Happy Friday!
How can we be five days into The Toymaker’s Doll blog tour already?
The days seem to be flying, and I’ve been enjoying the chance to hear from readers very much. I never expected such a flood of encouragement and support. What a blessing!
(If you haven’t gotten in on the rest of the tour, you can find the kickoff post, here.)
My greatest joy as an author is finding out how my stories have impacted other people. When I write, I want the stories to first glorify God, and second touch others’ hearts. To me, that’s what makes writing such a blessing. That’s what motivates me to keep telling those stories, no matter what comes up to make the process more difficult.
Since The Toymaker’s Doll was published, I’ve received the privilege of reading many sweet messages and reviews from people who’ve read the story and been moved by it, and those reviews never fail to make my day. It’s also been a great learning experience, to find out how others interpreted various things, and what their honest thoughts were.
Reviews are helpful. For the author, to receive that crucial feedback they need to continue improving their stories, and for the reader, to figure out if a story is worth spending some of their valuable time on. There are a lot of stories out there, and not enough time to read them all (if we even wanted to).
I’m so grateful for each and every review that’s been left so far – on blogs, on Amazon, on Goodreads…anywhere! For some in-depth reviews, you can head over to that kickoff post I mentioned earlier (scroll back up!) to find reviews by several sweet and thorough fellow writers. And here are some shorter ones that have really helped and encouraged me.
“This is a quick read but worth the price. Beautiful and encouraging, will probably make you cry. I look forward to more from this author.”
~ Amazon Customer
“The Toymaker’s Doll had an enormous impact on me, and I don’t say that lightly. The day I first read it, I was heartsore and weary after finally coming to terms with a serious injury, one that will probably affect me for the rest of my life. But when I read The Toymaker’s Doll, I had no idea that the Lord would use it to comfort me. Jane, the timid and broken heroine of the story, resonated with me within the first few paragraphs. Not only did her painful limp reminded me of my own chronic pain, but I could relate to her fear and isolation as well. Riveted (and feeling strangely seen), I read of her desperate journey to the Toymaker’s shop, her poignant encounters with other hurting or frightened toys, and her meeting with a cruel snake.
~ Maribeth Barber (Amazon)
It was her conversation with the tender Toymaker himself, however, that left me weeping tears of gratitude. For through her story, E.G. Bella reminded me of God’s immense and unconditional love for me, His patience with and compassion towards my physical infirmities, and His good and sovereign plans to give me a hope and a future. As Jane learns, all may not be perfect in this life, but it is very good—and that’s why I will always treasure The Toymaker’s Doll.”
“E.G. Bella captures the hearts of her readers in her short story The Toymaker’s Doll, which tells the story of Jane, a doll who struggles to accept the way the Toymaker has made her. Jane goes on a journey to find the Toymaker and ask Him to fix her, and in doing so she discovers that sometimes flaws are strengths in disguise, and more importantly, that the Toymaker loves her and made her exactly the way He wanted her to be for a reason.
~ Sierra Jauch (Amazon)
This allegorical story teaches spiritual truths about God using weakness to let strength and kindness shine through, and that God loves us and makes no mistakes. E.G. Bella addresses heart issues that every person can relate to in a sweet, simple, and classical style without diminishing the hurts that people experience. When readers of all ages see how carefully the Toymaker crafted Jane, they will see how carefully our Father has created us.”
“This was just beautiful!!!! E.G. Bella has proved herself to be an author to keep an eye out for with this masterfully written allegorical short story that will tug at your heartstrings and deeply move you to see yourself and the world through the Creator’s eyes…”
~ Issabelle Perry (Goodreads – and soon to be on her own blog)
“…This allegorical story reads somewhat like an old children’s book, with a simple but poetic style and a classical cadence, but its message is ageless. E. G. Bella wove the answers to some of life’s hardest questions—why do bad things happen to good people? why are some people healed but not others? does God love me? do I have a purpose?—into this short story in a way that was memorable and inspiring. The depth of wisdom in the simple words is so beautiful!…I have no doubt that everyone who reads this tiny tale will not only enjoy it but walk away impacted by the lovely message!…”
~ Grace A. Johnson (Goodreads – and on her own blog)
“What a sweet, truth-filled debut from E. G. Bella! From the very beginning, I was pulled into Jane’s little world. This is one of those stories that, though short, speaks a message that will stay with you!…Anyone who’s gone through sorrows and suffering (basically everyone!) would relate to Jane’s story….”
~ Vanessa Hall (Goodreads – and on her own blog)
“…Jane was such a great character with struggles I believe almost anyone can relate to. I also enjoyed the side characters: Isabel, the shepherdess, and the toy soldier. And the Toymaker was a good allegorical representation of some of the ways God relates to His children. The Toymaker’s Doll was a thought-provoking allegory. I’d recommend it to those who enjoy Christian fiction, allegories, and short stories.
~ Kristina Hall (Goodreads – and on her own blog)
(To find the full reviews from the various blogs, you can head here.)
I couldn’t be happier to know The Toymaker’s Doll has made even a small impact on these readers – and I pray it continues to spread the message of God’s love to many others. Thank you reviewers, for letting me know your thoughts!
And if YOU would like to leave a review, by all means, please do! I always enjoy hearing from readers, and getting to hear your thoughts would be such a blessing to me.
God bless – and have a very merry Christmas Eve!
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