Introduction of Characters: Unafraid - Part 3

Welcome to the third and final part of the Introduction of Characters for Unafraid.

I'm so sorry it took me so long to post the third part. We are in the middle of packing for a move, so I haven't had a lot of time to work on it or any of my other writing for that matter. 

The Enemy, the Commanders, and the Foundling

(Photo credit: Pinterest)

Abaddon:

Race: Unknown

Age: Not certain, over 1,000 years old

Physical Traits: Black hair, one completly black eye, one yellow eye, scar running through yellow eye, 6 feet, 4 inches
The meaning of Abaddon is destroyer. He is that. He has come to Adwar before. Over a 1,000 years ago, he tried to take over. But he lost and the King of Kings locked him in the Underworld for the next 1,000 years. And then he comes back and the people of Adwar have to fight him.

General Kiran:

Race: Lolnalian

Age: Late 50's

Physical Traits: Balding gray blond hair, blue eyes, 5 feet, 10 inches
General Kiran is the commander of the Lolnal army and is a close friend of the royal family of Lolnal. He is mentor to William and Genevieve and they trust him completely. 

Captain Phillip:

Race: Ulairoian

Age: Early 30's

Physical Traits: Dark brown hair, brown eyes, 6 feet, 1 inch
Captain Phillip is the commander of the Ulairo calvary. He is also a trusted friend of the royal family of Ulairo. He once asked if he could court Carolina, but was refused because he was much older than her. 

Earvin: 

Race: Iriorian

Age: 13

Physical Traits: Blond hair, emerald green eyes, 5 feet, 2 inches
Earvin was found by Daniel and Genevieve after Abaddon's men destroyed his village and killed his parents. He was the only survivor. They rescued him and adopted him as a little brother. Earvin will be the main character in the sequel to Unafraid, Rise Up.

Book Review: Truth Be Told by Carol Cox

Oh look! Two posts in one week and they're both book reviews! Haha, gotta love book review programs!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Back Cover:
When Amelia Wagner takes over the running of her father's newspaper in Granite Springs, Arizona, she vows to carry on the paper's commitment to reporting only the truth. But Amelia soon learns that even the truth can have consequences. Her father's revealing articles about Great Western Investment
Company's business methods have caught the notice of the wrong person, and pressure mounts for Amelia to retract her father's statements.
Determined to find the truth, Amelia goes through her father's notes and begins to interview members of the community. She can't seem to shake Benjamin Stone, a Great Western employee who's been assigned to keep tabs on her for the good of the company.
The more Ben and Amelia learn, the more Amelia's father's claims appear to be accurate. In fact, it's probably worse than he realized. Even Ben is beginning to wonder if he's become a pawn in the workings of a corrupt empire. But Great Western isn't about to stand for a female reporter and one of their own men bringing down their lucrative schemes. Working against time, and never knowing what danger lurks around the next corner, Ben and Amelia set out to reveal all they've discovered before Great Western silences them for good.

The Positives:
As with most books I love, I read this in about two days or less. I was pulled into Amelia's story right away. She isn't one of those damsels in distress, but she also isn't a feminist who thinks she is better than men at everything. She was just the right combination. But don't get me wrong, she made a couple stupid decisions at times that made me want to slap some sense into her.
And Ben Stone is probably the sweetest guy in this book. He was supposed to watch Amelia as an assignment, but he ended up falling in love with her.
I loved that their relationship wasn't built on how handsome or how beautiful they each were. It did mention what they looked like and what they thought of their appearances, but it was not the main focus. The focus was on each other's character and their morals.
And the faith in this book was one of the best! Amelia wavered, as any Christian would under her circumstances. But she hanged on to her faith. Ben's faith was great to see, too. It really brought them together.
I loved hearing everything about the newspaper business!

The Negatives:
Nothing.

Overall:
This was an amazing book and captivated me. I would definitely recommend this book!

