where dandelions grow | cover reveal

Gooooooooooooood morning everybody!

Or afternoon, or evening. Whatever time it is when you guys read this.

Today, I am going to be helping Lydia share the cover for her (AMAZING) book to the world! I'm currently review-reading it and I love it so far!!!!

The book will be released as an e-book on September 26th. Pre-order your copy today for just $0.99! Find the book on Amazon: TAKE A LOOK AT THE BOOK!

I cannot wait! I'll be participating in the blog tour at the end of September, as well.

Now, for the moment you've ALL been waiting for... the cover!

Cousins are forever, or at least they’re supposed to be. 

What happens when your world falls apart and your dreams are mocked by those closest to you? 

Destiny’s idyllic childhood full of laughter and cousins abruptly ended when her mom uprooted the family to move them across the country with strict instructions to never talk about Swallow Ridge again. Eleven years later Destiny moves back to her hometown, determined to find her cousins… and answers. 

Plagued by generations of bitterness and manipulation, Destiny hides her life-long goal - unwilling to let anyone else trample her fragile dreams. But living in the cozy town full of dandelions teaches Destiny there’s more to life than what she’s been taught. 

Is it possible Swallow Ridge not only holds the answers Destiny so intensely searches for, but also the hope?

Yay, I'm so excited for this!!! Like I said, the book is REALLY good so far! You ALL should read it!

Oh, before you go, one more thing. Lydia's having a... GIVEAWAY!!!!! She is going to be giving away two Amazon giftcards.

Click the link below to enter:

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

What do you think of the gorgeous cover?

Have you read Where Dandelions Grow?

Are you going to read it?

Until we meet again,

terrible writings of the past | all about the cringe-worthy WIPs i started and never finished

School is going to be starting very soon for me. 

On September 8th, to be exact. Yes, I'm homeschooled and yes, I did do school through the summer, but things will be back in full swing in September rather than maybe lazily doing a lesson or two of math every few days.

And with the new school year comes new beginnings.

I've had so many new beginnings with my writing I can't even count. But, I have finally begun a journey that I will get to the end of. A novel that I will finish!

But, that is for another time. Today I'm gonna be talking about aaalllll my unfinished novels.

Actually, no, not really. That'd be a lot of books. I'm only going to be featuring a few in this post.

Be aware that most of these unfinished and terrible novels came from a very cliché mind (don't worry, I've passed that stage). Some of them are absolutely terrible and others are just a bit cringe-worthy if at all. Enjoy.

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genre: Christian Contemporary

word count: 9,208

NaNoWriMo 2016 Novel

Ugh, I hate this one so much. Halfway through NaNo I just quit because it was just ripping me to pieces. Every time I logged onto that document I was depressed because I didn't want to write that story. I thought I did at first, but as soon as I was about 2,000 words in...nah ah. I just couldn't stand it.

In Moving On, a fourteen-year-old named Janelle is just starting High School. She and her mom have just moved and her dad had also died about a year earlier. Basically it's about how she's a complete train wreck starting school and how she gets over it. It's so cliché I cringe even thinking about it.

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genre: Historical Fiction, YA

word count: 12,550

Camp NaNoWriMo 2016 Novel

I actually really, really love this book. It is very cliché, but I still love it. For a while I have wanted to restart it, but haven't been able to bring myself to do it.

Bringing in the Sheaves is about two fourteen year old cousins name Livy (Olivia) Storm and Avery Williams. They are on the trail West with Livy's parents and Avery's father. Avery's mother died a few months earlier and her dad has a weak/diseased heart, so she needs to learn to bring her troubles to God and let Him do His work in her life. I really wish that this story would work for me, but Historical fiction isn't really what I do.

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genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, YA

word count: 532

Random Plot Bunny

Yeah...this one didn't go too far. I seriously didn't get past the plot before this book went into the "To-Be-Finished Later" folder.

In Count the Stars, every person has their own Star that watches over them - kinda like a guardian angel. One day, a girl's Star falls from the sky, and she has to help him get back to his home. I really, really love the idea. I may even continue writing it someday...just not right now.

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genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade

word count: 1,307

Random Plot Bunny

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!! I just...never wrote much of it.

