Hi everyone! I’m so sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted on here, but I wanted to share with y’all that my new book, A Love So Sweet, is officially out today on Amazon!

All Autumn wants to do is go back to the way things were before. Before she ruined everything.

On the outside, Autumn McKay looks like she has it all together, but on the inside, guilt and shame plague her. For years, the weight of her brother’s accident has rested on her shoulders, along with the thoughts that tell her it was her fault. And she can’t shake the fear that maybe she’s messed up too much to be used by God.

When she gets asked to run a summer camp for some at-risk girls from the local elementary school, Autumn is determined not to fail again. But as the summer progresses and things aren’t going as she planned, Autumn starts to wonder if her greatest fears will come true. Will she realize just how much God loves her?

I’m so excited to be able to share A Love So Sweet with you! God put this story in my heart and walked with me through the entire process of this book. He alone deserves all the glory! Thank you so much for all of your support and encouragement, it means the world to me!

Hi guys! I hope you all are doing well! For the past two years I’ve done blog posts on “What I Learned at 22” and “What I Learned at 23” around my birthday, and this year I wanted to do one on what the Lord has taught me during my 24th year of life.

When I turned 24, I never would have imagined all that would happen this past year. I had just moved to a new town with my family a month before, and so the beginning of my 24th year I was still adjusting to living in a completely new place. I’m not a big fan of change, so initially I wasn’t really sure if I’d like leaving behind the only place I had ever called home, but overtime I realized how nice it was to have a slower pace of life away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. The Lord really helped me make my home here, and He never left my side the entire time.

This year was also the year that God brought along some of the best friends into my life I have ever had. They walked with me through some of the hardest times of my life, and saw some of the worst parts of me, and didn’t leave. Having deep friendships is something I value, and I’ve learned this year just how much I love and appreciate the amazing people in my life.

I think the biggest thing I learned this year is what it looks like when your plans don’t turn out the way you thought they would. For so long, I had desired to be married and have a family of my own, but the Lord hadn’t opened that door yet. But during my 24th year, I stepped into my first relationship. I was excited, but I think I began to realize that God was asking me to step away and surrender that part of my life fully to Him. But I was scared. I thought that if I let go, there was no way I’d ever be in a relationship again. I tried to convince myself that this was God’s best for me, even though I knew deep down it wasn’t. I made idols of my own desires, and cared more about serving myself than I did about serving God.

But God knew what was best for me, and was faithful even when I was faithless. The relationship ended, and I was left trying to process so many different emotions. I was initially mad at God, because to me it didn’t make sense why something that seemed so good and something I had desired for so long He would take away. But He kept on loving me and walked with me through that process, and with time I was able to see things for what they actually were. What I thought was His best for me actually wasn’t, and as time went on the more thankful I was that He had brought me out of that. He was protecting me, and asking me to lay my desires down fully to Him.

And since then, the Lord has shown me just how amazing He is, and how much He gives good gifts even though I don’t deserve them. Even though I failed Him, He still loves me, and forgives me every single day. I realized that though I may not understand what the Lord is doing, I want His plans for my life, not my own. Because His plans are flawless, and He cares so much for me, more than anyone ever could.

My 24th year was filled with some ups and downs, but God has been constant in my life when nothing else was. I’m excited to see what He has in store for my 25th year of life, and I know that no matter what comes my way, He will walk with me through everything.

I hope y’all are having a great day! What did y’all learn this past year?

-Hannah

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Hi everyone! My good friend, Marissa Adams, is releasing her first book, Wetherholt, tomorrow and I’m so excited!!

When Lissie Dairton heads to New York City to visit her aunt and uncle, her only regret
is that her older sister Nett can’t come along. Her remedy is to write witty and insightful
letters keeping Nett informed of her adventures in the big city—from dealing with their
beastly aunt and refusing advances from a ghastly suitor to attending plays with
heiresses and falling in love with a dashing Mr. Elwood.

