Blog Tour!!

Illuminations of the Heart

Well...here's a new one from Joyce DiPastena. If you caught her first book, Loyalty's Web, then you were looking forward to this next installment of the characters she introduced. While this isn't a series dependent on each other for the reader, I'm sure it reads better, since you're already familiar with them, but for me, Illuminations of the Heart was a stand alone novel.

Joyce has a way of bringing the locations to life with her descriptions and deep research. Historical novels are difficult to write and time consuming, but she didn't take very long between Loyalty's Web and this one. I was really impressed with the plot outline she came up with and the research she did.

But beside all that, the characters draw you into the story and make you want to read to the end so that you can figure out how everyone gets out of this impossible situation. grin.

I don't want to give it all away...but you got to read it. Especially if historical romance is your cup of tea. Really!

She's also doing a contest and winners will be drawn from the comments on her blog tour blogs. The prize is a $10 gift certificate to Amazon, Deseret Book and Barnes and Noble.

Be sure and check out her publisher, Walnut Spring Press, for their other great books and blogs.

I did it!!! And so did my daughter...

Well...we did it. My daughter and I both submitted stories to the Ldspublisher for a Christmas story contest. Now everyone needs to VOTE!! So...go vote for my story (though I can't tell you which one it is.) And vote for my daughter's too...grin.

Just click on the button on the side bar and it will take you there. Good luck finding mine!!!

sigh.

Family is the BEST

Well...I just had my brother and his wife (the two on the right side) visiting from California for the past weekend. It was sooo much fun. My bro and I haven't had enough time together for the simple fact that we've been separated for much of our lives. Whenever I get the time to spend with him, I cherish it, and this was the longest amount of time we've been able to be together. It was a blast.

I took them to Park City and Thanksgiving Point. I've never been to Thanksgiving Point since they've made the huge gardens, that was really neat. We took tons of photos.

They thought Park City was fun -- the shops are always great. Then we tried to do a family picnic in the mountains, with my other brother leading the way...lol

That ended up being a fun two hour ride, but no picnic. We ended up coming home and grilling hot dogs at 9:30 at night. It was not the best of evenings, but we still had fun. That's the way my bro is. sigh.

So, now he's gone home, and we are getting ready to go to Fish Lake. Somehow the house just seems quieter without them.

A World of our Making

I realized tonight that I really like a particular movie. Mr. Magoriums Wonder Emporium. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. This movie is not your typical story line – it is narrated by a young boy who is much more adult than child and has a hard time finding friends. It’s all about Mr. Magorium, and he is none other than Dustin Hoffman.

I rented Tootsie a couple of weeks ago so that my children could see where this actor had come from. They’ve seen him in Hook, and they’ve seen him in Magorium, but they really haven’t seen him in anything else. I think he’s an amazing actor, I just wish he’d done more clean movies...grin.

Anyway – I think the main point of the movie is that we have wonderful lives to live. It doesn’t matter where we are, what we’re doing, or what kind of interests we have, we should live each day to it’s fullest. This was a man who enjoyed every moment of every day. Lived each moment as if it was a gift.

My favorite line from the movie is: “Your life is an occasion, rise to it.”

I would hope all of us took those words to heart.

You've Got to Read it!!

Okay...I haven't been paid to give this review, in fact, Josi will probably never know I wrote it. Actually, you've probably already heard about the book -- there have been raves about it for several months now. But after reading it this morning, I couldn't help it.

She's come out with a series that I'm excited about and can't wait for her to continue. The first one is called Lemon Tart. It's wonderful!! If you've ever read one of Josi Kilpack's books, you know that she's a wonderful writer. She has taken her talent to a level higher, I think, and is ready to go national with this series. I really hope it goes, too.

She sprinkles her chapters with recipes that look to be delicious, and I can't wait to try them. A friend of mine, Danyelle has let it be known that she has been test taster to these recipes, and can vouch for their yumminess. (is that a word? grin)

Anyway, if you like light mysteries with romance and cooking thrown in, then you'll love these books. Her next one, English Trifle is due out soon, and from what I've read, it looks just as good as the last one. Be sure and check it out, you'll love it!!

