Saturday, December 31, 2011

New Year's Eve

Wow ... I'm so glad 2011 is over, can I just say that? Don't get me wrong - some really wonderful things have happened, but also some pretty difficult things have happened. Thankfully, the healing from those difficult things is already taking place, so as we move into 2012, we should be edging closer to solutions. Knocking on wood, right?

Let's take a look back at 2011, and then a look forward at 2012. It seems like a very New Year's Eve kind of thing to do.

January -

I had a slip and fall down and go bump on the ice. Let's click here for the artist's rendition.

I released Dearly Departed, the second novel in The Secret Sisters Mysteries.

This was also the month that I nearly ran into a school bus when the brakes on my van went out. Here's that awesome story, in case you missed it. And then got such a bad case of bronchitis, it was almost pneumonia, from walking through a blizzard to get help ... that was fun.

February -

It was a mostly quiet month - I was on a few panels at Life, the Universe, and Everything, a sci-fi/fantasy convention here in Utah, and that was a lot of fun.  I also continued with chiropractic treatment for my slip and go fall on the ice.

March -

I did the flowers for my friend's wedding - you can see some pretty pictures here.

Oh, and it was my birthday, too.

April -

This was a pretty quiet month, too.  I was so blessed, and didn't even know it ...

May - 

In May of every year is the fantastico LDStorymakers Writers Conference.  Here's how it went for me this year.

June - 

Wow ... this is the month that literally changed my entire life.  We met Dr. Craig Blamires, learned that we were experiencing some severe health problems, and completely changed our lifestyles.  June was the last time I indulged in chocolate-covered cinnamon bears or gummy peach rings or Zingers ... or anything thereunto related ... but we instantly started seeing results, for my whole family, and I lost six pounds that very first week.  (Now 67 at the time of this writing.)

I also released my low-sodium cookbook ... hooray!!  That was a project long in the making.

It was also in June that Dearly Departed was given a slot in Costco.  Whoohooo!!!

And I got to go shooting for the very first time.  That was awesome.



July -

I spent most of July doing signings at Costco.  Here is my guide for signing at Costco - although the tips will work for any signing, anywhere.


August - 

My third Secret Sisters book, Hang 'Em High, was released in August, and I saw it for the first time at LDSBA.  Good times!


September - 

I had my last book signing at Costco in September, and I also kicked my health care up another notch when we had a wee bit of a scare with my heart, at Costco.  That was majorly fun.

October - 

I really started to talk about my weight loss journey.  I knew that people would want to know what I was up to, how I was doing it, and I also wanted that extra level of accountability.

November - 


I hit 53 pounds lost, hosted a sugar-free Thanksgiving for my sisters and their families, (I hope they've forgiven me for no pie) and did lots of editing. I also started writing a cookbook with my doctor, which will be available soon.

December -

And this was the month I entered the Twilight Zone.  It all started on the 2nd, when I was in a car accident with a semi. I've spent the last month at the doctor's office three days a week doing physical therapy and having adjustments, and I really haven't gotten a whole lot else done, I'm sorry to say.

I also did a lot of book reviews this year, and this was the year that my editing business really took off.

So, you can see, a lot of wonderful things happened in there, even though there was also a lot of upheaval and drama.  I'm not so much a fan of drama. That's why I only skimmed the highlights here and didn't go into every little escapade ... that would have taken way too long.

Above all, above all the scariness and drama-filled stuff, I'm grateful, so very grateful, for all of my blessings.  We have been protected and watched over and guided and loved, and I know my Heavenly Father has been there for us this year, just as He is every year.

A Look Ahead

I have a lot of wonderful things planned for 2012.

I'm going to continue to heal from the car accident and get totally well.

In January, I'm releasing Targets in Ties, the fourth novel in The Secret Sisters Mysteries. I'm also teaching at the very first ever iWriteNetwork Winter Workshop - I was asked to be on the board of directors for iWriteNetwork, and I'm having a great time.

In February, I'm teaching at Life, the Universe, and Everything, as well as being on a few panels.  Then I'm appearing on a cooking competition web show with Josi Kilpack.  I'm pretty sure she's going to kick my trash, but I intend to have a whole lot of fun with it.

In April, I'm teaching at the Write Here in Ephraim event down at Snow College.

In May, I'm teaching at the LDStorymakers Writers Conference. Right around this point, I will have lost all my excess weight.

In June, I'm presenting for the Utah chapter of the Romance Writers of America.

As for my writing goals for 2012:

I will finish the cookbook for The Secret Sisters Mysteries, called Drop-dead Delicious, and submit it by the end of January.

I will finish the cookbook I'm writing with my doctor, called To Your Health, and we'll be publishing it through CreateSpace shortly thereafter.

