Review for King's Folly by Jill Williamson

Greetings, Friends!

King's Folly, by Jill Williamson is finally complete and available to the masses on Amazon, BN.com, and ChristianBook.com! Read my full review below and mark your calendars for April 22nd and April 30th.

On April 22nd, the author will be hosting a read-along on her Readers of Jill Williamson Facebook Page. Make sure to join so you can participate in some great discussion!

On April 30th, Jill will be hosting a launch party with guest authors, virtual snacks, and prizes, including a pizza delivered right to one lucky winner's door! These parties are SO much fun, I really hope you'll be able to come. The party is from 5-9 Central Standard Time.

And now, for my full review of King's Folly.

King's Folly by Jill Williamson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The kingdom of Armania experiences disaster after disaster. Earthquakes and sinkholes destroy entire villages. King Echad, believes that the gods are angry and require human sacrifices. But the offerings do not seem to appease the deities. Prince Wilek hopes to be named Heir to the throne soon so he can put an end to the ruthless executions and protect his people from the evil that is tearing his country apart. To appease his father and keep him from sacrificing more innocent victims, he plays the political games, but it is becoming more and more difficult to be diplomatic and follow his own conscience. When a concubine is murdered and found next to a forbidden ruin, he goes off in search of the meaning behind the ruin.

Prince Trevyn is an explorer and a scholar by nature and hates the political games of court. Like his brother, he cares nothing for the gods or his father’s superstitions. He seeks to distance himself from his father and brother Janek’s corrupt lifestyle, calling himself a renegade and freely speaking his opinions to whoever will listen. When he finds an old prophecy that speaks of a One True God, and prophecies about the end of the world, he finds himself in danger by people in the palace who would rather keep that prophecy hidden.
There are few books that captivate me like Jill Williamson’s. The way she crafts her complex plots, especially with so many characters, without losing her reader is nothing less than amazing. As with her other books, the characters in the King’s Folly go through a lot of development. Even as they move towards the truth, they remain very flawed individuals who make stupid mistakes. It was interesting to read about a heathen people in a world where the reader knows there is a True God, but the characters have not found Him yet.
Trevn is most definitely my favorite character. I loved watching him grow from renegade without a clear purpose, to someone who is growing into a leader. Though he is still far from comfortable with the idea, he stands up for what he believes in, even when it puts him in danger. He protects those he loves and goes to great lengths to find out the truth.
Wilek is well intentioned but is governed, to some extent, by his fears. This causes him to make decisions that will ultimately work against him and his goals. Still, he is good hearted and I look forward to seeing what the author will do with his character throughout the series.
The end of King’s Folly will leave you excited and frustrated and wanting more! You cannot help but feel for each of the characters and their individual storylines, which is remarkable because there are so many! I readily await the next installment of The Kinsman Chronicles, King’s Blood, and hope you will enjoy King’s Folly as much as I did!


View all my reviews

New Cover Reveal -- Mardan's Mark

Christmas of 2014 I was blessed to be among the first to read Mardan's Mark, the first book in Kathrese McKee's epic fantasy adventure series about a princess, her siblings, and a band of runaway pirates. I was captivated by the characters and the storytelling and thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience.  The story is written for young adults (which is a very relative term, but that's another blog post) but there is something everyone can relate to. If you are protective of your younger siblings, if you've ever felt the weight of responsibility press heavily on your shoulders, if you've ever wanted desperately to feel valued or show someone how valuable they are, or if you just love adventure with a side of romance, you will love this book. You can read my full review here.

In anticipation of the release of book two, Mardan's Anointed, the author has chosen to revamp the design of the cover to generate new interest and hopefully appeal to a teen audience.  I must admit, I am a little sad to see the deep, royal blue cover with the bright ivory moon go. *moment of silence for the passing of the blue cover* However, I find much to appreciate about this new cover, as well. And so, without further ado, I present to you the new cover for Mardan's Mark by Kathrese McKee.

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*
*
*

*
*

*

*
*

*

*

*

*

*

TA-DA!!!!!

Okay, things to love about this new cover:

Overall, I feel like this is a very fair representation of the book. I have always loved the original design with the castle and the water and the moon! It gave a sense of mystery. However, while there IS a bit of a mystery woven through this beautiful adventure, overall it is more of an adventure story than anything else. I love that the new cover features both the main characters AND shows us a little bit about who they are. For instance, Aldan is a pirate, and Srilani is skilled in archery. The scarf she is wearing is also important and hints at part of the story. If you haven't read the book yet, you will look forward to figuring out the significance to the elements of the cover as you read.

