Grace A. Johnson's Blog: Of Blades & Thorns, page 22

Review: The Prince and the Prodigal by Jill Eileen Smith

*Warnings*

#1 This is a long review, so pull up a chair and grab a bowl of popcorn. You’ll be here awhile. #2 When I read a review, I want substantial information. So I will not skimp on the details. Which may mean some spoilers, so watch out.

Stars: 3

Synopsis: Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, has long been despised by his ten older brothers. But when his father bestows upon him a coat of many colors and the Lord begins to give him dreams of authority over his family, their hatred grows until it spills over. Sold into slavery in Egypt, Joseph embarks upon a years-long journey from lowest of slaves to highest of kings...while his brother Judah separates from his family to wrestle with his guilt.

Biblical fiction—particularly retellings and fictionalizations of accounts specifically from the Bible—is perhaps one of the trickiest genres/eras out there. You can only take so many creative liberties without being branded unbiblical and inaccurate, but sticking to the Bible word-for-word is pointless when it comes to fictionalizing its accounts. So you’ve got to find that fine line between historical textbook and fantasy—a line that’s finest when retelling Biblical accounts rather than simply setting a story during the eras of the Bible.

Not only that, but the grittiness and immorality of the Bible (a rather hefty portion of which is entwined with Joseph’s story) is difficult to portray. You either gloss over it and neglect an important part of the Bible and history itself...or you risk being too detailed and disturbing.

So many, many things to grasp and grapple with, and very few authors pull it off...unfortunately, Jill Eileen Smith wasn’t one of the few. The Prince and the Prodigal lacked the characterization and emotion I wanted from the story, and it does tend to err on the more descriptive side.

Now, before I get into the depths of my review, I must say that, yes, the scenes of sexual nature could’ve been handled a little more tastefully. The scenes with Potiphar’s wife, Joseph and Asenath, Judah and Kaella, and Judah and Tamar were fine in my opinion (either short-lived or acceptable when they were between a man and his wife), but the scenes with Tamar and her husbands were rather disturbing, considering everyone’s ages. *shudders*

I can’t necessarily complain, although I know a lot of reviewers already have, because that’s how it is with Biblical fiction. It is arguably the most detailed, dark, gory, and sensual of all Christian fiction—and there’s really no way around that.

So there’s my opinion on the content.

Y’all know if I’m giving a book only three stars and that’s how long my content section is…something’s up.

The beginning starts out really slowly, and I’ll be honest. From the beginning, I could not connect at all with Joseph. Not even a little bit. He seemed like he’d been cut out of the Bible and pasted into this book...and that’s not as good as it sounds. He lacked characterization, development, and heart.

Which is crazy, right? This is Joseph. The king of dreams, you know?

Unfortunately, the dreams are almost like an afterthought rather than a pivotal part of the story, and that aspect of his character is never really explored. Even when he interprets the cupbearer, baker, and Phararoh’s dreams, there seems to be very little thought or emotion involved. It’s all like a lifeless transaction, which was so disappointing, because I see that as one of the most interesting and inspiring part of his story.

Apart from that, he was perfect. He literally did nothing wrong, and Smith goes so far as to insinuate that she wrote him like that entirely on purpose, saying that some see Joseph as almost like Jesus. Which is great in theory, as we are all supposed to be like Jesus and be a reflection of Him, but that doesn’t mean we can put ourselves or others on pedestals...not even book characters like Joseph. I wanted something from him—some sign that he was human and not a perfect angel (and even angels aren’t perfect)—and I really wanted someone to mention how cruel and unjust it was of Jacob to play favorites! Instead, both he and Joseph are regarded as perfect and justified in their every action, whereas Joseph is too perfect and Jacob is literally ripping his family apart from the inside out.

Of course, y’all know where that leaves Joseph’s brothers. They were all cruel, heartless brutes with no thought nor care for anyone at all. Yes, that was in part due to the fact that they didn’t serve God (which means Joseph and Jacob’s service to God made them absolutely righteous)...but even heathens have hearts. I do understand that in God’s eyes, those who serve Him with their whole hearts are righteous and those who do not are wholly wicked...but this story wasn’t written from God’s perspective; it was written from man’s, and therefore the good guys can’t be good all the time and the bad guys can actually do good things sometimes.

I dunno, it just would’ve been nice to see more depth to everyone’s characters. Really Dinah’s was the only one who was given any depth in the beginning, and yet her role in the story was so unnecessary! She didn’t have much of a role at all, actually.

Later on, Judah’s character is defined more...which I appreciate and was kinda the point of the story...but what stood out to me was that he didn’t really have an arc. He never had a moment of repentance or reconciliation with God. He didn’t make an effort to change his ways and serve Him. There was really no redemption for him; just a quiet shift into believing in God’s existence and His commandments rather than actually having faith in Him and serving Him.

And the crazy thing is...he was supposed to have an arc.

Believe it or not, it was Tamar who had the most characterization and development. Her character was defined and explored rather thoroughly, to the point where I began to feel sympathy for her—which would’ve been spectacular...if this had been a story about Tamar. She really stole the show, at least in the last half, while everyone else—from the other secondary characters to even the main characters—faded into the background.

Speaking of...I would’ve liked more depth added to Potiphar and his wife...and Pharaoh...and even the jailer and cupbearer and baker.

What didn’t help the characters or the story as a whole was having so many POVs. We have a couple scenes with Reuben, scenes with Jacob, Dinah, Kaella, Asenath, of course Judah and Joseph, perhaps even a couple others...sure, it filled in some blanks in the story, but it also made things very scattered and difficult to pinpoint the true purpose of the story. Had we stuck with just Judah, Joseph, and Jacob (the three Js), I think the story overall could’ve flowed smoother and the characters could’ve been developed better.

Instead, we focused way too much on Tamar and all her drama. Like...how did that enhance the story? A quick chapter could’ve dealt with seven chapters’ worth of drama, and then we could’ve moved on to Judah wrestling with bitterness and guilt or Joseph learning about forgiveness or something that pertained to the central plot and theme of the story!

As you can believe it, the ending was so rushed! We finally make it to the best part, the culmination of the entire book...and, in reality, perhaps twenty years or more...and we get, like, two or three chapters at best. All of that...for nothing.

*sobs*

Smith’s prose was decent enough; she wrote the setting rather well, even if the dialogue was a little out-of-place at times. “Sleep with me” just sounds a little too 21th century to me. The Bible uses “know,” “lay,” and “go into,” in that context, which is still probably not accurate for the time, language, and culture...but I feel like they would’ve been a better substitute than “sleep with.” Was sleep even used as a euphemism for sex two hundred years ago, let alone in 1800 BC?

Plus, “come sleep with me” is the worst. Pickup line. Ever. Y’all, we have got to work on our seduction tactics in the literary community.

In the end, the character development was lacking, the themes were never fully explored, and the plot seemed scattered. I have only one thing to say: Dreamworks did it better. Sure, Joseph: King of Dreams wasn’t perfect, but it captured Joseph’s soul, his heart. It captured the emotions of the story and made the struggles relatable (“You Know Better Than I,” anyone?). It put emphasis on Joseph’s dreams, his relationship with God, his personality, his journey to forgiveness.

Had Smith combined that beautiful arc Dreamworks’ movie wove together with Judah’s story, The Prince and the Prodigal might’ve knocked the ball out of the park...but as it was, it felt rather lifeless and not as poignant as the true story really is.

Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Snag Your Copy About the Author

Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling, award-winning author of the Wives of King David series, the Daughters of the Promised Land, the Wives of the Patriarchs, and The Loves of King Solomon series. Her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times.

When she isn’t writing, she loves to spend time with her family and friends, read stories that take her away, ride her bike to the park, snag date nights with her hubby, try out new restaurants, or play with her lovable, “helpful” cat Tiger. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.

Contact Jill through email (jill@jilleileensmith.com), her website (http://www.jilleileensmith.com), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jilleileensmith), or Twitter (https://twitter.com/JillEileenSmith).

