Sheila's Top 10 or 20 List for 2010

All of the women at LDS Women's Book Review posted about our favorite books read in 2010. You must go and check them out. I always have people asking me for book suggestions. Head on over to the LDSWBR blog and you will have many great reading suggestions. You will also see the books that we all loved and included on our lists.

As you will see, I was way too lazy to type the whole post up again,

so I copied and pasted from the other blog.

Sheila's Top 10 or 20 List for 2010

Posted by Sheila

After I was asked to make a top ten list of my favorite reads of 2010

I floundered a bit. I happily made my goal of reading 100 books in 2010. This also left me in a bind, knowing I had 100 books to choose from. I agree with Mindy, it is like asking who

is your favorite child or friend.

I also have a hard time with only picking 10 so I picked my top 12 and

Then continued with books that I would include in my top 20. I know, I am shamelessly changing the rules here.

These are my picks in no particular order.

1.The Healing Spell by Kimberley Griffiths Little.

To say that this book enchanted me, it is not just a play on words of the title. There truly was something magical about the way

that Kimberley writes. I was pulled into the story from

the beginning and didn’t leave the bayou until the last

page. This book has stayed with me the past month since I

read it. I have remembered the colorful details and rich

characters. I borrowed this book from the library, but this

is one book I will be purchasing for my own collection.

2. Cross My Heart by Julie Wright

This book made me laugh so hard, I loved the main

character and how many strange things happened to her.

(Sadly she reminded me of myself and how "things"

just seem to happen to me while around men.)

I loved her weird mother. The best part was the love

triangle, which was more like a square. This is such a

feel good book. I will be reading it again soon.

3. A Time To Die By Jeff Savage

I waited so long for this sequel in the Shandra Covington

series and I was not disappointed at all. I also feel like it

was the best book yet in the series. This was another book

that I picked up and could not put down. I really

loved the ending!I also loved the fact that

Bobby is not left in perilous circumstances

at the end of this book.

4. Seventh Earth By Richard Bradford

This is such an outstanding sci-fi/fantasy book.

If you are a fan of this genre you MUST read it!

Richard is a great writer and I had a hard

time putting the book down. I can’t wait for

the sequel. It has a great storyline and it

is amazing that this is Richard's first book.

He writes like a Pro!

5. I Am Not A Serial Killer and Mr. Monster By Dan Wells

There is something about these books that are

so compelling. You get sucked in and are hooked until the end.

I really love how you are kept guessing until the very end. In a

strange way, you are cheering for John even if he has a very

wacked out mind.

6. Hotel On The Corner of Bitter and Sweet By Jamie Ford

This book won the Whitney Award in the General Fiction Category of this past year's Whitney Awards. It is a story that

takes place during WW2 in California. The main

character is a young Chinese boy who befriends a

young Japanese girl. It shows the turmoil of that time.

This story stays with you. This is a good read for book clubs.

7. Courting Miss Lancaster by Sarah M. Eden

It seems like everyone has loved this book. It is such a sweet

romance that just makes you sigh. Sarah is one of the best

Regency romance writers today. Sarah's newest book was

recently released. It will definitely be on next years reading

list.

8. Becoming Kate By Dixie Owens

I was right in the middle of six other books when I

received this book. I picked it up to read the first

chapter and never put it down until I was done. This

book is so thought provoking. It deals with the idea

of a brain transplant and if feelings and memories

would survive from the donor. It brings up so many

questions in your own mind.

Dixie does a great job of showing one woman's story and

how resolution comes to this character.

9. Blink of An Eye By Gregg Luke

Gregg Luke's books keep me on the edge. This one

did not disappoint. Even though it was slightly

different from his others, he delved more into

his main character and his past. It has a great

mystery that you search for the answer right

along with the main character. I loved this

one a lot!

10. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society By Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I just reviewed this book on my personal book review blog.

I explained there why it took so long for me to get this

book read. Once I got over the problem I had, I ended up

really liking this book. Other readers have told me they

had the same problem. They now are going to try reading

this again after I shared my secret. Let's

just say you will not be sorry for taking the time to read

this novel.

