Monday, June 1, 2015

Promotional Sale by Indie Authors

We're having another FANTASTIC sale on different genres!! If you have friends who love to read, please let them know about this sale!

Thanks!

Imperfect Love
SALE Price $.99
Regular Price $3.99

Lauren Wilson is well on her way to her happily-ever-after. She’s passionate about her career as a middle school English teacher, she adores her handsome, hard-working husband, and with a baby finally on the way, her perfect life is within her grasp. 

But then a devastating test result changes everything. 


Forced to choose between her baby and her husband, Lauren makes the only decision she can live with, and she returns to her small hometown in hopes of rebuilding her shattered life. 


Ethan Campbell is a gifted photographer who travels the world and has no desire to settle down. When his mother dies, he must go home to settle her estate. Then it’s back to exciting adventures across the globe. 


When Lauren crosses paths with Ethan, her teenage crush, old feelings resurface—feelings she’s not prepared to face. Will Lauren have the courage to trust again or will she spend her life alone? 


Imperfect Love is a story about sacrifice, healing, second chances, and discovering that although love isn’t always perfect, sometimes it’s the imperfect love that’s the sweetest of all. 



Spinster's Folly
Marsha Ward
SALE Price $0.99
Regular Price $3.99

Marie Owen yearns for a loving husband, but Colorado Territory is long on rough characters and short on fitting suitors, so a future of spinsterhood seems more likely than wedded bliss. Her best friend says cowboy Bill Henry is a likely candidate, but Marie knows her class-conscious father would not allow such a pairing. When she challenges her father to find her a suitable husband before she becomes a spinster, he arranges a match with a neighbor's son.
 
Then Marie discovers Tom Morgan would be an unloving, abusive mate and his mother holds a grudge against the Owen family. Marie's mounting despair at the prospect of being trapped in such a dismal marriage drives her into the arms of a sweet-talking predator, landing her in unimaginable dangers.
 
2013 Winner of the USA Best Book Award for Western Fiction.




A Portrait for Toni
Annette Lyon
SALE Price $0.99
Regular Price $2.99


Toni has no idea what she’d do without her best friend, Carter. Who else would she be able to vent to about her parents, her job at the dance studio, or her latest relationship woes? When Toni’s father lands in the hospital, Carter, as always, is there for her.

That is, until he starts questioning Toni, saying he thinks she has an eating disorder. Then she starts dating Clint, the hot new guy at the studio, and somehow that puts a deeper wedge between her and Carter. When she’s hospitalized after an on-stage collapse, and Carter stupidly starts in with advice about food and weight, she sends him away—then instantly regrets it.

Toni tries to mend the hurt between them, but instead of finding Carter, she stumbles onto proof that he has feelings for her that go way beyond those of a friend. Toni is left with the very real prospect of losing Carter forever, unless somehow she can return his feelings—but that’s impossible.

Isn’t it?

Purchase A Portrait for Toni on Amazon


Grounded for Love: A Reunion Romance Novella
Rebecca Talley
Price $.99

After being burned by her college boyfriend, Graham, book editor Serena Johnson believes the only dependable men are the ones found between the pages of a book. Her life in San Francisco is thrown into chaos when her father suffers a heart attack, and she books a flight to her small hometown in Colorado.

Graham McAllister, now a civil engineer in Phoenix, is dating a woman who has it all—except his heart. As the best man for his brother’s wedding, Graham must fly back to Grand Junction in time for all the festivities.

When a massive snowstorm grounds all the planes in Denver, both Serena and Graham are stranded overnight. Will this storm lead to love or will it simply prove that there are no second chances?
 

Purchase Grounded for Love on Amazon.

Once Upon Two Kingdoms (A Royal Romance)
Anna del C. Dye
Price $2.99

Freedom to Choose is Paramount for any human.

An arrangement made when Elizabeth was just a babe ties her to someone she has never met, never spoken to, never loved. 

Now she desires freedom—a way to choose her own path—her own husband. The moment Elizabeth meets Patrick she knows he is her soul mate. 

But when you are bound to a crown how is any choice your own?






Ring on Her Finger
Lisa Swinton
SALE price $.99
Regular price $3.99

What happened in Vegas should stay there, not follow Amanda home, newly wedded to the man who broke her heart.


After celebrating college graduation with her friends in Las Vegas, Amanda St. Claire wakes up with a terrible hangover and a ring on her finger. Her day gets worse when she finds out she's married to rich playboy Blake Worthington—the guy she has loathed the past four years. Amanda convinces Blake to legally terminate the marriage and they both return home like nothing ever happened. That is, until Blake shows up on her doorstep and Amanda has to come clean with her family. 

