I Believe in Jesus Too by Nielsen and Stapley

I was thrilled to win in a blog contest a copy of a new children's book, I Believe in Jesus Too, written by Mark S. Nielsen and Illustrated by Craig Stapley. It is a lovely book and I've enjoyed sharing it with my grandchildren, and this Sunday it went to the Sunbeam class and they enjoyed it too!

All around the world, Latter-day Saint children go to church, sing songs, pray, read scriptures, participate in family home evening, and get baptized. We may meet in different types of buildings or speak different languages, but we have a lot in common. Why? Because no matter where we live, we all love and believe in Jesus, and He loves each one of us just the same. Are you like Pablo, Dimitri, Bayani, Junpei, and Shamara? Do you believe in Jesus too?

This a beautiful, hard-cover, well-written book with excellent illustrations. Buy a copy of I Believe in Jesus Too at Deseret Book.

Interview with author of Espionage, A.L. Sowards

Welcome to author A. L. Sowards--Yes, another Sowards in the writing world! Our husbands are not too distant cousins and from the same small southern Colorado town. 

Amanda's recently released debut novel Espionage is making splashes. I am happy she agreed to this short interview, and I hope you all enjoyed getting to know her better.

When did you seriously start writing novels?

I started Espionage in high school. The first chapter was a project for my junior English class. I started working on it again in 2004, when I was finished with college and didn’t have to write research papers all the time. I rewrote the first chapter a few times, and then kept writing. Now I’m addicted [to writing] and I doubt I’ll ever stop.

What authors have influenced you the most?

My sister put her copy of Espionage in between her Jack Higgins and Alistair Maclean collections, and those two authors were among my favorites when I began writing. It’s hard to pick who has influenced me the most, but lately I’ve really been impressed with Stephen Ambrose and Cornelius Ryan. They both write nonfiction military history.

Every writer has a pet aspect about writing. What do you feel is your strongpoint?

Probably plotting, although I feel like I do a good job with characters too. I know just enough about grammar to know when I need to look something up. 

Give us an account of your road to publication.

I started looking for an agent or a publisher in 2007. I didn’t have much luck at first, so I kept reworking the book and making it better. The first time I submitted to Covenant, they didn’t take it, but it had gone far enough along in the process that they gave me some of the feedback they’d gotten from their test readers and let me rework the book and submit it again. 

What has surprised you about being published?

Covenant accepted Espionage in spring 2010. I guess I’ve been surprised by how far in advance Covenant (and most other publishers) accept manuscripts and how long it takes a book to hit the bookshelves once it’s been accepted.

What is the next novel you hope to publish?

I’m just calling it Book 2 for now, because I’m sure my publisher will come up with a title other than the one I have. It’s another WWII spy novel involving some of the same characters, but I tried to write it so it can be read and enjoyed even it you haven’t read Espionage. It will take place in the summer of 1944 and involve a commando mission to Romania and some spy work along the French Riviera in preparation for the Allied liberation there.

What is something about you that most people don’t know that you wouldn’t mind sharing?

I don’t like deviled eggs. When one of my sisters was younger, she liked to make them. My mom told her she couldn’t make any more until the ones made were eaten. So she followed me around the back yard and fed them to me until I threw up. I was 3 or 4, so I don’t remember it happening, but I still hate the smell.

Ha, ha! Funny how those things happen. Thank you so much for the interview and best wishes with Espionage's success!

Read the first chapter of Espionage here.

Visit Amanda's blog here.

Buy Espionage here.

Interview on A.L. Sowards' blog

Author A.L. Sowards author of Espionage interviews me on her blog. Come visit!

Surviving Denmark, a fun travel book by Tina Scott

Friend Tina Scott and her sister traveled to Denmark where their father had served as a missionary many years ago. Now Tina wants to share what she learned about traveling in that unique country in an ebook titled Surviving Denmark.

So, Tina, why did you write a travel book about Denmark?

Surviving Denmark has three purposes. I wanted to entertain readers with some of my experiences, share things I learned about being prepared when traveling, and rate the places we stayed and the sites we visited.

