Happy August, readers! Thank you for a wonderful release day of Sparks Fly Upward! I greatly appreciated your personal emails, texts, photos, and reviews to celebrate. Each one brought a smile and made the day all the more special.
Thank you also to those who participated in the trivia game giveaway. Our winners were Sarah E. and Erin L. Congratulations, ladies!
What’s in this Edition:
Reviewing Sparks Fly Upward with author Tiffany Goldman
The Next Thing – What’s coming next?
Cover Reveals – My three latest cover designs
Releasing in August – Other authors’ new releases I’m most excited about.
Reviewing Sparks with Author Tiffany Goldman
I love this release day photo sent from author Tiffany Goldman, my sensitivity beta reader for Sparks Fly Upward. Don’t you think she resembles a younger version of Martha herself? She provided fantastic notes on the book’s draft, including insightful suggestions, witty character comments, and this amazing review. Thanks, Tiffany!
“WOW, Sparks Fly Upward packs a punch! I have to say well done to the author, she took several real life hardships (slavery, human trafficking, church hurt, etc…) and with care, woven a story that still encourages, edifies, and inspires you. I love the blend of historical accuracy with speculative abilities! The world of Larksong Legacy that Kelsey Gietl created leaves the readers wanting for more.
The character development of not just the main cast but support characters as well had me rooting for almost everyone! And you’ll realize why I said almost everyone. LOL. I especially liked one of the main character’s spiritual arc! He came to the Light when he was at his darkest. This tale was brutally honest (but clean! Nothing graphic was shown on the page) however that hope thread was woven deep all throughout the story so while the tragedies were felt, so was the redemption and light. I was positively blessed by this story; it’s my favorite by far from Kelsey Gietl!”
Tiffany writes “Christian YA fantasy with all the swoon but without the steam” and I can’t wait to read her first novel. Make sure to keep up with her on either Goodreads or Instagram.
The Next Thing
Now that Sparks Fly Upward is out in the world, I’m hard at work on Larksong Legacy Book 4, Stars in the Storm, which is also the final book in the series. In writing this one, I’m feeling a bit like St. Bede the Venerable, riding the waves and letting God steer the story where He wills. I know it always works out in the end, but right now I’m riding the waves of chaotic drafting and wondering how in the world it’ll all come together.
I’ve included an initial back cover blurb below. Let me know your thoughts! Note: If you haven’t read Books 1-3, the blurb below does contain spoilers.
Alice Ann Lark remembers everything, most especially the husband and daughter she abandoned for a life on the sea. Almost four years later, having failed to achieve her adventurous dreams, she would never ask for a forgive-and-forget return to Larksong, nor deserve it. Tormented by vivid flashbacks that become more frequent every day, she sequesters herself in the Ghost Forest, a wasteland of barren trees surrounded by Washington’s mountainous beauty—the perfect metaphor for her now empty life.
Following a year of agonizing adversity, Cade Lark has one final mission to complete before he can find peace with his daughter—to locate the origin of the Larks’ mysterious Gifts. His only clue, however, is a compass his mother died to protect and is now in his estranged wife’s possession. Determined to either restore the past or lay it to rest, he asks Alice Ann to join him on the adventure, exactly as she always wanted him to. If he can’t win her back by the time they find the origin, she’s free to leave. No strings attached, nor questions asked.
Surrounded by a hurricane of unresolved questions, Cade and Alice Ann set off to discover the truth behind Larksong’s legacy. Unbeknownst, a worse storm is lurking beyond the horizon, and when the clouds finally clear, there may not be anything left to save.
Cover Reveals!
In the busyness of releasing a book, I forgot to show you my latest cover designs for some of my fellow authors. All of these books are full of inspiration and Christian faith. Releasing in September, Jennifer Q. Hunt’s Purest Joys Restored is the third book in her Wisteria House series and takes place in the 1920s. Releasing in November, Hannah Hood Lucero’s The Glory of Light is a standalone military romantic suspense. Finally, I had the honor of redesigning the cover for Breathe Deeply, the first book in Allison Ramirez’s series of Catholic Rosary devotionals.
I am in love with how all of these covers turned out. This is my seventh design for Jennifer and sixth for Hannah and every time, I’m amazed at how a single picture can encompass the feeling of an entire novel. For Jennifer’s book, we included an arched window from her own 1920s home. For Hannah’s, note the nod to the American flag in the night sky. And Allison’s series incorporates a different flower for each devotional with specific meaning to the Virgin Mary. Every book is a truly God-inspired collaboration.
Are you an author in need of a cover design? I only design for clean fiction, never use AI images, and offer discounts for active members of the Catholic Writers Guild, the Christian Mommy Writers, and the Daughters of the American Revolution. Reply to this email to schedule a free consultation.
Releasing in August
Need another read? Here are the new releases I’m excited about:
- Love in the Eternal City by Rebecca W. Martin – Catholic Christian rom-com between a Swiss Guard and an American expat set in the heart of Rome
- Valerie Rose by Liz Chapman – contemporary Christian romance between a single mom and her son’s school chaplain
- Where Trees Touch the Sky by Karen Barnett – 1920s/1970s split-time set amid the majestic California redwoods and the secrets of a family legacy
- Something Borrowed by Rachel Scott McDaniel, Allison Pittman, and Susie Finkbeiner – 3 romance novellas bound together by one wedding dress
- Bohemian Dragon Awakening by Sarah Everest – the third book in the Aristonia dragon fantasy series, this time set in the Czech Republic
Want to know what I’m currently reading? Follow me on GoodReads.
Did you know reviews help both readers and authors? Even one sentence is enough, and every word greatly appreciated. Consider leaving a rating on Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, and/or your favorite retailer!
Until next month, happy reading!
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Kelsey
Purchase signed copies of my books: kelseygietl.com
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