FREEDOM || blog tour signups + ARCs

The time has come, my friends...

Blog tour signups for the long-talked-about, much-loved (at least by me), long-awaited Freedom are HERE!

Even better than that? I'm joining my friend Kaitlyn in the release of her debut novel, Beloved. Utilizing the time, talents, and platform the Lord has given us, we're using this opportunity to speak out against suicide for the 13 days the tour will run.

Why 13 days? Netflix released a series in 2017 known as 13 Reasons Why. There has been much debate over the series—some find it triggering and have even gone through with their own suicide, while others argue that it promotes awareness of mental health. A girl on the show recorded tapes of the 13 reasons why she was committing suicide, and left them for family and friends to listen to following her death. But we believe that anything glorifying the taking of God-given life is in err.

So I present to you: the 13 Reasons Why Blog Tour. 13 days of choosing LIFE. 13 days filled with reasons to stay. Spotlighting two new releases that delve deep into the rough truths and murky darkness that shrouds this life-taking epidemic.

And since the tour will be open to participants for eleven of those thirteen days... now's your chance to join in!

|| Blog Tour

|| ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies)

are you signing up? are you as excited about the tour as we are? 

Mission Trip + Birthday Bash || June Recap

Yes, that says June. Yes, I realize this is two days shy of being a month late. Am I back to a consistent schedule? No, but I'm back for right now. Am I promising I'll do better? No, but I'll try. I could make up a bunch of excuses, but I'm basically just a procrastinator who needed some time after a trip the last week of June. And is still trying to get things re-aligned. :P

All that to say...this may be boring and lame, but I didn't want to break my trend of doing a recap every month. And I didn't rly wanna combine it with July, because they felt like distinctly different months. For some reason. xD

So hey there, friend! Please—forgive me for disappearing. And prepare yourself for a photo dump. Also let's talk and catch-up in the comments. :D

|| Random

• Work, work, work...and did I mention work?  Okay, seriously, I'm not complaining. At all. But sometimes I feel like I spend 60 hours a week in a checkered uniform shirt. xD

• I also spent a lot of time camped out at the library—hoping for a spot by an outlet, wearing a hoodie, chugging coffee, taking up a whole table with my notebooks and planner and schedule and editing notes and...such—because our internet at home has been iffy.

• When your bro comes by where you work...and as he's leaving, you realize that his means of transportation is farm equipment. 

take a look at dat plow boy

|| SOS = Servants on Site

My family and a group from our church participated in the same mission trip/group ministry that we've did for the past few summers. It was an absolute blast, and as good and powerful and life-changing as always. <3

in the chow line ;)

SOS 2019 theme

my work crew!

posing in Smithfield's

that sky tho

hauling home ALLL the dirty clothes...

group scavenger hunt on Thursday night :D

girl time!

my pretty mama <3

I read like one book (A Letter to the One by Abby Rose Nichols) during the month of June...which might have been even worse than May, actually—can't remember. I did acquire several books. Including The Broken Prince by Kara Linaburg which I'm super excited to read sometime! Hopefully soon. :D

(Told you this would be lame and boring.)

|| Freedom Update

Freedom is coming along quite nicely! The lovely Abi Claire finished edits while I was away from home, so as soon as I finish sorting and applying those, the next step is formatting!

Meanwhile, there's a lot of blog tour prep going on behind the scenes. Ya know those situations where you have wayyyy to much to text someone so you call them? That's me and my bestie trying to plan this thing out. It's so crazy—in a good way. xD

Speaking of the blog tour, the lovely Kate and I will be opening the signup form tomorrow! How exciting is that? We'll be sharing an ARC option as well, for anyone who wants to help out but doesn't have a blog and/or just likes to review. ;D

Also, if you're someone who likes for Kindle books to be downloaded directly to their device on the day of release... Freedom is available for preorder!

|| Snippet 

Goodbyes said, I pocket my phone and, foreseeing the opportunity, step ahead to hold the door for the older couple.  

The lady’s eyes lock on mine as she nears. “Was that your girl on the phone?”  

