Emily Rachelle Writes

Good morning, my lovely readers! Today we have a new guest, Taylor Bennett. She's here to talk a little about her new book, Porch Swing Girl , and share some old writing from her past for kicks and giggles. Enjoy! About Taylor Homeschooled since kindergarten, Taylor Bennett is the seventeen-year-old author of Porch Swing Girl , released by Mountain Brook Ink on May 1. When she’s not reading or writing, Taylor can be found playing her violin or taking walks in the beautiful Oregon countryside. She loves to connect with readers via her author website, as well as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (her favorite!), Pinterest, and Goodreads. Where to find her Website Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Goodreads Order Porch Swing Girl on Amazon About her book What if friendship cost you everything? Stranded in Hawaii after the death of her mother, sixteen-year- old Olive Galloway is desperate to escape. She has to get back to Boston before her dad loses all common...

#5 5/2/2018 Dear Freshman, This series didn't really go the way I expected. I had a lot of big, vague ideas with not a lot of direction. I 'planned' for several letters, meaning I made a list of one-word topics and assumed I'd remember what I meant months later. Let's just say that's not the most effective approach to blogging. But here we are. I've shared my senior year experiences and how they compare to the dreams and realities I had as a freshman. I told you about the types of friends I made in college, and how friendship doesn't fit into templates or rules. I listed the most important pieces to my (admittedly still developing) time management skills. And I narrated a few of the many, many pieces of identity that are often explored and discovered in college.

Don't forget: today is the last day to enter my Spring Cleaning Giveaway ! # 4 4/25/18 Dear Freshman, This year, I've heard the phrase "identity politics" a lot. I guess the idea is that people let their identities dictate their political stances and alliances instead of grouping together by party. I've never understood why saying something like "hey, LGBTQ people deal with unique problems everyone else doesn't, and I'm part of an LGBTQ group trying to do something about that" is so horrible, but political talk makes everyone jumpy and irrational, I guess. The concept of identity and how it shapes your opinions, worldview, lifestyle, and choices is nothing new, though. And it's a huge part of the college experience. Let's talk a little about some of the pieces that make up a person's identity, and how we think about them differently in a college environment. This letter is going to be limited in what I can teach based on my...

The series is finally back, with a few more letters before I graduate. I know it's been a while, so you can go back and read the beginning of the series if you'd like. # 3 4/11/18 Dear Freshman, There are a lot of sayings out there about time. Trust me, I'm as sick of them as you are, so let's skip the mottos and platitudes and get straight to the point. In college, your most hoarded resource, possibly even more than money, will be time. So if you know how to budget it from the start, life will be a whole lot easier as you go. Everyone in college talks about time management, but what does that really look like? Honestly, an effective system is different for every person. There is no one-size-fits-all. But there are a few common factors to successful time management and fitting your needs and your wants into a realistic schedule.

#2 10/4/17 Dear Freshman, When you come to college, you'll have a lot of ideas about friendship. I came to school with expectations. I would make friends with my orientation class. I would bond with the people in my dorm. Ten years from now, my roommate and I would still be talking every month. Life never meets expectations.

#1 9/27/17 Dear Freshman, It's been roughly a month since I started my senior year of college. I've been looking back on my college experience and doing the "self-reflecting" thing a lot. It's weird, being one of the older students on campus. I see the (many) freshmen on my floor. I notice the questions they ask me, how they listen to my stories, nod with alert eyes. They expect me to know the campus, to have an inside scoop on life here. It's an odd sort of respect, the kind you give to someone who is technically your peer but you view in a different position. I feel very strange to be on this end of it. How did I get here, and so fast?

The Federal Communications Commission and internet service providers want to repeal the 2015 Net Neutrality rules, allowing ISPs to potentially control or limit your internet access. I, along with many other bloggers, self-published ebook authors, and Netflix (to name a few folks) want to protect the free internet. Join us! Save the open internet! Read a basic brief on the Net Neutrality debate from Mashable. My Open Letter to the FCC To the decision makers at the Federal Communications Commission who want to repeal the 2015 rules of Net Neutrality, I am a college student set to graduate in less than a year. I'll be entering the field of public relations and wedding planning, but I already have an established presence online. I have a blog that's been running for almost seven years and three self-published books. I wouldn't have any of this—my blog, my books, my college career—without a free internet. I started and still run my blog on Blogger, which, though owned...

