13 Reasons Why || 13 Random Facts

The weekend is here! Buuuuutttt we're still in full-blown party mode, so stick around, eh?

Today I'm going to be sharing 13 random facts about Freedom. And, of course, the lovely Miss Krispense is sharing her 13 facts about Beloved at the link below. :D

Kaitlyn Krispense, Author

|| 13 Random Facts

1. Pinterest was the original inspiration for the story. Don't discredit the perks of the endless scroll, y'all.

2. I battled over the title of this baby from the beginning. I could probably spout of discarded titles ideas for hours...

3. This book utterly wrecked me. And the only thing that kept me from being destroyed was the #snark.

4. Through multiple edits, Freedom grew from 63,000 words in the first draft to 75,000 words in the final, published version—making it my longest published work by over 25,000 words.

5. I learned more about the United States Marine Corps than I ever thought I'd know.

6. I now own a "22 a Day" t-shirt and hoodie, as well as some semicolon jewelry, thanks to the impact the themes in this book made on me.

7. Early on, I planned to pursue traditional publishing with this book. But, clearly, God had other plans.

8. This book had approximately 217 mock covers before I figured out what I wanted. And settled on the perfect choice.

9. Freedom is the first book I've published with plans for a series.

10. I cried more over this book than any other book or story I've written to date.

11. It's also the first book I've written in which the main girl character doesn't have an amazing best friend who she's super close with and tells everything to.

12. This book is the first story I've written in which neither main character has parents that are good role models.

13. The final version of Freedom has 22 chapters in honor of the 22 veteran lost to suicide each day.

|| R2L

Today's reason to live is: you are unique. I know, I know...you've heard that dozens of times before. But it's SO true, my friend. There is only one uniquely perfect you. Embrace your identity in Him. You have a place in this world that no one else can fill. And I don't want that special place to be left empty. <3

|| Today on the Tour

Saturday, September 7th — Three interviews and three reviews, it's a full day!

Angela @ The Peculiar Messenger — 2x Author Interview
Laura @ Beautiful Things — 2x Review
Molly @ Qadash - Set Apart, for Him — Review of Freedom
Hannah @ Elizabeth’s Corner — Interview w/ Faith

You know the drill...  Submit your questions for the Q&A, enter the giveaway, and claim your special preorder copy! <3 

did you already know any of these facts? which one surprised you the most? 

13 Reasons Why || Storyboard + Playlist

How on earth is it the fifth day of the tour already? Literally cannot believe that's possibly. It's been nearly a year since the idea of this tour first sprang to life, although I can't believe that much time has passed.

Kaitlyn and I are being creative today, with a fun and laid-back type of post. We're sharing images from the books' storyboards (basically pictures and/or quotes relating to the books) and songs from the playlists!

As usual, Kate's post can be found through the link below. <3

Kaitlyn Krispense, Author

Don't forget! You can claim your copy of Freedom today and support veteran suicide prevention. <3

|| Storyboard

|| Playlist

Someone I Used to Know // Zac Brown Band

Someone I used to know, ran himself in the ground...

Come to the Table // Sidewalk Prophets

To the thief, to the doubter

To the hero and the coward

To the prisoner and the soldier... 

Semper Fi // Trace Adkins

Semper Fi, do or die

So gung ho, to go and pay the price

Heres to Leathernecks, Devildogs, and Jarheads

Parris Island in July, Semper Fi

Scars // I AM THEY

My brokenness brought me to You and these wounds are a story You'll use...

A Soldier's Memoir // Joe Bachman

Part of me is here at home and part of me's back there

Why // Rascal Flatts

Who told you life wasn't worth the fight?

They were wrong

They lied

And now you're gone

And we cried

Call It Grace // Unspoken

It knows your deepest secrets, but it never looks away...

