Sarah Holman's Blog, page 29

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

*post contains affiliate links*
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

Sickness and other stuff

*post contains affiliate links* 
Before we get started, I just have to share real quick about this really cool sale!



This week has been a little rough. It started off with a low-grade fever that stuck around for a couple of days. I slept on my right arm and it's hurting again. It feels like I've undone all the progress I've made. Even as I type this, I wonder if I should be sitting, cradling it instead. The other night, I had trouble sleeping because my arm was hurting and I was stressed about finding the right medical personnel to help me.

The next morning, I woke up early, still stressed. As I got dressed, I was reminded of an important fact: God is in control. Even if I'm in pain for a while, even if my arm doesn't heal soon, God is good and He wants good for me.

Yesterday, I called around and found a Physical Therapist I'm going to try to see sometime soon. I would really appreciate your prayers that I have wisdom on who to see and the further treatment of my arm. Prayers would be appreciated.

The one good thing about all the downtime? I got a lot of reading done.




Books I've read. This is the sequel to a book I loved The Last Summer. I enjoyed this book, but it wasn't as good as the first one.
My review | Amazon

This book well written and I loved the author's style. I'll be reading more by this author soonMy review | Amazon
This wasn't very long, but it was really cool how the author tied two classic stories together.My review | Amazon
 A fun collection of flash-fiction collectionMy review | Amazon
 This is a picture book to introduce youngsters to a historical character.
My review | Amazon

This was a very fun spy story.My review | Amazon
And this was a fun spy novellaMy review | Amazon
This was written for ministry workers, but I felt it was valuable as an authorMy review | Amazon

Who is the Tales of Taelis series for?

When I pick up any book, I like to go into it knowing who it's for. So, for those who have been wondering if the Tales of Taelis series is for them, here is a look into who I wrote if for.

I wrote this with tweens and young teens in mind. When I was eleven, I was hard-pressed to find things to read. I was bored with the youth books, but not mature enough to handle a lot of the content found in adult books. I ended up reading mostly non-fiction. This series is the kind of book I wanted to find: adventure, excitement, dealing with real problems but not sad, scary, or dealing with things in an adult level.

These stories explore deep heart struggles. Is God good when bad things happen? Why is forgiveness important? What's going on when siblings are always arguing? Where is my identity found? How can I handle all my hopes and dreams shattering into a thousand pieces? All these have been addressed in one of the Taelis books. Young people need these truths but will understand them better when wrapped in a story that isn't over moralized. If a young person is struggling, stories are often a good way to reach them.

When I was younger, I loved adventure stories. I ate up books by G.A. Henty, because there was always something exciting going on and the stories moved quickly (well, except for a few times when he was giving a history lesson. This series is all about adventure stories. While that doesn't mean there is action non-stop, I wanted each story to be exciting and full of things that would keep the readers interested.

I wanted to write characters that younger people could both sympathize with, and admire. These books do not contain perfect characters, However, they do contain characters that learn their lesson and strive in the end to honor God with their lives.

Are you a young reader? What are you looking for in stories? Are you an older reader? What kind of books did you want to read, but couldn't find as a kid?

Lessons in Book Classification: A lesson I learned the hard way so you can learn the easy way

Some lessons, I've learned the easy way as a writer. I knew how important from the get-go that covers were important. I hired the one person I knew with design experience to do the Destiny Trilogy covers and I paid what I thought was a lot. In retrospect, I got an amazing deal for those covers. Anyway, that isn't the real point. Because today, we are here to talk about a lesson I learned the hard way.
Book classification.
Now, let me state from the start that I'm really good and knowing genres, sub-genres, and helping to define where books go in any given system. However, I hit a snag with the Taelis series. I wanted a fictional country but I also wanted to pull in some history as well (especially in some of the books later in the series. After all, a lot of authors use this with modern princess stories and it works just fine for them so it would work for this series, right? Spoiler alert, I was wrong.
While a few people like this blending, it confused most of my readers. Some loved the fantasy aspect but then were confused by the historical aspect. The people who loved history just plain hated the books most of the time. It irritated them that it was neither straight-up fantasy or completely historical.
When I decided to have Adventures and Adversities edited, I decided to move the whole series into the non-magical fantasy (or kingdom fantasy) category. I took out all references to the real world (except those that had to do with Jesus and Christianity) and rereleased it.
How can we avoid a mistake like this?
Several friends who had read the book knew that my straddling genres would cause trouble. However, I didn't ask. So I learned that you need to ask your beta readers if they agree with your classification of the book.
Look at books that are like yours. Yes, I was one of those who thought that no one published books like mine. However, when you find books that are like yours, even if they are not exact, pay attention to their classification.
If you are caught between genres, get a lot of opinions before you pick a genre. I know, it's so easy to go with our feeling and think we as the author knows best. It's important to remember that for classification, readers, not authors, need to determine this.
Now, for a fun question! What book did you either read or write that was hard to classify? Why was that? 

