LDSWBR Episode 41 and Dangerous Connections by Julie Coulter Bellon

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Apr 112010
 

LDSWBR Podcast Episode 41 with author Julie Coulter Bellon is now available for download! Search for LDS Women’s Book Review in iTunes to subscribe, or you can listen directly through the LDS Women’s Book Review Podcast website. We had such a fun time with Julie.


She’s been so patient and if I knew where to get some catsup (ketchup??) chips I’d probably buy Julie a whole case! (Podcast joke – listen to Episode 41 and laugh with us about it – you know you want to!) Don’t forget to stick around for the blooper reel.

In honor of the release of our podcast with Julie, I am reviewing her latest book, Dangerous Connections, which was released in March. So go start the podcast and then come back here and read my review while you listen ;).

Title: Dangerous Connections

Author: Julie Coulter Bellon
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Published Date: March 2010
ISBN#: 978-1-59811-919-0
Paperback; 206 pages
Dangerous Connections is a spin-off of Julie’s last book, All’s Fair, and it continues Tyler’s story. In a nutshell, Tyler and Isabella must figure out how to stop a terrorist plot while facing double agents and avoiding capture.

As soon as Tyler arrives at his hotel in Paris, things seem a little off. His father is nowhere to be found, but has left a note telling Tyler to return home to the United States immediately. Worried, Tyler opens a message intended for his father, finding only a name and phone number. Tyler decides to wait in Paris until he can figure out what is going on with his father.

When Tyler discovers he is being followed during a visit to the Musee d’Orsay, he uses his military training to incapacitate the man trailing him. Taking a chance, Tyler decides to call the number in the message left for his father, hoping to gather information. Instead he finds an attractive French agent, her wounded brother, and their mission to uncover both a terrorist plot and the al-Qaeda mole (or moles) within the French DGSE organization. Little does Tyler realize how his search for his father will connect him to their mission.

Tyler and Isabella are pursued by both the terrorists and the DGSE. Unsure who they can trust, they come so close to preventing disaster only to find themselves in the worst possible situation: captured by terrorists, surrounded by explosives, and helpless to stop the poisoning of several thousand U.S. troops.

Dangerous Connections is full of suspense and intrigue. Having spent time in France, Julie’s knowledge of the locale is apparent throughout the book. Julie’s respect for those who sacrifice to serve our country shows in the way she wrote Tyler. It’s easy to see that Julie enjoys writing international intrigue.

What worked for me: I enjoy the characters and plots Julie creates. All’s Fair and Dangerous Connections are just the right length for a quick, suspense-filled read. The ending was very intense, and I wondered how things could possibly work out.

Julie’s heroines are always strong and capable women, which I appreciate. I loved it every time Isabella kicked a little hiney. I liked Tyler and his refusal to leave Isabella to face the terrorists alone. While the focus is on the suspense, there are some tender scenes (and a couple of nice kisses, too).

Tyler comes across The Book of Mormon a couple of times, and while neither Tyler nor Isabella are members, the discussion is centered around finding peace and isn’t preachy at all.

What didn’t work for me: I like the characters Julie writes, but I find myself wanting to know more about them. I understand that there isn’t as much “time” to delve into a character in a suspense novel compared to, say, historical fiction, but if there was one thing I would suggest to Julie, it would be finding a way to let her readers really get to know and connect personally with the characters a bit more.

For example, I would have liked to have learned more about Tyler’s father, Craig Winthrop. I wanted to be as concerned about him as Tyler seemed to be, but there wasn’t much said about him, so I couldn’t relate with Craig enough to care as much as I would have expected considering he was in danger.

On the other hand Isabella’s concern for her brother, Marcus, was easier to connect with since he was more often on Isabella’s mind, specifically giving insights into the kind of man and brother Marcus was to her. We got to know the character’s character, so to speak. Getting to know Craig better through Tyler would have balanced the story out nicely.

