Favorite Authors & Books #7

       I would like to start off this post by saying "thank you" and giving a special shout-out to Rebekah Morris for hosting the Five Fall Favorites party, which occurred earlier this month. Were it not for that party which gave me a bunch of splendid new books to read (that we got for free-- and who doesn't love free books??), I wouldn't be making this review. 

   As I said, we got a bunch of new books, so I think I can see some more book reviews on the horizon. The first one, though, is one I simply must mention. And it's written by what very well may become one of my favorite authors.

It's I Love Thee, by Faith Blum.

   May I just say . . . I . . love . . this . . book. It was so beautifully written, kept my attention, had a simply satisfying ending, had a creative plot, portrays a delightful yet clean romance, and has a gorgeous cover. :)

Sensitive content: romance, some kissing (but nothing vivid)

Age recommendation: 12+

My rating: 4.5 stars

   I am known by my close family and friends to have a bit of a flair for drama . . . and therefore may tend to exaggerate (just a bit!). But let me be extremely clear . . . I am not overstating how easily this book has earned my satisfaction. It's a beautiful story with caring, wit, Christian attitudes, romance, and some pretty amazing characters! 

Just a Few Fall Joys

    Hello, friends! I am doing the blog post idea I got from Ellen who got it from Mikayla, so we'll see how this goes! It's a list of some of the little joys of this autumn. Enjoy!

Just a Few Fall Joys

Tromping around in a muddy corn maze

Rubber rain boots

Cuddly throw blankets

Long-sleeved pajamas

My precious fuzzy bed socks 

Red, orange, brown, and yellow

Deepening twilight

An interesting got-vehicle-really-stuck-in-deep-mud adventure

The pumpkin patch in the freezing cold valley

The scent of freshly-cut new firewood

My brown winter coat

Gorgeous sunsets ablaze over the valley

Various adorable teeny tiny pumpkins

Hot chocolate

Spiced apple cider

Warm travel mugs

Christmas approaching 

Huddling indoors while other people run around outside in short sleeves

Seeing five squirrels on our porch at one time

Putting out peanuts for fluffy-tailed critters (squirrels, specifically)

Making new friends

Glittering frost on delicate blades of grass

Puffs of breath that quickly disperse

Painted pumpkins

And here's a few pictures to go with it.

This is my own pumpkin.

            Credit goes to my sister for painting this.

   Now, I must note a few things regarding this list. First of all, I wear fuzzy socks in bed all the time in every season . . . though winter and fall is when I am most appreciative of them. And secondly, the picture which has my rubber boots is not from the got-vehicle-really-stuck-in-deep-mud adventure; it is from the pumpkin patch trip. Trust me. After that event with the mud (in which it took half an hour to forty-five minutes to get all the vehicles free from their sticky confines), my boots were not as clean as they are in that picture. It took a pretty amount of time for me to scrub them decently clean with a rag. And lastly, while getting stuck in goopy mud is generally not joyous and is time-consuming, it was both my first time experiencing such an event and it also could have been worse (though you might not have thought so if you were there. It was crazy). Thus I put that event on the list . . . not necessarily because the event itself was fun, but because I now can look back on it and laugh. 

Changes and a Special Surprise

    I'm back! And I believe an apology for my absence is in order. I meant to post, but life happened, and I'm sure all of us know how that is. :) But this also means I've stockpiled on things to post about! So this time, I have at least three things to mention. Hang tight!

   Ah, yes, an announcement first. As you can see, I've made a change to my blog. The new header!! As a warning, I may or may not keep the background as it is. I'm still deciding. For now, it'll stay, but I'm not promising that you will find the background the same when you next visit. That old header was sweet, but I really like the new one myself, so I think I'll keep it. :) Do you like it? Also, I have made a "Behind the Blogger" page where you can see more information about me. I hope to put up a page about my works-in-progress, but that'll take a little more work, so bear with me. 

   And now for the surprise! I have begun my graphic design journey, which means . . . I get to make my own book covers! *tosses confetti every which way* I'm excited about this because I delight in fiddling with photos and fonts and shading to make it look just right. So once I finally decide I am satisfied with the cover for it, I may end up doing a book cover reveal for a new Christmas short story I'm working on, called Millie's Miracle. I am really liking how this story's turning out, and I have a secret hope (which isn't secret anymore, since I'm sharing it with you) that I might be able to finish, edit, and publish it by this Christmas! I haven't gotten a single book published yet, so that would be huge for me. I'll just work on it and see where the Lord leads.

   I know this is a short post, but I am cutting it short because I have other things I want to mention at a later date.

WARNING: This blog is technically still under construction, so if you see things disappear, reappear, or move someplace else, that's why. :)

   

The King's Daughters Writing Camp Fall 2020

   Yipee, yahoo, and all the other exclamations of delight! The King's Daughters Writing Camp (also abbreviated as KDWC) is back, this time for autumn. I had a wonderful time participating in its July camp (read about it here) and meeting likeminded Christian writers. This virtual camp is for ladies only, and each participant must agree to the terms and statement of faith. Each writer can set their own goal, and can write as much or as little as they want. The ladies are fun and encouraging, and we've definitely had some remarkable conversations. *laughs in remembrance*

   This is an excellent opportunity for Christian writers both young and old to get together to make friends, encourage and pray for each other, ask for advice, and share their stories and goals. The gates have been open since October 1st, but the official camp hasn't started yet. It'll begin on the 15th and end on November 15th (thought the gates will remain open until November 30th). You can find information about it at their website. Looking forward to writing stories this autumn!

Favorite Authors & Books #6

    Hello, all! I have another book to share with you; it's one I really liked as a kid and now have on my own book shelf. I don't think it's printed much anymore. (Sorry if the pic isn't the best . . . I took it myself.)

                      

      This story is about a boy named Jeff who makes an unexpected discovery: an injured dog that washes up on the shore near his home. The mystery deepens when it becomes apparent this is no ordinary house dog. Why would no one be looking for a superbly-trained canine such as this one? As Jeff and the dog become inseparable, Jeff begins to hope no one ever will claim his few friend. It seems as though his wish just might come true . . . until a stranger shows up in town. (That was my own paraphrase.)

Sensitive content: a slightly intense scene, some attitude (but it gets resolved)

Age recommendation: 9 or 10+?

My rating: 4 stars

 There's really nothing wrong with it. There are some characters that have a bit of an attitude, but it's nothing too terrible, and it gets resolved in the book. There's a good amount of Christian content in it. And for all you equestrian-enthusiasts . . . it has quite a bit of "horse-y" stuff in it. I personally enjoy it. Can't wait to read it to my younger siblings sometime.