Introduction of Characters: Unafraid - Part 1

Since I have SO many book ides, I thought I should do introduction posts to each of the books characters on this blog. 

Unafraid was one of the first book ideas I ever had and have kept the longest. I came up with it more than 3 years ago. If you get confused about the different races of the characters, I suggest you read THIS post. 

The Princes and Princesses:

(Photo credits: Pinterest)

Left to Right: Daniel, Genevieve, William, Carolina

Daniel: 

Race: Ulairoin

Age: 21

Physical Traits: Black hair, brown eyes, 6 feet tall

Daniel is probably one of my favorite males characters. He's quiet, but so strong emotionally. He isn't perfect, but he is probably the strongest of the four of them. Tall, dark, and handsome, he is a perfect hero figure. 

Genevieve:

Race: Lolnalian

Age: 16

Physical Traits: Brown hair, green eyes, 5 foot 3 inches tall

Genevieve is the main character in Unafraid. Most of the story is from her point of view. She is happy-go-lucky at the beginning of the story. So many different tragedies test her faith and almost make her give up. An interesting tidbit about Genevieve, was that I had originally called her Lilyalynn. Yep. Sort of a mouthful. I think that I only changed it, was because I couldn't remember what I had called her. So I changed it to Genevieve. 

William: 

Race: Lolnalian

Age: 21

Physical Traits: Sandy blond hair, blue eyes, 5 feet 11 inches tall

William is Genevieve's older brother. He is more outgoing than Daniel, but they are best friends nonetheless. William is about the same strength, physically as Daniel. But weaker emotionally, but stronger than Genevieve. He's definitely a in-the-middle guy.

Carolina:

Race: Ulairoin

Age: 16

Physical Traits: Curly black hair, brown eyes, 5 feet 3 inches tall

Carolina is Daniel's younger sister and Genevieve's best friend. She is more of an optimist than the rest of them. She is also a healer and a medic. She was trained by their palace doctor and a local healer. She always lifts the other's spirits. 

I hope you enjoyed reading about my characters! Please follow my Unafraid Storyboard on Pinterest. Part 2  of the introduction of characters of Unafraid will be coming soon!

February Favorites

I have to say I was glad when Sarah posted 30 Blog Post Ideas for Writers on her blog My Double Living. I've needed ideas on what to post on this blog, since I've moved my fashion posts over onto Two Thousand Miles.
One of the things Sarah suggested was every month find your favorite things that you have or want and post them on your blog. So that is what I'm going to do!

Welcome to February Favorites!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9

Because:

1. Because pretending you are working out to keep up with the Doctor, is one of the only ways I find motivation to exercise.
2. Because have never had a pair of Tom's and I would love to have a London cityscape on them!
3. Because a fellow writer, Jaye L. Knight, (that's her pen name, along with Molly Evangeline) has an Etsy shop where she makes and sells jewelry inspired by her books and writers!
4. Because for me, writing when it is cold and deary outside, makes for perfect writing weather. And comfort is key in the writing process.
5. Because no writing day is complete without out a cup of tea. Especially tea in a SHERlocked mug!
6. Because the TARDIS and the Union Jack are two of my favorite things and they should be on my phone.
7. Because River Song is awesome. Nuff' said.
8. Because it makes you feel like more of a writer, when all you really do is pound your head on the desk in frustration.
9. Because a sweatshirt with a picture of your favorite dog just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Or is that the tea?

Writer's Block: Six Ways to Overcome It

The one thing every writer dreads. Writer's block. That imaginary block in your brain that blocks off all your ideas.
I've read lots of posts about overcoming writer's block. None of them seemed to help much. I've found some of my own ways to overcome it or avoid it. So read on!

1. Motivation: My secret trick for when you are writing and you've hit a block is... CHOCOLATE. Yep. I decide that if I write one chapter, I get one piece of chocolate. That helps me think through the writer's block.

2. Avoid: I've found it hard to think of anything to write after you've been thinking about other things too long. For me, that would be math. So avoid math or anything that hurts your brain before writing.

3. Pinterest: I love Pinterest for inspiring writing pictures! It helps me to visualize my characters and sometimes I find an interesting scene that gives me extra inspiration. One of my favorite story inspiration pinners is Brenna H. She has over 150 boards of inspiring pictures and quotes to use! Also, you can follow me on Pinterest: Mercy Schwisow.

4. Music: Listen to songs that you love and think of ways that you can apply them to your characters. I've listened to songs and I've thought of brilliant things to add to my plot and my characters!

5. Watch: Movies and TV shows are great ways to get more inspiration. Watch movies that have elements similar to those in your story. I've gotten many good plot ideas from movies.

6. Read: And if all else fails, read! Reading a good book is a good way to relax and let your creative juices flow. I have to admit, most of my story ideas are from other books.

