Sarah Holman's Blog, page 17

2022?

 

Today is the first day of the new year. For some of us, we are hoping that this is a fresh start after a rotten year. Some of us wonder if this year can possibly be as good as the last one. While others are too numb or exhausted to care what happens.
I always like making goals and plans for the new year. I find it fun, exciting, and invigorating. Yet, the older I get, the harder it is to make those plans. I know how quickly they can fall apart, for good, bad, or neutral reasons. So why bother?
My dear friend, I want you to know that God has amazing plans for you this year. I don't know what they are, and sadly, I cannot guarantee you that they will feel good. I personally have gone through some years where I could not wait for them to end. I know that feeling, and I know that God uses them for our good.
This year may look daunting to you, or it might look like a grand adventure. You might be sitting, looking at your phone screen, not even caring that the calendar flipped, too numb to feel anything. No matter what, I want you to set aside your phone, computer, or whatever device you are reading this on and grab paper and a pen. Write the following down and let it sink into your soul.
2022God is holding this year and has big plans for me in itGod is holding me and won't leave me this yearGod has good things for me this yearI am feeling (insert your feeling here) about 2022. Yet no matter what this year holds, I know the One who holds this year.

Let's all help each other remember this truth in the coming days and weeks.

2021: What a Year!

January first, we all sat in the living room talking about changes. Scott was my best friend and I could tell a lot was on his mind when he said that he knew that this coming year, he was going to face a lot. 

That day, I watched my sister Rose struggle with purpose after a year of door after door getting slammed in her face. She had been passionately trying to pursue the good works God set before her yet nothing seemed to be going right.

I felt so stuck but prayed that I would know what I needed to do to change. It was so odd because I prayed and I kept feeling like I was exactly where I was supposed to be, but still felt like I was in a holding pattern. My word for the year was courage. I knew I would need it. My biggest challenge to myself was to courageously reclaim the joy.

I was grateful to throw myself into the release of Fanny's Hope Chest. It was a story I had put more of my heart into than any project for a while. It took more courage than I thought it would to send it to readers for the first time. I wasn't sure I was going to deal well with negative reviews. 

"Will you trust me with this?" It's a question that God asks us often if we are listening. Not audibly, but when we are trying to hold tight to something we love. As February rolled around, I knew God was asking me again if I would trust Him with the friendship outside the family I valued most. Not going to lie here and say I was in a place of peaceful surrender, because I wasn't. I was filling my days with projects and telling God that it would tear me to pieces to lose my friendship with Scott, but I knew He would hold me and put me back together.

February sixth, instead of the friendship ending, I found myself in a relationship with my best friend. I did tell Scott it was very, very hard to promote a book about singleness in the first glow of a new relationship. He smiled. 

Oh, and yeah, we had two SNOW stormes in Texas. If we get snow, it's kind of a weird dusting. But this year, we got four-plus inches. It was crazy!

It wasn't just me that saw changes happen for this year. I watched my sister Rose find her open door. Rose has done training with Youth with a Mission and is on track to continue serving with them and possibly joining the staff. You can follow her journey HERE.

As if being in a relationship with my best friend wasn't enough, I also got to see God answer some other long-time prayers of my family. I saw relationships be restored that I had given up on. There were so many happy tears, long hugs, and words that healed spoken. Because it's not my story, I can't share a lot, but I was overwhelmed this summer with God's good gifts.

And then I got engaged. 

Scott and I decided to get married before Rose left the country on a mission trip which locked us into a short engagement. Since neither of us wanted a fancy wedding, that was fine with us. I can honestly say that while there were a couple of stressful moments, I genuinely enjoyed planning the wedding and preparing for it.

Getting to spend the holidays married was pretty amazing since both families made such an effort to include us in their celebration. 

It's been an amazing year. I can't wait to see what God has for us next. 

Reviewer and Blogger Opportunities

 

As Long As I Belong novella launch

I'm so excited to be releasing As Long as I Belong in time for Thanksgiving this year! I and a few of the authors who were part of A Very Bookish Thanksgiving last year are promoting the release of our individual stories. You can can be part of the lunch team for my story and the others. 

Sign up HERE

Christmas with Taelis

This is a unique opportunity for you to review an audiobook and then give it away to your readers. You can request up to four audiobooks to be reviewed in the first part of December. 

Sign up HERE

Book Review: Brought to Book by Barbara Cornthwaite

 Find it on: Goodreads | Kindle | Paperback 

Age Appropriate For:15 and up for violence (including a non-graphic murder), romantic decisions, a child abuse discussed.

Best for Ages:18 and up

Description:  There's nothing in Emily Post about dealing with murder. Katrina just wanted to spend time among the books at Frank's Bookstore. Yes, that's an unimaginative name for a store, but Frank's an unimaginative guy--or he was. Now he and his murder are the reason Katrina is spending her spare time with Wilkester detective, Todd Mason. Or, that's what she tells herself.

Why would anyone want to kill Frank Delaney? Who would do it? And is Katrina herself even safe?

