Countdown to Summer – Page 5 – LDS Women's Book Review

Second Chances by Melanie Jacobson – Countdown to Summer 2013

Jun 222013

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 and a popular speaker 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 fifth novel, Second Chances, hit shelves this spring.

Visit Melanie: WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

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

MELANIE: I’m heavily into contemporary YA right now. I just discovered Jessi Kirby and loved her stuff, so I’m going to read more of that and other similar books, especially Kasie West’s The Distance Between Us. I’m looking forward to my friend Jenny Proctor’s debut from Covenant, The House at Rose Creek.

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

MELANIE: My most memorable camping experience was being trapped in a tent with my best friend over Spring Break in Florida while a skunk circled around outside. We were frozen until the little dude left.

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

MELANIE: I know it’s not very exotic, but I think I’d choose somewhere in the South because that’s where I grew up. Maybe North Carolina or Tennessee on the side of a lake with some mountains in the distance. I love the lightning bugs and the smell of summer almost anywhere you go in the South during the summer.

LDSWBR: Thank you, Melanie!

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Find Second Chances

AMAZON (Paperback & Kindle) | DESERET BOOK (Paperback & ebook) | SEAGULL BOOK | GOODREADS

After walking out of a thankless job at a prestigious marketing firm, feisty California entrepreneur Louisa Gibson is going into business for herself. Lou’s pioneering venture, The Mormon Bachelor, is a reality dating web series sure to be fabulous advertising for her new marketing firm. And as a bonus, she can solve a problem close to home: while Huntington Beach is crawling with eligible, sun-bronzed Saints, they’ve forgotten the vital skill of dating. Lou hopes the reality show will finally inspire this group of hangout enthusiasts to pair off. But shortly before filming begins, the unthinkable happens — Trentyn, a.k.a. The Bachelor, gets a girlfriend. And Lou needs a new leading man — fast.

Enter Nick, Lou’s devastatingly handsome ex-boyfriend. He’s the stereotypical actor: shallow, self-serving…and perfect for the job. A whirlwind of dating ensues, with Nick at the center of it all. Things are going according to plan — that is, until Lou is forced to step in as a substitute bachelorette, becoming an unwitting cast member on her own show. Despite Nick’s attempts to reestablish their friendship and the growing spark between them, Lou is determined to keep her distance. The show must go on — but what’s a girl to do when the Mr. Wrong of the past just may be the Mr. Right of the future?

Read Shanda’s review of Second Chances

Have you ever seen and/or caught a lightning 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.

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 6/22/2013 (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)

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.

Deep Cover by Traci Hunter Abramson – Countdown to Summer 2013

Posted by Shanda Countdown to Summer

Jun 212013

Traci Hunter Abramson was born in Arizona, where she lived until moving to Venezuela for a study-abroad program. After graduating from Brigham Young University, she worked for the Central Intelligence Agency for several years, eventually resigning in order to raise her family. And though Traci found her passion in caring for her family, she couldn’t manage to forget the action of the CIA, so she turned to writing about it. She has gone on to write a number of bestselling suspense novels that have consistently been nominated as Whitney Award finalists and won her first this year. She enjoys reading, writing, and coaching high school swimming.

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

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

TRACI: Since I have a daughter leaving for Taiwan in a few months, I’m sure I’ll be reading about that country as we prepare for her to leave. As for fiction, two novels that I’m really hoping to make time to read this summer are The House at Rose Creek by Jenny Proctor and Second Chances by Melanie Jacobson.

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

TRACI: Believe it or not, one of my most memorable camp experiences happened just last year when I was one of the camp directors for girls’ camp. Trying to be helpful, I had suggested that some of the girls use a tarp to sit on after a rainstorm. They weren’t too happy with me when they discovered a slug wrapped up inside of it.

That evening my friend Tami and I were doing bed checks and the girls commented on the slug again, insinuating that I might have set them up to find it. After insisting that I really hadn’t tried to pull any practical jokes on them, Tami and I turned to check on the next tent. And the beam of our flashlight landed on a tree…and a big slimy slug.