Yours in spirit and script, Grace

#bookreview #review #biblicalfiction #christianfiction #newrelease

The Bookworm's Tag #2

The first time I did this tag, I was graciously tagged by the lovely Joelle Stone, and now she's at it again with a new set of questions! Thank you, girl!

More of my deep, dark reading secrets are going to be revealed in today's post! *smirks*

The Rules Thank and link to the blogger who nominated you (Thanks again, Joelle!) Include the tag graphic in your post Answer the ten questions the blogger asked Nominate between five and ten bloggers Ask your nominees ten book-related questions! Don’t feel bound to these rules (Most importantly) Have fun!The Questions

Did you ever read a book twice in a row?

Um...no. Unless you count flipping through it right after reading to go over some of my favorite scenes! (Which I know Joelle does, because that was her answer to this question too! *winks*)

What would you retitle a book you like and why?

To be entirely honest, I can’t think of a single book I like with a bad title! They’re all fine just the way they are!

Would you buy a book just because the cover is beautiful?

Believe you me, I have been tempted. Yes, covers do influence my purchase decision greatly, but I must also be aware of the price, the content, and the quality of the writing. Unfortunately, not all books are as beautiful as their covers, and vice versa.

Paperback, hardback, e-book, or audiobook?

I’m a visual person, so automatically audiobooks are a no-no (I can’t even listen to podcasts), and it’s sometimes a tie between the other three. I do prefer print books to e-books, but sometimes reading on my Kindle is a lot more convenient than taking five damagable print books with me at one time. Not to mention, the Kindle is good for night reading! As for paperback vs. hardcover, I don’t like dust jackets, so I’ll either take them off or get a hardcover that doesn’t come with one, but then you end up losing the beautiful cover design, and so paperbacks do win out on that account.

What is the name you would choose if you could name the child of a character you like?

Grace. And she’d have brown eyes and brown hair and love books! (Because, yes, I have actually imagined myself as the child of some of my favorite characters...)

When a character says something you don’t like, have you ever mocked them out of annoyance?

Out loud and in the middle of large crowds of strangers family members, to boot! I’m sorry, but I can’t help it when characters start acting dumb and saying stupid things.

What is the ideal length of a series for you?

Infinity...but that’s only if it’s really, really good. Otherwise, three books works great, along with two spin-off series of the same length, of course! (Which gives us a total of nine. I like long series! So what? *looks at her own infinitely long series* Y’all could tell, couldn’t you?)

Have you ever secretly enjoyed a hated cliche?

Um...that’s a hard one. To be honest, I typically hate most cliches that are hated, because there’s usually a very good reason for them to be hated. Make sense? Like the “chosen one” or the *groans* love triangle. Now, I don’t hate these cliches for themselves, just for how people write them. As tropes, they’re fine and have loads of potential, but very few writers ever truly tap into said potential.

Now, as for one that I usually enjoy no matter how it’s done...the medieval Europe fantasy setting. I just can’t help myself. Y’all, I love a diverse, unique fantasy that captures a whole new setting and culture...but there’s something about the medieval vibes that feel like home. Which is why most of my fantasy ideas are all very medieval-esque in nature.

Otherwise, if the public doesn’t like it, chances are I don’t either. Unless it’s really, really well done.

What is a series you want to read that is high on your TBR?

Oh, gosh. We’re gonna be here aaallll day. Of course, I must read LotR, because…I mean, just because. Then there’s Kara Swanson’s Dust duology that I am SO excited to start. So many new series that are coming out that I’m eagerly awaiting (The Curious Realities, anyone?), especially E. K. Seaver’s The Reflections! I also wanna give the Wingfeather Saga a try, and The Green Ember, and the list. goes. on. I mean...I dunno if I could pick just one!

If you could choose five characters to put in a book together, who would they be and why?

Okay, okay, my top favorite protagonists ever...Captain Jack Sparrow, Rocky Balboa, Tony Stark, Indiana Jones, and Rina. (1) Because I love them all to pieces. (2) Because they’re such an eclectic and unique group of leaders. (3) JUST THINK OF ALL THE EPICNESS! Jack Sparrow and Rina would be arguing about who’s captain, Tony would be mocking them with sarcastic quips, and Indy would be trying to explain priceless artifacts to Rocky. It’d be perfect. And if we could throw Han Solo in there for good measure…

Or, if we’re talking book characters, my favorite heroes! Rhett Butler, Mr. Darcy, Mitch Dennehy (from A Passion Redeemed by Julie Lessman), Kyaphus Ryhen (Sara Ella’s Unblemished series), Philip Camden (On Wings of Devotion by Roseanna M. White), Luke McGee (A Hope Undaunted by Julie Lessman), Jack Dorian (A Midnight Dance by Joanna Davidson Politano), Lord Sheridan (Roseanna M. White’s To Treasure an Heiress)...oh, wait. This is more than five, isn’t it?

Oh well.

I Tag… Libby @ Thoughts from a Stumbling Saint (yes, another tag. Sorry!) Sisters Three (providing y’all haven’t already been tagged...but then again, there are three of y’all *winks*) Issabelle Perry Tasha Van Kesteren E. G. Bella Kristianne @ Whimsical Wanderings My Questions Bookmarks...or dog-earing? (I dog-ear, so I won't judge.) Ever spilt food or drink on a book? Have you ever read an entire book (not a short story) on your phone, tablet, or computer? Do you box or wrestle with your books? (Hit them or throw them down when a character does something stupid or the hero dies?) Ever written to or contacted your favorite author(s)? What are your favorite book covers? Worst. Cliche. Ever? What's the most you've ever paid for a book? How about the least (not free)? Can you read in the car? Do you sell your read books, donate them, or keep them forever?

Well, there you have it, folks! I am an unabashed beautiful cover lover, Jack Sparrow fan, and reader of infinitely long series! What about you?

Yours in spirit and script, Grace

#thebookwormstag #bookworm #reading #books #blogtag #tagged

Review: In Search of a Prince by Toni Shiloh

*Warnings*

#1 This is a long review, so pull up a chair and grab a bowl of popcorn. You’ll be here awhile. #2 When I read a review, I want substantial information. So I will not skimp on the details. Which may mean some spoilers, so watch out.

Stars: 3

Synopsis: Brielle Bayo lives a comfortable life as a middle school teacher in New York...until she learns her average life is a lie. Brielle is really an African princess, granddaughter to the king of Ọlọrọ Ilé. Not only that, but the king is dying and it’s time for her to assume her role as his heir. Will she abandon her easygoing life in America for the responsibility of an entire kingdom? Or will she let her grandfather die alone, leaving the kingdom to his harsh brother?

Pretty fitting that I start this book during Black History Month and finish it during Women’s History Month, eh? We’ve got a real cliche-bender here folks, with an African-American princess taking center stage instead of some bland faux European guy. And, seriously, I’m down with that. I get tired of the extremely overdone Netflix romcom trope with the American girl and the fake British guy, so the moment I picked up In Search of a Prince by Toni Shiloh, I all but leaped for joy! This was something new, unique, much more realistic than a fictional country randomly popping up in Western Europe that is so much of a carbon copy of England that they go so far as to name the country after an English town...(and, yes, I’m looking at you, Belgravia).

How could it go wrong?

Well, believe it or not, there are a lot of ways...but instead of immediately dumping my rantish opinions on y’all, I’ve decided to start by going over the positive and technical aspects of this novel first. Then if y’all don’t wanna get your feelings hurt by my feelings, y’all are more than welcome to skip the last part of this review. Sound good?

Good.

So for starters...I actually liked Brielle. Which is insanity. Because I rarely ever like the heroine...not even when she’s the only POV character. But Brielle wasn’t bad. She was well-developed, kind and respectful, and she wasn’t sarcastic or obnoxious or annoying. She was (for the most mature) mature and handled everything in a realistic, levelheaded manner, which left little room for contrived drama or cringe-worthy stupidity.

You’ve gotta admire that, eh?

