Blogger Book Awards--Cover Winner!!!

Such wonderful book titles this year, yes? And thanks to you, dear readers, I was given a great selection to choose our finalists from. But at the final three....it is almost impossible to choose. So I'm going to give you my thoughts on what makes each title special, and then announce the one that succeeded the most! :)

Walk On Earth A Stranger

The moment you read this title, you realize one thing. The subject of the story does not belong to earth...physically, spiritually? There's such a haunting poetry to this.....


Neverseen

Again, mystery is tingled at the hearing of this title. WHAT is neverseen? The ring of this word alone just sends little shivers across the skin, begging to search after that elusive neverseen....

A Wish Made of Glass

...And so it is fragile and ready to shatter. I love how perfectly this title explains itself! Though simple, the words used are so lovely.

But alas...one winner...(WHY)...of course, each of these titles are a winner, and the one that just KEPT returning to my mind, begging to be repeated was.....

Walk on Earth A Stranger

This decision took me by surprise really....multiple worded titles are usually not my thing. I like short and very attention-grabbing ones....but again, there is such an ethereal lilt to this line.


Here's the rest of the winners to review and keep an eye on as the days count down to Christmas!!! May you all have a Merry Christmas and a bountiful new year!!!

Best Cover- Schuyler--Winner announced Dec. 19

Best Title- Hannah (myself)--Dec. 20

Best Short Fiction- Ghosty--Dec. 21

Best Character- Annie--Dec. 22

Best Book- Sarah--Dec. 23

Best Author- Allison--Dec. 24

Happy Thanksgiving! (In which we discuss you, books, and book sales)

Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers!

One of my MSOA paintings

I'm thankful for all of you who still drop by my blog even though I have been dreadfully absent as of late! You are all so sweet and supporting!

Now....let's see. What five books of this year am I most thankful to have read? :)

Draven's Light by Anne Elisabeth Stengl--Again, my favorite author delivers! And a brother and sister story too! It doesn't matter that this is a novella, it brings all the beauty and tears and feels!

Burdney by Nicole Sager--Hardly anybody knows about this author, but her most recent books, Hebbros and Burdney are fantastic!!! :D

A Wish Made of Glass by Ashlee Willis--This Cinderella story is absolutely heart-wrenching, real, and mesmerizing! Truly a beautiful read!

The Wulver's Rose by Hayden Wand--Sweetest retelling of Beauty and the Beast ever!

Winter by Marissa Meyer--Okay, so I'm not thankful for all of the content in this book and series, but this was nevertheless a very gripping story and a very satisfying conclusion!

Hey, remember that Black Friday Book sale I mentioned? I have more info on that! Every single book listed on Indie Christian Books is on sale in one or more ways. Find discounted paperbacks, dozens of books offered with free shipping, $0.99 ebooks, package deals and more. Even if you have a budget of $0, new reading material awaits you. Don't know what to pick? The fearless Indie Christian Books team created a quiz that will generate a book list perfect for you! Check it out! (there are lots of links in that paragraph, but they're green, so hover to find them.)

 
What awesome reads of 2015 are you grateful for? What books are you looking forward to reading in 2016?

A note on the Ebooks Only page. All books are listed as "Sold Out." This only refers to paperback copies of these titles. Please click onto the product pages to find descriptions and links to discounted or free ebooks.

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Leah E. Good for her work organizing this sale, Gloria Repp for completing the time consuming job of uploading book info to the sale website, and Hannah Mills for her fantastic design work on the website graphics. Hannah can be contacted at hmills(at)omorecollege(dot)edu for more information about her design services.

Black Friday Sale

Imagine this--It's Black Friday and thousands of people are storming the stores, huge lines, huge headaches, and all that loveliness. And you, you my dear reader, are happily curled up at your house, browsing the computer for incredible sales on BOOKS.

That's right, manymanymany Indie authors are selling their books at a great price, this Friday, and this list is only some of the participants!

• Brenda S. Anderson
• Kendra E. Ardneck
• Faith Blum
• Kelsey Bryant
• Sarah Brown
• Angela Castillo
• Elizabeth Ender
• Julie C. Gilbert
• Shantelle Mary Hannu
• Sarah Holman
• Morgan Huneke
• Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick
• Jaye L. Knight
• T.R. Lykins
• Tricia Mingerink
• Rosey Mucklestone
• J. Grace Pennington
• Emily Ann Putzke
• Gloria Repp
• Suzannah Rowntree
• Rachel Trautmiller
• Jenelle Leanne Schmidt
• Amber Stokes

So make sure you don't miss out on this fabulous deal this Friday if you want your next favorite read at your favorite price!

