The Witch of Black Bird Pond

I found The Witch of Black Bird Pond while looking for historic fiction books for our homeschool History Through Literature class. 
The book came up at the bottom of the page as a "title you might also like". The most attractive thing about it was the price. It was free for those who have enrolled in Kidle Unlimited. 
The other attraction was the fact that it was a Newbery award winner. Always a good sign when looking for approved books.
Well, this award was not lost in this book. It was fabulous!  
It was enlightening glimpse into a Puritan colony of the late 1600's in Connecticut. 
The main character was so normal, so easy for anyone to relate with. Conversely, the Puritans were so stiff and so hard to relate to! 
The author did really did a great job of putting you (the reader) in that time and space. It's not hard to imagine how you would react if you were in the main character's situation.
The main character, Kit, is 16 yrs. old, but I think that any young girl could easily relate to her. I would read this to my seven year old, and I know she would be all about it. 
In fact, I will venture to say that any woman, of any age would enjoy this book thoroughly. 
Also, if you're looking for more freebies, and you are a Kindle Unlimited member, be sure to download my books! 

Life: Our Grace Period

I was privileged to participate in the youth lesson at church yesterday. The topic was Grace. Something, I have to admit, I seldom think about.
The teacher asked the class what Grace was. One of the girls said that when she thought of Grace, she thought of the term "grace period". She continued to explain that a grace period was extra time to study for a test, or more time allowed to finish something unfinished.
I thought this comparison was brilliant!
Isn't this life a grace period, where we are allowed to come to earth and be tested?
God was gracious enough to give us this opportunity to experience mortality and test the waters of our conscience. Thanks to His grace we are redeemed when we fall out of grace. Through His graceful sacrifice we can hope to live again.
The Spanish word gracias  and gratis comes from the Latin root word gratus. These words mean thank you and free.
His grace most certainly frees us and I for one, am most grateful. Cool Pin!

Endless Trailer

Check out the ENDLESS trailer. I've been kind of slow getting it out there, but at last, here it is! I wanted this trailer to symbolize the last moments of death. As you see the light at the end of the tunnel and then...

Moving On

ENDLESS is out and doing well. It's so nice to hear that it's being well received! I really should send some copies out to reviewers, but I'm finding myself lazy. Oh well... I'll get to it, I'm sure like I'll get to my Homeschool room closet, or my own closet for that matter. I guess I'd rather Pin ideas about getting organized than actually doing the organizing.

I did do one productive thing last night! And that was giving my Blog a new look! There was nothing wrong with my old one, but I guess that part of the reason why I find it hard to write is because my life is three dimensional. Writing is just one aspect of my life, one that actually just takes bout two hours of my day! The rest of my time is filled with cooking, cleaning, homeschooling, working out, homesteading and (as of late) crocheting! So I thought that this new look would be more fitting to the many different aspects of my life.

So, I hope you enjoy my blog's new look, as I enjoy my current view from my computer: The turkeys, the new lambs and the sunlight that filters through the rafters of my back porch! What a beautiful sight!

Endless Release!

Today I'm celebrating the release of my latest book ENDLESS on my Facebook page SBNiccum 

Make a point to stop by and participate in all the giveaways! 

$25 Amazon giftcards will be given to those who change their profile picture to their favorite literary character and...

Are the Most LIKED costume

Funniest character costume (Most LOL's) on their page

Most Obscure costume (Can people guess who you are?)

If you invite your friends to the release party (and they tell me you sent them) YOU could win!

Share my book links and/or trailers on your wall (collect comments and/or likes to win)

So get dressed and go get those gift cards!

Endless Release Countdown

Are you ready to read Endless?

You know you are if you've read VEILED and LIVING SOUL.

If you haven't, it's not too late to read them now. If you have already, re-read them, so that you can refresh your mind.

Let me introduce you to the first two books:


VEILED

  


 LIVING SOUL

 



 ENDLESS

“Dying is easy—effortless—rather. Shedding your body is like coming into a room and hanging up your coat. You’re still you, nothing has changed, other than your coat is off and… well… it’s no longer on you. I know this because I’m dead. Yet I’ve found that death is not what we should fear. Who we are when we die, is perhaps what should concern us most about crossing over. For in death, all we have is what we really are.” –Tess Obsessed about finding Alex, her soul mate, and her father, Leo, Tess does the unthinkable and unwittingly traps herself in the dark side of the afterlife. And what she finds there is not what she came looking for. The longer she stays in the darkness the harder it will be to get out. Hoping that her love for Alex will keep her from slipping further into the darkness, she searches, and searches through this infernal place. But her nature is beginning to change—she’s becoming cynical, hardened, and apathetic—and she just got here. How has this darkness changed Alex? Can love exist in Hell?

Muse

People ask me all the time, where I get inspiration for my books. The short answer is, "everywhere!"
The long answer is :
I read a lot, and I do have to say that there have been a lot of books that have inspired me over the years. Starting with Dante Alighieri's "The Divine Comedy". I grew up with that trilogy gracing the shelves of my home's library. And Gustave Dore's beautiful and intricate illustrations made me want to read it all the more. But I didn't dare read it until I was grown up. I think I was intimidated. I'm glad I waited. I maturity helped me appreciate that incredible work all the more.
The idea of a lost soul wading his way through an infernal Hell, and an angel--the love of his life--saving his soul all they way from Paradise. I loved the idea and I loved the books!
C.S. Lewis has also been a huge inspiration. As as child "The Chronicles of Narnia" transported me to...well... Narnia! As an adult, "The Screwtape Letters", with humor and sarcasm, made me think about what the enemy of our souls hopes to achieve.
There have also been other authors who in different ways have inspired me. Victor Hugo, Tomas Hardy, Charles Dickens, and many, many more.
But I do have to say, that the scirptures have inspired me the me the most. Nothing sends my mind into a speculative spin like a good verse from Revelations! When I die, I would love to sit with him and chat. Isaiah too!
As you read my books you'll notice that I've spent quite a lot of time speculating about Cherubim, Seraphim, Legion, and the infamous "whore that sitteth upon many waters" Rev. 17:1
Ha, Ha! I laugh, but I don't mean any disrespect. I just read this and I think,"what did John The Revelator see? Who was she? What was she?"
For this reason I request an audience when I cross over. Hope the line isn't long.

And if you are wondering what I did with this verse, and how I incorporated it into my last book "Endless", you'll just have to wait until this coming December 2013!