Sarah Scheele's Blog, page 33

M IS FOR MANGER BY CRYSTAL BOWMAN

Since I signed up to blog review for Tyndale, I've been offered almost exclusively nonfiction. I rarely read advice or Christian living books, so I was happy to come across this Christmas-themed picture book instead. It’s designed for parents to read aloud to their very small children and is packed with beautiful illustrations and a thoughtful layout. M is for Manger tells the story of Jesus’ birth using the alphabet—each letter is assigned to a word vital to the nativity story and a small companion verse about the word is on the following page. There is also a Scripture quote to accompany each little bit of story.

I thought this book was truly lovely. An opening, blank dedication page makes it perfect to give as a Christmas gift to a tiny grandkid or nephew/niece this Christmas, and the alphabetical method of storytelling is intuitive and effective. For instance: “D is for Dream—“ section talks about Joseph’s dream concerning Mary’s miraculous conception and is followed by the corresponding verse “While Joseph thought about this, an angel of the Lord came to him in a dream.” Little traditions like reading aloud this storybook will help imprint the facts of Jesus’ birth on your kids or grandkid’s minds.

THE PRINCE'S BALL

 In a post a few weeks ago, I talked about the debilitating stiffness I experienced in my writing. I'd been planning to publish since I could speak, write, or understand what a story was. But somehow, people couldn't seem to connect to me. I might as well have been some sort of unrelatable storm-trooper with a helmet glued to my face. This worried me.  And the more I worried, the less and less I could write.

When I went back to my old works, done when I was a kid or a younger adult,  I was SHOCKED at how much better they were. I had almost forgotten how much fun I had writing back then.They were--well, different. So I decided right then to scrap everything I wrote before 2006. Just scrap them. Exceptions are Jurant and Victoria, which were not chopped-up parts of previous stories.

So here's a list of what I'll be doing over the next few weeks.

Ryan and Essie has been released (at last!) and Jurant has been put as an ebook companion to it, since the Kinari are mentioned in Ryan and Essie.

I got rid of the other Facets stories because I want their characters to return to their original form. In fact, Frank and Katia (believe it or not) were once prominent characters in Alyce's world and they're going back there.

Alyce will be touched up a bit and republished as "The Prince's Ball." I'm a little reluctant to rewrite Alyce for the eightieth time, but the original story was blissfully unselfconscious. There were no Sherbans, no tense, unhappy politics, and no contrived effort to link the story to fairy tales. I like the original and I will give it another chance.

I was torn about "Consuela," which was a product of the last 7 years and large parts of which feel stiff. However, there is a really funny germ in there of a story, and I already had a companion-story for Ryan and Essie, so I will spruce Consuela up a bit and release it as a little companion to The Prince's Ball.

"Victoria," which was always based in a historical setting in Spain and stuck rather awkwardly into the Alyce world, will be published individually.

I have several stories about the Medosans Karl and Cassandra. Not sure what I'm going to do with them, but if I do end up publishing them they will be in their original form.

This is important to me. And that's exactly what I'm aiming for. For ME. Most authors will quit if they feel the only audience of their fiction is themselves--but not me. Nothing would make me happier than to have readers, of course. But even if I were the only audience, I'd still write and write. Because I have stories to tell. I'd rather talk to you, but I don't care if I end up talking to myself. Right now I want to solidify the previous work to give myself something to stand on.

No matter what the future holds, I will absolutely keep writing. And absolutely, positively, be myself. I don't know how other people managed to see me wearing a boring helmet instead of a face, but I know I have a face underneath. And if you have a face, the chances are you also have a point of view and something interesting to say.

