18 Days!

Reading old literature isn’t for the faint of heart (who all has dug into bookish treasures of auld?). I only had time to read one Robin Hood, by Howard Pyle, but I did like it! Here is a quote from it:

At this a great roar went up, those of the yeomen who sat upon the grass rolling over and over and shouting with laughter, for never before had they seen their master so miss his mark; but Robin flung his bow upon the ground with vexation. “Now, out upon it!” cried he. “That shaft had an ill feather to it, for I felt it as it left my fingers. Give me a clean arrow, and I will engage to split the wand with it.”

Occupations in Abtshire | 3 Month Tour Post at Wildflower Acres

“Protecting the Poor” is all about the villagers in Abtshire. Every individual was occupied in some way or another. This not only fits the history, it fits the turmoil of Abtshire very well.

To find out a little more about the occupations I feature in Abtshire and the history behind them, visit Wildflower Acres blog. 

What medieval occupation do you know about? Have you ever read a book where it was featured?

19 Days!

Robin Hood is a legend. While some believe it to be rooted in several real men, centuries have shrouded the truth with larger-than-life stories. Someone asked me how much of Robin Hood *I* thought was true. Hmm… I’ll stand by the opinion that it was likely there were a few heroes in England of old that inspired these legends, but the stories we hear today (especially the Hollywood versions) are probably 99.99% fictional. I’ll stand corrected, though, so give your opinions!

20 Days!

After two “princess” books, it was so much fun to work on a story from a guy’s POV. And then… just… Robin Hood (am I the only one SO really fascinated with Robin Hood?). 

But for real. 

I love reading stories from a guy’s perspective (I also get really annoyed when they act girlish because of a woman author… ahem…). 

Who else is on board with me?

Titles for Librarians of Willow Hollow

Are you ready to know the titles of FOUR upcoming books? My author pals and I are super excited to leak this bit of info out to the general public!!

Okay, yeah. You didn't think I'd just hand them to you... did you? ;) But it's easy. Just fill in the blanks. :)

Or if it's easier, here they are in text.

HEARTS     HOPE     LONELY     LOVE     MOUNTAIN     PLACE     SECRET     STORY     STRAND     TELL     THUNDER

Don't worry... I'll give you the answers... at the very bottom of this post. But I love puzzles. And I'd love to hear what titles you came up with--even if they're wrong (especially if they're wrong? You never know what other awesome titles are in this mix!).

A.M. Heath, Alicia Ruggieri, Faith Blum, and I are in various points in our drafts. I'm loving the stories I'm hearing from their characters and can't wait until we can share more about our four librarians!

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Now for the answers!

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I Love to Tell the Story

by Faith Blum

Hearts on Lonely Mountain

by A.M. Heath

The Secret Place of Thunder

by Alicia Ruggieri

A Strand of Hope

by Amanda Tero

21 Days!

Have you read books 1 and 2 in the Tales of Faith series? If so, who is your favorite character? Then, do this author a favor and share about it with two friends you think would enjoy the series.

22 Days!

// EXCERPT //

"If you have not lived for God and have cared nothing of what the Scriptures say, maybe ’tis because you said the words only—but didn’t truly believe in your heart. Aye, ’tis with our mouths that we can tell others we believe, but ’tis with the heart that man believes unto righteousness. It requires repentance—changing our minds to agree with God. Is this what you believe?”

On History and Friendship | 3-Month Tour Posts at Tangled Up in Writing and Honey Rock Hills

With being on vacation, I'm falling behind in sharing my 3-month tour bloggers! But the last two July posts were pretty unique. 

First, the historical post about WHY "The Secret Slipper" HAD to be historical. Have you ever considered why a certain idea HAS to be in a certain era? It's really fascinating to think about!! I'd love to hear your spin-offs of why _______ story had to be told in ________ era.
You can read the full article HERE.

Another belated July 3-month-tour post. One of the things I love including in my books is friendship. Strong friends. Godly friends. Those that encourage ME to be a better friend. As I got to thinking about the friendships I portrayed in my books, I realized that the reason I can portray them is because I've experienced them. I've had some friends stick with me through some pretty tough situations--friends who have encouraged me in my walk with God, uplifted me, rebuked me, prayed for me, and unconditionally loved me. If you have a friend like that, thank them today for being a godly friend!
Read the article HERE.

