A Soldier's Freedom vs. Freedom || Title Change Explanation

As promised, I'm here today to explain the reason behind the title change of Freedom (formerly, A Soldier's Freedom).

It's really not too big of a deal, but I want to explain everything to y'all so there's no confusion as we move on toward the cover reveal (signups close in 7 days!) and then the blog tour in a few months.

I have several "reasons" for the change—one being that I was never totally sold on the original title—and I could ramble about it all day. But the cut and dry of it is this...

Marine vs. Soldier

James is a Marine. Not a soldier.

Yes, there is a difference. Marine are, well, Marines. Soldiers are Army. Airmen are Air Force....and so on. Don't feel bad if you didn't know there was a difference—I didn't for the longest time. But there is, and because I want this book to be as true and right as I can make it, "soldier" in the title has got to go. 

Yes, yes, some of y'all already pointed this out to me. Yes, I was aware of it then. But I was hesitant to mess with the title when I wasn't sure how I was going to change it. (Nothing is quite as confusing as when an author changes the title of their book a half-dozen times. A time or two doesn't bother me so much. But when it's continuous? Make up your mind, people!)

I considered A Marine's Freedom, but I've never been a fan of how that sounds. I didn't realize the title I wanted was staring me in the face the whole time...

Freedom IS This Book

...but it was.

Y'all, freedom is this book. It's the word, the theme, the meaning that has been stuck in my head concerning this book for, like, ever and ever amen. It's the essence of all this book is.

I even kept saying I wanted "freedom" to be in the title. (What a droolin' idiot!**) It was literally slapping me in the face until one day (or night—I honestly don't remember) I went, "wait, what if Freedom is the title?" And the rest, as they say, is history.

And one word titles? So much #yassss.


** Pardon the grossness, peeps. It's a joke. One which approximately 0.07% of the people reading this will understand. xD 

Correlating Series Titles

Speaking of one word titles, something else I dealt with while configuring a new title for this book was that I wanted the title of each book in the trilogy to correlate in some way.

Freedom is, or will be, the first book in the Liberty's Battlegrounds series. Book #2 is in the works at an on-and-off sort of stage, while the only attention book #3 has received is a bit of brainstorming here and there.

I wanted each of these books to have titles that make it somewhat obvious that they're connected. At first I was thinking, A Soldier's Freedom, A Soldier's Future, and A Soldier's Faith. But, not only is that a bit redundant, it's easy to confuse.

Right now, I'm thinking each book will have a one-word title, beginning with F. Future and Faith are examples and possibilities that may or may not stick around. ;)

so there's that! 

thoughts on the new title? how do YOU choose titles for your WIPs?

Freedom's Release + Cover Reveal Signups || I.Am.Screaming.

Good morning, lovely people!

As I promised yesterday—and as you've probably gleaned by the title—I have supercalifragalisticexpialidocos things to talk about with y'all.

Let's jump in, shall we?

|| A Soldier's Freedom / Freedom's Release

First off, Freedom—formerly titled A Soldier's Freedom. (If anyone is interested in hearing why I changed the title, drop a comment. I could literally write an entire post on that. xD)

This is something that I don't think I've talked about on #TheBlog yet, and certainly not in detail. I'd previously mentioned that I might be interested in pursuing the possibility of traditional publishing with this particular WIP. I'd been tossing around that idea for awhile, wasn't really sure what I wanted to do with it, and went ahead and called upon some fabulous beta-readers to give it a read.

Last fall, while Hurricane Florence was ravaging the east coast, I was perusing beta-reader comments when a thought struck me. What better time to release a book that deals with the darkness of suicide than during the month and week that's devoted to spreading awareness?

Knowing it was a year away, I knew I'd have plenty of time—which I liked. I talked it over with a friend (Kaitlyn from Twin Thoughts, who also happens to be the author of a book that also deals with suicide) who was toying with the idea of self-publishing for the first time. "You should," I encouraged. "Actually, you should dual-release with me during National Suicide Prevention Week."

Even from a thousand miles away, I could see her eyes widen at the thought. We both liked the thought. A lot. We agreed to pray about it for awhile, and make sure it was what He wanted.

A few weeks later, we talked about it again. I asked how she felt about it, after prayerfully considering the possibility. She said "I think we should go for it." (Or something like that. Don't sue me, child. I'm quoting from memory.)

Guess what, folks?

We're going for it. We've been praying about it since last September. We've been making plans since January. We're co-hosting a blog tour that will run during early September. And we're dual releasing these two books—Beloved by Kaitlyn Krispense and Freedom by Faith Potts—on September 10th.

Here's the basics: I'm releasing Freedom in September. I'm co-releasing/co-hosting the blog tour with my bestie. And we're opening signups for the cover reveal RIGHT NOW.

