One I Forgot...

Looking back through my posts I discovered there were a few drafts I had begun on awards. Apparently, back in the day, I'd been awarded and never got around to finishing a post about it.

And get this -- the awards were from 2014.

2014!! 

I guess these were something I'd gotten right before I started my freshman year at college, and then crazy school life kicked in and I completely forgot about them. So they sat, cold and neglected in my drafts folder, waiting for the day when they might see the sun again (if ever).

My original draft had included links and a big thank you to the two bloggers who had tagged/awarded me, but when I went back through the links, both posts were gone. Both blogs were gone, too. Either they'd been deleted or turned into a private blog. I neglected these things for so long that the bloggers who awarded me had already moved on with their lives. If one of those bloggers is reading this now -- I'm very grateful for your nomination and I apologize that I never got around to finishing a post about it until now.

I'm not huge into the awards now, but one of these had some tag questions that I thought would be fun to answer. Who doesn't like a fun tag? I love reading them on other people's blog because it's like one of those "Get out of jail free" cards from Monopoly -- except it's a free card for blog readers to snoop and learn interesting tidbits about the blog writer's life. Yes, I'm curious. And I apologize -- I have no idea with which award these questions go to.

~*~

 1. What type of music do you listen to? (Genre, artists, songs?)

Honestly? Mostly soundtracks. For writing, I prefer composers like James Newton Howard, Patrick Doyle, Alan Silvestri, John Powell, Alexandre Desplat, Andrew Lockington, Hans Zimmer, Harry Gregson-Williams, Howard Shore, James Horner, John Williams... and the list could keep going. 

For cleaning, it's always fun Christmas music or Broadway musicals. And don't start that about Christmas music only being for December. EVERY MONTH IS CHRISTMAS MUSIC MONTH. Broadway... too many favorites. I would end up keeping you for hours. 

For general listening, I enjoy sacred albums from conservative groups like The Wilds or Soundforth. Or some good Emile Pandolfi, Sir James Galloway, or Andrea Bochelli. Tchaikovsky is my favorite classical composer, hands down. I could listen to the entire Swan Lake ballet on repeat. AND I HAVE. No regrets. 

~*~

2. What usually cheers you up?

My husband. :) I know it's cliche, but he always knows how to make me smile. It doesn't take him long at all to figure out my mood; he knows me sometimes better than I know myself. 

And while he's at work, I cuddle with my baby. She's almost 3 months old now and getting to the stage where she wants to "talk" and make the most adorable baby noises. Also, she's super cute. 

~*~

3. What makes you sad?

Watching my husband leave for work. I am so grateful he has a job, but watching him walk out and then watching the car drive away is devastating for me. So, typically, I can't watch him leave. If I'm tired enough after a rough night with baby, I'll start crying. I didn't use to be an emotional mess... and then I got married. I tell my husband it's his fault I'm so emotional now. 

~*~

4. Is there something you constantly misplace at your house or anywhere?

I'm sure we'll be losing things more and more as baby starts to get older. For now... probably my water bottle. Or baby wipes -- I have a million packages all around the house, but unless it's in plain sight, I don't usually remember where I left the last package.

~*~

5. Do you have a favorite book? Why or why not?

I do not have a favorite book. Because I have favorite bookSSSSSS. I honestly don't understand how people can only have one favorite book. It'd be like living life with only one favorite meal. You just can't do it. There will always be more than one.

~*~

6. What is the longest you have slept?

Recently? 7 hours. Which for me is really good. #newmom I don't know that I've slept longer than 8 hours at a time in the last 4 years. I get tired, but I can't seem to stay asleep for long amounts of time. If someone has the secret to napping, please let me know. I would send you all the virtual gingerbread you want for a secret like that.

~*~

7. Do you have anyone you go to for advice?

I always talk to my husband first (no brainer). Personally, I think he's a genius in every area of life (I mean, seriously -- he's getting a doctorate!!). Before I was married I always went to my dad, and I still do ask for his opinion on a lot of stuff. Unless it's baby advice... then I talk to my mom (who's had 6 kids) or my two sisters (who worked for a combined 6 years in daycare). 

