*Tristi Pinkston, LDS Author

Announcements ...

2012-02-02T00:29:00.001-07:00

Two very important things ...

First of all, I blogged about my weight loss and the amazing changes in my health that have been taking place. If you're curious at all if my diet is making me sick, come read this.

Second, don't forget that tonight is the book launch party for Targets in Ties! Click here for all the details, including an online contest for those who can't make the launch. This is way definitely the cool place to be on a Thursday night!

Book Review: Family by Design by Heather Justesen

2012-01-30T23:08:00.004-07:00

Confident, talented interior decorator Rena has everything she could possibly want - a fantastic career, a bright future, and a very pleasant boyfriend. If she pretends hard enough, she can believe herself to be happy, but she wants more. She wants someone to fall madly in love with her and sweep her off her feet, but she's over thirty, and it just seems that such things will never happen. The most exciting thing that ever happens to her is helping her best friend, Tucker, redecorate his flip home.

Tucker, a Marine home until his next deployment, is hit with the surprise of his life when his brother and sister-in-law are killed in a car accident, leaving their two young children without parents. The young father's dying wish is for Tucker to raise the children, and Tucker wholeheartedly agrees. He loves his niece and nephew, and would do anything to keep from losing them. Anything.

When a social worker expresses her concern that Tucker could get called up again at any moment, leaving the children without a guardian, Tucker stumbles upon a plan. He and Rena have always been good friends. If they were to get married, they could raise the children together, and then if he got called up, Rena could watch over everything for him. Approaching her in a somewhat less-than-romantic way, he proposes.

Rena doesn't know what to think. She's had feelings for Tucker off and on throughout their ten-year friendship, but she never expected it to culminate in a marriage proposal. And it's not a marriage for love, anyway ... but rather, a marriage of convenience.

As we read the story, we see Rena and Tucker move through the emotional stages from best friend, to reluctant fiance, to committed spouse, and then finally, falling in love. We see character growth in both of them, and we can see how they each struggle in some ways to leave their single life behind and embrace their instant family. We also see how deeply they care about these children and are determined to create a solid foundation for them as they grow up.

The themes of the story are familiar. We've all heard of two best friends getting married, of the need for a marriage in order to gain custody of children, and people falling in love unexpectedly. What makes this story unique is Heather Justesen's own writing style. She has a unique turn of phrase and the ability to describe things in a way that makes her books unlike anyone else's. It's distinctive and a pleasure to read. And, if I were to be totally honest, I would have to say that I did rather appreciate the moments of sweet romance throughout the story. Perhaps I might even go so far as to say that it sounds to me like Tucker is a pretty good kisser.

If you're looking for a family drama with romantic elements and plenty of tear-jerking moments, I daresay you would enjoy Family by Design by Heather Justesen.

Help Heather celebrate the release of this new novel! Also, as a special promotion for anyone who buys a book from this tour, you can get a free ebook for her companion novella, “Shear Luck.” Once you buy a copy of her book go here to get your free copy.

Here's a blurb about "Shear Luck:"

Chelsea Robison has never forgotten the older boy next door whom she crushed on as a teen, so when she runs into him at the restaurant he’s preparing to open, it’s a delightful shock. And learning he’s available again is more than a little tantalizing.

Vaughn Krenshaw had never seen his neighbor as more than a nice kid—but Chelsea had definitely grown up in the decade since they saw each other last. He’s attracted to the feisty red head, but still struggles over his wife’s death the previous year. And then there’s his five-year-old daughter, Molly, who really liked Chelsea—until she realized the woman was dating her dad.

As Chelsea starts to wonder if their love for each other will be enough to make things work, a specter from Vaughn’s past rises, making her question whether she really knew him at all.

As if that weren’t enough, Heather’s holding a host of giveaways on her blog throughout the next few weeks. Enter to win below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's Time for a Secret Sisters Fiesta!

2012-01-25T14:32:00.001-07:00

My newest Secret Sisters mystery, Targets in Ties, will be launched on Thursday, February 2nd, and you are invited to the fiesta!

When: Thursday, February 2nd, 5 - 7 p.m.

Where: Pioneer Book, 858 S. State Street, Orem

After two long years, Ren’s mission is finally over, and it’s time for Ida Mae, Arlette, and Tansy to travel to Mexico to pick him up. They have their itinerary all planned out—visiting the ruins in the Yucatan, shopping, playing in the sand and surf—and then they’ll head to Ren’s mission home and be reunited with that dear boy. But a wanted antiquities thief crosses their path, and soon the ladies find themselves tangled up in a web of lies, intrigue, and costly jewelry. Held hostage by men desperate for riches, they do what only they can do—keep their heads about them, plan their escape, and discuss the proper making of tortillas. Will they survive their most harrowing adventure yet?

I'm celebrating this book's release in a very bright, colorful, hot-and-spicy way!

First, everyone who comes can enter a drawing for a Grand Basket of Goodies, containing:

Secrets After Dark by Marie Higgins

Just Shy of Paradise by Carole Thayne Warburton

Nourish and Strengthen by Maria Hoagland

Sadie by Rebecca Belliston

Alma the Younger by H. B. Moore

Compass of God by David G. Woolley

Advanced Readers Copy of Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennett

And if you're reading, you need snacks, so I'm including:

Pringles

Twizzlers

M & Ms

Candy

Second, if you come and purchase Secret Sisters, Dearly Departed, Hang 'Em High, or Targets in Ties, you will receive a free download for my novel Season of Sacrifice!

Both of these are available at the launch only, and yes, you must be present at the time of the drawing (7 p.m.) to win the basket, because there's really no way I can ship it.

If you can't make it to the launch, but still want to get in on the book launch fun ... check this out! I'm holding a Targets in Ties Online Launch Contest. All you have to do is tell your friends about the book, about the launch party, and spread the love! Then e-mail me at tristipinkston@gmail.com and tell me what you did. Each thing you do will get you one point in a drawing to win the Awesome Envelope of Prizes, which will be shipped to you. So tell a friend about the book, tell a local friend about the launch, tweet about it, Facebook it - and each time, you'll get one point. Please put Targets in Ties in the subject line of your e-mail. The drawing will take place on Thursday, February 2nd, at midnight, so turn in all your points by then ... starting now!

What can you win?

No Angel by Theresa Sneed

Cold River by Liz Adair

The DVD Cinderella Man starring Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweiger

Candy

Now, not only that ... not only that ... which is cool and awesome all by itself ... but if you come to the launch, you will also get to meet ...

D.N. Giles, author of The Sharp Edge of the Knife
and Mormon Mishaps and Mischief

Heather Justesen, author of Family By Design,
Blank Slate, and others

Andrea Pearson, author of the Kilenya series

Tell your friends!

Bring your family!

Forgive your enemies and invite them, too!

It's a Secret Sisters Fiesta, and you won't want to miss it!

Announcing ... Targets in Ties!

2012-01-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

My ninth published book, Targets in Ties, went to press yesterday. How cool is that?

And how cool is this cover?

Stay tuned ... I will shortly be announcing my plans for my launch party, and the blog contest that will run in conjunction with it. You will definitely, most definitely want to participate!

Guest Blogger: Jessica Foster on Finishing What You Start

2012-01-24T00:13:00.004-07:00

Today I'm joined by Jessica Foster, a very talented fledgling writer who is destined for greatness. I met her several years ago at the LDStorymakers Writers Conference and was immediately impressed by her enthusiasm and zest for life. She continues to inspire me today. I have also blogged for her today, and you can read it here. Take it away, Jessica!

Finishing What You Start

As a writer, there is no greater feeling than a shiny new story idea. There is a thrill in the moment when the characters come alive and the plot pieces puzzle together. As the story progresses, however, the excitement sometimes wanes. What begins as zipping through a draft like a fish swimming through water quickly becomes the same fish, slogging through mud.

One of the first lessons I learned in writing was not to give up.

An unfinished novel will sit for years in your sock drawer or on your hard-drive.

Unfinished novels don't get read.

Finish it.

It doesn't matter if you're tired of the plot or hate the characters.

Just finish it.

This is essential for first novels. Writing to the end of that very first book can be harrowing and nearly impossible. It is too easy to develop the habit of jumping ship when the writing becomes muddy. In my earlier years as a writer (fourth grade, sneaking a notebook under my desk during math tests or history lessons). I left a string of unfinished stories. I'd start one and think it was the greatest idea ever . . . until a hit a snag in the plot or with a character. I'd abandon it for my next new idea hit. I never wrote more than a few chapters for each story.

A time will come when you dislike your book. Characters become obnoxious. You will fall into impossible plot holes. There will be days when you'll look at your story and wonder why you thought it was a good idea. It has happened with every book I've ever written. I reach a point where I want to give up.

Just finish it.

Sometimes, you'll get to the end and find that it really isn't great. Learn from it. Other times, more often than not, you'll discover the story wasn't as bad as you thought. The only way to know is to finish it.

Guest Blog: Susan Dayley on Where's the Beef?

2012-01-23T10:11:00.004-07:00

I've blogged quite a bit about the diet that has finally allowed me to start losing weight - 76 pounds since June. My diet is comprised of meat, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, and no grain. It's the only thing I've ever found that works for me.

Our guest blogger today is Susan Dayley, who has found that she feels best when she limits her meat intake. That's different from what I'm doing, but the cool thing is that every person's body is different, and every person will find success in different ways. The important thing is to listen to your body and give it what it uniquely needs.

Take it away, Susan!

Where’s the Beef?

Thank goodness, you don’t have to be a singer to sing, and you don’t have to be a vegetarian to eat vegetables. At my house we eat pretty much everything (except gross things like Spam or Brussel spouts). We also eat lots of vegetarian meals. I try to limit our meat to no more than once per day (that includes a sandwich for lunch or sausage with breakfast). (Not exactly “sparingly,” but we’re working on it. Some days we go the whole day without meat! Close your mouth, I know!)

Most people ask, “What about protein!” I usually refrain from pointing out that the Great Apes that reign with terror in the jungle are vegetarians, as are the well-fed cows that become the source of “protein style” at In and Out Burger. Instead I hedge with a mumbled answer that sounds like “been lagoon in rain and smut.” [Translation: “beans, legumes, grains and nuts.”]

“But my kids won’t eat it!” And it’s true they may not. At least not every dish you offer. My children were raised as vegans until they became sassy, know-it-all teens. [Love ya!] Now, in their mid-twenties they are returning to healthier eating habits again. But during our meat-less, dairy-less, whole grain years, some meals they loved, some not so much. They still tease their parents about our experiment with “rejuvelac.” (Don’t worry, you really don’t want to know.)

What we found though was that in the beginning when we adjusted a known recipe, it was an easier adjustment than just jumping in with quinoa and tofu. For example, pizza with “veggie” pepperoni from the health food store was a small step. Later, they ate whole grain pizza with grilled peppers, caramelized onions and artichoke hearts. But that came after a couple of years. I have included below a favorite recipe for 3-bean pizza that puts a southwest twist on a favorite meal.

Vegetable soups are a great way to take your family away from “meat at every meal.” Barbeque flavored black bean and rice wraps with jicama, sunflower seeds and cheese are delicious. Many vegetarians enjoy omelets with sautéed mushrooms and peppers, but kids may prefer them with just cheese. Or better yet, make crepes. My children loved crepes.

Give it a try. Incorporate some vegetarian meals into your menus. Get some fun cookbooks, and simply experiment. Some of our best successes were from my own attempts to adjust an old favorite entrée into a vegetarian or vegan option.

Here’s that Pizza:

Three-Bean Pizza

1 T. olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (8 oz.) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed.
1 can (8 oz.) chick-peas (garbanzo) beans, drained and rinsed
1 jar (12oz.) chunky salsa
¼ C. chopped cilantro or parsley
1 pizza crust (unbaked)
4 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or try almond cheese for a vegan option)

1. Preheat oven to hot (425º).
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions; sauté 3 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add beans, salsa and cilantro; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through—about 5 minutes.
3. Sprinkle pizza dough (stretched in a pan) with half the cheese.
4. Spread bean mixture over surface. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Serve with forks and a green vegetable on the side.

From The Family Circle Cookbook New tastes for New Times

Susan Dayley blogs about vegetarian meals on most Mondays at Looking Out My Backdoor.

Guest Blogger: JoLyn Brown on The Power of a Story

2012-01-19T19:55:00.001-07:00

Today I'm joined by JoLyn Brown the Awesome, who is sharing with us her feelings on the power of stories. I am also featured on JoLyn's blog, here. Take it away, Jolyn!

It's strange, how sometimes you don't know what you want to say until you tell a story. Sometimes, the unfolding of that story, the time you take to re-write it from a new perspective, is how you find a little bit of something your memory was trying to tell you. You just didn't understand until you wrote it out.

I've been seeing us, my brothers and me, walking to the edge of our lawn. When we were inches from the gravel road, we cupped our hands around our mouths and yelled through the rows of peach trees to my cousin's house. We had a code word we'd yell that meant "Can you come and play?"

Two of my dad's siblings raised their families in our town. My cousins and I grew up and most of us are still here. I don't stand outside and yell to get their attention, but I could, if I wanted to.

My husband's dad was in the military and they moved a lot. I don't have to say for you know how different his story is from mine. A package came last week, a late Christmas from his parents who live on the East Coast. My little boy opened up a Hallmark recordable story, and with a push of a button, they were in the room.

My in-laws never do anything halfway. They told the story together, repeating whatever lines they wanted, inserting my son's name at random, and using the word "indubitably" the end of every page. My husband rolled his eyes when they began an impromptu song mid-way through the book, making up a tune to the words, and singing with more gusto than even most people manage in the shower. I laughed along, but honestly, thought I might cry. Not a sad cry, but one of those happy cries husbands like to tease about.

For a girl who once stood at the edge of her lawn to get her cousin, learning about distance has been hard. But I have learned something.

I can count on my fingers the number of times I've seen my husband's parents. There are stories there. The first time they held my son. The way she sneaked into the baby's room and got him before he woke me. The tire swing and my father-in-law laughing at the round legged baby smiling up at him. I didn't teach my son to walk. They did. Indubitably, the word they think would be just hilarious to hear him say.

I hear them in my living room, now. My son dances to them singing. Some stories are worth telling. Across an entire country, there are people who love us. I am thankful for all the stories that we keep, just waiting to re-tale. A story, a simple voice, a few words on paper, and I remember all the love I've felt, years ago on a dirt road, to a few days ago in my living room. And that is the power of a story.

***

JoLyn Brown is a wife and mother turned author. She writes Contemporary YA and is currently working on a LDS collection of short stories about the Relief Society. To learn more about her or her current project, check out her blog at jolynbrown.blogspot.com

Guest Blogger: Carolyn Frank on Super 8: Bad Luck or Bad Story Question?

2012-01-13T10:51:00.004-07:00

It's time for a guest blogger - today I welcome Carolyn Frank. She is hosting me on her blog as well - go check it out! Carolyn, take it away.

Today being Friday the 13th, I felt "luck" would be a fitting topic.

My husband and I watched the movie Super 8 over the holidays, hoping for the typical Steven Spielberg type of entertainment. We were disappointed. After reading some reviews, we found that the movie had done relatively poorly for a Spielberg film, confirming our sentiments.

Was Super 8’s lack of success merely a case of bad luck for Spielberg? I don’t think so. I think it was a matter of why a lot of books flop—it lacked a story question. (A story question is: what does the protagonist want; what is his goal. Jordan McCollum has an awesome post about this on her website about this.)

My husband isn’t even a writer, or a reader of fiction, but he recognized the lack of “story” in the movie. “What was the movie really about?” he asked. “Was it a story about a boy losing his mother, a story about kids making movies, a story about a kid experiencing his first love, or a story about an alien wanting to go home?”

It could have been about any one of those and been a good story. But unfortunately, it was about all of them, yet none of them. It was like trying to make a meal out of the free samples at Sam’s Club; they’re all tasty, but you come away wanting a real meal, one that works together to satisfy your hunger and your nutritional needs.

