The Star Prophecy -- A Christmas adventure

No better time to promote my Christmas novel The Star Prophecy than now. Watch this beautiful trailer about this great adventure.

"You are crazy. No Nephite has ever returned."

Most people laugh when they hear of Enoch's dream of returning to Jerusalem to find the infant Messiah. Even Enoch's future father-in-law mocks him when he asks for a postponement of his long-awaited wedding to his beloved Rebekah. A few take Enoch seriously - the shipbuilder Omnihah, Enoch's teacher David, and the prophet Nephi.

Five years before, a Lamanite named Samuel had stood on the wall of Zarahemla and prophesied that "five years more cometh" and the Christ would be born in Jerusalem. Time is running out! Enoch knows he must set sail across the great waters in search of his dream - to see the face of the Messiah.

The Star Prophecy is a surprising story of courage and love, faith and fortitude. Sail with Enoch and his

friends across the sea through hardship and adventure in search of the Christ child.

Hot Pursuit by Susan Dayley

Here is another fun suspense novel. Hot Pursuit by Susan Dayley is the sequel to Cold Pursuit, but can be read as a stand lone.

Hot Pursuit was my first encounter with choose-your-own-ending type novels. Of course, I had to read each ending. Which was my favorite?  I would always choose the most satisfying, where the guy gets the girl and they live happily ever after.

Hot Pursuit is set in romantic Jackson Hole, Wyoming where college student Kennedy is enjoying her summer job working in a luxury hotel near Yellowstone Park. She and her friend Chelo discover that the worldwide conference happening at the hotel is plotting a world takeover.  With the help of Atticus, they attempt to expose this devious plan to take over the world economy, and continually find themselves in deeper trouble. Through this adventure, Kennady and Atticus try to resuscitate an impossible relationship in the shadow of his looming and powerful mother. 

Dayley writes vivid descriptions and characters. I appreciated that she included Kennady’s technologically brilliant deaf brother, Luke, who made a unique connection to Atticus’ troubled sister Adela--an illogical teenager who has a desperate need for drug rehab. Add in other characters such as Spirit, whose crazy, invincible logic surpassed Adela’s, the cynical Taylor, life-loving Chelo and her devoted mother, and clueless Elliott. They all pulled me in and kept me reading to the end.

After upsetting the world takeover plot, Dayley leaves us hoping Kennady and Atticus can work out their worlds-apart lives and finally get together. But that will lead us to Book 3 (hopefully) of the series where we might finally witness them agreeing on a wedding date.

Fun all around, I loved reading Hot Pursuit.

Free Kindle Book: Room For Two by Abel Keogh

Room for Two is a memoir of year of Abel Keogh's life following his late wife’s suicide. It’s about his search for peace and how he met and fell in love with Marathon Girl. It’s proof that love and hope can endure, despite the struggles and tragedies that shape each of our lives.

Abel Keogh

Keogh has also authored:

Ultimate Dating Guide for Widowers

Dating A Widower

Marrying a Widower

Life With a Widower

and

The Third

Get your copy now of Room For Two

The Watchers, Book One, Knight of Light by Deirdra Eden

Deirdra Eden's The Watchers: Knight of Light

Within hours of its release on September 1st, 2014, The Watchers became a worldwide phenomenon. Spreading quickly across the globe, it is now an Amazon Bestseller!

<http://knightess.com>

Watch the intense new trailer!

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In England, 1270 A.D., Auriella flees her village after being accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death. Pursued by supernatural creatures, she struggles to accept the truth about her humanity. Filled with fairies, dwarves,pixies, dragons, and epic villains, Knight of Light is an enthralling tale that will capture the imaginations of readers young and old.

“Deirdra writes like a Disney movie, so many magical characters and elements.... evoking every fairy tale you have ever read and coming up with something really special for all age groups to enjoy.”
-Anita Dawes, Book Reviewer

Deirdra has a passion for medieval fantasy that shines through her writing. Her works will lift you from the present into a world of fairies and adventure from which you will not want to return. 
-Joan Sowards

A Writer's Heart

I've been on a mission. Other than my blog, my journal, and posts on social media, I haven't written much. I miss it. I've tried to get into writing on my WIP when I have a quiet evening, but my mind is elsewhere. I know perfectly well, like physical exercise, a writer must continually write to keep up her craft. I know that through my writing, I can have a good influence on readers, even while on a mission. But I'm in the Lord's service in another way right now, and not as an author. There is a time and season for everything.

A co-missionary continually reminds me that a famous LDS author wrote and entire novel on his couples'  mission, and that I have no excuse. Okay. Did he not have his mind on the people he served? Did he not come home exhausted every night?  I know there are missions that are not demanding and that a writer could still write in their spare time with no problem. Not mine.

But with a little over a month left of service, I feel a change happening. I have inklings of desire to write kindling in my heart. I find myself thinking about plot lines, itching to get back into my WIP with full mind and heart and relive each scene and motivation.

The changes are real. And I thank Heavenly Father for that. I thank Him that plot lines did not dominate my thoughts while ministering--that my heart is with the Thai people when I am with them.

And now I feel Him blessing me with a writer's heart again--preparing me to return home. . .

to write. 

Spell Chequer

Prays the Lord for the spelling chequer
That came with our pea sea!
Mecca mistake and it puts you rite
Its so easy to ewes, you sea.

I never used to no, was it e before eye?
(Four sometimes its eye before e.)
But now I've discovered the quay to success
It's as simple as won, too, free!

Sew watt if you lose a letter or two,
The whirled won't come two an end!
Can't you sea? It's as plane as the knows on yore face
S. Chequer's my very best friend

I've always had trubble with letters that double
"Is it one or to S's?" I'd wine
But now, as I've tolled you this chequer is grate
And its hi thyme you got won, like mine.

—Janet E. Byford

JOURNAL

In a couple of months, my husband and I will be finishing our mission here in Thailand. One of the things we chuckle about are the random English words that show up on shirts. Often they make no sense. It seems every shirt in street vendor's booths must have an English word or a picture on it--nice blouses, even. Sometimes the wearer has no idea what the words mean.

I stopped at a vendor's booth and pondered over this blouse displaying 

"JOURNAL".

  I'm sure that the t-shirt message creators have something in mind when they impose lettering, but so often miss their mark. But this one--"JOURNAL"--was too hard to ignore.

Was it a command? You must journal!--the perfect blouse (in spite of no sleeves) to wear when teaching a class on journaling,

Did the creator mean JOURNEY, or JOURNEY-IST (as in pilgrim) and in their limited English knowledge thought JOURNAL meant the same thing. Maybe she wanted to say JOURNALIST and ran out of room.

Maybe the creator wanted the shirt or the person wearing it to be a journal. Maybe? Just maybe. 

Or maybe they had no idea what the word meant but had the letters to spell it. I vote for that one. 

And I've also come to a conclusion that all shirts with misspelled words are sent to foreign countries.

Here is an example of "World Cup." Who would know the difference?

Aim High