March 2011 Prize Sponsors

Last month’s prize winners announced HERE.

Please take a moment to learn more about our wonderfully generous sponsors.

Blackberry Crumble by Josi S. Kilpack

Modern Miss Marple: A Magnet for Murder?
by Jane Seeley, feature reporter, The Denver Post
Local “celebrity” Sadie Hoffmiller has been involved in a number of unfortunate situations that have taken her to crime scenes from London, England, to Miami, Florida, and even in her own backyard of Garrison, Colorado. But is she truly an unwitting bystander in all these investigations? Or is she something more? Is she, perhaps, even the cause …?

The word is out about Sadie Hoffmiller’s amateur detective work, but it’s not the kind of publicity Sadie wants. When Jane’s article threatens Sadie’s reputation in the community, she accepts her first investigation-for-hire and travels to Portland, Oregon – if only to give herself some space from her whispering neighbors. And from Pete, who is sending her mixed signals about their budding relationship.

Sadie hopes the Portland air will clear her head, and she is eager to get to work for May Sanderson, who has suspicions about her father’s untimely death.

Putting her detective skills to the test, Sadie delves into a complicated past that includes a business partnership that didn’t end well, several unsavory family secrets, and more than a few motives for murder.

Sadie is afraid she might crumble under the pressure, but in a new place with new recipes, she finds herself more determined than ever to uncover the answers buried in scandal, insatiable appetites, and pure and simple greed.

Read Chapter 1 here.

Josi S. Kilpack was born and raised in Salt Lake City, the third of nine children, and accounts much of her success to her mother always making oatmeal for breakfast. In 1993 Josi married her high-school sweetheart, Lee Kilpack, and went on to raise her own children in Salt Lake and then Willard Utah where she currently lives. She loves to read and write, is the author of eight novels, the baker of many a delicious confection, and the hobby farmer of a varying number of unfortunate chickens. In her spare time she likes to overwhelm herself a multitude of projects and then complain that she never has any spare time; in this way she is rather masochistic. She also enjoys traveling, cheering on her children, and sleeping in when the occasion presents itself.

Josi is the author of twelve novels, including Sheep’s_Clothing, winner of the 2007 Whitney Award for Best Mystery/Suspense. She loves to hear from her readers and can be reached via e-mail.

The List by Melanie Jacobson
Ashley Barrett doesn’t want to get married. At least, not anytime soon. She doesn’t care how many of her friends and family members and fellow churchgoers had weddings before they finished college — the last thing she needs in her fun-loving twenties is the dead-weight of some guy. And that’s why she created The List. By the time she completes all twenty-five goals — from learning a language to skydiving to perfecting the art of making sushi — she’ll be more ready to settle down. Maybe.

This summer in California is a prime time for Ashley to cross two items off the list: learn to surf (#13) and have a summer romance (#17). And Matt Gibson, the best surf instructor in Huntington Beach and the most wanted guy in the singles ward, is the perfect man for the job. Ashley hatches a plan to love him and leave him before heading off to grad school in the fall (#4, get a master’s degree). But when Matt decides he doesn’t like the “leaving” part, Ashley’s carefully laid plans are turned sideways. Now Ashley faces an unexpected dilemma: should she stick to the safety of The List, or risk everything for a love that may tie her down — or might set her free?

Read chapter 1.


Melanie Bennett Jacobson is an avid reader, amateur cook, and champion shopper. She consumes astonishing amounts of chocolate, chick flicks, and romance novels. After meeting her husband online, she is now living happily married in Southern California with her growing family and a series of doomed houseplants.

Melanie is a former English teacher and a popular speaker who loves to laugh and make others laugh. In her down time (ha!), she writes romantic comedies for Covenant and maintains her humorous slice-of-life blog. Her first novel, The List, hits shelves in March.

Miss Delacourt Has Her Day by Heidi Ashworth

Ginny Delacourt felt the course of true love could not have run smoother. After all, it required only a fortnight, a pair of highwaymen, a pox quarantine, a sham betrothal, and a masquerade ball to bring Sir Anthony up to snuff. When her beloved suddenly becomes the heir to his uncle, the Duke of Marcross, protocol dictates that he drop the “Sir” from his name. It’s his uncle who insists Ginny, daughter of a lowly vicar, is not the proper bride for a future duke.

Lucinda and Lord Avery arrive on the scene to stir up trouble, and Ginny’s normally manipulative Grandaunt Regina seems helpless to arrange anything, least of all a frowned-upon wedding. It’s up to Anthony, with help from his fussy valet, to see to it that Ginny has her day.

The road to true love just got a little bumpier.


Heidi Ashworth: “I am a lover of good books, roses and vintage charm; my blogs reflect my desire to tell a story everywhere I go.”

Heidi has been writing Regency romance since the age of ten, the result of growing up in a house filled with Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer fans. She lives in the San Francisco East Bay with her husband, three children and Sugar, the Bichon Frise. When she gets the chance, she loves to sit in her garden, planting, dreaming or reading a really good book.

Visit Heidi at her blog, Dunhaven Place.

Oh, Say Can You See by L.C. Lewis

Although the British raids have left Washington a devastated, blackened city, the battered Constitution has held and the presidency has survived!

But the struggling government has no home. The British saw to that. Gone is the Capitol, her magnificent library, and the chambers of the Congress and the Supreme Court. Gone also is the President’s House, and every relic and document not secreted out of the city.

Next on the list of British prizes—the rebellious port city of Baltimore! A victory here would assure the Americans’ capitulation, but a loss would dilute the importance of the destruction of Washington.

But has the raid on Washington stiffened the backs of the Americans? This is the question gnawing at the leaders of both armies as the toll of the war mounts on both sides.


L.C. Lewis was born in the history-rich area neighboring Baltimore, Maryland, and has spent most of her life there. She and her husband raised their four children in this area, and Laurie, a homemaker, used her free time to write novels and plays. During a seven-year stint as a science-education facilitator in the Carroll County Public School System, Laurie honed her research skills, and as her children left home, she focused her energies on writing full time. She also became an avid traveler, constantly researching locales and their colorful people to flesh out her work. Laurie now spends her time bringing that research to life in family novels and historical fiction.

CLICK HERE for details on how to win these books.

CLICK HERE for details on sponsoring the contest.

February 2011 Prize Sponsors

Last month’s prize winners announced HERE.

Please take a moment to learn more about our wonderfully generous sponsors.


Gifted by Karey White


Susan and Brent Weller have been married for several years and have been unable to have children. They adopt Anna, a beautiful baby girl orphaned in a terrible car accident. As Anna grows, Susan and Brent discover that she’s blessed with unusual gifts that both bless and complicate their lives.

When Anna starts school, she meets Kelsey, a scared, poor and terribly neglected little girl who finds love and acceptance from Anna and her parents. As the years pass, Susan and Brent do their best to provide Anna with a normal, happy childhood, even as they feel a responsibility to protect her from having her special gifts exploited. But with maturity comes independence and Anna begins to make choices that threaten to shatter Susan and Brent’s happy and comfortable life. Will Susan and Brent be able to protect their daughter or will her choices change all their lives forever?


Karey White is the oldest of eleven children. She and her husband have four children. Karey says, “I’ve been writing since Jr. High, when I was hired by a county newspaper to do a Happenings column about our little town of about 300 people. I got paid by the word so every week I called every family in town and got their news. It wasn’t high-brow journalism but the column earned me a little spending money.”

Gifted is Karey’s debut novel and it will be released by Cedar Fort this month.

Impractical Grace by John S. Bushman

A marriage in ashes, a heartbreaking accident, and an excruciating childhood—is there any limit to God’s power to heal, strengthen, and transform?

Bishop North helps the members of his ward as they try to overcome life’s challenges.

Take part in these doctrinal insights to the Savior’s grace and love in this compelling novel full of true-to-life stories of hardship and hope.


John S. Bushman is thrilled to be the father of five, the son of two, the brother of seven, and the husband of one. He grew up in Tempe, Arizona and served a mission in the Philippines. Later he got his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Master’s in Instructional Technology from ASU. Arizona is also where he met the love of his life Tina, fell in love, and they married.

His family then moved to St. Goeorge where he worked as a full time Seminary instructor for ten years. Since then they have moved to Washington State where he teaches Institute and coordinates the early morning Seminary program. He loves teaching and studying the scriptures with the youth of the Church.

One of his other passions is writing. January 2011 will bring the publication of Impractical Grace which has been in creation for the last 10 years. It is a fantastic book that teaches the most important things in life through the vehicle of a great story.

Isabelle Webb: The Pharoah’s Daughter by N.C. Allen

After her gripping escapade in India, former Pinkerton spy Isabelle Webb launches a new adventure as she pursues a steamship en route to Egypt carrying two young stowaways: her teenaged ward, Sally Rhodes, and an unlucky girl named Alice Bilbey. Arriving in Suez, Isabelle and her companions recover the girls and unexpectedly encounter Isabelle’s own guardian from her youth, Genevieve Montgomery. Isabelle and her friends decide to join up with Genevieve upon discovering that she is funding an expedition to a burial site near Luxor with an entourage of Egyptology experts.

Unaware that their nemesis, Thaddeus Sparks, is also in Egypt as part of a jewel-hunting cadre, Isabelle’s group joins the expedition under ominous signs: a prophetic warning from a stranger, threats along the Nile River, and birthmarks that burn when the rare Jewel of Zeus is nearby. At the excavation site—a cave rumored to be the tomb of a pharaoh’s disgraced daughter—tension builds when several newcomers arrive. And as circumstances shift with the sands, Isabelle finds that some of the royal treasure in the ruthless pharaoh’s desert was buried for lethal reasons.


Nancy Campbell Allen has written and published 10 books in a combination of historical and contemporary fiction. She enjoys reading, writing, traveling and spending time with family and friends. She has three children, ranging in age from 18 to 6, and one husband, who makes her laugh. She lives in Ogden, Utah.

Perilous by Tamara Hart Heiner

Jaci Rivera has plans for her sophomore year: go to regionals with the track team, make the honor roll, and eat too much pizza with her best friends, Callie and Sara. Her biggest concern is Amanda, the pushy girl who moved in a few months ago.

What she doesn’t plan for is catching a robber red-handed, or being kidnapped. The desperate thief drags her and her friends 2,000 miles across the Canadian border. They escape from his lair, only to find that he has spies and agents watching their path home, waiting to intercept them and take them back.

Then Jaci finds out something about her family. Somethings which irrevocably connects her to the kidnapper, and makes her question their chances of escape.


About Tamara Hart Heiner: I live in Arkansas with my husband and three children. I graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English. I teach English in the mornings and spend the rest of the day avoiding laundry and other chores, all in the name of parenting. Sometimes I get to sit down in front of the computer and write for a few hours. And if my husband’s lucky, I make something for dinner besides macaroni and cheese.

CLICK HERE for details on how to win these books.

CLICK HERE for details on sponsoring the contest.

January 2011 Prize Sponsors

Last month’s prize winners announced HERE.

Please take a moment to learn more about our wonderfully generous sponsors.

Bumpy Landings by Donald J. Carey


Across the field, a couple of small planes cast long shadows as the sun inched its way toward the western horizon.

