My son Isaac L-O-V-E-S Legos. Here's a fun video of him demonstrating the Lego Outpost Attack #7948.
Across the field, a couple of small planes cast long shadows as the sun inched its way toward the western horizon. Then Jordan heard the sound he was hoping for. He looked out into the sky above the ocean where a small white plane with a red tail buzzed over the waves, flying parallel to the runway. As the plane flew past, Jordan imagined he was the one at the controls, with one eye on the airport and the other on the altimeter, waiting for just the right moment to turn into the base leg of the landing pattern.
All his life, Jordan MacDonald has dreamed of taking flight and soaring above the majestic mountains of his native Hawaii, but he doesn’t dare disobey his mother, who has absolutely forbidden him from flying. Suddenly everything changes when, spurred by the pain of a failed relationship, Jordan begins working toward the coveted pilot’s license. Just as he finds love again, Jordan’s lies start to close in around him, and he soon learns that a life full of dishonesty attracts more turbulence than he’s ever faced in the air.
Set against the exotic backdrop of the Hawaiian islands, this thrilling tale of romance and self-discovery is a perfect vacation from the average love story. Join Jordan as he tests the limits of friendship and finds out just how far his dreams can carry him. Entertaining and engaging, Bumpy Landings will take you to new heights with each turn of the page.
*****
My Review
Hawaii? Tell me one person who doesn't want to go there to escape some winter blues and sink into a land of paradise. I've been hankering to go to Hawaii - even just recently tried to convince my hubby it was time for a trip. But to no avail. Not enough money for plane tickets, blah, blah, blah. So I was excited when my copy of Bumpy Landings by Donald J. Carey arrived in the mail. I couldn't wait to pick it up and absorb some of what life is like on a Hawaiian island. Sigh. Note to self: Must start saving for a trip (even if it means hubby must stay behind as the babysitter!)
Okay, let's jump into the story. Everyone who read my blog knows I'm a romance book chick. Bumpy Landings is not a straight romance type book - it's not marketed as such either. But of course, I really like the romantic elements the author added. I actually think the back cover blurb does a great job describing the book.
Bumpy Landings is about a young man named Jordan, who is home from his mission and entering his first post-mission year of college at BYU-Hawaii, where his mother is a professor. He falls in love, is thwarted in love, falls in lust, out of lust, and maybe, just maybe, if he's a good boy, will fall back into love before the end of the book (I'm not telling what happens!).
Some of the elements I really liked about Bumpy Landings:
1. Find Yourself
I often tell my daughters and the Young Women I'm good friends with, that it's important for them to leave home for at least a year of college. Go live in the dorms or share an apartment with friends. That year is essential for them to figure out who they are inside, what they believe in and stand for, how to budget and manage their time, and get a taste - just a little one - of what the real world is like. It's important for them to have this experience, most especially before they get married.
I love that Jordan goes through this same thing. He has issues at home with a controlling mother, but not only that, he realizes once he's moved out, that he needs to figure out who HE is and what he wants in life. This is by far my favorite message in this book. I don't know if the author intended it to come across or not, but it's one I'm sensitive to because I firmly believe in its importance.
2. Love vs. Lust
We've all been there - multiple times through high school and college. You meet someone who's attractive and give you goose bumps just to think about . . . and you fall in love. But is it love? Or is it just lust? How do you tell the difference? Some pretty complicated questions, eh?
So, another part of the book that I really liked is that Jordan does fall in love, but doesn't get much further than the second date cause the chickie becomes interested in Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome she recently met. Jordan is heart-broken. But eventually he meets another girl, who makes him laugh and who likes to kiss - a lot. Oh yeah, he's in love! Or is he? (You'll have to read the book to find out).
This is another theme I'm not sure if the author meant to send out as a message or not, but one I really liked. What is real love and how do you recognize it? Very well done, Mr. Carey.
3. Airplanes
I'm terrified of heights and hate flying, but I love to watch airplanes take off, fly, and land. That probably has to do with the fact that I grew up in Lock Haven, PA - home of the Piper Cubs. I loved to go to our little Piper Airport and just watch the planes. They are really the only planes I'm attached to. I still remember how excited I was when my son got to fly a Piper Cub for the Challenger Air program. I was terrified about him actually being in the plane and up in the sky - but how totally cool to see him hanging out with the Cubs.
There are a few times when Jordan is flying that my feet tingled. Like I said, I'm sensitive about heights - even imagined heights. But I enjoyed Jordan's response to his love of flying and how it made him feel.
4. Honesty and Integrity
Another theme in the book is figuring out the whole honesty and integrity thing. Which I kind of associate with the first element I talked about - finding yourself. But in Bumpy Landings, Jordan hides his flying lessons and plans to become a pilot from his mom and girlfriend - both of whom have particular reasons for not wanting him to fly.
This actually made me sit back and think. I reviewed my life and could pick out times that I've said or embellished something so it was mostly true . . . but tweaked just right and to my advantage. It's interesting how those things tend to eventually come back and catch up with you, isn't it? Well, Jordan certainly gets caught in his web and has to make some very difficult decisions about his life. But are they the right choices? And will he get it right on the first try? (You'll have to read the book to find out!)
Bumpy Landings has some fun and humorous scenes in it, but also parts that make you sit back and think. It was an engaging book and one that I think teens and adults would all enjoy.
You can find out more about Donald J. Carey on his website.
Bumpy Landings is available at your local book store and also on Amazon.com
The life of a writer is so much more complicated than I ever expected it to be. As a reader, I just thought of the finished product - the book in my hands. As a writer and published author, I've discovered the printed book is just a tiny portion of what a writers life is like. Finding a way to balance everything a writer needs to do takes some serious organizational skills. Here are some updates of what's happening in my writing life right now . . .
(dis)Abilities and the Gospel: A Guide for Parents and Teachers
Lynn and I were just contacted by our publisher at the end of last week, asking for feedback about our book cover. We are so thrilled and excited to work with our designer (who still remains nameless cause I was so excited, I totally forgot to ask who was creating the cover!). Lynn and I emailed our thoughts and suggestions in, and now wait to see the results.
We also found out our book is being going to press (sent to the printer) in March. Booyah! We should soon hear from our editor and once I'm done reading for the Whitney Awards, Lynn and I will jump in with both feet to start planning our publicity, book tours, and speaking engagements. Book Release Date: May 2011.
Rebound
This is my romantic suspense novel which I completed during NaNoWriMo 2010. I'm now rewriting to smooth everything out before sending the manuscript out for freelance editing. In May, I'm meeting with Sara Megibow from The Nelson Literary Agency to pitch the book (while I attend the LDS Storymakers Writers conference). Yeah, can you say "Danyelle's SUPER excited?" Oh yeah! My goal for Rebound is to have edits and rewrites completed in May and start agent submissions in early June.