My girl? I can’t help grinning. “Well… she was once.”  

“I hope you’re doing whatever you need to to get her back.”  

“Edna!”

* 

“I could lie and say I hoard phone numbers.”  

The elevator door opens, revealing the walkway to the front doors of the trauma center entrance. I motion for the other couple to exit first and then follow, falling in step a pace behind them over the crosswalk.  

“But that would be a lie. You’re one Lysol can shy of a clean freak.” 

|| Favorite Posts

The Danger of Writing << Ink Blots and Coffee Stains

Waiting for Nothing << The Storybook Journal

|| My Posts

|| Dandelion Dust: Birthday Bash

• For those who missed it or didn't realize something was going on, I hosted a birthday bash for Dandelion Dust in June, since June 30th was the 2nd anniversary of the book's release. Many other bloggers and friends in the community helped spread the dandelion love, shared about the book-birthday, and talked about my books on social media!

>> Abigail Harris did an amazing week-long author spotlight. Which was super sweet and a fabulous idea! Give her posts a read.

One ~ Two ~ Three ~ Four ~ Five ~ Six ~ Seven

>> Julia @ Lit Aflame and Liz @ Home with the Hummingbirds and Molly @ Qadash - Set Apart, for Him each did a fantabulous interview!  

>> Brooklyne @ Showers of Blessing — This girl's photoshoot, y'all! I am totally in love. *heart eyes* 

>> And let's not forget the epic peeps on Instagram! So many lovely bookstagram pictures. <3  I felt so loved-on. ^_^

• The Kindle ebook was free on the 30th...and I expected *some* downloads. I was thinking, maybe 50-60 at the very maximum. Guys... we topped out with 576 free ebook downloads of Dandelion Dust.

FIVE.HUNDRED.AND.SEVENTY.SIX.

I'm greatly indebted to and appreciative of y'all for spreading the word! I did very little to promote the free day, and the bash in general, so I was absolutely blown away by that number. Wow, y'all. God is good. <3

• I have some DD bookmarks and postcards left over from the party. If anyone would like a couple, shoot me a message or email with your mailing address and I'll send you a few to keep or share with friends. :)

|| June Goals

• Send Freedom to my editor.      YES!

• Celebrate the 2nd book-birthday of Dandelion Dust.         YES! 

• Go on our annual in-country missions trip with the church gang.       YES! 

• Blog weekly.     No-ish?? 

• Read 4 books.      Not quite.... *ahem*

• Resume staying alive.    So it would seem. 

|| July Goals 

• Considering the date, I'm not going to post July goals...because it would sorta kinda probably be cheating to list things I've already did and/or will finish in the next, like, two days. So check back soon for my July recap + August goals. :P 

how was your June? anything exciting happen/happening/happened over the course of your summer? 

Happy Birthday, Dandelion Dust || Amazon Release + Bash

Happy Monday, lovely readers!

(I actually don't know whether it's a happy Monday or not, as I'm writing this up on Sunday night because I'll be at work by the time it goes live...but that's irrelevant, yes?)

I'm here today with a super-fabulous announcement. One that I've been wanting to make for awhile, even promised once or twice, but lack of time and some technical issues prolonged the process.

Nevertheless, we (me and my amazing cover designer, who deserves all the credit for the beauty you're about to feast your little eyeballs on) persevered. And today I get to divulge to you all my little bookish secret.

The slightly-updated, muchly-beautified, hold-in-your-hand-able paperback version of my debut novella, Dandelion Dust, is now available on Amazon!

It's been a crazy ride to get to this point—five proof copies ordered before a perfect one arrived, if that tells you anything. But it's here now, and I'm super thrilled. It's not really a second edition, because the actual story hasn't been altered at all, but the back cover has been updated. And I adore it! <3

pardon the ugly watermark, but... *heart eyes*

Annndd a clearer look. <33

Amazon: Paperback

~*~

Okay, okay, moving on. Announcement number two.

In celebration of the Amazon release which happened this week and the second anniversary of the original release in less than a month, I'm hosting a birthday bash!

