The Sound of Emeralds: Cover Reveal!

 Hey guys! I have a special treat for you today. The cover reveal of The Sound of Emerald by Rachelle Rea. *Insert trumpeting.* Before I share the cover, here is the series description.

The Steadfast Love Series is set in 16th-century Europe, where the Reformation rages between Protestants and Catholics. Gwyneth, a half-Dutch Catholic, flees from England to Holland to escape the man who murdered her parents. When he follows her there and insists he has come to rescue her, will she trust him? Or would she rather succumb to the violence surrounding the Dutch Revolution?


 Now that you obviously want to read this book, part of a series, here is the goodreads link to learn more about it.

 And now... The reveal!

Tada! Isn't it lovely? You can order it here on Amazon.


About the author:  Rachelle Rea plots her novels while driving around the little town she’s lived in all her life in her dream car, a pick-up truck. As a freelance editor, she enjoys mentoring fellow authors in the craft. A homeschool graduate and retired gymnast, she wrote the Sound of Silver the summer after her junior year of college.

Rain in December

 Hi everyone! I'm very excited to share about my friend Emily Rachelle Russel's new poetry book titled Rain in December!

 Emily has given me the honor of being among a group of bloggers revealing the cover and some tidbits about the book. So without further ado, here is the cover!

Ahhh! Isn't it just lovely! I love the simple and elegant look of the flowers and I think the font is perfect.

Here's a sample poem. 

Star-crossed lovers

I'll reach to the stars 

I'll reach to the moon

 I'll reach through the galaxy far

 To find you, my dearest,

 My darling, my love, 

And be in the place where you are.

Rain in December releases on March 31 and will be available on Kindle and paperback. If you would like to pre-order, you can find it here. 

 While waiting for it to release, why not check out Emily's website?

 Thanks for reading!

~ a rambling author

Sixteen Blog Tour!

  Hey everyone! I know I promised you photos of Joseph this week, but I didn't realize that today I was scheduled for a blog tour celebrating the release of Sixteen by Emily Rachelle. She has written a wonderful blog post for today's stop. So I'll let her tell you all about "Finding Me in Sixteen" and in me, I mean her. ;) Check at the bottom of the page for more stops on the tour, more about the author, and where you can find Sixteen. Emily is giving away a copy on her blog!

 Finding Me in Sixteen by Emily Rachelle

  Whether or not they admit it, every writer imbues their story with bits of themselves. Their personality, opinions, upbringing, race, religion, hobbies, family, friends, memories -- it all seeps in at some point, consciously or subconsciously. I’m no exception.

I’m a Christian, and Sixteen is most certainly a Christian story. The main character isn’t quite a Christian, but her best friend is. Biblical principles do have a place in my work. The climax hinges on them But I want to dig deeper than that; there’s more than my beliefs tucked into my book.

Nikki loves dance, and she volunteers as an assistant teacher for the kids’ ballet class at her community center. I took ballet in second, third, fifth, and sixth through eighth grade. When I lived on the Air Force base in Okinawa, an island south of Japan, I took lessons at the recreation center. I loved it, but eventually I was ready to move up to a pointe class. There was no beginners’ pointe class, so long story short, I helped with the younger class instead. I spent a year as a teacher’s assistant in the kindergarten class, before officially quitting all dance after the center-wide recital. Both Nikki’s class and the community center are based off that year in my life.

My best friend is Mikaela; she and I met when we both moved to Okinawa at the same time. Christy and Nikki are based off of us, but I can’t really point to either girl and say “that one’s me, that one’s Mikaela.” Nikki shares Mikaela’s birthday and spunk, but her physical appearance and love for dance are mine. (Her lack of klutziness is all Nikki; both Mikaela and I fall a bit short there.) Christy has a younger brother shaped after both my youngest brother Nick and Mikaela’s brothers Kyle and Josh. Plus, she’s a Christian - both Mikaela and I, although different denominations, profess Christianity. Her softer nature, in contrast to Nikki’s get-it-done and let’s-be-crazy attitudes, is probably mostly mine, although Mikaela and I have been known to switch roles in this area more than once.

