Cold River by Liz Adair — Blog Tour

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Mindy's Reviews
Dec 142011
 

Cold River

Liz Adair

Publisher: Walnut Springs

Published: September 2011

ISBN: 978-1-59992-803-6

Paperback: 324 pages

Genre: Mystery suspense/romance

FTC FYI: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary: “Mandy Steenburg thinks her doctorate in education has prepared her to run any school district – until she tangles with the moonshine-making, coon-dog-owning denizens of a tiny district in Pacific Northwest timber country. She’s determined to make a difference, but the local populace still looks to the former superintendent for leadership. When Mandy lands in the middle of an old feud and someone keeps trying to kill her, instinct tells her to run. And though she has to literally swim through perilous waters, she finds a reason to stay and chance the odds.”

Mandy arrives in Limestone, Washington to start her job as the new District Superintendent.  Right away, she is given the cold shoulder from those who work in the office.  They are all still bitter that the previous Superintendent, Grange Timberlain, was let go because he didn’t have the proper education. He is still around as the “assistant superintendent”.  Everyone looks to Grange for answers.  Mandy is determined to not let it get to her.  As she tries to make friends around town, and starts to get to know the people, mysterious things happen to her.

I enjoyed what a great character Mandy was.  She is a great example of a smart lady trying to make things better for others.  At times, though, I was confused as to what type of book this was.  There wasn’t enough mystery for me. The author did do a great job of telling Mandy’s story, but there wasn’t enough action.  A friend later told me this was a romance, but the “romance’ didn’t come until there was about 50 pages left.  I did enjoy the characters, though. I really liked Mandy’s sister Leesie, she was adorable.  She really brought happiness to Mandy when she needed it most.  I also enjoyed Grange. He was a tough guy to like, at first, but I looked forward to him being there more and more.

3 out of 5 stars.

Read more about Liz Adair here. Purchase Cold River here.


Counting the Cost by Liz Adair

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Hillary's Reviews
Apr 072010
 


Howdy friends- It’s me Hillary-

Another serious book to tell you about today. A bit unusual for me to do :)

I read “Counting the Cost” by Liz Adair. If her name rings a bell, it is because she has written a few other books including, “The Spider Latham Mystery” series, which we reviewed in our debut year of podcasts.

Liz’s dedication page gives a little bit of insight of where the story idea comes from, which looks like it is based on a true story. The story tells of Heck, a hard-working, salt-of-the-Earth cowboy, who meets and falls in love with the then married, East coast socialite, Ruth Reynolds.

The story starts off really quite slow. In areas that I found interesting, they were down played such as when Heck was struck by lightening. Though Heck’s brother gets that moment to tell his brother how much he loves him, it really isn’t that pivotal to the story. So I say either leave it out, or make it more interesting. What was expounded upon was the daily duties of a cowhand, which quite honestly was a bit boring. I did see how there was value in doing it- as it showed the love Heck had for the country, his life style, and his overall character, but it could have been shortened a bit.

The real crux of the story is about the trouble caused by Ruth leaving her husband for Heck. She is still legally married when she is assaulted by her husband, and Heck literally whisks her away. Remembering that this is the 20’s, beating your wife, though frowned upon, wasn’t prosecuted, or even in some cases cause of divorce. Heck saw it differently and the two left together for a new life. Once she was free from her husband, the two were married. But that is not the end of the story.

Though I really enjoyed watching the two of them really get to know each other, I was saddened by how important it was to Heck to obstain from consumating the relationship before they were legally married, only to let it go so easily. He didn’t even really try to refrain. Others I have spoken with are also disappointed with this. Though there is no detail of the act, it is still disappointing when Heck hardly hesitates. I still had moments of frustration in what I would consider pivotal points down played in the book, *SPOILER ALERT* when he finds out she is barren. Though there is clearly love between the two, it is really hard to watch such huge barriers in communication. I also had some frustration with how much I liked Ruth at the beginning and by the end, I really didn’t like her much.

