Rain, Leaves, and Giveaway Winners

Well, as promised, you're going to FINALLY learn who the three lucky people are who will walk away from this post with the knowledge that they are going to get a copy of my book in their mailbox (hopefully sometime in October).
But not until later (*evil laugh*)... B-)
Hey! *ducks* No throwing things! It's called building anticipation and it's an actual thing. Don't believe me? Google it. Google never lies.

Ok. So I hereby declare that this is enough introduction...besides, if I don't move on in the post I'm liable to get murdered. Onto the monthly overview. ;) I'll try to be brief.

~ Life ~

This month has been a nice change from unpredictability to moderately predictable. With school back in full swing, life is still busy...but at least now there's some method to our madness.
I've continued helping out at my grandparent's houses, and my job as a nanny is going at a smooth, regular rate.
Besides having our church broken into a week ago and some stuff stolen from my dad's office, (don't worry, the crooks were caught, PRAISE GOD, and nobody was hurt!!) life as a pastor's daughter has been pretty normal all things considered.
Washington weather has finally kicked in (sort of) with some rain and thunderstorms. Yesterday was beautiful, but very windy. The leaves have begun to fall and I have visited a pumpkin patch. Autumn has arrived. ^_^
College is in full swing with some extra study time this last week thanks to the family I nanny for being on vacation. :) Hoping to pass another CLEP in a couple weeks!
(See? I can be brief if I want to!)

~ Writing ~

I added another 10,000 words to "A New Name" making it now OVER 30,000 WORDS LONG. And I've only made it through maybe a fourth of the planned plot line. My dad suggested I make it into a trilogy, and I've been seriously considering it. What do you think?
Also working on a short story retelling of the story of "Sleeping Beauty"... but I'm not gonna tell you about it yet because I want to build that delightful anticipation again. B-)

~ Editing ~

I found (well, a friend found) a proofreader for "Ocean Mist"!!! :D Super terrified excited to finish reworking my story and then handing that new and improved copy to my proofreader and find out if it'll be ready to publish by Christmas!! :D

~ Reading ~

So...I kind of actually got some reading done this month! O.o It felt so nice to make a dent (however small) in the growing stack of library books on my dresser. ;) AND I discovered a new favorite author, James Riley. If you've never read his books, definitely give them a try! :)

I also read a grand total of two college books, but I won't bore you with the details. XD

~ Music ~

 

~ Goals Reached ~

1: Write 10,000 words in "A New Name"
I DID IT. *fist pump*
2: Read 5+ books
Counting school books, YES.
3: Take (and hopefully pass) 2 college CLEP tests
I was half done. I took ONE...so I'll only cross out the 2. I tried.
4: Keep up better with out of state pen/email pals
I wrote every single one of them...as well as shot out a couple emails. Hopefully I didn't miss anyone. Comment if I missed you and I promise I'll get a card out your direction ASAP.
5: Do some hardcore editing on "Ocean Mist"
Well...I didn't do HARDCORE per say...and there's still a bunch of reworking I need to do. BUT I WILL PREVAIL.

 

 

~ Goals for October ~

1: Write another 10,000 words in "A New Name"

2: Take and pass a CLEP test

3: Read 5+ books

4: Write a poem

5: Finish editing "Ocean Mist"

 

~ Giveaway ~

And now, the moment you have all patiently (or perhaps NOT so patiently... *cough*) been waiting for.

The winners for my 2017 giveaway are:









Drum roll please








Congratulations FAITH THOMPSON you won a copy of THE SILVER FLOWER!!!!!! I'm going to contact you via e-mail sometime next week and we'll figure out how I'm going to get my book to your house. :)

Congratulations MADDY you won a copy of ALICE & ALYSSA!!!! I'll contact you via e-mail at some point next week and get you your book as soon as possible. :)

Congratulations CHLOE W. you won a copy of THE PRINCESS AND I!!!!!!!! Again, I'll be contacting you next week via email and trade details around so I know where to send your book.

Guys, I can't thank you all enough for your excitement and encouragement with this giveaway. The final count of entrees was 627!!!!! I was so amazed to see all of you entering and sharing the word around the Internet. I don't know for sure of course, but I'm almost positive this giveaway was more exciting for me than it was for you...but I could be wrong. It thrills me so much to see so many people anxious to get their hands on one of my books. ^_^

Thanks again! I'm so blessed to call you all my friends. <3

Until next time, let everything you do be done for the glory of God!

