Shanda’s Reviews – Page 24 – LDS Women's Book Review

Meg’s Melody by Kaylee Baldwin – Blog Tour

Posted by Shanda Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews, Special Features

Jan 102011

Welcome!

I am so excited to be the one to kick off the blog tour for Meg’s Melody! Kaylee sweetly agreed to take part in our Countdown to Christmas 2010 last year and it was great learning a little more about her. You can read her interview here.

Kaylee is also giving away a copy of Meg’s Melody to a lucky commenter at the conclusion of her blog tour, so be sure to comment on each of the posts during the tour. Trust me when I say Meg’s Melody is worth the effort to win!

About Kaylee

Kaylee Baldwin grew up in Mesa, Arizona, and graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in English literature.

She currently lives in southern Arizona with her husband, Jeremy, and their three children. When she is not writing, Kaylee enjoys reading, starting new craft projects, and spending time with her family.

For more about Kaylee visit her website/blog.

About Meg’s Melody

From the back cover:

She paced the small confines of her bathroom as she waited the obligatory two minutes for the result. Yet, part of her sensed the truth. Not only did Austin take her self-esteem and plans for happiness, but he also took her get-out-of-this-marriage-free card.

The plus sign glared at Meg from the white plastic frame of the pregnancy test. The test fell from her hands and clattered into the bathtub as Meg’s back slid against the wall until she reached the floor.

“I’m pregnant,” she said into the quiet.

Meg never imagined she’d end up like this. With nowhere else to turn, she’s forced to rely on the family she pushed away, the church she abandoned, and an unexpected friendship to help her find her forgotten melody. Meanwhile Matt is still mourning the loss of his wife. But determined to keep things together for his daughter’s sake, he decides starting over in a new place might be just what his family needs.

This touching story combines romance with redemption and real conflict to remind you it’s never too late to find joy. Kaylee Baldwin’s capable hand renders a sincere, heartfelt story of rediscovery and hope. Perfect for romantics of all ages, this book will captivate your heart and rekindle your belief in the magic of music.

My Review

This might be Kaylee’s first novel, but it doesn’t read like it. She has put a lot of effort into studying her craft, and it shows. I like the cover; the softer colors and expectant mother are appropriate for the story, and the music notes and flourishes are a really nice touch.

I can only imagine what an expectant single mother must struggle with, as I’ve never been one myself, but I feel like Kaylee did a good job capturing what that situation might be like for someone in Meg’s situation. While she had very supportive family around her, they weren’t perfect. They were a pushy with sneaking in “dates” without Meg’s permission, which was one thing that kept me from liking Meg’s sister, Missy, very much.

One thing I really appreciate is how well Kaylee wrote Lilia, Matt’s four-year-old daughter. I have read many books with children that made me cringe because they were either too… well, just too much- or simply not believable in voice or behavior. I loved Lilia, and feel like there was a great balance of her presence in the book as well as an appropriate level for how a 4-5 year old girl would speak and behave.

There is a bit of a love triangle, or square if you count Austin, though the reader can guess pretty quickly who Meg will most likely end up with. The question is if they can get through the extra baggage they’re carrying to be together and if it is just too soon for both of them. I found the second love interest to be a bit over the top at times, but there are guys like that out there, so it wasn’t unbelievable. I didn’t like Austin. But I wasn’t supposed to like him. One thing I didn’t understand was how easy it was for certain characters to dismiss the fact that Meg was having a baby and everything that meant.

Meg experiences some spiritual progress as she returns to church after her husband leaves her, though I didn’t find the book preachy at all.

The romance is clean with a few toe-curling scenes that were very well done. I really liked the love interest, and while things might not have gone exactly how I hoped, I found the ending quite satisfying.

Meg’s Melody is available for purchase from Deseret Book and Amazon.

My rating: 4/5 stars

Would I-

read it again? Yes

recommend it? Yes, especially to LDS women who enjoy romance

read more by the author? Definitely. I’m looking forward to it!

Heads Up

Language: none

Violence: none

Drug/alcohol use: none

Inappropriate sexual situations: none

Don’t forget to comment on each day’s blog tour post to be entered into the drawing for a copy of Meg’s Melody! Here’s the schedule:

January 10th
Shanda at LDSWBR

January 11th
Tristi Pinkston

January 12th
Jolene Perry

January 13th
Shaunna Gonzales

January 15th
Taffy Lowell

January 17th
Heather at Fire and Ice

January 18th
Marsha Ward

January 19th
Alison Palmer

January 20th
I am a Reader Not a Writer

January 21st
Rebecca Talley

Shanda’s Top Ten Reads of 2010

Posted by Shanda Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews

Dec 282010

When I suggested to the other ladies of LDSWBR that we use our last posts of the year to list our Top Ten Reads of 2010 it sounded like a lot of fun.

