Classic Reads

Classic Books for Curious Minds

  • Featured

    Holding My Goals Loosely in 2022

    January 2, 2022 by

    Last Year, I had so many goals and plans. Among them was that we would start trying for a child. We were blessed with a healthy pregnancy earlier than I thought, and it definitely made me rearrange all of my priorities. First, I had to learn a lot and had many questions: What can I… Read more

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    My Lack of Blogging Activity…

    December 27, 2021 by

    There’s a reason I’ve been less active the past six months on WordPress… I’m pregnant! I’m due March 8th with a precious baby boy. With pregnancy, baby prep, publishing my second book and starting my Author Youtube channel, blogging (both writing and reading blogs) definitely took a back seat. I went from meeting my weekly… Read more

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    Howl’s Moving Castle

    December 26, 2021 by

    This is the kind of story that starts out bizarre and increasingly makes sense as it goes along. It starts out like an ordinary fairytale, and has many typical fairy and folk tale elements (seven-league boots, magic, wizards, witches, kings, etc). Yet, there is a self awareness in the story and in the main character… Read more

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    The Forgotten Scroll

    December 15, 2021 by

    Today is the official release date of the sequel to my first book, The Land in the Woods! (https://www.amazon.com/…/B096…/ref=dp-kindle-redirect&#8230😉 The Sequel is called The Forgotten Scroll. (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NL8TC5L) They are fun fantasy adventure stories with Christian themes. Here is the description: When Maurie, Janine, and Bobby Wells return to the mythical land of Eridu, they are… Read more

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    The Cursed Ruins Excerpt

    November 14, 2021 by

    During Nanowrimo, I’ve been working on the third book in my adventures in Eridu series. Here’s a chapter I’ve written this past week and a video update on my writing progress at the end! If you haven’t seen the first book in the series, The Land in the Woods, you should check it out on… Read more

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    The Princess and the Goblin

    November 8, 2021 by

    Ever since I heard this story as a little girl, I was captivated. George MacDonald has a way of telling fairytales/ fantasy stories in a way that connects with a very human experience. The young princess in the story is a curious and naive sort, which drives her to meet and trust many different characters,… Read more

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    Nanowrimo Week 1

    November 6, 2021 by

    So far, I’ve written over 5,000 of the 30,000 words I am shooting for during Nanowrimo on my WIP, The Cursed Ruins. It’s the third book in my children’s fantasy adventure series, and the second is being edited so that I can publish it in December! Here’s a chapter I wrote this week: Chapter 2… Read more

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    Self or Traditional Publishing?

    October 3, 2021 by

    If you’re writing or have finished writing a book, you might be considering whether the self or traditional publishing route is best for you.
    Below, I weight the pros and cons of each publishing route.

  • Featured

    The Neverending Story (Unendliche Geschichte)

    July 1, 2021 by

    If you are a fan of wacky fantasy or postmodern literature, this is a must-read! About the Author This classic children’s fantasy novel was written in 1979 in German, by author Michael Ende. Ende was a famous children’s writer, who was heavily influenced by surrealism from a young age, as his father Edgar Ende was… Read more

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    Available on Kindle: The Land in the Woods

    June 19, 2021 by

    Thank you to everyone who bought my new book! You can check out The Land in the Woods on Amazon if you haven’t yet (link below). It is now available on Kindle- free for Kindle Unlimited users and $0.99 for others. You can buy this middle-grade fantasy adventure story for a child you know between… Read more

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    Land in the Woods Author Reading

    June 5, 2021 by

    I wanted to share my author reading of the first chapter of my new children fantasy novel, The Land in the Woods. You can pass this along to a child you think might enjoy it- the book is for ages 9-12. Here’s the blurb: You never know what adventure is waiting for you in the… Read more

  • Featured

    The Land in the Woods Book Launch

    June 4, 2021 by

    Here’s the Book Promo Video I created, which tells you a little more about my new children’s fantasy book, The Land in the Woods.

    It is for ages 9-12, and is an adventure story about three children that includes Christian themes.

  • Featured

    Book Launch on June 4th!

