We Lived In Heaven by Sarah Hinze

I was excited to get this book. I love tales of after death experiences and hadn't considered that there were that many stories about the human pre-birth experience. From the Foreward to the last story I enjoyed every moment of this book. The author herself has had an amazing experience with the spirits of her yet to be born children.

I recomend this book to anyone who is the least bit interested in these type of stories. It is well compiled and edited. It definitely made me think hard about the experiences I have had in my life that could have been "supernatural".

This book is a remarkable collection of accounts of families who have had the opportunity to meet the souls of their sons and daughters before they were born. Read about the vivid memories of life in heaven by young children, and dramatic stories of prayers answered by guardian angels who watch over us. Discover:
* A letter from a mother to her son, whom she gave up for adoption, telling him of the dream that guided her through that painful decision.
* A kidnapped child who survived her ordeal by the guiding hand of the baby sister who would be born years later.
* A little boy's memory of being brought to earth by his grandfather--a man he never knew.
* A woman's vision of a child in a garden, and the powerful certainty that he was her son, waiting his turn to come into this world.

Sarah Hinze's own personal pre-birth experiences complete this inspiring collection, which radiates a universal sense of peace, joy, and hope that touches us all.

Buy the book here

Sarah's website

Sometimes I recieve a free book in exchange for an honest review. This never influences my opinion or review of the text.

Guest Blog Post by Christine Fonseca

Today I am pleased to bring you a guest post by a wonderful friend and author Christine Fonseca. She has a new novella and novel coming out this month and she was gracious to offer a guest post in exchange for some exposure on my blog. So without further distraction, here is her article.

Top 5 Things to Think About with Book Promotion.

I am no stranger to book launches. I’ve successfully launched two educational titles that continue to exceed publisher expectations a year or more later. I’ve also working in marketing previously. But launching fiction to a YA market is different. Sure, I can connect with writers who also read YA – but connecting with my teen readers? That is definitely a new challenge.

Building on things I already knew, things I’ve observed, and things my fabulous YA readers tell me—here are my top five things every writer should think about when planning their book promotion and self-marketing efforts.

1. Know Your Market.
Before you design a promotional campaign of any form, it’s important to have a clear understanding of your primary and secondary markets. With nonfiction, most authors figured this out when they wrote the “marketing” section of their proposals. Fiction authors should go through this process too. Ask yourself who the book is for—teens, children, adults? Who is the secondary market for the book? With DIES IRAE, I knew the primary reader would be both adults and teens, with the trend being adults as the novella is exclusively offered in digital format. With the upcoming novel, LACRIMOSA, the demographic may shift as it will available in both print and digit formats, and teens still trend towards print.

2. Know Your Comfort Zone.
As with all forms of social networking and marketing, it is important to know your own personal strengths and weaknesses. Are you comfortable speaking in person to a large group, or is Skyping or chatting more your thing? Do you like to cold call potential hosts for tours, or does the thought of that give you hives? Knowing your comfort zone is important. Don’t spent a lot of time doing things you hate—you will only make yourself crazy. Instead, spend your time promoting in ways that you are comfortable with. In today’s market, you are really only limited in terms of promotion by your own comfort level. So, get to know what works best for you and your book.

3. Blog Tours and other Author Events.
Connecting directly with readers is my personal favorite—whether it is a virtual connection, or a school visit/author event. The important thing to remember with either option—planning.

With blog tours, ask people in your particular niche to host a leg. If you are targeting teens, for example, try to have a blog that is frequented by teens host a leg of the tour. Make sure you are balancing book bloggers with writers, thereby tapping into a larger potential audience.

With Author events, you want to look at the entire scoop of options. I LOVE school events, for example, so I will be doing a few school visits before the big LA Book Festival, using the visits as a way to also encourage attendance at the LA event.

A couple of other things to keep in mind with any type of author event – virtual or live:
• Start early. Proper planning of events is really a key.
• Know the expectations of the host. Ask questions about how they envision your visit, or what they see as their role in the blog tour.
• Stay organized. Use spreadsheets and other organization tools to keep track of the places you pitched too, the hosts of your tour, and any giveaways. Follow up and double check everything. By you being organized, you will make it MUCH easier for your hosts—something they will really appreciate.
• Send reminders to participants. We are all busy and it is easy to forget things. Take on that burden and don’t be alarmed when things get forgotten. Just be prepared. That said, don’t spam your hosts. We all tend to get TONS of email. Make certain you have all of your ideas/thoughts/reminders/etc well planned and clearly stated. One detailed email is better than several chaotic ones. Take the time to think things through.
• Remember to follow-up with a thank you. There is no substitution for good manners! Personal thank you notes go a long way to letting your hosts know how much you appreciated working with them