Then it came time for me to choose my top ten. Considering I have read 67 books so far in 2010 (hope to make that 70 by Friday), I don’t think I quite realized what I was getting myself into. I’ve read so many great books this year that it was incredibly difficult to choose. Here are my Top Ten Reads for 2010, in no particular order:

Devil’s Food Cake and Key Lime Pie by Josi Kilpack

Okay, technically two books, but they are part of a series, so whatever. What can I say? I absolutely love this series. And the recipes- oh, yum! I’m pretty sure that 2 or 3 of the extra pounds I’m carrying around are from several batches of Sadie’s Better Brownies (see Lemon Tart) but they are the best brownies I have ever eaten. Make a batch and see if you can eat just one. Betcha can’t. :)

Catholic Roots, Mormon Harvest by Eric Shuster

I don’t read a lot of nonfiction, but this book had a significant impact on me. The information is well presented, viewpoints well expressed, and my testimony and knowledge of the gospel were both increased. Eric’s next book with coauthor Charles Sale, The Biblical Roots of Mormonism, is high on my to-read list for 2011. If it is anything like his first book, my perspective and testimony will be forever changed.

I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells

Horror is another genre I don’t read often, but if there were more books in the genre like this, I would be reading horror a lot more. IANASK was so different than I expected and just… wow. After finishing it, so many things kept swirling around in my head. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. For hours. And hours. I hope to get the sequel, Mr. Monster, read before the end of the year.

Murder by the Book by Betsy Brannon Green

I’ve been a fan of Betsy and her Haggerty series for years now (since Mark & Kate’s kiss at the barbecue- sigh…) Betsy’s latest series doesn’t take place in Haggerty, but there are several familiar characters that make an occasional appearance. There is something about Kennedy I like- probably her spunk. She does her best to please her mother and the Southern traditions of hospitality and obligation, yet she isn’t afraid to rebel a little, too. I’m in the middle of reading the second book in the series, Murder by Design, which I believe has the best first two lines in any mystery-suspense I’ve ever read-

“The day started out bad and went downhill from there. By the time we discovered the body, I wasn’t even surprised.”

Now that’s a bad day I’ve just got to read about.

Women of the Book of Mormon: Insights & Inspirations by Heather B. Moore

This was another nonfiction book that gave me a significant change in perspective. It allowed me a glimpse of the women in the history of the scriptures that I never had before. I am able to relate more to these women, and they now feel more like my sisters than I ever would have imagined. The artwork is simply beautiful. My favorite is on page 74 and depicts a mother and her two stripling warrior sons. Women of the Book of Mormon is Heather’s first nonfiction book, and comes highly recommended by me to all LDS women.

My Ridiculous, Romantic Obsessions by Becca Wilhite

I love a good romance, though the genre is often plagued by cheesy cliches. I was thrilled to read My Ridiculous, Romantic Obsessions– a good romance with significantly less cheese and cliche than one might find in a typical romance. I really do love this book. I wonder if I have time to read it again before the end of the year…

Blink of an Eye by Gregg Luke

First of all, Gregg is one great guy. He’s smart, courteous, and a talented author. Every book he writes gets better and better. In Blink of an Eye, Gregg took a story about a man experiencing flashbacks because of a brain injury and turned it into a suspenseful page-turner, with laugh-out-loud humor sprinkled throughout. If a guy in your life thinks there isn’t any good LDS fiction out there for men, send him Gregg Luke’s way. He won’t be disappointed. And then you can read it when he’s done. :)

The Rhea Jensen Series by Sheralyn Pratt

I’ve only read the first two books in this series (the fourth was just released in the past month or so.) I absolutely loved them. I bought the first book before reading it after meeting Sheralyn at a book signing. I can’t wait to get the rest of the series. I love a main character with spunk and that is exactly what Rhea has, as well as a collection of cool PI tools and some awesome fighting skills. When that guy followed her into the… well, I wouldn’t want to give anything away. You’ll just have to read it for yourself.

