Get To Know Me Tag//Writers Edition

Top o’ the morning to ye! I shall preface this post by saying that technically today I should be posting a devotional-type post. But I’m not. And the reason behind this is, shocker, I didn’t get one written this past week. It was a bit too busy, and this last weekend here (as in yesterday, and Saturday) was our local rendezvous-reenactment thing which my family and I volunteer at. It’s such great fun. :) But yes, anywho! Instead of a devo post, today I have a Tag! And those are always fun, are they not? Marrok MacIntyre tagged me for this one, and so now I shall proceed with the answering! Thanks, M!

 

 

 

Rules:

– Link back to the person who created the tag (Created by Savannah from Inspiring Writes)
– Thank the person who tagged you (Danke, thankee, merci, and all those thank you’s to Marrok MacIntyre)
– Share the tag graphic (optional)

– Tag eleven bloggers

Vital Stats and Appearance:

Name:

Raechel. It’s like Rachel only with an extra ‘e’ because that’s cool, and my parents wanted to call be ‘Rae’. :)

Nicknames:

Rae, of course, is one. Then there’s…Ren, Doda (means aunt in Hebrew ^.^),  and then some nicknames only my family uses…XD One of which is Pony. Yes, you read that right, but only a select few get to call me that (namely, my mom ^.^). :D

Birthday:

It’s coming up actually…in October. Which is one of my favourite months so that’s lovely. :)

Hair color and length:

Brunette. I don’t know what else to say about that. XD I was born a bald baby, finally got some blonde hair, which darkened when I was about 7 or so and it was a light golden brown for quite some time, but in later years, it has grown darker, so now it’s a medium brown. :D As for length…it’s actually almost to my hips finally! I had cut it a year or two ago and I was afraid it wasn’t going to grow back like it used to, but it has. :)

Eye color:

Hmm…a mix between green and hazel. More green than hazel, but they’re not bright or vibrant green.

Braces/Piercings:

I’m thankful to say I never had braces. As for piercings…I did have my ears pierced when I was around 12 but promptly let them close up because they got infected and I didn’t like them. XD

Righty or Lefty?

Right handed for sure. I can do things with my left (including throwing knives/tomahawks – “There is something you do not know – I am not left handed!”), but my right hand is my predominate hand.

Ethnicity:

A mix of things, really. I’m American, but from heritage I’m a great deal of Polish, some Scottish and Irish, and really, who knows what else. ^.^

Firsts:

First novel ever written:

Eeek…I think that would be a story about a girl and a cat who lived in a tree together. Yeah, I was probably 10, and I loved cats. ;) A serious story I worked a lot on…well it never got a title, sadly, but the main character was named Bella and I even drew a sketch of her. She was pretty cute. ^.^

First Novel Completed:

My Beauty and the Beast retelling! Followed shortly after the novel of my heart which took 4 years to complete. My B&tB story has been through one round of edits but I have left it languishing because I hate editing.

Award for Writing:

Um…nothing? I wrote a paragraph to a story prompt contest and won that, but that wasn’t really an award. Maybe someday!

First Publication:

Nada, Nothing, Zip. ;) I posted some short stories on my blog here a year or two ago, so maybe that could count.

Conference:

Pretty much “see above” for answer. I have not been to any writing conferences sadly.

Query/Pitch:

Again, haven’t done this yet. I’m nervous about if/when I do though because I’m not that good at talking. At all.

Favourites:

 

Novel (that you wrote):

Hard question. Probably my story-of-my-heart because while I haven’t returned to that one yet (I hope to though!!), I poured so much of myself and what I was going through at the time into that novel. It’s very dear to me. <3

Genre:

To write or read? I’m guessing writing since that’s the theme of this tag. I love writing fantasy and contemporary pretty equally. And when I say fantasy, I mean Kingdom-Fantasy, without magic, and a sort of medieval feel to it. Two of my novels are that way. Two are contemporary. So, equally. :)

Author:

I don’t like this question XD I’ll have to list a few because I can’t narrow it down to just one!! Tessa Afshar, Chuck Black, MacKenzie Morganthal, and J.A. Marx.

Writing Music:

I don’t listen to music while I write. It distracts me too much. There was ONE song I could listen to while writing the beginning stages of my current WIP and that was, weirdly, “Mr. Webster” by The Monkees. It’s a weird song, and has absolutely NOTHING to do with my story, so I’m not even sure how that worked.

Time to Write:

Once upon a time I would’ve said right away in the morning, but now it’s more later morning or later afternoon. Not late night though because no. Just no.

Movie:

Okay, what’s with these hard questions? I’m not a huge tv watcher as it is, but I have several favourite movies. Wives and Daughters, North and South, How to Train Your Dragon, and The Greatest Showman. There, I narrowed it down.

Writing Memory:

Completing my 4-year story. That was a huge accomplishment for me and I actually wept a little because it was such a big thing.