4. Creatively Using Social Networking sites.
Promoting your message is about creating buzz. In this day and age, it is easier than ever to create buzz on a large scale. But, how do you separate yourself from all the noise out there? That’s easy. Be creative. Do something unique and different—and then make sure EVERYONE knows about it. With the Requiem series, there is great potential for Fan Art sites, quizzes on facebook, scavenger hunts, products for teens, etc. You know I will be working on these specific things with each book released. Furthermore, promoting where teens hangout on line, including facebook, is a great way to get your book out there.

5. You Are Only As Good As Your Last Book.
The very best promotional tool for your book is another fabulous book. So be sure to keep writing, creating, producing. This is who you cultivate a career that extends beyond your first book.










FAQ Sheet about the Requiem Series
About Christine Fonseca
School psychologist by day, critically acclaimed YA and nonfiction author by night, Christine Fonseca believes that writing is a great way to explore humanity. Her debut YA Gothic series, The Requiem Series, including DIES IRAE and LACRIMOSA, examines the role of redemption, sacrifice and love. When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, she can be sipping too many skinny vanilla lattes at her favorite coffee house or playing around on Facebook and Twitter. Catch her daily thoughts about writing and life on her blog.

Short Blurb for DIES IRAE
Some sacrifices should never be made—even for love.
Mikayel lives by one rule—obey the orders of the angelic Council at all costs. But when he and his friends, Azza and Demi, are sent to Earth as teenagers, following the rules is more difficult than they expected.
Being human isn’t the only problem facing the three angels. Unbeknownst to the Council, demonic activity is on the rise, threatening to break a tenuous peace that has existed for a millennia.
Caught in a struggle for power with unseen demonic forces, and fighting against his rising emotional, Mikayel must now decide how many rules he is willing to break to save his friends, a decision that could reignite an ancient war and will threaten the only thing that matters to the angels, the survival of humanity.
Author Endorcement(s):


“Dies Irae is the perfect introduction to Christine Fonseca’s Requiem series. The beauty of the words will tempt you, the tragedy of the story will break you, and the love, woven throughout like music through the trees, will haunt you for days afterward. Dies Irae promises a tale unlike any you’ve read before.”
~Ali Cross, Author of BECOME


Availability:
Publisher: COMPASS PRESS
ISBN:
Format: Digital format only - from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other retailers. Links not available at present.


Short Blurb for LACRIMOSA
As if casting out demons isn’t hard enough, five-hundred-year-old Nesy has to masquerade as a teenage girl to do it. Nesy is the best of the warrior angels called Sentinals. She never makes mistakes, never hesitates, never gets emotionally involved. Until she meets Aydan.
He is evil incarnate; a fallen angel that feeds off the souls of others. Everything Nesy is supposed to hate. But she can’t, because he’s also the love of her former life as a human girl—a life that ended too soon, tying her to emotions she was never supposed to feel.
Now Nesy must choose between doing her duty—damning Aydan to the fiery depths of hell—or saving him, and condemning herself.


Availability:
Publisher: COMPASS PRESS
ISBN: 0984786368 (ISBN 13: 9780984786367)
Hardback and Digital formats from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and fine retailers. Links not currently available.

Additional Titles in the series include LIBERA ME (Nov 2012) and REQUIEM (March 2013). The book trailer can be seen by linking to YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwTQoOFKEZg
For more information about Christine Fonseca or the series, visit her website – http://christinefonseca.com or her blog http://christinefonseca.blogspot.com

Cold River by Liz Adair

I had the pleasure of reading a really great Romantic Suspense these last few weeks.

Here is the blurb:

Mandy Steenburg thinks her doctorate in education has prepared her to run any school district - until she tangles with the moonshine-making, coon-dog-owning denizens of a tiny district in Pacific Northwest timber country. She's determined to make a difference, but the local populace still looks to the former superintendent for leadership. When Mandy lands in the middle of an old feud and someone keeps trying to kill her, instinct tells her to run. And though she has to literally swim through perilous waters, she finds a reason to stay and chance the odds.

This was a great read. Full of suspense, rich in characters and descriptive in setting. Liz is a great writer and I will be reading more of her stuff now that we've been (sort of) introdouced. It was hard to put it down. Thanks Liz for a great read.

You can get the book HERE

Here is her WEBSITE

About the Author:

A native of New Mexico and mother of seven, Liz Adair lives in northwest Washington state with Derrill, her husband of 48 years.

