Sarah Holman's Blog, page 36

Book Review: Tutor, Nanny, Spit-up, Spy by Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick

*Post contains Amazon affiliate links*Find it on: Goodreads | Kindle | Paperback 
Age Appropriate For: All AgesBest for Ages: 13 and up
This book was so much fun! And thank you once again, Perry, for not doing what I’ve seen in so many books. This one involves kids and a young woman who doesn’t know what to do with kids. The children are neither demons nor angels, they are just…well… kids. Emily has a lot to learn, but also has some basic mothering instincts.
This story was fun because it brings in different cultures, quiet a bit of action, and a search for a traitor. I personally love it in spy books when you are looking to figure out who is the bad guy because they aren’t obvious.
I also really love how these books build on each other. While each one wraps up in a way, yet they are also continuing a story. You see a bigger story emerging from the smaller ones. Isn’t that cool?I highly recommend this series is for anyone who like spy stories, squeaky clean books, and realistic characters.

The Perfect Writer's Notebook

You may have seen my review of the WriteMind Planner. Perhaps you also have seen an update or two about it either on this blog or on my Instagram feed. Well, I'm still using it, now more than ever. I invested in the WriteMind digital pages because I was using it so much. I use it every day. I love it because I can move things around, pull pages out, and put sheets in easily.

I've used it almost every day since the day I got it, I'd say it's held up well.  

Earlier this year, I bought the prayer journal sheets. They've become some of my favorites. I use them for my morning devotional time.
On Sunday's I use these note-taking sheets. Yes, my handwriting is messy and I'm glad no one else has to get anything out of these notes. I bought a fun pack of stickers from Hobbly Lobby to dress up every month this year.

My monthly sheet, dressed up with the cute stickers.
My weekly plans, including my writing word-count goals.
Of course, most of this book is taken up with sections on books I'm working on or planning on.
Here is some of the sheets I filled out for my recently finished novella, Fanny's Hope Chest
What kind of planner do you use?

Happy Hollisters, Mansfield, and other books

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I've been having a really fun time because I got a special offer for a Kindle Unlimited subscription. There are so many books that I've wanted to read I can now read for free. 

Recently Finished Goodreads | AmazonThis book was sweet and fun. It's the kind of book that I wanted to read as a teen. Read my review HERE.
Goodreads | AmazonThis was a fun read, but not my favorite. You can read my review HERE.
Goodreads | AmazonThis brought back a lot of childhood memories. I remember Dad reading this to us, and I remember reading these books often to myself.Read my review HERE.
Currently Reading Goodreads | AmazonI'm really enjoying making my way slowly through this book. The depth of Jane Austen's characters never ceases to amaze me.
Goodreads | AmazonThis is a reread for me. I love this book and I wanted to revisit it. It's already been a blessing. Read My review HERE.
Up Next Goodreads | AmazonI read the first book in this series and I'm excited to continue it with Kindle Unlimited. The first book was for older readers, but such a wonderful story of God's redemption. 
Goodreads | AmazonI'm looking forward to revisiting this series. So, I'm already I've already loaded this book onto my Kindle.
What are you reading?

All New Snippet Saturday

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I'm so excited to start this new feature! I'm going to start sharing bits from different books. If you read the story before, share your thoughts on the scene. If you haven't read the book...Well, now you can try it out. Remember, all my books are free to read if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Kate sucked in her breath as she stared at the charred shell of the administration building where she had once worked. The three-story building now looked like a pile of charcoal sticks. She glanced over at Patrick, who was busy talking with the police chief. Walking forward, she ducked under the crime scene tape, took a couple of steps, and peered down. She shivered. She could see straight down into the tunnel, full of debris and a thin layer of snow.
“Thank you, God,” she breathed under her breath. God had saved her that night. It also seemed he had heard her prayer and sent someone who had believed her. Didn’t she owe God a lot for just those two things?
“What are you doing? Get out of there!”
Kate turned toward the voice and saw a man in his mid-twenties with sandy brown hair and a day or two worth of facial hair growth. His brown eyes challenged her as he adjusted his felt hat.
“Are you deaf? I said get out of there!”
Kate turned toward the sound of crunching snow and was relieved to see Patrick jogging toward her.
“It’s okay, Thomas,” Patrick said, addressing the newcomer.
Thomas pointed to Kate, his nostrils flaring. “Okay? Look what side of the tape she is on, Patrick!”
Patrick opened his mouth but Kate interrupted him. “I came to see how extensive the damage was.” Kate looked around as if to prove her point. “What did they use? C-4?”
Thomas got in Patrick’s face and poked his chest. “Don’t tell her anything. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I get your drift,” Patrick said, taking a step back.
Kate ducked back under the tape and moved toward the two arguing men. “Why can’t you tell me what kind of explosives were used? If you could just give me the chemical analysis, I could figure it out for myself.”
Patrick’s eyes glanced between Thomas and Kate, as if trying to figure out who he was going to please.
Kate looked past him toward the science building, and her eyebrows knit together. “That is odd.”
Patrick turned his gaze toward the building. “What is it?”
“Two different explosives were used,” Kate stated matter-of-factly.
Thomas folded his arms across his chest. “How do you know that?”
Kate took a couple of steps toward the chemistry building. Its windows were blown out and some of the outside was scorched, but it still stood. “It doesn’t take an explosives expert to tell you that the explosives used in the chemistry lab were different than the other two buildings. I mean, look! The administration building and the lecture hall were completely destroyed and yet the chemistry building is still standing. From the outside one might think there had just been a fire, not a bomb.”
“It could be just that the firefighters got to that building a lot sooner. Are you sure you are innocent?”
Kate turned to Thomas and crossed her arms. “I am a chemical engineering major, with explosives training from the U.S. Military. Who are you?”
Patrick stepped between them. “Thomas, this is Kate Mayfield. Kate, this is Thomas Jefferson, a coworker.”
Thomas extended his hand but directed his words at Patrick. “Coworker? I’m his superior. A fact he would do well to remember.”
“Thomas Jefferson?” Kate raised her eyebrows.
“Yes, I am a descendant of Thomas Jefferson, the president.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Thomas, superior of the lowly Patrick.”
“Great, another sarcastic quick-wit,” Thomas said, rolling his eyes. “Just what I need in my life.”

