Tag: Guest Posts

Retellings: Hope Ann and The Stealthmaster’s Shadow

Published on by Amanda Tero2 Comments

Today, we have Hope Ann visiting with her 12 Dancing Princesses retelling!

Meet Hope Ann…

Hope Ann uses chocolate to bribe a wide ring of spies, from the realm leapers of Aslaria to the double agents of Elkbend, for their stories. Based in Indiana, she is the self-published author of the Legends of Light series, a personal writing coach, and writes the Story Embers newsletters. You can find out more about her at authorhopeann.com
Blog link: https://authorhopeann.com/


Hope’s Retelling…

It’s been ten confounded years since the war ended.

Verus, a retired soldier, determines to enforce the peace the victory ought to have brought. His wanderings bring him to the city of Nerva, a sprawling riverside chaos no other Stealthmaster will touch.

Commandeering the task of a former comrade, Verus presents himself to the governor and promises to search out hidden Subverters. The true reason for his actions he keeps to himself. After all, the tyrannical governor will hardly approve of lending aid to those pitted against him, but the Subverters need information. Maybe even weapons.

The wishes of the Subverters themselves are immaterial. They weren’t there during the war. They didn’t see the horrors Tauscher spread.

Verus has.

So has the new ambassador from Zahavia who strides through the great doors of the feasting hall, bringing Verus face to face with nightmares from his past.

As the simple mission dissolves into confusion, Verus struggles to help those he’s plunged into danger, from a serving lad to the infuriating woman he’s taken to calling “Princess.” Fleeing will only make the enemy stronger. But staying…

Staying could doom them all.

Perfect for those who love fantasy but don’t have the time to sit down for a full-length novel, the fourth novella in the Legends of Light series presents the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses in a clean, exciting, and inspiring manner. Full of wit, secrets, danger, and distant threats looming on the horizon, this is more than the mere retelling of a favorite fairy tale.

A stand-alone story, The Stealthmaster’s Shadow focuses on the fourth fruit of the Spirit, long-suffering, while following the results of the war between the Prince and Tauscher.

FIND ON AMAZON.


Sarcastic Renditions: Twelve Dancing Princesses

A note from Hope…

Verus is one of the most sarcastic and dramatic characters I’ve written, and perhaps one of my favorite character to write. Though his story, The Stealthmaster’s Shadow is written in third person, almost everyone I talk to remembers him in first person. I even remember him in first person most of the time because his voice is so strong.
He was a relief to write in more ways than one. I’d attempted a contest with a Snow White retelling directly before his story and it failed. Miserably. I couldn’t connect with the voice or characters. So when it came time to write Legends of Light 4,  I wondered if I could still, well, write.
Then Verus happened.
The Stealthmaster’s Shadow, a retelling of the twelve dancing princesses, is probably my favorite Legends of Light novella so far. Each story is separate, standing alone from plot-wise. It’s the history that carries over from book to book, not the characters.
Verus is a soldier from the ‘confounded war’ that ended ten years ago. He served the Prince. They won.
And the world went on as normal. There’s still pain. There’s still sorrow. And Verus, hiding scars of his own, intends to do what the Prince failed to do and set things right.
In his own way, of course.

Verus didn’t glance back even though at least half a dozen guards must be spilling into the room.
The tavern master’s arm tightened around Eolus. “If it had been any other…” His glare flitted past Verus. “But Diomed is under Governor Osvaldus’s protection and orders.” He broke off.
Verus’s lips pressed tight. Right. If anyone was hunting innocents, it would be Diomed. Shadows edged Verus’s sight as men closed in warily, weapons drawn.Verus pivoted. “Good evening, gentlemen.”The captain of the guard hesitated, one hand resting on the pommel of his sword. His gaze flitted from the chain on Verus’s shoulder to the one in his hand, then to the figure prone on the floor. “We… Stealthmaster, sir. The governor—”“Yes, yes.” Verus held up one hand. “I need to see him too. Half a moment, if you would.”