What is a birthday bash? Good question. In this instance, it means three weeks of celebrating two years of Dandelion Dust. It means sharing and re-sharing anything and everything related to this book.

I'd been trying to come up with more ways to a) spread the word about my books, and b) gain more reviews, while c) connecting with my amazing readers. <3  And this is what I came up with, so hopefully it will be as much fun for you as it will be for me!

There's lots of opportunities to join in on the fun and win some great prizes. There are a number of things you can do to help me out and be earning "party points" toward prizes—from reviewing, to hosting author interviews, to sharing on social media. Prize options include book-related mail, access to unpublished books and stories, signed print copies, gift cards—and more!

Anyone and everyone is welcome to join. I won't be sharing all the specific information here on the blog (like how to obtain points and how many points you need to reach each prize bracket), so drop your name in the form and I'll get all the details out to you!

So, basically, it's an interactive celebration of my book baby's second birthday. Three weeks to collect points. Prizes awarded depending on the amount of points obtained.

(Points can be earned from the time you join the team through June 30th, 2019. Prizes will be mailed/emailed by July 12th.)

Any questions? Let me know! Let's explode the web with dandelion love!

Join the team!

do you celebrate bookish birthdays? thoughts on the new back cover? who else is excited for the bash? 

If My Characters were Actors || The Broken Prince by Kara Linaburg || Guest Post

(I have a special treat today, a guest post from Kara of Beautifully Broken fame!) 

I was told to write about ANYTHING about The Broken Prince.
Anything.
WOW.
That's hard.
Really hard.
Basically that's like asking me my favorite Switchfoot song -- choosing just one thing is simply not going to happen without a lot of thought (hence why I am writing this a month in advance).

Oh, hi there. I'm Kara Lynn -- the author of my first published novel The Broken Prince, a YA (light) fantasy novel. I love to travel, spontaneous road trips, deep conversations, interacting with fellow humans, and helping people find beauty in their brokenness. I'm twenty years old but being an old soul, I feel at least twenty five.

This is my book -- I'm a bit in love with the cover honestly...a bit biased I'm sure, but I think every author should love her cover and not be ashamed of it.
The Broken Prince is based in a country where those with magical-like powers are outcasts and the king rules his folk with an iron fist. My heroine must choose whether to allow the labels of her birth and Gift to define her, or step out and fight the darkness threatening her and those she loves.
 If you will, please scroll to meet my characters that are more real than any fictional human should be and made this story possible...

Alexander Vlahos in Merlin BBC TV series (aka Milosh)

Alexander Vlahos is probably the character closest to my hero and prince, Milosh. He is what I imagined when writing over the last few years even before I had seen the show. He did an incredible job with Mordred in Merlin, showing both a deep vulnerability and longing to belong. However, those eyes could often turn to quick rage, not unlike my own hero.
BUT then, my sister ruined this image and showed me....

Henry Cavill.

Okay.
He wins. Milosh, he is.

Holliday Grainger (the closest person I could get to Serena)

Serena is my heroine and the story stays based from her point of view. Most female characters tend to get the stereotype as kick-butt characters, and I didn't want that completely from Serena. I imagine her with a quiet soul that can become like the fire that can pour from her hands. She is dangerous (I'll grant you that!), but I do not think she can comprehend how dangerous or how much potential she has. She has spent her life hiding her Gift, living fear of who she is because of what society has told her.

Breton Thwaites as Hunter, Serena's brother

Hands down, a younger version of Brenton Thwaites. I enjoyed him in The Giver, and Hunter is around the age Jonas would have been in the movie. Hunter is Serena's young brother and they have become each other's protector in the dark times that have fallen in Sindaleer.

Lara Pulver as Enid, my villain 

Lara Pulver is my sorceress hands-down. I thought of her instantly when I created the character after watching Robin Hood BBC and again in Sherlock. My sorceress Enid, is out for revenge against the evil king who just so happens to be Milosh's father. She's a Gifted with born-powers that she's twisted to become dark and evil.