Dawn's Morning Light
This is my next work-in-progress. I have the first chapter ready, and another document filled with my initial info dump. I signed up for the Publication Primer class at The LDS Storymakers Writers Conference. This is basically a mega intense boot camp style class that whips your writing, query letters, and everything about the submission/agent hunt process into shape. I'm looking forward to it! But first, I need to get the first ten pages written for Dawn's Morning Light. The first chapter is only four pages long, but they are packed with emotion that just rips your heart out. Seriously. You need a box of tissues, preferably Puffs Plus so your nose doesn't get all dried out and sore. So I need to do a bit of plotting, character development, and writing this week. The material submission for my class is due by the end of this month. Which means I'm temporarily setting aside Rebound to get this done. Then I'll be right back to rewrites.
Do you see what I mean about the balancing act? And this is just for my writing alone. Once I throw in family, church, and my volunteer committees, life just explodes all around me and my BlackBerry becomes my best friend. Sometimes I think I live my life around its little alarm dings.
My husband once overheard a conversation between one of his friend's mom and her friend. The friend was telling the friend's mom that she was so busy, she was burning her candle from both ends and needed to slow down. The friend's mom replied, "But I don't want to get to the end of my life and find out I still had candle left to burn."
I love that quote. Sometimes my life is super busy and I have to rearrange my priorities to make sure everything is in order and that I'm spending my time where it's really supposed to be. But like my hubby's friend's mom, I don't want to look back on my life and regret that I didn't burn my candle a little more to try to accomplish my heart's desire.
Finding balance isn't easy. It takes a lot of re-evaluation and making careful decisions. But the effort and the rewards are most certainly worth it.
(dis)Abilities and the Gospel: A Guide for Parents and Teachers
Lynn and I were just contacted by our publisher at the end of last week, asking for feedback about our book cover. We are so thrilled and excited to work with our designer (who still remains nameless cause I was so excited, I totally forgot to ask who was creating the cover!). Lynn and I emailed our thoughts and suggestions in, and now wait to see the results.
We also found out our book is being going to press (sent to the printer) in March. Booyah! We should soon hear from our editor and once I'm done reading for the Whitney Awards, Lynn and I will jump in with both feet to start planning our publicity, book tours, and speaking engagements. Book Release Date: May 2011.
Rebound
This is my romantic suspense novel which I completed during NaNoWriMo 2010. I'm now rewriting to smooth everything out before sending the manuscript out for freelance editing. In May, I'm meeting with Sara Megibow from The Nelson Literary Agency to pitch the book (while I attend the LDS Storymakers Writers conference). Yeah, can you say "Danyelle's SUPER excited?" Oh yeah! My goal for Rebound is to have edits and rewrites completed in May and start agent submissions in early June.
Dawn's Morning Light
This is my next work-in-progress. I have the first chapter ready, and another document filled with my initial info dump. I signed up for the Publication Primer class at The LDS Storymakers Writers Conference. This is basically a mega intense boot camp style class that whips your writing, query letters, and everything about the submission/agent hunt process into shape. I'm looking forward to it! But first, I need to get the first ten pages written for Dawn's Morning Light. The first chapter is only four pages long, but they are packed with emotion that just rips your heart out. Seriously. You need a box of tissues, preferably Puffs Plus so your nose doesn't get all dried out and sore. So I need to do a bit of plotting, character development, and writing this week. The material submission for my class is due by the end of this month. Which means I'm temporarily setting aside Rebound to get this done. Then I'll be right back to rewrites.
Do you see what I mean about the balancing act? And this is just for my writing alone. Once I throw in family, church, and my volunteer committees, life just explodes all around me and my BlackBerry becomes my best friend. Sometimes I think I live my life around its little alarm dings.
My husband once overheard a conversation between one of his friend's mom and her friend. The friend was telling the friend's mom that she was so busy, she was burning her candle from both ends and needed to slow down. The friend's mom replied, "But I don't want to get to the end of my life and find out I still had candle left to burn."
I love that quote. Sometimes my life is super busy and I have to rearrange my priorities to make sure everything is in order and that I'm spending my time where it's really supposed to be. But like my hubby's friend's mom, I don't want to look back on my life and regret that I didn't burn my candle a little more to try to accomplish my heart's desire.
Finding balance isn't easy. It takes a lot of re-evaluation and making careful decisions. But the effort and the rewards are most certainly worth it.
Okay, my friends. Get the tissue box out. This video truly touched my heart because it hits so close to home. Autism. I've wondered so many times how far my son will be able to progress and understand the priesthood or if he'll one day earn his Eagle in Boy Scouts. There are so many different concerns that we parents have tumbling around in our heads that it's hard to keep them straight - or even prioritized sometimes.
It's so beautiful and touching to see a group of young women who reached out and did something truly remarkable for Maddy, a young woman with autism who did not have the ability to do her Young Women's personal progress on her own. I am so grateful for youth who are willing to reach out to their peers with special needs and just love them for who they are. What a blessing they are to our world.
I've recently been accepted to be a new reviewer for a company called netGalley. One of the genres I'm reviewing is Children's Picture Books. My four munchkins (ages 11, 10, 6, and 3) and I read picture books together almost every day. And yes, my older kids still enjoy picture books just as much as the younger two. Their reactions tend to be a little different - noticing funny phrases, made-up words, or pointing out artwork they particularly enjoy. Hey, even as an adult, I love to go to the book store and browse through the picture books. So I guess the love of picture books is in our blood. =) Now, on to the reviews!
Ruby Valentine Saves the Day by Laurie Friedman
It's Valentine's Day and Ruby won't let anything spoil the celebration! In this follow-up to the popular Love, Ruby Valentine, Ruby's favorite day of the year rolls around again, and she and Lovebird work feverishly to plan the perfect party for everyone in Heartland. But when Valentine's Day arrives, an unexpected snowstorm threatens to ruin all of Ruby's plans. Will Ruby find a way to save the day, or will everyone in Heartland have to wait until next year to celebrate?
Ruby Valentine Saves the Day is a totally cute book! My kids loved the illustrations. They especially enjoyed Lovebird and thought it was so funny that Ruby's best friend was a fluffy white bird. We're a "read and chat" kind of family. Some fun parts my kids talked about included:
Ruby Valentine Saves the Day was released in November 2010. It's available for purchase through Amazon.com or your local bookstore.
Mudkin by Stephen Gammell
"Rain's gone! Time to play!" commands the queen. Well, she's not really a queen—just an ordinary girl who has an extraordinary day. She meets Mudkin, a friendly creature who whips up a robe and crown for her. Away they go to meet Her Majesty's subjects. Even if the kingdom lasts only until the next rain shower, the crown Mudkin gives her is forever.
In his unmistakable style, Caldecott-winning artist Stephen Gammell creates an ode to the most potent of childhood mixtures: mud and imagination.
At first, my kids were a bit confused by Mudkin and where the story was going. This book has few words, but beautiful illustrations. It's definitely a book that was created to spark a kid's imagination - although they may need a bit of prompting to get started. Once I asked my munchkins to tell me what they thought was happening, what the little girl and Mudkin were planning, doing, or saying - the imagination pool opened up and just flowed from there. My 6 year old's impression of Mudkin was rather funny in itself. He thought the character looked like an onion head - but he loved the pages that showed his belly button. For some reason, that just made him laugh and laugh. Some fun "read and chat" points we had included:
Mudkin will be released in March 2011 and is available to order through Amazon.com or your local bookstore.
