The Sunshine Blogger + Early Writings {A Tag Collab}

Hello dears! 

Today I bring to you a bit of a tag collaboration. I was tagged for the Sunshine Blogger Tag (quite awhile ago, actually... *cough cough*) and then more recently, the Early Writings Tag. Because I don't have the time (or energy? xD) to do two posts within a decent time frame to when I was tagged, I'm combining them! 

Thank you to Lisa @ Inkwell for tagging me for the Sunshine Blogger Tag!

RULES: 

– Answer 11 questions

– Tag 11 bloggers

– Ask them 11 questions

QUESTIONS: 

1. Do you have favorite fictional families/siblings and who are they?

The Keiths from A Life of Faith: Millie Keith! Sweetest family, y'all. <33 

2. If you could reform one villain (book or movie) who would it be?

Hmm...I usually don't like the villains if they're, like, wicked evil. And the villains that I would like to reform usually end up getting reformed by the end of the book/movie. XD Maybe I need to read more villains? 

3. If you could work with/be the apprentice of/learn from one historical figure (hero or not) who would it be?

Maybe Benjamin Franklin. :D 

4. Have you ever dreamed (when you were asleep, of course) that you were in a book or movie? If so, which ones?

I probably have, but I can't think of anything right now. 

5. What are you favorite kinds of book titles (e.g. one word, a reference, symbolism, with a certain word in them...)?

Usually titles with a symbolism or reference to something in the book. I love it when I'm reading and go "so that's where the title idea came from!" 

6. If you could be the "sidekick" of one fictional character, who would it be?

I would love to hang out on the Circle C with Andi Carter...or roam around Pleasant Plains with Millie Keith...or explore Acktar with Leith Torren. *sneakily gave multiple answers*

7. If you were a superhero, what would be your power?

Creating stories and worlds and people and places with only the 26 letters of the English alphabet. *nods soberly* Also, speed reading. That would be epic. 

8. If you entered a fictional world, what is the worst thing that could happen to you?

I could die? I could never get back to my real world? The possibilities are endless, I believe. xD 

9. What kinds of book covers don't you like?

Uh....ones that aren't pretty? Okay, seriously. I don't like covers that have multiple little things on them and look crowded. I don't like covers that not match the rest of the series. I also don't like covers that have people kissing on them. A cute couple? Okay, fine. But actually like kissing on.the.cover? Not okay. Actually, kinda gross when you think about it. 

10. Which fictional character would you want as your sidekick?

Rafe Sullivan from A Question of Courage. I would end up being more his sidekick, because he would be the one starting the trouble...but, ahh well. 

11. What fictional character would you want as your arch-nemesis?

...to be fair, I had to look up what 'arch-nemesis' even means. (I knew nemesis, but arch? Like, archangel? *didnt get it*) Okay, back to the question... Wait, why would I want anyone as my enemy? *makes face* *tries to think of an answer* *stares at bookshelf* I dunno, maybe Respen Felix? *pretends I haven't referenced TBoA 4697425 times already* 

Well, that was fun! I tag...anyone who's ate ice cream in the last 24 hours! *wink*

(I know, I know, I cheated. Forgive me if I tag people on the next one?) 

~*~ 

Eve @ Edge of Night tagged me for the Early Writings Tag. Thanks, Eve! :D

RULES: 

• Thank the person who tagged you.

• Copy/paste and answer the following questions:

• 1) What horrendous book did you write as a child?

• 2) What did you learn from it?

• Talk about as many books/writing projects as you like!

• Tag 5 other bloggers.

QUESTIONS: 

1) What horrendous book did you write as a child? 

To be perfectly honest, I did not write a book as a wee child. I did, however, start writing a book in 8th grade. It was called The Letter in the Attic (wow, suspenseful, Faith *insert sarcasm*) and it was about two Amish girls who were cleaning one of them's attic and – surprise! – found a letter. They didn't know what the contents of the letter were and things kept happening to prohibit them from reading it. 