Together for better or worse while the legalities are cleared, Amanda reluctantly plays along, but then the unthinkable happens---she finds herself falling in love with Blake. 

Can they overcome the past? Or will it end their future before it even starts? 

Those who enjoy What Happens in Vegas and The Prince and Me will find a kindred spirit in Ring on Her Finger.



Nourish & Strengthen
Maria Hoagland
SALE Price $.99
Regular Price $2.99

Chloe Taylor has the perfect life: a model’s figure, a husband who adores her, three healthy children. So why does she feel so much less than perfect?

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?



Family Size
Maria Hoagland
SALE Price $.99
Regular Price $2.99

Is it one-size-fits-all, or all sizes fit? A novel about friendships, faith, and fertility by LDS women's fiction author Maria Hoagland. 

Jessica loves being the mom of an ever-expanding family, but when an ultrasound throws her a curve, can she adapt with grace? 

Dragged away from home, Maya feels deserted by her workaholic husband in a land of confusing accents and church cliques. What will it take to acclimate and save her marriage--or does she even want to? 

Sloane is an algebra teacher and runner who would give up both to be a mom, but no matter what she does, pregnancy remains elusive. Can she adjust her thinking and find purpose in her life? 

As their lives intertwine, can friendship and faith help these women hurdle expectations of an ideal family size? 






Intercession
Vicki Hunt Budge
SALE Price $.99
Regular Price $3.99

In The Darkest Hours of Addiction, A Light Shines 

When Jessica Mobley's husband abandons her and flies off to Mexico to meet another woman, it's the tip of the iceberg. She soon unravels his porn addiction and her financial ruin. 

Jessica tries to keep up an appearance that all is well, but ultimately she resorts to drastic measures to support her three children. She guts part of her home to start a preschool and rents out another two rooms. 

Her life is soon filled with new friends and activities, but the new friends bring problems of their own. Is hope and healing possible as they strengthen one another and rely on the Lord? And will romance find its way into Jessica's heart again? 

Intercession is a story of love and friendship loaded with drama, inspiration, loss and the tenacity of one woman who finds her strength in the Lord





Begin Again
Brittney Mulliner
SALE Price $.99

Escaping her past, Aubrey Tate moves to Southern California for a fresh start with her older brother, Brandon. Starting over at a new school seems easy with her cousin, Mckayla, and her two best friends at her side, but handling the new guys is another matter. Aubrey ends up in the middle of three rivals that each wants her to themselves. 

Mike claims her first and declares himself her friend and protector. Luke is the school heartthrob that stops Aubrey in her tracks, speechless. Gage is the mysterious, dark outsider that Aubrey can be herself around. 

How will she navigate her new life while she's still haunted by her past?



IDEAL HIGH
Valerie Ipson
Price $2.99

There’s no way I’m taking Blake’s place as president of the student body. As soon as the memorial for him and six of our friends is over, I’m resigning as VP. Really.
Except people say the fire was no accident.
(I say it’s way too easy to blame someone who’s dead.)
When I read the writing on the wall, literally, the bathroom wall, I know what it means. To get to the truth I have to come out from under my paisley comforter.
But, seriously, what stage of grief says I have to be the one to fix what’s wrong at Ideal High? Maybe I’m the one who’s broken.





What Every 6th Grader Needs to Know: 10 Secrets to Connect Moms & Daughters
Rachelle J. Christensen
Connie E. Sokol
Price $1.99

Is your daughter asking questions about friends, peer pressure, school, and even her weight?

As a mom, are you wondering how to answer them?

Welcome to the club.

But you can relax. Because we’ve asked real sixth-grade girls to dish on their top secret questions. And, we’ve provided time-tested real-life answers that work.

Add to that an enjoyable format. The “Just for Girls” section speaks right to your daughter in words and ways she understands. The “Just for Moms” section talks straight to moms, giving you information, resources, and easy-to-share answers. We include tips for how to start, handle, and enjoy the conversations no matter the situation.

Create connected conversations with your daughter as you explore these life questions together. Get plain facts and jumpstart questions. Discuss the provided scenarios so she can practice responses to use in real-time. Download decorative cards with positive statements and fun fill-in sentences.

Use What Every Girl Needs to Know About 6th Grade to make it happen. Together, answer questions and create connection.

You got this.




Interlude at Cottonwood Springs
Liz Adair
Price $2.99
Audiobook: $21.83 (or free with Audible trial)

Ruth Reynolds moves in wealthy New York circles. Heck Benham rides the range in the high plateau of New Mexico. 

