Monday Movies

My movie-watching of late has been somewhat curtailed because of Mi Vida Loca, but I did manage to sneak in a couple of good ones in January.

The first was Letters to Juliet, rated PG and starring Amanda Seyfried and Vanessa Redgrave. This movie was completely different from what I expected.  It was like a literary novel made into a movie.  Sophie is engaged, and the stress of work and planning a wedding has taken its toll on her and her fiance, Victor.  They decide to take a romantic trip to Italy to shake off some of that stress, but Victor turns it into a wine-tasting extravaganza all over the country, leaving Sophie to find her own entertainment.  She stumbles upon a house that was built in honor of Shakespeare's Juliet, and discovers that women from all over the world write letters to Juliet and tuck them in crevices in the wall of this house.  Then a small group of women, hired by the city, gather up the letters and answer them - at least, those with return addresses.  Sophie is immediately taken with this idea and begins to help with these letters, and this sets her on the adventure of a lifetime.  This movie takes a unique storyline and combines it with beautiful cinematography to make an enjoyable film that was clean and I would show to my young teenage daughter. 

My Gripes:  First, I never really believed Vanessa Redgrave's character.  When she finally receives the answer she's looking for, she doesn't even look all that happy.  She should be elated, over the moon, but she takes it all in stride, and it's a pretty disappointing anticlimax.

Second, something very unkind is said to Sophie, and she never gets a decent apology.  There should have been some serious groveling going on - if it had happened to me, there's no way I would have been locking lip with the dude before the movie was over, and yet, she locked lip. Sorry ... that ruined the romance for me.  I still liked the movie, but it needed some groveling. 

My Score:  7 out of 10.  Some groveling would have brought it up to an 8.

The other film I watched was Knight and Day, rated PG-13 and starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz.  I had heard such mixed reviews on this one, I wasn't sure what to think, but I'm glad I decided to try it out for myself.  I loved it.

Tom Cruise is a secret agent named Roy, and Cameron Diaz is June, the woman he chooses to help him smuggle an important object through customs.  She ends up on a wild ride dealing with agents and guns and shootouts and all kinds of things she wasn't prepared for - all she was trying to do was go home for her sister's wedding.  

This movie did have a lot of shooting in it, earning its PG-13 rating because of it.  There is one F-word, and one line of dialogue with sexual reference.  Frankly, I was surprised there wasn't more.  The humor throughout the film was what really caught me off guard.  I knew it was a spy movie, but I wasn't expecting it to be so stinkin' funny.  I laughed out loud several times while watching it.

I lent this disk to my mother, but I wouldn't show it to my young teenagers.  Maybe after they get a little older.  It's a personal parental preference thing, but I am a little more tight-fisted with movies than my kids would like me to be.

My Gripes:  Well, I'm not too big a fan of the F-word.  But I really enjoyed the movie and didn't have a whole lot to gripe about beyond that. 

My Score:  9 out of 10.  

Swashbuckler

Best Book Trailer Contest

Hey, all!

Have you seen a book trailer lately that really made you laugh, or cry, or kept you thinking about the book long afterwards?  Did you see one that was creative, or that used unusual camera techniques, or great original music? I want to know which book trailers you've seen recently that you thought were outstanding.  Leave the links in the comment trail of this blog.  I will choose my five favorites, and then post them.  You will then vote on your absolute favorite.  Let's show these hard-working authors some love by bringing more attention to their trailers while having fun at the same time!

All entries must be received by midnight, February 14th.  If we're going to show these authors some love, Valentine's Day seems appropriate!  And yes, you can nominate your own trailer, if you're particularly proud of it.

Book Review: The Wishing Hour by J. Adams

I spent Saturday evening curled up with J. Adams' newest release The Wishing Hour.  Here's a synopsis:




Celine Anderson lives an average solitary life, sticking to routine, never taking chances, and never experiencing true love. All of this changes when a handsome immortal enters her life. She has never laid eyes on the man before, but she somehow knows him and instantly trusts him completely. Placing her life in his hands, Celine is taken on an unexpected journey and learns of an ancient prophecy she is to take part in. And her immortal guardian is intent on protecting her against those who would see her fail. He has been chosen for this calling and it is his sacred duty to keep her safe–to see the prophecy fulfilled at all cost. If they fail, it will change the world as they know it.


