Notes from Jennie's Desk

WRITING ABOUT FEELINGS

2012-02-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

Much of writing fiction is about conveying feelings or emotions. The desire to feel something is shared by readers. If how a character feels and responds to the events surrounding him or her is phony, the story doesn't resonate well with the reader. Neither does the reader like to feel manipulated by calculated tear-jerker events. When the writer touches a reader emotionally, and when the reader feels what the book's characters feel, a bond is established and the story becomes a success. Creating realistic feelings is one of writing's greatest challenges. In this area the writer draws heavily from two sources; first from his or her own experiences and second from careful observation of the emotions of others.

Careful writers learn to distinguish between their own real responses to both good and bad situations and the feelings they think should be the response. They also learn that other factors may determine how intense the response might be. For the writer to be in touch with his/her own feelings or reactions to certain situations is not enough. The writer also needs to observe how someone else, particularly those with similar characteristics to the character involved, will react. This is where observation becomes an essential part of writing.

Writers who have never experienced an intense love relationship may substitute sex for love because it's easier to describe physical reactions than emotional ones. Happiness is often watered down or confused with possession or winning for those who don't understand it. Anger is easier to describe because few people get through life without experiencing some anger. Hate is something else as it goes far beyond anger to something dark and dangerous. Fear is another feeling that is experienced to some degree by most people and often is the emotion that carries the excitement that keeps a reader turning pages. Sadness, loneliness, arrogance, compassion, etc. all need to be portrayed in a believable manner that fits the character and touches a response in the reader. I'm not sure what that says about human nature that it is often easier to honestly portray the negative emotions than the positive.

Lately, myself and many others, have grown annoyed or angry over the profusion of hateful political messages and lies spread on face book, by telephone, by mean-spirited PACs, through radio and TV, and through telephone calls from so-called organizing committees and polls. This anger and our reactions to these things are entirely different from the anger we feel at someone who steals our identity, murders a child, or injures a loved one. It's important to remember when writing about anger to suit the reaction to the situation and the character.

It can be helpful to observe how other writers show emotion, but the best guide is a good look at ourselves and the observation of others. When we see a two-year-old have a complete meltdown we can learn a great deal, but it is important to remember that adult or teenage meltdowns may have some of the same elements as that of the two-year-old, but age generally comes into play in how this total frustration is expressed.

Very often it isn't the big dramatic reactions that teach us the most about feelings. Sometimes it's the tottering old man helping his equally aged wife from a car, it's the impatient customer tapping her fingernails against the glass counter, it's the man who checks his pockets then kicks the parking meter, or it's the little boy who asks Mom if Madeline can come to his birthday party. It's the outpouring of relief for tsunami victims, the need to hold our own children safe when two little boys are senselessly murdered by their father, or the laughter when the Globetrotters come to town.

Imagination is an important element of fiction, but feelings or emotions are too much an integral part of us for us to buy into a story where the emotions involved don't feel real. If the writer doesn't feel it, neither will the reader. If the reader's feelings are not engaged in a way that he or she can identify with, the story won't succeed. A successful writer must forge a bond of empathy with the reader through the emotional responses of a book's characters.

Almosta Blog

2012-02-08T21:30:00.000-07:00

I sat down to blog tonight and nothing happened. A blank page just kept staring back at me. I checked a few other blogs; no ideas sprang to mind. Next came Facebook, zero again. I read a few news stories; some stirred strong feelings, but still no blog ideas.

It's not like nothing has been happening lately. I was shocked and saddened by the murder of Susan Powell's little boys. There's plenty I could say, but it's been said by others and I don't use that kind of language. Just thinking about Josh Powell and his creepy father makes my blood boil and I really don't want to go into that tonight.

I talked about politics last week so I'll refrain from saying anything more along that line. That's another area where I have plenty of strong opinions, but I'll leave it at that for now except for one thing; if you're not registered to vote, get registered. If you or family members are in the Service, on missions, or away from home, request absentee ballots.

I could blog about my new book, Heirs of Southbridge, but I already did that and right now I'm playing a waiting game for the printed copies to appear and the e-reader copy to appear on Amazon. Did I mention it will be released early in March and it is now available for pre-order at several bookstores? I'll get the first chapter up on my web site and linked here to see if I can tempt readers in the very near future. There's also an ego satisfying waiting list at several libraries. In the meantime I'm busy with the rewrite for the book after this one--no title yet--and not even a hint when it will be released, but I do have an acceptance for it.

There are two weddings and half a dozen birthdays coming up in my family over the next few weeks. I'll probably have plenty to say about some of those events, hopefully a few pictures too, at a later date.

I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm tired; my knees hurt, it's late, and I don't have anything to say that's more important than sleep. Good night all.

Exciting News

2012-02-03T11:47:00.000-07:00

I was notified this morning that I am a finalist for the Mystery/Suspense category of the Whitney Awards for If I Should Die. Five finalists were selected in this category. The other four authors are writers I respect and admire; Gregg Luke, Stephanie Black, Traci Hunter Abramson, and Anne Perry. Of course I'd love to win, but these writers are friends of mine and I can't help wanting them to win too. Whether I win or not, it will be so much fun to see them at the awards dinner in May.

There are seven category or genre awards given to LDS authors by the Whitney Academy each year plus an award for the overall Best Novel of the Year and another for the Best Novel by a New author. For a complete list of the thirty-five nominees for these awards, go to the Whitney Web Page.

WINNERS!

2012-02-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

Winners of the January Wish List contest are Runaway Bridal Planner and MarthaE. Congratulations to both of you. To collect your prize, please send me a list of at least five (more is better) LDS novels on your wish list and I will send one from your list to you. In addition to your list, I will need your mailing address. Send your list and address to bhansen22 at msn dot com and include the words Wish List in the subject line.

A POLITICAL RANT

2012-02-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

I try not to inflict my political views on my readers often so bear with me while I say a few things about the present political circus in the good old USA. Most Americans aren't happy with the current situation in Washington. Some want change, any kind of change, just so they don't have to think too much about it. Others want to throw everything and everyone out whether good, bad, or indifferent. Some just want to be on the winning side, right or wrong. Some are tired of PACs controlled by unions, fringe groups, big businesses, extremist groups, etc., having more say than the candidates or voters. Am I wrong to believe there are good, concerned people who want to see our country's economic condition improve, who don't care about a candidate's race or religion, who want to see intelligent, morally decent, loyal Americans in public office?

Once, back in college, I was asked to serve as a debate judge for a junior college debate tournament. I listened carefully, took notes, and made my decision based on who I thought was right. Afterward I learned I did it all wrong. I was supposed to pick the winner according to who made the most dramatic presentation, who zinged his opponent the most times, and who had a rebuttal for the most statements made by his opponent whether the rebuttal was right or even made sense. With the plethora of GOP debates on every channel and discussed on every forum, I feel like I've gone back in time. Only these debates are even more weird; often the moderator seems to be one of the debaters and his purpose seems to be jabbing the candidates. In my lifetime debates have become a major component of the candidate selection process, but I haven't noticed that the good debaters have been particularly good presidents. The one thing these debates have convinced me of is that debates are a poor way to pick a candidate for a post as important as President of the United States.

I spent some time as a newspaper reporter and I'll admit it's more fun to write about kooks, oddballs, rule breakers, and quirky or outrageous people than calm, peaceful, hard-working individuals. Face it, they're more fun to read about too, but are these "interesting characters" who we really want to be our leaders and hold the power of a US President? Reporters learn, mostly through experience, that people who yell the loudest for a cause often have secrets and exposing secrets is a major triumph in journalistic circles. A good journalist should go after the story behind the story, cross check facts, and dig a little deeper than the average person. But here I'm seeing a failure of honest, even-handed reporting, especially by the networks. I'm getting awfully tired of little stacked panels and interview questions that reveal more about the interviewer's bias than about the candidate's character and platform.

To be honest, I don't like caucuses. I don't like the disproportionate amount of power placed in so few hands. I know anyone can attend a caucus, but in reality they're poorly advertised and the general population fails to see their importance since they don't really vote for candidates and they're held so far ahead of elections most people aren't really interested yet. Which brings up another peeve of mine; the campaign process starts way too early. While most people are focusing on Christmas, we're supposed to be considering candidates? States who hold January and February caucuses and elections receive disproportionate attention and higher value is placed on choices made there than in the rest of the country. I understand that candidates can't give every state the attention they presently give to the first handful of states, but it would certainly be more fair to hold regional elections giving the total electorate a chance to thin out the candidates rather than using the flawed and biased present system.

I've always wondered what kind of ego trip compels a person to be a third party candidate or to stay in the race long after it has become obvious that person has become a joke or the laughingstock of the country. Usually these people simply become spoilers, securing just enough votes to cripple a major candidate and ensuring the election of a possibly major, but inferior candidate. I wonder too about the people who vote for an extremist candidate who has no chance of winning. Too often their allegiance to what they consider a principle results in the election of the person the most distant from their supposed principles.

I've been active in politics all of my adult life. I vote. I attend caucuses. I've been a delegate (state and county). I've held party offices. I've worked on campaigns. I've been a legislative page. I even won an election myself to a town council. Still, the things that bothers me the most about our political process is the number of people who don't care, the number who are uninformed, the ones with short memories concerning a candidate's past poor choices, biased and bigoted voters, and the number of voters who value freedom so little they vote on a whim or not at all.

SNEAK PEEK

2012-01-27T16:38:00.000-07:00

Would you like a peek at my new book? I finally have a cover for Heirs of Southbridge. What do you think? I don't have the first chapter posted yet, but it always starts to feel real once I see the cover. Some bookstores are accepting advance orders and though it isn't available yet, it will be on Kindle. And speaking of Kindle, all but a couple of my books are now available for Kindle e-readers and the last couple soon will be.

Heirs of Southbridge is an historical/romance that takes place in the last half of the nineteenth century. It takes place beginning in Alabama, travels west, then returns to the South.

TAKE A RIDE ON THE PUBLICATION TRAIN

2012-01-19T06:46:00.000-07:00

A few years ago President Gordan B. Hinkley compared life to a journey on an old fashioned train. He said, and I'm paraphrasing, that most of life contains cinders, soot, noise, unexpected jerks and stops, cramped seating, and fatigue. Then he said it is the unexpected, beautiful vistas enjoyed here and there and arriving at your destination that makes the journey worthwhile. I've often thought of that statement and added my own interpretations to it along the way. Lately I've been comparing it for a young friend of mine to becoming a writer.

It's important to pack properly for your journey. Some of the items needed for your trip include: a love of stories (that includes a lot of reading); a sound grounding in grammar, spelling, word usage, and an appreciation for words; you'll also need a computer with the right software installed and the ability to use it both for writing and research (Gone are the days when handwritten or typed books are accepted by a publishing house and no matter how much better and easier to use Word Perfect may be than Word, manuscripts must be submitted in a compatible format to that used by the publishers you plan to send your submission.), and you'll need a generous amount of time.

Speaking of time, time isn't something that just happens. Those of us who hammered out our first stories on an old Smith-Corona with a baby on our laps, a four-year-old watching cartoons, and an older child grudgingly practicing the piano all in the same room learned something about making time. Today's young writers face those same obstacles plus the lure of social media and often the need to work to keep a roof over their families' heads. Making time to write isn't easy, but it can be done if the desire is strong enough.

The ride itself is bumpy and discouraging at times. Years of rejection slips, computer glitches, rewrites, submissions to agents or editors that seem to go nowhere, critique groups that find fault, and so many other disappointments, including seemingly no return for long hours of work. It's easy to see why many give up or attempt shortcuts to publication.

There are lovely vistas along the way---a meaningful writers' conference, a helpful class, encouraging words from your critique group, established writers or an agent who see something in your work and provide advice and encouragement, getting a request for the full manuscript, and perhaps most important of all, the sheer joy of writing.

When that much anticipated call finally comes and you learn a publisher wants your manuscript, it's not the end of the journey but simply an announcement that your stop is coming up. There are still rewrites, editing, contract approval, preparations for publicity, and so many new, unexpected things to learn and do.

The day you first hold a published copy of your book in your hands, the first time you see your book on a bookstore shelf, the first time you pass a car in a parking lot and realize someone is sitting in that car listening to your book, when you board a plane and notice a copy of your book on someone's lap, when a total stranger approaches you at a book signing and says "I loved your book" or you receive a note that says, "your book changed my life"-- those are the grand vistas. In some cases holding a royalty check in your hand is a memorable vista. Just knowing you've succeeded in reaching a difficult goal you set for yourself is perhaps the grandest vista of all. But that isn't the end of the ride. There's always another journey, another destination, another book to write, another goal to reach.

LDS Fiction--Good, Bad, or Ho Hum

2012-01-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last blogged. Even though I got my flu shot last September, I came down with a rip roaring case of the flu last week, then I've been reading Whitney nominees. (I have two and a half books to go!) There are twenty-five entries in the category I've been asked to read and they haven't been as much fun as in other years. Only about twenty percent merit consideration for any kind of award. Far too many are unedited or sloppily edited and the writers, many of whom show great potential, need to study the elements of story-telling. A lesson in proof reading and word usage wouldn't hurt either for some.

Some of the things I've found annoying in this year's crop of nominees are crude or dirty language, absurd and far too many comparisons using like or as, unlikable protagonists, shoddy research, an assumption the reader is too stupid to read between the lines of what really goes on when two people without religious convictions share a living space, stupid, unrealistic heroines, weird unpronounceable names, turning relationships into game playing, poor word choices ("turn on the sink" Really?), boring middles where nothing happens, and unappealing, tedious beginnings.

Okay, that's enough complaining about the poor entries. It's the half dozen or so at the top that keep me from throwing up my hands and saying, "I quit." The authors of these books renew my faith in LDS fiction. They're clever, they touch the heart, they understand creating a fiction arc, they make it almost impossible for a reader to set down their books. Their characters are so real the reader feels he/she has a new friend. Some made me laugh, some impressed me with their use of words, a couple brought a tear or two, and at the conclusion of each I was glad I had the experience of reading that particular book.

Overall, I'd say there are some truly talented authors in today's LDS fiction market. There is also a large number of potentially great authors if they'll take the time to study their craft and improve their skills. I'm well aware writers and critics look carefully at each other's writing and we help each other a lot by pointing out flaws and weaknesses as well as applauding a job well done. The Whitney Awards were designed to showcase LDS writers, who in the eyes of their contemporaries, have written something exceptional. To some extent writers learn if they're doing something right when they get their royalty checks, but readers might be surprised how much writers appreciate feedback from readers in the form of letters, emails, and blog comments.

As a Whitney judge, I don't think it would be ethical to list my favorite LDS novels, but I challenge readers of this blog to list in the comment trail which novels you found the most memorable in 2011. It would be interesting, too, to share the things that annoy you about LDS fiction and which things you like most.

DREAMS OR GOALS

2012-01-04T20:02:00.000-07:00

It's probably safe to assume a large proportion of bloggers will blog about New Year's resolutions this week. Not me. I don't make New Year's resolutions. I tried it a couple of times, but it never seemed to work out. I am pretty good, however, at setting goals and actually achieving them. They just aren't linked to the New Year.

When there's something I want to accomplish I set a goal, doesn't matter the time of year, but I have a few requirements for setting goals. First the goal has to be something I really want to do or achieve. Then there must be specific steps I must take to reach that goal and here's the important part. The steps must be measurable. Suppose I set a goal to follow an exercise program. It does no good to say I'm going to exercise more often. It's necessary to be more specific; I'm going to exercise five days a week by riding my exercise bike for thirty minutes each day at the rate of six miles each half hour or I will run three miles in forty-five minutes, four days a week. Next keep a record. Jot down each days accomplishment on the calendar or in your journal so you can see your progress. This method works for scripture reading, gardening, cleaning house, losing weight, or even writing. Set the goal, break it down into measurable steps, keep a record. For many people reporting to a friend, family member, or your facebook friends helps keep the motivation going. Do it together if you have a friend or family member reaching for the same goal. Also if I mess up one day, it's not the end of my goal, I just continue on the next day.

Everyone should set a few long term goals that require considerable effort. I'm convinced working hard for a long term goal brings inner strength, a sense of personal satisfaction, and builds self esteem. In many cases it also makes us more sensitive to the efforts of others which I consider a character improvement. When I left journalism and set out to write a novel I set some goals: Write a minimum of two hours, six days a week, read something every day, take a class on writing fiction, join a writers' group, research agents, submit a manuscript to an agent within one year. I actually did all of that and in the process I set more goals: get a really first class unabridged dictionary, determine which areas of my writing were open to editorial change and which were standards I wouldn't change even for a contract, and the list goes on. I had a lot to learn about contracts, marketing, editing, book signings, etc. Each was a challenge that called for a goal. With all I've learned about writing fiction, I think some of those first goals are still the most important---write something every day and read something every day.

I've learned I'm better at short term goals than long ones so I keep the long ones to a minimum. I keep a list of at least four or five things I plan to do each day in my head--I used to write these lists down and sometimes I still do if it's a long list. I find I get more done if I have a plan of action for the day though I have a permanent list of priorities in my head, too, and if one of these priorities comes along, I have no qualms about bumping one, two, or even all of my daily goals in order to meet the needs of one of those priorities.

With all of this goal setting, or possibly resolutions, it's important to remember a happy life requires some spontaneity. Some time should be left to see life through the eyes of a child, read a book, watch the birds, and dream a little.

So dear friends, this month let's talk about goals (or resolutions if you like). Let's also talk about hopes and dreams for the new year. They're not the same thing you know. Hopes and dreams can be goals if they're pursued in a realistic way, but as long as they're just in our heads and not a matter of action on our part, they stay in the realm of fantasy, pleasant thoughts, or - well- dreams.

Christmas Wish List Winners

2012-01-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

The winners are leah and Sara. Congratulations. Please send me a list of at least five LDS novels on your wish list and your mailing address.

Happy New Year! I'll blog and announce the next contest in the next couple of days.

A Memorable Christmas

2011-12-27T18:24:00.000-07:00

This Christmas turned out to be a memorabe Christmas for our family. Our oldest grandson is engaged. His fiance and her little brother spent Cristmas Eve with us, bringing our Christmas Eve family celebration to twenty-five. We enjoyed good food, the grandchildren presented the nativitypageant, and all of our little piano players shared a Christmas carol with us. Opening presents (we open family Christmas presents on Christmas Eve, leaving Santa's bounty to reign on Christmas morning in our children's individual homes) was as usual wildly chaotic, but there seemed to be something sweeter about just being together. Christmas morning we attended one of the most touching Christmas services ever.

When our first two grandchildren were small, we started taking a picture of the grandchildren on our stairs on Christmas Eve. The number of children on the stairs has grown over the years and this year we added three new ones---our grandson's fiance and her little brother and our precious new granddaughter were added this year. Getting thirteen children ranging from ten months to twenty-one to sit still for a picture is a challenge. Finally I said if they'd sit nicely for a few pictures they could act as silly as they wanted for one. This is what I got:

The December Wish List contest is drawing to a close. Only those who post comments this month are eligible to win a book of their choice. To begin with I limited the contest to those who shared a Christmas memory. I'm broadening that requirement to include those who wish to share a snippet of this Christmas. The contest ends Dec. 31 so comment on as many of this month's blogs or reviews (on Meridian) as you wish. Each comment is an entry.

MY CHRISTMAS CARD TO YOU

2011-12-21T21:03:00.000-07:00

Christmas cards are a custom that seems to be slowly dying. I find this kind of sad. I've always loved getting and sending cheery little messages at Christmas time. Unlike some, I also love long, chatty Christmas letters and feel a little disappointed when a card arrives with only the sender's signature. Yet even I cut my card list in half this year. Unfortunately sending large numbers of cards has gotten too time consuming, too expensive, and like most other people I've found I can save time, money, and reach out to more people via the internet. Close family and friends whom I won't be seeing during the holiday season got cards, particularly those who never or seldom check email or Facebook. For everyone else, this is my Christmas card and letter. That doesn't mean you matter less; it simply means you're younger, more computer savvy, and more accustomed to computer communication with me than to paper communications.

If you read my blog, you already know the highlights of my year have been a new granddaughter in April, the release of If I Should Die in June, a trip to the Shakespeare Festival and to Touacahn in July, a reunion with my siblings and their spouses in October, and the purchase of a new car in late fall. I've attended soccer games, piano recitals, a dance concert, and celebrated birthdays with my grandchildren. There have been cookouts (sometimes cook-ins due to the past year's crazy weather), family dinners, ward dinners, and the acceptance of my next book Heirs of Southbridge slated for a March release. Below are a few pictures taken during this past year. On top of everything else, there has been the ongoing problem with knees that no longer cooperate and numerous shots to delay surgery on them.

So now that the chatty part of this Christmas letter is over, I want to wish you a merry Christmas and tell you how grateful I am for the people who read my books, my Meridian column, my blogs, and even my Facebook posts. Most of all, I want you to know that though I love the songs of Christmas, the whole Santa thing, spending a wonderful time with my children and grandchildren, becoming involved in service projects, and giving presents; the Christmas Season means more than that to me. I cherish most those quiet moments, found most often in the temple, when I contemplate the awesome events of the night Christ was born, when I feel deep in my soul the enormity of God's gift to us.

May each of you be blessed with peace, hope, and an assurance of Christ's love as we commemorate His birth and as you embark on the coming year.

Engage the Senses

2011-12-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

Enhance both your writing and Christmas by employing all of your senses. Early in my writing career I learned that the more senses engaged in a story, the greater impact the story would have on the reader and the more memorable it would be. In studies not related specifically to writing, I learned this concept holds true in every facet of human life. Learning is closely linked to the employment of sound, sight, touch, taste, and smell; the more of these senses involved in the learning process the more deeply imbedded in our minds are the concepts learned. In nothing is this more exemplified than in our memories of Christmas.

The sounds of Christmas bring a flood of memories. The first Christmas carol or hymn I remember learning was Away in the Manger in a little pre-school Sunday School class in Lost River, Idaho. That's where I, a little farm girl, understood and my heart was touched by a tiny infant with no bed, but a cow manger. Star Bright takes me back to a cold crisp Christmas Eve when I stood in our back yard gazing at glittering diamonds in a velvet sky and saw a meteor streak across the sky. Chimes remind me of Christmas in a small Montana valley where the cold, crisp air carried the ringing of church bells on Christmas morning ringing up every slope.

The sights of Christmas are many. Lights and color play a prominent role. I stood among the crowd with swollen feet and belly the first year the lights on Temple Square were lit to mark the season. Nine months pregnant with my first to be born, I stood in awe as the lights proclaimed the miracle of the Savior's birth. I've always loved the various crèches I've seen displayed and I own several. A neighbor used to set up a live nativity each year with a real donkey, sheep, and a cow. These are among the sights that bring memories flooding back for me. I don't suppose there is any other day in the calendar when more pictures are taken than Christmas. I love looking at those pictures of Christmases past and seeing the wonder in the eyes of my children and grandchildren and remembering the concerts, school programs, and trips to visit Santa they represent. Each of the thirty-five nutcrackers I display each Christmas in my home visually reminds me of precious events and people. And is there anyone who doesn't associate the combination of red and green with Christmas?

