The Silent Blade Blog Tour

I am thrilled to present you with a review of this FABULOUS book written by a dear friend of mine, as well as an interview with her! I was so blessed to be able to make the acquaintance of this wonderful, godly young lady last summer, and we have become even better friends over the months that followed.

When I first heard about this story I was so excited! As you probably all know by now, I have a weakness towards anything that has to do with the British Isles, and Ireland has always held a special place in my heart. Not only is their accent AWESOME (do I hear an Amen?) but they have beautiful music, and live in the midst of beautiful scenery. And this was where Jesseca Wheaton chose to have the setting of her medieval novel "The Silent Blade".

>>The Review:<<

Obviously, I may be a bit bias since she is a friend of mine. :)
But, I will endeavor to keep it as unbiased as possible. Bare with me. (Oh, and watch out for spoilers...I may or may not warn you ;)

The Cover:

( I LOVE THE COVER!! I mean, really? Isn't it AMAZING?!?!)

The Summery:

Eira has no greater desire than to see her life returned to what it once was—before her older brother Kevin’s sudden disappearance four years earlier. But the simple life she hoped for seems unattainable; on the contrary, her life is about to get all the more complicated.
When she suddenly finds herself and Willem, her twin brother, taken captive by someone who claims to be Kevin’s enemy, things go from bad to worse. It soon becomes clear that she and Willem are to become bait in a trap set for Kevin, and Eira knows she must try to warn him. But how, when she herself is a captive?
As mysteries of the past are unveiled, and loyalties are revealed, Eira realizes how precious her friends truly are. And when mortal danger threatens those nearest to her, will she be able to trust God with the lives of her friends and family?

The Characters:

For me, characters always play a big part in how much a given story is liked by me. :) And in "The Silent Blade", Jesseca does a fabulous job creating loveable (while still believably human) characters...and her villains...*shudders*. A few of my favorites include her main character Eira (after all, who doesn't love a girl who can't dance to save her life but can swordfight along with the best of 'em?), Eira's brother Willem (funny, loveable, and kind to all whether enemy or friend), and their friend Casmir (well...more than a friend to some...*coughcough*). Oh, and the hero of the story, namely Eira's oldest brother Kevin is basically someone that everyone wishes was THEIR older brother. He's so kind and protective and *hugs self* Ah! I love them all!

The Setting:

Ireland, as I mentioned above, has always held a special place in my heart...I love their rich history, and their beautiful music and scenery. Really, sometimes I wonder why I haven't written a book about characters who live in Ireland yet...well, I know what's next for me after finishing "The Princess & I" and "Beyond the Galaxy"! :)
Jesseca does an excellent job describing her various settings, and I love the way she paints the village where her main characters live as well as the woods they frequent *cough* for a large chunk of the story. (See? Aren't I doing so well not giving spoilers?? ;P)

The Plot:

Jealousy. Revenge. Trickery. Love. War. Peace. And the holy law: to "bless them that hate thee and love them that spitefully use thee and persecute thee". I admired Jesseca's ability to weave all those things throughout her story to create a beautiful picture of Christ-like love Kevin gains towards those who would do anything to hurt the people he holds so dear. The journey is a hard one for him, and one where he often has to struggle inwardly between his desire to have his own revenge towards those who hurt his family, and his equally strong desire to do what is right and forgive his enemy. It's a journey you'll take yourself as you submerge yourself in Jesseca's story: Kevin's struggles will become yours, Eira's frustration will cause you to frown, Willem's jokes and Casmir's teasing will bring a smile (and a laugh more often then not) to your lips.
It's amazing. :)

My rating:

Definitely five stars over all. :) Sure, her writing might not be as good quality-wise as C. S. Lewis's, J. R. R. Tolkien's, or Jane Austin...but really, who wants to be an exact copy of one of those authors? Everyone has to start somewhere, and she has certainly started off on the right foot. Her writing holds a lot of potential, and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future!! :D

>>The Interview:<<

 

Me: What was the title and basic plot of the first story you ever wrote?
Jesseca: I believe it was called "My special Pony." I wrote it when was 11, and it was about a girl who had dreamed about having a horse for her entire life, and her wish came true when they moved to the country. 

