Nov 142013
 

Whitney Nom Banner leaf lg flat

Nominate a Whitney and be entered to win
one of two $25 Amazon Gift Cards!

2013 is winding down and it’s time to get those last minute Whitney Award nominations in! Because we at NewLDSFiction.com and at LDSWomensBookReview.com love and support LDS fiction authors and the Whitney Awards, we’ve put together a fun little November Nomination Challenge to encourage everyone to nominate a qualifying book for a Whitney Award before the holidays get into full swing.

What’s a Whitney Award? It’s an annual award for novels written by LDS authors. Awards are given in eight different genre categories, plus three Best Novel categories. To be considered for an award, a book must be nominated by five readers.

Who can nominate a book for a Whitney Award? Almost anyone. You must be over 12 years old, have read the book, and not have any financial stake in the success of the book. (Example: Authors and publishers cannot nominate their own books, but their mothers can.)

Then what happens? Any book that receives five nominations is added to the genre list. Those books are read by a group of Whitney judges. The judges narrow the list down to five finalists, which are voted on by the entire Whitney Academy.

Are there other qualifications for the books? Nominees must be fiction, written by LDS authors, and published in 2013. (See the official Whitney Award fine print here and their FAQs page here.)

Looking for books that are qualified? Browse NewLDSFiction.com or click here for a list by author.

Here’s how the November Nomination Challenge works:

  • Nominations must be made November 15–30, 2013.
  • You must have read the book yourself and honestly believe it deserves a 4 or 5 star review to nominate it. This is NOT a “nominate your friends” contest. (We’re on the honor code here. Remember, we’re LDS and we believe in being honest…)
  • Click here to nominate the book. Then come back and enter the information in the Rafflecopter form below. One entry per title, limit six titles.
  • Earn extra entries by helping to spread the word. (You can do this once a day.)
    Use http://bit.ly/1iefolv to send friends to LDS Women’s Book Review
    Use http://bit.ly/1brxc69 to send friends to New LDS Fiction
    (Note: You must nominate at least one Whitney to unlock the Spread the Word entries.
  • Winners will be chosen at random the first week of December and announced on both sites.
  • The Rafflecopter form is the same on both sites, so you only need to input your entries at one site.
  •  See fine print and disclaimer for this contest below the Rafflecopter form

 

NovemberNominationChallenge

To win this card, enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*We will verify that a qualifying nomination was made before awarding the prizes, however, your privacy regarding what book(s) you nominated will be protected.

Disclaimer: As avid readers of LDS fiction, Karlene, Shanda, Sheila, Mindy and Hillary have votes on the Whitney Academy. However, this is our personal contribution to an organization we support. We have not been asked by the Whitney Awards to run this contest, nor have any prizes been provided for us. It’s all done on our time and our dime.

***NO PURCHASE NECESSARY; entrants must be 18 years or older; open to residents of continental US only; giveaway begins November 15, 2013 and all entries must be received by 12:00 Midnight November 30, 2013 Mountain Time; to enter, read a book by an LDS author published in 2013 and, if you consider it a four or five star book worthy of Whitney Award consideration, nominate it using the nomination form on whitneyawards.com/wordpress, then return to either www.ldswomensbookreview.com orwww.newldsfiction.com and enter using the Rafflecopter form; additional entries may be allowed as per the Rafflecopter form; giveaway prizes are two (2) Amazon gift cards valued at $25 each; the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning; LDS Women’s Book Review and NewLDSFiction.com are not liable for technical problems which may affect entry into the giveaway; winner identity will be verified by email address; winners will be selected the first week of December 2013 by use of rafflecopter.com; winner will have until December 15, 2013 to claim their prize; if prize winner forfeits or does not claim prize, prize will be re-awarded to next winner selected; all prizes will be awarded; by entering the giveaway you give LDS Women’s Book Review and NewLDSFiction.com the right to publicize your name on the LDS Women’s Book Review blog and the NewLDSFiction.com blog; winner agrees to release LDS Women’s Book Review and NewLDSFiction.com 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.***

Jan 312013
 

Countdown to Christmas 2012 WINNERS!

 

Want to know why I love what we do here at LDSWBR?

It’s not all the books I get to read, though that is part of it.

It’s the people. From avid readers to talented authors, I get to meet and interact with the best people out there.

