, I'm still here. Writing stories. Sharing my life and my words with the world.

I have no doubt that God was smiling that summer day when I stumbled into this corner of the internet world. Little did I know then how much it all would come to mean to me. <3

Stats 
Stories by Firefly ~Subscribers: 1,234 (Um, pretty sure this is wrong.... I would guess about 40 of those to be legit.)Followers: 91Comments: 1,000Posts: 316Pageviews: 88,167
Chosen Vessels ~Subscribers: 20Followers: 39Comments: 880Posts: 151Pageviews: 24,361

Thank you, each and every one, for being a part of this journey. A blog wouldn't be much without followers, and y'all's support means the world to me.

Best wishes, friends, and thanks a million. <3

~Faith

Window Fellow {pt.1}

Happy Thursday, lovelies! As I mentioned in my Camp NaNo April updates, and again in my May recap, I wrote a short story on a whim and I'm rather pleased with how it turned out. And now y'all get to read it! A chapter a week, every Thursday, starting today.

Hope y'all enjoy! <3



I walked that route every single day during my sophomore year of college. And, until yesterday, he was always there. 

Come to think of it, a lot of things about that year were routine. Every morning, I tumbled out of bed, donned the randomest outfit I could find, and played with my hair just enough to make the messy curls look intentional. Then, I brewed a pot of coffee and poured it into a tumbler mug with nearly as large a capacity as my skull. With a patchwork-patterned messenger bag over my shoulder, crammed full of textbooks and study notes, I was ready for the day. 

Staggering down the stairs from my above-a-coffee-shop apartment, I waved a cheery ‘good morning’ to Mr. Phelps who always managed to be swapping the sign at the front of his store to ‘open.’ It didn’t matter if I was ten minutes early (rare) or ten minutes late (common)—he was always there. 

I would breathe in the morning air, sip my coffee, and thank the Lord above for another day to be lived to the fullest. Then, at the corner of 5th and Maple while waiting for the bus, I would wave at the good-looking fellow in the second-story window of the house across the street. 

Because he was always there. Part of my routine like he was supposed to be. Dependable, you know. 

Until yesterday. 


*


I still remember the first day that he was there. I was waiting for the bus, shoulder hunched forward and hood hovering over my eyes. It didn’t really matter—the rain got in anyway. 

I turned away from the main road where the bus would soon come to creaking, grinding, water-spraying halt—and I looked across the adjacent street to the cute little house that sat there.

I’d looked at the house before, but never really had time to study it. Now, I did study it, in detail.  It had an aura of belonging, origin, and peace. Like it had always been there and would always be there, because that’s the way some things are meant to be. 

A harsh phase of raindrops hammered down on my head, knocking my hood down into my eyes. Not wanting to remove a hand from my cozy pockets, I jerked my head backwards. The hood lifted from my eyes, but a stream of water splattered down into my face. 

As I did, my gaze caught with a pair of eyes from the second story of the house I’d been admiring it. A person—a young guy, it appeared—was watching me through his raindrop-streaked window. And he was laughing at me. 

Not knowing what else to do, I laughed with him. 


*


From that day on, he was always at the window when I came by. Rain or shine, early or late. He became as much a part of my routine as Mr. Phelps, and coffee, and barely-passable physics grades. 

Sometimes he waved first, sometimes I did. Other times, we just smiled and nodded and went on about our days. 

After a few months of this routine, on the first day that lent evidence to the suggestion that spring may actually be on its way, the fellow was sitting at the window—the window that was open for the first time ever. 

Hand over my eyes, I squinted through the morning sunshine. This was definitely not part of my routine, but he didn’t look like a creepy stalker, so I was chill with it. 

“Good morning!” 

“Good morning, yourself.” 

I laughed. He sounded as jovial as he looked, arms propped on the windowsill.

“What’s your name?” 

“Annalyse. Yours?” 

He shook his head, smirking and grinning at once if that’s even possible. “Come back tomorrow and I’ll tell you.” 

