Surprise Packages Blog Tour

Organizing a virtual book tour is almost as fun as going on one myself, so I've had a wonderful time the last several weeks putting together a tour for Nancy Anderson, Lael Littke and Carroll Morris, authors of the Deseret Book trilogy, "The Company of Good Women." The third book in the series is now out and available for purchase, so we're hitting the Internet to spread the word!

Over thirty blogs are participating in this tour. Go to the ladies' blog and check out the sidebar on the right -- you'll find a full listing of all participating blogs, with links for easy access. Almost every day all throughout the month, a new review will be made live, so be sure to check back frequently so you don't miss a thing.

So, who are these ladies? And why do they call themselves "crusty old broads?"

Lael and Carroll were both already established authors in their own right, with multitudes of titles to their names. Nancy, Carroll's sister, also had the desire to write. When the three of them were introduced, and later spent the week together at Brigham Young University's Education Week, an idea was born -- they should write a book together, each of them writing from the viewpoint of a different character. It was risky, sure -- co-authors usually only number in the twos, not the threes. But these ladies put it all together and through e-mail and personal visits, which required the use of many frequent flier miles, the books came into being.

Nancy writes the character Deenie, a woman who runs her life according to lists and feels out of control when the unexpected happens, but learns how to let go and have faith that everything will be all right.

Carroll writes the character Erin, a young woman who converts to the Church, does everything she can to establish an eternal family, and then learns that her husband is gay.

Lael writes the character Juneau, an author and a mother who must deal with the teenage pregnancy of her daughter, that daughter giving her the baby to raise, and then having to relinquish the baby at her daughter's demand later on.

These challenges are just the tip of the iceberg the characters face. Through it all, they turn toward each other for advice, love, and compassion. And always in sight is the goal of becoming Crusty Old Broads -- that is to say, women who have weathered life's storms with courage and grace, who pull up their socks and keep walking forward.

Here are some links to reviews and interviews I've done with these three Lovely Ladies, as I call them:

Author Interview: Anderson, Littke and Morris

Author Interview: Anderson, Littke and Morris, part two

Almost Sisters (first book in the trilogy)

Three Tickets to Peoria (second book in the trilogy)

On August 31st, I'll be wrapping up the tour with my review of "Surprise Packages." In the meantime, check out the ladies' website, be sure to follow along on their virtual blog tour, and I'll let you know when my review of the novel is ready for you!

J. Scott Savage's Virtual Book Tour

Click here to visit "Tristi's Takes" and read all about my interviews with J. Scott Savage and enter to win a free advance readers copy of his new young adult fantasy, "Farworld."

Barry K. Phillips' Virtual Book Tour

New nonfiction author Barry K. Phillips is on virtual blog tour today, and I'm one of his hosts. Click here to read the review of his funny, yet insightful, book "Caught in the Headlights," which talks about the life lessons he learned the hard way. It will make you evaluate your own life as well. And, after 6 am which is when the link will be live, click here to read the interview he granted me as well.

Sharing My Testimony

Candace Salima interviewed me today about my testimony. You can read the interview by clicking here. If your Internet is anything like mine, you'll have to scroll down, but it's there. I promise.

A Summertime Pet Peeve

I have a recipe for French bread. Toward the end of the cooking time, it suggests opening the oven and misting the bread with water from a spray bottle, which will give the top of the bread a nice golden crust.

I have a pet peeve. I'd like to share it.

It drives me nuts when people water their lawns in the heat of the day. Just like squirting water onto the French bread to make it crispy, all they're doing is toasting their lawn. The ideal time to water your lawn is at night, when it can seep into the soil all night long and fortify the grass against the heat of the sun the next day. If you're watering during the day, all you're doing is wasting water, and in heat like this (we hit 100 today) some of it's evaporating before it ever hits the grass.

What I really think is extra sad is when people go outside to hand water during the afternoon. They're standing there with a hose for twenty minutes at a time, wasting water, wasting their time, at once! Is that supposed to be efficient? "I don't want to waste water and time separately -- I'll combine them. Isn't that efficient?" First off, have they never heard of a sprinkler, and secondly, water after the sun goes down!