This book is a romantic fantasy, combining some of the elements we all know make the heart go pitty-pat - element of danger, woman in need of protection, gorgeous and muscular protector dressed in black leather (oh, come on, you know black leather makes the heart go pitty-pat, and there's no use pretending it doesn't) and ties them up together in a story of deep and eternal love and bonds that can't be broken by distance or circumstance or even by death.  It's a quick read - I think I polished it off in a couple of hours - and it keeps you moving from page to page at a pretty good clip.  And while it was romantic, everything was presented in a tasteful way.


If I were to point out anything that I didn't like, I might have enjoyed a few pages more about Celine's life before she met the gorgeous protector.  Her life is completely changed by him, and I would have liked to see more of the before so I could draw that comparison.  I also would have liked it to be a little longer here and there with more explanations and details.  But overall, I enjoyed it very much.  The descriptions of the furniture and the countryside made me want to go traveling - or house hunting, I couldn't decide which - and the descriptions of food made me hungry.  And as I have already said, it definitely made my heart go pitty-pat.


You can purchase the hard copy of this novel here and the Kindle version here.


I received a PDF file of this book from the author for review, but this did not influence my opinion. 

Book Review: No Stone Unturned by Jeanette A. Fratto

This last week, I had the opportunity to read No Stone Unturned by Jeanette A. Fratto. It's a mystery, but it's not an edge-of-your-seat type of story - instead, it's almost a literary novel, which was a welcome surprise.  The pace of the story is such that you really get into the characters' lives and thoughts and surroundings.  Here is a synopsis:


Changing the course of one’s life doesn’t usually result in danger, mystery, and intrigue. Twenty-eight-year-old Linda Davenport certainly didn’t anticipate such an outcome when she decided to leave her stable and predictable life as a teacher to travel cross country for new beginnings, but unexpected events dictated otherwise. Flying from her hometown of Detroit to Los Angeles, she has a chance encounter with Carol Alder, a lovely woman and probation officer by profession. Their initial meeting promises to blossom into a close friendship.

Settling in at the beautiful home of Edith Carter, who rents Linda a room more for companionship than income, she manages to spend a day with Carol before starting her new job as copy editor at a publishing company. In a few short days Linda’s world is turned upside down when her job fails to materialize due to a sudden reorganization, and Carol is killed in an auto accident under mysterious circumstances. 

Jobless but determined to remain in California, Linda is thrown into further turmoil when Carol’s brother Gregory is convinced her death was no accident and believes someone in the probation/court system was responsible. Only he can’t fathom why. Linda’s job hunting eventually takes her into the probation system where she begins to uncover disturbing information that leads her to agree with Gregory. 

Unable to trust anyone, Linda never reveals to her co-workers that she knew Carol, and as she learns more about the system through her initial training and subsequent assignment as an investigator, she puts together more pieces of the puzzle. 

Along the way she reconnects with David Wyndham, a former college love who is now overseeing the establishment of a local drug program, the success of which is crucial to his future. He becomes her ally in her quest to learn why Carol died, but when she uncovers what may be the truth, it threatens not only his future but possibly their future together. 

Conflicted by her sense of duty and her love for David, Linda nevertheless follows her conscience, with a resolution both logical and surprising.

“No Stone Unturned” blends an engrossing story line with the inner workings of Probation, a fascinating branch of law enforcement rarely explored by other writers. The author’s 26-year career in this field ensures that the reader will get a true glimpse into this world, will be thoroughly entertained, and will keep turning pages until the stunning ending.

This novel was a very interesting read for me.  It was the first time I've seen a mystery told in a more literary style, and to me, it was the kind of scenario that fit real life - when we discover something amiss and we go about setting it right.  It was the kind of mystery that could happen to any one of us, minus the high-speed car chases and gun fights that so few of us (thankfully) experience in reality. I enjoyed tasting the atmosphere in the story and being able to really visualize the setting as I read.

The author worked in the field of probation for twenty-six years, and so when she writes about her character becoming a probation officer, she really knows what she's talking about.  She explains the system well and helps the reader to understand the process of training to work in this field.

If I were to point out one thing about the book that I felt might have been tweaked, I would say that I might have liked to see the mystery brought to the forefront a little sooner.  We did spend a lot of time discussing the character's training, etc, and it seemed as though the mystery was an afterthought, more of a side plot rather than the main theme.  And there's nothing wrong with having the mystery be the subplot - it's just a bit of an unusual balance, that's all.

