When the Butterflies Came – LDS Women's Book Review

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.

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.

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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:

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.