Gamila's Review

Cheap (or free) books on an extra long weekend.

2012-05-26T06:04:00.000-07:00

So, I have found that I love free or cheap book deal posts! Here are several of the free or awesomely cheap books I have recently checked out or plan on checking out this weekend. The picture of the books lead to amazon links. (of which I am an affiliate just so you know) Most of these deals are set to last through memorial day weekend. After that most of them go back to their original prices so watch for that.
Currently at $0.99 as a promotion for the upcoming release for the sequel. I snatched this one up when I realized it was an YA urban fantasy a la Percy Jackson. Helen finds out she is a demi-god and cursed by the fates to replay the cycles the caused the Trojan War. I loved this book! I haven't stopped reading it since I downloaded it a week ago. Seriously, I'm on my second time through. Totally going to pick up the sequel. Best part it has the first three chapters of the next book at the back. Only .99 cents people! Snatch it while you can if you like retellings of Greek myths.

Bah Humbug by Heather Horrocks
This one caught my eye as I was browsing and it was free. So I decided what the heck? It is a cute little Christmas romance story and read it. The beginning is really funny and I enjoyed reading something short, but the book does end unnaturally fast. Unfortunately, the characterization feels a bit rushed in the whiplash ending. Still a clean romantic comedy for the holidays.

The Princess and the Horse by Mette Ivie Harrison
You can see my review of this book here.
Bid for Love by Rachel Ann Nunes
I read this book so long ago I almost don't remember anything about it. Still I am a fan of Nunes and so will pick this up this weekend when it goes free.

The Captain of Her Heart by Anita Stansfield
This book is also slated to go free this weekend! I also read this one a long time ago and I remember not liking it much. Alas, what can I say? It is a romance novel set during Revolutionary War ear. Don't expect much history though, it is very focused on the romance plot. Still if you are an Anita Stansfield fan or just like a good, basically clean romance this is worth checking out for free.

Witch Song by Amber Argyle
Also slated to go free this weekend also in preparation for the release of the sequel Witch Born. You can read my review of the book here.

C is For China by Robyn Chance

I haven't read this one but I am collecting free picture books in the kindle store in preparation for that long awaited day when I finally own an e-reader capable of showing them. So, I can astound and astonish my brood of squirming children at opportune times.

2012-05-19T17:01:00.000-07:00

The Hunter Chronicles: Return to Exile by E. J. Patten

"Eleven years ago, a shattered band of ancient monster hunters captured an unimaginable evil and Phineas T. Pimiscule rescued his nephew, Sky, from the wreckage of that great battle. For eleven years, Sky Weathers has studied traps, puzzles, science, and the secret lore of the Hunters of Legend believing it all a game. For eleven years, Sky and his family have hidden from dark enemies while, unbeknownst to Sky, his uncle Phineas sacrificed everything to protect them.

For eleven years, Sky Weathers has known nothing of that day.

But on the eve of Sky's twelfth birthday and his family's long-awaited return to the town of Exile, everything changes. Phineas has disappeared, and Sky finds himself forced to confront the mysterious secrets he's denied for so long: why did his family leave Exile on that day so long ago? What, exactly, has Phineas been preparing him for? And, the biggest mystery of all, who is Sky really and why does everyone want to kill him?!

Featuring an action-packed plot that covers the gamut of every monster you've never heard of (not to mention weird powers and weapons made out of garbage), Return to Exile is brimming with boy and girl appeal and is a gem for reluctant young readers. And, with a diverse assortment of well-aged monster hunters in the cast, this series will be a hit with adults young and old as well. Recommended for ages 9+." (jacket summary)

It took me a few chapters to get into this book as it seemed to follow the typical pattern of all middle grade fantasies. So, I slogged through the introduction chapters and realized that I liked Phineas, Sky’s quirky and strange uncle. When Phineas disappeared I thought that was also a typical and predictable part of middle grade fantasy. Then it became apparent that his disappearance meant that Sky and his family were in danger. They had only moved to their old town of Exile because of a truce arranged by Phineas, but now that he was gone Sky and his family had no promises of protection. Sky’s father sneaks out in the middle of the night to reason with the group of hunters that threatens the family safety, and Sky decides to follow him.

Sky discovers that the town of Exile holds all the answers to his Uncle’s riddles and stories over the years. That monsters really do exist because an entire pack of them nearly tear him limb from limb, but a rag tag team of teenagers save him at the last moment with innovative weapons made from garbage and serious scientific innovation. This is when the story started to get really fun for me. Sky makes friends with this monster fighting group, who aren’t associated with the hunters officially. Together they try to keep the monsters from harming others in the town and try to keep the prison that houses the Arkhon from failing.

The prison exists on Phineas’ land and is set to fail very soon. The Arkhon is a horrible monster that is greatly feared, but if he wasn't bad enough others of other monsters are also locked in the prison with him. If they escape the entire town will be ravaged and destroyed. Inside of all this threat and chaos lie the answers to why Sky’s family is in danger in the first place.

This story is full of interesting and funny characters. I found the monsters to be unique and formidable foes. I got hooked into the story and really enjoyed the world. Sometimes it feels like the story has too much going on in a few of the ending scenes, but I still loved some of the major plot twists the author managed to pull off. Overall, the book was a very enjoyable action-oriented fantasy read.

Check out more about the series at E.J. Patten's Blog. He has trailers and even his own original song for the series under the extras tab.

More by I.C. Springman

2012-05-15T17:47:00.000-07:00

More by I.C. Springman

A little magpie is sad, but is given a marble by her friend the mouse. Pleased with how the gift looks in his nest, magpie sets out to fill his nest with treasures. Whatever he finds he collects and brings home until his goods and nests multiply. Magpie soon has too much stuff! How is that possible? Read to find out.

A very unique picture book as it is very sparse on words, seeming to have the goal of teaching the concepts of more, less, and enough. This is a great picture book in that the art gives the text a whole other depth of story. The items on the pages are so detailed and repeat page after page so that the book almost feels like a casual eye-spy.

The Princess and the Horse by Mette Ivie Harrison

2012-05-11T07:11:00.000-07:00

The Princess and the Horse by Mette Ivie Harrison

Fierce has been an outcast in her pack ever since her mother left to be a human. As a hound she is fearless and one of the best hunters in her pack, and though she is not treated well by the others in the pack she loves the forest and her life as a hound. Then she is changed into a human by a princess looking for her precious horse. The wild magic that this princess wields so recklessly has endangered the balance of the world. Fissures form in the ground and from them come white worms that eat the life around them and then imitate it to cause destruction.

Fierce arrives at the nearest human residence to somehow make a life among humans. There she discovers Red, the boy who cares for the hounds. He wishes to learn the language of the hounds, and Fierce finds it comforting to spend time with the other hounds. As they form an acquaintance a woman comes to ask the Lord of the manor for help when the wandering princess turns her husband and daughter into animals. The Lord turns his back on her plea, but Fierce knows that this princess must be stopped and so she and Red go after her.

Convincing a spoiled princess to change her behavior is quite a challenge, as well as facing the worm creatures that are now traveling the forest and harming people. They must return them from the fissures they came from before they alter the world permanently, but such a task requires great cost from those that fight the substance.

I am really loving the fact that authors are now independently putting up books in series that their publishers dropped, because it means I got to read another Princess/Hound book by Mette Harrison. The price recently went down to 99 cents, which is a total steal! I was so excited when the book went down to that price and snatched it up immediately. In fact, it is still at that price right now. If you are interested in the book at all you should consider picking it up while the price is still low.

I always find something that annoys me in these books, yet I always keep coming back to them because I really do love the voice of the series. This book also has that wonderful fairy tale feeling, and yet still feels substantive. The author often combines vivid emotions and profound views of human nature, but does it in a way that comes naturally from the world and characters. It also has the interesting romance story that managed to feel the same, but still ended up having a twist that surprised me. For some reason I find the human changed into an animal or vice versa to be a very interesting romance trope in the series. The author managed to find so much tension and conflict in how such a dramatic change affects the characters and how that plays out in the romance plot line.

