Rebecca H. Jamison's Blog, page 14

The Most Fun Boys Can Have with a Romance Novel

Today my boys have transformed a discarded PDF of my novel into knight helmetsand pterodactyls. It kept them quiet today while we were watching our church conference on TV. It's also saved me the trouble of having to create a Halloween costume for my seven-year-old, who wants to be a Knight for Halloween.

This one looks like a ninja helmet to me, but the boys say it's a sallet helmet.
I couldn't figure out how to take this picture without my feet getting into it.
My son says the grocery bag makes him look like a Lego Knight.

Book Recommendation: Awakening

Christy Dorrity's new title for young adults just came out, so I wanted to share. If you like to read clean paranormal, you'll want to check it out.

About the Book

. . . because some Celtic stories won’t be contained in myth.

A little magic has always run in sixteen-year-old McKayla McCleery's family—at least that’s what she’s been told. McKayla’s eccentric Aunt Avril travels the world as a psychic for the FBI, and her mother can make amazing delicacies out of the most basic of ingredients. But McKayla doesn't think for a second that the magic is real—it’s just good storytelling. Besides, McKayla doesn’t need magic. She recently moved to beautiful Star Valley, Wyoming, and already she has a best friend, a solo in her upcoming ballet recital—and the gorgeous guy in her physics class keeps looking her way.


When an unexpected fascination with Irish dance leads McKayla to seek instruction from the mute, crippled janitor at her high school, she learns that her family is not the only one with unexplained abilities. After Aunt Avril comes to Star Valley in pursuit of a supernatural killer, people begin disappearing, and the lives of those McKayla holds most dear are threatened.

When the janitor reveals that an ancient curse, known as a geis, has awakened deadly powers that defy explanation, McKayla is forced to come to terms with what is real and what is fantasy. A thrilling debut novel based in Celtic mythology, Awakening is a gripping young adult fantasy rife with magic, romance, and mystery.




Praise for Awakening
"AWAKENING is a wonder and a delight. Christy Dorrity is a talent to watch."
~David Farland, New York Times bestselling author of Nightingale


"I thoroughly enjoyed AWAKENING, a captivating and unique debut novel that creatively integrates Irish dance."
~ CHRIS NAISH, Riverdance member and Creative Director of Fusion Fighters Irish dancers.
About the Author

Christy Dorrity lives in the mountains with her husband, five children, and a cocker spaniel. She grew up on a trout ranch in Star Valley, Wyoming, and is the author of The Geis series for young adults, and The Book Blogger’s Cookbooks. Christy is a champion Irish dancer and when she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably trying out a new recipe in the kitchen.
Purchase Awakening by Christy Dorrity:
 

How I Find Time to Write

My writing desk
People are always asking me how I find time to write. To tell the truth, I haven't always been the ideal example of writing time management. Part of the reason is that I have six kids. It took me five years to write my first published novel. My second took two years. I'm getting faster, though, thanks to a few tricks I've learned. Here they are in a nutshell:

Avoid the Internet 
I write on a really old laptop. It has no internet access. Before I switched to the laptop, it seemed that every time I got stuck in a scene, I'd go check Facebook or my e-mail or my blog or something else.

Schedule 
I have an appointment every weekday with my laptop. I write in the morning before my kids get up. I also write at the library twice a week for a few hours.

Plan
Before I write, I try to figure out what's going to happen in the next scene. It's best if I brainstorm the next scene the day before I write it. This gives my mind a chance to work while I'm doing other things.

Stay Positive
It's a common problem among writers, even published writers, that a bad review or critique experience can kill the desire to write. Reviews are important, but I avoid reading each and every review. I have to focus first on how much I love to write. My objective is to write a book I'd want to read.

Write Horrible Drafts
I'm a perfectionist. I love editing and making my writing as perfect as possible. But if I try to write my first draft as perfectly as possible, it takes me forever. Instead, I force myself to write a lot, and some of my writing actually ends up being good. Later, I can delete what's terrible and keep what works. (In case you're wondering, my last two novels had at least twenty drafts.)

Write Down All Ideas Immediately
I keep a pad of paper and pen handy to write down ideas. Below is a picture of the pen I keep beside my bed at night. It lights up so I can write in the dark. I always carry paper in my purse, and if I know I'll have to wait somewhere for a long time, I bring my laptop.

