Word War III

   Word War is a new writing exercise I created and developed recently.
A new Word War will begin every Sunday and last until the following
Saturday at midnight. This week will be the very first Word War!
   I was inspired by Lillie Mcferrin's amazing Five Sentence Fiction blog.
I wanted to create a writing exercise of my own because I enjoy hers so
much. If you haven't you should checkout her site and participate in Five 
Sentence Fiction. Here is how a Word War works. 

Objective: Add a new sentence to the story until the end of the week.

Rules:
1) You can only add one sentence at a time to the story.
2) You have to wait for someone to add a sentence before you can
add another one. You can't have two sentences in a row.
3) You can add as many sentences as you want as long as you follow
the rules above.
4) Maximum characters for the sentence is 100.

How to post:
1) Click add a link at bottom of post.
2) URL: type in your blog link. Only add link for first sentence.
3) Name: type in the sentence you wrote to add to the story.
4) Email: add your email.

Here is the starting sentence:
A terrible cold came over me, I pulled my jacket tightly around my body 
and continued walking.

Let this weeks Word War begin!

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

Update on Novel (6)

  It has been awhile since I have blogged. I apologize to everyone! The last
couple of months have been crazy. Everything happened so quickly. A few
months ago, within a matter of days, I found out I was moving because of a
new job. In a week I had to have everything packed and ready to go. My life
has been crazy ever since. Now a few months later, I have adjusted to the
move. Everything is in order. I finally have internet and can start blogging
again! Here is my long awaited list of things to do:

1) Start back up with Word War's. They will start again next Sunday,
September 16th, so be sure to come back to participate.

2) Edit my first book with my editor. My goal is to have the first six
chapters completely revised in about a month. I really want to get my first
book completely finished by Christmas!

3) Continue to write my second book, The Privileged. I am about halfway
done with 141 pages.

4) Blog more! I really do love blogging. I need to schedule some time to
start up again. I hope to start posting weekly.

Where are you at with your writing?

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

Word War II

   Word War is a new writing exercise I created and developed recently.
A new Word War will begin every Sunday and last until the following
Saturday at midnight. This week will be the second Word War!
   I was inspired by Lillie Mcferrin's amazing Five Sentence Fiction blog.
I wanted to create a writing exercise of my own because I enjoy hers so
much. If you haven't you should checkout her site and participate in Five 
Sentence Fiction. Here is how a Word War works. 

Objective: Add a new sentence to the story until the end of the week.

Rules:
1) You can only add one sentence at a time to the story.
2) You have to wait for someone to add a sentence before you can
add another one. You can't have two sentences in a row.
3) You can add as many sentences as you want as long as you follow
the rules above.
4) Maximum characters for the sentence is 100.

How to post:
1) Click add a link at bottom of post.
2) URL: type in your blog link. Only add link for first sentence.
3) Name: type in the sentence you wrote to add to the story.
4) Email: add your email.

Here is the starting sentence:
A terrible cold came over me, I pulled my jacket tightly around my body 
and continued walking.

Let this weeks Word War begin!

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

Word War

   Word War is a new writing exercise I created and developed recently.
A new Word War will begin every Sunday and last until the following
Saturday at midnight. This week will be the very first Word War!
   I was inspired by Lillie Mcferrin's amazing Five Sentence Fiction blog.
I wanted to create a writing exercise of my own because I enjoy hers so
much. If you haven't you should checkout her site and participate in Five 
Sentence Fiction. Here is how a Word War works. 

Objective: Add a new sentence to the story until the end of the week.

Rules:
1) You can only add one sentence at a time to the story.
2) You have to wait for someone to add a sentence before you can
add another one. You can't have two sentences in a row.
3) You can add as many sentences as you want as long as you follow
the rules above.
4) Maximum characters for the sentence is 100.

How to post:
1) Click add a link at bottom of post.
2) URL: type in your blog link. Only add link for first sentence.
3) Name: type in the sentence you wrote to add to the story.
4) Email: add your email.

Here is the starting sentence:
A terrible cold came over me, I pulled my jacket tightly around my body 
and continued walking.

Let this weeks Word War begin!