The Road Show by Braden Bell

The Road Show is a shorter book (do they call them novellas?) that honestly surprised me a little. I wasn’t expecting the characters to grab me so quickly, or to be so relatable. I enjoyed the story, the way everything came together, and how the message of the road show affected each character and ultimately me. A good story that I don’t mind recommending to everyone.

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

I don’t read much YA, but after reading the first six chapters online as part of a promotional event, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Paranormalcy. I find myself avoiding a lot of the seemingly “trendy” paranormal young adult fiction that permeates the market these days because they all kind of sound like each other. Paranormalcy, however, is different. There are werewolves and vampires, but not like you would think. There are mermaids and zombies and hags. There are paranormals that I’ve never heard of. And then there’s Tasey, all pink and bling-y, surprising companion to Evie, the main character with- you guessed it- spunk. I loved that Kiersten White was able to tell this fun, teenage-romance story in such an engaging way without cheap or gratuitous content. Nicely done!

If you’d like to see what else I read in 2010, visit me on Goodreads. As far as next year, I’ve decided to challenge myself to read 150 books. That’s more than double the number of books I read this year, or 2.88 books a week. If I can get three books a week read while walking on the treadmill I can accomplish two goals at once, lol.

I can’t wait to see what books 2011 will bring!

Sunday Spotlight: Finding God in the Garden by Brent & Wendy Top

Posted by Shanda Shanda's Reviews

Oct 242010

Title: Finding God in the Garden – Planting, Pruning, and the Plan of Happiness

Authors: Brent & Wendy Top

Publisher: Deseret Book (May 2010)

Softcover; 125 pages

Genre: Religious Non-Fiction

ISBN# 978-1-60641-230-5

For most areas of the country, the fall harvest is drawing to a close and we are enjoying the bounty of fruits and vegetables that are available.

I am not a gardener by any means. As soon as spring even hints that it’s coming, my good gardening intentions come alive and I’m planning, planning, planning. Every year, though, nothing much comes of it. I’m just too intimidated by all that I don’t know.

Even though I am pretty ignorant about gardening, it was easy to understanding the comparisons in Finding God in the Garden.

The beautiful photos were first to grab my attention, most of which were taken in the authors’ own gardens. Colorful flowers in full bloom, fall leaves in orange and red, winter snow on berries and delicious-looking vegetables decorate nearly every page.

The contents of Finding God in the Garden are broken down into sections:

Spring-Cleaning
The Warmth of the Sun
The Eternal Process of Creation
“After It’s Kind”
Light and Life
Bloom Where You Are Planted
Weed Whacking
Don’t Spray Roundup on Your Tomatoes
Infinite in Variety, Unified in Purpose
A Wise and Loving Gardener
New Growth
Too Much of a Good Thing
Perennials
Patience and Impatiens
The Abundant Harvest
The Tree of Life
The Best-Laid Plants
The Promise of Spring

Two of my favorite sections were “A Wise and Loving Gardener” and “Patience and Impatiens.” A quote from the latter follows:

“One of the best ways that we can cultivate patience is to more keenly observe and appreciate progress and direction rather than obsess about how far away we are from our eternal destination.” – page 91

Though the gardening season is coming to a close and the rest of winter is just around the corner, there is still much to be appreciated in Finding God in the Garden. After all, Christmas is coming and this book would make an excellent gift.

And spring will be here again before we know it.

Rating: 3.5 stars/5

The content was nice, beautiful photos, quick read in one day or bit by bit in sections.

FTC FYI: received a review copy that did not affect my review.

Imprints by Rachel Ann Nunes – LDSWBR Combined Review!

Posted by Shanda Hillary's Reviews, Mindy's Reviews, Shanda's Reviews, Sheila's Reviews

Jul 202010

We thought it might be fun to try the occasional combined book review where all four of us review the same book at the same time. That way you can read how we all felt about a book. This first combined review is a bit of an experiment, so we would love to get some feedback. What worked? What didn’t? Love it? Hate it? Be honest and polite. Thanks!

