Review of "Illuminations of the Heart" by Joyce DiPastena...Enter to win your own copy!

"Clothilde." He spoke her name on a breath like a prayer. Then he lowered his head and kissed her.

What a perfect scene! It truly belongs in a romance novel. The only problem is, the women being kissed is not Clothilde, her name is Siriol De Calendri. Triston, the hero in the novel, is still full of guilt because of the death of his late wife, Clothilde. Siri greatly resembles Triston's late wife, but is very different from her in personality and spirit. This is where the Historical novel begins. Can Siri win Triston's heart and help him heal from the past? Will Triston be able to keep Siri safe from the many enemies that threaten he and Siri's future together? You will need to read "Illuminations of the Heart" to have these questions answered.

I enjoy reading Joyce DiPastena's books. They are known for being "clean" romances. Now days, the idea of a clean romance is a very rare thing. This is not to say that you won't be swept away in the growing romance between Triston and Siri and the heat felt between them. They are clearly attracted to each other and their shared kisses made me yearn for a "Triston" in my life. You can safely read this book, as well as your teen-age daughter, and know that no sex will be spattered throughout the pages.

As for historical fiction lovers, this book will greatly appeal to you. Joyce does incredible research into this time period. I always feel like I learn new things when I read one of Joyce's books. She has a "Glossary of Medieval Terms" at the back of the book. For example, do you know what "Crenellated" means? What does "Fealty" mean? Do you know what a "Hauberk" is? I found this Glossary very helpful as I read the book.

This sweet romance from Joyce is 425 pages long. It is well worth your time to read it. Hide away in a room, pull out the chocolate or popcorn, get comfortable and escape to the medieval times. I enjoyed getting lost in the romance and suspense that is interwoven in "Illuminations of the Heart."

If you would like to win your own copy of this new novel here are a few ways to enter:

-Look up one of the meanings to one of the medieval words I mentioned in this blog post. Tell me the definition to the word/s and that will count as one entry.


-Post a comment telling me what is your favorite kind of Romance novel. What era appeals to you the most. This will be another entry for you.


-The third thing you can do, is to become a follower of one of my blogs, here at "Why Not Because I Said So" or at LDS Women's Book Review
If you decide to follow me at both blogs that will count as two entries.

One winner will be chosen from entries posted at both blogs. So start posting to win your own copy of this wonderful romance. You have one week to enter the contest. It will end next Monday night, Sept. 21st and the winner will be announced the next day.


Learn more about Joyce, her writing and research at:
http://walnutspringspress.blogspot.com/

http://www.joyce-dipastena.com/

http://jdp-news.blogspot.com/

http://medievalresearch.blogspot.com/

http://medievalvignettes.blogspot.com/

You can purchase "Illuminations of the Heart" here at....
Amazon.com and DeseretBook.com

Review of "Alma" By H.B.Moore

I have always loved the story of Alma and how he came to find the gospel after living a not so perfect life. This has always been one of my favorite parts of the Book of Mormon. So with great excitement I started reading the novel based on his life. I had already read Heather's previous novel, "Abinadi", which by the way won the 2008 Whitney Award for Historical fiction. She also won the 2007 Whitney Award in Historical Fiction for her book "Out of Jerusalem: Land of Inheritance, book#4 in a series.





I was entranced with the story of Abinadi. I kept hoping against hope that maybe just maybe he would make it in that novel, but sadly he died in the end, just as the scriptures told. "Alma" takes up where Abinadi ends. I would suggest reading Abinadi first or you may be lost about some of the characters and their story lines. With that said, "Alma" can be enjoyed on it's own, but I am a stickler for reading books in the right order when reading a series.

I know that Heather is one of the hardest working authors out there. The research she does, with her writing is similar as to what would be done while going to college. Even though she claims to get much of the information from her Father, an emeritus professor of ancient scripture at BYU,
she needs to humbly acknowledge herself here. I know that she puts in a lot of time thoroughly researching every book that she writes.



Here we (LDS Womens Book Review) are at the Whitney Awards, April, 2009: Sheila, Heather Moore, Shanda and Hillary.

