Monday, January 30, 2017

Who are you writing for?

Hello all! I know it's not quite January, and I'm technically still on a blogging break . . . but I wanted to go ahead and share this before we get into the business of February. 

I debated a LOT about whether or not I should share this. I know not everyone is gonna feel the same way I do about this subject. For that reason, I've put off posting it, and in fact I wasn't planning to post it at all . . . yet, the subject has still be heavy on my heart. After praying about it off and on for several months, I've decided to go ahead and post it. So I hope you are encouraged a bit, even if perhaps you don't agree with everything I've said. 



This question has been on my mind a lot the past few weeks. I pour so much time into writing, but why?
Why is this so important to me?
Why do I live and breath words?
Why will I work so hard to make time for writing?
But above all . . . just who am I writing for?
It's easy to lose track of the all-important answer to the this question. It can be so easy to say "I write because I enjoy it", or "because I'm passionate about this certain subject."
And while those are good reasons, I don't believe they are good enough. As Christians, we are called to bring God's light into this world.
Spending so much time simply for pleasure just doesn't seem right. Do we write only to entertain? This is not a worthwhile goal.

When I first sketched out the outline for A Question of Honor, I wasn't thinking about God at all. And I say this to my shame. I wasn't thinking about how I could bring others closer to Him, or perhaps encourage people in their walk with God.
No, I was thinking about whether or not it was something other people would enjoy. Would a friend enjoy it? What would my sister think? Could I make the characters believable?
I did try to think of a "theme" I wanted for the book, but that doesn't really amount to anything. Even secular books have a theme or agenda their trying to get across. To put it bluntly, I was writing this book for myself. And for other people.

But when I started writing A Question of Honor something wonderful happened. Instead of following what I had wanted to do, the book took on a whole different form. God decided what I had planned wasn't enough.
I learned so much through writing it. Not only in a historical sense, but through what God taught me as I was writing. This book was the only project I've undertaken where I was constantly going back to the Bible for one thing or another. Instead of using all the research books I had gotten, (Though I did still use them a bit ;)) I was using the Bible as my primary tool. When I finished, it was completely different than what I had envisioned. And to be honest, instead of wanting people to read it and looking forward to seeing what they thought, I didn't want anyone to see it.
Why? Because I had learned so much and grown closer to the Lord while writing it. I had studied the Bible to find out exactly what God said about certain matters, and I had learned things I had never known before. And my characters learned with me.
It was almost as though it was my personal story of what I had learned in my walk with the Lord during this time, only told through characters in a different era.

When I re-read it I realized that somehow through the course of the time it took me to write it, my goal in writing it had changed. I wasn't writing something I thought other people would like.
I was writing something I hoped would encourage people in their walk with the Lord. I was writing something  I hoped might make unbelievers question their unbelief.
I was writing for Christ, not myself.

And friends, that is so important. As christian writers, our primary goal should not be to entertain.
Now, I'm not saying it's bad to entertain. I know that personally I learn a lot more when the truths the author is working on getting across are woven throughout a well-told story.
Yet, the primary purpose as a Christian in the world is to be a light and witness for Christ. And as we write, the words we use should shine light across even the darkest places. This world is growing darker. God has given us the gift of using words to communicate truths to others.

But this can only be used for God's glory when we are writing  for Him. 

Friday, January 27, 2017

Left to Die--Review

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Hey all! Today I'm here to participate in the blog tour for Ivy Rose's now book Left to Die! So, without any further ado, let's get on with it!

About the Book:

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Lindy Greene’s life is perfect. Too perfect. But living as a missionary nurse, serving in a small hospital in China, soon brings the disaster she fearfully anticipates. All of her well-thought-out plans for the future disintegrate after pulling a fatally ill, disfigured, abandoned child from a pile of trash. She doesn’t even like babies.
Nathan Thomas can’t find balance. College suited him just fine until his cash ran out, forcing him to the Chinese mission field with his parents. The chaotic atmosphere in China does little to relax his agitated mind, and the pretty blonde nurse at the hospital does nothing to help him focus.
The Chinese mission field isn’t for the faint of heart. Nathan wonders how he can survive his remaining time there, while Lindy struggles to help everyone she can. With different ideals pulling them in separate directions, there is one thing drawing them together: a tiny, sickly, crippled orphan who relies on them to stay alive.