My complaint is that the world felt a little bit fuzzy to me. Some of the scenes felt odd in that I felt like the setting faded. A entire mob came into the forest to confront the Princess and the her entourage, but I wasn’t exactly sure how they all fit in between the trees enough to have the confrontation the author described. There were several other examples of that where I felt the author was so focused on telling the story she forgot the little background details that makes a story feel sharp and clear.

Despite that I still really enjoyed the book and really enjoyed the story and the characters. Totally worth reading if you are a fairy tale fiction fan.

Find out more about this series at Mette Ivie Harrison's Website.

Desert Intrigue by Linda Weaver Clarke

2012-05-01T17:20:00.001-07:00

Desert Intrigue by Linda Weaver Clarke

"Mystery…Adventure...Romance...Humor...Intrigue! When Julia’s brother announces that his dude ranch is haunted, she believes that someone is trying to sabotage his place and force him to sell. The mysterious happenings have to do with Superstition Mountain, the lost Dutchman’s goldmine, and the great Thunder God. Is it possible that the legend of the Thunder God is actually true? After a terrible thunderstorm, everyone begins to wonder. John and Julia quickly head to Mesa, Arizona and discover a few mysterious events. Will they find out who is behind these disasters before Uncle Kelly’s dude ranch is ruined?" (summary from amazon)

The author contacted me and asked that I review Desert Intrigue, which was a book that was part of a series. Overall, I wished that I had enjoyed this book a bit more, but struggled on account of the fact that the author’s style relied quite a bit on telling rather than showing. This problem affected every aspect of the book from description, dialogue, characterization, and plot.

I haven’t read any of the other books in the series, which may also have changed how I viewed some of the characters in the book. The twins for example didn’t do anything all the funny or mischievous except for give their uncle some oddly flavored jelly beans despite their huge reputation for trouble. This characterization could have been an impression that author crafted carefully in other books in the series and not so much in this particular novel.

I had a hard time with the dialogue too, which I often found to be of the maid and butler variety and very info dumpy. The characters were also very repetitive about the whole thunder god plot line. I feel like the background for that whole sub plot was explained several times, and it started to feel a little repetitive. A lot of the time the explanations of the thunder god background happened in very contrived ways that felt forced on the character by the author rather than feeling like a natural part of the story. This made it hard sometimes to get through large sections of the story.

Despite these problems, the author managed to make the ranch a fairly interesting setting and tell and decent mystery story in the process. I liked the twist that revealed the motivations of those wanting to destroy Kelly’s camp, and found that sequence of scenes to be pretty interesting. Overall, though I had a hard time enjoying most of the book on account of the writing style. Althought Desert Intrigue also gets points for being a clean read.

visit Linda's website to find out about her other novels.

Midnight In Austenland by Shannon Hale

2012-04-06T18:52:00.001-07:00

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale

“When Charlotte Kinder treats herself to a two-week vacation at Austenland, she happily leaves behind her ex-husband and his delightful new wife, her ever-grateful children, and all the rest of her real life in America. She dons a bonnet and stays at a country manor house that provides an immersive Austen experience, complete with gentleman actors who cater to the guests' Austen fantasies.

Everyone at Pembrook Park is playing a role, but increasingly, Charlotte isn't sure where roles end and reality begins. And as the parlor games turn a little bit menacing, she finds she needs more than a good corset to keep herself safe. Is the brooding Mr. Mallery as sinister as he seems? What is Miss Gardenside's mysterious ailment? Was that an actual dead body in the secret attic room? And-perhaps of the most lasting importance-could the stirrings in Charlotte's heart be a sign of real-life love?” (summary from amazon)

I think that I liked Midnight in Austenland more than Hale’s first novel in this series Austenland. I felt like the plot was much more interesting than the first book, and the main character Charlotte seemed more real and grounded in this novel for me. I guess I just related to Charlotte’s story better. I really liked how the romance plot in this story was balanced out by the subplot of a murder mystery. This modern day mystery takes inspiration from old gothic romances, and I always thought that Northanger Abbey was the funnest book I read of Jane Austen’s.

So, yeah, this cute romance with a little dash of mystery and a little dash of creepy old ghost stories delighted me. I read it in only a few days whenever I needed a break and I found it refreshing, just as Charlotte did, to focus on something other than daily life. The book is pretty clean, but has a few awkward adult humor moments that would make me not recommend it for young teens.

Visit Shannon Hale's website to learn more about the book

LDSPBP: Interview with Caralyn Buehner

2012-03-31T18:57:00.000-07:00

Gamila: Please tell our readers a little bit about yourself and your work.

Caralyn: I was the fifth child in a family of bookworms, so reading was something I grew up doing. It became my favorite occupation, and I think now that I probably grew up to be short because I spent too much time at night hiding under the covers with a flashlight and a book. In that respect I haven't changed - still regularly lose sleep to read, and would rather read than see a movie any day. The result of that is that I have an appreciation for where words can take you.

I've been fortunate enough to be able to write picture books, and work almost exclusively with an incredible illustrator - my husband Mark. Most often when I write now, if I'm writing something that's intended for the commercial market, I'm also writing with him and his preferences in mind, because I would rather work with him than anyone!

In my personal life, I am busy with the maintenance of daily life, and feel richly blessed to be a mom.

Gamila: What made you decide to publish picture books?

Caralyn: My path into this profession was different than most authors. Mark had a successful book out and was working on another when he encouraged me to put an idea we discussed down on paper, which we took to his editor. So I came in on his coattails.

Gamila: What authors in your field do you admire? Which of their strengths so you strive to emulate in your own work?

Caralyn: In this particular field that is actually a difficult question, because my response to a book is dependent not only on the writing, but also on the art. Where it seems that I collect the books of an author, it usually means that they are also the illustrator. Let's talk books instead.

Here's what's coming to mind:

Favorite comfort reads: GOODNIGHT MOON, BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL.

Favorite authors who deal with children's emotions: Helen Lester, Kevin Henkes

Best counting book: MY LITTLE SISTER ATE ONE HARE, by Bill Grossman

Most creative art (other than Mark): David Shannon

Great collaborators: Audrey and Don Wood, Steve Johnson and Lou Francher

Best potty book: Wendy Cheyette Lewison's (THE PRINCESS AND THE POTTY)

Best early readers: Syd Hoff. Nostalgic, and totally wackadoo. And the books about Otto (the robot).

Favorite rhythmic read-aloud books: CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM, BEDTIME AT THE SWAMP, THE LITTLE OLD LADY WHO WAS NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING, EACH PEACH,PEAR, PLUM

Best books I bought in 2011, both with a fabulous marriage of art and text: A CHICKEN IN THE FAMILY, THE PRINCESS AND THE PIG

Best little girl book: FANCY NANCY

Best foreign picture book artist: Poly Bernatene

Illustrators from the Uk to check out: Simon Bartram, Rob Scottom

I'd better not get started on the holiday books.

Gamila: The brevity of text in the picture book requires unique storytelling skills. What process did you take to learn this art?

Caralyn: I spent quite a bit of time in my middle school and high school years writing poetry, and as I've reflected on that, I think it has influenced my writing quite a bit. I tend to hear - internally, in my head- snatches of phrases, and they work their way into lines of a book. But working closely with an illustrator has probably done more for my technique. It's obvious, when I see how he creates and the freedom he needs, that I don’t have to describe anything when I write, unless I need an quick adjective to shed light on the personality or tendencies of a character. In fact, it's much better that I don’t.

Gamila: what is the most rewarding thing about being a picture book author? What is the most discouraging?

Caralyn: There are three things that I love about writing picture books. I love that I can do it at home, I love that I can work with Mark, and I love the people I am able to meet, including, and especially, the children.

The most discouraging thing is when something you feel is a good piece of writing is either rejected outright, or goes out of print.