~*~

8. What is the one habit you are proud of breaking or want to break?

One habit I'd like to break? Biting my nails. I don't gnaw and chew on them endlessly, but I'm constantly forgetting where the nail clippers are. My husband has a specific spot for them in the house, but I can't ever remember it. (I guess this would be the correct answer for #4 above; technically, they're not lost -- I just don't remember where to look, or sometimes just to actually look.) I just think, Wow, those are long. I could hurt baby. And then I quickly take care of them.

~*~

9. What do you usually order at a restaurant? What is your favorite restaurant?

BEEF. Of any kind. I am a steak, burger, complete cow girl, hands down. I'm open to other options, of course, but I don't cook with beef very often at home, so when we go out, I like getting that.

I don't know that I go out to eat often enough to have a favorite restaurant. My husband recently treated me to Steak 'N Shake for the first time for our anniversary, and IT WAS AMAZING. I got a delicious burger AND a mint Oreo milkshake. Basically, paradise in one meal.

~*~

10. What is your favorite word? Least favorite?

Fika. The Swedish word for "coffee break" -- translated loosely. It involves coffee, friends, and something sweet to eat, and I normally try to have my fika every day. Lately, I've been substituting hot chocolate for the coffee (because of my other favorite word "mama"), but it's still awesome. 

Least favorite? Good-bye. For obvious reasons. 

~*~

11. Describe something that happened to you for which there was no reasonable explanation?

Give me a minute. I'm sure there's something; I'm just not thinking of anything right now.

While working at the library, I found two $10 Walmart giftcards (on separate occasions). I tried to track down each time the person who'd lost the card, but both times was unsuccessful. Every email I sent came back negative, and no one called in for a lost giftcard. After letting them sit in the library safe for a month, my boss let me take the cards. One of the cards I found during the summer, but the other was during the school year, and I thought it really weird that I was the one who ended up finding and keeping both when I had another twenty coworkers who could have found one of the cards. I was sorry I couldn't return the cards, but it was nice to add it to the week's groceries.

Is that odd enough?

~*~

If anyone would like to steal these questions for his/her own post, please feel free! Or, comment your answers below! I'd love to read your answers -- like I said, I'm a very curious person. 

God bless!

Mark Your Calendars!

I am excited to announce that Volume 2 of the Once Upon A Twist Tales will be available this fall!

It's been a while since I indie-published the first volume of this series, The Rose and the Balloon, and I can't wait to show this second installment to everyone! I don't have a publishing date set down in stone yet, but once I do I'll be letting you know. I've already been in contact with my cover designer, and Lord willing in a few months Spindle Dreams will be yours to order from Amazon and CreateSpace!

Spindle Dreams is the follow-up to The Rose and the Balloon. We're still in the same kingdom, though only a year down the road. Instead of following Dmitri and Janelle (since they already had their own adventure), we're instead focusing on the tale of a young weaver and her loyal dog, as well as a nobleman with his mischievous horse.

About the book:

Marita Kadlec is the only daughter of Rohesia's poorest – and laziest – weaver. Her father prefers to spend his days gambling in the tavern, leaving the spinning up to Marita. She hates the family business because she's constantly pricking her finger on the spindle. She'd much rather be tinkering on an invention that she hasn't had the courage to show anyone yet. A special invention that will rid her of spinning for the rest of her life. 

Felix is a young nobleman plagued with the same nightmare – a giant machine, twisting and clanking, shrouded in fire, bent on pain and death. He's determined to find out what it means, no matter where the answers may lead him. 

This is Sleeping Beauty with a twist like you've never seen it before.

COMING THIS FALL!

~*~*~*~

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

We're starting the celebrations off early for this new book! I'm offering a PDF copy of The Rose and the Balloon to a few readers for review to kick things off. If you're interested in getting a copy to review, please email me at liannetaimenlore(at)gmail(dot)com. I'm asking each reviewer to post a review on Amazon (copied to their own blog, or Goodreads, or wherever) by September 30th.

God bless!
 

Once We Make the Big Announcement... !

I can feel a lurking, lurid, evil presence behind me. I know instantly what -- or rather, who -- it is even before he speaks.

"What are you up to, Kiri?"

I quickly close out the tab and pretend not to have heard him. I open up my email. Checking my inbox always makes me feel like I'm doing something profitable.

"Was that Cake Boss?" My little writer peers over my shoulder, his presence now thick and choking. There's no way to ignore him now.

