White Wolf and the Ash Princess Blog Tour

Hey guys! Welcome to the White Wolf and the Ash Princess blog tour!! :D

About the Book

Eighteen-year-old Izzy's limited world begins to feel cramped after she completes her self-appointed book dare. After reading two hundred and fifty books, a thought that had been once tucked away as tightly as the books on her library shelves becomes too irresistible to ignore. . . "Who am I?"

Memory loss prohibits Izzy from remembering her life before age seven when she was injured in a fire. Jonathan Gudwyne and his head housekeeper rescued her and took Izzy in as their own, but who did she belong to before they took her in?

Crippling panic keeps Izzy from wandering beyond the stables but Tubs, the Gudwyne's young stable boy, encourages Izzy to go beyond the property's rock wall to a world that promises possible answers, but also great danger. A scorched castle in the woods and a mysterious cellar filled with secrets sets Izzy on a path to the New World, where she will not only have to face her own terror but face the people responsible for her scars.

It is here, in the untamed wilds of the seventeenth century that she finds love and a home in the most unexpected of places.

My Review

It took me a little bit to get into this book. For a few reasons. It's a little slow in the beginning, at least for me, and there were a few times when I wasn't quite sure what was going on. Also, the writing style is different from what I'm used to, but eventually, I came to really like it. :) The descriptions, guys. Oh, my word. Let me start by saying that I typically don't like a ton of descriptions and the like, but Tammy's just made it more real. I don't know how she did it, but they just helped pull me into the story and made it that much more real for me.

The plot was great. Like I said, it was a bit slow in the beginning, but as you go it picks up. For the most part, I think it was well paced. There were actually quite a few things that I totally didn't see coming. The twists and turns were unexpected, and it was great. :D Everything was woven together and executed really well.

And the characters! <3

Izzy- Such a spunky girl with a very intriguing story and background.

Jonathan- Gentleman with a lot of secrets, yet has good intentions. ;)

Tubs- Oh Tubs! He's so adorable! <3

Miss Margaret- She might be my favorite character? I love her, she's so funny. :)

There are so many more characters, and they're all amazing and perfect! Perfect meaning that they are so flawed. I absolutely love flawed characters. Give me all the flaws!

You all need to read this book! Read it!

Purchase on Amazon

About the Author

Tammy lives in lower Michigan with her husband and her three children. Izzy's home in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (Munising) is where she and her family enjoy exploring. Tammy enjoys hiking, kayaking, beach wandering, "hunting" for birch bark and hopes to someday find a porcupine quill. White Wolf and the Ash Princess is her first novel. She is published in Keys for Kids and has been in children's ministry for over twenty years.

Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Blog / Twitter / Goodreads

And, guys, there's even a giveaway! :D

First Prize: One autographed paperback copy of White Wolf and the Ash Princess

Second Prize: One Birch necklace inspired by the book and handmade by Tammy

Third Prize: One Birch Bookmark inspired by the book and handmade by Tammy


If you want to enter the giveaway, and you do, follow this link HERE to do so. :)


And that's a wrap! But before you go, you should really go buy Tammy's book. You know you want to. *whispers* Do it. ;)

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2018 Goals

Hey, guys! Yeah, I know. Two weeks ago I said I was back, but then I didn't post last week. . . I meant to, but things got a little crazy. But I'm here today! :D And with a goals post. ;) 

Apparently, I set some pretty lofty goals for 2017. . . Let's go over those, and you'll know why I say that. *is really bad with intros* :P

~ 2017 Goals ~

// Write the rough draft of 1 book //

I did that! I wrote the rough draft of Strangers. :D Well, I had some parts written before but I had to edit those a little bit. I still consider it a rough draft because it's so bad. I also wrote the first 20k of Roping the Overcomer for Camp NaNo in April. (If you're new to the blog, or just want to know more about those WIP, you can go to My Writings page)

// Edit 2 books //

Yeah, no, that didn't happen. I don't think I did any editing last year except the parts for Strangers. So I can only give myself like a third of a book for this goal. :P

// Read 70 books //

I totally thought this was an achievable goal because I read 63 books in 2016. But I guess not because I only read 48 books in 2017. Although, I don't think that's too bad considering I read next to nothing from June until December. Yeah, that was kind of a weird reading slump. :P

// Beta read 1 book //

Okay, guys, I honestly think I crushed this goal. ;) I beta read three books last year.