Overall, I think Julie did a great job. I enjoyed Dangerous Connections and look forward to reading Julie’s next novel.
A little about the author: Julie Coulter Bellon is a sweet and humble woman, mother of seven, basketball coach, teacher of journalism for BYU Continuing Education, blogger on Six LDS Writers and a Frog, and lover of catsup (ketchup?- someone please help me out here) chips :).
Julie will be teaching at the LDStoryMakers Conference. Click here to view the class schedule and to sign up for the Conference. Hurry, only a few days left to sign up!

Visit Julie’s website at juliebellon.com. Follow Julie on Twitter: @juliebellon. Dangerous Connections is available for purchase from Deseret Book, Seagull Book and Amazon.


My rating: 4 stars (I liked it!)

Would I-
  • read it again? Yes
  • recommend it? Yes
  • read more books by Julie? That’s the plan!
FTC FYI: I received a free review copy which did not affect my review.

ReadtheScriptures.com – Resource Review

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Apr 052010
 

This past weekend was a wonderful spiritual recharge for me. I love General Conference anyway, but there’s something special about the experience when General Conference falls on Easter weekend. There are always several Conference talks focusing on becoming closer to our Savior during every General Conference, and when those talks are given on Easter Sunday, it seems as if the words mean just a bit more and penetrate just a little further into my heart.

This year, though, those words spoken by our beloved Prophet and Apostles carried inspired and much needed messages of comfort and peace for me and some people very close to me. On Friday, someone very special to me learned that she and her husband had lost their baby at 13 weeks, mere days after announcing their pregnancy. Having seen her baby alive and active through ultrasound just two weeks before, the news was unexpected and heartbreaking.

The words spoken and Scripture verses shared during Conference offered so much hope, peace and comfort to this special someone and her husband, as well as myself. The reassurances and knowledge offered in the Scriptures are immeasurable and priceless. Thus, I’ve decided to skip my normal book review today in order to tell you about a resource that has been useful to me in my efforts to make reading my scriptures a daily habit.
I first learned about ReadtheScriptures.com a few years ago through my neighbor who was serving as Relief Society President for our ward at the time. She spoke of how much it helped her to accomplish her goal of reading the Book of Mormon in response to President Gordon B. Hinckley’s challenge.

I’ve been a subscriber of ReadtheScriptures.com for over a year now. The features offered on this website are too numerous to mention here, but I will highlight a few that I have explored.

First, there are several reading schedules offered that can be tailored to fit either time goals or daily chapter goals. The reading selection include the individual books of Scripture or Complete Standard Works; some Church magazines; Seminary materials; Sunday School, Relief Society and Priesthood materials; Preach My Gospel and a variety of Scripture Stories.

Once reading material has been selected and a schedule set, a reminder containing the day or week’s reading selection will be sent to the reader’s inbox. The reader can then select whether to read the material within the email or click on a link that will allow them to read online. Once the reader has finished reading, a click of the “Completed” button either within the email or at the end of the online chapter lets ReadtheScriptures.com know to send the next chapter. If the reader misses the day’s reading, a reminder is sent at three days, seven days and two weeks past. This keeps reminders from filling up the reader’s inbox.

For example, I have selected to receive a chapter from The Book of Mormon on a daily basis. I choose to read the chapter online because I can then select the icon next to the number of the verse I’m reading and enter any thoughts or questions I have about that verse for future reference. By selecting the “Notes” option on the menu at the top I can then review the notes I have written in general by book of Scripture or specifically by book and chapter. This is my favorite feature and it has proven very useful.

Second, there is also a journal feature that can be set to send daily or weekly reminders. For those who struggle to remember to journal and would benefit from seeing a reminder in their inbox, this is a good option. Photos can be added, and entries can also be exported to Word.

For those who find the support of groups helpful in their reading goals, ReadtheScriptures.com also offers a “Team” option. This could be a good way for families to help each other with reading goals. There is an email feature to make it easier to keep in touch, as well.

Some things I have missed are the chapter headings and footnotes within chapters of The Book of Mormon. However, if I find I have questions or want to see what footnotes are offered, I open a new browser tab with lds.org and search for the chapter I need.

