A Very Bookish Easter // My Semi-Biased Review

Nyree moves when she loses her job, hoping to reconnect with herself and her grandmother in time for Easter, but when she stumbles upon a hidden garden, she discovers just how much she’s been missing.
The Prayer Garden by Kelsey Bryant, inspired by The Secret Garden

Felicity goes out of her comfort zone and invites Adam Moore to Easter service, but their business rivalry has him ready to prove her evangelization wrong.
Lilies and Thorns by Abigayle Claire, inspired by Romeo and Juliet

Samuel is haunted by his past and unsettled by the present, but as the Easter season begins, Ellie could show him what his future could be.
An Easter Canticle by Sarah Holman, inspired by A Christmas Carol

Addie hopes for a fresh start when she and her family move to the mountains to live with Grandfather, but some wounds seem too deep to heal, even at Easter.
Addie’s Mountain by Kate Willis, inspired by Heidi

Four classic-inspired Easter stories full of hope, faith, and the miracle of resurrection. (from Goodreads)

My Review 💖

As a longtime fan of my fellow anthology authors, I was very excited to read their stories, and they did not disappoint! Here are my (slightly biased) mini-reviews…

The Prayer Garden
This book was so beautiful, with quintessential spring vibes, natural Christian themes, and some really sweet relationships. Also, talk about a meet-cute. 😉 The end truly brought tears to my eyes.

Representation: depression, dementia.

CW: medical facilities, emotional distress.

Lilies and Thorns
I highly enjoyed the inherent drama of this one, lol, which is not usual for me. It started out seeming on the way to an expected, Hallmark movie place, but I’ve never been so happy to be wrong, and I’m a huge fan of where the story ended.

Representation: social anxiety.

CW: mentions of loss to cancer, dysfunctional family relationships, shaded truth.

An Easter Canticle
This one was much different than I expected, and I loved it. The “Scrooge” character was actually quite loveable, and I appreciated seeing him deal with the fallout of his life changes. The retreat center was a lovely setting, and I’m excited to read the other stories about it now.

Representation: mixed-race heritage, celiac disease.

CW: medical emergencies.

Addie’s Mountain
Ooo, that’s my story! I don’t have much to say except there’s a lot of spring vibes, some church trauma, a really cute neighbor boy, lots of baking, and a bookish main character (of course).

Representation: Jewish heritage, anxiety, chronic illness, deafness.

CW: anxiety symptoms including an attack.

Meet Claire – The Get to Know My Character Tag (Again) (Because)

I’m doing this tag again just for fun, and because it’s imperative you get to meet Addie’s younger sister Claire.

(Again, thanks to Anna from Anna’s Idea Blog for creating this tag.)

What’s your full name?

Hi, I’m Claire. That’s all you need to know. *waggles eyebrows mysteriously*

How old are you?

I’m 12, which is more fantastic to be than 11, in case you were wondering.

Where do you live? (You can be as specific as you want)

I live in the upstairs bedroom on the right side of the hall on the right side of the room at my grandfather’s house with my older sister and cool aunt in the tiny town of Mush. You said to be specific. 🤪

What has been your greatest achievement in life?

Oh, boy. I reached level 500 on one of my video games, but just because I was sick a lot and needed something to do.

Do you have friends? Enemies?

I’m friends with Addie, my aunt, my grandfather, and the KITTENS. Also, Skyler is really cute but he’s more Addie’s friend. My enemies are mostly my chronic pain episodes, and a tiny bit anyone who is rude about my illness.

What’s your hobby/hobbies?

Video games, also sometimes reading, and sometimes gardening. I’ve just discovered I like it.

How would you describe your personality?

Typical annoying little sister? *laughs evilly* No, but I’m really cheerful and enthusiastic because I want to enjoy every moment I’m well to the fullest.

Describe your family. Siblings, parents, pets, etc.

I have Aunt Mae, she’s pretty cool. Addie and I are working on getting an uncle, but so far no luck. I have Addie, who is kinda the best older sister. And I have a grandfather straight from a book. And KITTENS.

Oh, and of course I had parents, but they passed when I was really little.

Walnuts and Brownies, yay or nay? (I feel like this is an important question)

DOUGHNUTS

Favorite book to read, or if you don’t like to read, something else you like to do?

Books with tips about my farming videogame. 😉

BONUS! If you had a choice, what would you tell your author? Would you wanthim/her to change your story? Explain.

Find an uncle for us, please and thank you. I need the cuteness in my life. 👏

And that’s Claire. 😉 If you haven’t met Addie, her older sister and the main character of Addie’s Mountain, yet, read her character interview here.

Addie’s Mountain is now available in the A Very Bookish Easter anthology!

A Very Bookish Easter Is Here! (+Thank Yous)

IT’S HEREEEEEEE!!!! Our anthology is finally born, and ebook copies are going out with paperbacks soon to follow. 😍😍😍

I hope you enjoy diving into this anthology this Easter season. 💖

I’m so overwhelmed with joy to be a part of this (and to be back as an author!), that I’m honestly out of words and emotions except happy dances and hugs. 🤷‍♀️

I think I’ll let my acknowledgments from the novella speak for me.