"Of course not! This is my email!" I click through a couple of links on my inbox. "Wow, there's a lot of useless stuff coming in today."

My little writer sighs. "Kiri, when was the last time you opened something to work on?"

"I had The Dragon Tamer opened last week for a while."

"Yeah, but you didn't do much with it."

"I even had Secret of the Hazel Tree up."

"To re-read your favorite scene! When are you going to get serious about something this summer?"

"I am serious about my writing!"

"Then why are you watching clips of Cake Boss on Youtube?"

"I'm not now," I mutter dejectedly. "Besides, the cakes look really good. You know he made a taco cake once, and a giant pizza slice..."

"It doesn't matter what the Cake Boss makes," my little writer argues, "it's wasting your time."

"Not completely. Watching these clips has inspired me to bake more."

"Yes -- to bake more cakes. Which you don't need."

I close Diomedes -- my laptop -- with a distinct snap. "Actually, gissel, I've got big profitable plans, so you needn't worry about me at all."

"Gissel?" He looks puzzled. "What's that?"

"It's the Swedish word for scourge. Or curse."

"And that's what you think of me?"

"Don't yell. I know you're pleased."

Scowling, he changes topics. "What plans?"

I just grin. "Oh, you can find out with everybody else on Friday." I love that he looks astonished and furious all at the same time. It's not often I can strip him wordless like this. "Wait for the big announcement."

God bless!

Getting To Know Me Tag (Writer's Edition)

My good friend, fairytale enthusiast, and writing buddy Christine recently posted a really cool looking getting-to-know-you writer's tag. I read through her whole post, thinking, What a great tag! Man, I'm so jealous no one tagged me with it! This would be so much fun to fill out! To be honest, it's been a while since I've filled out a tag of any kind, and it's also been a while since I've consistently posted on my blog. This tag looked like just the thing to get me going again. 

And then, lo and behold, I got to the bottom of the post... and she had tagged me. 

Thanks, Christine! *grins* 

So, let's jump into this thing. 

~*~*~*~

RULES

Link back to the person who created the tag

Thank the person who tagged you

Share the tag graphic (Optional)

Tag eleven bloggers

~*~*~*~

THE TAG

Vital Stats And Appearance

Name: Which one do you want? My online name is Kiri Liz, my writing pseudonym is Kirsten Fichter, and my real name is Kirsten Davis. Take your pick; I'll answer to all of them. Just NEVER Kristen.

Nicknames: Kiri, mostly. A lot of family members call me Kitty. When I went to college, I got tired of people pronouncing my name wrong or just not remembering my name, so I introduced myself as Kit for a while. I also answer to Dee, Kirsty, Kirry, and now Mama. *grins*

Birthday: August 11th -- the same as Chris Hemsworth; I get weird looks when I tell people I'm Thor's twin (just 10 years younger). At least, we looked more like twins before his haircut. 

Hair color and length: Dirty blonde and long-ish. I just had a huuuuuge trim so it's just to my mid-back now, but before it was cut I was just sitting on it. 

Eye color: Blue/gray/ish. I used to be very blue, but I think it's changed over the years.

Braces/piercings/tattoos: None. Piercings and tattoos are probably my biggest fear; the thought of putting a hole or foreign ink into my body makes me feel sick. It's not the needles, though -- I went through a whole summer of allergy shots and was just fine.

Righty or Lefty: Righty.

Ethnicity: Germish. That's German and English combined, for those of you who don't know. And then I've got some Scot, Scandinavian, Native American, and random bits of other things thrown in. I'm a true American mutt.

~*~*~*~

Firsts

First novel written: The first book I ever began working on was a Civil War story about a girl named Ruth. I can't remember what I called it, but I still have the notebook of handwritten chapters somewhere in my writing paraphernalia. Ruth disguises herself as a boy and joins the Union army with her brother. I was very proud of it.

First novel completed: Lianne Taimenlore. Yes, the same story I named my blog after. I completed writing the first book of the series back in, oh boy -- years ago, but I lost the beginning of the second book when my sister accidentally knocked over our computer and I've actually not gone back to it since. Lianne is a half-elf who, after her father dies, has to flee from a killer and have all sorts of adventures. I planned at least a trilogy of adventures for her, and I hope I get around to writing it all one day.