Childhood Book:

It was a sweet little book called “If You Were My Bunny” by Kate McMullan. Mum read this one to be so many times. ^.^  “If you were my bunny and I were your mama, I’d pick you out from all the other bunnies and nestle you beside me…” So cute. XD

Currently:

Reading:

Well, I’m actually writing this post ahead of time so I can schedule it due to a busy weekend before this posts, so what I am reading right now is probably not what I’ll be reading when this posts. On this day, I am just about to finish “A Rumored Fortune” by Joanna Davidson Politano (it’s really good!), but next up I will be reading “If Only It Were Yesterday” by A.M. Heath.

Writing:

Two things…my contemporary story with my main character who is socially awkward and so much like me. And then another contemporary story that I am co-writing with MacKenzie Morganthal. It is a lovely story involving books, coffee, German accents, and more. ^.^

Listening to:

Nothing at the moment. The cd currently in my Crossley record-player/cd player  upstairs that I listen to when in my room is “Rubber Soul” by The Beatles. Mmhm, I do in fact listen to the Beatles, but only some of their music. I’m picky about which ones.

Learning:

Contentment! I’m actually hoping to write a post about it but we’ll see how that turns out. :)

Future:

Want to publish:

Absolutely I do! That has been a goal for sooooo long. But it’s completely in the Lord’s hands and He keeps having me wait. But I certainly hope to be published at some point. <3

Wildest Goal:

Being published. ;) What else? It’s still very much in my heart to be a missionary, and also adopt.

Another wild goal that I haven’t really voiced much of yet…I’d like to be a personal assistant. Not sure if or how that will ever happen, but it’s been on my mind a lot. :) Leaving it all in God’s capable hands!

And now, the tagging time. Dun, dun, DUN!

To be honest, I’m not even sure my humble little blog here has eleven followers that would want to be tagged. Sure, I can think of a couple, but eleven is a rather large number when it comes to tagging. So! If you are reading this tag, if you follow this blog, you are hereby tagged, and you must let me know in the comments if you do this tag because I want to read your answers. :)

 

The First Book You’ve Ever Read Challenge

Hello readers! Marrok McIntyre created a tag-like challenge about the first book you’ve ever read that also inspired you to become a writer. In his words, “I thought it would be a pretty cool idea if we writers would share what originally inspired us to pursue this path of artist expression.”

 

Quite a fun idea, so lets get started!

 

 

 

The rules are simple

• Challenge at least 1 person
• Share what was the first book you’ve ever read
• Why you read it in the first place
• How did it inspire you to become a writer

 

 

 

Okay, so the first book I ever read.

Well, this may be hard to believe, but I actually hated reading at first. I know. But I did. I resisted it for quite a while. I didn’t want to learn, I didn’t like it, and I didn’t want to. I’ve always been a little envious of others who could say they loved reading from the get-go. Especially since reading is now one of my biggest hobbies. But, alas, it was not so for me. I remember how hard my Mum tried to get me to read. My older sister was one who loved reading right away. But not me. I liked The Bob Books that helped teach us to read, but only a little. I liked them in the way that they were entertaining, but the struggle to learn the words was aggravating.

So what switched me on reading? Well, again, I wish I could say that it was some amazing book. But it was…

Yep. SpongeBob. I now realize it wasn’t even the first book in the series. I just remember sitting down at my sister’s bookshelf, wondering why she liked reading so much. I picked this one out (wish I could remember my motivation for this choice particularly!) and realized, “Hm, this is actually…enjoyable. The story isn’t boring,” and that was it, so to speak. Now, I don’t think I took off reading like a mad-man at that point, but it was my start. I realized that books took you on great adventures. Even silly ones. ^.^

However, I don’t think I really began wanting to write until I read this book:

I don’t remember much about the book, other than the thought of “I want to write a story too”. So I did, and it was basically a carbon copy of this book, with different characters. XD I don’t believe I finished it either.

But once I started writing, I found that I liked. For a while most of my writing energy was poured into journals (I had discovered “Amelia’s Notebook” series, and the Dear America series coincidentally) as I processed life. Then I eventually came upon another book that boosted my desire to write, and since then I haven’t looked back. Well, I mean, I’m looking back right now, but I think you know what I mean. ;)

The book that made me want to write more was:

That was at about 12/13, and I reread it several times. It’s been several years since I read it, but I hold it in fond remembrance for being the book that I loved to read the most and what made me want to write more. And as for the motivation of why it made me want to write in ernest…well, it was creative, and captivating, and I loved how it transported me to a new world, to new things. I wanted to be able to do that too.

So, there you have it! A too-long posts about books from a now-book-lover who was once a book-hater! Sometimes I forget that I didn’t always love to read and I wonder how anyone couldn’t like it, but all I have to do is remember. And know that everyone is different. My younger sister has never been a fan, and that’s okay. She’s started to enjoy it a bit more now, but as more of a side-hobby.