Cleflcoke by Nicole Sager: A Book Review

*post contains affiliate links*Find it on: Goodreads | Kindle | PaperbackAge Appropriate For: 12 and up for mild violence, hints of romance, some intense scenesBest for Ages: 12-25Description: Cleftlocke is on the rise...
Restless for a life beyond the garrison walls, Dainger of Rhulsh is intrigued by orders to retrieve the ancient Sword of Mizgal from a mysterious clan. Hoping to prove himself worthy of the title he has been denied, his plans are quickly complicated by the dangerous games of both a devious prince and a vengeful knight.Bound by an anguished silence, Kara longs to redeem her son from the raiding clan that stole him from her two years ago. When her only friend sets off on a mission to Cleftlocke it seems her chance has finally come - but her desperate choice may cost Dain everything.Difficulties arise, taxing the fragile balance of duty and honor, and when expectations are overturned and matters escalate beyond their control, the handful of wanderers must face the possibility that God has planned a greater purpose for them all. Their faith will be tested by the choice to believe it. 
While I’ve loved all of the Companions of Arcrea series, this was my favorite. The setting was amazing, the characters so vivid, and the mystery unfolded so perfectly. I grinned like an idiot for a good part of this story just because it was so cool.
As always, the faith element was well done and a joy to read. Nicole Sager always has a strong faith message that is a natural part of the story. This story showcased that ability at it’s best.
 The settings in this book were so cool. Of course, I’m a huge fan of tree-dwelling communities. All the places described are pretty cool. I would totally go to an Arcrea theme park. Yes, we need a theme park which is based on some of these cool books.
The characters in this story were deep and well developed with complex motivations and personalities. Each of them was perfect for their role and I would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite. We even got to see one character change because of Jesus' redeeming work in his life.
The story took several twists and turns. I don’t want to give anything away but my mind was blown at the major plot twist. I’m not often surprised, so that was nice. Even if you see it coming, I think it will still be pretty cool.
I highly recommend this book for those who like non-magical fantasy, adventure stories, and tales that glorify God in portraying faith in a realistic manner.

New Covers for Tales of Taelis Series!

It's been a while since the first Taelis book came out. Both my cover designer and I have learned a lot. Together, we are freshening the look of the series. What do you think?
The first two books now have completely new covers. Aren't they pretty?That isn't the only thing that has changed. Book #1 has been edited. All those nasty typos are gone. Already have a Kindle copy? You can go into your content and devices, search for the book, and it will show that an update is available.

As you can see, book #3 hasn't changed a lot, but it sure looks good! All the covers will be matching in the not to distant future.You can view the whole series HEREWhat do you think?

