Countdown to Summer – Page 4 – LDS Women's Book Review

Love Spell by Stan Crowe – Countdown to Summer 2013

Jun 292013

From a young age, Stan’s mother instilled in him a love of reading and writing. At age five, he won a local library writing contest, and became “published” for the first time.

In 2004, Brigham Young University awarded Stan with a Bachelors of Science in civil and environmental engineering, and he spent several years designing homes and prescribing work for bridges.

In the midst of all this, he produced a science fiction anthology in 2006. In 2012, Breezy Reads Publishing picked up his romantic comedy The Cinderella Project. And thus he transformed himself from Captain Kirk into Don Juan.

Stan lives with his wife and children (final count to be determined) in Pleasant Grove.

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LDSWBR: What books do you plan/hope to read this summer?

STAN: I’d love to finish Mircea Eliade’s “No Souvenirs,” I’m also working on book 1 of “The Brotherband Chronicles” by John Flanagan. I’ve still got a couple of Hugh Nibley volumes to read, and those are beasts in and of themselves, but if I keep chipping away at them…

LDSWBR: Did you ever go to summer camp, and/or what is your most memorable camping experience?

STAN: I’ve been to several summer camps. My most memorable experience? Too many to name, but here are a few.

Getting locked in a porta-potty by scouts from another troop
Riding the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands Utah
Having one of our scout leaders go over a cliff and fall fifty feet in the middle of the night, and watching the EMTs carry him to a helicopter on a stretcher the next morning

LDSWBR: If you could have a summer home anywhere in the world, where would it be?

STAN: I agree with my wife’s choice: somewhere along the coast of the Olympic Peninsula, preferably up near the Quileute tribal reservation.

LDSWBR: Thanks, Stan!

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Find Love Spell

KINDLE | NOOK | SMASHWORDS | GOODREADS

Clint Christopherson’s love life is a running joke. When a crazed gypsy curses him with the best wish he could ever ask for, the punchline stops being funny. Now, even his barest touch drives girls mad for him. Desperate to reverse the curse, he turns to his last hope: an attractive private investigator who may be able to locate his missing gypsy. If only Clint knew who it was he just hired…

I asked a lot of camping-related questions this year. What question suggestions do you have for the next Countdown to Summer?

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To enter the LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2013, leave a thoughtful comment below.

Comment on each Countdown to Summer 2013 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 HERE.

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 Summer 2013. A link posted to your friends and family either in email or on your favorite social network would be so greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Book prizes generously donated by the authors as of 6/29/2013 (more added throughout the countdown!):

A Blind Eye by Julie Daines (signed), a bookmark AND a Mind the Gap temporary tattoo
I, Spy by Jordan McCollum (choice of paperback or ebook)
Sworn Enemy by A.L. Sowards (choice of paperback or ebook)
Glimmer of Hope by Sarah M. Eden
A Change of Plans by Donna K. Weaver
Fairy Godmothers, Inc. by Jenniffer Wardell (signed paperback)
Esther the Queen by H.B. Moore (Kindle or Nook)
Belonging to Heaven by Gale Sears (or winner’s choice of another book by Gale)
Farworld: Air Keep by J. Scott Savage (personalized copy)
A Way Back to You by Emily Gray Clawson (personalized paperback)
Deep Cover by Traci Hunter Abramson (personalized paperback)
Second Chances by Melanie Jacobson (signed copy)
Cragbridge Hall: The Inventor’s Secret by Chad Morris (winner’s choice of hardcover or audiobook)
When the Butterflies Came by Kimberley Griffiths Little (signed hardcover and bookmarks)
The Orchard by Krista Lynne Jensen
Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George (signed copy)
Isabelle Webb: The Grecian Princess by N.C. Allen (winners choice of Kindle copy or signed paperback)
Love Spell by Stan Crowe (choice of ebook format downloadable from Smashwords)

By commenting and participating in the Countdown to Summer 2013 you agree to the following:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY; entrants must be 18 years or older; open to residents of continental US only; giveaway begins June 10, 2013 and all entries must be received by 12:00 Midnight June 30, 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 post’s 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 July 2, 2013 by use of a sequence generator on random.org; winners will have until July 10, 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.