When I set about to write a twelve dancing princess retelling, the character who fascinated me the most was the man who finally took up the challenge to follow the princesses and watched them dancing each night.
While there’s very little to dance about in this version of the story, Verus shifted into a dynamic character well able to follow anyone who tried to hide.
Of course, this meant he got himself into all kinds of trouble.

“You think all trouble revolves around a group of Subverters?” Osvaldus advanced a step. “If you can’t read the meaning of a locked door—”“It wasn’t locked,” Verus said. “There was merely an obstruction to opening it. A fault I fixed. Without charge, I might add.”The governor’s fist clenched. “Get out.” He splayed the fingers of his other hand against Verus’s chest. “Now!”Verus twisted to the side, shoving the man’s hand off. A flush burned behind his ears. “There’s more than you’re telling me, Governor. You will give me the information I need or you will release me from this contract. I await your pleasure.”“Lift a dagger against me, and it will end up in your chest faster than the north wind itself.”
“Is that what you think?” Verus clenched it tighter. “You’ve given me a task. There’s no need to torture men for information you’ve hired me to find.”

The question Verus has to decide is if those he’s been sent to find are actually worthy of being hunted. And if they aren’t, is betraying them the step needed to open their eyes to danger and force them to safety?
There’s no easy answer. With nightmares from his past closing in around him, Verus’s mere presence may doom those he’s come to care about, regardless of his actions. But the one thing he learned from the war was to depend on no one.
He’s not about to start now when the stakes are so high.

While Verus is completely opposite me in character (ESFJ while I’m an INTJ) working with him did more than explore the problem of pain and sorrow. It helped me delve back into writing and fall in love with characters again. Even the crazy insane ones who are nothing like me.


Retellings: Susanne Dietze and Austen in Austin

Published on by Amanda Tero5 Comments
Today we’re featuring another Jane Austen retelling!

Meet Susanne Dietze…

Susanne Dietze began writing love stories in high school, casting her friends in the starring roles. Today, she’s the RITA® nominated, award-winning author of over a dozen romances with Timeless Heart. A pastor’s wife and mom of two, she loves fancy-schmancy tea parties, the beach, and curling up on the couch with a costume drama.


Facebook: Facebook.com/SusanneDietze/Books
Twitter: @SusanneDietze

Susanne’s Retelling…

Four Texas-Set Novellas Based on Jane Austen’s Novels

Discover four heroines in historical Austin, TX, as they find love–Jane Austen style. Volume 1 includes:

If I Loved You Less by Gina Welborn, based on Emma
A prideful matchmaker examines her own heart when her protégé falls for the wrong suitor.

Romantic Refinements by Anita Mae Draper, based on Sense and Sensibility
A misguided academy graduate spends the summer falling in love . . . twice.

One Word from You by Susanne Dietze, based on Pride and Prejudice
A down-on-her-luck journalist finds the story of her dreams, but her prejudice may cost her true love . . . and her career.

Alarmingly Charming by Debra E. Marvin, based on Northanger Abbey
A timid gothic dime-novel enthusiast tries to solve the mystery of a haunted cemetery and, even more shocking, why two equally charming suitors compete for her attentions.

Find out about Volume II here.

Note: Susanne’s novella can be purchased separately on Amazon here.

