Keepin' Up with LDS Bookstores

Blog Tour & Book Giveaway: Persuasion by Rebecca H. Jamison

2012-02-10T23:15:00.001-05:00

Persuasion A Latter Day Tale Blog Tour & Book Giveaway

by Rebecca H. Jamison

2012 Winter Books & Things, Pg. 28

Order from a local Independent LDS Bookstore

Stores are listed on the right of the blog

About the Book: When Anne broke off her engagement seven years ago, she thought she’d never see Neil Wentworth again. But when Neil’s brother buys the house she grew up in, it seems fate has other plans in store, and Anne is woefully unprepared for the roller coaster of emotions that accompanies Neil’s return. Fans of Persuasion will love this fast-paced, modern retelling of Jane Austen’s most romantic novel.

About the Author: I'm a stay-at-home mom with a passion for writing novels, running, and dancing. I'm a mom to five boys, so I know how to pronounce a lot of dinosaur names and how to clean up legos. I also have one wonderful daughter. I met my husband on a blind date. Before I had kids, I worked as an English teacher. I plan to go back to teaching once my kids are older. I have a BA and MA in English from BYU. I love to swim, make jewelry, and play in water. I like teenagers. Summer is my favorite season of the year because I can eat watermelon and hang at the pool. I grew up in Vienna, Virginia. Now I live in Utah. I'm a city girl. The country's okay, as long as I don't have to smell manure. I served a mission to Portugal and the Cape Verde Islands. I write novels for fun.

Kay's Kritique: I really enjoyed Persuasion by Rebercca H. Jamison, especially because the setting takes place in my neck of the woods, in the East, and part of the story also takes you to one of my favorite places - the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was so easy to picture the drive there as I have taken it so many times myself. Rebecca's Latter Day Tale kept me engaged and was a very enjoyable read for a lazy afternoon. A fun read to add to your list of good books to curl up with.

Giveaway Details:

I'm giving away 1 Copy of Persuasion, if the winner lives in the US/Canada or if an International winner they will receive an eBook copy.

Super Simple to Enter:

Just Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (GFC) and leave me a comment with your contact info below.

You can have up to Four extra entries by:

1 for Following by Email
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Facebook - leave link
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Twitter. - leave link
1 for "Liking" our Books & Things Catalog Facebook Page - click through to "Like."

List your extra entries in SEPARATE comments.
The winner will be selected using Random.org

Last Day to Enter is Friday, Feb. 17, 2012
Winner will be announced Monday, Feb. 20, 2012 on Books & Things Facebook Page

Thanks for stopping by.
Feel free to browse around the blog while you are here.

Click Here for all the Persuasion Blog Tour Stops

Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop

2012-01-12T20:43:00.000-05:00

Are you Dreaming of Books? Welcome to this Hop.

Thanks to I Am a Reader not a Writer Blog and

Review's by Martha's Bookshelf.

Nearly 200 participating blogs are offering a book related giveaway and we are all linked up together so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another.

The hop runs from Friday, January 13 through Wednesday, January 18, 2012.

Giveaway Details
I'm giving away a copy of

Dearly Departed

a Secret Sisters Mystery

by Tristi Pinkton

Click here to read my review

Super Simple to Enter

Just Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (GFC) and leave me a comment with your contact info below.

You can have up to THREE extra entries by:

1 for Following by Email
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Facebook - leave link
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Twitter - leave link

List your extra entries in SEPARATE comments.
The winner will be selected using Random.org

Last Day to Enter is Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Winner will be announced Friday, January 20, 2012

Thanks for stopping by.
Feel free to browse around the blog while you are here -
we have a few other giveaways going on.

Once you're done here, HOP on over to the other blogs and check out their giveaways!

2012 - It's a New Year - Bring it on!

2012-01-09T12:04:00.000-05:00

2012 - A new year. A time for reflection, yes, but more importantly take time to look forward. Looking forward, what do you see? Are you looking forward with anticipation, excitement and joy for the new opportunities that will present themselves every day? Or does fear, discouragement and apathy rule of the day?

“...we truly reap what we send out: ‘For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored’ (Alma 41:15). If we don't like what we're getting...we may have to check out what we're sending...Thoughts and feelings have energy and travel from their origin to affect people and things; but mostly they affect the person with whom they originated...What happens to us enters our systems as energy and takes effect through our energy systems, but what we send out in response seems to have a much more powerful effect on us...Would it be an overstatement to say that during our waking hours we are either generating negative energy or positive energy?” (M. Catherine Thomas, Zion and the Spirit of At-one-ment, F.A.R.M.S. paper)

President Monson said, “At the advent of a new year, I challenge Latter-day Saints everywhere to undertake a personal, diligent, significant quest for what I call the abundant life—a life filled with an abundance of success, goodness, and blessings.”

He’s talking about an abundant life now – in this life, which also means an abundant life in our businesses – “an abundance of success, goodness and blessings.”

He then gave his ABCs for an abundant life.

A – Attitude – “So much in life depends on our attitude. The way we choose to see things and respond to others makes all the difference. To do the best we can and then to choose to be happy about our circumstances, whatever they may be, can bring peace and contentment.”

B – Believe in yourself – “Be honest with yourself, with others, and with your Heavenly Father . . . Don’t limit yourself and don’t let others convince you that you are limited in what you can do. Believe in yourself and then live so as to reach your possibilities. You can achieve what you believe you can. Trust and believe and have faith.”

C – Courage – “Courage becomes a worthwhile and meaningful virtue when it is regarded not so much as a willingness to die manfully but as a determination to live decently . . . Have the determination to make the effort, the single-mindedness to work toward a worthy goal, and the courage not only to face the challenges that inevitably come but also to make a second effort, should such be required. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, ‘I’ll try again tomorrow.’ “ (Ensign, January 2012, First Presidency Message)

We have a great year ahead of us – or it can be if we take the admonition of our Prophet and work to incorporate it into our lives and our businesses. So again, I say – “2012 – Bring it on and let’s make it our best year yet!”

Happy New Year 2012 Blog Giveaway Hop!

2011-12-29T18:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Happy New Year 2012 Giveaway Hop!
Thanks to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer;
Babs from Babs Book Bistro for co-hosting.

Nearly 200 participating blogs are offering a book related giveaway and we are all linked up together so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another.

The hop runs from Friday, December 30 through Tuesday, January 3, 2012.

Giveaway Details
I'm giving away a copy of

Identity
by Betsy Love
Nominated for a 2011 Whitney Award

About the Book: While vacationing in Mexico, two similar-looking young women find themselves caught in a chain reaction of mistaken identities. Amelia is a wealthy heiress and business owner, and Savannah is a sweet Mormon girl deciding whether or not to serve a mission. When they end up on the same flight to Phoenix, Savannah and Amelia unravel the sequence of events that wreaked havoc on their trips, and they make plans to resolve the subsequent misunderstandings. But their flight is cut short when the plane crashes, killing one of the young women and plunging the other into a world of intrigue and deceit where identity means everything.

Super Simple to Enter

Just Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (GFC) and leave me a comment with your contact info below.

You can have up to THREE extra entries by:

1 for Following by Email
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Facebook - leave link
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Twitter - leave link

List your extra entries in SEPARATE comments.
The winner will be selected using Random.org

Last Day to Enter is Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Winner will be announced Thursday, January 5, 2012

Thanks for stopping by.
Feel free to browse around the blog while you are here -
we have a few other giveaways going on.

Once you're done here, HOP on over to the other blogs and check out their giveaways!

Blog Tour & Book Giveaway: Savvy Savings by Melissa Jennings and Shelley King

2011-12-27T22:01:00.003-05:00

Savvy Savings Blog Tour & Giveaway

by Melissa Jennings and Shelley King; Cedar Fort, Inc.

2012 Winter Books & Things Catalog, Pg.20

Order from a local Independent LDS Bookstore

Stores are listed on the right of the blog

About the Book: Working to stretch your budget? With their expert coupon strategies, menu planning, and other household management skills, Stockpiling Moms are the answer! Straight from their award-winning blog to your hands and home, they’ve compiled their best loved tips and tricks just for you. They know what it takes to live a frugal lifestyle within a budget, and now you can too!

About the Authors: In 2009, Melissa Jennings and Shelley King founded StockpilingMoms.com and made it their mission to save money for their families. They share their journey to savvy living as they use coupons to build their stockpile and live a debt-free life. Melissa and Shelley are best friends who met through International Adoption.

Melissa taught family and consumer science (home economics) on the high school level for eleven years and holds a masters degree in education.

Shelley spent three years as a substance abuse counselor, educating people and giving them the tools to aid them in living a healthy lifestyle.

Melissa and Shelley are stockpiling experts who want to help you stretch your family budget. Melissa has one son (Peyton), and Shelley has two boys (Chase and Caleb), all of whom were born in Guatemala.

Kay's Kritique: The New Year is upon us - How is your Resolution List coming? How about adding to the the list to cut your grocery budget 50-70%? Using tips in Savvy Saving you will learn how.

Here's some tips I picked up reading Savvy Saving:
- Product sale cycles, Month by Month - Do you know the best month to buy potatoes?
- All the ins and outs of using coupons - Do you know what "stacking" is?
- The pros and cons of warehouse clubs and tips to get the most for your membership - Do you know how to stretch out a yearly membership to 18 months?
- Shopping strategies - Do you know how to pick the best cashiers?
- Product dating - Do you know the 4 types of open dating used by manufacturers and what they mean?
- Storage and freezing tips - Do you know how to extend the life of sour cream?
- Monthly Menu Planning - Don't forget the "left over" days!
- Eating Out Strategies - Do your favorite eating spots have e-clubs?

If you can't answer the questions or want more tips - you now know where to find them - Savvy Savings.

Giveaway Details:

I'm giving away 1 Copy of Savvy Savings when it is released in January, if the winner lives in the US/Canada or if an International winner they will receive an eBook copy.

Super Simple to Enter:

Just Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (GFC) and leave me a comment with your contact info below.

You can have up to Five extra entries by:

1 for Following by Email
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Facebook - leave link
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Twitter. - leave link
1 for "Liking" our new Books & Things Catalog Facebook Page - click through to "Like."
1 for "Liking" our Keepin' Up With LDS Bookstores Facebook Page - click through to "Like."

List your extra entries in SEPARATE comments.
The winner will be selected using Random.org

Last Day to Enter is Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012
Winner will be announced Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012

Thanks for stopping by.
Feel free to browse around the blog while you are here.

Click Here for all the Savvy Saving Blog Tour Stops

Blog Tour & Book Giveaway: Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan

2011-12-27T13:46:00.002-05:00

Fractured Light Blog Tour & Giveaway

by Rachel McClellan; Cedar Fort, Inc.

2012 Winter Books & Things Catalog, Pg. 30

Order from a local Independent LDS Bookstore

Stores are listed on the right of the blog

About the Book: I’m dying, I thought. This was unexpected and not at all how I envisioned my death. I was supposed to die gardening in a flowerbed as a hundred-year-old woman, not as a seventeen-year-old trapped in a lake beneath inches of ice.

Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After a Vyken killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.

As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.

About the Author: I was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When I'm not in my writing lair, I'm partying with my husband and four small children. My love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, my imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was… Oh, and my debut YA novel Fractured Light will be out February 2012.

Kay's Kritique: Fractured Light was another stay up until 3 a.m. to finish. I tried to put it down a couple of times, but thought "Oh I'll just read another chapter . . . " and then I was done and it was 3 a.m. Rachel has written a great YA Fantasy with spunky Llona who just wants to live a "normal" teenage life, but can't because she is anything but normal. She struggles to figure out who she really is and learn how to control the light and use it to save herself before it's too late. Written for Young Adults but Adults will enjoy it too -- I did.

Giveaway Details:

I'm giving away 1 Copy of Fractured Light when it is released in February, if the winner lives in the US/Canada or if an International winner they will receive an eBook copy.

Super Simple to Enter:

Just Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (GFC) and leave me a comment with your contact info below.

You can have up to Five extra entries by:

1 for Following by Email
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Facebook - leave link
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Twitter. - leave link

1 for "Liking" our new Books & Things Catalog Facebook Page - click through to "Like."
1 for "Liking" our Keepin' Up With LDS Bookstores Facebook Page - click through to "Like."

List your extra entries in SEPARATE comments.
The winner will be selected using Random.org

Last Day to Enter is Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011
Winner will be announced Monday, Jan. 2, 2012

Thanks for stopping by.
Feel free to browse around the blog while you are here.

Click Here for all the Fractured Light Blog Tour Stops

Mid-Winter's Eve Blog Hop Giveaway

2011-12-20T21:20:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Mid-Winter's Eve Blog Hop Giveaway!
Thanks to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer;
Jessie Harrell from Oasis For YA & The Daily Harrell for co-hosting.

The holiday rush is winding down and it's time to slow down, enjoy family and friends

and curl up with a good book.

Over 250 participating blogs are offering a book related giveaway and we are all linked up together so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another.

The hop runs from Wednesday, December 21 through Tuesday, December 27.

Giveaway Details
I'm giving away a copy of

Einstein's Trunk
a thriller by
James Haberkorn
Click here to read my review . . .

Super Simple to Enter

Just Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (GFC) and leave me a comment with your contact info below.

You can have up to THREE extra entries by:

1 for Following by Email
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Facebook - leave link
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Twitter - leave link

List your extra entries in SEPARATE comments.
The winner will be selected using Random.org

Last Day to Enter is Tuesday, December 27
Winner will be announced Thursday, December 29

Thanks for stopping by.
Feel free to browse around the blog while you are here.

Once you're done here, HOP on over to the other blogs and check out their giveaways!

Blog Tour & Book Giveaway: Enduring Light by Carla Kelly

2011-12-20T19:56:00.001-05:00

Enduring Light Blog Tour & Giveaway

by Carla Kelly; Cedar Fort, Inc.

Coming January, 2012

2012 Winter Books & Things Catalog, Sneak Preview

Pre-Order from a local Independent LDS Bookstore

Stores are listed on the right of the blog

About the Book: Julia Darling is finally able to marry her Paul for eternity. But it's a harsh world for a rancher in turn-of-the-century Wyoming, especially a Mormon rancher. When alienation and threats start coming, Julia must prove she's her husband's equal in strength and endurance as she learns to let go of scars on the outside and inside. Best-selling author Carla Kelly has woven a new story about the depths of love discovered by enduring to the end.

About the Author: A newcomer to Cedar Fort Publications, Carla Kelly is a veteran of the New York and international publishing world. The author of more than thirty novels and novellas for Donald I. Fine Co., Signet, and Harlequin, Carla is the recipient of two Rita Awards (think Oscars for romance writing), from Romance Writers of America, and two Spur Awards (think Oscars for western fiction) from Western Writers of America.

The Kellys recently (last year) retired, and moved from North Dakota to Utah, where they have relatives.

Kay's Kritique: Carla Kelly was a new author for me as I read & reviewed Marion's Christmas Wish a few weeks ago and really enjoyed. So I was excited to read Enduring Light as a pre-release from NetGalley. As I started reading, I realized this is a sequel to another book, Borrowed Light which I have not read. This book is so well written that I was able to keep up and enjoy Enduring Light. And even though I know the end of the story, Carla's writing is so good, I want to go back and read Borrowed Light. I really like out heroine, Julia Darling, who relieves stress by cooking up a storm - and the wonderful chemistry between her and Paul makes it an exciting and clean romance (which I am always grateful for). Because I also love to cook, I was glad to see recipes at the end of the book from a turn of the century cookbook that will be fun to try. Although there are a few traditional ones from a Western Round Up I can assure you I will never make or try.

Giveaway Details:

I'm giving away 1 Copy of Enduring Light when it is released in January, if the winner lives in the US/Canada or if an International winner they will receive an eBook copy.

Super Simple to Enter:

List your extra entries in SEPARATE comments.
The winner will be selected using Random.org

Last Day to Enter is Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011
Winner will be announced Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011

Thanks for stopping by.
Feel free to browse around the blog while you are here.

Click Here for all the Enduring Light Blog Tour Stops

We Have a Winner in Our Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop

2011-12-07T09:29:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone to hopped around the web

and entered our

Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop.

Congratulations to our winner of a

Cold River

by Liz Adair

Featured on pg. 34 of the Christmas Books & Things

Click here to read my review

Our Winner was selected by using Random.org

DONNA
from Massachusetts
Thanks for entering - come back often!

Click here to buy your copy from an Independent Retailer

Blog Tour & Book Giveaway: Carving Angels by Diane Stringam Tolley

2011-12-05T21:05:00.004-05:00

Carving Angels Blog Tour

by Diane Stringam Tolley; Cedar Fort, Inc.

2011 Christmas Books & Things Catalog, pg. 8

Order from a local Independent LDS Bookstore

Stores are listed on the right of the blog

About the Book: Papa Adam, the North Pole's oldest elf and Santa's former chief carver, has given up. Blind, frail, and feeling useless, he counts the minutes in every day as he waits to die -- until his youngest granddaughter challenges him to carve again. Together they prove that the most beautiful creations can come from the most unlikely sources and with the right love and encouragement, anything is possible.

About the Author: Diane Stringam Tolley was born and raised on a ranch in Southern Alberta, Canada. Educated in journalism, she is the author of countless articles and short stories and a novel for young adults, Essence. She and her husband, Grant, are the parents of six children and live in Beaumont, Alberta, Canada.

Kay's Kritique: 5 year old Amy brings the sweet innocent belief of a child to Carving Angels which can help us all realize that we can do anything we put our minds to - we just have to believe. It's not hard to relate to Papa Adams and see all the reasons why we can't "carve" again in our own lives -- forgetting that to "see what's within" is really all the power we need to succeed - and maybe a little help from the innocence of a child that doesn't know they can't do something so they just do it.

One of my favorite parts was when Papa Adams explains to Amy how he creates his carvings like "Father Creator" creates his children - not with a knife but --

"He uses life and experience to mold and refine us. Father Creator takes each of us and hold us to the light, trying to see what sort of good person is inside. Then he gives us experiences that bring out that person. Experiences that carve off the rough, unwanted edges and slowly shape and refine us until we are perfect."

Carving Angels is a Christmas book that captures the spirit of the season and can be easily read in a quiet evening.

Giveaway Details:

I'm giving away 1 Copy of Carving Angels if the winner lives in the US/Canada or if an International winner they will receive an eBook copy.