Stand // Rascal Flatts

When push comes to shove, you taste what you're made of

You might bend till you break because it's all you can take

Dress Blues // Zac Brown Band

Mamas and grandmamas love you, American boys hate to lose

You never planned on the bombs in the sand

Or sleeping in your dress blues

Drowning // Chris Young

All I think about is how you were taken way too soon

It ain't the same here without you

I gotta say, missing you comes in waves

And tonight I'm drowning

|| R2L

Today's reason to live is: music. There's nothing quite like soaking up the notes of a slow, thoughtful song. Or dancing and jazzing out to a loud, lively, and upbeat song. There's nothing quite like words put to music that are able to express how your feel and allow you to relate like nothing else can. Music is a gift. Music is therapy. Music is pain and joy and sorrow and beauty and love—assigned to a tune. Music is a reason to live.

Maybe it seems like a "small thing," but honestly, if you overlook the little things, what do we have left?

|| Today on the Tour

Friday, September 6th

Rebekah @ RebekahAshleigh — Review of Freedom
Amanda @ With a Joyful Noise — Spotlight
Kaitlyn @ Maidens for Modesty — Review of Freedom

Reminder: There's a Q&A to take part in and a giveaway to enter! 

which song do you think best fits the story? which day of the tour has been your favorite so far?

13 Reasons Why || Snippets

Welcome to Day Four, lovelies!

Today's theme is story snippets! Kaitlyn and I are each sharing snippets from our imminent releases. Make sure you visit her blog for snippets of Beloved. <33

Kaitlyn Krispense, Author

|| Snippets of Freedom

“I just don’t know,” James murmurs, eyes averted. “I tried reading a Bible that was in my hospital room. I guess becoming someone you never thought you’d be makes you do things you said you would never do. But… I just couldn’t make the connection. This Jesus wasn’t even mentioned.”  

Kellon frowns. “Where in the Bible did you start reading?”  

“The beginning,” James replies, as if that’s the only logical answer.  

“Well, assuming you didn’t get very far—”  

“About five pages.”  

“—that’s probably why you didn’t find Jesus. He comes on the scene in the New Testament, over halfway through.”  

“Figures.” 

Eyes lighting with realization, Alex continues to watch me for a long moment, lips pressed. “Oh my… I never even knew. Bless your heart.”  

Swallowing, I look away—I can’t keep looking into her eyes. I reach for my fork and return to my meal. “Well, aren’t you just a typical southern belle.”  

Batting her eyelashes, Alex flips her hair over her shoulder, adeptly taking the hint to drop the topic. “Just call me Georgia.” 

Once I get James started on an exercise machine for a leg workout, I prop my arms across the top of the front. “So how was Cardini’s last night?” 

His head jerks up from watching his progress on the digital screen. “How did you know about that?”  

I shrug, struggling to keep a straight face. He acts like I caught him smoking at the responsible age of nine. “Word gets around.”  

Forehead wrinkling, he eyes me with suspicion. “Not funny. ‘Fess up, Lil’ Miss Therapist.” 

I twist in my seat, drawing my leg up under me until I face James. Except, I don’t face him. I keep staring down at the faded, worn seat between us. It doesn’t serve as a very accurate metaphor. 

There’s a lot more than two feet of tattered cloth spanning the gap between us. 

|| R2L

Today's reason to live is: the effect you'll have on those around you. Here's some food for thought... The pro-life movement gains everyone's attention, whether in a good or bad way. But pro-life isn't just about the unborn, y'all. What if, by taking your own life, you killed the one who would discover the cure to cancer? What if you killed the world's greatest musician, most influential author, or most decorated service member? Your effect on someone else's story is enough reason to stay and choose life. <3

|| Today on the Tour

Thursday, September 5th

Abigail @ Books, Life, and Christ — Review of Freedom
Michaela @ Tangled Up In Writing — 2x Review + Spotlight
Abigail @ Read Write Breathe — 2x Review

|| Reminders

• Preorders! Remember that you can preorder your copy of Freedom in Kindle or paperback. All profits go to veteran suicide prevention!

