Sarah Holman's Blog, page 19
February 11, 2021
Hope Chest Scavenger Hunt
Welcome to the Hope Chest Scavenger Hunt! This is to celebrate the release this weekend of Fanny’s Hope Chest.
Here’s how to play:
1. Grab the full list of items to search HERE
2. Find the hidden item on each blog (list below)
3. Go to Tangled up in Writing or The Destiny of One and enter the giveaway with your completed list. (see below)
4. Tell your friends about the scavenger hunt
5. Watch to see if your name is drawn on February 16th for 1 of 5 prize packs
Blogs:
Beyond the Literary Horizon
Enter the giveaway HERE
About Fanny’s Hope Chest: How old is too old for a hope chest?
When Ellie starts a new job as a home health aide, she doesn't expect to meet a woman in her eighties looking for her hope chest, nor a house as messy as Ellie's own emotional state. But as she cleans up Fanny's house, she begins to wonder if Fanny's hope chest might hold the answers to her questions about disappointed dreams and holding on to hope.
That is, if she can face both the mess and her own heart.
Get it for $0.99 before the price goes up!
February 5, 2021
Fanny's Hope Chest Oppritunites
I'm very excited about this release. If you want to get it for the special pre-order price, you can grab it HERE.
With the help of Michaela Bush (who writes great books by the way) I'm doing a Hope Chest Scavenger Hunt! We need a couple more bloggers. If you're interested in taking part, leave a comment saying so with your email. I won't publish the comment, but I'll get you in contact with Michaela. 
Another event taking part to celebrate the is the Clean that Room in six Days Challenge. This will be happing on social media primarily, but if you would like to do it on your blog, I would be happy to send you the graphics for it. It should be fun and help accomplish the cleaning of a tough room.
Next week I'm releasing Thirty Days Until Thirty. This is a prequel short story. There's a catch. You need to be subscribed to my newsletter to get it. 
Lastly, I'm looking for ten reviewers for the book. If you are interested in reviewing Fanny's Hope Chest. If you are interested in reviewing this novella by February 14th, let me know.
February 4, 2021
Tough, Normal, or What?
Sometimes, life feels more complicated than you know it should. Of course, my sister, Rose, often teases me that I think I'm trying to be the first Vulcan. For those of you who have not watched Star Trek, this is an alien race that puts aside all emotion and are determined to be ruled only by logic. There is some truth to this. I often think I shouldn't feel things as keenly as I do and often don't even realize how much I'm pushing my feelings aside.
Why am I bringing this up? Life is in a steady rhythm right now. Work, writing, home, and everyday life. In one way, things are pretty normal. Yet, on one level, the last couple of weeks have been hard. Today, was the fifth day in a row I've had a headache for the majority of the day. It's also been a time when some of my dearest friends are struggling or lives are changing. Sometimes, that causes me to feel emotional, even though I call myself names for it.
Here is a look at some of what the last few weeks have held for me.
My study of the Pslams has been balm for my soul, as well as convicting. I'm currently in Pslam 4 while I'm working to memorize Psalm 3. It has meant a lot to me. I studied it last week when I was feeling down and it fit how I felt so perfectly. 
This prayer journal and card arrived from a friend Jessica unexpectedly. It was a late Christmas gift and I'm already using the prayer journal in the mornings.
Mikayla gave me Pride and Peppermint tea and a candle called "A Day with Mr. Darcy" for Christmas. So, we had a Pride and Prejudice tea party. It was lovely
Our family took a trip to the zoo. Of course, I was so busy enjoying the time with them, that I forgot to take many pictures. Oh well, it was very fun. 
Devotional times have been so precious to me of late. I linger as long as my other duties will allow.
We got word that a cousin died of Covid. It hit our family pretty hard. Bob was healthy, strong, and a joy to be around. It also is hard because he's my Mom's age. Again, God timed everything perfectly. It was the same day Sarah Sundin's new book came out. Her books always seem to help me when I'm hurting.
Yes, it is normal for me to have so many tabs open. But the important thing is the paperback version of Fanny's Hope Chest was submitted today. This is the smallest book I've ever had made into a paperback. I finished that this morning and then my headache came back.I'm pretty weary from the headache and all the emotions I've been dealing with for the last couple of weeks. So, I decided to do something I haven't done in a while - I did some crafting for decoration.
But of course, I couldn't stop at one item...
Sometimes, life is tough, yet normal at the same time. I'm grateful that God gives so many good gifts, even when things feel hard. And I'm also grateful that I don't have to face anything alone.
What have you been up to?
February 1, 2021
10 Books for Singles
*This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting this blog*I recently started a bookish sort of journey to discover the best books for singles. You know what I've found? There is a shocking lack of good books in singleness. However, even with that being the case, I found a few gems amidst a lot of coal.
