Grace A. Johnson's Blog: Of Blades & Thorns, page 12

Welcome to November! (October Wrapup & November Goals)

*drops in* Hello there! Yes, I am still alive...but barely. It has been SO busy lately, which means I ended up pushing back a lot of posts here on le blog. I’d like to say I plan on catching up this month, but, uh...that’d be a lie. However, I do plan on posting more consistently and easily, so maybe I’ll have a posts schedule? We’ll see. I’ve tried being organized in the past, and it just ain’t for me. *chuckles* So y’all don’t hold your breath.I ain’t.

ANYWAY. It is November. *holds back her complaints over how fast time is flying* We here at le Johnson Chateau have already decorated for Christmas—you snooze, you lose; that’s all I gotta say—and are enjoying the holiday festivities! (And The A-Team, our new binge show of choice.) What about y’all? When do you decorate for Christmas? What are you currently watching? Let me know in the comments!

what i did last month

Let’s review last month’s to-do list, shall we?

Complete absolutely everything I need to do with BAD Read/review five books Edit yet another novel for a client Write several guest posts Redo my Instagram theme Wrap up this last class TMYLM cover reveal Finish beta-reading

Surprisingly, I managed to get a lot of this done! I did redo my IG theme, wrap up my last class (my certification in on its way!), and reveal the cover for Tell Me You Love Me! However, I totally missed the beta reading deadline—but the author was gracious enough to let me continue reading anyway (since I’m her twin, of course) (long story)—and I STILL have stuff to do for Bound and Determined. (Surprise, surprise.)

And my guest posts have been like Hydra. I wrote one, and three more popped up in its place. *snorts* But that’s cool. I can handle it. Maybe.

As for my editing, I’m halfway through! So I’ll meet the deadline, thank the Lord, but I’d kinda hoped to be done early. (And obviously I didn’t read and review all I wanted to, or y’all would’ve seen the reviews. I’ve read all but one of the books and reviewed all but that one and two others, so it could’ve been worse.)

HOWEVER (and I blame most of my inability to complete certain projects on this), I DID put together something absolutely AMAZING that I cannot wait to share with y’all—so stick around ‘til the end! This special project took pretty much the whole month to organize, and y’all, did I feel burned out up until yesterday. *shudders* *sips her calm tea for her shot nerves*

this month’s goals

We’re keepin’ it simple this month.

#1: Release BAD.

#2 Do what I didn’t do in October.

The end.

monthly progress

I maybe wrote a few hundred words in a short story for preorder perks bundle. But that was it besides a couple hundred in an extra scene (also for the preorder perks bundle, so if y’all wanna read these BAD extras, y’all preorder your copy HERE! #shamelessselfplug) at the very end of October.

OH. And some super special secret scenes for a certain rewrite in the future!!

*coughs*

Okay, so I wrote some fun Rina and Xavier scenes that I hope will make it into the revised edition of Held Captive. I just couldn’t help myself.

All in all, I actually wrote a couple thousand words or so, and BOY did that feel good after not writing for six months!!! *sighs* I miss writing.

reading highlights

I legitimately forced myself to read several extra books because I am SO behind on my Goodreads challenge (like...fifty books behind...help), so I ended up with a total of seven books—much to my surprise!

The top reads, though, were easy to pick.

Numero uno is the deliciously Gothic and simply exquisite Beneath His Silence by Hannah Linder—I’d give it a thousand stars if I could!! Read my review HERE!

And the runners-up are We Could Be Villains by Megan McCullough (review to come)! and The Management Methods of Jesus by Bob Briner—which is, yes, a Christian nonfiction book about business. Totally outside of my usual genre, but SO good! A must-read for entrepreneurs of all kinds—from authors to Etsy sellers!

top blog posts Author Interview: Lillian E. New Release: A Hope and a Prayer by Julie Lessman Welcome to October! Marketing Q&A Pt. 3: Author Brandfollower updates

And this, my friends, is the fun part! Why? you ask.

Because I’m currently hosting a HUMONGOUS giveaway will over FORTY other clean & Christian indie authors! And with forty-some-odd authors, y’all know what that means...TONS of prizes!!! We have TWO winners—one US winner who will receive 20+ ebooks AND several signed print books AND some epic book swag like character art and stickers...and an international winner who will receive 35+ ebooks AND some digital goodies like downloadable bookmarks and phone wallpapers!

Sound good? I thought so. *winks *

If you wanna enter before the giveaway closes on November 7th (which is Indie Author Day), then click the button below! OH, and don’t forget to read over the rules HERE!

And, of course, y’all don’t forget...Bound and Determined releases THIS MONTH, on the 17th (we have less than TWO WEEKS), and if you wanna receive a discounted Kindle copy of BAD AND a whole host of epic digital goodies like bonus scenes, a recipe, and character art, then make sure you PREORDER before release day!!! (And submit your proof-of-purchase too, of course!)

The indie author giveaway isn't the only epic giveaway going on either! In honor of Bound and Determined, I'm giving away ONE signed paperback copy of BAD, a bookmark and character art card, and some extra SURPRISE goodies!!! So y'all be sure to enter below! (US only. Entrants under 18 must have parental permission. Giveaway ends November 17th.)

(Pst! You can gain FIVE extra entries by preordering BAD!!!)

Well, that's all for now, folks! *tips hat* Y'all have fun entering, reading, and hopefully winning! *winks*

yours in spirit and script, Grace

#monthlygoals #monthlywrapup #monthlyupdates #monthlyprogress #readinghighlights #topblogpost #guestposts #welcometonovember #followerupdates #progressreport #boundanddetermined #indieauthors #indieauthorday #giveaway #entertowin

Review: Beneath His Silence by Hannah Linder

Before we begin, I must preface this review by saying that I knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, before I even thought to begin reading this book, that I was going to love it. I’ve loved everything Hannah has written up to this point (that I’ve read, at least), and I know her writing is positively exquisite. Sure, I’ve never read a full-blown novel by her...or a Regency one, for that matter...or a Gothic romance. BUT I had it already ingrained in my mind and heart that I would simply adore it.

It rarely occurs that I, despite several reasons from trepidation, am entirely and wholly certain I will love a book—even if I had no just cause not to. So this in and of itself in an anomaly.

It is even more so an anomaly that this book could be so trope-y and cliché and yet so fresh and welcoming. I just gotta say, when I finished Beneath His Silence, I mused to myself in silence (*coughs* title pun) about how the story felt so familiar and almost overdone. Adventures in the forest? Crazy relatives? Kidnappings? Broody lords (gah, I’m such a sucker)? Governesses? Lying-about-my-true-identity trope? A heroine who puts herself in every compromising and dangerous situation possible (word from the wise: don’t talk to strangers, let alone accept transportation from them)?

Y’all, maybe it was overdone, but it sure as shootin’ felt like coming home to me. I’ve grown SO tired of stories that are trying to be unique or relevant but end up feeling hyper-secularized, outrageously feminist, cliché, and meaningless. All I really want out of a story these days (ESPECIALLY romance) is one that makes me feel. I get scared for the characters, yell at the characters, chant KISS HIM KISS HIM twenty-five times under my breath, resist the urge to chunk my Kindle at the wall. I want a story that transports me into it, that I get lost in, that I become a part of. (I legitimately had book hangover for days and could not get myself out of Wyckhorn Manor.)

I wasn’t over-analyzing everything the heroine said. I wasn’t shaking my head at how toxic the relationship was. I wasn’t facepalming because of how stupid or under-developed some element was.

I actually got to enjoy reading and stay up way too late to finish it and good goshing gravies have I MISSED THAT!!! God bless you, Hannah Linder, for giving me that back, even for just a night.

*sighs*

Now, onto the review…

(Because, yes, that was just the preface.)

I will be honest here, for a moment in the very beginning, I did question my earlier assumption that I would love the book. The story started WAY too quickly and just plunged right into a situation I was clueless about. Worse yet, all throughout the novel, the scenes were FAR too short—which can work for heightening suspense...but not every scene. Then it’s repetitive and loses its poignancy.

