Fire and Ice

The Siren's Secret Blog Tour Author Guest Post, Breview and Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:55:00 +0000

Author Heather Ostler is guest blogging today at Fire and Ice about Sirens as part of The Siren's Secret official blog tour!

Sirens are enchanting and mysterious creatures. In mythology they are believed to be beautiful woman who can lure men to their deaths. Though they are supernatural creatures who live in water like mermaids, they have legs, not fins.

Powerful and manipulative, sirens have always been seen as a threat. They are extremely smart, and can see into your past and the future from only meeting you.

Sirens are able to lure and hypnotize sailors using their lovely, sweet singing voices. Often in mythology sirens would find unsuspecting sailors and hypnotize them. Once the sailors were lured in from their singing, the sirens would capture them, or make them crash their boats into rocks.

The siren’s song was different for each sailor, but always too beautiful to resist. Unfortunately for the many sailors, the end of the siren’s song was death.

Sirens are usually portrayed as femme fatals. They are known as being vicious and deadly. They can use either their beauty to charm and entrance their victim, or they can use their hypnotizing abilities to get what they desire.

Mythology always portrays sirens always living on islands surrounded by cliffs and rocks, and Roman writers always linked sirens closely to the sea. Sirens are also featured in Homer’s Odyssey, and are known as the Muses of the lower world.

- Heather Ostler Pead, Author, The Siren's Secret

The Siren's Secret

The Shapeshifter's Secret #2

by Heather Ostler

Expected publication June 11, 2013

By Cedar Fort Books

Book Source: Netgalley

4 stars

Book Summary from Goodreads: Julia’s life has gone from complicated to nearly impossible! When Julia loses her shapeshifting powers and her appearance changes in alarming ways, she flees to Sirenity, where she learns an incredible secret about her mother. In this thrilling sequel, Julia must take greater risks and make bigger sacrifices as she discovers who she really is and what she can really become.

Early Breview: Sirens entrance me. I've always been fascinated by the creatures who live in the sea. When I saw this cover on Netgalley I was lured and captivated. I hadn't read book one of the Shapeshifter's Secret (we review it here) but was easily able to pick up where it left off as Heather gives a plot retelling in the first few chapters of book two. Julia is in hiding in an antique cottage with her father and the guard after an attempt on her life. Her life seems ever more complicated as the tension heats up between her boyfriend Terrance and friend, protector Caleb. When a date with Terrance goes dangerously wrong and Julia is intercepted by a mysterious Siren there are questions to be answered.

With enchanting mythology and a magical setting, Heather Ostler paints her unique spin on shape shifters and the difference between water nymphs and sirens. I wish I could fully immerse myself in the Lockham academy and underwater scenes of Sirenity. I found myself wanting much more filling out of details and world building. With little inventions like a parchment that writes and receives messages and a truth telling ring there is plenty of room for lots more imagination.

I also am pulling for one side of the love triangle to move ahead. I'm hoping book three picks up the pace in swoon worthiness and character development because a huge whopper of a plot twist has been dropped.

Content: The Siren's Secret is a clean read suited for middle grade and young adult readers and I am happy to recommend it to all. Mild violence.

About the author: Heather Ostler grew up near the mountains with a rambunctiously entertaining family. She majored in English at Utah Valley University, and soon began composing stories about masquerades, water nymphs, and shapeshifters. She and her husband, Kellen, reside in Highland, Utah with two remarkably pleasant pugs.

Find out more about author Heather Ostler: Goodreads/ Twitter/ Website

The Giveaway: We have one ebook copy of The Siren's Secret to giveaway to our readers! Open internationally, simply fill out the rafflecopter form to enter. Good luck and thanks so much to Heather Ostler for visiting Fire and Ice today.

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Sirens In The Time of Gatsby Janet Fox Blog Tour- Post #8

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:01:00 +0000

Thanks to ModPodge Blog Tours and Janet Fox for inviting us to be today's stop on the official Sirens Blog Tour.

Janet is here with Post #8. Calling All Ghosts: Ouija Boards, Spiritualism, and Harry Houdini

"One of the central images of SIRENS is that of ghosts and spirits and magic. I found this facet of the 1920s by accident, but it fit so perfectly into the novel I couldn’t ignore it. Cue the spooky music...

Maybe it was the war, maybe it was the influenza outbreak, but people in the 1920s became obsessed with life after death.

There were (well, yeah, there still are) two camps: those who believed in life after, and those who didn’t. Harry Houdini didn’t. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Howard Thurston did.

Houdini and Thurston were both magicians, so they knew how to pull the wool over someone’s eyes. Doyle – Mr. Sherlock Holmes – knew how to uncover secrets. These three were all good friends, and they argued this point excessively. Were there spirits? Ghosts? Was there life after death? Who could prove the point?

Two of the popular parlor games of the 1920s were séances and Ouija boards. Both of these purported to channel the dead through a medium, in the case of a séance, or through the group emotions, in the case of a Ouija board (if you’ve never played with the latter, it’s kind of fun. But you have to suspend your disbelief. That makes it spooky.) The dead would send, through these media, obscure messages back to the living.

Magic shows were a public phenomenon of the 1920s, and two of the greatest magicians were Harry Houdini and Howard Thurston. Houdini was a skeptic: he knew how to make people think one thing, but “it was all a trick. Fakery.” Thurston, too, was an excellent magician, but he actually believed that there was something guiding him, a kind of spirit life. The two engaged in a friendly competition, culminating with a wager that the one who died first would haunt the other.

Thurston’s shows were all about spiritualism. He would make a girl float magically in the air; he would make a girl vanish altogether; he would call forth floating apparitions to “speak.” His illusions were some of the best and his popularity high. But Houdini’s renown was greater, due to his amazing performances in escaping dire circumstances. And Houdini’s premature death of peritonitis gave a legendary aspect to his name, since the secrets of his magic act – ironically – went with him to the grave.

Thurston lived on but his magic shows were supplanted by a new public fixation: the moving picture.

As the decade progressed and Americans forgot their heartbreak over the war and their losses during the flu pandemic, and became more and more obsessed with the “new” things – cosmetics, automobiles, wealth, and glamour – preoccupation with spirits slipped away. They didn’t know it, but at the end of the 1920s Americans would bump up against a whole different kind of haunting experience: the Depression."

Sirens book summary: When Jo Winter’s parents send her off to live with her rich cousin on the glittering island of Manhattan, it’s to find a husband and forget about her brother Teddy’s death. But all that glitters is not gold..

Caught up in the swirl of her cousin’s bobbed-hair set—and the men that court them— Jo soon realizes that the talk of marriage never stops, and behind the seemingly boundless gains are illicit business endeavors, gangsters, and their molls. Jo would much rather spend time the handsome but quiet Charles, a waiter at the Algonquin Hotel, than drape herself over a bootlegger. But when she befriends a moll to one of the most powerful men in town, Jo begins to uncover secrets—secrets that threaten an empire and could secure Jo’s freedom from her family.

Can her newfound power buy her love? Or will it to ruin Jo, and everyone around her?

About the author:

Janet Fox is the author of award-winning books for children and young adults. FAITHFUL (Speak/Penguin Young Readers 2010), set in Yellowstone National Park in 1904, is a YALSA Best Fiction for YA nominee and an Amelia Bloomer List pick, 2011. FORGIVEN (Speak 2011), set in 1906 San Francisco during the great earthquake, is a Junior Library Guild selection 2011, and a 2012 WILLA Literary Awards Finalist. Her most recent novel, SIRENS (Speak 2012) is set in 1925 New York. Janet has numerous MG and YA projects underway. She is a former high school English teacher and received her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults in 2010 (Vermont College of Fine Arts). Janet lives in Bozeman, Montana.

Learn more about Janet Fox on her website/ facebook/ blog

The Giveaway:

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LDS Storymakers 2013 and Whitney Award Winners

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:16:00 +0000

I had the chance once again this year to go to the LDS Storymakers conference author signings. There is always a group of all of my favorite people in the whole world gathered there in one place. If you ever get the change to attend it is well worth it. I snapped some quick photos of the ones I found in the line and picked up signed author swag to give away to Fire and Ice readers! To enter to win a pile of bookmarks plus some exclusive Insomnia swag from J. R. Johansson follow me or comment on Instagram @fireicephotos. I will pick a winner on Friday. This one is open internationally.

