The Voted Most Likely Blog Tag!

Well, friends.... today I have a fun tag (at least I hope you find it fun, lol!). I've enclosed random snippets from each story, just for fun :)

THE RULES:

1. Thank the lovely blogger who tagged you. You know you want to. | Thank you, Kassie!! 

2. Include this lovely link in your post.

3. Use your own lovely Original Characters (OC’s); don’t use a friend’s characters or characters from your favourite fandom. They can be from any project, so long as you created them. for more fun, try to use as many different characters as possible.

4. Tag at least five lovely blogger friends to play along. | We'll see who I can come up with... 

• Most likely to be a poet.

Well... in Wallace Fitzeric I did find a hilarious typo where Wallace promises to either visit his uncle or send him a poem. 🤣 David Campbell from Betrayed is a poet... his adopted son Chris might become a poet! Brett Miller from Chords might too...

•  Most likely to dance in the rain.

Why would you...?? Anyways. The closest I ever got to that was seeing Brett Miller & Jerry Gray from Chords have a mud fight in the rain... trying to think of a character who would actually dance... oh, Bethany Krammer from the same book would!

 

• Most likely to look good in a kilt.

Wallace Fitzeric from Wallace Fitzeric! 

• Most likely to get punched in the face.

Jerry actually does... does that count? I have a feeling that’s something that could happen to Reynard Fairfeather from The Boy Soldier.... mwahaha. Now there’s an idea for another story... *rubs hands* Yeah, I love this featherbrain of a sweet heart xD 

• Most likely to drop everything and become a sheep herder.

Hm. I could see Allissa Carter doing this, perhaps?? I’m not sure... I can’t think of anyone else would would be likely to do it. Perhaps Christopher from Richard Fitzwallace...

• Most likely to be found in a library.

Natalie Sheener from The Cost! She's such a bookworm... ;)

• Most likely to sleep through an earthquake.

Hmmm... maybe Salem Campbell from “Betrayed”? He’s a heavy sleeper...

• Most likely to steal food from another’s plate.

Theiko Campbell from Betrayed. He’d do it to tease. But I could see him doing it completely without realizing that it’s not done... 

• Most likely to cheat on a test.

Huh. Have I any characters who would cheat?? ... I can’t think of any... Probably some nasty villain of mine... oh, the Duke definitely would. He'd pay someone to do the dirty work...

• Most likely to say “oops” after starting a fire.

I could see Theiko doing that... 

• Most likely to be needed in a war.

Whew, I have a slew of characters for that one. Lieutenant Harper from Incomprehensible Mercy, Lt. Roland Edwards from my Untitled Bushranger Story, A.B. Jack Gregory & Capt. Lawrence Langton from An Old-Time Christmas, Pvt. Jonathan Campbell from Betrayed, Wallace Fitzeric, Ernst & Emil from Annalise, Reynard & Callaghan from The Boy Soldier... yeah. I could probably say more but I’ll quit here. xD 

• Most likely to open an orphanage.

David Campbell from Betrayed. He’s already adopted four abused children and he has a huge heart for that.

• Most likely to run away and join the circus.

Theiko... out of pure forgetfulness that he shouldn’t. Connor from Incomprehensible Mercy too, perhaps... 

• Most likely to survive an apocalypse.

Jerry Gray from Chords! And David Campbell from Betrayed. Probably Jennifer Holl from Chords, too. They’re all tough, survival-savvy people.  

• Most likely to fake their own death.

Hehhhh... wow. Uhm... perhaps Ernst from Annalise? I could see him doing that to throw the Gestapo off his tracks... if he really had to, he wouldn’t hesitate, no matter how dangerous. 

• Most likely to die and haunt their friends.

We’re talking haunt as in never forgotten, right?? David Campbell... Brett Miller... Jerry Gray... I have lots of characters that could fit in here ;) 

And I tag...

Ryana Lynn, Mikayla, Hannah, Annalissa, & Angie -- to do in the comments or on your blog. ;) And here are your questions for easier reference...

• Most likely to be a poet.
• Most likely to dance in the rain.
• Most likely to look good in a kilt.
• Most likely to get punched in the face.
• Most likely to drop everything and become a sheep herder.
• Most likely to be found in a library.
• Most likely to sleep through an earthquake.
• Most likely to steal food from another’s plate.
• Most likely to cheat on a test.
• Most likely to say “oops” after starting a fire.
• Most likely to be needed in a war.
• Most likely to open an orphanage.
• Most likely to run away and join the circus.
• Most likely to survive an apocalypse.
• Most likely to fake their own death.
• Most likely to die and haunt their friends.

