Weekend Reads: Awakened (The Soul Chronicles) by Morgan Busse (Lizzie)

A few years ago I read the steampunk, loose Frankenstein-retelling Tainted by Morgan Busse. You can check out my review here. Me being me, I’ve just now finished the two-book series (I may be a little slow, but I do, usually, get around to things), the second and final book being Awakened. Isn't the cover amazing?

Awakened is a great conclusion to the story and was better even than the first book. In the first book, Kat Bloodmayne—born with strange powers she can’t use for fear of unleashing the monster inside her—is desperate to find a doctor who can cure her. Her soul is dying and her hold on her powers getting weaker. Stephen Grey is an angry, broken bounty hunter who agrees to help Kat but then, after discovering her powers and a murder charge against her, turns her over to the Tower, a corrupt scientific center partly run by Kat’s cold, cruel father, a place Stephen suspects is performing experiments on stolen corpses—and the nearly dead. Stephen returns to rescue her, however, and they have a dramatic escape.

Book two focuses on their search for a Dr. Latimer to cure Kat. With plenty of adventure, romance, and steampunkness—airships, canon arms, corsets, and so on—Awakened also has a wonderful picture of forgiveness and healing in Kat and Stephen’s relationship and in their dealing with the hurts of their past. I also appreciated the look at science and faith, the natural and the supernatural in the book, as Kat’s problem falls outside the realm of the natural world, forcing her to search for help from a disgraced doctor who believes in something beyond it. As a Christian and a biologist, and as someone who enjoyed Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, I enjoyed that aspect of the novel and the additional depth it gave to a fun story of adventure and romance. If you’re looking for a great steampunk series, or just a good adventure-romance, check out Morgan Busse’s The Soul Chronicles.

And if you're a fan of audiobooks, both books just released on audio!

The Long List of Top Books and Authors of 2019 (Lizzie)

I'm not finished reading for the year yet, but since this is my last post of the year, I decided to dedicate it to my favorite books and authors of the year so far. I actually, for the first time, keep a list of the books I read. It's been really fun to see how many I actually read (or started previously and finished). The total for full-length books (fiction and non-fiction) is 37! I also read 7 novella-length books! I read fewer non-fiction books this year (and only finished one writing book), so I will have to work on that in 2020, but I "discovered" novellas this year, which was a pleasant surprise. As for favorite books this year, I couldn't do a Top 3 Books because I loved so many of them, so I'm breaking them down into categories. :)

Top 3 Most Read Authors of 2019

There were many authors this year (some new to me) who convinced me to read a second book, or third, or more. One stands out a little more than the rest...

1. WR Gingell with 8 novels and 2 novellas (Lady of Dreams, Lady of Weeds, Spindle, and the addicting City Between series currently consisting of 5 novels and 2 novellas)

2. Christopher Healy with his three delightful and hilarious The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom middle grade stories.

3. H.L. Burke with Nyssa Glass House of Mirrors, To Court a Queen, and Spellsmith and Carver Magician's Rivarly (I may need to move her up before the end of the year since I have at least one other book currently on my Kindle app).

For authors who I read two books of (and have read or likely will read more by), the list is long (which is exciting): Lea Doue,  Patrick Carr, Nadine Brandes, JF Rogers, RC Sproul, Morgan Busse.

Top 3 Fantasy Romance Novellas

(You can find more information about these on my post here.)

1. Nyssa Glass: House of Mirrors by H.L. Burke
2. Mirrors and Pearls by Lea Doue
3. Curse and Consequence by Savannah Jezowski

Top Fantasy Novels with Romance

1. Lady of Weeds by W.R. Gingell
2. Lady of Dreams by W.R. Gingell
3. The Lord of Dreams by C.J. Brightley

4. Firethorn Crown by Lea Doue
5. Identity by Camille Peters

6. Fawkes and Romanov by Nadine Brandes

7. Mark of the Raven and Flight of the Raven (Ravenwood Chronicles) by Morgan Busse

Top Short Stories

I have to brag on my friends and I for all the fantastic short fairytale retellings in our anthology Encircled.

