LITTLE WOMEN Read-Along // Week 1 // Chapters 1-11

HELLOOOOO MY DRAGONS IT IS OFFICIALLY THE KICK-OFF OF OUR LITTLE WOMEN READ-ALONG AND I COULDN'T BE MORE THRILLED (Well, okay, if I had a book releasing or a play happening in less than a week then yes, I WOULD BE MORE THRILLED. BUT REGARDLESS. I AM VERY, VERY EXCITED FOR THIS. 😍)

THIS WEEK...

This week, we're discussing chapters one through eleven. But don't freak out if you haven't read that much -- this read-along is commitment-free! 🙂

DISCUSSION PROMPTS

Feel free to answer any -- or all! -- of the following questions. (Confession: most of these questions are geared towards girls... but, if you're a guy who wants to join in, you're more than welcome to answer the questions and tweak them as you see fit!)

1. Do you have a favorite quote thus far?
2. Which of the March sisters do you relate to most? Whose personality/worldview most resembles yours?
3. In chapter two, Mr. Laurence sends the March family "ice cream -- actually two dishes of it, pink and white -- and cake and fruit and distracting French bonbons..." Which of these foods would you most like to try (or eat again)?
4. In chapter three, Meg and Jo attend a ball. Regardless of how damaged or un-damaged your gown might be, would you prefer to keep to the shadows as Jo does, or dance and merry-make like Meg?
5. Jo believes that she is "the man of the family now [that] Papa is away" (chapter one). Throughout the beginning of the novel, Jo clearly expresses her wish to be born a boy. Do you sympathize with Jo? Is there anything you find that you might or might not do as a girl? What about girlhood do you particularly enjoy/appreciate?

NEXT WEEK...

Next week, we'll be discussing chapters twelve through twenty-three. Again, no pressure! If you're behind or ahead, you're welcome to pop in and out as you wish. 😁

So, what do you think of Little Women thus far? Any discussion prompts you'd like to respond to?

❤,

Indie Christian Reads // Black Friday Sale & Giveaway!

Howdy, Dragons! I hope your Thanksgiving was absolutely fantastic! 💜

Today, I'm excited to turn over the mic to Leah E. Good (author of Counted Worthy), who has some special Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals to share with you!

It's that time of year. The time for buying presents, making wish lists, and planning New Year's Resolutions. If any of those activities involve books for you, Indie Christian Books has a perfect event for you!

From November twenty-fourth to November thirtieth, a huge selection of independently published Christian books are on sale. You can find discounted paperbacks, dozens of books offered with free shipping, $0.99 ebooks, package deals and more. Even if your budget is depleted from Christmas shopping, we have some freebies for you! Need even more of a reason to support indie authors and fill your shelf with good stories? When you purchase a paperback book through indiechristianbooks.com you'll be eligible to enter an exclusive giveaway including free books and an Amazon gift card!

You can meet our authors by visiting the author database on the website. Want to get to know the authors better and have the chance to win some fun prizes? We'd love to have you join our week-long Facebook party which will feature thirty-nine authors over seven days.

What awesome reads of 2017 are you grateful for? What books are you looking forward to reading in 2018?

A note on the ebooks only page. Many of the books are listed as "sold out". This is because we aren't selling those directly through our site. Please click onto the product pages to find descriptions and links to discounted or free ebooks.

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to Leah E. Good and Kendra E. Ardnek for their work organizing this sale, and Hannah Mills for her fantastic design work on the website graphics! Feel free to contact Hannah at hmills(at)omorecollege(dot)edu for more information on her design services.

This is one of my favorite events of the year, and I'm SO EXCITED!!!! *flails* I may or may not have started a list at the beginning of 2017 for all the books I need to buy through it. 😉

Are there any books you hope to find at this year's sale? Have you entered the giveaway, yet?

❤,

For This I'm Thankful...

Tomorrow, THANKSGIVING DAWNS. It's the time of year when my mom and I are hard at work in the kitchens, preparing (vegan) chocolate pies, pumpkin pies, sweet potato casseroles, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gluten roasts, boiled carrots, and toasted corn. It's the time of year when my dad does one last run-through of the house, with a vacuum cleaner in one hand and a feather duster in the other. It's the time of year when my grandparents arrive to stay with us. It's the time of year when IT IS OFFICIALLY SPARKLING CIDER SEASON. *cheers* To celebrate, I wanted to share just a few of the things I am thankful for...

• I'm thankful for the Lord. I'm thankful to be created by a God -- the God -- Who is so merciful and kind although we are so undeserving. I'm thankful that, although He is a God of justice, He loves us and offers us His grace.

• I'm thankful for my parents. I'm so thankful for your constant love and support and encouragement, and all the times you've stayed up late with me to help me with school, editing an essay, or finishing a science project (thankfully, that last bit hasn't been too often *winks*). 💗

• I'm thankful to live in the United States. True, our country is very, very messed up... but we are oh-so-blessed for the freedoms we have.

• I'm thankful for my church friends. I'm thankful for the people in my life who lead me deeper into faith, drawing me closer to our Savior.

• I'm thankful for my school pals. All our afternoons of pizza, Pre-Calculus homework, and moaning over test grades make high school just a little more bearable. 😉

• I'm thankful for my teachers. My teachers make school worthwhile; here's to all of you who strive to truly educate your students, with all your extra office hours, your reasonable negotiations, and your deadline extensions.

• I'm thankful for my pets. Sweetie and Belle, you have brought such joy to my life! And Bob, Raz, Jackie, Sunnyhead, and Arnold, -- frogs, hamsters, and moth-friend -- you taught me so much.

• I'm thankful for my writing. Creating worlds, tearing them down; giving life, taking it away... all with twenty-six letters and a handful of punctuation marks. 😁

• I'm thankful for theatre. Two years ago, I decided that maybe -- just maybe -- I would audition for the MEA Theatre Company's first-ever production... I had no idea the journey ahead of me.

• I'm thankful for books. Through books, I have traveled to worlds unseen; through books, I have found identity; through books, I have found true love (*coughs* I don't CARE if Will from Rising Shadows is a fictional character -- he's MINE! 😜).

• I'm thankful for unicorns. Whoever decided that horses should have long, rhino-esque horns protruding for their foreheads... thank you.

• I'm thankful for rain. True, it's a rare event down here in SoCal... but when it rains, I am happy.

• I'm thankful for holidays. Birthdays, Christmases, Thanksgivings, New Years(-es?), Independence Days, Halloweens, summers... anything for further time spent with friends and family.

• I'm thankful for my writing/blogging buddies. I'm so, SO thankful for my chances to connect with you, to find friendship online, at coffee shops, at book signings, at meet-ups... 💕

• I'm thankful for my future. True, I don't know what's coming, and I may not like it when it first arrives... but I'm thankful to know that God has me in "the shadow of [His] wings".

• I'm thankful for authors. Here's to all of you! You ALL inspire me.

• I'm thankful for #RealmMakers2017. My first writers' conference, and hopefully not my last! Though I don't expect to make it to Missouri next year, I'm hoping to be there in 2019!

• I'm thankful for Rooglewood Press. Each Rooglewood Press fairytale retelling contest has taught me something, and I cannot wait to see what y'all have in store in the years to come!

• I'm thankful for all my readers, followers, subscribers, and supporters: that's right, I'm thankful for YOU. Whether you're here for the first time, or you've been a long-time comment-er... you have encouraged me. You have inspired me. You have supported me, when I had absolutely no idea what to do next! Thank you, dear reader. 💖

Happy Thanksgiving!

❤,

This December: LITTLE WOMEN Read-Along!

My dear Dragons, I have a confession: I HAVE NEVER READ LITTLE WOMEN. (THERE. I SAID IT.) I've seen the movie dozens of times over, cried every time at THAT ONE PART, and cried again at THAT BEAUTIFUL ENDING. With the holidays approaching, don't you think it's high time I read the book? Dragon... would you like to read Little Women with me?

Here's what to expect:

• Eleven chapters per week, which is approximately one-and-a-half chapters per day
• Book discussions every Friday, from December first to December twenty-second
• Chats with fellow fans of Louisa May Alcott
• Reading Little Women for the first time... or again, with new friends to fangirl with!

Here is the schedule:

1. December first: discuss chapters one through eleven
2. December eighth: discuss chapters twelve through twenty-three
3. December fifteenth: discuss chapters twenty-four through thirty-five
4. December twenty-first: discuss chapters thirty-six through forty-seven

No commitment is required. If you're interested in participating, feel free to pop in and out whenever you please, and if you fall behind or get ahead, that's totally fine! 🙂

If you'd like to continue the discussion on Twitter or Instagram, you're more than welcome to tag me and use the hashtag #WinterWithLouisa.

I hope to see you there!

❤,

If I Had a Royal Wardrobe // Regal Reads Blog Party!

HELLOOOOO, DRAGONS! Today, I'm absolutely thrilled to be sharing my first ever fashion post, in honor of Livy Lynn's Regal Hearts blog party! If you haven't chatted with Livy yet, YOU TOTALLY SHOULD. This girl is an amazing human being and has such a sweet heart! 💖 You can connect with her pretty much anywhere: her blog/website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Goodreads. 😸

The prompt I selected for my post today is all about princess fashion. BECAUSE PRINCESSES + FASHION. What's not to love, right? 😍 So without further ado, I present a small portion of my dream wardrobe... 😁

COURT WEAR

{Source.}

Because I'm a princess, there are obviously tons of outfits I must wear from day to day. In the morning, after a bath and warm buffet breakfast with the family, court duty calls! My parents and their trusted advisers take their seats to hear the voice of the people. Since this a very serious (yet exciting!) affair, I'm dressed in a light, vintage dress in tribute to the dashing 1960s, but it's decked out in lace and pearls -- complete with a set of blue gloves! -- as homage to the elegant Regency era.

ACADEMIC WEAR

Though studies with the castle tutor are not my favorite, it is something every princess must do. Together, my tutor and I study maths, kingdom histories, ancient legends, language, medical sciences, and survival skills. For this, I wear a Renaissance gown in memory of the revival of the arts.

{Source.}

BATTLE WEAR

{Source.}

After my studies and the midday meal, I change into my armor to train with my father's knights. Ever since his reign began, our kingdom has been at peace with neighboring countries. And though -- should the unlikely event of war ever rise -- I'd never be called to the front, I like to be prepared. And it is excellent exercise!

AFTERNOON WEAR

Now that training's over, it's nearly time for tea! So I return to my chambers, take another bath (this time so I can wash my now-sweaty hair 😉), and change into a fun, frilly dress (usually pink, purple, or yellow).

{Source.}

EVENING/DINNER WEAR

After tea and a fair bit of time to myself for writing and Bible-reading, I change into some even more exciting clothes! This is where I like to have lots of fun! I undo my standard braid, restyle it into something more adventurous, and choose a sleek, velvety gown to wear throughout dinner and the minstrel's post-supper entertainment.

{Source.}

BALLGOWNS & TIARAS

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Sometimes, during Easter, summer, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve (or a family birthday), my parents will host a ball! My mother has ballgowns specially tailored for this, with poofy skirts, unlike my typical evening wear. This is one of the few chances for me to wear my tiara, as well!

{Source.}

NIGHTWEAR

After a long, tiring, yet lovely day as a princess, I head to my bedchambers and change into my favorite pair of pajamas. A few hours minutes of reading, and I turn out the lights, get some sleep, and prepare for my next day as royalty.

{Source.}

Thank you so much for the blog party and post prompt, Livy! This was a TON of fun to write and put together! 😄

And thank you for reading, dear Dragon! Don't forget to swing by Amazon so you can pick up your copy of Regal Hearts! 💕 If you'd like some tunes to listen to whilst exploring the next five days' party stops, I've already created a playlist! If you're interested, you can find it here on Spotify. 😉 😁

Hey, princess! How would you dress for a day at court? Or an afternoon writing? Or for a night out at a ball?

❤,