I’ve never had a sister, and honestly, Matt’s sister Abigail is nothing like Mikaela’s sister. However, growing up, I always wanted a sister. I also wished I was named “Abigail May Miller,” for some reason I can’t remember. If I did have a little sister, I imagine her a lot like Abby.

There’s a bit of a subplot surrounding Nikki, her mom, and the color red in the book. That could be traced in my life to my and my mom’s colors. I’m a sort-of-redhead, and for the longest time, I firmly believed anything resembling red was hideous on me. (It’s my college’s main color… I’m coming around. Actually, I’m wearing my Union University red t-shirt as I write this.) However, Mom’s blonde, and red was always her best color. Plus Mom’s favorite color is pink, while I can’t stand it. I think I probably overdosed on the stuff as a kid. While we never had issues to the extent Mrs. and Nikki Johnson do, I imagine the “red dress debacle” they find themselves in could definitely be an exaggerated version of something in my mom’s and my history.

While I’d love to say Matt is totally in my life, he’s probably the most original creation to grace Sixteen’s pages. Besides, blonde isn’t really my type. ;)

About the author: Born in Panama, Emily Rachelle has traveled throughout the country and the world with her Air Force family. Currently, she lives with her parents and three brothers in middle Georgia. While Emily enjoyed reading as far back as she remembers, writing didn't come to her until she learned the forms of poetry and the basics of story in fourth grade. Since then, she's written scripts for homeschool dramas, poems for birthday presents, and stories for friends and family to enjoy. Sixteen is her debut into the professional world of words. You can find Emily at her blog, Emily Rachelle Writes http://emilyrachellewrites.blogspot.com.
Links:
 
Emily Rachelle Writes http://emilyrachellewrites.blogspot.com/
Facebook http://facebook.com/emilyrachellewrites
Twitter http://twitter.com/emilyrachelle15
Pinterest http://pinterest.com/emilyrachelle15
GoodReads http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8818047-emily-rachelle
LibraryThing http://www.librarything.com/profile/writergirl15

                                      

Blurb: Nicole "Nikki" Johnson has never gotten along with her mother, so when she meets a great new guy, it's no surprise that Matt's age is all her mom sees. Just because he's twenty-four and she's sixteen doesn't mean he's a creeper! Thankfully, Nikki's dad allows Nikki and Matt to be together and see how things work out. Their relationship is fantastic and Nikki is on cloud nine...

Until the Fourth of July picnic, when things go too far. Now a very changed Nikki has to make choices that will affect her every relationship - with Matt, her parents, her best friend, and most importantly, God.


 Find the book here: 

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Sixteen-Emily-Rachelle-ebook/dp/B00HVOD5SW/

Smashwords link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/398239

GoodReads: (I can't add a cover yet) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20565633-sixteen

