A Novel Idea: 07/12/16

Happy Monday everyone! How are y'all? I'm doing splendidly, thank you. :) 

I've saw this link-up bebopping around some other blogs, and I finally decided to jump into it. Since this week's prompt doesn't involve writing (as in actually writing something), this is perfect. :D 

Prompt: This week, make a collage with pictures that describe one of your characters. You can use pictures of your character or pictures that describe him/her (or both!). Have fun with this - don’t overthink it! Hopefully it’ll be a nice break from actually writing and help you learn more about your character at the same time!

First off this was a whole lot of fun. I love making collages, and I love scouring Pinterest for the perfect pictures to represent my characters. Anyway, here goes. I started out with like 30 pictures, so be glad I got it down to these... ;)

David Carnathan, main character of War Tears. 

Bethany Carnathan (David's wife), main character of War Tears

I hope you enjoyed this little peek at my darling characters. :D What do you think of the collages? 

Thanks for reading, friends! 

~Faith

Camp NaNo July ~ Week #2

And now... Another week has gone by, folks. My word count total now stands at 15,274 – 8,254 of which were written this week. :D 

I've pretty much been leaving the tag open to my Camp NaNo cabin and, at times, I've been pretty sure Gmail was considering completely kicking me out of the system. But thankfully my inbox is in much nicer order now. :) (Only 6 emails in need of my attention. *sings the hallelujah chorus*) 

Onward to the daily recap!! 

Day Eight // Friday // 947 words 

On Friday I spent the morning mixing chemicals, lost my blue pen *sniff*, and crashed into bed promptly at 12:16. XD

According to the Camp word-keeper-tracker-thing I only wrote 846 this day, because 101 of them were after midnight. Really? It didn't feel like Saturday then... (Come to think of it, it didn't feel like day at all. Or night. Just a blur of words and word counts and word wars...blah.) 

Day Nine // Saturday // 1,408

PEOPLE THIS IS MY ALL TIME HIGH WORD COUNT FOR ALL OF CAMP NANO THUS FAR. *deep breath* I AM EXCITED JUST A LITTLE OKAY. 

Aside from finding the MIA blue pen, I really don't remember what I did Saturday... But, obviously, I wrote a lot. :P 

Pardon all the tear-jerkers. It's story related... *sniffs* 

Day Ten // Sunday // 938

Sunday...ahhh, what a blur. It went like this – church, lunch, visiting my uncle and grandmother, meetings at the church for Mom and Dad (which meant me sitting in the car aimlessly browsing Pinterest. hehe), church again, and home. 

How to study 1940s style. Hehe, looks like me. ;) 

Day Eleven // Monday // 623

*looks at word count in utter disgust* 

Not even half way through and I've got the Camp NaNo blues, as my cabinmate called it. My brain no longer functions correctly (or did it ever?), my story seems stupider by the minute, and I just need a shoulder to cry on. *sniffs* 

Day Twelve // Tuesday // 1,497

I know what you're thinking "those blues didn't last long!" And you would be right, thank heavens. My writer's block seemed to wear off throughout Tuesday, and by 10:30ish I was so pleased to discover I had... BROKEN MY ALL-TIME CAMP HIGH! *shrieks* Looking back, I should've written three more words so I could say "oh, sure, I can write fifteen-hundred a day". XD 

This is also the day I revealed to my characters the art of button-punching. What's button-punching you ask? This is button pinching... 

*types furiously* 

Abshabfisbiajkaindibisbcihd. 

Get it? Typing! (Did I get you all hyped over nothing? Sowwwy.) 

This is where we will pause to admire my first ever wheel-throw lidded jar. I'm so tickled with it. ^_^ (Just because it happened on Tuesday. Pardon my inconsistency here.) 

Day Thirteen // Wednesday // 1,043

I assisted in a kid's class Wednesday morning at the art center, and we had church that evening. :) 

Alllllssoooo. This gorgeous book arrived in the mail. :) Isn't it beautiful?? I absolutely adore the lightning in the background and through the wording. ^^

Day Fourteen // Thursday // 1,798

YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT ALMOST 1.8K WORDS IN ONE DAY. *shrieks* THIS IS MY BESTEST EVER, PEOPLES. 