Back to "Alma", let's just say... I loved it! Heather has a way of bringing the Book of Mormon people and the country they resided in to life. You can see the colors and smell the smells of the mountains and streams. I became so totally engrossed in this book, I forgot I had already read this story in the Book of Mormon. Heather is such a great writer that she brings new life to old stories. I was waiting anxiously through the whole book waiting to see what happened in the end. Don't be fooled by thinking you have already read this story because you have read the Book of Mormon 20 times. "Alma" not only gives you the details you have read before, but Heather adds the emotions these valiant people lived through as they faced great trials in their lives.

My Interview with H.B. (Heather) Moore:
I was very anxious to interview Heather and have her answer some questions about the novel and about herself. She sent the answers back quickly and here they are for you.

1.How did you decide on which Book of Mormon characters to put in your novels?

I looked at the prophets who I thought had a pretty tight story line, either in timeline or with a compelling set of circumstances. I chose to do the era of Abinadi and Alma because the conversion of Alma leads to the incredible conversion of so many others. And it all started with Abinadi’s willing sacrifice to preach until death.

2.Before you start writing, how much research do you do? What percent of your planning is spent on this research?

Most of the research I do before writing is actually talking to people and getting their take on a Book of Mormon figure. This helps me form the character, the age, and what others’ expectations are. I’ll add some of my own creativity—which usually comes from asking “what if” into the mix—but I do have a responsibility to stay as true to the scriptural text as possible and mesh my ideas with the readers’ vision. I, of course, closely study the scriptures I’m covering, word by word, line by line. I look up the cross references. I read commentaries written by gospel scholars on the particular verses I’ll be covering. From there, I leave a lot of highlighted questions as I write, then I go into reference books to find out the smaller details—like what a typical Mesoamerican family eats for breakfast!


3.How old were you when you gained this love for the Book of Mormon? It is clearly evident that you have a great love for this book from your writing.

I was in seminary when I first read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover in a relatively short time. I’d read the New Testament over and over as a youth because I had a really cool version with Olive Wood covers, and all of the words that Christ spoke were highlighted in red. So reading the Book of Mormon in a more serious light came when I was in high school. I read it off and on over the years, and when I was a young married mother, I took the “40 day” challenge and read it in 40 days. That really helped me piece together the timeline understand how the various groups of people fit together.

4.When is the best time for you to write?

This changes every season. My youngest just started “kitten-garten,” and so my writing time is 12:45-3:10. Yes—every minute counts! When my second book was “due” to the publisher, I had to really work hard to meet the deadline—which consisted of writing from 4:00-7:00 a.m. Luckily I only had to do that for about 6 weeks.

5.How long did it take you to write your first book?

How long does it take you now to write a novel?

I wrote my very first book in about 12 weeks. I wasn’t editing as I went, but just writing freely. I wrote about 2,000 words a day, which I can do in about 2 hours if I really stay focused (no emails!). That first book was historical fiction (WWII) and still isn’t published. But the Book of Mormon books are quite intensive with the research. I’d say it takes a good five months from start to the second draft stage. That is if I write 1,000-2,000 words a day/5 days a week. This does not include research time, so I have to account for that as well. Writing is only the beginning—I also have to go through the editing process before submitting and that can take about 4 weeks if my beta readers are willing to turn around an edit in 1-2 weeks.


6.What are your future goals or dreams as a writer?

I’ll continue to write for the LDS market as long as the readers support me. I also have other manuscripts that I’ve written for the national market; I hope they will see a publisher one day.


7.What is the main thing you hope your readers to gain from reading your novel, " Alma "?

Alma is really a novel about second chances and the power of redemption. Some of the characters have lived lives of iniquity and as they discover and accept the truthfulness of the gospel, they find it challenging to accept the Atonement in its entirety. Most of the characters have gone through some horrific trials, and they learn to rely on the Lord in a most complete and utter way when they are essentially living in a pit of despair. I hope the readers come away with renewed hope and comfort that we can only find in placing our whole hearts and burdens upon the altar before the Lord and trusting in Him.

8.Tell me about the next book/s that you are writi

ng now.