Then Jordan heard the sound he was hoping for. He looked out into the sky above the ocean where a small white plane with a red tail buzzed over the waves, flying parallel to the runway. As the plane flew past, Jordan imagined he was the one at the controls, with one eye on the airport and the other on the altimeter, waiting for just the right moment to turn into the base leg of the landing pattern.

All his life, Jordan MacDonald has dreamed of taking flight and soaring above the majestic mountains of his native Hawaii, but he doesn’t dare disobey his mother, who has absolutely forbidden him from flying. Suddenly everything changes when, spurred by the pain of a failed relationship, Jordan begins working toward the coveted pilot’s license. Just as he finds love again, Jordan’s lies start to close in around him, and he soon learns that a life full of dishonesty attracts more turbulence than he’s ever faced in the air.

Set against the exotic backdrop of the Hawaiian islands, this thrilling tale of romance and self-discovery is a perfect vacation from the average love story. Join Jordan as he tests the limits of friendship and finds out just how far his dreams can carry him. Entertaining and engaging, Bumpy Landings will take you to new heights with each turn of the page.


When he was eleven years old, Don Carey moved with his family to the Hawaiian town of La’ie, where his father taught at BYU-Hawaii. Don is a graduate of Kahuku High School where, when he wasn’t in the band room, he could be found in the library with his nose in a book.

Don was awarded the David O. McKay scholarship to attend BYU-Hawaii, where he met his lovely wife, Kara. During college, he scratched his creative itch by participating in a number of musical organizations, including the Polynesian Cultural Center Brass Band, and added a music minor to his degree in Computer Science.

Once the responsibilities of work and family took over his life, Don found the creative itch was better handled through writing fiction, and has enjoyed working to develop this talent.

Don currently lives in a small town outside Fort Worth, Texas with his wife and two daughters. His day job involves writing computer programs, which is almost the same as writing fiction, but with a lot more semicolons.

Dearly Departed by Tristi Pinkston

Ida Mae Babbitt has done her community service and is a reformed woman—no more law-breaking for her. But when Arlette’s granddaughter Eden discovers a mystery in a fancy nursing home, Ida Mae—with the perfect excuse of a broken wrist and a broken ankle—checks herself into the place. After all, it is for the greater good. Soon she’s buzzing around in her motorized wheelchair, questioning the residents and swiping files from the office. She’s bound and determined to get to the bottom of this case. But can she solve the mystery before she becomes the next victim?

Dearly Departed will be released on January 14th. Will post a link to where it can be purchased as soon as it becomes available.

With her crisp writing style and attention to detail, Tristi Pinkston pulls her readers into the pages of history and helps them feel the emotions that fueled the events of that time. She has been hailed as one of the most talented historical fiction writers currently on the market.

Jeff Needle’s review for AML, said, “This kind of writing can only come about when the author has thoroughly researched her subject and worked very hard to put herself in the place of her protagonist.”

Dearly Departed is Tristi’s sixth book.


The Fallen Guardian by Steven R. Burke


Book 2 in The Guardian Chronicles.

As Kana flew toward the southern edge of the Black Forest, she could see a massive group of orcs below her… She knew that this day would mark the end of the elves’ reign in the land.

On the eve of battle, Kishi gathers her troops and prepares for the greatest fight of her life, knowing that this could mean the end of all she holds dear. The Orcs are moving and the evil that has already broken apart her home and family is reaching ever further across the land she hold dear. With the help of those still loyal to her and her cause, Kishi must ride out and meet the force that threatens her very livelihood.

In the thrilling second installment of The Guardian Chronicles swords finally cross and irrevocable allegiances met. Join author Steven R. Burke once again for the epic tale of The Fallen Guardian.


Steven R. Burke: I work as a manager of technical services for a web based medical software company. When I am not working or writing I enjoy time with my family, participating in or watching sports, serving in my church, and playing games when time permits. I currently live in Utah with my wife and son.

Kay’svile by Sheralyn Pratt

Book 4 in the Rhea Jensen series.

Utah. On Kathryn McCoy’s list of top ten places she never wants to live, it’s right up there at the top. When she accepts a job transfer to the Beehive state, Kathryn knows it’s a step down career-wise, but it also reunites her with her best friend, Rhea Jensen – the private investigator she’s learned to rely on for all her best scoops. And when a mother is shot in her own home, Kathryn turns to Rhea and the self-righteous Officer Dahl to get her exclusive on finding the evidence that will put the killer behind bars. But what Kathryn doesn’t expect is for Dahl to awaken the ghosts of her past that will set her on the path to healing.

Sheralyn Pratt was born at an early age, with 10 fingers and 10 toes. She is proud to report that she currently retains all 20 digits. In the past Sheralyn has been a karate instructor, musical theater performer, a beach bum, freelance writer, nomadic traveler, and, yes, a private investigator. At the moment she enjoys working with and training her dog to give the poor thing breaks from sitting and Sheralyn’s feet with the unbearable task of watching someone write a book.

Really, and you thought your job was bad!

Sheralyn currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah, although as people who know her can attest to, that is subject to change at any time.

CLICK HERE for details on how to win these books.

CLICK HERE for details on sponsoring the contest.

December 2010 Prize Sponsors

Last month’s prize winners announced HERE.

Please take a moment to learn more about our wonderfully generous sponsors.

The Broken Council by Steven R. Burke

The lands of Tuwa are once again embroiled in conflict. Ancient councils are convened as old partnerships break apart, and new, tenuous alliances are forged. The threat of war is spreading throughout the land, and no one is sure what will become of the once peaceful land.

The Guardians have been compelled to intervene as one of their own breaks sacred laws in search of forbidden powers. Lives will be lost, deception will abound, and life as the people know it will cease to exist.

As events escalate, families will be forced to face off as circumstances spiral out of control. Former enemies will unite against common foes while the dark forces combine to fight for their right to rule. Heroes will be forged in the heat of battle on both sides. Prepare for battle…war will find you in the midst of The Broken Council


Steven R. Burke: I work as a manager of technical services for a web based medical software company. When I am not working or writing I enjoy time with my family, participating in or watching sports, serving in my church, and playing games when time permits. I currently live in Utah with my wife and son.

The Broken Council is Steven’s debut novel.

City Limits by Sheralyn Pratt

Rhea’s best friend Kay McCoy moves to Salt Lake City to keep a closer eye on Rhea, and Rhea worries that Kay wants things to go back to the way they were in Los Angeles – clubbing, dancing, and men. But when Rhea agrees to do a simple, harmless favor for Kay, she unwittingly sets off a series of events that ends up with a secret society appearing right at her door.

The stakes are higher than ever – solving the case means more than just collecting her weekly paycheck. This time, it’s a matter of life and death.

(Book #3 in the Rhea Jensen series)

Sheralyn Pratt was born at an early age, with 10 fingers and 10 toes. She is proud to report that she currently retains all 20 digits. In the past Sheralyn has been a karate instructor, musical theater performer, a beach bum, freelance writer, nomadic traveler, and, yes, a private investigator. At the moment she enjoys working with and training her dog to give the poor thing breaks from sitting and Sheralyn’s feet with the unbearable task of watching someone write a book.

Really, and you thought your job was bad!

Sheralyn currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah, although as people who know her can attest to, that is subject to change at any time

My Gift to You by Lori Nawyn

Trish Ingram works hard to maintain the perfect suburban household— or, at least, the appearance of one. By managing her outer world with lavish attention and rigid control, she’s able to ignore and conceal the darkness of her inner world, which is plagued by traumatic childhood memories of loss.

Her terminally ill sister-in-law, Jamie, sees through the façade and reaches out in love to Trish, inspiring her to seek a more meaningful life and a more authentic self. But the childhood scars run deep, and despite Trish’s best efforts, she’s unable to be the wife and mother her family needs.

Devastated by the departure of her husband and daughter, Trish faces the challenge and opportunity of a lifetime. She desires to move forward in faith, but this desire alone cannot mend her family’s shattered trust. The hollow realm of denial and fear has been her safe haven. To confront pain and transcend the shadows of her past will require a level of courage she’s not sure she possesses.


Lori Nawyn‘s award-winning essays have appeared in regional and national publications including Outside Bozeman, Segullah, Deseret News, and CraziBeautiful Women. One of her short stories was published in the anthology Stolen Christmas. My Gift to You is her debut novel.

Lori is currently writing her next novel, and she also works as a freelance artist. She is the illustrator of the award-winning children’s picture book What Are You Thinking? which was released in July 2010 by ThoughtsAlive Publishing. She and her fireman husband live in northern Utah where they enjoy spending time with their four children and two granddaughters, plus an assortment of dogs, rabbits, and chickens.

The Peasant Queen by Cheri Chesley

“Sire, I don’t understand your plans for me,” Krystal pleaded.

“Please send me home. After all, I’m only a mere peasant girl.”

King Gregory stepped closer and lifted a strand of her hair in his hand. “I don’t want you to ask me that again. And as for being a mere peasant girl, you are that no longer.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have the authority to name a princess of Avolonya, and I have. You are now that princess.”

After running away from home, Krystal is transported to a faraway kingdom where an evil tyrant is bent on taking the crown—and Krystal’s hand in marriage. But when she falls in love with the rightful heir to the throne, she must make an impossible choice: sacrifice her one chance at happiness and agree to marry King Gregory, or face the destructin of an entire kingdom.

In her debut novel, Cheri Chesley delights readers of all ages with this epic tale of a simple farm girl who discovers that even the humblest of peasants has the potential to change the world.


Cheri Chesley believes in magic and miracles. When not writing she can be found reading the dictionary for fun or improving her photography. She lives with her husband and numerous children in Tooele, Utah.

In 2006, Cheri rediscovered her passion for writing and decided to start taking herself and her constantly speaking characters seriously. She enjoys the continued support of her husband and family, including extended family, across the nation. And she could never have gotten this far without a little help from her friends, too.

The Upside of Down by Rebecca Talley

Natalie Drake certainly has her hands full raising a large family, dealing with her difficult mother, and maintaining a relationship with her rebellious teenager. Just when things seem to be going smoothly, she finds out another unexpected surprise—she’s going to have a baby. Faced with so many challenges, Natalie must learn to trust in a plan that isn’t what she imagined and discover that every situation has an upside.

Beloved author Rebecca Talley carefully creates this touching and heartfelt story that is sure to inspire you. With true-to-life characters and situations, The Upside of Down will reignite your faith and remind you of the importance of family.


Rebecca Talley grew up in Santa Barbara, California and now lives on a ranch in Colorado with her amazing husband, 8 of her 10 creative children, horses, goats, and a llama named Tina. She is the author of a children’s picture book, Grasshopper Pie. Her stories have been published in Story Friends, Our Little Friend, The Friend, and Stories for Children. Cedar Fort released her YA novel, Heaven Scent, in spring 2008.

Besides writing, Rebecca enjoys eating chocolate by the pound, dancing to disco music while she cleans all the messes that seem to multiply and replenish her house, and contemplating all the craft projects that still need to be completed. You can find Rebecca at www.rebeccatalley.com.


