Sarah Holman's Blog, page 119

Writing Saturday: O is for Offer

What does you book have to offer to the world? 
Adventure?
Humor? Source
A Deep Character?[image error] Via Pinterest 
Romance? Source
Hours of Reading Pleasure? Source

A Plot that will send them back to The Book?[image error] via Pinterest

So, what is your book offer? It is something worth thinking about.  The answer might help you strengthen your story and make it better.  Whatever it is, don’t stop writing

The Rest of the Convention

I realized that I never finished my post of the GOP convention.  Mainly because on Friday, I stayed at the convention center with everyone else working on the party platform.  That was exhausting, but fun.


On Saturday I met up with two very sweet girls. Michelle and I had a great time walking around the vendors. Brittney and I went to TeenPact together in 2006.  We haven't seen each other in a while so it was fun to catch up. 


It was a great convention.  I can't wait to do it again in two years.


Rep. John Carter and me

Writing Saturday: N is for Notorious

I am busy working on editing the first book in a series, a series of medieval stories, each of which starts with a letter of the alphabet.  I am currently working on Adventures and Adversities but I wanted to share with the plot of a future book. Normal and Notorious

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Their family is a member of a hated people called the Mortens'. The followers of Morten generations before are still outcasts and hated.  When her mother and father are given the chance to make a better life, they must leave their two oldest daughters behind.  After they leave the two daughters Anna and Maggie (names to be changed) start working at a very rich persons house.  Maggie finds love in an unexpected place, a middle aged neighbor with three children.  When she weds him, Anna tries to stay close, but not scene, but she is caught by watching by, John.  John arrangers for her to become his sister’s maid, so she can be closer to what is going om.  Over the next month, John finds he is falling for Anna but both families are set against it.  His because she is a Morten, hers because of pride. 

Writing Saturday: M is for Music

When writing I always like to have music going.  Here are some of my favorite albums to listen to listen by my type of writing.Action





Normal and Gentle


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Any classical music

More GOP

Another great day at the convention.  I met the Grubb Family (I don't have the picture), and met up with the family that started my interest into this whole political thing.
Me and Elizabeth
I heard some great speakers and am ready to get some sleep and rest up for tomorrow.

Here I am again!

This weekend I am at the Texas Republican State Convention!  This is my fourth  here is me with my badges.
First time as a delegate...

My favorite badge to wear!
Check back for more pictures tomorrow!

Writing Saturday: L is for Light

We live in a world full of darkness. The most popular books of our time are more often dark themes. Death, violence, bitterness, hate, witchcraft, anger, and evil are the focus of the story, even if it is redeemed in the end.  Even the Christian books are influenced by this.  They think that tacking on a redeeming end makes up for all the darkness of the book. Dear fellow authors, we need to be the light.  Our books can deal with hard, or even evil things but the light should always be there.  We need to make sure that the focus of our books remains on the light and what is good.
Let us encourage one another not to give in to popular demand and take a stand against the darkness.  Are you with me?

The Cry of My Heart

This is from one of my new favorite album, The Story

Book Review: The Messenger

From the back cover: Hannah Sunderland felt content in her embrace of the Quaker faith ...until her twin brother ran off and joined the army and ended up captured and in jail. Suddenly Hannah's world turns on end. She longs to bring her brother some measure of comfort in the squalid, frigid prison where he remains. But the Quakers believe they are not to take sides, not to take up arms. Can she sit by and do nothing while he suffers?
Jeremiah Jones has an enormous task before him. Responsibility for a spy ring is now his, and he desperately needs access to the men in prison, whom they are seeking to free. A possible solution is to garner a pass for Hannah. But while she is fine to the eye, she holds only disdain for him--and agreeing would mean disobeying those she loves and abandoning a bedrock of her faith.
Are you tired of the books that go like this?Pretty and sweet girl meets handsome rough who is not at Christian. Guy gets sweet girl to realize her fanatical beliefs are silly.  Girl still loves God, but tosses most of her beliefs.  Handsome Rouge comes to Christ making everything okay.
Yup, I get tired of that story too.  How come we swoon over it in the books and movies and then are horrified when our daughters, sisters, and friends do it. Well, this is a happy exception to the rule while still keeping some of the elements that make that kind of a story line appealing.
Hannah is not just a Quaker because her parents are, she truly believes in most of the principles that they have. She tries to obey and honor her father even when it is hard.  My favorite conviction that she has, and she sticks to the whole book, was that she will not tell a lie.  Even though there are many times when a ‘little white lie’ or a ‘half-truth’ would have saved her a lot of pain, Hannah refuses to do it.
Some parents may not like the fact that Hannah does avoid telling her parents what she is doing.  Also at one point in the book they do paint her father in a bad light, making him sound crazy for his beliefs.  However, I found it very real.  Sometimes, fathers are wrong just like everyone else.  I didn’t find it a problem, though I thought some parents might want a heads up.
For those who don’t like heavy romance books, you might want to check this book out. Yes, Jeremy and Hannah do end up liking each other.  Yes, there are a few romantic moments, but it wasn’t overdone.  I also believe (unless I missed it somehow) that they didn’t kiss, unless you count the one he gave her on the temple.  No, it wasn’t even in a romantic scene.
I loved the setting!  I felt like I was living in the middle of the British occupation of Philadelphia. Siri Mitchell has a way of conveying the mood of not only her main characters, but the mood of a city.  Even during the light-hearted scenes, you can feel the tension that the British occupation causes.  I can’t wait to get my hands on another of her books.
I highly recommend this book to anyone 15 or older.  Younger than that, parents might want to read it first, because of a couple things that happened. However, I thought the author handled it very well. Grab a copy here, today.
I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.  I was under no obligation to write a positive review.  The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

Thank You!

I saw these on Facebook and I wanted to add them all together to say on big...
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Thank you to the men and women who died so I can sit here and write whatever I want to.  God bless their families who still living with pain, so I can be free!
Thank You!May we never forget what you have done