Signing in Seattle

I will be in Seattle doing a book signing for Haunts Haven on Feb 18, Thursday, noon to 2 pm. If you are in the area, please come visit. I will be giving out Callie Wilford's favorite treat--Ding Dongs!

Beehive Books and More
10213 24th Street East Edgewood, WA 98372-1765
Feb 18, 12 noon to 2pm.

Don't miss entering to win the Simply Memzelle Ghost Apron. Read about it below.

Strengthen Your Prose

I came across a great list of words to avoid while writing. These words "deserve to die" because they are overused or passive. All you do is take one word at a time from the list, put it into your word processing "find" function, find each word and eliminate or replace it with a better word that fits what you are saying.

For instance, we each use the word "just" hundreds of times in everyday language, so we naturally use it in our writing. "Just" has seven different meanings. Each of those seven meanings have several words to express that meaning.

Try it yourself. Put "just" in your word find, open your thesaurus and then replace "just" with the word you actually mean. Another word to eliminate is "got." I've got to see her tonight! should be, I have to see her tonight, or even stronger, I must see her tonight! In most cases, replacing these words strengthens your prose.

The list is overwhelming. I started with the words I abuse the most.

...and spent a day and a half on the word "was." Sheesh!

Here is the list. The Tameri website also give explanations.

any infinitive (to walk) about all almost always anxiously believe eagerly every

feel finally frequently got just merely nearly need never

not often only so that “the public” then very

Reminder: Become a follower of this blog by Feb 20 and be entered into the Ghost Apron Giveaway Contest (picture below.)

LDStorymakers Conference!

The 2010 LDStorymakers Writers Conference, will be held on April 23rd & 24th at the Provo Marriott. Great speakers, classes, music are lined up for the two day event. Click here to learn more about it!

Click here to enter the Show-Your-love-for-Storymakers Conference contest and win a ticket for a great seat at the dinner Friday evening.

Win a copy of Crayon Messages by Christine Thackeray

I blogged about Christine Thackeray's books last week. This week you can enter a contest to win a copy of her Crayon Messages on Lynn Parsons' blog.

The Stranger She Married by Donna Hatch

I was excited to receive Donna Hatch's Regency romance, The Stranger She Married as a Christmas gift and enjoyed reading it very much. It contains romance, mystery, adventure. The Stranger is Book One of the Rogue Hearts Series. Each book tells of a different brother in the Amesbury family.

Here is the synopsis:

Torn between a disfigured war hero with the heart of a poet, and a handsome libertine who may not be all he seems, impoverished Alicia must marry by the end of the month. Despite a murder threat looming over her, learning to love the stranger she married may pose the greatest danger of all … to her heart.

The cover is gorgeous! In this interview with Donna Hatch, she tells how about how cover come into being.

Donna: Most publishers don't let the authors have any input, but I was lucky -- but mine does. I filled out a questionnaire with character descriptions and a concept of what I'd pictured. The finished result was nothing like I'd imagined, and the hero looks nothing like the cover, but they got the heroine spot-on right down to the eye color. And I do like it, too.

What are you working on now?

Donna: I'm finalizing the edits on book 3 of the Rogue Heart's Series which isn't titled yet. (Gulp.) Book 2, "The Guise of a Gentleman" will be out in April. Each book is a stand-alone book, about a different brother of the Amesbury family, and the family members wander in and out of each other's books.

You have a posse of kiddos, how do you find time to write? How do you balance family with writing?

Donna: Yes, with 6 children, making time to write is very challenging. I do much of my writing at night after they are in bed, or during nap time, but when I'm on a roll, I write instead of unimportant things like fix dinner. I haven't dusted since last Christmas and I gave up scrap booking. This year, my youngest child just started kindergarten, so now I can write after they all leave for school. I also work in an office part time every afternoon, so that really cuts into my writing but I'm very focused, (or obsessed) so I keep at it at odd times of the day. And night.

What is the coolest thing about being an author?

Donna: A huge rush came when I got my contract and I was giddy about it for months. But I have to say that was nothing compared to the day my book came out and I saw it on the home page of my publisher. The euphoria was almost a surreal experience. The giddiness is still with me and I've noticed people inching away from me when my grin gets a bit too happy. I guess I scare people. And now I do it without even opening my mouth.

What has surprised you about being a published author?

Donna: How excited my friends and family were for me. I knew they'd be supportive, but I had no idea how they'd rally around me and help me promote it like they have. My niece even set up a fan of The Stranger She Married fan page!

What do you like to do when you aren't writing?

Donna: I love to read more than almost anything else. And I love music; I sing, play the harp, and am the choir director for church. I also like to swim, water ski, snow ski, and dance. I’m totally uncoordinated, so I don’t play any team sports and sports worldwide thank me for it. And, sappy as it sounds, I love to spend time with my husband, talking, walking, playing racquetball, or just cuddling.

Visit Donna's webpages at http://www.donnahatch.com http://donnahatch.blogspot.com/

Order The Stranger She Married on line at www.thewildrosepress.com_

Ghost Apron Give-away and Book Announcement!