*cough* 

*is now hoarse from all the screaming* 

I really wanted to reach 15k, my halfway point, this week. When I realized that would mean breaking my word count high again (because I didn't stick with this goal very well until here...), I wasn't sure it would happen. But...it did. *grins* 

LOOKIE, FRIENDS! I'm over where I'm supposed to be!!! :D 

So. Since I've been working at this novel for awhile now, squealing about it for the past two weeks, and have only offered the synopsis (on my Writings page) for the world to view... Anyone interested in glimpsing a snippet of my novel? Was that a yes? 

  America was now a country at war. And a country at war meant men called up to fight, to serve, to do their duty as loyalty-bound citizens. It meant him being called away from his home and family to defend those he loved, to defend his country and everything she stood for. 

  In that moment, he knew. Knew that even if he wasn't drafted, he would go. It was his duty as an American to defend the homeland, and it was his duty as a Christian to defend God’s people. 

What do ya think? :D 

^*^*^*^*^ 

Here's a little trivia I learned this week that y'all might enjoy knowing. But...you're going to have to guess at it. ;) And I'll let you know the answer in my next post. Please don't look it up, at least until after you place your vote in the comments. :P 

When was Nutella first created? 

A) the 1990s

B) the 1940s 

C) in the past ten years 

D) none of the above (explain in the comments). 

I hope you enjoyed the recap! How's your week been? Have a great day, my dear readers! :) 

~Faith

The Old River Road Blog Tour // Book Review

I'm so pleased to be part of Ivy Rose's blog tour today for her novel, The Old River Road!! :D 

Meet Ivy Rose and her debut novel, The Old River Road. This book is the first in a series of a yet-to-be-determined number of books based on the lives of the author’s ancestors. Written in a style similar to that of Janette Oke and Laura Ingalls Wilder, this is a story you won’t want to miss.

Summary... 

1885

When seventeen-year-old Clara Boutwell married her dashing coworker, William McDonald, she was convinced her life was near perfect. The journey before them as newlyweds in the great city of Chicago was promising and exciting. But a frightening disease soon takes William in its grip, forcing them to the clean air of the western frontier in a desperate attempt to save his life. But pioneering doesn’t prove to be easy, with miles between neighbors instead of fences. On the eastern Washington prairies, the McDonalds face hardships and trials in a new world where everything is tested, from physical endurance to emotional strength—down to their relationship and faith in the Lord.

This novel tells the incredible true story of Clara and William, the great-great grandparents of the author, in a sweet narrative full of laughter, tears, and the struggles of an early pioneering family. Prepare yourself to share in their experience as you read this account of a pioneer family in Washington state, and see their lasting legacy that has endured into the fifth generation.

Review... 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars 

Ahhhh, I just love this book so much!!! :D Seeing as how I read an e-ARC I will certainly be buying a hard copy as soon as possible. :) 

I feel like I should start this review by commenting on the whimsical beauty of this book. Because it truly is a beautiful story. <3 I have seen in other reviews where it was mentioned that the book had a Laura Ingalls Wilder or Janette Oke feel, and I agree. Though The Old River Road isn't third-person (as are the Little House books) and doesn't have multiple POVs (as do many of Janette Oke's books) it does have the feel of older literature. Which I absolutely loved. ^_^ 

I was super thrilled to realize this book is based on the true story of the author's great-great-grandparents – making the story all the more real to me. Clara and William were such a sweet couple!! I loved reading their story – through their courtship, marriage, and a life of trials and triumphs. So sweet and heartwarming. 

It was simple and sweet (sometimes funny!), never heart-pounding or suspenseful, yet I found myself having a hard time putting it down. A beautiful story of love. Not a romance-y, kisses and butterflies story, but a story of deep, beautiful love that lasts when other things may fail. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I can't recommend it enough. I look forward to reading more by this talented young author. :) 

Quotes. 

