I've Moved My Blog!

    Okay, so . . . this is a bit abrupt, especially after I just celebrated my blogging anniversary. But due to certain reasons–including Feedburner going away–I have decided to switch my blog to Wordpress instead of Blogger. 

   This does not mean that I'm getting a "new blog." I am counting my Wordpress site as the same blog as my Blogger one. After all, they share a title, catch phrase, author, etc. The only thing that's changing is the social platform being used. I am counting them as the same blog, just on two different places. I will link back and forth between the two instead of uploading my data to the other blog, as well. So . . . I won't post any more on this blog, but I will be posting on the Wordpress platform of my blog, beyondtheliteraryhorizons.wordpress.com. So head on over!

                Click on the image to be redirected to the new blog!

Blog Anniversary Q&A Answers

    

   Well, it's been just over a week, so I'll go ahead and answer the questions from the Q&A. Some of these are really fun! Some are similar, too, so I'll combine them.

What made you/inspired you to start a blog?

Well, it sounded fun, for one. Also, I was reading some other blogs at that point and thought, "Why not me?" Plus it's a fun way to get my thoughts/reviews out there.

What's your favorite thing about having a blog?

Probably being in the blogosphere. It has enabled me to make friends, meet famous(ish) authors, and participate in blog events (like book releases and Christmas blog parties). 

What is your favorite blog post/series of related posts that you've done?

Oooh. That would probably be the Ten Days of Christmas series I did. Such fun, and a privilege to do it with other bloggers, including the host of Five Fall Favorites (Rebekah Morris)! My favorite out of that series was definitely the one about Scripture. It was probably the longest post I've ever written on this blog. 

What is the biggest thing having a blog has taught you?

Hmm. Well, I would have to say that it has taught me that sometimes God can use little things (like my posts) to bless/encourage others. And that knowledge in and of itself is a real encouragement!

How many siblings do you have?

Ten, besides myself. Eleven kids total. And guess who's the middle child? *raises my hand*

Have you finished writing Going Ballistic yet?

Sadly, I have not. I hit the dreaded writer's slump a while back, and lost a lot of my enthusiasm for it. But never fear! These slumps are only temporary, and I plan to finish it someday. In fact, I went back and worked on it a bit more a little while ago. And I'm pleased with how it's turning out so far. So rest assured, I haven't abandoned it! The progress is just limping right now. It shouldn't be too long before it recovers and is up and running again (I hope)!

Can you listen to music when you write? Do you like to?

Okay. I do like to listen to music when I write. But I usually don't. Simply because I tend to just get to writing before I even get my music. However, sometimes I will remember, and when I do, I usually listen to instrumental. I like songs with words, but they distract me when I'm writing. Then my brain is trying to focus on the song's words and the story's words at the same time. So I usually go with instrumental (*ahem* often Piano Guys).

Favorite TV show?

Oh goodness. I'll have to go with two of my favorite BBC period dramas: Little Women and North and South. Yes. Yes, I'm a period drama person.

What's one meal you could eat every day for a straight week and not grow tired of it?

Honestly? Salad. I know because some years ago, I ate salad for lunch practically every day during the summer. Plus, you can switch around the toppings and dressings for variety, but it'd still be the same meal.

When/how did you discover you liked to write?

I honestly have no idea when. I've been making up stories for forever, I guess. Although when I was really young, they were too horribly written to be called stories. Mostly just these embarrassing little tales of giant blue worms and getting lost in the woods and families with 15+ biological kids & multiple sets of twins and triplets. Not that the huge families were bad in my stories, but they were extremely unrealistic. Oh, and that one story I wrote a long time ago that I was so proud of. *shudders* In it, this guy proposes to a girl without dating her/talking to her/courting her first . . . also the girl's dad had just died. Oh, and her mom already died earlier in the story. Yeah. I think I might take the liberty of saying I have improved some in my writing since then!

Favorite Bible verse?

Okay, right off the top of my head, there's one verse I've loved and have had memorized for literally as long as I can remember: John 3:16. And Isaiah 53. If you haven't read Isaiah 53 yet, go read it.

I also like Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (NASB) 

Also Isaiah 55:7: Let the wicked abandon his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. (NASB)

Favorite color?

Basically any shade of blue, purple, and petal pink specifically. I am very particular about this. I'm not much of a "pinky" person. But I love petal pink. And peach.

