BLOG TOUR: Double Review & Spotlight!

Hey everyone! Today's post is part of the double-release tour for Faith Potts and Kaitlyn Krispense, highlighting their new releases Freedom and Beloved.

Both of these books focus on characters who desire to, or have attempted to, take their own lives. It's not an easy topic to touch upon, nor is it an easy one to write. I have to applaud both of these ladies for their depictions -- not glorifying or romanticizing the act, but not writing their troubled characters in a degrading manner either. It's a problem that plagues our nation, one that touches many individuals and crosses generational divides.


Every day, an average of 22 veterans commit suicide -- whether it's because of the things they've seen, the injuries they've sustained (visible or invisible), or because of the struggle to return to civilian life, it's an enormous problem. This issue, especially, exploded after the events of September 11th and the war that ensued.

This is what Faith's book, Freedom, centers upon.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Having just returned to American soil from the desert sands of the Middle East, James Greene is done with his life. 'Double amputee' doesn't seem like a strong enough phrase to label the physical and emotional pain he bears. Add the lack of love and communication with his family members, the demons that haunt him day and night, and he can find nothing worth living for. Ending it all is the only way out. 

Alexandria Lorance is a not-so-ordinary physical therapist, content with aiding in her patients' recoveries. Her work gives her fulfillment, but alone in the silence, she still endures the hidden scars of a past, unhealthy relationship. Reminding herself that true healing is found in Christ alone, she seeks to show kindness and love to everyone she meets.

When these two broken ones' paths intersect, the spark of friendship is ignited, bringing hope and joy to both. Can they step out of the darkness of suffering and into the freedom of grace? 

A Marine, broken by war. A therapist, scarred by words. A chance meeting in a parking lot bonded them together. But can love grow in these two hurting hearts? Or are they truly too broken to ever find lasting happiness? 

Amazon |Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Saved by God's grace, Faith Potts is a teenage writer and homeschool graduate, living with her family and beloved yellow labs in the North Carolina mountains. When she’s not weaving stories, consuming large amounts of coffee, reading stacks of books, or studying American Sign Language, she can be found laughing harder than is healthy, daydreaming, and—of course—blowing dandelions.

Blog | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram

MY REVIEW

This book was one that I had to keep reading -- I found it hard to put it down.  From the start, the characters were ones that I wanted to learn more about, to delve into their history, and to help.  Weird wanting to protect fictional characters, right?  Anyway, the book discussed difficult topics like poor family life, toxic relationships, and also suicide.  That being said, it's not a feel-good, light book (and that's probably why I liked it).  It has weight.  I would love to get into several different reasons why I liked the book, but they're all spoilers, so you'll just have to read it for yourself.  Its messages were solid and realistic; James' recovery and the struggles he faces is realistic as well.  I did think that the pacing within the middle of the book, as their relationship develops, could have been expanded a bit more, but it's a solid book as it stands.  

I loved this quote for several reasons.  First, it's true -- love is hard.  Second of all, I think it's a testament to the struggles that the main characters face as they pursue a relationship together.  Caring for or loving someone who is recovering mentally isn't a task for the faint of heart.  It isn't a romantic feat; you're not going to heal them with your love.  But it's worth standing by their side and helping them anyway.  This is such an important message, one that is sorely missing from similar books in the YA category.  

4/5 stars.

Next, let's talk about Ms. Krispense's book, Beloved -- it still gives me knives in my heart thinking about it.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Life without love is hopeless.

Foster teen Cara Richards is unloved. With nothing left and nowhere to go, she is determined to find peace, no matter the cost. But despite her intentions, she’s tossed into another foster family and this time, there’s no going back to who she used to be. To make matters worse, one of her five new foster brothers is a Jesus freak, and she refuses to believe that God actually cares.

Her world is thrown upside down in a way she never expects. Though she prides herself on a resilient heart, her mind is lost adrift among a sea of questions: Is death really the answer? Does God care about someone as unworthy as me? Can everyone truly be loved, no matter what?

