Dec 042012
 

21 days until Christmas

 

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

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

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

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

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LDSWBR: Do you top your Christmas tree with a star, angel, or something else? Does it have special meaning to you?

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * *

Purchase Not Your Average Fairy Tale

AMAZON | KINDLE | BARNES & NOBLE | NOOK

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

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

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To enter the LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas 2012, leave a thoughtful comment below.

Be sure to comment on each Countdown to Christmas 2012 post for more chances to win. Please click through to the website as only comments submitted directly on this post will be accepted.

Prizes include a $50 Amazon gift card and the author-donated books listed below. This is raffle-style drawing where all entries throughout the contest period are entered into the same “hat” for all prizes. US only. 18 years and older please. See all contest rules and restrictions below.

If you don’t already follow LDSWBR through email, Facebook or Twitter (those cute little book buttons on the sidebar) you may want to consider doing so during the contest so you don’t miss any posts or chances to enter the drawing. Following LDSWBR is not required but it is nice to know that our book reviews are useful to other readers. :)

If one of our LDSWBR reviews has ever helped you find a book you enjoyed, perhaps you would consider helping us spread the word about the LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas 2012. A link posted to your friends and family either in email or on your favorite social network would be so greatly appreciated. Thanks!

By leaving a comment and entering the Countdown to Christmas 2012, you agree to the contest rules below:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY; entrants must be 18 years or older; open to residents of continental US only; giveaway begins December 3, 2012 and all entries must be received by 12:00 Midnight December 23, 2012 Mountain Time; to enter, complete the required entry on each post and any additional entries of your choice if listed; LDS Women’s Book Review reserves the right to determine what is considered a thoughtful comment as per each posts required entry; giveaway prizes include a $50 Amazon gift card and a variety of book prizes donated by featured authors; the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning; LDS Women’s Book Review is not liable for technical problems which may affect entry into the giveaway; winner identity will be verified by email address; winner will be selected December 27, 2012 by use of a sequence generator on random.org; winner will have until January 3, 2013 to claim their prize; if any prize winner forfeits or does not claim prize, prize will be re-awarded to next winner in sequence; all prizes will be awarded; limit of two prizes per entrant; this contest/giveaway is not associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other entity unless otherwise specified; by entering the giveaway you give LDS Women’s Book Review the right to publicize your name on the LDS Women’s Book Review blog; winner agrees to release LDS Women’s Book Review from any liability as a result of winning; email comments & questions to LDS Women’s Book Review – ldswbr (at) gmail (dot) com; giveaway subject to Utah regulations; VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Book Prizes (as of December 4, 2012 – more to be added to this list!)

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

Previous Countdown to Christmas 2012 posts:

 

Dec 032012
 

22 days until Christmas

 

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

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

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LDSWBR: Do you top your Christmas tree with a star, angel, or something else? Does it have special meaning to you?

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * *

Purchase Tres Leches Cupcakes

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

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

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

* * * * *

To enter the LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas 2012, leave a thoughtful comment below.

Be sure to comment on each Countdown to Christmas 2012 post for more chances to win. Please click through to the website as only comments submitted directly on this post will be accepted.

Prizes include a $50 Amazon gift card and the author-donated books listed below. This is raffle-style drawing where all entries throughout the contest period are entered into the same “hat” for all prizes. US only. 18 years and older please. See all contest rules and restrictions below.

If you don’t already follow LDSWBR through email, Facebook or Twitter (those cute little book buttons on the sidebar) you may want to consider doing so during the contest so you don’t miss any posts or chances to enter the drawing. Following LDSWBR is not required but it is nice to know that our book reviews are useful to other readers. :)

If one of our LDSWBR reviews has ever helped you find a book you enjoyed, perhaps you would consider helping us spread the word about the LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas 2012. A link posted to your friends and family either in email or on your favorite social network would be so greatly appreciated. Thanks!