Words weren’t needed. Tami tried to use a stick to collect the slug, unfortunately knocking on the ground. While we were looking in the leaves for it, I found another slug. Using a leaf, I picked up the smaller slug. After all, slugs really are slimy. Then we found the larger slug and Tami followed suit. On the count of three, we pulled open the tent flap and tossed both slugs inside.

Needless to say, I never have to research what it sounds like when ten teenage girls scream simultaneously.

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

TRACI: That’s a tough one. I love the Finger Lakes region in New York, especially since my family loves canoeing and boating. For me, I really enjoy Virginia Beach, although I prefer it in the winter when it isn’t so crowded. Another place I would love to summer would be at a lakeside house at Smith Mountain Lake, also here in Virginia. I guess the short answer would be somewhere near the water.

LDSWBR: Thanks, Traci!

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Find Deep Cover

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

Twenty-eight-year-old Kelsey Weber is one of the CIA’s finest undercover agents. After two years under deep cover in Salman Nassar’s desert compound, she’s unearthed vital information on the volatile Middle Eastern extremist sect. When her allegiance is called into question, Nassar teaches her a lesson she won’t forget—with a bullet to the leg. Kelsey is whisked out of the field to recuperate in the safety of her missionary parents’ empty Virginia home. But civilian life proves to be more complicated than Kelsey anticipated when she meets FBI agent Noah Cabbott, the handsome neighbor tasked by her parents with safeguarding the family home in their absence. As their relationship deepens, she’s torn by her inability to divulge who—and what—she really is.

In a twist of fate, their separate investigations converge in a horrifying plot that threatens the nation’s security, and Kelsey’s identity is revealed. She and Noah have been assigned as members of a secret task force, united with one common goal: to thwart Nassar’s impending terrorist attack. As the situation grows increasingly dire, she is horrified to learn that there is a traitor in their midst: An agency mole has been leaking information to the enemy. Kelsey’s world is thrown into chaos with the shocking realization that nothing is as it seems, and each step toward the truth draws her deeper into a web of conspiracy more intricate and deadly than she dreamed . . .

Do you have a funny insect/slimy creature story?

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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 6/21/2013 (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)

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

A Way Back to You by Emily Gray Clawson – Countdown to Summer 2013

Posted by Shanda Countdown to Summer

Jun 202013

Emily Gray Clawson describes herself as an author, mother, and youth mentor. Born and raised in Utah, she is passionate about her faith and great books and will share her love of both with anyone who will listen. Emily began writing at the age of seven, creating homemade picture books that she peddled from door to door. She self-published her first novel, Things Hope For, and is collaborating with Jennifer Graves on a book entitled A Sister’s Witness: The Powell Family Tragedy. With her husband, Richard, Emily founded two youth leadership programs, Handmaidens of Virtue and Mastering Knighthood. Trained in vocal performance in college, she has enjoyed including aspects of her training in this book. Emily and Richard are the parents of four children and live in Taylorsville, Utah.

Visit Emily: BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

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

EMILY: Oh, the list is long. A few (off the top of my head): Change of Plans by Donna King Weaver. Pretty Like Us by Carol Lynch Williams (I’m a HUGE fan). Everything I can get my hands on by Shannon Hale. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (am I the only person in the world who hasn’t already read it?). Also, lots of awesome reading for my critique group members, Jordan McCollum and Julie Bellon.

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

EMILY: Summer camp, summer camp. I remember one year at LDS Young Women’s camp. We went to a girl scout camp, Cloud Rim. It was awesome. Canoeing and hiking and all sorts of stuff. On the second day we got news of a huge storm cell headed our way complete with flash flood warnings for our area. We had to be evacuated. We were devastated. We’d been looking forward to this for months! We all made our way back home and finished up our “camp” in the gym of our church. Not exactly the Uintas. In the end, I was grateful that our leaders kept us safe.

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

EMILY: Somewhere in the pacific northwest. Trees. Beaches. Breezes. More trees. Sand. Seashells. More trees. Hey, did I mention trees? I always long for the cool and green of the forest when it gets toasty and sweltering in July and August.