Having a strong story question is essential to the success of any story, whether on the page or on the screen. And just knowing what the protagonist wants is not enough. The entire focus of the story must work around it—not special effects or interesting side characters. What he wants must be in jeopardy, not some alien that we haven’t even come to care about. And the resolution needs to pertain to what he wanted, not the cool destruction of an entire town so some alien’s spaceship can mysteriously (I didn’t understand this part), come together and fly him out of there.

Super 8 is prime example of how even the most polished of artists can lose sight of what makes a story tick. A famous name alone cannot ensure the success of a production or a book. In one aspect we are on a level playing field with the big name authors/producers—it’s not a matter of luck that will make our works successful, it’s a matter of following the time tested rules of story.

Carolyn Frank’s first book, Hattie’s Promise, will be coming out this spring. It is a Middle Grade historical fiction set in the shadow of Bryce Canyon before it became a national park. Before she started writing seriously, Carolyn created and owned her own company, Puppet Partners Inc. She designed puppets and wrote and produced numerous puppet plays for the educational market.

iWriteNetwork Winter Conference

2012-01-09T11:54:00.004-07:00

Hey, everyone - there's a new game in town! iWriteNetwork is excited to announce their first Winter Workshop, being held on Saturday, January 21st, in Provo, Utah. The classes are:

Killer Hooks by Greg Park
Head Hunting for POV by Canda Mortensen
I Have a Feeling - Writing Emotion and Making It Stick by Tristi Pinkston
Taxes and You - Figuring it Out by Rebecca Shelley
Savvy about Story Structure by Cindy Hogan

The conference will begin at 9:00 and go until 2:00, with a break for lunch (provided). The cost for the day is $30. You can sign up by clicking here.

Now here's something fun ... if you are one of the first 25 to register, you will be entered in a drawing for a free manuscript evaluation* by Tristi Pinkston Author Services. 250 pages maximum. We only have a few slots left for this contest, so hurry on over and register - you'll have a great time, eat a good lunch, associate with awesome people ... does it get any better than that? I think not!

*Evaluation, not edit.

Philosophy

2012-01-01T14:42:00.002-07:00

We all have circumstances that arise in our lives. Some we can control, and some we can't. When we learn the difference, we'll be much happier.

In the things we control, we can choose light, life, joy, and happiness.

In the things we can't control, we can choose faith, endurance, and a positive attitude.

No one can make us miserable - they can choose to do things that are mean, unkind, thoughtless, and cruel, but we can choose our reactions to them.

We may feel stuck in our situation. We may feel that we will never get out of where we are. The answers may be a long time in coming, but we can decide how we live while we wait for those answers. We can choose to make every day something special, or we can curl up in a ball and whimper. What will you choose while you wait for your answer? It will be just as long in coming no matter which path you take - being miserable does not bring it about any faster, so why put yourself through that?

The last two years have been the hardest of my life, but I have also felt the most blessed, loved, protected, and guided. 2012 is my year - not because everything is going to go my way, but because I will face what does come with dignity and faith. Of all the goals or resolutions I could make this year, that is the biggest one.

Happy New Year!

New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T13:10:00.002-07:00

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.

January Writing Challenge

2011-12-28T13:41:00.002-07:00

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.

Merry Christmas! Joy to the World

2011-12-25T00:40:00.001-07:00

Countdown to Christmas: O, Holy Night

2011-12-24T00:37:00.000-07:00

Countdown to Christmas: Silent Night

2011-12-23T00:51:00.001-07:00

Countdown to Christmas: Away in a Manger

2011-12-22T00:43:00.000-07:00

Countdown to Christmas: Chipmunks' Christmas Song

2011-12-21T00:57:00.000-07:00

Countdown to Christmas: Mary, Did You Know?

2011-12-20T00:35:00.000-07:00

Countdown to Christmas: Silver Bells

2011-12-19T00:28:00.001-07:00

Countdown to Christmas: Winter Wonderland

2011-12-18T12:25:00.002-07:00

Book Review: Sadie by Rebecca Belliston

2011-12-15T12:25:00.002-07:00

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.

If Tristi Re-wrote the Christmas Songs

2011-12-12T13:09:00.002-07:00

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.

A Very Exciting Announcement!

2011-12-10T15:57:00.004-07:00

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.

Book Review: Nourish and Strengthen by Maria Hoagland

2011-12-08T11:43:00.002-07:00

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.

Friday Night's Adventure

2011-12-04T15:07:00.004-07:00

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

2011-12-04T02:33:00.001-07:00

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.

Give Books for Christmas

2011-12-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

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

click here to read my review

AND

Double Deceit by Stephanie Humphreys

click here to read my review

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!!

Book Review: Hope's Journey by Stephanie Connelley Worlton

2011-11-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

When Sydney discovers she's pregnant, all her hopes and dreams go up in smoke. Her boyfriend, Alex, was planning to serve a mission, but now that's out of the question for him, too. Shaken by the consequences of what they've done, Sydney and Alex break up, and they each go on a path of self-discovery as they analyze what led them down their path and try to decide where to go from here.

Hope's Journey isn't your typical Mormon-girl-gets-pregnant story. We see the events through both Sydney and Alex's eyes, and hear the thoughts that are going through their heads as they try to come to terms with the dramatic change their lives have gone through.

I did wish this book had done two things: first, we start the story after Sydney has gotten pregnant, but just before she finds out. I would have liked to see a little more about how these two kids went down the road to temptation. What were the choices they made along the way that determined their outcome? I think teen readers could benefit by reading this story and saying, "Oh, look - they're spending a lot of time together alone" or "Wait, they shouldn't be in her bedroom alone" or what-have-you. It's a long series of small choices that lead to pregnancy, and if teens can stop that series before it starts, they can save themselves a lot of grief, and fiction is a great way to show that.

I also wished that we had seen a little more of the pregnancy itself. I wanted to be more involved in the aches, pains, swelling feet, etc. What can I say - I like cautionary tales, and I wanted this to be just a little more cautionary.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I felt it was well written, the characters were real, they each underwent a lot of growth throughout the book, and while I did want to wring Alex's neck a couple of times, he did straighten up in the end and become someone I could cheer for. But seeing as how this novel is based on a true story, maybe I shouldn't say that, because I don't want the real Alex to be mad at me ...

You can purchase Hope's Journey here.

Or ... if you like, you can enter to win it by leaving a comment in the trail. Be sure you're a follower of this blog, and then just tell me why you'd like to win the book. I will randomly select a winner, and notify you if you are the one. This giveaway will go until Friday night at midnight Mountain time, so be sure to leave your comment before then.

Stamps for Sale!

2011-11-25T16:24:00.001-07:00

I used to be a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and loved it. Over the four years I did it, I collected a lot of stamps, and so did my mom. She was cleaning out her closet the other day and found a bunch of stamps she's not using anymore, and asked me to see if any of you would like them. Here they are, at rock-bottom prices, all fully assembled the right way ... I am a professional, after all. And with the exception of the last two listed stamps, they come in the original plastic boxes.

This set is called Perfect Petals and is in excellent condition, with no wood staining or anything.

Sale price: $8.00

This set is called Background Basics. It's fully assembled and in good condition, with just slight wood staining on two of the stamps. Sale price: $4.00

This is a large background stamp called Musical Score. Excellent condition, very slight wood staining.

Sale price: $8.00

This set is called Bear Hugs. Excellent condition, only slight staining on three of the blocks.

Sale price: $8.00

This set is called For Goodness Sake. It's in excellent condition, one tiny little stain on one block.

If I remember correctly, this is a partial set - I have no idea where the other stamps are.

Sale price: $7.00

This set is called Shape-Ups. The set is in excellent condition, with just the slightest whisper

of a stain on one of the blocks. Sale price: $4.00

This set is called Kanji. It has slight staining on three of the wood blocks, but the rubber is

in perfect condition. Sale price: $4.00

This set is called Mini Messages, and the picture is determined to stay on its side. Oh, well.

The set is missing one piece. The stamps are in perfect condition.

Sale price: $8.00

Possibly the most popular set Stampin' Up! has ever carried, this is Little Shapes. The rubber

is in perfect shape, although there is some staining on the wood.

Sale price: $4.00

This set is called Courage and Honor, and is perfect for scrapbooking pictures

of persons in the military, or Veteran's Day, or Memorial Day, or making cards for those occasions.

This set only has one small ink smudge on one block.

Sale price: $14.00

This set is called Musical Medley. It seems like it's missing a stamp, but I can't remember for sure.

Anyway, the set is in perfect condition.

Sale price: $8.00

This set is called Petite Patterns, and it's in perfect condition.

Sale price: $4.00

This is a large stamp called Stipple Rose. It has quite a lot of staining on the wood,

but no damage has taken place to the rubber.

Sale price: $5.00

This is a large stamp called Stipple Hydrangea. It has a small stain on one corner of the wood.

Excellent condition otherwise. Sale price: $5.00

This set is called The Shape of Things. While it looks a lot like Little Shapes, these stamps are about 2X the size. This set is in perfect condition. Sale price: $11.00

This set is called The Spirit of Love, and is in excellent condition with just one stain in one corner

of the large stamp. The words read, "May the blessings of peace, the beauty of hope, and the spirit of love be your gifts this Christmas season." Sale price: $12.00

This set is called Birds. It has extensive staining on the wood, but the rubber

is in excellent condition. Sale price: $10.00

These two stamps belong to the set Button Bear, but I have no idea where the rest of the set is. I can keep my eyes out for it and let you know if I find it, if you are the purchaser of these two stamps. Perfect condition. Sale price: $1.50

This one little musical note needs a home ... forgive the blurry picture. I will throw this in for free with the first full set I sell.

How This Sale Works:

1. Look over the list and write down everything you would like to purchase.

2. E-mail me and tell me that list.

3. I will immediately set aside those things and delete the pictures from the blog. First come, first served - if I get two e-mails about the same stamp set, the e-mail that has the earlier time stamp is the e-mail that wins.

4. Shipping and handling is not included in these prices. After I get your e-mail, I will package up your stamps, and then will let you know what the shipping and handling will be. I promise to use the least expensive rates possible. If you purchase multiple items, I will ship them together, thereby saving you some money. If you want your sets sent to multiple locations, like, if they're for gifts, then I will have to charge the full shipping on each.

5. Just like eBay, please don't contact me unless you are serious about wanting the set.

Thanks!

Book Review: The Spirit of Nora by Lyle Scott Lee

2011-11-23T22:43:00.000-07:00

I am a sucker for historical fiction. I'm a sucker for family history stories. I'm a sucker for Russia. So when I was contacted by author Lyle Scott Lee about reviewing his new novel The Spirit of Nora and learned that it contains all three of these elements, I was all over it.

From the back of the book: Stretched across the backdrop of bustling New York, romantic Paris, and rural Russia in the early twentieth century, The Spirit of Nora vividly portrays the emergence of a young Minnesota woman into a fiercely independent spirit. Leaving her home on the farm with her childhood friend Ella for nursing training in New York, Nora enters a changing world. After befriending two doctors on the train east, Nora and Ella spend many evenings with Tristan and Soren. But a terrible tragedy pulls Ella from Nora, who eventually travels farther east, searching for redemption for failing her friend.

Nora becomes wrapped up in the permissive lifestyle of French artists, embracing relationships with the lively Cassandra and talented Auguste. While in France, she is confronted with physical temptations and spiritual uncertainty until she learns of the communal setting established on the estate of the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy. The spirit of Nora needs further nourishment for her wavering faith, and she continues yet farther east to Yasnaya Polyana to work with Tolstoy's translator. Through the following years, Nora learns of hardship, love, war, and the difficulties in finding balance between right and wrong. Ultimately, she must come face-to-face with the legacy of her lost friend.

This book was loosely based on the author's great-aunt, who was a nurse during the war and had many exciting adventures. However, much of the book is fiction, the author using his aunt as the character to show events in world history. This blending of fact and fiction was very interesting to me as I read, and I felt it lent a bit more authenticity to the historical fiction.

I enjoyed the emotions and the characterizations in the book quite a bit, and could easily picture the settings, whether we be on a train, in France, or in Russia. The flavor was just right in each instance. I did wish, however, that the book was longer. We covered so much ground and so many aspects of the war that in order to do them each justice, we could have had a book of 400 pages or more, and yet the novel is only 275 pages.

I will point out that there are some segments that I might categorize as PG to PG-13. There are some hints about certain physical relationships Nora may have had with her friends in France, and we do see a scene between herself and a handsome Russian farmer later in the book. I will say that it was rather short and not glamorized.

If you are interested in purchasing this novel, you can do so here.

And, if you would like to win a copy of the book, all you have to do is make sure you're a follower of this blog (and if you're not, you can become one) and leave a comment in the trail telling me you'd like to win. I will randomly select the winner at midnight on Saturday night, November 26th.

FTC: I did receive a free copy of this novel for review, but that did not influence my statements whatsoever.

Book Review: Bound by C. K. Bryant

2011-11-17T02:22:00.004-07:00

Welcome to my review of Bound by C. K. Bryant and today's stop on the Dark C.A.R.M.A. blog tour.

Book Description: When a photo shoot ends in tragedy, Kira discovers her best friend, Lydia, has been keeping a secret. Knowing the truth, and accepting it, will change Kira’s life forever and thrust her into a world of ancient curses, magical objects, and savage enemies. What happens next will challenge everything Kira knows about her world, herself and the shape-shifting warrior she’s falling in love with. No longer the timid mouse her mother accused her of being, but a woman who finds the mental and physical strength to endure and survive.

BOUND is a heroic tale of true friendship, infinite sacrifice and untamed love.

My Review: Bound has all the elements that are making today's young adult novels so hard to resist - characters that mirror our own insecurities and then find out they are more capable than they imagined, trials to overcome, journeys to new worlds or into new trains of thought and new ideas, steps outside our known parameters, and - let's be honest - hot guys. Octavion from Bound is one of my favorite new heroes, and I have to say, I'm a happily married woman, but he did make my heart go pitty-pat at least a couple of times.

Kira is a sympathetic main character. We see where she's come from and we know she has the capacity to fulfill her dreams, but she doesn't know that at first. We see her strength emerge as she's faced with challenges far beyond anything she ever anticipated, pulled into a battle between good and evil spanning two worlds. In the midst of all this, we see her determination, loyalty, and passion for life. Much of this is true about author herself.

Each of the elements of the story are woven together with unique touches that could only come from C. K. Bryant. Only a fertile imagination and polished storytelling skills could bring together such a powerful cast of characters, an out-of-this-world plot (literally), and wrap it up in such a compelling package.

If you would like to own an autographed copy of Bound, you can click here to order. If you would like a Kindle download, you can order it here. You are also encouraged to go here and follow the Dark C.A.R.M.A. tour, enter to win, and learn about the other fantastic books being featured.

FTC: Even though I was offered my very own fluffy white tiger, I did not accept it, (painful though it was to refuse) and the only compensation I received for this review was a copy of the book.

Jonah and the Great Fish - Movie Premiere and Giveaway!

2011-11-15T14:41:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of fun with my family last night - we went to see the premiere of Liken the Scriptures' new movie Jonah and the Great Fish. It stars Jeremy Hoop (formerly known as Jeremy Elliot, best known for his roles in The Testaments and Charly) as the dad of Chloe, a teenage girl who is worried about attending school in a new city for the first time. We meet Jonah, played by David Osmond, who is an enthusiastic prophet until he receives the call to go to Ninevah, a town peopled by fantastically choreographed gang members. Also on hand are Humphrey, who really is a great fish when you get to know him, and Chum, his chipper friend, whose personality bears a resemblance to Dorrie of Finding Nemo fame.

We enjoyed going with Jonah as he tries to run away, only to get pulled back to his real purpose by God's grace and intervention. We liked Chum's inarticulate attempts to make Humphrey feel better about himself. We rocked out with the gang members and wished we were even remotely talented when it comes to dancing. Here are the comments my family made afterwards:

My husband: "I've got to get the soundtrack."
Me: "Um, we have it."
My husband: "Awesome! I'm going to download it to my MP3."

