New Releases - Christmas Notes by Clint G. Cox - enter TODAY to win an autographed copy! Also, a new version of Candle in the Window available!

It should be obvious by now that I am a Christmas addict. I love the beautiful decorations, the inspiring music, the uplifting stories, and the wonderful feeling of love and brotherhood that people share. That's why I'm excited to tell you two things.

First . . . the book, Christmas Notes is a wonderful story that has a very special message. Here's a little more info about it.

"Christmas Notes is an emotional life-pondering story that teaches a grand Christmas message." --Merrill Osmond, Entertainer

Bah! Humbug! That is Max’s attitude toward everything, including Christmas. The reason for it is uncertain but it has been building up inside him for a long time. When his wife wants to take an orphan child for one month during the Christmas season, he reluctantly agrees. Feeling inadequate to be a father to an orphan child for a short time and his bad attitude toward the season, he isn’t in the best of moods. After picking up the five-year-old girl from the orphanage, something begins to happen to him. Day by day, his heart begins to soften and his relationship with his wife improves. His attitude begins to change for the better. Could this one small girl affect his life so much? But that’s not all. There’s much more! This precious darling changes everyone’s life.

Book Give-Away October 10 - 17: To win Christmas Notes, leave a comment about this interview with your e-mail. International.
Lave a comment at http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I loved the relationship between Max and his wife. They are such a fun and cute couple. This story is filled with compassion, love, and humor. But make sure you have a hanky ready for those very tender moments. You’ll need it! “Christmas Notes” will touch your heart as it did mine.

Written by Linda Weaver Clarke, author of a historical sweet romance series, “A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho,” and a mystery series, “The Adventures of John and Julia Evans.”

ALSO ANNOUNCING!!!!!

My illustrated book, "A Candle in the Window" is going to be re-released this year in a soft cover, small-sized booklet. It will retail for around $3.50 to $4.00. Perfect price and perfect gift for family, friends, neighbors and teachers. I'm always happy to send autographed copies to you.



Have a great day! Thanks for following my blog.

The Gift You Give Yourself.

This has nothing to do with writing. It is still a message I am anxious and passionate to share.

PLEASE GET YOUR MAMMOGRAMS!

My sweet mother-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer 20 months ago. After a double mastectomy and months of chemotherapy we thought she had it beat. 2 months ago we found out the cancer had returned and was terminal. Any day now she will leave this mortal existence and pass to the other side. She has been valiant throughout this journey. She has maintained her sense of humor and delightful outlook on life. She has been an example of enduring to the end. I am so sad she is leaving us. She is only 68 years old.

She hadn't had a mammogram in 10 years.

Please, please, please don't put off your mammograms, or your colonoscopies, or your annual exams.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Spread the word.

Conversations with a Moonflower by author Chris Hall - A MUST READ!!!!

I am thrilled to have a chance to be part of the blog tour for Conversations with a Moonflower, a book by new author Chris Hall.

Whenever I read a book that I love, I want to tell everyone about it in hopes that they will have the same experience I had reading it. That's how I feel about this incredible book. One way or another the messages in this book will speak to you, warm you soul and touch your heart.

The writing is inviting and personable and each chapter gives the reader an "aha" moment of introspection and connection. It's delightful and insightful.

From the back of the book:

What on earth had just happened to me? It was a plant, for heaven's sake! And with the exception of the bright yellow blooms, it looked more like a weed than anything you would purposely put in a garden. But this mysterious plant had captivated me, and I couldn't wait to tell the others what I had seen.

Chris's life is anything but peaceful when she returns to Carraugus County to clean out her deceased grandmother's home. But her life changes forever when an Amish woman invites her to watch a moonflower open. Chris never would have believed that a simple plant could lead her on such a remarkable journey — a journey that would remind her of truths she had long ago forgotten.

This debut by Chris Hall is guaranteed to uplift and inspire long after the story ends.

Once in a great while a book comes along at the exact moment you need it and changes your life. Let Conversations with a Moonflower be that for you as it has been for me. Thank you Chris. I will bloom as soon as I'm ready. — Amanda Dickson, radio announcer and author.



I asked the author a few questions that I had about her and the story and thought you might enjoy reading what she had to say.

1) Where did you get your inspiration for this story?

My inspiration came from my moonflower itself. Within minutes of seeing the first moonflower open at our Amish friend's home, I felt as if it was speaking to my heart. After I brought the moonflower back to Utah and planted in our yard, I spent many, many evenings sitting quietly - waiting for it to bloom and I always learned something as I waited.