Favorite book of all time?

You did not just ask this question.

Okay, I guess you did. 

I'm thinking.

So many options.

Help!

*

*

*

Okay, off the top of my head, I'd say The Raider's Promise by Lois Walfrid Johnson. Go here to see my review of it. I absolutely love this book. And yes, I will admit to skipping to the end and reading and re-reading the ending sometimes.

Paper or computer?

Computer. Then I don't have to worry about my handwriting, or using up my eraser, or my fingers cramping (which they do). Also, I tend to type faster than I write. It's more efficient.

Least favorite food of all-time?

Okay, out of the foods I've never tasted and am merely prejudiced against, I despise caviar and chicken feet. Out of the foods I have tasted and still don't like, I would have to say that braunschweiger is one of the worst. Though I will concede it does smell worse than it tastes.

Favorite font to use?

Anything flowing and beautiful but still easy to read. For my favorite common-use one, that would be Verdana, which is the font I am using right now. It's my blog font.

Thank you so much for the fun questions! 

Happy Independence Day!

  

   The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.

I am proud to be an American. This country was originally founded as a God-fearing country. We believed in God. We believed in freedom. 

I still believe in God and freedom. I still respect the freedoms outlined in the Constitution of the Untied States of America. I thank God He brought this country about, and that He placed me in it . . . because I know He did so for a reason.

It isn't perfect. But it's my home. And I am an American patriot. 

Happy Independence Day, America!

   

One-year Anniversary Q&A!

     

  I have had this blog for exactly one year now. How crazy is that? It feels like I'm still so new to blogging, yet I've been doing it for a year already! Read my first post here. I was still very, very amateur, and had no idea how to format the blog post, use URLs (you can imagine how excited I was when I figured out how simple it was!), and fix the blog background so everything wasn't all just. plain. red. Yes, I'd definitely say I've learned how to manage my blog a bit better than I could that first day I posted. ;P

   Since that first post this day last year, I have written over 80 posts, received over 400 comments, had over 6,500 blog views (woot woot!), and gotten some amazing followers (14 blogger, and I-don't-know-how-many email followers). A big thank-you to all you people who take the time to listen to my ramblings and read the posts of this little blog. 

   Anyway, for my one-year blog anniversary, I'm going to steal an idea I got from various other bloggers and do a Q&A. If you have any questions to ask me, comment below! (However, I reserve the right to not answer it if I feel like it's too personal or something.) I'm going to be busy for the next little while, but I'll try to put up the answers sometime after all the Independence Day hustle and bustle is over. I'd love to see what you come up with!

Camp Begins Again!

    

   It's that exciting time of year again: writing camp! I've said it before, and I'll say it again: KDWC is awesome! It's that Christian camp for ladies only, and you can read about my other posts on it by clicking the label for "The King's Daughters' Writing Camp" along the side of my blog. It is so fun to meet new people, get inspiration for a new story, receive encouragement on my WIPs, and be able to have exclusive snippets and conversations from and with some really neat ladies who have written some amazing books! This camp really does motivate me to write more . . . and more diligently. I've made new friends here, discovered new books, and had the opportunity to participate in some really neat blog events.

   The gates open today, June 24th. The official camp with begin July 1st and run through the end of the month, with the gates closing again on August 7th.

   Visit the camp website for more information!

Unrelated note: as most of you likely already know, Feedburner is going away at the beginning of next month, which means that unfortunately, you won't receive any more email updates of my new blog posts. If you know of any non-complicated alternatives (that I wouldn't have to pay for), feel free to let me know.

Joy or Happiness?

    How many times have you had a "bad day," when everything seemed to be against you? You get up to find your favorite shirt dirty. So you put on a less-beloved top and head to the kitchen. You end up burning your bacon because you're so busy cleaning up the milk you spilled all over the table. Then, as you go to put on your shoes, you stub your toe on that wall that came out of nowhere. Finally, you discover that your shoes are wearing out, and the soles are coming loose. That's the last straw! Grumbling, you take your frustration out on whatever is handy, excusing your actions with "I'm having a bad day."

   Who else has experienced this? I know I'm not the only one who has had those weird days where, the second you crawl out from under your bed covers, you know today is already ruined. 

