Seers by Heather Frost – Countdown to Christmas 2011

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas, Special Features
Dec 042011
 

21 days until Christmas

 Don’t forget- you can comment on previous Countdown to Christmas 2011 posts for more entries into the big drawing!

Heather Frost was born in Sandy, Utah, and raised in a small Northern Utah town. She is the second oldest of ten children, and she loves her family very much. She graduated from Snow College with an associate of science, and she is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in English at Utah State University. Heather has always been an avid reader, and reading and writing are among her favorite things to do. She also enjoys playing the flute, listening to all types of music, and watching a wide variety of movies. Seers is her first published novel.

Connect with Heather: WEBSITE | Goodreads BLOG | Seers WEBSITE | Twitter | Facebook

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LDSWBR: What Christmas-related activity would you like to do this year that you have never done before?

HEATHER: I’d love to say something exciting, like skiing down a mountain. But regardless of the fact that I live in Utah—fabled home of the “best snow on earth”—the thought of skiing terrifies me. So I’m going to pick an activity that will keep me firmly on the ground: making a snow fort. Relatively safe, even if a fierce snowball battle breaks out.

LDSWBR: If you could find one book under the tree this year, what would it be?

HEATHER: I would be so excited to find Matched by Allie Condie. I’ve fallen behind the times, and I haven’t read it yet, but I’ve heard some great things.

LDSWBR: What is your favorite childhood Christmas memory?

HEATHER: One of my absolute favorite parts about Christmas are all the great stories. My parents started a wonderful tradition that they’ve kept up over the years; reading a couple of specific Christmas stories every night starting December first until Christmas Eve. I remember gathering in the family room with my siblings and listening to Dad read the exact same stories he’d read last year, in the exact same order. And even though we’d all memorized them long ago, there was something exciting about hearing them again. Especially when Dad would take liberties and alter the stories, which exasperated Mom to no end. Stories like “A Christmas Carol” and “The Gift of the Magi” became a hilarious comedies because of his exaggerated voices and impromptu lines he saw fit to add. Other timeless stories became blended together. A childhood favorite of mine was the reference to “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” in “Twas the Night Before Christmas”, which happened in these immortal lines, “Away to the window I flew like a flash,/tore open the shutters and threw up the Who Hash.” The only story he never took lightly was the story reserved for Christmas Eve—the story of Christ’s birth.

With colored tree lights glowing in the darkened room, and all the family gathered around to hear Dad read—to me, that’s the ultimate Christmas memory.

LDSWBR: What a wonderful memory. Thank you for sharing it with us. Have a very Merry Christmas, Heather!

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Buy Seers by Heather Frost

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

 

Read Mindy’s review of Seers.

Do you have a favorite holiday story, other than the Christmas story in Luke, that you enjoy reading every year?

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To enter the Countdown to Christmas 2011 contest, complete the following and then tell us what you did:

  • **Required entry (+1) – Leave a thoughtful comment on this post. (More than just “Great contest!” please.) You must leave a comment on this post for your other entries to count. If you are reading this post through email or an RSS reader, please click through to leave a comment.
  • Bonus entry (+1) – Tweet or post on Facebook the following: $50 Amazon gift card, 17 books & swag to give away. Have you entered the @LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas contest? www.ldswbr.com. Then comment below or send an email to ldswbr (at) gmail (dot) com telling us that you did. Obviously we’re using the honor system here, but we know we can trust you to be honest.
  • Additional entries (one time +1 entry each) – 1) Subscribe to LDSWBR through email 2)Follow @LDSWBR on Twitter 3) Like LDS Women’s Book Review on Facebook (all found at the the top of the right sidebar on the LDSWBR blog). NOTE: If you already subscribe through email, follow us on Twitter, or Like us on Facebook you must tell us in a comment for the extra entries to count.
  • By leaving a comment and entering the Countdown to Christmas 2011, you agree to the contest information found here.