The girl has short hair, thick and black and curly; The side of her head is shaved She wears no makeup A ripped plaid flannel shirt, torn black jeans, Combat boots. This look could be punk Or just fashion in general But the way she laughs, Turns her head, Watches that girl in the sundress at the bar, Holds her beer; These things tell me, maybe Maybe it isn't fashion Maybe, she's a bit like me.

What do you do when the words won't work? What do you do when The thoughts in your brain Poured onto screen Look more like porridge than paint? When a blinking black bar on a glaring white screen Has been running so long Your battery dies? When you sit down two And three and ten times With pen and paper, Tracing lines in the air with your pen Until you give up and close the notebook On the still-blank page? What do you do when the words won't work? When the thoughts in your heart pour into Impassioned eloquent elegies Not fit for anyone to see? When you know exactly what to say But know the audience won't hear? When all the words in your world put together In any personal matter Could lose you the opportunities You need? What do you do with opinions too political? What do you do with a platform too public? What do you do with a voice that reverberates too loud? What do you do when the words you want to write... just won't work? I know ...

Hello, my lovely readers! Today marks the end of my World of Shadows launch tour. Did you get a chance to visit all my friends over the tour? If not, you can follow the links here to catch up: To start our tour, author Zara Hoffman hosted me to talk about the dream that inspired World of Shadows in my guest post "What's in a Dream." Laura shared a fan trailer she made for the book at her blog, Hope Through the Pages. Then she interviewed me ! A music-loving Mennonite friend published the first review of my book at Singing Menno. Another friend shared an excerpt from the first chapter of World of Shadows at Marvelous Happy Things. Alexa at Verbosity Reviews invited me over to discuss the elements of my own life I wrote into this book in my guest post "Finding Me in a World of Shadows." At Pens and Scrolls, I dream-cast the stars I'd choose if World of Shadows ever made it to the big screen. Mariella posted another excerpt at...

Good afternoon, my lovely readers! Today is the day! The moment is here. Are you ready? In this urban fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast, modern-day teenager Beila Durand is plagued by nightmares that lead her to discover - and wind up trapped in - a cursed underground world. The invisible people that live in this medieval village depend on Beila learning the truth behind their curse - and why she is the only one who can set them free. In her quest for answers, however, all she seems to find are more questions. Where do the echoing screeching at night originate? Who is the isolated man that speaks with Beila from the shadows of his cloak? What does this New York girl have to do with any of it? And will she ever find a way back home? It's time to blog party! Here's our lineup: Dec. 11 - Kick-Off - You're here! Dec. 12 - What's in a Dream - Zara Hoffman Dec. 13 - Fan Trailer - Hope Through the Pages Dec. 14 - Interview - Hope Through the Page...

Hello, my lovely readers! I come to you today with more updates on my new young adult novel World of Shadows ! The book launches on December 11, a date that's approaching quickly. Are you ready? I am! First of all: World of Shadows is available for Kindle preorder now on Amazon! This is so exciting! I can't wait until I hold the paperback in my hands, but I've already seen the Kindle copy on my ancient first generation Kindle. I love it! I made a promo banner for my Facebook! Next order of business: the blog tour! Starting right here on Sunday, December 11, aka launch day, I and some of my book blogging friends will be hosting a blog tour. It's been a while since I've run a tour of my own, but I do so love how like a party it is - a party where you can stay at home and wear pajamas! Some of the bloggers you might recognize as old friends here at Emily Rachelle Writes . We have some new names participating this year, too. I'm hyped. Are you hyped...

