Book Review: The Torch Keepers by Hosanna Emily

The King's blue flame quivers as a new fire arises, and Kadira must hold fast to his torch. It's destiny; she's a torch keeper.

A fiery revolution sweeps across the kingdom of Erkeos, and each person must choose a side. Kadira, a girl set apart to serve the King, finds her city engulfed in the Liberation's emerald flames. Her blue eyes mark her as the enemy, and she flees from death. It stalks her anyway. When she meets Rekem, the Liberation warrior sent to kill her, she rebels against the King's ways. Two armies collide; indecision isn't an option. As hearts and lives hang in the balance, Kadira and Rekem could bring destruction or liberation to the entire kingdom.

My rating:

Wow. To say that this was unexpected would be an understatement.

So, the writing style was very good, though at times it kinda tried to pull me away from the story. Rekem seemed to have almost no personality. I was thoroughly confused through the first several chapters. (The whole concept of torch keepers and first names and such evaded me, so idk, maybe I'm just not super perceptive, haha!)

But while I went into the book expecting a normal fantasy . . . it wasn't. It was so much better.

This book is a completely clean (I'd recommend it for most any age!) allegory. And once I figured that out, I pretty much knew what would happen. The plot twists didn't surprise me. And that was okay in this instance. But y'all . . . oh my goodness. The allegorical elements just . . . they gripped me. They wouldn't let go.

And it made my heart ache in the best way possible.

God is going to use this book.

Maybe it's not quite as refined as others, but it's obvious that the author poured her heart and soul into the novel—and she wanted God's name to be glorified. I can't wait to see what comes next from this author.

Go read this book! It's a wonderful reminder for everyone.

Throwback Tuesday #1: Tucker's Revenge, Part 1

Hey howdy hey, folks! Today I'll be starting a new series that I'll plan to share on every fourth Tuesday of the month.

I call it Throwback Tuesday. I know, I know, not nearly as cool as Throwback Thursday, but hey, Thursdays are reserved for book reviews, so I had to settle for this. ;)

So, what is Throwback Tuesday? Well, I thought it would be fun to share some of my old writing here. When I first got the idea for this series, I thought, "hey, everyone could just see me cringe over my old writing!" But nah, I think there's something to be learned here.

Old writing is hard to read, but it also shows how far we've come. We can choose to be embarrassed by how we used to be, or we can choose to be grateful to God for how far we've come.

So, today, I'll be sharing part one from my very first original work, Tucker's revenge—a novelette—and go through it, paragraph by paragraph, to share how I would rewrite it now. Why not make this educational? Virtual field trip! ;) The story will be in this font, and my rewrites will be in this normal font. I'm definitely not a writing expert, and you might write it differently. That's okay, we all have different writing styles. This is just a fun exercise to show how far I've come with my writing skills, and to show you a bit better how you can rewrite something average and make it look so much better. :)

(not to mention, give me some extra practice!)

(plus I haven't read my old writing in a g e s)

(but I also don't mean to imply that everyone's writing is average, pls don't think that)

“Catch me if you can!”  Jamie Abbott’s hazel eyes sparkled with laughter as she turned her head to look tauntingly at her brother. 

Rewrite: The wind whipped Jamie Abbott's hair into her face as she turned to send her brother a taunting glance. "Catch me if you can!"

Levi, the third brother of Jamie, frustration showing on his face as he tried unsuccessfully to catch his younger sister.

“You haven’t got me beat yet, Jamie!” Levi shouted.  He slapped the reins against his bay horse, Buck, trying to get the horse to run faster.  Jamie just laughed in reply and turned her face forward, enjoying the wind in her face.

Rewrite: Jamie's third brother, Levi, pinched his lips together in frustration as he tried in vain to catch his younger sister. "You haven't got me beat yet, Jamie!" he shouted. He slapped the reins against his horse's neck in an attempt to urge the bay to run faster.

Jamie just laughed in reply and faced forward again, grinning as a surge of adrenaline rushed through her.

Thunder galloped down the nearly-invisible path that wound through the north pasture.  Rounding the last bend, the ranch buildings came into view and slowly became larger.  As they rushed down the homestretch Jamie risked one last glance behind her, and to her dismay, Levi was slowly gaining ground.

Rewrite: Thunder's hooves lived up to his name as they pounded down the nearly-invisible path that wound through the north pasture. As they rounded the last bend, the ranch buildings came into view and grew larger as they approached. On the last stretch, Jamie risked a glance behind her, and her heart sank to see her brother slowly gaining ground.

We’ve got to beat Levi!  She thought desperately.  If we lose now... she shook her head.  She didn’t want to think of all the teasing she’d get from her third brother if he beat her at this race.    

