The Icing on the Cake by Elodia Strain

What can I say? The Icing on the Cake by Elodia Strain was one truly fun book! I loved Elodia’s personable style and I loved the premise of the novel. It’s bright, uplifting and teaches a beautiful message in a fun way.

Some people don’t care for books in which the main character “interacts” with the reader. I don’t love it or hate it: like all writing, it has to be done well. Elodia manages this writing style with ease. To me, it was like reading some of Meg Cabot’s cleaner stuff in the national adult market and like reading a Kerry Blair title in the LDS market. Elodia has a way of making the reader feel like they’re having a conversation with a quirky friend that they can totally relate to.

The Icing on the Cake held very few “stumbling points” for me. I only have two nit-picky complaints (aren’t my complaints always nit-picky?) One: I think the reader should have had to work harder to find out Annabelle’s middle name. ;) And two: You might not find it a problem, but I had a difficult time relating to Annabelle’s dependence on her parents. Yes, I can concede that many people do have close relationships with their parents. That is not a situation I’m familiar with so it was difficult for me to relate to Annabelle on this matter. When I left home, I left home to start my own life as an adult. I quickly learned that if I was going to be my own person, I could not go running back to my parents for everything I needed. Yes, there are things that I’ve counted on their support for in the past, and present, but it is not my first instinct to take my problems to them. Now, don’t get me wrong— I love my parents, but I’m also very comfortable with the fact that they live 2000 miles away from me. ;)

Look for The Icing on the Cake to give you a great chick-lit lift, with the sweetness of the gospel adding just a little more flavor. But be forewarned: I thought I’d finally found a book that would just make me giggle and occasionally laugh out loud but sadly, this was not the case. By the time I got close to the end, I had to shed a few tears whether I liked it or not, but they were definitely happy tears. The gospel message shared by The Icing on the Cake is touching and simple: it’s about seeing the good in people and trying to be good because of their example. I know I could personally benefit from taking a few more “pink notes” myself.

Oh, and one more complaint about The Icing on the Cake—I’m totally miffed at Elodia for teasing me with all those dropped hints and descriptions for delectable goodies and treats. Why? Well, because I’m a food person. The book made me totally hungry and she didn’t include a single recipe for any of the goodies she’d been dangling in front of my face! Totally rude!

So, to make up for Ms. Strain’s terrible insult to my taste buds, I’ve provided you, my dear reader, with a recipe I found for Portuguese sponge cake. I haven’t tried it yet, but soon will. (If you get to it first, tell me how it is.) Make one for yourself, then curl up with a piece, ok two, and enjoy a fun read: The Icing of the Cake. It will make your whole day.

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Heaven Scent by Rebecca Talley

Heaven Scent by Rebecca Talley is a very sweet story about a young girl’s journey toward forgiveness. It has elements of a conversion story but speaks of a specific portion of that conversion rather than an entire change of heart and seemingly miraculous resolution of everybody’s problems. I appreciated that about Heaven Scent’s message.

This tends to be a high emotion story, and I found myself feeling those emotions sometimes seemed a bit forced. Not all of us react in the same way to a set of words or events, and that presents a challenge for the author. Using just the right words to portray feeling and have it effect the reader in the manner you intend is, in my opinion, one of the most difficult skills to master. Even with the few stumbles in realism that I experienced, I think Rebecca Talley does very well for her first novel.

One example that was interesting to me was the fact that the climax of Heaven Scent came a little later than I expected. I had an idea of where the story was headed, but it wasn’t exactly found in the “middle” of the book. I suspect this happened because the author was being very careful with her set up; making sure the reader had a good grasp on the main character’s feelings and positions. It did end up working for me in the end. At first, I thought the main character was being a little over-dramatic, and wanted to kick Liza for her anger and whining. Then I remembered she was teenager and it became easier to take it in stride as the story progressed. But by the time things really started to get complicated in the story, I had come to empathize with Liza more than I was able to at the beginning. Like Liza, I eventually found myself ready to kick her dad, rather than her.

Within Heaven Scent, Liza goes through a series of changes in her life: some good, some heartbreaking, but in the process of these whirlwind changes that are out of her control, Liza still has choices. She still has to decide what her reactions will be to every challenge, and like many of us, what our heart and our mind tell us don’t always agree. Hurt and grief leave their mark on us, even when we think we’ve moved beyond something. For Liza, the changes she needs to make in order to let her pain and anger go are far from easy, many of us would do no better than she was. She built her barriers so tall and thick that it took divine intervention in order for her to find ways to tear them back down. I appreciate the fact that even at this point it was not easy for Liza. It was not an instantaneous, “Oh, well, I’d better shape up then” reaction, it was still a process of choices and growth.