(I don't know; think I should go into marketing? ;) )

UPDATE. If you have a blog, and if you sign up to participate in spreading the word, you get to choose 5 books for free!

Here's the details! http://leahegood.com/black-friday-sale-authors/

It turns out that after you sign up, they will send details on what to post ON Friday, so I was not completely in the loop, lol.

Finalists Announced!

Today the finalists for Best Title are announced! There were so many wonderful nominations! Truly, titles outdid themselves this year. :) 

A Wish Made of Glass 

Neverseen

Walk on Earth A Stranger

But there were so many, it was HARD to narrow it down! These titles definitely intrigue to read! Come back this December for the Winners! And be sure to drop by the other blogs to see the rest of the nominations!

Best Cover- Schuyler--Winner announced Dec. 19

Best Title- Hannah (myself)--Dec. 20

Best Short Fiction- Ghosty--Dec. 21

Best Character- Annie--Dec. 22

Best Book- Sarah--Dec. 23

Best Author- Allison--Dec. 24

Blogger Book Awards 2015

It's that time of year again, folks! The holidays are approaching, the days are becoming colder (for most of you, I imagine), and its time for the Blogger Book Awards! I participated in this last year, and I'm pleased to be taking part again! We have a slightly altered selection, but if you were here last year, you'll find the same fun!

Feel free to share the news!

So here's how it works! The following bloggers host a contest for the best book of their category .

Best Cover- Schuyler--Winner announced Dec. 19

Best Title- Hannah (myself)--Dec. 20

Best Short Fiction- Ghosty--Dec. 21

Best Character- Annie--Dec. 22

Best Book- Sarah--Dec. 23

Best Author- Allison--Dec. 24

Each blogger judges the winner from among the noimnations selected by YOU, dear reader.

I am hosting:

BEST TITLE

So you have till November 1st to write in the comments and tell me your favorite titles as selected from books published ONLY IN 2015. This does not include books that have been republished. 

To nominate in the other categories, please go to the respective bloggers and comment there. 

Thank you so much for all your help, and hopefully this will bring the best of 2015's books to attention! :)  

A Writing We Have Been...

So I've practically vanished from the face of this blog. Isn't that sad? Well, yes. Yes and no. No, because while I have been absent here, my true writing window has only ever expanded in the real world.

For starters, I now have a job, so that leaves me with less creative time at home. However, away from home and its distractions, I've been able to think through many plot holes and concepts of my novel in progress, Moonscript.

Yes, I've started a third draft of Moonscipt! Oh, how it needed it, dear readers, I can assure you of that. With help from a lovely friend and kindred writing spirit, I've been giving it an exciting makeover, and with that has come...well...more ideas for more stories....

Also, I'm taking another art term at MSOA, so that means more exciting artwork to come! :) Say, have you seen my art site yet? I still have not opened commissions, but I hope to get that service prepared within the next few months. https://hsjwilliams.wordpress.com/

And in various other news, I am working on my Sleeping Beauty Retelling for the Five Enchanted Roses contest! If you didn't see the little sneak peak blurb on Anne Elisabeth's site, here it is!

Winter has outlived her time in the fey world, but Spring has never woken to bring her gentle thaw. For the mortal kingdom of Melstarr, spring has lasted far too long. When the lonely princess discovers a golden thread leading through the castle, could it be the path to a home she has never known?

 

Digital Painting by Hannah S. J. W.

OPENING LINES:

A baby's birth should be remembered with great gladness. But the kingdom of Melstarr generally agreed that the weather had turned most sour since about the time Princess Avia had come into the world some fifteen years ago. Before then, the land had been famed for its hot, clear-sky summers and snowy cold winters. Since then, the sky threatened rain more often than not and humidity had risen to an alarming degree.

