The Narnia Writing Tag

I love Narnia.  I love writing.  So I ask you, could there be a more perfect tag?  I think not.

If you follow me over on bookstagram (if you don't and you want to, there's the link!) you probably know that I'm obsessed with The Chronicles of Narnia. 

Can you blame me, really?  No.  So anyway whilst I was perusing Olivia's newest post (she's pretty great, you should go follow her), I noticed the words narnia, writing, and tag in one of the links in the post.  And, like, how was I not going to click on that?  So here we go I'm stealing another tag from Olivia.  Oops.

But if you've never heard about my Bonnie and Clyde WIP, get ready to get way more information than you could possibly ever want.  Yay!  (plus some aesthetics because aesthetics are fun)

Narnia - Where is your story set?

 

 

The story opens in 1930 (or 1931, I haven't quite decided yet) in Rowena, Texas.  The rest of it stays in the surrounding states.

The Magician's Nephew - How did you come up with the idea for your story?

 

 

It was a mixture of a few things.  Bonnie and Clyde were kind of familiar names to me, showing up in the various history shows I would watch as a tween (Mysteries at the Museum was a fave).  In 2018 I discovered the Broadway musical and quickly became obsessed.  But it wasn't until Nadine Brandes was gearing up to release Romanov and I started thinking about other historical figures in magical settings that the idea of Bonnie and Clyde on the hunt for magic stuck.
The original concept was "what if instead of the stock market collapsing, magic disappeared?" and it's kind of spiraled from there.
((also, sidenote, Magician's Nephew is my favorite book of all time.  jsyk))

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - How do your characters meet?

 

 

(ooh, a first draft excerpt, aren't we fancy? xD) 
So unlike the actual Bonnie and Clyde, who met only a few months before they ran away together, mine were friends as kids.  Because I'm a sucker for a good childhood-friends-to-lovers story.  But the story kicks off when Clyde, newly out of jail, rolls back into town, much to Bonnie's disappointment and the other Rowena girls' delight.

The Horse and His Boy - Are there animals in your story?

Not really, sadly.  There may be a dog somewhere along the line.  Because everyone can use a dog, tbh.

Prince Caspian - Which of your characters turned out different than expected?

 

 

Both Bonnie and Clyde decided they didn't want to be what I originally thought they did.  I'm a very character-driven writer anyway, so when I started to feel like I was forcing these two into personalities that didn't fit, I took a step back.  At first, I thought Clyde was the angry one, fueled by the idea of revenge and not afraid to take down whoever got in his way, and Bonnie was the soft one, standing beside him and scared out of her mind.  Turns out I got that backwards.  Bonnie is broken and scarred and figures that losing her life might be preferable to living it.  Clyde is hiding, scared and alone, and fighting more out of desperation to change things than from rage.  Wow, that got sad.  Oops.  But yeah, these two have definitely changed a lot from the original concept, and they've probably still got a lot of changing to do.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - What is one of your character's personal quest?

 

Clyde is determined to keep what happened to his parents from happening to anyone else.  And if that means finding magic first, that's what he's going to do.

The Silver Chair - Who is the villain?

  

Hehe... well, that's funny.  I don't really know yet?  Not that I don't expect there to be people against them - there will be plenty of those - but if there's a defined "big bad guy", I haven't found him yet.

The Last Battle - Does your story end like you expect it to?

 

 

Uh... I'm not going to say anything on that front.

The Pevensies - Friendship or sibling group?

 

 

Yes!  There are so many platonic relationships in this story and I'm thriving.  Right now, Bonnie's sister Billie Jean and brother Buster (represented in this aesthetic) are my faves, simply because I just spent a whole chapter with Buster and I didn't expect him to play as big of a role as he does.  This keeps happening to me; characters insist they're important and who am I to tell them they're wrong?  But there's also Clyde's siblings (there are 4 of them) and the friendships between the families and a few friends outside of them and yes to all the platonic love!!

Reepicheep - Is there magic in your story? If so, what kind?