The book ends very strange for me. Not that I need everything tied neatly up and everyone happy, but it felt like it just ended abruptly, with no apparent reason for the ending. Just loose ends…

As a whole, I would say the book is thought provoking, and unique, however I was just not terribly fond of it. Shanda put it perfectly when she told me “It’s the kind of book you pick up when you’re visiting someone on a farm, who doesn’t own a t.v., so you start purusing the book shelf and you come across it.” Me personally, I would say read it if you like a non-traditional, non-conforming romance, then give it a read. Otherwise, it may not be your “cup of tea.”

ps- Shanda did have a different opinion of this book. You can find her review on this blog.

Until next week-

HIllary

FTC_FYI – purchased

Counting the Cost by Liz Adair – Book Review

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Jan 252010
 

Title: Counting the Cost

Author: Liz Adair

Publisher: Inglestone Publishing

Published Date: 2009

ISBN#: 978-0-9778814-6-8

From the cover: “A love story as poignant as it is beautiful.”
Liz Adair, author of The Spider Latham Mystery series and The Mist of Quarry Harbor, has written a memorable story, inspired by her own family history, about two people willing to give up what they know for love.

Counting the Cost is a fitting title at the beginning of the book, and even more so by the end. It is the story of Heck and Ruth, their lives and their love.

Heck Benham’s simple and steady cowboy life is disrupted by the arrival of the lovely Mrs. Ruth Reynolds. Heck does his best to stay out of her way, but after a violent incident involving her husband, Ruth leaves with Heck, both of them knowing that their actions will cause them to be shunned and outcast. After the death of Ruth’s husband, she and Heck marry and live happily until circumstances make each of them aware of what they have given up to be together, and what more they will have to sacrifice to stay together.

Liz has told an endearing, honest story. Her characters have depth and feeling, and are easy to care about. The tale flows in a natural, believable course through the characters’ lives, including the full spectrum of events from the mundane to the blissful and tragic. The reader learns about the history and geography of the New Mexican locales through conversation and description that never feels forced or lecturing.

While I didn’t find Counting the Cost to be an intense page-turner, I looked forward to picking the book up again every time I had to put it down.

Well done, Liz.


What worked for me: I loved Heck right away with his laid-back cowboy style and thoughtful ways. All of the characters were well written, including the minor characters that were present for short times throughout the story. Sometimes I wished Ruth didn’t want so much, but having experienced a more “advanced” lifestyle I could understand her desire to have certain things in her life. Sometimes I wished Heck wouldn’t sacrifice so much of himself, but I could understand how much he loved Ruth and what it is to have someone love you that much. I cried twice; and not just a tear or two, either.

What didn’t work for me: I almost wish there was a short epilogue or summary at the end of the story so I could know a little more about how things ended up in the future.


Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (definitely left an impression on me)
Would I read it again? Eventually, once I feel like my heart could take it
Would I recommend it? Yes, just keep a couple of tissues handy
Would I read more of Liz Adair’s books? Yes. I thought her Spider Latham Mystery series was enjoyable, too
FTC FYI: The copy of Counting the Cost that I reviewed was borrowed from my local library.

Teaser Tuesdays – January 12, 2010

 Posted by  Special Features, Teaser Tuesdays
Jan 122010
 


See our teasers below!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

Shanda’s Teaser:

“Ruth Reynolds was dressed in a navy voile dress with a Quaker collar of white lace and a white picture hat with a brim that turned down to mask her eyes. She tilted her head to look up at Heck as she extended her hand to him, aware from the crooked smile on his lips and the glitter in his eyes as they met hers that tonight he was not going to break and run.”

Counting the Cost by Liz Adair, page 82

Sheila’s teaser:

“A long moment of silence passed, broken only by the crackling fire. Master George closed his eyes. No one in the room doubted who the culprit could be. But if Reginald Chu had finally decided to use his significant technological powers to branch out and cause trouble in other Realities, then they were all in for a great deal of trouble.”

The 13th Reality: The Hunt for Dark Infinity by James Dashner, page 119

Hillary’s Teaser:

“There has likely been a day in your life, perhaps more than one, when a change crushed your bones. The longer we live the more of these we face. ‘I could handle anything but this,’ we think… right up until the moment we are forced to handle it.”