Big Bouffant by Kate Hosford
"Ponytails and braids! Ponytails and braids! I don't see anything but ponytails and braids! This class needs some fashion. This class needs some fun. I'll find a hairdo to impress everyone." Annabelle doesn't want the same boring hairstyle that all the other girls have. When she spies a picture of her grandma, she has the perfect idea: a big bouffant! But how can she make her style stand up? And will her classmates really be impressed with her daring 'do?
Big Bouffant is the story of a precocious little girl who doesn't want to look like the other girls in her class. Annabelle wants to be an original, a one-of-a-kind. Having two daughters - and being quite the girly-girl myself - I found this story delightful. Even my two boys laughed at some of Annabelle's antics as she tried to get just the hairstyle she wanted. We loved the illustrations and rhymes. The story had a very natural flow and voice that made it easy to add fun voice inflections. Some of our "read and chat" point for this book were:
Big Bouffant will be released in April 2011. It can be ordered through Amazon.com or your local bookstore.
My family enjoyed each of the three books above. I'd love to hear from my readers which of the three books look most interesting for the children in your life.
*Review copies of these books were provided through netGalley and related publishers.
Ruby Valentine Saves the Day by Laurie FriedmanIt's Valentine's Day and Ruby won't let anything spoil the celebration! In this follow-up to the popular Love, Ruby Valentine, Ruby's favorite day of the year rolls around again, and she and Lovebird work feverishly to plan the perfect party for everyone in Heartland. But when Valentine's Day arrives, an unexpected snowstorm threatens to ruin all of Ruby's plans. Will Ruby find a way to save the day, or will everyone in Heartland have to wait until next year to celebrate?
Ruby Valentine Saves the Day is a totally cute book! My kids loved the illustrations. They especially enjoyed Lovebird and thought it was so funny that Ruby's best friend was a fluffy white bird. We're a "read and chat" kind of family. Some fun parts my kids talked about included:
- The cleaning scene. Ruby cleans her house in preparation for her party. My munchkins talked about how we clean our house as a family every Saturday morning. Also, because we have a birthday coming up, we talked about that things we do to prepare for parties at our house and why it's important to clean our home.
- The sled ride. As you can see from the front cover, Ruby and Lovebird go on a sledding adventure. My kids laughed in delight during this scene, then started talking about their favorite memories of playing in the snow and their own sledding mishaps.
- Celebrating with the ones we love. As a parent, I really appreciated the ending of the book and that it focused on how a celebration isn't necessarily the party supplies and preparations, but it's being with people you love that's really what counts.
Ruby Valentine Saves the Day was released in November 2010. It's available for purchase through Amazon.com or your local bookstore.
"Rain's gone! Time to play!" commands the queen. Well, she's not really a queen—just an ordinary girl who has an extraordinary day. She meets Mudkin, a friendly creature who whips up a robe and crown for her. Away they go to meet Her Majesty's subjects. Even if the kingdom lasts only until the next rain shower, the crown Mudkin gives her is forever.
In his unmistakable style, Caldecott-winning artist Stephen Gammell creates an ode to the most potent of childhood mixtures: mud and imagination.
At first, my kids were a bit confused by Mudkin and where the story was going. This book has few words, but beautiful illustrations. It's definitely a book that was created to spark a kid's imagination - although they may need a bit of prompting to get started. Once I asked my munchkins to tell me what they thought was happening, what the little girl and Mudkin were planning, doing, or saying - the imagination pool opened up and just flowed from there. My 6 year old's impression of Mudkin was rather funny in itself. He thought the character looked like an onion head - but he loved the pages that showed his belly button. For some reason, that just made him laugh and laugh. Some fun "read and chat" points we had included:
- What if? I asked my kids what they would think if a creature suddenly formed out of a mud puddle and wanted to play with them. What would he look like? Where would they go? What would they do?
- Imaginary friends. Each of my kids have different types of imaginary play, but my 6 year old has real imaginary friends with names. We talked about his imaginary friends and what they like to do together.
- Artwork. My 10 year old daughter is quite the little artist. She devoured the pages, wondering if the artist put each mud fleck on the pages in their spot on purpose or if he flung specks of paint onto the canvas to create the muddy splotch effects.
Mudkin will be released in March 2011 and is available to order through Amazon.com or your local bookstore.
Big Bouffant by Kate Hosford"Ponytails and braids! Ponytails and braids! I don't see anything but ponytails and braids! This class needs some fashion. This class needs some fun. I'll find a hairdo to impress everyone." Annabelle doesn't want the same boring hairstyle that all the other girls have. When she spies a picture of her grandma, she has the perfect idea: a big bouffant! But how can she make her style stand up? And will her classmates really be impressed with her daring 'do?
Big Bouffant is the story of a precocious little girl who doesn't want to look like the other girls in her class. Annabelle wants to be an original, a one-of-a-kind. Having two daughters - and being quite the girly-girl myself - I found this story delightful. Even my two boys laughed at some of Annabelle's antics as she tried to get just the hairstyle she wanted. We loved the illustrations and rhymes. The story had a very natural flow and voice that made it easy to add fun voice inflections. Some of our "read and chat" point for this book were:
- Hair styles: We talked about what different hair styles the people in our family had, which ones were our favorites, as well as the ones we didn't like so much. We also talked about different hair styles the kids see at school, church, and when we go shopping.
- Hair styling products: At one point in the book, Annabelle uses food to try to get her hair to stay in the bouffant. So I took the opportunity to talk to my munchkins about what types of hair styling products are actually okay to use in their hair and which ones they needed either mom or dad to help them use.
- One-of-a-kind: I asked my kids what talents and traits make them each unique. We had a fun discussion and shared what things we liked about each other, too.
Big Bouffant will be released in April 2011. It can be ordered through Amazon.com or your local bookstore.
My family enjoyed each of the three books above. I'd love to hear from my readers which of the three books look most interesting for the children in your life.
*Review copies of these books were provided through netGalley and related publishers.
I grew up with a brother who played video games non-stop. In fact, his Nintendo set-up was just on the other side my bedroom wall. He'd stay up late, playing video games, while the annoying theme music kept me from falling asleep. For that reason alone, I have always hated video games and at the beginning of my marriage, I swore I'd never, ever buy a Nintendo or other such stupid video game machine for any of my kids. We had a computer and that was enough.Have you ever heard the saying Never Say Never?
We resisted purchasing any electronic game devices until Comcast sent us a free Nintendo DS four years ago. Even then, we kept it in our closet for over a year and even tried to sell it a few times to friends. Finally we broke down and gave it to our oldest son for his 9th birthday.
At first I cringed and felt like I was breaking one of my personal favorite rules. But then, I started to grin. My oldest son - and three younger kids - loved the NintenDogs game. It was fun to see how they each interacted with their dogs and how they took care of them. From there, we gradually branched out into other games - our favorites are Lego and Mario themed games.
What I had not anticipated though, was how playing video games helped our oldest son (who has autism) socially. Video games were a link to something he had in common with the other kids in his school classes. Soon, kids started asking our son to bring his DS to school on their special electronics games so they could play together. He was invited to play games at friends' houses. He even started asking for friends to come play at our house. That had never happened before!