A late bloomer, Liz published her first mystery (The Lodger) just as AARP started sending invitations to join. After writing three in the Spider Latham series, Liz moved into romantic suspense with The Mist of Quarry Harbor.

Liz took a break from suspense to write Counting the Cost, a novel based on family history. The book won the 2009 Whitney Award and was a finalist for the Willa Award and Arizona Publisher Association's Glyph Award.

Liz is back writing romantic suspense with Cold River and feels that's where she belongs. "I remember when I was a young mother with all those kids and a slender budget," she says. "I was so grateful for books that let me go places and meet people who carried on adult conversations That's what I want to write--cheap vacations."

Heeding advice given to writers not to quit their day job, Liz works as a forensic scheduler on schedule delay analyses. She also serves on LDStorymakers' Board of Directors, is a member of American Night Writers Association and the Skagit Valley Writers League, and chairs the annual Northwest Writers Retreat.

Book Review Heir to Power by Michele Poague

Sometimes I recieve a free book in exchange for an honest review. The way I recieve the work has no influence on my opinion.

The colony of Survin has been hidden for centuries, protecting an ancient religious artifact called the Healing Crystal from men who would steal or destroy it. Kairma, heir to the Crystal, is destined to mate with the handsome Naturi and become the leader of the reclusive colony, but she is too young to realize the peril soon to arrive. At sixteen, Kairma is too young to realize many things ....

Kairma would rather go spelunking with her brother and his best friend than study ancient medicine and religious laws, but the discovery of a tomb containing ancient artifacts leads Kairma to question her religion and the true nature of the Crystal. To further complicate Kairma's ascent, a childhood illness has left her resembling a nearby race of men both hated and feared by the people of Survin. Because of this, Kairma's younger sister Kinter, who is in love with Naturi, believes she is the rightful heir.

Disease and infertility have decimated Survin, but bigotry and religious laws forbid the introduction of new members so things heat up when a traveling archeologist stumbles upon the reclusive colony and introduces a powerful new weapon. Forced into a larger world, the Survinees discover they hold an object of unimaginable power, a power other men covet, a power that might save or forever damn the human race.


This was a big book at over 550 pages it was the longest I've read in a while. The author deals with an interesting subject, that of isolation of a peoples and what happens because of it. Regardless of the reasons. The copy was mostly clean making it an easy read. It is a typical epic fantasy and I am sure will delight many readers.

There were only a few problems, there were lots of characters and some had unpronouncable names and that slowed me down because I was second guessing myself trying to pronounce them in different ways. Also the author bounced from one head to another among those characters makeing me think "Who is this?" some of the time.

If you like fantasy this is the perfect book to pickup for those long cold winter. nights. Thank you Michele for the adventure.

You can get the book HERE

Michele's WEBSITE

Deep Blue Secret by Christie Anderson

California teen, Sadie James, thinks her life couldn’t get any better. She has great friends, an energetic mother she adores, and the beach practically in her own backyard. But her carefree life is turned upside down when she’s rescued by a mysterious and strangely familiar boy who won’t even tell her his name.

Each time the boy appears, Sadie’s unexplainable attraction to him deepens along with her need to unravel his secrets. The boy is there to protect her. But as wonderful and exciting as it might be to have an irresistible boy with crystal green eyes protecting her every move, every minute of the day...why does Sadie need one?

As Sadie finds answers, she realizes her life isn’t as perfect as she thought. Not only is she caught in a world of dangerous secret agents she never knew existed, but it turns out her true identity may be the greatest secret of all.

You can get the book here: DEEP BLUE SECRET

Christie's website



This was a really interesting story. Full of interesting ideas and worlds. I actually read it in a day. The authors ideas are origional and that is what kept me reading.

However there were a few drawbacks, and I don't want any reader to dive into the story un-awares. the author created a world that we don'e get to see even though one of the POV characters lived there. A major problem with Sadie was presented and while Rayne solves it we again are left in the dark as to what the solution is. The book really needed a few more rounds of critique and editing.

The one thing that would have made me put the book down if the story hadn't been so interesting was Sadies emotions. She was up and down happy and sad, in love and in denial depressed and normal. It really reminded me of Bella and Edward in the Twilight Series. I wondered if the series is a favorite read of the author.

Now don't get me wrong. The book is worth the read. Yes there are problems in it. BUT there are problems in many books. I promised myself that I would be honest to you my readers, so you don't think I am up in the night.

I recieved this book at no charge in exchange for an honest review. How I recieve a book never influences my expressed opinion.


