Miranda Atchley's Blog, page 14

March in Review

Can you believe another month is gone, readers and friends? It seems like I say that entirely too often, but when it comes to writing these month in review posts, all I can think of is how quickly the months pass by. March was a pretty good month. I made more progress with my novel, blogged a decent amount, and read some good books. I also celebrated my four year #bookversary and kicked off my brand new mailing list, which was a lot of fun.
Books Read in March
Doctor Thorne Faking Grace His Last Bow The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes Armando’s Treasure The Christmas Bride The Dancing Master A Search for Refuge All for a Song Three Ghost Stories
I was more sad about finishing The Sherlock Holmes Mysteries than I thought I would be. It’s always sad when a series you’ve enjoyed comes to an end, and that was definitely the case with these classic books set around that infamous detective. All for a Song was another book that made me so sad in the end. It’s one of those books that will bring a tear to your eye.
Favorite Posts4 Year Bookversary(S A L E!)Lately 3.15.2018Top Ten Tuesday:Spring TBRFirst LineFridays: The Girl in the GatehouseAn Emotional Story of the Roaring Twenties | Review: All for a Song by Allison Pittman
Thank you for spending time at A Real Writer’s Life this month. I hope March was a great month for you and that April is even better. Until next time…
-Miranda Atchley

First Line Fridays: The Girl in the Gatehouse

Happy Friday readers and friends! Also, farewell to March? Posing that as a question because, how can it already be the end of March!? Time really does fly. Anyway, seeing as its Friday, it’s time for another edition of First Line Fridays, hosted by Hoarding Books.
My current read is The Girl in the Gatehouse . It’s one of Julie Klassen’s older books that I’ve just started reading this week. Here’s the first line.
“The end of the only life I’ve known,” thought Mariah Aubrey, looking back through the carriage window at the shrinking figures of her mother and sister.
I really like Julie Klassen’s writings. Really, what self-proclaimed Austenite wouldn’t be a fan of Julie Klassen? And honestly, even if you haven’t read Jane Austen’s books, there’s still enjoyment to be had whilst reading a Klassen novel. This makes the fifth novel I’ve read by her and I’ve enjoyed it thus far. I like the author theme and love that the heroine lives in a gatehouse.
Not it’s your turn. What’s the first line of your current read? And who are some authors that you go to feeling certain you’ll enjoy their books?
Have a great weekend, friends. Happy Easter!
-Miranda Atchley

An Emotional Story of the Roaring Twenties | Review: All for a Song by Allison Pittman

All for a Song by Allison Pittman
About The Book
Dorothy Lynn Dunbar has everything she ever wanted: her family, her church, and plans to marry the young pastor who took over her late father’s pulpit. Time spent in the woods, lifting her heart and voice in worship accompanied by her brother’s old guitar, makes her life complete… and yet she longs for something more.
Spending a few days in St. Louis with her sister’s family, Dorothy Lynn discovers a whole new way of life- movies, music, dancing; daring fashions and fancy cars. And a dynamic charismatic evangelist… who just happens to be a woman. When Dorothy Lynn is offered a chance to join Aimee Semple McPherson’s crusade team, she finds herself confronted with temptations she never dreamed of. Can Dorothy Lynn embrace all the Roaring Twenties has to offer without losing herself in the process?
My Thoughts
What to say about a book like this? It’s been a long time since a novel stirred my heart the way All for a Song did, different portions affecting me in different ways. From the first page, this book defied my expectations and it was definitely not what I was expecting, in good ways, and sometimes in not very good ways. The subject matter is much more serious than I had anticipated, but at times the storyline was lighter than I thought it would be. I liked Dorothy Lynn Dunbar, as well as her family. I had mixed feelings about Brent; going into the book, I was expecting to not like him, that it would be revealed that he was not good for Dorothy Lynn, but that was not the case. I could. not. stand Roland. Ugh! I wish he had not dominated so much of the book because he got on my nerves so bad.
What I did enjoy about the book is the setting. I love the 1920s! And I also love the small town setting. Allison Pittman can write about small southern towns the way many authors can’t. Heron’s Nest reminds me of the places where my grandparents grew up in the ‘40s and ‘50s and reading about it reminded me of their stories. I liked that Dorothy Lynn was spunky but sweet and that even through her time of wandering, she still held faith in God and that she turned to Him when she made mistakes. And I love that at times we got a peek at Dorothy Lynn on the final day of her 107 years. I’ve always enjoyed reading stories like that; that switch between a person in their advanced age and their younger years. It was so sad to see how she had outlived those that she loved most and was left with people that seemed like little more than acquaintances to her. This is one of the reasons I felt like crying at the end of this book.
While All for a Song left me a little conflicted, I still think it was a well written novel and had moments that I loved. This is a book that I do believe will stick with me for quite some time.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Abroad