Oh,  did I mention we're crazy excited?! <33

|| Cover Reveal

Because half the fun of something is the anticipation, we're upping the hype with a cover reveal! On June 1st, both Kate and I will be releasing the covers of these darling books to the world. And we'd love to have you help us out. Need more incentive? You'll get to see the covers before anyone else (besides, ya know, us) and you'll get shoutouts on our blogs!

Don't have a blog? No problem! We're also offering a social media option.

Scurry on down and sign-up! :D Form closes May 25th.

are you as excited as we are? have you signed up yet? *nudges you*

The Language of Worlds // A Soldier's Freedom

'Sup, fellows word-lovers! Tonight I'm participating in Liv Fisher's character linkup—The Language of Worlds.

(To be perfectly honest, I thought it was The Language of WORDS for like...awhile. Thankfully, I realized it before writing this post, eh?)

(To be perfectly honest, I'm also in a sassy, sarcastic mood, so there is seriously no telling what's about to take place here. No lifeguards here, so swim proceed at your own risk.)

So yes, I'm going to ramble about my two main characters from A Soldier's Freedom for awhile today. Because I don't really have a current WIP that I'm writing, so there's that. And I just got this book back from my fabulous team of beta-readers which was exciting and slightly nerve-wracking. (They were fabulous, I'm just terribly protective of this baby.)

(I might actually cheat, bend the rules, and not answer every question...but you can find Liv's full post with all the rules and questions and such by clicking on the graphic. *points*)

James and Alex are the characters to which I'm referring, although you probably already knew that if you've been around SBF for any amount of time. I love this duo so insanely much. They're fabulous. If I do say so myself.

(I'm using "fabulous" so much it's not even funny.)

What does your character fear the most?

Failure. Well, that escalated quickly, Alfred. Seriously, though. Both James and Alex have a fear of failure. Or rather, James feels he has failed and he hates it.

How would they handle it if they were to face their fear?

They both kind of have been or are faced with their fears in the book, sooo... Alex reacts by drawing away, locking her heart up and not letting anyone in if she has any reason to think she can't trust them. James avoids the situation and those that he feels he has failed, at all costs.

Do they want to get married? Why or why not?

That sounds like a spoiler... Is that a spoiler? I think that's a spoiler. We're skipping this one, mateys.

On a scale from 1 (messy) to 5 (organized), how do they rate?

Hahaaa. xD So neither one of these two could be classified clean freaks... They aren't terribly messy either, though, I guess.

Alex may let clutter and laundry pile up around her apartment while she's gone to work all week, but she'll take care of it on the weekends. Maybe a 3 for her?

James is pretty messy, and sometimes lets his disability be his excuse for not washing dishes, cleaning the kitchen, or keeping his room tidy. Not that Alex lets him get away with that...

How do they feel about debates/disagreements?

Both James and Alex avoid disagreements with friends and relations, but if its something they feel strongly about or a conviction of theirs that's being questioned, they'll stand up for themselves.

As for friendly banter, these two could go at each other all day. ;)

What do they bring to a battle (figurative or literal)?

Well, James literally did battle (can you do battle? is that proper usage of the verb??), so ya know, like a gun would probably be a good idea... *cough* Yeah, this question kind of confused me. In case you didn't know, Brett.

What's their favorite thing to eat for breakfast?

As to where James would eat anything and everything no matter the time of day, Alex doesn't often eat breakfast. Coffee, usually, but a "real" breakfast? Only if James insists.

How do they treat themself after a long day?

Hanging out together? Alex's idea of the perfect date night without going out would be pizza, a carton of ice cream, and a movie.

What do you most want readers to glean from this story?

No matter what, there is hope. You're not alone. Jesus loves you unconditionally. So don't ever, ever give up on your beautiful life. <3

Thoughts on character link-ups? Have you participated in Liv's? If not, what are you waiting for, mateys!

~Faith (who's apparently a pirate now)

Camp NaNo // Week Three {July 2018}

Well, whatdaya know? I survived another week. And I'm still desperately behind. And I still don't care. It's fabulous, y'all. xD

day sixteen // Monday // 828 

On Monday, I went to town to run errands, had a visit from an out-of-town family friend, and finished up a cat-sitting job from the previous week. Oh, and I posted a poll on Instagram to found out how many people sucker their tomato plants (do you??) and the sucker-snappers lost.

Garden bounty

day seventeen // Tuesday // 137

Walmart trip, nursing home visit, went by the DMV office to renew my drivers license and ended up registering to vote, then hung out by the pool and read an entire book...definitely a good day. ;)

Oh, and I assembled a desk chair that ended up not working at my desk... *taps chin*

“Prospective?” I sputter. “I’m the only aunt!”  