 

 

Yes again!  Developing a magic system of my own has been one of my favorite parts of writing this book, tbh.  So my magic functions in a liquid form, and comes (or used to come) in various colors that can do various things.  Magic users are really good at getting the magic to do what they want it to, but one really greedy magic user figured out how to distill it into a weaker form that pretty much anyone can use.  Since then, the world adapted to using magic to solve most of their problems, power their machines, etc.  But then one day in 1929 it decided to vanish, and no one knows why or where it went.  Yeah.


So there you have it!  This is my Bonnie and Clyde story.  I hope you've enjoyed being introduced.  (or just getting to know each other better, if you've already heard about it)  I really love this book a lot, and so far it's been a ton of fun to write, and completely different from anything else I've written before.  Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just meant a good stretch of my brain.

Are you writing anything?  Tell me about your WIP in the comments!

~ Abby

((I don't own any of the pictures, I found them all on Pinterest.))

Recent Reads - Quarantine Edition

Anyone else finding it hard to read right now?  There's like a lock on my brain that doesn't want to read and it's getting really old really fast.  I've only read 3 books so far in April and it's almost over!  Ahh!

(also it's springtime now and you know what that means... florals are BACK, baby!)

Despite the urges not to read I've been fighting valiantly, I've read some pretty fantastic books.  So I thought it might be nice to give y'all some mini-reviews, let you in on what's been going on in my reading life, and just spend some time together.  Sound good?  Let's go.

Daddy-Long-Legs - Jean Webster

 

"the world is full of happiness, and plenty to go round,

if you are only willing to take the kind that comes your way."

I fell in love with the musical adaptation of this classic book while I had my 7-day free trial of BroadwayHD, and after watching it 3 times in less than a week, I figured I should read the book. What I found was an absolutely delightful story.  Jerusha joins the ranks of my favorite young writers in classics (with Anne Shirley, Jo March, Rebecca Randall, etc.).  She's got such an interesting way of looking at the world.  Plus, the whole book is told in letters from Jerusha to Daddy-Long-Legs, and it's one of very few books I've read (and enjoyed) told in that format.  I will say, this is one of few books where I think I prefer the adaptation?  The musical is perfection, and I loved it so much.  But the book was still a lot of fun, and I enjoyed myself so much reading it.  (also, if you want to hear my favorite song from the musical, click this YouTube link right here)

Rating: 4 stars

Frozen 2: Forest of Shadows - Kamilla Benko

 

"fear will be your enemy."

This was the March pick for the book club I host, and I really enjoyed it!  The story takes place between the first and second Frozen films, and follows Anna as she tries to find her place in this new life with Elsa as Queen and the gates wide open.  The author did a great job of expanding the world of Arendelle, and the twist at the end was perfect.  Though it did need more Olaf, that's my one complaint, lol.

Rating: 4 stars

Three Times Lucky - Sheila Turnage

 

 

"everything's going great.  well...

there's been a murder and we're out of soup."

I absolutely loved this so much.  Mo and Dale are such wholesome little best friends.  The whole town of Tupelo Landing is so fun; everyone knows everyone and they genuinely care about one another even while they thrive on the gossip.  It's like Cabot Cove but with not quite as much buried animosity and it's great.  Also one of the funniest books I've ever read, with a mystery that kept me guessing until the last page.  One of my new favorites?  Yes, for sure.  I can't wait to read the next one.

Rating: 5 stars

 

Children of Blood and Bone - Tomi Adeyemi 

 

 

"good. let them be afraid."

let them taste the terror they make us swallow.

 

When this was recommended to me by a friend, I decided to go ahead and pick it up, just to see what I thought.  I read it in like 2 sittings, because this book puts the pedal to the metal and doesn't stop until the last page.  (well, except for that one part in the middle that just felt kinda weird to me because like... idk the world's at stake maybe we shouldn't party? but maybe that's just me?)  The magic system is so cool, the characters are so well done, the world is fascinating.  Another one where I'm gonna need to read book 2; just to see what happens because that ending was wow.

Rating: 4 stars

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke

 

 

he gave her his heart.

she took it and placed it quietly in the pocket of her gown.

no one observed what she did.

