Blog Tour // "A Question of Courage"

Hey guys! Welcome to the A Question of Courage blog tour! :D

About the Book

A man. A decision. A destiny.

Rafe Sullivan never imagined the war would come to his doorstep. But when Pearl Harbor is attacked and America's focus suddenly shifts to the Pacific, he finds he can't ignore the problem anymore.

Leaving the life he loves behind, he joins up to do what he does best. Fly.

Yet, nothing could have prepared him for the horrors of war, and the struggle that is going on in his own heart. As an outstanding Navy pilot, he is stationed on one of the few Pacific carriers. But could God be calling him to step out in faith, and go beyond the call of duty?

Lily Wilson gives her all to help the hurting community around her. With the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the war is brought home to many American families. And as a nurse, she longs to be able to relive some of the suffering. Yet, her own grief is still fresh in her heart, and though she's made the decision to get on with her life, she can't seem to leave the past behind. When healing at last comes, the guard she placed around her heart slowly begins to crumble.

But when she receives the news she hoped she would never again hear, can she trust that God's plan is always right?

Arthur Warrington saw the Navy as an escape from the life he left behind. And it seems good for him. He is able to forge new friendships and distance himself from his past. But when his best friend makes a decision that rocks his world, he is left grappling with the question: what is true courage?

Three lives. One War. And the search for the Courage to go on.

Sounds really cool, right?! :D Well, I haven't read this one, but I read the first book in this series which is A Question of Honor. :) Here's my review for that one:

I absolutely loved A Question of Honor! I don't think that I have ever read a book set during World War II before, but I thought Miss Wheaton did a fantastic job! :D

The story is told from three points of view: an American pilot, a little Jewish girl, and a Nazi. I loved seeing everything from their perspective. And the characters are very well done. You can clearly see how the war is affecting each one of them, and how they change over the course of the book.

One of the things I love to see in characters is internal struggle or man vs. self. Especially, when they are struggling so much that it begins to affect their actions. Two of the main characters struggle in this way. And Miss Wheaton wrote them so well, that you can't help but feel for them.

So, if you like emotional and character-driven stories, this book just might be for you. :)

About the Author

Jesseca is a daughter, sister, and a child of God. Her days are spent reading, cooking, spending time with siblings, or playing piano. And writing, of course! At an early age words fascinated her, and her love for the printed pages has only grown. She lives with her parents and seven siblings in the sunny state of Kansas, and she's convinced there's no place like home.

And guess what? I have the privilege of interviewing the lovely author!! :D

I'm so glad you could join us here today, Jesseca. :) My first question for is, how did you discover your love for writing?

Well, a few years ago my dad had been going through some health problems, and life was pretty stressful. Around that time, and author I loved had a writing contest. So, I decided to try my hand at writing. It became my escape from life, in a way. I didn’t win the contest, but it was through this that I realized how much I loved writing. Now, I write whenever I have a  spare minute. I’m not sure I could stop if I wanted to!
 

What inspired you to write your Questions of War series?

A picture on pinterest. Or two, rather. One had a couple telling each other goodbye. The other had a little girl sitting on the lap of a soldier. I put them aside and decided that someday I’d write a story about them. Well, one day I decided to try and short story about the characters. Let’s just say, it ended up being a lot longer than I ever imagined. ;)

Who was your favorite character to write/work with, and why?

Ohh, that’s a hard question! As of right now, Probably Rafe Sullivan, from “A Question of Courage.” He was so much fun to write, and a nice balance of someone who was serious and yet teasing as well, depending on his mood. Plus, he loved Kansas just as much as I do.

Why did you choose to self-publish?

The idea of having control over the publishing process was what really appealed to me. Though, the first time I attempted it, I didn’t realize how much that included. The cover, editing, formatting, etc. It’s definitely more work that you have to either do, or hire others to do, but at the same time I still like the fact that you as the author can make the final decisions.

What do you do in your spare time?

If I’m not reading, I’m writing. If I’m not writing, I’m probably cooking or baking. I also work as a babysitter and enjoy spending time with my family. Normally you’ll either find us  at the library, or hiking at a state park.

Do you have any advice for aspiring indie authors?