“Well, I guess Brock’s sister-in-law is technically the baby’s aunt too.”  

I roll my eyes. “She’s only related by marriage. Besides, she lives in like Antarctica.”  

“Canada, Char. They live in British Columbia. Something to do with Brock’s brother’s job.”  

“Whatever.” 

day eighteen // Wednesday // 1,179 + 1,908

Wednesday was my sweet mom's birthday! <3 We didn't do much that day, but I did get quite a bit of writing and editing done. :D

"People say that you can’t fall in love that young, that you don’t know what you’re talking about, that it’ll never last. But they aren’t always right, Gracie. Sometimes, if it’s His will and if they’re being faithful, God lets two people fall in love young, so they have their whole lives stretched out ahead of them, instead of spending those years finding Him and each other. Not always, mind you, but sometimes." 

day nineteen // Thursday // 700 + 138

I got a new bookshelf on Thursday! This cubic shelf used to be in our living room, in several different arrangements, and behind the couch most recently. Mom mentioned that she wanted to move it out since she won't need nearly as much space for textbooks this fall and asked if I wanted it. Um, yes please! xD

Since taking this picture, I've gotten a lamp for the top and added some more books to the empty cubes. It looks so nice!

day twenty // Friday // 0

I went shopping with my mom on Friday in celebration of her just-passed birthday and my upcoming birthday. We drank Starbucks, ate Chick-Fil-A, found some clothing bargains, each bought new Chacos, and I snagged a book and a season of an enjoyed TV show from Barnes & Noble. <3

day twenty-one // Saturday // 2,257

Saturday was a nice relaxing day, which I spent mostly reading. I also made cookies for a meal at our church on Sunday, tried a salted cold foam cold brew (RECOMMENDED, Y'ALL), wrote lots of fabulous words, watched Signed, Sealed, Delivered, and danced around the house singing country music at the top of my lungs. (Don't you wish you lived on our road??)

stars on my shirt, stars in my eyes 

day twenty-two // Sunday // 715

Sunday was homecoming at our church, so after the special service and following meal, we came home and had a restful afternoon/evening. I reorganized my books by color...and hated it so much that I immediately pulled them all back off and re-did it by author. Apparently I'm slightly OCD when it comes to books.

Camp goal: 75,000 words 

Current word count: 18,715

Status: One week left and I'm not even halfway there... O.o

How is Camp going for y'all?? :D I know I keep saying this, but I really am going to get back active in blogging...maybe next week. Or next month. Ya know. *wink* 

~Faith 

Camp NaNo // Week Two {July 2018}

Already halfway through the month? I don't even think this is legal. Like, seriously, somebody needs to give summer a speeding ticket. (Wow, Faith, nice try there... xD)

day nine // Monday // 105 + 611 

As I may have mentioned before, Mondays at the Potts house are pretty slow. Last week, I mostly just hung out, did a little editing, and read. And cooked spaghetti and took a walk and received four packages. Mail makes me happy, y'all. ^_^

Hmm...why is Faith buying so many author copies?
An announcement is coming about that...sometime.... ;)

day ten // Tuesday // 0

Ahh, yes, the day I tackled running errands (libraries are officially in the 'errands' category now), catching up on blogging, a dentist, and a funeral home visitation. Oh, and then I let the little bro come along for a cat-sitting visit. Let's just say he keeps things interesting.

day eleven // wednesday // 245

More reading, blogging, and catching up on emails. ;) Mom and Dad were attending a funeral and visiting a lady from our church at the hospital, so I picked the little bro up from work. We got ready, grabbed supper, and went to Walmart. He went in to buy a phone charger, and came back to the car because he was $0.62 short. xD A rollaway buggy nearly plowed the front of my car (yes, I unbuckled, jumped out, and grabbed it in record time. A guy in a nearby car was so amused), but we still made church in plenty of time—laughed a lot and played with glow sticks like preschoolers.

I'd say we did pretty good adulting alone.

day twelve // Thursday // 0 + 3,933 

Totally rocked editing Thursday morning by conquering an entire chapter in, like, 20 minutes. xD Our church served a lunch to a World Changers crew last week (if you know what that is, speak up), so Mom and I helped with that and attended another funeral visitation that afternoon. It was one of those days that calls for a sundress and a smile and staying up until the wee hours of the morning to chat with amazing people. Re-watched I Can Only Imagine, too... 10/10 recommended, y'all.

day thirteen // Friday // 255

Friday was pretty slow as well, and then cat-sitting with the bro that night... Well, we won't even go into how he accused me of losing the people's cat...in their house... *cough*

(The cat was fine, in case anyone was concerned. Fat and sassy as ever. Just hiding from the long-legged noisemaker I'd brought along. Can ya blame him?)

day fourteen // Saturday // 258

Saturday, I attended a lovely wedding...at 10:00 AM. (Is that normal? Because I will totally not be doing it. 10 PM is much more likely for this chick. Mornings aren't my thing.)