There's a physical feel to Christmas too. The prickly touch of pine needles, the soft silk of a shawl worn by my daughters and granddaughters as they take turns being Mary in our family pageant, the metallic key that turns the music boxes, plush velvet of little girls' dresses, the smooth glass of balls that have hung on our Christmas trees for 47 years, and of course my aching feet after each shopping marathon.

Taste and smell are closely linked and of paramount importance at Christmas. It is said that smell has the capacity to bring back memories more than any of the other senses. I don't know if this is true, but the scents of pine, cinnamon, chocolate, and oranges are among the most pleasant of odors on earth and they invite warm memories I associate with the holiday season. Warm bread or rolls, roasting goose, peppermint candy canes, chocolate covered cherries, nuts, fudge divinity, apple pie with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream, waffles with chokecherry syrup, bacon, clam chowder, pineapple slices---the list is endless of the foods that make up our Christmas feasts.

Christmas is a time for memories, for reflections on the birth of Christ, for giving and sharing, for families, for celebration, and for quiet prayer. Christmas is the most celebrated holiday in the western world and its impact is felt so strongly because our worship is linked to all of our senses. Inviting readers to view our stories through their senses is something every writer should remember.

The Multi-cultural Holiday Dilemma

2011-12-07T19:14:00.000-07:00

In the main entry a large Christmas tree reached almost to the ceiling and in the office a smaller tree stood on the counter that separated students from the school secretary. Someone taped a cluster of mistletoe above the wide arch that led to the cloakroom. Minutes after the second bell rang files of junior high students left their homerooms one class at a time to make their way to the school's large auditorium to rehearse for the annual Christmas assembly. Every homeroom class took a turn---except mine.

I was in the eighth grade when I learned not everyone observed Christmas. My homeroom teacher was Jewish and refused to participate in Christmas or Easter observances. Those of us in her class felt cheated. We wanted to be part of the assembly even if all we did was join in singing carols. It was hard to study and learn grammar rules while all of the other students in the school were in the auditorium rehearsing, goofing off, and having fun. We did get to attend the assembly with the principal and assistant principal sitting with our class, but were painfully aware none of the talented singers or dancers in our class set foot on the stage.

Over the years many events have brought glimpses of understanding concerning that awkward Christmas. Certainly a non-Christian school teacher should not have been required to participate in that assembly; I've never felt any animosity toward her for her refusal to be part of something she didn't believe in. She was, in fact, an excellent teacher who did much to encourage me and her many other students. However, I have wondered at times why a few parents weren't asked to chaperone our class and help us to be participants in an assembly that was a big deal back then.

A few years later in another community, I noticed a handful of students sitting in the library with their textbooks open before them as the rest of the students made their way to the auditorium for a Christmas program presented by a traveling university group. I knew those students were Jehovah's Witnesses and a few were Jewish. I found something sad about them studying while the rest of us were enjoying a delightful program.

These two instances were a stark contrast to another school I attended where every student was required to take choir, all thirty four of us. It was a small school. If anyone checked, we probably represented a half dozen or more different faiths as well as including a Native American and a couple of atheists and our choir director was the Baptist preacher from a nearby town. We sang at his church, at the LDS church, at the Catholic Church, and at several other protestant churches. We sang for naturalization ceremonies, graveside services, Easter Sun Rise Services, and Christmas programs. It was one of the richest experiences of my school years.

In today's political climate too often the solution to mixed faiths and observances has become outlawing all such observances. No one's God is allowed in school. That's sad. Our lives and our culture will only be strengthened and enriched by learning more of other cultures and the faiths of other people. To shut away our history and religious traditions hurts more than helps world unity.

I visited a beautiful historical church in San Antonio a few years ago where the priest conducted a short service for us, but knowing most of our group weren't Catholic he quoted some well-known nondenominational poetry in place of prayers. I was disappointed and couldn't help contrasting that service with the solemn warmth of a Christmas mass I attended once with a friend where the service was steeped in hundreds of years of spiritual custom . My mother-in-law was a registered nurse. In an attempt to be fair to everyone, the hospital administrator assigned everyone to work on Christmas Day, but a Jewish nurse went to Mom with a suggestion that my mother-in-law trade her Christmas hours for the other nurse's Hanukah ones. As a young reporter, I and my family were invited to a Lutheran Church for their festival of lights, Santa Lucia. It was a choice experience my small children have remembered and occasionally speak of, though they are parents themselves now. I believe attending other churches and honoring other faith's traditions leads to understanding and openness between various peoples.

When I worked for the City Library, I spent a number of years at a small branch library on the west side of Salt Lake City. Our patrons were very diverse since that seems to be an area where refugees settle first when they come to Utah. It was fun to share the excitement and enthusiasm of our youngest patrons as various cultural and religious holidays arrived. I particularly remember a little Vietnamese boy, who never stopped chattering, trying to explain to a shy little Muslim girl, who never spoke to anyone, why the library ladies had a tree with lights on it inside the library. Children have no problem observing every feast or holiday and inviting other children of different cultures to join them and they are anxious to learn about different celebrations. We adults should be more like that. We should welcome opportunities to share our traditions and beliefs and we should embrace occasions when we can be part of other cultures' and denominations' observances. The peace and understanding most faiths claim to seek can best be found through sharing our celebrations, not by hiding them away for fear some might be offended. We should go the second mile to enable others to observe those occasions important to them too. Not only should no one be pressured to observe a religious holiday they feel uncomfortable with; neither should anyone be kept from openly participating in observances they find important. Diluting a religious observance to something non-denominational isn't the answer either. Our culture can only benefit from sharing the events we find significant rather than hiding them from public view.

This month's Wish List contest is only open to those who comment on this month's blogs here, on my blog on the V- Formation or on any of my December reviews on Meridian. (Meridian's comments do not post immediately, but are on a delay system and can usuall be seen the next day).

The Christmas Spirit is Alive and Well

2011-12-04T07:42:00.000-07:00

Christmas isn't even here yet, but this past week will go down in my Christmas memories as one of those special Christmases and each time I think of these past few days, I'll think of the kind and generous people in my ward. The past couple of weeks have been really busy and I've been struggling with pain in my knees as well as an editing deadline for my next book. Thursday was our Relief Society service auction. This is a fun event each year where the women including the Young Women in our ward enjoy a nice dinner, then through a points system, bid for services provided by each other. It's always fun and everything from lovely handmade items to babysitting or mopboard scrubbing is auctioned off. This year I was in charge of the ward Christmas party scheduled for the following night and my committee wanted to set up and decorate for that event right after the RS social.

At the conclusion of the Relief Society auction, their committee pitched in to clean up and help my ward party committee set up. When we discovered we were short tablecloths, Laurie drove out to her aunt's home some distance away to borrow more for us and a few of us worked on decorations until eleven, then came back at eight the next morning to finish up.

Friday was filled with preparations and at least fifty more people than we were told to expect, but everyone volunteered to crowd more chairs at tables and set up more tables. Fortunately there was enough food, but it caused some worry as the potatoes began to run low. The Kearns Madrigals provided a wonderful music program. Even Santa showed up. After the ward party concluded, again everyone pitched in to clean up and set up for a funeral to be held the next day.

All this time I was worrying about getting the edit for my next book finished by my deadline. Every moment possible I was working on it. Fortunately my editor gave me a few days extension. Only taking time out of editing on Saturday to attend the funeral, I buried myself in trying to finish it. Late in the afternoon, the Relief Society president called to say she was bringing us a surprise. A short time later Holly and Steve walked in carrying a delightful surprise. Steve used the leftover ham bones from the party to brew up a huge pot of ham and beans, and knowing that's something I really like, they brought over a generous share for us. It was delicious and much appreciated.

Yes, the Spirit of Christmas is alive and well.

Shared Glimpses of Christmas Wish List Contest

2011-12-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

December has a way of becoming too busy to think straight. I'm slow posting the winners for November's Wish List contest due to the fact I'm in charge of my ward's Christmas party which is tonight and a few dozen other excuses. I picked the winners a few minutes ago and they are Cheri Crane and Vicki Firth. Congratulations! Of course that means it's time for a new contest to begin and I'm changing the rules a little bit for this month. Only those who share a true Christmas experience will be eligible to win the prizes--an LDS fiction novel from my over-flowing shelves. There will be two winners.

First Candycane

Everyone, for good or bad, has a memorable Christmas story tucked away in their memories. Please share those experiences here. I'll try to share some of my memories of Christmases past each week too. The memories may be simple such as the Christmas my son-in-law was at Walter Reed Army hospital and I sent a big package to my daughter's family at
Andrews AirForce Base for Christmas. My almost three-year-old grandson saw the postman leave the package and became the postman's best friend because there was no way he could be persuaded the gifts came from Grandma and Grandpa. He knew it was the postman who gave him all those surprises. Your story may be longer, spiritual, funny, or however you remember the event. You may enter more than once too. I'm looking forward to reading glimpses of your past Christmases.

Checking out the Christmas decorations.

Some Days are Like That

2011-11-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was an interesting day in an odd sort of way. I had shots in both knees and hurried out to do some Christmas shopping before the anesthesia (local) wore off. (When it wears off I always get a king size headache similar to a migraine.) I got some great deals, but also had a flat tire on my new car. The dealership very graciously agreed to replace the tire even though the problem was a big long screw in the sidewall, not a tire defect. I came home to find no internet service and I'm trying to finish up the edit on Heirs of Southbridge. Fortunately my Meridian column for this week had been turned in early; unfortunately my Christmas book column for next week may be post-poned a week and I'll run another review next week.

Also the November Wish List contest ends tomorrow. Comments posted on any of the blogs or reviews I posted this month count as entries, as do each follower. Multiple comments each count.

A Day to Give Thanks

2011-11-23T21:38:00.000-07:00

As I was shopping for a few last minute items I forgot when I did my Thanksgiving shopping, the yams I selected shot through the bottom of the plastic bag and scattered all over the floor. As I bent to begin picking them up, a boy tore off a plastic bag and began gathering them up for me. When he finished, he set them in my cart, I thanked him profusely, and he hurried off to join his mother. The boy was probably somewhere around ten or twelve and I'd never seen him before. He had no way of knowing how much my knees hurt or that I'll soon be having surgery on them. I'm not only grateful for his act of kindness, but I'm thankful there are young people in this world who are growing up with kind hearts, the kind of future leaders my generation can safely trust with the responsibilities they will face as tomorrow's decision makers.

I've found myself thinking lately about Mrs. King, my third grade teacher who taught me something of the history of Thanksgiving. With big paper buckles on our shoes and pilgrim hats and bonnets on our heads or a feathered headband and beads, we sat down to a Thanksgiving feast of apples, raisins, and some kind of bread similar to fry bread. Even now I remember the song she taught us to sing before we began our feast.

Bless this house, O Lord we pray.

Keep it safe by night and day.

Bless these walls, so firm and stout,

Keeping want and hunger out.

I know, the song wouldn't be acceptable in today's classrooms, but I'm glad it was in mine.

I've talked all month, as have many of you, about those things, large and small, for which we are thankful. Today I'll only add my gratitude for good food, family to enjoy it with me, and a warm home to shelter us from the cold. May your day be as filled with warmth, good food, and love as mine.

NEWS

2011-11-19T19:54:00.002-07:00

My historical novel now has a title, The Heirs of Southbridge, and a tentative release date of March 2012. I started my part of the editing process today and so far it's going really well. It's always a little odd to go back to a story written almost a year ago. There are a number of things I didn't see then, but fortunately my editor did. There are a lot of things I did right and I'm enjoyng the story in a way I couldn't when it was so fresh in my mind. As many of you know this is the story that would have been Diamond if the Bracelet series had gone to the six books originally intended. I like it as a stand alone and hope you, the readers will too. I'll post a picture of the cover as soon as it is available.

On another note I recently finished posting an earlier book of mine on Kindle. Journey Home is the book that follows Run Away Home in my three book Home trilogy. I had a hard time finding a new cover, but thanks to my cousin Ruby, who lives in Alaska where much of this story takes place, my Kindle edition has a real Alaska landscape cover. Just this evening I got the message that the book is now live and available for Kindle readers.

Both of these items are additions to my gratitude list for this month.

MORE THAN A DAY

2011-11-17T09:59:00.000-07:00

One week from today is Thanksgiving Day. One day is not enough for turning our thoughts toward the things that are right in our lives. Most of us can list a dozen or more grievences, disappointments, and failed dreams, but for this week I suggest we consider those things that are right and good in our lives.

I'll begin by expressing gratitude for this country I call home. It is a land of beauty, mountains, rivers, lakes, trees, vast fields, flowers, snowy mountain slopes, and rugged deserts. It's a land filled with rich natural resources. It's a land that respects the past, but zooms ahead to embrace newness and innovation.
I love the rich mixture of ideas, beliefs, cultures, and faiths.

My extended family is large and diverse. We represent an array of races and beliefs, but at the core we love and respect each other. We enjoy each other.

My husband, children and each of their small families rank right at the top of my gratitude list. How sad I would be if I had missed out on being a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. I even like being a mother-in-law since I have four of the greatest sons-inlaw on earth and a lovely daughter-in-law who brings love and kindness wherever she goes.

I'm thankful for my house. I watch House Hunters on TV sometimes and laugh at the things some people think are wonderful and scratch my head over some things some people find a drawback.

I'm thankful that I was raised a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and became a convert as I discovered its truths for myself. I'm thankful for all the many opportunities I've been given to serve and give through the Church.

And I'm even thankful for all the mundane small things that go into making my life pleasant; things like my new car, telephones, computers, chocolate, a microwave oven, books (and the education that enabled me to read and develop a talent to write), modern plumbing, electricity, and the list could be quite endless.

And lest I forget to add them elsewhere, let me say I'm thankful for all of the teachers, editors, productin staff, and readers who have made me able to make the claim, "I'm the published author of more than twenty books!"

A Salute to Heroes

2011-11-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

Among the heroes in my life are the men and one woman who served in the military who have made a personal impact on my life. There's my son-in-law Rich, my brothers Jerry, Ron, and Vic, my Uncle Russell and his son, Don, my great niece's father Bob, my friend Kerry Blair's son, Matt, and Major Rushton (Pat), a delightful friend I used to visit teach. Jerry and Uncle Russ are no longer with us, but I wish all of the rest of them, along with the many other men and women who have served the cause of freedom both in America and foreign countries, a day of peace and the gratitude of grateful nations.

For the Birds

2011-11-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

Sitting at the table in the breakfast nook, I like to watch the birds that visit our birdfeeder. The smaller birds; the sparrows, the finches, the chickadees, and such flit in troupes from the trees to the feeder, to the fence, to the bushes, and back again. Entertaining and fun, they're constantly on the move and squander their energy on following the crowd. The doves stick to the business of eating as they plant themselves under the feeder and scoop up all the seeds the busy smaller birds knock off the narrow edge. They grow fat and complacent feeding off easy pickings. A number of other birds; magpies, crows, woodpeckers, robins, hummingbirds, those that don't congregate in flocks or depend on the feeder make brief appearances, eat quickly while keeping a wary eye out for danger, search out a few worms or bugs in the garden, then hurry on their way. Another bird that is a regular visitor to our backyard is a hawk. When the hawk appears almost all of the birds make a mad dash for safety. Unfortunately a few burrow deep into the pine limbs as though hoping to remain invisible to the predator; they usually wind up being the hawk's lunch.

Some writers are like those sparrows. They're so busy flitting about between conferences, web sites, Facebook, and other places where writers congregate, they get little writing done, almost no original research, and expend all of their energy running about, hanging out, and wishing. If they actually reach the point where they submit their work to a publisher or agent it suffers from a lack of attention to detail, more dreaming than actual work, or a myriad of other shortcomings. A few cower in a corner, never getting brave enough to actually submit a manuscript or search for an agent. Their talent dies from a lack of courage.

Some writers are like the fat doves, content to live in their make believe world and do little to actually get published. They're content with whatever falls their way. They may get published, but they never reach the heights they might if they worked harder and had more motivation.

Some writers are more like the robins and woodpeckers who show up for a few communal sessions, work hard, then go on to the next opportunity. They scope out the market, draw their material from multiple sources, and take personal responsibility for their success or failure. Like the hummingbirds, some work extra hard, and are a blur of color and industry.

Now where does the hawk fit into this picture? There are a number of parallels I might draw here. There are a few writers who like to puff out their chests and let everyone know they're bigger and better than anyone else. They thrive on cutting other writers down. Occasionally the hawk might be the person who is too big for the feeder, too proud to pick up what falls on the ground, but takes savage delight in writing nasty critiques or reviews to kill the work and confidence of others who are a little vulnerable or insecure. (I've yet to meet the published writer who isn't still a little vulnerable and insecure.) And sometimes the hawk is the talented individual whose talent and hard work makes it possible to soar above the ordinary.

In the ten years I've been writing reviews for Meridian, I've read over a thousand books, met scores of writers, and watched writing careers that have soared to great heights and lost sight of writers whose careers have dropped out of sight. I've seen great talent squandered through sheer laziness and I've seen writers who succeeded in getting published through hard work and persistence in spite of limited natural talent. I've cheered when a deserving author got a big contract and I've cried when a talented author received rejection after rejection. I've been uplifted; I've been bored, I've been informed, I've endured, and I've been entertained in the most delightful ways. To all of you, thank you. You've made this past ten years memorable for me. And I hope you don't mind, if while I stare out my window, I name a few birds in your honor.

Just a reminder that the November Wish List contest is underway. Each comment counts.

MORE THAN A TASTE OF WINTER

2011-11-05T10:45:00.000-06:00

We got a full blown winter storm overnight. My husband actually had to get out the snow blower and use a long pole to knock snow off of the trees that still have leaves; they were in danger of breaking from the heavy load of snow. I'm grateful for him. I'm thankful, too, today that I went shopping yesterday instead of leaving it for today. Actually my husband took me shopping for a couple of new outfits for my birthday, then out to lunch. I also did some Christmas shopping. That's another thing I'm thankful for, grandchildren to give me an excuse to shop for cute kid things. I dislike most shopping, but I have to admit it's fun to shop for things for a little girl who will be ten months old at Christmas.

Here are a few pictures taken this morning before the snow was knocked down from the trees and the bird feeder cleared.

Contest to First Taste of Winter

2011-11-01T12:36:00.000-06:00

Winners for October's Wish List contest are Steph (from Wyoming) and Becky (I don't know where she hails from). Congratulations! Please send me your wish list of five or more LDS novels you would like to have and I'll send one from your list to each of you. Send to bhansen22 at msn dot com and put Wish List in the subject line. I'll also need your mailing address.

The new contest begins today and since it's November, it's time to talk about gratitude. I'll admit I wasn't too grateful this morning when I looked out to see snow falling, but overall I am grateful for the snow. It means water for next summer and it means skiiers coming to Utah's slopes. I don't ski, but I'm well aware of how much the ski industry helps my state's economy.

At the top of my gratitude list is my family. I have a pretty cool one. We're a diverse bunch, but we love and support each other a lot. I'm thankful for my testimony of the Gospel, my freedom, my house, my car, my income, my writing talent, good food, indoor plumbing, access to good medical care, and all those things that make my life comfortable and safe. And yes, I feel gratitude for even some of the small, simple things like chocolate, my computer, telephones, and a husband who likes to cook. The past few days we've spent time with my siblings and their spouses (we've lost four of our number in recent years and gained two new ones). There's something satisfying about spending time with the people who have made this journey with me since my earliest memories and been my best friends through all the many moves we made while growing up. There's something special about inlaws who are as dear to me as my own siblings, some of which share more than fifty years of memories. How could I not love the two sisters-in-law who turned my brother's sadness into continued years of happiness?

Our society sees more of complaints and anger than gratitude these days. All this month I'm going to think of at least one thing each day I'm grateful for. Care to join me?

And here's a glimpse of this winter's first snowfall:

WRITING 101

2011-10-27T08:30:00.000-06:00

Recently I taught a class at the Book Academy and was surprised by how many people in my class had no idea what the scene/sequel sequence is. Judging by some of the disjointed books I've read over the past year, I'd guess a lot of people don't understand this simple method of writing. In case you're interested, here are the basics to this writing method.

To begin with, the scene half of the method consists of three parts.

Goal: This is what the point of view character wishes to accomplish. (Don't confuse this with the writer's goal; their goals may be and usually are quite different.)

Dilemma: This is where the point of view character works through a plan for reaching his or her goal and attempts to carry out that plan.

Disaster: This is where something or someone wrecks the plan or in some cases the point of view character may achieve the goal but getting what he/she wanted can itself be a disaster for various reasons.

A scene is always shown from one character's point of view. No head hopping allowed.

Next comes the sequel which also consists of three parts. It is usually in the same character's point of view, but can be in another character's point of view. If handled right, there can be more than one reaction following one after another from multiple characters' points of view, but not jumbled together.

Reaction: This is where a character reacts to the scene's disaster. It may be as brief as bursting into tears or as long as needed to show the response to the disaster.

Re-evaluate: This is from the same POV as the reaction and is where the reacting character works out a method of dealing with the disaster, determines that something has to be done, and considers ways of dealing with obstacles.

Resolution: This is where the POV character makes up his/her mind to do something specific to correct the disaster. This resolution may become the goal for the next scene which may or may not follow immediately, but should be the goal of a future scene where this character is the POV character.

Following this method is a great way to create a logical sequence to a story. It eliminates the annoying habit some writers have of jumping from one character's head to another until the reader has no idea who is thinking or saying anything. Consecutive scenes may be from different points of view, but a great deal of confusion and annoyance can be avoided by remembering to stay in one character's head until a scene or sequel is finished. A scene or a sequel can be as long or as brief as needed. An entire chapter may consist of one sequence or it may contain several. I find I average about three to a chapter, though this varies.

Another advantage to using this method is the help it gives in overcoming writer's block. If a writer is stuck, I've found it works well to take a blank sheet of paper, space these six steps down one side of the paper, then jot down a brief outline of what needs to happen at each of these steps.

Some writers use this method to outline an entire book on paper. Others only use a mental form of outlining, but still follow these steps. It's an effective way to write especially for new writers. More experienced writers often work out a variation of this method, but still adhere to one scene/one head.

The month is almost over, but entries into the October Wish List Contest will be accepted until midnight Monday. The prizes are books and you get to choose from your own LDS fiction wish list. To enter, comment on any blog or review written by me and posted during October on this blog, on the V-Formation blog, or on Meridian and/or become a follower on this blog. Multiple entries are welcome and I'll be the sole judge of whether or not an entry is appropriate.

Shopping just isn't my thing!

2011-10-25T10:25:00.000-06:00

It may sound strange, but I don't like to shop. I endure grocery shopping because I like to eat. I put off clothes shopping as long as possible even though, like most women, I like something new to wear. Shoe shopping is torture. When it comes to household furniture and appliances I find myself wishing I could make them once-in-a-lifetime purchases which would never wear out. Yesterday I found myself doing the worst kind of shopping of all--car shopping.

I have absolutely loved my little Saturn Ion which I bought seven years ago. Terrific gas mileage, looked nice, paid for, dependable, very little maintenance required, an all around great car. But my husband finally convinced me I needed to trade it in while it still had some resale value and before I had to buy new tires or it required major work due to age.

Buying the new car was an all day production. I soon discovered most new cars are ugly. Car salesrooms are filled with over-priced impracticality. In some, a squad of salesmen hover at your elbow and in others there isn't a sales person to be found. We eventually found a dealership where the balance felt right and the salesman was helpful rather than pushy. I checked out the Cruze Eco online and at several dealerships and liked what I saw, but everywhere I looked they were all manual transmissions except at this one place. I learned to drive on a manual, but most of my driving is city and in the city I like an automatic much better. At last I'd found a salesman I liked and a car I liked. Even the color was good--a bright crystal red.

Unlike with other shopping where once I find what I like, I pay for it, and go on my way, buying a car involves hours of filling out papers, waiting for this and that, deciding whether to go with this guarantee or that, this service or that, and with today's cars there are lessons on learning to use On-star and operate satellite radio along with which button opens the trunk and which starts the engine. After spending two thirds of the day at the dealership before driving the new car home, I still have to take it back for some treatment I think I agreed to because I was tired and wanted to go home. By the way, on the drive home I discovered On-Star doesn't know the best way to my house and satellite radio sounds the same as plain old FM. It was a smooth comfortable ride, however.

After all that, I just hope my Cruze proves as dependable as my dear old Saturn. It's a cool looking car and if the gas mileage lives up to its hype, I'll be happy. And with any luck, I won't have to go car shopping again for a really long time.

Sharing a few pictures

2011-10-16T16:28:00.000-06:00

What a week this has been. I shared a picture from the court proceeding and thought you might like to see a few pictures taken after the sealing at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple on Saturday. The baby wore the same dress today for her blessing.

A GIFT OF LOVE

2011-10-12T19:40:00.000-06:00

Tuesday morning the adoption of my newest, darling granddaughter was finalized. Saturday our family will gather at the temple to be a part of her sealing to our family for all eternity and Sunday she will be blessed. It's shaping up to be a wondrous, happy week.

Naturally my mind has turned often to the miracle of adoption lately. I feel deep gratitude to the young mothers who loved their babies enough to give them two parents and a better chance in life than they could.

I feel a kind of sadness for the television shows and popular culture push for birth mothers who haven't finished school and have no real means of support, to keep their babies. I see young women who are emotionally immature, alone, or trying to escape dysfunctional homes being taught to think "if you keep your baby you'll have someone who loves you", "only a bad person would give away her child", "It'll be so much fun to have a baby," "don't worry about the money; there's government financial help for single mothers," "what will he think of you when he learns he was adopted?" or parents who insist "you can't give away my grandchild." Notice none of these concerns are actually for the baby. Almost always when there's no chance of marriage or a continuing loving relationship between the parents, premature parenthood is in neither the young mother's or her baby's best interest.

Too often single girls who keep their babies end up living a life of poverty. Their children are more likely to do without essentials, many suffer abuse from their mothers' boyfriends, and they're less likely to finish high school or go on to college. There are exceptions of course, but it's so much harder. I've seen grandparents who struggle to care for grandchildren, who love them, and act as parents, then suddenly have the children torn from their home when the mother decides to marry and take the children far away. I've also seen grandparents left in charge of their single child's baby who are physically unable to provide the needed care, leaving the baby or toddler unintentionally neglected.

Adoptions these days are very open. The young woman who chooses to place her child in a stable home can receive regular reports and pictures to assure her of the child's well-being. In some cases she can see the child at regular intervals. She can also finish her education, mature, establish a career, marry, and pursue her dreams, knowing the child she loves is being properly cared for and has the advantages of a loving home, enough to eat, the prospect of higher education, and the love of an extended family.

One of the greatest heartbreaks a couple can face is the knowledge that they can't have children. Here you have a couple who are committed to each other, financially prepared for parenthood, mature enough to be good parents, but for some reason they can't conceive. If these parents are fortunate enough to be allowed to adopt a child, I assure you they feel nothing but love and admiration for the birth mother who honestly considers her baby's future needs above her own. They respect her courage in completing the pregnancy and letting go of a piece of herself for the child's better good.

Adoption is no guarantee the child will have no problems and the parents will always know how to deal with every issue, but the same can be said for all children. Children don't come with how-to manuals, but adoptive parents receive more training than most as the proceed through the pre-adoption process. In my state they have to pass a pretty extensive background check as well. If anyone doubts an adopted child is loved as much as one born into a family, let me assure you there is no basis for that fear An adopted child is always wanted. One of my most treasured memories is that of my daughter when her first adopted child was placed in her arms by his birth mother. The look of joy, of rightness, of love on these two young women's faces is a memory I hold priceless. The same feelings of love and awe I experience holding my other grandchildren is there for these two adopted ones. I never find myself thinking, this one is adopted and this one isn't. They're all my grandchildren and all eleven are the most precious children in the world. If my experience is an indication of a trend, I'd say adoption is truly a win-win proposition for all concerned. My deepest thanks goes out to two brave young women who gave my grandchildren life, then gave them the precious gift of love by allowing them to be adopted.

PRIORITIES

2011-10-04T20:31:00.000-06:00

Reading, writing, and reviewing are top priorities in my life. I devote a lot of time to these three things. There are few things I'd rather do, but they aren't my only priorities. My husband, my children, and my grandchildren have first claim on my time and attention. The two days I spend serving in the temple rank among my top priorities as well. There are also my extended family and a whole raft of temporary priorities such as mopping my kitchen floor, weeding a flower bed, teaching a class, doing the laundry, balancing our checkbooks, visiting teaching, and so on. I'm no different from other writers. We have lives to lead that come before our characters' lives. (I've only ever met one writer who can afford a maid.) But I always come back to reading, writing, and reviewing.

It's important for each individual, not just writers, to discover their priorities. Writing isn't the only occupation that requires the ability to self-start and to set priorities, but since I'm in the writing business that's what I'm going to talk about. People who need someone else to wake them up, set their goals, and propel them toward the computer won't accomplish much. Writers who carve out their own time and predetermine what constitutes a qualified interruption are more likely to succeed than those who spend most of their precious writing time playing. The writer with a story to tell, a determination to get it published, and the ability to determine the priorities that will get him/her to that goal will succeed.

Establishing priorities is much like goal setting. First it is necessary to decide what matters most. For most of us, family comes before career, talents, or personal wants. Next comes needs; you know the routine; food, shelter, safety. Eventually we get down to things like careers, vocations, talents, and ambitions. For a writer, this usually means getting published and like so many of life's goals, much of the pleasure is derived from the journey.

Important aspects of making writing a priority are self-discipline, education, reading, and finishing. Self discipline is important if writing is a true priority. Facebook and games are fun and the networking can be beneficial, but they can steal a lot of valuable writing time, as can TV. If, like me, a person can't write until the beds are made and breakfast dishes are done, then do them first and fast. Eliminate as many distractions as possible as quickly as possible, then get to work.

Education doesn't always mean formal education. Writers can save themselves a lot of time and disappointment by reading books on writing, following up web sites devoted to writing instruction, and by attending conferences and seminars. Being part of a critique group can help a writer overcome some major stumbling blocks to becoming an accomplished and published author.

I know several writers who claim they don't have time to read. Frankly their work shows it. Reading what others in your genre write can be invaluable to discovering techniques, errors to avoid, and provide insight into why readers buy those writers' books. Reading in other genres broadens the background a writer brings to his/her own writing.

Finishing is an essential priority. Writers who allow themselves to be distracted by other book ideas tend to have dozens of partial manuscripts lying around, but no contracts and no books on store shelves. If a super idea occurs while working on something else, jot down a few notes and shove it in a drawer, then get back to finishing the manuscript at hand.

Modern life is so filled with distractions, information overload, enticing choices, and responsibilities, it can be overwhelming. Setting priorities eliminates some of life's emotional and physical clutter.

This month for the October Wish List Contest I'd like to hear about your priorities, your stories of how you've set your priorities, and how you stick to them. I'd also like to hear how you handle interruptions to those priorities you've set.

TIME TO ANNOUNCE WINNERS AGAIN

2011-10-01T16:36:00.000-06:00

And the winners are . . (drum roll) Stephanie Black and Tarmy. Congratulations to both of you. Please send me your LDS fiction wish list before Friday, Oct. 7--five or more books! I'll send one of them to you for your prize. Send the list and your mailing address to bhansen22 at msn dot com.

END OF MONTH--END OF SEPT WISH LIST CONTEST

2011-09-29T19:42:00.002-06:00

Just a reminder that tomorrow Sept. 30 is the last day of the September Wish List Contest! All comments on any of my posts during the month count toward the drawing.

A Little Craziness

2011-09-28T20:23:00.000-06:00

"Everyone in the whole world is crazy, except thee and me--and sometimes I wonder about thee." It was a popular saying when I was a teenager and sometimes I find myself thinking it today. Am I the only one who wonders if the world has gone a bit crazy?

Take our international economic situation! I took economic classes. I've studied finance from corporate bookkeeping to balancing my own checkbook and I can't see how we can spend our way out of debt. Sure purchasing goods; spending is essential to a healthy economy, but so is saving. Somehow our financial well-being has been twisted so that a person's ability to borrow matters more than the ability to pay one's own way. People determine their financial worth by their credit card limit instead of actual dollars in the bank. Poverty occurs when the credit cards are maxed out and the mortgage company forecloses. Savers who consistently squirrel away small sums of money for years to make major purchases, meet emergencies, or to provide a comfortable retirement are reaping .02% or less on their pitiful savings. What has happened to the economic laws I once knew?

Advertising constantly assures us we "deserve" this or that. I don't get that premise. No one "deserves" any of life's luxuries or even much of what many consider necessities. We don't buy cars, clothes, houses, or take vacations because we deserve them, but because we worked for the money to purchase them. We only "deserve" those inalienable rights given us by God--life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The Supreme Court says taking God's name publicly in vain is a constitutional right, but addressing God in prayer in public is a crime. It seems free speech has become a bit one-sided.

A man can be fired from his job for tackling a shoplifter, but it's all right for the store to increase the cost we all must pay to cover the loss from pilfered goods.

It's all right to dump piles of rocks, guaranteed to blow a tire or twist an ankle if accidently stepped on or driven over, in median strips in most neighborhoods, but it's illegal to plant vegetables in that space. A yard full of rocks and weeds is a good thing?

Occasionally my husband and I watch a television program that shows people purchasing houses, condos, or apartments. Sometimes we laugh at the unrealistic expectations of people who expect four bedrooms, a man cave, three baths, a modern kitchen, and a pool for $160,000. Other times we're amazed to see people who think they got an amazing bargain because they purchased a pile of rubble for over a million dollars. People gush over ugly tile, rave over weird wall paper, or turn their noses up over perfectly good, attractive, but slightly outdated fixtures. We shake our heads and say there's no accounting for tastes, good sense, or the odd quirks of the human mind.

Which brings me around to the business of writing. All of these elements of common sense--or lack there-of-- tastes, imagination, moral sense, realistic aspects, preferences play a part in both the creation and the consumption of novels. Whether consciously or not, a writer creates characters and actions that follow his/her own beliefs, standards, and sense of right and wrong. The reader brings his/her own set of values to those pages. Sometimes there is a happy meeting of minds between writer and reader, but sometimes it's a poor match. We've all had someone rave about how wonderful a book is, then when we pick it up, expecting a great read, only to find it lackluster, boring, so so, or even repugnant.

The world is a bit crazy; perhaps it always has been, but just as the people on that home buying show find the best bargains when they do some preparation, we can get the best bargain for our reading and writing enjoyment if we take the time to do a little preparation. Writers who are perfectly clear on who they are writing for find their writing niche most easily. A romance writer knows her audience wants romantic tension between a deserving couple who overcome great odds and end up in a committed relationship. Mystery and suspense readers want to be puzzled, scared a bit, then reach a satisfying solution to the puzzle. A writer who wants to write for the LDS market needs to write within the parameters of LDS standards. Deciding LDS readers need to "lighten up", accept more sexually explicit content and X-rated expletives is only going to attract like-minded readers, the bulk of the LDS market won't touch such books with a ten foot pole.

Many LDS readers in the past felt if they purchased a book at Deseret Book or Seagull Book (or any of the other LDS bookstore chains) it would be a good book. It might be a good book as far as maintaining standards, but no one book will meet the needs of every LDS reader. The most savvy shoppers learn some writers fill their needs better than others, some readers buy their books online, some checkout LDS books from their libraries. Keeping a list of preferred writers is a good idea, discovering which friends share similar tastes with you is helpful, reading blogs and reviews will generally give a good idea of whether or not a particular book might be enjoyable, and it's a good idea to talk to the authors at book signings . Reading will increase in the pleasure it provides as the reader discovers preferred genres and authors, but even favorites become better if there's a little craziness added for contrast now and then. Make it a policy to sample a new author or a different genre occasionally. If the new book turns out to be a pile of rubble, throw it at the wall, read something you know you'll like, and when you're ready to experiment again, do it. If you feel a wee bit crazy, you'll fit right in.

Book Academy Conference

2011-09-27T13:20:00.000-06:00

Next week, October 6 to be exact, I'll be teaching a class on writing Mystery/Suspense at the Book Academy Conference at Utah Valley University. I'll also be taking part in a marketing panel discussion on reviewing. You can get more information on the conference by going here. Nancy Campbell Allen, Gregg Luke, Sarah Eden, Angela Eschler, Kirk Shaw, and Lisa Mangum are just a few of the other presenters. It's going to be fun -- and scary. The scariest part will probably be the freeway between Salt Lake and the UVU campus!

There are a number of writers conferences each year that take place both locally and nationally. They provide great opportunities for writers and future writers to connect, to learn of changes in the industry, to receive encouragement, and further their skills. Some are sponsored by organizations such as ANWA, the League of Utah Writers, LDStorymakers, Romance Writers of America (both state and national levels), and by colleges and universities. Anyone wishing to break into the writing/publishing field should seriously consider attending a conference. Some conferences require membership in the sponsoring organization, but most do not. Some are directed specifically toward a certain genre; mystery writers, science fiction, western, romance; and some are more general. Most also have a blend of specific, practical writing help and general marketing assistance.

Those who aren't writers, but enjoy reading, probably won't want to attend a conference, but they can still improve their selection of reading material by being vocal about what they like or don't like in the books they read. They can let writers and publishers know on blogs, on facebook, in emails, etc. what is appreciated, what is found to be offensive, and what they would like to find on their library or bookstore shelves.

It's been a few years since I've been a speaker or a workshop presenter at a writing conference so I may be a bit nervous, but I suspect this one will be a great experience and I'll have the good fortune to meet the authors of tomorrow's best sellers.

Booksigning!

2011-09-22T08:22:00.000-06:00

I'll be participating in Seagull Books Celebrating Sisterhood Saturday, Sept. 24 between ten and noon. I'll be at the District Seagull Book Store, a new store located just off of Bangerter Highway at 11531 District Dr. in South Jordan. That's almost directly across the highway from the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. I'll be signing my new book, If I Should Die, and any of my other books that are in the store or brought in by customers. Come chat with me and eat some snacks. I love meeting new readers and getting reaquainted with readers I've met before. It'll be fun in this lovely new setting.

OBSERVATION

2011-09-14T20:04:00.000-06:00

No one has ever accused me of being the most observant person on this planet. I trip over lint on the carpet! I was in a minor accident once with a hit and run driver; I couldn't remember whether it was a car, a station wagon, or a pickup truck that hit my car. Unfortunately my youngest daughter takes after her mother; she tripped over the welcome mat at her own front door and seriously sprained both ankles last week!

Oddly enough I do notice trivia and some not so trivial things around me. Last week I observed a little girl at a salad bar scoop up some chocolate pudding and try to shake it onto her plate from the spoon. It didn't fall off so she wiped it off with her fingers, then licked her fingers before jamming the spoon back in the pudding, again wiping off the stuck pudding with her finger, and licking her fingers once more. She repeated this action half a dozen times.

I noticed, too, the woman in the changing booth next to mine slip on her shoes sans socks. I also noticed her feet were covered with athletes foot and she'd been standing barefoot on the changing booth carpet.

While getting my hair done, I watched in the mirror as the patron behind me had extensions added to make her hair appear fuller. As the beautician pinched each extension with a little pair of pliers, I wondered how the woman getting the extensions could possibly wash, brush, or comb her hair with all that hardware in it. She was excited about a date with a new man that night and I hoped he wasn't the kind who liked to run his fingers through a woman's long, silky hair.

The mention of hair reminds me of the time I sat in church and watched a young girl's hair turn from black to several shades of brown, blonde, and then to red. All the variations in color were due to the way the sun struck the large stained glass windows high on the walls of the chapel.

Who knows, any of these small incidents could and the last one did ,wind up in one of my books. Some writers are more observant than my daughter and I are when it comes to obstacles to personal welfare, but most writers have a tendency to see little quirks, mannerisms, the unusual, trivia we can use to make characters more real, more endearing, or less desirable. It's the little things most people may not notice in real life that makes a character in a novel more real.

I couldn't tell you the eye color of any of my neighbors or most of my relatives, but in a novel this is usually an important detail. I have no idea what kind of car anyone, other than my husband or myself, drives. What color my sister's carpet is, is a mystery to me. There's a mural on the wall of my doctor's office; I'm not sure what it depicts, but there's a bird in it with incorrect proportions.

Why I have selective observation skills, I don't know, but being aware of small details around me has enriched my ability to develop characters and create scenes. Why I don't notice a stair is two inches higher than I raise my foot, I don't know.

As for my daughter, blessed or cursed with the same problem, check out her blog sometime. She has very different tastes from mine in her reading and writing preferences, but she has a sense of humor that has delighted me since she wrote her first story about an inept dragon and an unusual princess.

Woohoo!

2011-09-12T10:53:00.001-06:00

Jeri Gilchrist reviewed If I Should Die. You can read it here. Lynn Gardner did too. You can read her review here. I don't get many reviews, (Few people review a reviewer! especially in a positive way) so I want to share.

You can read my Meridian review of Minor Adjustments by Rachael Renee Anderson here. In fact you can read all of my recent reviews by clicking on this link then going to Books and under books, Book Reviews. If you leave comments under any of this month's review here and/or there, they will count as entries in this month's Wish List contest.

I thought about posting a blog about 9-11 before Sunday, but found I couldn't do it. That cowardly event impacted my family a great deal and I didn't want to go through all of that emotional upheavel again. At the present time I prefer to look ahead to supporting my country, my family, and my faith with greater gratitude, more tolerance, increased vigilance, and increasing my efforts toward true justice and freedom for all.

I'd Chew My Fingernails, But

2011-09-06T20:06:00.001-06:00

Actually I'm not a nail biter; I'm just saying that after all these years I'm still a nervous wreck when I submit a manuscript. I have the greatest editor in the world and I love Covenant's Managing Editor, still . . .

I wondered at times if I'd ever finish this manuscript. With working two days at the temple and all of the good and bad events that have occurred in my family the past few years, finding time to work on this pair of books has been a challenge. The first was accepted in the Spring, now I just hope this second companion novel will also be accepted. My last two books were both Romantic Suspense, but these two are historical with a decidedly Western flavor.

Now while I wait to hear from my publisher, I plan to concentrate on a piece of good news I received this morning and something a bit scary. The good news first: A court date has been set to finalize the adoption of my newest granddaughter and a date and time have been reserved for her to be sealed in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple to my daughter and son-in-law. Now the other news isn't exactly bad, just a bit scary. I'll be teaching a class on writing mystery/suspense novels on October 6 at Utah Valley University and also participating in a panel discussion for writers on getting their books reviewed. Whew!

IRKED AND ANNOYED

2011-09-01T08:44:00.002-06:00

There's a television commercial that annoys my husband so much, he turns off the sound every time it comes on--and it comes on a lot. Most commercials annoy me, but that one not as much as some. Come to think of it, most of the programming annoys me too.

Few things irk me more than sales calls, especially ones I know are fraud schemes. I used to try to be nice to telephone salesmen; after all they are only trying to earn a living. Not anymore. I've had too many calls that start out telling me they're only calling to offer some kind of help with my credit card. The moment someone mentions credit card over the phone, you can be sure it's a scam. I do not have diabetes. I do not want someone to clean my carpet. If I were interested in selling my home, I'd contact a realtor , not the other way around. And if I want to contribute to a political party or candidate , I'll initiate the contact or do it at the caucus. I'm not interested in attending tea party meetings. My name is on the do not call list SO STOP CALLING ME!

I'm definitely not a fan of talk radio, though I occasionally listen to Doug Wright. I especially dislike a certain sports talk radio program where the commentator doesn't talk, he shouts and whines.

Clothes that are too tight, too short, or require an act of God to keep them from falling off the rump are silly and juvenile, but they don't annoy me as long as I'm not the one expected to try them on in a fitting booth. What does annoy me is the lack of stylish, attractive clothes that are designed to fit the human body available for real people to purchase in department stores.

I really don't care what color anyone's hair but mine is. Purple is fine if you think it's right for you. I once dyed a thin lock of my hair neon pink. Short, long, curly, straight; I don't care. Now dreadlocks are something else; they look matted, greasy, and unkempt. They look like the wearer needs a shower. If that's your style, so be it, just don't expect me to look at you; I can't get past your gross hair.

I dislike rudeness and find it irritating that so many people, push and shove, use crude language, play obnoxious music half the night, fail to show gratitude with a simple "thank you," take chances with other people's lives on the streets and highways, or let doors swing shut in the face of the person behind them. Words such as please, excuse me, may I, thanks, and sorry, have disappeared from some people's vocabularies.

When it comes right down to it, most annoyances (not all; afterall there are still annoyances like mosquitoes, wasps, and gophers to deal with) are human caused. Perhaps some can't be helped, but most are the product of inconsideration and lack of respect. I suspect we could all serve society better by being annoyed less and avoiding providing annoyances more.

There's a good chance, every person alive has a list of things that annoy them. Some of those annoyances, like fireworks at two in the morning, make us grumpy. Some just cause us to roll our eyes, but there are some that plant the seeds of major clashes or even war. I've been told venting is good for easing tension, so tell me, what annoys, irks, or just plain bugs you?

Winners Announced

2011-09-01T08:39:00.000-06:00

August Wish List winners are Lisa Paskins and Suzanne Perry. Congratulations! Please send a list of at least five books from your wish list, preferably books I have reviewed on Meridian to bhansen22 at msn dot com. I'll also need your mailing address.

Check out my review of Hang 'em High on Meridian this morning.

The September Wish List begins now!

THE END IS NEAR!

2011-08-31T19:29:00.000-06:00

Okay, that title is a little dramatic, but I just wanted to let everyone know the August Wish List Contest ends tonight at midnight or when I get up in the morning and stagger my way to the computer. I'll be gone most of the day, so it will be evening by the time I get the winners announced.

On the subject of reviews

2011-08-25T09:13:00.000-06:00

As many of my readers know, I write a weekly review column for Meridian Magazine. Some time ago I extended my Wish List contest to include comments made about my reviews on the magazine's web site. Today I'm going a step farther and including a link to today's review right here. All you have to do to read my review is position your clicker over the word's highlighted and click.

Reviews can be a great resource for deciding where to spend book dollars. Paying $24.99 for a book then discovering it's boring or disgusting is a painful experience. Some people never bother to read reviews and that's okay. Some would like to read reviews if they felt they could trust the reviewer. The blogosphere is clogged with reviews these days by friends of authors who agree to post sales pitch reviews for their friends' books. That's okay too as long as you know the source of the review and understand the purpose behind the review. There are also independent reviewers who choose which books to review and make an honest attempt to be impartial; some are very good too. There are also print newspaper and magazine reviews. Most of these reviewers are very good, though some have become a bit jaded and negative. A new trend in some newspapers is to print amateur reviews of varying degrees of quality and often are no better than "friend's reviews".

I make no pretense of being the best reviewer around, but I've been at it for a long time and there are a few things I can promise my readers. At Meridian I only review books intended for an adult LDS audience. Occasionally I will review one that crosses the line between adult and teen interests. I don't review books that are offensive in language or content. I read and consider both print and electronic formats. And I'm honest. Sometimes I hurt people's feelings, though never intentionally. My goal is to let readers know just enough about a book to make an informed decision before they buy it, and to generally let readers know which new books are now available. I don't review every book sent to me, but I read them all--unless they're so awful I can ony get through the first fifty pages. I try to choose books to review that are fresh, well written, and have interesting characters and plots. I welcome comments from readers who let me know what they're looking for in a review. So that's your cue. What do you want to see in a review?

Stay in Your Lane

2011-08-18T19:59:00.000-06:00

I feel lucky to be alive; I drove to Provo and back Tuesday. That strip of freeway between Salt Lake and Provo is not for the faint of heart. It's confusing, but there are signs that say STAY IN YOUR LANE. I wasn't too sure what the signs were trying to tell me, but I stayed in the lane I was in, although it took me through narrow canyons of walls and trucks, around odd curves, and over a lot of bumps. There were far too many vehicles going much too fast and a huge truck taking up two lanes. However, I survived by stubbornly staying in my lane.

Perhaps I'm getting a bit philosophical, but it seems to me, becoming a writer is a lot like that freeway. There's all that white knuckle slogging through learning how to write which includes a lot of reading, research, practice writing, attending conferences, finishing and submitting a manuscript or multiple manuscripts, rejection letters, and rewriting. It's scary, intimidating, and can easily discourage a would-be writer. But then there's a welcome stretch when the work is accepted and it looks like smooth road ahead. Ha! Then begins the editing, rewriting, reading and rereading searching for the tiniest errors, making appearances, being interviewed, booksignings, and reviews. Before there's time to catch your breath, it's time to do it all over again.

At BYU Education week a couple of people stopped by my table to tell me all about the great book they're going to write "someday." This scenario happens over and over at book signings. I love talking to people who are seriously working at becoming writers, the ones who are slogging through the early stages, but stubbornly moving forward. It's the "someday" ones who make me wince. These are the ones who have never committed a word to paper, the ones who think writing is so easy they can dash of a book anytime they get around to it, the ones who think they'll become great writers when they "find time." One of those at this signing commented, "I don't read. I don't have to be a reader to write a good book." All I can say to these people is "Stay in your lane. If you didn't pick a lane that leads to the destination you want, there's little chance you're going to get there."

There were a few drivers who wove from lane to lane, exceeded the speed limit, and made the trip more treacherous than it needed to be. Life is like that. There are spoilers who cause problems for themselves and others. Writers meet their share of spoilers too; "friends" and "family" who attempt to discourage. They laugh and ridicule. They refuse to respect time set aside for writing. They dish out guilt for not making more money or failing to do something else that is more important in their estimation. They deliver patronizing, what-a-fun-little-hobby, comments and put downs. It's not easy sticking to your goal or staying in your lane when those around you are speeding, cutting in, and failing to take your determination seriously.

To be successful at anything, including writing, commitment is necessary. Getting published may take many years. Some writers seem to have overnight success, but this perception is usually wrong. The lane they picked only took a different route with its own bumps and obstacles. No one becomes a doctor, a concert pianist, or even a good parent without sticking to their determination to reach that goal and doing the work needed to get them there. Writing is no different. Talent is only the beginning; hard work, perseverance, and stubbornly sticking to the chosen lane is the way to success.

Stay in your lane. Deal with the distractions without childish anger or seeking shortcuts and you'll be the one collecting royalty checks instead of the one sitting beside the road with a highway patrolman handing you a "double fine in work zone" ticket.

CAMPING ADVENTURES

2011-08-16T20:15:00.000-06:00

When our children were small and we had very little money, we only took two kinds of vacations. We spent a week with my family in another state and we spent part of a week tent camping in the abundant camping spots near our home. Our children still plan a summer camping trip each year and go to the same places we took them as children. Now they're introducing their children to those places and the joys and hardships of tent camping.

Many things have changed at those camp sites. One spot now has flush toilets and rangers who patrol the area. Trails are marked better. Where we encountered only a handful of other campers, now the camp sites number over a hundred and most are filled, many with fancy camp trailers, and instead of hiking and wading in the creek, the children race their bikes up and down paved roads.

Much has stayed the same. No one cares how dirty the kids get. Food tastes better cooked over a campfire. Squirrels and chipmunks still scavenge for dropped crumbs. Melted marshmallows smashed between two graham crackers and a chocolate bar are pure ambrosia. There's something fascinating and mysterious about a tent, though sometimes the tent isn't quite so thrilling when night comes and with it bedtime. There's time to talk and laugh together without the distraction of television. Unfortunately there are now telephones.

Getting everything together for a camping trip and cleaning up afterward often make young parents wonder if the experience is worth it. In the end though our children must think it is because they treasure the memories from their childhood camping trips enough to want to give their children equally warm and enduring memories.

A few pictures from last week's camping expedition:

And a few from those long ago camping trips:

SPEAKING OF CLUTTER

2011-08-04T07:50:00.000-06:00

My office is a cluttered mess. The rest of my house is just fine; it's just my office. I'm basically a neat, orderly person, but somehow my office gets out of hand at times. It's the catch-all for things I mean to look at later or my husband doesn't know where else to put. On my walls are a poster of one of my early books, an award with a framed copy of The Bracelet, a painting of one of my book covers, four framed certificates, a picture of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, drawings by four of my grandchildren, a small framed picture with the names of a previous Primary class surrounding the Savior, a painting of a horse by one of my daughters, and half a dozen family photographs. Oh, and a calendar with big squares to write in and kittens to make a grandson, who is crazy about kittens, happy when he visits me.

My desk is worse. Along with a stack of envelopes that need to be filed, a box of tissue, and the DSL modem, there's an accumulation of mementos from friends and readers such as a decorated rock, a sugar Easter egg, a purple stemmed goblet from a Mystery Dinner, a handmade ceramic pitcher, a plush goose, a paperweight style award, and a heart-shaped box. That's just the top. The so-called writing surface holds my monitor, keyboard, telephone, rolodex, pens, pencils, piles of paper, a couple of small files, notebooks, a bottle of lotion, and one of my sets of scriptures. That's also where the bare bones of my work in progress resides.

I'll spare you the details of three floor to ceiling bookcases, a printer, a paper cutter, four file cabinets, two plastic bins and all the accumulated boxes, office equipment, and sundry items that adorn or occupy space under an eight feet long table. On one shelf of the bookcase is my stack of "to read" books. At least I try to keep the piles neat.

I already said I'm basically a neat, orderly person so every once in awhile, but not often enough, I tear the whole room apart, go through every paper, clean every file, shred, discard, clean, and reorganize. No matter how much I itch to do a thorough cleaning while writing, I don't. Most of the time I vacuum, dust what I can, and keep the piles neat. A thorough cleaning only happens between books.

My writing style is a lot like my office or my office is the way it is because of my writing style. I research before and during without throwing anything out. I never know what I might need. Sometimes I outline; sometimes I don't. I write notes to myself. I create lists of names and characteristics. I utilize two notebooks, a file folder, post-its, and several notepads. I jot down ideas. I make quick scene outlines. Sometimes I print out a few pages for fast reference when I'm writing a follow up scene. Add to that my notes for reviews in progress.

Once I think the story is in pretty good shape, I send it off to my beta readers. I don't throw anything away. When I get the readers' feedback, I plunge back into the story, fixing this, fixing that, and discover ideas have been circulating in my head while waiting that need to be incorporated into the story or used to strengthen a point. When I'm satisfied I've done the best I can do, I send it to my editor. I still don't clean up or discard anything.

After varying lengths of time, if and when I get an acceptance, the rewrites begin and I refer to my notes and scribbles. I'm glad I didn't throw anything away. I add exchanges with my editor, print outs of various stages , etc. to my files and clutter.

At last the book is off to the printer and out of my hands. Do I clean up all the clutter at last? Not really. I scoop it all into a file to sort through later. You see, I started another book while waiting for word from my beta readers; added to it while waiting for a yes or no from my editor, and I have a whole new pile of clutter.

*The August Wish List contest is on! I'm not setting a specific theme this month, so just comment on any of my August blogs here or on the V-Formation or my Meridian reviews.

July Wish List Winners

2011-08-01T10:51:00.000-06:00

My computer isn't behaving well this morning. It might be the new operating system and it might be the huge rainstorm outside. Anyway it's time to announce the winners of the July Wish List contest. They are the Taylorfamily83316 and An Ordinary Mom. Congratulations! Please contact me by Saturday, August 6th. Please send me your mailing address (US Postal) and a list of five or more LDS novels (more is better) you would like to have and I will select one from your list to send to you. Be sure to include "July Wish List" in your subject line.

Don't forget to add your pioneer tales!

2011-07-26T16:09:00.000-06:00

This isn't quite a blog, but just a message to let you know life has been a little crazy lately and I've had little time at the computer. Following our trip to St. George, there's been a family reunion, today was spent watching grandchildren, and tomorrow I'll be traveling out of state to visit family. But the July Wish List contest goes on! Every comment following the pioneer theme will count as a contest entry and each follower will get one entry. The contest ends Sunday and I'll post the winner sometime Monday. If you're lucky enough to have a lazy summer day, you can read If I Should Die or any of the books I've recently reviewed on Meridian. There have been some good ones!

Happy Pioneer Day

2011-07-23T18:51:00.000-06:00

This past week my husband and I took a little jaunt down to Cedar City and St. George. We had a great time, but I couldn't help feeling sympathy for those early pioneers who not only made the long trek across the plains to Utah, but were then asked to continue on to settle "Dixie." The temperature hovered above 100 degrees while we were there, reaching 107. I couldn't help wondering how those poor pioneers survived without the air-conditioning we found in our car and in our motel.

We saw Richard III while in Cedar City and enjoyed it immensely. The actor's interpretation of Richard was different from the way I had previously seen it played, but I liked it and found myself actually sympathyzing with him at times. I had been told to expect dark and gloomy, but found myself chuckling at some scenes even though the overall story is one of greed, deceit, murder, and perhaps madness. I was impressed with all of the major characters. My only criticism might be directed toward some of the knights or soldiers who were a bit too chubby to be taken seriously as soldiers. Again I thought of those early pioneers who left the Utah Territory and the LDS Church with a heritage of appreciation for the arts and a yearning for culture.

We took a little side trip to Cedar Breaks and found it beautiful and refreshing, then on to St. George and The Little Mermaid. The show was a delight. Of course, it's a story meant for children and there were many children in the audience, but it thrilled adults too. There were a couple of Disney executives and the writer of the Disney version of the old classic present, seated not far from us. The special effects created by a water curtain and projections onto the watery screen won the audience's approval. It's no wonder the night we attended was the production's twentieth consecutive box office sell out.

This whole weekend will be devoted to honoring the pioneers who settled Utah and much of the West. It's a time for those of us who are descendants of those early pioneers and for all of those who share in the heritage they left Utah, the LDS Church, and our families to pause and give thanks for their courage, determination, and faith. As much as any political leaders, historical heros, or social icons, these people left a legacy our generation will be hard pressed to match. Enjoy the parades, picnics, camping trips, fireworks, and all that goes with the celebration of those men, women, and children's heroic feat. I think they'd want us to remember them by enjoying this day set aside in their honor.

Discovering a World of Light

2011-07-18T10:44:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure the following observations qualify for our pioneer theme, but feel free to add your comments to this post or the previous two posts. They'll all qualify toward the July Wish List contest. You can enter as many times as you like and though I don't always comment on each of your comments, I love reading them and they give me much to think about.

One night I lay in bed unable to sleep, no particular reason, it seems everyone has one of those nights now and then when sleep doesn't come as easily as others. As I lay there, I noticed a little green light high on the ceiling. Smoke alarm; no big deal. Then I noticed a little red light on my husband's bureau. Again easy to explain. He'd plugged in his phone to its charger. Another little red light on the small television, illuminated dials on our alarm clocks. Had I wandered through the quiet house, I would have found my cell phone and camera plugged in in my office with their little lights glowing away and not far away the little light on my computer and another on the printer. In the hall I would have found the carbon dioxide alarm with it's little light and each room of the house with its smoke alarm light, tiny glowing lights on other TV's, the microwave, and other electronic equipment throughout the house. Each piece of our alarm system has its own little light as well.

I felt like laughing; when did my life become defined by tiny lights? Even as a child, I watched for a tiny bit of glowing red. From my bed I could see the stove that heated our house. When I could see a glow coming from a tiny crack where a door didn't fit as tight as it should have, I knew Daddy or my brothers had started the fire and the room was warm enough to get out of bed.

Life has changed a great deal during my life, but it's funny how we still look toward light as a signal that all is well, or to expect trouble. We need light to find our way, to carry out our daily tasks, and to enjoy beauty. Light has been defined in so many ways, many with religious overtones. Even Christ has been called the Light of the World.

There's one essential bit of light some writers (and other professionals) overlook in their lives. There's a tendency to become so obsessed with writing, getting published, the dream world created, or other aspects of the author's world that living this life is forgotten or shoved far down the priority list. That creates a hollow shell to draw on and the writer is left with little to create from reality and shallow emotions to convey in print. I know writers who shut themselves in a room or office and forbid their families to interrupt them for anything less than fire or blood. They don't enjoy the everyday give and take of family relationships; some never form enduring relationships at all. Some depend on someone else to provide their support and perform their share of the menial tasks involved in running a home while they pursue their writing. These writers cheat their families, their potential readers, and themselves. An early teacher told me the best writers and artists create their masterpieces from life; the way light focuses on an object makes all the difference in the world, the way spiritual light touches the soul reveals both what is seen and the observer.

I know writers who write with one hand while balancing a baby on their laps, writers who coach little league, writers who are PTA or Church teachers or leaders, writers who home school, writers with full time careers, writers who take time to play with their children, to garden, to travel with loved ones, and writers who take time to live life to the fullest. Their enthusiasm for life shines through their work. Their difficulties and challenges make their words richer and more meaningful, filled with the light of life. Making time to write is a challenge for most writers, but it works out far better than trying to find time for anything other than writing.

THAT PIONEERING SPIRIT

2011-07-12T11:12:00.004-06:00

My sister, Vada, was always a pioneer to my way of thinking. From the time she was a little girl and became a "polio pioneer," one of that group of children who were the first to be given the Salk vaccine, to her recent willingness to sign the papers agreeing to test an experimental cancer drug, it seems she was at the forefront of medical pioneering. Just as those men and women who left their homes behind and stepped off into the great American frontier to be the first to make their homes in unexplored territory, there have been many people, many of whom were critically ill, who risked everything in hopes of finding a new cure, a means of easing pain, or in hope of furthering medical knowledge.

Many of the early western pioneers gave their lives along the way. So too, have a large number of the medical pioneers, such as my sister, who lost their lives before they reached their hoped for goal. When we hear of organ transplants, miracle vaccines, a major milestone on the way to curing cancer, we hear of the doctors and scientists involved, but seldom do we know the names of the real pioneers, the patients on whom the drug or procedure was tested or the nurses and other medical personnel who carried out an important role in the testing.

Being a writer, it seems I always find an analogy between almost any event or idea to the writing world. In thinking about pioneers and specifically the unsung medical pioneers, I thought of all the teachers who taught me and the many other writers to put thoughts on paper and to explore the frontiers of communication and imagination . To a good teacher, each pupil is an unknown frontier to be explored, then an innovative plan put into place to help him/her conquer the obstacles that might prevent them from achieving dominance over their own frontiers. Though I had a few teachers who weren't exactly great, I believe I had more who challenged me, gave me the tools I needed, and fostered a belief in myself as a writer. I consider some of those teachers; Mrs. Haney, Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Ottinger, Mr. Williams, Mr. Beckwith, Mrs. Biddulph, and so many more who made my own pioneering efforts possible unsung pioneer heroes.

As a writer I'm very aware of the progression of inventors who brought about our present information age. That first typewriter must have seemed as great a miracle to writers who had formerly used pen and ink as the data processors and computers of today are to those of us who pounded out our first stories on Underwoods and Smith-Coronas.

So what qualifies one to be called a pioneer? To me a pioneer is someone who has the courage to step forward into the unknown, having faith they can conquer the obstacles they'll meet. Pioneers are they who weigh the risks and determine that the goal is worth it. Pioneers are they who believe so strongly in a new discovery, conquering an untamed wilderness, or blazing a path for others less strong; they're willing to chance personal disaster even if they cannot complete their journey.

I've know many people in my life I consider pioneers, and taking nothing from the remarkable pioneering heritage of my ancestors or anyone else's, I'd love to hear the stories of some of the people readers consider modern pioneers.

Back to July Wish List

2011-07-08T08:53:00.001-06:00

The Freedom Giveaway Hop was fun, but it's over, so the July Wish List Contest begins now. Comments on any blog I post between now and July 31 will be in the drawing. Followers are automatically entered for one drawing and those who comment will be both in a drawing of their own and combined with the followers for the second drawing. The theme will be pioneers and the prize will be an LDS novel from your wish list. You can comment on the early LDS pioneers in this or any country, medical pioneers, space pioneers, or anyone you admire who blazed a trail for others to follow.

There are a number of people I consider pioneers in the LDS fiction field, but one in particular stands out in my mind this week. She wasn't the first LDS fiction editor, but she was among the first to make an impact on the quality of today's LDS fiction. She played a large role in raising the bar for the quality of LDS novels and encouraging writers to be professional, take pride in our work, and go beyond the trite and mediocre to create quality products. I'm speaking of Valerie Holladay who was one of my first editors and who mentored and taught so manyof us. She died last week, way too soon. I posted a tribute earlier on the V-Formation (She was part of our group there) and I'll repeat it here.

Valerie Holladay

It was a painful shock to learn Valerie Holladay passed away this past holiday weekend. Her last email was so upbeat and positive, filled with faith and hope, I'd begun to believe she was going to beat some pretty daunting odds.

When Val went to work for Covenant Communications, I was one of the first authors assigned to her. She was my editor longer than any other editor I've ever worked with. We developed a relationship that went beyond author/editor. We became friends and our friendship endured through all the years since she left Covenant and went on to other things.

Having been a newspaper reporter and editor, I thought I knew a lot about writing and editing, but from Val I learned fiction and journalism are two different things. We laughed so many times about my tendency to change a character's name in the middle of a manuscript and other little idiosyncrasies. Every writer makes unintended puns, uses a word or phrase that can be taken more ways than one, and Val kept a little notebook of those unintended humorous accidents. I discovered from her that my editor was as fiercely determined as I to make each of my books the best it could possibly be. Sometimes I'd look at a suggested change and I couldn't tell her words from my own. Other times she'd suggest a change I didn't like, but I knew if my version didn't work for her, it wouldn't work for my readers either, so something had to be fixed. Often it would be something entirely different from what either of us first wrote or suggested. Valerie was always patient and generous with her time as she made opportunities to teach as well as edit.

Valerie was more than an editor to me. She was a dear friend who supported me through my own and my family's bouts with cancer. I was someone she could talk to as she wrestled with her mother's illness and the various problems she faced. We laughed together, we cried together, went to lunch together, and loved cats.

Where Val is now there surely must be a plethora of cats or it would hardly be heaven to her. She nursed back to health so many abandoned cats. She loved and worried over her many kitties as though they were her children. Sometimes, when money was tight, she scrimped on her own groceries to feed her precious pets. I and the other writers on the V-Formation often sent her cute or funny pictures of cats, teased her a little about her darlings, but understood that her gentle soul thrived not only on helping writers, but on the love her feline babies showered on her.

Val's life included her work for several publishers, co-editing the AML publication and serving a term as treasurer. She taught English and creative writing at BYU and UVU, worked for the Church, co-authored a book about Provo, worked as a freelance editor, mentored many promising writers, and the list could go on and on. She spent a good share of her life promoting literary works for the LDS community and working to improve the quality of writing by LDS authors.

Val's faith in God was strong and her understanding of not only her own religion, but many others, touched not only me, but strengthened those around her. Though she never married, she loved her nieces and nephews as though they were her own sons and daughters, and she made great sacrifices to always be there for her family. In her last weeks, she often remarked on her sister's kindness through this ordeal, and the thoughtfulness of her brothers, their families, and her ward.

I'd like to finish this tribute to a special lady with a few of her own words:

"Kerry, I read your book in one sitting (with the Easter chocolates and my diet Dr. Pepper in one hand, the book in the other, the kitten wrapped up in a blanket on my cheek). My only breaks from the book were to hydrate the kitty and take him to the litter box. What a lovely, lovely book."

"I remember how I felt when my mother died. While part of me envies someone who has finished this mortal test, the other part of me just feels the sadness of being separated from someone who has been such an important part of my life."

"I think you do a terrific job with reviews, Jennie and the balance seems just right to me. And to paraphrase Cheri (and I'm a teacher so I agree 100%), If my students all loved me all the time, I'd worry that I wasn't doing my job right. I don't know who told you that you were a meanie, but even not knowing the source, I'd have to say, consider the source on this one."

