Ever since Ronie Kendig debuted her first romantic suspense novel 10 years ago, she's become well known for her portrayal of multi-dimensional military protagonists.  In 2015, I was pleasantly surprised to find her publishing her first fantasy novel and was even more excited this year to learn about Brand of Light, since Sci-Fi novels in the Christian/Inspirational market are as rare as finding Jedi in the original Star Wars trilogy.  Read on for my full review and a chance to win a copy of Brand of Light and the most awesome prize package!

© 2019 Enclave Publishing

"There’s a price on her head, and it has everything to do with the brand on her arm.

Tertian Space Coalition has blessed every planet in the quadrants with high technology, save one: Drosero. But in spite of their tenuous treaty with the ruling clans, TSC has plans for the backward planet. And they’re not alone.

After a catastrophic explosion, Kersei Dragoumis awakens in a derelict shuttle, alone, injured, and ignorant of the forbidden technology that has swept her into a nightmare. The brand she’s borne since childhood burns mysteriously, but the pain is nothing to that when she learns her family is dead and she is accused of their murders.

Across the quadrants, Marco Dusan responds to the call of a holy order—not to join them, but to seek a bounty. Gifted—or cursed—with abilities that mark him a Kynigos, a tracker sworn to bring interplanetary fugitives to justice, Marco discovers this particular bounty has nothing to do with justice and everything to do with prophecy. One that involves the hunter as much as the hunted."

About the Author:

"Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author of over twenty titles. An Army brat, Ronie lives a shot train ride from New York City with her husband, twin sons, and two fur-sons, VVolt N629, a retired military working dog, and Benning the Stealth Golden. Described as an empath by her literary agent, Ronie has used her degree in psychology to write books that have won the coveted Christy Award, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, HOLT Medallion Award, and more. Her books have also hit the CBA Bestseller List multiple times."

To celebrate her tour, Ronie is giving away the grand prize package of a Tinted Prose edition of Brand of Light, Galaxy Tumbler, “Kersei” Dio Adorable Candle, 3 Character Cards (Marco, Kersei, and Tigo), and 2 Maps (a map of Drosero and a planetary map)!! Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Enter here:


https://promosimple.com/ps/f2e2/brand-of-light-celebration-tour-giveaway
Through the Fire Blogs, December 14
April Hayman, Author, December 14
 Hallie Reads, December 14
amandainpa, December 15
Inside the Wong Mind, December 15
Christian Chick’s Thoughts, December 16
Wishful Endings, December 16
Pause for Tales, December 16
A Reader’s Brain, December 17
 Faery Tales Are Real, December 17
Simple Harvest Reads, December 18
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 18
Where Faith and Books Meet, December 18
 Texas Book-aholic, December 19
Mia Reads Blog, December 19
Adventures of a Travelers Wife, December 20
Betti Mace, December 20
Books, Life, and Christ, December 20
 Just the Write Escape, December 21
Britt Reads Fiction, December 21
Blogging With Carol , December 22
A Good Book and Cup of Tea, December 22
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 23
All-of-a-kind Mom, December 23
The Artist Librarian, December 23 [YOU ARE HERE!]
Emily Yager, December 24
 mypreciousbitsandmusings, December 24
Bakerkella, December 25
Worthy2Read, December 25
janicesbookreviews, December 26
Tell Tale Book Reviews, December 26
Just Your Average reviews, December 26
Inklings and notions, December 27
Splashes of Joy, December 27

Not to skip over Thanksgiving, but it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas as holiday season begins and publishers begin releasing Christmas-themed novellas and books. Award-winning author Julie Lessman has just published another novella continuing the saga of her beloved O'Connor family! Read on for a full review and how to win a set of five ebooks!

Her dream is writing.
His is the perfect wife and mother.
Until God fulfills them both with a dream like no other.

Twelve years ago, Faith O’Connor happily gave up her dream as a copywriter to become a wife and mother, clinging to her husband’s promise she could return someday. But when the opportunity arises to write for the Boston Herald again two days a week, her dream hits a snag … along with her marriage.

To Collin McGuire, family is everything because he never really had one of his own. Raised by a father who died early and a mother who didn’t care, Collin is determined to give his children the very best with a full-time mother. But when he denies Faith her dream, he soon discovers he’s denied his own as well … until Christmas day brings a healing through a gift like no other.

The Artist Librarian Review:
To borrow an oft-used phrase in the series, "Sweet mother of Job," how I have missed the O'Connors! I can barely believe that it has been practically 12 years since A Passion Most Pure, Julie Lessman's debut novel that introduced us to protagonists Faith O'Connor, Collin McGuire, and the rest of the memorable O'Connor family was published. Set in 1936, twenty years after the events of her first novel, Faith and Collin are navigating married life with ease until a career opportunity causes conflict between the two.

One of my "ult 'ships" (ultimate relationships) or pairings from Julie Lessman has always been Faith and Collin.  Faith of course, was an inspiration with her spiritual maturity, the relatable "good girl" compared to her wilder sister, and Collin, though I normally am not a fan of the "bad boy" trope, eventually won me over with his growing faith and I admit, romantic (can I say "sexy?") ways. ;-) 
As always, Lessman goes full tilt with swoon-worthy romance (on the "spicier" side of Christian Romance) equally matched with a strong spiritual thread. 

