Author: Libby May
The Roll of the Drums by Jan Drexler – Revell Books Review
Yay another review!
It wasn’t as cliche as some.
Personally, Amish fiction isn’t my best friend, and I really just don’t love the way that it tends to be, but this one wasn’t too bad. I really liked the ending, and I really enjoyed the beginning. The middle with the bishop/minister drama was a little eye roll but overall the plot was pretty fun.
Things I liked:
I liked Ruby. I liked her personality and her stability in what she does and believes.
Gideon. I loved how he grew to fall in love with her, how it was slow and beautiful.
I liked the main plotline, and the settings were fun.
Things I didn’t like:
Ruby’s sideplot. It was kinda cliche and shallow. I feel like that’s the most dramatic biggest thing that Amish can fall for and because of that it’s used in almost every single Amish fiction.
I didn’t love Roseanna because of her attitude.
I don’t love the legalistic outlook of the minister and I don’t agree with all Amish beliefs but that was a personal opinion and didn’t affect my rating. Otherwise it wasn’t bad. It was a good sequel and second book between #1 and #3. It had its own plotline but there were quite a few threads that didn’t come near getting answered or even fully addressed.
I got a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own and a positive review was not required.
A Distance Too Grand by Regina Scott – Revell Books Review
Another book revieeeeew. Yes. For the next couple months this is what my posts will be. And I don’t mind! This book was a good one!
The story of Meg Pero was quite entertaining. I liked the plotline and the adventures of the grand canyon that came with it.
Things I Liked:
I liked the Captain. I liked his personality. I liked the way he handled things, the way he was determined and confident, and the way he handled his position as a captain.
I liked the plotline. The way the story played out was not too slow but not overly sped through. And the way the time frame was handled was well done.
I also liked the characters. Dot was sweet, although her little fit made no sense. Hank was awesome. Larson and Meadow were adorable and Adams was a character in himself. Pike was like a black bear that needed to be hanged on someone’s wall.
Things I Didn’t Like:
I didn’t mind this story. It was a pretty cliche sort of feeling. Ben. I mean really… that’s a very predictable suitor name. Other then it was a pretty typical Revell read that didn’t blow my mind, it was a lot of fun.
Content:
There was no real mature content in the book. There are multiple kisses, not detailed. Meg and Ben are obviously in a “not” relationship and with that comes its own set of rules. Modesty and reputation are discussed in a good way and made me laugh sometimes. There was no bad language. Violence wasn’t too much, although there was mention of two dead bodies, shots fired, blood and broken bones, injuries mentioned, some in minor details.
All in all I did enjoy this particular story. Four Stars!
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and a positive review was not required. If you enjoy a historical fiction genre with a bit of laughter and a lot of thought, this is a good one for you! Suggested ages 15 and up.
Live, Laugh, and Love, girls!
~Libby
Unscripted by Davis Bunn – Revel Books Review
Unscripted was not a bad book, It just wasn’t magnificent.
Things I liked.
I liked… Megan.
I liked Emma.
I liked Robin as little of a character she was. I
liked JR even though he was a bad dude.
I loved the scenes where they were shooting the movie. Those were powerful and beautiful and honestly, I wish the whole book was written in the style that Davis slipped into when he was writing the movie shots.
I liked the main plotline, even though there was so much legal movie jargon that I felt was absolutely unnessacary, because I’m not looking to legally make a movie of my own. However, that is a personal opinion and if a reader enjoys legal battles and law sort of books then this will be fun for them.
Things I didn’t like.
I didn’t like the attempt at inner character conflict. Somehow I found it impossible to connect with the character and understand what in the world he was going through. It felt too much like telling vs showing what the character was going through.
The romance between Daniel and Megan was so… little. There was no dynamics, no spark. The book said they were in love and so they acted in love. I don’t know. It wasn’t very believable.
Also call me old fashion but the way that Daniel so easily allowed Megan simply to take the wheel and drive his life rubbed me wrong and I didn’t like that simply because it seemed like a forced agenda rather than something that actually came naturally.
All in all it wasn’t a bad book and I enjoyed reading it when I sat down to do it. Would I recommend it, someone? If they mentioned that they enjoyed movie production books, than yes. Otherwise, it just goes on the shelf.
