Keen by Laura Zimmerman (Julie)

Multicolored eyes. Banshee songs. Faeries. Teenage love. Death. All come together to make up Laura Zimmerman's new book Keen, Banshee Song Series Book One. I admit teenage books aren't normally my go-to, but it sounded interesting enough to give it a try. And I'm glad I did!

Caoine's (pronounced Cane) a half-breed who doesn't know where she belongs. Different from her
peers with her pale hair and almost albino skin, and the most strikingly odd feature...her multicolored eyes. It's not the best recipe for making friends in high school.

Being a teenager is never easy, but Caoine has slightly bigger problems than boys, or even bullies. She sings songs. Songs of death. Since the day she was born, she's been cursed as a banshee, to sing the song of death every night. But now, her curse is acting up and there just so happens to be a handsome boy at her new school.

Here's what Amazon has to say:

You must walk the darkness to find the light.

Half-faerie Caoine has no control over the banshee lament she sings each night, predicting the death of others. A senior in a brand new high school, she expects the same response she’s received at every other school: judgment from fellow students over her unusual eyes and unnaturally white skin and hair. However, when Caoine arrives at West Lincoln High, for the first time in her life she finds friends. Real friends.

But being a teenager is never easy, especially when the star soccer player, Oliver, sets his sights on her. Allowing him to get close means revealing her curse to the human world. She can’t let that happen.

Life spins further out of control when her lament comes out during the day, those whose death she predicts die right in front of her, and a dark faerie known only as the Unseelie prince blames Caoine by leaving her the creepiest notes ever. Her curse is not supposed to work like that.

In a race against time, Caoine must uncover the Unseelie prince’s identity and stop a spell before it unleashes hell on earth, all while trying to control her banshee song and finding a place among her peers.

Senior year just got real.


Don't just take mine (or Amazon's word for it) check it out for yourself!

Top 3 Songs for a Rainy Day (Lizzie)

The sun was out briefly today, but it has been cloudy and rainy for almost a week. For it to be gray for long periods of time in February may seem perfectly normal for a lot of folks, but here in Alabama, it's not. But, gray, rainy days have their place (rain water is slightly useful after all), so instead of complaining, I'm going to celebrate with three of my favorite "gray and rainy day" songs.

Top 3 Songs for a Rainy Day

1. "Gray Flowers" from Where Eyes Don't Go by The Gray Havens 
I recently ran across this band on YouTube and completely fell in love. The music is great, and the songs are brilliant. Some songs even have references to C.S. Lewis's Narnia books, and like Lewis's works, show the wonder of the gospel in brilliant ways.



2. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" by Burt Bacharach and B.J. Thomas
The tune to this familiar song is just too cheerful to not lift the spirits.

3. "Singing in the Rain" from Singing in the Rain
You knew this one was coming, didn't you? You gotta love Gene Kelley, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds in this classic. With great music, actors, and story, it's definitely a favorite.




For other songs, there's "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music, sung during a thunderstorm. I remember, vaguely, a few older country songs that mention rain ("Like the rain I'm falling for you").

Do you have any favorite songs for gray, rainy days?

But so I won't leave you seeing gray on a day that might be gray with clouds or white with snow, here are some cheerful rainy day photos.

Note Big AL (the mascot at my college alma mater)
being a gentleman on a rainy day.

Rainbow on a cloudy day in the Isle of Skye.

Trusting God in the Journey of Life (Erin)

My devotion this morning said, "Trust in Me (God). Do not be afraid" (Jesus Calling). How many of us, when we are faced with a new endeavor, relationship, calling, or step on our journey are met with fear? We often forget to trust God. . . or even if we do remember, we have a hard time feeling trusting.

Whether you are walking into new classrooms, as a teacher (me today) or student, or are considering joining a new critique group, or are planning to submit to or sign with a new publisher or agent, or even are just looking a blank screen and thinking of writing a new page, it all takes trust. Knowing that God has called us to certain tasks and journeys, and remembering that He equips those He calls can make a huge difference in our lives.

This morning, let's ask God to help us trust in Him, and then look for ways He answers our prayers. When I am fearful, I often turn to music. Hillsong's "Oceans" is one of my favorites. Watch it here and pay attention to the lyrics.

What do you need to trust God for today? Let us know, and we can even pray for you.

Also, what songs encourage you to trust God? Include the links to encourage us. Thanks!

Attributions:
https://pixabay.com/en/water-sea-la-palma-atlantic-ocean-1555170/