So I’m more understanding now that I might’ve been before.

And I do really love books now. Really, really love books. ;)

Now, I hearby challenge, should they accept:

Faith P. at Stories by Firefly!

Soleil at Thoughts from a Daughter of God

And I’d love to also challenge my bestie, author MacKenzie Morganthal, but she does not have a blog. However, I would like to know your answer, Ken… :D ;)

And that is that. Hope you all enjoyed reading, and if you were not challenged and would like to be, consider yourself challenged and please let me know when you post, because I’d love to read it!

Eleven Questions

A while ago, Shantelle at Between the Pages of this Bookish Life, tagged me, and I am now finally getting around to posting my answers. ^.^ Thanks, Shantelle!

So, here we go!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Rules:

Thank the person who nominated you

Answer the 11 questions they gave you

Name 11 facts about you

Nominate 11 bloggers to do this tag, and let them know

Give them 11 questions to answer

The questions:

1. What did you eat for your last meal? Homemade Pizza, last evening. :) It was delicious, as always!

2. What’s the best part of your average week? Hmm…I always look forward to Saturdays which is our rest-day of the week. :) I also enjoy Monday’s because of the mail ;)

3. Where is the most amazing place you’ve been? I haven’t been to a ton of places, but The Creation Museum is definitely up there, and up north will forever be one of the most amazing places to me. <3

4. One question you’d ask your favorite author? I’m afraid I’d be too much in awe to think of any reasonable question…besides, “How do you write such amazing books?” <3

5. What’s your favorite thing to do in the summer?  I don’t actually like summer. I know, gasps all around. I am a hardcore Winter and Fall fan. I like Spring well enough, but Summer is the season I dread. I highly dislike hot weather, and MN gets HOT. State of extremes. ;) But let’s see…I do like some things about Summer. Like golf-cart rides, and fresh air, and the green grass.

6. Last new author you tried out? (Did you like the book?) I actually read a lot of books by new-to-me authors. :D The latest would be Kristin Billerbeck and her book, “The Theory of Happily Ever After” – and yes, I did like the book :) You can read my review for it here.

7. What’s the craziest thing you’ve done? Well, what exactly is the definition of crazy? Because I have a feeling most of my life would seem crazy to other people, but if we’re talking daring, or stupidest thing….let me think. I actually can’t come up with a good enough answer. XD

8. What’s a character trait you admire in others? Genuine kindness and selflessness.

9. What’s your favorite genre (to read)?What draws you to it? Hmm…I waffle between Biblical Fiction and Contemporary Fiction being my favourite. They each draw me in different ways. BF because it adds so much depth to the Bible, and CF because…well, honestly, I love a good (clean!!) romance…!

10. What’s one book that you wish more people knew about? Just one?!!! That’s too hard. I am a hardcore, recommend-everything by Tessa Afshar fan, but also I wish J.A. Marx’s Destiny Series was better known because it is AMAZING.

11. Do you like to cook/bake? No…? Is that an acceptable answer to this? I could lie and say something like “Oh I love it so much!” but…no. I know how to, and I prefer baking over cooking (because, yum. Baking means treats ;)) however, I probably know more cooking-related items…Anyway, it’s not a favourite past time of mine.

Eleven Facts About Me:

1.  I’m terrified of frogs. All kinds. But especially leopard frogs. *Shudders*

2.  I will eat most any vegetable, even if I don’t like it, but green beans are the exception.

3.  I’ve tried to get my nephews to call me the Hebrew name for aunt, which is ‘Doda’, but they only seem to remember to use it when they are being silly. ^.^

4.  I make homemade necklaces and sell them at our local farmer’s market. (You can see the items by clicking ‘Raechel’s Peculiar Treasures’ at the top of this blog)

5.  I have happily, and successfully, gotten my younger sister hooked on one of my favourite book series from when I was around her age. (The Bonnets and Bugles series – so good!)

6.  Snow, Winter, and the cold makes me happy. Very happy.

7.  When I was younger I had to avoid any food containing red-food-dye coloring because it would always cause my sensory-issues to become worse and make meltdowns occur.

8.  I love looking at bookish pictures, but am not so good at taking them myself.

9.  I’ve never been a huge tv-show watcher, but I fell in love with The Middle, and the series finale about made me weep, because what am I going to do now? ;)

10. I don’t like doing puzzles.

11.  I still play polly-pockets with my younger sister (and our games get quite hysterical).

There! I did it. But coming up with the 11 facts was hard. As for the 11 people I tag:

You, that person over there, you, that one person, the other person, you, oh yeah – you, and four other people. XD

Here are the questions:

1. What did you eat for your last meal? 

 2. What’s the best part of your average week?

 3. Where is the most amazing place you’ve been?

4. One question you’d ask your favorite author?

5. What’s your favorite thing to do in the summer? 

6. Last new author you tried out? (Did you like the book?)

7. What’s the craziest thing you’ve done?

8. What’s a character trait you admire in others?

9. What’s your favorite genre (to read)?What draws you to it?

10. What’s one book that you wish more people knew about?

11. Do you like to cook/bake?

Let me know if you do it, because I’d love to read your answers. :)

The Literary Dinner Party Tag :)

 

Hello and Happy Monday! For today’s “open-catagory” post, I am going to do…

The Literary Dinner Party Tag!

