Kate Willis's Blog, page 110
February 1, 2017
Plate Update: Mansions, Grammar Rules, and Hashtags
I blinked and January is over! Moral of the story–never blink. 
January 30, 2017
Adventures in Storyland
GoogleDocs informs me it’s been a week since I last worked on “Kiera”. I didn’t realize it had been that long maybe because I took a break to edit my short story “Enjoy the Poodle Skirt” for publication. (The date has been pushed back a bit, but you can still mark it as to-read on Goodreads! And check out the pretty cover by Victoria Lynn Designs while you’re at it… :D)
Or maybe it’s that I helped my brother with the final push to publish his brilliant, witty detective short story “Diamond” last week. It’s seriously cool! And you just might laugh out loud.
January 27, 2017
Shadows of the Hersweald Cover Reveal!
I can’t believe it y’all!!!! I got beta-read the third Legends of Light novella, and now I get to help show you the cover!
*squeals*
Shadows of the Hersweald is a retelling of the fairytale of Hansel and Gretel, and out of this world awesome. 
January 25, 2017
Book Review: Journey to Love & Letter of Love
[image error] “Now orphaned, Marie is swept miles away from the only life she knew to be sheltered by unknown guardians. Caught in the challenges of a new life, she cannot prevent changes from happening, but she can keep the Bowles and their friends at arm’s length. Or can she?
While things appear to transition smoothly on the outside, Marie struggles against the turmoil she faces on the inside. She sees something in the Bowles and her new friends that she had never experienced before…but should she trust what the preacher is teaching when it goes against everything she had accepted as truth? Is God really a God of love? If He is, then is Marie willing to accept it?
Follow Marie as she begins the journey to love.” (from Goodreads)
This was such a sweet book by Amanda Tero and a great reminder of God’s love for us! Although it was very slow in some parts, I found the natural sharing of the Gospel through everyday conversations (and a few church services) very encouraging. 1 John is seriously one of my favorite books, so I was happy to see it featured so much. Marie was a nicely complicated character, although it was hard to pinpoint her age. I kept changing my mind on that one.
January 23, 2017
Ivy Rose Interview
[image error]
About the Book
[image error]Lindy Greene’s life is perfect. Too perfect. But living as a missionary nurse, serving in a small hospital in China, soon brings the disaster she fearfully anticipates. All of her well-thought-out plans for the future disintegrate after pulling a fatally ill, disfigured, abandoned child from a pile of trash. She doesn’t even like babies.
Nathan Thomas can’t find balance. College suited him just fine until his cash ran out, forcing him to the Chinese mission field with his parents. The chaotic atmosphere in China does little to relax his agitated mind, and the pretty blonde nurse at the hospital does nothing to help him focus.
The Chinese mission field isn’t for the faint of heart. Nathan wonders how he can survive his remaining time there, while Lindy struggles to help everyone she can. With different ideals pulling them in separate directions, there is one thing drawing them together: a tiny, sickly, crippled orphan who relies on them to stay alive.
Find on Goodreads ~ Find on Amazon
About the Author[image error]
Ivy Rose is an 18 year old history lover and literary enthusiast. Aside from writing, she enjoys being outdoors, eating chocolate, traveling, reading, and doing TaeKwonDo. She resides with her family of 9 on the banks of the Long Lake in eastern Washington.
She can be found at various places on the internet:
Author Interview
Join me in welcoming author Ivy Rose to Once Upon an Ordinary! *cheers*
Ivy, tell us a bit about yourself and what first made you decide you wanted to be an author.
I’m a coffee-drinking, quad-riding, Converse-loving girl who stays up way too late wrapped in fuzzy blankets working through stacks of books and nibbling on chocolate. 
January 20, 2017
Let’s Talk About Dialogue
Dialogue is crucial for character development and will ultimately make or break a story. Let’s talk about it!
Vernacular! I jes ‘appen to love this wee bit o’ aprostrophying to ‘elp spice up yer dialogue and draw yer readers into tha setting, but the meaning soon gets drownded in translation if ya ken what I mean. Vernacular can be a very useful clue to the speaker’s country of origin or level of education, but let’s be careful not to overload readers as I likely did in my example.
January 18, 2017
Book Review: The Ghostwriter Secret
[image error] “Steve Brixton is fast becoming America’s top detective. After saving the United States of America in The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity, he has opened his own agency. Steve gets a call to solve the case of the Fairview diamond but it turns into an even bigger mystery. MacArthur Bart, author of Steve’s beloved Bailey Brothers series, has been kidnapped!! And there is only one 12-year-old detective who can find him. But not without the help of his best chum Dana and The Bailey Brothers Detective Handbook. Full of run-ins with goons, bullys, and the B. Syndicate (or is that Bee Syndicate?), The *Ghostwriter Secret will keep everyone laughing with suspense.
*Please note Steve encounters no specters in the course of this book.” (from Goodreads)
How could anything compare to the clever and hilarious first installment of this series by Mac Barnett? This book almost didn’t make five stars until the last few chapters. Serious suprises there. And then more suprises. And even more. The plot is as good as if Steven Moffat wrote a kids’ book. The writing style was fantastic (and funny!) as always, and it was fun to see Dana getting in on the adventures. He packs a good punch! I especially enjoyed that there were SPOILER ALERT! literary-related villains again.
January 16, 2017
The Selcouth Award (Blog Tag)
I wrote the same scene twice last week, but other than that I haven’t found much time for writing.
January 13, 2017
Notice
I’ve had a pretty busy day catching up on emails (again), writing a hard scene (again), hiking, preparing for a family birthday, and making peanut butter cookies.
January 11, 2017
Book Review: Last Wish
[image error]“Miranda, what did you wish for?”
More time with family?
To live another month?
For a cure?
No.
Much more. (from Goodreads)
This was such a beautiful, bittersweet story by Valerie Howard! I loved it so much especially the Gospel presentation. The writing style and quick character development was superb for such a short story, and the message was amazing.
