tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22242025130944919352024-03-18T03:48:52.246-07:00Joan Sowards, AuthorUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger183125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-71175501468795163692021-07-01T11:58:00.017-07:002021-07-01T13:10:42.293-07:00<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Shadows Into Light; font-size: x-large;">Welcome SUMMER BOOK TREK Participants!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href=" https://storytellersinzion.com/sbt/how-to-play/ " style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1406" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawLJ7AJE2I0QWMQza7w3aR2ORx7n8J3hZI63ABhqjSoBaaUlYFQbRGPecdOyIhO1sLwvO941Zh_znVve1ww3td5Gptp6TQV8QUnZp7L0THo4w4c7lZep1sCwsmAenJ5txAffXBxiKNE9n/w552-h295/Screen+Shot+2021-07-01+at+11.40.22+AM.png" width="552" /></a><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">All the month of July, anyone can participate in the <a href=" http://bit.ly/2KbdCI7" target="_blank">Summer Book Trek</a>. BUT before you leave to do so, please subscribe to my newsletter. (link on sidebar.) I hope you enter to win a copy of my historical romance, <i>Shadows of Montsegur, A Tale of the Cathars </i>that is featured on the Trek Facebook game page on July 14. To purchase <i>Shadows of Montsegur</i> as either Kindle or softcover, visit <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Montsegur-Tale-Cathars-Sowards-ebook/dp/B076G2PFV4" rel="" target="_blank">Amazon</a>.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6Gds5U-0UGte39GWPkrEpfhfQalkAOwWVnCChu3naLKR0D1dkenVZh9sx9RIlhP_1YIDYLePmUYx0W7aHv6YXWymVf4cYJqXiBtgl9dY5RgFG8VfOEhMmP_fzU0sanTbJOGlx64dUlQf/s500/51Nfa3UMq3L.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="340" height="417" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6Gds5U-0UGte39GWPkrEpfhfQalkAOwWVnCChu3naLKR0D1dkenVZh9sx9RIlhP_1YIDYLePmUYx0W7aHv6YXWymVf4cYJqXiBtgl9dY5RgFG8VfOEhMmP_fzU0sanTbJOGlx64dUlQf/w284-h417/51Nfa3UMq3L.jpg" width="284" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shadows of Montsegur, A Tale of the Cathars</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you! </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-53820645803407701312020-02-01T15:26:00.000-08:002021-01-23T09:23:00.124-08:00Are Records Always Right?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJoa8aNbUcY7g1XTxMldH0lqJLSvxTFwYkv1aGWhXaKIsdZhxbnHswDQXoegQWh700t-_5_JLqZkllJhpNxm9JFNeRFr6fE_Gx4UMEKZPgLpuiDSrvHE57jIJmR9vs3paES1GlL6m1mTu/s1600/836227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJoa8aNbUcY7g1XTxMldH0lqJLSvxTFwYkv1aGWhXaKIsdZhxbnHswDQXoegQWh700t-_5_JLqZkllJhpNxm9JFNeRFr6fE_Gx4UMEKZPgLpuiDSrvHE57jIJmR9vs3paES1GlL6m1mTu/s1600/836227.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I am a family history buff and have been going through my deceased aunt's ancient files to make sure every name and date is on FamilySearch. I ran across a 1956 letter from cousin Bessie Young where she reports her frustration that many family dates conflict with each other. To emphasize the point, she included what a local talk show hostess had said:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> "I am celebrating two birthdays this year. I had always celebrated the fourth of February until I received my birth certificate and found my birthday was the fifth!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A few days later, a lady from Monet (MO) wrote the hostess and said, "Well I have thought all these years I was a female, but when I received my birth certificate, I learned I was a male."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ha, ha! Records can be wrong. Headstones are notoriously in error. So don't think what you think is the dead truth is set in stone.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-90969221043845066962019-11-12T12:08:00.000-08:002019-11-16T14:40:27.698-08:00Resurgam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Montsegur-Tale-Cathars-Sowards-ebook/dp/B076G2PFV4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="919" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahK-GJaHjJemxLBDABbUar-FKrMWUAjqqhMsHx61OCucBOch8EiXBHJKvrQZVvrCGiRCLGZwpSrbwBQyNx0LyYMPsR_k_VkDfIlee4d00R591wmYzOR9MqfI7aE_yFN5j7G1Q1euStfT7/s320/SHADOWS+COVER+FINAL+crop.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Resurgam. Charlotte Bronte used the word in Jane Eyre, and I like it. It means: I shall rise again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Since publishing my medieval historical novel, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Montsegur-Tale-Cathars-Sowards-ebook/dp/B076G2PFV4">Shadows of Montsegur</a>, A Tale of the Cathars, </i>a lot of life has happened. Of the six novels I've offered to the world, <i>Shadows</i> is the most significant--it's story, its message, its value to literature. I researched and wrote for seven years, and Dennis and I visited the location in France where the story actually happened. I felt good in publishing when I did. Our society has so much controversy about freedom, so the novel's message is timely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Before I published <i>Shadows of Montsegur</i>, my traditional publisher was showing signs of financially struggling; not paying their authors was the obvious sign. My critique group and other writer friends told me to try self-publishing. They had taken that route and found success. After much deliberation, I took the plunge, hired a professional book cover designer and also the best editor I knew, and became an indie author.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-HjB733xKzGp3-vUEDms2lApMi4gymowvG1Pn3SsAS0KGXXZhxQxbkYSAO2W_tCI3NJ0azk-zqr3ALiIaw6trNKsHkgpMrGxIzAnrik15DOpXPuyM6AjdppdCaGMrqE_HAjcDnb80VqL/s1600/BookLaunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="960" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-HjB733xKzGp3-vUEDms2lApMi4gymowvG1Pn3SsAS0KGXXZhxQxbkYSAO2W_tCI3NJ0azk-zqr3ALiIaw6trNKsHkgpMrGxIzAnrik15DOpXPuyM6AjdppdCaGMrqE_HAjcDnb80VqL/s400/BookLaunch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Then we threw the most fun book launch party(here is the cast of characters), shouted my book on all the social sites on the list, did an Amazon promo, etc. My novel was doing well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">But only two months into it, I was diagnosed with lung cancer--no pain, no symptoms, and I'd never smoked a cigarette in my life! I can't blame my carcinoid tumor for my plummeting book sales, but there is something about the C word that downs your spirit. All optimism that my novel would make a big bang in the historical fiction world flew out the window, and all I wanted to do was hide in my house (snuggled on my comfy couch) until the whole cancer thing was over. Who could feel exuberant about book promoting? This too would pass, I'd tell myself, and then I'd get back to my novel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">But when I had recovered from surgery, I could do very little, and it wasn't the physical that restrained me. I was one of the fortunate who, by removing an obnoxious tumor, removed the cancer and it was gone. I didn't need radiation or chemo. I should have been enthusiastic and bouncing on the gym floor. But I couldn't muster any desire to bounce, or to promote. And I had no confidence to do so, no confidence to put myself out there as the author of a fantastic story. Had my confidence (I know I've used the word 3 times now) been removed along with the lung I now missed? </span><span style="font-size: large;">I might have gotten as far as setting up a promo, and yet could not get myself to click the "submit" or "post" button. The air had gone out of my balloon. I was as wimpy as my protagonist on the first page of her story. I felt doomed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My husband took me back to Montsegur, France. It was what I needed--to be reminded of why I had written <i>Shadows, </i>its message, and what the Cathars had gone through because they would not denounce their beliefs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Then life took a turn. We volunteered to spend the summer of 2019 in central Wyoming at a historical site called Martin's Cove. It filled my need to hide (in the middle of nowhere) while we served six months with 39 other couples who lived high standards and were fun to be with. We hosted at the visitors center and assisted youth groups who came to reenact pioneer treks wearing pioneer clothing and pulling handcarts across the valley in the never-ceasing Wyoming wind. It was rejuvenating, but I hardly did any book promoting.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGOADlWkhu_o4ZU-mC45PAdIItnTEbIGYzZfWhACfzGEg6k_6QjYkHTwMEbLL5OaDFkn3bYHI4GXz-J9YGYApCvVktOc-u7jvFdvtVhs63mwcxhMKuAFGk7PYyT-vlxxd2xMDAEP_z9ih/s1600/IMG_3081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGOADlWkhu_o4ZU-mC45PAdIItnTEbIGYzZfWhACfzGEg6k_6QjYkHTwMEbLL5OaDFkn3bYHI4GXz-J9YGYApCvVktOc-u7jvFdvtVhs63mwcxhMKuAFGk7PYyT-vlxxd2xMDAEP_z9ih/s400/IMG_3081.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reenactment of pioneer treks</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After six months, we returned. It is time to procrastinate no longer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you have read <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Montsegur-Tale-Cathars-Sowards-ebook/dp/B076G2PFV4"><i>Shadows of Montsegur, A Tale of the Cathars</i></a>, THANK YOU, and please leave a review or comment on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Montsegur-Tale-Cathars-Sowards-ebook/dp/B076G2PFV4">Amazon</a>. Reviews mean everything to authors. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you enjoy learning about our history, I encourage you to read <i>Shadows of Montsegur, A Tale of the Cathars. </i>It recounts a tragic event in history, but will leave you uplifted, with a better understanding of what mankind has gone through.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Has something in your life ever put your plans on hold? Share in the comments below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCq-4ypCU9HZ-WHguBFX3Qpi5Uh3oW5dTvx8ti6Ql-nwYJ961ymj8dPQ_wE8q_k96KXcaAUiCT56yg_G6838uI9ylJ7xvymxraEgas6np2TJL-Jjrw2lVbZMlxAZA5_3CR_8n7tfwFtCb/s1600/Shadows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="960" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCq-4ypCU9HZ-WHguBFX3Qpi5Uh3oW5dTvx8ti6Ql-nwYJ961ymj8dPQ_wE8q_k96KXcaAUiCT56yg_G6838uI9ylJ7xvymxraEgas6np2TJL-Jjrw2lVbZMlxAZA5_3CR_8n7tfwFtCb/s320/Shadows.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-64897356718758245432019-03-16T11:30:00.001-07:002019-03-16T11:33:21.599-07:00<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Montsegur-Tale-Cathars-Sowards-ebook/dp/B076G2PFV4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjD5h9CUZWKqjY9OHZZP5FGjKqjNMGI-K6Z3ZsXJ2b1Rkro53st39nJv39mwvbBlFKsS1T3IpsX51XFqx2_VuHXBnbYJfobFDOf19XlZ2e8XRxft5geYXcvxOtRgR3x5rXMZzVt78ZEiOV/s320/SHADOWS+COVER+FINAL+crop.jpg" width="217" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On this day, March 16, in 1244 over 200 Cathar believers were burned at the stake by the hand of the Inquisition in southern France at the fortress known as Montsegur. Their story is told in my novel Shadows of Montsegur--with a touch of romance.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-9649757865065549872018-05-17T08:56:00.002-07:002019-03-16T11:39:22.761-07:00Shadows of Montsegur, A Tale of the Cathars, book trailer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fupYD74ztWc"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fupYD74ztWc/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fupYD74ztWc?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></a><br />