This was proven to me once again last month when my family and I faced the sudden loss of our mother and grandmother. Not only did all of you wait patiently as I dealt with that difficult Christmas week, but you continued to allow me the time I needed this last month to find my momentum again. I know I am not the first to have lost a mother, but it was the first time that I had lost someone so close to me. The kind words of sympathy and understanding offered by LDSWBR readers and authors reaffirmed to me the quality of people I am privileged to know and work with each day.

This is why Sheila, Mindy and I continue to volunteer our time, efforts, and money doing what we do. Other than the free books and PDFs we receive in exchange for our reviews, we receive no compensation except the reward of doing something we love.

And we love to give stuff away. So let’s get to it!

We want to give a big THANK YOU to the authors who participated and for the many authors who donated their books as drawing prizes.

The winners of the LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas 2012 are…..

 

  • Tres Leches Cupcakes by Josi S. Kilpack (signed paperback copy) – Leigh
  • Not Your Average Fairy Tale by Chantele Sedgwick (paperback or ebook) – Bethany
  • Deadly Undertakings by Gregg Luke (personalized paperback) – An Ordinary Mom
  • Turning Pages by Tristi Pinkston (personalized paperback) – Leigh
  • Athena by Heather B. Moore (autographed paperback) – Chris F.
  • The Kindling by Braden Bell (paperback, signed if desired) – Julie C.
  • Sudden Darkness by Margot Hovley (personalized paperback) – Ranae W. Mackley
  • Code Word by Traci Hunter Abramson (paperback) – Cathy Jeppsen
  • The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson (ebook) – Gayle Humpherys
  • The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson (ebook- PDF/.mobi) – Cathleen Moffat
  • Lady Outlaw by Stacy Henrie (signed paperback) – Tara (@gmail)
  • A Note Worth Taking by Lu Ann Staheli (Kindle) – Cathy Jeppsen
  • When Hearts Conjoin by Lu Ann Staheli (paperback) – Tara (@gmail)
  • Paige by Annette Lyon (signed paperback) – Melody Anthony
  • All Fall Down by Julie Coulter Bellon (personalized paperback) – Taffy
  • Smart Move by Melanie Jacobson (signed & personalized paperback) – An Ordinary Mom
  • Shadowed by Stephanie Black (personalized paperback or ebook) – Jolynn R.
  • Demons by Heather Frost (signed copy) – Lacey
  • Pride and Popularity by Jenni James (paperback) – Bethany
  • Northanger Alibi by Jenni James (paperback) – Andrea F.
  • Persuaded by Jenni James (paperback) – Chris F.
  • Emmalee by Jenni James (paperback) – Braden
  • **Bonus Prize** Of Grace and Chocolate by Krista Lynn Jensen (paperback) – Kym

 

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

Lexi@BookBug!!!

 

Congratulations!

Winners can send an email to ldswbr(at)gmail(dot)com to claim their prize.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Countdown to Christmas 2012. I had a great time reading every comment left on each post. One of our favorite things about our countdowns is the opportunity to get to know our LDSWBR followers and the authors better. We hope you feel the same.

May 2013 bring all of you many blessings and an abundance of good books!

 

 

Jan 152013
 
***UPDATE: Giveaway has been extended until February 12, 2013.***

In conjunction with our podcast interview with author Jeff (J. Scott) Savage, we are giving away three books: two copies of Case File 13: Zombie Kid and one copy of Dark Memories. See below for details!

*****

You hold in your hands a very dangerous record.

I have collected every side of the story and every piece of evidence on case number 13. Now, in this file, you will find all you need to follow the dark adventures of Nick, Carter, and Angelo, three boys who possess an unhealthy obsession with monsters, in a town so grisly, so horrific—

Whoa, whoa, whoa. You’re telling it all wrong, dude. You make it sound like it’s a scary story.

Ahem. Well, Nick, it is a scary story. In this volume alone, there are voodoo queens, graveyards—even the dreaded Zombie King himself.

Yeah, but there’s also the part where Angie gets mashed potatoes all in her face, and the part where I use my cool zombie powers to—

All right, point taken. Now, if you don’t mind . . .

You hold in your hands a very dangerous, very funny record, detailing the hilarious adventures of three boys who have an awesome obsession with monsters. This is the first volume. Read on if you dare. . . .

*****

There are things in the darkness—things much worse than the tracks and abandoned pieces of equipment that trip the children up and gash at their feet and legs—things that brush silently past them, touching their faces before disappearing again.