 

Me: Which of your characters would you say is the most like you?
Jesseca: In The Silent Blade or just overall? In TSB it'd be Kevin. We're both the oldest, and we both tend to struggle with being over-protective of our family and letting others down. 

If you mean in any of my stories, then I'd have to say Micah from A Question of Honor, my current WIP. He's probably the character I have written that is the most like me. We both enjoy helping others, making sure their needs are met and making sure everything runs smoothly, but we don't like talking about ourselves or letting anyone know what we're thinking. 

Me: Which of your villains is your favorite?
Jesseca: Oh, Erich Essler from the same WIP as Micah! He's really, really, bad and creepy and all that, but at the same time, there's such a sad story behind it all. He's one villain who has literally hurt me as I'm writing more then any other. He is so awful, but his story is just.. yeah. I'll stop talking about it. ;P 

Me: What first inspired you to write?
Jesseca: When my dad was first diagnosed with cancer a few years back, I kinda turned to writing as a way to get away from everything. That was when I realized just how much I loved it!

Me: It is pretty awesome, huh? ;)

Me: How many stories (short or long) have you actually COMPLETED?
Jesseca: Oh, goodness! Umm, let me think. I'm pretty sure I've completed 30+ on my own, and then quite a few others I wrote with friends and completed. :) 

Me: *applauds* That's better than me! I think I may have only completed around fifteen or so. It's hard for me to keep focused on one story long enough to complete it. Don't ask me how many stories I've started and never finished...I think it's probably more than a hundred at this point. XD

Me: Have you ever had a book keep you up all night (like past midnight...not literally ALL NIGHT)? If so, what was it's title?
Jesseca: Oh, so many! I'll only give you a few of the most recent ones...

Remembrance by Theresa Breslin

A couple of Sarah Sundin's books

The Truth Seeker by Dee Henderson 

The Rescuer by Dee Henderson

Where Shadows Lie by Talia Rising

Echoes of Titanic by Mindy Starnes Clark

A Night Divided by Jenifer Nielson

Songbird Under a German Moon by Tricia Goyer

Defy by Tricia Mingerink

With Ever Letter by Sarah Sundin

And... yeah. I shall stop now. Don't even ask how many nights I stay up with a book past midnight. ;P 

Me: Tsk, tsk. Really Jesseca, you know, we authors need our sleep! ;) Just kidding. I'm guilty of staying up past midnight myself. :) Aren't we all?

Me: Any top favorite book(s) you would like to share that have inspired you (and might inspire others)?
Jesseca: Right now I'd have to say Remembrance by Theresa Breslin. It's not a Christian book., but it's very clean, and written in a style similar to Anne of Green Gables. Just the raw reality and the emotions she showed made me see WWI through very different eyes. It wasn't a sweet, light book. It was heavy, and some of the themes it dealt with were really thought-provoking. So yes, if you can get your hands on a copy then read it, and be prepared to never look at war in quite the same way.
Me: Hmm...I'm going to have to check that one out. Thanks for the recommendation! Always on the lookout for more good reads!

Me: Any words of wisdom from your experiences in writing? Please. We need to hear it. :)
Jesseca: Share your work! Let someone you trust read through it and critique it, and then when you feel it's ready, find some people you don't directly know to read through it.  Not only will it improve your writing, you'll be able to get go know other fellow readers/writers. And of course, since they don't know you too well and aren't personally connected with you, they'll be more honest in their feedback. 

Me: Ooo...good advice! (Take heed all ye authors!)

Me: Planner or panster (a.k.a NOT a planner) when it comes to writing?
Jesseca: I'm more of a plotter. I like to have an idea of where I'm going, what Biblical principal will be woven in through the story (and what verses I'll use), what the characters will go through, etc. Of course, a lot changes as I'm writing, but I like to have at least a small idea of where I'm heading! 