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fupYD74ztWc<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Andreva's story tells of a tragic event in medieval history. It reflects our time with freedoms and lives in jeopardy. </span><br />
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Andreva de Beringer is joyful upon her uncle’s summons to leave the abbey in Toulouse to care for her grandmother. She arrives in Lavelanet to find a village gripped by the terror of the Inquisition and a growing army surrounding the Cathar fortress known as Montsegur. While Andreva strives to hold on to her family, her faith, and the young farmer she loves, all around her, Good Men (Cathars) must fight for their religion and life itself. </div>
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In the right place, but at a dreadfully wrong time, and under the wrath of the Inquisition, might this faith-filled but naïve girl be forced to witness the massacre and burning of every Cathar man, woman, and child, and also lose the young farmer she loves?</div>
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;">The venturesome reader, students of history, and those who cheer for the rights of mankind can learn from this seldom-told tale of medieval history at its darkest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-size: x-large;">What do you know about the Albigensian Crusade, the Cathars, or their extermination?</span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-33146551661675415122018-04-27T10:20:00.001-07:002018-04-27T10:21:33.832-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://historyplex.com/albigensian-crusade-facts-timeline">Historyplex</a> is a great site that explains more about the Albigensian Crusade, the time setting for Shadows of Montsegur.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Montsegur-Tale-Cathars-Sowards-ebook/dp/B076G2PFV4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510544265&sr=8-1&keywords=shadows+of+montsegur+sowards"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="919" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXxPGfvX54HRgoylYIEnYLe94RD0cXGQUN8C5Ff4vQwBAUrOEcEa47bIumE9L-ppu2hxeB_IsxCNJRG6ARqCQKrgI4aEROnatM7ThbCSd5BziPgSe2w9ZROZsgcyKP0zSKAxpghTplZ6f/s320/SHADOWS+COVER+FINAL+crop.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-38450285424749504432017-12-04T08:36:00.000-08:002018-04-27T10:12:40.410-07:00Shadows of Montsegur, A Tale of the Cathars<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzkxNqvTcxMRmlAcilwArq99964wVfX1_mCrxI10cluReyktVKkhDf2KYPmnJV-nnL2M2JdZ5FX0YdjjQlZGh4RChbUqyi-WVaibNo3KWIxDmA3mxZbw8VDuJI4c9p_zSl_j4gOOQtaqA/s1600/SHADOWS+COVER+FINAL+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="919" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzkxNqvTcxMRmlAcilwArq99964wVfX1_mCrxI10cluReyktVKkhDf2KYPmnJV-nnL2M2JdZ5FX0YdjjQlZGh4RChbUqyi-WVaibNo3KWIxDmA3mxZbw8VDuJI4c9p_zSl_j4gOOQtaqA/s320/SHADOWS+COVER+FINAL+crop.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A religious people are pursecuted for their belief, driven from their homes, and must run from an extermination order issued by those who fear them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sounds all too familiar. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There is truth in the saying that history repeats itself.<br />
<br />The year is 1144. Andreva de Beringer is joyful upon her uncle’s summons to leave the abbey in Toulouse, where she is novice, to care for her grandmother, but she arrives in Lavelanet to find a village gripped by the turmoil and terror of the Inquisition. While Andreva strives to hold on to her family, her faith, and her love, all around her Good Men (believers in the Cathar religion) must fight for the same—as well as for life itself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the right place, but at a dreadfully wrong time, and under the wrath of the Inquisition, might this faith-filled but naïve girl be forced to witness the massacre and burning of every Cathar man, woman, and child, and also lose the young farmer she loves?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The venturesome reader, students of history, and those who cheer for the rights of mankind can learn from this seldom-told tale of medieval history at its darkest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Is this so different from what is happening to our religious freedom today?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Available at <a href="https://goo.gl/fQVQNX">Amazon</a> and your favorite digial ebook sites.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-4534129043899014482017-05-15T22:16:00.000-07:002017-05-15T22:28:09.671-07:00Salem Witch Haunt by Theresa Sneed<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizvLf6W1bftKWlKWpiIMschpcK027qsg1Y0Ys_FNYJM7wd2gDKW-Wj0dOME37muqdWwI4TC9repjlCWeoQ9DQz3-Gd1WBxvfw5PNZheQJ5_JN_stQc4n-TBg2LFnsbVfO9gSykaVYegDlq/s1600/51FTjbRGwXL._SX322_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizvLf6W1bftKWlKWpiIMschpcK027qsg1Y0Ys_FNYJM7wd2gDKW-Wj0dOME37muqdWwI4TC9repjlCWeoQ9DQz3-Gd1WBxvfw5PNZheQJ5_JN_stQc4n-TBg2LFnsbVfO9gSykaVYegDlq/s400/51FTjbRGwXL._SX322_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="258" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">I cho</span></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I chose to read Salem Witch Haunt to learn more about my ancestress who was hung during these infamous trials in Salem. Author Theresa Sneed gave life to these historical events and explained how the revengeful "circle girls" made up the accusations toward these older women. I was amazed at how their community could believe these awful lies, and actually condemned these women to death. It must have been a scary time and place in which to live!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Living in Salem, Massachusetts amidst the legends and annual re-enactments of the 1692 Salem witch trials, Bess Martin, a Danvers high-schooler, gets caught in a strange storm and finds herself back in 1692. She is taken in by kind people, including Hezekiah who is the ancestor of her best friend, Trent. Bess witnesses the pandemonium and events building up to these famous trials and hangings, including those of her own 11th great-grandmother, Susannah Martin. Though the story witnesses these sad events, it has a <b>delightful twist</b> at the end, and leaves us with possibilities of sequels.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">The story portrays Bess' interesting experiences adjusting to the time period, witnessing events of the times, and her developing romance with Hezekiah. My only complaint was that I wanted to see and learn more about Susanna North Martin, whom </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">the author and I share as a common ancestor</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">. I felt, as a reader, that I could only observe her, and I wished so much to get into her life and her thoughts. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: large;">But I guess I need a book that focuses on her. Theresa? Nevertheless, I found <i>Salem Witch Haunt</i> worth the read, and I appreciate Sneed's thorough research of Salem, 1692. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">As my tradition, here is a quote from the novel. Hubby chose a random number, page 16:</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">"Come on, Seth. It's getting dark."</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">A loud wail left his throat. She [Bess] jumped back, a little irritated. "Come on. Now!" She grabbed for his hand, but her fingers slipped past his. "Come on!" Again she tried, but her hand passed through his. "What's going on?" She placed a hand on his shoulder, but it passed straight through him. She fell back, aghast. "Seth?" Her voice broke. <i>He is dead!</i> Her knees buckled beneath her, and she slipped to the ground and wept.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxRc6gw5yOOhX9MfssT_KlJYZNP9jFSNPV7X63XL_FbOcjL88txp6ItPeB8BtyR66eS8XPxIBlBTMfqnUEm0eaTr22v5IYrfmrhb6DFYOK8Ibo90xkbiOSlvGKfXYJW8mtw-uTixcD_6z/s1600/71vzVche81L._SY200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxRc6gw5yOOhX9MfssT_KlJYZNP9jFSNPV7X63XL_FbOcjL88txp6ItPeB8BtyR66eS8XPxIBlBTMfqnUEm0eaTr22v5IYrfmrhb6DFYOK8Ibo90xkbiOSlvGKfXYJW8mtw-uTixcD_6z/s1600/71vzVche81L._SY200_.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Theresa Sneed has several books published—traditionally and professionally self-published, with many more to come. Included is her</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i> No Angel</i> series,<i> Earth Angel </i>series, <i>The Sons of Elderberry </i>series, and<i> Escape</i> series. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Her <a href="http://www.theresasneed.com/">website</a>. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Read more about Salem Witch Haunt at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Salem-Witch-Haunt-time-travel/dp/149979262X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1492450106&sr=1-1&keywords=Salem+Witch+Haunt">Amazon</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Leave a comment and be eligible to win a copy of <i>Clairvoyance</i>!</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-31040018005823501332017-05-08T14:58:00.000-07:002017-05-08T15:01:10.799-07:00The Triple Date Dare by Lauraine Henderson<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTf8xe6XuUmrs7Vh2njZRGNaG6MAyyN6F49pq0Lyd77sIQ6r581FxNSAHD23oX9Amuzhyl0UiA4vx7VUmhmQv0C0UuHnU2kEcitEVagJvP87zbG68PwO11-WVSZxtv2LJJHCJ-_R-wtH2P/s1600/51BvFVpny-L._SY346_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTf8xe6XuUmrs7Vh2njZRGNaG6MAyyN6F49pq0Lyd77sIQ6r581FxNSAHD23oX9Amuzhyl0UiA4vx7VUmhmQv0C0UuHnU2kEcitEVagJvP87zbG68PwO11-WVSZxtv2LJJHCJ-_R-wtH2P/s320/51BvFVpny-L._SY346_.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Triple Date Dare is Lauraine Henderson's debut novel, and a great story for being her first! The author lives in Oregon, and I met her round about way. My son called and asked if I could go several miles to pick up his friend and her bicycle (in my little Prius) and bring them to the Mesa Arts Center for a concert they were producing. We jammed the bike into the car, and then had a lovely discussion on the way to Mesa. Amy told me her mother had written a novel and asked if I would like to read it. I'm glad I did!