Title: Imprints

Author: Rachel Ann Nunes

Publisher: Shadow Mountain (April 2010)

Softcover: 337 pages

Genre: Mystery-Suspense (with a touch of paranormal)

ISBN#: 978-1-60641-243-5

The Author

Rachel Ann Nunes is the author of 30 published novels. Her most recent releases include The Independence Club (Deseret Book; Feb 2007), Flying Home (Shadow Mountain; Sept 2007), Fields of Home (Shadow Mountain; Feb 2008), Eyes of a Stranger (Shadow Mountain; Aug 2008) and Saving Madeline (Shadow Mountain; Sept 2009). The Independence Club and Fields of Home were both Whitney Award finalists. Rachel is also the author of the Ariana series and an award-winner picture book, Daughter of a King.

Visit Rachel’s website where you can find more information on what she’s working on and a list of her published novels, as well as her on her blog: Rachel’s Ramblings.

Some Extra Fun

If you’re looking for something to listen to while you read all of our reviews, start Episode 38 of the LDSWBR Podcast for our interview with Rachel Ann Nunes and G.G. Vandagriff.

Shanda’s Review

During our podcast interview with Rachel, she told us that she was working on a book with a slightly paranormal element about a woman who could see imprints on objects connected to strong emotion. Needless to say, I was excited to get my hands on Imprints and see what Rachel had done with such a fascinating idea.

The cover of Imprints perfectly captures the elements of the story and certainly grabs attention. I wouldn’t hesitate to pick the book up in a bookstore and flip through it. It’s a little thing, but I love the font style used for the title and chapter headings.

Rachel’s writing, however, is what makes this book a keeper. The way Rachel describes Autumn’s and Jake’s stores makes me want to stop in and shop, but it is the characters that make me love the story. She tells Autumn’s story in a comfortable style, drawing the reader in at the beginning and then maintaining interest until things really start to move once Autumn arrives at Harmony Farm. There is plenty of suspense, a few unexpected twists, and more action than I expected. I was happy to discover that Autumn is more than capable of defending herself.

“I jabbed out with my feet, catching him in the chest by surprise. He grunted as he fell. Leaping from the bush, I started to run, but the world spun around me. I forced myself to take a step. I was too slow. A hand closed over my ankle, and for the first time in my life I wished I were wearing heels. Sharp spiky heels that I could use as a weapon.” (page 214)

Autumn, with her quirky personality and bare feet, is memorable and likeable. To me, though, Rachel’s skill in developing her characters is most apparent in Jake, Autumn’s friend, and Tawnia, her twin sister. Jake and Tawnia are genuine, authentic people who obviously care very much about Autumn. And then there is the gorgeous Ethan, who’s interest in Autumn creates a nice amount of romantic tension. Rachel handles the paranormal aspect nicely, and I hope to someday read more about Autumn and her ability.

Rating: 4.5 stars/5

Would I-

read it again? Definitely

recommend it? Yes, to anyone

read more by Rachel? Absolutely

FTC FYI: I received a free review copy that did not affect my review.

Sheila’s Review

Rachel Nunes has been known for a long time as a great storyteller. Her last few books have been her most outstanding work. With the books Saving Madeline and Imprints, she has taken her writing to a whole new level of writing. Rachel has taken hard subjects of drug abuse kidnapping and murder and has boldly written wonderful stories with memorable characters.

In Imprints, she takes many of my favorite genres and blends them together; an intense romantic love triangle, an exciting and heart thumping mystery and the twist of the para-normal gift of the main character, Autumn. I really liked Autumn and her traits of being so honest and loyal to those she loves. She was a very likable character and so was one of her romantic interests, Jake.

One of the things I like most about Rachel’s writing is that she knows so well how to use the technique of “showing not telling.” Rachel knows how to make a story come to life by having the character experience things by using all five senses. Here is a great example of this…

“My euphoria dimmed sometime later as even my tough soles began to feel the pressure of the stabbing twigs and the occasional rock or rotting splinter of wood. Surely I had been walking much longer than necessary to get back to the outhouse path. At this rate I’d end up in the fields or the pastures. There seemed to be only slivers of moonlight seeping through the branches above, as though I had gone deeper into the forest instead of retracing my steps. Swallowing hard, I forced myself to stop and face the fact that I had no idea where I was.”

I laughed a lot at Autumn saying that she was directionally challenged. I have the same problem!

I truly enjoyed reading Imprints. I enjoyed it so much, I lost track of time until I finished the book and saw that it was 5:00 in the morning. If you have read other books written by Rachel Nunes, this is one book that you will want to make sure and read. I will read it again to catch what I missed the first time. In fact, I would like to read another story with Autumn as the main character. With her gift of being able to read imprints, there are many stories still waiting to be told.

