Sarah Holman's Blog, page 89

Adventure Between the Pages: Submerged by Dani Pettrey

Description: Bailey Craig vowed never to set foot in Yancey again. She has a past, and a reputation--and Yancey's a small town. She's returned to bury a loved one killed in the plane crash and is determined not to stay even an hour more than necessary. But then dark evidence emerges and Bailey's own expertise becomes invaluable for the case.
Cole McKenna can handle the deep-sea dives and helping the police recover evidence. He can even handle the fact that a murderer has settled in his town and doesn't appear to be moving on. But dealing with the reality of Bailey's reappearance is a tougher challenge. She broke his heart, but she is not the same girl who left Yancey. He let her down, but he's not the same guy she left behind. Can they move beyond the hurts of their pasts and find a future together.
Yes, I started this series by reading the fourth book. No, I do not normally make a habit of reading the series out of order. However, I am now happy to say I will be starting at the beginning and reading this series the correct way.
I loved this story so much. The mystery was so engaging and interesting. However, the characters are really what drives these books, the mystery comes second. Each of them sparkles with personality and shines with reality. I felt as if I had traveled to Yancy and met everyone there.
As I am a huge lover of redemption stories and a strong believer in God’s amazing Grace, Bailey and Cole were an awesome couple. Bailey made some huge mistakes in her life and is struggling to let go of her past. Cole also has flaws and failed to give Bailey grace in the past. Their romance was so sweet and satisfying. There were a lot of romantic feelings, but their relationship was deeper than just an emotional attachment.
I really liked that the book included real places and real historical facts. Although I cannot say if the author got everything right or not, including them in the book added an element of realism to the story.
I highly recommend this book to those who like mystery, romance, and sparkling characters
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When I am Standing Still

Sometimes you look around and you feel like everyone else in your life is moving forward, but you are standing still. They graduated from college; you are still content with your high school education. They just got a huge promotion or incredible job opportunity, you are still trying to figure out how make enough to cover basic expenses. They have a boyfriend, a fiancé, or have a gold band on their left finger, while you don’t see any special someone on the horizon.
The past couple of months, while I have been away from the blogging world, I realized that I often feel like I am standing still while many of my friends and family are moving to the next stage of life. You want to know the funny thing? I am content with standing still.
Sometimes, we are standing still because we haven’t stepped out in faith to do what God is calling us to do. Normally, God gives us a feeling of restlessness and a burden to do something when that is the case. I have a great peace about my life right now, even though I am standing still. Sometimes, the stillness is because you are exactly where God wants you.
I don’t have a boyfriend, or even any possibilities right now, but I am learning to love God and those he places in my life deeply.
I don’t have a successful career that is the envy of my friends, but I have been given a chance to pursue what I love.
I don’t have a lot of money, but God has blessed me with all that I need and much more.
I have friends who truly care about me and build me up in my faith, even if we are at different points in our journey.
I may feel at times that I am standing still, but I am right where God wants me to be.  

Writing Saturday: Coming this year

Every month this year, I plan on publishing something, mostly short stories. However, I plan to add two books to the Tales of Taelis series. I am also starting a new series: Kate's Case Files, a contemporary mystery/suspense for adults. Here is my plan:

January 17th ~ Waltz into the Waves: A Cinderella story (short story)
February ~ Brothers and Betrayal: Book 2 of the Tales of Taelis

March ~  Joseph of Arimathea: A Story of Easter (short story)

April ~ Quest for the Beast: A Beauty and the Beast Story (short story)

May ~ Kate's Innocence: Book 1 in the Kate's Case Files

June ~ The Youngest, The Oldest, and the Wardrobe (short story)

July ~ Continuing Destiny: Short Stories with the character from the Destiny Trilogy

August ~  Book 2 in the Kate's Case Files

September ~ Janet (short story)

