Summer Book Trek 2016

What is the Summer Book Trek? To quote from the trek's sponsor: 

“Calling ALL fiction readers!!! Summer Book Trek 2016 is a summer reading challenge! Read novels by LDS authors. Set your goals and track your progress. No goal is too small; no ambition too great. Feeling overwhelmed? Make a short list. Finish early? Add more books (or not). Change your mind on a title? Drop it. No pressure, no minimums. Make changes to your list as desired.”

I’ve decided to take up the “No goal is too small” challenge and join the Summer Book Trek this year. Yes, I’m being brutally honest—I am only committing to read one published fiction book by July 31 (the Summer Book Trek’s deadline). Why only one book? Because I’m also loaded up on reading non-fiction research books on medieval Venice, beta reading an unpublished book for a friend, and of course, I have to reserve time to write a new book of my own!

The book I’ve committed to read is Menopausal Fairy Mischief, by Tina Scott.

Hey, if I finish early and have time to squeeze another book in, the rules say I can add it later.

Although the Summer Book Trek is sponsored by New LDS Fiction and all the eligible books are written by LDS authors, they do NOT have to contain LDS content (none of my published books do, and neither does the one that I'm reading by Tina Scott) and you do NOT need to be a member of the LDS Church to participate.

If you would like to join the Summer Book Trek or just learn more about it, click below:

Summer Book Trek 2016

What Am I Reading Now?

I finished Soulfire by Betsy Love and enjoyed it! Now I've noticed that I've fallen behind on my goal to reread at least 4 old favorites before the end of the year. (How did it get to be the end of September already?!!) So for my new "old" read, I've chosen The Eagle of the Ninth, by Rosemary Sutcliff. Since I've already read it once for this blog, I'll just give you the link to last time to read about it.

What Am I Reading Now: The Eagle of the Ninth

Drop by on Tuesday, though, and I'll share a new Tuesday Teaser from it with you!

What Am I Reading Now?

I finished reading Farewell, My Denmark, by Tina Peterson Scott, last week. If you'd like to know why I enjoyed it, you can read my review on Amazon.

A new take on LDS Pioneer fiction

Next on my list is another LDS fiction book I've been wanting to read for awhile: Soulfire, by Betsy Love. In full disclosure, Betsy and I have been in a critique group together where she was working on a sequel to her Book of Mormon novel, Soulfire. I recently had to leave the group to find more time to focus on my current writing goals, but I was enjoying her sequel so much that I decided it was finally time to pluck Soulfire off my "to read" shelf and read it.

Here's a synopsis from the back cover copy:

It is 148 bc, and the city of Nephi is ruled by the wicked King Noah and his corrupt priests. Zephenia's father has turned to his drink after the death of her mother, and her younger sister Sari dreams of living in the king's palace. When the family's hut is destroyed and the sisters are unjustly imprisoned, Zephenia wonders if God has forgotten her. If they survive their tribulations, whom will her father choose as her husband? The only unmarried believer she knows is Gideon, and he is smitten with Sari.

Zephenia's thoughts keep drifting to Alma, the handsome high priest she met while gathering herbs in the jungle. She senses a goodness about him, yet because he is a priest in Noah's court, she knows he couldn't possibly be a righteous man. But when the prophet Abinadi is martyred and Zephenia must decide between her faith and her family, she learns of a mighty change that has happened in Alma's heart.

Drop by on Tuesday and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser from Soulfire with you!

What Am I Reading Now?

It's been awhile since I shared my "read" with you. I really have been reading all this time! I do read

slowly, and my writing has to take precedence over reading, but if you want to know what's been on my reading list this year, scroll down the right margin and you'll find my "What Did I Read in 2013?" list.

My current read is Farewell, My Denmark, by Tina Peterson Scott. I'm enjoying it because it's a different take than usual on the LDS Pioneer story! Here's the back cover copy:

A failed engagement sets seventeen-year-old Catherine Erichsen on a faith-building journey of self discovery as she follows her parents and other Mormon Saints on the 1863 immigration from Denmark to America. When precious heirlooms start disappearing aboard the John J. Boyd, Catherine nearly loses her life at the hand of thieving sailors and fears she won’t live long enough to fulfill the desires of her heart.

Stop by on Tuesday and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you!

What Am I Reading Now?

