Posts Categorized: review

Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson- Shadow Mountain Blog Tour and Review

10 Sep, 2013 by in proper romance, review, Shadow Mountain 2 comments

Fire and Ice is today’s stop on the official blog tour for Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson hosted by Shadow Mountain.

Blackmoore
by Julianne Donaldson
276 pages
Published September 9, 2013
by Shadow Mountain
Genre:  Regency Romance
Book Brand: A Proper Romance
Book Source: Publisher
5 stars

 Kate Worthington knows she can never have her heart’s desire and so believes she will never marry. But Kate’s meddlesome mother has other plans. Kate journeys to the stately manor of Blackmoore on the cliffs above the seashore, where she must face the truth and the man that has kept her heart captive.

Set in northern England, Blackmoore is a Regency romance that tells the story of a young woman struggling to learn to follow her heart. With hints of Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters, Blackmoore is a page-turning tale of romance, intrigue and devotion.

Review: An absolutely stunning second novel by Julianne Donaldson. This book is a treasure that will remain forever on my shelves and be shared through generations. Julianne has taken Jane Austen’s style and period and crafted a novel that is poetic, deep, haunting and classically romantic.  I re-read Blackmoore in preparation for my post, and those who know me well will know that I have only read a handful of books twice through. I think I can honestly say it was better the second time than the first. There is just so much to be discovered and unfurled. There are so many levels of symbolism, sentiment and character development that one could safely read and re read Blackmooore over and over again.

Kate Worthington is a voice we can all relate to, a women on a quest to discover who she really is and how to escape her cultural traps. She feels misunderstood and misplaced within her family of ill behaved women. When a series of revelations about her mother and her childhood friend Henry lead her on a path of change, she decides it is time to lock up her heart for good. Her deepest desire is to visit Blackmoore, the summer estate of Henry’s family and to make a trip to India with her Aunt Charlotte. Her dreams are almost dashed when she rejects the unwelcome arrangements of her mother, but Kate has a plan…one that just might break the heart of her admirer and break the chains of her entrapment.


The Gothic tone and mysterious setting of the moors next to the sea make this a wonderful Fall or rainy day read. Written in Kate’s first person point of view with flashbacks from the past, the story line moves swiftly and I admit I read it all in one day. It is amazingly well written and I will recommend it to all my friends. Thanks to Julianne for helping me out of a reading funk and for keeping me on the road of Regency Romance with clean content.


Highlight with your cursor to reveal parental content information in the next sentence. Content: Clean language, no sex or swearing. Hinting of extramarital affairs, one mention of skinny dipping and swim shorts being “swung low on the hips.

About The Author: Julianne Donaldson grew up as the daughter of a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. She learned how to ski in the Italian Alps, visited East Berlin before the wall came down, and spent three years living next to a 500-year-old castle. After earning a degree in English, she turned her attention to writing about distant times and places. She lives in Utah with her husband and four children.

Learn more on Facebook/ Twitter/ Deseret Book

Join us tonight for the launch part of Blackmoore at 7 PM at The King’s English in Salt Lake City! Julianne has promised Regency Era Dress and some fun surprises.

Shadow Mountain is offering special pricing on Blackmoore at $7.99 in Kindle form and $1.99 for Edenbrooke, Julianne’s first book!

You really do not want to miss these prices or the books. Click the images to purchase…

Penumbras by Braden Bell- Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

23 Jul, 2013 by in Penumbras, review 2 comments

Fire and Ice is thrilled to be today’s blog tour stop for Braden Bell’s Penumbras, sequel to The Kindling.

Penumbras 
Middle School Magic #2
by Braden Bell
Paperback, 304 pages
Published July 9, 2013
by Sweetwater Books
ISBN 146211220X
Genre: Fantasy
Age: Middle Grade
Book Source: Author
4 Stars

Book Summary: Conner Dell didn’t meant to blow up the school bus.

Or the bathrooms.

In fact, he only wanted to go to sleep and possibly dream about Melanie Stephens.