Super Simple to Enter:

Just Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (GFC) and leave me a comment with your contact info below.

You can have up to SIX extra entries by:

1 for "Liking" us on Facebook - Click the "Like" button on this blog.
1 for Following by Email
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Facebook - leave link
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Twitter. - leave link
1 for "Liking" our new Books & Things Catalog Facebook Page - click through to "Like."
1 for "Liking" our Keepin' Up With LDS Bookstores Facebook Page - click through to "Like."

List your extra entries in SEPARATE comments.
The winner will be selected using Random.org

Last Day to Enter is Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011
Winner will be announced Friday, Dec. 16, 2011

Thanks for stopping by.
Feel free to browse around the blog while you are here.

Click Here for all the Carving Angels Blog Tour Stops

Blog Tour & Book Giveaway: Miracle of the Christmas Star by Susan Dean Elzey

2011-12-02T01:00:00.002-05:00

Miracle of the Christmas Star Book Blog Tour & Giveaway

by Susan Dean Elzey; Cedar Fort, Inc.

2011 Christmas Books & Things, pg. 8

Available NOW from your Local LDS Reatailer

Stores are listed on the right of the blog.

About the book: Hannah died the night she was born. The new star's light brought her back to life, but left her stricken with palsy. Sariah, Hannah's mother, believes Hannah can be healed, if only she can find the Savior. Miracle of the Christmas Star is a tender story of love, faith and endurance that will touch your heart and remind you why miracles happen.

About the Author: Susan Dean Elzey was raised an Army brat and moved to southern Virginia when she was a teenager. She is the mother of seven grown children, stepmother to two, and a grandmother to an ever-increasing brood of grandchildren. Her oldest daughter has cerebral palsy and is the inspiration behind the character of Hannah in her latest novel, "The Miracle of the Christmas Star."

Susan works as a writer and an adjunct English professor at a community college in a constant battle against comma mistakes and sentence fragments. For years, she has written a weekly humorous column entitled "7XMOM" (Seven Times Mom) for the "Danville Register & Bee" newspaper in which she shares the experiences of her life and of her family that, as her children say, "make us look stupid."

"Miracle of the Christmas Star" is Susan's fourth novel.

Kay's Kritique: Miracle of the Christmas Star is a story of the value of each of God's children and that even in the struggles that life throws at us we are never alone and God is very aware of us. He will send us "angels" in the forms of others walking through this life to aid us and lift us when the struggles seem to be too much to bear. It also was a great story in learning to find the joy in a life that maybe doesn't go as you thought it would and you find that God has a different plan in mind for you. It's a nice little book to curl up with on a quiet evening.

Giveaway Details:

I'm giving away 1 Copy of Miracle of the Christmas Star if the winner lives in the US/Canada or if an International winner they will receive an eBook copy.

Super Simple to Enter:

List your extra entries in SEPARATE comments.
The winner will be selected using Random.org

Last Day to Enter is Friday, Dec. 9, 2011
Winner will be announced Monday, Dec. 12, 2011

Thanks for stopping by.
Feel free to browse around the blog while you are here.

Click Here for all the Miracle of the Christmas Star Blog Tour Stops

Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop

2011-12-01T23:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop!

This hop was organized by I Am A Reader Not A Writer and Alyson from Kid Lit Frenzy

The busy holiday season is upon it. Pamper yourself and curl up with a good book.

Over 250 participating blogs are offering a book related giveaway and we are all linked up together so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another.

The hop runs from Friday, December 2 through Tuesday, December 6.

Giveaway Details
I'm giving away a copy of

Cold River

by Liz Adair
Featured in the 2011 Christmas Books & Things, pg. 34

Click Here to Read my full review

Finish your Christmas Shopping now or
just pamper yourself with a lot of good books --
the choice is yours!

Super Simple to Enter

Just Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (GFC) and leave me a comment with your contact info below.

You can have up to THREE extra entries by:

1 for Following by Email
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Facebook - leave link
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Twitter - leave link

List your extra entries in SEPARATE comments.
The winner will be selected using Random.org

Last Day to Enter is Tuesday, December 6
Winner will be announced December 8

Thanks for stopping by.
Feel free to browse around the blog while you are here.

Once you're done here, HOP on over to the other blogs and check out their giveaways!

Cold River by Liz Adair - Product Review

2011-12-01T21:44:00.000-05:00

Cold River

by Liz Adair

Brigham Distributing

2011 Christmas Books & Things Catalog, pg. 34

Buy INDY - Support the Independents LDS Bookstores

About the Book: Mandy Steenburg thinks her doctorate in education has prepared her to run any school district - until she tangles with the moonshine-making, coon-dog-owning denizens of a tiny district in Pacific Northwest timber country. She's determined to make a difference, but the local populace still looks to the former superintendent for leadership. When Mandy lands in the middle of an old feud and someone keeps trying to kill her, instinct tells her to run. And though she has to literally swim through perilous waters, she finds a reason to stay and chance the odds.

About the Author: A native of New Mexico and mother of seven, Liz Adair lives in northwest Washington state with Derrill, her husband of 48 years. A late bloomer, Liz published her first mystery (The Lodger) just as AARP started sending invitations to join. After writing three in the Spider Latham series, Liz moved into romantic suspense with The Mist of Quarry Harbor. Liz took a break from suspense to write Counting the Cost, a novel based on family history. The book won the 2009 Whitney Award and was a finalist for the Willa Award and Arizona Publisher Association's Glyph Award.

Liz is back writing romantic suspense with Cold River and feels that's where she belongs. "I remember when I was a young mother with all those kids and a slender budget," she says. "I was so grateful for books that let me go places and meet people who carried on adult conversations That's what I want to write--cheap vacations."

Heeding advice given to writers not to quit their day job, Liz works as a forensic scheduler on schedule delay analyses. She also serves on LDStorymakers' Board of Directors, is a member of American Night Writers Association and the Skagit Valley Writers League, and chairs the annual Northwest Writers Retreat.

Kay's Kritique: I love curling up on a chilly day with good mystery and Liz Adair's Cold River delivered over the Thanksgiving Weekend with a "couldn't put it down" read. Having several projects I was working on, I kept having to take a break to read another chapter, finally staying up into the wee hours of the morning to finish it. Not many books grab my attention like this one did - If you like a good mystery with a little romance, you'll definitely want to pick up this one up - great setting, quirky characters and a story that will keep you guessing until the end.

I saw on Facebook, that Cold River has already received the required votes to qualify for the 2011 Whitney Award Nominations - Congratulations Liz!

Other Reader Reviews:

Click here to read the full review by Julie Coulter Bellon - . . . The thing I liked best about this story is that is was such a slow burn with the mystery and the romance. It all starts out so innocently, but the warmer we get to figuring things out, the hotter the plot seems to burn. It wraps you up like the water surrounding a frog in a pot, turning up the heat until you hadn’t even realized it’s all about to boil over. Very well done.

Probably the next best thing is that we are given an in-depth Northwestern setting with quirky characters in a charming town. I don’t know that I’ll ever hear someone say herbs again and not think of Mrs. Berman. The setting was just so well done and I could easily imagine the cabins, Qwik E Mart, and school district offices. It was obvious that the author loves this part of the world because it was so evident in the beautiful and lyrical descriptions . . .

Click here to read the full review from Wendy, Fully Authorized: I don’t normally read romantic suspense. I’m more of a cozy-type gal. However, when I heard the premise for Cold River I was intrigued. . . Hmm. A lady superintendent? A small school district in the Pacific Northwest? I’m so there.

I bought the book and read for an hour one afternoon while my daughters were at piano lessons. When I got home, I couldn’t find the book anywhere. It was incredibly annoying. I looked in all the usual places, but it did not reveal itself. I read two other books over the next few days, but in the back of my mind I was gnashing my teeth. “What happens to Mandy? Does she fall in love with Vince? Does Grange get over his grudge?”

I found it that weekend (on the bookshelf, of all places!) and happily plowed through the rest of the book to reach the satisfying conclusion. . . . Cold River is a great read, with wonderful characters and several unique twists (steel drums, for one) in the plot. I enjoyed it very much.

The Coat & The Crown by Mary Keith Boyack Product Review

2011-11-28T21:01:00.000-05:00

The Coat & The Crown

by Mary Keith Boyack

Digital Legend Press

2011 Christmas Books & Things, pg. 35

Support the Independent LDS Retailers!

About the Book: In this interesting and imaginative novel, Mary Keith Boyack explored the biblical story of Joseph. In her narrative, the author reconstructs many of the details and reveals characters that are only hinted at in the biblical version. Boyack will cause the reader to contemplate Joseph's triumph over almost insurmountable challenges, and will lead to a greater appreciation of the patriarch Joseph as our spiritual forefather.

About the Author: Mary Keith Boyack raised her family in Los Angeles, California, attended University of Southern California and Los Angeles City College. She has always loved music, storytelling, and gardening. She is published in five books of poetry and has written fifteen children's stories. The Coat and The Crown is her first novel with more in the offing.

Kay's Kritique: I enjoy a good novel that takes a scriptural character and "fills in the gaps" of their life, making them into a person you can relate to and connect to. Mary Keith Boyack has done a wonderful job bringing Joseph to life in The Coat and the Crown. She has gathered all the tidbits of history about Joseph from the Bible, Apocryphal writings and insights from scholars. Then she has woven a fascinating story of the struggles and triumphs of this great prophet of the Old Testament and heir of the Covenant - showing a loving Father in Heaven who is always there and uses all our mortal experiences to our benefit and His.

One of my favorite quotes from the book is:

"Joseph your God sent you to save Egypt. He won't mind if you do it wearing a crown."

Other Reader Reviews:

"The author bring Joseph to life in the retelling of his story, and the reader will sorrow with Joseph as he experiences betrayal and is parted from his family; will thrill as he successfully navigates the intrigues of Potiphar's house and Pharaoh's court; will warm to the cortship of his beloved Asenath and the birth of his sons; and will rejoice as Joseph's faith ultimately triumphs over despair."

David R. Seely
Professor of Ancient Scripture
Dead Sea Scrolls Committee Member

"Boyack has artfully removed my ponderings and replaced them with vivid portraits."

Michael Wuergler
Actor, Director, Film Producer

Blog Tour & Book Giveaway: Marian's Christmas Wish

2011-11-21T21:00:00.004-05:00

Marian's Christmas Wish

by Carla Kelly; Cedar Fort, Inc.

2011 Christmas Books & Things, pg. 8

Order from a local Independent LDS Bookstore

Stores are listed on the right of the blog

About the Book: Miss Marian Wynswich is a rather unconventional young lady. She plays chess, reads Greek, and is as educated as any young man. And she's certain falling in love is a ridiculous endeavor and vows never to do such a thing. But everything changes when she receives a Christmas visit from someone unexpected--a young and handsome English lord.

About the Author: Although Carla Kelly is well known among her readers as a writer of Regency romance, her main interest (and first writing success) is Western American fiction—more specifically, writing about America's Indian Wars.

The mother of five children, Carla has always allowed her kids to earn their keep by appearing in her Regencies, most notably Marian's Christmas Wish, which is peopled by all kinds of relatives. Grown now, the Kelly kids are scattered here and there across the U.S. They continue to provide feedback, furnish fodder for stories and make frantic phone calls home during the holidays for recipes. (Carla Kelly is some cook.)

The Kellys recently (last year) retired, and moved from North Dakota to Utah, where they have relatives.

Kay's Kritique: I loved this book! Marian's Christmas Wish is a delightful combination of historical fiction (1815 England) with a lot of humor, some romance and a little mystery thrown in for fun. 16 year old Marian or "Mare" as she is lovingly called by her family -- sometimes innocently and sometimes not -- constantly gets herself into the funniest predicaments that had me laughing out loud so many times throughout the book. While the book's setting is Christmas, it would be an enjoyable, fun read any time of the year. This was the first book I've read by Carla Kelly and will be definitely looking for more. Easy to give this one 5 Stars.

Other Reader Reviews:

Review by Rebecca: Absolutely loved, loved, loved this one! It's so much better than the blurb makes it sound--not that there is anything at all wrong with the blurb, mind you--but there is so much more to the story than the blurb lets on. This book has it all. There's family drama, tragedy, and humor. There's an odious suitor to give Mr. Collins a run for his money. There's diplomats and peace treaties and a not-so-diplomatic chess game. There's French spies and English spies and the threat of a posting in--horrors!--the Americas. Throw in a despicable brother-in-law, a vicar who imbibed a wee bit too much in the name of courage, and a younger brother who nearly poisoned the hero, and you've got one book that is nearly impossible to put down! . . . I've totally neglected things I was supposed to get done this weekend in order to finish reading this book--and plan on doing the same again in the future, because this one is definitely going on the "keeper" shelf!

Cici's Review: I bought this before I knew what it was about because I just like Carla Kelly's writing and she never disappoints. She has a delightful way of showing character interactions. Her historical details reveal elements of the past that are not generally known. And her plot lines demonstrate ingenuity. She applied all of these aspects and more in this fun, energetic Regency romance. There just can't be too much Carla Kelly--it's not possible!

Giveaway Details:

I'm giving away 1 Copy of Marian's Christmas Wish if the winner lives in the US/Canada or if an International winner they will receive an eBook copy.

Super Simple to Enter:

List your extra entries in SEPARATE comments.
The winner will be selected using Random.org

Last Day to Enter is Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011
Winner will be announced Monday, Dec. 12, 2011

Thanks for stopping by.
Feel free to browse around the blog while you are here.

Click Here for all the Marian's Christmas Wish Blog Tour Stops

Cinder & Ella Product Review - Repost

2011-11-16T22:01:00.000-05:00

Cinder and Ella

by Melissa Lemon

Cedar Fort, Inc.

as featured in the

2011 Christmas Books & Things, pg. 39

I originally posted this review as part of the Blog Book Tour back in June. I'm re-posting the review as part of the Gratitude Giveaway and because it is featured in the 2011 Christmas Books & Things Catalog.

About the Book: After her father's disappearance, Cinder leaves home for a servant job at the castle. But it isn't long before her sister Ella is brought to the castle herself. What Ella finds there starts a quest that will change her life and the entire kingdom. Cinder and Ella is a Cinderella story like no other, and one you'll never forget.

About the Author: Melissa has had many imaginary friends (and enemies) since she was a child. Her vivid imagination had her writing stories and jotting down book ideas for years until she finally sat down and finished a novel. She is married to an awesome man and the proud mother of three children. Music is also an important part of her life and she shares time with her music students teaching them piano, cello or guitar. Melissa is a graduate of the University of Utah and currently resides in the Salt Lake area.

Kay's Kritique: Cinder and Ella is a fairytale with a twist. It's not a retelling - there's no fairy godmother, wicked stepmother or prince charming. There is a little magic, a little romance, a little mystery, and a little adventure. The cover really drew me to the book and I especially liked the Legend of the Trees. Ella's father told her,

"This tree is my tree. It has been around since the day I came into the world. And it will always be here--growing and changing--as long as I am still alive upon the earth. The trees, Ella, are very important. They are a part of us. We all have a tree to take care of. You can keep a tree alive by the way that you live. And there is a tree that, as long as it is allowed to grow, will keep you alive."

The book is geared toward Young Adults, however, I saw a lot of symbolism in Melissa's retelling of this story that a Young Adult might pick up but Adults should. There has been a lot of "buzz" building about this book -- I reviewed it on a blog tour back in June -- 5 months before it was released. I enjoyed it.

NetGalley - What is it? & How Can Stores Use It?

2011-11-15T19:57:00.005-05:00

NetGalley delivers secure, digital galleys to professional readers. If you are a reviewer, blogger, journalist, librarian, bookseller, educator, or in the media, you can use NetGalley for FREE to read and request titles before they are published.

I have been using NetGalley for about 9 months and it has been a great way for me to preview upcoming titles or read ARCs (Advanced Reading Copies) to review on this blog. It would also be a great training tool for your employees to get them familiar with product.

Not all publishers use NetGalley. Cedar Fort puts up 5 titles every month. I have found 1 title from Deseret Book (a Shadow Mountain title put there by Smith Publicity) so far. I've talked with both Deseret Book & Covenant about moving into this.

I decided to do an "Online Interview" with NetGalley. Click here to read the full list of Frequently Asked Questions.

What is NetGalley, and how does it work?
NetGalley is a service for people who read and recommend books. Publishers upload their galleys, plus any marketing and promotional information; then invite contacts to view their title on NetGalley. Readers can also find new titles through NetGalley's Public Catalog, and request to review those titles from the publisher.

Who can use NetGalley?
Any professional reader: book reviewers, journalists, librarians, professors, booksellers, bloggers, etc. Anyone who reads and recommend books can use NetGalley for free. You can register here.

How can I register on NetGalley?
If you are a professional reader, you can sign up today by completing the registration form.

What titles are available on NetGalley?
To see what titles are available via NetGalley, browse our Public Catalog. You can request titles from publishers from the Public Catalog, if you are a registered user. Publishers can then approve or decline your request to view the title. Please note: NetGalley does not currently allow publishers to request titles from other publishers.

What do I do when I’m done reading a galley in NetGalley?
NetGalley members (readers) are under no obligation to finish reading a title or write a review. If you do choose to write a review, you can use NetGalley to send the review to the publisher. Your review is shared with the publisher as a courtesy — but the content and publishing rights for that review belong solely to you. NetGalley does not post or publish your review — instead, we are providing an “electronic tear-sheet.” Most publishers will appreciate if you also include a link or other information with the review that says where the review will be published. You can also use NetGalley to let the publisher know that you are declining to review.

Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennett - Product Review

2011-11-06T18:35:00.002-05:00

A New Christmas Tradition!

Jacob T. Marley
by R. William Bennett
Deseret Book
2011 Christmas Books & Things, pg. 9
Support the Independent LDS Retailers!
Get Your Copy from a store listed on the right of this blog.

About the book: “Marley was dead to begin with . . .”

These chillingly familiar words begin the classic Christmas tale of remorse and redemption in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Now R. William Bennett rewinds the story and focuses the spotlight on Scrooge’s miserly business partner, Jacob T. Marley, who was allowed to return as a ghost to warn Scrooge away from his ill-fated path. Why was Marley allowed to return? And why hadn’t he been given the same chance as Ebenezer Scrooge?

Or had he?

Written with a voice reminiscent of Dickens, Jacob T. Marley is a masterfully crafted story of remorse and redemption, sure to become a Christmas favorite.

