<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Payton T Smith]]></title><description><![CDATA[Payton Smith]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Mon, 27 Jul 2026 07:29:23 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.paytonsmith.net/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA["Theo of Golden" Book Review]]></title><description><![CDATA[Sometimes you start a book and everything electrifies as you flip the pages, thinking: This one will stick with me for a long time. Sometimes you can tell an author’s tender heart toward people by how they write an unassuming character larger than life. Sometimes a book doesn’t need a wild plot to hold your attention, or change you. 	Allen Levi wrote just such a book. Taking away the fact that his path to publication is unheard of in publishing - and inspiring - he wrote a book meant to be...]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/post/theo-of-golden-book-review</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a525c25661479e527e48cd7</guid><pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 15:35:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e6e360_7ea20397e56749418cb299594275aacf~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Payton T Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[On the Cusp of Newness ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Some moments feel charged with possibility as we look into the future. Sometimes we have an unexplainable excitement for the unknown. And sometimes this can be mixed with worry; the paradox of fear and joy while heading towards something that is not familiar. For centuries, humans have sought to try new things, pursue unknown quests, and forge new paths in technology, exploration, and life. It invigorates us, excites, and can be utterly stressful. Life changes (big or small) are forks in the...]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/post/on-the-cusp-of-newness</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69de497e66c8cbf1f4c111f5</guid><pubDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:55:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e6e360_1801af8619804390853a176ed42af4bd~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Payton T Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[In Defense of the Romance Novel]]></title><description><![CDATA[Reasons I love romance books, and why I will never apologize for reading them. (And I am not referring to smut-filled reads.) There's no doubt in my head that all romance lovers have experienced a similar situation at least once. You are sharing what book you're reading, and someone's nose turns up when you mention a romance novel. Raise your hand if you have experienced it. All readers of this genre have at least once, I believe. There is a stigma bad novels &#38; press have used to define this...]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/post/in-defense-of-the-romance-novel</link><guid isPermaLink="false">696a66f244e01db33a01c5cc</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:00:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e6e360_8f6de5a275d64b08b4f6c6bd720a3791~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_735,h_490,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Payton T Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA['Across the Balcony' by Payton Tilley]]></title><description><![CDATA[Across the Balcony  A flash fiction contemporary romance To those who love the feel of a book between their hands amidst the real world. May we all find people who make us excited to live our own story. May we all find a listening ear with a soul that seeks to understand our own.   Elise reached for the ringing phone, hesitant to close the pages between her hands. She knew Mr. Darcy’s confession to be on the next page.    Grandfather’s voice hummed through her phone. “Are you able to open the...]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/post/across-the-balcony-by-payton-tilley</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698b7ef1c54aab42f41f66f2</guid><pubDate>Sat, 14 Feb 2026 05:00:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e6e360_dae4e3c63f264a21966136a98d2e68ca~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Payton T Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Quest Towards Purpose]]></title><description><![CDATA[We often forget the value of small things. We forget the value of things beyond what others may deem 'worthy'. What if our job doesn't seem to change the world? What if the dream we once pursued still hasn't progressed? The quest to have more purpose is a noble one. It's been instilled in us by a Creator. He orchestrates with intent and value, which has been passed down to the created [us].  We wonder over our legacy and the imprint we leave on the world when what we do seems small. Consider...]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/post/the-quest-towards-purpose</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69680da30ef3e0e1c07f5082</guid><pubDate>Mon, 19 Jan 2026 22:55:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e6e360_489f47f3b40a437fa2233ff04ad1e6c2~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_409,h_466,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Payton T Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA['Wuthering Heights' Review: A Novel of Pride, Selfishness, and Generational Pain]]></title><description><![CDATA[I hope from my title you don't expect a light and easy read, because if you do, STEER AWAY from this novel, for it is more tragedy than romcom. If you want something that feels like the new movie trailer we received for 2026, don't bother to pick it up because Emily's is nothing of that sort. But . . . if you desire a novel with a deep emotional tug and an exploration of human despair, this is it. If you want a novel that forces you to think and awakens horror at the depraved way we...]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/post/wuthering-heights-review-a-novel-of-pride-selfishness-and-generational-pain</link><guid isPermaLink="false">695dbf4298add1bc158217ae</guid><pubDate>Wed, 07 Jan 2026 11:00:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e6e360_fea6b98b792b4ba9b3b111d1be3ce6b6~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Payton T Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hayley Elliott Interview ]]></title><description><![CDATA[I am so thrilled to have the honor of sharing an interview with Hayley Elliott, the author of You and Me, For Real . If you have not...]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/post/hayley-elliott-interview</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68c724e80d13c9ba3a6c44af</guid><pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2025 23:19:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e6e360_51be2e4d87b54252abe8c125cb884684~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Payton T Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Whispers of Summer]]></title><description><![CDATA[Poems beaten from the sun . . . After a little break that stretched too long, I am super excited to share some poetry that has festered...]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/post/whispers-of-summer</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68ade1a6d8941e921d33fd85</guid><pubDate>Wed, 27 Aug 2025 22:06:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e6e360_6154894898294e63a951e463665ea5d5~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_675,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Payton T Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Kiersti Giron Interview ]]></title><description><![CDATA[I had the amazing pleasure of interviewing Kiersti and sitting down to talk about her new book Beneath a Turquoise Sky . We had such a...]