Mixing faith, literary humor, sweet romance, and a cozy mystery that will keep you guessing, Barbara Cornthwaite's first Wilkester Mystery has everything you want for a cozy read.

Begin your investigation of Brought to Book today.

When I saw that Gretchen Louise read this book and gave it five stars, I knew I had to take a peek. I was drawn into the description and by the cover. I borrowed it on Kindle Unlimited.

Cornthwaite’s skill really impressed me. It’s been a while since I read a book that was so well researched as well as written with such a fresh voice. Not only that, but the story, characters, and structure were simply some of the best done I’ve read. On skills alone, Cornthwaite gets high marks from me.

I personally related to Katrina on many levels. I also am an older single, love reading, and struggle with some of the same things she does. She is a refreshingly different kind of main character. She is smart, funny, in her early forties, strong Christian, and not bitter about life. She is so real and also the kind of Christian I want to emulate, without being perfect. If you haven’t guessed it, I was totally drawn in by her character.

The mystery aspect of this book was unique enough that it didn’t feel like the same thing I’d read a hundred times. It was well-researched, realistic, and also moved along fast enough to keep me interested. The mystery kept me flipping pages that’s for sure.

The romance was another breath of fresh air. I won’t spoil it too much but let me say it was nice to have a couple with realistic struggles that weren’t too weird, no dark secrets, and appropriate boundaries. My favorite part was how they were both strong Christians. I’m not saying agree with every aspect in what I would do, but I have to say that the romance was another area that made me want to read more like this from this author.

Speaking of Christianity, Katrina and her friends love Jesus and put Him first in their lives. Some of them have flaws but don’t we all. I loved that in times of struggle, they pressed into Jesus instead of blaming Him. Katrina has struggled in her career as a professor because of her faith but was willing to make the sacrifice, one of her married friends fosters kids with a lot of baggage because of their faith.

As a whole, I have to say this will definitely make the top 10 list this year. When you consider that I will have read over 200 books this year, that says a lot. I will be following this author from here out.

I highly recommend those looking for superbly written Christian fiction, mysteries, and refreshing female characters. 

Fiction while in a Relationship

*post contains Amazon affiliate links*

When I started courting/dating Scott (we never were sure exactly what to call it), I almost stopped reading. I mean seriously, all the other love stories out there seemed to pale in comparison to ours. Non-fiction was hard because most of the books on relationships people tried to give us just really didn’t fit us (more on that later). 

However, today I thought I might share with you the fiction books I read during this time and loved. 

Love, Paris by Natasha Metzler This was the first fiction I had read after Scott told me he loved me. Just like Emma and the Reasons, Metzler delivered a seriously rich novel with realistic characters that pull you in. This book wasn't easy to read (my full review is coming soon) but it was powerful. It was just the thing to get me reading again.

After this, I got back into reading, but mostly audiobooks so that I could work on wedding stuff or play a game to relax while reading the book. I used Scribd, my favorite service for being able to listen to a lot of audiobooks without breaking the bank. 

The Librarian of Boone's Hollow by Kim Vogel Sawyer.  Kate Forbes did a wonderful job narrating this book. It was a gentle story, the kind you can enjoy without feeling emotionally drained at the end. Sawyer is a solid author and I look forward to reading more by her. 

Things We Didn't Say by Amy Lynn Green. This book... I don't even know where to start. Even though it's been months, this is one of those books that was so good and touched me so much that I just want to gush about it. It was told completely through letters, which I loved. I really need to write a proper review for it. Green is a new favorite.

Right around the wedding, I went on a Alcott kick. As I wrapped up wedding details. I lisened to Barbara Caruso read Little Women, Little Men, Jo's Boys, Eight Cousins, and Rose in Bloom. Caruso is a talented narrator revisiting these stories are all dear and close to my heart.

What have you been reading?

A Strand of Hope by Amanda Tero

*post contains Amazon affilate links*

Find it on: Goodreads | Kindle | Paperback | Audiobook

Age Appropriate For: 10 and up (for some thematic elements)

Best for Ages: 12-25

Description:  Journey with a horseback librarian into the hidden crevices of Kentucky mountains. Feel her pain as she struggles not only to barely make ends meet but as she also attempts to connect the pieces of her own life while her mom continues to make selfish decisions.

Lena Davis is the daughter her mom never wanted.

But she survived. Through stories. Because books didn’t judge. Books weren’t angry she was alive. Books never expected her to be anything but who she was.

As she grows up, her beloved library becomes her true home. So when the library is designated part of President Roosevelt’s Packhorse Library Project, Lena is determined to get the job of bringing books to highlanders, believing she’ll finally be free of her mom forever.

But earning the trust of highlanders is harder than she imagined, and her passion for books might not be enough to free her from her chains.

I was very excited about this series. I mean, it was such a fun historical concept. I’m happy to say that Amanda Tero did an amazing job developing her characters, historical setting, and also getting a message that had some real impact.

