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Carla Recommends: Flight of the Raven by Morgan Busse
This is the second book in The Ravenwood Saga by award-winning author Morgan L. Busse, and it does not disappoint. Fantasy has always been one of my favorite genres, but I’ll admit to some fatigue that kept me from reading it over the last year or two. This was just the series I needed to rekindle my enthusiasm for fantasy, and it makes me miss writing it. Does that mean that my Song of Seare series may have some company some time in the future? You never know!
What It’s About
Selene finds herself married to a man whom she would once have considered her enemy… and her dreamwalking powers are increasing, bringing danger to everyone in her new home, even as her sister seeks to carry out the assassination she refused to complete.
What I Loved
The growing relationship between Selene and Damien is both sweet and heartwarming, and Selene’s struggle to reconcile her previous belief in the Dark Lady with what she is learning about the Light held my interest throughout. I also enjoyed the creepy undercurrent of the Dark Lady’s presence in Selene’s dreams.
What I Didn’t Love
This was a bit slower paced than the previous book, and while I certainly wouldn’t call it boring, those reading the two books back to back may find the change in pace a little jarring.
Who Should Read It
If you haven’t read Mark of the Raven, start there first. This is a continuation of the story and you’ll find yourself a bit lost if you don’t begin with the first volume. However, I recommend this series to all fans of fantasy and Christian allegory, as well as those who like lighter romantic fantasy by authors such as Robin LaFevers.
Tags: Flight of the Raven, Morgan Busse
Cover Reveal: Under Scottish Stars
You ever have those moments when it feels like time has slowed down? That’s what it feels like with everything related to this book! As you all probably know, the third book in the MacDonald Family series was supposed to be out in June 2016… and it’s finally getting close to its actual release in July 2020. While choosing a favorite book is a bit like choosing a favorite child, I do have to say that this third book might be my favorite of the series, especially since its hero was inspired in part by my own husband.
So with that, I’m excited to reveal the cover for Under Scottish Stars! Scroll down to read more about the book.
Recently widowed Serena MacDonald Stewart focuses on her children to the exclusion of her career, her artistic pursuits, and her sanity. When her brothers ask her to oversee the family guest house on the Isle of Skye, it might be her chance to dust off her long-ignored business skills and make a new start. But her hopes for a smooth transition are dashed when the current hotel manager, Malcolm Blake, turns out to be irritating, condescending . . . and incredibly attractive.
Malcolm Blake gave up everything—his home, his girlfriend, and his career—to return to Skye and raise his late sister’s teenage daughter. With few job opportunities available on the island, he signs on as the manager of the MacDonald family hotel, which he’s soon running successfully without interference from the owners. That is, until Serena shows up, challenging his authority as manager… and his conviction that there’s nothing missing from his new life on Skye.
Before long, Serena and Malcolm have to admit the spark between them doesn’t come from mere irritation, but as single parents, there is more than just their own hearts on the line. Will their commitments to family be the thing that draws them together… or the only thing that could keep them apart?
Further information and preorder links coming soon!
Tags: cover reveal, Under Scottish Stars
Carla Recommends: Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton
This is one of those books that I saw around and remembered because of the beautiful cover, but it wasn’t until I had some uninterrupted reading time on my flight to Manila this summer that I actually managed to tackle it. Considering I tend to be a fairly restless plane reader, it takes a strong novel to keep my attention… and the fact that I finished nearly the whole thing on the flight is a good indication of my feelings on it.
What It’s About
This dual timeline story follows a young, modern day woman as she travels to Cuba to uncover the story of her family’s past, and her grandmother’s secret love with a passionate revolutionary during the rise of Fidel Castro.
What I Loved
This was filled with likable characters, particularly in the historical timeline, and I quickly became invested in the outcome of Elisa’s ill-fated romance and subsequent exile from Cuba. I found the look into modern Cuba equally fascinating.
What I Didn’t Love
The modern timeline’s romance fell a little short for me, conflating immediate attraction with love, and I’m not sure I fully bought that storyline’s too-easy resolution.