Book Review--Burdney by Nicole Sager

After reading Hebbros, I knew I would be on the lookout for anything more the author had to offer. Thus I was thrilled for the continuing story in Burdney. I would recommend reading Hebbros first, but I don’t feel reading the author’s original trilogy, The Heart of Arcrea, is entirely necessary to enjoying the Companions of Arcrea series, as her older series doesn’t carry quite the same skill and style as her newest releases (though they’re still good stories). This tale can stand well on its own, but it carries on questions left unanswered from Hebbros and focuses on an easily overlooked character—the jilted bride of Bradley.

I do believe Burdney may be the best book she’s written yet. Its plot has pace slower than Hebbros, but it’s by no means boring. It’s a story of political intrigue, monarchy greed, government intrusion, and layers of conspiracy. Each scene, each move is precisely planned by the author, each piece falling into place to reveal the full picture. For a little while, one certain storyline seems a tad unnecessary. Yes, it is cute and funny, but it’s seems to just be taking up time when we want to go back to the real plot on hand. But as it turns out, that little side story is absolutely vital to the main one. Really, this is expert plotting, something you don’t always see in self-published authors.


And the characters. Oh my, the characters. There are a lot of them. And that doesn’t matter, not for an instant, because each character is so individual and unique that the reader cannot easily mix them up or forget them. Each character is firmly woven into the plot and with each other. Cunning queens, cooks with swords, slaves as lords. Lathan, a blind warrior, is simply too cool for words. But my favorite was probably Dain, the Dragon Slayer. His attitude. Oh my, oh my, oh my. It was nice to see a young man of faith still be full of personality, rashness, and attitude, because it’s so realistic. Really, I want more of his story please. Like another book about him.

Fans of Hebbros will be glad to see more of Epic, sit on the edge of their seats for Warin, and sigh at prevalent mentions of Bradley. Also, the charming minstrel Blunt from The Heart of Arcrea is a very important character.

When I first read Hebbros, the spiritual truth of the story threw me off because the characters were speaking of Jesus Christ and the death and the resurrection, and that feels strange to me in a fantasy world. But one thing that helped me is to consider this series as an alternate reality, dealing with countries that could have existed. The world doesn’t have any magic or rules to be different from ours, so it can easily be pretended to have existed in days long ago.

Too often in Christian fantasy, when the author starts dealing with the religion of the characters, I start feeling preached to. I start feeling like the characters are only people who would exist in a book. I got a little of that feeling in Hebbros, but that changed to something else that I also found in Burdney. The faith of the characters is genuine and real. It is so real, these people might as well be around you, and I want them to be my best friends. There’s nothing contrived about it, nothing written by the author just to get their point across. The people’s faith truly comes to life, their walk complete with doubts, stumbling, and imperfection. I don’t know how to explain it…many Christian authors try to make their character’s faith real, but Nicole Sager succeeds in a way I don’t often come across. Burdney doesn’t deal with the persecution of the church as Hebbros did, but the need for faith in God is still very potent and beautiful.

So looking for an exciting tale of excellent quality? Here’s one. :)

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

I was tagged by sweet Shantelle for this award! :)  

What genre have you read most of this year?

Probably fantasy. It's usually fantasy, because that is what I write, but a good historical novel thrown into the mix is always welcome. 

Do you enjoy fairytales? Which ones do you like most?

My first response is yes. I mean, who doesn't? But then I pause and wonder, What sort of fairy tale do you speak of? Do you speak of Disney fairytales, in which case, yes I do enjoy them? Or do you speak of the Grimm and likewise fairytales, the true fairytales of old...because then it is a mixed bag, like in all genres. It really is quite shocking how sad, or dark, or just plain weird some of those stories are. But I enjoy the classics such as Beauty and the Beast. I've browsed most of the stories in Andrew Lang's collection and I must say, I became strongly intrigued by a little known fairytale called "The Golden Branch." Tis a tale of inner beauty and moral courage and it's quite interesting that the sleeping person found caught in a spell is actually a fairy herself. Are there several plot problems in it? Oh yes. But what else are retellings for? 

Favorite dessert?

Oh. Oh. Oh, how to decide? Um...either my Mom's homemade lemon-cake or her homemade Texas sheet cake (which is more like fudge) or her hot milk cake with whipped cream and strawberries. :) 

Which Disney princess are you most like and why?

I like to think that I'm a cross between Belle and Rapunzel. Both girls aren't exactly the most comfortable in public, though Rapunzel does warm up to and becomes quite friendly with people, like me. Both love reading, and Rapunzel also a crazy artistic side (though she's WAY more patient with her hair than me). They also have quite a soft heart, but are also brave. Family is important to both of them.