From afar, Nett replies with her usual practicality as she tries to keep her flightier sister’s
feet on the ground. But soon, Nett is swept up in her own adventure as she meets the
brother of Lissie’s prospective beau. Levelheaded, caring, and sensible, the elder
Elwood brother seems like the answer to all her dreams. But what at first seems like
happiness becomes confusion as Nett’s almost-suitor begins acting stiff and distant.

Lissie remains convinced that she and her sister will marry the Elwood brothers, but
Nett is uncertain. With family disapproval and the seeming disinterest from the elder
brother, how can there possibly be a satisfactory end for everyone?

I got the chance to interview Marissa and ask her a few questions!

1. What was your inspiration for writing Wetherholt? 

Jane Austen! My love for balls, carriages, and fancy dresses comes from reading her books and watching various film/miniseries adaptations of them. I wanted to include things like trains in Wetherholt, so I shoved the year later, and, upon my editor’s suggestion, relocated the story to America to better fit with what society was like back then. I would love to go to a ball and mingle with society back then, and writing about it gives me a taste of that!   

2. What was your favorite part of the writing process? 

The writing itself, haha! I’m a pantser when I write (no planning whatsoever) so I never knew what might be coming next for the story until I was writing it. And it was always very interesting when I created situations or problems because I had to figure out how to solve them as I was writing. I never knew when new characters might pop in either! 

3. Do you have a favorite character in your book? 

I have two! I love Nett and Lissie’s cousin Brooks Crossing and I also love their dad, Phillip Dairton. Brooks is such a fun character to write for with all of his ridiculousness. If I knew him in real life, I think he’d make me laugh a lot! Mr. Dairton gains a spot in my heart for how protective he is of his girls, how polished and charming he is in his letters, and the fact that he’s the only character that I distinctly hear his voice in my head when I read his letters.

4. Do you have a certain time of day that you like to write? Are you more of a person who writes during the day or do you prefer writing at night? 

I’d say late morning or afternoon. I love taking my laptop to my club chair, listening to rain sounds, and pound away on my keyboard.

5.  What came first for you when first deciding to write Wetherholt, the plot or the characters? Do you have an idea for the plot and then create characters after that or did you build your book around your characters? 

It actually all unfolded at the same time. Since I tend to write as a pantser, the characters and plot helped create each other. I will say that the characters probably helped create the plot a bit more, because the characters were getting fleshed out as I wrote, while the plot kept twisting this way and that. I never wanted the plot to feel static or stuck. That’s partially why people kept moving from place to place so their environment and the people they were around were constantly changing.

6. What are you hoping that readers will get out of your book? 

Entertainment, I suppose! When I read, I love laughing and feeling like I’m transported to another place. In addition to that, I hope I inspire others to keep writing whatever story it is that they’ve been working on. I hope that I succeeded in both of those for my readers!

I cannot wait to get to read Wetherholt! Go check out Marissa’s website, marissaadamsbooks.com and follow her on Instagram @marissaadamsbooks and on facebook.com/marissaadamsbooks to keep up with her!

I hope you all are having a great week!

-Hannah

Marissa Adams grew up in the beautifully rainy Pacific Northwest. She has been creating stories since before she knew how to write her letters. Most of her days are split between spending time with her family and friends, reading, playing video games, and hanging out with Ivy, the most adorable Havanese on earth. Wetherholt is Marissa’s first novel.

Today is officially the first day of autumn! I’m so happy because I woke up to cool weather this morning, it feels like fall here in TX! 🙂 Fall is my favorite season, I love just about everything about it. I love the cooler weather, the delicious foods, drinking hot chocolate, the cute fall decorations, and reading a good book by the fire.