Also announced at the conference were this years Whitney award winners. I read 14 of the finalist books this year as an academy member. You can see what I thought of them on Goodreads. Congrats to this years winners!

2012 WhITNEY WINNERS

Best Young Adult Speculative Novel: EVERNEATH By Brodi Ashton

Best Young Adult General Novel: AFTER HELLO By Lisa Mangum

Best Middle Grade Novel: THE FALSE PRINCE By Jennifer A. Nielsen

Best General Novel: THE RENT COLLECTOR By Camron Wright

Best Historical Novel: MY LOVING VIGIL KEEPING By Carla Kelly

Best Romance Novel: EDENBROOKE By Julianne Donaldson

Best Mystery/Suspense Novel: CODE WORD By Traci Hunter Abramson

Best Speculative Novel: THE HOLLOW CITY By Dan Wells

Best Youth Novel of the Year: THE FALSE PRINCE By Jennifer A. Nielsen

Best Novel by a New Author: EDENBROOKE By Julianne Donaldson

Best Novel of the Year: THE RENT COLLECTOR By Camron Wright

Lael Littke: LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Carol Lynch Williams: OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Next years Whitneys will be under the direction of the fabulous Mindy Holt from Min Reads and Reviews and LDSWBR. Looking forward to working together with her in 2013.

Thanks so much to all the awesome authors who contributed swag and let me take a photo. The gallery of Storymakers photos I took is on Smugmug and on the Heather Gardner Photography page on facebook.

Descendant by Nichole Giles Blog Tour, Author Q & A plus Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:13:00 +0000

Fire and Ice is pleased to welcome author Nichole Giles on the Descendant Blog Tour. I am particularly excited about this one because I just attended the release party at The King's English this week and had a chance to see my author photo of Nichole in print! See photos of the event here.

Plus, keep reading to hear why she became and author. We also have an awesome giveaway to offer to those who enter.

Seventeen-year-old Abigail Johnson is Gifted.

Blessed-or cursed-with Sight and Healing, Abby lives an unsettled life, moving from place to place and staying one step ahead of the darkness that hunts her. When she arrives in Jackson, Wyoming, she is desperate to maintain the illusion of normalcy, but she is plagued with visions of past lives mixed with frightening glimpses of her future. Then she meets Kye, a mysterious boy who seems so achingly familiar that Abby is drawn to him like he's a missing piece of her own soul.

Before Abby can discover the reason for her feelings toward Kye, the darkness catches up to her and she is forced to flee again. But this time she's not just running. She is fighting back with Kye at her side, and it's not only Abby's life at stake.

Fire and Ice: Can you tell us what myths or folklore tied into Descendant?

Nichole: Several years ago, I was in a bookstore, and came across a huge mythology book in the clearance section. It has all these beautiful pictures, and tells detailed, intricate stories to go with them. I bought it, and have used it as a reference book for my fantasy writing ever since. There’s a story in it about a mythological trio of goddesses who had their hands in all kinds of mischief, including love, war, and fertility issues. This trio is known as The Morrigana, and these ladies play a key role in Abby’s story.

Fire and Ice: Do you have a playlist or music you listen to while writing?

Nichole: It depends on the day. Most often, I am more productive in the silence. But there are times when I need music. Usually, it’s to drown out other noise or distractions, and when I do turn on music, I have to be careful to listen to something that will not change the course of the story. For this particular story, I did have a playlist. Most of it was instrumental.

Photo by Heather Zahn Gardner

Fire and Ice: We understand you've published more than one book, how did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

Nichole: Believe it or not, being an author wasn’t a life-long dream for me. I have always loved the arts, and been a creative-type person, but writing a book seemed so out of reach. More difficult than becoming a famous actress—which really was my ambition when I was a teen. And then I got married and had kids, and life took over. After my kids were born, I rediscovered my love of reading. I read a book in which one of the main characters was an author, and he seemed so…normal. And I thought, “Hey, maybe I could do that.” Fast forward a few months, I took an online class, and then I attended a writer’s conference, after which I knew I was hooked for life. I found my direction, started writing, and have never looked back.

Fire and Ice: Who is your literary hero?

Nichole: Katniss Everdeen, Alina Starkov, and . Raine Hightower.

Fire and Ice: If you could travel anywhere to research your book where would you go?

Nichole: If I had a choice, I’d fly to Cancun to research the (still untitled, and not-quite-finished) sequel, because there are scenes set near there. When researching Descendant, obviously, I’d have loved to fly to New York. But, I have another book (unrelated) set in California, and would love to research that one too.

However, if I’m going to get to travel wherever I want to research my books, I will immediately begin planning a story set in Tahiti. And Europe. And Ireland. Yes, all of those. And, uh, on a cruise ship that goes around the world. YES!

Fire and Ice: What advice would you give to someone who wants to publish a book?

Nichole: If you’re going to dive into the publishing industry, there is no talent more important than patience, closely followed by persistence. But aside from those two things, the best advice I can give anyone wanting to be a writer is to read. Read widely and thoroughly. Read everything you can, and learn from those books and those authors. Just read.

Fire and Ice: Most inspiring movie you've seen lately?

Nichole: Not long ago, we rented the DVD of Red Dawn. I was surprised at how inspired I was by that movie. I know it’s fiction, but it’s the idea that inspires me. Those kids were just teenagers, but they managed to be such sharp thorns in the sides of some important military operatives that they sparked a complete rebellion. I came away thinking about how the right people doing the right thing at the right time really can make a difference, really can change things. I love that a fiction movie can make me feel that way.

Fire and Ice: What upcoming events and signings do you have?

Nichole: Unfortunately, not a lot right now. On top of my book being released, we are also moving into a new house this month, so I had to keep my signing schedule light. The official launch happened in Salt Lake City, UT on May 4th and was a huge success. I am also presenting at the LDStorymakers conference in UT this weekend (May 9-11), and will be signing books at the Provo Marriott the evening of the 10th. Then I have another signing at Barnes and Noble in Corpus Christi, TX on May 18th at 1:30 PM. For now, these are the only signings I have scheduled, but I hope to add more throughout the summer as I am able to travel.

Fire and Ice: Which character do you feel you most resemble in your book and why?

Nichole: I think I have to go with Abby. Because if I resembled the male love interest—that would be weird, I think. Abby has this empathetic tendency, where she kind of feels like it’s her responsibility to take care of everyone around her, and I have been known *ahem* to be a little like that as well. Also, she moved around a lot as a kid, so I can totally identify with that.

Thanks for the interview! I hope you enjoy Descendant.

Praise for DESCENDANT: "A hot new spin on paranormal, Descendant is refreshingly imaginative and powerful. I can't decide which was best -- piecing together Abby's sinister past or keeping up with her heartbreaking future. If you like your YA laced with melt-my-heart romance and a good helping of heart-pounding suspense, you'll love this book!" -- Michelle Davidson Argyle, author of The Breakaway

"Nichole Giles has crafted a story that breathes from the pages. Her characters are authentic, the action intense, with powerful emotions that will keep Descendant on your mind long after the book ends. Open your eyes to another facet of our world in Descendant and you'll be sucked into an adventure with Abby and Kye, that will explore the power of gifts, courage, and love. With top-notch writing, Giles has crafted a story that breathes from the pages." --Rachelle J. Christensen, award-winning author of Wrong Number and Caller ID

"Nichole Giles brings a fresh new voice and flawless writing technique to the world of Young Adult fiction. I was swept away to another place and never wanted to come back." --Tristi Pinkston, author of Turning Pages and the Secret Sisters mystery series
"This debut novel delivers in all the right ways, with heart-pounding action and a delicious romance that sweeps centuries. I loved it!" --Elana Johnson, author of Possession and Surrender

About Nichole Giles: Nichole Giles was born in Nevada, and moved with her parents to a number of cities in and around the West. Writing is her passion, but she also loves to spend time with her husband and four children, travel to tropical and exotic destinations, drive in the rain with the convertible top down, and play music at full volume so she can sing along.

Nichole is sponsoring a massive giveaway during the blog tour of DESCENDANT! To enter, fill out the form below.

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The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro - Early Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:55:00 +0000

The Perfume Collector

by Kathleen Tesarro

320 Pages

Expected Publocation Date: May 14, 2013

by Harper

Book Source: Publisher

4.5 stars

London, 1955: Grace Monroe is a young newlywed, eager to make a success of her marriage. However, with her intellectual curiosity and her unladylike talent for advanced mathematics, she finds the routine of elegant luncheons and exclusive parties among post-war London’s social set more tiresome than exciting.