About the Author: R. William (Bill) Bennett grew up on the New Jersey shore and in New England. He spent more than thirty years in business, including many years as an executive of various technology companies, and most recently, as a division president of Franklin Covey. He is also the author of the award-winning novella The Christmas Gift. Bill and his wife, Loree, have been blessed with four wonderful children and two grandchildren and reside at the base of the Rocky Mountains in Alpine, Utah.

Kay's Kritique: A tradition I have is watching A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens every year. My favorite is the one with George C. Scott as Scrooge - although I also really enjoy the 1951 version with Alastair Sim as old Ebenezer. So when I saw this title coming out, I thought - "Yes I always wanted to know a little more about Jacob Marley!" and Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennett did not disappoint. The writing is very "Dickenish" -- and when looking at Marley's life with the aid of some "spirits", it caused me to pause and reflect on my own life and wonder how many opportunities I've passed up by not following a simple little prompting or just not paying a little more attention to people around me. Here are a few quotes I pulled out of many that struck me as I read:

"Jacob, love does not prosecute. It seeks neither revenge nor dominance. It does not win at the cost of someone else's loss. Love only accepts, completely and without reservation."

And

"If we find we lack faith in ourselves or in others, we can at least have faith in the trustworthiness of nature, that at the appointed time, the horizon will lighten in grand prelude to the sun throwing its morning shafts into our lives."

Definitely one I will be nominating for a 2011 Whitney Award. It has all the makings of an annual classic you will want to read every year.

Other Readers Reviews:

Read Full Review at Good Choice Reading: The very first thing I loved about this book was how the author, Bennett, attempted and succeeded at writing the novel in a similar style to the original Dickens classic. This novel does not change anything about the original story, but rather focuses the camera, if you will, at the character of Jacob Marley.

I truly enjoyed learning more about Marley’s past, and how he played an even bigger role in the change that occurred that night for his partner Ebenezer Scrooge . . .The book is well written, making it easy to read, but not so easy to put down . . .

C DaBell: Beautiful, heartwarming, uplifting. In short, all that a book should be. I want to read this every Christmas. Thanks to Mr. Bennett for writing such a wonderful book.

Jacob Marley is a horrible, selfish, greedy man, who at the very last moment of his life realizes it. This book is about his afterlife and his strenuous efforts to redeem Ebzenezer Scrooge. Excellent.

Guest Post: Overpriced Steaks and All-Nighters - How to Survive and Thrive This Christmas Season

2011-11-04T16:41:00.001-04:00

The Countdown is On - 52 Days Until Christmas

Ready or not, here it comes. I asked my very good friend, Brandon Young from http://www.ldsbookstore.com/, who has been running a very successful LDS products business for several years to share some of his tips on surviving and thriving this Christmas season. Following is his guest post on the blog with some very good helpful hints. THANKS BRANDON!

Overpriced Steaks and All-nighters

I love Christmas. How could you not? It’s a time filled with family, food, friends, snowmen, sledding, and Santa. As our business has grown, so has my love for this wonderful holiday season. Christmas is now a time filled with busy employees, buying customers, and a bigger bank account. I have found that November and December account for roughly 40% of my annual sales. With that much business coming “through my door” during those 2 months, I HAVE to make sure I do everything I can to capitalize on customers ready and willing to buy. Here are a few tips to help you survive and thrive during the Christmas season.

How To Survive

Hire Temp Workers - We hire temp workers in our office to help pull inventory, package, and ship orders; something that anyone can be trained on. This is going to allow the full-time people to keep doing what they’re doing. In other words, we’re not going to stop sending newsletters or posting on Facebook because we’re too busy packing orders. It’s important to keep the wheels rolling without shutting off the engine.

Rest When You Can - Employees will get burnt out and overwhelmed with the influx of business that comes in. We found turning the phones off for a hour and ordering pizza last year provided a much needed rest, even if only once a week. We also have a Christmas party a couple weeks before Christmas and let everyone know we appreciate their help. Make sure employees are still taking lunch during the day to get away from the office. It will provide a much needed rest for the last half of the day.

Increase Inventory & Supplies on Hand - Speaking from personal experience, there is nothing worse than selling out of a popular item, then having to wait a week to get it during peak holiday season. There is also nothing worse than having to run home and use my ink-jet printer to print orders because we ran out of toner (then had to pay $40 to overnight a new toner cartridge). Be sure you stock up on popular products and plenty of office supplies. Maybe even have a backup printer!

Don’t Neglect - Even though processing orders and helping customers at the door is very important... don’t forget the customers that got you there! It’s easy to stop listening to voicemails and responding to emails with everything that is going on. But remember, it’s always easier to keep an existing customer than it is to find a new one.

Don’t Fall Behind - Falling behind is the worse thing you can do during the holidays. If you get a day or two behind, you will have a snowball (no pun intended) effect. Last December I worked one day from 8am to 7pm the following day. Yup, 35 hours. I gift wrapped rings all night because we let it pile up and got WAY behind. Needless to say, I dreamt of gift wrapping rings the next night.

Organize - Get organized where you can. We re-arranged our office this year to make the work flow better for receiving, packing, and shipping. We also labeled everything in our warehouse (for temps), added more tables and shelves for sorting, and organized shipping supplies by size. Any little bit helps when it comes down to getting product, or customers out the door faster.

How To Thrive

Complete Other Projects - Get anything that will help increase sales done yesterday. We essentially work all year on other little projects that will help increase our Christmas sales. For example, we just finished listing our products in Google Shopping. This gives Google plenty of time to list the products and get them ranking in the search engines, well before the Holidays. If you try to do this Thanksgiving weekend, it is too late and won’t benefit you. Keep in mind the search engines work on their own time, not yours.

Extend hours - Customers that can’t get help tonight, will most likely call or email tomorrow. Extending customer service and store hours will accomplish a couple of things. It will enable you to give your customers a better shopping experience during what can become a very stressful shopping time. It will also lighten the load for your employees the following day. Extended hours will pay off.

Upsell - My wife and I recently went to my favorite restaurant, Texas Roadhouse. When I ordered my 9oz. steak, my server asked, “Would you like sauteed onions or mushrooms with that?” It sounded yummy, so I said, “Yeah, sure.” When I ordered my house salad with blue cheese dressing, he asked, “Do you want blue cheese crumbles with that?” Again, the same response. When I got my bill, those two extras cost me almost $6. Offer anything that will make Christmas easier for your customers this year. For example, gift wrapping, gift cards, greeting cards, and ring boxes, all make excellent extras.

Increase your Marketing Budget - Since our sales go up during Christmas, so does our marketing budget. The cool thing about Christmas is that more people are looking to buy now than other time of the year. If your business appears where customers are looking, you will get the sale. Many newspapers, magazines, websites, etc. will have holiday packages where you can get more bang for your advertising buck.

Promotions - We all know about Black Friday, but what about Cyber Monday? Even Cyber Monday is now being called “Cyber Monday & Tuesday!” Take advantage of major holiday promotions as your customers will be looking for them. Why not make your own? We have a “Weekly Deal Wednesday” and a “Freebie Friday” that our customers watch for. These promotions will also help create a buzz amongst your customers. Everyone loves a good deal, and free is even better!

Business owners that prepare to survive, and learn to thrive during the holiday season, will have a Christmas filled with family, food, friends, snowmen, sledding, and Santa; which is really what matters most during this time of year.

Good luck and have a wonderful Christmas season!

We Have a Winner in our Spooktacular Blog Hop Giveaway!

2011-11-04T15:59:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone to hopped around the web and entered our

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop.

Congratulations to our winner of a

No Angel

"An Angel with an attitude!"
by Theresa Sneed
Click Here to read my review

Our Winner was selected by using Random.org
SHERRY
from Kentucky
Thanks for entering - come back often!

You can buy your copy from any of the Independent Retailers

listed on the right side of the blog

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop!

2011-10-23T21:00:00.005-04:00

Welcome to the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop!

This blog hop was organized by I Am A Reader Not A Writer and The Diary of a Bookworm

Fall is in the air and crisp cool days make it perfect to curl up with a good book.

Over 400 participating blogs are offering a book related giveaway and we are all linked up together so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another.

The hop runs from Monday, October 24 through Monday, October 31.

Giveaway Details
I'm giving away my reader's copy of

No Angel

"An Angel with an attitude!"
by Theresa Sneed
Click Here to read my review

Start your Christmas Shopping now or
just pamper yourself with a lot of good books --
the choice is yours!

Super Simple to Enter

Just Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (GFC) and leave me a comment with your contact info below.

You can have up to FIVE extra entries by:

1 for Following by Email
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Facebook - leave link
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Twitter - leave link
1 for "Liking" our new Books & Things Catalog Facebook Page - click through to "Like."
1 for "Liking" our Keepin' Up With LDS Bookstores Facebook Page - click through to "Like."

List your extra entries in SEPARATE comments.
The winner will be selected using Random.org

Last Day to Enter is Monday, October 31
Winner will be announced November 2

Thanks for stopping by.
Feel free to browse around the blog while you are here.

Once you're done here, HOP on over to the other blogs and check out their giveaways!

No Angel by Theresa Sneed - Product Review

2011-10-23T16:18:00.000-04:00

No Angel
by Theresa Sneed
Brigham Distributing
2011 Christmas Books & Things, pg. 34
Support the Independent LDS Retailers!
Get Your Copy from a store listed on the right of this blog.

About the Book: An angel with an attitude!

Jonathan Stewart is not at all happy about having to return to earth as a guardian angel, but it's required of all post-mortal spirits to fulfill at least one angel guardianship. Fortunately, on the Guardians Unlimited application, he had the good sense to request a client with early-marked-death status, so he believes that while his stay on earth will be most unpleasant, at least it will be short. What he doesn t know is that a spirit with EMD status can choose his or her time of death! Jonathan's client, Celeste Knight, has a mind of her own and refuses death at every turn, leaving him stuck as her guardian angel in a place he only wanted to forget.

About the Author: Growing up in the woodlands of Maine and spending most of her time climbing trees and looking for snakes under rocks, author Theresa Sneed has a wealth of childhood experiences and a lively imagination from which she creates her magical stories. As a mother of six, a grandmother of four and an elementary school teacher, she enjoys weaving stories of fantasy and adventure that bring about moments of wonder and reflection.

Kay's Kritique: No Angel by Theresa Sneed joined the list of books I've read that kept me up through the night to finish. Following the life of a Guardian Angel, you get an interesting view of mortality - the effect of the choices we make which enables who has a closer access to us for promptings - the "good" or "bad" angels - and also that progression continues beyond the grave as you watch Jonathan continue to grow as he fulfills his responsibility as a Guardian Angel. There is a good mix of humor and interesting characters along the way to make No Angel a book to definitely add to you reading list.

Whitney Award Candidate: No Angel has already received the required votes to put it in the running for a 2011 Whitney Award.

Other Reader Reviews:

Click Here to read the full Review by Laurie LC Lewis Blog - A View From the Other Side of the Hill: Debuting author, Theresa Sneed, chose an ambitious project for her first novel, a spiritual fantasy titled No Angel, and I’m pleased to report that it delights on many levels. . . . Sneed does a wonderful job of fleshing out heaven and the underworld with rich, vivid description that drives the theme of good versus evil deep into the reader. Still, the book is not dark and eerie. Sneed successfully slingshots between humor and drama during Jonathan’s bumpy, spiritual evolution, providing a change of pace that makes this book suitable for YA as well as adults, while also endearing this disgruntled soul to the reader. . . . NO ANGEL is fiction, but its powerful themes of good versus evil, spiritual promptings, choice and accountability, family, friendship, and loyalty, make it a valuable springboard for family discussions on these topics, and therefore makes this book one to be read together as a family, and worth having in a family library.

Review from Shawnette: What a fun story. I have never read a book that intertwined the spirit world and our world so descriptively. Unique images and lessons learned from reading 'No Angel' will stick with you forever. As entertaining and delightful a book this was, I would say even beyond that, it is a book that can change lives...or at least improve them a bit. Funny to say, but I believe I am stronger against temptation because of reading this book. Jonathan, the hero, is a riot of fun. I love watching him grow and learn through life lessons the value of love, friendship, and loyalty. It is a truly beautiful story. Thank you Theresa Sneed!

We Have a Winner in our Seers Blog Tour Giveaway!

2011-10-23T14:57:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone that participated and entered in the
Virtual Book Blog Tour for

Seers
You can buy your copy from the Independent LDS Retailers
listed on the right side of the blog.

Congratulations to our winner of
Seers
by Heather Frost

Our Winner was selected by using Random.org
Chris
from Utah
Thanks for entering - come back often!

Hang 'em High by Tristi Pinkston - Product Review

2011-09-24T12:38:00.001-04:00

Hang 'em High: A Secret Sister's Mystery

by Tristi Pinkston

Brigham Distributors

2011 Fall Books & Things Catalog Pg. 12

Support the Independent LDS Retailers!

Get Your Copy from a store listed on the right of this blog.

About the Book: When Ida Mae Babbitt receives an invitation to visit her son Keith's dude ranch in Montana, she's excited to mend their broken relationship, but not so excited about spending time with cows. Arlette and Tansy go along with her, ready to take a vacation that does not involve dead bodies or mysteries of any sort-one must have a break from time to time. But it seems a no-good scoundrel has moseyed into Dodge City and is bent on causing all sorts of trouble at the ranch. Unable to keep her curiosity in check-especially when it seems her own son is the most likely culprit-Ida Mae decides to investigate. Can she catch the villain and get him to the sheriff in time?

About the Author: I'm a stay-at-home mom, a home schooler, a media reviewer, an editor, a regular presenter at the LDStorymakers' writers conference, a Cubmaster, and a headless chicken. In addition to the novels I write, I maintain a blog which contains tips for aspiring authors and also my own personal ramblings, which sometimes make sense and sometimes do not. I enjoy reading, watching good movies, and making scrapbooks. I enjoy cooking and consider it a minor miracle when I can get all four children to like the same meal. I also enjoy making shopping lists (which I sometimes actually use), spending time with my kids, and taking Sunday afternoon naps, which are so necessary.

Kay & Tristi - LDSBA Convention

Kay's Kritique: Ida Mae Babbit (who has her own Facebook page) and her cohorts are at it again in another Secret Sister Mystery that take them to a Dude Ranch in Montana which Ida Mae's son, Keith, owns. This crew will keep you laughing with their antics (especially Ida Mae's late night, flannel PJs, bare-back horse chase) as they solve the mystery of the sabotage of the Dude Ranch. Tristi has created some fun, great characters and her descriptive writing keep you laughing throughout with the "visuals" she creates in your mind. Hang 'em High was a great escape for me on a rainy weekend when you just want to curl up with a good book - which I did! This is definitely one you won't want to miss!

Another candidate for the 2011 Whitney Awards in my book - no pun intended :O). Great Job. What do you think? Click Here to nominate it too? It takes 5 nominations to get in the running.

Other Reader's Reviews:

Click Here to read the full review from Why Not? Because I Said So Blog: Cowboy up and head on over to read the new Secret Sisters Mystery called Hang 'Em High by Tristi Pinkston. Ida Mae Babbitt is once again trying to solve another mystery along with her two friends Tansy and Arlette. . . .We meet Ida Mae's son Keith and gain a new insight into Ida Mae's life. . . . Now of course, there is a lot of humor and suspense along the way. I truly was laughing my way through this book. When you are reading things like...

"Jeans accentuate what you have. Girdles take it and smash it and squeeze it and...well, it's not unlike Playdoh.""

"...We're talking about horse murder right?" Tansy's forehead wrinkled
as she concentrated. " That's not homicide. What would it be-horsicide?"

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the geriatric cheerleading squad. If I didn't see it, I wouldn't believe it."

That last quote is from the scene I was laughing so hard, that I knew I was going to wake up my sleeping children upstairs. I can never get enough of the three women's shenanigans.

Click here to read the full review from Inksplasher Blog: Hang 'Em High is what is called a "cozy" mystery—meaning, it's a very light and easy read (not a James Patterson). The good thing about a cozy is it is usually very character-driven. There's nearly as much time spent on the characters—learning they're quirks and delving into their emotions—as there is spent on the actual mystery plot. You really come to love the characters. Ida Mae, Arlette and Tansy are so unique and individualized, each with their own set of strengths and weaknesses. They are definitely three of my favorite cozy mystery characters. . . .

We had a Winner in our Back to the Books Giveaway Hop

2011-09-19T16:06:00.002-04:00

Thanks to everyone to hopped around the web and entered our

Back to the Books Giveaway Hop.

Congratulations to our winner of a

$10.00 Coupon

from Nephi's Books

Our Winner was selected by using Random.org
Laurie
from Michigan
Thanks for entering - come back often!

We Have a Winner in Our Conversations With a Moonflower Giveaway

2011-09-13T13:54:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone that participated and entered in the
Virtual Book Blog Tour for

Conversations With a Moonflower.

You can buy your copy from the Independent LDS Retailers
listed on the right side of the blog.

Congratulations to our winner of
Conversations With a Moonflower
by Christine Hall
and a pack of Moonflower seeds

Our Winner was selected by using Random.org
Krystal
from Illinois
Thanks for entering - come back often!

Blog Tour & Book Giveaway: Seers by Heather Frost

2011-09-05T23:25:00.002-04:00

Seers Blog Tour

by Heather Frost; Cedar Fort

Available October 8, 2011

Pre-Order NOW from a local Independent LDS Bookstore

Stores are listed on the right of the blog

About the Book:

Seers are not just spectators, they are also prey...

For Kate Bennett, surviving the car wreck that killed her parents means big changes -- and even bigger problems. As she begins to see auras and invisible people, Kate must learn to trust Patrick O'Donnell, a handsome Guardian, or risk her life being overrun with Demons. She soon realizes that both she and her heart are in big-time trouble.

About the Author: I was born in Sandy, Utah, a few days before Halloween in 1989. I lived in Salt Lake City until I was about six, and then I moved North and settled into the place I still call home. I'm the oldest daughter and second oldest child in my family. I have six brothers, and three sisters. My parents chose to home-school all of us, and I'm surprised that they held onto their sanity after having us home so much. Still, I'm very grateful to them for all of the many sacrifices they made which enabled me to get the education that I did.