Win this Simply Memzelle Haunts Haven ghost apron by doing one of the following, or enter three times in three ways:

1. Entering Simply Memzelle's headband raffle and leave my name (Joan Sowards) or mention Haunts Haven in your entry (rules at Simply Memzelle)

2. Leave a new comment on this post or one of the book reviews here on my blog and/or become a follower of my blog if you aren't one already,

3. Put a link to this apron contest and/or the Simply Memzelle contest on your blog or website. (Please leave a comment on this post telling me you've done this entry.)

This handcrafted apron is a glittery ghost, cotton print with thumbnail half-moons and stars, yellow edging, small pocket and yo-yo corsage pin with ghost button center.

Celebrate with me Haunts Haven's fifth month in publication. My 2nd novel Chocolate Roses, a Jane Eyre LDS Parody will be released this spring by Walnut Springs Press!

The deadline for the apron contest is February 20th.

Author Christine Thackeray

Christine Thackeray's first two books were published in 2009. “Crayon Messages: A Visiting Teacher Adventure” is about a woman who is given the worst visiting teaching route ever and how it becomes her greatest blessing. You can still purchase it from the publisher, Cedar Fort, and it is still available in LDS bookstores. The second was a collaborative non-fiction work that I did with my sister Dr. Marianna Richardson called,

Thackeray co-authored “C. S. Lewis: Latter Day Truths in Narnia” with her sister Dr. Marianna Richardson. Finding that C. S. Lewis had been quoted hundreds of times in church magazines and General Conferences spurred them on to write about and define C. S. Lewis’s themes in terms of what he intended to say, versus what has said of his views. is an intriguing study and the end of the book contains a complete index of Lewis’s quotes by topic and who he has been quoted by. It’s a great resource for lesson preparation.

Most exciting is the project Thackeray this year. For Mother’s Day 2010, watch for a small gift book entitled, “Could You Be An Angel Today?” It’s a fun story about a typical Mom who has an angel come to her asking for a day off. The woman agrees to take on the angel’s responsibilities for one day and through that experience realizes that anyone can be an angel -- even her.

Thackeray's next visiting teaching adventure is also on the way. It should be out by this summer and is called, “Lipstick Wars.” It’s the story of a young mother with an escaping toddler. Her son’s escapades take her to the door of a reclusive artist and together these women make miracles happen.

Visit website www.christinethackeray.com

Her blog is www.christinethackeray.blogspot.com

Read an author interview between Christine and Marsha Ward

The Silent Warrior Trilogy by Anna Del C

Book One T he E lf and the Princess:

Menarm was a great and prosperous kingdom, known throughout the lands for its friendly, hard-working people and fair trade. But a bitter struggle of succession between brothers left the kingdom devastated, the people divided. Some stayed with Fenil, who had conquered the crown, others followed Renil to the north, founding a new kingdom.

Now Adren, the last princess of the vanquished realm of Menarm, finds herself alone in a world where women live in the shadows of men. Not only must she battle her enemies, but also a truth that could obliterate her last hope for happiness and bring dishonor to all those whom she hold dear. On her quest, she finds unlikely allies in a powerful prince and a defiant mercenary, only to be devastated by an ancient elf.

Book Two, T rouble in the E lf C ity:

It’s been three years since the war between the Orks and Tahitans destroyed the proud kingdom ofMenarm. Adren, the land’s last princess, has settled comfortably into her new life as wife to the elf Dellin in the kingdom of Lothia.

But all is not well. And when a mysterious enemy shatters their peace, an enemy the elfs appear powerless to fight, complete annihilation seems imminent. Will Adren witness the destruction of yet another kingdom and once again find herself alone in the world? Or can the Silent Warrior come to her rescue and save them all?

Book Three, E lfs in a C onquered R ealm:

King Paletin and Adren, the last Princess of Menarm, set forth on their mission with a team to find the hidden treasures of the now vanquished Kingdom of Menarm. Led by the young strategist, Zyrthal, the team is strong in number and sure of purpose, yet they find themselves facing ruthless mercenaries who are determined to claim the kingdom’s riches for themselves.

Once again, the Silent Warrior is called upon to rescue the captured team, but he has begun to battle demons of his own and has become unsure of his abilities as the champion of Adren. The shadows in his heart become all the more magnified with the disappearance of the two half-elf princes from the dead kingdom.

Front Street Reviews has praised Dye’s works as “fluid and flawless” and has said in their complimentary review of Elfs in a Conquered Realm that “it should come as no surprise that one will find this story as fulfilling as the first two in the trilogy. Her talent for writing fantasy will leave her name forever entrenched in our memories as we hope to read more of her stories long into the future.

Read more about this intriguing Trilogy at Anna's website.

Read Anna's author interview at Tina's blog.

Review of Haunts Haven on LDS Women's Book Review

Read another great book review of Haunts Haven on LDS Women's Book Review

Thank you to Sheila who has a great talent for reviewing books.

Enter to Win a Bookshelf

Valerie Ipson is holding a contest on her blog to win a bookshelf. Click here to learn more about it.