When she comes west during the Great Depression chance throws them together, and they fall in love. But she's a married lady, and he's an honorable man.







The Extraordinarily Ordinary Life of Cassandra Jones (MG)
Tamara Hart Heiner
SALE Price $.99

What's special about Cassandra? Absolutely nothing. She's as ordinary as any other fifth grader. And yet her ordinary life is riddled with hilarious and sometimes heart-breaking mishaps as she guides herself through the world of pre-teens on the brink of adulthood. 

Cassandra Jones is the new girl at school. She's been uprooted from her beloved state of Texas and relocated to the hillbilly Ozarks of Springdale, Arkansas. She wonders if she will like her teacher or if she will have any friends. She can only hope school won't be harder than it was back home. 

She doesn't expect to have two close friends, and even worse, two friends that don't like each other. As she tries to make a spot for herself, will she keep her friendships intact? 



Best Kind of Love: A Reunion Romance Novella
Rebecca Talley
Price $.99

Brynn Sawyer is a successful project manager in Houston. When her best friend from high school convinces Brynn to attend their ten-year reunion, Brynn hopes she’ll have the chance to reconnect with Troy Richards, the guy who stole her heart back in middle school. 

Craig Dawson, an attorney in San Diego, is in a relationship that’s going nowhere and wonders why he can’t seem to commit. When he sees Brynn at their reunion, he thinks he might finally understand why. The only problem—she’s still infatuated with Troy what’s-his-name. 

Will Brynn find the love she seeks with Troy, or will she realize the best kind of love has always been right in front of her? 




Silver Linings
Kaylee Baldwin
Price $.99

Drew Westfall wants nothing more than to forget what he had to do in the name of "smart" business. Cutting off all ties with his parents—including handing over the entire contents of his trust fund to a charity—he takes off for Bridger, Colorado where his best friend has an extra room for him. It doesn't take long for him to realize that his business degree won’t do him much good in a town as small as Bridger, but he's broke and has nowhere else to go. 

Eden Torresi has every reason to wallow. Not only did she have to sell her house to pay for her mother’s medical expenses, but she had to drop out of school and is in a relationship with a guy unwilling to commit. But Eden isn't the wallowing type. Instead, she spends most of her time taking care of the seniors at Silver Linings Assisted Living. When she learns that her boyfriend's new roommate is down on his luck, she reaches out to offer what help she can. But the more time they spend together, the more complicated things get, especially when the seniors of Silver Linings decide to play matchmaker.



Six Days of Christmas
Kaylee Baldwin
Price $.99

When Natalie goes home with her best friend for Christmas, she expects plenty of quiet time to work on a winning ad so she can turn her dream internship into her dream job. 

Instead, she gets time-consuming Christmas festivities, a house full of children who seem to be multiplying, and Jimmy, her best friend’s brother—someone who makes her question everything she’s always thought she wanted. 






Life Soup
Pamela Lynn France
Price $6.99 (ebook)

This is a true story told using the memories of a child - my inner child. It is a story of survival - a love story without romance, but hope. It tells of the age old struggle between good and evil, light and dark forces around us.

Jesus Christ has been saving souls throughout human history. Thankfully He is a part of my story...




My Audiobook Odyssey


L to R: Me, Tanya Mills, Terry Deighton, Ann Acton,
Christine Thackeray. Not shown: Bonnie Harris
My audiobook odyssey began a little over 5 years ago when I met Tanya Mills at a writers retreat at Silver Lake Washington. She and I and four other retreaters formed a critique group that’s been going strong for five years now.

As a function of our weekly meetings, we exchange 5 pages of manuscript, critique them, and meet each Wednesday evening for 2 hours to discuss them. (We're far-flung, so we meet by Skype.) We read two passages each time, and everyone has always loved to have Tanya read. She makes your writing sound great, and she even does accents.

About two years into the critique group, Tanya and I both moved from Washington state to Southern Utah. We’ve shared rides to three or four writers conferences, and on the rides we’d talk about goals and even set a few. Several times she mentioned she’d like to do audiobooks. She had purchased some of the hardware she needed to set up a studio, but she needed a sound booth, and she was stuck there.

Heck, I thought. I can make a sound booth. I’ve got this industrial sewing machine that could sew through a Sherman tank, and I’ve got yards of canvas from our erstwhile waterbag manufacturing business.  How hard could it be?

Well, it was harder than I thought it would be. It took me about three times longer than I thought it would. But I got it done and called Tanya to say it was on its way.


Tanya, in the meantime, had fallen and bunged herself up pretty bad, so that she couldn’t go downstairs (where the new studio was) for a couple months.