In conclusion, sad as I am to see the beautiful blue cover (I really do miss it!), I am excited for this new cover's potential to read new readers and hope that as a result even more people falling in love with this story!

Mardan's Mark is available on Kindle and in Paperback on Amazon.com.

Review for Waking Beauty by Sarah E. Morin

Waking Beauty by Sarah E. Morin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the story of what happens AFTER Sleeping Beauty wakes up. The only problem is, she's been dreaming for a hundred years and doesn't believe she is actually awake. Prince Arpien has his work cut out for him trying to convince her that she is in the waking world. Throw in tension between their two kingdoms, a dangerous fairy, hilarious dialogue, and you have an epic fantasy that will leave you with a major book hangover when you're done.

I read the five chapter preview on Amazon and knew I had to have this book because it was funny, original, and very different from other books I had read. Even so, I was not prepared for the roller coaster of a ride that ensued after I purchased this book. The story navigates the stormy waters of hilariously funny, deeply spiritual, and just plain weird, all while holding its readers captive and holding on for dear life. There is not much down time with this book. Though it starts off a tad bit slow, do not be deceived. Every time I thought I had figured out where the story was going, the author would completely throw me off guard.

The character development in this book is phenomenal! Brierly is totally convinced for the majority of the book that everyone and everything she sees are only figments of a dream. Arpien, though fully awake, continues to run into obstacles caused by his own delusions. I loved the fact that they were both very flawed and that the development of their individual characters took time. It made the ending all that more worth it.

I haven't even talked about the supporting characters, all of which were amazingly well-crafted. There was not a flat character in the bunch, no matter how minor their role. Nissa, though a supporting character, really deserves her own book someday. She provides a valuable outsider's perspective on Brierly's and Arpien's characters and their relationship.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves reimagined fairy tales, hilarious dialogue, quirky characters, and epic fantasy. You will not be disappointed!





View all my reviews

Review for Dancing Up A Storm

Dancing Up A Storm: 9 Christian Short Stories by Angela K. Couch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher in exchange for my honest review. Dancing Up a Storm is a sweet anthology of short stories. Each of the stories contained dancing as a major or minor part of the plot. It was interesting to see how the different authors included this theme in their stories. There is a lot of variety in the stories, which I appreciated. In addition to the varied genres, it contains stories with characters you don't normally see. Dancing Hands is about a couple getting to know each other through sign language. Fred and Ginger features a widower in his 70's learning to make friends again.

However, my favorites, the ones that made me wish there were more to the story, were two of the speculative fictions: The Confession by Kathrese McKee, and Night Dance by Gretchen E.K. Engel.

In The Confession, a reporter on a mission to Earth writes to her husband on Mars colony. Christine has been captured by members of "The Holy Religion" who try to get her to renounce her Christianity. This was a futuristic sci-fi story, which normally is not my cup of tea. However, the setting, where Mars is the new world and Earth is the old world and both are inhabited by humans, intrigued me. I liked the way the author illustrated the spiritual parallels between clinging to an old world and clinging to an old life. The character development was believable, and beautifully unfolded, which is difficult to do in a short story.

The Night Dance is about a gnomish nurse who helps an adopted son of elves find out about his true heritage. The setting is an industrial fantasy world, which I found intriguing. I enjoyed the two main characters, though I would have liked to get to know them better, as well as some of the supporting characters. I would love to see this turned into a full-length novel.

Overall, this is an enjoyable anthology of very creative short stories that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a fun read.

View all my reviews

Review for Heir War by Jill Williamson

Ladies and Gentleman, Part 2 of Jill Williamson's new book, King's Folly, is here and available on Kindle! If you haven't read Darkness Reigns yet, download it for free here, or read my review here. I am super blessed to be a part of Jill's launch team and to help introduce this series to the world. I received advanced copies of the books in exchange for my honest review of each individual part. Darkness Reigns, The Heir War, and The End of All Things (coming out March 29th) are all a part of Book 1 in her new series The Kinsman Chronicles, which is a prequel to the Blood of Kings trilogy. The worlds are very different, but if you loved Blood of Kings, you will love The Kinsman Chronicles. Read my review for Book 2 below. 