One More Week

It's crunch time, guys. My giveaway ends in one week. That gives you just SIX more days to enter. I'm so excited to be able to put this on for y'all, and I cant wait to see who the three lucky people are who get to have one of my books mailed to their house! :D

For those of you who want to have a chance at receiving a copy of the very first story I published, click THIS LINK to enter a giveaway for an autographed copy of:

For those of you who want to get a first look at a story I haven't even released to the rest of the world yet and is currently UNAVALIBLE ANYWHERE ELSE....click THIS LINK for a chance to win an autographed copy of:

Lastly, for those of you who have seen my newest novel floating around social media, here's your chance to possibly add this beauty to your shelf. If interested, click THIS LINK to get an autographed copy of my brand new, hot-off-the-press novel:

For those of you who didn't see this in the comments at the end of my giveaway post, I have a special giveaway offer for my friends that are out-of-state. If you are from a country BESIDES the United States and win the giveaway, I will let you choose TWO of the titles I'm featuring in my giveaway and send them to you on a PDF file via e-mail.
I didn't want any of you left out of this chance to read one of my books! I'm as excited (or more perhaps) to see you guys reading my books as you are to get a free copy! :)

So far, I'm thrilled to announce that I have a total of 539 entrees. Like WHAAAAT???!!! I'm so encouraged by this amazing show of fans from my blog, Goodreads, and other social media. You are all amazing. I wish I had the time (and money) to meet each of you and give you a free autographed copy in person.

The best of luck to each of you entering! I promise the next post I have published on here will announce WINNERS!!!! :D :D :D :D :D

Until next time, let everything you do be done for the glory of God!

Poetry Post: These Are the Lost and Unaware (ft. Ramblings on Evangelism)

Today I want to talk about something that makes most of us inwardly squirm with discomfort.
Evangelism.
For some of us, it's easy. For most of us...it's hard. Sure, I could talk to my friends all day, but you'd have to pay me to go up and talk to a perfect stranger. Especially if I want to talk to them about Christ. Why? Why is it so hard for us to talk to people about our Savior? Why is it so hard to share the good news?
Well, there's a couple things, at least for me.
First and foremost: I'm afraid. Plain and simple. Of what? Rejection mostly. Also, the possibility of being mocked or laughed at or being thought less of.
Secondly, I have this terrible ailment called pride. I don't want people to think I'm "one of those crazy Christians". Am I wrong in this? Absolutely. I mean, I'm SUPPOSED to be "set apart", right? Trust me, I'm working on it. By God's grace I'll overcome this pride one day.
Lastly, I tell myself that'll I'll only mess things up if I try to share the gospel. God doesn't need our help to get His Word out to the people He wants to hear it, right? He could just have a Bible fall out of the sky and land in the hands of some person who was ready to accept the Truth. So why should I risk turning someone away from God by my rambling approach to the good news? 
I can't remember where I was or who it was that said this, but recently, someone said something that struck me as utterly profound. (Please don't laugh at what I'm about to disclose to you. I'm sure you thought of this LOOONG ago, but give us slower ones a chance to catch up, ok?)
Evangelism is a gift. It was one of the spiritual gifts mentioned in Ephesians. God GIVES us the opportunities to evangelize. And when we don't take them, it's actually turning down a gift from God.
When I realized this, it gave me a whole different aspect on evangelism. I realized that when I felt prompted to go up to someone and ask them if they knew about God and His Son's sacrifice, to refuse to reach out to them was to refuse a gift from God.
Does this mean I'll never be rejected again? Does it mean I'll never be mocked either directly or behind my back or have people think I'm some crazy weirdo? Does it mean I'll always present the gospel in the best possible way for that particular person? Ha! NO. Of course I'm going to be rejected. Probably a lot. But I only have to try. That's all God wants from us. He wants us to try.
It's like us taking that gift and beginning to unwrap it. It might take a long time for the gift to be opened, but if God wants that gift opened, He'll make it happen. And if we get to produce the first rip in the wrapping paper, it's because He decided we got to play a part in His plan. And doesn't that sound amazing?
Ok, ramble over.

I really wanted to post this because I wrote a poem recently and wanted to share it with you. But I got carried away with talking about evangelism. Sorry about that. ;) Hey, maybe someone out there needed to hear this. So I'm leaving the rant in.
However, now I'll go on to the real post by introducing, without further ado:

These Are the Lost and Unaware

A poem by Rebekah Eddy
 

Happiest smiles hide the most hurting hearts

Where the scar ends is where the wound starts

To the rest of the world life seems almost unreal

Desperate for someone to hear their appeal

When they cry out in fear or in pain

When used by others for their own selfish gain

Their whole life feels worthless and empty

A mere raindrop in the vast open sea

But they put on a show for the world

A stage where their life is unfurled

They practice their lies day and night

Until even they have begun to lose sight

Blinding themselves with deception

Nodding at their phony reflection

They think they can make it to heaven

Convinced their flour outweighs their leaven

Clutching in a hundred thousand sweaty palms

Their good deeds, their dirty rags as alms

These are the lost and unaware

We were once like those poor fearful souls 

Believing in things that were quite full of holes 

Only by the grace of our God alone 

Can we look forward to the judgment throne 

But while we are here in amongst the cries 

The broken hearts and the same old lies 

 Are we gonna just stand around down here 

Ignoring a world of faces full of fear?

