Sarah Holman's Blog, page 94

Adventure Between the Pages: Silenced by Dani Pettrey

Buy it HereAge Appropriate For: 15 and up for violence, mild romance, and talk of immoral behaviorBest for Ages: 15 and up
Description: A relaxing day of rock climbing takes a disturbing turn when Kayden McKenna's route leads her face to face with a dead climber. Is it a terrible accident or something sinister? When the case is handed to the overburdened sheriff, he turns to Jake Westin. With Jake's past now revealed, he's ready to use his talent for investigation again--but he could never prepare for where the case will take him. Kayden and Jake soon realize that the death was no accident. And worse, it seems the killer is on to them. When strange things begin happening in Yancey, Jake is terrified that once again his world may put someone he loves in danger. But the truth is far worse than he could ever imagine.
No, you haven’t missed any reviews on this series, I am starting with book four. I know, not really where you are supposed to begin, but when this came up for review, I couldn’t resist.
This was my first book by Dani Pettrey, and it will not be the last. No, she is not the best mystery writer ever, but she is very good at weaving a compelling story and good mystery without a huge amount of gore or embarrassment. She also is very good at making situations realistic without making you blush. There was some discussion of spouses being unfaithful, but she ever went into detail.
Kayden was just awesome. I really loved her from the first moment, even though she wasn’t a girly-girl. She had a lot of character and loved her family. Kayden’s and Jake’s relationship was fun to see develop. I really like their interaction. It was sweet, romantic, and wholesome all at the same time.
I think this is the first book that I have read set in Alaska. My conclusion? Alaska sounds breathtaking but far too cold. Wearing shorts when it is 60 out? Let me state right now I am so glad I was born in Texas. However, it does should like Alaska has some lovely natural wonders that would be amazing to see.I cannot wait to read more in this series. Pettrey is a talented author that does her research. I highly recommend this book to those who love mystery, mild romance, and good morals on the part of the main characters.  
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I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

Everyday Life: My unintended blogging vacation

Hi, let me introduce myself. I am Sarah Holman, you know, the girl that was posting here a month ago? Yes, it is me and I am back.

I have truly missed blogging here, and have set down on many occasions to do so. However, daily life has been busy, full, and challenging. I haven't spent much time online or writing for that matter.

Some of the good things that have been going on:

After disappearing for two days, our dog came home.I have a new part time job taking care of an elderly lady.My latest book A Different Kind of Courage is a huge hit with my editing team.I am getting to format a kindle edition of a friends book.Some of the challenges: *takes deep breath*My dad is struggling with a yet unnamed brain issue. It keeps getting worse, but we have no answers.My energy level is still low, but I am learning to turns God for the strength to do what I need to, and let go of the rest.I am busy trying to prioritize the projects I have taken on and letting go of some. It has been a real challenge to know what I should cut out, and what I should keep.I am hoping to post updates at least once a week because I know that ya'll are praying for me (thank you, I need it). 
Sometimes I get discouraged right now, but the title of my blog is a good reminder for me: God has a slowly unfolding destiny for me. Each twist and turn in my life is part of his plan. I man not understand or even like it at times, but I don't have to fear it.

Other posts you might enjoy:
          Everyday Life: The Ups and Downs and Blogger
          Thought of the Day: He is Strength
          Adventure Between the Pages: You'll Get Through This by Max Lucado

Thought of the Day: Fear

Fear can be a powerful emotion. Last year, I struggled with fear of many things, and I am still learning how to overcome it. One thing I have learned that I need to have is the faith of a child. Little children trust without question and know that their father will keep them safe even when they don’t understand how. I have been asking God to help me to have the faith of a child when I fear.
Photo will be updated with corrected spelling soon.
Other posts you might enjoy:         Adventure Between the Pages: You'll Get Through This         Dealing with Anxiety         Purple Moon Blog Tour!         