I am happy that Rachel is writing the sequel to Imprints.

FTC FYI: I received a free review copy from the author.

Hillary’s Review

Hello friends!

My turn for my thoughts on Imprints–

Rachel Nunes totally shook things up with this newest release of hers. Imprints is such a different concept for a book. It delves slightly into the supernatural, but not so much that I felt like I was reading a sci-fi/fantasy book.

The premise is really interesting with Autumn Rain having this unusual ability to see things, imprints, of an object. Word spreads around town that she can do this, which leads people with missing loved ones to her.

I loved that Autumn is definitely not your typical heroine. She loveably falls into the reluctant category, and manages in her own way to solve the troubles at hand. She has a fabulous relationship with Jake, her brother-like co-store owner, and she has the intelligence and gumption to make her well-rounded and interesting.

The only thing I didn’t particularly enjoy as much, was the romance portion. My fellow reviewers may disagree, but I just didn’t feel it. It was clear that Autumn herself was unsure of how she felt about Jake. Though realistic, I just wished for a bit more.

The story itself was well-written, exciting and thrilling all at the same time. It started moderately, then picked up until you were at the end trying to catch your breath!

Overall, good exciting book, and I would give it 3 1/2 stars!

FTC FYI: library

Mindy’s Review

Autumn Rain has a special gift. Although, sometimes, she thinks of it as a curse. She can read imprints. Through her touch she can feel impressions, feelings, thoughts, of the people who have touched something. Jewelry, flashlights, books, almost anything. Clothes are the hardest to read. Right at the start, a couple come in to Autumn’s antique shop needing her help to find their missing daughter. Autumn has helped with cases in the past, but there are many who are suspicious of her ability.

Autumn lives a very Bohemian lifestyle. She was raised by hippies, doesn’t wear shoes, and only eats organic, non-processed foods. Very healthy. At first, I felt I was being lectured about eating more healthy (maybe that’s because I know I should) but I got used to the character and I ended up enjoying her different way of living.

Autumn has had many tragedies on her life. She lost her adopted mother and father in two different ways. She is also reunited with her twin sister, but that isn’t the basis of the story. I really like how the author doesn’t use flashbacks to tell past situations, they are just thoughts and memories for Autumn. The imprints are used as a “flashback” tool as well. Autumn loves her best friend Jake, who thinks of her just as friend (or does he?) but a stranger comes along who needs her help, and there is an attraction to him. He is seeking his lost sister, and together they hatch a plan to help her along with the couple’s missing daughter.

This is one of my favorite quotes from the book:

“We hadn’t know each other that long, however handsome he was, and I’d never seen his apartment. I didn’t know if he had friends, or if he liked the outdoors. I didn’t even know how he felt about preservatives or microwaves.”

I really enjoyed this book. The story was very easy to follow, and it had a nice flow to it. What I enjoy most about a good mystery is adventure, a little humor mixed in, and also some romance. Imprints had all that. I would definitely read this again, and am looking forward to reading more from this author. 4 stars from me.

FTC FYI: Borrowed Shanda’s review copy.

Heart of Stone by Jill Marie Landis

Posted by Shanda Shanda's Reviews

Jul 192010

Title: Heart of Stone
Author: Jill Marie Landis
Publisher: Zondervan (March 2010)
Softcover; 320 pages
Genre: Historical Romance
ISBN# 978-0-310-29369-9

The Author

Jill Marie Landis is a New York Times Best Seller author of more than twenty novels and a recipient of The Golden Heart as well a RITA Award. Heart of Stone is the first book by Jill that I have read, and I’ll start my review by saying I plan to read two more of her novels set in Glory, TX: Homecoming and The Accidental Lawman.

The Review

Heart of Stone is the first volume in the Irish Angel series. I like the cover and the title is appropriate to the main character, Laura Foster, and the way she has learned to cope with her past experiences. Laura is not necessarily hard-hearted, though she is definitely careful and reserved in her relationships.

At 320 pages (which includes a sample of the second book, Heart of Lies) there is plenty to the story. The only time I felt like skimming was near the end and that was just because I was anxious for a certain something to happen and wanted to get to that part, not because the story was dragging.

I have a love/hate relationship with the romance genre. It takes a certain amount of skill to create romantic tension without rushing things, yet keep the readers attention while drawing developing the story into a novel-length tale. Because Jill writes with an experienced, balanced style, the pace of her storytelling made it more believable and realistic, which is sometimes hard to find in a romance book.