“People have different dreams and different goals for their lives, and rightly so. Everyone’s story is different and no two lives are the same. Some people dream of living in faraway places or traveling the world, but I’m not one of them. This church, this community, and that ranch a few miles south of here is my future. I’m sure of it.”  

I contemplate Ryder’s words while he answers a question that came from the far side of the room. He’s sure…he knows exactly what his future will look like. With so many unknowns in my life this year, just the thought of that reassurance makes me long for what he has. 

day fifteen // Sunday // 101

On Sunday, we had church (obviously) and then lunch with friends (funnn). I took a dozen selfies and read something about the meaning of the word 'propitiation'. It means "a sacrifice that bears God's wrath and turns it to favor." Can we just stop and think about that for a second?! <3

Total goal: 75,000 (Yup, I lowered it.)
Current word count: 10,853 words
Status: Still behind. Maybe I'll catch up, maybe I won't. As long as I finish One Summer this month and get A Soldier's Freedom edited in time to send off to betas, I'm not gonna stress over it. It's summertime, y'all. ;) 

I may be around again this week with a bookish or life post, but no promises... I'm behind on both blogs and my Camp goal, and yet I'm lazing by the pool, reading books, and brainstorming a book trilogy? Why, yes. Yes, I am. *wink*

Blessings, dear friends! Thanks for sticking with me! <3 

~Faith

Camp NaNo // Week One {July 2018}

Greetings, writerly pals!! Who is powering through their Camp goal?! *imaginary hands raise* Now, who is dragging behind and hoping to catch up later this month? *Faith's hand pops up*

Yeah, I've not been very focused on writing or anything related to it lately...which is where we're going to toss the blame for my needy inbox and the lateness of this post. xD

I'm doing Camp NaNo a bit different this month. Instead of the usual-for-me one project, I'm working on two—the first draft of One Summer and the third draft of A Soldier's Freedom. So far I'm doing pretty good at swapping back and forth without leaving my brain (and motivation) in one or the other of the WIPs. In my daily word count listed below, the first number will be for One Summer and the second will be for A Soldier's Freedom. ;)

day one // sunday // 0 words 

Not much to tell about Sunday. Since we had just gotten home from the missions trip on the evening before, I basically just wanted to sleep. xD

Oh, and I stole Dad's shoes.

day two // Monday // 158 words 

Again, I had too much of a trip-hangover to do more than relive the previous week, write the bare minimum, and sleep. xD

day three // Tuesday // 134 + 346 

Ahh, yes, the day I began to feel human again. I got some words written and edited, went to town to the post office (I love that place. #SSDfeels), and drank a huge coffee because...because life is too short. *nods wisely*

As we roll down a dirt road, I rest my forehead against the cool window and stare out across the wide expanse of spacious prairie, dotted with cattle. It’s pretty…but rather flat. I don’t have anything against flatland, but it’ll never hold the same appeal that a majestic range of mountains does. 

But I’m definitely grateful to be here, in Oklahoma. I can deal with the vulnerable feeling of being visible from what seems like a dozen miles away. It’s not like I’m moving here. 

day four // Wednesday // 488 + 75

Happy fourth, lovelies! I spent the day writing, reading, dog-sitting (more on that in a second), watching fireworks, eating good food, and wearing red, white, and blue like a true American. xD

day five // Thursday // 556 words 

Wednesday through Friday of last week I took care of two sweet pooches for a neighbor. Ruby, pictured below, is an adorable but crazy wild mess of energy. xD

Just look at that face though! <3

day six // Friday // 106 words 

Good grief, this post is looking lame... Not much special happened on Friday either. I went to the pool, but a thunderstorm blew in and we didn't get to swim. xP

day seven // Saturday // 392 + 1,593 

Saturday was a rainy, dreary day...which I soaked up while writing and editing and reading and enjoying not having much to do. ;)

“I didn’t come to Oklahoma to fall for some sweaty cowboy.”  

Finally, Hannah turns to face me, a smile gracing her cute face. “You didn’t go to Guatemala to find a bestie either. Never say never, Char.”  

I laugh along with her, flopping onto my back and leaning my head on her shoulder. “This is different though. I don’t have time for anything other than soaking up the next twenty-four hours until I have to say goodbye to you.”  