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

Book Review: A Place in His Heart by Rebecca DeMarino

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Back Cover:
Anglican Mary Langton longs to marry for love. Puritan Barnabas Horton is still in love with his deceased wife and needs only a mother for his two young sons. And yet these two very different people with very different expectations will take a leap of faith, wed, and then embark on a life-changing journey across the ocean to the Colonies. Along the way, each must learn to live in harmony, to wait on God, and to recognize true love where they least expect to find it.
This heartfelt tale of love and devotion is based on debut author Rebecca DeMarino’s own ancestors, who came to Long Island in the mid-1600s to establish a life–and a legacy–in the New World.

The Positives:
I was pulled into the story of Mary and Barnabas from the very beginning. I was fighting along side Mary when she said she would only marry for love. 
I felt for Barnabas and I wanted him to be happy again and not blame himself. I wanted to hit him over the head sometimes when he was being so stubborn.
His sons, Joseph and Ben, really tugged at my heartstrings. I wanted to wrap Joseph up and just hold him sometimes. He had been through so much for someone so young.
Mary's devotion and patience with Barnabas made me love her even more.
Barnabas and Mary's faith played a big role and gave the story such depth!

The Negatives:
The only negatives were that there were big gaps between chapters. Sometimes gaps from six months to almost eighteen months. It gave the story a feeling of dragging on and on.

Overall:
Even though it dragged in some places, I loved this book! It was great for the author's first book and based on her ancestors. I would definitely recommend this!

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

Through June 16^th, Rebecca DeMarino is hosting a giveaway with $250.00 in prizes!  Open to anyone with a US shipping address.

Enter Giveaway: http://www.rebeccademarino.com/a-place-in-his-heart-giveaway/

Random Facts About Me

I haven't done any random posts before, which is weird, because I like random facts about stuff. My writer friend, Jaye, nominated me for participation The Sunflower Blogger Award. So that means I get to share 11 random facts about myself and answer 11 questions Jaye gave me. And then I'm supposed to tag 11 bloggers to answer the questions too. Which I'll have to only tag a few. I don't follow a lot of blogs. 

Well, here we go! 

11 Randoms Facts About Me

1. I love reading Historical Romance, but I try to only write Fantasy. I don't want to do any research. I'm lazy that way.

2. I'm not allergic to anything. Except my mom is allergic to wasps, and I've never been stung before, so I may be allergic to wasps.

3. I've had glasses since I was eight, but I've been wearing contacts for about two years.

4. I'm an Introvert and I'd rather stay home and read a book than go to a party.

5. My celebrity crush is Tom Hiddleston. He's British, handsome, need I say more?

6. I once thought about getting my hair dyed red. It would be awesome to be ginger!

7. I share my middle name with my mom and I'm the only kid out of four that got her green eyes.

8. I'm a hyperventilating, feels feeling, shipping, fangirl. (Look those terms up on Urban Dictionary if you aren't sure what they mean.)

9. I have almost every single Michael Buble song on a playlist on Spotifiy. The whole playlist is almost five hours long. 

10. I LOVE the Dick Van Dyke Show. I laugh so hard when I watch it. It's clean comedy, so I don't have to worry about hearing nasty jokes on it. 

11. I hate lasagna. (Yes, that's very random. But it's true!)

My Answers to the 11 Questions

1. What is your favorite kind of tree?

Probably a weeping willow. We don't have any where I live, but they just seem like such a romantic tree.

2. Do you prefer tea or coffee or neither?

Both. I like my tea with honey. I only drink coffee from Starbucks and usually I like it in Frappuccino form. 

3. What is your favorite social media site?

Instagram! As they say, a picture says a 1,000 words. 

4. What is the last sentence you wrote in a story?

Sneak peek of Unafraid! 

She heard a pained screeching noise, a whistle of wind, and it was gone.