I recently started writing the sequel to Alma. You guessed it: Alma the Younger. This new book opens up about 20 years after Alma the Elder and his people arrive in Zarahemla. One of the questions I’m asking myself is how do I have three to four “A” names in the same scene? Alma the Younger, Alma the Elder, Ammon, Aaron . . . It gets confusing! Nicknames, anyone?

Next Spring/Summer my first non-fiction book will be released: Women of the Book of Mormon. I’m really excited about it—I’ve found 12 women to write about and the research led to some fascinating insights. My initial purpose for writing a non-fiction book was to share parts of the research that I did while researching my Out of Jerusalem series. When I get

Alma the Younger drafted to a point that I can step away for a couple of weeks, I’ll be working on edits for the non-fiction book.

9.What is your best advice for aspiring writers?

Okay, you asked for it. I’ll do a list so that it’s not too overwhelming:

1. Writer’s write.
2. Writers finish manuscripts.
3. Writers educate themselves on the publishing industry (think college—yes, it’s intensive).
4. Writers accept critiques—the good, the bad, the ugly.
5. Writers re-write.
6. Writers submit to agents/publishers.
7. Writers network.
8. Writers continually improve their craft through reading, attending writers’ conferences and workshops.
9. Writers learn to self-promote.
10. Writers don’t give up. Nor do they wait around, they write that 2^nd manuscript.

I recommend this book to anyone who has a great love for the Book of Mormon people. I also recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading a story written by an author who writes free-flowing stories. Heather is one of those LDS authors I have been telling you about that i s very talented and a superb writer.

Heather's novel, "Abinadi" also won the 2009 Best of State in Literary Arts award. I can clearly see that Heather has many more exciting things in her future in the literary world.

Please go visit her at her blog here:http://mywriterslair.blogspot.com/.
or go directly to her website at http://www.hbmoore.com/index.php

The book "Alma", "Abinadi" and her "Out of Jerusalem series can be purchased at:
http://deseretbook.com/auth/11266/Heather_Moore


You can also go to www.ldswomensbookreview.com and listen to Episode 35 where we had Heather Moore and author Annette Lyon as our guests for a July 2009, podcast. It is a lot of fun to hear them talk about their books and writing.

Review of "All the Stars in Heaven" by Michele Paige Holmes

"All the Stars in Heaven" is Michele Paige Holmes second published book. Her first book, "Counting Stars" won the first Whitney Award, ever, in the category of Romance. There are many of us that fell in love with "Counting Stars" and Michele's writing. I could see her amazing talent she possessed because she wrote such a captivating story. You often wonder how something as good as an "award winning" first book could ever be topped? Well, I am here to tell you, that this is exactly what Michele has done. She went above and beyond with her writing of "All the Stars in Heaven". It was very evident to see the fabulous growth that Michele has made as a writer.

This story was much more than a romance, but was also a murder mystery/suspense novel. The storyline is very deep and involved with happenings of current times and what happened to main character Sarah Morgan's mother many years ago. The other main character, Jay Kendrich, was first introduced in a smaller role in "Counting Stars". I have to admit, I did not really like Jay that much in the first book. Jay has grown up a lot since the first book and he is more appealing this time around. In fact, I found myself hoping that everything would turn out for him in this book. He also finally finds love in this novel. It is hard to obtain that love, granted, but eventually it comes along.

I really did not expect such a deep storyline when I first picked up this novel, so I was happily surprised when the mystery continued to grow and things became more and more complicated for our main couple. I ended up loving this book. There is a very high angst level, but this fact keeps you glued to the pages.

Here is a picture of Michele,(in the middle) with the women of LDS Womens Book review (Shanda, Hillary and of course me!). Michele joined us to record a podcast right after "Counting Stars" first came out. She will be joining us soon again for another podcast.

I wanted to ask Michele many questions about her new novel as I posted this review. So, here are a few questions and answers for you about, "All the Stars in Heaven."

1. Great job on your new novel Michele! I was very impressed with "All the Stars in Heaven". Did you set out from the beginning to write a mystery/romance?