Overall, I’ve found ReadtheScriptures.com to be useful and beneficial. I still prefer to hold my Scriptures in my hand and turn the pages, but as a busy mom of four, ReadtheScriptures.com has definitely helped me get closer to my Scripture reading goals.
FTC FYI: I am not affiliated with ReadtheScriptures.com in any way, nor have I received any benefit from them for doing this review.

Blog Tour & Contest: The Sharp Edge of a Knife by D.N. Giles

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews, Special Features
Mar 222010
 


I was more than happy to join in when Nichole Giles asked me to participate in her blog tour for The Sharp Edge of a Knife. As part of the fun, Nichole is holding a contest to go along with her blog tour. The contest details follow my review, so make sure you page all the way down. Here we go!

Sharp Edge - front cover - mediumTitle: The Sharp Edge of a Knife

Author: D.N. Giles

Published Date: 2010

Published by: Golden Wings Enterprises

ISBN#: 978-0-9794340-2-0






The Sharp Edge of a Knife is based on the real life experience of Nichole’s grandfather, told using the point-of-view of both Mel (her grandfather) and Jeneal (her grandmother). I’m glad Nichole told the story using both Mel and Jeneal; it worked quite well for me. Not only do we get to experience what is happening to Mel, we also learn what Jeneal is feeling and wondering during everything.

The Sharp Edge of a Knife isn’t a long book (142 pages), but it didn’t feel at all like a short story, either. The suspense lasted throughout the book, making the quick read a memorable one. Nichole’s writing is effective & the story is engaging, with just the right amount of detail, and reflects the time period as well (1950s). It was easy to picture the events in my mind as they occurred.

It was fascinating to see and read copies of actual newspaper clippings about the event at the end of the book. I concluded my reading with a great amount of respect for Mel and understand why he was and is so loved by his large and growing family. I highly recommend this book to all readers.

Well done, Nichole!



FTC FYI: The copy of this book I reviewed was provided by the author; this has no affect on my review.



Here is the contest info from Nichole:


The Sharp Edge of a Knife Blog Tour and Giveaway!

To celebrate the release of The Sharp Edge of a Knife, I’ve put together an exciting giveaway, with several opportunities to win. Since the book deals a lot with making choices, the prizes all have something to do with choice.

watchesbylisaAmong prizes I’ve been collecting, Lisa at Watches by Lisa has agreed to sponsor the giveaway by donating a custom made beaded watch and face. Head on over to her blog and take a look at the incredible selection.

So, choice number one:  the winner gets to choose a watch band and face so that their watch is personalized to their tastes and fashion needs.

Yes, I realize that a beaded watch is not exactly a prize to be coveted by a bunch of masculine men (though it makes a great gift for the woman or girl in your life), which is why I’m also giving away more great stuff. Check out the following really cool prizes:

1. Choice between: An autographed copy of the New York Times number one bestselling novel, Wings by Aprilynne Pike—or—a non-autographed copy of The Darwin Awards, Intelligent Design by Wendy Northcutt—or—a numbered, autographed copy of Recovering Charles by Jason F. Wright. Click here to learn more about Wings, here to read about The Darwin Awards, and here to find out about Recovering Charles.

2. Choice between: A $25 gift certificate to the Restaurant Morelia in Murray, UT (Sorry out-of-state peeps, this is local to Utah.) or $25 worth of vinyl lettering by Whaddayawannasay Vinyl Lettering—you choose your quote or phrase.

Bonus prize for author types

3. You may substitute any of the above selections with the following incredible opportunity: The chance to sit in on a critique session with my wonderful, amazing, incredible critique group. While there, you will be treated to not one, but six critiques on the first chapter of your work in progress. This is no ordinary group. We have in our midst some fabulous authors including Tristi Pinkston, acquisitions editor for Valor publishing and author of the Secret Sisters series, Danyelle Ferguson, freelance editor and author of (dis)Abilities and the Gospel—who will edit via internet, since she actually lives in Kansas—Heather Justesen, author of The Ball’s In Her Court and the upcoming release, Rebound, Kimberly Job, author of I’ll Know You By Heart, andKeith Fisher, up and coming author of women’s fiction and plotting genius, and Nichole Giles, also known as D.N. Giles.