But explosions had a funny way of happening when Conner and his friends were around.


Conner Dell wants to be good–he really does. But he is terrified that he might be turning into a Darkhand, especially when new powers start to surface. What’s worse, the Stalker is following Conner, but no one else seems to be able to see him. The Magi think he might be hallucinating, the guilt of what happened in the Shadowbox keeps weighing on him, and his relationship with Melanie Stephens is complicating things. Even for a Magi, Conner knows his life is anything but normal. 

Review: It’s been quite a while since I read book one, The Kindling, but if there’s one thing this series has, it’s “stick-to-it-iveness.” The characters and plot are well crafted and so unique I was able to pick right back up with book two and remember what was going on. It’s also a book that once you put it down it stays with you. 

Conner and his twin sister Lexa are right in the midst of a battle between light and dark, good and evil, but this time around there is a blurring of the lines– shades of gray that are being fought on a personal battlefield deep within the soul. The team of brother  & sister, plus their sidekicks,  Pilaf and Melanie must retreat to Mockingbird Cottage ( don’t you love the name) to train a little harder and protect themselves from the shadows and dark hand forces which seek to destroy them from the inside out. 

Somewhere along the way Conner and Melanie begin to develop feelings for each other and the sweet middle school magic of first love starts to soar. Lexa won’t have it–she begins to feel jealous, like a third wheel and we really see her drama queen side start to come out. She is real, someone you can picture walking right out of your middle school cliques of friends, always thinking the world must revolved around her next starring role. And Pilaf…what can we say? I’m pretty sure he’s somewhere on the autism spectrum, as he is brilliant but admits he can’t read facial clues or nuances in social interactions. Thank you to Braden for painting imperfect people who are dealing with those trials and character flaws we all experience. 

What I loved is that this is a book that explores the trauma related to abuse in a easy to swallow yet understandable way for children. Conner is much more that he things he is–he has divine heritage and the supernatural assistance of workers of light to assist him in fighting those that work against him. While he is facing deep inner conflicts as a result of his time with Lady Nightwing, the evil mastermind of darkness, he also has the aid of light to help heal his soul. There is so much more than magic going on in this book!

Contentwise there was a little too much action for me in the ending scenes (the series really needs to be made into a movie…it would be awesome) and some moderate violence involving a knife and other weapons. But, I think it’s one your middle school children will enjoy.

I recommend it for ages 12 and up as well as adults.

There is much about Penumbras that I will never forget! Wonderful world building, colorful characters, rich descriptions and tons of action. Great job Braden!