Saturday Snippet: Alditha and William Meet

“William!” Eleanor squealed with delight and raced toward her brother.The young man spun around, and his arms opened wide. He had a grin so wide his face could barely contain it.Alditha’s lips parted. William, Eleanor’s brother, was none other than her rescuer. He and Eleanor shared the same blue eyes. His sandy-blond hair, the same color as his sister’s, hadn’t been cut in some time. It hung halfway to his broad shoulders.“You,” Alditha breathed.William seemed to have heard her. He peered over the shoulder of his sister. His eyes flickered with recognition, and he straightened, sending a smile Alditha’s direction. “Well, if it isn’t the maiden who took a tumble into the well.”“I… You saved my life.” Alditha struggled to find the sufficient words to thank her rescuer.“You saved her life?” Eleanor’s eyes darted between her brother and friend.William gave a dismissive wave of the hand. “Say nothing more about it. I would have rendered the same service to any maiden, or man for that matter.”“But I…”“William? You were the one that saved my new friend from falling to her death? Oh, thank you!” Eleanor wrapped her arms around her brother’s waist.William threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh. “I say your debt has been paid in full by my sister. That, and she has told me much of you and how she values your friendship.”“If you’re sure.” Alditha’s lips tugged upward.“I am sure.” His voice was full of sincerity. “Now, what have you brought to eat? I am as hungry as a mountain lion.”
Want to read more? Find it on Amazon.

Normal

I had in mind to do these post every week. Those of you who are subscribed to my newsletter know that I haven't felt the best life has been...well...normal. Not a lot has happened. I've been going to work, coming back, doing stuff, and sleeping. Pretty boring, average stuff. But, I want to get better at sharing even the boring stuff. Take the picture at the top of this post. This shows that I had way too many books going last week. I finally forced myself to weed them out and finish a few.



I'm trying to get back to morning runs. I don't like doing it when it's cold, but the weather has been spring-like here in Texas. It felt good to be back at it.






Mom and Dad deliver groceries to shut-ins every Thursday. Dad was sick so I got to help Mom, which was a lot of fun.


I was very blessed to start a weekly Bible study with my friends Kelsey and Jessica. This is the first time for me to true to do something like this online, but these girls are amazing. It's already making a big difference in my life. 




This was a delightful book about the influence books can have children. It made me think of my own book-filled childhood.My review | Amazon
This was a pretty solid biography of one of my favorite Patriots. That may be why I featured him in A Different Kind of Courage.My review | Amazon
I had heard a lot of good things about this book. It had some good ideas, but the language bothered me. My review | Amazon
A sweet and funny romance story. I can always count on Tagg for that,My review | Amazon
I loved, loved, loved this group of single ladies as they deal with romance, singleness, and doing God's best no matter what situation you find yourself in.My review | Amazon
It's been far too long since I lost myself in the pages of one of Cobb's stories. It was nice to see old friends from her The Steadfast Love Series, yet a whole new story with characters that I just adore!My review | Amazon

5 Ways to Support Your Single Friends

So you are looking to support your single friends. You might be married or single yourself, but just not sure how to help out. I mean, for some singles, this is a hard month. Others, this month isn't very hard, but there are still hard days. Here are five ways to support your single friends.

1. Don't spend all your time talking about relationship status. When you start off conversations or visits by asking if they've met any new guys/girls, it can be a barb. Now, that doesn't mean every time you ask, it hurts, but make sure this is a small part/not the first thing you want to know. Remember, they are pretty awesome on their own, right?
2. Remind them what a blessing they are, just as they are. Giving them compliments, getting excited about what they can do as a single, and encouraging them that they are pretty amazing is something they need. In a culture that puts a lot of value of a person on their ability to attract another person, reminders of a single's value are needed.
3. Avoid common comments that don't help. I know this is broad, but let me give you a few examples              "The guy/girl is right around the corner." You don't know that. Believe me, this is a very hollow phrase.              "You are still young." Any variation of this phrase is extremely unhelpful and invalidates the person's pain. I don't care if the person is eighteen or thirty-eight. They are grieving the death of the dream they would be married by that age. Stating the fact they are still young will not endear you to them.              "You just need to_____." Not helpful.               "I wish I had your freedom/wait until you have a husband and kid, then you'll wish you were single" Also, not helpful and kinda insulting
4. Point their focus upward. It's easy for people to get discouraged All of use need to be reminded that this life is not about us. We need godly friends to point us toward Jesus who: Withholds no good thing, He is working all things out for good, He loves us with an everlasting love. 
5. Remind them often of hope. This means reminding them that their hope is built not on their Facebook relationship status, but on Jesus. It also means to remind them that God has wonderful plans for them. No matter what their age, that may include a wonderful guy/girl to share their life. Hope is a very precious thing. Help keep it alive. 
What do you think the best way to support singles is?