An Autism Awareness Month Giveaway

CJ over at the fabulous website, Give, Oh Giveaway, reviewed my book - (dis)Abilities and the Gospel - today AND she's offering a fabulous giveaway in honor of Autism Awareness Month.

Here's a short blurb of something she learned from the book:

"Another great thing I read in this book is to change MY attitude on a particularly rough day…instead of day thinking, “What am I going to do with this child today” think “What does this child need today?” WOW. I know it seems basic–but to an inexperienced volunteer like myself this was a profound idea! I tried it on a rough day and saw HUGE improvements…not only in the children but in myself as well."  

You can read the rest of her review on her website and enter to win as well.

Happy Autism Awareness Month!

Tres Leches Cupcakes Winner AND an Upcoming Booksigning!

Thank you to everyone who entered to win a copy of Josi Kilpack's new book, Tres Leches Cupcakes. Before I announce the winner, just a quick note!

I'm participating in a fabulous Authorpalooza this Friday, September 14th. If you're in the Kansas City area, please stop by, visit, and check out some awesome books! There will be a Q&A session with the authors and several prize drawings.

Oak Park Mall Barnes & Noble 
11323 W 95th Street, Overland Park, KS

Additional authors include:
Lisa Mangum
Josi Kilpack
Heather Justesen
Don Carey
Karen Hoover
Traci Hunter Abramson
L.C. Lewis
Steve Westover
Lynn Parsons
Tamara Hart Heiner
and more! 

And now, the Tres Leches Cupcakes winner is . . . 

Kathleen Brebes!

Kathleen, please email me your snail mail address and I'll get your book in the mail.

LDS Bookseller's Association Convention 2011

This was the first year I've been invited to attend the LDS Bookseller's Association (LDSBA) Convention. And yes, it's a by invitation only event for authors. Authors who have had recently published books and who have books that will be released in the next six months might be invited to attend the event. Lynn and I were lucky enough to score coveted entry tickets.

The purpose of the LDSBA convention is for publishers and vendors display their recent and upcoming products for book store owners and managers to browse and place orders for their store inventories.

First, can I just say wow? I had absolutely no idea there were so many product vendors that made and distributed the products found in a book store. It was incredible! Everyone from artists, jewelry, book marks, cards, ties (oh yes, I discovered the AWESOMEST ties EVER!), food storage, t-shirts, trendy women's clothing, cute signs, crafty items, pens, bakery items . . . and the list literally goes on and on and on. And that doesn't include the different publishers who attend as well. It was fun to wander around and chat with the vendors on display. I met a ton of wonderful people, some of whom I'm going to interview and share giveaways on my blog. Yeah!  =)

After the vendor displays (which was all day long), there was a mix and mingle for authors and bookstore owners. It's kind of like speed dating, only way more fun! It was so fun to talk to the bookstore owners - most of which already carried our book and who had some great stories from their customers. Happiness! Lynn and I chatted with them about setting up events and signings. It was truly great, great fun!

Another awesome part of LDSBA is having the opportunity to see a bunch of your writer friends. It's one of the best highlights for me since I live so far away from all my Utah writer friends. It's like a mini family reunion (cause the huge family reunion is at the Storymakers Writers Conference!).

So, here are some pics with me and my awesome writer friends. Enjoy!

Oh no! It's Jacob Marley, coming to haunt Lynn & I!

Some awesome Authors Incognito chicks:  Theresa Sneed, Betsy Love, Danyelle Ferguson, Lynn Parsons, and Tristi Pinkston

Me & the incredible Tyler Whitesides, author of Janitors. I'm so thrilled about his success!

My book at the Cedar Fort Publishing display!!!

I just had to get my picture taken with Scott Wright . . . just to taunt my hubby. Wahahahaha! I got to hang out with Scott and you didn't!  =)

The true reason why Scott is so cool - his AWESOME other half, author Julie Wright!

Me and my fabulous friend, Lisa Mangum, author of the Hourglass Door Trilogy.

I finally got to meet Dennis Gaunt in person! He's absolutely hilarious! No wonder I enjoyed his book so much! Bad Guys of the Book of Mormon (written by a truly fun guy!)

Deseret News Reviewed (dis)Abilities and the Gospel!

Hikari Loftus from Deseret News gave an excellent review of (dis)Abilities and the Gospel. I normally just share a small quote and give a link to reviews, but I couldn't pick just one! You can find the full review on Deseret News' website here.