I never finished it, and I honestly don't know how it did/would've ended. At one time, I think I'd planned for there to be a map inside the envelope (maybe along with the letter?). The girls thought it would lead them to buried treasure, but it ended up leading them to a community cemetery. (See? I was warped from a young age.) And yeah, I don't know what that would have turned out as either. :P 

2) What did you learn from it? 

Heh. Good question. XD 

– That I can't write a mystery very well. 

– That I can't do 'pantsing' without having a general idea of where I'm headed. 

– That I can read and enjoy Amish fiction, but I can't write it to save my life. 

– That a story needs solid character, a believable plot, and a well developed setting to be worth spending anybody's time on. 

– That you should follow the saying of 'putting a bit of yourself into every story', but you also can't add random facts of your life into the book where they don't belong. (Example: one of the girls' family had two yellow labs. #shocker)

– That, chances are, you can always better your grammar... Did I mention this book was one big run-on? Or that there wasn't a single paragraph in the entire, 10-page, hand-written thing? *grimace* 

SNIPPET: 

 "Missed a spot!" A voice from behind her said. 

 Thirteen year-old Rachel Miller spun around to find her best friend Beth Zook, standing at the top of the attic stairs. 

 "Oh, hi!" Rachel said with a sigh. "Mom had this great idea last night. 'Now that schools out for the summer' she said 'I'll expect all you kids to help with the cleaning, starting in the morning, bright and early.' And here I am." 

 "Enjoying every minute of it, I'll bet," Beth said. "I seen your mom already, she said you were up here." 

 "So what are you doing?" Rachel asked. 

 "Well, I thought I could help you clean up here and then we could head down to the creek and go in wading," Beth replied. "What do ya say?" 

 "I say yes! Absolutely!" Rachel grinned, "let's get to work!" 

~*~

 Four hours worth of cleaning later, two dust-covered girls were almost finished. 

 "This is the last one," Beth said, glancing around. 

 "It's looking pretty good up here," Rachel smiled. "But I'm glad we're almost done. 

*points up* That's legit all I added to a document, because just typing the story up was making me gag. 

To endure this embarrassment (kidding – it was kinda fun), I tag... 

Micaiah @ Adventures Beyond the Horizon

Ivie @ Ivie Writes

Zane @ Simple Impossibilites

Bethany @ A Great God and Good Cocoa

Faith @ A Writer's Song

Until next time, 

~Faith 

Writing Update ~ This Summer

Anyone remember the 'more info to come' that I promised it the recent August recap post? Well, here it is! :D 

Introducing...a prequel to Dandelion Dust! Yup, that's right. My beloved recently-published novella is going to have another (hopefully shorter) novella that will chronologically succeed it! 

The title isn't official yet. I know I want the title to have the word 'summer' in it. And I'd like for it to be only one or two words so that it goes nicely with Dandelion Dust and Wanderings (sequel to DD *isnt sure if I've ever mentioned it here before* *doesnt think so*). 

Summer, This Summer, Our Summer, One Summer... I've came up with a million possibilities. XD Right now, I'm leaning more toward This Summer. Because 1) I JUST LIKE IT, and 2) it matches the whole first-person-present which will be the style of this book as well. 

I can't really talk about the setting without being repetitive and boring, since it's the same as Dandelion Dust (think 'ranch in Oklahoma'). Same goes for the characters, as they're only a year or so younger in this one...and did I mention adorable as ever?! 

This will start the summer when Charity visits her friend Hannah's family, meets Ryder, and...yeah. *squeals* It's gonna be ammmaazzee. 

I'm considering doing a split POV with Charity and Hannah...but at the same time, I kinda want to keep it as just Charity's POV, like DD and the same as Wanderings will most likely be. 

I can't offer snippets since I haven't written that much of the book. Mainly, because I've working on this WIP and... <3 <3 <3 I recently updated my outline, and I kinda feel like the plot has turned a bit, but THATS OKAY. It's going to be fabulous. XD #randomparagraph #thatdoesnotbelonginthispost #whatever

Back to This Summer... Anyone want some sneak-peek pics from the very-sparse storyboard? :D 

Did you enjoy this post? Have you read Dandelion Dust? Would you like to see a writing update spotlighting Wanderings? Or another WIP? I'm open to suggestions! :D 

~Faith 

Reintegration // Book Spotlight + Blog Tour

A perfect citizen. A captured rebel. One decision could destroy them both...

