Writers Unite Tag with Brooklyne!

I hope everyone is having a lovely day! Today I am here with a super fun post. My friend, Brooklyne, tagged me for the #writersunite tag a few weeks ago. This is a tag that you partner up with a friend to do. I'm doing it with Brooklyne. This time she's going to be talking about her other book she's working on, Third Chances and I'm going to be talking about mine, A Season of Change.

So half the questions Brooklyne and I will answer here on my blog and the other half we'll answer on her blog. 

Also, head on over to Brooklyne's blog for a link to the tag rules! ;)

1. What are your main character's names?

Rebekah: Laura Rose Winters 

Brooklyne: Amy “Amy” Bennett is my main character and my secondary main character is Colton “Colt” Hughs 

2. What do the main characters look like?

Rebekah: Laura has light brown hair. She's a pretty small girl and is 5 feet 3 inches tall. 

Brooklyne: Amy has lightish brown/blonde hair that she almost always wears in a ponytail. She is 5’2’’ tall and loves  the color hot pink, so usually she has pink clothing…

Colt has brown, hair that is slightly curly, although he cuts it short enough that its not completely curly. He is usually wearing a plaid button up shirt with jeans and his worn-out pair of cowboy boots.

3. Does anyone die in the book?

Rebekah: Yes, Laura's mom dies at the beginning of the book. 

Brooklyne: Hmm, at this point in the story, I’m not quite sure yet.

4. What songs do you listen to while writing?

Rebekah: I don't tend to listen to music while I write but I do listen to music while
I'm not writing and try to find songs that I feel "fit" with my story. One song that I feel goes with my book and the way Laura feel is Invisible by NF. (but just the first two verses. ;))

Brooklyne: I can’t listen to music while I write for some reason, but a song that always reminds me of this WIP is Jesus Take the Wheel by Carrie Underwood. I love that song! 

5. Do the characters have any pets?

Rebekah: Nope. ;)

Brooklyne: Yes! They do… dogs.

7. Could you share an emotional snippet with us?

Rebekah: 

This snippet is from towards the beginning of the book. Laura's mom recently died and Laura is moving away from all that's familiar to go live with her dad in a different state. 

"Laura stood in her room. Everything was packed and ready to be taken downstairs. Reaching up to clutch her locket a few tears leaked out of her eyes and down her cheeks. She heard footsteps coming down the hall. Wiping the tears from her eyes Laura glanced over her shoulder at the open doorway. Hannah appeared at the door and Laura rushed towards her. Opening her arms to her friend Hannah held Laura while they both cried. “How am I supposed to leave you, Hannah? How?” Sniffing Hannah replied, “I can’t imagine being separated from you especially at this time, but God has everything in control. He’s got you Laura, He’ll be there for you, girl. And so will I, just not in person, but you can bet that I’ll be texting and calling you all the time.”  "

Brooklyne: Here's one from Amy’s POV: "She stared disappointedly at the Bible that had barely made it into the box of her belongings. It had let her down. God had let her down. What kind of God would let her father run out on them two years ago? What kind of God would leave her stranded on a busy highway all alone? At night and in the pouring rain of all things! 

Her vision blurred until she couldn’t tell the difference from the raindrops outside the car and her tears. Feeling defeated, she placed her left hand on the cold glass window almost as cold as her heart. Almost, but now quite. The window fogged around her handprint as she softly cried angry tears. She was mad at the God she thought she could trust.”

7. What about a happy one?

Rebekah:

"Laura closed her journal. She smiled. It had been a fun evening. Laura loved how relaxed she had felt with her dad. 

She felt like the two of them were getting closer ever since their talk on the front porch last week. Things hadn’t been quite as strained and Laura felt like she could relax a bit with Eli. She hoped this wasn’t just a phase but was the start to a new beginning."

Brooklyne: Here’s one from Colts POV: “Do you always help with the dish washing?” Amy questioned, wrist-deep in the soapy water.

“Miss Trish has always said that it was good for a guy to do the dishes once in a while. She also made it a unofficial rule that whoever didn’t cook needs to help clean up.”

“Oh, ok. I wondered if there was more to the story than you just being overly helpful.”

Sarcastic are we? So maybe she isn’t a textbook lawyer after all. “Hey, I’m always overly helpful!”

“I can tell she has got you pegged pretty accurately, Colt. You better watch yourself!” Miss Trish chirped from the corner of the kitchen where she rummaged through the fridge, trying to make room for the leftover cinnamon rolls. 

“Two against one, not fair.” He feigned a grumpy face, but failed miserably when he busted up. He hadn’t laughed just to laugh in a long time. It felt good. He didn’t realize how much he had been stressed out lately.

8. Which character do you most relate to?

Rebekah: I'm not too sure...I relate to one of my other characters from a different book more, but from this book, I guess Laura, but we do have lots of differences. 

Brooklyne: Well, I’d say probably with Amy, but there are a few major differences as well. 

