R.F. Gammon Author: May 2017

It's the End of May!

by R.F. Gammon - May 30, 2017

Allo, guv'nah. How d'you do?

*abandons that accent*

Can you believe May is already over?! I can't. But I'm thrilled that so much has happened this month.

Here we go. And this will probably not be a very interesting month because I didn't do too much, but... the post must go up! And go up it will! So... yeah.

*tries to look interesting and fails*

Music this Month

Not much... I haven't been using Spotify all that much. Shame on me. But I will give you what I can!

Sorry about the name... but if you don't know TSFH you should absolutely look them up. They are absolutely amazing. It's like they have soundtracks specifically made for fantasy authors (or any authors, really; I've been listening to them while writing Watched and The Wacky Factor too.)

They're so good. I love this album so much. It's not as good as Fading West, which I've been listening to also, but still. BEYOND EXCELLENT.

Imagine Dragons is one of those bands where I like some songs but not all and probably not most. Warriors is one of my favorites, along with Radioactive and the new one, Believer. Their sound is really cool.

And I made a Spotify playlist for Watched, which is what I've spent a lot of time listening to lately also. I don't think there's anything inappropriate in that list (I don't listen to anything with bad content XP [besides a couple of musicals where there's a couple of cuss words]) so if you want the mood of my book in music, try this out!

I'm also embarking on a challenge for the month, which I shall be revealing on Thursday! Two big reveals on Thursday! (Ooh, the suspense.)

Books

Lots of books this month! And apparently I'm 7 books ahead of schedule on my Goodreads reading challenge, which is a relief. At the beginning of this year I was in a serious reading slump.

[Goodreads]

This was a really disappointing story, you guys. Like, really disappointing. I'm a massive Hamilton fan, but this... was just wrong. It made me very sad. :(

[Goodreads]

This was so good. I can't even tell you how much I loved this one. I had a couple of problems with it, but they were SO MINOR and the story was SO WONDERFUL.

[Goodreads]

And if Veiled Rose was good, this one was... perfection. Both Heartless and Veiled Rose merited four-star ratings from me, but this one was a straight up five-star book. So perfect. The characters... the setting... ooh. Love it. <3

I did an interview with Leah Good, the author of this book, last week, I think? Or maybe the week before? Whatever. It was in May. And I read this book in May. It was stellar. It's in the same genre as Watched, which would have merited it a high rating from me anyway because I had no idea that there was anything else in the Christian Dystopia genre :) But it was still SO. GOOD. All the love to this book.

I read so many books this month; but if I were to attempt to list them all this post, they would take over. I'll now move on to

Movies

Not many, but I'll list the few I did watch:

This is my dad's favorite movie; he's huge into anything that has to do with chess. I don't know that it was my most favorite; probably 3.5 stars from me? But it was great and I was thankful that he gave me this opportunity to share in his interests.

I watched this one on Mary's recommendation in three-minute (probably pirated?) clips on YouTube and it was SO FUNNY. I cracked up multiple times.

So funny. XD XD XD XD

This wasn't a first-time watch; it was a re-watch, but it was SO GOOD as usual. I watched it with my little sister for her first time, and she was (remarkably) more calm about it than I was. Like, she didn't scream and cry and have nightmares for years afterwards. This movie does stuff to my feels and mind, you guys.

Writing

I think I'm at about 30,000 words on Watched right now. Which isn't bad. It's nowhere near as much I wanted to write, but... oh well. You want snippets, right?

This one's a little bit censored for #Spoilers but here you go...

[Bryce's] hand found the back of the chair in front of them and squeezed. Melinza mimicked the expression, the scratchy polyester irritating her fingers.

    After a moment, he did continue. “What if that had been you?”

    “I’m sorry, what?” Bryce was always making the assumption that she could read his mind and follow his train of thought.

    “I mean, what if you were the one who that guy had grabbed instead of Jeannie? What if someone was pointing a gun at you?”

    Melinza couldn’t answer that. She stared at the floor, shuffling and trying to formulate a coherent answer. What would she have done? If it had been her, would she have laughed and mocked death? Or would she have pled for mercy? Or would she have screamed and cried and lost hope? Or would she have been silent and resigned to her fate? ...

    “I don’t know what I would have done,” Bryce whispered, staring at his feet. “I’ll never be as brave as Jeannie.”