The author wishes to thank…

My Joshua—for your support, encouragement, and adorable face while I was trying to concentrate at the coffee shop that one time.

The Very Awesome Mikayla—for letting me send you chapters for motivation and for giving me the cupcake mascot.

Lillian Keith—for your encouraging comments on my blog throughout the whole process.

My A Very Bookish sisters, Sarah, Kelsey, and Abigayle—for having me as part of this anthology. It means so much to be in your company. 

My fabulous beta-reading team, Perry, Rosy, Kaitlyn, Havelah, and Rebekah—for your enthusiasm, thoughtful questions, and grammar skills. It’s been a delight to have you on my team. 

Kelsey—for the always amazing editing and encouragement.

Birkenfeld, Oregon—for being such a beautiful, dynamic place to grow up. Your people and your flowers fill the world with color.

God—for resurrecting me.

May hope invade your heart! 💖

The Get to Know My Character Tag: Addie

I found and snagged this tag from Bree at Laughs and Literature, and I’m very excited to share more about one of my characters with you. 😉

Also, so much thanks to Anna from Anna’s Idea Blog for creating this tag. 😉

Today I’ll be interviewing my character Addie from my upcoming novella Addie’s Mountain. 😉 There are some very minor spoilers, but I hope you enjoy getting to know her. ❤

What’s your full name?

Hi, I’m Addie! It’s short for Adelheid, like in the book Heidi. My middle and last names are not revealed in my book, but I’m sure they are very cool.

How old are you?

I’m about fifteen, though some days I feel younger than that and others I feel older. It’s a funny age like that.

Where do you live? (You can be as specific as you want)

I grew up around central Oregon, and we just moved far north to the tiny town of Mush to live with Grandfather Ari. I’m not sure how long we’ll stay, but I hope it’s forever. ❤

What has been your greatest achievement in life?

This is going to sound really funny, but it’s actually how hard I’m working to handle my anxiety. Secondarily, it’d have to be how many books I read in a year… 😉

Do you have friends? Enemies?

Lol, I love this question. My sister Claire and I are best friends, I’d count Aunt Mae and Grandfather Ari as friends too, and I’m starting to make friends with the neighbor boy, Skylar. No enemies, unless you count Ryan from kindergarten. (He spilled my crackers and laughed.)

What’s your hobby/hobbies?

My hobby is reading, early and often and happily ever after. I might add baking to my official hobbies soon, if Grandfather has anything to say about it. 😉

How would you describe your personality? Describe your family. Siblings, parents, pets, etc.

I’m a shy extrovert living with my Aunt and younger sister Claire. Aunt Mae took us in when we were very little, and she’s been taking care of us since. We all moved in with Grandfather and his two dogs, Penny and Luke. I have anxiety from some past trauma.

Walnuts and Brownies, yay or nay? (I feel like this is an important question)

Brownies = yes (if they’re Grandfather’s maple ones!), Walnuts = no. I’m partial to pecans and cashews. Walnuts feel too much like eating a tree.

Favorite book to read, or if you don’t like to read, something else you like to do?

I’m currently reading Heidi (and yes, I’m aware of the parallels to my life), and when I finish, I’ll probably read an old mystery or something…

BONUS! If you had a choice, what would you tell your author? Would you want him/her to change your story? Explain.

Oh, hmmm. Maybe less trauma, please? And more books for me to read. I saw that scrapped storyline where I got to renovate a library…

There you go! That’s Addie. 😉 If you have a question for her or for me, drop it in the comments, and we’ll answer you soon. 😉

A Very Bookish Easter releases on March 1st and is available for pre-order now.

Some Very Bookish Updates ;)

Guys, I’m getting more and more excited by the day. 😍 It finally hit me today, after a video call with my fellow anthology authors, that this is real!

AHHHHHHHH!!! I’m here to spill all the details. 😉

First off, we have a blurb…

Nyree moves when she loses her job, hoping to reconnect with herself and her grandmother in time for Easter, but when she stumbles upon a hidden garden, she discovers just how much she’s been missing.
The Prayer Garden by Kelsey Bryant, inspired by The Secret Garden

Felicity goes out of her comfort zone and invites Adam Moore to Easter service, but their business rivalry has him ready to prove her evangelization wrong.
Lilies and Thorns by Abigayle Claire, inspired by Romeo and Juliet

Samuel is haunted by his past and unsettled by the present, but as the Easter season begins, Ellie could show him what his future could be.
An Easter Canticle by Sarah Holman, inspired by A Christmas Carol

Addie hopes for a fresh start when she and her family move to the mountains to live with Grandfather, but some wounds seem too deep to heal, even at Easter.
Addie’s Mountain by Kate Willis, inspired by Heidi

Four classic-inspired Easter stories full of hope, faith, and the miracle of resurrection.