11. The Sapphire Flute By Karen Hoover

Excellent debut from first time author Karen Hoover. This

fantasy book has everything. The thing that female readers

will love, is that the main characters are female. But, this is

not just a book for females. There is so much action that

males readers will also like this book. This is

the first book in a long series. I have heard bits and pieces

about the next book and I can't wait to read it.

12. Divine Intervention:A Story of Faith and Miracles by Helen and Randy Hall

If you notice, this is the only non-fiction book that made my

top 10 (12) list. This personal account almost reads like a

novel.It leaves you on the edge of your seat. At the same

time, you left with such gratitude for life and the miracles

that can and do happen. I highly suggest that you read this

book. The Hall's story is one that should be read by everyone.

My Honrable Mentions, that are in my top 20 books:

-Band of Sisters by Annette Lyon

-Crossfire By Traci Hunter Abramson

-The Musician's Daughter By Susanne Dunlap

-Gregor and the Overlander 5 book series By Suzanne Collins

-Lucky Change By Susan Law Corpany

-Hometown Girl By Michelle Ashman Bell

-Heroes of the Fallen By David J. West

The book that I was most disappointed in was... 2010

Mockingjay By Suzanne Collins. I just did not like it. I hated the ending

And how Pres. Snow died.(Sadly I had a much more grisly end planned

for him in my mind) I was left feeling so unsatisfied and cheated by this

third book. What happened to Prim just made me hate the ending even more.

I just remember closing the book and shaking my head. I am doing it right now.

**sigh** Hunger Games is on my all time top 10 list, but Mockingjay

wasn’t even close.

After I read my fellow LDSWBR sisters lists, I realized that there were so

many of their favorites I wanted to read but didn't get to. Next year, you will

probably see some of their favorites on my top 10 list.

"What Do You Think About...Wednesday" With Shanda Cottam

Today's "What Do You Think About...Wednesday" question is answered by Shanda Cottam. Shanda is the founder and moderator of LDS Women's Book Review Podcast and book review blog. The podcast started almost five years ago. LDS Women's Book Review has had a very strong presence in the LDS Literature World. Shanda remains busy being a stay- at -home mom to her four kids, a supportive wife to her husband, reading as much as she can in her "spare" time, blogging and editing podcasts.

-What do you think about the role of book reviewers

in promoting authors and their books?

Word of mouth is the best kind of advertising. Almost every book I have loved was recommended to me by a friend. Book reviews have been around since the beginning (technically whoever read that first book/scroll/pictograph and expressed an opinion about it was reviewing it, right?) but with the blessings of technology come the real advantages of book reviewers to authors. At no other time in history has word-of-mouth advertising been able to travel so far, so fast.

While it is nice to have your book make the NY Times Bestseller list, or have some famous columnist review your book, not many authors get that opportunity. Sometimes it can even be disadvantageous. As Bree Despain recently expressed on Twitter, "Reviewer for large newspaper fully admitted to me she didn't read TDD [The Dark Divine] & only *skimmed* a part of TLS [The Lost Saint] before pubbing her 'meh' review. What?" Luckily for Bree, whose launch party for The Lost Saint was held last night at The King's English in Salt Lake City, she already has a large fan base and her books have received many positive reviews from those who have actually read her books.

Since I first started reviewing books several years ago, I have been delightfully surprised by the number of book reviewers/bloggers on the web, but even more so by the sense of community among them. Virtual "blog tours" are becoming more popular. Within the "blogosphere," news of a good book travels quickly. Sometimes so quickly and effectively that, thanks to Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) being distributed to book reviewers who then spread their love of the book to blog readers, there is a huge demand for these books well before "launch day."

In short, I think that book reviewers play a large role in helping authors promote their books, and from what I can see on book blog after book blog, most authors and publishers feel the same.

Thanks so much Shanda!