    Melinza didn’t answer, afraid that her voice would break if she tried to speak.

    Would you risk all for the gospel? She scribbled it into her journal on the train ride home. Jeannie sat at her side, leaning her head on Melinza’s shoulder, sniffing at intervals. Would you be willing to stand firm when the darkness starts to close in and one little world is the difference between life and death?

~Watched

That's all you get this time, but there will be more next month, believe me.

Life

I get to beta-read Abi's new novella, Andora's Folly, and it's marvelous :)
School is finally wrapping up! Running out of subjects to do!

Some deaths in my family. Prayer would be appreciated :(
I sent a new article out to the Rebelution *gulps* I really hope I get published. If I do, I will flail about it on here in the future :)
My Students for Life high school group has made a ton of money towards our goal of going to the National Conference! Score!

How was your May? Which of these books/movies have you read/seen? Do you like my snippets? Have you ever tried to start an extracurricular club? (It's difficult, believe me.)

18 comments

The Sunshine Blogger Award, x3

by R.F. Gammon - May 27, 2017

15 comments

Dear Christians: A Call to Courage

by R.F. Gammon - May 25, 2017

I spend too much time worrying about this one simple question:

Am I fitting in?

Or rather, make it multiple questions.

Do they like me?

Am I weird?

God won't mind if I have a little fun now and then, right?

This is something that I personally struggle with. All the time. It's a difficult topic to address, but I'm going to try, because we all need to know that we're not alone in it. And I know that I'm not the only one.

When you start out, you're not afraid. You set out into the world to make a difference. To shine brighter than the sun. And they might give you funny looks, but who cares, right? God's happy with you. It doesn't matter what the people think.

Until it does.

Until that day when you get the millionth funny look and say, "Why am I even doing this?" And you evaluate yourself in the mirror and whisper, "It's not worth it. It'll be okay. I don't have to do anything."

Then you embrace the world and live lukewarm. You pray and read in the mornings, sure, but it's not the same. And you're no different from your friends who aren't Christian during the day.

I don't know where you are in your walk with God right now. Maybe this describes you; maybe it doesn't. I know that a lot of the time, it describes me. I desperately want to live my life for God, but I choose not to. I walk away and don't even care most of the time.

This is the time for us to stand up, fellow Christians. This is the time when we say no to the things that we know are wrong. The time when we reach out to the girl at work who's desperate and happy-go-lucky. The time for us to clarify where we stand on the issues and go out and vote at the elections.

Live like you're a Christian. Don't be afraid of the dirty looks. When you have an opportunity to stand up for your faith as your co-workers talk about [insert current blockbuster film that you're not seeing for moral reasons here], do it. When someone asks you why you're so weird, tell them about Jesus. When you've got the choice between going to church and going to something else on Sunday morning - opt for church.

It's not easy to be a Christian. It's making the same choice over and over and over - to live for Christ.

But that's why we are Christians, after all. The word was originally an insult meaning "little Christ".

Are you proud of being insulted as "little Christ?"

Let's go. Let's live out our faith.

~Faith

18 comments

Top Ten Tuesday: My Summer TBR (Re-reads count, right?)

by R.F. Gammon - May 23, 2017

12 comments

My Writing Schedule of 2017

by R.F. Gammon - May 20, 2017

26 comments

Interview with Leah Good

by R.F. Gammon - May 18, 2017

Sorry this post is coming so late, y'all. My internet is being a pain in the neck and giving me tons of trouble. :P But here it is!
I have major exciting news today: I am doing an interview with Leah Good, the author of Counted Worthy!

Bio: courtesy of leahegood.com
People turn to story for entertainment, truth, and inspiration. My passion is providing all three through my own writing and by recommending the stories of others.
I’m was homeschool K-12, graduated in 2011, went on to do college from home, and completed a BSBA in Marketing in 2013. I am daughter to my two wonderful parents, sister to the best brother in the world, and friend to some amazing sisters in Christ.
My relationship with Jesus is the most important part of my life. Though many people think of Him as a crutch to get through life, I think of Him more as a jet pack. I can truly say He has given me life and life more abundant. Because of my great friendship with my Savior, I want to serve Him in every area of my life.

Counted Worthy synopsis: Heather Stone lives in fear of repeating the past, yet she continues doing the one thing that could trigger another disaster. When the police trace an illegal Bible to her house, Heather’s world begins to crumble.

