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COVER REVEAL and BOOK LAUNCH announcement:

My Young Adult Historical Fiction, Fifteen-Sixteenths: One girl's civil war for civil rights, comes out April 1, 2020 in both paperback and eBook on Amazon.com. You can pre-order the eBook format NOW. Here's the summary:

Being fifteen-sixteenths white shouldn’t matter.

But in 1963, as a new girl at an all-white South Carolina high school, it does. Discovery of Charlotte’s mixed ancestry would mean her suspension—removing her from friends, a boyfriend, and her best chance for a drama scholarship.

When Gran breaks her leg and moves in, Charlotte’s risk skyrockets. But Gran’s stories of her own grandmother, a slave during the Civil War, give Charlotte the strength to battle those who are determined to unravel her future.

Two time periods—100 years apart—come together for an unforgettable story of freedom and courage.

Writing Journey Love - Current Project

In light of celebrating Valentine's Day and Black History Month, I'd like to share five things I love about the Historical Fiction I recently finished writing, working title FIFTEEN-SIXTEENTHS. It's with beta readers now and I'll be submitting it in a few weeks. The story is set in South Carolina during the Civil Rights era. There's a romance sub-plot and my stamp of "fiction with a touch of faith", of course.

Quick Pitch: Charlotte, the new girl at the school for whites, just wants to blend in—until she gets inspired by her great, great grandmother, a Civil War slave.

5. The YA main character actually has a family and interacts with them.

4. It's historical value. I researched local (here in Virginia) history from lesser known events out of a plethora of Civil War information.

3. A classic theme as relevant today as in 1963 and 1863—the dual timelines of the story. Plus, the challenge of creating an emotional story while striving not to offend or stray too far from political correctness.

2. My first time using deep, first-person point of view for the main timeline. The secondary timeline uses third person limited.

1. Two main characters to love from different but intersecting timelines, and the impact of one’s ancestors.

And to further whet your interest:

Example of the cellar where the Chancellor family stayed under house arrest during the battle that surrounded them.

Cannon replica of artillery used, including a ball that hit the home's front porch.

Photo of Sue Chancellor in her mid-life years, one of the characters in the story who was 14 at the time of the battle of Chancellorsville.

The Downside of Boy vs. Girl Books

I enjoyed a fabulous writer's conference, LDStorymakers, in Utah last month. Twelve classes provided great motivation, information, and ways to improve my craft. I reconnected with friends, my critique group, and met my new cover designer for "Samuel's Sword", coming out later this summer.

The keynote speaker was Shannon Hale, who spoke about representing genders and our choices with writing/reading. Boys suffer the most because they are taught not to read "girl books". Stories ABOUT girls (vs. calling them stories FOR girls) teach empathy toward females that males are missing. Girls get to read anything, but boys face social ridicule. We need to change that. Boys who learn to understand the feelings of girls will likely grow up to treat women better than those who don't.

Hale quoted some of her findings with industry sexism. On average, animated movies present 11 male main characters to 4 female. Crowd scenes portray 80% males. Male authors are typically promoted more, even by librarians. Hale has been invited to speak to school groups where the boys were not invited. What are we teaching boys? Hale encouraged that our voices matter. We should teach the ways we are more alike than not alike. We should not pre-select for others but enjoy the whole human experience. Loved it!

Why I Write What I Write

Hello, again! After a break and solving the problem of getting into my blog, I'm back. This is the place where I share my writing journey, a few tips or things I've learned, and the writing-related musings inside my head. Today's post will update you on what I've been writing--and why.

The most exciting news is the release of my second book, Survival of the King's Daughter, which came out exclusively as an e-book on June 1, 2017. Karlinah's story continues from Secrets of the King's Daughter, though each are considered stand-alone books. The third and final book of this scripture-based series will feature the love story of Karlinah's son, Samuel, who becomes a soldier among Helaman's stripling warriors. It is currently under review by the publisher. These three books are based on the section of the Book of Mormon that I originally thought I would cover in one book. It took three to tell their story, and with that complete, a change sounded refreshing.

I wanted to do something contemporary and include romance either as the genre or a sub-plot. Who doesn't enjoy a little romance? More importantly, I feel strongly that my writing should include latter-day-saint values, where the characters strive to live as God intends or they learn a lesson from doing otherwise. We need books that uplift as well as entertain, that offer role models of faith and courage within everyday lives. This has become my mission.

