Ramblings of an author, editor, media reviewer, homeschooling mommy, and headless chicken.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Kicking Off the Hang 'em High Hoedown!
You are invited to participate in this hoedown by visiting my blog every single day from August 1st to August 13th to learn about great prizes donated by awesome sponsors. All the prizes will in some way be related to horses, because Hang 'Em High takes place on a dude ranch. Follow the trail from start to finish, enter all the contests, and be entered for the grand prize at the end—a free copy of each of the books in the Secret Sisters Series: Secret Sisters, Dearly Departed, and Hang ‘Em High.
And then on August 13th, come on down to Pioneer Book in Orem for a rootin’-tootin’ good time at the Hang ‘em High book launch and August Authorama. Keith Fisher, world champion Dutch oven cook, will be serving up cobbler, and I’ll be joined by authors Nichole Giles, Heather Justesen, Cindy Hogan, and J. Lloyd Morgan. There will be balloons, face painting, and games for the kids. There will be books upon books for the adults. There will be door prizes. There will be madness, mayhem, mirth, and merriness. So! Come back Monday and be prepared for two whole weeks of prize-winning, blog-visiting, clue-gathering, question-answering fun.
And if you’d like to put my button on your sidebar, you’re more than welcome to. Here’s the code:
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Some Very Fun Things!
If you're tired of low-sodium food that tastes like cardboard, you really should check out this cookbook. Every recipe is tasty, is quick, is affordable, and you will be able to serve these dishes to your entire family, and no one will complain! It's the perfect answer for those who are seeking to improve their heart health.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Book Review: Generations by Lori Folkman
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Book Review: Bad Guys of the Book of Mormon by Dennis Gaunt
Cast Your Vote!!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Facebook Saved My Skin
In today's Cub Scout culture, we buy arrow kits at the Scout store, and when the Cub Committee leader is out of town, she asks the Cubmaster to make the arrow.
I'm a crafter from way back. Assemble an arrow? Piece of cake. Everything was going great until I had the bright idea to make the fletchings a little more secure with a bit of Super Glue. It adhered beautifully. That fletching isn't going anywhere.
And neither were two of my fingers.
Embarrassed? Yes. Amused? Sort of. There I sat in my jammies, thinking about the inevitable trip to the emergency room with makeup smeared under my eyes and my hair in a ratty ponytail.
The Super Glue package said to pour vegetable oil over the adhesion and rub the oil into the skin. Ten minutes later, I was still rubbing.
Then the idea hit ... like a bolt out of the blue.
The place where I have thousands of friends at the click of a button. I sent my son to the computer with a distress signal, and within seconds, I had the answer:
Fingernail polish remover.
My daughter grabbed the bottle, and seconds later, I was free.
Free at last! Free at last! Thanks to Roger and echoed by Midge, Debbie, Angie, and Kendra, I'm free at last!
Some people knock social networking. They say it's a waste of time, that nothing good ever comes out of it. Well, if it weren't for social networking, I'd either still be glued to myself or sitting in the ER in my jammies right now.
And would you like to see the final product?
This is going to be a very personally meaningful Arrow of Light ceremony, I assure you. I've put a lot of myself into it, including, I'm sure, a few skin cells.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Adventures with Guns and Adventures at Costco
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Book Review: The Book Blogger's Cookbook
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Author Interview: Elizabeth Mueller
Tristi: Do you remember how many rewrites it went through?
Tristi: What is the most enjoyable part?
Tristi: You have many talents - for one, you are an artist as well as an author. Has your art helped you become a better writer, or has your writing made you a better artist? How do the two talents aid each other?
Tristi: You are a very devoted wife and mother. Do any of your children share your artistic or literary talents?
Tristi: What is one thing about you I might not know? Do you snore? Do you wear fuzzy purple socks when you write? Come on, spill the beans ...
As a July pre-order special, go here and place your order, and get it for the amazing price of $12.95 plus shipping!
Here's an excerpt:
Alex reached out and took my hands. A spark of magic passed between us. I didn’t resist and his gaze deepened. Another wave tore through me and I felt his powerful drive to protect me and the desire to share the rest of his life with me. I could see forever, eternity was wide and deep.
I would never be alone again.
Having tasted Alex so strongly, so close, so dear, left me empty; a starving sensation that could only be filled by him. I had no idea he felt so intensely for me. His love washed away all doubt from me.
I leaned into Alex as my world spun fast on a crooked axis. I breathed him in. I was intoxicated with his burning hold, I was so alive. Every sound was louder, the wind richer as it flowed through me. I was so free, so alive, so untainted by any wicked thing. I closed my eyes, shivering with desire, and imagined the breeze encircling us; bringing us to our feet and drawing us closer like a child’s ribbon.