 

***If you haven’t read the contest rules and info, read them here.***

 

Book prizes donated by their authors:

  • Not My Type by Melanie Jacobson (new addition to prize list!)
  • Cinder & Ella by Melissa Lemon (ebook)(new addition to prize list!)
  • Pride & Popularity by Jenni James (new addition to prize list!)
  • The Kissing Tree by Prudence Bice (new addition to prize list!)
  • Rearview Mirror by Stephanie Black (paperback or Kindle)
  • The Next Door Boys by Jolene B. Perry
  • Winner’s choice of one of the books in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series by Josi S. Kilpack (including Banana Split which will be released in February 2012)
  • Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden
  • Obsession by Traci Hunter Abramson
  • Circle of Secrets by Kimberley Griffiths Little
  • Indelible by Lani Woodland and a swag bag!
  • Identity by Betsy Love
  • The Hainan Incident by D.M. Coffman (autographed copy)
  • Count Down to Love by Julie N. Ford
  • Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett
  • The Breakup Artist by Shannen Crane Camp
  • Seers by Heather Frost
Don’t forget to comment! Merry Christmas and happy reading!

The Breakup Artist by Shannen Crane Camp – Countdown to Christmas 2011

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas, Special Features
Dec 032011
 

22 days until Christmas

Want 3 easy entries in the drawing for $50 at Amazon and our huge book give-away?

See the Bonus Entry instructions below! 

 

Shannen Crane Camp was born and raised in Southern California where she developed a love of reading and writing, completing her first (very) short story in the fifth grade. She continued to write throughout junior high and high school before finally deciding that enough was enough; it was time to be an author. She moved to Provo, Utah, to attend Brigham Young University where she attained a bachelor’s degree in Media Arts and a very well received proposal from her fellow California resident Josh Camp. The two are now happily married and living in Provo.

Connect with Shannen: BLOG | WEBSITE | Twitter | Facebook

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LDSWBR: What Christmas-related activity would you like to do this year that you have never done before?

SHANNEN: I’d LOVE to get Christmas pajamas on Christmas eve to wear to bed that night. So many people do that and I just think it’s the cutest thing! Plus it’s an excuse to open a present early to hopefully tide you over until Christmas day :)

LDSWBR: If you could find one book under the tree this year, what would it be?

SHANNEN: “Beautiful Days” by Anna Godbersen. Unfortunately it’s still only in hardback and I want it to match my paperbacks so unless there’s a Christmas miracle it’s not going to happen.

LDSWBR: What is your favorite childhood Christmas memory?

SHANNEN: Driving home from my grandma’s house on Christmas Eve and my brother and I saying we could see Santa flying through the sky any time we saw an airplane.

LDSWBR: Thank you so much, Shannen. Now go buy some PJs to unwrap on Christmas Eve. :)

* * * * *

Buy The Breakup Artist by Shannen Crane Camp

BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON

Did you have a Christmas Eve pajama tradition when you were a child? What about now?

* * * * *

To enter the Countdown to Christmas 2011 contest, complete the following and then tell us what you did:

  • **Required entry (+1) – Leave a thoughtful comment on this post. (More than just “Great contest!” please.) You must leave a comment on this post for your other entries to count. If you are reading this post through email or an RSS reader, please click through to leave a comment.
  • Bonus entry (+3 total) – Tell at least three of your closest family & friends about the LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas 2011 contest (using Facebook, Twitter, email or all of them) then send an email to ldswbr (at) gmail (dot) com telling us what you did. Obviously we’re using the honor system here, but we know we can trust you to be honest.
  • Additional entries (one time +1 entry each) – 1) Subscribe to LDSWBR through email 2)Follow @LDSWBR on Twitter 3) Like LDS Women’s Book Review on Facebook (all found at the the top of the right sidebar on the LDSWBR blog). NOTE: If you already subscribe through email, follow us on Twitter, or Like us on Facebook you must tell us in a comment for the extra entries to count.
  • By leaving a comment and entering the Countdown to Christmas 2011, you agree to the contest information found here.