REVIEW: FIRE AND ICE BY MARY CONNEALY

I thoroughly enjoyed this rom-com western. The Rocky Mountain horse ranch setting made a lovely backdrop and the tale of how Bailey and Gage discovered they were perfect for each other made me laugh several times. His hilariously awkward proposal and his horrible mother were particularly amusing. The pre-existing plot of Bailey and her sisters dressing up as men and fighting in the Civil War to please their selfish lunatic of a father strained credibility, but Mr. Wilde Sr made a surprisingly real villain. All action sequences--in which a mysterious person attempts to murder Gage--were exciting and the conclusion was great. Recommended to anyone looking for a fun romance read. Bailey and Gage were a lovable couple, perfectly geared for fans of the Mary Connealy's ditzy, madcap genre.

I was given this book by Bethany Publishers in exchange for a review.

REVIEW: A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE COMES TO HOLY NATIVITY BY KEN REGAN

When I chose this off-beat Westbow release, I wasn't sure what to expect. The truth was, I've almost never laughed so much in my life as I did reading this book. Tears streamed from my eyes. I tremendously enjoyed this lighthearted Christmas tale about a bumbling Lutheran pastor with a church to reinvent--so much did I enjoy it that I actually BOUGHT the paperback immediately after, which I almost never do. The book is really that entertaining. Bill Sanders, a struggling young pastor with a list of church failures, is given one last opportunity by the local Bishop to prove that he is qualified for ministry. The mission- Holy Nativity, the poor , run-down, orange-doored laughing stock of a small Pennsylvania community. Armed with his trusty dog Bing and the inspiring memories of his mega- church father, he heads to Holy Nativity and into far more than he bargained for. 

Bill was utterly relatable throughout, whether it was his wheezing, shrieking heating unit, Ned Welch’s stingy objections to any and every plan, or the canceling of the Corned Beef and Beer Festival. Yes, beer, pumped merrily in a Lutheran church while Sonja, the deaf and eccentric organist, plays a rousing accompaniment. The author doesn’t protectively gloss over the faults of the congregation- the petty jealousy, the rumors, the sermon ‘feedback’, the stingy salary. But he is completely fair about Bill’s shortcomings as well,  especially his pitiful sermon skills--and his appearance, which is the cause of constant refusals from women who are young, old and very old. Over all, it was hilarious and subtly creative. A recommended read for anyone with a sense of humor. 

SO IT'S HERE . . . RYAN AND ESSIE AT LAST

Ryan and Essie is now available in paperback and ebook. I've been writing Ryan and Essie since I was 8 years old, and finished it 2 years ago, so it feels like a very long time since the process started. My thoughts are "finally!" rather than any feeling of suddenness, even though the release has sneaked up on everyone, including me. The books are not yet linked on Amazon, but I do know you can get the ebook for free if you purchase the paperback from Amazon.

This is my first print publication in 4 years and it's good to have one of my books once again in print form. After reading and reviewing many books over the last few years, I've opted for a simple, non-fiction type of design-more like a book about the fun of science than a middle-grade novel. This gives you a hint to the content. Very much for fact-oriented people, even though the storyline is one of my most unusual.

Because the book is so hot off the press, if you'd like to review Ryan and Essie, shoot me your email in the comments and specify whether you'd like print or ebook. Print copies are limited and on a first-come first-serve basis. And just a reminder:

REVIEW MEANS YOU REVIEW ON YOUR BLOG, AMAZON, AND PREFERABLY ONE OTHER SITE SUCH AS GOODREADS.

Review does NOT mean you send me an email with your "thoughts." That's a waste of my money in sending you the book.

More about the story . . . it's set in the very near future, just at a date in which civilian passengers going up into space has become common.
The story of how Ryan and Essie went into a great new world--and what they did there . . .

All his life, 11-year-old Ryan has dreamed of becoming an astronomer--but not, it turns out, of actually going into space. When a public event brings a complete stranger named Essie to the observatory his father directs, she bounces into Ryan's alcove.

Ryan's life will never be the same again. And neither will the lives of a whole lot of other people.

AUTUMN BRIDES: A YEAR OF WEDDINGS NOVELLA COLLECTION BY KATHRYN SPRINGER, KATIE GANSHERT, AND BETH VOGT

It’s always hard to review a novella collection fairly, because the stories are designed to appeal to a diversity of audiences, unlike a novel by only one author. It’s common to read/review only one story in a collection (the story tailored for you, of course!) I did read all of this weddings-through-the-year installment, though, and I loved the first two stories.

