The Silent Blade Blog Tour

I am so excited for today's post. I am participating in a blog tour for the release of The Silent Blade. The author, Jesseca Wheaton, is a good friend of mine and a very talented author. I am honored to have been a beta reader for her and also to have written the back cover copy for The Silent Blade. That being said, I am thrilled to say that this novel is releasing today! Congratulations, Jesseca! I can't begin to tell you how happy I am for you. This is quite an accomplishment. :)

When I first saw the cover for The Silent Blade I was amazed. It looks so professional and does a splendid job of capturing the general feel of the story. Isn't it beautiful?

 

Jesseca Wheaton-Author

 ~Author Bio~

Jesseca is an 18-year old daughter, sister, and a child of God. Her days are spent reading, cooking, spending time with siblings, or playing piano.  And writing, of course! At an early age words fascinated her, and her love for the printed page has only grown. She lives with her parents and seven siblings in the sunny state of Kansas, and she’s convinced there’s no place like home.

~Synopsis~

Dromiskin, Ireland. 925 A.D.

Eira has no greater desire than to see her life returned to what it once was—before her older brother Kevin's sudden disappearance four years earlier. But the simple life she hoped for seems unattainable; on the contrary, her life is about to get all the more complicated.
When she suddenly finds herself and Willem, her twin brother, taken captive by someone who claims to be Kevin’s enemy, things go from bad to worse. It soon becomes clear that she and Willem are to become bait in a trap set for Kevin, and Eira knows she must try to warn him. But how, when she herself is a captive?
As mysteries of the past are unveiled, and loyalties are revealed, Eira realizes how precious her friends truly are. And when mortal danger threatens those nearest to her, will she be able to trust God with the lives of her friends and family?

~My Review~

Reading The Silent Blade left me in awe. From the first page to the last, the book captivated me. It held everything that I had been hoping for—and more. From sword-fighting to a hint of romance, this novel was well-written and exciting. The plot—intriguing. The characters—well formed. The setting—realistic. The whole story remained true to the time period and proved to be well researched. It transported me into ancient Ireland. The plot was well-crafted and flowed easily from one scene to the next.

One area of novels that is always crucial for me to enjoy a story is in the characters. Jesseca went above my expectations. Each of the characters are so . . . real. As I read, I got to know them. I saw into their heart and fell in love with them. They weren't made perfect, but rather with faults and little personality quirks that make reading about them so much more enjoyable. The way that they handled situations was God-honoring and refreshing.

~Summing it Up~

I am so glad that I have been able to read The Silent Blade. I enjoyed it immensely and would recommend it to all who enjoy reading Christian historical fiction. To celebrate its release, Jesseca is hosting a giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also, below is a list of other fans participating in this blog tour. To read what they have to say about this outstanding book, I encourage you to click on the links. Thank you for reading my thoughts on this wonderful novel. Now, pay a visit to Amazon and order The Silent Blade.

Wednesday, July 20th

Mikayla H.at The Bubblegum Ballerina --Review

Blessings Counter at Counting your Blessings One by One --Author Interview

Ivy Rose at  Lakeside Publications --Review, Spotlight

Mallory Beth at Renewed by Grace --Review

Thursday, July 21st

Lydia Dyslin at Through the Wardrobe --Review

Rebekah Eddy at Rebekah’s Remarks --Review, Interview

Abigayle Allison at The Left-Handed Typist --Review, Spotlight

Friday, July 22nd (Publication Day!!)

Blessings Counter at Counting your Blessings One by One --Review

Rebekah Ashleigh at Rebekah Ashleigh --Spotlight

Amanda Tero at  With a Joyful Noise --Review, Interview, Spotlight

Deborah O’Carroll at The Road of a Writer –Review, Spotlight

Kaitlyn K. at Prairie Gal Cookin’ --Review, Spotlight

Bethany R. at A Great God and Good Cocoa --Review, Spotlight

Deborah C. at Reading in June --Spotlight, Review

Emily at A Purpose and a Promise --Spotlight, Review

Saturday, July 23rd

Kellyn Roth at Reveries--Review, Interview

Jason McIntire at Elisha Press--Interview

Natasha H. at Looking Through my Lens --Review

Faith P. at Stories by Firefly --Review, Interview

Monday, July 25th

Jesseca Wheaton at Whimsical Writings --Blog Tour wrap-up post

Once again, Jesseca, congratulations. I loved reading The Silent Blade and I'm so thrilled for you. Thank you for allowing me to participate in the blog tour, be a beta reader for you, and write your synopsis. I'm so proud of you! Now you can finally go sit back, relax, and enjoy your accomplishment. Super job!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Blog!