In a round-about-way, I was tagged by Faith of Stories by Firefly ~ see, she tagged anyone who was wearing socks while reading her post, and I was, so here I am :D It looks like a fun tag, and I’m looking forward to sharing the characters I chose for the answers!

1// A Character who can/likes to cook:

I want to say the name of a character in a novel that is not yet published (that’d be because it’s not finished yet…), but I will do my best to name characters in already published works. So… I would say, Rylan of “One Enchanted Eve” by Melissa Tagg – while she primarily ‘bakes’, I think she and Colin could produce a scrumptious feast. :)

2// A Character who has the money to fund this party:

King Hezekiah  and Queen Hephzibah of “Isaiah’s Daughter” by Mesu Andrews – they’re King and Queen, so yes, they can afford this. :D

3// A Character that might cause a scene:

Freydis – I can just picture her at a dinner party and it not going so well…!

4// A Character who is amusing:

Sarah Hollenbeck – not sure if she’ll mean to be amusing, but it will be hysterical nonetheless!

5// A Character who is super popular

Lukas De Wilde  – yep.

6// One Villain:

Alex Martin – okay, he’s not really a villain at all. And he has his good qualities. Buuuut, well, yeah. Just gonna leave it at that. ^.^

7// One couple – doesn’t have to be romantic:

I could come up with a thousand…but I will go with: Violet Hawthorne and Vance Everstone. <3

8// One hero:

Walter <3

9// One underappreciated character:

Chiara – I adore her, and her tenacity for life!

       

10// One character of your own choosing:

Again, I could choose a ton, but I’m going to go with Josey. :) Love her!

And that brings us to the end of this tag!! I tag anyone who loves books and wants to do this ;)

Are you familiar with any of the characters I named?

Author Interview! Roseanna M. White

 

Hello readers! I’m very excited to share about one of my planned monthly features – an author interview! And I will be opening this new feature with none other than Roseanna M. White! Her latest book, “A Song Unheard” just released last month, and let me tell you, it’s a beautiful story. I am thoroughly enjoying the Shadows Over England series, and am looking forward to the next book in line, “Time Unspent”.  :)

Check back here on Valentine’s Day, February 14th for the cover reveal!!

 

So without further ado, let’s begin!

 

Welcome to my “Peculiar” Blog! I’m so happy to have you here :)  Please introduce yourself and what you write:

Thanks so much for having me, Raechel! I’m Roseanna M. White, and I write historical romance, usually with a thread of suspense or intrigue or mystery. My current series is set in the early days of World War One, in England.

 

Of your books, is there a character that you relate best to? And if so, why?

A combination of two. =) My personality is very much like Ella from A Lady Unrivaled, the last book in my previous series, Ladies of the Manor. By a lot me also worked its way into my novelist-hero in A Name Unknown, first book in this newest series.

 

 

Of your latest series, “Shadows Over England”, the first two books have their own theme – “A Name Unknown” being books, and “A Song Unheard” being music. Is there one pastime you prefer over the other?

Um…I guess if it came down to it, books—whether reading them or writing them—are my deepest passion. But I do love music. I’ve been playing piano since I was seven, and that’s where I turn when I’m anxious or nervous and need to kind of tune in (ha ha) to the Lord and find peace.

 

I have heard that many authors have their own interesting writing quirk – do you have one?  If so, would you mind sharing?

 

I don’t think I’m terribly quirky about my writing…I don’t think. It’s generally just me, my laptop, the kitchen table, and exactly two cups of coffee a day. Though I do tend to zone out when in the groove, and my family has learned that they often need to repeat things several times before I actually hear them…

 

 

Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Both, LOL, depending on the day, the project, and whether I’m in a good groove or just working hard under a deadline.

 

 

How important to you is the faith-element in your writing?

I’ve just been thinking about this! It’s vitally important. While I wrote a few novels back during college that I wanted to aim at the general market, I decided then that I just couldn’t do that—I couldn’t put them out there because I didn’t feel like they glorified God. I don’t regret writing them—they helped me grow as a writer—but writing for me is a calling and ministry, so if faith isn’t a part of it, then it’s a fail. Now, other writers have different callings, and I applaud that! Some are called to write in the general market, others view writing as a job and not a ministry, so I have no beef with them either, LOL. But for me, writing is all about faith. I feel like I’m robbing the story of its vitality if I leave out the faith element.

 

 

What does your family think of your writing?