And we have a release date–March 1st, 2023–which also means it’s AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER! *happy dance* We’ll have some pre-order goodies available soon to boot. 😉

And if you’d like to be part of the launch team (maybe get an ARC of one of the stories? 👀), you can sign up here.

Wow, that was a lot. I hope your week (and this new month!) is going well. 😉

*disappears back into cave* *temporarily*

I Did It!

Remember when I shared I was part of A Very Bookish Easter anthology and my plans for a Heidi-inspired novella? I wrote a large chunk during my escapades as a NaNoRebel but soon fell into writer’s block and dissatisfaction with the tone and direction of my story…

Each day as my deadline drew closer, I knew I couldn’t continue writing it.

Two days before the year ended, I took the plunge and completely started over. Square one, fresh document, no borrowing words from the original draft (except a short description).

Back when I was just starting chapter 3 😭

I wrote like a crazy fiend for the next two weeks through vacation, illness, and ginormous work projects. I wrote in the car, in bed, at the coffee shop, in my living room. Lots of tea was consumed. 😉

Chai and cupcake Squishmallow for support

As the story took shape this time, I found both the joy and the deep theme I was missing. It became a celebration of spring, of a hometown very inspired by my own, of a close-knit family and community.

And it became an exploration of church hurt and longing for wholeness again.

I really am so grateful (and mildly shocked 😅) to have this novella completed. It’s been three years since my last new book, so this feels like a huge step and a big blessing.

My coffeeshop buddy 💖

It’s currently in the hands of my fabulous beta-reading team and after that it’ll be sent on over to my editor. 🙌

I named it “Addie’s Mountain”, and I can’t wait to share it with you. 💖

2023, Bookish Goals for Me

Welcome, 2023! Make yourself comfortable and stay awhile. 😉

As in past years, I’ve decided to share a few of my hopeful bookish goals for this year. 😉

1. Publish my A Very Bookish Easter novella

My entry to this anthology is coming along well, and I can’t wait for you all to read the finished product. 🤩 I think it’s gonna give you allll the cozy feels. 😁

2. Commission character art

This was actually something I attempted last year, but it didn’t end up working out, and I’m really excited to give it another shot. I have some gorgeous art of Kiera and of characters from the Arrows and Archers series planned. 😍

3. Dive back into dormant projects

This includes but is not limited to… promised sequels, “Awake” draft bazillion and seven or something, and a middle-grade WWII homefront novel. I am hoping to ease back into regular writing routines, and the big dream is to publish at least one new project this year. 🙏

4. Sell books in person?

It’s been a few years now since I’ve had the opportunity to sell my books at an in-person event, but I’m really hoping/praying/scheming to get something together this year. 🙈

5. Read 35 books

I barely made my goal last year, but I am planning to read a lot, so I’ve started my challenge at a nice, moderate 35 books. 😂😁 I’m hoping a high percentage of them are new indie releases. 🤞

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There you go! Those are my bookish goals for this shiny new year. 😁💙 In the personal sphere, I’m also planning to continue working on my mental health and to move on from my current day job to something that fits my needs better. Also, more baking, but that’s a given… 😉

What are your hopeful goals for 2023?

A Little Bit of a Plan

Happy November!! You know what this means… 😉

It’s go crazy writing month!!! This turtle of a writer is joining NaNoWriMo as a Rebel. 😎😎

I planned to commit November to editing my fantasy novel, but my October project is running late so there’ll be a little bit of overlap.

Which is okay with me, since having writing to do helps keep editor-me sane. 😂

So here’s the current optimistic plan…

1. Wrap-up my current project, a.k.a. the first draft of my Easter novella, within the first week of this month. 😬🙏

2. Organize my notes for the next draft of my fantasy novel in the first week as well. 🙌🙌

3. Get my fantasy novel safely through an entire draft and all shiny for beta-readers. 😍😍

Now, my life is very dynamic right now, so I hold these plans loosely, but I’m having fun making them and feeling hopeful and ready to go! 🧡

Do you have writerly plans this month?

A Very Exciting Cover Reveal!

(First things first, thank you to everyone who helped celebrate Rebekah last week and entered the giveaway! A winner has been chosen and displayed on the Rafflecopter, and Rebekah will be contacting her soon. 😉 )

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Lately, there have been some very exciting things in the works. Some very bookish pastel things. 👀 I’ve been getting to experiment with graphic design for the best reasons possible, and today I finally get to share one of the projects with you. *squeals and dances like a small chipmunk*

Are you ready?

You may think you’re ready, but are you actually sure? 😉

Okay, I’ll stop teasing…

A Very Bookish Easter anthology arrives early 2023! (Go mark it as TBR on Goodreads. 👏) Five classics-inspired stories set during Easter with themes of hope and redemption from some of my favorite indie authors ever. 😉

Yours truly also gets to participate this time around, and absolutely can’t wait to share my story with you. 😉 It’s inspired by Heidi by Johanna Spyri and my own experiences growing up in a small, rural town. I don’t have much to spill about the story yet, but the characters are absolutely adorable and I hope you love it. 😁

Have a great week!