Review of Don't Kiss Him Goodbye

Don't Kiss Him Good-bye by Sandra Byrd is the third book in the London Confidential series. Savvy Smith has been living in London for almost a year, and when she's about to get comfortable, the May Day Ball arrives. The May Day Ball is a day that girls and guys plan months in advance for, and Savvy has only a little time! However, she soon meets an amazing guy, but he's a little rough around the edges. Also, someone knows one of her biggest secrets- but who?

Will Savvy figure out what to do about the ball? Who found out that she secretly writes for the school paper?

Find out in Don't Kiss Him Good-Bye

I absolutely loved this book and found no objectionable content, which is absolutely awesome. The main character strikes me as incredibly real, and her world is so tangible yet so entertaining. The lessons one can learn from this book include what to do about interest in guys who aren't Christians (not dating them) and doing the right thing. This author did an incredible job at writing a book girls, preteens, and teens can enjoy.

I highly recommend this book and rate it five out of five stars.

Specifics: (from amazon.com) 
~ Paperback: 256 pages 
~ Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers (September 27, 2010)

Note: This book was provided freely to me by Tyndale Publishers for reviewing purposes. I am not obligated to write a positive review, only a honest one.

Blessings,

Giveaway of The Healer's Apprentice!

Who's ready for a giveaway?????

Healer's Apprentice Week is finally coming to a close with an awesome giveaway! Enter for the chance to win an autographed copy of Melanie Dickerson's book, The Healer's Apprentice!

Synopsis: 

Two Hearts. One Hope.

Rose has been appointed as a healer’s apprentice at Hagenheim Castle, a rare opportunity for a woodcutter’s daughter like her. While she often feels uneasy at the sight of blood, Rose is determined to prove herself capable. Failure will mean returning home to marry the aging bachelor her mother has chosen for her—a bloated, disgusting merchant who makes Rose feel ill.

When Lord Hamlin, the future duke, is injured, it is Rose who must tend to him. As she works to heal his wound, she begins to understand emotions she’s never felt before and wonders if he feels the same. But falling in love is forbidden, as Lord Hamlin is betrothed to a mysterious young woman in hiding. As Rose’s life spins toward confusion, she must take the first steps on a journey to discover her own destiny.

How to enter:

Mandatory entry:
Leave a comment saying that you want to enter!

Addition entries:
(1) Become a follower of A Girl of Many Colors!
(1) Answer ALL of the questions Melanie asked at the end of her interview!
(1) Post about the giveaway and give me a link!

Please leave one comment per task on this post. Each task listed is worth one (1) entry. Entries must be put as a comment on this post, or I cannot count it. If you already answered the questions, you may copy your answers onto this post.

For example:

Comment One: Hi, I'm Prism. I would love to enter this giveaway!

Comment Two: I have read a few fairy tale retellings, but never before have I read a retelling that is Christian! I absolutely LOVE The Healer's Apprentice! Historical and medieval fiction are both genres that I enjoy very, very much. Historical romance and medieval romance are especially good. My favorite books are usually suspense/action books and medieval/historical fiction. The Healer's Apprentice is definitely on my favorites list.

Comment Three: I am now a follower of your blog, Prism!

Comment Four: I posted about the giveaway here: ( insert link here )

Now, this is just an example, but you get the idea. =)

When will the results be announced? 

After randomly selecting a reader on Monday, October 4, I will announce the winner of the giveaway on Tuesday, October 5. Be sure to spread the word so that others can join!  

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Blessings,

Review of The Healer's Apprentice!

The Healer’s Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson is a beautiful Christian YA medieval story of love. Rose is a humble woodcutter’s daughter, an apprentice to the healer of Hagenheim Castle. Lord Hamelin is the future duke of Hagenheim, betrothed to the mysterious Lady Salomea, a maiden in hiding because of the evil Moncore. Lord Hamelin one day becomes injured and is sent to the healer for help. Rose tends to him, and from there, forbidden love blooms. Rose and Lord Hamelin must fight their own emotions as they discover deep secrets- and a terrible evil. 