Gamila: In your Mormon channel interview you expressed how you felt it was important to create safe places for kids in the picture books. I had never considered this idea before. Do you feel that there is a great lack of safe books? Or just an increase in edgy, scary, and crude books (bathroom humor, bad manners, etc.)in the market currently?

Caralyn: Fortunately, there are hundreds of wonderful picture books for children. There aren't a lot of books that I feel are inappropriate, but the few that are out there always surprise me. I always prefer a straightforward book to one which might be humorous, but which contains humor that could really only be grasped by an adult, and I never buy books where I feel like the illustrations are ugly and degrading. Illustrations should be beautiful in essence, regardless of their simplicity.

Gamila: Your educational background is in family and human development, and you sometimes address family issues on your blog. I would love to hear your thoughts on how picture books in general can be used to strengthen the family.

Caralyn: Certainly there's multiple benefits to reading picture books - and chapter books - with your children. The first significant benefit, and one that has been amply documented, is the fostering of literacy and language skills. The interesting thing to me is how research is showing that the benefits may be even stronger if dad is the reader. Children learn the language they hear, and they can learn to speak at a much higher fluency level than they can initially read. So parents should never be afraid to read challenging, longer, or more complex texts aloud. IF a child is submersed in language, then when he meets it later in written form, it will be easier for him to make the connection and understand what he is reading.

I also believe strongly that training the ear to listen is a skill that needs to be strengthened. Reading aloud, and reading books where there are few, if any, pictures allows the development of a good visual imagination, as well as a better ability to communicate verbally. Our media today is saturated with amazing and powerful visual images, but if we aren't careful, we get a diet of visual stimuli without aural development. I once read that teenagers 25 years ago has a vocabulary of some 25,000 words, and that the teens of today have a vocabulary of about 16,000 words. This is suggestive of a generation raised in media markets that are designed for mass consumption, instead of being challenged by language that might be more archaic and obscure.

Learning to listen also requires patience. A parent who reads a chapter of a book at night helps a child learn to hold still, to focus, and to wait. Would any school teacher mind having a classroom of children who could sit still and focus, because they had learned how at home?

The actual, physical picture book itself can be instructive as parents and children sample and select those things that appeal to them, and if they can articulate why, it is even better. The language of a book; the humor; the art and how it captures the environment or enhances the story; the plot; how the character handles his problems or makes them worse, are all things that can be discussed. Our local library has books set aside each year for the children to vote on for the a state book award. This year my five-year-old and I are reading our way through the long list of nominees, and discussing each book, why we like it or don't like it, and it's very instructive (at least for me).

And, of course, the actual physical act of snuggling up together strengthens familial bonds. it's comforting for both the parent and child, forming a secure, warm place that a parent and child venture to separate from the realities or dismays of life. I often have no idea what's happening in the video game my son is playing; I'm not in there watching and don't want to be, as long as I feel confident that it's appropriate material. But when I read to him, or he to me, we are sharing the experience, and for that period of time, we are in the same world, seeing and hearing the same things.

It's no surprise that Strickland GIllian's (1869-1954) poem, THE READING MOTHER, is so often quoted, although usually only the final four lines (in fact, I think I first remember hearing it in President Benson's talk, To the Mothers of the Church). But the whole poem is wonderful, so I'm posting it here:

Strickland Gillian

The Reading Mother

I had a mother who read to me

Sagas of pirates who scoured the sea.

Cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth;

"Blackbirds" stowed in the hold beneath.

I had a Mother who read me lays

Of ancient and gallant and golden days;

Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe,

Which every boy has a right to know.

I had a Mother who read me tales

Of Gelert the hound of the hills of Wales,

True to his trust till his tragic death,

Faithfulness lent with his final breath.

I had a Mother who read me the things

That wholesome life to the boy heart brings-

Stories that stir with an upward touch.

Oh, that each mother of boys were such!

You may have tangible wealth untold;

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.

Richer than I you can never be --

I had a Mother who read to me.

Gamila: Before we end tell us about your most current writing project or most recent release.

Caralyn: Our next book, SNOWMEN AT WORK, will be in the stores this coming November (2012). In this installment, whose cheery, happy snowmen are hard at work in all kinds of occupations. The illustrations are absolutely fabulous, and I'm very excited and pleased.

Currently Mark is beginning sketches for a Christmas book that I wrote a few months ago. It's warm and sweet, and I am also very pleased and hopeful about this coming project.

LDSPBP: Caralyn Buehner

2012-03-31T18:37:00.000-07:00

Caralyn Buehner

http://buehnerbooks.com/

Caralyn never planned on being a professional writer of any sort, but had always received praise for her writing when she was young. She married Mark Buehner, a talented artist who found work illustrating children's books. He suggested that she try her own hand at writing children's books and they have continued to work together creating many picture books, including the New York Times bestsellers, Snowmen at Night and Snowmen at Christmas.

Fanny’s Dream

The story of a down to earth farm girl named Fanny, who dreams of marrying a prince, but the night the her fairy god-mother is supposed to appear Heber shows up instead. He convinces her that she wouldn’t be a good princess, but has all the skills to be a good farm wife. Fanny decides he is right and ends up marrying and starting a family with him. Then one night after her little children are in bed Fanny’s fairy god-mother shows up and offers her a chance to marry a prince, and Fanny realizes that what she has is better than what the fairy god-mother is offering her.

I thought this story was so cute. It had a refreshing down to earth style that gave the Cinderella story a very clever twist.

The Queen of Style

The Queen realizes that she needs a hobby because she doesn’t have enough to do. So she starts a beauty correspondence course. She realizes that she needs to practice on real live people so she orders all her subjects to come to the palace to get their hair styled. Next she demands they get manicures, pedicures, and more. Even the sheep get pampered! The peasants finally revolt because they are tired of getting called to the palace each week when they have to work. Finally the Queen realizes that the best arrangement is for her subjects to come when they want to.

Another fun story with bright and active illustrations that helps children to think of others.

Snowmen at Night

A little boy wakes up to finds that his snowman has been moved. He imagines what kind of fun snowmen must have at night when everyone else is a sleep.

The text of this book was simple and clear. The pictures had strong contrast with the snowmen standing out on the dark blue background, which gives the book a very dramatic yet warm feel. The snowmen have a grand old time when the lights go out at night. I couldn’t hold back a smile when I saw the illustrations of snowmen having so much fun.

Snowmen all Year

This is a continuation of the Snowmen series. In this story the narrator dreams of what it would be like to have his snowman stay with him all year along. It is fun to see a cheerful snowman participating in different scenes of summer fun, but this story isn’t all that different from Snowman at Night. For those parents that have children who can’t get enough of the first book it is nice to have another story full of happy snowmen. After reading these I really do just want to smile. The snowmen’s cheer is contagious!

Would I ever Lie to You?

You wouldn’t know which tales to believe either if you had a cousin like Ed. Sometimes he tells the most outlandish stories like about how I was born in a cabbage patch, or that my head was shrinking. On occasions his wild tales are right, like how my aunt can take out her teeth or that you can really hear the ocean inside of a shell. So, when he comes out and tells me that my pie might be poisoned I have to wonder a moment if he is telling the truth. That is until I figure out how to turn the tables back on him.

The text in this one reads out in a wonderful clever rhyme. The relationship between these two cousins is shown in such a humorous way. My husband walked by as I was reading this out loud and laughed. He would be amused since he was the sort of older brother who told his sisters that rain was cloud gnomes spitting on them. Good fun.

Other titles not reviewed:

The Escape of Marvin the Ape

A Job for Wittilda

It's a Spoon Not a Shovel

I Did It, I'm Sorry

I Want to Say I Love You

Dex: the Heart of a Hero

Snowmen at Christmas

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

In the Garden

Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson

2012-03-30T17:36:00.001-07:00

The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson

"Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is on the verge of modernity, with railroads to supplement the canals, electric lighting in the streets and the homes of the wealthy, and the first steel-framed skyscrapers racing for the clouds.