My parents and sister were always fully supportive and never minded me disappearing into my room where paper and pens called to me. My husband knew from the get-go that to love me was to support my passion, and he has been an AMAZING champion, going so far as to start a publishing company to help me achieve my dreams (WhiteFire now published 30 other authors too, which goes to show to degree of his awesomeness). As I enter each new stage of this writing life, he goes out of his way to make me successful, whether that means annual writing retreats with my best friend, conferences, or a weekly writing day away from the house. My kids have never known any other mama, LOL, so while they occasionally groan that I’m writing another book instead of playing Mario with them, they also love stories and are learning how much dedication it takes to chase a dream. Plus my daughter spends much of her own time drawing and writing, so I’ve definitely rubbed off! (The boy-child, not so much, LOL. Yet.)

 

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

That your path is your own, and it’s exactly the one the Lord wants for you. You’ll never be Francine Rivers or Lori Wick or [fill in the blank], but that’s okay. You’ll be you, and you’ll discover things about God and yourself through this journey that is worth far more than the biggest royalty check in the world.

 

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

Oh dear. Um… I have 17 finished manuscripts that are unpublished. (Some of them are earlier versions of what became The Ladies of the Manor Series, so they will definitely never be published in their original form. Others are the aforementioned general market ones that will never see the light of day. And others I still hope to find homes for eventually!) As for incomplete ones…not they’re all even half finished, but I have about 50 files in my “WIPs” folder. Most of them will probably languish there forever, but I do occasionally go back in and “steal” some characters or plot for contracted books, LOL. (Lukas De Wilde, for instance, was totally stolen from Giovanni, the hero of a book I wrote in college called To Dance with Lightning. Which title I also intend to steal at some point too, LOL.)

 

 

What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

Wow. Well, most of my friends at this point are other authors, including my very bestest friend ever, Stephanie Morrill. Stephanie writes young adult novels—we met at our first ACFW conferences, where we were both pregnant and had matching bags, which sparked conversation. We became critique partners afterward and soon got to the point where every stray thought must be shared. We just realized last fall when those kids we’d been pregnant with turned ten that it’s been a DECADE since we met! At that point in time, we were both unpublished. Now we’ve both worked with several different publishers, tried the indie/small press route, and gone through quite a lot of ups and downs together.

Stephanie makes me look at things differently, is always there to help brainstorm, all that fun stuff. But I think what I appreciate most about her critiquing is that she knows when to say, “No, that’s not what you meant to happen here. You meant her to do this.” And she’s inevitably right. Beyond that, Stephanie is also an avid reader of craft and industry books (which I am not) and will share new things she learns (I so appreciate that!) and we hold each other accountable. I can’t imagine being on this journey without her!

 

And lastly, would you recommend a book that my readers might like if they’ve read your Shadows Over England series?

Absolutely! If they’re looking for the same era, they should check out books by Carrie Turansky. If they want similar style in historicals but not necessarily Edwardian/WWI, then I can’t recommend Laura Franz or Lori Benton enough. And if they want to advance a bit more into modern time, definitely check out Stephanie’s The Lost Girl of Astor Street!

 

Thank you so very much, Mrs.White!

 

 

That was a fantastic interview – I love the faith-element answer, as well as what she’d tell her younger writer-self. So beautiful, and relateable for me too. I hope you enjoyed this interview, too, readers! Check back next Monday for a spotlight of “A Song Unheard”s main character, Willa Forsythe!

 

 

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. Find out more at www.RoseannaMWhite.com and get exclusive content when you sign up for her newsletter.

 

 

 

 

*Some images were taken from google/pixabay, but some were provided by the author, or created by me.

A Belated Holiday Tag

Hello! How has everyone’s New Year been so far? Still dancing in the excitement of a fresh year, or has that worn off a little for you? Regardless of the sparkle and pop of the new year, this time of year is a favourite time for me – I love Winter. After the holidays are over, I know a lot of people feel that Winter can move on, but I love finding the quiet and peace that so often accompanies this time of year. Life (usually) slows down even just a little bit, and the bitter temperatures force one to stay inside their (hopefully) cozy homes. This year, for us, has still been a bit busy, but I am hoping for some quietness to commence before Spring arrives with all its gardening needs… ^.^

So, the reason for this post: Ry over at Life on a Farm With God tagged me for this Holiday ‘Tag’. So, thank you Ry! I am a bit late in finally getting around to it, but hey, better late than never, right? Onward and forward… :)

 

What was your favorite gift you received this year?

That would probably have to be either a pillow I got that says “Save the Texas Prairie Chickens” with a TPC on it (it’s a reference to one of my favourite shows…), or my FABULOUS Michael Nesmith Tshirt that looks like this:

It’s the cover of one of his album’s made out of the lyrics from one of his songs. I, personally, love it. XD

What was your favorite gift you gave this year?

Hmmm, maybe the sequin-pillow I gave my sister…

What was the craziest or weirdest gift you gave this year?

Hehe, well, probably a container shaped like a lightbulb filled with quotes from the tv show “MacGyver” for my kindred spirit. :)

What is your favorite Christmas scent?

Maybe Pine…though I like that all year round.

What is the one sacred tradition you did to celebrate New Years Eve and how does it make it special?

Umm…well, I don’t really have one of these. I’m not a night owl at all, and with having animal chores to do morning and night, I don’t stay up late, like, ever. I think I’ve stayed up till midnight for New Years Eve once or twice….but it’s not a habit I keep. Sorry. :P

Do you like New Years or Christmas better?  Why?

I’m going to ‘break the mold’ again here I guess…we don’t actually celebrate Christmas (we celebrate Jesus’ birth, but we do that in the Fall, during the Feast of Tabernacles, which is when He came to ‘tabernacle’ with us – live in us. And we celebrate the Winter Feast, The Feast of Dedication.) So, I’m going to alter this question a little, and answer it by saying: The Feast of Dedication is my favourite, but I do like the ‘fresh-ness’ that comes with the New Year. :)

What is one movie you like to watch during Christmastime/ New Years??

“While You Were Sleeping” is a favourite movie of mine, and we almost always watch “Elf” this time of year too. :)

Did you watch the new star wars movie? If so what was your favorite part?

No, I didn’t. I haven’t seen any of the star wars movies….

Lastly, what was your favorite joke you read between Christmas and New Years??

Oh golly….while I might’ve heard a good joke during this time, I can’t call to mind any….so I’ll just share a funny thing from Pinterest:

:D

Sooooo, I guess that’s it! As for who I tag: You. :)

A couple Blog Tags

Hello, and happy Sunday Morning!

I thought, since I have a few moments for once, I would do a couple blog tags – because those are always fun, aren’t they? The first one I saw on facebook, but I didn’t want to post it there, so I thought why not bring it here. And the second tag is from Marrock’s blog, where he tagged whomever wished to do it. Granted that was a couple weeks ago, but I’m assuming the open-invitation is still valid. ;) So, here we go…

 

 

1. Who are you named after? Both my first and middle name are family names. :)
2. Last time you cried? Last night.
3. Do you like your handwriting? It’s okay.
4. What is your favorite lunch meat? Turkey.
5. Longest relationship? My parents and siblings. :D
6. Do you still have your tonsils? I do not.
7. Would you bungee jump? Goodness, no.
8. Favorite kind of cereal? Organic Honey-nut-O’s.
9. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Nope.
10. Favorite Ice cream? Vanilla. I do love vanilla mint chip though, too.
11. What is the first thing you notice about a person? Um…Their face maybe?
12. Football or baseball? Baseball I guess, though I don’t watch either.
13. What color pants are you wearing? Varous coloured-striped pj pants. XD
14. Last thing you ate? A bowl of cereal last night.
15. What are you listening to right now? Birds singing outside the window.
16. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Hot pink.
17. What is your Favorite smell? Books!
18. Last Person you talked to on the phone? …..I have to think about this one…My brother-in-law, I believe (though I didn’t really talk to him, just answered the phone..)
19. Married? Nope.
20. Hair color? Brown
21. Eye color? A mix between green and hazel, with copper specks.
22. Favorite foods to eat? Chocolate. Cheeseburgers. Pizza. Chocolate. ;)
23. Scary movies or happy endings? Happy Endings most definitely.
24. Last movie you watched? As in a movie-movie, or would a tv show count? Last tv show would be The Monkees, and last movie would be… “The Minions” I think.
25. Favorite color? Hot pink. Army green.
26. Favorite Holiday? Hanukkah.
27. Beer or Wine? Um, neither? I’ve never had beer, and I don’t like wine.
28. Night owl or morning person? Morning person
29. Favorite day of the week? Saturdays because they’re our rest days, and Sunday’s because I like watching a couple shows that are on as a family. I also like Mondays because the mail comes. ;)
30. Favorite season? WINTER! I even sang a song about it last night. Not that I’ll share that, but yes, I love Winter. Fall is a close second though!

 

 
1.Why did you start blogging? Well, I was 11, and it sounded like fun. Thankfully, my blog has changed, grown, and matured since then (and I actually don’t have the same blog as I did when I was 11, just to note that. This one is from when I was 14. ^.^).
2. How did you come up with the title of your blog? De Bible. Love that verse about being God’s Peculiar Treasures!
3. What’s your favorite thing about blogging? The community, the friendships.
4. Are your novels usually plot driven, or character driven? Character driven, I think. I can be both, but characters are probably my main focus.
5. Have you ever thought that the movie was better than the book? Hmm… good question. I haven’t actually read a ton of books that get turned into movies, so I guess I’m not sure. Maybe I’ll say “How to Train Your Dragon” – because, while I do *adore* the books, the movie is quite different, but one of my most favourites.
6. Of the four Pevensie children from the Chronicles of Narnia, which do you relate to the most? Lucy. I’m also the same age as the actress in the movie, and growing up, I was always told I looked just like her, which was fun. ^.^
7. What is your favorite fandom(s)? “Are you ready for this?!” (quote from a tv series screentest…*cough*).