First of all, this book was absolutely wonderful. I felt as if I was reading a fairy tale and historical story all wrapped into one. The reader is immersed into the medieval setting of Hagenheim Castle and its customs. This book is Christian and Christian themes are woven throughout. Though the main characters struggle, they strive to do what is right. Rose and Lord Hamelin both show selfless love towards each other. The writing is clear and descriptive, and I believe many teen girls will love this tale of true love. 

Although I found no problems with this book, there are some things to be aware of. A woman is nearly attacked; there are evil spirits, and a man enticing a woman to sin. All end up with the right decisions made and positive outcomes, but these are just some things to be aware of. 

All in all, I rate this book five out of five stars.

~Specifics (from amazon.com):

~ Paperback: 272 pages 

~ Publisher: Zondervan (September 14, 2010)

~ Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches

Note: I received this book freely from Zondervan. I am not obligated to write a positive review- only a honest one.

Blessings,

Interview with Author Melanie Dickerson!

Welcome, one and all, to Day Three of Healer's Apprentice Week! The Healer's Apprentice is an awesome book written by author Melanie Dickerson. It is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, but it is incorporated with originality and faith. The Healer's Apprentice is a new release from Zondervan publishers.

Now, without further ado, the interview!
~*~

Prism: Welcome to A Girl of Many Colors! To start off our interview, please tell us a little about yourself.

Melanie Dickerson: Hi, Prism! Thanks so much for having me and featuring my book on your blog! I am a wife and mother of two girls, and I love to write historical romance. I live in north Alabama where it's hot and humid and very, very lush and green, since we've had tons of rain this summer. Once upon a time I was a graduate of The University of Alabama, then a special education teacher, and then a missionary for a year in Ukraine.

Prism: That sounds terrific! Have your travels and other life experiences contributed to your writing? If so, how?

Melanie Dickerson: Actually, I was in Hildesheim, Germany for six weeks while I was still in college, and the town inspired me with its wonderful medieval history and architecture. The Marktplatz in Hildesheim is the model I used for the Marktplatz (Town Square) in The Healer's Apprentice, and it is the setting for several scenes in the book. The town dates back to the 1100's and the buildings are authentically medieval. You can see the Marktplatz at this website: http://www.panorama-cities.net/hildesheim/market_place_5c.html  Truly inspiring, isn't it?

Prism: Definitely! I've always wanted to visit Europe- it has so much history! It's great that you were able to use Markplatz for inspiration for The Healer's Apprentice. So, have you always wanted to be an author?

Melanie Dickerson: Pretty much, except when I was six I wanted to be a ballerina. But doesn't everyone?

I loved writing stories in middle school and high school and I would pass around my stories, written in notebooks, to my friends and they would read them in class. I wrote two novels while in high school, but then I realized how hard it was to get published and when I started college I quit writing for the next fifteen years! But God gave me back my dream and my love of writing about seven years ago, and I can't imagine stopping any time soon.

Prism: That's awesome! So, why retell the fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty? What inspired you to create the story of Rose in The Healer's Apprentice?

Melanie Dickerson: I have always loved fairy tales. I think it's because I was a born romantic and no other children's stories were about romance! 

But as I got older, I would read fairy tales and wish there was more to the story.

Several years ago, when my daughters were very young, they were watching the Disney movie version of Sleeping Beauty. I happened to think that the prince's actions didn't seem very plausible. Would a firstborn son, a prince, really turn his back on his family's and his subjects' expectations, break his vow to his betrothed, to marry a peasant girl he barely knew? I started wondering what the story would be like if the prince found himself falling in love with a poor girl--to his horror--when he was duty bound to marry someone else. And what if she was an honorable, worthy girl but was insecure, inept, and very aware of her low social status?

And the story took off from there. 

Prism: That is truly brilliant. I really enjoy reading fairy tale retellings. There always seems to be more depth to the characters and setting! Is there a character in The Healer's Apprentice that you relate to or like the most?

Melanie:  I relate to Rose, the heroine, very much. I relate to her feelings of insecurity, knowing that people are judging her by her social status--or lack thereof. And I relate to Rose's belief that she's not good at her job, feeling clumsy and inept. I also relate to her best friend Hildy's over-romanticism, her head-in-the-clouds mentality. I've always had kind of a split personality--Rose's practicality and Hildy's romantic airheadedness. :-)

Prism: You probably get this question a lot as an author, but what would be your advice to teen authors who dream of being published one day?