   When those days come, I'm not happy. The day is ruined; therefore, I have the right to be unhappy. Maybe even grumpy the entire day. It's just not fair to expect a person who's having a bad day to just pretend everything's okay and go about their merry lives without a word of complaint, right?

   Wrong. It is so easy to pity oneself into making up excuses for our attitude. Trust me, I know. But . . . it's so tiring to be unhappy. I mean, when you're feeling okay and bad things come, it makes you frustrated. But when you're already grumpy and bad things come, it makes you angry. At least, that can happen to me. But after grumbling all day, you feel kind of tired. If it's so tiresome to grumble our ways through our trials, why do we do it?

   The truth is that I'm not absolutely sure . . . but it just might have something to do with the fact that we want our own way. We don't want to have to go through trials and frustrations. Who would want to? That's nonsensical! If someone told us to be happy about the trials we have to go through, we'd probably either retaliate or laugh, wouldn't we? Be happy about trials and persecutions and even the little tiny things that frustrate us so much? Absurd!

   The real question is: what does God say about it and how do we respond to it?

Well, James 1:2-4 has God's answer:

Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

   Hold on! Have joy when we encounter trials? Are you serious? Why in the world should we joy when we go through trials? That doesn't make any sense!

   Hm. It actually does, if you take a second to think about it and read the passage again. Why should we consider it all joy when we go through challenges? Because the testing of our faith produces endurance. If you are a Christian–a true, born-again believer in Christ–God is using various trials to test and therefore strengthen your faith in Him! The trials (even the tiny ones, like spilling tomato juice on your favorite white shirt) produce endurance! 

   I personally don't have much endurance in certain activities, like running and swimming. Sometimes I wish I did. How wonderful for your endurance to be strengthened in a favorite activity! Well, for a Christian, what's more important than his walk with Christ? Who wouldn't want more endurance and a stronger faith in Christ? Even at the cost of "various trials?"

   One more thing to notice: the verse did not mention happiness one iota! It never mentioned being happy or pretending everything's okay. Did you catch what it said? "Consider it all joy!" He didn't say, "Work up a joyful feeling," either. Know why?

   Joy is not based on circumstances like happiness. Being joyful is a choice.

   We're happy if things are going great, if we get what we desired, or if something happened just like we wanted it to. But joy, true joy, is not based off of whether things are going well for us. Joy is a choice!

   We must choose to be joyful. And true joy comes from Christ. So even when we start having a "bad day," we can stop and remember what Christ has done for us. And we can stop and remember that God told us to choose joy! Huh! That's not just a saying that you see on a t-shirt, after all!

   Don't just take it from me. I'm not writing this post to preach at you or guilt-trip you into anything. I'm merely writing about a topic God placed on my heart over the past few weeks. Don't assume I'm an authority on the subject; I've got to work on this topic a lot myself. Go read the Bible! God's Word is the way He speaks to us. Go and listen to what He has to say.

   

Book Review: Reflection

   I've got an out-of-the-way book to tell you about. It's by author C. Everett.

Sensitive content: a few uses of the word "stupid" and "idiot"; some (mildly) intense scenes

Age recommendation: 10+

My rating: 4 stars

   This is a story about a girl who, after unknowingly acquiring a time-travel watch, finds herself traveling a year into the future. Once there, she discovers something that will change the course of her life and gives her a time limit to get back to reality. Along the way, she meets the maker of the watch and a new friend named Parker.

   This is an interesting book. I will admit, if you're only paying half-attention to the book (or can easily get sidetracked), the timelines in this may trip you up a bit. At one point, the main character is in a time line on top of a time line on top of a time line. Yeah. But it makes more sense when you read it, instead of just taking my word for it! It is written in a very relaxed manner and is a rather short read, yet the descriptions and situations keep your attention to the end. I enjoyed it the first time I read it . . . and the second time . . . and the third . . . and the. . . . 

   Find out more about it on Amazon or Goodreads!

   

Note: this is not a part of the book review marathon I promised. The marathon will hopefully start next week.

Random Thoughts

    Okay, I've been busy, preoccupied, and maybe a bit lazy lately. Hence, my absence. I'm hoping to get back on track soon with a Book Review Marathon. It will be featuring P.D. Atkerson's own Simon Lee series. I've read nearly all of them but have only reviewed two, so I'm hoping this will help me get a bit more consistent with my posts.

