On the Shelf

My dear friend Emily McConnel over at The Imaginary world of Emily McConnell did a Bookshelf Tag post a while back, so I decided it would be fun for my readers to see what is on my bookshelf. Here goes! 


Describe your bookshelf and any special way you have of organizing your books:

Both of my bookshelves sit right outside the door to my room. The white one is mostly full of casual reads, while the brown one (except for the very top) is full of history books.

What is the thickest (most amount of pages) book on your shelf?

That would be my archaeological study Bible at over 2300 pages.

What is the smallest (least amount of pages) book on your shelf?

A children's baseball book by the title of Kaboone is sitting on my shelf at around 32 pages.

Is there a book you received for your birthday?

I received these three books above (The Tamarack Murders, Gone to Ground, and Free) as birthday gifts for my 18th and 20th birthdays.

What is the smallest (height and width wise) book on your shelf?

My itty-bitty little pocket dictionary.

What is the biggest (height and width wise) book on your shelf?

This one is sad but it's a book of photos from 9/11. It helps to remind me to never forget, something I think our country has been trying to do these days.

Is there a book from a friend on your shelf?

A manuscript copy of Free from and by Emily McConnel :) 

Most expensive book?

It is actually a pocket sized leather-bound book series of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. This set was so pretty and I love these books so I got the set as a birthday present for myself :)

The last book you read on the shelf?

The Fellowship of the Ring :)

Of all these books on the shelf, which is the first that you read?

Probably At Home in Mitford.

Do you have the complete series of any book series?

I have almost the complete Mitford series by Jan Karon (at least it was complete until I found out there were two new books in the series AFTER I took the picture). I have both the Hunger Games and Divergent trilogy. I also have the Hobbit+Lord of the Rings series.

What is the newest addition to your shelf?

Now I work at a library and get the chance to take any discards home for free. Due to this I usually have a lot of new additions, but one I am particularly excited to read is a historical cowboy book titled The Willow Field.

What book has been on your shelf forever?

 I have had The Good Luck Colt since I was about seven :)

What is the most recently published book on your shelf?

Rescuing Hope, a fictional story illustrating a personal experience with human trafficking, is my newest book published just last year. 

The oldest book on your shelf (As in, the actual copy is old?)

I don't know when this was published but The Good Luck Colt is the oldest looking book I have on my shelf.

A book you won?

Soul's Gate and A Home for My Heart are two books that I have won at writing conferences.

A book you would never let out of your sight?

This may seem a bit selfish but there are six books I would not let go of, the Divergent Series, Rescuing Hope, my engraved bible, and the Tamarack Murders. All six of these books are my favorites and I want to keep them really nice. The Tamarack Murders is one of the more important ones I want to keep tabs on  because it is personally signed by my favorite author :)

Most beat-up book?

If the South Won Gettysburg is the most beat up book I have. It may look fine on the outside but open it up....

...and it is coming apart on the inside.

Most pristine book?

Rescuing Hope, since its my newest book in terms of publication year, also is my most pristine.

A book from your childhood?

A baseball book titles Kaboone!

A book that is not actually your book?

This book, The Five Love Languages, is my mom's but I borrowed it for a bible study.

A book that is your favorite color?

I just love the brown hues on the cover of this historical romance titled, A Promise For Breanna. 

A book that has been on your shelf the longest time that you still have not read?

Lewis and Clark in the Bitterroot is a book I have has since middle school but still have yet to read. I will get around to it eventually :)

Any signed books?

Several in fact! Here they are pictured in a stack above.

The Star Wars Trilogy, which was a Christmas gift from my brother!

Gone to Ground by Brandylyn Collins, a birthday gift.

Soul's Gate by James Rubart.

Circles in the Snow by Patrick McManus.

Also the Tamarack Murders by Patrick McManus.

Then a signed manuscript copy of Free by my good friend Emily McConnel.

There you have it! A little taste of some of the books I have on my shelf. Have you guys read any of the books pictured above? Thanks for stopping by and leave a comment below!

A Courageous Love Part One

Would you follow your loved one off into battle?

Women during the Civil War did just that. These women were not content to sit around and roll bandages while their husbands, fathers, and brothers went off to fight. Instead, they disguised themselves as men and went off to war right alongside them.