Stolen Christmas by Various Authors


What happens when you’re so poor you have to steal your Christmas presents? Have you ever taken a punch in the face as your Christmas gift to the girl you love? Or saved Christmas while hunting were-weevils?

These award-winning Christmas stories are the best of the best from the LDS Publisher Christmas Story Contests. From Christmases past, to present, to future; from sweet and inspirational, to zany and delightful—there’s a story for everyone in this eclectic collection.

Featuring LDS authors:
Roger Bonner • Don Carey • Laura Craner
Joyce DiPastena • Sarah M. Eden
L.T. Elliot • Gussie Fick
Melanie Goldmund • M. Gray
Taegyn Hutchinson • Angie Lofthouse
Lori Nawyn • Tristi Pinkston
Brian C. Ricks • Sandra Sorenson
Janice Sperry • Christine Thackeray

CLICK HERE for details on how to win these books.

CLICK HERE for details on sponsoring the contest.

November 2010 Prize Sponsors

Last month’s prize winners announced HERE.

Please take a moment to learn more about our wonderfully generous sponsors.

Who’s at the Door? A Memoir of Me and the Missionaries by Dan Harrington

Experience the gospel in a new perspective while witnessing Dan Harrington’s spiritual journey.

Not just another tale of conversion, Dan reverently reveals the Mormon religion through a non-member’s eyes as he reflects upon his experiences with missionaries and Church members, forges new friendships, and finds an unexpected common ground of faith.

Find out who’s at the door and see what can happen when you open it.

When Dan Harrington was eight years old, he tried to interview a talking Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer at Santa’s Village in New Hampshire. With captivating questions such as “Exactly what Reindeer games do you play?” and “What’s Santa’s favorite cookie?” he drove a teenage employee crazy enough to say that Rudolph was sleepy and had to go to bed.

Harrington became a professional freelance writer many years later in 2007. His work has appeared in publications such as Village Soup, The Kennebec Journal, Inside Pro Wrestling/The Wrestler, Portland Magazine, and LDS Church News.

Who’s at the Door? A Memoir of Me and the Missionaries is his first book.

Oh, Say Can You See by L.C. Lewis

Although the British raids have left Washington a devastated, blackened city, the battered Constitution has held and the presidency has survived!

But the struggling government has no home. The British saw to that. Gone is the Capitol, her magnificent library, and the chambers of the Congress and the Supreme Court. Gone also is the President’s House, and every relic and document not secreted out of the city.

Next on the list of British prizes—the rebellious port city of Baltimore! A victory here would assure the Americans’ capitulation, but a loss would dilute the importance of the destruction of Washington.

But has the raid on Washington stiffened the backs of the Americans? This is the question gnawing at the leaders of both armies as the toll of the war mounts on both sides.


L.C. Lewis was born in the history-rich area neighboring Baltimore, Maryland, and has spent most of her life there. She and her husband raised their four children in this area, and Laurie, a homemaker, used her free time to write novels and plays. During a seven-year stint as a science-education facilitator in the Carroll County Public School System, Laurie honed her research skills, and as her children left home, she focused her energies on writing full time. She also became an avid traveler, constantly researching locales and their colorful people to flesh out her work. Laurie now spends her time bringing that research to life in family novels and historical fiction.


The Forbidden Sea by Sheila A. Nielson

A mermaid haunts Adrianne’s dreams . . . is she coming to warn her, save her, or drag her down into the depths of the briny sea forever?

When Adrianne comes face-to-face with the mermaid of Windwaithe Island, of whom she has heard terrible stories all her life, she is convinced the mermaid means to keep her younger sister.

Adrianne, fierce-willed and courageous, is determined to protect her sister from the mermaid, and her family from starvation. However, the mermaid continues to haunt Adrianne in her dreams and with her song.


Sheila A. Nielson: A native of San Jose, Sheila earned a BFA in children’s illustration from BYU. While there, she got her dream job being a children’s librarian and ended up staying in the state. She’s been a librarian for 12+ years.

Sheila started making up stories as a child and begin writing stories in the sixth grade. She has diverse and numerous hobbies, including doll collecting, art, reading, writing, and horseback riding. I also collect mermaids–but ONLY those wearing fantastic mermaid outfits.

The Forbidden Sea is Sheila’s debut novel.


Stolen Christmas by Various Authors


What happens when you’re so poor you have to steal your Christmas presents? Have you ever taken a punch in the face as your Christmas gift to the girl you love? Or saved Christmas while hunting were-weevils?

These award-winning Christmas stories are the best of the best from the LDS Publisher Christmas Story Contests. From Christmases past, to present, to future; from sweet and inspirational, to zany and delightful—there’s a story for everyone in this eclectic collection.

Featuring LDS authors:
Roger Bonner • Don Carey • Laura Craner
Joyce DiPastena • Sarah M. Eden
L.T. Elliot • Gussie Fick
Melanie Goldmund • M. Gray
Taegyn Hutchinson • Angie Lofthouse
Lori Nawyn • Tristi Pinkston
Brian C. Ricks • Sandra Sorenson
Janice Sperry • Christine Thackeray

CLICK HERE for details on how to win these books.

CLICK HERE for details on sponsoring the contest.

October 2010 Prize Sponsors

Last month’s prize winners announced HERE.

Please take a moment to learn more about our wonderfully generous sponsors.

Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett

High school junior Jen inadvertently turns her life upside down when, out of boredom, she makes a bet that she can turn school geek, Trevor, into someone bad, someone like her. His complete opposite in every way, the sarcastic goth-girl tries pulling him into her world of partying. Instead she finds herself sucked into Trevor’s world of sci-fi movies, charity work and even – ugh! – bowling.

If that weren’t bad enough, she desperately wants to become a permanent part of the foster family she currently lives with, even if it means having a cheerleader for a sister. What’s up with that?

But Jen must come to terms with her past, including her now-dead abusive father and her imprisoned mother. Jen’s journey will lead her to discover the true meaning of friendship, family, forgiveness, and above all, love.

Cindy C Bennett was born and raised in beautiful Salt Lake City, growing up in the shadows of the majestic Rocky Mountains. She lives with her husband, 2 daughters, and 2 dogs. She’s always loved to write, mostly since high school when a teacher forced his English classes to do creative writing each day for 10 minutes. “He opened up a whole new world to me, and I will forever be grateful, Mr. Bickmore.” She volunteers much of her time working with teen girls between the ages of 12-18, all of whom she finds to be fascinating creatures. When she’s not writing, reading, answering emails or hanging with her family, she can ofttimes be found riding her Harley through the beautiful canyons near her home.


Journey of Honor by Jaclyn M. Hawkes

Disowned, she came to America anyway. Attacked and left pregnant by a vicious mob, she still pressed on. Finally, in spite of being accused of theft by the vilest of her attackers, Giselle tries to remain as upbeat and uncomplaining as a prairie wildflower as she travels on to Zion.

Thoroughly disillusioned with the ugliness and cruelty of slavery in the South, Trace Grayson leaves his young medical career to go west, hoping to leave bigotry and hatred behind.

Thrown together by circumstance, Trace and Giselle team up to figure out just how to make this epic journey across a continent a success. With a deep sense of honor and an equally strong sense of humor, together they learn to deal with everything except the one trial that neither of them can overcome.


Jaclyn M. Hawkes grew up in Utah with 6 sisters, 4 brothers and any number of pets. (It was never boring!) She got a bachelor’s degree, had a career and traveled extensively before settling down to her life’s work of being the mother of four magnificent and sometimes challenging children. She loves shellfish, the out of doors, the youth and hearing her children laugh.

She and her fine husband, their family, and their sometimes very large pets, now live in a mountain valley in northern Utah, where it smells like heaven and kids still move sprinkler pipe. To learn more about Jaclyn, visit www.jaclynmhawkes.com.

Summer in Paris by Michele Ashman Bell

Kenzie Williams has it all–wealth, friends, popularity and talent. But when her father declares bankruptcy, her whole world in New York City turns upside down. Her parents’ solution is to send Kenzie to live with her relatives in Paris . . . Idaho!

Feeling like she’s been sentenced to three months in Hickville Prison, Kenzie must get up at the crack of dawn, do chores, and hang out with her cousin’s loser friends. Then she meets Adam White, the town outcast, who’s been accused of killing his best friend.

Not only is Adam the best-looking guy she’s ever seen, but he’s also the most fascinating guy she’s ever met and Kenzie is determined to get to know him and find out his secret. But, the longer she stays in Paris, the more she realizes, Adam isn’t the only one keeping secrets.

Michele Ashman Bell: What can I say, I’m a middle-aged mother of four, who, after ten years of hard work, perseverance and a lot of rejection letters, finally got a book published.

I grew up in St. George, Utah, where a lot of my family still lives, but now reside with my husband and family in the Salt Lake City area. My favorite thing to do is support my kids in their many interests. Between basketball, ballet and piano lessons we squeeze a lot into a week, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Women of the Book of Mormon by Heather B. Moore

Explore the lives, circumstances, and choices of women in the Book of Mormon in this uplifting and inspiring volume that illustrates the parallels between the lives of the women of the Book of Mormon and LDS women today. With new insights on practically every page, author Heather B. Moore explores the written and unwritten stories of the prominent women in the Book of Mormon, taking familiar material and providing vivid details about family dynamics, domestic practices, and other aspects of daily life.

By exploring historic and cultural contexts to the situations of women like Sariah, Abish, Eve, Mary, and the faithful mothers of the stripling warriors, you will peek beneath the surface of the scriptural accounts to better understand both the righteous women of the Book of Mormon, and the women who didn’t use their agency wisely.


Heather Moore was born in Providence, Rhode Island, but spent most of her childhood in Orem, Utah. During these years, her family traveled back and forth between the Middle East and Utah. At the age of eight, while living in Egypt, she was baptized in the Red Sea. Heather attended the Anglican School of Jerusalem from 1987-88, and returned again to Jerusalem with her husband in 1994.

Heather graduated from Brigham Young University with a major in Fashion Merchandising and minor in Business Management. This has nothing to do with writing books, but at least she can color-coordinate her kids school clothes and balance a mean checkbook.

Heather is a member of the League of Utah Writers and LDStorymakers. She also manages the editing company, Precision Editing Group, LLC.

CLICK HERE for details on how to win these books.

CLICK HERE for details on sponsoring the contest. (I can add up to four more for this month. First come, first served.)

September 2010 Blog Sponsors

We’re starting September prizes a day early because I’ll be out of the office and unable to get to a computer tomorrow. We’ve got some great books to give away this month!

Please take a moment to learn more about our wonderfully generous sponsors.

33 Habits of a Really Good Man by Yvonne Swinson


Bill Wells wasn’t a famous man, but he left an invaluable legacy for those who knew him. He lived his life by a few simple words of wisdom-recorded in a little black notebook-and taught his children to do the same.

Now, with this collection of mini-memoirs, his daughter Yvonne Swinson shares his legacy with you. 33 Habits of a Really Good Man includes Bill’s favorite memories and experiences and shares ideas on how these habits can lead to a “really good” life.