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Laura Nelson is a cute and quirky young mystery writer, working on her second novel. She goes to an Oregon beach house, owned by her sister-in-law's parents, for peace and quiet and lots of writing time. She finds everything but.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The village of Sunset Bay has a lot of interesting characters, and Laura keeps up with all of them, especially the handsome police officer, David Harrington, who she continually keeps off-balance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Triple Date Dare is a contemporary, inspirational tale of redemption and romance. Laura's past life comes back to haunt her as she tries to leave it all behind and make a better life for herself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Officer David Harrington has a dark past of his own. He's sworn off women to keep his privacy. Any girls who might hint she would like to date him, he accepts, but he has a devious "triple date dare" plan that, up until Laura Nelson moves to Sunset Bay, has been successful in scaring them off. But for some reason, spunky Laura is tough enough to endure through his rigorous dates, confusing him, and leaving him falling for her.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidPa2_7djO5OrxqLmKIZV3zV7jkRnztlHrIGIAavEqfrq7eynS7d3d9XU1gi3OorVCXqO0oq77aP5adfypoqt7L5n_Gj8klgKIWFeRBBscoVhv3AqkAI8IwN8dKLif6687q9OKJ_kxddp/s1600/81bQ8q496iL._SY200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidPa2_7djO5OrxqLmKIZV3zV7jkRnztlHrIGIAavEqfrq7eynS7d3d9XU1gi3OorVCXqO0oq77aP5adfypoqt7L5n_Gj8klgKIWFeRBBscoVhv3AqkAI8IwN8dKLif6687q9OKJ_kxddp/s400/81bQ8q496iL._SY200_.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The Triple Date Dare is fun, clean, and romantic. It made me long for ocean waves and beach villages. So, as my tradition, h</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">ere is an excerpt from page 20. The police have come to investigate why the lights are on in a closed-up summer home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b>[The police officer] stepped closer, and Laura caught a whiff of his musky cologne.</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">“Go get the ID, and put on some clothes. I’m taking you down to thestation for questioning.”</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b>“I have clothes on!” she countered as she looked down at her pajamas.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b>“Well, at least enough for what I was doing,” she muttered quietly</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b>as she put her foot on the first step to go upstairs.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Having a temper tantrum probably wasn’t the way to handle this,</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">she thought. He made her feel like a little kid, except when she got a whiff of his cologne. Then she felt all woman.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b>“You can tell us all about it down at the station. Get going.”</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Suddenly Laura turned to face David again. “This is ridiculous. I</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b>have permission to be here!”</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Buy Triple Date Dare on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Triple-Date-Dare-Lauraine-Henderson/dp/1539857476/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493929623&sr=8-1&keywords=Triple+Date+Dare">Amazon</a></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-71710927280712362252017-05-06T10:47:00.000-07:002017-05-08T17:44:38.799-07:00The Secret Obituary Writer by Amy Martinsen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIN9_7v08g49JDOSnWwQ7Y8szYfmiCkrtftXDoE0pdAo_UR1Gg6VSBdap6ka24Sz_P59txciJhyphenhyphenlKH6YeCnpPS12Z0tMO4qQnkbVKMGpUk-jmQScPnQ0IGZLe3-rDDCuuTvmmOD0hjPDy-/s1600/TSOWcover1-768x1187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIN9_7v08g49JDOSnWwQ7Y8szYfmiCkrtftXDoE0pdAo_UR1Gg6VSBdap6ka24Sz_P59txciJhyphenhyphenlKH6YeCnpPS12Z0tMO4qQnkbVKMGpUk-jmQScPnQ0IGZLe3-rDDCuuTvmmOD0hjPDy-/s400/TSOWcover1-768x1187.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">What if obituaries told the truth?</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>The Secret Obituary Writer</i> is a fun story about Lizzy Langston, a young woman who writes obituaries--not the glorified ones which the family submits to the newspaper, but the stories behind what made people who they were.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lizzy had started out as a paper deliverer, and on her own, wrote stories about the recently-deceased. including anonymous tips submitted from others, and inserted them into the paper. Readers loved them! After </span><span style="font-size: large;">Mr. Jonas, the newspaper owner, </span><span style="font-size: large;">discovered who was writing these bonus epitaphs, he hired Lizzy to continue composing them for the paper itself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">After the old farmer, Amos, died, apparently from a heart attack while driving his tractor, cryptic messages begin appearing in Lizzy's email box, claiming that the man died in a more mysterious way. She and an assigned detective, Jackson Clark, begin on a journey to discover the truth, and also find romance amid the shrouds of mystery?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I thoroughly enjoyed Martinsen's characters, the plot, and the premise of revealing the good in people after they've passed on. <i>Secret Obituary Writer </i>is a fun, light read, and I would recommend it to all who enjoy clean romance and a quirky story. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The only thing I found amiss was justification for Lizzy and Jackson's trip to Germany, but as the story panned out, it made sense in the end.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This story is fun all the way through. To prove this, I asked my hubby for a random number and was given 106. So here is an excerpt from page 106.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I tried to muffle a laugh. “I heard that, Lizzy,” Mr.</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Jonas said.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">“Now if you’ll take your shirt off, I’ll tape these wires to </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">your chest and put the pin on your shirt.” Jackson sounded </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">so professional.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Mr. Jonas muttered.</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">To give him some privacy I faced forward again, but </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">never having seen a person get wired, I couldn’t resist a </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">peek in the rearview mirror. I should have resisted, though. </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Who knew Mr. Jonas was so hairy?</span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsw1nQOETvbO0tqmpXuIUv1mjDY-GuQs6l0rPkxY_1l6EAghNba9U-xtXxEBszogwN5olB9jUkE1SNDH58fnh_qn1uhcboPrGVGErmz5UN02tDasi73WmWzEUub74HxzV2A8Ixw-0hYtC/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsw1nQOETvbO0tqmpXuIUv1mjDY-GuQs6l0rPkxY_1l6EAghNba9U-xtXxEBszogwN5olB9jUkE1SNDH58fnh_qn1uhcboPrGVGErmz5UN02tDasi73WmWzEUub74HxzV2A8Ixw-0hYtC/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amy Martinsen</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOH19ybgnrQ_4DzziCJADSFyGGM8yJm398wim1Ved_daGa12NrbGb-CWotzSaGBMaIBoNEUwwRRNAIEO69ICmMUALlLB_qQDPu-ivBSvQC4uOVYiljZqdNqYUINHOED96lgoyqjEweYxd/s1600/ChangingWorlds_Front_RGB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOH19ybgnrQ_4DzziCJADSFyGGM8yJm398wim1Ved_daGa12NrbGb-CWotzSaGBMaIBoNEUwwRRNAIEO69ICmMUALlLB_qQDPu-ivBSvQC4uOVYiljZqdNqYUINHOED96lgoyqjEweYxd/s1600/ChangingWorlds_Front_RGB.jpg" /></a>Congrats to Amy Martinsen for another fun novel! Her first novel is <i>Changing Worlds, </i>also available at Deseret Book.<br />
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Buy <i>The Secret Obituary Writer</i> at <a href="https://deseretbook.com/p/the-secret-obituary-writer?variant_id=130754-paperback">Deseret Book</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Obituary-Writer-Amy-Martinsen/dp/1599929627">Amazon</a><br />
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Leave a comment and your name will go into a drawing to win a copy of <i>The Secret Obituary Writer</i> or <i>Clairvoyance</i>!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-17181358279402804762017-05-04T07:58:00.000-07:002017-05-04T11:05:11.733-07:00The Christmas Tree Keeper by Tamara Passy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_KAoYJHt95zkRiGddchJRoEqC3bNQFVIILfQwXGHaDFoAtG0gDRBWHI0JG1l4yh3LjNU70RDE7EiWZobe5U_nWaAfV8djAtmhbVLW6xYp455rRjduAWh8orRmCpbxNCEzlwQFFlDfDx8/s1600/51YnfhXyUoL._SX322_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_KAoYJHt95zkRiGddchJRoEqC3bNQFVIILfQwXGHaDFoAtG0gDRBWHI0JG1l4yh3LjNU70RDE7EiWZobe5U_nWaAfV8djAtmhbVLW6xYp455rRjduAWh8orRmCpbxNCEzlwQFFlDfDx8/s320/51YnfhXyUoL._SX322_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">It doesn't need to be Christmas to read a heartwarming story!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i> These are m<span style="text-align: center;">iracle Christmas trees. </span></i></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Angela Donovan cringes when she hears Papa Shafer convince her 10 year-old daughter that the trees on his lot are miracle trees. Angela needs a miracle, but hasn't the faith to believe a <i>tree</i> could improve her jobless, single-mom life. But as soon as they choose a tree, good things begin to happen, including meeting Mark, Mr. Shafer's grandson.</span></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Though Mark has concerns of his own, his life is mixed up with figuring out how to ask is girlfriend Natalie to marry him, and buying a house--all which hinges on selling the tree lot. The Christmas tree lot is a tradition in the small New England town where they live. He can't see the forest for the trees (I couldn't resist) and disregards the hard work of his parents, Papa, and his great-grandparents in establishing the tree business, and is blind to the needs of the rest of his business family. All he can think about is himself, marrying Natalie, and getting the house he wants. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The romance is not what's played up in this story, but the character growth of each player. Mark is so self-centered, I wanted to punch him. The ending is fun, though, and sets us up for the sequel, <i>The Tree Keeper's Promise</i>. I loved the story. In fact, for days after reading it, I thought about it a lot, and wanted to read it again. I will definitely read the sequel!