Which Disney prince do you consider the most dashing?

 Flynn Ryder. Hands down. It also helps that his character greatly resembles one of my most favorite heroes ever, Eugenides. And....Eugene....Eugenides....did Disney read The Queen's Thief or something?

What was your favorite blog post this year?

OH. Too be honest, I've been a bit scattered when it comes to reading blog posts this year. 

A few books you hope to read soon?

Corroded Thorns by Emma Clifton, A Wish Made of Glass by Ashlee Willis, and the others are releasing much later this year. 

Favorite book of the year?

Draven's Light by Anne Eliasbeth Stengl! Wow, just wow. It's SO amazing and beautiful.  

Summer or winter?

Winter. It's summer now and I'm just dying, dying I say. You've probably seen this meme before, but if you haven't...
 


One goal you have?
 I've just begun one goal as becoming a professional artist. If you'd like to see my new website, here you go: https://hsjwilliams.wordpress.com/

I also want to become a published author as I'm sure many of you know. I hope to continue a professional edit later this year with my WIP, Moonscript. 

May everything I do always be for God's glory!  :)  

Now for my ten questions:
How many books have you read this month?
What's a song that's been on your mind?
Favorite holiday? 
Describe the prettiest firework you've ever seen.
Is there a type of story you haven't read yet and really want to?
Favorite meal?  
What's your favorite least-known fairytale?
What your favorite rare food?
Favorite constellation? 
Pick a color and explain why you think it's beautiful. 

Now to tag ten people:

Savannah 
Ghost Ryter
Laura Pol
Sarah Taleweaver
Grace M.
Emma Jayne
Rebeka B.
Allison Rudivich
Emmarayn 
Clara Darling

Five Enchanted Roses Review

     Beauty and the Beast…my personal favorite fairytale, at least among those well known. So I was most thrilled to be able to read and review this second of the fairytale collections from the excellent Rooglewood Press. Every story was beautifully written and astonishingly unique. If you love fairytales or need convincing that a retelling can still surprise you, then this is an anthology you will not want to miss! :)

     The collection opens on the treacherous seas. I never would have thought of a Beauty and the Beast retelling in a Davy Jones-esque setting, but it was actually quite apt. Vivid description brought everything to life (even if the most of the characters were deadish). Though so unique a tale, one could sometime pause and see a scene very similar to Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, which always brought a chuckle simply because it was in such a different setting.
     Our Beast here is certainly a clever fellow, with a wit sharp enough to win any reader’s admiration. As to be expected with a pirate crew, the girl faces a number of violent threats, including rape, but there is no scene where this is close to being fulfilled. At first, I was a little concerned at how smoothly the love story was going (for whilst the captain is charming, he could hardly yet be considered a worthy husband), but the author did address this.
     Although I enjoyed the story, I did feel it ended far too abruptly, leaving at least two glaring questions unanswered. But I understand the difficulty of writing an epic tale in a limited word count, so she wove her high seas romance well.
 
     The second story is also an eerie tale in a land where ghouls and wraiths are spilling from the Netherworld, threatening the existence of humanity. However, despite the occasional creepiness, I wouldn’t call this a horror story, for it focused mainly on the uneasy friendship of our Beauty and the Beast and their mission to save the world.
     To be sure, at the fourth chapter I mistakenly interpreted that our hero-to-be was sucking blood from our unconscious heroine, presumably from her neck. As it turned out, I should have read more carefully for he was only withdrawing poison from her arm. He had no blood-thirsty tendencies whatsoever and found that idea most disgusting.
     The truth of our hero’s identity took me by surprise and interest. He was very likable, though I didn’t entirely agree with his reasoning on keeping secret the truth behind the Abby he lived at.
Though not a story I would have expected to like, it was very interesting, and the mysterious little side plot alluded to by the author is certainly meant for another book and one I shall probably go read.

     I was quite delighted that in the third story our Belle is already part of the cursed kingdom, being a lady-in-waiting. I’d never thought of that twist, and it seemed very likely and endearing. The writing style was good, and the plot had more than a few surprises, but it didn’t develop to my hopes. For one, we had the climax from the perspective of a side character who I never felt the need for, even if he was fun. Another, I wasn’t convinced by the arc of our enchantress. But our heroine was very sweet, and the story was enjoyable.

