Vanessa Hall's Blog, page 9
June 1, 2023
Cover Reveal & Chance to be featured in an Anthology: Seize the Moment
Honoring the Mercy of the Savior
Mercy. Forgiveness. Hope.
In the conclusion of the Seize the World collection of anthologies.
Bringing you stories of mercy, forgiveness, hope, and pointing toward the One who offers them all, Seize the Moment is a tender and warm anthology meant to bring you a happy escape to a bookish world.
Luke 1:49-51
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
Pre-order links will be live on July or August!
Cover
Christian authors, don’t pass this opportunity up if you’d like your story featured in this amazing anthology! Check out the link above to read the details and see if you would be a good fit for this anthology!!
May 31, 2023
Cover Reveal: A Very Bookish Romance
Release Date: January 14, 2024
Last collection of A Very Bookish Holiday series
Goodreads Link:
Authors:
Abigayle Claire
Instagram Handle: @abitheauthor
Sarah Holman
Instagram Handle: @thedestinyofoneauthor
J. Grace Pennington
Instagram Handle: jgracetheauthor
Kellyn Roth
Instagram Handle: @kellynrothauthor
Kate Willis
Instagram Handle: @theordinarykate
Cover!
May 30, 2023
Cover Reveal: Springtime in Surrey
This collection of novellas, set in County Surrey, England, features both historical and contemporary stories by new and old authors!
Genre: Christian Women’s Fiction, both Historical and Contemporary
Launch Date: Tuesday, July 25th, 2023
AmazonGoodreadsWebsite Link
Springtime in Surrey contains the follow eight novellas:
Jesus, I Am Resting by Faith Blum
An orphaned young woman must fight to survive after WWI breaks out, praying her beau doesn’t die on a foreign battlefield like her father did years ago.
The Cottage on the Hill by Andrea Renee Cox
A former ballerina seeks hope amongst her lost dreams, as a sheep farmer tries to bring her joy.
If I Knew You Were Coming by Bailey Gaines
An exhausted mother balances her duties to both her biological and evacuee children with preparation for an unexpected visit from her soldier husband.
Her Heart’s Home by Grace A. Johnson
A destitute woman is pursued by an unexpected suitor and finds blessings from God in the way she least expected.
The Tussie-Mussie by Katja H. Labonté
A disgraced debutante flees to the country, only to meet a reclusive writer who may change her life forever.
The Odd Duck Society by Rachel Leitch
An insecure university student returns to a tea shop after a mysterious letter summons her there.
Fear Not Tomorrows by Erika Mathews
A hard-working sister-of-seven struggles with contentment as her marriage is postponed by her fiancé’s absence.
Courage to Stay by Kellyn Roth
A young bride chases her husband into the forest to rescue him from himself, which goes about as well as one would expect.
May 26, 2023
New Release: Trouble in Dry Springs by Kristina Hall
Even the peaceful town of Dry Springs is not without trouble.
When Eliza McCoslin’s brother sends for her, she exchanges war-torn Mississippi for Dry Springs, Texas. Settling into a new way of life proves difficult though, despite the arrival of the man she’s long admired.
Jesse Carrigan comes to Dry Springs seeking work and a place to start the ranch he’s dreamed of ever since his parents lost their farm. What he doesn’t expect to find is the woman he’d like to court—or his former colonel on the run from a deadly threat.
Given the circumstances keeping Jesse and Eliza apart and the danger looming on the horizon, he and Eliza find themselves facing the loss of future love—and life. When trouble comes to Dry Springs, who will be left standing?
With lovable characters, an engaging plot, and a sweet romance, Trouble in Dry Springs is a must-read for fans of historical Christian fiction. You’ll have plenty of good guys to root for and bad guys to abhor, all in a beautiful and realistic setting of the Old West. With truth-filled themes and humor interspersed, this novel is a Western you will struggle to put down.
May 24, 2023
Cover Reveal: Over the Horizon by Penny Zeller
A most unusual proposal…
Alone in 1870s Idaho Territory, Paisley Abbott has nowhere to turn. With no other options, she finds herself consenting to an unconventional, but mutually beneficial agreement.
During an unplanned return to his family’s farm, prodigal Tyler Shepherdson inherits three children. When Tyler finds a woman hiding in the back of his wagon, an idea begins to form and he makes a rash decision that results in perhaps one of the most spontaneous marriages of convenience ever.
Despite an unorthodox beginning to their marriage, will Paisley and Tyler trust God as they forge ahead to create a home for three orphans? Will love arise from a desperate situation?
In the first book in the Horizon Series, travel to the late 1800s to the town of Horizon in the Idaho Territory with a cast of unforgettable characters, journeys of faith, and abundant humor.
