Top 3 Fun Book Romances (Julie)

It's cold and dreary here across the sea. So when it's rainy and down right blah outside, I love cuddling up under a blanket with a good book or movie, or sometimes both. Whatever it is, I try and find something with a cute romance story. I've even been known to watch the last minute or so of a movie to make sure it has a happy ending before I commit myself! Needless to say, I love a good romance.

Speaking of romance, Valentine's Day is coming up in a few weeks, a perfect time to reflect on those favorite romantic movies and books. In honor of the love month, I've come up with 3 favorite book romances.

Before I begin, my all time favorite, and maybe many of yours as well, is Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice.  It's hard to beat that romance! But for my list, I decided to branch out and look for other favorite stories that may not be so well known.

1) Fairest by Gail Carson Levine. Really, I love most all her books because they are full of fun magic and sweet romances, but I think Fairest is by far my favorite.

Butterflies: The romance wasn't the smitten at first sight because of their beauty type. The prince falls in love with her because of who she is, not what she looks like. Aza is an different heroine because she isn't pretty or graceful or shapely; yet, in time, the prince falls in love with her. Her charm is her character, and she does have a beautiful singing voice.

2) The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman. One of my all-time favorite books about a museum filled with the magical items from the Grimm Brother's stories.

Butterflies: I love books where the love-interests don't get along at first. They bicker or don't trust one another, but all the while there's that undeniable attraction that comes to the surface when they finally realize they're both good people. That's what happens in this story. Elizabeth doesn't trust Aaron, and vice versa, for a big chunk of the book. Then they have to start working together to solve the mystery, and of course, realize the other isn't so bad after all.

3) Piggy backing off #2, I have to say that I love Karen Witemeyer's books. One favorite in particular is A Tailor-Made Bride, a historical romance about a dressmaker who butts head with the local livery owner.

Butterflies: Hannah is an independent lady who opens a dressmaking shop, much to the dismay of Jericho, who doesn't like dressmakers. This is your more typical romance story betw
een a beautiful lady and a strong, handsome guy, but it's very well done. Though they dislike each other at first, they can't help but see the good in each other that goes beyond external appearances. I enjoy the love-hate relationship that turns into a sweet, butterflies romance.

What about you? What books give you butterflies?

Interview with Laurie Germaine

Interview with Laurie Germaine

I'm excited to welcome Laurie Germaine to Lands Uncharted today! I met Laurie a few years ago in a critique group and fell in love with her story Tinsel in a Tangle. I don't normally read contemporary YA, but this one was so much fun and was set at the North Pole and involves Santa and his elves, (so it's kinda fantasy too) that it became one of my favorite stories in the group to critique. That was a while ago though, and last month, I decided to see if it had ever been published--and it had! Naturally, I asked Laurie to stop by the blog to celebrate and tell us a little bit more about herself and her writing journey. 

Laurie, tell us a little bit about yourself. 

I'm a New England transplant living in Montana with my hubby, two daughters, an Alaskan Malamute, and a few chickens (someday my family will have pleaded long enough that I’ll eventually cave and agree to getting a horse). As a stay-home mom, I love to knit—anything from hats and scarves to toys and felted bags—and craft things for my 16” posable dolls, such as backdrops, beds, lamps, even a front porch. Basically, if I’m not writing (or doing some aspect of housework), I’m creating in some form. I love Christmas, bootcut jeans, Disney, lemon meringue pie, and Paris, to name a few things. ;)


What prompted you to start writing? Are you one of those writers who knew you were meant to write since childhood, or did it come as a discovery later in life?

I’ve wanted to be a published author since I was in elementary school. I’ve always loved fantasy novels, the idea of escaping to a world where unicorns, dragons, and fairies are real, and I used to try to create my own version of those imaginings. Writing a high fantasy novel hasn’t happened yet, but there’s still time. ;)


Which authors have had the most significant impact on your writing?

I loved Piers Anthony when I was younger (hence the draw to fantasy), then discovered Catherine Palmer when I was in college. In reading Palmer’s work, I realized I could write romance and glorify God at the same time—who knew! But more recently, I’ve loved reading Janette Rallison, Kasey West, Kristin Rae, Suzanne Nelson… Reading their novels helped me subconsciously find my voice for Tinsel in a Tangle.


Since we're all about exploring new worlds here at Lands Uncharted, if you could choose one place to visit, real or fictional, where would you go?