When Grace receives an unexpected inheritance from a woman she’s never met, she finds herself suddenly in Paris, embarking upon a journey to discover not only the identity of her mysterious benefactor but also the hidden secrets of her own past.

In a story that takes us from New York in the 1920s to mid-century Monte Carlo, Paris and London, Grace discovers a world filled with the evocative, intoxicating power of perfume; an obsessive, desperate love between muse and artist; and a trail of dark memories that may mean she isn’t the person she thinks she is at all.

Review: The Perfume Collector is a lush, rich, multi layered novel that takes the reader from 1950 London social circles back in time to 1920's New York, to Monte Carlo and Paris, France. Flipping between two spaces in time it is the unraveling of the mystery behind the estate left to Grace Monroe by a woman in Paris she has never met. Grace is bored with the role she is supposed to play as a new wife and member of a titled English family of the 50's. It seems the [push is for her to look pretty and make her husband successful by her presence in social circles. She has a brilliant mind and can't seem to find her expected role interesting enough. Along comes an unexpected letter beckoning to meet with a solicitor in France to go over the terms of her inheritance and so begins the first step to discovering an altered past and a new future.

Tessaro concocts a novel that evokes all of the senses and in particular the sense of smells that tie us to memories-- the scent of rain, the familiar signature scent of our childhood and later, a love. My mind wandered to the eccentric exclusive perfume shop Grace and Monsier Tissot uncover in her search for whispers of the past.

"Even in the state of extreme neglect, the room dazzled; walls of glass and mirrors reflecting light so that Grace was blinded of r a moment. As her eyes adjusted, she could see that the space had been designed as a series of bold contrast. The dark wood counter was a rich warm mahogany. The floor was covered in black and white marble tiles. A tiered crystal chandelier, thick with dust and filmy cobwebs, hung from a heavy black silk cord in the center of the ceiling. And the shelves were filled with rows and rows of slim glass flacons, cloudy grey with dirt.

Several times you'll find yourself transported to the world of creating scent and to the field of Grasse where field of lavender abound. However, amidst the magic that is spun, there is also the dark shades of the not so glamorous night life of the Follies. Content wise there are some parts that leave a not so nice, gritty and sometimes down right yucky impression. The workings of childhood neglect, prostitution, drug use, extramarital affairs, alcohol addiction, gambling and codependency. I struggled with several elements of the lives of the characters and their moral reasoning as well as the strong sexual undercurrent that felt heavy handed at times. There is also a push and pull with feminism vs. victimization that was muddy.

Overall I will say this is unlike any other book I've ever read. It got me curious about the lives of Jews in occupied France, about the fascinating wizardry of the genius perfume makers and about life in London during the 50's. The setting awakened all of my senses and made me want to revisit several scenes that left me longing to drink in the same air as Grace.

Thanks so much to Harper Collins for the preview.

I might suggest checking out the other reviews for this one on perfume blogs. It's a whole new world I am now determined to learn more about.

You might also like Coming to My Senses: A Story of Perfume, Pleasure, and an Unlikely Bride and The Perfect Scent: A Year Inside the Perfume Industry in Paris and New York .

About the Author: Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Kathleen attended the University of Pittsburgh before entering the drama program of Carnegie Mellon University. In the middle of her sophomore year, she went to study in London for three months and stayed for the next twenty-three years. She began writing at the suggestion of a friend and was an early member of the Wimpole Street Writer’s Workshop. Her debut novel, Elegance, became a bestseller in hardback and paperback. All of Kathleen's novels including Innocence, The Flirt, The Debutante, and most recently, The Perfume Collector have been translated into many languages and sold all over the world. She returned to Pittsburgh in 2009, where she now lives with her husband and son.

Learn more at HarperCollins/ the author's website

One Drop At A Time Blog Tour and Review

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:05:00 +0000

One Drop At a Time
by M. Russell Ballard
Published March 2013
by Deseret Book
Book Source: Publisher
5 stars

Book Summary: Do you sometimes wonder if your little efforts could possibly make any difference at all? Consider a simple example from nature.

Honey is “one of the foods that includes all the substances— enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and water—necessary to sustain life,” writes Elder M. Russell Ballard. And yet, “Over its short lifetime of just a few weeks to four months, a single honeybee’s contribution of honey to its hive is a mere one-twelfth of one teaspoon. Though seemingly insignificant when compared to the total, each bee’s one-twelfth of a teaspoon of honey is vital to the life of the hive.”

Your simple, daily acts of service matter, and this charmingly illustrated little book will lift your heart as it demonstrates the power of many righteous people working together to fill the world, one drop at a time, with the sweet truths of the gospel.

Review: Elder M. Russell Ballard grew up on an orchard and as a boy remembers the hives of honeybees his father kept--over 60,000 bees to pollinate the trees. Each bee only lives a few short weeks to four months and its contribution is a mere one twelfth of a teaspoon. But think of the collective effort each bee makes to the good of the hive. Their life's work is vital and significant when taken as a collective effort. So many of us take for granted the beautiful harmony and system it takes to create each drop of honey.

This book is a visual and verse reminder that each of us has contribution to make, however small it may be. We better the world with daily acts of small service and as mothers. We nurture, we build, we work together. I was inspired by the pages and think One Drop At A Time is just the message we each need to remember.

About the Author: Elder M. Russell Ballard was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in October 1985. Prior to that, he served in the first Quorum of the Seventy and in the presidency of that quorum. A successful businessman, he has engaged in various enterprises, including automotive, real estate, and investments. He has also served as a bishop twice and as president of the Canada Toronto Mission. Elder Ballard and his wife, Barbara Bowen Ballard, are the parents of seven children and grandparents of forty-three.

The Beginning of Better Days Deseret Book Blog Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Mon, 06 May 2013 04:01:00 +0000

Fire and Ice is today's stop on the Deseret Book blog tour for The Beginning of Better Days. It's a perfect book for Mother's Day! Listen as members of a Women's book club share their personal thoughts on how this book touched their lives.

Product Description from Deseret Book: How important are women in the restored church of Jesus Christ? We learn something about the answer to the question from a simple historic fact: In 1842, the Prophet Joseph Smith took time to attend several meetings of the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo and give personal instruction to the women there. He did this at a time of great personal turmoil, when persecutions were raging and his responsibilities were heavy. He did it at a time when society barely acknowledged women as having any kind of status at all. On six separate occasions, he taught the women personally about their privileges, their opportunities, their obligations, and the blessings the Lord had in store for them in His kingdom.

The Beginning of Better Days includes Joseph Smith's six timeless sermons to the women of Nauvoo, along with personal essays from Sheri Dew and Virginia H. Pearce that help us better understand the sermons and their relevance for Latter-day Saint women today. "We have attempted to share a little about our own processes of discovery regarding the sermons," writes the authors. "This is what worked for us. What works for you may be similar — or it may be completely different. The important thing is to dig in."

About the Authors: Sheri Dew is a native of Ulysses, Kansas, and a graduate of Brigham Young University. She has authored several books, including the biographies of two presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Presidents Gordon B. Hinckley and Ezra Taft Benson. Her most recent books are God Wants a Powerful People and Saying It Like It Is. Sheri was named the president and CEO of Deseret Book Company in March 2002. She also serves as a member of both the BYU Marriott School of Management’s National Advisory Council and the President’s Leadership Council for BYU-Hawaii. In March 2003 the White House appointed her as a member of the U.S. Delegation to the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls at the United Nations.

Virginia Hinckley Pearce is the author of the bestselling book A Heart Like His: Making Space for God’s Love in Your Life, and has edited and coauthored several additional books, including Glimpses into the Life and Heart of Marjorie Pay Hinckley. She has served as a counselor in the Young Women general presidency and on the general Primary board of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She and her husband, the late James R. Pearce, have six children and twenty-six grandchildren.

Learn more about The Beginning of Better Days at Deseret Book

Walking Disaster Audio Book Winner

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:10:00 +0000

Congratulations to Beckie Voigts who won the audio book of Walking Disaster by Jaime McGuire from Fire and Ice and Simon & Schuster Audio on our facebook page.

Please email us your US mailing address and we will send it out to you!