My six-year-old: "It was great. My favorite part was where it first showed the girls in the crab costumes. Daniel and the Lions used to be my favorite, but now this one is."

My ten-year-old: "I had three favorite parts. The part where Chum was singing to Humphrey about how the sea would be a whole lot shallower without him, the part where the pirates were singing about the blue sea, and the song 'Whose Side Are You On.'"

My twelve-year-old: "It was really entertaining. I loved Chum and Humphrey, and the outtakes were pretty funny. Their acting was hysterical, and I hope to see more from Liken soon."

My fifteen-year-old: "I liked how they used an older girl to be the main character this time - I could relate to her nervousness about starting a new school. Discovering that another girl had gotten shoved in a locker must have been scary. I also liked how the movie was so funny."

Yes, those were meant to be cryptic teasers - we want you to see the show for yourself so you'll know what we're talking about!

Okay, now for the really fun part - Dennis Agle, who heads up Liken the Scriptures, has offered to give away one DVD of Jonah and the Great Fish to one of my lucky blog readers. How awesome is that? All you have to do is:

1. Head on over to the Liken site and find out the name of the actor who played Humphrey the Great Fish.

2. E-mail the name to me, putting "Blog Contest" in the subject line.

That's all you need to do! You will be entered in a drawing to win the DVD, which will be mailed directly to you from the Liken studios. All entries must be received by this Friday night (November 18th) at midnight Mountain Time, and the winner will be notified by e-mail on Saturday.

If you don't win and would still like a copy, you can order one here. We love the Liken products!

The Whitney Awards - Nominate!

2011-11-14T01:58:00.004-07:00

Have you heard about the Whitney Awards? Pull up a chair and let's chat.

In the national market, you have a ton of prestigious book awards that are presented every year. You've got the Caldecott and the Newbury for children's books, the Edgar for mystery books, the Nebula and the Hugo for sci-fi, etc. The Whitney Awards honor excellence in LDS fiction. Established in 2007 by author Robison Wells, the Whitneys were created to help raise the bar in LDS fiction and showcase all the things that are so amazing about this market. It's been exciting to see how awareness of high-quality LDS books has risen since the awards program was launched.

How does it work? Let's say you've read a book by an LDS author recently that you really enjoyed. You head on over to the Whitney site, click "nominate," and fill out the form. If the book was published in 2011, it is eligible for this year's award. If it was published before ... sorry, too late, so be mindful of publication dates when nominating. The book can be national or LDS, in any genre - just so long as the author is LDS. The nomination goes in to the committee, and if that book gets five nominations, it's considered an official nominee.

All official nominees are read by the Whitney judges, who select the five most outstanding books in each genre. Then the vote goes out to the Whitney Academy, made up of authors, bookstore owners, and other industry professionals. It really is an amazing process, and if you click here, you can learn more about it, and, in fact, explained a whole lot better than I can here.

I really appreciate the Whitney Award program because it gives LDS authors something amazing to shoot for and validation in a field where validation is sometimes hard to get.

I spoke with three of last year's Whitney winners about what it means to them to have received this award for their work.

Julie Wright, winner of Best Romance for her novel Cross My Heart, said, "Receiving the Whitney Award was a huge validation. There have been lots of times I wondered what I was doing trying to be a writer, and lots of times where quitting felt like a good idea. For that one night—that one shining moment, I knew I was where I was supposed to be, and doing what I was supposed to be doing. As I held that award in my hands, I was immensely glad I hadn’t given up."

Stephanie Black, who won Best Mystery/Suspense for her novel Cold as Ice, said, "Being an author involves ups and downs. Book accepted--yay! Bad review--sigh. Great review--yay! Disappointing sales--sigh. And so on. There will always be potholes in the road. But because of the Whitney Awards, I can treasure the knowledge that a group of industry professionals found my work to be good--even award-worthy. That knowledge is incredibly validating."

Annette Lyon, who won Best General Fiction for her novel Band of Sisters, said: "At (and after) the first Whitney Awards gala, I found myself crying like a little girl. I didn't win that night, although I'd been a finalist, but the tears weren't because I didn't get an award. They were because I caught the vision of what the Whitney program could be, and I felt overwhelmed and honored to have had a small part in the inception of something that would, I was sure, become wonderful and historic.

"Ever since Robison Wells first told me about his idea for an awards program--and each year since--I wanted to receive a Whitney of my own, to have my work be considered good enough to be recognized by my peers as the best in its genre. Those at the gala for the 2010 awards (held May 2011) know that I was a pretty much a blubbering mess when my name was read and I received my very own Whitney Award. It now sits atop my writing desk, and I look at it often--whether I'm questioning my ability and needing a shot in the arm or sometimes even when I'm in a great mood. I glance up and smile. That night will always be a significant memory for me. I'm grateful to all those who have and who continue to work for the program---and maybe I'll manage to snag another gorgeous award some day in the future.

"I love that the Whitneys are doing the two things Robison hoped they would: first, to spread the word and bring to light the best fiction by LDS writers, and second, to raise the bar, encouraging LDS writers to get better and better at their craft. I believe that in the five years the Whitneys have existed, the quality of literature in the LDS market in particular has continued to go up, and that is immensely gratifying."

It was completely awesome to be one of the presenters to give Annette her Whitney. L-R: Danyelle Ferguson, my co-presenter; Annette, holding the beautiful award, and me, with my eyes closed, apparently.

Although still somewhat small, the Whitney Awards have grown every year. Now headed by chairperson Josi S. Kilpack, they are heading into their fifth year, with nominations being accepted now for books published in 2011.

Please take a moment to think about the superlative novels you've read this year that were penned by LDS authors, then head over to the Whitney site to nominate them. You can nominate as many books as you like, all on the same form, even. Each and every nomination is tallied by the Whitney committee. You can do your part to bring LDS authors more into the spotlight and celebrate the good literature being created in this market. You have until midnight on December 31st, 2011, to nominate books written in 2011, so be thinking! Time is running out.

53 Pounds ...

2011-11-11T20:53:00.005-07:00

I promised that I was going to post some pictures when I hit 50 pounds, and we took some, but my hair did not turn out, and I'm sorry, but I can't post pictures when I have bad hair. So, we redid them, and I lost another three pounds in the meantime, so here are some 53 pounds pictures. Um ... my shirt's a little big. Ignore that.

And there you have it! I'll post more pictures when I hit sixty.

On Veteran's Day ...

2011-11-11T08:00:00.002-07:00

An Awesome Book for an Awesome Reason

2011-11-09T22:19:00.002-07:00

Hey all,

My friend Robison Wells has just released an amazing book called VARIANT, and it's getting amazing reviews from some of the toughest national critics out there. Compared to Lord of the Flies with a twist, only not freakingly scary, it's taking the book lists by storm. Well, I'd like to encourage you to help it take those lists by storm. Tomorrow, Thursday, is the best day ever to order your copy of the book by clicking here. If a whole bunch of us order the book on the same day, it will push it up higher on the bestseller list, and that would really mean a whole lot to Rob right now. I'm going to leave it up to Larry Correia to explain why - click here to learn all about it, and then click here to order. Buy one for yourself, for your friends, for your neighbors - be thinking Christmas gifts, birthday gifts - and be thinking about the power of reaching out to help others.

And ... if you purchase a copy of Rob's book before midnight Thursday night, and then come back here and tell me you did it, I will e-mail you a recipe out of the cookbook I'm currently writing. Just a small little thank you.

November Giveaway Hop

2011-11-07T22:37:00.004-07:00

Welcome to the November Giveaway Hop! I am delighted to co-host this event with I Am a Reader, Not a Writer, and we invite you to come play with us!

At the end of this post, you'll see a huge, giant, amazing list of blogs that are also participating. Each blog is offering a prize, and all you have to do is click the link and enter their contest. There will be winners! There will be madness! There will be mayhem! And you'll have a lot to be thankful for!

I'm feeling a little sad right now. I can't post a picture of my prize because I can't find my camera, and I've been looking all day. So I'll describe it. It's a cute shoulder tote just the right size for holding a few of your favorite trade paperback novels. It's black, white, red, and gray, with large polka dots. It's as cute as it can be. If I find my camera before this hop is over, I'll post a picture. :)

To enter:

1. Become a follower in the box labeled "People Who Think I'm Cool" on my left-hand sidebar. If you already are a follower, awesome!

2. Leave me a comment and tell me if you are a new follower or existing follower, and also, because it's November, the month of thankfulness, tell me one thing you're thankful for. US residents only.

That's it! Once you've done that, you are entered.

The winner will be notified by e-mail after the end of the hop. If your e-mail isn't visible through your Blogger profile, please include it in your comment so I know how to reach you.

Now go see what my bloggy friends are offering - you could win a prize on every single blog! Okay, not terribly likely, but possible . . .

Why My Religion Permeates My Life

2011-11-06T17:32:00.004-07:00

The other night, I was reading one of the quadrillion articles written about Mitt Romney and his run for the presidency. Of course his religion was the main topic. One of the comments left after the article said, and I paraphrase: "The problem with Mormons is that they have no boundary between religion and their lives. It permeates everything they are."

That's a problem?

What kind of religion would it be if it did not have a lasting impact on its members? What good would it do me to attend church for three hours every Sunday and then to go home and completely forget all about it the rest of the week? I might as well not attend at all, if I didn't let the things I learned on Sunday guide my choices throughout the rest of the week.

The fact is, I want my religion to permeate my life. I want to make decisions based on my knowledge of right and wrong. I've made this choice, not because I was coerced into it or because I'm too dumb to know better, but because I am happier, more fulfilled, more successful in the things I want to be successful in, when I live my life according to the principles I am taught on Sunday. And I believe this should be true of any religion. If you attend Mass, you should allow your Catholic faith to influence you throughout the week. If you attend synagogue, likewise, and down the list to include all religions. If church is something you leave in the parking lot as you drive away, it's no more than a way to kill a couple of hours.

My name is Tristi Pinkston, and I don't just attend the Mormon Church ... I am a Mormon.

Book Review: Tales from Huntsville, Eden, Liberty, and Beyond ...

2011-11-02T10:42:00.003-07:00

Halloween is over, but that doesn't mean the spine-tingling has to end!

Nine writers from Eden, Utah, decided to challenge themselves by writing scary short stories. None of them had written this genre before, and wondered if they'd be able to pull it off. When they were finished, they decided to compile the stories into a book, and thus Tales from Huntsville, Eden, Liberty, and Beyond was born.

Each of the stories is definitely creepy, but I wasn't so terrified that I couldn't go to sleep afterwards - and that was a good thing for me. I like things to be a little creepy but not terrifying. I don't do the whole blood-n-guts, chainsaw massacre kind of thing. Each of these stories are more based on the unexplained or things that are perceived to be unexplained, without serial killers stalking someone through the darkness with bloody knives and all that.

If you'd like to extend your Halloween just a bit longer, check out this book. A quick read at less than 170 pages, it's the perfect size to keep next to your bed or tuck into your purse for whenever you want a little something to make you wonder ...

FTC: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review and was not compensated in any other way, nor was I haunted by ghosts into reviewing it.

Don't Miss Out!

2011-10-31T06:06:00.000-07:00

Scroll down two blog posts and enter the Spooktacular Blog Hop ... you have until midnight tonight, Halloween!

Darkspell Launches Today!

2011-10-30T23:42:00.004-07:00

You know, I'm just really in the mood for a good book launch today. Have you ever had that mood where you're just sitting there, minding your own business, when all of a sudden out of the clear blue sky you get slapped upside the head with the thought, "Man! I want a book launch!" Well, that's exactly what happened to me.

And it turns out, I'm in luck. My good friend Elizabeth Mueller's long-awaited novel Darkspell is being released today, just in time to put me out of my book-launch-needing angst. I'm so happy, I've decided to help spread the word.

You can order your signed copy of Darkspell by clicking here.

You can visit Elizabeth here.

And because it's Halloween, the day of magic, let's have a little fun. Elizabeth wants to know ... if you had all the magic in the world, what would you do with it?

Hmmm ... lots to choose from, but I think I would create a self-cleaning house, except for my children's bedrooms. They need to learn responsibility, and I wouldn't take that away from them by making things too easy. But the rest of the house? Definitely.

What about you? What magic would you work if you had the ability?

Happy Halloween, everyone, and Elizabeth, congratulations on the book launch!!

Book Review: The Alias by Mandi Tucker Slack

2011-10-25T17:48:00.003-07:00

What would you do if you learned your husband was wanted by the FBI, and they wanted you, too? And what would you be willing to do to save your son?

These are the questions posed by new author Mandi Tucker Slack's novel, The Alias.

From GoodReads: After a long and difficult divorce, Jacey thinks the worst is over. Little does she know she’ll soon be forced to go undercover to protect her family, and in the process, she’ll risk losing her identity, her future, and her heart. With a lightning pace, a good dose of humor, and a plot that’s full of suspense, this thrilling novel is an edge-of-your-seat read.

Hoping to give her son a better life than what he's had, being in constant fear of his father, Jacey takes him to live with the family of her roommate. The only way to avoid the detection of the FBI is to pretend to be her roommate, Melissa. Taking on someone else's identity is hard, and she doesn't want to be a liar, but she feels it's her only choice. The move from Chicago to a rural town in Utah is certainly an eye-opener and a culture shock for her. There are actually wide-open spaces in Utah, and you can drive for a little while without seeing anyone else. Perhaps the biggest culture shock? Melissa's family - her pretend family - are Mormons.

In the end, Jacey must confront her past in order to put it behind her for good.

I teased Mandi a little bit and said, "If I were going to hide out, I would definitely go hide with Mormons."

This book has all the elements that make for a great read. A person on the run, their determination to protect those they love and yet, their vulnerability, and of course, a little romance thrown in to the mix, all add up to keeping the reader highly entertained. There were some rough spots that I felt could have been smoothed out, but these are things authors learn in time, and for a first novel, it was well done.

You can purchase The Alias here, visit Mandi Tucker Slack here, and buy the Kindle version for only $3.99 here.

FTC: I received a free copy of this book, and I was not hunted by the FBI or forced to change my name or ride a horse in exchange for my review.

Spooktacular Blog Hop

2011-10-24T01:16:00.002-07:00

Hey, everyone!

Welcome to the Spooktacular Blog Hop, where you can win prizes from 400 blogs! It's so fun, it's scary! Follow the list below, enter the contests, and you could become a big, big winner!

What's my prize, and what do you have to do to get it?

I'm so glad you asked!

Your prize is a ...

$10.00 Amazon Gift Card

To win, all you have to do is become a follower in the "People Who Think I'm Cool" box on my left-hand sidebar, and then leave me a comment. If your e-mail address isn't connected to your Blogger profile, please leave it in the comment trail - I can't tell you if you won if I can't find you!

And that's it! You're entered. Now go visit all my bloggy friends and see what they're offering!

*Winner will be chosen using Random.org. Winner will be notified via e-mail on November 1st. You may enter until midnight October 31st MST.

Oh, and by the way, if you'd like to be part of a giveaway hop like this one, just click here! There's another one coming up soon!

Editor Cat ...

2011-10-22T01:37:00.001-07:00

As an editor, this really made me laugh.

Getting Off the Sugar

2011-10-20T00:25:00.004-07:00

Ever since I posted this blog, I've gotten a ton of comments and e-mails and Facebook messages asking, "How did you get off the sugar?" Well, let me tell you a little story.

I grew up in a household where sugar was not allowed. My mom had worked for a chiropractor and had a firm belief in the badness of sugar. Now, don't get me wrong - she was doing the right thing here. But because it was such a no-no, whenever I'd go to a friend's house, I'd eat as much as I was offered. When I got a little money of my own, I'd spend it on candy. Treats just didn't happen. We'd have birthday cake, or we'd have one candy bar at Christmas, and that was it. I found myself really looking forward to going to friends' houses or any other opportunity I could find to have a treat. And because I have an addictive nature anyway, and because sugar is, by its nature, addictive, it was like a match to a stick of dynamite.

