20 Questions About Books

I've been trying to do fewer tags, but the lovely Kate tagged me for this, and it had some fun questions. =) 

1. How many books are too many in a series?

I typically get tired of a series after about five to six books. It depends on how interested I am. After six books, I am definitely ready for some things to be wrapped up.

2. How do you feel about cliffhangers?

While they can be rather frustrating as a reader, I like them. It makes me anticipate the next book (or chapter) more. 

3. Hardback or paperback?

Paperback. Hardbacks are pretty, but they are way to hard to hold. I much prefer light paperbacks! 

4. Favorite book?

1. Timothy and Dear Mr. Knightly by Katherine Reay. <3 

5. Least favorite book?

Ehh, I don't really keep track of things like that.

6. Love Triangle… yes or no?

Not generally, since it's normally not done well, but I won't turn down a book just cause it's got one in it. 

7. The most recent book you couldn’t finish?

Home Fires of the Great War by Rebekah Morris, but that was because my Kindle Unlimited subscription ran out. I was also slightly bored. *shrugs*

8. A book you’re currently reading?

Your Best Year Ever, and The Lion The Witch, and the Wardrobe. *Grins* 

9. The last book you recommended to someone?

I think it was Kiera by Kate Willis.

10. Oldest book you’ve read (based on publication date)?

The Plymouth Plantation from 1651. A tad on the boring side but packed full of information!

11. Newest book you’ve read (based on publication date)?

Live Without You by Sarah Grace Grzy

12. Favorite author?

Jessica Grayson and Sarah Holman.

13. Buying books or borrowing them?

I like borrowing books first, making sure I like them and then buying them. 

14. A book you dislike that everyone else loves?

A Time to Die by Nadine Brandes.

15. Bookmarks or dog-ears?

Bookmarks. I've got a bucketload of bookmarks and I love them all. Dogeared pages really bug me...

16. A book you can reread over and over?

Dear Mr. Knightly and Annabeths War. *Happy sigh*

17. Can you read while listening to music?

I can but I prefer not to. 

18. Multiple POVs or one POV?

I much prefer to read only one and first person is my favorite. I don't mind two perspectives, but any more then that and it starts getting a little much for me. 

19. Do you read a book in one sitting or over multiple days on average?

Depends on the book. I used to read a ton of books in one sitting, but now I do it over a few days, and its fine with me that way. I have more time to relish the book. =) 

20. Who do you tag?

Anyone who wants to. (Seriously though, I don't know many people who still do tags)

Tagged || Liebster Award

I was tagged by Anna over at A Storynerds Life for the Liebster Award quite a while back, and I'm finally getting around to it! Thanks for the nomination, Anna!

Tag Rules:

Thank the blog that nominated you for the award.

Answer the questions they gave you.

Give 11 fun facts about yourself.
Nominate 11 other bloggers for the award, and give them 11 questions to answer.

The questions:

Do you write for fun (stories, letters, blog posts, etc.) or just when absolutely necessary to write (school, notes, etc.)?
I write for fun all the time! I have a ton of stories I've written, but currently, I'm working on revising a book. I love writing letters (It's one of my favorite things), and blog posts are fun. Also, I'm out of school. =)

What is your favorite thing about blogging?
Definitely interacting with all the awesome people online. I love getting into conversations with people in the comments section, and learning about them! I've met more friends through blogging then anywhere else!

What genre of book do you hope to be famous for someday?
My dream would be for Sci-fi. I just grin like crazy anytime I get to write sci-fi and if I could make that my big genre, I would be happy. Though I also love non-romance contemporary YA.

What flavor of ice cream is tops overall?
Mint and chip. Best ice cream ever.

What would be your reaction if someone gave you a kitten?
I would probably squeal really loudly and hug them. (Seriously, this is one of my dreams.)

Inside or outside?
Outside. The trees, heat (Yes, I love the heat), breezes, and pretty much everything good is out there. When it's fall I practically live outside.

Who designed your blog?
I did. That's probably obvious, but I love this little blog.

During a rainstorm are you more likely to curl up and read, or go out to enjoy the rain?
Um, both! (Is that cheating?) I'll probably enjoy the rain, then curl up with a book. Rain is amazing. <3

Tell a random story about yourself.
*Spends ten minutes trying to think of any story that's not boring* Last time I was home alone I decided to polish the floors, so I shoved everything out of the living room, put Beauty and the Beast Broadway music on super loud and sung at the top of my lungs. I went to grab something in my room, the track ended and I stopped singing. When I came out a friend had come in from where she was staying in our guest cottage. All I could do for a moment was sit there and wonder how much of my rendition of "Home" she had heard. ;D

What was the last person you met that you stole their name for a story character?
Ouch. Making me tell hard secrets. I really don't know. While I do love stealing names for books, I normally steal from other books. The last time I remember doing it from a real person was a character named Katlin.