Share your work with others who you trust. Get their feedback. That is one of the best ways to improve. And keep writing. We all have those first stories that we’d never let anyone read. Writing is just like everything else. It takes work, but it’s so worth it!

And that's a wrap, people! Here's the tour schedule, so be sure to go and check out the other participants posts! :)

Wednesday, November 29th

Faith Potts // Stories by Firefly- Review + books spotlight

Libby May // Geoturtle- Author interview

Kaitlyn S. // Maidens for Modesty

Thursday, November 30th

Kellyn Roth // Reveries Reviews- Review

Raechel // God's Peculiar Treasure Rae- Book spotlight

Kate // Twin Thoughts-Author interview

Friday, December 1st

Liv K. Fisher // Liv K. Fisher- Book spotlight + author interview

Deborah C. // Reading in June- Book spotlight

Mikayla H. // Ordinary Girl, Extraordinary Father- Review

Chloe W. // Purely by Faith Reviews- Review + author interview

Abigail // Novels, Dragons, and Wardrobe Doors- Book spotlight

Saturday, December 2nd

Jazzy // Thriving Hope- Review + book spotlight

Angela Watts // The Peculiar Messenger- Review

Rebekah Eddy // Rebekah's Remarks- book spotlight + review + author interview

Karyssa Norton // No Coffee, No Can Do- Review + author interview

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Keep Going!!

So here we are, with less than a week left of NaNoWriMo. I don't know about you guys, but that went by kinda fast.

Today's post was inspired by Jem Jones post she did about a week and half ago.

Some of you may have already won NaNo (and if you did congrats! :D), some of you may be right on track, and some of you might be behind (don't worry, you're not alone. I'm right there with you).

So today, I'm going to share some writing prompts with you. Like me, some of you may be struggling to write, or you just don't know what to write next. I'm hoping at least one of these will give you some ideas. :)

I hope one of those inspired something! Go ahead and take one of these prompts and write a scene using your main characters. You may not think you could use it in your novel, but you never know. I did it the other day, and after I finished the scene, I realized that I just might be able to use it in my novel! :D But even if you can't, it will help you get to know your characters better.

Don't be afraid to stretch your creativity either! If one of these made you laugh, turn it into a sad scene instead, or vice versa. Have fun with it! :)


So how is NaNo going to for you? Which one of these prompts was your favorite? Do you think you'll try to use it?

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Green Bean Casserole (Paleo, AIP + Green Beans, Nut-free, Whole30)

Traditional green bean casserole, made with cream of mushroom soup and crispy onions, has been a favorite of mine at most holiday meals (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter…). However, when I went gluten free in 2012 and then AIP/Paleo in 2014, it became a side dish I could no longer safely eat. Even though there are always other great side dishes at holiday meals, but I still was missing green bean casserole…. 

Last year, I attempted several times to make an almost AIP green bean casserole with organic frozen green beans, but it always ended up too watery, even when I made the base mixture pretty thick. This year, I was determined to perfect the recipe I started last year. By switching from using frozen green beans to using organic canned green beans, I was finally successful!

I realize that the decision to use canned green beans may be a controversial one, but for me green bean casserole is a dish I only make a couple times a year for holiday gatherings. Plus, this recipe is already a bit more labor intensive for a side dish and I didn’t want to complicate the preparation any further by requiring a lot of extra steps (or time) for the beans. It might be possible to use roasted green beans or boiled/drained green beans in place of the canned, but those are two variations I haven’t tried.

Since next week is Thanksgiving, here are a few of my favorite AIP/Paleo Thanksgiving recipes. Many will be things that I’ll be making next week, along with green bean casserole :)

