Sarah Holman's Blog, page 27

Spring Planning for Writers

Spring cleaning is a great idea for writers too! Here are some tips for spring planning for writers.
1. Assess your goals for the year. Did you bite off more then you can chew? Adjust your plans now be realistic.
2. Sit down with your calendar and writing goals. Take the time to divide up the work for each day, at least for a month in advance.
3. Have an idea that's going to need some research? Pick one book every month to read for that project to start preparing. 
4. Are you going to need editing? Consulting? Cover design? Go ahead and contact someone and reserve a slot. Most editor and cover designers will do this. This also helps to make sure that even if they get busy, you already have a spot.
5. Life gets busy. Make sure that you are taking the time to write, even if that means you rearrange your schedule some or have to say no to some things.
6. Remember that God is writing your story, so even the best-laid plans might not happen.
If you wrote another tip for this list, what would it be?

Emma and the Reasons by Natasha Metzler: A Book Review

Find it on: Goodreads | Kindle | Paperback Age Appropriate For:15 and up for romance and some discussion of severe child abuseBest for Ages:18 and up
Description:  There are three things you should know about Emma Cohen.1. She’s single and has been for a very long time.2. There are reasons why she’s chosen to live quietly in her hometown without pursuing marriage in any way.3. She has two roommates who are also single with reasons of their own.Which, of course, is why their married friends gave them the nickname “the Reasons”.But something is changing, and men are coming out of the woodwork, and all three of the Reasons are starting to question if their reasons really are enough to withstand the onslaught–and when in the world did their “married friends” turn into their “matchmaking friends”?
Excuse me while I gush about this book.
Wow! Wow! Wow! When I said I wanted some books about singles, this is what I was talking about! This is not about pathetic, sniffling single girls. Nor is this about man-hating, women-can-do-it-better-alone girls. This story is about three girls pursuing godly singleness. Not all of them are married/in-relationships in the end.
I read the prequel, so I had been given a taste of what to expect in this book. However, this was so, so much better. Did I agree with every choice the characters made? Nope. In fact, I raised my eyebrows a couple of times and wanted to explain a couple of things to Emma and the others. However, part of the charm was that they were imperfect and made mistakes, yet wanted to live their lives for Jesus.
The faith element really stands out in this book in the best way. Emma and her friends each are perusing to live their lives for Jesus. I love how important was in their lives it was, and how authentic that felt thought the whole book. It wasn’t thrown in for show, it was an important part of each character. They each displayed it in different ways, but each loved Jesus.
There was romance in this story, but it was unpredictable in the best kind of way. While I didn’t always agree with how Emma or the other girls chose to do things, it was clear they always wanted to honor God. I had no idea who would get with who until towards the end. I was pleasantly surprised by several twists and turns and wanted to give a standing ovation a couple of times. Can you tell I like the book?
If it isn’t obvious, I highly recommend this book for single girls, those looking for faith-filled fiction, and unpredictable yet satisfying endings.

Snippet Saturday: It All Started When

“I don’t know how I would have been able to do this without you, Kate.”Kate glanced up from her computer at Ingrid, the administrator of the college and her boss. “I’m glad I could help. Besides, I don’t have any studying to do tonight.”Ingrid patted her on the shoulder. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay? You have already worked so much tonight.”“Positive. Have a good night, Ingrid.”“See you tomorrow. Remember, the security company is starting the renovations tomorrow, so you won’t be able to use the tunnels.”Kate simply nodded. It was the twentieth time Ingrid had reminded her. She knew that for sure because she had been counting. “I’ll remember. Are you ready for your trip?”Ingrid smiled and then picked her amber purse off the worn particleboard desk. “Oh, yes. I’ll do the last of my packing tonight so I’m ready to leave tomorrow evening after work. See you tomorrow.”Kate waved her goodbye with one hand and kept typing with the other. The dinosaur of a computer went so slow that there were a couple seconds of delay between her typing and the letters appearing on the screen. She stopped typing and waited for the word processor to catch up with her. She was glad that new computers would be installed as part of the new security upgrades.“Come on,” she muttered as the letters she had typed slowly appeared on the screen. She had to finish entering the transfer student’s information before she could go back to her dorm. Finally, the last word appeared and she dropped her finger on the keyboard to add a period.“There, all done.” Kate put the computer to sleep and turned off the desk lamp, leaving only the dim overhead lights on. Grabbing her jacket and her badge, she walked quickly over to the elevator. She was ready to curl up in front of the TV for an hour or so before going to bed. She didn’t have to study or work the rest of the week, giving her a rare chance just to relax.The elevator creaked open, and Kate hopped in and pressed the button for the basement level. She hoped that her roommate, Siri, was either in bed or out partying. The girl thought of nothing but boys and parties – never about academics – and usually pestered Kate to help her. Kate hoped for a few minutes of peace before she had to go to sleep.The elevator doors shuddered, then wearily opened onto the subterranean office area. Kate took a deep breath and shivered. Not only did the heater not do a great job of heating the basement, but it was creepy down there at night. In the hallway, there were only a couple of bare bulbs widely spaced to light the way.Kate put on her jacket as she walked hurriedly forward. Smack!“Man!” Kate rubbed the sore spot on her head and glanced at the pillar she had just collided with. She rolled her eyes and, sidestepping the obstacle, continued on her way. How did she manage to hit that pillar about twice a week? She knew the reason, but being a klutz when it came to walking was not easy to admit, especially for the line of work she was pursuing.