Behind the Retelling
A note from Susanne… 

Austen in Austin Volumes I & II were born out of a conversation between friends.
I belong to a group blog called Inkwell Inspirations, and several years ago (seven, maybe?) we decided to fill a few of our empty weekend spots with backlists of books that fit a theme: Christmas reads, medieval settings, etc. I chose to compile a list of books inspired by the works of Jane Austen, from Austenland to Pride, Prejudice & Zombies to the Jane Austen mystery series to Death Comes to Pemberley. It was a long list!
I asked the gals in the blog if they had any favorites I’d forgotten, and Anita Mae Draper quipped, “I might like Mr. Darcy a lot more if he wore a Stetson.”
That single comment got our minds racing. Mr. Darcy in a Stetson…Austen heroes retold as 19th century Texans in a series of related stories. “Austen in Austin?” I joked. As in Austin, Texas?
It stuck!
Eight of us wanted to participate, so we divided up Austen’s stories to retell (Sense and Sensibility received two retellings, one each for Marianne and Eleanor). Together, the eight of us built a world where we could set our stories: historic Austin, of course, but we needed more. We settled on a ladies’ finishing school, Austen Abbey where our Austen-inspired heroines could either attend, work, or visit. Certain characters, like the headmistress, remained constant through the stories. Some heroines knew one another. Others didn’t. We gave our characters new names, but the stories’ plots were based on the Austen originals.
My story was the Pride and Prejudice retelling, and I named it after a bit of Mr. Darcy’s dialogue: One Word From You. It’s the story of an Austen Abbey student named Eliza who attends a party and forms a most unfortunate first impression of Will Delacourt, a railroad tycoon. 
Supporting characters are easily recognizable as their Austen counterparts (Jane, Mr. Bingley, etc.), but we gave them a Texas twist.
I ended up entering my story in the novella category of the ACFW 2013 Genesis Contest. Unfortunately, the novella category didn’t receive enough entries that year, so it was closed. My entry was moved to the Historical Romance category and…it won! 
Soon after, WhiteFire agreed to publish the stories in two volumes. Our hope and prayer with the collections was that Austen fans of all sorts could enjoy the stories and receive encouragement and entertainment from them. 
We still hope that’s true, but I can also state that we authors were blessed by the experience. Working with friends was a joy and a treat, and we all cherish that book and that time we spent putting it together.

Retellings: Kelsey Bryant, Jane Austin, and the Grimm Brothers

Published on by Amanda Tero3 Comments
Today we’re hosting another Vintage Jane Austen author, Kelsey Bryant. But she’s written more than just a Jane Austen retelling! This year, she released her second retelling. Keep reading to find out more.

Meet Kelsey…

Raised in a house with hundreds of books, Kelsey has been writing stories ever since she can remember and dreaming of when her books would join the ranks. Now a copyeditor as well, she loves helping other writers achieve their dreams.
Like some of her fictional characters, she grew up homeschooled and makes her home in the Texas Hill Country. To counteract all that time at a desk, she loves being active, especially practicing and teaching martial arts and traveling. But by far the most important thing in her life is her relationship with the Lord.

Find her on: Facebook | Goodreads | Newsletter | Blog | Website

Kelsey’s Retellings…

The mystery surrounding their father’s criminal accusations is almost as hard to solve as the many puzzles springing on their hearts.

Canton, Ohio, 1935. Ellen and Marion Dashiell’s world crumbles when their father is sent to prison. Forced to relocate to a small town, what is left of their family faces a new reality where survival overshadows dreams. Sensible Ellen, struggling to hold the family together, is parted from the man she’s just learning to love, while headstrong Marion fears she will never be the actress she aspires to be. When a dashing hero enters the scene, things only grow more complicated. But could a third man hold the key to the restoration and happiness of the Dashiell family?

Find on Amazon


Their lives are saved by a dream. But only friendship can make that dream a reality.

Once upon a time…

Etzel the donkey is getting old, but he works hard on his farm—until the day Herr Hoffman decides he is no longer worth keeping. With no choice but to escape, Etzel sets off on the road to Bremen to seek his fortune as a musician. On the way, he rescues three other animals—a dog, a cat, and a rooster—who are also old and destined for death.

