of blades and thorns

the official blog of author grace a. johnson

Ask Ann-Marguerite: Welcome to The Official Writer's Advice Column!

Grace A. Johnson

Nov 25, 2020
3 min

Ask Ann-Marguerite: Welcome to The Official Writer's Advice Column!

Bonjour, mes amis! Welcome to la colonne des conseils de l'écrivain officiel--the Official Writer's Advice Column. I am Ann-Marguerite, and you write to me with your questions, oui? Pardon the confusing intro...this is the OWAC, where I--or, rather, my columnist persona--tackles all of your writing, editing, publishing, marketing, plotting, crafting, worldbuilding, etc. questions, whether they be basic, unconventional, difficult, or easy. You send your questions through my co

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Grace A. Johnson

Nov 24, 2020
2 min

Dreams of Savannah Coming Soon!

First things first, that cover. Second things first, Savannah? Aw, yeah! I got Georgia on my mind, baby! Roseanna M. White's second Civil War era novel is coming out January 5th, 2021! Dreams of Savannah promises to be a delightful novel full of intrigue, romance, and adventure! I can't wait...but, guess what! I don't have to, and neither do you! If you're looking for a new Christian historical romance to add to your collection, or you're as excited for Mrs. White's next rele

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Grace A. Johnson

Nov 23, 2020
4 min

Name of the Week: Lilith

“Ah, come in! Rowen must have sent you,” called a lilting voice, one not sickly sweet, not quite British but not a definable anything else either. Her words echoed within the church, rumbling through the walls and shaking the rafters not with volume, with chaos, but with peace and joy. The door shut behind me with a resounding thud, and it was only then, as Elliot’s cold, wet body moved against mine, that I realized I had walked in. That I was trapped in a church, surrounded

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Grace A. Johnson

Nov 22, 2020
17 min

Theories of Man: Flat Earth Theory

An age-old theory is rising to the surface. Should we believe it? In light of many cultural and historical events, such as the JFK assassination in 1963, being evidenced to have been misrepresented for decades, and certain popular conspiracy theories proving to be closer to the truth than what the media has told us, many people—both a percentage of Christians and the secular world—have begun to question things even so simple as the shape of the earth. The flat-earth theory ha

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Grace A. Johnson

Nov 19, 2020
2 min

Want a FREE Book?

Scratch that. Want free BOOKS? Don't tell me I'm the only one on planet earth who likes free stuff. Surely there are more people who like free stuff. Surely you like free stuff. You do, don't you? Anyway... Whether you like free stuff or not, whether you like to read or not, whether you like to review or not, there are THREE amazing books currently FREE for review. What--for review? What does that mean? That means that YOU get the chance to read a stupendous book at no cost b

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Review: Shadow Dance by A. E. Pennymaker

Grace A. Johnson

Nov 18, 2020
3 min

Review: Shadow Dance by A. E. Pennymaker

(First things first: Check out that awesome cover!) *Warnings* #1 This is a long review, so pull up a chair and grab a bowl of popcorn. You'll be here awhile. #2 When I read a review, I want substantial information. So I will not skimp on the details. Which will mean some spoilers, so watch out. I'm weird about the books I read. I read Christian. Historical. Romance. And that's pretty much it. I'm really picky about that particular genre too. I don't branch out or try new thi

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Grace A. Johnson

Nov 16, 2020
2 min

Name of the Week: Arleth

So, I went back to an idea of mine, that I'd had some time ago, which is a strange mix of fairy-tale retellings, allegorical fiction, and high fantasy. I have no clue if this idea (which is a rather broad idea, composed of several different stories that would create a long series) will ever amount to anything. It's certainly outside of my comfort zone, but I'm intrigued by it. Therefore, it might exist only in my mind as a plaything, but that does not mean I can't share a lit

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Grace A. Johnson

Nov 15, 2020
1 min

Beautiful Designs for SALE!

