Cover Design (No Monday Booktube Video)

Well, my dear readers, I did not get my Youtube video filmed for today. *sad face* Unfortunately, I've been sick and didn't get much done all of last week.

So today I shall show you some beautiful book cover design instead. And hopefully maybe get a video filmed and posted tomorrow or Wednesday (preferably my Q&A video! Thanks to all who submitted questions!).

Also, I recently started a free trial of Kindle Unlimited! Bookish friends, I'm loving it! *happiness* It all started when I read my free copy of A Gathering Tempest by Catherine Jones Payne. This prequel novella totally pulled me from my reading slump and had me dying for more of this mer-world! So I looked up Breakwater on Amazon to see what the Kindle prices were. I noticed "read for free with Kindle Unlimited", and then, lo and behold, try a month free! I clicked this, and was back swimming through the ocean with Jade and Alexander within moments. *winks*

Take a look at these gorgeous covers and let me know which ones are you favorites! ^_^ (I'm still flailing and fangirling over the cover of Crosscurrent. *laughs*)

My Sister's Intended {Serendipity #1} by Rachael Anderson

Published: March 2018 (HEA Publishing)

Crosscurrent {Broken Tides #2} by Catherine Jones Payne

Published: March 6th, 2018 (Fathom Ink Press)

Ain't Misbehavin' {A Roaring Twenties Novel #2} by Jennifer Lamont Leo

Published: March 13th, 2018 (Smitten Historical Romance/Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

A Heart's Revolution by Roseanna M. White

(re)Published: March 15th, 2018 (Whitefire Publishing)

A Holy Passion: A Novel of David Brainerd and Jerusha Edwards by Alicia G. Ruggieri

Expected Publication: April 18th, 2018 (Brighter Destiny Productions)

All That We See or Seem by Kristina Mahr

Expected Publication: May 15th, 2018 (Uncommon Universes)

The Siren and the Scholar {Faraway Castle #2} by J.M. Stengl

Expected Publication: May 2018 (Rooglewood Press)

In Times Gone By {Golden Gate Secrets #3} by Tracie Peterson

Expected Publication: September 4th, 2018 (Bethany House Publishers)

Guardian of Ajalon {The Poison Tree Path Chronicles #3} by Joan Campbell

Expected Publication: September 11th, 2018 (Enclave Publishing)

Legacy of Mercy {Waves of Mercy #2} by Lynn Austin

Expected Publication: October 2nd, 2018 (Bethany House Publishers)

Jerusalem's Queen {The Silent Years #3} by Angela Hunt

Expected Publication: November 6th, 2018 (Bethany House Publishers)

The Liberty Bride {Daughters of the Mayflower #6} by MaryLu Tyndall

Expected Publication: December 1st, 2018 (Barbour Books)

With This Pledge {Carnton #1} by Tamera Alexander

Expected Publication: January 8th, 2019 (Thomas Nelson Publishing)

In the Shadow of Croft Towers by Abigail Wilson

Expected Publication: January 15th, 2019 (Thomas Nelson Publishing)

Book Review: Cloak of the Light by Chuck Black

Purchase HERE

Title: Cloak of the Light

Author: Chuck Black

Series: Wars of the Realm #1

Genre: Speculative Fiction

Audience: Young Adult

ABOUT THE BOOK

Author of the popular Kingdom Series returns with this thrilling new novel for young adults.

Tragedy and heartache seem to be waiting for Drew Carter at every turn. Sydney Carlyle, a mysterious and elusive girl offers encouragement through her faith, but Drew is too logical and scientific to believe that her prayer of healing was anything but coincidental in the restoration of his eyesight.

As his sight returns, he discovers that the accident has heightened his neuron activity, giving him skills and sight beyond the normal man. When he begins to see fierce invaders that no one else can see, he questions his own sanity, and so do others. But is he insane or do the invaders truly exist? The only one who can help him, his genius friend Benjamin Berg, has disappeared.

In Drew's quest to find Ben, he discovers that the invaders themselves are at war, for his efforts to thwart the devastating actions caused by the dark invaders are aided by invaders with a different nature. Time grows short as the dark invaders close in on Drew. With skills that no other man possesses, and help from Benjamin and Sydney, Drew initiates a plan to expose the invaders to the world.

~ MY REVIEW ~

**5 stars**

Truly an epic and riveting start to the WARS OF THE REALM series by Chuck Black! Wow. Cloak of Light was adventurous, exciting, and seriously thought-provoking. I can't believe I waited so long to read this book; it is for sure one that I recommend! It was powerful, and kept me turning pages.

