Shadowed by Stephanie Black – Countdown to Christmas 2012

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas, Special Features
Dec 212012
 

 4 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 they were Charlie’s Angels. She is the author of a futuristic thriller, The Believer, and five contemporary suspense novels, including Shadowed (2012). She is a four-time Whitney Award winner for Best Mystery/Suspense, most recently for Rearview Mirror (2011).

Visit Stephanie:  WEBSITE | BLOG | TWITTER | 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?

STEPHANIE: This year, we have a wire star there that used to be an ornament. As far as special meaning, the special meaning is “we should look for a nice tree-topper at the after-Christmas sales.”

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

STEPHANIE: The Muppet Christmas Carol. It’s funny, fun, festive, touching, and has great music.

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

STEPHANIE: I can’t think of a specific gift that tops the list, but here’s one that I think is awesome :) A few years ago I made fleece blankets for all the kids. I am NOT good at sewing, but these fleece blankets were something I could do that turned out great. They don’t involve any actual sewing–just two layers of fleece with the edges cut into strips and tied together. Anything I make out of fabric is going to turn out crooked or uneven in some way, but with these blankets, it doesn’t matter–when it’s wrapped around you, you don’t notice the flaws. I tried to choose fabric each child would like, and it was fun to have a handmade blanket for each child on Christmas morning.

LDSWBR: Thank you, Stephanie!

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Purchase Shadowed: 

AMAZON | KINDLE | DESERT BOOK | SEAGULL BOOK

Gifted musician Catherine Clayton was born into a life of wealth and privilege. Following the death of her father, she makes a bold decision she hopes would make him proud: she’s using the family money to establish a music school and offer free lessons to the underprivileged. A providential suggestion from an old college friend leads Catherine to select Riley, New York, as the perfect location for her new school. Hit hard by the economic downturn, Riley personifies economic hardship: peeling paint, overgrown landscapes, and damaged buildings. But the damage runs much deeper than Catherine first realizes. Two years ago, Riley was rocked by weeks of vandalism followed by the brutal murder of beautiful elementary school secretary Olivia Perry. Everyone in town loved Olivia but especially the two men with whom she was caught in a love triangle. Though the murder remains unsolved, Catherine receives ominous warnings that one of these men, Adam Becket, is responsible for the girl’s death. Unimpressed by the lack of evidence against him, Catherine is drawn to the shy but endearing Adam. Could he really have been involved in Olivia’s murder? Just as Catherine is settling in and getting to know Adam, a vandal strikes again, and it’s eerily reminiscent of the events surrounding Olivia’s murder. The death threats splashed on the walls prove that the killer is back and this time, it’s Catherine who wonders if she’s come to the wrong place at the wrong time.

Do you shop the after Christmas sales? Ever find any great deals?

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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:

**NOTE: Deadline for commenting and entering has been extended to Midnight December 25, 2012 Mountain Time.**

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 25, 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 21, 2012 – more to be added to this list!)

  • Tres Leches Cupcakes by Josi S. Kilpack (signed paperback copy)
  • Not Your Average Fairy Tale by Chantele Sedgwick (paperback or ebook)
  • Deadly Undertakings by Gregg Luke (personalized paperback)
  • Turning Pages by Tristi Pinkston (personalized paperback)
  • Athena by Heather B. Moore (autographed paperback)
  • The Kindling by Braden Bell (paperback, signed if desired)
  • Sudden Darkness by Margot Hovley (personalized paperback)
  • Code Word by Traci Hunter Abramson (paperback)
  • The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson (ebook)
  • The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson (ebook- PDF/.mobi)
  • Lady Outlaw by Stacy Henrie (signed paperback)
  • A Note Worth Taking by Lu Ann Staheli (Kindle)
  • When Hearts Conjoin by Lu Ann Staheli (paperback)
  • Paige by Annette Lyon (signed paperback)
  • All Fall Down by Julie Coulter Bellon (personalized paperback)
  • Smart Move by Melanie Jacobson (signed & personalized paperback)
  • Shadowed by Stephanie Black (personalized paperback or ebook)

Previous Countdown to Christmas 2012 posts:

 

Smart Move by Melanie Jacobson – Countdown to Christmas 2012

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas, Special Features
Dec 202012
 

 5 days until Christmas

 

Melanie Bennett Jacobson is an avid reader, amateur cook, and champion shopper. She consumes astonishing amounts of chocolate, chick flicks, and romance novels. After meeting her husband online, she is now living happily married in Southern California with her growing family and a series of doomed houseplants. Melanie is a former English teacher who loves to laugh and make others laugh. In her down time (ha!), she writes romantic comedies for Covenant and maintains her humorous slice-of-life blog. Her fourth novel, Smart Move, hit shelves in October.