My critique group collaborated on a project that fit into my vision--an LDS contemporary romance book of four novellas with overlapping characters. Coming Home hit a snag when our first choice publisher rejected it. We have made some revisions and are getting more feedback before resubmitting. It's a fun story of four couples who are either leaving or returning from missionary service. Readers are going to love it.

My current work in progress is the story of two LDS middle-aged sisters. Romance is definitely involved but I'm calling this one Women's Fiction. I'm halfway into the draft that has seen a round of edits after feedback from my critique partners. I guess you could say that I'm halfway into the second draft. It has it's own set of challenges, but I'm loving it. I'm guessing it will fit nicely with the age 30 plus female audience that desires something more mature than young love.

Simultaneous Character Arcs?

Aha Moment: It all came together, like an epiphany. That's what studying character arcs through a series of blog posts by K. M. Weiland has done for me. Before devoting several days to glean all the how-tos and soak up the goods from Katie's posts, most of what I've learned about the writing craft has felt compartmentalized rather than interconnected.


It started with wanting an outline for my third novel (as opposed to a general idea and scripture-based events marking the plot). If I can nail the character arc, I also have a well-rounded, interesting character and the structure for a fantastic plot. These blog posts are full of examples and questions to ask along the way to help structure the arc, along with the points within each act of the story (like an outline).

Arc Types: According to Weiland, the Change Arc (positive or negative) is about the lie your character believes and how he sheds it to become a changed person. The Flat Arc is about the truth your character believes and how he uses it to change the world around him.

Implementation: The main character for the third book is Karlinah's son, Samuel, King Lamoni's grandson. He is a sober young man who wants to do right and make a difference. Because of this, I could use the flat character arc, where he already has the truth figured out but it will test him. His personal changes would be minimal. The flat arc changes are more about the world changing than the character. If I think too broadly, this doesn't work because the world of war between Nephites and Lamanites that Samuel lives in won't change all that much. I need to either narrow the scope of "the world" or give Samuel a Positive Change Arc. I'm left with the same problem in the latter case, since Samuel has it pretty much together at the start of his story. But yes, I can find a lie for him to believe, discard, and grow from in a different way.

How about both? Can it be done? I just might give it a try and see. Will it be as dramatic, as emotional? I can see it working. Before you write me off as crazy, I'd love to know if you've had any experience with this in your reading or writing.

There could be some lie that Samuel believes that gets in the way of want he wants, so that he doesn't realize what he needs. And there could be a major truth that he believes that he uses to change something in his world. If it doesn't get confusing and I can show which goal is the current one, it might turn out positively delicious! If I get in over my head, I can always revert to one arc.

Revisions to the rescue? Discovery is part of what makes this writing journey fun!

A Writer's Validation Process - Time to celebrate!

We have to celebrate each step of success rather than each step toward success. Once a goal is met, there is always another mountain to climb. I may not have "made it", but one more box is checked. Secrets of the King's Daughter has officially been nominated for a 2016 Whitney Award, an awards program for novels written by LDS authors! It will be entered in the Historical Romance category. Thank you to those who felt it worthy of nomination. The nominees will be whittled down to five finalists in each category. As a first-time published author and if I become a finalist, I am also eligible for the Best Novel by a New Author.

Judging: Nominees are "voted on by an academy of industry professionals, including authors, publishers, bookstore owners, distributors, critics, and others."
According to the Whitney Awards website, "We do not give a rubric to our judges or to the Academy awards because this is a reader based award rather than a literary one. We choose judges who are sophisticated and critical readers and allow them to make their own judgements on writing quality and content. Doing otherwise (screening nominees based on content and writing quality) would be both time-consuming and based on subjective reasoning, therefore we have only required that the author be a member of the LDS church. All other factors such as content, language, and craft, are to be judged by each individual person voting in the award process."

It's moments like this that keep us less-experienced authors pushing forward toward success and validation for the many hours spent on our craft. We might write for months or years with little feedback until that big moment of public sharing. Any encouragement you can give to your writer friends is greatly appreciated. Thank you to those who organize and recognize a writer's efforts with awards such as this. I must wait until next February before finding out who the finalists are, but this step of my dream is realized. It's time for a little chocolate and then I'm pumped to write some more. 

Honoring War Heros and More

I've been researching Book of Mormon warfare for my third novel, and found David E. Spencer's insights into Captain Moroni interesting and helpful. It covers the perfect time period I need. He adds to my scriptural knowledge with his military expertise through insights and analysis.

Early in the book, Spencer points out that Mormon, the compiler and abridger of the ancient records, was a great admirer of Moroni. Mormon's inserted comments, intended or not, influence the reader toward his inclination of great respect. Mormon states that the devil would not have power over the hearts of men such as Moroni (Alma 48:17). The surprising (to me) insight Spencer gives is that Captain Lehi was also a great commander in that time period, and could just as easily have been the one readers were led to so admire rather than Moroni.

I make two points here: 1) Writers do sway/impact their readers, and 2) Those whom we honor publically often become heroes.

In conjunction with the Memorial Day holiday, let us honor the memory of those soldiers who volunteered to serve and fight for our country and freedoms, and remember other heroes in our lives. Make your great respect known of the good people around you. Tell them. Write to them. Show them the impact they have had on you. There are heroes all around us. You are probably one of them to someone.

Book Clubs and Book Buzz

Here's what's been happening in my writing world:

I'm going to be posting more sporadically on my blog to concentrate on other writing-related things. The time is right and it feels freeing. 

I had a blast hosting my first Book Club discussion group, about 10 of us. I first gave some insights into both my writing process and my publishing journey. Having the author there (me) to say more than what we liked/didn't like about the book of the month was a first for these book club members--a special treat. There are always some who want to talk more than others, keeping the discussion going. It amazes me when people get excited that they know an author. I don't feel any different, but it's a thrill to hear when people tell me they loved my book. It would be a pleasure to participate in other book club groups, either locally or as a live online presence. Please contact me for more information.

On a separate occasion, I was asked about the setting of my book by a member of another faith. He was confused to learn that my story takes place around 90 BC, because he expected a Book of Mormon story to take place during the time of Joseph Smith, the 1800s. I explained that the Book of Mormon is a compilation of records written by early prophets on the American continent. His wife loved the book, and they asked about the progress of its sequel. Though my target audience is LDS, I'd love to hear more buzz about my book from members of other faiths. Secrets of the King's Daughter is a story about finding faith as well as love. Anybody out there have any feedback on my book from non-Mormons?

Have a great week!

The Whitney Awards

Finalist Titles for 2015

Named for Orson Whitney, who stated that "We will yet have Miltons and Shakespeares of our own...",  the Whitney Awards celebrate the achievement of LDS Authors and literary excellence. This was my first year to attend the awards banquet. The five finalists in eight genres, three best-of-the-year categories, and two Achievement Awards were honored. What a wonderful accomplishment to all candidates who got that far.

It all starts with LDS authors who write exceptional books. Any reader can nominate a book that impressed them or they loved by going to whitneyawards.com. A book needs five separate nominations to be considered. Then a committee of readers narrow down the field, who become the top five finalists. Lastly, a group of publishers, agents, and authors who read all finalists in that category can vote for a winner.

Have you read a book by an LDS author that you deem worthy to be considered as a candidate for the Whitney Awards? Do your part and nominate! This is a reader-based award.



Finalists gather for a group photo

Congratulations to the 2015 finalists and winners! You are all awesome!

Putting My Brave Face On for Writer's Conference Time

I'm getting excited to attend my favorite conference, LDStorymakers. It's always fun to see blog/Facebook friends in person, learn from great teachers, and get new inspiration. Additionally, this year I have the opportunity to attend a pre-conference dinner given for authors and artists by my publisher--a real chance to rub elbows and clink water glasses with many whose books I know and love. It still amazes me that I am part of the Covenant Communications family.

What, if any, opportunities might come from conversations at either the dinner or the conference? I might overhear a couple speaking of a collaborative project, be privy to someone's next great idea, or make a new friend. Personally, I'm looking for a few at the conference who might be available to become beta readers for me and test-read my next book.

None of these scenarios will pan out if I don't get brave enough to instigate or participate in conversations with strangers and pedestal-topping well-knowns. Yes, we writers and wannabes have to occasionally leave the comfort and security of our desks to get bold and mingle!

Remember: Folks are typically downright friendly and interesting. Let's get the full experience and benefit from writer conferences and events by putting on a brave face. It gets easier each time we do. One day, we might score a big networking connection or a fast friendship, but if not, we probably had more fun by stretching and growing than listening in from the corner.

Writer Conference Networking Connects with Marketing

You know when you learn of a great marketing idea and wish you'd thought of or could get in on it? While I'm finally doing a collaborative novella, twelve authors took it a step further by joining together to do a similar-themed book-a-month series. It's a great idea, and I'm happy for them. But yeah, I'm more of a band-wagon participant than an instigator. For now.
 
What I need to remember is that a year ago I was a solo book writer--period. Now my critique group is working on a collaborative novella project--all because one of them suggested it. Again, not my idea, but I was happy to be included in an opportunity that offered new potential to expand my reader base. It doesn't matter who the innovator is, and maybe it won't ever be me. The important thing is that I'm gaining experience and finding more people to network with, and that can lead to new marketing opportunities.

To my writer friends who haven't been to a conference event and want to find a way to connect with other writers, there's nothing like the pump-up you get and the variety of people to meet from a writer's conference. I whole-heartedly recommend that LDS authors of fiction and non-fiction plan to attend the LDStorymaker conference held in the Spring in Utah or the Midwest Storymaker conference in Kansas. And a big thank you to those who volunteer their time to put it on. You are amazing! Can't wait to go!

Time for Beta Test Readers

I'm ready for a break from revisions on my work in progress. Luckily, it's ready for a break from me.

Going through a final draft for the sequel of my recent book, Secrets of the King's Daughter, has stirred up feelings of inadequacy as a writer. We generally would expect to get better with experience and time in any endeavor, but I'm wondering if my second book will measure up to the overall good response of the first. Apparently this is normal.

I've been following a group discussion where even experienced authors expressed the constant battle against these feelings. For one thing, we're human and sense our own frailties. On top of that is the volume of quality books that readers can pick from instead of our own. We have to measure up and we don't want to disappoint anyone. Writer or not, we've all experienced a form of self-doubt. How do you get over yours?

In this instance, I'm losing enthusiasm/interest because of the number of times I've gone over this project. I'd rather move on to new writing than look for another word to cut from a sentence. My critique group has already read through my manuscript (Alpha Readers), I've made tweaks and read through the whole thing once more. I'm ready to give it over to Beta Readers (test readers). They provide a fresh set of eyes on my manuscript. I don't have to rely on my opinion of scenes that I know inside and out. The true test is a sampling of readers who have never seen my story. If they know something of story structure or can at least tell me which spots feel slow, their feedback is invaluable. Unseasoned writers like myself should never skip this step. In fact, I'm celebrating getting to this point.

A writer friend sent out the following quote. Perhaps I'll have to keep this in mind when the next stage of feedback comes in:
"Because we are being constantly exposed to the world’s definition of success and greatness, it is understandable that we might ...frequently find ourselves making comparisons between what we are and what others are, or seem to be, and also between what we have and what others have. … We often allow unfair and improper comparisons to destroy our happiness when they cause us to feel unfulfilled or inadequate or unsuccessful. Sometimes, because of these feelings, we are led into error, and we dwell on our failures while ignoring aspects of our lives that may contain elements of true greatness." President Howard W. Hunter, May 1982.

What an Author Wants

Putting one's book into public hands has it's risks. I'm feeling both relieved and grateful for the positive feedback I've received on my debut book, Secrets of the King's Daughter. Though true that much of that response is from people I know, and therefore possibly more kind than a less-influenced reader, it gives validation to my purpose and reinforcement for what I want to accomplish in my future writing. Here's an example of that validation:
"I stayed up and finished your wonderful book last night! You are so talented, and I loved the twists and turns at the end. I felt uplifted by the account of truth and testimony shared by the well-developed characters. Thank you for sharing your talents!" --L.S., California, USA

It's one thing for people to find an enjoyable read that didn't waste their time--a minimum authors hope for. It's another level of satisfying fulfillment if a book has reader value beyond entertainment and escapism. Many authors strive to teach, motivate, uplift, or send a message. I am no different.

While making some money would be a positive side benefit, very few authors strike it rich anymore. They write to unlock the stories inside their heads and because they love it. I am no different. What we really want is to be understood and have our writing affect and influence others. We want them to "get it".

My husband mentioned that until he read my book, he let me "do my thing" without interfering, but wasn't an enthusiastic supporter. Now he sees value in its themes as a way to help others. He sees that I'm doing more than simply using my talents. We discussed my desire to explore how characters' choices are impacted by gospel principles, just like real-life situations. Maybe people can learn or gain strength from my stories. I told him the themes in a contemporary LDS novella I just completed. He gets it now, and that makes me happy.