~ / / ~

Also. Several of you said you'd like to do a 3-month reading challenge. So here it is.

I think the graphic is pretty explanatory, but here are the rules quickly. 

• You have three months to read these books--from September 1st to November 30th.
• The challenge starts at midnight and ends at midnight. (So, if you are very punctilious like me--yes, you can start reading at 12:00 AM and yes, you must stop reading at 12:00 AM. xD)
• The books can be read in any order.
• Books #27-#31 are bonus books. The challenge is to read books #1-#26, but you can keep right on if you like. So you can read up to #27, #28, #29... as many of them as you like/can. 
• Short stories count if they are marketed as a book. For instance, many indie books sell short stories--those count. Every individual story in a short story collection that is sold as collection does not count.  
• You can include your current read if it fits in any of these categories as long as you are at least halfway through. 
• Books of the Bible count.  
• And you are allowed to ignore one requirement of your choice and replace it with another book that you are wanting to read. 
• If you want to share this graphic on your blog or Instagram, go ahead! Just tag me as creator please (my bookstagram account on Instagram, and this blog if it's a blog). 

I hope that makes sense, and I hope you enjoy! Let me know if you have any questions, in the comments below or through the Message Me form on the side. And let me know if you enjoy this and if I should keep these going! :)

Happy reading!! 

Book Review 10: O to be Like Thee by Kassie Angle

Happy Thursday, friends! Today's review is of a lovely book by a new friend... one that I can't wait to reread! (The book, not the friend, obviously. ;P)

O to be Like Thee 

by Kassie Angle

Synopsis: 

Wartime friendships are almost legendary. There’s nothing quite like the bond between soldiers who know their lives depend on each other.

That’s the thing, though. Your best friend’s life depends on you. That’s not always an easy responsibility.

And to make things worse, there’s that little blue-eyed boy in Texas who recognizes your uniform and not your face, and somehow his broken heart learns to love you… 
(from the back cover)

“But four years ago I had never known what it was to depend on God to save a soldier’s life because I had never known what it was to be completely powerless in your own strength and knowledge, no matter how much you knew. I had never known what it was to see God’s goodness through the most difficult of circumstances. I had never known that to truly be brave, you must trust the Lord, because I had never been asked to truly be brave.”
Corey Schreiber didn’t want to learn those things—not like he did, anyway. It’s hard enough to deploy back-to-back without your friends—or you—becoming part of the casualties. Corey can learn pretty quickly to trust the Lord on the battlefield. Will he trust God with his broken heart?
This is a military novel written by a daughter of a vet who is gifted in research. You will find that she compels your attention throughout the 300+ pages as she exalts Christ. Vets, family of vets, first responders, and anyone who is a patriot will lose themselves in this story.
(from Amazon)

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

5+ stars & 8/10 stars. This book was not what I expected... but I think it was way better. I was expecting a dramatic, tears-pour-down-your-face book. Instead, I found a beautiful, whimsical, funny, heart-tugging, tears-drop-down-your-face book. It made me cry with emotion, not with drama. It was a beautiful picture of “normal” life as a soldier/medic. I was never really on the edge of my seat (except for when Niel is hurt!!!) but I smiled so often, at beauty or at humour. I loved the characters. I loved the storyline. I loved the lessons. I just loved this book so much... it was amazing. If you love anything military-related, read it. If you love beautiful books, read it. If you love tug-at-my-heartstrings, make-me-smile, make-me-cry books, read it. It is so good. I can’t wait to read more of this author’s works.

[Have you any idea how hard it was to choose these??]
A Favourite Quote: “When you simply trust the Lord, it is far easier to be brave. ”

A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “In an unseen second, change; blue eyes, still blue, maybe still blue, listless now, glazed, faded, exhausted—surrender. 

“Not them, not the blue eyes; wake up, come back—bright, cautious, young—not—not this—not—not— 

“Stay blue, stay bright blue, wake up, focus, stay blue… 

“Stay blue… 

“And trusting, trusting then, when all other shimmers of light had faded, trust still shining bright. ”

A Favourite Humourous Quote: “I was just hitting ‘send’ when something brushed my leg and I reflexively kicked my feet into the air. Leaning over to see what it was, I blurted, ‘Sniper!’ 