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

Readers Make Better Writers (2)

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Pg 3    Sitting at Prim's knees, guarding her, is the world's ugliest cat. Mashed-in nose, half of one ear missing, eyes the color of rotting squash. Prim named him Buttercup, insisting that his muddy yellow coat matched the bright flower. He hates me. Or at least distrusts me. Even though it was years, I think he still remembers how I tried to drown him in a bucket when Prim brought him home. Scrawny kitten, belly swollen with worms, crawling with fleas. The last thing I needed was another mouth to feed. But Prim begged so hard, cried even, I had to let him stay.
 (Source)

Reader: The way Suzanne Collins describes Buttercup, mashed in nose, half of
an ear missing, made me laugh. Katniss has a love hate relationship with Buttercup 
which I really enjoy. It adds a comical twist to the story.
   When reading this I could also get a sense of how much Prim means to Katniss.
Even though Katniss despised Buttercup she let her stay because the cat meant 
so much to her sister. There is so much emotion in this short piece that I enjoyed 
reading Suzanne Collins writing.

Writer: Suzanne Collins gives us a great example of how to develop characters
within a story. Buttercup is a minor character in the Hunger Games but in this short 
paragraph we get to know a lot about Buttercup and Katniss's character. By using 
great descriptors we understand Buttercups physical attributes. Then by transitioning 
into a flashback by writing, even though it was years, we get a sense of who 
Buttercup is.
   Using flashbacks appropriately is a great way to add  depth to the characters, plot, 
and setting within your story. Flashbacks can help create a more meaningful story 
by adding details that the reader will not get in the present time of your story. Is there 
something that you  need to explain in more detail so the reader can better understand 
what is going on? Then use a flashback to show what is happening and bring more 
understanding to your story. That way your story will get away from the telling aspect 
which isn't as enjoyable to read.

P.S. Check back next Saturday for a new Readers Make Better Writers post. 

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

Update On Novel (5)

   At the end of 2011 I made myself quiet a few New Years
Resolutions; goals I wanted to accomplish in 2012. We are 
almost half way through 2012 so I decided to reflect on my 
goals and see where I am at.

Goals from Early 2012: 
[ ] Put more excerpts of my books up on my blog.
[ ] Edit The Silenced early on in the year.
[ ] Publish The Silenced for the Kindle and Nook.
[ ] Write the next book in the series The Privileged.
[ ] Edit and publish the book for the Kindle and Nook.
[ ] Write the finally book of the series.
[ ] Think of another idea for a Young Adult novel.
[ ] Finish writing my Novella in January.
[ ] Edit and publish my Novella for the Kindle and Nook.
[ ] Write everyday this year without exceptions.
[ ] Get more followers on my blog.
[ ] Post more blog posts at least 2 to 3 a week.

Goals Accomplished:  4 out of 12

Revised Goals List:
[ ] Put more excerpts of my books up on my blog.
[ ] Create the cover art for The Silenced. 
[ ] Publish The Silenced for the Kindle and Nook.
[ ] Write the next book in the series The Privileged.
[ ] Edit and publish my Novella for the Kindle and Nook.
[ ] Write everyday this year without exceptions.
[ ] Get more followers on my blog.
[ ] Post more blog posts then last year on my blog.

Where are you at in your New Years goals? What are you 
working on and what do you hope to accomplish by 2013?

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

Readers Make Better Writers (1)

   Readers Make Better Writers is a new series of blog posts I am creating.
I believe the more active readers we are the better writers we can become.
By reading stories I can see what works well and use good writing examples
to better my own writing. In these posts I will include a piece of text I enjoyed,
why I enjoyed it as a reader, and how I can use it in my writing.

Opening to Gossamer by Lois Lowry An owl called, its shuddering hoots repeating mournfully in the distance. Somewhere nearby, heavy wings swooped and a young rabbit, captured by sharp talons, shrieked as he was lifted to his doom. Startled, a raccoon looked up with bright eyes from the place where he was foraging. Two deer moved in tandem through a meadow. A thin cloud slid across the moon.
  (Source)

Reader: I loved this piece by Lois Lowry it is very poetic. This piece of 
writing played with my senses very well. I could hear the hoot of the owl, 
see the rabbit being taken, and hear the shriek as the rabbit is captured. 
   After I read this short paragraph I had to stop and think about it for
awhile. The images in my head were running wild.  I felt like I was in
nature with those animals. A nice peaceful feeling swept over me then.

Writer: Lois Lowry reminds us that much can be said in just a few
sentences. Sometimes our writing gets too wordy which makes the
story harder to follow. Simple can be better.
   Picking words appropriately is also important. If words are hard to
understand a lot can be lost. Take into account the audience when
choosing words. Would your audience understand the jargon or 
technical words used? Are the words absolutely necessary? If they 
are then find a great way to describe the words in your story.
    
Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

Five Sentence Fiction: Harvest

  A tear rolls down my face stopping at my cheek then slowly continues
downward to the bottom of my chin. I lean over kissing beautiful baby
Emily in the middle of the forehead. She was only born a few hours ago,
yet her body already rests limply against my arms and her lips hold a
bluish hue.

   "It is time," a nurse tells me; leaving the room quickly she shuts the
hospital door tightly behind her.

   Saying my last goodbyes I let them take my baby away, even when
they have to pry my fingers off of her. No matter how hard it is I let her
go because I know that another baby, close to death, is waiting to be saved.  

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

In My Diary (6)

First Novel
   When I was growing up I used to love reading R.L. Stine books. I really
enjoyed reading anything in a long series; something I could read for awhile.
R.L. Stine met my criteria exactly.
   In the beginning I read Goosebumps which weren't very scary, but then
I got into the Fear Street Series. I thought the Fear Street books were
terrifying. They definitely didn't help my overactive imagination.
     After reading quiet a few of R.L. Stine's books I decided I wanted to be
a writer too. I thought of a R.L. Stine type story, and began typing it on my
families computer. I was super secretive about the whole thing. I didn't want
anyone knowing I was writing a book. At the time I found it quiet embarrassing.
What if no one liked my story?
     I wrote almost six chapters of the book and didn't even get into any of the
scary parts, until I finally called it quits. At ten years old I decided I could wait
a few more years before I tried to write my first novel. As for my scary story, it
still sits saved on a floppy disk somewhere in my childhood home. Who knows,
maybe one day it will be inspiration for a novel.

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

Five Sentence Fiction: Faeries

 This post has moved. It can now be found at http://rjropsen.com/faeries/

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

Writers Tip (1)

Relate characters to people in your life.

  When I am writing a character for a story I like to relate the characters to
certain people in my life. This helps me when I am developing characters
for a story. It makes the character have stronger personalities and seem
more real.

   First, I decide on how my characters will act their traits, and personality.
Then I figure out who in my life is like that character. In the Privileged,
Matthew, is a lot like a good friend of mine. They are both very curious
and want to learn everything.When I write scenes where Matthew is
present I think of my friend and how he would react in that situation.
This makes it easier for me to create a strong character.

Try this writing tip if:
1) You are having a hard time creating a character.
2) Your character seems a little flat.

   This has helped me with my writing. I hope it helps you with yours.
Best of Luck!

P.S. Do you already use this tip in your writing? Then tell me a
character you have written and how they relate to that person in
your life!

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

In My Diary (5)

Night Terrors  
   When I was younger I had night terrors. There were a few dreams I
had that were reoccurring. They seem silly now but I had a very
overactive imagination.
   Every night when I fell asleep I would have a terrifying nightmare.
Sometimes a witch would be after me, or the dryer monster who would
pull me down the basement stairs and into the dryer. Others nightmares
were all too real which made things even more terrifying.
   After a few months of this I was too afraid to go to sleep. Instead I
would read late into the night until I was so tired I would fall into another
nightmare. I needed a way to get rid of these terrible dreams.  
   Another few months went by until I finally came up with a solution to
the problem. Before I went to bed I would make up a nice story in my
head. I would use my imagination in a more positive way.
   I thought if I filled my head with characters, setting, and plot that I
would dream what I had created in my head. This seemed to work.
My dreams were a lot more pleasant.
   I guess you could say I started writing stories at a young age. But
instead of writing them down on paper they were in my head. I am
glad I found my love for writing again. This time I am writing down
my stories in hopes to create something others can read and enjoy.

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

Tips for Writers Block

   Is writers block making it hard for you to finish your novel? Here are some tips that
can help you finish your novel. The one that you have been trying to get out of your
head and onto paper.

1) Plot out the beginning, middle, and end of your novel. This helps you decide
on the general idea of what your story is about. The more you now about your story
the easier it will be to write.

2) Schedule an hour in your day to write. I found writing on my hour lunch break
was a great way to get in some writing. It takes me 30 minutes to get into a good
writing flow. In an hour I felt I could accomplish a lot of writing.

3) Set a page per day writing goal. I started with a goal of writing 3 pages a day
during the week and 5 pages a day on the weekend.  After a few weeks I found that
I could write a few pages more then my goal! Start with a  page goal that you can
easily accomplish.

