Not only do I have news of a new book release and an interview with the author....but a giveaway, too! So, read on for more about this awesome book :).
Sarah Holman is an author I just recently discovered. Having won her first novel a while back, and loving it tremendously, I looked her up and found the rest of her books. Which, of course, I had to read. And did.
In fact I just finished reading the last one about a week ago. ( There were like 9 books or so, most of which made up three series. )
Very unique stories full of characteristic characters and original plot twists, her books are fun and fast paced reads.
One thing I love about her books is she breaks a writing rule I've been taught can't be broke!!!! She doesn't stick to one genre. As of now, she has a sci-fi series, a medieval series, a historical revolutionary novel, a Cinderella retelling, a Bible story, and a modern mystery.
But despite all the great stories, one thing about the novels irritated me. Of all the ones I read most of them needed a lot of rewriting and editing. But I only read the ebook versions. So, her paperback books may be of better quality. :)
Regardless of that, though, the stories themselves are great!
And with out further delay, the book of the day!
Rating: 4.5 stars
Age approximate: 12+
Genre: Christian Mystery
Kate Mayfield seems like an innocent type of girl, even if she may have a disturbing past and be a bit of a recluse. But she isn't the sort of girl to plant a bomb, or try and harm others. Or is she?
Patrick Connor and his FBI friends are in the midst of a strange set of circumstances. A college has been bombed. For no apparent reason lives are at stake. And all the evidence points to the young, mysterious student, Kate. Most of the team believe this girl to be innocent...yet as they find out more, it seems as if they may be wrong about her.
As Kate and Patrick fight for her innocence, things fall apart. The more they search, the more they find. And none of it is good.
But another battle, more serious, is threatening to ruin what little hope there truly is.
While Patrick fights to find evidence he is falling farther from God. Despite warnings from friends, he is forgetting to trust in God and let go of his pride to be right. His own strength is failing.
Kate feels as if God must not love her - Why else would He allow all this evil to happen? Why else would He condemn her? Can she truly trust Him to know what's best for her life?
And so, begins an epic battle of finding out who is the true culprit - and learning to trust God rather than self.
Thoughts on Kate's Innocence:
This book was a nice, short fast paced read.
A good mystery is very hard to find. A good christian mystery is even harder to find. Especially one without clichès or predictable plots.
At first I thought I had it figured out...and then twice I realized I was wrong. Love mysteries that surprise!
And the characters were all great. The main characters were each awesome in their own way, but I probably loved Logan best, one of the secondary female characters.
And it also had a pretty good moral/ christian message that wasn't really too preachy or unrealistic. Pretty well balanced.
Plenty of action. Nothing really scary. Hardly any romance. No language or anything improper. And overall, an enjoyable read, that would be a great series!
1. Welcome, Sarah, to Keturah's Korner!!!!!! I hope you are having a fantastic day :).
I am! Thank you for having me today.
2. Could you tell us a little about yourself aside from writing?
Sure! I am 25 years old and live with my amazing parents and five awesome siblings.
I live in the country, half-an-hour from the nearest gas station. Our land has lots of trees, the perfect place for a kid to grow up with a big imagination.
Besides writing, I love to read, play piano, hang-out with friends, scrapbook, and sew. However, if I am not writing, you will mostly likely find me reading.
3. When did you first know you wanted to write and how did you make that dream become a reality?
I started writing my first book when I was 11 and I never stopped. I knew it was what I was supposed to do full time when I was 17/18.
When I knew that was what I wanted to do, I started reading books about writing. I learned how to accept criticism (which is very important for a writer). Honostly, I couldn’t have made it happen on my own.
A lot of people helped me get to the point I was ready to publish a book. It took teachers, people to give constructive criticism, editors, cover designer, and many more.
4. Could you tell us a little about what you write and why you write?
I like to say I write adventure stories. They take place in different times and places, but they all have adventure.
I started writing because I was frustrated at not being able to find fiction books I liked. Most of what was available to me as an eleven-year-old was fantasy, romance, or mystery and I didn’t care for any of those.
I wanted just a fun adventure story that took place in realistic settings. G.A. Henty was a favorite once I discovered him.
I continue to write because I think that the written word and stories are very valuable. Jesus, himself, often used stories to convey a deeper message. And that is what I want my stories to do, convey a deeper message.
5. Another Henty fan!? Awesome!!!!!! This is a mean question I like to ask authors. :D What is your favorite novel you have written? And least favorite?
That is like asking a mother her favorite child. The Destiny of a Galaxy probably had the biggest effect on me so I will go with that one as my favorite.
Kate's Case Files has been a very long, hard journey on the editing side so I will place it as my least favorite for now. Why? Because I dislike editing.
6. How did Kate's Innocence come about? What made this book special enough to you to write?
I love the show Sue Thomas FBEye and thought it would be cool to write about an FBI team. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do it.
The characters and situations are very different from that show, and they have become very vivid in my mind.
I think that this series is going to be a powerful one for exploring living out our faith and coming to a place of deep emotional healing.
7. What do you have planned for this story? Do you hope to turn it into a potential series?
This is book one in what is currently planned to be an eleven book series.
The first draft of the second book is already written and hopefully will becoming out spring of next year.
8. What do you hope others will take from Kate's Innocence, after reading it?
My prayer for each book is that one person at least is drawn closer to God. While I put clear messages into my books, I leave it up to God and the reader what they take away from it.
I do love hearing what readers take away from each book.
9. How can readers connect with you?
The easiest way is my blog at www.thedestinyofone.com You can leave me a comment or send me a message through there.
I am also on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.
10. Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Yes! Choose what you read with care. Make sure that what you read honors God, and is a positive influence on your life.
This doesn't mean the book has to be happy. Books, even fiction books, should inspire us to draw closer to God, to build each other up, and to do good things.
If the books we read are not positively impacting our lives, we are choosing the wrong books.
11. Thanks very much for joining me, Sarah! May God bless you and your writing!!! Have an awesome week! :).
Thank you for having me. It has been a lot of fun!
And for the giveaway!!! Make sure to enter in the fun to possibly win a signed copy of Kate's Innocence or one of two digital copies!!!!! :)
So, what do you all think? Have you heard of Sarah Holman or read any of her books? If not, sound like something you'd like to read? Or any of her other novels? I'd recommend starting out with her sci-fi series!!!!!!
Hi there Keturah!
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice blog you have. You create some very beauiful things. Would you be willing to sponsor a giveaway for me with some of your things you make? I would love it so much if you would. Contact me on my blog at marysblogallthingsoldfashioned.blogspot.com please. Thank you so much!
Love,
Mary
Thank you!!!! Ok, will contact you soon ;) I'd totally love to do a giveaway:D
DeleteCould you change the lettering on your blog to something besides bright pink? It is really hard to read :)
ReplyDelete:) thanks for the suggestion. I'll think about it :)
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