 

Okay, so you probably get the gist, though I could go on. Their show is the greatest, and their music is fantastic too. No, they are not a “boy band”. Yes, they are better than “The Beatles”.

Another “fandom” favourite of mine:

I mean, ahh! So cute!
8. What is your favorite genre to read? A lot? Probably Biblical Fiction at the top. But I enjoy so many others too. :)
9. What do you do more than the other, writing or reading? Reading. While I adore writing, I don’t do it near as much as reading.
10. How do you rate a book? 5 Star system. 5 = I absolutely adored it, 4= it was a very good read, 3= it was good, not super, but good, 2= I didn’t like it, 1= I hated it.
11. Who is your favorite author, and what is the first question you would ask them if you could? Tessa Afshar, Chuck Black, Stephanie Landsem…I could go on. And I don’t know if I could come up with actual questions if I met them. I’d probably just rave about how much I love their books! I might ask about their writing-process…

 

 

And that’s all! If any of you would like to do either of these tags, please feel free to! I won’t tag anyone because I know Summer is a busy time of year, so if you can fit it in and want to do it, go for it! If not, no biggie. Let me know if you do though, so I can read your answers. :)

 

 

 

Questions:

1. Who are you named after?  
2. Last time you cried? 
3. Do you like your handwriting? 
4. What is your favorite lunch meat?
5. Longest relationship?
6. Do you still have your tonsils?
7. Would you bungee jump?
8. Favorite kind of cereal?
9. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
10. Favorite Ice cream?
11. What is the first thing you notice about a person?
12. Football or baseball?
13. What color pants are you wearing?
14. Last thing you ate?
15. What are you listening to right now?
16. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
17. What is your Favorite smell?
18. Last Person you talked to on the phone?
19. Married?
20. Hair color?
21. Eye color?
22. Favorite foods to eat?
23. Scary movies or happy endings?
24. Last movie you watched?
25. Favorite color? .
26. Favorite Holiday?
27. Beer or Wine?
28. Night owl or morning person?
29. Favorite day of the week?
30. Favorite season?

 

 
1.Why did you start blogging? 
2. How did you come up with the title of your blog?
3. What’s your favorite thing about blogging?
4. Are your novels usually plot driven, or character driven?
5. Have you ever thought that the movie was better than the book? If so, what movie/book was it?
6. Of the four Pevensie children from the Chronicles of Narnia, which do you relate to the most?
7. What is your favorite fandom(s)?
8. What is your favorite genre to read?
9. What do you do more than the other, writing or reading?
10. How do you rate a book?
11. Who is your favorite author, and what is the first question you would ask them if you could?

The Ten Random Questions Tag

Hello, today I have another tag to do, this time tagged to me bt Shantelle at A Writer’s Heart. Since random is always fun, I gladly went along with it. :)

Guidelines:

• Use the header if you want to. :)
• Answer the questions
• Take five of the questions you answered and make up five more for the people that you tagged to answer
• Tag as many people as you wish!

 

 

1) What is something you loved to do when you were little?  Play softball. I was a short-haired softball fanatic. ^.^ Not lying. I still enjoy softball, but haven’t played it in a while.

2) If you had to change your first name, what would it be? Hmm…I rather like my name. If I  *had* to change it, I guess I’d go with either something really unique or else my middle name. :)

 3) If you had to dye your hair an unnatural color for one week, what color would it be? Aw, just for one week? I’d go bright rainbow or ombre’. I would absolutely love that! I’d totally die my hair rainbow colours if I could.

4) What book are you reading at the moment? “Destiny Delivered” by J.A. Marx. It’s an amazing book (second in a tightly knit series, so it has to be read in order)!

5) What era would you enjoy dressing up in? Several…The Medieval era definitely, and also the 1940’s, and the 50’s would be fun too.

6) How many siblings do you have? Two :)

7) What’s your favorite type of dance? Oh golly, I don’t really know any dances…The Regency dancing is fun to watch. As for what type of dancing I like to do…um, just dancing from the heart. XD

8) What’s your favorite restaurant? We don’t eat out a whole lot…but I really do love Culver’s. :D

9) What version of the Bible do you read?  The King James Version. :)

10) What’s one hope for 2017?  To grow more in Yeshua, and also to read a lot of my TBR books. :D (That was two! Whoops).

So, there we go. As for who I tag:

You. If you, reader, are inclined, interested, desiring to do this tag, go for it.

Here are the Questions:

1. If you had to dye your hair an unnatural color for one week, what color would it be?

2. What book are you reading at the moment?

3. How many siblings do you have?

4. What is something you loved to do when you were little?

5. If you had to change your name, what would you change it to?

6. What was the last movie you saw in Theaters?

7. Do you have a favourite kind of tea/coffee?

8. If you could travel to any state in the USA, which would you choose?

9. What do you like best about blogging?

10. Favourite form of chocolate?

Q&A Blog Tag

Hellloooo.