Ever since her first novel, where Lessman gave prominence to parents Marcy and Patrick's relationship besides her younger main couple, I've grown to appreciate her attention on married couples, which you don't often seen in romance novels: What comes after the "happily ever after."  It's kind of surprising that more Christian Romance authors don't choose to do so ... Marriages have different types of conflict and situations that make for interesting plots and you can definitely up the romance with married couples. Though on the "edgy" side for the genre, Lessman keeps it classy with martial scenes that tastefully closes before things get too steamy.

When a mother should return to the workforce and her career or remain at home has been a discussion many couples have probably had for over a century.  While it's easy for contemporary readers to paint Collin's views as being unreasonable, Lessman was able to give him motivations and insecurities behind his decisions that were understandable (besides the historical context) and allowed him to remain in a sympathetic light as the reader patiently waits with his wife Faith for him to come around.  I also appreciated how Faith, even though known as one of the more spiritually mature characters in the series, also struggles and draws on the encouragement and reminders from God, her sisters, and mother.  The "girl talk" conversations reminded me just how close the O'Connor ladies are as a family and I was here for it all!  Finally, it was kind of neat how a couple minor characters and situations from A Passion Most Pure was reflected back in this story.

If there are any critiques, it would be that there are many characters that felt like they were just "name dropped." The O'Connor boys and their spouses for example, Sean and Emma, along with Steven and Annie, always seem to barely be mentioned in these novellas.  I'm not sure if it's because the other couples are more popular, but of course, with the ever growing cast of the O'Connors (How many grandchildren must Patrick and Marcy have by now???) it's understandable and probably a good thing that the focus is placed on a certain number of characters.

I also still feel like the book covers for the O'Connor Christmas novellas feel too contemporary, especially the images of the main couples.  This minor quibble is understandable because these novellas have been independently published by the author and it is much more difficult to get accurate historical garbed models or images than contemporary ones.  However more importantly, Lessman's writing is just as strong as her traditionally published novels and the quality of her follow-up novellas seamlessly continue the stories of the O'Connors for grateful fans everywhere.  As always, I eagerly look forward to what Julie Lessman writes next!

The O'Connor Family Saga (so far):

Series Prequel:
A Light in the Window (2012)

Daughters of Boston Trilogy (2008-2009):
1. A Passion Most Pure
2. A Passion Redeemed
3. A Passion Denied

Winds of Change Trilogy (2010-2012):
1. A Hope Undaunted
2. A Heart Revealed
3. A Love Surrendered

Christmas Novellas:
A Whisper of Hope (2017)
The Best Gift of All (2017)
A Gift Like No Other (2019)


[Disclosure: I received a complimentary e-ARC copy of this book for review purposes through participation of this blog tour.]

Julie Lessman is an award-winning author whose tagline of “Passion With a Purpose” underscores her intense passion for both God and romance. A lover of all things Irish, she enjoys writing close-knit Irish family sagas that evolve into 3-D love stories: the hero, the heroine, and the God that brings them together. Author of The Daughters of Boston, Winds of Change, Heart of San Francisco, Isle of Hope, and Silver Lining Ranch series, Julie was American Christian Fiction Writers 2009 Debut Author of the Year and has garnered over 18 Romance Writers of America and other awards. Voted #1 Romance Author in Family Fiction magazine’s 2012 and 2011 Readers Choice Awards, Julie’s novels also made Family Fiction magazine’s Best of 2015, Best of 2014, and “Essential Christian Romance Authors” 2017, as well as Booklist’s 2010 Top 10 Inspirational Fiction and Borders Best Fiction. Her independent novel A Light in the Window was an International Digital Awards winner, a 2013 Readers' Crown Award winner, and a 2013 Book Buyers Best Award winner. Julie has also written a self-help workbook for writers entitled Romance-ology 101: Writing Romantic Tension for the Sweet and Inspirational Markets. Contact Julie through her website and read excerpts from each of her books at www.julielessman.com.

I'm honored to be part of Jill Williamson's cover reveal for her latest upcoming novel: a prequel to her dystopian Safe Lands Trilogy!

"Waiting on Wednesday"/"Can't Wait Wednesday" is a weekly meme now hosted by Wishful Endings, where you feature a yet-to-be-released title you're anticipating!

Title: Thirst (Thirst Duology #1)
Author: Jill Williamson
Release Date: November 21, 2019

About the Book:

"The end of the world is only the beginning. A waterborne disease has contaminated the world’s fresh water, decimating the human race. Seventeen-year-old Eli McShane and his friends flee the chaos and violence in Phoenix and journey north toward the rumored location of a safe water source. They add several to their number, including the mysterious Hannah, who is being hunted by a dangerous man. Desperation brings out the worst in many of the travelers, infecting even those closest to Eli. When division comes, will he be able to hold his group together or will each fall victim to their own thirst for survival?