 

Okay story time.  So when I was a kid (like 10 or 11), my grandfather (who was known for reading Thick™ fantasy novels) told me that there was a "magician book" that he was saving for me.  Three-or-so years ago, he put this tome in my hands and told me that this was it.  I read the first page and had zero interest in reading it.  Fast forward to last October, when my grandfather passed away suddenly.  And since now it was too late to discuss it with him and I felt bad for never having even really tried it, I decided 2020 was going to be the year I conquered the book about magicians in the Napoleonic wars.  And, um, it's one of my favorite books now?  All 850 pages of it.  It's a masterfully crafted story of what it means to be human, to be a magician, and how often those two things coincide.  Norrell drove me crazy, but in a lot of ways that makes him such a well-written character.  Childermass, John Segundus, Vinculus, Sir Walter and Lady Pole, the Greysteels, Stephen Black, all of the characters were just so well done and interesting and intricate. I adore Jonathan and Arabella Strange with every fiber of my being (the quote is about the two of them and they're just so cute), and the Gentleman with the Thistle-down Hair is seriously one of the most terrifying villains oof.  It didn't feel like 850 pages, and coming from me, that's big.  Anyway, I really loved this book and I'm sad it's over.

Rating: 5 stars


Anyway, that's what I've been reading lately.  What have you been reading during quarantine?  Or have you been doing an awful lot of not-reading like me?  Let me know in the comments!

(also can we talk about the fact that I've put up two posts in two weeks, who am I? xD)

~ Abby

10 Books That Need Adaptations

Hi!  Uh... long time no blog!  With the world the way it is, one would think I'd have plenty of time to blog.  And they would be right, but for some reason my brain doesn't feel like putting words together to actually, you know, write a blog post.  But I figured it's about time I just post something, and since I've been watching a lot of movie/TV adaptations of books lately, I've been dreaming about what adaptations of some of my favorite books would look like.

Now, a lot of the time, adaptations can be really hit-or-miss.  I've always prided myself on my ability to separate an adaptation from its source material, but I these books could very easily be made in to fantastic movies or TV shows.  Let's jump on in to the list!

1. Three Times Lucky - Sheila Turnage

 

"never underestimate the power of stupid, dale."

This is the last audiobook I finished when I'm writing this, and it's part of what inspired me to put this post together.  It's been a long time since I've so desperately wanted a book to be made into a movie.  A middle-grade murder mystery full of humor and intrigue that kept me guessing until the last moment, I absolutely adore Mo and Dale, and it would be such a fantastic summer movie.

2. Lovely War - Julie Berry

 "the most ordinary mortal bodies are housed by spectacular souls."

This book practically begs to be a sweeping historical film, complete with gorgeous cinematography and a gorgeous score.  It's an incredible story about three love stories on the front lines of World War 1, and in my mind, Tom Holland would make an amazing James and Gal Gadot a perfect Aphrodite.

3. Heist Society - Ally Carter

 

 

"it is an occupational hazard that anyone who has spent her life learning

how to lie eventually becomes bad at telling the truth."

I need a Netflix film series please!  I don't know why a streaming service just feels like the right platform for this story to be adapted, but it does.  The world doesn't have enough heist movies, y'know?

 

 

4. Love You, Truly - Susan L. Tuttle

 

 

"your purpose helps focus you. it gives you something to concentrate on other than yourself."

"makes you feel whole?"

"no. only God can do that."

 

One of my favorite books of last year, this is a classic rom-com with a Christian twist.  This would be such a feel-good, cozy movie to watch again and again. <3

5. Peter and the Starcatchers - Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

 

"molly squeaked and clicked (the clicks were the hardest) something back,

which she hoped was "hello."

what she actually said was "my teeth are green,"

but the porpoise was too polite to point that out."

Now, this technically already has a stage adaptation, so it's probably too much to ask for a movie.  But I recently re-read this staple of my childhood and it's so wonderful and whimsical and fun that it would make such a fantasy, pirate-y, adventure-y classic and I'd love to see it.