4) Begin following your schedule to type your first draft. For your first draft
start typing at an average pace without stopping. Don't worry about word count, page
count, grammatical errors, spelling errors or voice of the story. Type what comes to
your head and what feels right. The first draft is a way to get your ideas on paper! Try
to finish a first draft within a month. For my first novel I wrote my 87 page first draft in
a few weeks. My first draft focused on the main ideas of my story.

5) Move on to the second draft. After the first draft is complete focus on the
second draft. This draft is where you take into account the voice of your story. Try
to decide on what voice you want for the narrative. Focus on flushing out your story
too.  After I finished my first draft my novel was 187 pages.

6) Move on to the third draft. For the third draft really focus on grammatical 
errors, spelling errors, and flow of your novel. This is also a time to fix lose ends,
make stronger connections with characters, and fix contradictions in your writing.
After my third draft my page count was 278.

7) Congratulations your novel is complete! Now it is time to find an editor. After
the editor is finished with your novel find beta readers to test the finished product.
These are two important steps to ensure your novel is more professional.

I hope this helped! Good luck with your writing!

Sincerely,
R.J Ropsen

Update on Novel (4)

   I took a little break from my blog to focus on my writing. It was a longer break

then I intended but I feel like I now am more focused then ever. There is much I 

have been up to lately with my writing. I have a few projects I am working on 

now.

1. I am editing my first book in the Egret series called The Silenced. It will be 
   my third draft. I feel like through each draft my writing has gotten better and 
   am liking where it is headed.
2. I also wrote an 80 page autobiography recently that I need to edit called 
   Vaguely Foreign. You can check each project out on my blog.
3. My third project is working on the second book in the Egret series called 
   The Privileged. I am finished with the first draft. Now I will look back 
   flushing out the 20,000 word first draft. 

There is still much writing for me to do but I love writing. Each day I will continue 

to write, and write, and write until I am satisfied with everything. Then one day, 

hopefully soon, I will publish my writing so others can read the works I have
created. Will keep you updated!

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

Why Indie Authors Rock

   Self publishing is the new move in the publishing world. Nowadays it is
getting easier and easier to publish your work by yourself. The sale of eBooks
has allowed authors to get there work out to a wide audience. Here are a few
reasons why indie authors' rock:

1) Have all the control over your work.
You control what makes the final copy of your work or what gets edited out.
It is truly your work.

2) Don't have to wait for anyone.
You don't have to worry about someone agreeing that your work is good
enough or marketable enough to be accepted by a publishing company. You
can publish your work whenever you feel it is ready.

3) Costs almost nothing to publish a novel.
There are a lot of resources on the internet to help you with eBook formatting,
cover design, marketing, etc.  Many of these resources can be found free on
the internet!

4) Do it on your time.
You don't have to worry about stressful deadlines. You can set up a writing
schedule that fits you perfectly. If it takes you a little longer then expected
don't worry.

5) Aren't confined to one genre.
You can write whatever you want in whatever genre. If you feel like writing a
young adult novel go ahead. Next, if you want to write a nonfiction novel you
can do that too.

6) Lots of helpful resources.
Again the internet can be the greatest tool for indie authors. Due to the rise in
popularity there are helpful websites and great downloadable tools. From print
on demand publishers like lightning source or createspace, eBook converting
software like Calibre, and awesome websites like paulsalvette.com.

7) Don't have to stress over proposals.
It takes a long time for writers to write their novels let alone send in the perfect
proposal. Proposals can be the most stress part of getting your book published
traditionally. If you are an indie author you don't have to worry about it.

Thanks for being an awesome indie author!

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

In My Diary (4)

A Day in the Life of a Writer

7:00 am: Wake up. Take out my computer start typing.

8:00 am: Quickly get ready for work.

8:30 am: Drive to work listening to a book on CD on the way.

9:00 am: Start work with thoughts of writing spinning in my head.
I think of my story and all the things I still could write. I think of my
blog desperately wanting to check up on my social networking. I
think of a new story that I can start writing after these other two are
finished.

1:00 pm: Lunch break. Go to Taco John's, get a small soda, and write
as fast as I can for an hour on my netbook. Yes, I take my netbook
everywhere I go. You never know when you will get a chance to
write.

2:00 pm: Go back to work.  I continue to think of my work in progress.
I think of the next direction I want to take it and what my characters
will do.