Kay's Kritique: EXCELLENT! -- Paranormal Fiction is a genre I really enjoy so I quickly volunteered for this book blog tour. I made the mistake of starting it on a Sunday afternoon, and ended up missing my "weekly nap" :O). Then I had to force myself on 2 different nights to go to bed between 1:30 am & 2:30 a.m. and was pretty "groggy" the following days, but it was worth the read and loss of sleep. The story obviously kept me engaged, and I liked the characters Heather developed. I especially enjoyed the comic relief from Kate's best friend, Lee, (with her current Gothic fashion phase) and Patrick's trainee, Tony, (who he's been training for over 20 years and still has a long way to go). Seers will be enjoyed by Young Adults and Adults alike.

I would definitely give it 5 stars and will be nominating it for a Whitney Award when it is released in October.

Giveaway Details:

I'm giving away 1 Copy of Seers (when released on October 8th) if the winner lives in the US/Canada or if an International winner they will receive an eBook copy.

Super Simple to Enter:

Just Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (GFC) and leave me a comment with your contact info below.

You can have up to SIX extra entries by:

1 for "Liking" us on Facebook - Click the "Like" button on this blog.
1 for Following by Email
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Facebook - leave link
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Twitter. - leave link
1 for "Liking" our new Books & Things Catalog Facebook Page - click through to "Like."
1 for "Liking" our Keepin' Up With LDS Bookstores Facebook Page - click through to "Like."

List your extra entries in SEPARATE comments.
The winner will be selected using Random.org

Last Day to Enter is Friday, Sept. 23, 2011
Winner will be announced Monday, Sept. 26, 2011

Thanks for stopping by.
Feel free to browse around the blog while you are here.

Click Here for all the Seers Blog Tour Stops

Back to the Books Giveaway Hop!

2011-08-31T21:46:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Back to the Books Giveaway Hop!

This Blog Hop was organized by I Am a Reader Not a Writer & Buried in Books

Now that Summer is winding down it's time to get

Back to the Books

and snuggle up with some good ones you can find
by hopping around these blogs.

Over 300 participating blogs are offering a book related giveaway and we are all linked up together so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another. The hop runs from Thursday, September 1 through Wednesday, September 7.

Giveaway Details
I've teamed up with Nephi's Books for this Giveaway.
Nephi's Books will give you a $10.00 credit
AND I'll pay your shipping!

Start your Christmas Shopping now or
just pamper yourself with a lot of good books --
the choice is yours!

Super Simple to Enter

Just Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (GFC) and leave me a comment with your contact info below.

You can have up to FIVE extra entries by:

1 for Following by Email
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Facebook - leave link
1 for "Liking" Nephi's Book Facebook Page - click through to "Like."
1 for "Liking" our new Books & Things Catalog Facebook Page - click through to "Like."
1 for "Liking" our Keepin' Up With LDS Bookstores Facebook Page - click through to "Like."

List your extra entries in SEPARATE comments.
The winner will be selected using Random.org
I'll then email the winner a code to use on www.nephisbooks.com

Last Day to Enter is Wednesday, September 7th
Winner will be announced September 9th

Thanks for stopping by.
Feel free to browse around the blog while you are here.

Once you're done here, HOP on over to the other blogs and check out their giveaways! Happy hopping!

Blog Tour & Book Giveaway: Conversations With a Moonflower by Chris Hall

2011-08-29T23:01:00.001-04:00

Conversations With a Moonflower by Chris Hall; Cedar Fort

Available NOW from your Independent LDS Retailer

listed on the right side of this blog.

I have been asked, "What is your favorite book?" and I usually respond, "The one I'm currently reading." And where fiction is concerned, that is usually true. But in March of this year, I read Conversations with a Moonflower and have read it a few times since then. It's one of those kind of books -- and I would have to say that it is one of my all-time favorite books. It so inspired me that I wanted to grow my own Moonflowers and requested the free seeds you can get when you buy the book.

I posted my first review of this book in April as I started this blog -(Click here to read it). It was a book I just had to share -- so I bought several and gave them to my mom, my 5 sisters, my mother-in-law & 2 sister-in-laws.

The book also inspired another post I did in July, How Does Your Garden Grow? - (Click here to read it). In this post you can see the start of my own Moonflower Garden and I show you a picture of Chris Hall's 30 bloom night.

My 1st Moonflower

My Moonflowers started to bloom the day I left to fly to Salt Lake for the annual LDS Booksellers Convention. I was so afraid it would be all bloomed out before I got home - I was gone almost 2 weeks.

My husband took pictures several times and emailed them to me so I wouldn't miss out.

While at our LDS Bookseller Convention, I had the pleasure of meeting Chris Hall and sharing with her my Moonflower pictures my husband was sending me and she gave me some seeds from her Moonflower plant that I will grow next year.

I shouldn't have worried about missing my Moonflowers blooming. My 8 plants have been putting on quite a show every night now for about a month. About 10 days ago I actually had a 73 bloom night - probably really had more but that what I counted at 11:30 pm before I went to bed. Here they are:


73 Bloom Night

One of my favorite chapters in the book is Bloom When You're Ready.

"We do not have to bloom when everyone else does. We do not have to do things or accomplish goals on anyone else's timetable in order for our life to unfold in perfect order. What is important is that we pay attention to all the signals we receive so we can bloom when the time is right for us."

As I have watched my Moonflowers bloom this summer some bloom slow and some just pop. Here are 2 videos I caught of them - one blooming slow and another one pops.

I have had a lot of fun growing my own Moonflowers and everyone that comes over and watches them is just as impressed with their beauty and amazed they only bloom at night - so most people would usually miss them.

Are you ready to grow your own? How about winning a copy of the book?

Giveaway Details:

I'm giving away 1 Copy of Conversations With a Moonflower with a packet of Moonflower Seeds if the winner lives in the US/Canada or if an International winner they will receive an eBook copy.

Super Simple to Enter:

Just Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (GFC) and leave me a comment with your contact info below.

You can have up to SIX extra entries by:

1 for "Liking" us on Facebook - Click the "Like" button on this blog.
1 for Following by Email
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Facebook - leave link
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Twitter. - leave link
1 for "Liking" our new Books & Things Catalog Facebook Page - click through to "Like."
1 for "Liking" our Keepin' Up With LDS Bookstores Facebook Page - click through to "Like."

List your extra entries in SEPARATE comments.
The winner will be selected using Random.org

Last Day to Enter is Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011
Winner will be announced Friday, Sept. 9, 2011

Thanks for stopping by.
Feel free to browse around the blog while you are here.

Click Here for all the Conversations With a Moonflower Blog Tour Stops

We Have a Winner in our 101 Gourmet Cake Bits Cookbook Giveaway

2011-08-26T09:43:00.001-04:00

Thanks to everyone that participated and entered in the

Virtual Book Blog Tour for

101 Gourmet Cake Bites Cookbook.

This book is featured and the cover of the

2011 Fall books&things Catalog.

Buy your copy from the Independent LDS Retailers

listed on the right side of the blog.

Congratulations to our winner of

101 Gourmet Cake Bites Cookbook

by Wendy Paul

Our Winner was selected by using Random.org

Rachel

from Alberta, Canada

Thanks for entering - come back often!

Blog Tour: Huber Hill & the Dead Man's Treasure by B. K. Bostick

2011-08-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

Huber Hill & the Dead Man's Treasure Blog Tour

by B. K. Bostick; Cedar Fort;

Release Date October 8, 2011;

Pre-Order NOW from your local Independent LDS Bookstore.

About the Book: When his grandfather dies, Huber Hill is devastated---until he opens Grandpa Nick's mysterious box. An old gold coin and directions to a hidden Spanish treasure send him and his friends off on an mind-blowing adventure, but he's not the only one on the hunt. Filled with dangerous animals and cryptic puzzles, this book will have you on the edge of your seat until the last page.

About the Author: B.K. Bostick resides among the magnificent Rocky Mountains. In addition to writing, he has spent his career in education. He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Utah and his masters in psychology from Utah State University. He has worked as a teacher, after school program coordinator, junior high school counselor, and most recently as a teacher mentor for a university. He loves spending time with his lovely wife and two dogs. In his spare time, he enjoys eating Cheetos and watching old episodes of the Twilight Zone.

Want your own replica of the Dead Man's Treasure? Click here and "Like" B.K.'s Facebook page and he'll send you one.

Brian sent me one - it's pretty cool looking. I have it sitting by my laptop in my home office - My new lucky charm.

Kay's Kritique: Who doesn't dream of finding a treasure map and going on a hunt for buried treasure? I read Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure a little while ago and really enjoyed it even though it is geared toward young teens - I guess I'm still a kid at heart. Brian developed very real characters and I really liked his twist with the school bully. It was easy to lose yourself in the story and feel like you're right there with Huber, Scott & Hannah as they try to figure out the clues, outwit the bad guys, and see if there really is a Dead Man's Treasure. Definitely on to put on the Christmas list, then sit back and enjoy.

Click here to visit other blogs on the tour.

Blog Tour & Book Giveaway: 101 Gourmet Cake Bites by Wendy Paul

2011-08-13T13:36:00.002-04:00

101 Gourmet Cake Bites by Wendy Paul; Cedar Fort;

On the Cover of the 2011 Fall Books & Things Catalog.

Available now from your Independent LDS Retailer.

About the Book: You've seen them in bakeries, you've tasted their sugary sweetness, and now you can make your very own gourmet cake bites, cake balls, and cake pops right in your kitchen! Cute and creative, cake bites are the perfect way to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays. Featuring easy-to-follow instructions and helpful hints, you can make any day a special occasion!

About the Author: I'm a wife and mother residing in the great state of Utah (I have never been skiing...) who decided to write a cupcake cookbook, 101 Gourmet Cupcakes in 10 Minutes. I have always loved to bake and cook, spending countless hours in the kitchen. It is cute, fun, and easy, even for the most novice baker. Your family and friends will be amazed with these delicious creations that you can bake for any occasion.

My second book, 101 Gourmet Cookies for Everyone is a wonderful collection of my best cookies for EVERYONE! From Gluten-free to low-fat, low-sugar recipes, vegan recipes..... and traditional, this book has it all! I am so proud of these books and I am so grateful for this fantastic opportunity to share my most treasured recipes with you!

There always is a reason to bake!


Nephews enjoying Cake Bites

Kay's Kritique: I love to cook and I've had fun with 101 Gourmet Cake Bites by Wendy Paul. The first batch I made was the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake Bites, on page 31. I was visiting my sister and my 5 nephews were very excited to be my "testers". I got between 60-70 cake bites from 1 mix and they devoured that batch in 1 afternoon (I was able to salvage 8 to take to the office the next day). I then showed my cousin how to make them with the Pralines and Cream Cake Bites on page 68. We made these as cake pops and I found it easier to put the stick in right after they were dipped. I also made these bigger and they were very rich. I think I like the smaller bites better. When I got home from the LDS Booksellers Convention, I tried the Southern Red Velvet Cake Bites on page 75 so my husband and in-laws could try them. Every recipe I tried was a hit with those that ate them.


Southern Red Velvet Cake Bites

Wendy's instructions are easy to follow - so your kids or grand-kids can help with the fun. You get into a rhythm when making them so they make up pretty quickly. Wendy gives you lots of icing recipes in the back to use in the cake bite recipes. For 2 batches of them that I tried, I "cheated" and bought ready-made frosting and it worked fine.

They freeze great - both as cake balls to dip and completed dipped cake bites.

These are definitely on my list for holiday gift giving this year. Once you try them, I think they will be on yours too!

Giveaway Details:

I'm giving away 1 Copy of 101 Gourmet Cake Bites if the winner lives in the US/Canada or if an International winner they will receive an eBook copy.

Super Simple to Enter:

Just Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (GFC) and leave me a comment with your contact info below.

You can have up to SIX extra entries by:

1 for "Liking" us on Facebook - Click the "Like" button on this blog.
1 for Following by Email
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Facebook - leave link
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Twitter. - leave link

1 for "Liking" our new Books & Things Catalog Facebook Page - click through to "Like."
1 for "Liking" our Keepin' Up With LDS Bookstores Facebook Page - click through to "Like."

List your extra entries in SEPARATE comments.

The winner will be selected using Random.org

Last Day to Enter is Saturday, August 20th

Winner will be announced August 22nd.

Thanks for stopping by.

Feel free to browse around the blog while you are here.

Click Here for all the 101 Gourmet Cake Bites Blog Tour Stops

Is there a future for traditional bookstores?

2011-08-11T14:04:00.000-04:00

I have always believed in the need for the Independent Bookstores. We provide great products and a much needed service to our corners of the "Kingdom." We can survive, and we need to survive. We have the ability to provide a level of customer service that the "big guys" don't and can't provide, and you should be training your employees strongly in this area.

Nate Harris just shared with me a great article by Teri Harman on KSL.com - Book Matters: Is there a future for traditional bookstores? It's worth reading the whole article. The ideas presented are worth pondering and should be something we share with our customers to ponder as well.

There is something about walking into a quaint, local bookstore: books in every nook and cranny, the welcoming smiles of booksellers, eager to help put the right book in your hands and that smell — the wonderful smell of pages and words. Bookstores have always been one of my favorite places. I seek them out wherever I go; I look forward to regular visits.

Despite my love of these stores, I didn't fully grasp their importance and value until recently. Like most of us, I fell victim to the lure of huge discounts from retailers like Costco and Amazon. For someone who loves to collect books and reads voraciously, the idea of being able to buy more books for less money was too tempting. My independent bookstore purchases became a rare treat instead of a regular habit. . . .

Independent bookstores will continue on because they provide an invaluable service that discount and online retailers can't: personal, knowledgeable service. These booksellers read, know and love books and can match readers to books. The books we read are a personal experience, and to ensure the most meaningful experience it only makes sense to go to the experts for advice. . . .

Another service provided by independent stores is support of our local economies and communities. This support is crucial, and more shoppers need to understand the consequences of shopping outside the local community. . . .

Every time you spend $100 in a locally owned independent business, 68 percent stays in our community; when you spend that same $100 in a chain store, 43 percent stays here. When you spend $100 at Amazon, 0 percent stays here. . . .

The trend of publishers pushing books through discount and online retailers instead of through independent stores devalues books. And for someone who values books immensely, I knew I could no longer support such efforts.

So in answer to the question, "Do traditional bookstores have a future?" I say this: a big, emphatic YES!

Bookstores will have a future if we, those who read and those who love books, support the stores that make the most impact.

Personally, as a reader, book lover and a writer, I want my book money to count for more. I have committed to buying all my books from independent stores. I'm content buying fewer books knowing that the ones I do buy go to truly support the book community — my community. . . .

I also switched all the book links . . . from Amazon to the . . . independent booksellers.

If all readers do the same, then not only will our communities be better off, but bookstores will have a bright and lasting future.

This switching of links from Amazon and other "big" vendors to our Indie's is something I talked to a lot of people about at Convention last week - and got a very positive response from them. They just want to move their product and they are happy if that is through you. You just have to bring it in.

It's all about servicing the customer -- with the greatest variety of products that support and inspire them and their families -- in the most convenient and efficient manner. That's what we can do better than anyone else!

Google+ For Mormons: LDS Ways to Use Google Plus

2011-08-10T09:00:00.001-04:00

I read a great blog post to help us understand Google+ and especially how it could be implemented within our LDS Lifestyle - Click here to read the complete post - Google+ for Mormons: LDS Ways to Use Google Plus [guide]

Here's an excerpt:

So you may have recently joined, or heard about Google+. Google what? Google Plus. Google Plus is the new “social networking” platform from Google. It’s much more than just “Google’s version of Facebook” as some people have called it, and it had over 20 million viewers in just 3 weeks—an incredible record for a social site. Not only that, but it may be the method of the future for communicating with other people. It’s very capable of replacing email, Facebook, twitter, Skype, and many other current communication tools. It also nicely moves all those features into one streamlined interface so you don’t have to learn new interfaces or ways of approaching things each time ... Unlike other guides you’ll find out there, we give some specific ideas about how you can use Google+ to share the gospel, coordinate and correlate for callings, serve others, and generally do things you can’t easily do with tools that existed before Google Plus came along. If you’re already comfortable with Google+, you may just want to skip to the LDS uses of G+ or advanced tips sections of this guide. . .

Uniquely LDS Uses for Google+

I posted on Google+ and asked a circle of LDS people about ways they were already or are thinking of using Google+ in uniquely LDS ways. Here are some of their excellent responses:

Pre-lesson feedback
Presidency correlation & scheduling
Organizing activities
Sharing the gospel
Spreading the gospel
Sharing ideas & online resources
Missionary work & personal strength
Priesthood discussion & bookclub
Correlation & communication
Personal history with Takeout
Genealogy
Emergency alerts
Connecting with Mormons on G+

Did you see anything in this list that you could use as well? Not only in your callings, but maybe in your business too? Any other ideas come to mind? Share them below in the comments.

If you haven't yet been invited to Google+, you can send me an email or make a comment below with your email and request an invite so you can start getting acquainted with this.

Again, you can click here to read the full post - it's worth the time and you'll probably want to bookmark it for future reference.

Blog Tour: Skipping Stones at the Center of the Earth by Andy Hueller

2011-08-04T09:00:00.002-04:00

Skipping Stones at the Center of the Earth, by Andy Hueller; Cedar Fort

About the Book: From the horrible orphanage at the center of the earth to his untamed red hair, Calvin Comet Cobble's life is out of his control. But when he meets Mr. E, who can skip a stone clear across Lake Arctic, everything about Cal's life changes. Told with wit and humor, this book is guaranteed to charm readers of all ages.

About the Author: Andy Hueller is the author of Dizzy Fantastic and Her Flying Bicycle. He teaches at St. Paul Academy and Summit School and lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Debbie. He gives Cal Cobble credit for leading him to a career writing for younger readers. "I closed my eyes one day years ago and saw this boy with flaming red-orange hair and freckles that looked like smoldering embers. For some reason, he was living in a remote place and didn't have many friends. I wanted to figure out why he lived so far away and what it was like to be picked on for reasons he couldn't control."

Kay's Kritique: Skipping Stones at the Center of the Earth is filled with imagination. Middle age readers will enjoy the antics of Cal Cobble, (the 12 year old boy with bright red hair he can't control so it always looks like his head is on fire), and his side-kick, Bernie, (a 7 year old girl, who is Cal's best friend, and rarely wears shoes - just bright green socks on her overly large feet). Join Cal & Bernie as they go up and down the fire poles, eat cheetah-cakes for breakfast and go on the adventure of their life with Mr. E, (who is an expert at skipping stones across Lake Arctic) into the Shadow.