Content: There was pretty much no real content. Nothing graphic, no violence, not any language that I remember. There is mention of being inappropriately approached, one semi-detailed kiss and one not detailed kiss. Many mentions of broken relationships. Several mentions of robbing a bank, and jail.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and a positive review was not required.
Live, Laugh, and Love, Girls!
~Libby
Giveaway Winner Announcement!!!
HI EVERYBODY!
I’m not going to give an excuse, I’m just going to say that the last post, titled The End, I practically wrote to myself. And soooooo WINNER ANNOUNCEMENTS!
I will say that I have already put together the boxes and sent out a few of them, I’ve just not gotten up here on the blog to announce the winners just yet XD.
GIVEAWAY #1 WINNER
Winner is Molly Anne! Congratulations! Molly, I emailed you through your blog but I have not received a response yet so if you can email me your mailing address I’ll get it out to you!
GIVEAWAY #2 WINNERS
Winners are @i.am_trista and @allofkindsofwrites Instagram! I’ll be shipping those out!
GIVEAWAY #3 WINNERS
Winners are @strawberry_blonde_sketches and @a_joyful_noise on Instagram!
Thank you to everybody who entered! You can still order yourself a signed copy with Dewdrops and Butterflies Limited edition bookmarks!
Live, Laugh, and Love, girls!
I’ll be back when God sees fit. Probably for a major blog redo.
~Libby
The End, Dewdrops and Butterflies Blog Tour Final Day.
Heyo! Welcome to day 7 of the blog tour, the last official day of the tour. I’m so insanely thankful for every single one of the girls who participated in my blog tour and helped introduce this little book baby to the world. Today’s blog stop is Eliza’s blog where she interviewed me and I had a whole lot of fun!! Be sure to check it out!
And today, I want to talk about The End. We see it at the end of almost every book, and we kind of don’t give it a second thought. That was a good story, or a story you didn’t enjoy all that much. Either way, it’s over.
What now.
What are the characters doing now in life? Does the story have an epilogue to give you a glimpse into the future? How do you think the character has changed or grown since the beginning of the story and how does that affect their lives from here on out? Sometimes in stories, I like for it to be a sort of up-to-the-reader ending. Say its a dystopian story, and the characters are traveling and struggling to survive, and at the end of the book they’ve learned things about their friends, they’ve faced hardship, and they may not yet be at a safe house, but you as the reader are given an implication that no matter what happens, the characters will stay loyal to each other. So there’s not a complete ending, but you get to ultimately let your mind settle on a satisfactory ending.
Dewdrops and Butterflies reaches a pretty satisfactory ending I think, and there is an epilogue. Of course in yesterday’s post you saw that Playgrounds and Black Markers is sort of a four-years-forward story. It’s something I chose to play with, and I’m happy with the way the two books will work together and the way they will also work separately just as fine.
What about you? What is your The End? Your life is your story, and you may have a major life event, a painful experience, a trama, or even just a stage of life that you’ve just gone through. As much as this is The End for that part of your life, there is so much left to be learned and seen in the future!
God has a beautiful plan laid out for your life, and ultimately if you surrender to Him, He will give you more than you can possibly dream or imagine. Every experience you go through, He has led and guided you and He will continue to do so and teach you and grow you through it.
As much as we are tempted to say The End to parts of our lives, it’s good to look back sometimes and remember what we learned from those particular areas! It can be painful and it can be hard, but it’s good to remind ourselves that we’ve grown, and it helps also to realize that you did come out ok. You’re here, you’re better, and you’re going to be just fine.
Do you want to read the story of Rose Ann and Alex Johnson? What do you think was their The End? You can order a copy Here and find out!
The giveaway winners will be announced TOMORROW AFTERNOON so be sure to STAY TUNED and see if you were one of the five wonderful people who won!
Thanks girls for sticking around and reading my blog tour and being part of my life. Y’all are a blessing.