“Come on, Thunder!”  Jamie cried.  “We’ve got to win; otherwise Levi will never let me forget this.  I’ve done too much bragging on you to lose to Levi, of all people!”

Rewrite: Losing to Levi wasn't an option. "C'mon, Thunder," she murmured. "I haven't done all that bragging on you to lose to Levi, of all people." She swallowed hard to think of all the ribbing she'd have to endure—from both her brothers and the ranch hands—if she lost now.

The two pairs of riders and horses galloped closer and closer to the ranch outskirts.  Jamie could now see her family, along with most of the ranch hands, standing at the finish line.  She looked back again and squeezed her knees harder into Thunder’s sides, trying to urge him on as Levi and Buck galloped closer and closer.  The two horses’ hoofbeats pounded in her ears, along with the loud cheering from the crowd at the gate.  Jamie saw a movement to her left out of the corner of her eye, and, turning her head, saw Buck’s nose was even with Thunder’s flank.

Rewrite: The horse-and-rider pairs approached the ranch's outskirts at breakneck speed. Jamie spotted her family, along with more than half of the hired hands, waiting at the finish line. She checked over her shoulder again and squeezed her knees into Thunder's sides, willing him forward even as Levi and Buck inched closer. She could barely hear the cheering coming from the gate over the hoofbeats that pounded in her ears.

A flash of color in the corner of her eye caused Jamie to turn and spot Levi's horse, nose even with Thunder's flank.

“Run, Thunder, Run!” Jamie shouted.  But Thunder was tiring quickly.  Buck’s head slowly appeared, then his neck, his withers, and finally a grinning Levi.  At that second they sprinted across the finish line, past all the whooping ranch hands.  

Rewrite: "Run, Thunder! Run!" Jamie's voice rose to a shout, but Thunder's sides heaved, and she could practically feel his exhaustion. Buck's full body gradually appeared at her side, and she tried to avoid Levi's grinning stare as they sprinted across the finish line.

Jamie rode Thunder slowly around the yard for a few minutes to cool him down and noticed that Levi was doing the same with Buck.  Finally they dismounted and led their horses toward the group of milling people.

Rewrite: The riders walked their horses around for a few minutes to cool down their bodies, white with sweat, then dismounted and approached the group of people milling around the north gate.

“Jamie won!”  Jamie’s oldest brother Reuben exclaimed.

“No, I think it was Levi.”  This came from her second brother Simeon, who was staring at Reuben, as if daring his older brother to go against him.

Reuben raised an eyebrow.  “Simeon, you know it was Jamie.”

Simeon snorted.  “Reuben, you know as well as I do that it was Levi.”  He turned toward the two youngest Abbotts.  “You two were the racers; who do you think won?”

Rewrite: "Jamie won." Reuben grinned and ruffled Jamie's already unkempt hair. "Good job, sis."

  "No, I think it was Levi." Simeon stared at his older brother, as if daring him to argue.

  Reuben raised na eyebrow. "You know it was Jamie."

A snort accompanied the reply. "You know as well as I do that it was Levi; you're just playing favorites." he turned toward the two youngest Abbott siblings. "You two were the racers. Who do you think won?"

Levi smirked.  “I did, of course.”

Jamie rolled her eyes and punched her brother in the arm.  “Levi.  I was ahead of you for the whole race, and you were just beginning to catch up to me at the end.  Why not just admit the truth: I won.”   

Reuben shook his head with a smirk.  “I suppose we could take a vote with the hands...”

Rewrite: Levi smirked. "Me, of course."

Jamie rolled her eyes and punched him lightly on the arm. "I was ahead of you for practically the whole race, and you were barely starting to catch up to me at the end. Why don't you just admit the truth: I won."

"I suppose we could take a vote with the hands."

Levi shook his head violently.  It was a known fact that Jamie was a favorite with all the men.

Simeon shrugged and turned on his heel.  “Well, we’ll let you two fight it out.  Reuben and I, however, have better things to do,” he said over his shoulder.

Rewrite: Levi shook his head quickly, eyes wide. It was no secret that Jamie was everyone's favorite.
Simeon shrugged with a slight smile and turned on his heel. "We'll let you two hash it out. 'Ben and I have better things to do." He tossed back his last words over his shoulder.

Jamie turned to face Levi, her hazel eyes staring unblinkingly into his blue ones.

Levi dropped his gaze and sighed.  “We’re never going to agree on this, are we?”

Jamie shrugged.  “Let’s have a rematch, say, tomorrow afternoon?”