Something else to know - when your brain doesn't create the proper chemicals, you don't feel emotions like you should. We've all heard of seratonin uptake inhibitors and the like. Well, picture a brain that doesn't produce happy chemicals. And then picture eating some sugar, which mimics the happy chemicals. Suddenly, we've taken a stressed-out Tristi and made her feel better. I felt genuinely better when I ate sugar.

So here we have:

Tristi doesn't get treats, so Tristi hunts them down.

Tristi is an addictive person, and sugar is addictive.

Tristi's brain doesn't tell her to be happy, so Tristi feels better when she eats sugar.

Add to this the fact that I also didn't grow up eating very much protein, and that let the sugar wreak even more havoc than it would have normally.

Put those components together, and you have the circumstances surrounding how I grew up and how I got this way. Or, I should say, the way I used to be.

By the time I got in for treatment, I had tried going off sugar a number of times. But because I wasn't getting system support to buoy up all the reasons why I was on sugar in the first place, I would fail miserably. After a while, I wondered if I was going to have to just give up. And you know what, I kind of wanted to. I love sugar. I wanted to spend the rest of my life eating sugar. Going off it would be hard. It would be stripping out my emotional crutches. I honestly did not think I could survive the stresses of my life without it.

When I got in to the doctor, my pancreas (the organ in charge of taking care of your sugar) was so enlarged, when I lay on my back and he looked at my stomach, he could see the pancreas through my skin. That is seriously enlarged. He showed it to my husband, and my husband could see it plain as day, too. But I had no idea. See, I'd had my blood sugar taken not too long previously, and it was just fine. My triglycerides were way high, but I got those down to less than half of what they were previously. I didn't think I needed to worry about my sugar. But when you've got an organ so enlarged that you can see it through your skin - and keep in mind, back then I had a lot more skin than I do now - that is serious.

I didn't want to go off sugar. But I had to. It was a matter of my entire quality of life. I didn't want to end up with diabetes or some major pancreatic dysfunction. So I stopped eating it ... with one exception. I had to break my Cherry Coke addiction.

Now, I have never been a caffeine drinker. Never. But I started getting headaches about three years ago, and they were so severe that the only way I could kick them was with two Ibuprofen and a glass of Coke. Well, that started something I wish had never started. I got to the point where I could not function without the Coke. My adrenal glands were shot, and the Coke was taking the place of my adrenalin. I couldn't work without Coke. Just couldn't do it.

But did you know that 20 ounces of soda has seventeen teaspoons of sugar? (I learned that on The Biggest Loser) Yes, I know there's diet stuff, whatever. But I was drinking the real stuff because fake sugar makes me even sicker. So if you do some math here, I was drinking about a liter of Coke a day ... and holy crap. Okay. I haven't done the math until just this minute, but check this out. One liter has 33.81 ounces in it, and the sugar breaks down to 1.17 teaspoons per ounce. 33.81 x 17 ... I was drinking the equivalent of 39.5 teaspoons of sugar a day without even knowing it. That's over 13 tablespoons. Every single day. And I had no clue until just this second. Why didn't anyone tell me???

Okay, back to what I was saying. I couldn't seem to get off the Coke. I was off everything else, but not that. And then I had a wake-up call. The caffeine and the sugar were taking a toll on my heart. I'm not going to go into details here, but I had to get off it now.

And so I did.

When you ask me, "How did you get off the sugar?" my initial response is going to be, "Kicking and screaming." It was not easy. It has been miserable. I'm not going to lie to you. But I had to. I was killing myself, and because my blood tests seemed normal, I had no idea the damage I was doing. I have had withdrawals. I have had moments where it was all I could do not to run down the store and get a whole triple chocolate layer cake and eat the whole thing myself. But let me tell you something. I am so proud of myself. I'm doing things I never thought I could do. I'm now officially down 50 pounds - picture coming soon - and I have faced six months of really horrible life circumstances without relying on my emotional crutches. I can't even tell you how that feels.

I'm not saying all this to brag, although hey, I am proud of myself. I'm saying this to help you all understand that while getting off sugar is hard, it can be done. If this girl, who used to eat Zingers for breakfast and drink 39.5 teaspoons of sugar a day, can get off sugar, you can get off sugar. You really, really can.

PS: Let me just throw in a little note here. This eating plan is something that has been recommended for me, personally, and it's not to say that every single person in the world should do it this way. I do believe that as many people as possible should get off sugar or really limit their sugar - the stuff will kill you if you overdo it. But the fact that I'm not eating fruit right now doesn't necessarily mean that you shouldn't, etc. I'm just sharing what I'm doing, not saying that it's the "right" thing for everyone to do. Because everyone's body is different, and everyone's health concerns are different, we need to have different eating plans in order to be as healthy as possible.

Guest Blog - Kristy Tate

2011-10-17T05:39:00.001-07:00

Today my guest blogger is Kristy Tate, author of the new novel Stealing Mercy.

Mercy Goes to College

A huge THANK YOU to Tristi for inviting me to meet her blogging friends. I’m very happy for this chance to chat about my book, Stealing Mercy. I want to share a funny experience that I had shortly after I’d completed its first draft.

A friend who wanted to read my book asked her husband to print it out for her. He took it to his chiropractic school where he could print it out for free. But, about a third of the way through the printing, the machine ran out of paper. He had hundred pages printed and he figured he’d do the rest later--when there was paper.

The next day he goes to school and finds that people are passing around a two hundred page novel printed on pink paper. He tells a friend that he has to get it back. Friend replies, “That’s yours? People are reading that.”

This is what I think happened-- a medical student turned on a printer. It says no paper, he loads it with the only paper he can find… pink. And then the printer proceeds to shoot out the remainder of my novel. And of course, all the kissing happens in the remainder. Suddenly, all these students of anatomy have something less clinical to read.

My friend said, “My husband got it back, but I think there are pages missing.” (I wonder which ones. )

So, I learned that sometimes readers happen by design and sometimes by accident. Either way, if my novel provides an entertaining respite from a rigorous study program or a breather during a baby’s naptime, I’ve done the world a small service.

Today, more than just bored anatomy students are reading my novel. It’s no longer a pile of pink papers, but an actual book you can hold in your hands. It’s available on Amazon and most e-readers.

After a night of terror, Mercy Faye flees New York. Disguised as a boy, she sets sail for a new life in Seattle, but her nightmare, Mr. Steele, follows close behind. Armed with only her chocolates, laced tarts and wits, Mercy sets out to destroy Mr. Steele and his Lucky Island brothel.

Trent Michaels is searching for his missing cousin. He can’t afford complications--or romance--yet, at every turn he finds Mercy Faye. The night before the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, flames spark between Mercy and Trent leaving the life they know and the city they love in ashes.

Their story reaches forward through time to Bette Michaels, a genealogist, struggling with grief after the sudden death of her husband. Although generations apart, as Bette unravels Mercy’s story, she learns that a life can be rebuilt--even after everything is lost.

Through Mercy, Bette learns that sometimes the only way to find happiness is to steal it.

You can visit Kristy's blog here, and purchase her book here.

I Love to See the Temple ...

2011-10-16T01:22:00.003-07:00

This temple is more than the iconic symbol of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, although it certainly is shown in more documentaries about the Church than any other. It's more than a beautiful building. More than a place where tourists stop to take pictures. More than an image for people to hang on their walls.

This is the place where, sixteen years ago, I put on a beautiful white dress and married Matt Pinkston. This is the place where I began to catch a glimpse of eternity, where I started to understand what marriage really means. Sixteen years later, I now understand that this is the place where I not only was started on a life-long journey, but it's the place to go to carry me through the tough parts of that journey.

The temple is a constant source of renewal and strength. It's a place of holiness, of reverence, of worship, a place where we can sit and ponder and think about Heavenly Father's will in our lives.

And it's the place where my beautiful niece will get married soon and start on her journey. I hope she knows how proud I am of her for the choices she's making and for her decision to start out her marriage in these sacred walls. I hope she knows that I have a testimony of this gospel and that I not only believe in Heavenly Father and in Jesus Christ, but that I deeply love them, and I hope that as she prepares for her special day, she will feel the Spirit and know how very much she is loved as well.

And it was very cool of her to pick my temple. Yes, I'll share it.

Book Review: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend by Elodia Strain

2011-10-12T01:16:00.001-07:00

Earlier this year, I watched the film My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, and I really enjoyed it. It was a sweet romance with a cliffhanger ending that I never saw coming, and I love it when a book or a movie can catch me off guard like that. When I was asked if I'd like to review the book that was written after the movie came out, I was delighted. I was also curious.

There are certain aspects of film making that don't translate well into a book. And there are certain aspects of book writing that don't translate well into film. How would author Elodia Strain keep the spirit of the movie while putting it down on paper, where we can't see the actors' facial expressions or hear their tones of voice?

In a nutshell, she did very well.

First, the premise.

Jesse works as a waitress in a coffee shop, not her dream job but it gets her by.

Ethan is a struggling actor, trying his best to sell a screenplay, but is told that he needs to write something more real. While shaking off his disappointment, he stops in at the coffee shop and meets Jesse. Sparks immediately fly, and she gives him her phone number. She has cheered him up and given him a reason to keep writing.

But then just minutes later, in walks Troy, the most amazing-looking man she's ever seen. He meets every criteria on her "dream guy" list, and he wants her number too.

As we move through the book, we see Jesse establishing a relationship with both of these men. One thing I really enjoyed about the book as opposed to the movie is the great narrative voice the author creates for Jesse. She's funny, she's insecure, she's creative, and we see that more clearly in the book. I think this narrative voice made Jesse a much more sympathetic character for me, whereas in the film, I didn't like her much until the last five minutes.

I don't want to give anything away here. We'll just say that as we move through the book, we see both men desire to spend the rest of their lives with Jesse, and she doesn't know what to do. And then we get knocked on the head, and we're laughing because it's so clever. I do have to say that I liked the cliffhanger better in the movie - in the book, it's a little harder to grasp, and the author takes the extra precaution of explaining it, which to me, sort of diminished it. But that's not to say it wasn't well done. If I hadn't seen the movie first, I don't think that would have bothered me at all.

This book is fun, clean, romantic, humorous, and I give the author two huge thumbs up for giving us these insights into the characters we could only guess at in the movie.

I received this book for free from the publisher and was in no other way compensated for my review. However, I rented the movie through Netflix before they raised their prices.

October Blog Hop Sign-Up

2011-10-09T20:08:00.003-07:00

This might get a little confusing. So I'm going to explain it.

This post is a sign-up for the October Blog Hop, which is taking place this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The Mr. Linky to sign up is below.

My previous post is a sign-up for the November Giveaway Hop, co-hosted by myself and I Am a Reader, Not a Writer. That hop takes place November 8th - 11. If you'd like to join both, awesome! If you can only join one or the other, that works too! We're happy for your participation however it works best for you.

For all the information on the November Giveaway Hop, click here.

Okay, now we're getting back to the reason for this post - the October Blog Hop.

Blog hops are a lot of fun. I'm finding them a great way to meet new bloggers and introduce people to my blog content. I'm also making a lot of new friends. If you're a blogger, I would love to have your participation, and it's really simple. All you need to do is this:

1. Sign up on the Mr. Linky below.

2. Send me an email at tristipinkston AT gmail.com and tell me you signed up. Sometimes a participant will think their registration came through on the Mr. Linky, but it really didn't, so I need to double check.

3. Do both of these things before midnight MST on Tuesday, October 11th.

4. You will receive an e-mail with the information to post on your blog either late Tuesday night or on Wednesday morning. It will be really easy - just copy and paste what I send you into the text field of your blog, and you're good to go. Do this so it appears at 4 am MST Thursday morning, October the 13th - and yes, I will send instructions for how to schedule the blog so you don't have to get up at 4 am to post the blog.

5. You will also post a prize that you would like to offer to the one lucky winner on your blog. It doesn't have to be expensive - in fact, it's best if it's not. Just something fun that visitors to your blog would like to win.

I will send you all the instructions on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, and you can send me over your questions if you have any. In the meantime, please sign up below, and I look forward to having you on board!

November Giveaway Hop

2011-10-08T01:18:00.001-07:00

November Giveaway Hop - Nov. 8th to 11th - Co-hosted by I am a Reader, Not a Writer and Tristi Pinkston

What is a giveaway hop?
Simple - Each participating blog hosts a giveaway and then we link up together allowing our followers & blog readers to hop easily from one giveaway to another.
For blog readers this means lots of chances to win.
For blogs hosting a giveaway it means lots of new visitors.
It's a win-win!

Each participating blog will host their own giveaway. There is no requirement on the minimum or maximum value of your giveaway. It's up to you to decide. You can giveaway anything you would like. It does not have to be a book or gift card but should be something a reader, blogger or author would enjoy.

All participating blogs will be linked up through a Giveaway linky.
Please keep the process to enter your giveaway as simple as possible.
This hop has a limit of 3 entries per person. 1 mandatory entry and up to 2 optional entries.

As you prepare your giveaway post please remember the following:

1. The November Giveaway Hop Images needs to be part of your post.
2. Include the linky list with all the participating blogs at the end of your post OR link to this giveaway hop page or the post on Tristi's Site.
3. Keep It Simple!! Keep the way to enter your giveaway as simple as possible. 1 Mandatory entry and no more than 2 optional extra entries. All entries must be able to be done on one visit to your blog - Entries such as tweet once a day are NOT allowed (tweeting once is fine).
4. This must be a giveaway specifically for this hop and must run only the 4 days this hop is scheduled.
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Tristi's Weight Loss Journey

2011-10-01T11:58:00.003-07:00

Me in January of this year.

Me as of last week.

At the time of this writing, I've lost 40 pounds in just over three months. I still have a little over a hundred to go, but I have every reason to believe that it will come off too.

Isn't it human nature that when we see a friend who's lost weight, we ask, "How did you do it?" And isn't it also human nature that if they talk about miracle pills, we're all ears, but if they talk about diet, exercise, water, and sleep, we zone out?

The fact is, we all know what it takes to lose weight. We all know that if we keep eating junk food, we'll never meet those goals, and yet ... it's hard to give up the junk food. It's hard to exercise. It's hard to make consistently positive choices all day long. For some of us, it's flat-out impossible to turn our lives upside down in this way. After all, it was really easy to get fat … seems unfair that it should be so hard to get un-fat.

I used to think it was flat-out impossible for me. I’d exercise my brains out and lose one pound in a month. I tried all kinds of eating plans and would lose a pound a week, which isn’t shabby, but then I’d gain it back while still following the plan. I’d up my thyroid prescription. Somewhat helpful, but not entirely.

I decided that I would need to just accept the fact that I am a large woman. There are a lot of beautiful, talented, wonderful, compassionate women of size in this world—I’d just be one of them. I know that true beauty and worth doesn’t come from the way you look, but I still wasn’t happy with this decision—I wanted to be healthy, and I knew it would never happen carrying so much weight.

Earlier this year, I was very concerned about my second son. He was losing weight, was pale, had no energy, and was having outrageous temper tantrums. We didn't know what to do, and traditional methods weren't helping. Finally we got him in to see my mom's doctor, and we learned that among various other health problems, he had severe allergies. We immediately put him on a limited diet, supplements, and regular visits, and it wasn't long at all before he was a brand-new kid. He'll be able to add some things back into his diet—he’s already added some—but we're doing it gradually and with a doctor's care.

It turns out we all needed to be put on this diet. At first, I honestly thought I was in hell. I'm not talking about the swear word—I’m talking about the geographical location. I suddenly had to figure out what to eat, how to eat it, what supplements to take with it ... for our entire family. Overload!! It was hard enough to do it for one person, but now ... for five? (Yes, I did make my husband figure out his own.) I didn't think I'd survive.

But I lost six pounds that first week.

Wow.

So I kept on, and we're slowly developing some habits that will make this all easier. We're getting into the groove. We want to be healthy. We want to overcome these illnesses that have held us back for so long.

When someone asks me, "How are you doing it?" here's my answer:

1. I am totally 100% off sugar.

2. I am totally 100% off caffeine.

3. I eat no grain or fruit of any kind. My body does not metabolize sugar, and so fruit is a no-no right now. And all carbs over our body's initial needs turn into fat - we only need 60 grams of carbs a day.