Kelsier, Vin, Elend, Sazed, Spook, and the rest are now part of history, or religion. Yet even as science and technology are reaching new heights, the old magics of Allomancy and Feruchemy continue to play a role in this reborn world. Out in the frontier lands known as the Roughs, they are crucial tools for the brave men and women attempting to establish order and justice.

One such is Waxillium Ladrian, a rare Twinborn who can Push on metals with his Allomancy and use Feruchemy to become lighter or heavier at will. After twenty years in the Roughs, Wax has been forced by family tragedy to return to the metropolis of Elendel. Now he must reluctantly put away his guns and assume the duties and dignity incumbent upon the head of a noble house. Or so he thinks, until he learns the hard way that the mansions and elegant tree-lined streets of the city can be even more dangerous than the dusty plains of the Roughs." (summary from author's website)

Wow, I read this one at the beginning of the year, as we were given it for Christmas by our Sister-in-Law. It has been a crazy couple of months, but I am finally getting around to reviewing this novel set in the Mistborn world. My biggest worry going into the Alloy of Law was that it would not meet up to my expectations of the Mistborn world. The first three books in the trilogy were so incredibly good and so refreshingly epic that I did not know how Alloy of Law was going to stand up in comparison.

I think Sanderson made a very good decision to give his characters less epic powers for this less epic story. I found myself becoming immersed once again in his wonderful fantasy world and discovering new and interesting powers in his magic system. I loved that there were more balls, more witty banter, and more dramatic fight scenes. The story definitely lived up to my expectations for Sanderson’s writing and for the Mistborn series. My only complaint is that there needs to be a sequel, and I don’t think Sanderson will get around to it for a while yet. He kind of has a lot on his plate currently with trying to keep several different series going. Still this story was just fun. I totally recommend it to all Sanderson and Mistborn fans.

Monday Musing: Moving

2012-03-26T17:21:00.000-07:00

So, the posts on this blog have been pretty sparse because life has gotten pretty hectic the last few months. The last two years my husband has been working in the ER as an Insurance Clerk, and never really enjoyed the environment there. So, he applied for a job in PA and after all the interviews and other hullaballoo that goes on with such things we found out that the company he had applied for was going to extend a job offer. So on February 3rd we had a little over two weeks to pack up and organize a move over a thousand miles.

So, I packed and cleaned and herded a little 11 month year old around between packing boxes. I survived without my car for a week because we shipped it ahead a week early. I was very happy to be reunited with the car again, as having a car makes life with an infant so much easier.

We stayed at the in-laws for two weeks while we waited for our belongings to follow us up to PA. One of the advantages of moving to the area was the fact that we got to be next to family again. Huzzah! Sera has gotten to spend time with grandparents and the family dog. She is a spoiled child, and loving every minute of it. It took us a bit of time to apartment search, but we finally found a place we like and with a lot of hard work we have finally gotten everything unpacked. We still have some organizing to do, but for the most part everything has a place. I’ve also got some decorating done and the place feels like home. The biggest project left over is to get curtains up, and to find the hubby a dresser. No more plastic drawers from the college days! Huzzah!

Besides the move it feels like a lot has happened. My story was a finalist in the Mormon Lit Blitz competition that I mentioned. That was such a wonderful opportunity and I loved reading all the other entries. Sera turned one this past weekend and we had a small family party. Unfortunately we’ve all had a cold this past weekend and she was grumpy for part of it. She preferred to eat peaches over her chocolate cake, strange child!

I am currently focused on getting ready for Easter, trying to make friends, figuring out where to shop for things around here, and generally getting acquainted with this beautiful new place. I hope I can now write and blog more frequently now that we have gotten settled in here.

Olivia by Julie Wright

2012-02-29T20:16:00.000-08:00

Olivia by Julie Wright

Olivia finds herself frustrated with her marriage after she worked herself to exhaustion to make the perfect anniversary dinner for her husband and he forgets to show up. When he neglects to even apologize to her she realizes how frayed and weak her home and family life has become. She realizes that in order to please those around her she has forgotten how to be true to herself, and as she makes small changes to make more time for herself, she begins to fight for what will bring the family closer together instead of what will make things the most comfortable for everyone. Her small changes include her deciding to rekindle her old love of reading and join a book club.

While Olivia realizes she loves and wants to take care of all the children in her family including her step-children something is preventing her husband from doing the same. The harder she tries to reconcile her husband with his children the farther he pushes her away, until finally he decides to leave her. She is only able to hold together with the help and kindness of those she has met in the book club. At first it is awkward to reach out to these women she only just met, but they quickly become a support structure for one another as each one of them is put through a refiner’s fire.

I empathized with Olivia’s character straightaway in this book, as a woman who tries to always look on the bright side and do the right thing, I felt like we had much in common. It was rewarding to see her make friends and reach out and help those around her. I really liked her character and how she felt like a real everyday person you would meet at church or at work.

I feel like the author’s writing has improved even more from the last time I read one of her books. I loved Cross My Heart, but sometimes felt that several portions of the book felt awkward or were less polished. The writing in this book never took me out of the story, I always wanted to come back and read more whenever I had to put it down. The characters are strong, the conflicts relatable, and the personalities involved were interesting and felt realistic. I am so excited to read the rest of this series and see how these wonderful authors portray the book club from different points of view.

Find out more information about the series and the next book Daisy by Josi Kilpack at the Newport Ladies Book Club Blog.

You can learn more about Julie Wright at her author's website.

LDSPBP:Interview with Sharlee Glenn

2012-02-17T19:56:00.000-08:00

Gamila: Please tell our readers a little bit about yourself and your work.

Sharlee:I wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. I came from a family of readers. My mom used to claim that she must have had an extensive library stashed away somewhere in her womb--otherwise, there's no way under heaven her three girls would have consented to stay there for nine months! I started writing stories and poems almost as soon as I could form my letters, and I began my first novel at age 11. While in college and then later during my Master's program, I focused mostly on academic writing. I was teaching at BYU and busy raising my family when an idea for a middle-grade novel grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let go. I had no choice but to write the novel! It was published in 1998 by Bookcraft (which later became part of Deseret Book). My life was pretty crazy at that point. I was teaching at BYU, had just given birth to my fifth child, and was helping care for my mother who was dying of cancer. I flat-out didn't have the time or focus to be able to even think about trying to write another novel, so I decided to write picture books instead! I've now published three picture books: One in a Billion (Cornerstone), Keeping Up with Roo (G. P. Putnam's Sons), and Just What Mama Needs (Harcourt). Just What Mama Needs was recently featured on the EMMY award-winning PBS children's show, Between the Lions.

Gamila: What made you decide to publish picture books?

Sharlee: See above. :-)

Gamila: What authors in your field do you admire? Which of their strengths so you strive to emulate in your own work?

Sharlee:

The authors I most admire include Eudora Welty, Toni Morrison, and Marilynne Robinson. My favorite middle-grade/YA authors are Patricia MacLachlan, Sharon Creech, Lois Lowry, Katherine Patterson, and Gary Schmidt. As far a picture book writers go, I love Kevin Henkes, David Wiesner, and, of course, Maurice Sendak.

Gamila: The brevity of text in the picture book requires unique storytelling skills. What process did you take to learn this art?

Sharlee:Learning how to craft an effective picture book is a brutal process. It took me a long time to figure out the difference between magazine-type stories and picture books. I think it helped that I had written a lot of poetry. There are a lot of similarities between a poem and a picture book--rhythm, brevity, imagery, compression, etc.

Gamila: what is the most rewarding thing about being a picture book author? What is the most discouraging?

Sharlee:The most rewarding thing is hearing that kids love your book--that they beg their parents to read it over and over and over. The most discouraging thing is that the picture book market is so flat right now.

Gamila: I love the subtle way that you convey your characters in Keeping up with Roo. What experiences inspired you to tackle the topic of special needs adults?