Other benefits that came with playing games included:
- asking how-to questions
- actually listening to answers
- reading instructions
- learning to control frustration
- recognizing when to take a break
- following video game time rules
- develop gross and fine motor skills
- enhance eye-hand co-ordination
Something I hated so much growing up became a key component for our autistic son's development.
As I reluctantly jumped into the video game world (and even purchased a Wii), I learned a few important things every parent with video games in the house should know.
- Choose your family standards. Each family is different in what they feel is okay to play in their home. With our son's autism, he doesn't decipher the difference between pretend and reality. So we choose not to have games they shoot guns or have any type of bloody violence. Now, he is a boy, and every boy loves a good fight sequence. We've found that the Lego games are a good compromise. They're fun and high quality. The best part is that when someone gets blasted with a light saber (Star Wars) instead of blood, they fall apart into Lego bricks, then get rebuilt. Some other fun games that involve competition are the Wii sports games. We have fun playing tennis, bowling, and golf. Our favorite is watching our three year old daughter swing her arms all around and "beat up" her eleven year old brother in boxing.
- Research video games before purchasing. There are a few good websites my hubby always check out to see their reviews. His favorite is GameSpy. Their site not only reviews a game, but they also link to other reviews of the game as well. It's kind of a one stop destination to find a good variety of reviews and appropriateness.
- Set time limits. At our house, electronic time starts at 3 pm. During the week, each of the kids has the opportunity to play on the computer or Nintendo for thirty minutes, after they finish their homework. We even set a timer in the kitchen (a nice loud one that everyone hears when it goes off). On the weekends, they each get up to one hour of electronics time. Our other house rule is that once dinner is set on the table, all electronics (tv, computer, and Nintendo) are shut off for the remainder of the night. So if someone was pokey and didn't do his homework during the 3-6 pm time frame, then he lost the opportunity to play for the day. Remember, video games are not a necessity of life. They are a priviledge to be earned.
As an adult, I've learned to set aside my youthful negative feelings towards video games, and instead accept them for the good they can provide. Are they the end-all, be-all cure for a kid's development? Heck no! But they sure can have more pros than you may originally give them credit for. I'd love to hear your feedback, video game recommendations, or tips on electronics house rules in the comment section.
I got my hubby a Bloggie for Christmas. He's had a blast playing with it ever since. Here are two videos he edited and put together to show our Christmas highlights.
I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday season!
I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday season!
Today, my friends, you are in for a treat. I'm delighted to share with you the new book, Who's at the Door: A Memoir of Me and the Missionaries by Dan Harrington. Before you roll your eyes and think, "conversion story" and switch to check out another blog - let me tell you, there is no baptism. Dan Harrington is a man who finds comfort and peace in attending mass at his local Catholic church.
So why did a member of the Catholic church write a book about meeting the LDS missionaries?
Aha! Right there is the question that makes you want to keep reading and find out more about this book.
I'm going to be honest with you and tell you right up front that Who's at the Door was a heartwarming, funny, and insightful book that I totally loved. Here's some more info from the back cover blurb (then I'll get into my review!):
"Can you tell me what a prophet is?"
The question came from one of the two young men sitting on my clay colored sofa. Dressed in white shirts, black slacks, and conservative ties, they were easy to identify even without the name tags--Mormons.
Right now, thousands of people across the world are meeting with the more than 50,000 Latter-day Saint missionaries. You've seen these young "elders" on the streets, in your neighborhood, and even outside your home. But have you ever wondered who they are? Dan Harrington did.
Who's at the Door? A Memoir of Me and the Missionaries is one man's experience with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Maine. Not just another tale of conversion, this book is about seeing life from a new perspective, gaining respect for another faith, and finding friends in unlikely places. Find out who's at the door and what can happen when you open it.
My Review
So, you already know I loved this book. Now I'm going to tell you why. It isn't just because it's heartwarming, or that I laughed along with him as I remembered my own questions when I met with the missionaries. No, it's because of this one simple truth Dan learned from his Catholic priest.
When Dan went to his church to search for answers, he talked to his priest and told him he was learning about the LDS church. And his priest gave such a wise and loving answer I wish more people understood and embraced. He said:
There's room for everyone at God's table.
I absolutely 100% agree with this wise Catholic priest. Dan also goes on to make a good point. Most people are not theologians. When they are searching for a church, they want to find somewhere they feel loved, comforted, and welcome. They also want to be able to embrace the teachings of the church, but some of the first impressions they have of if a particular congregation will fit or not, is how welcome and friendly the members are.
Many of my dear friends - and almost all of my family - are not members of my church. They have all at one point or another during their lives gone searching for a new church congregation. Just this past year, two of my girlfriends and their family's went "church hopping" (their words, not mine) until they found a new congregation where their children actually wanted to attend. Their new congregation makes them happy because they've met new friends, really enjoy their pastor, and most of all - their daughters are excited to attend Sunday School.
Something that I enjoy about living in Kansas is that while my friends belong to many different churches - each of which have some different beliefs or traditions - but that we all love God and embrace each other for our love and devotion to our Heavenly Father. We don't put labels on each other. Instead, we love and respect each other.
And that is something Dan Harrington shows so well in Who's at the Door. He shows that there's more than just a suit, tie, and name tag to those two young men knocking on your door. They are real people who share similar growing up experiences as you and your children. The difference is that you're meeting them during a time when they have chosen to take a two year break from college to serve a mission for their church - to teach people that they are beloved children of God.
Dan also talks about how his appreciation of God and his gospel grew from taking his life-long teachings from the Catholic church, and the teachings from the LDS church. He gained a new perspective on his life and purpose on Earth, and even though he chose not to join the LDS church, he has made life-long friends with all the different missionaries he met with and members of the local LDS congregation.
Who's at the Door is an excellent example of looking past the names on the signs in front of your local churches and instead respecting and supporting each other. I will always remember that wise phrase: There's room for everyone at God's table.
Learn more about Dan Harrington at his blog.
Who's at the Door: A Memoir of Me and the Missionaries is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
So why did a member of the Catholic church write a book about meeting the LDS missionaries?
Aha! Right there is the question that makes you want to keep reading and find out more about this book.
I'm going to be honest with you and tell you right up front that Who's at the Door was a heartwarming, funny, and insightful book that I totally loved. Here's some more info from the back cover blurb (then I'll get into my review!):
"Can you tell me what a prophet is?"The question came from one of the two young men sitting on my clay colored sofa. Dressed in white shirts, black slacks, and conservative ties, they were easy to identify even without the name tags--Mormons.
Right now, thousands of people across the world are meeting with the more than 50,000 Latter-day Saint missionaries. You've seen these young "elders" on the streets, in your neighborhood, and even outside your home. But have you ever wondered who they are? Dan Harrington did.
Who's at the Door? A Memoir of Me and the Missionaries is one man's experience with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Maine. Not just another tale of conversion, this book is about seeing life from a new perspective, gaining respect for another faith, and finding friends in unlikely places. Find out who's at the door and what can happen when you open it.