~Libby
What Now, Dewdrops and Butterflies Blog Tour Day 6
Welcome to day 5 of the blog tour y’all. We’re coming down to the end of the blog tour and I can’t believe that it’s already almost over. It’s crazy. For the last two years, my main project was this little piece of art and now that it’s done… I’m possibly excited and also a little lost…
Ok that’s a lie. Now that Dewdrops and Butterflies is done, finished, completed, cap-eesh, I already had a new project I was working on. Of course, if you’ve been around for any amount of time you’ve already heard about this story and you know that November of 2018, and April Camp Nano were dedicated to the non-sequel of Dewdrops and Butterflies… Playgrounds and Black Markers.
Playgrounds and Black Markers hinges on the young boy you meet in Dewdrops and Butterflies. His name is Jake Jett, and during one of the bajillion editing sessions I had with Dewdrops and Butterflies, he reached out his hand, grabbed mine and said “Please please tell my story. I have a story too.”
Honestly, I did feel a little bad for him, with Rose abandoning him and all, but what intregued me most was why he hung out with her, and I had to get answers.
Playgrounds and Black Markers is in the same format as Dewdrops and Butterflies, in that it has three different POVS. Although Alex, Rose, Angel and of course a little toddler Jasper, are all IN the book, they take a little bit of a back seat and gear the story like Alex did in Dewdrops and Butterflies. Playgrounds and Black Markers is Jake’s story, and I let it be.
I say a non-sequel because technically Playgrounds and Black Markers is not a sequel… The plotline and points and story in Dewdrops and Butterflies finished in Dewdrops and Butterflies, because it was not meant to be a series. It’s not going to be.
Playgrounds and Black Markers has some of the same characters, same format, same author obviously, and some of the same aspects, but it’s totally and completely a different story, and either of the books can stand alone without the other.
Playgrounds and Black Markers also has a higher age audience. I like to say I wrote Dewdrops and Butterflies for younger girls, and when I sat down to write Playgrounds and Black Markers, I just wrote it for me. The story came and came and came, and I didn’t commit to actually finishing it until I was 65k words in. The drafted manuscript, (yes it’s all done and written) is 185k words.
So that’s what’s next. All glorious 185k words are handwritten in 8 different journals, and for NaNoWriMo 2019, I’m typing up the story I was writing last year.
If all goes well, Playgrounds and Black Markers may be ready for release sometime next year, however knowing how much I dislike editing, it may take longer, but since I’ve now published, I’ll also know a little more of the ins and outs, and it’ll run more smoothly.
So that’s what’s next! Hey guys, the giveaway winners get announced SUNDAY, which is the day after tomorrow. That means you STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN! Don’t forget to enter!
Today I have two lovely links to share, from two lovely ladies who helped out with my blog tour. Ellen read and reviewed Dewdrops and Butterflies and you can read her review here, and Kaitlyn did the same, you can read it here!
Both girls were so sweet and I’m so blessed that they were willing to participate. Thanks girls!
If you’re intrested in getting your hands on a copy, the first 13 people to order through my shop here will get two Dewdrops and Butterflies bookmarks for free!
Thank you girls for your time and I pray God uses me and this blog and this book to bless you all.
What’s next for you? What’s a big project have you recently finished, and what are you moving onto next? Or maybe you’re right smack in the middle of one!
You know come December/January, geoturtle is going to get something like a major face lift, update, and well… plastic surgery. I’m not exactly fully set on how much is going to change, but I am excited for it! Let’s hope work and Playgrounds and Black Markers doesn’t keep me so busy that I won’t be able to settle down to do it until spring time XD.
Live, Laugh, and Love, girls!
~Libby
Supporting Authors, Dewdrops and Butterflies Blog Tour Day 5
Welcome to Day 5 of the blog tour!
We all know books. We all know stories and characters and plotlines. Some of us know about publishing and editors and book covers. But how often, when you pick up a book, do you think of the plot holes and hours of editing and writing that was put into that book? I know I don’t usually think about that at all. I just want it to be a fun read and a good story that’s worth my time.
Today I want to bring up the single most important part of any story ever written. The author. Without the author, there is no story, no imagination, no world, no characters, no depth, and no plotline to have plotholes in.
Authors spend hours upon hours laboring over their work, whether it’s a historical classic or a contemporary novella. Stories take time and work.