“McKinley, running on pure instinct, jumped up half-panicked, then froze and cocked his head at me when he realized I couldn’t’ve sighted a sniper underneath my cot curtained off inside of a tent. 

“‘You named him, don’t blame me,’ I announced, picking up our little white kitten.”

*I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review but I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest opinions.*

Purchase this book:

Canada | America

~ / / ~

It's the Little Things

This piece of blank verse came to me while I was hanging laundry. (Never underestimate the power of hanging up laundry, peeps. While you're at it, don't underestimate the power of doing the most commonplace things--you'll never believe where I composed my best piece of poetry.)

I hope this strikes a chord in you. The little things are so small, but so powerful. A little smile can change your day, a little word can haunt you forever. A little gift can be a wonderful memory, a little nasty gesture can sting for ages. A little sin can lead so far away, a little step in the right direction can create great habits.

The little words are particularly to be watched. Someone once made a joke to me about Québec needing to separate from England and take its liberty. That really didn’t sit well with me because one, I’m a very strong British loyalist and two, it would be terrible if Québec separated from Canada. We have been through that before—when it was threatened—and it was frightening. This was a prime example of someone joking about something they had no knowledge about. In my opinion, the joke had no need of being made, and the result was that I’m still frustrated by the memory, I didn’t really want to see that person again, and I didn’t want to sit and listen to them after they brought it up again. Recently I was thinking about this. It was a reminder to me to not joke about things I don’t know about. Not to joke about things that are serious. A reminder that a chance word can hurt and rankle in people’s minds. It can wreck a memory. It can impact much more than you think. It is so, so important to be careful about what you say... and this is a reminder that I needed. We need to watch those little words, because they are powerful. 

Please note that the only reason I bring this up is to serve as an example. I have no wish to bash the person. On the flip side of what I’ve been talking, here’s something else I was reminded. We can’t go through life hanging on to things that hurt and angered us. I don’t know why we do this, but we persist in hashing out happenings and dialogues that hurt us and making us angry again. That’s pointless and actually dangerous and wrong. Let it go. Try to forget. Pray and ask for help to forgive that person. And be willing to forgive. It’s seldom worth holding a grudge about. I’m sure the person I am talking about is a good worker for the Lord, and there’s no need for me to permanently dislike them because of a joke. 

Remember also that when you are out of your country, you represent your country. My parents once met someone who when they told him they were Canadian, he replied, “Oh. I don’t like Canada.” Don’t be the reason someone doesn’t like your country. Don’t be the reason someone avoids going down to your state or province. On the flip side, just because someone from, say, Virginia, offends you, does not mean that all Virginians or even all Americans are nasty! But the point is, what you say or do can affect more than just your day. It can affect someone's life.

So remember the little things and beware of them. 

It's the Little Things

The little smiles that make you smile,

The little message that makes your day,

The little treats that sweeten the mood,

It's the little things.

The little sparkles that make you grin,

The little chat when someone drops by,

The little gift that came from England,

It's the little things.

The little joke that rubs you wrong,

A little remark that seemed so mean,

The little reaction to your plea for help,

It's the little things.

The little sins that build up within,

The little steps towards the wrong,

The little compromises you accept,

It's the little things.

The little words that fuel the anger, 

The little words that come back to haunt,

The little straws that break your back,

It's the little things.

The little things can make or break

Your character, relationships,

Testimony, weeks, and years--

It's the little things.

The little things can make a change;

The little things can lose a soul;

They impact more than just your life--

It's the little things.

A Letter to my Book Chords

I am stealing this idea from Hailey Rose (who stole this from someone else lol). 

Dear Chords, 

You were totally unexpected in so many ways. You started out when I was digging through my friend Mikayla’s blog archives and found her Pinterest Mood Board for one of her stories. I checked it out, and I came across the picture of Brett. I saved it to write flash fiction from, along with several other pictures. 

 from Pinterest 

Then Camp NaNo rolled around in April 2019. I was going to rewrite my 2018 100-for-100 story, but I gave up because I couldn’t figure out how to make a decent mystery. It was too much work. So I decided to do the easy thing (and get rid of some pics) by writing 31 pieces of flash fiction, each 1,000 words.  

Right away my plans were changed. I wrote over 3,000 words on a short story inspired by my father’s sermon; then I began my original plan. I wrote one 1,100+ flash fiction and then prepared to write a second one. As I scrolled through the pictures, I fell onto Brett’s again and randomly decided to start with this one.  