"I was at a convenience/gas store the other day and talked to a woman who was driving with her sister to Montana, along with 4 dogs, about that many kids, and 10 cats - which was why they needed two SUVs - really, no lie. I must say it warmed the cockles of my heart to hear of someone else with cats in the double digits :-)"

"Now off to school to meet with students who are revising papers and getting ready for our final (which was a cakewalk, so they could focus on revising their papers, which isn't a cakewalk for many of them). Oh well, at least they're now familiar with the concept of revision, even if it's a somewhat foreign concept. Does anyone here remember a day when you whipped out a piece of writing and thought it was actually as good as it could get and didn't need anything more?"

"Writers have to live with marketing, not a fun thing. Some writers are more marketers than writers - I'm sure we can think of lots of examples - and some are more writers than marketers. But regardless, if you have a good product, you want to get it into people's hands and that means speaking up."

Just imagine a world, or say, a group of friends, where no whining ever occurs. Sheesh, it pains me to even consider it. Whining is not only therapeutic, it's what bonds people together since we're sharing honest fears and feelings. IMHO whining only becomes detrimental when it becomes threatening and those words are put into actions, for instance, ... "I'm so depressed, I'm going to kill him/her/them etc. and out comes the knife/rope/poison... But if we all took a vow of not whining - not that it isn't a noble gesture and a vow against "public" whining might be worth doing since we have to be selective about our whining - after all, not everyone understands... For example, writers who have yet to publish might not understand that getting a book accepted and into print doesn't mean Nirvana and eternal bliss."

"More later, my friends, thanks for prayers. This is a strange experience but there are many, many beautiful and amazing blessings." -- This last was sent just a couple of weeks ago.

So long for now, my friend. You're leaving a big hole in my heart, but one day we'll be together again in that cul-de-sac in heaven we goosies have long joked about and dreamed of.

Other tributes to Valerie Holliday can be found here:

Annette Lyon

Julie Wright

Andrew Hall

FREEDOM GIVEAWAY HOP

2011-06-30T19:40:00.002-06:00

The July Wish List contest is going on hold for one week! For the first week of July you can win an autographed copy of If I Should Die, my latest novel, simply by commenting on this blog about America. Thoughtful, positive comments only! You can have a second chance to win if you are also a follower, but you must mention you are a follower in your comment. And I will be the sole judge of whether your comment is thoughtful. The contest is open from July 1 to July 7. Each entry will be assigned a number and one of my grandkids will draw the lucky number from my little red bucket. The prize will be shipped to anywhere in the US or Canada. Entrants will be responsible to check my blog July 8 to see who is the winner, then the winner will need to email me a mailing address. Good luck!

After entering my contest, check out the other contests linked in this Freedom Giveaway Hop.

If I Should Die by Jennie Hansen

One morning on a routine jog, Kallene’s running partner, Linda, confides that she’s filing for divorce. The next morning, she’s gone without a trace, leaving behind her frightened young daughter. Since Linda’s enraged husband refuses to notify the police, Kallene steps in to initiate a missing person search, not knowing it would soon become a murder investigation—or that she’d soon fall for the charming lead detective. With Linda’s handsome brother also on her mind, Kallene must navigate the rapids of a double romance as well as the deepening suspicion in her upscale Utah neighborhood. Intrigue turns to danger as Kallene faces the consequences of hasty judgments. And when startling new evidence casts Linda’s murder as the work of a determined killer, Kallene needs the intervention of unlikely heroes to avoid being the next victim.

http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/

HEADS UP

2011-06-26T16:16:00.000-06:00

The current Wish List contest runs through Thursday, then beginning Friday, July 1, I'm going to do something a little different. For the first week of July, I'm joining a linked contest. Over two hundred blogs are offering book related prizes. After you enter my contest, you can jump over and enter as many of the other contests as you like. I'll post instructions Thursday evening or Friday morning. Until then the June Wish List is still open so get those comments in.

This has been a busy weekend. Since the weather around here has suddenly changed from snow to sun, I spent Friday and Saturday working in my gardens. I love flowers and pretty gardens, but I also enjoy the opportunity gardening gives me to think, work out plot problems, and go over in my mind the current review I am working on. Since this is more of a heads up than a blog, I'm attaching pictures of my garden so you can see what I've been doing.

And one more. My zuchinni is in bloom!

PLOT KILLERS

2011-06-22T19:55:00.001-06:00

Words! Anna Buttimore (Honeymoon Heist) has blogged lately about words she dislikes (swearing) and words that just feel good to say. Most writers I know have a bit of love/hate relationship with words and I'm no exception. One word I like to use is also one that I consider a plot killer. Try saying deus ex machina.

Deus ex machina has a literal meaning something like mechanical god. It comes from ancient Greek plays where the characters would get themselves in all kinds of trouble, then a "god" would be mechanically lowered via ropes to rescue the protagonist from the villain and/or evil.

Unfortunately this device still shows up on occasion in modern novels. When I was a member of the Romance Writers of America, I often heard this type of resolution to a romance dilemma referred to as the "man or a miracle" resolution and it poked fun at the heroine that had to be rescued from a threatening situation by the male hero or some type of miraculous intervention. In other novels we see deus ex machina occur when some insignificant character, a brand new character, a coincidence, or a heavenly manifestation provides a rescue for the protagonist. That may happen in real life, but there are a lot of things that happen in real life that don't work well in fiction.

When outside intervention or a miracle resolves the conflict, the reader is left feeling cheated. Yes, miracles occur in real life and can be used to help bring about the resolution (think prayer, inspiration, the discovery of a possible solution), but should not upstage the protagonist to the point he or she has no part in saving him or herself. That's what protagonists, heroes, and heroines are all about; growing, stretching, persisting, out smarting, exercising faith, etc. That's one of the vicarious thrills of reading, being able to identify with someone like ourselves who succeeds against tough odds.

Today's reader expects the protagonist to dig deep and find his/her own strength or solution. This strength may include faith, the will to live, determination to save someone else, intellectual prowess, or countless other forms of physical or emotional strengths. No more cavalry to the rescue. No more helpless heroines. Yes, the protagonists can receive help through insight, by aiding each other, from an outside source that is already a pertinent part of the story, through the use of a devise already introduced, but never because the author has written him/herself into a corner and can't think of anything better than a miracle to effect a rescue.

I was part of a group once where someone asked Dan Yates what he thought was the most important element in writing a novel. His answer? "Words!" I've always kind of liked that answer. Words are the bricks and mortar of a novel, but the words that define what we do with those words make the difference between whether the end result is a story or a shopping list.

One more week for this month's Wish List contest. I'm giving away two copies of my new book If I Should Die or another LDs novel from your wish list if you already have my book. Comment on any of this month's posts or any of my Meridian reviews. Each comment is an entry.

OUR GRAND OLD FLAG

2011-06-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

Bust out the flags and strike up the band! It's flag day. I've always had a soft spot for the good old red, white, and blue. After pledging allegiance to that flag from first through twelfth grade, I found it disgusting when others of my generation took out their fits of rebellion in the sixties on that grand old flag. To me it has always stood for what is good about America and there is a lot that is good.

Yes, there are a lot of things wrong with our country, but that can be said about any country. It's that people thing! We have our share of rotten apples. But for this one day, I'd like to ignore all that and just concentrate on the brave and the good.

I grew up in the generation where everyone's dad was a World War II vet and many of my friends' grandfathers fought in World War I. My generation lost some of our brightest and best in Vietnam. Our children are coming home maimed in body and spirit from the Middle East wars. I'm proud of the men and women who have or who are fighting to keep democracy a viable option in the world.

Though I honor those who died for our country, today I'd like to salute those who are living for our country; those who get involved in the fight for freedom by volunteering at school, filling sandbags, making hygiene kits, standing so someone else can sit on the bus or train, who return a lost wallet or cell phone, pay their taxes, who pick up the pieces and rebuild when disaster strikes, put a quarter in the Salvation Army pot, speak up for right, cast informed votes, hug a child, serve on juries, obey the speed limit, hold open a door, and simply go about the business of supporting their families emotionally and financially. That flag stands for all of you.

We tend to think of our nation's flag in terms of military honor, but it's much more than that. That flag represents the farmer watering his grain, the baker dipping doughnuts, the clerk at the store, the teacher in our child's classroom, the legislator on the hill, the highway patrolman ticketing a speeder, the delivery man bringing a package, the engineer designing a bridge, the reporter chasing a story, the factory worker, the used car salesman, the plumber, the doctor, the waitress who brings our dinner, and all of the many other Americans who make up the fabric of this land.

That flag has meaning. It means there are millions of us who choose to be free, who want to be able to rise as far as our intelligence and hard work will take us, and who want to choose who we will follow or to be the leader. It means we can choose Who or What to worship--or to not worship. That flag stands for freedom and we need to be very careful not to trivialize it or all it stands for. Take time today to repeat the Pledge of Allegiance or if you never learned it, today would be a good time to memorize it or at least read through it.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, and with justice for all.

Accidental Kidnapping

2011-06-08T21:05:00.001-06:00

Here is the scary incident I mentioned in my last blog:

I never thought kidnapping could be an accident except when a parent is foolish enough to leave a child alone in a car while she or he dashes inside a house or store for just a moment--- until I got caught up in an unexpected child snatching venture. It happened ten years ago, but a recent invitation to be a guest speaker brought back the memory.

It was a different speaking experience for me. I'm often invited to speak to book clubs, at firesides, and to other book oriented groups, but Tuesday night I spoke at a Spanish Book Club. I don't speak more than a handful of Spanish words and I wasn't sure how much English the club members understood, but I accepted the invitation and there I was. The group was super friendly and their smiles made up for language gaps. And I had a lot of fun.

Why was I invited and why did I accept? The sweet lady who invited me worked with me a few years ago when I worked for the Salt Lake City Library. Occasionally we didn't understand everything the other said, but we had an almost immediate bonding between us. (Her English is much better than my Spanish.) I love that lady! No way could I tell her no. Seeing her again reminded me of an awkward, downright scary experience we shared.

I have Asthma and she has some severe allergies. One day while I was eating my lunch in the library lunchroom, she burst into the room, gasping for breath, and unable to speak other than in frantic gestures. I realized she was having a severe allergic reaction to something, so I grabbed my purse and gave her an allergy antidote I always carry. She was in serious trouble and I knew she needed medical help. I was also aware her two young children were in the library and couldn't be left unattended.

Dashing upstairs I informed the manager I was taking my assistant to an emergency room, grabbed her children and raced back downstairs where I proceeded to load all three into my car for a mad dash to a nearby Instacare. I pulled into the emergency loading and unloading area and told her daughter, Betsy, "Stay with your Mom while I park the car and tell them I'll be right in. "I'll keep Alfredo with me." She looked at me blankly for a moment, then said, "He isn't Alfredo," just before she slammed the car door and followed her mother who was being helped inside the emergency room.

Horrified, I actually looked at the little boy sitting meekly in the backseat. He wasn't Alfredo! I'd grabbed a child I'd never even seen before, but who was about the same size as my friend's five-year-old son and who had been sitting at one of the tables beside her daughter, Betsy.

Unsure what to do, I took his hand and he accompanied me into the emergency room where I filled out some papers and called my friend's husband. My friend was almost unconscious by this time and things were pretty chaotic for awhile. I hoped the boy wouldn't be missed before I could get him back to the library. I'm not sure he understood anything I said to him, but he seemed to know Betsy and stayed close to her, so I concentrated on my friend until a doctor took over.

It all ended well. My friend's husband arrived. Betsy informed me that though the boy wasn't her little brother she was tending him for a neighbor, and her Dad said he would see that he got home safely. Her brother was safe at a friend's house and hadn't even been in the library that day. And yes, my friend, was okay too. I was shaking as I drove back to the library and thought it was a miracle I didn't have a heart attack! An extreme allergy attack is scary enough, but I couldn't believe I'd actually kidnapped a child!

The Spanish Book Club

Done That

2011-06-07T16:19:00.000-06:00

Blogging just isn't working for me today. I've thought of lots of things, but none of them merit a whole blog. First I thought about character development. I know there's plenty to say about character development, but that's the problem; every blogger in the blogosphere including me, has already said it all. On that subject I'll just say I'm getting tired of weird, off the wall, loaded with hang-ups characters. I just finished reading Captive Heart by Michele Paige Holmes. I can't tell you how nice it was to meet a heroine I could actually identify with, someone I could imagine sitting down to dinner with, and actually becoming her friend and care about her problems.

I thought about background details and I have to say I'm a minimalist. If clothing, scenery, and sunsets aren't part of the story, leave them out. Of course I don't want all those characters running around sans clothes, but I really don't care about styles, flounces, and designer logos unless the book is about some facet of the fashion industry. I want just enough background and setting to give the story a realistic feel. I don't want all fourteen colors of the sunset detailed and I don't want to count every blade of grass on the prairie. Please leave something to my imagination.

All right, this next one is a pet peeve of mine, but something some readers actually like. Name dropping. I don't mean just the conversational use of famous people's names a person uses to make themselves appear more important, but the use of designer labels on clothes, cars, electronics, exclusive resorts, and foreign dishes. Some writers use them as a means of establishing certain qualities such as shallowness or snobbery in a character and in moderation they work. Overdone they say more about the author than the character.

I could always blog about the weather, but that's a little overdone too. As long as I can remember, every ten years or so, we have a sequence of weather that breaks records and makes life miserable one way or the other. This seems to be our year.

I could write about my new book, If I Should Die, but I've already done that too. Being a reviewer, I can't ask bloggers to review my books or send them free copies, but I love it when one buys my book and comments or reviews it on his/her own. Here's the first one I've run across. It's by Julie Bellon, a writer and teacher I respect a great deal. Believe it or not, even writers who have published many books are nervous and jittery about what readers will think of each new book and anxiously await comments and reviews.

Okay, my inability to concentrate on a topic may have something to do with my speaking assignment tonight. I've been asked to speak to a book club, not the usual kind of book club I often speak to. This one is Spanish and the participants speak varying amounts of English and, sadly, I only know about five words in Spanish. The dear lady who invited me and is hosting the club tonight once worked with me at the City Library. We had some great times, a few sad times, and one scary time, which come to think of it, would make a great topic for another blog.

A DIFFERENT TWIST

2011-06-01T08:23:00.003-06:00

One contest ends and a new one begins, but the new one has a different twist. Winners usually choose from books I've reviewed, but the winner for June will receive one I've written.

The winners of the May Wish List contest have been chosen. They are Scott Gail and Ann Mooney. Congratulations! Scott Gail commented on my review of The Alias on Meridian and Ann Mooney is a follower. Each winner should send me a list of five or more LDS novels he/she would like to own and I'll choose one of them to send to each winner. Contact me at bhansen22 at msn dot com before Monday. Please include your mailing address.

Now for the new contest. First the prize. Instead of asking for a wish list this month, the winners will each receive a copy of If I Should Die, my new romantic suspense novel which should appear on bookstore shelves within the next week. It is available for e-readers beginning June 6. (If you win and want a different book that's okay, just let me know.) Same rules as before; comment on any blog, become a follower, comment on my blogs on the V-Formation, or comment on a book review I write for Meridian Magazine anytime in June.

Here is the back liner blurb:

IF I SHOULD DIE
One morning on a routine jog, Kallene’s running partner, Linda, confides that she’s filing for divorce. The next morning, she’s gone without a trace, leaving behind her frightened young daughter. Since Linda’s enraged husband refuses to notify the police, Kallene steps in to initiate a missing person search, not knowing it would soon become a murder investigation—or that she’d soon fall for the charming lead detective. With Linda’s handsome brother also on her mind, Kallene must navigate the rapids of a double romance as well as the deepening suspicion in her upscale Utah neighborhood. Intrigue turns to danger as Kallene faces the consequences of hasty judgments. And when startling new evidence casts Linda’s murder as the work of a determined killer, Kallene needs the intervention of unlikely heroes to avoid being the next victim.

A DAY TO REMEMBER

2011-05-30T07:34:00.001-06:00

Memorial Day was once a day to remember those who lost their lives for our country. It actually began as a day when black families commemorated black soldiers who lost their lives during the Civil War. After World War I it was expanded to honor all those who lost their lives in U.S. military actions and became a federal holiday. In time it became a day to honor all those loved ones who have died. Even the name of the day has changed through the years. Originally it was Decoration Day, some of us knew it as Flag Day, and now it is Memorial Day.

As a child I thought the day was called Flag day because we put irises on family graves and my mother called irises flags. Once my mother took me to a "flag show" and I was surprised there were no grave markers, only rows and rows of irises of every color and size imaginable.

When it comes right down to it, Memorial Day is no longer a day, but a weekend. We took flowers to two cemeteries Saturday because we wanted to beat the rain that was forecast for Sunday and Monday. Both cemeteries were brilliant with floral displays and at one a program complete with bagpipes was in progress. Last night my husband and I watched a tribute to fallen soldiers on TV. It was excellent and it impressed me because no politicians used it to further their agendas.

With each passing year I have more graves to visit. This year is particularly touching as the first Memorial Day since my sister's passing with such a short interval since my father and brother went to the other side. Each year my father words become more poignant, "I know more people at the cemetery than at church." He only lacked four months of reaching his centennial birthday when he was called home. I'm an adult with grown children and eleven grandchildren, but I never stop missing my parents and wishing Daddy and I could take one more fishing trip or that Mama and I could go for another walk and have a long talk.

Memorial Day has become a three day weekend, a time for summer cookouts (except this year-it's hard to grill in the rain), a chance to get away for a few days, even to shop sales and that's okay, but along with enjoying time with our living family members, it is good to remember those who have gone ahead. I believe individuals and families, communities and countries, are stronger when they pause to remember loved ones no longer with us. We owe soldiers who gave their lives for our freedom, parents and ancestors who made our lives possible, and the memories shared with those who are gone continue to enrich our lives. Let us not be among those who fail to remember.

This is the last day of the May Wish List Contest! A new contest will begin tomorrow.

Thinking about blogging

2011-05-25T19:44:00.000-06:00

I've been playing around a little bit with the design of this blog and the V-formation blog; nothing drastic, but a slight change of color and style. Lately I've been thinking about blogs and blogging and decided to share a few thoughts with you.

Blogs seem to come and go. Most begin as a means of interacting with a specific group such as family, followers, those who share a particular interest, or as a means of promoting sales or a certain ideology. Some have taken the place of telephone calls, some are an outlet for frustrated writers, and some merely form a linking bond to keep a specific group together and informed. Some are a means of sharing information with those who are just learning a specific field. There are two types of blogs; those open only to a small closed group and some which are open to anyone who wants to read them.

Many writers have latched onto the blog concept to stay in touch with their fans, to network with other writers, and as a means to share ideas and concepts with like-minded readers. Some blogs are owned and written by a single individual, some belong to a small group and each blogs when the mood strikes or they have something to share, and others are shared by a group with a set calendar for when each member should blog. Blogs reduce the time spent answering individual letters, provide a means of announcing new releases and other industry news simultaneously to many people. A blog also provides a means of getting feedback on ideas and viewpoints in a more personal way than through the larger social networks such as Facebook. Writers also use blogs to maintain their presence before their readers between releases. And not to be overlooked, there are blogs which are written simply to entertain and in some cases the writer actually makes money from the ads attached to the blog.

Most bloggers worry about increasing their readership unless their blog is a closed/by invitation only blog as many family blogs are. A favorite means of increasing readership and encouraging comments is to sponsor a contest. Some bloggers work out a complicated formula for blog contests and others simply have a drawing. Prizes for most writing blogs are books, but some give away gift cards or some item related to the blog. Others use their blogs and build their readership by reviewing what others write, by imparting news, or providing a service to their readers.

I read a limited number of blogs. Some are blogs of a family nature or of close friends. Others keep me informed of the changes and direction of the publishing industry. Many help me stay abreast of the careers of other writers. Perhaps the most helpful aspect of the blogs I follow is the helpful information I glean concerning writing and publishing. On my own blog I love the opportunity to feel like I have a real relationship with the people who read my books. I love hearing what others think and the ideas they share not only about my books, but about life in general.

Almost every blogger I know reaches a plateau where it's hard to think of something original to blog about. This burn out spells the doom of many blogs. Personal circumstances change and committing one's self to a regular blogging schedule often becomes unworkable. The instant interaction of social networks lures both bloggers and readers away as well. Some bloggers take on different interests and are no longer a good fit on shared blogs. Many blogs taper off, then just quietly disappear.

One of the most read and loved group blogs bid their followers farewell last week. Six LDS Writers and a Frog appealed to many people, especially writers because of the diverse group of individuals who blogged about various aspects of writing and personal happenings as they related to their writing and because the members of this group are particularly gifted writers. This group will be missed, but most of the writers have started personal blogs (most of their personal blogs can be accessed from the sidebar of this blog if you missed their farewells where they posted their blog adresses).

A few years ago I had no idea what a blog was. I guest blogged for Kerry Blair on the frog blog a few times, then started my own blog. Shortly after, I joined with a group of friends to form the V-formation. I've discovered that sometimes blogging is a chore, sometimes it's a great way to express a viewpoint in a shorter format than a book or magazine article, and it's a great way to stay in touch with the many great friends I've made and continue to meet through my writing. It's also provides a great opportunity to learn more about other writers, other view points, and sometimes to be delighted by another person's clever words, to encourage someone who is at the beginning of his/her writing career---and reading blogs is a marvelous way to put off doing something I really should be doing like working on my WIP.

One more week to enter to win a Wish List book.

MIXED BAG

2011-05-17T20:19:00.001-06:00

Some days when I sit down to write the words seem to flow and something exciting happens. Other days there's one distraction after another; I do more deleting than writing, and I'm not happy with anything I've done. Most days there's a mixture of great progress and dismal disappointments. That's how life works, so why should creating a life for fictional characters be any different?

Take today for example. I started off the day by not being able to complete my exercise routine because my knee hurt too much, but fortunately I already had an appointment set up with my doctor. X-rays showed the damage to my knee has progressed so far, the usual shots aren't going to work any more, but my insurance company approved an injection of goop between the bare bones to provide a temporary cushion and hopefully encourage my knee to regrow it's own spongy layer. Now instead of hurting, my leg is numb, which doesn't improve my gracefulness any. But my husband made yummy strawberry-rhubarb crumble for dinner and I discovered my new book If I Shoud Die is number eight on Deseret Book's Mystery/Suspense Bestseller list and it won't even be released for another couple of weeks. I love those advance sales they offer. Oh, and the Jazz drew number three for the NBA Draft next month!

A couple of years ago I wrote an epic historical with too many characters, a too complicated plot, and a few other problems. My publisher's editorial board said to divide it into two books, eliminate some things, and strengthen others. I recently completed one of those two books and had it accepted, so now I'm hard at work on the second book. A major rewrite/revision is another one of those mixed bag deals. Yesterday I progressed almost thirty pages, today two and a half. In many ways writing a new book from scratch is easier because with a rewrite I have to decide which scenes I want to keep, rearrange them to fit the new story, cut out those elements used in the other book, keep the time frame compatible with the first book, sometimes assign whole scenes to a different character because the scene is necessary, but the original character is no longer available, pull it all together with new text, and the list goes on. Going back to revisit characters I was so deeply involved with a few years ago is both fun and gives me the odd sense that I've jumped into a time machine and I'm creating havoc by changing history.

Just one more observation on a mixed bag kind of day. My fingernails are driving me crazy. Every once in awhile they get so long I hit the key above the one I want when I type and I end up writing some weird words and waste a lot of time fixing errors. For the most part I love my nails long and they are no problem except when typing. And an additional plus, the longer they are, the more people notice and compliment me, and who doesn't enjoy a compliment now and then! But the time has come. They've got to go, so instead of writing tonight, I'll be chopping and filing.

The Winning Ladies

2011-05-11T20:01:00.000-06:00

Julie Wright

Stephanie Black

Sandra Grey

Annette Lyon

Ally Condie

Winners and Losers

2011-05-09T12:49:00.000-06:00

Following the Whitney Gala Saturday night some really great writers were clowning for the camera, eating cheesecake, and calling themselves the losers. I beg to differ. They were all finalists and some of the best writers in the business. I don't mean to take anything away from the winners who collected trophies that night, but the finalists were, almost without exception, Whitney award caliber and could just as easily have been the ones to walk away with the awards. Sometimes the difference between the winner and the "almost winner" is merely a matter of taste. I also strongly suspect that some of these "losers" far outsell some of the "winners."

Over the years since the Whitneys began I've seen winners who were definitely losers in my opinion and I've seen some of the very best writers go without awards year after year. I've seen a couple of winners who did shoddy research and I've seen some of the most meticulous and carefully researched books take a back seat. I'm not saying the judging is unfair because I don't believe there has ever been a completely fair and impartial judging system invented, but this one comes pretty close --- up to the point where the book of the year is chosen. At that point only those who read all thirty-five books were eligible to vote, thus eliminating those would-be voters who did not have time to read the excessively long books, couldn't bring themselves to wade through five or ten books of a genre they don't enjoy, or who found a book so objectionable they couldn't read it. I'd like to see the selection of this award turned over to a panel of judges with professional expertise and require them to read only the one or two top vote getters from each genre instead of all thirty-five novels.

I'd also like to see a maximum length since there is a minimum. For a reader who doesn't care for romance novels, it's not a big deal to read a boring 250 pages, but expecting someone who finds science fiction or historical novels tedious, struggling through 500 to a thousand pages is asking a lot, especially if more than one finalists falls into this category.

I didn't attend the conference, only the gala, but I was impressed by how well organized it was and I loved seeing old friends and meeting people I previously only knew by their names or their work. And I certainly think this gala served the best food of any gala so far.

Early Saturday morning I discovered the rechargable battery in my camera would no longer recharge. I set out to buy new batteries and found that particular battery is no longer available, so I wound up purchasing a new camera. It has lots of features, I've no clue how to use and most of my pictures came out blurred. I'm used to using a view finder and I've got to work on using a preview screen instead.

Though I wasn't a Whitney winner nor even a finalist; in fact I didn't even have a book released in 2010, I left the gala feeling like a winner. My editor chose to inform me there in person that my historical novel I submitted a few months ago has been accepted for publication!

All comments here about this blog, the Storymakers conference, the Gala, congratulatory comments for the winners, or anything concerning the Whitney awards will count toward the May Wish List Contest.

Remember?

2011-05-08T09:45:00.001-06:00

Remember all those bulbs I told you I planted last fall? I thought I'd share the results with you. Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms!

Let's Celebrate!

2011-05-02T09:43:00.000-06:00

Celebrations are in order, not because a man was killed, even though Osama was an evil man with a great deal of blood on his hands. It's time to celebrate because his reign of terror is at an end. I'm not naive enough to think there won't be others who will pick up where he left off, but hopefully they won't be so well financed or control so many mindless followers. It's sad to think of anyone facing their Maker on the Other Side with so much sin, lies, and destruction his only baggage.

A personal cause for celebration is we are actually redoing our family room; new paint and new furniture. When we built our house we furnished the family room with things from our previous home. It wasn't in bad shape then, but that was fifteen years ago! It's fun, but a lot of work and I ache in places I'd forgoten were even there.

Another cause for celebration is the end of the April Wish List contest and the beginning of the May contest. April winners are Miriam Bair and Jendoll70. Please contact me with a list of LDS novels you would like me to choose from for your prize. Please include April Wish List in the subject line and contact me at bhansen22 at msn dot com . Your wish list should be at list five titles long, more would be better.

This month let's celebrate by sharing both big and little good things. Let's discover what is right in our country and in our lives.

Things I've Learned About Writing

2011-04-27T20:56:00.003-06:00

Over the course of my writing years, I've learned not to underestimate my ability to screw things up. I learned the hard way that not all jeans are Levis, not all paper tissues are Kleenex, not all temples have an angel on top, poring over a letter is not the same spelling as pouring water, and not all plasterboard is Sheetrock. A letter, a comma, so many little things change a meaning, imply a different nuance, and make the difference between a "good" story and a polished story.

I've learned too that computers are both a writer's blessing and curse. Having started my writing career on a manual Smith Corona and moved up to an electric then a data processer and eventually a series of ever more complex computers, I know firsthand that a lot more gets written using a computer than I could ever hope to accomplish with a typewriter. I'm not sorry to no longer need carbon paper, type erasers, or correction paper. Still computers are the cause of much more wasted time than the old Smith Corona ever was. It simplifies research, yet entices its user to play games and read endless trivia. Facebook monopolizes hours of time that could be better spent actually writing---though it's a great networking tool, an excellent way to stay in touch with friends, family, and readers.

No matter how talented a writer may be, he/she needs to constantly brush up on word usage, grammar, do research, learn new computer techniques and programs, and pay attention to little things like regular backups, a surge protector, and adherence to publisher guidelines. If attention isn't given to these peripheral matters, disaster can wipe out the most beautiful and perfect words.

The struggling artist who lives in an unheated attic and lives on bread and whiskey is as much a thing of the past as my old Smith-Corona. Today's writer who isolates him or herself from life doesn't relate to today's reader. Today whether a book is set on the American frontier, a New York penthouse, or in outer space, readers want to relate to the characters in a personal way.

With the flurry the past few weeks of getting my newest book ready to go to press, I read over the dedication and acknowledgements I wrote six months ago and decided I still mean them. There really are many people besides the author who play a part in moving a concept from inside one person's head to actual words on paper, neatly tucked between a front cover and a back cover. There are the people employed by the publisher who edit, proof read, write a cover blurb, choose a title, design a cover, create a promotion program, and handle the details of production. There are friends, critique groups, and fans who cheer the writer on, read drafts, help with research, etc. And not least of all, there's the writer's family. These are the people who believe in us, pick up the slack in the housework, feed us, and who think being wife, husband, mommy, daddy, grandma, grandpa is our greatest achievement. They think it's great we write books, but take greater pride in our ability to kick a soccer ball, bake brownies, or remember birthdays.

It's disappointing to screw up a spelling or confuse a brand name with a generic name. It feels like the sky is falling when we mess up properly saving our precious prose. But the one place I hope I never fail is in letting my family and friends know I love and appreciate them.

Reminder: April's Wish List Contest ends this Saturday!

New book to be released in early June!

Thinking about the Winter of My Discontent

2011-04-13T21:09:00.000-06:00

Spring seems to be arriving in small increments this year; a few hours one week, a few more the next. There's so much snow in the mountains this year, and more storms predicted, that there's a serious danger of flooding. Storms that hit Utah seem to arrive from the Pacific, soak Washington and Oregon, dump on Idaho, add to Utah's snow pack, then hurl across the Midwestern states into the Eastern states in the form of hail and tornados. I've never known a winter that I've become more tired of than this one.

With complaints about the snow and cold, it would be easy to overlook how green the lawns have become after each storm, how the early flowers are blooming in spite of the cold, and the green haze indicating new life in the trees. Of course the return of pollen allergies reminds some of us that in spite of the snow, spring is here.

Spring and Easter are linked for most of us and it's not hard to draw a few parallels between real life and the seasons. So many people I know have faced some tough things recently and I too have had my share. I lost a sister to cancer eight months ago. A dear friend just learned she has stage 4 cancer. An older friend and her husband have had to make room for their daughter, her unemployed husband, and their eight children in their home. Among my family and friends these past few months there have been a broken nose, a broken finger, job losses, severe cataracts, relocations, deaths and major illnesses of loved ones, insufficient feed for livestock, hospitalizations, and the list goes on. The world faces seemingly endless natural disasters and the pain of war. I remind myself that these things are winter, and spring is arriving in small increments.

Michelle Bell and I each welcomed a granddaughter this past week into our families. There aren't many things that can compete with a new baby for the spirit of hope and new beginnings that typify Spring and the Easter season. I was able to listen to all four sessions of conference which was certainly uplifting . The flowers in my garden are bursting forth in glorious color. A special friend has joined the ranks of those of us serving at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. I just finished the first edit on my next book. I have dear friends who bless me with encouragement and a family who support me in all I do. This is Spring.

Sometimes we get so bogged down in the weariness of winter, we lose sight of the subtle signs of spring. We wonder why we have to endure hardships and difficult times. In reality just as the storms of winter provide the essential moisture that makes spring possible, the difficult times in our lifes prepare us to grow and blossom into the best we can be. Overcoming the challenges in our lives strengthens us and gives us greater appreciation for goodness, beauty, and the association of loved ones. Our Savior passed through the darkest winter to give us the promise of the most glorious spring.

When we feel we've spent too much time in a snowbound cabin, it's time to remind ourselves that the Lord needs strong people in the last days and without adversity and testing we won't be strong enough to face the challenges that will come. He strengthens those with the greatest desire to serve him. Without the snow of winter, there is only drought when the days grow warm, then the flowers wither and die. Spring is here; it really is, even if we have to shovel away a little snow to find it. Just as this hard winter will eventually yield lush grass and wonderful tree growth, we can let the difficulties in our lives make us stronger, more compassionate, and more prepared to blossom into people worthy of His spring.

2011-04-11T19:21:00.000-06:00

This isn't really a blog, but just a quick message to let you know why I haven't blogged for awhile. The first reason has to do with writing. I'm deeply involved in the edit of my new book, If I should Die, which will be released in June. This isn't a good copy of the cover, but perhaps it will give you an idea of what it looks like.

The other reason is even more exciting. I have a new granddaughter. She is almost two months old and made her debut into our family this past weekend. The papers were officially signed this morning. Her name is Jennifer and she's beautiful. Of course, I had to take some time off to go shopping. Aren't Grandmas supposed to make certain their granddaughters have all the pink jammies, blankets, and dresses she can find?

Saturday Morning Conference Highlights

2011-04-02T14:00:00.000-06:00

I've always consider being able to watch Saturday morning conference a kind of luxury. Life seems to have a way of interfering much too often, but this morning I was there in front of the TV for the whole thing. I found the announcement of three new temples exciting. The first Fort Collins, Colorado is great. The second, Meridian, Idaho took me by surprise. That's so close to Boise and I find it exciting that there's a need for a second temple that close to the Boise Temple. Manitoba, Canada is a big place; I'll be anxious to learn the exact location of that one.

The speakers were great and I didn't miss President Monson's and President Eyring's emphasis on three areas; temples, service to those in need, and missionary work. I was particularly pleased with a small statement made by President Monson concerning making scooters available to missionaries and members to deliver humanitarian supplies to those in areas who are inaccessible by cars or trucks. I found it satisfying to hear of the work the Church is doing to aid those affected by the severe natural disasters of the past year or two. It also prompted me to tear up the check I've written for Humanitarian Aid and write a bigger one.

A NEW WISH LIST CONTEST BEGINS

2011-04-01T11:12:00.000-06:00

The March contest ended yesterday and this morning I drew names to see who gets to claim books from their wish lists for prizes. This is the first time I've included those who commented on my reviews on Meridian and ironically both winners are from Meridian comments. The winners are Dee who commented on Borrowed Light written by Carla Kelly, and Lisa Paskins who commented on Gifted by Karey White. Please contact me at bhansen22 at msn dot com with a list of five or more LDS books you would like within one week. If I have any of the books you choose, and I usually do, I'll send one to each of you. Be sure to send me your mailing addresses. Congratulations to both of you.

Now to the new contest. Same rules, and by the way, comments on Meridian usually don't show up until the following day. Since April is the month for two significant observances for most of us, I will blog about Genral Conference and Easter this month. Any thoughtful comment concerning any of the conference talks this weekend will count as will comments about the meaning of Easter, Easter observances, or anything Easter or Spring related. Comments concerning my April reviews are also encouraged. If I stray off topic, you can too. I'm not as faithful as some bloggers about acknowledging comments, but I read them and have been greatly impressed by the thoughts many of you have offered. I'll try to do better. Ready? Set? Go!

CRITICS CRITIQUE

2011-03-30T20:56:00.000-06:00

Writers can't not write. Musicians can't turn off the music in their heads. And it's next to impossible for a critic to stop critiquing. It's bad enough that most writers I know can't seem to turnoff the analysis of every book they read or movie they watch, but when that writer (me) is also a critic, it becomes hard to read just for pleasure. Oh, I enjoy most of the books I read, but there's something in my makeup that makes me want to share whatever I like or don't like, even in books I won't be formally reviewing.

This past week I've been ill, nothing serious just a rotten cold and badly infected throat, making most pursuits difficult, so I've spent a lot of time curled up in a comfortable chair, reading. I'll post reviews on Meridian of some of those books, but I read some good ones I won't be reviewing, too, and have decided to write a few things on this blog about some of them. For the most part, they are books that are too short to be considered novels, one is a book for children, and one is poetry.

Conversations with a Moonflower is a pretty little book with a thick padded cover featuring a yellow moonflower. It was written by Christine T. Hall. The book caught my attention first because my mother always planted Evening Flowers in her flower beds. They're not as pretty as moonflowers, but they bloom late in the evening , smell wonderful, and look like weeds in the daytime. When I was a little girl a neighbor had a Night Blooming Cereus plant and invited my family to see and smell this unique flower on the one summer night a year it bloomed. I have fond memories of the beautiful blossoms on that scraggly, ugly plant that looked like a dead weed the other 364 days of the year. This small book is as delightful as its namesake. It takes the reader from a time of packing up the contents of a house that had been in the family for more than a hundred years and the kindness of Amish neighbors to the understanding the protagonist achieves as she shares the Moonflower given to her by an Amish woman with neighbors and family. She not only learns about interacting with others, but discovers that in spite of the ADD she has struggled with all of her life she can have moments of quiet inner reflection and awareness that enrich her life. Through her "conversations" with the moonflower she discovers the answers to most of her questions and the solutions to most of her problems in life are already within her and only need to be brought to the forefront at the right time.

One book I read is a book for children, especially for children who are adopted or who have an adopted sibling. Since I have an adopted grandchild, whom I love dearly, I had looked forward to a chance to read this book. It's called 10 Days Until Forever and is written by David Peterson with illustrations by Tera Grasser. It's a simple little story that counts down the days until a little boy is taken to the temple to be sealed to his adoptive parents. In the process of the countdown he interacts with all the family, ward, and community people who share in his excitement over this special occasion and who care about him.

Carol Lynn Pearson has written a short book of poetry called The Sweet, Still Waters of Home. This is a book specifically written for mothers and to honor them on Mothers' Day. It takes each stanza of the Twenty-Third Psalm, explains it, and places it in the context of today's parenting challenges. I'm not a big fan of poetry nor of Pearson's non-poetry books, but somehow her poetry nearly always touches me and I like this little volume a great deal.

The Tomb Builder by E. James Harrison at 150 pages is almost long enough to be considered a novel. It is based on a man in the New Testament about whom little is known, Joseph of Arimathea. In fact, no one knows for sure quite where Arimathea was. The book is fiction and is therefore speculative, but the historical and geographical facts are well documented. The quality of writing in this little book is excellent and Harrison tells a thoughtful and plausible story of the man who owned the tomb where Christ was placed for those three short days following his crucifixion. The actual cover is not nearly as appealing as the picture of the cover, but don't let a blah cover keep you from an excellent story.

I read Janette Rallison's My Double Life, too, and have to admit I'm a Rallison fan and have been for ten years or so. She writes for the YA market, which I don't review, but I usually read her books just because I love her sense of humor and because she just keeps getting better. This is a story of two sisters who know nothing of the other's existence until the one is invited to be the other famous girl's double. It's a story that takes a look at values and honesty. Though it's written for teens, I suspect I'm not the only adult who will enjoy it. And I assure you the story is much better than the cover

I've enjoyed reading some books outside my usual areas and recommend that other readers try something new too. It's too bad I had to get sick to find the time to do it.

March 31, today/tomorrow is the last day to enter the March Wish List contest. Remember entries here, on the V-Formation (my blog same as here), or comments on my review column on Meridian count as entries. All followers get one entry too, just for being a follower.

Last week for Wish List Contest

2011-03-24T08:46:00.000-06:00

My fourth review for this month on Meridian is Honeymoon Heist by Anna Jones Buttimore. She's British and the book is set in England, Majorca, Spain, and France. Any comments readers make here or on Meridian about the review will count toward this month's Wish List contest. In fact comments on any of the four books, next week five, March reviews will count.

It might be the pollen flying around in the wind or I might have a cold, but either way I 'm doing a lot of sneezing and sniffling, so don't count on many more blogs before this month ends. I'm taking my allergy medication, drinking tons of orange juice, and even consuming some nasty acia stuff my daughter gave me, so I should be over it soon.

The robins have arrived, the pollen is here, my crocuses and pansies are blooming, and the grass is green, so why isn't it Spring? No matter what the calendar and all the signs tell me, it isn't Spring until I can go outside without a coat and there's no snow. So far today it's just rain, but the weatherman said it could change to snow. I know, it's never really Spring until after April Conference so I have a double reason to look forward to Conference.

GREAT NEWS

2011-03-18T09:01:00.000-06:00

I just learned that my book, If I Should Die, will be released in June instead of next January! I'm thrilled! My editor is currently working on the edit and I will probably receive the first edit in about a week. I'll post a picture of the cover as soon as I get a copy. Deseret Book is already accepting pre-orders and you can see a small picture of the cover there.

Believe in Magic

2011-03-16T21:05:00.002-06:00

"Don't ever get too old to believe in magic!" My senior year high school English teacher issued this warning to our class more years ago than I care to claim. This wasn't an ordinary English class, but a seminar class, in which we did a great deal of reading from different types of literature and attempting various styles of creative writing. In that class I learned there is more than one kind of magic. His advice has proved excellent through the years.

There would be something sad about a society where there was no Santa Claus, no leprechauns with their pots of gold, no four-leaf clovers, and no sudden delightful surprises. There's a level of innocence restored to adults as they remember the delights of such childhood fantasies as evidenced by their eagerness to pass on these magical experiences to our children. I applaud writers who can create this kind of magic for children and all adults who remember the magic of wonder.

That teacher referred to another kind of magic as well, the kind we sometimes call the "aha moment", or that moment of epiphany when all the pieces fall into place and we "get it." I've read a number of novels lately that contain no epiphany. By the time the climax of the story should be reached, the tale falls flat, there is no surprise, no dots to connect. The clues were too obvious; they practically slapped me in the face--or there were no clues. This type of story is boring. One such story left me wanting to shout, "clever, trendy dialog is NOT a substitute for a real story." Another contained great action, but it went nowhere; there was no climactic moment. Books in series often fall into this trap. Each book is the same story; if I've read one, I've read them all. Even romance novels, mysteries, and suspense where the reader knows in advance the outcome, the lovers will commit to love each other forever, the mystery will be solved, and the clever protagonist will somehow outwit the evil forces, still need that magical moment when the reader can say, "Wow I didn't expect that" or "I had a hunch that was going to happen." Readers need that moment of triumph, that touch of awe, that climactic "Oh, yeah!"

Knowing a story needs a bit of magic doesn't always equate with writing an excellent epiphany. A good writer sprinkles a story liberally with clues and false clues. Care needs to be taken with false clues, or red herrings, to ensure they fit into the story and don't just become loose ends. Few people like clues that are practically underlined in red, but we also feel cheated when the solution pops out of the woodwork without any clues. A friend of mine who writes mystery suspense for the general market once dissected a mystery written by one of her favorite authors to see how many clues the author planted. My friend filled a whole page with clues, then admitted that only one or two aroused her suspicions until that magical moment two lines before the protagonist boldly revealed the villain.

I'm a bookaholic and I believe in magic. I read a lot of books, twenty-one so far this year, and I always look for the magic. Oh not fairies and magic wands, though those are kind of nice sometimes too, but I keep hoping with each book I pick up that it will be the one that carries me away to that magical spot that makes my heart beat faster, rewards the sleuthing side of my brain, and has me saying, "I'm glad I got to read that."

And here's another bit of advice from another former high school teacher of mine: "It's alright to build castles in the air, unless we try to live in one."

Busy Week

2011-03-15T15:23:00.000-06:00

The past week has been busy with family birthdays and a grandson's baptism. I even spent a few hours cleaning up some of my flowerbeds. I have lots of crocuses blooming and I want to be able to see them without all of the debris blown into our yard by winter storms. I've read several books too, most of which didn't impress me much, so I won't talk about them. Mostly my mind has been on the devastating earthquake and tsunami and their aftermath that has struck Japan. I can't even fathom such an awful event. Though I've had dear friends and neighbors of Japanese descent all of my life and have friends who live there now, I won't be one of the writers developing a story around this tragedy. I'm sure there will be many who will and I wish them luck, but I can't do it. I've used snippets from news stories before in my novels, especially from events I covered myself as a reporter, but I can't even get my mind around something this huge. I won't write about it, but I will donate to the Church's Humanitarian Aid fund and urge others to do the same or to donate to any of the better charities such as Red Cross or Catholic Charities where the money will be used to aid the victims and not to line someone's pockets. Local television stations have lists of creditable charities.

SO Ready for Spring!

2011-03-08T10:25:00.000-07:00

Monday I was excited to discover yellow crocuses blooming in my back yard. I went out for about an hour to clear away winter debris and flower stalks that weren't trimmed well enough last Fall. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and crocuses were poking through the ground in all my flower beds. Today they're covered with snow, about six inches of it.

I've lived in the West all of my life, much of the time farther north than Utah, so why do I always get my hopes up that Spring has arrived when I know very well the season can't be counted on until after April Conference?

Maybe I just have Spring fever worse than usual this March because I've worked all winter on finishing an historical novel and finally submitted it Saturday evening. This manuscript has seen several reincarnations in the past few years. It started out as the fifth book in my Bracelet series, but when the powers-that-be decided there would only be four books in the series, it became an epic Western. Unfortunately it became too large and unwieldy, so I broke it into two books. In between these various forms, I wrote a murder mystery If I Should Die, which hasn't been released yet. Any way the completion and submission of the first of these two books (which really isn't a Western anymore) seems like a time of new beginnings, a time to think of something else, in other words Spring. Of course my Spring fever may be due to this past winter being particularly long, cold, and filled with snow.

More Thoughts on Judging the Whitneys

2011-03-04T14:25:00.000-07:00

Someone recently asked how I could be a judge for the Whitney Awards when everyone knows I don't care for fantasy novels. This question is based on a couple of erroneous assumptions, for which I can only blame myself. I've been pretty open in expressing my dislike for some kinds of speculative fiction. (By the way, not all speculative fiction is fantasy). First, I don't hate all fantasy, and second I'm not a judge in either speculative category. I won't even be voting for the novel of the year because I just don't have time to read the finalists in the speculative categories. I read eight to twelve novels a month, sometimes more, as a reviewer and there's no way I can add ten speculative books, especially considering the length of those books, to my already busy reading schedule.

A good share of the LDS reading public is aware that fantasy isn't my favorite genre, but the truth is, I've read a lot of science fiction, a lot of "last days" fiction, and a whole lot of fairy tales, mythology, and fantasy. As a teenager, I think I read all of the Martian Chronicles and many other well-known science fiction novels. As I grew older my tastes changed. Through the years I've sampled most of the big name science fiction writers' works, finding few that held my interest enough to read more than one or two by any one author. I've always had a soft spot for fairy tales and as an adult have been amused by some of the better fractured fairy tales I've come across. I've been touched by a few "last days" novels and annoyed by others. I'm a little touchy about paranormal; most flirt a little too close to the occult, but occasionally I find one where the paranormal elements of the story are handled with a finesse that works for me. I do not like the kind of speculative fiction that plays around with the occult, gives tacit approval of drug use by calling drugs by some other name, or the ones that are filled with monsters and brutal violence.

Why should being less than enthusiastic about speculative fiction make me any less qualified to judge a contest open to all genres than it makes someone ineligible because they don't particularly like or spend much time reading romance or history? In any contest where apples, oranges, and potatoes are judged against each other, it would be difficult to keep out all personal bias, but I think most people, who are well enough read to qualify as judges, know the difference between good writing, mediocre writing, and just plain bad writing. I don't think it's necessary to love a particular genre to determine whether or not the book is well written, though I suspect most judges faced with equally well-written books in two different genre's will lean toward the one they personally enjoyed the most.

The Whitneys do not provide judges with a set of rules by which to judge the entries, other than requiring them to actually read the books. Different judges set different criteria. Some of the things I look for are:

Entertainment - Did I enjoy reading the book? Did it hold my attention? Does it have a spark of originality?

Accuracy: Was the research accurate and believable? Could it really happen? Does the background suit the story? Is the world the author creates consistent?

Technical Points: Does the plot move smoothly and is there a good fiction arc? Are the characters believable with at least one I can care for enough to cheer for? Do the characters grow with the story? What about info dumps, backfill, a strong opening hook? Does the book begin where the real story begins and end when the story is finished? Etc.

Acceptable social standards: It doesn't have to be LDS, but the actions, speech, and values of the protagonists should not be contrary to LDS standards.

The preliminary judges for the Whitney Awards come from a broad cross section of tastes in literature and are professionals in the publication field. I don't think anyone has stopped to question how many prefer literary over genre or history over speculation. Even if the criteria for judging were set in stone, I'm afraid there would always be a certain amount of the subjective element in the decision making. There will always be "that stupid book the judges must have been out of their mind to pick'' and the "absolutely perfect book the judges ignored."

I promise I'm as unbiased as possible as a judge and I trust the other judges are too. I think the awards are fun and important to our profession, but it would be a mistake to take them too seriously. Another set of judges could easily pick another set of winners and be just as fair. After all, there are a lot of good LDs writers out there, and not all of the best ones pick up the prizes.

New way to enter Wish List contest

2011-03-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

From now on each comment posted on my reviews on Meridian will count as an entry in the monthly Wish List contest. That means more opportunities to win free books. Become a follower, comment on any blog written by me on this blog or on the V-Formation blog, or comment on the reviews I post on Meridian during the current month. If I write five blogs during a month, four reviews, and you're a follower, that's ten entries. Go for it, do them all. The Meridian link is on the side bar of this page.

Off with the old, on with the new

2011-03-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

And the winners are: (drumroll please) Scotty &Emily and M. Gray. Send me your wish list of five or more LDS FICTION books along with your mailing address. Please include the words "Wish List" in your subject line. Send to bhansen22 at msn dot com Congratulations!

With the conclusion of one contest, the next one begins. This time let's talk about books, ones that left a lasting impression for good or ill, the price of books, e-reader books, favorite genres, favorite children's book, the Whitneys, and any book-related topic.

To begin I'll admit my most treasured possession as a little girl was a ratty copy of Mother Goose. It was minus a cover, probably my fault. Another book I adored was an eqully worn book simply called 365 Bedtime Stories; I have no idea who the author was. When my parents went to town and brought me back a treat, my favorite was a Little Golden Storybook. In a few years my favorites became too numerous to list, but they included The Bobby Twins, Tiger Tiger, Heidi, Anne of Green Gables, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Trixie Beldon, Old Yeller, The Black Stallion, Cowgirl Kate, and more.

I've read something from every genre and have gone through preference phases where I couldn't seem to get enough of one particular genre, then as I've grown and my life interests have changed, so have my reading tastes. The same can be said for my writing. I've dabbled around in many types of writing and genres. I just finished the first book in a pair of historical/western/romances. (Sometimes it's really hard to fit a book into a particular genre in a nice tidy fashion!) I'm waiting for my test readers to finish picking it apart before I submit it. And I have a murder mystery coming out next January.

My fiction To Read stack right now consists of:

Borrowed Light by Carla Kelly
Honeymoon Heist by Anna Jones Buttimore
Independence Rock by Debra Terry Hule
Shadows of Brierly by Anita Stansfield
My Double Life by Janette Rallison
The Blade of Shattered Hope by James Dashner
Matched by Allie Condie

This is a new month so there will soon be additions to the stack which will move the three bottom ones (Whitney contenders) to the "if I have time" stack. Oh, and I'm currently reading Abish: Mother of Faith by K.C. Grant.

Back to the Wish List contest. Any time this month, you can comment on any of my March blogs on any book related topic. I've decided to include comments made on my reviews over at Meridian too. And if I stray off topic, you can too. Each comment counts as an entry. One prize goes to someone who makes a comment and one goes to a name drawn from commenters and followers combined. Good luck!

JUST A REMINDER

2011-02-27T19:49:00.001-07:00

The February Wish List Contest ends tomorrow, Feb. 28 at midnight. Comments on any or all February posts each count as an entry! There will be one winner from among the comments and one from comments and followers combined.

Hats off to America's Presidents!

2011-02-21T11:36:00.001-07:00

Remember the old holidays when Washington's birthday meant we got to eat cherry pie and were taught the importance of never telling a lie and Lincoln was honored for his honesty? We cut out silhouettes of these two great men and taped them to our classroom windows days before the actual holidays. Both birthdates meant a day off from school. Now all the presidents' birthdays are lumped into one and the day is equated with car sales. Some school districts don't even give the kids the day off. The letter carrier is the only one who gets the day of for sure. For the most part we wouldn't even know today is a holiday if the Boy Scouts hadn't planted a flag in the snow drift in front of our house early this morning.

I'm willing to concede it would be impractical to honor every president of this country with a holiday and there are some I question whether they deserve any recognition, but it seems we could come up with something better than a sale at the local used car lot to honor the many honorable men who have served our country since 1776. Picnics, parades, and fireworks don't hold a lot of appeal in February. Americans have gotten out of the habit of attending speeches, maybe we could twitter a salute or two. We could sit around and read the constitution, but I have serious doubts a majority of my fellow countrymen even own a copy. I guess the only thing left is to go pull that frozen cherry pie out of the deepfreeze and reminisce about the time my daughter, grandson, and I visited Mount Vernon.

In case you're wondering the first picture is of George and Martha with a niece and nephew. They had no children of their own. One of my grandsons is standing in front of the statue. The second is the view from the back porch at Mount Vernon.

One of Those Days

2011-02-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile I find myself having "one of those days." It's not that anything went terribly wrong; I'm just not satisfied with . . . anything in particular. I actually managed to write 2489 words today, had minimal phone calls, and my husband fixed dinner. Still the flowers on the dining room table are dead and need to be thrown out, the sheets on the downstairs bed need to be changed, there are cobwebs on the entry hall chandelier, the kitchen floor needs to be mopped, and the wind has been howling like a banshee. I know, some days are just like that.

Sometimes writers have some of those days too in their professional life. The words are drivel, there's no way to get an uninterrupted block of time, there are too many other demands on our time, and we'd rather play on Facebook than write.

An occasional such day can be chalked up to "that's just the way it is." Or it might be a hint someone has been pushing too hard and needs to take a break. Sometimes the same remedies we use to deal with writer's block work for overcoming a cranky, blah, nothing-suits-me day. Sometimes sitting down to the computer and getting lost in the WIP before us does the trick. Other times a good run, a chocolate bar, or vigorously scrubbing the kitchen floor will do the trick. And sometimes we just have to hope to wake up in a better mood the next day.

I've already told you this isn't one of my better days. It isn't a day when I can come up with a blog topic either, but I can tell you a few things that have crossed my mind to share but won't fill an entire blog. First, I've been invited to speak at a book club. There's nothing unusual about that, but this club is comprised of Latino ladies, and I don't speak Spanish. Should be fun. Funny thing is I've longed to have my books translated for Spanish readers for a long time without any success, but I feel flattered that women who struggle with English still read my books and want to meet me.

I received the smallest royalty check of my life since I started writing fiction this week. It's fun to get the big checks, but I'm okay with this one. I chose to spend time with my sister before she died instead of writing and I have no regrets.

The temple is closed for regularly scheduled cleaning this week and next. It's good to have the time off, but it leaves me feeling a little disoriented and confused as to which day today is.

My sales of Run Away Home on Kindle are going pretty well and I like their system that allows authors to track sales. I'll post Journey Home on Kindle too as soon as I finish my long overdue pair of western Historicals I've been working on for a couple of years. And speaking of Kindles, I think the only way I can keep up with finding the called for scriptures in Sunday School is to look up all the scriptures listed in the study guide for each week and book mark them. The Kindle works well for reading, but I find it dreadfully slow for trying to locate specific scriptures. I'm not sure I retain what I read on my e-reader as well as what I read on a printed page, but that may improve as I grow more accustomed to using it.

I've got eight new books to read and consider for reviews on my shelf and four Whitney finalists. I can't read them all, so I guess it's the Whitney finalists that won't get read. I've finished everything in four categories and there are only a few in the other categories that interest me anyway. It just saddens me a little that I won't be able to vote for the overall top book.

Every other week it is my turn to post a blog on the V-Formation and I usually post it here too. Whether you comment here or on the V-Formation, I count it toward the Wish List contest. If you comment on both, but the comments are different, I'll count them both. Sometimes I post a link to Facebook too, but comments there don't count toward the contest (too hard to keep track of), but I still love to get them.

Well, that's all I can think of, so I think I'll quit and go watch the Jazz game. Wait that just might move me from feeling blah to depressed.

Where has all the romance gone?

2011-02-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

Romance vs. Love. There is a difference, you know. At least there is in my mind. When I first began to be published as a novelist, everyone who wrote LDS fiction was accused of writing romance. It wasn't true then and it isn't true now. I'm not sure there is a definition that separates the two into exact categories, but I separate them this way: If the story is primarily boy meets girl, they are attracted to each other even if they deny that attraction, an obstacle keeps them from getting together, they overcome the obstacle and live happily ever after, that's romance. If boy meets girl, their relationship deepens as they get to know each other, trust and respect for each other grows, they each make significant sacrifices for the other, they become stronger, better people because of their relationship, and they develop a lasting commitment to each other whether they foresee being together in this life or not, the story is probably a love story.

Another difference I see is the tone of the story. If it is light-hearted fluff, flirtation, and cutesy games, it's probably romance. If a large part of the story is dedicated to fashion, romantic settings, and flowery descriptions, again it's romance. If the story is filled with improbably dramatic inventions calculated to bring on tears, it's the worst sort of romance. Love stories often invite a tear or two also, but they come about more from a tender moment of identifying with the character rather than the creation of tear-trigger scenes. Love stories are usually more serious than romances; they are of a broader and grander scope.

There are few novels in any genre that are completely lacking in romance or love. Relationships are one of the most compelling sources of human emotion for good or evil. It would be naive to think elements of romance wouldn't appear in stories that are primarily mystery, suspense, western, historical, science-fiction, or fantasy. In our LDS culture the eternal companionship of a man and a woman are of paramount importance. Our eternal future depends on such relationships, so it would be unrealistic to leave this aspect of the human experience out of our novels. In much of today's general market fiction, physical attraction plays the key role in Romance and sex is a cheap substitute for love. For this reader, such novels are a disappointment.

There are still a few romance novels around in the LDS market, but real love stories have almost disappeared. Recently a few authors have produced stylized romances which are fun to read, but leave no lasting imprint. The sob-sister stuff sells in large quantities in both the LDS and national market. Some of the best love stories are hidden in the pages of other genres, but there are few novels today devoted primarily to true love stories.

It's human nature for those who are immature to laugh at what makes them nervous, ridicule what they don't understand, and to feel embarrassed by tender emotions. Unfortunately the romance novel and love story are often the recipients of this kind of scorn. I find this unfortunate, since this is certainly an age that could stand more attention to the gestures and polite forms of romance as well as the deeper caring, sacrifice, and appreciation of genuine love.

Happy Valentines' Day all.

What does a cover say about a Book?

2011-02-08T12:26:00.004-07:00

The first book I had published was Run Away Home. It did well and my publisher released it again a few years later with a new cover, one that went well with the other two books I had since published using some of the same characters. Recently I released it again, this time on an electronic reader (Kindle) with a third cover. That's three different covers for one story and I began to wonder which is really the most effective cover. Which one would someone who had never read any of the formats be drawn to the most?

Covers give the first impression a potential buyer/reader has of a book. That cover gives a broad hint concerning the book's contents. We can tell at a glance if the book is meant to be suspenseful, a romance, or science fiction. Over on LDS Publisher there was a recent contest to pick the most eye-catching or appealing cover for 2010. The contest made no claim to being scientific, but revealed only the opinions of those who voted. Sun Tunnels and Secrets was the winner. In the same contest last year my Shudder was a finalist. These are two very different covers, yet they both ignited a sense of intrigue that drew readers.

Unfortunately sometimes the cover is misleading and we miss a great book because the cover suggests the book would have limited appeal to most readers or that it is targeting a specific limited group. I found this to be the case with Meg's Melody, an excellent, insightful book that I believe would appeal to a much larger group than the limited numer who read OB books.

I'm glad to see the popularity of cartoonish covers is fading. There's just something about that style that shouts "kids' book", fluff, not to be taken seriously, when the book may be a serious love story, general fiction, or represent almost any genre.

One recent book suffered difficulty finding shelf placement in LDS bookstores because the cover seemed to imply an acceptance of gambling, which couldn't be farther from the truth. There are also books that lose sales in spite of a top author's name because the cover looks homemade and thus looks self-published. Though there are some excellent self-published books, the stigma still exists that suggests if a book wasn't good enough to attract a real publisher, it must not be very good.

So what makes a good cover? Graphic artists will talk about balance, white space, font, etc. I don't know a great deal about those things; I only know what appeals to me, what draws me to a book enough to make me want to pick it up to read the cover blurb. I know Annette Lyon's Chocolate Never Faileth makes me want to find a chocolate stash. It isn't even fiction and I rarely read cookbooks.

I guess if I were to name my favorite covers for this past year my choices would be The Rogue Shop by Michael Knudsen and The Silence of God by Gale Sears.

I'd love to hear which covers have caught your attention this past year and why.

Hurray for the Whitney Finalists!

2011-02-02T19:54:00.002-07:00

The Whitney Award finalists were announced Tuesday. It's always fun to receive recognition from one's peers for a job well done and I certainly think Josi Killpack and her assistants deserve a pat on the back. They undertook a massive task and carried it off in great style. I've been a judge for at least one category every year since the Whitneys began and this year I got to judge Historical. We didn't have as long a list to read and choose from as some of the other categories did, but we certainly got some of the most outstanding novels of the year to read, including those that did not become finalists. You can find a complete list of the finalists here.

The next round of voting will be by a larger group of people including members of Storymakers, publishers, book store staff, etc. They will narrow the finalists down to one winner in each category--except speculative. That category has been divided into an adult and a youth category. There will also be an overall novel of the year chosen by a smaller group of readers, those few people who manage to read all 35 finalists or who have the nerve to lie and say they did. Actually I've read and reviewed 20 of the finalists and only found a couple of those disappointing. Sorry, but I just can't bring myself to read ten speculative novels, so I won't be voting in Novel of the Year category this year. There will also be an award for the top novel by a first time author. Yes, it is possible this year to get one of the overall awards and place first in a genre as well.

Every year there is considerable debate over which genre or category some novels should be placed in, or even if they should be considered at all. A book only needs to be written by an LDS author to be eligible; it doesn't have to have any connection whatsoever with the LDS Church or its beliefs or standards. Sometimes the line between genres is very thin, making category placement difficult for the contest committee. Last year the novel that placed first in Romance wasn't even a Romance, but it was an outstanding novel that deserved recognition--just not in that category. I must say I'm more comfortable this year with the categories each finalist was placed in, more so than any other year. There are also fewer books left off the finalists lists that I think should be there. There are always a few that touch me or another reader in a particular way that just doesn't have the same impact on someone else so they don't make the finals, but they're still great books.

I'm pleased to see that in the four categories I'm most interested in, Romance, Mystery/Suspense, Historical, and General Fiction, the finalists are not only well written, but well-edited and for the most part, reasonably copy edited as well. If I have time, I'll read the General Youth Fiction finalists. Several books in that category sound interesting. Anyone just looking for a good book to read could pick up almost any book on the list and have an enjoyable read.

Congratulations to all of the finalists. Reaching this point is no small feat. Books that reach the finalist stage have already been screened for quality and have already proved their worth. The next level of judging will be much harder because merit won't be as big an issue as personal appeal and luck. There will only be one winner in each category, but in my book, you're all winners.

Are any of these books your personal favorites for 2010? Are there any books among this 35 titles you think don't deserve to be there? Which outstanding books were left off of this list?

January Wish List Winners

2011-02-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

I picked two winners to receive a book each from their wish lists. Jen Plus 5 was drawn from those who made comments on my January blogs and Stephanie, one of Notes From Jennie's Desk followers was drawn for comments plus followers. Please claim your prizes by sending me a list of at least five books from your wish list and your mailing address to bhansen22 at msn dot com. Please include the words "Wish List" in your subject line so your email doesn't get lost in my overly zealous junk mail folder.

The February contest starts now. Some of the topics I will be blogging about this month will be US Presidents, Valentines Day and favorite love stories and books, Whitney finalists, and who knows what else. So tell me your thoughts along these lines or anything book related that might be on your mind.

I've made a little headway on my "to read" stack and only have four books left--however February releases will begin showing up anyday. The books I have left are:

The Up Side of Down by Rebecca Talley
All that was Promised by Vickie Hall
Whos's At The Door by Dan Harrington
Dearly Departed by Tristi Pinkston

Thanks to all who commented in January. Your comments were great.

Contest ends Monday

2011-01-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

The January Wish List contest ends Monday. From now on I'm only going to do one contest a month and gives readers the entire month to make comments and/or become followers. You can read the new rules in the side bar.

Okay, that takes care of business and now I can get to a conglomeration of things. First I finally have a book available on Kindle. I'm a book person so publishing on Kindle made me feel a little bit like a traitor, but there are advantages to using an e-reader. They're lightweight and the books are cheaper for those watching a tight budget. It also solves the crowded book shelf problem for those with limited space. It's my first novel, Run Away Home, which most of you probably read a long time ago. Covenant first published it back in 1993 and it has been out of print for some time. When I first wrote it, there was a prolog, which the publisher took out. LDS novels were just beginning to take off then and publishers had to be more careful than they are now in mentioning touchy topics. I incorporated most of that prolog back into the first chapter. I also had to change the cover. Covenant changed the cover when the book was reissued in 1997, so this will be the third cover for that book. It's a photograph of a tree-lined road I took myself. I like playing around with photography; goes back to my newspapering days.

Preparing a book to submit to Amazon for Kindle (electronic reader) was an interesting experience. Amazon provides instructions, but since I don't speak computerese too well, it was a long process to prepare the book. I suspect the next one won't be so difficult because now I have some idea of what to do. Preparing a new cover was the hardest part for me, but fortunately I have a home teacher who is a computer genius who writes programming and was willing to translate the instructions into language I understand and it turned out pretty cool, if I do say so myself. If any of you download and read this new version, I'd love to hear what you think of it.

I got through most of my reading list I posted earlier and I enjoyed most of the books on that list. There was one other book, a last minute nominee for the Whitney category I'm judging. I struggled through it and came away convinced the writer has a large and loyal family or he/she would never have made the list. I won't mention the title or author since that wouldn't be kind. My current "to read" stack begins with the book at the bottom of my last pile:

The Wishing Hour by J. Adams
The Kiss of a Stranger by Sarah Eden
The Upside of Down by Rebecca Talley
All that Was Promised by Vickie Hall
Who's at the Door? by Dan Harrington
Dearly Departed by Tristi Pinkston

Just so you know, I try to read books in the order I receive them, but I don't necessarily review them in that order. I try to avoid too many books by one publisher reviewed consecutively. Also I don't review every book I receive; that doesn't mean I review the good ones and skip the not so good ones. I receive many books each month, but I can only review four of them. Some writers write a lot of books and I don't want to review two or three books by one author within a short time frame. I don't want to review the same type of book week after week either; it's better to mix them up by subject matter or genre.

Sometimes I wonder if people actually read my reviews. If you do, do they help you choose which books to purchase or check out of the library? What do you find the most helpful in a review? From a reader's perspective? From a writer's perspective?

I've rambled on long enough. Remember the January contest ends Monday.

THE GIFT

2011-01-19T19:01:00.002-07:00

Recently a dear friend gave me an unusual gift. It consisted of an old ink bottle, a bottle of ink, and a goose feather. The ink bottle is the kind school children used to place in an inkwell on top of their school desks. This gift brought back a rush of memories, some good and some not so good.

I was scared to death of our old gander when I was a little girl. He was meaner and more aggressive than my dad's herd dog or the old ram who thought he owned the entire barnyard. I was always careful to make certain I didn't go anywhere near that goose when I made a trip to the barn. Once he attacked my little brother and left him so pinched and bruised he looked like he'd been beaten. Shortly after, a crop duster plane swooped low over the field next to the garden and my three-year-old brother ran screaming to the house, "Goose! Goose!" No way was he going to hang around to let a "goose" that size get him.

Because we had a good sized flock of geese, my mother always prepared a roast goose for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Those holidays always bring back memories of those wonderful dinners and my mother who was an excellent cook. Ironically my friend gave me that goose feather on the day that would have been my mother's one hundredth birthday if she were still alive.

My father was a story teller and that ink pot reminded me of a story he often told of being sent home from school because he dipped the long blond braids of the little Swedish girl who sat in front of him into the black ink pot that sat on his desk in the little one room school he attended in Canada.

An ink pot and a goose feather got me in trouble in a small Montana school I attended, too. I was placed in a mixed sixth/seventh grade class as was my friend, David. We were horrified because we were the top competitors for our grade and the other students were all the students who struggled the hardest and got the poorest grades. We were bored! We wanted a more challenging curriculum and we wanted to be with our friends. Neither the principal or our teacher were sympathetic to our pleas to be placed in the other class. Then Mrs. Wanship, our teacher, decided that all students must turn in papers and take spelling tests only in ink. Ballpoints weren't allowed. Everyone dutifully showed up at school the next Monday with stick pens and bottles of ink. Not David and I. We cut points on goose quills and proceeded to use our homemade pens exclusively. Those quill pens screeched and squealed and if we pressed down hard, the shrill sound they made had the whole class clapping their hands over their ears. Our fun didn't last long. By the end of the week, Mrs. Wanship, in tears, marched us down to the principal's office and our parents were called. The next day we were moved to the regular seventh grade class. Our goose quill pens weren't allowed to go with us.

When my sister died a few months ago, her husband gave me a bell from her bell collection. It's an old fashioned brass hand bell she acquired when a one room school she once visited closed and its contents were sold. I placed the bottle of ink, the antique ink pot, and the goose feather in my curio cabinet beside my sister's bell. They and the memories seem to go well together.

A Few Thoughts On Civil Rights

2011-01-17T16:28:00.001-07:00

I've always been a little disappointed that this January holiday was named for just one civil rights leader. Martin Luther King was a great leader of the Civil Rights movement, but there were many leaders, and many people whose accomplishments set the stage for the civil rights movement going back many years. Besides, what other American holiday is named to honor just one person? I guess there's Columbus Day, but it is mostly just another day for sales and I'm afraid that by making Martin Luther King Day a day to focus on one person, it will eventually go the same way.

Our nation should never forget the struggle our black population faced in going from slaves with no more say in their lives than the family cow to being, well--- people---ordinary people and sometimes great or famous people, just like those of every other race and background in this great country. In case no one has noticed, our president is black.

In school I learned about Harriet Tubman, a woman whose history excited my imagination. What a heroine! She founded an escape route for runaway slaves known as the Underground Railroad and traversed it many times, leading downtrodden people to freedom at great peril to herself. She also served as a spy for the Union Army during the Civil War.

George Washington Carver must be credited as an American hero not only for his work as a scientist, but where would America be without peanut butter, his discovery/invention? Some modern civil rights leaders fail to treat Frederick Douglass with the respect he deserves, however he was largely responsible for improving educational opportunities for black children. Booker T. Washington was also a prominent educator and Luther Burbank , a widely recognized botanist. Perhaps the black figure who most impressed me personally was Matthew Henson, assistant and partner to Admiral Robert Peary, the first explorers to reach the North Pole.

Through the years black athletes and musicians have led the way in gaining recognition for their talents and kept black faces and names before the public, setting the stage for their own people to stand up and claim their rights as citizens. I know we have Black History Month which supposedly honors all black historical characters, but I still would prefer a holiday that honored all those who struggled to establish racial equality. I also think this day should extend honor to other minority groups who made great sacrifices to ensure freedom and equality for all Americans. Where are the monuments to Native American Leaders? Remember the Code Talkers? What about the Japanese American men who fought in World War II while their families sat in internment camps?

I'm grateful for the people of many races who have contributed to making my America. I'm proud of the accomplishments of people of all races and I'm grateful for the contributions they have made to my life. I'll never forget my grade school neighbors of Japanese descent who always treated me to ice cream whenever I wandered to their house, my great grandfather's Native American wife who was my beloved Grandma Snowball (I was terribly disappointed when I learned Grandpa married her after my biological great grandmother died), the Latino people I grew up thinning beets and picking fruit with, my friends and work associates, Naomi, Tu, and Binh, and I appreciate the kindness Karl Malone showed my brother's family when their son was killed, nor the wonderful generosity of Deron Williams to my son-in-law and his family through the Wounded Warriors program. My own extended family is highly diverse and is represented by many races and cultures. That's part of what makes America great, and though King is certainly a man to be lauded, I can't help wishing the day honored our racial diversity and commitment to equal civil rights for all Americans.

ANOTHER YEAR STARTS WITH HIGH HOPES

2011-01-05T22:32:00.001-07:00

A new year seems like a made-to-order topic for blogging. A new year, resolutions, forecasts , expectations, and predictions are appearing in blogs all over the place, so I figure I might as well have my say as well.

I've never been into New Year's resolutions, but I did make one last year. I resolved to lose a pound a month during 2010. Well, I did it. I lost twelve pounds, but unfortunately I put four back on. I think I'll try it again. At least I'll be starting from eight pounds less than last year. I'm resolving to finish the two books I'm currently working on too. That doesn't include If I should Die which is already written
and waiting for the editing process to begin later this year.

Forecasts? I'm only going to forecast that Spring will come. I'm so sick of snow and cold, I have to believe better days are coming.

Expectations? I expect to be happy this year, not for any particular reason, but because I believe being happy is a decision we're each free to make. Circumstances can cause sadness and hurt, but we decide for ourselves whether or not we'll take the lumps life hands us and be happy anyway.

Predictions? Here's the fun part. I got to play a gypsy fortune teller with a crystal ball at a carnival once; it was a blast. And I have an ancestress who barely escaped Wales with her life when all of her neighbors decided she was a witch. And who knows? My predictions have just as much chance of coming true as those of anyone else.

1. I predict the tea party candidates will make a valiant effort when they get to Washington, but will be out-maneuvered in most instances by more savvy politicians who have been playing the game for a longer time.

2. I predict the reading and movie going public will get their fill of vampires and paranormal creatures and look for literature with more substance. Actually that's more wishful thinking than prediction.

3. Half the world, at least the Western half, will go gaga over Prince William's marriage to his live-in girlfriend.

4. Most television programs will continue to be boring.

5. BYU football's jump to a new market will be more lucrative than the U's switch to the Pack 12, but no matter how successful either or both may be on the field, the national sports broadcasters will still look down their noses at them.

6. North Korea and Iran will continue to be obnoxious to the rest of the world and the rest of the world will continue to threaten them with stiffer sanctions.

7. Mexican drug lords and US gunrunners will manage to blow up themselves and each other --I wish.

8. Political correctness will continue to censor books, speech, and make a strong attempt to control thought.

9. My grandkids will continue to be adorable and smart.

10. I'll forget before next December where I put the Christmas wrapping paper I just bought.

WHAT ABOUT CONTESTS?

2011-01-04T16:51:00.003-07:00

I promised to start a new contest in January, so consider this the beginning. But speaking of contests, do you want me to continue holding contests to give away books I've considered for my review column? I don't know if it was the end of the year busyness or if readers have lost interest, but entries have dropped, fewer comments were made the past few months. Are there too many contests on book blogs? Do you prefer longer or shorter entry times? Something I've thought about is a long contest taking us up to the Whitney awards and awarding the winner and several runners up with finalist books. I've also thought of reviewing one book each month and making it the prize. I welcome your suggestions.

In the meantime, I'll begin a new contest today and since I'm off to a slow start. This contest will run for the entire month of January. Every comment is an entry. Every follower is automatically entered and you can enter multiple times. Comment on any blog I write this month. And to start us out comment on how you'd like me to change the contest, a blog topic you'd like me to write about, or about your New Year's resolutions. Also I'm going to begin telling you what I'm reading and which books are on my stack of "to read" books. You can also comment on any of them, say what you like or don't like about any of them, or even recommend which ones you think I should review for Meridian. And speaking of Meridian, I appreciate your comments posted there as well as those here.

I just finished The Sheen on the Silk by Anne Perry, Free Men and Dreamers O Say Can You See? by L.C. Lewis, and Heroes of the Fallen by David J. West. Reviews of all three will be on Meridian with a few weeks.

My "to Read" stack holds:

The Pharaoh's Daughter by N.C. Allen
The Prodigal Son by Alison Palmer
Meg's Melody by Kaylee Baldwin
The Rogue Shop by Michael Knudsen
Smoke Screen by Traci Hunter Abramson
The Wishing Hour by. J. Adams

My Christmas Thank You

2010-12-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

The Christmas Wish List contest just ended and I posted the winners in my previous post, but I want to thank all those who participated. In fact I'd like to thank all of you who read my blogs and better still, read my books. Over this past year I have been touched by many of your comments. My blog today is one more Christmas memory, one that haunts me still. It was the Christmas I made my mother cry and I learned something important about gratitude.

At fifteen, a pleated, plaid wool skirt was all I wanted for Christmas. I knew there wouldn’t be much beneath the Christmas tree that year, but how I hoped for that one thing. Our farm community was small and no one had much money, but it seemed I was the only girl in our high school who didn’t have a pleated wool skirt.

Somehow in my mind, the skirt I dreamed of was two shades of blue with white and black, forming a lovely plaid. It would be that thick kind of wool so popular that year and would fall just an inch or two below my knees. I had a blue sweater that would be perfect with it, a hand-me-down that had hardly been worn.

In the weeks before Christmas I participated in the school play, went ice skating, and even gave my little brother an early Christmas present with the last of my baby sitting money. He was a cowboy in the elementary school pageant and I’d found a cute pair of toy spurs. I warned him he wouldn’t get anything from me on Christmas, but he was so excited about the spurs, he claimed he wouldn’t care. With a family the size of ours, I figured he wouldn’t even notice one less present on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve came and we gathered in the front room. Daddy read the Christmas Story from St. Luke, then came the passing out of gifts. In our family we always exchanged family gifts on Christmas Eve. We exclaimed over cheap bottles of perfume, knee socks, and the other inexpensive gifts my siblings and I had purchased or made for each other. Mama served us slices of fruitcake or bowls of carrot pudding, then we were off to bed.

It wasn’t visions of sugarplums that danced in my head that night, but a pleated wool skirt. I wanted that skirt with all my heart.

When morning came, my sister and I dressed in our icy bedroom before making our way down stairs. The kitchen was warm and filled with good smells, we pitched in to help Mama and our helping frequently took us past the archway leading to the front room where we surreptitiously peeked at the small mounds set on the sofa and under the tree.

When Daddy and my brothers finished with the milking and other chores, it was time to see what Santa had brought, though most of us were well beyond the years when we believed in the jolly gent. Hardly daring to breathe, I followed the younger kids into the front room. At first I couldn’t tell which gifts were meant for me. Then I saw it, a flat bundle, wrapped loosely in a folded piece of tissue paper. It was my skirt! I knew it had to be my longed-for skirt.

Carefully, I pulled back the tissue and stared in confusion. It was fabric; a piece of cloth. That didn’t disappoint me. My mother could sew better than anyone else I knew. But the fabric was pink! Pink with little black speckles! Of all colors in the world, my least favorite has always been pink. It wasn’t thick and slightly rough like my friends’ wool skirts. It felt spongy and slick. It was the ugliest piece of cloth I’d ever seen. I bit my lip to keep from crying.

“What’s that?” One of my brothers pointed to an oblong lump in the middle of the piece of fabric.

Struggling to control my distaste at even touching that piece of pink cloth, I unwound it to discover a navy blue book. A consolation prize I thought. At least I’d have something to read. I reached for the book and turned it over in my hands. This time I couldn’t stop the tears. The book was a hymn book---a hymn book for a girl who was tone deaf and consequently had little interest in music.

I caught a glimpse of Daddy’s broad smile. He loved to sing and was convinced that if I took a little more interest in music, I’d soon love it too. I sank onto the couch and turned my head away, pretending interest in the truck and cap gun my youngest brother was exclaiming over.

At some point I became aware of my mother sitting beside me. As from a great distance I heard her say she was sorry there hadn’t been time to make up my skirt before Christmas, but she’d start on it the next day and I’d be able to wear it when school resumed after New Year’s.

“It doesn’t matter,” I muttered.

“I was lucky to find such a good piece. It’s a wool and silk blend and if it hadn’t been on the remnant table we couldn’t have afforded anything so nice. I’m not sure it’s a big enough piece to pleat, but it will make a lovely straight skirt.”

Something seemed to snap inside me. “But it’s ugly,” I cried.

Mama looked bewildered. “For weeks you’ve been talking about a wool skirt. I thought---.”

“It’s pink! It doesn’t even look like wool! I just wanted a skirt like the other girls are wearing to school.”

“You’ll like it better when you see how nice it will look on you.” I ignored the hopeful note in her voice.

“I won’t ever like it,” I sobbed. “It’s not only ugly, but it gives me the creeps to even touch it!” I ran upstairs to hide, but not before I saw tears spill down Mama’s cheeks.

It was Christmas day, but Mama cut out the skirt and began stitching it for me that day. I stood for fittings when asked. I even wore the skirt to church the next Sunday and one other time, but how I despised it. I never again said I hated it, but Mama knew. She never spoke of it either and eventually the skirt disappeared, but I’ve never forgotten it. If it had just been my disappointment with a gift that didn’t suit my taste, I would have forgotten it long ago, but by the time I first stood in my slip while Mama pinned the pieces of that skirt, I knew that skirt would always be a reminder of the Christmas I made Mama cry.

In the years since that Christmas I’ve thought of that skirt each Christmas season or whenever I’ve seen that particular shade of pink---and when I stood at my mother’s graveside years later. I know how little my parents had and how much my mother sacrificed to come as close as she could to what she thought I wanted. I’ve thought of that skirt each time I’ve received a gift I didn’t care for or want and when I’ve given gifts I’ve realized too late weren’t quite right. The years since that Christmas have impressed upon me how much love goes into each gift placed under the family Christmas tree and I hope I’ve become more sensitive to the generosity of others and a more gracious receiver.

Each time I hear that familiar quote from Acts 20:35, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” I can’t help thinking it may be more blessed to give, but receiving is harder.

Shortly before Christmas a few years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer and during the days between my hospital stay and Christmas I was pretty well confined to either my bed or the big chair in the living room. With excellent insurance benefits, two daughters still at home, a married daughter nearby, and a husband and son who were excellent cooks, I was in no danger of starving, yet every few hours the doorbell would ring and a neighbor, visiting teachers, Relief Society presidency, or even my children’s friends would be standing on the steps with bread, cookies, pies, or complete dinners. The Young Women gifted me with the Twelve Days of Christmas. I felt embarrassed and awkward accepting their generosity, yet somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered that long ago Christmas when my mother wanted to give me something nice because she loved me and I spurned her gift. I smiled and accepted each and every gift, knowing that the givers felt a need to give and without a gracious receiver they would miss the blessings of giving. I didn’t need the gifts, but oh how I needed the love each gift represented. Over the years I’ve come to suspect that when the Savior said it was better to give than to receive, included in that admonition is a subtle suggestion that a grateful heart is included as one of those “better gifts.”

Tamera Westhoof and Lisa are winners

2010-12-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Tamera and Lisa! You are the winners of the Christmas Memories Wish List contest. Please send me your wish list of at least five LDS novels you would like and I'll do my best to send a book from your list. Send your list to bhansen22 at msn dot com and include "wish list winner" in the subject line. Send your snail mail address too.

The next contest won't start until January, but I'll post a Christmas story on Thursday. Merry Christmas to you all.

LAST DAY TO ENTER

2010-12-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day to enter the Wish List Christmas Memories contest on this blog. Enter as many times as you like. Each follower is entered once and each person who makes a thoughtful comment will be entered twice, more comments-more entries. All entries will be numbered and the numbers put in a bucket for a random drawing. The winner will receive his/her choice of an LDS novel from my over-flowing bookshelves. I will pick a second winner solely from the comments on the basis of the one I like best. So please share your best, worst, or simply most memorable Christmas memory in the comment trail.

A COLLECTION OF CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

2010-12-08T22:07:00.000-07:00

Is there an event around which more memories are centered than Christmas? A look through the photo albums I've kept over the years and I find more pictures were taken on Christmas or around Christmas than any other time of the year.

Christmas is always a reminder of the childhood years, of Santa arriving on a fire truck, by helicopter, and even of the community program in a small Idaho town when a dozen young farmers and ranchers hefted Santa's sled on their shoulders to carry it and the jolly elf into the school gym. It brings memories of little brown paper sacks filled with peanuts, hard candy, and a single chocolate; if we were lucky there was an orange in the bag too. There was always an orange in the toe of my stocking Christmas morning! Remember all of the Santas and Christmas trees we colored as children, then ohed and ahed over similar masterpieces our children and grandchildren produced.

There was the first Christmas as a married couple, a Christmas when we were so poor I painted a Christmas tree on our front room window because we didn't have any money to buy a tree, the Christmas we received a darling baby girl, all those Christmases when our children were growing up and we were playing Santa and trying to teach them that Christmas meant more than presents, the Christmas pageants where our children, then our grandchildren presented the story from St. Luke, and of course the time our cat climbed the Christmas tree and tipped it over.

Even for someone as tone deaf as me, Christmas memories include music. Christmas carols are some of the first music I really heard. Over the years I've attended a lot of choir and band Christmas concerts with my children and grandchildren; I love hearing and singing (even if I can't carry a tune) Christmas carols at church, and each CD I play brings back special memories like the year our high school choir provided the music for the Baptist Church's Christmas service because their pastor was our choir director and he needed a choir. (We used to be able to do things like that).

Christmas is a time to build golden memories of giving. Coins dropped in a Salvation Army bucket, playing secret Santa, an anonymous check, coats and blankets donated to a shelter, a bag of groceries for someone who needs it, a sidewalk shoveled, a few hours of free babysitting, a telephone call to someone who is lonely, and the list goes on and on. Rich or poor we can give something.

Good memories are one of life's greatest pleasures and so I'm wishing all of my blog readers a Christmas filled with warm memories to treasure throughout all your days.

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING MEMORIES

2010-12-04T10:48:00.001-07:00

This morning as I debated whether or not to go Christmas shopping, a funny little memory came to mind. My parents took all of us kids, there were seven of us, the eighth hadn't come along yet, to Idaho Falls to do our Christmas shopping. My older brothers set out with Daddy, but they soon let him know they could manage on their own. Mama was trying to help us younger kids, but I kept wandering off.

I found my brothers and showed them a gift I wanted to buy. They groaned, but bought it for me, then reunited me with Mama and the rest of the family. Mama then assigned my older sister to keep track of me. We wandered around until I found a gift I wanted to purchase for another sibling. She paid for it then took me back to Mama before I could spend any more of her small hoard of coins.

Mama made it clear to Daddy that she couldn't help the two little ones shop or do any of her own shopping while trying to keep track of me. That left Daddy to shepherd me through the stores. I had a great time picking out presents, which he paid for, and when we finished he took me to a store with a soda fountain and bought me a chocolate malt.

At the end of the day, we all piled into our car for the hour long ride back to Arco. My brothers and sisters began moaning over how broke they were. They didn't even have enough money to buy a treat for themselves when they finished their shopping. Finally one of them in a teasing voice asked me how much money I had left, assuming my meager amount of money saved from finding eggs around the farm and selling them to the grocer in Arco was long gone. I opened my little plastic wallet and showed them I hadn't spent a penny. They had all assumed I was out of money and kindly tried to help me. Of course, they were all mad at me, but honest, I didn't know I was supposed to pay for the things I bought myself. No one asked me for my money. It became the family joke for years afterward, "Don't go shopping with Jennie."

I love the memories shared thus far by those of you who have submitted Christmas memories. It's going to be hard to select a winner. Keep the stories coming!

LET THE CONTEST BEGIN

2010-12-01T20:35:00.001-07:00

The blogosphere is full of contests right now, so what is one more? It's the December Wish List contest. Again, I'm only running one contest this month, but this one is open to both commenters and followers, however those who make comments will be entered twice for each comment made on any post I write for this blog between now and Christmas. If you're a follower and make several comments as well, you'll get one chance for being a follower and two chances for each comment you make. In addition I will award a prize (a book of course) to the person I feel best expresses their feelings about a Christmas memory, the importance of a specific Christmas tradition, or a personal example of a gift given or received. During the month I will be sharing with you some of my Christmas memories and the Christmas traditions that have impacted my life. The contest will run until December 20th.

Christmas pageants were once a huge part of the elementary school experience. I started school (first grade, no kindergarten) in the small town of Moore, Idaho. Our school didn't have a gym, so we trudged through the snow each day to rehearse at the nearby LDS Stake Center. Mothers were expected to make our costumes out of crepe paper, wire, and in a few cases actual fabric. Now I can't even imagine sewing costumes out of yards and yards of crepe paper! My mother was good at it and she not only made my costume, but my big sister's too, and one for a neighbor girl. One year I was a snowflake, one year a poinsettia, and another a Christmas tree with all kinds of creative dangling decorations. My big sister was an angel one of those years and how I envied that golden halo she wore! By the end of the program my undies would be the same color as my crepe paper costume.

The family I grew up in consisted of Mom and Dad, five brothers, two sisters, and me. We didn't have much money and our gifts to each other weren't elaborate or expensive. One tradition we laugh about now is our brothers always gave us three girls each a box of cherry-covered chocolates for their Christmas gift to us. Most of us let that tradition go after we grew up, but recently while my younger sister was so ill, she talked about how she and the brother between us in age, kept up the tradition all of these years. They changed it a little. Vic gave Vada a box of the chocolates and she, in turn, gave him one every Christmas for all these years. I think Vic will feel an ache this year and each Christmas as long as he lives when there's no gift-wrapped chocolates under his tree and no one pretending to be surprised when he presents his gift to her.

Even if you don't win this contest, putting Christmas memories on paper, is a great way to add to your journal. Also if your memory or tradition becomes story length, you might consider submitting your entry to LDS Publisher http://ldspublisher.blogspot.com/2010/11/2010-christmas-story-contest.html That's a fun contest and the winning stories get published in a book. Some of you have written wonderful comments during previous contests, so let yourself go and share your memories and traditions. The contest starts right now.

Double Winner Picked

2010-11-26T16:10:00.001-07:00

Kelsi Rose is the winner of the Gratitude Wish List contest. She will receive two books from her Wish List. Kelsi Rose, please send me your Wish List (long list) and your mailing address to bhansen22 at msn dot com Congratulations!
The next contest will have a Christmas theme and begin Dec. 1. More details later.