This novel was clean, not relying on crass language to put the story across.  There were a couple of bed scenes, but each were alluded to, rather than described, and I never felt uncomfortable reading them.  That's a major thing for me, and I appreciated the author's approach.

All in all, this was a very enjoyable read and one that I recommend.

You can purchase the hard copy version here, and the Kindle version here.

I received a copy of this book from the author, but this did not influence my opinion of the product. 

Making Friends Monday

Now that my Merry Month of Miracles contest is over (sniff ... that was so much fun and I miss it) we are going to resume our Making Friends Monday feature.  (hooray ... this is so fun and I missed it)

Our first blogger today is Becky Saldivar,who comes to us from The Bec-ster. She says about herself:

I have been blogging since 2006. I love to blog to connect with family, friends, and people that love to read. It gives me a place where I can share my thoughts about books and keep track of my yearly reading. I also love to share pictures of my kids with grandparents and family, most don't live so close anymore. 


In my free time I usually am working in the garden, singing, blogging, spending time outside, playing a sport, playing with the kids, planning Cub Scouts, going to bookgroup and reading a book. I always have a book with me and yes, I have even read in the garden. Sometimes I just can't put a good book down even when weeding. :)

You know, I've never tried to read and weed, but as long as we're not talking about drinking and driving, it's all good.  Head on over to Becky's blog, become a follower, and say hi!

Our second blogger for today is Deirdra Eden Coppel. She says:

I write fantasy set in different periods of earth’s history. This is somewhat unique as not only I have to keep my fantastic mythology straight, but I also spend quite a bit of time researching historical places, people and events.

I am fascinated with natural disasters, legends and biblical prophecies. I like to plan elaborate invasions and study maps.

I’m a combat fighter skilled in several different weapon types as well as hand to hand combat.

That being said my secret identity is rather normal. I am a stay-at-home mom and a volunteer for the Boy Scouts of America. I shop at Wal-mart, attend church on Sunday, and stay active on my yoga mat.

It doesn’t take a trained detective to see the slight abnormalities in my life – cereal for dinner, no T.V., a computer and chair in my closet …. (That’s my secret lair.)

Yep, I’m a novelist.

I started blogging two years ago after my son was born. He was doing so many cute things and I wanted to share them on a private blog with friends and family. Soon after, I started a blog for my story book world life.

I created this blog to appeal too everyone who works with the literary world: authors, illustrators, agents, publishers and of course READERS. I love followers and celebrate every time someone joins us.

Thanks so much, Becky and Deidra!

Okay, bloggy friends, you know the drill - run over, meet these great ladies, say hi, and become followers.  And if you would like me to feature you on a segment of Making Friends Monday, send me a note.  

The Tender Mercies of the Lord

Articles of Faith of the Mormon Culture

I have no idea who wrote this - I received it as an e-mail forward - but it's absolutely brilliant!!  If anyone knows who wrote it, please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due. 

1. We believe in SUVs and minivans as the true form of transportation, and in knee length shorts, and in the multilevel marketing.

 

2. We believe that church ball players should be punished for their own fouls, and not for unsportsmanlike aggression.

 

3. We believe that through bread crumbs, cheese, creamy soups, and rice all casseroles can be saved through obedience to ward cookbooks and creativity in the mixing bowl.

 

4. We believe that the first layers and ingredients of the Dip are: first, beans; second, cheese; third, chopped tomatoes; fourth, the gift of sour cream; fifth, olives; sixth, salsa; seventh, guacamole, that is, if you have it.

 

5. We believe that a Mormon should have a distinguished or a cute name, that it is appropriate to name a child after a church leader or an historical figure including an ancestor, that alternative spellings and French prefixes only add to a name, and that when referring to the names of General Authorities, middle initials should be a part thereof.

 

6. We believe in the same wall decor that exists in many Mormon homes, namely, framed family proclamations, vinyl lettering, inspirational word signs, family photos, pictures of temples and so forth.

 

7. We believe in the gift of the re-gift, church books, crafts, family photos, baked goods, emergency supply kits, and so forth.

 

8. We believe in sparkling grape juice so long as it is nonalcoholic; we also believe in bringing root beer and Sprite to ward parties.

 

9. We believe in all that we have scrapbooked, all that we will now scrapbook, and we believe that we will yet scrapbook many great and important things pertaining to our family, friends, pets, and vacations.