5. Who is your favorite historical figure and why?
Wow, this is tough. I admire a lot of historical people and I'm not sure I can pick just one.
But I guess I'd have to pick Saint Patrick. I love the work he did in Ireland and I like Irish things in general. And he was a big part of the paper I had to write about the Church in Ireland for my Church History Class.

6. What is your biggest pet peeve?

When girls, who claim to be Whovians, call the Ninth and Twelfth Doctor ugly and don't like them because of it. HELLO. He is the Doctor! He is brilliant, fantastic, and you shouldn't hate him just because he's not model material. (Sorry, needed to rant that.)

7. What is your favorite dessert?

Ice cream! Any flavor WITHOUT nuts.

8. If you could live in any time period (past, present, and future) which would you choose?

Probably the 1940's and 50's, I LOVE the style of that time.

9. What is your favorite book to re-read (besides the Bible)?

The Hobbit! I've been re-reading it each time a new Hobbit movie comes out.

10. What genre do you read the most?

Historical romance fiction. It's my favorite!

11. What is the best movie you have ever watched?

Captain America: The Winter Soldier. That whole movie was just FEELS. BUCKY. *sobbing*

And now for the tagged bloggers, as I said I only will be able to tag a couple. (Which means just two.) ;-)

Sarah at My Double Living

Purity Leigh at Written On My Heart

Here are my questions for the tagged bloggers:

1. What is your favorite TV show?

2. If you could live in any country, besides the once you live in now, which would you pick?

3. What is your favorite wild animal?

4. If you could live as a character in any book, which book would you choose?

5. If you had to choose, which of these famous cities would you live in: Paris, London, or New York?

6. What movie, book, or TV show can you quote endlessly?

7. What is most embarrassing thing you have ever done?

8. What is the bravest thing you have ever done?

9. What do you consider to be the best smell in the world?

10. What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you?

11. If you could punch a fictional character in the face, who would it be?

Book Review: Resistence by Jaye L. Knight

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Back Cover:
“Don’t you know? Animals like you have no soul.”

Could God ever love a half-blood all of society looks upon with such fear and disdain? Jace once believed so, but when a tragic loss shatters the only peace he’s ever known, his faith crumbles as the nagging doubts he’s tried to put behind him descend on his grieving heart. With them come the haunting memories of the bloodstained past he longs to forget, but can never escape.

Taken from home at a young age and raised to serve the emperor, Kyrin Altair and her twin brother live every day under a dangerous pretense of loyalty. After her unique observation skills and perfect memory place her into direct service to the emperor, Kyrin finds herself in further jeopardy as it becomes increasingly difficult to hide her belief in Elôm, the one true God.

Following the emperor’s declaration to enforce the worship of false gods under the penalty of death, many lives are endangered. But there are those willing to risk everything to take a stand and offer aid to the persecuted. With their lives traveling paths they never could have imagined, Jace and Kyrin must fight to overcome their own fears and conflicts with society as they become part of the resistance.

The Positives:
Where do I begin? This book was AMAZING! I guess reading it in 6 hours is proof of that. ;-) I could hardly put this book down!
I fell in love with Jace at the very beginning. It started with action and pulled me right in. This book had FEELS. I  could relate to Kyrin and was so amazed at her bravery, but also her fear was also very real. I would have acted the same way in her situation. 
I was sometimes wanted to wrap Jace up in a big hug and tell him that Elom did love him! And I felt like I was best friends with Kyrin. 
I was thinking the whole way through, "When are Jace and Kyrin going to meet?" I could hardly stand the suspense. 
The ending left me hanging and I can't wait for the next book!

The Negatives:
Nothing!

Overall:
This was an amazing book! The characters were so believable and I totally related with them. I highly recommend this book!

Available for purchase on Amazon May 20^th!
View book extras at www.ilyonchronicles.blogspot.com.

About the Author 

JAYE L. KNIGHT is a 25-year-old independent author with a passion for writing Christian fantasy and clean NA (New Adult) fiction. Armed with an active imagination and love for adventure, Jaye weaves stories of truth, faith, and courage with the message that even in the deepest darkness, God's love shines as a light to offer hope.