I've fallen behind on my What Am I Reading Now updates. I got behind while moving into a new house over the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays and then trying to settle into my new home. But I did, indeed, continue to read during that time! Most of my print books were "somewhere" in packing boxes, so I've been relying on my iPad Kindle app to keep me entertained. Between Christmas and the middle of February, I reread three of my favorite books from childhood: The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, The Five Little Peppers Midway, and The Five Little Peppers Grown Up, all by Margaret Sidney. It's always a treat to discover that a book that was a favorite "then" (whenever "then" might be) is still a favorite when you read it again, and so it was for the Five Little Peppers books. These books were written in the late 19th/early 20th Century and have an old time feel with old time values. They may not be fast paced enough for kids today, but when I was a little girl, I wanted to grow up to be just like Polly Pepper. :-)

(Note: The Five Little Peppers series is free on Kindle, but be aware that whoever uploaded them failed to format them properly for e-books, and to say that the formatting is "haywire" is a vast understatement. I loved the stories enough not to mind, but it may bother "new" readers. The formatting in print versions is, to my knowledge, just fine.)

Okay, on to my current "read." The Winter Sea, by Susanna Kearsley, was recommended to me by a good friend who thought (correctly) that I might be interested in the early 18th Century Jacobites (those who wanted to restore the descendants of James II Stewart to the throne of England after James had been driven out of England for being a Catholic king in Protestant England). Here is the back cover blurb:

In the spring of 1708, an invading Jacobite fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown.

Now, Carrie McClelland hopes to turn that story into her next bestselling novel. Settling herself in the shadow of Slains Castle, she creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors and starts to write.

But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be dealing with ancestral memory, making her the only living person who knows the truth-the ultimate betrayal-that happened all those years ago, and that knowledge comes very close to destroying her.

Stop by on Tuesday and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you from The Winter Sea.

What Am I Reading Now?

Well, I'm sorry to say that Frontier Wolf by Rosemary Sutcliff will not be living on my keeper shelf. Ultimately, it was just too grim for me. If you read the reviews on Goodreads you'll find I'm in a minority with that opinion, but nevertheless, for me personally it's not a keeper. You can read my review on Goodreads if you want, but be forewarned: It's full of spoilers! (It's marked with a spoiler warning, though, so you can't read it unless you want to.)

My new read is called The Unveiling, by Tamara Leigh. This is an inspirational medieval romance. Here's the back cover blurb:

12th century England: Two men vie for the throne: King Stephen the usurper and young Duke Henry the rightful heir. Amid civil and private wars, alliances are formed, loyalties are betrayed, families are divided, and marriages are made.

For four years, Lady Annyn Bretanne has trained at arms with one end in mind—to avenge her brother’s murder as God has not deemed it worthy to do. Disguised as a squire, she sets off to exact revenge on a man known only by his surname, Wulfrith. But when she holds his fate in her hands, her will wavers and her heart whispers that her enemy may not be an enemy after all.

Baron Wulfrith, renowned trainer of knights, allows no women within his walls for the distraction they breed. What he never expects is that the impetuous young man sent to train under him is a woman who seeks his death—nor that her unveiling will test his faith and distract the warrior from his purpose.

Stop by on Tuesday and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you!

What Am I Reading Now?

I haven't shared my current read with you for a few weeks, so here's what I'm reading now: Frontier Wolf, by Rosemary Sutcliff. I'm not far into it yet, but so far, I'm enjoying it like all her other books. I love the complexity of Sutcliff's characters and her beautifully descriptive writing. This one is set at the end of the Roman rule in Great Britain. I have a few more to read in this series, then I'm looking forward to checking out her retellings of some of the Arthurian romances.

Here's the back cover blurb for Frontier Wolf:

Britian, A.D. 343. The end of Roman Rule. The Antonine Wall has fallen and order slowley collapses on the northernmost edge of the empire. What little protection Rome has from the Dalriad and Caledone tribes comes from a small post of half-wild legionnaires: the Frontier Wolves.

A young commander is sent to preside over this undisciplined lot at their borderland outpost. But Alexios Flavius Aquila knows his assignment to Castellum was not a promotion. After abandoning a fort in the German province during a barbarian attack, the centurion lost half his men. Were his uncle no the governor of northern Britain, Alexios would not be calling himself a legionnaire at all. Failure and privilege do not recommend the young man to his hardened troops, so survival depends upon understanding these untamed men and earning their respect. With discipline and courage, Alexios too may win the title of Frontier Wolf.