Years ago, I worked with missionaries in Großgmain, Austria, which borders Bavaria, Germany. I would love to visit that area again. I loved the landscape, the houses, the language, the colors. Sigh. Someday. My sequel to Tinsel takes place, in part, in Bavaria, Germany, so…research trip, right?


Do you have any go-to foods or beverages while writing?

I love Maxwell House’s International Café French Vanilla. Not the healthiest, but the yummiest. My go-to lunch is cheese and crackers. I want something quick to pull together so I can get back to writing. ;)


Please share one of your favorite writing tips with us.

Description has always been a struggle for me—how much to insert, how flowery (or not) to make it, how to keep it engaging so the reader doesn’t skip over it. While writing Tinsel, I either read or was advised by a critique partner to avoid describing things and surroundings in large chunks of paragraphs, but rather to sprinkle description throughout the scene, among action beats and tag lines, allowing the characters to interact with their settings and items I’m trying to describe. I’ve had readers compliment me on my description in Tinsel, so praise goes to God and thanks go to those crit partners for helping me improve in a difficult area!


What inspired the idea for your novel, Tinsel in a Tangle?


A puzzle and a painting inspired the foundation for Tinsel. Years ago, my mom had given me a 1000-piece puzzle depicting Dept 56’s North Pole Series, and I was instantly smitten. I knew then that I wanted to write a story showcasing the fantasy side of Christmas. I also love the painting done by Gaye Francis Willard entitled, “Every Knee Shall Bow,” which shows Christ in the manger and Santa kneeling beside Him. If it weren’t for Jesus’ birth, stories of Santa wouldn’t exist, and I wanted to play off the idea that my Santa knows his purpose is to point people to the real Reason for the season. These story seeds stayed with me for many years before I was able to flesh them out.


Tinsel in a Tangle is set at Christmastime (but it’s a fun read any time of the year). Did you listen to Christmas music to get yourself in the mood to write it? Which three Christmas songs would you choose to listen to all year long (if you don’t already listen to Christmas music all year)?

Haha—I use my phone alarm clock to wake me each morning, and it’s set to play O Holy Night, sung by Jackie Evancho. I could listen to any version of that song all year long. Two others would be Carol of the Bells (the Celtic Woman version), and Winter Wonderland sung by Johnny Mathis. And yes, I did listen to Christmas music when I needed inspiration, plus I had two Annalee elves that stayed out year-round while I wrote. (Part of the fun in writing Tinsel was staying in Christmas-mode for three years!)


Which aspects of publishing were the most challenging and most rewarding?

Marketing and promoting my work has been the most challenging. I don’t buy things because commercials tell me to; I buy things because my friends have recommended them to me. Likewise, I feel awkward having people buy my book because I’ve told them it’s great; I’d rather they bought it because their friends have read it and recommended it to them. (Prayerfully, that will come with time?!) Consider yourself blessed if you don’t suffer this problem. ;)

As for the most rewarding, I’ve just seen a childhood dream fulfilled, a dream I often doubted would ever come about. I’m gaga over the cover and so pleased with the narrator chosen to do the audio version. Those decisions were out of my hands, so I’m thankful and blessed it worked out better than I could have imagined.

Can you give us any insights into your current work-in-progress?

After coming out of a long writing slump, I’ve recently begun brainstorming and fleshing out a sequel to Tinsel, which picks up about two years after the first book ends. One of the minor characters is now a major character, but rest assured Tinsel and Niklas are still very much a part of the plot. I also have a fantasy WIP I’d love to work on, the seeds of which I’ve carried for 17 years now, but I don’t have all the parts to the skeleton yet to warrant fleshing it out. Lastly, there’s an inspy romance I started years ago that I might try to revamp if/when I need a change of pace from the sequel.




Thanks so much for the interview, Laurie! It was fun getting to know you better. I hope you make it back to Austria and Germany; they sound lovely. And I look forward to reading the sequel to Tinsel in a Tangle!


You can learn more about Laurie and connect with her via these links:
Website: lauriegermaine.com
Blog: scatteredwhimsy.com
Facebook: @lauriegermaineauthor
Twitter: @LaurieGermaine
Link to book: http://a.co/2ha3caf

There's Nothing So Refreshing As ... (Lizzie)

For today's Your Turn post, I want to share a few things that refresh me and restore my good mood and creativity. Please share what refreshes you in the comments.

A walk on a beautiful day (or through a
beautiful landscape) is wonderfully
refreshing.