HOWEVER, I was very quickly dragged into this story. I eventually didn’t mind or notice the short scenes. I picked up on all that was going on (and totally called everything...plot twists ain’t got nothin’ on me, babe *winks*). (Also, for the record, it is not an issue to me at all if I figure out the plot twist or whatever, because it really just adds another layer of suspense, because I know, but the characters don’t. It’s fun to watch—read?—them run around like headless chickens because they have no earthly idea what’s going on. *cackles*)

ANYWAY. Where was I? Ah, yes. (Boy, have I missed writing stream-of-consciousness reviews. I don’t even have my notes with me right now.)

*returns with her notes, although she promises not to follow them too closely*

First off, let’s talk characters. Y’all know how I usually hate heroines—especially snarky, independent ones? FUHGET ABOUT IT!!! Y’all, Ella was GOLD. I kinda actually adored her?? Like WHAT???

No, she wasn’t perfect, but boy howdy! was she witty and actually tolerable enough to dance with! (*coughs * Totally a Pride and Prejudice reference...I can’t help myself.) Yes, she did get on my nerves, but she was so genuine and authentic that I let it slide. Seriously. A little bit of real development and genuine characteristics goes a whole heck of a lot farther than forcing your heroine to be something she’s not.

And Henry?

I literally do not even have words for this beautiful man. There is no question that I fully adored him—no kinda about it.

But the best part? THEIR DYNAMIC. The classic repartee and witty dialogue between them was my favorite, and the tension...the doubt...the e v e r y t h i n g. Augh. I just loved them and their interactions.

(This is where I must interject that THIS IS LITERALLY THE GOTHIC VERSION OF PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. IT’S LIKE AUSTEN AND THE BRONTE SISTERS ACTUALLY LIKED EACH OTHER AND CO-WROTE A NOVEL. IT IS PERFECT.)

(What makes it more perfect is that Austen hated Gothic fiction and Charlotte hated Austen. *sighs* I love this pair.)

(Seriously, though. Henry seems full of pride, and Ella is totally prejudiced against him. It doesn’t get any better than that.)

Moving on...Peter was a doll. My doll, because I have officially claimed him as my child. Step aside, Ella, he is mine, and I’m taking his daddy with me too.

*coughs* Hannah did do a fabulous job of writing Peter and making him seem realistic—and SO adorable!!! Two things I cannot abide are annoying kids and unrealistic kids. But Peter was my perfect baby.

On the note of Peter, I loved how Ella actually chose to love him and learn to care for him, even though she initially didn’t like kids—especially one that belonged to him. SEE? YOU CAN BE A MATURE, INDEPENDENT FEMALE AND STILL LOVE KIDS. THANK YOU.

But the very, very best part? (Cue the spoilers). The way even though Henry claimed to hate Ella after the truth came out, ELLA STOOD HER GROUND. She was like, heck no, am I gonna turn my back on you just because you are blinded by your righteous fury. I love you, man, and I ain’t leavin’ you, no way! Like YAS QUEEN!!! That, my friends, is how you write a love-to-hate-to-love romance. *drops mic and walks away*

*comes back because she has more to say*

I have been wanting to read a Gothic romance for so long now, and let me just say that this was so deliciously Gothic and I love it. Not freaky or depressing, but tense and suspenseful—even when you pretty much know what’s coming?

Speaking of not being depressing, have I mentioned yet how much I LOVED the themes and the authentic faith (subtle but present and poignant)??? No? Okay, then, I LOVED IT. Hannah did what so few authors do anymore—let her characters live out their faith in a genuine way, in a way that actually speaks to the reader. Not from a soapbox or with watered-down ideals and trending terms—but heart-to-heart speaking.

Finally, the prose. If there is one thing Hannah Linder is a master at, it’s prose. I just...gah, I am so jealous. And yet so in love with the way she spins words into such beautiful tapestries. NOW, I will be honest, Beneath His Silence was written a little more simply than her self-published works, BUT everything was still delightful. The emotions, the descriptions, ACH! So. Good.

*turns pea-green with envy* *okay, not really* *but definitely feels the need for improvement in her own writing*

I think that covers everything. *glances back at notes* Yep. All good.

Long story short, READ THIS BOOK. IT IS GORGEOUS. Simply gorgeous. Lovely prose and even better dialogue, well-written characters you can’t help but love, suspense and tension and Gothic-ness galore, literal perfection...yep. Y’all need to read it. Hannah Linder has done it again, just as I knew she would! Now, when is this one gonna win an award? I’m thinking a Christy or a Carol this go-round.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary review copy through NetGalley on behalf of the publisher/author. All opinions expressed are my own.

snag your copy about the author

HANNAH LINDER resides in the beautiful mountains of central West Virginia. Represented by Books & Such, she writes Regency romantic suspense novels. She is a double 2021 Selah Award winner, a 2022 Selah Award winner, and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW).

Hannah is a Graphic Design Associates Degree graduate who specializes in professional book cover design. She designs for both traditional publishing houses and individual authors, including New York Times, USA Today, and International bestsellers. She is also a local photographer and a self-portrait photographer.

When Hannah is not writing, she enjoys playing her instruments—piano, guitar, and ukulele—songwriting, painting still life, walking in the rain, and sitting on the front porch of her 1800s farmhouse. To follow her journey, visit hannahlinderbooks.com.

yours in spirit and script,

Grace

#bookreview #review #gothic #regency #historicalfiction #historicalromance #romance #christianfiction #hannahlinder #willowywhisper #debutnovel #newbook #newrelease #yesiamstillalive #sorryivebeensobusy #thebloghastakenabackburner #noiamnotleavinganytimesoonthough #loveyouguys

Marketing Q&A Pt. 3: Author Brand

*stares at the above graphic* OMGOSH THE FALL VIBESSSSSSSSS!!!!!! *sighs*

How's it going, my lovelies? I know it's been a while since my last Marketing Q&A post (whyyyyyy am I so stinkin' behind?????), but I am SO excited to talk all about one of my favorite things (*cough* everything marketing is my favorite): AUTHOR BRANDING!!!

For those of y'all who don't know, your brand is, in a nutshell, the image you (or your business) presents to the public. That's everything from your logo and slogan to your brand mission and unique aspects of your product.

Think about some of your favorite authors, clothing brands, foods, stores, literally anything. Not only would you recognize their content/products anywhere because of their logo (and stuff like color schemes, distinct sounds and jingles, specific products, etc.), but when you recognize them, you don't just think of a company: you think of an experience. An entity. Something that means something to you and carries individual connotations - everything from customer service to quality to sentimental memories.

That's called branding. When every item and aspect of your company comes together to create one cohesive statement, vibe, impact, and experience for your customer.

Or, in the case of an author brand, when you, your books, your website, your social media - everything about you, your work, and the content you put out - creates a seamless experience for your readers and followers and fits one cohesive personality!

So, let's dive into these fantastic questions!!!

issabelle's questions

How do you balance marketing your author brand and writing?

Ha. Ha. Ha. Let’s just say I don’t balance anything. You’re supposed to manage your time and stay consistent and be creative and…stuff like that. I just try to survive.

Anyway, truthfully? Your author brand and your writing should be interwoven, so marketing your brand shouldn’t be any different than, well, sharing about your writing!

It’s balancing the sharing with the actual doing that can be a struggle, so let’s start with three simple ways to make that easier.