“How do I know you’ll be here tomorrow?” 

He shrugged, then held his hands palm-up. “I’d say we have quite the pattern going.” 

“Every pattern has been broken.” I actually wasn’t sure if that was true or not, but it sounded intelligent and philosophical so I went with it. 

“Then I guess we’ll have to be the exception.” 

I was more focused on his usage of the word ‘we’ than the obvious fact that I’d be taking this route every day for the foreseeable future—or until graduation. 

I sighed, the rumble of the bus catching my ear. “You’ll tell me your name if I’m back tomorrow?” 

“Yes, ma’am.” He winked and ducked his head in what I guess was supposed to be a bow, then withdrew to the inside of the window. 

Barely resisting a snicker, I gave a little wave and turned back toward the street to wait for the bus. I could nearly feel his gaze on my back, but the bus came before I had time to cast a discreet glance upward. 

I boarded the shaking, rumbling, death-trap of a bus and took the first available seat. The middle-aged lady in the side next to me huffed at my boisterous entrance and rolled her eyes at my mismatched attire. 

But I only smiled in reply. I had a window friend, and tomorrow I would learn his name. 

Life was pretty darn good. 


*

Amazing Vacation, Fabulous Friends, and a Class of '18 Grad || May Recap

Guess who's back?! :D I've had an amazing vacation, an inspiring hiatus, and I'm ready to tackle June with gusto! Who else is thrilled that its summertime? ;D



|| Life. ||
>> The bro and I compared actors in a movie (Love's Unending Legacy, for anyone who cares to know) with country singers. It was decided that the guys look like Blake Shelton and Chris Young, which is still debatable.


>> I WENT ON A TRIP. Three glorious weeks of road-trippin' and beautiful sights and inside jokes (cereal, anyone?) and meeting online friends for the first time. <3 Here's a few pictures to 'tide y'all over' until I can write up a real posts with allll the goodness. ^_^







>> I met my Rebe! <3 Rebekah and I have been friends for about 2 1/2 years, and we got to meet in person for the first time. My family met up with her family for ice cream and fries on evening, and then us gals hung out for awhile the next morning. It was such a joy! <3



>> I hung out with my Kansas besties! <3 Jess, Kaitlyn, and I have been dear friends for about 2 years. A little over a week ago, for the first time ever, we were all together. I can't even explain how amazing that was. <3



>> Alllll the GDPR emails. Need I say more? xD


>> When you and your mom look up a verse on angels and end up in a discussion on spiritual warfare and the occult...


>> I graduated from high school...and I'm still kinda not sure how that happened or what is supposed to happen next, because like WHAT IS THIS?! But yes, I graduated. Super hyped over that and the grand, glorious future stretched out ahead. New season of life and such. <3


>> My fabulous mom took my senior photos!




>> I listened to sooo much country music. Scotty McCreery's Seasons Change and Carrie Underwood's So Small basically sum up my life right now. ;)



|| Books. || 
May was a fabulous month for reading. I think all those hours in the vehicle paid off. ;) At some point, I was 20 books ahead of my 120 book schedule (at 67 books), so I upped my goal to 150...and now I'm 10 books ahead again....

// ReadsQuest for Leviathan by Amanda Tero -- 4.5 stars
In Bloom by Kayla Aimee -- 5 stars
The Poet's Dog by Patricia MacLachlan -- 4 stars
Rumplestiltskin by Jenni James -- 4 stars
A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade -- 4.5 stars
Laylie's Daring Quest by Kersten Hamilton -- 5 stars
Letters from Home by Gracelyn Buckner -- 3.5 stars
Shining Grace by Kristen M. Fraser -- 2.5 stars
Hidden Love by Cara Putman -- 4 stars
Jewel by Michelle Rayburn -- 4 stars
Angels Walking by Karen Kingsbury -- 5 stars
The Vintage Wren: Week 4 by Chautona Havig -- 5 stars
The Vintage Wren: Week 5 by Chautona Havig -- 5 stars
The Vintage Wren: Week 6 by Chautona Havig -- 4.5 stars
Even the Beasts by Rebekah A. Morris -- 3 stars
Dagger's Sleep by Tricia Mingerink -- 4 stars -- Review here
The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury -- 5 stars
His Mighty Acts by Rebekah A. Morris -- 4 stars
Honor All Men by Rebekah A. Morris -- 5 stars
The Rebellion by Livy Jarmusch -- 5 stars -- Review here