• The Q&A form is still open! Make sure you get your questions sent in for me and Kate.

• And, as always, don't forget to enter the giveaway!

favorite snippet? are you excited to read the rest of the book now? 

13 Reasons Why || Beloved - Character Interview

Happy hump day, friends!

I cannot believe we're already to day three of the tour. It feels like it's going by so quickly—I can hardly keep up with everything that's going on!

Today's theme is character interviews! To make it especially fun, Kate and I decided to interview each other's characters instead of our own. So my interview of Erich Carlos, a main character from Beloved, is below. And Kate's interview with James from Freedom is up on her blog!

Kaitlyn Krispense, Author

|| Interview w/ Erich from Beloved

Welcome to the blog, Erich! Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Thank you Faith! My name is Erich, i’m a born-again Christian, and i’m also a bachelor living with my brother, Peter. What else am i supposed to say? I work at a waffle joint, i hate roman candles (those things are freaky, man!), and i’m striving to be like Christ more every day.


How do you feel about your and your family’s story releasing in just a few days?
Not like i rly had much choice in the matter, lol. i mean, i guess i’m ok with it. For once i’m actually being portrayed as a good guy, so i can’t complain. Not real thrilled at the prospect of people reading all about me, but Cara’s the one whose mind everyone’s gonna see, so i guess it’s ok.

Was your first impression of Cara positive or not so much?
Uhhhhh . . . can i plz plead the fifth on this one? There’s rly no good way to answer this one. She was an annoying brat and i wanted to pound her thru the wall, but other than that, she wasn’t too bad.


If you could go back and change one thing about your past, what would it be?
Oh no, plz not this question. Srsly Faith, why do you have to pick this one?!
Ok, fine. Kaitlyn says I have to answer. *clears throat awkwardly* there’s a lot of things i could mention here, but . . . i’m not too proud of the way i first treated the Carloses when i first came to their house. i mean, there i was, their 2nd foster son, and of course i had to be a real idiot. Not exactly days i’m proud of. If i could go back and redo those days, live them with gratitude . . . man i wish i could.


And lastly, because I just have to know… which Carlos sibling is your favorite?
Lol wouldn’t you like to know. They all have their shortcomings, whereas i, on the other hand, am everyone’s favorite. i mean, just ask Kaitlyn. She says i’m a heartthrob.
In all seriousness tho, i can’t just pick one like a lock (my apologies, i’m not as good at analogies as Cara). I live with Peter, so i guess that means i have to like him. Fergus is obnoxious but funny in his own right. Eddie is . . . well . . . something else. Titus has the ego typical for boys his age, but his heart is good. Cara . . . i guess i’m not supposed to give away any spoilers, so nvm. But i can’t pick just one.


Thank you for hosting me, Faith! I greatly appreciate it.

Thanks for joining us, Erich! And readers, don't forget to preorder your copy of Beloved in Paperback or Kindle! :D

|| R2L

Today's reason to live is: laughter. It's a beautiful sound, isn't it? The magical melody of shared laughter with a friend. The giggle of a small child. Laughs circling around the family dinner table. Maybe you're in a season right now where the tears majorly outweigh the laughs. That doesn't mean you can't hold on until the return of the days of laughter. Because they are coming. The joy will return. No drought or famine or storm can last forever. And the wait is worth it. <3

|| Other Stops on the Tour

Wednesday, September 4th

Abby @ Photos by Abby Rose — 2x Review
Brooklyne @ Showers of Blessing — 2x Interview
Faith @ Faith Lane Author — Interview w/ Kate + Spotlight of Beloved
Kassie @ Soldier Girl Stories — 2x Review

Don't forget to enter the giveaway and submit your questions to the Q&A! 

what would you ask Erich, if you had the chance? do you have an R2L of the day? 

13 Reasons Why || Story Behind the Story

Happy Day Two, faithful followers!