Waking Up In Heaven by Crystal McVea, Alex Tresniowski - Audiobook Review

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Wed, 01 May 2013 16:28:00 +0000

Waking Up In Heaven
by Crystal McVea, Alex Tresniowski
Audio CD
Published April 2nd 2013
by Simon & Schuster Audio
ISBN 1442365552
Source: publisher
5 stars

Book Summary From Goodreads: Someday soon, one of my precious three-year-old twins is going to ask me the question “Mommy, what happened to you when you died?”

Someday they will overhear me telling my story to someone and want to know more about it. They will look at me with their big, innocent eyes and try to make sense of what they’re hearing. It isn’t always easy explaining what happened even to adults, so how am I going to explain it to my kids?

There is so much I want to share with them, so much I want them to know. You see, my story is one of hope and forgiveness and salvation, and of the glorious healing power of God’s presence. It’s the story of what I saw and what I learned when, during a hospital stay, I left my body for nine minutes and went to heaven and stood before God. And it’s the story of how, when I came back to Earth, my life was profoundly and permanently changed— changed down to the very core of my being.

But it is also a story that, for the longest time, I didn’t want to tell.

Audio Summary: The remarkable story of a woman, plagued with guilt and skepticism, dramatically changed by the nine minutes she spent in heaven.

God let me see me through His eyes. And in that instant I knew that God had always loved me, through all of those dark and difficult years when I doubted His existence, through every crisis and every heartbreak that made me turn away from Him more. I knew, in that instant, that His love was endless and boundless, and that if He loved me so much, how could I not love myself?

For most of her life, Crystal McVea was a skeptic whose history of abuse and bad choices made her feel beyond the reach of God—who questioned if God was even real. She had all but given up hope. Then came December 10, 2009—and the moment that changed everything.

For nine minutes that night, Crystal went into full respiratory arrest. She was unconscious and unable to breathe on her own, unaware of the crisis happening around her as the hospital staff rushed to save her life. Crystal doesn’t remember the trauma or losing consciousness; she just remembers waking up in heaven, next to God.

Waking Up in Heaven invites listeners to witness the relentless pursuit of God in a life that was broken and seemingly beyond hope, an awe-inspiring account of love, forgiveness, and redemption, and the healing power of God’s presence

Heather's Review: I truly love near death and death experiences so this audio book was an automatic draw for me. The thing that I was not expecting was the bravery and tenacity of the author in sharing her story over and over again. Not just the story of how she died for nine minutes and came back, but the details of a very sad and troubled life as a child of sexual abuse.

Crystal's memoir, contained in seven CDs, is told in her own voice. It details how being a victim of abuse pulled her into a spiral of shame and secrets that only God could take away. Her descriptions of God's unconditional love and his message for her is beautiful. I cried listening to Crystal describe how He made her feel absolutely and completely whole, loved-- innocent like she was as a three year old little girl.

This is definitely a mature adult title since it goes over dysfunctional family dynamics, a traumatic accident, drugs, abuse and abortion. However, Waking Up in Heaven has a message of profound hope. It is a tale of how one woman had a life changing experience and allowed it to shape her future. Crystal follows God's "nudges" for her. She walks up to complete strangers in the grocery store to tell her story. She's a braver woman than many of us.

I admire Crystal's husband Virgil with his faith and unwavering support, as well, the way they have allowed this experience to serve others in need. I would recommend Waking up in Heaven to anyone who has felt abandoned in moments of trial or who wants to know that God loves us in spite of any choices we have made.

Sure, there may be cynics-- or those who believe Crystal's story is not real, but I for one am not one of them. There is truth and "beauty from ashes" in this book.

About the author: Crystal Leigh McVea was born in southwest Oklahoma and still lives there today. She is a schoolteacher and has four lovely children. Crystal and her husband Virgil, a US Army veteran, are devout Christians and active in their local church.

Learn more on Goodreads/ Official author page

Blog Tour and Giveaway- Demons by Heather Frost

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:23:00 +0000

Fire and Ice is happy to be today's stop on the official Demons Blog Tour hosted by Cedar Fort Books and author Heather Frost. In honor of the release of Seers, we are giving away an ebook of Book one, Demons to our readers. Keep reading for details...

About Seers Trilogy: For Kate Bennett, surviving the car wreck that killed her parents means big changes — and even bigger problems. As she begins to see auras and invisible people, Kate must learn to trust Patrick O'Donnell, a handsome Guardian, or risk her life being overrun with Demons. She soon realizes that both she and her heart are in big-time trouble.

Read the prologue of “Seers”

Read the prologue of “Demons”

and Visit all the Blog Tour Stops for more chances to win!

Author Bio: Heather Frost was born in Sandy, Utah, and raised in a small Northern Utah town. She is the second oldest of ten children, and she loves her family very much. She is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in English at Utah State University. Heather has always been an avid reader, and reading and writing are among her favorite things to do. She also enjoys playing the flute, listening to all types of music, and watching a wide variety of movies. Guardians, the final book in the Seers Trilogy, will be released July 2013.

Learn more: Author Website/ Official Facebook Fanpage/ Twitter/ Goodreads

Purchase:

The Giveaway: Fire and Ice is giving away one Ecopy of Demons to our readers. Simply comment below to enter!

Winners will be announced May 5, 2013. Open internationally.

BEA 2013 Mini Photo Sessions for Authors and Bloggers

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:14:00 +0000

Fire and Ice is happy to announce we will be attending BEA again this year! I would love to meet as many of you as possible so comment below if you are going.

What should I definitely see while in New York? (Last time I loved Central Park and the Met!)

During her stay there Heather Gardner Photography is offering mini photo sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Heather's author photos have been published in books Angela Corbett, and Nichole Giles.

Another of her author photos of poet Jacqueline Osherow will be published in 2014. As well, her custom book trailer stills were used for bestselling author Michelle Zink's Circle of Fire trailer.

Pricing for NYC mini sessions

Authors are $75 for an hour outdoors, a web album and CD of finished images, plus print rights to the photos

Bloggers and media $50 for a mini session including 10 professionally finished photos to use for a profile photo.

If you live in New York and want a full family sitting, I do offer family photography. See my site for pricing.
Contact fireandice.heather@gmail.com to book a session. And I will see you in The Big Apple!

Learn more about Heather Zahn Gardner... website/ facebook page/ etsy store/ online galleries/ flickr/ pinterest

Sweet Summer Ebook Deals - All Under 2.99

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 04:01:00 +0000

Harper Collins released some sweet Summer Ebook deals this week. All titles posted here are under 2.99 at day of posting and should also be available for the same price in Nook form at Barnes and Noble.

Happy Reading!

Find Us On Blog Lovin'

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:22:00 +0000

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Fire and Ice is now on Blog Lovin'.

Come find us!

Blog Tour and Author Guest Post By Lisa Rumsey Harris- The Unlikely Gift of Treasure Blume

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:24:00 +0000

Fire and Ice is pleased to be today's official blog tour stop for Lisa Rumsey Harris' book The Unlikely Gift of Treasure Bloom. We have Lisa with us today to share an exclusive post and recipe with our readers!

Confessions from an Unfoodie:

By Lisa Rumsey Harris, author of The Unlikely Gift of Treasure Blume

I have a confession. I am not a foodie. I eat to live. I don’t live to eat. I don’t spend hours browsing cookbooks, nor do I show up at clandestine parking lots in the wee hours of the morning to nab quality produce. And although I wish it was different, cooking, for me, is a job, not a joy.

So when I was writing The Unlikely Gift of Treasure Blume, and discovered that the love interest, Dennis Cameron, was an ex-chef who was now working in a school cafeteria, I was in totally new territory. Short of watching Top Chef, I didn’t have any experience with gourmet grub. I had to learn a new vocabulary for all his dialogue. Dennis thought and spoke in food metaphors. I did not. And so, like any good author, I started doing research. I lurked on foodie blogs, googling terms I’d only heard in passing: ragout, sous chef, risotto, and yes, even Turducken.

For Dennis, food is love. It’s his way of creating art, and expressing his emotions. So while I wasn’t a foodie, I suddenly found myself fascinated with food. Foodlore and recipes expose so much about how people live and love. That’s what I wanted to come through in Dennis.