And like I said, we had the absolute perfect premise here! An African country, a long-lost princess (instead of a prince), a hint of mystery...I’m honestly surprised a story like this hasn’t been written before, because it’s such a no-brainer than the concept is just splendid. Definitely the kind of story we needed to break up the monotony of small town second chance romances with billionaires and rockstars and cowboys (no offense to cowboys, of course...or small towns).

And, y’all. Shiloh didn’t just come up with an ingenious concept...she pulled it off. Everything was portrayed so realistically, and she didn’t gloss over the technical aspects of running a kingdom. Admittedly, yeah, a few events unfolded a little too quickly, maybe, and I think the rest of the plot could’ve been taken in a whole other direction (because it starts to fall apart about halfway through), and the ending was so rushed (the entire book was resolved in one chapter), but it didn’t read like a cheesy Hallmark movie. It had character, substance, realism. And Brielle’s reactions to everything going on around her were all realistic too. I’m impressed.

The setting was so vibrant and warm and inviting, and all the secondary characters were just as interesting and vivid as Brielle! Shiloh’s prose itself was technically on point—her voice didn’t stand out, but it didn’t fade into the crowd either. Everything was evenly balanced and flowed smoothly. From a technical perspective, I can’t complain.

But my favorite part? Oh, my favorite part, you guys, was the spiritual content. In every single thing, Brielle and Iris turned to prayer. They trusted in God and lived out their faith (most of the time) and God was never ignored or painted in shades of black and grey or shoved into a box. He was real. He was there. He was moving and working and I loved that. I needed that after so many stories of stagnant “faith” and diluted religion. I needed something fresh and revitalizing, where God was alive and a part of the characters’ lives. And, no, before you get on the “preachy” tangent, the faith elements weren’t “preachy” or “cheesy.” They were real. Just as our faith in God and walk with Him is real in the nonfictional world.

More than that, Shiloh did something I wasn’t expecting in the least...she gave Brielle a vision. I won’t go into detail, but I absolutely loved the fact that Brielle had a vision of God and Him speaking to her! You go, Toni, for putting that in there! I know y’all Baptists are gonna naysay it, but God does work through visions and dreams and it’s not “fake” or “fantastical” or “unnatural.” It’s a very real and very present part of God and how He communicates with us, and I love it when Christian fiction showcases God’s amazing power!

So whether you like that or not, that alone was worth the three stars.

Now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

My rant.

(Seriously, people, if y’all don’t wanna be bombarded by a lot of unpopular opinions on love, premarital sex, feminism, and children, leave. Go, run, get out of it. Tear out like the devil’s at your heels, okay? Because it’s about to get messy up in here!)

I mentioned above that the plot starts to fall apart about halfway through...that can be attributed to the ill-fated husband hunt. Whereas up to this point, Brielle kept a logical perspective about everything and sought the Lord, as soon as she was instructed to wed to inherit the throne, everything went to kaplooey. I mean, here was this heroine I actually liked who was sensible and genuinely followed God...and all of a sudden, she shoved Him to the back burner so that she could whine about everything.

*takes a breath*

Let me explain. Brielle let her feelings and fears dictate her...which is perfectly human and normal...but in comparison to the girl who was praying and seeking God just five minutes ago, it was a huge shock. More than that, Brielle’s main fear was that she would be “forced” to “pop out babies” rather than being wed to a nonbeliever, an abuser, or an adulterer.

I think that was the worst part, that instead of Mr. Udo’s four illegitimate children and close proximity to all his mistresses being portrayed as wrong and immoral and a sin, all Brielle felt was disgust toward the fact that he had kids (and this was before she knew they were illegitimate) and crippling fear that she too might have to bear a child.

For your information, sex outside of marriage is an abomination to God. Regardless of how sexual immorality is portrayed in Christian fiction and in today’s culture (both Christian and otherwise), it is a sin, it is wrong, and it has consequences. Are children a part of those consequences? Oftentimes, yes, but that doesn’t make children wrong or people wrong or having kids inside of married wrong at all.

It really bothered me, as the oldest of seven kids and someone who wants to have many children one day, that children were portrayed as such hated creatures. Brielle didn’t want kids—in fact, she saw them only as a necessity for “producing an heir” (and, yes, y’all, this was set in the 21st century, even though that sounds so 1800s). Tomori seemed to hate his family; although some dislike or slight aversion to certain members of it would make sense given the circumstances, he downright was ashamed of them. My family may hurt my feelings, but I will never be ashamed of them or apologize to someone for them. (I’m not responsible for their actions, for one. For two, I’m proud of my family, whether you like it or not.)

On top of that, if anyone had more than two kids, they were insane. I’m serious. That’s what Brielle would say. Coming from someone who has overheard many snide comments (“You do know what causes that, right?” being one of the top ones) directed toward my mother for having five, six, seven children, I think it’s totally realistic for someone to balk when they hear someone has eight kids.

I also think it’s totally realistic for many families to have eight biological children (I know many of my teenage friends are from families larger than mine), especially families who live in a third world country.

So the “you’re crazy” comments bugged me considerably, along with all the other disdain for kids and having children.

*SPOILER ALERT* Also, it really saddened me that Tomori was more distraught over drifting away from Brielle in his dream than the idea of losing a child. Like, he cared nothing about their baby. At all. Is it just me, or would that have been a perfect opportunity for Palpatine to step in? *SPOILER END*

Of course, I must mention the feminism. I agree with another reviewer that a movement that has such anti-God origins should not have been so praised and ingrained in a Christian book. Apart from that, I personally disagree with feminism and I just plain get tired of having it thrown into my face all the time. Like, I really don’t care. Call me a misogynist, if you like (I call myself that, so have at it), but I am pro-woman, and being feminist is notpro-woman, nor is being anti-man.

As a result of her feminism, Brielle was automatically prejudiced against all males except the cute ones. (Is it just me, or are cute guys exempt from all evil in novels? Like...hot guys can be bad guys. And ugly-butt old guys can be the sweetest things on the planet. Just sayin’.) *SPOILER ALERT* Worst of all, Brielle wouldn’t even apologize for her assumptions, specifically those regarding her uncle, when it was revealed that Dayo—a WOMAN, mind you—was behind all the threats and opposition. No, but poor old Uncle Sigowali can apologize for literally doing nothing, while heaven forbid Brielle get off her high horse and say sorry! *SPOILER END*

The weirdest part, though, was that Brielle was almost always very respectful and kind to all the men in her life, even those against her, instead of being rude and sarcastic. Typically, I’d say I admired her for that...but it went against everything she believed in and everything her internal monologue was screaming at me. Like, make up your mind, girl! Either you hate ‘em all or you don’t. It just felt like hypocrisy for her to be so nice and yet so spiteful. Make sense? Probably not, but that’s what I noticed. The thing is, you can’t be a feminist without hating men. So don’t treat men with respect if you think you’re better than them...otherwise, you’re not a feminist. You’re just a regular kind human who can respect other people simply for being people.

Again, I don’t think that makes sense, but neither did Brielle’s attitude versus her actions.

Also...this may be spoilery, but the fact is, this is 40% a romance and as such, you can expect me to talk about the heroine and the hero. In this case, Brielle and Tomori. Like I said, this was only 40% romance—the rest of the focus on just on Brielle and her transition into royal life. I’m totally good with the more women’s fiction vibes, don’t get me wrong, but I was sure as shootin’ that Brielle was in love with Tomori when they got married. I mean, she chose him because she didn’t love Ekon and because she didn’t think there was a chance that Ekon would love her. I get that. The marry-for-love stuff is extremely popular these days—and in the yesterdays, according to today’s historical fiction.

But here’s the thing.

She didn’t love Tomori either. They had a “connection” and a hefty dose of “attraction,” but no love. Nothing more than infatuation, really, and mutual respect. That’s lovely and all, but the infatuation will fade and mutual respect can be found in many other relationships. So it just stuck out to me so bad that Brielle jumped to marry Tomori but struggled with if she loved him or not, while she just totally ditched Ekon (who she knew for two hours) because she didn’t love him.

Hypocritical?

Oh, yes.

Speaking of...Brielle mentioned once that God is love and love is a choice, but when it came down to the wire (as in, determining whether she loved her husband or not), she was all like “But what is love? How do I know I love someone?”