I also read the books of 2 Samuel, Galatians, and Jonah.



// Books Violet's Hidden Doubts & Praying for your Future Husband -- gift from a friend
Andi Far from Home & Andi Dreams of Gold -- bought
The Rebellion -- bought to fangirl over the cover
The Road Home & Falling for You -- review books



|| Writing. || 
Writing was pretty nonexistent for the majority of the month. During the first week, I reworked my outline for A Soldier's Freedom and made a list of scenes to add. (I have a thing for long books, apparently.)


While we were gone, I didn't write—just soaked up inspiration. Then, on the 24th, Go Teen Writer's 100-for-100 challenge began, so obviously I had to take part! I've only written like two-thousand words so far, but I'm hoping to up that greatly in June. :D



|| Blogging. || 
// Favorite PostsThe Write Conversation ~ 26 Blogging Tips

Reveries ~ When Your Writing Just Isn't Enough

Hands Made to Love ~ This Thing We Call Disability, pt.1 & pt.2

Twilight to Dawn ~ We Hold on Too Long

Go Teen Writers ~ How to Write Every Day and Why You Should

Whimsical Writings for His Glory ~ Memorial Day 2018

One Name ~ It's Because of You



|| Goals. || // May Goals >> Take a break.

>> Travel across the continent.

>> Read for pleasure.

>> Write if I feel like it.


// June Goals >> Read 10 books.

>> Write 5,000 words.

>> Work on new scenes for A Soldier's Freedom.

>> Post my short story from April on here.

>> Share about the trip with y'all.

>> Go on a missions trip. (In state. Meaning I'll be on a bus with crazy teens for a five hours, instead of on a plane for 12+. xD)

>> Celebrate my 3rd blogging anniversary and the 1st anniversary of my precious debut novella.




How was your May? Who else is done with school and ready to rock this summer? TELL ME ALL THE STUFF, PEEPS. <3

Later,
~Faith

The Rebellion {Book Review + Blog Tour}

Happy Thursday, readers! Welcome to one of the last stops on Livy Jarmusch's blog tour for The Rebellion, book-two in the Tales of Tarsurella!! 
I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to finish this darling book. I can promise you, it's a series you don't want to miss! <3 

SynopsisSomething is brewing. Like the far off rumble of a train in the distance, a rebellion is stirring. A cry for change arises in the midst of a traditional monarchy, where King Addison has inherited the throne. Who are the underground troublemakers? What is stirring their defiant banner and demand for change? Find out in The Rebellion! (The Tales of Tarsurella #2)

Vanessa Bennett lands her dream job working at the Palace in Tarsurella. She struggles to balance everything on her plate: life in a new country, stressful deadlines, crabby co-workers, college classes at the local University, and blossoming feelings of romantic adoration toward her boss–King Addison. Keeping up with her To-Do list, while trying to earn respect in Addison’s male-dominated administration, presents its challenges. Nevertheless, she can’t help but fight a reoccurring thought and the excitement rising with it: is Addison interested in her?

Addison is adjusting to his new role as King. Rumors of a rebellious uprising among the youth in Tarsurella intensifies, as acts of violence and protest break out across the city. Addison is determined to uncover the hidden instigator who fearlessly blogs democracy-driven ideals with a secretive pen name. Will Addison discover and expose the fiery rebellion leader? Or will his efforts fail to stop the rebellious thoughts spreading like wildfire, causing a heartbreaking rift in his divided nation?