23 Days!

When the pages closed on “The Secret Slipper,” I knew there had to be at least one more story from these people. Robin Hood has pretty much always been a favorite classic tale of mine. As soon as I realized Dumphey could fill the role of a Robin Hood type of guy, I knew exactly how the series would end. It was, at times, brutal to write because I felt I couldn’t truly do a retelling of Robin Hood justice. There were so many plot bunnies that begged me to follow them, but I had to narrow it down to keep it within the realm of a novella, thanks to the shortness of the previous two books.

24 Days!

A YEARAGO TODAY I shared on my blog… 

“I just finished my first complete draft of ‘Protecting the Poor!’ I am so excited, but I also realize that there is still a lot of work to be done! I'm hoping to polish up this draft in the next week or two and send it off to some beta readers. Then, Lord willing in December I'll have some steady writing time again where I can finalize the edits and get it ready for publication!! It’s been a long eight months waiting for the draft to reach a solid foundation, so I'm very, very grateful to be at this point right now!”

Ah… and TODAY I’m glad to be at this point! Do you know what you were doing a year ago today? What did you blog about? Post about on FB?

25 Days!

Happy August! 

And… 

IT’S RELEASE MONTH!!!

Just a few weeks more, then Dumphey’s and Noel’s story will be in your hands! I’m so excited to share their journey with you!

Where am I today, 25 days from publication? Well, "Protecting the Poor" is currently being read by my final editor (Mom). Then, I need to brush up the final copy, format it, submit it to be printed, and get the week-long release tour scheduled (speaking of, if you'd like to be a part, I still have some openings!). What's on your to-do list for this month?

It's Release Month! | Final month of the 3-month tour

It’s release month!! 

Wow… this day has come about a year and three brutal rewrites later than I had hoped (okay, okay, creative license here on the description). The twosome is finally becoming a threesome--and I am finally able to tuck a completed series under my belt!

I have to give another huge shout-out to the lovely ladies joining me for a huge 3-month tour celebrating the release of "Protecting the Poor" as well as the two books that came before it. 

A.M. Heath Author

Blossoms and Blessings

We've Got Pockets

Faith Blum Author

Drop in the Ocean

Maidens for Modesty

Author Abigail Harris

Honey Rock Hills

Wildflower Acres

Writings From a God-Girl

Tangled Up in Writing

Singing Librarian Books

These blogs will all have another special post this month--this time, featuring the book we've all been waiting for! So be sure to keep up on my blog or just sign up for their blogs to see what comes up! I'll be giving sneak-peeks, sharing historical tidbits (which will probably have some sneak-peeks as well) and host several giveaways!

Have you added "Protecting the Poor" to your Goodreads' list yet?

What are you looking forward to this month?

26 Days!

// EXCERPT // 

Dumphey crouched down beside Betin. He swiped his clammy hands on his jerkin, not able to shake the thought that he knew something more than he realized. “He trained you to take his place.” He didn’t doubt it as he watched Betin grip the dagger again. Its blade flew expertly over the staff, creating angles that didn’t make sense to Dumphey, but seemed to please Betin. “Betin, are you out for revenge?”     

Betin’s freckled face pulled tight in concentration as he ran his fingers over the wood he had just shaped. His movement was quick and sure. Finally, he spoke. “Not revenge. Vengeance is of the Lord.” He paused again and took a deep breath. “Oh, how I wanted to. That eve when he hung. Every part of my being wanted to rush forward and kill Barat and the others. But such are not the ways of the Lord.”

“Why are you here, then?” Dumphey asked.       

“Every man has a choice. He can choose blindness concerning the evil that surrounds him, or he can choose to make a difference. I am determined to be the latter man—to fight for justice in this land. I just need to be patient until I can. Until I can do all in my power against Feroci.”

27 Days!

“Befriending the Beast” was dedicated to one of my friends, Aimee. 

“The Secret Slipper” was dedicated to my grandparents. 

“Protecting the Poor” is dedicated to my Uncle Reuben and Aunt Iris…

You have become my third set of grandparents. I cannot with words express how much your lives have impacted mine with your love for God, the church, and your family. I know that you love me like one of your own, and I cherish all of the memories I’ve made with you. Thank you, especially, for supporting me in my writing and always asking when the next book is coming out.