UM HELLO. Love is patient, Love is kind, Love doesn’t boast and isn’t proud, He keeps no record of wrongs, He hopes and believes and endures all things, Love conquers all, Love casts out all fear, Love lays down His life...God. Is. Love. And you know you love someone when, through God Himself and His love for us, you would sacrifice yourself, whether physically or mentally or emotionally, for the well-being of that person.

It’s literally that simple.

So why Brielle, who knew all the answers already, struggled with that, I don’t know. She’s not the only character I’ve read who has such a hard time grasping the concept of love and loving their spouse. I can think of two others right off the top of my head. It’s apparently a popular thing nowadays.

So is waiting until love to have sex.

Okay, here’s the thing. If you get married, you can consummate your marriage. You don’t have to wait for anything else at all ever. It’s all been done, and it’s perfectly acceptable—in fact, it’s encouraged and desired—for you to have sex with that person on your wedding night.

However...75% of Christian romances these days have decided that NO! You absolutely cannot consummate your marriage or have sex with your spouse until you are sure you love them.

First of all...what if you never love them? Looks to me like you’re never gonna consummate your marriage. What if they die before you get to say the words? What if...oh, there are SO MANY what ifs! The biggest issue with this idea, though, is that love comes and that marriage means nothing without saying “I love you.”

Actions speak louder than words, people. Anyone on the entire planet can say “I love you,” but it means nothing unless they actually act out their love and walk in it and live like it. More than that, who ever sad love is an emotion? That love just comes to you whenever it feels like it? I’m sorry, Janette Oke, but love doesn’t “come softly,” nor does it slap you in the face.

Love is. Love was. Love will be. Love is an action, a verb, a choice you make.

If hate is the opposite of love, and I must wait for a mushy-gushy feeling to love someone, then I hate everyone on the entire blessed planet...and God considers hate murder.

So there you have it, folks.

I say all this to say that Brielle and Tomori waiting a day (basically until Brielle said “I love you,” even though Tomori already insinuated he loved her) to consummate their marriage was so dumb. And awkward. Like, their wedding night was the most awkward thing ever. If they’d only known each other a day, I’d get it. But they’d known each other for weeks and had chosen to marry each other and acknowledged that they were attracted to each other.

So why?

And when they finally did consummate their marriage, it was so blah. It wasn’t a climax or a beautiful, long-awaited moment where I’m like “Yes! Finally! I’ve been waiting for this so long, and it’s finally here! This beautiful melding of bodies and souls into one! This tender loving that bears such significance!”

Nope. I literally felt nothing. I just turned the page.

If you’re gonna hold off on consummation (this is directed toward authors now, not people in general), HAVE A REASON. Do they not know each other? Do they hate each other? Are they both virgins and they’re just scared out of their wits? That’s what I’m looking for—good reasons. Not excuses to hold it off until the “magic words.”

I’m sorry, but the words “I love you” have been so playfully tossed around and defiled that I’d rather not read them. They mean nothing to me. I’d rather them say “You have bewitched me body and soul” or “I am half agony, half hope” or “If I loved you less, I could talk about you more” or nothing at all than have to sit around and wait for “I love you.”

So, yes, there was no significance to the hold-off or the final action at all. It was pointless.

Lastly (yes, I’m only my last point here), there was some seriously bad sexism in here...and I’m not talking “women can’t rule.” I’m talking the way Tomori wasn’t a virgin and that was (1) included for no reason and (2) brushed aside like a piece of pocket lint.

Number one, virginity is a beautiful thing. Especially in men. Unfortunately, virginity in general is regarded with the utmost disgust, and male virgins are equivalent to eunuchs these days. (Once upon a time, a male virgin would’ve been called gay, but that’s apparently not an insult anymore.)

Number two, men do not have to have sex before marriage. However, Christian fiction (yes, Christian fiction, because that’s all I read, so all my opinions are based on CF, not secular fiction) makes it out like men must have sex before/outside of marriage, and authors make it a point for their heroes—their almighty, upright, Christian heroes—to have had sex outside of marriage. Y’ALL. There are male virgins out there, okay! You do NOT have to make every single guy character be defiled! They’re still “manly”—in fact, even more so—when they wait for marriage!

Number three, if your hero isn’t a virgin, don’t blow it off. Characters are characters, and they’re also people...so we can make them do or be whatever we want, and people can do or be some crazy things. If your hero isn’t a virgin, it’s okay (bad in real life, acceptable in fiction)...but ONLY if you handle it tastefully and Biblically! Don’t shrug it off as if it’s nothing. If you’re gonna do that to the poor guy, give him a reason—for him to have had sex before and to bring it up. In this case, there was no reason—this was not Tomori’s redemption story, nor were he and Brielle having an in-depth conversation about their pasts (which they so should have...I mean, what if a kid showed up with Tomori as his father on his DNA test? Just sayin’). Books like Beyond Her Calling by Kellyn Roth and A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman are two great examples of how broken, defiled heroes can be written in a way that’s realistic and meaningful, rather than “Oh, that’s just how things are.”

Number four, why is it only the heroes who have had sex outside of marriage...or why is it that, when the heroine has, it’s a cause of great shame, whereas the man just rolls with it? THAT, my friends, is sexism. Men and woman are equals, the Bible says, and therefore they each share the same amount of blame and consequences for sexual immorality. God didn’t give women hymens so that we could be shamed for sexual immorality, while men get away scot-free. Nope, He made us to take equal responsibility for our actions and even sin, as screwed up as it is, is all equal. No sin is greater or worse than another, nor is any sinner dirtier or cleaner than the other. So before you start whining about sexism and gender inequality, ask yourself if you’re regarding men’s sins the same way you’re regarding women’s.

Number five, where was Brielle’s reaction to Tomori’s confession? Tomori went so far as to admit that he “wasn’t proud of it,” while Brielle was the one who did the blowing off, letting his admission go in one ear and out the other. Well, I dunno about you, but (1) I want to know everything about my husband before I marry him (because I’ll be telling him all about me) and (2) I want a man who puts as much effort into saving himself for marriage as I do. That means no provocative clothing or actions, no porn, no sex—none of it. Obviously, Brielle didn’t care about that, because she let it slide. Is that an attitude to promote for women—especially young ones like myself? That we should just let men do and be whatever? That our husbands have the right to live however they like? That we shouldn’t strive for healthy relationships and Godly husbands who either live morally or regard their sins as sins? The answer: no.

So, yeah. Sexual immorality—on Tomori’s part and Mr. Udo’s—was not handled well, in my opinion. Did I blow everything out of proportion and regard these characters as real people and generalize basically everything?

Yes. Yes, I did.

But do you wanna know why?

Because I am a sponge. I soak in everything I read and it permeates my mind and soul. I stew on it and think about it. I develop my own thoughts and opinions on what I read. I regard what I read as a reflection of what people believe.

That’s why I want to read good things. I want to read things that permeate my mind and soul with honorable things, pure things, righteous things—the things Paul talks about in Philippians 4:8. I want to think about lovely things that come from God. I want to see this world believing in truth—especially Christians.

So I blow things out of proportion. I regard characters as real people. I generalize and apply my rants to everything and everyone.

Because that’s how my mind works, and I don’t want y’all’s minds to be filled with anything impure or dishonorable or wicked—whether your mind works like mine or not.

Long story short...In Search of a Prince had a lot of good elements, from a likeable heroine to an engaging plot to a unique premise. The spiritual content, too, was pretty darn good! However, a lot of the content was handled badly and not at all Biblically, which was such a shame. Had it not been for the ungodly views presented and the secular portrayal of certain things, this just might have been a five star read. As it is, readers with less sponge-like, perceptive minds will probably find this novel enjoyable and intriguing!

Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Snag Your Copy About the Author

Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. Once she understood the powerful saving grace thanks to the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior. She writes to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness.

You can connect with her at www.tonishiloh.com!

#christianfiction #romance #contemporary #royal #africanamerican #africanfiction #newrelease #bookreview #review

Yours in spirit and script, Grace

ABC Tag!