Isabelle Webb: The Grecian Princess by N.C. Allen – Countdown to Summer 2013

Posted by Shanda Countdown to Summer

Jun 282013

Nancy Campbell Allen is the author of 11 published novels, which encompass a variety of genres from contemporary romantic suspense to historical fiction. Her Civil War series, Faith of our Fathers, won the Utah Best of State award in 2005 and two of her historicals featuring Isabelle Webb, Pinkerton spy, have been nominated for the Whitney Award. She served as the Teen Writers Conference chair in 2011 and 2012, and is currently the contest coordinator for the conference. She has presented at numerous conferences and events since her initial publication in 1999 with Covenant Communications.

Her formal schooling includes a B.S. in Elementary Education from Weber State University and she has taken on work as a freelance editor for the past two years, contributing to the recent release, We Knew Howard Hughes, by Jim Whetton. Additional work as a freelancer has included content and line edits on several YA paranormals for indie authors, editing companies, and Pendrell Publishing.

Nancy loves to read, write, travel and research, and enjoys spending time laughing with family and friends. She is married and the mother of three children, and lives in Ogden, Utah with her family and one very large Siberian Husky named Thor.

Visit Nancy: BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | GOODREADS

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LDSWBR: What books do you plan/hope to read this summer?

NANCY: I am currently reading “The Girl in the Steel Corset” by Kady Cross, and I will also be reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” with my bookclub. Complete extremes!

LDSWBR: Did you ever go to summer camp, and/or what is your most memorable camping experience?

NANCY: I attended girls camp each year from 12 to 18 and I have so many fun memories–they all run together in my mind. I suppose my most memorable would be the summer I accidentally threw my retainer into the fire–I had taken it out to eat s’mores because, come on, you don’t want that stuck to your retainer–and I wrapped it up in a napkin. When I was all done, I threw my napkins and paper plates into the fire and then FREAKED OUT. My parents were, thankfully, not angry enough to kill me.

LDSWBR: If you could have a summer home anywhere in the world, where would it be?

JESSICA: I would have a summer home in Martha’s Vineyard, or somewhere along the North Atlantic coast. YUM.

LDSWBR: Thank you, Nancy!

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Find Isabelle Webb: The Grecian Princess

AMAZON | DESERET BOOK (Paperbook, ebook & CD) | SEAGULL BOOK (Paperback & CD) | GOODREADS

The sun burns brightly over the ancient isle of Greece as former Pinkerton spy Isabelle Webb returns for her most rousing adventure yet. Legend has it that the location of a fantastic treasure is revealed only when three mystical jewels are united. In an effort to locate the elusive trove and the power it promises, shadowy organizations and greedy men have tirelessly pursued the three hidden stones for centuries. Isabelle and her trusted companions — including her dashing fianceé, James Ashby — are in possession of one of these legendary jewels, while nefarious treasure hunter Thaddeus Sparks retains another. The third stone, the Jewel of Hades, is rumored to be concealed on the rocky shores of Greece. As good and evil converge on this fiery island, the final battle for possession of the jewels — and their anciently protected secret — begins. When events take a deadly turn, Isabelle must rely on her keen instincts and indomitable spirit as dastardly forces threaten to make her first Greek expedition her last.

Have you ever accidentally thrown something in the fire or garbage?

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To enter the LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2013, leave a thoughtful comment below.

Comment on each Countdown to Summer 2013 post for more chances to win. Please click through to the website as only comments submitted directly on this post will be accepted.

Book prizes generously donated by the authors as of 6/28/2013 (more added throughout the countdown!):

A Blind Eye by Julie Daines (signed), a bookmark AND a Mind the Gap temporary tattoo
I, Spy by Jordan McCollum (choice of paperback or ebook)
Sworn Enemy by A.L. Sowards (choice of paperback or ebook)
Glimmer of Hope by Sarah M. Eden
A Change of Plans by Donna K. Weaver
Fairy Godmothers, Inc. by Jenniffer Wardell (signed paperback)
Esther the Queen by H.B. Moore (Kindle or Nook)
Belonging to Heaven by Gale Sears (or winner’s choice of another book by Gale)
Farworld: Air Keep by J. Scott Savage (personalized copy)
A Way Back to You by Emily Gray Clawson (personalized paperback)
Deep Cover by Traci Hunter Abramson (personalized paperback)
Second Chances by Melanie Jacobson (signed copy)
Cragbridge Hall: The Inventor’s Secret by Chad Morris (winner’s choice of hardcover or audiobook)
When the Butterflies Came by Kimberley Griffiths Little (signed hardcover and bookmarks)
The Orchard by Krista Lynne Jensen
Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George (signed copy)
Isabelle Webb: The Grecian Princess by N.C. Allen (winners choice of Kindle copy or signed paperback)

