14 days until Christmas
Margot Hovley was raised in rural Washington State, where she worked as a girl pig-herder and champion produce box-maker. She now lives and plays in Utah with her big family. When she’s not storytelling, she’s hanging out with family, teaching music to the somewhat-willing, and fooling with techy gadgets. She loves hiking, traveling, and concocting adventures.
Visit Margot: AUTHOR BLOG | SELF-RELIANCE BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | GOODREADS
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LDSWBR: Do you top your Christmas tree with a star, angel, or something else? Does it have special meaning to you?
MARGOT: I have a large star on the top of my tree that means a lot to me. We bought it while traveling in Denmark–where my husband served his mission and where a book project of mine is set. I love Denmark! I wish we could have real candles on our tree like they do. Well, I sorta wish that. I don’t want to burn my house down, lol.
LDSWBR: What is your favorite Christmas movie? Why is it your favorite?
MARGOT: It’s hard to choose a favorite Christmas movie, but I’ll go with How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I love so many things about this movie. It’s narrated by Boris Karloff, the famous movie Frankenstein. His voice is amazing! I glued myself to the TV as a kid when it would be played each year. Isn’t it fantastic how an author, Dr. Seuss, wrote such a memorable story that his made up word (Grinch) has become part of our language? I ended up marrying a guy with a super low voice (he sings super-bass in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir) and you oughta hear him sing “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.”
LDSWBR: What Christmas gift have you been most excited to give?
MARGOT: My #6 child was born near Christmas and I was definitely excited to present her to the family as a Christmas gift of sorts. The hospital even put her in a stocking. Cutest gift ever.
LDSWBR: It would be a blast to hear your husband sing that song. Thanks, Margot!
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Purchase Sudden Darkness:
AMAZON | KINDLE | DESERET BOOK | SEAGULL BOOK
The news has been filled with stories of tragedy and turmoil. But world events like the recent bombings in London seem far removed from eighteen-yearold Amélie Hatch’s quiet life in Zillah, Washington. She’s content with the predictable pattern of her life school, friends, work. But when Amélie’s father leaves on a mysterious Church assignment, concerns escalate as the family is left with few answers. Then, in the span of moments, Amélie’s world erupts in chaos. Terrorists have attacked the US power grid. There is no electricity. Vehicles have ceased working. The nuclear facility at nearby Hanford is compromised, and radiation may be flooding the area. Without the guidance of their father, Amélie’s family faces a monumental task at the request of the leaders of the Church: members of their stake have been asked to walk to Utah, where they will find safety in Zion. Fleeing her home and the life she knows, Amélie sets off on the arduous journey toward the refuge of Utah. There is danger around every corner as the group faces gunfire, kidnapping, and new terrorist threats. And as she finds herself drawn to two very different young men, Amélie recognizes a more personal peril she’s in danger of losing her heart.
Seuss foodie poll: Green eggs and ham or roast beast and Who pudding?
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To enter the LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas 2012, leave a thoughtful comment below.
Be sure to comment on each Countdown to Christmas 2012 post for more chances to win. Please click through to the website as only comments submitted directly on this post will be accepted.
Prizes include a $50 Amazon gift card and the author-donated books listed below. This is raffle-style drawing where all entries throughout the contest period are entered into the same “hat” for all prizes. US only. 18 years and older please. See all contest rules and restrictions below.
If you don’t already follow LDSWBR through email, Facebook or Twitter (those cute little book buttons on the sidebar) you may want to consider doing so during the contest so you don’t miss any posts or chances to enter the drawing. Following LDSWBR is not required but it is nice to know that our book reviews are useful to other readers. 
If one of our LDSWBR reviews has ever helped you find a book you enjoyed, perhaps you would consider helping us spread the word about the LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas 2012. A link posted to your friends and family either in email or on your favorite social network would be so greatly appreciated. Thanks!
