Drops of Inspira

Happy New Year's Eve! I've actually been working on this post for three days now. Between recovering from a cold and battling Wi-fi problems because of bad weather, it's been a journey. I hope wherever you are, that you are well and that the weather is good. This is my yearly "bookish" awards post where I choose the top 5 books that I read this year and the top reads in certain other categories. This was really, really hard this year. There were a lot of contenders, so while this is a bookish awards post, know that this list is very limited so far as having all my favorites up here. If you want to see what I mean, follow this link to see all my 2021 reads:  GoodReads Challenge 2021 Link   In no certain order, my top 5 reads of 2021 are: Cry of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse Romanov by Nadine Brandes Oath of the Outcast by C.M. Banschbach The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner What Is and Could Be by Katelyn Buxton Here are some special mentions: Most Influential Theologic

  *Slides in* Phew! I'm sorry. This was supposed to be out last week, but I got really sick so when I tried to sit down to write this, I almost passed out and had to call it quits. So here we are. The last part of  Christine Smith's  fabulous Know the Novel  link-up. As per usual, I am still finishing the actual draft, but what I did complete was a blast. So, let's get to the questions: Know the Novel Part 3: Words Written Question 1: How did writing this novel go all around? A: Overall, I'd say it went rather well. Yes, there were times it fought me, but on the whole, writing Drop  was a blast!  Question 2: Did it turn out like you expected or completely different? And how do you feel about the outcome? A: Honestly, does anything I write turn out like I expected? No. Absolutely not. My characters have no respect for my outline and love to do whatever they please, but honestly, this story is turning out better than I ever expected. Question 3: What aspect of the story d

  Hello! Welcome to the last Poetry 15th of 2021! I've been thinking about the prompt for this month, and the word that came to mind was glitter. Why did I choose this prompt? I'm not exactly sure, but I love glitter. Yes, it gets everywhere and sticks to everything, but it is shiny. So, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to make something creative, be it poem or picture or something else, based off of this prompt.  Happy creating! Here is my response: Next week I will be back with the last bit of the Know Your Novel link-up. Until then.... -Julia Garcia / Arysta Henry

  Hello! Welcome to December, 2021. Here at the beginning of this month, I thought I might review a book that just came out this past month. It was my last read of November, so the book is fairly fresh in my memory. Here is my review: My heart is very full right now as I just closed the pages of this wonderful book. Somehow I always gravitate to the books that make me cry, even if I don't know at the time that they will do so. This book is no different.  There was one point in the story where a character was going through something similar to what I went through this past year. His revelation and his prayer to God struck me in such a personal way that I felt seen and understood. Honestly, that is such a gift. Excuse me while I cry and hug this book. 😭 This book reminds me a lot of Frances Hodgson Burnett's "The Secret Garden". It's whimsical, charming and extremely heartfelt. The cast of characters is small, leaving them feeling like family. To say that I adore T