As the summers passed, I became accustomed to learning something new whenever I would sit quietly with it. The lessons I learned were profound to me - and yet so universal.

Those first summers after we brought the moonflower home, it was unusual to not have a number of visitors come to our home close, to sunset. They would bring lawn chairs and blankets and sit quietly with their children and grandchildren, as they waited for the moonflower to begin blooming. As I would listen to their reactions to this amazing plant, I began to realize how much it was touching everyone, and they my friends were also feeling peace as they watched it open.

2) In the story you talk about the Amish. For those of us who haven't interacted with them, what would we be surprised to know about them?

The Amish are a people known for simplicity in their dress and lifestyle, but what might surprise people is to know how much we are alike. Amish are devout Christians and their lives are centered around their families.

The Amish are averse to technology because they feel it weakens the family structure. The conveniences that the rest of us take for granted, such as electricity, television, automobiles, telephones and even tractors, are considered to be a temptation that could cause vanity, create inequality, or lead the Amish away from their families and their close-knit community.

They are devoted to their families and they laugh and have fun just as we do. They find joy in their daily lives. But they seemingly live their lives in a much quieter, less demonstrative way. To be among them almost feels like you are watching a movie that is just a little slower motion than we are used to, with the volume turned down.

I think when you get to know an Amish family, you would be surprised, not just with the serenity of their lives, but also by how their serenity calms and slows you down too.

3) What was your experience like writing this story?

It has been a remarkable experience for me from the beginning - and completely unexpected. I had never thought about writing a book. But a few years ago, ideas began to come clearly to my mind whenever I was out working in my yard, and somehow I just knew it was important for me to write the thoughts down before I forgot them. So I would leave my flowerbeds and go straight to my computer and type until I had all the ideas out but I had no idea what I was going to do with whatever I was writing.

After a few weeks, I realized that I was writing a book. The thoughts that were coming to me weren’t really organized into chapters or even topics, and I didn’t know what to do with all of it, but I just kept writing down the ideas as they came. By September, I felt a sense of urgency to begin organizing all these pages and pages of ideas into chapters and begin writing the book. I was aware that part of my sense of urgency was to get all of my ideas written while they were still fresh and clear in mind.

But I had a full-time job, a large family, and a very time-consuming responsibility in my church. I found it increasingly hard to find a block of time long enough that I could actually focus.

One night, the thought clearly came to me that I needed to ask the partners in the firm I work for if I could change my hours for a few months so that I worked longer days Monday through Thursday, and take Friday off. I promised them that as soon as it was finished, I would return to my regular schedule and they graciously agreed. (The best part is that about six weeks later our company switched over to a four-day workweek.) With Fridays off, I now had blocks of time to write and the book was finished in a few months.

After I finished the book, I spent the next 15 or 16 months editing it. I have a dear friend who is a professional editor. She read the manuscript and loved the story and was anxious to help me. But she was working about 70 hours a week at her own job. She would read the manuscript and make suggestions of things I needed to change or rewrite. It would often take me a month to make the changes before I got it back to her. There were a few times when a month or two would go by before she had time to look at it again. The manuscript went back and forth for about 16 months. I was hesitant to submit it, because every time I read through it I found more things I had missed, but finally, last September, we both decided the time had come to submit it.

4) How did you find a publisher for your book?

About six months before I submitted the manuscript, I spent hours on the Internet, researching everything I could find on all the publishing companies in Utah. There were several that looked interesting, but I kept seeing one name come up: Cedar Fort Publishing. The only problem was that CF required a chapter synopsis to be submitted with the manuscript. For most authors, this would probably be an easy task - but I couldn't figure out how to do it. When I don’t know what I’m doing, I can put something off for weeks, but I finally began the process in September. During that time, another friend suggested I send the manuscript to a different publisher who had much easier submission requirements, so I did. But I kept working on the chapter synopsis, getting ready to submit everything to Cedar Fort.

One morning, near the end of October, I took a couple of hours off from work and drove down to Cedar Fort in Springville and hand-delivered my manuscript. As soon as I walked in the building I had such a great feeling about them, (which was the reason I wanted to drive down rather than submit it electronically. I wanted to get a feel for who they were.) I have been so pleased that they published it. I could not have hoped for a better place to be.

5) What do you hope readers will get from your book?