• Turkey: Dry-brined, Spatchcocked turkey (note: I mix the herbs with the salt and skip the butter, then I baste the bird with a mixture of bacon grease, sauvignon blanc white wine and homemade turkey stock)
• Gravy: Starch-free Gravy (AIP)
• Side: Sweet Potato Lefse (AIP) 
• Side: Sweet Potato Casserole (AIP & Vegan) 
• Appetizer or side dish component: Honey Roasted Pecans (Paleo; note: These are delicious on their own, or chopped and used as topping on mashed orange sweet potatoes)   
• Appetizer: Bacon & Prosciutto Wrapped Dates (AIP) 
• Condiment: Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce (AIP) 
• Condiment: Refrigerator Pickles (AIP) 
• Dessert: Pumpkin Panna Cotta Tart with Gingersnap Macaroon Crust (AIP)  
• Dessert: Lard & Cassava Pie Crust (Paleo, Nut-free)  
• Dessert: Sauteed Apples (AIP, Vegan, Whole30, 21DSD) 
• Dessert: Paleo Pecan Pie (Paleo/Primal; note: I use my own Lard Cassava crust and sub coconut oil for the butter in the filling)  

Green Bean Casserole (AIP + Green Beans, Paleo, Nut-free)
yields around 6 servings

1 tablespoon fat (bacon fat, lard, or duck fat work best)
1 cup (120 grams) red or yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup (65 grams) baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fat (bacon fat, lard, or duck fat work best)
4 tablespoons (40 grams) cassava flour

1 cup broth
1 tsp onion granules
1 tsp garlic granules
2 tablespoons coconut aminos
2 tablespoons coconut milk
2 dashes fish sauce
1 tsp fine-grain sea salt 

2-14.5 oz cans of organic green beans, drained (make sure the ingredients are clean!)

2 to 3 medium Shallots, thinly sliced
Palm shortening, for frying
Fine sea salt, for sprinkling

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. 
2. Heat the first measure of fat in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and mushroom and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the veggies are softened. Stir occasionally.
3. Melt the additional tablespoon of fat and stir with the soften veggies. Sprinkle the cassava flour over and stir until everything is well coated and the flour begins to brown slightly, approximately 1 minute.
4. Slowly add the broth, stirring constantly. Cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until thickened. 
5. Add the onion granules, garlic granules, coconut aminos, coconut milk, and fish sauce. Cook an additional minute or two. 
6. Gently fold in the drained green and transfer the mixture to a baking dish (8x8 Pyrex or oval Le Creuset gratin dish). Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. 
7. Just before the casserole is done baking, make the crispy shallots for the topping. Thinly slice the shallots, and set aside. Melt the palm shortening in a large skillet over medium high heat—there should be 1/8” to 1/4” of oil in the bottom of the pan, depending on how thinly the shallots are sliced. 
8. Add the shallots to the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy. Do in batches, if necessary. Add more palm shortening to the pan, as needed. Remove from the oil with a fork and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with a little fine sea salt while the fried shallots are still hot. 
9. Just before serving, evenly disperse the fried shallots over the top of the casserole. The casserole may be assembled a day or two in advance and baked the day of serving. Fry the shallots just before serving. Store any leftovers in the fridge. 

This post includes affiliate links, meaning Sweet Treats makes a small commission off items purchased 

after a link is clicked with no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

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Watercolors

Hey everyone! I know this isn't the normal day I would post, but I have something I wanted to share with you all. :)

Just the other day I got a package. And in the package were some watercolor paintings I got from my friend Sarah Grace! :D They are so beautiful and amazing!! <33 Here, take a look for yourself:

They're even more beautiful in person. :) *sighs* I'm in love with them. I guess you could say it was "love at first sight". ;)

Not to mention, Sarah Grace is self taught! And you know what else? You can get a painting too! Yup, that's right, she sells her artwork. :D She's on Amazon and Etsy. Also, she's running a Christmas sale from November 13th through the end of the year. 15% off any purchase, plus free shipping on orders over $30! :D

And because I know you want to get one of these fabulous paintings, here are the links:

Amazon

Etsy

You should go buy a watercolor painting! *nods* I mean, Christmas is right around the corner. ;)




On a side note, I know I haven't been posting regularly, but I'm hoping to fix that soon. I have a few blog posts I'm working on, and if all goes well, one of them will go up this Saturday. Hopefully. :)

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"Bound" by Victoria Lynn // Blog Tour

Hey everyone! Welcome to the Bound blog tour! :D

Now, to get started, here's a little about the book (cover is on the banner):


Two souls don't find each other by simple accident ~ Jorge Luis Borges ~

Levi thought he was making this journey alone. But when he meets an eight-year-old girl at the train station, that plan is turned on its head.