Wow, the tour is already off to such an incredible start. I've been so blessed and encouraged by everyone's outpouring of love and display of enthusiasm! <3

Kaitlyn and I are each sharing the inspiration and origination of our books as today's theme. Make sure you check out her post of the day—link below. :D

Kaitlyn Krispense, Author

|| Story Behind the Story 

I've been asked many times how on earth I ended up writing a book about suicide. The answer? It just kinda happened.

In August 2015, I stumbled across a story about a veteran. After returning to the states after serving a combat tour in Vietnam, he called home, told his parents he was coming home, and asked if they'd mind if he brought a friend along. He explained that the friend had been hurt and was an amputee, and added that he wanted the friend to come to live with his family. The parents expressed sympathy for the friend's plight, but declined the son's request. A few days later, they received a phone call. Their son had committed suicide, and they learned of his secret. Turns out...there was no friend. Their son was the injured soldier.

Quite the story, huh? Around the same time, I came across a video, created by a teenager, which vividly depicts a modern-day retelling of the story I'd read. I've poked around on the internet for more information about this story, but little is known. If it's a true story, that hasn't been verified, but the basic twist of the story has been used in books and movies for years.

Regardless, the creativity wheels were spinning. The story wouldn't get out of my head. And one question plagued me the most: What if...what if he didn't die? 

So I went with it. Started writing a story about a suicidal Marine. The scraps of a story I had at that time grew and broadened, morphed and twisted, and became a different story entirely, but one that's still closely connected to the passionate topic I began with—suicide.

After many days and months of writing and rewriting, crying and moaning, whining and groveling, the Freedom that's releasing in seven days came to be. And I'm SO excited to share it with all of you. <3

|| R2L 

Today's reason to live is: stories. I don't know about you, but I absolutely adore stories. Happy, sad, funny. Stories of heartbreak or journeys or everyday life. Love stories, children's stories, adventure stories, sob stories. Point is—I.love.stories. That's the cool thing about life—every single soul that's been placed on this earth is living out their own story. And even better than that, all of our stories are intertwined with the story of every person you've ever crossed paths with. And without every single strand, the master story would be incomplete, lacking, unfinished.

Ponder on that next time you feel like your life has no purpose. <3

|| Preorder Freedom

In honor of September being Suicide Prevention Awareness Month as well as release month for Freedom, I'm hosting a special preorder/order option for paperback copies of this new novel.

All profits from Freedom (both Kindle and paperback) for the month of September will be donated to Cover Me Veteran, a non-profit organization fighting for prevention of veteran suicide. If you're hesitant about the validity of the cause, I'd encourage you to read the testimonials listed on their site. Gives me chills. <3

Because I want to amp-up sales of Freedom this month in order to be able to make a sizable donation, I'm offering a discounted total for of $17 for book + shipping. Details are on the form!

claim your preorder copy!

|| Today on the Tour

Even though it's only day two, I've already been blown away by the number of people posting about the book, sharing the tour on social media, and writing out their own R2Ls. Keep it up, lovelies! <3

Joining us today on the tour, we have...

Victoria @ My Crazy Write Life — Interview w/ Kate
Abigail @ Read Write Breathe — Review of Beloved
Shine @ HauntingGhostTown — 2x Interview + 2x Review
Merie @ Imperial Scribis — 2x Review

Don't forget to enter the giveaway and submit your questions to the Q&A! 

do you find backstories intriguing? favorite part of the tour so far? 

13 Reasons Why || Intro + Q&A Announcement

People. pEopLe. PEOPLE. *lowkey screaming*

Is this even real?! I don't know how this day has finally arrived—but it has, somehow. Day 1 of the 13 Reasons Why blog tour is officially underway, m'friends.

As you probably already know, my friend Kaitlyn Krispense and I are both releasing books on September 10th—World Suicide Prevention Day. And along with that, we're co-hosting a dual blog tour with an emphasis on raising awareness and prevention of suicide.

Are the next thirteen days going to be extremely full? Most definitely.

Kaitlyn and I will both be posting every day, from today through the 14th. So be sure to check out her blog for the featured post, today and every other day of the tour!

Kaitlyn Krispense, Author

|| Intro to 13RW

Chances are, you're confused by the title of this blog tour. If you're at all familiar with the wording "13 Reasons Why," it's probably from the Netflix series that came out in 2017.

The one that caused a spike in teen suicide during the first month following it's release. The one that had people petitioning for it to be removed from Netflix and not brought back for a second season. Regardless, the show returned for a second season, then a third, and recently, talk of a fourth.

On the show, a high-school aged girl named Hannah records a series of tapes depicting her thirteen reasons for ending her own life. The tapes are found by a friend and classmate, following her suicide. The show is dark, depressing, and focused solely on the negative side.

But, for the 13 days of this tour, we're choosing LIFE. And we're sharing our thirteen reasons for choosing life. We'd love to have you join us, whether that's just by reading along or sharing your own reasons. We're glad you're here. <3

Having just returned to American soil from the desert sands of the Middle East, James Greene is done with his life. 'Double amputee' doesn't seem like a strong enough phrase to label the physical and emotional pain he bears. Add the lack of love and communication with his family members, the demons that haunt him day and night, and he can find nothing worth living for. Ending it all is the only way out. 

Alexandria Lorance is a not-so-ordinary physical therapist, content with aiding in her patients' recoveries. Her work gives her fulfillment, but alone in the silence, she still endures the hidden scars of a past, unhealthy relationship. Reminding herself that true healing is found in Christ alone, she seeks to show kindness and love to everyone she meets. 


When these two broken ones' paths intersect, the spark of friendship is ignited, bringing hope and joy to both. Can they step out of the darkness of suffering and into the freedom of grace? 


A Marine, broken by war. A therapist, scarred by words. A chance meeting in a parking lot bonded them together. But can love grow in these two hurting hearts? Or are they truly too broken to ever find lasting happiness?

Amazon || Goodreads || Paperback Preorder

Life without love is hopeless. 

Foster teen Cara Richards is unloved. With nothing left and nowhere to go, she is determined to find peace, no matter the cost. But despite her intentions, she’s tossed into another foster family and this time, there’s no going back to who she used to be. To make matters worse, one of her five new foster brothers is a Jesus freak, and she refuses to believe that God actually cares. 

Her world is thrown upside down in a way she never expects. Though she prides herself on a resilient heart, her mind is lost adrift among a sea of questions: Is death really the answer? Does God care about someone as unworthy as me? Can everyone truly be loved, no matter what?

Amazon || Goodreads

|| R2L (Reason to Live)

My reason to live is: friends. Working on preparations for this tour for the past few weeks and even months has made me appreciative of my friends. Friends who signed up to take part. Friends who offered to do whatever they could to help out even though they're busy with their own projects—just because they care. Friends who agreed to handle the interior design of my book, even though they barely have time. Friends who've prayed for this tour and these books as much as we have.

Today, I'm thankful for the friends God has blessed me with. <3

|| Q&A Announcement 

GUYS. I'm so excited about this one.... Kate and I are hosting a Q&A! Do you have any questions about books, publishing, or what it's like to host a dual blog tour? Now's your chance to get your answers!

>> 13RW Q&A form << 

|| Giveaway

Annnddd, of course, there's a giveaway. Because honestly, what better way to kick off a party? Three lucky winners will wrap-up the party with anywhere from a ebook copy of one of the books to paperback copies of both!

Giveaway closes midnight September 13th, winners will be announced on the 14th. International entrants are welcome, but should they win first or second place, ebooks will be substituted in place of paperbacks.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

excited for the next twelve days! 

who's counting down to release day with us?! do you have an R2L to share?  

Blog Tour Prep + End of Summer Vibes || August Recap

Hey, fam. How goes it?