Make sure you go and visit LDS Women's Book Review and listen to the podcasts. (You will hear me there too, because I am proudly a member of LDS Women's Book Review)

"What Do You Think About...Wednesday" With Aprilynne Pike

I am starting a new feature on my blog called, "What Do You Think About...Wednesday". I will be asking people, readers, writers, etc. , what they think about certain topics. I wanted to start off with a bang, so I directed my first question to Aprilynne Pike, an American author best known for her debut novel "Wings", which was released in English on May 5, 2009. Her first novel debuted as a New York Times best-seller, and reached the #1 spot on the Children's Best Seller list, making Pike the best-selling non-celebrity children's author to debut in 2009. Her second novel, "Spells" likewise debuted on the New York Times Best Seller list.

-What do you think about the direction that Young Adult Fantasy Writing is heading?

Well, certainly it is a great time to be writing for young adults in any genre--which is probably why so many traditionally "adult" authors have released YA books lately. In terms of genre, I think the greatest thing about writing YA is that rarely "heads" anywhere at all. Book bloggers and publishing news outlets often fill slow news days with speculation on the trends; headlines like "Faeries: The New Vampires?" or "The Year of Dieselpunk (No Really, This Time It Is)" generate lots of interesting discussion. But the truth is, there's always room for an entertaining story. I once asked a bookstore manager how he felt about people buying books at discount club stores across the street and bringing them in to the bookstore for me to sign. His response was, "Reading benefits everyone. In the long run, the more books Sam's Club sells, the more books I sell, because they're making readers. And eventually, those readers come here."

And that's what we do: we make readers. Young adult fantasy is a place a lot of teens turn for a break from the required reading they get in school. It's somewhere they can develop the habit of reading for pleasure instead of because they're "supposed to." The problem with heading a particular "direction" is that if we focus too narrowly on trends and the "Next Big Thing," we end up serving a much smaller range of interests. This is why some folks are worried about signs that the YA market may be shifting toward the "adult publishing" model, with more "lead titles" and a smaller midlist. Adult interest in YA books (and YA fantasy in particular) may be at an all-time high (and heaven knows I cherish my adult readers!), but the need for a broad range of YA titles, to appeal to as broad a range of young adults as possible, is as high as ever.

Fortunately, I think overall the direction YA fantasy is heading is "into the future." For every teen who gets too old for faeries and trolls and innocent romance, another tween gets old enough to want her adventure stories to end with a little kissing. And every new generation deserves a chance not only to appreciate the classics, but also to discover contemporary favorites written especially for them.

Thanks so much for your answer Aprilynne. You can learn more about Aprilynne and her books here.

LDSWBR's Countdown to Christmas 2010 is Almost Over!

You only have until December 25, to enter the contest, at LDS Women's Book Review's HUGE Countdown to Christmas 2010! There are so many prizes that you could win. The biggest prize is a $50.00 gift certificate to Amazon.com. You also can come to just read all of the fantastic interviews with some great authors. Many of them have donated their books as prizes. You don't want to miss out, so head on over to the LDSWBR's blog and enter to win.

My Review of "Sun Tunnels and Secrets" By Carole Thayne Warburton

On a trip to the Sun Tunnels in the Utah desert, Norma and her sisters find a body on the side of the road. But this awful discovery turns out to be the least of their problems. Norma's husband just passed on, and she learns he kept a secret from her for sixty years. LaRue is keeping a secret from Norma. The sisters' young friend Tony is keeping a secret about his famous father, and Tony's mother is keeping a secret of her own. Tony is secretly in love with his friend Kelli, who recently escaped from a polygamist cult. And who is the mysterious young car thief with whom Norma feels a special connection? Everything converges in Grouse Creek at the Fourth of July celebration. Will secrets prove everyones undoing?

This book has a little bit of everything, mystery, romance, suspense and humor.

I really loved the three older sisters Norma, Mabel and LaRue and their ever revolving relationships. Norma has to be my favorite sister; but she was the closest to a main character in the book.

I also really loved the character of Tony. He was definitely the most likable male character in the book. Even though there were several stories going on in the book, most of the small stories were connected with each other. Even with the many stories, they were all very

easy to follow.

I think most adults and teens would like this book. There are enough male characters in this book to keep the interest of men and women. If you know someone who likes a book like this, that is full of all genres, it would make a perfect gift.