Melanie:  Keep writing and don't give up! It takes most people a long time to get published, so be persistent.

Secondly, be teachable. Learn all you can about the craft of writing by reading books on writing, articles, and blogs.

Thirdly, write as much as you can. Write short stories, poetry, novels, whatever you enjoy writing, and just keep writing. The more you write the better you'll become. Besides, it will give you opportunities to apply all you're learning from the books, articles, and blog on writing.

Lastly, after you start submitting your work to publishers and agents, look at rejections as just another necessary step to getting published. Whatever you do, don't let a rejection devastate you. It's okay to be disappointed but you have to keep writing and submitting. A rejection is your "red badge of courage" so be proud of those rejections!

Prism: That's great advice- I'm sure many will appreciate it. Let's move on to some fun questions about you. What was a favorite book of yours as a child or teen?

Melanie: I loved so many books. I remember one of the first books I read and really LOVED was The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary. I loved the adventure and excitement, and I related so much to that little mouse! I read so many of the classics and would get lists of "classic literature" and check them off one by one as I read them. I loved Ivanhoe, Old Yeller, Heidi, Little Women, The Three Musketeers, Anne of Green Gables, and when I got older I loved romances like Jane Eyre, and my all-time favorite, Pride and Prejudice. I read all of Jane Austen's books, and I continue to re-read them from time to time. 

Prism: If you could go back in time and witness one event in history- what would it be?

Melanie:  Hmmm. It would be something wonderful to experience the parting of the Red Sea. No, even better, the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem the week before he was crucified. I would have loved to have been there and seen the children praising Jesus and all the people excited about welcoming him. On the other hand, the people turned on him just a few days later, so that might also be sad.

I'd have loved to see Jesus, and to see him healing people, the blind and the deaf and the lame. That would be awesome.

Prism: That's great! I have to agree with your choice- biblical history is something that I would have been honored to witness. Do you have a favorite/life Bible verse?

Melanie: I've had different ones at different times in my life. One that I quote to myself a lot is 2 Timothy 1:7. "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline." I have to tell myself that when I get scared or feel intimidated. I also like Ephesians 5:1&2. "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." It reminds me to "live a life of love." And another favorite is 1 Peter 5:7. "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Prism: Truly awesome verses to live by. What would you do if you were given $10,000 with the condition that you had to spend it on someone other than yourself or your immediate family?

Melanie: I was a missionary to Ukraine, and I know first hand how blessed we are in America. Just buying shoes for orphans or making sure hospitals have the medicines they need are the kinds of things I would do with the $10,000. Haiti is in desperate need, and there are many other countries that would also benefit from that amount of money spent on necessities.

Prism: Now the final question- what are your plans for your future books?

Melanie: I have another medieval YA romance, this one based on the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. I have been working on revisions for it, and I'm hoping my publisher is going to decide to publish it as well, maybe within the next year. I may write more medieval YA fairy tale retellings in the future. I also have a series that is set in 1880's Alabama that I hope my agent will find a publisher for in the very near future! The first book is titled Magnolia Summer.

Prism: Thank you so much for the honor of interviewing you! It has been a pleasure, and I'm sure many readers are eager to read the The Healer's Apprentice.  

Melanie: Thanks so much for having me on your blog! It's been a pleasure. And I have a few questions that I'd love you and your readers to weigh in on. Have you ever read a fairy tale retelling, and if so, what did you think about it? What about historicals? Do you like books set in the medieval period? Let's hear your favorite type of book!

Prism: Well, you've heard her, folks. What are your opinions?

Blessings,

Meet Melanie Dickerson, Author of The Healer's Apprentice!

Welcome to Day Two of Healer's Apprentice Week! This week is all about one awesome YA medieval romance by author Melanie Dickerson. The Healer's Apprentice has just been released by Zondervan this month.

Melanie Dickerson is an award-winning author who earned her bachelor’s degree in special education from The University of Alabama. She has taught in Georgia, Tennessee, Germany and the Eastern European country of Ukraine. She now spends her time writing and taking care of her husband and two daughters near Huntsville, Alabama.