LDSWBR: Thank you, Emily!

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Find A Way Back to You

AMAZON (Paperback & Kindle) | DESERET BOOK (Paperback & ebook) | GOODREADS

For two-and-a-half years, Annabelle, a young widow with three small children, has been stuck in the past. Numbed by grief and overwhelmed by the responsibility of raising her three small children alone, she agrees to let them spend the weekend with a friend while she tries to get some much-needed rest at her parents’ home. But the next morning, Annabelle is suddenly sixteen again—and it just happens to be the worst day of her teenage years. As she relives the drama of high school life, Annabelle realizes that her future husband, Mitch, has just returned from a mission and is living on the other side of town. While getting Mitch’s attention is more complicated than she imagined, Annabelle discovers that she is stronger than she has been willing to admit, and there just might be a future for her after all.

Has bad weather ever ruined your plans?

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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 6/20/2013 (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)

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

Insomnia by J.R. Johansson – Countdown to Summer 2013

Posted by Shanda Countdown to Summer

Jun 192013

J.R. JOHANSSON is a young adult thriller author published with Flux & FSG/Macmillan. Her debut, INSOMNIA is coming June 2013. She has a B.S. degree in public relations and a background in marketing. She credits her abnormal psychology minor with inspiring many of her characters. When she’s not writing, she loves reading, playing board games, and sitting in her hot tub. Her dream is that someday she can do all three at the same time. She has two young sons and a wonderful husband. In fact, other than her cat, Cleo, she’s nearly drowning in testosterone.

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

J.R.: ABANDON by Elana Johnson, DISTANCE BETWEEN US by Kasie West, TEN by Gretchen McNeil and GAME OF THRONES by George R. R. Martin.

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

J.R.: I never went, but I always imagined that there would be a boys camp across the lake and we would sneak out and play tricks on them while they slept…it’s probably better that this little delusion was never shattered. :) My most memorable camping experience as an adult involved food poisoning, and that’s just not something I should talk about–ever.

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

J.R.: It would be on a beach in the Caribbean, but I’m leaving this open for revising. There are a lot of places in the world I haven’t been yet. I reserve the right to change my mind.

LDSWBR: Thank you so much!

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Find INSOMNIA

In J.R.’s words: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kindle, Nook, iBooks, Indiebound, BooksAMillion, Book Depository and pretty much everywhere else. Plus, it will be coming soon in Germany, Italy, Hungary and Taiwan!

It’s been four years since I slept, and I suspect it is killing me.

Instead of sleeping, Parker Chipp enters the dream of the last person he’s had eye contact with. He spends his nights crushed by other people’s fear and pain, by their disturbing secrets—and Parker can never have dreams of his own. The severe exhaustion is crippling him. If nothing changes, Parker could soon be facing psychosis and even death.

Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissful rest that is utterly addictive. Parker starts going to bizarre lengths to catch Mia’s eye every day. Everyone at school thinks he’s gone over the edge, even his best friend. And when Mia is threatened by a true stalker, everyone thinks it’s Parker.

Suffering blackouts, Parker begins to wonder if he is turning into someone dangerous. What if the monster stalking Mia is him after all?

Read Sheila’s review of INSOMNIA

Time to spill your best prank-at-camp story.

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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 6/19/2013 (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)

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

Farworld: Air Keep and Dark Memories by Jeffery S. (J. Scott) Savage – Countdown to Summer 2013

Posted by Shanda Countdown to Summer

Jun 182013

J. Scott Savage is the author of twelve published novels, including the Farworld fantasy series, the Case File 13 MG monster series, and the Shandra Covington mystery series (published as Jeffrey S. Savage).

Visit Jeff: BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

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

JEFF: Anything I can get my hands on! Off the top of my head: The Ocean at the End of the Lane and Doctor Sleep. I’ve just finished an ARC of Lock & Co, Insomnia by Jenn Johansson, the 3rd Beyonders book, and an ARC of The Eye of Minds.