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.
Today’s Topic: Books That Take Place in Other Countries
I’ll admit; today’s topic was a little tricky for me. I read a lot of novels set in a country that I do not live in. I’d even venture to say that the majority of what I read takes place outside of the U.S. The problem is that my library is overwhelmingly dominated by England. I love reading about England; some of my favorite novels take place there, and it just sounds like a nice place. Yet, when it came to compiling this list, I didn’t want to feature just one country. So, I decided to feature ten different countries and choose a book for each one. In turn, I wound up listing some books I don’t typically feature in my Top Ten Tuesday posts.


China Cinder The Lunar Chronicles are fun reads. Super-fast paced, with a lot going on.


Scotland A Wreath of Snow This was a good Christmas story. I love the setting, Victorian Scotland, as well as the story of grace and forgiveness.



New Zealand Close To You This was a nice light book. Not my typical read, but a quick read for when I’m in a rut. I really enjoyed the setting. New Zealand sounds like a beautiful place.




Belgium Villette While this isn’t my favorite book by Charlotte Brontë, I still enjoyed it.



Monaco The Lost Heiress While a great deal of this novel does take place in England, it begins in Monaco, which sounds like a pretty place.



Italy A Portrait of Emily Price This wasn’t my favorite Katherine Reay novel, but I did like it and the setting sounds so beautiful.




Austria The Butterfly and The Violin This book is heartbreaking, but it is so good.




France Glamorous Illusions I was taken by surprised when while I wrote this list I learned how little I’ve read about France, considering it’s one of the top countries I want to visit someday. When it came to choosing a book set in France, this one stood out in my mind. I enjoyed this book when I read it in 2016, and I adore the cover.


Canada The Red Door Inn Bet you thought I was going to list an L.M. Montgomery book for Canada, didn’t you? Well, I was. Haha! But since I’ve mentioned her novels hundreds of times on my blog, I wanted to feature another lovely read that takes place on Prince Edward Island. This book totally makes me want to vacation on the beautiful Canadian island.



England The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill I enjoyed this book more than I had anticipated I would. I love the cozy, small village setting.
What are some of your favorite books that take place in other countries? I’d love to hear about them.
-Miranda Atchley

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.
Today’s topic: Books on My Spring TBR
We all know that TBRs are never ending things. The books just keep piling up and you never seem to get to all the ones you want to read! But then there are some that you want to get to sooner rather than later. Today I’m listing ten books that I hope to read this spring, which begins on the day this post will go up.


10: Thorn in My Heart A couple years ago, I found Fair is The Rose at our library’s annual book sale and purchased it without knowing that it was the second book in a series. Haha! So, now that I do know that a book precedes it, I would definitely like to read Thorn in My Heart. It seems like a neat book set in a time period I haven’t read that much about.


9: Winning Miss Winthrop I really enjoyed the A Legacy of Grace portion of Carolyn Miller’s Regency Brides series. I’m looking forward to the A Legacy of Hope portion beginning this spring.


8: Where We Belong I loved Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin and have wanted to read more of her novels ever since. I picked this one up at the library the other day. It seems like a good Easter time read.


7: The Sea Before Us I love Sarah Sundin’s books! She’s a great writer of WWII fiction and I can’t wait to read this book set in England during the war.


6: You’re The Cream in My Coffee I randomly found this book on my Kindle the other day and it sounds like the cat’s pajamas. I definitely hope to read it soon.


5: All For A Song I loved Allison Pittman’s Lilies in Moonlight. It was such a fun book! I’d love to read more fiction set in the 1920s by this author.


4: The Lost Castle Kristy Cambron is one of my favorite authors. I’m so excited to read her latest release! Especially because it has a castle, and y’all ought to know how much I love books with castles, be they symbolic or otherwise.