Dennis’s dishes revealed his character. The simplicity and quality of ingredients make him happy. That’s why he had such issues with the cafeteria food ( Side-bar: I wrote this before Michelle Obama launched her lunch-room reform campaign. Dennis would have been a fan. My children, used to chicken nuggets and cinnamon rolls in the lunchroom, are not. ) Dennis describes Treasure as spinach (a flattering comparison, in his estimation) and pictures beautiful bouquets of broccoli when he gets stressed out. And when he falls in love with Treasure Blume, he makes butternut squash boats that he calls “a love sonnet in a pot.”

“Tasty? said Dennis. “That’s all you can come up with?” He took a bite off the same spoon. “The cinnamon is home and holidays and warmth, and the chili powder is heat and passion and adventure. I’ve given you a love sonnet in a pot and all you can come up with is tasty?”

“Really tasty?” she said” (217).

This may be my favorite food bit in the book. I dug deep into my childhood to base these squash boats on a real family recipe. Unfoodie that I am, I do have foodie roots. Like Grammy Blume, I come from pioneer stock. My family recipes, handed down from generations of farmers and ranchers, feature simple ingredients and yield enough to feed the threshers. One recipe starts out “Kill and clean six stewing hens . . .” no joke! And so for Dennis’s love sonnet, I decided to use the recipe that meant love to me as a child.

This recipe has Dennis’s epicurean chef spin, but the heart of it is my grandmother’s hubbard squash pie recipe. We eat it at Thanksgiving while the rest of the world is eating pumpkin pie. In it, I replaced hubbard with butternut, because it’s so much more friendly and easier to use than hubbard. The skin is so thick and tough on a hubbard that the recipe begins with my grandmother’s admonition to split the squash with an axe. With butternut, you can skip the ax. Then you need to peel the rind, and clean the squash (if you’re my grandma, you save the seeds for the next year’s planting). Cut and cube, then boil until soft. Next, mill the squash (which is pushing the squash through a tough strainer with a big paddle).

Once you have your stewed and strained squash, the recipe for Dennis’s Love Sonnet Squash pie is easy:

2 cups stewed and strained squash

2 cups cream

2 eggs

1 teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon allspice

1 cup brown or granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Mix squash with milk, sugar, beaten eggs, salt and spices. Beat for 2 minutes. Pour into pie tin lined with pastry, (or in the book, Dennis uses hollowed out squash shells). Bake at 450 for 15 minutes, then at 350 for 30 minutes. And in the end, you’ll have a creamy, custardy, earthy delicious piece of my family history, and Dennis’s love for Treasure Blume.

Book Summary: With her love of sweaters, goofy hair, and awkward manners—not to mention her family curse—Treasure Blume knows love is not in her future. That is, until she matches wits with Dennis Cameron, a divorced chef with a six-year-old daughter. Full of mischief, mayhem, and laugh-out-loud humor, this is an unlikely love story you’ll want to read over and over again!

About the author: Lisa Rumsey Harris is from Downey, Idaho, where she grew up writing stories and riding horses. She graduated magna cum laude from BYU with a degree in English and a minor in Humanities.She honed her writing skills while working at BYU Development Communications, where she wrote brochures, letters, and conducting notes for President Merrill J. Bateman. She received her Master’s Degree in English in August 2003.

Sparked by the experiences of her own grandmother, Lisa’s thesis explored the dissonance between real ranch women and the representations of ranch women in literature. She presented her findings at the Hawaiian International Conference on the Arts and Humanities.

Lisa’s passion for the American West is rivaled only by her passions for teaching and writing. She began teaching Honors Writing courses in Fall 2003. Her teaching inspiration is her own mother, who as Lisa’s high school Spanish teacher, taught her the importance of finding innovative approaches to encourage active learning.

As a writer, Lisa has won numerous awards for her short stories, essays, and cowboy poetry, including a Sunstone award in the Brookie and D.K Brown Memorial Fiction Contest. Lisa lives in Orem, Utah, with her multi-talented husband, her adorable sunshine daughters, and her ancient Siamese cat.

Learn more on Goodreads/ author website

Author Interview with Jeff Olsen - I Knew Their Hearts

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 17:37:00 +0000

Choose Joy.

Those two simple words are what the heavens whispered to Jeff Olsen after he lost his wife and 14- month old- son in a 1997 car accident. It would be 15 years later when Jeff would once again receive a whisper-- this time telling him that this story of tragedy turned to healing needed to be shared and published.

There are many lessons that come from reading about Jeff's journey in his book I Knew Their Hearts. But what captured my attention most of all is the goodness of Jeff's soul. Despite having lost his leg, enduring 18 surgeries, and daily pain, he is optimistic. He has a love for each person he comes in contact with-- for the ER surgeon who attended to him right after the accident (now a dear friend), and for mankind. in this poignant memoir, he describes his life, his near-death experience, and the years after. Jeff was given the gift of "knowing the beauty of each individual and seeing them as God sees them." He knows their hearts.

In our interview, he emphasized "letting go of judgment and expectations; letting go of our agenda and being at one with what is."

"Our lives are absolutely perfect. No matter what we are going through, it is all going to be okay. We are in very good hands."

Jeff's most rewarding experience in writing has come through the people he meets, and the emails and letters he receives. "I knew if I would simply share my experience, people would heal from it."

"I got an envelope from my publisher soon after the book was published . I thought may be my first royalty check. Instead, inside was a 3 x 5 card with teeny tiny writing from a prisoner in the Clark County Jail of Vancouver. He wrote about his life, what he had lost and learned, and what had changed from reading my book. I wept with gratitude that I was able to play some part in helping another understand what they really are, instead of who they think they are."

So often we read a book and we put it away without applying the lessons that it has to offer us. We pick up our life where we left off. After reading I Knew Their Hearts, and talking to the author, I had to change my way of thinking. It caused a paradigm shift in me about our divine purpose and how to overcome adversity through love. This is one of those books that has the potential to change your heart if you let it.

Thanks so much to Jeff Olsen for sharing his story and teaching that each of us should "seek stillness, find those things which resonate with our soul and make this time Heaven on earth, letting our heart guide us to God."

Book Summary: After a tragic accident took the life of his wife and son, Jeff needed a miracle. This personal and poignant journey into the life after death shares the true story of Jeff's out-of-body experiences and his newly remembered ability to communicate at a deeper level with people on both sides of the veil. It's a moving read you won't want to miss!

KSL Mormon Times video with the author:

Jeff runs the Atonenow community on facebook and a group which gathers the 1st Friday of every month at the historic City and County building room 315 in Salt Lake City. He is in the process of writing book two about meeting his current wife, adopting two sons and how he and his oldest son put their lives back together.

Learn more at: Author's website/ Deseret Book/ Goodreads/ Facebook/ Jeff's Facebook/

Author Guest Post on Irish Travellers by Dana Michelle Burnett

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:51:00 +0000

First off, thanks for having me on the blog! It’s always such a treat to meet new readers and introduce them to my characters.

Once is the first book in my Gypsy Fairy Tale series and it centers around a secretive group of Irish Travellers and a family of the Tuatha De Danann that hides among them. I always wanted to write something about fairies and while I was researching fairy lore, I discovered that the first rulers of Ireland were a magical tribe that gave birth to the fairy legends of today.

Wow! Now how was I supposed to put THAT in a book and have it make any sort of sense? I kept at my research, adding to my notes over the next year, but I never could really figure it out.

Finally, thanks to my daughter’s love of magic shows, an idea began to percolate. What if members of the Tuatha De Danann were working in a circus or carnival? Their magical powers would go unnoticed because they wouldn’t be hidden. Hmm.....Now how am I supposed to make THAT work? Oh, the problems of a writer!

The final breakthrough came one night as I was watching television. There I was, not writing, not even thinking about writing, when My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding came on. I was thrust right into the secretive world of Irish Travellers.

Here was a group of people with old world ideas regarding behavior and honor, a people that lived on the outskirts of society, and a people that could be seen as logically traveling with or as a circus. Hmm...Irish Travellers....What if they were hiding a really big secret....What if they were hiding the Tuatha De Danann?

Okay, so I had my premise. The rest was easy. Girl meets Irish Traveller boy, boy turns out to be part of the magical Tuatha De Danann tribe, girl falls for boy, and then the bad guys show up. At least that’s the very shortened version.

So, how about some Traveller Trivia?

