Book-Lovers Day

              Today is the first official Book-Lovers Day! Book-Lovers Day, every Tuesday, is the day where I will share sneak peeks of my upcoming books, short stories I have written, book reviews for some of my recent reads, and everything else that has anything to do with books. Books are one of my passions, so it seems fitting to have a specific day when I share that passion with you.

On this first Book-Lovers Day I thought I would do something special, start it off with a bang so to speak. So, I am debuting for the first time ever the book description for my new novel Without You, which will hopefully be out sometime in the spring! I hope you enjoy!

Without You

By: Mackenzie Carol

“…I don’t know what I would do without you.” I said affectionately.

“Me either.” Chandler responded.

            I, Miranda Baker, was fairly content when I spoke those words, not for the first time, to my boyfriend Chandler Anderson that early fall day. I was a senior in college, I had been with Chandler for over four years, and he and I were starting to plan out our future together. I thought life could not get any better, and that I could handle anything. Little did I know, however, that I was about to encounter the hardest trial I could ever imagine.

            Faced with the challenge of my life, I left the familiar for the unknown, trying to accomplish that which may have been impossible. With each passing day, I confronted my fears head-on, just trying to avoid the one horror I could not stop thinking about. The fact that there was a chance I would have to move forward with the rest of my life, without him.

Mid-Week Pick-Me-Ups

              Happy Wednesday! Guess what, you are halfway through the week! Is that not something that will brighten your day? On this beautiful, sunny day, I thought I would share a few of my favorite pick-me-ups.

Books! Books are the best pick-me-ups for rainy days, bad days, or any day. I may be a little biased, but no one needs to know that. I typically like to stick to Christian fiction or classics, so I do not really have something for everyone, but the books I like are good, I can tell you that. A few books I have been crazy about lately are Dear Mr. Knightly by Katherine Reay- a book about a troubled graduate school student who is infatuated by Jane Austen, Persuasion by Jane Austen- a classic young love lost because one wasn’t as rich as the other tale, Jo’s Boys by Louisa May Alcott- a continuation of her beloved Little Women, Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones- a wonderful fake-engagement story that will certainly keep you laughing, and She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell- a historical novel about a girl pressured to marry up, and The Headmistress of Rosemere by Sarah E. Ladd, a book about the headmistress of a girls school. I practically devoured these books, as I do most any book I read, so they come highly recommended.

I have found in my daily walk of trying to be closer to my Savior, that the verse that helps me the most is 2 Timothy 4:17- “But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me.” It never fails to remind me that God is always right there to pick me up when I fall and to strengthen me when I fail.

And last but not least, two songs that I constantly have on repeat are Scandal of Grace by Hillsong United and Something in the Water by Carrie Underwood. Scandal of Grace has been one of my favorite songs since I first heard it sometime around the beginning of the year, and I have had it as the song for my alarm since it is the best way to wake up in the morning. Singing the words about how Jesus willingly died for us even though he did nothing wrong, and how much we want to be like him always picks me up as I go about starting my day. I had heard how amazing Something in the Water was before I actually heard the song, but I was not fully expecting how great it really was. I tear up nearly every time I hear the song, because it is true. I am changed, thanks to God meeting me where I am, and thanks to the ‘something in the water’.

               My last pick me up, which is not a regular pick me up but rather one fitting for the day, is the fact that there are only 49 days until Christmas! I cannot wait! So here is a picture of snow!

Mackenzie Carol