Heart of Stone takes place in fictional Glory, Texas, in the year 1874. Jill’s characters help make the little town of Glory come to life. The point of view, in third person, switches between Laura Foster and Reverend Brand McCormick, the love interest. The switches were clear and I never wondered who’s head I was in.

The main character, Laura, aka “Lovie Lamont” was a strong woman who did what she had to do to escape from the horrible life she was forced into at only eleven years old. She was determined and had a perspective on life that could only come from having seen the worst of it. Laura established a new life for herself in Glory, where everyone accepted her as the distinguished widow, Mrs. Foster. No one knew about her past and her secret seemed safe until a previous acquaintance arrived, threatening to ruin everything Laura had worked to build. She had no expectations toward marriage, but Laura had friends and a successful boarding house that she would surely lose if anyone discovered who she really was.

Reverend Brand McCormick was my favorite. A widower with two precocious young children, he was the perfectly imperfect hero. Strong but gentle, confident yet humble, he had a true concern for all around him, not just for those in his flock. After his wife’s death, Brand’s children were pretty wild, despite the help of Brand’s sister, Charity. It seemed that Laura had a way of bringing out the best in the kids, though, and she played an important role when Brand’s own past caught up with him.

The characters in Heart of Stone were realistic, imperfect people who had made mistakes but were doing their best. The secondary characters like Jesse Langley, Sam & Janie (Brand’s children), Hank & Amelia Larson (The Accidental Lawman), and several neighbors helped make Heart of Stone an enjoyably believable story.

My Favorite Part

After a life-changing event, Brand pulls Laura close and holds her for comfort. It’s a simple embrace but oh-so-nice.

A Quote

“The ribbons of her hat trailed from her hand as she walked with him to the front steps. She may have been through the worse life had to offer, but she’d never been a coward. She drew herself up and refused to let Brand walk away thinking they had any kind of future together.”

Heads Up

There’s no swearing that I can remember and very little violence. As far as sexual content, it’s pretty obvious what Laura’s life entailed prior to her escape to Glory, but it doesn’t go into detail. Also, Brand was a bit wild in his youth before becoming a reverend. The romance is nice but never goes beyond kissing, and even that is free of gratuitous detail. This is a book about finding forgiveness, but it never gets preachy.

Rating: 4 stars/5

Would I-

read it again? yes

recommend it? yes, especially to those who love historical romance, though even readers who usually don’t care for historical romance might enjoy it

read more books by this author? I’m looking forward to reading several more

FTC FYI: I received a free review copy that did not affect my review.

Below is an essay written by Jill Marie Landis about the beginnings of her Irish Angel series:

Stitching a Series Together

“I love this part of a quilt – when all of the fabric selections, pattern decisions, cutting, making of blocks, laying out of the top, the borders, all of it, starts to come together as you begin to sew the blocks into a TOP. For me, it’s one of the best parts…..seeing everything that you’ve thought about, and worked on, coming together…” -Natalie Barnes, Beyond the Reef

So began a recent email from a dear friend and quilt designer, Natalie Barnes. Over twenty years ago, Nat inspired me to begin quilting again and I like to think I inspired her to start a fledgling quilt pattern company, Beyond the Reef, which has grown by leaps and bounds ever since.

As I read her email, I noticed that her thoughts on how a quilt comes together are not unlike the experience of writing a novel. A writer’s initial ideas about characters—deciding who will people the pages of a book and finding just the right setting for them—is much like choosing the pattern and fabrics for a quilt.

In the case of historical novels, choosing the right the time period is like deciding on a quilt’s background fabric. Background fabric, borders, and the individual pieces for the patchwork blocks each play an integral part.

So it is with writing. Designing, cutting and fitting patchwork pieces together is like weaving a plot by fitting together scenes and chapters. In writing, the real magic takes place after the rough draft is finished and inspiration continues during the editing process. Somehow the story comes together the way a quilt does during the final stitching and binding until, at long last, it’s finally whole.

Just as a quilter will often pause to rummage through her stash of fabric hunting for just the right piece to compliment her quilt, so too does a writer search through her reference library until just the right snippet of information catches her eye.

While I was working on HEART OF STONE, my 2Xth novel, (Zondervan, March, 2010) that special, inspirational piece of information came in the form of two words: Irish Channel.