If people all over the world would unite in this one simple cause, not only would our lawns be happier, but so would I. And isn't that what it's all about, folks? Making Tristi happy?

Barbara Salsbury's Blog Tour

I'm participating in Barbara Salsbury's blog tour. You can check out the review of her book, "Preparedness Principles," here, and her interview here.

Happy Pioneer Day!

In honor of Pioneer Day, I'd like to direct your attention over to my new blog, "Blessed Honored Pioneers," which I started to commemorate the Hole in the Rock pioneers. And if you have any cool pioneer ancestors you'd like to brag about, please leave a comment in this trail so we can all read about them.

Contest Winner Announced!

I've thought about it long and hard, and the locale I've chosen for the book is:



Rachelle, which of my three books would you like as your prize?

A Logical Conclusion

You would think, that after baking last week and burning my hand quite painfully, that while baking this week, I would take care to use extra caution when touching the pans so as not to repeat my earlier mistake. You'd think that, wouldn't ya? Wouldn't ya?

Our Rights as Mothers

Homeschool is not for everyone. There are children who do better in a public or a private school environment. There are parents who have to work or for other reasons are unable to teach their children at home. I've never tried to force my opinions on anyone about how they should raise their children. I'm a live-and-let-live kind of girl in that way-I allow you to make your decisions, and you need to let me make mine.

My husband and I made the decision to homeschool before we had children. In fact, before we were even married. I was taught at home for my entire education, including some college and trade school, and so, for me, it was a natural thing. When my husband proposed, he asked me what I was looking for in a husband. I said, "I'm looking for a man who loves the Lord more than he loves me, and will support me in giving birth at home and in homeschooling." He then proposed, I married him, and we started our family with our goals clearly outlined. This is the decision we made for our family, not one we try to force others to emulate.

A well-meaning Primary teacher recently made a few comments that caused those little hairs on the back of my neck to stand straight up. They weren't spoken cruelly, but the message was clear -- as a teacher, she knows more about my child than I do. You can say a lot of things to me, but that's not one of them.

I am a mother. I was predestined to be one from the foundations of this world. When God thought about my life and the direction He wanted it to take, He decided to make me a mother. He also decided to give me four very strong, very smart, very independent-minded children who would take all my energy. Along with those four gifts, He gave me the Holy Ghost to guide me in my quest to raise these children to the best of my ability. I have felt the influence of the Holy Ghost time and time again as I have thought of ways to encourage my children along various paths. I have often felt the sweet voice of our Heavenly Father telling me what each child needs in order to feel validated and loved. I'll tell you right now, I make mistakes. But I'll also tell you, when I listen to that voice, the success I have with my children is remarkable. God knows them inside and out. He knows who they were before, who they will be after, and what their capacities are. He tells me those things as I need to know them, so He can guide me in how to cope with them and their struggles.

In addition, I carried them for nine months next to my heart. I have stayed up all night with them. I have cared for them their entire lives. You can't tell me that someone else knows them better than I do, just because that someone has a degree. Between me and the Lord, there's not one thing about that child we can't figure out.

I will admit, I don't have a college degree. But I'm educated. And what I don't know, I learn. I may not be the best person to teach my children higher math, but when they get to that point, my husband will teach them. It's teamwork. It's turning to him to supplement the areas in which I'm weak, which is how a husband and wife unit should function. I'm not so savvy when it comes to explaining calculus, but I will put my care and concern for my children, and my love for them, up against any person on this planet and come out the hands-down winner.

I am very concerned at the comments I frequently hear being made by lawmakers and educators who state that they don't feel the parents know what's best for their children. I would pit a mother's intuition against a stack of college textbooks any day of the week. If certain proposed laws ever come to pass, and we turn the raising of our children over to the government (which really sounds to me like the plot of Lois Lowry's "The Giver,") we might as well just kiss our futures goodbye. It doesn't matter if you homeschool, public school, or private school, you as the parent know what's best for your child. I've made my decision. I will fight for it. I claim my right as a mother to be a mother, not a breeder, not some clueless, helpless female who must turn to the proper authorities to get help because she'll ruin the child otherwise.