What a Memory!

Saturday being the 4th of July, there was the usual parade. This time I was actually in it! It was way fun. I was part of a group called DC 9/12. It stands for Davis Chapter of 9/12, which is something started by Glenn Beck, but taken on by the general citizenry.

9/12 is the day after 9/11, and he says all of us were different people that day. What kind of person were YOU? The point is not to forget how we felt that day and what we wanted to see happen in our world.

I hope you had a wonderful 4th. We spent it with family and I'm grateful that we live in a country where we are free to do so.

Kind of Funny...

I got a newsletter in my email today...it was the one I used to blog for, the yourldsneighborhood one. Kind of funny...it brought back memories of the frantic searching for subjects for my blog twice a week...I kind of miss it, but mostly not. Probably doesn't make any sense, but that's the way my mind has been the past couple of weeks. I've been avoiding writing, perhaps, but I needed a break. I'm still not ready to really get back into it, thought I've written more in my blogs this past week than I have for a couple of months.
I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July, one that makes you remember why you are here and part of this great nation.

I Won!!!

I'm so excited...I'm going to be grinning about it all day. Now I've got to wait until I get the signed copy in the mail!!! Yahoo! Anne's got another giveaway going today, and it looks like a pretty good book too, you might want to check it out...you never know!
;)

I want it!!!

Okay, one of my favorite authors is giving away one of her books! Julie Coulter Bellon is one of the best suspense writers, (I know, I'm a little prejudice) but anyway, her latest book looks to be as great as her others. You should look it up! And anyway, go check out the giveaway on Anne's site...she's great too...;)
http://annebradshaw.blogspot.com/2009/06/give-away-romantic-intrigue-alls-fair.html

Graduation Day!!

Well, yesterday was my son's graduation. I know...one of thousands across the state...grin. But it was way fun. We only had to sit through 1 1/2 hours of ceremony, got to take lots of photos in his gown and cap, and thoroughly spoil him rotten for the day.

He was the first son to walk across stage, complete his eagle and do concurrent enrollment at the local University. We are just a little proud of him, can you tell?

We took him out for dinner afterward to Maddox, and that was an experience. Anyone who has been there will understand...it was Friday and it was packed. I was really glad we'd made reservations. It was loud -- not sure I would do that again. My hubby and I decided that it would be an anniversary type place the next time we were trying to think of somewhere nice, but in a booth, so it would be quieter. Of course, anytime you have our troupe together, it's noisy because they're all trying to talk over the other. smile.

Anyway, We had made a fun big sign that said Congrats 2009 with his name across the C part of it and taped it to the garage, and then lined the porch railing with balloons before we went to the graduation so it would be a surprise. (he'd already left) When we got home we found this:



During the time we'd been gone a microburst came along and totally tore the sign of and all but 4 of the balloons... sigh. My oldest son thought some local kids who were out playing night games might have torn it down, but that's something we'll never know and I'd hate to think someone would do that. So...nature had it's way, and he never saw the sign. Dang.

Otherwise....it was a great day!! It was definitely a Kodak moment...grin.

Greetings from No Mans Land...

I really am alive...I'm just swamped with additional work hours, getting cars to the shop, getting some kind of food in the house, meeting old friends from 35 years ago, a nephew entering the MTC today, an 18th bday, a graduating son, (same son working at and finishing his Eagle) another son giving us attitude, two other sons having to be forced to do anything, and one of those sons getting sick yesterday and throwing up while I was at work. Can we all say, "Good timing!"? grin. His sister made him clean it up...sigh. Such empathy.

I've also been working on my proof copy of a book I wrote for NANOWRIMO last year that those who participated earned a free proof copy for...including shipping! So, anyway, most of my spare time the past month was spent in getting it ready to pretend to be printed. I'll let you know when it's available at Amazon so you can go see the cover and my name in print...lol

So, needless to say all my grand schemes for blogging on Tuesdays with an inspirational scripture have fallen by the wayside. In fact, most of my blogging efforts, now that I'm down to one 'Have to' a week, has dropped off. I apologize to anyone who might still be reading my blog.

I really am still alive, and I'll be trying to make more of a showing in the future.
;)