Loralee Evans's Blog: Loralee Evans, page 55

The Zion Trail by Marsha Ward

The Zion Trail by Marsha Ward (c) 2016I am excited to write about The Zion Trail, a new book by Marsha Ward.  It's coming out Feb 19, so be on the lookout for it!  It is a wonderful, coming-of-age book about a young man named Elijah Marshall who joins the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and crosses the plains.  

Young Elija, "Lije" for short, offers a drink to two tired looking men who offer his family a short message about Jesus Christ and after that, his life is never the same.


Author Marsha WardThe book is full of adventure, excitement, sorrow, and a little bit of romance, too.  If you like Marsha Ward's books, you will LOVE The Zion Trail.  This is one of her best!


Read more about The Zion Trail on Marsha Ward's blog, and her other awesome books on her amazon page, or her website!

The Cokeville Miracle by T. C. Christensen

Christensen, T.C. The Cokeville Miracle 2015I recently watched The Cokeville Miracle, directed by T.C. Christensen.

The movie was superb on many levels. The acting was magnificent, as was the pacing, the music etc. And that is to say nothing of the wonderful message and spirit of the movie. I appreciated how at the end, the movie makers did acknowledge that not every hostage situation ends in such a positive way. In this situation, every single innocent person lived, and only the perpetrators died. That is not always the case. Even so, there is a God, and it's important to note His hand in the miracles that do happen.

Showing the perspective of the officer who struggled was a great move by the movie makers as well. His journey from doubt to belief was admirable. All of us doubt, and many disbelieve at different points in our lives, and showing him, a good decent man struggling the way he did, yet finally coming to his own understanding was very hopeful.

Foster Parenting

About a year and a half ago, I blogged about a friend and colleague of mine, Ben Pugh, and his wife Deb and their book on Foster Parenting.  They've been foster parents for several years now, and have quite a lot of experience in how to care for, and care about, kids in the foster care system.  Their book Becoming a Foster Parent was written for anyone interested in becoming a Foster Parent, or simply just interested in learning how Foster Parenting works.

Their blog, which you can find here, is full of great advice for anyone, whether they're people who are raising foster kids, their own kids, or just want to learn some awesome life skills!

Middle Grade Book Sale- Jan. 4-7

I am excited to announce this Multi Author Book Promotion including works from Andrea Pearson, David Farland, and several other authors, including me!  The books are priced at .99 or Free!

I can vouch for my own book, but make sure any book you would like to purchase is at the sale price before you download it!

The Multi-Author Middle-Grade Book Promotion starts January 4, 2016 and ends January 7, 2016.





From $5.99 to FREE
Kindle * Nook  * iTunes

All Jacob wants is to make the basketball team. All the Lorkon want is to control the magical powers Jacob doesn't know he possesses.

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From $2.99 to $0.99

Kindle

Twelve-year-old Steven never wondered where the Loch Ness monster or Big Foot came from until he found a stone box with a dangerous secret--one people are willing to kill for!
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From $2.99 to $0.99
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More than anything, Benjamin Ravenspell wants a pet, but when he buys a mouse named Amber, he gets more than he bargained for.






From $0.99 to FREE
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Cassandra's ordinary life is riddled with hilarious and sometimes heart-breaking mishaps as she guides herself through the world of pre-teens on the brink of adulthood.
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From $2.99 to FREE

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Part Neanderthal, but raised as a human, Arken Freeth finds that he doesn't fit in either world as he struggles to survive.
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From $3.99 to $0.99
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An eleven-year-old girl discovers she has the power to grant any living thing its one true wish.






From $3.99 to FREE
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When a malnourished horse shows up as a rescue at the farm where she volunteers, Jacinda, a bullied girl, takes it on as a project horse, and the mare's sweet nature inspires her to spread kindness around to make a positive difference in the world.
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From $0.99 to FREE

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Jenni Kershaw and her eighth grade science class take a field trip they will never forget. Dragons and goblins and spirits, oh my!
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From $2.99 to $0.99
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When Colin suddenly learns he has magic, he discovers that Atlantis is real, and that his new mermaid friend, Alleya, is in trouble.





From $2.99 to $0.99
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Bed bugs, burglars, and a missing mother. For Doodle, it’s just part of a day’s work. A laugh-out-loud mystery for dog lovers of all ages.
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From $2.99 to $0.99

Kindle * Nook * Kobo

To save her brother, the banshee Seven must save Atlantis.
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From $1.99 to $0.99
Kindle

One girl with a nightmare to live through; one ghost with a dream to live. With so much to lose, can anything be gained?