Doesn't that tag line make you want to read the book? :D Yeah, me too. Read on to glean details on Ashley Bogner's debut novel! 

// Summary 

As a Regulator, seventeen-year-old Katherine Holliday’s duty is to protect the people of the Federation from a group of violent rebels who have exiled themselves to the mysterious wilderness. When one of these rebels is captured within the Federation, the government leaders propose an alternative to execution, a procedure they call Reintegration. The procedure involves erasing the rebel’s memory and attempting to make him a member of society. The rebel, a young man named Matthew, is not the violent criminal Katherine expects, and she can’t help but befriend him. A few weeks after Matthew’s Reintegration, Katherine realizes the procedure failed and she is now presented with a choice no one else can help her make. Can she warn her superiors that Reintegration failed, which could mean death for Matthew? Or will she defy everything she knows to help him escape—and risk her own execution?

Add on Goodreads // Purchase on Amazon // Purchase on Createspace // Purchase on B&N

// Author Bio

When Ashley Bogner was in third grade, she decided she would be a published author when she grew up. Ashley is a homeschool graduate and has lived in seven different states. She completed a year of Bible college and in the fall will begin pursuing a degree in Communication Studies. After college, her plan is to work in the Christian publishing industry. When not writing, she can be found baking, posting book reviews on her blog, and watching her favorite movies over and over to the point of memorization.

// Social Media

Blog: http://www.ashleybogner.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleybognerwriter/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/@AshleyBWriter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16953932.Ashley_Bogner

~*~

Do you want to read Reintegration? 

Red Vintage Dress {A Photoshoot}

Well, folks, it's finally happening. The photoshoot I promised y'all aggeesss ago has arrived. Granted, these pictures were taken in the spring of '16 *ahem*, but a dear friend mentioned that she would still like to see them... So here it is. :) 

What do ya think? :D Do you have a favorite picture? Have you ever made a dress in a vintagey style? Should I do more photoshoots? 

~Faith 

Book Lovers Tag.

In celebration of National Book Lovers Day (yes, it's an actually thing!! <33), I thought I'd do this book tag that I was tagged for awhile back. Thank you to Rebekah for tagging me! :D 

The Rules
1. Answer the questions 
2. Have fun!
3. Tag some book loving bloggers


1. If you could rewrite the end of a book, which one would it be?

Hmm... The only book that I can think of that I wouldn't mind rewriting the ending of would be The Princess & I by Rebekah Eddy. It was a good book (that I got to beta-read *wink*), but the ending was just SO SAD. *sniffles at the remembrance* 

2. Which fictional character are you most like?

I don't think there's any fictional character that I'm *entirely* like, but there's a couple that I can relate to. Piper from The Fences Between Us by Kirby Larson is a PK (obviously an awesome gal xD), and Nora from True to You by Becky Wade has fictional crushes. *coughs because that's totally not me* And the book talks about her Goodreads account!! How epic is that?! :D 

3. Do you have any signed books?

Do y'all got fifteen minutes to wait while I go pull them all out? Yes? Okay. 

I'm not going too name all those off, but *nods* fabulousness. Some of them are from giveaways and some I bought directly from the authors. :) 

My favorite autographed book (as in the actually signature is my fav) is Jonas and Olivia by Victoria Minks. Isn't it gorgeous?! 

4. What's the best book that you've read this year so far?

How about my top five? ;) 

Courageous Love by Susan K. Marlow -- western setting with sweet romance, last in a wonderful series 

Deliver by Tricia Mingerink -- fantasy, utterly fantastic, last in an epic series 

The Ebb Tide by Beverly Lewis -- contemporary setting, Amish fiction, standalone 

Millie's Faithful Heart by Martha Finley (adapted by Kersten Hamilton) -- 1830s setting, smackdab in the middle of a lovely series I'm currently falling love with 

A Question of Courage by Jesseca Wheaton -- astounding WWII fiction, middle of the trilogy, releasing later this year

A fun fact? With the exception of Millie's Faithful Heart, all these books released/will release this year! 

5. Do you have any bookish pet peeves?

Any? I have MANY! *laughs awkwardly at the not-funny pun*

~ when the book covers are creased and/or torn. Why are people so abusive to books?! 

~ when books have those ugly little stickers on them. Price stickers, ad stickers, some-random-kid-put-me-here-stickers... They should all be outlawed. 

~ when the spines don't match. Does anyone know how positively annoying this is?! Like, y'all, they don't line up nicely on my shelf. This is not okay.


6. Out of the books you've read so far this year, what has had your favorite cover?
*beams* I have several of those too. 

// Love Me Tender by Janice Hanna // 

// Dandelion Dust by Yours Truly // 

// A Question of Courage by Jesseca Wheaton // 

7. Is there a book that releases this year that you cannot wait to read?

Yes and no. :P 

The Farmers' Market Mishap by Wanda E. Brunstetter is a book that I was really looking forward to that came out earlier this summer. Other books that have/are coming out this year that I'm looking forward to reading are... 

With Love, Wherever You Are by Dandi Daley 

Freedom's Ring by Heidi Chiavaroli 

The Return by Suzanne Woods Fisher 

The Proving by Beverly Lewis 

8. What is your favorite nonfiction book?

As always, I can't just pick one. 

The Other Side of Infamy by Jim Downing 

Passion & Purity by Elisabeth Elliot 

The Gift for All People by Max Lucado 

And a book I'm currently reading, Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris, is amazing so far! :D

9. Do you have a favorite location and/or time period to have a book set in?

Hehe, yup. I love WWII!! I have so, so, SO many WWII books, both fiction and nonfiction. The sad part? I haven't read them all. *sobs* 

10. Is there a book that reminds you of something else? (Movies, life, etc...) 

*was just thinking of something the other day and can't remember it now* Hmm, well, Love Me Tender (mentioned above) reminds me of the 60s TV show "Happy Days". I can't think of anything else at the moment. ;) 

I tag... 

Kaitlyn @ Twin Thoughts

Livi @ Living for the Other Side

Micaiah @ Adventures Beyond the Horizon

Happy Book Lovers Day!! :D What are you currently reading?
~Faith 

Camping, a New Project, and Sweet 17 // July Recap

Welcome to August, friends! Be prepared for lots of outdoorsyness in my recap of my favorite month of the year. :D 

// Life. // 

>> Dad killed two huge black snakes near the house and like ewww. *shudders* This is not okay. 

>> We went camping with friends. It was a week of total epicness and food and bikes and hiking and memories. :) 

>> Someone said I was "absolutely darling" and I'm still trying to figure out what they meant by that. #random

>> I turned 17, y'all!! :D Sweet sixteen was amazing, and I'm sure sweet seventeen (yes, it's a thing – don't argue) will be as well. 

>> Okay, wow. It feels like this segment was really short when, in reality, life was amazing this month. I lived and laughed and loved. *smiles* I don't have time to go into all that now, but keep an eye out for a post about my 'best summer' and all that I've learned in the past two months. I know who I am, Who I'm loved by, and that He has a beautiful plan for my life. <3 

// Books. // 

Reading and bibliophile-ing went well this month! :D Feast your eyes on all the loveliness... 

I read 10 books: 

Millie's Courageous Days (#2) by Martha Finley -- 5 stars

Millie's Remarkable Journey (#3) by Martha Finley -- 5 stars 

Katy by Mary Evelyn Notgrass -- 3.5 stars 

Admirable by Sarah Holman -- 4 stars 

The Farmers' Market Mishap by Wanda & Jean Brunstetter -- 4.5 stars 

Millie's Faithful Heart (#4) by Martha Finley -- 5 stars 

Andora's Folly by Abigayle Claire -- 5 stars -- Review HERE. 

The Coronation by Olivia Lynn Jarmusch -- 4 stars -- Review HERE. 

Darkness before Dawn: A Memoir in Verse by R.S. Oswald -- 4 stars 

The Notes in Our Hearts by Gabriellyn Gidman -- 5 stars -- Review HERE. 

And I sorta kinda got *cough* 20 books this month. Used bookstore, review books, birthday gifts, and a CBD sale...Twas lovely, and my wallet doesn't hate me that much. 

Gunner's Run by Rick Barry 

Found in Translation by Robert Bruner with Kristi Rae Bruner 

Winds of Change by Gilbert Morris 

Freedom's Ring by Heidi Chiavaroli -- review book 

The Return by Suzanne Woods Fisher -- review book 

Paige Torn by Erynn Mangum -- Tyndale Rewards

Millie's Grand Adventure by Martha Finley - #6 

Millie's Reluctant Sacrifice by Martha Finley - #7 

Millie's Fiery Trial by Martha Finley - #8 

Westward Hearts by Melody Carlson 

Amish Promises by Leslie Gould 

Hiding Places by Erin Healy 

Not by Sight by Kate Breslin 

The Atonement by Beverly Lewis 

From the Start by Melissa Tagg 

Love's Enduring Promise by Janette Oke - #2 

Love's Long Journey by Janette Oke - #3 

Love's Unending Legacy by Janette Oke - #5 

Love Takes Wing by Janette Oke - #7 

Love Finds a Home by Janette Oke - #8 

// Writing. // 

So, basically, I failed Camp NaNo this month. 

Surprisingly? I'm not bothered by it. Like, at all. I wrote about 2k, and less than half of that was in my 'pre-planned NaNo project'. You see, I was planning to write a sequel to Dandelion Dust. I have the Pinterest board (because #priorities), the characters, the possibilities. I was going to pantser-it. It was going to be great. 

Except that it...wasn't. Not only was I not able to focus on anything writerly for the first four weeks of July, this book absolutely.has.no.plot. Like, none.what.so.ever. Time for a change of plans, right? 

Yup, that's what God told Faith. And that new project mentioned in the post title? Let's just say it's going to be amazing... <3 (What you should read between the lines here: more info to come.) 

// Music & Movies. // 

Y'ALL I FOUND A NEW SHOW TO FLAIL OVER. 

Okay, so basically, I'd heard about this show aggeesss ago on TV, and then a friend told me to watch it and, like the rebel I am, I didn't watch it right away. (Okay, so the real reason was I kinda forgot half the time, and then didn't have time whenever I did think "hey, Self. You should totally go watch that show Micaiah recommended, Self.") 

All that to say, I'm IN LOVE with Signed, Sealed, Delivered. Oliver and Shane and Rita (someone should really just give me her wardrobe. Like puhleezzz. I would totally kill the t-shirt/denim thing-I-got-goin' and be the cute sundress-n-cardigan type of girl) and Norman and all the side characters and just YUSSS. 

> Songs on Repeat <

Where I'm From // Jason Micahel Carroll 

People Loving People // Garth Brooks 

God Love Her // Toby Keith 

Hills and Valleys // Tauren Wells 

Mama's Song // Carrie Underwood 

// Goals. // 

~ July Goals 

>> Finish beta-reading aforementioned book.     No...but I'm close. 

>> Read 10 books.    Yes!! :D 

>> Go camping.    Yup!! 

>> Post about mission trip.    *cough* no. But I have a post nearly written, sooo... Soon? 

>> Live life to the fullest and savor the golden moments...without worrying so much about 'goals'.      *beams and nods* 

~ August Goals 

>> Finish beta-reading project. 

>> Read 10 books. 

>> Begin again posting weekly on Chosen Vessels. 

>> Start school. 

>> Catch up on blogging and emails. 

>> Write 10k in new writing project. 

>> Edit 14 chapters of War Tears. 

How was your month, friends? Have you seen SSD? Did you win Camp NaNo? Been camping? Ready for school? Let's talk!! XD 

~Faith