Audiobooks
Reading great books helps me to be a better writer, but it's hard to find the time to read as much as I'd like. Also, once I start a book, I have a hard time putting it down. My solution is to listen to audiobooks as I drive and work around the house. That way, I get in my reading time, and I look forward to doing the dishes.

How do you find time for the things you love to do?

Meet Some Authors

Photo by Heather Zahn GardnerI'm so excited for this Saturday! From 6-8:00 pm, Josi Kilpack, Sarah Eden, Camron Wright, Mandi Slack, and I will be signing books together at Barnes & Noble at 330 E University Parkway in Orem, UT. Come on over if you can. And, as if you need any other motivation, I'll have some of Emma's favorite treats--Dove dark chocolates--to share.

I'll also be signing on Sept 28 from 9-11 am at the Taylorsville Family Center Seagull Bookstore, 5720 S. Redwood RD, Taylorsville, UT.

Book Review for "Fight for You"

Misty Moncur's first book, Daughter of Helaman, was a Whitney Award finalist in the historical fiction category. Fight for You is its sequel. The books are LDS fiction, based on the Stripling Warriors in the Book of Mormon. They tell the story of Keturah, who joins the army of Helaman. She is the only woman in the army, which presents her with many challenges, not the least of which is her tangled love life. Here's the summary.

In Fight for You, Keturah is in Judea building fortifications. The work is hard, and the other soldiers don’t think she can pull her weight. Her brothers are becoming strangers, and Zeke’s jealousy is getting worse—because Keturah is falling in love with the wrong warrior.

But she’s not about to let cruel pranks and hurt feelings keep her from doing what she knows to be right. Keturah will do whatever it takes to protect her religion, her freedom, her peace, and her family. But in a camp of two thousand boys, the most important thing she has to protect is her heart.

I really liked Keturah. She's spunky and independent. She fights to get into the all-male army, but once she's there, she doesn't leave behind her feminine side. I like that she plays the role of healer, that she likes to cook for the men, and that she practices the traditionally female arts. I also like that she's learned methods to fight men stronger than she is.

Her best friend growing up, Zeke, is also the man her family intends for her to marry. She feels a bond to him, but she has also learned to love another man, Gideon, who taught her to fight. Gideon has his own issues, though. He plans on being a career soldier, which won't leave much room for a wife. I loved these two strong characters and the tension between them. The romance is not resolved in this book--another sequel is in the works--but the ending definitely gives the reader an idea of where things are headed.

Though many of the details are fictional, the book gave me a chance to think more deeply about events in the Book of Mormon. I liked imagining the details of some of the battles, the layout of the cities, and how the soldiers might have interacted with each other. The author's knowledge of Native American culture and tradition also made the book more interesting to me.


Author Bio:

Misty Moncur wanted to be Indiana Jones when she grew up. Instead, she became an author and has her adventures at home. In her jammies. With her imagination. And pens that she keeps running dry.
Misty lives in a marsh near a very salty lake in Utah with her husband and children, where they cuddle up in the evenings and read their Kindles. Well, she does anyway.

The Day I Became A Bad Mom

It really wasn’t my fault. It was Danny Kaye’s. How, you’re wondering, could some dead actor get me accused of child abuse? It all started with the movie, Court Jester. My husband had had enough of the kids watching the usual drivel on PBS. He wanted us to watch something with substance, something that would acquaint our children with a classic from the history of film. So we watched Court Jester.

My kids learned from the movie all right. They learned that if they wanted to be royalty, they had to have a special birthmark--a purple pimpernel—on their backsides. My daughter, who was three at the time, used a purple marker on her brother’s bum to make sure everyone would know he was a prince. I didn’t think much of it. So my son had purple scribbles on his behind? At least he was culturally enlightened. Over the course of a few baths, the marks disappeared.

The policeman showed up a few days later. Being almost six feet tall myself, I’m not easily intimidated. But this policeman was so large, peering through our front window, that I called my husband to answer the door while I retreated to the bathroom to change another diaper. My son, who was two at the time, had undiagnosed gluten intolerance. As parents, we were constantly trying to figure out what was causing the abnormal number of messy diapers. No sooner had I gotten to the bathroom than my husband told me the policeman wanted to talk to me.