Pens or pencils?
Pens all the way!


Eleven facts:

1. I have done the Liebster Award seven times on this blog. This will be the eighth.
2. I normally write my blog posts about midnight these days.
3. I am about to hit my Goodreads reading goal.
4. I love snail mail very much.
5. If there was a job of profeshional book reviewer, I would do that.
6. I eat cookies for breakfast a lot.
7. I play Ultimate Frisbee every Sunday with a group from a bunch of different churches.
8. Red galoshes make me happy, so I finally got a pair last year.
9. I am currently writing a superhero flash fiction which is SO not my genre.
10. I really don't like most superheroes.
11. My currently reading shelf is about overflowing.


As for the nominations, I'm going to skip that part.

Well, that was fun! Thank you so much, Anna, for the nomination!


So what is your favorite ice cream flavor? What's your dream job?

The 777 Writing Challenge

Deborah over at The Road of a Writer tagged me to do this challenge and it looked really fun, so I thought I'd give it a go! 

Rules

1. Open your WIP to the seventh page

2. Scroll past the seventh line

3. Copy the next seven paragraphs and paste them on your blog for THE WORLD to read

4. Tag seven people

Now I actually do not have any books I am writing right now (I'm editing) so I did this for two books I wrote last year. 

Andrea's Star

“I need you to trust me.” He said quickly. It seemed like it had been stored up inside so long it just burst out without him even trying.

I didn't respond. With mom, I knew what to say, with dad... it just ran too deep to say anything anymore. 

“Katie, I know I've hurt you...”

My heart skipped a beat as I gripped the arms of the chair “Don't call me that.” I hissed. I never wanted to hear that name again.

I fixed my gaze on my lap, but I heard my dad sigh.

“I want to be there for you.” His voice was gentle.

What I've Become

Jerold put his hand to his forehead and touched blood, no doubt from his run in with the rocks. He gritted his teeth, “Its nothing.”

“Clearly it is something.”

Jerold schooled his features as best he could and shrugged. Not wanting to talk any long, he turned and walked briskly around the building. Not responding to the older mans sigh from behind him.

The evening air bit at his bare hands as he pulled his cap low over his eyes, protecting him from the unwanted stair of strangers. He balled his fists and put them in his coat pockets.

He kept his gaze on the familiar sidewalks; he knew every inch of them from having walked with his head down so much.

Soon he came to the part he knew better than them all. Jerold lifted his head enough to unlatch the pealing gate. Paint chips came off onto his hand as he did.

 From the porch a girl, not much younger then himself, came flying down the path and threw herself into his arms. Her brown hair was tucked into a loose braid that fell all the way to her waist. 

Well, that was fun! If you want to do this tag, feel free to, and please link your post below so I can see it!

The Get to Know Me Tag: Writer's Edition

Yes, this is me with a monkey. I like the zoo, 'kay? ;)

I got tagged for this, and it looked like a lot of fun, so I decided just to go for it. =)


RULES

 - link back to the person who created the tag -
(Savannah) 

- thank the person who tagged you -
(Thank you, Gray!)

- share the tag graphic (optional, optional! I know it won't go with everyone's blog design) -

- tag eleven bloggers –

VITAL STATS/APPEARANCE 

(pen)Name: Mikayla H. (Yes, Mikayla is my real first name)

Nicknames: KK, Bestie, Imperial Ruler (We won't talk about this one...).

Birthday: July 5, 1999

Hair color and length: Light brown. It falls about to the end of a short sleeve. (I don't know how else to describe it.)

Eye color: Blue. 

Braces/piercings/tattoos: Nope. Never had any, never plan to. 

Righty or lefty: I'm right handed. I was ambidextrous as a child, but my parents trained me right handed. I still have a little of the ambidextrousness(Yeah, I know that's not a word, just go with it) left over though.

Ethnicity: Caucasian.

FIRSTS

First novel written: My first book I ever wrote was a little 5,000 words book called Martha's Treasure. It was a rip off of my life and I was insainly proud of it. I still love it in a way. My first full length novel I wrote was Flight From Kelar in 2016. 

First novel completed: See above answer. I have only ever abandoned one project, and that was because the person I was writing it with decided to stop, and I couldn't write it without them. 

Award for writing: Nope, but that's because I've never entered my writing into any kind of contest. 

First publication: None. 

 Conference: Nope. 

Query/Pitch: Nope, and I have no plans to. If I ever publish, it will be independently. 