By commenting and participating in the Countdown to Summer 2013 you agree to the following:

Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George – Countdown to Summer 2013

Posted by Shanda Countdown to Summer

Jun 272013

Jessica Day George likes books, chocolate, movies, knitting, Disneyland, very small dogs, and traveling. She has a husband and three small children, who live with her in an only slightly dusty house in the Salt Lake valley. She is the author of nine books to date, and the most recent (WEDNESDAYS IN THE TOWER) was on the New York Times Bestseller List.

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

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LDSWBR: What books do you plan/hope to read this summer?

JESSICA: Let’s see . . . Currently reading THE FIFTH WAVE by Rick Yancey. Next up: WARM BODIES by Isaac Marion (loved the movie!), ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins, BLOOD MOON and BLOOD PROPHECY by Alyxandra Harvey, IN DARKNESS by Nick Lake, DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT by Laini Taylor, THE SPARROW by Mary Doria Russell, ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL by James Herriot, and ANATHEM by Neal Stephenson, A WALK IN THE WOODS by Bill Bryson, SUPERNATURALLY by Kiersten White . . . And that’s just for starters!

LDSWBR: Did you ever go to summer camp, and/or what is your most memorable camping experience?

JESSICA: I went to LDS girl’s camp for three years as a teen. I declined the fourth year, because you even had to pack your own toilet paper and carry everything with you. (And, according to rumor, carry it all back out, too. Yes. The toilet paper, too.) Yeah, not something that sounded fun. One year my friend Rebecca and I went to 4-H camp, which was held in nice cabins at this cool camp and sounded amazing. I’m sure it was fine, but all I remember, though, is that for inspections we tried to mop our cabin floor by squirting it with water from someone’s contraband Super Soaker, and it just made mud. Our counselor started crying. We did not win the cleanest cabin award.

LDSWBR: If you could have a summer home anywhere in the world, where would it be?

JESSICA: Somewhere on a fjord in Norway. (Of course!)

LDSWBR: Thank you so much, Jessica! I just gave my niece WEDNESDAYS for her birthday since I gave her TUESDAYS last year. She was very excited, and I found out she’s read TUESDAYS four times. I need to bring her to your next signing so you can autograph her books. :)

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Find Wednesdays in the Tower

AMAZON (Hardcover & Kindle) | BARNES & NOBLE (Hardcover & Nook) | DESERET BOOK | GOODREADS

A castle that is constantly rearranging itself, and a young royal family sworn to protect it… Celie, Rolf, and their beloved Castle Glower are back in this exciting sequel.

Strange things are afoot in Castle Glower: new rooms, corridors, and even stables keep arriving, even when they aren’t needed. Celie’s brother Bran, the new Royal Wizard, has his hands full cataloguing an entire storeroom full of exotic and highly dangerous weapons, while Celie has her hands full . . . raising the creature that hatches from a giant egg she finds! Will they be able to find out what’s making the Castle behave this way in time?

Have you read any of the books on Jessica’s summer reading list? OR, have you ever been to Norway?

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To enter the LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2013, leave a thoughtful comment below.

Comment on each Countdown to Summer 2013 post for more chances to win. Please click through to the website as only comments submitted directly on this post will be accepted.

Book prizes generously donated by the authors as of 6/27/2013 (more added throughout the countdown!):

A Blind Eye by Julie Daines (signed), a bookmark AND a Mind the Gap temporary tattoo
I, Spy by Jordan McCollum (choice of paperback or ebook)
Sworn Enemy by A.L. Sowards (choice of paperback or ebook)
Glimmer of Hope by Sarah M. Eden
A Change of Plans by Donna K. Weaver
Fairy Godmothers, Inc. by Jenniffer Wardell (signed paperback)
Esther the Queen by H.B. Moore (Kindle or Nook)
Belonging to Heaven by Gale Sears (or winner’s choice of another book by Gale)
Farworld: Air Keep by J. Scott Savage (personalized copy)
A Way Back to You by Emily Gray Clawson (personalized paperback)
Deep Cover by Traci Hunter Abramson (personalized paperback)
Second Chances by Melanie Jacobson (signed copy)
Cragbridge Hall: The Inventor’s Secret by Chad Morris (winner’s choice of hardcover or audiobook)
When the Butterflies Came by Kimberley Griffiths Little (signed hardcover and bookmarks)
The Orchard by Krista Lynne Jensen
Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George (signed copy)

