Shanda

Dec 062012
 

19 days until Christmas

 

Tristi Pinkston is the author of fourteen books, the mother of four adorable children, the wife of one handsome man, and the taker of very, very long naps. She works full-time from home as a freelance editor, and she is a popular presenter at writers conferences up and down the Wasatch Front. She sits on the board of directors for iWriteNetwork and is the managing editor for Gospel Ideals. You can learn more about her at www.tristipinkston.com.

Visit Tristi:  WEBSITE | BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTERGOODREADS

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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?

TRISTI: I do my tree a little bit differently every year, and so the topper coordinates with that theme. I love shopping the 75% off sales after Christmas and picking up one or two new ornaments. This year I went with red and white, so my white star is on top of my tree. I also have a white angel, a burgundy angel, a green star, and a snowman topper. Was this too long of an answer? You know I can’t give short answers. It’s impossible.

LDSWBR: What is your favorite Christmas movie? Why is it your favorite?

TRISTI: I have a couple of favorites. First is White Christmas, because come on, who doesn’t love White Christmas? We watch it every year, whether my kids want to or not. Then Elf, of course, because it’s awesome. Mr. Krueger’s Christmas, because it makes me cry, and I love Liken the Scriptures’ The First Christmas. Each of those touch me in different ways, whether it’s with humor or nostalgia or the spirit of the season.

LDSWBR: What Christmas gift have you been most excited to give?

TRISTI: A few years back, we were given a $100 gift card, and I honestly couldn’t think of a single thing we needed to spend it on. A friend’s husband had just been laid off, so we decided to play Secret Santa. That was seriously fun, thinking about things they might enjoy. I’ve been on the receiving end many times and it was wonderful to be the giver.

LDSWBR: Oh, wow. What a great way to teach your family about giving. Thank you, Tristi!

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Purchase Turning Pages

AMAZON | KINDLE

When the arrogant Blake Hansen steals Addie Preston’s promotion at the library, he pretty much rubs her nose in it. But Addie, who dreams of being a full-fledged librarian, decides to stick it out. She loves surrounding herself with books and keeping her father’s memory alive in the building where they spent so much time together.

Soon, Addie learns that her beloved library will be torn down to make room for a larger facility, and she has to make a choice. Fight, or let go?

To complicate things, she finds herself attracted to Blake, who is engaged to someone else. Will Blake and Addie ever resolve their differences?

 Have you ever received an anonymous gift during hard times? How do you teach your family about selfless giving?

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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 6, 2012 – more to be added to this list!)

  • 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)

Previous Countdown to Christmas 2012 posts:

 

Dec 062012
 

LDSWBR Holiday Gift Guide Part 1

In this epsiode, Shanda, Sheila and Mindy share their recommendations for books as gifts in the non-fiction, romance, and mystery-suspense categories. There are so many books that would make great gifts that it is impossible to list them all, but we hope you will be able to find some good ideas for the loved ones in your life. Enjoy! (Note: Apologies for the sound quality. This is what happens when you update Audacity and forget to double check to make sure it’s set to use your nice microphones rather than the built-in microphone on your Macbook Pro.)

Music: Seeing The Future (Dexter Britain) / CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

[podcast]http://www.ldswomensbookreview.com/shows/2012-12-6/ldswbr_season6episode6_12-06-2012.mp3[/podcast]

 

Dec 052012
 

20 days until Christmas

 

Gregg Luke was born in Bakersfield, California but spent the majority of his youth in Santa Barbara, California. He served an LDS mission in Wisconsin, then pursued his education in Biologic Sciences SBCC, UCSB, and BYU. He completed his schooling at the University of Utah, College of Pharmacy.

In addition to his pharmacy practice, Gregg is an avid reader and writer. He has published in Skin Diver Magazine, the Oceanographic Letter, Destiny Magazine, Pharmacy Times, and the New Era. His fictional novels include The Survivors, Do No Harm, Altered State, Blink of an Eye, Bloodborne, and Deadly Undertakings, five of which were Whitney Award finalists. Visit him at www.greggluke.com.

Visit Gregg:  WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | 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?

GREGG: We top our tree with an angel. I don’t know why we’ve always done so. I guess we’ve never found a star we really liked.

LDSWBR: What is your favorite Christmas movie? Why is it your favorite?

GREGG: I have two favorite Christmas movies: Seasons of the Heart and Christmas Vacation. The first because it expresses the true meaning of Christmas so well, and the second because it expresses the silliness that people get themselves into over the season.

LDSWBR: What Christmas gift have you been most excited to give?

GREGG: My favorite Christmas gift was being able to give my dad a book he’d been looking for for a long time. This was before the Internet and Amazon, so it was quite a challenge, but I was able to do it. I’ll never forget the look on his face. Priceless.

