‘Breath of Angel’ was good, but could not handle the many twists

Breath of Angel-Karyn Henley

 

Breath of angel, blood of man…

So begins the story of  Melaia, a young priestess who witnesses the gruesome murder of a stranger inside the temple courtyard. She then discovers that the stranger had wings. After this discovery, Melaia is then thrown into a feud between two immortal brothers who destroyed the stairway to heaven.*

Karyn Henley penned a potential winner with this one. The cover of the book is gorgeous, the description of the temple, angels, and the priestesses who live there was very detailed, and furthermore this painted a clear picture in your mind and read as if it could be a movie, similar to Lord of Rings orNarnia.

Perhaps this bookworm is getting old or the book just had too much going on, I am unsure. Yet I had to race through the last few chapters this week just so I can post a review and get on with my school work. That seems unfair because I typically like fiction/fantasy categories, yet this one only gets  a mediocre review from me. The love interest Melaia has is the only reason why this book did not receive a low score of 3 stars. A more thorough review is located on my examiner page.

Book Details:

Title: Breath of Angel by Karyn Henley

On Sale June 21, 2011, WaterBrook Press

Price: $9.99/ $10.99 Canada

ISBN: 978-0-307-73012-1

eISBN: 978-0-307-73013-8

Goodies:

Download a free chapter of this book!

*The Advanced Reading Copy was given to me for my unbiased review by WaterBrook Press

 

Tracking an Author Series…When Your Character Deviates From the Plan

Photo by twenty_questions

I had a plan. I had an outline. I had to type. Everything was laid out as it was in the foundation of the world. Somehow my character leapt from the pages, strangled me and told me they didn’t like what I had planned.

 

 

 

 

 

The plan was for the hero to be a human boy.

The plan was for the un-human to be a girl.

The plan was for them to instantly fall in love.

What happened was opposite of all those things. I am unsure if it is because my muse has been different music I’ve listened to at night or the books I have been reading. I will focus on that another time, but for now-don’t you just love and hate that at the same time? The beauty of story is that you as the writer is playing as “god”. As what happened during Adam and Eve’s day, they kinda sorta deviated from God’s plan, but it brought forth something new…Free Will.

Yes Eve listened to the serpent.

Yes Adam took part of it.

Yes God was disappointed.

Yet their banishment from Paradise and the children they had went through many journeys(and still are) to make for interesting chapters. Okay, hopefully that wasn’t a terrible analogy but there you have it. I deviated from my plan of not being religious.

Happy writing!

Book Review Alert! Dr. David Jeremiah’s ‘Angels’

Image Provided by Multnomah

Continuing on our unearth bound friends’ world, I have finally finished the nonfiction work of Dr. David Jeremiah’s. Angels certainly explained the questions I’ve always had as a child and then there were some questions that just had to be left alone.

The highlights of the book, is that it is highly organized while keeping it light for the rest of us who just need a basic explanation of what angels are and how much attention should we give these beings. The book went on to explain angels in dreams as well stating: “Angels can show themselves in our dreams as it did Jacob saw them first on the stairway to heaven”(paraphrased from Angels, pg. 100). So yes, it appears that angels have appeared in many people’s dream in the bible, from Jacob to Joseph.

Gratefully, for some readers, Jeremiah didn’t spend a whole lot of time on Hell’s Angels as he calls the fallen ones in his book, but he does spend a few pages on the fall of Lucifer and the angels which fell to hell with him. This seemed significant as we must remember that God created all beings and Satan being an angel was created too-with the ability to make a choice.

This book was very enlightening and I recommend it as a companion in your bible study because the chapters entitled: “Showing Us How to Worship” and “Showing Us How to Work” are great pieces on how we can be as close to God now before we even die and go to heaven. The angels are constantly worshiping Him in a fashion we can all learn from.

So how much attention should we give angels? Well, don’t worship them, worship Him as the one who made them and learn from the angels, thank God for these beings who help and serve those who will inherit salvation!

Be encouraged from this book and share with a friend also!

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Title: Angels

Author: Dr. David Jeremiah

Published: 2006, by Multnomah

ISBN:978-1601422699

Tracking an Author Series: What Writer’s Block Truly Is and Other Witty Advice

I am still continuing the Angel journey but here is a just a bit of inspiration for you writers out there. I have a few tips related to what I have discovered, which may help you. The good news is that I now have the cute little “Share” buttons below my posts so you can easily just click and share or print. Here goes:

1. Don’t believe in a long Writer’s Block. There is, however, a such thing as “Sleeping Writer” or “Unprepared Writer” or “A writer that doesn’t realize that novel is a turning out to be a wonderful short story.” These cases may not be true for others- but it is for me.

2. Every self published writer is not a dim witted writer or other bad names self published authors are called. Self published authors realize their calling and they are answering to that call quickly without having to wait a year for someone to pat them on the back and say “Nice work!”

 3. Going traditional is okay. Even I am thinking of being published traditionally, butam  keeping my options open. I will still self publish my own works.  Not all traditionally published authors are Great writers.

4. Realize that writing is a job. In fact, it is grueling. Takes too much dedication, but its like giving birth. Once you hold that glossy print or Kindle and see your words embedded- Oh! The joy! This is the best job in the world.

5. Interview your characters. I have delved into the habit of interviewing my characters in my mind and on paper. What kind of person are they? Would I want to be their friend? What landed them in this situation? Minor characters have a mini interview or instead I let them take over once I type out a story.

6. The signature. I am letting people know via emails and other memos and posts that yes, I am a novelist. This is my signature block on hotmail as well. You should do it too. It kind solidifies what you are getting into. Like a suit being fitted.

Enjoy your journey in writing! Let me know how you’re doing!

Angel Study: What are Angels Made of? Scripture Observation.

Continuing my adventure on the study of angels, it is wise to use the bible as our present source and guide on these heavenly creatures. What I’d like to focus on in this post are the characteristics of an angel. What are they made of? What does the “man after God’s own heart” have to say about angels?

Angels are considered heavenly beings. They are immaterial, meaning that they are not bound by the physical laws of Earth. In fact, according to the book Angels by Dr. David Jeremiah, they could be made of fire and wind. Why fire and wind? Well the Lord says in Ezekiel 13:13 “In my wrath I will unleash  a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain…” In both Hebrew and Greek, the term spirtit means “breath or wind”(81) So, let’s look at another scripture:

The Lord will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea; with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River. Isaiah 11:15 

Or what of fire?

His body also was like the beryl and his face as the appearance of lightning and his eyes as lamps of fire…(Daniel  10:6 KJV)

 

This could all be speculation of course. When I think of wind I think of normal cool winds blowing on my skin from across the ocean waters, or perhaps a warm wind on a nice Spring day. When I think of fire I think of hot stove, forest fires, hell, etc. Does that mean an angel is nearby? Or are the winds and  discussed in biblical passages a bit more forceful and spiritual than that? Hmmmm.

Finally, David, the Harpist, the Psalmist, the young one who slayed Goliath had something to say about angels. I like how Dr. David Jeremiah desribed how David would sit underneath the stars and contemplate on the Lord and His ways. David says:

“What is man that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou vistest him? For thou has made him a little lower than the angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour”-(Psalm 8:4-5 KJV)

David seems to have latched on to a hard truth here. Even with all the talk about about the angels and how God has made them inumerable, heavenly and of wind and fire, the Lord is still mindful of us and visit us as well. In fact, He sends angels to us in many different forms, much like has in the past.

What do you think? Do you think is far too much speculation? Have you found more scriptures on this?

*Next, we will discuss angels appearing to some and not all. Angels in visions, dreams, and reality as well as angels in fiction…see you soon!