    May 30, 2021 by

    I’m excited to announce that my debut children’s fantasy novel, The Land in the Woods, is coming out this Friday, June 4th! You can buy this middle-grade fantasy adventure novel for a child you know, ages 9-12. It makes a great gift, and makes a fun summer read. Here’s the description: You never know what… Read more

  • Featured

    Fantasy Book Reading Pile

    May 22, 2021 by

    I decided to read some of the most popular middle-grade (ages 8-12) fantasy books on Amazon, and I am really enjoying it so far! The Neverending Story (Die Unendliche Geschichte) Written in 1979 by German author Michael Ende, and translated into English by Ralph Manheim in 1983, this classic children’s fantasy work is definitely worth… Read more

  • Featured

    A Wizard of Earthsea

    May 20, 2021 by

    If you liked Harry Potter, you might like A Wizard of Earthsea. Both feature young boy wizards who become legends and attend wizarding school. Overall, this was a good book that I recommend. However, the story can be a little slow at times, but that is mainly because it is a story of self-discovery and… Read more

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    Book Cover Reveal: The Land in the Woods

    May 8, 2021 by

    I am excited to share the book cover to my upcoming debut children’s novel, The Land in the Woods! If all goes well, I plan to publish it June 4th on Amazon. The story is about three siblings who find a magical land in the woods. They meet various creatures and encounter dangers. The children… Read more

  • Featured

    I Finished Formatting My Book!

    May 7, 2021 by

    This week, I’ve been formatting my children’s fantasy novel, The Land in the Woods. Once I got the formatting process down, it went pretty quickly. I was using Adobe InDesign, which allows you to make text presets that you can easily apply to a body of text. As I got closer to the end, I… Read more

  • Featured

    What Does Jesus Say About Lust and Divorce?

    April 30, 2021 by

    Today we’re going to discuss what Jesus says about some heavy topics: lust and divorce. It’s important to keep the old testament background in mind, as Jesus is talking about the Old Testament law. We also need to understand the cultural context and not misapply Jesus’ words. In this week’s video, I share a few… Read more

  • Featured

    A Long Walk to Water

    April 27, 2021 by

    We often take resources such as water for granted, but this story shows the struggle of different tribes in Sudan to get clean water. In Linda Sue Parks’ A Long Walk to Water, she follows two stories in two different time periods in Sudan. The First Story: A Boy, Running for His Life The main… Read more

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    How Should Christians Deal with Anger?

    April 23, 2021 by

    This video goes through part of the sermon on the mount where Jesus is talking about anger. Anger is something I personally struggle with, and this passage is challenging to me. I hope this video encourages you and helps you to think about the times you get angry. We all need to take a step… Read more

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    Growing as a Writer

    April 22, 2021 by

    In the past year and a half, since I made writing my full-time career, I’ve learned and grown tremendously. My growth is partly due to the insights and wisdom I’ve gleaned from other writers, some of which I will share at the end of this blog. Along the way, I’ve recognized some of my bad… Read more

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    How to Demotivate Yourself

    April 18, 2021 by

    How to Demotivate Yourself in 10 Easy Steps: Make an unnecessarily long to-do list. Every time you accomplish something, add something else to the list. Keep telling yourself you’ll never get it all done, and you’re a failure if you don’t. Tell yourself you can only relax once you complete the items on your list.… Read more

  • Featured

    Shabby Sunday: A Wrinkle in Time

    April 11, 2021 by

    I’m jumping on a book tag by Mischenko from ReadRantRock&Roll, showing off an old book I own. Here’s my old, shabby book: This book was well-loved by many others before it made it into my hands. There’s something nice about that. You can’t see it too clearly in the photo, but the book was discarded… Read more

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    A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

    April 10, 2021 by

    “There’s the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it.” A Study in Scarlet. So begins the first case for Holmes and Watson. This book was so much fun to read! I never thought I was… Read more

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    Quarterly Goals Check-in

    March 31, 2021 by

    Do you have 2021 goals you are working towards? How are you doing? I tried to break my 2021 goals into quarterly and weekly tasks, to make them more manageable. Admittedly, I don’t always meet them within the allotted time frame, but I have made great progress! Here are a few of my goals and… Read more

  • Featured

    Celebrating Holy Week

    March 28, 2021 by

    Happy Palm Sunday! I will be doing a two-minute reflection/ meditation on one Bible verse each day this week. You can subscribe to my Youtube channel if you want to follow along! I will not be posting all those videos on my blog. Why do Christians celebrate Palm Sunday? The Biblical accounts are found in:… Read more

