Kate Willis's Blog, page 51
January 25, 2022
Dishes Bring the Best Ideas
There’s something about the calm of being in the kitchen alone, methodically working through the measurable, visible accomplishment of cleaning up that just puts my mind at ease and gets my creativity flowing.
One recent night in the kitchen, I finally got an idea I’ve been waiting for.
Another Kiera book.
Not about her mainly–no, this time it’s Mercy’s story.
The story of a very different girl trapped in a very similar situation, wrestling with God’s purpose for her life and the problem of suffering.
I don’t really have much more to share yet (it’s not even outlined), and writing it is a long way off since there are two other projects that must come first (you’ve already met one), but this one has been a long time coming and I thought you’d like to know.
Stay tuned. I think you’re going to love it. 
January 18, 2022
The Liebster Award <3
I was tagged by Emma from Bookish Daughters of the King for the Liebster Award. Thanks, Emma!
I’m not going with any rules, but if you find these questions fun, feel free to pick them up and just link back to Emma. 
1. What is your favorite Bible verse and why is it special to you?
Not a specific verse, but I really love the whole book of Isaiah. Just the hopefulness and foreshadowing of Christ.
2. What is your favorite movie and why?
I have too many favorites to name right now, so I’m gonna go with a recent favorite and that’s Encanto. *vibes to music and cries over the accuracy and beauty
3. What would you consider your hidden talent?
I can weed a garden very well. 
I’m also decent at sewing if I understand the pattern. I’m also very good at dancing badly.
4. What book could you read over and over again?
Theoretically The Book Thief but it’s too emotionally destroying, so I’ll go with The Shield Ring. These questions are hard, y’all. 
5. What are your favorite names?
Ooo, I have many right now, but I’ve literally always loved Ainsley.
6. What’s your favorite place on earth?
Our little apartment. It’s home.
7. If you had a TV show or book made about you, what would the title be?
I’m hoping for something like “Ordinary Girl” or “A Half-Baked Life” but I’ll probably get “Remember the Weird One Who Was Either Laughing or Crying?” or something to that effect.
8. Who is your top favorite author?
Ooo, hmmm… I mostly go book by book, but I guess Perry Kirkpatrick, Toni Shiloh, and Sarah Holman count since I love everything I’ve read by them.
9. Do you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert?
Introvert, all the way.
10. What’s your biggest goal in life?
To practice and radiant Christ’s joy and peace and to publish some pretty good books.
11. What’s your favorite TV show?
Great British Bake-Off, hands down. 
All the happy vibes and inspiration.
That was delightful fun! I think we’ve discovered that I’m pretty indecisive at picking favorites, though.
What would your biography be called?
January 14, 2022
Dawnsong by Bryn Shutt // A Review
Light creates shadows, better to die in the dark.
Once, Lilias Khove was someone else, a dancer revered and applauded. Now, she guards a city.
Once, Prevecost was something other, a city strong and renowned throughout the world. Now plague stalks her streets and steals her citizens.
But the city has secrets and so does the dancer.
In a time as dark and silent as the death it fears, these secrets will save or they will damn.
I saw this around IG and picked it up, mostly because I was intrigued by the cover and looking for something shorter to read.
I can barely believe this a debut. The cover, the character art inside (more authors do this, please 
), and the quality of descriptions and fresh metaphors were delightful.
I especially enjoyed the world building. It felt well-fleshed out and the fantasy place names were creative but pronounceable. 
The theme was great and quite timely too, but I wished it was more tied to a tighter plot. It almost felt as if this story wanted to be longer.
Best quotes: “Yes,” he went on as if reading her thoughts—and ignoring some of them.
He looked so weary, the kind that doesn’t start but is always just there, only now and then rising enough to the surface to be seen. It’s been a long night for him.
CW: fake swears and one use of b*st**d, mentions of plague, a fire, and burns.
Looking forward to this author’s next work!
January 12, 2022
Right Where I Left Off
There it was.
93 pages, stapled into four parts, carefully packed into one of the totes I’d brought from home.
I’d both forgotten about it and knew exactly where it was–one of the magical powers of an unfinished manuscript.
Draft one, completed March 2020. Draft two, a false start in January 2021.
Draft now.
I tried to get to it for a couple days (even packing it up in a tote bag for a “field trip”) until Saturday when I made myself a little nest with snacks and tea and red and purple pens, and let myself disappear.
In.
Into the world I’d been unconsciously still working on for two years.
Into the psyche of characters who need much more emotional depth.
Into themes that mean more and more to me with each passing day.
Have you ever seen something so delightfully messy?! I took it to my parents’ house the next day, and by extension to church and grocery shopping, though it stayed in the car.