Stop by on Tuesday and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you!

What Am I Reading Now?

I finished Cousin Kate, by Georgette Heyer, last week. The story took place at a house called Staplewood, and the hero's last name was Broome. So how could I resist choosing Heyer's The Nonesuch for my next read? After all, the heroine works at a house called Staples and the hero inherits a place called Broom Hall. :-)

The Nonesuch is much lighter in tone than Cousin Kate. (Yes, this is a book from my "old favorites" list.) Here's the back cover blurb:

An impetuous flight...
Tiffany Wield's bad behavior is a serious trial to her chaperone. "On the shelf " at twenty-eight, Ancilla Trent strives to be a calming influence on her tempestuous charge, but then Tiffany runs off to London alone and Ancilla is faced with a devastating scandal.

A gallant rescue...
Sir Waldo Hawkridge, confirmed bachelor and one of the wealthiest men in London, comes instantly to the aid of the intrepid Ancilla to stop Tiffany's flight, and in the process discovers that it's never too late for the first bloom of love.

Stop by on Tuesday, and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you!

What Am I Reading Now?

As I was browsing through the books I've read so far this year, I remembered that I made a goal to read four "old favorites" before the end of the year. So far, I've only read one! (The Conquering Family, by Thomas B. Costain.) I've got four months to squeeze three more favorites in. A friend recently mentioned to me that she just finished reading Cousin Kate, by Georgette Heyer, which reminded me that it's been a very, very long time since I've read that particular title. So of course, I decided it was time to read it again! :-)

Here's the back over blurb:

The sudden invitation to live with her Aunt Minerva at Staplewood came as a complete surprise to young Kate Malvern. Now an orphan with no future, she gratefully accepted Lady Broome's offer, never dreaming there was anything strange about the older woman's kindness.

It was not until later that Kate began to suspect that something was amiss. It was very odd that she had received no letters from her dear old nurse, Sarah. Without Sarah there was nobody who cared about her. And there was Lady Broome's son Torquil. Torquil, whose handsome face hid a wild and deadly secret. Lady Broome wanted desperately for Kate to become his wife as soon as possible. Kate refused. But she had reckoned without Lady Broome.

Then Torquil's dashing cousin, Philip Broome, arrived at Staplewood, and Kate hoped they could become friends. It was ridiculous to hope for more. Or was it?

Stop by next Tuesday and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you from Cousin Kate!

What Am I Reading Now?

I am waaaay behind on updating my reading list! This should more accurately be titled "What Have I Been Reading?" Well, here's a catchup with the last two books I read, plus the book I'm reading now. Check back on Tuesday, and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser from each one with you!

Last two reads:

A Lady By Any Other Name, by Jennifer Kitchens. Here's the back cover blurb:

A Woman in Hiding 
Nicole Farrington's life had never been easy, but it had always been bearable. At least it had been until now. Faced with a horrible marriage her step-brother has contracted for her, she will do anything to get away. She'll run—run to anyone who might be able to help her. But running blindly down an unknown path may take her to an unexpected destination. 

A Man Seeking Answers 
Julian Huntington, Earl of Foxley, wants nothing more than to have his carefree life back. Now he is left with a title, a child, and a future that he never expected would be his. He refuses to believe his brother's death was an accident, no matter what people say. Someone killed him and Julian plans to find out who and why. Maybe then he can go on with his life—his brother's life. But will the answers he seeks be enough, or will he find love to be a worthier goal?

Black Ships Before Troy, by Rosemary Sutcliff. Here's the back cover blurb:

Homer's epic poem, The Iliad, is one of the greatest adventure stories of all time. Rich with arresting imagery and memorable characters, its powerful metaphors still permeate modern culture. This brilliant retelling offers young readers an exciting introduction to the heroes of ancient Greece while providing the complete story of the battle of Troy. The legendary beauty, Helen, is abducted, leading to a decade-long conflict in which even the gods and goddesses take sides and intervene. This is the Trojan War, where the most valiant heroes of the ancient world are pitted against one another. Here Hector, Ajax, Achilles, and Odysseus meet their most formidable challenges and in some cases, their tragic ends. Rosemary Sutcliff makes such extraordinary stories as those of the Trojan horse, of Aphrodite and the golden apple, and of the fearsome warrior women, the Amazons, accessible to contemporary young people.

