New book cover for Family by Design!

By Heather Justesen

I've been sitting on this exciting news for a while, waiting for my final draft of the cover to arrive in my inbox, and for the back cover copy, so I'm totally excited to be able to share it now. My next book, published by Cedar Fort, inc. is at the printers right now and will be available for purchase in early January.

Cute, isn't it? I'm totally excited! And here's the back cover blurb:

Before he could think better of it, he blurted out, “I understand your concerns. I’m going to speak to my commander about getting an early discharge. My girlfriend, Rena, and I have talked about getting married. There just hasn’t been any rush.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wondered what he was thinking. Yes, they had discussed marriage, but not to each other! He and Rena had never even dated.

Tucker’s on his way to the biggest challenge of his life. Rena already has it all—except a family of her own. But neither one expected their friendship would take such a dramatic turn.

When Tucker becomes the guardian of his newly orphaned niece and nephew, he knows he can’t handle them alone, not when he might be shipped out with the Marines at any moment. Desperate, he turns to Rena for a major favor. His marriage proposal would give her everything she wants, but can she learn to live without the romance she’s always dreamed of?

As time, prayer, and a life-changing kiss work a little magic in her heart, Rena wonders if someone up there has a plan for her that’s better than anything she could’ve come up with on her own. And though it seems crazy at first, this could become her chance for a marriage that will last for eternity.

An Authors' Reality

by Cheri Chesley

This weekend has been an enlightening one, and I can blame/credit Facebook for that. I have the privilege of being friends with many authors in various states of publication and/or success--from National and International bestsellers to people still waiting to break in to publishing, or even those not so interested in publishing so much as sharing their stories or poems with friends and family. It's a blessed life.

And a cursed one. This weekend, several of my author friends have posted how their feelings of doubt about their abilities as writers have surged. These are established and even award winning writers. They have the chops. From the outside we question how they can doubt themselves or their abilities. They're proven successes.

But doubt and being a writer go hand in hand. It's the curse of art, I believe, or any artistic pursuit. We lack a standard by which we can measure success. Truly, success can be defined in different ways. Publishing a book. Getting the book contract. Having more than one book published. But, in truth, most of us just want to get better with each book. We crave the growth that comes with the process of writing. That is success.

It pains me to hear how my writer friends struggle. I know, from experience, that the doubt never really goes away. Right now I have what I think is the best manuscript I've ever written of to beta readers, and I know they're going to find problems with it. I want them to--so I can fix it, but, at the same time, I want to have the perfect book. Which I know is a pipe dream, but it doesn't stop me from striving for it.

To my friends who struggle with the process--and with their own doubts--I want to say that only you can define your personal success. As long as you are doing what you love, and doing your "Very best" as Gordon B. Hinckley would have said, you don't need to sweat the rest.

Recently, a friend asked if I could be anything I wanted or do anything I wanted in this world, what would it be. After some thought, I had to say I would be and do exactly what I'm doing now. I get to stay home and be here when my kids need me--which, after years of working, is such a blessing. And I get to write. I'm not the fastest or most prolific writer out there, but I'm steady. This has been my dream for so long, and I'm living it.

What would you be?

Sometimes Dishes and Inspiration Go Hand in Hand

By Christine Thackeray

Last weekend I went to the Northwest Writer's Retreat and came home on fire, ready to pound out brilliant prose and finally finish my WIP. The first chapter whizzed by without a hitch and the second chapter wasn't bad but fell a little flat. The third chapter just plain stunk. I knew what I wanted the final scene to look like but the build to get there was not coming. I couldn't imagine having my MC merely run in circles until the final show down be an effective stategy.

Finally I slammed down the computer lid and faced my kitchen. Now I don't know if your house is like mine but when I'm writing we often only cover the "have to" and let the details go. In the kitchen that means pots and pans. The dishes get washed all right, but cake pans filled with soapy water may linger in the corners days after the macaroni casserole has been consumed. So this morning I decide to get every corner clean. I started at 7 am and just kept scrubbing, drying and putting away as the counter slowly reemerged from its hidden condition.