*cues confetti*

I made it through three years of blogging! Hurray! This has been a wonderful way for me to make friends, share my life, and have a creative outlet. Through these three years of blogging I have "met" many people and learned that yes, you can have friends over the internet. Each of the people I've gotten to know through blogging have truly impacted my life. Being homeschooled, I am not out and about making too many new friends so having you has been wonderful.

You are what really keep me blogging. I have been one of the most inconsistent bloggers that I know, yet you continue stick with me. Your comments make my day. I love how you are so encouraging, and I can only hope that I am the same to you. You have made my blogging experience most enjoyable. I cannot thank you enough for sticking around. I really appreciate your participation. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Summer Days and Lost People

Quite an interesting title, I know. How do they relate? They really don't. :) So please, bear with my rambling.

I am not overly fond of summer. It gets hot. Where I live in central California, temperatures are usually anywhere from the 90s to the one hundred and teens.  And I don't particularly enjoy heat. Give me rain and cold any day.

Of course, there are benefits to the season. Our pool is often like a jacuzzi. And naturally, no school. :) Most of our summer is busy nonetheless, but there are those days when you have practically nothing to do. Yesterday was one of those days. I read about 500 pages! I read nearly all day, and let me tell you—it felt wonderful. Just lounging around, immersing myself in another world, another time period, another land. It is an escape from reality, but in some cases, also a call to face reality.

So it was with one of the books that I read most of yesterday. An Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers is the second book in the Mark of the Lion trilogy. It is set in ancient Rome and Ephesus shortly after Jesus walked the earth. Reading Books One and Two of this series was very enjoyable, but it also a bit depressing at times.

Whenever Rivers described the cities, I felt as though she was discussing America today. Tolerant of everything, all lifestyles, all sins. It opened my eyes to how many people are searching for answers but don't know where to look—or they do but won't humble themselves. They worship whatever god they need at the time, and then move on to the next idol. Their lives are purposeless, without meaning. They engage in anything to please themselves, without thought to consequences or right and wrong. Their motto is live for today. Whatever is right for you is right for you. Supporting and praising sin. Abortion. Transgender bathrooms and locker rooms. Not staying pure until marriage.

I know that America is only one of many countries who have fallen into deep sin. Reading this novel and the first one made me look around. How could I help these lost people? Many times I wonder if anything I do could even make a difference. How can one person change lives? Again, this book helped me see how much difference one person can make, even when he/she doesn't think they are making a change. In this book, Rivers actually used a non-Christian character to convert someone! Talk about God working in mysterious ways.

Okay, I think that's enough for now. To sum this all up: we live in a world headed for destruction. But God has placed each of us in a specific place for a special purpose. Don't neglect that purpose or forget that no matter our circumstances, God has a plan and you can always reach out to others. He will use difficulty to bring others to know Him through us. By trusting God in all things and sharing Him with others, each one of us CAN make a difference in a lost and dying world.

And just a reminder, don't forget to check out my new summer blog design and enter the writing challenge! The deadline is July 22. Thank you!

Writing Challenge #6!

Today I come before you with another writing challenge. I look forward to reading the entries I shall receive! As a refresher, here are the rules:

1) I give you a "moral." (See below)
2) You write a 500-600 word story that reflects this moral.
3) Send it to me via the "Send Me an Email" gadget on the right sidebar of my blog. (Or just through my email if you have my address.) Please include your name or an alias.
4) The due date is July 22. Shortly thereafter I will post the entries.

Your moral is . . .
 Sometimes remaining silent is the best option.

I'm super excited to read what you write! If you are participating in Camp NaNo but you still want to participate in this, you can make your story shorter than 500 words if need be.

And finally, check out my newest summer blog design! Let me know what you think!