So I began to write. And it wouldn’t stop. I kept on. The story went on and on and on, twisting in ways I had never expected. Another flash-fiction-inspiration picture that I had saved was worked in, and then another. The story went on and on.  

 Jennifer
 (from Pinterest)

 

Bethany
 (from Pinterest)

 You were such a breaker for me, Chords. You pulled me through my highways word-count and went on. You ended up being a mystery, which I only dreamed of writing. You also ended up with so many quotable sentences—another thing I could only dream of. You also were heavily dialogue-driven. I used to avoid dialogue. Now, I loved writing it. The whole month I was astonished and elated by how the words just came poring in. I passed my daily goals easily. I went ahead of my Camp Goal. I only got stuck for real when it came towards the ending—and I had no idea how to end you. Some friends offered to read you and give me feedback. I was discouraged by how messy it was and I gave up. Every once in a while, I mentioned it and how discouraged I was over it. In March, a friend offered to read it for me. I woke up the next morning to a whole bunch of fangirly comments and sweet compliments. I was so grateful and happy. My story wasn’t all bad. I wanted to work on it again. 

I kept putting it off, though. I didn’t want to have to figure out how to end it. I puttered around with it and did work a bit on it. But I mostly ignored it. 

Then, randomly, during Camp NaNo in July 2019, I decided to work on it. I opened the manuscript and started to write. And the words started to flow. 

I was amazed. 

The story went on. It passed my 40,000 goal. It passed my dream—45,000. I was so astonished and happy. 

You still need work. You’re still super messy. But you taught me things, Chords. For years I struggled because I could only write flash fiction. I felt like I was a worthless writer because I could never reach 50,000 words. I struggled with self-pity and depression. I fought tooth and nail for my writing time and got emotional when it was threatened. Then I gave it up. It became a hobby, not a career. And this year, I was blessed. My dreams came true. I wrote a novella that was just 4,000 words shy of a novel (more or less). I had fangirls and writing friends. I even got huge compliments—including a published author asking me to publish a short story I wrote. A friend wrote amazing synopsises for me—the kind you see on a professionally published book. 

This was a year of learning, of blessings, and of change. You did a lot in my life, Chords. I hope that you can touch someone else’s life. That would be my ultimate dream.  

You taught me that dreams do come true—when it’s the right time and it’s what God wants for you. I am so blessed and humbled to have been able to been on this journey. I'm so eager to keep on working on you—and to see where you go. 

Love,  

Your author 

Book Review 06: A Better Place by Jenna Starr

 Happy Thursday, friends! Today's book is one that will appeal to you horse lovers! ;)

A Better Place 

by Jenna Starr

Synopsis: 

A Better Place tells the story of fourteen-year-old Ellie Zeiker. Ellie thought life was going great--until tragedy struck her family. Now, with no one to turn to, will she choose to trust God, or will she turn her back on the only One who can help her? Join Ellie and her family on this heart-gripping adventure of faith, trust, and hope.

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

3.5 stars & 4/10 hearts. I have come to be a bit wary of indie authors’ debut novels, especially teen indie authors, but I was surprised by this book. It was well written; polished; and contained a well-done story. It was just predictable enough to be pleasant. I cried more than once throughout, and I enjoyed the characters. I look forwards to more by this author! 

A Favourite Quote: “See, having earthly treasures won’t matter in the long run. It’s the things that you do for Christ that count most.” 

A Favourite Humourous Quote: “Can I pet them?” 
Brad grinned. “Knock yourself out. These guys wouldn’t hurt a flea!” He scratched his chin thoughtfully. “On second thought, they probably would.”

*I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review but I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest opinions.*

Purchase this book:

Canada & America

~ / / ~

Book Review 05: Enemy Brothers by Constance Savery

Happy Thursday, friends!! Today's review is of my first buddy-reading book and my top favourite novel. <33

P.S. I completely forgot to announce it in Monday's post, but I've made a shift in my posting schedule. I was finding it very stressful to have to write good posts and fill in tags every week. I also knew that I wanted to post more book reviews because that's why I started this blog, really. So I will be posting my reflection/tags/wrap-ups/writing posts on Mondays, and I'll be posting reviews or book recommendations on Thursdays and Saturdays, at least for now. Please be patient as I adjust to blogging and to a new life-schedule when college starts. I will perhaps post on unexpected days, or twist the schedule a bit sometimes.  