Yvonne Swinson was born in North Carolina and spent the rest of her childhood moving around the southeastern states. She was an avid reader from a young age and has read many thousands of books. One of her childhood dreams was to someday write her own. She now resides in sunny Southern Utah with her husband and five children (soon to be six). Her other interests include hiking, gymnastics and homeschooling.

33 Habits is Yvonne’s first traditionally published book but she has self-published several home-schooling books in the Real Mom series.

Alma the Younger by Heather B. Moore

As night falls, a scarlet-robed man emerges from the temple and a hush falls over the waiting crowd. Studying the hooded figure with enmity, Alma recognizes that this is the man who incites rebellion among the people of Zarahemla. This is the man who dares preach from the very place where King Benjamin uttered his final blessings upon the people of the church. Defiling the tower with his very presence, the man who embodies evil raises a hand to silence the drums, then calls to his followers through the eerie quiet. And that’s when Alma realizes the terrible truth: this man is his son.

Alma the Younger, son of the aging high priest, once was taught by the wisdom of prophets. Now the young man is a thief ensnared by the wiles of strong drink and harlots; a bitter dissenter determined to overthrow the church, to lead the people into new freedoms. He has gathered a strong army to create a revolution, which only begins with the desecration of the temple and will escalate to calamity once he captures King Mosiah s daughter. But en route to his malicious mission with his royal henchmen, Alma is halted by an unexpected opponent: an angel of the Lord, a messenger of the very God he has sought to defame. And what unfolds is a story of miraculous redemption, a story building on the poignant Book of Mormon account to show how even the vilest of sinners can be transformed by the Savior’s amazing grace.


Heather Moore was born in Providence, Rhode Island, but spent most of her childhood in Orem, Utah. During these years, her family traveled back and forth between the Middle East and Utah. At the age of eight, while living in Egypt, she was baptized in the Red Sea. Heather attended the Anglican School of Jerusalem from 1987-88, and returned again to Jerusalem with her husband in 1994.

Heather graduated from Brigham Young University with a major in Fashion Merchandising and minor in Business Management. This has nothing to do with writing books, but at least she can color-coordinate her kids school clothes and balance a mean checkbook.

Heather is a member of the League of Utah Writers and LDStorymakers. She also manages the editing company, Precision Editing Group, LLC.

Cold As Ice by Stephanie Black

After five patient years, Abigail Wyatt’s sisterly care is finally paying off: her younger brother, Derek, is abandoning his self-destructive lifestyle and seeking his parents’ forgiveness, thus ending the painful estrangement that wounded the whole family. But just as the pieces are falling into place for the prodigal’s return, a woman named Karen Brodie is murdered in a local park—and police name Derek as the prime suspect. Rather than standing firm and cementing the positive changes in his life, Derek succumbs to his cynical fears and runs from the law, leaving Abigail with her hands tied. Literally.

Derek’s raw panic convinces everyone that he’s the killer— everyone except Abigail, who doggedly maintains her brother’s innocence. With the help of Kyle, a charismatic new friend she might be falling for, Abigail digs deep into Karen Brodie’s troubled past in hopes of clearing Derek’s name. But as she uncovers a sinister plot of greed, envy, and vengeance, this loyal sister must face the painful truth that things—and people—are not always as they seem.


Stephanie Black: I was born in Provo, Utah and raised in Washington, Arkansas, and Utah. I graduated from Brigham Young University, where I earned a degree in history and secondary education and met my wonderful husband. One month after graduating, I entered into full-time motherhood and now have five children–three girls and two boys, ages nineteen down to five. I’m an amateur violinist, a chronically disorganized housekeeper, and an avid procrastinator.

My first novel, a futuristic thriller called The Believer, was published by Covenant Communications in January 2005. I then turned to writing contemporary suspense, and Fool Me Twice was released in 2008, followed by Methods of Madness (2009) and Cold as Ice (2010). Fool Me Twice and Methods of Madness are both Whitney Award winners for Best Mystery/Suspense.

Hometown Girl by Michele Ashman Bell

Jocelyn Rogers’s life is in a rut. Maybe she should step outside her comfort zone and move to Milford Falls, where she has inherited her grandmother’s house. With the encouragement of the other Butterfly Girls, Jocelyn musters her courage and starts a new life.

However, when she arrives in the small town that holds both good and bad memories for her, she discovers the house in worse shape than she expected, and getting repairs done is anything but easy — especially when it comes to dealing with Jack Emerson, a man who seems to be agitated by Jocelyn and everyone else within a fifty-mile radius.

To make matters worse, she has begun to worry that moving back to the place where she once spent a troubled summer will expose the deep personal secret she has kept hidden for fourteen years. But Jack also has a hidden secret that has prevented him from getting close to anyone in a long time. And now it seems that interfering neighbors may prevent both Jack and Jocelyn from moving forward with their lives.

Michele Ashman Bell: What can I say, I’m a middle-aged mother of four, who, after ten years of hard work, perseverance and a lot of rejection letters, finally got a book published.

I grew up in St. George, Utah, where a lot of my family still lives, but now reside with my husband and family in the Salt Lake City area. My favorite thing to do is support my kids in their many interests. Between basketball, ballet and piano lessons we squeeze a lot into a week, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Key Lime Pie by Josi S. Kilpack

When Sadie Hoffmiller’s new friend, Eric Burton, receives word that his missing daughter’s body may have been found in Florida, he immediately packs his bags. Sadie is determined to stay home and prove to everyone that she is not a busybody. But when she senses Eric is hiding something, Sadie is compelled to take action.

Before she knows it, she’s in the heart of Miami, trying to piece together a trail that might just give Eric the answers he’s so desperately searching for. In the process, Sadie finds herself in the company of some colorful characters and some good ol’ southern cooking. But despite the drama and intrigue, all Sadie really wants is to go home … as soon as she does just one more thing.

Read Chapter 1 here.

Josi S. Kilpack was born and raised in Salt Lake City, the third of nine children, and accounts much of her success to her mother always making oatmeal for breakfast. In 1993 Josi married her high-school sweetheart, Lee Kilpack, and went on to raise her own children in Salt Lake and then Willard Utah where she currently lives. She loves to read and write, is the author of eight novels, the baker of many a delicious confection, and the hobby farmer of a varying number of unfortunate chickens. In her spare time she likes to overwhelm herself a multitude of projects and then complain that she never has any spare time; in this way she is rather masochistic. She also enjoys traveling, cheering on her children, and sleeping in when the occasion presents itself.

Josi is the author of twelve novels, including Sheep’s_Clothing, winner of the 2007 Whitney Award for Best Mystery/Suspense. She loves to hear from her readers and can be reached via e-mail.

Lost Children: Coping with Miscarriage by R. J. Christensen

After my second miscarriage and struggle with infertility, I searched for answers to my questions in the gospel. It was hard to understand why I couldn’t have a baby when I wanted one so desperately and it was terrible to cope with the loss of my babies from miscarriage.

I felt alone and couldn’t find anything to answer all my questions and offer comfort.

This is why I wrote Lost Children: Coping with Miscarriage for Latter-day Saints. I wanted to lighten the load of those who are suffering from miscarriage and provide tools for those who would like to comfort someone in need.

Women of the church desperately need this book to help them in one of the most difficult situations they will face on this earth as they try to obey the commandment of the Lord to “multiply and replenish the earth.” Everyone affected by these problems knows others who suffer similarly. This book would be a wonderful gift for those desiring to give comfort, as well as a self-help book to aid the grieving person.

My blog, www.copingwithmiscarriage.blogspot.com offers more information and a forum for those suffering from loss.

For a peek at the first chapter of Lost Children, click here.


Rachelle J. Christensen was born and raised in a small farming town in Idaho. She says of herself, “I’m a dirt between the toes, irrigation boot-wearing, ponytail flipping in the wind as I drive the 4-wheeler FARM girl all the way!”

Currently living in Utah County, Rachelle and her husband, Steve, have three wonderful kids–2 girls and one boy. She graduated from Utah State University.

In addition to writing, Rachelle loves to read, run, crochet and knit, play volleyball, sing, play the piano, and cook.


The Limit by Kristen Landon

An eighth grade girl was taken today . . .

With this first sentence, readers are immediately thrust into a fast-paced thriller that doesn’t let up for a moment. In a world not too far removed from our own, kids are being taken away to special workhouses if their families exceed the monthly debt limit imposed by the government. Thirteen-year-old Matt briefly wonders if he might be next, but quickly dismisses the thought. After all, his parents are financially responsible, unlike the parents of those other kids. As long as his parents remain within their limit, the government will be satisfied and leave them alone. But all it takes is one fatal visit to the store to push Matt’s family over their limit—and to change his reality forever.

Kristen Landon always thought it would be nice to live in a place where winter never gets too cold. Besides one lovely winter in California, she has spent her life bouncing back and forth between Michigan and Utah—both great places in the spring, summer, and fall. She now lives with her husband and four children in a home with fabulous views of Utah’s beautiful mountains out every window.

The Limit is Kristen’s second published novel. Her first book, Life in the Pit, is YA realistic fiction and was published in 2008 by Bloomingtree Press. Kristen has also published stories and articles in several magazines for children.

Learn more at www.kristenlandon.com.

Trapped by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen

When Emi Warrin wakes one night to find a thief in her mother’s house, she has no idea the intruder has planted a trap—a mysterious letter that will change her life forever. Lured to the Austrian Alps with Daniel, the man she loves, Emi is thrown into a perilous, mafia-like world of feuding families and a devastating curse that spans generations. As the Firstborn She—the only firstborn female in hundreds of years—only Emi can free her family from the curse that will soon afflict her as well. But for Emi to break the curse, she must delve into evil designs.

As Emi struggles to understand her destiny as the Firstborn She, she learns that everything isn’t as it seems and that all choices have consequences. Can Emi break the curse before it’s too late?

Read Chapter 1 here.


Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen received her Associates Degree in English from Ricks College and studied writing at Weber State University and Utah State University. Her numerous magazine and internet writing credits include fiction and nonfiction published by ,The Friend, New Era, Ensign, Guideposts for Kids, Class Act, and yourLDSneighborhood.com. She also enjoys teaching writing and speaking in various venues. Ronda first knew she wanted to be a writer when she was in the 6th grade. Her English teacher had been reading S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders to the class, and when she reached the section where Johnny urged Ponyboy to stay “gold,” Ronda realized she wanted to write “golden” words just as Hinton had. More than that, she wanted those words to encourage the “golden” in others. That remains one of her goals. Ronda’s award-winning novel, Missing, is her first book. She loves to hear from readers and can be contacted via e-mail.

May 2010 Prize Sponsors

Last month’s prize winners announced HERE.

Please take a moment to learn more about our wonderfully generous sponsors.

My Double Life by Janette Rallison


Her whole life, Alexia Garcia has been told that she looks just like pop star Kari Kingsley, and one day when Alexia’s photo filters through the Internet, she’s offered a job to be Kari’s double. This would seem like the opportunity of a lifetime, but Alexia’s mother has always warned her against celebrities.

Rebelliously, Alexia flies off to L.A. and gets immersed in a celebrity life. Not only does she have to get used to getting anything she wants, she romances the hottest lead singer on the charts, and finds out that her own father is a singing legend. Through it all, Alexia must stay true to herself, which is hard to do when you are pretending to be somebody else!