Websites:
http://www.melaniedickerson.com/

http://novelteen.wordpress.com/ 

Stay tuned tomorrow for an interview I was able to have with author Melanie Dickerson!

Blessings,

Healer's Apprentice Week!

Welcome to Healer's Apprentice Week! The Healer's Apprentice is a new medieval teen fiction book written by debuting author Melanie Dickerson and published by Zondervan. It is absolutely amazing, and I highly recommend it. I will be posting little tidbits about the book and the author all week. To finish it all off, I will be hosting a giveaway of The Healer's Apprentice that the author has so graciously autographed and provided.

To wet your appetites, here is the trailer and synopsis for the book. The book's video truly incredible- like a movie trailer!

~*~

Synopsis:

Two Hearts. One Hope.

Rose has been appointed as a healer’s apprentice at Hagenheim Castle, a rare opportunity for a woodcutter’s daughter like her. While she often feels uneasy at the sight of blood, Rose is determined to prove herself capable. Failure will mean returning home to marry the aging bachelor her mother has chosen for her—a bloated, disgusting merchant who makes Rose feel ill.

When Lord Hamlin, the future duke, is injured, it is Rose who must tend to him. As she works to heal his wound, she begins to understand emotions she’s never felt before and wonders if he feels the same. But falling in love is forbidden, as Lord Hamlin is betrothed to a mysterious young woman in hiding. As Rose’s life spins toward confusion, she must take the first steps on a journey to discover her own destiny.

When destiny sleeps, it can only be awakened by true love's kiss.

~*~

Sounds terrific, does it not? Stay tuned for more!

Blessings,

Randomness Saturday: Wait Just a Minute...

Randomness Saturday… What?!

Did you blink and shake your head in disbelief when you saw the title of this post?

Yes, I am posting randomness on a Saturday. Awesome, right?

Okay, okay. Truth time. I had absolutely NO time to post yesterday. Hence, one of the very rare Randomness Saturdays.

Let the randomness begin!

Hurrah!
~*~

Next week is going to be absolutely fun. You see, here on AGoMC we’ll be celebrating the recent release of The Healer’s Apprentice by author Melanie Dickerson. I have a lot of fun things planned, so stay tuned!

Seriously.

You should.

I am super-duper-extra excited!

:)




~*~
The miracle of life… this is what I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. In school we’ve been discussing premature birth and related topics. It’s amazing to see humans to tiny and helpless surviving by their will to fight death and the hearts of the people who help them. I saw videos and images of these babies holding the hand of their parents or the staff. It was beautiful, yet so sad at the same time.

Some survive, some don’t. But all beautiful lives created by God.

We had a lot of discussion at school and had a ton of projects related to premature birth, and most, if not all, of the students, agreed that premature babies deserve to be saved. Everything possible should be done to give them a fighting chance.

They’re humans, and they should be given the most precious thing- life.

Yet these same people have different opinions about the unborn.

Interesting…
~*~

Horses… I won’t be seeing them for the next couple of weeks because school will be extremely challenging these next few weeks. Add in a couple of h-a-r-d tests, homework, and mandatory extracurricular things and my schedule is pretty much booked.

Yes, I will be blogging less. Yes, I will be writing posts in advance. Yes, my post days may be off sometimes.

This year is crucial, and I’m determined not to blow it.

But I promise not to abandon this blog!

Blessings,

Lift Up Your Face!

"Lift Up Your Face" - Third Day.