My Heath and Fitness Routine

Keeping healthy can be hard. I've posted on Instagram a few times about things I do to stay healthy and people have seemed interested in more details. So, here you are.

First, I guess it's important to understand my basic ideas behind health and fitness.
1. Health and fitness should be important, but never become an obsession/idol
2. We live in a broken world and I won't be healthy all the time, no matter what I do.
3. Health and fitness should not be ignored, it's an important part of serving God.
4. Emotional and spiritual health are part of my physical health.

Without further ado, here is my daily health and fitness routine.

First thing in the morning:
~ I wake up (usually I have an alarm that goes off at 7am) and try to start the day by prayer. Before I even open my eyes, I praise God for who He is and surrender the day to him.
~ Read in my Bible
~ Get dressed (this includes my fitness watch)
~ Exercise
Now, when it comes to exercise, this varies a lot. Right now, I'm pretty tired do to all the changes and effort it's taking to heal my arm. I do all the exercises that my PT has given me, plus some mornings I walk. My mom and I take a walk almost every nice morning. About three times a week, I try to run. As I said, that hasn't been happening, but part of a good fitness routine in my mind is one that can be flexible, but still keep you accountable.
I take some vitamins every day:

I started taking vitamin B complex daily in my teens and saw a huge boost in my energy levels. I take it as well as try to work dark greens (mostly in the form of salad) into my diet almost every day. Some days, I don't get all my vitamins taken, but this one I try never to miss. 
I have a weaker immune system so I take C every day to help boost it. I also like to squeeze lime juice into my water. If you couldn't tell, I try to make sure I'm getting my vitamins from my food, not just supplements. 
We recently discovered our family tends to struggle with having a very low D count. So, I've started adding a small amount of D as well as working harder to get out in the sun more.

When my family is sick, or I feel like my immune system is struggling, I also take Apple Cider Vinegar tablets. I drank some for a while *gag*, but this is an easier way I can make sure I get this down.  I will still drink the real stuff if I'm sick but...yeah...it's pretty gross.
I suffer from allergies quite a bit. While I do things like nasal rinsing to naturally deal with some of the effects, Allegra helps a lot with my symptoms. If it's really bad, I also use Nasacort. 
With that my day starts. Throughout the day, I try to make sure I stay active. I have a goal to walk 10,000 steps. I don't make that a lot of days, but that goal does make me get up and walk when sometimes I would be tempted to stay sitting. 

Last summer, I started using the Lose It! App to track my foods. I knew that I didn't have a healthy relationship to food, but wasn't sure I would really stick to any diet. So, calorie tracking seemed like the best way to go.  Not only am I eating better, but over the course of the almost none months I've been using it, I've lost fifteen pounds. Slow and steady progress is what is best and my eating habits are changing. I've had bad weeks, I have fun days every couple of months that I just don't even think about the count, but this has really helped keep me on track and eating better.
Also, in line with spiritual and emotional fitness, I pray a lot throughout the day, often as I go about my tasks. I also listen almost exclusively to Christian music and read Christian books. While these are not rules everyone needs to follow, I know that I have to make sure that my mind is being filled with the right sort of messages. I also try to make sure I'm reading a lot more then I'm watching movies.
Another thing I do all through the day is to drink a lot of water. My mom is big on hydration and I'm becoming more like her every day. While sometimes it isn't easy, I've found it's very important to me staying healthy. As plain water can get boring after a while, I often squeeze lime juice into mine or drink iced tea. Contrary to what many people think, iced tea, especially if it is not super strong, is hydrating (just don't put sugar in it).
When I'm curled up in bed for the night, one of the things I've worked on a lot this year is making sure my mind stays on true, pure, and good things as I drift off to sleep. I try applying a lot of what I learned in reading Loving God With All Your Mind.
That's about it for now. I hope you enjoyed getting a peek into my health and fitness routine. What are some of the things that are part of yours?