9. Do any of your characters have strange habits?

Rebekah: None at the moment! Some may develop though. ;)

Brooklyne: Strange habits Amy has is she will bite her nails, adjust her reading glasses, snaps her fingers, and will randomly hum a tune. 

Strange habits Colt has is he will randomly swipe his hair, but he does that more when he’s in a awkward situation or under pressure. Another one would be he taps his cowboy boots when he gets impatient….

10. What is the setting of the book (e.g. Year, state, country)

Rebekah: My story takes place in Idaho, present time. 

Brooklyne: Third Chances takes place in Chicago and the year is (tentatively at this point in the writing process) 2005. This will be a Christian Contemporary Novella or Novel depending on how well the plot develops. XD 

~Brooklyne made these lovely graphics for me for my book!~

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven -- Ecclesiastes 3:1

~Graphics for Brooklyn's book~

We hope you enjoyed! Now don't forget to hop on over to Brooklyne's blog to check out the rest of the questions and our answers! 

The Reading Travel Tag

I really love to travel. I also really love to read. So I decided to create The Reading Travel Tag!

Thank you to my sweet friend, Brooklyne, for making this lovely graphic!

The Rules:
~Answer the questions
~Tag some adventurous/bookish friends
~Have fun!  

Let's Hit the Road: -- A book with a road trip in it.
I think books with road trips in them are so fun! Unfortunately I don't know of too many books with road trips. The two that I can think of (and are really fun!) are:
To Get to You by Joanne Bischof.

Salty Kisses by Robin Jones Gunn. Salty Kisses is especially fun if you've read the other Christy Miller books because her and her husband and little girl go on a road trip and visit old friends so it was a treat to get to "visit" those characters. ;)

We're Clear for Take Off: -- A book where the character travels by plane.
 In A Promise is Forever, Christy travels by plane.

Save Your Pennies: -- A book set in a place you'd love to travel to.
I want to go to lots of different places, but one place that I'd love to go one day is Alaska. While I didn't particularly care for the book, Brides of Alaska, is obviously set in Alaska and I just really want to go there!

I Wish...: -- A book that made you want to visit a certain place.
I'm choosing yet another Christy Miller book. (Those books are really good, by the way. ;)) I never had any desire to travel out of the country until I read Until Tomorrow by Robin Jones Gunn. Christy Miller and some of her friends went to Europe and it sounded like so much fun. Visiting Europe is now on my list of places to go.

All Aboard: -- A book where the character travels by train. 
Millie Keith in Millie's Remarkable Journey travels by train. (My favorite series ever!!)

Ah, the Memories: -- A book set in a place you've visited.
The Proving by Beverly Lewis is set at an Amish bed and breakfast in Gordonville, Pennsylvania. Back in 2015, my mom and I actually stayed in an Amish bed and breakfast in Gordonville, PA! It was really neat, because in the book there were a few mentions of different places in Lancaster County that my mom and I have been too.

 Wait, We're There Already?: A book you read while on vacation.
I've read many books while vacation. One in particular is The Love Letters by Beverly Lewis. (I love the cover!)

Home Sweet Home: A book set in your home state. 
A book set in my home state is Love Finds You in Sun Valley, Idaho by Angela Ruth Strong. This is a pretty fun book. The main character is an actress and she's in Idaho filming her next movie which is a romantic comedy.

I tag:
Brooklyne, Faith, Kaitlyn, and Victoria!

God is in Control! Don't Worry!

Have you ever been worried about your future? Stressed out about things that are coming up?
I think everyone has felt that way before. I know I have. I wish I didn't worry so much, although I have gotten better recently. I need to remember that God is in control always. He has a plan for everything.
So why stress out over things that are out of our control? Worrying doesn't help at all! In fact, it can make things worse.
I have a quote on my bedroom wall that says: "Pray about everything, worry about nothing." Sometimes that gets switched around and I worry about everything and don't pray. That is not how it should be. Trusting in God can be hard. It can be hard to let go, but if we think about it, it shouldn't be hard. God knows the future. He knows what will happen. I don't want to waste time worrying about things that are out of my control. I want to live life to the fullest! Each day is a special gift, so I want to treat it like one!

These are some of my favorite verses about trusting in God and not worrying.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight. ~Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 4:6-7 NASB

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary. ~Isaiah 40:31 NASB

‘Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ ~Isaiah 41:10 NASB

“For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand,
Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’~Isaiah 41:13 NASB

Jesus loves you!! 💙

The Sunshine Blogger Award (2019 Edition)

Brooklyne over at Showers of Blessings recently did the Sunshine Blogger Award tag and she left it open for whoever wanted to do it, so I decided to go for it and answer the questions that she asked. ;)

1. What is one thing you like about your middle name?
I like that it has a unique spelling! Ashleigh. :)

2. If you could play any instrument without having to learn it, what would you play?
I'd have to say the piano. I do know how to play a little bit. I took piano lessons for a year, but I'd love to know how to play concertinos and such.

