Wow! It’s been a while since I’ve done Book Thursdays. The lovely Tiffany Dawn emailed me at Christmastime and asked me to review this book. It looked good, so I agreed, and I found it to be a great book. Read on for the full review.
Title: The Insatiable Quest for Beauty
Author: Tiffany Dawn
My Rating: 4/5 Stars.
My Review:
The Insatiable Quest for Beauty was a worthwhile read for me. It addresses questions and problems we all face from time to time, regarding not feeling beautiful or valued and trying to find the answers to those questions in all different places, including in relationships, disordered eating, obsession with appearances, and more.
Cutting to the heart of the matter, Tiffany does not discredit wanting to look good at all. Looking good is a good thing, but only if it doesn’t become an obsession or addiction. If we go to destructive habits like dating toxic people for attention or trying to lose excessive weight when it’s totally unnecessary, it damages us.
Additionally, looking in the mirror and telling yourself “I’m beautiful” every day isn’t changing the problem. The issue is being so self-absorbed that you cannot think of anything else but yourself, whether positive or negative.
Tiffany makes the point that we must keep our eyes on God. We must look to Him to remind us that we are unconditionally loved, and not just physically attractive. We must take the focus off us ourselves and realize the One who truly matters – our Lord.
The Insatiable Quest for Beauty is about more than finding confidence within ourselves, but about being confident in how God sees us. He sees us as blameless and pure because of what Jesus did, and not because of what we do.
I don’t particularly struggle with my appearance, but it was a good read and I am glad that I read it.
The format and writing were not my favorite, but they did not take away from the content and impact of the book. If I were writing it, I would have done it differently. The “coffee date” style and the chapter organization, along with the broken-up format made it unique enough to stand out, and perhaps other people will like that aspect of it more than I did.
Lastly, I didn’t agree with completely everything that was said (more on a theological aspect than anything else), but the message of the book was definitely valuable enough for me to read the whole book and enjoy it.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way. Thank you, Tiffany!
It was a regular Tuesday morning. I had just awoken to the sound of my alarm (which I am nearly deaf to) after hitting snooze who-knows-how-many times and trying my best to keep my eyes open to no avail.
I had written a blog post the night before, so as I always do on Tuesday mornings before starting my day, I skimmed through likes, comments, and my blog feed.
Do you ever read a blog post wherein the author says something fabulous about another blogger and it makes you want to check them out? Well, that happened to me. I read a post recommending a blog and read a few posts.
The first line that popped out to me was this:
“I’m not a writer…”
Wait…what? You’re not a writer? You have a fabulous blog and you’re not a writer? What is this madness? Aren’t all cool people writers? (Apparently not.)
This is what got me.
I am not a writer. I am a blogger, among other things. One that keeps telling herself that someday, I’m going to write a book, and someday, I am going to get a fantastic idea that sticks with me and become really popular and everyone will love me.
Maybe a little exaggeration there, but you get the point.
For the past few months, I’ve been all wrapped up in the concept of being a writer (whether fiction or nonfiction) and have forgotten my identity.
I am not what I do.
It’s okay to not be a writer.
It’s okay not to be a pro surfer.
It’s okay not to be an Olympian.
It’s okay not to be perfect.
It’s okay not to try to shove myself in a mold that I do not fit in.
When I was three, I started gymnastics and I continued until age eleven. Eight and a half years, and that was my life. I dreamed of going to the Olympics, or getting a scholarship to some nice and fancy gymnastics college. I’d be flexible at fifty-three and stronger than anyone I knew.
But it never happened, and I know it never will.
When I quit, there wasn’t anything wrong with me. I was still me. Just because I wasn’t a gymnast anymore did not mean that I was any less of a person. I realized that it was okay to not be a gymnast anymore, because as much as gymnastics was a part of my life, gymnastics was not and could never be my identity.
Now, I’ve found the same thing with being a “writer.”
I haven’t stopped blogging, but currently, I’m not writing a novel.
For so long, I felt as if I had to prove to the world that I’m serious about who I am.
Prove that I am cool because I write books.
But you know what? I don’t write books. I write blog posts. And I’m happy with that.
It’s okay not to be a writer, but it is not okay to force myself into that one-size-fits-all mold.
This is my writing. Not books. But yet, writing isn’t my identity.
My identity is so much more important than a title. I could be a doctor, or a writer, or a teacher, or a lawyer, or an editor, or a mother.
But as much as those things could be part of me, who I am does not rest on that.
I am a child of God because He adopted me.
I am holy because He has made me holy.
I am precious and loved because He has chosen to love me.
I am forgiven because Jesus Christ died for me.
I have new life because He rose again for me.
None of these things are what I’ve made for myself, but who God has made me to be and given freely.
I say all of this to say: no matter who I choose to be, my identity will not rest on that. I might identify with some things, but it doesn’t matter what name I make for myself. Ultimately, the only name that will be important is “Child of God.” “Forgiven.” “Loved.”