 

10. We believe in the literal mixing of ketchup and mayo and in the generous application of ranch dressing; that CBAs (church-based acronyms) will be used to describe YM/YW, PEC, the Y, NCMO, and CTR; that Mitt Romney will get Mormons to vote for him any time he runs; and, that the Mormons will enjoy reading Twilight and The Work and the Glory, and the Tennis Shoe Series.

 

11. We claim the privilege of trying to identify common acquaintances with any visitor at church, and allow all other people at church the same privilege.  Let them name drop the names of famous and general authorities how, where, or what they may.

 

12. We believe in being subject to scoutmasters, pampered chef hostesses, and the writers of the U.S. News and World Report Rankings for professional schools, and in obeying, honoring, and sustaining Glenn Beck.

 

13. We believe in being above average, good at crafts, optimistic, and being fifteen minutes late everywhere we go. Indeed, we may say that we follow BYU football. We believe rumors about famous people joining the church, we hope to meet the three Nephites, we have endured many pyramid schemes, and hope to be able to endure all pyramid schemes. If there is anything cheap, free, sold in bulk, or given away when somebody is moving, we seek after these things.

Author Interview: Stephanie Humphreys

Today I'm joined by Stephanie Humphreys, blogger at Write Bravely and new author.  I've known Stephanie for several years, having first met her at the LDStorymakers Writers Conference, and have really enjoyed getting to know her and appreciating her talent.

Me: Stephanie, you just recently published your first novel, Finding Rose.  How long have you been pursuing your writing journey, and how does it feel to hold this first book in your hands?


Stephanie:  When I was five years old, I decided I wanted to write books. I wrote consistently until I got married and had children. In 2001, I finally picked up the pen again and started writing and learning all I could about the craft. At the time I focused more on short stories, but realized that novels were what I really loved. I finished my first book in 2006. Holding Finding Rose for the first time was overwhelming.  I was vacationing in Utah with my family last August when my editor contacted me and said she thought they could have the book finished for the LDSBA convention, and asked if I would be willing to do a signing there. So the first time I saw the book was when I approached the booth at the convention. I didn't really have time to absorb it because I had to sit down and do a signing.  In some ways, it was a strange experience.


Me:  I was there when you came in and sat down - I remember how cool that was!  Now, you live in Canada, and your publisher is located in Utah.  Has it been difficult to carry on this "long-distance relationship?"

Stephanie:  I don't find the relationship with the publisher to be difficult, though I am sure it would be a little easier if I lived closer. My location was a concern when we first started talking about publishing Finding Rose, so I'm very grateful they bought the book. When I am in Utah, I visit their office and they are good at answering my emails.  The hardest part for me has been connecting with readers, since the majority of the LDS market is still in Utah. I'd like to travel and meet more people, but family and finances make that difficult. 


Me:  What has been your favorite thing so far about being a published author?


Stephanie:  My favourite thing about being published is the sense of accomplishment I feel. Writing a book and being published has been one of my goals for as long as I can remember. When I first held the book in my hands, I realized that with dedication and hard work, I could achieve anything I set my mind to. The other thing I love is hearing from readers who tell me how much they loved the book. 


Me:  What are you working on now, and do you have a publication date for a future project?


Stephanie:  Right now I am almost finished the editing on a suspense novel called Double Deceit. It's about a young widow who returns to her hometown to repair her relationship with her sister and move on with her life.  When she receives threatening letters and phone calls, she discovers she can't escape her past and until she faces it head on.  I'll be submitting it to the publisher before the end of the month, and if they like it, we'll set a publication date. 


Me:  And, just for fun, are you a barefoot girl, wear socks around the house, or do you wear shoes and socks around the house?


Stephanie:  Sometimes I am a barefoot girl in July and August, but the rest of the year, my feet get too cold. I have a pair of moccasins that I wear around the house, but I've worn a hole in the leather and need to find a replacement pair soon because I can't live without them. When I'm cold, I don't accomplish anything, so it's worth the investment.



Thanks for taking time to hang out with me today, Stephanie!


Read my review of Finding Rose here. If you would like to read the interview Stephanie hosted for me, you can click on it here.  And while you're there, be sure to become a follower on her blog!