Change It Up by Amanda Dickson, page 45

Don’t forget to share the links to YOUR Teaser Tuesday posts in the comments below. If you don’t have a blog, post your teaser directly into the comments.

Liz Adair & Gale Sears – Countdown to Christmas 2009

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas, Special Features
Dec 192009
 
6 Days until Christmas!



Liz Adair is the author six novels. Her most recent release, Counting the Cost, was a Finalist in the National Best Books 2009 Awards.

Counting the Cost is available for purchase from Amazon, Inglestone Publishing, and book clubs can download a PDF for free or purchase for book clubs at half price at www.lizadairfreebooks.com.

Watch the book trailer for Counting the Cost here.

Visit Liz on her website: www.lizadair.net and her blog: Liz Sez.

LDSWBR: What favorite holiday traditions do you and your family participate in every year? Will you be starting any new traditions this year?

LIZ: Christmas Eve is the day our family spends together. We meet at mid day to carol at the local nursing home. If we start practicing in September, our low-brass family band is able to play a few numbers, but this year we were laggards and didn’t start building up our lips in time, so we‘re just singing.

After we finish at the nursing home, we have our Christmas Eve dinner. As we take our places at the table, there’s a small gift box at each plate containing a 24-piece puzzle with a personalized limerick written by Grandma (me). Each person puts his puzzle together and reads it aloud, after which we enjoy our Christmas feast.

Then we all gather in the living room to watch the young ones act out the Nativity as Grandpa reads the Christmas story. We finish the evening by singing carols, and then the old folks (Grandpa and I) go home and the younger people watch a Christmas movie.

Christmas morning, each of our children carries on the tradition we began when they were little, taking turns opening our gifts as we sit around the Christmas tree so the giver of the gift can watch as his gift is opened and appreciated.

As far as traditional food is concerned, every year I make my mother’s fudge recipe, and some years I even make her fruitcake. I’ll be blogging about the fudge the week of December 15.

LDSWBR: Liz, what books are on your Christmas wish list?

LIZ: After reading Laurie Lewis’ action packed Dawn’s Early Light about the War of 1812, I’m interested in reading a biography of Dolley Madison. I’m going to ask Laurie which is the best one for a non-scholar like me, and I’ll put the word out to family that it’s on my list.


LDSWBR: What books have you purchased/will you purchase for loved ones this Christmas? (Don’t spoil any surprises!)

LIZ: I have a sister-in-law who loves to read, and I usually try to give her several books for Christmas. She’s a Marsha Ward fan and so I’m giving her the third in Marsha’s saga about the Owen clan, Trail of Storms. I’m also giving her Joan Soward’s newest book, Haunts Haven, and Tanya Mills’ topical book set in Iraq, The Reckoning.

I’ve got a bookworm granddaughter that I’m giving Janette Rallison’s clever and hilarious My Fair Godmother.

LDSWBR: Thank you for sharing with us, Liz. Merry Christmas!

**************************************


Gale Sears is the author of four novels, two Christmas booklets, and one children’s picture book. Her most recent releases include The Route and Christmas for a Dollar. Gale is currently working on her next book, The Silence of God (working title), a historical fiction novel set in 1917 Russia during the Bolshevik revolution.


Gale’s books are available for purchase at Seagull Book, Deseret Book, Amazon and Costco (Christmas for a Dollar).

Learn more about Gale on her website: www.galesears.com and her blog: Stories Around the Kamp Fire.

LDSWBR: Gale, what favorite holiday traditions do you and your family participate in every year?

GALE: My background is Danish so I’ve carried on the Kamp family tradition of having Aebleskeivers for Christmas morning breakfast.

LDSWBR: What books are on your Christmas wish list?

GALE: A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity. All the others I’ve already purchased for myself!

LDSWBR: What books have you purchased/will you purchase for loved ones this year? (Unless it would ruin the surprise!)