Find on Goodreads ~ Find on Amazon




My Review: 

*note* I was a beta-reader for this book, so my review may be a bit biased. (But  I don't think it is. ;))
After having read Ivy's first book, and really enjoying it,  I was looking forward to reading this. I wasn't disappointed! In fact, I enjoyed this more than her first book. It is a novella, but it felt like the perfect length. the ending didn't seemed rushed in the least, and I was kept anxiously wondering what would happen to little Jia. And inwardly lecturing Lindy throughout most of it. 
And Nathan. He was amazing. I really enjoyed seeing his character growth through out the book, and those last few chapters were precious! 
This book does deal with a harsh subject, but I felt that it was very tastefully done. I've read enough about infant abandonment to know it is a very real thing, yet reading it through fiction seemed to make it come alive in a whole other way. It was handled with care, and I'd recommend it for any ages. :) 


About the Author: 

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Ivy Rose is an 18 year old history lover and literary enthusiast. Aside from writing, she enjoys being outdoors, eating chocolate, traveling, reading, and doing TaeKwonDo. She resides with her family of 9 on the banks of the Long Lake in eastern Washington.

She can be found at various places on the internet:



Giveaway: 
(Click the link) 
Blog Tour Stops: 

~Monday~
Becoming Lost – Review
Anika’s Avenue – Review
Once Upon an Ordinary – Interview

~Tuesday~
Whispers on the Wind – Interview
Read Another Page – Review

~Wednesday~
Counting Your Blessings – Review/Interview
Stories by Firefly – Review
Writing in the Light – Interview

~Thursday~
Reveries Reviews – Review
Marrok Macintyre – Interview

~Friday~
Having a Heart Like His – Review/Interview
Whimsical Writings – Review

~Saturday~
Rebekah’s Remarks - Interview


Saturday, January 21, 2017

Martin Hospitality cover reveal!!!


Yes, folks! Today is the day where the wonderful Abigayle Claire reveals the cover for her fabulous novel Martin Hospitality! And she's letting me, as well as a number of other bloggers, join her! I had the chance to beta-read, and trust me, you're gonna want to get a copy for yourself when it releases on February 4th!
So. Without further ado . . .
Eeeeepppppp! Isn't it beautiful?!?! And it's fits the book SO WELL! 

About the Book:
Releasing February 4th!
Gemma Ebworthy is eighteen, pregnant, and alone. Now that she’s been evicted, she spends the night in a barn, never dreaming that tomorrow could bring kindness of a life-changing magnitude.

The Martins aren’t a typical family—even for rural Kansas. With more kids than can be counted on one hand and a full-time farm, Gemma must make a lot of adjustments to fit in. But despite their many differences, Gemma finds herself drawn to this family and their radical Christian faith.

When Gemma’s past collides with her yet again, she must begin revealing her colorful history. With every detail Gemma concedes, she fears she will lose the Martins’ trust and the stable environment she desires for herself and her unborn child. Just how far can the Martins’ love and God’s forgiveness go?


About the Author:
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Abigayle has been a writer for as long as she can remember, but did not begin seriously pursuing becoming an author until 2015. Since then, she has started a blog and numerous social media accounts, graduated high school as a homeschooler, and participated in the infamous NaNoWriMo. Other than writing, she is also pursuing work as a freelance editor. Writing is her ministry and reading is her pastime. Abigayle lives in Central Texas with her six younger siblings and parents.


Saturday, January 14, 2017

Cover reveal sign-up!

Helllooooo all! I'm popping in for a quick post! A cover reveal, sign-up thingy. xD Normally, what I've done in the past is simply do a post with the cover of an upcoming book on my blog, or grab one or two others to do it with me. However, I've had so many people asking about the cover for A Question of Honor I decided it'd be much more fun if you all were able to participate as well!