Enemy Brothers 

by Constance Savery

Synopsis: 

British airman Dym Ingleford is convinced that the young German prisoner, Max Eckermann, is his brother Anthony who was kidnapped years before. Raised in the Nazi ideology, Tony has by chance tumbled into British hands. Dym has brought him back, at least temporarily, to the family he neither remembers nor will acknowledge as his own. As Tony keeps attempting to escape, his stubborn anger is whittled away by the patient kindness he finds at the White Priory. Then, just as he is resigning himself to stay with this English family, a new chance suddenly opens for him to return home-to Germany! 

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

5+ stars and 10/10 hearts. How do I even begin this review? I put it off for days fearing that I could not properly explain how beautiful it is. I can only do my best and hope that you too will be able to pick up this gem and love it. First off, the setting. WWII England. It was amazing. It was 100% England and just a beautiful story of life—as normal as possible—during WWII. The characters were so English and they TALKED like Britishers (or Scots, if they happened to be Scottish). This book was published in 1943 and so is contemporary to the authors's time... which is just so cool. Next, the characters. Ohh... what can I say? I loved them. Bumbling, kind-hearted Ginger & his friends; sarcastic, kindly Jim; blunt, tactless Porgy; calm, loving Euphemia; gentle, steady Thomas; quiet, hard-working Mortimer; eccentric, humorous Jakob... and best if all, Tony and Dym. I loved Tony. He was so independent and yet so dependant. I loved his relationship with Dym, with Euphemia, with Thomas, with Jim. And Dym. Oh, Dym. What can I say of Dym? He was perfect, and yet... he *was* prefect. He couldn’t be other than perfect—perfectly. He was so calm, so loving, so dependable, so sacrificing, so wise, so tender... I have never been so deeply touched by a character before—and I’ve been reading books all my life, and love countless characters. The plot was perfect. Intriguing, but calm. Slow-paced enough to dwell on characters and personality and life and hearts changing. I loved the scene in the church, Dym’s speech on the war, the conversation between Jim and Tony at the end, the way Tony’s talk changed to show his heart’s change, the banter and humour between Euphemia and Tony (that time when he tells her he thought she was a bomb... xD). I loved all the reflection. The descriptions of the countryside. I cannot think of anything I disliked, unless it was a mention of a book with magic swords. I also think Dym should have rowed Tony for the desk incident... I would have enjoyed seeing that! This book is my #1 favourite novel. I have no higher praise. I love it as I loved no other book before. As soon as I finished it I wanted to reread it. And I did—at least, I reread my favourite parts over and over. Tony and Dym in the train. Ginger and the other midshipmen bantering. Dym chasing Tony into the wynd. Dym saving Tony from the bomb. Dym warning Tony of his nine lives. Tony realizing Dym’s flying is dangerous and all the reflections that provokes. Tony coming back the last time and Dym holding him tight. And that’s not all. I loved almost every scene in this book. I reread it about two months after the first reading, and I fell in love all over again. I cannot express how much I loved the beauty, the humour, the characters, the writing style... all of this book. I can only attempt to, and hope that you will love it too.

A Favourite Quote: “‘But why doesn’t He stop the war?[’”]

“‘Perhaps it’s because He has made us men, Max, not dolls that can’t lift a finger of their own accord. But I don’t really know; I’m not in the Operations Room, you see. All I do know is that the world has a Chief who was victorious when the powers of darkness struck at Him with everything they had. He has the plans today. The darkness won’t last forever. There’s a splendor beyond.’”

A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “Tony flung himself into his brother’s arms and felt them close round him tight. ‘Hold me so I can’t get away!’ he said, and found himself queerly rejoicing in the steely strength of those scarred wrists.”

A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘Nein,’ Tony answered, with a resolute shake of his head. ‘Sprechen Sie deutsch, bitte. Sie Arlen bier nicht englisch sprechen. That means,’ he explained kindly, ‘speak German, please; you are not allowed to speak English here.’

“Not allowed! Euphemia looked down at the little figure swallowed up in a pair of James’ pyjamas, which she had not yet had time to cut down for him. Her lips twitched into a smile.

“‘Ick kann nick doytch sprich,’ she said brightly. ‘Hier ist medicine vrom Herr Doctor. Das ist the best ick kann do, Max. Ick hopen you understandt.’”

Purchase this book:

Canada | America

~ / / ~

Do you like WWII books? Have you read any books written in the 1940s? Do you want to read this book now??