My review of book-1!

ReviewPrecious. Charming. Adorable. Unique. Happy. Suspenseful. Real. Just a few words that come to mind when I think of this beauty of a book. <3

While I enjoyed "The Coronation", the first book in the series, I adored "The Rebellion". I'm not sure what made the difference for me, other than I loved the faith journeys among the princesses. Their faith was evident in book-1 as well, but it was so much more real and hopeful in this one. (I wasn't exactly happy with the outcome of a few plots from book-1, but I was nearly squealing with delight when I finished this gorgeous hunk of paper. <3)

Speaking of plots... Just, wow. There is seriously SO many things going on in this book, I don't know how I keep it all straight in my head. (Yet, I do, and it's not confusing?) The rebellion, the riots, the romances, the family, the aftermath of the first book... But it all works together so nicely and I was pleased with the outcome of it all.

Of course, with so many different plots, we have a lot of characters. I repeat, A LOT of characters. Again, they're not difficult to keep track of (after I remembered who's who from the first book, haha) and they all have a purpose and a story.

King Addison and Vanessa—I love them so much!! Their intertwining love stories and life stories were so real and lovingly woven together I couldn't help smiling over them. The challenges of a relationship with the king of a monarchy were, in my opinion, accurately presented and well-done.

Princess Bridget and Liam—*happy fangirl moment* Did I mention that I love Liam? I didn't? Because, y'all, I love Liam. These two had their rocky moments as well, but...gahh... <3

Princess Chasity and Hanson—I know, I know, they're not really a couple (not for lack of shipping on my part *ahem*), but I so enjoyed their plot as well. I was a bit disappointed with how things ended for them in The Coronation, but this book held hope and friendship for my peoples. ;)

Then, of course, we have the other siblings. Hope (loved her story), retired king Steve, Asher (my heart is breaking <33), Jillian, and adorable little Millie and Willie. Not to mention the Akerlys, the Kanobis, Kennetic Energy, and Clark's family. All the characters were so realistic and life-filled!

My one negative would be that the book ends without the reader finding out what happens to Mr. Fletcher and what the outcome is with Mr. Akerly. (Apparently those answers can be found in Regal Hearts though...hmm...) There's also some head-hopping, something which usually bothers me, but somehow it works with Miss Jarmusch's writing style!

So yes. Go read this book and then come hang out with me while we eagerly await book-3. The title is making me squeal already... <3

**I received a e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.** 

Amazon // Goodreads

Author BioLivy Jarmusch is a twenty-something author, singer, and songwriter. She enjoys crafting YA fiction that is pure, lovely, inspirational, and of course, entertaining! When she's not writing, you can usually find her playing guitar, blogging, drinking peppermint tea, connecting with new friends, planning her next trip to Disney, or pinning images of Europe and Golden Retriever Puppies.

Blog // Facebook // Instagram // Pinterest // Twitter

Dagger's Sleep + Dissociate {A Dual Book Blog Tour}

Greetings, readers! Yes, I'm back...just unofficially. ;) Expect lots of pics and memories to be shared later this week!

Today I'm sharing a book spotlight and review of two recently-released indie books in the fantasy genre with Tricia Mingerink (a fav author!) and Sarah Addison-Fox's (an author I want to give a try!) dual-book blog tour. :D



SynopsisA prince cursed to sleep. A princess destined to wake him. A kingdom determined to stop them.
High Prince Alexander has been cursed to a sleep like unto death, a curse that will end the line of the high kings and send the Seven Kingdoms of Tallahatchia into chaos. With his manservant to carry his luggage and his own superior intelligence to aid him, Alex sets off to find one of the Fae and end his curse one way or another.
A hundred years later, Princess Rosanna learns she is the princess destined by the Highest King to wake the legendary sleeping prince. With the help of the mysterious Daemyn Rand, can she find the courage to finish the quest as Tallahatchia wavers on the edge of war?
One curse connects them. A hundred years separate them. From the rushing rivers of Tallahatchia’s mountains to the hall of the Highest King himself, their quests will demand sacrifices neither of them could imagine.
Amazon || Goodreads

Review What a ride, y'all.