Visit Melanie:  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?

MELANIE: We have an angel on top of our tree. I just couldn’t find a star that was simple enough, but now we have an angel I really love and the kids love seeing it up there.

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

MELANIE: Elf! We just have so much fun watching it as a family. It’s one of the few movies I don’t get sick of watching over and over, and we watch it the first Sunday after Thanksgiving so it kicks off our Christmas season.

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

MELANIE: I was really excited to give my husband a wood turning lathe. It’s turned into a passion for him over the last four yeas and now I have lots of beautiful wood bowls decorating my home.

LDSWBR: Thanks, Melanie!

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Purchase Smart Move: 

AMAZON | KINDLE | DESERT BOOK | DB BOOKSHELF | SEAGULL BOOK

The spark was undeniable the night Sandy Burke met the devastatingly handsome Jake. Conversation had flowed easily, so after they’d parted, she’d waited eagerly for his call. It never came. A high-powered career woman at the ripe old age of twenty-seven, Sandy feels she has had her heart broken one too many times, and now the redheaded trendsetter is facing a major quarter-life crisis. After some introspection, Sandy determines that helping others may be the key to helping herself. When she’s presented with a job offer in Washington DC as the director of New Horizons, a nonprofit organization benefiting women in poverty, it seems providential.

But now that she’s moved, two major obstacles threaten the success of her first assignment. The first is her mother and her constant fog of less-than-helpful New-Age advice. Secondly, plans to build another New Horizons outreach center have come to a screeching halt, thanks to the interference of a pesky lawyer and his attempts to reverse zoning approval for the building project. After weeks of verbal sparring over the phone, Sandy is in for a shock when she comes face-to-face with her foe. The smooth voice at the other end of the line is a heart wrenching blast from the past.

In this twist of fate, Sandy sees the perfect opportunity to ensure the success of the outreach center—and to enact a little payback on this man she thought she’d left behind. And so the battle of wits begins. Will Sandy’s ‘flirt-to-convert’ plot sway her nemesis’s determination to block the center, or will his charming and undeniably attractive ways convince the sassy redhead to give love a second chance?

What homemade gift holds a special place in your heart?

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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:

**NOTE: Deadline for commenting and entering has been extended to Midnight December 25, 2012 Mountain Time.**

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 25, 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 20, 2012 – more to be added to this list!)

  • Tres Leches Cupcakes by Josi S. Kilpack (signed paperback copy)
  • Not Your Average Fairy Tale by Chantele Sedgwick (paperback or ebook)
  • Deadly Undertakings by Gregg Luke (personalized paperback)
  • Turning Pages by Tristi Pinkston (personalized paperback)
  • Athena by Heather B. Moore (autographed paperback)
  • The Kindling by Braden Bell (paperback, signed if desired)
  • Sudden Darkness by Margot Hovley (personalized paperback)
  • Code Word by Traci Hunter Abramson (paperback)
  • The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson (ebook)
  • The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson (ebook- PDF/.mobi)
  • Lady Outlaw by Stacy Henrie (signed paperback)
  • A Note Worth Taking by Lu Ann Staheli (Kindle)
  • When Hearts Conjoin by Lu Ann Staheli (paperback)
  • Paige by Annette Lyon (signed paperback)
  • All Fall Down by Julie Coulter Bellon (personalized paperback)
  • Smart Move by Melanie Jacobson (signed & personalized paperback)

Previous Countdown to Christmas 2012 posts:

 

All Fall Down by Julie Coulter Bellon – Countdown to Christmas 2012

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas, Special Features
Dec 192012
 

 6 days until Christmas

 

Julie Coulter Bellon loves to write international romantic suspense novels because she gets to travel to distant lands to research and add an authentic feel to all of her books. Her favorite cities so far are Athens, Paris, Ottawa, and London. She’s the mother of eight children and the author of eight books and isn’t sure what that really says about her. Julie graduated from college with an English teaching degree from Brigham Young University and taught journalism for 14 years. Her habit of reading multiple newspapers daily is where she gets a lot of story ideas – ripped from the headlines and twisted a bit. When she’s not writing or being a mom, you will find her snuggled in a blanket reading a book.

Visit Julie:  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?

JULIE: We top ours with a star we got the first year we were married. Multi-colored and very pretty.

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

JULIE: My favorite Christmas movie is Elf because it’s so quotable and funny, yet still has a good message. Some of my favorite quotes are, “he’s an angry elf,” “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear” “Does someone need a hug?”