4. I eat meat, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and some raw dairy.

5. I drink 3 qts. of water every day (at least).

6. I take the supplements I've been told to take. I'm suffering from malnutrition—a lifetime of not knowing what to eat, or caring what I ate—and I need to nourish myself.

This is not easy. In fact, I've thrown at least a couple of fits, but never in my children's hearing, because I'm trying to set an example for them. There are times when I want pizza so badly I can hardly see straight. I would commit a crime for some Cherry Coke right now. But you know what? I'm not going to get some. I'm finally on the right track, and I don't want to mess it up.

I've been battling my weight my entire life. I've had some successes, and lots of failures. I never had the self-control to stay away from my favorite foods. I also needed someone to supervise me and tell me what I needed to do. I need the help of the supplements—if you're starving yourself to death because of malnutrition, and then you starve yourself to death because you're on a diet, what good are you doing? I need nutrients, and that's what I'm finally getting.

40 pounds since June 13th. It's working. It hasn’t been easy, but it's working.

Interestingly enough, we aren't approaching me from a weight-loss angle, even though by looking at me, that's clearly a need. We are approaching this from a "Let's get Tristi healthy" angle, and the things we're doing to build up my nutrition and heal my organs are, in turn, helping me lose the unhealthy weight. It's a side benefit, one I can't even tell you how glad I am to be experiencing.

I don't know how long I'll be on this tight regimen. My body was worse off than I first suspected, and we've got a lot of organ systems left to heal. But I'm going to keep at it until I'm well. I've never been so close before, and I'm certainly not giving up now.

"How are you losing your weight, Tristi?" I'm losing it by turning my entire life upside down, getting rid of old habits, creating new ones, throwing away my emotional crutches and learning to stand on my own two feet. And when I reach my goal weight and look in the mirror, I'll know that I'm a winner inside and out.

And yes, I’ll refer you to my doctor. I warn you—he’ll make you change your life. But I promise you—he’ll make you change your life. Think about it.

If you’d like me to send you his contact information, pop me an e-mail.

Author Interview: Jo Ramsey

2011-09-29T03:21:00.000-07:00

I love meeting new people, and meeting new authors is especially fun because I can bring them onto my blog and introduce them to all of you.

This is my new friend Jo Ramsey. She's a really fun, talented lady, and I had the chance to interview her this last week.

Me: Jo, we just met, and I'm excited to learn more about you. Tell me about yourself, your career, and all that good stuff.

Jo: I'm a former special education teacher; I graduated university in 1992 and after that taught, worked as a teacher's aide, and substituted for almost seventeen years. When I moved from Maine to Massachusetts in 2009 to marry my second husband, I couldn't transfer my certification, so now I work part-time in my father-in-law's office. I've been writing since I was five years old, and during junior high, high school, and college, I wrote about 20 young adult manuscripts, all of them longhand in spiral notebooks.

Me: I wrote one book longhand in a spiral notebook, and that was enough to cure me of it. You must have fingers of steel. But sorry - I'm interrupting. You were saying?

Jo: My first publication wasn't until 2002, when a phonics-based reading program I'd written was published by Oxton House, an educational publisher based in Maine. The program, which was published under the name Kimberly Ramsey, is calledStories from Somerville, and is used in districts in at least a dozen states. Other than creating that program, I had stopped writing for several years, but in 2004 I started again. My first young adult novel, Connection, which is book 1 in my urban fantasy series Reality Shift, was published in January 2010. Since then, books two through four in that series have also been published, along with books one and two in my other urban fantasy series The Dark Lines. Those are all published by Jupiter Gardens Press, and book five in Reality Shift and book three in The Dark Lines are under contract. I also have two books currently under contract with Featherweight Press.

I live in Massachusetts with my two daughters from my first marriage, my husband, and two cats.

Me: I'm a homeschooler and a huge, huge supporter of phonics. Can you tell me a little about your method?

Jo: My program uses a phonics sequence developed by Dr. Phyllis Fischer, who was my adviser at university. The sequence begins with the consonant sounds, then short vowels, then what we used to call "magic E" words or "silent E" words, and so on. She also has a program, but hers doesn't come with any reading materials, only speed drills where the student reads the same few words in random order over and over, with the goal being for them to do so within a certain amount of time. I needed some phonics-based reading materials to accompany her program for my students, and since my budget at that school was too small to be able to buy any reading materials, I wrote my own. The stories are fiction, following a group of kids who sometimes make poor choices but who end up being friends and starting a band. When I taught reading, I introduced new sounds and "sight words" with flashcards, then had the students read the story round-robin style, each taking one line. My program also has comprehension and phonics worksheets (the phonics sheets are sold under the title "Say, Read, Spell"), so after reading the story we would do part of the comprehension questions, then a phonics worksheet. We worked on the same story every day for a week so that the students were solid in their knowledge of the sight words and the phonics sounds they were meant to learn.

I'd say the program worked pretty well. During the first six months I used it, one child, who was so delayed that no one believed she could make real-time gains in any area, gained six months reading skills. One of the boys gained eighteen months of skills during that time. (All based on testing that their classroom teacher did.) And one girl, who came into my program right when I started using it, was unable to even spell her own name correctly when she started with me, in the fall of her second grade year, because her phonics skills were so poor. A year and a half later, at the end of her third grade year, she was reading and writing at grade level.

Me: What are you working on right now?

Jo: I'm working on a paranormal novel about a fifteen-year-old boy who is assaulted and is turned into a werewolf during the attack. And I'm about to start revisions on Reality Shift 6.

Me: Have you yourself ever been turned into a werewolf?

Jo: Not that I'm aware of, though I do feel a little weird during the full moon sometimes...

Me: What would you say is your favorite part of being an author?

Jo: I have more than one favorite part. I love writing the stories, because it's so much fun seeing my imagination come to life on the page. I like knowing that my books are encouraging kids to read, at least according to feedback I've received. And the feedback is the third thing at the top of the "favorite" list. I really love hearing from readers.

Me: If you were stuck on a desert island and could only take twenty books with you, how would you get those twenty books to the island?

Jo: I guess they'd have to be on my smartphone's Kindle app, since that would be small enough to have with me.

Me: I've discovered that many authors have their own little ritual or set of habits they go through in order to really write. I am most productive when I have a tube of ChapStick close at hand - can't write with dry lips - and usually a glass of ice water and some sunflower seeds. What do you need to really get in the groove?

Jo: I don't really have much of a ritual. I like to have something to drink--a cup of herbal tea or hot chocolate, a diet cola, or a bottle of water. Otherwise, there doesn't seem to be anything that makes me more productive; some days the writing happens and some days it doesn't.

Thanks for being my guest today, Jo!

If you would like to know more about Jo Ramsey that I didn't ask her here, you can go check out her website. You can read her bio, learn about her books, and all kinds of fun stuff.

Book Review: Jabberwocky by Daniel Coleman

2011-09-27T12:05:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I meet someone and just instinctively like them. This is how I felt when I first met Daniel Coleman. We were doing a book signing together at The Book Table in Logan this last July. It was a pretty slow signing, but not for lack of trying! I had the chance to talk with Daniel a bit, and then so did my husband, and it was a lot of fun.

Daniel's book, Jabberwocky, is based on the poem by Lewis Carroll, but is a story all of its own. I was pretty impressed by that idea - that takes a lot of imagination. As Daniel describes it, it's written in Carroll's style, but it's easier to understand. My understanding is that Lewis Carroll was influenced by LSD, so anything Daniel wrote would have to be easier to understand, right?

My husband picked up a copy of the book and disappeared into it for a couple of hours, and then read it again not too long after. This is rare - he works hard and doesn't get a lot of downtime, so for him to read something twice is unusual these days. (He's read Harry Potter multiple times, in multiple languages - did you know it was translated into Russian, even? - but that's beside the point.) He enjoyed the book so much, I invited him to guest blog. So, without further ado, here's my husband, Matt:

"I thoroughly enjoyed reading Daniel Coleman's book. Jabberwocky. It was hard for me to put down once I began reading it. Daniel relates the gripping tale of a quiet hero, Tjaden, who, motivated only by resolving the problems posed to his family and friends, accomplishes the impossible. Tjaden, the kind of hero who avoids publicity whenever he can, quietly goes about his work, until creatures and situations threaten his loved ones. While displaying the wonderful qualities of this young man, such as hard work, staying fit, dedication, firm goal-setting and -reaching, Tjaden exposes corrupt government officials who create catastrophes in order to gain power, and shows the world how to use biotechnologies, such as hormonal and skeletal triggers, to calm monsters in the animal and human kingdoms. I especially enjoyed the parallels Daniel drew to human and monster families. I recommend this book for anyone, especially boys, aged 10 and up."
If you'd like your own copy of Jabberwocky, you can purchase it here.

FTC: My husband bought this book and we decided to review it on our own. Yes, we actually bought a book. With money. Actual cold hard cash. See, not every book I review was free ... just most of them.

L.I.F.T. Women's Conference

2011-09-26T00:30:00.002-07:00

Wouldn't it be great if there was a conference just for women, a place where you could go for Laughter, Inspiration, Friendship, and Testimony? And wouldn't it be awesome if it was held soon, oh, say, on Saturday, October 29th? And wouldn't it be even cooler if it was someplace easy to find, like Orem High?

Do I hear a yes?

Well, guess what ...

There is one! On that very day! In that very place!

Covenant Communications and Seagull Books are sponsoring this amazing event where women from all over will gather to hear presentations on events that are pertinent to our times. Click here for all the information and to register. It's only $20.00 if you sign up before October 20th - that's an unheard-of price. I'm attending, unless something bizarre happens to keep me from it - it would be great to see you there!

September Blog Hop

2011-09-16T11:20:00.006-07:00

Hey everyone! I had so much fun with the blog hop I held last month, I thought it would be completely awesome to do another one. Come back tomorrow to enter to win my prize and see who else is participating - with over 40 blogs in the hop, you could win over 40 prizes!

If you would like to be a participating blogger next time (October) pop me a note at tristipinkston AT gmail.com.

Book Review and Contest: Pumpkin Roll by Josi S. Kilpack

2011-09-14T07:22:00.001-07:00

During my recent two-month signing gig at Costco, I was often asked the following questions:

1. "Are you Josi Kilpack?"

2. "Do you know Josi Kilpack?"

3. "Are your books like Josi Kilpack's?"

4. "Have you read Josi Kilpack's books?"

The answers are:

1. No. (But you already knew that.)

2. Yes, I've known Josi for years and we've done book signings and conferences and all kinds of other way fun stuff together.

3. Yes, actually, my books are somewhat like Josi's, and it's funny how that came about - she was writing Lemon Tart at the exact same time I was writing Secret Sisters, and we hadn't mentioned our projects to each other. Maybe older lady detectives were in the air or something. But my books are shorter, a little more off-the-wall, and are geared toward the LDS market, while her books are longer, a little more grounded in reality, and are geared toward the national market, while still very appropriate for LDS readers.

4. Of course I've read Josi Kilpack's books!

And that brings us to the real point of this blog - the latest Josi Kilpack novel I read, her latest release, Pumpkin Roll.

I might start out by saying that I'm a little bit predisposed to like the book because I really like pumpkin roll (my sister Leigh makes an awesome one). I don't know if that contributed to my feelings or not, but this is my favorite out of the Sadie Hoffmiller series to date.

When Pete Cunningham, Sadie's love interest (boyfriend just seems so juvenile to her) is asked to come babysit his grandchildren for a week, Sadie goes along with to lend that grandmotherly touch. Nothing official has been decided between the two of them yet, but the children accept Sadie as being part of the family, and indeed, it seems she belongs there. She busies herself with baking and housework, happy to spend a week doing what she does best - making people feel at home - and of course, happy to spend a week with Pete.

Strange things start happening, though - a crazy neighbor lady, thought to be a witch, seems to put a spell on the house, doors slam shut even though there's no wind, the electricity goes out, Sadie hears voices - and they realize something very strange is going on. The book is set in the Halloween season and the whole premise is spooky, making the timing of this novel's release very wise - we're already in a Halloween mood and the book ties in perfectly.

As Sadie starts investigating, she learns that Pete might not be all he's cracked up to be, and she regretfully begins to investigate him as well. She follows every lead, she leaves no stone unturned ... but at the very end, she's surprised (and so was I) by the solution to the case.

Pumpkin Roll is filled with recipes, as are the other books in the series, and it's also filled with Sadie's wry humor and unique perspective on the world, which is why we love her.

And now, I have something fun to announce ...

In conjunction with the release of this novel, the author, Josi S. Kilpack, and the publisher, Shadow Mountain, are sponsoring a contest for a new iPad2. To enter, leave a comment in the comment section of this blog before November 1, 2011. Winners will be announced and notified November 3, 2011.

For additional ways to win, go to www.josiskilpack.com

FTC: I received a free copy of the novel in exchange for my review. I was not compensated in any other way. No one even brought me a plate of pumpkin roll, which is just as well, because if they had, I wouldn't have been able to eat it anyway. Not that I don't want to, but because my doctor would skin me alive.

Calling All Cooks!

2011-09-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

Do you love to cook? Do you love the thrill of creating something new in the kitchen? Do you love the aromas wafting through your house, that moment when it's time to taste and see how it all came together? Then you and I must have a chat ...

I'm currently working on Drop-dead Delicious: Recipes from the Secret Sisters Mysteries, which will be released next summer. A cookbook author needs a lot of help to prepare recipes for publication - I did Bless Your Heart by myself, only sending out a few recipes for testing, and it was really difficult. It's so much easier to create when you have a test kitchen of helpers to share their experiences with the recipe, and to be that second set of eyes ... er, second set of measuring spoons ...

What I Need:

I need roughly eight to ten people who love to cook and who will take the recipes I send them, test them out, and send me their thoughts on the ease of preparation, the clarity of the instructions, how the food turned out, etc. Each tester will make around ten recipes. I will send them out one at a time, and the tester will return their thoughts to me within a week's time. I will then send out the next recipe.

What You Will Receive:

The thanks of a grateful nation. Well, okay, maybe not, but the nation is full of people who need to eat ...

You will receive a free copy of the cookbook when it is completed, and you will be thanked in the acknowledgments. You'll also have the fun of trying out new recipes and knowing that your input will make all the difference in the final product.

If you are interested, please send me an e-mail.

*Many of the recipes in this book contain dairy, wheat, or nuts. If you are sensitive to these foods, I would recommend that you pass on this opportunity, but thank you!

*I need testers who can commit to ten recipes. Please contact me only if you're able to make this kind of commitment.

Virtual Book Tour - and Contest!

2011-09-12T01:17:00.002-07:00

You frequently hear me talking about blog tours for other authors that I have either set up or am participating in - this time, it's a blog tour for my own novel, Hang 'Em High! The third book in The Secret Sisters Mysteries, it's just as fun and full of merriment as the rest.

Backliner: When Ida Mae Babbitt receives an invitation to visit her son Keith's dude ranch in Montana, she's excited to mend their broken relationship, but not so excited about spending time with cows. Arlette and Tansy go along with her, ready to take a vacation that does not involve dead bodies or mysteries of any sort - one must have a break from time to time. But it seems a no-good scoundrel has moseyed into Dodge City and is bent on causing all sorts of trouble for the ranch. Unable to keep her curiosity in check - especially when it seems her own son is the most likely culprit - Ida Mae decides to investigate. Can she lasso the varmint and get him to the sheriff in time?

To celebrate this book's release and blog tour, you are invited to participate in a contest! Over on the right sidebar, you'll see a list of blogs that are participating in the tour, along with the date on which their review will appear. If you visit their blog on that day and leave a comment on the review, you will be entered to win a manuscript evaluation done by little ol' me, up to a $75.00 value. Horror and erotica excluded, and if you aren't a writer, you can give the evaluation to a writer friend as a gift. You can enter on as many blogs as you like. The winner will be chosen at midnight, October 5th MST, so I must have all entries in by then.

So, put on your cowboy boots and come join the fun! We'd love to have you along - and the first review is up today!

Finding Hope

2011-09-11T08:00:00.001-07:00

Book Review and Giveaway: A Bible Fit for the Restoration by Andrew C. Skinner

2011-09-08T01:33:00.000-07:00

I remember listening to general conference in April of 2007 and being very impressed by a talk given by M. Russell Ballard called The Miracle of the Holy Bible. He spoke of the sacrifices made by men throughout the ages to bring the Bible forth for everyone to read. We are more recently reminded of these events in history by Boyd K. Packer, who spoke of them at our most recent general conference, April 2011, in his talk Guided by the Holy Spirit. Each talk pointed out how very lost we would be as a people if men of faith had not acted on their convictions and said what they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost to say. They put action behind their words, most lost their lives because of it, and now the entire world has access to the Bible because of their bravery.

A Bible Fit for the Restoration by Andrew C. Skinner is subtitled, The Epic Struggle that Brought Us the King James Version, and rightly so. It was a struggle. Hundreds of years ago, the common man did not have access to the Bible. Only the clergy could read the holy words, and in many cases, they were working from a text written in Greek and had to rely on their own interpretation. They would then teach those words to the people, who were expected to act on faith, and these people often had confused ideas about the gospel of Jesus Christ. The people needed to be able to read the words for themselves so that they could feel the spirit of the words and gain testimonies of their own, rather than acting on the faith of their leaders. Personal testimony is crucial if a person is to stand up to the trials and tribulations they will face in their lives, and these people weren't given that opportunity.

This was of great concern to biblical scholars dating clear back to St. Jerome (347-420 AD) who stated his concern that not only was the Bible not available to enough people, but that the translation was bound to become corrupted as it was copied over and over from text to text by "copyists more asleep than awake."

We move forward in time and learn more about men such as John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, and William Tyndale, among others, and we see how each one of them were instruments in God's hand to help us, the everyday people, gain access to His word. The Bible never was meant to be studied only by a few. God intended for every one of us to have access to it. Wycliffe was responsible for the first English translation of the entire book, taking it from the Latin translation. Martin Luther translated it from the original Greek into German, and his beautiful language skills became the basis for much of the German language today. We can't overlook the invention of movable-type presses, as brought to us by Gutenberg, without which we wouldn't have books today. (And the thought of not having books ... that's just a really sad thought.) Each puzzle piece had to be in place, down through these hundreds of years, in order for us to fully enjoy the access to the scriptures we have today.

Each of these men devoted their lives to one prevailing truth: every human has the right to study the word of God for themselves and to decide, for themselves, not because of any other person, whether they believe that word of God. It's because of these men that we have enough information before us to really have freedom of religion - you can't make a choice for yourself if you can't study out all the variables for yourself.

Andrew C. Skinner is a diligent researcher and brings to us the story of these men complete with references, detailed background information, tidbits about the political climate of the times, and pictures of the places mentioned throughout the book. While this volume is not long, coming in at just over a hundred pages, it is absolutely packed with great information. I came away feeling educated, uplifted, and so grateful for the hand of the Lord in guiding these men on their paths so that I can sit down, pick up the Bible, and read it for myself. When I think how the Bible has blessed my life, and then try to imagine what my life would be like without it, I'm all the more indebted to these martyrs who gave their lives in this cause.

I now have something fun to share with you. The publisher of this book, Cedar Fort Inc, provided me with three additional copies of this book for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is leave me a comment telling me why you are grateful for the Bible. Please make sure that your e-mail is visible through your Blogger profile or that I have some way of notifying you that you have won. You can enter from now until Saturday, September 1oth, at midnight MST. Winners will be chosen by Random.org.

FTC: I received my copy for free from the publisher and was in no other way compensated for my review.

Book Review: Hearts Through Time by Marie Higgins

2011-09-06T06:30:00.000-07:00

From the second I saw this cover, I knew I had to read this book. Seriously, have you ever seen such a gorgeous cover? It almost sent me out hat shopping. I say "almost" because I don't look very good in hats.

Hearts Through Time is a ghost story with a twist. Usually, ghost stories are freaky, but this one is romantic.

From the cover: A love story that transcends time . . .

When a woman claiming to be a ghost from 1912 appears in Nick Marshal's office and begs for help in solving her murder, he thinks he has lost his mind. A scandal that rocked Hollywood almost destroyed his law practice, so he doesn't need any more fireworks as he rebuilds his life. Still, he is intrigued by Abigail Carlisle's plea, and he needs clients, even if this one insists she's dead. The more secrets Nick uncovers, the deeper he falls for the beautiful ghost.

Abigail believes Nick is her heart's true desire, but how can happily-ever-after happen when she's already dead? The more time she spends with him, the more real she becomes, until Nick can finally touch her.

In a strange turn of events, Nick is suddenly whisked back to 1912, two weeks before Abby's murder, but she doesn't remember him. When he attempts to win her over so he can save her from a tragic destiny, Abby thinks Nick is courting her for her inheritance. But even if he can rescue her and make her trust him again, how can they be together forever?

My Review: I really enjoyed this love story. The characters have great chemistry, the premise is awesome (seriously, who thinks of having a murdered person and the detective who solves her murder fall in love?) and I really enjoyed the twists and turns throughout. If you in the mood for a fun romance that's definitely off the beaten path, Hearts Through Time just might be the one for you.

FTC: I was not haunted or murdered into giving this review. I did, however, receive a free copy.

A Guide to Signing at Costco

2011-09-04T23:12:00.007-07:00

I was very blessed to have my sixth novel, Dearly Departed, picked up by Costco. I signed there regularly from the end of June to the end of August, and had a fantastic time. I'd like to share with you some of the things I learned during those two months in hopes that they'll be helpful to other authors who will also be given that opportunity. Keep in mind that these are things that worked for me, and as you go into the stores, you may find your own ways of attracting customers. There are many ways to skin a cat, as the saying goes - although I never have understood why anyone would want to skin a cat.

Preparation:

There are a few things you can do at home before you ever go to the store that will help ensure your success. Eat a good meal with a lot of protein. Dress in nice, but comfortable, clothing. Wear supportive shoes. Yes, ladies, it's tempting to wear your cute new high heels, but I really advise against it - your feet, ankles, knees, and hips will pay the price. I also found that I became very warm in the store, so after my first few visits, I started wearing my hair up in a clip rather than down. That helped me not overheat. You know what your body needs - honor it and prepare to take care of it.

Supplies:

I recommend that you prepare a bag or a box with the following things -

A cute tablecloth. Costco does provide one, but sometimes they are dusty or a little bedraggled, and if you bring your own, you can be sure that it's in good condition and goes well with your book. A six-foot rectangular is best.
A table decoration of some kind. I was given a cute statue of a bookworm, and I sat him on my table at every signing. Not only did he give a little more visual interest to the table, but the little kids just loved him and would often stop to pat his head, which made their parents pause for a moment, which gave me the opportunity to speak with them.
A water bottle. You'll be talking a lot, you'll get thirsty, and you will want to keep yourself hydrated.
A handout. This may be one of the most important things you can bring. I'll discuss this in more detail below.

At the Store:

Try to arrive fifteen minutes early. When you let the manager know you're there, they will ask an employee to help you set up, and that usually takes a few minutes. You want to start your signing on time to fit in as many actual sales opportunities as possible, so by showing up a little early and getting set up, you can begin when you're supposed to.

Put plenty of books on your table. It sometimes feels easiest just to grab one small stack from the table, but you want your table to look abundant. This also gives you, and your customers, a subliminal message: "I expect to sell a lot of books today." That will create an atmosphere that is very conducive to sales.

Have everything you need out on the table. Signing pen, bookmarks, newsletter sign-up sheet - have it all accessible so that when you need it, you don't have to stop and dig for it.

The Actual Signing:

Now that you're all set up and ready to go, it's time to have some fun!

Personal interaction is the best way to bring people over to your table. Some authors have already created such a name for themselves that they can sit quietly behind their table and they will get mobbed by scores of rabid fans. Other authors, though, are still working on building up their name recognition, and they do that by interacting with the public. Stand, rather than sit. When you stand, you are many times over more likely to attract attention. Smile and say hello to everyone who passes. And ... here's where handouts come into play.

Think of something you can bring with you to give people as they go past. I did bookmarks at first, and handed out hundreds per signing. But that wasn't the best use of marketing money. Even though I did get a number of sales, the bookmarks were around six cents each, and if I handed out two hundred at a signing, it was adding up to $12.00 per signing for bookmarks. I was also afraid that the customers would just toss the bookmark at their earliest opportunity, and that would be a waste. So I came up with an idea that was unique to my books. I made up a black-and-white flyer on a half sheet of paper that showed the cover of my book and a catchy blurb, and then at the bottom was a recipe. This tied in with my book because at the end of the Secret Sisters Mysteries series, we're releasing a cookbook that will feature the foods mentioned in all the books.

Then, as people went past, I would say, "Hi! Would you like a free recipe?" If they said yes, I would hand it to them and say, "There's also some information on there about my new novel." In this way, I got my information into their hands, called their attention to the fact that there was more on the sheet than just a recipe, and opened up the door for a conversation. Coming in at two for a penny, the fliers were more cost effective, and because people love to keep recipes, I decreased the likelihood that it would just be thrown away.

When They Say No ...

Customers in Costco are very busy. I know that when I shop in there, I put myself in battle mode. I have a list, I know where I'm going, and I walk fast. My mom has often complained that she doesn't like to go there with me because I walk so fast, she can't keep up. That's just the mentality of the Costco shopper. We know we need to have a firm objective or we'll get lost in the hustle and bustle.

As people pass your table, they are very often in this mindset, and they will often say "no" before they even know what you want. This isn't an uncommon exchange:

Me: Hi there! Would you like -

Them: No!

This isn't something to take personally. To quote the Madagascar penguins, just smile and wave. (You don't really need to wave, though.) Just turn to the next passing person. Most customers will be very appreciative of the thing you're giving them, and will be polite in their refusals, if they aren't interested.

After the Hand-off:

I believe that in any book signing situation, there are three steps the author should take in feeling out the customer and introducing their product. It has a lot to do with feeling out the customer's interest level and showing respect by not being pushy. If you offer your information in a non-pushy way, that customer is likely to remember you kindly, and they may purchase from you down the road, even if they don't today. If you're pushy and in their face, they will remember it, and they will tell their friends, and you'll build a reputation opposite to what you want.

The first step is what I think of as the introductory step. At Costco, I'll greet people with an invitation to accept a recipe. As I hand over the recipe, I tell them there's also a blurb on there about my new book. If they take the recipe and keep walking, I leave it at that. However, if they pause, we go into the second step.

This is to give them my quickest pitch about the book. In the case of Dearly Departed, it's: "My main characters are three little old ladies who infiltrate a nursing home to solve a murder." If they are still engaged, I then say, "It's a lighthearted mystery comedy, a ton of humor all the way through, without any language or graphic violence." At this point, they generally either thank me and keep walking, or they start to ask me questions.

It's important to break up your pitch into sections like this so you can give just the right amount of information to meet the interest level of the person. I can't tell you how many times I've:

been at a store and had an author or salesman give me a much longer pitch than I wanted to hear
been at a store and wanted to know more, but the author or salesman had prepared a pitch that was so short, I was left wanting, and they didn't seem to know what to say after that

Be respectful of your customer's time and don't try to make them listen to more than they want to hear, but be prepared to have long conversations as well.

When Not to Approach:

To go along with our discussion of being respectful, I'd like to suggest that you not approach the following groups of people -

People on the phone
Mothers who are currently wrestling with screaming children
People who are visibly upset

In each of these instances, step back and give them space. They're dealing with something bigger than their decision whether or not to buy a book, and to intrude would be rude and thoughtless.

Taking Note of Your Target Audience:

My book is about an elderly Relief Society presidency, so generally speaking, the people who buy my books are middle-aged ladies. When I am approaching people, I tend to naturally gravitate toward those ladies in my marketing efforts, and find myself more rewarded. However, this is not to say that we should ignore everyone else - it's just saying that we need to be aware of which demographics are more likely to buy. I had a great conversation with a guy studying film making at UVU with an emphasis on horror. That may be about as different from what I do as you can get (except erotica) but we had a great conversation. He didn't buy a book, but he took my information, and I was able to share some things with him that he found helpful. I also sold a book each to two Goth girls wearing plastic bras. It surprised the daylights out of me that they were interested because I hadn't pegged them as people who would want what I had to offer, but they came up to me and asked me to sign two copies. This shows the importance of smiling and greeting everyone who passes, even if you think they aren't likely to purchase.

Sometimes It's Not about Sales:

During my two months at Costco, I had the opportunity to meet some amazing people. Several of them were aspiring authors who needed some guidance in how to take the next step. Some of them just needed someone to talk to at that moment, like the lady who was planning her husband's funeral. To me, a successful signing isn't measured by books sold. It's measured by lives touched, both me being helpful to someone else, and the things I learn from the people I talk to.

Taking Care of Yourself:

We've talked about standing up, but now I want to talk about sitting down. It's important that you not push your body further than it can go. If you're not used to standing on hard floors for long periods of time, work up to it gradually. Sit down during slow times. Stay hydrated. Make sure that you're not hurting yourself. It's wonderful to have this Costco opportunity - it's something only a small percentage of authors get to do - but approach it wisely and make sure you're not hurting yourself. Know your limits and honor them.

Bringing Helpers:

You might find it helpful to bring someone along to help you, especially if you're in one of the larger stores. I did several signings alone, and at other times brought my mom, my son, or my husband along, and in each case, found that having a helper was a good idea. They could hand out fliers to people while I talked to prospective customers. They held down the fort while I ran to the bathroom. They could refill my water bottle. Having a helper there can increase your productivity. It's something for you to feel out for yourself, but I found it to be a good thing. And when it came to my son, it seems no one could resist his cute little face. Nearly every person he approached took a flier.

Most Importantly ...

Have fun! You're there to celebrate this awesome accomplishment - you are a published author and you have landed a spot in one of the most coveted sales venues in the nation. Enjoy it. Enjoy the people. Enjoy the chance to share what you love to do. If you find that nothing else I've said strikes a chord with you, I hope this does - leave the stress behind and just appreciate the moment. Your talents are being given a showcase. Your name recognition is about to skyrocket. Your opportunity for future sales is going to increase exponentially. You are planting seeds for a bounteous harvest later on. The expression "joy in the journey" is completely applicable here - even if you have a slow day, you are paving a path for your future as your information gets into people's hands. I did a signing at Swiss Days in Midway and was told over and over, "I saw your book in Costco." You become recognized, and in this industry, that's a good thing.

My book is no longer being carried in Costco - you need to hit a certain sales bracket in order to remain in the store over an extended period of time, and because my book is a little more specialized, that didn't happen. But I know my experiences there are going to help me in a ton of other ways, and I'm so happy for the chance I had to be a Costco author.

Book Review: Double Deceit by Stephanie Humphreys

2011-09-02T06:19:00.000-07:00

In her new novel Double Deceit, author Stephanie Humphreys explores a world entirely different from her first release, historical fiction novel Finding Rose.

From the cover:

Someone is watching . . .

As a young widow, all Elaina Bryant wants is a fresh start. Determined to put ten painful years behind her, she returns to her hometown and moves in with her sister, Natalie. Elaina soon accepts a job working at a small bookstore owned by the handsome Ryan Hill and his mother. Despite her reluctance to become romantically involved with anyone, she is drawn to Ryan and finds herself falling in love.

But someone isn’t happy with Elaina’s new life and is watching her every move. Her tormenter seems determined to destroy her sanity and her future, but Elaina can’t convince anyone the threat is real. Natalie is preoccupied with her own blossoming romance, and their friend Peter, a police officer, seems to believe the threat has been manufactured in Elaina’s own mind as a result of her guilt and grief.

Now Elaina’s plans for a new start are crashing down around her. She knows she will have to find the answers before she can overcome the past and enjoy love and happiness again. But how can she protect those she loves when she doesn’t know whom to trust?