In The Chest in the Attic, three girls, one Jewish, one Christian, and one neither who are from different countries are sent to a safe house in Switzerland as WWII rages on. At the house, they explore the attic and find - you guessed it - a chest. The chest is locked, and they are trying to find the key to open it, which is hidden somewhere in the town. Maybe someday I'll finish this. Someday...

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genre: Medieval Fantasy, Fairy-tale Retelling

word count: 10,495

Camp NaNoWriMo 2017 Novel

This book was so much fun to write...for the first 9,000 words. After that I had to force myself to write more...and then I stopped.

The Rose's Shadow is a Beauty and the Beast retelling following Blaire, the oldest of twelve princesses. When her youngest sister falls ill in the night, she and Colene, the second oldest sister, must ride out into the night to get a special medicine for her. On the way back, the two are separated and Blaire comes upon an old castle...which leads to the whole Beauty and the Beast part.

I really, really, really want to rewrite the whole thing and start over, buuuuuuuuuuuut I don't really want to. I have a sort of love hate relationship with this book right now.

Yes, those are five of the past writings that I failed to finish. Because September is the month of new beginnings! I shall throw all these writings away and step forward with a clean slate!

Or, I could just leave them in a folder to collect dust until I feel like maybe finishing them.

Yeah... I'll go with the latter thought.

what did you think of my failed writings?

should I take them from their shelves, dust them off, and continue them?

or not?

Stay Beautiful,

happy birthday to THE OLD RIVER ROAD

It’s been one year since Ivy Rose’s debut novel was released! To celebrate The Old River Road‘s first birthday, the eBook will be discounted to $.99 on Amazon July 8th - 10th. Also, she is revealing the title of book two in the Long Lake Legacy series.

1885

    When seventeen-year-old Clara Boutwell married her dashing coworker, William McDonald, she was convinced her life was near perfect. The journey before them as newlyweds in the great city of Chicago was promising and exciting. But a frightening disease soon takes William in its grip, forcing them to the clean air of the western frontier in a desperate attempt to save his life. But pioneering doesn’t prove to be easy, with miles between neighbors instead of fences. On the eastern Washington prairies, the McDonalds face hardships and trials in a new world where everything is tested, from physical endurance to emotional strength—down to their relationship and faith in the Lord.

    This novel tells the incredible true story of Clara and William, the great-great grandparents of the author, in a sweet narrative full of laughter, tears, and the struggles of an early pioneering family. Prepare yourself to share in their experience as you read this account of a pioneer family in Washington state, and see their lasting legacy that has endured into the fifth generation.

Get on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

MOCK COVER, not the final product

Add on Goodreads

Check out the other blog stops this weekend...

Abigayle Claire @ The Left-Handed Typist

Faith Potts @ Stories by Firefly

Victoria Lynn @ Ruffles and Grace

Jesseca Wheaton @ Whimsical Writings

About the Author

Ivy Rose is a young novelist with a passion to create beautiful fiction. She’s been accused of wearing out coffee makers and clearing the entire house of its chocolate supply. Armed with a desire to create scenarios readers can easily relate to, she writes in many genres about ordinary individuals faced with extraordinary choices. When not studying for exams, she can be found practicing fiddle, TaeKwonDo, or ATV-ing the Pacific Northwest.

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Have you ever read The Old River Road, or any of Ivy Rose's books? You know, it's her birthday too, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY IVY!! Congratulate her with me for publishing an awesome book a year ago!

A QUESTION OF COURAGE | cover reveal

(this is going to be a really quick post bc NaNo has started plus I'm super busy so no really pretty title image :( )

Ok, guys. I am literally so excited because GAH A QUESTION OF COURAGE HAS A COVER.

It is SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!! Like, I think I'm in love. AND YOU MUST BE TOO CAUSE IT'S GORGEOUS.

A man. A decision. A destiny. 

Rafe Sullivan never imagined the war would come to his doorstep. But when Pearl Harbor is attacked and America's focus suddenly shifts to the Pacific, he finds he can't ignore the problem anymore. 

Leaving the life he loves behind, he joins up to do what he does best. Fly. 

Yet, nothing could have prepared him for the horrors of war, and the struggle that is going on in his own heart. As an outstanding Navy pilot, he is stationed on one of the few Pacific carriers. But could God be calling him to step out in faith, and go beyond the call of duty? 