I didn't say anything to the Primary teacher. It wouldn't have done any good. But I'm raising my voice now, and I tell you this -- parents, fight for the right to raise your children as you see fit, regardless of the method of schooling you choose. Do this with the help and inspiration of the Holy Ghost to guide you as you determine what your children need, and you will be amazed at the insights you are given concerning that most precious stewardship, your children.

You can return to the Neighborhood by clicking here.

My Reply to Jen's Reply to Amanda's Comment . . .

Wow, my humble little blog hasn't been this intriguing for a while! Feels good!

In replying to Amanda's question, Jen said:

What an interesting topic for a book, given your current personal relationship with the church being that you don't believe in it. How do your personal beliefs affect your ability to write a book about someone who feels drawn to return to the church? In other words, is it a return to the church out of testimony, or a return out of need for community & support while grieving an approaching loss? Or something else entirely? If its more the community angle, why a return to LDS vs filling those community needs elsewhere?

Most, if not all, LDS fiction books I have read carry at least an underlying testimony, whether specifically stated or simply as a theme. How would you approach that cultural expectation as an author who doesn't believe in the LDS church, without it coming across as simply a financial appeal toward an added market niche to the one you are already writing for? Intriguing.

Amanda then replied:

The stories that I write are beyond me. Characters come to me and ask for their stories to be told. They are who they are, I don't create them. That's my take on writing. I have no illusions about ever making money with my writing, nor would I ever sell out in order to publish a book. I would never manipulate a market to sell a book - the idea makes me shudder! My character is LDS because that's who she was when I created her. And, as an author, I separate myself from the book entirely, so that my feelings on issues are nonexistant. My relationship with the church doesn't matter - only my character's does. I can step into her shoes and feel her conversion back (which IS based on testimony) and be okay with that. On the other hand, sometimes I worry that the process will be seen as dishonest, because I do not feel that conversion myself. It isn't, though. It's fiction. In order to say it's dishonest, a person has to assume that the author is part of the book, and I'm not. It's been a very hard book to write because of that worry, to tell the truth. I don't want people to think I'm lying or advocating one way or another. As the author, I have no opinion - I just want their story to be told.

They both make excellent, valid points. So excellent, in fact, that I decided to address them.

I've always been a believer in writing what we know. I believe that we can bring a depth of understanding to the story and to the character when we infuse our own emotions into the story and show our innermost selves.

That said, my first book was written from the first person viewpoint of a Japanese American young man. What do I know about being a Japanese American? Nothing. What do I know about being a man? Even less.

However, because I wanted to learn about the different cultures involved and because I wanted to tell my story in a certain way, I chose to take on a persona totally foreign to me. I don't believe I could have accomplished what I did with "Nothing to Regret" in any other way. I've been critically acclaimed for my work on that book, despite the fact that I'm a Caucasian woman. The experiences of my character were unfamiliar to me, but because I was willing to learn, I was able to pull it off.

The question of religion is broached -- should a person write a book about conversion to a religion they don't personally believe in? Fascinating question.

I'm not Jewish. Yet, I have a tremendous respect for their culture, their faith, their history and traditions. I believe I could write a book, convincingly, about the Jewish people and talk about their beliefs in a way that would be compelling and realistic to the reader. I don't have to be Jewish to accomplish that -- I have to be willing to learn, to use my imagination, and to have respect for the things I'm writing about.

I agree with Jen in that we do find certain authenticity when we write the things we know. Our words have power when we speak from personal testimony.

I agree with Amanda in that we can use the writing skills we've been given to create a story about anything, whether or not we have personally experienced it or believe it. If we only wrote about the things we know for a fact, the world of fiction would be very limited.

So, now it's time for you to weigh in, commenters . . . what do you think?

Answering Amanda's Question

Amanda left such an intriging question in my comment trail, I decided it was worthy of its own blog.