It is very okay for me not to be a writer if I would have to get there by pushing and shoving and stabbing.
That is not okay.
No matter who I am, a writer or not, I will still be loved. I will still be Amanda. I will be just as valuable as if I had chosen a different life.
It’s okay not to be a writer, if that means that I get to follow God’s plan for me in another way. His way is the best way, and I accept that.
Yesterday, I shared my review for The Crossways by Morgan Elizabeth Huneke. See that here, or scroll down if you’re on the Scattered Journal Pages home page.
Before I begin, I’ll share about the book, about Morgan, and then we’ll get on with the interview.
About the Book
“M’lady, it has been fairly well confirmed that the Redona was hidden away by the merfolk at the conclusion of the Great War instead of destroyed as was commanded. My brother has confirmed to me Joseph’s belief that it was concealed at the Crossways.”
Toarna pressed her fingertips together in thought. “It must be recovered and destroyed as was at first intended.”
Emily, Allan, Jill, and Joey have been reunited with their long lost ancestors. But with that reunion comes the true beginning of their quest: free the rightful king of Calhortz so that he may be restored to his throne. The Redona, the only object that can free him from his long imprisonment, is rumored to be concealed in The Crossways, a mountain across the sea which cannot be entered.
A slave since birth, Adriel’s resentment and hatred towards the strytes only grows as his family is continually ripped from him. He longs for the freedom the Time Captives are prophesied to bring, but he doubts their existence, just as he doubts God’s love. Circumstances in Calhortz are so dire. How could they ever improve?
Who can enter The Crossways? Will the king ever be freed? Or will the slaves of Calhortz lose all hope of freedom before it is even offered to them?
The Crossways is the second book of the Time Captives trilogy, a tale of faith, family, fantasy, and a fight for truth and freedom.
Morgan Elizabeth Huneke is a homeschool graduate who lives in Georgia. She has enjoyed creating characters and writing stories since early childhood. Her other interests include reading, playing the piano and violin, and politics. She is the author of Across the Stars and The Experiment.
Hi Morgan! Thanks for joining me here at Scattered Journal Pages. Tell me a few things that most people won’t easily guess about yourself.
*racks brain for something that’s not obvious* I have a hard time hiding things, and I’m super easy to read, but I’ll try. I don’t really like to watch TV just for the sake of watching TV. I like watching it when there’s something I want to watch. Which does happen a lot, but sometimes I don’t feel like watching anything. I’ve gotten “why did you do that?” from my sister for turning the TV off after the news. Hmm, I have an irrational fear of the wheels falling off our minivan while I’m driving. Not really sure where that came from. I don’t like to sit around and do nothing. It bores me and I feel like I’m wasting time, even if the reason I’m sitting around doing nothing is because I’m sick or I have a migraine or something. I’m really bad at foreign language. I’m pretty good at English, and it’s so easy. But when it comes to foreign language, forget it. I’m not really the best at geography either. I prefer to focus on things I like, like history and literature and music and writing and sewing (when I feel like it) and watching kids.
When did the idea first come to you for the Time Captives trilogy, and how long was it before you started writing and developing the books?
I can’t exactly remember, I didn’t start putting dates on things until a few years later, but I think sometime in 2011. I came up with some things then, but I finished Across the Stars and The Experiment before starting it, so a lot of things got thrown out. I mean, a lot. I started actually writing it at Disney World on December 10, 2012, so it was probably about a year and a half between the idea and actually getting the prologue down on paper.
How long does it usually take on average for you to write and publish a new book?
About 2½ to 3 years, which flies right in the face of my thinking I’m a slow writer. My ideas do usually sit in my brain and simmer for a while before I actually start putting them down on paper, though, so that adds a good bit of uncounted time. And there are little snippets of stories sitting on my computer that I won’t count towards writing time until I actually get serious about working on them. So from the time I get serious about a project to when I publish it is 2½ to 3 years. Except The Experiment. That was a year and a half.
Which character in any of the Time Captives books do you most relate to, and why?
Probably Jill, because we have the same personality type. I swear, I gave her a personality type before I even knew my own! But she’s sweeter than I am and more willing to step outside of her comfort zone when need be. But there’s some of me in all of them. I can relate to Emily and George and Abigail and Adriel and Jonathan…okay, yeah, I relate to Jonathan because I channeled all my Narnia love into him. Is that a problem? 😉
What was the hardest aspect of this book and trilogy to write?
The Time Captives. They were really difficult characters to work with. While other characters like Adriel and Grant jumped onto the page with full personality, the Time Captives didn’t want to let me in. And they were always dragging their feet about their quest. Plus there’s so many of them. I’m never writing a story with that big of a main group again. My poor brain just can’t handle it all.
Do you plot out and plan your stories before or while you write?