By leaving a comment and entering the Countdown to Christmas 2012, you agree to the contest rules below:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY; entrants must be 18 years or older; open to residents of continental US only; giveaway begins December 3, 2012 and all entries must be received by 12:00 Midnight December 23, 2012 Mountain Time; to enter, complete the required entry on each post and any additional entries of your choice if listed; LDS Women’s Book Review reserves the right to determine what is considered a thoughtful comment as per each posts required entry; giveaway prizes include a $50 Amazon gift card and a variety of book prizes donated by featured authors; the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning; LDS Women’s Book Review is not liable for technical problems which may affect entry into the giveaway; winner identity will be verified by email address; winner will be selected December 27, 2012 by use of a sequence generator on random.org; winner will have until January 3, 2013 to claim their prize; if any prize winner forfeits or does not claim prize, prize will be re-awarded to next winner in sequence; all prizes will be awarded; limit of two prizes per entrant; this contest/giveaway is not associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other entity unless otherwise specified; by entering the giveaway you give LDS Women’s Book Review the right to publicize your name on the LDS Women’s Book Review blog; winner agrees to release LDS Women’s Book Review from any liability as a result of winning; email comments & questions to LDS Women’s Book Review – ldswbr (at) gmail (dot) com; giveaway subject to Utah regulations; VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Book Prizes (as of December 11, 2012)(more to be added- at least 20 books have been donated!)
- Tres Leches Cupcakes by Josi S. Kilpack (signed paperback copy)
- Not Your Average Fairy Tale by Chantele Sedgwick (paperback or ebook)
- Deadly Undertakings by Gregg Luke (personalized paperback)
- Turning Pages by Tristi Pinkston (personalized paperback)
- Athena by Heather B. Moore (autographed paperback)
- The Kindling by Braden Bell (paperback, signed if desired)
- Sudden Darkness by Margot Hovley (personalized paperback)
Previous Countdown to Christmas 2012 posts:
- 22 days until Christmas: Tres Leches Cupcakes by Josi S. Kilpack
- 21 days until Christmas: Not Your Average Fairy Tale by Chantele Sedgwick
- 20 days until Christmas: Deadly Undertakings by Gregg Luke
- 19 days until Christmas: Turning Pages by Tristi Pinkston
- 18 days until Christmas: Athena by Heather B. Moore
- 17 days until Christmas: The Kindling by Braden Bell
- 16 days until Christmas: Sunday – no post
- 15 days until Christmas: An Unlikely Match by Sarah M. Eden
22 Responses to “Sudden Darkness by Margot Hovley – Countdown to Christmas 2012”
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I loved this one! It made me think and change my mind about some serious issues. It’s a fast read and the characters are engaging. Cute romance too!
Who pudding for sure! It’s amazing what Dr. Seuss has contributed to the world of children’s literature.
Green eggs and ham! Sounds like an interesting premise!
I’d take the Roast Beast!
I am a total carnivore. How about roast beast AND green eggs and ham.
I’m allergic to beef, so I’ll take Green Eggs and Ham!!
Lovely interview. Awesome book!! As a note, I couldn’t get the Amazon or the Kindle purchase buttons to work (I didn’t try the others). I’m super excited to read this new LDS novel!!
Thanks, Kathleen. Hm, the Amazon & Kindle links worked for me. If anyone else has trouble, let me know in the comments and I’ll see if I can figure out what the problem is.
I’m not really much of a Dr. Seuss fan, because of all the made up words. I think kids have a hard enough time learning how to read. I even had a hard time pronouncing the words, when I read the books to them.
If I was going to pick one, I’d choose the roast and pudding.
Roast Beast! No way I’m eating green meat. Yuck
I’ve heard good things about this book!
Green eggs and ham. That’s sounds really good right now! I haven’t read Margot’s book…yet!
I love Boris’ voice too! The Grinch or maybe Charlie Brown is probably the best short Christmas movie. I’d love to win Margot’s book.
I’d never heard of this book, but it sounds like my kind of thing. Thanks for the recommendation!
I love eggs and ham, but I’m not sure I could actually eat them if they were green. Eeeewwww.
I was going to say green eggs and ham, but when someone mentioned green ham I was a bit thrown (totally only thought of the eggs as being green). So . . . yeah, don’t know.
This books sounds really interesting.
Green eggs and ham for me. I have never heard of this book and love that you have it featured here. The countdowns always help me to find new books.
Never heard of Who Pudding, so I would have to go with Green Eggs and Ham
The thing about dystopian novels is that someday, it really is going to come…it’s interesting to see what different possibilities of how it comes are.
I know what is in green eggs and ham, so I think that would be my choice.
And I didn’t even know there was a category of “super bass.” :)
Definitely roast beast and who pudding. (I just can’t get past the “green eggs” part!)
Green eggs and ham … omelette style :) !!
If I really had to choose green eggs and ham. I could eat that!
I would have to say Roast Beast and Who Pudding. Green eggs and ham do not sound appetizing at all!
It would be great to hear Margot’s hubby sing “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch”!! :o)
Um, neither. Haven’t you seen the awesome Seuss party munchies on Pinterest? I’m voting for those! =)