3. What's your favorite veggie?
Carrots for sure! But raw carrots. I prefer most veggies if they're raw.

4. How much would you have to be paid to go skydiving?
Not too much. I think it might be fun, but only as long as it's tandem skydiving. Although I'd rather go zip lining and parasailing first! :D

5. What is your favorite plant and why?
I like forget-me-nots because they are so cute and tiny and blue. :)

6. What was the first thing you woke up thinking today?
I woke up thinking about how excited I am for fall. I woke up earlier then usual this morning and it was still slightly dark in my room and a bit chilly and it kind of felt like fall, so now I'm super excited for fall to arrive.

7. Would you rather go swimming or lay out?
I would definitely rather go swimming.

8. What is your favorite song to sing with your best friend?
I don't really sing with friends...

9. Can you do a cartwheel?
Unfortunately no. I wish I knew how though!

10. What is your MBTI type?
My personality type is ISFJ.

11. Do you keep your room clean or messy?
I love for it to be clean, but if I am in the process of organizing and that sort of thing then it tends to be messy and it drives me crazy!


I tag whoever wants to do it! ;)

Mr. Brownsfield // Book Review

From the Back Cover:
Mr. Brownsfield has never seen a ghost before and he surely hasn't used magic. Especially not the kind real magicians use, but that's about to change. 

On a not so normal day, Mr. Brownsfield discovers his house is built on the entrance to a secret society of magicians. These are not your typical slight of hand illusionists though. 

The magicians need someone to help them locate the second entrance to their society. The only logical choice is Mr. Brownsfield. Finding the door is harder than it sounds and a lot more dangerous.



“Mr. Brownsfield” is a great book! It is a YA urban fantasy book. I’m not a person who enjoys fantasy much, although this book is very intriguing and captivating and I enjoyed it very much! Anyone who likes to read fantasy, or even those who don’t typically like it should give “Mr. Brownsfield” a try! It’s a magical book that definitely kept my attention.
Jonathan Hangstefer is a talented author and I can't wait to read more of his books!


I give this this book 9 R's out of 10

Katie in Waiting by Erynn Mangum

A few weeks ago I read my first Erynn Mangum book, Katie in Waiting. It was AMAZING!
It really spoke to me and it really helped me out with some things I was going through.
This book described me so well. Katie was SO similar to me, this book should've been called "Rebekah in Waiting"! ;D

Katie McCoy has always wanted to get married. She's been waiting for the right man to come into her life, but he's just not showing up. Katie doesn't understand why God doesn't bring someone along for her.
There was literally so much that I could relate to. How Katie felt about certain things, her thoughts, we even shared many likes and dislikes. It was crazy!

I loved how the theme of the book was to wait. Wait for the right guy. If God has plans for you to get married then He most definitely will bring the right man into your life at the right moment.

I know I've always dreamed of getting married and having kids. I've dreamed about that for so many years. I've gotten discouraged before too, but this book was such a lovely reminder that God has it ALL under control. Wait for His timing. It's the best!

I can't wait to read the other two books in the series! The next two books follow Katie's friends, Eliza and Ashten. 

I highly recommend this book. 

Another book I highly recommend, especially to young ladies who are single and in that time of waiting, is the book Praying For Your Future Husband by Robin Jones Gunn and Tricia Goyer. It was very inspiring and helpful to me when I read it last year and I'm already planning to read it again! 

Have you read Katie in Waiting before?

What's one book that has inspired you?

I've Been Tagged!

I got tagged a little while ago and have been looking forward to answering these questions!! I really enjoy doing tags, so I was pretty excited when Kaitlyn over at Twin Thoughts tagged me. Thanks, Kaitlyn!


1. What is one thing that makes you sparkle? (Something that you get excited about)
There's definitely a few things that make me really excited, but I'd have to say going on vacation! I love going on trips.

2. What is your favorite musical instrument?
The violin. I've played the violin for 15 years and I still love it! I loved it before I played it too. :)

3. If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go?
I have lots of places I want to see so badly. So since I can't choose I'll go with my top three places:
Alaska
Europe
New York City

4. What is your 'theme song'? (This could be an all-time favorite, or a song that describes your situation)
I guess I'd say my "theme song" is Good to Be Alive by Jason Gray. I want that to be how I live my life.

5. What's your favorite thing about blogging?
Connecting with people and talking about things I love.

6. Of all of your hobbies, what is your favorite and how did you get started on it?
I guess reading would be considered my hobby. ;) I really started getting into reading when I was about 13.

7. Who is your favorite author, and which of their books is your favorite?
Beverly Lewis! She has been my favorite author for 6 years now. So many of her books fall into my favorites, but I'd have to say The Ebb Tide is one of my top favorites by her.

8. Which is your favorite book of the Bible, and why?
I really like Philippians. Especially Philippians 4:4-13. It's so encouraging! I like Psalms a lot too.

9. Which of the four seasons best describes your personality?
Probably winter. I love winter so much and it's such a peaceful, enchanting time of the year.

10. What is one thing that God has taught you recently?
That He has a plan for everything. He's in control of all things and He has an amazing plan for my life.

I'm not going to tag anyone right now, but if you'd like to do this tag, feel free to! :D