Book Notes: August 16, 2023 - Clean Romance & #abouttheauthoraugust Week 2 Day 3

 Welcome to the scenic route! I'm super excited today because I get to open my windows for a little bit. Still no rain in sight, but I'll take lots of joy from this lovely, cooler breeze. Fresh air is so underrated. 

I've got a couple of clean romance book reviews to share with you today. There's also a new word prompt, and today's writer challenge response which follow. Are you ready? Let's go!

Book Review: Hope's Highest Mountain by Misty M. Beller

Hope's Highest Mountain by Misty M. Beller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book I've read by this author...I think. I really enjoyed it. The plot kept me wondering what would happen next. The story unfolded in such a beautiful way. The hero and heroine were people who worked hard and were considerate of others. I can't wait to read the next book in the series, as I would love to know what happens to Joann and her son. This book isn't a cliff-hanger, though, and I appreciated that. Technically, the writing was pretty sound, too. If you enjoy clean, faith-filled stories of romance and adventure in the American west, then I recommend you try it.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Back to You (A Pine Ridge Romance Prequel) by Holly Stevenson

Back to You by Holly Stevenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a sweet romance story. It's not spectacularly awesome, but it's good. It's marketed as Christian, but the faith element is very light. It's short, so if you're looking for a short, sweet love story, this could be it.

View all my reviews

I'm going to be honest, the last story is one I can't even remember. My review probably says it all as far as my impressions are concerned. I feel like books such as this one are perfect for making up lost time on a reading challenge. I just wish there was something more positive I could say about novellas in general. Some are so great and do exactly what they're intended to do: give you a great impression of the author and their work, plus encourage you to read more. Considering my review, I doubt I'd be reading more without a dire need.

Just Keep Writing: Wednesday Whimsy

If this is your first time participating in this kind of writing exercise, you're in for a treat. If you've done this with me before, just keep scrolling for the prompt.

Rules:

1. You can use any/all of the words and/or the photo in the prompt below to create a unique written work. Fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose, even lyrics are acceptable.  
2. Please keep the material you write clean (i.e. nothing R-rated or worse) if you wish to share the link to your work here, as well as if you link back to my site. I strive to keep my site free of such things. My readers know and expect this. I respect your right to write whatever you feel you need to write. And you're free to use my prompts. But if your material is graphic, I'd rather not view it, and most of my readers will not wish to. 
3. Have fun! This type of exercise is perfect for growing in the writing craft, or for helping through a rough patch in your current WIP. If you're looking to push your author limits and you normally write in nonfiction prose, try a whimsical collection of lyrics. If you normally write poems about real life events, try your hand at a fanfic. Give yourself some room to explore.

Don't forget to leave a link to your creation (unless you're writing graphic material) so my readers and I can check out your work. I'd appreciate a link back to this post to help me reach more readers, but it's not required. 

This could present some fun ideas, I think. How about you? Think you can work with these? Share in the comments below!

Writer's Challenge: #AbouttheAuthorAugust 2023 - Week 2, Day 3

Ya'el Shirasdatir: ✌👊👋👩🌳🌱☕🐅🎇🏃🔪📜✏👓

Well, that was fairly quick work. Google's emojis need a little work, I think. 

Thank you so much for strolling on the scenic route with me today. I hope you enjoyed your time here. Did you find something helpful, useful, or encouraging in the post? If so, please do share in the comments below. 

Tomorrow, I'll have a writing prompt and another challenge response to share with you. I hope you'll return with more of your creative friends. 

Until next time,
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