Other Reader's Reviews:

Click Here to read the full review by Britta at I Like These Books Blog: This middle grade read was fun, adventurous, imaginative and overall, very entertaining. The younger audience is sure to love it. . . . This is a story of childhood and all the troubles that come along with it. Crazy teachers, mean kids, limited choices and rules, rules, rules. With the added aspect of the setting, Island Robert, this story is even more kooky, strange and entertaining than most. Robert is at the center of the earth (further explained in the story), half of the island is in light all of the time, that is the half that houses the orphanage. The other half is in complete and utter darkness, which houses a prison for only the most dangerous criminals in the world. Once you step into the shadow, you don't come out. . . .Obviously I was not the target audience for this novel, but I did enjoy it. I would recommend this especially for older elementary and middle grade boys. This is definitely a good one to buy for your sons, little brothers, nephews or grandsons. But that's not saying girls of the same age won't like it too.

Review from Over a Cuppa Tea: Initially, I thought that I would not like this book, but boy was I wrong. Skipping Stones at the Center of the Earth by Andy Hueller is one tale you wouldn’t want to miss if you’re the kind of people who wouldn’t mind reliving your teenage emotions and fantasy.

Skipping Stones at the Center of the Earth by Andy Hueller is a very absorbing and gripping tale, and if you’re a fantasy lovers, you might want to consider reading this book.

LDSBA Convention - Speed Dating - You Don't Want to Miss it.

2011-07-18T09:00:00.001-04:00

Mark Your Calendars -
We've Got a Date!
LDSBA Speed Dating 2011

I'm amazed after doing Speed Dating for 2 years how many people in our Industry don't know what it is. Those who have attended have benefited greatly. The first year we only did 1 day and featured New Vendors at Convention. Last year we did it for 2 days and featured Authors with New Books since the last Convention. This year we are repeating it, but focusing on the Non-Book Sideline items. Just to refresh your memory --

WHO? - ALL LDSBA Retailers. We want as many Retailers as possible there.

WHAT? - LDSBA SPEED DATING is "a social activity in which [vendors and retailer] seeking 'relationships' have a series of short conversations in order to determine whether there is mutual interest". The 'conversation' is one sided. Vendors get all the time to tell us about their new products.

WHERE? at the Convention Center at SouthTowne where we hold our Trade Show / Convention. Room # 300 A/D has been assigned for this activity.

WHEN? on Day 1 and Day 2 of Convention, which is Tuesday, August 2; 12:30 - 2:00 & Wednesday, August 3; 12:15 - 2:00.

WHY? - to give vendors an opportunity to have face to face interaction with as many retailers as possible for a brief time, for the purpose of drawing attention to a new product or new product line, and hopefully provide a compelling reason for retailers to come by their booth to make 'more of an acquaintance'. It is intended to be an 'introduction' in dating vernacular. By necessity, the opportunity will be brief - 2 minutes. The all important second date will take place in their booth during Day 3 & Day 4.

HOW? - Each presenter will be randomly teamed with another presenter and assigned a starting table number. We expect 16 tables based on last year's attendance, so we are allowing 32 presenters each day. At the end of 5 minutes both of the vendors will transfer to the next chronological table, and begin again. After 8 tables, we will have a short recess to have a drink and take a breath. Then back at it for the other 8.

It's FUN!
It's EXCITING!

Click Here for Convention Information
See You There!

Blog Tour: The Last Archangel by Michael Young; Cedar Fort

2011-07-14T09:00:00.002-04:00

The Last Archangel by Michael Young; Cedar Fort - Another candidate for a 2011 Whitney Award? What do you think?

About the Book: Xandir has been exiled to earth until the end of time. But when his cherub trainee disappears, Xandir makes a deal with rogue angels and giants that could restore life to the mortal woman he loves and end his assignment as a destroying angel in exchange for helping them bring about the end of the world and all of mankind.

About the Author: Michael is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a degree in German Teaching and a minor in Music. He puts his German to good use by working to build online German courses for High School students. Though he grew up traveling the world with his military father, he now lives in Utah with his wife, Jen, and his two sons. Michael enjoys acting in community theater, playing and writing music and spend ing time with his family. He played for several years with the handbell choir Bells on Temple Square and is now a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

His first book, The Canticle Kingdom, was released in Feb 2010 through Bonneville Books. He is also the author of the inspiration short story "Portrait of a Mother". He has also had work featured in various online and print magazines such as Mindflights, The New Era, Allegory, and Ensign.

Kay's Kritique: I loved the cover and it was the first thing that drew me to the book - and I had no trouble getting into the story and really enjoyed The Last Archangel. It's a mix of Paranormal Fantasy and Last Days fiction with some interesting twists in the mix. The story moved right along and brought in some interesting history that played into the plot - i.e. the lost city of Atlantis, the destruction of Pompeii; Giants & Watchers from the Old Testament & 1 Enoch in the Pseudepigrapha just to name a few. And some interesting characters besides Giants like Yearti, an "abominable" Snowmen and demons. Xandir is a cocky destroying angel (most of the time) and an interesting character - one that struggled with his own imperfections and grew on me as I read. I loved Jarom, the cupid-like cherub apprentice, who expertise was making Ambrosia cakes not fighting evil - but steps up to the challenge and saves the day on more than one occasion. All in all a good, fast-paced read I would give it 4 Stars.

Would I nominate it for a Whitney Award? Definitely!

Other Reader Reviews:

Click Here to read the full review by Frank Cole: I really enjoyed reading this, particularly the action sequences that used a combination of witty humor and vivid descriptions to layout the scenes. I felt tis story had an almost Constantine feel to it and should appeal to both teen and adult readers looking for a gritty paranormal adventure.

Click Here to read the full review on Rea Write Blog: This book was a lot of fun from beginning to end, a perfect summer read. Michael Young was able to beautifully combine mythology with fast paced story telling (doesn’t start off that way, but it builds beautifully and works well) that kept you hanging onto your seat.

I don’t usually read stories based around angels and the like, but this book caught my eye. Honestly, I think it was the cover… the colours are fantastic and it suits the book pretty well.

Click Here to read the full review on Me and Reading Blog: Michael Young’s book The Last Archangel was action packed. It had everything a good paranormal fantasy book needs to have: good story, interesting characters and so many mythological creatures you can only dream about! There were angels, demons, cherubs, old Greek creatures, giants, Achillians, characters from Christian mythology – you name it and it was in that book!

It was an exciting read with two parallel storylines and it had very good twists in the story, so the first 100 pages you still do not know how these two stories will be connected. I really liked this book!

The author really has an eye for details and I think it added to the book as a whole. Especially thinking that there were lot of characters and two story-lines to follow, the author did an excellent work with the book. Michael D. Young’s book was a really good surprise to me. This book would also be a good start for the series even though i do not think that is the author's intention.

I would also like to mention the fabulous cover of the book, it is beautiful!
As said, if you like fantasy combined with mythology and action – this book is a must to read!

Click Here to visit other blogs on the tour.

4 Ways to Socially Rewards Your Customers

2011-07-13T18:03:00.000-04:00

In reading the Social Media Examiner Blog today, there was a good article, 6 Ways to Socially Reward Your Customers.

Here's an excerpt:

With so many new business owners testing the waters of social media, it can be easy to forget what our focus should be. Just like any business situation, the customer should be our first priority, always.

Social Media is a great way to drive traffic to your website, people into your stores, and ultimately, money into your bank account. One of the best ways to grow your customer base is to reward them.

Social media and online communities are the perfect playing fields for a customer rewards program. Let’s take a look at six ways you can reward your customers online.

#2: Digital discounts: Online-only offers

Offering discounts, exclusive offers and coupons is nothing new, but focusing this effort on your online audience is a fairly recent idea...You may want to offer coupon codes for a discount in your physical store, which users can print from your website, which will drive traffic to your site and sales to your store. Or you could offer regular discounts or special offers to your email subscriber list. This will encourage new customers to sign up, and give you a bigger and more receptive customer base to send news and information to.

#3: And the winner is… Content-creation competitions

Competitions are another tried-and-true way of engaging new customers and rewarding existing consumers...content-creation competitions have recently become a popular way for brands to use social media and digital technology to involve consumers, while achieving free publicity...For smaller businesses,...giving away free products or services may be enough to encourage consumers to make a short video or take a picture, and ask their friends to vote for them.

#5: Hand ‘em over: Collecting suggestions and ideas

“My Starbucks Idea” is a platform designed to collect ideas and suggestions for improvement from Starbucks’ customer base, and allow other users to vote on suggestions they agree with. The most popular ideas are then implemented throughout the coffee chain..."Dell’s Idea Storm" works in a similar way, and both companies have taken ideas from their customers and implemented them. This not only rewards the customers who made suggestions or voted for those they liked, but offline customers win as well, as the company develops in a direction driven by its customers’ desires.

#6: Gracias, Merci, Danke, Xiexie: Thank you goes a long way!

Perhaps one of the easiest, yet most often overlooked, ways of rewarding customers is to simply say thank you.

This may come in many forms—recognition of the competition winner who designed your poster or new slogan, a discount or freebie for repeat purchases or even a simple “thank you” in-store. A simple thanks makes for a more enjoyable visit, and a feeling of appreciation, which will leave your brand with a positive sheen in that customer’s mind.

Remember those customer feedback forms that were once so popular? Perhaps you still use them in your stores. If you don’t, you should. You can also implement this online—set up a simple feedback form on your website; monitor conversations on Twitter and Facebook about your brand, your industry and your product; and most importantly—listen.

Listening to your customers and implementing their ideas is where the real magic happens. If they’ve taken the time and effort to get in touch with you and tell you what they think, reward them by taking their suggestions onboard and find a way to execute them.

If you send out an email newsletter to subscribers, add a freebie, a discount coupon or an exclusive offer now and then to thank them for subscribing. Perhaps you could set up a discount or special deal for your customers on their birthdays, or even just an email to say “happy birthday.”

Click here to read the full article for the other ideas.

Do you have any other ideas?

What have you done to make your business stand out?

Becoming a Great Marketer

2011-07-13T16:37:00.000-04:00

More and more I keep stumbling on articles, books, and blog post about how important Thinking Right is. Today was no exception, and I just smiled as I read a blog post by my good friend, Bryan Pope, from Marketing Success Institute. Some of you will remember that he spoke to us at our LDSBA Convention a few yeas back. His Marketing post today is a great continuation on the last 2 blog posts here.

Here are a few thought from his post - Becoming a Great Marketer:

. . . To oversimplify Mr. Nightingale’s message, he tells us that we become what we think about. He cites Napoleon Hill and others throughout history as having shared this same truth . . . Let me pause here and state clearly that I don’t believe you can simply see yourself as a successful marketer and have it become so magically. It takes effort and dedication. It takes time. But it can’t happen if you don’t see yourself as such, even with effort, dedication, and time.

There are many truths in our world. The truth that we become what we think about is one that has become increasingly important and apparent to me. What a powerful nugget this is. We are, and will continue to become, who we want to be at the level of our core beliefs. How empowering it is to know how to direct that reality from its foundation.

Here’s to your thinking like a great marketer!

Bryan Waldon Pope

Click here to read Bryan's full post and you might want to consider following his blog as well. He is full of great tips and advice.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2011-07-11T12:21:00.000-04:00

Think of you mind as a garden - How does your garden (mind) grow? Or maybe a better question is what is planted in your garden? Do you control the "seeds" that are planted or do you just let anything that blows in take root and grow?

Since I read Conversations with a Moonflower earlier this year, I've been intrigued with a flower that blooms toward the winding down of the day - the time of day when we can "report back", ponder and reflect on where we are, what we've accomplished, where we need to improve, or coming up with creative ideas to help us move forward more successfully.

I had to grow some. I wanted to create a "gathering place" for me and anyone that wanted to come over.

Your all invited any time.

The process started with growing seeds in little peat pots. I planted "good" seeds in a protected environment. I controlled the light, the water and the temperature. After a couple of weeks, the tender leaves emerged from the soil. If you look real hard in the white circle, you'll see my 1st Moonflower emerging.

My Moonflower was still too tiny to just put outside at the mercy of the "elements" - so I continued to take care of them - even taking them to my family reunion at the beach for a week where I could watch them.

As they grew, I knew they were going to have to be planted outside soon, so my husband built me a flower bed. Here again, I controlled the soil that went in - making sure it was good, fertile soil.

Then the Moonflowers were transplanted to their "new home"

Now I'm not watching them as closely but still make sure they get enough water to grow. AND pulling up any "weeds" as soon as they poke through the soil. I'm not allowing the weeds to get established in this garden.

Here's what the Moonflower bed looks like today.

No flowers yet but the plants are thriving.

And the Moonflower you saw as a little plant in the 1st picture and then as a newly transplanted plant in the flower bed - look at it now - It shouldn't be long before the flowers start.

Chris Hall, the author of Conversations with a Moonflower just had a record-setting bloom night of 30 blooms. Here's a picture of her 30 bloom night - Incredible!

Now back to our "mind gardens" -

Are you planting good seeds (positive thoughts and ideas)?

What do you do to make sure the seeds are good positive seeds and not negative weeds?

How do you nurture those good seeds?

How quickly do you "pull" the weeds (negative thoughts) out of your garden?

We live in mortality so negativity will raise it's ugly head - Opposition in all things is necessary for us to grow . BUT how long it stays in your garden is totally up to you. You can choose to eliminate it as fast as you are aware of it - OR you can choose to "nurture" it with your emotions and let it get root in your garden - making it harder to get rid of later.
It really is your choice - and can't be blamed on any one else or any circumstance.

Let's share some ideas things you have found that have worked for you - let's help each other grow a great, beautiful garden.

What are some things you do to keep yourself more positive and creative?

24 Great Quotes That Can Change Your Life

2011-07-09T16:57:00.000-04:00

I love scriptures. I love quotes. They both can start me off right and give me something to ponder on as I go about my day. While “blog hopping” I discovered a blog post 77 Great Quotes That Will Change Your Life by Henri Junttila. Henri gives the quote and a little commentary. All of them were good, but I picked 3 out of each category to share with you.

Quotes about Courage

7. “If you wait to do everything until you’re sure it’s right, you’ll probably never do much of anything.” – Win Borden

I’ve gotten many e-mails from people asking me for advice. The common thread that runs through them all is that they want to make sure they’re doing it right. My answer is always the same: you have to try, fail and try again. There are no guarantees. There is only the path.

8. “Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.” – Raymond Lindquist

What is familiar is comfortable. Even though the familiar might be worse than the unfamiliar, we still tend to hold on to it, because going into the unknown is uncomfortable. Having the courage to go into the unfamiliar can be tough, but not impossible. It requires a shift in perspective. Become curious. Become an explorer of life. This is an adventure.

10. “There is far more opportunity than there is ability." – Thomas A. Edison

Most people are afraid to take action. Sure, they have ideas, but they don’t do anything about it. It’s scary to go down that path, which is why so few do. In the end, you have to determine what kind of life you want to live: one of mediocrity, or one of greatness?

Quotes about Motivation

13. “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” – Brian Littrell

I’ve found that going after my goals rigidly only makes me unhappy. I now make goals, but I am flexible about them. I am open to new possibilities. Having a goal is essential, but use it as a guideline and not as something you have to reach.

19. “Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” – Wayne Dyer

You are responsible for how you feel. You can blame external things if you want to, but it will never change how things are. It is only when you accept your own responsibility that you can change.

20. “There’s always a way – if you’re committed.” – Tony Robbins

If you’re passionate enough and if you care enough, you will overcome any obstacles. Excuses will be a thing of the past, but if you’re not determined, you will let the smallest excuse hold you back.

Quotes about Inspiration

25. “Action will remove the doubt that theory cannot solve.” – Petryl Hsieh

You can spend your whole life thinking and theorizing, but it is only through action that you gain clarity. I’ve noticed that theory can only take me so far. When I actually start taking action, things are much different than in theory.

28. “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” – Confucius

This is an excellent follow up to #27. You can try to learn as much as you want, but if you do not take action, you won’t get any results. You cannot know everything before you start, so don’t even try. Just begin and expect mistakes. Learn from them and keep going.

30. “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” – Maria Robinson

Dwelling on past mistakes does you no good. You can change everything today if you want to, or you can keep living the life you’ve always lived. It’s up to you, but remember this: every moment is an opportunity to change your life.

Quotes about Success

31. “All that we are is the result of what we have thought.” – Buddha

Your thought patterns and beliefs determine your life. If you are not happy with where you are, take a look at what beliefs are holding you back from having the life you want.

33. “God helps those who help themselves.” – Benjamin Franklin

This is an excellent way of saying that once you start taking action, the pieces of the puzzle start falling into place. I’ve experienced this first-hand. It wasn’t until I showed the universe I was serious that I started getting “lucky”.

43. “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." – Thomas A. Edison

This is another good quote illustrating the importance of action. How many ideas you have doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that you take action!

Quotes about Wisdom

44. “When the solution is simple, God is answering.” – Albert Einstein

The human mind has a funny tendency of trying to make everything complex. It takes effort to keep things simple. The more stuff you can eliminate from your plate, the more you get done. Focus on simplicity.

52. “If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.” – Bruce Lee

Do not overanalyze. Err on the side of taking too much action, rather than thinking too much. Most people are thinkers, because it is easy, but few are doers. It’s hard, frustrating and sometimes painful, but it works.

53. “Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” – Thomas Jefferson

You have to beat this point into your head: take action, and do it now! The stars will never align. Circumstances will never be perfect. The sooner you get started, the better off you will be. You will have to make mistakes, because it is the only way.

Quotes about Truth

55. “Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” – Lao Tzu

You already have everything you need. Be grateful for the things you already have. It’s easy to get caught up in the drama of life. Focusing on negativity is easy, but focusing on the positive is what makes a difference and spurs you into action.

57. “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw

Always maintain the beginner’s mind. Whenever you think you’ve got it, you’re mistaken. You are never too old to play. You are never too old to have fun. It all comes down to your perspective.

58. “We acquire the strength we have overcome.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

When you face your fears, you grow stronger. Each time you do something you’re afraid of, it becomes easier. This has been true in my life, so I have no doubt that the same will be true for you. When you start out, it’s hard, but it gets easier. Trust me.