The course of this book is like a river, dotted with waterfalls of adventure and rocks bearing labels like 'pain' and 'intrigue'. (That's basically the extent of my creativity analogies. Stop laughing.)

The plot was adventurous, but the insane, heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat excitement was kind of come-and-go. Some parts were upbeat and thrilling, while others were more laid-back and comfortable. The storyline was entertaining, and the retelling aspects subtle and nicely done. I totally suspected the Jadon/Daemyn plot twist, though. ;) The romance was sweet and endearing, drawing me in more than other aspects of the story. And the allegoric hints were very nicely done!

The setting was interesting and unique. The Indian-tribe feel, the seven kingdoms, the mountains and rivers and bridges. It was different and lovely—and really relatable to this mountain girl. ;) Many of the names felt familiar to me, such as Cumber Gap (Cumberland Gap), Tuckawassee (Tuckasagee), Cheyandoah (sounds like Shenandoah, unless I'm pronouncing it wrong), and (Kanawha). Not sure if it was intentional or not, but that was cool. xD

Now, about the characters... Rosanna was pretty good, and I enjoyed her story. Daemyn was FABULOUS and I loved him so much. Alex...I'm still not sure what to think about him, as I was really annoyed with his character until nearly the 40% mark. He somewhat redeemed himself, but not enough for him to be a favorite. Berend (THE PUNS <3) was great, as were Zeke and Isi (hard-core shipping those two).

I don't read much fantasy, and the whole thing with the curses and gifts and Faes threw me off for awhile, but I eventually got a grasp on what was going on with everything. (Basically, the resurrections confused me, because my mind doesn't work well in a realm where such things just commonly happen.)

All in all, it was a well-written book with a solid storyline. In my opinion, it wasn't as good as The Blades of Acktar, but because this author is a favorite, I'm sure I'll be reading more of the retellings in this series. So, after all that, I'm going with a 4 star rating. It was good, but not amazing. I liked it, but I didn't love it.

**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.** 



Author Bio Tricia Mingerink is a twenty-something, book-loving, horse-riding country girl. She lives in Michigan with her family and their pack of pets. When she isn't writing, she can be found pursuing backwoods adventures across the country.

You can connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Goodreads, Twitter, Instagram, and her blog.





SynopsisFreedom begins with finding the truth.

Amidst the turmoil caused by Smyth’s arrest, Celeste is stuck in limbo, stripped of her citizenship, with no choice but to flee to a peaceful Kyraenean hideaway with the tumultuous Amaya Mason.
When bounty hunters threaten the local orphanage, Celeste and Amaya must work together and fight. Even if it means risking what they cherish the most.

His plans in tatters, his career in jeopardy, Mick Haynes is forced to leave Kyraenea with the enigmatic Torrance Kyle, the agent he still can’t trust.

Torrance is good at lying, and even better at hiding his pain, but is he strong enough to deal with the consequences of betraying his own father?

Can Celeste accept the truth, accept her place in the Haynes family or will lies chain her to the past and destroy her chance at a new life?

Amazon || Goodreads 
(The first two books in the series, Disowned and Dissemble, are also available on Amazon.)


Author BioSarah Addison-Fox is a New Zealand-born home-schooling mother of two who loves action-packed fantasy with strong heroines. She has an astonishing amount of nail polish, has all her creative writing credentials shoved in a drawer somewhere, and has a husband who, after 27 years, can still make her blush. When she’s not working on her Christian YA fantasy series', she can be found fangirling on Goodreads or sending GIFs on Twitter.

You can connect with her on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, Instagram, and her website.