Book Review: Nexus Point by Jaleta Clegg

Dace is too young to be the captain of a starship, but she’s never let details like that stop her before.  Fueled by determination, she obtains her own ship, takes on a crew, and is on her first official voyage when something goes terribly wrong with the ship and she is forced to crash-land on a planet much more primitive than her own.  The inhabitants of the planet believe she is a demon who has come to destroy their crops, and they want to burn her at the stake to rid the land of her evil.  She manages to escape, but then runs into Tayvis, a delegate from Space Patrol, who’s not entirely certain she’s telling the truth either.

Tayvis has come in search of information about drug smuggling on this planet, and he’s not sure what to make of Dace.  She’s spunky, but she has a propensity toward getting into trouble like nothing he’s ever seen.  He’s either rescuing her … or being rescued by her … seemingly all the time, and he doesn’t know if she’s lying to him at every turn or just having a really long run of bad luck.  But one thing he does know—she’s getting to him in ways no woman ever has before.

Nexus Point: The Fall of the Altairan Empire by Jaleta Clegg is a science fiction novel with strong romantic elements.  I have to admit, I’m not much of a sci-fi fan—my experience is largely confined to Star Trek: The Next Generation.  Many of the finer details of the story went right over my head.  But I thought the action was compelling, the romance was sufficiently heart-thumpy, and Dace makes an inspirational main character, someone you can root for and want to see succeed. I can see myself broadening my usual reading fare to include more novels along these lines.

Wow ... What a Weekend!

It's hard to explain this last week, but I'm going to try, with the aid of lots of pictures.

Tuesday, this happened:

Um, did I mention I'm not an artist?  This is my rendition of me falling on the ice.  My son could have drawn it better, but he's not here right now.  But yes, I fell, and hurt myself.  Nothing was broken, but I threw out all kinds of bones and muscles and ligaments and all those other little gadgets and gizmos that make up the human body.  My chiropractor says a few more visits, and I'll be fine, thankfully.

But then things got a lot better.  Friday was Book Launch Party time!

Me with the awesome Taffy.  She brought me some socks for Arlette's Operation Sock Hop. 

The superlative Angie Lofthouse.

The incredible Andrea Pearson, who was the designated party
 animal for the night,and kept things going with door prizes.
Thanks to her and her sister-in-law

Alicia for all they did!

Good friends and talented authors Nichole Giles and Don Carey.

Good friend and scrapbooking buddy Sherry Woodard.
She and I like to cut pretty paper into pieces and then
glue it back together. And yes, I do have a 

really bad propensity toward shutting my eyes when flashes
go off.  I'm working on it.

The ultra-generous Cheri Chesley, who not only came out 

from Tooele, but brought me her fabulous homemade
cheesecake.I'm not sure why I'm pulling this face.
I must be saying, "Hey, check me out.

I have cheesecake."

Highly excellent sister-friends Jill Swensen and Shari Bird,
who also came out from Tooele, but did not bring me
cheesecake.  However, they did
help me load up the car after the event,

which was awesome.

The ultra-cool Canda Mortensen - who is going to be a best-selling

YA author someday.  Mark my words. 

And the very sweet Debbie Cranberryfries, who does have
a legal last name, I promise.  James Inman
is in the background.

Left to Right:  A really good-looking guy I picked up on the
foreign languages aisle, me, Keith Fisher, Karlene Browning,
Rebecca Talley, and Nichole Giles.  Oh,

and a cute little boy.  

This is Karen Dupaix and her husband.  Karen won the drawing held

just for people who brought me socks. There are rewards in life for 

doing good works ... and this was proof ...

Bethany, my good friend Autumn, and her darling little baby girl,
who is doing a great job showing off the book. 

Now, this is fun.  Here we have three dragon ladies.  On the left is
Jaclyn Weist, who owned the bookstore Dragons and Fairytales
in Eagle Mountain. Then we have me - I was born in the Chinese
year of the Dragon. On the right is Paulette Inman,
who uses the name Pendragon on her blog.
Very, very cool indeed.

Nichole and Keith are in my critique group, and support me in
everything I do. I love these guys. 

There were some other random pictures taken throughout the evening, many of them showing the backs of people's heads and things like that, but I figured you probably wouldn't want to see those. 

All in all, the evening was a fantastic success.  I had a constant flow of traffic entirely comprised of friends and supporters, and I really appreciate everyone who came out or who sent me their best wishes through Facebook or e-mail.  It all made my new book release that much more fantastic.

And an additional thank you to those who brought socks to participate in Arlette's Operation Sock Hop.  Check this out: 

This pile is comprised of 72 pairs of socks for the homeless.  Isn't that incredible?  When people work together on a common goal, and they each do what they can, be it one pair or a whole package, it really adds up.  