Sharlee: Keeping Up with Roo is a very special book to me. The best way to describe my connection to the characters in the book would probably be to direct you to my acceptance speech when the book was given the Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award. To read the full speech, go here: http://daddcec.org/Portals/0/CEC/Autism_Disabilities/Research/Awards/Dolly_Gray/2006-DGA-Winner-Acceptance-Speech-Sharlee-Glenn.pdf

Gamila: Before we end tell us about your most current writing project or most recent release.

Sharlee: My life has actually settled down a bit since I first started writing, so I'm returning to my first love--the middle-grade novel. I have a work in progress that I'm quite excited about, but I don't want to give away too many details! I'll just tell you this much: it's tentatively titled Spitting in Space. :-)

Spitting in Space? That sound like so much fun! Thanks so much for taking the time to interview with me.

LDSPBP: Sharlee Glenn

2012-02-15T20:54:00.000-08:00

Sharlee Glenn

Website:http://sharleeglenn.com

Sharlee Glenn is a graduate of BYU where she ultimately earned an MA with a dual emphasis in Art History and English. She taught at BYU for a number of years and then decided to quit shortly after her fifth child was born. She then decided to pursue her interest in writing for children. In addition to writing picture books she has published stories in the cricket and ladybug magazine.

Keeping Up With Roo

Gracie has always been friends with her aunt Roo since she was born. They always played and had great adventures together. Though Roo is as old as her Mom she still loves to play like a child. As Gracie grows older and becomes more busy with school and friends she doesn’t play with Roo as often as she used to. In fact, she is a little bit embarrassed at how Roo acts in front of her friends, but realizes that her aunt Roo has taught her much about how to play and have fun. She learns to appreciate Roo's differences instead of being embarrassed by them.

This is a charming story about true friendship and acceptance. I love how the issues of the story are subtly conveyed for the reader to discover as the story continues. Lovable characters and a tender portrayal of family relationships.

Just What Mamma Needs

This is a cute little story about Abby the dog who likes to play pretend. On Monday she pretends to be a pirate and her mom cleverly suggests that all pirates swab the decks. Together they clean the kitchen floor. Each day of the week presents a new game and a new challenge for this mother and daughter duo. An ordinary day becomes an adventure and every house hold chore a game.

I really enjoyed this sweet little book, and the mother daughter relationship in the book. It was fun to watch the character work, play, and pretend together.

Other picture books not reviewed:

LDSPBP: Interview with Kristyn Crow

2012-02-06T06:34:00.000-08:00

I hope you enjoy the interview with Kristyn Crow below. She was so kind to take the time to participate in this project even though she was insanely busy preparing for the Writing For Charity Event taking place this year in Provo, Utah on St. Patrick's Day. Hopefully those attending the conference have something nice to wear in the shade of green!

Gamila: Please tell our readers a little bit about yourself and your work.

Kristyn: I am a mother of seven from Layton, Utah, who loves Beatles music, chocolate, and looking at the planets through a telescope. I write snappy, rhythmic picture books with a musical vibe. Most of my children sing, play piano, guitar, and a few write music, so music is a constant influence in our home.

I have four picture books currently available for purchase, and two in production. COOL DADDY RAT (G.P. Putnam's Sons), illustrated by Mike Lester, was released in 2009. A few months later, BEDTIME AT THE SWAMP (HarperCollins), illustrated by Macky Pamintuan, was released. In 2010, THE MIDDLE-CHILD BLUES (G.P. Putnam's Sons), illustrated by David Catrow became available, followed by THE REALLY GROOVY STORY OF THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE (Albert Whitman, Inc.), illustrated by Christina Forshay.

This fall, SKELETON CAT (Scholastic) is due to be released, and it's illustrated by the incredible Dan Krall. And I have a new picture book from Walker Books which will follow in 2013.

Gamila: What made you decide to publish picture books?

Kristyn:

I have been writing stories since I was five years old, when I announced to my parents that I wanted to be an author when I grew up. Writing has been a lifelong passion. I had a mother who read me stories like, ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO-GOOD, VERY BAD DAY, and a father who could recite THE JABBERWOCKY from memory. I was mesmerized by Dr. Suess books and loved movies like THE JUNGLE BOOK with jazzy musical elements.   So there wasn't really a decision on my part to write picture books but a lifelong gnawing desire to create more of the literature I already loved.

Gamila: What authors in your field do you admire? Which oftheir strengths so you strive to emulate in your own work?

Kristyn: Rick Walton is a Utah Children's Book Author who is one of my heroes. He has not only been a mentor to me in my writing, but also has connected the Utah writing community in such a way that we are ALL able to mentor, cheerlead, befriend, and serve each other. Writing is a lonely, solitary profession. Rick was able to link all of us together and unite us in great causes. For example, the Writing for Charity Event which takes place this coming March 17th. Over 25 Utah authors will be in attendance to give manuscript advice to aspiring writers. The proceeds will put books in the hands of underprivileged children!

Gamila: The brevity of text in the picture book requires unique storytelling skills. What process did you take to learn this art?

Kristyn: It took me a long time to learn how to do this.When I first tried to break into the picture book market Iwanted to write lovely sentences on a flat page that told a story from start to finish.I wanted to describe the scenery and characters in detail.This was my comfort zone--the kind of writing I'd learned in high school and college.I hoped to absorb the reader in my well-crafted prose and sweep him or her away in the scenes I was describing.I imagined that an illustrator would later read my text and paint the things I'd written--blue skies, yellow daffodils, and freckle-faced kids-- just as I described them.   I envisioned the illustrator as someone who decorated my words, not as a partner in the storytelling. I had a lot to learn.
To "undo" this thinking I had to dissect picture books and see how they functioned. I had to change my thinking from 2-D to 3-D. And I had to learn to leave room for the illustrator to do some of the storytelling. It's hard to do this.   Especially because the pictures aren't there yet.   You have to imagine what the pictures will likely show and then pare back the text to go along with the imaginary art.

Gamila: what is the most rewarding thing about being a picture book author? What is the most discouraging?

Kristyn: The most rewarding thing is seeing a child respond positively to one of my books. I do assemblies where I bring 75 instruments. Watching that many kids play along with the refrain of BEDTIME AT THE SWAMP, wiggling their hips, is pure joy.

And the most discouraging thing is the waiting. Waiting to hear back from agents and editors can take weeks, even months, even many months. That's hard.

Gamila: Your picture books often imitate and incorporate therhythm of strong music traditions like Jazz or Blues. What originally lead youto experiment with this and do you have plans to adapt more of your picturebook prose to imitate other musical genres?
Author: What's interesting is that I do write picture books that aren't in rhyme, but those haven't sold for me yet. I have a great love for music and lived in New York City for a time. I loved hearing the musicians playing on the street and wafting out of the little bars on the corner. Those beats and sounds flow out from my writing because they make me so happy.

Gamila: Before we endtell us about your most current writing project or most recent release.

Kristyn: This July, SKELETON CAT (Scholastic) will be released. I'm thrilled with this book. It's rhythmic and fun...full of bright, neon colors and the whimsical art of Dan Krall, who illustrated BEING A PIG IS NICE: A Childs-Eye View of Manners, and wrote/illustrated ABSOLUTELY BEASTLY CHILDREN, a hilarious alphabet book. Honestly, I can't wait for people to see what he's done with SKELETON CAT.    It's coming out in paperback which I'm excited about because the book will be affordable for everyone. I hate seeing those kids with pouty faces at the book fairs, who can't afford to buy a book.

Gamila: Thanks for the interview! I am totally going to check out Skeleton Cat.

LDSPBP: Kristyn Crow

2012-02-01T20:50:00.000-08:00

Author Kristyn Crow

Website: http://www.kristyncrow.com/

blog: http://kristyncrow.blogspot.com/

The bio on Kristyn's website explains that she wanted to be a children's book author from a young age, a desire that she expressed to her teacher as early as Kindergarten. She loved to match words and rhythm as a child. She took all the creative writing classes during her schooling in high school and college. She continued to attend writer's conferences and work on her craft until one of the instructors recommended an agent to her. She sent in several manuscripts and received and offer of representation. She has published five picture books all which have are heavily influenced by word play and rhythm.