Will these four new friends find their success and worth as musicians in Bremen? Or does the road hold something better?
Find on Amazon
A Note from Kelsey…
Amanda, thank you so much for asking me to take part in this blog series! I’m honored. These authors have shared pure-gold advice and many interesting things about their retellings of old favorites. To add to the conversation, I’ll mention just a few thoughts that helped me as I wrote my retellings. Hopefully someone else will be encouraged!
Themes
First, I had to find the underlying themes of the original stories so I could use them as themes for my retellings. I had to internalize them so that my retellings were their own stories straight from my heart, or else they would have fallen flat. Readers can tell when authors are merely parroting a story instead of pouring it out of themselves.
For example, from Jane Austen’s classic novel Sense and Sensibility, I pulled out persevering through hardship, finding your way, and unconditionally loving your family and then used those themes to drive my novel Suit and Suitability. I added a stronger Christian element by including the theme of trusting God, which I thought fit very well into the basic storyline that Sense and Sensibility provided me.
From the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale “The Bremen Town Musicians,” I pulled out the beauty of unlikely friendships, the triumph of unlikely heroes, and the truth that becoming old doesn’t mean you’ve lost purpose. Those themes helped propel my novella, The Road to Bremen.
Plot and Characters
When I embarked on retelling Sense and Sensibility, a fairly long novel in early-nineteenth-century England, I was joining five other authors in the Vintage Jane Austen series. The historical setting was already determined: 1930s America in the midst of the Great Depression. The characters and plot points translated extremely well! So well, in fact, that I had to be careful to make my story different enough from the original. Sense and Sensibility contained many great elements that were tempting to keep intact, but I believe a good retelling changes things up and gives readers some surprises. So I didn’t try to include every character or scene, and I put in plenty of variations to create some suspense. One major example is that I didn’t kill off Elinor and Marianne Dashwood’s father; he was arrested and in prison, and the mystery surrounding the circumstances became a small and diverting subplot.
Retelling a novel with a novel of your own is quite different from retelling a fairy tale or fable or parable. These itty-bitty stories have so much room for expansion and interpretation. I wanted to write a novella-length (or chapter book–length) embellishment of “The Bremen Town Musicians” because it’s always been one of my favorite fairy tales and hasn’t been retold many times. And since it hasn’t been redone that often, I could be free to keep it in Germany (where the story is based), use the same farm animal characters, and follow the basic plot of the original. Adding details and expanding on the few details already in place was crucial here. The setting needed description, the animals needed personalities, and the plot needed new elements to add depth, intrigue, and suspense. My imagination had a whole lot of room to romp around, have fun, and spin those details!
Advantages
I loved my experience with retellings. For me, creating plots is not one of the easiest parts of writing, so having a basic plot to tweak or expand upon gave me a leg up in the writing process that I greatly appreciated. Plus, a widely beloved story that’s been repackaged is attractive to lots of readers, so retellings are beneficial in the marketing department as well.
Have you ever written or thought of writing a retelling of a well-known story? I encourage you to try it! I think it would be especially fun and interesting if you picked a tale that you haven’t seen done before. There are all sorts of novels, parables, fables, fairy tales, and even true stories such as those from the Bible that just beg to be reinvented for the pleasure and edification of readers.

Change it Up!

Published on by Amanda TeroLeave a comment
Today I’m happy to have a guest blogger over, Rebekah A. Morris. Rebekah has a whole bookshelf of novels and short stories that she’s written. Check them out!

Have you ever heard those words shouted at a hockey game? Have you watched some players suddenly leave the ice and take a seat on the bench while others vault over the sides to join the game? I’ve only seen it happen in movies because where I live, well, we don’t have any hockey teams.

But just the same, I think there is a lot to be said for that little phrase in regard to us writers.

Have you ever felt like you just couldn’t write? Like your creativity was being stifled or lacked that something that you use to have? I have! Many times. And that’s when I’ve begun to discover something.
For years I’ve known that I wrote best in the evenings. From after supper up until time for bed was the best time. But I wanted to write more. So, since I don’t do well staying up late, I decided to start writing before supper. At first it was hard. I could hardly get anything written. Then it got easier. And easier.