A little bit of both. I always have a general idea of what’s going to happen before I start a story. At least, with the stories I’ve been able to finish. Basically, I start with a beginning, an end goal, main characters, and a few scenes from the middle that may or may not end up in the book. For some stories, like my outer space dystopian, I had the full storyline written out. But with that, I ended up scrapping it and just writing down the major plot points. For Time Captives, I restructured it so many times that the plot points weren’t written down until I was halfway through. I like having plot points beforehand, so I know where I’m going. However, I rarely plan any deeper than that, I like to figure it out as I go along, unless I run across a point where I’m stuck, and then I stop and plan it before continuing.
What do you hope that readers will take away from The Crossways?
Primarily the Gospel. This is actually my first book with an explicit Gospel message. But also that God uses everything, even the worst of circumstances, for good. And that being dishonest is never worth it, even if it seems so at the time.
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions! I wish you the best with your release of The Crossways.
Thanks for having me! I enjoyed it.
Giveaway
Join in the excitement of Time Captives and enter to win a special prize! The first prize winner will receive a signed copy of The Crossways. The second prize winner will receive an eCopy of The Crossways in the eBook format of his/her choice. Giveaway open to U.S. residents only.
Remember the cover reveal I did for this book a few weeks ago? Well, the book is FINALLY HERE!!! Yay!! So. Without further adieu, let us take a look at what it’s about (if you don’t know already).
About the Book
“M’lady, it has been fairly well confirmed that the Redona was hidden away by the merfolk at the conclusion of the Great War instead of destroyed as was commanded. My brother has confirmed to me Joseph’s belief that it was concealed at the Crossways.”
Toarna pressed her fingertips together in thought. “It must be recovered and destroyed as was at first intended.”
Emily, Allan, Jill, and Joey have been reunited with their long lost ancestors. But with that reunion comes the true beginning of their quest: free the rightful king of Calhortz so that he may be restored to his throne. The Redona, the only object that can free him from his long imprisonment, is rumored to be concealed in The Crossways, a mountain across the sea which cannot be entered.
A slave since birth, Adriel’s resentment and hatred towards the strytes only grows as his family is continually ripped from him. He longs for the freedom the Time Captives are prophesied to bring, but he doubts their existence, just as he doubts God’s love. Circumstances in Calhortz are so dire. How could they ever improve?
Who can enter The Crossways? Will the king ever be freed? Or will the slaves of Calhortz lose all hope of freedom before it is even offered to them?
The Crossways is the second book of the Time Captives trilogy, a tale of faith, family, fantasy, and a fight for truth and freedom.
And about the author! Morgan! She’s a wonderful author that I get to be a fan of, and a wonderful person that I am blessed to call my friend. Tomorrow, I’ll be interviewing her, but for today, you get a little snippet of who she is and what she’s about. 😀
About the Author
Morgan Elizabeth Huneke is a homeschool graduate who lives in Georgia. She has enjoyed creating characters and writing stories since early childhood. Her other interests include reading, playing the piano and violin, and politics. She is the author of Across the Stars and The Experiment.
And here is my long-awaited review of The Crossways. Enjoy!
FIVE STARS: (5/5)
Ah, such a great book! Where do I even start?
(Maybe I should start with telling you all that my review for the first book, Creighton Hill, is here on Goodreads, I just haven’t gotten around to posting it on my blog yet.)
Alright. I wouldn’t consider myself a terrible reader, I just got sidetracked with some other books (like, four) while reading this one. And I can’t focus well on more than one book at one time, so I pushed it aside.
The more I read of The Crossways, the more I was interested and wanted to keep reading it. It was great.
I finally finished it the day after the release, and two days before my review was supposed to be up…AND COME ON PEOPLE, I WANT MORE TIME CAPTIVES!
Seriously! It was so great! I just had to let myself get into it first.
The Crossways follows a few storylines. We have the Time Captives (the kids who are stuck as kids in the land of Calhortea), Adriel (he’s a slave and gladiator, and just so great!), and Eleanor (flashbacks to her life; she’s a Time Captive and a heart-wrenching 3-D character). Emily’s character got the most POV (point-of-view) out of all the rest of the Hubbards.
There’s something called the Redona at The Crossways. The Redona is an object that will be able to free the true king of Calhortz, who’s trapped on an island, but it’s virtually impossible to get to and then retrieve, and if anyone with royal blood tries to leave, they die. The journey of the book (because every good book just HAS to have a journey) isn’t just to get to The Crossways, or even get inside. It’s also made up of the personal journeys of Adriel, and Emily, and Eleanor. It’s just so good.
Pros:
-The Gospel Message! It’s a children’s book, but the Gospel message is very clear and still enjoyable of a book. It would be a great tool for middle-grade kids to 1) understand their faith more 2) see how faith works out in their lives and 3) make the most out of what they’ve been given, because they can know that God is with them through it all.