I pulled some more long hours, and brought the story to over halfway edited with some notes for draft three.
I’ve also been a little researching fiend about hardbacks, and I talked to my cover designer yesterday about plans for this year.
With each page, I’m growing more and more excited, and I can’t wait to share this all with you.
That face when you have a breakthrough idea.
January 6, 2022
Then Comes a Cover Reveal…
Today I get to share with you one of the coolest covers I’ve ever seen. 
It has vibes I was completely not expecting, and I’m really, really intrigued now.
Ready?
The sky, the font, the vibes! 
Laramie was born to ride the desert wilds. And she won’t let anything stop her, even a fearsome warlord who wants her captive–or dead.
A genius mechanic–and a rare descendant of the once-magical Itan–Laramie drifts from dusty town to dusty town in search of the family that was taken from her.
But her rambling desert journey becomes a game of survival when Laramie crosses a ruthless warlord’s territory. Taken prisoner by one of the warlord’s biker gangs, she befriends a quiet, dangerous man named Gered. After surviving hellish circumstances Gered is tired of fighting for a better life.
Laramie will always fight. And she’ll stop at nothing to win their freedom.
Enjoy this pulse-pounding motorcycle adventure in a post-apocalyptic western setting with found family and being brave in brutal circumstances.
Then Comes a Drifter
Releasing February 24th, 2022
The author is also hosting a giveaway for preorder swag!
Enter your preorder receipt HERE.
About the Author
C.M. Banschbach is a native Texan and would make an excellent hobbit if she wasn’t so tall. She’s an overall dork, pizza addict, and fangirl. When not writing fantasy stories packed full of adventure and snark, she works as a pediatric Physical Therapist where she happily embraces the fact that she never actually has to grow up. She writes clean YA/MG fantasy-adventure as Claire M. Banschbach.
Instagram: @cmbanschbach
Facebook: @cmbanschbach
Website: https://clairembanschbach.com/
Pinterest: @clairebanschbach
So there you go! What’s your favorite thing about the cover?
January 4, 2022
A Delightfully Hefty Stack
One of my goals for this year is to read through my physical TBR, and I gathered it up to give myself a clear visual.
It was delightful.
Hefty, exciting novels, a non-fiction read, two (maybe three?) middle-grade, and those falling into categories of fantasy, sci-fi, historical, contemporary, and wonky.
A very good mix for this mood reader. I’m especially excited to knock out some of the books I’ve had on there for a while.
Let’s do just a quick run through to meet them.
Ignite by Jenna Therese // I treated myself to this debut indie superhero novel in the fallhttps, and I can’t wait to gobble it up now that I have time.
Orphan’s Song by Gillian Bronte Adams // This book has been lauded by two very separate parts of my nerd life, and I recently got my interest piqued. Joshua bought it for me for Christmas. 
Veiled Rose by Anna Elisabeth Stengl // After Heartless wrecked me, I promised myself I’d read on the series and this second book has been on my shelf for a while. Something tells me I’m really going to like it.
The Curious Christian by Barnabas Piper // One of my favorite mementos of the Ghost of Christian Bookstore Past, I read the forward of this one and it caught my attention.
From This Moment by Kim Vogel Sawyer // Not only is the cover adorable, but I love this author’s stuff, so I’ll give it a shot.
Irena’s Children by Mazzeo/Farrell // Stories of hope in the midst of tragedy are my favorite part of history, so this sounds right up my alley. Hoping the middle grade vibes it gives off are true.
A Tale of Time City by Diana Wynne Jones // She’s apparently the G.O.A.T. so I figured I should try something by her soon and this looks fun.
The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd // My younger sisters absolutely love her writing so this is another author I’m going to give a shot. I pretty much saw the book at the thriftstore and couldn’t pass it up. 
Not pictured: Catacombs by Paul McCusker (I accidentally left it at my parent’s house)
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall (it’s in the freezer, according to my thrifted book protocol )
In Search of a Prince by Toni Shiloh (I preordered the Kindle copy, though I’m seriously considering also preordering paperback )
What are you hoping to read this year?
January 1, 2022
2022, Nice to Meet You
Happy 2022! (aka the most sci-fi looking date ever)
As promised, here are some of my nebulous hopes and goals.
I’ve been enjoying reading a lot more lately, so I’m excited to set my reading challenge goal to 30 books. I can’t wait to find some great new reads.
I’m looking forward to graduating my recovery group as well. It’s been so helpful to me, and I’m grateful for the work God’s done in my life through it.
My fantasy novel is next up for some much needed (and really quite fun) renovation. The plan is to publish it sometime this year. 