How do you break through writer's block? I would love to hear them!

Our New Group Blog

Hello everyone! I hope everybody's February is going well!

I wanted to let you all know about a blog I started with three of my friends. It's called Two Thousand Miles. It is a fashion, beauty, and lifestyle blog. We will be posting 2 - 3 times per week. We will focus on a specific fashion trend every two weeks. I will be posting all my fashion posts on that blog. I will be more focused on writing on this blog from now on.

So please check out Two Thousand Miles!

Book Review: Claiming Mariah by Pam Hillman

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Back Cover: 
In light of her father’s death, Mariah Malone sends a letter that will forever alter the lives of her family. When Slade Donovan, strong willed and eager for vengeance, shows up on her front porch, Mariah is not ready to hear his truths: her father’s farm, the only home she’s ever known, was bought with stolen gold. With Slade ready to collect his father’s rightful claim and force Mariah and her family out on the streets, Mariah must turn to God for guidance. Though Mr. Frederick Cooper, a local landowner, promises to answer her financial woes if she agrees to be his bride, Mariah finds herself drawn instead to the angry young man demanding her home.
With the ranch now under Slade’s careful eye, he will unearth more than he ever imagined as a devious plot of thievery, betrayal and murder threatens more than the well-being of the ranch, endangering the lives of those who hold it dear. With days dwindling until the rest of the Donovan clan arrive to the Lazy M ranch, Mariah and Slade must rise above the resentment of their fathers and see their true feelings before greed alters their futures forever.

The Positives:
I don't usually read westerns. I like western movies, but I haven't read many western books. But I may have to read more, because I LOVED this book! I was skeptical about it at first. But I could hardly put it down! If I wasn't so busy, I would have read it one day!
The plot was interesting. It kept me tied to the book the whole time. Mariah and Slade's relationship was exceptionally done. The writing was also excellent. As a writer myself, I usually can find run on sentences or poor expression. But I didn't find anything like that.

The Negatives:
It was hard to find anything wrong with this book. There was only one thing that I didn't really like. I thought the parts were we were seeing things from Red's point of view was distracting. It did help the ending make sense, but it was distracting none the less. 

Overall:
I thought this was a great book and I would love to see more from Pam Hillman. (Namely a book about Buck and Amanda... *hint* *wink*)

I received a copy of this book from Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for an honest review.

Author's Website

Book Review: 'The Governess of Highland Hall' by Carrie Turansky

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Back Cover:

Missionary Julia Foster loves working alongside her parents, ministering and caring for young girls in India. But when the family must return to England due to illness, she readily accepts the burden for her parents’ financial support. Taking on a job at Highland Hall as governess, she quickly finds that teaching her four privileged, ill-mannered charges at a grand estate is more challenging than expected, and she isn’t sure what to make of the estate’s preoccupied master, Sir William Ramsey. 

Widowed and left to care for his two young children and his deceased cousin Randolph’s two teenage girls, William is consumed with saving the estate from the financial ruin. The last thing he needs is any distraction coming from the kindhearted-yet-determined governess who seems to be quietly transforming his household with her persuasive personality, vibrant prayer life, and strong faith. 

While both are tending past wounds and guarding fragile secrets, Julia and William are determined to do what it takes to save their families—common ground that proves fertile for unexpected feelings. But will William choose Julia’s steadfast heart and faith over the wealth and power he needs to secure Highland Hall’s future?

The Positives:

I ADORED this book! I'm a sucker for historical English romance. The classes of aristocrats and servants has always intrigued me. 

You will love Julia from the very start. She is humble, but she can speak her mind when need be. She is what I think, the perfect heroine. 

Sir William was so interesting! He seemed a bit heartless at first, but it was really just an emotional barrier. He had been hurt and he was scared to get hurt again. 

The character development was very well done. I couldn't stop reading! I finished reading it in two days! 

The Negatives:

Mostly it was the constant changing of point of views that was a bit distracting. That and all the relationships that were also going on. But those were the only problems I found.

Overall:

This was a great book to read! I thoroughly enjoyed it. I recommend this to anyone that likes Downton Abbey-ish style books!

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review. 

Author's Website

Pinterest

Book Review: The Redcoats Are Coming! by Marianne Hering and Nancy I. Sanders

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Back Cover: 
Join Cousins Patrick and Beth on a patriotic adventure set in 1775, Concord, Massachusetts. They have a simple mission: to deliver a letter to Paul Revere. They arrive just in time to meet founding fathers John Hancock and Samuel Adams. They also meet a teen girl named Sybil. She's collecting musket balls for the Patriots and is on the lookout for Loyalist spies. But where is Paul Revere? When the letter goes mysteriously missing, all seems lost. Patrick and Beth try to get it back, only to be accused as spies! Will they be able to convince Paul Revere they're on the side of freedom? Or will the real spies win out and crush the Revolution before it begins?