Finds of the week: 4/11/14

Posts that have inspire me
The Struggle to “Be Real”~Very powerful and thought-provoking ~ 
Pianos & Perfection~Who am I really preforming for?~
When you’re Beyond Tired
~This was so encouraging~
By me or about meThe Writers Bookshelf: Five Helpful Resourses
The Writers Bookself: Five Books Every Author Should Have
Enter a contest to win a copy of my book!


Writing Advice With: Sarah Holman

Adventure Between the Pages:The Silver Shawl by Elisabeth Foley

Buy it HereAge Appropriate For: 12 and up for mild romance and violenceBest for Ages: 12 and up
Description: In a small town in turn-of-the-century Colorado, a young woman has disappeared from the boarding-house where she lives. Her distraught fiancé is certain that she must have been kidnapped. But the case takes a new turn when a city detective appears on the scene, looking for a woman who matches the description of the missing girl. Was Charity really kidnapped, or did she have a reason to flee? Mrs. Meade, a gentle but shrewd widow lady who lives across the hall in the boarding-house, feels that there is something wrong with the story of Charity’s disappearance…but can she unravel the mystery before it is too late?
Are you like me and enjoy a good mystery, but dislike murder? You like a crime to solve, but don’t have all day to devote to a case? Well, here is the story for you.
Meet Mrs. Meade. A very Miss Marple type character (from the little I know of Agatha Christie’s heroine), meaning middle aged and endearing. She has an eye for details and takes the time to look and listen to things most people don’t and therefore ends up solving the crime.
There is a bit of romance in the book, but nothing in excess. Two of the characters are in love and share a kiss once or twice, but it wasn’t a hugely passionate scene. Even younger readers and those who shy away from romance will be happy, I think.
The violence is also kept to a minimum. There is no gory murder or horrendous violence discussed in detail. There is mention of people being rough and mean, but nothing that would make you blush, gag, or make you lose your lunch. Again, even young children can enjoy this.
The mystery itself was surprisingly good. For such a short little book, it never felt rushed. Elisabeth Grace Foley has written yet another wonderful story and I cannot wait to read more in the series.
I highly recommend this book to those who like classic feeling mysteries, low violence, and high quality writing.
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Other posts you might enjoy:         Adventure Between the Pages: The Lady of Bolton Hill         Adventure Between the Pages: A January Bride         Adventure Between the Pages: When Courage Calls

Blog Tour: Mrs. Meade Series by Elisabeth Grace Foley

Elisabeth, tell us a little bit about yourself.I’m a twenty-four-year-old homeschool graduate, the oldest of four siblings, and I live at home with my family and two dogs—a ten-year-old mini Schnoodle and a big, rambunctious German Shepherd puppy. I’m an insatiable reader; I love old books, history, Westerns and mysteries in particular. Besides the Mrs. Meade Mysteries, I’ve published a collection of Western short stories and a couple other pieces of short historical fiction. When I’m not reading or writing I enjoy music, crocheting or embroidering, watching old movies and sports, and spending time outdoors.
What inspired the Mrs. Meade series? Well, the first story, The Silver Shawl, began as a vague idea for a Western story with a mystery plot. It didn’t quite work that way, so I re-imagined it as a straight historical mystery. There was a supporting character of an older lady in that original idea that I liked, so somewhere along the way of remodeling it I had the idea to make her a more prominent character and the amateur detective of the story. A little later, when I had another mystery idea in a similar vein, I realized I could use her again and make a series of it!Do you find it challenging to write mysteries?Yes and no. It’s a lot of fun to try and put together all the different layers of a mystery plot—the suspects, the motives, the clues. The tricky part is that it’s hard to tell whether you’ve disguised the truth cleverly enough that readers will be challenged to figure it out. I already know the solution and the significance of all the clues, so I can’t really put myself in the reader’s place and try to guess how it will look to them. Do you know how many stories will be in the series?I haven’t set a number yet. As of right now I have plots sketched out for four more.
Who will enjoy the stories?Readers who like old-fashioned mysteries, from the 19th and early 20th centuries—I’ve read loads of Christie and Chesterton and Conan Doyle and their contemporaries, and my own mysteries very much follow in their tradition. If you like Christie’s Miss Jane Marple I think you’ll enjoy making the acquaintance of Mrs. Meade. Also readers who like somewhat unusual mystery plots—I’ve endeavored to try out some more original situations, rather than simply the standard murder-mystery (although I do have plans for Mrs. Meade to take on one of those in the future!).
What is your favorite quote from Mrs. Meade? I’m rather fond of this bit from the second story, The Parting Glass:
“You’ve been thinking again!” accused Andrew Royal rather unnecessarily.
Do you have any final thoughts?Only to say thank you very much for hosting me here, Sarah! I’ve enjoyed it.