Find a time that works for you. Do you write best in the wee hours of the morning? Or late at night? Can you carve out some time for a blog post or social media post during the afternoon or before lunch? Play around with your schedule to see (1) when you have enough time to complete your tasks, (2) when you can focus on those tasks, and (3) when your creativity flows best. Then when you’ve found those windows—the quiet, calm one for writing and the efficient one for marketing—work in that timeframe. Better yet, find a month or a season that works—not just a time of the day. Do you write your entire book during NaNoWriMo in November, spend the winter revising/editing, and then have the summer free? Then work with that! Spend your summer batching content—which is when you’ll go ahead and write, photograph, organize, etc., everything you’ll need for a set amount or period’s worth of posts. Or, in the same vein, if you’re in between projects or in that waiting season between The End and editing, use that as the time to launch a marketing campaign or start up a new platform! Keep your priorities straight. Right now, writing is the very, very last thing on my list. I’m in the middle of a launch and have a half a million other non-writing things to do—so that’s what I’m prioritizing. As much as I want to start writing seventy-five new novels, I’m focusing on marketing BAD. You do the same! If finishing your book so that you’ll have something to market is the most important, write. If you’re not really settled on a project but have several backlist books, market. See what I mean? Don’t force yourself to spend all your time, energy, and resources on one thing that isn’t as important in that moment, when you could be focused on what is. Use high-maintenance and low-maintenance marketing tactics accordingly. For example, an ad on Amazon is low-maintenance, because once you get the ad up and running, you ain’t gotta lift a finger. On the other hand, a social media campaign is a lot more high-maintenance, because you’ve got to put together the posts, share them, engage with your followers, etc. So when you find you have more time to hang around social media or post often on your blog, do it…but make sure you’re doing something when you don’t have time that makes up for it. You know? REMEMBER WHAT MARKETING IS. As much as we wanna think it’s these specially-curated commercials for books with knife sets for only $99.99 if you call the toll-free number today (*coughs* oddly specific), IT’S NOT. I mean…it can be…but it’s also just you having fun, making friends, sharing about your passions! Instead of viewing marketing as a chore or specific task, just enjoy putting out content readers love, gushing about your book, and hanging out on social media! Your blog post doesn’t have to be full of call-to-actions and backlinks and whatever. It can simply be you sharing what you wrote recently, or some art you made of your character, or a fun idea you had, or a recent read you loved. And that’s enough.

So maybe that helps. Who knows? *shrugs* Just keep in mind that marketing your author brand is virtually the same as existing and sharing about your writing. Your brand is who you are (a reflection of your identity, at least), so just be yourself everywhere you are and leave your mark on every platform and in every post!

How do you find your author brand?

That’s the thing. Everyone finds it in a different way. For some people, it’s a no-brainer that’s glaring straight at them. For others, it takes a lot of digging and developing.

Whenever I start developing a new brand, I follow these steps! Maybe they’ll give you an idea of where to start!

Step 1: Ask yourself…who am I? What do I do? What makes me as a person unique? What makes my writing different from every other book out there? What am I passionate about? What’s my mission?

These questions (and more) will prompt you to truly discover who you are and what your brand is. Don’t be afraid to get deep and introspective!

For me, I am a teenage Christian romance authoress; I write romances that glorify God and give hope to readers; I’m an old soul who’s passionate about passion and purity, and who wants to bring the values of yesteryear to the culture of today; and my work reflects that by being grounded in scripture and full of adventure and passion.

Step 2: Once you’ve jotted down the answers to these questions, list several keywords. They could be simple and generic—i.e., storyteller, romance, adventure, fun, unique. Or specific and tailored to you—i.e., galactic, sunshine, winsome, high-octane. They could describe your writing style—i.e., fresh, creative, immersive. Or sum up your mission—i.e., pure, God-honoring, inspirational.

And these keywords don’t even have to be used in your tagline at all; they just need to help you understand and capture your brand in a simple, concise way. Your keywords may be “suspenseful” and “thrilling,” but your tagline may end up being “Don’t forget to hold your breath…” (Brandilyn Collins’ tagline, btw.)

Whatever words you choose, and whatever your tagline ends up being, it should completely encapsulate and explain to your potential readers who you are and what you write. It should embody your work and immediately transport readers into your world before they even crack open your book!

For example, my tagline (right now) is “Romancing the Ages.” It’s basically a mission statement, sums up my genre in three words, and gives readers an idea of what my work is. I’m considering changing it, though…and that’s exactly what you should do! As your style and stories change and evolve, don’t hesitate to change your tagline! Not everything can be as timeless as “Passion with a Purpose” (Julie Lessman’s tagline), so it’s perfectly all right if you feel like changing it. Just make sure it’s still flexible but recognizable!

Step 3: Create a Pinterest board. (You don’t necessarily have to use Pinterest if you don’t want to, but I’ve found it works best for keeping everything organized and accessible!) Now, you can fill your board with whatever you like, but I recommend going with vague images and specific vibes. A specific vibe might be California, beachy, summer, retro, but your images don’t all have to be books and typewriters. You can throw in everything from cars to cacti, as long as it all fits your theme.

On that note, your theme should be centered around your personality and/or the personality of your writing. If you write gritty WW2 fiction, a colorful anime theme ain’t gonna cut it. If you’re a broody hermit writer, but your site is covered in sunflowers and smiley faces, you might wanna rethink the image you’re hiding behind projecting.

I recommend pinpointing two or three key elements of yourself/your writing. For me, that would be vintage and romantic. From there, I can search for “vintage books,” “historical romance,” “romantic academia,” and the list goes on. Not only will that capture my hopeless old soul personality, it also captures the vibes of my historical romance!

Step 3.5: Create a moodboard. This step is optional, but I create a moodboard through Canva using free stock images based on the ones I found on Pinterest, so that I can use those on my website/blog/social media. However, the main goal of a moodboard is to find your key fonts and color palette. I recommend finding two fonts—one plain, the other more fancy—and three to five colors. In my case, I use a beige/pink and a light green on my website, along with the fonts Mistrully and Glacial Indifference. I consider these part of my brand, although I do use two different fonts and a much wider variety of colors on my Instagram.

I recommend staying consistent but unique for each platform. Your brand should be recognizable no matter where you are, but throwing in a few unique elements for each platform will make your followers/readers experience feel different and more personal.

Step 4: Create your logo. According to your selected fonts and colors and vibe, it’s time to design (or purchase or commission) a logo! The simpler and easier to recognize, the better. A big or gaudy or chaotic logo won’t serve its purpose. And one that is too vague or similar to others won’t stand out and communicate who you are.

Instead of going with the usual book, pen, or typewriter, I actually had a friend of mine who is an amazing artist draw me a sword with roses around it, which combined the intense action-adventure aspect of my pirate books with the gentle, sweet romance! Unique, recognizable, simple, and versatile.

Incorporating an element that is uniquely you and tied to your work will take your logo over the top!

Step 5: From here, you go into actually launching your brand—designing or buying a custom website, incorporating your brand elements into your social media, getting business cards or stationery. Since you’ve already determined your personality, tagline, aesthetic/theme, color palette, fonts, etc., all of this will be easy as pie!

DON’T FORGET: your brand is a reflection of you and who you are. Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. It’s you—and that’s what makes it important and unique!

saraina's questions

How do you decide on an author brand that's both unique and true to yourself?

Well, there is the list of steps I provided in my answer to Issabelle’s question, but let’s try a different angle this time.

Say you’ve been considering your brand for a while, and there are so many things you wanna do and try and so many aspects of yourself and your work that you could incorporate. Unfortunately, doing everything all at once would be too convoluted and messy and just be entirely ineffective…so you’ve gotta settle on one thing.

For example, I’ve got three different brand ideas that could potentially fit me in some way.

A moody dark academia vibe that screams Edgar Allen Poe, and Shakespeare. A light and romantic aesthetic that is reminiscent of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. An epic nautical/pirate theme that reflects my current books.

Here’s the thing, though. Each of these vibes (themes, aesthetics, whatever) are amazing and totally fit a part of me. Only a part. Sure, I write pirate books, but that’s not gonna last forever, and that’s not a huge part of my actual personality. Sure, I love dark academia, but I’m not that broody and dark. And, yes, I absolutely adore Austen and romance, but I also try to include lots of grit and action in my work.

SO, I combined these three into one overarching theme (and therefore brand), because each represented a certain aspect of myself and my work.

To decide on a unique and true-to-you brand, either follow the above example (come up with three ideas, pick the elements that fit you best, and combine them into one totally original brand) or simply focus on the core of your personality, favorite things, writing style, all of it! Even ask your friends and family what fits you best and what words they would use to describe you. Put together a document or journal, Pinterest board, playlist, the whole nine yards, to keep track of things that relate to you and the image you want to present to your readers/followers!

The bottom line is whatever truly fits you and reflects who you are, what you do, and why you do it is the best brand for you!

(Note: I focus on a more visual side of branding—i.e., aesthetics, logo and web design, etc., but there are SO many other elements! I feel like those fall in line once you figure out the visual aspects, though.)

How do you find your "edge" when it comes to your author brand (especially when you feel like everything else has already been done or taken)?

You are your edge, dude. You are your brand, and that can never be done or taken. So when you feel like your brand has no defining personality, go back to the root: you. Look at yourself and what sets you apart from other people. Consider your personal values, experiences, background, convictions, callings, etc., and apply all of that, every aspect of yourself, to your brand.