Many of us will not have the same types of experiences that Liza did in order to help her overcome her difficulties, but I hope the true message the reader gets from her story is that no matter how it is accomplished there are those in heaven who are rooting for our success and doing all that is in their power to help you with your path, without taking away your agency. Heavenly Father does not expect overnight conversions and perfection from His children, he expects us to find truth and peace in our lives, and then work toward keeping them a little more each day. With that in mind Liza’s journey is very similar to each of ours. It’s worth a peek at Heaven Scent in order to just remind yourself that life is a journey we’re all trying to get through the best we can.

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Fall Fun and Challenges

I’m counting down to a self-imposed (or family-imposed depending on how you look at it) writing restriction. Soon the time available to get lost in my own little world will be very small. So, in honor of this restriction I will be throwing myself into my writing with a passion for the next month.

During the month of October I will be participating in my friend Tristi’s Book in a Month challenge. Yep, one whole book in a month. Well, okay maybe I’m going a little easier on myself since the book I have in mind is YA not adult, but it’s still going to be interesting. My goal is 50,000 words by midnight October 31^st.

Wanna join me? I promise it’s a lot of fun. It’s also a pretty good excuse to consume massive amounts of chocolate and put off housework! (More on the housework thing later in October.)

My BIAM tracker will be posted toward the top of my side bar so you can watch my progress. Don’t let me slack off! After my recent WIP break-up I’ve found a wicked-cool idea that needs to get out of my brain. Strange part is, it wasn’t even a part of the back burner projects I was looking at, just an after thought on how I would treat a certain subject. I love it when that happens!

Hmmm, what kind of hint should I drop?

Let’s just say I’m going to be learning a lot about the gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt. Trust me, it will be cool. ;)

The only weird thing is I usually know what my working title is pretty quickly when I choose an idea- it becomes my “theme” so to speak about how I want people to look at the story. This time I haven’t been able to come up with anything as cool as the subject matter yet. So, some place along the line we’ll have to have a WIP-working-title unveiling party.

Here we go everybody—

Happy Fall and happy writing!

All Rain, No Mud by Sharon Larsen

Watching with baited breath as friends of mine struggled this past month with the forces of nature, made me think of a sweet little book on my shelf that has become one of my favorites. All Rain, No Mud: Simple Secrets for Happiness . . . Even on Rainy Days by Sharon Larsen is a classic.

Ok, I know you thought I was going to talk about an emergency preparedness title, didn’t you? J Nope, I’m happy to report that most members of the church whom I have heard from (or about) after the hurricanes had one thing in common. They were prepared. They took the prophet’s advice and heeded the dangers and warnings about the areas they lived in and could feel some measure of peace and security in the midst of a very big life storm.

Today, I’d like to talk about a different kind of emergency preparedness. See, in my opinion there are just times when life is one big, fat, emergency and somebody forgot to hand you one of those blaze orange life vests when you got on this crazy ride. Not all of us will face the same type of rain that my friends did in the hurricane, but there is still plenty of rain. Sometimes it’s just different and we don’t have much warning when it’s going to hit. To weather these kinds of storms requires just as much heed to the prophet. We all could do with a little more spiritual shoring up.

To me, Sharon Larsen is an expert on shoring up for life’s hazards and All Rain, No Mud is a wonderful book of heart-to-heart council and ponderings for many of us. It’s not thick; it’s not elaborate or scholarly. It’s sweet and simple, but it’s also poignant.

All Rain, No Mud gently points out that yes, rain will occur but it can lead to wonderful things. Each chapter takes just a few minutes of time to read, but it can take hours to ponder what the message means to you. Here are a few of the chapter titles and a few of my favorite thoughts from the text.

• Doing in Love What I Love to Do
• Reflections on Style and Substance
• Second Best and Still Okay
• Slow Growing

“Patience and perspective are inextricably connected. The amount of patience I need depends on whose tower I am viewing life from. . . There are times when I have been consumed with my own broken dreams and ready to quite or retaliate. I have felt unappreciated, hurt, and despitefully used. Then the Spirit whispers to me from yet another tower: ‘How many times have you taken from the Lord and never recognized His gifts? How many times has he carried your sorrows and pain and you have not understood? His love is extended all the day long. He may have to withhold blessings, but never, never His love.’”