Found by Audrey Caylin

Dandelion Dust by Faith Potts

Andora's Folly by Abigayle Claire

And not only that, I'm also alpha reading two other books! :D

R+B by Madison Guy

Quantum Gears by Marrok MacIntyre

At the beginning of 2017, I didn't really know what alpha or beta reading was. But I signed up to read quite a few books, and I've learned a lot. I actually feel like I kinda know what I'm doing now. ;P

// Journal more //

Yeah, no. That didn't happen. I think I journaled less last year than I did in 2016. :P

// Take 2 English classes //

I didn't do this one either. I have sets of Great Courses on writing topics. I started them last year, but haven't made it all the way through yet. But I'm learning a lot!

// Study the Bible more and strengthen my relationship with God //

YES!! I did this, and it was amazing! I feel so much closer to God now than I did before. :) I feel like I passed a huge milestone last year, and it makes me so happy. To be honest, even though I didn't meet many of my goals for last year, I'm glad I met this one. :)

 You may remember that back in September I decided that I was going to make a Bible TBR. Here is the list of books that I shared with you:

And I read all of them! :D Along with those though, I also read 1, 2, 3 John, Colossians, Galatians, Song of Solomon, and 1 Timothy. :)

~ 2018 Goals ~

 // Write the second draft of Strangers //

I'm excited about this. :D Some of you know that I sent out Strangers to my alpha readers this past November. They aren't finished yet, but right now my plan is to work on the second draft in the next two or three months. That may change though, it all depends.

// Write at least 1 rough draft //

I have two novels that I've been working on outlines for, so I know I'll write at least one of them this year, if not both. (I'm trying to create achievable goals here. I've learned my lesson from last year :P)

// Read 50 books //

Okay, hopefully, I have an achievable reading goal for this year. I lowered it last year to 70, thinking that was reasonable. That proved to not be the case, so 50 it is.

// Finish reading the Bible //

I'm going, to be honest with all of you. I haven't read the whole Bible. But I'm really close, so this year I'm going to finish it. :D

// Finish lectures //

Like I said earlier, I started the lectures last year. I have three sets, and I want to finish them all this year. I may also be taking a writing course through an actual college this year too, but I'm not making any promises. :P

// Journal //

Yes, I know, this was kind of a fail last year, but I'm going to try harder this year. And one of the reasons is, I think 2018 is going to be a year that I'll want to look back on. :)

And there are my goals for 2018! :)

I was tagged to do three tags in the past two-ish months so I will be doing those in the next few weeks. Don't worry guys, I haven't forgotten them. I waited forever to get tagged, I'm not going to just not do them. ;P And, just so you know, I will be doing one of them this Wednesday so you can come back to see that.

What about you? What are some of your goals for 2018? :)

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The Allegiance Blog Tour

I'm back! :D From an. . . unintentional hiatus. . . :P It wasn't on purpose, I promise! I've just had a lot on my mind in the past month, and never really thought about blogging. But I'm trying to get back into it. Anywho. . .

Welcome to the Allegiance Blog Tour!! :D

About the Book

Two countries, two choices, one life.

When Kyraenean slave Celeste risks her life to reach the free nation of Etraea, a country filled with technology and wealth, she unknowingly sets off a chain of events that will change her life forever.

After escaping her new owner, Celeste awakens in the home of an Etraean soldier, sworn to protect the fragile peace.

For Corporal Mick Haynes, life is simple. Follow the rules, do your job and work your way up the ranks. Getting shot and finding a wanted slave at his family's farm wasn't part of the plan.

When a Kyraenean bounty hunter locates Celeste, Mick's loyalty will be stretched to the limit.

With war on the horizon, Celeste faces two impossible choices. Both securing her freedom, but both at a cost she could never have imagined.

Will Etraea provide the freedom she's longed for or shackle her to an entirely new master?