 An estimated 400-750 women fought in the war, although the number could very likely be higher due to the secret nature of this activity.  It was easy for them to keep their secret because of Victorian etiquette, which brought on an atmosphere of doing things like sleeping with one's clothes on and bathing separately. If women were discovered among the ranks, they were usually just sent home without punishment, although it would cause quite a bit of rumor to be spread through the camps. If you want to learn more about women in the Civil War and check out some pictures click here!

The following is the first part of a little fictional tale I whipped up having to do with women fighting in the Civil War. I hope you enjoy. Be sure to comment and subscribe to my blog when you have finished reading :)

It is early morning, the sky barely lit with pre-dawn hues of pink and orange. The bugle call has blared through the camp just moments ago. All of us are tired, as we wake irritably fro our slumber to pull on various tattered items of clothing. Being Calvary, we are fortunate enough to be provided boots, unlike most of the infantry. I guess that has to be one of the many reasons why we are hated so much by them.

I have just emerged from my tent with a handful of others who are trying to shake off the grogginess of being up too late for one reason or another the night before. Some start fires in attempt to brew what little coffee rations they have.

We are all fed up with this war, though few of us will admit it. None of us want anything more to go back to whatever may be left of our homes and families. All of us are tired of seeing our friends and comrades  be there one moment riding next to us, then being shot right out of their saddles in the next.

I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Kathleen Hotchkins. Yes, I am a women. I am currently serving in General J.E.B Stuart's Calvary division in the Army of Northern Virginia under the alias of Kieth Harper. I am not the only women who has done this. The army would probably shrink almost, is not more than a quarter in size if they were to send home all the women currently serving in disguise.

I enlisted back in '62 when my husband went missing after the Second Battle of Manassas. He is probably off in some forsaken Yankee prison camp somewhere where you barely get the care you need, if you get it at all. It is not like our army should be complaining about the treatment of our prisoners though. It is not like we treat Yankee prisoners any better in our camps from what I have been told.

I approach the area where are horses are kept, most of them still dozing with their heads lowered as the sky continued to lighten. One particular horse, a chestnut gelding with four white socks and a white blaze, lifts his head and wickers a greeting at the sound of my approaching footsteps. He is my husband's  horse going by the name of Jester. It is only by sheer dang luck that I found him after I enlisted. When I first arrived in camp, when I spotted him he let out a whinny, broke free from his handlers, and trotted right up to me.

I approach Jester, giving him a welcoming pat. Jester seems to glare at me as if he is asking, why the heck do we have to be up this early? I agree with him. I have never been much of a morning person either.

Suddenly, a courier rides up to me at a gallop and stops, saluting. I immediately salute back.

"Major Harper," the young man said. "General Lee requests your presence at  headquarters as soon as possible".

I nodded to the young man, giving him a message for the general that I would report immediately. As soon as he rides off to deliver my message, I  begin to saddle Jester, preparing him for the ride. Soon, we are headed off through the woods toward here Lee has stationed his headquarters with his infantry.

This has become a familiar routine for Jester and I. Lee has been irate with Stuart as of late, due to his failure at Gettysburg. Because of this, Lee has been asking me for advice on Calvary placement since I am Stuart's second in command.

I think he has guessed that I am a women, but since he apparently likes the advice I give him he has so far turned a blind eye to it.  For that, I am grateful, for I am not leaving this army until I find my husband or become seriously wounded, whichever comes first.

Suddenly, a shot rings out in the woods, seemingly coming from nowhere. I feel myself falling as Jester whinnies sharply, then, everything goes black.

Sisterhood Award!

A while back I was nominated for the Sisterhood Award by Emily McConnel over at The Imaginary World of Emily McConnell. The following is the answers to the ten questions she posted as well as the ten new questions I made up. Yet, since I don't have ten blogs to tag, feel free to answer these questions in the comments or use these questions as possible writing prompts :)

Okay, here are my answers to Emily's questions!

You discover that someone you’ve known your whole life is in fact- not real. Reaction?

Fictional characters are awesome!