LibraryThing: http://www.librarything.com/work/14643326

 Other stops on the tour 

Zara Hoffman - Why I Chose Self-Publishing - January 19

Covers and Ink - The Story Behind Sixteen - January 20

Literary and Lace - Interview - January 21

Iola's Christian Reads - Sixteen Facts About Sixteen - January 22

 Writings of Rosie- The Theme of Sixteen - January 23

Tales of Goldstone Wood - Interview - January 24

Blooming With Books - Name Meanings - January 25

Na's Not So Newsworthy Thoughts - Excerpt - January 26

Musings of a Creative Mind - It Takes a Village - January 27

The Ramblings of a Young Author - Finding Me in Sixteen - January 28

United in His Love - Interview - January 29

Author Mariella Hunt - Mother-daughter quotes - January 30

Realm of Hearts - Interview - January 31

Zerina Blossom - Dream Casting - February 1

Appasionata - Playlist - February 2

Summer Snowflakes - Interview - February 3

- See more at: http://emilyrachellewrites.blogspot.com/#sthash.IBZO39kJ.dpuf

Zara Hoffman - Why I Chose Self-Publishing - January 19

Covers and Ink - The Story Behind Sixteen - January 20

Literary and Lace - Interview - January 21

Iola's Christian Reads - Sixteen Facts About Sixteen - January 22

 Writings of Rosie- The Theme of Sixteen - January 23

Tales of Goldstone Wood - Interview - January 24

Blooming With Books - Name Meanings - January 25

Na's Not So Newsworthy Thoughts - Excerpt - January 26

Musings of a Creative Mind - It Takes a Village - January 27

The Ramblings of a Young Author - Finding Me in Sixteen - January 28

United in His Love - Interview - January 29

Author Mariella Hunt - Mother-daughter quotes - January 30

Realm of Hearts - Interview - January 31

Zerina Blossom - Dream Casting - February 1

Appasionata - Playlist - February 2

Summer Snowflakes - Interview - February 3

- See more at: http://emilyrachellewrites.blogspot.com/#sthash.IBZO39kJ.dpuf

Zara Hoffman - Why I Chose Self-Publishing - January 19

Covers and Ink - The Story Behind Sixteen - January 20

Literary and Lace - Interview - January 21

Iola's Christian Reads - Sixteen Facts About Sixteen - January 22

 Writings of Rosie- The Theme of Sixteen - January 23

Tales of Goldstone Wood - Interview - January 24

Blooming With Books - Name Meanings - January 25

Na's Not So Newsworthy Thoughts - Excerpt - January 26

Musings of a Creative Mind - It Takes a Village - January 27

The Ramblings of a Young Author - Finding Me in Sixteen - January 28

United in His Love - Interview - January 29

Author Mariella Hunt - Mother-daughter quotes - January 30

Realm of Hearts - Interview - January 31

Zerina Blossom - Dream Casting - February 1

Appasionata - Playlist - February 2

Summer Snowflakes - Interview - February 3

- See more at: http://emilyrachellewrites.blogspot.com/#sthash.IBZO39kJ.dpuf

Cave Secrets of the Pterodactyl Blog Tour

Hey everyone! Today I'm hosting Lydia Howe and her newly released book, Cave Secrets of the Pterodactyl. (Sometime I'll go into the craziness of NaNo.)  I'm so excited to take part in this. I haven't yet had the opportunity to read the book due to pressing book reviews/my crazy life, but I have it upstairs in my to-read box, and I'm looking forward to it greatly! Now... on to Lydia's portion of the post!

About the book: Cave Secrets of the Pterodactyl:Traveling with her parents brings Lydia, daughter of explorer and singer Buddy Davis, plenty of adventure and mystery - from hidden clues in bookstores to cave paintings deep underground.


















Answer to the True or False question from the last stop:  False. I have never believed in evolution. 

Throughout this blog tour I’ll often be talking about my adopted parents. They are a huge part of my life - plus, they co-authored Cave Secrets of the Pterodactyl with me! So I figured it might be nice for y’all if I shared more about who they are and what I mean when I call them my adopted parents. ;)

Several years ago our family (the one I was born into, who, by the way, are absolutely amazing!) went to an Answers in Genesis conference. It was a pivotal point in my life, although I didn’t realize it at the time. I had recently gotten Lyme disease, although we wouldn’t figure that out for five more long years. I was therefore sick, fairly miserable and feeling horribly sorry for myself.

One of the big reasons we wanted to go to the AiG conference was because Buddy Davis was going to be there and our family loved his music. The first night after the meeting was over (including a mini concert by Buddy Davis!), a lot of people (including most of our family) went out to a pool area where a little snack bar was located and, lo, and behold - there was Buddy Davis! So we got to talk to him. (Picture one of the most exciting moments of my life.)