Purchase on Amazon

About the Author

Sarah Addison-Fox is a New Zealand-born home-schooling mother of two who loves action-packed, clean fantasy with strong heroines. She has an astonishing amount of nail polish, has all her creative writing credentials shoved in a draw somewhere, and has a husband who, after 27 years, can still make her blush. When she's not working on both her Christian YA fantasy series, Allegiance or Renegades, she can be found fangirling on Goodreads or sending GIFs on Twitter.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Goodreads

And I have the privilege of interviewing this beautiful woman! :D

Welcome, Sarah, and thank you so much for being with us today! I'm so excited to have you on the blog. :D My first question for you is, why do you write?

That's a great question. One I love to answer because it shows just how awesome and in control God really is.
I'd always dabbled with writing, but it wasn't until I had a bad MS flare up and lost the ability to control my right arm that my priorities shifted. I realised that time was short and that if I didn't start writing, I might never get the chance. I believe wholeheartedly that were it not for the diagnosis of MS a year and a half ago, I would never have completed my first book, let alone written two complete series.
I'm a huge fan of Michael Jnr, and I credit him a lot for motivating me after hearing him speaking about understanding your 'why'.
I'd always known writing was my passion, but until this year, I never understood 'why' I should be writing. As soon as I understood that it was in God's plan for my life, I found that my entire focus changed. Instead of thinking and dwelling on what might happen, I got lost in my character's worlds, and began to think about how I could help other people through the gift of words.

Wow, what an inspiring and powerful testimony!! <33 And what inspired you to write the Allegiance series?

The inspiration came from my desire to make people aware of why slavery still exists today. I wanted to show what Freedom really means.

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

I love the creative process of writing a first draft, but what really lights me up is hearing from readers who understand what I'm trying to achieve. Writing is a lonely process, and quite often authors have no idea if readers like their work.
I try to make a point of telling authors I admire how much their stories touch me. The reason I do this, is because I never got the opportunity to tell an author how much her work meant to me before she and her son died in a car crash. I think that was another reason I knew I had to get the words out as quickly as possible. Life is so fleeting.

Why did you choose to self-publish?

I'm of the generation of writers who never had the opportunity to self-publish until recently. I never really attempted to publish traditionally before now and I honestly don't think I could have survived the constant rejection most authors face. I remember being at a writing conference where a published author read out seven of her rejection letters. She said she had hundreds of them!
Now that I have gone the Indie route, I wouldn't have it any other way. I want to have control, and I don't want the added pressure of contracts, deadlines and feeling obligated to write a certain way.

What is your favorite genre to write in?

Fantasy. Definitely. I can write contemporary, but I get bored, and find I start to want to create new worlds. Fantasy gives me the scope to create, with no boundaries, no rules and no one to correct me if I get something wrong.

What do you do in your spare time?

I don't have a huge amount of spare time these days. When my husband is home, we watch lots of action adventure movies, or we binge watching comedy programs. I'm happiest spending time with my family, just being silly. Because I want to support the Indie community, I spend a lot of my free time reading and reviewing other authors works.

And my last question is, do you have any advice for aspiring indie authors?

Don't compare yourself to other authors, and learn to separate opinion from fact. Just because someone doesn't like your work, doesn't mean it's bad. There will always be naysayers, and you will never please everyone. Your unique voice is a gift, so write to the best of your abilities, recognise you have strengths and make the most of them.


And there you have it! Thanks for stopping by, guys! Now go and buy Sarah's book and follow her on her social media! :)

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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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"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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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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Summer TBR + Update

Yeah yeah yeah. I know. You guys have probably had enough of the summer TBR posts that have been going around. There have been quite a few, but you're going to get another one! I know I've said in a few comments on other blogs that I don't have a TBR for the summer because I'm going to be too busy, but I noticed the other day that I actually do have one that I. . . didn't know I had? Clearly, I'm on top of this. And, no, I'm not late, because technically it's not summer until the 21st.