   By the way, I'm going to be absent almost all of next month, so any comments won't be published until I get back. Just a note.

   Also, you might be seeing a bit about some not-so-new WIPs I haven't mentioned yet. 

   I'd make this post drag on longer for the sake of it, but I haven't got much else to say for now. 

   

   

  

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

    

      I love Christmas. It's one of my favorite holidays. But Christmas, in which a tiny baby boy was born in Bethlehem, finds both its peak and its conclusion in Easter, in which the baby became a man and did something no other person in the history of time has ever done. This man is Jesus.

  He lived a sinless life, was sentenced to death out of spite and hatred, and suffered an agony deeper than any of us can comprehend.

Because His Father, who loved Him so much, turned His back on His Son and laid on Jesus the punishment we deserve . . . in fact, the Father was pleased to crush His Son, putting Him to grief (Is. 53:10)! 

   Let's face it–we don't like to be blamed for something we didn't do. We try to avoid taking punishment that does not belong to us. Why wouldn't we? The person who does the wrong should be the one disciplined for it . . . not some innocent bystander. It takes a lot of courage to take someone else's condemnation on ourselves . . . and a lot of love.

   Jesus Christ loved–and loves–us very much. He loves His Father. But why would He want to take on our punishment if it's just what we have merited?

   He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening [that is, punishment] for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed (Is. 53:5).

   Quite simply . . . that is why Christ had to die. That is why Christ took on the worst agony this world has ever seen.

Because we need Him.

   Without Him, we are lost in our sin. And trust me, you will not find any other hope for salvation except through the blood of Jesus Christ. Many people think they can. But the simple fact is that no one can obtain eternal salvation unless it be through the Lamb of God. 

   Have a blessed Resurrection Sunday evening. Keep the true celebration in mind. The celebration of the event at Calvary. The death of Christ. 

And the triumphant victory of death when Jesus rose from the grave three days later!  

 

He is alive today!

Book Review: Guardian Eagle

     So. . . . . .

   This is the book after the infamous Phantom Thief AKA Simon Lee (read my review of that book here). Just as the first book kept me guessing, laughing, scratching my head, and groaning in frustration, this one kept my anticipation up throughout. How could it not? It's Simon Lee we're talking about!

    

Sensitive content: some mild language such a "heck" and "idiot;" some intense scenes, some violence

Age recommendation: 13+

My rating: 4 stars

   Before I dive in, I need to throw out a very important warning label: 

if you have not read Phantom Thief, do not read this book!

   It links directly to the first one, and has major spoilers. However, if you have already read the first one and enjoyed it, then I certainly would suggest going and reading this one! It did not disappoint. Simon Lee is back at it: foiling evil plans, making a few of his own, outsmarting all those amateur people who underestimate him, and doing things that ordinarily are not recommended (such as thrusting oneself headfirst into a dangerous situation involving highly-trained enemy agents). It's suspenseful, shocking, amazing, disgustingly smart, original, and attention-grabbing-and-keeping. P.D Atkerson, you've done it again!

   Murphy Lawson is next, and I can hardly wait!

*I received an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. All these opinions are my own* 

A Few Quick Announcements

    Okay, I just have a few little announcements. First, as you undoubtedly have noticed already, I changed my blog background. Oh, and I changed the header, too. And I may possibly have changed the blog font. Okay, I pretty much redid the whole thing. I was not paying much attention when I originally made the header dark red, the main part dark red, and the background dark red. Too red and too dark for my taste. Hence the changes. I personally think it's more cheery. 

   Secondly, the King's Daughters' Writing Camp signup is now available! KDWC is an amazing, Christian writing camp for ladies only (this is to avoid any potential awkwardness). I have been in all three of the previous camps and have made so many wonderful, encouraging friends. Not only that, but it is really effective motivation when I'm experiencing a writer's block. (Did I mention that I really like telling other writers all about my latest WIP?) You can read some of my posts about it here and here. If you're interested, check out more information on their website.  Gates open on March 25th and will close on May 7th. The official camp, however, will run the entire length of April. I'm really looking forward to it!

Dewdrops & Spiderwebs Challenge Repost

    Okay, I am basically going to do a repost of a tag I created some time last year. I don't know if anyone picked it up, but either way, I thought I'd just throw it out there again. 