Who Should Read It
Anyone interested in romantic stories set in turbulent times of war and revolution, fans of dual-timeline fiction, those with an interest in Cuba. This is an immensely likable and well-written book that will appeal to most fans of general fiction.
A Writer’s Life: Elizabeth Byler Younts
I’m so excited to introduce today’s guest, my close friend and a wonderful writer, Elizabeth Byler Younts. She’s fresh off her Carol Award win for her novel The Solace of Water last weekend, and I couldn’t be happier for her! With her usual humility, she was sure she wasn’t going to win the historical category, but I had the sneaking suspicion that this might be her year! When she did win, I think I cheered loud enough at home to scare my neighbors. So that makes me doubly excited for her upcoming book, The Bright Unknown, which is sure to be a fascinating look into a time and place that few of us know about: 1940s asylums.
Join me in welcoming Elizabeth as she gives us a fascinating look into her writing process. And don’t forget to read through to the bottom for your chance to win a copy of The Bright Unknown!
All the Voices in my Head
When Carla asked me to contribute to this wonderful column on her blog I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to write about. There is much to “the writer’s life” (as with many careers) and I struggled to know what I should talk about. The voices in my head have been very loud and distracting that I could hardly temper them to get this blog written!
You can see where I’m going with this…
A lot of writers talk about being a plotter or a pantser or somewhere in the middle. While I fall somewhere in the middle I feel like the pre-writing stage for me is really what informs my writing far more than whether or not I plot a story. The Solace of Water, which released June 2018, was a book that I started dreaming up in the fall of 2012. The plot came slowly and without a great deal of direction for years. When I knew that the door was swinging open wide enough that I could begin to write it, my brain synapses went wild. Enough pieces fitting together to write several chapters to figure out if this was really a book I could settle into. It was, thankfully.
When The Solace of Water sold to Harper Collins Christian, the second contracted book was my upcoming release The Bright Unknown. This tale began to form in my heart and soul around my dinner table in the spring of 2014 through a tiny seed of a story spoken in the precious voice of my grandmother-in-love. Once it hits retailers that original idea will be over 5 years old.
But the voices. Delilah. Emma. Brighton. Angel. Nell. So many voices telling me their stories. I lean into their conversations and whispers and take feverish notes on random planner pages, mini purse notebooks, and sticky notes with the hopes that when it comes time to begin writing I can gather up all of those years of ideas like windblown petals to create a beautiful bouquet.
With all of this in mind, I finally get to share The Bright Unknown with all of you in less than a month. The journey this story has taken me on and the voices of so many who live with me daily are still just on the other side of the thin veil of my heart. The girl you will meet, her outcast best friend, and all the women who have been shut away out of sight in an rural asylum because they are inconvenient—this is how you will begin the story of The Bright Unknown. It is not for the faint of heart and the story will take you to valleys we would all rather avoid in our realities—but, oh, the hope that comes when we turn toward the light, even when it means to walk upon an unknown path.
Will you take this journey with me and hear all of these voices tell you their story? I hope you do!
Elizabeth Byler Younts writes historical fiction for Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson. She gained a worldwide audience through her first book Seasons: A Real Story of an Amish Girl and is both a RITA award finalist and Carol award winner. She is also the author of the critically-acclaimed novel The Solace of Water and The Promise of Sunrise series. She has consulted on Amish lifestyle and the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect for two award-winning television shows. Elizabeth lives in Central Pennsylvania with her husband, two daughters, and a small menagerie of well-loved pets.
Visit her at //www.elizabethbyleryounts.com/
Elizabeth Byler Younts writes historical fiction for Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson. She gained a worldwide audience through her first book Seasons: A Real Story of an Amish Girl and is both a RITA award finalist and Carol award winner. She is also the author of the critically-acclaimed novel The Solace of Water and The Promise of Sunrise series. She has consulted on Amish lifestyle and the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect for two award-winning television shows. Elizabeth lives in Central Pennsylvania with her husband, two daughters, and a small menagerie of well-loved pets.