Just as I opened my eyes, he whispered, “Listen, Winter. Listen to me.”
He brought me to him and gently pressed my face to his heart. It was a wild thing, trapped and yearning to be free. My blood sang and my eyes drifted closed. It felt as if my feet lifted from the ground. One hand was soft in my hair as he caressed my back with the other.
“How have you come by such magic? Such power to control? Can I come into your world? Can you teach me?” I trembled, savoring every sensation.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Fundraiser for the Christian Youth Theater in Kansas City
This fundraiser is Nation-wide. A portion of every purchase* at any Barnes & Noble in the United States that uses our Book Fair ID # 10512580 will go towards the HEART Program scholarship fund.
*There are a few items that do not count towards the fundraiser - magazines, ebooks, and some electronics. BUT books, Nooks, cafe purchases, audio, book marks, and just about everything in the store DOES count.
What's the HEART Program?
It's a scholarship program that allows children and teens with special needs to participate in acting, dance, or singing classes WITH an aide for FREE. The scholarship recipients also have the opportunity to be in plays, productions, and dance recitals.
Do they need to earn a certain income to qualify? NO. The program is for any child with special needs who wants to be involved with the Christian Youth Theater- Kansas City. My daughter has taken dance classes with some of the special needs kids & they just absolutely love the program! The Christian Youth Theater also sets an example for all their youth about how to love and work with their peers with special needs. Many great friendships have been forged through this program.
And now here's the FUN stuff! Fundraiser Events:
A fundraiser isn't fun unless you have events! Check out all the awesome stuff we'll be doing. Trust me, you want to come and bring your kids!!!
Can't make it on July 30th? Don't live in Kansas? No problem!
The Book Fair runs from July 30th - August 3rd. Any purchases made at Barnes & Noble - in-store or online - AND uses our Book Fair ID # 10512580 will go towards the HEART Program.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Friday, July 08, 2011
My New Cover!
Thursday, July 07, 2011
Whatcha Doin' This Weekend?
I will be signing at The Book Table in Logan on Saturday from 12 - 3. I'll be joined by authors Marie Higgins, Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen, and brand-new author Wanda Luce. Then all four of us will head down to Brigham City for a signing at Reflections of Utah from 4:30 - 6:00. It will be a busy day, but so much fun!
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Guest Blog: Michael Young on Immersing Yourself
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“If you stuff yourself full of poems, essays, plays, stories, novels, films, comic strips, magazines, music, you automatically explode every morning like Old Faithful. I have never had a dry spell in my life, mainly because I feed myself well, to the point of bursting." -Ray Bradbury
I love this quote, because I think it’s a great way to go about being an author or artist. Not even Old Faithful can produce it’s incredibly consistent show without any water. Writing is about people, relationships and conflicts. If you live your live in a vacuum to other’s creativity, chances are you won’t be able to foster your own, and you’ll never get the nickname “Old Faithful.”
I became interested in writing because I immersed myself in books, music, art, and even fantasy video games when I was young. All of these things helped my imagination to grow and my desire to share that imagination. That’s not to say that you should just copy what others do, but you can let other forms of art get you into the mindset mentally and emotionally to create yourself.
I find this works well for me with music. Before or while writing, I often immerse myself in some piece of music that evokes the proper emotional state. Movie soundtracks are great for this, because that is exactly what they are for: evoking certain emotions.
What do you think about this quote? Do you find that this is true in your creative process or do is another way better for you?
The Last Archangel is a high-speed adventure about a destroying angel with intense job dissatisfaction, but no choice for a career change. His term of service is “Until the End of the World” and so he’s very interested in getting that to happen. When an evil group approaches him with a plan to do just that, however, Xandir has to make tough decision: partner with evil or finally overcome the choices that caused his fall in the first place.
“The Last Archangel” releases on July 14th in both paperback and Kindle. You can find out more about at it http://thelastarchangelbook.com or at my blog http://www.writermike.com or my Facebook author page http://www.facebook.com/authormichaelyoung. You can order it on Amazon.com at http://amzn.com/1599558947.
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
Book Review: The Healing by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Monday, July 04, 2011
Book Review: Blank Slate by Heather Justesen
Sunday, July 03, 2011
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Guest Blog: Stephanie Fowers on The Classics
Thou Shalt not Question the Classics
It all started when I read Bram Stoker's Dracula—and that's when I started questioning the classics. It's a dangerous business. LET ME GET SOMETHING VERY STRAIGHT, I'm just as afraid of questioning the classics as you are—to do so brings down the wrath of all English teachers past. They will come down and curse you to live in a cave as an illiterate boor, forcing you to make ooh ooh noises and scratch your armpits like a monkey.