I hope my readers will get a sense of how unique and amazing they are, and know that their lives have a divine purpose, which is unique to them. The chapter, "Exactly As I Am” summarizes the most important lesson I learned from the moonflower, and what I hope my readers will also learn. Let me share a short portion of that chapter:

One afternoon, as I sat on the bench with my moonflower, I wanted to ask it one more question before winter set in.

“Have you ever wished you were different?” I finally ventured.
“Like what?” the plant responded.
“Well, like a flower that smelled really beautiful, or one that bloomed in the day when everyone could see you. Not many people know anything about a moonplant unless they happen to come by at sunset when you are blooming. They never know how enchanting you are. I just wondered if you have ever wished that you were a rose, or a lily, or even a daisy.” The plant was quiet for several minutes, but when it answered, its voice was thoughtful and gentle.
“It has never occurred to me to try to be anything but what I am,” the plant began. “I know who and what I am. I know better than anyone what I can do and be. I wasn’t created to have an intoxicating smell that would become perfume, or to be used in floral arrangements that would grace the most joyful and sorrowful occasions in people’s lives. I was created to instill a sense of wonder in those who come my way, to help them slow down, ask questions, and listen. I know who I am and what my work is. I am a unique and amazing creation, and I have much to share exactly as I am.”

My greatest hope is that my readers will also come to know that same thing for themselves.

6) Are you working on anything now?

I have a second book in the works. And by “in the works” I mean that once again, I have many, many pages written but I’m not quite sure what to do with them or where all of this is leading me. I once heard a toddler described as “A little child who has learn how to walk but has no destination in mind!” I feel a little bit that way about my second book. But I am having such a great time with Conversations with a Moonflower, so I keep writing the thoughts that come to me, and have great faith that when the time is right, it will become clear to me what I need to do.

Thanks so much, Chris.

Make sure you pick up a copy of Conversations with a Moonflower for yourself, and while you're at it, get a few more copies. This book would be a perfect gift for anyone.

You can find Chris's book at: Barnes and Noble, Deseret Book, Cedar Fort or Amazon.com.

To learn more about Chris and her books you can visit her web-site, click HERE

Author Tristi Pinkston is excited to announce the release of the third novel in her Secret Sisters Mysteries series.

Titled Hang ‘em High, this novel takes place on a dude ranch in Montana. When Ida Mae’s son invites her to come for a visit, of course she brings Arlette and Tansy along with her. They are expecting to spend the week looking at horses, avoiding the cows, and making amends in Ida Mae’s relationship with her son. What they don’t expect is to be stuck on the ranch in the middle of a blizzard and to be thrust headlong into the middle of a mystery.

***

Help Tristi celebrate her new novel in two ways. First, come participate in the two-week-long blog contest, where you can win a book nearly every single day! All the details are up on Tristi’s blog.

Second, come to the book launch!

You are invited to an

August Authorama!

Saturday, August 13th

Pioneer Book, 858 S. State, Orem

12 – 4 pm

Games, prizes, balloons, face painting,

and Dutch oven cobbler

prepared by world champion cook

Keith Fisher.

Authors Tristi Pinkston, J. Lloyd Morgan, Cindy Hogan,

Nichole Giles, and Heather Justesen

will all be there to sign books.

This is one book launch event

you will not want to miss!

Interview with Silvina B. Niccum, author of Veiled

Silvina B. Niccum was born in Rosario, Argentina and raised in Buenos Aires. Her family immigrated to the US, when she was fourteen. She attended the University of Utah and studied Spanish Literature. Silvina now lives in Dallas, TX. with her husband and her three homeschooled children.


Tess is an unborn spirit, who is about to embark on a much awaited journey into mortality to a brand new planet called Earth. She is chosen by the Eternals for an important mission, and is put under a rigorous training by a half-human, half-lion Seraph. This training exposes Tess to some of her darkest fears and insecurities. These experiences force Tess to work on her gift as a discerner of thoughts and reader of auras—thus helping her become one of Heaven’s most powerful angels. But even angels falter, and deep inside her a gnawing fear is growing. Will she meet her soul mate in life? Will their love be strong enough to overcome the forgetting effects of the Veil? And, is she prepared to take on the responsibility of keeping the most dangerous renegade and leader of the Fallen Angels at bay during mortality?