Two of the gems I found were tiny, can be read in one sitting but were precious. Waiting for Isaac by Jessica Greyson is a tiny book, but it is filled with so much encouragement. With her normal straightforward biblical advice, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth's book Singled Out for Him has a lot to chew on.
Maybe you are looking for a more general outlook on singleness? Kingdom Single by Tony Evans has been one of the best general books (though some content is not for younger readers). I love his honesty as a married man on his own limitations, but also his vision for what Christian singleness can be. However, some younger readers or those coming to terms t want to start with Beyond Waiting by Rebekah Snyder. This is a wonderful book about embracing singleness.
Perhaps you are looking for fiction with singles? While not everyone is still single at the end, I adored Emma and the Reasons by Natasha Metzler . It spoke deeply to my soul. Well, the same can be said for the novella Wedding Score by Amanda Tero .
7 Myths of Singleness by Sam Allberry was a gift from my siblings for my birthday. I appreciated seeing this from a guy's perspective. I loved both the affirmation and the call to action in this book. However, nothing beats reading about people who've lived it. Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More by Karen Swallow Prior , while a little dry in places, felt like balm to my soul. Here is the story of a woman of deep faith and moral convictions who changed history (for good) as a single lady. If you want a little more modern Love, Amy by Amy Young is just the thing. While not strictly about singleness, this single woman serving in China was such a blessing.
My absolute favorite, so far, has been Living Whole Without a Better Half by Wendy Widder . The author's skill with words is amazing. Her love of Jesus and her use of scripture is wonderful. I think this is the kind of book you could get a lot out of even if you weren't single.
Do you have a favorite book on singleness?
You're not alone
You aren't alone if you have a fulfilling life but still long for that gold band on your left hand.
You're not alone if you love your life but still feel like there's a missing piece.
You've chosen principles over pleasing your own desires. While it might feel like it, you're not alone.
That friendship you value but it hurts sometimes because you wanted it to be so much more? Dear friend, you're courageous and brave and not alone.
You cry into your pillow and wonder if God's forgotten you, even though you know deep down that He hasn't. You're not alone.
You and wonder if you're the only one who gets angry or discouraged because there isn't that special someone in your life. Let me tell you now, you're not.
You may think that you are alone in your single state, but you are not. There are many of us. You are not alone. Today, let us stand together.
January 25, 2021
* post contains Amazon Affiliate links*Find it on: Goodr...
* post contains Amazon Affiliate links*Find it on: Goodreads | Kindle | Paperback | Audiobook
Age Appropriate For:All Ages
Best for Ages:13 and up for mildly difficult situations.
Description: The Goyer home--with two parents, eight kids, and one eighty-eight-year-old grandmother with dementia--is never without noise, mess, activity, and, often, complaining. And it's not just the kids grumbling. After adding seven children in less than six years through adoption, the Goyer family decided to move out of survival-mode and into unity- and growth-mode. They decided to tackle the impossible: a grumble-free year.
With grade-schoolers, teenagers, and a grandmother who believes children should be seen and not heard, plenty of room exists for flunking the challenge. Add to that seven children being homeschooled together in close quarters, and what could possibly go awry?
In The Grumble-Free Year, the Goyers invite readers into their journey as they go complaint-free and discover what it looks like to develop hearts of gratitude. They share their plans, successes, failures, and all the lessons they learn along the way, offering real-life action steps based in scripture so that readers get not just a front-row seat to the action but also an opportunity to take the challenge themselves and uncover hearts that are truly thankful.
I started listening to this book on Scribd right before the world seemed to start coming apart due to Covid-19. God used the upheaval and this book to address the grumbling that had snuck into my life. This lesson proved even more valuable as I tore my calf muscle and couldn’t walk for a few weeks.
While I don’t have the privilege of being a mom or wife yet, I felt like I could relate to Tricia Goyer easily and quickly. I too like to plan and come up with creative ways to accomplish my goals. I felt like understood how Goyer thought. There were so many moments that I laughed or cringed because I saw myself in what she was doing. Even some of the parenting blunders I could totally see myself doing someday.
Goyer’s honesty about the ups and downs, the victories and defeats made this book a joy to listen to. The narrator brought the story to life and I really felt that I was riding along with her family for the journey.
Aside from the honesty, I think the thing that helped me the most was the chapter on grumbling styles. While it wasn’t a completely new way for me to see it, it was a much-needed refresher course. It helped me to see some things that I really needed to work on.
This book is about one family’s journey to grumble less. It is also a wonderful book that will help spur you on your way to rooting out of your own life. I know it helped me.
I highly recommend this for every Christian who wants to grumble less, enjoys non-fiction written in a personal style, and likes books that you can laugh over and be convicted by.
January 18, 2021
Firmament: No Man by J. Grace Pennington: A Review
Find it on: Goodreads | Kindle | Paperback
Age Appropriate For: 13 and up for violence, mildly scary scenes.
Best for Ages: 13 - 25
Description: She doesn’t have much longer to live.