Janette Rallison is old. Don’t ask how old, because it isn’t polite. Let’s just say she’s older than she’d like to be and leave it at that.

Janette lives in Chandler, Arizona with her husband, five children and enough cats to classify her as “an eccentric cat lady.” She did not do this on purpose. (The cats, that is; she had the children on purpose.) Every single one of the felines showed up on its own and refuses to leave. Not even the family’s fearless little Westie dog can drive them off.

Since Janette has five children and deadlines to write books, she doesn’t have much time left over for hobbies. But since this is the internet and you can’t actually check up to see if anything on this site is true, let’s just say she enjoys dancing, scuba diving, horse back riding and long talks with Orlando Bloom. (Well, I never said he answers back.)


Courting Miss Lancaster by Sarah M. Eden


Harry Windover adores blonde, green-eyed Athena Lancaster, but alas, a penniless man like himself has no hope of winning a young noblewoman’s hand. To add insult to injury, Athena’s brother-in-law and guardian, the Duke of Kielder, has asked Harry to assist Athena in finding the gentleman of her dreams. But the lovesick Harry is cunning as well: as the weeks pass, he introduces Athena to suitors who are horrifically boring, alarmingly attached to their mothers, downright rude, astoundingly self-absorbed, and utterly ridiculous.

Athena can’t comprehend why she is having so little success meeting eligible and acceptable gentlemen. Indeed, her circle of admirers couldn’t be less admirable–nothing like the loyal, gentle friend she’s found in Harry. But how long can Harry’s scheme be hidden before it is discovered? And what will Athena do when she uncovers Harry’s deception?

Sarah M. Eden says of herself, “I’m not normal. I’m an author. I spend enormous amounts of time avoiding responsible things like cooking dinner and doing laundry and making vital phone calls. Instead, I fill my days with making up stories, talking to voices in my head, and laughing hysterically at my own wit. Like I said, I’m not normal.”

Sarah self-published several regency romances, which are now out-of-print and awaiting republication by a publishing company. Her book, Seeking Persephone, was a 2008 Whitney Award Finalist. Her story is also the lead in LDS Publisher’s Stolen Christmas and Other Stories of the Season.

CLICK HERE for details on how to win these books.

CLICK HERE for details on sponsoring the contest.

April 2010 Prize Sponsors

Last month’s prize winners announced HERE.

Please take a moment to learn more about our wonderfully generous sponsors.

Wrong Number by Rachelle J. Christensen


“I think you have the wrong number.”

When Aubree Stewart answers her cell phone on the way to work one day, she isn’t prepared for her life to change. Someone dialed a wrong number, a simple mistake. But the call changes everything when Aubree overhears information about the murder of a government official. Now she must run for her life as the caller tries to eliminate her.

Aubree is placed in the witness protection program, but when the FBI’s protection fails, she heads out on her own. She soon realizes she’ll never stop running until she can solve the mystery behind the wrong number. Unable to trust anyone but herself, she’s cautious about accepting the help of a Park Ranger named Wyatt Erickson. As she struggles to keep herself hidden from the enemy, she finds it harder to protect her heart.


Rachelle J. Christensen was born and raised in a small farming town in Idaho. She says of herself, “I’m a dirt between the toes, irrigation boot-wearing, ponytail flipping in the wind as I drive the 4-wheeler FARM girl all the way!”

Currently living in Utah County, Rachelle and her husband, Steve, have three wonderful kids–2 girls and one boy. She graduated from Utah State University.

In addition to writing, Rachelle loves to read, run, crochet and knit, play volleyball, sing, play the piano, and cook.

Rachelle’s next book, Lost Children: Coping with Miscarriage for Latter-day Saints, will be released in May 2010.

My Ridiculous Romantic Obsessions by Becca Wilhite


A perfect blend of wit, comedy, suspense, and, of course, romance.

This is NOT your typical romance novel.

Sarah Howard’s first year at the university is everything and nothing she expected—especially when a very cute boy named Ben in her Art History class starts to show interest in her.

Sarah feels like she’s an average, normal, everyday girl. So, when Ben (to whom she secretly refers as Adonis because she thinks he could be a Greek god) begins to take interest in her, Sarah is in denial. For one thing, last year she was deeply crushed and humiliated by “Jesse James”—a guy who she thought liked her. She’s determined not to get burned again. But in her heart of hearts, what she really wants is a Jane Austen kind of romance.

Ridiculous, right? That kind of romance doesn’t exist anymore . . . or does it? Sarah is smart and fun to be around and even pretty, despite her Medusa-like red curls. She even plays the guitar. (So does Ben!) Yes, Sarah is everything Ben has wanted. He’s crazy for her, but Sarah is just not getting it. She’s playing hard to get, and if she’s not careful, she’s going to lose a real “hot” gentleman—her 21st-century Mr. Darcy.


Becca Wilhite
says: I’m a writer, and a reader, but mostly a family girl. I have a near-perfect husband and four above-average kids.

Kids literature is my favorite. I have a published novel, “Bright Blue Miracle” written for the “clean teen” market. It’s a family story – about step-twins. (What? You’ve never heard that word? Possibly because I recently made it up.)

I love reading great books. Even though all my kids can read, we still read aloud together, because we think it’s fun. And helpful, and it means we always have things to talk about.

CLICK HERE for details on how to win these books.

CLICK HERE for details on sponsoring the contest.

March 2010 Prize Sponsors

Last month’s prize winners announced HERE.

Please take a moment to learn more about our wonderfully generous sponsors.

Servant of a Dark God by John Brown


Young Talen lives in a world where the days of a person’s life can be harvested, bought, and stolen. Only the great Divines, who rule every land, and the human soul-eaters, dark ones who steal from man and beast and become twisted by their polluted draws, know the secrets of this power. This land’s Divine has gone missing and soul-eaters are found among Talen’s people.

The Clans muster a massive hunt, and Talen finds himself a target. Thinking his struggle is against both soul-eaters and their hunters, Talen actually has far larger problems. A being of awesome power has arisen, one whose diet consists of the days of man. Her Mothers once ranched human subjects like cattle. She has emerged to take back what is rightfully hers. Trapped in a web of lies and ancient secrets, Talen must struggle to identify his true enemy before the Mother finds the one whom she will transform into the lord of the human harvest.

John Brown is a novelist and prize-winning short story writer. This first book in his epic fantasy series was published October 2009 by Tor Books. It’s set in a world where beings of immense power ranch humans for their souls and is called Servant of a Dark God. Other forthcoming novels in the series include Curse of a Dark God, and Dark God’s Glory. He currently lives with his wife and four daughters in the hinterlands of Utah where one encounters much fresh air, many good-hearted ranchers, and an occasional wolf. Brown’s agent is Caitlin Blasdell of Liza Dawson Associates.

My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison

Finding your one true love can be a Grimm experience!

After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah Delano wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar: Savannah’s gum-chewing, cell phone–carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Showing why she’s only Fair—because she’s not a very good fairy student—Chrissy mistakenly sends Savannah back in time to the Middle Ages, first as Cinderella, then as Snow White. Finally she sends Tristan, a boy in Savannah’s class, back instead to turn him into her prom-worthy prince. When Savannah returns to the Middle Ages to save Tristan, they must team up to defeat a troll, a dragon, and the mysterious and undeniably sexy Black Knight. Laughs abound in this clever fairy tale twist from a master of romantic comedy.

Janette Rallison is old. Don’t ask how old, because it isn’t polite. Let’s just say she’s older than she’d like to be and leave it at that.

Janette lives in Chandler, Arizona with her husband, five children and enough cats to classify her as “an eccentric cat lady.” She did not do this on purpose. (The cats, that is; she had the children on purpose.) Every single one of the felines showed up on its own and refuses to leave. Not even the family’s fearless little Westie dog can drive them off.

Since Janette has five children and deadlines to write books, she doesn’t have much time left over for hobbies. But since this is the internet and you can’t actually check up to see if anything on this site is true, let’s just say she enjoys dancing, scuba diving, horse back riding and long talks with Orlando Bloom. (Well, I never said he answers back.)

CLICK HERE for details on how to win these books.

CLICK HERE for details on sponsoring the contest.

February 2010 Prize Sponsors

Last month’s prize winners announced HERE.

Please take a moment to learn more about our wonderfully generous sponsors.

Family Home Evening Adventures by Rebecca Irvine


Scripture study during family home evening is no longer stressful!

Family Home Evening Adventures is the perfect way to help your children stay focused on the scriptures while building their testimonies. Filled with 12 fun seasonal activities and lessons, this book will help you effectively plan for the year by setting up a theme for each month. Learn more about the Atonement, feasting upon the word, preparing for baptism, having reverence, and feeling love in the home.

Together, your family can have a testimony-building family home evening based on the scriptures without all the stress, boredom, and inattention. This handy aide is sure to help your children to actively learn from and appreciate the scriptures while also increasing their faith.


Rebecca Irvine
is a mother of three and author of Family Home Evening Adventures (CFI 2009) and Adventures with the Word of God (CFI 2008).

Heroes of the Fallen by David J. West


Heroes of the Fallen is set after a golden age of peace, that lasted almost three hundred years. War is now coming to Zarahemla. Men beat their plowshares into swords or call vainly to pagan gods for answers, all the while forgetting that which could deliver them.

Stand alongside daring heroes with swords bared against sinister villains, never knowing which will fall—Captain Amaron and his Ten Scouts, Zelph the White Lamanite, or Anathoth the Ishmaelite General, agonizingly loyal to the despised King of Tullan—all must face the chillingly evil Gadianton Master Akish-Antum and his numerous followers.

Witness the plans of mighty kings and lowly thieves. See the dreams of Bethia, a prophet’s daughter, as she runs away from home seeking independence, only to find confusion and wickedness in a land of war.

Heroes of the Fallen is filled with tragedy and triumph. It echoes universal themes of mankind: fear and courage, faith versus doubt, hunger for power and love, and sacrifice for the greater good. Intensely researched for reality and fantastically dreamt up for imagination, Heroes of the Fallen is a literary work of art, presenting revolutionary viewpoints in a cross-genre’s ancient American landscape.


David J. West was born in Salt Lake City, Utah but has lived throughout the United States and briefly in Mexico. He has been writing stories since he learned to read and is an avid collector of books and swords.

He enjoys traveling, and visiting the many places he writes about. He lives in Utah with his wife and three children, each with more unusual names than his own.

CLICK HERE for details on how to win these books.

CLICK HERE for details on sponsoring the contest.

January 2010 Prize Sponsors

Last month’s prize winners announced HERE.

Please take a moment to learn more about our wonderfully generous sponsors.

Famous Family Nights by Anne Bradshaw


Famous Family Nights is unique in that it isn’t simply pages of ideas for family home evenings. It peeks into the lives of 91 talented LDS people from the USA and other countries, and shares ideas, together with touching, inspiring, and often hilarious stories about their family nights.

The whole book encourages readers to begin, or continue, their own family home evenings, despite today’s challenges. Famous Family Nights highlights home evening as a priceless tool for building strong, faith-centered families.