But the temptation to question was too great: I just felt really bad for Dracula. You see, Lucy sees him standing on a grave in mid-day. MID-DAY! And sure, Dracula won't crumble to dust under the heavy sun because it was the grave of a suicide and according to this book, such unholy ground keeps a vampire safe. But then I got to wondering…how did Dracula get to the grave in the first place? Was he standing there all day because he was stuck and he couldn’t get anywhere else? And how did he get off the grave after scaring Lucy?—did he have to play hot lava and jump from gravestone to unholy gravestone, giggling the whole way because he gave Lucy such a fright? It would take a lot of planning and premeditation. And really, Dracula? Was the danger worth it? What if the suicide was a frame? You were really playing with your mortality here.
And yes, I understand I shouldn't be doing this! The classics are untouchable! And even I hesitate because of the English teacher's curse...but let's talk about Raoul in the Phantom of the Opera for a second. He's kind of a whiny pansy. And I defy you to count all the times he cries in that book. Now compare him to the corpse-like Erik—who is a REAL serial killer who tortures people and is NOT dashing at all! AND can you BELIEVE how many tangents Les Miserable goes off on! I mean, Eponine's my favorite character of all time, but your tangents, Victor! No critic would let anybody today get away with that! And did you know Jane Austen's first book was self-published? Okay, so that was kind of inspiring...
But I forget myself. We know the authors of the classics walk on water; they're superhuman with no typos and pure continuity. WE ALL KNOW THAT! But what is up with the Brontë sisters? Heathcliff is NOT romantic at all! You think Edward is controlling, people? Can anyone say psychotic? I wouldn't trust Heathcliff alone with my dog—yeah, he KILLS dogs! I didn't appreciate the romantic interest in Jane Eyre either. Yeah. I said it. And now I'm paying for it. Already I feel the curse taking hold. Even now as I write, my knuckles itch to drag across the ground...and I haven't even got to Hemingway yet. You must excuse me while I go discover fire. My cave is calling. But before I leave...Shakespeare anyone?
Stephanie Fowers is the author of two books for the LDS market - Rules of Engagement and Meet Your Match.
Friday, July 01, 2011
Guest Blog: Jennifer Walker on My Life, My Books
I have two rules that all of my books must obey:
1. I don't write anything I wouldn't let my mother or my daughter read.
2. I never want a reader to come up to me and say, "There's no way such-and-such could ever happen."
The first is important to me because I want to be able to share my work with my family and friends without blushing, which is the easy part. The second is important because I hate reading books that are so far out there (barring appropriate suspension of belief) that I can't read for all the eye rolling I'm doing. This rule takes a little more effort to follow. I want my books to be real, so a lot of the subject matter comes from real life.
I have been a horse lover all my life. I haven't always had a horse (I do right now), but I have ridden them for much of it. I have also worked in the industry and spent many, many hours caring for, grooming, riding, and showing. I guess what I'm trying to say is, while I may not be a professional horsewoman, I know a little bit about that world. Therefore, when I decided I should write a book, it was pretty clear what it should be about: horses. Write what you know, right?
In my books, the main character, Leslie, works for a horse trainer to pay for her lessons and because she wants to be a trainer herself one day. She's a lot like what I wish I was when I was her age. It's pretty cool, because Leslie gets to do a lot more than I ever did, so I can live vicariously through her. She's even a better rider than I am, which is totally unfair.
Some of the things in Leslie's life come from real scenes from my own life, some are simply inspired by real events, and others are completely made up. In any case, I try really hard to make sure everything is accurate. There was a lot of veterinary care in Bubba to the Rescue, the second book in the Green Meadow Series that just came out, so I had my vet, Linda Lauper of HAPPEE Horses, Inc., look through it to make sure I had it all right.
If you know nothing about horses, I hope you read my books and learn a little something. If you are a lifelong horse lover, I hope you enjoy the realism that is absent in so many horse books. In any case, I invite you to give them a read and enjoy some good old-fashioned fun you won't be ashamed to share with your mother...or daughter.
Bubba Goes National: When 13-year-old Leslie Clark finds an Arabian horse at a livestock auction, she never dreams he'll soon take her to the national championships.
Bubba to the Rescue: After an abandoned horse follows Leslie home during a terrifying forest fire, Leslie tends his wounds and soon falls in love with him...but does she have the strength to give him up when his true owner turns up?
The Green Meadow Series is available on www.TwinTrinityBooks.com, Amazon.com, smashwords.com, and other online retailers.