Here is her really good book trailer

Deep Blue Secret

Fall by Jennifer Hurst

Free download of book in exchange for honest review
Imagine finding a secret space in an old school building you are supposed to be renovating. You are standing there knocking on the wall, trying to discern what--if anything is in that space, and something knocks back. Scared out of your wits, you run for the door.

And you're lost in the story.

I can't tell you how much I love love love this story. Paranormal Urban Fantasy is definitely my favorite type of book to read. The characters are rich in detail the scenery is detailed and inviting. The story has twists and turns you are totally not expecting. There were some typos and a few grammar problems but the story overrides them. This book is definitely worth the read.

Fall by Jennifer Hurst

Construction is in Julia's blood, so when she is promoted to Project Manager to renovate a turn-of-the-century school house in a bed and breakfast, she has high hopes of proving herself in the male-dominated construction industry.

But Julia discovers there is more to managing a construction project than just contracts and budgets - especially when she meets Matthew Rigo, the demolition contractor who seems bound and determined to cross the lines Julia has imposed.

Vandalism and other unexplainable occurances beset the project, leading Julia to believe there is much more to the school house than she first realizes. Something is inside the hundred year old school house, and it wants out. Is Julia the key to its release? And are Matthew and Nathan what they appear to be?

Buy the book here

Here's Jennifer's website

In conjunction with this blog tour, Jennifer is holding a contest. It will involve any of the blogs that Jennifer visits or where her book is featured and willclose on December 31st, 2011. The entrants have to answer three questions about the book they’ve read (bought, borrowed, or stolen - shame on you) and post a link to Jennifer's website on their Twitter, Facebook, or blog (need link for verification).

Then the names will be entered in a random name picker generator(http://textmechanic.com/Random-Line-Picker.html) and announced on Jennifer's website (www.jenniferhurst.com) on January 31st, 2012. The winner will receive a gift certificate for a night’s stay at the actual bed and breakfast where the story takes place.

Other prizes include an autographed copy of FALL, and she will randomly select 3 contestants’ names to use in the sequel to FALL. Plus, they will receive afree copy of that book when it is published.

Each blog that Jennifer Hurst visits will have a different set of questions people can answer, and they may enter as many times as they want - but they can enter once per blog site that they visit. So the more sites you visit, the more you can enter your name, thus increasing your chances of winning the gift certificate, a copy of the book FALL, and your name in the sequel.

Get the book, read the book, and then read over the questions below. Once you have your answers, e-mail them to Jennifer.fall.jenniferhurst@gmail.com

Your privacy is respected and your email address will NOT be used for anything but the contest. Once the contest is over -your email address will be deleted from the database.

Here are the questions for you to answer:

What color was Matthew's t-shirt when JD met him for the first time?

What is JD's favorite flavor of milkshake?

What kind of orchard did JD and Matthew camp in?

If you would like to visit the other sites, go here for themaster list of all participating sites: http://fallbyjenniferhurst.wordpress.com/

Best of luck, and thanks for participating!

The Peasant Queen By Cheri Chesley

I honestly planned to interview Cheri in conjunction with promoting her book. However, chaos has reined at my house for a few weeks and it's been nothing short of a miracle to do anything. (I'm here typing with one hand as baby finally sleeps in the other.)

I met Cheri through Facebook and found out she lives in Tooele my old stomping grounds. I have since then been in a critique group with her and sat next to her at conferences. Cheri is not only an amazing writer, but an all around nice girl and I understand an amazing cheesecake baker. (jealous!)

I have read "The Peasant Queen" and was pleased with the fluid prose and witty dialogue. She knows her stuff. Definately a good read. Here's the description:

After running away from home, Krystal is transported to a faraway kingdom where an evil tyrant is bent on taking the crown - and Krystal's hand in marriage. But when she falls in love with the rightful heir to the throne, she must make an impossible choice: sacrifice her one chance at happiness or face the destruction of an entire kingdom.

I was talking to her about her sequels and am intrigued and can't wait until they are also released.

If you like tales of royalty and magic and girls being kidnapped this is your book.

Amazon link HERE

If you are a writer . . .

You need to at least try this workbook! When I recieved my preview package of The Complete Novel Plotting Workbook by Weston Elliott I was extreemely pleased. The workbook is extremly comprehensive. The information that accompamnied it (bookmark, brocure and letter) were beautifly designed. I love her logo!

Okay back to why you need to at least try this book. This workbook is something a writer of any level and of any plotting style can use. This is why. The book has diferent sections. Each of the sections are dedicated to specific areas of plotting and writing.

