Grace A. Johnson's Blog: Of Blades & Thorns, page 42

Review: Becoming Miss Knight by Kellyn Roth

Here it is! Y'all will remember Becoming Miss Knight from a post earlier in January, when this awesome novella released! I've finally finished reading the first two books in The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy--The Dressmaker's Secret and Ivy Introspective--and now it's time to review Book 2.5!

Before we begin, if you'd like to snag your copy of Becoming Miss Knight, you can do so here!

BECOMING MISS KNIGHT IS NO EASY TASK, BUT SURRENDER IS NOT AN OPTION.

Alice Knight’s debut is in less than a year, and everything has to be perfect. Of course, she’d rather be riding her horse or playing with her younger siblings than learning to curtsy. But, with her mother in France for a holiday, the care of the house falls to her—and what better time to learn what it really means to be a lady?

Ivy, her twin sister, has other things on her mind. Namely, the endless conundrum of why she promised to keep an eye on her younger siblings while her parents are gone. She’s the least-qualified person to take care of them, but, bound by her word, she’s determined to try.

Even with all the guidance and advice available, becoming Miss Knight isn’t proving to be easy for either of them. However, any amount of work is worth keeping a promise to their mother.

Kellyn Roth is a Christian historical women’s fiction & romance author from North-Eastern Oregon who has independently published multiple novels, the most notable being The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy series. You should definitely call her Kell.

Kell lives on family-owned property outside an unmemorable but historical town with her parents, two little brothers, arbitrary cat, precious border collies, a dozen cows, and lots of chickens. She also possesses a classic, vintage aesthetic which does not at all speak to her country girl side, but such is life.

When not writing, Kell likes to blog, teach writing to her various students, have day jobs which allow her to keep her car properly insured, and spend lavish amounts of money on Dairy Queen french fries. She also likes to talk about Keira Knightley and her own books just … way too much.

Check out Kell's awesome website and blog here!

Yes, it’s short. What do you expect from a 14k novella intended to bridge the gap between two full-length novels?

Probably not much, I’d wager, but Becoming Miss Knight will likely exceed those expectations!

I think I actually like this short novella better than the last two novels—probably because of how concise it was, but I’m not really certain. I just know that Kellyn Roth did a fantastic job at capturing a few days in the lives of Alice and Ivy, turning everyday moments into a fun story!

We get to see Alice and Ivy all grown up—in their late teens, Ivy home from McCale House and Alice preparing for her first Season. I love the way Roth transitioned the characters from children (with their curiousities and misunderstandings) to mature young women focused on their futures. Their personalities and thought processes remained the same, but they were older, wiser (well, that one’s debatable), and stronger.

Believe it or not, I might like Ivy a wee bit better than Alice, so it was great to see them both at one time! Ivy’s struggles are so real and well portrayed, and Alice is fast becoming a memorable character. This novella serves as a precursor to everything that takes place in Book 3, At Her Fingertips, so having this foundation is really wonderful. It brought up the subject of a certain someone’s parentage again, which lays the groundwork for a very important conversation that will hopefully take place in the next book.

I very much enjoyed BMK. I breezed right through it, mostly because of its length (or lack of), but also because of how captivating it was with only a few thousand words! I’m now looking forward to At Her Fingertips even more!

Disclaimer: I received a complementary copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. All the opinions stated above are my own.

Let Freedom Ring!

Y'all, March 23rd (also known as today) marks TWO YEARS since I first published Held Captive. You heard that right--two whole years! In honor of HC's bookiversary, I have a lot of things I want to share!

But, before we get started, I just want to put the list of HC posts out there, so that y'all can learn more about my debut novel, its journey, and how dear it is to me!

The Journey of Held Captive--Part 1. This post was written back when my blog was solely on Goodreads, sometime in June or July of 2020. I go through HC's "origin story," and what the original novel, The Lady Pirate, looked like.

The Journey of Held Captive--Part 2. The second installment in the series delves into the beginning of Held Captive--when I first started writing it and what changed from TLP.

The Journey of Held Captive--Part 3. Now this was the important post--all about why/how I chose self-publishing for my debut novel!

(There are also some fantastic excerpts--and some not-so-fantastic excerpts--in these posts you might want to check out!)

. Of course, my very first NotW was Rina! I talked about how I came up with the name and how it fits her so well, along with the meaning and origin of it, in this post!

. I clearly stated in this post that it was a no-brainer for my next NotW to be Xavier! So here it is--the hows, whys, whens, wheres, and whats of the name of HC's hero!

. Along with the origin of the name shared by Rina's uncle and her son, I give some backstory on how Captain Blackstone ended up with such an unconventional name!

Meet My MC Linkup. This fantabulous linkup afforded me all the time I needed to gush about Rina (more specifically, BAD-era Rina) and to showcase a ton of fun aesthetics for Rina and Xavier! (Plus, there are some more excerpts!)

If Rina Were a Disney Princess. This was definitely one of my favorite posts on February--chock full of aesthetics, quizzes, polls, and more! But one of the best parts was sharing some AMAZING drawings of Rina! You better check them out!

Speaking of drawings...I have some more fantastic fanart of Rina to share!

This illustration was done my mi amigo Daisy (who is also an AWESOME writer)! She even did the scar through her eye, which was just amazing!

And this one! Isn't this one just spectacular? Abigail (who you may remember from the fantastic guest post she did last month) drew this one for me--and y'all, isn't it amazing? I absolutely LOVE Rina's flowing hair--exactly how I imagine it when she lets it down!

So...I've been wanting to do a playlist for HC forever...but my list of songs is SO long that I've been procrastinating! Anyway, I finally got my act together and put the best of the best in a playlist!

Note: I actually created a written playlist of lyrics in a document way back, nearly three years ago, when I was writing HC. So, if I were to go back and entirely redo the playlist, there would be a lot of addition and subtraction going on! Still, the songs have always fit my characters and their story in some way! Are there any songs that remind you of Held Captive?

Also, you may notice that some of these songs are also on my BAD playlist--that would be because Rina and Keaton are so alike!

You may also noticed that I added a few Lifehouse songs at the end. *grins*

I would add commentary on these songs, but they're actually kind of obvious.

Now, by this point you're probably like "all right, Grace. We get it. You love your book. You've got tons of stuff you can share out it. Yadda, yadda, yadda. But that graphic up there says something about a sale, I want the dope on that." Okay, so y'all are probably not using any #ganstaslang, but the point remains the same.

Y'all want to know about the sale. I totally understand that. I'm the exact same way.

So, in honor of HC's second #bookiversary, I am making Held Captive available for FREE on Amazon for FIVE DAYS (March 24th through the 28th)!!! You have the chance to download my debut novel (complete with a cast list, which has been requested upon multiple occasions) for $0.00!!

Just click here (or the graphic below) to snag your copy! Speaking of graphics, feel free to share this promo graphic on social media to spread the word! Let freedom ring!

Now, the goodness doesn't stop there! I've got two more things for y'all--some super positive reviews of Held Captive (which make my heart soar) and some cut-outs and deleted scenes I've never shared before!

Not everything I wrote made it into Held Captive! Read a selection of deleted scenes and outtakes by clicking on the graphic below!

Well, I hope y'all enjoyed all of this HC awesomeness! Don't forget to snag your FREE copy of Held Captive from tomorrow until the 28th!

A Week's Worth of Laughter (Week Four: LOL Excerpts)

The funniest things I ever wrote. Starting now.

#1: A very recent scene from Bound and Determined, in Rina's POV.

“Captain!”

If someone called for me one more time whilst I was in the middle of something important, so help me…

I pivoted to face the source of my interruption, certain ‘twas the glower I wore that caused the young man to throw up his hands and back away a couple paces. “Aye, sir? What can I help you with?”

Perspiration dotted the boy’s brow, appearing not from the sun but from the same origin of his scattered gaze. Had I forgotten to brush my hair this morning? It could look a touch frightening if I hadn’t tied it out of my face or combed down the wild frizz the humidity produced. Perhaps he were just unused to having a woman over six feet tall glare down at him as though he were a pesky maggot.

