Have You Heard?

The Whitney Award Finalists have been announced. That means the 35 "best books" by LDS Authors for the year 2010 have been decided.

Whether you qualify to vote on the best of the best, I'd encourage you to find spots in your reading time to include these books. There are some amazing titles on the list.

Don't believe me? Check out the finalists for yourself!

http://whitneyawards.com/wordpress/2011/02/01/the-finalists-have-been-announced/

2009 Whitney Award Winners

Best Novel of the Year


Best Novel by a New Author (Tie)



Best Romance


Best Mystery / Suspense


BEST YOUTH FICTION


BEST SPECULATIVE FICTION


BEST HISTORICAL


BEST GENERAL FICTION

Whitney Awards Finalists Announced

Have I told you lately how incredibly cool my writer friends are?

Hmmm, probably. But here's one more reason to be extremely proud. The 2009 Whitney Award Finalists have just been announced. I'm so excited for all of my friends who made it on to the list. I'm excited for those I don't know personally as well. As far as I'm concerned, the Whitney Awards is just about the coolest honor and LDS author could recieve.

I've actually read the majority of this year's titles already, so let me assure you, if you're looking for something really good to read pop on over to the finalist list and pick one. You won't be dissapointed!

Speculating on the Whitney Awards

By now I hope you've all heard about the Whitney Award program. I've attended the Awards Gala the past two years and I can tell you that it's a wonderful experience. The room over-flows with love, support and inspiration. Very different than some other types of awards.

The Whitney Awards were created for that specific reason. They celebrate all the wonderful things LDS writer's contribute to the LDS community and the world in general.

Now, I love to be part of the voting for these awards. It's amazing to submerge myself in the LDS community has deemed awesome literature. But, it's also a problem for me. By the time the finalists are announced we have a short time to acquire and read all the titles in order to cast an honest vote. Getting those titles when you live outside of Utah can prove a challenge, so I try to keep my eye out for the titles that are getting the highest reviews and the most buzz. These I try to grab before the Whitney finalists are announced so I'm ahead of the game.

I have an itching to place a new order of LDS fiction. Here's where you come in.
Leave a comment here and let me know that best fiction written by an LDS author you've read so far this year. Let's see if my guesses line up with yours.

Remember: the book itself doesn't need to be specific to the LDS market, just written by and LDS author.

Oh, and make sure you pop over to the Whitney site and cast your votes there as well!

The Best from LDS Authors for 2008

What’s the latest buzz in the LDS book world? The announcement of the 2008 Whitney Award Finalists. This is the second year for the Whitney Awards, and I must say that a program I was excited about from its very conception has proved that it can only get better and better. I read a lot of books, I’d love to read even more and I have this weird thing about looking for authors I have a connection with. Sometimes it’s a writing style, sometimes it’s a subject, sometimes it’s because I know them. There are a lot of different reasons, and being LDS is definitely one of them.

Though it can’t always be proven true, if I know that an author is LDS I will turn to their work with a hope of finding a good story that won’t upset my delicate eyes with things that shouldn’t be on the page. That’s not an easy thing to do in this day and age. So, here it is. The whole premise of the Whitney Awards was to find a way to recognize and reward LDS authors, both from the LDS market and the national market, who manage to do just that: write a great story. The Whitney committee gathers nominations for any book written by an LDS author throughout the calendar year, these are narrowed down, first by the number of nominating votes, then by votes from genre experts and readers. The titles announced are all highly recommended and a great sampling of what great literature can be.

I’ve provided an alphabetical list of the finalists for you here. Over the next two months basically anyone who has a part to play in the publishing business- LDS authors, publishers, distributors, bookstores and more will all be reading and casting their private votes to identify the best of the best from these titles. This includes yours truly. Some of these titles I’ve already talked about here on my blog. You can find other people talking about them on yourLDSneighborhood and other book rating sites. In fact I’d encourage you to pop in and start a discussion on the titles you’ve read or what you think about the Whitney Awards in general. To me, it’s much better than discussing the Oscars or who just got kicked off of Idol.
Enter your guesses. I will not be posting my own reviews on any more of these titles until after the awards are announced on April 25. Not that I think I could sway the vote, but just ‘cause that’s the kosher thing to do. When the dust settles, I’ll let you know how many of the winners I picked. Who knows, you may find out I have lousy taste in literature- if you haven’t decided that already.

If you have a hard time trying to decide where to spend your precious book buying dollars I’d suggest you aren’t likely to go wrong with these titles. Don’t wait for just the winners. I think it’s fair to say that they are all a good bet for a great read. I know money and time are tight, but I also know how much an author will tend to sweat and bleed to give us as readers a beautiful story. So, buy a Whitney finalist or two, support an awesome LDS author. You won’t regret it.