October ~ Courage and Corruption: Book 3 of the Tales of Taelis

November ~ A Christmas short story

Finds of the Week: Posts that encouraged me

 It Matters How You Live by Casey

"So I listened again and sure enough those same lyrics repeated themselves. My heart cracked a fissure’s length and I wanted to wave my hands, stop the music and holler, “wait, that’s not right! Do you realize it matters how you live?" by Casey




 Lester Did it Right (It Matters How You Live Part 2) by Casey


"Your life is a mirror. You either reflect Christ. Or you reflect the world." by Casey

While I've Been Away: Happy New Year

Wow! I did not think I would miss blogging as much as I have over the last two months. I am glad I took the time of to be with my family and recharge my creative batteries. I will be sharing some pictures form what I have been doing while I have been away over the next few weeks, but today I will share the highlights by category.
WritingI have written a couple of short storiesWorked on editing Brothers and Betrayal Planned a whole lot of writing for the coming year
BloggingRe-vamped the Homeschooled Authors Blog with a lot of helpMade some great plans for this blog
EventsI spent a lot of time with my familyI had a lot of down time to recharge my creative batteriesWent to Austin's 50th Trail of LightsVisited Main Street BethlehemParticipated in a Live NativityChristmas with familyChristmas trip to the beachMade lost of items for the Etsy store
Reading(Not all of them were good, reviews to come on some of them)Rules of Murder by Julianna Deering (4 stars)
Trauma Plan by Candace Calvert (5 stars)
Rescue Team by Candace Calvert (5 stars)
The Choice is Yours by Terrie Chappell (3 stars)
Royal Wedding Threat by Rachelle McCalla (4 stars)
A Royal Marriage by Rachelle McCalla (4 stars)
The Missing Monarch by Rachelle McCalla (4 stars)
Trouble in Store by Carol Cox (3 stars)
Match Point (Lauren Holbrook, #3) by Erynn Mangum (3 stars)
The Bachelor's Bargain by Catherine Palmer (5 stars)
The Case of the Missing Hero by Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick (5 stars)
The Christmas Bus by Melody Carlson (4 stars)
The Christmas Bracelet by Sherry Schumann (4 stars)
Submerged by Dani Pettrey (5 stars)
Shattered by Dani Pettrey (5 stars)
Stranded by Dani Pettrey (5 stars)
Home For Christmas by Melanie Wilber (2.5 stars)
An Irish Christmas by Melody Carlson (4 stars)
Rising to the Challenge: A Tale of Perseverance and Unconditional Love by Alicia A. Willis (5 stars)
A Highlander for Christmas by Jamie Carie (3 stars)
Finding Christmas by James Calvin Schaap (3 Stars)
The Song of the Wren-Falcon by Mary Ruth Pursselley (4 stars)
A Victorian Christmas by Catherine Palmer (4 stars)
Twin Threat Christmas: One Silent Night\Danger in the Manger by Rachelle McCalla (4 stars)