Are we gonna go and share the good news

Or hide behind our precious church pews

The harvest is ready, the fields are white

Why stop now when the goal is in sight?

The harvest is plenty, the workers are few

Stop waiting around, there is so much to do

Open your bible, go talk to that person 

Open your ears and be there to listen

Share God's truth without hesitation

All it needs from us is some presentation

We are the sinners saved by grace

Don't forget, my giveaway is still going on! If you haven't entered yet, here are the links you need! :) Three lucky people are going to walk away with a copy of one of my books...don't think YOU might not be one! :D Have fun!

First giveaway: An autographed copy of "The Silver Flower"!
Second giveaway: An autographed copy of (my yet to be released) "Alice & Alyssa"!
Third (and final) giveaway: An autographed copy of my newest novel "The Princess and I"!

Until I post again, let everything you do be done for the glory of God! :)

Birthdays, Figet Spinners, and a Giveaway

So, one of the problems with having a birthday a day before the last day of the month is that it makes it so I have two blog posts very close together. But that's ok, right? I mean, your weekend wouldn't be complete without a monthly overview of August from me, right? *cough* ANYWAYS...

(Plus, if you make it through to the end of my ramblings, you'll find a lovely surprise...not that I'm BRIBING you or anything...)

Summer is almost over guys. *distant weeping* Flip-flops, sunshine, and extra time to spend with friends and family is morphing into boots, rain, and school. But, some of that won't be so bad...and when has a little rain kept me from wearing flip-flops? Maybe my favorite season is over...but my next favorite season is just around the corner with awesome fashion changes and, let's face it, who doesn't like a good pumpkin spice latte? :P (Except those of you who don't like coffee...but you're crazy anyways, so whatever.)

With college life driving me slightly insane, I figured it was time for a little update on how I'm still alive and surviving. (Which goes to show, if I can do college and a writer's life at the same time, SO CAN YOU SO NO EXCUSES.) Let's jump right in, shall we?

~ Life ~
August started out kind of normal, but that changed the second week with our VBS program at church. Despite new management from a younger couple, it was pulled off extraordinarily well. I enjoyed every minute of taking "my kids" around to all the activities and having a whole week where I saw my friends every day. Exhausting, yes, but SO MUCH FUN.
Amidst babysitting and helping grandparents and family, I've tried to read, write, and do college...not all at once, I promise. It's been hectic, but I've learned a lot about life as an adult.

Us girls headed out to Port Gamble, location of the best UK store I've ever been too. There I ordered more Scottish fudge and English crumpets.

Crumpets are EXCELLENT when topped with some butter and raspberry jam/lemon curd. :)

Besides that, we took pictures by flowers ('cause why not) and ate ice cream ('cause DUH).

Our family went to the Kitsap County Fair, along with cousins and "my girls" that I babysit. :) Loads of cheap, free stuff and bags of cotton candy later, we headed home after a fun-filled day petting various animals (we did not pet the tiger...much as I wanted too.)and eating junk food.

Yeah, I got within five feet of a live tiger.
Totally not freaked out by that look in her eyes.

No trip to a fair is complete without cotton candy. ;)

My brothers discovered and bought (I'm not kidding) two pet sugar gliders that were being sold there, and although one of them died a few days later, which was very sad, the other one is still alive and as adorable as ever.

Guys, these pets are seriously amazing. Look them up and sigh with me over their incredible cuteness. We're hoping to get poor Max another one soon since apparently these critters have a decent warranty.  

Last week our family went to Northwest Trek and came within ten feet of a bunch of cool animals like bison, mountain goats, wolves, cougars, skunks, porcupines, lynx, beavers, golden eagles, bobcats, black bears, elk, and caribou. Though the day was a particularly hot one, we still enjoyed getting close to some of God's amazing creations.

After that we met and hung out with a local pastor's family who lived in the area. Yeah, we never turn down a chance to spend time with other likeminded Christians. ;) Besides...pizza and hilarious fellowship made a perfect end to our day. :P

Lastly, I kinda had a birthday...in case you hadn't noticed. XD Still feel like an eighteen-year-old. That probably won't change for another couple months. But I think I'll get used to being nineteen eventually. The scariest thought is that I'm turning twenty next year. Like, HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE??!!!? *freaks out* Ok, deep breath...that's not happening for another year. I've got time. (I got a fidget spinner for my birthday. That's really the only reason I put it in the title. I didn't realize how fun those things could actually be! I can kind of see why they're popular?)