Irish Travellers often speak a mingled language known as “The Cant”, making it difficult for outsiders to understand them when they speak amongst themselves.
Irish Travellers have very strict rules involving encounters between unmarried couples. Often a chaperone will accompany a young couple on all of their dates.
Irish Traveller women rarely drink alcohol, if ever.
Irish Travellers are in a constant battle for their rights. In the past few years, they have lost land battles in the UK, the most famous being Dale Farm.
Gypsy is actually a derogatory term for both Irish Travellers and Romani.

It was difficult to research such a closed group, but I have come to admire the quiet determination that seems to exist in them and has made it possible for them to survive despite discrimination. I could easily see them as being the good guys like in my story.

About the Author:

Dana Michelle Burnett spent most of her life writing short stories and sharing them with family and friends. Over the years, her work was published in numerous commercial and literary magazines including Just Labs, Mindprints: A Literary Journal, Foliate Oak, and many more. Her short story John Lennon and the Chicken Holocaust was include in The Best of Foliate Oak 2006.

Dana Michelle's Spiritus Series introduced the idea of a ghostly romance and became a Kindle bestselling series. She's an avid reader of anything dark and romantic. Dana Michelle lives in Southern Indiana with her dancing diva daughter and an assortment of pets.

Dana Michelle loves connecting with her readers find her on facebook/ twitter/ Goodreads/ Pinterest

Book Summary for Once: Gypsy Fairy Tale #1

Beautiful. Secretive. Magical. You envy their freedom, but you are distrustful of their ways. A strange carnival has come to Corydon, Indiana and the Irish Travellers have captured the small town's attention--but it's Harmony who's attracted theirs.

Harmony sees the Travellers everywhere and just like everyone else in town she's curious. But once she meets the mysterious and captivating Kieran, Harmony's life takes an exciting and chilling turn.

Up until now, Harmony never believed that fairy tales or myths were real, but Kieran and his family belong to an ancient tribe called the Tuatha de Dannan and someone else has discovered their secret.

An ancient battle is about to begin again, and now no one is safe, especially Harmony. Can Kieran resist the urge to be with her or will his feelings put her in the crossfire?

Netgalley YA Early Review- Rebel Spirits by Lois Ruby

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:55:00 +0000

Rebel Spirits

by Lois Ruby

Hardcover, 304 pages

Expected publication: June 1st 2013

by Point

ISBN 0545426235

Book Source: Netgalley

4.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Infused with history and mystery, this tale of ghosts, love, and murder takes place in present-day Gettysburg, where the Civil War still looms large.

Lori Chase doesn't know what to think about ghosts. She may have seen a few in the past, but those were just childish imaginings...right? Only now that she is living in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, spirits seem to be on everyone's mind. The town is obsessed with its bloody Civil War history, and the old inn that Lori's parents run is supposedly haunted by the souls of dead soldiers.

Then Lori meets one such soldier--the devastatingly handsome Nathaniel Pierce. Nathaniel's soul cannot rest, and he desperately needs Lori's help. Because Nathaniel was not killed in the famous battle. He was murdered. Lori begins to investigate the age-old mystery, stumbling upon shocking clues and secrets.

At the same time, she can't help falling for Nathaniel, just as he is falling for her.

Review: Being the history lover that I am, when I saw this book summary on Netgalley about a Civil War era YA title; I had to give it a try. And, I'm happy to report I was not disappointed.

Lori and her parents have just relocated from Philly to Gettysburg to take on ownership of a bed and breakfast. Along with the staff that seems to think they come with the home, the locals who re enact Civil War battles each year and the teen hot shot who mows the lawn; there is also a resident ghost. Nathaniel is drawn to Lori as someone with the ability to see those who have passed on. She may just be the key to solving his murder and how exactly he ended up buried in the local cemetery instead of being honored as a fallen soldier. With a ring that belonged to Lincoln's infant son, a night time visitor to the shed behind the hotel and a foggy graveyard there is plenty of suspense.

Rebel Spirits would be a good one to teach in the classroom as it is clean and has historical elements. There are a lot of themes that could be explored surrounding Lincoln, the Gettysburg area and period homes. The only minor flaw I struggled with was the role of Lori's parents. They were completely hands off, wrapped up in managing the affairs of their business until the plot re introduces them at a conveniently crucial time and their reaction seems not in synch with their previous absence of influence in Lori's comings and goings. I also would have loved more fleshing out of the characters. The romance is sweet and the story stuck with me after I was done!

Content: Some kissing, sneaking out to be together and mild violence.

About the Author: Lois Ruby is the author of fifteen books for middle-graders and teens, including STEAL AWAY HOME, SKIN DEEP, and THE SECRET OF LAUREL OAKS. She and her husband live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the foothills of the awesome Sandia Mountains. Lois explores lots of haunted places, including ghostly locations in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and even a few spooky spots in Australia and Thailand. No spirits have tapped her on the shoulder yet, but she hasn't given up hope.

Learn more on goodreads/ author website

Blog Tour and Review- The Continuous Conversion by Brad Wilcox

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 04:01:00 +0000

The Continuous Conversion God Isn't Just Proving Us, He's Improving Us

by Brad Wilcox

232 Pages
Hardcover
Published 2013
Book Source: Publisher
5 stars

Product Description from Deseret Book: I wrote this book because I know too many people who are giving up! One discouraged friend said, "I can't do this Mormon thing. I've tried, and the expectations are just way too high." … I know returned missionaries who spent their entire missions teaching about the Atonement, but now they have made some mistakes and feel like the Atonement won't work for them. I know people who have gone to the temple to be sealed and then never returned. I know others who are feeling burned out in their callings. Too many Latter-day Saints feel like they will never measure up. I wanted to write something that will provide hope and motivation next time we or those we love are tempted to toss in the towel. I wanted to write something that would remind people why we do what we do and that it's worth it--not because of all we are earning, but because of all we are learning. Instead of just going through the motions, I wanted people to read this book and once again feel the emotions of discipleship. That's what they are missing. Whether the challenge is getting more out of the temple endowment or dealing with callings or juggling the many aspects of our lives and feeling like we are dropping too many balls, I wanted to provide a shot in the arm.

I started writing The Continuous Atonement when I was serving as the bishop of a young single adult ward…. I realized that there was an aspect of the Atonement they didn't get. They knew about how the Atonement could cleanse and console us, but they didn't grasp how it can transform us and how Christ offers us His enabling power however long that transformation process takes--even continuously. This book picks up that same theme and answers the question, "How?" "How do I apply the Atonement and feel it's transforming power on a continuous basis?" True conversion is not a onetime event, but a process that takes time. Most people accept that in theory, but we still beat ourselves up when we fall short. My message is "Be patient. You are doing better than you realize. Hang in there!" We are not paying our way into heaven. We're practicing for it! —Brad Wilcox

"I can't do this Mormon thing," a friend told Brad Wilcox. "I've tried, and the expectations are just way too high." And she's not alone in her thinking. Many people, as they feel themselves falling short of perfection, are tempted to quit trying.

But are there only two options? Think of it this way: When a person is learning to play the piano, are the only two options performing at Carnegie Hall or quitting? Similarly, in mortality, are the only two choices being perfect or giving up?

"No," writes Brad Wilcox. "Growth and development take time. Learning takes practice. Discipleship is a journey, and true conversion is a continuous process."

In this hope-filled book, Brad shares his keen understanding and testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ as it relates to our own conversion. Conversion occurs, he says, "when we stop trying to earn heaven and start trying to learn it. . . As we take each little step to show faith, repent, make and live covenants, seek the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end, we are not paying our way into heaven. We are practicing for it."

Review: So many of us feel that we just don't measure up or can't make it into heaven. Mr. Wilcox addresses this very issue in his newest book The Continuous Conversion. "We aren't earning our way into heaven were are learning our way into heaven."

The entire book is filled with the profound idea that we are making it there step by step and that the path to becoming a better person takes a gradual and continual progress over time. Conversion is not a fast or "on the surface" change, it is a deep rooted and little by little, day by day-- totally achievable goal.

As a former missionary in Chile I could relate to his examples from the field there. My favorite stories were of him reaching to youth at EFY and prisoners who had and had not experienced conversion. Brother Wilcox has a deep love for others and his counsel is filled with compassion.

Each chapter of The Continuous Conversion has a theme with so many hopeful point of doctrine to ponder. Temple worship, repentance, the names we are given and serving with zeal are some of the topics addressed. This book should and could be read more than once.

Brother Wilcox really helped me look at things in a completely new light and I would love to hear this one in audio so we can listen to it again and again as these are lessons for everyone that make an impression on the soul.