Anon, Sir, Anon blog tour

Bludgeon InspirationBy Rachel Heffington
When it comes to writing, it can be hard to keep your head in the game. If you're anything like me, your life is unpredictable at times. Shifting work schedules, wedding-season, family life, and travelling gets in the way and it's easy to find yourself on the lame end of inspiration. The story-world that you worked so hard to craft appears to have lost its luster; your characters are stubborn, your plot won't move along, and you're out of the habit of writing at all, much less writing something readable. What's a writer to do? Here are some things that I've put to use when those times of ennui hit me hard.
Keep Notes: Even when you aren't writing, you are living life. If you have eyes to see it, inspiration is everywhere; pay attention and you'll find many things to cultivate your writing skills. Write these things down and when you sit down to write again, you'll have a ripe field of what I call "small-sight": the little half-noticed things of reality that cross the frail line between stilted and vibrant writing.
Do Dishes: I don't think well while sitting still; for some reason the moment my body is completely still, my daydreams kick in and my mind is off on its own merry way which, sadly, never seems to junction with my WIP's. I know we've all heard it, but it's worth saying again: Agatha Christie swore by doing dishes to bring on a bout of inspiration. Maybe her point was because most people don't enjoy doing dishes so they'll feel like writing just as soon as they've begun the dishes. For me, I think my creative brain is stimulated by doing something that doesn't require active brainpower but is productive. Sitting down with nothing to do is my body's signal to space out for a while. (Which, perhaps, is why I love to read so much.)
Watch an old favorite: Funny enough, one of my favorite things to kick me back into a good creativity-spell is to go back and watch a favorite movie: something that is so familiar to me that I can quote it forwards and backwards. Something that draws out the simplest, most important parts of me and brings them back to the light. Usually it's a movie I haven't seen for a long time, but that I love all the same.  There are some films that actually have an adverse effect, such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy; when I watch these, the hope of crafting stories that great seems a weak one at best. Some of the movies that work for me? The Sound of Music, Miss Potter, Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea, Little Women, and Roman Holiday as well as any of the Pixar films.
Write a letter: One of the reasons I keep blogs is because I find that writing fiction and fiction only is actually not that great of an idea. I can easily be tricked into thinking that I'm sick of writing (I know, shocking) when actually what I'm sick of is this particular aspect of this particular story. The best cure for this kind of ennui is a good foray into something logical that still stimulates the need/desire to write. Blog about something entirely unrelated to the topic of writing, or better yet: shut down your computer. Take out some paper and write a letter. Just putting the current events of your life or your recent thoughts into a tangible form is amazing therapy for the novel-weary author.
Work: We authors tend to think that our work as a writer is the only work we will stoop to doing. Believe me, I've been guilty of this. In our heads we're already well on our way to being the next Dorothy Sayers or Percy Jackson; only problem is, the world doesn't know. I'm here to tell you that getting your tail out the door and grubbing around in the garden or painting a dining room or whathaveyou is far more beneficial that you'd think. You might consider menial work below you: oh well, get over it. Even a few days of labor in a row with no writing involved can be better for your novel than three days of a 500-word plunk that you'll end up rewriting anyway. Trust me.
Play with words: Sometimes just being around the comfort of words is enough to inspire. Play Scrabble. Read a gourmet-cooking magazine. Cut up an old book that is falling to pieces and make something cool out of the pages. Doodle. Seriously - doodling is a legitimate form of therapy for those of us who can't bear to put the pen aside, but find ourselves drained of words.
What I mean to say in all this is that you don't need to panic: I'm busy with a contest-piece and monetarily scheming and feel a nagging in the back of my head that says The Baby needs work and I'm neglecting this blog and many other things. Oh well. I don't have to get my tail in a knot over the fact. Inspiration has hidden for a week or two, who cares? If I've learned one thing over the course of my years as a writer, it's this:
Don't worry about your inspiration: Yeah, it might be gone; but it's too arrogant not to come back.

See you later

Last year during November and December, I let blogging, book reviews, and writing take up all my time and I didn't have any time for my family or other activities. So this year I have decided to take a whole two months off. That is right; no blog post, book reviews, or anything.
This doesn't mean I am going to disappear forever. Nope, I am going to come back in January even strong and better.
Here are some of the things I am going to be doing during my vacation:
Lots of readingActing in a live nativityDoing NaNoGetting Brothers and Betrayal ready for releaseSpending hours with my familyReadingThinking up some good blog posts
I will miss all of you, but I will be back. 
In HIS care,Sarah Holman