Have you ever been forced to take on a difficult responsibility to protect something that was important to you? Have you ever face a truth that was difficult to accept? Have you ever thought you were in control, only to realize you were under someone else’s control? These are the problems faced the characters in Heir War by Jill Williamson.

Wilek is captured by a Magonian Priestess with sinister designs on his future. She has been given the power of enchantment to control men, but why do her powers betray her at the most critical moments?  Wilek's shield Kal, unaware that his master is missing, searches for someone who can interpret the ruin found next to Wilek’s dead concubine. In his search he meets a prophet who claims to know the reason for the natural disasters which are tearing the world apart. Meanwhile, Trevn conducts his own search, hoping to find something that will help his brother.  When a priest is murdered, Trevn wonders if the ruin is somehow connected.

Part two of the King’s Folly story really picks up the action. More twists, more turns, more characters addin. I never wanted to leave one character's viewpoint until I read two or three lines into the next chapter. Then I would get sucked into the next story and would not want to leave that one. There are many viewpoints, but somehow it all fits together. I enjoyed watching Trevn's character develop more in this story and I would have liked to see more of him. Still, I enjoyed getting to learn more about the other “supporting” characters.  We also get to meet Wilek's sister in this episode. I look forward to seeing more of her in the next book.  Warning: if you thought Darkness Reigns ended on a cliffhanger, Heir War definitely does! I look forward with eager anticipation to The End of All Things.

6 Rules of Happy Communication

I have been told I am a good communicator. Sometimes this proves to be true. Other times, I feel like I am communicating to the best of my ability, but something is still getting lost in translation, no matter how many techniques I employ. A few months ago, I had an argument with my husband about something I can't even remember. Not long after that, I went to a staff development session where the speaker shared some of the concepts from the book Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson. Equipped with some new tools under my belt I revisited the previous topic of argument with my husband again. The conversation which followed took much longer than our previous argument, but I learned so much more about my husband's point of view, and why he had been so irritated in our last conversation. Imagine my surprise when I learned that most of his irritation didn't actually stem from what we were arguing about. Like a broken record, or rather a computer voice which is only programmed to respond in a few ways, I diligently employed the same (new) responses over and over again. Through that second conversation, I learned 1. these things actually DO work, but you MUST employ them religiously. 2. They are REALLY difficult to employ when you are frustrated.

Today I will post 6 rules for happy communication.

1. Acknowledge the other person's thoughts and emotions. 
Ignoring the way someone feels about something, especially when you disagree with them, is a recipe for an unproductive and one-sided conversation.  Discussions can only take place if you are willing to recognize that the person with opposing views has come to those conclusions through experiences that are very personal. Try to understand why they believe what they believe. This does not mean you have to adopt those beliefs, but people will be much more willing to listen to your beliefs if you are first willing to listen to theirs.


2. Make sure you are both on the same page about what you are talking about.
Many times my husband and I have pushed our way through a long and frustrating argument only to find out that we were actually arguing about two different things. Even more astounding, we actually agreed with each other on the main issue. How embarrassing is that? Such a waste of energy. This can be avoided by doing two things.

a. active listening
"What I hear you saying is......" Warning: make sure you are repeating back the exact words of the other person. Try not to interpret beyond the literal meanings of the words they use.

b. questioning
"When you say_______, do you mean_______?"
or
"Can you explain what you mean by ___________"
or
"I wanted to make sure I understand________"

This shows that you have listened to their words and are trying to understand them in the best possible way.

3. Avoid judgement words and embrace comfort words.
Examples of judgment words: just, but, stupid, crazy, insane, ridiculous, bratty, etc. Think about your personal reaction when these words are applied to you and how willing it makes you to listen to the other party.

By contrast there are certain words and phrases you can use that will put other people at ease. Words like, "please", "thank-you" (always thank them for something, and try to be sincere!), "I want to put something on your radar", and "at your earliest convenience." Let them know that you care about them and their time.

4. Seek first to understand and then to be understood.
Ask questions more than you make statements. The goal is to understand their position. Asking questions puts them at ease and keeps them from feeling attacked. When people feel attacked they close up and attack back and the crazy cycle continues. Nobody learns anything when you communicate AT someone.

5. Don't play the pity card.
I have been guilty of this one several times. Remember, the argument is not about you, it is about effective communication. You may have had your feelings hurt, but making the argument about your feelings takes the focus away from the problem at hand. It delays problem-solving. Also, avoid making excuses, even if they are true. When you let the other person see you taking responsibility for something that may not have been entirely your fault, you communicate to them that you care more about solving the problem than you do about being right or "not wrong".