The first section is world building, Although fantasy writers rely the most heavily on world building, every writer can use it. Even if your writing a mystery or western you still need to know where your characters are. This section also includes grid paper for mapping.

The next section is all about characters. There are pages dedicated to the main character,secondary characters and incendental characters. If your writing a book with more than one character you NEED a place to keep track of them even if they live in you head. :)

The third section is Plot and Conflict, this is where the "meat" of the workbook is. There are conflict and resouloution pages, a section on cronology, and a section where every chapter can be laid out. With notes on POV, timeline, setting details, character notes, and plot ploints. This is where you can get as involved or not as you chose. Some writers plot everything out and would use every page to its fullest. Some people would use this section after the first draft is written and use the pages to revise and edit.

I tend to fall in between these two. I go into my story's with a basic knowledge of what I want and where it's going. When the serious first draft is done I fill out the plot pages and then mess with them untill the story is good and then I revise and edit untill I am pleased with it. Here is the area where you can do as litttle or as much you want its perfect for any type of writer. The last few pages are a progress tracking section and a submission record.

This book is put together with locking rings so you can take it apart and put the pages in the order you like. It's half page sized so it can easily fit in a handbag backpack or a alphasmart or laptop bag. It comes in beautiful attractive colors too.

You can get one here.

I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells

When I saw this book at the LDStorymakers conference this April I had to get it. I mean I write assassins they're like serial killers right? In fact the discussion about this book while we were in line to purchase the book was the one that got me a MS request. (thanks Dan) I met Dan Wells as we were stading in that line and I got the book signed too. (#17!)

But I am getting off track. That's not what I am writing this blog about. I opened this book and by the third page was deeply drawn in the world of John Cleaver. Once in the book I could only put it down when my eyes refused to stay open any longer.

The book is about a fifteen year old sociopath named John Wayne Cleaver. His mother and aunt run the local mortuary which is a bad thing for a boy who is obsessed with serial killers. the story takes a severe plot hike when a serial killer begins to stalk John's home town.

The book isn't available in the United States yet, but it is in England. You can get it here and here.

The book is amazing for a first novel, completely amazing. Go on, you know you want to get it.

When Hearts Conjoin by Erin Marie Herrin with Lu Ann Brobst Staheli

I will begin by saying that I am not a normal non-fiction reader. I use my reading time as escapism. But when the opportunity came along to read this book I was facinated and asked to do a book review. I was not expecting such a heart pulling experience.

The story that is told by Erin is a rich, well writen, sometimes heart wrenching, sometimes heart warming story of the Herrin Twins. Who were born conjoined at the chest. One of the things I liked was the story wasn't just about the twins, it was about Erin and her husbands life. We wern't thrown into a marriage with the diagnosis of the twins problems. By the time we heard about the twins diagnosis that fateful day in the ultrasound room we were allready invested in thier lives. I liked that Erin was honest about it, that the problems in her life were not sugar coated for the sake of the story.

I read the book in one evening I was not able to put it down I was so completely wrapped up in it. The story is well told and well writen. Lu Ann or Erin correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that the proceeds of the sale of this book will go to the twins medical expenses. I am very impressed and will be sharing, and recomending this book to lots of other people. Well done.

You can find it here.

Or, to find more information about Lu Ann go here.

Altared Plans by Rebecca Talley

I read Rebecca's first book Heaven Scent and really liked it. I had a hard time keeping my daughter from stealing it before I finished it. This time was no diferent, as soon as I shut the book, my 15 yo daughter swiped it from me. :)

Altared Plans is about Caitlyn a young woman who has everything planned. The perfect wedding to the perfect man and the perfect life planned after the honeymoon. When on the morning of her wedding the groom runs off, she is left devestated. Her perfect plans gone in the flight of a plane.

To Caitlyn love equals betrayal. She returns to BYU vowing to live the rest of her life as a old maid. What will happen to her when she is called to be the "mother" of her family home evening group opposite a hunky cowboy named Travis?

I LOVED this book! It is smart, funny, and a great read. I give it four stars.

About the Author
Rebecca was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California. She spent countless hours swimming in the ocean, collecting shells, and building sandcastles. She graduated from BYU with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. While attending BYU, she met and married her sweetheart, Del. Rebecca now lives in Colorado on a small ranch with a spoiled horse, a dog, goats, and a llama named Tina. She and Del have been blessed with 10 creative and multi-talented children. She has had numerous stories published in children s magazines, including the Friend and is the author of Heaven Scent, an LDS novel published by Cedar Fort. Besides writing, Rebecca also enjoys dating her husband, playing with her kids, knitting, and dancing to disco music while she cleans the house. She has consumed at least 4892 pounds of chocolate and even more ice cream (which is why she needs to dance while she cleans house).