Levi nodded and tipped his hat to his sister.  “Until tomorrow, then.”

Rewrite: Jamie turned to face Levi, feet planted, arms crossed. Her hazel eyes stared unblinking into his blue ones until he finally dropped his gaze and sighed.
"We're never going to agree on this, are we?"
"Nope." After a moment's thought, she added, "What about a rematch? Tomorrow after noon?"
Levi squinted at her, then nodded and tipped his hat. "Until tomorrow, then."

Why You Should Hire a Cover Designer Instead of Doing It Yourself

I have no idea how many of y'all know this, but I am a freelance book cover designer! I found this hobby by accident, when I decided to add a symbol to a friend's mock cover. (yes, I realize now that it was kiiiinda rude of me, but hey, after I did that, she asked me to design the entire cover, hehe)

So, anyway, yeah . . . after that, I experimented with other things—book covers, graphics, photo editing . . . and then I actually started creating covers for legit published books! (*cue applause*) Am I advertising my services?

Yes, yes, I am. *grins* I'm super tired rn as I write this, so that might have something to do with it. *cough* sorry 'bout that.

Anyway. If you're interested, you can find my services (and portfolio) here!

So, on to the actual purpose of this post. (what, you thought I was here to toot my own horn?? Shame on you!)

Why you should hire a cover designer instead of doing a DIY

So, if you've had experience with design, and have actually done this before, that's one thing. The only reason I'm confident in designing my own book covers is that I've gotten feedback and I've seriously critiqued my work before declaring it fit for use. ;)

Free tip: get feedback on the covers you design.

However, if you're just wanting to cut a few corners price-wise when you publish your book, throwing a cover together and saying "yeah, that looks good" is one of the worst things you can do.

(NOTE: I am not pointing fingers at anyone! I'm simply explaining my personal thoughts as clearly and concisely as I can.)

Here's why: a cover sells a book. You don't walk through a bookstore, see a slapped-together and obviously homemade cover, and go "wow, this looks amazing! What's it about?" *shakes head* I'm sorry, guys, but I just . . . don't do that. If you do, that's wonderful. Every book needs some love. But unfortunately, almost everyone judges a book by its cover.

If I see a cover that someone obviously decided to make themselves as a budget cut, I will tend to avoid it just because it gives the impression that the book's content is going to be as slapstick as the cover.

I won't share specific covers, because I don't want to single anyone out. But let me give you a few methods that I would not recommend:

-A sketched cover. If you're a talented artist and know how to make this look legit, by all means, go for it! But the majority of the sketched covers that I've seen looked like they were drawn by me. And that's . . . not a good thing. xD

-A picture with simple fonts. Granted, there is a time and place for this, but when you just take a random picture and put some words on it, to me, this screams "HOMEMADE - DO NOT TOUCH." Especially if the text is on a textured background with no translucent box behind the words.

-A solid color. Your cover needs something more than just bright pink or orange or whatever-is-your-favorite-color. To me, this says "boooorrriiiiing" and I probably won't read it.

So. All this to say . . . if you're wanting to cut costs, don't do so with your cover. Your cover sells your book. I'm not saying this so you'll hire me, haha! I genuinely want your book to have the proper representation!

If you'd like some cover designer recommendations, here's a few whose work I always enjoy seeing:

Sarah Grace @ Estetico Designs

Brooklyne @ Brooklyne Elysse Designs

Bethany @ Coverbook Designs (Bethany sells only Kindle covers, if that's what you're looking for!)

Brian McBride

Savannah @ Dragonpen Designs

Jessica @ Greyson Graphics

And there ya go! Why hiring a cover designer is best for your book!

Have I convinced you that hiring a designer is in your best interests?? ;)

Book Review: Never Say Goodbye by Sarah Grace Grzy

They say time heals all wounds. But he was finding it a poor painkiller.

Tyler Collens has seen grief and loss in his years of experience as a paramedic—but he never expected it to touch his life in such a personal way. The death of his wife eighteen months ago shook his steady world and changed him in more ways than he can count. Time and routine have steadied his feet, and he looks toward the future as he raises his infant daughter—but the past has a tighter grip on him than he knows. 

Alyvia Emmerson has never been certain of who she is or where she belongs. Her dad’s abandonment as a teen broke a fragile piece of her heart, but ten years later, she has moved on. Living on her own, she at last has a project to devote herself to: revitalizing a shabby bookstore. But she didn’t count on her dream job revealing the shattered pieces of herself she thought mended long ago.

In this sophomore novel featuring beloved characters from Live Without You, Sarah Grace Grzy explores themes of grief, hope, and second chances in a story that touches both the heart and spirit.