That was probably it.

“We’re, um, we’re awaiting your orders, sir, er, ma’am, uh…”

“Captain is fine.”

“Captain.”

I sensed Keaton’s chuckle, muffled by a strategically placed hand over his mouth, and had to stifle my own as the boy nodded aimlessly, repeating that they were awaiting my orders, only this time with an emphasized captain attached to the end.

“Thank you, lad. Mr. Clarke and I need only one more moment to discuss some imperative matters before we prepare to port. If you must, go and relay that to Mr. Blackstone, would you?”

His head bobbed again, a hint of color returning to his cheeks. “Of course, Captain. My apologies, Captain. Finish your conversation. We will…continue to await your orders. Captain.” He spun ‘round on his heel, shaking his head and muttering to himself as he stalked away.

I looked to find an outright grin pasted onto Keaton’s lips. His eyes twinkled ever so gently with mirth and amusement. It was good to see him so lively. If only I knew what would keep him in that state.

“I think he likes you.”

I snorted, dismissing his comment. “I intimidate him, is all.”

“Because he likes you.”

I peered down at my impertinent friend with narrowed eyes. “And you know the boy’s innermost secrets how?”

“I was a boy once myself, you know. I can tell when a lad carries a torch for a lass.”

“Now I know you’re joking with me, Keaton. Not only does that adolescent child not “carry a torch” for me, who is not a wee lass, but you wouldn’t know love from hate if it slapped you in the face.”

“Probably because love wouldn’t slap a person.”

And this discussion was getting me nowhere.

#2 One of my favorite scenes from The Gift of Her Heart! It's super long, so you can read it here! The Gift is the funniest thing I have EVER written, so I suggest you check out the full story here to read all of the laugh-out-loud and passionate moments!

#3 This is the funniest scene in Held Captive. What's funny is that isn't not that funny. LOL! I don't have a lot of laugh-out-loud moments in HC. However, when I went back and updated this scene back in 2020, a few more statements gave it a few amusing qualities.

Oh, but I didn’t want to wake up. Not when I was having the most splendid of dreams. An angel was holding me. One of those strong, handsome, winged creatures I had heard people talk about every once and awhile. I’d had no idea what could ever fit their description of something so wonderful, but now, in the arms of one that very moment, I could understand.

And this angel smelled wonderful, like limes and coconuts and goodness. With a moan, I snuggled closer to this angel, nuzzling into his side.

Softly, I heard my angel chuckle, and oh, but it was a glorious sound!

But slowly, my eye opened, and I knew my dream was coming to an end…

Especially when I looked up to see Xavier Bennet. Dash it all! I knew angels were too good to be true. Immediately I jerked up, hating the realization that I, Rina Blackstone, had willingly enjoyed laying in Xavier Bennet’s arms. And very muscular arms they were, but that was of no matter.

Unfortunately, the very second I attempted to move, a sharp pain struck through my skull while Bennet held me in place. I reached up to feel my head, searching for a bump or bandage, only to draw my hand back and look directly at blood.

Now that got my attention. My eye wide, I sat up, no longer caring if Bennet was holding me, and struck him. “What in the deuce did you do to me?” I exclaimed, ready to hit him again just for the pure pleasure of it. Even if a mere slap couldn’t do much good. What I wouldn’t give for a cutlass. Or a pistol. Or just a little knife.

#4 Believe it or not, Prisoner at Heart wasn't very funny either. I'm not a comedic writer, y'all. Anyway, this was the funniest scene I could find. Rina and Kit have some fun banter that I just can't get enough of! I wish I had more interaction between Rina and Kit.

“Looking for Xavier?”

I spun around at the voice. And instantly regretted it. My vision blurred, my head swam. I lost my balance, tripped over my right foot, caught myself on the step beneath me with my left.

Dash it. I’d have to watch myself.

I raised a hand to my eyes, rubbing away the sleep and fuzziness, then jammed my fingers through my tangled hair. “Aye. Have you any idea where he is?”

The person above me came into clear view, nodding with complete nonchalance and not even a shred of concern for the pregnant cousin of his who’d nearly fallen to her death. “Graveyard.”

Kit must’ve read my thoughts. Or perhaps he realized that his lack of concern was about to land him in that very place.

“Xavier’s at the graveyard, Rina.” Kit waved a hand in front of my face, and I quickly reared back, snapped at his outstretched fingers. He stumbled back in surprise, the look on his face nothing short of hilarious.

I choked on a laugh, and only then did his words register in my mind. “What’s he doing there?”

Kit shrugged, his eyebrows lowering along with his shock. “When he and his family would come for Christmas—before he ended up spending it on a pirate ship, you see”—he gave me a wink, one side of his mouth quirked up—“his father would always go to graveyard with him on Christmas eve. Don’t know why. Never asked, but Papa would know. If you’d get yourself some proper clothes on, you would probably be able to make it there before he comes back.” He took in my dressing gown and the night-dress beneath it, both of which doing nothing to hide the swollen figure a good waistcoat had once concealed.

I rolled my eyes as the man’s impertinence, but didn’t bother scolding him. I’d known Kit for years, and not once had he given me anything more than a cursory glance or spoken more than a sentence at a time.

He really was harmless, despite it all.

I hope y'all enjoyed these fun excerpts! If you haven't gotten a copy of my books, you can here!

Excerpts from Bound and Determined, The Gift of Her Heart, Held Captive, and Prisoner at Heart: Copyright © 2019-21 Grace A. Johnson. All rights reserved.

It's Time to Announce the Winners!

Y'all, I have been so ecstatic this weekend! On Thursday, I had the honor to share with you guys my interview with award-winning author Julie Lessman AND to have her give away an e-copy of the winner's choice of any of her indie novels to THREE winners!

Well, the time is up. The giveaway is over. And you know what that means!

It's time to announce the winners!!!

First off, I want to thank you guys SO much for commenting and entering into Julie's giveaway! Even if you didn't win, you still have the chance to get a copy of one of her books! Just hop on back to my last post to see all of the amazing opportunities Julie has to offer!

I hope y'all enjoy your prize--don't forget to leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or BookBub once you're finished reading!

Now, without further ado, the winners!

E. G. Bella

Kathryn Bochman

Sophia Snyder

Y'all better keep an eye on your inbox--Julie will be notifying you soon!!

Happy reading!

Guest Post: How to Defeat Writer's Block by Kayleigh Idea

The dreaded writer’s block.

If you’re a writer, you probably know what I’m talking about.

There are a few different kinds of writer’s block. There’s the writer’s block where you don’t know what to write next, and the writer’s block where you’re feeling uninspired to name a few.

But how is one to defeat writer’s block?

Today I’ll be sharing five strategies that have helped me deal with writer’s block, and I hope some of them will be able to help you too.

#1: Remember why you love your book

We love our book babies, but sometimes we can get so bogged down in the difficulties that come with writing a book, we forget why we’re writing it in the first place!

Remembering why I love my book has helped me to be more motivated about writing and to continue persevering even when it gets hard.

Take a second and think about what makes you excited about your book. Maybe it’s your main character, maybe it’s your world’s setting, maybe it’s the theme you explore throughout the book, maybe it’s all three, or maybe it’s something else! Hopefully, you’ll be able to think of at least one.

After you’ve thought about it, write all the reasons down. It can be in a journal, a Google Doc you’ve made, or even just the notes app on your phone. Fill it with every aspect that comes to your mind, even if it’s super specific—like a piece of dialogue.

Whenever you’re feeling unmotivated to write, come back to this list and you just might find yourself reinvigorated to keep on writing!

#2: Create a Pinterest board

Pinterest boards are one of my favorite ways to remain inspired. You can find tons of images that relate to your novel: characters, setting, aesthetic, and compile them all in one place! This can be especially helpful if you love visuals.

Although this can be a great source of inspiration, be careful not to get sucked into the Pinterest rabbit hole or start procrastinating on the app instead of actually writing!