Casey is running away and finds out that Levi is too. They decide to journey together and their lives are suddenly bound together in a journey they will not soon forget.

Both children come from abusive situations and are running from the dangers of their previous life. Levi is confident he can handle this on his own, but when Casey is injured on the journey, he must seek help from the first person that comes into his path, or rather people. Mr. and Mrs. Bellworth are simple farm folk with a heart for kids and a passion for serving God. When their unconditional love and gentle care surrounds Levi and Casey, the troubles of their previous lives melt away and they start to flourish. But when Casey is dragged back into the abusive world she came from, the emotional trauma, pain and distrust resurfaces. Will they be forever bound by their past? Or will God answer their prayers?


At the beginning of this year, Victoria Lynn published Bound on her blog chapter by chapter. That's where I first read it. Guys, you need to read it, it's amazing!! It's one of my all time favorites. That's how good it is!

I reviewed Bound here on my blog back in April, and you can find that HERE.

It's also available in paperback and Kindle on Amazon.

About the Author

Victoria Lynn is in her 20s and if she's not writing, she is probably sewing, singing, playing the piano, washing dishes, creating something with her hands, or learning something new. She has a passion for serving her Creator, encouraging others and being creative. She blogs at www.rufflesandgrace.com about writing, fashion, modesty, her walk with God and life. She lives in Michigan with her parents and 8 siblings.

Blog // Website // Facebook // Goodreads // Pinterest

Doesn't she sound so cool?! I knew you would agree, so I today I will be interviewing this lovely author. It's so exciting to have her here! :D

So, Victoria, my first question is, why do you write?

Mostly for the enjoyment of it. I enjoy crafting worlds, people, and stories in my brain. I have always loved doing that, even before I was able to write them down.

And how did you discover your love for writing?

I have always loved it. Creative writing is something I excelled at when I was even very small and would write for school. I was never really assigned anything, but I got to do it for the fun of it. I never thought I would publish anything. I just wrote because I loved it.

What inspired your book Bound?

A picture prompt started it off. I published that on my blog but there were so many ideas still spinning that I decided to keep writing. Thus, a novel was born. :D

What is your favorite part of the writing and publishing process?

The original writing part. Publishing involves very little creativity except for the cover design and is a lot of info packed into my brain. Making sure all of the details are perfect is not my forte. But I do it because the end result is worth it.

What is your favorite genre to write in?

I always just say Christian fiction because that umbrella extends over everything. I enjoy modern suspense, inspiration fiction, Historical settings and I enjoy the occasional fantasy story.

What do you do in your spare time?

I don't have much spare time, LOL! But when I do, curling up with a tv show or a good book would probably be what I do generally. I also love to watch youtube tutorials galore. Makeup and hair tutorials are so fun for me. I could get lost for hours easy.

And finally, do you have any advice for aspiring indie authors?

Honestly, I would just say keep writing. Just write write write. Learn your craft and practice it. You can read all of the books about writing in the world, but you won't become good at it until you actually practice it. I would also say, don't worry about publishing until you have polished your book as much as you possible can.

And that's it! Thank you so much for being with us today, Victoria! :D

Thank you so much, Karyssa! I am so happy you asked me to "visit" your blog! Thank you for reading my book and for your kind words! That encouragement means a lot to me!

And before you guys go, Victoria Lynn is hosting a giveaway!

Grand Prize Winner will receive:

(open to US only)

~ A signed paperback copy of Bound

~ A T-shirt of your choice from Victoria's Zazzle shop

~ A mystery chocolate care package

3 Second Place Winners will receive:

(open worldwide)

~ A free e-book copy of both Bound and London in the Dark

You can enter by clicking here.

What are you still doing here? Go buy a copy of this amazing book! :D

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October 2017 Favorites

Continuing my tradition of sharing some favorites monthly, here are my October 2017 favorites! 

Just a reminder, some of these items contain affiliate links, but nothing in this post is directly sponsored by any company... I'm just sharing what I like! 