**If you are not local to Utah, but would still like this option, we will still critique your chapter online.

**If enough people enter this contest, I reserve the right to choose extra winners and give away some, or all, of the prizes left after the top three winners have made their choices.

Entries will be accepted between March 15th and April 3rd. On April 5th Nichole will announce the contest winners on her blog. Entry requirements:

1. You must be a follower of my blog.

2. You must leave a comment telling me which prize you want to win and why.

3. For those wishing to win the watch, you must go to Watches by Lisa and become a follower, then come back and tell me which watch combination is your favorite.

Extra entries:

1. Blog about this contest, then come back and leave either a url address or a link in a comment.

2. Twitter this contest, tell me where to see your tweet in a comment.

3. Follow me on Twitter.

4. Follow Nichole on Twitter.

5. Facebook the contest. If your Facebook page is private, and I’m not your friend, I can’t see that you’ve done this, so you’ll need to friend me.

6. Become a fan of The Sharp Edge of a Knife on Facebook.

You may enter this contest here, as well as on any of the tour posts at the following blogs:

March 15th Cindy Beck, Review

March 16th David J. West, review, interview

March 17th Cindy Beck, Interview

March 18th Tristi Pinkston, review

March  19th Rachelle Christensen, review

March 22nd Shanda, LDS Women’s Book Review

March 23rd Kimberly Job, review

March 23rd Keith Fisher, Interview

March 24th Heather Justesen, review

March 25th Christine Bryant, Review

March 25th Connie Hall, Interview

March 26th Kimberly Job, interview

March 26th Heather Justesen, interview

March 27th Keith Fisher, review

March 28th Ali Cross, Review

March 29th Rachelle Christensen, Interview

March 30th Heather Gardener, Fire and Ice Book Reviews

March 31st Danyelle Ferguson review, interview

Love Your Body by Brooke Parker, R.D. – Book Review

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews, Special Features
Mar 042010
 

Title- Love Your Body: A Diet-Free Approach to Balanced Eating
Author- Brooke Parker, R.D.
Published Date– 2009
Published By– Walnut Springs Press
ISBN#- 978- 1-935217-37-4
If the message of this book could be summarized in one word, it would be awareness.

Awareness is empowering, and so are the lessons and messages found in Love Your Body. Brooke takes a deeper look at why women struggle so much with loving themselves and their bodies. She uses her experiences with counseling young women about their body image to help her readers understand how Satan is using sneaky tactics to trick them into worrying about and focusing on how the world views their body.

Using quotes from apostles and prophets as well as the Scriptures, Brooke encourages women to see themselves as Heavenly Father sees them.

The opening line in “Section 3: Your Body is a Gift,” brought about a big A-HA moment for me: “One of Satan’s most powerful methods for taking the influences of the Holy Ghost away from a woman is to create self-hate.” Brooke goes on to say, “He puts his foot in the door by convincing us that we need to become physically perfect according to the world’s standards.”

Most women know what it means to be “physically perfect according to the world’s standards.” But have we ever really thought about what it means to be as close to physically “perfect” on the earth as we can be according to Heavenly Father’s standards? Nobody knows our weaknesses better than our Father in Heaven, and I believe He gives us a lot of credit for doing our best. If doing our best pleases our Heavenly Father, shouldn’t it please us as well?

Brooke gives some good tips as far as dealing with food, reminding her readers throughout that “deprivation doesn’t work.” I think her strength, though, is in how she teaches women to talk to themselves. We would never allow someone else to talk to a spouse, sibling, child or other loved one the way a lot of us talk to ourselves.

In Chapter 12, there are a few body image tests I decided to take and actually wrote my answers in the book (I usually don’t do more than underline a thought here and there). The answers were very telling: I learned that I don’t really care what others think about how I look, but I’m actually very hard on myself and have unreachable (at this point) expectations. Going forward, I can set attainable goals instead of setting myself up for failure, and I can celebrate my smaller accomplishments more often which will encourage me to continue making better choices for myself.