I want to thank Walnut Springs Press for this review copy. In no way did this influence my review in any way.

Why I Am Glad That I Gave "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" a 2nd Chance

I picked this book up in 2009.My Mom had read it with her book club. My Mom and I have the same likes in reading material, so I figured I would love it as much as she had. The first time I tried to read this book I would read only a few pages each day. This did not work with this book. I could not keep any of the characters straight or what was happening. I recently tried reading the book again. This time, I dedicated over one hour for a first time reading of the book. I was able to distinguish characters and where things were taking place. By about page 50, I was fully immersed in the story.I loved this book. I really did not want it to end.

This book was rich with colorful characters and I loved the fact this whole story is told through letters. It is nice to read a story that is different from the norm. I also really liked the main character Juliet. It was very satisfying to see the growth take place in Juliet. She truly learned how to open her heart to others. You could see this by how happy she was at the end of the book. I also grew to love the caring and kind people that lived in Guernsey.

So, if you have not yet read "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society", then it is about time that you did.

My Review of "Fulfilling Relationships" By John J. Lee Jr.

BRIEF OVERVIEW

‘Fulfilling Relationships’ expresses the Lord’s counsel that we are not to become the punching bag of every bully. Neither are we to return their railing with ours. Rather, we are encouraged to become a Shepherd, neighbor and friend to those wounded and scarred of our Father in Heaven’s children among us, showing them the way, through our care for them. We are to approve and encourage behavior that is true to their Divine natures. We are to help them experience the good, so they know to refuse the dross. As we do, we are promised to find our lives fulfilled and feel the joy that accompanies laboring with God and angels.

The liberating truth is, while walking away might prevent contention, the Savior’s admonition to love, bless, do good and pray for our would-be enemies actually commences their deeply needed healing. Further, not only will we benefit others, but as we minister to them, a beautiful Divine change settles upon our own character: One worthy of God’s Spirit.

Every day offences come from our sweetheart, or parents, children, neighbors, fellow-workers or complete strangers. It may take all our self control just to walk away from such railings. However, if we follow the Master and become worthy to be called by His name- walking away is not enough. The Redeemer tenderly invites us to: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”

When you first read the title of this book, "Fulfilling Relationships", you think about marriage or dating. This book does cover that relationship, but it goes into every relationship that you will experience here on Earth. Here are some of the chapter titles:

-Taking and Receiving

-Giving and Receiving

-The Lord's Invitation to Become a Peacemaker

-Our Sweetheart

-Our Children

-Our Neighbors and C0-workers

-God and Strangers on Our Way

This book is perfect for any God-loving Christian who wants to better themselves, It is also a perfect book to help you learn how to better serve others and make the world a more peaceful place. This book is a quick read at only 176 pages. It may be a small book, but it is big in content and it's message. "Fulfilling Relationships" is a good book to read this time of the year.

If you would like to buy a copy of "Fulfilling Relationships" you can find it at Amazon.

You are invited to leave your comments about "Fulfilling Relationships" or your related queries for the author at www.fulfillingrelationships.net

About the Author

John successfully led the vision, launch and/or expansion of several entertainment and media entities and provided business, funding and distribution services for scores of major studio released motion pictures, television network series and specials, with combined production costs of over $470 million and global rights earnings exceeding $4 billion.

John is an author, teacher, global media and entertainment executive, director, producer and screenwriter. His book, "The Producer's Business Handbook" is used by film schools the world over, is a standard professional media reference, its third edition released by Focal Press at the 2010 American Film Market.

His passions are his family, writing, producing, studying, teaching, new technologies and surfing. Closest surf to Mumbai are the quite remarkable Sri Lankan waves.

John began his career in 1968 as a business consultant with the NCR Corporation. John executive produced his first motion picture in 1976 and in 1977 became Business Affairs Vice President for global motion picture sales company Howard Goldfarb Distribution and subsequently in the same position for Heart Entertainment. John led multiple new media companies including the direct broadcast satellite entity Impression Delivery Corporation (acquired by CapCities) and advanced the ad sales units of Times Mirror Cable Television (acquired by Cox Communications).