As I sloshed in the bubbles, ideas popped in my head. Humor- the brother says my wife Miriam never liked Rheba and Ananel replies "A two week old opinion doesn't count." (Okay, it was funny when I thought of it.) Action- There's a secret passage in the villa. His ex-betrothed leads him to it and the evil priest Kohen Yacob directs him back in a circle for the final showdown. Ananel thinks he's being lead to freedom and he promises the vindictive rabbi that he will not return. Kohen Yacob laughs "No, you shall not" as he opens the door and delivers him to a sword drawn Simeon.

I finished and was ready to write, pulled out my computer and then remembered I was supposed to blog today. So I'm going to add all of it and keep writing. Meanwhile my kids came up to get breakfast and have taken out eggs, tortillas, cereal, milk, the frying pan, bowls, grated cheese and spices. They've eaten as I've typed and just walked out the kitchen door, leaving it much the same as when I entered this morning. My plan is to type for an hour or so and then I'll roll up my sleeves and attack. Maybe I'll get more inspiration before lunch.

BigWorldNetwork

EVERYONE- PAY ATTENTION: Check out this awesome new website that goes live today. The concept of Big World Network is intriguing and is worthy of our attention.

From the BigWorldNetwork Website- "Think of us as a television network, but for literary series written in episodic format. Choose between reading each week's episode or listening to the audio versions."

BigWorld will list weekly episodes that can be read on the website or Audio Episodes that can be downloaded free from iTunes. The website includes a ratings system for the work included on the site and even has a submissions process for authors who would like to be involved.

Heather Justesen & Trina Boice, our very own Writing Fortress Authors, are involved and you can read their episodes now. Some of our other favorite authors such as Tristi Pinkston are also involved.

Visit the site. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Whitney Awards: Eligible Novels

Have you read a great novel by an LDS author? We have several novels written by blog team members as well as other CFI authors that qualify for nomination.

Minor Adjustments by Rachael Renee Anderson
My Girlfriend's Boyfriend by Elodia Strain
The Upside of Down by Rebecca Talley
Blank Slate by Heather Justesen
Bitter Blessings by Christine Mehring
Alias by Mandi Tucker Slack
The Last Archangel by Michael Young
Wings of Light by Laura Bingham
Carving Angels by Diane Stringam Tolley

If you'd like to nominate a 2011 novel written by an LDS author you can visit The Whitney Awards. Finalists will be annouced in February 2012 and winners at the Whitney Awards Gala on May 5, 2011 at the Provo Marriott. If you'd like to learn more about the Whitney Awards program you can go here.

Be sure to tell your friends about the Whitney Awards that were established to recognize writing excellence by LDS authors.

Book Review of "The Alias"

                                                                     by Trina Boice
                                                                  www.trinaboice.com

Haven’t we all fantasized about changing our identity and slipping into another world at some point?  Ok, maybe I’m revealing a little too much about myself now.  (wink)

Blog tours for new book releases are a lot of fun, but I’m so busy that I don’t normally participate in many.   My blog post yesterday concluded a tour that features newbie author, Mandi Tucker Slack, whose first book caught my eye and made me want to jump on the blog tour train.  I love a good man-on-the run story, especially when he’s innocent, and especially when he’s a woman!   Mandi’s suspenseful story reminded me of Julia Roberts’ movie “Sleeping With the Enemy,” which I got a real kick out of.

Without any spoiler alerts, here’s the gist of Mandi Slack’s tale:  Jacey’s ex-husband is wanted by the FBI.  To protect her son, Jacey flees to a small town and attempts to hide their identity, but her past is never too far behind.  Neither is the FBI.  Throw in a little romance, and it’s a fun, quick read, perfect for when I was taking a long flight, escaping from my own personal world on a quick business trip.

