Loralee Evans's Blog: Loralee Evans, page 56

Wasatch Elementary in Ogden

I had a great experience today, when I had the opportunity to visit a fantastic bunch of students and teachers!  The teachers, staff, and students of Wasatch Elementary in Ogden were very welcoming, and I appreciated the opportunity to talk to them about the basics of story writing, why we enjoy stories, and what the main parts of a story are.  The students were all wonderful!  I really appreciated their participation, and their comments.  They were an amazing bunch of kids!

Ms. Stacey Starley was especially helpful, and I want to say a big thank you to her, for setting everything up for me, and for the tasty lunch she got for me afterwards.

Oh, and here I am, in a Wasatch Elementary Wildcats t-shirt!  Thanks so much, everyone at Wasatch Elementary in Ogden!!

Spindle by W. R. Gingell

I recently discovered a wonderful book, Spindle, written by an extremely skillful writer, W. R. Gingell.
I am a sucker for well-written, clean fantasy, and I especially like it when there's a healthy bit of humor thrown in as well!
Spindle has all of that.
Polyhymnia or Poly for short, was a fantastic character, and I truly admired her. She was spunky, thought for herself, and could take care of herself if need be. Not your typical damsel in distress, for sure!
I liked Luck, the hero.  He was quite sure of himself, but not overpowering, and he was very pragmatic.   He and Polly were wonderfully entertaining together. And Onepiece was absolutely adorable! So cute, smart, and protective of Poly.   Onepiece starts out as a puppy, but then... Well you'd have to read the book for yourself.
Spindle was a very funny spinoff of the idea of Sleeping Beauty, and how her troubles didn’t end when she woke up from her long nap. In reality, they were actually beginning!
I heartily recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy, especially fantasy with women who can stand on their own two feet and make their own decisions, without needing to have a man to motivate them, or tell them what to do! 

Spindle is a great book!  Loved it, loved it!  

Becky Ann Woods Photography

Good photography is something that not everyone has the skill for, but that nearly everyone appreciates.  You have to get the light just right, the right time of day, the right sunlight... the right backdrop... so many things!

And have you noticed how a really great photo tells a story of its very own?  Just in one still shot, without words.  Some photographers know how to do that very well.

Becky Ann Woods is one of those photographers.   And she's a pretty awesome person too!

Check out her great website at beckyannphotography.com, and browse some of her wonderful photos!

Against the Odds by Jewel Adams

Against the Odds is a fantastic book by a great writer, Jewel Adams (or J. Adams as she often goes by, on her books).  Check it out, here!

In this story, we follow Raine, a character who has been through a terrible marriage to an unfaithful man, and finally leaves, going to stay with her good friend on her ranch.  Being on the ranch she can clear her head, and get her life in perspective.  But just as she's doing that, she meets Hayden.

Despite her reservations, she finds herself drawn more and more to him.  Having been hurt before, she is reluctant and distrustful, but as she gets to know Hayden, she realizes more and more that he isn't anything like her former spouse.  He's honest, moral, caring, and genuine.  And most especially, he's drawn to her too.  Ooh, goodie!

But things aren't smooth sailing for them, and troubles get thrown at them left and right, threatening to tear them apart.  Can Raine learn to trust him, or are the problems from her past just too great to overcome?

I really enjoyed this book, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good, clean romance!

Bookmarked Bargains and My Book Cave

From today until October 15, the ebook version of my newest book, Felicity and the Featherless Two-Foot is offered for free on amazon.  And I was very pleased that  Bookmarked Bargains and My Book Cave were gracious enough to list the book for their readers to see.

Felicity and the Featherless Two-Foot is a middle grade fantasy about a young sparrow, Felicity, who can read.  She's already been on one adventure, and is friends with the fairies now as a result of he heroic actions in the last book.  Still, there's a lot about the world that she doesn't know...  


Felicity doesn't know much about featherless two-foots, those strange folks her friends the fairies call people. But she's about to learn a lot. Like why they're so fascinated by those flat silver . . . rocks many of them carry around. And what the heck is a come-putter?

If it sounds like something you would enjoy, I hope you head over to amazon and pick up a copy of Felicity and the Featherless Two-Foot!