“Ugh…” Hannah reaches over to grab my hand. “Don’t remind me.” 

day eight // Sunday // 175 + 1,322 

Our church is hosting a World Changers group this week (if you know what that is, please tell me...it seems that no one does xD), so they were at church on Sunday morning and we had a meal afterwards and hung out for awhile. Then we visited my grandmother and went back to church for the evening service 'Twas a good day, and I got some writing and editing done that night. ;D



Total goal: 85,000 words (roughly, 10k in One Summer + an edit of the existing 65k A Soldier's Freedom + 10k in new ASF scenes)
Current word count: 5,345
Status: Terribly behind, but oddly okay with that, because the rest of the month should allow me more brain-power to focus on my stories.


Who else is doing Camp this month? How are y'all doing on your goals? New or repeat project? Anyone else hyped just because it's summer?! <33

~Faith

Camp NaNo, Packing, and Deaf Movie Night || April Recap

I could start this post by moaning and exclaiming over how I have no idea where the month went. Which would be an honest reply to how I greeted the first hours of May 2018 seeing as how I went to bed shortly before 1 AM. But since I do that every month... well, we'll just skip it altogether and move right into what y'all are actually here for.

|| Life. || 

>> I attended a Deaf movie night for an American Sign Language assignment and it was SUCH A COOL EXPERIENCE. Are we foreseeing interpreting as a future career choice for Faith? Ya never know...

>> Many days this month were spent planning, talking about, and packing for the trip next month. (Not sure what I'm talking about? See this post.) I'm sure we'll all be running around like a pack of crazies this weekend, but I feel...pretty much prepared?? xD


>> I finished my chemistry textbook and it was SUCH an amazing feeling to cast that thing aside. (Okay, more like add it to a stack of rubbish on my desk because finals are this week so #studying O.O)


>> Spring finally found us. We had some cold days and our fair share of rain, but this warm weather, y'all. <33

We heartily approve of summertime. But half of 'we' does not like pictures. 

|| Books. || 

// Reads 

Into the Sunset compiled by Susan K. Marlow -- 4 stars
The Proving by Beverly Lewis -- 4 stars -- Review HERE.
The Women of Easter by Liz Curtis Higgs -- 5 stars
Love Finds You in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts by Melody Carlson -- 4 stars
Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? by Richard Maybury -- 5 stars
Happy Day by Rebekah A. Morris -- 5 stars
Where Trains Collide by Amber Stokes -- 4 stars -- Review to come.

I also read the books of 1 Samuel and 2 Timothy. :D

// Books 

Into the Sunset -- contest win
In Bloom -- review book
A Question of Courage -- purchase

|| Writing. || 

Writing was rather grand this month. With Camp NaNo, a short story, other short story ideas, and the tingling inspiration to seek out possible publishers (!!!), it was a month it which I felt like a writer. Loveliness. <3

As y'all already know, yes, I competed in Camp NaNoWriMo this month. It was an amazing experience, as always. My cabins mates were so much fun to sprint, chat, and hang out with, and the month flew by quickly!

My goal was to edit 60k words of A Soldier's Freedom. This novel is about 64k words currently, so that would be editing most of it. (I ended up counting nearly 3,000 words of a short story toward my goal, but still... I'm nearly through with the first edit of ASF!) I'm hoping to finish the edit this week. :D

Speaking of stories... As y'all already know if you've read my Camp updates, I wrote a short story during the first few days of the month and I'm SO tickled over how it turned out. It rates high of the list of favorite things I've written. Or, it would, if there were such a list.... Anywho, I'm looking forward to sharing my little darling with y'all soon! =D

|| Blogging. || 

// Favorite Posts 

Flights from the Aerie ~ Reintroduction

A Purpose and a Promise ~ Made for Another World

Ordinary Girl, Extraordinary Girl ~ With Them You are Wanted

Ivie Writes ~ Your Words Matter// Spread the Light

Wonderland Creek ~ The Note on the Wall

// My Posts 

Week One ~ Week Two ~ Week Three ~ Week Four

|| Goals. || 

// April Goals 

>> Read 8 books.        Nailed it.

>> Edit A Soldier's Freedom.      I'm technically not done, but nearly so. :D

>> Win Camp NaNoWriMo.     YUS!

>> Finish my Math and Economics courses.      Yup.

>> Finish trip planning.      Pretty much. xD

// May Goals 

>> Take a break.

>> Travel across the continent.

>> Read for pleasure.

>> Write if I feel like it.



Announcement time... I'm going on another blogging hiatus for most of the month of May. I'll be popping in a few times toward the end of the month with some blog tours for some amazing books, and I'll post a May recap (TRIP PICS, Y'ALL! <3), but other than, I'm taking a break.

I know I just took one in January, and I honestly didn't think I'd be doing it this soon, but I need it. But meanwhile, I'll be reading y'all's posts and planning some awesomeness (think: new stories + giveaways + anniversaries) for June... so stay tuned. ;)


How was your month? Any special plans for May? Are you excited for summer? :D 

~Faith

Beautiful People // Farewell + Favorites Edition

Happy Wednesday night, readers!