Enter to win!http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/5fbc0b0/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway
Other posts you might enjoy:           Interview with Author Rachel Hauck           Interview with Author Melanie Dickerson           Interview with Author Rachelle McCalla

Everyday Life: The Ups and Downs and Blogger

Wasn't there supposed to be lots of princess posts last month? Yes, there were. Wasn't one of Sarah's resolutions this year to blog more? Indeed. So what happened.
Life has been full of many ups and downs lately. On the upside, I have met with some wonderful authors, had my first book signing (post on that coming soon), my energy level is up, and I am making some progress in editing. On the downside, my dad is struggling with some very difficult health issues, editing is slow, and I had a cold for a week.
I wish that I were one of those bloggers that posted no mater what was going on in my life, but I am not. I have to admit, blogging is the first thing that suffers when anything is going on in my life. I used to feel very guilty about this, but in the past year, I have come to understand that it can be a good thing.
To often with social media, we get so worried about updating our status or writing a blog post that we don't spend enough time doing real things. We are to busy pinning pictures of gardens to plant ours. We hear something funny and we are so caught up in posting it to Facebook, we lose everything else that parson says. We are to busy blogging about what God is teaching us to put in into practice.
Don't get me wrong, I like Facebook, Pinterest, and Blogger. I think they are wonderful tools that have greatly blessed my life. However, I must admit that I am a bit proud of the fact that I am not caught it the trap of feeling the need to update/check it often. I can ignore my blog and Facebook page for a week and that is okay with me, although I do miss it.
Now that I have rambled for a bit, I am getting back to editing. I am almost finished with the first round of edits for A Different Kind of Courage.
Other posts you might enjoy:         Becoming a Princess         Everyday Life: Strength for today         Learning to Manage my time Well

Faith to Start you Week: Versions of the Bible

Before I scare you away, this is not going to be a debate on what versions are the right or wrong ones to use. I want to share some of the versions that I use in my reading and study regularly. Yes, versions as in multiple. You see, I personally don’t think there is any perfect translation, so I like reading different ones and seeing how different people translated it.
The Voice: This version is currently my favorite. It is a newer version, and it has made reading the scripture feel new to me. It  is formatted and reads more like how I think. Words have been updated to reflect current meaning and usage. However, I feel it also doesn’t dumb down the message like some modern translations do.
The NIV: As much as I love my Voice Bible, sometimes I check it against other more traditional translations. The NIV is what I grew up reading, and I still use it to study the scripture. Yes, it has its weak points, but I am of the opinion that all translations do (another reason to use multiple versions).
The NKJV:Although this has never been my favorite for reading, it is very valuable for studying the Bible. I like hearing the older words that were used. I also like seeing how words and concepts were translated differently, sometimes for the better. I definitely think it is a valuable version to use in study.I use Bible Gateway a lot for comparing the different versions, especially when writing up a devotional blog. I love being able to compare two versions easily side by side.