Take a look at the authors you know and love. What sets them apart? What makes them stand out?

For example, my favorite Julie Lessman (who I know you love too, girl)! Her brand is so uniquely her in that it’s all tied around her life, her background, her personality—and, more importantly, her convictions and calling to present the world with purposeful, passionate fiction. Even though there are many other Christian historical/contemporary romance authors, even some with similar styles, no one is Julie Lessman–because of her trademark personality and attitudes, her specific story elements (Irish Catholic womanizers, anyone?), and her heart.

Another great example is Laura Frantz. 80% of her stories take place in colonial Kentucky, the place of her ancestors. That right there is an extremely solid foundation for her brand, because it’s (1) specific, (2) tied to her books, and (3) personal. It’s quite literally a part of who she is, and that seeps into every single aspect of her work!

Don’t forget: you are your brand, and whenever you feel like you’ve lost or never had your “edge,” just take a look at who you are, what you do, and what God has placed on your heart—and there you have it!

How important is consistency vs quality when it comes to creating content?

This is a good one, Saraina. Consistency and quality are both extremely important, and they both serve their purposes.

For example, if you’re looking to grow your platform exponentially over a short period of time, consistently posting very often is the key. Your followers may not engage much, but you’ll have a great number.

However, if you’d rather have a smaller following of people who engage with every piece of content, quality matters.

But I think the question is quality vs. quantity, in which case quality will always win out. Consistency and quality should go hand-in-hand, in that the quality of your content is consistent.

And like I always say on the subject of consistency, it looks different for everyone. And consistency does differ from frequency. So find a frequency (every day, one a week, twice a month, etc.) that works for you and allows you time to create quality content, and stick to it! That’s what consistency looks like, particularly working in tandem with quality.

What's your advice for making an author street team?

Well, I’m no expert on street teams, believe me. But if you’re looking into starting one, let’s go through my preferred process, shall we?

Decide on your communication channel. Before you do ANYTHING, figure out where and how you’ll be communicating with your street team. Facebook group? Email list? Slack workspace? Discord server? Whatever works best for you and your street team is the way you should go—specifically something where everyone can join in and have fun, where you can keep information organized and accessible, and where you can remember to interact and update your members! I do recommend picking two channels (like Slack and email) for those who don’t have (or want to sign up for) that schmancy social media platform. *winks* Put together a form and pick a promotional platform. You can just send out a newsletter and say “reply to join” or something, but I HIGHLY recommend putting together a short Google Form (literally so simple; all you need to gather is their email, name, and a yes or no on if they wanna join the group/workspace/server). A form is super easy to share and keep up with instead of, well, anything else. NEXT, start promoting your sign-ups! This can be on social media, your blog, newsletter, etc.! And you can make your street team exclusive, if you want to target a specific group of people. (For example, you may be more familiar with your blog followers than your Instagram followers, so you may just wanna share it on your blog—make sense?) When you have all the peeps you want (you can set a number or date, and you can pick and choose from applications or just let everyone who signs up join—whichever you prefer), add them to your group/list and get started!

REMEMBER:

Give people a reason to join!! Will they get free ARCs? Exclusive giveaways? Short stories and bonus scenes? Fun Q&As? Let people know what kinds of fun and unique things you’ll be offering just to your street team!!! Keep them updated—not just with information but with tasks and activities to keep them busy AND to keep your team alive! Be social! This isn’t a group of employees—they’re friends and readers who would love to hang out and chat, get to know you and your characters, gain insight into your writing, all of it! Prompt them to share and ask questions! Reopen signups before you release a new book (or have something else big to share) so that you can get in a fresh wave of members to help with the launch! What works for me, Bob, Jimmy, and Janice might not work for you—so take some time to play around, try and fail, and get a feel for what works best for you and your team!

Y'all learn anything new? Have anymore questions? Let me know in the comments, and don't forget that the form is still open HERE!

Check out the last two posts - about sales promotion and social media!

Now, inquiring minds must know (I love that phrase), how would you define your brand? What are some authors you know with strong branding?

And, lastly, would y'all like to see non-Q&A marketing posts? There is SO much more I could share and expound on, but I wanna know if that's something y'all'd be interested in!

yours in spirit and script, Grace

#marketing #qanda #marketingqanda #publishing #forauthors #marketingforauthors #socialmedia #socialmediaforauthors #marketingadvice #marketingtips #socialmediamarketing #booksales #promotion #authorbrand #branding

New Release: After Our Castle by Kellyn Roth

Y'ALL. Ivy Knight McAllen's not-so-happily-ever-after is FINALLY HERE!

Not that any of us were looking forward to Ivy going through more problems and sadness, but c'est la vie.

I would say there are at least a few sweet, calm, fluffy moments in this book, but I had the honor of editing it, and GUYS. My heart did not make it through unscathed. Every chapter just rips it out more. So y'all read at your own risk.

about the book

And they lived … well, happily ever after.

A year into a blissfully happy marriage, Violet Angel admits to a dose of skepticism. She’s not married, granted—but as the closest friend of the bride and groom, she feels she has a perspective no one but the people directly involved could have. There’s no such thing as a happy ending, and it’s only a matter of time before the castle in the sky plummets to earth.

If only Violet were always wrong instead of just mostly wrong. Ivy McAllen doesn’t believe she and her new husband are out of the honeymoon period—if they are, she isn’t going to admit it to herself—but there are certainly areas of adjustment that she hadn’t expected.

Changes at the village of Keefmore and in Ivy’s life lead to complications, and Violet spirals further and further from reality. When a castle in the sky turns out to be more cloud than stronghold, finding a foothold proves more than a little difficult.

snag your copy about the author

Kellyn Roth is a historical romance & women’s fiction author who writes about the empty places where hope has the most room to grow. Her novels include the inspirational Victorian family saga, The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy, and the Kees & Colliers series, which follows a broken family in the tumultuous years of the first half of the 20th century.

Kellyn is a student of the Author Conservatory and a writing coach. When not building her author career, she is likely getting lost somewhere in the Pacific Northwest with her friends, watching period dramas and facetious comedies, or spending time with her husband.

the tour

Wednesday, October 12th

Kickoff by Kellyn Roth @ ,Lilacs and Reveries

Review by Ryana Lynn @ ,Life of Heritage Corner

Book Spotlight by ,Kristina Hall

Thursday, October 13th

Author Interview by M.C. Kennedy @ ,Graceful Reflections

Friday, October 14th

Book Spotlight by Jana T. @ ,Reviews from the Stacks

Saturday, October 15th (RELEASE DAY!)

Launch Day Celebration by Kellyn Roth @ ,Lilacs and Reveries

Book Spotlight by Emma @ ,The Book Dragon’s Alcove

Sunday, October 16th

Review by Hannah Martin @ ,Precious Book Stacks

Monday, October 17th

Review by Joy C. Woodbury @ ,Discipleship with Joy

Tuesday, October 18th

Review by Katja L. @ ,Old-Fashioned Book Love

Wednesday, October 19th

A Post About The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy by Kellyn Roth @ ,Lilacs and Reveries

Thursday, October 20th

Book Spotlight by Grace A. Johnson @ ,Of Blades and Thorns

Friday, October 21st

Review by ,Vanessa Hall

Saturday, October 22nd

Review by Hannah Killian @ ,The Writerly Worm

Wrapup (which will publish in the evening!) by Kellyn Roth @ ,Lilacs and Reveries

Inquiring minds must know...who's your favorite? Alice and Peter or Ivy and Jordy? Have you read A Prayer Unanswered? What do you expect from the next chapter in Ivy's story?

Let me know in the comments below, and don't forget to stop by the other blogs in the tour and check out the tag #kellynroth for more (like interviews and guest posts) about Kellyn and her books!

yours in spirit and script, Grace

#newrelease #newbook #aliceandivy #historicalfiction #womensfiction #christianfiction #indie

The Liebster Award #3

I am SO behind on my tags, y'all (among other things), so pardon the lateness of this and the irrelevance of some questions/answers. *coughs*

Thanks SO much to Katja L. over here at Little Blossoms for Jesus for the tag! Her questions are magnifique!