Award for writing: I won "grand prize" in my local county fair for a poem when I was a teenager. I liked to think that it was a big deal, but basically every kid who entered something in the fair got a prize.

First publication: Well, that depends. I've had a poem published in an online writing magazine for Christian youth. The magazine was discontinued in 2013. Since then, I've self-published The Rose and the Balloon through Amazon. Link in picture below. *shameless advertising* 

Conference: None... yet.

Query/Pitch: I began writing a query and pitch for Secret of the Hazel Tree, but never got the courage to send it to an agent or editor since I was still working on edits. Writing isn't easy, folks. Especially when you remember that other people will be reading your words and making judgment on every one of them.

~*~*~*~

Favorites

Novel (that you wrote): Probably Secret of the Hazel Tree. It's long and everything that I wanted in a fairytale retelling. My goal was not to twist Cinderella in my own way, but to stay as true to the original tale as possible while making all the fairytale elements and Cinderella under-explained plot points seem believable. I still can't believe I wrote it all in 5 months.

Genre: FANTASY. Seriously, I don't know that I really have another genre that I write in. I've begun a couple contemporary, historical fiction, dystopian, fan fiction, etc. novels, but never really got past a few chapters. Technically, I've done a little steampunk with The Rose and the Balloon but it's only light steampunk.

Author: Why must you ask this question??? TOO MANY. Charles Dickens, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Donita K. Paul, Wayne Thomas Batson, Jaye L. Knight, Jan Brett, Margaret Wise Brown, Jane Austen... and the list goes on and on.

Writing Music: Typically soundtracks by James Newton Howard and Patrick Doyle. It used to be the LOTR and HTTYD soundtracks, but I've had to shy away from those since the music gets me thinking about and quoting the movies as I listen to the songs. I've learned it's better for me if I don't know the movie too well, so I don't get distracted with the soundtrack. Anything with lyrics is bad, too.

Time To Write: In the morning before everyone's awake, or in the evenings after everyone has gone to bed. So... basically when no one but me is awake. 

Writing Snack/Drink: Depends on my mood. Sometimes, it's a nice cup of coffee with creamer. Sometimes, a bowl of pretzels. Sometimes, applesauce. Sometimes, chocolate. 

Movie: The Lord of the Rings. Was that even a question??

Writing Memory: Probably the first time I ever participated in NaNoWriMo. I did it in April, just to see what it was like, and I wrote 50K words in 30 days. And that was the beginning of The Dragon Tamer. 

Childhood Book: Ooh, that's a tough one. When I was really little, it was The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear (illustrations by Jan Brett); in my teens, Life of Faith: Millie Keith series. 

~*~*~*~

Currently

Reading: My husband and I are reading the Wheel of Time series aloud, and we're currently in book four, The Shadow Rising. I did not think I would get sucked into this series so fast. Yeah, the books are like 700 pages apiece, but we're flying through this thing. A lot of our conversations lately have been about the books, asking each other questions about the characters, making predictions about what we think is going to happen. It's been so much fun. 

Writing: Ha. Actively working on one project right now? Shamefully, no. I just came off of a week and a half vacation for visiting family and my cousin's wedding, so it's taking me a bit to jump back in. Wheel of Time has me itching to get my hands back into The Dragon Tamer series, but I'm trying to keep myself focused on editing right now. FOR REASONS. *be on the lookout for updates in the near future* *waggles eyebrows importantly* No, I'm not spilling secrets yet. 

Listening to: I've been stuck on Dan Forrest's Jubilate Deo recently, but that doesn't make good writing music at all. I had the immense privilege to perform this epic of a piece as part of a choral concert in college. Hours of practice, guys. It was amazing. So worth the effort. And now I can't listen to it without singing along. Seriously, if you want something that's going to send chills up and down your spine, you have to listen to it. It's Psalm 100, giving praise to the Lord in, I think, 6 or more different languages. GIVE IT A LISTEN. 

Watching: Just watched both HTTYDs while visiting my family, and SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THE THIRD. So far, Dreamworks hasn't messed this series up for me and THAT TRAILER looks so incredibly EPIC. I'm also really stuck on watching Cake Boss clips. And consequently making cake because I get so hungry. That's the problem with watching anything with food. 

Learning: How to Mama. It's been a new adventure, being a first-time mom, but I'm loving it. Our little girl has been so good -- we don't deserve that. Yes, she has her cranky moments, but I wouldn't trade her for the world. 

~*~*~*~

Future

Want To Be Published: I'm hoping to get something else self-published sometime soon, so we'll see what happens. That's my goal, anyway. 

Indie or Traditional: Indie for some things, definitely, since it takes less time and I can control everything going into it. *ducks head* Yeah, I'm a little bit of a control freak when it comes to my work. One day, I'd love to get into traditional publishing, too. 

Wildest Goal: My husband laughed when he saw this one and said, "Have 19 kids, right?" I watched a lot of the Duggars and Bates while in recovery after birth (they both are families of 19 kids, for those of you who don't know), and we've talked about having that many, too. Can't say for certain if it'll happen or not; only the Lord knows how big our family is. I'm so happy with the one little girl we have right now, but I'm looking forward to being able to give her a partner in crime. 

~*~*~*~

Thanks, Christine, for tagging me in such a fun post! I'm not going to tag anyone at this moment, but any writer who would like to steal this for himself/herself, please feel free! Rules are posted above, but the tag questions I've copied down below so it's easier to copy and paste onto your own post. And no -- don't glare at me for neglecting to tag people. I'm claiming Mommy rights right now. Baby comes first. Yes, I pulled that card. Plus, I've got to get this thing posted and I don't have a lot of time. 

Enjoy! 

~*~*~*~

Vital Stats And Appearance

Name:

Nicknames:

Birthday:

Hair color and length:

Eye color:

Braces/piercings/tattoos:

Righty or Lefty:

Ethnicity:


Firsts

First novel written:

First novel completed:

Award for writing:

First publication:

Conference:

Query/Pitch:


Favorites

Novel (that you wrote):

Genre:

Author:

Writing Music:

Time To Write:

Writing Snack/Drink:

Movie:

Writing Memory:

Childhood Book:


Currently

Reading:

Writing:

Listening to:

Watching:

Learning:


Future

Want To Be Published:

Indie or Traditional:

Wildest Goal:

Snippets From Spindle Dreams

See? I'm back. This makes the second blog post this month for me... which, considering my record from the last four years, is pretty good. 

I began this summer with great plans for writing, books, editing, etc. While I've not been as consistent as I would have liked, I have knuckled down on a few things. FIRST OF WHICH was actually finishing The Rose and the Balloon's companion novella: Spindle Dreams. 

Confession time, folks. I began writing this short story back when Rooglewood announced its third fairytale retelling contest. IN 2015!! Yeah, I was in college and writing for fun doesn't come easily when you're cramming for tests and procrastinating on homework assignments. Three years, though. And do you know what the sad part was? I wrote most of the story that summer (2015) and then stopped a few chapters from the end. I picked it up again in 2016 and wrote all but the last half of the last chapter. 

And then the story sat that way for 2 years. Pretty pathetic, huh?

Anyway, that was one of the first things I knew I needed to do this summer. FINISH THE STORY. It was practically at the end anyway. My Little Writer was after me to complete the thing. Ha. And that was after he'd forbidden me to begin writing it in the first place. 

Anyway, we're at some 23K words right now, and I've already jumped into editing. I'm more pleased overall with how Spindle Dreams turned out -- almost more pleased than my first draft of The Rose and the Balloon. No promises, but I'm hoping to have SD self-published here in the somewhat near future. We'll have to see how things go. 

But I promised you snippets, and so snippets you shall have. Here you go. 

~*~

Dmitri noticed his odd attire for the first time. “What happened? Did you meet up with bandits?”

Felix waved away the concern. “No such luck. Samson decided I needed an impromptu bath. Twice.”

“You still have that rebel animal?”

“He's not a complete rebel. Just active and slightly mischievous. But he means well.”

Dmitri grinned. “Slightly?” 

~*~

Felix shut his eyes against the sight of the fire. The deed did no good, for he could still see fire with his eyes closed. He opened them again. The same dark laugh that permeated every dream was still clinging to his memory, taunting him, mocking him, squeezing his sanity to shreds.

“It was just another nightmare,” he whispered to the night, hoping to alleviate his thumping head.

The words, however, were too powerful. The echo of Dmitri's scream still rang in his mind, and the more Felix thought about it, the more he was certain he could never go back to sleep. With a strangled groan, he threw the blankets off and got out of bed.

No – tumbled out of bed described it better, for Felix's legs gave out and he hit the stone floor on all fours. Rubbing his stinging palms, he was suddenly very glad that bedrooms were private chambers.

After he had gotten dressed and finished the mug of hot chocolate left by the servants – now cold – he headed for the stable. The grooms, to be honest, were more than a little surprised to see the Crown Prince's cousin wanting to ride in the dead of night, but Felix needed some air. The hard, confining walls of the castle were too close. After he'd convinced the grooms he wasn't mad or sick, he rode out on Samson.

It was only then that he realized he’d forgotten to pull some shoes on. He suppressed a groan and looked away from his stockinged feet. Dmitri had loaned him a very nice pair of riding boots, too. 

Samson, the jovial creature that he was, delighted in the midnight ride. It wasn't often that he got the chance to frolic about when all other sensible animals were asleep. Felix let him go full out, and the night swallowed the echo of his hooves.

~*~

“We are very pleased,” Erland crooned, raising his glass, “to have such friends with this Rohesia. We have a long history of alliance, and it is the hope of us that we go together far in the future.”

The lord's thick accent did not merit him well-understood, but Felix thought he could stand firmly behind that claim of friendship so he raised his glass as well. Lord Erland, however, apparently was not finished. After giving Felix a glare until the latter lowered his glass, he cleared his throat and continued.

“We know that this fair land will not be the cost of our trade, and that our dear king will not harm his friendship with us. Trothen has seen her woes, but there is a time soon that she will rise again! From dirt she will rich, and from pain she will glory. She once the brightest star will shine forever.”

As his toast droned on, Felix tried hard not to show his confusion. National pride was definitely a virtue for all men, but the ambassador's thick accent did not merit him well-understood. When Erland began to quote the kings of Trothen, in order from the first crowning, Felix sighed. Nicolas and Nicoline would have smashed a pie over his head long before this.

~*~

Dmitri, looking worried, met him outside his room. “Felix! Where have you been? Do you know what time it is?”

“Couldn’t be that late, cousin, surely?”

Dmitri looked him up and down. “It’s well past midnight, surely. Janelle was certain something had happened to you and was ready to send a search party out. Is something wrong?”

“Couldn’t be better.” Felix smiled again.

Dmitri’s eyes narrowed and twinkled in the same motion. “We need to talk, then.”

A half hour later, Felix was still sitting in his sitting room with his cousin, both with cups of hot chocolate at their disposal. He’d already told the entire tale to Dmitri, but the prince insisted on hashing out all the good parts just to make Felix’s face go red. Why cousins made a hobby of that sort of thing, Felix didn't know. All he knew was that his cousin was thoroughly enjoying himself.

~*~

Janelle watched him walk away and then turned her eyes on Felix. “I know you’re not going to like this, but I’m putting food into you, getting you into a bed, and having the doctor look at those burns. And you can’t deny a royal order.” 

Merryweather let out a whimper. 

“The dog can go with you.”

~*~

Felix didn’t waste any time. As soon as the doctor left, he bolted for the door. He was already sixteen bounds down the hallway before he realized that he’d forgotten to pull his boots on and that Merryweather was close at his heels. The dog had become a close companion the last three days of confinement, and he was grateful for the company. As for the boots -- he’d already been making a fashion statement in the kingdom, so he didn’t bother with going back for his footwear. 

God bless!

The Course I Failed in College

"Well, I'm back," he said. 

Even though that is the last line of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, I thought it appropriate to begin again with that. It's good to be blogging again! And Lord willing, I'll be a little more regular with it like I was before college. 

Don't look at me like that. One can hope, y'know.

And just like that -- four years and college is over! It's been a week and a half since graduation, but I still can't believe I made it this far. It was all God, I can tell you that. 

On May 4th (coincidentally also Star Wars Day), I received my degree in Creative Writing, the result of 8 long semesters-worth of work. On the same day, my husband received his master's degree in theology. I'll tell you what -- it was pretty neat to be able to graduate together. However, the master's degree is just a stepping stone for my hubby as he's planning on continuing his education in seminary and getting a doctorate. 