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

JULIE: When one of my boys was four he wanted a Dustbuster so bad. It was all he talked about and was so thrilled when he opened it Christmas morning. From that moment on our house was constantly being vacuumed. He loved it!

LDSWBR: How cute! He got a Dustbuster, you got clean floors. Nice! Thanks, Julie!

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Purchase All Fall Down: 

AMAZON | KINDLE | BARNES & NOBLE | SMASHWORDS

Ring around the rosy, a pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes we all fall down . . . That simple rhyme turns negotiator Claire Michaels’ current hostage situation into an international incident. Claire just wants to help get everyone out safely, but as the crisis escalates she realizes she’s dealing with an al-Qaeda operative who has the means to become another bin Laden—with the potential to attack America. Claire has her own personal reasons for wanting to stop al-Qaeda, but time is slipping away as negotiations break down. Can she overcome her scars of the past in order to get the hostage out alive and possibly stop an assault on U.S. national security? Navy SEAL Rafe Kelly is on leave to recover from a knee injury he suffered during his tour in Afghanistan and he doesn’t expect to be fighting terrorists on his home turf. But when he is taken hostage and his brother is kidnapped, Rafe teams up with a hostage negotiator in order to stay alive and get his brother back. The terrorist is always one step ahead of them, however, and the situation quickly turns from desperate to deadly. Will Rafe be able to save himself and his country without anyone he loves getting caught in the crossfire?

What is the most unusual item your child or another loved one has added to their Christmas wish list?

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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:

**NOTE: Deadline for commenting and entering has been extended to Midnight December 25, 2012 Mountain Time.**

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 25, 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 19, 2012 – more to be added to this list!)

  • Tres Leches Cupcakes by Josi S. Kilpack (signed paperback copy)
  • Not Your Average Fairy Tale by Chantele Sedgwick (paperback or ebook)
  • Deadly Undertakings by Gregg Luke (personalized paperback)
  • Turning Pages by Tristi Pinkston (personalized paperback)
  • Athena by Heather B. Moore (autographed paperback)
  • The Kindling by Braden Bell (paperback, signed if desired)
  • Sudden Darkness by Margot Hovley (personalized paperback)
  • Code Word by Traci Hunter Abramson (paperback)
  • The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson (ebook)
  • The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson (ebook- PDF/.mobi)
  • Lady Outlaw by Stacy Henrie (signed paperback)
  • A Note Worth Taking by Lu Ann Staheli (Kindle)
  • When Hearts Conjoin by Lu Ann Staheli (paperback)
  • Paige by Annette Lyon (signed paperback)
  • All Fall Down by Julie Coulter Bellon (personalized paperback)

Previous Countdown to Christmas 2012 posts:

 

Paige by Annette Lyon – Countdown to Christmas 2012

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas, Special Features
Dec 182012
 

7 days until Christmas

 

Annette Lyon is a Whitney Award winner, the recipient of Utah’s Best of State medal for fiction and the author of nine novels, a cookbook, and a grammar guide as well as over a hundred magazine articles. She’s a senior editor at Precision Editing Group and a cum laude graduate from BYU with a degree in English. When she’s not writing, editing, knitting, or eating chocolate, she can be found mothering and avoiding the spots on the kitchen floor. Find her online at blog.annettelyon.com and on Twitter: @AnnetteLyon

Visit Annette:  WEBSITE | BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOOGLE+ | 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?

ANNETTE: For years we had a goofy tree topper, but I always wanted a beautiful star. I searched for years looking for a good one, but all the stars I could find were ugly plastic things. Several years ago, my husband found a handmade brass star and gave it to me for my birthday (which is close to Christmas). We use it every year.

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

ANNETTE: I could list several–tough question! I’ll go with the one that’s the biggest tradition for us: White Christmas. We watch it every single year, and my kids look forward to it. They know that it isn’t Christmas without Bing Crosby.

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

ANNETTE: Probably the replica of Anduril, the sword of Aragorn from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which I bought for my husband. He’s a tough person to buy a present for, but that year I knew I’d gotten exactly the right thing.

LDSWBR: Now that is an awesome gift. Thanks, Annette!