EXCERPT:
CHAPTER ONE
SHADOW PUPPETS

Conner Dell didn’t mean to blow up the school bus.
Or the bathrooms.
In fact, he only wanted to go to sleep and possibly dream about Melanie Stephens.
But explosions had a funny way of happening when Conner and his friends were around.
It all started on the annual seventh grade science trip to the Sea Lab at Dauphin Island, Alabama. Fifty-four thirteen-year-olds on a five-day field trip. What could go wrong?
Especially when three of them happened to be Magi.
#
For a fraction of a second, Conner thought he saw shadows slithering along the base of the cinderblock walls. Tensing, he blinked and looked again.
Nothing. He was alone in the darkness of his dorm room.
Well, except for his friend and fieldtrip roommate, Pilaf.
Across the room, Pilaf disturbed the darkness by turning his flashlight on and digging through a giant floral print suitcase. Fishing a book out, Pilaf hunched over, tucked the flashlight under his chin, and read.
“What are you reading?” Conner asked.
“Sorry. Did I wake you up?” Pilaf squeaked. “I couldn’t sleep. I guess I slept too much on the bus.”
“No worries.” Conner burrowed into his sleeping bag. He didn’t like messing with sheets on these trips. The springs of the ancient bed creaked beneath him. “I’m not sleepy either.” Lexa? Can you hear me? Conner reached out in his thoughts, wondering if his twin sister was awake in her room on the girls’s floor. Head-talking was a cool benefit of being one of the Magi—a secret group of warriors who used the power of Light to battle evil.
No answer from Lexa. Her allergy medicine must have knocked her out.
Melanie? He tried Lexa’s best friend, Melanie Stephens—also one of the Magi-in-training. Conner listened for her response, trying to ignore the backflip in his chest that came when he thought of her. No answer. Melanie had taken something for motion sickness on the bus. She must be knocked out too.
Conner jerked up as something skittered across the ceiling right above him. No doubt this time. He grabbed his own flashlight, raking the beam across the ceiling tiles as someone whispered his name.
Coooonnerrrrrr.
“What?” Conner pointed his flashlight at Pilaf, who looked up from his book, blinking behind his thick glasses. Pilaf’s blinks always reminded Conner of the way a light on a computer blinked when it processed data.
“What?” Pilaf squinted back at him.
“Why did you call me?” Conner asked.
“I didn’t.” Pilaf looked down at his book.
On edge now, Conner lay back down, scanning the room for more shadowy movement, his fingers ready to snap his flashlight back on at any second.
Co-n-n-e-r-r-r-r-r-r D-e-l-l-l-l-l.
A whispered, hissing sort of growl sounded in his head as a flicker of movement caught his eye. He whipped his head around in time to see a shadowy tail vanish under Pilaf’s bed. Flipping his flashlight on, he investigated the space under the metal frame.
Nothing there.
“What are you doing, Conner?” Pilaf managed to blink and stare at the same time.
Trying to protect you from slithery shadow monsters that could slurp your soul like a slushie, Conner thought. How could he keep the flashlight on without alarming Pilaf? Out loud, he said, “Uh, it’s a game. Flashlight tag. You’re it.” He shined the flashlight at Pilaf.
“How do you play?”
“Well . . . one person’s it and he shines a flashlight all over the room.”
“That’s all?” Pilaf blinked until Conner wondered if he was broadcasting the telephone book in Morse code. “It seems kind of pointless.”
“Uh, yeah.” Conner said. “You’re right. Lame. How about shadow puppets?” He slipped his hand in front of the flashlight, wiggling his fingers until the shadow resembled a horse.
“Cool!” Pilaf shouted.
A knock at the door interrupted them and a tired-looking science teacher poked his head in, glaring beneath tousled red hair. “What’s going on in here?”
“Sorry, Mr. Keller,” Pilaf said. “We slept on the bus ride, so we’re not tired. Conner’s making shadows with his hands. Look, a horse!”
“Neeeiiiiggghhh.” Conner threw in sound effects as a special feature.
Apparently unimpressed with great art, Mr. Keller frowned. “Get some sleep. We have a full day tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir.” Conner swallowed his depression at the thought of a five-day science class. Five days of plankton, ocean salinity, salt marshes, and beach ecology. Five days of science, 24/7. At least they were close to the beach. That might be fun.
“Do another one,” Pilaf whispered as the sound of Mr. Keller’s footsteps retreated down the hall.
“Okay, but be quiet this time.” Conner opened his fingers, making a snake’s mouth, complete with a flickering tongue.
It seemed so real that Conner thought he heard a hiss. Unsettled, he dropped his hands, but the hissing noise continued, twisting into words.
Co-n-n-e-r-r-r-r-r-r D-e-l-l-l-l-l—
Trying to squash the sound, Conner raised his voice. “Here’s another one.” He cupped his hands on top of each other, stuck his thumb up, and opened his fingers slightly.
“Wow!” Pilaf yelled. “A wolf!” He giggled as Conner opened the mouth and growled. “Little pig, little pig let me come in.” Conner prayed that none of the other seventh-grade boys heard he’d been doing Three Little Pigs shadow plays. That would not be cool.
Co-n-n-e-r-r-r-r-r-r D-e-l-l-l-l-l—
The weird voice came louder. Conner dropped his hands away from the flashlight.
The wolf head stayed there.
Fighting panic, Conner switched the flashlight off, but the wolf head remained, darker than the darkest shadows on the wall.
It stretched and grew bigger, becoming life-sized within seconds. It turned and stared at Conner, a three-dimensional head sticking out of the wall like some kind of freaky hunting souvenir.
The wolf growled, then jumped off the wall, and sailed across the room toward Conner.