My rating:

(4.5 stars, rounded up to 5)

Gahhhh, ya'll! This book is the sweetest thing!

I read Live Without You about a year ago and while it was good, the side character, Tyler, was my favorite. So when I heard that the author's next book was going to be about him, I was so super excited! I had sliiiiightly high expectations for this baby, and it didn't disappoint!

So, confession: I read this book and, while I try to take notes while I'm reading review books, I...put down about three during this one. There's really not much to say about it, haha! The story flows great. Writing style is great. Plot is great. Emotions are great. Characters are great.

So after realizing that I got sucked into the story so much that I didn't even really take notes, I, um, did something I don't think I've ever done: I picked it back up and started rereading it within a week.

And that right there tells me why five stars instead of four. ;) I'm almost done with it again, and y'all, this book is so good. The themes of hope, of forgiveness, of letting go . . .

(also Tyler's a fellow control freak so I FEEL)

Alyvia and Tyler both have to learn how to let go of the past and step into the future, but in two very different ways: Alyvia has to let go of bitterness and fear. And Tyler has to let go of fear and lost loved ones. 

The book didn't make me cry like everyone said it would, but it was still emotional. And it was still fantastic.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

But wait—there's more!

The blog tour for Never Say Goodbye is still going!

You can find the book at Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Indie Bound.

About the author:

Sarah Grace Grzy is a voracious reader, and if it weren’t for this crazy thing called 'Life,' she’d be tempted to spend all her days in front of a wood stove, book in one hand, coffee mug in the other. A lover of learning, she finds enjoyment in many things and has more hobbies than she knows what to do with. Sarah Grace is a freelance web and graphic designer, and when not working, spending time with her ever-growing family, or reading, she can be found painting, playing the piano, or fangirling with her sisters and friends. Sarah Grace inhabits the State of Great Lakes, and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else—unless it meant she could have a baby penguin, in which case, she’d gladly move to the South Pole.

You can find Sarah Grace on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Giveaway:

The host of the blog tour, Victoria Lynn, is also hosting a giveaway! You can find that here.

(Also, if you've read Never Say Goodbye, enter in The Great Review Race for a chance to win a $20 gift card to B&N!)

What are you waiting for?? Go read this book! ;)

Camp NaNo Wrap-Up + Snippets

Hey guys! How was your April?

Regardless of what everyone keeps saying about quarantine dragging on and on, life is flying by as usual in my house! April was a blur—and the fact that NaNo happened didn't help that fact any. ;) If you participated in NaNo, how did you do??

My goal for the month was 30,000 words. (That's an average of 1,000 words a day, for those of you who are too exhausted to do the math.) I clocked out at 30,006 words for the month, though my progress meter looked like a two-year-old was trying to draw a straight line. But, progress is progress, right??

Right.

So, in addition to FINISHING Little Boy Blue (my baby is 53,653 words long! *cries*), which only took me to about 26,000 words for NaNo, I started the sequel, which shall remain unnamed and anonymous for now. (unnamed and anonymous . . . is that redundant?) Though before I get any further in said sequel, I definitely need to edit Little Boy Blue. (wouldn't it be awful to write the sequel, then go back and change the first book, then have to completely rewrite the sequel?!)

Anyway, all that said, I do have some juicy snippets for you, because some of you have been acting excited for my story. (I mean, yeah, all of you have, but Katja *squints*)

But, before I give you allllll da snippets, I actually created a mock cover and lil' baby synopsis!

Screams have a way of coming back to haunt you.

Micah Banner is being tormented for the crimes he only witnessed, and there's no way of escape. Forced to choose between his family and those who committed no wrong, his decision throws him into a whole new world. Thrust into circumstances far from familiar, he discovers what it is to actually live a life of love.

When tragedy strikes far too close to home, Micah must gather the courage to do what needs to be done—no matter the consequences.

*Crying for my Micah baby*

Okay, now you get some lil' snippets. *grins*

When they were so close that Micah could see the whites in her eyes, he swallowed hard. She did not look happy. Can they smell fear?

Shane held up a hand to stop him. “You distract the cow,” he commanded in a low whisper, “and I’ll tag the calf.”

Micah swallowed hard. “What if she chases me?”

“Then run.” Shane sounded exasperated, as if he didn’t think the answer needed said. “You don’t just let her run over you.”

“But—”

Shane sliced off his words with a motion of his hand. “Just shut up and do it. The whole point is for her to chase you instead of me, because you can actually run. It’ll be all I can do to get this calf on the ground long enough to tag it.”

Micah looked skeptically at Shane’s broad shoulders. “I doubt that.” The guy could bench press a Buick if he wanted to.

