Julie Coulter Bellon's Blog, page 11

My New Grand-Puppy

I'm babysitting my new little grand-puppy today. Isn't he the cutest? He has such a cute personality. He's a mini-Bernedoodle and he's a chunk! So fun.

Do you have a pet?

The Incredibly Satisfying Book

 

Isn't this so true? I have some authors on auto-buy because they suck me into the story and don't let me go until the last page. Lately I've been enjoying Becky Monson's new book, Mimi Matthews, and Sarah Eden. I love their style and the way the characters jump off the page for me.
Do you have favorite authors that do this for you? 

Writing Accountability

Here is my weekly accountability post for Second Guess. I'm so happy with how this is progressing. The edits are going well (I have 40 pages left!) and it's starting to feel like my old self. The ideas on how to fix little story issues are flowing and it feels like it did before I got sick. I honestly wondered if I would ever get to this point, so I'm thrilled that I did!

The kids are going back to school in a few weeks and that will help my editing immensely. Not too much longer and I'll be able to share this story with all of you! Yay! Thank you again for being so patient.

Pioneer Day

Happy Pioneer Day!

In Utah we celebrate the arrival of the pioneers. For our family, it's kind of like a smaller July4th---we get together for a family barbecue, play some games, and then we get ready to light fireworks on the street in front of our house. It's really fun! I even made brownies so we could have brownie sundaes and I think I'm going to make that a new family tradition. I forgot how good those are!

This year I had all of my grandkids there, as well as most of my own kids. I just can't even tell you how much family moments like these mean to me. It was a memorable day for sure.

Do you have any holidays that your state celebrates that the rest of the country doesn't?

Do You Love Suspense?

As you all know, I am a bit of a scaredy-cat when it comes to spine-tingling suspense, but I love Stephanie Black books. They are just the right amount on toe-curling mysteries and I always have the hardest time figuring out who the villain is! Her book, Not a Word, is on sale for .99 cents right now and you should definitely go pick it up. It is the first in a series, too! But read it with the lights on, if you're like me, haha!

Get your sale copy HERE

Here's the back copy:

Psychologist Natalie Marsh is a pro at keeping secrets. She not only guards her clients’ confidences but also expertly hides her own pain after being disinherited by her dying mother. As fresh personal challenges begin heaping on top of professional ones, Natalie’s best friend, Camille, confides that she thinks someone is stalking her. Natalie suspects that stress, not a stalker, is shadowing Camille—but Camille’s fear only continues to grow when the widow of a local businessman starts whispering that her husband was murdered and a new client of Natalie’s seems to be concealing something much more frightening than her inability to stand up for herself. Soon a shattering crime proves the danger is real. But when everyone has something at stake, is there anyone Natalie can trust? Or will she fall victim to a killer who will do anything to keep secrets hidden?

Sis. Patricia Holland Passes Away

I was so sad to hear that Sis. Holland died today. What a great example she was. I always enjoyed hearing her speak and I really liked the quote they had of hers in the newspaper. I want to remember it and remember her. 
"Please stop running to the point of exhaustion. Be quiet. Be still. Simplify. Be meek and lowly of heart and pray. I testify that miracles will come when we slow down, when we calm down and when we kneel down. All that the Father has can one day be yours. What a truly hopeful way to face your future." 
I love that idea to slow down. Simplify. Be still. I need to do that more often. I think we all do, really. Sis. Holland will be very missed.

BookTok Videos--Love 'Em or Hate 'Em?

I am on Booktok and I do little videos for my books. I'm having so much fun with them and really like how they turn out. I like looking at other author's videos as well. They seem like little trailers and there are a lot of creative people out there in Booktok land! 

Are you on TikTok? Do you like watching the little book trailers?

You can see some of my favorites for my books HERE 

Tell me what you think!

My Accountability Post

Things are going really well with the Second Guess edit. I have 70 pages left to go and I'm feeling SO good about the story! It's been a little harder this week to just get my butt in the chair and work on it. I told myself I was only going to do one page, but of course as soon as I got going, I didn't want to stop. I really love Elliott and Eden's story. 

Here's a little bit of the scene I was working on:

"For just an instant in a small room in Syria with only one window, the sun’s rays shone on them, cutting the darkness that always seemed to follow her. It pushed away the shadows, showing her that there could be light. He lowered their hands, but didn’t let go, as if he felt the significance of the moment too. She moved forward, lessening any distance between them. His eyes dipped to her lips. The connection between them had been there from the start and it only seemed to be getting stronger, binding her to him in a way she couldn’t explain. Did she want him to kiss her? Usually, her mind weighed the consequences of any of her decisions within seconds, but right then, all she could think of was him. Them. Right now."

I can't wait to share the whole story with you!

What Are You Reading?

I've been reading Mimi Matthews' new book, Appointment in Bath. It's a good story and features characters from previous books that I loved. Have you ever read any of her books?

What book are you reading this week?

Mission Impossible 7

Image credit IMDB

We went to see Mission Impossible 7 tonight. It was action-packed and so fun! A really intelligent story and definitely worth seeing. But there was one part that I really didn't love and I'm dying to talk to someone about it! 

I'm going to put a few of my thoughts here, but it is a major spoiler so if you haven't seen the movie DO NOT read further.

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Don't do it. Don't spoil yourself! LOL

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Turn away! Last chance!

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In the last two Mission Impossible movies, they've given us a love interest for Ethan in Ilsa Faust. She is his match in every way, she understands his lifestyle, she lives it herself, and she is smart and capable--an action heroine we can admire. Ilsa has great chemistry with Ethan and we've been given little hints of feelings between them, with Luther's little speech on how Ethan's only cared for two women in his life and one was his wife and the other was Ilsa. I really was expecting to see more of that in the new Mission Impossible, but instead, Ilsa's role was greatly reduced, and then she was given a death scene that wasn't worthy of the character she had become. 

I really have a hard time when writers just kill off a love interest to add more pain to the hero and I expected better. It's really just lazy writing. And Ethan could barely mourn her before he was back with the new girl, coddling her through the mission. It was suggested to me that Grace, the new girl, is the replacement love interest, but I just don't see it. He seemed like more of a mentor to her and I personally didn't see any romantic sparks there at all. She looked too young for him, in my opinion, and the fact that he asked her over and over if she was okay because she kept doing dumb things, was pretty much the extent of how well she matched Ethan. Sigh. 

I'm so sad about Ilsa, but I'm mostly sad about the lost potential her character had. I get that the show is always trying to show how Ethan loses the women in his life, but I really thought the writers had a chance to do something different and give us a female heroine worth rooting for that was someone Ethan could count on in his life. So, a great action movie, but I can't get past the bungling of the Ilsa storyline and what a huge loss this truly is for the franchise.