Summer Treasure Hunt still going on

If you're not going here everyday to check whether or not you won that day's prize (you DID enter, yes?), please reconsider.

My Day is June 30, so go check out what clue you need to dig for and the neat prize you can claim if you win.

More Reviews of Trail of Storms

Three new reviews of Trail of Storms have appeared recently.

• Teri Rodeman finished her review series on the Owen family books at LDS Forever Friends Book Nook
• Kersten Campbell called Trail of Storms "a page turner" over at Life on the Funny Farm
• Liz Adair says Trail of Storms is my "best book to date" on Liz Sez
  

It's so gratifying that reviewers are mentioning my work in such glowing terms. It warms the cockles of this writer's heart. Thank you, Teri, Kersten, and Liz!

The Evil Flu

Hmm, I thought I had recovered from my bout with flu a week ago, but something's not quite right yet, as evidenced by the recurrence of upchucking last night. Not a pretty event. Maybe a nap will cure all?

Interview at CraziBeautifulWomen

Lori Nawyn did a beautiful interview with me that has been posted on the Girlfriend to Girlfriend section of the CraziBeautifulWomen website. I hope you'll go take a look.

I updated the WIP Report. I found I'm at about 15,000 words! Now to go for the next 15K or so.

Although I've been down with the flu, I'm pretty much recovered now, and gearing up again into promoting Trail of Storms. The novel has been getting very good reviews, often from people who didn't ever think they would enjoy reading a historical novel set in the Old West.

Have you ever read a book in a genre you don't usually try? Are you open to the idea of expanding your reading universe, or do you tend to stick with one or two favorite genres?

Weirded Out and Disappointed

Some of you know I've been under the weather the past few days. I'm slowly regaining strength, but it's been a weird weekend.

Not only is it weird to lose several days to illness, but I recently read a book that disturbed me. Here's the thing. The fact that this book was published by any credible publisher is what threw me for a loop. It was poorly written, had little plot, mis-used words right and left, and the formatting of the print edition was abominable (not the author's fault). Yet, at the time the book was published (and it wasn't the author's first), the author was said to be one of the publisher's best-selling authors.

At first I thought the publisher must be a boutique or hobby publisher, and that may still be the case since they're a small publisher, but today they seem to have a stable of authors in excess of seventy, and publish many titles, both in print and e-book formats, so I doubt it's just one person using multiple names to self-publish.

Beyond the disappointment that I paid good money for this sadly produced book, was my disappointment in the crux of the content: sex after alcohol, outside of marriage. This occurred after the heroine insisted that she wasn't the kind of girl who indulged in "causal" sex (used not once, but several times--where was that highly lauded editor?), and indeed, was a virgin, but fell happily into bed with the drunk hero because she promised she would do so to prevent a scene that might compromise his future.

!!!???

My greatest disappointment, though, is that a person purporting to be of Christian faith would write such trash. Sorry, I won't be sampling the author's subsequent efforts.

REMINDER: Summer Treasure Hunt continues

If you're not going here everyday to check whether or not you won that day's prize (you DID enter, yes?), please reconsider.

My Day is June 30, so go check out what clue you need to dig for and the neat prize you can claim if you win.

Book Giveaway on Anne Bradshaw's blog

This week, Canadian author Julie Coulter Bellon is giving away a signed copy of her international suspense novel, All’s Fair on Anne Bradshaw's blog. The contest ends Wednesday, June 17.

Brief Book Review: Candle of the Wicked

Candle of the Wicked by Manly Wade Wellman

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book from 1960 was an interesting tale formed from several stories and legends about post-Civil War days in Kansas that the author picked up while he was newspapering in the area. The writing was crisp, the action was active, and the story problem was sufficiently problematical. I gave the book only four stars out of five because of the outcome, which was a bit dark for my taste. However, I'm re-reading sections of it for the flavor and to note down several delicious phrases that I want to treasure.


View all my reviews.

And how cool is YOUR June?

Believe it or not, I spent a few moments looking for a light sweater just before I sat down to write this blog post. May was unseasonably cool, with an amount of rain showers we don't often see in that month, and June continues the cooler trend. It's so cool that I still haven't put away my electric blanket. It can be quite a comfort on chilly nights.

I'm hearing of snowfall in Colorado and Montana, even eastern Washington. Are you seeing weather anomolies in your area? Please describe what's going on in your part of the world.

Comment Contest Winner

Carolyn Murphy is the winner of Kersten Campbell's Confessions of a Completely In*sane Mother. Congratulations, Carolyn! I'll get the book in the mail to you