By leaving a comment and entering the Countdown to Christmas 2012, you agree to the contest rules below:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY; entrants must be 18 years or older; open to residents of continental US only; giveaway begins December 3, 2012 and all entries must be received by 12:00 Midnight December 23, 2012 Mountain Time; to enter, complete the required entry on each post and any additional entries of your choice if listed; LDS Women’s Book Review reserves the right to determine what is considered a thoughtful comment as per each posts required entry; giveaway prizes include a $50 Amazon gift card and a variety of book prizes donated by featured authors; the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning; LDS Women’s Book Review is not liable for technical problems which may affect entry into the giveaway; winner identity will be verified by email address; winner will be selected December 27, 2012 by use of a sequence generator on random.org; winner will have until January 3, 2013 to claim their prize; if any prize winner forfeits or does not claim prize, prize will be re-awarded to next winner in sequence; all prizes will be awarded; limit of two prizes per entrant; this contest/giveaway is not associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other entity unless otherwise specified; by entering the giveaway you give LDS Women’s Book Review the right to publicize your name on the LDS Women’s Book Review blog; winner agrees to release LDS Women’s Book Review from any liability as a result of winning; email comments & questions to LDS Women’s Book Review – ldswbr (at) gmail (dot) com; giveaway subject to Utah regulations; VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Book Prizes (as of December 3, 2012 – more to be added to this list!)

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

Previous Countdown to Christmas 2012 posts:

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

Dec 022012
 

We are so excited to be putting together our fourth Countdown to Christmas. This month also marks LDS Women’s Book Review’s 7th anniversary. We can hardly believe that we have been reviewing books and interviewing authors for seven years. We love what we do and hope that we can continue for many years to come.

We have an amazing group of authors and books to spotlight in the coming weeks. You won’t want to miss out on any chances to enter the Countdown to Christmas 2012 drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card and some great book prizes. If you haven’t already, consider signing up to have LDSWBR posts sent directly to your email. The place to do that is on the upper right side bar on the LDS Women’s Book Review home page.

We love and appreciate all of you. We wish you and your loved ones a happy and safe Holiday Season. Merry Christmas and happy reading!

Sincerely, your LDSWBR reviewers,

Shanda, Sheila, and Mindy

 

Dec 282011
 

It’s time to announce the winners fo the Countdown to Christmas 2011 drawing!

Before we do, though, we want to thank the authors for participating in our Countdown to Christmas. We certainly wouldn’t be able to do it without them! Also, we want to say an extra THANK YOU to the authors for generously donating their books as additional prizes in the drawing. We appreciate each and every one of you!

We want to say THANK YOU and WE LOVE YOU to all of our wonderful LDSWBR followers. Without our blog readers we wouldn’t have a reason to do what we do. Thank you for participating in the Countdowns every year. We enjoy reading every comment and feel like we get to know our readers better with each one. Even if we aren’t able to reply to every comment, we read them all and laugh (or cry) with you.

The Countdown to Christmas 2011 has been our BEST COUNTDOWN EVER. Not only did we have the most amazing list of book prizes we’ve ever had, we also had the best participation by blog readers EVER.

Here are some numbers to show what we mean:

 

22 authors

25 prizes

452 entries

60 different entrants

2,041 unique visitors

5,960 page views

 

Okay, enough of that.

Shall we announce the winners?

Ready?

Are you sure?

Okay, let’s do this thing!

The winners selected by Random.org’s random sequence generator are listed below:

 

Book prizes donated by their authors:

  • Winners choice of  Divinely Designed, Luck of the Draw, or Minor Adjustments by Rachael Renee Anderson – Lolawid (for comment on Garden Plot)
  • Winner’s choice of Secret Sisters, Dearly Departed, or Hang ’em High by Tristi Pinkston – Diana (for liking LDSWBR on Facebook)
  • Montana Summer by Jeanette Miller – Gayle Humpherys (for comment on Pride & Popularity)
  • Ribbon of Darkness by Julie Coulter Bellon – Cathleen Moffat (for comment on The Hainan Incident)
  • Not My Type by Melanie Jacobson – Melissa (for comment on Hang ’em High)
  • Cinder & Ella by Melissa Lemon (ebook) – Sarah M. Eden (for comment on Pumpkin Roll)
  • Pride & Popularity by Jenni James – Pam (for bonus entry on The Kissing Tree)
  • The Kissing Tree by Prudence Bice – Chantele Sedgwick (for comment on The Next Door Boys)
  • Rearview Mirror by Stephanie Black (paperback or Kindle) – Cathy Jeppsen (for comment on Montana Summer)
  • The Next Door Boys by Jolene B. Perry – MaryKay Lee (for comment on The Kissing Tree)
  • 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) – MaryKay Lee (for comment on Geek Girl)
  • Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden – Cathy Jeppsen (for comment on Hang ’em High)
  • Obsession by Traci Hunter Abramson – Gayle Humpherys (for bonus entry on The Breakup Artist)
  • Circle of Secrets by Kimberley Griffiths Little (autographed hardcover!) – rmhulse (for bonus entry on The Breakup Artist)
  • Indelible by Lani Woodland – Lolawid (for comment on Circle of Secrets)
  • Signed Indelible bookmark – Heidi (for bonus entry on The Hainan Incident)
  • Signed Indelible bookmark – Allison (for comment on Ribbon of Darkness)
  • Bag of Indelible swag – Debbie/Cranberryfries (bonus entry on The Breakup Artist)
  • Identity by Betsy Love – LisalLJ (for comment on Geek Girl)
  • The Hainan Incident by D.M. Coffman (autographed copy) – rmhulse (for comment on Indelible)
  • Count Down to Love by Julie N. Ford – Heidi (for comment on Obsession)
  • Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett – Allison (for comment on A Question for You)
  • The Breakup Artist by Shannen Crane Camp – Corrine (for liking LDSWBR on Facebook)
  • Seers by Heather Frost – Melody A. (for liking LDSWBR on Facebook)

 

And the winner of the $50 Amazon Gift Card is…….

DEBBIE/CRANBERRYFRIES

 

Congratulations to all of the winners and thank you to everyone who entered the Countdown to Christmas 2011 contest!

If you are a winner, please send an email to ldswbr (at) gmail (dot) com with your mailing address so the authors can get your prizes to you.

Keep reading and Happy New Year!
Dec 242011
 

1 day until Christmas

 

It’s Christmas Eve and the last day to enter the Countdown to Christmas 2011 contest. It’s a busy day full of fun activities with friends and family, but if you happen to have a spare minute, don’t forget to get your final entries in before 12:00 Midnight MST for your chance to win one of 21 books donated by their authors and $50 at Amazon.

 

Happy Christmas Eve from all of us at LDSWBR!

 

 

Dec 232011
 

2 days until Christmas

 

Okay, Sheila, your turn!

* * * * *

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

SHEILA: Wow! I cant think of anything. How boring am I? I like doing all of my old favorite traditions, instead of finding new things. Watching Christmas movies, drinking hot chocolate, reading Christmas stories together and singing Christmas songs together around the piano.

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

SHEILA: Inheritance, Book #4 in the Eragon series.

LDSWBR: What is your favorite childhood Christmas memory?

SHEILA: My favorite childhood Christmas memory is the year I was 9 years old. That was the year I got the whole Little House on the Praire Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder for Christmas. I was so excited!!!! I couldn’t believe that I got the whole set just for me. Up until then, I always had to check them out from the library. (I think this is when my obsession for collecting books started! ;0)

* * * * *

Sheila’s Top Ten Reads of 2011

1. Variant by Robison Wells
2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
3. Making Rounds With Oscar by David Dosa
4. The Cross Gardner by Jason Wright
5. The Upside of Down by Rebecca Talley
6. Unwind by Neil Shusterman
7. Don’t Fear the Reaper by Michelle Muto
8. Bloodborne by Gregg Luke
9. Count Down to Love by Julie N. Ford
10. Rearview Mirror by Stephanie Black

The next 10 are right up there and so close to being in the top 10. This was a hard year to choose my favorites. There were so many I really, really liked.

What books have you read on my top ten for 2011 list?

* * * * *

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) – Do you, or have you ever, owned the entire set of Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder? Have you read them all? Do you prefer the books or the TV show? Do you have a favorite episode? (I know, they’re all so good it’s tough to choose a fav!)
  • 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:

  • Winners choice of  Divinely Designed, Luck of the Draw, or Minor Adjustments by Rachael Renee Anderson
  • Winner’s choice of Secret Sisters, Dearly Departed, or Hang ’em High by Tristi Pinkston
  • Montana Summer by Jeanette Miller
  • Ribbon of Darkness by Julie Coulter Bellon
  • Not My Type by Melanie Jacobson
  • Cinder & Ella by Melissa Lemon (ebook)
  • Pride & Popularity by Jenni James
  • The Kissing Tree by Prudence Bice
  • 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 (autographed hardcover!)
  • 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!