My Review
So, you already know I loved this book. Now I'm going to tell you why. It isn't just because it's heartwarming, or that I laughed along with him as I remembered my own questions when I met with the missionaries. No, it's because of this one simple truth Dan learned from his Catholic priest.
When Dan went to his church to search for answers, he talked to his priest and told him he was learning about the LDS church. And his priest gave such a wise and loving answer I wish more people understood and embraced. He said:
There's room for everyone at God's table.
I absolutely 100% agree with this wise Catholic priest. Dan also goes on to make a good point. Most people are not theologians. When they are searching for a church, they want to find somewhere they feel loved, comforted, and welcome. They also want to be able to embrace the teachings of the church, but some of the first impressions they have of if a particular congregation will fit or not, is how welcome and friendly the members are.
Many of my dear friends - and almost all of my family - are not members of my church. They have all at one point or another during their lives gone searching for a new church congregation. Just this past year, two of my girlfriends and their family's went "church hopping" (their words, not mine) until they found a new congregation where their children actually wanted to attend. Their new congregation makes them happy because they've met new friends, really enjoy their pastor, and most of all - their daughters are excited to attend Sunday School.
Something that I enjoy about living in Kansas is that while my friends belong to many different churches - each of which have some different beliefs or traditions - but that we all love God and embrace each other for our love and devotion to our Heavenly Father. We don't put labels on each other. Instead, we love and respect each other.
And that is something Dan Harrington shows so well in Who's at the Door. He shows that there's more than just a suit, tie, and name tag to those two young men knocking on your door. They are real people who share similar growing up experiences as you and your children. The difference is that you're meeting them during a time when they have chosen to take a two year break from college to serve a mission for their church - to teach people that they are beloved children of God.
Dan also talks about how his appreciation of God and his gospel grew from taking his life-long teachings from the Catholic church, and the teachings from the LDS church. He gained a new perspective on his life and purpose on Earth, and even though he chose not to join the LDS church, he has made life-long friends with all the different missionaries he met with and members of the local LDS congregation.
Who's at the Door is an excellent example of looking past the names on the signs in front of your local churches and instead respecting and supporting each other. I will always remember that wise phrase: There's room for everyone at God's table.
Learn more about Dan Harrington at his blog.
Who's at the Door: A Memoir of Me and the Missionaries is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
I love Christmas Eve. Christmas Day is all about fun and playing together as a family, but Christmas Eve is full of all the anticipation, giggles and squeals, and teasing about what kind of presents we might get tomorrow. Sticks and rocks, mud scented play doh, and Santa just might bring a big box of coal, too. The kids enjoy the teasing just as much as we do, laughing and teasing us right back. Later this morning, we'll pull out a puzzle to work on and play a couple of board games. Then we'll pop on some fun Christmas DVD's for the kids while we cook up our turkey and all the trimmings.
My three-year-old just came up to tell me that our turkey is taking a bath. LOL! It's in the sink finishing it's final defrost before being put in the over. I'm drooling while thinking about all our yummy food for tonight. My hubby is excited about the apple cranberry pie I bought yesterday. It looks totally delish!
Aside from the food (I just love holiday food!), I'm also looking forward to telling the Christmas story tonight as a family. We get out my mom's ceramic teddy bear nativity and use the pieces to tell the story. The kids are old enough now that they each hold their own pieces and come in to play their parts at the appropriate time. After the telling of the Christmas story, we'll all sit on the couch together, turn off the lights (so much better to admire the Christmas tree), and sing carols. Then we'll have family prayer and get all the munchkins to bed (so much easier said than done!).
Yes, I love Christmas Eve and can't wait to dive into it today. Most of our munchkins are still sleeping, hence the opportunity to blog this morning. =)
I also have some awesome news to share. My publisher, Cedar Fort, emailed yesterday to say that the release date for (dis)Abilities and the Gospel is May 2011. Horray! Only five months away! I'm so very excited. Lynn and I will have our very first book signing at the LDS Storymakers Writers Conference during Mother's Day weekend. If you're attending the conference, you'll get first dibs on the book as it most likely won't be on book store shelves yet.I'm rather emotional about our first signing for a couple of reasons. The first of which is that the Storymakers conference is where my hubby sent me to get me back into my writing after many years of setting it aside to help our son with his autism therapy. It was at that first conference I attended when I realized that my love of writing could turn into the reality of a book selling in book stores. Each conference that followed continued to teach my the writing craft. The support of the Storymakers and friends I met at the conference nurtured and encouraged me all year long. This writing journey has been an incredible experience - and I think it's so neat that the organization who encouraged me to work to realize my dreams, is where I'll hold my book and sign it for a fan for the first time. Amazing how it's all working out, isn't it?
The other reason having our first signing at the Storymakers conference is because last year's conference was when my co-author Lynn Parsons and I met in person. Yes, we wrote a whole book together, but never once met in person. We talked on the phone, emailed and wrote through Google Docs. Our friendship was created and sealed through modern technology. I still remember how excited I was to wrap my arms around her for the first time at last year's conference. We even teased each other that we were both wearing similar outfits - which was totally not planned at all. It's fun to see how our writing journey together is coming full circle. We're both rubbing our hands in anticipation of the new year and jumping into the excitement of marketing, promotions, and our book tour. Wow. It's definitely a Merry Christmas for Lynn and I.
My favorite thing about suspense novels is trying to figure out who the bad guy is before the end. Cold As Ice is a book where I kept guessing. It's this person because of this, this, and this. Wait no - I think it could be this person because of blah, blah, blah. I went through this at least four times . . . and I was still wrong at the end! During those last fifty pages, I was so, so tempted to flip to the end just to see who the killer was. I seriously stopped a few times and fingered the pages, debating about whether to skip ahead or not. But I made myself read through. And yes, there were spine tingles and gasps and when the killer was revealed a "No way!" as everything sunk in together and got wrapped up. So, if you like suspense and spine tingles, I highly recommend Cold As Ice. Now I need to read the rest of her books - which are actually on my bookshelf but I've never read because, you know, I'm a romance chick. Well, I'm now a Stephanie Black suspense fan and will be reading all of her books as soon as they come out now.
Well, it's time to wrap up this post. I'm looking out our bay windows and see that it's started snowing outside. My kids will be thrilled if we have a white Christmas, so hopefully it won't all melt and go away.
Merry Christmas everyone! I hope your holiday is filled with family, friends, love, and thoughts of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Today's book review is Perilous by debut author Tamara Hart Heiner. From the back jacket blurb:Jaci Rivera has plans for her sophomore year-- to make the honor roll and eat too much pizza with her best friends, Callie and Sara. Her biggest concern is Amanda, the pushy girl who just moved into town. What Jaci doesn't plan for is catching a notorious robber red-handed, or being kidnapped. The desperate thief drags her and her friends 2,000 miles across the Canadian border. Then Jaci finds something out about her family. Something which irrevocably connects her to their kidnapper, and makes her question their chances of escape.
My Review
I liked this book. The plot and characters pulled me in. Some parts freaked me out a bit, but overall, I couldn't put it down. The biggest problem I had was that the end of the book didn't feel wrapped up. I didn't feel like there was enough closure for the girls. I got to the end and was like, "That's it?" I heard there is going to be a second book to finish up the story, but even so, I felt like it needed a bit more tied up before leading into the next book.