Y’all, I dunno about this tag. This is gonna be tough! The ABC tag requires you to write a story with 26 sentences, each sentence beginning with a letter in alphabetical order...and lemme tell y’all, Vanessa Hall made it look EASY! She’s to blame for saddling me with this tough challenge, and her pirate story was sooo good! Y’all can read it here!

Thanks again, Vanessa, for the tag! Fingers crossed I can do it justice!

Also...I just so happen to be doing a nautical-themed story as well...not to steal the idea from Vanessa, but because one of the best x-words out there happens to be a type of ship. Go figure.

The Rules

Thank the person who nominated you and link back to the original blog! (Thank you, Vanessa!!)

Include the hastily constructed graphic in your post! (lol) You must write a 26 sentence story each sentence starting with a letter from the alphabet. (Example, first sentence starts with a, second with b, third with c, and down through the whole alphabet!) Nominate 7 bloggers or writers to do the challenge! Have fun! (And try not to get stuck on x and z….lol…)The Story

Across the vast sea, wind ripples and rends the water, causing waves to form and crash against the shore. Billows roll until they break against the hull of my father’s ship, water scattering like a handful of chaff in the wind. Carefully, I withdraw my spyglass, its smooth, slender body cool to my touch. Don’t you dare drop this one, Leonia Drago, or you’ll be paying for the next. Ever since I carelessly let Papá’s scope slip from my fingers and bust last month, I was—how is it?—on the needles and pins with every other precious sailing instrument of his I touched. For after that incident, I knew my father wasn’t joking when he said he was protective of his possessions. God only knew what Papá would do if I broke his brand new spyglass.

His ship, his career as a prosperous merchant ship captain, they are his life...and they were both nearly wrenched from his hands by the vile doings of corsairs, you see. I’ve heard the tale enough times to know how deeply that close call with pirates affected my father. Just as you can imagine, anything and everything pertaining to his life on the sea is of utmost value...even the simplest spyglass.

Keenly, I peer through the scope and survey the horizon. Languid waves continue their dance, each crest like the ruffles of twirling skirts. My hand lowers from my face as I pull back from the taffrail of the main deck and cross to the opposite side, where the sun hangs low in the sky. Nary a ship or creature meets my gaze...until I tighten the scope and a shadowy speck becomes a ship. O Dio, have mercy. Pirates, I know that’s what they are, for the ship is slim and sleek, with both lateen sails and oars. Quite common in this area, off the coast of North Africa, and favored by Barbary corsairs, the xebec is, coveted for its speed and maneuverability, and probably designed by pirates themselves! Regardless, corsairs...especially corsairs sailing on a xebec...are the very last people we want to be visited by. Ships such as ours are laden with fine fabrics and dyes, rich wine and oil, delicious dates and nuts and spices—all items of great worth. Trading our valuable goods will make us a pretty florin, but losing all our cargo? Unthinkable!

Very probable, however, if my calculations are correct. We could never outrun the xebec, not even if port is a knot away.

“Xebec!” I cry as panic builds up in my chest, my heart slamming against my breast. “You must come quick, Papá!”

Zagging past ropes and barrels, my father charges across the deck to where I stand, immediately snagging the spyglass as his face hardens and his eyes turn to granite.

Dude. That was actually fun! I honestly can’t believe I did it! Of course, my brain decided that this would be the perfect time to forget the order of the alphabet, so I had to rearrange some things, but I’m rather pleased with how it turned out! (Anyone else interested in what happens next???)

I’ll never take the freedom of beginning a sentence with whatever letter I choose for granted again.

Now, for the tagees!

I Tag… Iris @ Elfwing’s Wanderings Joelle @ The Sword of the Penmaiden Saraina Whitney E. G. Bella Tasha Van Kesteren Issabelle Perry Libby @ Thoughts From a Stumbling Saint

AND YOU!! Tag piracy is always encouraged ‘round ‘ere, ye know! *winks*

For those of y'all who don't have blogs, you're welcome to accept the challenge in the comments! I'd love to see what y'all come up with! *grins*

Yours in spirit and script, Grace

#blogtag #abctag #tagyoureit #writiing #flashfiction #shortstory #writing #pirates

Cover Reveal: The Reflections by E.K. Seaver

IT'S HERE! The cover for E.K. Seaver's Christian dystopian novel, The Reflections, is finally here! Y'all, I have been waiting for this day for two years...it seems like yesterday when I first met E.K. and beta-read one of the originals versions of The Reflections. And now here we are, only a month away from her novel's release!

*squeals and jumps up and down*

As you can imagine, I am pretty excited about this...especially sharing the AMAZING cover with y'all! Guys. This cover is gorgeous. However, because of its immense amazingness, I cannot share it right off the bat. I must make you scroll.

You must scroll past the Goodreads link...

And the book blurb...

About the Book

Everyone in the Alliance knows about the Reflections. It’s the opportunity to get into the University, the only government-recognized form of education, and those accepted are guaranteed success and comfort for the rest of their lives. Thus, when Em Gades receives the silver invitation, her future is secured. The worst that could happen is she gets sent home, right?

Until she arrives, and the rumors about the Reflections prove true. The only way to live is to get into the University, and to do that you must be one of the four remaining Chosens at the end of the competition. Although she was warned beforehand to trust no one, Em quickly forms attachments to her fellow teammates with the hope that as many of them can survive as possible. However, as Chosens are rapidly executed for failing competitions, Em struggles to understand that, if God is real, why he would let something so terrible happen to a group of mostly innocent teenagers. With likely no more than a few days left to live, she and the other Chosens must navigate life or death situations and find answers to the question:

Are their lives worth the deaths of others?

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And now a bunch of periods, because why not?

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HERE IT COMES!!!!

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ALMOST THERE!!!

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Oh, and preorders will open next week! Follow E.K. on her blog, Facebook, and Instagram for updates!

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Drum roll! Da da da da da da-dum dum da-dum!!

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ISN'T. IT. P E R F E C T?!

It is. You know it is.

I dunno about y'all, but I cannot wait to read this fantastic novel!!! Stay tuned for my review! *winks*

About the Author

To find an E. K. Seaver, you must set a trap. The best option is to lure her in using chocolate, blankets, and a typewriter, but if none of those are on hand, spare books and Broadway music can be easily substituted.

She prefers to be wild and free, though. Whether it includes adventuring through the Rocky Mountains or curled up at a local bookshop, she uses her freedom to produce art. From books to scarves to paintings, Ms. Seaver strives to honor her King in every aspect of her creative works. She desires her stories to hold meaning beyond the tale and attempts to follow in the footsteps of storytellers who came before her.

You can find her and her wild adventures at ekseaver.wordpress.com or on Instagram @ekseaver.author.

Yours in spirit and script, Grace

#coverreveal #dystopian #christianfiction #comingsoon #indie #youngauthor #ya

Blogger Recommendations Tag!

I am super excited for this tag and I’m so grateful to the lovely Kristianne for tagging me...but y’all. This post was a struggle! I know I follow a great many blogs, but many aren’t on Wordpress (like mine), so I may have...forgotten them? I don’t know. I just feel like I’m missing a TON of great bloggers here, and of course some of these questions were hard to answer because I’m just like all of them? And it seems that I follow more blogs than I read. I only actively read a select few, despite how many blogs I’m subscribed to. So suffice to say my answers may not be all that they’re cracked up to be. Plus it seems like a lot of the fantastic blogs I follow don’t fit the criteria...how? I don’t know either. Hence my lovely honorable mention at the end of this!

Now, enough complaining. On to the tag!

The Rules Thank and link back to the person who tagged you. (Thank you, Kristianne!) Mention the creator of the tag: Nehal @ Quirky Pages. List the rules. Share one or more bloggers you think fits into each criteria. The people you mention will be considered tagged. Apart from the ones you shared, you can tag other bloggers and notify them. Just have fun!!The Recommendations

A fascinating blog theme: I had originally written down an answer for theme...as in subject or idea...but I realize now that by blog theme, they meant aesthetic design theme Wordpress template thing.

