2/27/2024 5 Comments What's Their Name? Writer's TagHello everyone! Today we're doing something a little different. I was recently tagged to do the "What's Their Name? Writer's Tag"! Isn't that great? I have always wanted to do blogger tags (ever since I read almost all of them on R.M. Archer's website years before I even thought about blogging), and talking about my fictional characters is always something I'm up for. Also, this is the perfect chance for me to introduce my new character, Shea Holmes, to ya'll! Thanks so much to Miley Simmonds for creating this tag, and Blooming Grace for tagging me! Here are the rules:
What's their name? Shea Locke Morstan-Holmes What's their role? Technically, her friend Joan Watson is the narrator for Book 1 (Scarlet Studies), but Shea is one of the main characters as well. Do they love anyone? Being a foster child, Shea didn't receive a lot of love, so she makes sure to give it to everyone who will accept it. She really loves her adopted family, and her friends at college. Romantically? On paper, not right now, because I've only begun "official" work on Book 1. But I've already thought ahead to the end of the series, when she may or may not (no really, she may not) have a significant other. Do they have any relatives? Shea's adopted family is really the only family worth talking about. Her adopted dad, Donovan Holmes, is a writer of mystery novels and spends a lot of time birdwatching. Shea's adopted mother, Irene Holmes, works as a cook for the local church and is a freelance wedding photographer. Shea has a biological brother, Mycroft, who is eight years older and works for the FBI as a criminal profiler. Shea and Mycroft don't talk much, due to their huge age gap and lack of similar tastes. Inspiration for character? Well, I knew I wanted to do a female Sherlock Holmes story, because I've always loved Sherlock Holmes and the one book I know of that has a female Sherlock was kinda meh to me. So I created Shea. Shea's name came out of an attempt to replicate Sherlock's name, and it was thanks to a writing buddy that her middle name came to be. Backstory? After Shea's mother, Elisabeth Morstan, died when she was six, Calvin Morstan neglected her and Mycroft. By the time their dad lost custody of the kids due to child negligence, Mycroft was 18, but Shea entered the foster care system. She bounced around between several homes before landing in San Diego at the Holmes' residence. There, she found the family she needed and was adopted. Dreams? Fears? Shea wants to become a detective, whether for the police department or as a private consultant. Her greatest fear is being left behind, either by friends or family, because of her personality. Friends? Shea is a member of her school's theater club, although she's not much of a thespian. However, this is where she meets Joan Watson, a criminal justice major, Michelle (Mickey) Stanford, a journalism major, and Tobias (Toby) Gregson, a double major criminal justice-psych major. They have all become good friends/part-time detective partners. What's the story's name? Scarlet Studies Story blurb? To say that criminal studies major Joan Watson is a fish out of water might be an understatement. After eighteen years of putting up with her grief-stricken family, she moves from a small Detroit suburb to the bustling campus of San Diego State University. When she befriends Shea, a budding detective, and Toby, a cute but reserved theater nerd, she begins to feel like she has found her group of misfits. But when Toby’s precocious roommate is murdered and suspicion falls on his shoulders, Joan and Shea find themselves the next targets of a cold-blooded killer, with their mind bent on one thing: revenge. (This is very subject to change, seeings how I wrote this in less than 30 minutes.) What are her habits? Shea is super precise about her routine, and so she has a ton of routines I won't list here (mostly because I haven't thought about them XD). Random fact? Shea often signs to herself when thinking through a case, which is due to the fact that her mother (and later brother) taught her ASL and English as a child. She's kept up her ASL education since being adopted and is very quite fluent (though she doesn't get to show it off very often). Personality? Introverted and reserved, but enjoys hearing other people's stories. Realist by nature, but wants to be optimistic about life. Is an Enneagram 5w4 on the Enneagram, and an ISTJ (and a Ravenclaw, if she were into the Harry Potter thing.) Hobbies? Listening to rock music, especially Skillet and Evanescence. Singing, though she rarely gets the opportunity. Playing and listening to piano and violin compositions. Playing violin. Reading mystery novels. Attempting to write mystery novels. Inspiration for the story? I wanted to write a series about female Sherlock Holmes (see above), in a vein similar to the BBC Sherlock show, but a ton cleaner and with Christian themes. The rest fell into place after that. Anything else? She has jet black straight hair and green eyes. Just thought I'd throw that in there. ;) And then there's the tags! :D Bree Pembrook at Laughs and Literature Rebekah Morris at Read Another Page Issabelle Perry at Into My Writing Journey Katherine Perry at Katherine Perry Bethany Willcock at Vintage Volumes And anyone else who wants to do this tag is totally welcome. That's all for now!