But, she finally healed enough to do stairs, and she learned the recording/producing process on her own first book THE RECKONING. After that, she was ready to do my book INTERLUDE AT COTTONWOOD SPRINGS.

This book is a rewrite of my award winning book, Counting the Cost. If you’re familiar with it, the new version has three new prequel chapters to it, before Ruth Reynolds comes to New Mexico. Also, I moved the middle section, the one that was set in the Prescott, AZ area, to Kanab UT. I intend to write a sequel next summer. It will be set here in red rock country and be called RETURN TO WILLOW CANYON.

Anyway, INTERLUDE AT COTTONWOOD SPRINGS is now out as an audiobook. You can listen to Chapter One by clicking here. Click here for a purchase link at Amazon. Or, you can get the audiobook free on Amazon if you get a trial membership at Audible. (A membership at Audible is $15 a month after your first free month. For that you get a free audiobook download each month plus 30% off other books that month.) If you’re into audiobooks, that seems like a pretty good deal.


Kanab Library will have the audiobook for patrons to check out, too. If you want your library to carry it, talk to your librarian.

Sunday, May 31, 2015

An Interview with Janet Jensen, author of GABRIEL'S DAUGHTERS


I first became aware of Janet Jensen when her book DON’T YOU MARRY THE MORMON BOYS came out. Though I’ve not met her in person, we’ve corresponded via a writers loop, and we have several mutual friends.

I’ve learned that Ms. Jensen doesn’t shy away from hard—even controversial--topics which makes her writing timely and easy to identify with.

Here’s the blurb for Ms. Jensen’s latest book:

Wrestling with issues of polygamy, homosexuality, and modernity, Gabriel’s Daughters examines them through the lives of the large, loving, and polygamous Martin family. The story is told primarily through the eyes of Zina Martin, a young girl who—upon discovering she is impregnated by her “sterile” teacher and will soon be married off to a man three times her age—escapes the enclosed polygamous town of Gabriel’s Landing, Utah. Zina then embarks on a journey of self-discovery, yet she can never fully escape the longing she has for her family and even the controversial and outdated lifestyle she once lived. Through both tears and triumph, Gabriel’s Daughters reveals a moving story that not only acts as insightful social commentary but also prompts readers to re-evaluate their lives.

I’m glad to be able to feature Janet Jensen as an author on my blog.  I’ll include a purchase link at the end of the interview.

LIZ: What inspired Gabriel’s Daughters?

JANET JENSEN: Zina’s story was originally included in early drafts of my first novel, Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys. I began to write the stories of both Louisa and Zina in alternating chapters. That led to logistical problems as the events occur in different time periods. Zina’s story also began to take on greater significance and in fact threatened to take over the whole book. To do it justice, I had to pull it out and promise Zina her own book. She was very patient.

LIZ: Does Gabriel’s Landing have a “prophet?”

JANET JENSEN: No. I chose to create a governing body, the Council of Brothers. They are a committee of very like-minded men who govern all matters secular and religious in the community.  I deliberately avoided writing a character who was the prophet or all-powerful leader, to avoid comparisons to current events. Gabriel’s Landing is a quiet community. Though life is tightly controlled by the Council of Brothers, the extreme abuses and violence uncovered in other groups, which often make headlines, do not occur in Gabriel’s Landing. It’s a town that strives to keep the traditions of their fathers. As we know, however, not everyone in Gabriel’s Landing has a happy or satisfying life.

LIZ: Given all the recent public scrutiny, do you think polygamy will survive?

JANET JENSEN: Polygamy has always been with us throughout history, and is common in many cultures. In America, some feel that prosecuting it will simply drive its followers underground. Others, citing the significant cost to taxpayers in terms of financial assistance given to women who declare themselves to be single mothers, feel the welfare system is being abused. There are certainly no clear answers.

LIZ: How do you feel about polygamy?

JANET JENSEN: I’ll let the readers form their own opinions about that. I was very surprised, however, when doing some research on the Internet—when my own photo popped up as I searched for “pictures of polygamous women.” Yep, there I was, with my three dogs, in my own backyard. That photo had appeared on my blog and as I had written a book about polygamy, it somehow became associated with the topic, or at least the search engines thought so. There’s a lesson in this: you never know where you’re going to show up on the Internet. It’s a bit disconcerting.

LIZ: Why do quilts appear prominently in the book?

JANET JENSEN: Quilts convey our heritage and culture from one generation to another. They speak of economy and necessity as well as artistry. I think every quilt has its own story, and I love the intricate varieties of patchwork quilts, both old and new.

LIZ: Why did you choose to have Zina hitchhike to Chicago?