 

***If you haven’t read the contest rules and info, read them here.***

 

Book prizes donated by their authors:

  • Not My Type by Melanie Jacobson (new addition to prize list!)
  • Cinder & Ella by Melissa Lemon (ebook)(new addition to prize list!)
  • Pride & Popularity by Jenni James (new addition to prize list!)
  • The Kissing Tree by Prudence Bice (new addition to prize list!)
  • Rearview Mirror by Stephanie Black (paperback or Kindle)
  • The Next Door Boys by Jolene B. Perry
  • Winner’s choice of one of the books in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series by Josi S. Kilpack (including Banana Split which will be released in February 2012)
  • Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden
  • Obsession by Traci Hunter Abramson
  • Circle of Secrets by Kimberley Griffiths Little
  • Indelible by Lani Woodland and a swag bag!
  • Identity by Betsy Love
  • The Hainan Incident by D.M. Coffman (autographed copy)
  • Count Down to Love by Julie N. Ford
  • Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett
  • The Breakup Artist by Shannen Crane Camp
  • Seers by Heather Frost
Don’t forget to comment! Merry Christmas and happy reading!

Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden – Countdown to Christmas 2011

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas, Special Features
Dec 022011
 

23 days until Christmas

 

Did you know? The bonus entries on each author post are different every day.

Leave a comment on each Countdown to Christmas 2011 post (you can go back and get the ones you missed) and complete each bonus entry for even more chances to win the amazing books listed below and $50 at Amazon.

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Sarah M. Eden was born. She grew up. She started writing books. That pretty much catches you up to where she is today. Also, she has two children and a husband and a cute little house that is much, much older than she is. When she isn’t pumping out the historical romances, Sarah is researching random historical facts, presenting at conferences, playing taxi driver for her kids or attempting to catch up on many years’ worth of sleep deprivation.

Connect with Sarah: BLOG | Twitter | Facebook

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LDSWBR: What Christmas-related activity would you like to do this year that you have never done before?

SARAH: To NOT stay up late Christmas Eve night cleaning my dumb house so I can have the gift of a sparkling clean house for Christmas. I do this to myself every stinkin’ year, and every year the place is trashed within an hour of everyone getting up. Then I feel depressed. Feeling depressed on Christmas is wrong on so many levels.

LDSWBR: If you could find one book under the tree this year, what would it be?

SARAH: Absolute dream book, money’s no object, neither is actual feasibility: original, 1818, 3-volume edition of Jane Austen’s Persuasion.

Almost as much of a dream, money still needs to pretty much be no object, much more feasible: original, 1960 edition of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.

Much more likely & still much appreciated: Anything by Georgette Heyer

LDSWBR: What is your favorite childhood Christmas memory?

SARAH: One of my favorite Christmas memories is one that likely is horribly distorted from reality–not because I have any delusions about it, but because I was only four years old. This would have been a week or two before Christmas, and we were living in a teeny, tiny house in a less-than-swanky neighborhood in Portland, Oregon.

I distinctly remember this incident beginning with my older brother, he being all of five, and I rocking our rumps to a Mousercise record. In case you aren’t familiar, this was an ingenious little product put out by Disney that basically rehashed all the songs from any movie they’d ever put out that had enough of a beat to dance to–that dancing was supposed to count as exercise, hence the lame combo of Mouse (as in Mickey) and ercise (as in Exercise).

So we were shakin’ our bonbons pretty hardcore when one of us did something to the other that started a minor scuffle. For the record, if I was the one who instigated the fight, I am sure my misdeed was entirely unintentional. If it was my brother, he totally meant it.

Where were we? Ah, yes the happy memories.

So in the midst of our valiant attempts to dismember one another, my mother, in her wisdom-of-the-ages way, announced in a voice filled with completely believable amazement that she thought for certain she’d just seen a Christmas elf peeking in our window.