Jaye is a homeschool graduate and has been penning stories since the age of eight. She was previously published as Molly Evangeline. You can learn about her latest writing projects at www.jayelknight.com.

Social Media Links

·      Facebook Author Page

·      Facebook Series Page

·      Twitter

·      Pinterest

·      Google+ Author Page

·      Google+ Series Page

·      YouTube

·      Author Blog

·      Series Blog

Giveaway

Immerse yourself in the world of Ilyon! Fill out the Rafflecopter form below for a chance to win an autographed copy of Resistance (Book 1 in the “Ilyon Chronicles” series), a Resistance-inspired necklace crafted by the author (Jaye L. Knight), a Better Homes “Warm Rustic Woods” candle, and a wolf paw leather bookmark from Lodgepole Leathercraft. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

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Book Review: Love Comes Calling by Siri Mitchell

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Back Cover:
A girl with the best of intentions.
A heart set on Hollywood.
An empty pocketbook.
That's all it takes for Ellis Eton to find herself working as a telephone operator for a look-alike friend. For Ellis, this job will provide not only acting practice but the funds to get her a start in the movies. She's tired of always being a disappointment to her traditional Boston family, and though she can't deny the way he makes her head spin, she knows she's not good enough for Griffin Phillips, either. It's simple: avoid Griff's attentions, work, and get paid. But in typical Ellis fashion, her simple plan spirals out of control when she overhears a menacing phone call...with her very own Griff as the target.

The Positives:
I was immediately drawn into this book the second I started reading. I hadn't read a book that was in first person in a while and it was a refreshing change. 
It was a fast paced and fun experience to read from Ellis's point of view. It didn't take me too long to guess that she was ADHD. She made me frustrated at times. (Can she not see logic?) I actually felt ADHD reading from her point of view. I couldn't seem to concentrate on one sentence before Ellis started on a whole different thing. I had to go back and read several paragraphs over because I had skipped over details. It didn't bother me much though, it gave the desired effect of Ellis's ADHD.
Griff was such a sweetheart and I love how he loved Ellis for who she was.
I loved how the author wove the mystery about men threatening Griff in there. It kept me guessing at what would happen next.

The Negatives:
The only reason I'm giving this book 4 stars was because of the lack of real faith being taught in this book. You got the feeling the Etons went to church and were Christians. But I didn't sense a real faith in any of the Etons or the other characters, which I expected more because this was a Christian book. I got the feeling Griff was a strong believer, but it was never talked about. That was the only disappointment this book had.

Overall:
I loved this book and highly recommend it!

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

Cover Reveal for Jaye L. Knight's Newest Book

Hello everyone! I've a got a special post for you today! It's the cover reveal for Jaye L. Knight's (previously published as Molly Evangeline) new NA novel, Resistance! I'm so happy to be a part of this cover reveal. I love Jaye's books and I was so excited when she asked me to review Resistance. I will be posting that review during the blog tour week. For now, here's the cover reveal for Resistance!

About the Book

“Don’t you know? Animals like you have no soul.”

Could God ever love a half-blood all of society looks upon with such fear and disdain? Jace once believed so, but when a tragic loss shatters the only peace he’s ever known, his faith crumbles as the nagging doubts he’s tried to put behind him descend on his grieving heart. With them come the haunting memories of the bloodstained past he longs to forget, but can never escape.

Taken from home at a young age and raised to serve the emperor, Kyrin Altair and her twin brother live every day under a dangerous pretense of loyalty. After her unique observation skills and perfect memory place her into direct service to the emperor, Kyrin finds herself in further jeopardy as it becomes increasingly difficult to hide her belief in Elôm, the one true God.