September Bride by Kathryn Springer concerned a tomboyish, clutzy book lover who moves to a small town to start her life over after her disruptive years as a city foster child. She instantly connects with all the residents,  becomes involved in a madcap reenactment wedding, and discovers a budding romance with the local police chief. I really connected to Annie and felt her struggles to find a real home, while juggling juggle romantic worries with business endeavors completely relatable.  Every little detail about Red Leaf- the fresh cinnamon buns, the dusty bookshop, the leaf-strewn streets- felt like I had lived there.

October Bride by Katie Ganshert was a change of pace. It centered on a young woman who enters a hasty, facade engagement so her dying father can walk her down the aisle at her wedding. Although the relationship with her new fiancé and childhood friend Jake had drive, the real story was the deep affection between Emma and her idolized dad. It was a poignant, touching story, realistic but with a little something more that made it stand out. I felt as though the characters were real people I’d known instead of genre cutouts.

November Bride by Beth Vogt was disappointing. The heroine Sadie, a personal chef, dreams of a TV spotlight but in reality is bored and for the hundredth time, single.  Her best friend Erik is an unashamed womanizer and like Sadie, single once again. The romance didn’t work for me at all. Erik was a cold hearted, self- centered jerk with no regard for Sadie’s feelings and no interests except leeching food and kisses off of her. Sadie was relentlessly fake about her shallow feelings for Erik. The real love story seemed to be with the lovingly described food and more food- and oh wait is that a third course? Come for the romance, stay for the food. Poor Sadie seemed Married To The Parmesan.

I received a free copy of this book from BookLookBloggers in exchange for my honest review.

rEVIEW: FOR OUR GOOD BY PAULA MOWERY

For Our Good was a fantastic read—everything any reader of Christian contemporary fiction or Christian suspense would enjoy. Paula Mowery’s writing is really a notch above her peers. She keeps all the relationships, romance and adventure of the police/crime genre while adding a vibrant punch of originality and sharp characterization. Charlie Jarvis , a young policewoman down on her luck and still haunted by the deaths of her parents and coworker, is assigned one last mission to prove that she belongs on the force. The mission-to discover who is selling drugs to local teens at a church- plunges her back into her Tennessee hometown, where she meets snazzy troublemaker Colton Thomas, a local pilot who has more than a polite interest in her.  

I loved For Our Good by Paula Mowery so much. Charlie and Colton felt quite photographic and believable, real people doing extraordinary things. Many scenes took place at the local church, which was presented with complete realism. Marshall, Colton’s friend and fellow pilot, his wife Emma who struggles with infertility, Jordan Wynn, Charlie’s God-fearing and family- oriented coworker, and numerous other characters were woven beautifully into the main storyline of Charlie rediscovering her faith. The plot twist of the church youth group being organized into a drug-selling unit is completely possible, in fact it actually occurred at  a church my mother attended.  Paula excels in transforming typical genre fiction into something a bit distinctive, a cut above. This story moved past the familiar plot angles of police-based romance into a fast-paced and heart-felt narrative that leaves you truly caring about the characters.

Reviewed by Sarah Scheele for Reader's Favorite 

THE CHILL FACTOR

It's  been an exciting 2 weeks, following a major two months in which a lot of things were accomplished, and before that this year has been amazing and life-changing from beginning to the current date of mid-September. But in spite of all the craziness, I feel a God-given peace and calm like never before. All my life, I've wanted people to like me--and once they saw that, endless criticism and never-quite-pleased coldness resulted. It made them feel important, sophisticated, and smart to never, ever quite say the words I needed. It didn't matter if I deserved to be told I was doing right. Because--what mattered was what they thought of me--because that is what I had told them.