Anne Bradshaw, who was born in Wales, grew up in England, and now lives in the USA. She has authored four published books, the latest of which is Famous Family Nights. The Ardanea Pendant, a feature screenplay Anne co-authored, won first place (fantasy/sci-fi genre) in the 2008 International Family Film Festival. She has also written countless magazine and internet articles, and is a member of LDS Storymakers.

Anne’s website: www.annebradshaw.com

Anne’s blog: Anne’s Place

Missing by Ronda Gibb Hinrichson

A BYU-Idaho choir tour in British Columbia turns out to be anything but ordinary when soloist Stacie Cox spots a kidnapped child from Rexburg during a performance. Before Stacie can alert the authorities, the little girl disappears. Stacie vows to find and rescue her, a choice that forces her to deal with her guilt-ridden past and another little girl that haunts her dreams.

When the handsome Matt Brennan helps Stacie in the search, she tries to resist the attraction she feels for him. Yet as he gains her friendship and trust, her resolve to never fall in love begins to crumble. And after a series of harrowing events, Stacie must decide if she is willing to sacrifice her life—and a possible future with Matt—to save a stranger.


Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen received her Associates Degree in English from Ricks College and studied writing at Weber State University and Utah State University. Her numerous magazine and internet writing credits include fiction and nonfiction published by The Friend, New Era, Ensign, Guideposts for Kids, Class Act, and yourLDSneighborhood.com. She also enjoys teaching writing and speaking in various venues. Ronda first knew she wanted to be a writer when she was in the 6th grade. Her English teacher had been reading S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders to the class, and when she reached the section where Johnny urged Ponyboy to stay “gold,” Ronda realized she wanted to write “golden” words just as Hinton had. More than that, she wanted those words to encourage the “golden” in others. That remains one of her goals. Ronda’s award-winning novel, Missing, is her first book. She loves to hear from readers and can be contacted at rondagibbhinrichsen@gmail.com.

CLICK HERE for details on how to win these books.

CLICK HERE for details on sponsoring the contest.

December 2009 Prize Sponsors

Last month’s prize winners announced HERE.

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My Spiritual Trail by Robyn Heirtzler


Cateline Fortier remembers little of the mother she lost when she was only four. In an effort to save her own history for her posterity, Cateline begins a journal that follows her remarkable journey to find her family—a journey that leads to employement on a wagon train bound for Salt Lake City in 1862.

Trail life means Indians, hardship and death, but through it all Cateline learns to love the Mormons, growing especially close to a lonely widower and his two small children. Nevertheless, she struggles to accept the faith of her newfound friends as her own.

My Spiritual Trail is a trek—not so much through the wilderness of the West, but through the heart and hopes of an unforgettable young woman.

Robyn Heirtzler currently resides in southern Utah with her husband and their five children. She enjoys running, history, photography, fishing, hiking, boating and rappelling with her family and friends.

She enjoys most those things she can do with her husband and children, no matter the activity.

She has worked as a staff writer and the managing editor of the Hurricane Valley Journal and the Cedar City Review and has had articles published in 4 Wheel Drive and Sport Utility Magazine, Irreantum, and other publications.

Santa Maybe by Aubrey Mace

Dear Santa,

I’ve been a good girl this year. (Well . . . pretty good.) I have a nice life and there’s only one thing that I really want—one thing that’s missing. If you happen to have an extra one lying around your workshop, I would really like a husband. I promise to take good care of him.

Love, Abbie

With a successful bakery to run, super cute nieces and nephews to spoil, and plenty of good friends to keep her company, Abbie’s not about to start crying over the fact that she doesn’t have a boyfriend to spend Christmas with. But when her sister convinces her to write a note to Santa, Abbie has no idea that a little Christmas magic is about to land her the man of her dreams. Or rather, that man is about to land smack dab on the floor in front of her Christmas tree with no memory of how he got there.

Now Abbie and Ben have to figure out where he came from, who he really is, and if he’s actually available.

Aubrey Mace: I live in Sandy Utah where I have been writing stories for most of my life. In retrospect, the fact that I was secretly scribbling short stories during my medical coding class probably should have been a clue that coding was not my first love.

I graduated from Jordan High School and also attended LDS Business College and Utah State University. I wrote my first Official Short Story of a Certain Length while I was attending Utah State. In addition to Santa Maybe, I have two other published books: Spare Change and My Fairy Grandmother.

I still earn my living in the medical field and when I’m not busy with my day job, I divide my hours between working on my next book and spending time with my wonderful family. I enjoy cooking, traveling, gardening, playing the piano and cello, and last but certainly not least, reading.

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November 2009 Prize Sponsors

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The Ball’s in Her Court by Heather Justesen


Growing up in the foster care system was no picnic, but after being adopted into a loving LDS family, playing college basketball, and launching her career in the software industry, Denise Dewalt finally feels as though she s left her former life behind her. What she doesn t realize is that she must confront her past if she ever wants to move on to a brighter future.

While her search for her biological family isn t an easy one, Denise s biggest fear is that even when she finds her family, she ll have nothing to give Rich, the only man who can see past the tragedies of her childhood. This emotional and inspirational story proves that life is full of unexpected twists and turns especially when it comes to facing your demons, fighting for love, and finding happiness for the future.


Hi, I’m Heather Justesen, writer of LDS women’s fiction.

Ask anyone who knew me growing up, I would as soon have my nose in a book as go to the neighbor’s to play. Reading helped shape my image of the world, both the parts that I see on a daily basis, and the areas that are too far away for me to visit. I suppose it was only a matter of time until I started making up worlds of my own.

I started my first book—I use that term loosely because I never expect to publish that mystery story—when I was in high school, then mostly set my writing aside through my college years. It wasn’t until early 2000 that I started writing again as an outlet when things were stressful. I wrote a good start on the story, then promptly lost the handwritten manuscript when my husband and I moved.

I worked on several other stories, hoping to come across the part I had written, but didn’t until I started writing that story all over again.

I have a second book, Rebound, slated for release in the summer of 2010.

Am I Not a Man by Mark L. Shurtleff


An illiterate slave, Dred Scott trusted in an all-white, slave-owning jury to declare him free. But after briefly experiencing the glory of freedom and manhood, a new state Supreme Court ordered the cold steel of the shackles to be closed again around his wrists and ankles. Falling to his knees, Dred cried, “Ain’t I a man?” Dred answered his own question by rising and taking his fight to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Dred ultimately lost his epic battle when the Chief Justice declared that a black man was so inferior that he had “no rights a white man was bound to respect.”

Dred died not knowing that his undying courage led directly to the election of President Abraham Lincoln and the emancipation proclamation.

Dred Scott’s inspiring and compelling true story of adventure, courage, love, hatred, and friendship parallels the history of this nation from the long night of slavery to the narrow crack in the door that would ultimately lead to freedom and equality for all men.


Mark L. Shurtleff attended Brigham Young University, University of Utah College of Law and University of San Diego School of Law. He lived in Peru for two years, absorbing the culture and living amongst the Peruvian people.

Mark began his legal career by serving four years in the United States Navy Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG), then was a lawyer in Southern California.

Mark was a Deputy County Attorney and a Commissioner of Salt Lake County. He then became an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Utah. He was elected Attorney General in November 2000, and was re-elected in November 2004 and again in November 2008. He is the first Attorney General in Utah to win re-election for a third term.

Mark is married with five children. He is an Eagle Scout, fluent in Spanish and this is his first novel.

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October 2009 Prize Sponsors

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Shudder by Jennie Hansen


Darcy and Clare grew up as best friends, sharing trials and triumphs from preschool through college graduation. Now they’re sharing an apartment in Boise, Idaho, where Clare just landed a great job and Darcy is pursuing a teaching certificate. There’s only one problem: Blaine, Clare’s boyfriend. His chauvinistic, know-it-all ways set Darcy’s teeth on edge. Darcy vows not to let Blaine ruin her lifelong friendship with Clare, but when Blaine insists on moving in, Darcy suddenly finds herself alone. The estranged friends forge ahead on seemingly separate paths.

Engaged to Blaine, Clare becomes trapped in ugly family politics and vicious treatment from her fiancé. Darcy finds a temporary home with Karlene, an accident victim seeking live-in help, but a twisted plot soon threatens their safety. Clare’s wedding briefly reunites her with Darcy, yet the friends have never been farther apart. And when Clare finds herself in mortal peril and finally calls on Darcy to help, it might be too late.


Jennie Hansen was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho. She lived in many farming and ranching communities in Idaho and Montana. Her family moved more than 20 times as she grew up. Born the fifth of eight children, Jennie had a ready supply of playmates during her childhood. Her brothers and sisters are still among her closest friends. She married Boyd Hansen of Rexburg, Idaho, and over the next ten years they became the parents of five children. They have made their home in Utah since their marriage.

Jennie graduated from Ricks College in Idaho then continued her education at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah. She has been a receptionist, a model, a Utah House page, freelance magazine writer, newspaper reporter, editor, library circulation specialist, mother and grandmother.

She has nineteen published books to her credit, three stories in compilations, and has two more books currently under contract. Her published books include: Run Away Home, Journey Home, Coming Home, When Tomorrow Comes, Macady, The River Path, Beyond, Summer Dreams, Chance Encounter, All I Hold Dear, Abandoned, Breaking Point, Some Sweet Day, Code Red, High Stakes, Wild Card, The Bracelet, The Emerald, The Topaz, and The Ruby. She is one of three contributors to The Spirit of Christmas along with Betsy Brannon Green and Michele Ashman Bell. Jennie also writes a monthly review column for Meridian Magazine.


No Going Back
by Jonathan Langford


A gay teenage Mormon growing up in western Oregon in 2003.

His straight best friend.

Their parents.

A typical LDS ward, a high-school club about tolerance for gays, and a proposed anti-gay-marriage amendment to the state constitution.

In NO GOING BACK, these elements combine in a coming-of-age story about faithfulness and friendship, temptation and redemption, tough choices and conflicting loyalties.


Jonathan Langford is a freelance informational writer and editor with over 20 years of experience, mostly in the areas of education and educational technology. His first novel, No Going Back, is published with Zarahemla Press (official release date: October 5, 2009).

Langford grew up in western Oregon, but now lives in western Wisconsin with his wife and three children. He has a BA and MA in English literature from Brigham Young University. For several years, he moderated AML-List, an email discussion group sponsored by the Association for Mormon Letters. Other interests include herbs, gardening, and science fiction/fantasy.

You can read a sample chapter of No Going Back HERE.

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September 2009 Prize Sponsors

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Farm Girl by Karen Jones Gowen


Farm Girl, the heart-warming journey of a girl coming of age on a 1920’s Nebraska farm, is an authentic account of that era. It is a story told with warmth, gentle humor and amazing detail. Many cherished remembrances helped to shape the young girl into an educated, gracious woman–one of the worst dust storms in history when people got lost in their own yards, a beloved cousin who came to a sad end, the father who carried a burning kerosene tank out of the house with his bare hands.

Be transported to another time and place as you visit the Marker farm in western Nebraska. Where horses were back-up transportation for cars. Where children were educated in one-room schoolhouses. And when no one ever heard of television. If you like the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder or Willa Cather, you will enjoy Farm Girl. It is set in the locale of Willa Cather’s Nebraska novels, and there is even a chapter in the book about the Marker Cather connections.

Richly photographed throughout with over 60 authentic photos documenting the people and places of the story. This historical, easy-to-read small book is suitable for use in the classroom from fifth grade up.

Karen Gowen: Born and raised in central Illinois, the daughter of a second-generation Methodist minister, I now live in South Jordan, Utah with my husband and three of our ten children. We have a back yard overgrown with fruit trees, vegetable garden and wildflowers, as well as a pond full of koi. I love to read, knit and watch Woody Allen movies. I graduated from BYU with a degree in English and American Literature. I’ve been writing for most of my life, published a few newspaper articles and sold a few stories to the Friend. The past few years I have finally been able to devote more time to writing. Two years ago I finished Farm Girl, story of a young girl growing up on a 1930’s Nebraska farm. Uncut Diamonds is a longer, more ambitious work, a novel set in central Illinois, one part chick lit, one part family saga, it is like Steel Magnolias with Mormon characters. I am now working on the sequel, House of Diamonds.

Melinda and the Wild West by Linda Weaver Clarke


In 1896 Melinda Gamble—a very elegant, naïve young woman from Boston—decides to give up her life of monotonous comfort for the turbulent uncertainty of the still untamed Wild West. Driven by her intense desire to make a difference in the world, Melinda takes a job as a schoolteacher in the small town of Paris, Idaho, where she comes face-to-face with Butch Cassidy, a vicious grizzly bear, and a terrible blizzard that leaves her clinging to her life. But it’s a rugged rancher who challenges Melinda with the one thing for which she was least prepared—love.

When a rugged rancher and a determined schoolteacher meet, they tend to butt heads and clash with each encounter, but at the same time there seems to be an underlying interest in one another. In this story, Melinda is trying to help a rebellious student through acceptance and love, and at the same time, she is trying to understand her own heart.

Melinda and the Wild West: A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho is the first in a series. The remaining books are as follows: Edith and the Mysterious Stranger, Jenny’s Dream, David and the Bear Lake Monster, and Elena, Woman of Courage.

Page One Literary Book Review wrote: “Linda Weaver Clarke displays an easy and excellent style of writing, blending adventure/romance/history/humor and courage. A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho is an instant classic and should put this author on the literary map all over the world.”


Linda Weaver Clarke was raised on a farm surrounded by the rolling hills of southern Idaho and has made her home in southern Utah among the beautiful red mountains and desert heat. She is happily married and is the mother of six daughters and several grandchildren. Clarke received her Bachelor of Arts degree at Southern Utah University and travels throughout the United States, teaching a “Family Legacy Workshop,” encouraging others to turn their family history and autobiography into a variety of interesting stories.

Clarke is the author of the historical fiction series, “A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho,” which includes the following novels: Melinda and the Wild West – a semi-finalist for the “Reviewers Choice Award 2007,” Edith and the Mysterious Stranger, Jenny’s Dream, David and the Bear Lake Monster, and Elena, Woman of Courage. A new Mystery series, The Adventures of John and Julia Evans, will soon be released, which includes the following novels to be released one at a time: Anasazi Intrigue, Mayan Intrigue, Montezuma Intrigue, and Desert Intrigue.

August 2009 Prize Sponsors

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Uncut Diamonds by Karen Jones Gowen


It is the late Seventies. Gold medallions and disco dancing, bell bottoms and bushy sideburns, Star Wars and Saturday Night Fever are all the rage. Jimmy Carter is President during a frightening recession, with mortgage interest rates at 13% and fuel bills higher than house payments. In the heartland of the nation, a young Mormon couple, Marcie and Shawn McGill, struggle to save their home, family and marriage, during these uncertain times. And they find help in unexpected places…

Follow the lives of Marcie and her two sisters as their lives intertwine. Beautiful Cindy who is single and dating, often the wrong guy. Linda who married rich and lives in Denver with her husband and young daughter. And their parents, the kindly Methodist minister and his cheerful wife, who do what they can to help everyone out.

Karen Gowen: Born and raised in central Illinois, the daughter of a second-generation Methodist minister, I now live in South Jordan, Utah with my husband and three of our ten children. We have a back yard overgrown with fruit trees, vegetable garden and wildflowers, as well as a pond full of koi. I love to read, knit and watch Woody Allen movies. I graduated from BYU with a degree in English and American Literature. I’ve been writing for most of my life, published a few newspaper articles and sold a few stories to the Friend. The past few years I have finally been able to devote more time to writing. Two years ago I finished Farm Girl, story of a young girl growing up on a 1930’s Nebraska farm. Uncut Diamonds is a longer, more ambitious work, a novel set in central Illinois, one part chick lit, one part family saga, it is like Steel Magnolias with Mormon characters. I am now working on the sequel, House of Diamonds.


Illuminations of the Heart by Joyce DiPastena

Her heart is lost in that first embrace, her world shaken to its foundations. There is just one problem: her name is not Clothilde. It is Siriol de Calendri.

Trained in the art of illumination in the far-off city of Venice, she is directed by her late brother’s will to the county of Poitou in France, where she enters the guardianship of her brother’s friend, Sir Triston de Brielle. Once in Poitou, Siri hopes to find employment in an illuminator’s shop — until Triston unexpectedly snatches her heart away with a kiss.

Triston is a man of quiet honor and courage, but the guilt he carries for the death of his late wife, Clothilde, has left him numb and hesitant to love again. Worse yet, Siri bears an uncanny resemblance to his lost love.

Then Triston’s past returns to threaten them both. Will his tragic life with Clothilde be repeated with Siri?


Joyce DiPastena fell in love with the Middle Ages when she first read Thomas B. Costain’s The Conquering Family in high school. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a degree specializing in medieval history.

Joyce lives in Arizona with her two cats, Clio and Glinka Rimsky-Korsokov.

July 2009 Prize Sponsors

Last month’s prize winners announced HERE.

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Altared Plans by Rebecca Talley


The perfect day. The perfect marriage. The perfect groom. What could go wrong?

Caitlyn has been preparing for her perfect wedding all her life. But when her fiancé abandons her at the altar, Caitlyn vows she ll never love again.

Going to BYU doesn’t make that easy, however, and avoiding all social contact can only last so long. When her bishop calls her to be the mom of her family home evening group, Caitlyn is suddenly thrust into surprising circumstances that leave her flustered the attention of two unwanted suitors.

Travis, the FHE dad, has plans to woo Caitlyn by using his cowboy charms while Chase has his own ideas for dating her. Will Travis or Chase change her mind about love? Or will it be deja vu?

Rebecca Talley grew up in Santa Barbara, California and now lives on a ranch in Colorado with her amazing husband, 8 of her 10 creative children, horses, goats, and a llama named Tina. She is the author of a children’s picture book, Grasshopper Pie. Her stories have been published in Story Friends, Our Little Friend, The Friend, and Stories for Children. Cedar Fort released her YA novel, Heaven Scent, in spring 2008.

Besides writing, Rebecca enjoys eating chocolate by the pound, dancing to disco music while she cleans all the messes that seem to multiply and replenish her house, and contemplating all the craft projects that still need to be completed. You can find Rebecca at www.rebeccatalley.com.

A Future for Tomorrow by Haley Hatch Freeman


A Future for Tomorrow is an extraordinary non-fiction account of the author’s actual battle against anorexia nervosa as well as a spiritual triumph against evil.

You will be brought into the anorexic mind, shown the fierce war against depression and self-depreciative thoughts and actions; and witness the gravity of the destruction this disease can do.

A deeply edifying experience will occur as you journey with the author to that eternal world. There, angels confirm to her gospel truths such as the intensity of Christ’s love, and the sacred and holy nature of our Father’s plan for his children here on Earth.


Haley Hatch Freeman was raised in a small Utah town on a cattle ranch. She led a generally happy childhood until life took a dramatic turn in her early teenage years. Her struggle with anorexia started and carried on for nearly a year.

She has always had a passion for the written word but it was surviving this extraordinary event which led her down the author path. She knew as a teenager she needed to share her story by writing a book one day.

Her newly released non-fiction book, A Future for Tomorrow, depicts her fierce war against anorexia as well as other spiritual triumphs.

In addition to being an author, Haley is a wife, mother of two, and sign language interpreter for the deaf. Haley hopes to publish more books in the future. She is now venturing in writing fiction novels for young adults.

June 2009 Prize Sponsors

Last month’s prize winners announced HERE.

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There, Their, They’re: A No Tears Guide to Grammar from the Word Nerd by Annette Lyon


Finally: a book with clear and easy explanations of your most common grammar, usage, and punctuation questions!

There, Their, They’re: A No-Tears Guide to Grammar from the Word Nerd cuts the convoluted terminology and explains things in a way anyone can understand.

The Word Nerd—as the author is affectionately called because of her “Word Nerd Wednesday” blog series—is known for her ability to help even the most frustrated writer get it.

Annette Lyon (aka The Word Nerd) was given the 2007 Best of State medal for fiction in Utah and was a 2007 Whitney Award finalist for her fifth book, Spires of Stone. She’s been writing for most of her life, beginning with stories about mice in second grade. While she’s found success in magazine and business writing, her true passion is fiction. In 1995, she graduated cum laude from BYU with a BA in English. Annette enjoys reading, knitting, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order.

Pickup Games by Marcia Mickelson


When Mick Webber gets a new job hosting a college basketball show, he is less than thrilled to learn he will be co-hosting with Cara Jones, a pretty brunette trying to get over her failed engagement.

From the start it is clear the two will not be playing nice, and work soon turns into a battlefield. But as the season progresses and the two are forced to work together more closely, they begin to see that first impressions can often be deceiving.

In this riveting story about the game of love, you ll find yourself holding your breath to see what the scoreboard says when the clock runs out.

Marcia Argueta Mickelson was born in Guatemala but grew up mostly in New Jersey. She is a graduate of Brigham Young University and lives in Texas with her husband and three sons. When she is not writing, Marcia enjoys playing at the beach, reading, blogging, watching movies, and making train layouts for her boys. She is the author of Star Shining Brightly and Reasonable Doubt.

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May 2009 Prize Sponsors

Last month’s prize winners announced HERE.

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Adventures with the Word of God by Rebecca Irvine


Do your children’s eyes gloss over as soon as family scripture study starts? Adventures with the Word of God is exactly what you need to get them excited about scripture study. Interactive scripture reading makes family study fun for the whole family. Help your children learn and understand gospel principles directly from the scriptures with a year’s worth of scripture study themes.

Together, your family can study and learn from sets of verses on similar topics, which helps children to better understand the language of the scriptures. Helpful hints are included to provide additional ways to encourage children to pay closer attention during family study time. With this handy helper, children can gain the tools they need to begin personal scripture study and increase their individual testimonies.

Rebecca Irvine lives in Mesa, Arizona. She is a graduate of Brigham Young University and served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the England London South Mission. Married for twelve years to her husband, Steve, she is the mother of three terrific children. Rebecca also works part-time as a market research analyst and volunteers as the research director for the Mesa Temple Easter Pageant.