For whatever reason, Jay and Sarah's story came to me as a suspenseful romance (not to be confused with romantic suspense, where the suspense is the focus of the story). I still wanted the romance to be first and foremost. That said, the storylines were tightly intwined, and it became very apparent, very quickly that I'm not a suspense writer. That element of the plot was more than a little challenging.

2. I could tell as I read your book that your writing has continued to grow and develop by leaps and bounds. Mind you, I loved your writing before, and this story seem so perfectly formed. How do you feel about your own writing progress?

I feel as if the manuscript I completed earlier this year---a YA fairytale written in first person---is probably the best thing I've ever written. I sincerely hope I get better with each book. Making the leap to being able to write in first person was huge for me, as I've tended to be a bit of a "head hopper" :) in the past.

3. Did you outline the story first? There were so many characters and plot lines weaving together throughout the book. I would be surprised if you hadn't done an outline.

I didn't do an outline for All the Stars in Heaven, Counting Stars, or any of my other novels. I do like to print out a calendar of the time I'm writing about and make notes of what events in the story happen on which days.

4.Why did you decide to write your second novel about Jay Kendrich? I thought for sure that you would write the second novel about one of Jane's sisters.

I do have a novel planned for Jane's sister, Caroline, and I am currently writing Tara's (Jane's crazy friend) story. But Jay was a great character who didn't get a happy ending. I wanted readers to see him get his turn at love.

5.I think I recall you saying that there will be one more "stars" book that you will write in this series? If this is so, have you already started writing it or are you currently working on it ?

Caroline's story was supposed to be next, but the editors at Covenant felt Tara's story should come first, so a few months ago I switched gears, set Caroline's manuscript aside, and dove into Tara's world. Tara is a really great character, and I'm having a lot of fun with her story.

During the few years since we've last seen her (wearing a bright orange pant suit and sobbing at Jane's wedding), she's moved to LA and become a big time realtor. But life is lonely, and she hops a plane in late December, hoping to meet up with some girlfriends at a spa in Boulder, Colorado for the holidays. Through a series of misfortunes, she finds her plane rerouted to Salt Lake City, her wallet stolen, her luggage lost. The one man brave enough to come to her rescue is Benjamin Whitmore, a pig farmer from Ohio, and Tara's polar opposite. It isn't long before sparks fly between the two of them as tempers clash. But opposites do attract, and by the end of the story Tara finds out that Ben's ways do have some appeal and her heart might not be in such a different place after all.

6. What other books do you have in the works to write?

I would like to finish Caroline's story and publish that through Covenant. I also have a second (one is completed and unpublished) Scottish historical started. What I'm itching to start on this fall is the sequel to the fairytale I wrote this past year.

7.When is the most perfect time for you to write?

The time I find most productive is when I have no interruptions from my offspring :) My husband is kind enough to take over a couple of Saturdays a month, so I can take my lap top and head to the library for 4-5 hours.

8.What are your favorite books to read? Are there any authors that have inspired you in your own writing?

Favorite books to read is a difficult question. I love reading and am always finding new authors I enjoy. A few of my favorites are Lisa Wingate, Lolly Winston, and Judith McNaught.

9. Who is your greatest supporter/s in your writing? Your husband, your kids or your writing group?


My husband is my greatest supporter. Without him, the books wouldn't happen. My children . . . not so much. Our teenagers want to know why I have to hog the computer so much. My younger children always want me to get off the computer and play with them, feed them, change them etc. My writing group, on the other hand, is awesome. They're amazingly talented and generous. I rely on them to help me get the plots in my head to make sense on paper.




10. Could you give some words of advice to beginning writers?

Join The League of Utah Writers, Romance Writers of America, or any other applicable writing organization you can. Meet other authors. Find a critique group. Attend faithfully. Write often (even if it's just a few sentences a day). Realize rejection is part of the program. Keep at it. Don't give up!

Thanks so much Michele! I look forward to podcasting with you again very soon!

Thanks, Sheila. Hope this is what you had in mind.