Until next week, ~Cate
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Heyo everyone! Today's blog post is another blog collab with another amazing author friend, Issabelle Perry! Issabelle is publishing her debut novel, Don't Let Me Go, with Sky's the Limit Press. let me share a little bit about her book, and then we'll get to the fun stuff! Don't Let Me Go by Issabelle PerryWhen truth is a crime... Soviet Russia, 1929: Maksim Lenkov is tired of his past haunting him. An ex-Bolshevik and supporter of the revolution over ten years earlier that toppled the Romanov dynasty, Maksm has never forgotten his guilt over not saving the tsar and his family—especially a certain beautiful grand duchess. Tatiana Romanova had stolen his heart before the Bolsheviks took her life. Maksim has spent the last ten years hunting down her killers to no avail and doing anything possible to resist Soviet rule. This is why when a young, spunky British girl appears out of nowhere, claiming she has the Soviet secret police on her heels and needs help escaping the country, Maksim is compelled to aid her. Especially since she says to have information that would ruin the USSR’s push for influence on Western Europe and, more importantly, information that connects to one Bolshevik whom Maksim knows well. A man who was there the night of Tatiana’s murder. This could be his chance to finally avenge the Romanovs and find peace with his past. But is his new ally all she claims to be or could she be an informer for the secret police? When the OGPU draws closer, how far will Maksim go to serve justice? Inspired by true events, Don’t Let Me Go is a gripping, page-turning novel that explores the power of hope in the midst of darkness and the strength of love over evil. Oh. My. Goodness! Doesn't that sound like amazing? I cannot wait to read it! :D Russian History Trivia TimeOkay, so here's how this works. I asked Issabelle Perry a bunch of questions about different topics in Russian history, and she sent me her answers. I'll say if she was correct or not, and occasionally provide a little commentary. Ready? Let's go! :D C: What was the name of the first dog in space? I: Well, I know there was a dog sent in space, but I honestly have no clue what his name was. Hmm what would I name a Soviet dog? Gruffy? Stalin Jr? 😂 C: Her name was Laika, and she was a husky-terrier mix. I like Stalin Jr. though. XD C: When was Tsar Alexander II assassinated, and who was his successor? I: I should know this date because this is actually what the opening scene in the third book of my Lost Empire series is about, but I couldn’t tell you off the top of my head. WAIT. I think I can figure this out. I’m pretty sure Nicholas Romanov was thirteen the time his grandfather was assassinated so I would just need to count up thirteen years from his birth. However, I don’t remember the year of his birth, but he was 50 in 1918, I’m pretty sure, so I’m gonna count back 50 years and then count up thirteen. If my calculations are correct… Alexander II died in 1881. His successor was Tsar Alexander III. C: Okay first of all, incredible math skills there! Yes, it was Tsar Alexander III. Alexander II was assassinated on March 13, 1881. (Random side fact: Julius Caesar was killed on the Ides of March, which happens to be the 15th of March, making their death dates only off by two days. Coincidence? I wonder...) I: HAHAHA I was right! *happy dance* I knew my overly complicated calculations would get me somewhere! *mentally high fives myself* C: Who sold Alaska to the United States, Alexander II or Catherine the Great? I: Well, I’m gonna guess Alexander II (I’m 89% certain I’m right on this) because I have a vague memory of reading something about this. C: Nice one! It was Alexander II (he's also the one who bought it). C: What medical condition did Alexei Romanov have? I: Alexei Romanov had hemophilia. C: Okay, you know you had that one in the bag. XD I: Hehehe, Ikr. When I saw the question I was like, yes this is my moment!!! XD I should've planned some grand reveal to show off my super awesome russian knowledge. 😏 C: Who were the Molsheviks (not the Bolsheviks)? (NOTE TO READERS: The Molsheviks do not exist. I meant the Mensheviks. Kids, this is why you need to fact-check yourself with Google sometimes. XD) I: Um… I don’t have a clue. My first guess would be an opposing political party or faction in the socialist political group during the time of the Bolsheviks, like the Mensheviks were, but I feel like this name would have stuck out to me. C: Okay, I'm giving you the point on this one because they were actually called the Mensheviks and I didn't spellcheck before writing that down. *facepalm* I: Ooo yaay!! I was starting to think maybe I didn't pay as much attention to the political parties of that time as I thought I had. But I get that. C: Nope. Totally my fault. XD C: What date was Bloody Sunday? I: Rats, I apparently stink at dates. I’m pretty sure it was 1905… in February? January? Ya just gonna have to tell me on this one. 