What are your favorite versions to use and why?
Other posts you might enjoy:         Adventure Between the Pages: The Voice Bible         It is all in the Roots         We are Chosen

Adventure Between the Pages: Maelyn by Anita Valle

Get it for free here Age Appropriate For: 10 and up for mildly scary descriptions and very mild romanceBest for Ages: 10 and up
Description: Is Maelyn a real princess? Or a royal mistake? Maelyn was not born a princess. The king found her as a child, the lone survivor of a poor village slaughtered by the Red Fever. Suddenly she became a princess of Runa Realm, the first of nine orphans adopted by the king. By her eighteenth year, Maelyn rules over Runa and a family of nine sisters. But some call the princesses frauds and imposters, a handful of urchins raised into royalty. Even Uncle Jarrod, the High King of Grunwold, seems determined to prove that Maelyn no longer deserves to be a princess. With a family losing faith in her, and a kingdom growing dangerously hostile, even Maelyn begins to wonder if she is truly a real princess. And if her riches will turn to rags once again….
I have been into princess, and short stories of late. I have been devouring books on my Kindle that can be read in a couple hours. This story has been one of my favorite finds.
The story is so creative. The plot and the style were unique and charming. Anita has so much imagination and talent that I cannot wait to read her next book. If you are looking for old plots or typical stories, this is not the book for you.
Maelyn is an avid reader, as well as the princess that keeps all the sisters together. I instantly loved her as I am also a book lover, and the oldest of a lot of sisters. The only scary thing in this book comes from a description of one of the stories she reads. I thought it added a fun touch to the book. In fact, I really want to find Marlyn’s library, as it sounds so wonderful.
This book, though not strictly Christian, has good morals and is very clean. I think there might have been one very brief/not very passionate kiss, but that is really as far as the romance goes. It really didn’t play into the story that much.
I highly recommend this story for princess lovers and for those looking for something creative and fresh.

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Adventure Between the Pages: Blades of Valor

Buy it Here Age Appropriate For: 12 and up for Violence and mild romanceBest for Ages: 12 and up
Description: Thomas is finally in the Holy Land and reunited with Sir William, but is forced to travel on his own from the coast through Nazareth, and finally to Jerusalem. The road is a dangerous one—especially to a lone traveler. Bandits masquerade as slaves, traitors appear to be allies, and once again, Thomas doesn’t know whom to trust. He must rely on his own resources to discern friend from foe, and to finally discover the final key to the Druids' master plan before returning home to expose them.  Back in England, a final storm is brewing against Thomas, for the Druids are much more powerful than the Orphan King can even imagine.
I have to admit, this book was frustrating. Even though this book isn’t long, I found myself just wanting for it to be over. I really wanted to give this book five stars, as the rest of the series has been so awesome. This book, though, was more frustrating than the last one. I kept literally yelling: “Someone trust somebody already!” (You can feel sorry for my family for having to put up with me).
This book was as well written and had some of the same, fascinating aspects as the last three books. The battle between the Druids and the immortals rages on, and Thomas is caught in the middle. There is no doubt that Sigmund Brouwer has a great imagination.
Why did I end up not caring for the book? I felt the story was on repeat. Yes, Thomas in and friends are in different situations with different results, but I felt that the basic plot was repeating over and over again. Thomas thinks he can trust person A; then  he sees person A with person B. Now he knows he can't trust them, so he seeks help from C. That works out fine until he sees them with person A.
The family relations? My head was spinning by the end of the book with sudden revelations of who was related to whom and complicated relationships. I didn’t feel most of them added anything of benefit and felt a little weird at times.
With that said, the ending did keep the book from being a complete waste of time. It was a brilliant ending, I have to admit. I also really liked what happened to Isabelle.
I recommend that those who read the last three books go ahead and read it to find out what happens, but be prepared for some frustration.
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I received this book from WaterBrook Press  through BookLook in exchange for my honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

Other posts you might enjoy:
          Adventure Between the Pages: The Orphan King
          Adventure Between the Pages: Fortress of Mist by Sigmund Brouwer
          Adventure Between the Pages: Martyr's Fire by Sigmund Brouwer