And my personal favorite:

“I was visiting a dear friend whose common sense and insight I respect. I [told her how busy I was] and she listened patiently. Then she said, ‘It takes some kind of arrogance to think you can accomplish all those tasks with any kind of effectiveness.’

Arrogance! That word sent me home thinking. What was I doing with my life, and was I simply stroking my ego by taking on all the things I was trying to do? . . . Was my calendar being filled with my ego and insecurities or with honest priorities?”

Ok, maybe it’s just me but I’m terribly guilty of that last one. What my heart says and what my mind decides to do are often two very different things. If I’m honest with myself there are many days I fill my time up with things that are visible to others but don’t really matter toward developing myself into who I really want to be as a daughter of God. Considering the arrogance factor has been a great help to me when I’m feeling overwhelmed. Am I trying to be “somebody”, or am I trying to be me?

Is it raining at your house? It’s been raining a lot at my house lately, too. If you could use a dear friend to teach you about walking in the rain, pick up All Rain, No Mud. It will do your muddy heart some good.

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LDS Books for Those with Special Needs Children

Maybe having information on these precious children constantly on my radar seems a little strange to some. For the most part this occurs because I have a special needs child and because of my background as a nurse. So, strange or not, here we go again. Indulge me while I explore a set of fiction titles by LDS authors, based on the trials and joys involved with those whom Heavenly Father gives special gifts and special needs all in one innocent little bundle.

Faraway Child by Amy Maida Wadsworth- This was the first LDS book I ever read that addressed autism. I liked it. I really liked it. Yes, the mother was a little whinny to me, but during the time Faraway Child was written, there was very little understanding in the general public about what this experience was like for the parents. Aside from adoring the child, for the sheer sake that I see my own child in her, my favorite character has to be the crusty old Primary teacher they call to work one-on-one with the child. She is a woman after my own heart. Yes, I too have responded to a bishop with, “Haven’t I ever told you I really don’t like kids?” (That’s and entirely different story.)

Keeping Keller by Tracy Winegar- I loved this story about a little autistic boy in an age when autism was simply seen as mental retardation and “imperfect” children were most often removed from public view. I really related to this powerful story. As the back of the book implies: “Keller is a force to be reckoned with” in more ways than one. Keeping Keller is also not specific to the LDS culture, it is a powerful tale for anyone who faces these challenges or needs to understand them better. Kudos to the author, who has two ASD children herself.

Accepting Joy by Todd F. Cope- Eh, it was okay. This is a short book about learning to accept a down syndrome diagnosis. Perhaps because it was written by a man, the husband seems to be the main focus. I never felt like I got to know the mother beyond her fears about her baby (which instantly seemed to resolve themselves), there seemed to be very little else to her personality. While I know that these types of worries are all consuming, I would have connected better with her if I’d found other things to relate to before the stress began. The financial back story also bothered me. I could get little hints on what this was about and how the author tried to use it as an example of ways to cope with horrid amounts of stress and trial; but, it was actually distracting to know there was some sort of story I was coming in on after the fact. There might have been better ways to accomplish having experiences from others to draw on than this. Accepting Joy’s over-riding message: life’s all about choices— what we choose to accept and find joy in and what we do not. The story is also appropriate for both members of the LDS church and the general population.

Sammy’s Song by Alma J. Yates- I have to put this title at the bottom of my list, but it is purely because of opinion. The writing and story line in this book about a young girl learning to accept her mentally handicapped cousin, is pretty good. But for whatever reason I found the main character and the plot development abrasive to me personally. Maybe I was just having an “off” day when I read it, but it just didn’t speak to me the way some of the other titles have.

You Always Call Me Princess by David Ted Eyre- This is a story that explores down syndrome from a broader perspective than the initial diagnosis. You get to see what kind of person that tiny child can become and it’s a beautiful thing. I haven’t personally been able to read this title. I found out about it when a friend of mine, Shirley Bahlmann reviewed it on her blog. You can read her thoughts on You Always Call Me Princess, here.

Of course, as always, I’m just one reader sharing her opinions. I’d love to hear how any one else felt about these titles, or about any LDS books on the subject that I’ve overlooked. Let me know what you think.