(We are totally going to ignore the hour at which I'm writing this. That has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the sarcasm that will follow. Nope.)

I decided to take part in Cait and Sky's Beautiful People link-up once more, because... *sniffs* it's the last one. The farewell edition. At least for now.

Because it's my Camp NaNo project this month (but mostly because I love it so), I'm going to be answering these in regards to A Soldier's Freedom. (Someday I may stop talking about this darling, but I kinda doubt it. Don't hold your breath, that's all I'm saying.)

Moving on!

Favorite genre to write in?

Contemporary. *wince* I know, I know. Probably sounds bad coming from a gal who's written as much historical as anything else, but yeah. Contemporary. Historical is fun and I have no doubt I'll continue to write it, but contemporary is my thing.

What book (a real actual published book!) do you think your character would benefit from reading?

I could totally say the Bible on this one, but I'll try to be creative. Although that would be a good and accurate answer. xD

I haven't read them, but autobiographies by wounded warriors like Travis Mills and Noah Galloway would be good for James, I believe.

Favorite piece of dialogue you’ve written?

Oohh, snippet time. Here's one of my favorites from this book...

Brian leans back and crosses his arms across his chest. “Guess we’re stuck with you since you’re not exactly welcomed in the seat next to Miss Allie.”  

“Alex,” I shoot back.  

“Huh?”  

“You got her name wrong again.”  

“Whatever.” He picks up a slip of paper from the seat next to him.  

“And what do you mean, stuck with me?” I shift in my seat, scouring the area for Alex. She must not have arrived yet. “Here I thought y’all liked me.”  

“Ehh, that was all put-on and little heart,” Brian mumbles, perusing the weekly bulletin like his life depends on it. “We were just trying to make you feel included.” 

Wait, what?  

“Just drop it, both of you.”  

I turn back to Lester. “Do you know what he’s talking about?”  

“Kind of.” Lester yanks on his earlobe, cocking his head to look at me. “I mean, c’mon James, you’ve got to admit you’ve been a bit ornery lately.”  

“Ornery?” I repeat, incapable of imagining the preposterous contortions taking place in my facial features right now.  

Lester shakes his head. “I’m not finished.”  

Let it never be said again that this guy is quiet and oblivious.  

“Just be real be real about it, man. She broke up with you—I get it. But life goes on. Either man-up, apologize to her, and try to win her back, or just get over yourself and quit whining.”  

Whining. He called me ornery and whiny within the space of a minute, tops. What does a guy say to that?  

“Um, okay. Thanks for the advice.”  

“You’re welcome.’’

Favorite character name(s)?

I hadn't really thought about it? I do love the names Sydney and Adelaide though. They're twins and Alex's nieces. ;)

What makes your character feel loved, and who was the last person to make them feel that way?

(Since James got the second question, Alex is getting this one.)

Her uncle, Joe. Hands down. Joe and his wife Gloria took Alex and her brother, Kellon, under their wing from a young age. They don't have any kids of their own, but they 'parent' lots of young people in need of love.

Favorite character you’ve ever written?

Ever?! Well, let's see... I love James. And David from War Tears is such a dear. But Ryder and Charity from Dandelion Dust will always be extra special. So...I don't know. One of those. xD

Which story has your heart and won’t let go?

Currently, A Soldier's Freedom. (Obviously. That's why I'm talking about it and working through all it's muck.) But all of my stories have my heart, each in their own way.

Favorite relationship between characters you’ve written?

Ohh, tough one. Besides James and Alex (that's nearly a given...), I love Lester and Brian, especially Lester. (He's getting his own story! <3) And anything that has to do with Uncle Joe is bound to be #gold.

When people are done reading your book, what feeling do you want them to come away with?

Hope. Encouragement. Freedom. With the reminder that God is bigger than all their struggles. <3



So what did you think? :D Have you ever taken part in Beautiful People? 

~Faith


P.S. Did y'all notice that I didn't number the questions so no one would notice if I skipped around? Until now. (We're going to label that epic time management.)

Camp NaNo // Week One {April 2018}

Welcome, dears, to the first installment of my Camp NaNo updates for this month! I'm planning to post one of these each Monday for the next few weeks. :D

day one // sunday // 648 words 

Easter began for me at 6:05 Sunday morning, thanks to a blaring alarm clock. ;) We had sunrise service at 7:30, Sunday school at 10:00, and worship at 11:00, followed by lunch and a visit with my grandma.

My family spent the evening at home, just chilling and hanging out. I had inspiration for a short-story idea on the way home, so I wrote my first 648 words of NaNo in it that afternoon.

