And yes, it's that time again ... time to announce another prize!
Our donor this time around is Angie Lofthouse, who is donating e-book downloads of her three sci-fi novellas: Consecrated, Refuge, and Renegade. Here's a little bit about each of these books:
Consecrated:
Carly Emerson never imagined she would lose her two-year old son to faceless android soldiers, nor did she ever consider that keeping her temple covenants might break her heart. When aliens attack, Carly is asked to bear a child who will be hidden in an underground refuge—without her. The grief stricken mother must make a choice: keep her covenants and die or take a chance at survival on her own.
Refuge:
When Earth falls to alien invaders, young newlywed Vivi Thayer is called to serve as a group leader in a hidden, underground refuge. There she is charged with raising a generation chosen to carry on the work of God. Facing the criticism of the other, more experienced, women in the refuge, Vivi struggles with feelings of guilt and inadequacy. When a heartbreaking loss brings Vivi to her breaking point, she must learn to accept the role God has chosen for her or leave the refuge behind forever.
Renegade:
Seventeen year old Kwetoo'unuv Walker has nothing on his mind but hunting and girls. And how to avoid getting caught skipping school. But when Earth is attacked by alien invaders and Kwetoo'unuv watches his parents die to keep him alive, life becomes much more complicated. As the world falls before his eyes, he receives a vision from the Great Wolf, Toovuts, compelling him to put aside his fears and become the man God wants him to be. Because in the coming alien occupation, strength and wisdom will be Kwetoo'unuv's only chance to survive.
To enter to win this prize, leave a comment in this trail. You can also come back and leave another comment tomorrow and be entered twice. If you'd like to learn more about Angie, click here.
Now, to continue my walk down Memory Lane as we celebrate my ten-year anniversary ...
After publishing Strength to Endure, I wanted to turn my attention to something lighter. Historical fiction is difficult to write, especially when it is centered around a war. I decided to try my hand at a comedy, and I wrote the first draft of what would later become Agent in Old Lace. But it wasn't time to publish that book - not yet. I pitched it to my publisher, and around that time, we decided to part ways. We stayed on good terms with each other, and we're still friends today.
I sent Agent in Old Lace out to a few more publishers - only under its working title, Faith Beyond Fear - and while I waited, I got to work on a family history story which I called Season of Sacrifice. My great-great-grandfather was Benjamin Perkins, who engineered the passage through the Hole in the Rock in southern Utah, and I was blessed to have access to his life story. I felt that this should be my next project. I researched for 80 hours, wrote for 80 hours, and there was my book. Of everything I've ever written, this is the book that makes me the most proud - not because it's the most well-written, because gracious knows I've learned a lot since then, but because I was able to pay tribute to my ancestors and tell their story in a way I believe pleased them.
This book has an interesting publishing history, more than any other book I've ever written. Benjamin was a polygamist, and I am descended from his second wife. The LDS market doesn't publish books about polygamy, and while I had a lot of interest, I had to make a choice: take out the polygamy and be published, or leave the polygamy in and not get it published. I wrestled with that for a long time. I held out hope that if I kept trying, I would find that magical publishing contract, but it never materialized. So in 2008 - yes, four years after I released Strength to Endure - I self-published Season of Sacrifice with the help of my good friend BJ Rowley. Keep in mind, self-publishing wasn't nearly as easy or accepted in 2008 as it is today - my, how times have changed in the last couple of years. And having a four-year gap between publications is pretty much the kiss of death for a career, but stay tuned, and I shall continue to tell you my story as we progress through my anniversary celebration.
ISBN: 978-0979434013
LDS historical fiction
Sarah Williams is a young Welsh immigrant, coming to Utah to join her sister Mary Ann Perkins and her young family. When the Perkins' are asked to join the San Juan mission to pioneer a trail through Southern Utah, they take Sarah along to help care for the children. But a six-week journey turns into six agonizing months of hard work and toil as the Saints blast their way through a cliff to bring their wagons through what would become the famous Utah landmark "Hole in the Rock." This LDS historical fiction novel is based on the life of the author's great-great-grandfather and accurately depicts the experiences of these intrepid pioneers as they sought to be obedient to a higher call.
You can purchase Season of Sacrifice at Amazon.com
All righty - leave your comments and let's start gathering up names for the drawing for Angie's sci-fi novellas!
7 comments:
I really enjoyed Season of Sacrifice. And I'm glad you self-published it! :-)
So how much of it is fiction and how much is historical record? I have to look it up, seems really interesting.
I didn't know anything about the Hole in the Rock until your book and I was fascinated!
Tristi,
I enjoy your blog from time to time, and I've really wanted to read Angie's SF series.
I think you are a wonderful writer!! I have read your first few books and just loved them!! I look forward to reading the rest of the story that you told me about continuing No Regret! Hope it is sometime soon!!
Of course you had to publish it with the polygamy, otherwise it would only be a partial history and not a true one. Enter me in the contest.
Cindy,
Every single thing that happens in the book is true - I only dramatized it in putting in dialogue, emotional reactions, etc.
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