If you have teens who like freaky and suspenseful books, they would enjoy Perilous - as would many adults who like to read in the YA cross-over into adult mainstream fiction type books.
Perilous by Tamara Hart Heiner is available on Amazon.com
Now that NaNoWriMo is over, I'm finally starting to catch up on all my book reviews. BTW - have you heard my happy news? If not, go check out this blog post!Today my review is Sun Tunnels and Secrets by Carole Thayne Warburton.
Here is the back cover blurb:
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?
My Review
I actually really enjoyed this book. I loved the three old sisters - Norma, Mabel, and LaRue. They cracked me up. Their reactions to the crimes and their bantering was very fun. I also like the romance between Tony and Kelli. And man, if you're looking for a book that has twists and turns and conflict all over the place, this is the one for you! As a writer, I'm seriously impressed the author was able to keep track of it all, keep it believable, and even wrap each thread before the end of the book. Now here's someone I'd like to take a writing class from and figure out how she plotted everything out and kept it organized.
This isn't a book I think teens would be especially interested in, but definitely college age through older adults would find Sun Tunnels and Secrets an intriguing read. It's definitely worth checking out!
Sun Tunnels and Secrets is available on Amazon.com or at your local LDS bookstore.
Lynn and I just received contracts from Cedar Fort to publish (dis)Abilities and the Gospel: A Guide for Parents and Teachers. This is the official title. It will be out early this summer.
We're so excited!
We're so excited!
My church is hosting their annual Olathe Community Nativity Display this coming weekend. I've taken my family for the last two years. I love how peaceful it is - the quiet Christmas music that plays is so nice. My kids even whispered the whole time we were there. They were super excited to see all the nativity sets though. And that is what my hubby was most impressed with. He loved seeing the nativity sets from all over the world. Some were intricate, others were simple - but all of them were so beautiful!And yes parents, this is a kid friendly event. There's even a room where kids can make Christmas crafts for free. In fact, the whole event is free. This year, there will be a lot of neat additions - such as a live nativity outside with animals, a choir night (in which my daughter is singing with her children's choir. The Prince of Peace Children's choir is also performing), a Christmas pageant, and the weekend will be topped off with a performance by the Mormon Chorale. I recently heard them sing at the Olathe Distinguished Neighbor Award in October - and they are truly incredible! I got goosebumps all over my arms, they were so beautiful and talented. Check out the calendar below for the dates and times.
I'll be at the Nativity Display for most of the weekend. I hope to see you there!
"Swear you will never become a Mormon."It was more likely I'd become a vegan. "Don't be ridiculous, Aunt Jean. I'm not going to become a Mormon."
"Swear it on the Bible."
The Rogue Shop illuminates how we recognize truth in even the most trying of circumstances. Michael Knudsen's hilarious debut will remind you about the value of faith, family and friends as Chris learns from his past to move forward into a better future.
--From the back cover
First of all, thanks Danyelle for hosting me today. This is the first time I've ever visited someone's personal blog, and I must admit that at first I felt slightly uncomfortable, as if I should be taking my shoes off or something. Then I noticed the pretty green linen background Danyelle has, and it reminded me so much of one of my mother's tablecloths that I immediately felt at home.
The big occasion instigating my touring of blogs is the release of my first novel, The Rogue Shop, on December 8th. Just yesterday, I held the book in my hands for the first time. I'm telling you--it's not as warm or as cuddly as either of my three newborn children were, but the feelings are scarily similar. Do you have any idea how long I've waited for that moment? Let's just say that I created my first picture/storybook with a pencil and kindergarten-lined paper in 1972.
Why so long to publish? Frankly, I didn't bother to try until January of this year. Oh, I've written fragments of novels over the years, getting excited for a month or two, then dropping it when I realized how much work it was going to take to make it publishable. It was always so easy to just fall back into the daily cycle of day job -- family -- church--eat--sleep--repeat. I'm not going to tell you I didn't have time to finish a book. I didn't make time. Never for a moment in the past four decades did I doubt that I had the ability to do it, I simply never did it. Do I regret this? That's not a valid question. I've moved past it, and NOW is all I have. I encourage all writers within the sound of my blogging voice to seize that NOW and make a preemptive strike against future regret. If you feel the need to write, you are talented enough to publish--with enough work. If you are talented, you are meant to succeed. Just do it.
My mission now is to get the book I worked so hard on into the hands of as many people as possible. It's a story that I feel LDS readers in particular will find fun and emotionally moving. It's one of the reasons I showed up on this whirling blue ball at the time I did, equipped as I am. There are other reasons, as of yet unfulfilled. Excuse me while I get on with fulfilling. You do the same.
Learn more about Michael and his work at http://michaelknudsenauthor.com
*********
Michael - Thank you so much for guest blogging at Queen of the Clan today! For all my readers, let me tell you this is a book I'm really excited to read! I think it sounds fun and insightful. And who can resist a guy who works at a wedding tux shop? Not me! Watch for my review of The Rogue Shop sometime during December or January. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I recently sent this out to my Authors Incognito writers group, but then thought - Hey, I have lots of friends not on this group who could use this, too. So, if you're still clicking along for NaNoWriMo and worried about reaching your goal with the upcoming holiday break, then keep on reading my friends!
I wanted to email out a few tips and tricks to getting in some writing time during the busy - and way too distracting - Thanksgiving break.
I know, you're thinking - Danyelle, you're nuts! There's no way to get writing done when all the kids are home from break!
But trust me, there is. Just keep reading.
Tip #1 - Short 15 Minute Sprints
Make it a goal to get a least two short 15 minute sprints into your Turkey Day. If you can get in three, then Wahoo! Choose a location where you can lock the door and no one will bother you. May I suggest the bathroom? You can seriously lock yourself in there and no one will blink an eye that you disappeared for a whole fifteen minutes. Just be sure to flush the toilet and wash your hands before you come back out - or else your secret will be blown. If you have an annoying MIL, SIL, or other family member, you'll find you may want to schedule three or four (or more) 15 minute sprints. They're great for the psyche.
Tip #2 - Hide Your Laptop/Netbook/Alphasmart
This is important for two reasons. #1 - If you hide your writing buddy, then your kids can't get on it to surf the net or use it for an impromptu DVD player. It will be ready and waiting for you to pick it up and sprint it out. #2 - If you hide your laptop in the location where you plan to escape for your sprints, then once again, your cover won't be blown when family members see you trying to sneak into another room with it. Hint: If using the bathroom location, I highly recommend putting your laptop in either a drawer or beneath the sink in the vanity. But don't leave it visible! Cover that baby up with a towel. Think like your sneaky teenagers . . .
Tip #3 - Set a Word Count Goal
Shoot for 1,000 words minimum. You can totally do it! If you're a speed demon writer, then shoot higher. But make sure it's a goal that mildly challenges you, instead of knocking you on your butt because you shot too high. It is after all a holiday!
And now, my friends, I wish you all a fabulous Thanksgiving filled with family, laughter, and speedy fingers!
Much love to you all!