I've actually been nominated once before at the beginning of the year (y'all can read that post here) and borrowed the tag wayyyyy back in what my friend Is calls "the good old days," when I was "Gabbing with Grace" (and that post is here)! So it was super fun to do this one again! I hope y'all enjoy!

the rules Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog. (Thank you so much, Katja !) Answer the 11 questions given to you. Nominate 11 other bloggers. Ask your nominees 11 questions. Notify your nominees once you have uploaded your post. the questions

What’s your favourite cold summer treat?

Ice cream. Nuff said.

What’s one classic you really want to read and haven’t yet?

Oof. Basically all of them. I feel like I’m so behind in the classics department. I must read the rest of Austen’s novels (*coughs* all of them but Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion), Wuthering Heights (at least to see why Austen didn’t like Gothic novels *winks*), The Phantom of the Opera, some Dickens and Shakespeare and Sir Walter Scott...again. All of them.

What are your top 10 favourite names? (I have to keep it going lol)

For characters or kids? Because I have a loooooong list for both!

For future children:

John “Jack” Hadassah Marguerite “Margo” Alasdair Robert "Rocky” Mary Katherine “Kitty” Malcolm or Malachi Peace or Patience

For characters:

Any boy name that starts with R or D James (I have named 50% of my characters James, no exaggeration) Charity Grace (c’mon, it’s a great name!) Hazel Louis (the French pronunciation) Alexander The list goes on...I have used almost every name I can think of for characters; that’s how many ideas I’ve had and stories I’ve developed.

What’s one stereotypical summery thing to do that you don’t like doing?

Believe it or not, swimming. I want to like it, but swimming with 6 other kids, three of whom are practically toddlers, in a super small pool, with a brother and sister who would rather fight in the pool than actually swim, when you’re not a very strong swimmer...eh. It’s overrated, if you ask me.

This is your opportunity to rant about your fav book, movie, or TV show—or all three. I HEREBY OFFICIALLY GRANT YOU PERMISSION.

CAN I RANT ABOUT THE WONDERFUL SHOW I’M CURRENTLY BINGE-WATCHING? BECAUSE IT’S SO UNDERRATED AND I ADORE IT AND I JUST WANNA FANGIRL OVER HOW ADORABLE DEAN AND TERI ARE TOGETHER AND HOW PRECIOUS PERRY AND JIMMY ARE AND HOW CUTE MARTHA AND JONATHAN ARE AND OMGOSH I JUST LOVE LOIS & CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN. THE ENTIRE CAST IS GOLD AND THE ROMANCE IS HEART-MELTING AND WHYYYY MUST EVERY SINGLE EPISODE BE SO INTENSE??? I JUST WANT A MOMENT OF PEACE FOR MY PRECIOUS BABIESSSSSSSSS.

Anyway. There’s that. Anyone else ever see Lois & Clark? Surprised at how well Dean Cain played Superman/Clark Kent? (I couldn’t believe it until I saw it, folks.) In love with Clark and Lois’ sweet relationship?

Probably not. But if you, dear reader, are the aforementioned rare specimen, we must talk.

(Edit: it is over. i am done. i will never recover. and that ending WTHECK?!)

What word(s) do you misspell the most?

Misspell, actually. And any words with ie/ei. That i-before-e-except-after-c rule? Garbage.

Where do you take walks to this summer?

*coughs* Don’t walk. I used to sometimes, in which case I’d walk “around the block,” aka, on the dirt road that goes around our and our grandparent’s house.

What music are you listening to on repeat right now?

“Over My Head (Cable Car)” by The Fray, “When You Say You Love Me” by Josh Groban, “Hey, Soul Sister” by Train, “L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole, “She Wants To Dance With Me” by Rick Astley, “Can’t Help Feeling In Love” by Elvis Presley, “Look After You” (also) by The Fray...yeah. I have strange music tastes. BUT, I’m about to start playing Christmas music now that October is here, so there’s that.

Is there a book you really wanted to read this year? Have you and if not, WHEN WILL YOU?

Dude, there have been so many. Joining my Instagram has doubled my want-to-read list. Let’s see...Dust by Kara Swanson (literally been sitting on my shelf since Christmas) and Emma by Jane Austen are two I’d planned to read this year and just...haven’t had time for. AND I DON’T KNOW WHEN! NEVER, AT THIS RATE! *sobs*

Tell me about a new outfit you’ve created and loved.

Gosh, it stinks how much I love this question, because I haven’t created any new outfits or bought any new clothes or...anything. *sobs some more* I mean, I did just get some hand-me-downs from my aunt, and I paired of her strappy tops with a boyfriend-style faux-denim button up shirt that I love. But that doesn’t really count. Currently, all my created outfits are confined to pen, paper, and Pinterest.

How do you like your hamburgers?

Let’s see...lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mayo, mustard, dill pickles, buns. The usual. Plus the side of fries and ice cream, of course.

my nominees & questions Mackenzie Hendricks Emily Charlotte Lillian Keith Issabelle Perry M.C. Kennedy Saraina Whitney Kate Willis Hoppman Virginia Henderson Hannah Killian Joelle Stone

My questions for y'all, and whoever wants to steal this tag!

Your thoughts on love poems. Yea? Nay? Any favorites? Have you ever written one? You just inherited...a pirate fleet. What’s your first course of action? You’re writing your childhood crush (celebrities included) into your story. What role do they play? If you could major in absolutely anything in college, what would it be? You get to meet one “famous person” (aka, historical figure, celebrity) from history. Who is it? (Biblical figures not included.) What are your favorite pizza toppings? What’s your personality as an aesthetic (i.e., dark academia, cottagecore, angelcore, etc.)? Sleep for a whole day or have enough energy for a whole day—which do you choose? What would you never put/drink in a smoothie? You get to meet one living author—who? A movie is being made about your life—which actor plays you?

What about y'all? How do you like your hamburgers? Are you behind on tags (and everything else)? Have y'all picked out names for your future kids? If so, what are they? Let me know down below! *winks*

yours in spirit and script, Grace

#tag #blogtag #blogaward #theliebsteraward #pleasesomeonetellmewhatthatmeans #whatwouldyallthinkifididgiveawaysforeveryblogpost #whatwouldyouliketowin #ifyoucommentbelowthatyoureadthesehashtagsiwillgiveyousomesortofprize #assoonasifigureoutwhatprizethatwouldbe #goodluck

Cover Reveal: Tell Me You Love Me Anthology

Y'ALL. I AM ASHAMED OF MYSELF. I meant to have this post scheduled for 5am WEEKS AGO, and was it? Nope. Was it even remotely close to ready? Nope. Am I having to put this together when I should be doing school? Yes.

In my defense, it's been an insanely busy couple weeks (*coughs year) lately, but that's no excuse. So, my incompetence aside, allow me to share one of the most amazing projects I have ever heard of (totally not saying that because it was my idea), Tell Me You Love Me anthology!!!

Of course, most of y'all remember me putting this together wayyyy back in February-March, but I haven't been the best at keeping everyone updated, so let's go back over the basics, shall we?

about the book

Tell Me You Love Me – a timeless collection of stories that truly understand the meaning of “I love you”

Twelve young Christian authors have come together, alongside romance novelist Grace A. Johnson and editor Issabelle Perry to show our world of depravity and cheap imitations of romance what love really means: faith, hope, and sacrifice.

These stories range from contemporary YA to historical to fantasy, and tell diverse, unique love stories that compel, captivate, and warm readers’ hearts with their sweet and authentic nature.

Featuring work from Michaela Bush, Saraina Whitney, Karynn Heckler, Margaret Copeland, Lucia Molano, Sarah Lawton, Brooklyn O’Brennan, Mackenzie Hendricks, H.S. Kylian, Lydia M. Jupp, Katherine Perry, and Amelia Cabot, the Tell Me You Love Me anthology is the collaboration of talented and inspirational young writers you’ve been waiting for!

learn more

And now, for the moment we've all been waiting for...

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ISN'T IT BEAUTIFUL????? THE ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS ISSABELLE PERRY DID ME THE HONOR OF DESIGNING IT AND AAAHHHH I LOVE IT!!!!!!!

And just for the heck of it, here's another graphic.

Let me know what y'all think in the comments below, and if you love it, please share!!! Just right click and save these images!