This book is of the speculative-fiction genre. It has a modern day setting and follows a young man named Drew Carter who loves football, cars, and working out. But then there's the fantasy twist, which involves epic battles of good vs. evil. Despite the speculative nature, I really feel this book brings out some essential and real truths concerning spiritual warfare - especially when Drew wonders something along the lines of: "What if the whole of mankind walks around, caught up in their own lives, totally unaware that they have invisible enemies all around?"

Chuck Black's writing style is a tad different than what I normally read. But I found myself quite enjoying it. The book was fairly fast-paced and action-packed. I really, really liked Drew, the POV character. He was cool, and Chuck Black wrote him in a very authentic-feeling way. (Maybe I understand men better, haha.) Drew isn't a Christian, but he's been instilled with good morals from his parents, and he's seeking and fighting for righteousness.

I also enjoyed the characters of his mom and Jake. And Benjamin Berg. *grins* Even though he's kind of ... interesting. The "nerd" who is obsessed with the idea of alien life.
And let's talk about Sydney. Pretty much the one prominent female character. It was absolutely great to see her being a wise young lady and rejecting the idea of "missionary dating"! Seriously, this was so refreshing to see. I hardly ever find literary characters who take this stand, so that made Sydney stand out to me. She's a sweet but independent girl with a heart for God and strong faith.

The themes of the spiritual realm and warfare ... AWESOME. The good vs. evil - angles vs. demons battles. The part that prayer plays in said battles. Cloak of the Light is written in a way and with aspects that I believe attracts young adults, and it also had such depth. This is a message the Church needs to hear! It was thought-provoking, eye-opening, challenging, and encouraging! A great reminder.

This book was just so thrilling, mysterious and adventurous ... this is what I love about speculative fiction! I usually read fantasy, not books including stuff about angels and demons. But I had a subtle knowing that this book would satisfy my craving for a fantasy-type adventure, and did it ever! Yanked me right out of my reading slump. Drew and friends (+ enemies) kept me up all hours of night. *grins*

I can't quite find the words to describe what this book did for me. Guys, it kept me up at night. I read it in about one day (and now I'm reading the sequel). It made me ponder spiritual warfare and get fired up about said topic and how God can work in and through me to impact this unseen war.

I loved these characters. I loved how the mystery unfolded about these massive, sword-wielding "invaders" who dwell in another dimension. I loved the message. Now, besides reading all the books by Chuck Black, I want to meet him! I've gained a respect and admiration for him and his amazing writing and strong faith.

Book Review: Huntress by Julie Hall

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Title: Huntress

Author: Julie Hall

Series: Life After #1

Genre: Speculative Fiction

Audience: Young Adult

ABOUT THE BOOK

No one’s afterlife is as dispiriting as Audrey’s―at least that’s what she believes after waking up dead without her memories and being promptly assigned to hunt demons for the rest of eternity. She’s convinced God’s made a cosmic mistake; after all, she’d rather discuss the color of her nails than break them on angelic weapons.

It doesn’t help that her trainer, Logan, is as infuriating as he is attractive. And just when Audrey and Logan appear close to developing an amicable relationship, a decision made under duress pushes their hearts in a direction neither of them saw coming.

Despite her sub-par fighting abilities, an ancient weapon of unparalleled power chooses Audrey as its wielder, attracting the cautious gazes of her fellow hunters and the attention of Satan himself. With Satan’s eyes now fixed on Audrey, a battle for the safety of the living looms in the shadows.

~ MY REVIEW ~

**4 stars**

Overall, I enjoyed Huntress, book one in the LIFE AFTER series by Julie Hall. I went into it determined to take it lightly. And I did ... really liking it as a unique speculative fiction read. It was intriguing, fun, mysterious, adventurous, and thought-provoking. The interesting things the author came up with were really fantastical, and kept you wanting to read more.

I liked the characters, for the most part, and felt each had their own voice and personality. The action-packed ending was fabulous! Angels and demons fighting. Intense spiritual war going on. It was both dark and hopeful. Breathless and intriguing.