By commenting and participating in the Countdown to Summer 2013 you agree to the following:

The Orchard by Krista Lynne Jensen – Countdown to Summer 2013

Posted by Shanda Countdown to Summer

Jun 262013

Nearly every one of Krista Lynne Jensen’s elementary school teachers made a note on her report card pointing out that she was a “day-dreamer”. It was not a compliment. So, when Krista grew up, she put those day dreams down on paper for others to enjoy. When writing, she fuels her creativity with chocolate-covered cinnamon bears and popcorn. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, hiking, her family, and sunshine. But not laundry. She never day-dreams about laundry.

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

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LDSWBR: What books do you plan/hope to read this summer?

KRISTA: We are in the process of moving, and are in the depths of all the paperwork involved in an international adoption. Alas, my free reading time is almost non-existent. But I did get to beta read for a few friends: Robison Wells’ sequel to BLACKOUT, which was awesome. And Marion Jensen’s sequel to ALMOST SUPER, which was equally awesome. I can’t wait until the first books in these series come out, then I will read each of those again. I have some Sarah Eden on the pile, and The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen. Heather Moore, Melanie Jacobson, Dan Wells, Brandon Sanderson, and some summer love with Nora Roberts. I really like to mix it up. I’d like to catch up on some Georgette Heyer, too. I hope to have some time to indulge soon, because that list is huge.

LDSWBR: Did you ever go to summer camp, and/or what is your most memorable camping experience?

KRISTA: I love camping. My parents were big campers. As a matter-of-fact when I was little we had one car. Just one. And because we just had one, and we liked to camp so much, my parents chose a VW camper bus. It was red and awesome. The top popped up and made a bunk bed. Me and my sister got to sleep up there. In the morning we’d peek over the edge and wake up Mom and Dad. It had a little fridge and a table on a hinge. The water from the little pump sink tasted gross, though. Later we tent camped and I liked that, too, but I really loved that camper. I loved that I got to ride around all year, to school, to the store, in our camper bus.

LDSWBR: If you could have a summer home anywhere in the world, where would it be?

KRISTA: This is a really hard and tortuous question. I haven’t been to enough places yet to make that call. But from the places I HAVE been, I think I would choose Lake of the Woods, Oregon. Or Loon Lake in Montana, which inspired part of The Orchard trilogy. I love lakes. So a lake house. Also, a beach house on the Oregon coast. So a beach house, too. Can I have two summer homes? See, now I’m being greedy. I should be thankful for one summer home. I think LDSWBR should hold a drawing for a summer home. Is that why you’re asking us this question? *looks around for secret prize curtain*

LDSWBR: Thanks, Krista! I love how much you loved that VW camper bus. It sounds like a lot of fun! And no on the secret summer home prize. But nice try.

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Find The Orchard

AMAZON (Paperback & Kindle) | DESERET BOOK (Paperback & DB Bookshelf) | SEAGULL BOOK | GOODREADS

On the idyllic shores of Flathead Lake, Montana, Alisen Embry finds purpose and comfort tending her late mother’s cherry orchard adjacent to the family’s beloved lake house. Though pained by the loss of her mother and her father’s estrangement, it is Derick Whitney—the man she fell in love with four years earlier—who truly influences Alisen’s view of her future . . .

Derick and Alisen wanted nothing more than to spend eternity together; however, intolerance and secrets forced Alisen to make a shattering choice between her family and the man she loved.

But destiny always has a way of setting things right . . .

Now the Embry family has found themselves hopelessly in debt, and they realize renting the lake house is the only hope of saving the cherished orchard and family home. When Alisen discovers the new tenants have a connection to her past, her life takes an unexpected turn. Will fate find a way to reconnect what was broken so many years before?

Don’t you just love that cover? One of my favorite covers ever. Okay, beach house or lake house? -OR – Have you ever ridden or camped in or owned a VW camper bus? (Oh, and by the way, DOUBLE SLUG BUG!)

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To enter the LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2013, leave a thoughtful comment below.

Comment on each Countdown to Summer 2013 post for more chances to win. Please click through to the website as only comments submitted directly on this post will be accepted.