“All right, just keep an eye on her. If she starts to move or look towards me, wave your arms a little or shout or something. Just keep her distracted.”

“And why am I the one that has to be in the line of fire?”

“Couldn’t sleep either, huh?”

The voice that popped out at him from the darkness caused Micah to whirl and drop the glass. It shattered on the floor, making a crash loud enough to wake the dead. He winced. 

“Aw, man, seriously? I only have, like, two of those left now!”

Micah sighed, not in the mood to come up with some sort of smart-alecky quip with which to reply at the moment. “Sorry. I’ll clean it up, if you could just please turn the light on.”

He heard a shuffle, then the light flicked on to illuminate everything Micah hadn’t noticed before—now, in his exhausted mind, everything stood out: the dirty linoleum, lime green cabinet trim darkened with years’ worth of food grease, walls speckled with dust bunnies. “You never clean, do you?”

Shane looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “I sweep the floors when they need it.”

“Yeah, but, like, this place needs cleaned.”

“You’ve been here how long and just now noticed?”
Micah shook his head, running his hands through his unruly hair. “No, like, it’s bad. How come you never deep clean?”

Shane shrugged. “Never have time, can’t afford a cleaning lady, and Claire has made it clear that she’s not going to be my maid.”
Micah sighed and rubbed his eyes, exhausted yet clearly not going to be able to sleep anymore tonight. “All right, where do you keep your cleaning supplies?”

“You mean stuff like mops and disinfectant?” He pointed to a closet in the corner of the room. “In there. I think. You might have to move some stuff.”
As soon as Micah opened the closet door, he jumped out of the way to avoid the avalanche of random objects that came tumbling out. “You weren’t kidding when you said I’d have to move stuff.”

“Yeah, sorry. I can’t stand clutter, so that closet’s kinda my store-all when I don’t know where something goes.”

“A tidy bachelor. That’s quite something.”

Shane rolled his eyes. “There’s a lot of guys like me around.”

“Okay, now there’s a scary thought.”

“So, are you gonna tell me why you wrecked my house? ’Cause, I mean, I know it’s not the prettiest or fanciest house in the neighborhood, but at least until last night, it was still in one piece.”

Micah swallowed and pursed his lips before answering, choosing his words with great care. “I guess you could say that something snapped.”

Shane scoffed. “Several things snapped. Be more specific, pipsqueak.”

“Well . . . um . . . I was just thinking about everything that happened, and . . . I couldn’t handle it anymore.” Wow, he hated saying those words.

Shane nodded. “Now we’re getting somewhere. Go on.” Anger still burned in his eyes, but at least he wasn’t shouting anymore.

Shane was downright terrifying when he shouted.

Micah opened his mouth, but waited several moments until he finally answered. “I honestly don’t know what to say.”

“You broke, man.” Shane tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. “Just say it. You had a meltdown.”

“Well, I don’t know about that—”

“Yes, yes you do,” Shane interrupted. “C’mon, pretty boy. Admit it. You completely lost it.”

“Fine.” Micah's tone grew cold, and he slouched sullenly in the chair. “But I don’t see what difference it makes.”

“Wow, you really are dumb, aren’t you?” Shane tapped his forehead. “I thought you had a brain in there, Einstein!”

“Your mama never taught you how to cook, did she?” 

Micah raised an eyebrow. “You haven’t even tasted it yet.” Even if it does taste like charcoal and suck all the moisture out of your mouth.

“Okay, I’ll taste it, but that still won’t change what I said.” Shane sat back down, almost straddling the chair in his relaxed position, and cut into his steak. He examined the piece with squinted eyes, mouth screwed to the side in mock concentration. “Let’s see . . . telltale black scorch marks on the outside, thin and crispy, hard to stab a fork into, dulling the knife . . . what were you trying to do, prepare a sacrifice?”

Micah rolled his eyes. “Hey, you can’t fault a man for trying.”

“A man? Where?” Shane made a show of searching under the table. “I don’t see one.”

“Oh, yeah. You’re hilarious.”

“I like to think so.” Shane grinned, then popped his piece of steak into his mouth. “If I close my eyes and concentrate, it tastes like boot leather. Nice job.”

Yes, I promise, it's not 100% banter. But pretty close. And these were the scenes that I could find that didn't give away major spoilers. ;)

So, what do you think? Again, how did Camp NaNo go for you?? I'd love to hear about it! I'm horrible with interaction on my blog, I know, but I promise that I'll try my best to reply to your comments—so check back every once in awhile. ;)

What are you waiting for? Go write that novel that's been in the back of your mind for months! (that's what I did . . . )