Now, my dad has a website called Free Bible Music, and he asked Buddy if he would be interested in singing some of the songs. They traded contact info so they could keep in touch. Throughout the rest of the week I had a blast getting to hear Buddy speak, listening to him sing (I’m pretty sure I was the happiest person in the building then!), and hoping to somehow find a reason to talk to him (which actually did happen several times). One of the coolest things was that the hotel room I was staying in was really close to the meeting room for the conference center. Often I would sit out there and write during breaks. Some of the coolest memories I have are of Buddy coming to practice for his concerts, and I would be the only person (other than the sound guys) to hear him. And yes, it rocked! I think I can say I was about giddy about it. :)

It was also around that time I began to realize that feeling sorry for myself (as I had been) was not the way to live, and the best way for me to get over it would be to start writing to people who either felt worse than me, or were in ministry - and therefore in need of encouragement. I would also pray for them. Buddy and Kay Davis were one of those people I started writing to (albeit several months later, and at the suggestion of my dad).

It was six months after the conference when we next saw the Davis family again. We went to their house for supper, and I was shocked when they immediately mentioned the cards I had been sending and how much it meant to them. They also began replying to my notes (something I had never intended on happening!).

As time progressed, our families got to know each other better, and Buddy, Kay, and I became really great friends. More time passed and one day someone said something about them being like my second family. Eventually, I realized that we were indeed turning into a family, at least in heart.

A couple of years went by and we were continually amazed at how much alike we are. We share a lot of the same personality traits, as well as tons of the same likes and dislikes. It wasn’t long before I began calling them Dad and Mom, and they began calling me their daughter. I must say, it’s quite fun for me to have one family in which I’m one of ten kids, and a "second family" where I’m an only child. For someone who's used to being around lots of people, it gives me quite a change of perspective!

I usually hesitate to share this story in writing, because it's hard to really understand how special our relationship is unless you actually see it. It really is like I have two families. Often, when my adopted parents and I are talking to others about our family, we just drop off the word ‘adopted’ because it can get really confusing. And most of the time during this blog tour, when I talk about my family it will be my adopted ones, because they’re the ones who co-authored the book with me. Plus, my other family doesn’t really enjoy being in the spotlight much. ;)

I truly feel as if God has given me two different families and I am so very, very thankful for both of them!

On my adopted dad's newest CD, he has a song he wrote about our relationship as a family and it's titled "I love you, Dad". Check out this post to see how you can win one of the CDs! 

To find out about my first time ever in a cave, check out this post tomorrow!

To find out how to get entered into a giveaway or to see the whole tour schedule, click here. 

Have any of y'all ever been caving? Did you like it?

About the author:

Whether she’s building life-sized models of dinosaurs with her adopted family, trying her hand at cooking at a private retreat, or living in a barn, author Aidyl Ewoh (aka Lydia Howe) seems to have adventures follow her wherever she goes. Check out her book, Cave Secrets of the Pterodactyl and find out more about her at her Blog, Facebook, and Twitter. 

The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet: A Book Review

 Two book reviews in a row! I hope you guys like them. There are so many interesting stories to be reviewed out there! Hopefully I'll have something different for you tomorrow. Today, however, I have the great pleasure of reviewing The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet by Stephanie Morrill. I received this book as a member of Playlist Street Team, so it gives me the opportunity to be a part of this Team Novel Team tour.

From the back cover:  Ellie Sweet is a lot of things—good girl, novelist, silent adorer of the new boy at school, Palmer. But when “outcast” gets added to the list, she decides it’s time to take reality into her own hands … and tweak it as needed.

In the pages of her book, she’s Lady Gabrielle, favorite of the medieval Italian court. Her once-friends are reduced to catty ladies-in-waiting, and the too-charming Palmer—who in real life never spares her a second word—gets to be nothing more than a rake wracked by unrequited love for her. She even has a perfect real-life villain in the brooding Chase, who hails from the wrong side of town.

But just when she’s getting along great in her fictional world, the real one throws her a few curves. With Chase pursuing her, Palmer wanting to date her—but in secret—and the details of her manuscript going public, Ellie suddenly receives more attention than she ever really wanted. And when her former-friends discover what she’s been writing, they’re determined to teach Ellie a lesson about the severe consequences of using her pen as her sword.