And that wraps up the documentation of my amazing book launch.

But I'm not done telling you about my weekend!

Early the next morning, I met up with my good friends Daron Fraley, Rebecca Talley, and Don Carey and we headed up north to Logan for a signing at the Book Table.  

L-R: Don, me, Rebecca, and Daron

Gregg Luke, who is totally awesome and has helped me
figure out how to make people ill (for my books ... he's a
pharmacist in addition to being an LDS
suspense author) came in to see us. 

And Don played his ukulele for us.  

My sister Daira came in, as did our cousin LuAnn. My other

sister, Leigh, came too, but she was a party pooper and wouldn't have her
picture taken.

Gillian is an aspiring author, and she is not a
party pooper, thereby having her

picture taken.

Rebecca and Daron chatting with Gregg.

After our signing, my sister made up for her party-pooper ways by feeding us an awesome lunch, and then we drove home, scattering sunshine (and bookmarks) at libraries and bookstores all the way home.  It was a great day.

And now I'm sure you will fully understand when I say I think I shall now sleep for a week.

Seek the Higher Ground

It's My Party ... And You're Invited!!

You are invited to the release

of Tristi Pinkston’s new novel

 

Dearly Departed

 

on Friday, January 14th,

at Pioneer Book

858 S. State, Orem

6 – 8 pm

Refreshments, prizes, and fun!

Bring a package of socks to be donated

to the homeless, and you'll be entered in an

additional drawing.

Hope to see you there!

Book Review: Meg's Melody by Kaylee Baldwin

What would you do if your husband of less than a year decided he was finished with the relationship and walked out the door?  And what would you do if shortly afterward, you discovered that you were pregnant?

Meg Sanders thought her life was going to be perfect.  Her new husband was handsome and charming, and his career seemed to be on the fast track.  They were going to be so happy together.  But when he leaves, he takes those dreams with him, and Meg is crushed.  She feels like a failure, and these feelings are only made worse when she realizes how much she'd given up for him, most specifically her activity in the Church.  She determines to go back and start setting things right, and then she learns that one of her life's dreams, that of being a mother, is about to come true ... but she'd never imagined it happening this way, all alone, with her husband miles away with some other woman.

Meg's Melody is the first novel by Kaylee Baldwin, and demonstrates the power of a person to change their life for the better, regardless of their circumstances.  The story is touching without being sappy, and I suspect we'll be seeing a lot from Kaylee in the future.

Right now you have the chance to win your own copy of Meg's Melody.  Visit the sites participating in this book tour and leave comments, and you could win!

January 10th 

Shanda at LDSWBR 

January 11th 

Tristi Pinkston

January 12th  

Jolene Perry

January 13th  

Shaunna Gonzales

 January 15th 

 Taffy Lowell 

 January 17th

Heather at Fire and Ice 

January 18th

Marsha Ward

January 19th

Alison Palmer 

January 20th

 I am a Reader Not a Writer

January 21
Rebecca Talley Writes

Reviews of Hang 'Em High

Here are some reviews for my eighth book, Hang 'Em High.

Meridian Magazine

Keepin' Up with LDS Bookstores

Getting Your Read On

A Writer's Eyes

Queen of Chaos and Joy

Inksplasher

Heather Justesen

Two Kids and Tired

Rachelle's Writing Spot

A Good Day to Read

Why Not? Because I Said So!

LDS Women's Book Review

Fire and Ice

Scribbled Scraps

Latter-day Woman Magazine

Starcrossed Book Reviews

I Am a Reader, Not a Writer

Queen of the Clan

My New Life

Procrastination

I was going to sit down and write a really awesome article about procrastination.  But then I realized that I hadn’t checked my e-mail in at least an hour, so I thought I’d do that instead. After I replied to all the forwards and clicked on all the YouTube links, I looked down and noticed that I was still in my pajamas.  So I hopped in the shower and then discovered I was down to one clean towel.  I threw in a load of laundry, and thought I’d better do a few dishes too. 

Then I sat down again to write that article, and remembered that I hadn’t checked on Café World for at least three hours.  After I served up all the food, visited my friends and left them servings of dumplings - and moved up a level in Delicious Chocolate Cake - I realized it was time to start making dinner.

