A Quote from The Angel's Game

I've just begun this one so I can't say whether or not it will earn my universal recommendation. But the opening lines stuck with me for the rest of the day.

"A writer never forgets the first time he accepted a few coins or a word of praise in exchange for a story. He will never forget the sweet poison of vanity in his blood and the belief that, if he succeeds in not letting anyone discover his lack of talent, the dream of literature will provide him with a roof over his head, a good meal at the end of the day, and what he covets the most: his name printed on a miserable piece of paper that surely will outlive him. A writer is condemned to remember that moment, because from then on his is doomed and his soul has a price."-- from The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafron

A Note From My Friend Tristi

I ran across this post by my fabulous friend Tristi Pinkston and thought it needed a little extra attention.

Pop on over to her blog and read You Might Just Save A Life. It's something we all need to be a little more aware of in a "take care of me first" world.

Accounting for the Last Months of My Life

Did you notice I’ve been gone? Don’t feel bad, I didn’t either. Sooo, the big question is: what has Alison been doing that she forgot to blog?

Um. IDK.

Here’s the best accounting I can give.

Number of weeks it takes to make a heart-wrenching decision: 3
Number of illnesses: 1
Number of hours it takes to make a suicide drive to Arizona: 34
Number of miles driven over two weeks: 5,000
Number of hours it takes to go on a shopping spree with my sister: 13 ½ -she’s a very bad influence ;)
Number of meals my mother tried to feed me: 45
Number of times I had to tell the boys to knock it off before I knocked their heads together: 625
Number of hairs picked off of my coat from having 2 dogs sit there for a total of 4 days: 1 billion
Number of books read: 9
Number of words written: 754
Number of times I had to watch my daughter kiss her boyfriend: 7 (shudder)
Number of days I got to see my other daughter: 12
Number of weeks it took to get over the heart-wrenching decision and figure out what to do next: Still working on it.

There you have it. My life in a nut shell. I promise we’ll get back to more interesting stuff soon!

2010 ANWA Writers Conference & Book Signing

2010 ANWA Writers Conference
"Start Write Now!"
with Keynote Speaker
J. Scott Savage
Author of the "Farworld" Series

Saturday, February 27, 2010
Best Western Dobson Ranch Inn
1666 South Dobson Road
Mesa AZ 85202-5699

Presenters include Helen Bair, Sara Francis Fujimura, Dr. Pamela Goodfellow, Doug Johnston, Aprilynne Pike, Nancy E. Turner, and Marsha Ward

Open to the Public

Registration in now open at
http://anwa-lds.com/conference.html

Time's A Wasting!

Don't forget to leave a comment on the reviews for Dawn's Early Light and The Ball's in Her Court to enter for chances to win books and other cool stuff! Both blog tours end very soon.

The Amazing Annette Lyon

I'm just so proud of my sweet friend, Annette Lyon, for winning first place with her essay. But more than that, I think she managed to capture the world of a Writer-Mother very well.

Take a moment to pop over and read The Invisible Writing Mother. It's worth it.

Hurray Annette!

The Ball's In Her Court by Heather Justesen

The Ball is in Her Court by Heather Justesen offers a straightforward, but sensitive view into the world of foster care and adoptive families. I was excited to hear about the topic matter of this book, it’s one I don’t feel has been “over-done” and I think Heather did an admirable job telling the story. So, first an introductory book trailer and portion of the backliner.

She's got a great job, a loving group of family and friends and basketball skills like you wouldn't believe, but Denise DeWalt's life is far from perfect, and she's about to come face-to-face with a past she hoped to leave behind forever.

Twenty-six-year-old Denise thinks she's come to terms with her childhood in the foster care system, but when her old nightmares return, Denise realizes that she must deal with her past once and for all if she ever wants to move on to a brighter future with Rich, the only man who can see past her former life. As Denise's search leads her closer and closer to the one person she hoped she'd never have to face again, she begins to realize that her future depends on just one person--herself.

Denise was a very likable character for me. She was a strong woman who still had flaws and problems that needed to be addressed. I loved the way Heather created a very realistic set of coping mechanisms for Denise. I also greatly appreciated the explanation of the grief and healing process. I think it was valuable information that many of us tend to look over. It applies to any difficult situation, sometimes we forget that those things can bury themselves deep within us, then find their way to the surface again when you least expect it. Healing is not quick and clean and sometimes those of us who find ourselves on the outside of that process looking in, forget to respect that process and the individual time table of another.

There were times when I read that things felt a little too repetitive-- a little too much emphasis on things that had already been explained to the reader being re-told. Some of it minor, one more major. It might just be me, and it may not necessary be anything negative overall. We all know I tend to be a little whiny where most would not see a problem, but in the few major incidences I felt a little cheated.

Let me explain. I, as a reader, had knowledge of how certain situations affected Denise. I knew what her reaction and thoughts would be. Denise knew, as well, but was still working through those issues (see the above thoughts on healing). There were just some times when I felt there was more of the story that could be told, a set of more in depth emotions and concerns I was still missing. Maybe not. Heather was focusing on what mattered most and made the greatest impact in the story. But I felt there were layers that we as a reader might need to know about, thoughts and ways of coping that weren't presented, that could be helpful to someone who found themselves in a similar real-life situation. Does that even make any sense? The Ball’s in Her Court was a book that made me want to understand and gave me greater compassion for people I might come in contact with. I’d bet it would have the same affect on you.

Try it out- You can read the first chapter of The Ball’s in Her Court on Heather’s website.

Thanks for a straightforward, yet still positive, look into a world most of us haven’t been close enough to in order to understand. You did a great job, Heather!

Heather is also celebrating her new release with a ton of give-aways on her blog, so stop by and get your name into the mix. You’ll also find the complete list of stops on her blog tour in the side bar of this blog.

LDSstorymakers 2010 Writers Conference

The registration for the 2010 Writers Conference is officially open!

The 7th Annual LDStorymakers Writers Conference
Will be held at:
The Marriott Hotel in downtown Provo, Utah
April 23-24, 2010
2-Day Conference - $165.00
Friday-only Conference - $95.00
Saturday-only Conference - $75.00

Clear your calander for April 23 and 24, 2010, then click here to register and come join the party at the best Writing Conference you'll ever experience.

See you there!