Michele

You can purchase "All the Stars in Heaven" here:

-http://deseretbook.com/item/5025386/All_the_Stars_in_Heaven

-http://www.seagullbook.com/lds-products-573061.html

-

"Illuminations of the Heart" blog tour

I wanted to announce that I am going to be part of the "Illuminations of the Heart" blog tour that starts this week. Joyce DiPastena's new book is causing quite a stir out there in the literary world. The second book by Joyce has many people saying it is the best that she has written. You will get to judge for yourself soon.

Here is a list of all the bloggers who will be participating in the blog tour and the dates they will be reviewing the book.

Here are the dates, Monday, August 10th through Friday, September 18th (excepting the weekends and Labor
Day). There will be daily reviews and the occasional author interview.

Here is another exciting thing I wanted you to know about, if you leave a comment on my review, you will be entered in a drawing for an autographed copy of the book. You can comment on more than one review, during the blog tour and be entered multiple times. Your chances of winning your own copy of "Illuminations of the Heart" are great! As you can see, my review is not scheduled until mid-September, but don't let that stop you from going to the many other blogs that will be reviewing this finely written historical fiction.



August 10
Mormon Hermit Mom's Book Habit

August 11
Amesbury Reads

August 12
Heather Justesen

August 13
Rachelle's Writing Spot

August 14
Cami's Books and Fit Mommas

August 17
Jewel's World

August 18
Of Writerly Things

August 19
Frespa Fan

August 20
Of Good Report

August 21
Rachel Rager

August 24
Boojoos and Aprilcots

August 25
Musings from an LDS Writing Mom

August 26
Queen of the Clan

August 27
Write Bravely

August 28
Dreams of Quill and Ink

August 31
Tristi Pinkston

September 1
Vicissitudes

September 2
Tangled Words and Dreams

September 3
Random-ish by Nichole and LDSwritersBlogck

September 4
Seriously... and latterdayauthors

September 7
Lu Ann's Book Review

September 9
Reading for Sanity

September 10
Taffy's Candy

September 11
The Write Blocks


September 14
Why Not? Because I Said So! and LDSWomensBookReview

September 15
Ink Splasher


September 16
Romance, Old School


September 17
Blog the Day Away

September 18
Walnut Springs Press

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Review of "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games set off a huge craving within me to continue reading. This was a super fast read for me because of how much I wanted and had to read this book. Suzanne Collins has written a 5 star book that most people will and have already truly enjoyed. I had heard so much about this book and was a bit skeptical at everyone's response to the book...that is until I read authors Jessica Day George and Julie Wright's reviews of the book. I know what fantastic writers they are, so I knew that they have good judgment when rating a book. One word that both women used in their review sealed the deal for me, "Brilliant!!" I want to add my own "Brilliant" to the mix. Any novel that makes you sit on the edge of your seat feeling repulsed, angered and rooting for the good guy/girl should be called "Brilliant"

I was not disappointed at all in any part of the book. The main characters held my interest from the beginning. There was humor throughout the book; which is certainly needed as the story progresses. There are several gruesome scenes in "The Hunger Games", but in a story where the goal is to kill off all of your competitors and fight to stay alive, it was to be expected. Tread carefully when letting any pre-teens read this book. This book is for an audience of older teens and adults. It did not feel like I was reading a book written for teens. I then almost fell over when I realized that there was a book two that wasn't out yet!! NO!!!! Yes, you are left with a cliffie. Good thing about this cliffhanger is that book two is coming out in September.

I recommend you read "The Hunger Games", a book filled with adventure, angst, a slight romance, and moral issues spread throughout. This Young Adult Science Fiction novel will score big marks with you; I can almost guarantee it!

To read more about Suzanne Collins, head to this site at http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/bio.htm

Review of "Altared Plans" by Rebecca Cornish Talley

Rebecca Talley's new novel, "Altared Plans" is LDS chic lit at it's best. If you are looking for a good light-hearted romance, with many twists and turns along the way, this book is the one.

The story starts with every girls nightmare: Caitlyn is waiting at the temple to be married and her fiance' abandons her at the altar. In fact, it is his parents that show up at the temple to tell her that he won't be coming. With her broken heart and avoidance of all men and dating, she heads to BYU.
From here, she suddenly has something surprising happen to her. Two young men start chasing her and Caitlyn is not sure what to do.