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Purchase Paige: 

AMAZON | KINDLE | NOOK | DESERET BOOK | SEAGULL BOOK | SMASHWORDS

After a bitter divorce from her unfaithful husband, Paige moves from Utah to California with her two little boys and vows to make a fresh start. She finds a job at a dental practice that helps her get back on her feet, but it’s the friends she makes at her new book club who help her realize how strong she is and who give her support to carry on as she faces the challenges of being a single mom. She also meets Derryl, a wonderful, kind, attentive man who treats her right, something her ex never did. Yet Paige struggles to figure out who she is as a woman rather than a wife, how to help her boys adjust to a broken home, and whether she can ever trust a man or love again. As Paige leans on the book club ladies and Derryl’s ever-present care, one thing becomes clear: healing from the past requires more than a change of address.

 What replica from a book or movie would you like to own? 

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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 18, 2012 – many more to be added to this list!)

  • Tres Leches Cupcakes by Josi S. Kilpack (signed paperback copy)
  • Not Your Average Fairy Tale by Chantele Sedgwick (paperback or ebook)
  • Deadly Undertakings by Gregg Luke (personalized paperback)
  • Turning Pages by Tristi Pinkston (personalized paperback)
  • Athena by Heather B. Moore (autographed paperback)
  • The Kindling by Braden Bell (paperback, signed if desired)
  • Sudden Darkness by Margot Hovley (personalized paperback)
  • Code Word by Traci Hunter Abramson (paperback)
  • The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson (ebook)
  • The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson (ebook- PDF/.mobi)
  • Lady Outlaw by Stacy Henrie (signed paperback)
  • A Note Worth Taking by Lu Ann Staheli (Kindle)
  • When Hearts Conjoin by Lu Ann Staheli (paperback)
  • Paige by Annette Lyon (signed paperback)

Previous Countdown to Christmas 2012 posts:

 

A Note Worth Taking by Lu Ann Staheli – Countdown to Christmas 2012

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas, Special Features
Dec 172012
 

8 days until Christmas

 

Lu Ann Staheli got her start as a celebrity paparazzi-stalker-chick, which led to her award-winning career as a ghostwriter for celebrity memoirs. A masochist at heart, she has taught junior high school English for 33 years, and is currently the school librarian, (a job which she absolutely LOVES), plus she once spent two weeks summer vacation backpacking through Europe with 15 of her students. She has won three Best of State Medals—two for writing and one for teaching—but refuses to wear them all at the same time because she’d hate to be known as a show-off. She is the true bibliophile, with something in excess of 1,000 books in her personal home library.

Visit Lu Ann:  BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | 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?

LU ANN: For many years, while I was single, I would buy the annual Mattel release of Barbie’s Holiday and use the doll at the angel on the top of my Christmas tree. Then I got married and adopted five sons. End of Barbie’s reign! We have two trees set up again this year and a SpiderMan ornament is the tree-topper on one, and a plush Sponge Bob SquarePants is at the top of the other. Since my boys now range in age from 12-23, and ornaments like these still seem to be preferred, I guess there will be no change into the distant future. Sigh.

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

LU ANN: My favorite Christmas movie is White Christmas, starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen. I’m sure it’s the first Christmas movie I ever saw since I was only a few months old when it came out. (Oops! Giving away my age, here.) And by the time it was being shown on television, watching it became an annual family tradition (just like watching The Wizard of Oz every spring). Some years my mom and I would watch White Christmas multiple times while we worked our Christmas scene puzzle. Yes, I still work that crazy 1,500 piece puzzle every year, and it’s gotten to the point where I have it memorized, so I can pull it off from start to finish in a couple of hours by myself.

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

LU ANN: Hmm . . . I had to think about this one for awhile, but I finally decided it was the year our oldest son, Carl, turned 16. We’d all had a tough year emotionally, and sometimes there were hurt feelings, but my husband and I had a plan. He had found a little Honda Civic, used, that we were able to pick up for a song. We got the car on Christmas Eve, and parked it up the road at a neighbor’s house where it was hidden from view. Early the next morning, my husband got in the car, put it in neutral, and coasted it down the hill so Carl didn’t hear it, and rolled it into our driveway, placing it so the Suburban completely hid it from view. As we opened gifts that morning, there was nothing under the tree for Carl. The other boys were having a great time with their gifts, and poor Carl just sat there, looking like he might cry because there was nothing under the tree for him. Finally, we handed him a box, a tiny box. When he opened it, he found a key. Suddenly it dawned on him why his gift wasn’t under the tree. Even though we were all still in pajamas, he ran outside and found the car. I love to watch the video we took from that moment on. It was one of the happiest days ever for him. He insisted my husband teach him how to drive a stick right there and then, and his grin almost split his face. It turned out to be a wonderful Christmas.

LDSWBR: What a great Christmas memory for your family! Thank you, Lu Ann! Oh, and Happy Anniversary!

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Purchase A Note Worth Taking: 

KINDLE

The end of eighth grade should be an exciting and happy time for Laura Breathnach. But when her best friend gives her a note saying their friendship is over, Laura can’t figure out what hit her. Still reeling, Laura goes to science class only to find out she needs a partner for the school science fair. Vickie, who has always been her project partner before now, chooses a popular girl who hangs out with Laura’s worst enemy. Laura realizes she can only get over the loss of an old friend by making new ones. When Kim asks Laura to be her partner, she accepts. In addition, Laura spends more time with a band buddy who shares her love of music. Even as Laura tries to heal from the pain of lost friendship, she keeps an eye on Vickie and her new friends, hoping to see a turn in the tide of popularity, and wondering if a friendship is really one worth saving.

 What is the physically largest gift you’ve ever given or received? 

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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 17, 2012 – many more to be added to this list!)

  • Tres Leches Cupcakes by Josi S. Kilpack (signed paperback copy)
  • Not Your Average Fairy Tale by Chantele Sedgwick (paperback or ebook)
  • Deadly Undertakings by Gregg Luke (personalized paperback)
  • Turning Pages by Tristi Pinkston (personalized paperback)
  • Athena by Heather B. Moore (autographed paperback)
  • The Kindling by Braden Bell (paperback, signed if desired)
  • Sudden Darkness by Margot Hovley (personalized paperback)
  • Code Word by Traci Hunter Abramson (paperback)
  • The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson (ebook)
  • The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson (ebook- PDF/.mobi)
  • Lady Outlaw by Stacy Henrie (signed paperback)
  • A Note Worth Taking by Lu Ann Staheli (Kindle)
  • When Hearts Conjoin by Lu Ann Staheli (paperback)

Previous Countdown to Christmas 2012 posts:

 

Lady Outlaw by Stacy Henrie – Countdown to Christmas 2012

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas, Special Features
Dec 162012
 

9 days until Christmas

 

Stacy Henrie has always had an avid appetite for history, fiction and chocolate. While she had a goal to write and publish a book one day, she turned her attentions first to graduating with a bachelor’s degree in public relations. Not long after, she switched from writing press releases and newsletters to writing inspirational historical romances as a stay-at-home mom to three kids. LADY OUTLAW is her first novel.

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

STACY: Our Christmas tree topper is a silver star. It’s from a store, so it’s not a family heirloom or anything, but our tree wouldn’t feel complete without a star on top!

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

STACY: One of my favorites is “A Christmas Story.” I love the glimpse of what Christmas might have been like in the late 1930’s. It’s also funny and has some great lines. Who doesn’t know and love “you’ll shoot your eye out, kid”?

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

STACY: Our first Christmas as a married couple was just a couple months after our wedding. We were both working part-time and going to school, so we didn’t have a lot of extra money. I don’t remember what I gave my husband that year, but I tried to make the small amount go far. I think because we had to be creative, I was so excited to give him those gifts.

LDSWBR: Being creative during tight times can actually be pretty fun. Thank you, Stacy!

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Purchase Lady Outlaw: 

AMAZON | KINDLE | BARNES & NOBLE | NOOK

No one would ever imagine a fresh-faced young woman could be robbing stage bandits of their ill-gotten fortunes. But Jennie Jones is desperate to save her family’s ranch from foreclosure. And the risks seem worth it, until her upright new ranch hand offers a glimpse of how much is really at stake.Former bounty hunter Caleb Johnson is ready for a new, clean start. With a woman like Jennie, he could build a future there in Utah territory. But only if his gentle faith can guide her in a choice between the land she’s fought so hard to save and a future by his side.

 You’ve all seen “A Christmas Story,” right? Share your favorite scene or line from the movie. 

* * * * *

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 16, 2012 – many more to be added to this list!)

  • Tres Leches Cupcakes by Josi S. Kilpack (signed paperback copy)
  • Not Your Average Fairy Tale by Chantele Sedgwick (paperback or ebook)
  • Deadly Undertakings by Gregg Luke (personalized paperback)
  • Turning Pages by Tristi Pinkston (personalized paperback)
  • Athena by Heather B. Moore (autographed paperback)
  • The Kindling by Braden Bell (paperback, signed if desired)
  • Sudden Darkness by Margot Hovley (personalized paperback)
  • Code Word by Traci Hunter Abramson (paperback)
  • The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson (ebook)
  • The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson (ebook- PDF/.mobi)
  • Lady Outlaw by Stacy Henrie (signed paperback)

Previous Countdown to Christmas 2012 posts:

 

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