I will finish the nonfiction book about finances I'm writing with Brett Kitchen and Ethan Kap, and we'll have that available not too long after that.

I will do the final self-edit on the fifth Secret Sisters, Till Death Do Us Part, and get it submitted in late March.

I will finish polishing and self-editing my first YA contemporary, Turning Pages, and get it submitted this summer.

I will finish writing the first book of my new series, Tulips and Treason, and get it ready for a self-edit early in 2013.

I will also finish writing the book that is being published on Big World Network, Taking Out the Trash.

Lofty goals?  Absolutely.  But I've learned I need to push myself a bit or I don't feel like I'm growing, and I have to grow or I feel like I'm wasting my time.

So, that will do it for the year's recap and my New Year's goals.  It certainly has not been, nor will it be, boring.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

January Writing Challenge

As y'all know, I hold a writing challenge once a quarter, and our January Challenge is coming right up! Click here to read all the details and see if you'd like to participate.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Book Review: Sadie by Rebecca Belliston

Last week, I read a great new LDS fiction novel called Sadie by Rebecca Belliston. I wasn't the first in my household to read it,though - my daughter snagged it off my nightstand and had it entirely read before I even realized it was gone. She really loved it, and she has pretty good taste in books, so I figured I'd enjoy it as well. I was right. (But I usually am right. Just so you know.)


Sadie works at a ski resort and is being courted by the owner - a handsome, enigmatic man named Guillermo who has given her things she could only have imagined: fabulous parties, expensive jewelry, introductions to some of the most exclusive celebrities and other powerful people.  She's living a Cinderella life, and best of all, she's found someone who really loves her.  He is everything she's ever wanted - but he happens to be wanted as well.  By the FBI.


When agents contact Sadie and ask her if she'll spy for them, she refuses.  She can't believe Guillermo would be involved in anything illegal.  But when he finds out the FBI has spoken to her, his anger gets out of control. He strikes her, and she must get away from his rage.  Racing out into the snow, she has no idea where to go.  She stumbles across a pick-up truck and climbs inside, trying to get warm after running so long in thin shoes and with no coat.


Four young men are in the mountains for a ski holiday, and they discover a very ill girl in their truck.  They take her inside and bundle her up, wondering who she is and how she came to be on their land.  When she wakes up, they are disturbed to hear her story, and encourage her to call the police.  But Sadie hasn't decided yet whose side she's on, and as her friendship with these four men grows, she becomes even more confused.


My thoughts:  I really enjoyed the story.  The personalities of the four friends are fresh and alive, and it's fun to watch them banter with each other.  They form a protective shield for Sadie without even knowing who she is, and this shows them to be the good guys they are, even though a little rough around the edges.  There is some romance thrown into the mix as well - only one of the guys is married, and the other three take turns flirting with Sadie.  Only one of them catches her eye as well, and I have to say, he was my favorite character.  He was stalwart, strong, and a real gentleman, and it was easy to root for him throughout the book.


One thing I especially liked - this wasn't a conversion story.  Sadie isn't LDS, and the love interest (yes, I'm keeping his name a secret, so you'll have to find out who it is as you read the book) is LDS. He worries that he'll be turning his back on his religion if he falls in love with Sadie, but his mother points out that he hasn't given her a chance to decide if she's interested in the Church - he's just assuming she won't be.  The question isn't resolved by the end of the book, but is left open for the reader to decide.  It was nice to read a story where the nonmember is given the chance to come to the gospel on their own terms, rather than a story where the character has to be baptized before a romance is possible.  Life has so many variables, and it was nice to see the story handled in this way.


If you would like to purchase Sadie, you can click here, or to learn more about Rebecca Belliston, click here


FTC:  I received this book in exchange for my review, and was not compensated in any other way.  Nor was I chased out into the snow until I promised to review it. 

Monday, December 12, 2011

If Tristi Re-wrote the Christmas Songs

There are some songs I wish I could get my hands on and rewrite. Here are just a few, just to give you an idea of how deep this neurosis goes.

1. "Last Christmas, I gave you my heart." (Tristi's next line: "You opened the box, and said, 'Ew, gross.'" Yeah, I know, it doesn't rhyme.)

2. "Up on the rooftop, reindeer pause." (Tristi's next line: "Betcha didn't know reindeer had paws.")

3. "Everybody knows a turkey." (Tristi's next line: "And he talks to you.")

I also want to tweak almost every movie I've ever seen. I know ... I need to get over it.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

A Very Exciting Announcement!

Ever since I started my weight loss journey back in June, people have been asking me how I'm doing it. I've blogged about it and I've even posted my meals on Facebook, but in the back of my head was the thought - wouldn't it be great if people could just pick up a book and read about it, and then have the information on hand whenever they wanted it?