   Hold on! Before I get into the tag, I need to make a very important note! If you'd listen carefully, please . . . if you see things disappear, reappear, change entirely, or change in format on this blog, it is no problem of your device. It is just me messing around because I am not satisfied with the blog's colors/background/format. Not only do I feel like it's missing something, but I also have a terrible urge to switch things around so that it won't be as dark. So if you check my blog one day and everything's red, and you come back to a light cheery background, that's just me being . . . well, me!

   Now, with that out of the way, this was a tag I made last year. It's pretty similar to the Simple Things tag. Go here to read the original post. (I've made a new graphic for it, as you can see below. You can use the old one or the new one, either way.)

Rules:

1. Give 3+ examples of "dewdrops and spiderwebs" . . . little things that don't get noticed much (if at all).

2. Include pictures if you can.

3. Include a passage from the Bible that talks about something "insignificant" being cared for by God (can't find a passage? Look in Psalms!).

4. Tag at least one other person.

5. Include the graphic.

   If you do this tag, feel free to comment below with the link to your post . . . I'd love to read what you come up with!

Signs of Spring!

    I'm back, dear readers! So sorry for my silence. I usually try to post at least once a week, but I kind of was holding off for some unknown reason (Okay, that was a lie. It was laziness). I'll give a quickie post now, and hopefully line up a few more for later. 

   Guess what! I was able to go outside today without a coat on and did not feel cold! *gasp* Dare I say it . . . Spring has edged Winter out of the way and has brought with her the beautiful sunny personality we all adore. It's so nice to see Spring again. I've missed her! And she's brought a few friends! (Yes, these pictures are my own.)

   I haven't been doing much writing, I regret to say, but hopefully I'll get some more words down next month, when KDWC (King's Daughters' Writing Camp) starts up again! Stick around . . . there'll be more on that later!

Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

    "Don't judge a book by its cover."

   Ever heard that one? I have. And I have mixed feelings about it.

   The point it's trying to get across is great! Don't judge something by its appearance. It's what's inside that counts. Beauty is only skin-deep. And that's true.

But . . .

   When it comes to taking the saying literally, not symbolically, that's where I don't just disagree, but it's kind of obvious that view is flawed . . . severely!

   So, question: if a book has a gorgeous cover and it catches your eye, are you going to be willing to spare a fragment of your precious time to peek at the synopsis of that lovely item which has so piqued your curiosity?

   My answer: yes!

   In contrast, if the cover is so boring that it has no depth, no unique title, and no features that pop whatsoever, would you seriously be willing to sacrifice the picking up of the book to view the synopsis?

   My answer: uhhh, yeah, I probably still would. 

But simply because I'd be curious of what kind of book would have such a dull cover.

   In other words, which one of these two catches your attention in a positive way that encourages you to give it a second glance?

                                               

   

Or . . . this?

   And no offense intended to anyone who has a name similar in any way to this fake author name I literally just came up with off the top of my head. But, seriously. The text is a boring sans serif (sorry, sans serif! You're great, but you've got no place on this already-dull phony book cover) and it clashes with the rocks in the background. It's kind of hard to even read the fake author name at the bottom. Besides, the picture gives about as much context to the story as the title does. (Again, no offense to anyone who might have a book titled anything similar to this one.) Would you want to read this one? I probably wouldn't . . . unless it had a really intriguing synopsis. 

   Contrast that with the amazing cover above it. Now that's a cover that draws my attention! The colors, the picture itself, the delicate accents on the sides, the title, and even the font of the words. Beautiful!

   Okay, so I am not insulting whoever first said "don't judge a book by its cover." Don't get me wrong; there's a good deal of wisdom in it symbolically. But in a literal sense?

   I am a very amateur graphic designer, but even before I got into it, I loved a good book cover. And I did -and still do- judge books by their covers. Moreover, I have a genuine, heartfelt question to go with that confession:

 honestly, who doesn't judge a book by its cover-- even in the slightest way??

   A cover can be simple . . . in fact, it should be pretty simple. But it should not be boring. That dries up any interest a viewer might have initially had . . . at least for most people. 

   I'm going to use this post as an excuse to display some fantastic book covers I've seen. And now, in no particular order, here they are (I have not read any of these . . . I'm just basing these opinions purely off the cover design):

  Side note: I love Golden Retrievers, so . . .

   *Ahem* Well, when I started this post, I wasn't sure what the point of it was except to post some covers I think are amazing, so . . . thank you, dear readers, for bearing with me as I rambled about a random topic that has no conclusive ending. 

The Writerly Sibling Tag

   Ahhh-kay, so . . . never done this tag before, and I'm not sure whether I'll be able to finish all the questions very easily, but I'll do my best!

Rule One: Thank the blogger who tagged you & provide a link to their post. That would be Abby. She took it from Katja, who took it from someone else who . . . yeah, anyway . . . thanks, Abby!

Rule Two: Answer the inquiries, including any ones added by means of rule six. 

Rule Three: Always use your own characters. No exception, unless you don't actually have sibling characters (in which case you need to go write up some) or you don't write (in which case you need to start ASAP).

Rule Four: Tag three other bloggers.

Rule Five: If you happen to have any siblings who blog, they are automatically tagged & cannot count towards your three.

Rule Six: Add one question or prompt to the list of questions the person before you answered related to siblings &/or characters. Answer the question, and provide a list of all the questions that you have answered so far.

Rule Seven: Close out the post making some statement or other glorifying the King of Kings.

   And now onto the questions.

   Name the most annoying sibling character in any of your stories (either annoying to you as the author or to any other characters).

   Oh no. Annoying, huh? Well, well. Hmm. Now that I really think about it, this is hard! I guess the only "annoying sibling" characters I tend to write I secretly adore because they're really awesome inside. Most of the truly obnoxious characters are loners and don't have siblings (as far as I know). Okay, let's go with Evelynn from my back-burner story In Christ Alone. She's actually the main character. She's kind of abrupt, and practically worships her little sister to the point of becoming irksome.

   Name the most caring sibling character in any of your stories.

   Ye-e-esss! Okay, I'm going to cheat just a little and say Millie from Millie's Miracle. She technically isn't adopted into the Giles family, nor is she their blood relative in any way, but she lives with them and acts like a sibling to Marie and Lois. Oh, I love her! Millie has such a huge heart and is always wanting to help others, and . . . oh, she's the best!

   Name the most entertaining sibling character in any of your stories.

   My sweet little Jimmy! He's the main character from Going Ballistic. He is such a fun character to write!! I just love him; he's the over-emphasized, even-more-dramatic boy version of a little me! Always overthinking things; constantly getting hyped up over something that seems like a dot-sized issue to everyone else. I'm not as dramatic as he is, for sure, but I can relate to a lot of his personality. He's a delightfully hilarious pessimist! 

   Name a siblings character who was inspired in some way by an actual sibling.

   Ahh, yes. Emm from Going Ballistic has a lot in common with my youngest real-life sister. Very girly and kind of fluttery, but is really sweet under it all.  

   Name the largest character family (talking family, not family tree) in any of you stories.

   Oh my. I have some stories from wa-a-ay back when I wrote those multiple paragraph chapters in which I gave my MC a 15+ biological family. I have no clue what they were called though (those stories are probably sitting in some old partially-demolished notebook somewhere), so I'll go with all my more recent stories. And of them, apparently most of my MCs don't have any set number of siblings yet. So, I'm going to "cheat" again . . . Margaret from The Prestigious Fugitive acts as a big sister to a whole orphanage of children (she's the oldest "child" there). How's that for a family??

   Provide one to three excerpts from your sibling characters' dialogue from any of your stories.

   Goody! Here you go!

   A moment later, with her legs securely bound by the fluttery ribbons, Emm turned her attention to her second present. She grabbed it and peeked at the label on the top. Then she turned her smile to me. “This is from you?”

   My mouth was so dry by this time that I couldn’t have said anything even if I wanted to. I just nodded and watched anxiously as she began obliterating the wrapping. When she reached the flaps and began pulling them apart, I sucked in a sharp breath and awaited her reaction on pins and needles.

   Emm puffed out a small sigh and stared down into the box. A strange look crossed her face. Through my nervous eyes, it looked as if she was about to laugh. Then she reached down into the box and began lifting my gift out of it.

   I bit my tongue and gaped at her. Please like it, please like it, please like it!