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

JEFF: My family camped all the time and I also went to Scout camp every year. Most memorable moment is waking up on the 3rd morning of a fifty miler to find the entire scout troop staring at me . . . and the huge skunk that had been climbing back and forth across my sleeping bag.

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

JEFF: On a lake in the California redwoods.

LDSWBR: Thanks, Jeff/J. Scott! ;)

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Find Farworld: Air Keep

AMAZON (Hardcover, Kindle & Audio) | BARNES & NOBLE (Hardcover) | DESERET BOOK (Hardcover, ebook & CD) | GOODREADS

It’s been six months since Marcus and Kyja obtained the help of the land and water elementals, but before they can secure the help from the mysterious air elementals, the two friends must first be reunited. A task easier said than done.

Master Therapass is worried that trying to pull Marcus to Farworld would put him in danger of the shadow realm, but if Marcus stays on Earth, he’ll be sent back to the Philo T. Justice School for Boys instead of being able to stay on the protected grounds of the monastery.

While attempting to return to Farworld, Marcus finds himself in the Abyss of Time, facing four doors: the Is, the Was, the Will Be, and the Never Was. What he learns in that dangerous place has the potential to change his life—and Kyja’s. But does he have the courage to tell her what he learned?

And in Farworld, a drought, floods, and blizzards have seized the land, hinting that perhaps there is a traitor in the elementals’ midst. The Dark Circle is growing in power, and as Marcus and Kyja desperately search for the air elementals, they must first answer the question “Is there anyone we can trust?”

Find Dark Memories

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

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.

Have you ever encountered a skunk?

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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 6/18/2013 (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)

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

Belonging to Heaven by Gale Sears – Countdown to Summer 2013

Posted by Shanda Countdown to Summer

Jun 172013

Gale Sears delights in being an average person. She has her strengths and weaknesses, her good days and her bad, her abilities and lack thereof. She was born in Placerville, California and early on migrated to South Lake Tahoe where she was blessed to grow up amid some of the most beautiful scenery on earth. She and her mother lived several years in Honolulu Hawaii where she graduated from high school. Gale went on to college, eventually receiving a master’s degree in Theater Arts from the University of Minnesota.During her college years she met and married George Sears, and, after more than 40 years of marriage, he is still her sweetheart. They have two children—a son Shawn and a daughter Chandler. She has 7 published novels as well as 2 children’s picture books. Her last novel, Belonging to Heaven was published by Deseret book and came out in April of 2013.

Visit Gale: WEBSITE | BLOG | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

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

GALE: In the Company of Others by Jan Karon, U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton, Biography and Family Record of Lorenzo Snow by Eliza R. Snow Smith

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

GALE: I did go to summer camp! It was a girl scout camp near Meeks Bay, Lake Tahoe, California. The name of the camp was Camp Wasu and it afforded many wonderful experiences: hiking in the beautiful Sierra mountains, learning how to make camp fires, and singing goofy camp songs which I remember to this day.

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

GALE: Lake Tahoe.

LDSWBR: Thank you, Gale!

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Find Belonging to Heaven

AMAZON (Hardcover & Kindle) | DESERET BOOK (Hardcover, ebook & audio/MP3) | SEAGULL BOOK | GOODREADS

Descended from the Hawaiian royal line, Jonathan Napela became one of the first—and most influential—converts to the Church in Hawaii. A man of intelligence, social status, and wealth, he used his considerable position to further the gospel in his native land. He developed a lifelong bond of brotherhood with Elder George Q. Cannon, helping to translate the Book of Mormon into Hawaiian and establish a gathering place for the Hawaiian saints in Laie, Oahu. But when his beloved wife, Kitty, was stricken with leprosy, Jonathan made the defining decision of his life. He would leave his life of privilege to become her caretaker and spend the rest of his life on Molokai, the island of lepers. To those who suffered similar heartbreak and banishment, Jonathan’s self-sacrifice became their lifeline. Based on true story, this is an extraordinary novel of a man who chose love in the face of death.

Have you ever been to Lake Tahoe or the Sierra Mountains? I’ve never been but I’ve seen pictures and it looks beautiful!

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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 6/17/2013 (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)

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

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