And what am I reading now? The Wanderings of Odysseus, by Rosemary Sutcliff. Here's the back cover blurb:

The long siege is over, and Troy lies in ashes. The black ships of the Greek war-host set sail for home. But for heroic King Odysseus of Ithaca, the return voyage holds hazards far greater than any he faced during the Trojan War. Forced by ill winds into unknown seas, Odysseus and his crew must contend with ever-stranger perils: the flesh-eating Cyclops, Circe with her deadly enchantments, the soul-chilling Land of the Dead. Woven through with a spectacular cast of men, magicians, and monsters, Odysseus' harrowing journey home to his family and kingdom tests the limits of his strength, and the power of his will. A vivid retelling of Homer's epic poem The Odyssey.

What Am I Reading Now?

Reading an old favorite is always fun, and The Conquering Family by Thomas B. Costain was no exception. But now I'm back to something new, a historical novel by Russ Wallace called Zenobia: Birth of a Legend. Here's the back cover blurb:

Young Zenobia dreams of becoming a warrior, a serious problem for a girl born into a male-dominated desert tribe. She has been forced to hide her gender to preserve her life. Her deception is unmasked, leading to an incredible turn of events.

Her wise mother envisions a different life for her daughter – that of a scholar – and takes her to Egypt for an education. Here a conflict of desires surges in Zenobia, for she finds that she loves both paths. As she feeds an emerging hunger for justice, the stirrings of a future political and strategic genius begin to manifest themselves.

Growing into young womanhood, Zenobia feels an awakening attraction to two very different males – a vibrant young warrior from her own tribe and a brilliant bachelor scholar whose analytical mind cannot help from feeling romantically drawn to the most intriguing female he has ever met. 

Meanwhile, Zenobia learns of the annual horse race in Alexandria. She decides to enter her powerful mare against the highly-bred stallions of the East. The power of a legend influences the surprising course of the contest to its thundering conclusion.


Okay, I'm making a confession. I was so intrigued with what I've read thus far that I sneaked a peek at the Wikipedia entry for Zenobia, which means that historically, I know how the story comes out. But that won't spoil my enjoyment of seeing how the author presents this fictionalized account of her life. Stop by later today and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you!

What Am I Reading Now?

I finished Dead Running by Cami Checketts and will be posting a review for her blog tour soon.

Next up, I made a personal commitment to re-read at least 4 "old favorites" this year. I'm beginning with The Conquering Family, by Thomas B. Costain. This is a non-fiction book, and was the book that first introduced me to and made me fall in love with the first Plantagenet king of England, Henry II. Without this book, my writing career (such as it is) may have taken a very different direction.

Here's the back cover blurb. 


Thomas B. Costain's four-volume history of the Plantagenets begins with THE CONQUERING FAMILY and the conquest of England by William the Conqueror in 1066, closing with the reign of John in 1216.


The troubled period after the Norman Conquest, when the foundations of government were hammered out between monarch and people, comes to life through Costain's storytelling skill and historical imagination.


"Brilliant, swift-moving, full of action, rich in color." (Book of the Month Club News)


Stop by on Tuesday and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you. 

What Am I Reading Now?

Well, I finished all the historical novelist finalists for the 2011 Whitney Awards. That was quite a fun and interesting reading challenge. I've cast my vote, but I'm not going to tell you which title I liked best. Each reader will have to decide that for her or himself. :-)

Next up is a book I'm reading for a book blog tour coming up in May: Dead Running, by Cami Checketts. Here's the back cover blurb:


Cassidy Christensen is running.
Running from the mercenaries who killed her parents.
Running from a scheming redhead intent on making her life miserable.
Running from painful memories that sabotage her dreams of happiness.
With two very tempting men competing for her attention, she hopes she’ll finally have someone to run to, but can she trust either of them? When secrets from her past threaten her family, Cassidy decides to stop running and fight for her future.


Check back on Tuesday and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you!

What Am I Reading Now?

I'm behind in sharing my reading list with you because I've been keeping track of too many blog hops. I'm actually almost finished with the last Whitney Award finalist in the historical fiction category, Daughter of Helaman, by Misty Moncur. Here's the back cover blurb:


Fighting in Helaman's army is Keturah's deepest desire. Certainly if God can protect a boy, he can protect a girl too. But making it into the ranks turns out to be the easy part, and when Lamanite raiders come to her village, Keturah must put her skills to the test. 