I remember we froze on the spot, heads snapping in that direction. Holy canoli! Had we really just been seen by a Christmas elf going for each other’s jugulars? We ran to the window and peered out.

To this day–this day, mind you–I am absolutely convinced I saw little elf footprints in our front yard. I stared in shocked horror. That was it. Christmas was ruined. I knew my mom was right. I mean, she was my own mother, she wouldn’t lie to me about something as crucial as really nosy mythological creatures who held in their hands my very happiness come Christmas morning. Of course she wouldn’t!

We asked her in utter panic what we could possibly do. We’d be on the naughty list for sure. I don’t remember what solution she came up with, probably something involving child labor and enslavement for the last few days of the Holiday season. We went along willingly, anxiously even.

I don’t know how my parents managed to get those footprints in the yard, or if I imagined them out of sheer guilt and a desire to believe my parents above such petty things as lying to their children in order to stop them from killing each other in the living room. And though I’m older and wiser now, there’s part of me that wonders just what it was that really happened all those years ago.

LDSWBR: Best. Story. Ever. (Wiping tears of laughter from my eyes.) As for your choice of 1st editions – I knew there was a reason I liked you so much. You have amazing taste in books. :) Thanks, Sarah. Merry Christmas!

* * * * *

Buy Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden

DESERET BOOK | SEAGULL BOOK | AMAZON

Read Shanda’s Review of Seeking Persephone.

Do you have a funny elf, reindeer or Santa story? How do you encourage your kids to behave as Christmas approaches?

* * * * *

To enter the Countdown to Christmas 2011 contest, complete the following and then tell us what you did:

  • **Required entry (+1) – Leave a thoughtful comment on this post. (More than just “Great contest!” please.) You must leave a comment on this post for your other entries to count. If you are reading this post through email or an RSS reader, please click through to leave a comment.
  • Bonus entry (+1 total) – Go follow Sarah on her blog, Twitter, or Facebook (see links above) then send an email to ldswbr (at) gmail (dot) com telling us how you follow Sarah. You’ll want to follow her anyway. She’s hilarious. You won’t regret it. Seriously.
  • Additional entries (one time +1 entry each) – 1) Subscribe to LDSWBR through email 2)Follow @LDSWBR on Twitter 3) Like LDS Women’s Book Review on Facebook (all found at the the top of the right sidebar on the LDSWBR blog). NOTE: If you already subscribe through email, follow us on Twitter, or Like us on Facebook you must tell us in a comment for the extra entries to count.
  • By leaving a comment and entering the Countdown to Christmas 2011, you agree to the contest information found here.

 

***If you haven’t read the contest rules and info, read them here.***

 

Book prizes donated by their authors:

  • Not My Type by Melanie Jacobson (new addition to prize list!)
  • Rearview Mirror by Stephanie Black (paperback or Kindle)
  • The Next Door Boys by Jolene B. Perry
  • Winner’s choice of one of the books in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series by Josi S. Kilpack (including Banana Split which will be released in February 2012)
  • Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden
  • Obsession by Traci Hunter Abramson
  • Circle of Secrets by Kimberley Griffiths Little
  • Indelible by Lani Woodland and a swag bag!
  • Identity by Betsy Love
  • The Hainan Incident by D.M. Coffman (autographed copy)
  • Count Down to Love by Julie N. Ford
  • Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett
  • The Breakup Artist by Shannen Crane Camp
  • Seers by Heather Frost
Don’t forget to comment! Merry Christmas and happy reading!

Rearview Mirror by Stephanie Black – Countdown to Christmas 2011

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas, Special Features
Dec 012011
 

24 days until Christmas

 

Stephanie Black has loved books since she was old enough to grab the pages and has enjoyed creating make-believe adventures since she and her sisters were inventing long Barbie games filled with intrigue and danger or running around pretending to be detectives. She is a three-time Whitney Award winner for Best Mystery/Suspense, most recently for Cold as Ice (2010).