There's nothing so refreshing as

... a funny book

... a new favorite song

... a clean house

... emptying that overstuffed closet

... a long hike on a cool day

... chatting with an old friend

... a glass of ginger-ale


What are some of the things that make you feel refreshed?

What's Stress Got To Do With It? (Jill)

Last week found me boiling water on my stove.

We live in a small, rural town, and lately, we’d been experiencing air in our tap water. It was like milk, with a surplus of bubbles, that surged from our faucet in staccato bursts. Then people in the community started complaining of dirt in their water. After a few days of this, we received a boil water notice with an urgent plea to conserve. Rumors and facts flew about the level of water in the town tanks, the reason for the low water levels, and what was being done (or not being done) to fix the many leaks in the pipes.

In between deciding if there was enough water to take a shower or do laundry, I was also trying to keep my youngest focused on her homework and midterms. Her math midterm was looming, and play practice for the middle school play was every night. My oldest was also dealing with midterms and waiting for an acceptance to her favorite college.

Surprisingly, I had trouble staying focused on my current Work In Progress (WIP).

Stress  can disrupt creativity. A simple Google search of stress + creativity brings up plenty of studies and coping solutions. I’m thankful I wasn’t dealing with a health issue, a financial scare, a death, or some other tragedy. Our water concerns and midterms are miniscule problems in the grand scheme of things. Still, it affected my productivity. Some people can compartmentalize and work anyway—I envy their ability. I carry my stress with me, make it comfortable, feed it snacks. So when I sit down to write, it settles over my shoulder to breathe down my neck while I stare at a blank computer screen. 

Working on smaller projects helped. I managed to finish a flash fiction piece and polish a short story. I gave myself grace, lots and lots of grace. I’m not superhuman, and I know my limits. Tomorrow would be waiting—preferably one without a boil water requirement, or a million phone calls to make, or a pre-algebra midterm to dread.

On Friday, our community received pallets of drinking water from Nestle, as well as help from a neighboring community to find and fix the leaks in our system. I also read an email from the pre-algebra teacher. (My daughter aced the midterm!)

 

That afternoon, I finished plotting my next WIP. Tomorrow had arrived.

Top 3 Books I Read in 2017 (Laura)

Hi everyone! I am a guest writer and alum on Lands Uncharted, and it feels good to return for a visit. I hope you had a great holiday season and got to read some fun books throughout 2017.


These were some of my favorites I read last year:

3. Orphan Island, by Laurel Snyder (MG fantasy)

In this story, nine orphans live on an island with no rules other than to do as the other orphans before them have done. Each year, a boat arrives with a new child in it and takes the eldest away into the unknown distance, never to return. When Jinny becomes the eldest, she experiences changes and uncertainties like never before as she cares for the new, youngest orphan and prepares for a journey she cannot guarantee will be safe or for the best--but one she begins to understand is necessary. This book paints her trials with aching beauty and raises questions about life and family, in this bittersweet journey of growing up, letting go of childhood relationships, and realizing dreams and questions are calling from a horizon you can't see.

2. Always and Forever, Lara Jean, by Jenny Han (YA contemporary)

If you are a long-time visitor of this blog, you may remember me raving a while back about Jenny Han and the Lara Jean books. They are contemporary, but if you like to check those out too from time to time, these books are so adorable and painfully heartfelt with authentic teen experiences and emotions. The third and most recent installment in the series, Always and Forever, Lara Jean, came out last year, and I was waiting for it. In this book, Lara Jean experiences unexpected joys as well as heartbreak and disappointment on her journey to finding the next step in her life--choosing a college. She learns about opening herself to opportunities she didn't plan on and using her heart when it becomes difficult to decide what to do.

1. The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale (YA fantasy)

You've probably heard Laurie's praise of this fairy tale retelling, and it took me too long to finally read it. I'm glad I did. It is now one of my favorites, and I can't believe I didn't know about it earlier. The Goose Girl has both adventure and heart in spades. I loved the main character, Ani, a princess who can speak to animals and has ways of communicating with the world and others that don't involve "people speak." I can't begin to say more because I wouldn't be able to say enough. The journey, deceit, and loss she faces made me root so hard for her, and I love the relationships, inner strength, and life she manages to find through bravery, kindness, and determination and by being true to herself. A character I would follow anywhere. This book is one I know I will reread many times.

What are some of the best books you read in 2017?