Go Huskies! ;)

Well, August was definitely no less busy than any other month of this year. It had its moments of relaxation...though few and far between. Its been crazy, but fun. Am I looking forward to having a little more structure in my life since the school year is starting for our family? Actually, yes. Despite being a naturally NON-structured person, nothing helps keep priorities straight like a schedule. So maybe I'll actually get some decent writing done this month...along with studying for college classes and doing my job well and spending time with family and making some kind of dent in my TBR list and...ok so I guess we'll have to see. ;)

~ Writing ~
Well, as you know, I got to 20,000 words in my current WIP, "A New Name"...well, that number has changed. Not by much...but every little bit counts. :) I'm at close to 25,000 now, and I'm hoping to add 10,000 by the end of this month. I actually know where I'm headed next with the plot, which gives my writing a HUUUUGE advantage. Nothing like knowing where I'm headed in a book to keep the words count building at a steady rate. I'm hoping to give y'all snippets at roughly every 20,000 words, but we'll have to see if I can keep to that schedule.

~ Editing ~
Well, due to an insane life recently, I haven't gotten nearly enough time to spend on hardcore editing. I'm hoping to get Ocean Mist edited by the end of fall, and ready for publication in time for Christmas, but that's only a hope at this point. Due to some medical issues with grandparents, our family is being stretched a bit thin. Prayer for us and my grandparents would be appreciated. <3

~ Reading ~
*distant, maniacal laughter* Let's just say reading is not really happening for me right now. I'm in middle of, like, five different books...non of which I've had time to finish. I finally got my review for "London in the Dark" up on Amazon and Goodreads, and I started a book called "Story Thieves" which I picked up kind of at random at the library. So far its been an pretty good read...but I need to finish it before it's due. *gulp* The other book I'm in middle of is "The Old-fashioned Etiquette of Falling in Love" by Eric Ludy (he also wrote "When God Writes Your Love Story"). Guys, its AMAAZING. I've only gotten in about five or so chapters and I love it! The way he writes is so much fun to read and his sense of humor is awesome! Definitely recommend it, even though I should probably wait to do that until I've finished reading it. *whistles and looks into sky*

~ Music ~

~ Quotes ~
I'm going to give you some of my favorite quotes from my WIP, "A New Name". Let me know which one was your favorite! :)

This last one made me laugh. Hope it makes you laugh too. ;)

~ Goals Reached ~
1: Write five chapters in "A New Name"
(Well, so I didn't FINISH writing five chapters...but the fifth chapter is STARTED. That counts, right?)
2: Read 5+ books
HA. Yeah, nope.
3: Visit the Scottish/Irish/English store in Port Gamble again
Done and DONE. Got me some Scottish fudge and crumpets. ;)
4: Write a poem/compose a song
I did write a poem. On Evangelism. It'll be posted on here sometime this month probably. ;)
5: Finish surviving my eighteenth year! ;) 
YES. I DID. Barely...but I DID. XD

Heyyy...four out of five! Not bad...not bad at all! ;) Wish me luck for this month's set of goals! I set myself some hefty ones.

~ Goals for September ~
1: Write 10,000 words in "A New Name"
2: Read 5+ books
3: Take (and hopefully pass) 2 college CLEP tests
4: Keep up better with out of state pen/email pals
5: Do some hardcore editing on "Ocean Mist"

Speaking of my birthday...we were, weren't we? Well, even if we weren't...I'm hosting a giveaway!!!!! *fanfare, confetti, and the works* I'm giving away one copy each of three of my books: "The Silver Flower", "Alice & Alyssa", and "The Princess and I". You're welcome to enter any and all of the giveaways ONCE. And please, feel free to share about this giveaway. It'll only help. ;) So without further ado...

~ Giveaway ~
That moment you've all been waiting for... (Or, you know, you might have just scrolled to the bottom, skipping every golden word I've typed before this...in which case, shame on you! Go back and read EVERYTHING ELSE. Then come back and enter this giveaway. ;)

Our cat decided to pose right next to my books while I was trying to take pictures of them...so helpful, Mouser... >_<

I'm going to give you the link to each Rafflecopter giveaway (still haven't figured out how to embed these thingies into my blog) and let the fun begin!!!

First giveaway: An autographed copy of "The Silver Flower"!
Second giveaway: An autographed copy of (my yet to be released) "Alice & Alyssa"!
Third (and final) giveaway: An autographed copy of my newest novel "The Princess and I"!

All three Giveaways go through the end of September. I'll announce (and afterwards email) the winners during my monthly overview post. So hurry and enter and share with as many people as possible. Let's see how many entrees I can get, k? :P

Until next time, let everything you do be done for the glory of God!