Lord willing, in about seven years, I'll be married to a doctor. How's that for cool??? I'm so stinking proud of my husband. 

College isn't easy. There were times when I thought some classes were gonna be the death of me, some assignments would never be completed, some tests would catapult my GPA to irreversible depths... but I passed the classes, I completed the assignments, and I managed to squeak out a pretty nice GPA to cap it all off. 

But there was one course I failed in miserably. Four times. 

Have you ever gotten the feeling that God really wanted you to learn a specific lesson? As in, He wanted you to learn it so badly He sent it to you more than once? Because that's exactly what happened to me. 

I thought I knew how to depend on God as my source of strength. Not far into my freshman year, however, God struck me with a bullet in the head. Metaphorically, of course. He showed me as a energetic, stupid freshman exactly how much I was relying on myself by giving me a knee injury while playing society soccer. Not only did the knee pain kick me out of soccer for the rest of the season (not that my exercise-induced asthma helped much in that decision), but it also made getting to class difficult at times. Steps were a nightmare. I was thankfully on the first floor in my dorm, but I had several second- and third-floor classes. Thus, it was either be late to class with a sore knee, or take the embarrassing elevator ride. To say it bluntly, that year was very humbling as it forced me to look to God as my source of strength. 

Sophomore year. I had the lesson down, right? 

Ha. Nope. 

Sophomore year began with a shoulder injury. My sister had hyper-extended her shoulder, and she wasn't allowed to carry her own backpack. So, I, as a helpful older sister, volunteered to help her carry it around. I had her backpack slung on one shoulder and mine on the other. The result? I hurt my shoulder, and then I wasn't allowed to carry backpacks anymore. Oh, the irony. Again, I was depending on my own strength to get around and help my sister when I should have been depending on God. 

I managed that semester having to accept the assistance of a very nice young man to carry my backpack around. Another friend and some cousins helped my sister carry hers. After always refusing help with my backpack, it was humbling. Honestly, I hated needing help. 

Second semester sophomore year, I struggled with random fevers and a lot of fatigue. My sister (also my roommate at the time) had some of the same symptoms and was diagnosed with the epstein barr virus -- mono. Guess who else had mono? Yeah, yours truly. For Spring Break, I spent the entire week in bed -- only allowed to venture out for food. I was weak and tired.

Again, I had to rely on God as my source of strength. 

Two years... and the same lesson. You would think it would have gotten through my thick skull at this point. 

Junior year rolled around. I was still recovering from mono, but I had learned how to take care of myself better. I started relying on my own strength once again, and God sent Ken back into my life. 

(For those of you who don't know, Ken is my evil twin, a.k.a. the person I become when I have asthma.) 

At first, I thought it was just a quick visit from Ken, as he likes to come stay with me on the weekends (not cool). But a whole month went by, and he was still sticking around. As it happens, the smoke from the horrible forest fires in Tennessee was drifting south to my college, and I couldn't breathe outside unless I had a mask on. Coughing set in, and I actually had one teacher stop class so she could find me a cough drop. Again, weak and miserable, it was another humbling year. 

Senior year I was sure I had the lesson down. After all, I'd spent the summer getting married and setting up my first home with an absolutely amazing husband. What could go wrong? 

Truth be told, nothing went wrong. Everything went just the way God had it planned. The week before classes started, my husband looked at me and said in his blunt way, "You've been moody lately and you look kinda bloated. I think you're pregnant." 

(Side note: Most husbands shouldn't speak that way to their wives, but that's just how my husband and I communicate. I love our relationship.)

I was adamant that I was not pregnant, but we got a test...

And it was positive. 

Over the numbing, sheer joy at the realization that we were going to be parents, the tiny logical part of my brain kicked in: How in the world could I complete an entire year of school pregnant? Morning sickness was one thing, but our baby was due the last week of classes spring semester. Meaning that I'd be approximately giving birth a week or two before I graduated. 

Truth be told, I didn't have a terrible pregnancy. Morning sickness, though ill-named, wasn't too bad -- but I had to miss class and work sometimes because of it. The normal aches and pains weren't awful, but as I progressed further to the 9 month mark, I became more and more limited as to what I could do. God gave me just enough strength to do what I needed to do, even though I was often not allowed to get out and do extra things. 