I used to write sitting on my bed. Then I tried standing up when I was tired of sitting all day long. I discovered that I wrote better that way most of the time. But sometimes it still couldn’t write. So I tried a chair in the other room.

Sometimes your writing may need you to “change it up.”

Now I may write standing up and using my music stand as my desk. Other times I find more inspiration sitting in a chair near a window, or perched on the edge of my sister’s bed with my music stand lowered. My writing time can now start as early as 3:30 or as late as after supper. I’ve never tried a coffee shop though. (Maybe because I don’t drink coffee.) But I did discover that I could write in an empty class room at church on Wednesday night after I helped with the nursery class.

So, if your writing is feeling blah and you just can’t seem to find the excitement, “Change it up!” Don’t be afraid to be different. Move to a new place, stand instead of sit, write at a different time. That might be all you need to get fresh energy. Don’t get stuck in a rut because someone told you that you “need to always write at the same time.” Maybe you need a change.

Have you ever experienced a fresh energy for writing by changing how, where or when you write? What is the most unusual place you have found yourself writing a story? I’d love to hear about it!


Giveaway Reminder, Guest Post

Published on by Amanda TeroLeave a comment

I don’t always post short “just links” type things on here, but I wanted to make sure that all of you had a chance to enter Jen Turano’s giveaway from last week. It ends tonight! Hop over to enter!

And then, since I was posting for that anyway, why not steer you over to a lovely blog, Noveltea, where Lydia did a guest post and book review for me, centered on “Me? Teach Piano?” So if you’re interested: http://aidylewoh.blogspot.mx/2016/08/pianos-teaching-and-guest.html

The "S" Word (a New Age of Story Telling) | Guest Post

Published on by Amanda TeroLeave a comment

By Hope Pennigton

And by the “S” word I mean “Social” of course. What were you thinking?

Writers tend to be rather hermity kind of folk in an endearing poetic kind of way. They like to think. To study. To read. To be introverted and in libraries, in the rain, with tea.

Unfortunately if you’re the most amazing, brilliant, best writer in the universe and you’re keeping it in your cosy poetic library or under your bed amidst My Little Pony coloring books it’s not gonna become a best seller.

In today’s writing world sadly and regrettably being social is a part of being a writer.

Now don’t start hyperventilating. *hands a paper bag* This can actually be a lot of fun.

First of all, getting in social group online or in person can kind of be like going to ComicCon or hanging out in your favorite book because your ideal readers and partners are the people who get you, who get your writing and your outlook and want you to succeed.

If there are no preexsisting groups for your niche, create one! Be the leader in that step-into-the-world-of-authors-hanging-out movement.

Most people won’t even know they needed or wanted a social life that promotes their creativity until they’ve been a part of a good one.

And as you step from your house into a group of humans remember: at the end of the day you’re awesome and epic no matter how anyone else sees you or your work.

So go make friends and colleagues!

It can really be a lot more fun then you thought.

If you have tips or thoughts on socializing in the author world let us know in the comments below! 🙂

~*~*~

About Hope:
Hope Pennington is a nerdy homeschooled grad who loves writing, reading and imagining she’s in the TARDIS with the Doctor. Jesus is her best friend and she loves Starbucks too.

Connect with her on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Tumblr, and her Blog.

When God Moves Through Prayer – guest post by Yaasha Moriah

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By Yaasha Moriah

I work at a pregnancy center that reaches out to women who face unexpected pregnancies, and one of the first lessons I learned there was the power of prayer.

The center started with prayer. In 2005, supporters in northern Vermont recognized the need for a branch in my home area, and began to pray for a new center. Five years later, in 2010, the new center came into being. When the center received a phone number, we recognized it as a reminder that the Lord had heard our prayers, for the number included the number 2005—the exact year that our prayers began.

Many people worked hard to let the community know about the new center, but, as we all know, it takes time for the word to get around. There were many days, then weeks, then months, when no clients came. But it wasn’t wasted time. Why? Because we prayed.