So, pretty much all you'll need to do is fill out the form below, and then I'll send you all the info you'll need for a cover-reveal post on the 3rd. Sound like fun? :D

Anyway, that's all there is to it! The sign-up will be open until the 27th, and then all you who signed up . . . look for an email in your inboxes! ;)
I can't wait to share this with you all!! ^_^





Saturday, January 7, 2017

Those Golden Days

*waves* Hi y'all. Yes, I missed Friday's post. Yes, I am aware of this. *sighs* All right. Well, I have a short post for you today, and a quick announcement.
The announcement first ... I'm taking a bit of a blogging break in January. I may still do an occasional post, but not on Fridays, and don't expect much. ;)  All I have planned is a cover reveal post, so that may be it until February. Oh, wait, I do have one other post. But yeah. Nothing big. ;)
 I just need to take this month to focus on editing and catching up on a few things I've gotten behind on, and then hopefully when I come back in February with some more blogging inspiration!

Well, now that I have that done . . . I thought I'd share a poem that I wrote a little while ago. *cringes* Now, I am not the best at poetry by any stretch of the imagination. If you want awesome poetry, head over to Julia's blog. 
I pretty much was just re-living memories one night, and I had to jot down a few thoughts. And . . . this is what the final product was. I  shared it with a couple friends, and they loved it, so I thought I'd share it here.

Those Golden Days 

You know those days.
You do. 
When the sky is the limit,
and life seems to be an open book
waiting for you to fill the pages. 
The days when running 
with your hair down
feels free
as though,
nothing is standing in your way. 
The golden days
in the summer
when worries leave
and you can fly.
Those days,
they're precious
and they leave too soon.
They're a memory
till one day
again
the sun shines
the wind calls
and we can run
and be free.

Like, this is me in the summer. I love driving out into country and just running between fields. Thoughts?

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

2017 Changes

Alrighty, folks. 2017 is here to stay. Well, for a while, at least. ;)
Let's skip the introduction and get right into this post. ('Cause who reads the introductions? I mean, really. xD)
Basically, I'm here to let you know of a few changes. *looks around* I know, changes. They're not my favorite things, either. BUT. I think these are good. ;)

First off, I'm sure you all noticed the blog name change. Whimsical Writings worked great for these first two years as I established my writing a bit, and got to meet so many wonderful bloggers. But this year, one of my goals is to get more serious with my writing, and soo... I thought a name change was in order. Thus, Whimsical Writings for His Glory. I chose this name, because I feel it best represents what I want my writing to be about. Yes, I do still want my writing to have a whimsical, old-fashioned feel.  But above all, I want it to be about Christ. Our Savior. I pray everything I write may be used by God for His glory. Because He gave me the gift of writing, and my ultimate goal is to point others toward Him.

Okay, secondly. Umm, yeah. So. I made a website. This ties in with the whole "taking it more seriously" thing. This is a huge thing for me, because I've been putting it off for forever. To be honest, the thought of taking being an author to the next level scared me. And it still does. Part of me still wants to be the little girl who can write, but doesn't really have to take responsibility with any of it. But time changes things. I'm not writing just for fun anymore. I'm old enough to be an adult. (Okay, technically I am an adult...)  And I know God is telling me it's time to take the next step and not stay behind the safety of what is comfortable and familiar. New seasons in life come along, and I'm excited about this season. Though still a bit uncertain.
Anyway, here's the website link. I know it's not perfect yet, and I'm still working on it, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. :) http://writingforhisglory.weebly.com/

And thirdly . . .for all those of you who have been politely trying to figure out when A Question of Honor  releases . . . I have a release date! *drumroll* You can check the "Published Works" page.
.
.
.
.
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Or you can just stay here and I'll tell you. ;) Lord willing, it'll release on March 3rd. Exactly two months from yesterday. So I'm excited about that, and I hope y'all are too! To all my beta-readers . . . I know, I've made you wait a while.;) Stay tuned for the cover reveal and other exciting stuff as we get a bit closer!

Well, I think that's all I have to share with you today! Thank you all so much for reading, and I hope you're having a wonderful first week of 2017! Are you making any changes this year?

Sunday, January 1, 2017

No need to say goodbye . . .

2016 has breathed its last, and in doing so has ushered us into a glorious new scene on the stage of life. The year of our Lord two-thousand and seventeen. 