Beef and Broccoli (AIP)
I’ve taken a couple trips this month, first going to Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, then to Georgia and South Carolina. As I often do when I travel, I packed some “safe” food to take along. Beef and Broccoli is one of my go-to meals all of the time, but even more so when traveling. It’s easy to prepare in large quantities before a trip, it travels well, and it tastes good cold if I don’t have access to reheating. When traveling, I package the cooled Beef and Broccoli into quart-sized freezer Ziplocks and freeze them solid before travel. Then, when I’m ready to eat it, I thaw one in the fridge overnight and transfer it to a small Pyrex container. I like to top mine with garlic dill pickle sauerkraut and truffle salt.

XL 7-day pill organizer
Under the supervision of my Integrative MD, I’m on a more rigorous supplement regiment, tailored specifically to my needs as revealed in some recent testing. Some supplements I’m taking multiple times a day, but am taking different amounts at different times of the day, whereas before, I took things once in the morning and maybe again before bed. To keep myself from getting confused and to ensure that I would actually take the things my doctor is recommending, I invested in this new enormous pill organizer. And side note: I’ve never gotten so many DMs on Instagram as when I shared this pill organizer in my IG stories a few weeks ago! 

I still take the most things in the morning, so I end up using both the AM and the Noon spots for my morning pills. I’ve repurposed the evening spot for my afternoon ones and kept the bedtime slot for my nightly supplements. So far this organizer has been very useful and I feel I’ve been much more successful with actually taking what I intend to take while using this system.

The one bone I have to pick with the company manufacturing this pill organizer is their name “Stuff Seniors Need.” Yes, I do not fit in their target demographic, but I wish they’d have thought of more than just an older population when developing their marketing materials. (ok, I'll step off my soapbox now...)

Kuhn Rikon 4-inch nonstick paring knife 
I’ve had two of these paring knifes since around 2009 and they’re still both going strong. Originally, I bought them to go in my culinary/pastry knife kit, but now I use them when traveling and occasionally in my day-to-day cooking adventures. They come in a wide variety of colors, but I happen to have a purple one and a light blue/periwinkle one. The knife sharpens easily, it fits really comfortably in my hand, and they’re very inexpensive (especially as knives go!) I also love that it comes with a matching cover, so I can throw it in my lunchbox to easily cut things (avocado, apples etc.) as needed.

Coconut + Argan Oil Cleansing Towelettes 
On a whim, I decided to try these as a good face cleansing option while traveling. I know myself well enough to know that I am much more lazy about my skincare when traveling! In the past, I’ve used a different company’s cleansing towelettes, but they started making my eyes burn… Yikes! Not good! I switched to these and have not felt that same burning.

The smell of these wipes took some getting use to—they smell a bit like Play-Doh—but they are effective and I no longer feel a burning like I did with the last brand I used. I’m sure they’re not perfect ingredient-wise, but they’ve been a great option while traveling or on the occasional night when I’m too tired to do a full face washing. I buy mine at Target, but they're also available on Amazon.

Photo by Rebekah Scadding

Sam Edelman Penny Riding Boots in Whiskey Leather (“Athletic Fit”)
I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not a fashion blogger. But I am a big fan of these boots and I’ve gotten some nice compliments on them too.

It’s taken me two years to find just the right tan tall riding boot because I’ve had a tough time finding ones with a wide calf shaft and with the right heel hight. Too short a heel and they feel weird when walking… Too tall and I can’t wear them long without my feet, back and legs hurting. These boots are wide enough in the shaft without being gap-y—I can wear them with jeans or leggings. They’re also very comfortable! I walked five miles in Boston in them over the weekend and didn’t get a single blister. My normal shoe size is a 9 1/2 (occasionally a 10) and these fit great as a 9 1/2.

I tried these boots on first in a department store, and while I really liked them and thought they fit well, the price didn’t work my limited budget. I checked on Amazon upon returning home, just in case, and they were less than half the price of the department store! To me, they're still a bit of an investment, but I know I’ll get lots of use out of them. Thanks to my friend Rebekah Scadding for taking the photo of me in these boots while we were in the Boston Public Garden this past weekend.