Whitney Award Finalists

The 13th Reality by James Dashner (Best Youth Fiction)

Abinadi by H. B. Moore (Best Historical)

Above and Beyond by Betsy Brannon Green (Best Mystery/Suspense)

Alcatraz vs. The Scrivner's Bones by Brandon Sanderson (Best Youth Fiction)

Bound on Earth by Angela Hallstrom (Best Novel of the Year, Best Novel by a New Author)

Do No Harm by Gregg Luke (Best Mystery/Suspense)

Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card (Best Speculative Fiction)

Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague (Book 3) by Brandon Mull (Best Youth Fiction)

Farworld: Water Keep by J. Scott Savage (Best Youth Fiction)

Fields of Home by Rachel Ann Nunes (Best General Fiction)

Fool Me Twice by Stephanie Black (Best Novel of the Year, Best Mystery/Suspense)

Freefall by Traci Hunter Abramson (Best Mystery/Suspense)

From the End of Heaven (The Great and Terrible, Vol. 5) by Chris Stewart (Best Speculative Fiction)

The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, Book 3) by Brandon Sanderson (Best Novel of the Year, Best Speculative Fiction)

The Host by Stephenie Meyer (Best Speculative Fiction)

Isabelle Webb, Legend of the Jewel by N. C. Allen (Best Historical)

Keeping Keller by Tracy Winegar (Best General Fiction)

Master by Toni Sorenson (Best Historical)

The Reckoning by Tanya Parker Mills (Best Novel by a New Author, Best General Fiction)

Royal Target by Traci Hunter Abramson (Best Mystery/Suspense)

The Ruby by Jennie Hansen (Best Historical)

Seeking Persephone by Sarah Eden (Best Romance)

Servant to a King by Sariah Wilson (Best Romance)

The Sound of Rain by Anita Stansfield (Best Romance)

Spare Change by Aubrey Mace (Best Novel by a New Author, Best Romance)

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George (Best Novel of the Year, Best Youth Fiction)

Taking Chances by Shannon Guymon (Best Romance)

Traitor by Sandra Grey (Best Novel of the Year, Best Novel by a New Author, Best Historical)

Waiting For the Light to Change by Annette Hawes (Best Novel by a New Author, Best General Fiction)

The Wyrmling Horde: The Seventh Book of the Runelords by David Farland (Best Speculative Fiction)

Lifetime Achievement Awards
Kerry Blair
Orson Scott Card


yourLDSneighborhood has added exciting new things to its website. Please drop by and take a look, browse around, check out our vendors, our radio station, our authors, our musicians and more. Check out the Neighborhood.

And while you're there, subscribe to the yourLDSneighborhood Newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the newsletter brings you articles, products, services, resources and interviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Supporting LDS Fiction Writers

Last spring I was privileged to attend the first ever Whitney Awards Gala. It was one of the most inspiring nights of my life to find myself rubbing shoulders with so many great men and women who are great for the same types of righteous desires that I find burning within my own soul. I hate PPDEs (personal public displays of emotion) but there I was, crying on multiple occasions as I cheered for friends, new and old, and those I’d read and admired for years. The celebration was entirely focused on the much quoted words of Orson F. Whitney from his talk on home literacy.

“We will yet have Miltons and Shakespeares of our own. God's ammunition is not exhausted. His brightest spirits are held in reserve for the latter times. In God's name and by his help we will build up a literature whose top shall touch heaven, though its foundations may now be low in earth.”

I was so proud to be part of a celebration honoring those who are truly striving to fill the world with good, uplifting literature, who also carry a great mantle of representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In fact, I would highly recommend you take a look at the 2007 finalist titles and winners for some of the best new books available for the LDS reader. You won’t be disappointed by any book there. I know, I read them in order to cast my own votes and it was a tough call in most cases.

At this time of year my thoughts are once again turning to the Whitney Awards. Why? Two reasons actually. As much as warm fuzzies are coveted by the LDS author the Whitney Awards committee wisely concluded that actual awards would be better than just a pat on the back to recognize excellence. Awards and award ceremonies cost (gasp) money.

YourLDSneighborhood.com is a proud and generous sponsor of the Whitney Awards and I bow in their honor for catching the vision of this worthy endeavor. I would also ask you to support it by visiting the Whitney Awards fund raiser now in progress. You’ll find a wide variety of items up for grabs that have all been donated to raise money for the 2008 Whitney Awards.

I myself wouldn’t mind having this item. Sadly, I lack the body to pull it off (Jacob wouldn’t have wanted me ;)

Don’t see anything you’d like but still want to offer your support? That can be arranged as well. Can’t afford to do anything monetarily? We all understand how that is, especially in these shaky times, but please just like all the fund raising people will tell you-- any little bit can help.