Rebecca has created a story that is fun and one that many of us can relate to. How do you deal with a broken heart? How do you open up your heart to love again? I also thought how many times things happen in our lives that seem to be "bad", but turn out to be for our good. This story is a true example of this theory.

The characters in the story are very likable, all except for one female who is chasing the same guy that Caitlyn is starting to fall for. I wanted to smack her many times as she pulled her many antics that made Caitlyn's life miserable. My favorite character would have to be Travis, the fun loving FHE "dad" who is trying to charm Caitlyn before Chase has a chance to claim her.

The only thing that I wished had happened differently in the story would be for Caitlyn and her "chosen" man to get together a lot sooner in the story. I know that this would have taken away much of the angst in the story and probably would have made the story boring. Rebecca knew what she was doing as she wrote "Altared Plans" and makes you wait on pins and needles to see who Caitlyn finally chooses. I am a sucker for happy endings and you won't be disappointed in the conclusion of this story.

So if you are looking for a quick, light summer read, "Altared Plans" is a good story to pick up. I enjoyed it and Rebecca has written a great, humorous novel that will make you smile, groan and cheer for a happy ending.

You can purchase "Altared Plans" at:
-http://www.cedarfort.com
and at
-http://www.amazon.com

Go to http://www.rebeccatalley.com and http://www.rebeccatalleywrites.blogspot.com/ to learn more about Rebecca. I read her blog often and she always has interesting topics she discusses there. I also had the opportunity to interview Rebecca at the LDS Storymakers Conference in April. You can listen to the interview here at http://www.ldswomensbookreview.com/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=204&Itemid=42 We had a great time as we chatted about her books, family and her writing.

Also if you are interested in writing, Rebecca has a website to help you called, Pursue Your Writing Dream http://pursueyourwritingdream.com/, that you must go read.

Thank you Rebecca for giving us another great book to read!

The Winner of a copy of "Loyalty's Web" is....

Alaine, Queen of Happy Endings, from Australia. Congratulations to you! http://alainereading.blogspot.com/ Send an e-mail to me (ssdawn2002@yahoo.com) Alaine, with your address, so I can send it on to Joyce DiPastena. She will send an autographed copy to you soon. Thank you everyone for entering the drawing. There will be another drawing very soon.

Next up for the blog: I will be reviewing Rebecca Talley's new book, "Altared Plans".

All's Fair by Julie Coulter Bellon & Last day to enter the drawing

Alls Fair by Julie Coulter Bellon


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed "All's Fair" by Julie Coulter Bellon. There are two story lines to follow in this novel; siblings Kristen, a political campaign expert and Brandon an Army doctor and LDS covert who is stationed in Iraqi.



Kristen leaves her fiance at the altar and the old boyfriend comes into the picture and Brandon finds he is falling for his fellow doctor, Rachel Fields. The two story lines eventually merge, but I found I was drawn more to Brandon and Rachel's story. Their relationship seemed more believable and this was also the more exciting storyline. Granted, the storyline taking place in Iraqi is full of war happenings, kidnappings and terrorists; of course this had more excitement.



Julie is very good at writing suspense. I read this book rather quickly because I had to see if everyone made it out alive. I felt the book had a good ending, though some people have a thing against a "Happy Ever After" type ending. Personally, I don't mind reading a happy ending once in awhile. I have had too much reality in my own life lately and like to be taken away to a happy place when I read.



I look forward to reading more of Julie's books. I am sorry it has taken this long to find out what a great writer she is.


View all my reviews >>


Remember, today is the last day to enter the drawing to win a copy of "Loyalty's Web" by Joyce DiPastena. If you would still like a chance at winning this book, read the rules in the post below. "Loyalty's Web's" is a great book that I enjoyed very much.

Review of "Loyalty's Web" and enter to win your own copy

I have always loved reading a good historical romance. The medieval period has always fascinated me through the years. To me, the best blend of a well written historical romance, is one with interesting historical events and a true romance, filled with a little angst. Joyce has achieved this perfect blend in her novel, "Loyalty's Web".