Deep Magic Winter edition is also a winner just based on the two short stories I've read so far.

Top Non-Fantasy Books

Non-fiction

1. Star Struck: Seeing the Creator in the Wonders of Our Cosmos by David Bradstreet and Steve Rabey

2. The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul

3. Fight Write by Carla Hoch (Okay, I've only read a few chapters of this, but it already deserves a place here.)

Historical Fiction

1. The End of the Magic by Patrick Carr

2. More Than Words Can Say by Karen Witemyer

3. The Silent Songbird by Melanie Dickerson

Top Series to Read More of in 2020

1. City Between by WR Gingell

2. The Firebrand Chronicles by JM Hackman

3. Ravenwood Chronicles by Morgan Busse

I enjoyed that. :) So many great reads this year! And so many books on my TBR pile for Christmas break and next year. What are your favorites reads of 2019 so far? Which books are you looking forward to in 2020?

Top 3's (Katie)

Top 3 Books I've Read in 2019 (Katie)

Fall is in full swing, even if it doesn't feel like it everywhere (where I live, and as I'm writing this, it is 92 degrees). I've been thinking about the books I've read so far this year, and there's quite the stack. Some have been amazing, some not good at all, and others somewhere in the middle. For today, I'd like to highlight my top 3 (so far!) for the year.

#3 Within These Lines

Within These Lines by Stephanie Morrill is a YA historical fiction set in California during WWII. I have never read a Stephanie Morrill book that I haven't fallen in love with, and this was no different. By the way, I saw on her Facebook page this week that she has new book contract news she'll be sharing soon, so yay!

#2 Flight of the Raven

Flight of the Raven by Morgan Busse is book 2 in the series (you can learn about the series on Goodreads here). This series is gripping, fascinating, emotional, and powerful. I can hardly wait for book 3!

#1 The Electrical Menagerie

The Electrical Menagerie by Mollie Reeder was, I admit, a surprising hit out of the ballpark. Not that I was expecting to NOT like it. Not at all. Only that I had never met or heard of Mollie or her writings before, so I wasn't sure what to expect at all. I read it after seeing a post on this blog about it (Laurie's post here).

This book made me cry, and this may be because I felt an emotionally personal connection starting in chapter 1, but I also think it's because the book is fabulous. It's full of mystery, adventure, real and raw characters, and a whole bunch of awesome gadgets. I definitely recommend it!

*Read any good books this year? Please share, because I'm always looking for new stuff to try!*

Realm Makers Conference 2019 (Lizzie)

If you're a writer and you get the chance to go to Realm Makers Conference, go. It's a wonderful experience with lots of friendly, fun, kind people and great teachers. (If you're unfamiliar with Realm Makers, it is an association for Christian writers of speculative fiction.) This was my first time to attend the Realm Makers Conference, and I really hope I can go next year.

Today, for this Writers Life Post, I'm going to share some of my notes. (This is one the few times in my life I actually went home and typed up the notes from a lecture or conference!) To give you some reference, these notes comes from the classes I attended and Brent Weeks's (amazing) opening and closing key note addresses.

[Side note: This post is more focused on encouragement and wisdom in the writing life with some practical tips. If you want a dose of practical writing tips as well, check out my recent guest post on NobleBright about making villains your readers will want redeemed.]

Opening Key Note with Brent Weeks

Brent Weeks on his conversion to Christianity: “It only took a huge miracle and literature.”

Horace: The purpose of writing is first to delight, then teach.

1) Trust what God tells you. Put up your Ebeneezers (reminders of what God has done)
2) Sometimes what the world thinks is dumb is what God wants.
3) God uses our screw-ups. He shines a revealing light to show what is blinding us.


It took a long time and a lot of hard work and rejection and odd jobs and sacrifice (including not taking a normal, steady job and having a house, etc.) for Brent Weeks to start making it as a writer.

How to succeed in Hollywood (without losing your soul) by Dr. Ted Baehr

You’ve got to care about every scene.
A story starts with a promise that the story will lead somewhere.