The Santa Letters by Stacy Gooch-Anderson

One year ago on Christmas Eve, William died. For Emma, the hit-and-run driver killed more than her husband; he killed her joy in life itself.

Now, as Christmas approaches again, Emma Jensen finds herself sinking into depression that nothing can breach--not her job, not her love for her children, and certainly not the season. Money is tight, and emotions are taut, and this year Christmas will be a meager, empty, and painful experience. Only six-year-old McKenna believes in miracles and the magic of Christmas. The rest of the family knows that Christmas can never be the same.

But when a mysterious package and an ornate letter arrive on the doorstep, things begin to change. Each day, a package and a letter signed "Santa" arrive for the family, and together they come to understand that the joy of Christmas does not have to be lost forever, and that God's love can heal any wound, no matter how deep.

The Santa Letters will take the Jensens on a journey through a Christmas experience that will have the power to heal them all.

To visit her amazing website click on the link in my sidebar.




I will admit that this was a difficult book to read. The book is awesome, and well written. The story is wonderfull. This is my niece McKensie, she was diagonosed at the tender age of 9 monts old with AML Lukemia. She is fighting for her life and has very little chance to survive. Her disease is chemotharapy resistant and she cant remain in remission long enough to get a bone marrow transplant. However small miracles such as her brother being a 10/10 match for the transplant keep our hopes buoyed up. Death and loss is dificult but with the help of our Savior and others; we can survive even the darkest hours of our lives.

To visit McKensies website see the sidebar also.

And the winner is. . .

Mouth!!!!! (Ruby)

Thanks guys for the entries, it was alot of fun. Thanks Scott for the interview and the books.

I had 6 entries and my hubby drew her name from the pot. Congrats!

Leave me your email in the comments and I won't post it.

Far World 1 Waterkeep review and a book giveaway.

Well school has been in for just a week and I finally have time this month to post about this really incredible book Far World By J. Scott Savage. I don't normally read YA but I was pulled in almost immediately by the first chapter. Wow I kept saying. We were out to dinner at Joes Valley Marina as a family. Great place,, a must do if you are in Emery County. Anyways I kept reading snippets to my 14 yo daughter. She kept trying to take the book from me.

The story revolves around Marcus a handicaped boy in a boys school in Arizona who has magic powers. And Kyja, a girl who has no magical powers living on Farworld a magical world where animals talk, fish fly and magic abounds. Kyja some how brings Marcus to farworld just in time and they are met and guided by Master Therapass an elderly teacher and wizzard. Dark forces combine to get Marcus and thay go on the run. I won't tell you anything else because then there would be no point in picking up the book and reading it.

My family and I were able to spend some time with Scott and talk about the book. We chose to hike Nine Mile Canyon a local tourist attraction just 30 minutes from my home. So we packed a lunch and took off to see the petroglyphs. my interview follows.



Here we are, in Nine Mile Canyon, just a hop skip and jump from my stomping grounds in Castle Dale. I should be a fantasy writer huh? Castles…dragons…. We are hiking to see the petroglyphs today and thought I'd bring J. Scott Savage along for the trek.
Oh, you definitely need to write a book about a place called Castle Dell. So are you actually hiking nine miles or is that more of a metaphorical kind of thing? Not that, you know, I have any problem hiking nine miles, or anything.

So are you ready? Pack? Food? Sunscreen? Bug repellant? Water? Hat—you need a hat the sun can be very hot here in south eastern Utah… Did you ever worry that Master Therapass would be compared to Dumbledore?

Yep. Got my Mickey shades, my Goofy hat and my Minnie Mouse sun screen. I’m a regular mountain man.
I think that everyone who writes a YA fantasy for the next twenty years is going to have to give at least some thought to whether or not their book is too much like some aspect of Harry Potter. But at the same time, if your story is good enough, people will stop making comparisons and just focus on the plot. With that being said, it’s human nature to compare a wizard in a story to other wizards from literature. Is he more Dumbledore or Gandalf or Merlin?

What is your writing process? Do you plot and outline everything or do you sit in a chair with a blank page and write? What was your process with this book? You seem like a think ahead prepared guy.

I’m a think ahead guy, but not a write ahead guy. My outlining is much more likely to have pictures and maps than detailed chapter notes. I do have some very detailed notes on the specifics of each type of elemental and their magic powers.