Danyelle Ferguson and Lynn Parsons’ book “(dis)Abilities and the Gospel: How to Bring People with Special Needs closer to Christ,” is full of suggestions, tips and hope for those who are seeking ways to bring their children to Christ.

This book is a helpful reference for parents, but should also be required reading for leaders and teachers who have children with disabilities in their classes or Scout troops.

Although the book was written using LDS Church meetings as examples, the information does not apply to LDS Church members alone. The suggestions are useful to any congregation or group with members or participants with disabilities. The book provides a glossary of Mormon terms to make applications and translations easy.

Each page teaches love, patience, determination and respect for the "special spirits" that are part of your church family. This book will help parents and teachers come up with plans that will help the children in their ward family be participants in the gospel.

Intrigued? Go check out the full review! Or find out more about (dis)Abilities and the Gospel on my website.

Off to Dallas, Texas!

On Saturday, Lynn and I are celebrating the release of (dis)Abilities and the Gospel, our in my co-author's stomping grounds - TEXAS!!!

The last time I was in Texas, I almost got run over by a cowboy in a great big huge truck. Here's hoping me and my little Ford Focus return to sweet ol' Kansas City unscathed!

Please come join Lynn and I at one of our two signings:


Saturday, June 18th from 11 am - 2 pm
Moon's Book Store
1482 Preston Forest Square
Dallas, TX 75230

Saturday, June 18th from 4 pm - 7 pm
Barnes & Noble
Sundance Square
401 Commerce Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102

And just for a little added incentive, we'll have chocolate and possibly even (dare I say it, lest my personal trainer is reading this blog post . . . ) Yes. Cookies may make an appearance. Yummy cookies (ooh, I wonder if we can serve Oreos and milk? I feel a craving coming on!)

I hope you've been following the (dis)Abilities and the Gospel reviews - and leaving comments for a chance to win an Amazon gift card.  =)  This week I had some truly wonderful reviews - and some surprise news too!

On Tuesday, June 14th - Ashlee over at Topsy Turvy Cakes gave a wonderful and very honest review. Ashlee is an incredible cake designer (seriously, go check out her site!). Here's a bit she had to say about DAG:

"I’ve never done a book review on my site, so I know it’s not something any of you guys would expect from me. BUT when I was approached about this book I couldn’t say no. You all know my oldest three, my husband and most likely my youngest and soon to be youngest have Aspergers. This means a lot of things to me. I can’t sum up all of aspergers easily. It’s too big and so different for each person and I hate to generalize it . . .

My favorite chapter is how to write and create a profile of your child(ren) to give to teachers and church leaders. I’ve tried to explain to teachers and leaders in the past about my kids but I haven’t been able to get it right. I feel like I haven’t touched on the right points and missed important information and also made somethings that aren’t a big deal sound worse, even scaring off the teachers. This chapter brought up some amazing and simple points, and I’m sure I can be more concise and prepare teachers and leaders better from now on. I’m SO excited to get started, especially because we just got new leadership and teachers for all the kids at church! Perfect timing for me!"

Ashlee had so much more to share about her perspective on Asperger's and the book. You can read the full review here. 

So, like I said, Ashlee is an incredible cake designer. She has thousands of people who watch her blog. And, lucky me, an online magazine spotlighted her review. Thank you, PulpLit!

I, of course, tweeted about the review . . . and another online magazine, Resources for Asperger's Disorder, also picked up and spotlighted Ashlee's review. Thank you!

Then to round out the day (yes, this all happened in one day!), I received a Tweet from my co-author that Rev. Dr. Jon M. Walton, the Senior Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in New York City, mentioned our book during his sermon about individuals with special needs.

Also, Tristi Pinkston interviewed me on her blog and asked me more questions about Autism and my advice to parents whose children have been newly diagnosed. You can read the interview here.

Friday, June 17th (today), Heather Justesen will post her review about DAG. I'll be hopping over there Friday night after I arrive in Dallas. Can't wait to read her review!

How is that for an awesome round of links?

In non-book related news (cause I know y'all want to know more than just what's happening in that part of my life) . . . 

On the Spiritual Front: My munchkins attended Vacation Bible School at Legacy Church this week. It was such a complete blast! Thank you to Legacy Church and all their parents, church leaders and volunteers who put so much time into the program. My kids came home singing new songs, telling me about new friends, and - best of all - a renewed enthusiasm to talk about Bible stories. I love it!