 My thoughts: Ellie Sweet was a really neat character. As a young writer I could really connect with her desire to be published, and all the little writing related things in the story. She used her life as a template for a story, using writing as a way figure out her feelings on different issues. She was a fun person to read about. Stephanie Morrill did a wonderful job getting Ellie's voice down, and drawing me into the story. Unlike some books, I found it hard to stop reading. The other characters in the book all achieved their different goals well. There were some we're meant to dislike, and they pull it off quite effortlessly. Others can be a bit harder to decode. There's Palmer, the gorgeous guy who cares a little too much about his image. There's Chase, the typical bad boy who has so much more to him. I seriously had no idea who Ellie was going to choose through most of the book. You just have to read it to see! 

 I can't say I agree with Ellie's choices. I probably wouldn't want to be involved with either of the boys because of their differing beliefs. I didn't like how Ellie deceived her parents throughout the book, and other little things. 

 Over all, I really liked this book. The characters were very real, and it was just interesting to read about, especially with the added concept of Ellie's writing journey. Also, I make a slight cameo. What's not to like? ;P

 Now, if you'd like to buy your own copy, just visit this link, and you'll be set!

 Also, the author has graciously offered an ebook giveaway of Ellie Sweet! Check out the rafflecopter below to enter! :)

About Stephanie Morrill: Stephanie writes young adult contemporary novels and is the creator of GoTeenWriters.com. Her novels include The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series (Revell) and the newly released The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet (Playlist). You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and check out samples of her work on her author website.

Check out other stops along the tour to learn more about the book, and catch some more giveaways of the book!

Blooming with Books • Colorimetry • Gillian Adams • Jill Williamson • The Life of a Teenage Writer • Once Upon an Inkling • Pages from My Journal • Rachelle Rea • The Ramblings of a Young Author • Shadow Writer World • Who YA Reading? • The Writings of Rosie • Worthy2Read

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's Complicated: A Book Review

Hello everyone! Today you get another review! Today I'm reviewing It's Complicated by the sweet author Laura L. Smith.

Book description:

Follow four college roommates, Claire, Palmer, Hannah and Kat as they maneuver crushes, confusion, and the crisis when pushy boys go too far. Complicated as it is, these four friends will pull through, guided by the strength of their friendship and the power of God’s love.

  There's a reason Facebook has the status, It's Complicated.

~

 I enjoyed this book. Laura has a very engrossing style of writing that kept me reading, wondering what was going to happen to the characters. Since the story is split up between four girls, sometimes it would jerk you out of a tense moment in one character's life, and put you in another girl's. I would want to see what was going to happen to the first girl, but pretty soon I'd be taken in with the second girl's world.

 Mrs. Smith writes very real, truthful, hard-hitting books. She puts these girls in real life situations, with real life emotions. Though I may not approve of some of the girl's dating decisions, or other decisions they make in the book, she's woven a story that is very true to most teenagers these days.

 I appreciated the faith element in the story, and how God was telling the girl's to lean on Him. Sometimes we have to be strong enough to let things go, and let God have His way.

 This book is under Young Adult as far as I'm aware, though I will warn younger readers: There is some very mature issues addressed, things that some girls have had to go through. If I had to pick an age group for this book, I would actually say fifteen and up. Maybe it's just because I never read anything with such mature issues when I was fourteen and younger, or something else. I just feel that this is a story for older teens who aren't uncomfortable getting into the nitty gritty part of life that many girls have to navigate.

 In the end, I thought It's Complicated was a well written book. It's a good story, with characters girls can relate to. I also loved the references in the novel, like Les Miserables. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel.
~

I received this book from the author as a member of the Playlist Street Team. Playlist is a new line of ebook novels for young adults. There are many talented author's involved, and I encourage you to check it out!