-The Plot! It’s so fresh and new and unique and exciting and terrifying! It’s awesome. Portal fantasy is a favorite genre of mine.
-The worldbuilding! Such fun. So cool. I still need to understand the map better, because I’m terrible at comprehending those kinds of things, but what we saw of Calhortea was GREAT.
-DRAGONS. Well, one dragon. She’s a really good dragon at that. (Hehehe.)
-Gladiators. It’s a sad concept, but has always intrigued me.
-Boats and pirates. Because. They’re cool. Boats are great and pirates are evil, so it evens out.
-Ships. (Yes, both meanings of the word…I just had to do that.) The Andaron is really cool, and for those of you who know what the term ‘shipping’ refers to when referring to characters, Weathersbard is heartbreaking and Jill/Adriel is adorable but they’re kids. So…PLEASE MORGAN, MAKE JILL COME BACK TO CALHORTEA WHEN SHE’S GROWN UP AND COME MARRY ADRIEL. Havilan/Adriana will be a great thing to look forward to. 😀
Cons:
-There were a ton of characters, so some of them didn’t have time to be properly developed. For example, I thought Draewin was a girl until I heard Havilan call him brother…oops. I’m sure it was just me, so whatever. It’s okay. The things I needed to understand were covered, there just seemed to be a few too many characters to really get to know well. And some of the Time Captives got a little lost in my head, because there are fourteen. Obviously you can’t follow them all.
That is okay, though. No book can be 100% perfect, and I forgive!
There weren’t really any other cons, so yaaaayyyyyy!
This book totally topped the first one, even though that one was really awesome.
Are you convinced to read it yet? Go buy it! And the first one, too. It’s really great, and I promise you’ll enjoy it.
AND A GIVEAWAY! Who doesn’t like winning free stuff? (I don’t know, but I love it!) So be sure to enter, pleasepleaseplease do.
Giveaway
Join in the excitement of Time Captives and enter to win a special prize! The first prize winner will receive a signed copy of The Crossways. The second prize winner will receive an eCopy of The Crossways in the eBook format of his/her choice. Giveaway open to U.S. residents only.
Hello world! Happy Tuesday. Today’s post is a cover reveal for my wonderful friend Morgan Elizabeth Huneke’s next book. It’s the second book in the Time Captives trilogy, written for middle grade and up. I just recently finished reading Creighton Hill, and I can tell you that it was lovely. As some have already said, it’s like Narnia meets historical fiction. Creighton Hill was a really enjoyable book and I’m really excited for more.
Let’s read what the book is about first, just to get acquainted with it all.
About the Book
“M’lady, it has been fairly well confirmed that the Redona was hidden away by the merfolk at the conclusion of the Great War instead of destroyed as was commanded. My brother has confirmed to me Joseph’s belief that it was concealed at the Crossways.”
Toarna pressed her fingertips together in thought. “It must be recovered and destroyed as was at first intended.”
Emily, Allan, Jill, and Joey have been reunited with their long lost ancestors. But with that reunion comes the true beginning of their quest: free the rightful king of Calhortz so that he may be restored to his throne. The Redona, the only object that can free him from his long imprisonment, is rumored to be concealed in The Crossways, a mountain across the sea which cannot be entered.
A slave since birth, Adriel’s resentment and hatred towards the strytes only grows as his family is continually ripped from him. He longs for the freedom the Time Captives are prophesied to bring, but he doubts their existence, just as he doubts God’s love. Circumstances in Calhortz are so dire. How could they ever improve?
Who can enter The Crossways? Will the king ever be freed? Or will the slaves of Calhortz lose all hope of freedom before it is even offered to them?
The Crossways is the second book of the Time Captives trilogy, a tale of faith, family, fantasy, and a fight for truth and freedom.
Sounds interesting, right? Well, you won’t have to wait too long for it.
Release Date
The Crossways, Time Captives book 2, will be released on October 19th, 2015. Stay tuned on Morgan’s blog and Facebook page for more information and sneak peeks.
See? It comes out in a little under a month, which means that YOU WILL HAVE TIME TO READ THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES! And you want to know what? It’s free on Kindle, TODAY ONL.
Free eBook
Haven’t yet begun your journey with the Time Captives? Book 1, Creighton Hill, is free on Kindletoday only! Find it at Amazon.com!
I highly recommend this book. Why don’t you download it and try it?
And here’s the lovely Morgan. Let’s see who she is.
About the Author
Morgan Elizabeth Huneke is a homeschool graduate who lives in Georgia. She has enjoyed creating characters and writing stories since early childhood. Her other interests include reading, playing the piano and violin, and politics. She is the author of Across the Stars and The Experiment.
I’m sorry, people. I miscalculated the blog tour dates in July. I thought this post was supposed to go up tomorrow, because I like posting bookish things on Thursdays.