Favorite old TV show? (has to be earlier than the eighties)

The Big Valley

You open your door to discover the dandelions in your yard have actually turned into real lions. How are you going to take care of this problem?

Start singing songs from the Lion King.

Guinea pigs or chinchillas?

Guinea pigs because I know funny stories about them.

Do you follow world/national news much?

Lately, yes. Although I find much of what I hear infuriates me. I am not a big fan of our current government.

What’s your favorite verse in Revelation?

Revelation 22:20 NIV

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."

Which Nordic (Scandinavian) country do you want to visit? Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Denmark or Norway?

I am actually working on a little experiment of combining languages from a few of these countries to make my own language for a story. I kinda want to be a world traveler and visit them all.

Do you know what the Baltics are?

I know they are from history but that is about it. 

If one of your fictional characters (or a character from your favorite TV show or movie or book) was to be your mentor, who would you choose and why?

Detective Kate Beckett from the TV show Castle.  She seems to not let a lot of things bring her down and always tries to do the right thing while looking out for those she cares about.

And finally- would you rather be bucked off a horse and break your arm and a rib, stepped on by an elephant and break your leg or nearly drown in a river?

Aw well, nearly drowning sounds less painful. You recover a lot quicker too.

Now for my questions!

Which female heroine of the bible do you relate to?

·        What is your favorite period in American History?

·        What is your favorite modern-day invention?

·        What is one thing you are most looking forward to this fall?

·        Do you prefer the heat or the cold?

·        Do you know who the Radium Girls were referred to as in American History?

·        You find you have to give up all possessions not essential to daily living, yet you can keep one non-essential item. What would you choose?

·        What’s the first thing you would do if you found out you were heir to a fortune from a distant relative?

·        If you chose any fictional world to live in, what one would you choose and why?

·        What is your favorite song right now at this moment?

Back in the Saddle Part Four

*A few years later*
Holding a hardbrush, Mel and a brown nd white paint gelding were locked in a staring contest of sorts.

"We are supposed to be going on our first trail ride together, Pablo," Mel said as she gave up on the battle of wills and moved to brush a fleck of dirt off his rump.

"Please don't pick today of all days to be your extra crabby self outside from your regular crabby self."

Jane came out toting Pablo's saddle, and happened to overhear Mel's last remark.

"I would not worry, Mel," she said as she set the saddle on the ground. "He was trained to be a trail horse. Pablo is much better on the trail than in the arena."

Mel gave Pablo a doubtful look. Since she had started riding again a few years ago Mel had regained the confidence to ride on her own. Pablo was a big thing that helped her to regain that confidence.

Mel had been drawn to Pablo almost from the moment he had come to the farm. His crabby, stubborn nature helped to bring her confidence up, because she really had to know how to ride to be able to control him. Otherwise, Pablo kind of went off and did his own thing. He was not the kind of horse to take off. If he did not like how a person was riding him he just stopped in any random spot and tried to take a nap.

In truth, Amelia loved the old Paint's crabby personality. Yet, as this was to be her very first trail ride ever, she felt she had cause to be antsy.

"I guess I won't know unless I try you out,: Mel told Pablo as she drooped the brush she was hoeing in the bucket and prepared to saddle him.

*Back to Present Day*

"I can't believe I thought you were not gonna be a good trail horse, old man," Mel said as she gave Pablo an affectionate pat.

"Yup, he sure did prove you wrong," Renee agreed wryly. Pablo snorted in seeming agreement with Renee's statement.

"I'm glad he did. I not only started riding again, I got to bond with a great horse and a great friend as well!"

Renee beamed "Aw, thanks Mel. You are a great friend too."

And with that, the two friends rode deeper into the forest and off onto great adventures with their horses and each other.

Back in the Saddle Part Three

Thanks to everyone who commented on the second part of this story. Here is part three. Don't forget to comment and suscribe!

Would she ever ride again?

At least a year had gone by since Moonslide had thrown Amelia.Today, she was lying in her bed at home, staring at the various horse posters that decorated the walls of her bedroom. Mel had not been back on a horse since.

It was not like she had been totally avoiding horses this past year. Far from it! Mel still loved to go out to co-op to help out and be around the horses. She had yet to actually get up the courage to ride again.

