Drops of Inspira

  Set the Stars Alight by Amanda Dykes  &  a few other books by another favorite author. ISBN-13: 978-0764232671 Author: Amanda Dykes  ©  Bethany House Publishers; 6/1 edition (June 30, 2020) "Set the Stars Alight" by Amanda Dykes (available on Amazon.com) This is the kind of book that inspired me to write my own novels at six years-old. It's full of hope and light in the midst of darkness. It makes you feel seen. It reminds you that you are not alone. Set the Stars Alight by Amanda Dykes feels like home. Like magic. And starlight and mystery. Family and found family. Redemption. And the slowest, sweetest slow-burn romance ever created in one book. This book came at time where my creative well was drying up. Like a dry leaf, I started to curl up on myself, to shrivel and die. This book changed all that, and I'm not being dramatic.  After reading Set the Stars Alight , my heart began to open up again. To unfurl and to believe that there is still good in...

      Hello! As promised, I'm back with my top 5 reads of the summer. At least one of these is a children's book, because I decided over the last year to start reading them again. It's been a nostalgic ride as I'm re-reading some of them that I either personally read as a child, or that my mom read to me as a child. The clear, concise writing with the beautiful pictures have been inspirational. Without further ado, here are my top 5 summer reads in no particular order. Hidden Current by Sharon Hinck Here is my review pulled from Goodreads.com : One thing I have learned about Sharon Hinck's books is that they inevitably move me to praise God. This one was no different. I loved the incredibly unique world-building, admirable characters and thrilling plot. I spent a few nights reading until late and waking up in the middle of the night sometimes to read just a bit more. You know how a good book seems a little more full after you've finished it? Well, that was this ...

  Hello! This month is Audiobook Appreciation Month and today I'm showing you what I have listened to in one year of using Audible. So before I begin, let me answer some questions you may be having. What is Audible? In short, Audible is an Amazon.com company where you can listen to audiobooks. It's perfect for doing housework, long drives, if you'd rather listen to a book than read it or if you just need a distraction. What does Audible cost? This is where it gets tricky. There are several options. Either 1. Pay one of two different subscription fees which will get you different options. I'm linking the pricing page for those options here . Or 2. you can buy the individual audiobooks (which can get pricey, but then you are not locked into a subscription.).  If you have any other questions, please place them in the comment section below, and I will try to do my best to answer them. Now to the actual post. I've listened to exactly six audiobooks this past year, mostly...

Today is the release day for Olivia Cornwell's debut novel, Empire of Blood.    I was offered an ARC (advanced reader copy) for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Empire of Blood Review: I will confess that I've read this book twice now, and I plan on reading it a third time before the year is out. Each time gets better and better. Each read I notice something different, some aspect of character, some bit of scenery, some daring tidbit of plot, that just adds to the wonderful thing that is this book. Setting: 5/ 5 stars I've never visited Chicago, but the author did an excellent job of transporting me there and then to her world of Allare. The descriptions were vivid without being wordy. The world is dangerous, but I'd still love to visit some day, (if only it were real!). Plot: 5/5 stars Overall, great plot. It was pretty fast-paced, but had space so the reader can take a breath before plunging onward. Fair warning: Wait for a night where you have ...

  The Novel Factory is a writing software that takes your story from "Brainstorming 1.0" to completion. Granted, I haven't got that far personally, but I'm confident that with this program, I'll be able to finish up my novel.  Here are a few things that I love about The Novel Factory. 1. The Roadmap The Roadmap is a step-by-step guide that takes your ideas from conception to final draft and beyond. If you're a plantser like me and the thought of plotting has always intrigued you, but putting it into motion has paralyzed you, you might want to give this a try. I'm a visual learner who learns by example.  I've tried Scrivener , but the learning curve is steep and the layout did not appeal to me. *Disclaimer: I am not bashing Scrivener  and saying you shouldn't check it out. By all means, do. Just know that The Novel Factory also exists and check it out too!  With the Roadmap , The Novel Factory  makes plotting a breeze. Each sec...