  • Featured

    E. Nesbit’s The Phoenix and the Carpet

    March 27, 2021 by

    I absolutely loved this book! The interactions between the children were just as good as the first book in this series (the Psammead series: Five Children and It is the first book). I loved the Phoenix. He had a delightful, wise, interesting and unique personality. This really shines through in the dialogue. Here’s an excerpt… Read more

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    Bible For the Busy Woman: The Beatitudes, Part II

    March 26, 2021 by

    Last week, we talked about what Jesus means when he says blessed are the poor in spirit, mournful, and meek. Today, we’re going to go through the final 5 beatitudes: those who hunger and thirst for righteousness the merciful the pure in heart the peacemakers those persecuted for righteousness/ Christ Watch the video to find… Read more

  • Featured

    Spring Fever

    March 20, 2021 by

    I am thrilled that the first day of spring is finally here! Gone “is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this sun” of Chicago spring! (Shakespeare, Richard III) I don’t know about you, but the spring fever is upon me. I’ve begun spring cleaning, and will soon change over my wardrobe (finger’s… Read more

  • Featured

    The Shadows by George MacDonald

    March 16, 2021 by

    This is one of George MacDonald’s stranger tales. It is a fairytale of sorts, but also reads a little like a ghost story. Throughout the story, I was trying to guess what the shadows were. The tricky thing is, not even the shadows seemed to know that. The King of Fairyland Meets the Shadows The… Read more

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    Bible for the Busy Woman Matthew 4:18-25

    March 12, 2021 by

    In this week’s Bible passage, Jesus begins calling disciples and healing and teaching people. Word about his ministry spreads, and crowds come to Him in Galilee. Join me as we use the historical context and maps to help us understand this passage and apply it to our lives.

  • Featured

    What I’m Writing

    March 9, 2021 by

    Here’s an update on the books I am writing, including my middle grade fantasy series and some Christian books.

  • Featured

    Blog Feature: Gnarled Oak Art

    March 5, 2021 by

    Hey there, friends! I’m going to start an occasional blog feature on my blog to showcase some cool stuff I’ve discovered on other people’s blogs. This blog features Jonathan Sutton, the owner of Gnarled Oak Art and a Fiction Author and Illustrator. Here’s an example of his wood work: Here’s a link to more wood… Read more

  • Featured

    What I’m Reading

    March 3, 2021 by

    I’ll blog on some of these books down the road, but I thought I’d share what I’m reading right now and my initial thoughts on these books. Forgiving What You Can’t Forget Lysa Terkeurst This New York Times bestseller stuck out to me because of its title. So often we’re told to forgive and forget,… Read more

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    Bible for the Busy Woman Matthew 4:12-17

    March 1, 2021 by

    We’ve been trekking through the book of Matthew, looking at the historical context and Matthew’s extensive use of the Old Testament to help us find meaning. This week’s Bible passage is Matthew 4:12-17, which shows Jesus moving away from potential danger after John the Baptist is arrested. In doing so, Jesus fulfills Isaiah 9:1-2. We… Read more

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    Healthy Grieving

    February 27, 2021 by

    I’ve been watching Wandavision (slight spoiler ahead), and its commentary on grieving is very interesting. So far, we have learned that Wanda created this entire TV land to escape the reality that Vision is dead. In the most recent episodes, Wanda is confronted by others that she needs to face her grief and her “truth.”… Read more

  • Featured

    Crime and Punishment

    February 19, 2021 by

    Crime and Punishment toys with unique political, psychological, and philosophical ideas, exploring questions about morality, society, and human motivations.

  • Featured

    Revisiting Cú Chulainn

    February 12, 2021 by

    When I was studying abroad in Ireland during my senior year of undergrad, I had the privilege of taking an Irish mythology course. In it, I was introduced to Irish greats like Cú Chulainn and Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool).

  • On Becoming a Mother…

    June 8, 2022 by

    On March 16, 2022, after a long 19-hour difficult labor, my son announced his entrance into the world with a loud cry. They put him on my chest and I spoke to him, crying tears of joy as I inspected every perfect part of him. I glanced at my husband a few times but those… Read more

  • $0.99 or Free (Kindle version) of my books

    January 15, 2022 by

    Today and for the next 5 days: Book II in Adventures in Eridu, The Forgotten Scroll is only $0.99 for the Kindle version (or free if you have Kindle unlimited). If you haven’t read Book I, The Land in the Woods, yet, it is $0.99 as well. I would love your support and a review… Read more

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