Book prizes generously donated by the authors as of 6/26/2013 (more added throughout the countdown!):

A Blind Eye by Julie Daines (signed), a bookmark AND a Mind the Gap temporary tattoo
I, Spy by Jordan McCollum (choice of paperback or ebook)
Sworn Enemy by A.L. Sowards (choice of paperback or ebook)
Glimmer of Hope by Sarah M. Eden
A Change of Plans by Donna K. Weaver
Fairy Godmothers, Inc. by Jenniffer Wardell (signed paperback)
Esther the Queen by H.B. Moore (Kindle or Nook)
Belonging to Heaven by Gale Sears (or winner’s choice of another book by Gale)
Farworld: Air Keep by J. Scott Savage (personalized copy)
A Way Back to You by Emily Gray Clawson (personalized paperback)
Deep Cover by Traci Hunter Abramson (personalized paperback)
Second Chances by Melanie Jacobson (signed copy)
Cragbridge Hall: The Inventor’s Secret by Chad Morris (winner’s choice of hardcover or audiobook)
When the Butterflies Came by Kimberley Griffiths Little (signed hardcover and bookmarks)
The Orchard by Krista Lynne Jensen

By commenting and participating in the Countdown to Summer 2013 you agree to the following:

When the Butterflies Came by Kimberley Griffiths Little – Countdown to Summer 2013

Posted by Shanda Countdown to Summer

Jun 252013

Kimberley Griffiths Little is the critically acclaimed author of several MG novels with Scholastic and an upcoming YA trilogy with Harpercollins in 2014. She has won the Southwest Book Award, the Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel of 2010, listed with the Bank Street College Best Books of 2011, a Crystal Kit Finalist, and a New Mexico Book Award Finalist. Her books have sold several hundred thousand copies in the Scholastic Book Fairs and have been chosen for many state reading lists. Kimberley speaks at schools around the country, presenting “The Creative Diary”, a highly successful writing workshop and has also been a keynote speaker at various conferences. She is a co-founder of SPELLBINDERS, a national newsletter for Educators and Librarians to create life-long readers.

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LDSWBR: What books do you plan/hope to read this summer?

KIMBERLEY: SUGAR, a beautiful historical MG by Jewell Parker Rhodes (whom I met and spoke with on a panel at the Tucson Book Festival last year. She is a marvelous writer and a dynamic woman!)

MISS FORTUNE COOKIE by Lauren Bjorkman, a fellow New Mexico author who is such a talent. I love her perfect YA contemporary voice.

GORGEOUS by Paul Rudnick; an irreverent, funny YA by a new author about what it means to be beautiful (warning: it does have quite a bit of swearing in it).

I’m reading Alice Hoffman, an adult writer, for the very first time. I heard about THE DOVEKEEPERS, fro some fellow travelers when I was in Israel this past February. THE DOVEKEEPERS is an ancient historical novel about the women who lived, survived, and died on Masada in ancient Israel. I visited Masada in February, a spectacular spot with a very sad and gripping story. Since I’m writing my own historical trilogy set in the ancient Middle East (A YA that debuts Fall 2014 with Harpercollins) I’m really excited about this book.

LDSWBR: Did you ever go to summer camp, and/or what is your most memorable camping experience?

KIMBERLEY: Nope, I never went away to a camp during the summer; that wasn’t something middle-class suburban kids outside of San Francisco did, but our family camped a lot all over California from Death Valley to the Redwood Forests in the north. A memorable camping experience happened one year when we woke up to a blanket of snow outside our tent in Yellowstone – during August! (Yes, we also camped outside California.)

I was one of those kids that loved going to summer school. I’d take the Drama class and participate in the summer play. Loads of great experiences and fun—even if most of my parts were small in the background or the chorus. If there was a Creative Writing Class or Driver’s Ed I was all over that, too!

LDSWBR: If you could have a summer home anywhere in the world, where would it be?

KIMBERLEY: So many possibilities! A New England lake, the countryside of Italy in a villa, a castle in Scotland, but until I sell books like Stephenie Meyer, I’ll take a beach house in southern California.

LDSWBR: Thank you so much, Kimberley!