Coming soon, the newest series by the author of the Wyoming Sunrise, Love Letters from Ellis Creek, and Montana Skies Christian Historical Romance Series.
May 15, 2023
Review: Key by Madisyn Carlin
Key by Madisyn Carlin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another fantastic novel by Madisyn Carlin! I adored Denton in IRON, and I was so happy to hear that he would get his own book.
Characters: Let’s start with the MCs, Denton and Nerissa. I knew Denton from the first book in the series, but I didn’t realize how broken my poor boy actually was. He had so much trauma from the past. He’s a bit of a misunderstood character in parts of the first book, so hearing more of his perspective and the truth of the matter was very interesting. His growth throughout the story was also so lovely – his struggle to believe the Lord truly loved him was so well-done. And then there’s Nerissa – she was wonderful! She was more of an average girl put into very non-average situations, and watching her grow through those was such an important part of the novel. Her struggle with anxiety was relatable, and she and Denton just made such a sweet couple! The other characters were brilliant as well – side characters are sometimes just the best. I also liked seeing the other characters from the first book and how their life was progressing.
Plot/Setting: What a whirlwind of a plot! These poor characters were put through a lot – especially Denton. Poor boy needs to get some armor or bubble wrap to keep from getting injured. But there was plenty of action mixed into touching scenes and normal, everyday moments. The setting was also great -the ocean and the villages made the fantasy part of the book come alive. All the different nationalities were humorous, given they always complained about a random aspect of another’s supposed attributes!
Moral/Theme: Ahh this was just gorgeous. The truth that the Lord loves His people and is in complete and sovereign control was just so lovely. Denton’s conversation with Morris was especially profound – what a needed reminder that God does not operate according to our wisdom, He loves us, and we should never limit Him. This book was so encouraging, and full of truth that should permeate all Christian fiction books. Amazing!
For those of you who enjoy clean, Christian fantasy, check out this book (and the rest of the books by this author!) These are some of my favorite fantasy novels ever, and I’m excited to read the next books in this series.
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher/author. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
May 9, 2023
Cover Reveal: Like a Ship on the Sea by Kellyn Roth
If God asks you to confront a storm, how dare you stay in the harbor?
Lady Mary Cassidy O’Connell has a dream that can be summed up in three connecting ideas: a loving husband, adorable children, and a home of her own. Her mother’s lack of care makes life difficult for Cassie, and an escape is necessary. The plan? Marry Aubrey Montgomery, the man her parents have chosen for her, and find the peace she craves.
Unfortunately, Cassie is uneasy about marrying Aubrey. Her apprehension grows as she witnesses her dearest friend’s loving marriage take place. At this wedding, she catches the eye of Patrick Hilton, son of a wealthy American. Like Cassie, he’s also set to marry a woman chosen by his parents—only, Patrick claims, he is content with this choice.
Torn between her desire for happiness and the knowledge that God is leading her in a different direction, Cassie confronts the impossible decision. Is a loveless marriage of obligation better than being alone, or will she set sail on a voyage without a safe harbor?
Like a Ship on the Sea is the first novel in The Hilton Legacy, a stand-alone trilogy featuring characters from the author’s first series, The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy.
GoodreadsAmazonReveal!
May 8, 2023
Book Aesthetic Tag – Ft. Unforgiven!
And I have finally returned after my unannounced hiatus. I did not mean to disappear for several weeks and sorely neglect the blog, but the busyness of school and performances and a cold zapped my attempts at taking care of this poor blog. So all my apologies for missing several weeks!
But the good news is I missed blogging, and now I’m back at it. I’ve been meaning to do this tag for a bit, and only now have I gotten around to doing it. (And figuring out how to make collages. It’s a struggle, so please forgive me for any failures on the design failures. All pictures were taken from Pinterest.)
RulesMention the creator, Allyson (and link back to the original post).Include the tag challenge graphic somewhere in your post.Shout out and link to whoever tagged you! (I’m so sorry if someone tagged me, and I’ve forgotten. Thank you for tagging me! But thank you to the wonderful and amazing Saraina Whitney – I used her post to fetch the graphic and make sure I was doing something halfway correctly.)Answer each aesthetic prompt. Please include pictures if you’re able, if not simply explain the aesthetic to the best of your ability. You may be as in-depth or as short as you’d like.Tag as many people as you wish! (I am late to this, so if you would like to be tagged – thou art tagged!) Overall Aesthetic of Your Book
As I’ve been working on the Pinterest board and overall aesthetic of Unforgiven, I’m always struck by how dark it looks. I promise it’s not completely as gritty and painful as it looks (though there is plenty of that there.) But overall, struggles with darkness, guilt, a failed marriage, and discontent. Sounds fun, huh? But not featured in this image is the hope and peace that comes in later parts of the book – just no spoilers in the pictures here. 