3: A Song Unheard I loved A Name Unknown so much. It was a marvelous read. I’m so looking forward to reading the second book in the Shadows Over London series.


2: String of Pearls I’ve so enjoyed reading The Mulligan Sisters series. I’m really looking forward to reading the third book in the series.


1: Sense and Sensibility This will be a re-read for me. Sense and Sensibility is my favorite Jane Austen, and when Amber announced a read-along for the book taking place this May, I was so excited! I can’t wait to read this book in this great group.
Thanks for stopping the blog today. I’d love to know what books you’re hoping to read this spring.
-Miranda Atchley

4 Year Bookversary (S A L E!)

March 18th is always a fun day for me. Four years ago today, my first novel Stephanie’s Story was published. It’s hard to believe how much time has passed since my first book was published. I’ve learned so much since then and continue to learn a great deal as I write. I wouldn’t trade this job for the world.
In celebration of this bookversary, I’m having two sales on my e-books this week. My young-adult novels, Stephanie’s Story , A New Season (sequel to Stephanie’s Story), and Misfit Like Me will be freeto download. My historical novels, A Castle in the Sky , All The Future Holds , and Of Things To Come , all part of The Abi Hensley Series, will be only 99 cents to download. Both sales begin today, Sunday March 18, and end on Friday March 22. So be sure to download these books at their discounted prices, and feel free to share about the sales with your friends!




Thank you for all the encouragement you’ve shown throughout this journey. I can’t wait to write many more books and share them with you all.
-Miranda Atchley

First Line Fridays: The Christmas Bride

Happy Friday, readers and friends! It doesn’t seem possible that a week should have passed since sharing my last First Line Fridays post, yet alas it has. So without further ado, here’s my contribution to First Line Fridays, hosted by Hoarding Books.

This week I’ve been reading The Christmas Bride by Grace Livingston Hill. The first line goes like this:

Gregory Sterling rode slowly out of town toward his little shack among the hills. He had just come from signing the papers which gave over to the Blue Star Production Company full right and title to the land for which he had grubbed and starved and fought and almost died. He was going back to pack up and leave!

I really like Grace Livingston Hill’s novels. They’re classics written many years ago, but they’re sweet, light reads. I enjoy her style of writing, and I love the Christian messages portrayed in each book.

So what’s the first line of your current read? Tell me about it in the comments!

-Miranda Atchley

Lately 3.15.2018

Hey readers and friends. I hope the month of March is going well for you. I freely admit that my favorite season of the year, hands down, is fall. I love winter, too, but I am not a fan of spring and summer. In Arkansas, we really don’t get much of a spring. For a few weeks the temperatures will be mild, but it isn’t long before they soar into the upper eighties and nineties and stay this way until the end of October. But I do I like the month of March. I like when the winds pick up and it’s still cool, and I love seeing all the flowers bud out. As all this takes place, I continue to write and read and today I want to share with you what that has consisted of lately.
Writing
I’m still working on the next book in The Abi Hensley Series. I still don’t have a title yet, but I did want to let you all know that I’ve started a pin board for this book. You can visit the board here.
Reading
This week I finished The Sherlock Holmes Mysteries . After reading the series for about a year, it’s a little odd to think that it’s over. At the moment, I’m reading Armando’s Treasure and The Christmas Bride .
Other
If you saw my post on Sunday, then you know that I’m starting a mailing list. I’d love for you all to subscribe so you can keep up with news on upcoming releases, book sales, giveaways, and other bits of news in reference to my books. If you sign up before Sunday, March 18, you’ll be among the first to find about some exciting news.
And there’s my lately, readers and friends. What have you all been reading and writing lately?
-Miranda Atchley

A Gripping Tale of the Civil War Era | Review: Amongst The Roses by Meghan M. Gorecki

Amongst The Rosesby Meghan M. Gorecki

About The Book
Three hearts and one war - who will return?The War Between the States shakes Margaret Bryant out of her comfortable upper-class life when her father enlists in the Army of the Potomac. Despite being safely ensconced above the Mason-Dixon Line in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Margaret finds her strength tested by opposition from familiar faces and Confederate threats. Will she let a young man from a lesser station into her heart even as war rages ever nearer to the home front?Restless Connor Doyle sees the war as a way to escape from his family s farm and his identity as a poor Irishman s son. His brother, Adam, torn between duty to country and his family, enlists alongside Connor. Adam dares to hope in a future with Margaret when he begins a courtship correspondence from the war front. The two brothers make a vow to protect one another at all costs, but when faced with death and destruction from all sides will they be able to uphold it? The three bloodiest days in America s history bring these three together at Gettysburg and tragedy s cruelty threatens to tear two hearts apart and bring two unlikely allies together.

