Worlds Unseen by Rachel Starr Thomson
Worlds Unseen by Rachel Starr Thomson The Seventh World Trilogy, #1 Quiet, timid, and still haunted by the murder of her childhood guardians, Maggie Sheffield wants peace and healing—not an opportunity to uncover truths so frightening that they threaten to forever unravel the world she thinks she knows. But when a dying friend gives her […]
Back from “Hiatus”
I put it in quotation marks because, though I was technically not blogging for these last couple weeks, I published three posts (all reviews) during that time. 🙂 Well, guys, I’m back, well rested-up now. I’ve finished up school for the year, gotten through the terrors of band concert (which is actually not terrible … and a […]
Indiana Belle by John A. Heldt
Once again, I publish a post when I’m not supposed to be publishing posts. But, hey, I’ve got some catching up to do! And I have a busy reading schedule for this summer, so … I think I’m justified. Indiana Belle by John A. Heldt American Journey, #3 Providence, Rhode Island, 2017. When doctoral student […]
Plot Construction 101: Rising Action
Well, I’ve skipped two weeks because I was nervous about writing this post. I wasn’t sure what to say! I was thinking, “I’ve gotten myself into this … and now I don’t know how to get myself out!” But now I’m just going to write this post, and if you have anything to add – or […]
Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards
Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards The magic of finding a home … Mandy, a ten-year-old orphan, dreams of a place to call her own. Escaping over the orphanage wall to explore the outside world, Mandy discovers a tiny deserted cottage in the woods. All through the spring, summer, and fall, Mandy works to make it […]
May Character Studies: Hobbies
Well, it’s time for another Character Study! 🙂 For those of you who don’t know, Character Studies is a monthly character interview hosted by Morgan Dusky at Studies in Characters. You should totally check out her awesome blog! It’s so creative! So, this time I’m going to be interviewing one of my favorite characters from […]
The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky
The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky Edwardian Brides, Book 1 Worlds lie between the marketplaces of India and the halls of a magnificent country estate like Highland Hall. Will Julia be able to find her place when a governess is neither upstairs family nor downstairs help? Missionary Julia Foster loves working alongside her […]
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Yes, yes, I know. I’m not supposed to be reviewing books on Friday. But my brain just doesn’t seem to be doing poetry today for some reason (it hasn’t been for a while, actually) and I have quite a few books lined up to review … so I’m posting it today anyway. Just so you […]
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games, #1 Winning will make you famous. Losing means certain death. The nation of Panem, formed from a post-apocalyptic North America, is a country that consists of a wealthy Capitol region surrounded by 12 poorer districts. Early in its history, a rebellion led by a 13th district […]
Plot Construction 101: Inciting Incident
Hello, all! Well, it’s time for the next episode in Plot Construction 101, which is basically me summarizing all the stuff you knew, and I didn’t until I started researching it recently because I was having trouble with Ivy Introspective. Today we’ll be talking about the inciting incident. Rising action usually starts with an […]
April Character Studies: Faults
Once again, it’s time for Character Studies! As you may know, it’s hosted by Morgan Dusky at Studies in Character. You can find out more about it here. This month’s theme is Character Faults. I’ll be interviewing George “Jordy” McAllen from The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy. He’ll make an appearance for the first time in the series in […]
Plot Construction 101: Exposition
Last week we talked about the basic construction of a plot, The Great Pyramid. This week we’ll be talking about the exposition. To summarize, an exposition is the beginning – the introduction – of a novel. Here is where you hook your readers. Another word for it is “chapter one.” 😉 Note: exposition doesn’t always happen […]