Losing the last of the radialloy puts Andi’s life in immediate danger and sends her, August, and the Doctor rushing towards the demolished Qandon system in search of more. Their speeder is crippled, a powerful man is desperate to stop them—and they are running out of time.
Meanwhile, Crash has escaped from prison and is hiding somewhere in Hungary, hunted by assassins who have instructions to kill him if Andi and the others don’t return to Earth in one week. The only person on Earth who can help him is Guilders, who very nearly despises him.
Is there more radialloy out there? Can Crash and Guilders make it to safety? And will Andi ever be able to return to the way of life that she loves so much?
This story is exhilarating, heart-breaking, faith-building, tear-jerking, inspiring, and so much more. Do I have your attention? Good. This book, this series, has been a favorite since book one. Not only is this clean sci-fi, it masterful story-telling.
I think Pennington has reached a new level in her writing. While her story-telling abilities have always been great, this book had a new quality to it that just shines. She has always done a wonderful job of pulling emotion out of both her characters and her readers. However, this book just stood out to me as her best at emotion yet.
We get to meet some new characters, most notably to me was Book. While I don’t want to give anything about the plot away, let’s just say I like this very quirky character right from the beginning. I apricated how he handled Andi
Andi herself is not the same girl from book one. In fact, there are a couple of times in this book that she doesn’t act very lovable. However, under the top-secret-I-will-give-no-spoilers circumstances, I think everyone will understand why Andi acts the way she does.
The faith element in this story shines brightly. There is faith and doubt, trust and suspicion, hope and tears. Yet, more than any of the other books in the series yet, faith was the solid foundation for some of the characters. It just goes to show you that when times are tough, that is when our faith shines. Now, not every struggle by every character is tied up with a neat bow. However, this book is encouraging and faith-building while being very honest that it’s hard to trust God at times.
The story took several unexpected twists. I had a serious book hangover. I was grateful my sister had read it two days before me because we were able to console each other. Yet, even though part of this book was sad, it still was very satisfying.
I highly recommend it to those who enjoy clean sci-fi stories, solid YA fiction, and stories that keep you guessing.
January 16, 2021
My Favorite Reading apps and Resources
Have you made a reading goal this year? Maybe you've made a big one and aren't quite sure how you're going to make it. Today, I'm sharing my favorite apps and resources that help me meet my ambitious reading goals.
Of course, it will probably come as no surprise to you that I love my Amazon Kindle. I read almost half of my books on it. Some on my Kindle Fire, and others on the app for my phone. However, Kindle has a few additional features that have made it such a huge part of my reading. A) All the available free ebooks. I especially use it to read classics that Kelsey and I read each month. Whether old or new, free books and samples make this really useful. B) Ebooks tend to be cheaper which is a blessing since I'm forever buying more books.
C) Perhaps my favorite treat for myself is Kindle Unlimited . I subscribe regularly and read a lot of books by authors I love, and new to me authors. You can get your first month free here .
Of course, my Kindle is far from the only thing I use. I've really fallen in love with audiobooks. Perhaps it is because I can listen as I work on chores and feel like I'm reading and driving at the same time. My favorite app for audiobooks, just for ease of use is Audible . Over the years, I've collected quite a few titles in my library, and they even have books you can listen to free as part of your subscription now! You can get a free month here .
As for audiobooks, I made a discovery last year that helped me kill my reading goal. Scribd has both audiobooks and ebooks you can read all for a flat fee a month. I listened and tried so many audiobooks and ebooks through them. I didn't own any of them at the end, but it was great. Because I'm a member, you can follow this link and get two free months to try it out and see how you like it. It does have a limit on the number of audiobooks you can read in a month, and that seems to fluctuate. I hit the limit some months and others I had plenty to spare.
Would you like something that is totally and completely free ? Librivox has thousands of volunteer read, old books. The quality varies, but I've used this often and have enjoyed many productions. I love using the app on my phone for this.
Lastly, to keep track of all my books and where they are in my room, I've used the Android app My Library which is free and completely ad-free. However, I just started using the Handy Library app because I love how visual it is. I'll probably switch between these two for a while.
Of course, Goodreads remains a favorite of mine for all things reading. If you're on, feel free to friend me.
What are your favorite reading apps and resources?
January 15, 2021
Pre-order Fanny's Hope Chest
*Post contains Amazon affiliate links*
Pre-order your copy HERE.
Add it to Goodreads HERE.
I still have a few slots open for the launch team. You can apply HERE.
Are you excited? I know I am.
January 14, 2021
We Got Snow!
While most of my year so has been work on books but we has something I've never seen in Texas...
Three inchs of snow
Our snowy wood
Selfies with the snow
Mom and Rebekkah walking in the snow
More selfies with the snow
Our snow lady
And yet another selfie in the snow
Powdery snow on the tree
Family (minus our brother who wasn't here)How as the start of your year been?