Lift up your face, lift up your face
Salvation is calling, salvation is calling

You have fallen so far now
You don't even know how, you are going to survive
(But) Just above the horizon
A new light is shining, breaking through the darkest night
Love is coming and it's calling out your name

Lift up your face, lift up your face
Salvation is calling, salvation is calling

Lift up your face, lift up your face
Salvation is calling, salvation is calling your name

You feel like your life is fading
You're tired of waiting, for your moment to arrive
But tomorrow will bring a song that you can sing
And your hope is gonna rise
Love is coming and it's calling out your name

Lift up your face, lift up your face
Salvation is calling, salvation is calling

Lift up your face, lift up your face
Salvation is calling, salvation is calling your name

Oh yeah,
Do you hear Him calling?
Can you hear Him calling?
He's calling out your name
He's calling out your name

Lift up your face, lift up your face
Salvation is calling, salvation is calling

Lift up your face, lift up your face
Salvation is calling, salvation is calling your name

Can you hear Him calling?
Can you hear Him calling now?
Oh, can you hear Him calling you
He is calling you now
He is calling out your name

Just above the horizon
A new light is shining
Salvation is on its way

Blessings,

Review of Goodness Gracious Green

Goodness Gracious Green by Judy Christie is the second book in the heartwarming Green series. This fictional tale follows the life of Lois Barker, a reporter who leaves the bustling city life of a big-time newspaper to a small local newspaper with unique people. Things have changed in wonderful ways since Lois first came to Green, but it doesn’t take long for another whirlwind of trouble to show up. Lois soon finds herself wondering if she’s found the right man, dealing with arsonists at her newspaper, and a lawsuit from the previous owners to win the paper back. Goodness gracious, what’s a woman to do?

I absolutely loved this book. I read the first book, Gone to Green, and I enjoyed the way the story flowed. A reader could still pick up the second book and still love the characters. Goodness Gracious Green has that small-town, southern charm. The relationship between Lois and her sweetheart, Chris, is sweet and clean. I enjoyed the way the author deals with big topics such as racism and corruption without being obvious about it. The characters are all unique, and they pour such realism and charm into the book. The author brings in all different age group, races, and backgrounds into the story of Green. This is one of the rare Christian adult fiction reads that actually has good lessons and morals to learn from.

I highly recommend this book to gals thirteen and up. Sure, it’s meant for adults, but I found it a wonderful book to read.

I rate this book five out of five stars.

~Specifics (from amazon.com): 
~Paperback: 288 pages 
~Publisher: Abingdon Press (July 12, 2010)
~Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches


Note: I was provided an electronic copy of this book by Abingdon Press. I am not obligated to write a positive review, only an honest one.

Blessings,

Randomness Friday: Secret Agent Man

So... the chorus of this song has pretty much been in my head for the past week. Seriously. Ask my family, and they will tell you I have been belting out this song and driving them crazy. You can imagine how much more crazy it drove them when I found the music video! ;)

So, why?
Why have I had this little ol' song in my little ol' head?

1. I have been watching Sue Thomas F.B.Eye (yeah, that's intentional) for the past few weeks
2. I've read waaaaay too many mystery books lately that involve investigators and the like
3. Two secret service guys came to my Tae Kwon Do class.

Now, isn't that just plain weird? Not the things themselves, but that I've been seeing this stuff a TON?

Anyways, just thought it was cool.
~*~

So... horses.

I spent the past week rereading all of my old posts (that may account for why my post-ish abilities have not really worked this week)and I saw that my RF tradition was nothing other than writing about my equine adventure.

Hence, I now post about my horse adventures!

Last week I got to ride the horse the very fastest I have ever gone. I'm not sure if it was a gallop (in fact, I highly doubt it) but I know it was the fastest ever.
I also got to help build an electric fence to pen in an animal. To say in the least, I had so much fun. I learned, even though I didn't do the hard work (I just held the fence up when I was told to and I fetched supplies. It was a good day.

And this past Monday, I got to ride AGAIN and got to see horse races! So, awesomeness.
~*~

So many things have been happening in my life lately- I actually taught a full Tae Kwon Do class for a day with the people I usually learn along with. I got to do a little photo shoot for my school,and I was elected president of my school!

Like, WHOA! *laughs*

Blessings,

Still Fighting On...

Whoa. This song is way too cool. I've listened to it, like, a bajillion times just this week.