Thanks so much to Deseret Book for the wonderful read!

About the Author: Brad Wilcox is an associate professor in the department of Teacher Education at Brigham Young University, where he also works with programs such as Especially for Youth and Campus Education Week. As a young man, he served his mission in Chile, and he was later called back to that country to preside over the Chile Santiago East Mission from 2003 to 2003. He currently serves as a member of the Sunday School general board.

Brad is the author of the bestselling book The Continuous Atonement and the BYU devotional “His Grace Is Sufficient.” He and his wife, Debi, are the parents of four children and grandparents of three.

Read an excerpt of The Continuous Conversion at DeseretBook.com

David Farland Family Tragedy Book Bomb

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:22:00 +0000

On Wednesday April 4th, bestselling author Dave Farland's (aka Dave Wolverton's) 16 year old son was critically injured in a long boarding accident. "He suffers from severe brain trauma, a cracked skull, broken pelvis and tail bone, burnt knees, bruised lungs, broken ear drums, road rash, pneumonia, and is currently in a coma. His family has no insurance." as stated in the Examiner Press release.

Fire and Ice is one of many blogs participating in a book bomb for the author and his family to help raise funds for the medical bills which continue to mount. There are many ways to contribute which you can find on this website. 100% of the funds from Dave's two books Nightingale and Million Dollar Outlines will be donated to the cause.

Our prayers go out to the Farland family and we hope you will post this information on your site today as part of the book bomb.

Author Bio from Amazon: David Farland is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author with dozens of books to his credit. He began his career writing short fiction as a prize writer, which vaulted him into prominence in the mid-1980s. He has written science fiction under his own name, Dave Wolverton, including the highly praised "On My Way to Paradise," which won the Philip K. Dick Memorial Special Award for "Best Novel in the English Language."

David has also written novels in the Star Wars and Mummy Universes, and has worked as a videogame designer, most notably for Starcraft's Brood War.

In 1999 he set the Guinness Record for the World's Largest single-person, single book signing.

In the mid-1990s he began to follow his love for writing fantasy under the pen name David Farland, where he became best known for his international bestselling Runelords series; though he has also won the Whitney Award for best novel of the year for his historical novel "In the Company of Angels," and he also won the International Book Award for Best Young Adult Novel of the Year, along with the Hollywood Book Award for Best Book of the year for his Young Adult fantasy thriller, "Nightingale."

Walnut Springs Press Spring Ebook Sale- 2.99

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:07:00 +0000

Walnut Springs Press just announced their Spring ebook sale! They have all of these titles listed for kindle right now at 2.99. There are also some other titles listed at 4.99 on their site HERE.

Enjoy!

Netgalley Free Ebook Review- Double Crossed by Ally Carter

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:47:00 +0000

Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Story

by Ally Carter

ebook, 60 pages

Published January 22nd 2013

by Disney Hyperion

ISBN1423187474

Heist Society #2.5, Gallagher Girls #5.5

Book Source: Netgalley

4 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training?

W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief?

There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup.

Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour.

When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they’re at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey’s spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help?

The worlds of Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls collide in Ally Carter’s fast-paced, high-stakes and tantalizing new story. Get a behind the scenes glimpse as Ally delivers an irresistible thriller that is full of her signature style and savvy twists.

Review: Ally Carter is one of those automatic authors for me...I see a book she releases and I buy it. I was first introduced to her Heist Society series while browsing art at the Met Museum in NYC with Tales of A Ravenous Readr. Since reading Uncommon Criminals I've been hooked! When I saw this fun novella that blends both of her series characters into one setting I had to check it out. I've never read the Gallagher Girls, but they are at the top of my wish list after sampling Macey's personality in Double Crossed. I want to get to know Macey McHenry as well as I now know Hale. The aloof, ruffled, handsome Heister I know and love.

Macey and Hale are thrown into a high stake situation at a high society gala when the event is hijacked by men in masks. They have the jaws of life and don;t seem to be in much of a hurry to pull off the job--so what are they really after? The banter between Macey and Hale makes me want to see much more interaction between these two series. Both are confident in their abilities and both have an air of "I know best." We also have some cameos by others from the books and the result is a mash up of awesome proportions. If you haven;t discovered Ally Carter check this one out for free on Netgalley to wet your whistle and then dive right in!

Content: moderate violence, recommend for ages 16 and up

Author Bio from her website: I was born and raised in Oklahoma. My mother was a teacher and my father a farmer and rancher. I have one older sister.

In high school, I was very active in a number of student organizations and graduated as co-valedictorian of my senior class. I then attended Oklahoma State University and Cornell University and worked for several years in the agricultural industry before writing full-time.

My first novel, Cheating at Solitaire (Berkley) was published in 2005. The following year I published the sequel to Solitaire, Learning to Play Gin. There are no more plans for future books in that series at this time.

My first novel for young adults, I’d Tell You I Love You but Then I’d Have to Kill You was published by Disney-Hyperion in April 2006. Love You Kill You (as we call it) was followed by Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (October 2007), Don’t Judge a Girl By Her Cover (June 2009), Only the Good Spy Young (June 2010), Out of Sight, Out of Time (March 2012). Book six will be the final Gallagher Girls novel. Look for it in stores in 2013.

I am also the author of Heist Society (February 2010) and its sequels Uncommon Criminals (June 2011), and Perfect Scoundrels (February 2013).

My books have been published in more than twenty countries and have appeared on best-seller lists from the New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound, and Bookscan. They have sold over two million copies.

I am one of the luckiest people in the world, and today, I’m able to do the job I wanted to do when I was a kid, and I am back living in Oklahoma.

Goodreads/ Ally's blog/ website/ Facebook

Eliza, The Life and Faith of Eliza R. Snow Blog Tour and Review

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:26:00 +0000

Fire and Ice is pleased to be today's stop on the official Deseret Book blog tour for

Eliza, The Life and Faith of Eliza R. Snow

by Karen Lynn Davidson, Jill Mulvay Derr

Hardcover

Published February 2013

by Deseret Book

ISBN 1609089022

Book source: publisher

5 stars

Book Description from Deseret Book.com:

Eliza R. Snow is one of the most revered women in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We hear stories of her faith and strength, and we sing her beloved hymns. She was fondly known as "Zion's Poetess" and also as "Presidentess," because of her leadership of Relief Society and her role in forming and directing organizations for young women and children. She has remained a legend for generations of Latter-day Saints, but we know less about her "variegated life," as she described it—the personal joys and sorrows brought about by unfolding events in the young Church of which she was a part.

This intimate look at Eliza R. Snow, by authors Karen Lynn Davidson and Jill Mulvay Derr, reveals a more private side of this extraordinary woman. She emerges as a bright young poet in Ohio, a new convert to the restored Church, a seamstress, and a sharer in the persecutions and hardships of the early Saints. We see a member of the households of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, a dedicated temple worker, and a traveling Relief Society president with a zeal for teaching the gospel.

Her delight in nature, her love for family and friends, and her outlook of hope for the cause of Zion are reflected here through selections from some of her best poems. Photographs, artifacts, and personal letters add visual beauty to this inspiring introduction to her fascinating life.

Review: As a lifetime member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I confess I did not know much about Eliza R. Snow before picking up this book. I had heard her name and seen her portrait but the innermost thoughts of her heart were a mystery to me. After reading Eliza I feel I have grown to love her and revere her as an example of strength, fortitude and faith.

Eliza R. Snow was born to a New England family with strong revolutionary War roots. Her father was respected in his civic and business spheres and he often took Eliza with him to work alongside him in his duties. From a young age she was exposed to a world many women of her time never saw. Through the encouragement of her parents, she sought an education and developed a love of writing poetry which later flourished until she came to be known as "Zion's poetess." She left behind so much of what she loved in her childhood home of Mantua, Ohio to follow the prophet Joseph Smith- later to become his wife before the martyrdom. Then, once again she picked up her things and traveled West with the Saints making her way to Utah with Brigham Young as one of his wives. Eliza was instrumental is organizing and leading the women, youth and children of the church as well as devoting much of her time in the endowment house doing Temple work. She was stalwart, encouraging and uplifting-- often penning personal letters and verse to those she loved.