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hubby randomly chose page 99 for the quote: Mark is talking to two inspectors for the land purchase. He is still trying to keep the sale a secret. Papa approaches.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>The man continued, "What? Do you need us to pretend to be customers or something?"</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Could you?" Mark asked.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>"If it's going to be that much of a problem, we can reschedule."</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>"Mark, are these good men leaving here without a tree?" Papa asked. He reached out and shook their hands. "Call me Papa Shafer. Is my grandson taking care of you?"</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>"So far," the shorter man said cautiously.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>"Did you find what you're looking for?" </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>"Not yet." The other gentleman looked at Mark.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>"Papa, they stopped in to see what we offered. They weren't prepared to haul a tree. They're coming back," Mark nodded toward the parking lot exit.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>"Sounds good. Don't wait to long," Papa warned. "Christmas will come and go before you know it."</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Buy <i>The Christmas Tree Keeper</i> on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Tree-Keeper-Novel/dp/0990984060/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1492456629&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=The+tree+keeper%27s+Promis+Passey">Amazon</a>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mothering-through-Whirlwind-Tamara-Passey-ebook/dp/B00VZNRXLA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhpltRHsN1-NMGgnPClpIUFQZJat4ltkNpvVaOrB900ZPbsYm1wwZ91sbbnP6XPC9oTh4qjvaW4R5lzndsL7QNlxMfIA3ZsssQKo42KAIqSLAWKKZ2_6DR7CqL2kX8WgIkY7QcVrrxwES/s320/11033393_815786751830023_3377040270693964832_n.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tamara Passey </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">was born and raised in Massachusetts around a large family, one that has served as inspiration for most of her writing. She was named Arizona Young Mother of the Year in 2013 and contributes marriage and family articles to FamilyShare.com. </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGo_gP8DnWnLvNoIgf-IVL9VrunoN54Dq3bUm32OTx40i0AYAwyBAgwiL_u3Lciurmhaqwin4CIWSmJ00vmGTUVawUWuLwSkePsMrxCaaq6t-uDIHWyJ3_qNczkz80tN6FMnkF4f4GpaM/s1600/B1FTeJtHYCS._SY200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGo_gP8DnWnLvNoIgf-IVL9VrunoN54Dq3bUm32OTx40i0AYAwyBAgwiL_u3Lciurmhaqwin4CIWSmJ00vmGTUVawUWuLwSkePsMrxCaaq6t-uDIHWyJ3_qNczkz80tN6FMnkF4f4GpaM/s1600/B1FTeJtHYCS._SY200_.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mothering-through-Whirlwind-Tamara-Passey-ebook/dp/B00VZNRXLA">Mothering through the Whirlwind</a></i> is Passey's</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> first work of non-fiction. She loves most creative endeavors and when she isn't writing or re-writing, you can find her baking or cross-stitching or walking--though not all at the same time. She lives with her husband and three children in Arizona. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Comment here and be eligible to win a gently read copy of <i>The Christmas Tree Keeper</i> by Tamara Passey, or <i>Clairvoyance</i> by Joan Sowards</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Possible comment prompt: Have you experienced a Christmas miracle in your life?</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-21821476909360974332017-05-02T07:35:00.002-07:002017-05-07T07:57:41.742-07:00Scattering Stars by Wendy C Jorgensen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCihiw8BV2_hBKi9tH6hjSxPII6S_yhpW-ZQJnq86gRHW-vH48bd_EeoLAv2kPrs0R4pm_Rg6pZVta4XfkVzbynb3s1hBNPct0TEA6N2E_za-xQ8NgWI3CIWdMPCt6BnI1B9Eddh5r_hX/s1600/Scattering+Stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">\</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCihiw8BV2_hBKi9tH6hjSxPII6S_yhpW-ZQJnq86gRHW-vH48bd_EeoLAv2kPrs0R4pm_Rg6pZVta4XfkVzbynb3s1hBNPct0TEA6N2E_za-xQ8NgWI3CIWdMPCt6BnI1B9Eddh5r_hX/s1600/Scattering+Stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCihiw8BV2_hBKi9tH6hjSxPII6S_yhpW-ZQJnq86gRHW-vH48bd_EeoLAv2kPrs0R4pm_Rg6pZVta4XfkVzbynb3s1hBNPct0TEA6N2E_za-xQ8NgWI3CIWdMPCt6BnI1B9Eddh5r_hX/s1600/Scattering+Stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCihiw8BV2_hBKi9tH6hjSxPII6S_yhpW-ZQJnq86gRHW-vH48bd_EeoLAv2kPrs0R4pm_Rg6pZVta4XfkVzbynb3s1hBNPct0TEA6N2E_za-xQ8NgWI3CIWdMPCt6BnI1B9Eddh5r_hX/s1600/Scattering+Stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
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<i>"One wrong move could jeopardize the future of the planet."</i></div>
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Book One in author Wendy Jorgensen's <i>Scattering Stars</i> Trilogy is full of suspense, intrigue, and romance. This gorgeous cover depicts the Colorado Rockies, the setting for this great story. Sixteen year-old Eve Hunter and her father return to Ridgeway, the town of her birth and where ten years earlier her mother drowned in a strange accident in a nearby canyon. Eve's grandfather, Jarak, is a powerful man who is considered a prophet among the Colonists at Terra Dyne. Eve attends school at Ridgeway High and notices the close-knit teens from the colony are different in several ways from the other students, and she is certain they all share a common secret. Eve makes close allies, and a few enemies, on her journey as she discovers who she and the colonists really are.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Scattering Stars</span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> is a story about faith, choices, and courage. It’s a reminder that we are not on this planet by accident. Instead, we each have a purpose and a mission to perform.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKS_jxXWKuHJjgRiCH8DkpEAMT3HXwKKyXOKw8L3rhkC5tgwnwRsdLODvt5_Xe6SVbVPpg38LSibd_7kuvh1IPvhOkvi0LSKfel-yaY1MeeqWZzNPZxsn69fSENOVRxbGRWF27ivQAvsf/s1600/61fghWlVl8L._SY200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKS_jxXWKuHJjgRiCH8DkpEAMT3HXwKKyXOKw8L3rhkC5tgwnwRsdLODvt5_Xe6SVbVPpg38LSibd_7kuvh1IPvhOkvi0LSKfel-yaY1MeeqWZzNPZxsn69fSENOVRxbGRWF27ivQAvsf/s1600/61fghWlVl8L._SY200_.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wendy C Jorgensen</td></tr>
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From page 159 of <i>Scattering Stars</i>.</div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b>"What are we doing here?" I asked.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b>"Can't you feel it?" Brad asked, with a hint of anticipation.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b>"Feel what?" </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b>"The power. The potential. Whenever I lose track of who I am, I drive through these gates and up to the top of the hill so I can see Terra Dyne. I look over the valley . . . And somehow I know that it all matters, that I matter."</b></span></div>
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I asked Wendy Jorgensen what inspired her to write Scattering Stars. Here is her reply:</div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">"From the time I saw
the movie, <i>Escape to Witch Mountain,</i>
I’ve been fascinated by aliens. Not the creepy, lizard-looking aliens, but
extraterrestrials who resembled humans and could live amongst Earth’s
inhabitants, hiding in plain sight. Within a few years more science fiction
movies followed: <i>Close Encounters of the
Third Kind</i>, <i>E.T.</i> <i>the Extra-Terrestrial</i>, and <i>Cocoon</i>. I loved them all. When I decided
to write my first novel, there was no question as to what I would write about.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">On Colorado’s western
slope, not far from the towns of Ridgway and Telluride, stands an extinct
volcano called Lone Cone that rises to over 12,000 feet. A distinctive and
solitary peak, Lone Cone is separated from nearby mountain ranges and
surrounded by farms and wilderness. We’ve owned land in this area for many
years, and the secluded location seemed a perfect landing site for my
aliens."</span></span></div>
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The title for Jorgensen's novel is a quote from Jalaluddin Rumi--</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCihiw8BV2_hBKi9tH6hjSxPII6S_yhpW-ZQJnq86gRHW-vH48bd_EeoLAv2kPrs0R4pm_Rg6pZVta4XfkVzbynb3s1hBNPct0TEA6N2E_za-xQ8NgWI3CIWdMPCt6BnI1B9Eddh5r_hX/s1600/Scattering+Stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCihiw8BV2_hBKi9tH6hjSxPII6S_yhpW-ZQJnq86gRHW-vH48bd_EeoLAv2kPrs0R4pm_Rg6pZVta4XfkVzbynb3s1hBNPct0TEA6N2E_za-xQ8NgWI3CIWdMPCt6BnI1B9Eddh5r_hX/s400/Scattering+Stars.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCihiw8BV2_hBKi9tH6hjSxPII6S_yhpW-ZQJnq86gRHW-vH48bd_EeoLAv2kPrs0R4pm_Rg6pZVta4XfkVzbynb3s1hBNPct0TEA6N2E_za-xQ8NgWI3CIWdMPCt6BnI1B9Eddh5r_hX/s1600/Scattering+Stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> photo by JasonGillman on MorgueFile.com</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Scattering Stars</i> is expertly written and thought provoking. The characters are well developed. The story addresses issues of where our own society may be headed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Though the ending of <i>Scattering Stars</i> answered all my questions, I found it ended too quick and could have been fleshed out more. But, of course, this left the story open for the sequels--which I am looking forward to reading!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">I recommend <i>Scattering Stars</i> to all readers who enjoy a great YA story--with a touch of the world beyond.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Buy Scattering Stars at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Scattering-Stars-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B01E0K9EA2">Amazon</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Leave a comment on this post and you're entered to win a digital copy of Scattering Stars</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Your comment will also make you eligible to win a copy of <i>Clairvoyance</i> by Joan Sowards.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-14991946234279581822016-09-19T16:16:00.007-07:002016-09-19T16:20:16.427-07:00Another Fun Review!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">Lauren McAfee, book reviewer for <a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865662658/Book-review-Clairvoyance-is-a-story-about-friendship-healing.html?pg=all">Deseret News Faith</a> has written a review on <i>Clairvoyance.</i> She is also an assistant librarian in beautiful Cedar City. Thank you Lauren!