Family friendly movies sell better than "Restricted" movies. Hollywood wants more family friendly movies.

A great script has a strong premise. It’s not obtuse. It must have a clear premise and direction.

No excuses. If you're not serious, get out.

A lot of people in the Christian community feel sorry for themselves. Don’t know why they do. We are more than conquerors in Christ.

From Michael Howell (Dr. Baehr’s assistant) on using bad language: Sergeant York didn’t have cussing, but you believed the character. You don’t have to compromise on language.

Don’t Preach: Organic Writing and the Christian Worldview by Morgan Busse

The God you know is the God you bring to your story. Know your God better, and it will come out in your story. What drives your character? Use this to bring your characters closer to God.

Have a heart for the people you are trying to reach.

Tips and Tricks to Capture Your Reading Audience by Ronie Kendig

Every story has been written, but not the way you write it.

If you’re questioning something, fix it.

Closing Key Note with Brent Weeks

He told story of Admiral Stockdale, a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. It was a terrible story of torture and hardship, but Admiral Stockdale persevered. He created a system of communication with his men (they were in solitary confinement) using sweeps of the broom as Morse code. He gave them a code of conduct and told them what torture to expect that day because he went first. When he found he was going to be used for propaganda purposes, he hurt himself to prevent it—cut of his own scalp, beat himself unrecognizable with a chair because he knew they wouldn't showcase a disfigured POW. Eventually, the captors became lighter on him and his men because they couldn't break him. Later, when interviewed, he said it wasn’t the optimists who made it. They would say “we’ll get out at this next holiday.” They died after the holiday passed. The realistic ones made it.

You must confront harsh reality. Ask, what is stopping you from completing your books?

What is stopping you from achieving your dream?

He also spoke of locking himself away for a long time to try to finish a book by the contract deadline and the damage that did to his health and family and creative ability. His wife and kids needed his presence. He believed they needed his money. He saw his contract and fans as his top promise. 

We have a duty to love those around us.
We can’t defraud and abandon our friends and family for art and expect God to say “well done.”

Don’t abuse yourself for art. Your body is the rugged temple of the Lord. It needs real exercise, food, relationships. 

He mentioned Proverbs 6, where it speaks about begging to have your name erased—meaning, try to get out of bad contracts. He asked for extension on the book contract.

Recognize the lie that you don't have time for exercise. The truth is that you’re much more focused and creative if you take time to exercise.

We aren’t literature vending machines. We’re human beings.

If God made you a confronting Jeremiah, don’t try to be a comforting Isaiah.

He writes for kids he doesn't even know and may never know.

Put your light on a lamp stand for her dark night.

We don’t write off the world because it hates us, but we write for the world because it needs us.

Ask God for wisdom. What is he calling you to do at this point in your life?

Exodus 31:6 “Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you.” To all who have aptitude for craft… He has given us skill. He’ll be with you. Be bold.

I'd like to close with this quote from Michael Howell and a reminder to keep writing. If that's your passion, stick with it!

Stay true to the gift God has given you… bring him glory and the rest will fall into place.

The Mark of the Raven by Morgan Busse | What We're Reading (Lauricia)

Mark of the Raven (The Ravenwood Saga Book 1)

by Morgan L. Busse

Lady Selene, oldest daughter of House Ravenwood, lives in a world where the seven major houses are blessed with magical gifts bestowed by the gods. Originally intended to be used together for the overall benefit of the people, the houses have isolated their gifts, instead, and shrouded them in magically-bound mystery. When Selene’s family power of dreamwalkng awakens within her, she discovers dark truths about her parents that force her to reconsider who she thought she was and who she wants to be. Her decision may save her world, but it could also tear her away from the family she loves.

There is so much about this story that I enjoyed. The setting was vividly drawn, the magic system was uniquely developed, and the characters were relatable and complex. What I appreciated the most, however, was the dark feel Busse gave the story without depriving the characters of goodness or hope. I thoroughly enjoyed Selene, and I can’t wait to read the next installment in this series.