So Tristi - you say an LDS author is a person who writes books and is a member of the church - what are you then if you are NOT a member of the church (or are considered an inactive member for many years) but you write a book that per your definition qualifies as LDS fiction? I'm curious because I'm doing exactly that. I was a convert and only went to church for two years before I left. I have nothing against the church, but I don't believe in it. My current novel, however, is definitely an LDS novel, about a girl who has struggled with her spirituality, left the church, and who comes to realize through her father's declining health and eventual death that she needs to return to the church. I wonder how I would ever publish such a thing, because I don't consider myself LDS. Sort of an odd quandry, no?

As far as I know, there's no rule that says you have to be LDS in order to write and publish an LDS fiction novel. It's an interesting question because I've never met someone who wasn't LDS who wanted to write for the market, but there's certainly nothing wrong with it. If your book was basically clean and kept with the genre requirements for LDS fiction, then I would say, it's LDS fiction.

If you did want to include some swearing or other elements that took it out of the LDS fiction genre, you could publish it as general fiction and it would be about LDS people, although not necessarily to be considered LDS fiction. You could publish that on the national market, which isn't entirely opposed to publishing stories about Mormons.

To verify what I'm saying, you might consider popping an e-mail to the various LDS publishers and ask them what their requirements are concerning Church membership for publication. I'd be really surprised if they'd turn down a book based on your membership or lack thereof (have you had your name removed from the records, or did you just stop attending?) but let me know what they say. I'll be curious to find out.

And thanks for the thought-provoking question!

Defining LDS Fiction

Just what exactly is LDS fiction?

It's fiction that is written for people who want to read about LDS topics, or issues as seen through the LDS lens. LDS fiction may include elements of romance, suspense, mystery, history, or drama, but the underlying foundation is the same -- the characters are either LDS or become LDS, the story is clean, and sin is shown, yet so are the consequences. The sin isn't shown graphically, and language is kept to a tasteful minimum.

What is an LDS author?

A person who writes books and is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.


As we bandy about terms in the LDS market, there's room for confusion. The term "LDS fiction" refers to a genre, as described above. When you pick up a book that is listed as "LDS fiction," you should be able to count on it containing the above elements. If it doesn't, it could be classified as "general fiction" or "women's fiction" and the like, but if it doesn't include many if not all of the above elements, it doesn't truly fall into the "LDS fiction" genre.

There are LDS authors who write for the national market, and their books would fall more into the "general fiction," "women's fiction," or "young adult" genres.

When you pick up a book by an LDS author, unless it says "LDS fiction," you shouldn't automatically assume that it will contain the elements of LDS fiction. The book may or may not mention the Church at all. It may contain swearing, bed scenes and the like. Those things are more accepted on the national level and the LDS author has more leeway than they would in the LDS market. Being an LDS author doesn't mean that you have to write LDS fiction any more than I have to write women's fiction because I'm a woman or chick lit because I'm a chick -- every author has the right to choose what they want to write.

However, if you're going to write a book and call it "LDS fiction," it should maintain certain standards. It's the genre type. I wouldn't write a romance with no mystery whatsoever and call it a mystery, any more than I would write a chick lit and call it a man's book. You've got to properly identify your genre or you won't hit the audience you're targeting. If you tell me your book is chick lit and it turns out to be about four college guys who drop out and take a road trip, I'm going to be disappointed. I had my mouth set for chick lit and didn't get it. By the same token, if you tell me your book is LDS fiction and it doesn't contain the elements I'm expecting, I'm going to be disappointed. It's false advertising.

This is one reason why I'm such a stickler about the backliner of a book being accurate. It annoys me no end when the backliner doesn't give a good hint about the contents of a book. I need to expect what I'm going to read. That's why, on the back of "Season of Sacrifice," I mention the polygamy aspect. I want my readers to know full well that book contains polygamy, so if it's something they just can't read, they won't be expected to read it.

I've gone off on a tangent, although the point is valid. Let me come back to my main premise. When you pick up an LDS fiction novel, you should be able to expect a clean read. When you pick up a book by an LDS author, that guarantee doesn't exist, as the author has free agency to write whatever they want. They can just call it by another genre name to indicate to their readers what to expect.