Here is some basic information about the storyline:

The year is 1176, and the Earl of Gunthar and his knights have been sent to France by King Henry II of England to enforce a peace treaty. The rakish earl falls in love with Heléne deLaurant, the younger, spirited sister of the beauty he is supposed to wed in an arranged marriage designed to unite the two countries. But when Heléne and her family are accused of plotting against the king, Heléne is torn: should she betray the man who could send her family to the gallows, or should she follow her heart and risk her safety to save him?

The main characters, The Earl of Gunthar and Helene deLaurant, develop a strong attraction for one another from their first meeting. Many things come between them such as secrets, lies, assassination attempts, arranged marriages and of course a mystery that needs to be solved to save their lives and their love.

I have been impressed with Joyce's intense research that she has done of the medieval time period. If you go to her website and her blogs, she has a great amount of interesting information that she has uncovered to go along with her novels. I admire any author who does deep research to make their novel more authentic. You can see why "Loyalty's Web" was a 2007 Whitney Award Finalist in the Romance category.

If you have not read "Loyalty's Web" yet, you should, and I can assure you that you will not be disappointed. Joyce is a great writer who moves the story along well. This kind of writing makes for a fast read because you can't put the book down. I recommend this book to readers of romance of any age, including teenagers. I am looking forward to reading Joyce's new novel called, "Illuminations of the Heart". I will be doing an interview with Joyce, that will be posted, along with a review of the new book.

You have a chance to enter today to win a copy of "Loyalty's Web". Joyce has offered me a copy to give away on my blog. There are three ways to enter:

1.Sign up to follow the blog. Once again, if you already follow my blog , you will get an automatic entry.

2.Post about this give away on your blog, on facebook or Twitter & let me know here where you added the link.

3.Tell me why you like reading a historical romance.

Make sure to post a comment here on my blog to tell me what you did: signed up to be a follower, posted a link or why you like to read historical fiction.

I will give everyone a week to get their entries in and the drawing will take place next Saturday, July 18th, at 8:00 p.m. Good luck!

I have three links to Joyce and her novels that you should look at.

http://www.joyce-dipastena.com/

http://medievalresearch.blogspot.com/

http://jdp-news.blogspot.com/

Review of new fantasy book, "Bone Warriors" by Bron Bahlmann

Title: Bone Warriors
Author: Bron Bahlmann
Publisher: Sweetwater Book
Release Date: May 15, 2009
ISBN: 978-1599553221
Size: 278 pages, 6x9, softcover
Genre: YA Fantasy
Target Reader: Teens


I was very excited to get a copy of a new fantasy book called, "Bone Warriors". The best part of this book is how old the author is who wrote the novel; Bron is 15. The even better part of this story is how old Bron was when he started writing "Bone Warriors" {Read the interview to find out how old he was}. Now, here is the part that shocked me...how well this book is written! You would never know that it was written by a teenager. There is an adult writer inside of Bron's teenage body. Let's just say, he impressed me greatly by his very mature writing style.

"Bone Warriors" has characters, some are VERY creepy, that have never been imagined or written about before. I just kept shaking my head in amazement as each new creature was introduced. I would love to see pictures of some of these creatures. Bron writes so colorfully that these images came alive for me. It seemed like there was no let down in the adventure for Derrik and Tweaks. I read quickly because I had to find out what would happen to them.

Here is "Bone Warriors" at a glance from the back cover:

CRAVING POWER AND LUSTING FOR HUMAN SOULS, the wicked necromancer sweeps the land, leaving behind nothing but death and devastation.

RETURNING HOME, fifteen-year-old Derrik and his friend Tweaks find their homes burning and families missing. They immediately embark on a rescue quest for redemption and retaliation. Such evil cannot be allowed to roam exempt.

SINISTER GIANTS, colossal green jungle cats, and undead monsters confront them as Derrik and Tweaks encounter inconceivable threats in the forbidden woods, as well as gain unlikely allies.