My NaNo project is technically to edit A Soldier's Freedom (or, at least 60,000 words of it), but I was okay with counting this short story toward my word count goal, since I hadn't did a ton of writing lately. :)

my Easter dress that I forgot to get a decent picture of ;D

day two // monday // 734 words

Monday was pretty ordinary. Aside from school and life, I wrote some more on the story. Gahh, I love it so much. Enjoy a snippet...

“What’s your name?” 

“Annalyse. Yours?” 

He shook his head, smirking and grinning at once if that’s even possible. “Come back tomorrow and I’ll tell you.” 

“How do I know you’ll be here tomorrow?” 

He shrugged, then held his hands palm-up. “I’d say we have quite the pattern going.” 

“Every pattern has been broken.” I actually wasn’t sure if that was true or not, but it sounded intelligent and philosophical so I went with it. 

“Then I guess we’ll have to be the exception.” 

day three // tuesday // 1,243 words 

I FINISHED MY SHORT-STORY!!! *happy dance* I barely got those last few words out before midnight though, haha. Would y'all like to read this story on the blog sometime?

I also read all of the entries from the Circle C contest! Great job, everyone. :D

day four // wednesday // 983 words 

On Wednesday, I edited my short story (which resulted in adding 102 words to it!) and then dove into editing A Soldier's Freedom. Nothing else noteworthy happened that day that I can think of.... ;P

day five // thursday // 0 words 

Yup, Thursday was the climax of the week...actually, it was whatever the opposite of a climax is. I read basically alllll day. Soaking up The Proving by Beverly Lewis. :)

a quote I found <33

day six // friday // 1,787 words 

Another pretty good editing day. Another day of school and life and laughter and books and words. And also food. These posts are getting to sound pretty much the same... I'm thinking I'll take notes next week... ;D

How about a snippet from A Soldier's Freedom? *wink*

Rolling onto my side, I stare out the window into the dark night sky, broken by only a scattering of stars. The familiar night sounds of a hospital swirl around me, drawing my mind back to the days and nights I spent in a similar room a few months ago. Where I learned I was no longer whole. Where I faced rejection of the no-longer-enough creature I’d morphed into. 

I squeeze my eyes shut, searching for sleep...and dreading the nightmares that I know will come. 

day seven // saturday // 3,700 words 

Saturday was pretty fun! It was rainy that morning, so I lounged around and did some editing and reading. Then, that evening, the sun appeared somewhat, so I got out and exercised before supper. I got a ton of editing accomplished that day! :D

Mom having a 'talk' with the dog about how he's not supposed to be on
the furniture... Guess who won? Wrong! She did. ;)

day eight // sunday // 986 words 

Not much. We spent about 4 hours in the car on Sunday, because church + hospital visit an hour away. It was a pretty good day though, and I got a little editing squeezed in before bed. :D

stats

Goal (for 8 days in): 16,000 words
Current progress: 10,081
Status: a tittle behind. Hopefully I can remedy that soon. ;)



Do y'all like these types of post, a sort of mashup of my life and writing? Thoughts on the snippets? 

~Faith

Vulnerability in Writing.

Whether you've ever fell into writing or not (I'm thoroughly convinced it's something that some people are dragged into unawares *points to self*), chances are you can relate to the feeling of being vulnerable.

I can. And honestly? It's not typically a nice feeling. But something good usually does come from it. Today we're gonna talk about how to be vulnerable in our writing.

In the past year, I've sent my critique partner all three of my finished books. The problem? All three were in the first draft stage.

First, Dandelion Dust. I wasn't too nervous because I was pretty confident that, although far from perfect, it was a pretty decent first draft.

Then, she read War Tears in the spring/summer. I was a tad nervous this time because, although she literally already knew all the plot twists, the book was an absolute disaster. Still, I was okay. It wasn't that bad and she gave awesome feedback—as always.

Lastly, this January, my critique partner sent me the last book in her trilogy. (After editing once, of course, because she's smart like that.) I began reading it and didn't say a word about how, months earlier, she'd insisted I swap her A Soldier's Freedom for her book. Some time passed—less than a week, I'd say—and then she remembered. And wanted the book. Right then.

(Being the sneaky friend I am, I quietly opened her book's file and copied its entire contents—amidst the argument of when and why I should give her my baby. So that, should she decide to revoke my rights—which may or may not have been threatened—I'd still have some reading material. She'd already shared it, so taking it back would be nearly as bad as stealing. Right? She also did not know about this until now. Whoops.)

Long story short (or not), I gave in and sent her the book and she finished it several weeks ago.

So why did I hesitate more to share this book than I did with the previous two? Other than the fact that I didn't want to lose a good argument... ;)

Well, it means a lot to me, obviously—every book does. But with A Soldier's Freedom it's different somehow.