😂 C: January 22, 1905, to be exact. I: I should get half a point on this one for almost being there. 😂 C: Given. ;) C: Who was Vera Zasulich, and how did she make Russian history? I: Never heard of her, but her name is pretty awesome so I’m hoping she did something equally awesome. C: Er...she was the first female who tried to assassinate someone in Russia. She also started the age of terrorism, which ended when Tsar Alexander II was assassinated. Sorry, not so awesome. :/ I: Ooof yeah, not that awesome but she might would be an intriguing character in a novel... *mind starts spinning with ideas* C: What was the first official city in the Russian Empire? I: I’m gonna guess Moscow, but it could be St. Petersburg. C: It was technically Kievan Rus, which was found by King Rurik, a Varangian chieftain. His great-grandson went on to become Vladimir the Great, who united the Russian Empire and is sometimes called "Vladimir the Russian Viking". I: AH! I should've known that. *facepalm* That's pretty epic! I mean, if I were a Russian king, I would want to be known as Vladimir the Russian Viking too. C: What primary source was written about the Norman theory, which claimed that the Vikings controlled the Slavic tribes that later became Russia? I: Oh, I’ll know the name when I hear it, but I can’t tell you right off the top of my head. (I’m beginning to understand what google is for now.) C: It's known as "The Primary Chronicle" by Nestor, a Slavic monk. I: Man, it was right on the tip of me tongue! I was thinking it ended with chronicle but couldn't remember the first part. C: Well most people call it "Chronicle" so you kind of already had it. 😄 C: Okay, last question!! Who gave the bubonic plague to the Russians? I: Gruffy the Soviet dog. 😂 I’m actually really curious to know the answer to this question now! C: *shakes head* Ha ha, nice try. Gruffy may have been the name of a Mongol, whose people gave the Russians the bubonic plague when they invaded Russia. I: Lol, yes, we will hereby dub the name of one of the Mongols as Gruffy. XD C: Done and done. XD Okay, that's all for now! You guys should totally check out Is' website if you haven't already, and put Don't Let Me Go on your TBR shelf. Comment below how many of these questions you got right! (And swing over to Is' blog on Friday, where I try my hand at Russian history trivia!) Until next week! ~Cate All About Issabelle PerryIssabelle Perry is a proud Jesus follower, an extroverted writer of historical fiction, and a homeschool graduate. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, jamming to Skillet, bullet journaling, studying Russian, hunting for Narnia in wardrobes, or envisioning herself wielding a magnificent sword (but due to her clumsiness, let’s hope that never happens). This self-proclaimed exclamation mark enthusiast can be found hanging out at Teen Writers’ Nook, a community of teen authors she co-founded in 2020. Issabelle is the author of Don’t Let Me Go (releasing early 2024 with Sky’s the Limit Press), May We Make Them Proud, and several short works. Currently, she is a proofreader for Havok Publishing and the co-editor for the Imagine and Tell Me You Love Me anthologies. What she’s probably doing right now is fangirling about her favorite books to random people or scanning the pantries for chocolate. Subscribe to her newsletter to stay up-to-date on book releases and writing projects: https://vintagelyizzy.ck.page/newsletter Blog: https://intomywritingjourney.wordpress.com/ 2/13/2024 0 Comments My Favorite Worldbuilding ToolsLast week, I talked about worldbuilding lessons that I’ve learned as a history major (here’s the link to that blog post if you want to see it!). Today I’m switching gears and talking about the best tools that I’ve used in my worldbuilding. I’ve been unofficially creating worlds as long as I’ve been reading fantasy (which is about the same time I started writing, so at least over a decade), but I didn’t start actually trying to build those worlds until I was in my teen years and honing my hobby-turned-passion. So, today I’m going to go over some of my favorite resources for the beginner worldbuilder. Books
Software(s)
Websites
These are just a few of my favorite worldbuilding tools. Do you have certain tools you like to use in your worldbuilding? Comment below and let me know!