There were only two of us in the beginning, and we prayed every time we came to the center, before the day’s work began. We began with short prayers—five or ten minutes—but soon we found ourselves praying for hours. We prayed for spiritual fruit and a lively ministry, we prayed for each other and our families, we prayed for our community and our nation. It seemed that we never ran out of things to pray for, or for reasons to praise God.

And we saw change. First of all, God changed us, through our persistent prayer. This was important, because when He began to bring the clients, we had been refined and strengthened to be the support that our clients needed.

I remember that I began to pray specifically for two kinds of clients: the woman who was considering abortion, and the woman who wanted to live purely, but didn’t think it was possible. Months later, the first kind of client walked in the door. We spent two hours talking over her pregnancy options and, by the time she left, she knew the risks of abortion and her child’s stage of development. I praised God that I had been there for that moment of her need.

But the moment my new friend walked out the door, another young woman arrived. In the next hour, she and I discussed the reality that she was worth waiting for, and that the right man was also worth waiting for. By the time that crazy day was over, I was in awe of my amazing Father and the way He answers prayer!

Today, the life of the center is very different and active, especially since we now offer ultrasound services! Even though it is quite busy, we still pray. We pray for our clients, for their children, for their spouses or boyfriends, for the deep spiritual need of our community, for our own need for God’s grace and sufficiency in our lives, and for God to be glorified above all. We also have much to be thankful for, which we pour out in praise to Him. We’ve seen prayers answered in BIG and marvelous ways!

Sometimes the specific requests we have go unanswered for a long time. That doesn’t stop us from praying again. We have learned over and over that God truly cares for our needs and desires, and He answers when the timing is right.

Sometimes we think of prayer as Plan B. “Well, if that doesn’t work, I’ll try prayer,” or, “Well, if we can’t think of anything else to do, we should pray.” But prayer should be our priority. God moves through prayer, and responds to His people.



I am so thankful that we did not stop praying because of discouragement or the seeming delay in God’s response. We would have missed so much if we had given up! We did not grow weary in well doing, and God answered—and is still answering—in amazing and mighty ways!

A Little about Yaasha
Yaasha Moriah considers herself an apprentice to the Master Writer, whose amazing story, woven through all of history, inspires the stories that she writes today. She is the author of READY FOR HIM TODAY, a book for single Christian women about faith, purity, relationships, and readiness; and of two speculative fiction titles (REFLECTIONS and IMMERSION). When she is not chained to her laptop, she is loving her life as a sister to her five best friends, a daughter to her two wise parents, and an aunt to an adorable little girl. She intends to continue writing until her own story has reached its last page.

Our Father’s Heartbeat – guest post by Nicole Shepherd

Published on by Amanda TeroLeave a comment
By Nicole Shepherd

Through the life of Jesus we see the breathing, bodily image of His Father’s heart. When the Word became flesh, man was given a stethoscope to know what moves, rejoices and grieves the spirit of God. So if we want to discover the crown of the Father’s affections, we must become students of the Son. What did He do? What rhythm pattern did He leave us to hear, feel and walk in step to Jehovah’s heartbeat?

Of the many things Jesus did, none are more vivid than His love for people – especially His disciples. For three years He knit these men to Him through the ties of daily life until He knew them not only as Creator, but as Friend. He ate, walked and spent nights listening to Galilee’s waves drum the shore rocks with them. Whether He was laughing with them or patiently forbearing their peevish moments He loved them enough to be inconvenienced by them every day.