6:00 pm: Leave work. I listen to the book on CD again.

6:30 pm: Get home. Immediately check my blog, twitter, and google +.

7:00 pm: Eat supper.

7:30 pm: Turn on the television and start writing again. It always helps
when I have a little background noise.

12:00 pm: Go to bed and start my schedule all over again. Hopefully
during the night my dreams inspire me to write a different story.

Is your day consumed with thoughts of writing?

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

New Novella

  My new writing project is now up on my blog. You can find it here.
I started writing it in December, and  finished the novella in the middle
of January. This novella is very different from most things that I have
written.
   My new project, Vaguely Foreign, is in fact a nonfiction
autobiography.  I know that I technically claim I am a young adult
author, but through my experiences I was inspired to write this story.
I wanted to tell the world about my immigration journey in a
lighthearted, fun sort of way.  As an author, I believe we should
follow our dreams no matter where they take us and do the things
that inspire us.
   I hope to publish the book sometime in February. I will keep
everyone posted when the publication date is decided. Thanks
to an amazing cover artist the book cover to Vaguely Foreign
is already finished. You can check it out below.

       

P.S.
   My next book will definitely be in the young adult genre. It will be
a dystopian novel called The Silenced, which is also up on my blog.
You can find it here. Currently I am working on the sequel to The
Silenced; typing the first draft. I will continue to write, draft, and
revise daily hoping one day to become the full time writer I strive
to be.

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

The Adventures of TinTin

       

   When I was younger I loved the cartoon, Les Aventures De 

TinTin. In French class we would always watch the show. It 

was hard to comprehend the language,  and I didn't understand 

anything they said. Instead I connected with the show through 

the wonderful comic animation. I quickly fell in love with TinTin, 

Thompson and Thompson, Captain Haddock, and of course 

Snowy.  

   Recently, the show The Adventures of TinTin was made into
an English movie. Of course I had to see this movie. Yesterday
I went to the movie theater, ordered my tickets, put my 3D
glasses on, sat back and enjoyed the movie. I was not
disappointed.
   The producers took all the good parts from the comic and put
them into the film. All the characters were very similar to the
ones in the story. The characters were well developed and just
as enjoyable. The animation was also awesome. Steven
Spielberg used motion-capture animation to tell the story of
TinTin. This animation made the characters and scenes look life
like.  There was non-stop action that drove the story along, and
humor added to the story as well. I am glad I decided to see this
movie. This is definitely a must see. I give The Adventures of 
TinTin 5/5 stars!

Links: Cartoon, Movie Trailer

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

Five Sentence Fiction: Poison

   His brother's words were poison shooting through his veins like a drug addict on heroin. “Father and mother hated you, I am the only one they loved”. Those deadly words continued to ring in his head threatening to destroy his reality, and he knew his brother was right. He was the one they never wanted; a runt twin outshined by a brothers talents. He also knew that he wasn't all the things his parents hated, and he had some good qualities too; slowly releasing the cold heavy gun from his grasp he finally realized that there was something to live for.

Sincerely,
R.J.Ropsen

In My Diary (3)

Weird Writing Spots
   I grew up in a large family. I had two brothers, and two sisters. Having that many 

siblings does have its advantages, but it also has its disadvantages. One of the biggest 

disadvantages for me was I had less privacy. Growing up I shared a room with my 

sister. I didn't have any place to myself. The rest of the house could get pretty noisy 

too. Sometimes I just wanted some piece and quiet. Over the years I discovered great 

spots to find this peace and quiet. 

   One of my favorite things to do was  read. I would go to the library every week or 

sometimes every two days and get a bag full of books. With such a loud house it was 

hard to find anywhere quiet to read. I soon found an excellent, but weird reading spot 

that I would visit time and time again. 

   This reading spot was the attic in my garage. The attic was a very quiet spot to read, 

the only problem was that in the summer it got very hot. I would sit in the attic for an 

hour at a time. Sometimes, drops of sweat would roll off my face falling onto the pages 

as I read. 

   It was one of the weirdest places I had found to read, because it was also one of the 

least comfortable places. Who wants to read when it is burning hot in an attic, but the 

noise must have bothered me more then the heat.  When I would decide to come down 

and go back into the house, my mother would always wonder where I had gone, but I 

would never tell. The sauna like attic was my secret and I wasn't going to tell anyone.

Somethings are better kept to ourselves.

Where are some weird places you have read before? Or your favorite reading spot?