Have you read these authors? Favorite Indie fantasy?? :D 

Camp NaNo, Packing, and Deaf Movie Night || April Recap

I could start this post by moaning and exclaiming over how I have no idea where the month went. Which would be an honest reply to how I greeted the first hours of May 2018 seeing as how I went to bed shortly before 1 AM. But since I do that every month... well, we'll just skip it altogether and move right into what y'all are actually here for.



|| Life. || 
>> I attended a Deaf movie night for an American Sign Language assignment and it was SUCH A COOL EXPERIENCE. Are we foreseeing interpreting as a future career choice for Faith? Ya never know...



>> Many days this month were spent planning, talking about, and packing for the trip next month. (Not sure what I'm talking about? See this post.) I'm sure we'll all be running around like a pack of crazies this weekend, but I feel...pretty much prepared?? xD


>> I finished my chemistry textbook and it was SUCH an amazing feeling to cast that thing aside. (Okay, more like add it to a stack of rubbish on my desk because finals are this week so #studying O.O)


>> Spring finally found us. We had some cold days and our fair share of rain, but this warm weather, y'all. <33

We heartily approve of summertime. But half of 'we' does not like pictures. 


|| Books. || 
// Reads Into the Sunset compiled by Susan K. Marlow -- 4 stars
The Proving by Beverly Lewis -- 4 stars -- Review HERE.
The Women of Easter by Liz Curtis Higgs -- 5 stars
Love Finds You in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts by Melody Carlson -- 4 stars
Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? by Richard Maybury -- 5 stars
Happy Day by Rebekah A. Morris -- 5 stars
Where Trains Collide by Amber Stokes -- 4 stars -- Review to come.

I also read the books of 1 Samuel and 2 Timothy. :D

// Books 
Into the Sunset -- contest win
In Bloom -- review book
A Question of Courage -- purchase



|| Writing. || 
Writing was rather grand this month. With Camp NaNo, a short story, other short story ideas, and the tingling inspiration to seek out possible publishers (!!!), it was a month it which I felt like a writer. Loveliness. <3


As y'all already know, yes, I competed in Camp NaNoWriMo this month. It was an amazing experience, as always. My cabins mates were so much fun to sprint, chat, and hang out with, and the month flew by quickly!

My goal was to edit 60k words of A Soldier's Freedom. This novel is about 64k words currently, so that would be editing most of it. (I ended up counting nearly 3,000 words of a short story toward my goal, but still... I'm nearly through with the first edit of ASF!) I'm hoping to finish the edit this week. :D

Speaking of stories... As y'all already know if you've read my Camp updates, I wrote a short story during the first few days of the month and I'm SO tickled over how it turned out. It rates high of the list of favorite things I've written. Or, it would, if there were such a list.... Anywho, I'm looking forward to sharing my little darling with y'all soon! =D



|| Blogging. || 
// Favorite Posts Flights from the Aerie ~ Reintroduction

A Purpose and a Promise ~ Made for Another World

Ordinary Girl, Extraordinary Girl ~ With Them You are Wanted

Ivie Writes ~ Your Words Matter// Spread the Light

Wonderland Creek ~ The Note on the Wall


// My Posts 
Week One ~ Week Two ~ Week Three ~ Week Four






|| Goals. || 
// April Goals >> Read 8 books.        Nailed it.

>> Edit A Soldier's Freedom.      I'm technically not done, but nearly so. :D

>> Win Camp NaNoWriMo.     YUS!

>> Finish my Math and Economics courses.      Yup.

>> Finish trip planning.      Pretty much. xD


// May Goals >> Take a break.

>> Travel across the continent.

>> Read for pleasure.

>> Write if I feel like it.



Announcement time... I'm going on another blogging hiatus for most of the month of May. I'll be popping in a few times toward the end of the month with some blog tours for some amazing books, and I'll post a May recap (TRIP PICS, Y'ALL! <3), but other than, I'm taking a break.