From $3.49 to FREE
Kindle

Enter a world of myth and magic as young English boy Thomas Farrell seeks to discover the identity of his late father, and why he left him a strange glass orb containing a serpent...
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From $2.99 to $0.99

Kindle

When eating dog kibble on a dare gives 10-year-old Tawny special powers, her life nearly goes to the dogs!
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From $5.49 to $0.99
Kindle * Nook * Kobo

Twins Justin and Janine discover a mysterious egg ... can they protect the hatchling while lost in Montana's Absaroka wilderness?






$3.99 to $0.99
Kindle

Daniel doesn't think there's anything worse than spending a week at Camp Bigfoot . . . until he loses his prized possession: a pencil that brings his drawings to life.
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From $4.99 to $0.99

Nook * Kobo

Laughing and Learning Little Life Lessons
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From $3.99 to FREE
Kindle

When a blast from the past shows up and makes her BFF go nutburgers, Ginnie is torn between helping her friend and getting some very important questions answered.






From $3.99 to FREE
Kindle * Nook * Kobo

Harry Potter and The Hobbit rolled into one captivating and humorous epic fantasy series that will have kids begging for more.
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From $0.99 to FREE

Kindle * Nook * Kobo

Winner of the Mom's Choice Award honoring excellence in media for children. Classic fantasy adventure - quirky, funny, sinister, and action-packed
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From $3.99 to FREE
Kindle * Nook * Kobo * iTunes

To save his friends from a dystopian future Earth, Nikolas leads them to a fantastic Moon in the past. But what happens when the fantastic becomes fatal?






From $3.99 to FREE
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Explore the magical history of Kendra Kandlestar's world in this collection of bonus tales from the Land of Een.
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From $4.99 to FREE

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DREAMS: Dorothy called it Oz, Alice called it Wonderland, but Nightmares call it HOME.
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From $2.99 to $0.99
Kindle * Nook * Kobo * iTunes

What's worse than stumbling upon the dead body of the Cat Lady? Being accused of her murder. Sarah Cole and her friends take it upon themselves to catch the Cat Lady Killer.







From $2.99 to FREE
Kindle * Nook

When Turik finds a special egg his Grandfather is kidnapped and he must balance his power for good with the strength of the evil that wishes to consume him.
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From $2.99 to $0.99

Kindle

Felicity, an ordinary sparrow learns that she can do extraordinary things!




From $2.99 to $0.99
Kindle * Nook * Kobo

George, the magical basset hound, is on the trail of the mysterious ghosty haunting his Packmate, Tillie.
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From $2.99 to $0.99

Kindle

The legend of the little red hen, as told by the acorn that smacked her in the head. NO ONE IS TOO SMALL TO CHANGE THE WORLD!
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From $2.99 to FREE
Kindle

Carter's life changes when an old man entrusts him with a book of magical spells, one of which grants the power to raise people from the dead.








From $3.99 to $0.99
Kindle * Nook * Kobo

When a group of crazed ninjas take over their school, the Smartboys fight back. And it all happens on a day when Monkey has the worst case of flatulence imaginable.

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From $0.99 to FREE
Kindle

Ever wonder what it would be like to be pulled into your computer? Sarah is about to find out.
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From $2.99 to FREE

Kindle * Nook * Kobo * iTunes

It takes more than a school trip to change Christy's life. It takes murder.
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From $2.99 to FREE
Kindle * Nook * Kobo * iTunes

When a savage pirate and a corrupt businessman join forces to steal the treasure for themselves, Christopher and his crew get caught up in pirate chases, time travel, and an underground network of spies!






From $0.99 to FREE
Kindle * Nook * Kobo * iTunes

Semi-autobiographical adventures from a 20th Century Northern California outdoorsman
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From $2.99 to $0.99
Kindle * Nook * Kobo * iTunes

The future looks bleak unless eighteen-year-old Lance and his young New Camelot Earth Warriors can save the planet from catastrophic climate change.
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Enjoy your new books! :-)

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a productive 2015.  It was a very lovely year for me, as an author.  During 2015 I had the opportunity to visit many schools to talk about the importance of writing your own stories, and to introduce the students and teachers to my middle grade book, Felicity~ A Sparrow's Tale.  Then when it's sequel Felicity and the Featherless Two-Foot was published in September of 2015,  I was able to introduce it to Wasatch Elementary in Ogden which I visited in November.  I made a lot of great memories at all those schools.

Thanks so much to Oscarson Elementary, Circleville Elementary, Snow Springs Elementary, Fairview Elementary, Diamond Valley Elementary, Duchesne Elementary and Wasatch Elementary in Ogden.

I'm excited to visit the schools I'll get to go to in the coming months!

I wish everyone a productive and happy 2016! 

Merry Christmas!

I am grateful for the Christmas season.  I like giving and getting presents to be sure, and I like the lights and decorations.  I think they're wonderful.  I am especially grateful for what the Christmas season is about; the birth of Jesus Christ, and what he brought to the world.  I once heard the saying describing Christ's birth and mortal life this way:  "A divine being made himself mortal, so that mortals could become divine."  I think that's aptly put.  Here is a video produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) about the birth of our Savior:  https://www.mormon.org/christmas
Jesus made it possible to have hope, even when things look tough.

Soda Springs by Carolyn Steele

Soda Springs by Carolyn Steele is a well-written, enjoyable work of historical fiction.  I enjoyed reading it, and appreciated the bit of history of the western U.S. that Carolyn Steele so skillfully put in as well. Tessa Darrow is an extremely likable character, and I found myself rooting for her in all her adventures and misadventures.  From the beginning of the story until its very satisfying conclusion, I followed Tessa hoping that everything turned out well for her.  Her father was a character I didn’t like quite so much.  At least at first.  But he was believable, and ultimately sympathetic and redeemable.  And I outright cheered for him in one instance when he responded the way he did in a situation that involved a married man hitting on Tessa.  I thought William was a great character, believable, likable, balanced, and a worthy love-interest for Tessa.  Mrs. Holt was another character I particularly liked.  I appreciated her mix of common sense and compassion, and I was very pleased to see how things worked out for her.  She was certainly someone who deserved a happy ending!  Overall, the ending was quite satisfying to me.  I was very pleased with it.  Even Sarah, William’s childhood friend got a wonderful ending which she deserved after all the trials she had endured.  The shallow, narrow, selfish men got their lasting comeuppance, and the good guys got their happy ending.  Or perhaps I should say happy beginning!  

Guest Blogger W. R. Gingell

SpindleSome weeks ago, I had the great fortune of reading a fantastic book called Spindle by W. R. Gingell.  After reading it, I had the honor of getting to know it's author, the wonderful W. R. Gingell herself.

She has most kindly agreed to be a guest blogger today with a topic that I find very applicable to myself, and which I think every author could relate to.  Her advice, I think is extremely wise and helpful.  Included in this blog post are links to her books.  I've only read Spindle, so I don't know about the others, but if they're anything like Spindle, they're all great books!

Writing is more often than not something that happens when we motivate ourselves to do it.  It's not often that someone else is breathing down our necks, compelling us to write.  And so having something to motivate us when we don't feel like writing is incredibly helpful.  With that said, I very happily turn the time over to
W.R. Gingell.

W. R. GingellI’m actually kind of lazy. It’s a big drawback in everyday life, where I put off the cleaning and hard work until half an hour before I head out to the day job, and washing the clothes until the very day I need them. My poor car has needed a wash since last year, and my chair in the living room is always surrounded by myriad books, craft items, pairs of glasses, remote controls, and tissues. This is because I don’t like getting up again after I’ve sat down.
Twelve Days of FaeryI’m even lazy when it comes to doing stuff I really like. For example, I quite enjoy sewing clothes, but when I’ve got a project going it usually takes me months to complete, simply because I won’t get up and do the work. I’ll gloat over the prospect of it, and the concept of it, without steeling myself to actually do it. Thus it is that my sewing projects usually spend a few months out on the dining room table, driving my husband to distraction and supplying the dog with tiny pieces of fabric to chew on when food isn’t immediately forthcoming.
WolfskinWith writing, laziness is a big disadvantage. There aren’t many jobs you can do where your output depends solely upon your own discipline to produce it, but writing is one of those jobs. It’s one of the big things that separates the authors from the scribblers: the ability to get past the Bright, Glittering Idea and go on to laboriously chip out words each and every day until the Idea is no longer Idea but Story in manuscript form. Realising that was the big turning point in my writing life. I knew that I’d either have to put my nose to the grindstone, or spend the rest of my life dreaming about writing instead of really writing. Masque
I began to make myself write each day. At first it was only fifty words here, a hundred there. Then, as the years passed and I became more determined that I was going to be a real writer, I set myself a proper word count every day.
First that word count was 500 words. Then, a year ago, I found myself able to do more and put my word count up to 1000 words per day. I began to feel as though I was really getting somewhere.
Fire in the BloodStill, there are days when I just don’t feel like writing. Those are the days when I have to force myself to write, or my laziness will take over for whole weeks of indolence. Since I don’t notice a difference in the quality of my writing when I’m on a roll and my writing when I’m forcing myself to write, the obvious answer is that I need to write whether or not I feel like it.
Ruth and the GhostSo I bribe myself. I do try to do most things without self-bribery, but when it comes to writing my best word output is gained by bribery, and hey! who wants to mess with a winning system? At first it was chocolates and bacon, and the gleeful idea that when I finished this 500 words I could get up and make a cuppa. Then I came across Victoria Schwab on Twitter, and she introduced me to the method of bribery I currently use: stickers! All you need is one calendar and stickers of your choice (for me that means stars and little sticker men with big hats). Each sticker has a designated value—for example, every star sticker I put on the calendar stands for 500 words written (or 1500 words edited)—and once I’ve written 3000 words in a single day, I put a little sticker man with a big hat on the square as well. It works perfectly for me, since I adore stickers. And nowadays, there are a lot more days when I write 3000+ words. A Time Traveller's Best Friend 

It’s not the perfect solution to my laziness, but it does give me a bit of an incentive to make an effort. And for those days when the stickers pall, there’s always the chocolate and bacon to fall back on....

Pope John Paul II

I was reading a newspaper article the other day about a meeting between many leaders in the Catholic Church.  One of the topics the leaders agreed upon universally, was
the destructive effects of pornography, and how even though people involved in it, both in its production and consumption, may be adults and consenting to it, it is still destructive to them, to individuals and to society.  These leaders clarified that they defined pornography not just as visual images, but as written words as well and any media that is created for the purpose of sexually arousing its consumers.  These leaders also agreed that "Pornography is not art."

Speaking against it, and in favor of self-control and respect for self and others, Pope John Paul II once said:  "The opposite of love is not hate but rather using a person as if he or she were a object.To love others is to recognize them as the gift they are, to seek what is truly good and best for them and never to use them and thereby objectify them as something less than persons." Pope John Paul II, I think, was wise to say that.  Showing disrespect towards oneself and towards others may not always result in felonies being committed, but it always results in a person dehumanizing himself, and desensitizing himself to the humanity in others, thereby decreasing his overall ability to be happy with life and relationships.

I'm not Catholic, but I think that Pope John Paul II and the current Pope, Pope Francis are very wise men whose advice applies to all of humanity.

Tristi Pinkston and the Festival of Trees

Author Tristi PinkstonIt started almost a year ago.  A friend of mine, Tristi Pinkston who both is a talented writer, and a great person was with her family, visiting The Festival of Trees, which contributes all its proceeds to Primary Children's Hospital.  While there, she was hit with the desire to do something with her own talents to help out.  But what to do? she wondered.  Then it came to her.  She knows how to write, and how to edit, and she could get a group of writers to write uplifting, hopeful Christmas stories compile them into a book, and then sell copies at the Festival of Trees, with all of the proceeds going to Primary Children's.  That was when she started her project, contacting authors that she knew, and asking if any would help to contribute.  Many of us eagerly jumped on board, and wrote short Christmas stories, poems, and songs, all for this fantastic idea that Tristi came up with.  Over the course of the year, we've polished the stories, with Tristi's and others' help, and despite some unforseen things, and a lot of hard work on Tristi's part, there are books now ready to sell at the Festival.  All the proceeds will go to Primary Children's Hospital.  If you have the chance, and if you live in Utah, I hope you are able to visit The Festival of Trees.  It is a wonderful cause, and will help so many people if you can contribute.  And while you're there ask about The Hope of Christmas: Finding Joy in the Season... which contains many uplifting stories by authors like J. Lloyd Morgan, Jaclyn Weist, Michael D. Young, and others, including a story I wrote, called The Christmas Sparrows.  If you're so inclined, pick up a copy for yourself.  Or someone else!  And remember that you're helping out a great cause.