   A sudden giggle burst from Emm as she set the music box down onto the table and caressed the top of it. The lid was adorned with a meadow scene, complete with bunnies, wildflowers, and a fawn. Emm lifted it and gasped. Inside was a tiny white bunny that was sitting back on its haunches with its tiny pink nose stuck into the air. 

   Emm lifted her shining eyes to mine. “How do I make it go?” She asked eagerly.

   I leaned across the table and tapped the lower backside of the music box with my finger. “Turn this knob.”

   Emm obediently began twisting the oval knob. When she heard the little clicking sound, she let go. In response, a soft melody poured from the body of the box, and the upright bunny began turning round and round. My little sister listened, eyes bulging, and her fingers began stroking the twirling rabbit’s head.

   When the last strains of the lullaby faded away, she slowly raised her head and cocked an eyebrow. For one horrible second, it looked like she was about to roll her eyes.

   My heart sank to my toes. I knew I should’ve gotten that princess music box instead.

   Then I got the surprise of my life. Emm slipped out of her seat and threw her arms around my neck. 

   Heat crept up into my neck and exploded in my cheeks. My little sister rarely showed such affection to me. I guess I picked the right present.

~Going Ballistic

  “Lois! Come back!” Millie choked out, stumbling her way as fast as she could toward the younger girl. 

   Lois darted behind a tree.

   Millie slowed her steps when she came to the trunk where she knew Lois was hiding. “Lois?” A sharp intake of breath sounded from it. She rounded the tree and stopped short. 

   Lois was sitting with her back to the rough bark. Her face was buried in her knees, which she’d drawn up to her chest. A strangled whimpering sound accompanied the scrunch-crunch of the snow as she slowly rocked back and forth. 

   Millie dropped gently to the ground next to her, at a loss for words. Lois crying? Millie had not seen Lois shed a tear a day in her life, and Millie had been with them for four years. Unsure of what to do, she simply sat back against the tree and put a hand on Lois’s shoulder. Just then, two words burst unexpectedly from her. “I’m sorry.”

   Lois lifted her tear-streaked face and drew her brows together in confusion. She eyed Millie for a moment, as if trying to process what the older girl had just said. 

   Then Millie got the surprise of her life. Even the shock she’d felt as a tiny girl when seeing other poor girls getting carted from the orphanage in little wooden boxes could not be compared to this. Lois flung her arms around Millie’s neck, buried her head in Millie’s shoulder, and burst into shuddering sobs.

   Once the initial shock had worn off, Millie drew her arms tight around Lois and held her close. She felt the violent shivering of Lois’s shoulders and the frantic fluttering of Lois’s heart. A sudden burst of insight made Millie squeeze Lois tighter. 

   Lois wasn’t much younger than Millie, but all she’d known was a father that was hardly ever home and a mother who cared more for her own comfort than for her own kin. Her little sister was too young to truly understand her, and the one person she might confide in thought her cruel.

   She thinks I despise her. The thought made Millie’s stomach clench in remorse. Do I? She bit her lip and rested her chin on the top of Lois’s head. No. No, I don’t. I simply find her difficult. But maybe . . . maybe deep down, she feels lonely and wronged and unloved. Just like . . . Before she knew what she was doing, she dropped a kiss onto Lois’s blond hair. Just like me!

~Millie's Miracle

Name three published books which have an amazing portrayal of siblings or family.

-Viking Quest Series by Lois Walfrid Johnson. All these books show a strong bond between siblings and parents . . . especially between Bree and Dev. 

-By Paths Unknown by Rebekah A. Morris. This one also is amazing!

-Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. You all probably know why this is in the list. 

   Name another author's character family that you wouldn't mind jumping into.

   Ooohhh. I don't know. Maybe the O'Tooles, from the Viking Quest series. I know, they've been through a lot and have lost siblings and have regained siblings over the years. Yes, they have lost a lot to the Vikings. But their love for each other as a family is even stronger because of it, I think. 

   Provide an excerpt of sibling drama or camaraderie from any title (though be sure to credit it).

It's not necessarily drama, but it involves a brother and sister (Daniel and Leah), so it counts! 

   Presently they reached the village. Outside his own door Daniel knocked and called out, and presently the bolt inside was quietly drawn back. As Daniel pushed open the door, Thacia stood back.

   "I have brought a friend of yours with me," Daniel announced.