(And, yes, y'all read that right. TMYLM is coming soon to a Kindle near you in February of next year!!!)

(And there will be print copies, don't worry!)

I don't know about y'all, but I. am. so. stinkin'. excited!!!!!!!

(And still ashamed of myself for posting way too late, but whatever.)

A HUUUUUUUUGE thank you and congratulations to all the INSANELY TALENTED and just BEAUTIFUL girls who have contributed to this anthology. I am in awe of y'all's amazingness every time I think about this lovely project of ours. *heart swells* I love y'all.

And AHHHHH I JUST CAN'T WAIT FOR Y'ALL TO READ THIS!!!!!! *but forces self not to start sharing more information months before the release*

I will be coming out with a whole lot more posts soon, though, with links to learn more about and follow the MARVELOUS authors!!!

Anyway, I gotta go. I've got a final to finish! LOVE Y'ALL!!!!!!! (Now y'all gotta tell me you love me too down in the comments. *cackles*)

yours in spirit and script, Grace

#coverreveal #tellmeyouloveme #christianfiction #collection #shortstories #anthology #romance

Release Day: The Glass Road by Alyssa Schwarz

Happy, happy release day to The Glass Road, a contemporary Christian romance by Alyssa Schwarz! I've read some lovely reviews for her first book in the Prescott Family Romance, and I can't wait to give her series a try!

about the book

Austin Wright had bigger dreams than to inherit his grandfather’s old property, but with the help of his nephew and a few volunteers, he decides to reopen the idyllic summer camp of his youth.

Following her accident at the first triathlon of the season, Tess Prescott’s dreams of the Olympics are shattered, and when her brother volunteers her to work at his friend’s summer camp, she is anything but pleased. Determined to make the best of a bad situation, and to keep herself busy while she recovers, she reluctantly agrees, and ultimately learns the joy of being part of a team.

In the heart of the Rocky Mountains, two people must learn to work together if they have any chance of making it through this season of change—even if it means sacrificing the dreams they once strove so hard to protect. But one unexpected secret could have the power to unravel it all.

snag your copy about the author

Contemporary romance author Alyssa Schwarz is a graduate of the Colorado School of Mines with a Master's in Geology & Geological Engineering. She also works as a professional watercolor artist along the Colorado Front Range and is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). Alyssa's second full-length novel, The Glass Road, is set in the Colorado mountains, and is the third installment in her new series, A Prescott Family Romance.

You can find her online at www.alyssaschwarzauthor.com.

Y'all can check out Book 1 in the Prescott Family Romance series HERE, and sign up for Alyssa's newsletter to receive a free gift!

ALSO, Alyssa will be giving away an ebook copy to one random commentor, so y'all be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below!

yours in spirit and script, Grace

#newrelease #releaseday #newbook #contemporary #christianfiction #romance #indie #bookspotlight #giveaway

Featured Story: Heart of Keys by Kaytlin Phillips

Hullo, all! Remember my short story contest back in August? Well, I had SO many AMAZING entries that I couldn't bear not to share them...so here we are! Our first featured story is Heart of Keys by Kaytlin Phillips! I absolutely love the themes and messages, and how sweet and tender it is! I know y'all will enjoy it too!

(Also, I apologize. I meant to have these stories out last month, but September was, suffice to say, crazy. So here we are now! Better late than never, eh?)

Heart of Keys - Kaytlin Phillips

My fingers skipped over the keys, notes gliding into the air with the ease of dancers. Mother and Nancy’s voices carried from the sitting room where they awaited their guest. Who that was, I hadn’t the slightest clue for they wouldn’t tell.

With a flourish, I finished the melody and started another, a great thrum running into a delicate trill. Fingers dashing from one end of the piano to the other like soldiers upon the battlefield. I set my jaw and slammed the keys.

“David, do play quieter,” Mother called as she passed on her way to the door.

I nodded, pasted a pleasant smile on, and continued playing. My emotions bubbled up from my soul, spilling into the music - my voice to the world - and trying to stop it was like trying to stop a flood with a pebble.

When I looked up next, Mother was leading her guest, a dark-haired girl in a tweed skirt and brown long sleeve shirt with a pink sweater vest, through the hall. The girl’s lithe form seemed familiar and then she turned and my fingers fumbled on the keys, eliciting an unearthly groan from the instrument.

Imrie.

Nancy’s dearest friend and the girl I had wished that I had the courage to ask to wait for me. But now…now I was broken. I turned back to the sheet music and tried to still the shaking of my hands. Machine guns roared in my ears, yells of pain filling the smoke-thickened air. Trenches stretching as far as the eye can see and yet no safety anywhere. Imrie had begged me to stay and like I fool I hadn’t listened.

“Good to see you, David.”

Shaken from the memories, I glanced up, and Imrie’s eyes begged me to answer her. Begging me to tell her that what I’d told her more than a year ago was true, that I was back and everything was fine. I rose from the bench and opened my mouth before clamping it shut and clenching my fist. Remembering that I had no voice…not after what had happened. She’d been right to ask me not to join the army. Absently, I ran my fingers over the scar on my neck, the brutal reminder of all I had lost.

Mother took over.

“David lost his voice in the…explosion.” Mother stumbled over the final word, tears threatening.

Imrie placed a hand to her mouth and seemed torn between coming to me or staying with Mother.

I turned back to the piano, dropped to the bench, and released all the things I could not voice onto the keys. Banging out a tune that could hardly be called music, more like the dying groans of the instrument. What had happened, had happened and there was no way to fix it. Might as well get used to the fact that I was a voiceless and broken man.

Mother’s voice carried as she led Imrie away. “He just sits there and plays for hours. Barely writes notes, just plays song after song; things he makes…”

I slammed the keys, drowning out her words, but the images in my head persisted, haunting my every move. Explosions and cries, fire and death. Wounded and dead lying about– me among them. The sights, the smells, the sounds.

Shoving back from the piano, I slammed it shut and wandered to the window. I’d been home for more than three months, surely I should be able to deal with the memories. Move on. But no…they held me in their choking grasps.

I ran a hand through my blonde locks and gazed out at the gray skied day beyond the window seat.

Imrie.

It’d been two years since I’d seen her. Since she’d told me not to go and I’d ignored her, had assured her it would all be fine. Now I was nothing more than a voiceless fool who beat his feelings out on an ancient piano. My fingers found the long scar extending from my neck down my chest. A piece of shrapnel that had almost killed me. Lucky to be alive, they said, God’s not done with you. But I was merely a walking corpse, voiceless and empty.

The floorboards creaked and a firm hand rested on my shoulder, jolting me back from the memories. Memories of Imrie and of things I’d rather not remember.

“You can’t hold it all in, David.” Father’s deep reassuring voice should’ve been just that, but my hands clenched at my sides.

He didn’t understand what I’d seen. What I was feeling inside. I was as good as dead. My soul lost, if I even had one left. War was not pretty, not a game, not what I - in my youthful foolishness - had thought it’d be. Not even God could clear away the filth inside.

Shoving my hands in my pockets and shrugging his hand off, I wandered back to the piano, then opened it and ran my fingers across the smooth, ivory keys–my voice to the world, the place where my confused and spiraling emotions found release.

Father sighed. “Mother and I are going out, Nancy is in the sitting room with her guest…if you need anything.” Father’s brown eyes held only concern as his stooped figure eased from the room.

I slipped onto the bench, resting my fingers on the keys of my tattered soul. Releasing the aching and agony inside into the only thing I knew. Music was my shield, my place to escape, if but for a moment, the demons inside and the memories that haunted my every step.

My fingers glided over the ivory keys, creating something new from the brokenness inside. First the young boy, the joyful teen I’d been as my journey began. My fingers tripping over the keys in joy, skipping from note to note, echoing high in the vaulted room. Then slowly the melody lost its joyful lilt and cascaded into a gloomy sound, eerie echoes of the reality before me, only broken by the pounding of the deeper keys, the guns bellowing in the distances. The trenches before me, memories swarming as the melody grew in volume drowning out my thoughts as I banged upon the keys, the confusion, anger, and despair churning inside.

Mournful and earthly groans eased from the heart of the mighty instrument as I became lost in the memories of battle. The cries and yells, booms and blasts, intertwining with the music gliding from the keys.