1977—In the sleepy Town of Twin falls, Colorado, what starts as a carefree school picnic ends in tragedy when six children disappear into an abandoned gold mine. Six enter the dark void—and days later, only five emerge. After an arduous search, the hunt for the last child is called off and the mine entrance is blasted. Little Frankie is left behind, alone in the darkness.

He is coming.

2011—Police Chief Cal Hunt’s investigation into the recent string of bizarre murders in Twin Falls takes a chilling turn when he learns that each of the victims was a survivor of the Seven Stars mine incident. Cal realizes that they share a dark secret—the truth about what happened to Frankie.

To drag them deeper.

With time running out for the remaining survivors, Cal must face a killer that defies all logical explanation. Because no matter how Cal analyzes the facts, there is only one conclusion: A supernatural force is reaching out from the depths to reclaim those who escaped more than thirty years before. And it will not rest until it takes them all . . .

Into the darkness.

*****

Contest Details:

By commenting and entering the giveaway on this post, 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 January 15, 2013 and all entries must be received by 12:00 Midnight February 12, 2013 Mountain Time; to enter- complete the required entry by leaving a thoughtful comment on the giveaway post and any bonus entries as outlined on the giveaway post; LDS Women’s Book Review reserves the right to determine what is considered a thoughtful comment; giveaway prizes include two (2) copies of Case File 13: Zombie Kid and one (1) copy of Dark Memories, both by Jeffery S. (J. Scott) Savage; 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 the week of February 13, 2013 by use of a sequence generator on random.org; winner will have until February 22, 2013 to claim their prize; if prize winner forfeits or does not claim prize, prize will be re-awarded to next winner in sequence; all prizes will be awarded; 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.

How to Enter:

  • REQUIRED ENTRY: Leave a comment on this post telling us your favorite book by Jeffrey S. (J. Scott) Savage. If you haven’t read any of his books yet, tell us which of his books you would read first. (Here are Goodreads book lists for J. Scott Savage and Jeffrey S. Savage.)
  • BONUS ENTRIES: Listen to Part 1 and Part 2 of our interview with Jeff (J. Scott) Savage and answer the questions on the form below. Each correct answer is worth two additional entries. You MUST complete the required entry for the bonus entries to be included.

Sep 062012
 

Last week I reviewed The Cinderella Project by Stan Crowe as part of the blog tour. I know LDSWBR blog readers are just as curious as I am about how Stan came to write contemporary romance, and I am so glad Stan agreed to write a guest post for Guest Author Thursday.

Publisher Breezy Reads has generously agreed to host an international giveaway for a copy of The Cinderella Project (physical copy – US only; electronic copy – US & International). Keep reading after Stan’s highly entertaining post to find out how to enter to win your own copy of The Cinderella Project.

*  *  *

Inside The Life and Mind of Male Romance Author, Stan Crowe

There’s something to be said about being reared in a perpetual cloud of estrogen, lacking father or brothers in the house. My time growing up with just sisters helped me be less clueless about the opposite sex, and I was raised with a healthy respect for women in general. I also had a reasonable idea of what they hoped for in a man.

That still didn’t help my dating life. Ah, well.

Writing romance, specifically, started out as an accident for me. I entered a writing contest and found that it required writing a love story. I went ahead anyway. Even before that contest, however, relationships factored heavily into many of my earlier stories—even the science fiction and fantasy ones.

For me, genre is predominantly a setting for human drama. There are few things more potentially dramatic than romantic relationships. Romance can certainly trigger non-romantic conflicts (Why hello, Helen! How are the Trojans doing?), and provide a myriad of story hooks. So even when I’m not targeting romance as a plot I’m usually developing one as a subplot in a story. That’s almost proverbial, actually. How many good stories don’t feature some kind of love interests?

Being a male writing about love, emotions, et cetera has proven interesting. Not surprisingly, I’ve been the target of good-natured mockery from some male friends (one guy’s reaction, when he learned I had written “chick lit,” was particularly priceless). Others have been more supportive, though my dad didn’t have much to say; I hope he doesn’t think he spawned a pansy. Women have received the story much more eagerly—no surprise there.