Lena is a character that I intently felt I both understood and wanted to protect. True, I don’t live in a situation anything like Lena, but she reacted much like I suspect I would. I felt like her character depth and how she grows with the story shows also how Tero is progressing as a writer. Lena was not as flat as some of her characters have been.

Tero did a great job in this story with balancing being realistic, without giving a lot of unnecessary detail. It’s obvious that Lena’s mother leads a pretty sinful lifestyle and is verbally abusive to her daughter. Yet, it’s written in a way that a young person can read it and understand most of what is going on without feeling dirty. 

Book lovers will enjoy not only the refinances to libraries and books, but also get a glimpse into this interesting program from the ’30s. Roosevelt’s Packhorse Library Project I feel, from my limited knowledge, was shown well. The challenges, as well as joys, are shown. 

While a shorter book, Tero still managed to have a powerful and well-executed message. I felt like the ending was beautiful, realistic, and showed the love and forgiveness of Christ in a way many people can relate to. 

I highly recommend this book for teens, those who enjoy historical fiction, and anyone interested in the packhorse librarians. 

This is us: Engagement photos

It’s odd to think that I’ve been married a little over a month. Odd because it feels both new and like this is the way things have always been. 

I’m still waiting for the wedding pictures, but I thought I would share some of the photos that Christina Hastings took for our engagement.

Yeah, we had a lot of fun. 

Song Sunday: I Surrender All

A while back. I shared a song each Sunday that I loved. I decided that it was time to bring that back. I’m starting with a hymn I’ve talked about recently and that means a lot to Scott and me. 

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Transitions and Trees

 

Transitioning to married life has been easier than I ever thought it could be. That is mostly due to marrying the godliest man I’ve met who also already happened to be my best friend. The hardest transition has been going from being a lifelong country girl, half an hour from the closest store to being dropped into the middle of one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation (and with two grocery stores five minutes away).
This afternoon, I sat down to write outside, enjoying the wind and building clouds. But outside, the noise of the traffic distracted and unsettled me. I had to move back inside and take a few minutes of listening to gentle music before I could attempt again. I decided I would start with a blog post. Yet, even as I acknowledge how difficult the transplanting has been, I’m looking at one of the gifts God gave me that I didn’t even ask for.
Trees.
Out of every window I can open in my apartment, there are big, beautiful trees. Back in August, when I opened the windows as Scott showed me around the apartment the first time  I nearly cried for joy. Trees out of every window while most of the apartments in the complex look out at the other buildings. As I look at them, I feel a little more at home. It’s like God places a little bit of the beloved forest from home right here out my window so could watch them in the wind and be inspired to write. 
Over the next couple of weeks, I’m going to share with you some glimpses into my life now that I’m married including a tour of the apartment, what the biggest challenges were for the wedding, and lots of pictures. But today, today I just wanted to share with you about transitions and trees. 
Maybe you are going through a time of transition yourself, one where you’re having to give up a lot of things that you love in order to accomplish a goal, reach for a dream, and/or follow Jesus. What you are gaining might not be as fun as a new husband, or with as clear-cut goals as establishing a marriage. In fact, many transitions come with a lot of giving up without clear benefits.
I’ve been there before.
But today, lets each of us look around and see the gifts that God has placed in our paths. Perhaps it’s the trees, perhaps it’s a hot cup of tea, maybe it’s the person next to you, or maybe it’s the information you need to take a step forward.
Look for the gifts in the midst of transition.

Here We Go

 

A couple weeks ago, Scott and I were looking over a note I wrote about a year ago. It was one I had tried to forget I wrote because it was one that hurt to write. On that piece of paper, I had, once again, handed God all my hopes and feelings for Scott and said that I would be grateful for our friendship and not expect more. Scott and I read this together, sitting on the couch holding hands.

It hit me hard that, one year ago, I thought I might have to give up my close friendship with Scott. A year later, we are planning a wedding together. It made my heart ache with the happiness and the joy of it all and also filled with gratitude. 

Mom and I booked a venue for my wedding. We have a pastor, we have the place, and have each other. Invites are about to go out for our September 12th Wedding. It's getting so real! 
This season isn't just about us getting married either. God has been working to restore relationships our family has prayed about for years. This time is full of planning, full of joy, full of hope. My days are filled with planning, connecting with the people in my life, and building a strong foundation for my future life.



Because of all this, I've decided that I'm going to put a lot of my online life on pause until November. I'll post a little on social media through August, but I plan to spend all of September through part of November with social apps off my phone and be completely focused on the people around me, the wedding, and then my new marriage.
I know this can be a scary time for readers. Some of you are probably wondering if I'll ever finish the Kate's Case Files series, or come out with another book. Let me assure you that while yes, writing has taken a back seat, Scott and I are already making plans to make my writing a priority.  He wants me to write and finish the series as much as any of my readers.
If you would like to see our wedding website, you can go HERE.
I'm going to miss you all, but I'll be back. 
Love,Sarah