I broached the idea of co-authoring a book to my doctor, and turns out, he's been wanting to publish one for a long time, but just needed a little direction. So I'm bringing the direction, he's bringing the knowledge, and voila! Come March, we are releasing To Your Health: Recipes from the Injury & Wellness Center.

This book will explain why the typical American diet is so unhealthy - leading us to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and much more - and why we need to make changes in our eating habits. Then it will explain the optimum way to eat for the best possible health. I will share the story of my lifetime of bad health, culminating in my having metabolic syndrome (precursor of heart disease and diabetes) and weighing 300 pounds, and how I changed my life and am getting my health back. Then you will find pages and pages of healthy, delicious recipes that you can make and you will want to eat.  This book is volume one of two*, and each volume will be bursting with fantastic information, my before and after pictures, and tips for how you can do it too - not just losing weight, but getting healthy and changing your life.

We are releasing the book toward the end of March (exact date to be determined) and we are offering a special - if you place your order before March 1st and pay for it at the time the order is placed, you will get 15% off and free shipping, which brings your cost to $16.96 (full price of book is $19.95) If you would like to take advantage of this offer, just pop me an e-mail and put "book order" in the subject line.

*The publication date for volume two has not yet been determined, but be thinking, summer of 2012. 

Thursday, December 08, 2011

Book Review: Nourish and Strengthen by Maria Hoagland

The other night, I had the chance to sit down and read Maria Hoagland's debut novel, Nourish and Strengthen.  Here's the back cover blurb: 

Chloe Taylor has the perfect life: a model’s figure, a husband who adores her, three healthy children. So why does she feel so much less than perfect?

After losing forty pounds, Chloe Taylor is finally happy with her body. What she doesn’t realize is that she’s not the one in control. When Chloe is called as the Primary president, she discovers that managing the highs and lows of a chronic illness may be easier than the ups and downs associated with family, friends, and church callings.

Consumed by her own challenges, Chloe fails to recognize the issues her friends are facing and is in danger of losing their friendship. As Chloe strives to develop Christ-like love for herself and those around her, she learns that outer appearances are far less important than inner peace and spiritual strength. But is she strong enough to face her most difficult trial yet?

I have to give the author some major kudos for this book.  She has taken her own experiences with diabetes and turned them into a compelling fiction novel that will not only educate others without the disease, but will help those with the disease to feel less alone.  Diabetes is on the rise in this country, and more and more people will be looking for ways to identify. 

I also appreciated the rich tone of the author's writing.  Her voice has a level of maturity to it that appeals to someone like me who reads an awful lot and is refreshed to see unique turns of phrase.

My daughter actually swiped the book before I had the chance to read it, and here are her thoughts:  "It was very interesting, and I stayed up late three nights in a row to read it.  The characters were very real."

If you would like to purchase your own copy of Nourish and Strengthen, you can do so by clicking here.
It's also available on Kindle.

FTC: I received a free copy for my review, and was not compensated in any other way.

Sunday, December 04, 2011

Friday Night's Adventure

A lot of people have been asking what happened, so I thought I'd take a minute to write it all out here, which is a lot easier than writing it out a whole bunch of separate times.

Friday night, Jenni James and I were on our way up to Logan to participate in Midnight Madness at the Book Table. The weather was gorgeous all the way up there until Willard, where it started to lightly snow. That wasn't a problem - it was actually really pretty and sparkly. The sun started to go down, but visibility was still pretty good, and we were enjoying the drive. We had just entered Sardine Canyon and were heading toward Logan when we hit some black ice. Jenni, who was driving, managed to get the car back under control, but it slipped again. She battled it for a couple of seconds, and I thought we were okay, but then we hit another patch and the car went into a big U-turn right into oncoming traffic. The main thing that was oncoming was a semi-truck.

After we stopped sliding, Jenni was able to move the car a little bit, and I honestly thank God that she did. The semi hit us from behind, because we were backwards at this point, we spun around, and impacted with the semi on my side. I hit my head, the side of my face, my right shoulder, right hip - pretty much everything on the right side of my body - into the door. The next thing I know, Jenni's checking my pulse, pupils, etc. and begging me not to die. I almost blacked out again, but didn't.

Then I heard a man's voice. "What were you doing, making a U-turn in the middle of traffic?" It was the truck driver, who thought that's what Jenni had been doing. She explained about the black ice, but he wasn't really in the most listening mood right then.

Next thing I know, another girl is in the driver's seat, talking to me. She was a first responder, and asked me a bunch of questions about how I was hit and where I was hurt. Then we had firemen and the police gathered around, and they went right to work.