Hey everyone! Today I'm doing a blog swap with a good writing friend, R.M. Archer! I have been a huge fan of her writing and her blog posts on worldbuilding. A link to her website is listed below so you can check out all of her amazing work. And now, I'll pass you on to her! When you pour time into building a world, you want it to serve its fullest purpose—especially if you’ve spent a lot of time on it. You want all of that work to pay off with more than just a pretty backdrop. The question is, how do you accomplish that and truly get the most out of your worldbuilding? Deepen Your CharactersYour characters should be impacted by the world in which they’ve grown up. Their surroundings, their upbringing, and the society they live in should shape how they see the world and interact within it. Besides that, they should also know something about the world they live in (even if they’re not experts). They should have opinions on things that are important to them and know how to engage with the world around them, even if they can’t tell you the entire history of their world. (Even real-world historians don’t claim to know everything!) If you’re struggling to deepen your characters or make your world meaningful to them, look at how your world might impact one’s thinking or expectations about life. See what habits might be fostered in the type of society you’ve built, or what might be frowned upon. You can also look at this in reverse and use your characters to deepen your world, as you learn what your character learns or allude to details through them. Even if these details have no true depth behind them, they can say something about your world and give your readers the illusion of greater depth than you’ve discovered. (If you’re interested in learning more about how to convey years of depth without years of worldbuilding, this idea of the illusion of depth is something I cover at greater length in my course The Worldbuilding Toolbox.) Shape Your PlotThere are a couple of ways that your world can shape your plot (and if you’re like me and prefer worldbuilding to plotting, these can be very helpful). First, your world can offer plot tools. This is sort of a shallow use of worldbuilding, but it can be helpful and it can work. One example of the setting providing a plot tool would be the tauntaun on Hoth serving as shelter and warmth in The Empire Strikes Back. The tauntaun doesn’t shape the story much, but its aid is invaluable to the characters. If your aim is to create a world that supports the story but isn’t especially complex, you may end up with a fair number of “plot tool” uses for your setting. Just make sure that they make sense and have been set up ahead of time so that they don’t become a deux ex machina. Second, however, your plot can be more tightly interwoven with your world as you develop more fundamental systems (e.g. magic systems, cultural structure, political machinations, etc.), which ought to fundamentally dictate some of your story’s direction. With a more complex world, you begin to open doors to stories that “could not have been told (or not so economically) in any other way.” Here you look to your world and its systems to find out what is believable to occur within this world and what would likely happen next based on the motivations and behaviors that you’ve already mapped out for your world. Support Your Theme(s)Themes can—and often should—arise naturally out of the problems and beliefs of your created society and world. At least, they should feel like they’ve arisen naturally. Your world should have problems—even if they stem from nothing more than poor human judgment. Different cultures will be prone to different problems, and thus different lessons to be learned from those weaknesses. If you’re struggling to find the theme of your story, look to your story world and ask what weaknesses might naturally arise from its surroundings, its values, or its structure. If you already know what theme you want to emphasize, ask what sort of setting or society might best highlight that theme with its strengths and weaknesses and use that to guide your worldbuilding efforts. Inspire Future StoriesIf you’ve created a fleshed-out world—or even if you’ve created a relatively shallow world with a few notable details you’re excited to explore—you can draw on this to inspire future stories as you discover characters, themes, or settings you’re interested in writing more about. While worldbuilding is often cautioned as a time-suck that distracts from writing, you can turn it to your advantage and use it to write more as you take fascinating pieces of your world and spin them into full stories. There are four ways you can get the most out of your worldbuilding, putting it to use for your story without becoming derailed in the details. I hope this post has inspired you! If you’d like, comment below with one way your world has impacted your story thus far. R.M. Archer has been writing for nearly as long as she can remember and has always been fascinated by fantastical worlds. Now, she not only builds her own but also teaches