JANET JENSEN: Because that’s where Mo and Callie were going! I really had three reasons. First, I wanted to put some some significant geographical distance between Zina and the place where she was raised. It’s the only way she can begin to learn who she is. Second, I have always loved Chicago; my husband and I honeymooned there for three years when we attended graduate school. Third, I wanted to give a little shout-out to a city that is full of diversity and vitality and class. Chicago is a good fit for Zina, and she learns to love the city, too. 

LIZ: Andy and Louisa could have higher-paying jobs in larger cities. Why did you choose to have them stay in Hawthorn Valley?

JANET JENSEN: Andy fell in love with Hawthorn Valley when he first arrived there, just out of residency, and Hawthorn Valley fell in love with him. When Louisa married him, it was with the understanding that they would share a joint medical practice in Hawthorn Valley. It’s a place where they feel needed and appreciated. They want to give their children a healthy upbringing, and neither is too concerned about material wealth. That is consistent with their upbringing, I think.

LIZ: Why did you choose to write Simon as a gay character?

JANET JENSEN: Because he is. Seriously, I asked myself what kind of man Zina would trust, given her devastating experience with her high school teacher, and almost marrying a man twice her age. It’s not a surprise that she doesn’t doesn’t trust easily, and Simon presents no sexual issues to negotiate. He simply offers friendship and companionship to his roommate. It’s something he wants, too. And he sees Zina’s potential.

LIZ: Yes, there is a bit of the Pygmalion myth in their relationship.

JANET JENSEN: Right. I loved having Zina “bloom and grow,” to borrow from another musical. She gains some survival skills in Chicago, though Mo and Callie provide her with the tender care of parents while she acquires the ability to support herself. Her native talents and intelligence are appreciated wherever she goes. Starting with Chef Damian’s tutelage at Harry’s in Chicago, Zina continues to grow intellectually. Simon can, in some ways, give her the world. He’s educated, well-traveled, and well-read. And, most important, he is trustworthy.

LIZ: You seem to like strong female protagonists.

JANET JENSEN: I do. Girls and young women need to know they have unlimited potential, even if it means they may have to fight for it. I didn’t want a high-cheekboned, square-jawed, broad shouldered romantic knight with long, flowing golden locks to gallop into town on a white horse and rescue Zina. She doesn’t need rescuing. She’s become her own person. Readers deserve more, and so does Zina. And she may find it in James.

LIZ: What elements in Gabriel’s Daughters are based on real-life people or events?

JANET JENSEN: Quilts, hope chests, bread-baking, book-burning, a visit to Russia, the nesting dolls, and friendships between women and gay men. Oh, and a smart border collie.



My thanks to Janet Jensen for a great interview. Click here for a purchase link for her book GABRIEL’S DAUGHTERS.

An Interview with Judith Kirscht, author of Hawkins Lane


I lived in the Pacific Northwest for forty years, and it was in the last two decades of that stint that I began to write. When I started, I didn’t know anything about writing communities. I didn’t know that if you scratched the surface of any city, town, village, hamlet, you’d find lots of people who scribble and who like to hang out with other scribblers and learn the craft.

Judith Kirscht
I finally found the Skagit Valley writers league and joined it, and that’s where I met Judith Kirscht. She was president of the league. I’ve since moved away from the Skagit Valley, but I’m still interested in the writing lives of the people I became acquainted with there, and when Judith announced her new book, I asked if I could do an interview.

I think you’ll be interested in her path to publication. I think, too, that her answers to the questions posed are a window to her literary style and lyrical writing. I’ll include a purchase link to her latest book at the end of the interview.

LIZ: Tell me something about yourself

JUDITH: I was born and raised in Chicago, and it wasn’t until I finished college and was raising my family in Michigan before it occurred to me that I wanted to write. Then writing had to compete with child-raising, divorce, and earning a living, so it emerged in spurts while I taught college writing first at the University of Michigan and then at the University of California, Santa Barbara. It wasn’t until I retired in 2001 and moved to Washington State that I could devote myself to writing fiction.

It took ten more years to get published. Now I’ve published my fourth book in as many years so it looks as though I’m churning them out at amazing speed, though they’ve actually been written over forty years.

LIZ: Your latest novel is Hawkins Lane. Can you tell us something about it?

JUDITH: Hawkins Lane is set in the Cascades and is a story of love gone wrong. It’s about the power of the past to disrupt our futures. Both the hero, Ned Hawkins, who is the son of a murderer, and the heroine, Erica Romano, daughter of a family with expectations she cannot face, find in each other release from their pasts. They create a life they love in the mountains—in a clearing beyond the tree-tunneled lane that gives the book’s title—and give birth to a child, but then Ned’s father is released from prison, returning Ned to his previous fatalism and sense of impending doom and disrupts the harmony. Erica rebels against this return to the past, triggering a series of disasters that threaten to bring their lives to ruin. For both their survival depends on confrontation and victory over their pasts.