Her father’s life hangs in the balance. No one with the power to help knows or cares. If she tries to save him, she could lead her friends to their deaths. If she does nothing, her father’s fate is certain. Can she evade a hostile police force and win public sympathy before it’s too late?

Thank you so much for joining me today, Leah!

1. What inspired you to write Counted Worthy?

One night at Bible study, I was having a hard time staying awake, so I started trying to find good book titles in the verses we were studying. Acts 5:41 was one of the verses. I jotted "Counted Worthy" on my list of imaginary titles and with the title, a story started forming in my head. The next day, I wrote a short story based on the title. My friends and critique partners all wanted me to write more after they read it. If you've read the book, you'll be able to appreciate their sentiment. The original short story turned into chapter one. The whole thing used to end one paragraph before chapter one currently cuts off!

2. Which of the characters is your favorite? Which one is the most like you? Least like you? :)

Every time someone asks me this, I tell them it's like asking a mother to pick a favorite child! To be honest, my favorite flip-flops between Bryce and Miss Lucy. Right now, I'd say Miss Lucy. She's loosely based off a 99 year old lady I spend my Fridays with, and her sweet but fiery personality always encourages me at the end of long weeks.

Of the characters of Counted Worthy, I think Ansley might be most like me. She doesn't have a ton of "screen time," and I don't know much about her, but she seems like she could be more like me than Heather is.

Least like me? I'm not sure. Bryce's dad, I hope! Or maybe "Hedgepole."

3. What's your absolute favorite book right now?

Besides the Bible? ;) It's a toss-up between Deliver, by Tricia Mingerink and Chasing the Lion, by Nancy Kimball. Deliver is the last book in a series that I've completely fallen in love with. If you liked Counted Worthy, you'd like that series too. Chasing the Lion has a bit more mature content (I'd recommend it for 16+). It's about a young man sold into slavery by his half-brother and eventually manipulated into fighting as a gladiator. I'm not sure I can choose between the two!

4. I saw on Goodreads that you're looking at writing a sequel to Counted Worthy. Any news about that? *baited breath for response*

Haha. I've been asked about the elusive sequel quite a bit! It's been started three times and scrapped just as many. Right now I'm back at the brainstorming and outlining stage, but I haven't given up on it. If you want the sequel, please be praying for me! Finding both time and the path forward with the story has been a struggle.

5. In Counted Worthy, Heather reads Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris. When you published your book, you did a Kickstarter campaign that was promoted by their website, the Rebelution. What's your relationship with them like?

Believe it or not, Do Hard Things was part of the story long before Brett Harris ever knew the book existed. When I was getting close to publishing the book, I wrote to Brett asking if he'd be willing to take a look at the manuscript and consider endorsing it. He graciously agreed to look at it if he had time. To my great excitement, he ended up enjoying the story and offering to help me through the process of publishing it. It was a great experience, and I love participating in Rebeultion projects whenever I can.

6. What would your advice be to young people who want to write a book?

Learn, learn, learn and embrace your enthusiasm. Some young authors make the mistake of thinking their book is the next best-seller as soon as they type "the end." Others never let their manuscript see the light of day because they're so concerned about making it "perfect" first. The truth lies somewhere in between. Stay humble and always be hopeful. Beyond that, just write. Writing is a muscle that gets stronger the more you exercise it. It grows even faster if you can find other young writers to grow alongside of.

7. What about your advice for young people who want to make a difference for God but aren't sure where to start?

Maybe you all should share tips with me. I'm still figuring this one out! My advice would be to spend plenty of time with God. The disciples all had to spend time watching Jesus, being taught by him, and developing a relationship with Him before they were ready to be sent into the world to do His work. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." --Matthew 6:33

Thank you again, Leah! I hope you all enjoyed reading this interview!

Please: If you haven't yet read Counted Worthy, do yourself a favor and get it! It's only $2.99 on Kindle, and it's one of the best books I've read so far this year. I might get around to buying a paper copy (eventually... first I have to read the Blades of Acktar {what a coincidence! That's mentioned in this interview XD} and etc., etc., etc....)

Buy it here!

And for good measure, here's my (spoiler-free) Goodreads review: click HERE

Have you read Counted Worthy? What's your opinion of it? I would totally recommend this one to just about anybody.