In 1996, he accepted a full time faculty position at BYU's Film School, where he initiated their Business of Film curriculum and authored "The Producer's Handbook", currently in its third edition through Focal Press.

In 1999 John founded and served as CEO Entertainment Business Group, a motion picture global finance, distribution and business services entity, until its acquisition by The Gillen Group. In 2004, John became the co-founder and CEO of iCommunication Dynamics, LLC, an Internet television technology entity.

John is currently Dean of Whistling Woods International, the largest film school in Asia, participates in global entertainment and new-media initiatives, writes and speaks at events.

John is a founder of The San Diego Repertory Theatre.

John and Darylann, his sweetheart of forty-two years, are the parents of six children and twenty grandchildren. These relationships are the core of his life and largely inform the experiences related in his book 'Fulfilling Relationships,' released in 2010.

John and his wife currently live in Mumbai, India, where they are also involved in humanitarian work focusing on educating eager, able, but less fortunate children, and enabling women to become financially independent.

Divine Intervention: A Story of Faith and Miracles By Helen and Randy Hall

An extraordinary story of inspiration and courage. When Doug and Julie Wagstaff invited Randy and Helen Hall to join them on a week-long vacation in Mazatlan, Mexico, it seemed like a welcome break during a stressful time. The two families would travel to Mexico in the Wagstaffs' private plane, and Doug was an experienced pilot. Who would have guessed a dream vacation would turn into a nightmare?

En route a sudden winter storm coated the plane with ice and brought it down in the mountains of Arizona. Miraculously, all nine people on board survived, although two were seriously injured. From premonitions before the flight, to a remote rescue in hazardous terrain, to the Lord's hand in the families' healing, this book will inspire every reader.

This book was truly an incredible read. I have always liked to read about

true life experiences. I can tell you that this book will not disappoint

the reader. The title is so appropriate! When you read about the

accident, that should have claimed the lives of the Wagstaff

and Hall families, you know that God and his angels did intervene.

I like how Helen and Randy Hall both told their stories. The viewpoint

changes from one to the other throughout the story.I feel that this

only made the story of this miracle that much stronger. The story

is told so powerfully, you feel as if you are there in the plane.

Here is an excerpt I wanted to share with you:

"Sometimes words in the English language cannot even begin to convey an emotion. How would one describe the sensation of slipping while climbing a sheer rock face and then cascading downward? How would one describe the emotion felt while falling through the air, knowing death was imminent? I suppose "frozen with fear" and "sheer terror" come close to describing my feelings as I realized the plane was crashing. As the gravity of the situation overwhelmed me, I could scarcely breathe. I knew that in a few minutes, my life and that of my husband and two of our children would end. Our good friends would die with us. Time slowed and seemed to take on a whole new dimension, but my mind kicked into overdrive. I cried silently to the Lord, begging for a chance to live, a chance to do better."

As I said before, very powerful words to describe a terrifying moment in this woman's life.

The main reason I loved reading this book was how it made me feel. It also made me think about my own life and how I would have reacted in this situation. We all have trials in our lives, some more catastrophic than others. Who do we turn to during these trials? How fast are we to beg the Lord to take away the trial/s from our life? In Helen's situation, she only had minutes to plead to the Lord for her life and those she loved. How long does it take us to fall on bended knee and ask for help? If nothing else, this book will make you reflect on your life and where you are heading. I felt so inspired and uplifted after reading Helen and Randy's story. I took a moment to be truly grateful for the blessings in my life and the help I have always received from the Lord and other "angels" here on Earth.

This book, "Divine Intervention" is one that I highly recommend to you and your family. Give this book to someone who needs a boost of faith in their life. This book will help anyone, who needs those reminders of why we should be grateful for the small things that happen every day. In other words, this book would make am outstanding Christmas gift for anyone on your list!

If you would like to purchase this book go here to Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble

I want to thank Walnut Springs Press for this review copy. In no way did this influence

my review of this book.