A Reason Not to Read My Book

I had an interesting experience at a book signing last weekend. This was one of those Deseret Book "Ladies Night" events with refreshments and giveaways. The place was packed, and the ladies tended to stay a while, hoping for the next drawing to call their name. Therefore, I was able to have a few conversations with those camping out near my table.

One conversation in particular has stayed with me. There was an older woman sitting on her walker seat, thumbing through a stack of books on her lap to whittle down her choices. It was the perfect opportunity to ask her what she likes to read and see if I could interest her in Secrets of the King's Daughter. As soon as she learned my story was based on the Book of Mormon, she started shaking her head. "I think that we need our own opinions of what those people looked like and did," she said.

This didn't deter me. I've considered this argument before, and wrote a blog post about finding that balance between recorded scripture and fiction. Perhaps she could be convinced. All I wanted was for readers to give it a chance so they could feel the inspirational uplift or emotional response that I expected they would from the engaging storyline and gospel messages found within, or a renewed interest in the scriptures. Something positive.

I told her that the Church filled in the details left to the imagination when they produced such films as The Testaments. I told her about the Scripture Reference List in the back of the book so that readers could look up what I wrote that was established by scripture. In fact, looking up references is encouraged. She still shook her head, so I relented. "It sounds like you know what you want," I said with a smile.

Over the course of another thirty or forty minutes, she stayed where she was and revealed more of her opinions little by little, probably wanting to explain why she turned me down flat. She'd heard me tell others that it's been getting good reviews and saw me sign a few copies. She explained that another author had steered her wrong and she won't ever read that author again. A little later she said that it took a session with her stake president to set her straight. Now it all made sense.

In most cases, I think it's good to expand your reading material into other genres and new authors, but my book was not right for this woman, and she stood firm about that. She showed me that there are valid reasons why not to read certain books. Sometimes we get easily mixed up or swayed or don't like foul language or plots that are upsetting. It might take some experimenting to learn what to avoid, but once you know, you can make the right choice for you.

About Book Reviews/Blog Tours and Their Results

This is NOT a book review. If you've followed all of last week's posts from the blog tour for Secrets of the King's Daughter, you've seen plenty of those for now, but you may find what I observed helpful or interesting.

1. I went into it recognizing that most reviewers are honest and will tell what they did and didn't like without intentional meanness. I hoped for mostly good but expected that some would find both negative and positive elements. Opinions vary, after all.
2. Book review bloggers typically have enough experience to be diplomatic. They've learned to sandwich in a negative issue between other positives. Trust that overall, they will give a fair review.
3. That said, as a first-timer I anxiously awaited each review, keeping busy to avoid excessive focus. Still, I wondered if they would love it or find it amateurish. My confidence grew when the consensus proved positive. 
4. Use the feedback rather than fear it. If one or two reviewers point out a weakness, it's not the end of the world. You either chalk it up to a singular opinion and ignore it, or you analyze similarities in what reviewers are saying so that you can find where to fix/improve. 
I'm not sure what I would have done if the reviews were less than favorable. I love writing enough to believe that I would continue on. Some writers may need a break, but should recognize that we only get better with time and practice. Find a few cheerleaders or a support group to get you going again. Read some how-to books or go to a conference if the writing craft was the issue.
5. Picking reviewers that like the genre you write in will garner more positive reviews, so do your research. My marketer handled this.
6. Sometimes a blogger will fall through. Line up two or three reviews for each day so that your book gets more reviews, a better representation, and you don't have a day that bombs.
7. Thank the reviewer no matter how the review goes. It's not only common curtesy, we need to keep those who blog about books wanting to continue with their service.
8. Consider doing more reviewing of the books you read. Writers and readers depend on your word of mouth/pen.

What do you think about book reviews?

Book Review #7 of Blog Tour and Giveaway

Book Review by LDS Women's Book Review at http://www.ldswomensbookreview.com/wordpress/ and Sheila Staley at http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/