When we write a review about a book, that’s super important to think about. No matter how awful you think it was, no matter how many plotholes or inconsistencies you found, and no matter how bad you think it was, somebody sat down and put time and brain power into getting that story out of their head and now, obviously, into your hands. That’s an accomplishment to be proud of in and of itself.
So today I want to talk about authors. I want to you take that name that you see beneath the title of any book you have, or you’re currently reading, and I want you to consider the person behind it. It’s not just another set of letters you can use to find the book on goodreads or wherever else, and it’s not a label for other books of the same writing style. It’s a person who spent hours upon hours of their day, weeks upon weeks, typing, writing, thinking, plotting. And most likely crying a little (unless it’s a guy, then it’s probably safe to say probably not. Then again thats stereotyping girls as always crying and guys as never crying which is not truth either soooo…)
If you have time, if you’re curious, look them up! Facebook or Instagram, usually authors will share their blog or website names in the book too. Check it out. Leave a comment. If you liked the book, email or private message them and let them know that you read their book and you’re glad they went through the process of producing a book that you can now hold in your hands.
I want to bring up the lady who changed my life.
Susan Marlow
Or Mrs. M as I’ve called her forever. If you do not know Mrs. M and her Circle C book series’ then you’re from a blogsphere that I did not originate from and I say Hi! Mrs. M has written a series of books about a girl named Andi Carter. I started at the end of the Circle C Adventures series and got sucked into reading the rest of it, and when she released the next series with the same characters, called Circle C Milestones, I was right on the ball, ordering them from the library as soon as was possible.
Rewinding to a day when I was 13, I decided to visit the blog that was on the back of the book. I have no idea why, or what prompted me to. Maybe I was bored and wanted something new to do with my online time. I don’t know. But when I entered that blog, this blog here, my life literally changed.
There was a small chat box in the sidebar, Mrs. M was consistent in responding to comments and posting, and when fall came the story contest was held! I met so many wonderful girls via that blog and that chat box on the side, and it’s only because of that blog and those girls, that I am exactly where I am today. Had not I enjoyed the idea of a blog, and had not I been prompted by the girls there to start my own, and had not that writing contest boosted me into a desire of writing my own stories, I would be a completely different Libby. In fact, I probably wouldn’t even be the Libby you know at all.
So I’m thankful to Mrs. M for the hours she put into developing her series and the blog that she keeps and to God for guiding me there one day just for fun! I hope some day that my book and my life can influence and bless someone’s life, and I don’t count on hearing about it, but I pray that I can be a light!
Who is someone who has influenced your life? Maybe it isn’t an author for you. Maybe it’s a teacher or a pastor or a friend. Someone you know you would not be where you are today without them? You can let them know that you appreciate them and that they blessed your life!
Dewdrops and Butterflies released yesterday, and the first 13 buyers get custom Dewdrops and butterflies bookmarks with their copy of the book, signed, for $13 FREE shipping! You can place your order here or here or here. It’s all the same link. Or you can go here! So many choices!
Also be sure to enter the giveaways for your chance to be one of five winners!
Live, laugh, and love, girls!
~Libby
Release Day! Dewdrops and Butterflies Blog Tour Day 4
Today
Is
The
Day.
RELEASE DAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY
Can you believe this? Two years. One Month. Six Days. And here it is. Done, completed and READY FOR THE WORLD! I’M SO EXCITED FOR Y’ALL TO GET MY BOOK BABY! I can’t wait for all of you to officially meet Rose and Alex and Jenni and Joseph and Angel and get to know the characters I’ve been working so hard on the last two years. I can’t believe it.
DID I SAY IT YET!?!? MY BRAIN DOESN’T UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS IT!!!!!!
Ok… what to say? I’m going to try not to scream anymore… mmmm not doing very well.
OK Y’ALL SO
This wonderful girly that I befriended on Instagram does digital art and she agreed to draw Alex and Rose for me. Taking her wonderful work and a bit of help from my dad, I designed bookmarks custom to my books and I am soooo happy with them! If you entered the giveaways, the bookmarks in the pictures are the finished product!
The first 15 people to purchase Dewdrops and Butterflies HERE will receive a signed paper copy and two bookmarks for $13, with free shipping! I want to get this out to people! If you know someone you want to get this book for, get a copy for them!
I’ve said it before and I say it again. I wrote this book for one girl, the one girl I knew God wanted to get it to, and I trust that He will get it to her, but YOU might be the person that He uses to reach her.
Today I had the honor of guest posting for Rose on her blog Adventurous Bookworm. Be sure to head over there to check it out!
Don’t forget to enter the giveaway here for your chance to be one of FIVE WINNERS!
The ecopy of Dewdrops and Butterflies will release sometime later this month, so if you prefer kindle copies or you simply want an ebook copy of it, I’ll be sure to announce that too!
You, the reader, is why God has me here on this earth, and I want to do whatever He guides me to do to bless your life! Thank you for your time and I hope you find encouragement and hope in the story of Rose Ann and her journey to Christ.
~Libby
Playlist of Course, Dewdrops and Butterflies Blog Tour Day 3
Welcome to Day 3 friends! Today is all about the music!
Some of you, in fact most of you know, Dewdrops and Butterflies was born from the song When She Cries by Britt Nicole.
Early September I was looking for inspiration to tie together all the little strings and thoughts I’d been dwelling on for a story. I knew it was going to be about a girl, and I knew it was going to be a powerful story of redemption.
At that time I’d also recently gotten a Spotify account and I was exploring the Discover Weekly option. Listening to that playlist while doing some work, that song came on and I paused my work, listening to the words and letting myself wonder the story behind them, what the girl in the song was going through.
Close after that song came Scars by Johnny Diaz. I’d like to say that’s the mom and dad of Dewdrops and Butterflies.
I believe in the power of music, and I almost always find a story in songs. It’s so much fun to find a theme and a purpose that speaks to you in a song written by another person.
Some other very inspiring songs for this book were also By Your Side by Tenth Avenue North
There’s a whole playlist! If you have a Spotify account, search Dewdrops and Butterflies and give it a listen, or you can listen right on my blog on the sidebar!
Today’s Blog Tour Stop is at Abigail’s blog where I had the honor of writing another guest post. Go here to read all about it!
Make sure you enter here in the giveaway for your chance to win one of FIVE PAPERBACK COPIES!
Thank you for reading! Be sure to stop back tomorrow because TOMORROW IS THE OFFICIAL RELEASE! I can’t believe it’s a reality. There will be lots of squealing and yelling and exclamation points.
~Libby
Why all the Purple? Dewdrops and Butterflies Blog Tour Day 2
Welcome to day 2 everyone! Today I answer the question you all might be wondering. Why all the purple?!
If you follow my blog or my instagram you couldn’t help but notice then endless purple… EVERYWHERE.
Where did this shade of color even come from? Dewdrops and Butterflies of course.
When I first started writing the novel, Dewdrops and Butterflies was not the original name, but from the beginning, Rose lived in a forest woodsy sort of place. There was a beautiful place with a whole bunch of wildflowers that over time became called “Bluebell Valley.” So original, I know. Here was the inspiration for it.
It was really cool to imagine what could happen here and why it was important. In addition to being Rose’s home away from home, Bluebell Valley was her butterfly haven.
As you read the story you’ll understand the significance of butterflies in her life, and it started with a simple picture like this, which also happened to be purple.
As I kept writing and learning about this hurt girl and her story, purple just seemed to shadow everything she did, and why?
Purple is not silent, but it’s not considered a prominent color. Red, blue, Yellow, Green. Even Pink is a prominent color. But even as purple is set aside, it’s not silent. Purple is a fighter. It harbors a silent strength and vibrance. Even google says “Purple combines the calm stability of blue and the fierce energy of red.”
When I decided that Dewdrops and Butterflies was going to be everything that I needed it to be as my debut novel, I knew that I had to create a theme. Almost like a minor brand. And I’d like to say I succeeded! Many people, when they see the color purple, automatically think of Libby. And I’m linked to my book!
Today I had the honor of guest posting on Faith Pott’s Blog StoriesbyFireflies. Make sure you head over and check it out!
Don’t forget to enter the giveaway here!
Dewdrops and Butterflies RELEASES IN TWO DAYS! OCTOBER 16TH!
What do you remember being most excited about in your whole life?
~Libby