Review: AS YOU ARE by Sarah M. Eden (Covenant, 02014)

From Deseret Book: A horse breeder by trade, Corbin Jonquil is more at home in the stables than in the ballroom of his sprawling estate. Corbin is the quietest of the Jonquil brothers and has always faded into the background, contentedly unnoticed. When a mysterious young widow, Mrs. Clara Bentford, moves into the neighborhood, however, Corbin quickly comes to realize that being noticed has its advantages. But how to catch the eye of the lady? According to his brothers, Corbin need only make a few simple changes to transform himself into the object of any woman’s desire—dubious advice, indeed. Following a series of misadventures, Corbin and Clara slowly lower the facades behind which they’ve been hiding, leaving Corbin shocked by the horrors that haunt the woman he’s coming to care for so ardently. When the menace of Clara’s past threatens to tear them apart and tensions mount, will the couple have the courage to fight for the promise of forever?

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Regency Romance
Length: 193 pgs

Rating: *****+ (Loved, Loved, LOVED this book)

Review: I never believed Phillip Jonquil would be usurped in his position as my favorite of Sarah's heroes. And...I don't know, maybe he hasn't been, but Corbin. Oh, Corbin. *swooning sigh* You know that strong, silent type that's oooh-la-la. That. So, what I'm saying is, excellent hero. I also love how real Corbin is, how much of his silence is a struggle. All the characters of this one are wonderful, and there are even some teases from Jason Jonquil's story that have me excited for it (his heroine...fabulous). Alice is the sweetest, most adorable thing. And just the family dynamic of it really had me. Clara is so strong and perfect. I loved the pace this one set (I, uh, read it in less than twenty-four hours). It makes me want to go back and reread all of Sarah's other books.

Content: Rated 1-5; 1 being minor instances, 5 being saturated
Sex - 0
Language - 0
Violence - 1 (Punching and threats)
Overall rating - G (I really would let my eight-year-old read it, with no qualms, if he was interested in this sort of book...)

Source: Paperback copy from Deseret Book

Try this. Like Regency Romance? You would also enjoy TIMELESS ROMANCE ANTHOLOGY: EUROPEAN COLLECTION, which features Regency Romance novellas from Sarah M. Eden, G.G. Vandergriff, and Michelle Paige Holmes.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Image courtesy of photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I am a romance writer. So, I should have to write a romantic post on Valentine's Day. To tell you the truth, you'd do yourself a big favor if you went over and checked out this post in Sarah M. Eden's archives. Best Valentine post ever. Then maybe come back and check this one out.

The inspiration for my post came as I was writing my husband's Valentine. He is so awesome, guys. I will never be able to make you understand how amazing he is. I can only hope to help him understand his amazingness. I was writing down how much I like to hang out with him when I just sort of had an epiphany.

"Show, don't tell."

It's the rule of writers. My critique partner, Kaylee, is always making comments in my MSs about showing the characters connecting. Why does she like him? What makes him want her? How can my husband know I love hanging out with him? By me hanging out. And though I've gotten this rule for a long time--still struggled. We all do--this was just one of those AHA! moments with it. You SHOW so people get it.

One of my favorite quotes on love. It is SO important in writing about it too. People don't often just look at each other and fall in love. It shouldn't happen spontaneously in a book. It should happen because they become special to each other. Just like in real life.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Review ERASING TIME by C.J. Hill (Katherine Tegen Books, 2012)

From janetterallison.com: In this high-action and romantic futuristic adventure, there is no escape from the future for two contemporary girls pulled out of their own time.

When twins Sheridan and Taylor wake up 400 years in the future, they find a changed world: domed cities, no animals, and a language that’s so different, it barely sounds like English. And the worst news: They can’t go back home.The twenty-fifth-century government transported the girls to their city hoping to find a famous scientist to help perfect a devastating new weapon. The mob-like Dakine fights against the government, and somehow Taylor and Sheridan find themselves in the middle. The only way to elude them all is to trust Echo, a guy with secrets of his own. The trio must put their faith in the unknown to make a harrowing escape into the wilds beyond the city.Full of adrenaline-injected chases and heartbreaking confessions, Erasing Time explores the strength of the bonds between twins, the risks and rewards of trust, and the hard road to finding the courage to fight for what you believe in.

Audience: YA (Clean)
Genre: Dystopian, Action-Adventure
Length: 368 pgs.

Rating: ***** (Fantastic book that I loved!)