This is where LDS authors like Stephenie Meyer have gotten a lot of criticism. Yes, she's LDS. But she's not writing for the LDS market, and so her constraints on content would be different. Her books certainly don't qualify as LDS fiction, but that's okay. She's never claimed that they do. She properly identified herself as a young adult author on the national level. I've been a pretty strong advocate for Stephenie when others have dogged her for writing the way she has. It's a different market and you can't hold her to LDS market standards when she's writing for the national market.

To summarize: In order to call your book "LDS fiction," make sure it falls into the guidelines for that genre. If it doesn't, choose another genre title and call it by that name. You'll give your readers a much more clear idea of what to expect. The fact that you are LDS and you write fiction doesn't automatically mean that you write LDS fiction.

A Glutton for Punishment

I'm hosting a Book in a Month challenge right now over on Tristi's Challenges, but I haven't written a thing all week. And this after challenging the participants to pour it on! But I haven't been slacking . . . oh, far from it.

Here are some pictures of what I've been doing.

First of all, when we moved into our trailer, my sons really wanted a room that looked like the sky. I painted the walls light blue and sponged on some clouds. This is what it looked like:

Pretty cute, huh? I'm not good at painting so I was pretty proud of this.

But then when my three-year-old moved into the room and discovered how cool it is to draw on the walls, this is what happened (this shot is taken along the wall above his bunk):

I've decided to move all three boys into the larger bedroom and give my daughter the smaller room for privacy. But with walls that nasty, I couldn't just move her in there--something had to be done. So I also decided to paint.

Now, I know I've looked cuter in my life . . .

This was all on Monday night. After getting half of the project done, this is what the room looked like:

That's a pretty drastic difference from done to not done, huh?

Well, Tuesday night Benjamin would not go to sleep, so I didn't get any work done on the room. Tonight, though, I accomplished the other half of the room:

This is, of course, after we moved the bunkbeds to the other wall. Hard to believe, this was the wall with all those scribbles on it. It looks better in real life -- this picture looks kind of yellowy.

After I get the beds put back, the edges touched up, and my daughter's things in, I'll post a final picture showing the end result. I don't know yet what that will be, but I do know it looks a lot nicer without all those marks on the walls. Although I have to say, the kid does have quite an artistic flair. His color choices were quite sophisticated.

But wait . . . where does the title of this blog come in?

Well, first off, click here and read this blog. This week I'm working on dinners to go in that freezer. Yes, and painting at the same time. It all starts to make sense now, doesn't it?

Look at my beautiful freezer! I have hamburger stroganoff (4) vegetarian lasagna
(3) chicken alfredo (4) and chili (4). Tomorrow I will have beef and barley soup and chicken and mushroom mix for quesadillas in there, too. And here's what my kitchen looks like right now:

So, that is why I haven't been writing. I will get back to it, though!

After I sleep for a week . . .

Thank You, Soldiers!

I've always appreciated what our soldiers have done for us, but it wasn't until I became a historical fiction author and began to research war that I understood the fear, anxiety, stress, danger, and downright terror our troops are sometimes called on to endure. Even during times of peace, they deal with homesickness, illness, and cultures that might be hard to understand. How grateful I am that these brave men and women are willing to leave home and family and put themselves in harm's way to keep us safe.

Tonight I had the chance to do a little something to say "thank you" to our soldiers in Iraq. Author Julie Coulter Bellon, in conjunction with the release of her new book "All's Fair," came up with a great way we can all contribute to our men and women in uniform. From now until July 19th, when you go into any Seagull Book along the Wasatch front and donate wrapped candy and/or paperback books, you will be entered into a drawing to win one of Julie's books. I dropped off a sack of books I thought the troops might enjoy, and it made me feel so good to think that I did something that might lighten a soldier's day. Julie will be shipping all donated goods over to Iraq for distribution amongst the troops there. You can learn more about this charity drive and get a list of suggested items to donate at Julie's website.

So, why are you sitting there reading blogs? Go clean off your bookshelf, raid your kids' candy stash, and head in to Seagull right now!

Abel Keogh's Virtual Book Tour

Hey all, I'm participating in Abel Keogh's virtual blog tour for "Room for Two." Read my review here and you can see a list of all the other reviews by clicking here.

