Regal Hearts Blog Tour-Halee’s Bookshelf

“Here we go again. Exhibit A of how the shallow waters of Hollywood works, as you get attacked by the media sharks. First, they compliment you, allow you to put your guard down, and then SNAP! The mousetrap slams down on the innocent cheese taker.”

Watch out people, because the evil of this world is using our media! Whether we like to admit it or not, books (among other things) are strongly influenced by the culture, and these negative and ungodly things are being mindlessly fed to our young people through popular series. They may grab your attention, keep you on the edge of your seat, and may capture you with its romance and fantasy, but it’s not wise material to be putting time into.

Thank God though, because as this generation of young people comes in, so do Godly young writers who are eager to share their writing talent to hungry readers around the world! ^_^ 

I introduce to you, Livy Jarmusch, founder of Crown Of Beauty Magazine!! Livy is an amazing world changer in this generation, touching countless young girls for the glory of God, and she’s also producing TONS of clean and positive media that establishes a firm foundation of biblical content. She has written several books: Secrets Of Royalty, When Life Feels Like A Taylor Swift Song, and a magazine article bind up called Beauty, Boys, and Ballgowns.

Now, with her new “episode-style” story coming up, you’ll be in love with the vivid, relatable characters, the powerful plot, and the need-to-read messages presented.

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I’ve read the first two chapters, and let me tell you, I can’t wait to read more!! It’s such an exciting series with so many twists and turns.

Written especially for girls, Livy hits impacting issues straight on, in an amazing way…..

“No more crying. Listen to me. You are a brave, strong-willed woman. You have been asked to do something against your will, something that will require all the courage and faith that you possess. But God will help you! We will pray, and pray, and pray again, and He will see you through every test and trial that presents itself to you. You must begin to gather your head about this, child.” 

I have to say, my favorite character so far is Emma, with her spunky personality and bookworm/wallflower personality, I can’t help but relate! But I am really enjoying diving into the other creative storylines woven into the big picture…(aka, the whole series.)

I hope you’ll pre-order Livy’s first “episode” in the Regal Hearts series! It’s on Amazon right now: click here.

~By His Grace,

Halee Westbrook

(P.S. Want to read the other blog posts in this blog tour? Check out this following links below, and don’t forget to peruse Livy’s website, Crown Of Beauty!)

• Book review
• Interview with Emma, a spunky character in Regal Hearts….
• ANOTHER interview with Emma, she’s a loved character. ;-)
• Book review
• A sarcastic and amazing guest post from, yes, Emma. :-D

 

The synopsis: 

Following the dramatic birth of her royal daughters, the Queen of Bella-Adar is murdered by the merciless sword of an evil usurper. The helpless princesses are placed in the care of the URIA, an undercover organization who safely extracts and protects the girls from a tragic fate. Sixteen years later, Lena Bodner encounters a stranger who uncovers secrets from her past…

Embark on these regal adventures, as Episode 1 launches an exciting, riveting mini-series of 25 pages released in a periodical, episode format. Reading Regal Hearts is like watching a TV show unfold in your mind, so you’ll have to be patient for the release of each new episode!

Why I’m Taking A Gap-Year For College…FOR GOOD.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” And when you’re older, “What are you going to do when you graduate?” and “What are you going to college for?”.

The curious questions from grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles are daunting and very expected, yet so unexpected. The college discussion is ranked right on up there with some of the most terrifying conversations you’ll ever have!

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I’ve never really had the burning desire to go to college, and when I was young didn’t think about it because, hey, reading. I had no time to discuss such futuristic matters!

But now I see the importance of these questions, that I could provoke some change in those around me, and perhaps, Lord willing, stir up the status quo and cause folks to think for themselves instead of The American Dream telling us what we should do when High School is over.

Yes, I am among the generation of radical kids that will not be going to college. I will not be staying in a dorm, nor will I be even taking classes locally. I have an alternative.

Say, I wanted to do something else. Perhaps I wanted to pursue art, writing, learning about becoming a freelance editor, photography, marketing, invest in the lives of my siblings and younger friends, counseling, baking, homesteading, sewing, quilting, digging into God’s Word, having Bible studies, candle making and maybe even pursue starting a home business?

I think some of you (even if you didn’t admit it) would say to yourselves (or to me) that my plans were foolish/a waste of time and that I can do these things after college. I think you would also talk about that now is the time to pursue hobbies, but that I could do that later, maybe when I retired, then I could pursue my dreams.

I am basically taking the idea of a gap year and applying it to my own life. Gap year in Wikipedia words:

During this time students may engage in advanced academic courses, extra-academic courses and non-academic courses, such as yearlong pre-college math courses, language studies, learning a trade, art studies, volunteer work, travel, internships, sports and more. Gap years are sometimes urged as a way for students to become independent and learn a great deal of responsibility prior to engaging in university life.

You see, there are many faults I, (and many other people) find in going to college….Problems that can hinder me in my life, my walk with God, my future hopes….Problems that I don’t want to willingly accept in to….I don’t want to pay to fall into these lifelong roadblocks!

Issues like student loans, purity, turning away from the church, being exposed to unbiblical teaching, etc.

There are many things in this life I want to accomplish, many life lessons I need to learn, and plenty of character qualities to work through to become a better sister, daughter, woman, Christian and, well, adult. I, like many other people, just don’t have the time to get in debt over education! And frankly, I really don’t want to get in debt.

(Consider these Bible verses: Romans 13:8, Ecclesiastes 5:8, Proverbs 22:26-27)

I honestly don’t want to dive into all the ways college is a bad idea, but if you want further study on this topic, pray fervently and ask the Lord what He would have you do about college, even if the answer is something you had hoped against AND read Chucking College by Melanie Ellison. It’s a wonderful book that quickly and effectively discusses each and every con to college, then presents helpful alternatives. I haven’t finished it yet, but I’ll probably have a review up soon!

Interesting List Of College Drop-Outs For Your Consideration:

• Michael Dell, Dell founder, dropped out at 19
• Steve Jobs, Apple founder, dropped out at 19
• Julian Assange, Wikileaks founder, dropped out at 19
• Bill Gates, Microsoft founder, dropped out at 20
• Evan Williams, Twitter co-founder, dropped out at 20
• Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder, dropped out at 20
• John Mackey, Whole Foods founder, dropped out at 22
• Wofgang Puck quit school at 14 to to be a cooking apprentice
• Walt Disney dropped out to join Red Cross
• Abraham Lincoln left school at 12 to help with his family farm.
• David Karp, Tumblr founder dropped out at 14 because his mom encouraged him to focus on computers.
• Coco Chanel left school at 18, and later became one of the world’s most famous fashion designers.
• Abigail Adams, U.S. First Lady, homeschooler.
• Adele, the singer, dropped out because she was offered a record deal.
• Julie Andres, Oscar award-winning singer and actress.
• Jane Austen, dropped out at age 11.
• Glenn Beck, Radio and Tv and political commentator, bestselling book author, dropped out of Yale.

Bottom line is this: I’m pursuing things today that some people would say needs to wait after college, and I’m already reaping the benefits. I’m pursuing God’s Will for my life, living abundantly, and am daily striving to make myself a better person for God’s glory.  Period.

 

~By His Grace,

Halee

 

Let’s chat in the comments! We may not agree on this topic, but we can discuss and I’d love to go further in respectfully!