LIZ: Where do you get your ideas?

JUDITH: That’s a question I ask myself—often. HAWKNS LANE grew from an image that I woke up with one morning of child looking down a tree tunneled lane that had taken everything that had happened up into its boughs as though it had never been. Well, clearly that’s the end of a story I hadn’t yet told. HOME FIRES, my third novel, grew out of short story I wrote while living next to wild meadowlands, cliffs and beach near Santa Barbara, and by hindsight I can say it came out the fairytale aspects of that place. But that’s hindsight—in the beginning I had only an image of a woman in a tower looking out to the sea. What gets expressed in my stories remains a mystery to me except by hindsight. I can only say some image triggers the unconscious—things left unresolved, unexplored but released by the pen in a process we aren’t intended to understand.

LIZ: You said you began to write when you were raising your family. What triggered it?

JUDITH: That’s another mystery, in some ways. I grew up with the understanding that a wife a mother was what I was going to be, and I never questioned it until my daughters were half grown. But when I finally asked myself whether there was something else I would like to do, the answer was instantaneous. My husband said I’d told him I wanted to write, but I have no memory of it. In any case, I took myself up to the University of Michigan—an act more presumptuous than I can ever explain—and made an appointment to talk with the professor in charge of the Hopwood Room—the room where the creative writers hung out (they had no creative writing program in those days). When I got home, I went into shock at what I’d done and realized the professor was going to ask to see my writing. Duh. I had none. So I sat down with a yellow pad and wrote about growing up near the University of Chicago football stadium while they were experimenting with nuclear fission. I don’t think it was even typed, but he read it and said “You’re a writer.”

That was all it took. I have a sign above my desk to this day that says “You’re a Writer.” I studied under him for four years, wrote two novels, and won the literary prize for which that room was named.

LIZ: And you kept it up for forty years. Why?

I think it opened a part of myself I had had no access to. I grew up in a very academic family—very left brained. My mother once mentioned I wrote lovely stories, but I don’t remember them. Emotional expression was not encouraged, so I had no ready access to that side. By the time I reached that stage of adulthood there was a whole submerged person ready to spring forth. I write to discover myself, to understand myself, to understand others, the world.

LIZ: What advice would you give to would-be writers?

JUDITH: Do it. Understand that the rational brain that directs your life will always resist opening up that other side. It’s exposure. I resist going to my computer every morning and unless I made it as habitual as brushing my teeth, I’d never get there. The rational mind is very used to having its way. After 25 years of teaching writing, I assure you procrastination is the greatest enemy of any kind of writing—academic, business, or creative; probably 90% of the papers turned in were written the night before. I have a gifted writer friend who can’t sit down to the computer until the night before our critique group meets. That’s a shame.

LIZ: What are you working on now?


JUDITH: I’m revising a novel that began during the November Novel Writing Month about three years ago. It’s been interrupted by revising other work, but it’s close to ready now. It’s set on an island in the Puget Sound. That first professor told me I write from place, and he’s turned out to be right. For me, place produces characters and characters produce stories. The Inheritors is set in Chicago, where I grew up, Nowhere Else to Go is set in a Midwestern college town in the ‘60s—a fictional version of Ann Arbor where I raised my family, Home Fires is set on that area of wild meadowland and cliffs above the beach near Santa Barbara. Hawkins Lane is the first set in the northwest—in the Cascade where I’ve never lived, but am now familiar with. 

My thanks to Judith Kirscht. As promised, click here for a link to where you can purchase HAWKINS LANE.


Monday, May 25, 2015

Interview with Robbin J. Peterson, author of GOING HOME



Today I’m interviewing Robbin J. Peterson, newly published author of the book Going Home.

I first met Robbin several years ago at Boot Camp, an intensive critique session that is a part of the Storymaker Conference held in Provo, Utah each year. I was blown away by the level of talent and craft skill displayed by the people at that table. In particular, I remember Robbin's chapter as we critiqued it. How great to find that the chapter we read and discussed is now part of her new book recently published by Covenant Communications. 

I'd like for my readers to meet this talented author. Hence the interview.

LIZ: Tell us about yourself, Robbin.
ROBBIN: Thanks, for interviewing me, Liz—you have been such a big support for me over the years, giving me and other budding authors positive feedback! The first thing I usually tell people is I have six kids. Living in California that is as unique as saying I have been to the moon. My husband and I met at Utah State University, where I graduated in English Literature, and he got a Master’s studying Asparagus. We’ve lived in California ever since. I play the viola in our local symphony, as well as help mentor music students.