15 comments

Top Ten Moms in YA Lit (And also in MG lit because I'm a cheater {probably [hint: it's likely} } )

by R.F. Gammon - May 16, 2017

Hello, everybody! Today's post is once again Top Ten Tuesday (I'm really liking Top Ten Tuesday, in case you missed the memo). And, in honor of Mother's Day (which was on Sunday), the theme is The Top Ten Mothers in YA Books. (At least for me. Other people might be different.)

I love books with good parents in them. I do! They're some of my favorite things to encounter. But good parents (and, more specifically, good moms) are hard to come by. So here is a list of my favorite moms in the books I've read recently-ish. I may cheat a little bit. You have been warned.

1. Nia Igiby from The Wingfeather Saga

You knew you weren't going to be able to avoid it :)

The Igiby kids have no memory of their dad, who died when they were really little in the Great War. So Nia and their grandpa serve as their only guardians. Nia is a very strong woman. She's stern, authoritative, and brisk, and she acts like she's made of steel, but when you see her smile at the kids or ruffle their hair or break down at some new revelation... my heart. It breaks. She reminds me of my mom, which is some of the highest praise I can give :)

2. Grace Thompson from The Five Stones Trilogy.

Grace Thompson is a normal mom of today- she has three sons, a workaholic husband, and some serious PTSD from losing her brother as a girl. But she soldiers on, and although she isn't in the books much, she makes a huge impact. I really can't recommend these books enough - there's a little bit of weird spirituality in some parts, but the fantasy world is so well-developed and the characters in general are AMAZING.

There's another mom in this book who I would mention, but #SPOILERS so I won't.

3. Doug's mom from Okay for Now.

As Jonathan mentioned in a comment last week, Okay for Now is serious goals. I love all of the stuff by Gary D. Schmidt that I've read so far, and Okay for Now is no exception.

Doug's mom is an incredibly strong woman. She raises three sons, one of whom is in the army, one of whom is kind of a nasty kid accused of multiple crimes, and one of whom is - um- how do I say this nicely? Sorry, Doug, you're a chump. XD And her husband isn't the greatest guy, either. I don't remember if she had a name (#Whoops) but I admire her. And that's wonderful.

4. Conor's Mom in A Monster Calls.

I'll be honest with you - I don't love Patrick Ness. But this book is so good that even my own mom liked it. And it's not horror, regardless of how it might look. :P

Conor's mom is slowly dying of cancer, but she's able to stand strong and firm despite it and hold on to the end. She protects Conor and is just a sweet woman all around. She radiates quiet strength, and it's beautiful to behold.

5. Katherine Krupnik in Anastasia.

Okay. Raise your hand if you know Anastasia. If you do, here's some cookies. *passes out cookies to the one person who raised their hand* Moving on...

The Anastasia series is hysterical, and while her dad and brother usually contribute to the madness, Anastasia's mom manages to remain sane and a tower of strength to her dysfunctional family. I need to get Anastasia from the library again because I loved her when I was younger. *eyes TBR ruefully*

6. Julie Murphy in One for the Murphys.

Okay, Julie isn't actually Carly's mom, she's her foster mom, but whatever, okay?! This book is so sweet and so tearjerker-y that I can't read it without breaking down. You heard that right - me. If you haven't read this one, you should. Carly comes from an abusive household and she's in foster care while her mom's in the hospital. She's loathe to trust these strangers she's living with, but then she does. And they don't disappoint :)

7. Joy Martin and Gemma Ebworthy in Martin Hospitality.

So I'm a cheater and put two of them in here. But Mrs. Martin is a wonderful mom, like all the others, and needs to be mentioned because she wrangled - what, nine kids? Ten? - and was still willing to take in a pregnant teenager who needed help. I've known lots of people just like this XD

And Gemma? She's eighteen when she gets pregnant, and she has no money, but she keeps her baby. Applause from this ardent pro-lifer. She's brave, strong, and utterly committed to her child. That's beautiful to me.

8. Mrs. Vey in Michael Vey.

I don't remember what her first name is... I think she has one, but I don't own these books so I can't know for sure.