I know I just took one in January, and I honestly didn't think I'd be doing it this soon, but I need it. But meanwhile, I'll be reading y'all's posts and planning some awesomeness (think: new stories + giveaways + anniversaries) for June... so stay tuned. ;)


How was your month? Any special plans for May? Are you excited for summer? :D 

~Faith

Camp NaNo // Week Four {April 2018}

Guess who won Camp NaNoWriMo?!


If you guessed your favorite blogger me, you'd be right. ;) I hit my goal of editing 60,000 words a few hours ago, before supper, and just now validated my win and got a ribbon on my profile. ;D


day twenty-three // monday // 0 wordsMonday was a dreary, rainy day that should have been PERFECT for getting lost in a story. But...that didn't really happen. Instead, I studied, completed homework, wrote a blog post, watched Indiana Jones with the bro, sent an author encouragement email, and did a tad bit of formatting. (Did I mention the ASF document was an absolute disaster?)


day twenty-four // Tuesday // 6,472 wordsIt rained some more... I seriously live in a rain forest, y'all. I attended my last chemistry class, finished my American Sign Language book, helped pack the camper for the trip, and edited enough to catch up. That turned out to be about 900 words shy of 50k, so I finished the chapter and passed 50k. :D

“Is it true you’re afraid of storms?” he asks after I’ve turned away again. 

“No,” I lie. Hopefully he can’t see how badly my hands are shaking. I quickly stick them under my legs to aid my front of bravery. 

“Well, I am,” he proclaims. He jiggles his shoulders, setting rivulets of water to flowing down his back and sleeves. 

My brow pinches together as I growl in his general direction. “You’re getting my truck all wet.” 

He twists to survey the door paneling to his right. “We’re beyond wet now, going for saturated.”

day twenty-five // Wednesday // 0 wordsI went to my last class at the art center that's legit been a part of my schedule for like YEARS. (Did I mention I'm graduating next week?!) And I stayed up insanely late to finish this post. But, alas, no editing happened.

(Third day and this post is already doomed to be an overload of sarcasm and tired-Faith-thoughts...)


day twenty-six // thursday // 0 wordsThursday was pretty boring, typing it up now. Got my hair cut, ran errands in town, performed my last chemistry experiment, replied to emails, and finished my big ASL assignment of the semester. (You know, the one I'd known was approaching for months and still did mostly the day it was due? Yeah, that one.)


day twenty-seven // friday // 1,248 wordsFriday was ordinary. School, blogging, editing, packing for the trip... ;)

I twist in my seat, drawing my leg up under me until I face toward James. Except, I don’t face him. I keep staring down at the faded, worn seat between us. It doesn’t serve as a very accurate metaphor. There’s a lot more than two feet of tattered cloth spanning the gap between us. 

day twenty-eight // Saturday // 4,338 words Let's see... On Saturday, I slept in, edited a ton and got caught up, made a joke that really wasn't funny when you think about it (see pic), and hung out with my bro and his friend in the dark for some insane reason.


Oh, and I went to bed after 11:30. Sleep is overrated. (Actually, no it's not. I just can't remember what it feels like. Slightly kidding.)


day twenty-nine // sunday // 0 words A typical Sunday. Church and visiting and laughter and glorious spring weather. <3 I dragged my dear mom outside to get some pictures. (Okay, okay...she came willingly....)



day thirty // Monday // 4,055 words I won Camp!! :D At times this month, I really wasn't sure if I would hit 60k (as y'all know, I lowered and raised it several times), but I DID IT. And I'm so pleased. =)

If I can fix up a few things this week, I'm going to be sending this book to two dear friends who've agreed to read it over the next few months and give me a bit of feedback. Can't wait to hear their thoughts! <3




Stats Goal: 60,000 words
Current progress: 60,210 words
Status: FINISHED <33



Did you do Camp NaNo? Hit your goal? Can you believe it's May?! *low key writing this at 12:24 AM*


No matter what you accomplished or didn't accomplish this month, you're a winner, my friend. <3 ~Faith