Stephanie was born in Utah and has lived in various places, including Arizona, Massachusetts, New York, and Limerick, Ireland. She currently lives in northern California and enjoys spending time with her husband, Brian, and their five children. She is a fan of chocolate, cheesecake, and her husband’s homemade bread.

Connect with Stephanie: WEBSITE | BLOG | Twitter | Facebook

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LDSWBR: What Christmas-related activity would you like to do this year that you have never done before?

STEPHANIE: I’d like to take the family to go see the Christmas lights at the zoo. My daughter used to volunteer at the zoo, so it holds fond associations for me. While she’s home from college, it would be a fun time to go see the lights.

LDSWBR: If you could find one book under the tree this year, what would it be?

STEPHANIE: Cold River by Liz Adair.

LDSWBR: What is your favorite childhood Christmas memory?

STEPHANIE: I absolutely loved Christmas–there’s no one particular memory that stands out as my favorite. But I think the gift I wanted more than I’ve ever wanted any gift in my life, before or since, was a Princess Leia Barbie doll (okay, technically she probably wasn’t a Barbie, but that type of doll). I was maybe nine years old. My sister and I were a little late to the Star Wars bandwagon–we didn’t see the movie the first time it was released, but when it was re-released later, we finally saw it and became instant fans. And I wanted that Princess Leia doll so much. To my joy, on Christmas morning, there she was. She had Princess Leia’s long white dress and signature hairdo–I still remember how to fix that Princess Leia hair: you’d make ponytails, then pull the hair through the center of these brown plastic donut-things, tuck the hair around the donuts, and use another elastic to hold the hair behind the donut so it looked like she had giant buns of hair. We loved playing with those Princess Leia dolls!

LDSWBR: Princess Leia dolls – how fun! Thanks, Stephanie. Merry Christmas!

* * * * *

Buy Rearview Mirror by Stephanie Black

SEAGULL BOOK | DESERET BOOK | AMAZON

Read our Combined Review of Rearview Mirror.

Did you have a favorite doll (or Star Wars toy) as a child? 

* * * * *

To enter the Countdown to Christmas 2011 contest, complete the following and then tell us what you did:

  • **Required entry (+1) – Leave a thoughtful comment on this post. (More than just “Great contest!” please) You must leave a comment on this post for your other entries to count. If you are reading this post through email or an RSS reader, please click through to leave a comment.
  • Bonus entry (+1 total) – Leave a comment on our Combined Review of Rearview Mirror. Don’t forget to leave a comment on this post first!
  • Additional entries (one time +1 entry each) – 1) Subscribe to LDSWBR through email 2)Follow @LDSWBR on Twitter 3) Like LDS Women’s Book Review on Facebook (all found at the the top of the right sidebar on the LDSWBR blog). NOTE: If you already subscribe through email, follow us on Twitter, or Like us on Facebook you must tell us in a comment for the extra entries to count.
  • By leaving a comment and entering the Countdown to Christmas 2011, you agree to the contest information found here.

 

***If you haven’t read the contest rules and info, read them here.***

Book prizes donated by their authors:

  • Rearview Mirror by Stephanie Black (paperback or Kindle)
  • The Next Door Boys by Jolene B. Perry
  • Winner’s choice of one of the books in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series by Josi S. Kilpack (including Banana Split which will be released in February 2012)
  • Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden
  • Obsession by Traci Hunter Abramson
  • Circle of Secrets by Kimberley Griffiths Little
  • Indelible by Lani Woodland and a swag bag!
  • Identity by Betsy Love
  • The Hainan Incident by D.M. Coffman (autographed copy)
  • Count Down to Love by Julie N. Ford
  • Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett
  • The Breakup Artist by Shannen Crane Camp
  • Seers by Heather Frost
Don’t forget to comment! Merry Christmas and happy reading!

Pumpkin Roll by Josi S. Kilpack – Countdown to Christmas 2011

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas, Special Features
Nov 302011
 

25 days until Christmas

 

Josi grew up hating to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She 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 six in the series, Pumpkin Roll, was released in September 2011. Josi currently lives in Willard, Utah, with her husband, four children, one dog, and varying number of chickens. For more information about Josi, you can visit her website at www.josiskilpack.com or her blog at www.josikilpack.blogspot.com.