I will be reading sections of Love Your Body with my preteen daughter who has recently started showing signs of concern about her body image.

When I ask my daughters if they think they are beautiful, my 8-year-old answers “Yes!” quickly and with confidence. My 12-year-old answers “Yes,” as well, though not nearly as quickly and with the tiniest amount of doubt in her voice. If I can help them avoid feeling about and talking to themselves they way I have to myself over the years, this book will be worth it’s weight in rubies.

I recommend Love Your Body as a good starting point for everyone, and encourage girls & women of almost any age to read it. Please seek further help if you find yourself unable to stop certain behaviors or need help dealing with any kind of eating disorder.

Heavenly Father knows we are beautiful, and He loves us so much! Let’s resolve to free ourselves from Satan’s grasp and learn to accept, love and see ourselves as our Father in Heaven does.
The publisher of Love Your Body is doing a blog tour giveaway. For more information, keep reading!

From Walnut Springs Press:


We will be giving away 5 copies of Love Your Body: A Diet-Free Approach to Balanced Eating as part of the online book tour. The contest starts February 17th and will close on March 5th at midnight, MST.

Entering the contest is easy–all you have to do is blog, tweet, follow, or comment and then fill out this little form here.

So exactly how do you blog, tweet, follow, etc. Here’s how.

1. Become a follower of our reviewers blogs. You can follow one of our reviewers or you can follow all of them. Remember that each blog you follow gives you another chance to win, so
why wouldn’t you choose to follow them all? But what if we are already following a them ask? Well lucky you because you get an entry for that too.


Walnut Springs Press
Brooke Parker RD
Of Writerly Things
Random-ish by Nichole
Queen of the Clan
Rachelle Writes
The Write Blocks Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen
Tangled Words and Dreams
*Tristi Pinkston, LDS Author
Why Not? Because I Said So!
LDS Women’s Book Review
 Cami’s Book

2. Post a comment on the reviews. .

3. Blog about the contest or one of the reviews. Spread the word. Just remember that the blog post either needs to link to the contest or to one of the reviews.

4. Follow us on twitter. Maybe you use twitter, maybe you don’t. But if you do, you should follow us.

http://twitter.com/walnutspringspr
 http://twitter.com/brookeparkerrd
http://twitter.com/camichecketts
http://twitter.com/valerieipson
http://twitter.com/Rachellewrites
http://twitter.com/LDSWBR
http://twitter.com/nicholegiles
http://twitter.com/TaDaFerguson

5. Tweet about the contest or one (or all) of the reviews. Yep, 144 characters or less is all it takes to enter.

6. Become a fan of Love Your Body on facebook. Brooke is constantly updating her fanpage with articles, recipes, and helpful hints.

7. Post about the contest on Facebook.

8. Anything else you can think of that will spread the word. If you mention it on goodreads, shelfari, google buzz, or any other social media site, or make it your status on gmail chat, MSN or yahoo messenger let us know. We want to reward your creativity with an entry.

Also, here is the blog tour schedule, so you can find the reviews on the correct days.

February 22
Of Writerly Things Valerie Ipson

February 23
Random-ish by Nichole Nichole Giles

February 24
Queen of the Clan Danyelle Ferguson

February 25
Rachelle Writes Rachelle Christensen

March 1
The Write Blocks Ronda Hinrichsen

March 2
Tangled Words and Dreams Alison Palmer

March 3
*Tristi Pinkston, LDS Author Tristi Pinkston


March 4
Why Not? Because I Said So! Sheila Staley
LDS Women’s Book Review Shanda Cottam

March 5
Cami’s Book Cami Checketts

Abish: Daughter of God by K.C. Grant – Book Review

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Feb 222010
 

Title- Abish: Daughter of God

Author- K.C. Grant
Publisher- Covenant Communications
Published Date- January 2010
ISBN#- 978-1-59811-567-3
LDS Women’s Book Review was privileged to have K.C. (Kim) Grant, author of Abish: Daughter of God, join us this past weekend to record Episode 40 of the LDSWBR podcast. We had a wonderful discussion and the podcast will be available soon at www.ldswomensbookreview.com. In the meantime, I’d like to share a brief review of K.C. Grant’s first novel, Abish: Daughter of God.