Tips for writing about real places

In writing the Kate's Case Files series, I've learned a lot about writing about real places. I still am learning, but I thought I'd pass on a couple of tips to you, my fellow storytellers.

Talk to someone who has lived there. There is nothing like having an inside source. I've been blessed to have found people for each location that I've discussed who have lived at least for a time in each location. Author Facebook groups can be a great resource for this. 
Use street names and location names. In both Kate's Case Files and in A Different Kind of Courage, street names and names of parks and landmarks helped to keep people rooted in the place. It's also a way of making it feel authentic. I mean, think about how often you use street names or the names of common landmarks in your day to day speech. 
Keep in mind the visitor vs, native mentality. Whenever you are writing about a location, you need to know if your character is a visitor or a native. That is going to drastically change how they perceive things. I don't often visit tourist sites in my home area. Also, if you're not from an area and having someone who is a native to draw on is really helpful.

Stay positive or make it up. If you are going to mention a real place/business, stay positive or make up a name. You don't want to be sued for slander.

What is a location you would love to write about?

Follow the Dawn by by Rachelle Rea Cobb: A Book Review

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Find it on: Goodreads | Kindle | Paperback Age Appropriate For:13 and up for mild romance and mild verbal abuseBest for Ages:15 and up
Description: Anna Emory grew up the invisible, shy younger sister, and she prefers it that way. But when her father attempts to arrange an unsavory marriage, Anna learns that courage is sometimes found in adversity. Then she meets a boy and his father struggling in their relationship, and they tip her quiet world upside down. Captain Mathieu Tudder has run from responsibility, entrusting his young son’s care to another and devoting his Sea Beggar ship to the Dutch Revolution. After that cause fails, Tudder returns to England for the son he left behind. But his son seems to have given his heart to a unknown and quiet lady—a woman who reminds him of all he’s ever loved and lost. Will these two hearts—the battle-scarred and the broken—ever find true freedom?
I’ve been very honored to read Cobb’s books for a long time now. I knew that she had something special from the first time I read a daft of one of her stories. I adored the Steadfast Love Series and I was very excited to hear about this book, which is related but stands alone. I had high expectations going into this book, but those expectations were surpassed. This book is amazing!
Once again, Cobb brings her lyrical writing to this story. Her style reminds me of Rosanna White, yet it is very much her own. It’s beautiful to read and make you want to gush over every page. The descriptions are vivid and the emotions spill out of the book directly into your heart.
Anna and Tudder both are such dynamic characters with real struggles. Anna has panic attacks and has trouble speaking sometimes. Tudder is impatient and has a bit of a temper. Yet, they both also love God and allow Him to work in their lives. As they grow throughout the story, it was like a personal victory because I felt like they were my friends.
The story is hard to describe, it isn’t very suspenseful, but it also makes you want to keep flipping pages. There isn’t a lot of kissing or physical attraction described, yet the romance pulls at your heart and makes you cheer. I really felt like I entered these characters' victories and sorrows with them.
I highly recommend this book to those who love sweet romance stories, historical fiction novels, and those that would like to see their favorite characters for the Steadfast Love Series again.
I received a copy of this book for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. All the opinions are entirely my own.

March is for spring cleaning, heath, and Kate Case Files

Can you believe it's March already? I know I can't! However, I'm really excited to share with you the plans that I have for this month. Plans that I've been working on for a while. Here are some things that you can look forward to this month:
On the blog:In honor of Saint Patty's day, we will be celebrating the Kate's Case Files series all month. For those who are confused, Patrick's nickname is Saint Patty so...There are going to be a lot of cleaning and organizing tip postsI'm going to share with you what I do part of my hearth and fitness routine 
My newsletter subscribers can expect: I have some very cool printables related to the Kate's Case Files comingA newsletter subscriber-only Kate's Case Files photo contest(not subscribed? Sign up HERE)

Are you excited? So am I! 

If Alditha didn't come soon...

*post contains affiliate links*“It’s nearly sunset,” Simon, one of William’s fellow stable boys, stated. William ignored the boy and kept forking hay out of the loft so Simon could feed it to the animals. He was in no mood to be reminded of the time of day. If Alditha wasn’t here in the next hour or two, he would die before the stars were fully out. He had trusted Alditha; he had been so sure that she would come back, that she wouldn’t lie. He was sure that she wouldn’t stay with her family when it was time to come back to save his life, no matter how much she wanted to stay. Perhaps he had been wrong.“Wasn’t she supposed to be here yesterday?” Simon seemed not to understand how grave the situation was.“Simon! Just feed the horses and don’t speak again!” William was in no mood to talk, either. Yes, Alditha should have been back yesterday. Why had he been so stupid? His sister would now be without anyone to protect her, and for what? So Alditha could go back and live with her mother for her last few days on earth? It didn’t seem like a fair trade to him.Why, God? Why did You let this happen? Why didn’t You bring her back in time?As he prayed, the words the family priest had often quoted came back to him: Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen and help you.

Find out what happens next! Kindle | Paperback | Audiobook
Available on Kindle Unlimited 

Physical therapy, exercises, gardening, a new desk

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This week has been very full. On Friday, I had my first Physical Therapy appointment, followed by one on Monday and another one scheduled for next week. I finally have answers to what has been causing the pain in my arm for so long.

I have a compressed nerve in my shoulder.

I prayed about what I should do and I found Apex Manual Therapy and Dr. Alicia Shugart. She spent a long time assessing my movements. It's amazing what happens when you talk to experts. You know how doctors will say "hold up your arm and don't let me move you?" When Dr. Shugartdid that test on my left arm and then my right arm, I suddenly realized that the problem was a lot larger then I had thought. While my left arm (my weaker side) was able to hold up okay, my right arm almost immediately collapsed. After the first visit, I was already feeling stronger and had more mobility.



Of course, I have a lot of work ahead of me. I have to change a lot of habits so I heal and don't redamage my shoulder. A huge part of this was changing my desk. My parents were wonderful and helped me buy a brand new desk that adjusts so that I can either stand and work or sit and work. I already am using it (if fact I'm standing at it right now). I still will be making adjustments and talking with Dr. Alicia Shugart to make sure that I'm standing and sitting at it correctly, but changes are being made.



When I haven't been at work, doing exercises, or working on my posture, I've been spending time in the garden. Lettuce, onions, and peas and now planted, soaker hoses are laid out, tomato cages are in place. I even have a couple of things already sprouting in the greenhouse! I'm really excited.


Also this week, the same day as my first PT appointment, in fact, was the meeting of the young adults from my church. I've missed the last few meetings. I was so happy to make it. We had awesome tacos and laughed a lot over a game of Codenames. If you've never played it, you should try it out, especially if you are into word games. If you are ever in Round Rock Texas on the third Friday of the month, you should join us. Of course, our young adult's group just got upgraded. We are now Thrive! However, someone keeps changing the name on the GroupMe app. It now says we are Thrive on Tacos Support Group. Our group has a thing for tacos. *cough* I'm the one that keeps changing the group name *end cough*


This was much longer than the other Verne books I've read, but I really enjoyed this one. I read some in paperback and listened to a good part of it on Librivox. It was a fun, classic adventure tale.My Review | Amazon

It's been far too long since I've read one of this authors books. They are always so much fun. My Review | Amazon
This was a very sweet story.My Review | Amazon
What have you been up to and reading?

10 Fiction Books for Teen Girls

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I've been talking about teen readers this week so it seems only fitting that I should share some of my favorite books to hand teen readers. Obviously, different girls will like different things. Feel free to contact me if you would like some specific recommendations. 
Home on Stony Creek This was a favorite of mine from my teen years. It helped me see and deal with some attitude issues. It also was such a fun story and I loved the historyGoodreads | Amazon

Resistance I'm not a huge fantasy fan, but this series is gripping, powerful, and packed with so many good lessons.Goodreads | Amazon | My full review here

Porch Swing Girl This is a story that deals with grief and more in a fun settingGoodreads | Amazon | My full review here

The Heart of Arcrea Another fun, non-magical fantasy book with excellent morals. This would also make a great book to read aloud.Goodreads | Amazon | My full review here

Just Like You This book, this series, is simply one of the best I've ever read. The books are out of print, but snap up copies if you can find themGoodreads | Amazon | My full review here

Radialloy This is a sci-fi series that is clean and full of adventure.
Goodreads | Amazon | My full review here

Voyage of the Sandpiper This is a wonderful World War II historical fiction. The main character is a teen girl from a Jewish-Amerian backgroundGoodreads | Amazon | My full review here

Annabeth's War This is a fun adventure about a stong yet feminine girl.Goodreads | Amazon | My full review here

Becoming Nikki This is a wonderful, sweet sibling story.Goodreads | Amazon | My full review here

Family Reunion
This is a great book with a girl who learns about living her cousins, even though they are very different than her.
Goodreads | Amazon | My full review here