Connect with Josi: WEBSITE | BLOG | Twitter | Facebook

*****

LDSWBR: What Christmas-related activity would you like to do this year that you have never done before?

JOSI: In Ogden they have a Christmas Village set up around the courthouse on 25th street. I’ve driven by it a few times but never taken the time to walk between the houses and look inside the windows. It seems that Christmas always gets to full, but I hope to make time for the Christmas village this year.

LDSWBR: If you could find one book under the tree this year, what would it be?

JOSI: My Family 2010-2011 digital scrap-book…preferably finished by someone else :-)

LDSWBR: What is your favorite childhood Christmas memory?

JOSI: My parents wouldn’t let us leave our bedrooms until 7:00. They slept upstairs, on the same level as the Christmas Tree, and the kids were scattered throughout the basement. Starting around five a.m. we’d start waking up and congregating in my oldest sister’s room. At exactly 7:00 we would run upstairs and crawl into bed with Mom and Dad. There were nine kids, so this was quite the feat to fit us all in there. We’d giggle and wiggle for ten minutes or so, until Mom and Dad finally agreed it was time to go in. The anticipation of the morning and the connection to my family that happened in those moments will always be priceless memories to me.

LDSWBR: What a sweet memory. Thanks, Josi!

*****

Buy Pumpkin Roll by Josi S. Kilpack

DESERET BOOK | AMAZON

Read Mindy’s review of Pumpkin Roll.

What time did your family wake up Christmas morning when you were a child? If you have children, did you set a time for them to wake you up on Christmas morning?

*****

To enter the Countdown to Christmas 2011 contest, complete the following and then tell us what you did:

  • **Required entry (+1) – Leave a thoughtful comment on this post. (More than just “Great contest!” please) You must leave a comment on this post for your other entries to count. If you are reading this post through email or an RSS reader, please click through to leave a comment.
  • Bonus entry (+1 total) – Follow Josi on Twitter, Facebook or her blog. Send an email to ldswbr (at) gmail (dot) com telling us how you follow Josi.
  • Additional entries (one time +1 entry each) – 1) Subscribe to LDSWBR through email 2)Follow @LDSWBR on Twitter 3) Like LDS Women’s Book Review on Facebook (all found at the the top of the right sidebar on the LDSWBR blog). NOTE: If you already subscribe through email, follow us on Twitter, or Like us on Facebook you must tell us in a comment for the extra entries to count.
  • By leaving a comment and entering the Countdown to Christmas 2011, you agree to the contest information found here.

 

***So far the Countdown to Christmas 2011 authors have donated 16 books and some swag! The prize list is continuing to grow and will be updated often. If you haven’t read the contest rules and info, read them here.***

 

Book prizes donated by their authors (list will be updated as more prizes are added):
  • Rearview Mirror by Stephanie Black
  • The Next Door Boys by Jolene B. Perry
  • Winner’s choice of one of the books in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series by Josi S. Kilpack (including Banana Split which will be released in February 2012)
  • Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden
  • Obsession by Traci Hunter Abramson
  • Circle of Secrets by Kimberley Griffiths Little
  • Indelible by Lani Woodland and a swag bag!
  • Identity by Betsy Love
  • The Hainan Incident by D.M. Coffman (autographed copy)
  • Count Down to Love by Julie N. Ford
  • Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett
  • The Breakup Artist by Shannen Crane Camp
  • Seers by Heather Frost
Don’t forget to comment! Merry Christmas and happy reading!