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Find When the Butterflies Came

AMAZON (Hardcover & Kindle) | BARNES & NOBLE (Hardcover & Nook) | SCHOLASTIC (Online store & Book Fairs) | GOODREADS

Everybody thinks Tara Doucet has the perfect life. But in reality, Tara’s life is anything but perfect: Her dear Grammy Claire has just passed away, her mother is depressed and distant, and she and her sister Riley can’t seem to agree on anything. But when mysterious and dazzling butterflies begin to follow her around after Grammy Claire’s funeral, Tara just knows in her heart that her grandmother has left her one final mystery to solve.

A strange butler brings Tara and Riley to Grammy Claire’s house, where Tara finds a stack of keys and detailed letters from Grammy Claire herself. Note by note, Tara learns unexpected truths about her grandmother’s life. As the letters grow more ominous and the clues more difficult to decipher, Tara realizes that the secrets she must uncover could lead to mortal danger. And when Tara and Riley are swept away to the beautiful islands of Chuuk to hear their grandmother’s will, Tara discovers the most shocking truth of all — one that will change her life forever.

From Kimberley Griffiths Little comes a magical, breathtaking mystery full of loss and love, family and faith.

Have you ever been to Yellowstone? If so, what was your favorite feature? If not, what would you like to see if you were to go?

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To enter the LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2013, leave a thoughtful comment below.

Comment on each Countdown to Summer 2013 post for more chances to win. Please click through to the website as only comments submitted directly on this post will be accepted.

Book prizes generously donated by the authors as of 6/25/2013 (more added throughout the countdown!):

A Blind Eye by Julie Daines (signed), a bookmark AND a Mind the Gap temporary tattoo
I, Spy by Jordan McCollum (choice of paperback or ebook)
Sworn Enemy by A.L. Sowards (choice of paperback or ebook)
Glimmer of Hope by Sarah M. Eden
A Change of Plans by Donna K. Weaver
Fairy Godmothers, Inc. by Jenniffer Wardell (signed paperback)
Esther the Queen by H.B. Moore (Kindle or Nook)
Belonging to Heaven by Gale Sears (or winner’s choice of another book by Gale)
Farworld: Air Keep by J. Scott Savage (personalized copy)
A Way Back to You by Emily Gray Clawson (personalized paperback)
Deep Cover by Traci Hunter Abramson (personalized paperback)
Second Chances by Melanie Jacobson (signed copy)
Cragbridge Hall: The Inventor’s Secret by Chad Morris (winner’s choice of hardcover or audiobook)
When the Butterflies Came by Kimberley Griffiths Little (signed hardcover and bookmarks)

By commenting and participating in the Countdown to Summer 2013 you agree to the following:

Cragbridge Hall: The Inventor’s Secret by Chad Morris – Countdown to Summer 2013

Posted by Shanda Countdown to Summer

Jun 242013

Chad Morris grew up wanting to become a professional basketball player or a rock star. Inspired by Animal from The Muppets, he has been banging on drums since he was eight years old. Neither of those plans quite panned out. After high school, he wrote and performed sketch comedy while going to college. He graduated from BYU with a couple of degrees and became a teacher and a curriculum writer.

Chad would love to teach at Cragbridge Academy. Unlike Oscar Cragbridge, he hasn’t really invented anything, though his young son once sketched out blueprints for a machine that would turn celery into cookies.

Chad lives in Utah with his wife and five kids.

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LDSWBR: What books do you plan/hope to read this summer?

CHAD: I always have a huge list and never stick to it. I end up reading whatever I feel like at the time. (I’m terrible in a book club.) But here are a few I hope I get to:

Beyonders 3: Chasing the Prophecy, by Brandon Mull (I’ve loved the series.)

Keeper of the Lost Cities, by Shannon Messenger (I’m curious and hear good things.)

A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle (I’ve never read it. I know. I know. I should be banished from all things books. I’m a slacker.)

Bad Unicorn, by Platte Clark (Platte’s in my writing group, and he’s hilarious. But we started the group after this one was done.)

Feedback, by Robison Well (I loved Variant. I’m very curious about the sequel.)

I also have a nonfiction list with Walter Isaacson’s biography on Benjamin Franklin, Chernow’s bio of Rockefellor, or Mayflower by Philbrick .

My first read this summer though has been The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander. I cracked it open the other day and got sucked in. Back when I was a third grader who hated reading, this was the book that won me over. In general, I don’t reread books, but it has been so long that it’s been fun to try it out again.