Danyelle
*****
I wanted to email out a few tips and tricks to getting in some writing time during the busy - and way too distracting - Thanksgiving break.
I know, you're thinking - Danyelle, you're nuts! There's no way to get writing done when all the kids are home from break!
But trust me, there is. Just keep reading.
Tip #1 - Short 15 Minute Sprints
Make it a goal to get a least two short 15 minute sprints into your Turkey Day. If you can get in three, then Wahoo! Choose a location where you can lock the door and no one will bother you. May I suggest the bathroom? You can seriously lock yourself in there and no one will blink an eye that you disappeared for a whole fifteen minutes. Just be sure to flush the toilet and wash your hands before you come back out - or else your secret will be blown. If you have an annoying MIL, SIL, or other family member, you'll find you may want to schedule three or four (or more) 15 minute sprints. They're great for the psyche.
Tip #2 - Hide Your Laptop/Netbook/Alphasmart
This is important for two reasons. #1 - If you hide your writing buddy, then your kids can't get on it to surf the net or use it for an impromptu DVD player. It will be ready and waiting for you to pick it up and sprint it out. #2 - If you hide your laptop in the location where you plan to escape for your sprints, then once again, your cover won't be blown when family members see you trying to sneak into another room with it. Hint: If using the bathroom location, I highly recommend putting your laptop in either a drawer or beneath the sink in the vanity. But don't leave it visible! Cover that baby up with a towel. Think like your sneaky teenagers . . .
Tip #3 - Set a Word Count Goal
Shoot for 1,000 words minimum. You can totally do it! If you're a speed demon writer, then shoot higher. But make sure it's a goal that mildly challenges you, instead of knocking you on your butt because you shot too high. It is after all a holiday!
And now, my friends, I wish you all a fabulous Thanksgiving filled with family, laughter, and speedy fingers!
Much love to you all!
Danyelle
Lucky me, I had the opportunity to organize a writers retreat with Authors Incognito's moderator, Nichole Giles. We rented a cabin in Park City, Utah for three days filled with nothing but writing, writing, a bit of goofing around, and even more writing.
It. Was. Awesome.
And to prove it's awesomeness to you, here are the pictures of all us nutty writers diving into NaNoWriMo land.
Of course, no writers retreat is complete with lots and lots of laptops, netbooks, and Alpha Smarts!
It. Was. Awesome.
And to prove it's awesomeness to you, here are the pictures of all us nutty writers diving into NaNoWriMo land.
First, let me set the stage:
Yes, my friends, there was snow - not a lot (thank goodness!). But the weather was gorgeous!
The coveted hot tub. Nichole Giles and I set a word count goal for the afternoon,
then worked out little tushes off to meet it! But oh, the wonderfulness of soaking in the hot tub was totally worth it.
Of course, no writers retreat is complete with lots and lots of laptops, netbooks, and Alpha Smarts!
Now, let the work begin!
Christine Bryant - Oh Great One.
Wendy Swore (who kicked our butt with a Tae Kwon Do workout) and Susan Haws - checking out some writing website and brainstorming together.
The kitchen gatherers - Jenn Wilks, Karen Hoover, and Tobyn DeGraw.
Tobyn was the task master - You can't do (insert what we wanted to do) until you hit 3K!
Debbie Davis - Another exercise instructor/writer who seriously kicked our butts with a combo of kick boxing and yoga. We wub you, Debbie (even if you are directionally challenged!).
Our sweetheart, Karen Dupaix - who ended the weekend by getting in over 17,000 words. Go girl!
Michele Holmes steadily worked throughout the entire retreat.
Becki Clayson decided to get some fresh air and write outdoors.
I did this one day and it really was wonderful!
Me and Nichole Giles.
We had a blast organizing the retreat together!
Heather Justesen totally holed herself up in a bedroom and only came out to eat.
BUT she walked away having written over 24,000 words! Go Heather!
Becki still working away. =)
Heather and I at the end of the retreat - when I finally got her away from her laptop!
Sweet Debbie Davis and me.
Best Friends
Heather and Nichole are two of my absolute favorite writer friends ever!
We've known each other for years and have been cheering each other on every step of the way.
I can't wait for next year's retreat. Nichole and I are already brainstorming. So, who wants to join us in November 2011?
Do you remember some of my previous posts where I said I'm really far behind in my book reviews? Yeah, I'm still behind. But I'm planning to do a TON of reading once December hits. So watch for the reviews to roll in!
Today, I was scheduled to review Perilous by Tamara Hart Heiner. While I have not been able to read the book yet, I wanted to be sure to post today because Tamara is hosting some really awesome giveaways during her blog tour. So, let's begin with some info about her new release!
Perilous by Tamara Hart Heiner
Jaci Rivera has plans for her sophomore year: go to regionals with the track team, make the honor roll, and eat too much pizza with her best friends, Callie and Sara. Her biggest concern is Amanda, the pushy girl who moved in a few months ago.
What she doesn't plan for is catching a robber red-handed, or being kidnapped. The desperate thief drags her and her friends 2,000 miles across the Canadian border. They escape from his lair, only to find that he has spies and agents watching their path home, waiting to intercept them and take them back.
Then Jaci finds something out about her family. Something which irrevocably connects her to their kidnapper, and makes her question their chances of escape.
And to tease you just a little more . . . here is the Perilous book trailer:
You can buy the Perilous E-book here
or purchase a bound book on Amazon.com.
This would make a great Christmas gift for anyone who likes mysterious suspense novels!
And now, for the Give Aways!
1. Win an Autographed Copy of Perilous!
Each person who comments on any post during the blog tour will be entered into a random drawing for a book. The contest begins on Nov. 16 and ends on Dec. 15.
2. Win a Kindle!
This contest is point-based. It begins Oct. 15 and ends Dec. 15. Whoever has the most points, wins the Kindle. There will only be one Kindle given away.
Here is how to accumulate points:
1 point: Blog comments (each comment made on the blog tour stops counts as a point)
1 point: Follow Tamara's blog
1 point: Tweet the contest
2 points: Blog about the Perilous blog tour
5 points: Purchase the book. Email your confirmation order to Tamara or if you purchase the book at a store, you can email her a copy of the receipt.
