Ceci Creates: March 2019

/ / March Wrap-Up \ \

Life has been........Life.

This was such a crazy month, I was sick for the first week, and we thought it was mono but THANKFULLY it was not. Someone broke my violin bow but we were able to repair it.

I officially visited my first college! It was amazing and a really good thing that I did, because I was not going to apply there even though it is about 45 minutes away from I live, but now it is my second choice college! I went to the official "Junior Visit Day" and they gave us t-shirts which are soooo comfy. But I'm planning on visiting another college soon, and another one soon after that as well as (hopefully) two up north in the beginning of the summer.

Prom is next weekend and I am readyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. I got my dress and shoes and a friend's aunt is coming to do our hair and make-up and ahhhhhhhhhh

I think that's all that was really of interest this month.......

THANKFULLY MORE BOOKS XD

'Tis, Frank McCourt; Far Side of the Sea, Kate Breslin; Teacher Man, Frank McCourt; The Old Curiosity Shop, Charles Dickens; Princess Ben, Catherine Gilbert Murdock; Richard the Third, Paul Murray Kendall; The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer

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Loved

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: This book was so. good. I just really loved it soooooooo much!

Far Side of the Sea: Banter, spies, historical fiction, honestly my perfect book xD Read my review here!

Liked

'Tis: It was interesting to keep reading about Frank McCourt's life, I enjoyed Angela's Ashes and it took me a while to find a copy of this book (library sales are amazing)

Teacher Man: I really liked reading about McCourt's teaching days. His writing style always keeps you hooked.

The Old Curiosity Shop: I have been reading this book off and on since I turned 13. THAT'S THREE YEARS. It's not that I don't like Dickens (I managed to get through Hard Times pretty quickly) but there was just no real connection with me and this book. I still liked it though.

Richard the Third: This was for school, why else would I read this over-five-hundred-pages biography of one of the most falsely-characterized men in history? Really changed my opinion on him though.

Disliked

Princess Ben: The only thing that kept me from hating this book was the last fourth. Honestly, I understand making your characters "human" but Ben was just hateable.

Without Me / Cry Me A River // Cimorelli

A Hero Comes Home // Idina Menzel

Mansion // NF

Rainbow // Savannah Outen

Gilmore Girls

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I am soooo in love with series but... JESS WHY

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

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Reading the book made me itch to watch the movie again. *sigh* still as lovely as I remember it

I am ALMOST done my novella, and I'm trying to get it done before Camp Nano. ONLY THREE MORE CHAPTERS TO GOOOOO

I am so excited xDD

I will probably start looking for beta readers at the end of next month, since a lot of people do Camp Nano and yeah xD

Finally got back into blogging again! It is nice to be back after a break!

This Month's Posts:

Not An Official Wrap-Up (ish)

A Short Meditation To Begin Lent

You Know You're Best Friends When. . . {Part Two}

My Songs On Repeat [announcement at the end]

A Tender Hope {Book Review}

What Makes Great Writing?

The Post Where I Tell You (finally) What I've Been Writing

Far Side of the Sea {Book Review}

How was your March? What are you looking forward to in April? Would you guys be terribly put out if I possibily did a post on Richard the Third?

Far Side of the Sea {Book Review}

In spring 1918, Lieutenant Colin Mabry, a British soldier working with MI8 after suffering injuries on the front, receives a message by carrier pigeon. It is from Jewel Reyer, the woman he once loved and who saved his life--a woman he believed to be dead. Traveling to France to answer her urgent summons, he desperately hopes this mission will ease his guilt and restore the courage he lost on the battlefield.

Colin is stunned, however, to discover the message came from Jewel's half-sister, Johanna. Johanna, who works at a dovecote for French Army Intelligence, found Jewel's diary and believes her sister is alive in the custody of a German agent. With spies everywhere, Colin is skeptical of Johanna, but as they travel across France and Spain, a tentative trust begins to grow between them.

When their pursuit leads them straight into the midst of a treacherous plot, danger and deception turn their search for answers into a battle for their lives

Okay so, all of these characters were extremely well fleshed out. They all had complex backstories and felt very, very real. They all had fears and secrets. And no secondary characters felt like secondary characters (which is always a plus in my opinion). I really loved Jo and Colin, and them together. I really enjoyed how instead of getting info-dumped about their backstory and various secrets they had, we got them little by little which increased your interest and took this book to a whole new level.

Jo and Colin's banter was amazing. It was there when you needed it and one of the last times I had laughed or chuckled so much while reading a book was with A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter (and one of my all-time favorite books). I love it when the two main characters banter because I love writing it, so it makes me connect even more with the story.

Spies in World War I. A missing sister. A secret mission. Are people really who they say they are? If that doesn't pique your interest, then I don't know what will. I loved this plot so. freaking. much. As soon as you thought you had something figured out, it would turn out that nope, that's not true. The author gave you information, but not too much that you could figure everything out and that she could reverse easily and beautifully. It kinda reminded me of Sherlock Holmes, whom I love.

Yes, you all knew that this section was coming. The romance was squeal-inducing. Can't say so much about it because it is kinda a spoilery section but it is amazing.