Lily Wilson gives her all to help the hurting community around her. With the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the war is brought home to many American families. And as a nurse, she longs to be able to relieve some of the suffering. Yet, her own grief is still fresh in her heart, and though she's made the decision to get on with her life, she can't seem to leave the past behind. When healing at last comes, the guard she placed around her heart slowly begins to crumble. 

But when she receives the news she hoped she would never again hear, can she trust that God’s plan is always right?

Arthur Warrington saw the Navy as an escape from the life he left behind. And it seems good for him. He is able to forge new friendships and distance himself from his past. But when his best friend makes a decision that rocks his world, he is left grappling with the question: what is true courage? 

Three lives. One War. And a search for the Courage to go on.

Add it on Goodreads

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And the blurb. Oooohhhh the blurb. I cannot wait to actually read the book. It'll be amazing. <3

ten books that SHOULD be on your our TBR | and of course i've already read them all

My To Be Read pile is growing so much I can't keep up with it. My Already Read pile...well, it's takin' a little longer.

I've read many amazing books in my time. I haven't read as many horrible ones as good ones. It's mostly good ones. That's why it was actually quite easy for me to come up with ten books that SHOULD be on your TBR. Keep in mind that I am a fangirl of all of these books and that I may rant for a while on each one. You never know. Sometimes I'm so shocked I'm speechless and others I could talk for hours about that book. I am unpredictable.

1. Dana's Valley (Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan)

I've always been a fan of Janette Oke, but seriously. Dana's Valley blew every other book she's ever written out of the water and into the desert.

I cried, I laughed, I fell so in love with the characters that when something bad happened to them I would tear up. When I was half-way through the book I felt like I'd lived with the characters forever and when I was finished I was crying because I wanted more. I wanted more of the book but it was over. I had read it all. And it all broke my heart.

Yeah. Read this book. Right now. I DARE you.

2. Keeper of the Lost Cities Series (Shannon Messenger)

No. Words. Mouth. Paralyzed. CANNOT SPEAK OF THESE BOOKS' EXPLICIT AWESOMENESS. I'm sure you've read them and if you haven't well...go read them now.

3. Left to Die (Ivy Rose)

This is only one of the books by Ivy Rose that I just HAD to feature in this post. It is about a missionary in China who discovers a baby left to die in the trash. It's very heartwarming and a good read for all ages. :)

4. Dandelion Dust (Faith L. Potts)

Another book that made me cry...I made that mock cover up there for this post because she doesn't have an official one. Dandelion Dust will be release in June sometime and I am SO EXCITED!!

5. The Old River Road (Ivy Rose)

Another book by Ivy Rose (yayayayayay!!!). This one was released a year earlier than Left to Die, and it is about her great grandmother and how she got married and traveled West.

6. A Question of Honor (Jesseca Wheaton)

And...words have failed me again. This is an amazing book set in WWII about a grown man and a little girl. I beta-read for Jesseca for this book, and even before it was edited and everything, I loved it.

7. The Mysterious Benedict Society Series (Trenton Lee Stewart)

Ok, ok. Maybe I haven't read all the books in this series (yet), but the first one was very good. This is more of a middle grade kind of series, but I think YA readers would like it, too.

8. The Tales of Faith Series (Amanda Tero)

I beta-read for the first book in this series, Befriending the Beast, and have already read an Advanced Review Copy for the second, The Secret Slipper. The Secret Slipper will be releasing on May 25th.

9. Martin Hospitality (Abigayle Claire)

*major fangirling* Martin Hospitality is such an amazing book!!! I advise you all to read it at once or suffer my wrath. *brandishes sword* GO BUY IT NOW. IT CAME OUT IN FEBRUARY. YOU SHOULD ALL HAVE IT IN YOUR HANDS RIGHT NOW. IF YOU DON’T GO ORDER IT. All the characters are so real (if only they were real...), the settings made me feel like I was actually in Kansas with the characters, and I JUST LOVE IT SO MUCH. Abi. You are an amazing writer. Martin Hospitality will definitely be on the NYT Best Selling List. Yup. It will. Because it’s awesome. And you’re awesome. Just. Plain. Awesome.

