A Melodious Sonnet

Protecting the Poor: My Latest Favorite Medieval Fantasy!

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Hello, friends! I’m here again today to share a new book from one of my favorite self-published authors, Amanda Tero. I’ve been reading her books for years now, and have enjoyed every single one! I really enjoyed reading The Secret Slipper two years ago when that released, and I’ve been eagerly anticipating the time when Protecting the Poor would be coming out—and here it is now!

(Some links in this blog post are affiliate links—your purchases through these links help support this blog at no extra expense to you. Thank you! Also, Amanda Tero generously sent me a free ecopy of this book.)

Although I haven’t enjoyed all fantasy books I’ve read, I have really enjoyed the Tales of Faith series. I need to re-read the first two, because it’s been a while, but I believe this book is probably my favorite of the lot. Perhaps it’s because Robin Hood’s story has always intrigued me; perhaps it’s because of the faith woven into the story in a way I really appreciated, I don’t know. But if you like reading medieval stories with a good faith base, I’d recommend this. It’s fun, but also really good.

Guest Post from Amanda:

It is always interesting to see the theme of a story unfold. When I started Protecting the Poor, I wasn’t fully sure where Noel’s and Dumphey’s journeys would take them. They are two very different characters—and one thing that I find unique is they both have strengths that the other person envies. Noel is the shy, quiet type, but he is grounded firmly in what he believes is right and wrong Biblically. Dumphey tends to be more headstrong, leaning on his own understanding, but one of the first to take action when he feels it’s needed. In Protecting the Poor, they both have to learn to do something that God is leading them to do, but they are scared to do it. Have you been there before? What helped you to follow God regardless of your fears?

About the Book

Sheriff Feroci is now lord over the province, and Abtshire has become a pit of injustice. Being forced into the lord’s service does not give Dumphey as many opportunities to help the poor as he desires. When attempts on his life drive him into the forest, this freedom opens a world of possibilities for helping others. But how can he do so when he is running for his life? And does God want him to do more than simply feed the poor?

Noel has always hidden behind the shadow of his older brother, Dumphey. When life forces him to stand on his own, will he still follow God in the corrupt world in which he lives? Would God really call him to do something that is beyond his power to do?

As Lord Feroci’s sinister plot comes to light, each lad has a choice to make. A choice that could cost them their lives.

Find on Amazon  |  Add to Goodreads

Giveaway!

There’s a giveaway going! One U.S. Winner will receive the complete paperback Tales of Faith series, and one International Winner will receive the complete eBook series. Enter here, or click the picture above.

Order Paperbacks

Do you want to get a signed copy of Protecting the Poor? Order here!

About the Series:

Read my review of Befriending the Beast here  |  Find it on Amazon  |  Add on Goodreads

Read my review of The Secret Slipper here  |  Find it on Amazon  |  Add on Goodreads

About the Author

Amanda Tero began her love for words at a young age—reading anything she could get her hands on and penning short stories as young as age eight. Since graduation, she has honed her writing skills by dedicated practice and study of the writing craft. She began her journey of publication with a few short stories that she had written for her sisters and continues to add to her collection with other short stories, novellas, and novels. It is her utmost desire to write that which not only pleases her Lord and Savior, but also draws the reader into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

Connect with Amanda:

Email: amandaterobooks@gmail.com  |  Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Blog  |  Goodreads  | Amazon

What was your recent favorite fantasy read?

Home of the Soul

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Some seasons demand a lot more patience than others. I feel like I’m in one of those seasons right now as we all await the birth of my youngest sibling. Having to practice patience can bring out the best in us, but it can also bring out the side we don’t like to see—the ugly impatience that would wreck a perfect gift if left to go on its own.

So I thought a verse I was reminded of yesterday quite applicable:

“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.” (Psalm 37:7)

When we are driving on a windy, somewhat unfamiliar, road after dark with snow flying in the air, rest in the Lord.

When we are running behind schedule and wondering if we will get there in time, rest in the Lord.

When we are struggling to get a job accomplished in good time, rest in the Lord.

When we are waiting for a long-expected gift to come, rest in the Lord.

Do you have to tell this to yourself, too? I do; over and over, and over. And eventually, the second part comes easier. Wait patiently for Him. He knows. He has the perfect time lined up. I just need to rest.

What are you waiting for or working toward right now? How are you reminding yourself to rest in the Lord?

Tripping: Punakaiki, July 2019

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If there’s one place on the West Coast that has grabbed my heart for the beauty, it’s just about got to be Punakaiki, or more specifically, the Pancake Rocks located there. I love wild scenery, and there’s nothing you can get much more wild than the ocean thrusting its way up through the rocks to burst in spray above you (or below, depending on how rough the sea is on any particular day).

When we went there with friends last month, we first stopped at an old mining equipment exhibit. I liked the brand name on several of the rims—it’s a good reminder, although I have no idea what it stands for!

I always enjoy the walk out to the blow holes, trying to spot what spray we can as we go! This time, we got a few good peeks on our way out.

Quite possibly my favorite blowhole, the Chimney Pot:

And then there is this one, the most famous and the biggest. Putai, I believe. I love watching it blow. The action wasn’t quite as good as other times that I’ve been there, but it was still enough to be enjoyable—and I was thankful for a few good ones!

Here is a video I got of Putai in action:

And then there is the Surge Pool, which is always fascinating to watch and listen to!

Watching the spray from a distance….

And then, on the way back, we had a special treat! Little sister caught my hand and said, “look! there’s an owl!” I looked, but couldn’t see a thing for a while—then, it finally turned its head and I saw it. A native morepork, I think. So small and cute—the first one I’ve seen in the wild.