“Your hand is shaking.” ... "That always happens when I’m nervous.” “Are you nervous now?” “No, just excited, but my hands don’t know the difference.”

“A man can’t even kiss his own wife in this blasted city without being gawked at.” 

Or maybe, it was because she was gaining a deeper understanding that how no matter how difficult life got, no matter how hopeless it appeared, God always had a reason bigger than anything she could imagine.

**I received an e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.**

Available now in paperback and ebook on Amazon. 

Or add it on Goodreads. 

About the Author... 

Ivy Rose is an 18 year old history lover and literary enthusiast. Aside from writing, she enjoys being outdoors, chocolate, travelling, reading, and ATVing (preferably if there is mud involved). She resides with her family of 9 on the banks of the Long Lake in eastern Washington.

You can connect with Ivy via her blog, Goodreads, and Pinterest. 

Giveaway... 

The Old River Road Prize Pack International Prize

Blog Tour Schedule... 

Friday, July 8th (release day!)

Emily  — Review, Spotlight

Jesseca Wheaton — Review, Interview

Saturday, July 9th

Olivia K. Fisher  — Interview, Spotlight

Faith Blum  — Review, Interview, Spotlight

Hannah E.  — Review, Interview

Monday, July 11th

Faith Potts  – Review

Rebecca Morgan  — Review, Interview

Tuesday, July 12th

Abigayle Ellison  — Review, Spotlight

Kenzi Knapp  – Review, Interview

Hosanna Emily  — Review, Interview

Wednesday, July 13th

Blessing Counter  — Interview

Victoria Minks  — Review, Spotlight

Thursday, July 14th

Deborah C.  — Review, Spotlight

Anna S. Brie  — Review

Leona G. — Review, Interview

Friday, July 15th

Hope Ann — Review, Interview

Amanda Tero — Review, Interview

Anika Joy – Review, Interview

Camp NaNo July ~ Week #1

Well, it's been a week. A week of late nights, scrambling days, and brainstorming in all the the free seconds. In the first seven days of Camp NaNo I have been successful in getting behind on my emails, falling behind in my reading, going to bed late and getting up late, and...*surprise* writing 7,020 words! :D So that's really all that matters for now, huh? 

I know you're all dying to know how it's going. (Kidding, kidding. For all I know you couldn't care less.) *cough* Let's do this thing. 

Day One // Friday // 1,000 words 

On Friday, the first day of Camp NaNo, I worked at the art center until lunch. Then, that afternoon we went swimming. :) But I still managed to write 1,000 words and get some reading done. :D 

Day Two // Saturday // 1,286 words 

Saturday was a nice slow day. Despite the fact that Google Docs. was giving me a run-around, I managed to write extra. Day two and I was pretty confident that I could do this. Maybe too confident. 

--Google 

I'm randomly pulling out pictures that were taken/saved on each day. ;P 

Day Three // Sunday // 591 

Sunday means church here at the preacher's house. After church we went out to lunch with friends and visited my grandmother. There was no PM service for Independence Day, but we still didn't get home until 4:00ish. :P 

I wrote some but really wasn't in the mood. Instead, Mom and I watched a movie that had came recommended from a friend. 

--Google 

How had I not seen this beauty before, people?! Epic. That's all I can stay. Utterly epic. I've been singing My Favorite Things and that Do-Ray-Me-Far-So-La-Te tune for daaaaayyyyss. :P 

Day Four // Monday // 1,193 

Monday. Monday was the fourth. Hooray!!! *sets off fireworks in the background* Actually our celebration wasn't that...spectacular. ;) We had a nice, quiet (welll, as quiet as this family is capable of being outside of a funeral, anyways) day here at home, and then grilled hamburgers and hotdogs that evening. :D

This was also the day that I discovered what disarray my writing space had fallen into in just a few short days. I mean, check out that picture (conveniently taken just before I decided to help the clutter). It's a wreck. But I did tidy it up, and it's much more orderly now. ;) 

Day Five // Tuesday // 672

Tuesday morning I worked at the Art center again. Then I stayed late and did my own thing around the studio until Mom and Dad came by to get me about 2:30. 