Laura


Attributions
Orphan Island: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/orphan-island-laurel-snyder/1124564515
Always and Forever, Lara Jean: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/always-and-forever-lara-jean-jenny-han/1123863188?type=eBook
The Goose Girl: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/179064.The_Goose_Girl

Book Spotlight: The Vanishing Spark of Dusk by Sara Baysinger

We're excited to be part of the blog tour for The Vanishing Spark of Dusk by Sara Baysinger! Sara has visited Lands Uncharted a few times in the past for an interview and to share her Top 3 Favorite Dystopian Novels.

Today we're celebrating Sara's latest novel, The Vanishing Spark of Dusk, which just released on January 8th! Here's the back cover blurb:

Stand up.

When Lark is stolen from Earth to be a slave on the planet Tavdora, she’s determined to find her way back home to her family, no matter the cost. Placed in the household of a notorious slave trader, Lark quickly learns her best assets are her eyes and ears. And if she’s brave enough, her voice.

Be heard.

Kalen is the Tavdorian son of a slave trader and in line to inherit his father’s business. But his growing feelings for Lark, the new house slave who dares to speak of freedom, compel him to reveal his new plan for the slave ships returning to Earth—escape. Together, they just might spark a change that flares across the universe.








You can purchase The Vanishing Spark of Dusk here. I had the opportunity to read an ARC of this book, and it was a powerful, beautifully written story! But I should note that it has some language and sensuality that makes it more mature than our usually PG-13 or below standards. To find out more, check out the full blog tour schedule here.


And here's a little about the author:

My name is Sara Baysinger and I write books. I was born in the heart of the Andes Mountains in Ecuador where I spent my early life exploring uncharted lands on horseback and raising chickens. I now make my home among the endless cornfields of Indiana with my husband and two children…and I still raise chickens. My dystopian novel Black Tiger was self-published in 2016, with books 2 & 3 published in 2017. When not getting lost in a book, I can be found gardening, devouring chocolate, and running off the sugar-high from said chocolate.

I’m currently working on an upcoming science fiction romance novel that will release with Entangled Teen, an imprint of Entangled Publishing.

You can connect with Sara on her website or Twitter.

Sara has a giveaway going as part of her blog tour! Enter below for a chance to win a signed copy of the book, $25 Amazon gift card, and a handmade adjustable ring that says "Be heard."

Congratulations on your new release, Sara, and thanks for letting us celebrate with you!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

What We're Reading: Hunted by Meagan Spooner (Jill)

I’ve become really interested in fairy-tale retellings, perhaps because I currently have a couple spinning in the back of my mind. Hunted is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and it stays pretty close to the original Grimm fairy tale (and avoids the Disney-fied singing furniture).

Yeva, her two sisters, and her father live in Russia. Although her father used to be a great hunter, his wife felt it was too dangerous, and he became a merchant. When his wife dies, he remains a merchant, determined to provide a comfortable life for his daughters. But Yeva (nicknamed Beauty by her father) remembers the occasional trips into the woods with him when she was little. On the times she was unable to go with him, he would return and tell stories of unusual, magical creatures.

When her father loses everything in a caravan accident, the family must move to the derelict cabin at the edge of the woods. He returns to the hunting lifestyle, but is driven mad by the absence of game and the feeling of being hunted by an unseen creature. When he goes after the creature again, Beauty follows, sure her father is mentally unwell. She doesn’t know this choice will change her life and the lives of her sisters that have been left behind.

CONS: At the beginning and midpoint of Beauty and Beast's relationship, there are shades of Stockholm syndrome, which made me a bit uncomfortable. I stuck with the story, and after a chapter or two, was glad I did.

Beast is a bloodthirsty savage and it's hard to like this character ... at first.

PROS: Spooner begins showing the reader how each character is changing. Each chapter begins with a small excerpt of the Beast’s thoughts and actions, like a diary, and this gives a creepy glimpse into the mind of a creature that isn’t quite human, but not quite animal, either.

Yeva and the Beast both are complex characters, and as Beast’s true personality comes to the fore, the reader can see Yeva’s compassion warring with her need to avenge the death of her father.

Because this tale takes place in Russia, Spooner adds to the story the Russian fairy tale, Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird, and the Grey Wolf, about a rich king with three suns and a golden apple tree. Although this retelling follows the original Beauty and the Beast plot, the Russian landscape and folk tale are a fantastic touch. The reader is left with a rich, winter tale full of magic. I loved the unexpected twist at the end that gave our two characters a happily-ever-after.

For those who love fairy tale retellings (or just a good story), I highly recommend Hunted and give it four and half golden apples.