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Book Review: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Read more: Book Review: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamilloThe Tale of Despereaux has been around awhile, I have been wanting to read it for years. It is a children’s novel and appropriate for the young chapter book readers, but the plot appealed to me even as an adult. I also have to admit that the gorgeous illustrations drew me in as well. I…
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Book Review: Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
Read more: Book Review: Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon SandersonI am a huge fan of Brandon Sanderson’s novels. I really should post more reviews of them, but when I first started reading his work, they were considered adult fantasy fiction. This was because the main characters were adults. Now, most of his novels have teen main characters and fit the young adult rules. Whatever.…
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Book Review: The Walking Drum by Louis L’Amour
Read more: Book Review: The Walking Drum by Louis L’AmourThe Walking Drum is a historical novel that is very different from the westerns that made Louis L’Amour famous. The book is a stand-alone only because Louis L’Amour never write the sequal he hinted at at the end of the book. Even so, it does have an ending and I found the book very enjoyable.…
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Research and Having Fun
Read more: Research and Having FunI haven’t posted in a while because I have been working obsessively on my newest book. Fidelia is it’s working title, and it is a historical fantasy fiction novel that takes place in 1282 Sicily. Researching the high middle ages has been a lot of fun! This novel deviates from my young adult series for…
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Book Review: Darts by Benjamin Hewett
Read more: Book Review: Darts by Benjamin HewettDarts is a small book for those who love traditional fantasy tropes in a fun new setting. The setting I am talking about for this book is a bar game of darts (hence the name). We are introduced to a group of colorful characters who fit in the D&D types: a thief, a goblin, a…
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It’s Here!
Read more: It’s Here!The Secrets of Cinnamon Cinderguard has been released on October 1st as an ebook, paperback, and hardback. You can get your copy on Amazon here: If you want to purchase a copy from me in person, I will be at The Twig on October 29th a with another awesome author signing books from 11am to…
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Why is Gryphon Misspelled in Gryphendale? by Lara Lee
Read more: Why is Gryphon Misspelled in Gryphendale? by Lara LeeGryphendale, the first book in the Legends of Gryphendale series, was published in 2016. Since then, I have had many people try to correct the spelling of that title, which is also the name of the fairy world in my book. I have stubbornly fought back against this “correction.” My stubbornness has probably cost me…
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Article: How to Publish a Book by Lara Lee
Read more: Article: How to Publish a Book by Lara LeeThe most common question I get at my live events is “how do you publish a book?“ This is a more complicated question than it seems on the surface and deserves a long answer. First of all, what do we mean by “publish”? You may roll you eyes at this, but after being a professional…
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Guest Post: Reuben the Rooster by Maria Whitson
Read more: Guest Post: Reuben the Rooster by Maria Whitson“Reuben the Rooster” is an engaging and heartwarming children’s book that tells the tale of a courageous rooster who learns the value of standing up for his friends. With its age-appropriate language and captivating storyline, this beautifully illustrated book is perfect for children aged 4-8 years old. The story follows Reuben, a timid rooster who…
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Guest Post: Thorton The Whale by Maria Whitson
Read more: Guest Post: Thorton The Whale by Maria WhitsonDiscover the underwater adventure of Thorton, the Grumpy Whale, in this heartwarming tale of self-discovery, forgiveness, and redemption. Join Thorton as he navigates through the challenges of anger and pride, and learns the true value of humility and understanding. Thorton, a young and stubborn whale, becomes angry and decides to swim away from his sad…
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Writer’s Update: Swords!!!
Read more: Writer’s Update: Swords!!!If you have been following me for a year, you may have heard that I am learning longsword with HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts). Well, here is some pictures to prove it: Currently, I am not doing any sparing because I need to order the protective equipment. I am learning all the guards, strikes, and…
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Devotional: Job 15 – Logical Fallacies
Read more: Devotional: Job 15 – Logical FallaciesHere in chapter 15 we begin the second round of speeches by Job’s friends. The speeches have been progressing to a much more confrontational tone. Eliphaz may be like a friend you have or like the critical voice in your own head. As a situation in our lives continues on and on, it is hard…
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Book Review: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
Read more: Book Review: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. BeagleThe Last Unicorn is another one of those older fantasy fiction books that are considered classics. This one really surprised me with the pureness and lack of many of the modern-day conventions.
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Book Review: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Read more: Book Review: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis CarrollSome modern movie makers have made the most of this by creating dark fantasy versions of the book as movies. These video representations completely miss the lightness and humor of the book entirely.
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Article: Writer Beware! by Lara Lee
Read more: Article: Writer Beware! by Lara LeeI thought that I could be safe going that route since I was a professional graphic designer who has worked for a publisher before. If I got robbed, I know so many other people are too. Please, please, please writers, beware!