Quotes about Life

61. “Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.” – Unknown

Everything around you and inside you is constantly changing. The people that resist this process are the ones constantly whining and complaining. They are in constant internal agony. Keep going, be curious and remember to breathe.

63. “A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu

Have plans, but do not be rigid. Be present and focus on each task. Thinking about an end goal will cause stress, because your mind is focusing on the future, on lack, instead of focusing on what’s in front of you.

68. “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” – Plato

We’re all going through this journey together, and we all have our own problems. Remember to be kind. Remember others, because you are not the only one that has problems. Focus your energy on being kind and helping. You will see a difference in your life.

Quotes about Time

71. “Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.” – Napoleon Hill

Take whatever you’re procrastinating on and do it right now. Get into the habit of using your awareness of procrastination as a trigger to take action. When you make it a habit, you are no longer slave to that which we call procrastination.

72. “The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.” – Albert Einstein

Time is an interesting beast, because it is relative. Put your hand on a stove and time moves slowly. Watch an excellent movie with someone you love and time flies by.

77. “Time spent laughing is time spent with the gods.” – Japanese Proverb

Last, but not least, remember to enjoy your life. Remember to be grateful for the little things. Remember to be kind to the people around you and remember to follow your heart. And of course, remember to read inspiring quotes on a daily basis!

As you think about where you are in your business and your life, did any of these resonate with you? Any that you would put on you mirror or refrigerator to read every day? Which ones did you like the best? Or do you have some other great quotes that you can share with the group in the comments below? Now it's your turn . . .

Make Your Facebook Page A Success

2011-07-08T09:00:00.007-04:00

A lot of you have Facebook pages. How successful are they? Want some tips to make them more successful?

PR Daily offers 14 Tips for a Successful Facebook Page. Here are just 6 of them:

1. Thursday is the best day of the week to get the most visibility for a Facebook post.
2. Release major stories in the early morning. If you post them between 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST, you risk your content getting unnoticed due to news feeds and other traffic.
3. When sharing stories, always include the full link; it’s 300 percent more likely to get clicked on than a shortened address.
4. Encouraging interaction with your posts—likes and comments—will make them more visible in other people’s news feeds. That’s how Facebook’s EdgeRank (and Domino effect) algorithm works.
5. Facebook marketers suggest this idea: Keep AIDA in mind when posting to Facebook. That stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. Your job is to stimulate desire and spark action, whether it’s increasing sells or engaging with your brand through contests, events, questions or content.
6. Engage followers in one-on-one conversation, create compelling contests, encourage check-ins and post cool status updates. All of these efforts will help boost your Facebook interactions.

Cherie Call - Having Fun Finishing Her "Homeless Songs"

2011-07-07T12:31:00.000-04:00

You should be familiar with the music of Cherie Call. We've enjoyed her songs for years. Well, recently on Facebook I discovered she is having some fun writing or actually finishing songs she is calling her "homeless songs." What is a "homeless song" you ask? Well, on Cherie's Blog she explains,

I need to go back in time a little. Well, maybe a lot. Ten years ago, my life was full of drama. Dating drama. I wrote songs about it. I wrote ideas for songs in lots of notebooks. I never finished many of my favorite ideas. First of all, I started dating an awesome guy, and I married him. And who has time to write songs about drama when you’re having fun living life and being in love? Second of all, I started writing and recording a lot of religious music.

I loved it and still do, but those drama ideas never fit on any of those albums. So there the ideas sat for many years.

Lately, I’ve been in the mood to finish some of those ideas, and it’s been fun. In a way, the songs have turned out oddly inspirational in spite of the drama, since I now know how the stories ended and I can write about them from the top of the mountain instead of the depressing bottom of it. I can tell myself things I wish I had known or that I would have listened to way back then. Hindsight is 20/20. Maybe I can help someone else who is wasting their time on someone dumb. Or having a hard time getting over something similar to what I have in a song. Or maybe not. Maybe the songs will do no good, but to make me have a fun time writing them.

No matter what, I’m going to share a few of them with you. Why are they homeless songs? Because I honestly have no idea where they belong yet. They don’t have a home on any album or movie or anything like that.

Her first "homeless song" is called Big Yellow Moon - Click here for the story behind the song - You know she's having fun with this - notice how her guitar has shrunk into a Ukelele.

Her second "homeless song" is called The Day the Stars Came Down - Click here to read the story behind the song.

I always like to read the "story" behind the songs so I hope you'll take the time to visit Cherie's Blog and read them too.

And if you aren't familiar with Cherie Call, following is the short bio. Click here for the longer version.

Cherie Call was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona and has been writing music since her early teens. She has released seven full length albums of her original songs. Her latest album, “Grace”, was released in October of 2009. Some highlights of Cherie’s performing life include playing “in the round” at Nashville’s famous Bluebird Cafe, being a finalist in the prestigious Kerrville Newfolk songwriting competition, and opening for bluegrass legend Tim O’Brien at the University of Utah. Cherie’s songs have been included on several albums produced for the LDS Especially for Youth summer programs, and also on the soundtracks to many independent films, including God’s Army, Charly, and the Banff Award winning film, “True Fans”. Cherie currently lives in Utah with her husband and two daughters.

Cherie Call performs in a lot of free concerts in the Utah area. Check out her Events page on her blog, for a time a place that you could attend.

If you would like to check out her published albums, contact your local Independent LDS Retailer - their links are on the right side bar of this blog.

Life is Not a Race - But a Journey

2011-07-05T23:09:00.000-04:00

I attended a funeral today for my sister-in-law's mother. I didn't know her very well - in fact I had very little interaction with her. But I wanted to go to support my sister-in-law. It was a beautiful service and a wonderful celebration of her life. Listening to all the wonderful memories people shared of her and the tremendous faith she had, I wish I had the opportunity to know her better.

It was a beautiful day for the 2 hours drive into Pennsylvania to attend the service at a quaint Lutheran Church in Chambersburg. It gave me time to reflect on my way up and back home - something I don't always make time to do and need to do more.

You know, we often get so hung up on external circumstances that we have no control over and allow those things to effect the way we think and feel - thus pulling that negative energy into "our world," and thus effecting the things we do, things that we can control.

That's why I feel so strongly that "Thinking Right" is one of the MOST important things you can do - because it is the FIRST thing you have control over - your thoughts.

M. Catherine Thomas in her talk "Zion and the Spirit of At-one-ment" said:

...we truly reap what we send out: "For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored" (Alma 41:15). If we don't like what we're getting...we may have to check out what we're sending...Thoughts and feelings have energy and travel from their origin to affect people and things; but mostly they affect the person with whom they originated...What happens to us enters our systems as energy and takes effect through our energy systems, but what we send out in response seems to have a much more powerful effect on us...Would it be an overstatement to say that during our waking hours we are either generating negative energy or positive energy?

I've been working on creating a Vision Board - and I came across something I hope you will take a few minutes to ponder on --

Life is not a Race -- but indeed a journey.

Be Honest.

Work Hard.

Be Choosy.

Say "Thank You", "I Love You", & "Great Job" to someone each day.

Go to church, take time for prayer.

Let your handshake mean more than pen and paper.

Love your life and what you've been given, it is not accidental.

Search for your purpose and do it as best as you can.

Dreaming does matter. It allows you to become that which you aspire to be.

Laugh often. Give a Smile to everyone you meet.

Appreciate the little things in life and enjoy them.

Some of the best things really are free.

Do not worry, less wrinkles are more becoming.

Forgive, it frees the soul.

Take time for yourself -- plan for longevity.

Recognize the special people you've been blessed to know.

Live for today, Enjoy the moment!

I don't know who put this together, but there's a lot of good advice in those lines - and most of them not hard to do - and any one of them will help you to "Think Right" - or more positively.

How many do you already do?

Which ones will you try to implement better every day?

Try it and see what a difference it can make.

On a side note - The talk quoted in this post is an awesome one that I have read many, many times. I've given you the link above. It is well worth your time to read and ponder - it is full of wonderful "gems." It's one of my favorite all time talks.

We Have a Winner in Our Cinder & Ella Book Tour Giveaway

2011-07-05T21:30:00.001-04:00

Thanks to everyone that participated in the

Virtual Book Tour for Cinder & Ella

which will be released this Fall.

Congratulations to our winner of an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) of

Cinder & Ella

by Melissa Lemon

The winner was selected by using Random.org

Jolynn R.

from Utah
Winner has been notified

Thanks again for entering. Come back often!

Oh Say Can You See? by L. C. Lewis Product Review

2011-07-02T13:50:00.000-04:00

Freemen & Dreamers, Vol. 4: Oh Say Can You See? by L. C. Lewis; Brigham Distributing; 2010 Whitney Award Finalist, Historical Fiction.

About the Book: Tis The Star-Spangled Banner; O! Long May it Wave...

Though the capital smolders, the battered Constitution and the presidency have survived. But the British left the struggling government no home. Gone are the symbols of America - the Capitol Building and the President's House, and nearly every relic of the infant nation.

Britain's next target is the port city of Baltimore, but has the raid on Washington stiffened the Americans' backs?

As the Willows women mourn their absent men - gone to war, or wounded, or captured - they await the birth of a blessed child.

Miles away, attorney Francis Scott Key embarks on a diplomatic mission that will leave an everlasting mark on America. Proving that the pen can indeed be more powerful than the sword, Key records the fears and hopes of his embattled people. His epic poem soon set to music and titled "The Star-Spangled Banner," rallies a shattered nation to rise from its knees to claim the dream of "one nation under God" during the closing hours of the War of 1812.

(Click here to read her full Bio) About the Author: How an LDS Wife, Mother, Grandmother lady came to be an author? I suppose I was a dreamer as a child, always imagining places more fascinating and mysterious than the small town in Carroll County, Maryland where I grew up, still too young to realize that what makes any place or time exquisite has little to do with geography and far more to do with the people and the moments you share with them..I also loved acting and singing and playing colorful characters with accents...Like many stay-at-home-mothers, finding uncommitted blocks of time was challenging, but for a few weeks each year, for ten memorable years, I diverted some energy to return to my “rock star” fantasy, singing with friends in an annual musical revue to benefit scouting. Eventually I realized that whether through music or writing, what I loved about entertaining was the joy of connecting with people . . . of telling a story...New challenges brought new growth, and I quickly discovered how much I loved researching a topic and following the trail of a question...I had already begun pursuing another dream...to write a historical-fiction novel. The original manuscript was set in the late 1840’s, avoiding early church history, a topic I felt inadequate to cover. But after much soul searching, a nudge from my editor, Angela, to expand the book, many hours buried in American history, and a year teaching D&C as an Early Morning Seminary teacher, I reconsidered. I backed the book up a generation and picked up the extraordinary history in my own backyard—the War of 1812 and the Star Spangled Banner story—to illustrate the tumultuous America that would become the cradle of the Restoration and the world in which Joseph Smith was raised.

Our nest is empty now. Each of our four children are chasing their own dreams in diverse places, like four research assistants quadrupling my view of the world. Tom and I have an arm-long list of places to visit and history we still want to explore to flesh out the rest of this series.

We live in a rapidly changing world that creates more questions than answers it seems. To borrow a line from Dark Sky at Dawn, “. . . knowing what to keep and what to abandon will be the challenge of the next generation.” I’m exploring that. I hope you’ll join me on the journey.

Kay's Kritique: Reading Oh, Say Can You See? as we approach our Birthday/Freedom Day Celebrations, whether in Canada or the United States, both countries children of England, has brought a lot of gratitude to my heart for our freedoms and liberties that we enjoy today.

While a lot of the book is set in my own backyard, it also takes us to Canada and England. I've been told that this historical fiction series would mainly appeal to those living in the United States so they haven't read it. But as I read it and it transported me to an earlier time, I kept thinking - "We are only 6-8 years before one of the greatest events on Earth would take place and God had been orchestrating world events and particularly watching this "choice land" for this event. This nation was fragile and dark forces were at work in a last ditch effort to stop this upcoming event. So really anyone that loves Historical Fiction, and particularly if you are LDS (although there is very little interaction with Church History characters), you should be interested in this time and the events that took place so close to the Restoration.

Laurie has done incredible research, spending countless hours to make sure she has the correct historical details. She has woven interesting and well developed characters around real-life characters to tell the story of this crucial time in world history.

I have loved this series so far, definitely 5 stars, and look forward to the final Volume 5, In God Is Our Trust, coming out later this year.

Other Reader Reviews:

Click here to read the full review by Kathi Oram Peterson: I've often heard how Francis Scott Key wrote the words to our national anthem, but I'd never thought about his history before he wrote the famous song that has become part of the fabric of our country. This book does more than give us a peek into his life, it opens up the world of those brave souls who fought in the War of 1812. Lewis gives us much to think about and learn in her new novel, Oh Say Can You See?

Yes, this is the fourth book in her Freeman and Dreamers series, but you really don't need to have read the other books to know exactly what is going on in this novel. Right away you're drawn into the Pearson family and the struggles they are going through because of the war that threatens to rip their family apart...I love this line: "... We have been a foolish people at times, and so suffered our comeuppance in Washington, but our cause is still just. God has reached His hand down from heaven and rescued this land in the past. Let's pray He'll do so once again..." This struck a cord with me as do many other passages. Oh Say Can You See? reminded me of our nation's heritage, of the brave souls who fought to keep our nation free, but it also reminded me to be ever diligent in guarding our precious freedom.

If you love historical fiction that is anchored in facts, you will love L.C. Lewis's book, Oh Say Can You See? I know I did.

Donald B. Anderson: I knew the gist of the story behind the writing of the Star Spangled Banner. But plunging into a story that illustrated the background, the key events (no pun intended), and the effects of Francis Scott Key's mighty words is truly rewarding. There have been inspiring moments in the history of America, and Oh, Say Can You See? captured one of those segments in a wonderful way.

I have not read the previous three volumes of Lewis' Free Men and Dreamers series (Oh, Say Can You See is the fourth). But that was not a problem. Lewis provides enough background information to make Oh, Say Can You See? sufficient to stand alone. However, this book did kindle my interest to learn the prior elements of the war of 1812 by reading the first three volumes in the series.

I am delighted that L.C. Lewis combined great research with quality writing to provide a more in-depth look at a fundamental segment of American history. The characters are believable, noble, and merge well with the history. Lewis does well to show dignity in humans on both sides of the conflict, which adds class to the patriotic elements.

I highly recommend Oh, Say Can You See? for all interested in American history and/or the story behind the mighty words of our national anthem. Those who enjoy historical fiction will especially enjoy this novel.

Giveaway Winners - Mid-Summer's Eve Giveaway Hop - Paranormalcy

2011-06-27T12:11:00.001-04:00

There was such a good response to this giveaway,

that I decided to give away 3 copies of Paranormalcy instead of 2 as my 'extra" gift to all of you.

Congratulations to our 3 winners of a hardback copy of Paranormalcy

by Kiersten White
2010 Whitney Award Winner for Best Novel by a New Author &

New York Times Best Seller

The winners were selected using Random.org

Tiffany F.
from Oregon

Mariah O.
from Utah

Gisselle P.
from California

Winners have been notified

Thanks again to everyone who participated and entered and helped make this blog hop such a success!

Blog Tour & Book Giveaway: Cinder & Ella by Melissa Lemon; Cedar Fort

2011-06-23T06:00:00.007-04:00

About the Book: After her father's disappearance, Cinder leaves home for a servant job at the castle. But it isn't long before her sister Ella is brought to the castle herself. What Ella finds there starts a quest that will change her life and the entire kingdom. Cinder and Ella is a Cinderella story like no other, and one you'll never forget.

Get Connect with Melissa:

Melissa's Facebook Fan Page
Melissa on Twitter
Melissa's author blog
Melissa's author page on Goodreads

Kay's Kritique: Cinder and Ella is a fairytale with a twist. It's not a retelling - there's no fairy godmother, wicked stepmother or prince charming. There is a little magic, a little romance, a little mystery, and a little adventure. The cover really drew me to the book and I especially liked the Legend of the Trees. Ella's father told her,

"This tree is my tree. It has been around since the day I came into the world. And it will always be here--growing and changing--as long as I am still alive upon the earth. The trees, Ella, are very important. They are a part of us. We all have a tree to take care of. You can keep a tree alive by the way that you live. And there is a tree that, as long as it is allowed to grow, will keep you alive."

The book is geared toward Young Adults, however, I saw a lot of symbolism in Melissa's retelling of this story that a Young Adult might pick up but Adults should. There has been a lot of "buzz" about this book already, even though it doesn't come out until this Fall. I'd give it a rating of 5 - I enjoyed it.

Giveaway Details:

Cinder and Ella will be released in November 2011. Would you like to read it now and not wait?

I'm giving away 1 Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) of the Cinder and Ella if the winner lives in the US/Canada or it an International winner they will receive an eBook ARC copy.

Super Simple to Enter:

Just Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (GFC) and leave me a comment with your contact info below.

You can have up to FIVE extra entries by:

1 for "Liking" us on Facebook - Click the "Like" button on this blog.
1 for Following by Email
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Facebook
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Twitter.

1 for "Liking" our new Facebook Page - click through to "Like."

List your extra entries in separate comments.

The winner will be selected using Random.org

Last Day to Enter is Thursday, June 30th

Winner will be announced July 1st.

Thanks for stopping by.

Feel free to browse around the blog while you are here.

Click Here for all the Cinder and Ella Blog Tour Stops

Mid-Summer's Eve Giveaway Hop!

2011-06-20T21:00:00.019-04:00

Welcome to the Mid-Summer's Eve Giveaway Hop!

This blog hop was organized by Kathy from I am a Read not a Writer Blog.

What are you going to do on the longest day of the year?

Why not spend it entering giveaways as part of the Midsummer's Eve Giveaway Hop?

Over 200 participating blogs are offering a book related giveaway and we are all linked up together so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another. The hop runs from Tuesday, June 21 through Friday, June 24.

Here on my blog, We're going to have 2 WINNERS this time.
I'm giving away a great summer read, a hardcover copy to 2 winners of:

New York Times Best Seller,

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White -

2010 Whitney Award Winner for

Best Novel by a New Author.

Click here to read my blog review.

Super Simple to Enter:

Just Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (GFC) and leave me a comment with your contact info below.

You can have up to FIVE extra entries by:

1 for "Liking" this blog on Facebook - Click the Like Button above.
1 for Following by Email
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Facebook
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Twitter
1 for "Liking" our new Facebook Page - click through to "Like."

List your extra entries in separate comments.

The 2 winners will be selected using Random.org

Last Day to Enter is Friday, June 24th.
Winner will be announced Saturday, June 25th.

Thanks for stopping by.
Feel free to browse around the blog while you are here.

Once you're done here, HOP on over to the other blogs and check out their giveaways! Happy hopping!

The Evolution of Thomas Hall - Guest Post Product Review

2011-06-16T15:17:00.001-04:00

The Evolution of Thomas Hall, by Kieth Merrill; Deseret Book;
Guest Store Product Review: Cindy Suelzle from Generations Bookstore in Edmonton, Canada.

About the book: Thomas Hall is an artist with astonishing talent - and a vainglorious sense of self. Since his days as a child prodigy he has reveled in recognition and believed in his inevitable destiny. Chosen. Entitled. He presumes his artistic brilliance deserves a lavish life of independence, fast cars and drop-dead gorgeous women. Thomas Hall wants it all and more.

Destiny has other plans. When "Cass," the woman from the Healing Place, walks into his life, nothing can ever be the same again.

Thomas finds himself faced with a challenge he could never have imagined, suspended between the snarling beasts of his fanciful imagination that belie the existence of God and the undaunted faith of a little girl named Christina. What he discovers about the child's harrowing escape from death - and the impossibility of what happened at the bottom of the cliff - brings him face-to-face with the most frightening question of his life.

About the Author: Kieth Merrill is a writer, producer and director. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Director’s Guild of America. Merrill is a two-time Oscar nominee and winner of the Academy Award for his film The Great American Cowboy. Two of his films have been listed in the top 100 independent films of all time. The Evolution of Thomas Hall is his first novel. He and his wife, Dagny, are the parents of eight children and live in the Sierra foothills of Northern California’s gold country.

Guest Review from Cindy Suelzle of Generations Bookstore in Edmonton, Canada: The Evolution of Thomas Hall - FABULOUS! One of the best. 'Good literature'. Should be a novel study by any separate school that has not outlawed God in their schools. Anyone who enjoys a good story, beautiful pros, good literature, - I cannot recommend it highly enough. I have sold several, all hand-sells because I read it. It IS a buyer! Nothing 'mormony' about it, which is excellent - because although you are pretty sure a character is a Latter-day Saint, she could be any religion the reader wanted her to be. Not preachy, but with an excellent message of transformation as one truly becomes born again thru allowing the spirit a place in one's heart. Great book. Sell them all. Don't send a single one back. I got 12 in, and I expect to reorder shortly. Kieth Merrill - 1st time novel. Outstanding.

Comments from Kay: Thanks, Cindy. What I want to know is - Did you nominate this for a 2011 Whitney Award? It qualifies. Remember it takes 5 nominations for a novel to be in the "running." Customers to can nominate too. So if you've recommended a novel like this to them, follow up and see if they liked it. Then you can suggest they nominate it also. Great way to keep connections with your customers and keep the conversations flowing.

Other Readers Reviews:

I'm GUILTY...of judging a book by it's cover! I'll admit that I took one look at the cover and wrote it off, but through fortunate circumstance (and possibly a little bribery), I took the bait and what an **incredible** discovery!! . . .For me, it was like watching a movie: The chapters flowed like scenes from a film, full of rich colors, characters and even music (the score is often suggested by the author, who happens to be a filmmaker by profession). Even my husband picked up the book and read a chapter in the middle and said, "Okay, now I have to read the whole thing." And he doesn't normally read fiction! . . .I will be recommending this book to EVERYONE I know. This is destined to become a classic and it's the MUST READ book of the summer! -- Stampmom

Click Here to read the full review at Our Busy Homeschool Blog: I think one of the most interesting opportunities for me when reviewing books is when I am introduced to a book I would never have picked up on my own and find I enjoy it. . . . Written by Academy Award winning filmmaker Kieth Merrill, who also directed two of my children’s favorite Sunday movies – Legacy and The Testaments, the story comes to life with his rich descriptions that help you see what is happening in your mind. . . . Thoughtfully written, it realistically explores one man’s journey challenging his preconceived notions, not only about faith and atheism but about the people around him.

Click here to read the full review by Cindy at Squeaky Clean Reads Blog: The Evolution Of Thomas Hall has a little bit of everything—art, music, romance, conflict, miracles, and, most importantly, a journey of faith. . . I found myself completely captivated by Thomas, Cass, Christina, and their story. Although this book isn't what you would classify as a "page-turner," I couldn't put it down! Thomas' internal conflict, and his "evolution" over the course of the story, was readable and compelling. Although initially Merrill's characters felt a little flat to me, by the end of the novel I was deeply attached to all of them and impressed by the depth of personality each of them possessed. The details Merrill used in the book had all been given obvious research; I was fascinated by the wealth of detail about the act of painting, music, modern medicine, Charles Darwin, and famous art inspired by the Bible . . . All the details added depth and richness to the story rather than detracting from it, and made it easy to feel at home in Thomas Hall's world. Like every book, Thomas Hall has its share of imperfections, including a few events or happenings that feel underdone or contrived. Overall, however, I really enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it to anyone interesting in a compelling, thought-provoking read! Overall rating is 4.5 out of 5 stars.

What Makes a Good e-Commerce Website?

2011-06-14T18:46:00.000-04:00

Anyone who has ever shopped online will know that it takes more than just a piece of shopping cart software to be able to succeed in the online retail game. It also takes more than eye-catching web design or an impressive collection of product shots. A good e-Commerce website should have all the pertinent information readily available, and easily update-able. Whether you decided to do it yourself or work with a web platform developer, you should ensure your website contains the following elements.

Easy Accessibility
This is an absolute necessity. Your e-Commerce site should be accessible from various types of web browsers – Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari, mobile browsers, etc. You wouldn’t want to lose potential customers to utter frustration at having a page not load properly or fast enough.

Credibility
We’re all wary of scams on the web, and it’s an interesting fact that people tend to equate quality of graphic design with quality of product. There is a certain level of graphic design sophistication that seems to convey credibility. The chances are if your design was “homemade” then it also looks that way. I’d always suggest using an experienced graphic designer when putting together any marketing materials.

Know What Your Customers Want
The first and foremost thing your e-Commerce site must do is to give the customer exactly what they’re looking for. People generally don’t spend their time browsing online; they already know what they want and they’re never more than a few clicks away from looking elsewhere. So keep it simple. Clean, crisp looking sites, with an appropriate image and a 7-12 word headline, tend to work well. Try to keep your landing pages short so that no scrolling is required.

All the bells and whistles should be secondary. Sure, talk about how brilliant your products are, how your prices are the best in the market and how you’re experts in our industry. But make sure customers don’t get bogged down in all this, when all they want to know is if they can get a scripture tote in blue.

Easy Navigation
You have to make it as easy as possible for your website visitors to find a specific product he or she is looking for. So you’ll need a good Search Box and Logical Product Categories. Your web design and navigation should be a guiding element, for if you lose your visitors, you lose your sales. Try to keep you navigation to a product to 2 clicks as much as you can.

Get the Right Information on the Page
All your product information – price, size, etc. – has to come from somewhere. For a dynamic e-Commerce website, it’s all stored in a database and retrieved when someone views a product. A custom-designed database lets you choose exactly what information is loaded, be it extra pictures of the product or ’recommended items’. Your database is the heart of your e-Commerce site and should be built to specification depending on your needs.

Showcase of popular and related products
You’ve seen Amazon do it: provide a showcase of popular and related products that may stir or sustain the visitors’ interest. It’s a classic sales tactic that not only helps you promote whatever you have to offer; when properly done it also gives visitors the impression that you’re sincere in helping them find what they’re looking for.

Easy-to-use shopping cart and checkout
A visitor may have arrived at your site after specifically setting out to search, browse, and buy your products. Don’t let them down with complicated shopping carts and checkout areas. Guide them throughout the whole sales process, and give them the confidence that they’re doing it the right way.

Always show the full correct billing price. If Discounts, Coupons, Tax or Shipping are not displayed this can be confusing and misleading for your customers. So always make the full price clear.

Multiple ordering and payment options
Not everyone feels comfortable with shopping online. Which shouldn’t be surprising: security breaches on the Web are not uncommon, and a number of your site visitors may thus feel apprehensive about having to request orders, give out their credit card information, or make payments via the Internet. This is where multiple ordering and payment options come in (i.e., mailing a check, pickup in store, etc.). They reassure potential customers that they can shop however they please.

Privacy
Online retailers understand the importance of including privacy policies in their sites. These assure visitors and shoppers that whatever information they give away to you will be kept private. These also provide reassurance that you are not going to use private details, transactions, IP addresses, tracked cookies, and other similar sensitive information for malicious purposes.

Safety and security
Regardless of the shopping cart software you have chosen, prioritize the use of a secure transaction environment – or an SSL (secure socket layer) system – that renders encoded data unreadable except for the actual customer the data was meant for. It’s also highly recommended that you partner with security companies in order to come up with vulnerability scanning and secure certifications, both of which can minimize the risks of you and your visitors getting exploited by malicious hackers.

Guarantees
Guarantees aren’t just promotional in nature. Because online shoppers can’t hold or actually see and feel the product until it’s been shipped to them, they respond more positively to e-Commerce sites that provide after-sales, money-back guarantees. These help your visitors feel more confident about their purchase decisions as well as about the quality of products and services that they get from your online store.

Customer Support
Highlight the availability of customer support – be it online or by phone – and respond in a timely manner to customer queries.

Manage Your e-Commerce Site
Your products might have a high turnover, or you might have special offers you want to add to the homepage each week. Whatever your needs, you’ll use a content-management system (CMS) to update your static pages (like the homepage) and your product database.

A good web developer will build your CMS to specification so you can do exactly what you want with it, from adding to your blog to updating product ranges. For ongoing website management, a good CMS is essential.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – The What & Why

If you could think of the person whom you would most want visiting your website, who would that person be?

Traditional advertisers might describe this person in terms of their demographics: 18-24 years old? Male or Female? Even just LDS? Well in the “world of searching,”

The person you most want to find your website is the person who is searching for what you offer!

The trick is to figure out who those people are, develop an extremely targeted message for them, and put it where they will notice it. Enter SEO.

What is SEO?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the "natural" or un-paid ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results. i.e. Google.com, MSN.com, Yahoo.com, etc.

Why do I need to worry about SEO?
There is no other marketing channel that matches the return on investment that SEO provides. Most of your investment will be time, rather than money. Your return will be a constant stream of people who are specifically seeing the products and services you provide. They went to a search engine in “buy mode,” ready to buy a solution from anyone they could find there. All you need to do is turn up in the front of them.

There's is a lot more to SEO - this just skims the surface. Remember this:

"He who has a thing to sell and goes and whispers in a well is not as apt to get the dollars as he who climbs a tree and hollers."

SEO is like "Climbing a tree and hollering"

Now it's your turn -- Besides the things listed above, what else would you like to have on your e-Commerce Website?

Google Friend Connect - The What? Why? & How?

2011-06-13T12:02:00.000-04:00

Are you making yourself visible around the web? Are you following blogs, making meaningful comments - establishing yourself as an "expert" on LDS products? Are you leaving your "virtual calling card" as you go so people can find you? Google has made it easy for you to do just that with Google Friend Connect.

WHAT?

Google Friend Connect is an online service by Google that allows users on the internet to connect with their friends on different websites - including blogs.

WHY?
It's all about making connections and sharing on the Internet. Google Friend Connect provides a simple user authentiation using any OpenID account, including Google, Yahoo or AOL. Instead of filling in yet another profile form, your users can connect to their existing identities, showing current profile pictures. By making login easier and connected to existing identity, you'll see increased traffic and comment activity.

HOW?

Here's how to follow using Google Friend Connect:

1. Click the Follow button to pull up the sign-in window.

2. You'll be asked to sign in with an account. You can sign in with a Google Account, a Yahoo! or AOL account. Choose the type of account you like to use:

3. Click on an account to sign in. For this example I picked Google.

4. Choose your following options. I usually choose Public. The idea is to make and encourage "connections". Click the Follow this blog.

It's that easy! If you're not already following this blog, now you can practice here.

Don't have any of these accounts? Then you need a Google Profile. Click here to read our previous blog post that discussed them.

Einstein's Trunk Product Review - Cedar Fort

2011-06-06T23:45:00.002-04:00

Would you nominate this book for a Whitney Award?

Einstein's Trunk by James Haberkorn; Cedar Fort, Inc.; 2011 Spring Books & Things.

About the book: Rulon Hurt is a straight-laced, religious, and hardworking farmer from Idaho -- and a spy. Yohaba Melekson is a wild, worldly, and impossibly intelligent physics student from Switzerland -- and Einstein's great-great granddaughter. When the two are thrown together and discover a trunk full of Albert Einstein's secret writings, they learn that opposites attract in this electric tale that pits truth against lies, faith against knowledge, heart against mind, and an epic struggle for survival against the planet's imminent destruction.

About the author: Click Here for Full Bio. Excerpt from James Haberkorn's Bio - Brooklyn is my birthplace, but I have lived in California, North Carolina, Washington, Idaho, South Africa, and Switzerland. I still have a home in Boise and love both Idaho and Switzerland. No wonder my hero, Rulon Hurt, had roots in Idaho, graduated from Boise State University, and lives in Zurich – very similar to my history. What a coincidence!

I currently live and work in Zurich, Switzerland with my encouraging and ever-resourceful wife, Kim. Zurich is a cultured mixture of old and new with its steepled churches and cobble-stoned streets in the older section along the Limmat. It has a diverse blend of old and new, which I like, with medieval architecture intermixing with perhaps the world’s premier shopping boulevard, the Zurich Bahnhofstrasse, stretching a mile from the main train station down to the Zurich Lake. And, of course, there is the international banking industry with its well-earned claim to secrecy. No wonder so many thrillers, including Einstein’s Trunk, use Zurich as a backdrop.

Kay's Kritique: Thrillers are another of my favorite genres to read, and Einstein's Trunk did not disappoint. James Haberkorn did a wonderful job in developing his characters, both the main ones and the secondary ones. His descriptions of places I've never been made it easy to picture in my mind. I loved the humorous chemistry that develops between Rulon & Yohaba - it's fun and refreshing. Rulon has a "John Wayne grit" that doesn't need foul language or immorality to establish it. Yohaba, while "worldly" by Rulon's standards, exhibits a moral integrity and courage that's balances and compliments Rulon. Even the "villians" exhibit a form of "moral integrity" in their own way. I love the Einstein quotes at the beginning of each chapter -- several made me stop and think about them for a minute before I read on. All in all a fast-pasted "DaVinci Code" type thriller that kept me engaged from the first page til the end - even leaving it open for another book. Definitely one I would recommend adding to you reading list.

Whitney Award: Einstein's Trunk meets the criteria to be nominated for a Whitney Award - Want to nominate it? Click here to nominate it for a 2011 Whitney Award .

Other Reader Reviews:

Emily from Squeaky Clean Reads: Do you like conspiracy theories? Stories full of action and suspense? Are you a fan of Dan Brown, Michael Crichton, Tom Clancy or John Grisham? Then meet James Haberkorn! Whether it’s inside the workings of a US embassy/consulate, spy infiltration, weaponry, or foreign cities, Mr. Haberkorn knows his stuff and gives us an insiders’ look. Rulon Hurt is working undercover but discovers something much bigger than the ‘small’ job he was given! This begins a scramble from the Russians and Serbians, a lot of intense fights that include some seriously ingenious methods (hammers and tables??), and a race to find a trunk that belonged to Albert Einstein that will (hopefully) hold the answers on how to save the world from impending doom!

I enjoyed this book even more as I’ve been to many of the cities mentioned in the book, so I could ‘see’ it even better; AND to top it all off, I just happen to be from Idaho as well! The talk of ranches and Idaho cowboys (hicks! Ha!) had me smiling and missing the rural lands of the West. I loved the chapter headers with thoughts from Einstein, laughed at all the movie quotes, and squirmed (in a good way) during all the awkward ‘DTRs’ (Define The Relationships). I loved the undercurrent of the importance of family, morals, and true love, even within a world of spies and revenge. There are twists and turns galore, and the ending gives you enough closure that you aren’t angry at the cliffhanger! ‘Einstein’s Trunk’ is a well written, page turning, ‘suspense thriller’ genre with a good moral theme. Overall Rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

This mystery/thriller piqued my interest immediately and I didn't want to put it down. The plot is exciting, suspenseful, gripping and keeps the reader wondering what's going to happen next. The good guy is really "good:" an international spy who believes in no sex before marriage, and who doesn't drink, smoke, or cuss. No gratuitous sex or vulgar language. The characters are so well drawn and the locale so well described that 2 weeks later I still have visual pictures of both in my mind and am waiting for the next adventure from this talented author. I can imagine a movie being made of this. -- Linda

I am a male school teacher who loves spy/espionage novels and this book ET is a thriller rollercoaster that doesn't disappoint. Newby novelist Jim Haberkorn obtains a real gift to create imagery in the reader's head by providing thorough detail in his writing and is a reflection of his obvious personal history (namely the Marines). The novel twists and turns between Idaho and Zurich and gives some wonderfully interesting factual insight about the workings of atom bombs, asteroids and even the importance of life! Each chapter begins with a relevant and often thought provoking quote from the man himself, Einstein, which invigorates the mind before each chapter commences. Without giving too much away, I found this book to be both gripping and informative and was a definite page turner. So much so, that I took it with me on my honeymoon on a tropical paradise and was glued to it for two days to find out what happens in the end. Tanning combined with a great book = perfect honeymoon (oh, and of course the perfect wife). The ending was well constructed and I eagerly anticipate the sequel. -- Brad

Blog Tour & Book Giveaway: The Misadventures of PIP by Donna L. Peterson; Cedar Fort

2011-06-02T06:00:00.004-04:00

About the book: Pip is always finding himself in the middle of some kind of trouble, and no wonder! Every day of the week, there are dirt clods to dodge, liars to expose, and dirty cheats to foil. Plagued by problems, Pip somehow manages to figure out a few things that maybe--just maybe--will keep him out of hot water. Hey, it's not easy being a kid!