Mysteries of Cove Fires of Invention by J. Scott Savage Launch Party

Yesterday evening, my two younger children and I were very lucky to attend the launch party for J. Scott Savage's newest series, Mysteries of Cove.  The first book is called Fires of Invention. 

It was a great launch party, and I really enjoyed it!  The marvelous James Dashner was the MC, and he did a great job. 
We got to meet some of the characters from J. Scott Savage's books, including Marcus and Kyja from Far Word, and there were several hilarious skits played, all including a steam punk theme.  

One especially funny one was regency romance combined with  steam punk where the "hero" tried to make a steam powered automatic fan for his sweetheart which then malfunctioned, and... well, the results weren't pretty.

My favorite was a dance performed to the song Immortal from the movie Big Hero 6.  I forgot the name of the dance group.  But they did an amazing job, complete with steam punk attire, and everything!

Another funny scene was the "dragon" in tights which really made the kids in the audience crack up.  He was a pretty funny guy!

After he was shooed away, (well, he never quite left) the screen came down, and we got to see a pretty cool dragon surrounded by flames on the big screen.  

And of course, Mr. J. Scott Savage was there (being the author it would be odd if he wasn't) clad in minion pajamas of course, to talk about his book.

And of course I can't fail to mention that one of the great parts was the Fires of Invention trailer that played on the screen for us.  Watch it, here!  It's great!


What I really like about Mysteries of Cove, is that its message emphasizes how important it is to invent and create and make new things; not just simply regurgitate information from the past.  Sure we need the past to learn from it, but we also need to move forward into the future, and be individuals who contribute and make things better for ourselves and for others.

From the book description:
"Trenton Colman is a creative thirteen-year-old boy with a knack for all things mechanical. But his talents are viewed with suspicion in Cove, a steam-powered city built inside a mountain. In Cove, creativity is a crime and invention is a curse word.
Kallista Babbage is a repair technician and daughter of the notorious Leo Babbage, whose father died in an explosion; an event the leaders of Cove point to as an example of the danger of creativity.Working together, Trenton and Kallista learn that Leo Babbage was developing a secret project before he perished. Following clues he left behind, they begin to assemble a strange machine that is unlike anything they've ever seen before. They soon discover that what they are building may threaten every truth their city is founded on and quite possibly their very lives."
To read more about this fantastic book and the author who wrote it, visit his website here. And happy inventing!

Felicity and the Featherless Two-Foot

I am very excited to announce my latest book!  The title is Felicity and the Featherless Two-Foot, and it is available on Amazon as both a paperback, and as an ebook.  I hope you check it out!

Felicity hasn't had an adventure in months, and the little sparrow thinks that danger and peril are behind her for good, which is just fine with her!  She would rather hang out with her friends the fairies and read her books safe at home than go on dangerous quests!

But Felicity didn't count on one group of strangers showing up and causing more trouble than she ever imagined they could!  An odd, troublesome bunch that the fairies call... people.

Manu Bennett- Actor

Manu Bennett, an actor who has played in multiple movies, was gracious enough to come visit the school where I teach on September 28, 2015.  One of his roles was Azog the Defiler in the Hobbit movies.  (Those of you who know me, or have read this blog before, know my opinion of the Hobbit movies directed by Peter Jackson, but I do NOT hold that against Mr. Bennett.)  
In the morning of the 28th, we didn’t even have it planned, but we got a phone call saying that he was in the area, and would be happy to come visit with the high school kids.  Of course, we accepted, and were able to fit it easily into our schedule. 
Manu Bennett is from New Zealand, and is Maori.  One of the big reasons why he wanted to come to our school specifically, was because he wanted to get to know the Native Culture in the area, which is Ute.  He was in Salt Lake for ComiCon, and wanted to come out here and visit with the People.  He said that Maori culture has very similar philosophies to Native American cultures.  He mentioned that he had participated in the sweat lodge last night with Chief Henry and others, and had a very good experience there.
One thing that stood out in his speech, was that he mentioned that his grandfather believed that all humans are equal, but all have different stories.  No one is better than anyone else, though we all have different experiences.  All our stories are combining, and they are still combining.
Many hard things happened in Mr. Bennett's life when he was young, including losing his mother and brother in a tragic car accident.  But he talked about how acting helped him express himself in positive ways.  His career didn’t come quickly or easily.  But one day, while he was living on the beach, a mother whale and her baby came by.  He got to swim with them for a time, and he felt that it was a message from his people that he need to get doing things.  He talked about how in Maori culture it is important to “lift up your tongue” meaning, do what you need to do to express yourself.  And acting was that for him.  It helped him make good choices and stay away from bad things, like drugs and alcohol.
He stressed to the youth that they needed to live their lives so that they can be an asset to their people.  Stay away from drugs and alcohol, because there is no future in those things.  And he reminded the youth that they need to know their people.
 One fun thing that he did with some of the boys, was he had them join him in front, and do the Haka.  The Haka is a traditional way for Maori men (only men do it) to get ready for battle.  He even taught the boys part of the chant for the Haka, so they were able to perform it with him.

The Haka most traditionally performed is called Ka mate.  It starts with the leader asking the rest of the men, “Ka rite?” (“Are you ready?”) Then all the men chant, “Ka mate, ka mate, Ka ora, Ka Ora!”  (“Will I die?  Will I die?  Will I live?  Will I live?”) and there is more to the chant, which Mr. Bennett did, though he only taught the first part to the boys.
During the questions time, one person asked him if he had a family, and he mentioned that he is married, and has three little girls, all given traditional Maori names.
One thing that was very impressive about Manu’s visit, is that afterwards, he stayed for a very long time, signing autographs for everyone who wanted one.  He was very kind to everyone, and treated each person like an individual when they came to get his autograph.  He posed for several pictures, and didn’t leave until everyone who wanted an autograph had one.

Books on Sale!

A group of authors, including myself, are putting some of the ebook versions of our books on sale for the next couple of days.  Mine is down this list somewhere, but I hope you take a look at all of the books.  I haven't read all of them, (besides my own, I've read The Extraordinarily Ordinary Life of Cassandra Jones, which is a fun book for middle grade readers) but they all look pretty interesting!

Check out all these books!




Imperfect Love by Rebecca Talley 
Regular Price: $3.99SALE Price: $.99 

Purchase Imperfect Love
Lauren Wilson is well on her way to her happily-ever-after. She’s passionate about her career as a middle school English teacher, she adores her handsome, hard-working husband, and with a baby finally on the way, her perfect life is within her grasp.
But then a devastating test result changes everything.
Forced to choose between her baby and her husband, Lauren makes the only decision she can live with, and she returns to her small hometown in hopes of rebuilding her shattered life.
Ethan Campbell is a gifted photographer who travels the world and has no desire to settle down. When his mother dies, he must go home to settle her estate. Then it’s back to exciting adventures across the globe.
When Lauren crosses paths with Ethan, her teenage crush, old feelings resurface—feelings she’s not prepared to face. Will Lauren have the courage to trust again or will she spend her life alone? 
Imperfect Love is a story about sacrifice, healing, second chances, and discovering that although love isn’t always perfect, sometimes it’s the imperfect love that’s the sweetest of all.



A Change of Plans by Donna K. Weaver
Regular Price: $3.99
SALE Price: $.99
Purchase A Change of Plans

Purchase A Change of Plans Audiobook   

(If you own the eBook, the audiobook is only $1.99)
When Lyn sets off on her supposedly uncomplicated and unromantic cruise, she never dreams it will include pirates. All the 25-year-old Colorado high school teacher wants is to forget that her dead fiancé was a cheating scumbag. What she plans is a vacation diversion; what fate provides is Braedon, an intriguing surgeon. She finds herself drawn to him: his gentle humor, his love of music, and even his willingness to let her take him down during morning karate practices. Against the backdrop of the ship’s make-believe world and its temporary friendships, her emotions come alive.

However, fear is an emotion, too. Unaware of the sensitive waters he navigates, Braedon moves to take their relationship beyond friendship—on the very anniversary Lyn came on the cruise to forget. But Lyn’s painful memories are too powerful, and she runs off in a panic.
Things are bad enough when the pair finds themselves on one of the cruise’s snorkeling excursions in American Samoa. However, paradise turns to piracy when their party is kidnapped. Lyn’s fear of a fairytale turns grim. Now she must fight alongside the man she rejected, first for their freedom and then against storms, sharks, and shipwreck.


Salem Witch Haunt by Theresa Sneed
Regular Price: $4.99SALE Price: $2.99
Purchase Salem Witch Haunt

When she finds herselfthrust back in time, 17 year old Bess Martin, a senior at Danvers High, setsout on a mission to save her 11th great-grandmother from the gallows-tree. Witha near-perfect knowledge of the historical events about to unfold, Bess knowsthe untimely fate of many. 
The problem is that Bess has inherited hergrandmother’s sharp tongue—a tongue that caused her grandmother to be tried andhanged as a witch in Salem Village, 1692. 
Can Bess stop the hangings and changethe course of history, or will she share her grandmother’s fate? 



Felicity A Sparrow's Tale by Loralee Evans
Regular Price: $2.99SALE Price: $.99

Purchase Felicity A Sparrow's Tale
Tales of adventure anddanger have thrilled Felicity since Augustus, her ivory-billed woodpeckerfriend, taught her to read as a little nestling. She adores the tales of heroesand heroines who forge ahead in spite of all odds, and who always seem tosucceed no matter what. More than anything, Felicity wants to be brave andselfless like them. 


Butadventures are in short supply, especially for someone who’s just an ordinarysparrow. 

Until theday an unexpected visitor shows up at her tree with an unusual request…




Newbie by Jo NoelleRegular Price: $3.99SALE Price: $.99
Purchase Newbie
The housing market is crashing, and Sophie’s life is crashing with it. At twenty-four, her successful real estate career evaporates. She’s broke, can’t find a job, or pay her bills, leaving Sophie wondering how her successful lifestyle became so fragile.At the urging of her roommate, Sophie accepts a job in her fallback career—teaching six-year-olds. She hopes it’s temporary. After all, how long can a tanking economy last anyway? The best part of the new job is Liam, another employee at Rio Grande Elementary. The worst part of the new job is, well, teaching.Sophie has a surprise real estate closing from a contract she wrote months ago, leading her to a niche in the real estate market and to a new partner, Kevin. Sophie must choose between Liam or Kevin and between a lucrative career or recess duty.


Lost Without You by Annette Lyon
Regular price: $2.99SALE Price: $0.99
Purchase Lost Without You For months, Christopher Morris has been Brooke's idea of the perfect man—attractive, charming, and fun to be around. But lately he's begun acting strangely, becoming possessive, controlling, and moody. Brooke feels she has no choice but to break up with him, but Christopher doesn't take it well. He drives her wildly back home and gets into a car accident. 

That's when Brooke first meets police officer Greg Stevens. After she keeps meeting him—at the worst possible times—they begin dating. Greg confesses he's a widower and that Brooke is the first woman he has so much as looked at in years. 

But as Brooke agonizes over whether Greg will ever be able to truly love her, Christopher makes a dangerous return into her life, deciding that if he can't have her, no one can.



The Man from Shenandoah by Marsha Ward
Regular Price: $2.99SALE Price: $.99
Purchase on Amazon Purchase on BN Purchase on Kobo Purchase on iTunes

When young cavalryman Carl Owen returns from the Civil War, he finds the family farm destroyed, his favorite brother dead, food scarce, and his father planning to leave the Shenandoah Valley to start a cattle operation in Colorado Territory.But Pa does a bit more: he also chooses a suitable mate for both Carl and his younger brother, James.With no one else in mind, Carl is agreeable to marrying the delightfully flirtatious Ida Hilbrands somewhere along the trail, but James is devastated. Ellen Bates isn't the girl he loves and must leave behind.Making their way across the vast continent, the Owen family and their friends battle a prairie fire, internal strife, a band of vicious outlaws, and the land itself to try to achieve their goals, but before that can happen, the two brothers are fighting over the hand of one girl—and only one of them can win!


Dangerous Favor by Joyce DiPastena
Regular Price: $3.99SALE Price: $.99
Purchase Dangerous Favor

Mathilde needs a champion.

Her father has been accused of stealing from the king, an allegation that has reduced her family to poverty. She has one chance to find and marry a man who can help her prove her father's innocence. Lord Therri, heir to a rich barony, has the wealth and connections Mathilde needs to delve into the mysteries of her father's past. Furthermore, Therri embodies all her romantic dreams.
Etienne, the younger son of a disgraced family, has neither wealth nor connections, but is smitten with Mathilde at a glance. She finds the knight intriguing, but believes he is only out to seduce her. While she seeks for a way to win Therri's attention, Etienne tricks her into granting him her favor, an embroidered white ribbon, for a tournament, setting in motion a dangerous chain reaction of events. 
Can Etienne save Mathilde from a nightmare from her past and prove himself the true hero of her dreams?

With No Regrets (Book Two) by Julie N. Ford
Regular Price: $4.99SALE Price: $.99
Purchase: Kindle Barnes & Noble Apple iBooks Google Play Kobo Smashwords
Living With No Regrets Is Harder Than It Seems
Finley isn’t exactly sure when her life began to feel unfamiliar. She suspects the transformation started long before she caught her husband and fellow garden club member doing the white-trash-two-step on her new Bernhardt sofa. Now free from the shackles of a loveless marriage, and with her children off to college, she’s finally able to go searching for the missing pieces of her heart.

Finley’s best friend, Cathyanne, is already working hard to ensure that Finley finds true love this time around. But when Finley is unwittingly tossed into the arms of two men—their sexy trainer and her neighbor, a popular country star—Cathyanne fears finding the right guy will be more complicated than she ever could have imagined.

For Finley, building a new life feels as impossible as flying a paper airplane to the moon. But maybe, just maybe, with the right help, she will find her whole heart—even if it’s in the very last place she thinks to look.

This Very Moment by Rachel Ann Nunes
Regular Price: 4.99SALE Price: $.99 
Purchase This Very Moment
A Compelling Story of Heartbreaking Loss, Inspiring Faith, and a Newfound Love Strong Enough to Heal All Wounds.
Bill Dubrey is a sought-after plastic surgeon for LA’s prestigious and wealthy, and an equally sought-after bachelor. On the surface it appears he has it all—money, respect, and fame. Yet behind his aloof exterior lurks a tragic past that prevents him from finding lasting happiness.

All that changes on the day Kylee Stewart reenters his life. She alone knows Bill’s secret agony, and she is determined to help him face his past. During the years they’ve been apart, Kylee’s own life has been far from easy, but unlike Bill, she has turned to God in her need, finding a faith to which she desperately clings.

The tentative friendship they begin has Bill rethinking his stark future, yet he keeps his heart in check—afraid to commit, afraid to lose again. During Kylee’s darkest moment, when she needs him most, will he be there for her? 


Shooting Stars by Philip Carroll
Regular Price: $3.99SALE Price: FREE Sept 15- 19
Purchase Shooting Stars
Chuck McWilliams is fourteen years old and had just started high school in Washington State when his father lost his job and moved them to the hot, dry, valley of Central California. Starting his freshman hear six weeks after the rest of the students, Chuck is insecure about finding his way, making new friends and overcoming bullying from members of the cross country team. 
When he is invited to the Homecoming Dance by a strange girl in his English class, Kelsey Llewellyn, he can't think of any reason to say no. Later that day Dahlia Chand, an attractive girl on the cross country team, asks him to the dance, he wonders if he has made a mistake. 
How a secretive student, Doug Le Roux, avoids the notice of the rest of the students, yet stands out so clearly to Chuck makes him wonder if something extraordinary is going on at this high school. 
Chuck will become entwined in an ages old battle with werewolves, vampires and elves that most of humankind is unaware of in their midst. Remarkably, he will find the most enchanting magic comes from romance.


Ideal High by Valerie Ipson
Regular Price: $4.99SALE Price: $1.99
Purchase Ideal High
There’s no way I’m taking Blake’s place as president of the student body. As soon as the memorial for him and six of our friends is over, I’m resigning as VP. Really.
Except people say the fire was no accident. (I say it’s way too easy to blame someone who’s dead.)
When I read the writing on the wall, literally, the bathroom wall, I know what it means. To get to the truth I have to come out from under my paisley comforter.
But, seriously, what stage of grief says I have to be the one to fix what’s wrong at Ideal High? Maybe I’m the one who’s broken.


First Love Second Choice by Lindzee Armstrong
Regular Price: $.99SALE Price: FREE
Purchase First Love Second Choice
First Love Second Choice (Audio!)

When wedding planner Keslee gets asked on a date by her long-lost high school crush, Bryce, everything should be perfect. But Bryce mistakes Keslee for her deceased twin sister, Jadyn. And Keslee doesn’t correct him. Talk about awkward. To make matters worse, she learns they’ll be seeing a lot more of each other because Bryce is the marketing director at the venue where Keslee’s new client has chosen to get married. Keslee knows the charade can’t last much longer, and fears she’ll lose Bryce forever when she tells him the truth.


Emerine'sNightmare by Anna del C. Dye

Price:$2.99
Purchase Emerine’s Nightmare 
What would you do if one night, life asyou know it changes and you are left alone in despair? That is how Emerine’snightmare starts and now all he does is run.
His family lived at the edge of the forestuntil dark shadows killed them all. Now they want him, and so does a magictree. He has never seen dark shadows or enchanted trees before. Emerine has toget to the heart of Red Forest, to the fairy people. Only then he will be safe.Safe? He has never heard of fairies before and once he gets there what?
We have a fantastic line-up of great books that are on SALE! Everyone loves a sale, right? 


Cassandra Jones by Tamara Hart Heiner
Regular Price: $3.99SALE Price: FREE Sept 16-17
Purchase Cassandra Jones
What's special about Cassandra? Absolutely nothing. She's as ordinary as any other fifth grader. And yet her 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. 
Cassandra Jones is the new girl at school. She's been uprooted from her beloved state of Texas and relocated to the hillbilly Ozarks of Springdale, Arkansas. She wonders if she will like her teacher or if she will have any friends. She can only hope school won't be harder than it was back home. 
She doesn't expect to have two close friends, and even worse, two friends that don't like each other. As she tries to make a spot for herself, will she keep her friendships intact? 

Janitors by Tyler Whitesides

Over the last few years, I have really enjoyed the Janitors series by Tyler Whitesides.  Beginning with the first Janitors book, we follow Spencer and Daisy, our girl/boy team of protagonists as they and their friends fight against the BEM (Bureau of Educational Maintenance) who, despite its name, is secretly trying to take over the minds of the all the kids in the world.  The BEM uses toxites, little disgusting vermin, to try to control the thoughts and motivation of kids, while Spencer, Daisy, and their team of friends who are against the BEM work to destroy the toxites, and help save education and the minds of children.

The  series so far, is four books long, with a fifth one coming in just the next few days from today, and I am looking forward to it!  If it is anything like the four previous books, I will enjoy it a lot, and so will a lot of the young people who are in the target audience of the series.  Janitors is written to a middle grade audience, but adults can enjoy it as well.

The series can be genuinely scary at times, (there is very real peril, and more than one character death) and for my part, the allie/enemy Dez who vacilates between the good and bad sides depending on how he will benefit at the time, is getting very frustrating for me, and not in a good way.  The fact that the good guys continue to trust him and take him back time and again doesn't help me to trust their judgement;  I don't see them as charitable for forgiving him over and over again, only stupid, and willing to risk damage to their cause for which they otherwise seem ready to sacrifice so much.  

Despite that, I still enjoy the series very much.  There is plenty of action, and the glopified janitor tools that the good guys use, provide plenty of entertaining surprises.  I don't know what's coming next!  I like the characters; the good guys are very entertaining and diverse, and the bad guys are a well organized groups of baddies.  Mr. Clean in particular, is a very plausible, motivated villain.
Over all, it is a series that I enjoy, and I look forward to the fifth book in the series!

Janitors Series:

Book 1 (copyright 2012)- Janitors
Book 2 (copyright 2013)- Janitors: Secrets of New Forest Academy
Book 3 (copyright 2014)- Janitors: Curse of the Broomstaff
Book 4 (copyright 2015)- Janitors: The Strike of the Sweepers

Book 5 (copyright 2015) will be titled Janitors: Heroes of the Dustbin .  I look forward to it!

The Janitors series is written by Tyler Whitesides, and published by Shadow Mountain.