Old West Collection/Various Authors

Synopsis:

    "In BREAK A LEG, a charming story by two-time Rita Award winner Carla Kelly, hospital steward Colm Callahan is ready to move away from army life at Fort Laramie. His only regret is leaving behind exotic Ozzie Washington, easily the prettiest woman on the post. As a maid to the lieutenant colonel's wife, Ozzie is no wilting flower when it comes to hard work. When the post surgeon leaves for an extended week, Colm must handle several medical emergencies on his own. He pleads for Ozzie's help at the hospital. While they spend long days and nights working together, Colm, a shy man, realizes he can't hide the truth of his feelings for Ozzie. He needs a little help, though. Enter from stage left, Lysander Locke, Shakespeare tragedian on his way to Deadwood.

    THE SOLDIER'S HEART, an enchanting novella by Sarah M. Eden, follows Gregory Reeves has fallen in love with a woman he’s never met. Her brother’s dying wish is that Gregory checks on his family, and after the war, Gregory is only too happy to meet the woman he’s been dreaming about. Helene mistakes him for a hired hand and sets him to work immediately. As time passes, Gregory finds it more and more difficult to reveal his true connection to her family, fearing that a woman who loathes liars will turn her disapproval on him.

    HIDDEN SPRING is an enthralling novella by Liz Adair, in which Susannah Brown is just getting her life back together after becoming a widow. She still misses Wesley with a fierce longing, but when she meets his half-brother, Douglas, she learns her heart is not completely dormant. Over the next several weeks, Douglas helps Susannah with repairs on her small ranch in exchange for supper. The exchange becomes more and more meaningful as Susannah realizes that Douglas might be the one to finally heal her heart.

    In Annette Lyon’s delightful story, THE SWEETEST TASTE, Della Stafford hates being a farm girl in the tiny town of Shelley, Idaho. She’ll do anything to live in a big city and experience real city life. Her only regret is that she’d have to leave Joseph behind, the young man who makes her heart flutter. But she's convinced that moving away is for the best; her dreams and Joseph's dreams are too dissimilar. Then Della takes a job as a maid in Los Angeles and must face the truth that what she thought would make her happy and what really will are totally different things.

    THE SILVER MINE BACHELOR, by Heather B. Moore, is a sweet romance between an unlikely pair. Lydia Stone has a checklist for men who qualify as the eligible bachelors in the mining town of Leadville, Colorado. Her new boss, Mr. Erik Dawson, is about to be struck off the list when she sees him coming out of the town brothel. Lydia doesn’t know that Erik Dawson’s sister has been living the brothel lifestyle for years, and he’s set on redeeming her soul. When Lydia discovers Erik’s secrets, she learns that life is not as black and white as she thinks.

    In the captivating novella, FAITH AND THE FOREMAN by Marsha Ward, Faith Bannister is forced to travel west to earn a living as a school mistress in Arizona Territory. Faith soon learns that living the frontier lifestyle of a single woman has many harsh challenges. But when she meets Slim McHenry, she discovers that life doesn’t have to be so lonely. Unfortunately the dangerous Rance Hunter stands between her and Slim, and she must act with courage before everything is lost."

Review:

    I have to say that in every one of these Anthologies the men are beyond belief. Now a days women can only hope that they can find and end up with men like the six portrayed in these novella's. I also enjoyed the women who, when they set there mind to the tasks or struggles, they came face to face with who they were destined to be.
    I couldn't pick a favorite because they all had so much to give and different scenarios weaved in to each back story. If you like to be taken back into the old west with romance, mystery, danger, and bits of laughter, then you will love the stories these Authors have dreamed up.
    Keep an eye out for other Anthologies by these Authors, and others. The Summer Collection just came out in July.

A Safe Space/E.M. Tippetts

Synopsis:

    "Everyone needs a safe space.

    For Lizzie Warner, that space has always been in front of the camera on her hit show, or on stage to a sold out concert arena. Since before she can remember, she’s been a star, but that may be about to change.

    She’s nineteen. Her show has been cancelled and now she’s going to play the lead in a new prime time drama series, but is the world ready to take her seriously, or will she be typecast as the cute tween queen forever?

    Her network has decided to be aggressive and has invested millions of dollars in an ad campaign for her show, money she’s not sure she can earn back. Her co-star can’t stand her, and the writing for the show turns out to be poor at best. The only reason Lizzie didn’t walk away from the job offer to begin with is because she’s broke, the victim of a decade of bad money management.

    Then there’s Devon, the personal trainer at her gym. Arrogant and abrasive, he’s the last guy she should ever find attractive, but she has a hopeless crush on him anyway, and he doesn’t seem entirely disinterested either. In fact, sometimes he’s downright sweet to her. If only he weren’t an untamable bad boy who uses and dumps women like they’re nothing. Though Lizzie’s friends warn her to stay away, he’s the only person who can create what she needs: a safe space. But is there any way she can break him of his years' long habit of being a user?"

Review: 

    Lizzie (19) tends to do what the script say's even though she is uncomfortable with most of the situations she is put in. She does them because everyone around her is counting on her to make the show work and stay at the top of the ratings. Devon (26) just happens to be there when she needs someone to bring her back down to the real world.........and some much needed practice for an area in her life she is much lacking. (Kissing of course).
    Both Lizzie and Devon need each other, even though one seems to be pushing away the other, for reasons they think are justified. Being friends is a better option....or is it?
    This book has romance, heartbreak, and drama. I loved the surprise about Devon. Usually I can figure stuff like that out before its made known, but you got me that time Emily! I think that at least once in everyone's life they feel lost and we just need to find our places in this world. Emily does a great job at building her characters and moving them in the direction they need to go, not just for the characters sake but for the readers to stay involved. 
    If you enjoyed her other books in her Somebody Else's Fairytale series and spin-off, this is definitely down your ally. If you read this before any of her other books that is just fine, just make sure you don't miss out on any of her other novels, She has a variety in which you could enjoy!

Seeds of Faith/Dan Barker

Synopsis:

    "In Sunday School, we learn about the remarkable miracles of early converts. But what about their lives before they became spiritual giants? Dan Barker, author of Little-Known Stories about the Doctrine and Covenants, compiles conversion stories full of visions, persecutions, and miracles. Our ancestors' paths to the gospel will strengthen your testimony as you live your own conversion story."

Review:

    It was enlightening getting to read of people's conversion stories back when the restored gospel was first placed back on the Earth. The outlook from those who became a member and those who looked from the outside in. Some short accounts, some longer. Men and Women.
    You get a better look at how Joseph Smith lived and the persecution of the Saints, which some of the accounts explain why they hadn't yet joined the church for fear of this said persecution. I noticed that some of the people in particular came around to the gospel only after denying it for so long. A lot of the accounts had a similar trend in that they wouldn't join any church until they knew it was the right one for them.
    Missionary work was very important back then as it is now. Parley P. Pratt was one said missionary that was in a lot of the accounts having baptized a lot of people. How blessed is he!
    This book is full of some amazing conversion stories! 
   

The Shores of Bountiful/Loralee Evans

Synopsis:

    "Elizabeth is devastated when Lamanites attack Zarahemla and her betrothed is killed in battle. Her friend Joshua, whom she has known since childhood, is equally crushed; both by the anguish he shares with Elizabeth, as well as his own guilt that he could not save the man she loved. But together, the two find comfort in their shared grief.
     Shemnon, a Lamanite, is a man with many years and many scars, both inside and out. Despite his hatred of what he believes the Nephites to be, he is not without honor, and his heart not without compassion. When he meets Elizabeth, he can't say why she seems so familiar, or why her eyes seem so much like those of the daughter he lost years ago.
     Elizabeth does not know how she remembers the old Lamanite either, for she is certain she has never met him in her life. Neither does she fully understand her changing feelings for Joshua as the wounds upon her heart slowly heal, and the caring between them gradually develops into something deeper.
     But before Elizabeth and Joshua can come to an understanding of what their friendship has become, a new danger threatens their people. This time from within the walls of Zarahemla itself, causing even more troubles for Elizabeth and Joshua and those they hold dear, threatening to destroy everything that matters to them."

Review:

    The first book that started my blog was called "The Birthright" By Loralee Evans. To this day it is still one of my all time favorite books. The Shores of Bountiful Is a great addition to that first book. You have Elizabeth and Joshua this time and get some mentions of Mariam and Jacob from the first book, but this book is all about Elizabeth and Joshua's relationship.
    I love reading stories that take place during the Nephite and Lamanite times. Even though a lot of the characters are fiction, the events that took place are real (like the start of the Gadianton robbers).
   Following Elizabeth during her time of grief, following Joshua into the throws of battle, the emotions are high, but well worth it! This book is also about family and finding the love that lives with you, even through some of the darkest hours of life.
    If you are in the mood for some history, romance, drama, a battle or two then pick up this book and Loralee's other books. 

What is Hidden/Lauren Skidmore

Synopsis:

    "In a land of masquerades and mystery, Evie is a mask maker in Venesia, where masks represent rank and identity. When a cryptic bandit strips away Evie’s mask and destroys her home, she goes into hiding at the palace to find both a new identity—and revenge."