How long did the trail head say this hike would be? Did you have inspiration for your bad guys or is your head really that dark?

Don’t worry about me. I always gasp for breath like this. It’s a . . . um . . . relaxation technique. The sweating is intentional too. If you ask my wife, she’ll tell you I have a really warped imagination.

Hey kids quit throwing rocks! Oh Sorry. Were you bullied in school? Or were you the bully?

Heh, heh. Those little dickens. I’ll just patch up my head with my Donald Duck band-aids. I was definitely on the receiving end of the bullying. I think that had a big effect on my writing and on how much I read.

It's a a good thing that the petroglyphs aren't at the end of the nine miles. Who is your favorite character?

Oh, I was hoping they were at the end. I hike nine miles every morning. Well maybe not ninemiles. Maybe a little less. Okay, it’s more like nine minutes. With a break in between. It’s a little like having kids. I can’t pick a favorite. I like them all in different ways.

This looks like a great place to stop and have lunch. MMMMMM… Sandwiches, chips and pop, portable but not very nutritious, and we have rice crispy treats for desert, they don't melt as easily as chocolate chip cookies. How do you get into the head of a 13 year old girl?

Well first you have to drill a very small hole, then exhale and . . . Just kidding. Great sandwiches. Mind if I put some of my chips in the middle? I love that. Okay, the real answer is that you have to believe in your characters. If you try to get into their heads it doesn’t work. But once they become real to you it’s easy. It gets to the point where you know what kind of food they’d like, what kind of games they play, what they dream of.

Boy it is hot out here Probably A lot like your fire keep will be…, Do you know what, if any, element the fifth book will have?

It sure is. Guess I shouldn’t have put a Rice Crispy treat in my pocket huh? There are only four elementals. I think people are going to be really surprised by the fifth book.

Hey look! A lizard just like Rif Raff. Where did the idea for the story come from?

Good thing Riph Raph didn’t hear you call him a lizard.

It is hot. Water? Michelle grins at her stupid joke.

Either you are really funny or we are suffering for some serious heat stroke.

Well here we are at the petroglyphs, perfect timing for the last question, What advise do you have for the aspiring writer?

Wow. Very cool. Definitely worth the hike. It’s probably a cliché, but read, read, and read. Then when you write, write the kinds of stories that hook you. Don’t write a story that’s “good enough.” Write something that would make you sit up and take notice.

Thank you Scott, Hope you enjoy the senic drive back to civilization along Highway six.

Some links about Nine Mile Canyon are listed below.

http://www.utahoutdoors.com/nine-mile-canyon/nine-mile-canyon.html


http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/price/recreation/9mile.html


Now for the contest. Use your surfing/research skills and look up Nine Mile Canyon and tell me in the commment section the name of one of the petroglyph pannels. I will draw a name from the correct answers in five days. The winner will get a personaly signed copy of Farworld Waterkeep before it is available in stores!

Caught in the Headlights by Barry K. Philips

"If your focus is on peace rather than "happiness," You will set your goals and priorities differently because you truely want something different--something long-lasting, something better. You want peace."

I picked up this book a day ago thinking that with its length and the topic it would be an easy read. Boy was I wrong and right at the same time. The author's voice is nice, almost campy, making it an easy read. He is a bit scattered, on purpose, which I enjoy. But the subject matter is something entirely different. Although I was able to read it in an evening, I will have to go back and read it again and again. There is so much stuff in this thin 104 page book.

The author is/was a motivational speaker and knows his topic and how to present it well.

The premise of the book is that we go through life looking, searching for things like happiness and we are going about it all wrong. In fact we shouldn't be looking for happiness and doing things to make us happy, we should be doing things for our fellow man and that is what will make us truely happy.

Caught in the headlights, 10 lessons learned the hard way, delves into topics such as happiness, pride, freedom, controll, tollerance, forgivness, and sucess. My favorite chapter was the one on self esteem. I am a firm beliver that the instilling of "self-esteem programs" in places like school and workplaces can actually be counter-prodouctive. Making people selfish and afraid to compete or stretch thier self boundaries at all. Think of the "what's in it for me?" generation that is going to be the primary work force in the next few years. Whereas, I think that people need to have a positive image of their self so that they can be sucessfull and go into the world after school and make something of themselves. In my opinion, the author has hit it right on the nail.

So untill I can learn the lessons brought to me in this well written book; thanks for a wonderfull read and a book I will go back to again and again.