I was tagged by Ashley for the Q&A tag – thank you Ashley!

 

Here’s how it work: you answer ten questions, create ten questions of your own, then “tag” ten other people to participate!

 

1.If you could meet any author, who would you want to meet? Oooh that’s hard. Never mind, scratch that – super easy. I’d meet author MacKenzie Morganthal. Yep. No doubt about it!

2. What is your dream job? Oh golly…I’m awful at this question. I guess the simple answer would be: I don’t have a dream job.Not really. I want to be a couple things, but I don’t know if I’d classify them as “dream job”. I just want to want what God wants. :)

3. If you could travel to either Narnia, Middle Earth, or “a galaxy far, far away”, which would you choose to visit? Why? Narnia. Because it’d be pretty neat, and also because I’m not “into” LotR of Star Wars. :)

4. What is your favorite genre to read? Magic-less fantasy/fairytale, and yes…Clean Christian Romance.

5. Who is your favorite fictional character, and why?   Whoah. What a question. Is this answerable?!

   

   I have so many favourite fictional characters. :D Molly Gibson (Wives and Daughters), Elinor (Sense and Sensibility), Walter (“A Distant Melody”), Jace (“Resistance”), and of course my own characters. Really, I don’t think I can answer this question justly. I love so many characters.

6. Do you have a favorite Bible verse? Again, I have so many. Psalm 27 is special to me though, among many other passages. :)

7. What is/was your favorite school subject?  

Favourite subject in school? Funny question. ;) I guess history was probably my favourite.

8. If you’re a writer, what is your favorite part of the writing process (rough draft, editing, etc)? Rough draft. I love the first writing process. Editing…not so much.

9. What is your favorite book-to-movie adaptation? I’d like to say “Wives and Daughters” by Elizabeth Gaskell but I haven’t read the entire book yet…I’ll go with “North and South” by Elizabeth Gaskell though – I love the book and movie!

10. Are you a coffee drinker or a tea drinker? Tea drinker for sure. I love tea and have at least one cup a day. :)

 

Questions for the people I tag:

 

1. What is your favourite Season?
2.  What is your favourite hot drink?
3.  Do you have a favourite author? (Or top 3)
4.  If you’re a writer, what is your favourite part of the process?
5.  Would you rather read the book  or watch the movie?
6.  You can have any pet in the world – what would you choose?
7.  Are you an outside person or an inside person?
8.  Do you have a favourite music band/group/singer?
9.  Favourite online media site (Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, etc.)?
10.  What are you currently reading?

 

And I tag:

Faith at Stories by Firefly!

Soleil at Reviews by Soleil

Marrok at MarrokMacintyre

 

and anyone who wants to participate. :)

Thanks again, Ashley for tagging me!

 

 

** All gifs taken from Pinterest. And yes, maybe I did use one too many, but I needed an excuse to use some gifs of The Monkees. XD

 

Blog Launch & Interview

Good morning. :)

Today I am participating in the Blog Launch of a friend’s – I’ve also got an interview for you. So let us waste no time…

 

 

• Introduce yourself and your blog please:  Hello, I’m Marrok MacIntyre and this is my blog marrokmacintyre.blogspot.com

 

 

• What made you decide you wanted to start a blog?  I decided to start a blog to get in touch with my future readers, so that they can get to know a little bit about me, through my posts. And I thought a blog was a good way to do that.

 

 

• What is the main focus of your blog (what will you be posting about primarily)? Well let’s see. Besides comic/movie/book reviews I’ll post tips or something to do with our Christian walk. I want to help others become a better artist or writer or maybe even a better Christian. Because my main goal is to glorify Christ with everything I do, whether that be in my art, my writing, or my walk.

 

 

• Where do you see your blog in 5 years? Let’s see, in five years… If God be willing, with my current book series (that I’m currently writing) finished and on to the release of my second fantasy adventure novel.

 

 

• How long have you been drawing? Well I think I’ve been drawing since I was little. So it’s been like all my life. 

 

 

• How would you classify your art? (Like the style) Well I’m very versatile when it comes to drawing. I’ve drawn very western, eastern (think anime and manga), I’ve even done the Disney style. But I guess my style is more of a hybrid of a western and eastern style.

 

(This piece was meant to look like a fantasy story bookish kind of piece)

 

• What kind of movies are your favourites? My favorite kind of movie is the high action kind. Or maybe the superhero kind. I guess both. The high action superhero movies.

 

 

 

• Do you have a favourite among comics? Well, I can’t say I have a favorite. But one of my all time favorites is Planet Hulk. It has a great story with a very sad ending.

MarrokMacintyre.blogspot.com is launching its first post today, Thursday the 27th, and will be hosting a giveaway as well, so be sure to check that out. :)