So yes, I know it’s the middle of the day instead of 5:00 in the morning because I usually preschedule posts.
Just some proof I’m not perfect.
Anyway. Onto the post at hand.
Book Description:
When the Lady Dragon does come,
Hold fast, do not fear, do not run.
Your Water Princess will fight,
Fire Prince will set all to right.
Each shall come from a Fall,
Their union will save you all.
Despite the fact that she’s on track for competing in the Olympics, and he’s practically raised his younger brothers since they lost their mom in a car accident, Clara Mandras and Andrew Stevenson are pretty much normal teens. They have normal hopes, normal dreams, and they live in a normal world.
All this is torn away from them when they are thrust into another world and declared Water Princess and Fire Prince. With no experience ruling a country, meeting each other for the first time, and being expected to fight the Lady Dragon – an evil sorceress plaguing the world of Rizkaland – Clara and Andrew are underprepared and inexperienced. Unless they learn to work together despite their standing opposition, Rizkaland’s hope will be lost.
What is to come will change their lives forever.
Author Bio:
Kendra E. Ardnek loves fairy tales and twisting them in new and exciting ways. She’s been practicing her skills on her dozen plus cousins and siblings for years, “Finish your story, Kendra”, is frequently heard at family gatherings. Her sole life goal has always been to grow up and be an author of fantasy and children’s tales that also glorify God and His Word. You can read more about her on her blog, knittedbygodsplan.blogspot.com.
I interviewed Clara this week in Rizkaland. That trip was fun. Long, yes, but so much fun.
Disclaimer:
In bold are my questions, and her answers are directly after them. I did not change her answers, only added to some of them (and I added her actions and dialogue tags, by the way.) Some of her lines are written by me, but not her original responses to my questions.
Yes, I did take full advantage of my fangirl license. I apologize if it’s not 100% accurate to the book.
Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, here’s a snippet of this week’s trek down to Klarand.
The KastleClara, except her eyes should be blue.
***
I walk across a field of wild grass, my eyes and mind trying to take in the scenery. Mountains surround me, as do flowing waterfalls that are distinctly blue.
The tallest Mountain holds a castle, built so solidly and intricately that only the most skilled Architect could do such a thing. It’s breathtaking. I know this to be The Kastle, but the pictures I’ve seen do it no justice. I’m awed.
I can barely take it all in, being obsessed with mountains and all that, but I’d better hurry. I have someone that will be waiting on me if I take too much time.
I was told that there was a small café built into one of the smaller mountains (it’s connected to The Mountain that The Kastle sits in), and that’s where I’m going. I’m excited to be meeting someone special. She hasn’t met me yet, but I know her very well, and we are more alike than she probably thinks.
I’m a little nervous. I can be awkward with new people. But no matter. I’ve been looking forward to meeting Clara for a few months now.
Now I see the café. The sign is faded, but I can tell wood from rock. I’m glad to be somewhere I can sit, after walking a few hours.
I open the door and the bell on the door jingles. I’m greeted by a short and plump woman, with smooth, wavy brown hair to her waist. Her white apron is crisp and neat over her simple red dress.
“Hi there, darling, can I help you?”
“Um, yeah,” I say softly. I clear my throat. “Is the Water Princess here yet?”
She looks at me and smiles with sparkling eyes.
“Not yet, but she should be here soon. Why don’t I show you to a table in the corner where you two can talk in peace?”
Gratefully, I oblige, and I am shown to a little table with a window. We pass a dozen small tables with people chattering and drinking hot drinks.
The waitress gives me two mugs of hot water upon my request, and I thank her.
I sit down in the corner, right in front of a window. Pulling my backpack off, I sort through the things I brought. Hot chocolate mix, check. Three books, yes. And a clipboard full of questions. I hope Clara won’t hate me for this.
I pull out Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and start to read. Becoming engrossed, I feel as though I’m turning the pages faster than my eyes are reading the words. I love this sensation, and if I had the choice to live in a library, I would take it. I know I would.
I feel a shadow over me, and I quickly look up from my book. It’s the Water Princess. I have not even the slightest idea of how long I’ve been reading.
I instantly stand up to my feet, place a fist over my heart and start to curtsy, but she waves me off.
“Water Princess,” I breathe.
“I’m Clara to you, remember?”
“Right,” I reply feeling suddenly shy. My tongue is tied for a second and I blush slightly.
“I’m Amanda,” I say, looking into her face. She seems to resemble me in some ways, from our blonde hair and blue eyes to our build and stance. I’m not sure if she’s pleased or not about that. Clara keeps her emotions concealed for the most part.
“Thanks for meeting me here,” I offer with a smile.
“At least I’m here,” she replies. “I was on my way back from exercising in the fresh air this morning, when I remembered I was supposed to meet you. I quickly changed, and here I am.”
“It’s a good thing we both made it, then,” I interject.
Clara just shrugs.
“That’s a great book, by the way.” She motions to my book.
“Yes, it is.”
I’m afraid she’ll be weirded out if I tell her that I’m only reading it because of her, and because I love the references she makes to it. She doesn’t know that I know a lot more about her than Kendra has told her. I don’t say anything else on the topic.
Not knowing exactly where to start, I clear my throat slightly apprehensively.
“I have a few questions for you, so thank you for being willing to answer them.”
She rolls her eyes. “Whether I’m willing or not is not the issue. Kendra’s forcing me.”
“Right. I, uh, sorry about that. Authors can be quite forceful people. Regardless, you’re here now, and like I said, I do have some questions for you.”
“Well, get on with it.”
Before I start, I try to break the ice by grabbing her favorite drink out of my backpack.
“Want any hot chocolate?”
“Yes, thanks. I haven’t had it in a long while.”
I had a feeling she’d say that.
“But it isn’t a bribe, right? To get me to say things that Kendra wants me to?”
I snort.
“No, of course not. I know you like hot chocolate, and so do I, so I figured we should make this as pleasant as possible.”
I pour the mix into the two mugs of hot water, and try to continue with my questions.
I clear my throat and glance down at my clipboard.
“I happen to know that you have many athletic hobbies and your family and best friends do too. What do you consider your strong suit?”
Her answer doesn’t hesitate.
“Fencing, closely followed by Tae Kwon Do.”
“Talented girl,” I say to her. Clara shrugs again. It’s not like she hasn’t practiced her whole life.
“Do you have any aspirations or life goals?”
“To compete in the Olympics. Probably in fencing.” Her answers are confident. This girl knows what she wants.
“Well, I’m sure you will,” I reply. “Go for the gold, sister.”
I ask her another question, hoping she’s not getting bored.
“According to the Myers-Briggs personality test, what kind of personality do you have?”
Clara stirs her hot chocolate, and looks into my eyes to answer.
“Kendra says I’m ENFP, which is the same thing she is, so I don’t know how I feel about that one.”
“Ah, a free spirit. Lionhearted girl. That’ll come in handy, you know.”
I bite my lip, not knowing how she’s going to respond to my next questions.
“I know of course that you are much too young to be married, but what will you be looking for (or not looking for) in a future husband?”
Clara blinks, and then answers quickly.
“My mom and I have discussed this one. He has to be able to cook. That I know for certain.”
I barely hold back an impish smirk.
“That makes sense. I like to think myself a chef, but I burn tea water. I guess we all have our gifts.”
“You burn tea water?” She asks me.
“I…okay, it happened once. Apparently science and cooking just don’t like me.”
“And I thought I was a terrible cook.”
We both laugh, then after a moment, I clear my throat for the next question.
I take a sip of my own hot chocolate before asking the next question.
“What is your opinion on romance?”
She looks at me thoughtfully, like she already prepared to answer this.
“I have nothing at all against it, as long as it’s between MATURE adults. Honestly, I am looking forward to one day falling in love and getting married, though finding a guy who measures up to my dad might be a problem. My parents have set a good example for me. I intend to follow it.”
I like her answer. Sounds like something I would say.
“Maturity is quite important. I’m sure it’ll be the right time when you finally do marry, for we both know that Alphego (God) knows best.”
“I hope so,” she replies.
“Tell us about what it feels like to be the Water Princess, with all that insane responsibility of holding the weight of an entire country on your shoulders.”
Clara sarcastically flickers her eyebrows.
“Like there’s an elephant sitting on me. The sword they gave me is cool, though.”
I grin. “Hey, swords are always a plus. Elephants are heavy.”
By this time, our hot chocolates are almost gone. I tell her that I’m close to being finished with my questions, and she looks relieved. I don’t think I’m annoying her, but who likes being interrogated by someone who could be your twin? Or anyone, for that matter.
I flip over the sheet on my clipboard to ask her the last two questions.
“What is the most difficult difference to get used to between the world of Rizkaland and our world?”
“The way they talk. I mean, the colors and the food are easy to accept, but it’s almost like learning a new language. They don’t like the letter c, and they have words that we don’t.”
“I know, right?” I passionately respond. “Rizkan spelling and speech is confusing. I was mispronouncing a bunch of your friends’ names and names of places until Kendra told me the right way to, and I never doubted my reading skills more in my life. I guess you just have to live with the differences.”
Clara nods in agreement, and I can tell she’s trying not to laugh at me. Still, she keeps her composure quite well.
“And now for the last question,” I tell her.
“What feelings do you have toward your author, seeing that she puts you through so much in this book?”
Taking one last sip of her hot chocolate, I can hear Clara laugh quietly. She puts down her drink at meets my gaze.
“I’d answer your question, but my mother taught me to be polite, so I think I’d better not. There is some resentment involved, however.”
I knew she’d say something like that. I try not to laugh, but I fail.
“That’s okay. Most characters don’t like their authors, because like I said, authors can be quite forceful people. Though, you can always do things and surprise Kendra once in a while. Have fun.”
“Oh, you know I will.”
And I’m sure of it.
“Thanks for meeting me here, Clara. I enjoyed getting to know you better.”
“Glad I could answer your questions.”
“I guess you didn’t really get to know me, though,” I say to her.
“We’ll have to meet for hot chocolate another time. But I should go now. Have fun reading Alice, Amanda. See ya.”
“Goodbye, Water Princess.”
As she walks out, I smile. I hope I’ll get to meet with her again soon.
***
Free Books! Currently, the following books by Kendra E. Ardnek are free:
When the Lady Dragon does come,
Hold fast, do not fear, do not run.
Your Water Princess will fight,
Fire Prince will set all to right.
Each shall come from a Fall,
Their union will save you all.
Despite the fact that she’s on track for competing in the Olympics, and he’s practically raised his younger brothers since they lost their mom in a car accident, Clara Mandras and Andrew Stevenson are pretty much normal teens. They have normal hopes, normal dreams, and they live in a normal world.
All this is torn away from them when they are thrust into another world and declared Water Princess and Fire Prince. With no experience ruling a country, meeting each other for the first time, and being expected to fight the Lady Dragon – an evil sorceress plaguing the world of Rizkaland – Clara and Andrew are underprepared and inexperienced. Unless they learn to work together despite their standing opposition, Rizkaland’s hope will be lost.
What is to come will change their lives forever.
If you know anything about me in real life, you’ll know how much I don’t like picking up a new book.
“What if I hate it and decide never to read another book again? What if I’ve lost faith in all books because this one is horrendous?”
It’s pathetic, and I should really try to kick that preconceived notion. But I haven’t yet.
I almost always start a book extremely skeptical. I didn’t like fantasy before March of this year, mind you.
I hadn’t read much Young Adult fiction until I started at fourteen last November. I expected all Christian fiction to be preachy and shallow.
I’ve always loved books…but indie books made me skeptical. If everyone thinks themselves an author, of course those books won’t be good. Right?
(No. Just…No. Sorry, Clara, but indies can be great too.)
Anyway, in March, Kendra invited me to participate in the cover reveal for her book. I was like, “Sure, why not? Kendra is sweet and she probably writes well by all the good reviews I’ve read on Goodreads.”
On her website, I signed up for the reveal, but I also signed up to beta read.
I read the then-description, and decided it intrigued me a little. (This was when the placeholder description was the only description, so I didn’t know what exactly to expect.)
I’d never done anything ever remotely close to beta-ing before.
So this was new for me, and I’m not sure how helpful I actually was. But I did it.
I picked up the book with low expectations…and I was blown away.
My jaw is sore from it smacking the floor so many times.
I fell in love.
My Review: FIVE HUMONGOUS STARS
A lot of times, I mistakenly write a review on a book and end up using it as an outlet for fangirling. The problem with this is, that 95% of my blog readers have either never read the book, never heard of the book, or aren’t interested in it.
So let me try to explain before I freak out and make it known that I’ve been waiting for this release for months and gushing every chance I get, parading around my sapphire ring, spiced pomella cider, shortness, and gymnastics skillz.
Water Princess, Fire Prince centers around two teenagers, Clara Mandras and Andrew Stevenson. In a whirlwind of events, those two end up in another world called Rizkaland, in the country of Klarand. A prophecy is thrown upon them stating firstly that Clara and Andrew will fight the Lady Dragon, for she has been tormenting the people of Klarand, turning them to ice, and melting them. An unescapable fate. And the second part of the prophecy? Their union will be the key to the country’s salvation. Did I mention that Andrew is declared the Fire Prince and Clara the Water Princess?
Problem is, Andrew and Clara are meeting for the first time, and they don’t want to be united. Not at sixteen. And Andrew can’t exactly fight. He could probably whack someone in the head with a frying pan, but that’s about it. Clara’s attitude is highly uncooperative, and that’s putting it kindly.
How in Rizkaland is it all going to work out?
Water Princess, Fire Prince tugged ever so strongly at the strings of my heart. The message is clear, strong, and inspiring, and I related to it so much. I identified with Clara. (I’ve heard that most people did not. However, she’s a lot like me when it comes to interests, looks, and personality.) I became her, and I fell in love with Andrew. (Is that a problem?) I laughed, I cried, I squealed, and I glared right back at Clara in her glaring moments.
The dialogue is witty, hilarious, deep, and I felt at some points as though I would say the exact same things. I felt everything along with Clara and Andrew, and even Amber at some points. Because you’re inside Clara and Andrew’s heads (at different times) throughout the book, you see the rationalization of actions and motives behind choices. It’s so wonderful because it’s so real. IT IS JUST SO REAL.