Then we went home. I picked flowers. Took pictures. Wrote a blog post. And fell behind in my writing. -_- 

The porch is officially my new favorite picture-taking location. XD 

Day Six // Wednesday // 1,276

Wednesday was a really good day. This was the day I fell in love with the amazing art of word wars. (People, I wrote 362 words in 15 minutes!! #firsttimeever) My cabinmates are seriously the bestest. *group hug* I stayed up late Wednesday night (after church) writing. :P 

--Pinterest 

Day Seven // Thursday // 1,002

A full week into this thing! I'm actually one day ahead (as in, if I keep writing like this I'll finish on the 30th. :D) so that's cool. I actually did some email/blog stuff this evening too. ;) 

I was on the porch writing last night and...this suddenly happens. Darkness falls! With the storm clouds, you could literally see it getting darker... O.O

Earlier I was freaking out because I couldn't find this list I'd made months ago of all the characters in War Tears with their first and last names. (I'm really bad to forget their last names and then have to refer to them as 'Mr.IDK'. It's awkward.) After I found it (finally!) I decided that I didn't like the last name I'd given a certain character. So I changed it. I was going to name him Joshua Harris, but then I remembered that that's an author. (It was one of those 'so that's why it sounds so familiar' moments. XD) And I also have another character with the last name of Harris, so that wouldn't work. In the end, I chose a super cool, highly unusual last name for him...which shall not be revealed until a later date. B-)

*awkward silence* 

*faith coughing*  

Anyway. 

I hope y'all enjoyed this look into my first week of Camp NaNo. :D If this post is enjoyed, I'll be doing another each Friday. 

Blessings, my friends! I got a million things to do and breakfast to eat before I leave for work in 48 minutes. (Who's counting?) Have a great day! :) 

~Faith 

By The Book // Tag

Hey everyone! Tag time again. :P 

Emily from For the Bookish tagged be for the By the Book Tag! :|D (Okay, that was originally an accident in typing, but *gasp* It's a smiley with a mustache!!! *does the hair-over-nose-mustache-trick*) 

What book is on your nightstand now? 

Several books could fall under that... We'll just say Cherish by Vicki Courtney and From this Moment by Elizabeth Camden, both of which I'm currently reading. :) There will be reviews coming of both of these, so keep an eye out for that! ^_^

Check out the Fourth of July toes...hehehe. XD 

What was the last truly great book you read? 

I would have to say Julia's Last Hope by Janette Oke, which me and this dear girl just finished reading. Super good. :) 

If you could meet any writer - dead or alive - who would it be? And what would you want to know? 

Oh, dear. 

Okay, for dead I would say John (Bible book author, here). I would want to know what it was like to know Christ, physically. To actually have touched him. Can you imagine?? 

And for alive...hmm... (Do you really want a list?) Susan Marlow, Janette Oke, Wanda Brunstetter, Sarah Sundin, Rachel Coker,... And from all of them I would want to know about their writing process and their advice for young authors. :) 

What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves? 

Surprised?? Hmm... Possibly the first (The Boxcar Children) and twentieth (The Haunted Cabin Mystery) books in the Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner. I used to really like reading about Henry, Jessie, Violet, and little Benny. So when I spotted these at a homeschool book sale, I just had to have them. :D 

How do you organize your personal library? 

Except for a couple of books, I organize mine by authors last name. Just like a real library. :) 

On this side (excluding the top shelf which is a scrapbook, notebooks, etc.) I have Ab-Ma. Then my scrapbooking supplies and DVDs are in the crates on the bottom. :) 

Here I have Ma-Wu, along with some bigger books (stacked on the bottom left) and scrapbooks. My AG boxes are below it all. :) 

What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around yet? 