LDSWBR: What a great gift and memory. Thank you, Gregg!

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Purchase Deadly Undertakings

AMAZON | KINDLE | NOOK | DESERET BOOK | SEAGULL BOOK

 Being an assistant to the state midical examiner in Salt Lake City might sound like a dead-end job, but Rebekah Smith loves the mystery and challenge of determining the cause of death in the bodies delivered to their morgue. Tutored by her friend and boss, Dr. Sandeep Mahesh, she gains understanding not only for her job but also for how to mask her own troubled past.

While analyzing the corpse of a 100 year old woman, Rebekah discovers some disturbing elements: not only was the deceased woman a healthy centenarain, but she was also embalmed before anyone discovered she’d passed away. When two identical cases surface, Rebekah enlists the help of her boyfriend, special investigations officer, Josh Logan. Together they uncover shocking truths about the bizarre deaths, which eventually lead them to the nightmarish revelation they weren’t prepared for. Yet, unknowingly, the more they reveal, the closer they come to being the killer’s next guinea pigs.

 Do you have a silly “Christmas Vacation” memory in your family? What is your favorite scene in Christmas Vacation?

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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 5, 2012 – more to be added to this list!)

  • 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)

Previous Countdown to Christmas 2012 posts:

 

Dec 042012
 

21 days until Christmas

 

Chantele Sedgwick grew up playing the harp and singing. Little did anyone know, she always had stories floating around in her head. After she had her second child, she finally realized she should probably write them down. Pursuing publication was something she only dreamed about, but now her dream is coming true.

The discovery of first love, first kisses, and the many emotions teens go through, pushed Chantele to find her niche in writing teen fiction. Some of her stories share a few of her own experiences, but most of them are just fantasies she wished happened to her as a teen. She’s a sucker for a great love story and always enjoys a happy ending. She tends to have a thing for the “bad boys” in books, unless they’re total jerks. Then she’ll root for the good guy.

When she’s not writing, Chantele can be found spending time with her husband and four beautiful kids, or driving her sisters crazy with random story ideas.

Visit Chantele: WEBSITE | BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | 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?

CHANTELE: We top our tree with a star. It doesn’t have any meaning, we bought it when we were newlyweds because it was cheap… Ha ha. It still works though and the kids like it. :)

LDSWBR: What is your favorite Christmas movie? Why is it your favorite?

CHANTELE: I LOVE Elf. It’s so hilarious and such a feel good movie for the whole family. And I love to laugh, so it works. :)

LDSWBR: What Christmas gift have you been most excited to give?

CHANTELE: I gave my hubby the Harry Potter audiobooks one year. He wanted them because he hates to read, so I surprised him with the whole set. He loved them and has listened to them twice now! :) I know, not that cool, but I was excited!

LDSWBR: No, that’s pretty cool. Thank you, Chantele!

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Purchase Not Your Average Fairy Tale

AMAZON | KINDLE | BARNES & NOBLE | NOOK

 Ash Summerland has it all-good looks, popularity, and the best grades at The Academy of Magical Beings. Ready to complete his last assignment in order to graduate, Ash is confident he will get the apprenticeship he wants. but when he opens the letter from the Council, he is shocked to discover he has been assigned to apprentice Lady Shenelle, Keeper of Happy Endings- aka the head fairy godmother. Ash is forced to grant three wishes to a troubled human girl named Kendall, and ultimately give her a “happy ever after.” But Kendall turns out to be more than he bargained for. Still grieving over her father’s death, she doesn’t want anything to do with Ash. And worst of all, she doesn’t believe in happy endings.

 Do you like listening to audiobooks? Do you have a favorite that you could listen to again and again?

* * * * *

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 4, 2012 – more to be added to this list!)

  • Tres Leches Cupcakes by Josi S. Kilpack (signed paperback copy)
  • Not Your Average Fairy Tale by Chantele Sedgwick (paperback or ebook)

Previous Countdown to Christmas 2012 posts:

 

Dec 042012
 

For What It’s Worth

Author: Karey White

Publisher: Bonneville Books/Cedar Fort

Published Date: December 2012

Paperback; 240 pages

Genre: Contemporary Romance

ISBN# 978-1-4621-1066-7

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review

***NOTE: The For What It’s Worth launch party is tomorrow night, Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at The King’s English at 6 PM. Go HERE for more details. ***

Summary

Twenty-four year-old, Abby Benson has dreams of owning her own wedding cake shop. An inheritance from her aunt gives her the ability to make those dreams come true. She hires Dane, a handsome contractor, to help her get the bakery up and running and soon they’re moving toward their own happy ending.