That all being said, there were still some things that niggled at me as theologically incorrect. This book is the first book I've read that the character dies in the beginning, and we proceed to discover her afterlife. Huntress isn't fantasy, but speculative fiction set in our contemporary world. Our main characters encounters demons and Satan, who comes disguised as beauty and light. She also seeks God in her afterlife, having believed in Him before she died.
But there were things like tears, romance, doubt, anger, and fighting in this "afterlife". People were waiting for their spouse to join them from earth ... Things like that. I don't believe that's exactly how it's going to be in heaven. Granted, this is more an "in-between" place while everyone whose died waits for the end of time and the making new of all things.

Anyway, it was interesting, action-filled, and fun, but I couldn't take it too seriously because of those things. (Regardless that it did have some epic spiritual warfare and heartfelt moments of encountering God, surrendering to Him, and realizing His deep love.)

But it did make me think, for certain! And ponder the new heaven and new earth and what God has planned for us there. I hope to continue with book two, Warfare, and see where this series goes.

I received a copy of Huntress from the author after winning a giveaway of the paperback.

Cover Love Again **UPDATED**

I never get tired of cover love posts. Can you tell? ^_^ Check out these beauties, from contemporary to historical, from fantasy to dystopian, and tell me your favorites!

Secrets of Neverak {A Tale of Light and Shadow #2} by Jacob Gowans

Published: July 7th, 2015 (Shadow Mountain)

Keeping Kinley {Books of Dalthia #5} by Annette K. Larsen

Published: March 2017

Love's Winter Hope {Eagle Harbor #5} by Naomi Rawlings

Published: April 24th, 2017 (Cedar Lake Press)

The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre {The Two Princesses of Bamarre #0.5} by Gail Carson Levine

Published: May 2nd, 2017 (HarperCollins)

Love on Pointe by Tiffany Odekirk

Expected Publication: June 1st, 2017 (Covenant Communications)

Warfare {Life After #2} by Julie Hall

Expected Publication: June 13th, 2017

So Pure a Heart {Daughters of His Kingdom #4} by Amber Lynn Perry

Expected Publication: June 20th, 2017 (Liberty Publishing)

Romancing Daphne {The Lancaster Family #3} by Sarah M. Eden

Expected Publication: June 21st, 2017 (Covenant Communications)

Then There Was You by Kara Isaac

Expected Publication: June 22nd, 2017 (Bellbird Press)

White Dawn {Black Tiger #3} by Sara Baysinger

Expected Publication: July 6th, 2017 (StarFinder Press)

The Secret of the India Orchid {Proper Romance} by Nancy Campbell Allen

Expected Publication: August 1st, 2017 (Shadow Mountain)

Many Sparrows by Lori Benton

Expected Publication: September 19th, 2017 (Waterbrook Press)

Conqueror {Defier #3} by Mandy Fender

Expected Publication: 2017 (Stouthearted Publishing)

A Light on the Hill {Cities of Refuge #1} by Connilyn Cossette

Expected Publication: January 6th, 2018 (Bethany House)

The Sea Before Us {Sunrise at Normandy #1} by Sarah Sundin

Expected Publication: February 6th, 2018 (Revell)

The Weaver's Daughter by Sarah E. Ladd

Expected Publication: May 2018

The Lost Castle {The Lost Castle #1} by Kristy Cambron

Expected Publication: 2018

Five Poisoned Apples {Fairy Tale Collections #4}

Expected Publication: 2018 (Rooglewood Press)

Book Review: Once: Six Historically Inspired Fairytales

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Title: Once: Six Historically Inspired Fairytales

Author: Elisabeth Grace Foley // Rachel Heffington // J. Grace Pennington // Emily Ann Putzke // Suzannah Rowntree // Hayden Wand

Series: Standalone Novellas

Genre: Historical/Fairy Tale Retelling/Dystopian

Audience: Young Adult

ABOUT THE BOOK

Six fairytales you thought you knew, set against a tapestry of historical backgrounds.

A lonely girl plots revenge in the shadow of a mountain. A stolen princess fumbles a century backward. A dwarfish man crafts brilliant automatons. A Polish Jew strikes matches against the Nazis. A dead girl haunts a crystal lake. A terrified princess searches a labyrinth. A rich collection of six historically inspired retellings, Once is a new generation of fairytales for those who thought they'd heard the tales in all their forms.

Featuring the novellas of Elisabeth Grace Foley, Rachel Heffington, J Grace Pennington, Emily Ann Putzke, Suzannah Rowntree, and Hayden Wand.

~ MY REVIEW ~

**4 stars**

Take a look at that gorgeous cover! It’s divine! ^_^ Dive into this new collection of fairy tale retellings to find history, dystopian worlds, time-travel excitement, western danger, suspense, and of course, romance!