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Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys by Janet Kay Jensen

What was the first thing to attract me to Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys by Janet Kay Jensen? The title, of course.

Take a moment to view the book trailer for Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys, and get a feel for what’s it’s about.

(I just love these new book trailers, don’t you?) :)

This story, the over-riding premise of drawing the distinction between the LDS (or Mormon) culture and other cultures that still practice polygamy, was very much needed. But, given the subject matter I assume that persuading a publisher to take a chance on Ms. Jensen’s book was a difficult task. I have to commend Janet, and her publisher, for the sheer fact that this book exists. Despite the small stumbles I experienced, I have to say I really was hooked on it.

The beginning of Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys felt a little rough, there are a lot of flashbacks that can add or take away from the story. For me, their frequency tended toward distracting. It also really seemed to me that I was reading two, well if you count the flashbacks, three different stories. They were very, very good stories, but they definitely could have held their own separately. They all felt kind of mashed together to me.

I thought I was done when the main characters finally resolved their relationship issues and was almost a little surprised to see that the text continued. It was fun to see things play out for a while after that first resolution, but I was slightly bored and wondered how many loose ends the author was going to tie up so neatly for us.

Thankfully, that didn’t last long either. Just like the slightly slow beginning of the book, the middle soon turned to more pressing issues; in fact, these issues were much more pressing than the first ones. I was soon caught up in a whirlwind of literary emotions once again. I have decided that getting several books mashed into one means that I don’t have to wait for the next book in the series to find out what happens to the characters I’ve come to love. :)

Janet does a great job of showing the reader that there is good and bad in any family situation and that there are very few assumptions we can make about our fellow human beings. In fact, I’d say the only safe one is child of God; the rest is up to us individually.

One message that stood out for me may not have been one Ms. Jensen intended. As I observed Joshua Martin struggle with the decisions and obstacles in his path it came to mind that there is a good reason for the commandment not to judge.

Decisions that have to do with your beliefs, your family, and their eternal welfare are probably the most difficult any of us will ever have to make. The things you love the most can hold the most uncertainty when you have to put it all on the line. What is right for one is not necessarily right for another, nor do we ever fully realize what has gone into the decisions and paths another may take.

Do not judge. Raising your own family is difficult enough without comparing or condemning those around you for their own tough choices. The things that go on in any family, polygamist or not, are the same: there are families where love, concern, and support abound and there are families full of pain.

If you know of someone who might not fully understand the LDS religion, or how to separate it from everything in the media, this is a good, non-threatening way to help them understand what the differences are and how they affect our lives. This book is definitely making an impact. People are noticing it on an international level. Among the honors Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys can claim are:

First Runner-Up, Best New Writing: The Eric Hoffer Award for Independent books (commercial fiction)

Finalist, USA Best Books 2007, (Religious Fiction)

Bronze Award, Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award (Religious Fiction)

Semi-Finalist, Reader Views Literary Awards 2007 (Fiction-Religion/Spirituality)

Whitney Award Nominee for LDS authors

Well, done Janet. I hope others learn from Ms. Jensen’s example and aren’t afraid to address tough issues in the future. We can not learn from each other, or from past mistakes, if no one is willing to talk about them in a comfortable environment. For many that comfortable environment is a work of fiction. Fiction, yes, but still a very powerful tool in educating and changing lives— starting with your own.

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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.

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Breaking Up with My WIP

Yes, I’m afraid if something doesn’t drastically change, I’m going to have to break up with my WIP. We took a nice long break while I got ahead on some other deadlines and wrote the Sharing Through Song manuscript. I really was excited to get back to it, but then reality started to set in yesterday.

It’s still a really good story, it’s still a story I’d love to tell, but I began to realize that I don’t think it’s the story I’m supposed to be telling right now. Either that or I’m not telling it right.

Something is off. I’m forcing the plot to conform to the story line and that’s compromising the believability. It would definitely work in another time or place, but not where I “need” it to.

So, at just under 11,000 words I think I’m going to break the ties that bind me to my current WIP. I don’t think it’s gone forever, maybe somewhere down the line I’ll be able to fix the story and create what I’d originally hoped to express. In the mean time, I think I’m going to have to start dating projects that have been on the backburner for a while. Some of them have been there so long that I’m sure trying to court them will feel more like a blind date than a friendly re-acquaintance. Still, a girl’s got to try. Somewhere out there is a manuscript that needs me desperately. I simply can’t live on nonfiction alone. :)