Cool Daddy Rat

Ace’s dad plays the best jazz around town, and one day he follows him to work by hiding in his instrument case. Ace watches his day play around town all day and gets a chance to show his dad some of his own groove.

This is a fun Jazz inspired romp. The text is full of fun scat rhythms, which makes it fun to read aloud.

Bedtime at the swamp

This was my favorite of Crow’s books. A little boy is out in the woods during the evening and he hears a monster splashing through the swamp. He runs to safety in the branches of a nearby tree. Soon his mother sends out his sister to call him into bed, but she too hears the monster splashing through the swamp and joins him in the tree. How can they go home where there is a monster out there?

This scary bedtime story has a humorous twist, and text full of clever rhythm.

Middle Child Blues

Lee has the low-down, big-frown mid-kid blues. Life as a middle child isn’t very easy and so he expresses his troubles through this twangy picture book that reads like a blues song. There is so much he can’t do being a middle child, but as he sings out his soul on stage he finds that others listen and understand his situation.

This is a fun book that will have you expressing a little groove in your tone as you read. It has the rhythm and pattern of delightful song lyrics that you love to sing over and over again.

The Really Groovy Story of the Tortoise and the Hare

Didn't make the connection that this retelling of Aesop's classic tale was inspired from hip-hop rhythms until I read another review. I find it delightful that the Crow keeps finding new traditions to inspire her word-smithing.
The text and pictures have a wonderful modern and upbeat feel that makes this retelling feel fresh.

Note: I checked these books out at my local library and read them in order to write reviews. Also, pretend like this was posted yesterday, as I was supposed to do one of these during the month of January. I hope to post an interview with the author soon, so keep an eye out for that. Hope you enjoyed reading about Kristyn's work.

Wildwing by Emily Whitman

2012-01-25T18:35:00.000-08:00

Wildwing by Emily Whitman
When Addy is swept back in time, she couldn't be happier to leave her miserable life behind. Now she's mistaken for Lady Matilda, the pampered ward of the king. If Addy can play her part, she'll have glorious gowns, jewels, and something she's always longed for—the respect and admiration of others. But then she meets Will, the falconer's son with sky blue eyes, who unsettles all her plans.
From shipwrecks to castle dungeons, from betrothals to hidden conspiracies, Addy finds herself in a world where she's not the only one with a dangerous secret. When she discovers the truth, Addy must take matters into her own hands. The stakes? Her chance at true love….and the life she's meant to live. (summary from Author's website)

I do not know if I like the fact that the author wrote a time-travel novel that basically ignored the fact that going back in time changes the future. Fun to enjoy her historical medieval world without worrying about complications of a distorted time-line, but on the other hand how can you not logically assess the implications of telling people about agricultural innovations that happen 50 to 100 years later? Eh, I’m sure opinions will vary widely on the treatment of time travel stories. Just know that this time travel novel is very light handed with the science involved and gauge whether you are a reader that will enjoy it anyway.

The romance was kind of so-so for me. It was little bit sappy and I was really annoyed with how unprincipled the main character was when she discovered she loved William, thehawking boy. She basically asked him to get involved with her when she was betrothed to marry someone else, and wanted to turn the relationship into an affair after she got married, which was just an stupid idea all around. Not to mention how that is a horrible way to treat the guy she truly loves. He totally deserved better.

Still I was caught up in the story enough to wonder how exactly she was going to get out of her betrothal to Sir Hugh so she could be with William without getting half the cast of characters tortured, maimed, or killed in battle. Those are some pretty severe consequences for your choices and so made for good reading. It was interesting to learn more about hawking, as it seems it was sort of a medieval sport.

I think Whitman has beautiful prose and I loved reading many of her descriptions in the book. Despite, my few little nitpicks I found the book to be entertaining and enjoyable.

Visit the author's website

The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh

2012-01-17T20:30:00.000-08:00

The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh

"Jack Perdue, a ninth grade classics prodigy, lives with his father on the Yale University campus. Smart and introverted, Jack spends most of his time alone, his nose buried in a book. But one winter evening, a near-fatal accident changes Jack’s life forever.

His father sends him to see a mysterious doctor in New York City—a place Jack hasn’t been since his mother died there eight years ago. In Grand Central Terminal, he meets Euri, a girl who offers to show him the train station’s hidden places, the ones only true urban explorers know about. Eight floors below the station, however, Jack discovers more than just hidden tracks and mysterious staircases..." (summary from author's website)

I don’t remember just how I came upon the summary for this title, but once I did I knew I wanted to read it. I put it on my to-read list and found it while browsing at the library two weeks ago. Essentially, this could be cast as a retelling of the classic Greek myth about Orpheus and Euridice. This tragic tale about Orpheus tells of his quest into the underworld. While there he is permitted find his love Euridice and bring her back to the world of the living on the condition that he not look back while he leads her out. As in all tragedies Orpheus fails in his quest and looks back before they exit the underworld. Euridice is lost to him and Orpheus mourns greatly and is never the same again.

This novel put a new spin on the tale by changing the setting of the underworld to the streets of New York City. Those who are familiar with the city’s many landmarks will be amused and delighted to experience them anew from a ghosts perspective—flying and swooping through the air and disappearing through walls. This version of the story becomes less a tragedy and more a mystery novel of sorts as Jack has to discover exactly why he was allowed to enter the Underworld in the first place while avoiding the three-headed dog Cerebus and other underworld guards. Jack finds companionship and love with Euri as they search the underworld for his mother. Each of the characters must face the conflict of finding closure with the finality of death. I really enjoyed this read. While not action-packed as most myth retellings these days, it gives a strong sense of place, complex conflicts, and characters that are worth rooting for.

Also, the Latin didn’t hurt. There are lots of fun Latin phrases scattered throughout, and as a former Latin teacher I had lots of fun reading and enjoying familiar and new phrases. Also, I think I have mentioned before that I have an obsession with underworld fiction, as I find it fascinating. So, this also increased my enjoyment of this book.

Please check out Katherine Marsh's website.

Notes on books read in 2011

2012-01-06T19:49:00.000-08:00

So, this list doesn’t have everything I read in 2011 as there are about a dozen more picture books that I didn’t bother to write down.

Overall, I was disappointed that I was unable to read many novels but I did have a lot of fun exploring the new medium of picture books. I also read a lot of short stories on daily science fiction.

I am also slightly disappointed that I only read three LDS Fiction novels. . (Paint Me True, Cross My Heart, Bumpy Landings)This depresses me, as that was the main purpose of this blog when I started out. I will have to try and change that in 2011. I miss getting my LDS fiction from the basement of the HBLL. In fact, looking at those numbers makes me feel LDS fiction starved. Sigh.

But perhaps I shouldn’t be too hard on myself as I read seven other novels by LDS authors.

One thing that has brought me excitment this year is the announcement of the Mormonlitblitz short story contest. ( I submitted my story yesterday. Why don't you submit too? All the cool people are doing it.) I have loved reading so many blogs discussing how we should renew our efforts to create a more authentic and rich Mormon culture through our writings. I also love how many have rejected the polarity between the sugary sweet fiction and the edgy fiction that just leaves everyone feeling uncomfortable. I am really happy that we are asking ourselves and others to step up to the plate and create more options for readers and writers alike. We have been moving in this direction for a while now and I am glad to see it continue.

I also read about hundred picture books and curiosity lead me to an interesting reading path. I feel as if there is a lot of information about LDS novelist out there, but I could not find one list or blog post about LDS picture book authors. I found this not only unacceptable but annoying and started out on a quest to find and read picture books written by LDS authors. Those savvy enough to know something about LDS picture book authors can see that I spent a lot of time this year reading (and writing reviews) of picture books by LDS authors.