"Still Here" - Superchick
Cross through the night
I looked down and lost my way my light
Brought to my knees
Though the dark surrounds, it pulls me down
I do not sink beneath

Still here
Staggering on
Through the impossible
We remain
I can breathe
one more day
Still here
Still fighting on
All we have is today
Find my way
To the beauty of one more day
Still here

Hope fades away
When tomorrow holds no promises today
Then today I am set free
For amidst the tears, amongst the fear
I find the joy to be
Still here
~*~

Blessings,

Review of Final Touch

Final Touch by Brandilyn Collins and Amberly Collins is the third and final book in YA mystery/suspense series The Rayne Tour. Shaley O'Connor is the daughter of a famous singer, and her biggest dream is about to come true. Her mother and her father are finally getting married! However, before the wedding, Shaley is kidnapped! Her life now depends on her skills and smarts. Will Shaley escape? Will the police find her? Will Shaley's parents ever get married?

Find out in Final Touch.

The action in this book was so exciting. Readers journey with Shaley, the authorities, and Shaley's parents with different viewpoints to keep things interesting. I love the narrow misses, the investigation, the action of it all. Shaley does a lot of smart things to try to escape from her captor, and I found myself satisfied with the combination of faith and suspense fiction. I especially loved the climax- it was like a highly organized collision of events. Unlike most modern teen fiction, Final Touch is enjoyable and clean. I found no objectionable content in this book.

I know I would recommend that readers read the first two books before enjoying Final Touch. It's possible to start with Final Touch, but I know that I as a reader wouldn't be as interesting in the story if I didn't know who everyone was and why things were happening. In fact, to be honest, the first and second books outshine Final Touch, especially the first book, Always Watching. The plot of Final Touch simply wasn't as exciting as the plot of the first two books.

All in all, I rate this book four out of five stars.

Note: I received this book freely from Zondervan. I am not obligated to write a positive review- only a honest one.

God Bless,

Free E-books from Zondervan!

Click on the links next to the cover pictures below to go to Amazon's kindle books site.

Catwalk by Melody Carlson. I previously reviewed the first book in the series, Premiere, here.

Go here to get for free. You must have an amazon account. 

Motorcycles, Sushi, and One Strange Book by Nancy Rue. I have previously reviewed this book here.

Go here to get the book from amazon.

Sophie's World by Nancy Rue.

You can get the book for free here.

Sophie's Secret by Nancy Rue.

Get the book free here













Happy reading!

God Bless,

Interview: Margaret Rowena!

This week I'm interviewing Margaret Rowena of Hello, World! Personally, I love stopping by and reading her awesomeful blog!



Well??? Aren't you going to go visit her blog?

Wait, after the interview, si?
~*~
 So, onto the interview!

Prism: What are some of your hobbies?

Margaret Rowena: I love music- listening to it and making it. I become more fascinated by writing every day, and have lots of dreams for my own writings. Reading and photography are also things I like A LOT.

Prism: Any pets?

Margaret Rowena: Two dogs, a cat, and fish. My dogs are a black lab and Pembroke Corgi, my cat is black with green eyes, and the fish are... well, fish.

Prism: What is your favorite/life verse?

Margaret Rowena: Romans 8:38 and 39- ....nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Prism: How long have you been blogging?

Margaret Rowena: Since April 2010, and loving {almost} every minute of it! :)

Prism: What do you post about the most on your blog?

Margaret Rowena: Books I am reading, photographs I have taken and sometimes edited, thoughts on Bible verses... my blog is very varied [Say that 10 times fast!]

P: Favorite color?

MR: Ahh! I love color! But my favorite is green. Blue and pink are close behind.

P: Favorite food?

MR: Hmm, I like peanut butter. A lot. I put it on everything. Is that weird? :) Another fave: French silk pie, or course! :)

P: Books or music?

MR: Whoa, that is a hard question!! But I would have to say books. Wait...music. No, books. Thankfully I don't have to make this choice in real life!

P: Summer or winter?

MR: Winter, for several reasons. I love the cold, and especially the snow. I like the red sunsets and long, dark, nights. And I LOVE to downhill ski!

P: What is the funniest thing you've ever done?

MR: Something I have with my crazy cousins, like nutty photo shoots, tickle fights, parodies... they are indeed crazy! I always have rollicking times with them.

P: Thank you so much, Margaret Rowena! 

 

~*~

Quick note: I am unable to accept interviews for the month of September, so please be on the lookout for a post in October with details about how to sign up for an interview.

Blessings,