Following the emperor’s declaration to enforce the worship of false gods under the penalty of death, many lives are endangered. But there are those willing to risk everything to take a stand and offer aid to the persecuted. With their lives traveling paths they never could have imagined, Jace and Kyrin must fight to overcome their own fears and conflicts with society as they become part of the resistance.

Kindle release date: May 20, 2014

About the Author

JAYE L. KNIGHT is a 25-year-old independent author with a passion for writing Christian fantasy and clean NA (New Adult) fiction. Armed with an active imagination and love for adventure, Jaye weaves stories of truth, faith, and courage with the message that even in the deepest darkness, God's love shines as a light to offer hope.

Jaye is a homeschool graduate and has been penning stories since the age of eight. She was previously published as Molly Evangeline. You can learn about her latest writing projects at www.jayelknight.com.

Blog Tour Announcement

Excited for this book’s release? Join us for the blog tour May 20-27, which will include reviews, interviews, a giveaway, and more! Mark your calendars, and check the blog tour page in May for more information. Hope to see you there!

Rafflecopter Giveaway Code

In celebration of the epic cover reveal for Resistance, Jaye L. Knight is giving away two handcrafted bookmarks with sword charms—one each to two different winners! The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only, and you can enter via the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt from Resistance (©2014 Jaye L. Knight)

Just when he lowered his guard enough to relax, a grating voice sent tension knotting across his shoulders.

“Look what the excitement dragged into town.”

Jace ground his teeth together and turned. He should never have stopped watching his back. Wrong move on his part.

Flanked by two of his smug-faced friends, a red-haired young man smirked at him, his eyes harboring all sorts of ill will. Jace barely bit back a sharp retort, but the other man’s smirk only grew at his silence. He peered around Jace.

“Rebekah, what are you doing with this . . .” He glanced back to Jace and turned up his wide nose. “. . . half-blood?”

Jace balled his fists. Warmth seeped down his arms and into his muscles, pulsing with the preparation for a fight, but he fought to still it.

Rebekah came to his side, her face set in a frown that looked entirely out of place. “Stop it, Morden.”

He gave her a condescending little grin. “Why don’t you run along? We’ve got business here.” The grin stretched wider. “I’ll gladly come find you later.”

Rebekah put her hands on her hips, glaring at him, and opened her mouth to speak, but Jace beat her to it.

“A gentleman would treat a lady with more consideration.”

Morden snorted. “And what would you know about that?”

A blaze erupted inside that Jace struggled to contain. He breathed in hard, cursing the impulses he had to battle so often. He couldn’t let it take control of him. Not again.

“Come on, Jace, we still have to find something for Kalli.” Rebekah’s soft voice quieted his growing agitation, and she tugged lightly on his stiff arm.

His blood still burned hot in his veins, calling him to action, and was almost too strong to resist. He thought of Rayad who told him time and again to go to Elôm when he struggled like this. He forced himself to turn away from Morden and whispered silently, “Elôm, I need help.”

But Morden, who must have caught the movement of his lips just before he turned completely, let out an incredulous laugh. “Are you praying?”

Jace froze. His heart thundered.

“Who could you be praying to? Don’t you know? Animals like you have no soul.”

An evil pang of doubt knifed through Jace’s heart, colder and more painful than the steel of any dagger, and robbed the breath from his lungs. His eyes settled on Rebekah’s face, but it was her pitying expression that caused the weak grip on his emotions to fail. Heat flared in his muscles. He spun around and smashed his fist into the side of Morden’s jaw, sending the man reeling. Regret followed, but it was too late. Morden’s friends caught him by the arms and steadied him as he shook his head to clear his vision.

Jace dragged deep breaths into his tightened lungs and waited for Morden’s next move. Just walk away. The silent plea went out in desperation. If only it would just end here. But satisfaction lit Morden’s eyes, and his lip curled in a malicious sneer.

 ~*~

I hope you all enjoyed the cover reveal for Resistance! Please check out Jaye's website and add Resistance to your to-read list!