Her dream from a year ago had come true. The horse she was riding had stopped abruptly, almost directly in front  of a wood fence. Amelia had been caught by surprise and had gone sailing over Moonslide's head, only to come crashing into the fence.

The next thing she knew, she was lying on the ground with every part of her body hurting and a pounding head. Jane had insisted Mel go to the hospital to be checked for a concussion, which had required a ride in an ambulance.

Everything had turned out to be fine in the end. Yet the whole ordeal had scared Mel more than she cared to admit.

Yet, she thought as she stared up at the ceiling, everyone has to face their fears sometime.

Maybe it was about time for her to face her fears when it came to riding.

I am gonna do it, Mel thought resolutely as she stood. It's past time I get back in the saddle.

Later that week, Mel arrived at the farm, her stomach churning at the thought of what she was about to do. Yet, she was still resolute and determined to see to it that she got back on a horse.

The horse that she was going to start riding was nothing like how Moonslide was. Old Skeeter, as the bay horse's name was, was old, placid, and slow. Overall, he was just the kind of horse that Mel needed to start riding again.

Mel used to be an advanced rider before she was thrown. Yet, since she was so anxious about riding again, Mel was essentially. Starting out as a beginner, insisting on being led on a pony line when she got back on a horse.

It`s time, Mel thought to herself again as she prepared to mount Skeeter. Before Mel knew it, Jane had given her a leg up and she was once again sitting tall in the saddle.

Well, no going back now, Mel thought as she glanced anxiously at the ground and the horse underneath her, as if she expected him to take off at any moment.

"Take a deep breath and relax," Jane told her, holding Skeeter's lead. "Just sit up on him for a while. We won't go home untill you are ready."

In, out, in, out, in, out, Ya got this Mel, She thought to herself.

"Okay, I am ready," she told Jane.

"All right," Jane said with a smile. "Don't feel like you have to do anything to guide Skeeter. I am right at his head. Just sit up there and enjoy the feel of being on a horse again."

Mel nodded. Easy enough, right?

Slowly, Skeeter started to move forward at a nice, easy walk. Mel tensed up at first, still feeling pretty nervous about this whole thing.

Gradually, though, Mel began to relax, letting her body move with the horse.

I can do this, Mel thought for perhaps the billionth time that day, this time with true confidence.
This is not bad at all. In fact, I forgot how fun this can be! Mel smiled to herself at that last thought.

She still had a long way to go when it came to regaining her confidence riding. Yet today she had crossed a significant hurdle by getting back in the saddle to start things off.

Back it the saddle again!

Back in the Saddle Part Two

Better late than never right? Well anyway here is the second part to Back in the Saddle you all have been waiting for! More timely post will come in the future.

*Flashback eight years ago*

  This particular day in summer had started in the wee hours of the morning for Amelia. She woke with a start and glanced at her clock. 3:15, the screen blared back to her. 

Gee, what a strange dream, Mel thought as she sat up.

It was all very hazy, almost as if she were watching a movie. In her dream Mel saw a girl riding a chestnut colored horse. All of a sudden, the horse stopped abruptly in front of a wooden fence, and the girl went flying over its head only to lay motionless on the ground.

Amelia shrugged. She had to be up early to go up to the horse co-op.

 It was just a dream, anyway, she reasoned.

Thinking nothing more of it, Amelia merely rolled over and went back to sleep. Little was she expectation that dreams do very much in fact come true. 

Later that morning, Mel bounded out of her dad's car and into the barn at the horse co-op. She breathed in deeply, the smell of hay and horse mingling together to create a pleasing aroma, at least for horse lovers like Mel was.

The farm's director, Jane, rounded a corner. "Hey there Mel!" She greeted her enthusiastically.

"Hi!" Mel greeted. "I was wondering if I could ride Moonslide today?"

Moonslide was the new chestnut Tennessee walker pony at the farm. He was named as such for the blaze that came sliding off his face. Since Mel's dad had taken her to a Tennessee walker horse show last fall, Mel had fallen in love with the breed and they way the horses moved. Due to this, she had been absolutely giddy with excitement when the co-op had gotten a Tennessee walker.