On the Happy Front: We had lots of play dates this week. The kids were, of course, very happy to see their friends. Trips to the pool, running through the sprinklers, popcorn and movies . . . fun all around!

On the Sad Front: My hubby has been attacked by allergies! The poor guy has hardly been able to do anything more than whisper for the past three days. This evening he started to be able to talk a little. We're hoping his voice returns before Sunday, or else our church nursery will be quite interesting. My hubby will be gesturing and making indecipherable sounds just like the two year olds!

On the Shh! It's a Surprise Front: Ooh, ooh, ooh! There's something I want to tell you. Really, really, really want to tell you . . . but you'll have to wait until the details are all figured out and I'm given the go-ahead to announce this neat, very cool thing . . . Stay tuned!

Have a fabulous Father's Day weekend everyone!!!

Autism Awareness Month & Giveaways!

April is Autism Awareness Month. 

Specifically, April 2nd  is World Autism Awareness Day! 

"Be Aware. Be Understanding."

This is my very favorite quote. Autism awareness is so important to me, to other parents, and to individuals with autism. I have met so many other parents who have struggled with their kids at a park or store and received comments from those passing by about their child's lack of manners or the parent's lack of discipline. While these comments can be thought of as rude, really they are a result of 1) not being aware of the full situation, and 2) not being kind and understanding.

Even though there's a lot of publicity about autism these days, I often meet people who don't really understand what autism is. Well, guess what? I'm a parent of child with autism and I still don't understand what autism is! Autism just isn't that simple. There's no easy definition or description because it effects each individual differently. You can't just look at someone and say, "Hey, he has autism." If you don't interact with someone who has autism on a daily basis, you will most likely miss any cues that might make you think of autism.

So how can you help if it's not easy to tell if someone has autism? Just be a good community member.The key making parents and individuals with autism feel comfortable - no matter the circumstances - is to be kind and understanding. 

Do you remember that rule your parents taught you about - if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all? Live it.

If you encounter a situation where a parent and child are struggling & the groceries go flying or an adult is having a difficult time expressing what he's trying to find in a store and you feel comfortable helping, then do it.  The help could be as simple as picking up the groceries, walking beside the parent to the car, then putting the groceries in the trunk. Something so simple can make a huge impact on a weary parent, whether their child has autism, another disability, or is just a tired kid throwing a tantrum. Do you see how just being a good member of the community can help anyone and make your town a happier place to live? The difference is really just your attitude and being kind.

I challenge you today to make a change, to be more aware of those around you, and to reach out & share a simple act of kindness with just one person. Then do it again tomorrow. Make it a goal each and every day.

Share the Love

Not only is this Autism Awareness Month, but my book, (dis)Abilities and the Gospel, just became available to pre-order! My co-author (Lynn Parsons) and I thought it was divine that our book - which is meant to help families and church leaders teach the gospels to individuals with mental disabilities (including autism) - is beginning it's promotions during such a relevant event. You can learn more about our book here.

To celebrate Autism Awareness Month, my co-author and I are hosting a give away each week.

List of Prizes –

Week 1 – $10 Gift Card to the Autism Speaks store

Week 2 – An autographed copy of (dis)Abilities and the Gospel. Will be mailed when released in June.

Week 3 – 8x10 Autism Awareness Art Print

Week 4 – An autographed copy of (dis)Abilities and the Gospel. Will be mailed when released in June.


This week's give away is a $10 Gift Card to Autism Speaks' store.

Entry Rules:

All entries must be received by noon on April 9th. The winner will be drawn (via random.org) and announced that afternoon. You can enter on both my blog & Lynn's blog. All entries will be combined together and a winner drawn each week. You do not need to leave a separate comment for each entry. Just let us know what you did & we’ll add the entry points to our spreadsheet. If you enter via Facebook or Twitter, you must friend us to see your statuses. Also, if your blog is private, we need to either be invited to view your blog or that post won’t be eligible for an entry. Although you are still welcome to blog about the contest and our book! 

How to Enter:


1 entry each - Facebook and/or Tweet about the pre-order w/ link to Valor pre-order link. Please include the Twitter hashtag #DAG.

1 entry each – Facebook and/or Tweet this contest w/ link to this post. Please include the Twitter hashtag #DAG.