How exciting that you had the opportunity to travel to Denmark. I was there  thirty-eight years ago. That's before you were born! ;-) I bet it has changed since then. Give some good reasons why a person should buy Surviving Denmark instead of a more popular travel guide?

Surviving Denmark isn’t intended to replace books such as The Rough Guide to Denmark. I wrote it as a personal accompaniment. The Rough Guide is full of useful information, but there are hundreds of places listed, and all un-objectively. It’s like reading a textbook, and because none of the places are rated, it’s hard for a novice to know which sites to choose for a vacation.

What if I’m going on vacation somewhere other than Denmark? Would your book still help me?

I believe that many of the travel tips in Surviving Denmark can be used for any vacation. Some, of course are specific to Europe.

As we all know, the economy is pretty tight right now. What if readers can’t go on an expensive vacation?

Because of the travel experiences and the pictures are included, I think readers will enjoy Surviving Denmark even if they aren’t traveling to Denmark or Europe. Plus, I’ve heard that cyber-vacations are becoming more popular these days.

Thank you, Tina!

Here’s the link to buy this great travel book for a reasonable price. Bon voyage! I hope to see you all in Denmark!

Visit Tina's blog!

The Switch by Heather Justesen

You can get another great novel by Heather Justesen on Amazon!




Tia Riverton never thought cooking on the noon news would land her in the hospital, but a severe allergic reaction does just that. Her mom’s hysterics over her brush with death lead to blood tests that reveal Tia is not her parents’ biological daughter after all.

When paramedic firefighter Danny Tullis responds to Tia’s allergic reaction, he feels a tug of attraction right away. When he keeps running into her and her little girls, he can’t get Tia out of his mind. Despite their mutual attraction, the war widow isn’t ready to fall into his arms, but he’s not about to give up. 

Facing the fact that the family she grew up in is not her own, Tia searches for her real family, and for answers to how the switch happened in the first place.

As Tia and Danny keep searching, the truth about Tia’s past is revealed, and Danny shows Tia that life, and love, are better when they work together.


Buy  here. Buy The Switch here.


Visit Heather's blog here.

Three of My Dearest Blessings

There is no greater joy than family

Gathered together on this special day

All united in love, hope, and purpose

All valiant in the Faith and

Holding to His eternal promises.

Great Writers Conference

LDStorymakers Conference was this weekend in Provo, UT. Fantastic! Great classes, good food, good company. Thank you to all who made it such a success.

Hold To the Rod arr. by Craig Petrie

Our choir sang in stake conference today Hold To the Rod arranged by Craig Petrie. I have to say what a great arrangement it is. Very powerful. Thank you to Craig and talented other composers who make their songs available for ward choirs to sing.

Identity by Betsy Love

I admit I was thankful for a cold this week. Why? It gave me a good excuse to hibernate and read Betsy Love's fun debut novel, Identity. Betsy is the one who helped me get started on the path to publication by inviting me to join ANWA, a writers group for LDS women. Thank you Betsy and ANWA for all your help!

After vacationing in Mexico, in the same town and the same resort, two similar-looking young women board a flight to Phoenix. One is a wealthy heiress and the other is a Mormon girl planning to serve a mission.

The plane goes down near Nogales, leaving several dead. One girl survives, but with all memory lost of who she is or any past experiences. After a lengthy stay in the hospital, she goes home with a loving Mormon family who has no doubt she is their sister. Savannah remembers nothing of the gospel and must relearn everything from Joseph Smith and the first vision, to Mormon lingo.

Amelia's fiancé Brent will not believe she died in the plane accident. After his ex-wife turns up murdered in Mexico, he is the prime suspect. He jumps bail and heads to Phoenix in search of Amelia, only to be detained by disasters and the police at every turn. One barrier after another keeps him from her, including desperate criminals who would do anything to keep Amelia from returning to her past life.

Identity is a fun read. I enjoyed the Freeman family for being a good Mormon family--not perfect, but good. Savannah's best friend was overweight and sensitive, the villains turned out very villainy, and the love interest was believable and fall-in-love-with-able.