And for my readers' convenience, I'm including the Perilous Blog Tour Schedule below (hopefully all the links work!):
Oct. 15 David J. West
Oct. 18 Nichole Giles
Oct. 19 Talli Roland
Oct. 20 Guinevere Rowell
Oct. 21 Mary Gray
Oct. 22 Frankie
Oct. 25 Mary Greathouse
Oct. 26 RaShelle Workman (interview)
Oct. 27 T. Anne Adams
Oct. 28 Valerie Ipson
Oct. 29 Ann Best
Nov. 1 Christy Dorrity
Nov. 2 Chrstine Bryant
Nov. 3 Rebecca Blevins
Nov. 5 Annette Lyon
Nov. 8 Jennifer Daiker
Nov. 9 Carolina Valdez and Jaime Theler
Nov. 10 Elizabeth Mueller
Nov. 11 Christine Danek
Nov. 12 Elle Strauss
Nov. 15 Niki
Nov. 16 Lynn Parsons
Nov. 17 Danyelle Ferguson http://www.queenoftheclan.com/
Nov. 18 Elana Johnson http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com/
Nov. 19 & 20 Sarah McClung http://babblingflow.blogspot.com/
Nov. 22 Suzanne Hartmann http://suzanne-hartmann2.blogspot.com/
Nov. 23 Marsha Ward http://marshaward.blogspot.com
Nov. 24 Tara McClendon http://eyefeathers.blogspot.com/
Nov. 29 Courtney Barr http://princesscourtneysbarr.blogspot.com/
Nov. 30 Tristi Pinkston http://www.tristipinkston.blogspot.com/
Dec. 1 Cheri Chesley http://cherichesley.blogspot.com/
Dec. 2 Karen Gowen http://karenjonesgowen.blogspot.com/
Dec. 3 Melanie Jacobson http://readandwritestuff.blogspot.com/
Dec. 6 Kristie Ballard www.thiscrazywritingthing.blogspot.com
Dec. 7 Melissa Cunningham http://melissajcunningham.blogspot.com/
Dec. 8 Arlee Bird http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/
Dec. 9 Debbie Davis www.debbiesinkspectations.blogspot.com
Dec. 10 Taffy Lovell http://taffyscandy.blogspot.com
Dec. 13 Sheri Larsen http://writersally.blogspot.com
Dec. 14 Joyce DiPastena http://jdp-news.blogspot.com/
Dec.15 Diana Miezcan http://diana212m.blogspot.com/
Today, I was scheduled to review Perilous by Tamara Hart Heiner. While I have not been able to read the book yet, I wanted to be sure to post today because Tamara is hosting some really awesome giveaways during her blog tour. So, let's begin with some info about her new release!
Jaci Rivera has plans for her sophomore year: go to regionals with the track team, make the honor roll, and eat too much pizza with her best friends, Callie and Sara. Her biggest concern is Amanda, the pushy girl who moved in a few months ago.
What she doesn't plan for is catching a robber red-handed, or being kidnapped. The desperate thief drags her and her friends 2,000 miles across the Canadian border. They escape from his lair, only to find that he has spies and agents watching their path home, waiting to intercept them and take them back.
Then Jaci finds something out about her family. Something which irrevocably connects her to their kidnapper, and makes her question their chances of escape.
And to tease you just a little more . . . here is the Perilous book trailer:
You can buy the Perilous E-book here
or purchase a bound book on Amazon.com.
This would make a great Christmas gift for anyone who likes mysterious suspense novels!
And now, for the Give Aways!
1. Win an Autographed Copy of Perilous!
Each person who comments on any post during the blog tour will be entered into a random drawing for a book. The contest begins on Nov. 16 and ends on Dec. 15.
2. Win a Kindle!
This contest is point-based. It begins Oct. 15 and ends Dec. 15. Whoever has the most points, wins the Kindle. There will only be one Kindle given away.
Here is how to accumulate points:
1 point: Blog comments (each comment made on the blog tour stops counts as a point)
1 point: Follow Tamara's blog
1 point: Tweet the contest
2 points: Blog about the Perilous blog tour
5 points: Purchase the book. Email your confirmation order to Tamara or if you purchase the book at a store, you can email her a copy of the receipt.
And for my readers' convenience, I'm including the Perilous Blog Tour Schedule below (hopefully all the links work!):
Oct. 15 David J. West
Oct. 18 Nichole Giles
Oct. 19 Talli Roland
Oct. 20 Guinevere Rowell
Oct. 21 Mary Gray
Oct. 22 Frankie
Oct. 25 Mary Greathouse
Oct. 26 RaShelle Workman (interview)
Oct. 27 T. Anne Adams
Oct. 28 Valerie Ipson
Oct. 29 Ann Best
Nov. 1 Christy Dorrity
Nov. 2 Chrstine Bryant
Nov. 3 Rebecca Blevins
Nov. 5 Annette Lyon
Nov. 8 Jennifer Daiker
Nov. 9 Carolina Valdez and Jaime Theler
Nov. 10 Elizabeth Mueller
Nov. 11 Christine Danek
Nov. 12 Elle Strauss
Nov. 15 Niki
Nov. 16 Lynn Parsons
Nov. 17 Danyelle Ferguson http://www.queenoftheclan.com/
Nov. 18 Elana Johnson http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com/
Nov. 19 & 20 Sarah McClung http://babblingflow.blogspot.com/
Nov. 22 Suzanne Hartmann http://suzanne-hartmann2.blogspot.com/
Nov. 23 Marsha Ward http://marshaward.blogspot.com
Nov. 24 Tara McClendon http://eyefeathers.blogspot.com/
Nov. 29 Courtney Barr http://princesscourtneysbarr.blogspot.com/
Nov. 30 Tristi Pinkston http://www.tristipinkston.blogspot.com/
Dec. 1 Cheri Chesley http://cherichesley.blogspot.com/
Dec. 2 Karen Gowen http://karenjonesgowen.blogspot.com/
Dec. 3 Melanie Jacobson http://readandwritestuff.blogspot.com/
Dec. 6 Kristie Ballard www.thiscrazywritingthing.blogspot.com
Dec. 7 Melissa Cunningham http://melissajcunningham.blogspot.com/
Dec. 8 Arlee Bird http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/
Dec. 9 Debbie Davis www.debbiesinkspectations.blogspot.com
Dec. 10 Taffy Lovell http://taffyscandy.blogspot.com
Dec. 13 Sheri Larsen http://writersally.blogspot.com
Dec. 14 Joyce DiPastena http://jdp-news.blogspot.com/
Dec.15 Diana Miezcan http://diana212m.blogspot.com/
Yeppers, today is the big 3-3.
The funny thing is I thought I was turning 33 last year, only to find out at my own party that I was actually turning 32. So I missed out on a whole year of being 31! That's okay, I had two really awesome years of being 32. =)
Turning 33 is awesome. I've actually totally loved my 30's so far and adding another year to the end doesn't bother me a bit.
On another note, I got my anniversary gift a bit late - it's finally all finished, framed and hung up, just in time for an extra birthday gift! Isn't Natalie Hunsaker an incredible artist? I LOVE how she captured such a real moment for me and my sweetie.
And now, I get to spend the day doing whatever I want. Hmm . . . I'm thinking writing, playing with my family, and eating out sound just about perfect. Have an awesome day, everyone!
The funny thing is I thought I was turning 33 last year, only to find out at my own party that I was actually turning 32. So I missed out on a whole year of being 31! That's okay, I had two really awesome years of being 32. =)
Turning 33 is awesome. I've actually totally loved my 30's so far and adding another year to the end doesn't bother me a bit.
On another note, I got my anniversary gift a bit late - it's finally all finished, framed and hung up, just in time for an extra birthday gift! Isn't Natalie Hunsaker an incredible artist? I LOVE how she captured such a real moment for me and my sweetie.
We decided to hang it over our living room fireplace mantle.
Here's an closer upshot.
Doesn't it look awesome?
And now, I get to spend the day doing whatever I want. Hmm . . . I'm thinking writing, playing with my family, and eating out sound just about perfect. Have an awesome day, everyone!
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