Not much is known about Abish, one of only a few women mentioned by name in the Book of Mormon (see Alma 19). K.C. Grant has taken what is mentioned, coupled with months of research, and written a detailed story of what Abish’s life experiences may have entailed.

As I’ve read the Book of Mormon through the years, I have often wondered what every day life was like for the Nephites and Lamanites in the Promised Land, especially for the women and mothers. Reading Book of Mormon historical fiction like Abish offers a glimpse into what life was possibly like for them and I find those possibilities fascinating.

During the podcast, K.C. Grant shared with us how she first became interested in telling Abish’s story, her time spent studying in Mexico, the months she spent researching, as well as what she is working on for the future. We had a great time and want to thank K.C. (Kim) for joining us on the podcast.

Learn more about Abish: Daughter of God on K.C. Grant’s website: www.kcgrant.com as well as her blog: Writer’s Corner by KC Grant.


Watch for Episode 40, coming soon!

Devil’s Food Cake by Josi Kilpack – Book Review

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Feb 162010
 


Title: Devil’s Food Cake

Author: Josi Kilpack
Publisher: Deseret Book
Published Date: 2010
ISBN#: 978-1-60641-232-9
I first met Josi Kilpack in a hallway all dressed up in a dark blue gown and waiting for the very first Whitney Awards Gala to begin. Sheila, Hillary and I introduced ourselves as LDS Women’s Book Review and interviewed her for the first Whitney Award podcast.

Since then, Josi’s been hard at work writing her culinary mystery series that began with Lemon Tart, which is currently a 2009 Whitney Award finalist. English Trifle, the second book in the series, took us “across the pond” and gave us all a craving for crumpets and scones while trying to figure out whodunit. I thoroughly enjoyed both Lemon Tart and English Trifle, and though I anxiously awaited the release of Devil’s Food Cake I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Sadie.

I was not disappointed in the slightest.

Sadie has been back from England for several weeks and is struggling to stick to her diet after making several Devil’s Food cakes for the library fund-raiser. When the agent of a former-resident-turned-famous-author is murdered on stage during the fund-raiser, Sadie really does want to let the local authorities handle the situation. When she starts noticing details that the police are overlooking, Sadie tries to inform them but due to her previous meddling several members of the police department, including her date, Detective Pete Cunningham, are reluctant to listen and Sadie is told to leave.

Before Sadie has the chance to gather the remaining Devil’s Food cakes and leave for home, an encounter with a person-of-interest in the case leaves Sadie with questions that can only be answered with a little investigating of her own. Sadie soon finds herself, as well as her son, Shawn, on a road filled with risks that will lead them to answers but at a cost that Sadie finds she may not be able to live with.

Devil’s Food Cake is full of fresh material and new twists. We are introduced to Sadie’s adopted son, Shawn, an impressively-large, Polynesian young man who is more than willing to jump into the fray. Some additional new characters are introduced, including a certain someone I hope we will see again.


What worked for me: I love all three books in this series so far and each one is just as good as the others. I’ve rarely read a series where I’ve liked all the books equally. There are usually a few in the series that I don’t care for as much. Not so with Lemon Tart, English Trifle and Devil’s Food Cake. I love how Josi writes Sadie, and the story never fails to grab me from the start and keep me turning pages. You’ve done an amazing job, Josi. Best of luck at the Whitney Awards!

What didn’t work for me: Waiting for Key Lime Pie to be released, though I will wait, because there are only going to be so many books and I don’t want to rush the end of the series. (Heather, I am SO jealous! I’m seriously “key lime” green with envy!)


Rating: 5 out of 5
Would I read it again? Definitely!
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. To everyone.
Would I read more of Josi Kilpack’s books? That’s the plan!
FTC FYI: The copy of Devil’s Food Cake that I reviewed was a free review copy sent by the publisher and did not affect my review in any way.
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