The crescendo climbed, like a hiker reaching the mountain's peak with stormy gales all about. The rhythm thrummed and drummed, filling every part of me with the intensity. The horrors I had seen surfacing as the music swelled. Then I stopped, a sudden end to the growing sounds.

Sweat slid from my brow, curving along my scarred cheek before dripping from my chin as I rested my fingers on the keys once more. A solemn note, the bittersweetness of being home bleeding into the keys. Finishing what had been started minutes ago, I bowed my head over the ancient instrument, everything in me wanting to give up.

The phone rang and footsteps drummed the stairs. The melody I had just played, my life story floated through the air, I didn’t want it. I wanted to go back. Back in time…to make the choice all over again and choose to stay. My decision to join the army was the start of all this…the start of my breaking. Imrie had been right.

“David.”

My head shot up, eyes darting to the doorway where Imrie stood, hand frozen above her heart, tears glistening on her cheeks. “I didn’t know you could play like that…it was…it was...”

I shook my head, closing my eyes. No. She couldn’t understand. That was life, that was voice, that was pain and anger and fear, not music. Not a song or melody to hear, but a cry for help from the broken heart of a shattered man without a soul. A man too broken to be saved.

“...it was as if you laid your heart upon the keys,” she said, her green gaze locking with mine.

She stared into my face, viewing the man behind the veil…the brokenness inside, the cracks that riddled my heart of stone.

I ducked my head, fingers trembling as they rested on the keys. She had seen…she would want nothing to do with me. Nothing to do with the voiceless monster of a man I had become.

Soft footsteps and then her hand landed on my shoulder, gentle and tender. As I glanced up, tears wet her lashes. “Teach me to play something.”

The honest longing in her voice made me rise from the bench and offer it to her. She gazed into my face as she sat. “David…” She bit her lip and shook her head as she placed her hands on the keys.

Reaching around her, I placed my - scarred, broken - hands over hers, knowing full well I was not worthy of her. She was pure and untouched by the darkness lurking just inside me. What if I tainted her? My hands shook as I pressed her soft fingers into the keys and led her through a few simple notes.

Her hair brushed my cheek, smelling of lavender and chamomile. Her fingers fumbling along under my unsteady guidance. I had dreamed of the day I’d come home, come home and ask Imrie to be my wife. But that day was not to be…A dream now out of reach. Broken upon the battlefield just like my heart, my mind, my voice.

Now I was a man who had seen too much. A man who would never live a normal life. Imrie looked back at me. Our hands stilled on the keys, her gaze locking with mine, a connection I could not deny forming between us.

A sad smile spread onto her lips as she studied my eyes. “Oh Davie, what have you seen?”

There was the nickname only she used, the innocent question she asked, one to which I had no answer. Unspeakable things.

My breath came fast as my mind wandered back…back to the trenches and the pain, the smoke in the air, and the screams on the wind. The horrors of the battlefield flashing before my eyes and yet, I had no voice with which to release them. So they found their way into my dreams, tainted the music pouring from my soul, and trailed me like shadows.

Imrie’s hand cupped my cheek, cool against my warm skin. My heart skipped a beat as her green eyes softened, the lamp light flickering in the depth of her large, dark irises. “I’m here for you, Davie. I’ve always been here…waiting for you.”

Everything stilled and a sob caught in my throat. The honesty of the statement was like a punch to the gut. I’d never asked, and yet, she had waited for me. Waited for me to return…and yet nothing but a fragment of the man I had once been stood before her.

Compassion invaded her eyes and her thumb stroked my cheek. “We’re all broken, Davie. But God’s love can fill that void.” A tear slipped from her dark lashes and trailed down her smooth cheek. “He can fix what is broken.”

I leaned into her hand, knowing what she said was true. Knowing that God was able to fix the mess inside, the shrapnel the war had left behind…but, I was afraid to ask. Afraid that somehow, the answer would be no. That I wouldn’t deserve His mercy and grace after what I’d done and seen.

“No one is too far gone for Him.” Imrie’s voice cut through my doubts, the conviction in her tone carrying the words straight to my weary and broken soul.

I dropped my tortured gaze to her eyes, so full of compassion and tenderness. How would she look at me if she knew? What did He think of me?

She’d love you anyway, as I do.

The words echoed in my head. The voice which had spoken them both tender and firm, a voice that resonated in spite of all the doubts and brokenness permeating my being. My knees gave and my elbows rested on the piano bench as sobs shook my shoulders. All the fear, anger, and despair. Everything that had been inside, now flooding out as if a dam had burst.

Fabric rustled and Imrie’s arm settled around my shaking shoulders.

Her voice calm and halting near my ear, “God…I ask you to heal, Davie. You know what he’s…seen, done…felt. Lord, you know what is inside him…You know how he’s hurting…fearing. Lord, you see the wreckage inside…I ask that You move in him. Give him Your peace…and show him the power of Your love. In Jesus' name, Amen.”

The whirling inside slowed, the crushing weight lifting from my weary shoulders, the pinprick of light a little brighter; hope of tomorrow even brighter. Imrie knelt by my side, rubbing gentle circles on my back. I racked in breath after breath, my mind clearing.

Imrie smiled at me, lighting up the darkness even more. “He has a plan for you, Davie Hemmingway. Don’t you ever doubt that.”

I licked my lips and nodded, fighting back the tears that wanted to rise once more as I struggled to my feet. The demons inside reared their heads, but a whispered prayer for peace was all it took for them to silence. I turned to face Imrie.

Her calm and beautiful features. Her eyes studying me with compassion and…could that be love? I reached out a shaking hand and tucked a strand of her silky, dark hair behind her ear, fingertips brushing her smooth skin. I cupped her freckled cheek and she leaned into it, her eyes drifting closed. My heart picked up pace and I leaned forward, daring to lead the charge onto dangerous ground.

Her eyes slid open and she leaned forward, our lips meeting.

My other hand cupped her other cheek, fingers tangling in her silky hair. Her gentle hands resting on my shoulders as the kiss deepened. The years of waiting, the months of thinking this was never to be, chased from my mind in an instant. The voices in my head screamed at me, told me I was unworthy…but the voice of Someone much higher told me all was forgiven.

Imrie pulled away and a blush crept onto her cheeks.

I rubbed circles over their surface as she gazed into my eyes. “I love you, Davie. I’ve always been waiting for you.”

My heart swelled at her words and with nothing with which to voice the emotions inside, I crashed my lips against hers. Pulling her into my arms, groaning as her arms wrapped around my neck and the kiss deepened. The love I had tucked away and tried to bury rising to the surface, molding us together as one. Imrie sighed as her fingers brushed through my hair and I pressed deeper before pulling away and gazing into her sparkling green eyes.

She placed a hand to her heart as I clasped the other in mine and led her to the piano bench. She sat beside me as I rested my hands upon the keys. The emotions inside such a tangle of joy and peace, my soul so flooded it needed a release. So, I channeled it into the music.

Notes gliding from the keys in quick succession, a jolly tune echoing off the walls as the rain drummed the cottage roof. My joy climbing into a crescendo, rising above anything I’d ever known.

Imrie looped her arms around mine and leaned into my shoulder as the melody swelled with the emotions trapped inside. Sure, the memories taunted and haunted, and notes of sadness and my journey filtered into the song. But, the peace of my Savior filled my soul, and the love of my life sat right beside me.

about the writer

Kaytlin Phillips is Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction and Fantasy author. She’s a homeschool grad who spends her days praising her Savior, reading, writing, blogging, and annoying her sisters with random thoughts. She is the fifth child out of seven and resides in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

Her favorite hobbies include writing, reading, hiking, theology, history, blogging, ASL, crocheting, doodling, and anything she does with her sisters or family.

First off, I absolutely LOVE the name Imrie! Second, wasn't that SO precious? Lemme know what you thought in the comments below!

yours in spirit and script, Grace

#featuredstory #romance #shortstory #christianfiction

Guest Post: God as the Master Author by M.C. Kennedy

Don't tell me I'm the only one who hears "God is the master builder, He is building me" from The Donut Man in my head.

Never mind. I know I'm the only one.

ANYWAY. I am SO excited to have the lovely M.C. Kennedy on my blog today! She has put together SUCH an amazing and inspiring post I know y'all will love! In case y'all missed it, I had the opportunity to interview her back in June, so y'all check out our Q&A HERE!