Even in our post-women’s lib society, we still have some pretty clear gender expectations. Many of those make perfect sense, and are natural (e.g. women can have babies; men just get to help), while others (e.g. “real” men don’t wear pink) are more artificial. Suppressing certain emotions is one of those in the “other” category. It’s too easy to think of men in love as nothing other than hormonal animals trying to breed as frequently as possible. While it’s true that men do tend to think about sex much more readily than women, that doesn’t mean it’s all we think about, and it’s certainly not the biggest factor in mate selection. Well, not for most men.

I hope to bring an inside perspective on the fact that us guys also deal with complicated emotions during courtship, and even into marriage. “Does she actually love me?” “Can I really take care of her properly?” “What will her parents think of me?” “How will I know what she really wants?”

The life and mind of this male romance author isn’t much different from the life and mind of most male authors (though they probably had brothers). I just get to include more kissing in my books, and not feel ashamed of it.

My wife loves it. She lets me practice my lines on her.

*  *  *

Thank you, Stan!

To enter the giveaway for a copy of The Cinderella Project, complete the Rafflecopter form below. The only required entry is to leave a thoughtful comment about Stan’s post below, though there are additional options if you want more entires into the giveaway. For your required entry to count, you must complete the Rafflecopter form and leave a thoughtful comment below.

Good luck!

*  *  *

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Aug 152012
 

 

Thank you to everyone who entered the YA Giveaway Hop on the LDSWBR blog. The response was amazing and wins the “Most Comments on a Single Post” award. This was LDSWBR’s first time participating in a blog hop, and I think we may have to do it again!

The winner gets to choose one of three books by great Utah authors: Variant by Robison Wells, Slayers by C.J. Hill, and Shifting by Bethany Wiggins.

And the winner is….

Tracy J.!!!

Tracy J. says: “I would choose Variant, because it sounds like a great suspense thriller, which is one of my favorite genres to read. It also has some pretty great reviews on Goodreads, which helped in making my decision. Thanks so much for the chance to win. It’s appreciated.”

Congratulations!

Email me at ldswbr (at) gmail (dot) com with your mailing address and we’ll get your copy of Variant on its way to you!

Happy reading!

 

 

Aug 072012
 

Young Adult Giveaway Hop

August 8 – 14

Hosted by I’m a Reader, Not a Writer and Reading Teen

 

LDS Women’s Book Review is participating in the Young Adult Giveaway Hop and giving you the chance to win your choice of one of the great young adult books by Utah authors below.

 *   *   *

Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.

He was wrong.

Now he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.

Where breaking the rules equals death.

But when Benson stumbles upon the school’s real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape–his only real hope for survival–may be impossible.

Read our review of VARIANT.

Dragons exist. They’re ferocious. And they’re smart: Before they were killed off by slayer-knights, they rendered a select group of eggs dormant, so their offspring would survive. Only a handful of people know about this, let alone believe it – these “Slayers” are descended from the original knights, and are now a diverse group of teens that includes Tori, a smart but spoiled senator’s daughter who didn’t sign up to save the world.

The dragon eggs have fallen into the wrong hands. The Slayers must work together to stop the eggs from hatching. They will fight; they will fall in love. But will they survive?

Read Shanda’s review of SLAYERS.

 

After bouncing from foster home to foster home, Magdalene Mae is transferred to what should be her last foster home in the tiny town of Silver City, New Mexico. Now that she’s eighteen and has only a year left in high school, she’s determined to stay out of trouble and just be normal.

Agreeing to go to the prom with Bridger O’Connell is a good first step. Fitting in has never been her strong suit, but it’s not for the reasons most people would expect-it all has to do with the deep secret that she is a shape shifter. But even in her new home danger lurks, waiting in the shadows to pounce. They are the Skinwalkers of Navajo legend, who have traded their souls to become the animal whose skin they wear-and Maggie is their next target.

Full of romance, mysticism, and intrigue, this dark take on Navajo legend will haunt readers to the final page.

Find SHIFTING on Goodreads.

*   *   *

All you need to do to enter is fill out the form below to make it easier for me to find you if you win, and then leave a comment below telling me what book you would choose and why.

***Don’t forget to leave a comment below telling me what book you would choose and why, otherwise your entry is incomplete.***

It is not a requirement to follow LDSWBR, however, if you like good clean reads, consider following us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or subscribing by email at the top of the sidebar. Thanks!

After you enter, be sure to visit I’m a Reader, Not a Writer for a list of participating blogs where you can enter to win even more prizes. Good luck!