My Thoughts
Having read Meghan M. Gorecki’s previous two novels, I was definitely looking forward to reading her novel set during the Civil War. She’s a good writer and that is displayed in Amongst The Roses. The novel is well researched and her passion for this period in history is clearly seen throughout the pages. There are many pretty turns of phrases and nice uses of symbolism used throughout the book, and I enjoyed these aspects. However, I didn’t find the characters to be terribly likable nor relatable. I must admit that I didn’t like Margaret Bryant the way that I was hoping to. She’s a somewhat self-righteous character and her obsession with making a wealthy match was bothersome at times. Yet I will specify that this seemed to fade as the book progressed. It seems to me that the author’s intent is to show Margaret’s growth over the course of the series. Connor Doyle was a pretty cocky guy and could try one’s nerves at times, though there were some redeeming qualities to his character, such as his want to protect his family. As with Margaret, I get the impression that his growth will be displayed throughout the series.
I feel it necessary to point out that there is some graphic content in this novel due to the various battle scenes. This is to be expected when it comes to novels set during the Civil War and some readers might keep this in mind when considering reading the novel.
All in all, Amongst The Roses is a solid start to the Keystone Legacy series. Civil War aficionados will want to consider giving this one a try.
I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

*I received an ARC of Amongst The Roses from the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Top Ten Tuesday: Taken By Surprise

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.
Today’s Topic: Books That Surprised Me
Sometimes books surprise us. This can either be a good thing, or a bad thing. From time to time, the latter does happen, and it is a disappointment. But then there are the books that surprise us in a good way and that more than makes up for the bad surprises. Today I’m listing ten such books; a few disappointments, but more pleasant surprises.



10: FairestI had really enjoyed The Lunar Chronicles when I first began reading them. But when I got to the “bonus novella” all about the series’ villain, Queen Levana, it was terrible! I just did not like this book at all.


9: Austenland *Sighs dismally*I had such high hopes for this novel. A woman visiting an English manor house and spending her days dressed in period clothing? How could you go wrong with that? Alas, this novel just did not live up to my expectations. A novel with a similar plot that I did enjoy was The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay.


8: Heiress This book seemed to be right up my alley, but the rivalry between the two sisters made the book unenjoyable for me.


7: At Your RequestI’ll admit that the cover drew me to this little novella. And since it was free I thought I’d give it a go. I enjoyed it so much more than I ever expected to. Jen Turano’s writing is so different from most historical writers in the best way. It’s funny and sweet and just delightful.


6: A Singular andWhimsical ProblemBefore the Herringford and Watts Mysteries, I hadn’t read any mysteries. I gave the series a try because I love the Edwardian era and strong female protagonists. I was totally surprised to find how much I not only enjoyed reading this particular series, but cozy mysteries as well.


5: Lilies in MoonlightThis was another book whose cover called out to me. It’s so fun! But the story inside is even more fun and charming. I was totally blown away by how much I loved this roaring tale. I definitely want to re-read this book someday


4:

3: The Ringmaster’s WifeI can remember being very excited to read this book when it came out two years ago. After all, it takes place during one of my favorite time periods and I love the circus theme. However, I had not anticipated loving this book as much I did, nor did I expect its author to become one of my favorites, as she most certainly has.


2: CranfordI hadn’t been sure that I would enjoy this classic novel when I started reading it. In the end, I absolutely loved it and now consider it one of my favorite books.


1: Daddy-Long-LegsEven though it’s been a year since I read this novel, I remember how much I enjoyed it. I was anxious to read it, but I hadn’t expected to enjoy nearly as much as I did. I couldn’t put it down and it’s a book that has stuck with me ever since. It’s definitely one of my all-time favorite books.
Now it’s your turn. I’d love to hear about the books that surprised you. Thanks for reading!
-Miranda Atchley