28 Days!

Have you read any of the “original” Robin Hood stories? I had to read at least one, and I settled on Howard Pyle’s. 

// REVIEW // 

My review is a bit torn between two. Robin Hood in this retelling was nothing but a rogue and restless fellow. There was no King Richard for whom he was fighting behind the sheriff’s back. Instead, he was just at odds with the sheriff and the sheriff could not overcome him or his men. So, there really wasn’t much noble in Robin’s character here. That, I really couldn’t admire.     

On the flip side, the humor in this was hysterical. I had several laughing aloud moments. I can appreciate good wit, and the merry men surely had it. Of course, as with any wit, it did go too far at times.     

There was a heavy theme of drinking throughout the pages. The only form of Christianity would be the priests who cares more for their purse than their parishes (which was to be a revealing of hypocrisy). There was next to no romance (sorry, no maid Marion in this book, besides her name being mentioned once). It’s possible that the songs they sung could have had some questionable content, but I’ll be honest and confess that I skipped over the poetry, so I don’t know what they contain.    

A good way to think of this book is as a collection of short tales of Robin Hood, as the flow wasn’t exactly novel-type.      

The adventures were a mix of fun and some with which I could not approve (they just lacked the integrity and nobility that I have seen in Robin in other retellings). I could revisit some of the stories and cannot say I wish I hadn’t read it.

29 Days!

// Excerpt //

Life in Abtshire had always been unfair, Feroci punishing the commoners at his own whims, caring nothing for the limitations of the aged or young. When he had hauled Zuzene away, Dumphey had been a small lad, Noel only a babe. There was nothing he could do for his grandmother. He had grown up, adjusted to life with Zuzene in the dungeon, never fully understanding why she was there or why Feroci never released her. She avoided his questions on the matter, so he submitted to the fact that he could do nothing about it. ’Twasn’t what he liked, but he had grown complacent, calloused to the cries of men and women falling under Feroci’s rule. Until Lia.

30 days!

A month until release day! Wow, how could it have come so quickly?! And yet… it has almost seemed like it has taken forever, because I’ve been waiting SO long to share Dumphey’s story with everyone! In the next thirty days, it is my goal to bore everyone out with quotes and tidbits from Dumphey’s and Noel’s story to where you have to know the ending (after all, it’s likely someone could die…). ;) 

JK… I’ll try not to bore you out. Just whet the appetite. 

Announcing... Wedding Score!

Most girls dream of their wedding days. Except me. I’m too busy practicing piano to be the live soundtrack for everyone else’s weddings to think about my own. I’ve survived most of my twenties with harmonious chords and pleasant days. So why is it that now, at twenty-seven, a discordant feeling presents itself? Is there a solid solution to loneliness when there is absolutely no potential husband on the horizon?

I am beyond excited to announce a new project: "Wedding Score." When a writer writes, they put a little of themselves in each story. I did with the entire Tales of Faith series. With other short stories I've written. But nothing comes from the depths of my heart like this one. Pianist? Yep. Single? Check. Struggling with contentment? Been there, done that. I have yearned to write this story since 2016, but the timing was never right. Today, the timing is right.

After having four siblings and countless cousins and friends marry, there have been so many lessons God has taught me in the singleness journey. Yet, if you look at bookshelves, you really don't find many stories about that. They're about finding the one true love. Falling in love. But what about staying content when there really isn't hope on the horizon? When you really don't know what the future holds--staying single or getting married? What then? This is the message I explore in my upcoming novella and I look forward to sharing it with the world in October, Lord willing!

Want to be a reviewer and influencer for "Wedding Score" and read it free? Sign up here!

Review and Interview | Tour Stop at Singing Librarian Books

Review and interview over with Singing Librarian Books today! I loved the questions she asked! Do you want to know what I took away from writing each book in this series? What my current WIP is? What top 5 books are currently on my TBR pile? My favorite summer activies? Read the interview here.

Figure out my newest title!

If you follow me on Instagram, then you've already seen this. If not... well, tomorrow is the cover reveal for my upcoming novella (the one I told you about here).