***

The Mountain of the Wolf by Elisabeth Grace Foley. A retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, this western historical tale was one I quite enjoyed. It’s non-magical, and set in the mountains were outlaws lurk and herds of wild horses roam free.

The writing style is akin to the style of the ANNE OF GREEN GABLES series; and while whimsical and old-fashioned, it can be slow and isn’t my favorite ever. That being said, The Mountain of the Wolf was still a great story, and I loved that ending—exciting and dangerous, and then utterly sweet. And the one part that really reminded me of the fairy tale it retells was fabulously-done!

A unique and lovely take on the fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood.

She But Sleepeth by Rachel Heffington. I really like the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty, but I honestly didn’t care for this retelling of it. Two reasons: it was a tragedy, and the characters were too acquainted with spells for my personal liking. “Sorcery” and “witching” were words I saw too often, and not only when speaking of the evil villain.

It was an interesting retelling, weaving a new Sleeping Beauty tale with bits of real historical figures and accounts, and the intrigue of time-travel. I wasn’t left bored.

But yes, the magic was a bit much for my taste. And the tale had such a heavy air about it—such sorrow and this feeling of being trapped or helpless. I prefer a tale where good triumphs over evil.

Rumpled by J. Grace Pennington. So I really loved this tale! My kind of story—and definitely the best retelling of Rumplestiltskin that I’ve read! This is the first time I’ve read by this author, and I’m glad I did; I will look for more books by her, for sure.

Set in a dystopian, sci-fi world, Rumpled quickly sweeps us into the intrigue of rags to riches, and webs of deception and fear. A young woman is caught up into a crazy scheme, set into motion by her bumbling father. The most unlikely of people comes to the rescue. A love story unfolds.

I quite adored the grace that layered this story. There were times of danger and drama. Breathless, heart-clenching scenes were you wondered how everything could work out right. And the sweetest of moments. The characters were just lovely—I truly liked both Amanda and her man. And the servants. And … yes. Rumpled was perfectly perfect, and I look forward to loosing myself in another story by J. Grace Pennington.

Sweet Remembrance by Emily Ann Putzke. I remember The Little Match Girl being such a tragic tale, but somehow sweet—bittersweet. That’s how this WWII retelling of the story was. I don’t like tragedies, but if you’re going to write one, write it like Emily Ann Putzke did with Sweet Remembrance.

It was captivating. The history of the Jews being brutally persecuted by Germans is hard—the kind of hard where the enormity of it steals the breath from your lungs for a moment. The lost dreams so bitter. But the remembering of a heartfelt romance so sweet. All in all, it’s a sad tale of a horrific time in history … but it ends with a curious kind of hope. A hope that I want to hold onto.

Very well written. A bittersweet, heart-tugging story of an ordinary girl in a terrible time.

Death Be Not Proud by Suzannah Rowntree. This was sort of a chilling tale. But then, one would expect a retelling of Snow White to be, considering the fairy tale tells of evil and jealousy and would-be-murderers. I really enjoyed that it was set in the Jazz Age, and the mystery/suspense was exciting and all worth it once you got to the end of the story. If you don’t like a story that’s a little bit spooky and has a couple mentions of gruesome speculation, then Death Be Not Proud may not be the best read for you. But I found I liked it. I didn’t find the spooky parts too overdone, and regardless of the doom in the title, it is a good story.

With mystery keeping you on the edge of your seat, Suzannah Rowntree delivers a unique story, about a singer and a man on a mission, that kept me guessing and left me satisfied.

With Blossoms Gold by Hayden Wand. A sweet retelling of Rapunzel, though set amidst the bitterness of war and panic attacks. Though I sometimes got frustrated with Nella, one of the main characters of the story, I appreciated her character development and the authenticity of the tale.

The romance was lovely; and our hero a likable character indeed! Some of his witty remarks had me chuckling to myself.

Overall it was a fine, non-magical fairy tale retelling; set in Italy and examining difficult issues. I quite enjoyed.

***

Well, there you have it, my friends. On a whole, I was quite impressed with Once: Six Historically Inspired Fairytales. The stories were interesting, thoughtful, and different. The writing was very good.

Once isn’t exactly a light tome of fluffy fairy tales, but overall, it is a collection of superbly-written retellings. Check it out!

I received a copy of Once: Six Historically Inspired Fairytales from the authors.