To be perfectly honest, the most historical fiction I have seen or read during WWI is Downton Abbey. I am really glad that Breslin decided to set this book in WWI, which has (at least in my opinion) not as many books devoted to it than WWII. The carrier pigeons were so much fun as well as the other historical aspects.

Not gonna lie, I sat here for about ten minutes trying to think of something that I disliked about this book enough to include here, but there was really nothing.

One of the characters is an illegitimate child and there are several times when they are talking about how hard it was for them growing up.

Some flashbacks are rather intense for both main characters.

This should not surprise you AT ALL, plus, that cover is sooooooooo pretty

5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest opinion.

Have you read this? Are you interested? What are some books you have read that are set in World War I?

The Post Where I Tell You (finally) What I've Been Writing. . .

Yes, yes, I know I said that I wasn't really gonna say much about it because I wanted it to be a surprise (or something along those lines). But the thing is I'm almost finished it (O_O). And I want y'all to beta read it but I was thinking, "Shoot, I should probably get peeps INTERESTED IN THIS THING". I'm gonna try and finish it before Camp Nano but we'll see.

Anyways. . .

Let's get to introducing this. . .

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Meet.....

WHAT TIME WE HAVE LEFT

Haha, yes, what I've been working on is called What Time We Have Left and it is a historical fiction novella. Let's just do some stats and then I'll share some covers I made and I need help choosing between.

Name: What Time We Have Left

Setting: Hampshire, England

Year: 1857-1859

Characters:
Ava Pennington
Mr. Charles Pennington
Lord James Ashby
Lady Amelia Ashby
John Ashby
Jameson Ashby
Johnathon Ashby

Snippet:
Jameson was a bundle of nerves. He kept shaking, and his poor valet had to ask him to be still a few times.
“Have you asked her yet?” Johnathon came in, all dressed for the ball. “And why are you still not ready for the ball? It begins in a few minutes!”
“I have not asked her, she took a nap and then had to get dressed. And I am not ready because I, well I don’t really know, but it has to do with my nerves.”
“Oh, you sound like an old woman, blaming everything on your nerves,” Johnathon paused for a moment. “What is the name of that lady, I think she is in an Austen novel, she wants to marry off her five daughters and is always blaming everything on her nerves? Goodness, what is her name?”
“Mrs. Bennet?” Jameson supplied
“Yes! That’s who I was thinking of!”
“You’re comparing me to Mrs. Bennet?”
“You sounded like her a moment ago, blaming your poor nerves for your problems.”
Jameson stared at his younger brother, a look of incredulity on his face. “You’re comparing me - a young man of twenty - to Mrs. Bennet - a matron in her middle age - simply because I said that I was nervous of asking Ava if I could court her?”
Johnathon sat down on one of the chairs. “Sounds about right to me.”
“I don’t even want to know on which path your mind had to travel to reach that conclusion.”
“It was actually quite interesting! You see, first I-”
“Johnathon! I said that I did not want to know. Your mind is, is a very interesting place.”
“I thought it would distract you,” Johnathon put on a play pout. “But yes, my mind is very interesting. There is never a dull moment.”
Jameson laughed, “How can there be dull moment with you around? Very well, shall we go down to the ballroom?”

Now, I've only made one aesthetic but I guess I will share it xD

And we have some cover choices but I cannot for the life of me decide which one to use.....y'all let me know which one you like best

Sooooo.....whaddaya think? Might you be interested in beta reading, or do you want me to tell you guys more about it first? Which cover was your favorite?

What Makes Great Writing?

What makes great writing?

Is it the length?

The plot?

The characters?

Setting?

Writing style?

What makes great writing?

All of these things combined would make for excellent writing - but you can have all of these and not have great writing.

We all want to be great writers. How do I know? We wouldn't spend hours plotting, writing, rewriting, rewriting, rewriting, and dreaming of our stories if we didn't want to be a great writer. We wouldn't spend hours perfecting our craft. Hours of staring at a blank screen, a blank page. Hours of thoughtfully creating a character till we feel like they are our best friend.

Then what makes great writing?

I listed a lot of components of excellent writing above, but if they don't have one thing, then they merely stop at excellent writing. And we want great writing.

What is that thing?

Heart. Soul. Passion.

If your writing doesn't feel as if you've written it with your whole heart and soul poured on it, then it isn't great writing. When you write with your heart you get great writing. It may have errors in the structure, you might have inconsistency, but if you write with your soul, those things can be easily fixed.

If we don't write with our heart, if we don't pour our soul into what we write, then the reader will notice. It won't matter if everything else is perfect, if you don't have that connection with what you're writing, then your story will feel, well, empty.

When you do write with your heart. When you put your everything into it. When you have given everything you can give. Then, then my friends, you will not just have an excellent story, you will have a masterpiece.

What is a story that you have really given your everything to? Do you do anything to really connect with your story on a deeper level?

