Educator, Media & Design Guru, Author, and Public Speaker
Describing characters in a clear and memorable way can be a challenge. Adams’ protagonist is a traveller, and the characters frequently get a succinct but satisfying description. Genghis Kahn arouses thoughts of miltary strength and brutality. Few recall a pot belly or little fur hats, and yet this works. Love the shift away from our expectations when Khan’s name is first mentioned.
I spent a good chunk of my career on stage or in front or behind a camera. The best characters (in my opinion) are both confident and vulnerable, two traits required to elicit emotional responses–both laughter and tears–from the audience. CJ Simone captures those characteristics for her protagonist in one sentence.
The Manic Mission is for readers interested in tough topics that eventually offer a glimmer of hope. Simone is a talented author who focuses on dark psychological thrillers, and her descriptive style is engaging, and her psychotic characters have depth and are believable. Sometimes the very real and very painful is what ultimately forces a character to make the right decisions. C.J. Simone took that route with this YA novel, and she rightly includes trigger warnings, because she deals with difficult, but real issues, such as child/sex trafficking, sexual assault, suicidal ideation, and more.You can learn more about Simone and her work in GoodReads.
I regularly share well-written lines and passages from the books I’m reading. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!
As an author or creative, how do you hold on to those brilliant ideas? I used to keep a small notebook with me to jot them down. Nowadays, I tend to email or text myself–and those messages promptly get buried beneath piles of other texts and emails…
As a a new author, I’ve begun to see the value of the review. Lots of people are reading Suddenly Rural Girl…and we want to give a HUGE thanks to those who are taking the time to add a review on Amazon, GoodReads, Barnes & Noble, Christianbooks.com, and more. It means a lot!
Here’s another one:
“The first chapter is absolutely riveting, could not put the book down. Plus that, the descriptions of the Minnesota,Wisconsin, and Michigan area with beavers etc. brings a uncommon Vitality and vivid pictures to your mind. I am going to get Suddenly RURAL girl for my teenage friends. Thank you for writing this.”
–Dahli, on Amazon
If you’ve read Suddenly Rural Girl, we’d be grateful to hear what YOU thought of it, too! Just send us an email . . . or better yet, log into Amazon & leave a review there! Thanks in advance, and God Bless (He does)! –dann
I regularly share well-written lines and passages from the books I’m reading. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!
Suddenly Rural Girl is available lots of places, including dannhurlbert.com, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Christianbook, and it’s an easy add for libraries and bookstores because it’s also available on Ingram and Bookshop! (ISBN 978-1-959681-33-5). And after you read it . . . don’t forget to write a review!
“Barely audible” is an adequate description. I enjoyed that VanRyken took it one step further, because I immediately understood how quiet a breeze is, and how nearly-silent the whisper was. A good and effective description.
The Red Texts Club digs deeply and creatively into the teenage mind—more specifically the minds of teens dealing with depression. I struggled a little with some repetitive descriptive phrases, but overall enjoyed the read. Andrea VanRyken creates a diverse cast of colorful, talented, yet insecure teens that converge in a sci-fi world designed by and fitting for a person experiencing depression: bland landscape, murky shadows, faceless monsters, and more. The author also ties in characters that teens are bound to love, a curious puzzle-solver, a talented gamer, and a handsome athlete, all whom excel at something, but still question their worth. It featured kid-sized horror coupled with big-time creativity, and the story cleverly addresses depression, a real-life issues facing many of our young people today. (If that’s doesn’t describe most teens—and many adults—I don’t know what does.) You can learn more about Andrea and her work in GoodReads.
I regularly share well-written lines and passages from the books I’m reading. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!
I chuckled at this line, a glimmer of humor while facing a difficult battle.
The Red Texts Club digs deeply and creatively into the teenage mind—more specifically the minds of teens dealing with depression. I struggled a little with some repetitive descriptive phrases, but overall enjoyed the read. Andrea VanRyken creates a diverse cast of colorful, talented, yet insecure teens that converge in a sci-fi world designed by and fitting for a person experiencing depression: bland landscape, murky shadows, faceless monsters, and more. The author also ties in characters that teens are bound to love, a curious puzzle-solver, a talented gamer, and a handsome athlete, all whom excel at something, but still question their worth. It featured kid-sized horror coupled with big-time creativity, and the story cleverly addresses depression, a real-life issues facing many of our young people today. (If that’s doesn’t describe most teens—and many adults—I don’t know what does.) You can learn more about Andrea and her work in GoodReads.
I regularly share well-written lines and passages from the books I’m reading. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!
As a new author, I’ve begun to see the value of the review. Lots of people are reading Suddenly Rural Girl…and we want to give a HUGE thanks to those who are taking the time to add a review on Amazon, GoodReads, Barnes & Noble, Christianbooks.com, and more. It means a lot!
Here’s another one:
This book is perfect for teenagers. I would recommend reading this book that is about a teenager trying to get around her new life and that good thing is that it involves God in it.”
-Cristina, on Amazon
If you’ve read Suddenly Rural Girl, we’d be grateful to hear what YOU thought of it, too! Just send us an email . . . or better yet, log into Amazon & leave a review there! Thanks in advance, and God Bless (He does)! –dann
I regularly share well-written lines and passages from the books I’m reading. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!
Kennedy and I are looking forward to our author talk this Wednesday in Hastings–and we’d love to have you spread the word about this fantastic Christian Fiction novel and talk! (Plus, if you order a copy of Suddenly Rural Girl from our website, we can deliver a signed copy to you or yours at the event!)
In this passage, McRae reminds Christians that it is not enough to know–even to believe–in Jesus Christ. Satan knows and believes, but he refuses to accept Him. It’s an important distinction and challenge for us.
A common characteristic of non-Christians is that they haven’t been presented with the historical evidence of Christ. They haven’t followed the generational timeline and prophecies of his arrival; they haven’t reviewed the historical evidence of His life or they haven’t drawn the connection between the prophecies, the evidence of divinity, and the unwavering faith–even to the death—held by those who witnessed his miracles and resurrection. Seed of God, Jesus Christ is a well-researched summary that lays it all out. He also digs into some theology, such as the frequently asked question “Why would God allow this struggle to exist, for bad things to happen at all?” Finally, he offers the challenge: “it is not the knowledge of God [Christ] which saves—it is the acceptance of God [Christ] and His ways into our hearts and minds” — so how are you going to apply it to your life? I don’t read too many books on apologetics, but I enjoyed this by McRae. You can learn more about Kenneth McRae on his GoodReads page.
I regularly share well-written lines and passages from the books I’m reading. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!
I’m a sucker for a good simile. The character approaching the candle in this quote from The Manic Mission can’t help but burn down the world around him, though his intent is to be a beacon of hope. This short quote captures him perfectly.
The Manic Mission is for readers interested in tough topics that eventually offer a glimmer of hope. Simone is a talented author who focuses on dark psychological thrillers, and her descriptive style is engaging, and her psychotic characters have depth and are believable. Sometimes the very real and very painful is what ultimately forces a character to make the right decisions. C.J. Simone took that route with this YA novel, and she rightly includes trigger warnings, because she deals with difficult, but real issues, such as child/sex trafficking, sexual assault, suicidal ideation, and more.You can learn more about Simone and her work in GoodReads.
I regularly share well-written lines and passages from the books I’m reading. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!
Thank you Pleasant Hill Library in Hastings, MN for hosting an Author Talk with Kennedy and me on May 29! Suddenly Rural Girl is an awesome summer read for teens, so if you know some in the area, let them know! (Plus, if you order your favorite teen a copy of Suddenly Rural Girl from our website, we can deliver a signed book to them at the event!)