Whenever you feel unmotivated about your writing, come back to your Pinterest board and you’ll feel inspired again!

#3: Create a music playlist

This point is similar to point #2, but is just as exciting because creating a music playlist can help you imagine your book as if it’s a movie with its own soundtrack! And who doesn’t want to imagine their book as a movie?

But how do you actually find songs for your playlist that will go with your book?

First, try to think of some movies that are similar to your book or are in the same genre. If you can’t think of any off the top of your head, do a Google search.

For example, my book is a fantasy novel. If I can’t think of any fantasy movies, I’ll Google ‘fantasy movies’.

After you have a list of a few movies, the next step is to look up the soundtrack to each movie and see if they fit the vibe of your book. If you like a song, add it to your playlist and your playlist will grow!

The best part is that you get to choose what’s on your playlist. Find music with lyrics distracting? Then only include instrumental music!

The sky’s the limit!

#4: Create an outline

The last few points have been mostly geared towards defeating the type of writer’s block where you’re unmotivated to write. But what about the kind where you literally do not know what to write next?

My advice is to create an outline, even if you’re halfway through your first draft, or even if you’re a pantser!

If you use any specific story structure method (the Hero’s Journey, the Three Act Structure, the Save the Cat Method), use that as a guide and write down the biggest plot points that happen over the course of your novel.

Don’t worry. Your outline doesn’t have to be super detailed—it can be bare bones and less than a page if you want it to be.

And when you don’t know what to write next, refer to your outline!

While you’re writing, it’s okay if you go off track a little because at least you have a road map and a plan for where you’re headed.

#5: Write a letter to yourself

Something wrong with your book but you can’t tell what it is? A helpful tool that I first heard from author Jessica Brody is to write a letter to yourself (after all, you are a writer!).

Write out all your thoughts about what’s giving you trouble, whether it be about the direction of your plot or an uncooperative character.

Oftentimes when we gather our thoughts in a (hopefully) cohesive manner, the answer comes to us!

Don’t believe me? Try it out yourself!

That’s it! Those are my 5 tips for defeating writer’s block! Do you agree with them? Do you have any tips that I didn’t mention?

Kayleigh Idea is a young writer from the Chicagoland area. When she isn’t dreaming up new story ideas or posting writing tips on her blog, you can find her curled up on her couch reading a good book or singing her heart out to Taylor Swift. She’s never had magical abilities before but loves to write about characters who do.

Check out her ,website!

I do hope y'all have enjoyed this fantastic post by my friend Kayleigh Idea! She has a TON of great advice, don't you think? I know I've suffered from writer's block before, and I've done many of these same things! I actually opened up a doc and "journaled" on some of my worst (or best) days back when I was writing Prisoner at Heart--I now can look back and see how my perspective changed over the months! It was a great way for me to keep track of the changes I made to help me move my stagnant story along!

Let us know how you've defeated writer's block in the comments below!

Author Interview: Julie Lessman (Plus a Giveaway!)

Y'ALL. St. Patrick's Day may be over, but the Irish fun certainly isn't! If y'all have hung around my blog long enough (or have stuck around my blabbering mouth in person), then I'm sure you know that one of my all-time favorite authors ever is Julie Lessman. (I highly suggest you check out this post to find out why.) This woman...she can write, let me tell you! She's also become one of my best friends, and it is both my utmost honor and deepest pleasure to finally introduce her to you!

Not only has she agreed to an interview today, she is also hosting a GIVEAWAY! You heard that right! If you read through this spectacular interview and think to yourself "Man, I wish I had a Julie Lessman book to read. She sounds like the coolest author ever," then today is your lucky day! Not only does she had several sales going on, she's also giving away one of her indie e-books (which you can check out here--note, the Daughters of Boston and Winds of Change series are traditionally published by Revell, therefore they are not eligible prizes) to THREE different winners! All you have to do is leave a comment down below!

Also, Julie is working on her first ever romantic suspense, so you guys get in the insider scoop and the synopsis on what I know is a fantastic novel!

Now, I know I should hurry up and get to the interview, but I do want to add that in here is a lot of great advice for my fellow writers (so don't skim, okay?) Julie is a huge inspiration to me, and I hope that not only will you be informed about publishing but that you will also be inspired to follow your dreams and God's calling on your life!

Without further ado, let's meet Julie Lessman!

A lover of all things Irish, Julie Lessman writes close-knit Irish family sagas that evolve into 3-D love stories: the hero, the heroine, and the God that brings them together.

Author of The Daughters of Boston, Winds of Change, Heart of San Francisco, Isle of Hope, and Silver Lining Ranch series, Julie was American Christian Fiction Writers 2009 Debut Author of the Year and has garnered over 21 Romance Writers of America and other awards. Voted #1 Romance Author in Family Fiction magazine’s 2012 and 2011 Reader’s Choice Awards, Julie’s novels also made Family Fiction magazine’s Best of 2015, Best of 2014, and “Essential Christian Romance Authors” 2017-2020, as well as Booklist’s 2010 Top 10 Inspirational Fiction and Borders Best Fiction.

Julie has also written a self-help workbook for writers entitled Romance-ology 101: Writing Romantic Tension for the Sweet and Inspirational Markets. Contact Julie through her website at www.julielessman.com.

GJ: What first inspired you to write?

JL: Well, that would be Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara because from the moment I read Gone With the Wind at age 12, I was hooked on romance. So much so, that when I was in high school, I actually dressed up as a nun to go to a free showing of GWTW for the local religious and clergy. One of my friends had a sister in the convent, so she loaned us novice habits and off we went! I sat there mesmerized, shoving free popcorn into my mouth as I watched the tug-o-war between Rhett and Scarlett. It was one of the most fun times of my teens … until we ran into the nuns from our high school! Whew, we got into trouble … but it was soooo worth it (at least at the time!).

Anyway, after reading Gone With the Wind at age 12, it inspired me to begin my own novel, a 300-page, double-spaced manuscript that actually became the basis for my debut novel, A Passion Most Pure. Unfortunately (or fortunately, however you look at it!), almost forty years passed before God breathed new life into that early attempt and inspired me to finish my childhood novel of passion—only this time the “passion” would be for Him!

GJ: Out of all of your books, which one is your favorite? Why? (Bonus question: who is your most favorite character?)

JL: Well, this make shock you and my readers, but Charity O’Connor, the vixen sister from book 1 of The Daughters of Boston series, A Passion Most Pure, is one of my most favorite characters I’ve ever written. Don’t get me wrong, I love Faith O’Connor, the heroine from that book, but in all honesty, Faith is more like the woman I am today—heavily dependent on God, emotionally involved with Him and a person who prays at the drop of a hat, so I almost feel one with her.

But Charity—goodness, my heart goes out to her and the woman I used to be—selfish, manipulative, lost. I think that’s why she fascinates me so much, because I look at her (and women like her) in the same way I suspect God looked at me back then—with eyes full of love and hope that we all can become new creatures in Christ Jesus. And Charity does—winning the prize as the character who grew the most spiritually throughout the O’Connor family saga. Plus, quite frankly, I think she is just downright funny and quirky and such a hoot that she makes me laugh. I had to laugh at my husband while he was reading A Passion Redeemed (Charity’s story) because he couldn’t stand Charity. Poor guy, I didn’t have the heart to tell him he’d been married to her (without the incredible physical beauty, of course) for over 40 years!

GJ: Tell me about your tagline: Passion with a Purpose.

JL: I chose that tagline because my books are what I would refer to as “edgy Inspirational,” meaning they are a tad more passionate than the majority of Inspirational fiction in the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) market. And I did this on purpose. You see, I’m the type of woman who loves a heated romance, you know—the heart-fluttering, pulse-pounding emotional tug-of-war between a man and a woman? It draws me, always has, from the early days of Gone With the Wind. But for me, heated romance is not enough. Without God and His precepts in the middle, it’s nothing but lust—heat that burns but doesn’t keep you warm.

