Shannon’s Hope – LDS Women's Book Review

22 days until Christmas

Josi began her first novel in 1998 and hasn’t stopped. Her novel, Sheep’s Clothing won the Whitney Award 2007 for Mystery/Suspense and was the Best In State winner for fiction in 2012. Book eleven in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series, Fortune Cookie, will be released in February 2014. Josi currently lives in Willard Utah with her family.

Please take a minute to visit Josi at one of the links below:

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LDSWBR: What is your favorite Christmas song/hymn? Does it have special meaning to you?

JOSI: O Holy Night is my favorite Christmas song, it just captures what I want Christmas to be but which I struggle to truly hold on to. I love it, though.

LDSWBR: Do you get together with friends/family to play board games on Christmas or New Year’s? What games do you like to play? Do you have a favorite game from your childhood?

JOSI: I’m not a big game player, other than the mind games I play to try and get my kids to clean their rooms :-) Our family does enjoy Settlers of Catan and Apples to Apples, or I should say those are the ones I like. I’d rather watch movies when it comes right down to it.

LDSWBR: If you could recommend only one book from those you read this year, what would it be and why?

JOSI: “Three Little Words” by Ashley Rhodes-Courter. It’s an autobiography of a girl who got lost in the foster care system of Florida in the 80’s. My husband and I read it as part of our training to become Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for children involved in DCFS cases. The book is a symbol of this new opportunity my husband and I are embarking upon but was both shocking, informative, and inspiring. It’s the most powerful thing I read this year.

LDSWBR: Thank you, Josi!

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Rocky Road (Sadie Hoffmiller #10)

THE ST. GEORGE SPECTRUM
Dr. Trenton Hendricks was last seen Friday, April 8, when he set out alone on a backpacking trip. Hendricks’s Jeep Grand Cherokee was located Tuesday at the Chuckwalla Trailhead, but after six days and thousands of man-hours, the official search has been called off. He is presumed to be deceased.

It was supposed to be a girls’ weekend in scenic St. George, Utah, that would included shopping, trying out the local cuisine, and participating in a breast cancer fund-raiser. The fact that one of the organizers of the fund-raising event, a local doctor, had disappeared two months before was not supposed to be Sadie’s problem.

When Sadie learns that her friend Caro and Caro’s cousin, Tess, have started a grassroots investigation into Dr. Hendrick’s disappearance, Sadie graciously refuses to be a part of it. With her wedding to plan and her most recent case still fresh in her mind, Sadie is determined to leave this case to the police—until she meets the ex-wife of the missing man.

How could she not ask a few questions … that lead to more questions … that lead to a small town and even more questions? When the local police ask her to be their eyes and ears, Sadie can’t help but jump in with both feet. Before she knows it, she is on the rocky road of another investigation, following a convoluted trail of good intentions, hidden motivations, and philanthropy turned big business.

Shannon’s Hope (The Newport Ladies Book Club)

AMAZON | KINDLE | NOOK | DESERET BOOK | SEAGULL BOOK

When Shannon’s step-daughter moves in following another failed stint in rehab, Shannon puts everything she has into helping Keisha any way she can. Her attempts to help soon turn into covering up Keisha’s failures, and Shannon finds herself risking everything good in her life. Through the love and guidance of her Aunt Ruby, and growing connections to some of the women at the Newport Ladies Book Club, Shannon begins to identify the missing pieces of her own life that she’s tried to fill the wrong way.

Have you played Apples to Apples? Or is Settlers more your style?

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

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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 below.

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By leaving a comment and entering the Countdown to Christmas 2013, 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 December 3, 2013 and all entries must be received by 12:00 Midnight December 23, 2013 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 December 28, 2013 by use of a sequence generator on random.org; winner will have until January 4, 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 12/3/13 – more to be added to this list!)

Rocky Road by Josi S. Kilpack (personalized copy)
Shannon’s Hope by Josi S. Kilpack (personalized copy)

22 days until Christmas

Have you played Apples to Apples? Or is Settlers more your style?

**Book Prizes (as of 12/3/13 – more to be added to this list!)**

Book Prizes (as of 12/3/13 – more to be added to this list!)