Wow. 2016 is officially over. So, so, SO much happened this year. It's been insanely busy, incredibly full, and undeniably blessed. 
This year, I learned that friends are some of God's greatest blessings. I learned that sometimes it's okay to not have life planned out. And I've realized that with God on our side, the edges of the galaxy are really the only limits we have. 2016 has been an amazing year for me, though it has had it's hard and and difficult times.
So. Lets get right into it, shall we? 



-Blogging-

This year ended up with a huge change from my posting mainly on A Kansas Wind to posting exclusively on this blog. Why? Because I got to the point where two blogs was just a bit too much, and I wanted to focus more seriously on my writing. The result? This ended up becoming my main blog, and I published 107 posts this year. Which seems like a ton to me. xD I also got to 25K page-views, and eighty-three followers, including the Google followers and email subscribers. Which . . . is a bit overwhelming to realize. You guys are amazing. 

The most popular post of the year was Friends, Starbucks, and an Announcement. Possibly because the word "Starbucks" was in there? xD

I also found so many wonderful new blogs to follow. I feel so blessed by being able to meet so many other amazing bloggers this year. The blogging world is the best, people. 



-Writing-

I wrote a rough estimate of around 110,000K words. Which isn't actually too impressive, but I'm happy with it. Added to that writing, I worked through three edits of A Question of Honor, four edits of The Silent Blade, and three edits of Beyond the Horizon. Basically, I edited way too much this year. ;P I was able to finish and win NaNo in November for the second time, which was amazing! 
I also published two books. The Silent Blade released in July, and Beyond the Horizon released in December. 
Writing this year has been crazy, exhausting, and incredibly rewarding. I've been able to grow in so many areas, and I can't wait to continue learning from seasoned authors, getting feedback, and going on wild adventures with my characters. Writing is my life. Words are beautiful. And I can't wait to see where 2017 takes me. Am I nervous? Hmm, yes. But I know God's got this. And no matter how much (or how little) I accomplish, it's okay. 


-Life-

Life was crazy exciting this year. Lots of learning, growing, and seeking God's will.  I turned 18, got my drivers license, took the leap from being a writer to being an author, went from Washington state to Texas in the space of two weeks, and was able to meet four(!!!) internet friends in person. I addition, I was able to vote for the first. time. ever. 
If I had to choose one thing that was the most exciting in 2016, I'd have to say it was the election. *cringes* I know, I know. That's not a popular opinion to hold. But see, I'm the person who studied economics and government since I was old enough to know what they were. I read books about the law and the government for fun, and enjoy everything about it.  That said, being able to take part in the election was the thing I was most looking forward to this year. And it was everything I'd hoped for, with a whole lot more drama I didn't expect. Analyzing, cross referencing, studying backgrounds; it was the best few months of my life. I'll always treasure the political conversations my family had around the table. And the fact that my siblings looked up shoe size, birthday, and height of all the candidates. xD
All in all, I'm proud to be able to say that not only did I survive the 2016 election year, I came through with a smile on my face and the knowledge that God is on the throne. No matter who wins. (Though I must say . . . praise God we didn't get Hillary!)
My family also went through a bit of a difficult time this year when my grandpa, as well as two family friends passed away. If you take away one thing from this post, please, remember this. Life is a gift. Treasure every day that you are given it, because one day, in the blink of an eye, it's gonna be gone. 

-Conclusion-

I have to say no other year has seemed to move quite as swiftly as this year. There were days when it seemed as though life was constantly bringing some sort of change. And I'll be the first to say that I'm not a fan of change. 
But this year, above all else, I learned that God is a rock that we can cling to, because He never changes. No matter what turmoil is going on in the world, or what happens to our lives, He is still the same. His word is still the same. And what He has determined will come to pass. 
Let us not look to the past. It is behind us, and can never be changed. Instead, let's resolute turn toward the horizon, and fix our eyes on Christ. And then no matter what happens, it'll be okay. Because if our eyes are stayed upon the one who lights our path, we can never go astray. 

With this said, I bid 2016 Auf Wiedersehen. God has safely seen us through another year. 

2017--Happy New Year!!!