I want to tell you more about this story, but it's so tightly woven that I can't elaborate more without giving spoilers. So you'll have to trust me on this one: you NEED to read this book. The sooner the better,

Top 3 New-to-Me Authors I Read in 2018 (Laurie)

I must admit, I have a total love/hate relationship with Top 3s posts (which is ironic, since I'm the one who came up with the idea in the first place!). I always have fun coming up with ideas for them and I love reading the Top 3s of the other bloggers at Lands Uncharted, but every time I sit down to write one of these posts I find it SO HARD to narrow my choices down to just three! And today is no exception. I've seen so many bloggers talking about their top books from 2018, but I knew there was no way I'd manage to choose only three. So instead, I thought I'd stick to authors whose books I'd never read prior to last year. It turns out, there were ten of them! And I liked them all! *Sigh* But after much painful deliberation, I finally managed to produce my Top 3 New-to-Me Authors I read in 2018 (plus an honorable mention). Enjoy!



3. Lindsay A. Franklin

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to participate in the blog tour for The Story Peddler earlier this year, and I was totally blown away by Lindsay A. Franklin's debut novel! (You can find my review here.) Fabulous world-building, fascinating characters, and such a powerful message about the importance of stories and art. I believe the second book in the series will be coming out sometime this year (it has another gorgeous cover!), and I'm looking forward to seeing what's coming next in Tanwen's adventures.

2. Sarah Delena White

I'd heard good things about Halayda by Sarah Delena White ever since it released, but for some reason it took me a while to finally get around to reading it. I was so glad when I did! Her vivid, complex characters totally captured my heart, her depiction of Faerie was such fun to explore, and her writing style was lovely. Plus, it had that perfect blend of fantasy and romance that I just adore! The sequel, Rothana, released late last year and is coming up soon in my to-read pile, I can't wait!



1. Morgan L. Busse

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Morgan L. Busse is one of those authors I've been hearing about for years, but despite my best intentions I still hadn't read any of her previous books each time she published a new release. In 2018 I made a conscious effort to change that by signing up for her advance reader team for Mark of the Raven. And what an excellent decision that was! Her world and characters drew me in right from the start, as did her lyrical prose. By the end of the book I absolutely loved the direction the story was taking, and I'm so excited to read Flight of the Raven in a few months!



And because I'm not quite decisive enough to select just three favorite new-to-me authors from 2018, I also have to give a shout-out to Pam Halter, whose debut YA fantasy novel Fairyeater was absolutely wonderful. Deep characters, an inspiring message, and such cool world-building!


Have you read any of these books? Did you find any new favorite authors in 2018? Let us know in the comments!


Thanks for reading!
Laurie

Top 3 Authors Who Write Books Faster Than I Can Read Them (Laurie)

You've probably heard me bemoan the insanity that is my to-read mountain before. (Like in this post, for instance...) I love that as a writer I've had the opportunity to get to know so many amazing fellow authors, but every time I meet a new author, I want to read one of his or her books. And if I like that one, I want to read the rest! Plus, I need to take some time to write, spend time with family, clean the house... The difficulty is clear. But there are a few prolific authors who cause additional challenges because they just keep publishing awesome-sounding books, far faster than I can get around to reading them. So today, I thought I'd share my top 3 authors who write books faster than I can read them :)


3) Morgan Busse

I had the opportunity to meet this lovely author at Realm Makers a few weeks ago, and I got my copy of her debut novel, Daughter of Light (Follower of the Word, Book 1), signed! Yay!! But I've owned this book for a while, and I'm quite ashamed of myself that I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. Meanwhile, she finished writing her Follower of the Word series several years ago, and has since published Tainted and Awakened (The Soul Chronicles), which I also really want to read. Now Mark of the Raven, which sounds SO good and has a gorgeous cover, is coming out in November. I have so much catching up to do!