My Review of "Winning Mr. Wrong" by Marie Higgins

Whoever said the quest for love wasn’t comical never met Charlene Randall. Charley is looking for a man who wants to start a family, a man who will take her to the temple. Problem is, she has never dated a man for longer than three months. When she reads an internet article called “Ten Ways to Win Your Man,” she decides to try it on her new coworker, Maxwell Harrington. Max was her crush in high school, but the superstar sports anchorman doesn’t even remember her. Enter ladies’ man Damien Giovianni, Charley’s handsome neighbor, who agrees to help her win Max over. What follows is a hilarious story of mishaps and misunderstandings where Charley learns that what she really needs may be right in front of her.

When was the last time you read a romance that really made you laugh? I did this past weekend while reading, "Winning Mr. Wrong" by Marie Higgins. This book had me smiling from the start. Main character, Charlene (Charley) Randall, is on a quest to "win" a man. She gets her game plan from an internet article called, "Ten Ways to Win Your Man". Charley's main problem is that she ends up doing such goofy things when she is around a man that she likes. I guess I was laughing so much because I seemed to have the same problem while around someone I liked. Poor Charley goes from one romantic disaster to another.

Now, this is not a serious and stiff romantic novel. It is a fun, light read that will make you smile. It will also make you remember the first time you dated someone seriously. Charley chases one man, Maxwell Harrington, while her handsome neighbor, Damien Giovianni is quietly chasing her. You pretty much can figure out how this will all end up, but it is so much fun getting there. This is an LDS Romantic novel; but the religious content will not put off anyone from another faith who wants to read this book.

This is Marie Higgins first published novel. I believe that she did a super job on this novel. I can't wait to start reading her second novel, "Heart of a Hero". If you would like to contact Marie you can e-mail her at mariehiggins84302@yahoo.com. You can also visit Marie's blog at mariehiggins84302.blogspot.com

"Winning Mr. Wrong" can be purchased at:

-Amazon.com and

-Deseret Book

It would make a great Christmas present for your favorite friend or sister.

I received a free copy of this book from Walnut Springs Press. In no way did this influence my review in any way.

Count Down To Christmas With LDS Womens Book Review

It's that time of year again, LDS Womens Book Review is hosting "The Countdown to Christmas 2010." You need to come and join us there for this yearly event. Here are the details and also the list of wonderful prizes that will be given away. You also will be able to get to know many authors.

***Countdown to Christmas 2010 Contest***

LDSWBR will hold a drawing on December 26, 2010 for a $50 Amazon Gift Card, as well as a variety of books being offered by some great LDS authors.

Book prizes generously donated by the authors:

• Oh, Say Can You See? by Laurie (LC) Lewis

• Backlash by Traci Hunter Abramson

• Alma the Younger by Heather (HB) Moore

• True Miracles with Genealogy by Anne Bradshaw

• Dingo by Anne Bradshaw

• Second Kiss by Natalie Palmer

• Cross My Heart by Julie Wright

• Meg's Melody by Kaylee Baldwin

• The Star Prophecy by Joan Sowards (and Walnut Springs Press)

• A cute, handmade apron by Joan Sowards

How to enter:

• Post a thoughtful comment on the Countdown to Christmas 2010 posts. Comments can be added on any of the countdown posts at anytime during the contest period (December 1, 2010 through December 25, 2010). Only one comment per person per "Countdown to Christmas" post will be entered into the drawing. Feel free to comment more than once per post if you'd like, but only one comment will be accepted as an entry.

• Follow us on Twitter: @LDSWBR - then send us a direct message to let us know you want to be entered in the Countdown to Christmas 2010 Contest. If you are already a follower send a direct message telling us you want to be included in the contest.

• Tweet this message each day (one entry per day). Just copy and paste into your twitter message window to send it (LDSWBR must be able to see the tweet): LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas 2010 at http://ldswbr.blogspot.com! Enter to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card & great books! @ldswbr #ldswbr2010

• Follow LDSWBR on Facebook, then send an email to ldswbr at gmail dot com that you’d like to be entered into the Countdown to Christmas 2010 Contest. If you already follow LDSWBR on Facebook, send us an email to let us know you’d like to be included in the contest.