Y'all know I'm all about support. Support young, Christian, and/or indie authors. Support indie artists. Support local farmers and small business. Support Donald Trump. Support...okay, you get the point. So today, I'm coming to you with TWO causes you can support with ONE purchase! Adoption is a beautiful, bittersweet thing. It holds a very special place in my heart, to be honest, because two close family members were adopted--and if one of them hadn't been, I probably wouldn

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Review: Hadassah: One Night With the King by Tommy Tenney

Grace A. Johnson

Nov 11, 2020
4 min

Review: Hadassah: One Night With the King by Tommy Tenney

*Warnings* #1 This is a long review, so pull up a chair and grab a bowl of popcorn. You'll be here awhile. #2 When I read a review, I want substantial information. So I will not skimp on the details. Which will mean some spoilers, so watch out. This book is not for the faint of heart. You may already be contriving ideas and images of the content this book will content, the emotions it will invoke, and perhaps even the ending—especially if you have read the Book of Esther or

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Grace A. Johnson

Nov 9, 2020
4 min

Name of the Week: Chloe (Plus a Special Surprise!)

I just mentioned a few days ago a bit of good news concerning my latest release, The Gift of Her Heart (which I have affectionately titled Kit & Chloe), a Christmas novella NOW available in paperback and eBook on Amazon. So it's pretty much obvious that I'd take the time this week to share with y'all the story behind the name Chloe. Lady Chloe Elisabeth Wellington is the half-sister of Held Captive's hero, Xavier Bennet. I won't explain how in this post, because that's a long

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National Indie Author Day! (Books, Interviews, and More)

Grace A. Johnson

Nov 7, 2020
14 min

National Indie Author Day! (Books, Interviews, and More)

Guess what today is... National Indie Author Day! Now, I know most of you have never heard of this awesome holiday, and, to be honest, I hadn't until a month or so ago when a friend brought it to my attention! And I'm so glad they did, because now, we'll all be able to celebrate independently and self-published authors together! Indie authors don't get the credit they deserve. In fact, most of the time they're put down by traditional publishers, agents, authors, and others in

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Grace A. Johnson

Nov 6, 2020
2 min

Cover Reveal!!!

All right, all right--I know that the very first thing y'all saw was "cover reveal" and the first thing you thought was "Bound and Determined." But y'all can mosey on back up to that picture and take in the words "The Gift of Her Heart" and get that fool notion out of your head. BAD's cover won't be arriving for another six months, probably. (I know; I'm just as upset about that as you are.) So, to tide you over, I'm revealing the new--and improved--cover for The Gift of Her

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Grace A. Johnson

Nov 2, 2020
2 min

Name of the Week: Donald John Trump

All right, y'all! We have got a lot going on this week, especially with the election TOMORROW! And I know some of you are like, "Grace, you just wrote a blog post two minutes ago, and now you want to come up on here and give me a Name of the Week six hours later than you supposed to." But, it's my blog, I've had a long morning, and I have a LOT I want to share before November 3rd. So, I know I said my Name of the Week would be the name of one of my characters--and it usually

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Grace A. Johnson

Nov 2, 2020
6 min

God Governs in the Affairs of Men

Tomorrow is Election Day. And I realize I probably should have written this post weeks ago, but I hadn't felt called, nor was I prepared, to write this until now. Tomorrow is Election Day. That leaves us with two more days to vote for who we, the people of the United States of America, want to guide us as a nation for the next four years. Anyone who knows me well knows that I could sit here and type out a long thing about just who you should vote for. And, God help me, I want

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Grace A. Johnson

Nov 1, 2020
10 min

Bound and Determined Sneak Peek #3

On August 15th, I shared that I was 71,000 words through with Bound and Determined and gave a peek into the more spiritual side of the story thus far. Well, it's been quite some time since that last sneak peek, and I know y'all have been looking forward to another one, and this time, I have something ever more fun to share! Have you ever wondered what transpired when Keaton and Rina first met? I know I have, so when I began Bound and Determined, I started with a prologue, and

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of blades and thorns

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