Agent in Old Lace by Tristi Pinkston

Shannon Tanner has it all, a perfect family, perfect job, perfect boyfriend—or so she thinks. What Shannon doesn’t know is that her boyfriend, Mark, is stealing money from her father and making millions doing it. When Shannon learns Mark’s secret, he turns on her, and Shannon’s life abruptly goes from perfect to perilous.

In an effort to protect Shannon, the FBI assigns their only female agent to go undercover as her personal bodyguard. But when the agent falls ill the day before the assignment, they turn to the next best thing: their top agent, Rick Holden—in a dress.

Life seems safe again for Shannon with Rick by her side and Mark apparently gone for good. Then Shannon gets word that her best friend has been kidnapped, and it becomes clear that Mark isn’t going to stop any time soon. Shannon realizes the only way to save herself and her friend—and stop Mark once and for all—is by sending Rick, her only source of protection, away. Can Rick save Shannon before it’s too late? (Available in bookstores May 15th)

With her crisp writing style and attention to detail, Tristi Pinkston pulls her readers into the pages of history and helps them feel the emotions that fueled the events of that time. She has been hailed as one of the most talented historical fiction writers currently on the market.

Jeff Needle’s review for AML, said, “This kind of writing can only come about when the author has thoroughly researched her subject and worked very hard to put herself in the place of her protagonist.”

Tristi is the author of Strength to Endure, Nothing to Regret and Season of Sacrifice.

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April 2009 Prize Sponsors

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Tower of Strength by Annette Lyon

It was 1877 when Tabitha Hall Chadwick left Manti as a young bride. Now, nearly seven years later, she returns as a widow with her young son to make a new beginning. Tabitha’s strained relationship with her mother–in–law adds more difficulty to her life as a single working mother. Yet with a stroke of courage, Tabitha makes two purchases that become her passions: the local newspaper and a traumatized horse.

As she struggles to meet the challenges of her new roles, Tabitha welcomes the friendship of Samuel, a recently widowed British immigrant. Working together to train the abused horse, the two discover a second chance at love. But when Samuel is critically injured during the construction of the Manti Temple, Tabitha faces the pain of old wounds and the risk of new ones.

Weaving themes of loss and renewal, this poignant tale explores a vital choice each of us must make: to seek safety in isolation or to embrace the painful yet beautiful complexities of life and love.

Annette Lyon was given the 2007 Best of State medal for fiction in Utah and was a 2007 Whitney Award finalist for her fifth book, Spires of Stone. She’s been writing for most of her life, beginning with stories about mice in second grade. While she’s found success in magazine and business writing, her true passion is fiction. In 1995, she graduated cum laude from BYU with a BA in English. Annette enjoys reading, knitting, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order.

The Reckoning by Tanya Parker Mills

The Reckoning, by Tanya Parker Mills, tells the story of a journey home gone terribly wrong, but even when all the light has gone, forgiveness and redemption can heal the past and show a way to the future. Through gritty, gut wrenching prose Mills’s heroic and courageous storytelling exposes the horrors of dictatorship and the mindless cruelty that flows from political repression. It also sends a message of hope, inspiration, and faith in the human heart.

Mills’s The Reckoning masterfully weaves the real horrors of Saddam Hussein’s Iraq with the rich threads of a compelling fictional narrative as raw and real as anything taken from today’s political headlines. Told with tenacious honesty and unflinching realism, in a style sure to disturb and entertain, The Reckoning shows how we can transcend the past, no matter how painful or murky it may have been, and that the future is out there, full and bright, if we are willing to embrace it.

Tanya Parker Mills: Beginning from her birth on an American Air Force base in Tripoli, Libya, Tanya’s childhood was spent mostly abroad in such countries as Greece, Turkey, Iraq, and Lebanon. Indeed, she and her family lived through two revolutions involving Saddam Hussein’s Ba’ath Party.

Tanya has worked as an Assistant Editor for Trade Publications at Sunset Magazine in California. Tanya met her husband, Michael, in Los Angeles and, after they married, she quit her job to begin raising a family and finally write a novel that would draw on her exotic background.

After two children, a move to Washington State, and twenty years of imagining, plotting, researching, and typing away, she has completed The Reckoning and is now halfway through a second novel, Laps.

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March 2009 Prize Sponsors

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High Country by Jennie Hansen

A terrible car accident left Laura fatherless, injured, and at a loss for many memories of her life before the accident. But when she and her cousin Bruce are going through their Aunt Alice’s papers after her death, Bruce finds a certificate that will change Laura’s life forever: a marriage certificate. With her name on it. The doctors told her she wouldn’t be able to remember a lot of things, but how could she forget getting married?

Laura is shocked ever further when she finds out that she is heir to a fortune and her father’s ranch, High Country. As she discovers the secrets about her past that Aunt Alice had kept so well hidden from her, Laura is determined to get back what is rightfully hers. But trying to regain the beautiful house and land from a stubborn cowboy. Paul “Mac” Burgoyne, who claims to be her husband, is more than she bargained for.


Jennie Hansen was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho. She lived in many farming and ranching communities in Idaho and Montana. Her family moved more than 20 times as she grew up. Born the fifth of eight children, Jennie had a ready supply of playmates during her childhood. Her brothers and sisters are still among her closest friends. She married Boyd Hansen of Rexburg, Idaho, and over the next ten years they became the parents of five children. They have made their home in Utah since their marriage.

Jennie graduated from Ricks College in Idaho then continued her education at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah. She has been a receptionist, a model, a Utah House page, freelance magazine writer, newspaper reporter, editor, library circulation specialist, mother and grandmother.

She has nineteen published books to her credit, three stories in compilations, and has two more books currently under contract. Her published books include: Run Away Home, Journey Home, Coming Home, When Tomorrow Comes, Macady, The River Path, Beyond, Summer Dreams, Chance Encounter, All I Hold Dear, Abandoned, Breaking Point, Some Sweet Day, Code Red, High Stakes, Wild Card, The Bracelet, The Emerald, The Topaz, and The Ruby. She is one of three contributors to The Spirit of Christmas along with Betsy Brannon Green and Michele Ashman Bell. Jennie also writes a monthly review column for Meridian Magazine.


The Tree House by Douglas Thayer


When Harris Thatcher’s father dies, the boy’s journey into manhood becomes complicated with questions of faith, the meaning of life, and the capriciousness of death. Harris soon finds himself preaching the Mormon gospel as one of the first missionaries to West Germany following the devastation of World War II. Little does he know that his own war horrors await him upon his return home, when he is drafted into the Korean War.

Starting out in the same 1940s-era Provo, Utah, that Thayer brought to life in his memoir Hooligan: A Mormon Boyhood, this novel deepens and darkens as Harris is drawn into his harrowing Korean ordeal. Will he survive the war, not only physically but also emotionally and spiritually? And if he does survive, what other trials does death hold in store?


Douglas Thayer
teaches English at Brigham Young University, where he has served as director of composition, chair of creative writing, associate department chair, and associate dean. He has received various awards for his fiction, including the Karl G. Maeser Creative Arts Award. He is the author of the novels Hooligan, Summer Fire and The Conversion of Jeff Williams and two collections of short stories, Mr. Wahlquist in Yellowstone and Under the Cottonwoods and Other Mormon Stories, and he has been published in Colorado Quarterly, Dialogue, Prairie Schooner, and elsewhere.


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February 2009 Prize Sponsors

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The Stranger She Married by Donna Hatch

When her parents and only brother die within weeks of each other, Alicia and her younger sister are left in the hands of an uncle who has brought them all to financial and social ruin. Desperate to save her family from debtor’s prison, Alicia vows to marry the first wealthy man to propose. She meets the dashing Lord Amesbury, and her heart whispers that this is the man she is destined to love, but his tainted past may forever stand in their way. Her choices in potential husbands narrow to either a scarred cripple with the heart of a poet, or a handsome rake with a deadly secret. Cole Amesbury is tormented by his own ghosts, and believes he is beyond redemption, yet he cannot deny his attraction for the girl whose genuine goodness touches the heart he’d thought long dead. He fears the scars in his soul cut so deeply that he may never be able to offer Alicia a love that is true. When yet another bizarre mishap threatens her life, Alicia suspects the seemingly unrelated accidents that have plagued her loved ones are actually a killer’s attempt to exterminate every member of her family. Despite the threat looming over her, learning to love the stranger she married may pose the greatest danger to her heart. (Read review at Night Owl Romance.)

Donna Hatch has had a passion for writing since the age of 8 when she wrote her first short story. During her sophomore year in high school, she wrote her first full-length novel, a science fiction romance. She wrote her second novel during her senior year, a fantasy romance. Needless to say, English and Creative Writing were always her favorite subjects. In between caring for six children, (7 counting her husband) she manages to carve out time to indulge in her writing obsession, with varying degrees of success, although she writes most often late at night instead of sleeping. A native of Arizona, she is currently a member of the Desert Rose Chapter of Romance Writers of America and a member of Beau Monde, a Regency Chapter of RWA, as well as the LDS writer’s group, ANWA, or American Night Writers Association. And yes, all of her heroes are patterned after her husband of 20 years, who continues to prove that there really is a happily ever after.

Lemon Tart by Josi S. Kilpack

Cooking afectionado-turned-amateur detective, Sadie Hoffmiller, tries to solve the murder of Anne Lemmon, her beautiful young neighbor—a single mother who was mysteriously killed while a lemon tart was baking in her oven. At the heart of Sadie’s search is Anne’s missing two-year-old son, Trevor. Whoever took the child must be the murderer, but Sadie is certain that the police are looking at all the wrong suspects—including her!

Armed with a handful of her very best culinary masterpieces, Sadie is determined to bake her way to proving her innocence, rescuing Trevor, and finding out exactly who had a motive for murder. Read chapter 1 here.

Josi S. Kilpack was born and raised in Salt Lake City, the third of nine children, and accounts much of her success to her mother always making oatmeal for breakfast. In 1993 Josi married her high-school sweetheart, Lee Kilpack, and went on to raise her own children in Salt Lake and then Willard Utah where she currently lives. She loves to read and write, is the author of eight novels, the baker of many a delicious confection, and the hobby farmer of a varying number of unfortunate chickens. In her spare time she likes to overwhelm herself a multitude of projects and then complain that she never has any spare time; in this way she is rather masochistic. She also enjoys traveling, cheering on her children, and sleeping in when the occasion presents itself.

Josi is the author of ten novels, including Sheep’s_Clothing, winner of the 2007 Whitney Award for Best Mystery/Suspense. She loves to hear from her readers and can be reached at Kilpack@gmail.com

Winners (Finally) Announced

The winners of the LDSP Comment Contest (Dec & Jan combined) are announced HERE.

I’ve also (finally) finished all the comments on the Christmas stories. Rachel Jensen, send me an e-mail with your mailing address ASAP so I can have the sponsor send your prize!

Lastly, two prizes from November’s contest were unclaimed: Reunion by Ally Condie and Three Angels for Christmas by Lori Nawyn. Leave a comment on THIS post by midnight on Friday, February 6th to be eligible to win one of them.