My Review: I really enjoyed this LDS suspense novel. Elaina is a believable character, understandably traumatized after all she's been through, but doing her best to rebuild her life. The author does a great job of showing the turmoil someone in this situation would go through, and the reasons for her determination to build a new life. Ryan is a very likable love interest and we can easily root for the two of them to have their happily ever after.

I have to admit, I was especially interested in the fact that this novel is set in Canada. Most LDS fiction is set in Utah, or in the United States, at least, but as the author is from Canada, it's natural for her to set her books there, and I find it a refreshing change.

If you're looking for a good suspense novel without gratuitous violence or language, pick up a copy of Double Deceit.

Now, a couple of fun things ... Stephanie is running a contest on her blog, so click right here to go enter.

And if you'd like to hop around and see what the other reviewers have to say about this novel, here are the addresses:

August 15 - Maria Hoagland   http://mariahoagland.blogspot.com
August 16 - Heather Gardner  http://fireandice.blogspot.com
August 17 - Rachelle Christensen  http://rachellewrites.blogspot.com
August 18 - Jane Still  http://janeisfeldstill.blogspot.com/
August 19 - Deborah Davis  http://debbiesinkspectations.blogspot.com
August 22 - Renae Mackley  http://renaeswritespot.blogspot.com
August 23 - Cindy Hogan  http://cindymhogan.blogspot.com
August 24 - Matthew Tandy  http://matthewtandy.blogspot.com
August 25 - Taffy Lovell  http://sweeterthantaffy.blogspot.com/
August 26 - Kathy Habel  http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com
August 29 - Don Carey  http://donaldjcarey.com
August 30 - Teri Rodeman  http://terirodeman.blogspot.com
August 31 - Cathy Witbeck  http://cathywitbeck-storypainter.blogspot.com/
Sept. 1 - Shelly Seele  http://seeshelwrites.blogspot.com
Sept. 2 - Tristi Pinkston  http://tristipinkston.blogspot.com

FTC: I was not stalked or threatened into posting my review, but instead, was sent a free copy and asked nicely.

Book Review: Lydia by Wanda Luce

2011-09-01T01:55:00.002-07:00

At six and twenty, the impoverished Lydia Hathaway has endured bleak years of heartbreak, longing for a love that never came. Her deceased father's foolhardiness has left her family bankrupt, and Lydia is eventually left no alternative but to take a position as the companion and governess to Susan Ashcroft of Danbury Park in Surrey. During the first days at her post, Lydia pines bitterly for a life she believes forever lost. Anxious for peace, she rambles one morning across the muddy wilds of the Ashcroft estate where she has a most unimaginable encounter with the notorious Lord Connor Denton. As their paths continue to cross, Lydia falls ever deeper in love with the charming rogue while battling against his growing assault on her heart. In spite of his forward attentions, she considers his behavior toward her as nothing less than idle flirtation. And why should she think otherwise? As the wealthy son of an earl, Lord Denton may choose from among the most beautiful women of England's first circles--none to which Lydia claims inclusion. In spite of her indignation over Lord Denton's rakish maneuvering, she anguishes beneath the reality that he is forever beyond her reach. Tormented in a relentless battle to suppress a love she cannot overcome, Lydia resolves to leave the Ashcrofts and Danbury Park forever. After all, she is nothing to Denton--isn't she?

My Thoughts: When my publisher first handed me their new release and asked me to review it, I wasn't sure what I would think. I love "bonnet" movies, but I've always found the language of the Jane Austen and other Regency novels to be a little hard to understand. In Lydia, I was pleasantly surprised to find that while the language did have the flavor of the times, I could understand every word, and I didn't have to flip a switch in my brain from "English" to "Regency" to get what was going on.

Our main character, Lydia, is a very likable young lady, and it's easy to feel her emotions and understand her predicament. In the Regency era, people faced things that we'd consider pretty simple today. Don't have money? Well, go get a job! Someone spreads a rumor about you? Set them straight and get on with it! Not sure if someone loves you? Grab them, kiss them, and see if they kiss you back! Sure enough - today, we can take care of our problems in a pretty forthright way, but back in Regency times, they were constrained to certain codes of behavior, and young ladies had to wait for the objects of their affections to declare themselves. No grabbing him and kissing him allowed - they had to wait to be grabbed and kissed, and Lydia does wait, a good long time, for Lord Denton to make up his mind. Granted, he was dealing with plenty of his own issues, and he didn't want to dally with her affections until he was sure of himself, and that was the right thing to do, but poor Lydia was left to wonder all that time. Thankfully, he eventually did settle the question, and they found their happily-ever-after. I can tell you that without spoiling the story because it's a romance, and if they didn't end up together, you couldn't call it a romance.

I enjoyed the interactions between the characters, the use of costume and conventions to paint a picture of the times, and observing the social mores that make the era what it was. The only thing I did wish had been done a little differently was the moment when they both confess their feelings - I'd been hoping for just a little more there. Overall, I greatly enjoyed the story, found it highly diverting, and feel that any properly brought-up young lady should add it to their to-read list.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for my opinion and was not threatened with losing my inheritance if I posted a negative review.

Book Review: Witch Song by Amber Argyle

2011-08-26T13:00:00.004-07:00

Brusenna and her mother live in isolation deep in the forest. Their trips into town are infrequent and often made with the greatest of caution, as they never know what they will encounter when they leave their home. They live without many friends, relying on each other for companionship. They are witches, and have been shunned by most of society.

The Dark Witch has made it her goal to harness all witchcraft for herself and to use it to control all the elements to her bidding. By kidnapping the witches and subjecting them to her will, she can steal their power and make her own even stronger. Brusenna's mother rises up to fight her, but never comes back, and it falls on Brusenna's shoulders ... she is the last free witch.

Using her voice, the tool which calls out her power, she practices the spells her mother left her, feeling insufficient to the task. She finds Joshen, a young man who is sympathetic to the plight of the witches and vows to protect her, and together they begin a journey to the land where the Dark Witch lives. But she has to face the battle alone - as devoted as Joshen is to her, only she has the power to win.

I enjoyed this first novel by Amber Argyle. It blends together many of the traits we've been taught about witches with new ideas and new ways of looking at their role in the earth. The story was unique and fresh, enough romance to satisfy the romantics with enough adventure to satisfy the adventurous, and I highly recommend it for young adults and adults who are looking for a good read.

You can purchase Witch Song here, visit Amber's blog here, and when you're done reading it, you can leave your review here.

FTC: The fact that I was honored and delighted to be one of the few to receive an ARC of this book did not influence my review. Nor was I enchanted by witch song into liking it.

Book Review: Ribbon of Darkness by Julie Coulter Bellon

2011-08-21T23:03:00.003-07:00

Kennedy Campbell, renowned journalist, just wanted a story. Making her home at an Afghan refugee camp, she immerses herself in the lives of the people, coming to care for them like her own family, doing whatever she can to help them. Sending her camerawoman home with the promise to follow shortly behind, she says her goodbyes, only to get caught in a Taliban attack. She flees with some of her new friends and they nearly make it to safety, but she is captured by a wanted terrorist who decides to use her fame for his own purposes, demanding ransom from the United States government.

Ethan Barak knew he was putting himself in a dangerous situation when he agreed to work with MI-6 to bring down international arms dealers, and he was prepared to face that risk. But when one of his enemies kills his father, Ethan is pushed to the limit. No longer content to quietly gather information and pass it along, he wants to bring down the ringleader, and do it now ... in any way possible, including the man's death.

When Ethan and Kennedy meet up, both entangled in a web of danger, they aren't sure if they can trust each other. They've already been misled by so many people. But soon they realize they are working on the same side and come together as allies, determined to find justice in their situation and get themselves back to safety.

My Thoughts: Ribbon of Darkness by Julie Coulter Bellon is a fast, intense read, action-packed to keep you turning pages, but without vulgar language, which I appreciated. It's short enough to read in one sitting, but long enough to provide some good entertainment. The subject matter is timely in today's world political environment, and seems as though it could appear on a headline tomorrow. As I read, I thought that this book would make a good movie as I envisioned the action going from the Malacca Strait in Indonesia to a dark and smoky bar to an elegant home in the capital city and onto a ship headed to open water. Each scene played out vividly for me as I read, and I enjoyed the tense intrigue ... and I have to say, I enjoyed the kissing, too, which was in perfect balance with the suspense, giving us just enough without taking over the story. It was a great way to spend an evening.

You can get Ribbon of Darkness for your Kindle or as a hard copy.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for my opinion, was not compensated in any other way, and was not threatened by the Taliban to give a good review.

The Write Planner

2011-08-20T01:32:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, I was sent one of these nifty gizmos ...

Except mine is country blue, which, I have to say, is perfect for me. I'm a blue girl.

This planner is specifically designed to help writers stay on track with their writing goals and their daily schedules. It is peppered with quotes from famous authors to inspire and motivate. The spiral binding allows you to flip it open to whatever spot you like, and it has a ribbon bookmark so you can hold your place even when the book is closed. It's just the right size - 5 X 7 - so it can fit in your purse, computer bag, or just sit on your desk without taking up too much room.

I know that some people keep track of their goals and schedules on computer programs, and that's awesome, if that's what works for them. I'm a pen and paper girl. (In addition to being a blue girl.) I like writing things down and seeing them in front of me on paper, so a planner is how I prefer to operate.

Right now, the planners are on clearance to make room for next year's printing. You can get one for $5.99, regularly $12.99. Click here for all the details.

FTC: Sure enough, I got this planner for free.

Friday Funny

2011-08-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

Book Review: Sudden Peril by Frank Richardson

2011-08-16T06:25:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to read Sudden Peril by Frank Richardson, and I have to say, I was very intrigued by the story. Let me share the backliner, and then I'll tell you my thoughts about the novel.

Jamie Madero's summer internship turns out to be anything but ordinary when he discovers the truth about The Freemen Foundation. Now outnumbered and outgunned, Jamie and his fellow Insiders must stay one step ahead of their enemies to survive in this high-stakes novel of intrigue and deception. This perfect adrenaline rush of a book is suspenseful, surprising, and packed with action. You won't be able to put it down.

The main character, as mentioned in this backliner, brings us into the world of The Freemen Foundation. We go with Jamie as he believes he's being offered a job to discovering that he's been recruited into the foundation, and we experience his wonder at the purposes behind the foundation's mission. From there, we leave Jamie and move on to other characters, coming to know them and the reasons for their commitment.

The Freemen Foundation is a group of men and women who have chosen to devote their lives to rooting out modern-day Gadianton robbers operating in huge corporations. They act as spies, going into these corporations, discovering where laws are being broken, and turning the information over to the authorities. This is the way they have chosen to bear the standard of truth and to live up to their beliefs. And from that sentence, you might have already guessed that most of the members of the foundation are LDS.

I enjoyed reading about a group of people who didn't just wring their hands and say, "Oh, isn't that too bad" when faced with the problem of corruption. They decided to do what they could to make the world a better place one step at a time. Many of the corporations they infiltrated were mysteriously doing away with whistle-blowers, and so were not only stealing money and funding things they shouldn't have been funding, but committing murder as well.

One might question, how could Latter-day Saints, in good conscience, deliberately join an organization that operates in secret ... doesn't that make them guilty of belonging to a secret combination? And how could these Latter-day Saints spy, take up arms, and beat people up, all without losing their Church membership?

These questions did pop into my head as I read, but I just as quickly dismissed them. Men of God have always been called upon to fight for the sake of righteousness. Whether it be to protect their families, or their lands ... think about Captain Moroni, and Teancum. Think about all the soldiers who go out to war to fight for our freedoms. Being a soldier does not make you any less a man of God.

Let's talk about secret combinations for a moment. As near as I can tell from the research I've done, a secret combination takes place when evil men take upon themselves an oath to serve Satan. We see the earliest example of this in Cain's murder of Abel. These men then murder all those who stand in the way of achieving their goals, which are money, power, and domination.

If this is the definition of a secret combination, then we can't place that label on just any old group that operates in secret. Think for a minute about the CIA and the FBI. They are called upon to go undercover and pretend to be things they are not, but they operate for the ultimate good of protecting us and bringing criminals to justice. Would we call them secret combinations? Well, I know some people who don't like these organizations and might call them all sorts of names, but that's not what I'm after. The point I'm making is that you can most certainly operate in secret without desiring to serve the devil, and I believe it's not too far of a stretch for the author to invent a group of righteous men and women who work surreptitiously to bring down evil.

Anyway, off my analysis and on to my closing thoughts ...

The story is tense and gritty, but never gratuitously violent. I appreciated the author's ability to convey the high stakes in a scene without resorting to foul language. It's the perfect combination of suspense and action without gore and guts. I liked the imagination, the speculation, and the way this novel asked me, "What would I do to protect my family, my home, my religion, from evil men in these latter days?" I think it's a question we all should ask ourselves from time to time.

FTC: I received this novel free of charge in exchange for my review. My vehemence and conjecture were thrown in as icing on the cake and were neither solicited by, or expected by, the author or his publisher.

On My Nightstand ...

2011-08-15T01:27:00.000-07:00

Every so often, I see bloggers post pictures of their TBR piles (to be read) and thought it would be fun to share what I've got going on these days. Each of these books will be reviewed on this blog, although the order in which they are stacked isn't necessarily the order in which the reviews will appear - I had to put them just right so the stack wouldn't fall over. :)

So stay tuned ... lots of reading and lots of reviews coming your way!

Winners and Party Time!!

2011-08-13T09:33:00.000-07:00

The winner of the novels by Betty Briggs and Carole Thayne Warburton is ...

Stacy!!

And the winner of the three-book set of Secret Sisters Mysteries ...

Carolyn!!

Congratulations!! Ladies, if you are able to make it to the launch, I will hand your books right over. If not, I will ship them off in Monday's mail.

Now, what are you sitting there reading my blog for? We've got a party to throw!

When: Saturday, August 13th, 12 – 4 pm

Where: Pioneer Book, 858 S. State, Orem

Prizes, games, Dutch oven cobbler (first come, first served)

I will be joined by authors Nichole Giles, Heather Justesen,

Cindy Hogan, and J. Lloyd Morgan

Hang 'Em High Hoedown Day #10: The Grand Prize!!

2011-08-12T00:19:00.003-07:00

I'm as tickled as I can be that so many of you have joined me for this countdown to my book launch party. I'm also tickled that it's now just one day until then ... I'm ready to party hearty!!

When: Saturday, August 13th, 12 – 4 pm

Where: Pioneer Book, 858 S. State, Orem

Bring the entire family!

I love sharing these fun moments with all of you and appreciate the support you've shown me as I've worked hard to build up my career. Without good friends, it's just not possible.

The winner of Queen in Exile by Donna Hatch is ...

ABBY!!!

If you would like to enter to win yesterday's prize of Depth of Deceit by Betty Briggs and Sun Tunnels and Secrets by Carole Thayne Warburton, click here for details - you can enter until midnight Friday night, MST.

And now, it's time to talk about ...

THE GRAND PRIZE

You will receive a set of three books, one each of the first three in the Secret Sisters Mysteries. Book #1, Secret Sisters, is a hardback. Book #2, Dearly Departed, is a paperback, as is Book #3, Hang 'Em High. If you are the winner and you attend the book launch party, I'll hand them over right then and there. If you're unable to attend, I will mail them out to you.

There's something different about this drawing - before, you've had until midnight on the second day to enter. With this drawing, you have until ten a.m. on Saturday, August 13th. I'm drawing early so I can give the prize right to the winner if they come to the launch that afternoon.

Now, what must you do to enter this drawing? There's a little bit of a list here, and you can choose which four things you'll do, as I realize not everyone is involved in all the social networks. Choose the four that work best for you, and then tell me what you did in the comment trail.

#1. Become a follower of this blog by clicking in the "People Who Think I'm Cool" box to your left. If you are already a follower, skip this step.

#2. Become a friend of mine on Facebook by clicking here. If you are already a friend, skip this step.

#3. "Like" my author page by clicking here. If you have already "liked" it, skip this step.