Sincerely,
R.J. Ropsen

Weird Writing Facts

Here is a list I compiled of the weirdest writing facts I have ever seen!

1) A pencil can write around 45,000 words before it runs out.

2) The world's thickest book is, The Complete Miss Marple, by Agatha Christie it 

is 12.5 inches thick.

3) The longest book title has 79 words and was published in 2007.

4) The longest word is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis it has 45 letters!

5) James Patterson has published 31 New York Bestselling books which is the most  ever recorded.

6) Jason W. Mitchiner is the first author ever to skydive with his published book. 

7) The fastest selling book is, Harry Pottter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling  selling 15 million copies in its first day. 8) The novel, Gadsby, by Ernest Vincent is very unusual within the 50,000 word novel  there is no letter 'e'. 9) In the dictionary there are no words that rhyme with orange, purple and silver. 10) The most stolen book from public libraries is, The Guinness Book of Records. 11) Les Miserables by Victor Hugo contains a sentence with 823 words. 12) In the United States there are an average of 5 million books sold a day. 13) In the United States 125 new titles are published each day. 14) The United States and Canada account for almost half of the newspapers that are  published in the entire world. 15) D.H. Lawrence was an author who never revised his work. He would start back at  the beginning if he was not satisfied. It took him three rewrites to finish the novel, Lady  Chatterley's Lover. 16) Jennifer Eagan writes all her first drafts to her novels on a yellow pad.Only when she  is finished does she go back, read her work, and type it into a computer. 17) Virgina Wolf wrote all her novels when she was standing up. 18) Over 20,000 books have been published about Chess. 19) The book that calculates pi to two million places is 800 pages. 20) Noah Webster of Webster's Dictionaires took 36 years to write his 1st dictionary. Is there any other weird writing facts I missed? Feel free to add them to the list in the  comments below. Sincerely, R.J. Ropsen

Five Sentence Fiction

This Five Sentence Fiction has been moved.
You can now find it at http://rjropsen.com/hunger/

Sincerely,

R.J. Ropsen

A Truly Inspirational Story

  Walk On By Julie Rydlund

   This book is truly an inspirational story. It was a 

true account of the author's battle with diabetes and 

the transplant that was necessary to combat the 

disease. Julie explains her medical situation really well 

that it was easy to understand. There are many terms 

she uses that I was not familiar with but she explained 

them well.

   The story also discusses her life after death 

experience, her life without scripture, her prayers to St. 

Therese, adopting a child, conceiving a child, and looking 

for a kidney transplant. There are so many topics that it 

can relate to a wide variety of people.

  The book was a very emotional story from her 

pancreas transplant to her battle to save her life, and
a struggle to have a child. One moment I particular
remember from, Walk On, is her account of spending time with her children before a very risky
pancreas transplant. The way her children responded to the situation was very emotionally for
me. I can't imagine how scary it would be for young children to see their mother go in for a very
risky operation.

   It inspired me that even though she had almost lost her life and had to have both legs 

amputated she continues to not give up. Through God she has found strength to live and
understands His plan for her. She states after her life after death experience “It was through
me that God wanted to reach the broken-hearted, those who were frustrated and wanting to
give up.” God continues to be in her life and through the story she refers to Him and how he
has positively influenced her.

  But the story doesn't stop there. In the About the Author's section at the back of the book
there was a link to her blog. Her blog continues her story to the present day and gives an
update on her life since the end of Walk On.

I would highly recommend reading this story and it is only $2.99 for the Kindle! I give it
5/5 stars.

Author's Blog

Sincerely,

R.J.Ropsen

Great YA Books Coming in 2012

   Here is a list of some great books that are set to be
published in 2012. I am looking forward to reading
them!

Insurgent (Divergent #2)
by Veronica Roth


             

Pandemonium (Delirium #2)

by Lauren Oliver

Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3)

by Cassandra Clare

Incarnate (Newsoul #1)

by Jodi Meadows

Everneath (Everneath #1)

by Brodi Ashton

Fated (The Soul Seekers #1)

by Alyson Noel 

The Selection 

by Kiera Cass

Above

by Leah Bobet

Tempest

by Julie Cross

Touched

by Cyn Balog

The Vanishing Game

by Kate Kae Myers

Pure (Pure #1)

by Julianna Baggott



Young Adult Books for 2012

   I can't wait until these books come out! What books
are you  looking forward to?

Sincerely, 

R.J. Ropsen