You can visit the Kate's Case Files page on my blog HEREYou can get it on Kindle HERE

You're Invited!

It’s almost that time of year again. Time for Five Fall Favorites. Anyone else excited?While waiting for this year's picks, you can go over the past posts HERE

There is an awesome prize pack as part ot this! So come back for the event!

Two Christmas Stories and One Novella

Well, despite how I was feeling, this last couple of weeks has been very productive. This isn't going to be a very long update, but I'm excited to be moving forward.
A Very Bookish Christmas
My story for the A Very Bookish Christmas collection is out to a couple of people to get their thoughts before I make final revisions and send it to an editor. This is the first time I've worked on a collection like this, so one of the things I could use prayer on is that I will do a good job with the administration part of this. I'll be preparing this for pre-order by mid-October. You can go ahead and add this to your Goodreads list HERE.
Kate's Christmas Finally, after almost a year of working off and on on the editing of this book, it's out to my beta readers. In a couple of weeks, it will go out to the editor. I'm hoping for a mid-November release. Here's to hoping! You can add it to your Goodreads list HERE.

Fanny's Hope Chest I just finished writing this novella. It all started when I started wondering when were you to old to have a hope chest. I got the image of myself asking that same question at age eighty. Like any good writer, that got me to thinking. What would possess any single lady to keep a hope chest into their eighties? This novella is the result. I plan to release this novella in February of 2020. You can add it to Goodreads HERE. If we're friends on Goodreads, you will be able to follow along as I edit it.

Book Review: Bad Things, Small Packages by Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick

Find it on: Goodreads | Kindle | Paperback Age Appropriate For: All AgesBest for Ages: 13 and up
Every book in this series has a touch of realism that is hard to find in many other books. In this one, it is cold. Poor Emily spends this whole case with a head cold with plenty of tissues, sleepiness, and general misery. Of course, that doesn’t stop her from helping out our favorite spy, Brent.
I thought some of the settings in this book were clever and fun to imagine. I don’t want to say more because I want you to discover it for yourself, but let’s just say I’m going to be looking at some run-down places very differently.
This story feels like a continuation of the last book, more than its own separate story, which is just fine with me. Yet, there are also new elements and new challenges. I mean, what could be more challenging than driving along the road and suddenly realizing you need your microwave from home? Yes, you read that right. Trust me, just read the book.
I highly recommend this series is for anyone who like spy stories, squeaky clean books, and realistic characters.

Let Us Not Grow Weary of Doing Good

A writer was not my first career choice. Wife and mom was my first and still a dear dream, but in my early teens, I decided to I wanted to be a nurse. I liked to write, but it wasn't until my late teens, and with a lot of tears, I realized that I would never be able to handle a nursing job, much less college. It was then that writing became my focus.

Here we are, ten years later and I'm healthier than I was then, probably healthier than I've been in my whole life. Yet. I'm still not a very strong person physically. A have a lot of pollen allergies, and I don't have the same amount of energy that my siblings do.

Why am I going on about this? Well, because when I'm physically at a low, often that causes me also to struggle emotionally. Physical and emotional wellness are often more tied together than we think. Girls especially understand the swells of emotion that rise even from normal ups and downs. Recently, ragweed has caused me to be at a physical low, and discouragement has seeped in.

I've especially felt discouraged in my writing. I feel like I'm putting in a lot of effort with not a lot to show for it. Yesterday, I woke up crunching numbers in my head. I spent my time working fending off a headache. I came home and sat down to write and questioned why I was even doing it. Why did I bother to write when I didn't feel like it? Maybe it was time I treated my writing more like a hobby and less like a job.

Even as the thoughts were swirling in my head, I knew that they weren't healthy thoughts. It was my tiredness, my discouragement taking at best, the enemy whispering his lies at worst. I stopped, prayed, and then turned up the music as I started typing away at a book. A song came up fairly soon and I had to stop and let it wash over me.