Last year I made an autumn bucket list for the first time and this year I decided to make one again! Here are some of my things on my list:

1. Make s’mores.

2. Watch October Baby.

This movie I haven’t seen in a long time, but I remember liking it, and though I’m not sure if it’s technically set in the fall, since it’s about a girl with an October birthday I thought it would be fun to watch it again! 🙂

3. Read good books.

4. Watch football.

5. Drink hot chocolate.

I really enjoy hot chocolate, and the fall is usually when I start enjoying a cup of hot chocolate again! 🙂

6. Go to a pumpkin patch.

I haven’t been to a pumpkin patch since I was younger, and I really want to go again to one! 🙂

7. Decorate for fall.

This one my mom and I did recently, and it makes me happy seeing the house so cozy! 🙂

8. Bake Apple Cinnamon Muffins.

9. Write a letter.

I love writing letters, but something about writing letters during the fall time makes me excited! 🙂

10. Make a Gratitude List.

I can definitely struggle with gratitude and it can be so easy for me to notice the negative things, so focusing on gratitude and the blessings that God has given me is something I want to do this fall.

11. Have a family game night.

12. Visit a farmer’s market in the fall.

13. Go on a long walk.

14. Have chili.

15. Stargaze.

Those are some of my things on my bucket list! What are some things that you want to do this autumn? What is your favorite season?

I hope everyone has a great start to their fall!

-Hannah

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well and have had a great summer! My summer was filled with some great memories that I’m so thankful for!

I did a post a couple months ago about my favorite fiction books and today I am finally getting around to posting about my favorite non fiction reads!

1. The Bible.

This book is in a category all of its own, as it is the Word of God! “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12. I’m so thankful that I get to spend time with the Lord in His Word. It is so encouraging and life giving! If you have any questions about God and His Word, I’d love to talk to you about them!

2. It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered by Lysa Terkeurst.

This book is one of my all time favorite non-fiction books. It talks about how when we face disappointments and hardships, God will always see us through and He always works good for those who love Him. I read this book when I was going through a difficult season, and God really used Lysa Terkeurst’s words to encourage me. I definitely recommend this book!

3. Love Does by Bob Goff.

The stories that Bob Goff tells of the things that God has done through his life are so amazing. In his book he talks about what it looks like to love your neighbor. He is such a gifted author and his book is one you can’t put down! His book, Everybody, Always is a favorite of mine as well!

4. Welcome to Adulting by Jonathan Pokluda.

This book is filled with so much helpful advice for entering into adulthood from a biblical truth filled perspective. From relationships to finances, it gave me some great advice on navigating adulthood.

5. Be Loved by Emma Mae Jenkins.

Emma Mae Jenkins, now McDaniel, is such a bright light for the Lord and her words always encourage me in my relationship with Christ! In her book, she talks about how she grew in her faith in God during high school and how she learned how much God loves us! It’s a really encouraging read!

6. Single, Dating, Engaged, Married by Ben Stuart.

Whether you’re single, dating, engaged, or married, this book offers some great advice on what it looks like to live fully for the Lord in each season that you’re in and what qualities are important to have in a spouse.

7. It’s Not About Me by Max Lucado.

This book is a recent read of mine and I really enjoyed it! Max Lucado talks about how this life is not about us, it’s about our amazing and awesome God! He talks about the different character traits of the Lord.

8. Love Defined: Embracing God’s Vision for Lasting Love and Satisfying Relationships by Kristen Clark and Bethany Baird.

This book is filled with biblical truth on how we as single women can navigate relationships in a God honoring way. They give advice and examples from their own life on how to glorify God in every stage of our relationships.

9. Finding God’s Life For My Will by Mike Donehey.

This book talks about how to stop living in anxiety and worry and instead ask God and His life to come and change your will. It is filled with so much encouragement and biblical truth.

10. Goliath Must Fall: Winning the Battle Against Your Giants By Louie Giglio.

This book reminds us that we already have the victory in Jesus and that no matter what we face, we have the Giant Slayer with us always. This book reminds us that whether we’re in the grips of fear, anger, or rejection, Jesus will help us through it.

11. That Sounds Fun by Annie F. Downs.

As we get into adulthood, we often start putting fun on the back burner. In her book, Annie F. Downs reminds us of the importance of having fun and having hobbies as adults. Her books, Let’s All Be Brave, and Looking for Lovely are two of my favorites as well!

Those are my favorite non-fiction books! What are some of your favorites? I’d love to hear about them!

I hope you are having a great day! You are all so loved by God!

-Hannah

P.S. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links which means that I get a commission if you purchase the books in the links in my post. This is at no extra cost to you!

Hi everyone! I did a post like this last year around my birthday called “What I Learned at 22” and I wanted to do one this year sharing about what the Lord has taught me!

My 23rd year was filled with some ups and downs, but I’m so thankful that the Lord is constant and so faithful, even though I do not deserve Him. One thing that He taught me this past year is that He alone is enough for me. I can often people please and try to find my satisfaction in other people or even things, such as my job, but the Lord really showed me this year that those things do not define me, but He alone does. The pandemic was isolating for me and often made me feel like I was alone, but God showed me that because I have Him, I am never alone. He is so amazing!

On July 4th, 2020, my family and I got together with my grandparents, uncle, aunt, and cousins all together for the first time since before the pandemic. It was so great getting to be all together again.

In August of 2020, I went back to work for the first time since before the pandemic. It was definitely a learning experience for me as I had to learn to adjust to different procedures that were in place. I am grateful that God was with me every step of the way because I couldn’t have done it without Him. I worked through November of 2020, before saying goodbye to my first job in preparation for us to move. It was definitely sad for me leaving my first job, but I am thankful that God had be there for a season.

In September, we started exploring our future new home town due to the fact that my uncle, aunt, and cousins moved there! We didn’t know quite yet that we would be living there!

On New Year’s Eve, my family got together again with my grandparents, uncle, aunt, and cousins to celebrate our Christmas. It was so great being able to celebrate with them, especially after the hard year.

January of 2021 my family moved into a rental house about 3 hours away from Houston for a few months. My brother started college in a new area, and so for a few months we went back and forth between Houston and the rental house. It was definitely an adjustment being in a new place and not knowing many people, and I had some hard days, but there were also so many good times! I’m so thankful for the Lord’s unfailing love and His faithfulness!

I saw snow 2 times within a month which basically never happens in TX! The snow part was really fun, especially during the first snow, but during the second snow, the ice and low temperatures in the teens that I had not seen before in TX affected a lot of people. I am thankful that my family and my house was okay but I know that so many people’s houses weren’t.

In March, I got to meet up with my editor and beta reader for the first time! It was so much fun getting to see them!

In April, my family sold our Houston house. It was very bittersweet, as I had lived in that house since I was 2. It was my childhood home and I have so many memories from there!

In May, we officially moved 3 hours away to our new city. We’ve really been enjoying being a bit more out in the country, it’s so peaceful here. I also published my first novel, Hope in the Dark, in May! I’m so thankful that God had me meet so many amazing people through the process, He is so good! It was so surreal on release day having it out and people have been so sweet and supportive and I am so thankful!

My 23rd year was filled with some hard days but also some great memories and I am so thankful that through everything, the Lord is constant. Without Him, I have nothing. In Him, I lack no good thing and I am so in awe of His love. God has grown me in the last year, and each and every day I want to become more like Him.

How has your year been so far? What are some of your favorite memories this year?

-Hannah

I’ve loved reading since I was young. I always enjoyed finding a good book and stepping into the story! I wanted to share about some of my favorite fiction books! I plan on doing a part two soon about my favorite nonfiction books so stay tuned for that!

1. The Tales of Tarsurella books by Livy Jarmusch.

This is my favorite series! There are three books in this series, The Coronation, The Rebellion, and The Wedding and they are all so good! The series is about a modern day royal family in the *fictional* country of Tarsurella. The royals have to navigate life bombarded by media while also learning how to grow closer to the Lord and each other. I definitely plan on going to Tarsurella one day! 😀

2. Men of Grit series by John J. Horn.

This series is a new favorite! There are four books, Brothers At Arms, The Boy Colonel, Secret of the Lost Settlement, and Escape to the Mountain Fortress. I’m currently reading the fourth and final book in the series and I’m so sad that it’s almost over! The series revolves around two twin brothers who are complete opposites of each other as well as a colonel in the army called Nobody! The books are about their adventures and obstacles that they face.

3. Regal Hearts by Livy Jarmusch.

This series is written in a TV show format, with episodes, which is really unique! It’s about four sisters who are separated at birth and find out years later that they actually are royalty! There are three seasons and each one left me excited for the next one!

4. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien.

This book is a classic and y’all have probably heard about it already haha. This book was one of my favorite reads in school! The Lord of the Rings is also a really good series!

5. Winnie The Horse Gentler by Dandi Daley Mackall.

This series is geared toward middle grade readers, but I actually went back and reread the books over quarantine because I love them so much! I love horses and I loved reading about Winnie and how she grew in her character and closer to God throughout the series.

6. A Light for Christ series by Aleigha C. Israel.

This series is such a good series about characters who are faced with so many obstacles to their faith in Christ, and they have to decide if they’re going to remain steadfast in their faith or if they’re going to give in to pressure of the world and people around them.

7. Martin Hospitality by Abigayle Claire.

This book was such a sweet and uplifting story about a girl named Gemma having to navigate life as a single mom while also discovering how much God loves her.

8. The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis.

This series is also a classic and such a good and entertaining series with a great message. My favorite books in this series are probably The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and The Magician’s Nephew but they are all really good!

Those are some of my favorite fiction books! What are some of your favorites?

I hope you are having a wonderful day!

-Hannah

P.S. The links in this post are affiliate links which means that I get a commission if you purchase the books in the links in my post. This is at no extra cost to you!

Hi everyone! I am so excited to announce that my first novel, Hope in the Dark, is officially out on Amazon today!!

Moving into the great unknown of Featherlight, Idaho, was a huge change for Elizabeth Matthews. But while Asheville, North Carolina was comfortingly familiar, it had left her with a broken heart and a determination to never trust a man again.

Hard working Samuel Bryson is honor bound to provide for his widowed mother and siblings. Determined to live up to his own expectations of being just like his father, he will let nothing get in his way. And that includes marriage.

Serene and cozy Featherlight has taken a turn into something much darker. Newly hired school teacher Elizabeth and Samuel find themselves desperately searching for answers to the suspicious criminal activity around them. They find themselves thrown into facing their worst fears… and each other. In the midst of many unknowns, will they find the courage to do what God is calling them to?

I can’t believe that this day is finally here. 3 years ago when I started writing this book I would have never guessed what God would do through this book. I started writing this book when I was in the midst of a hard season of my OCD and eventually I had to stop writing it for a couple months because I couldn’t write without rewriting sentences.

As God brought me out of that hard season of OCD in the summer of 2018, I was able to begin working on my writing again and I worked on it on and off until March 2021 when during quarantine the Lord really laid it on my heart to finish this book and I was able to spend my extra time I had finishing up writing Hope in the Dark.

This past year the Lord brought the most amazing cover designer, Victoria Lynn, and editor, Micaiah Keough, into my life and it was so awesome getting to work with them! They are so sweet and I definitely recommend them if you are looking to self-publish a book!

God’s hands have been on this entire book process. He has blessed me so much even though I don’t deserve Him. He gets all the glory and I can’t wait to see what He does with this book! It’s all His!

I am so excited to finally be able to share Hope in the Dark with all of you! Thank all of you so much for all of y’all’s support for my book, it means so much to me and I am so grateful!

Love,

Hannah

“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.” Luke 24:1-8.

Happy Easter everyone! I hope you all know just how loved you are by the King of kings who died for us so we could be forgiven of our sins. In Him, we have eternal life. He is our Hope, Peace, and our Joy forever. If you have any questions about salvation, I’d love to talk to you.

I hope everyone has a great Easter Sunday!

Love,

Hannah