I know I say this like every month, but did August F.L.Y. by or what?! Like, what happened. Seriously.

|| Work

• Work was pretty typical. We did have a few positions change, with summer employees going back to school and new people arriving on the scene. There's always good and bad sides to that sort of situation, but it's all starting to fall into place. 

printing lots of tags for new merchandise! 

• Aside from my real job, I spent two days dog-sitting/house-sitting this month. Which included falling asleep on the couch with the puppy in the floor beside me both nights. And getting like four hours sleep before going to work. 'twas great. *thumbs up*

• Another "side job" that I stumbled upon recently was helping my family roof a house. The mission trip we go on every year in June always involves roofing houses, so the #PottsFam figure that makes them professionals...or something...

|| End of Summer Vibes

• Lots of end-of-summer vibes this month! Including a lake day with the family which turned out to be loads of fun, even though we did end up trying to get four people and a bunch of stuff across the lake in two single-person kayaks...right before a thunderstorm. But we survived—clearly. xD

Since I didn't get any pictures that day, here's a few random summery pics from the last few weeks. <3

|| Random Life

• Helped plan a surprise birthday party for my boss which...turned out to be as much of a surprise for us as it was for her when she showed up 30 minutes early. xD  Anyway, it was a lot of fun though. And everyone got a good laugh out of the whole thing.

• Got to hang out with my sweet friend, Angela! While in the area, she came by to see me at work. We got to talk books and blog tours, laugh and catch-up, and pray together. It was a sweet time. <3

• Went to see Overcomer with a friend and, ummm.... If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and go see it already. It might be their best movie yet. Spoiler: I cried. A lot.

I don't think I read a single book this month?? I did read quite a bit in a book one day, picked up a few books on a sale, and got some from a friend. But other than that? *shakes head* The way things are going, I should just discard this whole section and save myself the trouble. :P

|| Update

Writing for the month of August consisted of final edits on Freedom (#YEET) and piddling in a few random WIPs when I had a few minutes to spare + had the need for word magic. After the craziness of the blog tour winds down, I'm STOKED to get back to work on Chasing a Dream. :D

|| Snippet

“That’s pretty much it…” I say, staring down at the decking boards that stretch out beneath my feet and run the length of the porch. Anything to not have to see the tears shimmering in her eyes.
She doesn’t say anything, doesn’t have to. I know how she feels. But I just needed to tell her, needed her to know.  

“I’m sorry for bringing this up now,” I say softly, when seconds turn into minutes without a word from her. “This should be a happy time for us,. Not spent dwelling on the past, but… I just needed for you to know.” 

“No.” A pause, and then her voice softens. “No… I’m glad you did.”

— random snippet, random project

|| Blog Tour Prep

• Literally spent the whole month figuring out things for the blog tour, sending and responding to emails, answering interview questions, sending review copies, organizing links, creating blog tour schedules and plans, and finalizing giveaway details.

Oh, and did I mention chugging coffee and drawing semicolons on my knee?

|| My Posts. 

|| August Goals

• Finish the final edit of Freedom.        YES.

• Send Freedom to the formatter.         YES.

• Prep for the 13 Reasons Why blog tour.            YES.

• Answer all blog tour author interview questions.      barely...

• Pre-write over half the blog tour posts.      *dies laughing* nope. I'm winging it.

• Order a proof copy of Freedom.      hehhhh, no. Soon.

• Finalize paperback preorders of Freedom.      YES! Details releasing tomorrow :D

• Anything and everything Freedom. xD           I guess?

• Probably 74 other things I'm forgetting.          Honestly, who knows....

• Sleep occasionally.         Once in awhile...?

|| September Goals

• Rock the world with the 13RW tour.

• Release Freedom.

• Mail all preorder paperback copies.

• Keep up with social media.

• Clear my inbox.

• Figure out what to do with myself once I'm not spending every waking moment freaking out over anything and everything Freedom related... xD

how was your august? are you okay with summer being over? 

who else is H.Y.P.E.D. for 13RW?!

also this <3