So when God nudged me from reading secular romance to Christian romance some twenty years ago, the first book I read didn’t have a kiss in it until the last page in front of seven people after the hero proposed. Seriously? According to the American Religious Identification Survey conducted by the Barna Group, “nine out of ten women nationwide consider themselves to be Christian.” Unfortunately, the majority of these women would never think to pick up an Inspy romance because they’re looking for more passion than is currently offered in most CBA selections. As a result, it’s a missed opportunity for conveying God’s precepts to a 21st-century population inundated with “mommy porn” like Fifty Shades of Gray, one of the top-selling romance books of all time.

What’s wrong with this picture? I mean if the world can take something that God created and use it to sell its amoral agenda, then I ask you—why can’t Christians utilize this God-given passion to promote Him and His precepts? It is my hope that my novels strike the balance between romantic and spiritual passion for any readers searching for its message, and by interweaving the two, bring them into an intimate relationship with the true Author of romance.

GJ: Have you ever experienced any discouragement as an author? If so, what inspired you to persevere?

JL: Uh … are you kidding?? Getting published was like buckling up in the scariest roller-coaster on the planet, and let me tell you, as much as I LOVE angst, drama and thrills, I have a fear of heights and HATE roller-coasters. Everything happens so fast—you go flying to great heights with contest wins, wonderful reviews that bring tears to your eyes and connections with reader friends that deepen and enrich your life. And then in the next pulse-freezing second, you go crashing back down to earth with 1-star reviews that cut your heart out and a truly awful obsession with Amazon rankings and book sales.

Like a lot of unpublished writers, I thought all the anxiety and self-doubt would dissipate after I signed on the dotted line. I mean that would validate me, wouldn’t it? Give me confidence as a writer? But I discovered (AGAIN!) that true confidence is not in accolades from your editor or a really good review, but instead in where your heart is with God. HE is my confidence when my sales rankings on Amazon.com are high or low, which is why I CLING to the following Scripture from 2 Corinthians 11:3: Do not let my mind “be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.”

GJ: What are your thoughts for other aspiring writers on writing and publishing?

JL: First and foremost, pray like the dickens that you can keep your eyes on God and His plan for you, not your success and plan for yourself. Because the reality is that true success—and happiness—is in His plan for you and in pleasing Him, not in yourself. Trust me, this is a lesson I learned the hard way, which is why I literally left my publisher after ten years to take a sabbatical to focus more on God, family, and the sheer joy of writing because I had lost that in the misguided drive for success.

I’ll never forget what Francine Rivers said at an American Christian Fiction Writers Conference when she was the keynote speaker and I was an aspiring author. She basically said, point blank, that she never entered contests even though her publisher wanted her to, and she would never look at reviews or royalty statements either, leaving the latter to her hubby. I believe she even took a break from writing for a while also, to focus more on God. I still remember sitting in the audience, staring with mouth agape, thinking, is she crazy?? As an unpublished author, I couldn’t imagine laying writing aside for anything, nor taking such a disinterest in important things like contests, reviews, book sales. But I soon discovered she was right, so now I try to keep my eyes on God, which I do primarily through Scripture and prayer. For instance, on my website (in the “From the Heart” section at http://www.julielessman.com/from-the-heart/), I list tons of Scriptures for writers, along with prayers that I wrote to go along with them, so I would encourage aspiring writers (and published writers!) to check them out.

As far as advice, I have a list I put together of the things that I did to get published as an Inspy romance writer, so hopefully that will steer some others in the “write” direction! Here’s the list:

STEPS I TOOK TO GET PUBLISHED:

1.) Join a writing organization that focuses on the types of books you want to write. For instance, since I am a Christian romance writer, I joined ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers at http://www.acfw.com/, FHL (Faith, Hope & Love at http://www.faithhopelove-rwa.org/, and RWA (Romance Writers of America at http://www.rwa.org/), both to get connected with other like-minded writers and to learn a lot about your craft.

2.) Take a fiction-writing class or attend a writing seminar or conference.

3.) Join a critique group (I did that through ACFW).

4.) Purchase and study writing books such as Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King or Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maas, AND invest in a great thesaurus such as The Synonym Finder by Rodale Press (my writer’s bible!!).

5.) Enter contests for invaluable feedback, growth, confidence, networking opportunities and to get your name out there.

6.) Frequent websites/blogs that deal with writing, such as The Seekers (http://seekerville.blogspot.com/), a group blog of which I am an alumni whose theme is “On the road to publication. Writing, contests, publication and everything in between.”

7.) Study this fabulous blog post on getting published by top agent Mark Gottlieb, that will tell you everything you need to know! http://seekerville.blogspot.com/2017/10/are-you-ready-for-literary.html

8.) Go for an agent first, publisher second. The way you do this is to purchase The Christian Writer’s Guide for whatever year you are (or borrow from a library or a spend an afternoon writing info from it at a Barnes & Noble or other bookstore), then send a query letter to any publisher that accepts submissions for your genre without an agent. Most require agents, so you will have to do the same thing with the agents listed in The Christian Writer’s Guide — sending a query letter to them based on their submission requirements (which is usually a one-page query letter, three chapters of the novel, and a synopsis for fiction, and a query letter, three chapters, and chapter-by-chapter outline for nonfiction). THEN, it’s a waiting game, and the traditional publishing opportunities have slowed considerably due to the influx of ebooks from people independently publishing their own books (referred to as indie publishing).

If you want to indie publish (which was once referred to as self-publish, which had a bad name, but "indie publishing" is now respected), then that’s pretty easy. You will need to pay someone to proofread/edit his book (VERY expensive — anywhere from $300 to $1,500 depending on the size of the book), which I think is essential if you are going to be taken seriously. Then you’ll need to hire a formatter to format the book to be submitted to Amazon (Kindle Direct Publishing, which is what I use for my indie books) and a cover-design person or company. Once you have both the cover (anywhere from $120-250 per cover) and the formatted Word doc (also anywhere from $75 up), it’s pretty easy to go on Amazon KDP and publish your book (which doesn’t cost anything) because they walk you through it. If you want your book on other sites as well as Amazon (i.e. Barnes & Noble, Kobo, etc.), do not click on the KDP Select button, which requires exclusivity of your book on Kindle only for 90 days.

For paperback books, it’s a whole ‘nother thing. I use Amazon’s POD or print-on-demand company department, and you’ll have to go through the whole formatting for paperback and cover for paperback process again, along with the costs. Generally POD is not cost effective for anybody but big-name authors who will actually sell paperback books in any quantity to make it worth their while.

GJ: You’ve just finished writing your first ever romantic suspense/mystery. Can you tell me about it and how you were inspired to write it?

JL: Sure. Let me just say as a die-hard romance writer, I don’t particularly like mysteries or suspense because there’s generally not much romance in them, so I don’t read all that many. Then my hubby and I ran out of Hallmark romance movies to watch and all we could find were the Hallmark mysteries, which we started watching out of desperation. But then we got hooked, and I thought—hey, I think I’d like to try my hand at this. So I did, and I have to admit, I had a lot of fun. But … it remains to be seen if my mystery-writing career will go anywhere! ;) Here’s the blurb for the book, which is tentatively titled, The Secret of Emerald Cottage.

Can the mystery of Emerald Cottage

—and the strength of an old woman’s faith—

reveal the secret of true happiness for two people

on opposite shores of God’s ultimate plan?

When international playboy and Irish soccer star Brec McGill learns his long-lost great aunt is in a coma from a drowning accident, he rushes to her side. Not only is he anxious to reconnect with his only living relative he spent summers with as a boy, but her cottage on Lake Loon, Georgia is the perfect respite to heal from game injuries and escape a tabloid scandal. At thirty-three he’s disillusioned with the game, his fiancee, and life in general, craving nothing but a little peace and solitude to get his head on straight. But when he discovers his aunt’s cottage is not only inhabited by a crusty Aunt Lilly he hasn’t seen in ten years, but a pretty prude of a nurse as well, his plans take a nose-dive in the lake. Because suddenly it appears not only was Aunt Lilly’s accident no accident … but somebody out there wants to see them all dead.