Back at the front door, the officer explained that someone had reported me for child abuse because of the bruises on my son’s back. “Oh,” I said. “You mean the marker.” I told him the purple pimpernel story, and he said he’d need to look at my son to verify my account. The problem was that my husband was taking much longer to change the diaper than usual. I’m sure the officer must have wondered if we were stalling as I ran back and forth between him and the bathroom, checking to see if my son was ready to be put on display. Finally, my husband declared that my son needed a bath, and I, in exasperation, told the officer he could come look at our little boy standing naked and unbruised in the tub. “He’s definitely not abused,” the officer said—perhaps the most beautiful words I’ve ever heard in our bathroom.

I was relieved for only a few minutes. Then the questions came. Who reported me? Did I look like a child abuser? Did my son’s health problems make him look abused? What if it had been a real bruise? What if I were accused again? Would this be on my permanent record? Child abuse was a heinous crime. How could someone think I was a criminal?

Adding to my confusion was an experience I’d had the week earlier in a public restroom. As I’d stood at the sink, trying to cajole my potty-training daughter into washing her hands, an older woman remarked that if that were her daughter, she would give her a spanking for being so stubborn. On one side, someone thought I was too lenient. On the other, someone thought I was too harsh. It didn’t matter that I subscribed to Parents magazine, read bedtime stories, and cooked vegetables. I’d failed in my efforts to be a good mother. Why should I even try anymore?

For months afterward, I thought of myself as a bad mother. Now, looking back, I don’t see myself that way. I was a good mother caught in the trap of letting others dictate my self-image to me. In truth, the only people who knew what I did as a mother were my children and me. Everyone else had a false image. It was like they were trying to judge a book by a page, or, in the case of the restroom lady, by a sentence.

Eventually, I learned to see myself apart from the opinions of others. Some of the things that helped were:

Seeing pictures of myself interacting with my children. It gave me a different perspective to see the love in my eyes as I held my little ones.Accepting the fact that different was okay. I didn't have to be like the soccer mom down the road or the cookie-baking mom or the academic achievement mom. My kids needed me, not the mom down the street.Cultivating gratitude. Instead of noticing what was wrong with my children, I learned to notice what was right. Listing my achievements. Every year, I listed all the little things I'd accomplished in the last year. This simple exercise, which takes only a few minutes spread over the course of a few days, has helped me remember that I'm accomplishing more than I think.
Now that I've been a mom for seventeen years, I wish I could take all the younger moms out there and give them a little piece of my not caring. I have the experience now to know that the atrocious teacher conference shouldn’t have worried me so much, my daughter eventually got in the habit of washing her hands, and my son’s bad habit of kissing girls in first grade is now a treasured family memory. I’ve also come to realize that my daughter was onto something when she decided to mark herself and my son as royalty.

Looks for the Teens of Tomorrow

The other day, I was talking to my kids about gauge earrings. Things have gotten a little out of hand when teens have to refer to National Geographic magazine to figure out the next trend. I said to my son, "What do you suppose teenagers will do to rebel when you have kids? By then all the ideas will be used up." (And, yes, if you haven't seen them, lip gauges are already making the rounds. I also saw a teen who'd dyed her hair that blue gray color old ladies used to have.)

My son pointed out that all was not lost. There are still a lot of options for teens who want to get attention. Our predictions for teen fashions in the year 2035:

Neck Rings:


Foot Binding:

Teens who go for this look must plan ahead. You have to start by age six.
Klingon Head Ridges:


Carmen Miranda Fruit Hats:

Headgear:

Ballet Fashion:



Queen Elizabeth Foreheads:

I've probably left out a few attention-getting looks. Can you think of any?

Changing Up the Ponytail

My kids have had an exciting summer. My daughter went to Europe with her grandma. The teens have all gone camping multiple times. One got to go on a trip with Grandma to Nauvoo and Missouri. As for me, I've mostly hung out at home, helping everyone pack and unpack. It wasn't until last week when I had a reason to change up my summer ponytail hairstyle.

First, I had an interview with Heather at Fire and Ice. We met in downtown Salt Lake City during a thunderstorm for my photo shoot. Good thing I brought an umbrella. You can click here to read the interview. Here are the pictures she took.



Last week, I got to go to Cedar Fort's dinner for booksellers, along with a bunch of other authors. I always love getting to know authors and readers. During dinner, I sat next to Carla Kelly, who's one of my favorite authors. She gave me this advice about writing while my kids are young: "Sleep faster." Since then, I've been waking up early to write. So far, so good. I've gotten a lot more done this week. I also got to hang out with Annalisa Hall, who wrote a children's book I really want to read to my kids.

And today (Wednesday 8/14/13), I'm signing books at the Sandy, UT Costco from noon to 3 pm. I'll be at the West Valley Costco on Friday 8/16/13 from 12-3 pm.

Emma Blog Tour

It's time for the blog tour! Here are the stops:

Tuesday July 30
www.thesecretunderstandingofthehearts.blogspot.com guest post on advice in Emma and giveaway 
Wednesday July 31
www.kayleebaldwin.com 
Thursday Aug 1ellsey.blogspot.com
brooklynberrydesigns.com
Friday Aug 2www.ldswomensbookreview.com review and giveaway 
www.literarytimeout.blogspot.com review, guest post, and giveaway 
Saturday Aug 3http://bloggingbrookeworm.blogspot.com/
 mormonmommywriters.blogspot.com guest post
http://tressaswishfulendings.blogspot.com/

Monday Aug 5
www.gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.comreview and giveaway
www.bookloverstop.wordpress.com
www.ilovetoreadandreviewbooks.blogspot.comreview, guest post, and giveaway 

Tuesday Aug 6
maryanndennis.blogspot.com guest post 
bonnieharris.blogspot.com
Wednesday Aug 7
www.fireandicephoto.blogspot.com guest post and giveaway
mjmbecky.blogspot.com guest post about Jane Austen
www.ldswomensbookreview.com
Thursday Aug 8
www.mybookaday.blogspot.comreview, giveaway, and guest post about Jane Austen inspiration
www.julienford.com 
Friday Aug 9
 www.lisaisabookworm.blogspot.comreview and giveaway 
Saturday Aug 10
www.everyfreechance.com  review, giveaway, and interview 
mydevotionalthoughts.net
Monday Aug 12
www.christydorrity.com guest post
www.terirodeman.blogspot.com 
www.ldsandlovinit.blogspot.comreview, interview, giveaway 
Tuesday Aug 13
www.mkmcclintock.comguest post
www.booksaresanity.blogspot.com
Wednesday August 14
http://www.junemccraryjacobs.com

Book Review: Penumbras

My son and I had such a fun time reading The Kindling that I jumped at the chance to review the sequel, Penumbras. Both books are about a group of middle school friends who discover they have magical abilities. I know it sounds like Harry Potter, but Braden Bell has built a completely new and original world to inspire the middle-school imagination. His magic centers around light and the battle against darkness. One thing I like about the books is that there are so many life lessons running under the surface. The characters learn about following their impulses to do good and overcoming feelings of insecurity.

While The Kindling is action-packed, Penumbras has a balance of action, romance, and character growth. One of my favorite characters, Dr. Timberi, is absent for the first half of the book. Though I missed him, this also keeps things interesting, as the middle schoolers have to face the powers of darkness on their own.

From the Back Cover:
Conner Dell didn't meant to blow up the school bus.
Or the bathrooms.
In fact, he only wanted to go to sleep and possibly dream about Melanie Stephens.
But explosions had a funny way of happening when Conner and his friends were around.
***
Conner Dell wants to be good--he really does. But he is terrified that he might be turning into a Darkhand, especially when new powers start to surface. What's worse, the Stalker is following Conner, but no one else seems to be able to see him. The Magi think he might be hallucinating, the guilt of what happened in the Shadowbox keeps weighing on him, and his relationship with Melanie Stephens is complicating things. Even for a Magi, Conner knows his life is anything but normal.


About the Author:

Braden Bell grew up in Farmington, Utah and graduated from Davis High School. He earned bachelor’s and
master’s degrees in theatre from Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. in educational theatre from New York University. He and his wife, Meredith live with their five children on a quiet, wooded lot outside of Nashville, Tennessee, where he teaches theatre and music at a private school. An experienced performer, Braden enjoys singing, acting, reading, gardening, and long walks with the dog.