The Teal Pumpkin Project 
This year marks two years that we’ve participated in the Teal Pumpkin Project for Halloween. By putting a teal painted pumpkin outside our house (or you can buy one), we’re signaling to trick-or-treaters/parents-in-the-know that we’ll have allergy-friendly options. Since today is Halloween, it might be a little late for this year’s Teal Pumpkin Project, but maybe it will be something that can be utilized in future years. Since I grew up with food allergies, my heart really goes out to those kids who can't eat traditional treats.

painting my 2017 pumpkin while watching "Stranger Things 2"

We started a tradition last year of giving out glow stick bracelets instead of a food treat. I like that the glow stick bracelets are not only fun, but also help with visibility on a dark Halloween night.

So those are a few of my favorites from October. What are you loving lately?

Some of these items include affiliate links, meaning Sweet Treats makes a small commission off items purchased after a link is clicked with no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

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NANOWRIMO 2017 // About My Novels

So there's only 10 more days until NaNo?!?! How did that happen? Who's excited? :D I am! I can't wait until it starts like COULD IT JUST START NOW? XD

No? Well, in the meantime, I'll just tell you about the novels I'm going to be writing for NaNoWriMo. Look at me, being willing to tell you about novels I know nothing about. :P You may think I'm kidding, but I haven't done as much outlining as I would have liked to by now. But I know enough to get me started. . . I think.

I even made a collage for two of them! Please don't set your expectations too high, because I'm not very artsy. And they're really to help give you a better idea of what the novel is about, anyway. So. . . bare with me here.

Progeny

Genre: Christian/Young Adult

So if you've been following me for awhile now, more than likely, you've heard me talk about my novel Strangers. And if you've read my writings page, then you know that Strangers is the first book of a series.

Progeny, is the second book. And I can't really tell you much about this one because SPOILERS. XD Not necessarily for this one, but more for Strangers. I will say though, that in Progeny, Lacey has amnesia. *gasp* But I'm not telling you anymore than that. *evil laugh*

Storyboard on Pinterest- I just started it recently so there's not much on there except for a few characters. :P     

Lowlife

Genre: Contemporary/Adult Fiction

Derek is all alone. His parents died four years ago, and his only living family was an uncle who can't even support himself, much less him. A man took him in and taught him to fight, and now Derek is forced to participate in illegal fights to pay off his parents' debt.

One day, Derek meets Eliora (nicknamed "Ellie"), a naive girl who just moved into the area, and he can't seem to get rid of her.

That's pretty much all I have right now. Here's the collage I made for it:

Storyboard on Pinterest

Note: I can't take credit for this title because one of my friends actually came up with it for me. Whenever I'm struggling to come up with a title, which feels like it's every novel, I go to them for help. I also bounce title ideas off them, and they're always extremely helpful. You all should have a friend like this. :)

The War Between Us

Genre: Fantasy

Amaia has always been told to stay away from the people in the forest, but never knew why. One day, she comes across one of them and he's hurt. Unable to just let him die, she helps him. To show his gratitude, he offers to show her his world, but only if she promises not to tell anyone. Amaia agrees, and all too soon, she finds herself caught in the middle of a war.

This is going to be my first time trying to write fantasy, so I'm excited and also interested in how it will turn out. :) Here's the collage I made for this novel:

Storyboard on Pinterest



And there you have it. The three novels I'm going to write for NaNoWriMo. :) On a side note, today happens to be the exact day I decided to do NaNo last year. :D

So what about you? Are you doing NaNoWriMo? What are you writing for NaNo? Which one of my novels is your favorite?

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The Bookish Tag

Hey, everyone! Yes, I know I didn't post last week, but that's because I've been super busy this month. Also, the reason I'm doing a tag this week. (And no, I haven't changed my posting day to Sunday. It's still Saturday, I just took a little longer than I expected to get this post ready. :P) I would like to thank Faith and Libby May for tagging me! :D
 

The Bookish Tag Rules
 

-You must be honest

-You must answer every question

-You must tag at least 4 people

Questions

1. What book has been on your shelf the longest?

Well, this is a pretty easy question, because what you all don't know, is for the first 18 years of my life, I only had one book. . . Just kidding. Umm, no, this is actually kinda hard. :P I want to say it's one of my Bibles (I'm not a hundred percent sure though).