2) Melanie Dickerson

Melanie Dickerson was one of my first introductions into the world of Christian fiction, and I just adore her sweet fairy tale romances. Once upon a time, I was all caught up on her published books. But then I became a writer, and I fell a bit behind. Then she published more of her Hagenheim Medieval fairy tale retellings. Then she branched off a new set of Medieval fairy tale retellings into the Thornbeck series. Then she published a set of Regency romances. Now she's self-publishing a Southern historical in just a few months. Do you see the problem? I want to read them all, but I'm so hopelessly behind I hardly know which of her books to pick up first! (Let me know in the comments if you have a suggestion!)


1) H.L. Burke

This girl does it all. She writes tons of books, all while organizing promotional efforts, coordinating anthologies, and homeschooling her kids. I stand in awe. Her stories have a great mix of snarky humor, cool magic systems, and swoon-worthy romances that make me want to read every one! But I just can't keep up. To illustrate how hard I'm trying, I read an advance review copy of her new July release, Flower, a few weeks ago. Now I'm reading an advance review copy of her upcoming release, Spice Bringer, while simultaneously listening to her Nyssa Glass series on audiobook. And I'm still behind! I haven't read books 2 and 3 in the Spellsmith & Carver series, I've barely touched her backlist of books, and she has two more coming out in the next few months. I salute you, H.L. Burke, but you really are contributing to the giant problem that is my TBR mountain :)


How about you? Are there any authors in your life who publish books faster than you can read them? What are some of the books at the top of your TBR pile / mountain?


Thanks for reading!
Laurie

What I'm Reading: Tainted by Morgan Busse (Lizzie)

Have you ever bought a book because of its cover? What about because of the costumes associated with the genre? Yes ... to both. I must admit a liking for steampunk costumes (the decent ones, of course). That and the recommendation of a friend enticed me to read Morgan Busse's steampunk novel Tainted, Book 1 of The Soul Chronicles. I wasn't disappointed.

In this steampunk world of Victorian-ish clothes and manners, steam-billowing factories, airships, and mechanical birds, Kat Bloodmayne is the daughter of the lead scientist at the prestigious Tower Academy of Sciences. But her father never pays her any attention, not even caring to congratulate her on becoming one the first women admitted to the Tower. Kat refuses to let that bother her, because if it does, if she loses control of her emotions, she'll lose control of the strange power she has. And then something terrible will happen--fires, windstorms, magnetic storms--AND a part of her soul will die. Studying at the Tower tries her control to the upmost.

Stephan Grey, World City Police Force's rising star, leaves the force to become a bounty hunter after a personal loss. In the poor quarters of World City, he hears of strange, terrible happenings--the homeless and the sick being kidnapped, graves being robbed--but he can't get the authorities to investigate.

Then Kat loses control, using her powers to protect a friend, and is forced into hiding. She turns to bounty hunter Grey to help her find a doctor who can help her before  her soul dies and she loses all control. But they find a sinister evil deep in the very heart of World City.

Tainted was a good read. Interesting story world, likable characters, intrigue, romance, and adventure. The descriptions of machines/aircraft, etc., that are part the steampunk-ness weren't overdone. I particularly liked Kat's relationship with her housekeeper, Ms. Stuart, who raised her and is the only true family Kat has. Ms. Stuart loves and protects Kat despite Kat's occasional misuse of her power against her as a child. A sacrificial love and commitment when none is required or expected, as the housekeeper for a lonely girl, is always encouraging to read. As for Stephan Grey, I've always liked the detective characters with contacts everywhere, among inn keepers, smugglers, and you-name-it. I like him and Kat as a couple. However, his reaction to his "personal loss" (it's not hard to figure out this will happen, but I don't want to give it away anyway) seemed over the top to me, but that may just be me. There's also a scene at the end where a character who'd been disfigured earlier in the book comes chasing after them like the monster from an old horror story. A little over the top to me, but again, that's a matter of personal taste.

In conclusion, I enjoyed my foray into steampunk and want to read more of Kat and Stephan's story in the next book,  Awakened.

Have you read any steampunk? If so, what did you think of it?