6. When You Trap a Tiger - Tae Keller

 

 

"even if the tiger's stories upset me, i'm glad i heard them.

they made me feel like the world is huge, and i'm filled up with it.

like I could hear the stars, and listen."

Tae Keller has written two of my favorite middle-grade standalones, and this one is my favorite of the two.  This is a book of stories, the power they hold, and the comfort they can bring.  And it would be an absolutely beautiful, heart-breaking movie that would probably have me sobbing throughout it, but like, it would be worth it?

 

7. The Tradewinds Trilogy - Taylor Bennett

 

 

"it's okay to cry, sweetie.

it only means you have a heart so full it doesn't have room for tears."

 

I love this trilogy so much, okay.  I would love to see it get the movie treatment, if only to make heart eyes at the Hawaii setting and drool over the shave ice, haha!

8. Lockwood & Co. - Jonathan Stroud

 

 

"plan f, we follow plan f, right now."

"is that the one where we run away?"

"not at all. it's the one where we beat a dignified emergency retreat."

The Lockwood & Co. series would make such excellent TV I can't even.  There's action, there's mystery, there's humor, there's cake.  It's like teenage Ghostbusters and it's amazing.  Movies would also be great, but each book kind of reads like a separate season of a show, and it would be epic.

9. Romanov - Nadine Brandes

 

 

"the blood of our hearts spans miles, memory, and time."

 

A movie adaptation of this historical fantasy novel would be e p i c.  With the magic, the family bonding, the Russian setting, the plot twist, I'd probably watch the whole thing with tears in my eyes because it would be so dang beautiful.  Anyone else?

10. Navigating Early - Clare Vanderpool

 

 

"there are no coincidences.  just miracles by the boatload."

I LOVE THIS BOOK.  SO MUCH.  And seeing it as a movie, I'd literally just be sitting in the theater sobbing and it would be perfection.  The whole aesthetic of the book, the historical setting, each event that happens, Jack and Early's relationship, the story of Pi, I just really want to see this on the big screen, it deserves that.


And that's my list!  Do you agree?  Which books do you need to see adapted?  Let me know in the comments!

(And also, let me know how y'all are holding up right now! I know it's a scary time, but I hope and pray that you're all staying safe, healthy, and sane! <3)

- Abby

Barefoot Memories {book review}

Hello, my friends! It has been a while, haha! Life has been absolutely mad, and I haven't had time or brainpower to sit down and properly blog.  But I want to get back to reviewing books, and I knew I had to do a post for the birthday of such a special book.

It's official, guys. The Tradewinds Trilogy is over.  *cries into my shave ice forever*  But that's okay, because I can still revisit these wonderful characters any time I want.  Anyway, even though this is the third book in the series, this is a spoiler-free review!  Other than maybe the synopsis.  But I didn't do that part, haha!

(Also, to read my review of the first book, click right here!)

Barefoot Memories



Author: Taylor Bennett
Genre: Christian fiction
Content: None
Main Character: Olive Galloway
Placement in Series: 3 of 3

Synopsis:
What if the biggest decision of your life wasn’t yours to make?
With the New Year upon her, Olive Galloway is determined to put the past behind her and uncover the new future waiting for her in her island home. However, her best friend Jazz seems dangerously close to giving up on her alcoholic mom—as well as her own dreams. Together with an unlikely ally, Olive helps Jazz regain her confidence and enter a high-stakes race, but there’s still trouble on the horizon. Their friend Brander is due to come home from a whirlwind music tour on the mainland, but he’s holding tight to a secret that could change their friendship forever.
Offered the chance to fulfill all of her wildest dreams with a single word, Olive realizes that she could be headed back to the mainland sooner than she’d imagined. Caught up in a whirl of possibility, Olive struggles to decide between returning home to fulfill her childhood wish or building a new life in Hawaii. The choice could change her life forever.

