Dog Sitting, Hallmark Movies, and a Farewell to Summer // August Recap

Guess who survived her first month of adulthood? *points to self* Guess who hasn't did anything too drastic like flee the country yet? *also points to self*

|| Life. ||

>> So, I finally started work this month. xD Not full time yet, but hopefully soon! In the meanwhile, I've found lots of random jobs to compensate. Pet sitting, for one. I looked after an older couple's dogs last Saturday, and then I've taken care of two dogs for the lady I work for several times this summer. Goodness, they're sweet girls. <33

>> I also ended up driving a neighbor to and from work one weekend and made some extra cash, so that was cool. Early one day, though...like get-up-at-6:00 kind of early. O.O  (I'm not a morning person. In case you couldn't tell.)

>> I attended a corn roast/cookout with my family! So that was cool. xD


>> One night, I was hunting for my desk for a somewhat empty binder that I could clean out to use for ASL 3. And I ended up clearing everything out of my desk, tossing it into the floor, and sorting through it. I may or may not have found stuff from like 24975 years ago. Along with books that someone lent me and I never read...or returned.


>> My favorite songs of the month were Love by Jane Kramer, Blue Tacoma by Russell Dickerson, Every Storm by Gary Allen, and Come On Down and Dear Life by High Valley. And basically everything from Scotty McCreery's latest album! <3

>> So...Dairy Queen closed, y'all. The one we went to the most closed. The Sunday evening hangout spot for, like, half the county. The place with lots of memories of ice cream and laughter and friends. <33


>> I watched lots of Hallmark this month! I finished my re-watch of the lovely Signed, Sealed, Delivered series. I also watched All of My Heart, Summer of Dreams, and A Summer to Remember.


>> I may or may not have ate key lime pie for breakfast. Like three days in a row. #RockinTheAdultLife

|| Books. ||

// Reads

Outpourings of a Beloved Heart by Joan Embola -- 5 stars -- Review here.
The Boxcar Children Beginnings by Patricia MacLachlan -- 4 stars
I Survived: The Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 by Lauren Tarshis -- 4 stars
Shower Thoughts by Gray Marie Cox -- 5 stars
Love Finds a Way by Wanda Brunstetter -- 3 stars
Mere Hope by Jason G. Duesing -- 5 stars -- Review here.
The Hallelujah Lass by Wendy Lawton -- 4 stars
The River Between Us by Richard Peck -- 4 stars
Thoughts in Verse: A Collection of Poetry by Rebekah Eddy -- 4.5 stars
The Way to Go by Rebekah A. Morris -- 3 stars
Behind Enemy Lines: A Young Pilot's Story by H.R. DeMallie -- 4 stars
Child of Mine by Beverly Lewis -- 5 stars
The Lady and the Lionheart by Joanne Bischof -- 5 stars
The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins by Walter Dean Myers -- 4 stars
The Scent of Cherry Blossoms by Cindy Woodsmall -- 4 stars
Love Blind by Angie Thompson -- 4 stars

This month, I got nine Beverly Lewis books, two books from the Miracles of Marble Cove series, A Life of Joy by Amy Clipston, The Scent of Cherry Blossoms by Cindy Woodsmall, and Thoughts in Verse by Rebekah Eddy! :)

|| Writing. ||

The first half of the month was rather crazy in the writing world. I finished the second edit/third draft of A Soldier's Freedom, which included lots of new scenes. That book is now in the hands of beta-readers while I focus on other projects and decide what happens with it next. ;)

However, there wasn't much happening during the second half of the month. I worked on some random short stories, as well as planning out the stories that will be included in Behold.

Hmm, I haven't told y'all about that, have I? Behold is a Christmas short story collection that will be releasing on September 7th! Super excited for this one. <3 No cover yet, but here's the synopsis.

From two siblings caught up in the harrowing days of WWII to separated foster children in the US…
From a missing child in the wake of a natural disaster to a memorable roadtrip across the Southeast…
You’ll be swept into the Christmas spirit with the endearing stories tucked inside these pages. The storylines range from family to romance to the bond of community, with settings scattered across America and beyond.
Behold the beauty of the Savior’s birth with this gathering of stories that warm the soul and bless the heart.

So yes, that's what going on. Oh, and somewhere in there I technically failed the Go Teen Writers 100-for-100 challenge without realizing it. Whoops. xD

Word Count: 9,943

|| Blogging. ||

// Favorite Posts 

Apples of Gold ~ The Best Thing

twilight to dawn ~ DEFINING BRAVE

Counting Your Blessings One by One ~ Choosing Joy

The Rebelution ~ What Disappointment Taught Me About Dreaming Big

Inside Out Designs ~ Why Good Graphic Design is Crucial to Authors

The Introverted Extrovert ~ How are You for Real?

// My Posts

|| Goals. ||

~ August Goals 

>> Read 8 books.    Score!

>> Finish editing A Soldier's Freedom.      Yuusss. :D

>> Catch up on blog posts.     Most definitely!

>> Start editing War Tears.      Nope, but I decided to get Behold shipped off to betas first. xD So, halfway?

>> Go camping. *fingers crossed*      *sniffles* nope...

>> Complete a beta-reading project.        Yes, and gracious, it was fabulous. <33

~ September Goals 

>> Read 8 books.

>> Send Behold to beta-readers.

>> Edit pt.1 of War Tears.

>> Be a hosted author at a local book fair. #nervous

>> Host another readathon. (I'm thinking September 14th-16th... Would anyone be on board for that? I'll update the page and post more details soon!)


Quick announcement. I'm going to be participating in the Five Fall Favorites blog party again this October! Super excited to take part—and I was thrilled to see some new (though familiar) names on the list of participants. Take a peek at the invitation and be sure to mark your calendars for a week of bookish fun!

How was your August? Are you ready for fall? Saw any good movies lately? Last amazing book you read?! Let's talk! <33

~Faith