Me: What current story or book are you working on and what is it about?
Jesseca: I'm getting to realize that this is a popular question. ;)  Currently I'm working on a historical-fiction novel set in WWII during the Battle of Britain. It’s currently in the 2nd re-writing/editing stage. It's my "special" novel, and I've learned a lot through writing it, both in ahistorical context and through my writing it, it's brought me closer to the Lord.

At times I feel like the book and characters have become a part of me...sometimes I'm not sure how good that is. ;)

 

Me: If you had to be stuck for a whole day with one of your characters...which one (or two or three) would you choose?
Jesseca: Thank you for adding that "two or three" in there!!!!! Otherwise.. I would have just ignored the "one" in the sentence and listed two or three anyway. ;P 

Me: I know the pain of having to narrow it down...you know, "do unto others as you would have done unto you" and all that. ;)

Either David, Micah and Gil from A Question of Honor,  or Kevin, Eira and Casimir from The Silent Blade. 

The first three just because they're so funny and thoughtful and then they could take me flying and then I could go spend the rest of the day at the hospital with Micah. Flying and medicine--now THAT is a perfect day!

The 2nd three..well, because they're all so awesome. And I could learn sword-fighting. Or at least make all three of them laugh with all my clumsy attempts with the sword. ;) 

Me: Which villain would you be able to tolerate for a whole day?
Jesseca: Erich Essler. Because while he is super cruel and mean and all that, he does still have a  conscience. And...well, I can't say much more without giving away the plot of the story. ;P 


Me:  What's the longest book (word-wise) that you've written?

Jesseca: A Question of Honor. It's finished, and around 65,000 words. But.. once it's edited, it may end up becoming quite  a bit longer. ;) 

Thanks so much for having me, Rebekah! :) 

Me: You're very welcome! You know how much I love asking questions. B-)

 

 >>About the Author:<<

 

Jesseca is an 18-year old daughter, sister, and a child of God. Her days are spent reading, cooking, spending time with siblings, or playing piano.  And writing, of course! At an early age words fascinated her, and her love for the printed page has only grown. She lives with her parents and seven siblings in the sunny state of Kansas, and she’s convinced there’s no place like home.

 

Now you all need to go over to her blog and check out her book!

If you want to win free stuff, enter this giveaway!

Also, if you're interested in hearing less bias persons give THEIR reviews of this book, you'll find their posts throughout the blog tour:

Wednesday, July 20th

Mikayla H.at The Bubblegum Ballerina --Review

Blessings Counter at Counting your Blessings One by One --Author Interview

Ivy Rose at  Lakeside Publications --Review, Spotlight

Mallory Beth at Renewed by Grace --Review

Thursday, July 21st

Lydia Dyslin at Through the Wardrobe --Review

Rebekah Eddy at Rebekah’s Remarks --Review, Interview

Abigayle Allison at The Left-Handed Typist --Review, Spotlight

Friday, July 22nd (Publication Day!!)

Blessings Counter at Counting your Blessings One by One --Review

Rebekah Ashleigh at Rebekah Ashleigh --Spotlight

Amanda Tero at  With a Joyful Noise --Review, Interview, Spotlight

Deborah O’Carroll at The Road of a Writer –Review, Spotlight

Kaitlyn K. at Prairie Gal Cookin’ --Review, Spotlight

Bethany R. at A Great God and Good Cocoa --Review, Spotlight

Deborah C. at Reading in June --Spotlight, Review

Emily at A Purpose and a Promise --Spotlight, Review

Saturday, July 23rd

Kellyn Roth at Reveries--Review, Interview

Jason McIntire at Elisha Press--Interview

Natasha H. at Looking Through my Lens --Review

Faith P. at Stories by Firefly --Review, Interview

Monday, July 25th

Jesseca Wheaton at Whimsical Writings --Blog Tour wrap-up post