Yerp.

I need to pay better attention, don't I? *cries* (Even still, all that above still applies.

SO! When we start talking design themes, I *must* go with Maya Joelle, because I just love her site. I dunno, it's just so cohesive and aesthetic and it fits her so well and...yeah. Then there's Christine Smith, who also has a cohesive and aesthetic site. And E. C. Colton...whom I've mentioned below because her all her homepages are gorgeous...just check out her author site! Ooh, and Victoria Lynn! One word: pink.

Y'all, these girls got me wanting to redo my website. Again.

A lovely home page: E. C. Colton/Quill of Hope. Technically, Em doesn’t blog here anymore *sobs* but you should still be able to read her old posts and, of course, admire her lovely site! I actually used her design as kind of a reference for my own when I redid it last year! Aaand, whaddya know! She’s changed her homepage since then, so… *shrugs* But it still beautiful!

Great book reviews: The Bluestocking, Old-Fashioned Book Love,Vanessa Hall, Kristina Hall, Breny and Books, and Bookish Daughter of the King! All six of these blogs are Christian reviewing blogs run by some lovely Christian girls!

Amazing humor: The Sarcastic Elf and Lilacs & Reveries. Sarcasm. Nuff said.

Mind-blowing poems and stories: Maya Joelle/When Through the Woods, Writing Daisies, and Sword of the Penmaiden! Maya’s poems are EXQUISITE, Daisy’s blog serial Smoke & Mirrors is TOO GOOD, and Joelle is always putting out amazing stories and—currently—a sci-fi serial of her own!

The friendliest: This one was a no-brainer. I agree with Kristianne...Teen Writers’ Nook!

The most consistent: Vanessa Hall and Kristina Hall are always on the top of their game, posting at least once a week but usually more like three times a week with book reviews, author interviews, writing updates, and more! And, of course, Scribes & Archers is super consistent about putting out fantastic content...mainly articles about fantasy worldbuilding that are in-depth and out-of-the-box!

The best at sharing tips: I don’t think I follow a blog that is solely advice-related...there’s always something else sprinkled in...so I’d have to say Scribes & Archers, since R. M. Archer is seriously committed to sharing tips about worldbuilding, writing, and more! Of course, Kristianne at Whimsical Wanderings, E. G. Bella, Kayleigh Idea, Elfwing’s Wanderings, and Teen Writers’ Nook always have great advice to share!

The talented artist:I feel like there should be more in this category...but all I can think of are Your Writerly Friend Kads, Eflwing’s Wanderings, andThe Sarcastic Elf! All three are AMAZING artists!! Only Sarah at The Sarcastic Elf actually shares her art, though...but you can catch Iris (Elfwing’s Wanderings) showing some behind-the-scenes pictures of her drawings on Facebook!

Cool site name: All of the above. Seriously, all the blog names are just fantastic!

The underrated: Also all of the above. I mean, I don’t follow any insanely popular blogs, so I guess they all count! Which of these have you heard of? Which ones have you not?

Honorable mention (I’m adding this category myself): Within the Static is also a great one! One of the only non-bookish ones of the bunch, this Christian lifestyle blog is chock-full of AMAZING stuff—perspectives on culture, church, youth, and more! Not So Perfect, Inspired by Life...and Fiction, Glorify Christ, The Worthy Beloved (and more) are some other amazing blogs that are focused on a little more than just reading and writing! They’re all so uplifting and encouraging and engaging! Then there’s Saraina’s blog and Madi’s Musings and Little Blossoms for Jesus and SO many more whose, like I said, awesomeness cannot be contained to a specific category...plus several blogs I’ve just started following and can’t necessarily give opinions on yet.

So, it seems my tags have been taken care of for me...but if you’re a blogger, consider yourself tagged! One can never have too many great blog recs, I always say!

(I don’t always say that, but you get my point.)

What about y’all? What are some of your favorite blogs? What do y’all love reading about? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below!

Yours in spirit and script, Grace

#blogtag #tag #tagged #bloggerrecommendations #blogs #writingblogs #authorblogs #websites #favoriteblogs #thouhastbeentagged #recommendations

Introducing...Sky's the Limit Press!

Should I have introduced this new special project of mine several months ago to build up anticipation and hype? Oh, yeah, for sure...but can I be honest? It wasn’t until this year that I was absolutely sure that Sky’s the Limit Press was coming to fruition.

So here we are. Today, March 6th, 2022, is the official release day for my new online publishing company, Sky’s the Limit Press! Sounds boring? Yeah, yeah, I know it does...but STLP is a lot more than just the name on a book’s copyright page...which is exactly what it was since this time last year, when I decided to start using the name to publish my books under (just check out my ebook listings on Amazon or the copyright pages of my newer books). But it’s morphed into so much more, and I can’t wait to share all about it!

First...you must know our origin story…

Where We Began

To tell you the story of STLP, I’ve got to tell y’all my story.

I started writing when I was about ten years old, and by the time I was twelve, I was serious about it, so much so that I wrote two novels and then self-published one of them (the best of the two, in my opinion) through Kindle Direct Publishing at age thirteen. When I started assimilating into the world of writing and publishing a couple years later (the hermit writer gig wasn’t getting me any sales), I found out a wild and disturbing truth.

People don’t want Christian fiction. People don’t want clean fiction. People don’t want young writers. People don’t want self-published books.

Now, I’m not talking about the readers—most of them will purchase and read whatever looks interesting, regardless of the content (or lack thereof), author age, or publication method—I’m talking about the people behind the readers. The agents, the publishing houses, the literary magazines, the market gatekeeper.

Finding a contest (particularly ones with cash prizes...hermit writers also don’t make money) or a publication to submit to that would accept or even prefer a piece of wholesome Christian fiction was nearly impossible. Finding awards for self-published Christian books (that don’t cost $50 to enter, that is) is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Finding writing tips and advice that doesn’t lump profanity, witchcraft, and sexual immorality in with the nuggets of writerly insight...tough.

I stumbled upon a diamond in the rough when I found Kingdom Pen and Story Embers, two amazing online communities for Christian writers—both young and old—but there’s still something missing in this secularized world.

In comes Sky’s the Limit Press. My dream is for STLP to be the Writer’s Digest for young Christians, providing them with the resources and insight they need to create quality fiction, encouraging and fostering their convictions instead of degrading them, and offering them opportunities to grow and experience the world of publishing.

But right now, our main focus is on The Journal—a digital literary journal (more of a magazine, but journal sounds cooler) that features writing/publishing advice, short stories and poems, and spotlights on indie books and authors. The Journal isn’t just for one or two stories, though. We have a cycle of contests for poetry, photos, articles, reviews, and more, as well as a submissions period that’s always open and always free. Plus, for those of us who are already moving up the world, we offer affordable advertisement opportunities so that you can continue being a hermit and leave the marketing to us!

I hope my story can be your story too—our story—that you can share in all that Sky’s the Limit Press has to offer, that you can learn and grow with us, and that together we can surpass the limits the world has put on us and go beyond the sky! (Should I have called this Beyond the Sky Press? Probably so...and, to be honest, that sounds so epic...but the story behind the name is another story for another day!)

Who We Are

We're writers of light and life who have big dreams and aspirations. We stick out, stand up, and break the mold. We have convictions and beliefs and ideas that don't cater to the popular or politically correct. We follow our values and not the world. Sky's the Limit Press was created for Christian writers by Christian writers, to give them a place where their beliefs are fostered and cultivated into beautiful stories of hope and truth.

What We Do

Equip: We equip writers with the tools they need to craft quality stories, cultivate their writing careers, and exceed their limits! Encourage: We encourage writers' convictions and beliefs rather than discredit them, to inspire them to write what they feel led to! Expose: We give writers the exposure they need to help them launch their work into the world!