Why did Jesus do this? Why would God Almighty put up with rough fishermen and zealous tempers until they were so familiar with His holy Presence to lean against His chest like brothers? Because He was molding men. Jesus was shaping the Son of Thunder into a tender teacher whose fatherly pleas to his “little children” would be imprinted on Scripture’s pages forever. He was converting the tax collector’s deceitful fingers into the hand that would pen the first Gospel. As God seeing into the future, Jesus knew His men needed a teacher they could see, hear and handle, if they were to teach others. And His model is not just for them – it’s for us! Just as Jesus discipled through involving the disciples in everything He did, so we are to disciple others in everything we do. And, like Jesus, we must start with those closest to us. It takes more Christ-like sacrifice and humility to stop during a hectic day to read a story to our five year old sister than to feed the 5,000 at the soup kitchen. Yes, those in the outer circle must be ministered to as well, but Jesus put priority on ministering to those close before the crowds. In fact, the crowds became the training ground where Jesus coached His followers. So it must be for us. Our influence is most powerful on the impressionable sister who is learning from us for better or worse. Each interrupted moment, each hour spent together and each opportunity we seize to disciple her will be recorded on the pages of her soul forever. Let’s not miss it! Our field of ministry must start with hearts burning to recruit our siblings, nieces, nephews and younger Christian sisters as laborers-in-training for God. Take their hand and together walk in time to the rhythm of our Father’s heart.      


~*~
About Nicole:
There is no more beautiful way to live than as a disciple of Jesus on a small homestead nestled in the gorgeous Missouri Ozarks and Nicole Shepherd is very grateful to call such a life hers! A daughter, oldest sister to six and homeschool graduate, Nicole enjoys studying God’s Word, writing, British and American history, being an entrepreneur and long Sunday afternoon car rides with her family.

8 Unique Ideas for Mothers’ Day | Guest post by Rebekah Dan

Published on by Amanda Tero1 Comment

It may seem a bit early to think about Mother’s Day, but it’s never too early to start planning.

This post features some ideas to help you rise above the cliché of Mother’s Day traditions: a bouquet of flowers, a card, breakfast in bed, and an outing to a special restaurant. Nice, but you can take it up a notch by being more original.

If you are looking for some fun ways to make Mother’s Day more meaningful and memorable, this is the post for you!

1. Potted fruit tree. Instead of the usual bouquet of flowers, surprise your mom a potted fruit tree! If you have several siblings, you can put your money together to get nice a tree. Buy a tree with her favorite fruit, or an exotic fruit. Some ideas are: citrus, cherry, fig, apricot, (or even avocado)… the options are endless. Add a nice big bow on the tree to make it extra special! She will have the tree throughout the years to remind her of you. If she’s not into fruit trees, a bonsai tree could be another idea.

2. A photoshoot. Seems like everyone is into photography nowadays. There are photoshoots for every event imaginable: high school seniors, maternity, you name it. But we rarely see photoshoots of a mom, right? If you own a good camera, plan a photoshoot for your mom on Mother’s Day! Or hire someone to do a photoshoot of her. Then she can have some really professional and lovely pictures to keep and frame. You can even make it a multi-generational photoshoot of grandmother, mother, daughter etc!


3. Take her to a flower field or botanical garden. If you live near a flower field or a botanical garden, spring is the best time to go visiting, and it’s a lovely way to spend Mother’s Day together! Or, if flowers are not her thing, take her fruit picking on a farm. Then you can make fruit jams, pies or preserves together with the fruit you picked!

4. Print her recipes/photos into a book. Compile a collection of her best recipes, or photos of her life (from your birth to the present), and print it as a special book for her! Or you can have all your siblings put together “mom’s words of wisdom”, such as sayings that you always remember her repeating to you, and print it into a fun scrapbook with pictures of your life. It’s super easy to do with websites like Blurb, Shutterfly, Snapfish, or even local stores like Costco or Walmart.

5. Cooking contest! Cook something and let Mom be the judge. Skip the restaurant crowds and do something special at home! Have everyone in your family cook a dish or bake a dessert, then present them to your mother and have her be the judge. Do not reveal who cooked which dish! Then have her give scores and awards/ribbons to the best dishes, and at the end, identify the cooks. To keep it simple, you can have a pie contest, everyone making a different type of pie. Or if you want a challenge, have each person cook one of your mom’s favorite dishes!