Join some old friends from Glenrock and Jack's Peak in this thrilling first book of the Thirst Duology. Best-selling author Jill Williamson has brought back the breathtaking suspense of the The Safe Lands series in this chilling prequel that will leave readers panting for the next installment." 

Why I'm WoW about Thirst:
Jill Williamson is my absolute favorite YA author in Christian fiction right now. Though I adore her epic fantasy novels the most, The Safe Lands Trilogy was a mature dystopian entry in YA Christian Fiction that was sorely needed.  After following the stories of Levi, Mason, and Omar, Eli's great-grandsons in the Safe Lands, I'm very much looking forward to seeing how everything began ... It was this dystopian world that convinced me that Williamson writes some of the best teen male protagonists in Christian YA.

I also really love the cover art Emilie Hendryx designed! Below, you can see The Safe Lands Trilogy covers which were traditionally published with Blink YA.  I feel like the atmospheric sky and cloud elements tie the two series together --what do you think?  To learn more about the cover design process for the original Safe Lands books, be sure to check out my interview with Jill Williamson here!

Teaching art to children can be an intimidating prospect to those who feel like they aren't creative or skilled enough in the artistic method, but it doesn't have to be!  Read on for my review of Teaching Art in the Primary Grades and enter to win a gift basket of art supplies!



Title: Teaching Art in the Primary Grades: Sailing Through 1-2-3 Grades
Author: Jerry E. Twitchell
Published: 2019 by Redemption Press

About the Book:

"As Simple as 1-2-3.

Everything needed to structure and teach an effective art program for grades one to three is made simple for the home-school parent or teacher. This step-by-step process for teaching art is perfect for home-school teachers or parents with limited art skills or time to create their own programs. This system of insight, responses to judgments, ideas, and feelings aligns with public school and state visual arts requirements.  

Teaching Art in the Primary Grades is designed to foster lifelong interest in the arts, provide a gauge of what can be expected of children at various ages and grade levels, and present a baseline for measuring growth and skill.

Lesson plans with goals, objects, time frames, techniques, steps, illustrated examples, and assessment of growth are included."

The Artist Librarian Review:
As a children's librarian who received an undergraduate degree in studio art, I naturally gravitate toward planning children's arts and crafts programs at the library.  I often receive many comments from parents and caregivers expressing their thanks for this because they claim they themselves aren't creative, aren't confident in their ability to lead or provide these types of experiences for children.  Teaching Art in the Primary Grades: Sailing Through 1-2-3 Grades was written with these types of instructors in mind. 

Each lesson includes a viewpoint (an introduction for the teacher with the focus of the lesson), time frame (one to five 40 minute periods, depending on the project), techniques and general steps, a materials list, and assessment if applicable.  The lessons cover a wide range of mediums and techniques, exposing younger elementary school students to drawing, painting, weaving, collage, sculpting, mixed media, clay, printmaking, etc. The materials used are generally inexpensive, easily accessible or simple to substitute. 

Since this book is focused on early elementary school (grades 1 to 3), I feel that the lessons are suitable and accessible for teachers who may not be entirely confident in their artistic abilities.  In fact, since many of the lessons introduce basic art concepts and techniques (e.g. shading, pinch forming method with clay, basic weaving, etc.) I would suggest any un-confident teacher try some of the art projects for themselves to become familiar with the process before instructing others.  As they are introduced, art tools and terminology are briefly defined (e.g. a brayer for printmaking, the parts of a paintbrush, warp and weft in weaving, etc.) and I appreciated that the author included instructions for things such as cleaning and caring for brushes, because an artist is never too young to learn how to properly care for their tools.  Though no step-by-step photos are included, there are simple line drawings and other illustrations to help adequately visualize concepts and instructions.

Unfortunately, there are some elements that leave me unable to fully recommend this book.  The most glaring is in Unit I, Lesson 2 for second grade entitled "A Clay Me," the author refers to Unit I, Lesson 7: "My Clay Friend" from Grade 1 multiple times which includes a Play Dough Recipe and other resources a second grade instructor could use to help introduce the medium to students who may not have experienced crafting sculptures with clay.  However, I could not find the lesson "My Clay Friend" anywhere in my copy of this book or the table of contents listed in the e-book version I previewed online.  My best guess is that the lesson was mistakenly left out (since the last lesson in first grade's Unit I is Lesson 6) or the similarly titled Lesson 8, "My Puppet Friend," from Unit II was meant to replace this missing lesson but they forgot to remove references to "My Clay Friend."  However, I do think you would be able to get by and utilize the second grade lesson without this missing lesson with the instructions listed (or supplementing it with another book or online resource on clay sculpting).

I also wish that the author included more current material in his third grade bibliography on Native American art and reading list on off-loom weaving, both listed in Appendix A.  While there's nothing wrong with referring to titles from the 1960s-1970s, I question how easily accessible these books would be, even at a public library or through online used books stores.  Including some more recently publishing alternatives (even published within the last 20 years) would have been more ideal.