Congrats to Betsy Love for an enjoyable novel of suspense and adventure!

Visit Betsy Love at her blog.

Buy Identity at Deseret Book.

In God Is Our Trust by LC Lewis

Freedom has never been free.

I recently read In God Is Our Trust by LC Lewis and recommend it to all. It is volume five in the Free Men and Dreamers series and covers the years 1816-1830, set against the backdrop of poignant American history. Even though this novel is the first I've read in the series, I had no trouble following this intriguing story.

Jed Pearson, a veteran of the War of 1812, enters politics in the state of Maryland. He genuinely cares about the issues facing America at the time. Jed owns a large farm called the Willows where he employs freed slaves, allowing them equality to his other hired workers. An evil-hearted foe from his war years continually harasses him and his family and friends, causing much heartache and damage.

The series, including this volume, winds through the lives of six fictional families—three American, two British, one slave--tying their lives together in similar causes of survival and the fight for a better life for all.

Reading In God Is Our Trust is like looking into a peep-box into the past. I can imagine the careful research Lewis must of done and the great understanding she has of the events of our history. I appreciated Lewis' dramatic illustrations of the issues of the day:

The beginning of the Industrial Revolution
The last days of the Founding Father's direct influence
Political upheaval in America as new leaders emerge
The increasingly volatile issue of slavery
The American Renaissance
Thomas Jefferson's final message to America on her Jubilee
The impact of Immigration on America
The westward migration
A new religious reformation

These issues set the stage for this generation's response to Joseph Smith's visions of angels and Deity. At first I questioned Lewis' reasons for leading the story to the restoration of the gospel, but when I honestly considered Diety's plan for America, it is where the story had to go. America's constitution "acknowledges the hand of God in the nation's founding" and provided a land of freedom for the gospel to be restored and His church to be established. We should never be shy in declaring that good news.

"I hope you'll laugh and cry with the Pearsons and their loved ones in In God Is Our Trust. I saw so many parallels between their day and ours as I conducted the research. There are great lessons for us in these glimpses of American history," LC Lewis said. She will be elaborating on them on her blog in the coming weeks.

Laurie C. Lewis tells us why she wrote the Free Men and Dreamers series:

"I’m from Maryland, but about 14 years ago, I fell in love with historic Williamsburg. There is a sacred spirit there, one felt also in other places that welcomed the great patriots—Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Franklin, Key, and others—cities like Philadelphia, Washington, and Georgetown; and places like

Fort McHenry, Hampton, Craney Island, Fort Monroe, and dozens more.

I believe it’s because God’s hand was over the events that happened in these places, moving people where they needed to be in order to accomplish His purposes for this land.

The past eight years of my research and writing have focused on an incredibly fascinating, and rather forgotten, generation of Americans. Most of us know a bit about the Revolution, and we have some basic understanding of the issues that drove us into the Civil War, but far fewer know anything concrete about the War of 1812, and yet historians will tell you that it was this period and these events that finally forged us into The United States of America.

The idea for a historic novel began back in 1998 after my first visit to Williamsburg, but I set it aside and moved on to another project. After 9/11, my heart, like most Americans', turned more tenderly to America and her history. By 2004 I submitted the first draft.

The original manuscript was set in the late 1840’s, but after much soul searching, many hours buried in American history, and a small mention in Lucy Mack Smith’s “Biography of Joseph Smith,” I knew I needed to back the books up a generation.

It was Lucy’s reference to her brother Stephen Mack’s service during the War of 1812 that was the deal-breaker. I had never before made the connection between the Smiths and the War of 1812, but there it was! Joseph Smith grew up during that war. He and his generation were affected and shaped by the critical historic events of the tragic burning of Washington, the critical Battle of Baltimore, Key’s rallying of a broken nation with his writing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

The generation that would take on Britain’s war machine in the War of 1812 was already unique in that they were the children of the Founding Fathers’ generation. They were the heirs of the great patriots’ vision, those charged to build a nation founded on the lofty principles of liberty and freedom, and now they would experience the great religious reformation and the Restoration led by Joseph Smith.

Buy In God Is Our Trust here.