LDSWBR: Did you ever go to summer camp, and/or what is your most memorable camping experience?

CHAD: Oh, I went to music camp and basketball camp once I think, but most of them were scout camps—both as a boy and as a leader. I have a slew of memories:

· A skunk roaming into camp

· Making a hot tub by damming up a creek and rolling stones from a fire into the pool (It sounds better than it actually worked.)

· Playing king of the branch over a river. (I definitely didn’t win that one.)

· Cliff jumping into Island Lake in the Uintahs. (Hitting the cold water was scarier than falling the 50 feet. WARNING: the height may be a hindsight exaggeration.)

· My Scoutmaster wearing Halloween masks and jumping out of bushes at us. (Yeah, he was that awesome.)

· Watching as Brian ate nine full hamburgers and three hot dogs after a day of hiking. (The kid could down it.)

· Picking water fights with other rafts on the river, ending with both of us tipped over in the freezing water. (Though in my mind, my raft definitely won.)

· Spelunking through caves.

· Rappelling in Zion’s National Park to some of the most amazing places on earth.

I remember having a crazy dream while I was on a camp in the Wind River Mountains. I was sitting around the campfire with all my friends, when they got up to leave. I tried to join them, but some invisible barrier wouldn’t let me. I pushed against it, but couldn’t move anywhere. I was trapped. “Hey guys, wait a second.” I pushed more and more, but some invisible force wouldn’t let me leave the campfire. My friends kept walking. I called out to them again and again. Finally, I screamed, “I can’t get out of here!”

Then I woke up—standing in my tent, with both hands pressing against its sides. And I had yelled the last sentence out loud.

I definitely got teased for that one.

LDSWBR: If you could have a summer home anywhere in the world, where would it be?

CHAD: I kind of love Whidbey Island up in Washington. Somewhere in Cali on the coast would be awesome. Oh, or I’d love a simple cabin in the mountains.

LDSWBR: Something like that happened to me once when I was so tired I couldn’t find the door to my bedroom in the middle of the night and started banging on my walls. Glad I’m not the only that’s done that. :) Thanks, Chad!

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Find Cragbridge Hall: The Inventor’s Secret

AMAZON (Hardcover, Kindle, CD & Audible.com) | BARNES & NOBLE | DESERET BOOK (Harcover, ebook & CD) | SEAGULL BOOK | GOODREADS

Imagine a school in the year 2074 where students don’t read history, but watch it happen around them; where running in gym class isn’t around a track, but up a virtual mountain; and where learning about animals means becoming one through an avatar.

Welcome to Cragbridge Hall, the most advanced and prestigious school in the world. Twin siblings Abby and Derick Cragbridge are excited as new students to use their famed grandfather’s inventions that make Cragbridge Hall so incredible. But when their grandfather and parents go missing, the twins begin following a trail of clues left by their grandfather. They must find out where their family is, learn who they can trust, and discover what secrets are hidden within Cragbridge Hall.

Abby and Derick soon realize they are caught in a race with a fierce adversary to discover their grandfather’s greatest secret–a dangerous discovery that could alter both history and reality.

Have you ever cliff jumped, spelunked (that’s a word, right?) or rapelled?

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To enter the LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2013, leave a thoughtful comment below.

Comment on each Countdown to Summer 2013 post for more chances to win. Please click through to the website as only comments submitted directly on this post will be accepted.

Book prizes generously donated by the authors as of 6/24/2013 (more added throughout the countdown!):

A Blind Eye by Julie Daines (signed), a bookmark AND a Mind the Gap temporary tattoo
I, Spy by Jordan McCollum (choice of paperback or ebook)
Sworn Enemy by A.L. Sowards (choice of paperback or ebook)
Glimmer of Hope by Sarah M. Eden
A Change of Plans by Donna K. Weaver
Fairy Godmothers, Inc. by Jenniffer Wardell (signed paperback)
Esther the Queen by H.B. Moore (Kindle or Nook)
Belonging to Heaven by Gale Sears (or winner’s choice of another book by Gale)
Farworld: Air Keep by J. Scott Savage (personalized copy)
A Way Back to You by Emily Gray Clawson (personalized paperback)
Deep Cover by Traci Hunter Abramson (personalized paperback)
Second Chances by Melanie Jacobson (signed copy)
Cragbridge Hall: The Inventor’s Secret by Chad Morris (winner’s choice of hardcover or audiobook)

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