2. What is your current read, your last read, and the book you'll read next?

Haha, current read? Um, yeah, I've started like 8 books, and most of them have been waiting awhile to be finished. :P I think I may be in a reading slump so I just started reading Dare by Tricia Mingerink again in hopes that it will help pull me out of it.
My last read was Rose of the Night by Hope Ann.
And my next read is. . . I don't really know. I'll either finish one of the books I've already started, or I'll read Structuring Your Novel by K.M. Weiland.

3. What book did everyone like, but you hated?

Maybe the Divergent series? I don't necessarily hate it, but I didn't like it as much as everyone else seemed to. I really liked the first book, but that was about it. The second two were just kinda meh.

4. What book do you keep telling yourself you'll read, but you probably won't?

All the books I own that I have not read yet. Just kidding. Hey, I said I was kidding calm down, guys! I actually don't think I have an answer for this. I plan on reading all the books I tell myself I'm going to read.

5. What book are you saving for retirement?

All the ones I don't read before then.  . . . What? I don't have specific books set aside for retirement. Who thinks about that anyway?

"These three I'll read tomorrow. This one I'll save for retirement. Ohh, I'll read these five tomorrow too. But I'm gonna save this stack for retirement. Tomorrow. Retirement. Tomorrow. Retirement."

6. Last page: read it first, or wait 'til the end?

Okay, so I've been known to take a look at the last page if I'm really enjoying the book, but I've kinda stopped because they have a tendency to not be very helpful to me. :P

7. Acknowledgement: waste of paper and ink, or interesting aside?

It can be pretty interesting. I actually don't think it's a waste of paper and ink because I like reading them, especially if it's an author I've never read before.

8. Which book character would you switch places with?

Oh, wow, this has got to be the hardest question in this tag. I feel I may get some strange looks when I say this, but I'm gonna say it anyway. I would switch places with Renna Faythe from the Blades of Acktar by Tricia Mingerink.

9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life? (Places, time, person?)

Not really. But I do have books that I bought because one of my friends on Goodreads recommends it. So whenever I see one of the books, it makes me think of the person who recommended it. Is that weird? Because I basically just said that some of my books remind me of bloggers. . .

10. Name a book that you acquired in an interesting way.

Can't. That's classified information. Just kidding. Hm, that's a hard one. I do have books that I saw on one of our shelves and I was like "This is mine now" and then put it on my own shelf. That's about as interesting as it gets. I mean, what counts as interesting?

"Now this book, I got stabbed in the foot trying to get this one. And this one here, was thrown at me."

11. Have you ever given a book away for a special reason to a special person?

I don't think so? Is that bad? I mean, I've thought about it, I just. . . haven't. . . done it. . . yet.

12. Which book has been with you most places?

My Bible, for sure. :D

13. Any "required reading" you hated in high school that wasn't so bad later?

Well, I graduated high school two years ago, so if I hated it then, I have yet to give it another try. There are some books that I was required to read that I'll probably never read again. :P

14. Used or brand new?

I prefer brand new, but I usually get used books in really good condition.

15. Have you ever read a Dan Brown book?

I've actually started one. It's one of the books that's still waiting to be finished. :P

16. Have you ever seen a movie you liked more than the book?

Um, I would probably have to say Tuck Everlasting. I liked the book, but I wasn't a huge fan. This is really the only one because I like always like the book more than the movie.

17. Have you ever read a book that's made you hungry, cookbooks included?

Well, of course, cookbooks make me hungry, I mean, it's food! But I don't exactly read those for fun? Mostly because I find them kind of repetitive. :P So I'd probably have to say Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer.