GIVEAWAY! Thank you, Grace, for this wonderful opportunity to speak with your readers—it’s been fun! And to thank your readers for coming by, I am giving away winner’s choice of any one of my indie e-books to three different winners, so just leave a comment below, and you’re in the draw.

Also, I have the following freebies/sale currently going on:

FREE E-COPY of my award-winning novel, Isle of Hope (listed on Family Fiction magazine’s Top 15 Novels of 2015), and other giveaways at Mysti’s Book Nook Facebook Book Club. Details can be found on my Journal Jots blog . FREE DOWNLOAD of the prequel novella to Isle of Hope, which is called A Glimmer of Hope, so take advantage of this free e-book HERE ! 99-CENT SALE (90% discount) on my 5-star novel, A Wing and a Prayer for a limited time only HERE .

Thanks and hugs,

Julie

I sincerely hope you guys have enjoyed this interview, getting to know one of my favorite authors and greatest friends, Julie Lessman. She is truly an author who glorifies God in all that she does, and for that I hope that you'll support her by checking out her books (even if, by checking out, you're borrowing it from the library)!

Don't forget--you have the opportunity to win a FREE copy of YOUR choice just by commenting below! And if you don't win, don't despair! There are still chances to get a win a copy or download a discounted one (like the ones mentioned above), so follow Julie's blog to get notified of upcoming giveaways!

Thank you so much for joining us today! I have been so blessed by Julie Lessman, and I hope you will be too!

Guest Post: Three Ways to Improve Your Fantasy Writing Instantly by Grace King-Matchett

Guys, I am SUPER excited to have Grace King-Matchett on my blog! You may remember her as the amazing artist who drew Rina and Crimson for me last month. As it turns out, she is also a FANTASTIC writer! She's got the coolest post for us today, all about fantasy writing! I know I'll definitely be taking these tips to heart!

Also, if y'all enjoyed this post and can't wait to work harder on your worldbuilding, then I hope you'll join me next month for another fantasy linkup!

Y'all feel free to chat in the comments and let Grace (not me, the other Grace) know what you think of her post!

I think we can all say that writing a good fantasy book requires a lot of effort, and that it’s quite difficult to do so.

No, let me shorten that. Down to the bare bones.

Writing takes effort and is difficult.

I know how it feels. I struggle tremendously with my own writing. Sometimes, it’s quite hard for me to get the characters, moments, and worlds in my head out onto paper. Let’s not deny it, it’s hard to capture just how a character is feeling or what they’re thinking or seeing.

It’s inevitable; you will struggle to write something at some point, whether that’s trying to construct the world your characters see around them or a simple moment, a feeling, that you can’t quite get right. And this will make you want to smash your head on your keyboard, yes. (Although you might think this will help, it does not. It hurts, and replaces your character’s decisive moment with ‘askjhSDIUKJSsai’=lgwy217389’.)

Thankfully, there are ways to avoid this happening more often than it should, and it’ll spare your computer keys, too.

Method #1: Writing From a Different Time or Perspective

The first way that I find effective to improve fantasy writing is to, on the side, write from a different place in time or character perspective. This method can be applied to all writing as well.

Let’s say you have a main character named Hanna in a work you were writing, and Hanna has two friends named Lilith and Kylie. Perhaps Hanna has a critical moment with Lilith and Kylie where she finds a treasure chest in an ancient pyramid, but you can’t seem to get the moment to be appropriate. You aren’t sure how to approach the dialogue or what the characters may think or feel in reacting to something that important.

I find the most effective way to learn how to best script critical moments is to take a break from the normal perspective or time from which you normally write. If you tend to write about what Hanna thinks and feels, switch it up. Try writing from both Kylie and Lilith’s individual perspectives, and this will help you learn how you want to approach the situation, and how the characters will react.

This is actually a superb way to establish character voice, too. If you wrote about how Kylie sees the situation, you’ll be able to, in the future, keep her opinions distinct and singular, because you’re furthering her character by writing from her perspective.

This method tremendously helped me in one such situation of my writing. I was writing the death scene of a sprite early in one of my books, and was kind of wondering, what made the sprite feel this way? Why did he give up information? What motivates him? (Why, oh why, did he correct the main character’s language error with his dying breaths?)

I took a break from the main character’s perspective, and instead wrote from the sprite’s, and it helped me understand how to best tackle the situation. I wrote about what he thought of the main character, and going back to the main character’s perspective, she wondered about him and his words empowered her.

Writing from another place in time will also help you learn to script critical moments. Go back to something big in a character’s past. Write about what happened, why it happened, and how the character reacted/what they did.

This has before helped me. I was once thinking about how I wanted one of my character’s moments to feel and what she thought, to carry her perspective effectively throughout the series. So I went back to a major decision she made in her past, and wrote about how that changed her and why she did it, and what she was thinking, feeling, and surrounded by while doing it.

Writing from another perspective or time will help you in scripting critical moments and how character voice carries through, and how the characters respond to these situations.

Method #2: Describing and Writing About the World

This method will help with worldbuilding. I know that there are many of you writers out there who struggle to accurately describe the surroundings and world of your characters, and so this technique will help you to get a sense for worldbuilding, describing things, and when to slip descriptions in.

Picture a place in fantasy world in your head. Do you know what it looks like? Can you clearly see it in your mind? Good.

Set a chunk of time and a few pages aside, and perhaps get some music, too.

Now, for a certain amount of time - whatever you pick, half an hour, an hour, three hours - write about what you see in your head - but don’t add any characters to it. Don’t write about any people at all. Try to even avoid using personification of the scene too much. Just write about the world for however long you picked.

For example, say you were writing about an ancient castle with a fountain outside of it. You might want to make your writing look something like this:

,The waters of the ancient fountain shimmered, glided, cascaded down into the crystalline pool. Colour dappled on the surface, reflecting the early morning’s sunlight. Vines encircled the beautiful stone statuette, the grey girl who forever sang harmonies of bubbling water. Her delicate hands were posed ever-so-perfectly, a little stone bird sitting atop one.

The castle behind her was long forgotten. Covered with vines, it had become an olden secret, and nobody yearned to traverse its yellow-carpeted halls anymore. It was simply a whisper on the breath of Mother Earth.

You see how, if you write about your worlds often enough, you’ll be able to achieve amazing description - even without characters. Your reader will be able to clearly picture what you are talking about - I call this method of writing ‘word-painting’, or ‘painting with words’.

Now, we’ll talk about how you can put descriptive detail into your story without disturbing the flow, and instead constructing the world that your characters live in. Learning how to describe things properly is extremely important, especially for fantasy.

Your reader already knows about the normal, real-life, day-to-day world - they live in it, so it’s easier for them to imagine it in realistic fiction or similar genres. Because they don’t live in a fantasy world (but probably wish they do), you’ll need to properly learn how to describe the settings and characters so that your reader can picture them well.

Say you were reading a fantasy book where a character had just woken up from unconsciousness in battle.

Would you be able to read it if there was zero description of the surroundings of the character? No. Because then, you, as the reader, are confused as to where the heck this character is. In this case, there’s not enough description for the reader to have the maximum experience.

Would you also be able to read it if the description of the character’s surroundings went on and on and on for an entire page? Of course not! Because then, there’s too much description, and it interrupts the story.

I’ve read books where this happens; they use way too much description. And when they finally cut back to the character, I can’t remember what’s going on because I just read a whole page of description and don’t know what the character’s doing. You do not want this to happen. Ever. It’s really confusing for the reader, and in such books, I have to literally flip back to where the character was last seen in order to understand what they’re doing now.

Thankfully, you can avoid both of these problems. Here are some instances it’s appropriate to put description:

- a character wakes up in new surroundings

- a character enters new surroundings (such as a building, forest, etc.)