I’d also like to draft two brand new stories (and maybe a short story here and there) just for the delight of it.
Baking, blogging, and life with my Joshua are continuing joys I’m looking forward to, as well as whatever surprises come next.
Happy New Year!
What are your hopes and goals?
December 31, 2021
2021 Is Over and Done
2021. It’s been a year. Maybe not as infamous as 2020, but certainly a ride.
Here are just a few of my highlights…
I got to hone my baking skills and even sell a few products!
My most recent bakeThough I read much less this year than I usually do, I found some great reads (and a few more to my physical TBR ). Check out my Year in Books on Goodreads.
Reads of the year!I also watched some pretty cool movies (thanks to my movie nerd husband showing me a lot of his favorites).
My top five for the year.Early in the year, I joined a recovery group put on by our church to help get my spiritual and mental health in hand. Though it got derailed towards the end of this year, I’m looking forward to finishing up in the new one.
Speaking of derailing, I had The Virus That Shall Not Be Named, and wow was that intense. It was a slow recovery (and I’ve still got some recovering to do), but I’m so grateful to be well.
I’ve been friends with Mikayla for five years now, but through facetime, emails, and letters. (She’s the coolest!) So it was a delight and honor to get to meet her for my wedding!
The coolest maid of honor ever. 
Our wedding was one of the best, most lifechanging days of my life, and the journey of our relationship over this year has been amazing. I’m so grateful for our life together.
Both wedding photos by Reckless Radiance PhotographyI’ll be back tomorrow with my hopes and goals for the new year, but for now, happy new year, happy memories be yours, and happy staying up too late.
December 28, 2021
Blanket // A Short Story
He was yelling again the day she found the blanket.
It was soft wool and bright blue, hidden underneath the bed she’d crawled under.
It fit just perfectly around her shoulders, and she wrapped it tight until it was as snug as a mother’s hug.
She put it on again the next time he yelled. Then when his eyes said he was about to. When his lips tightened along with his hands. When he closed his mouth and stepped out the door, the blanket trailed behind her all the way to the dining table.
She might need it when he came back.
She wore it more and more often the taller she grew. The blanket no longer trailed behind her, but she slept in it every night and the blue dulled to gray.
One day she discovered if she wore it up over her head, he couldn’t see her and decide to be angry with her.
She pulled it tighter over her face until only her eyes peered out, watching for the next sign of his anger.
She began tripping, walking into things, and she no longer fit under the bed. It was hard work keeping herself wrapped up and trying to see where she went.
When she went into the world, others saw her blanket, and as much as she tried they saw her. Some pointed and laughed, but most others just looked away or smiled sadly.
She asked someone why and they answered that adults didn’t wear blankets any more.
She took it off in a moment alone, where she knew she was safe from looks and anger. Her arms tingled from the cold air and it felt strange having her whole face in view, but her heart began to tremble. It felt as if everyone could see it and anyone could take it.
So she found a way to put a small piece of the blanket around just her heart.
Others spoke to her and looked her in the eyes. Safety grew up around her in real hugs, and gentle faces, and as he grew quieter and older himself.
She began to cry, to share her fears, to experience things she’d missed when the blanket blocked her world. She told him what he’d done, and he gave a slow, sad nod.
The tears began to wash away the gray shreds of blanket, but a few pieces remained, holding her heart tight, hurting it as it tried to grow wings.
She tried to pull it off as easily as she’d put it on, but the threads had grown with her, seeming to become a part of her heart. They had held her together, and she wondered what she would be when they were gone.
The first string fell off on a bright summer day when she knew she was loved. Another snapped into pieces when he said he was sorry. The others followed slowly throughout the years, until she sometimes forgot there were any strings at all.
She woke up one morning with her heart scarred but free, and she wept. This time with joy.
Hurts can be healed, hearts can be freed. I hope this story spoke to yours.
(Lovely graphic by Plethora Creative. All similarities in the story to people living or dead is purely coincidental.)
December 21, 2021
Street Team Sign-Ups Open!
I’m planning out my writing (and publishing! ) schedule for next year, and I’ve decided it’s time to start up a Street Team!
Street Team — noun. A group of supportive readers who hear about things first and hype up what they want to.
My brain, 2021
I have space for you, and you’re invited to join!
You’ll have opportunities to beta-read, review ARCs, help with cover reveals, blog tours, and book launches, and I’ll send periodic updates on my writing in general.
For those who like to use Instagram, we also have a lowkey group chat.
Nothing is required–you can pass on all opportunities until there’s one you like or you can participate in them all. It’s completely up to you.
Thank you so much for your support!