This is starting to sound like “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” isn’t it?  While my little scenario is fiction, it is meant to prove a point—we all live busy lives, and it can sometimes become impossible to get all those little things done that we need to do, and even harder when motivation is a missing factor.

I’m by no means the authority on all things procrastination-related. I get distracted by anything and everything and … squirrel!  But I have learned a few tips and tricks along the way that I’d like to share with you.

1.    

        Make one day of the week your errand day, and see if you can schedule all your stops in one trip. I like to hit the post office, bank, copy center, and library in one trip instead of making four separate runs.  True, it takes me longer to do those errands, but compare two hours once a week to an hour at a time, several times a week.

2.       I like to break my tasks up into days of the week.  For instance, back when I was a Cub Scout leader, I’d do all my Scout planning on Wednesday.  I’d read through the book, see what I needed to do to prepare, put those things on my errand list, and then not think about it again until the next Wednesday.  This kept me from worrying about it all week long.  I assigned my other responsibilities to other days in the week.

3.       If there’s a particularly odious task you must perform, like a difficult phone call you need to make, write down on your calendar the day and time you’re going to do it, and then hold yourself to it.  When the clock strikes that hour, just grab the phone.  Don’t let yourself think it through—you have an appointment to keep.

4.       We all have those daily tasks to perform that we just hate doing—set up a reward system for yourself.  One of the most effective ways I ever found to make myself exercise was to decide I couldn’t check my e-mail until I done at least twenty minutes on the Healthrider. Because I love checking my e-mail, this was an effective tool for me.

5.       You can save your rewards for later, too.  I’m a big Netflix junkie, and some nights I’ll tell myself that if I get certain things done during the day, I can curl up with a Netflix movie that night.  Bribery works on kids—and it works on grown-ups, too!

6.       Sometimes we procrastinate because we don’t have uninterrupted time to accomplish the task.  Trade babysitting with a neighbor and use that time to knock down your to-do list.  Or if you’re at work, see if you can delegate another task to an employee while you finish up, or trade projects with a co-worker. You can also talk to your spouse and agree on a time for you to sit down, without distraction, to polish it off.

7.       As you go down your to-do list, rank them in order of importance, with 1 representing those things that must get done now.  We often spend time taking care of things that rank a 2 or 4 or 9 while neglecting the things that rank 1, and then regret the lack of time to finish everything up.  By organizing your tasks according to importance, you’ll always get the most crucial things done first.  And if that’s all you’ve been able to get to in the course of the day, at least you accomplished the most important thing.

Of course, you’ll want to find the methods that work for you, but one thing remains constant: we all like to be recognized for our hard work.  As long as you feel rewarded for doing those hard tasks, you’ll be more likely to get them done, and then you’ll feel more personal satisfaction. That’s a reward in and of itself - but if it's not enough to motivate you, throw some chocolate into the mix ... 

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Book Review: The Rogue Shop by Michael Knudsen

The Rogue Shop by Michael Knudsen is what one might consider a classic LDS fiction novel.  A young man comes to Utah with every intention of not joining the Church, he's befriended by two fresh-faced Mormon girls who make him feel at home, he falls for one of them, and ends up joining the Church anyway. Doesn't sound too original, does it?  In fact, we've all heard this story a million times.

Actually, we haven't.

The premise is one that has perhaps been overdone in LDS fiction, but the way it's told in The Rogue Shop is completely new and different. The events come about naturally, not in a cliche or "coincidental" way.  Michael Knudsen has a storytelling voice unlike any other I've read.  It's rich and evocative.  It's literary without being snooty. His characters come to life and leap off the page.  I found this to be one of the best pieces of LDS fiction I've ever read ... and you all know how picky I am.

I read this book in one sitting, then got up, went to my computer, and nominated it for a Whitney Award.  I don't nominate a lot of books, so that's saying a lot right there.  This kind of writing, this kind of storytelling, is what we should be aiming for in the LDS market.  If we were all to pay attention to the intricacies of writing, as Knudsen has done, and if every reader were to insist on this kind of quality in their reading material, we would find ourselves right up there with those Shakespeares and Miltons we're trying to emulate.

This book was provided to me at no charge by the author.  However, my gushing and high praise were completely voluntary.

Humor for the New Year

After spending the entire month of December celebrating my new book release and concentrating on my contest, I decided to veg out in front of the computer and treat myself to some epic fails (and a couple of wins).  Here are those that made me laugh out loud: