Monday, July 26, 2010

Chocolate Roses reviews


"If you haven't read [Jane Eyre], then no problem. It's still a very entertaining read." Valerie Ipson at Of Writerly Things

[This Jane Eyre adaptation is] "handled with a delightfully deft hand that makes this book very hard to put down." JDP News.

I also loved this review at Star Crossed.

"Chocolate Roses hits high marks for being a well-rounded tale with laughter and drama."
-Laurie C Lewis

"What she did right." The Write Blocks

"Chocolate Roses... is fresh and original." Parson's Posts

"Chocolate Roses is a fun read." Annie Speaks Her Mind

"Good Clean LDS romance with intrigue, humor and chocolate." Taffy's Candy

Tristi liked it at Tristi Pinkston

"I wondered, 'How would Joan take [Jane Eyre] and put it into a modern day story? Let's just say, she did a fantastic job.'" LDS Women's Book Review

"This is definitely one I will read again--perhaps on a stormy evening, wrapped up in my quilt, with a box of delicious chocolate close at hand! Kaylee Baldwin

"Mouth watering, and a sweet read." Anna Arnett

"What's not to like about this novel? Go buy it." Writer in the Pines

Joan Sowards "does a brilliant job of paralleling the two stories and making it completely believable." Arizona Forever

"Doesn't the name just tempt you to pick it up?" Tangled Words and Dreams

"It really is a quite creative and fun read." For the Love of the Written Word

"This book could be a chapter out of real life for many twenty-seven year-old single LDS girls." Anna Del C Dye's Blog



Thursday, July 22, 2010

Blog Tour Chocolate Roses


Love chocolate?
Love Jane Eyre?
Then you're going to love the blog tour
(July 26-August 6)
for Chocolate Roses by Joan Sowards.

Janie Rose Whitaker’s world revolved around her chocolate shop until Roger Wentworth and his young daughter moved into the apartment across from Janie’s. Anyone would think Roger fit the mold of the “perfect” guy, but soon Janie discovers secrets that could keep them apart forever. Though she resists getting involved in Roger’s complicated life, they are drawn further into a bittersweet relationship.

You will laugh, cry, and crave chocolate as you read this LDS parody of the classic novel
Jane Eyre.



We have two great prizes up for grabs!
Win either a copy of Chocolate Roses (2 winners)
or this fabulous apron created by Joan!



All you have to do is leave a comment
(along with your email address if it isn't on your blog profile)
and answer the following question.

What's your favorite type of
chocolate: white, dark, or milk?

The more blogs you comment on the
more entries you'll receive.
All comments must be left by
midnight MST on August 8 to be eligible.

July 26
Margaret Turley
Nichole Giles--
Joyce DiPastena--JDP News

July 27
Deanne Blackhurst--Annie Speaks Her Mind
Tristi Pinkston--*Tristi Pinkston

July 28
Taffy Lovell--Taffy's Candy
Alison Palmer--Tangled Words and Dreams

July 29
Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen--The Write Blocks
C.S. Bezas--For the Love of the Written Word

July 30
Sheila Stayley--Why Not? Because I Said So!
LDSWomen's Book Review

August 2
Kerry Blair--Now & Here
Marsha Ward--Writer in the Pines

August 3
Kaylee Baldwin--Kaylee Baldwin
Amy Orton--Amesbury Reads

August 4
Anna del C.--Anna del C. Dye's Blog
Laurie Lewis--A View from the Other Side

August 5
Valerie Ipson--Of Writerly Things
Anna Arnett--Insights and Ramblings from Anna Arnett

August 6
Lynn Parsons
Danyelle Ferguson--Queen of the Clan

Chocolate Roses can be purchased
from Deseret Book, Amazon, and of
course your local LDS bookstore.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Author interview!

Walnut Springs Press published an author interview with me on their webpage. Please come visit. There are three photos of my family through the years.

I'm still sad about my music website not working. The problem/glitch has still not been detected. If there is a song you need, email and ask for it (using the address to the
right) and I will email the pdf to you.

Chocolate Rose's blog tour will be starting in two weeks. I am excited! We will give away a copy of the novel and one of my cute homecrafted aprons.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Redemption by Susan Dayley



My guest reviewer today is Kristy Stapley

I loved reading The Story of Jonah, Redemption, or subtitled The Terrible City by Susan Dayley. It captured my attention from the beginning, telling Jonah's life from his childhood to his later years when he met the big fish. It is obvious that Dayley did her research about the cities, travel, geographic layout, and ancient customs.. The story is entertaining, is a good pace, never dragged, and was just the right length.

Honestly, I found Redemption intriguing, yet still an easy read. The author gives believable explanations why Jonah made the choices he did.

This is Susan Dayley's first published novel. I recommend it and look forward to seeing what she will publish in the future.


It is the eighth century BC. No Hebrew will purposely venture into the Assyrian Empire, whose practice of barbarous slaughter casts a shadow of fear over all of Israel. But God calls Jonah, an Israelite prophet, to cry repentance to the evil empire’s capital—the great and terrible city of Nineveh. Fearing the Assyrians and doubting the wisdom of the divine call, Jonah flees in the opposite direction. But in a series of miracles, God gives Jonah a second chance to obey. Journey with Jonah in a wealth-laden ship of Tarshish, hear his prayers inside the belly of a great fish, witness his struggles working in a desert caravan, and feel his terror as he finally arrives in Nineveh. And while Jonah does eventually preach in the great city, the prophet still has some lessons to learn . . . With historically accurate details, Redemption is a story of repentance, trust, and God’s love for all his children.

To learn more about Redemption, and Susan Dayley, visit her blog.

Enter a drawing on June 16, 2010 at Walnut Springs Press to win a free copy of Redemption.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

A fun video chock full of good advice for writers.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010