Jacey’s son’s name is Blaze, the same name my family gave our pet dog.  Every time I read the name Blaze in Mandi’s book, I imagined my sweet Papillon as a shapeshifter in her story.  Their personalities are somewhat similar…young, adventurous and not quite a man.  What mother doesn’t want to protect her son?  I have four sons and could relate very well to the mother-bear mentality of doing whatever it takes to keep them safe.  The author is a playful mother of three who lives in beautiful Utah, where the story takes place. 

In an interview with Mandi, she explains “I love to incorporate my hobbies and interests into my writing.”  My favorite thing about writing is being able to create my own adventure. I was a tom-boy and as a child I craved adventure. I explored exotic countries and conquered high mountain peaks all from the comfort of my own back yard. I had a very vivid imagination and that love of creativity followed me into adulthood. I have so much fun when I am able to sit down and pound out the ideas floating around in my head, and I enjoy writing the type of stories that I love to read.”

To learn more about Mandi Tucker Slack and her new book “The Alias”, visit her blog at:   http://heyyouslackers.blogspot.com/

To purchase her book online, go to:    http://www.amazon.com/Alias-Mandi-Slack/dp/1599555093/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317347209&sr=1-1   

The Kindle edition is only $3.99!  To read more reviews about Mandi’s new book, check out the rest of the blog tour stops:

October 1st –   DebbieDavis        http://debbiesinkspectations.blogspot.com/

October 3rd –   KimberlyJob       http://scribbledscraps.blogspot.com/
October 4th –   JulieBellon         http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com
October 5th –   CindyHogan      www.cindymhogan.blogspot.com
October 6th –   CamiChecketts     http://camicheckettsbooks.blogspot.com
October 8th –   LauraBingham    http://alvor-daretodream.blogspot.com/
October 11th – Aimee Brown     http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/
October 12th – Steve Westover    http://www.westoversleftovers.blogspot.com
October 13th – Mindy Holt         www.ldswbr.com
October 14th – Holly Barnes        http://2kidsandtiredbooks.blogspot.com
October 14th – Danyelle Ferguson       http://www.queenoftheclan.blogspot.com/
October 15th – Lynn Parsons       http://lynndeniseparsons.blogspot.com/
October 17th – Janice Johnson   http://www.toothsomefamily.blogspot.com/
October 18th – Kaylynn England   www.bookreviewsandmore.com
October 18th – Maria Hoagland   www.mariahoagland.blogspot.com
October 19th – Rachelle Christensen       http://www.rachellewrites.blogspot.com/
October 21st – Alice Gold                    http://imsofunny.blogspot.com/
October 25th – Tristi Pinkston            http://www.tristipinkston.blogspot.com
October 28th – Heather Justesen     http://www.heatherjustesen.blogspot.com/
October 29th - Trina Boice             http://www.boicebox.blogspot.com

By the way, if you’re a new author or even a seasoned one, take note of Tristi Pinkston’s excellent marketing techniques.  She’s the one who put this blog tour together and is a master at networking in this industry! 

Defeat Your Personal El Guapo!

"In a way, all of us have an El Guapo to face some day. For some, shyness might be their El Guapo, for others a lack of education might be their El Guapo. For us, El Guapo is a big, dangerous guy who wants to kill us. As sure as my name is Lucky Day, the people can conquer their personal El Guapo, who also happens to be the actual El Guapo."

See the inspirational speach here. Are you inspired? I am.

As writers, we each face our own personal El Guapo. We face obstacles that prevent us from being the writer we desire to be. For some, finding the time to write might be their El Guapo, for others commas might be their El Guapo, for others character development or dialogue. For me, El Guapo is the doubt that my writing will ever measure up to be what I want it to be.

So how do we face our personal El Guapo? Practice. Persistence. Patience.
Check out my post on Happy Gilmore and the 3 P’s of Writing.
Good luck to each of you in facing and defeating your own personal El Guapo.