Miranda Atchley's Blog, page 20

Of Covers and Book Sales

Hello readers and friends! I hope you’re all doing well today. I have a couple of fun things to share today. First, I want to let you all know that my fifth novel, All The Future Holds (The Abi Hensley Series Book 2) , will be on sale. Starting October 1st and ending the 5th, the Kindle edition of the book will be freeto download. If you haven’t read the book and want to be prepared for the sequel, Of Things To Come, now is the perfect time!
What the book is about:
In the year 1917, times are changing. In the midst of WWI and the women’s suffrage movement, the world seems divided. Abi Hensley finds herself, as well as those around her, affected by these events. As she continues to pursue her dreams of writing, her third novel is published, and is an instant success. Though this does bring with it more pressure, as it seems everyone she knows is curious as to her standing on the social changes taking place within the world. New people enter her life and help her to see things in a different perspective. Abi also meets a sad young woman with a background very similar to her own, who longs for guidance.
Throughout this difficult time in history, Abi and her friends learn to face things together with strength as they look forward to all the future holds.
I hope you all enjoy the book. If you download and read it, please consider leaving a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or your blog. It would mean a great deal to me.
Now, onto the cover for Of Things To Come.


Isn’t it pretty? I really like the photo I found to use. The garden theme really fits this book because Abi starts working in her garden as a hobby.
What the book is about:
After enduring the First World War, most of the world is hoping to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and move forward in the year 1919. Yet for Abi Hensley the happiness she felt upon the end of the war has been short lived. Grief stricken from the passing of a dear friend, she cannot seem to overcome the loss. Amidst her grief, she is also struggling with her writing, something that has always been a comfort to her. In light of these circumstances, she finds herself questioning many things in her life for the first time.
Can Abi get back to all that she loves and look forward to things to come?
Of Things To Comereleases on October 27, 2017. You now can pre-order it here, and add it on Goodreads here.
Thank you so much for stopping to see the cover for Of Things To Come. I can’t wait for you all to read this book! And don’t forget to download All The Future Holds next week. Happy reading!

-Miranda Atchley

Pride and Prejudice Read-Along

Hey there, reader’s and friends. I’m just dropping in to let you know about a fun read-along that I’m going to participate in during the month of October.
Amber is hosting a read-along of Pride and Prejudice. The plan is to read two chapters each day, until the 31st, in which we’ll only read one chapter. Each Tuesday, she’ll post discussion questions on her blog. I’ve participated in other read-alongs she has hosted and they’ve all been a lot of fun. I encourage anyone interested to participate. If you would like to know more, just click here to go to Amber’s post. Can’t wait to re-read this classic!

-Miranda Atchley

Lately 9.19.2017

Hello readers and friends! Sorry I haven’t been posting that much this month. I’ve been pretty busy with my next book. Read the rest of the post to find out more details!
Writing
Things are coming along with Of Things To Come. I’m editing it right now, and I can’t wait for it to release next month. More details on the pre-order and a blog tour will be coming soon.

Reading
I haven’t been reading many books besides my own this month. I’m getting so close to being finished with it, so I’ve been spending most of my time reading over it and getting it ready for publication.
How have you all been? Any books you’ve read or listened to lately that you love? Are you working on any new writing projects? I’d love to hear about it, so post a comment!
-Miranda Atchley

Review: The White Feather Murders by Rachel McMillan

The White Feather Murders by Rachel McMillan
In 1914, Great Britain is on the brink of declaring war on Germany. Just like many other citizens of Toronto, Merinda Herringford is sure that Canada will join Great Britain in war. Though she’s usually one to be excited for change, she fears what war will do to her friends and to her city. Tensions run high as Merinda, Jasper, and Ray join the Cartier Club, who’s goal is to help immigrants in Toronto begin their new lives. As Canada awaits their fate, a string of murders occur throughout Toronto. The victims are found with white feathers, a sign of cowardice. Merinda and Jem’s investigations lead them all over the city, from St. John’s Ward for immigrants, to the homes of the city’s elite. As they search for clues, it seems as though they find corruption within the law at every turn. Jasper also sees this corruption from his coworkers at the police station. When a member of the Cartier Club is murdered and Jem and Ray’s town house is vandalized, things become far too personal. Merinda is determined to solve the mystery, even if it costs her life.
This book was tinged in sadness, not only because I have really enjoyed the Herringford and Watts Mysteries and am sad to see it end for now, but also because of the fear and uncertainty that Merinda feels as the war approaches. It was quite emotional at times. Even though it had sad moments, we still got that fast pace that we’re used to, which is one of my favorite things about this series. And, of course, there was humor sprinkled throughout, just like in the other books. One such instance was a scene in which the crew attended a dinner at Pelham Park and one of their peacocks followed Merinda around, which I loved. I can only imagine the feisty detective facing off with a prideful pheasant.
One of my favorite parts of this book was the theme of turning toward a higher power. When things seemed so uncertain and the world was spinning out of control, characters were reminded to look toward the Lord for His help. Throughout this series, I’d been expecting Merinda to eventually give her heart to the Lord. This didn’t officially happen, though her friends reminded her that she needed God. Even so, I have hope that perhaps beyond the Herringford and Watts Mysteries, Merinda came to know how much God loved her.
Amidst the changes that are taking place within this book, there’s a mystery to be solved. I would never have guessed who the white feather murderer was. Having read all the other books in the series, it totally took me by surprise. That’s all I’m going to say about that, because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone.
All in all, while emotional, The White Feather Murders was still a fast paced mystery and offered a good conclusion to a wonderful series.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

An Update On My Next Book

Hey readers and friends! I hope you’re all doing well today. I have exciting news for you all about my next book, so keep reading to find out all about it.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted an update on my writing. In fact, other than a few mentions in my lately posts, I have yet to give an update on my current novel at all. Well, that’s about to change, because today I have an update about my latest project.
For those of you who have been reading The Abi Hensley Series (thank you!), you know that All The Future Holds ended on a cliffhanger. Since it ended this way, I’ve been working to get this next book out so that you all won’t have to wait too long to find out what happens.
The title of the book is Of Things To Come. This novel follows Abi’s life after WWI as she, like many others in the post war world, faces changes in her life. There’s sorrow and triumph for Abi as well as those that she loves. And, as always, there are big things to come.
The book is getting very close to being finished. I’ve been editing it and I am now starting to look at cover design. I’m excited for that. When the cover is complete, I will host a big cover reveal along with an official summary of the book.
So stay tuned! This is really exciting and I can’t wait for you all to read this book.

-Miranda Atchley

Review: Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
In this classic novel, Elizabeth Gaskell introduces us to the small village of Cranford. Largely dominated by lower class women, we read the stories of life in a small impoverished hamlet in Victorian England. Such stories include the women of Cranford entertaining visitors, going about their daily lives, losing dear friends, and losing their life savings. As the women of Cranford endure such things, their neighbors offer all they have to give in order to help their friends.
I really loved this book. I love the Victorian era, and this book gave some insight into what life was like for those Victorians that were not born into royalty. It was a lighter read than books like Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. I really liked how the Cranford women were there for one another. When one hit a rough patch, the others were there to help and support her in any way they could. It’s a nice message to read about and one that I think ought to be portrayed more in literature.
This was a wonderful novel. Any fan of classic literature should read Cranford.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Lately 8.8.2017

Hello, readers and friends! It seems odd that it’s August already. Summer is almost over. Can’t say I’m sad about that; fall is my favorite time of year, so I’m looking forward to it. Thankfully though, we’ve been having a few almost fall-like days. It’s definitely not the type of weather we’re used to this time of year in Arkansas. Amidst this, I’ve been getting some reading and a little writing done. Here’s what I’ve been up to.
Writing
I’ve been having some trouble with my current novel. It’s really close to being finished, and I’m almost to the point where it’s just editing that needs to be done. There are a few holes in the story, though, and I’m having trouble filling them. While I’ve been having trouble with that, I’ve been working on some other projects, so that helps me to feel a little bit better.
Reading
I’ve been going a little slower with reading than I would like to this month. I finished Cloudy Jewel , which I liked, and am now reading Cranford .
So there’s my lately. What have you all been reading/writing? Tell me about it!
-Miranda Atchley

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books From This Summer

Hello, readers and friends! Since The Broke and The Bookish are still on hiatus, I, like many other bloggers, came up with another topic to write about this week. Today I thought it would be fun to list my top ten books that I read this summer. I read a lot of great books over the last few months. Here are my top ten books of summer 2017!


10: The Girl of The Woods by Grace Livingston HillThis was my first Grace Livingston Hill novel. I really liked it and have since read more of her novels. She’s become one of my favorite authors.


9: The Butterfly and The Violin by Kristy CambronThis book was heartbreaking, yet so poignant and filled with hope.


8: Mansfield Park by Jane AustenI read my last Austen novel this summer! It wasn’t my favorite Austen, but I did like it a lot.


7: Waves of Mercy by Lynn AustinThis was the first novel I’ve read by Lynn Austin. It was a really good book with a surprise ending.


6: Swept Away by Vanessa RileyThis was such a fun and fresh take on the Cinderella story set in the Regency era.


5: The Red Door Inn by Liz JohnsonI loved the Prince Edward Island setting of this book and the characters were charming.


4: Fly Away Home by Rachel HeffingtonThis was such a fun and snappy Christian historical novel set in the 1950s. I really liked it.


3: Lilies in Moonlight by Allison PitmanThis book was so much fun! I loved Lily, Cullen, and Betty Ruth, and of course, the 1920s setting. It was a great Christian historical.


2: The Hound of TheBaskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleThis has been my favorite of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries so far. I loved the fall setting and the eerie elements. It was a really good book.


1: TheIllusionist’s Apprentice by Kristy CambronI loved this book. I liked the characters, the period it was set in, and the mystery woven throughout. It is definitely one of my favorite books of 2017.
And there you have my top ten books from this summer. What were some of your favorite books you read over the summer? Feel free to gush about them in the comments.

-Miranda Atchley

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Authors

Happy Tuesday, readers and friends! The Broke and The Bookish is still on hiatus, so today I have my own Top Ten Tuesday post for you all. Today I wanted to list ten of my favorite authors. I think it’s good to shine a spotlight on these individuals, because after all, if it weren’t for authors, we wouldn’t have books to read. It was hard to narrow it down, but I’ve managed to list ten authors whom I think are very talented at what they do. Enjoy!



Rachel McMillan
Goodreads | Amazon
Rachel’s Herringford and Watts Mysteries have been a great series. They’re such fun adventures of strong women in the Edwardian era.


Amber Stokes
Goodreads | Amazon
Amber is a very talented author. She writes beautiful stories of love and redemption.


Melody Carlson
Goodreads | Amazon
Melody Carlson has been one of my favorite authors for a long time. I loved her young adult novels when I was a teenager.


Kristy Cambron
Goodreads | Amazon
I’ve enjoyed all of Kirsty’s novels. They’re deep and poignant with strong messages of hope that everyone needs to hear.


Jane Austen
Goodreads | Amazon
What would a list of favorite authors be without Jane Austen? Her novels are timeless and have been passed down through the generations for over 200 years. I love her books.


Grace Livingston Hill
Goodreads | Amazon
At times Grace Livingston Hill’s style of writing reminds me of L.M. Montgomery’s. Her stories are full of faith and they’re always light reads. I’ve really come to enjoy Grace’s writing.




Louisa May Alcott
Goodreads | Amazon
Louisa May Alcott is a kindred spirit. Her writing is great and characters are so real.


Jean Webster
Goodreads | Amazon
I love Jean Webster’s style of writing. It’s snappy and has a fast pace with that classic flair that I enjoy so much. Her books are easy to get lost in and hard to put down.


Charlotte Brontë
Goodreads | Amazon
I read Jane Eyrefor the first time last year and loved it. Charlotte Brontë was such a talented author.



L.M. Montgomery
Goodreads | Amazon
L.M. Montgomery has been one of my favorites for a long time. I just love her writing.

Who are some of your favorite authors? I’d love to hear about them.
Thank you all for stopping by this week! Until next time…

-Miranda Atchley

Review: The Illusionist's Apprentice by Kristy Cambron

The Illusionist’s Apprentice by Kristy Cambron
Wren Lockhart used to work for Harry Houdini. She’s one of the few people on earth that knows how the famous illusionist pulled off his stunts. Now at the beginning of 1927, three months after Harry’s death, Horace Stapleton is claiming that he can bring a dead man back to life. FBI agents Elliot Matthew and Connor Finnegan attend the event, having suspicions about the vaudeville performer. When the man Stapleton seemingly brings back to life dies soon after, they have a new case to solve. They begin interviewing the famous and eccentric Wren Lockhart in her home with doors that she keeps locked, not trusting anyone with her secrets. Wren hates that Stapleton promises he can communicate with the dead and wants to prove him wrong, yet she’s worried that the secrets of her career as well as her personal life, which she keeps closely guarded, will be revealed.
I loved this book. Wren was a really neat character that was easy to like. I really appreciated that she was strong and a different sort of woman for the time period portrayed in this book. Elliot wasn’t my favorite hero ever, but he was still likeable and I appreciate that he gave Wren her space. It was interesting to read about the worlds of vaudeville and illusion in this book. And I’m always game for a novel set in the 1920s, ‘cause that is the best. The writing made me feel like I was really in early 20th century Boston during the winter time. Just like Kristy Cambron’s other novels, this book was really well written.
The Illusionist’s Apprentice was an all-around good book. Fans of Christian historical fiction and novels about the 1920s will enjoy this novel.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.