If nothing else, take the time to go to the Whitney Awards web site and nominate your favorite LDS author. No, they don’t have to write for the LDS market; no, they don’t have to be published by an LDS publisher. They just have to be LDS and have a book published in the year 2008 that you think is truly outstanding.

Believe me; these guys really appreciate hearing from you even for that. The authors do get warm fuzzies from finding out that someone took the time to nominate them for something good, and if they win, the awards are awesome as well.

Categories include:

Romance

Mystery/Suspense

Speculative Fiction

Youth Fiction

Historical

General Fiction

Novel of the Year

Best Novel by a New Author

Not sure who or what qualifies? There is a list of the rules on the site and you can find a fairly comprehensive list of titles eligible for Whitneys this year on the side bar of the LDSpublisher and LDSfiction blogs.

The last day to nominate a book is December 31^st, so don’t forget when all the holidays start hitting. LDS fiction is improving every year, and there are those of us who would like to celebrate that and keep the standards high. We want books by LDS authors to ring loud with praise for Him who gave us this talent and let our words reach to heaven, but we need dedicated readers to help us form a firm foundation for our efforts. Take a little time this week to celebrate books by supporting the Whitney Awards any way you can.

Return to the Neighborhood

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Her Good Name by Josi S. Kilpack

Today, I’m officially a little freaked out. I’ve talked before about Josi Kilpack’s tendency to fearlessly tackle some of life’s toughest “issues” in her writing. Now, she’s done it again. This time it’s about identity theft and I must admit that Her Good Name has done more to get my attention about the whole issue than all the other news articles and information sheets have.

If you have now begun rolling your eyes and saying, “Yeah, yeah, identity theft. I’ve heard it all.” I’d recommend giving the fictional approach of Her Good Name by Josi S. Kilpack a try. You might find it refreshing. It might become a little more meaningful to spend a little time vicariously living the life of someone who is experiencing the stress and pain of a very realistic scenario.

Here’s what I was pleased to find: aside from subtly teaching me the ins and outs of protecting myself financially, it was a really good story! Her Good Name kept me turning pages even when I shouldn’t be reading at all, and definitely kept me absorbed way longer than any other information about identity theft that I’ve tried to wrap my head around. Yes, I wanted to kick Chrissy, the main character, for being so stubborn toward the end and getting herself into even more trouble. But hey, that’s what becoming involved in a story is supposed to do to you.

I am of two minds, however, on one point: I can’t decide if I liked knowing what the thief was actually doing under Chrissy’s name or not. The story follows each of the characters, good and bad, chronologically. You know that Chrissy’s identity has been stolen long before she does, but you also know exactly how it’s being used the entire time you’re following Chrissy’s traumatic adventure. Part of me liked being able to get into the other person’s head, but part of me would have liked to stay in the dark about what was happening to her money until Chrissy began to figure it out. Hmmm. That one you’ll have to judge for yourself.

I do have to say that giving us an in-depth look into the bad guy’s life is part of Josi’s M.O. She does the same thing with the 2007 Whitney Award winner Sheep’s Clothing, her book on internet safety and child abduction. I think that she has a very good reason for it. One of the biggest purposes Josi has with her books really does have to do with helping her readers understand real-life situations and dangers. You can’t always do that if you have no idea how the guy trying to steal your child, or your identity, thinks. Though many, many people really liked Sheep’s Clothing, I had trouble getting through it. (See, I really am peculiar) Because Josi did want us to understand the personalities and thoughts of these people so we could understand their tactics in real life, the characters felt awkward to me— almost too cliché. I can overlook my own weird response however, because the scenario itself does ring true. It is still a powerful story for what it can teach any parent or child about internet predators.

I’m happy to say that I didn’t have the same weird problem with Her Good Name. I love Chrissy’s personality and definition. She is vibrant and full of life, someone I’d really like to know, not just observe in the pages of a book. All the characters felt more real to me personally. I think Josi’s awesome talent truly shines with Her Good Name. I would not be surprised at all to see Her Good Name become a 2008 Whitney Award finalist, so watch for it to see if I’m right.

Because it is so important to Josi that her readers walk away from her books with more than just entertainment, you’ll also find a few pages of information and suggestions at the end of Her Good Name on how to get started protecting yourself a little better.

I certainly wouldn’t like to see anyone go through this, but it is very eye opening to walk in Chrissy’s heels for a while. Read the book, then go change your passwords!

You can get a closer look at Her Good Name on Josi's website as well.

Return to the Neighborhood

And while you're there, subscribe to our fantastic newsletter. Welcome to the yourLDSneighborhood newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the LDS newsletter brings you LDS articles, LDS products, LDS services, LDS resources and LDS interviews from around the world—all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

LDS Newsletter Subscriptions are FREE, and joining is easy.