The engine of the car had been smoking, and I'd made a feeble attempt to get my door open, but I couldn't. Because it took the brunt of the impact with the semi, it was smashed shut. So the firemen went to work clipping wires in the car and removing the battery while another fireman started talking to me. He held my neck in position while they removed the battery from the car. Lo and behold, he was the husband of one of my good author friends, Lori Nawyn, and it was great to have that familiarity there. The firemen then took hold of my door and pulled it back and practically off its hinges, put a neck brace on me, put me on a back board, and I was treated to my very first ambulance ride. I also got my very first CT scan.

Funny, the stuff you think about at times like that. I told the EMT that it was his lucky day - I'd just lost 60 pounds, so he and the other guys had a lot less to lift. They all congratulated me, and I'm sure there's a note in my chart somewhere, "Patient is talking about really random things."

Jenni and I had both been able to talk to our husbands briefly before we were taken to the hospital, which is a miracle right there because they told us that part of the canyon doesn't get cell reception. After we got to the hospital, Jenni called my sisters, and they came to see me there in the ER.

Today, two days after it happened, Jenni and I are both in a lot of pain. We're stiff, we're sore, but we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the outcome. By all rights, we should be dead. Hyundais don't crash into semis and come out with live passengers. And not only are we alive, but we have no broken bones, and more amazingly, no bruises. The right side of my face is swollen and it feels like I should have a black eye, but I don't. We're both sore from the seat belts, but there are no marks on us. My glasses had flown off my face, but Jenni found them neatly folded and resting on the back seat like someone had lovingly placed them there just for me. And from the way everything went, if Jenni had not been able to move the car like she did, the semi would have smashed us into the bridge supporting the overpass. We are blessed that we hit the way we did.

Angels are real, Heavenly Father does send them, and there were a ton of them in Sardine Canyon on Friday night.

*Update 12/8: Jenni and I have both been to see the chiropractor and are receiving excellent care. It will be a long process of recovery, but we have a lot of optimism and know we'll come through this well.

Book Review: True Miracles with Genealogy, Volume Two by Anne Bradshaw


We're a family who loves genealogy. My husband works for Ancestry.com and is the chair of the genealogy committee in our ward, and I love retelling ancestral stories and feeling connected to persons in the past. I was delighted when Anne Bradshaw included me in putting together her book True Miracles with Genealogy, Volume Two - I was her editor and I contributed the last story.


This book, though slender, contains 58 stories of hope, ancestral ties, and family connections.  Miracles do happen when people begin their family history work - they will discover stories about their departed loved ones, they will find information in the oddest of places, and they will find relatives yet living they never knew existed.   If you talk to anyone who does genealogy, they'll tell you this is true, and now you can read some of these amazing stories for yourself.  You will come away feeling refreshed, renewed, filled with a knowledge of our Heavenly Father's love for us and His desire that we all be able to find our kindred dead, and more determined than ever to dive back in to your own family tree.


Anne Bradshaw grew up in England, was married in Manchester, and she and her husband reared their family in various British towns. They now live in the USA.
I have enjoyed writing for over twenty years, and have four published works of fiction and a non-fiction book titled Famous Family Nights, as well as True Miracles with Genealogy, Volume One.

She has co-authored two books on writing, and co-authored an award-winning screenplay set in Ireland--The Ardanea Pendant.

Thursday, December 01, 2011

Give Books for Christmas

It's Christmas!! Well, almost. And what better gift to give than books? Um ... I can't think of one. Books are the best! So I'm participating in the Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop.


What is a Blog Giveaway Hop?
A blog hop is a linky list of bloggers that is shared across multiple blogs. Each blogger on the list agrees to giveaway a prize that is specific to the theme and rules of the particular hop. In this case, we're each giving away a BOOK!



This is to plant the subliminal message that giving books for Christmas is the right thing to do, and to encourage you to make your local authors very happy when you choose their work as yuletide offerings for your friends and loved ones.  I'm very, very sneaky this way.


What can you win on my blog?  Not just one book, but two!  (That's because I'm 2X awesome.)


Minor Adjustments by Rachael Renee Anderson

AND

Double Deceit by Stephanie Humphreys

Both of these novels have LDS characters, but can be enjoyed by readers of every faith.

What must you do to win these highly enjoyable novels?  Well, because it's Christmas, I'll make it very easy.

1.  Become a follower by clicking on the "People Who Think I'm Cool" box on my left-hand sidebar.  If you're already a follower, that will save a step.

2.  Leave me a comment and tell me you'd like to enter.  Include in that comment your e-mail address (if it's not visible through your Blogger profile) and tell me your favorite thing about Christmas.  

That's it!  You are entered.

The winner will be chosen using Random.org at midnight on December 15th, so be sure to enter before then.  The prize will be mailed out on the 16th of December, so you can have it in time for Christmas.

If you would like to see what the other participants are giving away, click here for their links, and have fun!!
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