Author Bio: Braden Bell grew up in Farmington, Utah and graduated from Davis High School. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theatre from Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. in educational theatre from New York University. He and his wife, Meredith live  with their five children on a quiet, wooded lot outside of Nashville, Tennessee, where he teaches theatre and music at a private school. An experienced performer, Braden enjoys singing, acting, reading, gardening, and long walks with the dog. 

Find out more on the Penumbras WebsiteAuthor Facebook/ Blog and Twitter
Purchase links: Braden’s website / Amazon / Barnes and Noble
Note: He will be selling both Penumbras and The Kindling through my website for a steep discount–$9.99 (plus s/h) 

The Giveaway: In connection to the Penumbras Blog Tour, author Braden Bell is giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card. To enter, fill out the rafflecopter form below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon- ARC Review and Goodreads Giveaway

17 Jun, 2013 by in review, Zondervan 2 comments

Doon 
by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon
Hardcover368 pages
Expected publication: August 20th 2013 
by Zondervan
ISBN 0310742307
Book source: BEA
5 stars
Book Summary from series website: Despite outward appearances, Veronica Welling’s life is far from perfect. Her boyfriend is more into her competition, her mom treats her like a meal ticket, and the blond stranger who keeps appearing out of nowherewell, he’d be darn near perfect, if he were real. After Vee catches her boyfriend cheating, an epic summer in Scotland with her best friend Mackenna Reid seems like the ultimate escape. Neither girl has any clue they’re about to step into a destiny bigger than they could ever imagine.

Through a series of clues left by Kenna’s aunt, Vee and Kenna open a portal and are transported to a thriving kingdom outside of time and place. For Vee, the land of Doon is the fairytale she’s always longed for, complete with the gorgeous blond strangerwho happens to be a flesh and blood prince. But rather than acting like her knight in shining armor, Jamie MacCrae treats her like a leper. Meanwhile, Jamie’s brother Duncan shows obvious interest in Kenna, but she shuts him down, fearing that a “love connection” will prevent her from returning to the modern world.

But the girls’ presence in Doon could break the enchantment that protects the realm. In order to save Doon, the girls must risk everythinglife, love, and futurebefore the kingdom vanishes forever into the mists.

Doon is inspired by the premise of the musical Brigadoon, used with generous permission from the Alan Jay Lerner Estate and the Frederick Loewe Foundation.

Review: Scottish boys in kilts plus a hidden village that only appears once every 100 years…yes please! I started Doon the day I was gearing up to go to our local Scottish festival to discover my own ancestral clan and was so swept away I did not put it down until I was done. The voice, the beautiful setting and pacing come together along with awesome characters to make an unforgettable story. Part of a new imprint of Harper Collins Christian publishing called Blink, (read about the news here ) this is a magical read I will be recommending this summer! It’s told in dual points of view between two best friends Veronica and McKenna.

Verrrranica Welling is in for a surprise when her best friend invites her to Alloway, Scotland and begins having visions of a boy who is calling to her.  

Walking down this beautiful street with my BFF by my side, an entire summer in Scotland stretching before us, I had to suppress the urge to dance. And, as if to make the moment even more perfect, a tall, well-built boy wearing a kilt strode toward me. 

I noted the dark-blond waves of his hair, broad cheekbones, and strong nose. He radiated restless power. Wow. He was beyond gorgeous.
    
 He drew closer, his gaze never leaving my face, and his mouth slid into a slow smile.
     
As he passed, his dark eyes bored into mine, and I tripped over a bump in the sidewalk. Recognition clicked into place and my heart cartwheeled into my throat. It was him—the boy who stood outside my car the day Eric and I broke up! What was he doing here?
     