Princess Adelina by Julie Sutter. I've had this book for a looong time and haven't read it yet. :( But I really do want to...just look at the beyond gorgeous cover (and it's hardback, people. Somebody catch me!). *flails* 

Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read? 

Embarrassed? Um, maybe The Chronicles of Narnia? It's like  "oh, you're homeschooled. Oh, you're a Christian. What do you think of C.S. Lewis' books?" Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration... XD But I do think they have gorgeous covers. Especially these full-color collectors edition. :) 

Disappointing, overrated, just not good: what book did you feel you are supposed to like but didn’t? 

Maybe The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien?  

Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing? 

The Magican's Nephew by C.S. Lewis, Kinship by Trudy Krisher, and Under the Sweetwater Rim by Louis L'amour are three books I've put down recently without finishing. I'll probably try them again sometime. ;) 

What kind of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of? 

I LOVE historical fictions. Preferably WWII or Civil War, but all history is good. :) I usually steer clear of magic in books. 

If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be? 

The Bible, God's Holy Word. 

What do you plan to read next?

Jonas and Olivia by Victoria Minks (ARC for the blog tour) and The Silent Blade by Jesseca Wheaton (re-reading for the blog tour) are two books I'm about to read! :D 

And I tag... 

Emily

RebekahAshleigh

Raechel

~*~*~ 

I hope y'all enjoyed this post! :D I didn't hit my word count goal yesterday, and I've written nothing but a blog post yet this morning, so I'd better scoot. Chores and writing are calling my name. *sigh* 

~Faith

P.S. Don't forget to check out Rebekah's 200th post. It includes a giveaway, peoples!!! XD 

It's Summertime // June Recap

Hey all! It's that time again -- for a monthly wrap-up post. They're going up all over the blogosphere, so I guess I'd better hop into this. :P 

Honestly, I can NOT believe it's already July. It just doesn't seem possible. Wasn't it May last week? Or, better yet, January? XD 

** Life 

Alrighty, here's what's been happenin' lately! 

-- My family and I went camping for four glorious days and...ahhhh. It was blissful. :) I lazily lounged in the hammock, read several books, rode my bike, and waded in the creek. :) And of course I took pictures! ;) 

That's my...toes. :P 

-- I discussed why it would or would not be a good thing if a Certain Character cleaned a Certain Person's carpet... (This was being talked about after 11. Give me some slack.) 

-- I went swimming at least a couple of days a week (or close enough). Which means lots of bloodshot eyes and icky hair from the chlorine. XD Ha! 

-- Sweet doggies! 

The 'I'm-sleeping-leave-me-alone' pose. 

I'm not even sure what is happening here. But for awhile it sounded like he couldn't breath very well. :P 

-- I entered the adult working world! (Details on that HERE.) 

A piece of my pottery that I just had to share. :) 

-- Our church had vacation Bible school last week so that was fun. :) Tiring, but fun. xD  

-- I laughed really hard over this... ;) 

** Writing 

This month my writing totally rocked, people. I wrote....wait for it... 12,484 WORDS!!! :D That's the most I've ever written in one month. :) (About to be outdone hopefully, because I'm doing Camp NaNo for July. *hyperventilates*) 

6,780 of those adorable little word-ies were in War Tears, my main WIP. 

Aside from War Tears, I wrote hither and thither in seven other projects. ;) Including some post-War Tears stuff... ;) 

Also, today is the first day of Camp NaNoWriMo July. I'm a camper (haha!) and my goal is 30,000 words -- triple my all-time monthly high until June. So if I'm not around the blogging world much this month,...that's why. I'm tucked away in a dark corner somewhere typing my fingers to nubs. Literally. 

Also, I'm going to try and do weekly updates of how my writing is going...if y'all would enjoy that? Let me know. :) 

** Books 

The books I read/completed this month come to a grand total of 8. Whoop-di-do, that's pathetic compared to other months. :P The books and ratings are... 

Debt of Mercy by Amanda Tero -- 5 stars 

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien -- 3.5 stars -- Review HERE. 