#4. Post this invitation on your blog:

When: Saturday, August 13th, 12 – 4 pm

Where: Pioneer Book, 858 S. State, Orem

Prizes, games, Dutch oven cobbler (first come, first served)

Authors Tristi Pinkston, Nichole Giles, Heather Justesen,

Cindy Hogan, and J. Lloyd Morgan

#5. Send an e-mail to a friend who likes to read and who lives near Orem.

#6. Tweet about the book launch and copy me in: @TristiPinkston

#7. Call a Utah friend on the phone and tell them about the launch.

#8. Go to GoodReads and add Hang 'Em High to your "to-read" list.

#9. Go to this Amazon link and click "like."

#10. Tell one friend about the book launch face-to-face.

Now, let me explain the scoring system:

Choose four things, and do them. That is your first entry. Tell me about it in the comment trail. If you do four things, and then do something else too, that is two entries. Four entries, plus two more, is three entries. Four entries, plus three more, is four entries, and so forth, all the way up to doing all ten, which counts for seven entries. You decide how much you want to do, how many entries you get.

Again, I must receive your entries by 10 a.m. MST on Saturday, August 13th.

This is more excitinger by the second ... thanks for making this so much fun by participating!

Hang 'Em High Hoedown Day #9: Depth of Deceit by Betty Briggs and Sun Tunnels and Secrets by Carole Thayne Warburton

2011-08-10T22:24:00.007-07:00

I'm excited for Saturday's book launch for a number of reasons.

First, I'm so happy to be bringing out another novel. I love my characters, I love sharing their stories with others, and I love the feedback I'm getting. It's unbelievable to me that this is my eighth book, and I get to spend my time doing something I love so much ... writing.

Second, I'm really looking forward to hanging out with all my friends from Facebook, Twitter, my blog readers - anyone who is able to come. I love putting faces with names. I'm also eager to see neighbors, family, and everyone else who will be there.

Third, there will be balloons, face painting, games ... it's going to be an afternoon of fun, wholesome family fun out in the gorgeous Utah summer weather.

And fourth ... I get to share the event with some of my very best friends. I'd like to take a moment to introduce you to them, and then we'll get on with the prizes. (I promise.)

Keith Fisher. Now, I've mentioned that we're serving Dutch oven cobbler, but I want to make sure that you all "get" the magnitude of what I'm saying. I didn't just go buy a random Dutch oven and throw a bakery cake in there and decide to call it good. No, siree. Keith is literally a world-champion Dutch oven cook, having taken the title in 2005. His food is like songbirds descending from lofty climbs to sit on your shoulder while you eat. He also happens to be a very good friend of mine - I hang out with him every week for critique group and appreciate his giving soul and his ability to see the big picture. He's a talented author and writes thought-provoking women's fiction.

Nichole Giles. Nichole is a beautiful, spunky lady with color and pizazz. She has a fresh, unique writer's voice and every project she does shines with her personality. She's so supportive of her fellow writers and goes out of her way to cheer them on and offer words of encouragement. At the book launch, she will be featuring her two published novels, The Sharp Edge of a Knife and Mormon Mishaps and Mischief. As awesome as these two books are, I really can't wait for her to start publishing her young adult fantasy - we're talking, jaw-droppingly good. She's also a member of my critique group.

Heather Justesen. Heather is the kind of person who just draws you in with her genuineness. There's no pretense with her - she's open and down-to-earth, caring, and totally unselfish. She drives up to Utah Valley from Fillmore to present her author friends with cakes she has made and decorated to celebrate their new books. She also happens to write really awesome kissing scenes ... awesome, but clean. She will be bringing her three published novels - Blank Slate, The Ball's in Her Court, and Rebound. And ... yes, she's a member of my critique group. What can I say? I'm really, really blessed.

Cindy Hogan. I've known Cindy for years as we've bumped into each other at various writers conferences. The thing that struck me first, and continues to strike me, is her attitude. She just radiates positive vibes wherever she goes. She's fun to be around, she's always smiling and including people, and I really appreciate her outgoing, uplifting personality. She will bring her new young adult suspense novel, Watched.

J. Lloyd Morgan. I met Jason (that's his real name - that whole J. Lloyd thing is just to confuse people) when he hired me to do a virtual book tour for him. He lives clear across the country from me, so we've never met, but we just clicked as we e-mailed back and forth and we became instant friends. He then hired me to do an edit on his book, and he took everything I said with such a good attitude and really was excellent and professional to work with - he's just a heck of a nice guy. He's now releasing that novel with my same publisher, and he's launching it into the world on Saturday - and he and I will be meeting for the first time on that day as well. He's promised to squeal like a girl and jump up and down when he sees me, but I think we'll have to wait and see if he delivers. His book is a young adult medieval novel called The Hidden Sun.

So you see, I have so many reasons to be excited, to feel blessed, and to look forward to Saturday with all kinds of anticipation. I hope you can join us and increase my overall happiness.

When: Saturday, August 13th, 12 – 4 pm

Where: Pioneer Book, 858 S. State, Orem

All right then! Thanks for humoring me in my rhapsodizing. Your patience shall now be rewarded.

The winner of my novel Season of Sacrifice is ...

ANNA MARIA!!!

If you would like to enter to win Queen in Exile by Donna Hatch, you may do so until tomorrow night, Thursday, at midnight MST. Click here for details.

And now, let's talk about today's prizes. Two, two, two prizes in one!

First ...

How does an intelligent woman find herself mired in a web of deception, abuse, and danger? In Depth of Deceit, author Betty Briggs pulls her readers into the life of Stephanie Saunders, a lovely young attorney with a big heart, keen mind, and a trust in others that nearly proves disastrous. Her handsome and wealthy boyfriend strikes her as perfect, but is he too good to be true? Her boss hovers around her like a protector and friend, but is he? Stephanie’s work focuses on defending the indigent, and one client earns her trust and friendship, but why is he showing up at the oddest places? It seems that she can trust only the horses she trains and loves, magnificent beasts who remind her of life’s purposes and meaning. In a dramatic turn of events, Stephanie must make a decision that will affect her life forever.

On a trip to the Sun Tunnels in the Utah desert, Norma and her sisters find a body on the side of the road. But this awful discovery turns out to be the least of their problems. Norma's husband just passed on, and she learns he kept a secret from her for sixty years. LaRue is keeping a secret from Norma. The sisters' young friend Tony is keeping a secret about his famous father, and Tony's mother is keeping a secret of her own. Tony is secretly in love with his friend Kelli, who recently escaped from a polygamist cult. And who is the mysterious young car thief with whom Norma feels a special connection? Everything converges in Grouse Creek at the Fourth of July celebration. Will secrets prove everyone's undoing?

One lucky person will win both of these novels. Here's what you need to do:

1. Become a follower of this blog by clicking on the box on the left titled "People Who Think I'm Cool." If you are already a follower, you obviously can skip this step.

2. Visit Carole's blog and become a follower - halfway down her left sidebar.

3. Visit Betty's blog and leave a comment.

4. Come back here and leave me a comment - tell me you're following Carole, you left a note for Betty, and then tell me why you'd like to win these two books. In order to enter the contest, you need to do all three things.

5. Special opportunity - if you would like more than one entry, tell your Facebook friends about the Hang 'Em High Hoedown, and link to my blog. This will give you an additional entry. Be sure to tell me in your comments that you have done this.

6. If you would like another entry, grab the code for the Hang 'Em High button on my sidebar and put it on your blog. Send me the URL where it appears so I can come see it blinking pretty at me.

You can enter to win these two prizes until midnight Friday night, MST.

And, as a heads up ... Friday's prize drawing is for the grand prize - all three Secret Sisters books!! So be sure to stop by. The drawing for that prize will take place on Saturday before the launch, so act quickly so you can get in it on time.

Hang 'Em High Hoedown Day #8: Novel by Donna Hatch

2011-08-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome back! I hope you're having as much fun with the Hang 'Em High Hoedown as I am!

What's been equally as fun is preparing for the book launch, which is getting closer every single second!

When: Saturday, August 13th, 12 – 4 pm

Where: Pioneer Book, 858 S. State, Orem

Prizes, games, Dutch oven cobbler (first come, first served)

I will be joined by authors Nichole Giles, Heather Justesen,

Cindy Hogan, and J. Lloyd Morgan

I really hope you're able to attend - we're planning a scad of ton stuff to make it well worth your time.

Okay, let's talk prizes!

The winner of Counting the Cost by Liz Adair is ...

RACHELLE!!

You still have a chance to enter to win yesterday's featured prize, a copy of my novel, Season of Sacrifice. Click here for details.

And today's prize ...

Rumors of war hang over Princess Jeniah's peaceful country of Arden, a land that shuns both magic and warfare. Following a lifelong dream, Jeniah forms a telpathic bond with a revered creature called a chayim, who is prophesied to save her kingdom. But when a Darborian knight comes upon Jeniah with her chayim, he sees only a vicious monster about to devour a maiden, and he slays the beast.

Devastated by the loss of her chayim, and fearing that her own magic is evil, Jeniah doubts her destiny. When an enemy invades Arden City, they slaughter the people, storm the castle, and execute the entire royal family except the princess. Rescued by the knight who slew her chayim, Jeniah is now heir to the throne of Arden and the only hope for freeing her people from tyranny.

On the run and hunted by enemy soldiers, Jeniah must place her life and the fate of her kingdom in the hands of this trained killer. Torn between embracing her destiny as queen of Arden, and her love for a mere knight, she must ultimately rely on her magic to save herself and her people from death and tyranny.

And, yes, in keeping with the theme, there are horses in this book. :)

If you would like to win this novel, here's what to do:

1. Become a follower of this blog by clicking on the box on the left titled "People Who Think I'm Cool." If you are already a follower, you obviously can skip this step.

2. Visit Donna's blog and become a follower.

3. Come back here and leave a comment on this post. Tell me that you're following me, you're following Donna, and tell me why you'd like to win her book.

4. Special opportunity - if you would like more than one entry, tell your Facebook friends about the Hang 'Em High Hoedown, and link to my blog. This will give you an additional entry. Be sure to tell me in your comments that you have done this.

5. If you would like another entry, grab the code for the Hang 'Em High button on my sidebar and put it on your blog. Send me the URL where it appears so I can come see it blinking pretty at me.

You have until Thursday night, August 11th, at midnight MST to enter. All entries will be uploaded to Random.org, and the winner will be notified via e-mail. If your e-mail is not visible on your Blogger profile, please include it in your comment so I can find you if you are the winner.

Thanks again for participating!

Hang 'Em High Hoedown Day #7: Season of Sacrifice by Tristi Pinkston

2011-08-09T11:39:00.000-07:00

Hi there! Welcome back to the Hang 'Em High Hoedown, where we are counting down the days to my book launch! We're now four days away (woohoo!!!!!) from this:

When: Saturday, August 13th, 12 – 4 pm
Where: Pioneer Book, 858 S. State, Orem
Prizes, games, Dutch oven cobbler (first come, first served)
I will be joined by authors Nichole Giles, Heather Justesen,
Cindy Hogan, and J. Lloyd Morgan

I hope you're enjoying yourself as we celebrate the release of my eighth book!

In my comment trail the other day, Marcy asked how I was choosing the books to feature for this contest. Great question! Because Hang 'Em High takes place on a dude ranch, I wanted all the prizes to in some way tie in to that theme. I sent a letter out to my author friends asking them who had written books with a western theme or that included horses, and who would be interested in sponsoring my contest. That's how I came up with this great list. Let's give a round of applause to my sponsors, who have donated their time as well as a book to help us celebrate.

All righty then!! I bet you all are wondering who won Bubba Goes National by Jennifer Walker. I shall answer you right now . . .

ANNA MARIA!!!

If you would still like to enter to win Counting the Cost by Liz Adair, you can do that until midnight tonight, Tuesday, MST. Click here for details.

Now let's talk about today's prize. You might have noticed that my own name is in the header for this post ... that's right! I'm today's sponsor.

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.

This book is near and dear to my heart. It's the true story of my great-great-grandparents and their amazing courage and faith, taken largely from their life stories and journals, but written in novel form. I've stated, and I still believe, that this book is why God made me a writer. If I never wrote another thing, I would feel as though I did what I came here to do, having preserved this history.

And how to enter this contest, you ask?

1. Become a follower of this blog by clicking on the box on the left titled "People Who Think I'm Cool." If you are already a follower, you obviously can skip this step.

2. Tweet, Facebook, blog, e-mail or call your friends and tell them about this contest and about the book launch on Saturday (information at the top of this post). For every form of communication you utilize, you will get another point. If you Tweet, Facebook, and call your mom, that counts as three additional entries. No, I won't be calling your mother to verify - I'll leave you at your word on honor on that one.

You have until Wednesday night, August 10, at midnight MST to enter. All entries will be uploaded to Random.org, and the winner will be notified via e-mail. If your e-mail is not visible on your Blogger profile, please include it in your comment so I can find you if you are the winner.

We have four more sponsors appearing over the next couple of days. That's right - we'll have two prizes on Thursday, and then on Friday is the contest for the grand prize:

The full set of The Secret Sisters Mysteries, not including the two that haven't been

published yet, because it's really hard to give away something that hasn't been published yet.

You can read all about Ida Mae, Tansy, and Arlette, three darling little old ladies

who take on the world - and their visiting teaching - through the means of espionage.

If the winner of the grand prize is present at the book launch party, they will receive the books right

then and there. Otherwise, the books will be shipped.

So be sure to come back around frequently for the rest of the week - we're ramping up the excitement!

Hang 'Em High Hoedown Day #6: Counting the Cost by Liz Adair

2011-08-07T23:44:00.004-07:00

Welcome back, everyone! I hope you had a restful weekend. I attended a family wedding at the American West Heritage Center in northern Utah. What makes me chuckle is that the book we're launching this week is set at a dude ranch that I based on the Heritage Center, and the bride and groom were married with a windmill in the background. See the cover of my book? See the windmill? How cool is that? Talk about life imitating art!

Okay, let's see here. We've got ourselves some business to take care of.

First of all, the winner of Mark of Royalty is ...

RACHELLE!!

Second, if you'd still like a chance to win Bubba Goes National by Jennifer Walker, that prize is available until midnight tonight, MST. Click here for details.

And what is the prize for today, you ask? And I answer.

For handsome, hard-riding cowhand, Heck Benham, life is as solid as the New Mexico countryside he loves, as predictable as the annual spring roundup. Yet, that all changes when Mrs. Ruth Reynolds moves from back east into his homeland and into his heart.

The stark contrast in their lives is played out in a territory that is, itself, coming into its own. As Ruth and Heck face a trail of pivotal, life-changing decisions, their love is challenged at every turn. What will it cost them before they find what is most important in life?

With strong characters, true-to-life emotion, gentle humor, meticulous attention to detail and historical accuracy, Liz Adair paints a passionate tale of love and learning, of romance and redemption.

This novel won the Whitney Award for Best Romance in 2010.

If you would like to win this novel by Liz Adair, here's whatcha must do:

1. Become a follower of this blog by clicking on the box on the left titled "People Who Think I'm Cool." If you are already a follower, you obviously can skip this step.

2. Visit Liz's blog and become a follower.

3. Come back here and leave a comment on this post. Tell me that you're following me, you're following Liz, and tell me why you'd like to win her book.

5. If you would like another entry, grab the code for the Hang 'Em High button on my sidebar and put it on your blog. Send me the URL where it appears so I can come see it blinking pretty at me.

You have until Tuesday night, August 9th, at midnight MST to enter. All entries will be uploaded to Random.org, and the winner will be notified via e-mail. If your e-mail is not visible on your Blogger profile, please include it in your comment so I can find you if you are the winner.

And don't forget what all this is leading up to ...

The launch of Hang 'Em High!
It's an August Authorama!

When: Saturday, August 13th, 12 – 4 pm

Where: Pioneer Book, 858 S. State, Orem
Prizes, games, Dutch oven cobbler (first come, first served)
I will be joined by authors Nichole Giles, Heather Justesen,
Cindy Hogan, and J. Lloyd Morgan

How Can I Find Happiness?

2011-08-07T02:23:00.000-07:00