The Stars at Night, are Big and Bright . . .

It's been interesting around here, to say the least. You'll recall that my mom was sent home from her mission in May due to a fall. She's been staying here with me ever since, going to doctors and getting herself well. She's just gotten her reassignment and will be filling a service mission in Houston, Texas. She leaves on Thursday. It's been good to spend time with her, but I'm also of the opinion that two women in one house isn't a good thing . . .

My daughter had a great time at Girls' Camp and I think I survived the week without her. I have to say, though, watching her get on that bus and realizing that I wouldn't know how she was for a solid five days was really hard for me and I did sniffle quite a lot. But she's a remarkable young lady and I couldn't be more proud of how she's growing up.

I've also been working extra hard on wrastling this sodium thing into submission. Right now I'm in the middle of Operation Oven, where I'm preparing foods to fill my freezer so I have low-sodium foods I can just grab, heat, and eat. You can check it out here.

That's about it for an update on me. . . I really didn't have much of anything to say, but it's been a week since I posted and I figured I'd better assure you that I haven't fallen off the planet somehow.

You Say You Want a Revolution?

Friday was not only the 4th, it was my daughter's birthday. We went to the Family Fun Center and had fun bouncing on all their big inflatable toys.



I did not bounce, but I observed while others bounced.

After about a half hour (we had a full hour, but really, who can jump around for a full hour?) we went over to the arcade area and I played skee ball, which is one of my favorites, and then I made a mistake. A tragic mistake. A crucial mistake. A mistake I am paying for at this very moment, more than 48 hours later.

I challenged my husband to Dance, Dance Revolution.

I trounced him the first round. I mean, by a couple of tens of thousands, that's how much I trounced him. But then there were two more rounds, and I realized something.

Persons who have to be nice to their feet and who have had bones in said feet go out of alignment on a regular basis should not play Dance, Dance Revolution, even when they are trouncing their husbands by tens of thousands.

I threw the last two rounds and then it was time to go home, and I did indeed throw the bones in my right foot out of alignment and can barely walk.

And all this happened on a holiday weekend, and my chiropractor has been out of his office, and even though he has an emergency number to call, he hasn't returned my message.

So I'm lame until tomorrow morning at which time I'm showing up at his door without an appointment.

I'm such a rebel.

But I do have to say, it was really fun to trounce my husband by tens of thousands of points.

And no, I didn't get a picture of us playing. That would just be . . . sad.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July, everyone! I'm so grateful for this day we have to think about our blessings and to recognize how incredible this great country is. I was going to write a blog to this effect, but then I ran across this one and realized I could never say it as well, so go read Kerry's blog instead.

In the meantime, I have another reason to celebrate but also to mourn. My daughter is turning twelve today. She's excited to go to Girls' Camp and Young Women and to grow up and be a teenager, and I'm mourning the fact that she's going to Girls' Camp and Young Women and growing up and being a teenager. I still feel twelve -- I'm not ready for this -- I keep wondering if I've taught her enough and if she feels like she's got a strong foundation and most of all, wondering how she can be turning twelve when I so plainly remember the day she was born and dressing her in tiny little sleepers and holding the length of her entire body on my forearm. And it's all burned into my memory and lives like it was just yesterday, and now she's telling me that she's twelve? I think someone's playing a big trick on me . . . she's really only two.

Writing Tip -- Narrative vs. Exposition

I've been asked a couple of times lately to explain the difference between narrative and exposition. Sounds like a great blog topic to me!

Narrative -- narrative links the dialogue together. For instance: Tom crossed the floor and picked up the antique vase, wondering where it had come from.

Exposition -- exposition tells us what happened in the past and catches us up-to-date. For instance: When he'd been working as an excavator in Mexico, he'd seen some artwork that reminded him of the designs on this vase. But in Mexico, his mind had been on anything but art. Instead, his days and nights had been consumed by thoughts of a certain dark-eyed girl and the way she flicked her hair over her shoulder as she walked away from him. Always walking away from him.

Essentially, narrative tells us what's going on now and exposition tells us what did go on, a little while ago. It's a past and present thing.