I regained my balance, spun around, and almost slammed into an old lady. Apologizing, I stepped around her and searched the people on the sidewalk—a tall man in a knit cap, a young mother with two small children, a short middle-aged man grinning at me, but no beautiful boy in a kilt … anywhere.
     
“Veronica?”
     
Kenna walked up beside me and touched my arm, but I couldn’t speak. What were the chances of him being in Bainbridge, Indiana and now in Alloway, Scotland? And what was with the vanishing act? (excerpt from Doon originally posted at Honestly YA)

Both girls get sucked into a world they can’t escape without help and a witch’s curse older than time. The villagers are suspicious and time is running out to tip the balance of power back in Doon’s direction. The rich details and show tune spurts by Kenna make it a multi sensory read for older teens. There is definite sexual tension, and a sleepover along with a couple of mild swear words. 

Overall, one of the best books I’ve picked up in a long time!  The authors whom I didn’t  know before are friendly and tweeted me when they saw I was reading the series. They’ve also created a fully interactive website with a play list, fantasy casting, Doon merchandise and photos you won’t want to miss of the kingdom MacCrea. Jump in and enjoy. As they say…Destiny awaits!

Must Pre-order!

About the authors: Carey Corp wrote her first book, a brilliant retelling of Star Wars, at the prodigious age of seven. Since then, her love affair of reinvention has continued to run amuck. Writing both literary fiction and stories for young adults, she begins each morning consuming copious amounts of coffee while weaving stories that capture her exhaustive imagination. She harbors a voracious passion (in no consistent order) for mohawks, Italy, musical theater, chocolate, and Jane Austen. Her debut novel for teens, The Halo Chronicles: The Guardian, earned her national recognition as 2010 Golden Heart finalist for best young adult fiction. Coming August 20, 2013: Doon (book 1 of the DOON series), a young adult novel loosely based on the concept of the musical Brigadoon, used with permission from the Alan Jay Lerner Estate & the Frederick Loewe Foundation, and co-written with Lorie Langdon. Carey tweetspins, and “friends.” For more information, check out her books on Goodreads.


A few years ago, Lorie Langdon left her thriving corporate career with a Fortune 500 company to satisfy the voices in her head. Now as a full-time author and stay-at-home mom, she spends her summers editing poolside while dodging automatic water-gun fire, and the rest of the year tucked into her cozy office, Havanese puppy by her side, workingto translate her effusive imagination into the written word. Her co-written four-book series, DOON, a YA reimagining of the Scottish legend of Brigadoon, will release beginning in August 2013 from Zondervan/Harper Collins.You can find her online on FacebookTwitterGoodreads, and Pinterest.

Enter to win your copy of Doon now until August 19th on Goodreads.

21 Principles: Divine Truths to Help you Live by the Spirit by Richard G Scott Blog Tour and Review

22 May, 2013 by in review, Richard G Scott Leave a comment

21 Principles: Divine Truths to Help you Live by the Spirit 
by Richard G Scott
Hardcover, 105 pages
Published 2013
by Deseret Book
ISBN 1609075269
Book Source: publisher
5 stars

Product Description from Deseret Book.com: 

“As you seek spiritual knowledge, search for principles,” counsels Elder Richard G. Scott. “Principles are concentrated truth, packaged for application to a wide variety of circumstances.”


In this exciting book, Elder Scott offers 21 principles distilled from his life experiences. These “concentrated truths” will help you understand more fully how to be guided by the Spirit. Elder Scott’s brief explanations open the way for your own discovery and exploration.
“I bear witness that Jesus Christ knows you personally,” Elder Scott writes. “He will provide answers to every difficult problem in your life as you trust Him and do all you can to understand and apply His doctrine and strive to live by the Spirit.” 21 Principles will be a valuable tool in that quest.