Add on Goodreads ~ Purchase on Amazon

What I Thought:


This was so perfectly bittersweet.  I read the whole thing in a day, mostly because I couldn't put it down.  Taylor's books have such a cozy vibe, like, you go in and you never want to leave.  The characters welcome you into the story like you've been there all along, and even though there's conflict, a little Jesus and a little communication (bless!!) can fix any problem.  It's fantastic.  Comfortable, that's the word I'd use.  This series is comfortable.  Like a porch swing.  ;)

I will never know how Taylor knew to write books that hit exactly on what I'm dealing with, but it had me kinda shook?  That it fit my struggles so perfectly and I'm a full 5 years older than Olive?  Well, I mean, it's God.  Obviously, it's God.  Taylor's writing from His heart and it's perfection.

And I just?  I love the characters so much?  Olive, Jazz, and Brander are the ultimate trio, okay?  And Macie?  And Gramma?  And their dad??  AHH my feels!!  It was just a whole roller coaster of emotion and I was there for it.  I'm going to miss them so MUCH AHH may I please make a formal request that in a few years we get another book about more adventures with these guys when they're all grown up, pleeeease!

So overall, yes, this was the best one yet.  It genuinely solidified this trilogy as one of my favorite contemporaries ever.  I can't wait to see what God has in store for Taylor next.

Overall Rating: 5 shave ices out of 5  (yeah, I'm still giving this series shave ices. what else would I give it?)

(I've also been adding to the Spotify playlist, if you'd like to give it a listen!)

About the Author:
Taylor Bennett is a dandelion-wishing, world-traveling lover of books, words, and stories. Based in the PNW, she dreams of seeing the world and writing stories set in unique locations.
Although she dreams of traveling to many different places, her favorite destination thus far (aside from her charming hometown in Oregon) is Lahaina, Hawaii. Her love for this tropical hamlet led her to write about it, hence her debut YA novel, Porch Swing Girl, the first in a series of books set in Hawaii.

Connect with Taylor: her website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads

A huge thank you to Taylor and her amazing publishers for sending me an advanced copy of the book! (Not gonna lie, it's already a contender for my top books of the year)

Have you read this series?  Are you going to??  (say yessss xD)

~ Abby

Farewell, November

Hello, it's me, your friendly neighborhood girl who keeps forgetting to write blog posts.

Or, to be more precise, girl who keeps starting blog posts and never finishing them.

^ all four (4) of my braincells, wondering what I've been doing

Seriously, I have like four posts that are half finished. Will I ever finish them? Who even knows?

But I'm here today and I'm going to turn this around.  There's a ton of life updates I could give you, but for today I will just say that there's a LOT going on right now, and I've been super scrambled lately.  Like, we moved house for the first time since I was really little and I don't know what I'm doing, scrambled.  But here we go, let's hit this wrap-up.

- reading -

I read 10 books in October and 12 in November, and that's what tells you I've been ~stressed~.  Because when I'm stressed, I read.  It's kind of my thing.  But I've read some really great books in all of that, so that's fun.

I re-read 4 out of 7 Narnia books this month, after re-reading the other three in September and October.  It was so nice.  I almost wish I hadn't read them quite so fast. 

God never fails to use this series to teach me things.  I might just make a whole post about how much I love these books, but for now, just know - The Magician's Nephew is my favorite, both the creation and end of Narnia scenes made me cry, and Edmund Pevensie's arc is a straight-up miracle story.

In other bookish news, I got my new bookshelves set up and I loooove them!

^ actual footage of me in front of all my books

I've had so many years of most of my books being in boxes that seeing most of them on shelves instead is so good for my soul.  Books are my happy place, y'all, they just are.

- watching -

DISNEY. PLUS.  and pretty much nothing else, lol!

No but seriously, November was the month of Disney movies/tv shows and I'm thriving, tbh.

The new Lady and the Tramp was pure happiness and made me want puppy snuggles so BAD. ;-;  We've had two Cocker Spaniels in my lifetime and seeing Lady just made me miss ours so much oh my goodness. 

((look at them they're so PRECIOUS AHH))

I, like so many on the internet, am obsessed with baby Yoda (or Yo-yo, as my brother has nicknamed him) from The Mandalorian.