FAVORITES

Novel (that you wrote): Probably ether Flight From Kelar or my Ordinary books. I have a love/hate relationship with my books, but at this moment, (probably because I haven't been editing it) I love Flight From Kelar best. 

Genre: Contemporary fiction.

Author: Jessica Greyson, Sarah Holman, Rebekah Morris, and J. Grace Pennington. 

Writing Music: Two Steps from Hell (They're better then the name sounds), Lindsey Stirling, and Avalon if I want something with words. 

Time To Write: From 9-11 PM. I'm not a night owl, but I do like writing in silence, so early night is the best for me. Our house pretty much shuts down at 10. 

Writing Snack/Drink: Sweet tea and sour cream and onion chips. I also really like M&M's because they're not messy. I can pretty much eat anything while writing, so I'm not normally to picky about it. 

Movie: The War Within. I think. I find it very hard to pick favorite movies. 

Writing Memory: Probably the moment one of my best friends told me my stories made her laugh and she wanted more. <3 But actually writing was one NaNo I spent two days pouring my heart into a short story for a friend. I knew that it was a good story, even if it wasn't perfect. That story is still one of my favorites.

Childhood Book: I'll Love You Forever.



CURENTLY

Reading: The Negotiator by Dee Henderson

Writing: A Bedraggled Princess, book five in my Princesses of Thaylon series.

Listening To: Be There by Capatol Kings

Watching: My sister and I are watching through Five Mile Creek together, but that's rather inconsistent.

Learning: To many things to count.



FUTURE

Want to be Published: Doesn't every writer dream of publishing? I don't know if it will ever happen though.

Indie or Traditional: Indie, if I ever did it.

Wildest Goal: I really don't know. I have a lot of goals, but I'm not good at keeping a running list in my head.


 I TAG

.... 
No one. 
You saw that coming, didn't you? Most of the bloggers I know ether have already been tagged for this, or do not participate in tags. 

Thank you all for joining me! 

If you've done this tag, drop me the link the the comments so I can check it out! 
What's your favorite writing memory?

The Bibliophile Sweater Tag

Okay guys, I'm doing a tag today because my brain is fried by a fever. I was created by Mary at Sunshine and Scribblings. There are rules, and you can see them on her blog. But I hate rules on tags. they are so confining. So I'm just going to jump in now.

Fuzzy sweater (a book that is the epitome of comfort)

Annabeths War. This is my comfort read. And I've read it six times at least. 

Striped sweater (book which you devoured every line of)

After reading the first book in this series I could not wait to read this one. and one time I was having a very hard day, so my older sister bought me this on kindle and I read most of it that day. It was one of the few books that I never skipped ahead to see what was going on. I read every word. it was amazing.

Ugly Christmas sweater (book with a weird cover)

I searched for a book that I liked that had a weird cover, so I had to go with one I hated. The cover and the book were weird. 

Cashmere sweater (most expensive book you've bought)

I found a copy of this rare book with a dust jacket. I was so happy. I paid 15 dollars for it. Yes, I know, that's really not that expensive. I try to buy my books during deals. 

Hoodie (favorite classic book)

Best classic I've ever read. Emma is my favorite Jane Austen Heroin, and Mr. Knightly is my favorite Jane Austen Hero. <3

Cardigan (book that you bought on impulse)

I bought this book on impulse only a few days after I heard about it the first time. I am so glad that I did and I can't wait to get my own paperback copy. Goodness, the cover is lovely, and the contents are even better!

Turtleneck sweater (book from your childhood)

This was my favorite book from around 9-11 and it still in one of my favorites now. Patricia St. John wrote the best books ever. 

Homemade knitted sweater (book that is Indie-published)

I love Indie books. Most of the books I read are Indie-published, so its really hard to narrow it down. But Andora's Folly was amazing. I'm not saying its my favorite Indie book, but it has a way of getting stuck in your head. 

V-neck sweater (book that did not meet your expectations)

That ending. I had liked the series up until the ending of this book, then it was all spoiled for me. 

Argyle sweater (book with a unique format)

This is a book of flash fiction. I didn't really love it, but it had a pretty unique format.

Polka dot sweater (a book with well-rounded characters)

The Ilyon Chronicles have some of the best rounded characters I've ever read. But since I've already mentioned one of them, I thought I'd mention Brother's in Arms. This whole book is about the two main characters and they were amazing.

There you are. I hope you enjoyed reading that!

A Song Tag

Hey guys! I found a really fun song tag where you list thirty songs for different category's. I hope y'all enjoy this as much as I did!

Favorite song: Forgiveness by TobyMac and My Friend Jesus by Newsboys. 

Least favorite song: I do not keep up with that. 