Review: Richard G. Scott shares the most important truths he was learned in life in his newest title 21 Truths. each chapter outlines a principle to ponder and adopt. As an artist who often feels the pull of being creative juxtaposed with doing the same things over and over again, I truly appreciated Principle 3 

“Repeatedly I have been impressed to learn that to reach a goal never before attained, one must do things never before done.”  

Elder Scott talks about how on a visit to a close friend he was fascinated with his ability to create beauty using brushes, watercolor and paint, and had the impression “Try it.”  He did just that, and the cover of his book is a print of one of his watercolor paintings. When I noticed the signature on the dust jacket I felt uplifted and encouraged to go out on a limb.

This book is power packed with sound advice and the way to apply it in our lives. If applied with prayer and perseverance these principles will set your life on the right course. I would recommend it for a Father’s Day gift! Thanks so much to Deseret Book for inviting us to be on the blog tour today.



About the Author: Elder Richard G. Scott, was called as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in October 1988. He had served in the First Quorum of the Seventy since 1977 and was a member of the presidency of that quorum for five years. He holds a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering and completed post-graduate work in nuclear engineering. Prior to his call as a General Authority, he worked on the staff of Admiral Hyman Rickover developing military and private nuclear power reactors. Elder Scott and his wife, Jeanene Watkins Scott (deceased), are the parents of seven children.


  Find out more on Deseret Book/ Goodreads

One Drop At A Time Blog Tour and Review

07 May, 2013 by in M Russell Ballard, One Drop At A Time, review 1 comment

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.

Blog Tour and Review- The Continuous Conversion by Brad Wilcox

12 Apr, 2013 by in review, The Continuous Conversion 3 comments

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

Dreaming Anastasia

26 Jan, 2010 by in review, Sourcebook Jabberwocky, YA historicla fiction 1 comment


published September 1st 2009 by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

details Paperback, 310 pages

isbn 1402218176

Summary from Goodreads “Anastasia Romanov thought she would never feel more alone than when the gunfire started and her family began to fall around her. Surely the bullets would come for her next. But they didn’t. Instead, two gnarled old hands reached for her. When she wakes up she discovers that she is in the ancient hut of the witch Baba Yaga, and that some things are worse than being dead.

In modern-day Chicago, Anne doesn’t know much about Russian history. She is more concerned about getting into a good college—until the dreams start. She is somewhere else. She is someone else. And she is sharing a small room with a very old woman. The vivid dreams startle her, but not until a handsome stranger offers to explain them does she realize her life is going to change forever. She is the only one who can save Anastasia. But, Anastasia is having her own dreams…

The premise of this book is fascinating and deeply rooted in Russian history and folklore. What really happened to Anastasia Romanov the day her family was shot and killed during the Russian Revolution? Who is Baba Yaga the mystical witch who haunts Anne’s modern day dreams and why is she keeping the Princess captive?
I must say reading this book got me fascinated in the facts behind the fiction. It also had elements which I love…the talking matroyshka doll, dance, family roots and the story of brave Vasilisa plus an old woman in the forest, much like our Hansel and Gretel.

Images from Wikipedia.

Ethan was a great hero. I am not myself drawn to Marlboro smoking, vodka drinking, stand offish men…but I think he captured the essence of his pre-cold war Russian ancestors. And he does have that mystique, the beautiful blue eyes and the pull of Anne’s dreams which drew me in. I was a little disappointed by the peripheral sexual talk. In my opinion it really did not add to the plot in any way and could have just been left out.

Other than that, though, “Dreaming Anastasia” adds a very interesting twist to history that made me want to learn more. And I can’t wait to make some new stuff to go with it! I would give it three stars.

"Darklight" by Lesley Livingston

24 Jan, 2010 by in review, YA ficiton Leave a comment

published by HarperTeen
Released December 22nd 2009

Hardcover, 312 pages
4 stars

Summary from Goodreads “Much has changed since autumn, when Kelley Winslow learned she was Faerie royalty, fell in love with changeling guard Sonny Flannery, and saved New York City from a rampaging Faerie war band. When a terrifying encounter in Central Park sends Kelley tumbling into the Otherworld, her reunion with Sonny is joyful—but cut short. For they’ve been plunged into a game of Faerie deception and wavering allegiances in which the next move could topple a kingdom…or part them forever.