This book is a multi-media, gift quality collection of handwritten poems, antique cabinet card photos and historical documents. It gives the reader a taste of what it was like to step into each period of Eliza's long life. Many of the pages are filled with the hymns and poems that we have come to love including one of my favorites "Oh My Father." I even found one of my ancestors, German Ellsworth listed in a musical program copy tying my family roots to Eliza's story. I would whole heartedly recommend this book and it is a treasure I will keep on my shelves and share with my children.

Thanks so much to Deseret Book for allowing us to be a part of the blog tour!

About the Authors: KAREN LYNN DAVIDSON earned a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California. At Brigham Young University she was a member of the English faculty and director of the Honors Program. She has served on the General Music Committee of the Church and plays violin with the Orchestra at Temple Square. She is the author of the popular classic Our Latter-day Hymns: The Stories and the Messages and coeditor of the Histories volumes of The Joseph Smith Papers series.

JILL MULVAY DERR holds an M.A.T. from Harvard University. She was a research historian at the Church History Department in Salt Lake City and at Brigham Young University, where she was also an associate professor of Church history. She is coauthor of Women of Covenant: The Story of Relief Society and coeditor of Women’s Voices: An Untold History of the Latter-day Saints. Her many other publications include more than a dozen articles on the life and thought of Eliza R. Snow.

Learn more on goodreads/ Deseret Book

ARC Giveaway Winner

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 03:35:00 +0000

Congrats to Monica Tu Do who won an advanced reading copy of Right of Way. Email me your US mailing address and I will ship out your book!

YA Book Review- Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:58:00 +0000

Going Vintage

by Lindsey Leavitt

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published March 26th 2013

by Bloomsbury

ISBN 1599907879

Book source: bought

4 stars

Summary from Goodreads: When Mallory’s boyfriend, Jeremy, cheats on her with an online girlfriend, Mallory decides the best way to de-Jeremy her life is to de-modernize things too. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in1962, Mallory swears off technology and returns to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn’t cheat with computer avatars). The List:

1. Run for pep club secretary

2. Host a fancy dinner party/soiree

3. Sew a dress for Homecoming

4. Find a steady

5. Do something dangerous

But simple proves to be crazy-complicated, and the details of the past begin to change Mallory’s present. Add in a too-busy grandmother, a sassy sister, and the cute pep-club president–who just happens to be her ex’s cousin–and soon Mallory begins to wonder if going vintage is going too far.

Review: So, Mallory and Jeremy are supposed to be working on a paper together, Mallory clicks on to Jeremy's bedroom computer and what does she find...BubbleYum. Not the kind you chew and spit out (though I'm sure she would love to), nope, the kind you "marry" and profess your love to online despite your real live girlfriend sitting in your computer chair.

In this world of fast paced, electronic interactions on twitter and facebook, it is so easy to see how said "boyfriend" Jeremy could get away with trying to have an alter ego AND an alter avatar girlfriend out there in cyberspace. Rather than go crazy stalker chick, Mallory pulls a move of her own and goes vintage. No computers, no cell phones, no reminders of what happened posted on her FB wall. She's getting on her seersucker dress, hopping on a bike and getting even in her own way. The brilliant idea comes while Mallory and her dad are cleaning out grandma's things after a move from her cute cottage to a retirement home. Grandma's life, summed up in a list, was so simple back then...go steady, make pep club, sew her own prom dress. No evil technological distractions.

There were so many things I loved about this book. Mallory has spunk! She is unique and loves her job sifting through other people's storage units with her father for vintage/ antique goodies to sell. She fully immerses herself in a social experiment which could result in social suicide...but who cares! Her awesome little sister is there to back her up, and to remove her not so vintage digital alarm clock. The family relationships were realistic and true to life. There's the super blogger mom who owns and underground couponing/ spill your families dark secrets online "support" blog. And so many families touch bases with each other but don't know what secrets may lie hidden under years gone by and false facades.

I couldn't quite connect with Mallory's Pep Club President, Jeremy's cousin Oliver. But with a woolen cap, funky glasses and his quirky sense of "who cares", I can see why he may attract. The interactions between Oliver and Mallory are priceless. There are so many good moral messages in here about why friends without faces can be deceiving and how to be a true friend. Leavitt also ties in an underlying theme of family connectedness and forgiving past mistakes. This is one I would recommend, though maybe not until 16, since there is a bit of content.

Overall, fun and refreshing, just like Lindsey's YA Sean Griswold's Head. If you haven't picked her up on her as an author I say go!!

Content: talk of "giving away pieces" (aka virginity), lots of making out, reference to male parts and teenage pregnancy.

About the Author: Lindsey Leavitt is a former elementary school teacher and present day writer/mom to three (mostly) adorable little girls. She is married to her high school lab partner and lives in Las Vegas. She is the author of the PRINCESS FOR HIRE series (www.princessforhire.com), SEAN GRISWOLD'S HEAD and GOING VINTAGE

Learn more on Goodreads/ author's site/ twitter

Lulu Blog Tour- Author Guest Post and Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Fire and Ice) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 04:01:00 +0000

Fire and Ice is honored to be today's stop on the official Lulu Blog Tour featuring a guest post from author Hilary McKay and a fun giveaway. First, read what Hilary has to say about her Memories of the Beach...

"Or rather, memories of the coast. I am not keen on beaches when it means those sandy banks covered in towels and temporary volley ball pitches and parasols and windbreaks and humans. I like beaches without any people (well, I can put up with a few quiet ones reading books or drawing the seagulls. I suppose).

However, although I am not fond of traditional sandy beaches, I do love to be on the coast. Until my last move, which brought me to my current high and dry position in the centre of England, I always lived near the sea. My first coast was salt marshes, where my friends and I swam in creeks and made driftwood fires and watched the seabirds fly in at evening against an apricot and lemon sky. The skies are huge beside a salt marsh at night, and lit with stars you do not see inland. I remember the bright sweep of the milky way and someone, flat on his back remarking, “I see Jupiter and four moons.”

Next I went to Scotland, to St Andrews, an ancient and sea bound city. I was at university there, and the sea was part of our life. We battled against North Sea winds to lectures, walked the medieval pier to make wishes at the end, and waited by the castle walls to hear the eider duck gossiping in the dark. It was hard to leave that cold and salty place when the time came to go. I still have the box of sand I collected there before I left. Under a magnifying glass you can see that it is entirely made of fragments of shell.

The next coast I found was in the west. It was a shingle beach. We used to live so close that at high tide at night you could hear the shingle grinding as you lay in bed. That was an eerie and wonderful sound. On stormy days cloud puffs of sea foam blew down the village street. You would see them scuttering past the front door and know that the sea must be boiling.

One of the things best things about being on the coast is the edge feeling of only three directions you can go without getting wet. I didn't realise how much I liked this feeling until I moved inland and suddenly found myself with four directions. Very disconcerting. I manage by more or less ignoring East but I have to admit it isn't the same.

Writing is a way of remembering. Now that I am inland and missing my lovely edges, I send my characters to the places I cannot go. Then, for the time that I am writing, I am back there again. It’s one of the perks of the job!"

About the Author: Hilary McKay was born in Boston, Lincolnshire and is the eldest of four girls. From a very early age she read voraciously and grew up in a household of readers. Hilary says of herself as a child "I anaesthetised myself against the big bad world with large doses of literature. The local library was as familiar to me as my own home."

After reading Botany and Zoology at St. Andrew's University Hilary then went on to work as a biochemist in an Analysis Department. Hilary enjoyed the work but at the same time had a burning desire to write. After the birth of her two children, Hilary wanted to devote more time to bringing up her children and writing so decided to leave her job.

One of the best things about being a writer, says Hilary, is receiving letters from children. She wishes that she had written to authors as a child, but it never occurred to her to contact them

Hilary now lives in a small village in Derbyshire with her family. When not writing Hilary loves walking, reading, and having friends to stay.

Learn more about the book at Hilary's website/ Albert Whitman/ the ebook at Open Road

Stop by Book Aunt tomorrow: Thursday, April 04, 2013 and be sure to visit all the stops on the tour for more chances to win!

Also check out book 3 which will be available Fall 2013, and stop by here to learn more about Lulu and the Duck in the Park which is nominated for a Kiddo Award.

Thank you so much to Albert Whitman and Hilary McKay for choosing us as a stop!

As part of the blog tour, they have offered one copy of Lulu and the Dog From the Sea for a giveaway.

Must be 13 or older and have a US or Canada mailing address. Winners will be chosen at random and prizes shipped by the publisher.

Fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter!

Good Luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway