Miranda Atchley's Blog, page 40

Happy Easter

Happy Easter, readers and friends! I hope you all have a lovely day full of colorful eggs, sweet jellybeans, hoppy bunny rabbits, pretty pastels, delicious food, and good company. But most of all, I hope you realize how much Jesus loves you, and that that love is why Easter exists.
"Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here; He is risen!" -Luke 24:6

-Miranda Atchley

Favorite Word Friday #20 "Elegant"

Elegant
adjective  el·e·gant  \ˈe-li-gənt\
:showing good taste :graceful and attractive:simple and clever
Much like the way in which the word is often used, to me, "elegant" is such a pretty word. When you say it, you actually feel elegant. The word makes me think of graceful dancers, vintage vanity tables, pretty gowns, and regal beauties. It reminds me of Paris, pastel desserts, lovely smelling flowers, and perfume in crystal bottles. And the word elegant to me defines people who are full grace and a humble spirit; who press on with dignity in the midst of life's storms.
Elegant is a beautiful word and that is why it is one of my favorites.
Happy Friday, readers! I hope you all have a lovely weekend. See you Monday for more tales from a real writer's life.

-Miranda Atchley
(Definition taken from the Merriam Webster online dictionary.)

Northanger Abbey Read-Along Chapters 18-24

Happy Thursday, readers! Hope your week has gone well. Today I'm checking in with another discussion post for the Northanger Abbey read-along. Discussion questions were written by Amber.
If I'm being totally honest with you all, some of the chapters from this week's reading lagged a bit for me. Really, I didn't spend much time on them until yesterday and kind of skipped around until about chapter 23, then things really started to pick up! Holy plot twist, Batman! I was not expecting some of these things.
1. If you were Captain Tilney's sibling, would you say something to him about his behavior toward Isabella? Or if you were Isabella's friend, would you try to warn or correct her? What do you think of Henry's reaction to Catherine's concern about the situation?
I'd like to think I would; I hope I would if I were ever in that situation. Henry almost seemed like he was used to this sort of thing; like Captain Tilney does this type of thing all the time, which really wouldn't surprise me. And now we become even less fans of the Thorpes.

2. After reading all about Northanger Abbey, what are your thoughts of the place? Is it anything like you were expecting? Would you ever want to visit or live there if you could?
It seems to be a darker place than I was suspecting. I think I would like to visit, just to see the place, but definitely not alone and I don't think I would like to live there! Maybe Catherine's daydreams have affected me too much.....

3. How do you feel about Catherine's thoughts and behavior in this section? Was it all harmless intrigue, or do you think it's possible to be too caught up in daydreams and fictional worlds?
Perhaps a bit of both? I mean, when you're in a large home with all these secret passageways and the like, I'd imagine it's quite easy for your imagination to go wild, but it seemed like one moment Catherine really liked General Tilney, then the next she had formed these dark opinions of him. It just seemed strange and really took me by surprise.

And so there you have week four of Northanger Abbeyread-along. See you all next week for the final discussion post!

Book of the Week #38 "Anne of Windy Poplars"

Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery
Now that she has graduated college, Anne is the principal over a school in Summerside, where she is also a teacher. The home she lives in is called Windy Poplars and is owned by two widows, Aunt Kate and Aunt Chatty. Also at Windy Poplars is a gruff house maid named Rebecca Dew and a cat named Dusty Miller, whom Rebecca can't stand. Anne has a shaky start at the high school as she deals with the snobbish Pringle family and her miserable college, Katherine Brooke. Yet in true Anne form, she never gives up and most parties soon grow very fond of Anne-with-an-e.
After nearly losing Gilbert to scarlet fever in Anne of The Island, Anne is now engaged to her grade school rival and couldn't be more in love with him if she tried. As Gilbert is away at medical school, he and Anne exchange letters. The book spans three years and in that time we see Anne and Gilbert's love for one another deepen.
I have to admit, this isn't one of my favorites in the series. I don't dislike it; I just don't love as much as the others. It was a little harder for me to get involved in this book and both times I've read it, I've mainly skipped around. I do enjoy reading the letters that are exchanged between Anne and Gilbert as Gilbert is away at medical school. I think that's my favorite part.
Anne of Windy Poplars may not be one of my favorite books, but I still appreciate it as a part of the Anne of Green Gablesseries.

I give this book a 4 out 5.

You might also like: An Ode to Anne

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Love, But Haven't Talked About Much

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.
This week's topic was a little bit hard for me. Most of the books that I've really loved in the past year I've blogged about. But I did find a few that I really enjoyed and didn't gush about. So here's that list!
10: Dear Mr. Knightley by Kathrine ReayI enjoyed this book, but I've been busy with other things so I haven't had time to post about it on here. Soon, though!
9: Garden of Angelsby Lurlene McDanielThis is a pretty good book. It's heartbreaking, but a good read.
8: Chasing Lilacsby Carla StewartIt's been a while since I've read this book, but I remember I enjoyed it quite a bit when I read it a few years ago.
7: What I Know For Sure by Oprah WinfreyThis was a good book. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did, because it isn't my typical read, but I enjoyed it, especially as a change of pace. I don't really know what I haven't talked about it much, but maybe sometime I'll write a review for it.
6: Chop, Chopby L.N. CronkI read this book and really enjoyed it last year. It was a quick Y/A read.
5: Kilmeny of The Orchard by L.M. Montgomery I've been planning on featuring this is a Book of the Week, I just need to find the right time to do it.
4: The Undertaker's Daughter by Kate MayfieldI'm kind of ashamed of the reason why I haven't spoken about this book much; it's mainly because I'm worried about what people think. I mean, when you say, "Oh, I read this great book about a woman who grew up in a funeral home," most people will look at you like you have three heads. But, it is a good book, so maybe I should just get over my self-consciousness.
3: When Patty Went To College by Jean WebsterThis was a pretty enjoyable book. I'll have to feature it as a Book of the Week sometime.
2: Go Set A Watchman by Harper LeeThis was such a good book and so highly anticipated. I know there were a lot of people that didn't care for it, and I'm not terribly sure about the circumstances behind its publishing, but I still really enjoyed this book.
1: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
I loved this book, and I want to feature it as a Book of the Week sometime, I just want to figure out the best to write about it. It's a classic and I want to do it justice.

"A Castle in the Sky" Update #3

Happy Monday, everyone! Hope your week is off to a good start.
This is probably going to be the last update I'll give before A Castle in the Sky comes out. It seems crazy to say that, but the release date is April 26 and that's coming up really quickly. Really, I'm aiming at having everything finished during the first week of April so that there's time for the books to be printed and shipped to my house for people who buy them locally.
Not much has changed since my last update. We're still editing, making sure that everything is where it needs to be so that it reads as smoothly as it can. You wouldn't believe how much time editing takes, but it is super important because you want things to be just so. This is where you prepare the book for others to read and so it takes a lot of time.
I love this book. I'm so excited about it. It really makes me happy and I just really feel in my element in historical fiction. I just love the genre so much! I'm so excited for you all to read this book, but at the same I'm kind of sad that I won't be working on this novel anymore. But I don't think this will be the last time I'll be hearing from Abi and I'm happy about that.
Next week I'll be posting a preview of the book here on the blog, so keep your eyes peeled for that!
It won't be long until A Castle in the Sky is here. I'm so looking forward to hearing what you all think of it once you read it!
Also, I wanted to say thank you to everyone that downloaded a book over my weekend sale. It means a lot to me and I'm very grateful for you all. 
Until next time.....

-Miranda Atchley

Favorite Word Friday #19 "Celebrate"

Celebrate
verb  cel·e·brate  \ˈse-lə-ˌbrāt\
: to do something special or enjoyable for an important event, occasion, holiday, etc.
Today's favorite word is "celebration" in honor of my 2 year bookversary! Two years ago today, my first novel Stephanie's Story was released. I've learned a lot over these two years and I can't wait to learn even more as the years go by!
Reminder: All three of my e-books will be free from today (3/18) until Sunday (3/20). Snatch up these books for free while you can and tell all your friends! Just click here to download.
Thank you all so much for your encouragement and support. I couldn't do it without you. Here's to many more years of writing and reading with you all by my side!

-Miranda Atchley 
(Definition taken from the Merriam Webster online dictionary)

Northanger Abbey Read-Along Chapters 11-17

Northanger Abbey chapters 11-17
So before we get to the discussion questions, let me just say, I am so over Isabella and John Thorpe! I didn't like them to begin with, but now I really don't like them. Ugh! They are so manipulative and whiny.
Discussion Questions: Questions were written by Amber.
1. How do you feel about the way Catherine handled herself with John, Isabella, and James when they pressured her into ditching her walk with the Tilneys in favor of their own outings? How do you feel about the way she explained herself to the Tilneys?
That situation made me angry. The Thorpes are so manipulative and sneaky! It's almost unsettling. And it's frustrating that her brother would let them do that to her, though we know it's because he's in love with Isabella. I'm glad Catherine spoke her mind; it's nice to see her stick up for herself, but she does it respectfully.

2. Henry, his sister, and Catherine have an interesting discussion about books and education on their walk. What was your favorite part of that conversation? Did any of their opinions on novels, history, or the difficulties in learning to read resonate with you?

This is my favorite moment with Henry Tilney so far! It really seals the deal. I love reading how much he loves novels, especially after reading John Thorpe's thoughts on the subject (ick). I don't know about Miss Tilney, but what I've read so far I like. She seems very mellow and nice.

3. We've been given more glimpses into Henry's character - as well as Catherine's infatuation with him. Do you think Catherine has fallen too hard too fast? Or do you think Henry is proving himself worthy of such admiration?
I kind of think it's a bit of both. Catherine does seem to be awfully swoony over Henry, but he seems like a nice guy and is smart and respectful. When you're seventeen, it's not hard to fall head-over-heels for an older man quickly.
Favorite Quotes:
"The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel must be intolerably stupid."
Other Impressions:
The more I become familiar with Henry Tilney, the more I like him. He's funny, but he's also smart and doesn't seem to take himself too seriously. It's nice to read about a guy like that, especially after reading about John Thorpe. I haven't finished this week's section (I think I'm at the end of chapter 15) but am going to work on getting caught up today. Still enjoying this lovely classic and looking forward to reading everyone's thoughts!
-Miranda Atchley

2 Year Bookversary + A Gift For You!

It's so hard to believe that as of tomorrow, I've been a published author for two years. In some ways it seems like only yesterday I was sitting in front of the window, waiting for the FedEx man to bring the first round of copies of Stephanie's Story to my house. Only a few people in my life knew that I was writing a book and many were surprised when I posted photos of it online. Now here we are two years later and I've published two more books and am editing my fourth and have so many more books planned that it's slightly ridiculous in the best way possible. I've sold hundreds of books and have met lots of neat people because of my career. It's so exciting. I'm happy with the direction things are headed in and I can't wait to see what will happen next.










In honor of my two year anniversary (or book-versary?) I'd like to give you all a gift; my e-books will free for the weekend! Starting March 18, you can download Stephanie's Story , Misfit Like Me , and A New Season on Kindle for absolutely free. If you'd like to read a sample of the books, just click here. The sale will end March 20, so be sure and tell all your friends to snatch these reads for free while they can!
Thank you all so much for the support and encouragement; you'll never know how much it means to me.

-Miranda Atchley

Book of the Week #37 "Anne of the Island"

Anne of The Island by L.M. Montgomery
After teaching at the Avonlea school house for a couple of years, Anne Shirley moves to the island to attend Queen's college. As most new college students, Anne feels uncertain in her new surroundings, but soon she settles in and makes friends and does very well at school. The book spans four years, Anne's entire college education. Within those four years, Anne conquers college, moves into a rent home with her friends, has a romance with an older man, and finds out what true love is. She also goes to the home where she was born and speaks with a friend of her parents who tells her things about the parents she's never known.
This book ranks as about my third favorite of the Anne books. Anne of Green Gables is my favorite, Anne's House of Dreams is a second, and then Anne of The Islandis my third. I think I enjoy it so well because Anne really seems to be in her element at college. She's a very smart girl and really thrives there once she gets used to it. Though she has a bit of a shaky start, she comes to love being at college and makes friends, though she misses her bosom friend Diana Barry, now Diana Wright, dearly.
 One part I don't like about this book is Anne's relationship with Morgan. I say I don't like it because I don't like to think of Anne being with anyone except for Gilbert, but that relationship did add a bit of drama that kept you guessing and made you appreciate even more that she chose Gilbert. And this is the book in which Anne realizes how much she truly does love Gilbert. Love it!
All in all, Anne of The Island is a lovely addition to the Anne of Green Gables series and one of my favorite portions of the collection.

I give this book a 5 out 5.