So this year I will launch the LDS picture book project. Frankly, I am busy and don’t know how much I can devote to this project, but by the end of the year I will feature at least 12 LDS Picture Book authors and their books on this blog. See, now I am accountable and committed. I have hedged and hedged on this project probably because I don’t know how long I can sustain it. But at least there will be more out there on the internet about this topic.

So, if you want to help me out I’d love for you to tell me about your random aunt who is LDS and just happens to publish picture books. That’d save me hours of searching the internet. Also, I’d love to hear about your college roommate that now publishes picture books, and your Relief Society president, or anybody really. Seriously, I’m at the bottom of the barrel. Send more names fast.

Books Read in 2011

2012-01-04T21:01:00.000-08:00

List of Books read in 2011
183 Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst

184 Bumpy Landings by Don Carey

185 The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

186 Cross My Heart by Julie Wright

187 The Gurensey literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Shaffer and Annie Barrows

188 Prisoners in the Palace by Michaela MacColl

189 The Aenied by Virgil

190 Sean Griswold’s Head by Lindsey Leavitt

191 Sapphique by Catherine Fisher

192 The True Adventures of Hector Kingsley By Kindal Debenham

193 Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet b y Jamie Ford

194 The Wretched of Muirwood by Jeff Wheeler

195 Tounges Of Serpents by Naomi Novik

196 Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming

197 Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury

198 Witch Song by Amber Argyle

199 Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

200 The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke

201 Goliath by Scott Westerfeld

202 Wolves, Boys and Other Things That Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler

203 Paint me True by E.M. Tippetts

204 Badger by Kindal Debenham

Picture Books:

Eric Carle

1 A Very Hungry Catapilar

2 The Very quiet cricket

3 Will you be my friend

4 The grouchy ladybug

5 Papa, please get the moon for me

Ian Falconer

6 Olivia by Ian Falconer

7 Olivia form a band

8 Olivia goes to venice

9 Olivia helps with Christmas

Mem Fox
10 Where is the Green Sheep

11 Hattie and the Fox

12 Hunwick’s Egg

Candace Fleming

13 Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! By Candace Fleming

14 Tippy Tippy Hide

15 Sonny Boy the Life and Times of a Tortise

16 The Hatmaker’s sign

17 This is the baby

18 Clever Jack Takes the Cake

19 Imogene’s Last Stand

20 Seven Hungry Babies

Lois Elhert

21 Waiting for Wings by Lois Elhert

22 Nuts to you by Lois Elhert

Rick Walton

23 Baby’s first year

24 6000 rats a tale of conjunctions

25 The Fox Chased the Mouse a prepositional tale

26 So many bunnies

27 How can you dance

Caralyn Buehner

28 Snowmen all year

29 Snowmen at night

30 Fanny’s Dream

31 The Queen of Fashion

Emma Dodd

32 I don’t want a cool cat

33 What pet to get

34 Just like you

35 No matter what

Trudy Harris

36 The clock struck one

37 Tally cat keeps track

38 Splitting the herd

39 20 hungry piggies

40 Jenny Found A Penny

Cambria Evans

41 Bone Soup

42 Martha Moth Makes socks

Lezlie Evans

43 The bunnies Trip

44 The Bunnies Picnic

45 Can you count Ten Toes? Count to ten in 10 different languages

46 Who loves the little lamb

Tana Hoban

47 A children’s Zoo

48 Cubes, Cones Cylinder and Spheres

49 Shadows and reflections

50 Let’s count

51 More Fewer Less

52 Let’s Count

53 Shapes, Shapes, Shapes

54 Is it red? Is it yellow? Is it blue?

Neil Gaiman

55 Blueberry Girl

56 Crazy Hair

Mo Willems

57 Knuffle Bunny

58 Knuffle Bunny Too

59 Knuffle Bunny Free

60 Don’t let the Pigeon Drive the bus

61 Don’t let the pigeon stay up late

62 The Pigeon finds a hot dog

63 The Pigeon wants a Puppy

64 Hooray for Amanda and her Alligator

65 Time to say Please

Brandon Doorman

66 Pirates of the Sea

67 Santa’s Stowaway

Kristyn Crow

68 Middles Child Blues

69 Bedtime in the Swamp

70 Cool Daddy Rat

71 The Really Groovy Story of the Tortoise and the Hare

Sharlee Glenn

72 Just What Mama Needs

73 Keeping up with Roo

Misc authors

74 The Night Pirates by Peter Harris

75 Mail Harry to the Moon by Robie H. Harris

76 The Duchess of Whimsy by Randall De Seve

77 Scapegoat by Dean Hale

78 Waiting for Mama by Lee Tae-Jun

79 The Wizard by Jack Prelutsky

80 Halloween night by Majorie Dennis Murray

81 The legend of the bluebonnet by Tomie De Patola

82 Bedtime for Bear by Brent Helquist

83 Heckedy Peg by Audrey Wood

84 Itsy-bitsy-babies by Margaret Wild

85 Baby Knows Best by Kathy Henderson

86 Baby Talk: a book of first words and phrases by Judy Hindley

87 City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems

89 Edwina: The dinosaur who didn’t know she was extinct

90 Absolutely Positively Alexander by Judith Viorst

91 Wild Witches Ball by Jack Prelutsky
92. Piggies by Audrey Wood

2011 was a VERY BUSY year

2011-12-26T19:11:00.000-08:00

So, this year was kind of a huge one for me and my family. There were a lot of life altering changes.

In January I was still teaching Latin and struggling to get all my lesson plans done, my grades in on time, and expecting the small wiggling creature inside of my tummy to come forth in a few months. I thought I would go back, but ended up not going back. So, I changed my vocation to stay at home mom instead of Latin teacher.

In March that wee little wiggling creature was born and I was immediately attached to her. She cried a lot, ate a lot, and slept a lot. Now, holy crap, she eats cheerios on her own and crawls about to where her whimsical heart takes her. She is naughty and angelic not to mention the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen. I also tell her that she has got to stop this growing thing, but she refuses to listen. She cries less, laughs more but is still absolutely exhausting. She loves to go outside, and it is nice and convenient that it is still 60 degrees in Texas this week. Her favorite toy this month is the piano. It has superseded her love of bath time. She loves to bang on the keys and since I have a fancy electronic one that has hundreds of different instrument sound options she has learned how to change the sound from grand piano to the oboe or some other strange musical instrument I haven’t heard of before and squeals happily when the sound comes out different when she pounds away again.

This summer my husband and I launched our own ebook business by publishing two short stories, Killer and The Missing Figurine. We went on one of our long walks together and decided to name it Wandering Leaf Publishing. You can learn more about what we are doing with the company at its website www.wanderingleafpublishing.com

Most of my current efforts have been devoted toward this endeavor. I remember breaking down crying (in my defense I was very very VERY sleep deprived) over the fact that I could not figure out how to use gimp, a free photo editing software that was recommended to us by Joe. Whereas this month I made an original cover, did a hardcover layout for another cover, and made some cool bookmarks using this formerly foreign program. Huzzah! I had some awesome help from my friend Aneeka. We are grateful for her support and proud of how she has blossomed her own business this year at Not A VillianComic.

This October marked the year anniversary of our online writing group that we host over skype every week. These people have blessed our lives and we are so happy to have them in our lives as friends and fellow writers. Thanks Andy, Ben, Kayla, Megan, Alisa, and Joe.

This year Kindal wrote Badger, (I read it and LOVED it) Iron Angels, and The True Adventures of Hector Kingsley part II(so excited to read it!). So, he’s been kind of crazy and writing his brains out, but this is what he wants to do, and so we are going to figure out how to make this writing thing work.

I had a good writing year strangely enough. I typed out Alderik’s Quest one painful sentence at a time as I nursed Sera. She nested in the bobby pillow as I put the laptop in my lap in those early sleep deprived days. This lead to a short story kick, and I wrote Christmas Cars, Twin Swords, Christmas Gingerbread Man, The Shoe App, and Ruby’s Piano. I also rewrote my Sleeping Beauty and the God of Death story. I also stared a novel called Boys, Bells, and Blessings and got 20,000 words written. Not too bad for a new mom right?