Presenting Stephan Baldwin as Elston

It took me a bit to imagine which actor would be my beloved and mischievous Elston, but basically I think I could say I see him as a much younger Stephan Baldwin -- think The Young Riders if you've had the fortune of seeing that western (I'm dorky, I know...).
Elston is...well...he's a lot of fun and I imagine he was a handful as a child. I want you to experience this human  character in person so I won't give too much away, but he loves to stir up a heck of a lot of trouble if he wants to.

In conclusion, you have officially met my beautiful creations. Putting a face with the name is always so fun, and I hope you have enjoyed reading these rambles by a stranger who has hacked borrowed Faith's blog for a day.
I would love to meet you -- I blog over at my own blog Beautifully Broken, where I write rambles weekly. You can also add The Broken Prince on Goodreads here, pre-order an e-book copy of my baby here, or just simply say hi in the comments below. Whichever way you choose, I am always up for making new friends. Next to watching the sun set, this is one of my favorite things to do.
Thank you for putting up with me intruding on the blog.
Have a blessed week, readers!

If you combined Lucy Ricardo, Jo March, and Tonks...you would have Kara. Queen of awkward, writer before she could properly spell, and maker of imaginary humans, she is passionate about creating characters that display beauty in brokenness.

Kara took to blogging as a teenager, words soon becoming one of her greatest passions. When she’s not being a mad scientist in the kitchen or daydreaming about her next adventure, she loves to connect with readers. She lives in West Virginia where country roads always take her home.

You can feel free to stalk her blog www.thebeautifullybrokenblog.com where she rambles weekly.

Social media: @karalynnauthor

Blog: Beautifully Broken Blog

E-mail: authorkaralynn@gmail.com

Freedom + Beloved || Cover Reveal

Y'all... Y'all...

It's here. The time has come. I get to share my A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. cover of my HOPEFULLY-AMAZING book with the world! *literal shrieking in the background because Faith is losing her grip on sanity* 

Okay, okay, I won't make y'all wait around forever. Here's the cover. Just feast yo' eyes on that heck of epic. :D 

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? 

As you all already know, I'm co-releasing this book in September with my friend Kaitlyn and her book, Beloved. Today is her cover reveal as well, so stick around to the end of the post for a link to see her beautifulness! Did I mention Kate designed both covers? *heart eyes*

Also... Because Kate and I are amazing human beings with ginormous bank accounts and plenty of free time on our hands (yes, both are lies, in case the sarcasm didn't translate), we ordered early proofs of the not-final books to test out the covers. So, not only is this a reveal of the front cover of the book, but you get to see the back cover, spine, and interior too. And we get to hold the books in our hands a few months early!

I'll be posting pics on social media throughout the day, and I'll add any new ones here as well. :D

*happy sigh* I love it so much. I'm literally at the point where, the more I look at it, the deeper I fall in love. 

(Also, I need to quit spending money on things like, ya know, book covers so that I can pay for counseling. But that's neither here nor there.) 

Head on over to Kaitlyn's blog to see the amazing cover of Beloved! 

So many amazing peeps—some who are fellow authors themselves—are joining us in this reveal. Be sure to check out their posts and share some love!

Kara  ~  Isabel  ~  Molly Anne  ~  Anita  ~  Kaylee

Lily  ~  Neey  ~  Victoria  ~  Rebekah Ashleigh  ~  Angela

Izzy  ~  Kaitlyn S.  ~  Shine  ~  Faith Blum  ~  Merie 

Kassie ~ Rose  ~  Rebekah Morris  ~  Abigail  ~  Elizabeth

And follow the cover reveal hashtag on social media to see everyone's cover reveal flailings and the lovely quote graphics of each book! :D

#FreedomBelovedReveal

coming in September! Sign-ups open next month. <3

opinions on the cover(s)? are you as hyped about the book release as we are? 

Summer Feels + Concert || May Recap

Recap of the month? Ohhh, right. That thing I wrote, like, three days ago for April. And it's already time to write May's. Makes perfect sense.

