Why I Love Found Family

Found family—it is a highly popular trope...and may be considered overused at this point. But there is a reason it has become so huge and continues to be well-loved. And because I have Thoughts and Feelings on the subject, today I wanted to take a little bit of time to talk about it. I don't think it's any secret that Found Family is my favorite trope of all time. My first full awareness of my deep-rooted love for it and realizing it actually had a title was ages back when I first discovered the TV series Leverage. That show about…

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Book Review // Tattoo of Crimson by Sarah Chislon

I’ve got a very fun book to talk about today set in an alternate Regency England with fae—an utterly delightful combination! I’ve been very much into historical fantasy as of late, so you better believe I jumped on this gaslamp fantasy tale set in an alternate Regency England world. Also FAE, guys. One of my uttermost favorite things. I am alllll about them fae stories. SYNOPSIS Society, suitors, and…serial murders? As much as she desires to please her family, gently-bred herbalist Jessa Caldwell has no intention of making a suitable match—not when she’s seeking the truth about the taint of…

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13 Years of Blogging // Grateful for Community

Today marks a pretty exciting day. As of today, I've been blogging for 13 whole years. And goodness, I'm feeling so grateful for all that time and the friendships I've built through it. I will never forget much younger Christine sitting at her desk one early spring day excitedly typing up her first ever blog post. Though she had been writing for the majority of her life, she was at the very first sparks of diving into it seriously, into getting a platform going and studying the craft and writing regularly and making writer friends. She had no idea what…

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Fantasy Month // Favorite Fantasy Reads

February is Fantasy Month! Happy February, friends! I know February often brings on some lingering winter blues. It's situated in that awkward space where the newness and excitement of winter have long since worn off and yet spring still feels far too distant. Poor February gets a bad rep. That's why the most illustrious Jenelle Schmidt started February is Fantasy Month! Because not only ~alliteration~ but what better way to add some life in February than celebrating one of the greatest genres out there? (I'm not biased or anything.) Over on her blog, Jenelle is posting all sorts of fantasy-themed…

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Hello 2024 // Living Boldly

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A most happy 2024!!! We've accomplished another year and have a brand new one with all manner of journeys ahead. That can be a little scary, definitely overwhelming, but also so very, very exciting. I will be honest, I didn't have the easiest December. Some deep insecurities that have been slowly rising to the surface burst out at the most inopportune time, life got stressful, and I struggled with one of the worst cases of creative block I've ever experienced. This eternal optimist who usually looks to the future with hope was having severe difficulty getting excited about anything. My…

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2023 in Review // My Favorite Things, Writing Highlights, & Growth

2023—a year of unexpected blessings and reaching for new dreams and mourning losses and praising God for renewal and failing and learning and so very much growing. It was a year of life. And though some (read: many) days were hard, there were blessings in it all, and I am grateful for each day given. Somehow we have reached the final stretch of 2023 and I'm looking over at March like, "Weren't you just here?" But my word chosen to live by for 2023 was PRESENT. I tend to fly through my days, always looking ahead and never stopping to…

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Know the Novel – Part Three: Words Written // A Writer’s Tag

We've made it, friends! A season of frenzied writing has come to a close, and as golden days shift to the soft hues of winter, it's time to take a breath and celebrate everything we've accomplished. Who else is in shock that December is here? The final month of 2023, friends! It's mindblowing. But whatever this year looked like for you, please take time to remember everything you did. Every word, every step forward is worth celebrating. Life is not about reaching the finish lines but ever moving forward. That is the true win. For the third and final part…

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Know the Novel – Part Two: Within the WIP // A Writer’s Tag

We've made it to November! And that means Part 2 of the Know the Novel 3-part tag is HERE. Hello, my fellow writers! November is usually a big month in the writing community. Whether you're diving into NaNoWriMo or another writing event today or have reached the halfway point for FicFrenzy (but seriously, how are we halfway there already??), I hope the creativity is flowing, the words are coming, and, most importantly, you're having fun. Writing can be...exhausting. But it can also be such an exhilarating venture, and I hope you don't let the overwhelm of it bog you down…

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My FicFrenzy Plans

FicFrenzy starts in TWO DAYS. I cannot believe it's been a full year since I launched this writing challenge. I am so excited to settle in with my FicFriends again and get some good writing in. But this year's FicFrenzy and in general fall writing for me may look a tad different. Before I launched the Fiction Frenzy Writing Challenge last year, I participated in NaNoWriMo every single year for 12 years straight. I got a smidge...obsessed. BUT. The joy of NaNoWriMo and then FicFrenzy is that it pushed me to get a full book drafted in one go. I…

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Know the Novel – Part One: Introduction // A Writer’s Tag

Happy October, my friends! My favorite time of the year is at last here, and alongside the cooling temperatures and excuses to drink copious amounts of cozy warm drinks comes, for many of us, the season of writing! Fall is renowned (at least amid the writing community) for its great writing challenges—NaNoWriMo, King's Daughter's Writing Camp, Fiction Frenzy, etc. There is just something about the fall weather that brings that itch for writing. As such, six years ago I created a 3-part tag that offers the community a chance to invite their readership into the writing process and take a…

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