November my parents left for another mission. They are currently in south England, and I had fun last night planning to visit them there next year. I am excited that might get to go back! I will get to wander around castle ruins with Kindal. Seriously people, I made this a goal when we were first married. Take Kindal to a Castle and next year we might get to do it. Better yet, we get to take the wee one with us. Kindal and Sera at a castle together with me! Huzzah! November we also lined up some cover artists. Found an Editor, Tristi Pinkston. Did the final formatting and editing to Wolfhound.

December we published Wolfhound and Christmas Cars. We sent the True Adventures of Hector Kingsley off to an Editor. Got the Cover Art for the True Adventures of Hector Kingsley. Best of all is that we are going to be with family for Christmas! PA here we come. We are so very much happy with all the blessings that we have received this year, especially for our little Sera. We love to see her little smile first thing every morning and love to chase her around before she goes down for the night. She is a sweet and active little soul that makes our lives more exhausting but also more interesting. We are thankful for the support of family and friends and for the opportunities that we have had to grow. We are also grateful for the Savior, who has got us through the dark days and helped us enjoy the bright ones with peaceful hearts.

Heckedy Peg by Audrey Wood

2011-12-14T07:42:00.000-08:00

Heckedy Peg by Audrey Wood
Seven children, all named after the days of the week, are left at home with two rules from their mother. The first is not to let any strangers in and the second is to stay away from fire. The children play while their mother goes to the market for food, but an old woman comes by and asks to be let in. They children refuse but she offers them a bag of gold. They let her in and are trapped in the witches spell. Their mother must come to their rescue and break the curse cast upon them.

I really loved this story. The illustrations are beautiful paintings full of light and life. The painting from the cover is what got me to pick this one up and take it home from the library. I also loved the fact that it has all the classic characteristics of a fairy tale story, yet I had never heard it before. So, if you love those fairy tale classics but want to read something new, then Heckedy Peg would be a delightful read for you. This one was a bit long for the little Sera, but oh well. I liked it at least and so did the hubby. He kept peeking over as I read it.

After looking at this Audrey Wood's wonderful website I want to find and read more books by her!

Follow Friday

2011-12-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

The Follow Friday Question is:
Q: Keeping with the Spirit of Giving this season, what book do you think EVERYONE should read and if you could, you would buy it for all of your family and friends?

I think I would choose Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld or Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. Both are awesome innovative books that have lots of adventure and good characters.

Don't forget to check out the Wolfhound Christmas Giveaway while you visit!
Everyone who enters wins an e-book christmas story!

Wolfhound Christmas Contest

2011-12-09T07:25:00.000-08:00

Alright people! It is officially December 9^th and the Kickoff of my Wolfhound Christmas giveaway!

The best part about this giveaway away is that everyone is a winner! EVERYONE who enters will receive a coupon to download my Christmas story The Missing Figurine on Smashwords.

Two people will win copies of Anita Stansfield’s Chrismas novels Home for Christmas or A Christmas Melody. Entrants will also we entered to win a free e-book copy of Wolfhound by Kindal Debenham if they participate next week also.

3 Ways to earn entry points:

Friend my blog

Post about this contest on facebook/twitter

Tell your blog readers about the release of Wolfhound

Feel free to snag one of these pics:

Remember to win a copy of wolfhound you must enter the contest this week and next week. Tell me how you entered and leave your email address in the comments so I can send you a coupon to download a free copy of The Missing Figurine.

The prizes this week:

Note: I will not ship internationally, but if an international contestant wins the drawing I will email them an e-book copy of Wolfhound instead of the book prize.

Paint Me True by E.M. Tippetts

2011-12-07T07:27:00.000-08:00

So a couple years ago I read a new release by E.M Tippetts. Loved the cover, loved the story, loved the writing. Then I discovered that she had a falling out with her publisher over some contract details and I was sad because it didn’t look like I was going to read any books by her for a long time. So, I was thrilled when E.M. Tippetts contacted me to let me know that she had a new book out, Paint Me True. This time she had decided to indie-publish.
Paint Me True by E.M. Tippetts

The story of Eliza a thirty-year-old looking for love in a singles ward begins as she is breaking up with Len, her boyfriend for the last six months. She thinks he was going to propose and instead he throws her a celebratory break up dinner instead. With her pride hurt, Eliza limps back to her life as an artist, paining in an empty house that her stepmother can’t sell in the housing market.

Then she receives a phone call from her Aunt Nora in England, who has broken her arm and refuses to get treatment because she doesn’t want an x-ray. Eliza, having lost her mother, two sisters, aunts, and grandmothers to cancer because of a genetic mutation that runs in the family, packs and leaves everything to help the last living female relative in her family. While dealing with her aunt’s stubborn attitude toward all medical institutions Eliza paints scenes for Nora of her deceased husband to keep her motivated and strong. As in all good plot lines not everything about Nora’s life is as it seems, as her medical conditions complicate, and her noisy relatives reveal past secrets, Eliza learns about true love, friendship, and how to change after making a huge mistake.

My Review:

The breakup scene was hilarious and I empathized more with Len than I did with Eliza, who really was a rather shallow thirty one-year-old. It was pretty obvious that she looked down on Len for some of his nerdy and sloppy habits. Still, despite the fact that it seemed like this guy hadn’t bought himself any new clothes since his mission his genuinely caring personality comes out. Therein lies the genius of this romance novel. Even when Eliza is in Britain dating a hot new doctor, the reader’s heart is commiserating with the lonely soft-hearted computer/gamer geek back in the states.

In fact, it becomes rather clear that Eliza has made a huge mistake but if she thinks it is going to be easy to get Len back she has got another thing coming. E.M. Tippetts turns romance tropes on their head by switching gender stereotypes as Eliza now has to be the one who wins the guy back after her huge lapse in character judgment. In this touching novel characters are painted with true and realistic personalities that make them memorable, lovable, and endearing. I laughed out loud, felt the deep loneliness of the single life, and was strengthened by Eliza’s patient faith in the face incredible trial.

The formatting of the book is beautiful with lovely chapter headings and a professional cover. As I reader I didn't like Eliza at first, as she is kind of a jerk but I think the novel does a good job of making her sympathetic by showing that she is willing to grow and change. There were a few typos, and there was a mistake when Eliza’s home teachers gave her a blessing. They sealed the blessing even though it was only a blessing of comfort and counsel and not a healing blessing. Despite these mistakes I loved this book and I am thrilled that I get to read another LDS Fiction work by E.M. Tippetts again.

Her next book is coming out in December, Someone Else’s Fairytale. According to her blog it will be free the entire month of December. So be sure to pick it up and sample this wonderful author’s work. I hope you love her work as much as I do and purchase, Paint Me True.

And don’t forget! It is Whitney nominating season!

Visit E.M. Tippetts Website

Wolfhound Christmas giveaway!

2011-12-05T19:52:00.000-08:00

It is time for a Christmas celebration this December and so I am going to host a few giveaways! What are we celebrating in particular you may ask? Well, my husband Kindal is going to publish his first novel this month and I've written two Christmas stories that I want to give to you this year in exchange for your super blogging powers.

There will be two weeks of celebration December 9th-23rd!

The first week 9th-16th I will give away two out of print copies of Anita Stansfield's Christmas novels Home For Christmas, and A Christmas Melody. Everyone who enters this week will get a coupon to download a free e-book copy of my short Christmas story The Missing Figurine at Smashwords.

The second week 16th-23rd I will give away an ARC of How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr, and everyone who enters will get a coupon to download a free e-book copy of my YA christmas story Christmas Cars at Smashwords.

Those who participate in both giveaways will be entered into a raffle to win an e-book copy of my husband's first book Wolfhound.

Entry details will be forthcomming on the 9th of December.