LIZ: What do you love most about being an author?
ROBBIN: There are so many things! Something that first amazed me about writing is how it connected me with people. I live in a very rural area and one day I remember thinking, “Wow, I could just be folding laundry and cleaning up baby puke, but instead I’m on my computer discussing medical conditions in Peru with a senior missionary I met through a blog.” That felt really cool. Much cooler than baby puke. It was like having a secret identity. Recently, many people have asked me how it feels to be published.  And I tell them it feels really great because it does feel good to accomplish goals. But the real joy in being an author for me is the relationships I make—both real and imagined! It’s so exciting to find a new imaginary friend and follow them on an adventure. Writing a book feels just as wonderful as reading one.

LIZ: What does your family think of your writing?
ROBBIN: I am really lucky because I have a husband who not only married me because of my crazy out-of-the box thinking, but supports and encourages it. As I’m doing this interview he is holding my 7 month old baby and supervising kids doing homework. He tells anyone who will listen about my book and checks my sales and stats daily. I really appreciate him! Since my book came out it’s been entertaining to see how my kids react. My 7 year old watched my book trailer and now thinks I write about killing people. My 13 year old who actually read my book seemed dazed the next day and told her dad, “It’s really weird to see what’s going on in Mom’s head.”

LIZ: What would you like people to know about your book?
ROBBIN: It is not just a romance!
Men will enjoy this book. It’s actually an emotional/spiritual journey about a young man struggling with PTSD after a mission. I think all returned missionaries suffer from this on some level. I’ve had many mothers tell me this book has helped them understand their missionary age kids better.
It’s also appealing to a younger audience than I originally thought. I was surprised my 13 year old daughter enjoyed it. Recently I’ve seen more and more teens (boys and girls) picking it up and it resonating with them. I think the timing of this book is particularly fitting, with more missionaries out, and at younger ages than before.

LIZ: Any advice for new writers?

ROBBIN: Attend writing conferences, read books about writing whatever you’re interested in writing about, and read! There is no better teacher than a good book!

LIZ: Thanks, Robbin, for the interview. I'm going to post the back cover blurb below along with a purchase link. Good luck in your writing career!

Here's the back-cover blurb: For eighteen months, Elder John Miller has served faithfully as a missionary in the jungles of Peru. Everything seems to be clicking, including his easy camaraderie with his companion, Elder Kaai, and his girl waiting for him back home. But then Kaai passes away unexpectedly, John is overwhelmed with grief, and his faith is shaken to the core. Why did God let this happen? John returns home to heal from the devastating loss. Determined to leave the past behind him, he struggles to move forward with life--to pretend Peru never happened. But Peru did happen, and the memories continue to haunt him, not to mention the confusion he feels over his relationship with his girlfriend.

It isn't until an old friend reaches out to him that John finds the lifeline he needs. Now he must decide if he can put aside his fears and love more deeply than he's ever loved before.

Click here for a purchase link. 

 

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Writers United to Fight Cancer Cookbook

Margaret Turley and I both belong to American Night Writers Association (ANWA) a national LDS women's writers organization, and I've known about her involvement in Writers United to Fight Cancer (WUFC) for years. She's tireless in her efforts to spread awareness and raise money for cancer research.

As part of that effort, this last year, WUFC put out a cookbook. And yes, some of my recipes are in it.

I asked Margaret if I could feature her organization and the cookbook in a blog post. I'm tardy in getting it up, but if you want to get a great cookbook and support a worthy cause, you couldn't do better than this.

Now, here's my interview with Margaret Turley:


LIZ: First, tell me about Writers United to Fight Cancer. What was the genesis of the organization?

MARGARET: Writers Unite to Fight Cancer (WUFC) was started by a group of eight friends who took writing classes together from Pamela R. Goodfellow PhD over a period of two years. As we shared our manuscripts and life stories we discovered that each of us had been involved with cancer either personally, in our families or as caregivers.

When it came time to celebrate our writing accomplishments we desired to increase awareness about cancer and assist in the battle to fight this dreadful disease that affects one out of every two men and one in three women sometime in their lives. We organized a silent auction during our book launch in November of 2010 and donated the money to the American Association for Cancer Research.

We lost one of our members two months later to stage IV lung cancer. We felt compelled to continue our efforts to raise funds for Cancer Research. Our group has grown from the original eight members to over 140 authors and supporters.

LIZ: How do you get word out about WUFC?  