Hopefully, this will encourage producers that yes, audiences want some pure softness with their epic fight scenes.  Because let's be real, we all do.

OH and I can't forget Frozen 2! Because seriously, y'all, this. movie. is so important to me.

There are a lot of reasons why it's probably going to be one of my favorite movies of the year, but lemme just tell y'all, God has been moving in the media I'm consuming lately and I'm HYPED.

- listening -

November was a real mixed bag of music.  A little Broadway, a little bit of my pump-up jams, a lot of "this seems random but okay". xD  Enjoy!

 

- doing -

A lot has happened in the last couple of months, which is most of the reason that this blog has gone so far back on the burner.  The biggest change is that we're moving, for the first time since before I can remember, about 40 minutes away to be close to my grandmother.  Which is good, it needs to happen, but it's also coming right at the start of our busiest season of the year, which means we're all pretty much dead inside at this point.  But the good news is, in this rental house, I get my own room!  My sister and I have shared since our brother was born, so now I have my own, carpeted, solitary space, and my introvert self is thriving, tbh.  I could just lock myself in with some snacks and my books and my bed and never come out. 

((which is pretty much my plan for January, tbh))

YouTube has taken up a lot of my time this month, in trying to balance a consistent posting schedule with my life.  Somehow a consistent editing/uploading schedule is easier to maintain than a blogging schedule?  I don't know why?  I'm not complaining, it's been a good ride, but it is exhausting.  Speaking of which, I gotta go edit a video.  So I'm going to wrap this up.


Let me know what you've been up to!  Anything particularly exciting?  What did you think of Frozen 2?  Favorite Narnia book?  I wanna know all the things!!

(oh, and in case I disappear again [I'm trying not to, just covering the bases] [[yay sports terms!]] - may you have a wonderfully happy and blessed Christmas!!)

~ Abby

The Wedding {blog tour + book review!}

Cue the fanfare! The Royal Wedding of Tarsurella is upon us!

Now, I don't know about y'all, but I've been eagerly anticipating this book for what feels like forever.  The Tales of Tarsurella series is one of my favorites in Christian fiction, and I couldn't wait to see what this book had in store.  It's finally here, y'all!! And you can read it now!! *happy dance* And because Livy is awesome and included me in this blog tour, I get to give you my review today!


The Wedding

(also can we talk about this cover because ohhhh my word it's stunning)

Author: Olivia Lynn Jarmusch
Genre: Christian contemporary
Content: None
Main Characters: The royal family of Tarsurella, plus Vanessa Bennett, Jane Akerly, and Hanson Fletcher

Synopsis:
Vanessa Bennett is living in a real-life fairytale. Now that she's engaged to the man of her dreams, The Palace Staff is consumed with wedding preparation. The upcoming event is no small affair, as Vanessa is bombarded with hundreds of decisions she needs to make before the wedding date arrives. Amidst the endless details concerning dresses, decorations and napkins, a greater question looms: is Vanessa truly ready to become Queen? As tensions rise within Tarsurella, the role of joining her betrothed in governing an ever-shifting nation is no small task. Will she crack under the pressure?
Meanwhile, Jane Akerly is hoping to awaken from a nightmare. Her father has been missing for months. Advised to accept the harsh reality that he may never return, Jane isn't ready to give up. She finds comfort in the one place she's always run to for escape-her daydreams. Her imagination has the power to carry her across the ocean, stroll the streets of London, and imagine that all is well. In an unexpected turn of events, Jane is given the opportunity to create the future of her dreams-but will her pen be enough to save her?

Add on Goodreads ~ Purchase on Amazon

What I Thought:

This has so many FEELS. Happy, sad, fluffy, it's all here and it's all great.

The best way I can describe this series is that it's like Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries at the same time.  There's the fluffy, wonderful romance with just enough angst, but there's also the threats to national security.  It's so good. 