• **BONUS +5 entries**- Blog about this contest on your blog in a post that includes a link back to the LDSWBR blog, then send us the link to your specific blog post.

Here are the rules:

• Contest ends at 12:00 Midnight MST on December 25, 2010. Drawing winners will have until 12:00 Midnight MST on January 3, 2010 to claim their prize. After that time, another name will be drawn to receive the prize.

• LDSWBR reserves the right to decide what determines a "thoughtful" comment.

• Physical book prizes can only be shipped within the contiguous United States.

• Authors taking part in the countdown are eligible to participate in the contest.

• The drawing held on December 26, 2010 will be a raffle-type drawing. All entries will be combined and names drawn for the prizes.

Please join us in counting down to Christmas with some great reads!

My Review of "Finding Rose" By Stephanie Humphreys and Win a Free Copy!

My Review:

Finding Rose is a historical romance set in Utah in the late 1800’s. Rose’s family are active members of the church. Everything is going well in Rose’s life until a friend of her brother’s shows up and things start to change. Miles Crandall comes to their home to stay for a while. When Rose learns about the real reason that Miles is there, tragedy soon follows for their family. Rose’s father is dying and has one last wish, to give Miles a chance as a suitor. Rose goes through so much dealing with her feelings. Should she stay in Utah or move to Canada with her family? Rose finds that she is attracted to a rough boy in town, while trying not to acknowledge her feelings towards Miles.

Rose goes through so many challenges in the book. “Finding Rose” is such a fitting title for this book. It truly is Rose’s journey to find herself. One minute she is doing something that you just want to shake some sense into her. Then the next she is showing such kindness to others. I love the way that other people influence her life. I think that sometimes we don’t realize how a certain person or situation can change us and help us grow in many ways.

This book also has an awesome back-story with the towns’ people that she meets in Montana. Author Stephanie Humphreys, a first time author, does a top-notch job in fleshing out the side characters in the story. I was really touched by the relationship that Rose developed with her Aunt Abbie; who is very cold towards her when they first meet. Rose has to really reach out of her shell to break the ice with Abbie. A very sweet relationship is born between these two women.

This story will be well liked by people who like historical romance, stories about the early saints, and just want to read a clean, well-written romance. It would also make a great Christmas gift.

Here is a little excerpt from the book:

Will Rose honor her father's last wish?

Rose stood and dropped her father's hand. "You're tired, Papa." She pulled
the quilt over his thin shoulders and kissed him on the cheek. . . .

"Think about what I said." He gently squeezed her hand. "I wish you would
consider giving Miles a chance."

"Miles! I wish Sean had never brought him here. He's so serious. In all the
time he's been here, he's hardly ever smiled. . . . He annoys me and I wish
he would go home." Still, Rose couldn't help but think of his gentleness
when he cared for her father.

On his deathbed, Rose Sterling's father asks her to consider Miles Crandall
as a suitor. Then Rose is sent to live with an uncle in Spring Creek,
Montana, far from her carefree life with her family in Utah. Miles is
returning to his hometown of Spring Creek to set up a medical practice, so
Rose is certain her being sent there is a setup. Yet Miles doesn¹t seem
interested in her, and after Rose falls ill in Montana, he seems content to
act as her physician and friend. When Rose captures the attention of Miles¹s
younger, flamboyant brother as well as the town sheriff, Miles retreats even
further from any attempt at courtship.

How can Rose honor her father's last wish if Miles doesn't even try to court
her? Will she have the courage to put her heart on the line and fight for
the one she really loves?

From the Publisher:

It's blog tour time for Whitney Nominee

Finding Rose by Stephanie Humphreys.

We're excited because we've got some fabulous reviewers on board,

not to mention that we'll be giving away THREE copies!

The tour runs from November 22-December 3.

Want to win a copy of Finding Rose? It's easy.

Check out the fabulous reviews and leave a comment letting us know why you're excited to read Finding Rose.

Remember to include your email address.