6. Stay on each other's team!
Give the other person the benefit of the doubt. Assume the best. The goal is not to be right or to win the argument. The goal is to understand each other. Recognize that there are times when you fail to communicate what you really meant. If you want someone to go the extra mile and try to understand you when words fail, make that effort for them. Help each other communicate effectively.


I hope these are helpful to someone. What advice for effective communication has served you well in your relationships?

What I Learn From Playing the Villain

Confession: Sometimes I get angry and frustrated about things beyond my control. I also have moments when I feel unjustifiable anger or jealousy towards another person. It happens. I'm human. But, I have a few coping mechanisms. Would you like to know what they are? It's kind of embarrassing....okay I'll tell you.

I have an "I don't care" playlist. This is the list of songs that I play when I actually care a LOT about what is happening in my life and I would like very much to not care. It is the list I play when I feel rebellious. When I'm tired of being reliable and I want to take a last minute personal day...or five. When I really want to give someone a piece of my mind but I can't do that because I'm an introvert and....yeah. When I've had to listen to someone I completely disagree with go on and on about their opinions as if they were facts set in stone.....

I need to calm down, I'm getting angry.

*deep breaths*

Okay. Anyway, this playlist mostly consists of villain songs. My husband says I turn scary when I start to play this list. All my pent up drama comes out and I become a little too animated when singing the villains part.

Here are a few of the songs on my list:

Mother Knows Best Reprise -- Tangled (great when you're feeling snarky)
Poor Unfortunate Souls -- Little Mermaid (she's such a great villain!)
Little Girls -- Annie 2014 (when I've had a particularly challenging day of teaching)
Defying Gravity -- Wicked (I'm going to soar above the drama)
In the Dark of the Night -- Anastasia (getting dark now, I want to hurt someone)
Be Prepared -- Lion King (Roar!)
Brand New Day -- Dr. Horrible's Singalong (I didn't even like this movie because of the ending. I'm REALLY ticked off when I play this song.)

Yes, most of these are Disney songs. Isn't that sad? My rebellion is listening to Disney songs. I really need to rethink my life.

Anyway, when I'm ticked off at the world I like to play these songs and sing along with them. I become the villain. Then I calm down, regain my dignity and become the rational human being most people know.

Why do I feel such release in singing the angry words of villains? Maybe because I can relate to each of these villains in my anger and frustration.

Mother Gothel -- she's afraid of losing control so she manipulates
Ursula -- she's ticked off because she's been humiliated and now she wants to humiliate back
Ms. Hannigan -- she feels stuck and she hates what she's become
Elphaba -- she's tired of playing games and she wants to be free
Rasputin -- his existence is meaningless and he's trying to justify it
Scar -- he's watching the life he feels he deserves being prepared for someone else
Dr. Horrible -- the one thing he wants is being claimed by someone who does not deserve it

I may disagree with the way these characters respond in their fear and anger, I may be able to recognize how their choices have led them to these moments, but it doesn't keep me from sympathizing with the underlying emotions.  Somehow, singing through these songs helps me to process whatever is irritating me at the moment. In a way, it is like verbalizing my complaint with the world.

These characters, on some level, all want to be recognized and important. Their motivations are unhealthy, but do we not all want the same thing? To be important to someone? To be seen and recognized for what we do well and what we contribute to our communities?

Some of these characters have legitimate frustrations with the world.  They're tired of less-than-deserving people winning in life while their hard work goes unnoticed. They're tired of dishonest people being lauded as heroes. Haven't we all felt like that at one time or another?

The difference between me and these villains is that in the end I know I have been heard.  God hears my little tantrums and doesn't love me any less when they're over. It may not change the circumstance, but it does help me to know that He sees me and understands my feelings even better than I do. He reminds me that I do have a purpose, and it is to serve Him. Even if I never get recognized for it, He knows, and that is all that matters.  It makes me want to talk to these characters and tell them that they don't have to be angry with the world.

These characters are fictional. I can't do that.

But I can be intentional about recognizing other people. I can find ways to sympathize with people who are angry and frustrated instead of judging them for the way they respond to those emotions. I can point the way to the God who sees them, hears them, and loves them.

Then maybe they will be less inclined to play the villain, too.

"If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,

    and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,

22 

for you will heap burning coals on his head,

    and the Lord will reward you." Proverbs 25:21-22

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."  Matthew 5:43-45