- a character talks about their surroundings/an object

- a character receives an object

- a character looks around

- a character meets new people

- there is a pause in dialogue (only use this if it’s relevant, for example, if they were

talking about the building they are in)

When you are adding description, as I briefly mentioned before, do not go on and on for a page and a half about how green the leaves on the trees are and how perfectly the blades of grass grow. By doing this, you’re pretty much yelling to the reader, “HEY! Look at the descriptions that are overly used and distracting you from the characters’ journey!”

As a rule of thumb, keep the descriptions about one to five sentences long. The reader shouldn’t overtly notice that you’re desperately trying to describe the area, or a character, or an object. Keep them as short as or shorter than this paragraph. That way, your reader will subtly get a vision of what the world looks like in their minds - and hardly even noticing it along the way. This is one of the most important things about fantasy writing.

For example, I’ll use a piece of my own writing. (Apologies that this is a bit long.)

Bren awoke some time later to an unfamiliar, much cooler environment. “She’s awake,” a new voice said. Bren looked up to see a boy with thick, curly red hair and strangely piercing-blue eyes looking at her.

“Hi,” she said weakly.

“Try not to talk too much if you don’t feel good. You probably feel sick, since you’re sunburned.” The boy said. He had a pleasing voice, one that made you happy to hear it. Bren could tell he was from Southern Ther’ea by his accent - a country boy.

“Okay,” Bren said agreeably. Instead, she looked around.

She was able to place that she was inside the caravan she’d seen on the road, on one of five long, comfortable, bench-like seats with patterned cushions. The two other girls that had given her water were also there, the one with buns in her hair staring intently at Bren, the other, daring-looking one driving. The auburn-haired boy was sitting on another bench-seat in front of her own, but was turned facing Bren.

The inside of the caravan was quite homey, with cupboards and knit banners and various trinkets spread everywhere, and - Bren noticed happily - a tabletop covered entirely with maps and atlases. “You like the caravan?” The boy asked, and Bren nodded. “Good.” The boy said, and cleared his throat. “I’m Ripley, by the way. Ripley Kuiper. But you can just call me Rip.”

“Bren,” she offered quietly, and stared at the patchwork blanket that covered her.

“Bren? That your name?” Ripley said, displaying his country nature.

“Yes.” Bren answered. She stared at her hands and arms, but didn’t see the familiar wide cyan sleeves or fingerless gloves. Instead, there was a pale grey shirt with thin sleeves reaching almost, but not quite, to her elbows.

You can see that, since Bren has woken up, I took time to describe her surroundings and the nearby people, but spread it out over a little bit. The reason I used longer description here was because Bren had just woken up, and there was also break in dialogue, so it would be okay to do a little bit of a longer description in that instance.

To learn about worldbuilding, take some time to first write solely about the world. And then, once you’ve mastered the art of description, use your talents accordingly to describe the world your characters traverse.

Method #3: Thinking On History

This third method is about making your fantasy book into something more real. Yes, that’s right, folks - it’s time for a history lesson. (Spare me your groans.) But stick around! If you really want your book to stand out to readers as much as possible, you’ll want to do this. Just so you know, this method will take a bit of time to complete, so set aside anywhere from a week to a month to however long it takes you in order to get it done. But if you use this method, you will not regret it, I promise.

Your writing, I’m sure, is already great. But you can make it greater! (Yes, no matter how good you think you are, there is always room for growth and learning.)

I’ll give you the gist of this method, plain and simple. Set aside some time. I would suggest, at first, a week and a half to two or three weeks, but for some it may take longer.

Over the first bit of time, really think hard about your fantasy world. What is it like in the present day, the era your characters live in? What kind of civilization is there? Are they technologically advanced, or do they live in huts in the desert? Write down some ideas you might get about how you want it to be.

After thinking on what your world is like, step it up a little over the next bit of time. Think about what shaped your world to become the way it has. Has there been war? Betrayal? Bad royals? Think about how that affected your world, and write down some things you come up with. (Trust me, you will get ideas.)

The next step - set aside a bit more time than before for this - think about what the government and society is like. (This is not as boring as it sounds. Don’t roll your eyes at me.) Think about it: is your society full of anarchists? Have there been rebellions? Have there been major events taken place because of this? Do you have a royal family, or elected officials? (If a royal family, think about the generations of rulers and what they did for your world. Were there betrayals, etc.?)

Finally, think about how all of these things come into play together. What shaped your world? Why are things the way they are? How do things work there?

Once you’ve done this, I guarantee you will have a good start on what you want the history of your world to look like. Maybe it’ll even inspire you to write a few history books, as I will.

The reason why this is important is that it gives your world depth. Would you rather read about a world where nothing is explained about how things came to be that way or how or why things work? Or would you rather read a book by an author whose world pulls readers in, and gradually reveals its own past?

You can be that author. Your fantasy book will stand out to readers if it has an in-depth history. It will pull readers in, and they’ll yearn to know more about it. And that’s why this is so important.

In conclusion, I hope that these techniques - of writing from a different perspective, properly describing things, and using history to create depth - will help you to become a better writer and make your fantasy book stand out amongst others. Let me know in the comments: which technique was your favourite? Have you seen any books/movies/etc that used any of these techniques? Now that you’ve been equipped with these techniques, get out there and use ‘em!

-- Grace King-Matchett

A Week's Worth of Laughter (Week Three: Dieter's Psalm)

Dieters' Psalm

Martha Miller

Strict is my diet. I must not want. It maketh me to lie down at night hungry. It leadeth me past the refrigerator. It trieth my will power. It leadeth me in paths of starvation for my figure's sake. Yea, though I walk through the aisle of pastries, I will but no sweet rolls for they are fattening. The cakes and pies, they tempt me. Before me is a table set with green beans and lettuce. I filleth my stomach with liquids. My day's quota runneth over. Surely calories and weight charts will follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the fear of scales forever!

Recipe for a Good Day

Martha Miller

Take two parts unselfishness and one part of patience. Work together. Add plenty of industry. Lighten with good spirits and sweeten with kindness. Put in smiles as thick as raisins in plum pudding and bake by the warmth which steams from a loving heart. If this fails to make a good day, the fault is not with the recipe, but with the cook.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2Z264w9_2Q

Guest Post: Music for Writing by Linyang Zhang

Well, y'all, here we are, back with another guest post! Y'all may remember Linyang from our interview back in December! She is an awesome writer and a fantastic friend--and she's also very musically inclined! You should so check out her YouTube channel full of amazing piano covers once you're finished reading her post all about music to listen to while writing! #musicalinspirations

What kind of music do you listen to while writing--if any? If you're not a writer, what are some of your favorite bands/artists or genres? What do you think of Linyang's selection? Let us know in the comments below!

First off, I would like to thank Grace for letting me write a guest post for her blog! I really appreciate the opportunity!

As you may or may not know, I am a writer. And usually, when I’m sitting in front of the computer, be it studying or writing, I like to listen to some music! So today I thought that I’d recommend some of my favorite channels, artists, and albums that I listen to while writing. The following is listed in completely random order (aka the order I thought of them.) Without further ado, let’s begin!

1. BLUME

BLUME is a YouTube channel that posts primarily beautiful chill and ambient mixes. They have some playlists primarily tailored for work or studying, so it’s perfect for whatever you’re doing!

Some of my favorite mixes:

- Productive Music For Work | Chill Playlist

- Traveler | Chill Mix

- 4am Study | Chill Vibes

2. The Soul of Wind

The Soul of Wind is a channel primarily focused on beautiful piano music, relaxing music, anime music, fantasy RPG, and many more genres! I find their music to be very soothing, and I think it’s fitting to be played in the background for work, studying, sleeping, or gatherings.

Some favorite videos:

- 2 Hour Beautiful Piano Music for Studying and Sleeping 【BGM】

- Tokyo Ghoul OST Mix - Relaxing Piano Anime Music

- Piano & Rain - Beautiful Piano Music【BGM】

3. House Full of Caverns by Falling Up (Bandcamp, Youtube)

Falling Up is my favorite band, and House Full of Caverns was an instrumental EP released in 2015, consisting of eight unique ambient/post-rock tracks. I find this album very inspiring to listen to when writing.