The Winds of Autumn by Janette Oke -- 5 stars 

Heaven's Jubilee and other short stories by Faith Blum -- 4 stars -- Review HERE. 

Ruth -- 5 stars 

The Innocent by Willowy Whisper -- 5 stars -- Review HERE. 

The Old River Road by Ivy Rose -- 5 stars -- Review to come. 

The 1940s Decade in Photos: A World at War -- 3 stars 

I would have to say The Old River Road was my favorite. <3 Since I was an advanced reader, I will be buying a 'real' copy as soon as its released. :) 

Well, surprises of surprises. I only got one new book this month! O.O  That must be some sort of record for me... 

Anyway, the book is From this Moment by Elizabeth Camden, a review book from Bethany House so y'all will be hearing more about that one soon. ;) 

** Music. 

I listened to a lot of stuff this month. A lot. The songs that played on repeat (I'm dead serious) were/are... 

Diamonds ~ Hawk Nelson 

The Words I Would Say ~ Sidewalk Prophets 

Words ~ Hawk Nelson 

Jesus, Friend of Sinners ~ Casting Crowns 

In Christ Alone ~ Owl City

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing ~ Owl City

More ~ Matthew West

Where I Belong ~ Building 429

You Lead ~ Jamie Grace 

You Are I Am ~ MercyMe 

King of Love ~ I Am They 

Lift My Life Up ~ Unspoken 

Keep Making Me ~ Sidewalk Prophets 

This is Not Goodbye ~ Sidewalk Prophets 

What You Want ~ Tenth Avenue North 

Beloved ~ Tenth Avenue North 

Free To Be Me ~ Francesca Battistelli 

For Freedom ~ Avalon

Glorious Day ~ Casting Crowns 

Cinderella ~ Steven Curtis Chapman 

No Longer Slaves ~ Bethel Music 

Sound of the Saints ~ Audio Adrenaline 

See what I mean?? XD I'm expecting to listen to a lot of stuff this month too, because... writing = need for inspiration = music and movies. ;) 

** Blogging. 

Okay, so this month I'm linking to a lot of cool stuff. I actually kept track of my favorite of the awesome posts this month, so you may thank me with chocolate. Or caramel. Or gummies. I'm not picky. XD 

First off, there were some great D-Day posts at the beginning of the month. Namely... 

Jesseca Dawn @ Whimsical Writings -- D-Day: June 6th, 1944 

Emily Putzke @ Taking Dictation -- 6.06.44

Jonathan Trout's post on spiritual journaling was super inspiring to me. ^_^ --  The Benefits of a Spiritual Journal

Lauren Stoner's meditation post on enduring temptations was positively amazing -- Blessed is the Man That Endureth Temptation 

Rebekah Eddy's poem, Lady Wisdom, was so, so wonderful. :) 

Leah Good's post, A Light in the Darkness, with none other than Miss Brandi Faythe, was just...wow. <3 

Katie Grace's post on powerful writing nearly brought me to tears... -- Being a Writer is Powerful. 

Emily Putzke's beautiful short story, entitled Firefly. Considering the name, how could I not love it?? ;P 

And lastly, Shantelle's thoughts, shared in Dear Future Husband, is something that I think all girls (and guys!) should read and take to heart. :) 

** Goals. 

Last month my goals were... 

-- Read/finish at least 7 books.   //     Read 8!! 

-- Tackle this hunormous stack of research books.    //    Didn't exactly happen...but I feel like I've did a sufficient amount of research to tackle the first draft in its entirety. :D 

-- Write 100+ words everyday.        //         Except for a day or two...yep! 

And this month my goals are... 

-- Write 30,000 words in War Tears. 

-- Read/finish at least 8 books. 

-- Make curtains for my room. :) 

~*~*~* 

Well, I guess that wraps it up! :) Okay, y'all know the routine. Have you read the books? Heard the songs? How was your June? What are you doing for the 4th? :D 

Later, 

~Faith