14 days until summer!
Sarah M. Eden is the author of multiple historical romances, including Whitney Award finalists Seeking Persephone, Courting Miss Lancaster, and AML “2013 Novel of the Year” Longing for Home. Combining her obsession with history and affinity for tender love stories, Sarah loves crafting witty characters and heartfelt romances. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in research and happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library. Sarah has twice served as the Master of Ceremonies for the LDStorymakers Writers Conference and acted as the Writer in Residence at the Northwest Writers Retreat. Sarah is represented by Pam van Hylckama Vlieg at Foreword Literary Agency.
Visit Sarah: WEBSITE/BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
* * *
LDSWBR: What book or movie reminds you of summer?
SARAH: The book that, to me, just screams summer, is The Glass Unicorn, a literary masterpiece in unfinished form by a 12-year-old, as-yet-unknown author. This young writer in the rough wrote her bit of genius under extreme duress as part of a mandatory summer activity designed by her mother to keep a house full of bored children from climbing the walls. In this book’s pages (all 4 of them) we find intrigue, angsty pre-teen drama, highly derivative paranormal elements, and the vaguest hint of a storyline. One can almost sense that the author knew she was in the wrong genre and would grow up to one day write, not middle grade urban fantasy, but Romance with lots of romancey-ness and a limited amount of magical knick-knackery.
LDSWBR: Do you hike during the summer? If so, where is your favorite place to hike?
SARAH: I think my favorite hike right now involves the five stairs required to get out of my house. On good days, I can make that grueling hike on my feet. On not so good days, I make the journey on my backside. On super bad days, I stand at my door and gaze longingly at the world beyond knowing I’m stuck because there is no way out of my house that doesn’t involve stairs. Perhaps someday I’ll conquer the “Hike of the Twelve Stairs Going to My Basement,” but let’s not get crazy!
LDSWBR: What is the best book you’ve read so far this year?
SARAH: It’s always so hard to pick a “favorite.” But I will say, I just recently finished Before the Clock Strikes Thirty by Aubrey Mace and thought is was absolutely lovely. Such a fun and enjoyable read!
LDSWBR: Thank you, Sarah! (UPDATE- For those of you who might be concerned by my asking Sarah about hiking considering her RA diagnosis: I create the interview questions and author invitation email well ahead of considering which authors to ask to participate in the Countdown then send the same interview email to every author. Unfortunately, I didn’t make the connection with the hiking question in regard to Sarah beforehand. Sarah assured me that the question wasn’t at all offensive to her, that our friendship is such that she knows that I would never purposefully ask an inconsiderate question, and she answered it with her usual good humor. As someone whose mother suffered with RA for several years, I am aware of the struggles and pain that RA causes. There was no malice intended by including this question in the author interviews.)
* * *
DESERET BOOK | SEAGULL BOOK | BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON | GOODREADS
A horse breeder by trade, Corbin Jonquil is more at home in the stables than in the ballroom of his sprawling estate. Corbin is the quietest of the Jonquil brothers and has always faded into the background, contentedly unnoticed. When a mysterious young widow, Mrs. Clara Bentford, moves into the neighborhood, however, Corbin quickly comes to realize that being noticed has its advantages. But how to catch the eye of the lady? According to his brothers, Corbin need only make a few simple changes to transform himself into the object of any woman’s desire—dubious advice, indeed. Following a series of misadventures, Corbin and Clara slowly lower the facades behind which they’ve been hiding, leaving Corbin shocked by the horrors that haunt the woman he’s coming to care for so ardently. When the menace of Clara’s past threatens to tear them apart and tensions mount, will the couple have the courage to fight for the promise of forever?
* * *
DESERET BOOK | SEAGULL BOOK | BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON | GOODREADS
Katie Macauley gave up her lifelong dream of returning to Ireland in order to make a home for herself in Hope Springs, Wyoming, but her future has never been so uncertain.
Katie’s heart still remains sharply divided between playful Tavish and steady Joseph, though she feels ill-prepared to make a decision. Furthermore, the town is more divided than ever with both the Irish and the Reds stealing property, burning buildings, and endangering lives. In the midst of the growing unrest, temperatures drop quickly, too quickly, and Irish nightmares of famine and cold resurface as the little Wyoming town struggles to beat the harsh winter.
Katie makes one sacrifice after another to keep the peace and help see her loved ones through the difficult days ahead, but will her efforts be enough? Can the town make amends before their hatred consumes them all? And will Katie find the love she has been searching for as well as a home to call her own?
I still have stories I wrote in junior high and high school, though I shudder at the thought of reading them now. Did you write stories when you were growing up? If so, do you still have them?
* * *
**To enter the LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2014, leave a thoughtful comment below.**
This is raffle-style drawing where all entries throughout the contest period are entered into the same “hat” for all prizes. Because this is a raffle-style drawing, commenting on each Countdown to Summer 2014 post will give you 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. US only. 18 years and older please. See all contest rules and restrictions below.
Following LDSWBR is not required but you may want to consider doing so during the contest so you don’t miss any posts or chances to enter the drawing. You can follow us through email, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, and Pinterest (links in our sidebar.)
If one of our reviews has ever helped you find a book you enjoyed, please consider helping us spread the word about the LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2014. A link posted to your friends and family either in email or on your favorite social network would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
By leaving a comment and entering the Countdown to Summer 2014, 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 June 5, 2014 and all entries must be received by 12:00 Midnight June 30, 2014 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 3, 2014 by use of a sequence generator on random.org; winner will have until July 10, 2014 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 and questions to LDS Women’s Book Review – ldswbr (at) gmail (dot) com; giveaway subject to Utah regulations; VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
**Book Prizes (as of 6/7/14 – more to be added to this list!)**
- Unraveled by Julie Daines (signed paperback)
- Any book by A.L. Sowards (choice of paperback or Kindle version)
- An autographed copy of any one Sarah M. Eden book of the winner’s choice