About the Author: Donna Peterson has enjoyed writing stories and poetry since the second grade. She has been published four times in the Idaho Magazine; wrote a weekly humor column, "Kaleidoscope," for the Three Rivers Chronicle; and she continues to write short stories for the children at Park Intermediate School, where she has been employed for the past twelve years. Two years ago, Donna took a children's literature class, which inspired her to finally publish her own stories.

Donna lives in Weiser, Idaho, with her husband, Brad, and her three-legged cat, Sam. Her son, Erik and his lovely wife, Shawna, live in Murray, Utah. Her other son, David, will be attending college in Japan next fall.

Kay's Kritique: "It was just another day when my ears were hurting from too many people shouting "Pip!" Yeah, it was Wednesday morning, and this time it was my dad who was hollering at me. . . ." So starts another day in this delightful story, about a boy, nick-named Pip, who is so typically "all boy." The Misadventures of Phillip Isaac Penn by Donna L. Peterson, follows the life of Pip on a "typical boy week" with antics that any mother or dad of boys and sisters of little brothers could easily relate to and will keep you smiling through this "boys tale." By the end of the week, Pip has encountered various situations where decisions had to be made. I would say the reading level would be for grades 3-4, but this would be a great book to read with your younger kids. The Misadventures of Pip made me wish I had a little boy again - I even read some of it to my 26 year old son and we laughed together - that was fun.

At the end of the book, Donna Peterson provides 5 questions that you could discuss with your kids, girls or boys, to help them decide ahead of time what the proper response should be in various situations. And for adults, it could cause you to pause a little and see if you don't react a little to quickly when a boy is just trying to "figure things out" through his "little boy logic." After all, "it's not easy being a kid!"

Giveaway Details: 1 copy of the Misadventures of Phillip Isaac Penn. If winner lives in the US/Canada, they will receive the paperback copy. If an International winner they will receive an eBook copy.

Super Simple to Enter:

Just Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (GFC) and leave me a comment with your contact info below.

You can have up to FOUR extra entries by:

1 for "Liking" us on Facebook
1 for Following by Email
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Facebook
1 for Sharing this giveaway on Twitter.

List your extra entries in separate comments.

Last Day to Enter is Thursday, June 9th

Winner will be announced June 10th.

Thanks for stopping by.

Feel free to browse around the blog while you are here.

Click here for all the Misadventures of Pip Blog Tour Stops

Giveaway Winner - Splash into Summer Blog Hop - Conversations With a Moonflower

2011-05-31T23:07:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to our winner of the hardback book

Conversations with a Moonflower

by Christine Hall

and a packet of Moonflower seeds

The winner was selected by using Random.org

Laura H.
from Kansas

Winner has been notified

Thanks to all who entered

Splash into Summer Blog Hop Giveaway

2011-05-24T22:16:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Splash into Summer Blog Hop Giveaway!

This blog hop was organized by Kathy from I am a Read not a Writer and Pixie from Page Turners.

Over 300 participating blogs are offering a book related giveaway and we are all linked up together so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another. The hop runs from Wednesday, May 25th through Tuesday, May 31st.

Here on my blog, I'm giving away one of the best books I've read in a long time -
Conversations With a Moonflower by Christine Hall - AND you will also get a pack of Moonflower seeds to grow your own Moonflower to talk to this summer.

What on earth had just happened to me? It was a plant, for heaven's sake! And with the exception of the bright yellow blooms, it looked more like a weed than anything you would purposely put in a garden. But this mysterious plant had captivated me, and I couldn't wait to tell the others what I had seen.

Chris's life is anything but peaceful when she returns to Carraugus County to clean out her deceased grandmother's home. But her life changes forever when an Amish woman invites her to watch a moonflower open. Chris never would have believed that a simple plant could lead her on such a remarkable journey — a journey that would remind her of truths she had long ago forgotten.

This debut by Chris Hall is guaranteed to uplift and inspire long after the story ends.

Once in a great while a book comes along at the exact moment you need it and changes your life. Let Conversations with a Moonflower be that for you as it has been for me. Thank you Chris. I will bloom as soon as I'm ready. — Amanda Dickson, radio announcer and author

Last Day to Enter is Tuesday, May 31st.

Winner will be announced June 1st.

Thanks for stopping by.

Feel free to browse around the blog while you are here.

Once you're done here, HOP on over to the other blogs and check out their giveaways! Happy hopping!

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White - Product Review

2011-05-24T09:00:00.007-04:00

2010 Whitney Award for the Best Novel by a New Author

Debuted at #7 on the New York Times Best Seller list in the "Children's Books—Chapter Books" category

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White; published by HarperTeen; Available from Ingram. (Note: Sounds of Zion is working towards distributing as well, so watch the Sounds of Zion Newsletter to see if Doyl gets this worked out.)

About the book: Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals' "glamours."

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal . . .

About Kiersten White - The Official Bio: Kiersten White is the NYT Bestselling author of Paranormalcy. She has one tall husband and two small children and lives near the ocean, where her life is perfectly normal. This abundance of normal led her to a fascination with all things paranormal, including but not limited to vampires, faeries, and pop culture.

The longer, sillier bio: Like most adults, I was once a teenager. However, I never outgrew it--literally. Standing at a daunting 4'11", I decided to write to my height peer group. Everyone knows that teenagers have more fun. Turns out writing for teenagers is more entertaining, too.

Born and raised in Utah, I was lucky enough to marry a native San Diegan and be adopted into the fish taco and beach culture. A stay-at-home mom and full-time writer (if you count scraping in whatever hours I can after my kids go to bed as full-time), I live with my wonderful husband and two adorable children in San Diego, CA. I'm currently twenty-seven, but that's bound to change next year.

Desperate for entertainment, I started writing shortly after having my first baby and haven't stopped since. Publishing with HarperTeen is quite literally a dream come true, and I can't get over how fortunate I am to be paid for doing what I love.

When I'm not writing, I enjoy blogging and reading anything I can get my hands on. Yeah, I probably need to branch out a bit in my hobbies.

Kay's Kritique: I first heard about Paranormalcy when I read a blog post, Mormons in the Marketplace (and What Christians can Learn from Them) by Mike Duran. Intrigued, I bought it and started to read it. Although I was enjoying it, I had other "pressing" books I needed to read to review for this blog, so I set it aside, not an easy thing to do. Then I was waiting to hear the winners of the 2010 Whitney Awards recently awarded during the LDSStorymaker Conference and Paranormalcy popped into my radar again by winning the Best Novel by a New Author - so I picked it back up and this time, didn't put it down until I was done - which meant reading well into the night. It was clean, it was fun and funny - who ever thought someone could get so excited over a High School locker? It was a little scary at times but not too scary -- took a few twists I didn't expect. I'm looking forward to book 2 of the trilogy coming out July 26. Move over Stephenie Meyers, you've got another good LDS writer to share the national stage with.

Here's a few You Tube Videos:

Other Reader Reviews:

Review by Annabell Cadiz from Open Book Society Blog: "To use a phrase from the book, Paranormalcy is BLEEPING awesome! I had so much fun reading this novel, I just couldn’t put it down until I was done! . . . The main character is named Evie. She’s a sixteen year old teenager who likes to believe she’s just an ordinary girl but in reality is far from it. She works for IPCA (International Paranormal Containment Agency) tagging and bagging paranormals. Equipped with a taser she has aptly named Tasey and can usually be found dressed in pink, Evie was a hoot! Kiersten White did a wonderful job of narrating through Evie’s voice creating a female character that is smart and fierce. She is also VERY sarcastic and has her own since of style (I REALLY want her boots)! Evie had me cracking up so much throughout the novel! As you read, you end up feeling like she’s your best friend.

Of course, no young adult novel would be complete without, you guessed it: boys!. . . Paranormalcy is a laugh out loud, full of sweet romance, and lively action type of book, you’ll just be absorbed into the story from the first sentence."

Review from Redhead Heroines Blog: "All the reviews I read of Paranormalcy were absolutely RAVING over this new series. And really, what's not to love? Vampires, fairies, mermaids, werewolves, shape-shifters, and a totally funny main character!

Evie was hands-down the best part of this book. She was witty, sarcastic, strong, but with her own weaknesses. . . . I loved the world that White created as well. This was a very interesting take on the paranormal world, with Evie acting as an agent for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the novel and the way that Evie must confront her unknown heritage.

Overall, a great debut for a promising new series!"

Review from Books Before Bed Blog: "I didn’t feel like reading this book for the longest time. Not sure why, just didn’t seem my cup of tea. However, I kept seeing so many rave reviews from other bloggers and decided to give it a try. I wasn’t disappointed.

This isn’t a high literature book but it was diverting and adorable. I really liked Lend and Evie was an easy character to follow. I actually thought she was older than 16 as sometimes in literature 16 year olds annoy the heck out of me with how shallow they are. Her obsession with Easton Heights aside, Evie tried her hardest and as her relationship with Lend progressed I found my own stomach doing little happy flips!

Props to the author for coming up with a new twist to paranormals and fairies. I’m excited to see what happens in the series next!"

The Whitney Awards - A Sleeping Marketing Giant

2011-05-23T11:59:00.000-04:00

The 2010 Whitney Awards were awarded earlier this month. What do you know about the Whitney Awards?

- Do you know what they are?

- Are you involved in the process?

- Do you know how to be involved in the process?

- Do you use the Whitney Awards in marketing some great LDS Novels you sell in your store and website every day?

I knew there was a novel award called the Whitney Awards, but I couldn't tell you much more about it and didn't really use it for marketing when I worked in the day-to-day running of a bookstore. I think I was missing a tremendous marketing opportunity. But it's not too late!

I went to the Whitney Awards Website and talked to Josi Kilpack, Whitney Award President, to find out more about the Whitney Awards for myself. Following is what I learned.

What are the Whitney Awards?

The Whitneys are an awards program for novels by LDS authors.

Elder Orson F. Whitney, an early apostle in the LDS church, prophesied “We will yet have Miltons and Shakespeares of our own.”

Since we have that as our goal, we feel that we should also honor those authors who excel and continually raise the bar.

What categories of novels are awards given?

- General Fiction

- Romance

- Suspense/Mystery

- Speculative Fiction

- Speculative Youth Fiction

- Youth Fiction

- Historical

- Best Novel of the Year

- Best Novel by a New Author

What are the eligibility requirement for a book to me nominated?

Following are a few of the eligibility requirements - click here to see the full list of eligibility requirements:

- Copyright date must be between January 1st and December 31st of the award year. - Novels must be written by a member or members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

- Novels are eligible whether or not the author is a member of LDStorymakers, Inc.

- Novels are eligible whether or not they have been published by traditionally LDS publishers.

How are Novels nominated?

Novels can be nominated by any reader (via the Whitney Award website or by mail). The nominator must provide:

i. The Title, Name of Author, and Name of Publisher of the nominated work

ii. The Nominator’s name, email address, and contact information

iii. The Nominator’s age; the nominator must be older than twelve years.

Have you already read any good LDS Novels this year?

Want to nominate it?

Click here to nominate a novel you've read this year.

(p.s. - I'm nominating 3 today when I get done with this post)

Who can vote for the Whitney Award Winners from the Whitney Award Finalists?

Nominees are voted on by an academy of industry professionals, including authors, publishers, bookstore owners, distributors, critics, and others.

Final Ballots will be sent (either in print or electronic form) to all members of the Awards Academy no later than January 31st of the year following the award year. The Awards Academy will consist of:

- All eligible LDS authors

- Eligible LDS publishing companies

- Other professionals in the industry (such as bookstores, distributors, critics and media, etc) as determined by the Whitney Awards Committee - Final Ballots must be returned to the Whitney Awards Committee no later than 15 days before the Whitney Awards presentation.

If I am a member of the Whitney Award Academy, do I have to read all the Finalist books to vote?

To vote in any given category, you must read all the Finalist Novels in that category to vote.

To vote for the Best Novel of the Year or Best Novel by a New Author, you must read ALL the Whitney Award Finalist novels.

How long have The Whitney Awards been around?

The awards were founded in 2007 and operate as an semi-autonomous subsidiary of LDStorymakers.

Click Here for Frequently Asked Questions

Let me ask you a few more questions -

Do you know which books were nominated for the 2010 Whitney Awards? Would you like to know? Click here to download the Finalist PDF

Do you know which books won the 2010 Whitney Awards? Would you like to know? Click here to read a Mormon Times Article - Whitney Awards Honor Best in Mormon Fiction

Do you carry any of these titles in your store or on your website?

Are you still carrying any of the novels (either in your store or on your website) that were Finalists and Winners of a Whitney Award in any year?

Do you draw attention to the fact that a book was a Whitney Award Finalist or Whitney Award Winner?

Both deserve attention when you consider the number of novels that are published every year, and could be used to help market those novels.

Do you know the . . .

Whitney Award Finalist in 2007? Click here to see . . .

What about the Whitney Award 2007 winners? Click here to see . . .

How about the 2008 Whitney Award Finalists? Click here to see . . .

How about novels that won a Whitney Award in 2008? Click here to see . . .

How about the 2009 Whitney Award Finalists? Click here to see . . .

How about novels that won a Whitney Award in 2009? Click here to see . . .

Have you done anything to educate your customers, who are readers and could nominate a novel, what the Whitney Awards are and how they can participate?

Have you or any of your customers nominated a novel for a Whitney Award? If not, what can you do to change that and get involved?

If you've already used the Whitney Awards to help market novels in your store and on your website, share with us what you have done.

If, like me, you didn't really understand what the Whitney Awards were or how you could participate -- and haven't used them to help you market novels in your store -- Tell me

What ideas have been popping into your head

as you have read this article?

NOW

What are you going to do about it?

Blog Hop Giveaways - Fun Way to Grow Your Followers

2011-05-19T19:46:00.000-04:00

We had a discussion about Virtual Book Blog Tours when I reviewed Guardians of the Hidden Scepter by Frank Cole, and I hope that started you thinking more outside the box on new and fun ways to get your name out on the web and help grow your follows which can then help to build your businesses. Our blog will be participating in the Virtual Blog Tour for Misadventurers of PIP on June 2. This entire tour runs from May 25 - June 7.

Now I want to introduce you to another one to get you thinking - Blog Hop Giveaways.

One of the leading blogs organizing and participating in them is I Am a Reader, Not a Writer (IAARNAW) with 3623 Followers. This blog has helped me a lot in understanding how they work. Author & Friend, Laurie Lewis, and Mariah Overlock, Cedar Fort Marketing, have also answered the numberless questions I have thrown at them. So ready or not we are making the Splash into the the Blog Hop Giveaway World on the 25th of May with the Splash into Summer Giveaway Hop.

What is a Giveaway Hop? (my comment additions are in purple)

(IAARNAW) - Simple - Each participating blog hosts a giveaway and then we link up together allowing our followers to hop easily from one giveaway to another.
- For followers that means lots of chances to win free books (or other book related items like a store gift card).
- For host blogs it means lots of new visitors and followers.
It's a win-win.
Of course if you host a giveaway on your blog you can also enter all the giveaways on the other blogs.

What are the requirements for the blog host?

(IAARNAW) - Each participating blog will host their own giveaway. There is no requirement on the minimum or maximum value of your giveaway. It's up to you to decide. You can give away books, swags, gift cards, or anything else you can think of that has to do with books. Your giveaway can be as simple or as elaborate as you want.

Please keep the process to enter your giveaway as simple as possible. Please no long lists of dozens of different things followers can do to gain extra entries (Keep it to 1 mandatory and up to 5 optional ways to enter).

What are the entries options?

Mandatory - Follow my blog through Google Friend Connect (GFC)
Optional Ones (pick up to 5) could be but not limited to -
+1 - "Like" your store facebook page
+1 - "Like" the facebook page of the book you are giving away
+1 - "Follow" you on Twitter
+1 - "Sign Up" on Your store email list
+1 - "Share" your giveaway via Facebook or Twitter
Can you think of any others to could offer?

How do I administer the giveaway?

Mariah - I've used 2 different methods, trying to see what works best.

I actually LOVE GoogleDocs. The contest form on there is very easy to set up. If you have a gmail account you already have a GoogleDocs account. Just log in there and under the "create new" dropdown, select "form". Once you set it up how you want it to look and embed it in your site, Google does the rest. They create a thorough spreadsheet based on all the data that your participants enter. I'd recommend just playing around with it to see how you like it. Here's a link to a Cedar Fort giveaway using a GoogleDocs Form.

The other method that a lot of bloggers use is COMMENTS. This is where they simply ask for a comment per entry. I've done that on my blog (Living, Laughing, Loving, Reading.) as well. At the end I simply look at the number of comments I have, then I go to random.org and get a random number from that sample. I then count up or down to the winner, email them, and viola! That's it.

Can I see a "Sample Post" from a previous Giveaway Hop to give me an idea?

(IAARNAW) - Sample Post - From the Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop

How do people "hop" around the blogs?

(IAARNAW) - All participating blogs will be linked up through a Giveaway linky.

If I decide to participate, do you have any tips?

(IAARNAW) - These suggestions were posted for the Upcoming Midsummer's Eve Giveway scheduled for June 21st-24th.

As you prepare your giveaway post please remember the following:

1. The Midsummer's Eve Giveaway Hop Images needs to be part of your post.

2. Include the linky list with all the participating blogs at the end of your post OR link to: http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/p/midwinters-eve-giveaway-hop.html.

3. Giveaway must be book related

4. Keep the way to enter your giveaway as simple as possible. 1 Mandatory entry and no more than 5 optional extra entries.

Please turn off word verification and CAPTCHA - If you are concerned about spam then enable comment moderation.

5. This must be a giveaway specifically for this hop and must run only the 4 days this hop is scheduled.

6. Keep your giveaway easy to find for the entire 4 days this hop is open. If you post often and your post does not stay near the top of your main blog page then please post a link to your giveaway at the top of your blog or sidebar.

Please mark your calendars. One reminder email will be sent out to participants about 5 days before the hops starts.

Questions can be emailed to: toobusyreading at gmail dot com.

There's a lot of information here, but it seems pretty easy to do. I'm going to start out using the COMMENT for entry and using random.org as it seems the simplest way to track the entries and award the giveaway. However, I can see how GoogleDocs would be very advantageous for collecting information for a bookstore. So when I understand that process, I will use it as well and we can test here, too, to see which one we get better results from.