I had an opportunity read Silvina's book and was amazed at the creativity and imagery of this story. The author paints a vivid picture of a pre-earth existence and the training and preparation required before coming to earth. Silvina's writing is fresh and fun and the story is interesting and captivating. I enjoyed reading about the main character, Tess, and her friends as they interact with other spirits and learn about their own gifts and strengths that will help them when they finally go to earth. A fascinating read that is both thoughtful and entertaining.

Silvina was kind enough to answer some questions about her journey to becoming an author.

M.B.: When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

AUTHOR: When I was in fourth grade, our teacher taught us how to make little books of our own with staples. We were supposed to do one for school, but I ended up making a whole bunch of them. In fact, I don’t think I ever stopped making them, but that is the earliest memory I have of wanting to be an author, luckily I never gave up on that dream!

M.B.: What is your writing and educational background?

AUTHOR: I studied Spanish Literature in College, but the best “background” that anyone can boast of (in my opinion) is writing a lot and reading a lot. English is my second language, so in High School I actually had to work very hard to learn English. I actually had to look up every word in the translation dictionary, just so I could get my homework done. Tenacity and a love for reading were my best tutors, and still are. I think a lot can be accomplished that way.

M.B.: What makes you passionate about writing?

AUTHOR: We were made to do something in life; I believe this with all my heart. We were all put on Earth to DO something. Once we find what that something is, we feel it in our bones, it becomes part of us, it runs through our veins and we just have to do it! And when we do…we feel happy and truly alive!

M.B.: What was the pathway like for you to get your first book published?

AUTHOR: I queried agents, much like everyone else. But one day a friend of mine put me in touch with another friend who had just gotten picked up by a publisher. I queried TreasureLine Books & Publishing and about a month later I was on board! It was, as anyone could imagine, a great feeling to know your book was going to be in print. But the other side of it was the fact that they found the topic interesting. Outside the LDS world, the pre-existence is unfathomable. I wrote Veiled with this in mind, I didn’t want it to be an LDS audience only book, I wanted people from any Christian religion to read it, enjoy it and speculate.


M.B.: Were you ever discouraged along the way? If so, how did you deal with it?

AUTHOR: I think we all feel discouraged at one point or another. Sending queries out was not my favorite thing in the world, but I felt empowered by the fact that I was working toward something. I felt very strongly that Veiled should be published; I knew it wasn’t perfect, but I was willing to fix it until it was.
Sometimes I still feel a little discouraged if I hear that someone didn’t like my book for whatever reason…but así es la vida…opinions and butts…we all have one!

M.B.: What is your writing schedule like?

AUTHOR: I wake up at 5 am every morning excluding Sundays. I workout, read scriptures, then write for two hours until my kids wake up and my husband comes to eat breakfast! Then my day as a home schooling mom starts! At 2:30 pm I take a mandatory 30 min. siesta and my kids get to read or watch TV. After that, my kids get free time and I sit at the computer to blog, promote and check emails. Then dinner, baths, scriptures, and bed!

M.B.: Where do your ideas come from? How do you know the idea is good enough to write a book about it?

AUTHOR: I have way too many ideas all the time about all kinds of different books and stories. For the Veiled series I have a pretty clear picture of what the whole series will be like. I know the characters and I know how they would each react to whatever I feel like subjecting them to. I usually run scenarios in my head while I clean the house. Then I put them on paper, then edit until the thought or scene is just right. Most of my ideas though, come from the scriptures themselves. I might read a few words that send my mind in a total whirlwind! I speculate what was meant by that particular word. Then I look up the same scripture in my Spanish scriptures and see how that specific word was translated and what meaning it carries. Then I let my mind loose and loose it gets…I wouldn’t put any stock on my speculations…but they sure make for a fun ride.


M.B.: When did the idea for this book first come to you?

AUTHOR: I was studying the Pearl of Great Price in Abraham. I was reading about the pre-existence, and then the thought of the veil popped into my head and the question arose— how did we feel standing there, ready to cross over, knowing that we would soon forget everything and everyone?
Then the two main characters came to me, their plight and their fears. I started writing right away the last chapter of my book. Every day after that more and more ideas kept coming and I felt so frustrated because I had no time to write them all. It was like a faucet was turned on full blast and I only had a tablespoon to catch it with.

M.B.: What do you hope readers will get from this book?