MARGARET: We use social media.
Twitter:           @WritersCanFight

LIZ: What kind of fundraising events do you have? Are there any dates that you should be aware of?

MARGARET: In an effort to include authors who do not live in Arizona, we evolved from holding multiple fundraising events and book-signings to holding an annual writing contest. Our last and largest fundraising event was in February 2012 at the Arizona Biltmore where over 40 authors participated along with guest speakers in addition to another silent auction. The money raised at that event was donated to the University of Arizona Cancer Research Program and the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine / Arizona State University Cancer Research Program.

LIZ: What made you decide to put out a cookbook? 

MARGARET:  Gayle Martin of Good Oak Press, a WUFC author and publisher of our first anthology: Courage to Thrive suggested we create a cookbook to raise funds for our organization. I had also noted that many authors will include recipes associated with their novels. One of our members wrote of her experience surviving Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. In her book she shared recipes that she enjoyed while undergoing chemotherapy. 

I sent out a letter to our members and supporters and received an enthusiastic response. Many of the recipes submitted are from cancer survivors or health food experts. Other recipes are family favorites. Local flavors, and international specialties are mixed within categories that include appetizers, salads, soups, dressings and gravies, meats, main dishes & casseroles, vegetables and side dishes, beverages, candies, cookies, cakes, pies & pastries, deserts and snacks, breads, breakfast foods, remedies and more. Several recipes are gluten free and a few are dairy free for those who have allergies. 

Morgan Vanessa Harbinger donated color illustrations and the cover art. Each submitter has their picture and a bio. Authors were allowed to share a book cover and blurb for each recipe we printed. Over half the 190 recipes are represented with photographs of the finished product. We are privileged that you shared some of your award winning recipes with us.


LIZ: You are very kind. As I remember you were very patient with my deadline phobia. Where can someone get a copy of Cauldron of Love

MARGARET: The WUFC cookbook: Cauldron of Love can be purchased on our website for $24.95. 100% of the profits (proceeds above the cost of printing) will be donated to cancer research. You can buy using cash or check by calling Margaret Turley at 480-586-7902 or emailing writersunitetofightcancer@gmail.com.

LIZ: This hits close to me, too, because I lost my mom to Hodgkin's Lymphoma.Thanks, Margaret, for the interview and for the great things you're doing for cancer research. 

Monday, March 9, 2015

ROBBED OF SOUL book launch

My guest blogger today is Lois D. Brown. Read her fascinating path to writing her new mystery, ROBBED OF SOUL. Be sure to enter her giveaway. 

Here's Lois:


Recently I published a mystery novel called Robbed of Soul that combines a modern-day mystery with a 150-year-old legend of Montezuma's gold in Utah. This is how the book came about.

In the spring of 2013 I received a strange email. It was from a television producer in England. They were filming a television series called "Myth Hunters" and wanted to do an episode about Montezuma's Gold in Kanab, Utah. They had found my name on Amazon. I had published various short stories about treasure hunting, including one about Montezuma's treasure. A month later we met in Kanab and they interviewed me for the show. (See a peek of the episode here.)

A year later I was in Kanab again, this time spending the day with a film crew from "America Unearthed," a top-rated show that airs on the History Channel 2. Together we explored the mysterious 500-year-old cave Freddie Crystal excavated in search of Montezuma's gold. (See a promo video of Montezuma's Gold.)

Me with the film crew of "America Unearthed"


After that, I knew I had to write a book about Freddie Crystal and Montezuma's gold in Kanab, but I didn't want it to be a historical novel. So I ended up with Robbed of Soul, a modern-day mystery that incorporates historical facts and legends.

Do you like books? Do you like Zions National Park? Join the ROBBED OF SOUL book launch giveaway and you may win 3 nights in a vacation townhome in Kanab, Utah.
(Thirty minutes from Zions.) A $450 value! (Or a $100 Amazon gift card if preferred.) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway




Rescued but psychologically damaged from a failed mission, ex-CIA officer Maria Branson takes the job of police chief in the quiet town of Kanab, Utah. Rest and relaxation are the doctor’s orders. She gets neither. Instead, a missing mayor, the spirit of a dead Aztec warrior, and the over-confident-yet-attractive head of Search and Rescue await her in a town whose past has almost as many secrets as her own. As Maria investigates a modern-day murder, she disturbs a world of ancient legends and deadly curses. Yet most lethal of all is Maria’s fear someone will discover just how empty her soul really is.



The following are pictures of me and Scott Wolter taken as we filmed segments of America Unearthed near the infamous Freddie Crystal cave in Johnson Canyon outside of Kanab, Utah.