Review: 

    I have always been a fan of the Cinderella Story, so when I saw this book I knew I had to read it! Evie is a strong heroin who loses almost everything towards the first part of the book. Aiden, her best friend is the only person who knows she is still alive. Aiden is still a mystery to Evie and he always goes off subject when the subject turns to him. Can these two work together to find the man named the Chameleon, who stole everything dear to her? Truth's will be revealed, hearts will be broken, but love conquers all!
    I enjoyed the plot, and the characters. It left you satisfied, yet ready for the next book. (there better be another book!) For me I was able to figure out a lot of the truth's that were hidden from Evie way before she finds them out, within the first couple chapters. I don't know if the Author planned it to be that easy to figure out or not, and found myself a bit frustrated when it took Evie almost the whole book to figure certain things out that seemed so obvious to me. 
    If you want fantasy, suspense, drama, and love and enjoy Fairytale romances, then this is the book for you!

The Fortune Cafe/Various Author's

Synopsis:

    "MIS-FORTUNE: Emma, a waitress at The Fortune Café will do anything to avoid opening a fortune cookie. Each fortune is rumored to somehow magically come true. Being a girl grounded in reality, she doesn’t have time for that kind of nonsense. But when trying to prevent a food fight at the café, Emma accidently cracks open a fortune cookie: “Look around, love is trying to catch you.” If there is one thing that Harrison, her former best friend in high school is good at, it’s catching her unaware.

    LOVE, NOT LUCK: Lucy has always been lucky . . . until her parents meet her fiancé’s parents at a disastrous lunch at The Fortune Café, and she breaks her lucky jade necklace. Even worse, her fortune cookie reveals that “True love is for the brave, not the lucky.” How is she supposed to read that? She’s always considered it lucky how she met her fiancé. But after breaking her necklace, Lucy’s luck takes a dive. And when her fiancé dumps her, the only person she can turn to is Carter, the unluckiest guy she knows.

    TAKEOUT: Stella is content in her new life of taking over her mom’s jewelry shop. No more boyfriend to worry about, and as long as she stays busy, she doesn’t have to dwell on her non-existent love life. When Evan comes into the shop with his young daughter, Stella is charmed. But she is reluctant to complicate her straightforward life, so when she reads her fortune after ordering takeout from The Fortune Café, she completely ignores it. After all, how can a fortune as vague as “Do the thing you fear and love is certain,” apply to her?"

Review:

    I really enjoyed reading of Emma, Lucy, and Stella. Three very different women with one thing in common....the Fortune Cafe and its very accurate fortunes. Emma who actually works for the Cafe, also is a great comic artist. When Harrison shows up she is afraid of letting him in while she deals with her work and her crazy mother. She doesn't want the stress to pile on, but Harrison wants to help if only she will let him in.
    Lucy believes she is only lucky because of the necklace her grandfather gave her when she was younger. When the necklace breaks, things seem to go bad everywhere she turns. Enter Carter who seems to be able to cope with bad things happening to him, since they happen often. But when his luck turns around when Lucy's goes bad, can Carter help Lucy realize she doesn't need her lucky necklace to turn her luck around?
    Stella works in a jewelry shop and doesn't seem to have any time for herself. Taking care of her ailing mother and full time work at the store she rarely has time to eat let alone meet and date someone. Enter Evan, who happens to come in right when she needs rescuing from an ex-boyfriend. Can Evan and his daughter bring Stella out of her secluded life and back out into the world?
    Written by Julie Wright, Melanie Jacobson, Heather B. Moore. Loved the diversity and the main characters. Something for everyone. Romance, Drama, Comedy. Enjoy

A Death in the Family/Guest Post by Marlene Bateman

Synopsis:

    "Meet Erica Coleman—a gifted and quirky private investigator with an OCD-like passion for neatness and symmetry, a penchant for cooking, (ten terrific recipes are included), and a weakness for chocolate.
In A Death in the Family, the second in the Erica Coleman series, private eye Erica Coleman and her family happily anticipate Grandma Blanche’s eighty-first birthday celebration in the picturesque town of Florence, Oregon. But when the feisty matriarch, a savvy businesswoman, suspects wrongdoing and asks Erica to investigate her company, things get sticky.
    Before the investigation can even begin, Blanche’s unexpected death leaves Erica with more questions than answers—and it is soon clear Grandma’s passing was anything but natural: she was murdered. When another relative becomes the next victim of someone with a taste for homicide, Erica uses her flair for cooking to butter up local law enforcement and gather clues.
    Erica’s OCD either helps or hinders her—depending on who you talk to—but it’s those same obsessive and compulsive traits than enable Erica to see clues that others miss. When she narrowly escapes becoming the third victim, Erica is more determined than ever to solve the case."

Guest Post:

    "Every author wants to capture the interest of the reader and one of the best ways to do this is by using effective and efficient characterization. Your story will only succeed if the people in it fascinate, anger, please, tickle or otherwise affect the reader.  You have to have believable, interesting characters. Readers want to become involved with the characters they read about. To make your readers feel something for your character, you must make your character a specific person—you must strike a chord on some emotion you know to be universal; such as fear, love, revenge, ambition, insecurity, etc. Work to give your readers someone they can identify with. To efficiently and effectively describe your character, pick out useful characteristics from the following list. And one last bit of advice when describing your character; pick out only a few things, not everything:

 Vocabulary.  Does she use a lot of long words? Professional jargon? Use certain words often?
 
Style of speech.  Does she speak with authority, or sound tentative?  Does he control others?
 
Tone.  What does his voice sound like?  Is it melodious?  Harsh?
 
Diction.  Does he speak clearly or mumble?  Have an accent?
 
Clothing.  Is he rich or poor by the clothes he wears?  Careless about appearance?  Have poor taste?  Look comfortable?
 
Jewelry.  Does he wear an expensive watch?  Have diamonds or other gems?  Wear a cross?  School ring?
 
Grooming.  Does she wear too much makeup?  Does he glow with good health?  Are her nails bitten down?
 
General appearance.  Does he slump or sit up straight?  Smile a lot?  Gesture often? Have a pimple?
In addition to the above list, here are some things you should keep in mind when writing about your character:

Avoid stereotypes.  Don’t have a girl that is too pretty, a man too handsome, a villain too completely evil, or a politician too corrupt.  People should have good points and bad.

If you mention something when characterizing, make sure you choose wisely.  If you mention an empty whiskey bottle in the drawer, the reader is going to wonder if the person is a drunk.  Don’t include something just for the sake of listing things. Make sure the item has something to do with the person or don’t include it.

Make sure characters are credible.  Don’t have a mousy person rush into a burning building to save someone. Remember that characters must act credibly, and not just before the author needs them to act a certain way.  Credible characters act out of their own nature, not the author’s plot needs.

Know your character.  Before you start writing, sit down and write a 3-5 page biography for each main character.  It’s essential for the writer to know where his character was born, what his goals are, what his fears are, how he feels about his mother, his father, etc.  It’s extra work, but will actually save time and allow you to create real flesh and blood characters.

Remember motivation.  If Kevin is determined to solve a bank robbery, he must have a good reason, other than he’d like to solve a mystery.  Also, if he is going to put his life in danger, he’d better have a good reason for doing so.  Maybe he’s trying to prove to himself or someone else that he is brave, smart, etc.  Or maybe someone he loves was hurt badly when the bank was robbed.  Maybe he acted like a coward when he was there as the bank was being robbed and needs to redeem himself.  Maybe in his past he made a fool of himself and wants to show he has changed.  Make sure Kevin gains something by solving the crime. Get into the skin of every character and ask yourself what the character is feeling, right now.  Is he scared?  Happy?  Nervous?  Think of how this particular character would act, then write.

Give your characters a life outside the confines of the story.  Many characters seem to have no history, no future and nothing on their minds except the business of the story.  You must create characters who seem to have a full life, who go places and do things even when we are not reading about them.  This is done with a few well-placed details. 
    When your character goes to a movie, maybe write; “It reminded him of a movie he had seen two years ago when he and Janet were going steady.”
    If he pulls a jack knife out of his pocket, you could say, “It was a gift from his cousin.”  All of these things show your character was alive two years ago, going to movies, having girlfriends, that he has a cousin, and family. It has nothing to do with the story, but a lot to do with your character and everything to do with his life."

Author's Biography:

    Marlene Bateman Sullivan was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She is married to Kelly R. Sullivan and they are the parents of seven children. 
    Her hobbies are gardening, camping, and reading.  Marlene has been published extensively in magazines and newspapers and has written a number of non-fiction books, including:  Latter-day Saint Heroes and Heroines, And There Were Angels Among Them, Visit’s From Beyond the Veil, By the Ministering of Angels, Brigham’s Boys, and Heroes of Faith.  Her latest book is Gaze Into Heaven; Near Death Experiences in Early Church History, a fascinating collection of over 50 documented near-death experiences from the lives of early latter-day Saints.
    Marlene’s first novel was the best-selling Light on Fire Island. Her next novel was Motive for Murder, which is the first in a mystery series that features the quirky private eye with OCD, Erica Coleman.


 Here are 3 links where A Death in the Family can be purchased online.

*Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Death-Family-Erica-Coleman-Mystery/dp/1621085732/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393108321&sr=1-1&keywords=a+death+in+the+family+by+marlene+bateman

*Deseret Book: http://deseretbook.com/Death-Family-Marlene-Bateman/i/5120025

*Seagull Book: http://www.seagullbook.com/lds-products-823999.html

Also Marlene's Website  www.marlenebateman.info