The fans who flocked to Lesley Livingston’s Wondrous Strange will fall hard for Darklight, the soaringly romantic second book in the trilogy. Breathless high stakes and vividly magical characters make this a can’t-miss fantasy for readers of Melissa Marr and Holly Black.”

Summary from Harper Teen “

Since the dawn of time, the Faerie have taken. . . .

For seventeen-year-old actress Kelley Winslow, faeries are just something from childhood stories. Then she meets Sonny Flannery, whose steel-gray eyes mask an equally steely determination to protect her.

Sonny guards the Samhain Gate, which connects the mortal realm with the Faerie’s enchanted, dangerous Otherworld. Usually kept shut by order of icy King Auberon, the Gate stands open but once a year.

This year, as the time approaches when the Samhain Gate will swing wide and nightmarish Fae will fight their way into an unsuspecting human world, something different is happening . . . something wondrous and strange. And Kelley’s eyes are opening not just to the Faerie that surround her but to the heritage that awaits her.

Now Kelley must navigate deadly Faerie treachery—and her growing feelings for Sonny—in this dazzling page-turner filled with luminous romance.

Wondrous Strange is a richly layered tale of love between faerie and mortal, betrayal between kings and queens, and magic . . . between author and reader.”

I just put this book down after tearing through it in 24 hours. What amazing ride. I loved Wondrous Strange, the prequel, but I must say Darklight blew me away.

Kelley is plagued by dark dreams as she is separated from her new found warrior love, Sonny. She begins to see in night visions, his dark side and the power of destruction and loyalty which lies within his heart. Meanwhile, Sonny, a Janus warrior for the fairy King, is stuck fighting alone for his life in the fairy realm.

As Kelly is left in the mortal world, she seeks the comfort and protection of Sonny’s friends left behind. Danger lurks for them and her in Central Park as they step knee deep into a danger. The story uncovers Kelly’s deep rooted royal power., royal secrets from four fairy realms, hidden pasts and plots for murder. Darklight will have you on the edge of your seat with all of the plot twists and rich imagery. It is a tale woven with all you could ever imagine. Leprechauns, fairies, sirens, wolves and mortals become wrapped up in a battle that puts both human and fae worlds at risk.

Visit Lesley Livingston’s website here: http://www.lesleylivingston.com/home.html

Wondrous Strange By Lesley Livingston

21 Jan, 2010 by in review, Wondrous Strange 2 comments


published May 7th 2010 by HarperCollins Canada

details Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages

isbn 1554682746

17 year-old Kelley Winslow doesn’t believe in Faeries. Not unless they’re the kind that you find in a theatre, spouting Shakespeare—the kind that Kelley so desperately wishes she could be: onstage, under lights, with a pair of sparkly wings strapped to her shoulders. But as the understudy in a two-bit, hopelessly off-off-Broadway production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, wishing is probably the closest she’s going to get to becoming a Faerie Queen. At least, that’s what she thinks… In this fun, urban fantasy, Kelley’s off-stage life suddenly becomes as complicated as one of Shakespeare’s plot twists when a nighttime trip to Central Park holds more than meets the mortal eye.

You probably have figured out by now that I really love books about fairies. What drew me into this debut novel by Lesley Livingston was the combination of Shakespeare, folklore, history, changelings,and spicy personalities. The rich artistic descriptions of the siren, “Lucky” the kelpie, the Hunt and faerie queen Titania paint a landscape of mythical magic inside New York’s Central Park. Sonny is tender with Kelley and the ending chapters speak from his point of view. Reading the saga unfolding made me wish i could visit Avalon, the Green and New York to peak for a portal myself. I am excited to read the sequel! 3.5 out of 5 stars!