Our little daughter arrived on April 21, two weeks before graduation. As I was still in recovery after giving birth and not allowed to walk very far, my husband took me across the stage in a wheelchair to receive my diploma. 

For someone who wanted desperately to be independent and do everything for herself, I had to be broken and humbled. God really used college to show me how much I needed Him. There was no way I could have survived all four years on my own. I'm very grateful for everything that He did for me -- there's countless other stories I could tell you. 

I'm not telling you all these things to get you to feel sorry for me. I would not change the last four years and the lessons that God taught me through them. I'm sharing this story because God's still working on all of us. I'm 24, married, a college graduate, and a mom, and I sure don't have my act all together yet. God's still teaching me, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. 

Even if God has to give you the same lesson four times, take it with grace and LEARN IT! Sometimes the thing we need the most is the redundant reminder. 

God bless!

The Worth of a King Cover Reveal

Kendra's next book, The Worth of a King will be coming out SOON! And today I have the great pleasure of sharing the brand-new, never-before-seen, gorgeous cover. Lemme tell you, folks... you're gonna love this one. 

But first: all ze details. 

About the Book

Princess Obsidia’s father was killed the night she was born. Since there was no male heir, the crown went to the man who killed him, by Dialcian law. This never bothered her, growing up, and when it comes time for Obsidia to choose her husband, she chooses Prince Delaney, the son of that man, with little hesitation. Only then does her life start crumbling around her.

Adrian expected to live a normal life, taking his father’s place at the print shop when his father retired. But, on his eighteenth birthday, when the princess’ engagement is announced, his world is ripped out from under him when he learns that his life was a ruse, and he is the twin brother to the princess – and expected to take back his father’s throne.

Delaney knows that his country is hovering on the brink of war – and that his father may harbor murderous intentions towards his intended bride due to her Zovordian blood. He wants nothing more than to protect Obsidia and his people, but as merely prince, he has little power against his father.

The ancient war between the Dragons and the Immortal King and Queen is nearing its climax, and the three are already caught in it.

~*~

And now, for ze big reveal:

I think I've been following this story on Kendra's blog and Pinterest page for a while now. Ever since she first posted about it, my brain's been going nuts wanting to get my hands on a copy. 

The Worth of a King will be released on August 27th, but if you simply can't wait that long to get another taste of it, check out the link below. 

Read the Opening Chapter HERE. 

And don't forget to add the book on Goodreads.

And Kendra also sent me some special things that I now have the privilege to share with all of you. 

This is a picture of Delaney and Adrian (via Pinterest). While Kendra lamented that this scene doesn't actually happen in the book, she and Jack had quite a smashing conversation that resulted from the image. 

AND... a juicy snippet. 

“There’s no time like the present,” said Father. “In my opinion, we should have told him years ago. Celeste, can you get the letter?”

“Yes, yes, of course,” said Mother, distractedly.

“But right now?” Jerolin repeated, voice rising. “He’s still asleep!”

“It’s nearly noon,” Father replied. “It’s high time the boy woke up. We can give him cake to soften the blow.”

Jerolin snorted. “Like cake will make up for finding out that his entire life has been a lie.”

~*~

This book is making a grand tour of lots of fabulous blogs today, so let me encourage you to visit around and check out more fun posts! Who knows? There may be more special secrets to discover to whet your appetite even more. 

Savannahjaysworkshop

Dreams and Dragons

Unicorn Quester

Kiri Liz

Morgan Elizabeth Huneke

Read, Write, Laugh, Dance

Elvish Pens, Fantastical Writings

Books, Baking, and Cowgirl Boots

Jenelle Schmidt

Reality Reflected

Jessica Greyson

The Music of a Story

The Flowering Vales

The Rambling Rose

Written Rest

The Labyrinth

Bible and Books

Jaye L. Knight

~*~

Author Bio

Kendra E. Ardnek loves fairytales and twisting them in new and exciting ways. She's been or acting them on her dozen plus cousins and siblings for years. "Finish your story, Kendra," is frequently heard at family gatherings. Her sole life goal has always been to grow up and be an author of fantasy and children's tales that glorify God and His Word.

Find her online at:

Website || Blog || Goodreads || Facebook || Twitter || Amazon