Amazon | Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kaitlyn is a farmer's daughter and a born-again believer in Christ with an obsession for books and music. It is these obsessions that led her to write her own stories. Psalm 46:10 gives her inspiration, her brothers make her laugh, and there's nothing quite like the excitement of opening an unread book for the first time. Her passion is to share the steadfast love of her Savior through the writing that takes up much of her free time, whether actual writing takes place or writer's block, in which case she's probably browsing Pinterest.

Blog | Goodreads | Instagram

MY REVIEW

Alright, like I said -- even thinking about this book hurts.  I read this book in one sitting.  If you know me, you're probably saying, "so...? You do that all the time?" 

I read this book in one sitting, on my phone, with a raging migraine -- and I can't bear to look at screens of any sort with a migraine.  That's how good this book was.  Her descriptions and narration choices were compelling and just grabbed me.  It's a book that made me get knots in my stomach, and I think that's good.  Not only did she discuss some of the horror stories and struggles that foster kids face, she showed a family that would do anything for a girl they barely knew -- loving her with open arms, some brotherly teasing, and a lot of God's grace from some of the characters.  This book is also one that shows the grit, the real side of suicide, the effect that it has on a person and the community around that person.  While I did find the story hard to start, I was hooked within a few chapters.

I found the grasp on Cara's internal struggles to be impressive.  Such instances were moments where readers really got to see Cara for herself, not for the tough face she tried to put on for her foster family or others around her.  After her initial suicide attempt, she recovers physically, but we're invited to see her mental recovery as well.  Her character arc was very believable, and I loved reading about her evolving interactions with her foster brothers.  

5/5 stars. 

  

Now that your interest is piqued, make sure you enter the giveaway for a chance to win BOTH of these great books! 

Click below to enter!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4b72337b1/?


Do you plan on reading Freedom or Beloved?

INTERVIEW + GUEST POST by Angela R. Watts: Worldbuilding Dystopians

Hey everyone! ICYMI, Angela R. Watts' gritty, heart-pounding dystopian, The Divided Nation released this week and is now available on Amazon! I had the great opportunity to do an interview with Ms. Watts about her newest release, and she wrote a great guest post concerning the worldbuilding process for dystopian novels! Without further ado...

1) What inspired you to write The Divided Nation?

Years ago, I started a roleplay, and it went really far (soo many words and late nights), but the roleplayer ditched me after handing me the story rights. I tried to let it drop. It stung remembering it. But the characters didn't leave me. So I listened to God, changed a lot about the story, characters, etc, and wrote it!

2) Which characters were your favorite (or most challenging!) to write?

I adored writing Gideon, Alex, Rene', Nate...all of them, haha!

One challenging character is Alex Thompson. A Christian in the crossfire constantly, he's made me ask hard questions. How much faith would I have in the darkest of situations? Could I love God after losing loved ones? The things he faces really challenges me because his faith never falters!

3) How do you hope The Divided Nation impacts its readers?

I want it to inspire them that even though we are all broken sinners, there is a purpose for each of us. We cannot fulfill that purpose without God. We can't run from that truth, either.

This novel isn't for the fainthearted. It is for the hungry. The searching. The afraid. The broken. And I pray that my readers see a bit more of the light along the crooked path once they put this book down.

If this interview whet your appetite for a new book, make sure to check out The Divided Nation (The Infidel Books, #1) on GOODREADS and AMAZON. Also worth mentioning? It's only $0.99 for Kindle right now, so make sure to snag a copy!

SUMMARY

WHEN THE NATION DIVIDES, THE INFIDELS MUST RISE.

The United States has fallen. Three years after the 2024 presidential election and the declaration of martial law, the nation is at war against itself. Gangs battle, civilians struggle for survival, and officials of the United Nations  thrive. West Johnston, heir to the most powerful ganglord in the country, refuses to continue the family legacy. But, in order to defeat his father, he must become him: bloodthirsty and willing to do whatever it takes for control.

West gains control by helping fellow gangsters, Nate and Simon, when they form an alliance with one of the last remaining townships in America. After years of surviving and winter fast approaching, Springtown is in desperate need of supplies from the two teenagers. When the town leader’s daughter, Rene’, is kidnapped by an unknown rival, Nate and Simon risk their reputations to save her and the town they now love. But without help from West, their rescue mission will fail.

Told in multiple bold, abrasive narratives, THE DIVIDED NATION steps into a future where brotherhood bonds must be stronger than iron to survive a broken world, and faith without courage is dust in the wind.

________

Onto the guest post!

Dystopian is a wild setting. Maybe you think of factions when you hear dystopian. Maybe you think of a maze. Maybe you think of a small town in Florida (c’mon, please, someone get that reference). Dystopian is one of my favorite genres because of how familiar and UNfamiliar the settings can be. You can get as imaginative as you’d like without, say, having to make up magic systems.

The Divided Nation, The Infidel Books #1, is a dystopian series taking place in the US during 2027. I tried to push the idea away for a long while. “It’s too hard!” I whined to my mom. “Dystopian takes so much research and worldbuilding and I’d better wait till I’m older.” Well, God had other plans, obviously. My problem, if you couldn’t tell… I was limiting myself. A lot.

Fiction isn’t meant to limit the author. Dystopian doesn’t have to be some impossible genre. I let it intimidate me because, surely, I’d have to take a class on tech if I wanted to write it, right? Wrong. Dystopian is a fun, eye-opening genre to plot, write, and share. Here’s why.

Research Doesn’t Have to Be Agonizing

Research. The one word that many authors cringe over. I cringed over it. I didn’t want to write a whole series because of it. Pathetic, right? Well, dystopian isn’t actually something you have to take courses for.

Dystopian is basically scifi. Not contemporary. This really cleared my mindset. I had more freedom to write than I thought! I didn’t have to write essays on world government! I did, however, do research. But not in the way you think. My advice… remember what you’ve already learned. I was taking a government class last year and it had lots of basic information on America’s judicial system and rights from early days. I logged all that away. I also researched and refreshed myself on other world views, like Islam, and other small scale things, like how gangs work, how bigger gangs are dealt with, smuggling across borders, etc.

On the surface, I didn’t do a ton of research, but I did enjoy “small” research sessions. I asked Google and my police officer senseis different questions (about guns… poisons… etc). Research can be kinda fun if you don’t limit yourself all the time.

In the end, I took what I knew, refreshed, and learned about things I didn’t know. But this wasn’t for the first draft. Do not forget this. The first draft is not to be bogged down with research! It is not wise to focus so much on worldbuilding that you forget to WRITE!

Worldbuilding Can Actually Be Fun

Dystopian needs worldbuilding. Obviously. But how do you worldbuild the future? That’s up for every author to decide. Personally, I enjoyed worldbuilding for this series. I’m sick of The Hunger Games and Divergent type worldbuilding, so I went for something different. I didn’t want the element of “big government is totally bad and chosen people can fix everything!”... I wanted mine to be more current day realistic. 

In this series, which takes place during 2027 and after, the US government has fallen. Sharia law enters after martial law was declared when Civil War II broke out. Sound scary? I hope so. Why did I choose this worldbuilding idea? Because I think it is realistic in its own way. Our current world is divided. Our current laws are corrupted. So I took all of the things I was seeing and built my world off of it! It didn’t exactly takes the years I thought it would take, haha.

Oh, but let’s not start yawning yet. I said it wasn’t contemporary, right? Where’s the scifi? Don’t worry. While The Divided Nation is not heavy with scifi content, the books that follow will slowly tap into what else the government is working on. But that’s all I can say for now...

Inspired by the book of Revelation and the way the world looks now, I built a world that reflects our own but is worse. It wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

The Big Element Was the Hardest...

I wanted to have a dystopian series that wasn’t totally hopeless. Not a very popular element! If you’ve noticed, most dystopian is morbid and hopeless without any signs of hope. Hope is smashed in the dark forever. That isn’t what I wanted to write, at all. I’m a Christian. I know God is always present within us, even in the darkest places. But… my novel wasn’t “clean” enough for the standard Christian market, and I didn’t want to sugar coat anything to make people digest it easier. Was I fighting a hopeless battle?

Definitely not. I wanted my story to be terrifying and gritty with God’s love piercing the blackness. I knew not every Christian would bother with it. I also knew the story needed to be written and shared.

So I clung to that theme of glorifying God through the dark. I added elements that are often shied away from: a corrupt government, gangsters, sex trafficking, sexual abuse, parental abuse, alcohol abuse, and the awful things soldiers/warriors face with torture and PTSD. Sounds like this novel should be R rated, yeah? It isn’t. Because I wrote this novel to glorify God, not to glorify sin. It was possible with His help. I prayed everything over, dove into the Bible, and didn’t let go of my purpose. 

In the end, the element of hope during dark times was a success. Was it easy? No. Did I have people condemn the book? Sure. But I didn’t expect everyone to love it. It isn’t for Christian market, which is what I’m used to, which is what most of my friends love best. But I stayed true to God and the story. It was so worth it. 

And that is how, my dear reader, I worldbuilded (shh, that’s a word) The Divided Nation! I hope you enjoyed this post. Thanks Michaela, for having me!

Angela

ABOUT ANGELA

Angela R. Watts is a Christian fiction author who strives to glorify the Lord in all she does.  She's a homeschooled highschooler living at Step By Step Sanctuary, Tennessee, though with Gypsy and Norwegian in her blood, she tends to travel.  She's been writing stories since she was little, but also enjoys chores, painting, and watching sunsets.

FACEBOOK | WEBSITE | AMAZON | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS

Make sure to check out her giveaway for The Divided Nation as well!  Physical books and items can only be shipped in the US, however, so if an international winner is drawn, please keep in mind that they will receive an ebook instead. 
1st place: hardback copy of The Divided Nation.  A custom mug with a quote from the book, bookmark, and an exclusive snippet from The Infidel Books.  

2nd place: paperback copy of The Divided Nation, bookmark.

3rd place: ebook copy of The Divided Nation.

Click HERE to enter!

GUEST POST by Amanda Tero: My Adventure in Retellings - And Some Tips For You To Try It Yourself

Hey everyone!  I have one last guest post for Amanda Tero's three month tour celebrating the release of her third novel in the Tales of Faith series, Protecting the Poor!  If you've ever considered writing a fairytale retelling, you'll definitely want to check out Ms. Tero's great tips! 

My Adventure in Retellings – and some tips for you to try it yourself

When I first set out to writing a retelling, all I had was the question, “What if the beast was Belle’s father?” This in and of itself automatically put “Befriending the Beast” as a unique retelling because of the lack of a love interest (which apparently is “my thing” ;)). Once I set that standard, I began to think of other tales I could retell without a love interest. Cinderella (“The Secret Slipper”) required some twists and turns and maybe a little more mystery to keep it fresh and original since there wasn’t a love interest. But Robin Hood (“Protecting the Poor”)? Sorry, Maid Marion, but I went back to the original where she wasn’t even there as a love interest.

In writing “Protecting the Poor,” I kept just the general idea of Robin Hood: an outlawed man who roamed the forest. If you read an original tale of Robin Hood, you’ll find that he was more of a rogue than a hero. I decided against that, because I wanted to instill Christian character in my story—so my Robin Hood (Dumphey) is more hero than rogue; I do have some roguish characters in there though (cue, Patey). And actually… I kind of debunked the whole “steal from the rich to feed the poor” thought. I mean, if you think about it Scripturally, there is never an allowance to steal from others—it is never a noble thing. So, Dumphey actually took a stand against it. Because of this, I had to decide what features made Robin Hood… well, Robin Hood. Archery. Unjust authority. A band of men. And yes, I included hunting the “forbidden meats.” There is enough flavor in there to hint at Robin Hood yet enough added twists to make it originally mine.

I can’t claim to be the expert at writing retellings. I’ve only written three. But it’s something that I have enjoyed immensely and have learned a lot from. Today, actually, I’m featuring three tips on how to write retellings in my my countdown-to-release-day posts (which I’m posting today on my Instagram and blog). Since this fits the topic perfectly, I’ll go ahead and share them here as a bonus.

TIP #1

Make sure it’s a retelling, not a rewrite. I have read some retellings where, if you compared it to the original, all they did was change the setting, era, and character names (and… maybe not even those). The conversations were almost verbatim. There wasn’t much originality to it. 

TIP #2

Give a unique twist. In light of the first tip, be sure that yours has a very you flavor. For instance, the unique twist for “Befriending the Beast” was that the beast was Belle’s father. Ironically, my twist for “Protecting the Poor” is that Dumphey has a disagreement with some of his team about stealing from the rich to feed the poor. Oh, and not to mention that none of my stories have magic in them. That in and of itself violates the backbone of most fairytales. ;) 

TIP #3

Make the retelling recognizable. This seems contrary to the first two points, but it’s just that fine line to balance. If you’re going to market it as a retelling, your readers need to actually be able to recognize the original. I read a story that I realized after the fact was a retelling—and then it was just because another reviewer mentioned the original tale (either I didn’t know the original fairytale well enough, or it just wasn’t strong enough to have that retelling flavor). 

Have you read some retellings that you absolutely loved? Why? Or did you hate it? If so, why?

_________

I'm not sure about you, but this guest post made me want to read Protecting the Poor even more! If you want to read it too, make sure to preorder it HERE! It releases August 26th.

ABOUT THE TOUR

The clock is ticking until the release of “Protecting the Poor!” This is the third and final month of Tales of Faith 3-month tour. We’ve spent a month on “Befriending the Beast,” a month on “The Secret Slipper,” and now, are looking at a month digging into “Protecting the Poor”—the history behind it, behind-the-scenes of writing and editing, the messages threaded through it, and more. Amanda will link to each blog on With a Joyful Noise, so check in every week and see what blogs have a special Tales of Faith feature!

ABOUT AMANDA

Amanda Tero began her love for words at a young age—reading anything she could get her hands on and penning short stories as young as age eight. Since graduation, she has honed her writing skills by dedicated practice and study of the writing craft. She began her journey of publication with a few short stories that she had written for her sisters and continued to add to her collection with other short stories, novellas, and novels. It is her utmost desire to write that which not only pleases her Lord and Savior, but also draws the reader into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. 

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | BLOG | GOODREADS | AMAZON | EMAIL

GUEST POST by Amanda Tero: If "The Secret Slipper" was Written in a Modern Era

Hey everyone! Today is the next stop in Amanda Tero's blog tour for her Tales of Faith series, and she has written a special guest post for today, which I'm so excited to share! Her insight is fantastic, and I hope this post is thought-provoking to you and drums up some interesting conversation points!  

If you haven't read The Secret Slipper yet, you're in luck: it's on sale for only $.99 this month -- and you have a couple of days left to snag it! 

Without further ado...

If “The Secret Slipper” was Written in a Modern Era

Why Historical Elements Provide a Solid Platform

Have you ever stopped to think how a solid, historical idea would completely fail in a modern era? For example, why couldn’t “The Secret Slipper” have been written from today’s viewpoint? If you analyze it, the only reason “The Secret Slipper” is believable is because of the historical era. You move the exact same story up to modern fiction and it’s laughable. It would never happen.

Before you read on, be aware that I’m hiding nothing here. So if you haven’t read “The Secret Slipper” and don’t like spoilers, you just might want to archive this post to read later.

Lia never would have disappeared by a feigned grave.

Today, a lord’s family would not only be guarded with individuals who have passed all sorts of background checks, they would have security cameras in the nursery. For that matter, Lord Kiralyn would have a smartphone linked to his home security system and at any moment be able to catch images of Bioti’s wily attempts. Now, if it was written in a modern era, you’d have to make Bioti a tech-savvy bad gal. She’d have to overwrite the security system and find another reason to make the lord believe that his daughter had died rather than was kidnapped—or the mystery would be solved immediately, not over ten years later. Hmm… maybe an explosion erasing all evidence of human bones and DNA…?

Bioti never would have settled in a town just a few miles away.

Given the historical difficulty of correspondence and travel in the dark ages, it makes sense that Bioti didn’t situate herself halfway across the globe in a medieval era. I mean, she didn’t want to spend all her money on moving. Today, she’d have to erase all digital and paper trails. She’d never have trusted Nes unless he was as equally eager to be totally hidden. And she definitely wouldn’t let Lia roam the streets where PIs could identify her with facial recognition and age-progression imaging.

Lord Kiralyn never would have gone in circles.

Because he had to be there to search there, Lord Kiralyn’s journey goes in loops that are—in today’s eyes—easily avoided. I mean yes, today detectives and investigators do have to go through loops to process the information they need and track down people, but the tools they have, when applied to Lia’s story, would have expedited the process. Today, Lord Kiralyn could have figured up his list of suspects. Could have even taken fingerprints and trailed those suspects. It is possible that he would have been suspicious of Galien’s betrayal—or, at least, have known that someone was betraying him. Not to mention, Lord Kiralyn and Jolin wouldn’t have been side-by-side the entire journey. Today they’d be in cities across the globe sharing instant updates with their findings. And whereas poor Lord Kiralyn had to take this search almost alone, today there are organized societies with highly trained individuals that Lord Kiralyn could have hired to find his daughter. He could have left it to the experts.

In conclusion

I could dissect the story further, but once you break down these three major characters and methods that “The Secret Slipper” is built upon, everything else falls apart. Comparing “The Secret Slipper” to today’s world, I have determined that the story would fail and have to be completely rewritten. This is why I’m keeping it on the historical fiction platform. ;) But in conclusion, today, bad guys have to be smarter. Good guys have to be a step ahead and even smarter. However, one thing is the same whether you’re speaking historical or modern. Motives are historically unchanging: greed, lust, anger, power, envy, and vengeance. They may take on different faces today, but the bottom line of sin has always been and always will be the foundation of corrupt minds and the crimes they commit.

What do you think?

Take one of your favorite historical stories and apply it to modern era. Would it work or crash? What would you have to do to fix it?


About the Tour 
In anticipation of the release of “Protecting the Poor” (book three in the Tales of Faith series), Amanda is guest posting or being featured on over a dozen blogs each month. Each post is unique to the blog—an inspirational post, an article on the writing craft, an excerpt from one of the Tales of Faith books… you’ll just have to visit each blog to see what comes up. ;) Amanda will link to each blog on With a Joyful Noise, so check in every week and see what blogs have a special Tales of Faith feature!

 About Amanda

Amanda Tero began her love for words at a young age—reading anything she could get her hands on and penning short stories as young as age eight. Since graduation, she has honed her writing skills by dedicated practice and study of the writing craft. She began her journey of publication with a few short stories that she had written for her sisters and continued to add to her collection with other short stories, novellas, and novels. It is her utmost desire to write that which not only pleases her Lord and Savior, but also draws the reader into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

 Connect with Amanda

Make sure to click the links below to follow Amanda and be up-to-date on all Tales of Faith news! 

 Email 
amandaterobooks@gmail.com

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Thanks so much for this fantastic guest post, Amanda!