It's also a book that I didn't share that much about beforehand—even with my critique partner, who usually knows more about my current project than I do. I did some blog posts about it, sure. Talked about it some. And that was good, because it made me not so afraid to open up.

But...I didn't share the heart of the story. I didn't get into the nitty-gritty and just talk about it.

Since then, I have. With my critique partner, and my mom knows most of the story now too. (Did I mention she helped me plot the rest of the series? Did I even tell y'all it's gonna be series?! <33)

And because of all that, the story means even more to me than it did before. It has a purpose, a meaning. It's a story waiting to be told. 

As writers, we're called to tell those stories. Because somewhere out there, there's someone who may need to read that story you're keeping hidden behind lock and key.

Don't be afraid to talk about the hard subjects, my friends. After all, aren't those the ones we ourselves have to deal with?

So there's my really long, nonsensical take on why we should strive to be vulnerable in our writing. Not only is it good for us, but it can help someone else. Someone who's been there.

Be vulnerable, dears. In writing stories and in living your own story. <3


What's your take on vulnerability? Is the insane all-over-the-place style of this post making you laugh as hard as it's making me laugh? 

A Soldier's Freedom // My Copy Came + Story Playlist

Hello lovelies! :D 

Who has been waiting anxiously for this post? Okay, so, probably no one, but I hope y'all enjoy anyhow. xD 

Yes, you read right. My first-draft copy of A Soldier's Freedom arrived from Lulu on November 14th. (In case y'all hadn't already gathered as much...yes. First-draft copies have become my thing. I just love holding my creation in my hands, even if isn't perfect. ^_^) Welcome to a nearly-moment-by-moment recount of that epochal time. 

Okiedoke! So, after stalking the tracking page for like hours, I finally saw that my package had been delivered, so I trekked over to the mailbox. 

And got this lovely (and very heavy...like my arm basically died before I got home) box! 

I tried to tear into it on the way home, with no knife or even decently-sharp nails, to no avail. 

Ta-da! ... An order receipt. Wow, Faith. 

After digging under the brown paper....ahh, there it is. Sooo pretty. *heart eyes* 

The glorious spiineeee. *is officially in love with this font* 

And the back cover!! I had never had a custom-made back cover before, but after my lovely designer fren made the front, she was like "Hey, want a back cover?" So she made me one. <33 

A better pic that wasn't taken while Faith had shaky hands. xD 

The pretty interior... <3 *is slightly proud of how it turned out even if I did do it* 

All of me finished works – ft. my cluttered desk. I is a happy writer. ^-^ 

Annnnd now for the playlist! I listened to a ton of great music while writing ASF, and I've boiled it down to 9 songs that I like and that reflect some part of ASF in some way. I totally get it if you don't listen to all the songs (I probably wouldn't), but have fun learning how they each connect. :D 

Broken Things ~ Matthew West

Around the time I finished writing A Soldier's Freedom, this song was #1 in Christian music, which made me immensely happy. It talks about how God uses broken people. I think we're all broken in some way, and the characters of ASF most definitely are. xD 

Broken Hallelujah ~ The Afters

Again, this song talks about broken people – this time giving praise to God, no matter how broken they are. 

Semper Fi ~ Trace Adkins

*snickers* I don't think I even need to explain this one. It's a song about marines, James is a marine, it has a catchy tune that Faith likes, end of story. xD 

The Cure ~ Unspoken

Ahhhh, this song. <3 It talks about Jesus being the cure for the disease of the world, and the cure for James' hurting heart? Yup. *beams* 

Stand ~ Rascal Flatts

This epic country music song is kinda of a call-out to stand up against opposition and overcome. Again, goes right along with ASF. 

Who You Are ~ Unspoken

I hadn't even thought to compared this one to the book, but a friend suggested it and I was like "DUDE YES." I mean, 'who you are'? Finding your identity in Christ? *thumbs up* 

Oh My Dear ~ Tenth Avenue North

This song wasn't originally on the playlist, but I heard it the other night, and I think it fits. It was actually written by TAN's lead singer for his wife. That meaning doesn't really fit, but the words and the confiding-your-darkest-to-someone-you-care-about theme does. 

'Til the Last Shot's Fired ~ Trace Adkins

And...this one doesn't exactly fit either? The verses don't, but some of the chorus does. But it's soldier-y and it's the background music for a lot of Wounded Warrior commercials (not that I would know...), sooooo. Yeah. We'll go with it. XD 

In Christ Alone ~ Keith and Kristyn Getty 

Wow, y'all, this song is like sountrack for the best parts of the book. I heard this song one day in the earlier stages of ASF, and I just kinda stopped for a minute. I was like "wait...that's their song." And it is. <33 

Thanks for reading! What did you think of the songs? Are you in favor of first-draft copies or no? 

~Faith