   Leah, from the corner where she had retreated at the first glimpse of an unfamiliar figure, stared out into the road. Then her face lighted. "Thacia!" she cried. "Why are you dressed in Joel's clothes?"

   Thacia came into the room laughing and pushing back the hot turban with relief. "It's lucky everyone doesn't have your sharp eyes," she said. "You won't give me away, will you? It's a--a sort of game we're playing."

   Leah came forward slowly. "Daniel never plays games," she said soberly.

   "What a pity," said Thacia lightly. "Joel and I pretend all sorts of things. But I'll tell you a secret. Your brother does know how to smile. Quite nicely, actually. He doesn't always hide behind that fearful scowl."

   Unexpectedly, Leah giggled, and then both girls were laughing. Scowling more fiercely than ever, Daniel stamped into his shop. But he left the door open behind him.

~The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

   Name two characters from two unrelated books that you feel would make for great literary siblings (whether in terms of getting along, or being a constant head-to-head combat).

   Haha! I say stick Anne Shirley with Jo March and see how they do! They've always struck me as very similar. (Both dreamy, both writers, both hot-tempered . . . shall I go on?)

   What sibling trope would you like to write in the future?

   One sibling who teases the other all the time but end up giving their life for their sibling (we'll see whether I make this literal or figurative!).

   Which of your own sibling groups would you love to join?

   I'll be the big sister to Millie, Lois, and Marie! I love 'em all.

   If you could adopt only one of your fictional siblings as your own sibling, who would it be?

   Marie from Millie's Miracle. I'm sorry, but I want to baby her so badly! She's one of the cutest little marshmallows ever!

   What fictional character most reminds you of yourself as a sibling?

   Ha. Ha. Ha. I'm pretty much a mixture of Melinda and Mitch from all the Circle C books.

   Have you written any sibling dialogue based on a dialogue you've had with your own siblings? If so, share it!

   I'm not sure. I may have done so once upon a time, but I don't remember it. Sorry!

   Time to pick favorites; which of your sibling families is your favorite?

   Kaylee and Gillian from a WIP of mine (unofficially titled Kaylee Monroe). They're such good friends, even if they're not . . . actually . . . totally siblings. That's all I'll say. It's complicated.

   Out of all the sibling friendships you've read/written, which sibling duo has the most mismatched personalities?

   That would probably be Jo and Beth from Little Women. Beth is sweet, quiet, shy, and gentle . . . all of which, let's face it, Jo is not.

   I tag: Rebekah, Heidi, Abigail, and anyone-else-who-wants-to-do-it. 

   Here's the list of rules (with mine added to it):

1. Name the most annoying sibling character in any of your stories (either annoying to you as the author or to any other characters).

2. Name the most caring sibling character in any of your stories.

3. Name the most entertaining sibling character in any of your stories.

4. Name a sibling character who was inspired in some way by an actual sibling.

5. Name the largest character family (talking family, not family tree) in any of your stories.

6. Provide one to three excerpts from your sibling characters’ dialoge from any of your stories.

7. Name three published books which have an amazing portrayal of siblings or family.

8. Name another author’s character family that you wouldn’t mind jumping into.

9. Provide an excerpt of sibling drama or camaraderie from any title (though be sure to credit it)

10. Name two characters from two unrelated books that you feel would make for great literary siblings (whether in terms of getting along, or being a constant head-to-head combat).

11. What sibling trope would you like to write in the future?

12. Which of your own sibling groups would you love to join?

13. If you could adopt only one of your fictional siblings as your own sibling, who would it be?

14. What fictional character most reminds you of yourself as a sibling?

15. Have you written any sibling dialogue based on a dialogue you had with your own siblings? If so, share it! 

16. Time to pick favorites; which of your sibling families is your favorite?

17. Out of all the sibling friendships you've read/written, which sibling duo has the most mismatched personalities?

   And for rule seven . . . so much of this fun tag wouldn't have been possible had God not made me who I am, gave me my love for writing, placed me in the family that he did, and inspired me to write families that love and care for each other. He's the Ultimate Writer. He wrote the Book that tells the story of the history of the universe, from the time it was created until the time when it will be destroyed and then re-created as perfection again. And the amazing thing is, we don't have to wonder whether God's Book is true -- it is! My goodness, I know some futuristic fictional books that are pretty neat, but God's book is a spot-on, futuristic non-fiction piece of literary art!