THE BOYS SOON REALIZE that their only hope to save their families comes from the very creature they cannot trust. But they're running out of time. How can they put an end to the necromancer s terrifying reign?

Who should read this book? Anyone who loves fantasy books, those who want to read about two boys who forged ahead courageously in order to save their families and those who just want to read a well thought out story that brings unexpected friends together.

Here is an interview I did with Bron. I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did. Some of his answers made me LOL!








1.How old were you when you first started writing? Well I started writing when I learned the alphabet, but I made my first attempt at writing a book in 3rd grade. It wasn't "Bone Warriors," though. How old were you when you wrote Bone Warriors? I started writing "Bone Warriors" in 5th grade, so I would have been eleven years old.

2.What was your inspiration for writing Bone Warriors? Dreams I had pieced together, which ultimately fulfilled my one big dream, which was to become a published author.

3.What authors have influenced your writing? I wouldn't say they've influenced my writing because I don't write based on other people. I have my own style. But some have inspired and helped me. One of the first bunch of books I remember, other than Calvin and Hobbes, are James Dashner's books. (Don't get a big head, James!) I remember them because my mom is friends with James, and she would read us his books at night while she proofread for him. Recently, Orson Scott Card has been a big inspiration to me. I like the way he makes his characters seem like real people. And I was recently introduced to author J. Scott Savage. He took me to a fancy restaurant (a local Taco Bell) and gave me some really useful career advice that I will never forget. Overall I've had some really good interactions with people in the author world.

4.What are your favorite books/genre to read? I enjoy books of almost any genre, but really like books that try new things. An example is J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" books. There have been books about wizards and books about boarding schools, but she mixed them together into something you wouldn't expect; wizards going to boarding school. Another great example is the Bartimaeus Trilogy, because Jonathan Stroud mixes a more modern world with ancient practices and switches from each character's view in every chapter. The genre I seem to read most often is fantasy.

5.Are you currently working on some new books? Yes. I have several series of books I'm planning to write. They will be revealed when they're published!

6.When do you find the time to write? Being as young as I am and not really having set job hours to limit me, I can write wherever my computer is or wherever I have some pen and some paper. Most of the time I write at night before I go to bed. During the school year, I write during lunch.

7.Where do you do your best creative work? Wherever I have the most inspiration. It varies from day to day. Some days I'm more creative than others. Do you listen to music when you are writing? No.

8.Is there a dream book that you hope to write in the future or have you already written it? I have already finished the rough draft for another book and am currently working on yet another book, and was writing a whole different book and got a third of the way through until "Bone Warriors" was published. Then I thought I should complete the "Warriors" series before I finished the other books. I'm really excited about all 18 of my current book outlines. (I keep getting new ideas.) I think they're all really different, with amazing characters, unique plots, and unexpected twists. I can hardly wait to write all of my books, and can't say that I like any one better than another. I only write dream books, because they're all the best ones I can think of.

9.Did you outline "Bone Warriors" before you wrote the story? Yes. You wrote a very surprising ending. Did you plan ahead of time for this ending, or did it happen as the story unfolded? When I first started writing the book, I didn't want to be completely grim, but I was a little bored with reading the happy schmancy everything turns out good kind of books. I wanted a book that was more down to reality, more true to the kind of stuff that goes on in real life. And it was the one of the only ways I could have ended it, as you may understand after reading the book. (I don't want to say more or I might give it away to anyone who hasn't read it yet.)

10.You created a fascinating fantasy world. You did a fabulous job creating such phenomenal creatures. Do you ever sketch out the creatures on paper or just in your mind? Yes, I sketch out the creatures a lot. I have notebooks and boxes full of drawings and sketches that I still haven't finished sorting through. I also draw characters along with weapons they may use and a short outline of what traits they have.

I truly enjoyed reading "Bone Warriors" and I look forward to more books from you. Keep up the great work. I am really impressed with you Bron. Thanks for letting me interview you. Thank you. It was nice of you to set up this interview.


If you would like a copy of "Bone Warriors" you can order it here at http://cedarfort.com/ or at http://www.amazon.com/

If you would like to know more about Bron and his book you can go to his website at http://www.bronbahlmann.com/