Favorite tracks:

- Aron on the Wind

- Stormland

4. Music Lab

Music Lab is a channel with a wide variety of playlists suited for everyday tasks, aimed at increasing productivity. I find it easy to concentrate on my work when I’m listening to their videos.

Favorite mixes:

- Future Garage — Nu-Garage, Post-Garage, Space Garage

- Minimalist Chillstep — Deep Space Music — Future Mix

- Smooth Driving Music — Deep Bass — Downtempo Car Mix

5. Frisson

Frisson is a channel that mainly focuses on chill, trap, bass, melodic dubstep, and other similar genres. I enjoy their mixes immensely.

Recommended mixes:

- Female Vocal Music Mix 2020 ♫ Future Bass, Melodic Dubstep, Chill Trap ♫ Best of EDM 2020

- Navy Blue - Future Bass Mix

- Unending | A Chill Mix

6. Adrift In The Whereabouts by Jessy Ribordy (Bandcamp)

Jessy Ribordy is actually the lead singer of Falling Up, the band that I mentioned earlier. Here is an album that consists of ambient, piano, orchestral, and electronic music. I really enjoy this album especially for writing, and I encourage you to listen to all of them!

And that’s all I have for today! Hopefully you’ll be able to find some music that you’ll enjoy to help with your writing!

-- Linyang Zhang

February Mini Reviews

*Warnings*

#1 These are long reviews, 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 will mean some spoilers, so watch out.

Welp, like usual, I done a verra bad thing, me luvs. I done three verra bad things, actually. The first I done was I bought meself a brand-spankin-new Kindle. A Generation 10, granted; not a Paperwhite. Most certainly not a Paperwhite—I wouldna be wantin’ t’ break me bank, now would I?

The second was me startin’ up these mini reviews. Y’see, I just couldna live with meself if’n I didna write some reviews for these lovely books I read, but Lord knows I havena the time t’ write out me long rants like usual. So, ‘ere we are, with mini reviews that I’m a-hopin’ I can write correctly. Lord knows I like t’ wander a wee bit.

An’ the third? Why, that was me writin’ out this post with a Scottish accent. I’m a-hopin’ ye can be readin’ me writin’ now.

*clears throat before grinning cheekily* A thousand pardons, my faithful readers. I shall dispose of this Scottish accent posthaste and make good use of my proper British one. I’ll not have any kerfuffle coming from you all about that either, you understand?

Now, where was I? Oh, yes. Well. At least for the month of February, I’ll be sharing the highlights of my monthly bookshelf with y’all. And since I recently acquired a Kindle and three free months of KU, there are some interesting books in my library.

Before we begin, I would like to relate a few things to you. I decided to get a Kindle—conveniently, like, the day after Christmas—to take advantage of the free three months of Kindle Unlimited, so that I could read really only two things—everything by Tamara Leigh and Tales of Goldstone Wood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl.

Of course, I reckoned that I could make good use of the Kindle afterward and that it might be worth the price. (I’m now finding that there are a TON of other books I can read through KU, so I will indeed be very busy.)

Beforehand, however, I cleaned out my bookshelves. Old nonfiction I hadn’t finished; new books that I dared to purchase, knowing that I would have plenty more to read; the large stack of reading material I received for Christmas—all read in January to prepare for three fantabulous months of fantasy and medieval romance.

And so begins the first one, with book one in the Age of Conquest series by Tamara Leigh.

MERCILESS by Tamara Leigh

Y’all, I have been wanting to read something—anything—by Tamara Leigh for the longest time! And now that I have…

I’m not sure what to think.

Had I been writing this review immediately after completing the novel, I probably wouldn’t know what to write either. But it’s been several weeks, and I’ve already started on the fourth book. So I’ve had time to collect myself, you could say.

But that doesn’t mean Merciless wasn’t an interesting reading experience.

In the strangest way, this book was both foreign and familiar. Leigh’s writing style—which is backwards and inside out and a wee bit archaic—took me forever to get used to—but I could have sworn (I still could swear) that I’ve read this story before!

Everything about it—the plot, the setting, the characters—feels like home! I know I haven’t ever read this book or anything remotely similar—the most medieval I’ve read has been YA fairytale retellings. And I certainly haven’t watched anything like this before (although this series totally needs to become a movie series or TV show).

So it simply must be Leigh’s amazing skill!

Once I grew accustomed to her style, I drifted into the story. It came alive, vibrant and welcoming. Cyr and Aelfled are amazing characters—and the secondary characters such as Maël and Hawisa, Dougray and Em, Chanson and Fulbert, Nicola and Vitalis just as much so. (Let us all note for a second that all but the first pair of names are actual pairs…)

And the plot is both smooth and jarring, fast-paced and calm, emotional and action-packed. How can it be both? I have no idea! All I know is that everything moved so well—quickly when it needed to be quick and slowly when it needed to be slow. In hindsight, it actually went by very fast. I don’t know if I just read it quickly or the story moved forward that well. All I know is that I thoroughly enjoyed it, and the pacing was just one reason why!

Now, apparently a lot of people are complaining about how political, factual, and action-focused this book (and series, and anything having to do with the Wulfriths) is. I have no idea what they’re talking about. Leigh does put a small amount of focus on the political aspects of the time—and I really love that! It shows how much knowledge she has of the period, and it makes the setting come to life! As a history buff, I do so love historical facts—as long as they don’t eclipse the characters and their romance, which never happens in Merciless. I was slightly concerned that I would be bored through some parts—particularly in the beginning, when I couldn’t understand half of the writing—but I devoured every word! Before long, I was so immersed in the story and period that I felt at home in it!

All this being said, although everything about the story kept my attention, it wasn’t my favorite—out of everything I’ve read or out of this series. Now that I’m reading Heartess, the fourth book in the Age of Conquest series, I see that Cyr and Aelfled’s story is not the best of the series. Their characters are well-developed and their romance is tender and sweet, but they didn’t capture me as Isa and Gaurin did in Fearless. That’s just me, though.

One thing that I’d wondered about months before I ever started reading Merciless was the spiritual content (of all of Leigh’s books, actually). Some readers say her novels are too spiritual, others say the opposite. You know how difficult it is to get a clear reading on such things. However, I found the faith content to be exceedingly fantastic. Leigh respected the period she wrote in by depicting the religion of the time authentically, but her message was still powerful. Simple, and certainly not preachy, but powerful.

And y’all know I almost never give content reports (mostly because I (1) almost never read anything secular or non-Christian and (2) what I do read usually possess a reputation that preceeds my reviews—such as Julie Lessman’s work—and (3) I really don’t care)...but I will put in my two-cents. Leigh doesn’t bat an eye at anything—from illegitimacy to slavery to sex—but she’s never graphic. Her portayals of these things are exactly as they should be—straightforward and honest but never condoning. In fact, her innocent kiss scenes are some of the less detailed ones I’ve read, so… *shrugs* I read Julie Lessman, and that’s about as edgy as inspirational gets.

All that boring nonsense aside, I can truthfully proclaim that I am definitely hooked on Tamara Leigh now! I can’t wait to read the rest of the Wulfriths stories, her other medieval novels, and even her contemporary ones!

Oh, and can I just say that Bernia was probably the best character in this book? That’s my kind of grandma, y’all! #oldladiesarethebest

FEARLESS by Tamara Leigh

Y’all. Just...y’all. If you happened to read my review of Merciless, then you know how I got into this series and Tamara Leigh and just how much I love this book!

But I’m going to assume you haven’t and gush about Fearless anyway!

So, yes, the first chapter or two is hard to follow because of how “backward” Leigh’s writing is. Once you grow accustomed to it—because, trust me, you will—the period, the setting, and the characters come to life around you. Hopefully you had sense enough to read the first book in the Age of Conquest series, so it won’t take you two seconds to catch on to what’s going on. Likely, you’ll already be in love with the characters and know the gist of how it ends.

I know I did.