     The fourth undoubtedly has the most unexpected setting of all, an Amazon-esque jungle, with our Belle being a spirited young tribal woman in search of freedom from the threats of her brutal people. It was quite cool for our Beast to be such a different creature as is usually portrayed in retellings, and his attitude was awesome.
     However, there was quite a bit of brutality in this story, the sort that makes my stomach turn. For one, our heroine is repeatedly threatened (and is beaten) by an evil man of the village who would force her to be his wife which is quite all right with the villages standards (though not all right with her family). Also, this man is said to beat his wives, and one of the wives is later found violently murdered (It was meant to look like an animal kill, but it was her husband).
     I was rather irritated by some of the heroine’s decisions, which I found very foolish. Also, the supernatural system and the people’s response to it struck me as unhealthy. So yeah. I didn’t care for this one.

     Happily, the collection ends with my very favorite of them all! :) This tale is very similar to the original Beauty and the Beast, but OH…with such a beautiful and heart-tugging twist that I never once considered for a retelling. And this time, our setting is Gaelic/Scotland 1750's, with a very authentic feel of accents and time period. I think this heroine might have been my favorite, with just the right balance of sweetness and pluck. And the dear, dear noble Beast! His plight is most moving. It was also wonderful to see the warmth and love of family here, and the small second Beauty and the Beast plot enchanted me!

      Overall, it’s not a collection of fairytales for children. But then, the very original fairytales aren’t either. Any lover of fairytales of a mature teen age and up will no doubt be astounded by this excellent collection, full of such incredibly different retellings.

Cover Reveal--After by Savannah Jezowski

After (The Neverway Chronicles, Book #1)

The exciting prequel to Wither, featured in Five Enchanted Roses, available for pre-order now!

“Some people might say that there are worse fates than death. In some worlds, perhaps that may well be the case. But in mine, it would be a lie. There is no greater horror than that which comes after death.”

 

On the streets of an ancient city, with creepers wandering at will and a mysterious assassin leaving corpses all over Pandorum, a young Spook with a dark secret will do anything to keep his brothers safe, even from forces that threaten to tear them apart from within. While others are searching for impossible cures from outlawed Spinners, Conrad Ellis III does not believe in fairy tales and miracles. But when he discovers a strange girl with shrouded ties to the Assassin, Eli is forced to leave the streets he loves and travel into the very heart of Pandorum in order to save a member of his family. With his health failing and corpses escalating, he will have no choice but to confront the darkest corners of his soul.

Because if he fails, if his secret is discovered, his life will not be the only one forfeited. 

 AUTHOR BIO:

Savannah Jezowski lives in a drafty farmhouse in Amish country with her Knight in Shining Armor, who is no less shiny after eight years of matrimony, and a loyal brigade of kitties, who may or may not sleep on the job. She loves to write Christian fantasy and science fiction for her husband and brothers. Her work has been published in Ray Gun Revival, Mindflights and in the student publication of Fountains at Pensacola Christian College. She is also a featured author in Five Enchanted Roses from Rooglewood Press, coming July 27, 2015. She likes books, faeries, writing hats and having tea with her imaginary friends.

Cover and Contest Reveal!!!

Rooglewood Press is delighted to introduce their third fairy tale novella contest—

Five Magic Spindles

a collection of “Sleeping Beauty” stories

The challenge is to write a retelling of the beloved fairy tale in any genre or setting you like. Make certain your story is recognizably “Sleeping Beauty,” but have fun with it as well. Make it yours!

Rooglewood Press will be selecting five winners to be published in the Five Magic Spindles collection, which will be packaged up with the phenomenal cover you see here. Maybe your name will be one of the five listed?

All the contest rules and information (how to enter, story details, deadline etc.) may be found on the Rooglewood Press website. Just click HERE and you will go right to the page.

Rooglewood Press’s first collection, Five Glass Slippers is available for purchase, and our second collection, Five Enchanted Roses is scheduled to launch on July 27, and is currently available for pre-order. Be certain to get a copy of each and see what previous winners did with their wonderful retellings.

 Please consider sharing the blog button to spread the word about this amazing contest!

Cover Illustration Credit:

This cover illustration was rendered by Julia Popova, “ForestGirl.” You can find out more about this gifted artist on her website: www.forestgirl.ru