10. The Samantha Sanderson Series (Robin Caroll)

These are middle grade books as well, so I don't know that you would like it if you are used to YA books. I read them when I was eleven and I loved them, so if you're around that age I think you will too. :)

Have you ever read any of these books? Which books in this list would you like to read? What are some books on your TBR list?

a life updates post | no, i am not dead

No, I did not unexpectedly take a two week break from blogging. No, I have not completely rejected my manuscript since late April. And no, I have not been reading blog posts and books all month and completely neglecting the glorious blogging universe.

GOOO JUDGE JUDY!!!

#lies

Yes, May along with April have been crazy busy. My dad graduated from college with a Bachelor's degree in Aviation Management on the 13th, both of my grandparents, my great grandfather, and my great aunt came up to where I live to celebrate (some of them from the Bahamas), and I became Allie Taylor's assistant and, I guess what you would call the "boss" of Young Ladies for Christ while Allie is on hiatus. Believe me, running a blog with ten other girls on it is not easy. HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU DO IT ALLIE??? TELL ME HOOOOOOWWWWW!!!!!!

No, that was definitely not a desperate cry for help . No, I am not complaining and yes, I love my girls <3

Anyway, May has been crazy, April has been crazy, and June, July, and August WILL be crazy. I thought I'd give you this life updates (AKA April and May recap) post so that you know that I have not been tragically devoured by a dragon. I am still breathing in books like a vacuum and eating up every word (as always) and have not abandoned you poor creatures. What you would do without me is still unknown.

this guy looks like he's saying "seriously?" which is probably what you are saying so...

#morelies

{ LIFE LATELY }

\\ My dad graduated from college

\\ I have bought at least five cold coffee drinks in the past two months (which has actually never happened before)

\\ I became the assistant of YLFC and the current manager of sorts

\\ I spent quality time with my dad (which rarely happens so "whoop whoop!!")

\\ I talked to my Bible Study leader about relationships and whatnot (and she gave me some very valuable life info: it's not a good idea to date in High School)

\\ I walked into a brick and mortar book store for the first time in my life (don't blame me: Amazon is just as good a book store as any brick and mortar one)

{ WRITING LATELY }

Nine. Nit. Nada. Not today. AKA: I have not written in fifteen days and I am enjoying the break immensely. You know how you just love to write but at some point you're just like I NEED A BREAK OR I SHALL DROWN IN WORDS. Yep. That's how I felt after NaNo. Sorry my beautiful alpha readers for the delay of words but...you shall see more in a few days. Probably by Saturday which is a week away and technically not a few days...

{ READING LATELY }

Ok, ok. I need to remember all the books I have been reading. *checks Goodreads* I haven't been reading as much in the past two months as I usually do, but it's been some. I have been reading a lot more blog posts lately and trying to catch up with the 100 and something blogs that I follow.

\\ favorite book \\

Ummm...definitely Dana's Valley. It is such an amazing story...my heart nearly broke at the end and I actually cried. But I felt so refreshed in the end. Like everything happened as it should even though it made me feel...something. YOU MADE ME FEEL, JANETTE OKE. IT IS AN EMOTION I HAVE NEVER FELT BEFORE. HOW DARE YOU.

\\ least favorite book \\

Umm...I think the one I enjoyed the least was Rainbow Valley. It was not nearly as good as the first few Anne of Greene Gables books, and it seemed to stretch a bit so that it could be long enough. I also didn't get enough of Gilbert. I mean, seriously? He appears, like, two times in the whole book and there's no joking, cute, curly headed Gilbert there. They call him Dr. Blythe. It just seems...wrong. :P

{ POSTING LATELY (yes, I have not written a post yet in May besides this. *cringes* }

In which I do a tag.

In which I focus on my WIP.

In which I do a writing link-up.

In which I was tagged twice for the same award.

In which I win Camp NaNoWriMo.

So, yes, I am not dead. I am alive and able and willing. I hope you didn't miss me too much. I shall post again this week. I promise. I am working on another tag and something...well, let's just call it a surprise (and, no, I am not switching blogs again :P).

So, how are you? Did you miss me? Did you not miss me (I highly doubt it...)? How crazy has your life been lately? Can you guess what the surprise is?