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Book Review: The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
Read more: Book Review: The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’DellThe Island of the Blue Dolphins was a favorite book of mine as a late elementary school student. I was told that it was too advanced for my grade level, but I loved the cover image of the native American girl. Recently, I reread the book with my son. It still engaged my imagination. The…
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Where is Lara?
Read more: Where is Lara?Lara Lee is back and doing in-person events! Check out her schedule here.
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Excerpt from The Secrets of Cinnamon Cinderguard by Lara Lee
Read more: Excerpt from The Secrets of Cinnamon Cinderguard by Lara LeeShe found a chair and took a glass of wine from a tray. “You’re quite a dancer,” said a deep familiar voice. Cin turned to see the old charlatan wizard sitting a couple of chairs down from her. The dark-haired wizard with prominent gray streaks in his slicked back hair stared at her with emerald…
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Book Review: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursala LeGuin
Read more: Book Review: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursala LeGuinA Wizard of Earth Sea is one of those novels that always comes up when people list their all-time favorite fantasy books. This was written at a time when people were not so concerned with breaking away from the tropes of the genre, and yet it still pushed boundaries in subtle ways. The novel follows…
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7 Techniques for Teaching the Special Needs Child
Read more: 7 Techniques for Teaching the Special Needs ChildAs a brand new homeschooling parent of a special needs student, I was very diligent to read books and articles on the subject, buy the best curriculum for my son’s learning style, and set-up the perfect schedule. It turns all of this didn’t work out the way I expected. Children with disabilities just learn differently.…
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10 Pieces of Advice From one Special Needs Mom to Those New to the Journey
Read more: 10 Pieces of Advice From one Special Needs Mom to Those New to the JourneyI have been asked by many people to give some of my thoughts as a mom of two unique sons to other parents of special needs children. I get the impression they think I have it figured out. I don’t. Still, I have 13 years of experience and a Master’s degree in Special Education. I…
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Developmental List for Homeschooling the Special Needs Child
Read more: Developmental List for Homeschooling the Special Needs ChildThis chart starts with school age children rather than from infancy. Children develop at different paces, but when we are trying to teach a child with significant developmental disabilities, it is nice to have some idea of what is average and what are the steps children take to get there. I wish these lists could…
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Writer Update: Now There Are Five…
Read more: Writer Update: Now There Are Five…I haven’t posted in a while. Had I been a bit more organized, I should have had blog post scheduled in advanced for this time. Well, I didn’t and when my only daughter was born October 3rd, I have dropped out of posting. Still, we are now a family of five, which is awesome! During…
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Book Review: Call of the Wild by Jack London
Read more: Book Review: Call of the Wild by Jack London“Call of the Wild” and “White Fang” are two novels by Jack London that are almost exact opposites of each other. “Call of the Wild” is about a dog that ends up going wild, while “White Fang” is about a wolf that gets domesticated. I will review “Call of the Wild” here first because it…
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Article: In Medias Res – An Argument For Slower Novel Beginnings – by Lara Lee
Read more: Article: In Medias Res – An Argument For Slower Novel Beginnings – by Lara LeeA person doesn’t need to study writing for very long before they encounter popular advice to have a good “hook” for the beginning of their story. After this, one is taught to write “in medias respect” or in the middle of the action. Most people interpret this as having some kind of action scene and…
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Book Review: Can You Survive The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Ryan Jacobson
Read more: Book Review: Can You Survive The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Ryan JacobsonThis book review is of a slightly different kind of book that what I typically review. The “Can You Survive” or the “Choose Tour Own Path” books are a series of books based on classical novels that are appropriate for young readers. I am not a fan of abridged classics, but this is more like…
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Book Review: The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett
Read more: Book Review: The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett“The Secret Garden” by Francis Hodgson Burnett is a remarkable book that captures the process of grieving, even in children, in an optimistic and uplifting light. I have not seen a movie adaptation of this book that captures the depth of the very well. Many capture the beauty and mystery of the garden but not…
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Book Review: The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
Read more: Book Review: The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden“The Cricket in Times Square” is a classic of children’s literature for good reason. It is a simple story about healthy friendships. If you have seen the animated movie of the book, it follows the story well. Still, I recommend the book because of the deeper insight into the characters’ minds. The story follows a…
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Book Review: Silver On The Tree by Susan Cooper
Read more: Book Review: Silver On The Tree by Susan Cooper“Silver on the Tree” is the last book in Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising Series. As with most of the books in this series, my review is mixed, but I still recommend it as a high-quality middle school and up book. In this last book, all of our main characters come together for a…
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Article: An Indie Author’s Perspective on the Merger of 2 out of “The Big 5” Publishers