Moscow, Russia. Some dumpy apartments, some buzzing big city, an old warehouse, and even a nice stroll in the park!
Oh, my poor boy. Vlad Genkin is a piece of work, if you can’t tell from his collage. Sometimes I really get annoyed with him (honest author thoughts here), but I promise he has a character arc. Behind all of his darkness, there is just so much pain and suffering. *needs to hug him, but we’ll leave that to another character*
Just for the record, Katya isn’t the side character, and I’m sure she’d be offended to know I referred to her as such. Because she’s deserving of main character status – she’s stubborn, but strong, independent, and pretty sassy. (Makes her very fun to write.) She’s suffered a lot of disappointments in life, which puts her in a lot of discontent. However, she’s a good nurse, according to one of her supervisors (hehehe, more on him when you read Unforgiven.)
Quote Aesthetic
Yep, there are rough patches in this book, but that main quote about sums up the core of it. Our sin is great, but our Savior is far greater.
Final AestheticI’m deviating a bit from Allyson’s tag – this last one is going to be my “romance” aesthetic. (Aka just me wanting my babies to someday be happy, because they have tormented me – or have I tormented them? – for too long with their angsty relationship. Can’t they just get together?) So this is Vlad and Katya’s … improving relationship, let’s just say. And I promise the gun isn’t there for one of them to use on the other – their relationship has to get through some rough patches with some bad guys, that’s all.
April 18, 2023
Writing Update … Finally
Well, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? As usual, I don’t recall the last time I wrote writing update. So that means it’s probably time I write one.
So let’s start with writing. I finished the first draft of book #6 in my Grace Sufficient series sometime in … February, I believe? That book is definitely interesting in a lot of ways, and I think it might change a lot by the time I get around to editing and publishing it, Lord willing. One of the reasons I love writing that series is because I get to write about all my favorite characters from earlier books, but it was getting to the point that it was hard to keep up with everyone’s whereabouts and keep them out of the plot when I needed them gone. 
During and after I finished that book, I began working on a couple smaller projects. The first of which isn’t off to the best of starts, but I’m hoping I can come back to it later and finish it up. The second project that I’m currently working on is also a shorter work, but per usual, I’m getting ideas for it to expand into something longer. More info on this coming soon, but I will say venturing outside of your normal genre is very fun.
Now, onto the editing side of things.
*crickets*
At the beginning of the year, I had lofty ideas of editing throughout the semester and chipping away at Unforgiven. Turns out, I can’t find the brainpower to edit when my mind has been fried after being at school all day. So I’ve gotten very little editing done.
Which means the end of April, May, June, and part of July are going to be frantic edits. The blog may or may not end up taking a hiatus during this time, and my sanity will certainly be on hiatus. But I am looking forward to getting back to Unforgiven—there is so much in there that I love. If I do happen to get it all edited in that time, it will be by God’s grace. But even if I fall short on that time span, the Lord will have this book be published when it needs to be.
So that’s enough of my rambling! What sorts of projects are you working on? Do you prefer working on short projects or long ones? Do you have grand writing plans for the next few months?
April 10, 2023
Review: Dreams of the Heart by Penny Zeller
Dreams of the Heart by Penny Zeller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher/author. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
What a sweet addition to the Wyoming Sunrise series! While this book was similar in setting and style to the first book, there was a bit more action, which definitely upped the suspense (a healthy level) for me!
Characters: John Mark, who we’d met in the previous book, was a great MC, and his career of deputy made for some interesting scenes. His impulsivity was realistic, but he tempered that quick decision making with a lot of dependence on the Lord. He definitely learned a bit through the course of this book! And then there was Hannah, who was such a sweetheart but broken in so many ways. She and John Mark made a wonderful couple, and their romance was so gentle and God-honoring. I also appreciated how each of them supported and comforted the other at certain points throughout the book – such a good example of a marriage.
Setting/Plot: Western settings are always fun, and this one felt more like the typical Western town that I grew up thinking of the Old West as. Aka closer to shootouts in the middle of the street rather than a nice farm in the middle of the plains. The plot didn’t feel slow at all, though there was plenty of character development. And while there was action, there wasn’t anything too incredibly alarming. And I have to say: the marriage of convenience was exceptionally clean! Yay. The author treated that sometimes-difficult situation very well.
Theme: Lots of beautiful truth in here! The fact that God answers prayer and that He guides His people were two of the more prominent morals. Watching John Mark, especially, wrestle with decisions was very realistic but also encouraging, for he sought the Lord even when things were confusing and possibly a very wrong choice.
Overall, such a well-written, godly Western novel that fans of historical Christian fiction shouldn’t miss!