Or, more specifically...right now, we have The Story Column, which is our (I say “our” and “we,” but in actuality, it’s just me right now...volunteer positions are open!) blog all about writing advice, author spotlights, and stories and poetry! Submissions are always open for The Story Column, and we accept articles on writing, editing, and publishing, short stories, and poetry. We don’t have a word limit or even many submission guidelines or formatting criteria (because I personally think it’s all pointless), so all you have to do is write your article, poem, or story, whatever it is and however you like it, and submit it to skysthelimitpress@gmail.com with the subject line “The Story Column Submission.” I mean, do include what you’ve written and tell us a little bit about it and send it in a .docx, .odt, or Google Doc (we accept anything but PDFs, really), but otherwise, whether you use 12pt font or 11pt or 13pt doesn’t really matter to us.

If you’re interested in our submission guidelines, though, we do have a page for that here!

We will probably update our submissions criteria and process as time goes on, but right now I want this to be as simple as possible to allow for more writers to join us!

AND (you know there’s an and) we also have...ooh, drum roll, please…*drum rolls*

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*drum rolls for half an hour*

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I can see the look on y’all’s faces now. I’m getting there, I promise!

THE JOURNAL!!!

The Journal is my nickname for Sky’s the Limit Literary Journal (which is a mouthful), our digital free-to-download literary magazine (but it’s called a journal because that just sounds way cooler)! The Journal is full of stories and poems and AMAZING articles and all. kinds. of awesomeness.

In fact, a lot of y’all reading this post have contributed to all that awesomeness, for which I am eternally grateful! Y’all are the best!!!

Right now, The Journal is simply a PDF that you can download here and read in your browser, but there are so many valuable resources in it! We’ve got articles from Julie Lessman, Hannah Linder, Issabelle Perry, Linyang Zhang, and yours truly; stories and poems from Issabelle Perry, Grey S. Park, Joelle Stone, and Catherine Jones; and an author interview with E. C. Colton plus a spotlight of her novella Shards of Sky! Not to mention a Q&A with TONS of fantastic self-published authors, including Kellyn Roth, Angela R. Watts, Hope Ann, and more!

I am SO excited to share this project with y’all! I’m simply amazed at the kind of content and the people who have come together to help me make this dream a reality—it’s something only God could orchestrate (especially considering almost everyone I asked to contribute said yes and that I actually managed to put all 44 pages of this thing together in Canva within two months).

I make no promises as to how often issues of The Journal will release...possibly two a year? But, if so, our next one is gonna have to be much shorter. Formatting this thing was torture.

But so, so worth it, and I really hope y’all enjoy it! More than that, I would LOVE to have y’all share your work—whether it’s a poem or some advice or a pretty picture—in our next issue (whenever it comes out; more word on that when it comes in *winks*) by entering one of our contests!

Y’all, there is so much more that I could say about Sky’s the Limit Press and The Journal, but we’d be here all day! So without further ado, let me permit you to check out STLP’s website and download your copy of The Journal!

Thank you ALL for reading this post, having a hand in The Journal, reading our little magazine, checking out our website...all of it! Your support and excitement is greatly appreciated!

No, seriously. Had it not been for several people *cuts eyes at them...you know who you are * continually reminding my forgetful self about my cast-aside project cheering me on, I wouldn’t have done this! Bless y’all, you lovely people! And bless all of you, my fellow readers and writers! Y’all are the reason I’m doing this, to give you something our community of young Christian writers didn’t have!

The sky’s the limit, guys...and I know we, through the grace and power of God and His Holy Spirit, can surpass it!

Yours in spirit and script, Grace

#skysthelimitpress #skysthelimitliteraryjournal #thejournal #writing #news #introducing #announcement #submit #thestorycolumn #forwriters #forauthors #writers #callingallwriters #publishing #magazine #digitalmagazine #newproject #secretproject #supersecretextaspecialproject #topsecretprojectclassifiedbythegovernment #noiamnotaspy #yesiamcoollikeonethough #whatdoyougetifyouputaspyandawritertogether #aspider #seriouslyputspyandwritertogetherandsayit #tellmeitdoesntsoundlikespider #itstechnicallyspiterbutwearentspitinganyonearewe #nopewerenicefolks #atleastwetrytobe #whenwearentspyingonpeoplesothatwecanwriteaboutthem #admitit #youreaspy

Welcome to March! (February Wrapup + March Goals)

Before we get into things (of which there are many, of course), I have several announcements to make!

Drum roll, if you will…

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DUUUUUUM!!!!

*clears throat*

First, submissions for Tell Me You Love Me, my Christian romance anthology celebrating the beauty of the words “I love you” and Who they reflect, are STILL OPEN!! Yes, there is still time, because submissions close on the 31st of this month! If you’re ready to submit, click HERE! And if you’re interesting in learning more or sharing about the anthology, check out this page HERE! Of course, any questions you have about my requirements or preferences are welcome in the comments below!

I can’t wait to read your stories!

Second, there’s still time to join my Christian author newsletter swap! I won’t be closing the form for another week or two, so y’all be sure and fill out this form HERE (so many heres, my goodness!) to participate in the swap! (Plus, if you need more information on just what said newsletter swap is, you’ll find it on the form too!)

Third, I am officially opening up signups for my street team, Gracie’s Buccaneers, again for a limited time! If you’re interested in becoming a part of my behind-the-scenes crew who get first access to (1) cover designs and graphics and goodies such as that, (2) beta-reading opportunities (some of which are exclusive to only my street team), (3) advanced review copies, and (4) exclusive giveaways, sign up HERE! There’s also a lot of other awesome perks and amazing things I hope to do with and for my street team, so y’all join while you can! I’ll be closing signups sometime before Bound and Determined’s release, so the time is very limited!

Now that I’ve got all that out of the way, it’s time to wrap up February with a big red bow!

What I Did Last Month

My goals for last month? In short, they were: finish Bad, release Sky’s the Limit Literary Journal, write a poem a day, get my devotional out to betas, and finish my professional selling class.

Of course, BAD remains unfinished. *groans* I’m literally only, like, three chapters away from being done, so I hope to knock those out within the next week or so. We’ll see. I’m still shooting for my summer release, though, which shouldn’t change.

I DID finish formatting The Journal and designing Sky’s the Limit Press’ website (the first in the beginning of March, though, while the second I did do in February)...which means my official announcement is coming soon!!! Stay tuned for more news as it comes in!

I wrote a poem a day all last month—minus, like, two days that I missed (but I made up for them by writing two poems a day several times, so...)—and I wrapped up my only class for this semester on February 21st (which was nearly two weeks before I actually had to submit my final paper)!

So all in all, February wasn’t half bad. I also wrote a couple flash fiction stories for Spark (a clean romance online flash fiction magazine) and knocked out several book reviews, which was a plus, even though that meant I didn’t write much in BAD. *sobs*

This Month’s Goals

You guessed it. It’s STILL finish Bound and Determined. Of course, I also have some thing I’d like to submit to (Spark being one of them), so I have some stories to write and others to polish. There’s always reviews and what have you...including my review of In Search of a Prince by Toni Shiloh...which I am dreading having to write (it’s going to be very long and ranty, believe you me). Blog posts for Book Nations and Sky’s the Limit Press need to be written and posted...I need to keep pushing submissions for Tell Me You Love Me and signups for my newsletter swap (please share, you guys; it would mean a TON)...and I need to get With Fear and Tremblingready for release.

So, yeah...I’ve got a lot going on. *groans*

Monthly Progress

Er, yeah, about that...like I said, I didn’t get much done in BAD at all...but I did write a few flash fiction pieces and thirty poems. I’d say those count, right? *winks*

Reading Highlights

I quite honestly read hardly anything during February. I finished a few things I started back in January, but otherwise? Just a couple short stories, really, and few books I didn’t quite enjoy. *sighs*

So the best of this month’s limited selection? Definitely Grace Livington Hill’s The Story of a Whim. This was my first ever book by her, and it. was. so. Good! I love her style and how beautiful and simple her romances are and how much faith content is in her works—or, well, this one, at least, but I know for a fact that the rest of her stories are even better!

And honorable mention goes to A Valentine from Charleston, Ashley Clark’s Valentine’s Day novella that was free for the holiday last month. I’ve never read anything by Ashley Clark, but I’m inclined to now, as her sweet romance novella was quite lovely!