So here are the ten books I hope to read this summer (the first three are ones that I've started already):

1. Samara's Peril by Jaye L. Knight

There was a lot of excitement on GR about this series, so figured I would read it. Also, it's fantasy. I've been reading more in this genre lately, and I'm finding that I like it. This is the third book in the Ilyon Chronicles, and I started it the second week of this month (I think). But I haven't had a lot of reading time so far this month, so that's why I'm only at about 13%. It's pretty good so far.

2. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

I started reading this about this time last year, but I got 150 pages in and then stopped. I got busy and then forgot about it. Oops. :P So I picked it up again and I'm starting over. I know a lot of people don't really like The Da Vinci Code, but my dad likes the books so I thought I'd try them. If you've read this one, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

3. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Ah, yes, the book I started back in January, got halfway through, and then stopped. I feel like a lot of people really liked this book, and I was liking it, but then it got. . . kind of hard to understand? But, I did start this when I began slipping into a reading slump, so I'm thinking that may have something to do with it. :P

4. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

This book here, was recommended by Jonathan. Quite a few times actually. *whispers* I'm assuming he really likes it. I bought it back in February I think, but I still haven't picked it up. I don't know why though, because it sounds really good. This one will probably be the next one I read, right after I finish some of the ones I've already started.

5. The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

I had never heard of the Ranger's Apprentice series until about two(?) months ago, and I was told I might like it. When I looked it up, I noticed that a few of my Goodreads friends really liked the book/series, so I bought the first one. I can't wait to start it!

6. London in the Dark by Victoria Lynn

Oh my word, I've wanted to read this since it was published! I've only heard good things about it. It sounds like it might have some mystery in it, which is one of the reasons I'm really excited to read it. I do kinda have high expectations when it comes to mysteries though. I've seen a lot of crime shows and have read quite a few books. I've always loved mysteries, but yeah, high expectations.
Victoria Lynn also wrote Bound which I reviewed back in April (you can find that post here).  

7. Exiles by Jaye L. Knight

This is the fourth book in the Ilyon Chronicles, which actually isn't published yet. A lot of my GR friends are excited about this book's release. (I think the release date is July 14th. So, yes, I'll be able to read it this summer.) And they've told me that I need to hurry up and read the first books before this one comes out. I think I'm doing pretty good since I'm currently reading the third book. ;P

8. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Yes, I know! I actually have a non-fiction book in my TBR! Quick thing about me: I don't really like non-fiction. And I tend to avoid it, unless it's like Christianity non-fiction or writing related.
The first time I read this one was about six years ago (yeah, I know. Long time ago :P), and I had to read it for school. I remember really liking it, and I've wanted to read it again for a long time now.

9. Storming by K.M. Weiland

And another one that was recommended by Jonathan. This book sounds super cool! I've heard quite a few good things about it, and I can't wait to read it. :D I also have a couple writing books by K.M. Weiland that I might read this summer if I have time.

10. Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth

So, when it comes to the Divergent series, it seems like people either love it or hate it. I was kind of in the middle, so I decided to give this one a shot. I'm hoping it will be better than Divergent, but I'm not going to get my hopes up. :P


And that's my summer TBR! :) Now, on to the other things I wanted to say. I have three.

1) Last week, Faith over at Chosen Vessels did her Sisters in Christ post for the month of June. And I was the guest for that. :) Here's the link so you can hop on over there if you want to know more about me. In that post, I answer questions such as, what is my favorite book of the Bible and why, what are some books that impacted my young life, and what are some of my pet peeves.

2) This past Tuesday, I participated in my first blog tour, which was for the book "The Reluctant Godfather" by Allison Tebo. Here's the link for that if you want to check it out.

3) Lastly, I wanted to let you all know that when July finally rolls around, I probably won't post every week, since I'm going to have very little free time. And no, it's not because I'll be doing Camp NaNo. Although I will be doing that, the main reason I'm going to be so busy is because I work at an overnight summer camp. And I'll be there for all of July and half of August. So right now, I'm thinking I'll post every two weeks while I'm there, but if I can, I'll post more. Either way, you'll all know when I post since it'll show up in your reading list. ;P


So what about you? What's on your TBR this summer? Are you planning on reading any of these books?

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