(Except not.)

|| Summer Feels

So, y'all, summer has found my Carolina mountains and I LOVE it. Between living the Jeep life (is there anything better than a drive on a curvy road with the top off??), flouncing around in a sundress, and attempting to get a tan...

*happy sigh*

Summer weather + summer clothes? #yesplease <3

|| Randomness

• At work, between lifting/toting/unstacking/restacking 62,964 cases of soft drinks and scooping some incredibly hard chocolate ice cream, this summer is gonna give me some dope arm muscles.

• I went to my first ever country music concert! And Trace Adkins was lit.

• Family friends who live a few hours away visited over Memorial Day weekend, so seeing this was as amazing as always, of course. <3

random picture because the youth group is in charge of the church sign
and I was pretty proud of this caption.... xD

• One week, on my day off, I went shopping with the Mom. Which meant weird bathroom selfies and buying summery clothes and crashing on the couch in World Market.

 • THIS conversation one night with the Dad and the Bro at a home improvement store...

Tucker: *changing his shirt in a parking lot to load fence posts*
Me: *watching from the truck* you’re probably on camera.
Tucker: Hey, this is ‘merica. We don’t wear clothes. Right, Dad?
Dad:......what?

Okay, so, umm... I honestly considered leaving this section out all together, but then I figured someone would ask, so here it is.

Why? Because I literally read no books this month. None. Nada. Zero. Zilch. Sadness. I just... haven't had much free time on my hands. I'm hoping to have some unoccupied time in my schedule the next few weeks, though, so hopefully... :D  Me needs a good book. 

Oh, and I did buy a book this month (A Question of Loyalty by Jesseca Wheaton) and grabbed another from the library one day. So I had good intentions!

|| Update 

*weeps because aside from not reading much I haven't written much either* Other than dabbling in a few short stories and, of course, Chasing a Dream, I hardly wrote at all this month. There's been plenty of other things going on, though, so maybe that excuses me...? ;)

But—I am doing the Go Teen Writer's 100-for-100 summer writing challenge which started on the 20th. Twelve days in and I've only missed one day (a grace day is allowed weekly), so going strong!

|| Freedom

Ahhh, so much going on in the lovely world of Freedom. :D

The next-to-last edit is going smoothly and I'm hoping to get the manuscript to my lovely editor by the beginning of next week. And the cover reveal for this baby is TOMORROW.  *cue shrieking*

I also saw this on FoxNews which sounds like an amazing outreach to struggling vets. <3

|| Snippet 

Brian sprints ahead and knocks on the door while I follow Lester up the ramp. Ducking past the swing and crossing the nicely furnished front porch, a gentle voice drifts out the door and meets my ears. “Good to see you, Brian! Come on in and make yourself at home. We’ll eat as soon as Kellon’s gang of tardies show up.”  

I smile, surprising myself. Mrs. Gloria truly loves everyone she meets and actively seeks to make sure you know it.  

As we’re ushered into the house, in the space between the kitchen and open living room, another voice meets my ears. I cast a sidelong look into the kitchen to my left and find myself smiling yet again.  

Sashaying around the kitchen, Miss Lorance manages to toss together a fresh salad while waving a knife and singing along to Lee Ann Womack’s finest at the top of her lungs. 

|| Favorite Posts

Qadash >> Let Him Heal You

The Peculiar Messenger >> Rest in the Lord

|| My Posts

|| May Goals

• Write something.       Technically, yes.

• Get Freedom ready to go to my editor.        Close! Should be done this weekend.

• Blog weekly.        Yup, surprisingly.

• Read 3 books.        *cries and shakes head*

• Resume staying alive.      Another surprise...

|| June Goals

• Send Freedom to my editor.

• Celebrate the 2nd book-birthday of Dandelion Dust.  (Details coming next week!)

• Go on our annual in-country missions trip with the church gang.  #hyped

• Blog weekly.

• Read 4 books. (Why am I so darn optimistic?)

• Resume staying alive.

how was your May? ready for summer?