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Read the review <a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865662658/Book-review-Clairvoyance-is-a-story-about-friendship-healing.html?pg=all">here</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMvy_vvkcW5kAXDr9tcMoKKYWf3oH_43xVodPv2S3qUsfea9ktb2HK353gANKwmVI7TMisV4GLLyuTLuBPF-jQMHdAN39cHEd4uSF183a7GglMEbGFGmAWF_X2ayLP-No5H8catxHJmp_/s1600/Clairvoyance_m_5.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMvy_vvkcW5kAXDr9tcMoKKYWf3oH_43xVodPv2S3qUsfea9ktb2HK353gANKwmVI7TMisV4GLLyuTLuBPF-jQMHdAN39cHEd4uSF183a7GglMEbGFGmAWF_X2ayLP-No5H8catxHJmp_/s320/Clairvoyance_m_5.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-21600551392193269102016-05-28T10:50:00.003-07:002016-05-28T10:50:33.741-07:00Clairvoyance now in Deseret Book and on Amazon!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6omqijWN5pOVOaAYFAyky_ANxmK1hhU2BMN0g4sQSTgx-zctm_RHTxmR82CRjibiGUjMpN8QLHr_alPlRrEoIZi6G5oYotjd2wOPEB3i4K8XAn2t0RmlHR0XPghQyCH3YC45U5IrcEBL/s1600/Clairvoyance_m_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6omqijWN5pOVOaAYFAyky_ANxmK1hhU2BMN0g4sQSTgx-zctm_RHTxmR82CRjibiGUjMpN8QLHr_alPlRrEoIZi6G5oYotjd2wOPEB3i4K8XAn2t0RmlHR0XPghQyCH3YC45U5IrcEBL/s320/Clairvoyance_m_5.jpg" width="207" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6isIcFnJfXZ_lLj13zWZ-6gbPZ1L8TD1TDg3H3aZzINNkTjtqPxsoMmaG7M8Wfs-kcn5dFrRTOXMaYgqMmM-P7mG1RKUWKQ6j4NcqRf9bFd5k0ILdt5LyspXY-AKFx-uZ2O6d3Stm73Bs/s1600/Bridges_Front.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a>My sweet summer tale <i>Clairvoyance</i> is now for sale at <a href="https://deseretbook.com/p/clairvoyance?variant_id=134455-paperback">Deseret Book</a> stores! It even had the honor of being listed in the Deseret Book summer catalogue that was mailed to your home.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It is also available in hardback and Kindle on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Clairvoyance-Joan-Sowards-ebook/dp/B01FG8TMRW">Amazon</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00e9HTzI8VXklDA-vzcAHCsuVol5F9kPobf9gg689WB18j45wgImcRH_ruFM11u1jBCsvvKg6EjMPZNIW_yOIcws19vaSyGm1MjeXUrZIbb7grTjdem_mVIwbvGJw7myECn7oMAzbVXnF/s1600/Bridges_Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;">After college graduation, Jennifer Weston takes a summer job with a small seaside village newspaper in Oregon. She hopes sea breezes and solitude will heal her heart after a bad breakup with Vince and the pain of her father taking a new bride only four months after the death of her mother. </span><span style="color: #222222;">Jennifer resolves to have a no-romance summer.</span><br style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"></span><span style="color: #222222;">Soon she is swept up in the lives of the villagers of Windridge, including a suave newspaper man, and a handsome paramedic. </span><span style="color: #222222;">Through a well-meaning friend and clairvoyant, Jennifer learns that some resolves are meant to be broken.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>Bridges of the Heart</i> is also on shelves in Deseret Book stores. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00e9HTzI8VXklDA-vzcAHCsuVol5F9kPobf9gg689WB18j45wgImcRH_ruFM11u1jBCsvvKg6EjMPZNIW_yOIcws19vaSyGm1MjeXUrZIbb7grTjdem_mVIwbvGJw7myECn7oMAzbVXnF/s1600/Bridges_Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00e9HTzI8VXklDA-vzcAHCsuVol5F9kPobf9gg689WB18j45wgImcRH_ruFM11u1jBCsvvKg6EjMPZNIW_yOIcws19vaSyGm1MjeXUrZIbb7grTjdem_mVIwbvGJw7myECn7oMAzbVXnF/s320/Bridges_Front.jpg" width="207" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;">College student, Rachel Lisenby finds life hard to cope with after her mother passes away. To add to Rachel’s confusion, her boyfriend Maxson proposes marriage on the evening of the funeral. She escapes to Utah to think and take time off from the relationship. Over the phone, she tells Maxson she is not ready for marriage, and suggests he start dating other girls.</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222;">After returning to Arizona, Rachel finds Maxson in a relationship with Paige—her rival throughout high school. With time, Rachel convinces herself she is over him, but a strange Southern visitor named Jonathan tells her that she is meant to marry Maxson. Jonathan insists it is her responsibility to apologize to Maxson and set things straight, since she broke up with him. But Rachel refuses. Because of her stubbornness, she is whirled back in time to 1820 to learn that family ties reach into the past, as well as the future. </span><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222;">With a heart-warming, unique perspective of the early-nineteenth-century American South, Bridges of the Heart is a story about the power of love and forgiveness. </span></span><div>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Available at <a href="https://deseretbook.com/p/bridges-heart-joan-sowards-94964?variant_id=474-paperback">Deseret Book</a> and on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bridges-Heart-Joan-Sowards-ebook/dp/B00XUPYHQU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1464457579&sr=1-1&keywords=Bridges+of+the+heart+Sowards">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-31109341534641970232016-05-11T00:40:00.003-07:002016-05-11T00:57:01.191-07:00Ideal High by Valerie Ipson<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FLsQ2-nRhpUL0H9GcX2DrTBKshyPQMJ44lCHsQ-ak3x54ELujoqhbEXi6k1HOyLCosOVhmH7ms65SaTj7x8pqKYJs7UEQEuC10b0cyOS-rsHOh05fUeCqzm4ZBZbronXj1gSaCgbH20z/s1600/31OcLerPhiL._SS300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FLsQ2-nRhpUL0H9GcX2DrTBKshyPQMJ44lCHsQ-ak3x54ELujoqhbEXi6k1HOyLCosOVhmH7ms65SaTj7x8pqKYJs7UEQEuC10b0cyOS-rsHOh05fUeCqzm4ZBZbronXj1gSaCgbH20z/s400/31OcLerPhiL._SS300_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Don't let </span></span><i style="font-size: 21px;">Ideal High'</i><span style="font-size: 21px;">s</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> simple cover </span></span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">fool you. It is a powerful story of one
girl’s positive influence on a Texas high school that has a huge problem with
bullying.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">After
six of her friends are killed in a tragic fire, Taryn Young sets out to improve
how students treat each other on and off campus. At first there is much
resistance, many saying, “That’s the way things are”, or that demeaning others is the
tradition of the school. Even administration denies that the problem exists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6AhtJrKebNnmF4i7F2G1y98EajwKq23GUB_Hm8OWYvjewv5pwL6nssj557wR_Cr3CYmNVi2Br6cN1oeBNFqjKP9BQrsCV3m7A1gzGOmi-KpjhLJWKsvNgBg4s67PIDv-pyjHd618Ay4s/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6AhtJrKebNnmF4i7F2G1y98EajwKq23GUB_Hm8OWYvjewv5pwL6nssj557wR_Cr3CYmNVi2Br6cN1oeBNFqjKP9BQrsCV3m7A1gzGOmi-KpjhLJWKsvNgBg4s67PIDv-pyjHd618Ay4s/s400/Unknown.jpeg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Author Valerie Ipson</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This
intense story offers mystery, drama, and suspense. I could hardly put it down,
and have thought about the story for days after finishing it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ideal High </i>is well written and delivers a great message. Parents and teens alike
should read it. It will make us better people and more sensitive to our
fellowmen, and aware of what is happening around us--<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">if</i> we take its message to heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I give <i>Ideal High</i> the Most-Valuable-High-School-Novel award.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Buy Ideal High on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ideal-High-Valerie-Ipson-ebook/dp/B00U1Q0QO8?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0">Amazon</a>. Visit Valerie Ipson's <a href="http://valerieipson.com/">website</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Back of the book blurb:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>There's no way I'm taking Blake's place as president of the student body. As soon as the memorial for him and six of our fires is over, I'm resigning as VP. Really.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>Except people say the fire was no accident.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>(I say it's way too easy to blame someone who's dead.)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>When I read the writing on the wall, literally, the bathroom wall, I know what it means. To get to the truth I have to come out from under my paisley comforter.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>But seriously, what stage of grief says I have to be the one to fix what's wrong at Ideal High?</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>Maybe I'm the one who's broken.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-12001323976696016932016-02-13T11:11:00.003-08:002016-02-14T21:56:08.972-08:00Clairvoyance - Set for a Spring Release!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfTeS718SGqlJhLsCt0Bx7bhKmilvWhGPPey-nR2zomXCVmFSxXbCtXLsNfXjPOQajPz9O3ptvKNPnWWFqBmeeulDGGiinJkuW65II9eS4kXduXUtcNbE7h3Ds6FLJYKX5oaqgXqySkcj/s1600/Clairvoyance_02m_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfTeS718SGqlJhLsCt0Bx7bhKmilvWhGPPey-nR2zomXCVmFSxXbCtXLsNfXjPOQajPz9O3ptvKNPnWWFqBmeeulDGGiinJkuW65II9eS4kXduXUtcNbE7h3Ds6FLJYKX5oaqgXqySkcj/s640/Clairvoyance_02m_5.jpg" width="414" /></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">After
college graduation, Jennifer Weston takes a summer job with a small
seaside village newspaper in Oregon. She hopes sea breezes and solitude will
heal her heart after a bad breakup with Vince and the pain of her father taking
a new bride only four months after the death of her mother. </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Jennifer resolves to
have a no-romance summer.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Soon she is swept up in the lives of the villagers of Windridge, including a suave newspaper man, and a handsome paramedic. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;">Through a well-meaning friend and clairvoyant, Jennifer learns that some resolves are meant to be broken.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-70689689711673255342015-10-25T22:22:00.000-07:002015-10-26T21:50:39.926-07:00Cover Reveal for Becoming Bryn by Angela Carling<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I'm happy to announce a brand new cover for Angela Carling's contemporary young adult novel <i>Becoming Bryn</i>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Berlin Sans FB"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Berlin Sans FB"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
months, Jesse has been envious of her twin sister Bryn and even has a crush on
Bryn’s gorgeous, popular boyfriend, Quinton. When Jesse awakens from a coma to
learn that everyone thinks she IS Bryn, the option of actually taking over her
sister’s life is beyond tempting, but there’s a downside. She’d have to give up
her relationship with Ethan, her best friend and the only person she trusts.
Could she actually live as Bryn for the rest of her life? And if her family and
friends found out, would they ever forgive her?</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #111111; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Here are two reviews of Bryn:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="a-size-base6"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Berlin Sans FB Demi"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Becoming Bryn went to places I didn't expect. You want to laugh
and cry and swoon (yes, very much swooning indeed... there was an excellent
kiss... not telling you with WHO though!) and not be able to put the book down
because of it. Angela Carling knows how to hold together an intricate story and
tell it in the best way possible.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<em><span style="font-family: "Berlin Sans FB Demi"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">-Jessica </span></em><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Berlin Sans FB Demi"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">L Sankiewicz</span></em></span><!--EndFragment-->
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<span class="a-size-base6"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Berlin Sans FB Demi"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The book is beautifully written very well done from start to
finish. I ended up staying up super late till three in the morning reading,
even had tears in my eyes because the end is just so amazing.</span></span><span class="a-size-base6"><span style="color: #17365d; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 26.0pt; letter-spacing: .25pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="a-size-base6"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Berlin Sans FB Demi"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">-<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mandy Sickle</i></span></span><span style="font-family: "Berlin Sans FB Demi"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Berlin Sans FB"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #111111; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Here is an excerpt from <i>Becoming Bryn</i> that will leave you wanting to read more:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Berlin Sans FB"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>The night air was balmy, and after awhile we turned off the
air conditioning and opened the sunroof. Last summer Bryn and I had spent hours
shopping with our dad, looking for a car we could live with and Dad could
afford. Neither of us had seen a Honda four-door from the nineties as our dream
car, but the sunroof had made it all better. The sunroof was the only reason we
begged Dad to get it for us. He bought it on one condition, that Bryn and I
would be willing to share the vehicle. Tonight as we drove down the weathered
two-lane road toward the corn maze, warm air slipped in through the sunroof,
brushing against our cheeks and dancing through our hair. Between the smell of
freshly cut corn and alfalfa and the open sunroof, I felt so alive, almost
untouchable. “Turn on the radio,” Bryn said loudly over the moving air above
us. I reached over and pushed the plastic knob. Inside the car, the air was
instantly charged with the pounding beat of a dance song. We both belted out
the lyrics, singing badly but joyously over the radio. I looked over at Bryn as
she sang. Pieces of her carefully done hair had escaped from their bobby pin
prison and now flew wildly around her face. She looked happy and surprisingly,
for a moment, I felt a sense of contentment. It wasn’t genuine happiness, but
it was enough for tonight.<o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Berlin Sans FB"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Up ahead on the right side of
the road, I could see the tall stalks of the corn maze. Next to the maze sat a
small organic supermarket. I’d been to the store with my mom to buy local honey
a couple of years ago. That day, I’d ended up waiting an extra thirty minutes
while she chatted with the owner as if they were old friends. I’d tuned out a
lot of the conversation but I did learn that the same family who grew the corn
maze owned the store and a citrus orchard just behind that. Tonight the market
was decorated with long strands of small orange and purple lights. Out front,
leaning up against a weathered picket fence that ran the perimeter of the
property, was a large hand painted sign that read: Haunted Corn Maze, $8.00. As
we got closer, I could see that just beyond the fence, waiting for the maze to
open up was a large crowd of people dressed up as everything from doctors to
vampires. We knew somewhere in the mass of people were our friends.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Berlin Sans FB"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i> There was no turn lane on the narrow road, so I flipped on my
turn signal and began to slow down just before the dirt entrance that led to
the market came into view. Bryn, who had been straining to look past me for her
friends, finally gave up and undid her seatbelt. By the time we stopped, she
was hanging out of the sunroof, waving wildly and yelling across the street to
a couple of the girls I recognized as cheerleaders on Bryn’s squad. I looked up
at her, smiling, so excited and confident… Then as I glanced in the rear view
mirror I saw another car coming up behind us. The car was weaving all over the
road and driving way too fast. Worst of all, I could see from the headlights
behind him that the driver wasn’t paying attention, that he was looking down at
something in his lap. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Berlin Sans FB"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Like a voice in my head, I
remembered my mom complaining about the fact that there was no turn lane to get
into the farmer’s market, talking about how dangerous it was. “Someone’s going
to die out here,” she’d said. I thought she was being melodramatic. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Berlin Sans FB"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>I watched helplessly as the car
barreled towards us. There was nowhere to go. There were only two lanes and a
constant stream of cars came from the other direction. Even if I’d wanted to
pull off the road, a huge canal filled with irrigation water made it
impossible. Panic began to surge through my veins in the form of adrenaline;
yet suddenly, simultaneously, time seemed to crawl, putting everything around
me into slow motion. The approaching car, the screaming teenagers across the
street, my sister calling out to them – it felt choppy, like an old silent
movie. I could imagine in my head a black and white version of the scene with
comments added like, “Oh no, we’re going to die!” written in old typewriter
text against a flimsy screen. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Berlin Sans FB"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Just before the car behind us
made impact, I could feel myself laughing darkly at my own imagery. Then, in my
ears and in my bones I heard and felt the crushing of metal as the car struck
us with full force from behind, launching us like a pinball in a classic pinball
machine, shooting us forward with deadly aim right into oncoming traffic. For a
second, or maybe half a second, I was aware of my sister’s legs being lifted
from the seat she was standing on, and I knew somewhere above me she was being
thrown around like a ragdoll. Then I saw nothing but the enormous cement truck
right in front of us. Somehow I knew the truck driver had no time to change his
course, and my heart, which suddenly felt as if it was made of lead, plummeted
into my stomach. With only feet between us, I noticed that the word “Rock
Solid” had been plastered across the black exterior paint of the truck. Clever,
I thought morbidly, remembering that I had seen similar trucks in our
neighborhood. Then before total panic could even really set in, before I could
scream or cry, or move out of his path, our tiny economy car and his massive
cement truck collided and all of my thoughts and fears and impulses slipped
away into total blackness.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-h2yv9O-Ko80m0taktqK-e2ATAcQEAcTT8OlkpVwpzRCH8t9YJ_3Ky20xHuqlv26eccmEvPlhVr4IaYHvcogss2q1PqP40lpzvbSyyf0Ksm0H0rGAjIZ-SCIeK1T5i3TbBPeRIUxZXB-C/s1600/1109_Carling_Headshots_034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img adlesse_been_here="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-h2yv9O-Ko80m0taktqK-e2ATAcQEAcTT8OlkpVwpzRCH8t9YJ_3Ky20xHuqlv26eccmEvPlhVr4IaYHvcogss2q1PqP40lpzvbSyyf0Ksm0H0rGAjIZ-SCIeK1T5i3TbBPeRIUxZXB-C/s320/1109_Carling_Headshots_034.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angela Carling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
Buy <i>Becoming Bryn </i>at these Internet locations<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Berlin Sans FB"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Bryn-Angela-Carling-ebook/dp/B00YQ374V0/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8">Amazon </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Berlin Sans FB"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/becoming-bryn-angela-carling/1115422613?ean=9781935089667">Barnes and Noble</a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Berlin Sans FB"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/becoming-bryn">Kobo</a> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Berlin Sans FB"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/546216">Smashwords</a> </span></div>
<div>
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<b><i>Angela Carling was raised in Palm Springs California, but lives Arizona
with her husband, three kids and five felines. After years of denial she finally admitted that she is a
hopeless romantic which led her to write her first Young Adult book Unbreakable
Love. Since then she’s published three more books, Shackled, Becoming Bryn and
The Secret Keeper. Shackled won the silver IPGA award in 2012 and has been
optioned as a screenplay. She always eats the frosting off her cake and leaves
the rest, and can be caught singing in public bathrooms just for the
acoustics. When she’s not writing
YA novels, she’s mentoring teen writers, making pizza with her family or
dreaming of taking a nap, not necessarily in that order. <o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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Stock Angela on her sites:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Website <a href="http://www.angelacarling.com/">http://www.angelacarling.com/</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Blog <a href="http://www.angelacarling.blogspot.com/">http://www.angelacarling.blogspot.com/</a></div>
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Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/angelacarling">https://twitter.com/angelacarling</a></div>
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Facebook <a href="https://twitter.com/angelacarling">https://twitter.com/angelacarling</a></div>
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Goodreads <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/5331346.Angela_Carling">https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/5331346.Angela_Carling</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com253tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-78360026917113271472015-10-23T22:22:00.001-07:002015-10-26T21:51:46.203-07:00Heidi Murphy's Review of Bridges of the Heart<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><i>With each new review of Bridges of the Heart, I think it's the best one yet. I really like this one Heidi Murphy posted today on Goodreads.</i></span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbTUKYVI71Cc2UYIWWcvGldmoqmRRMGqWyga9Du-YFjTgSvXgy0f3cb8XJzUZpbS1VxE5-EgYlwgGjV8m1FydBfRbV97vgjuv1Qy3T3q0UXyR7kNaeVLmTKgfSf_p-Ey56vKWTc6gJEyWc/s1600/bandwheidiframe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img adlesse_been_here="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbTUKYVI71Cc2UYIWWcvGldmoqmRRMGqWyga9Du-YFjTgSvXgy0f3cb8XJzUZpbS1VxE5-EgYlwgGjV8m1FydBfRbV97vgjuv1Qy3T3q0UXyR7kNaeVLmTKgfSf_p-Ey56vKWTc6gJEyWc/s1600/bandwheidiframe.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heidi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">At the death of her mother, 21-year-old Rachel breaks down, fleeing from Maxson Everell (the man who wants to marry her), a grieving father, and a sister who has secrets. It isn't until a friend pulls her back to the desert that she meets a strange man who tells her she has a special place in time--at Maxson's side. Rachel's not about to give the freak any credence, since he tells her she should call Maxson on the night he's getting engaged to another girl. </span><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">But what's a girl to do? She still loves Max. She curls up under the threadbare quilt on the end of her bed--the one that smells like jasmine.</span><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">Rachel wakes up two hundred years in the past, near her ancestress' log cabin in pre-Civil War North Carolina. She has a murder to solve, a treasure to find, and a whole passel of angry-hornet family members to cobble back together, all while trying to pose as a boy, learn to milk a cow, and avoid a major family war. As Rachel works to help her forebears solve their supposedly insurmountable problems, her own come into sharper focus.</span><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">Things are humming along right fine until Rachel helps meet Jane's housepayment--with three modern pennies. All heck breaks loose when the rent collector accuses Rachel of counterfeiting. To add insult to injury, the Sheriff looks just like Maxson, reminding her at every turn that she has to somehow get back to her own time to make things right with the man who should be HER fiance, before he asks another girl. </span><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">I loved the premise of this story. Who wouldn't want to go back in time and fix things in their distant past? Who wouldn't want to go back and find out why this guy turned to piracy and that one joined a strange new church? Sowards' fabulous settings took me right into 1800's South Carolina with its jasmine-scented quilts, calico bonnets, bucket-stomping cows, and ramshackle jails.</span><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">I wanted to help Sam, the runaway slave, on his way to freedom. I wanted to show Coker (Rachel's third great grandpa) that he amounted to something. I wanted to hug Rachel and Jane and tell them everything would turn out okay, because they felt like My People.</span><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">Get this book for a fabulous journey through time in this fictional story about true people.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">Thank you Heidi!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">Visit Heidi Murphy's fun blog <a href="http://murph4slaw.blogspot.com/2015/10/bridges-of-heart-review.html">here</a>.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 18px;">Buy Bridges of the Heart on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bridges-Heart-Joan-Sowards-ebook/dp/B00XUPYHQU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1445664382&sr=8-1&keywords=bridges+of+the+heart+joan+sowards">Amazon</a> and <a href="https://deseretbook.com/p/bridges-heart-joan-sowards-94964?variant_id=474-paperback">Deseret Book</a>.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-83725268765129260662015-09-05T14:19:00.000-07:002015-09-05T14:19:16.155-07:00Drawing for a Copy of Bridges of the Heart<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Enter the drawing to win a copy of Bridges of the Heart and read Amy Martinsen's review on her blog, <a href="http://www.goawayimreading.com/?p=237#comments">Go Away I'm Reading.</a><br />
<br />
She also posted an interview. I am honored!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIh4YPxvGv82fi0aJCjTJ3sB73N2OBLMpKxzGJz8oROZs2cj_pXXSOGOBbmWuPzKOLn4FehkDlR4N_5bfz5SDfHjaNeO6XAppZ0yW53cDTPjcht1BH18m5VqOj7GLRqr_qPw50g_4kDtQ/s1600/Bridges_Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img adlesse_been_here="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIh4YPxvGv82fi0aJCjTJ3sB73N2OBLMpKxzGJz8oROZs2cj_pXXSOGOBbmWuPzKOLn4FehkDlR4N_5bfz5SDfHjaNeO6XAppZ0yW53cDTPjcht1BH18m5VqOj7GLRqr_qPw50g_4kDtQ/s320/Bridges_Front.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-37747113164487115452015-09-02T09:49:00.001-07:002015-09-02T09:49:54.369-07:00Winner of Changing Worlds Drawing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivH6sQsbO0gcoNEVTqzAA1lhLCZAVbh7-yGa8VQi1dpOW6XHgbDjNkXOoKFuu12ij8xfqRyijRrUWdAOPlVK9baJ-cOgtSW5BaYEygNvw02RIMus6GBQkk18GvmKuR3IyrU-737tj-QY9M/s1600/ChangingWorlds_Front_RGB-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img adlesse_been_here="true" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivH6sQsbO0gcoNEVTqzAA1lhLCZAVbh7-yGa8VQi1dpOW6XHgbDjNkXOoKFuu12ij8xfqRyijRrUWdAOPlVK9baJ-cOgtSW5BaYEygNvw02RIMus6GBQkk18GvmKuR3IyrU-737tj-QY9M/s200/ChangingWorlds_Front_RGB-1.jpg" width="124" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Congratulations to Lisa who won a gently-read copy of Amy Martinson's debut novel <i>Changing Worlds. </i>Yeah! Be prepared to enter the danger zone of the Santini family and the mafia.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-52538062318467405932015-08-25T19:20:00.001-07:002015-08-31T10:09:16.392-07:00Changing Worlds by Amy Martinsen, Review, Author Interview, and Book Giveaway!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiW6Yl0UZaUsKZf0RJoBx_DF04Ovdf8LApWh-2DD8_lj6phcNzG4cKfT-_BaMbI6IPf5LnLbpKTqXBrraOPcLNomsPVJZzS4cMBCv3HGNMScUhc3y9aG268pAL7dUz5KoXp9wjHaV_Eywi/s1600/ChangingWorlds_Front_RGB-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img adlesse_been_here="true" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiW6Yl0UZaUsKZf0RJoBx_DF04Ovdf8LApWh-2DD8_lj6phcNzG4cKfT-_BaMbI6IPf5LnLbpKTqXBrraOPcLNomsPVJZzS4cMBCv3HGNMScUhc3y9aG268pAL7dUz5KoXp9wjHaV_Eywi/s400/ChangingWorlds_Front_RGB-1.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm giving away a gently read copy of <i>Changing Worlds </i>to a lucky reader. Leave a comment below or on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/joansowards">Facebook under my post</a> linking to this page, and you will be entered into the drawing! Deadline Sept 1st.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="RU"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="RU">How does a nice Mormon girl get mixed up with the mafia?
Easy—she falls in love with a gorgeous Italian hunk.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="RU">BYU student Anna Bennett takes a job with Kamp Keepers at
Boughlynch, a girls camp in Kentucky, only to discover the camp is owned by a
family of rednecks whose ways are strange and oppressive. She meets Daniel
Santini, also a Kamp Keeper and a recent convert to the Church, who is from a
powerful mafia family, but has repented of his past and is “laying low.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="RU">After Anna escapes near death at the hand of the
rednecks, Daniel takes </span>her <span lang="RU">to meet his
family in Chicago. Once again, </span>she <span lang="RU">finds
herself in an uncomfortable situation when his family not-so-subtly tries to
get rid of her.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">W<span lang="RU">ith great side characters such as Miss Ally, Fina, and of
course the Boughlynches and staff, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Changing
Worlds</i> is an enjoyable read full of romance and an overabundance of tender
kisses. Anna and Daniel com</span>e<span lang="RU"> from two different
worlds, and this story will keep you guessing if their relationship can
survive.</span></span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: RU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="RU"> ***</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I'm happy to have author Amy Martinsen featured on my blog today. She so graciously answered these few questions:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">How did a nice girl like you get
mixed up with the Mafia? (or why did you </span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">choose to write about this Mafia
family?)</span></b></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Amy: I’ve always been fascinated by the
Mafia and the Amish… not together, of course. We did all see that movie, right?
[Witness] I have a fascination with very controlling families
and lifestyles. </span></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6N5GGXv7Zk2FBWqbT-_0KWS3ZMpKye5q9t0gmpdRjYs3P-ZMdP47yVGfNisPL9muUA2uGQHvkbaAXVp1NT_BaC_qissH2AqqIaPurai3fV1Irj4PE36wPQIunluolv00mEfXKkp7VQZkQ/s1600/amy4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img adlesse_been_here="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6N5GGXv7Zk2FBWqbT-_0KWS3ZMpKye5q9t0gmpdRjYs3P-ZMdP47yVGfNisPL9muUA2uGQHvkbaAXVp1NT_BaC_qissH2AqqIaPurai3fV1Irj4PE36wPQIunluolv00mEfXKkp7VQZkQ/s320/amy4.jpg" width="201" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author Amy Martinsen</td></tr>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I’m also in awe at dramatic conversion stories: people who
leave everything they know to join the church. This type of courageous faith is
so inspiring to me…led me right to the Mafia’s front door. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">What extent of research did you
do to be able to write about the Mafia? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Amy: </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I guess I’ve been doing research my whole life [reference answer
above….ha!] I wanted to write from a place
that made sense to the reader and didn’t want any “God Fathers” standing over
my shoulder correcting me. So after reading several things that were true but
didn’t make much sense—and were extremely frightening, I decided to go it
alone.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> I had a powerful experience while writing the scene where
Daniel leaves The Family. You don’t need much research to know you don’t just
“leave” the Mafia; they kill you. I spent several weeks thinking about how
Daniel would leave and finally wrote what made sense to me. A few days after I
wrote this scene, I chanced upon Mario Facione’s
book <u>Mafia to Mormon</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wondering how close I’d come to the truth, I stayed up late that night
reading. About one in the morning I sat up in bed and screamed. Rick, my
husband, about had a heart attack! </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The process that Facione went through to
leave his Family was almost the same process Daniel went through. I still
shake my head when I think about it.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">What was your inspiration for
Changing Worlds? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Amy: </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I started writing CW while completing my Masters in English. At
the time, I was so tired of writing academic papers and felt I needed a creative
outlet. My daughter and her friend challenged me to write a book, so I took them
up on it! In my mind I thought, “How hard can this be?” Little did I know it would be ten times harder than anything I’ve done academically. It’s one
thing to pump out a twenty page paper where you’ve masked your voice behind a
load of parenthetical documentations, but to take the mask off and write from
your heart. That takes some guts.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When did you know you wanted to
be a writer? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Amy: </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I don’t know if I ever really thought about being a writer. I’ve always
worked very hard in school and have received a great deal of encouragement from
professors, but it wasn’t until I actually sat down to create something from my
imagination that I understood what it was to write and see myself as a writer.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">What is your favorite part about
being published? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Amy: </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Oh, hands down, walking into Deseret Book and seeing MY BOOK on the
shelf! It is still very surreal to me.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Did you go to summer camp as a
teen or have you ever been a camp counselor? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Amy: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">As a young girl I loved going to girl’s camp at Camp LoMia in Pine, Arizona. As an adult I’ve gone back to this same camp as a Young Women’s
leader/counselor/cook… I’ve loved every minute of it! And those who are familiar
with Camp LoMia will know that it was the inspiration for the girl’s camp in
CW.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">(Joan's note: I love Camp LoMia and went there to girls camp too!)</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">What is your next novel about? A
sequel? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Amy: </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Many people have asked me if there will be a sequel to CW. I would love
to write one and find out what would happen when Daniel and Anna start their
family… and The Family finds out. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Right now, though, I’m working on
a humorous novel that answers the question: What if obituaries told the truth? <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">If you could travel to anywhere
in the world, or any period of time past, </span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">where would you choose?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Amy: </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It’s enticing to see 18<sup>th</sup> Century Scotland or Revolutionary
New England or the Antebellum South… but my first choice would be to go to a
small farm in west Texas and see my Great-Grandmother Johnson. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I want to know
her and understand some things about her. </i></span><i><span style="font-size: large;">She had a passion for beautiful
clothes. In the middle of miles and miles of dirt she always looked great. How
did she pull that off? She made up a recipe for chocolate applesauce cake that
is one of my favorites today. I want to be in her kitchen the day she decided
to make a cake and didn’t have any eggs and came up with this gem. Who taught
her to shoot a shot gun so well she could shoot the head off of a rattlesnake
while hanging her laundry on the clothesline? </span></i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And her husband, my
Great-Grandfather Thomas Jefferson Johnson, was a train robber in his younger
days. Did she know this when she married him? I would forego all my history
travels to get to the bottom of this.</span></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">What is something most people
don't know about you that you wouldn't mind </span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">sharing?</span></b></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Amy: Well, there’s that whole
“Mafia/Amish” thing I mentioned earlier…ha! </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2224202513094491935" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Thank you Amy for the interview. Your great-grandparents sound like an interesting couple--maybe the subject of another great novel!</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Read more about Amy Martinsen at her blog, <a href="http://www.goawayimreading.com/?tag=changing-worlds">Go Away I'm Reading</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Buy Changing Worlds on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Changing-Worlds-Amy-Martinsen/dp/159992966X">Amazon</a> and at <a href="https://deseretbook.com/p/changing-worlds-amy-martinsen-95215?variant_id=790-paperback">Deseret Book</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thank you for visiting! </span>Remember to leave a comment using your gmail account to be entered into the drawing to win a gently read copy of <i>Changing Worlds! Deadline Sept 1st.</i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-84708819429647334472015-08-17T11:32:00.001-07:002015-08-19T09:04:06.819-07:00Hot of the Press! Word Puzzles for Latter-day Saints<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Word Puzzles for Latter-day Saints. While having fun, find out more about everything from LDS Church history to scripture characters through word searches, crossword puzzles and cryptograms.<br />
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This is a revised edition of my 2005 LDS Word Puzzles. Hours of entertainment. The perfect gift for the hard-to-buy for friend.<br />
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10th anniversary of the earlier edition--updated and in beautiful blue!<br />
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Available at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Word-Puzzles-Latter-day-Saints-Sowards/dp/1599929783/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439835854&sr=8-1&keywords=Joan+Sowards+Word+Puzzles">Amazon</a> and in Deseret Book stores.<br />
Published by Walnut Springs Press.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-380089814444112012015-08-13T17:50:00.000-07:002015-08-14T08:44:04.560-07:00Waking in Tombstone by Marilyn Brown --review and author interview<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Waking in Tombstone</span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-kKnT7AdtLhPifEr6UPa2SO_KNaZM8auIxRJ3bRvOqJDuGozr6PWLuBHmwVkcTWTq02uxbt_WC68vjunZP8bGu5mhaRK_48xW9bfTolEpA_alw7CRQsd8FNkaJ3M85wkOI6USw7lZXhS/s1600/Tombstone_front_RGB_smaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><img adlesse_been_here="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-kKnT7AdtLhPifEr6UPa2SO_KNaZM8auIxRJ3bRvOqJDuGozr6PWLuBHmwVkcTWTq02uxbt_WC68vjunZP8bGu5mhaRK_48xW9bfTolEpA_alw7CRQsd8FNkaJ3M85wkOI6USw7lZXhS/s320/Tombstone_front_RGB_smaller.jpg" width="207" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">As an Arizona history sponge, I was delighted to find
Marilyn Brown’s latest historical fiction novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waking in Tombstone</i>. Read my review of the novel, and then read through the author interview with Marilyn.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i>Waking in Tombstone</i> begins after the gunfight at the OK Corral. I
wondered how a story about this legendary event could be told after the fact,
but Brown pulls it off very effectively. If you’re looking for the particulars
surrounding the deadly conflict between the Earp brothers, Doc Holiday, and several
outlaw cowboys, you’ll find them all here, along with Tombstone’s history for
the next six months.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Dressed in boy’s overalls, Libby Campbell escapes her oppressive
employer in Kansas City—but his attorney, Mr. Grenville, is close on her trail.
At the train station, she is fortunate enough to meet a preacher named Wendall Cotter,
who becomes her protector and traveling companion. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">On a whim, Libby tells Cotter she is going to Tombstone. It
just so happens that is his destination—and Mr. Grenville’s. After a lengthy
train ride and taking the last few miles by stagecoach, Libby peers out the
window to see the booming mining town rise from the middle of a scorched desert.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Another passenger, a colorfully dressed woman named Marcella Baron,
befriends Libby and offers her a room to board at what turns out to be a
brothel. Over time, Libby comes to see the good in each of the girls there. Choosing
not to work in their profession, she instead finds a job in a respectable
saloon. She meets the Earps, witnesses the murder of Morgan Earp, and interacts
with several other historical characters of the period. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waking in Tombstone</i>
will captivate you until the end, give you a glimpse of the American Wild West,
and keep you confused about who is the good guy. Since I’m a romantic, I
appreciated the touch of romance in the story, though I would have liked to see
the relationship blossom a little more. I guess that leaves <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waking in Tombstone</i> wide open for a
sequel.</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">JOAN: <i>Hi, Marilyn! Please tell us why you have chosen the genres you write.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">MARILYN: Early in my life, a lover of reading, I saw a great need for INTERESTING stories that are ACCURATE about the LDS culture and the "untold West." <i>Waking in Tombstone</i> isn't about LDS culture. But I did get the Book of Mormon in there, and I was able to tell the story of the "Blue Lady." </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">JOAN: <i>Why did you choose to write about Tombstone? Have you been there?</i><br />
<br />MARILYN: Yes, I've been to Tombstone, (I love Arizona history!) and I looked for a "novel" and couldn't find an interesting one that would put me in the middle of that time. I loved Tombstone. It made me feel a part of the West. That's why I wrote this story. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is one more huge factor. When I discovered Endicott Peabody (Cotter) and found him to be such a good man, I knew I wanted to make him a hero. No one had focused on him before. I like true heroes of the West, which is why I mostly write about the Mormon pioneers. (Amazing.) Peabody is like our Mormon pioneers. I honor him for all he achieved. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">JOAN: <i>What does "Waking" in the title mean to you?</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">MARILYN: By admiring "Cotter," Libby awoke to the goodness of his life and was able to begin a good life of her own.<br />
<br />JOAN: <i>Do you have more novels coming out in the near future?</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">MARILYN: <i>The Accidental Goodbye</i> about the Mercur mining town comes out in November. My next novel is titled <i>Black Canary</i> and is about the coal mines in Carbon County, Utah. I also want to write about a young couple who survives World War II. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">JOAN:
<!--StartFragment--><i>What is something you don’t mind sharing with your readers that they might not know about you? </i><!--EndFragment--><br />
<br />MARILYN: My husband and I served an LDS mission doing computer records operations for indexers. In our last month there, I fell and broke three ribs. (Never had another broken bone and I'm almost 77!) So I guess I'm a klutz. (Ha!) I'm well now, though, so I don't have an excuse to loll around and get waited on.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">JOAN: <i> So glad you recovered! <!--StartFragment-->What is your family like?--husband, cats, grandkids?</i> <!--EndFragment--></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
<br />MARILYN: After teaching English and achieving a BYU master's degree and a U of U MFA in creative writing, I settled down with a widower who had five children ages 1-12. It was a second marriage. My only biological daughter is in graphics design at Salem State University in Massachusetts. Almost all of these people we love have grown up. So we raised six kids, and now have sixteen grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.<br />
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Bill Brown, my excellent real estate broker husband found seven acres in Hobble Creek Canyon where almost every day we see the deer who eat off of our apple tree. We also get to see our two cats, our ducks, muskrats, raccoons, an occasional bear and cougar, and a beautiful crippled swan who came to eat the algae out of our pond. And at family reunion time the grandkids maneuver the kyaks in the pond and row across to say hello to the swan who doesn't mind at all. His name is Oscar. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Please learn more about Marilyn Brown by visiting her <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Chttp://marilynbrownauthor.com%3E">blog</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Buy Waking in Tombstone at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Waking-Tombstone-Marilyn-Brown/dp/1599929252">Amazon</a> and <a href="https://deseretbook.com/p/waking-tombstone-marilyn-brown-92852?variant_id=2652-paperback">Deseret Book</a>.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-79726562598748933362015-08-06T13:47:00.002-07:002015-08-06T13:53:44.781-07:00The Importance of Oral Histories<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">The central story of <i>Bridges of the Heart </i>takes place in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, and is partly based on the life of Coker Lisonbee.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Coker lived in Chesterfield, South Carolina, was born illegitimate in 1804 endowed with a strong will. His father died in a farming accident before Coker's birth. Living in the time of western expansion, his mother and her family raised him until he (and perhaps they) moved south to Alabama, and then to Mississippi where he met the Mormon missionaries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The reason we know his story is because he passed an oral history to his children--the name of his father and mother and when and where he was born. Oral histories, even though they are heresy and often expanded upon, are important to our family history. So many of our ancestors didn't read and write but told family stories to their children.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Coker Lisonbee has a large posterity throughout the west. In the novel I have changed the spelling back to the original Lisenby. There is a pocket of Lisonbees in Mississippi who are descendants of Coker's Uncle William whom Coker either came to Alabama with, or followed him there. And the rest of the Lisonbees are Coker's descendants.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">All the surname spellings in Bridges of the Heart are changed from the originals. It is to remind the reader that the story is fiction even though it is based on real people. And Lucretia felt so much better with a fiction name since I made her out to be a unforgiving old woman. She felt uncomfortable about being portrayed so, and I knew it, fretted about it. The publisher and I changed the spellings at the last minute, and then I felt Lucretia's peace.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bridges of the Heart is available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bridges-Heart-Joan-Sowards/dp/1599929546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438893842&sr=8-1&keywords=bridges+of+the+heart+by+joan+sowards">Amazon</a> and at <a href="https://deseretbook.com/p/bridges-heart-joan-sowards-94964?variant_id=474-paperback">Deseret Book</a></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224202513094491935.post-48418453443690026592015-07-01T10:32:00.001-07:002015-07-01T10:45:33.193-07:00Phineas & Ferb Live Action Tribute - Gitchee Gitchee Goo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Now that the last season of Phineas and Ferb has ended, my sons have finally made the video the producers initially asked them to make, but the deal fell through. This is really a lot of fun to watch and the song is cute. Proud mama moment!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0