But man, this mom and son sure love each other. She works like twelve hours a day to provide for them, and Michael is willing to go to the ends of the earth to rescue his mom. And she'd do the same for him. It's awesome. :)

9. Miranda's mom in When You Reach Me.

This is another book where, if you haven't read it, you should. SO GOOD. I love this one. Miranda spends a lot of the time out in the city and at school, but when she's at home, she's with her mom and mom's boyfriend Richard - and they're all happy to be there. It's got a very sweet family dynamic, and they're helping Mom to train for The $20,000 Pyramid. (It's set back in the '70s.) So good.

10. Marmee in Little Women.

See? I read classics!

Although it's been a very long time since I read this book, I've seen the movie recently, and it's still one of the best. This book may diverge from reality quite a bit, but the parents are still amazing and Marmee is one of the sweetest mothers in any fiction time era. (Also: these are nearly all contemporary [even Little Women {for its time period}] Motion for better mothers in YA fantasy!!!!!!!!!!)

I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into the women whom I think are some of the worthiest moms in fiction. Feel free to list your choices below!

Do you agree with my choices? Have you read any of these books? If you have, serious points. Some of them are really obscure. However, you do need to read them all... like right now...

Music this Month

Books

Movies

Writing

Life

The Questions

1. Iron Man or Captain America? Superman or Batman? Marvel or DC?

2. Imagine that a theme song from a film or show played every time you entered a room. Which theme song would you want it to be?

3. White chocolate, milk chocolate or dark chocolate?

4. What’s one thing you adore- but think you will be able to give up for the rest of your life?

5. Along these lines: What’s one thing you despise- but think you will be able to endure for the rest of your life?

6. Who is the first person who pops into your head when you think "weird"?

7. What book/series would you love to be made into a TV show/movie?

8. What is your favorite book that you read this week?

9. Where would you rather live? A houseboat, a mountain cabin, a farmhouse, or an apartment overlooking the whole city?

10. If you had an animal sidekick, what animal would it be? Could it talk? Fly? Shapeshift?

11. If you could have a superpower/magic ability, what would it be?

My Questions:

1. Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston

2. Legend by Marie Lu

3. The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

4. Second Son by Jenelle Schmidt

5. Starflower, Dragonwitch, and Shadow Hand by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

6. RoseBlood by A.G. Howard

7. The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine

8. This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills

9. The Girl Who Could See

10. Out of Time series

BONUS ROUND: RE-READS!!!!

January

Goals: Finish The King's Daughter.

February

Goals: Finish The King's Daughter. Write the beginning of The Wacky Factor.

March

Goals: Edit The King's Daughter. Finish The Wacky Factor.

April

Goals, lofty and impossible from January: Originally, write The General's Children, sequel to The King's Daughter.

Goals, doable from March: Write The Wacky Factor.

May

GLAIJ: Edit Watched.

GDFM: Edit Watched.

June

GLAIJ: Research World War II and Japanese internment camps.

GDFM: Research World War II and Japanese internment camps.

Goals, modified for new ideas: Write Five Something Something Novella.

July

GLAIJ: Write World War II Japanese Internment Camp story.

GDFM: Write World War II Japanese Internment Camp story.

GMFNI: Try to start writing Wings.

August

GLAIJ: The Seer's Apprentice, book three in the Pentegreen series

GDFM: Edit The King's Daugher.

GMFNI: Finish Wings.

September

GLAIJ: Finish The Seer's Apprentice

GDFM: Edit The Wacky Factor

GMFNI: Edit Watched.

October

GLAIJ: Edit The Wacky Factor.

GDMF: Edit The Wacky Factor.

GMFNI: Finish my Five Something Something Novella, finish The King's Daughter, intensively edit Watched; if still have time work on starting The General's Children

November

GLAIJ: Write The Journey (working title for sequel to Watched)

GDMF: Write The General's Children

GMFNI: Edit Wings

December

GLAIJ: Edit The General's Children

GDFM: More editing of The Wacky Factor

GMFNI: Edit Watched some more

1. Nia Igiby from The Wingfeather Saga

2. Grace Thompson from The Five Stones Trilogy.

3. Doug's mom from Okay for Now.

4. Conor's Mom in A Monster Calls.

5. Katherine Krupnik in Anastasia.

6. Julie Murphy in One for the Murphys.

7. Joy Martin and Gemma Ebworthy in Martin Hospitality.

8. Mrs. Vey in Michael Vey.

9. Miranda's mom in When You Reach Me.

10. Marmee in Little Women.

About Me!