"I don't see why not. Remember, you have chores to do first though. Why don't you grab a shovel and help me muck out some paddocks?"

Mel nodded, and with a smile she went off in search of a shovel.

Later, Mel was leading Moonslide around the arena, warming him up to prepare him to be ridden.

"All right, mount up everyone!" Jane called from across the arena. Amelia woahed Moonslide, and stood waiting for Jane to come and help her mount.

"Ready for this, boy?" Mel asked the horse. Moonslide merely stood there, not paying any attention to Mel. Any trace of the dream Mel had was gone from her mind as her excitement mounted.

"All right little one," Jane said as she came up to Mel. "Up you go."

Jane gave Mel a leg up. "How has he been?" She asked once Mel was settled in the saddle.

"Really good so far. He has a really calm temper."

"That's good," said Jane with a smile. "Why don't you take him around the arena to get the eel of him."

Mel asked Moonslide for a walk. He started out at a nice, easy pace, a and all was well and good for a while.

Yet, when it comes to horses, things have the ability to change in a heartbeat. As Mel turned Moonslide to go down the center of the arena, he bolted for no good reason whatsoever. This completely caught  Mel off guard as she felt herself flying, then her world went black.

Hope you enjoyed! Please be sure to comment and enter in your email on the right to suscribe to my blog!

This barn is kind of simular to the barn I go to ride at!

Photo credit: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red_barn_(5988547631).jpg

Pick Up Your Pen and Get Inspired!

Hello everyone! So the next part of Back in the Saddle should be posted by Friday. I had meant to get it up sooner but I am still trying to plan a posting schedule that works for me. In the meantime, here is my first writing tips post! 

If you are like me, you all lead pretty busy lives. You are constantly running to and fro with school, homework, after school activities, a job if you have one, not to mention family events. With all this going on in our lives, it can be hard to find the time to sit down and work on some of the story ideas we have floating around in our heads. Today, I will be giving some tips on how to get inspired to either start writing or write more regularly.

1. Morning vs. Evening?
Different people have different times of the day where they can focus the best. For some people, this time is in the morning. For others, myself in particular, this time is in the evening. It will ultimately depend on your personal preference, and what time of day you can focus the best.

2. How long should I write for?
Unless you have a lot of free time on your hands, or write for a living, you should not feel the need to write for several hours a day. 20-30 minutes a day should do in if you are in a crunch for time. You will be surprised at how much you can write if you take 20-30 minutes a day to write and make it a routine.

3. Quality
When you first sit down to write, do not worry about writing the best thing you have ever written. Just get whatever you have in your head written down on paper. You can always go back later to edit and revise. Or you can put whatever you have just written aside to be inspired by later. Just NEVER throw any of your work away no matter how bad you may think it is. You never know when and where in a story you may end up using it.

4. Pick a method to write
There are two different ways to write, either by hand or on a computer. You will have to experiment to find which way you like to work the best. I use two journals for my writing. One is for my blog writing and the other is for my story writing. Before I got these journals, I experimented with both writing in plain composition and spiral-bound notebooks as well as typing them out on the computer. I only just recently bought my two journals. I have fallen in love with them because I have found that having something nice to write in inspires me to write. Of course, if you hand-write your stories, you will eventually have to type them down the road. I personally am old-school and don't like to type that much, which is why I started this blog to encourage me to type my stories more.  Overall, I think that the more you have a set method of writing, the more you are likely to sit down and write.

5. Pick a place to write
Another thing to consider is to have one or two set locations where you do your writing at. This can be a place where you focus the best at, such as at your desk. Or it can be a place that inspires you the most, like the great outdoors. I love being outside in the sunshine, and maybe playing a bit of music as I write. So next time before you start to work on writing another masterpiece, go and pick a place where you feel like you will produce your best work. 

6. Write about what you love!
This point is perhaps the best point out of them all to remember. If ever you are in need of inspiration as a writer, just write about what you love. Things you are passionate about are the best things to draw inspiration from. Don't worry about what others may think, just write for the enjoyment of it.

So, there you have it. My six tips to help you be inspired in your writing. I challenge you this week to take some of these tips and incorporate them into your writing routine. Leave a comment and let me know how it goes!