The characters continue to be my favorite part of the whole thing.  The relationships, both platonic and romantic, are incredible.  Addison and Vanessa are the //purest//, Bridget and Liam are the //cutest//, I'm always here for Chasity/Hanson, and I'm team David all the way.  Millie and Willie are still the most adorable beans on the planet, and I loved how much time we got to spend with Steve this time around!  The one who kind of surprised me was Asher, I didn't really care that much about him in the previous books (oops), but I absolutely loved him?  Our sweet boy? is growing up? and I'm so proud of him?

Also all the faith content was spot on.

I read the whole of this in one day (why yes, it is 466 pages. yes, I am very proud of myself), and I honestly think that's the way to go with these books.  There are a lot of moving pieces, and if you lose track of one it can be hard to get back into it.  But reading it all at once, letting it consume your life for a bit, is a great experience.  I never want to leave Tarsurella.

Which brings me to the fact that we're //getting a book four//???

About 85% of the way through, I was thinking to myself, "I have complete faith in Livy, but idk how she's going to wrap up all of these plotlines".  And then "the end" came and WHAT. WE'RE GETTING ANOTHER BOOK???

I'M SO HYPED.  I'm not ready to leave Tarsurella, as I said, and I'm really excited to get to see these characters again. (And yes, I do want to do a re-read of the whole series but I'm going to try and practice self-control xD)

Overall rating: 4.5 wedding cakes out of 5

Yes, I made a series playlist back when I read book 1 and yes, I've continued to add to it and yes, you can listen to it on Spotify right here!

About the Author:
Livy Jarmusch is a twenty-something author, singer, and songwriter. She enjoys crafting YA Christian fiction that is pure, lovely, inspirational, and of course, entertaining! When she's not writing, you can usually find her playing guitar, blogging, drinking peppermint tea, connecting with new friends, planning her next trip to Disney, or pinning images of Europe and Golden Retriever Puppies.

Connect with Livy: her blog ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Twitter ~ YouTube ~ Goodreads

Check out my reviews of The Coronation and The Rebellion!

I feel like I don't squeal enough about the Tales of Tarsurella, so hopefully this was sufficient squealing to get you to pick up this amazing Christian fiction series.

A huge thank you to Livy for sending me a copy of this awesome book in exchange for this honest review!

~ Abby

Never Say Goodbye {cover reveal + book spotlight!}

Guys, it's a very exciting day! Because today, I get to share with you ALL the information about Sarah Grace Grzy's new book, Never Say Goodbye!

I loved Sarah Grace's first book, Live Without You, and I just know I'm going to adore this one too.  If it's anything like LWY, there will be feels, there will be smiles, and there will be warm, snuggly, happy feelings for days.  ((I'm kind of really excited, can you tell?))

The release date isn't until Spring of 2020, but for now we can all get excited over this synopsis and drool over the cover (which you'll get to see in just a minute!)


They say time heals all wounds. But he was finding it a poor painkiller.
Tyler Collens has seen grief and loss in his years of experience as a paramedic—but he never expected it to touch his life in such a personal way. The death of his wife eighteen months ago shook his steady world and changed him in more ways than he can count. Time and routine have steadied his feet, and he looks toward the future as he raises his infant daughter—but the past has a tighter grip on him than he knows.
Alyvia Emmerson has never been certain of who she is or where she belongs. Her dad’s abandonment as a teen broke a fragile piece of her heart, but ten years later, she has moved on. Living on her own, she at last has a project to devote herself to: revitalizing a shabby bookstore. But she didn’t count on her dream job revealing the shattered pieces of herself she thought mended long ago.
In this sophomore novella featuring beloved characters from Live Without You, Sarah Grace Grzy explores themes of grief and hope in a story that touches both the heart and spirit.


Are you excited?  Because I'm excited!



You can add the book to your Goodreads shelf here!

And now

the moment

you've all

been waiting for.

It's time

to see

the cover!





*screams* *cries* *dies over the beauty*

It's so pretty you guyssssss!!!

I can't wait to dig into this book as soon as I can get my hands on it which probably won't be until next year but until then, I'll just be here, staring at this cover and dreaming about the beauty inside. 

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So, what do you think?  Are you as excited as I am?  Do you love the cover?  Tell me all the things in a comment down below!

~ Abby