A Tender Hope {Book Review}

As far as Thea Michener is concerned, it's time for a change. With her husband murdered and her much-anticipated baby stillborn, there is nothing left for her in Ladreville. Having accepted a position as Cimarron Creek's midwife, she has no intention of remarrying and trying for another child. So when a handsome Texas Ranger appears on her doorstep with an abandoned baby, Thea isn't sure her heart can take it.

Ranger Jackson Guthrie isn't concerned only with the baby's welfare. He's been looking for Thea, convinced that her late husband was part of the gang that killed his brother. But it soon becomes clear that the situation is far more complicated than he anticipated--and he'll need Thea's help if he's ever to find the justice he seeks.

Amanda Cabot invites readers back to Cimarron Creek for a tender story of loss, betrayal, and love in the majestic Texas Hill Country.

I really enjoyed the two main characters. There was something about them that made them really realistic. I think it was the fact that they each had flaws and troubles, but they didn't really let it drag them down. Sure, sometimes it would, but on the grand scheme of things, they didn't just sit there and bemoan what had happened to them, they kept going on with their life, adjusting to it as things got thrown at them.

The side characters were also pretty great. None felt like secondary characters and I really enjoyed Aimeé's sub-plot. Plue Nate, who I actually disliked sorta at first, ended up being a really great comical - and yet not funny on purpose - relief.

There was just something about this setting that made me feel as if I were watching Little House On The Prairie. Maybe it was the way everyone kinda knew everyone, or maybe because Cimarron Creek reminded me of Walnut Grove, just SOMETHING reminded me about that classic show. And I really, really liked that.

The plot took you on some twists and turns! It started out pretty slowly, making you think that it was going to be a gentle ride, but then it sorta turned into a murder mystery which was pretty interesting. Cabot didn't just give you everything at once but presents little bits and pieces of information that help you start to piece together everything.

I loooooved this romance! It was really sweet and had me rooting for Jackson and Thea from the moment they met. And yeah, it was kinda insta-love but like, they don't act like an insta-love couple if that makes sense? I really loved how Jackson showed Thea that love doesn't really fade. But yeah, great romance.

There was just a lack of...oomph. Even though it does become a sort of murder mystery, there is still a little something missing that would have made this great book even better.

One of the characters was born out of wedlock.

A man is thought to have been having an affair when he was alive.

Since Thea is a midwife, there is some mention of mothers and children dying at birth.

The Gang of Four is rather violent and Cabot sometimes describes what torture methods they use semi-detailedly.

I really enjoyed this! It was great to read this at this moment! That's why I'm giving it. . .

5 stars

Do you think you'll pick this one up? Have you read it? What have you been reading recently?

I received a free copy of this book from Revell Reads in exchange for my honest opinion.

My Songs On Repeat [announcement at the end]

Contrary to common belief, not all pop music is bad. In fact, a lot of songs have clean lyrics, a good message, catchy beat, and this all combines to make a great song! I really enjoy listening to the good type of pop songs, but finding them is really hard since you often stumble across a song that makes you rip your earbuds out as you're looking for the good songs.

So, here are some songs that I've been listening to on repeat. All of these are 100% clean, and I'll be putting the YouTube video for it so you can listen to each one a bit to see if you are interested in the song. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Just because I like a song by a particular artist doesn't mean that I enjoy all their music, which might not be so clean. Also, there might be some lyrics that passed by me unnoticed and might not be so....great, but there is absolutely no bad language in these songs. Some of these songs may also come from movies or TV shows, this does not mean that I have seen or approved of these shows or movies.

Happier//Marshmello, Bastille

Back To You//Selena Gomez

Classic//MKTO

Mansion//NF

Rise Up//Andra Day

2002//Anne-Marie

Walk Me Home//P!nk

On My Way//Sheppard

Rise//Jonas Blue, Jack & Jack

Superheroes//The Script

Happy Now//Zedd, Elley Duhé

No One Compares To You//Jack & Jack

Boom Clap//Charli XCX

One Last Time//Ariana Grande

I'll Be There//Jess Glynne

Polaroid//Jonas Blue, Liam Payne, Lennon Stella

Hurt Somebody//Noah Kahan, Julia Michaels

Love Song//Sara Bareilles

High Hopes//Panic! At The Disco

Cheerleader//OMI, Felix Jaehn

Hoy se Encuentran a las Tres//Santiago Saez, El Purre

Ya No Más//Pilar Pascual, Santiago Saez

Si Te Atreves A Soñar//Pilar Pascual

Did you find any that you liked? Or did you see any that you already like? Any recommendations for me? Would you be interested in seeing more posts about clean pop music and where to find it and titles and whatnot?

And this is the part where I tell y'all about my announcement. In my February re-cap, I mentioned that I was working on something special, and honestly, it's about time I did this cause like I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOR A WHILE.

Anyways

started a podcast?

Hehe, yep! It's called You Go Girl! and it would honestly mean the WORLD to me if you would listen, subscribed, like, comment, and spread the world. I'm putting the first episode here and I'll update y'all here every time I post again and yep, enjoy and let me know your thoughts in the comments over there <3

~ Ceci

You Know You're Best Friends When. . . {Part Two}

Remember when I posted the first part and was like