18. Who is the person whose book advice you'll always take?

Well, I'm not going to include my family. Besides, their book advice can sometimes be. . . questionable. :P

I'd say the person whose book advice I'll always take is Jonathan. :)

19. Is there a book out of your comfort zone (e.g. outside your usual reading genre) that you ended up loving?

Oh, that would definitely be the Blades of Acktar series. All my friends on Goodreads were really excited for the last book, Deliver, to come out. I read their reviews for the other books in the series and decided to give it a try. Now, they are some of my all time favorite books! :D

I tag

Jonathan @ Fishing for Ideas

Ivie @ Ivie Writes

Lisa @ Inkwell

Lilly @ Live Beautifully With Lilly

As always, please don't feel like you have to do this. If I tagged you, and you don't want to do it, that's fine. And if I didn't tag you and you would love to do this tag, consider yourself tagged! :D


What about you? Which book character would you want to switch places with? Do you have a book that you acquired in an interesting way?

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ONE MONTH LEFT! // 5 Things To Do

Guys guys guys! There is only ONE MORE MONTH UNTIL NANOWRIMO!! XD Like, how are we so close I'm not ready!

But I will be. . . hopefully. :P Although I still have a lot to do, I think I've got myself pretty organized for this month. Just yesterday, I bought a dry erase board (because apparently, these things are helping other writers?). I drew up the month of October and figured out what I'm going to do, in the writing department, each day. I already feel better about this month. :)

So I, myself, have five things to do before November, and I figured I'd share them with you all. :)


1. Outline

Yes, I still have to outline. I'm going to be writing three novels, possible four, for NaNo. Right now, I only have a few notes for each of them, and I've started making Pinterest boards for them too. I don't even have characters yet, except for one, and that's only because it's a sequel. :P But I'm not going to do what I did last year, and not even start outlining until two week before NaNo. There was a good reason though, and that was because it wasn't until two weeks before NaNo that I decided that I was going to do it. :P

You may be wondering why I'm writing three novels for NaNo, so I'll tell you. Last year, I didn't think I would make the 50k, especially since it was my first year/time doing something like that. But I finished the novel I had outlined by the 14th, and then had to find other novels to write. My final word count total was 105,501. This year my goal is 150,000 so I'm trying to make sure that I have enough novels outlined. It's also helpful because if one is giving me a hard time, I can switch to another one and keep my word count going up.


2. Playlists

You probably already know that I'm one of those writers who listens to music while I write. So I need to make playlists. Trust me, you don't want to in the middle of NaNo trying to make a playlist or figuring out what you're going to listen to. It takes time, time you could be using to write. So if you're a writer who maybe needs music to write, I highly suggest making playlists before November. I have an idea of how I'm going to create playlists, I just need to do it now. :P

Also, I'm now on Spotify! :D


3. Caffeine

In case you didn't know, I loove coffee. ;P And I need to make sure that I am all stocked up for November. Creamer too. Why? Because I don't plan on sleeping. Sleep is for the weak. Just kidding, I'll be sleeping. :P But anyway, if you have something that you drink or eat while writing, I suggest stocking up so that you don't have to make a run to the store in the middle of the month. Because if you are behind on your word count, then having to go to the store is just going to waste the time you could spend writing your novel.


4. Word Sprints/Wars

Between now and November, I am going to be doing word sprints, and hopefully word wars too. I want to practice writing large amounts at a time, and limber up my fingers for NaNo. It wouldn't be a bad thing to do if you want to practice too. Or you could be like me and practice writing a whole novel in a month. :P Yup, that's right. I have to write 41,500 words of Strangers this month before I can give it to my alpha readers in November. (Don't worry, my alpha readers aren't doing NaNoWriMo so it's not going to cause any problems.)

So I encourage all of you to do word sprints every now and then. I'm actually looking for someone, or multiple people, who would like to do word wars with me this month (and possibly in November too), so if you're interested let me know! :)


5. Panic

Hahaha! Yeah, I added this one partly because five is a nice number. :P But to be honest, it's not necessarily a bad thing to add to this. May as well get it out of my system. Besides, I plan on having this one done by the 15th. After that, I am not allowed to panic. The two weeks before NaNo starts I want to spend getting myself hyped and excited for November, not panicking.


So those are the five things I'm doing this month. At some point, I'm thinking I'll do a post on the novels I'll be writing for NaNoWriMo this month. You guys don't know anything about them yet, and I'm kind of excited to share them with you. :)


So what about you? What do you have to do this month to get ready for NaNoWriMo?

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