Garden Plot by Kristen McKendry – Countdown to Christmas 2011

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas, Special Features
Nov 292011
 

 

26 days until Christmas

 

Kristen Garner McKendry grew up in Provo, Utah. She began writing in her teens and her work has been published in Canada and the U.S. She received a Bachelors Degree in Linguistics from Brigham Young University and has always been a voracious reader. Kristen has a strong interest in urban agriculture, sustainable living, and environmental issues. She enjoys playing the bagpipes, learning obscure languages, growing wheat in the backyard, and making cheese. She now resides with her husband and children in Ontario, Canada.

Connect with Kristen: WEBSITE | Facebook

 *****

 LDSWBR: What Christmas-related activity would you like to do this year that you have never done before?

KRISTEN: I want to participate in the sing-along Messiah in Toronto, which I’ve heard is an amazing experience. Also, something I want to do that is winter-related but not necessarily Christmas-related: I want to ride the Polar Bear Express, a train that goes to the far north of Canada, and see the northern lights.

LDSWBR: If you could find one book under the tree this year, what would it be?

KRISTEN: One I’ve been wanting is The Self Sufficient Life by John Seymour.

LDSWBR: What is your favorite childhood Christmas memory?

KRISTEN: Every Christmas seems special as I think back. It’s difficult to narrow it down. We had some great traditions – visiting my grandparents’ farm, Mom’s wonderful homemade hot chocolate, caroling to our neighbours (why don’t people carol anymore? That was great fun.) Playing secret Santa to a needy family in the neighbourhood. And every year my mother sewed all of us kids matching flannel pajamas. But I think one of my favourite memories is when my brother was on his mission in Germany and we lit real candles on the Christmas tree at home, to honour the German tradition, and sang Stille Nacht (while Mom hovered with a bucket of water in case the whole thing went up in flames).

LDSWBR: Riding the Polar Bear Express to see the Northern Lights would be an amazing experience. Thank you, Kristen!

*****

Buy Garden Plot by Kristen McKendry

LDS BOOKS CANADA | DESERET BOOK | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

 Read Shanda’s review of Garden Plot.

Have you ever seen the Northern (or Southern) Lights? When and from where?

*****

To enter the Countdown to Christmas 2011 contest, complete the following and then tell us what you did:

  • **Required entry (+1) – Leave a thoughtful comment on this post. (More than just “Great contest!” please) You must leave a comment on this post for your other entries to count. If you are reading this post through email or an RSS reader, please click through to leave a comment.
  • Bonus entry (+1) – Tweet or post on Facebook the following message: Great book give-away! Visit www.ldswbr.com & enter to win $50 at Amazon, books & swag in @LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas. Send an email to ldswbr (at) gmail (dot) com telling us what you did.
  • Additional entries (one time +1 entry each) – 1) Subscribe to LDSWBR through email 2)Follow @LDSWBR on Twitter 3) Like LDS Women’s Book Review on Facebook (all found at the the top of the right sidebar on the LDSWBR blog). NOTE: If you already subscribe through email, follow us on Twitter, or Like us on Facebook you must tell us in a comment for the extra entries to count.
  • By leaving a comment and entering the Countdown to Christmas 2011, you agree to the contest information found here.

 

***So far the Countdown to Christmas 2011 authors have donated 16 books and some swag! The prize list is continuing to grow and will be updated often. If you haven’t read the contest rules and info, read them here.***

 

Book prizes donated by their authors (list will be updated as more prizes are added):
  • Rearview Mirror by Stephanie Black
  • The Next Door Boys by Jolene B. Perry
  • Winner’s choice of one of the books in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series by Josi S. Kilpack (including Banana Split which will be released in February 2012)
  • Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden
  • Obsession by Traci Hunter Abramson
  • Circle of Secrets by Kimberley Griffiths Little
  • Indelible by Lani Woodland and a swag bag!
  • Identity by Betsy Love
  • The Hainan Incident by D.M. Coffman (autographed copy)
  • Count Down to Love by Julie N. Ford
  • Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett
  • The Breakup Artist by Shannen Crane Camp
  • Seers by Heather Frost
  • Pride & Popularity by Jenni James
Don’t forget to comment! Merry Christmas and happy reading!
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