others to think deeply about the worlds they build and the values they weave in with them. Her blog—as well as her other worldbuilding resources and published works—can be found at rmarcher.com. Heyo everyone! Today I’m combining what would normally be two posts, as I’m wrapping up January and looking forward to February. January has been a long, exciting, and also really weird month for me, so I’m hoping February will be really fun (and not near as weird)! January 2024 Wrap-UpLife Events: January was by far one of the busiest months I’ve had in a long time (I was going to say so far, but I think it might be a little early to start handing out trophies XD). The first and second week of January were especially busy as we were traveling through Tennesse, Alabama, and even Georgia on a family vacation with my dad’s side of the family. We explored Mammoth Caves, Rock City and Ruby Falls, Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge (which is home to thousands of sandhill cranes and a few whooping cranes if you look closely enough), and downtown Nashville. The last half of that week was spent with our mom’s family as her parents celebrated their fifthieth wedding anniversary. It was a lot of fun (even with negative degree wind chills and lots of snow), and there was plenty of cake to go around. We spent the last half of January recovering from head colds that decided to stick around for a week and a half. My dad, my siblings, and I all started back to school, and my mom went back to work. And now life has gone back to normal. At least, for now. School: I started an internship with a local literacy organization as a social media intern. It’s not a very hard job and I’m having a lot of fun creating graphics and writing copy text for social media posts. I’m also taking two history courses, one on US history and one on modern history (or history after 1945). In the English department, I’m working on a fiction writing course and a web design/online writing class. Right now in Web Design we’re learning about digital literacy and in fiction writing we’re talking about showing vs telling in fiction. Other Stats for January Books read: 13 total. Two of them are comic books and three of them are Hourly History books, but the others are either full-length novellas or novels. Words written: Counting an article I wrote for my local birder’s society and my story…around 1500. And most of those were for the article. :P February 2024 Goals
That’s all for now. Let me know how your month is going! Did you get all your January goals filled?
Until next week! ~Cate Hey everyone! I know this isn’t at all what I had planned for my blog posts, I know, but due to family sickness (again) and other commitements, I had to cancel my proposed blog schedule. Don’t worry, though, because February’s posts are going to be all about worldbuilding and how I’m implementing different elements of worldbuilding in my writing. Anyway, since I’m delaying worldbuilding posts until next month, I thought this would be the perfect time to do this amazing cover reveal! Nadine Brandes is coming out with another fantasy book, and this one is going to be a doozy! Gladiator meets Inception in this portal science fantasy novel, coming out in July 2024. Here’s the blurb: Some viruses go after the body. But the Nightmare Virus goes after the mind. When dream technology goes wrong, a virus spreads across the globe, trapping people in a universal dreamscape. They call it the Nightmare Virus. Cain Cross is determined to find a cure…if he can decipher his brother’s chicken-scratch formula notes. But when he gets infected, he has only 22 days until he’s trapped in the mental prison forever. Now, every time he falls asleep, he must fight in a Nightmare Arena until he earns his freedom to live in the “new world” that exists only in the mind. Then he finds a way to manipulate the Nightmare—to change it by mere thought. Forced to navigate a world of nightbeasts, mistblades, and half-truths, Cain turns his focus to survival. When the Emperor offers him a LifeSuPod—and access to a cure—in exchange for a dangerous favor, Cain thinks he’s found a way out. But Cain’s new power threatens to take him on paths that jeopardize his very soul. Will he continue searching for a cure, or will he swear allegiance to the Nightmare? And the bigger question might be…will he even have a choice? Doesn’t that sound amazing?! I cannot wait to read this book, and I know you guys will absolutely love it! Now… I promised you guys a cover, didn’t I? Without further ado… - - - - - - - - - - - Now I know why Issabelle & Katherine Perry love to do this XD - - - - - - - - - - - - THE COVER!!!! *incoherent fangirl squealing* Isn’t this just amazing? The graphic design lover part of me is just loving the use of double exposure. I think it’s just beautiful! This science fantasy book comes out in July of 2024. You can pre-order your copy here. That’s all for now. I’ll leave you guys with this beautiful picture of the cover. Comment below - are you guys as excited about The Nightmare Virus as I am? Until next week!