Review: I read a novella of Janette Rallison's a while ago, and when I saw that one of her YA novels written under her pen name C.J. Hill was on sale, I bought it. I knew it would be fun, the it promised to be pretty action packed too. I've read a lot (A LOT) of romance lately, so I wanted a change. I LOVED this book. So interesting and so in depth. I could tell that there was a lot of research done, and everything seemed so original, yet the future she created seemed like a totally natural progression from today. It was mind blowing and awesome.

Content: Rated 1-5; 1 being minor instances, 5 being saturated
Sex - 0
Language - 0 (The future people use a future swear words throughout, but since it's not a swear word to us, it seems like saying, "oh, gosh."
Violence - 1 (Some violent scenes are described and there're some fights, but nothing graphic.)
Overall rating - PG

Source: Bought on Kindle during a promotional sale. 

Try this. Like mind-blowing YAs with witty humor? Check out MIND GAMES by Kiersten White or PIVOT POINT by Kasie West.

One Hundred Days!

Can you believe it? I've been in cold Alaska for a hundred days already. Seriously time really has flown by. Over on my family blog I've been doing something called A Thousand Days in Alaska, trying to record our journey here and came up with a hundred reasons why we like it here. And I'll admit, some of them are a stretch...But you get to see them too!

And if you get to the bottom, there's a surprise waiting:

100 Days!

Okay, that wasn't near as big as I wanted it... :)