6. Surprise envelopes every hour! Have everyone in your family write special notes of appreciation, Mother’s Day cards, Bible verses, sweet memories, or words of encouragement and put them in separate envelopes. Tie the envelopes together in a bundle, and label each with the time she should open an envelop (example: open at 8:00 A.M., or at noon). Every hour that day, she can open a surprise envelope with a special note inside! You can add envelopes with little surprises like gift cards, tickets to a museum/amusement part etc.

7. Make it classy, go to a music hall! Let your mom experience something new this Mother’s Day! If she’s never been to a classical music concert and she loves music, now is your chance to spoil her! If you live near a music hall, look up dates around Mother’s Day when there will be nice concerts with choirs, philharmonic orchestras or chamber music in your area. Before the concert you can visit a cafe, antique shop, or bakery for a treat!
Of course, when it comes to a special outing, the options for fun adventures are abundant (horseback riding, kayaking, hunting, depending on what your mom enjoys doing ;)).

8. Mom interview. Get your family together and have everyone interview mom and videotape it. Make a list of questions in advance, such as “how did you imagine yourself as an adult?”, “what was the most exciting moment you remember as a child?” “who did you admire most when you were young?” “what advice would you give for….?” “what is the best advice you got from your parents….?” You can also look up ideas online.

Hope this will get you bubbling with ideas for making Mother’s Day better than ever!

What Mother’s Day traditions do you have?

Rebekah is a homeschool graduate and college student living a life redeemed and justified in Christ. She blogs about theology, art, music, health & nutrition, book reviews, and a variety of other topics she is passionate about at Heritage of Grace. She enjoys connecting with her readers and using her blog as a ministry to her peers.

Guest Post and Giveaway by Sarah Holman

Published on by Amanda Tero6 Comments

A few weeks ago, I interviewed author Sarah Holman. I’m happy to be part of her blog tour and have her here again with a guest post for young writers! Added to that, she’s having a giveaway for her newest book! I have not read Brothers and Betrayal yet, but it looks like something exciting to check into!

Writing for Younger Readers
Growing up, I had a hard time finding books I wanted to read and that was one of the reasons I started writing. I wanted to create books that were full of adventure, excitement, and messages of faith. I wanted to write books that were written for kids that were between the ages of ten and fifteen that didn’t contain a lot of romance, violence, or non-Christian themes.

Too often in our culture, we give young people books full of subject matter that is better suited for adults. While there is nothing wrong with clean, God-honoring romance, a lot of young people really don’t need to be spending a lot of their days thinking about it. While some violence, especially while talking about events that really happened, is not an issue, a lot of young people just don’t want to read about it.

When I started plotting out the Tales of Taelis series, I wanted to write it with younger readers in mind. I wanted to create a series that would spark not only their imagination, but their faith. How did I plan to do that? Here are some of the things that I keep in mind while writing a book for this series:

Romance should not be the main focus of the book and if mentioned, be more hinted at then anything, not because it is evil, but so that kids have one series that isn’t saturated with guy-girl relationships.

Violence should be avoided for the most part. The heroes and heroines of the books should always try to make peace and take the most non-violent path. There are enough books out there that use violence; young people need to hear that there are other ways of dealing with issues.

Morals should be high and based on biblical standards. The heroes and heroines of the series should teach lessons through their actions and show the readers how to live according to God’s plan.

Adventure should be the key to every book. The journey that each character takes should capture the imagination of the reader and keep them turning the pages.

Those are the basic ideas that govern my Tales of Taelis series. Are you interested in reading them? You can find Adventures and Adversities here, or pre-order a copy of Brothers and Betrayal here.




Sarah HolmanSarah Holman is a not so typical mid-twenties girl: A homeschool graduate, sister to six awesome siblings, and author of three published books and counting. If there is anything adventuresome about her life, it is because she serves a God with a destiny bigger than anything she could have imagined.