~Cate 1/9/2024 2 Comments Why Do I Write?Hey everyone! Around a year ago, I was in a huge writing slump. I didn’t know what to do or how to fix it, so I wrote this on a whim. It’s a lot shorter than my typical blog posts, but it’s still true to my life today. I hope you find it interesting. Why I WriteSomeone once asked me why I write. Buckle up, cause you’re in for a ride. I write because written words are how I operate. The written word, to me, is beautiful because of its simplicity. You can edit out all the irritating and bad parts. It’s so much more stable than speaking spontaneously out loud. It’s predictable. I write because I have these deep, rich alternate worlds where I can zone in and out of. There are some days when I get lonely - and it can take a few days to shake me out of that mood. When I get tired of my boring, so-so life, I can zone out and become a teenage detective or a warrior elf in the blink of an eye. I write because the storyworlds I build, the characters I invent, and the plots I craft are itching - check that, screaming - to be revived. They’re tired of living in my imagination - they want a life outside of my head. It’s no joke when I say that my writing keeps me sane. I write because sometimes real life can be too much to handle. The depressing, tragic lens from which we look at life can become a drag in no time. Writing helps me escape the confines of my poor mental health. But most importantly, I write because God gave me a voice. And access to paper. (And a pen.) And if I have all the tools - if I am gifted all the tools - why shouldn’t I use them to reflect the light back to the One who gave them to me? With my words, I can at least dare to shed light on the topics that I feel will glorify God and his character. You ask me why I write. That is why I write. That is the reason I give up a “normal” hobby to scrawl mindless words on a page. That is the reason I put stationary every year on my Christmas wish list. That is why I pull myself out of bed every morning and drag myself down the dimly lit desk where my legal pad and Pilot pen await me. That is why I write. Obviously some of my motives have evolved over the years (and my mental health is not near as floundering now as it was when I write this piece), but a lot of this still holds true. I read a book on writing Christian fiction once, where one of the authors noted that for writers, you either wrote because God gave you a calling, or you were offering your writing to him as an offering. I’m still not completely sure which one of those areas I fall into, but I want to do something for God. And I’ve been working on writing since I was in grade school, so it only makes sense to do that.
So what do you think? To the writers reading this, why do you write? Until next time, Cate Hey everyone! I hope everybody had a great New Year! I stayed up til 11:30, but fell asleep just minutes shy of 2024. Oh well. There’s always next year, I guess. Today, I’m reflecting on the past year, as well as setting goals for the year to come. 2023 was crazy for a lot of reasons, and my own life was no exception. This year, I’m hoping to add a layer of stability to my routine and get some writerly things done! What Did I Do in 2023?In the school world, I have done a ton of coursework, heavily invested myself in the Honors College, secured an internship for the spring of 2024, made the Dean’s List (twice) and then I became a double major! God has helped me through my academic career, and I’m so thankful for all the opportunities he’s given me in the college world. A more detailed version of what went on during my school days starts back in the spring, when I did my first semester of Honors coursework. It was a hard semester and there were times when my worldview was put to the test. But I stuck it out, and wound up with four As and one irritating B (thanks, Biology). In the summer, I started working on courses for my Classics minor, including a rigorous month-long class on medical terminology. Over the summer, I also decided to add history as another major. I am very passionate about history and especially ancient history. This fall, I did classes in British literature, technical writing, and early Russian history, which was really neat and inspiring to me. Overall, it was a good year. In the writing world, I’ve also made a lot of headway in building a platform and putting my work out there. Perhaps the biggest accomplishment is that I finally finished the first draft of my first full-length novel, Heart of an Elf! I finished it in July and have spent the better part of the year editing it, fine-tuning it, and just stressing over minute details that will probably be deleted after it goes through official edits. In other writing news, I published my third article with the Rebelution this year; this time, on how a popular social media trend is spiritually and mentally harmful to us women. You can read the article here. I also published my first fiction work this year! You can find my ~5K contemporary short story, Bench Seat Buddy, in Seize the Moment, an anthology celebrating God’s mercy and forigveness. You can order a copy of Seize the Moment here. As for all my other 2023 goals… I finished my Goodreads reading challenge of 200 books, ending the year with a whopping 215 books! (Yes, a few of them were comic book collections, but hey, they’re books read.) I didn’t hit the target with my Bible reading goal or my exercise goal, but I did stay partially consistent when I was working on them. Overall, 2023 taught me a lot, and I think it was a productive and amazing year. Looking Ahead to 2024…I made a list of yearly goals I hope to accomplish - and it got to a point where they’re now subcategorized. Here are just a few of those goals…
January 2024 GoalsI don’t have a lot of month-specific goals, especially since my months tend to blend within each other during the school semester, but here are my plans for January:
And that's it for now. What are some of your 2024 goals? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time, ~Cate Heyo everybody! I hope everybody had a very Merry Christmas! Today on the blog, I'm sharing what I got for Christmas and my picks for my top 2023 reads. Christmas Present Roundup From my parents, I got some free clothes, including two really cute long sleeves that I plan to wear to church. I love purple and plaid, and this sweater shirt is so comfortable! I also got what was at the top of my wishlist - a copy of Cain's Jawbone! For those of you who don't know, Cain's Jawbone was published in 1934 by a British puzzler and crossword writer, who offered his readers 15 pounds (the equivalent of 1000 US dollars today) if they could solve the puzzle. The book's pages are completely disorganized, and the reader has to not only put the pages in the correct order, but also solve all six murders. Since its publication in 1934, only three people have ever solved the puzzle. I'm hping I can be #4! I also got a black Pilot V-pen (the one with the fancy pen tip) and some fine-tip pens that I'm going to use in my Bible reading. From my grandparents, I got a beautiful peridot cross necklace. I specifically asked for this after my last one, which I had had for over five years, broke one day at church. This necklace is so pretty, and I'm definitely going to wear it to church as well. I also got this cute heatless curling set that creates beach waves and ringlet curls. I already have a black (and slightly larger) set, so now I can have really defined curls! Top Books of 2023 All right, everybody! It's been an interesting year for me. I've really branched out in my variety of genres read this year, and with 208+ books finished, I have some great picks to share! In this post, I'll be sharing my top ten books that I've read in 2023. #10 - Stop Calling Me Beautiful by Phylicia Masonheimer Genre: women's biblical nonfiction Read via: audiobook This book really opened my eyes when it comes to water-downed Christian teachings that we women hear in our church, on social media, and even in our friend and family circles. Phylicia Masonheimer covers deep spiritual truths that biblically-grounded women need to stay reminded of, and she tackles topics like legalism, anxiety, community, shame and guilt, and how to delight in the true Gospel. This book's title caught my attention, and the more I listened to the book, the more I wishes I owned it in real life so I could underline all the things I thought were so insightful. A definite recommend to any Christian woman. #9 - Edwin, High King of Britain by Edoardo Albert Genre: historical adult fiction Read via: Kindle This novel, the first in a trilogy, is about Edwin, one of the notable kings of Northumbria, and how his kingdom was transformed by the Christian faith that his wife Aethelburh. Edwin is one of the kings of Britain who becomes a Christian, yet he struggles to keep not just his kingdom from falling back into pagan practices, but also his home. This book weighs in at an impressive 353 pages, but once I got into it, it only took me about a week to finish it. Definitely recommended for anyone who is a history nerd, especially when it comes to British history. #8 - The Van Gogh Deception by Deron R. Hicks Genre: middle grade mystery/thriller Read via: Kindle A boy is discovered in Washington DC's National Gallery with no memory of who he is...and a group of men behind a million-dollar heist are determined to keep him that way. One of the ways I've branched out in my books is by reading more middle grade novels, and this one did not disappoint. The Van Gogh Deception is perfect for anyone who's a fan of the Bourne movies and who loves art and/or art history. #7 - Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson Genre: young adult fantasy Read via: audiobook Set in the land of Neverland's tribal people, Tiger Lily weaves a fresh perspective on the classic Peter Pan story. As a Peter Pan-phile, I thought I had read every type of Tiger Lily character imaginable. Nope, not even close. This book is about how Peter Pan met the first girl who challenged him to grow up - not Wendy, but Tiger Lily. Recommended for all Peter Pan lovers (and the audiobook narrator is great!). #6 - False Pretense by Heather Day Gilbert Genre: adult thriller-suspense Read via: Kindle First of all, DO NOT read this book at nighttime. This book's depictions of the Mothman scared me, and I've been interested in all things mystical and creepy since I was eleven. That said, this book was a great end to the Murder in the Mountains series, and I'm so glad I read it. This series should be read in order, but this is by far the best of the quartet. #5 - Vladimir the Russian Viking by Vladimir Volkoff Genre: historical biography Read via: paperback I felt obligated to add at least one of my college textbooks this year, as I actually found most of them to be really interesting this year. This book covers one of my favorite types of history (Ancient Eastern Europe), and was an insightful read into a great Viking and Russian leader, who not only united the country but also made Russia a Christian nation. #4 - For Time and Eternity by Alison Pittman Genre: historical adult fiction Read via: Kindle This was a challenging read for me, but an important book to include on this list. For Time and Eternity is the story of a Christian teenager who is swept up into Mormon culture and falls in love with a Mormon farmer. When she moves to Utah with her new husband, however, Camille's Christian faith is tested in ways she never expected. If you're looking for an enlightening read on Mormon culture during the 1800s, then try out this book. #3 - The Story Hunter by Lindsay Franklin Genre: young adult fantasy Read via: Kindle This shattering end to the Story Weaver trilogy has captured my heart since 2021. This book is the culmination of Tanwen and her friends' mission to stop the Master from overtaking the kingdom of Tir. The Story Hunter tackles themes like trauma, sacrifice, family dynamics, and real love. You need to read this whole series, and this book especially! #2 - Black Blood by S.D. Grimm Genre: young adult fantasy Read via: Kindle I know, I know...you're tired of me putting down the last of a series as a top pick book. But honestly, this novel was amazing! The ending was nothing like I expected, and somehow, most of my favorite characters ended up not dying! (That's been a problem for me recently. XD) If you enjoy Christian fantasy with "chosen one" vibes and dragons you can ride, then this book is definitely for you. #1 - Criss Cross by C.C. Warrens Genre: Christian thriller-suspense Read via: Kindle This book almost became #2, but I finished it in one night, and that's what made the difference. Criss Cross is carefully and tenderly written, and yet packs a punch. Holly is running from her demons, but they are determined to swallow her alive. When a Southern detective and a long-lost childhood friend offer to help Holly rediscover her lost memories and overcome her fears, she's hesitant to take them up on the too-good-to-be-true offer. But a killer is striking fast, and he's made it quite clear to Holly that he wants her dead. This book ties themes like healing from trauma and Gd's love for us in such a beautiful way. A definite recommend for anyone who loves Christian suspense. And above are all the covers so you can find the books pretty easily.
That's all for now, folks! So, what did you get for Christmas? Have you read any of the books in my list? See ya'll next week! :D ~Cate 12/19/2023 2 Comments No Posts Til Next Week!Hey everybody! So sorry about not posting last week and posting really late this week - I've been busy preparing for the Christmas season, as well as some end-of-year and beginning-of-the-year projects that I'll talk about later. ;)
I just thought I'd hop on here to let you know that there won't be a blog post until next Wednesday. I'm planning to do a post on my December shopping haul and Christmas present round-up. I like to do this, just so ya'll can get an idea of my passions, and how well my parents are at shopping for them. I'll be busy during the second and third week of January, so I don't know if/when I'll be posting during those times. But for now, here's my tentative blog post plan:
(Oh, and subscribe to my newsletter, because tomorrow I'm dropping a short Christmas story exclusively for subscribers!) Until next week! ~Cate P.S. Here's a little LOTR-Christmas humor for you. Let's jingle all the way, folks. ;) |
Cate V.Peter Pan fangirl and latte drinker. Archives
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