1. Trees. Specifically, snow on trees. It's beautiful.
2. Walking with friends. I've made some awesome friends up here already and we walk on Thursdays and Fridays on an indoor track. Walking + Socializing = Fun Exercise
3. New friends that are so fun and wonderful. (I'm planning a whole post on how making new friends is like dating. It will be great.)
4. No wind.
5. No wind chill! :D (I know, I'm so cheating, but 100 is a lot of things to come up with. Cut me slack.) It may get to -40*, but it feels a lot different than -30* windchill.
6. Living less than five minutes from the boys' school.
7. Organized drop-off and pick-up at their school. (I'm such a nerd. I know.)
8. A babysitter who happens to be one of my best friend's daughters. (Holli, if I still lived by you, I know it would be Kyeli!)
9. Tons of good date night restaurants within ten minutes.
10. Walmart in the same town as me!
11. The amazingness of Fred Meyers
12. A drive through pharmacy.
13. A fantastic ward. (This has been something I have found I love no matter where we are.)
14. New houses with family rooms.
15. Making offers on houses down the street from friends.
16. Making offers on houses within walking distance of Adam's work. (Coming home for lunch, yay!)
17. The Alaska Airlines card. (Yeah, had to throw that out there. We love Alaska, but we love home too.)
18. FaceTiming every week with Grandma and Grandpa Savage. (Sara, you really need to figure out how to make yours work.) We should have done this so much more in Wyoming.
19. Boots. There is never not a reason to wear my boots. Cute boots. Snow boots. (And also, I wore leg warmers that I bought forever ago for the first time to church a while back. It is cold. I need warm legs if I'm expected to wear a skirt.)
20. I now have a much better understanding of the women who want to wear pants to church. Dude. It's cold. Me too.
21. Still getting to teach young women. I learn so much with every lesson.
22. A connected, heated garage. It's so no big deal to hop in the car to take kids to school because it's still pretty warm inside it.
23. Fantastic teachers who made transition a breeze for my boys.
24. A basketball season that's nearly two months. SO worth the money we paid and the boys love it. It makes for busy weeks for us, but I love that they're doing something they like.
25. This surprises me, but having Jax home for an extra hour and a half, even though it means I have to go to the school three times a day.
26. Girls' lunches!
27. Girl's night fun.
28. Ten minute story times at Barnes & Noble. It's perfect for Tre. He doesn't need a craft, but we like to go down and meet up with friends anyway.
29. There's a Coldstone in the same town as me. (I haven't managed to get there yet, but it's still so awesome.)
30. Old Navy in town. (Adam might disagree that this is a good thing.)
31. Sam's Club in town.
32. Just having a variety of places available to go find something.
33. Ward message board on Facebook. SO helpful.
34. Ward neighbors.
35. Having people down the street who can pick up my kids in a pinch.
36. Having people down the street to share carpooling with, even if they spend almost two weeks in Hawaii and leave you at home. ;)
37. Tickets to Hawaii are the same price as flying home, so...just sayin', one Christmas we might do that instead. (It only makes sense.)
38. I love my twisty, cute street that I live on. Even though we've only been here a few months and I love the house we're hoping to buy, I'll miss this pretty little street.
39. Denali (or Mt. McKinley :) )
40. A bunch of jackets. I have reasons to buy fun, cute cold-weather gear.
41. Mittens and hats! It should probably go with the one above, but again...100 is a lot.
42. Right now, it's warmer here in good ole AK than in Wyoming! (Ha!)
43. Thick, white snow that doesn't melt into grossness and dirtiness most of the winter. (At least not yet. I'm told it will look really yucky when it all really starts melting.)
44. Big, fat flakes of snow that come down so peacefully. (This is happening now, in case you didn't know.)
45. We may not have snow days, but we have freezing rain days!
46. Cute, bright blue snow pants. (I love them.)
47. You can plug your car in when you go to Walmart! That's just downright fun.
48. Moose in your front yard.
49. I'm only 15 miles from North Pole! So novel. (Okay, I know, I'm really stretching it...)
50. So many choices on those night when I just don't want to make dinner.
51. When I get a hankering for organization, I just go to Freds and it's done. No more having to plan a trip to Sheridan.
52. Late evenings for the boys hanging out, and taking them to friends house just because.
53. All the pine trees everywhere and feeling like I live in a forest.
54. Spectacular sunrise-sunsets all in one! (No really, they're cool.)
55. Being able to just set things outside when there's no room in your freezer. And knowing that it's not going to freakily be 40* the next day, so you don't need to worry. (Usually...)
56. You get to have fun rules about church being optional attendance at -50*
57. All your friends from the States say they'll come and visit because you live in a cool place.
58. The way you get to call the lower-48 the States, like you live in a foreign country. Like Canada. (Eh, Bridgette and Jordan...?)
59. Making fun of everyone who thinks they're cold when it's 20*
60. Laughing about how they say it's so dry here in Fairbanks and yet if we don't use the fan in the bathroom, things start to grow...
61. My fridge stays pretty clean since leftovers start growing stuff way quicker than in Wyoming.
62. Milk comes in really fun jugs.
63. All the McDonald's have Play Places! (I seriously love that.)
64. And even though we now have access to all these fast food restaurants, higher prices than the lower 48 keep me from getting it too often.
65. I'm not sure what it is about Alaska, but since being up here I've been way better about making a lot more things from scratch, which is funny since I have access to a lot more things in a bigger town.
66. I love the way people in Alaska talk about Fairbanks being this small town compared to Anchorage. And it's got 50,000 people. And Anchorage has a whoppingg 200,000. And to me, they're both huge. :)
67. How I have not met even one person up here who doesn't think it's cool that I'm a writer. I'm also fairly certain at least half the RS ladies bought "Goodnight Kiss" when I released it. :)
68. Homemade yogurt and my friend Sarah telling me how easy it was to make in a crock pot. Now I'm hooked. (Homemade ricotta is next, kids.)
69. The chance to blog about an adventure in an exciting new place.
70. All the amazing ways to stay connected with friends and family--sometimes I may feel left out and these new ways are hard (like watching your sister pick out wedding dresses via FaceTime), but I'm still *there*!
71. Hot chocolate whenever!
72. Since I'm from Wyoming, I already drive in snow like a boss. (Thanks, Meri!) So I feel right at home in the piles and piles of it.
73. There's always a reason to make soup. Mmmmm. Soup.
74. Best reason of all: It's now eligible for voting to make marijuana legal in Alaska.
75. Adam caught a pine marten.
76. There are many different critters for Adam to trap. (Can you tell who's helping me think now?)
77. They have electricity and water in most houses. (No, seriously. The ones that don't are called dry cabins.)
78. There's so many fun things for Adam to hunt that he can't hunt in Wyoming.
79. The temple is only six hours away. (It could be way worse.)
80. We have powdery snow.
81. We have a lot of powdery snow.
82. Adam can find caribou and moose sheds
83. Adam likes that he can drive 60 on a snow covered roads and people pass him.
84. Because there's a lot of Mormons here.
85. You only have to know one vowel to spell Alaska! (Thanks, Sarah Eden for that one. She's so clever. Love her.)
86. Adam has basketball friends here! They play every Tuesday night and he's very happy about it.
87. I'm going to run the color run because of Brittany. Which we all know I never would have done on my own. (I'm still not sure this should be on a things I like list.)
88. The summer! They're supposed to be beautiful and I can't wait.
89. Awesome relief society activities. (We had a service auction that was so amazing.)
90. The way the snow sticks on the trees.
91. The hugeness of Alaska. Vastness, as a friend put it. There are so many places you can only reach by boat or plane.
92. No sunburns for most the year!
93. Vastness in the sky! The way the moon is huge and the big dipper is huge.
94. The beautiful Chena River. It looks so pretty in the winter, and the houses along it are so picturesque.
95. I love the way some days are just so so pretty and everything looks like it's from a coffee table picture book with the pine trees and the blue sky and the pretty clouds.
96. A.J. says we can mine in Alaska!
97. It's weird, but I love the expressways here and figuring out how to use them to get all over Fairbanks.
98. I love the way the hills covered in trees surround Fairbanks and the windy, pretty roads that lead to *secluded* houses that are really just a few miles out of town.
99. The views from those houses are simply amazing.
And, drum roll . . .
100. I love that we're on this awesome, crazy, wonderful adventure.

(A big thanks to all my family and friends who helped me brainstorm all these great reasons!)

You made it! (I made it...holy smokes.)

So, in honor of our hundred days, I'm giving away 10 copies of my ebooks: 3 of A CONTEMPTIBLE AFFECTION, 3 of A LADY AND A SPY, and 4 of GOODNIGHT KISS.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review and Interview: NOURISH AND STRENGTHEN by Maria Hoagland (Sisters Ink, 2011)

Check out the interview with Maria below my review!

From Maria Hoagland's Blog: After losing forty pounds, Chloe Taylor is finally happy with her body. What she doesn’t realize is that she’s not the one in control.

When Chloe is called as the Primary president, she discovers that managing the highs and lows of a chronic illness may be easier than the ups and downs associated with family, friends, and church callings. Consumed by her own challenges, Chloe fails to recognize the issues her friends are facing and is in danger of losing their friendship.

As Chloe strives to develop Christ-like love for herself and those around her, she learns that outer appearances are far less important than inner peace and spiritual strength. But is she strong enough to face her most difficult trial yet?

Audience: Adult (Clean)

Genre: Women's Fiction, LDS

Length: 259 pgs

Rating: ***+ (Really liked it)

Review: Great things about this book? Chloe's marriage to Nate. It was a shining star among most women's fiction books where marriages are struggling. Despite their trials together, they leaned on each other, and I really liked that! (Maria talks more about that in the interview below!) The book has a memoir style to it, events that build and change and wreak havoc on Chloe's life dropped in like real life. It took me some getting used to at the beginning of the book, but by the end it really worked. It was a little difficult for me to connect to Chloe at first. **Spoiler** And the reason is totally a "me" thing. One of Chloe's friends makes a comment about her kids being in sports (and to Chloe's credit, the friend is sort brash about it) and Chloe's internal is a little bratty about kids who are in sports...and my kids play lots of sports (among doing lots of other sorts of activities too), so it struck a nerve, I guess. And, **another spoiler** a big part of Chloe's character arc is learning not to make judgments without knowing the whole story, so she grows and I forgave her by the end. ;)

Content: Rated 1-5; 1 being minor instances, 5 being saturated

Sex - 1 ("Bedtime" routines between Chloe and Nate are mentioned in a couple instances. Very tactful & not explicit at all.)

Language - 0

Violence - 2 (Chloe and her husband both have Type 1 Diabetes, and there is a lot of discussion of the shots. Maybe I have a weak stomach, but I did get a little light-headed during the description of Chloe putting in her insulin pump the first time!)

Source: I received a review copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.

Like LDS Women's fiction? Try BAND OF SISTERS by Annette Lyon. 

Interview with author Maria Hoagland

Me: You, your husband, and two of your three kids have Type 1 diabetes, correct? How much of NOURISH & STRENGTHEN comes from personal experiences? Just the mechanics and feelings, or the events too?

Maria: Yes, it's kind of crazy, but four out of five in my immediate family have type 1 diabetes and the diagnoses happened pretty much just as they did in the book. Almost all of the diabetes-related events in Nourish & Strengthen are based on our real-life experiences. Then a bit of trivia something not in the novel--less than one hour after I completed my final revisions before sending it off to my editor, my youngest came home from school and said he thought he might be diabetic too. We checked, and he was right. What ten-year-old diagnoses himself? As for the other parts of Nourish & Strengthen...well, it is fiction after all.

Me: What draws you to writing LDS women's fiction?

Maria: I love women's fiction--experiencing what other women go through, being uplifted by their tenacity in overcoming trials, and feeling strengthened by their faith. Being LDS is part of who I am, and so far, it has been a germane aspect of my characters are as well. I try to bring in LDS culture--less as a commentary on what we should or should not do, but more as a way to appreciate who we are, even though we're not perfect, and perhaps elicit a chuckle or two in the process.

Me: What made you decide to write this story? What is unique about NOURISH & STRENGTHEN among women's fiction books and why would a reader like it?

Maria: I decided to write Nourish & Strengthen because it's just the type of book I like to read. I like to read about women like me but who have circumstances different than my own. I like learning from them, as well as gaining some understanding of what other people might be going through. It's definitely a better way than having to experience it all, right?

One of the aspects of Nourish & Strengthen many readers have connected with is the loving, solid relationship between Chloe and her husband Nathan. Their banter is fun and playful, and a nice relief to the trials Chloe is going through in other aspects of her life.

Even though outwardly her life is pretty great, Chloe's challenges are difficult for her. And I think that's another thing that makes Nourish & Strengthen a little different than other women's fiction--the trials are not life-threatening, there's no abuse or divorce, and yet she's struggling--as we all do from time to time--and she grows through the difficulties.

Another unique aspect of my women's fiction--you might notice that I have a bit of a fascination with medical issues (despite a proneness for becoming queasy at the sight of lots of blood--good thing it's not needles, right?).

Me: I usually ask what an author's favorite ice cream is, ;) but instead I'll ask what dessert you splurge on, no questions asked?

Maria Ice cream is a good one! My favorite by far is rocky road--but only if it's with the mini marshmallows and almonds. The best ones I've found are at the BYU Creamery and Braum's.

Me: Who is your biggest writing cheerleader?

Maria It's hard to pick one cheerleader since my family has been so supportive. My husband helps with titles and a lot of encouragement. My two oldest children are fabulous writers (better than I am, I must admit) and the elder has written two novels of his own. That makes me feel like I've been a good example, which is motivating as well. My youngest asks a lot of questions, seems genuinely interested, and encourages me to keep going even when it's tough. The fact that they don't complain about dinner, or the lack thereof, helps immensely!

Thanks, Maria, for stopping by the blog and giving me the chance to read NOURISH & STRENGTHEN!

Review: THE LADY OF BOLTON HILL (Bethany House, August 2011)

From Bethany House: When Clara Endicott and Daniel Tremain's worlds collide after twelve years apart, the spark that was once between them immediately reignites into a romance neither of them thought possible.

But time has changed them both.

Daniel is an industrial titan with powerful enemies. Clara is an idealistic journalist determined to defend underprivileged workers.

Can they withstand the cost of their convictions while their hearts--and lives--hang in the balance?

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Inspirational Romance
Length: 336 pgs

Rating: ***+ (Really liked it)

Review: This one was almost a four for me. I loved the characters. I loved how things weren't simple and easy for Daniel and Clara when she got back, but that they didn't shy away from their feelings. The drama was good, the plot was different and interesting. There were some things that felt out of place historically for me, but the author has a post-graduate degree in history, so it had to have been just me. :) It was a lovely book that I'd recommend to anyone who liked reading historical/inspirational romances.

Content: Rated 1-5; 1 being minor instances, 5 being saturated
Sex - 1 (Minor passion while kissing)
Violence - 1
Language - 0 (Not any that I remember, but as I type, I think the d-word might have been used.)
Preaching - 3 (BUT it fit right in with the story and flowed with the narrative, so I didn't mind it at all.)

Source: Kindle copy via Amazon during a sale.

Try this If you liked historical inspirational romances, try STEALING THE PREACHER by Karen Witemeyer

Review: BECOME (Desolation) by Ali Cross (2011)

From alicross.com: Sixteen-year old Desolation Black wants nothing more than to stay in Hell where it’s cold and lonely and totally predictable. Instead, she’s sent back to Earth where she must face the evil she despises and the good she always feared. 
When Desi is forced to embrace her inner demon, she assumes her choice has been made—that she has no hope of being anything other than what her father, Lucifer, has created her to be. What she doesn’t count on, is finding a reason to change—something she’s never had before—a friend.

Audience: YA

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: 344 pgs

Rating: *** (I liked it)

Review: So many cool things about this book sucked me in right away. The vivid description of the MCs birth and the cool way the author envisioned Hell. I liked the mythology that backed up the story and the obvious research the author did to fill the story out with great details. I loved the character Miri - how she was so good and so flawed at the same time. The same with Lucy. They both stood out as very real characters. A few times I got lost in the details, not quite sure what the characters were trying to accomplish in certain scenes or for stretches of time. For the first half, I followed along with the purpose of the book, understanding what Desi was doing and what significance the events had. The latter half was harder. I'm not sure if it was because I read fast and missed things or something else. I think readers who enjoy this genre will enjoy this book.

Source: Kindle copy downloaded during a promotion.

Content: Rated 1-5; 1 being minor instances, 5 being intense instances or saturated)

Sex: 2+ (There are no sex scenes described, but it's discussed and implied as part of Daniel's lifestyle)

Violence: 4 (There are multiple fights described in detail.)

Language: 4 (What I would call the minor words - damn, hell, a.. - are used frequently throughout.)

Overall rating - PG16

Try this Like YA Paranormal? Check out Kiersten White's PARANORMALCY trilogy.