Adventure Between The Pages: Top Ten Books of 2014

Every year, I like to make a list of my favorite books out of all the books I have read. This year, I have read a lot of really good books. I decided to narrow down my list of awesome books by listing the 10 books that have had the biggest impact on me this year. All the books listed in some way impacted my faith in a positive way. They inspired me and drew me closer to God.
Would you like to read my review of the book, click either the title, or the image.
10. Discovering Hope I really have grown to love this author, but his book reaffirmed my reasons for having high standards when it comes to relationships with guys. It has one of the best conversations about the physical side of relationships I think I have ever read.
9. The Shadow Things This book was just wonderful in reminding of God’s Goodness in the hard times. It also is a wonderful reminder that the best is yet to come.
8. Never It is hard to even describe this book. It had a deep and intricate plot with a message I love: Never compromise your standards.
7. Resistance I don’t think it is often that a fantasy book makes it onto my top ten, but this one was a powerful story of standing up for your faith. The story was nothing short of masterful.
6. In His Image(Firmament, #2) I was going through a hard time, and this story really touched me, proving once again that God uses even fiction to reach his children.
5. Beauty for Ashes Grace Livingston Hill has always been a favorite in our family, but it had been a long time since I had read any of her books. This story really touched my heart and reminded me that Beauty does rise from Ashes.
4. What are youAfraid of? This book was a very powerful reminder that God is stronger than any fear. Dr. David Jeremiah goes through some of the most common fears and provides biblical as well as practical advice on each.
3. 10 Things JesusNever Said This book was one of those books that just is a great reminder of the lies that we too often buy into about Jesus. It a was a huge encouragement to me, and a reminder to stay grounded in the Bible.
2. From the Dark tothe Dawn This was the first book I read this year and I knew it would be on this list. It really encouraged me during a rough time I was going through. It is a powerful tale of faith in dark times.
1. A Memory Between Us This book stuck with me like nothing else. God used this book to really convict me of some of the pride and other issues in my life. It has really stuck with me through the year and God keeps using it in my life. The story was pretty amazing as well.

Blog Tour for Faith Blum's new book Be Thou my Vision

When and why did you begin writing?
I think I’ve been writing since I could first spell well enough to write. I started with simple, childish stories and loved making up stories about people. I do better on paper than storytelling, though.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When I started the publication process for my first book. Before that, I mostly wrote for my own enjoyment.

An avid reader, Faith Blum started writing at an early age. Whether it was a story about the camping trip that summer or a more creative story about fictional characters, she has always enjoyed writing. When not writing, Miss Blum enjoys reading, crafting, playing piano, moderating on the Holy Worlds Historical Fiction Forum and playing games with her family (canasta, anyone?).
As a history enthusiast who has been fascinated for years with the Old West, Faith has endeavored to create a clean, fun, and challenging Western story. Faith lives with her family on a hobby farm in the Northern Midwest, where she enjoys the many cats they have.
You can find Faith on her Website Facebook, Twitter, Google,


The church was empty when I dragged myself out of the pew and headed out the door.  As I opened the door, the corner of my eye caught a flicker of movement which I chose to ignore.  I walked down the steps and was nearly bowled over by two wild boys.  With arms grown strong and quick from man-handling two brothers growing up, I grabbed the two boys before they had a chance to escape me.

Anna Stuart is comfortable with her life.  She may be a 30 year old spinster, but she has her routine and enjoys taking care of her father and older brother.  One letter shatters all her routines, comfort, and enjoyment.  After learning of her brother’s death, Anna feels like her life will never be the same again.

Then she meets two motherless boys.  Did God place them in her life to lead her to a new vision of life?  Can she trust God to give her the desires of her heart before she even knows what they are?

Make sure to post Faith's links too:  Faith Blum's Website Facebook, Twitter, Google,

Be Thou My Vision (Hymns of the West Book 2)

Faith to Start Your Week: Hope

This song has been a huge blessing to me. It reminds me that there is always hope in front of me
There's hope in front of meThere's a light, I still see itThere's a hand still holding meEven when I don't believe itI might be down but I'm not deadThere's better days still up aheadEven after all I've seenThere's hope in front of me~ There's Hope in Front of Me by Danny Gokey
Listen to it here