How can one of the best series I have ever read leave me heartbroken and happy at the same time?

From the beginning of this blog, I promised I wouldn’t leave a review on here that was one of the authors of the “BIG FIVE”. I will still keep that promise. However, I never said I wouldn’t share my thoughts. So here it goes. I just finished a series where the main character–the heroine–doesn’t make it. I am not going to tell you what series it is.

I am not one that likes surprises, usually, but I really wasn’t surprised at the way this series ended. The end left me heartbroken because she was the backbone of the whole series. At the same time, it left me happy because one of the main people that could never leave her mind, she was reunited with, in the afterlife. I read a ton of symbolism into this book, but that may not be what the author was going for, so I will keep that to myself.

I loved this author’s novels because they always lead back to the same thing. You cannot achieve peace until people stop thinking one is better than the other. Killing never made the world a better place.  The end of killing is what made the world a better place, but that will never stop.

You know, at one time, the dystopian genre was never where I would step foot. Even just the hearing of the word dystopian made me want to run the other way. Dystopian and dysfunctional in my opinion mean the same thing. Don’t we all live in dysfunction? Don’t we all live in a dystopia? Is your life the perfection that you always dreamed of? We cannot achieve peace for ourselves until we accept that life–if you will pardon the cliche–“life is not always perfect”.

Are there perfect times? It depends on how you take a situation and how you can use it to strengthen yourself or weaken yourself. It is always your choice. God granted us that–human choice.

Life throws curveballs that we sometimes never see coming, or maybe we do see them coming and refuse to catch them. Since it is baseball season here in the United States, I will leave you with this. When a pitcher throws a curveball, the batter is going to do his best to hit that ball. Sometimes he doesn’t and misses an opportunity. Sometimes he hits a home run. Sometimes he hits it and only makes one base. However, I think I would swing pretty much at anything because at least I have tried, and trying is better than not trying.

Thank you for allowing me to clear my head.

Who knows? Maybe, one day, the words that God has given me the talent to create, the brain to use to the best of my ability, the fingers to be able to write down, will hit a home run. I will never quit trying. I can never quit trying!

Happy writing,

Bethanie

An Author’s Heart

I have been many things in my life. I started off as a teacher and taught for fifteen years. Then I became a wife. Then I became a mother. Then I became a writer, an author, an editor, and now a book reviewer. I have read some of the most amazing books.

The amazing books that I am speaking of, most have come from independent authors. I would love to see them succeed and show how talented they are.

The others are the millionaire authors. Some are really good authors. However, some of those have decided that their name alone sells books. That is not true. The content and the heart of any author is what makes their books, not their name.

I believe Indie authors have an incredible chance to become known names. The fact remains, though, that once they become known, what happens then? Do they turn into those that believe their name is their “power” and forget what made them start writing in the first place? I have seen some that haven’t, but I have seen even more that have.

Never forget where you began, because the minute you do, you are on your way to the end.

Just some thoughts for the day. Happy writing!!

~Bethanie

Surprise

Normally I am not one that likes surprises. But this one email I received last night surprised me in a good way, so it was a welcomed surprise. My blog was nominated for the One Lovely Blog Award, by a very charming young man named Charlie. I was rather surprised when I found out he followed my blog. It was a surprise because he is a grade-school-age young man, although reading his blog I wonder if he is actually older. His blog could be a book in itself. He seems to have the gift of writing. So I thank you, Charlie , for the nomination.

Now, there is a list of things to do when nominated. So the first one I have already done, but I will thank him again. Thank you Charlie. It was indeed a pleasure to receive an email from you. I wish you the best!

The second thing I am supposed to do, I don’t really like to do, but I will give seven facts about me in keeping with the rules:

1)  I am a mother of two. A son, 13 years old and a daughter, 11 years old.

2)  I  have been homeschooling both of them for four years. If you wish to read about that then go to lovelaughlearnteach.wordpress.com

3)  I love photography. Natural surroundings with my children in the middle of them have made the best Christmas presents for many years.

4)  Running into spider webs seems to be my thing. I’ve learned some great karate moves doing this. 🙂

5)  I love reading, obviously, or I wouldn’t have a book review site. 🙂

6) I have two dogs, a German Shepherd named Ember and a Rat terrier named Charlie, and a cat, one of the sweetest little tabby kitties I have ever met, named Scarlett.

7) I am an author. I have written and published seven books. Two more are due out first of next year. I have about twelve more in the works.

The last thing on the list is to nominate 15 other blogs, and inform them on their site, well I do not follow fifteen other blogs, I only follow about five. Here they are:

Writers Write

The News in Books

The Universe According to Charlie 

Dodinsky

A Homeschool Mom