The worldbuilding was magical. Literally magical. It was like a whole new Narnia, and absolutely amazing. DID I MENTION THE PART ABOUT IT BEING SO REAL?
Every part melted my heart. The faith aspect is so deep, and theologically accurate, but never preachy.
It’s so amazing, and I can’t say enough good things about it.
The romance aspect was done ever so well, and very tastefully. No insta-love here. (That’s one of my top pet peeves in today’s mainstream novels.) Water Princess, Fire Prince demonstrated that love is something to fight for, and not something that is anything even remotely close to easy. It’s one of the sweetest love stories I’ve ever read. It’s raw. It’s real. It’s heartbreaking and tear-jerking, and also something you’re cheering for and fangirling over the entire time.
The dynamics of the entire story are absolutely perfect. I can’t talk enough about it.
I’ve been squealing to my family and friends about it since April when I read it. I wasn’t a prior Kendra E. Ardnek fan, but I did know her a little bit from Goodreads and other online author-y book-y read-y things. So I went into it somewhat unbiased and definitely skeptical. I didn’t expect to dislike it per se, I just had no idea how much I’d fall in love with it.
But I did.
And I’m speechless.
If you like Young Adult fiction, read it.
If you like fantasy, read it.
If you like plain ol’ fiction, read it.
If you like to read any kind of literature at all, read it.
If you don’t even like to read, read it anyway.
Go ahead and buy it.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll want it in the paperback format to read, and hug, and sniff, and cry tears onto, and caress the pages of.
Yes, it’s that good, and every person I have talked to has gushed over it.
Trust me, you’ll want to read it.
I received an e-ARC and beta copy from the author for review, and all opinions are mine. Like, seriously, I loved this book so much. Thanks, Kendra. I’m going to go PURCHASE the paperback now.
Author Bio:
Kendra E. Ardnek loves fairy tales and twisting them in new and exciting ways. She’s been practicing her skills on her dozen plus cousins and siblings for years, “Finish your story, Kendra”, is frequently heard at family gatherings. Her sole life goal has always been to grow up and be an author of fantasy and children’s tales that also glorify God and His Word. You can read more about her on her blog, knittedbygodsplan.blogspot.com.
Want to see the list of other blogs participating in the tour this week? Check it out here.
Also, come back on Thursday for an awesome interview I got to do with Clara.
Book Review: The Experiment by Morgan Elizabeth Huneke
Description:
One hundred years in the future… America as we know it today no longer exists. Scientist Holly Reginald and President Malcolm Crowdler have hatched an evil plot to control the minds and lives of the American people. Only a few are still able to fight back. And those few are children. Mystery and intrigue abound in this heart-stopping adventure as the last remnant of Americans strives to stop The Experiment…before it’s too late.
My Review:
5 Stars
This book is such a fun and interesting story. It’s only around 30,000 words, so probably less than two hours to read.
I would consider it a present-day dystopian story. Think futuristic America crumbling in the hands of a power-hungry president, and an entire nation brainwashed in the name of “the good of the people.”
Yes, it was that kind of book. A very fun read, too.
I told the author that “It’s a pro-homeschooling conservative political action novella.” It’s really funny, knowing Morgan personally, how much of her shines through the book. It’s really cool.
I enjoyed the plot. It’s not quite the kind of story that I’ve ever read before, which made it very fun. The government seeks to control the minds of American kids, and all but a few are affected. Why? You’ll see. Does it even ever get resolved? Well, you’ll see that too.
The writing was done well. I like Miss Huneke’s style, and I have yet to read her other works (that are sitting unread on my Kindle). It was easy to read for me, and it is aimed at kids between the ages of 10 and 16. So it’s between Middle Grade and Young Adult, and it fit there well.
The characters were well-developed. There were a lot, and some did seem like names alone, but that’s okay. I understood the main characters well, and that was good enough for me. Besides, we don’t need to read the backstories of thirty-eight characters. It was balanced well.
The worldbuilding was quite interesting. It is set in present-day America, so that part was already established. I liked Courtstone (the well-done setting, not the fictional place) and found it to be an intriguing place.
Everything was described well. My imagination ran with the descriptions.
However, if you are a liberal, an atheist, and anti-homeschooling, this book is definitely not for you. You may find it offensive if you are sensitive about such things.
But did I enjoy it? Oh, yes. Ever so much.
Now, go be kind and have fun reading this book. Like I did. It was wonderful.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest and unbiased review, which I have provided. Thank you, Morgan!
Kendra E. Ardnek loves fairy tales and twisting them in new and exciting ways. She’s been practicing her skills on her dozen plus cousins and siblings for years, “Finish your story, Kendra”, is frequently heard at family gatherings. Her sole life goal has always been to grow up and be an author of fantasy and children’s tales that also glorify God and His Word. You can read more about her on her blog, 
Scattered Journal Pages 