GALE: Women of Virtue and Master (the other must remain a secret).

LDSWBR: Thank you, Gale. Happy Christmas!

Fudge is one of my favorite Christmas treats (after the Oreos dipped in dark mint chocolate that I make each year). Some people don’t care for fudge (I know, hard to believe). There’s a candy shop in Gardner Village near where I live that makes a pumpkin spice fudge in fall that is quite yummy. What are your thoughts on fudge? Do you make it, or just eat it? What is the most unusual flavor of fudge you’ve eaten or seen, and what’s your favorite fudge flavor? Do you have a link to a great fudge recipe?

Don’t forget to nominate your favorite 2009 books by LDS authors for Whitney Awards by December 31! Can’t remember what you read? Visit the LDS Publisher blog for a list of books published by LDS authors in 2009.



***Countdown to Christmas Contest***


LDSWBR will hold a drawing on Christmas Day for a $25 eGift Card from Deseret Book, as well as a variety of books being offered by some of the LDS authors that will be featured on the blog. Simply post a thoughtful comment on the Countdown to Christmas author posts to enter. Here are the rules:

  • LDSWBR reserves the right to decide what determines a “thoughtful” comment.
  • Only one comment per person per “Countdown to Christmas” author post will be entered into the drawing. This allows the potential for 24 entries per person at the end of the contest. Feel free to comment more than once per post if you’d like, but only one comment will be accepted as an entry.
  • Contest ends at 12:00 Midnight MST on December 24, 2009. Drawing winners will have until 12:00 Midnight MST on December 31, 2009 to claim their prize. After that time, another name will be drawn to receive the prize.
  • Book prizes can only be shipped within the contiguous United States.

Books that have been generously donated by the author for drawing prizes:

  • Loyalty’s Web by Joyce DiPastena
  • Hidden Branch by G.G. Vandagriff
  • Altared Plans by Rebecca Talley
  • A Modest Proposal by Michele Ashman Bell (includes a bonus copy of Michele’s Christmas booklet, A Candle in the Window)
  • Her Good Name by Josi Kilpack
  • MISSING by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen
  • Famous Family Nights by Anne Bradshaw
  • Love Letters of Joseph and Emma (autographed copy) by Angela Eschler
  • Family Home Evening Adventures by Rebecca Irvine
  • Counting the Cost by Liz Adair
  • Shudder by Jennie Hansen
  • Mormon Mishaps & Mischief by D. N. Giles & C. L. Beck
  • Dawn’s Early Light by Laurie (L.C.) Lewis
  • The Fairy Thorn (brand new release!) by Dorothy Keddington
  • Torn Apart (signed copy) by Diony George
  • Pursued: A Maggie McKenzie Mystery by Lynn Gardner

Thank you so much!

Episode 1 – Aisling of Eire and The Lodger

 Posted by  2006 Podcasts, Podcasts
Feb 182006
 

Listening to these first two segments was a trip down memory lane, but it also made me realize how far we’ve come. We no longer talk to the room while the built in mic on my iMac picks up every bump and noise we made. We no longer have that nervous, “don’t mess up!” fear in our voices. We also don’t have the same rigid format either. I still remember the relief I felt when we finished recording this first episode! (9/18/2009)

Podcast for February 18, 2006
Segment 1
In this show we discussed Dorothy Keddington’s book Aisling of Eire.  If you are interested in reading this book, check your local library.  If you are unable to find it there, ask your librarian about intra- and inter-library loans.

[podcast]http://www.ldswomensbookreview.com/shows/2006-02-18/ldswbr_episode1seg1_2-18-06.mp3[/podcast]

Segment 2

In this segment we discussed The Lodger by Liz Adair.  Sheila also introduced us to the author/illustrator Patricia Polacco in the Children’s Literature Highlight.  If you would like to see Patricia Polacco’s work visit her website at www.patriciapolacco.com.

[podcast]http://www.ldswomensbookreview.com/shows/2006-02-18/ldswbr_episode1seg2_2-18-06.mp3[/podcast]

AislingOfEireTheLodger