If you tweet about the blog tour, or post about it on your blog or facebook, leave the link in the comments section and you'll receive an additional entry.

November 22
Tristi Pinkston--Tristi Pinkston

November 23
Alison Palmer--Tangled Words and
Dreams

November 24
Taffy Lovell--Taffy's Writing

November 29
Jenn Wilks--Jenn Wilks
Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen--The
Write Blocks

November 30
Amanda Thomson--Maybe Mandi

December 1
Sheila Staley--Why Not?
Because I Said So

December 2
Valerie Ipson--Valerie Ipson

December 3
Christine Bryant--Day
Dreamer

I received this free copy from Walnut Springs. In no way did this influence my review.

Why I loved, "Blink of an Eye" by Gregg Luke

Childhood was a happy, carefree time for Joseph Ramirez. At least that's how he remembered. it. But after a near-fatal traffic accident leaves him with a crushed skull, he's not so sure. Along with physical pain, Joseph now suffers recurring nightmares. And each night the heart-wrenching dreams grow increasingly vivid and graphic, to the point that he often cries out in anguish and remorse, revealing horrifying secrets kept hidden for twenty years. To complicate matters, a ruthless lawyer is challenging Joseph's innocence in the traffic accident. When defense attorney Michelle Haas comes to his aid, they discover they knew each other as children, and soon another forgotten experience comes into play, one that goes deeper than simple friendship. Together they struggle to answer Joseph's unanswerable questions. Are Joseph's night terrors actually repressed memories? Can his psychiatrist unravel the mystery behind his nightmares, including his hospital roommate's claim that Joseph has confessed to murder? As the clock ticks down, Joseph realizes there is only one way to uncover the truth about his family and himself, reliving a past he has unknowingly worked all his life to forget.

I love all of Gregg Luke's books. The thing I like the most, is that they all

are very different. Blink of an Eye starts off with a bang! The first page

has one of the most wonderful hooks that I have ever read! The first line says,

"It happened in a blink of an eye". From there you find out how the main character, Joseph Ramirez, is in an almost fatal car wreck. Gregg is so wonderful at "showing" what happens, that you can almost feel the pain Joseph is going through right after the wreck. He has mastered the art of showing not telling. Something that I have been working really hard on

learning.

This book has so much in it; a mystery, a little romance, and a psychological thriller. Gregg writes Joseph as an empathetic character. Joseph has experienced such disturbing things in his childhood. His mind had blocked out these experiences until he had the brain injury. Though you do read of physical abuse, it is not as graphic as it could have been. This book is so realistic from the medical language to the situation of abuse in Joseph's background. Of course, anyone who has read Gregg Luke's books before, knows that Gregg has an extensive medical background with him being a Pharmacist. He is one of the best writers when it comes to writing about medical/drug related etc. situations.

Gregg brings out each characters personality in a big way. As a reader, you dislike his hospital roommate (I did from the start), you really like his attorney Michelle, you are angry at his drunken father who is the abuser and you shake your head at Joseph's mother for letting the abuse happen right in front of her. Though in her defense, she was being abused herself and was scared to stand up to her husband. This was a very emotional read.

Lastly, the highest compliment that I can give this book is, I call Blink of an Eye a "Pick up this book and you can't put it down until you are finished" novel. I predict that this book will be in the final five for a Whitney Award. In fact, this novel is a winner already from the amazing cover down to the last page. I loved it and am giving it 5 stars!

Here are some interesting things that Gregg Luke said about Blink of an Eye. (I found this on his website)

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Writing Blink Of An Eye proved to be very enlightening. It turns out the science behind repressed memories, false memories, and hypnotic regression is not exact, which was good for me because it allowed greater artistic license. But I tried to stay as medically accurate as possible. Many people have asked the delicate question if this story is semi-autobiographical. The answer is no. The character of Joseph and what he experienced as a child is taken from psychology journals, text books, and interviews. Unfortunately, his experiences do represent real occurrences. The horrors some kids have to endure is disheartening. I tried to express that in my narrative, which proved to be more difficult than I expected. Blink ended up being a very emotional ride.