Now, without further ado...

God as the Master Authorby M. C. Kennedy

I was told that I could write about pretty much anything I wanted for this post. Which is

simultaneously a lovely dream and a nightmare (how can I choose one of the many options

floating around my brain???). But after some contemplation, I’ve decided to share with y’all a

few of the ways writing has helped me learn more about God, being able to relate to Him as the Great Author of the world’s story.

As a fantasy author, one storywriting skill I’ve had to learn is that of worldbuilding. This is the process by which we (somewhat insane) authors create a whole new world out of nothing but imagination (and a good deal of borrowing from history and other fantasy authors, but who’s counting?). Worldbuilding can be intimidating. There’s a lot to it that we just don’t think about at first: we have to consider the physical properties of the world, determine where the water supply comes from, create histories and major battles and world-changing events, examine the ecosystem, develop a language… The list goes on and on.

Many times, I’m overwhelmed with “worldbuilding fatigue,” and I have to take a break for a few days before diving back into it. But when I have to pause and take a breath, it gives me the

opportunity to compare my world to the real one in which we live. When I do that, I’m in awe of

how beautifully every facet of our universe works together. A world is an incredibly complicated

thing to create. And yet our great Creator launched our world into existence with a single word.

He holds it together by His own immeasurable power, keeping everything running by the simple fact of His existence. My attempts at worldbuilding are so feeble compared to those of the Master Worldbuilder! And yet He has created me, and now I in imitation of Him create things of my own. My writing, my world creation, is just one of many ways I can worship the Author of my own story.

Another thing God has taught me about Himself through my writing is that of His sovereignty. As the author of a story, I have total control over the plot, the characters, everything. I know how the story will begin, how it will end, and what will happen in between. I allow my characters to experience hardships because I know they will be the better for it in the end. I am not afraid for them, because I know what I have planned for them.

This is exactly how God relates to us! From the beginning of time, He has planned out the story of the world. He is in complete control; every event, every person, every moment fits perfectly into His master plan, all heading towards the triumphant ending when Christ will return and claim His people for His own. He is not afraid for the state of the world; how can He be, when He not only knows the ending but in fact wrote it from before the foundation of the world? He allows hardships to come into our lives not because He is cruel or because He cannot stop them from happening, but rather because He wants to grow us through those hardships. Like characters in a story, He is stripping away our flaws and helping us grow, making us into

someone better than we were when our story began.

Finally, the last big thing God has used writing to teach me is that of His plan for the world. This ties into His sovereignty, but it focuses more on God’s skill as an author. I’m definitely an outliner. I like to say that I write the story in the outline stage and then tell it in the actual

drafting stage. I don’t want just a vague impression of where the story is going; I want a play-by-play map detailing the important plot points and illustrating how the characters get from Point A to Point B to Point Z.

In a much more incredible way, God has also outlined all of history, from its very beginning to its very end. He exists outside of space and time, and therefore He is already present in the

future. He is constantly at work in the world, turning all things towards the perfection of His

plan. He knows the key moments that need to happen for the plot to progress, and He knows

exactly when to set them into motion.

For an example, let’s take a look at the story of redemption. It begins at the Inciting Event, when God creates the world and sets the plot in motion. The Key Event, the true introduction of the plot, is the creation of Adam and Eve. And their descent into sin is the First Plot Point, the point of no return in which they and the whole world are thrust into the great story of redemption. The story progresses over the next several thousand years, with the entire Old Testament pointing towards a single event: the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. This is the Midpoint of God’s great story: the event to which all other parts of the story have been leading, the moment after which no other part of the story will be the same again. We are now living in the second half of the Second Act, heading towards the Third Plot Point, when all the world will appear to come crashing down and Satan will seem to have won. But that will not be the end, for the Climax is yet to come. At that point, Christ will return in all His glory, and He will defeat Satan once for all. God will create a new heaven and a new earth, ushering us as His people into the glorious Resolution, where we will live with Him forever and ever.

It’s pretty cool when you look at the Bible in that light.

As God’s children, we have the privilege of imitating our Father as we create stories that mirror His great one. That’s not to say that only Christians can write, of course; there are plenty of authors out there who don’t know God! But we who do know our Maker can understand how

truly remarkable it is to create our own worlds, our own stories. Our creation is special because

we use it to worship our Creator.

“We make in our measure and in our derivative mode, because we are made: and not only made, but made in the image and likeness of a Maker.”—J. R. R. Tolkien

about the author

M. C. Kennedy is a self-proclaimed nerd with a deep love for the Lord and for fantasy. She enjoys nothing more than escaping from the real world into the realms of her imagination. When she's not rambling through fanciful forests, you can hunt her down at her website (mckennedyauthor.com), or her Facebook page (M. C. Kennedy, Author).

I absolutely LOVE how M.C. walked us through all the ways writing has taught her about God and how God truly is the master Author! How have you noticed this in your own life? How do your hobbies and passions teach you more about God? Let us know the comments below!

yours in spirit and script, Grace

#guestpost #writing #god #christianity #author #indieauthor #christianauthor

Coming Soon: Dragonbreath and Prejudice by Erica Richardson

Pride and Prejudice and...Dragons? Forget zombies, folks. Erica Richardson, author of the Peregrine series and The Cottonwood Chronicles, is releasing a YA fantasy retelling of Pride and Prejudice, but the twist this time is dragons!

about the book

Elablaze Blairwane would much rather scrub scum from dragon scales than learn to dance at a great feast.

As the caretaker of her family's prized dragons, Ela has her head in the clouds and her hands on the scrub brush, which she uses for the dragons' daily grooming. She has no interest in love. Well, at least not until she makes eye contact with the mysterious Mr. Darkrye, a man who seems to have copious amounts of pride in his title as an aristocrat. But his inherited money doesn't interest Ela, and his personality soon proves to be so disagreeable that even his lovely eyes no longer deserve an ounce of her attention. She has more important things to focus on, such as the upcoming annual dragon exhibition. If she could just earn the money for the entrance fee and win the exhibition, she could use the prize money to not only free her family and her dragons from the endless chores and drudgery of Longtail life but she would finally have the chance to pursue her lifelong dream to free and rehabilitate the Blood Dragons who are born and raised in the Pits to be fighters. But Ela continuously finds her life entangled with Mr. Darkrye’s. And as his story unfolds, she finds she can no longer deny the feelings stirring within her heart. Could it be that their lives and dreams are destined to be intertwined?

Zanelore Darkrye knows from personal experience that money cannot buy happiness. But Zane’s not shooting for happiness anymore. All that he hopes for is to be able to sleep at night, maintain his most important familial relationship, and support his dearest friend, Crimson Brightly, in his search for love and happiness. Perhaps if Crimson could find real happiness, the dark cloud that looms over Zane would finally depart. But when Zane first looks into the eyes of a young woman named Elablaze Blairwane, he senses that things are about to change. He feels his heart coming back to life, but to fall in love again is only one fear he must overcome. Because coming to know Ela will mean facing the creatures he fears even more than falling in love itself: the dragons.

about the author

Lover of both fantasy and reality, Erica Richardson can’t seem to get enough of dragons nor of good, clean romance. She is a wife, mother, and loves creatures of all kinds. She can be found in her home in Utah, snugging young children, caring for her pets, selling her work at farmers markets, and with her nose in a book or her fingers on the keyboard. She writes the middle-grade fantasy series The Cottonwood Chronicles, as well as young adult fiction about the courage it takes to live daily life while navigating mental illness (the Peregrine series). Erica was recently awarded the Olive Woolley Burt Honorable Mention for her writing.

I dunno about y'all, but that sounds like a fantastical way to put a new spin on a beloved classic! Fantasy readers who aren't too keen on classical literature will love this upcoming release, coming soon to Amazon and Kindle on December 22nd, 2022! You can keep up to date on the book and more by Erica Richardson at her website here!

Have you ever read Pride and Prejudice? What do you think of the concept of Dragonbreath and Prejudice? Let me know in the comments!

yours in spirit and script, Grace

#comingsoon #upcomingrelease #fantasy #romance #youngadult #youngadultfiction #yafiction #allegoricalfantasy #indie