HEART OF STONE is the first book of the Irish Angels series. It’s about a fallen woman named Laura Foster and is set in the fictional town of Glory, Texas, in 1874. The historical romance follows Laura through her trials and tribulations as she seeks redemption from a life of shame and finds love along the way.

Though primarily set in Texas, I opened the book in New Orleans in 1853 to give the readers a glimpse into Laura’s childhood. Before I started hunting for the perfect details to texture the setting, I had preconceived notions of the characteristics of New Orleans that most people share. I pictured the French Quarter with its brick buildings and balconies sporting decorative iron grille work. I saw secret gardens behind stucco walls, could almost smell the café ‘a lait, taste the Creole cooking, picture duels under the oaks at dawn.

I planned for Laura to have been orphaned when both her parents died. She was from an impoverished family living with their aunt and uncle in a run down house somewhere in New Orleans. While searching for an exact location, I came across the history of the Irish Channel neighborhood where emigrants escaping the famine settled near the docks. Most were so poor they had no money to go any farther. Many sought work at the wharf.

Before that time I was completely unaware that New Orleans had, from it’s very beginning, a large Irish population. In fact, in the mid-1800’s, there were more people of Irish ancestry than any other group, even French, in the city. I later learned that Irish brigades fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War and that a wealthy Irishman donated the land for City Park where those duels under the oaks were fought.

From mostly rural backgrounds, impoverished Irish newcomers farmed themselves out as day laborers hired to dig canals around the city. It was work many slave owners refused to risk having their valuable “property” engage in. Too poor to escape the city when yellow fever hit in 1835, thousands of Irish died.

History and research provided the plot element that orphaned Laura Foster. When I added three sisters to her back story, HEART OF STONE suddenly became more than a tale of a fallen woman starting over in Texas. It was about a former Irish orphan from Louisiana searching for her long lost sisters.

I pictured where the girls had lived and the conditions they survived. Each of my Irish Angels would grow up to become determined, independent women who triumph over their very different upbringings and each definitely deserved a book of her own.

For me, that one small detail, the name of a neighborhood called the Irish Channel, stood out like a vibrant swatch of patchwork that repeats itself in a quilt. It was an unexpected find that echoes through four stories about four resilient women, the thread that ties the series together.

Jill Marie Landis is not only a quilter, but in her “spare time” she dances the hula, plays ukulele, raises orchids and tropical flowers in her Hawaiian garden and loves to read through research at the beach.

Torn Apart by Diony George

Posted by Shanda Shanda's Reviews

Jul 122010

Title: Torn Apart
Author: Diony George
Publisher: Bonneville Books
Published Date: Feb 2009
ISBN#: 978-1599552446
Genre: General Fiction
Paperback; 256 pages

Torn Apart is based on a true story. The author’s story, in fact. Knowing this made reading Torn Apart something of an unusual experience for me.

First, it made me respect the author for being willing to put her story out there for everyone to read. I’m positive that was not an easy thing to do.

Second, it’s one thing to read a person’s own words telling their story in a nonfiction format like an autobiography, another thing entirely to read a fictionalized version. I found myself wondering how much of the detail in Alyson’s story was actual experience and what was added to the story. In the end, though, it doesn’t really matter as much as the fact that what both Alyson and the author experienced was heartbreaking.

Alyson is young and impressionable when she meets her husband. Warning signs were present, but nobody recognized them or knew what they meant until it was too late. With four boys keeping her busy, Alyson doesn’t put together what is going on until the truth is undeniably staring her in the face. Once she does, though, her world is shattered. Each new discovery of what was happening during her marriage gets worse and worse.

Despite everything that happened to her, Alyson retained a certain strength that helped her through her trials. A timely online connection could lead her to happiness again, if she can trust him with her heart.

At the end of the book, the author includes a list of warning signs that could potentially point to pornography addiction. Torn Apart is just one story out of thousands that could be told about the families who have been hurt by addiction to pornography.

My rating:

Overall: 3.5 stars/5

For the author’s efforts to help make others aware of the devastating consequences of pornography addiction, I give 5 stars. While the first half of the book had me interested and turning pages, the storytelling in the last half didn’t really pull me in as much. When Alyson and the new love interest were exchanging emails, the pace of the story dropped significantly and I skimmed several pages until the flow picked up again.

Would I:

read it again? Possibly

recommend it? Yes

read more by the author? Yes

FTC FYI: I received a review copy of Torn Apart that did not affect my review in any way.

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