Danyelle on FB
QOTC on FB

Danyelle on Twitter


Lynn on FB
Lynn on Twitter

2 entries each – Blog about Autism Awareness Month & the book order w/ links to our author websites and the Valor pre-order link. Include the contest information w/ a link to this post for an extra 2 entries.

Danyelle's Author Website
Lynn's Author Website

3 entries – Sign up for our mailing list (snail mail address) & email newsletter. We will only send stuff to you via snail mail if we have a signing coming to your area. The email newsletters vary, but do not come out more than once per week. Your information will not be shared with anyone outside of the two of us. Email Danyelle at QueenOfTheClan@gmail.com  and email Lynn at ldparsons60@gmail.com

5 entries – Pre-order your copy of (dis)Abilities and the Gospel. Click here to pre-order.



Thank you for helping us promote autism awareness and our book. Remember my challenge to each of you and good luck with the give away!

Breathe In, Breathe Out

It's been a whole week since the last time I posted. It's also been a very stressful week.

Editing on (dis)Abilities and the Gospel has been great! (BTW - did I tell you we tweaked the book to to be "and the Gospel" rather than "in the Gospel"? Well, we did!) In fact, the editing has been so smooth, we should finish up the last of it this week. Then the manuscript will go to our line editor for one last round of edits. Once those final edits are approved, the manuscript will be typeset. It's so exciting to see everything progressing so well - at least in the editing area.

The part that has me super stressed out is our copyrights. We sent our application in for copyrights in October. The website said it takes about 4-6 weeks to look everything over and get permissions. We've followed up a few times, told there were some delays. Then in February we found out they hadn't even started looking over our application yet. YIKES! We're still working through getting copyright permissions and just praying they'll all come through in time. (Cross your fingers and say lots of prayers for us, please!) 

Remember that editing I talked about? Normally, once you go through editing, your manuscript is complete. Nothing else needs changed. But with our manuscript, we aren't sure if everything IS complete. What if a quote isn't approved? Then we need to go back and do a re-write. Which means that chapter needs to be re-edited and approved by our fabulous editor, Tristi, again.

Valor was hoping to have our manuscript over to typesetting a little after mid-March - but they're giving us a bit of extra time in hopes we'll get all of our permissions. Because once it's typeset, it's set in stone. The only changes that are generally made after typesetting is during the galley reviews (the proofs of the typesetting). In this stage, the author and editors review the manuscript one more time looking for any misspellings or punctuation mistakes that could have occurred while the manuscript was typeset. But the only changes that are made are little ones to make the corrections I mentioned. No big re-writes.

So, the stress will continue until March 20th. At that point, we (Lynn & I) need to gather all of the permissions we've received, and re-write the sections with quotes that have not been cleared yet. Some days I get so stressed out and overwhelmed, I can't do anything more than just remind myself to breathe in and breathe out. It will all get figured out and worked through. And it's not all stress. I've seen some pretty miraculous things happen to help prod things along. Some amazing people who've stepped up to help because they know this book is so needed right now. It's those moments during this stress that make my heart full and tears well up.

Really, I know everything will work out. And I know that when this book is released, it's going to be it's very best version and ready to help all the families and church leaders teach individuals with mental disabilities the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's going to touch so many lives in such wonderful ways.

Until then, I'll try to keep looking forward - and continue practicing my breathing techniques!

Bloggers Wanted: (dis)Abilities in the Gospel Blog Tour

My publisher is gathering contacts for my book's blog tour. We are specifically looking for parents, teachers, and church leaders who are raising or teaching kids/teens/adults with special needs (specifically autism, downs syndrome and other mental disabilities) AND who also have a blog they post on regularly. If you or someone you know is interested in reviewing the book, please email me off list with your snail mail address, email address, and blog address (lots of addresses!) at danyelle@danyelleferguson.com The book tour is this summer.

You can find out more about my book at www.DanyelleFerguson.com

Thank you for all your support!

Mormon Times Article

Oh my gosh! I'm in shock!!! I've been spotlighted by Mormon Times (Deseret News) on the announcement of my book! Holy guacamole!!!! Here's the link:

http://www.mormontimes.com/mormon_voices/today_bloggernacle/?id=11203&preview=1

It's their "Today in the Bloggernacle" daily column & I'm the first one spotlighted for Thursday, October 15th, with the Great News title. I'm still wowed and have so much adrenaline, I want to go run around the block about a hundred times!