My Review:
 I love to read books where stories from scriptures are brought to life. Secrets of a King’s Daughter does a marvelous job of bringing to life the stories of Lamanite King Lamoni, and Ammon, a Nephite, who is on a mission to convert these people to God.
The Princess Karlinah’s story is where the novel starts. Her new husband, a prince in a neighboring kingdom has been murdered in his sleep. All we know is that somehow Karlinah is involved, but her secret is not divulged for a very long time. Karlinah returns to her family where she soon finds herself betrothed again now to the wicked priest Japethihah. He’s so well written as a scummy and power hungry man that he made my skin crawl. Karlinah is not happy with her father’s choice, but she hopes that he will not be abusive as her first husband was to her.
I always find it amazing how a writer can weave a scriptural story in with made- up characters and make it so believable. Renae does this so well. I was immediately caught up in this story and the mystery and intrigue that was there. This book is a wonderful combination of action, suspense and romance. The conversion of King Lamoni and his wife was beautifully done as if I was reading the scriptures. Of course there was some liberty taken in dialogue and other happenings to enhance the overall story and plot. Those not familiar with The Book of Mormon will still be able to read this story and be pulled into the stories told from several different POV’s. I liked how each of the stories were seamlessly interwoven, so nothing seemed choppy, but knitted together to make the overall story flow. I’m so impressed that this is the author’s first published book. The writing is so well done and there is a very polished feel while reading this novel.
There are many messages that readers will take away from reading this book such as having hope, showing faith in unknown things,seeking forgiveness and accepting that one can repent and truly be forgiven. My teen daughter who usually shy’s away from anything not fantasy, declared she wanted to read this next.
I recommend this book to those who love historical fiction, romance, action and political intrigue. This book is also for those wanting a novel which brings stories from The Book of Mormon into a fictional setting and teaches about gospel principles in an interesting and non-preachy way. I can’t wait to read book two in this series.
****Warnings:This book has some violence with sword fighting, some mild gore and dead bodies in the aftermath of battle. There is no profanity or sex. ****

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Book Review #6 of Blog Tour and Giveaway

Review by Singing Librarian Books at http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/adults

Author Renae Weight Mackley has done a fantastic job bringing one of my favorite Book of Mormon stories to life in her novel, Secrets of the King’s Daughter.  From page one I was hooked by this beautiful, rich, beloved, and enchanting story of Princess Karlinah.  This novel portrays Karlinah’s struggles, discovering her faith, repentance, baptism and falling in love.  This action packed story is filled with twists and turns, as well as inspiration.  I would recommend this novel to readers that enjoy novels based on characters from the scriptures.

Genre: historical, scripture stories

Publisher: Covenant Communications

Publication date: March 1, 2016

Number of pages: 248

Content Rating: PG, some violence (nothing graphic)

Book Rating: 5 stars

A review copy of this book was provided by Covenant Communications.
 

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Book Review #5 of Blog Tour and Giveaway

REVIEW from Empowermoms.net

This book is a clean, historical fiction book based on scripture stories found from “The Book of Mormon” which is additional scripture along with the bible that “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” use in their church.
The story starts off with Karlinah’s husband being murdered in his own bedchamber. After given a choice by the king (her father in law), Karlinah returns home to her family and her father King Lamoni in Ishmael. Unfortunately she escaped one bad arranged marriage for potentially another, when her father immediately arranges another husband for her.
A Nephite man named Ammon comes to work for her father and after a brave display of protecting the Kings sheep-Ammon starts to preach about God and heaven and life purpose. Karlinah doesn’t believe and questions Ammon’s motives and whether she can truly be forgiven for her sins.
I loved going back and forth between chapters with reading Karilinah’s experiences and thoughts, and then Ammon’s experiences. The story was very well written and kept me totally engaged from beginning to end! It made me very thankful for my modern time period and not having to be in an arranged marriage and being able to make my own choices.
I can’t wait to read book 2 and 3 of this series (its in the works according to the author’s blog)! This was a truly inspiring, engaging scripture story about love, life and forgiveness.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Covenant Communications in exchange for an honest review on my blog and social media-all opinions are my own.
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Book Review #4 of Blog Tour and Giveaway

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

SECRETS OF ATHE KING'S DAUGHTER by Renae Weight Mackley—book review/giveaway

SECRETS OF THE KING'S DAUGHTER by Renae Weight Mackley. I always hesitate with stories that weave themselves through scriptural stories. More often than not, they fall short of a good read. This book did a good job of balancing that fine line in my opinion. Since I know the words of Ammon well I could tell what was being taken from the scriptures and what wasn't. Even if someone didn't know the words of Ammon, the story moves through those sections very smoothly.

I was drawn into the story from the beginning with Karlinah and her secret. I loved how her secret was gradually told and what she did to overcome that secret. With the introduction of Ammon, I began to hesitate in reading, but once I saw how it was going to be done, I relaxed and finished the story.

 

It is a good story with a couple of turns and choices and consequences for those choices. Anyone who loves a good story with a scriptural setting will love this book.

GIVEAWAY:
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