Caught in the Headlights

Trade Paperback: 116 pages

Publisher: Cedar Fort (June 2008)

ISBN-10: 1599551675

ISBN-13: 978-1599551678

Website: www.barrykphillips.com

Blog: http://www.barrykphillips.com/blog

Room for Two by Abel Keogh

The first time I saw Abel Keogh was at the conference held at CFI. His presentation was on websites and blogs. The presentation was amazing. I learned so much from him. However, the information used as his back cover was what interested me as an author.

~~

"Sweetie, I'm home." I tried to put as much kindness into my voice as possible. I didn't want to have another argument - at least not right away.
Silence.
"Sweetheart?"
A gunshot echoed from our bedroom, followed by the sound of a bullet casing skipping along a wall.
Everything slowed down.
***
When a life is destroyed, when guilt says you played a role in its destruction, how do you face the days ahead?
Twenty-six-year-old Abel Keogh chooses to ignore the promptings he receives concerning his wife's mental illness, and now he feels he is to blame for her choices. If only he had listened . . .
At some point in our lives, each of us face devastating afflictions and must eventually cope with loss. Regardless of how it happens, the outcome is still the same - we are left isolated, alone, wondering what we could have done differently, and where we can turn for peace.
This is Abel's story in his own words. His search for peace and the miracle that follows is proof that love and hope can endure, despite the struggles and tragedies that shape each of our lives.

~~

I was so intrigued by the story that I wished I had money to buy the book that day. Every time I thought about his story I wanted to go out and buy it. When the opportunity presented itself to do a review I jumped on it. As soon as I had the book in my hands I read it that day.
The story is well written and Abel has a voice that is not only easy to read; it draws you in and keeps a hold on your heart. I was not disappointed in this page turner. The story deals not only with his life starting at that fateful moment but through all of the turns and dilemmas that a young widower faces. Living through anger and guilt; blaming himself and his wife for the tragic circumstances. Dealing with dating and the repercussions that his past brings into it.
I was drawn in even more as the story began to deal with a marathon runner and what goes into the training for them, I have sisters in law that run and it intrigues me as to the mindset and the physical ability of someone who not only runs 26+ miles but does it on a broken leg. I think my favorite part was when Abel ran the training distance and kept the training pace. I was rooting the whole way for him.
The book is bitter sweet with more sweet than bitter but there were times I needed my box of tissues. This is a definite feel good book that renews the reader’s faith in the human race. I had a big happy sigh as I put the book down as I closed it for the last time. This is one of those books that I will keep on my shelf for a long time and recommend to a lot of people.
Thank you, Abel.

Room for Two
Trade Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Cedar Fort (August 2007)
ISBN-10: 1599550628
ISBN-13: 978-1599550626

Preparedess Principles By Barbara Salsbury

Okay the geek part of me is coming out of the closet.
I am a food storage nut. I have, from day one of my marriage, worried about, studied, and purchased food storage. When we lived in Logan we had an all day power outage and we were able to dig a pit in our backyard and cook with a Dutch oven and feed us and our neighbors. I also stocked up on food storage every chance I got when we lived there. Every one of my friends over a month’s time said that their leaders had spoken about food storage. I took it to heart and purchased more than I normally would of flour and rice and other things.
When we moved and took all of it with us I was a little confused. I had suspected a disaster because of the feelings I had. It turned out that two years later my DH who had just graduated from BYU this time was laid off and spent 6 weeks looking for a new job. We lived off of that food for those 6 weeks except for perishables. Now with the sell of our old house I have managed to almost finish our food storage for a family of eight.

Do you know how many 45 roll boxes of toilet paper you need for a year for eight people?
21!!!! Where do you put them all? Don’t know, still trying to find out.

If you have EVER wanted a comprehensive book about food storage and emergency preparedness this is it.

Preparedness Principles by Barbara Salsbury.

I was excited to read this book, it is truly a find. There is so much information she has prepared and presented in this one book. Its 356 pages are chock full of information on emergency’s, food storage, water storage and purification, gardening, making storage in the home and 72 hour kits. It has recipes in it to use with your storage, even how to make a simple cottage cheese out of powdered milk.

This book is a well written, easy to read reference. It has a bare bones chart for basic food storage that I have used myself for figuring out how much I need to buy. There are diagrams on how to store your food in a small space. (Think of the movie, The RM, the bed out of boxes and mylar packages. ) How to build shelves on the inside of closet doors. Indoor and container gardens. And lots of other information. The book is also peppered with quotes from people from all over. They are very thought provoking.

In all, it was a pleasure to read. And I will be recommending it to my family and friends. It would be a good Christmas present for those you care about.

You can buy the book by using the link in my side bar.