Read more: Article: An Indie Author’s Perspective on the Merger of 2 out of “The Big 5” PublishersI don’t usually write posts about topics in the news, but this merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster being sued by the government is a big deal to all in the book business. You can read a good summary article here: https://apnews.com/article/stephen-king-government-and-politics-b3ab31d8d8369e7feed7ce454153a03c As an indie author who is self-published and as a…
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Disability: Potty Training a Special Needs Child
Read more: Disability: Potty Training a Special Needs ChildI am just a mom of a couple of special needs children. I am not a doctor nor a specialist. When it came time to potty train my unique kids, I could not find any articles that talked about the issues I dealt with. This article is my advice, parent to parents, of the specific…
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Devotional: Job 11-14 The Knowable Unknowable God
Read more: Devotional: Job 11-14 The Knowable Unknowable GodThe study of the book of Job is a philosophical exploration of the nature of God. Job is righteous, though not perfect, and grieves the hardships he has endured. His friends have accused him of causing his own suffering through sin. Job and we the readers know that this is not the case, so Job…
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Article: Female Sexuality in Fantasy Fiction by Lara Lee
Read more: Article: Female Sexuality in Fantasy Fiction by Lara Lee* This post is clean for middle school, high school, and adult readers. I could not come up with a better title for the topic of dealing with healthy and unhealthy female heterosexual relationships, including the choice of having sex, in both Christian and secular fantasy fiction. The title was my best try. I love…
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Devotional: Job 9 – 10 God Won’t Destroy What Is Fixable
Read more: Devotional: Job 9 – 10 God Won’t Destroy What Is FixableIn my past posts, I have summarized that Job is a righteous man who has been dealing with extreme hardships. The reason I mentioned this every time is that both Job and his friends continue to debate God’s goodness based on Job current situation. We know that God sees Job as righteous from both the…
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Article: The Case for Classic Books by Lara Lee
Read more: Article: The Case for Classic Books by Lara LeeBefore I earned my Master’s degree in Special Education I did not know that there was a debate about the use of classic books in education. I had assumed that classic books was just standard in the American classroom. I was wrong. What I have learned is that it really depends on the school and…
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Devotional: Job 8 – We Know the Cause By the Effects
Read more: Devotional: Job 8 – We Know the Cause By the EffectsIn the previous chapters we learned about Job’s losses and illness. According to the narrator of the book of Job, we are told that he is righteous and faultless. We are expected to trust that the narrator is reliable and honest, but Job’s friend, Eliphaz has cast doubt on Job’s godly character and response to…
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Book Review: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Read more: Book Review: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien“The Hobbit” is a classic book for good reason. It was originally marketed for children, and it often still is, but this novel is great for any age. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” is a sequel to “The Hobbit” and is more epic. It too was marketed to children originally, but because of the…
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Devotional: Job 6-7 Normal Emotions Are Good
Read more: Devotional: Job 6-7 Normal Emotions Are GoodAt this point in the book of Job we have seen that Job was a righteous man who lost everything. Job then laments the day he was born, but his friend, Eliphaz, responses in critiquing Job’s emotional response. Eliphaz asserts that if Job just repent of some vague sin or foolishness, God would then fix…
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Devotional: Job 4 -5 Almost Truths
Read more: Devotional: Job 4 -5 Almost TruthsJob has lost everything and has cursed the day of his birth to his three friends. Eliphaz is the first of Job’s friends to speak. Even though we know that Job’s friends become more and more his adversaries, they start out as friends who are there to comfort and speak the truth. Had they not…
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Devotional: Job 3 Laments
Read more: Devotional: Job 3 LamentsIn Job chapter 1 and 2 we learned that Job was a righteous man who lost everything. Those chapters were narrative sections that told the story of Job and gave us the facts we need as we now enter the poetic section. We must keep in mind the genre to understand what is being communicated.…
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Devotional: Job 2 – Imperfect Friendships
Read more: Devotional: Job 2 – Imperfect FriendshipsIn the last chapter of Job, we learned that he was a godly man, but lost everything to test his faith in God. He passed the test, but the story isn’t over. We now dive into chapter 2. 1) Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the…
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Devotional: Job 1 – A Crushed Life
Read more: Devotional: Job 1 – A Crushed LifeThe book of Job in the Bible has always fascinated me. Very few books of the Bible have such a wide and extremely varied interpretation among both pastors and church members. I have heard people accuse Job of pride and others accuse him of various sins. Most people read the narrative sections at the beginning…
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Book Review: Downfall by Caleb Ward
Read more: Book Review: Downfall by Caleb Ward“Downfall” by Caleb Ward is a Christian Science Fiction/Fantasy Fiction novel. I would recommend this book for adults with some background in the church and its theological debates. “Downfall” is about three teenagers: Joshua, the only son of the judges of mercy, Namid, the only daughter of the judges of justice, and Dedecus, an orphan…
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Book Review: The Gray King by Susan Cooper
Read more: Book Review: The Gray King by Susan Cooper“The Gray King” by Susan Cooper is the fourth book in The Dark is Rising Sequence. There is only one more book after this that concludes the series. This novel focuses exclusively on Will Stanton from the previous books and then introduces a new boy named Bran. The mystery of this novel is to find…
Lara's Wanderings
Lara's Wanderings 