The Positives:
Well, firstly I have loved Adventures in Odyssey since I was 4. I've probably listened to almost every single episode. (There are over 700!) I saw this book for review on Tyndale and I thought, "Why not? May not be the most interesting book for my age, but I still love Adventures in Odyssey!"
I read it in about 45 minutes. Super easy and it was a bit interesting, if not also predictable. I'm sure it's exciting for the age group this is intended for: (7 year olds and up). It was definitely a fun trip back to the Revolutionary War. Paul Revere is always a great person for kids to learn about.
This book did leave cliffhanger, with Patrick and Beth jumping into the Imagination Station which had just been hit by an imaginary bullet. It ended with them being on a ship in the middle of the ocean with a pistol being pointed at their backs.

The Negatives: 
I didn't find anything wrong with this book!

The Overall:
This was a very enjoyable read, even if it wasn't for my age group. I highly recommend to any moms that want their kids reading good, Christian books!

I received this book for free from Tyndale House in exchange for my honest review.

Who Exactly is My Character?

We all go through the time when we don't know who exactly our characters are. Are they quiet? Funny? Considerate? Reserved? Loud? It's important to know as much as you can about your character. 

Lately, I have been taking personality tests for most of my characters. I use the Human Metrics Jung Typology test. The questions make you really think about who exactly your character is. Sometimes the result I got for my character doesn't seem quite right. And other times it fits them perfectly. 

I highly recommend doing the test for your characters. I feel like I get an inside look into their heads and walk in their shoes. 

My friend, Bridget, and I are writing a book together and we spent probably half an hour taking the personality quizzes for the characters separately. (Because we live about 2,000 miles apart!) We got different results for each of the characters and we found descriptions that applied to the character in question and decided which personality fit them the best. We still have one character that we still aren't quite sure about, but we will probably figure out more about her personality the more we write her! 

I hope this post was helpful to all writers out there! And if anyone is interested in Bridget and I's book, here is the Pinterest inspiration board for it: Storyboard: Found

Book Review: Burning Sky by Lori Benton

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Back cover:
Abducted by Mohawk Indians at fourteen and renamed Burning Sky, Willa Obenchain is driven to return to her family’s New York frontier homestead after many years building a life with the People. At the boundary of her father’s property, Willa discovers a wounded Scotsman lying in her path. Feeling obliged to nurse his injuries, the two quickly find much has changed during her twelve-year absence—her childhood home is in disrepair, her missing parents are rumored to be Tories, and the young Richard Waring she once admired is now grown into a man twisted by the horrors of war and claiming ownership of the Obenchain land.
When her Mohawk brother arrives and questions her place in the white world, the cultural divide blurs Willa’s vision. Can she follow Tames-His-Horse back to the People now that she is no longer Burning Sky? And what about Neil MacGregor, the kind and loyal botanist who does not fit into in her plan for a solitary life, yet is now helping her revive her farm? In the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, strong feelings against “savages” abound in the nearby village of Shiloh, leaving Willa’s safety unsure.
Willa is a woman caught between two worlds. As tensions rise, challenging her shielded heart, the woman called Burning Sky must find a new courage--the courage to again risk embracing the blessings the Almighty wants to bestow. Is she brave enough to love again?

The Positives:
I loved this book!! I thought it was amazing for the author's first novel. The historical elements were very well done. I did not see a single historical element out of place. 
I loved Willa and Neil's romance. I thought it was extremely well done. I loved how Neil took down the wall around Willa's heart, brick by brick. He showed his character and his love through his actions. 
I never thought this book was long in parts. I love long books. If I had had more time, I would have read this book all the way through in one day. 
The ending was very well done. I felt the author didn't leave any threads loose. She tied it up extremely well. I usually like epilogues or sequels to books. But I felt this book didn't need it. I was completely satisfied with the ending. (Which is a bit of a rare thing for me.) 

The Negatives: 
This book had hardly any negatives for me. Maybe just the beginning, because I wasn't sure what to expect. The author slightly threw me head first into the story, where Will first finds Neil. Now that I have read the whole book, the beginning didn't take anything away from the book at all. 

Overall:
This has probably been one of the best books I have read this year. I highly recommend it!

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

Author Website 

Giveaway!

Hi everyone!

I'm hoping to get more followers and traffic for my blog, so I'm going to be doing a giveaway!

I have an Etsy shop called MercifullyMade. I will be giving away a set of washi tape covered notebooks and pencils that I made. 

Here's what you could win! To enter, simply do the things instructed to do on the form below and you are entered!

a Rafflecopter giveaway