Like I said, I always enjoy going to the Pancake Rocks for a look around. It’s never the same two times in a row. What are some of your favorite places to visit near where you live?

Finding Rest

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Early last week, I downloaded a scripture writing plan that had a scripture a day for this month. Last Saturday’s verses were from Matthew 11:28-30, and the special part was that these verses have been precious to me for years.

Back in 2016, I sang a song based on those words in a choir at a youth conference I went to. I’ve loved the song ever since; remembering the words and choosing to rest in Jesus at that time was an important reminder to me. My brother had just died, and the song reaffirmed Jesus’ presence with me—with us—in that time of intense grief.

Here is a beautiful choral rendition of the same composition we sang back in 2016:

Other times in life, we still have to choose to trust the Lord. To come to Him, and leave our burdens at His feet. Worries and concerns for the future may clog the pathway before us, but we must choose to remember Who is in control. It’s not me. It’s not you. It’s Jesus, and He loves and cares for us far more than we give Him credit for.

Today, let us rest in Him. Make the conscious choice to trust that His purposes are being worked out.

He is faithful.

He will give us rest.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, ESV)

What verses have encouraged you when you were struggling to trust Jesus for something in your life?

Kees and Colliers: Series Spotlight!

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Today, I have something special to share with you—a spotlight of a series by an indie author I’ve had the privilege of getting to know a little through the medium of her stories!

Whenever I can, I try to help different authors (especially self-published authors) with their publicity work. It’s incredibly difficult to do marketing these days—I struggle with it myself!—and one way we as readers can help authors is to share their books with our own people, which in this case is you!

First, let me introduce Kellyn Roth to you:

Kellyn Roth is a Christian & historical author from North-Eastern Oregon. Kell is a ranch girl, homeschool graduate, proud sister of four, proud auntie of five, and owner of two goofy border collies, two presumptuous cats, and a very active betta fish. Check out her website, kellynrothauthor.com, for more info.

Author Website: http://kellynrothauthor.com/
Blog: http://kellynroth.blog/
Reveries Co:
Coach Kell:
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest: @ReveriesofRuby

(Some links in this blog post are affiliate links—your purchases through these links help support this blog at no extra expense to you. Thank you! Also, Kellyn generously sent me free ecopies of all these books.)

Over the past month or two, I’ve taken time to read all the books in this series, except Goldfish Secrets, a short story.

Here are my quick thoughts on the books, in the order I read them:

(And by the way, I wouldn’t recommend reading them in this order…you’ll hear why in a bit.)

I enjoyed The Lady of the Vineyard, book 1. It’s not a heavily detailed plot, by any means, but I enjoyed the lessons it had in it. The editing could perhaps be a bit better, but overall it was a good story. I loved the redemption significance shared in here. A sweet, fairly short story with a delightful little girl in it!

Though there would be a toss-up for me between the first book and the second, I think Flowers in Her Heart is probably my most favorite of the series. Lady is good, but this one somehow touched a bit more of a chord with me and I really loved the story. It’s simple, and sad, and sweet…just the elements I like, with a character or two that really need a good shaking up and heart change. Somewhat of a short book, but I did enjoy it.

From Now ’Til Forever, book 3, unfortunately, did not really do a whole lot for me. It’s a good story, in and of itself, but I struggled with one doctrinal point shared here (nothing against the author personally, of course; I know lots of people who believe what is expressed or inferred here). Since that was a main element of the story, that made it harder. I did enjoy seeing the family grow up a bit more, and the thread of forgiveness that really started to show in the second book was still here in the third one. This is a very short story; I’d hardly call it a novella. If you want a good wrap-up to the series, this would be good to read.

And the last, which I should have read first but didn’t, is Souls Astray, book 0 (or prequel 1). If I had read it first, I have a feeling I would have enjoyed it a bit more; as it was, I had to consciously choose to pick it up, because otherwise, I wouldn’t have finished it. The reason why it was harder for me to read, I think, was because I felt like I already knew the story. Enough detail was needed in the main books of the series that I already knew about all the major events; this just fleshed them out a bit more. I thought the writing style could have been improved somewhat, and I would have liked a better ending, but in the end, that’s all the author’s choice. This was also the longest book of the lot. If you like backstory, you would love this book.

In all, I really enjoyed getting to hear Kellyn’s “voice” through the stories. She has taken some intriguing ideas and set them in a time and place where they work. My favorite parts were definitely the thread of forgiveness through the stories and the family life as it developed throughout the series. They were quite a fun, fairly easy read, but definitely sweet, too, in places. I didn’t understand why certain things were put in there quite as frequently as they were (I believe marital relations were mentioned in every book, and I didn’t think that was needed in some cases), but I was thankful that though things like loose living are mentioned, they aren’t described too much.

If you’re looking for something slightly different on the reading market or a redemption story, you might just enjoy this series. It wasn’t deep, nor was it super fluffy—just somewhere in the middle.

Thank you, Kellyn, for sharing your stories with us! I was thankful for the chance to find out what your books are like, and also thankful for the chance to help out a little!

Giveaway!

Kellyn has a lovely giveaway going. The first prize includes The Lady of the Vineyard and Flowers in Her Heart in paperback and a flower necklace (which goes perfectly with the theme of the books)!

And the second prize is The Lady of the Vineyard in paperback and Flowers in Her Heart and From Now ‘Til Forever in ebook!

Enter the giveaway here.

What World War I or II fiction have you read lately?