I believe most of my issues with this book is due to its nature as an indie/self published book.  However, though Redemption Press specializes in Christian titles and authors, it's important to note that this title is strictly on teaching art and there are no references to God or Christianity that I caught, so it could easily be utilized in a secular setting.  I plan to use my copy for ideas to introduce more art concepts and techniques in my children's arts and crafts program at a public library. Overall, if you are able to borrow or find this book on sale, definitely take a look and see if it will work for your needs. 

[Disclosure:I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes through participation of this blog tour.]


About the Author:

Jerry E. Twitchell, DEd, is a retired educational administrator and art and history instructor. With over thirty years of experience as a teacher and principal, Jerry has nurtured primary through secondary students to experience the excitement of art. In his work with parents, teachers, and especially children, he has sought to bring to life a love and passion for art.

A Note from the Author:

"Ever since I was young, I have always loved art. It was only natural for me to be teaching and sharing the love of art to young people. Over the years, a number of parents, students and fellow teachers and administrators suggested that I should write a book about teaching art, particularly to the emerging beginning artist. This would hopefully help them gain confidence in themselves in return would flow into their reading and writing subjects. After retiring, pondering and headaches, I started putting it together and throwing around ideas to myself on what should be included and 'Wala'…..here it is."

Giveaway!

To celebrate his tour, Jerry is giving away gift basket with basic art supplies, Stack card, and a Athabascan People of The North coloring book! Be sure to comment on the blog stops for up to nine extra entries into the giveaway! See below or click here to enter.

I first re-encountered slime volunteering at a youth summer camp last year --it was hands down our most popular item at the arts & crafts area and this was with tweens and teens. You may immediately have flashbacks to elementary school science experiments with liquid starch and white glue, but this trendy version of slime takes it to the next level! Read more about the 2016-present trend here. Librarians across the United States have already joined in and offered very popular DIY slime programs at their libraries. There's even a slime store that opened in Hawaii of all places earlier this spring!

However, you don't have to have do fancy, social media-worthy slime or spend a lot of money to run a slime program at your library. It can be inexpensive with minimal mess and still tons of fun --here's one way how!

The Recipe:

There are so many slime recipes out there online and in books --but beware! Many recipes call for 4 to 8oz. of glue (one glue bottle). For this library program, I decided the point was more to give our patrons the experience and give them the information they need to make more at home. I scaled down the recipe to only use 1/4 cup (2 oz.) of glue which helped cut down on cost and still gave participants a nice handful of slime to play with and take home. If you've done your research, you'll notice that there are three primary activators used to make slime: diluted borax, liquid starch, or contact solution/baking soda. I didn't get to break down the cost of using one over the other, but I chose the contact solution because of convenience and accessibility. We used 9oz. Solo cups and chopsticks to mix, then put the slime into snack size ziplocks to take home.

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup (2 oz.) Clear PVA Glue
• 1/8 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 & 1/2 tsp. Saline Solution or Contact Solution (must contain boric acid to work)
• 1/8 tsp. Glitter (silver or gold to look like stars, or your choice)
• 1 drop of Food Coloring (blue, purple, or other dark colors work well for that outer space feel)
• 1 Snack Size Zip-Top Bag or an Airtight Container
• A Container/Cup to mix in & Chopstick or Stirring Utensil

Directions:

1. Add the glue, baking soda, solution, glitter, and food color into a cup or container and mix together for 5 minutes or until the slime begins to pull together and away from the dish.
2. Remove the slime and knead it with your hands until no longer sticky. You may need to add a few more drops of saline/contact solution.
3. After playing, store at room temperature in a zip-top bag or airtight container. Please take your slime home to play with and do not open it in the library.

Definitely test out and be familiar with your recipe and the slime making process before you run your program. It's a lot of fun, but the majority of your time during the program will be letting people know when they're ready to go to the kneading stage, letting them know they need to keep stirring, or going around adding a bit more activator to people's slime.

Minimizing the Mess:

Slime by its nature and part of the appeal is that it is messy, gooey fun! However, we want to stay on the good side of our custodial staff and keep the library as mess free as possible, right? There are several things I did to minimize the chance to messes and for the most part it succeeded:

• Limit the amount of participants in your program: We had an RSVP requirement and walk ins only if space allowed. The amount of participants depends on how much your space can accommodate, how much staff/volunteers you have to assist you. I ran three 1/2 hour back-to-back sessions with one other staff member assisting, so we allowed 15 participants per session. We also required that all children under 10 had an assisting adult caregiver to participate which helped out a lot!
• Work in a non-carpeted area if possible: Our library has a small inner courtyard/lanai area covered in concrete. If you only have a carpeted space to work on I highly suggest covering the ground with plastic sheeting. I also covered all the tables with plastic tablecloths so that kids could dump their slime on it and knead on the table as well. I was able to wipe them down with a damp towel afterwards to re-use. I also had wet wipes, paper towels, and a tub of water for really sticky hands.
• Pre-measure ingredients: I researched many different library slime workshops and decided that although it is educational and beneficial for kids to use measuring tools, it would be too messy and too much wait time in between (I wasn't going to buy that many bottles of glue or measuring tools). Again, this program was to give participants the experience of making slime and they would get a handout sheet so they could make more at home. Fortunately with the assistance of three teen student helpers, it took the four of us no more than an hour to pre-measure 45 cups with everything added minus the coloring, which we let the kids choose during the program (but an adult staff member added to their slime).
• Limit the ingredients or choices: I bought food coloring in a set of 8, but only brought out three (pink, blue, and green) for the this slime program. Even though I had a lot of glitter, we just pre-measured silver glitter in everyone's cups beforehand. I did keep 5 cups without glitter in case there was anyone who didn't want glitter, but it ended up being a non-issue this time.

How It Went:

It was REALLY tight to run the program in 30 minute sessions … I used a 10 minute buffer to sign in the next group (so everyone really had 20 minutes to make their slime). I originally planned this to help out staff (a librarian and assistant off desk/unavailable for only 1 ½ hours rather than 3 hours) but I think the best way to do this program would be 1 hour:

• 10 minutes for folks to show up, sign in, fill out photo release forms, add walk-ins/wait list for no shows.
• 5 minutes to brief people on instructions and safety. (Most of this I pulled from the handout/booklist I made, which we gave to each participant.) It's super important to go over safety such as washing hands before and after playing with slime, not to eat it, keep slime out of reach from pets and younger siblings/babies, etc.
• 30 minutes to make/play with slime.
• 15 minutes for time to clean up, usher people out (in kindness), and set up for next session.
  

It also was a very cost effective program breaking down to about $1.75 USD per participant. I spent around $75 total for the ingredients, plastic cups, chopsticks, ziplock bags, table coverings, wet wipes, vinegar, and measuring tools --other than having to buy another gallon of glue, and more cups, I have all the ingredients I need on hand, which brings the price down more if  I run the program again!

Most importantly, as you can tell from the photos, it was a lot of fun! Feel free to contact me for more info and a huge thanks to all the other library system staff who shared with me their slime program experiences when I was putting together my program. I had over 60 people attend this slime program and I'm excited to be starting my every-other-month "Slime Club" this September! Next up: sand slime!

Is slime popular with the younger crowd in your area?  What do you think about slime?  Would you run a slime program at your library if you were a librarian?

I often find the final book in a trilogy plays a pivotal part of how I view the series as a whole. If successful and well-written, I will return to it over and over again.  If lackluster or disappointing, it can dim the excitement and joy I felt for the earlier installments.  Read on for my review of  Curse Bound --author J.L. Mbewe's conclusion to her debut fantasy trilogy ...


Title: Curse Bound (The Hidden Dagger #3)
Author: J. L. Mbewe
Published: 2019 by BrokenSeed Books

About the Book:

"Kael's worse fears have come true. Betrayal has shaken the Guardian Circle, the High Guardian is dead, and Ayianna and Prince Vian are in the hands of the Sorceress, but he and his companions must finish their quest, before they can attempt a rescue mission. Unfortunately, Desmond's parting gift left them stranded on the western cliffs of Nälu. Jathil, once heir to the throne of Arashel, believes her father will aid them, but first she must face the crimes of her past. When she does, she could never believe the outcome, nor the rippling effect it would have on the nations. Meanwhile the Alliance braces for war, but division threatens to undermine their efforts. When Nerissa returns from Ganya with the dragon regiment, she discovers a bigger problem. The curse bound are waking. As the quest nears completion, Kael is forced to choose between his heart and duty, and neither choice bodes well with him. Either way, he will face the Sorceress and her armies sooner or later. The battle for Nälu has begun and there can be only one victor."

The Artist Librarian Review:

It's bittersweet to come to the end of this trilogy that I started reading nearly 5 years ago with Secrets Kept.  Curse Bound covers events immediately after Darkened Hope and follows several different groups of characters from the original quest: Ayianna and Prince Vian traded their lives for the safety of their friends and are now captive in the heart of enemy territory.  Kael, Jathil, and Tariq frantically search for the final ingredient to craft a life-saving tonic.  Finally the remnants of the Guardian Circle prepare for war in the city of Praeten and watch over the sleeping cursed bound citizens in Kvazkhun.

Though it's been over a year since I last read this series, I was able to quickly reacquaint myself through the character list at the beginning of the book which spotlights each main character and their role in the series thus far.  I think it would be possible for someone to jump straight to Curse Bound, but reading the trilogy through would be more preferred to give background and foster connection to the characters.  The story continues where it left off from the previous book at full speed. 

Appropriately, considering the title, much of the conflict of the novel comes through curses: Some are physically affecting curses, like the harpy curse which threatens to consume Ayianna or the Sorceress' curse on the plains' people that compel them to serve her.  Others are subtle, like Kael's struggles to overcome his past failures or Vian's status as the marked firstborn of King Valdemar that makes him a target of Semine, who is convinced that his sacrifice will allow her evil mistress Raezana to rise again.

While I did enjoy the conclusion of this trilogy, I did feel a slight letdown on the ending in regards to the fate of one antagonist, because the story feels complete minus that one character.  However, I have a feeling that perhaps it was intentionally left open-ended by the author so she can return to this story world and write more about Nälu in the future ... Other than that, I think overall, with diverse characters, detailed world building, and a subtle spiritual thread, The Hidden Dagger Trilogy is a solid indie debut for author J. L. Mbewe and is unique entry in the growing Christian Fantasy market.


[Disclosure: I received a complimentary ARC of this book for review purposes through the participation of this blog tour.]

About the Author

Writing as J. L. Mbewe, Jennette is an author, artist, mother, wife, but not always in that order. Born and raised in Minnesota, she now braves the heat of Texas, but pines for the Northern Lights and the lakes of home every autumn. She loves trying to capture the abstract and make it concrete. She is currently living her second childhood with her wonderful husband and two precious children who don’t seem to mind her eclectic collections of rocks, shells, and swords, among other things. Here, between reality and dreams, you will find her busily creating worlds inhabited by all sorts of fantasy creatures and characters, all questing about and discovering true love amid lots of peril. Her debut novel, Secrets Kept, was nominated for the 2014 Clive Staples Award. Her second novel, Darkened Hope was a semi-finalist for the 2017 Alliance Award.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, July 8^th

• Sparks of Ember: Spotlight & Book Excerpt
• Kathrese McKee: Author Interview
• Safe Return Doubtful: Character Interview
• Starlight Reviews: Book Review of Curse Bound

Tuesday, July 9^th

• The Heart of a Scribe: Guest Post on Writing
• Imperial Scribis: Book Review of Secrets Kept
• The Artist Librarian: Guest Post on Music of Nalü

Wednesday, July 10^th

• Elisabeth Wheatley: Author Interview
• Fairies, Fantasy, and Faith: Guest Post on World-Building

Thursday, July 11^th

• The Quirky Book Nerd: Book Review of The Hidden Dagger Trilogy
• The Genre of Imagination: Author Interview
• Unicorn Quester: Guest Post of Characters as My Little Pony

Friday, July 12^th

• Jessica Belmont: Book Review of Curse Bound
• Unicorn Quester: Video Book Review

Saturday, July 13^th

• She Hearts Fiction: Book Review of Curse Bound
• The Artist Librarian: Book Review of Curse Bound

Sunday, July 14^th

• Unicorn Quester: Blog Tour Wrap-Up

I loved featuring fantasy author J.L. Mbewe as a guest blogger several years ago where she shared the inspiration behind some of the styles and clothing of her world of Nälu.  This week on July 11th, Curse Bound, the final book in The Hidden Dagger Trilogy will be released!  To celebrate, Laura A. Grace of Unicorn Quester has organized an awesome blog tour I'm happy to participate in and I have the honor of hosting Jennette on my blog again --this time to talk about the music of her diverse fantasy world!  Don't forget to read on after for info about a special Facebook Party (with prizes!) and find links to the rest of the blog tour:


I know. It sounds funny, doesn’t it? It’s a book. Why would we even think about the music you would find within the pages of a book? It’s not like you can listen to it while you’re reading. YET. Although, I have heard rumors and people talking about possibly creating the technology to couple music while you’re reading. Personally, I don’t think I’d like it, but that’s a different post for a different time. Ha!
When we write, we aren’t just creating pictures with words. We are immersing you in another time and place, a place rich with color, smells, flavors, and sounds. I might have gotten a little carried away with world-building, but today, it all pays off. I get to share a little about the sounds you would hear if you were to visit some of the places within Nälu.

And IF you’ve read A Princess No More, you will have greater insight into a certain pivotal scene in Curse Bound. But we are getting ahead of ourselves.





This is just a taste of some the music behind the scenes. When building the world, I didn’t assign music to all the cultures and people groups. I went deeper when the scene called for it. Like when I mention the music. To be able to describe what Ayianna or the other characters were hearing, I wanted to hear it for myself. Or at least, I had to know what kind of instruments they might hear or be available to them. Thanks for having me, Jen!

 [Thank you for giving us a glimpse of the music you envisioned in your stories, Jennette!  I might pull up a playlist of these types of music next time I read your books!  Readers: Do you listen to music when you read?   Why or why not?  I occasionally will listen to instrumentals or soundtracks that I think fit the book I'm currently reading.] 

About Cursed Bound

"Kael's worse fears have come true. Betrayal has shaken the Guardian Circle, the High Guardian is dead, and Ayianna and Prince Vian are in the hands of the Sorceress, but he and his companions must finish their quest, before they can attempt a rescue mission. Unfortunately, Desmond's parting gift left them stranded on the western cliffs of Nälu. Jathil, once heir to the throne of Arashel, believes her father will aid them, but first she must face the crimes of her past. When she does, she could never believe the outcome, nor the rippling effect it would have on the nations. Meanwhile the Alliance braces for war, but division threatens to undermine their efforts. When Nerissa returns from Ganya with the dragon regiment, she discovers a bigger problem. The curse bound are waking. As the quest nears completion, Kael is forced to choose between his heart and duty, and neither choice bodes well with him. Either way, he will face the Sorceress and her armies sooner or later. The battle for Nälu has begun and there can be only one victor."

 

About the Author

Writing as J. L. Mbewe, Jennette is an author, artist, mother, wife, but not always in that order. Born and raised in Minnesota, she now braves the heat of Texas, but pines for the Northern Lights and the lakes of home every autumn. She loves trying to capture the abstract and make it concrete. She is currently living her second childhood with her wonderful husband and two precious children who don’t seem to mind her eclectic collections of rocks, shells, and swords, among other things. Here, between reality and dreams, you will find her busily creating worlds inhabited by all sorts of fantasy creatures and characters, all questing about and discovering true love amid lots of peril. Her debut novel, Secrets Kept, was nominated for the 2014 Clive Staples Award. Her second novel, Darkened Hope was a semi-finalist for the 2017 Alliance Award.

 

Party Time! 

Curse Bound is coming soon! Join us as we celebrate its release on July 11th, 2019 at 7pm - 10pm CST. There will be plenty of bookish fun, games, and giveaways. AND we have special guests Kyle Robert Shultz, Lindsay A. Franklin, and Jenelle Leanne Schmidt who will be joining us and sharing about their books.
 

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, July 8^th

• Sparks of Ember: Spotlight & Book Excerpt
• Kathrese McKee: Author Interview
• Safe Return Doubtful: Character Interview
• Starlight Reviews: Book Review of Curse Bound

Tuesday, July 9^th

• The Heart of a Scribe: Guest Post on Writing
• Imperial Scribis: Book Review of Secrets Kept
• The Artist Librarian: Guest Post on Music of Nalü

Wednesday, July 10^th

• Elisabeth Wheatley: Author Interview
• Fairies, Fantasy, and Faith: Guest Post on World-Building

Thursday, July 11^th

• The Quirky Book Nerd: Book Review of The Hidden Dagger Trilogy
• The Genre of Imagination: Author Interview
• Unicorn Quester: Guest Post of Characters as My Little Pony

Friday, July 12^th

• Jessica Belmont: Book Review of Curse Bound
• Unicorn Quester: Video Book Review

Saturday, July 13^th

• She Hearts Fiction: Book Review of Curse Bound
• The Artist Librarian: Book Review of Curse Bound

Sunday, July 14^th

• Unicorn Quester: Blog Tour Wrap-Up

Can you believe it's July? We're halfway through 2019! I've loved reading ever since I can remember --my parents say I learned to read from the paper television listings back in the day ... Though teens can technically still be children since they're minors, I decided my limit my range for "childhood" --any juvenile books I remember reading from when I was a toddler to 10 years old. This Top Tuesday prompt is from That Artsy Reader Girl's blog feature, Top Ten Tuesday.


1. It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw (1941)
--Spilled milk takes on the forms of various objects, flora, and fauna ... or is it? This is one of the first books I remember reading! I really should find a nice copy for my personal collection. And make a felt board version for my Storytime.

2. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (1969)
--A peckish caterpillar searches for food and the journey leads to a spectacular transformation. I can hardly believe Eric Carle is pushing 90 years old! This was my introduction to die cut pages (those holes!) and the fruits on all those flaps looked so yummy and Carle's collage art is the best. I also distinctly remember an episode in Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood where Fred Rogers visited Carle in his studio and learned some of the techniques Carle uses in his work ...

3. Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina (1940) --A cap seller (who transported his inventory by wearing it in a tall stack on his own head) runs into trouble in the form of a group of monkeys in a tree. My mom often read to my siblings and I when we were kids ... from picture books like this one to novels like The Chronicles of Narnia. This was one of my favorites from that time.

4. The Pony Engine adapted by Doris Garn, illustrated by Gregorio Prestopino (1957?)
--Also known as The Little Engine That Could --this is the copy I remember having as a kid!

5. I Spy series by Jean Marzollo, photos by Walter Wick (1992-2012)
--My family enjoyed the Where's Waldo series, but our favorite "look and find" series was definitely I Spy and the crazy-detailed photography from Walter Wick. We'd pour over the photos and pick our favorite objects on each page or make up stories where we'd have to chose a certain number of items from each spread ...

6. Anno's Math Games series by Mitsumasa Anno (1980s) --I remember enjoying these fun books in elementary school along with the Usborne Puzzle Book series!

7. Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, illustrated by Garth Williams (1932-1971)
--These are the first novel-length books I remember reading as a 3rd grader (probably?) It was a sad day when my mom retired our family's box set while I was in college ... Broken and creased spines, discolored pages, those paperbacks were read countless times (mostly by me, once or twice by my younger sister). I want to get a hardcover set someday ...

8. American Girl series by various authors and illustrators (1986-Present)
--Besides the Little House books, I "blame" American Girl for my love of historical fiction that started way back as an eight or nine year old reading these series. My favorite stories were Felicity Merriman's (1770s) and later also Kit Kitteridge (1930s) when she was introduced. I still try to read the historical line of books we get in the library system to keep up (now I have the perfect excuse as a children's librarian)!

9. Nancy Drew Mysteries by Carolyn Keene, various illustrators (1930-Present) --Nancy Drew fed my reading addiction for many years, first the original 56 mysteries, the continuing mysteries, and later spin offs like the Nancy Drew & Hardy Boys Super Mysteries. I have so many mixed feelings about the upcoming 2019 CW "adaptation" of these beloved characters ... Reading some of the recent reboot comic book series from Dynomite has prepped me for a darker/edgier Nancy, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna like it! ;-)

10. Boxcar Children Mysteries by Gertrude Chandler Warner, various illustrators (1924-Present) --I actually was introduced to the Boxcar Children after Nancy Drew and that was when I remember learning to search the library catalog when it was a plain black screen with white text. The year my family began reading the series, we also began utilizing the interlibrary loan system and maxed out several family members' cards as we tried to read all of them! Even as a twenty-something college student, I would keep up reading the latest Boxcar Children Mysteries just to say I had read them all (I finally stopped that at #130).

Do you remember any of these books? What are some of your favorite childhood stories? Let me know in the comments!

Over the years, I have read hundreds of books, and on occasion, I have run into several characters that reminded me a bit of myself.  This Top Tuesday was a fun theme to try out and is from the That Artsy Reader Girl blog.

"I looked at him, and saw myself." - Hiccup Haddock III (DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon)



1. Felicity Merriman (American Girl Series by Valerie Tripp):
--The American Girl series and Little House on the Prairie books got me into historicals when I was in elementary school.  While Felicity and I don't really have a lot in common personality-wise (she felt much braver than me and abhorred "proper lady" things like sewing and such), she was the first book character that had siblings in the exact same gender and order as I did (until my youngest brother came along).  I also could totally relate to her as the eldest and her relationship with Nan the "perfect younger sister" too!

2. Meg Murry (A Wrinkle in Time et al. by Madeleine L'Engle):
--From the very first chapter, Margaret "Meg" Murry came alive and was instantly relatable as a young tween/teen.  Meg was also the oldest child and her feelings of awkwardness, ordinariness, and dislike/frustration with herself (I think self-loathing is too harsh a term, but you know what I mean) ... I felt she was just like me (minus her genius level math skills).  Watching Meg grow up throughout the books made me hope that those awkward adolescent phases would pass and that I might run into a Calvin O'Keefe of my own someday ...

3.  Lehman Bardon (The DragonKeeper Chronicles by Donita K. Paul)
--While I adore and slightly relate to the protagonist wizard apprentice and DragonKeeper, Kale Allerion, I chose to list Bardon, the by-the-book squire introduced in the second novel of this series.  Initially, Kale thinks of him as a strict, stuffy rule follower, but I could relate to Bardon's caution and introvert tendencies.  Being thrust on a quest because his superior denies him the chance to become a squire, the young lehman questioned what his future would hold if unable to continue down the path to knighthood that he had trained for his whole life.  That uncertainty of the future was something I was familiar with when I first read the series as a young adult ...

4.  Jennifer Lim (Sushi Series by Camy Tang):
--While I love all of the cousins in the Sakai family, Jennifer Lim was the one whose personality seemed closest to my own.  I'm thankful that Camy Tang chose to write a novella for Jen after she finished the trilogy covering her other cousins, but I've always wished that it could have been a full length novel like the other girls got ... Not sure if Zondervan still has publishing rights for the Sushi Series, but if so, they TOTALLY dropped the ball when they could have hyped up this series as the Contemporary Christian Fiction alternative to Crazy Rich Asians (which was also published years before CRA)!

5.  Barriss Offee (Star Wars Legends novels by various authors)
--Before the animated Clone Wars series messed it up, I really liked Barriss Offee --serious, studious, compassionate ... I could relate to her type of upbringing and balancing what you were taught and how that works when the rest of the world doesn't share all of those views ...

6.  Matthias (Redwall by Brian Jacques)
--There's so many characters that Brian Jacques created that I love, but Matthias was the first.  He's clumsy, makes mistakes, but he doesn't give up and becomes a legendary hero in his own right. 

7.  Jill Pole (The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis)
--In case you haven't sensed a theme with these characters ... I relate to those ordinary, everyperson types.  Jill isn't brave at first, but through Aslan and her adventures in Narnia, finds her voice and the courage to stand out and be a hero.

8.  Princess Yona (Yona of the Dawn manga by Mizuho Kusanagi)
--A sheltered princess forced to grow up quickly after her father loses the throne to an usurper, I can relate to Yona's slight obliviousness at times, but also to her sense of justice and desire to rely on herself and not trouble others.

9.  Elinor Dashwood (Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen)
--I always picture myself as the least emotional sister, the one the holds it together, the oldest, responsible one ... Kind of like Elinor.  While she's not my favorite Austen heroine (it's Lizzy Bennett of course), I think she's the one who's the most like me.

10. Rose Campbell (Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott)
--Even though it was written over 100 years ago, Rose was going through a lot of things girls everywhere do when growing up. I could relate with Rose in many aspects ... troubles with superficial friends, temptation to do things (i.e. read books) that parents or guardians don't want you to, wanting to make a difference with your life, using your gifts for good, trying to discover your heart and letting yourself fall in love ... not that I've fallen in love, when Mac Campbell is out there setting high standards, LOL.

Who are some literary characters that you relate to?