A song that makes you happy: Undeniable by TobyMac or Shine by Newsboys. 

A song that makes you sad: When We Fail Love by Grover Levy

A song that makes you think of someone: Nothing Left by David Dunn

A song that makes you think of somewhere: Amazing Life by Britt Nicole 

A song that reminds you of an event: Beautiful, Beautiful by Francesca Battistelli

A song you know all the words to: Good by Leigh Nash and Matthew West

A song you can dance to: Spinning Around by Jump Five

A song that helps you fall asleep: You Raise Me Up by Chloe 

A song by your favorite band: I’m Not Ashamed by Newsboys

Isn't this kitten adorable??

A song from a band you hate: I do not listen to any from bands I hate. 

A song that is a guilty pleasure: Photograph (Not sure the artist) 

A song no one expects you like: I am a very eclectic music person, no one really expects any of my

collection. But I do like more peppy music, so I think some people would be surprised that I enjoy sadder music sometimes. Probably the most unexpected thing in my collection may by Unicorn by Irish Rovers.

A song that describes you: World Changers by Matthew West. At least I wish it did. 

A song you used to love but now hate: Walking on Sunshine by Jump Five

A song you hear often on the radio: Overcomer by Mandisa

A song you wish you heard on the radio: My Friend Jesus by Newsboys 

A song from your favorite album: Speak Life by TobyMac and It Is Well by David Dunn. 

A song you listen to when you’re angry: Believe by Britt Nicole

A song you listen to when you’re happy: Take This City by Everfound

A song you listen to when you’re sad: It Is Well by David Dunn. 

A song you want to play at your wedding: Something ‘bout Love by David Archuleta

A song you want to play at your funeral: You Are My All In All.

A song that makes you laugh: Show Jesus by Jamie Grace

A song you can play on an instrument: We Three Kings

A song you wish you could play: My Friend Jesus by Newsboys 

A song that makes you feel guilty: My Friend Jesus by Newsboys 

A song from your childhood: Shine by Newsboys

Your favorite song at this time last year: Healing Begins by Tenth Avenue North And Forgivness by TobyMac

In Which I Share Some Sunshine

Emily over at A Purpose and a Promise tagged me fore The Sunshine Blogger Award! 

~ Rules ~

 ~Answer 11 questions from your nominee

~Tag 11 bloggers

~Ask them 11 new questions

~ Questions ~

~ What is your favorite devotional book?

I really don't read many devotionals. Its not that I don't like them, but I normally don't seek them out. I am reading a non-fiction book called "Its Not About Me" by Max Lucado right now and it is super good.

~What are five of your favorite blogs?

A Purpose and a Promise, Defying Depravity, Once Upon the Ordinary, Totally Graced, Burning Youth. And Books For Christian Girls, if I hadn't been limited. Goodness there are so many awesome blogs out there.

~What is your favorite book, music artist/band, and movie?

My favorite book is Annabeths War by Jessica Greyson. Artist: TobyMac, and his best song is Forgivness. And my favorite movie is Belle and the Beast (It is a modern day retelling of the classic tale.)

~ Is there a story behind your blog's name?

Well, from when I started my blog up until August of 2016, my blog name was The Bubblegum Ballerina. I felt it was time for something that reflected me a bit more. I have always loved the thought that even though I am an ordinary girl, my extraordinary God chooses to use me for His plan. And I call Him Father. That's the story!

~ What question would you ask your favorite author is you had the chance?
Well, most of my favorite authors are still living, so I go ahead and ask them. But, I guess I might ask some of them how they let their faith bleed so well into their books.

~What is the last movie you saw, and how did you like it?
The last movie... um I watched a Star Trek Next Generation the other day. That was pretty good.

What is one tip you would give bloggers who are trying to reflect Christ in all their posts?
I don't honestly feel I am good enough at this to give much advice. Other then don't let what others might say affect what you post. If you ask, God will lay things on your heart to post.

~ What are your three favorite books that you own?
Annabeth's War by Jessica Greyson, Kate's Innocence by Sarah Holman, and The Kings Scroll, by Jaye L. Knight. But I love so many books that was really hard to narrow down.

~ What is one of your best memories from 2017 so far?
Surprising my friend Jessica for her 18'th birthday. That was super, super awesome. But its been a really fantastic year though, so I've had a lot of good memory's.

~ What is your favorite Christian Living post that you've read/posted in the last month?
Worth The Wait by Grace Ann was pretty awesome. Though I follow so many amazing blogs, sometimes its hard to keep up with all the good posts. =)

~ Do you own any signed books? 

I own ten signed books, and they are awesome. Most of them my oldest sister gave me for birthdays.

~ Nominees ~
Whoever wants to do it.