Nowhere was this more present than in my writing career. I grew to believe only writing the "perfect" book would get me readers--and I was always anxious, struggling and miserable because there's no such thing as a perfect book. Telling me I had to be perfect to get readers was really telling me I would never have them. Nobody is perfect.


The pop singer Becky G (whose song "Lovin So Hard" I am really loving so hard right now!) recently posted this on her page this meme about not stressing over results. Professional entertainers live some of the most high-stress lives on the planet, and being constantly in the public eye, they learn early not to care too much about how they appear to others. In fact, their imperfections, relationships, mistakes, and scandals are what make people like and follow them. They are human beings, just like us. They represent us, not by being perfect, but by being like us--faulty, growing, foolish, even downright bad at times. And vibrant and alive as well--like us.

So I'm geared for fall after this great spring and summer knowing I don't have to be perfect to please you or anyone. If you want that--go elsewhere. I don't care. And will I keep on writing?

Absolutely.

REVIEW: AMONG THE FAIR MAGNOLIAS BY TAMERA ALEXANDER, DOROTHY LOVE, SHELLEY GRAY AND ELIZABETH MUSSER

This is an anthology of four "southern" historical romance stories. I'd give it a four overall because I liked all the stories except the first one. The four authors are acclaimed for their bestselling previous titles and the mature quality of their writing made this collection easy and pleasant to read.

"A Heart So True" by Dorothy Love was the only one set in the antebellum, slave-owning era before the war and the heroine was spoiled and vain. She was given the best of everything, but still constantly complained, and the villain's aggressive sexual interest in her was poorly motivated as he was "used to having his own way."

"To Mend A Dream" by Tamera Alexander was beautifully crafted and subtle, like all her stories. The heroine was a little bland, but sweet and sympathetic as she struggled to cope with redecorating her former home before the war for the new owners, an engaged couple from Boston.

""Love Beyond Limits" by Elizabeth Musser was a great action tale. The daughter of a former plantation owner struggles against the violence and racism around her in the early days of the Klan while secretly crushing on an admirable young black man. This story had a lot of gritty history and sharply drawn characters.

"An Outlaw's Heart" by Shelley Gray was a nice story, but it didn't fit with the others. It was a traditional western with little connection to the south except one reference to the war, called oddly "The War of Northern Aggression." But otherwise this was a western. A good one. 

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by BookLookBloggers in exchange for my honest review.

REVIEW: ENNARA AND THE FALLEN DRUID BY ANGELA MYRON

Wow . . . I meant to review this book a month ago, but this has been the busiest August in recent years and I just didn't have the time. I have a small problem with overcommitment . . . :P I released a cover reveal for this book weeks ago, but am only now getting up the review. But it was worth the wait. This is a really delightful book.

I'd just about given up on fantasy these days. The worlds and situations had become so stale and stiltedly predictable, with a dash of really annoying whine and--increasingly--highly suggestive or even morbid erotic or torture plotlines. I prefer cheerful, positive characters because remaining good attitude in this hard life is truly courageous and courageous people are the ones who truly deserve a book to be written about them. But I was briefly  part of a blog network that required me to take books from a particular site and the only one up my alley at all was a children's fantasy book by Angela Myron.

I ended up being delighted. While keeping all the tropes--magical amulets, vaguely medieval setting, children with special fates and powers, evil monsters, and so forth--the tone was very different. Ennara, a young girl with rare gifts as a magic girl (or caul) has to go on an adventure to retrieve the magical sword of a King Arthur type king named Gisilfrid from an ancient city at the bottom of the ocean. A "druid" magician who ends up being little help because he goes into a coma after being attacked by ghosts also travels with her, as well as two boys and a large, rather smug cat with power over the water. The pacing was brisk and Angela built a detailed world without sacrificing action. The tone and sets were extremely similar to the new Voyage of the Dawn Treader movie, perfect for young readers with short attention spans who just want a fun, light action read instead of a lengthy saga. It's rare for me to enjoy a review book enough to want to read the sequel, but that's the case with this one.