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/post/kiersti-giron-interview</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6810221302e22389d11749d3</guid><pubDate>Sun, 04 May 2025 19:51:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e6e360_7b391489af624dc28885a68d63bbbfb3~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_972,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Payton T Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA['Beneath a Turquoise Sky' Book Review]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today is release day for Kiersti Giron's book Beneath a Turquoise Sky!  Beneath A Turquoise Sky was a book that slowly pulled me in and...]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/post/beneath-a-turquoise-sky-book-review</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67fd2275dfc6f31b5cd9115a</guid><pubDate>Tue, 15 Apr 2025 01:44:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e6e360_544e436e8d7b4bd6bb1199a5bc7803bb~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Payton T Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Spring TBR]]></title><description><![CDATA[Ahhh, honestly the seasons of spring and fall have always been my favorites to grab a book and nestle amongst the public or in a nook...]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/post/spring-tbr</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67e83f73fe36f598432d554c</guid><pubDate>Mon, 31 Mar 2025 20:45:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_cc957f9efa2a4052bdae7642ef36d5db~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Payton T Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Review of C.S. Lewis Literature Essays and some February Favorite Things]]></title><description><![CDATA[The spring pull has begun this month, but we oddly also got winter's last fight as it dumped a little bit of snow here in NC. I have...]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/post/review-of-c-s-lewis-literature-essays-and-some-february-favorite-things</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67b9de852c47d3953d4977cc</guid><pubDate>Fri, 28 Feb 2025 23:10:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e6e360_a20ae95ff5f243049126ff64c3d32f2b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Payton T Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Expecting Expectations - When the New Year Calls]]></title><description><![CDATA[Expectations and goals come with the first snows of January. I'm sure you yourself expect this post to be about how to make the best...]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/post/expecting-expectations-when-the-new-year-calls</link><guid isPermaLink="false">678474a56b1338c63f785a0a</guid><pubDate>Fri, 17 Jan 2025 01:56:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e6e360_e957015b990a41639c61d4c9bfbbc627~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Payton T Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Autumnal Poetry Dump]]></title><description><![CDATA[Ello' everyone! So, in honor of some poems I have been scrambling in different places over the last couple months, I decided to dump a...]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/post/autumnal-poetry-dump</link><guid isPermaLink="false">670ed57163a88d5f468166c1</guid><pubDate>Tue, 12 Nov 2024 16:45:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_4739487a67304966427667~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Payton T Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA['Never Forgotten' Book Review ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Hey all! I'm so excited to be celebrating the release day of Hannah Linder's new book 'Never Forgotten'. Check out my full review below!...]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/post/never-forgotten-book-review</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67252f21b7d308c6d3f19838</guid><pubDate>Fri, 01 Nov 2024 19:52:47 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e6e360_7646a22fcdf749b3a872877329897491~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Payton T Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Season of Writers]]></title><description><![CDATA[As nature begins to seep down into slumber, somehow I believe creatives, wonderers, and dreamers began to burst in bloom as the season...]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/post/the-season-of-writers</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66f6fc66c8a1c6e4a23e7cba</guid><pubDate>Fri, 27 Sep 2024 20:51:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_41bdf97714c64a4d821a8597583fdda8~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Payton T Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Basking After Rain - Share Little Things]]></title><description><![CDATA[When did You experience God's hand last? And then shared it? That's where it used to be tricky for me . . . To me, it's amazing we serve...]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/post/basking-after-rain-share-little-things</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66a065a9a84987558f7f4811</guid><pubDate>Fri, 26 Jul 2024 01:59:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e6e360_9ac758f6a2d148eda687aae6acbec991~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Payton T Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Grasping for His Will]]></title><description><![CDATA[As Christian women and men, sometimes we seem to be floundering and going through the motions. One of my biggest struggles is overcoming...]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/post/grasping-for-his-will</link><guid isPermaLink="false">666de0ba1d9d9172dee93c70</guid><pubDate>Sun, 16 Jun 2024 02:55:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e6e360_e23b997dd68443bf9281804dbe966a2d~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Payton T Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Peace in the Pages ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Things come into our lives that bolster us, direct us or grow us. Our whole lives are journeys and a collection of moments; our faith...]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/post/peace-in-the-pages</link><guid isPermaLink="false">664ea1c7450f6fe89f930a95</guid><pubDate>Fri, 24 May 2024 02:00:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_47427a556e655854636b45~mv2_d_3000_4000_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Payton T Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Simple Look Into Medieval Gardens ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Spring has sprung and this is when plant lovers and gardeners are puffing out their chest, flexing their green thumbs and placing their...]]></description><link>https://www.paytonsmith.net/post/a-simple-look-into-medieval-gardens</link><guid isPermaLink="false">661869edd114c8a66f1321c2</guid><pubDate>Thu, 11 Apr 2024 23:21:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e6e360_1f8e7e0f82284a849203d0c03c9b476e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_736,h_551,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Payton T Smith</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>