After some time of just worshiping my savior, I started back at my writing. I don't normally write to music that has words, but I ended up listening to this song on repeat over and over again. It actually tied very nicely with the ending of the novella I was writing.
I keep going back to that verse that says let us not grow weary of doing good because in due season we will reap a harvest. I've grown up around farms for a long time. I know that the time between planting and harvest is a long time and full of lots of nail-biting, prayers, and frustration. It was no accident that this analogy was used when saying don't grow weary of doing good.
Now, saying don't and actually not growing weary are different things. I've found that the only way to not grow weary is to force myself to turn my eyes toward the goal, Christ, and to remind myself of the purpose He laid on my heart.
What do you do when you are growing weary of doing good?

A Big Announcement!

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The day is finally here! Since last December, I've been working on a project with some other authors. I've been so excited and now I finally get to tell you about it!!!

Eeek!!! I'm so excited, how about you? J. Grace Pennington, Rebekah Jones, Kate Willis and I each have written a novella for this collection. Each novella is based loosely on an old novel, with a character who loves that book! Trust me, this is going to be an amazing collection. As I've watched these novella's take shape, it's increased my excitement! The stories are:

Molly and Anna by Sarah Holman
Gingerbread Treasures by Rebekah Jones
Sylvie of Amber Apartments by J. Grace Pennington
Love, Jem by Kate Willis

Now, there is one thing that you should know about this collection, It's only going to be available for a limited time. Starting next month, it will be available for preorder and it will be available through December. So, make sure to be ready to get it! You can add it to your Goodreads to-read list now. Click HERE.
 This is my story, Molly and Anna (didn't Jessica Greyson do an amazing job?). Molly and Anna is based on the book Pollyanna. Molly and Anna have been orphaned. Their parents who worked for a ministry to the Latino population died in a car crash. Their aunt, Lacie, takes them in. While Lacie loves her two nieces, she is struggling to come to terms with the death of her sister who left to marry a man their parents didn't approve of.  Of course, there are a lot of happy Christmas things going on too! I can't wait to share this story with you!

You Can Trust God to Write Your Story Book Review

*Post contains affiliate links*Find it on: Goodreads | Kindle | Hardcover | Audiobook

This is not going to be one of my normal book reviews because this was not a normal book. This was a book that God brought along just when I needed it. I’m twenty-nine years old and my life is nothing like I thought it would be at this point. That isn’t to say I don’t love my life. I am so grateful for where I am and what God has allowed me to do. However, though the spirit is willing, my flesh is weak. This last week, discouragement has been pulling at me.

So many people, with the best of intentions, have questioned my choices in life. They ask questions that make me wonder if I missed something. After all, what if I am doing something to scare off the guys? What if I do need to get a real job? I’m still living at home, what happens if my parents die? You get the idea, I’ve been doubting just about everything. On top of that, this week as been pretty stressful.

I came home from work to find this book had been delivered. Having a million things that needed my attention, I sat on my bed and read the whole book. Now, I feel like crying, I probably will as I finish writing this review. The words of this book washed over me, lapped around my heart and soaked into my dry soul. I can, and do, trust God to write my story.

Many well-meaning people don’t and won’t agree with the choices that God has called me to make. The story He is writing in my life is not going to look like the American dream, it isn’t going to reflect my hopes because I have trusted Him to do something better, and that is never, ever a mistake.

This book touches on many aspects of life that we struggle to trust God with. Each chapter shares personal testimonies of God’s faithfulness. Here is my testimony (the shortened version):

I’ve always wanted to be a wife a mom. I’ve also felt God’s call to write. I published my first book when I was twenty-one and God has used my books to impact lives. In the last few years, I’ve gone through some very serious bouts of discouragement. Being in your late twenties and never having a guy shown any interest has taken its toll on my perception of my value. God used some wonderful people in my life to help me refocus my vision to where it should have been: on Him and what value He places on me.

This summer, my sales have dropped to almost nothing. Now, they’ve never been amazing, but that’s been okay with me. However, while it isn’t about the money, an author does like to make some right? I’m still struggling to trust that no matter what the numbers say, I’m to follow Christ’s call. This reminds me I can trust Him no matter what.

The biggest struggle I face has been a life long one. I’ve struggled with fatigue since my childhood. In my teens, it was debilitating. It slowly, and for no apparent reason, started getting better in my twenties. Yet, I still battle all the time with having the energy to accomplish what needs to get done. I don’t have answers for why I don’t think I ever will.

However, this book reminded me that I can trust God to use that part of the story for good. He wrote that plot twist into my life before the creation of the world. He knew exactly where it would take me and where it will continue to
take me.

My dear friend, if you are struggling to trust God with your story, you are not alone. I highly recommend this book to you. I pray it will bless your heart as it did mine.

I received this book from Moody Publishers for the purpose of writing a review. I was not required to write a positive review. All the thoughts expressed are my own. 

For this month, you can donate Revive Our Hearts and get the book as a thank you. If you would like to support this ministry and get this amazing book, click HERE