I already knew I would love Isa and Gaurin more than Cyr and Aethfled (no offense, you two; y’all are fantastic in your own ways) and that I would wholeheartedly enjoy reading the events of Merciless from Isa’s POV. I mean, I did have my reservations—as I usually do when reading a book that directly overlaps one I’ve already read—but they were quickly dispelled by how smoothly this book moves along.

The main things I’ve noticed that Tamara Leigh has mastered is pacing. Yes, her prose is beautiful and balanced, so colorful and authentic. Yes, her stories are exciting, intense, suspenseful, and dramatic. Yes, she is a consumate medieval writer who knows her stuff. But seriously, y’all. Her pacing is perfection. Everything goes by so fast, and yet the story is languid and lingering. I know that doesn’t make sense, but I’m serious. She can some transcend time with her writing! It’s phenomenal!

The only way I can think to define it is that when I’m in the moment, I’m in it—every word is a passing second, every paragraph a minute. But when I step back, I see events and people flying by. Or maybe it’s the other way around! *shrugs* All I know is that it doesn’t get much better than this!

Apart from that, my all-time favorite part of Fearless was quite simply the characters. In Merciless, my favorite part was just the plot and concept in general—getting to know the characters, the time, the place, and watching an empire sprout up before my eyes. In Nameless (which I’ll gush about in my March reviews next month), it’s the story—every exchange between Em and Dougray, every battle between good and evil, every family reunion.

But with Fearless, it’s just Isa and Gaurin.

So, yeah, there wasn’t much plot until, like, the last several chapters. The part that overlapped with Merciless was like one long scene playing out in the midst of all the drama that ensued between Cyr and Aethfled in the first book. To be honest, I really, really missed those intense moments with Aethfled and Isa. I’d hoped to see more of the emotion and conflict within Isa that triggered all those interactions that we saw in Merciless—I wanted Isa’s side of the story, which I only got a taste of.

That’s basically the only reason why Fearless doesn’t get a full five stars. (I’d say it’s closer to four and a half.)

As a character-driven everything, I don’t mind the lack of excessive plot. I love more than anything else to be with the characters (and that goes for my own novels), so it didn’t bother me too much, because I do so love Isa and Gaurin. I was just wanting more conflict with Isa, I guess, and more interaction between her and Aethfled.

I will say this, however. Leigh did a fantabulous job balancing the two books. All of my reservations concerning the overlap were dispelled (wait, I already said that, didn’t I? Talk about overlap). Even though I feared being bored by the recounting of all that had transpired between Senlac and the events at Wulfen, I wasn’t! I got glimpses of things I hadn’t seen before and a fresh perspective on those I had.

So, in the end, although I was lacking a few things, Isa and Gaurin’s overall awesomeness more than made up for it! Oh, and can I just say that William is amazing? I mean, I know he’s supposed to be, like, the bad guy in all of this (which is really cool, considering Leigh manages to balance a force of conflict like William with the more immediate threats like Jaxon and Campagnon), but he is HILARIOUS! I love his interactions with the D’Argents and Wulfriths and all—and, y’all, I’m not a feminist by any definition of the word, but what he did with Isa and Gaurin was GOLD! (You’ll know it when you read it!) Later on, William just becomes more and more prominent and entertaining to read. I love the authority Leigh exercises in writing him, making him as much her character as the fictional Wulfriths and D’Argents are—more a man and less a historical figure!

(And I know these things are supposed to be “mini,” but my definition of mini is less than 2k, so…)

Long story short, you will be seeing a lot more reviews of Tamara Leigh’s work in the future. Trust me. (Also, just gonna say, I really admire this lady. She’s an indie author who left the secular fiction and tradition publishing behind to write for God. Respect.)

Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Well, when I signed up for #kindleunlimited, I had my eyes locked on two things: Tamara Leigh and Anne Elisabeth Stengl. In particular, Tales of Goldstone Wood. Unfortunately, only the first book in this allegorical fantasy series in available in KU, so I can’t say whether or not I’ll be immediately continuing the series.

However, I am very glad I read Heartless.

Judging by my Goodreads bookshelves, I’m not too big on fantasy. It wasn’t always that way, though, so my childhood of C.S. Lewis and Chuck Black has given me a lot of knowledge of the genre. I know my way around fantasy, believe it or not.

Heartless has the classical sound and allegorical qualities of The Chronicles of Narnia, but it’s unique. In a world of YA fantasy with hussies for heroines and vampires for heroes, it’s very unique.

That fits my requirements, right? But I didn’t get into Heartless the way I hoped. I mean, I got into it all right, but not how I’d expected.

Y’all know I’m not usually one to listen to the masses. When they hate a book, I’ll read it. When they love it, I don’t. But I listened this time. I’ve heard nothing but good things about Tales of Goldstone Wood and Anne Elisabeth Stengl, so I gave in.

From a writer’s/editor’s standpoint, there wasn’t much lacking. It was engaging, fast-paced, and the worldbuilding was excellent. The characters developed well, the plot moved along smoothly. My only qualm would be that there was much more telling than there was showing—somehow, that’s permissible when writing in a more classical style, as Stengl does, so it wasn’t too bothersome. But I did pick up on it sometimes, when I felt like I wasn’t very close to the characters or the story.

But from my standpoint? Eh. To be honest (I mean, I wouldn’t lie), I was hoping for a romance. Say what you will about Una and Leonard and Aethelbald and Gervais...but this wasn’t a romance.

It was an allegory.

Now, I can appreciate a good allegory. I do. But I usually entwine my appreciation with a huge heap of fangirling—like with the Unblemished trilogy by Sara Ella. I couldn’t do much fangirling, if any, over Heartless. (Hence the name, Heartless.)

I do like how you-know-who (whom you’ll peg from the start, I assure you) paralleled Christ. I like how that played out. It was pretty obvious, yes, so I caught onto it the moment I met the fellow, but I still admire how true to the Bible and Christ the allegory was.

I still wanted it to be more romantic, though. I sound like Una.

Speaking of...a lot has been said about how bratty she is, but she wasn’t half bad. Seriously. She was...tolerable. But she was also real. Pretty transparent, too. And what was crazy was that the other you-know-who (I feel like naming names will spoil stuff) worked a wonder on her! True, he was a crappy dude who betrayed her trust, but it showed that Una had a care, had loyalty and strength. Naivete and stupidity, yes, but also a childlike faith—in spite of all her shortcomings.

There was one more thing that was disappointing: the villain. We go through all this rigamaroll with certain goblins and trolls and princes and dukes and all—only to have the main man, the big daddy, el jefe, Darth Dragon, the evilest of the evil and the vilest of the vile appear out of nowhere. There was no foreshadowing him. No shock. No suspense. It’s like...suddenly he’s there and he’s causing trouble, but there was no feeling on my part. After shadowing everyone else, I’d expected either them to be bad or for an equal amount of attention to be paid to the actual villain.

I just wasn’t feeling it.

I was feeling pretty scared, though. This stuff gets dark—and I don’t mean just magic and mythological creatures dark. I mean spiritually dark. The parallel is there, guys, and it’s disturbing. I’m not into freaky stuff (apart from Frank E. Peretti), so when things started to get deep, I started to panic.

I say that to give you my personal experience and to forewarn those under the age of fifteen seeking to read this. Don’t read this before bedtime, kids. Dragons ain’t no joke.

So...I guess this sounds like a negative review. It’s not. Heartless is a good book, Stengl is a good author, and I’m sure the rest of the series is good too. I got into it, I did. I had a hard time putting it down (or switching to another book on my Kindle). In the end, though, Tamara Leigh won out (I was reading Heartless and Merciless at the same time, ironically). This just wasn’t my style. A few things were missing, for me, but I know a lot of other readers have adored this book/series. Seriously, one of my writer friends is part of the ToGW fandom and co-created a blog all about it. You can check it out here!

Long story short (because, yes, this was longer than I’d intended), I have a love/hate relationship with this book. I love it...and then I hate it. *shrugs* I’m like that with a lot of things, I guess. I would recommend Heartless, though, because I know it fits the style of some—just not me.