About the author:

Laura L. Smith is the author of the new Status Updates series. Her first book in this series is It's Complicated. She loves God, her husband, her four children, writing and speaking. She writes real stories for real young women. Her previous books include Skinny, Hot, and Angry. She is a featured columnist at Choose Now Ministries  http://nicoleodell.com/laura-l-smith-on-true-beauty/ and speaks at schools, churches and campuses around the country. Smith lives in the college town of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. www.laurasmithauthor.com

 

Stephanie Morrill and Jill Williamson: What it Means to Write a Bad First Draft and a Giveaway!

by Stephanie Morrill

You've likely heard writers talk about writing "bad first drafts." This is something I first learned about in Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, the idea that you can make more progress in writing by not worrying about every teensy-tiny detail and editing each scene until it's perfect, but instead by writing a bare bones first draft and then going back to revise.

Not all writers do this, but for those of us who write bad firsts, I think it begs the question of, "How bad can a useful first draft be?"

The bones of the story should be there on the page.

When you finish your first draft, the elements of the story should be there. Maybe a couple characters are flat, that plot twist isn't quite there yet, and the ending is rushed, but you should have something you can work with and shape. Like a lump of Play-Doh that you're trying to mold - the Play Doh has to be there before you can make it into anything. Maybe your character's black moment still needs to be darker but you should have what you need to shape it into a black moment.

If the story bones aren't there yet, then your first priority should be to write them. Because you don't want to spend a bunch of time tweaking descriptions of your main character's school if you haven't yet figured out how your story is going to end.

It should be a length you can work with.

Some writers are putter-inners and some are taker-outers. By which I mean some naturally write long and have to cut back their words and others write bare bones and have to go in and flesh out their stories. If you're writing in hopes of getting published, you'll need to pay attention to what word count you want to hit, and then figure out where your first draft needs to be.

I'm a putter-inner. So I know that if I want my book to be 90,000 words, I need a first draft around 77 to 80,000 words long. My friend Roseanna White is a taker-outer so for a first draft of 100,000 words, she knows she needs to reign herself in around 110,000 or so.

You should still like the story.

When I finish a first draft, I usually feel pretty drained. I've been pushing myself hard to finish, and I'm ready for a break. I try to take six weeks off after my first draft. When I come back to it, I need to still like it. I see lots of things that need fixing, but I should also see promise and feel excited about edits. If I don't, I'm in trouble.

This has only happened to me once where I finished a first draft, reread it six weeks later, and had a good long cry because the book was just so bad. I put the book away and I've never pulled it back out. During that six weeks off, I had the idea for Me, Just Different, and I saw a lot more promise in it than I did this other story. I decided not to torture myself with edits for this other book, to move on to Skylar and Connor, and I've never regretted it.

So what can be bad?

So what elements of a first draft are okay to be really, truly bad? Here's a list of what typically needs the most work in my edits:

• My prose. I'm a dialogue girl, so my dialogue is normally decent but my prose needs a lot of smoothing. You might be the opposite.
• The voice of my "other" characters. They usually all sound the same, like afterthoughts.
• Drab action beats. My characters do a lot of smiling, sighing, and chuckling in first drafts. I have to clean all that up.
• Lame twists or surprises. Sometimes I come up with something great in the first draft, but more often than not, I have to work for a more unique twist or surprise connection in the second draft.
• A rushed pace. Again, I'm a putter-inner, so I typically have a manuscript that sounds very rushed. I have to slow things down and describe more in my second drafts.

Edits can feel overwhelming, but it's become one of my favorite parts of the writing process, and the same goes for Jill too. Which is why we felt drawn to writing a book to help with edits, Go Teen Writers: How to Turn Your First Draft into a Published Novel. Today we're giving away a free download of the book! You can enter to win by using the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway Stephanie Morrill and Jill Williamson have written a combined two dozen speculative and contemporary novels for teens. They also blog obsessively at www.goteenwriters.com. When not writing or blogging, they can be found at the teen table at writer's conferences or wherever chocolate is being given away. Come hang out with Stephanie at www.stephaniemorrill.com and Jill at www.jillwilliamson.com.>