AUTHOR: Fun. I want everyone to just sit back and enjoy the ride. I’m not pretending to be very deep or very profound. I wrote this for fun and I want people to read it for the same reason. For those who don’t know the Plan of Salvation, I would like for them to open their minds to the possibility of pre-mortal life. So far I’ve had a great response from those of other faiths; the idea resonates with all of us.


M.B.: What is your process of brainstorming a story? Do you just sit down and write, waiting to see what happens next? Or do you outline first?

AUTHOR: I had no set plans when I started writing Veiled. The story came to me in chunks, as vivid as a movie in my head. It came complete with all the supernatural characters and a picture of Heaven (to me it looked like a Thomas Kinkade painting). I wrote just to see what would happen next; my subconscious seemed to know the story.

But I’m a huge fan of outlines and summaries. So to keep the time line coherent I eventually came up with a summary. I’ve been doing the same with the second book that I’m currently writing. So the answer I guess is Yes, both.

M.B.: Do you ever experience a snag in a story, a form of writer's block? If so, how do you deal with it?

AUTHOR: I think that blocks come when you’re spending too much time writing and not enough time living your own life. I experienced this when I binged one day on writing. I burned out and I got stuck. My mind was tired and I got sick of the story. After that I wrote for only two hours a day and that was it! I’ve had more success this way. While I’m not physically writing, I let the story simmer in my head. I run through several scenarios of how things could work out, and then I pick the best.

M.B.: Do you need absolute quiet to write? Do you listen to music when you are writing?

AUTHOR: I do need quiet. In fact I need quiet and semi darkness. The screen light is enough. I also need Yerba Mate that I drink the traditional Argentine way, out of a wooden cup and a metal straw. (I’ll give you a picture) Yerba Mate has no caffeine, but it derives from it, it’s non habit forming but does have mind alerting properties like the Brazilian Guarana.

M.B.: What kinds of inspiration do you use during your story creation periods?

AUTHOR: Music. That’s perhaps one of the most inspiring tools. Life in general too. I like to people watch, and I examine how they behave. In my mind I narrate in 3dr person what I see as if I were writing it all down. It’s a great exercise!

M.B.: Who has made the greatest difference for you as a writer?

AUTHOR: My mom. She’s been my teacher and mentor since I was little. She is a Literature Professor, and the first person I showed my finished draft. It was scary because she is not an overindulgent parent. In fact she is unable to give a fake compliment. She is painfully honest and she also happened to write a 500 page dissertation on verbs! So when I got her stamp of approval, I knew I could proceed.

M.B.: What’s your secret to making the character’s in your books come to life?

AUTHOR: Making great characters is hard. They need time to become whole. I think that as the story progresses so does your knowledge of the characters. Then you need to go back to the beginning and implement the changes based on what you know of them.

M.B.: Do you use a critique group during the writing process? Why or why not?

AUTHOR: I have trusted friends and family members who read my work and who speculate with me. I belong to writers’ guilds, but I don’t attend meetings because I have no time. But I can always find a willing friend who wants to proof read for me, and I tell them to be brutally honest. I have thick skin.

M.B.: What is something about yourself people don’t know?

AUTHOR: Hmm…I went to Culinary School and I love to cook from scratch. Bread, Tofu, Yogurt, raw chocolate bars, crackers, Rice Milk, Almond Milk, Hemp seed milk. I also sprout all the time…I’m not vegan or raw foodist, but…I’m a bit of a health nut-a-holic. I also do Yoga with incense and I home school my kids.

M.B.: What is your favorite snack to have while you are writing?

AUTHOR: Mate with crackers.

M.B.: What words of advice do you have for other writers who desire to have their manuscripts become books in print?

AUTHOR: Live your life as it now is, enjoy the journey! Read a lot, work on your book every day and never give up.

M.B.: What are you working on now?

AUTHOR: I’m writing the sequel to Veiled, it’s called Living Soul and it chronicles the main character’s life on Earth. The third book, Endless, is in my head. It covers the afterlife and will finish this particular project. I do have 5 other summaries that I’ll tackle once this series is done.

M.B.: Any final words you would like to share

AUTHOR I think I’ve said enough!

M.B.: Where can our readers go to find your books and order them?

AUTHOR: My web site http://www.sbniccum.com or www.amazon.com type in Veiled by S.B. Niccum, otherwise you’ll get to see a whole lot of cleavage! =)

Also you can click HERE to go to Silvina's awesome blog.

Silvina will be giving away a copy of her book, Veiled, to one lucky reader. All you need to do is comment on this post and you will be eligible to win.