Most Popular Posts Submissions Open for Tell Me You Love Me Anthology! In Search of Betas for My First Devotional! Good Enough The Writerly Resolutions Tag

So February wasn’t everything I wanted it to be (no hot guys gave me chocolate, for example), but I got several projects done that I’d been working on for six months and took advantage of a few opportunities I hadn’t expected, so I won’t complain! Let’s just hope that now that school’s over ‘til August, I can get some stuff done!

What about y’all? How’s your WIP (or works-in-progress) going? What are your goals for March? Did y’all have a fantastic February? (Any hot guys?? Any poetic valentines?? ANY CHOCOLATE?????)

Yours in spirit and script, Grace

#streetteam #graciesbuccaneers #submissions #submit #newsletter #newsletterswap #tellmeyouloveme #anthology #contest #writing #progress #updates #goals #monthlyupdates #welcometomarch #writingprogress #progressreport #updates #signup #iwantahotguy #abigandtallandstrongone #whogivesmechocolate #andordersmepizza #andbuysmeallthebooksiwant

Newsletter Swap + Held Captive Sale!

Boy, have I got news for you!!

First off, I am calling all my fellow authors with books and newsletter out there to join my newsletter swap!! What is a newsletter swap, you ask? Gooood question! Well, it can work in multiple ways, but for this one, I'll be accepting participants until March 14th, and then I'll pair up the authors by their genre, audience, etc. The authors will then swap newsletters - which means Author 1 will share about Author 2's book and newsletter, while Author 2 shares about Author 1's. It's as simple as that!

(I was inspired by R.M. Archer's author pen pal letter exchange, which you MUST sign up for HERE!!!)

What do you need to participate? Well, for starters, a newsletter and a book...and to fill out this form here! I'll set up a doc with all the information you need once I've paired you with another author! And don't worry - everything's fair and free!

What are the benefits? Well, first of all, this is FREE MARKETING. No author should ever turn down free marketing. You'll be getting your name, book, and newsletter out there to a whole new group of readers - how awesome is that? Not only that, but you'll also be sharing purchase links (let us know if you have a sale or giveaway going on...this is great opportunity to promote!) and links to sign up to your newsletter (affiliate/custom links will increase your benefits), which will increase your following and platform! And this, my friends, is only the beginning! If this goes over well, there will be many more opportunities like this in the future!

I think that covers all the bases...but knowing me, I'm missing something, so if you have any questions or comments, drop them in the comments section below!

Don't have a newsletter or book or aren't an author? That's perfectly all right - you can still share the graphic below as well as the signup link (https://forms.gle/yaGcNEnZ6ajdnL4Z7) with your author friends!

I dunno about you, but this is pretty exciting!!!

But I mentioned something about a sale too, didn't I?

THAT'S RIGHT, FOLKS. HELD CAPTIVE IS ON SALE!!!!!!

Well, technically, it doesn't go on sale until tomorrow...but still. Mark your calendars for 8am EST March 1st, because HC is going down to $0.99 cent!!! On March 3rd, the price goes up to only $2.99, so don't worry if you miss the $0.99 sale - you're still getting a great deal (because, for some reason, I priced the Kindle edition astronomically high and never saw fit to decrease the price...so here we are)! And on March 5th through the 8th, we're still a dollar cheaper at $4.99!

And this is ONLY the Kindle version...unfortunately, Amazon doesn't offer paperback sales nor can I price the paperback version any lower because of printing costs. *sobs*

PLUS, whichever price sells better (it's gonna be the $0.99, I just know it *winks*) will become the new regular price of Held Captive's Kindle edition! WHOOP WHOOP!!!

Why all the fantastic cheapness, you ask? Weeeeell, you know what month is coming up next, right?

And you know who's turning THREE at the end of March???

YES MY BABY IS THREE YEARS OLD ALREADY I COULD CRY I FEEL LIKE AN OLD MAMA!!!

And Prisoner at Heart is right behind it. *wails*

Y'all, they gon' be so doggone old by the time I get the blasted third book done. Dang.

(Speaking of, do not ask me how writing went this month. Writing didn't even EXIST this month. [Because I'm having to go back and add scenes all over the place and I dread having to mess up the perfect order I have, but I can't finish it until I've written the scenes I skipped. Aaaaauuuuggggghhhh.])

ANYWAY.

Already read Held Captive? Hate ebooks? Then feel free to share this graphic instead! *grins*

And, of course, the almighty purchase link... *drum roll ensues*

Y'all take advantage while you can, my dears!!!

Speaking of while you can...TODAY is the LAST DAY to let me know if you'd like to beta read With Fear and Trembling, my upcoming devotional! Class 1 betas proofread, Class 2 betas give feedback on my message, and Class 3 just read for the fun of it! *grins*

Just drop a comment saying what class you wanna be in!

ALSO. Submissions are still open for Tell Me You Love Me anthology! If you'd like to submit a Christian romance short story, just click the button below to learn all you need to know and submit your story!!!

Well! *sucks in a breath* That was a lot of news for one post, but it needed to be said. *winks* How about y'all? How did your February go? What are your thoughts on my new author photos (homepage and about page)? Anybody else stink at writing this month???

Y'all enjoy your last day of February, peeps! March is on her way!!!

Yours in spirit and script, Grace

#submissions #newsletter #swap #authors #callingallauthors #newsletterswap #TellMeYouLoveMeAnthology #shortstories #contest #sale #heldcaptive #funstuff #booknews #devotional #withfearandtrembling #betareader #betareading #whateverelseimissedcangohere #peaceoutdudes

Review: Ares by Jenna Terese

Stars: 5

Synopsis: Ares and his twin sister Astrid have been tasked with a terrible secret...they, the children of superhuman scientist Dr. Hiram Bailey, have superpowers. And if their father finds out? Well, that won’t ever happen. Will it?

STOP IT, JENNA! YOU’RE BREAKING MY HEART!

Seriously, y’all, this short prequel to Ignite, Jenna Terese’s debut novel, shouldn’t have the power to rip my heart to shreds...but it does. In just a few pages, Jenna takes us back in time to Ares’ childhood...and to the day his world fell to pieces.

This thing is supercharged (no pun intended) with emotion. I could have cried, y’all! (Could have is serious for me, because I have only ever cried one and a half times while reading.) Somehow, Jenna packs it all in, creating a weapon of mass destruction and transmitting it to e-readers across the world.

Suffice to say, this is an epic short story (pain and heartache aside, of course). The development is spot-on, the flow is smooth, all that is on point. Of course, this really wouldn’t have the same affect or make total sense without reading Ignite first (first, because you must fall in love with Ares in Ignite; second, because this totally ruins the whole “Ares is Dr. Bailey’s son” plot twist, so…), but however you order things, it’s still amazing.

And can we all pause to appreciate how wonderfully Jenna wrote Ares’ voice? Like, I stink at writing kids—and I live with six of them—but I can recognize when someone has done a fantastic job of authentically and not awkwardly (I need a word for that...unawkwardly, perhaps?) writing the perspective of a child. Jenna did just that, so kudos, my friend!

Yeah, my heart is broken, but it’s a beautiful broken, if that’s possible.

All readers of Ignite and #aresfanclub, y’all need to read this. And bring a box of Kleenex and some duct tape...we can piece each other’s hearts back together with it.

Disclaimer: The lovely Jenna Terese supplied me with an ARC copy of this heartrending prequel. I wasn’t required to write a positive review, and all those tearful opinions expressed above are my own.

Snag Your Copy About the Author

Jenna Terese believes stories are powerful. That’s why she’s dedicated to creating fiction that will impact the world. You can find this INFP dreaming about the future, fangirling over her favorite books, geeking out about Marvel, playing piano, or sipping a chai tea latte as she writes sci-fi novels.

You can connect with Jenna at her website, www.jennaterese.com!

Yours in spirit and script, Grace

#bookreview #review #shortstory #prequel #speculativefiction #superheroes #bittersweet #newrelease #indie