Unsure what to charge for her cakes, Abby has a crazy idea to let the customers decide what they think their cake is worth. This plan has its ups and downs, but the novelty of the idea makes her a local celebrity. When she is interviewed on television about the unusual idea, business booms and Abby has cake adventures she never dreamed possible. But as her fame grows, Abby is swept up in a whirlwind that threatens everything she values. With the challenges that face her, will she be able to determine what is worth the most?

Review

For What It’s Worth was an enjoyable read about Abby, who opened a wedding cake bakery with a generous inheritance from her Aunt Grace. I really liked Abby. In fact, I liked all of the characters, though it took a while for me to feel like I knew Dane very well. During the last half of the book is when I felt Dane developed into a great character and became one of my favorites.

One of the best parts of For What It’s Worth, at least for me, was watching Abby as she experienced the unexpected success of her bakery and came face to face with evaluating what was most important in her life. She learned a lot about herself and the need for balance and priorities. Maybe it’s because I’m impatient, but once Abby realized what she needed to do and did it, I was wishing she would have been the one to make an important first move and sooner.

The recipes at the beginning of each chapter all looked delicious, and there were a few clever ones in there as well. I’m excited to try some of them, especially the homemade corn tortilla recipe. Oh, and the BLAT Sandwiches, too. The dessert recipes sound amazing. I don’t even know where to begin choosing what I would make first.

For What It’s Worth is a sweet, clean LDS romance that will be enjoyed by many readers. And don’t be surprised if you start craving cake.

About the Author

Karey White grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist.

She loves to travel, read, bake treats, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four great children. She teaches summer creative writing courses to young people and is currently working on her next book. Find out more about Karey at http://kareywhite.com.

Visit Karey: BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

Find For What It’s Worth:

GOODREADS | THE KING’S ENGLISH | AMAZON | DESERET BOOK

 

Dec 032012
 

22 days until Christmas

 

Josi began her first novel in 1998 and hasn’t stopped. Her novel, Sheep’s Clothing won the Whitney Award 2007 for Mystery/Suspense. Lemon Tart, the first book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series was a Whitney Finalist for 2009. Book nine in the series, Baked Alaska, will be released in February 2013. Josi is the mother of four and currently lives in Willard Utah with her husband and family.

Visit Josi: WEBSITE | BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | 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?

JOSI: Star. A cheap one I bought at Target. But it’s silver–cause I prefer silver–and I prefer the star simply because that was the first sign of the Savior’s birth.

LDSWBR: What is your favorite Christmas movie? Why is it your favorite?

JOSI: “It’s a Wonderful Life” not only is it my favorite Christmas movie, it’s the only black and white movie I like. I feel it’s such a great reflection of the impact each of us have in the lives of others, and a reminder that really, really, hard stuff happens to us, and it’s family that gets us through it.

LDSWBR: What Christmas gift have you been most excited to give?

JOSI: Last year my husband and I were able to give our daughter a new Saxophone for Christmas. She’d been playing it for years, first with a rental and then a cheap one we bought that was 20+ years old. It was the last Christmas where she’d be living at home with us, and she was planning to join the U of U marching band so giving her a brand new, bright and shiny Saxophone was a really fun gift that reflected her years of hard work, and the new beginning she was soon going to embark upon. It was expensive and really pushed us, and yet the stunned look on her face and sincere thanks afterward made it all worthwhile. Last month we got to go to a U of U game and see her play it amid the band; a great moment.

LDSWBR: What a great way to give the gift of music. Thank you, Josi!

* * * * *

Purchase Tres Leches Cupcakes

AMAZON | KINDLE | BARNES & NOBLE | NOOK | DESERET BOOK | SEAGULL BOOK 

Sadie Hoffmiller has relocated from Colorado to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and is starting a new job as an informant for the Bureau of Land Management on an archeological site. The sun and dirt blocks her initial excitement about the job, but she makes the best of it, using her baking prowess to help her gather background information on her fellow dirt geeks. Being in the middle of nowhere and digging up artifacts from hundreds of years ago is supposed to keep Sadie out of trouble until recent burials are found on the ancient site. Before Sadie knows it, she’s arrested for starting a bar fight, a new friend is missing, and she’s worn out her welcome in Santa Fe in more ways than one. But when a trip to the annual hot air balloon fiesta in Albuquerque leads to even more danger, she begins to wonder if she’ll ever be safe . . . from herself.

 Are there any black-and-white movies that you love? Are any of them Christmas movies?

* * * * *

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 3, 2012 – more to be added to this list!)

  • Tres Leches Cupcakes by Josi S. Kilpack (signed paperback copy)

Previous Countdown to Christmas 2012 posts:

  • No previous posts – Josi is our first featured author!