Hello, my lovely readers. Today I'm reviewing Cidney Swanson's latest book, a time-traveling adventure titled A Thief in Time . I'm elated to experience another of Cidney's works. Let's dive in! About the Book He can't stay - She can't let him go.   Halley’s world is full of hand-outs and hand-me-downs. Even her apartment bedroom is shared, with her distant and self-centered mother. Halley has only a battered blue truck to call her own—until she meets Edmund, the second Earl of Shaftesbury. Edmund has a manor, employs dozens of servants, and has never been close to falling in love—until Halley crashes into his life during an accidental trip to 1598. Now a spiraling series of encounters with a dangerous time-traveling thief will bring their worlds together with heartbreaking ramifications. Amazon Page GoodReads Page My Thoughts When Cidney offered me an advance preview of her latest novel, I jumped at the chance. Long-time readers of ...

About the Book: In this urban fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast, modern-day teenager, Beila Durand, is plagued by nightmares that lead her to discover — and wind up trapped in — a cursed underground world. The invisible people that live in this medieval village depend on Beila learning the truth behind their curse — and why she is the only one who can set them free. In her quest for answers, however, all she seems to find are more questions. Where do the echoing screeches at night originate? Who is the isolated man that speaks with Beila from the shadows of his cloak? What does this New York girl have to do with any of it? And will she ever find a way back home?  To help support World of Shadows ' release, check out my Thun derclap campaign ! World of Shadows will be available in paperback and Kindle ebook on December 11, 2016. Stay tuned here at Emily Rachelle Writes for more updates!

Good morning, my lovely readers. I have a long-awaited announcement to share with you today. My third book, the Beauty and the Beast retelling World of Shadows , will be available for purchase one month from today:  December 11, 2016 ! If you want to help support the release, you can visit World of Shadows ' Thunderclap campaign . Cover reveal and more information will be right here on Wednesday, November 16. Stay tuned!

Good morning, my lovely readers! Or whatever time it is that you're reading this. Today an old friend of Emily Rachelle Writes is back to share her new book with us. Some of you may remember Tessa Emily Hall and her visit to talk about Purple Moon . Her newest title, Unwritten Melody , is available for purchase November 2016. About the Book Tessa Emily Hall on GoodReads Tessa Emily Hall on Amazon Tessa Emily Hall on Barnes & Noble Does breaking free require breaking the rules? Cassie Gilbert lives every day in the shadows of her deceased mom’s rebellion. But now that she’s seventeen, she finds herself longing to break away from her grandmother’s suffocating rules, experience what it’s like to be a regular teenager, and fulfill her songwriting dreams. James Russo, former American Spotlight contestant, escapes to small town Willow Creek, SC hoping to flee from his tarnished past. When a school project pairs him with the shy principal’s granddaughter, he’s determined t...

Once upon a time, there lived a little Christian girl in a little Christian family who led a good homeschooled Christian life alongside her youth group Christian friends. Saturday mornings were reserved for evangelism. Modesty was the most important part of her wardrobe. Her greatest dream was to get married and have eight kids. ponytails have just never been my look Once upon a time, that girl was me. I thought feminism was wrong and God's plan for me was to be a homemaker. I thought I couldn't be a functioning adult woman until I knew how to sew my own clothes and bake from scratch. I was convinced that four boys and four girls was the ideal family size. Nope.

This post happens to be my 600th ever written, and my first written or published for 2016. I never planned it that way -- actually, I didn't plan to write this post until just now, at one a.m. in bed -- but I guess God knew I was ready for a big one. About a year ago, I came out online as bisexual, through a blog post that shared a journal entry from the previous November. I told a handful of people before I posted anything. When I did have my "coming out," it wasn't really a coming out. It was just part of a series sharing many thoughts and struggles I'd had over my first college semester, which happened to include sexuality. Since then, I've referenced my sexuality in certain Facebook posts, maybe a few blog posts, a handful of conversations with friends. I want everyone to know I'm bisexual, because it's part of my identity -- like writing, or Christianity, or my family. But I don't want to shout it from the rooftops, because it's not ...

Remember Grammarly? I've worked with them a little in the past here on this blog. This week featured International Literacy Day, and to celebrate, Grammarly designed an infographic about literacy. I thought you, my lovely readers, might be interested in their results.

I'm still painfully obviously terrible at sticking to a blog schedule, but I do intend to keep posting SOB updates for the rest of the summer, however erratic. I promise! Summer of Books: Week... Whatever number we're on now. 3.5? 3? 3.18?