Sarah Holman's Blog, page 28

What is Age Appropriate?

As writers trying to reach younger readers, we often ask what is age-appropriate in our books. This is a tough question because there are a lot of variables. Below, are four questions to ask yourself that should give you answers for your books.


Who is your audience? Right off the bat, there is a big pitfall. I've seen a lot of authors fall into this one. Often, they answer with who they want to read their book instead of who actually will. If you want to reach unbelievers, the story needs to be very different from the kind you would write for a conservative homeschool kid. By the same token, you can't expect a conservative audience to be okay with the same type of stuff in a secular book. Be honest with yourself. 
What are your goals? I've seen some books on topics that normally wouldn't be "age-appropriate" but are written to help younger readers deal with a specific trauma. At the same time, if you are mainly trying to teach a good lesson and tell a good story, little controversial content will be acceptable for younger readers. Know your goals that relate to your audience. 
What are your convictions? Before you release a story to the world, decide what your convictions are a never violate them. Every book builds your reputation and a rapport with your readers. Being consistent is important. 
What do others think? It's very important when doing books for younger readers, and making sure you have your audience right, that you find people to test read and give you feedback about the content. Even if you don't like what they are saying, listen and evaluate your work to make sure it is right for your audience. 

Jonas and Olivia by Victoria Minks: A Book Review

Find it on: Goodreads | Kindle | Paperback Age Appropriate For: All AgesBest for Ages: 10 -20

I’ve been really happy to have Kindle Unlimited. I’ve been able to read so many books that have been sitting on my to-read list for so long. This book was one that was recommended to me quite a bit a few years ago. I can see why.

This book has a very sweet feeling about the whole thing. It isn’t a romance, it isn’t preachy, and it isn’t lacking in interesting things going on. It had a Heidi feel about it as Olivia is such a dear young girl and Jonas is such a gruff old man.

While not preachy, this book did have a wonderful faith element. It was perfect for a younger audience, but also solid enough for older readers to still appreciate it. I think parents will appreciate that this is a very clean, faith-filled read.

The setting is America during the Revolution, but that didn’t factor hugely into the story, but added a very nice backdrop. Knowing it was going on also really helped to showcase what kind of a person Jonas was.

I highly recommend this book for younger readers, those who are looking for a story with a sweet feel, and those who like stories that are free of romance.

My Passion for Young Teen Readers

In pretty much all my books, but especially with the Tales of Taelis series, I'm thinking of young to mid-teen readers. Why? Because I was that teen reader that had trouble finding fiction that I wanted to read and was age-appropriate. My latest project, my novella for the A Very Bookish Thanksgiving collection has me thinking about them even more. 
Despite my arm pain, I was able to write an opening to my novella that I was happy with, after a few attempts with openings that sounded really dull. The main character is eighteen and loves Mansfield Park. The book has had a profound impact on her life. As a teen, there were several fiction books that profoundly affected me. Sarah's Journey Series, Christy, and The Horse and His Boy, were the biggest ones.
When I write books, I often think of my younger teen self and wonder if I would have felt comfortable reading the book and would I have liked it. Would it have helped me grow in my faith? You see, my passion for reaching those younger teen readers is still strong. After all, many of them are in a challenging time in life, and it's so important to reach them with relevant messages. 
I know the power the right book at the right time can be. The Sarah's Journey series helped me as a very young teen deal with some attitude issues I was dealing with. When I went through I time when I felt like my life and faith were falling apart, The Horse and His Boy reminded me that God is always right there with a plan for everything. Christy helped me to see the compassion I should have for others and how important it is to build a foundation of faith of your own.  I've seen the power of books and my prayer is that each of my books impacts one person for the glory of God. 

Snippet Saturday: Bravery

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The priest listened intently, not saying a word until the whole tale had been finished. “You are very brave.”“I didn’t want to come,” Alditha protested as he handed her a wooden cup of warm goat’s milk. “I was scared, but I couldn’t let William die.”“Do you think bravery means to be without fear? You are greatly mistaken. You are brave not because of your lack of fear, but because you did not let that fear stop you. That is what true bravery is.”“But knights and lords do great deeds and show honor in battles without fear, and they are called brave.” She thought of how her father and many men of the village had gone with Lord Sittell and fought a neighboring lord about a year before. There had been all sorts of tales of bravery and fearless acts.The priest let out a long breath and gazed into the fire. “War is often a result of fear of the worst kind. Fear that you will lose land, wealth, or security — those are the reasons men go to war. It is not out of bravery, but out of fear.”She continued to stare into the flames, concentrating on the priest’s words. “You’re saying that sometimes when men act their bravest, they are scared?”The priest dipped his head.


 Read more on Kindle | Paperback | AudiobookAvailable on Kindle Unlimited 

Valentine's Day and Reset

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This week has been a full one. It's had some wonderful moments and some important but tough ones. I've struggled this week with anxiety over deciding what to do about my arm which is hurting again and if I've made the right decision once it was made. I feel ridiculous to be this stressed out over such a simple decision, but that stress is keeping me at the feet of Jesus. 
Valentine's day, we had a party at our house. My sister Rebekkah made the most amazing chocolate-dipped strawberries. We had pizza and watched Overcomer. It was some great family time, lots of good food, and the movie was of course wonderful.

This last Sunday, I was stressed and having a bad attitude about several things. For those who don't know me in person, or have been fortunate as to not be present when I get in one of these moods, I get mad at myself when I can't focus on what I know is true and start feeling like the worst Christian the globe. My parents were awesome and took me out for lunch after church. We talked a lot, got the root of the issue. It was like hitting the reset button. I felt so much better and could deal with it. I was going to take some photos of the garden, which I've been working a lot this week. However, it is cold and raining outside today as it was yesterday. So, no photos. However, working in the garden feels so good. We have a lot of seeds started in our new greenhouse (thank you Dad) and three garden beds that are almost ready for planting the early spring crops. 

I was excited to dive into this Christian sci-fi book but the theology in it was odd. I didn't hate the book, but I didn't love it either.My review | Amazon
This was a very sweet Christmas story. This series is meant for kids, but I love relaxing with it from time to time. My review | Amazon
This has been on my to-read list for a while. It was a wonderful story of hope and redemption. My review | Amazon
I read the first book last week. I enjoyed diving into this story while I have Kindle Unlimited.My review | Amazon

10 Classics to Read in 2020

Have you made a resolution to read more classics this year? I did that for a few years in a row but didn't do it because I was intimidated. It wasn't until my friend Kelsey and I started reading together that I finally did it. I've discovered some amazing books and authors. If you are ready to read in, here is a list of both serious and light classics. 
Hinds Feet on High Places
This is an allegory of the Christian life. I learn new things every time I read it. My review | Amazon

Confessions If I ever write an autobiography, I want it to be like this. Everything in this book leads back to Jesus. I highly recommend the Penguin Classics edition. My review | Amazon
Little Women This has been a favorite for years. Such a sweet story of sisters.Amazon
Mansfield Park This is one of the most underrated Jane Austen story. I think you have to read it to really understand it.My review | Amazon Around the World in Eighty Days This is a very fun adventure story. It's an easy read.My review | Amazon | Classics with K&S Video
Uncle Tom's Cabin This book took me off guard. It is a powerful story if a little hard to read.My review | Amazon | Classics with K&S Video
Shirley While I had a little trouble getting into this book, It is a story loved.My review | Amazon | Classics with K&S Video
Kidnapped Not only is this a good book, but this audiobook read my BJ Harrison, is amazing!My review | Amazon | Classics with K&S Video
Anna and the King of Siam This book affected me deeply. It's worth the time to read.My review | Amazon | Classics with K&S Video
The Mark of Zorro This is another very fun story, and again, I recommend the BJ Harrison audiobook My review | Amazon
What is your favorite classic? What is one you would like to read?

Using your story to bring hope

As Christian authors, our goal is not just to entertain, but also to build up our fellow believers. So how do we achieve this?

The foundation of a story that will build people's hope is honesty. What do I mean by that? If we're addressing a topic, we need to honest (even though our characters) about how complicated it can be. If we are addressing a struggle, we need to let our readers see the reality of that struggle and not try to white-wash it. This often means you need first-hand knowledge of the struggle or a lot of research. If it's a historic piece or covers a social issue, this means being honest and true to the times and/or the complexity of an issue. 
If you want to share hope, you need to stay grounded in God's word. You can't impart what you don't possess. If you want to impart real hope to others, make sure you're grounded and filled with the source of your hope. 
Make sure to check your message against the truth. Does your message align with the Bible? Do the facts check out? Get advice from others. Double-checking is important. 
When I'm sick, it's easy to take medicine to deal with a symptom. It's a lot harder to make sure I'm doing things to get rid of the virus. In the same way, it's a lot easier as authors to deal with surface issues like anger, lies, and bitterness. To bring hope and healing, it's important that we address the root of the problem. I heard the illustration once that if you tell a kid to stop hitting a sibling, that's fine, but they will act out another way. Address anger, the importance of self-control, and forgiveness, you won't just end the behavior, you are dealing with the heart of the issue. 
Write from the hope within you. God has done some amazing things in your life and brought hope into some of your dark moments. Write from those experiences and share them with others. There is nothing like reading a book where it's obvious the author is writing about how God brought hope and healing in their own heart.

What do you think? How do you feel we as writers can share hope? 

Pain Redeemed by Natasha Metzler: A Book Review

Find it on: Goodreads | Kindle | Paperback Age Appropriate For:16 and up for discussions about infertility Best for Ages:18 and up

Read on Kindle Unlimited.
I’ve wanted to read this ever since my friend Rachelle recommended it. It sounded so powerful. However, when I added to my shelf in 2013, I didn’t see what a book about a woman who struggled with infertility really had to do with me. While I was wrong, God reminded me of this book at just the right time.
Metzler’s book isn’t so much about her infertility, as it is about her struggle with why a good God would withhold something good from one of His children. I read this book when I felt like God was withholding not only the dream I most wanted (29 and still no husband or kids) but also seemed to be stripping away the things I wanted at the moment (arm injury so I couldn’t write).
Metzler is very raw in this book. I wanted to stand up and applaud her and give her a big hug too. As an author myself, I know it always takes courage to place things you write out there because there will always be people who hate it. Yet, she was so raw and honest about the things she thought and felt. She has to be one of the most courageous authors I’ve personally read.
This book is a spiritual journey for both Metzler and the reader, tackling the issue of deep, horrendous pain that comes when our dearest dreams seem to be dying. It leads the reader through grief with a fellow hurting soul and holds out hope – not a Bible verse band-aid or an inspirational quote to hang on your wall, but real hope founded in who God truly is.
If you want to feel like you are sitting next to someone who is being very honest about their darkest days and can help you find hope on your dark days, read this book.
I highly recommend this for women who are struggling with deep pain, the question “If God is good, then why (fill in the blank)”, and those who are struggling with infertility.

Hope ~ My word for the year

As I was making plans for this year, I prayed that God would give me direction. The word hope kept popping up. As I sat a few days before New Years, I didn't feel hopeful. I was discouraged about my arm not healing quickly, I was sick, and I saw several challenges up ahead. Again, I found the word hope springing up.

I was reading in Psalms and I saw this:
As for me, I will always have hope;    I will praise you more and more.Psalm 71:14
This psalm was written at a difficult time, calling for the writer and reader to have hope. The words resounded in my heart. With God, I can always have hope. Then, on New Year's Eve, I was blessed by time with one of my dearest friends as we shared stories of how God used each moment in the year for our good. Talk about something that builds hope. 
This year, I am working to cultivate godly joy and rebuild my hope.  I want to grab hold of the fact my hope is built on Christ and know that means wonderful things can, and will, happen. 
I'm learning. I'm seeing progress. One of the ways I'm doing that is trying to sing more and repeat God's truth to myself. Right now, Christ the Solid Rock is my favorite. I mean, could the opening line be any more perfect to remind me of my goal?

Saturday Snippet : The Prequel

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William was only five at the time, but the moment had been so vivid that he could clearly remember it. His father had knelt on the stone floor and placed the small, squirming bundle in his arms. The moment he had looked down into the face of his small sister, something stirred in his heart that he had not felt before. She looked so small and so helpless all he wanted to do was hold her close and keep anyone from ever hurting her.“This is Eleanor, your new sister,” his father had said, placing his hand under William’s arm to support him.William looked down in wonder. He gently poked the puffy cheek and thought it was the softest thing that his hand had ever touched.“It is your duty as a brother to watch over her and protect her.”“Timothy too?” William asked, thinking of his brother who was a year younger than himself.“Yes, his too. But you are the oldest; you must always care for your sister no matter what happens.”“Yes, Papa,” he said solemnly, looking down at his sister. Nothing would ever make him break his word to his father, nothing at all.“Good lad,” his father said, patting him on the shoulder. “It is always up to the men to protect those women whom God places in our lives. Eleanor will need you to defend her, her whole life, from those who would hurt her.”Eleanor turned her eyes up toward her brother and stared at him as she sucked on her fist. William returned the gaze, wondering if the little one understood what his father said or could see that she had already possessed his young heart. “You don’t have to worry, Eleanor,” William whispered. “I’ll take care of you always.”The little one just blinked. William reached his finger out to stroke her cheek, but instead, Eleanor reached out and took hold of the finger in her fist. “Papa! She likes me!” William squealed in delight.“Indeed she does. Never betray that trust.”William shifted. His father was given to solemn moments, but this one was lasting uncomfortably long. He had promised to look after her and protect her, hadn’t he? “Can I go play now?”His father smiled and took the infant from him. “Of course.”William spun around and ran toward where Timothy had been playing. He wondered if one of the knights would teach him some more about swords today. If he was going to be in charge of protecting his sister, he would need to get better. Maybe he and Timothy could just play with their wooden swords.

Read the rest of the story HERE