Check back later today and I'll share with you a Tuesday Teaser on Thursday!

What Am I Reading Now?

I finished Isabelle Webb: The Pharaoh's Daughter, by N.C. Allen, the third finalist for a 2011 Whitney Award in historical fiction. I enjoyed the book, but be warned: it's the second volume in a three-part series, so if you start here (like I did), you may run into some initial confusion about what's going on. Instead, try to start with the first book in her series, Isabelle Webb: Legend of the Jewel.

Next up, I'm reading two books, which is unusual for me, since as I may have mentioned once or twice before, I'm a very slow reader. But one is a hard copy and the other is an e-book I'm reading a little bit at a time "here and there".

The hard copy is the fourth Whitney Award finalist on my reading list, Miss Delacourt Has Her Day, by Heidi Ashworth. Here's the back cover blurb:


Ginny Delacourt felt the course of true love could not have run smoother. After all, it required only a fortnight, a pair of highwaymen, a pox quarantine, a sham betrothal, and a masquerade ball to bring Sir Anthony up to snuff. When her beloved suddenly becomes the heir to his uncle, the Duke of Marcross, protocol dictates that he drop the 'Sir' from his name. It's his uncle who insists Ginny, daughter of a lowly vicar, is not the proper bride for a future duke.

Lucinda and Lord Avery arrive on the scene to stir up trouble, and Ginny's normally manipulative Grandaunt Regina seems helpless to arrange anything, least of all a frowned-upon wedding. It's up to Anthony, with help from his fussy valet, to see to it that Ginny has her day.
The road to true love just got a little bumpier.

The second (e-)book I'm reading is A Mormon in the White House? Ten Things Every American Should Know About Mitt Romney, by Hugh Hewitt. It was written during the 2007/2008 election, but I didn't know about it at the time to read it then. Since the title is pretty self-explanatory, I won't try to hunt down a back cover blurb (there isn't one on Goodreads and since mine is an e-copy, I can't flip it over and copy it off from there), but I'll share a Tuesday Teaser from both books with you on Tuesday!

What am I Reading Now?

I'm on my 3rd historical fiction finalist for the 2011 Whitney Award. (And loving reading it on my new iPad!) Here's the back cover blurb for Isabelle Webb: The Pharaoh's Daughter, by N.C. Allen:

After her gripping escapade in India, former Pinkerton spy Isabelle Webb launches a new adventure as she pursues a steamship en route to Egypt carrying two young stowaways: her teenaged ward, Sally Rhodes, and an unlucky girl named Alice Bilbey. Arriving in Suez, Isabelle and her companions recover the girls and unexpectedly encounter Isabelle's own guardian from her youth, Genevieve Montgomery. Isabelle and her friends decide to join up with Genevieve upon discovering that she is funding an expedition to a burial site near Luxor with an entourage of Egyptology experts. Unaware that their nemesis, Thaddeus Sparks, is also in Egypt as part of a jewel-hunting cadre, Isabelle's group joins the expedition under ominous signs: a prophetic warning from a stranger, threats along the Nile River, and birthmarks that burn when the rare Jewel of Zeus is nearby. At the excavation site-a cave rumored to be the tomb of a pharaoh's disgraced daughter-tension builds when several newcomers arrive. And as circumstances shift with the sands, Isabelle finds that some of the royal treasure in the ruthless pharaoh's desert was buried for lethal reasons.


Stop by on Tuesday and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you!

What Am I Reading Now?

I finished my first Whitney Award finalist in the historical category...Letters in the Jade Dragon Box, by Gale Sears. It was a pleasantly easy read and I learned a lot about Maoist China. I left a review on Goodreads.

Next up on my Whitney Award reading list...Fires of Jerusalem, by Marilyn Brown. Actually, I'm over half-way through with the book. I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you tomorrow. Until then, here's the back cover blurb:


What happens when the forces of jealousy and greed break a nation into factions? History proves a broken country weakens, and may come undone. Fires of Jerusalem is a novel that explores the breakdown of Jerusalem, and tells why Urijah, Lehi, Jeremiah--and many more--tried to leave it.

What Am I Reading Now?

I finished Killing Lincoln last week (and enjoyed it very much--learned a LOT!), but haven't had time until now to post about what I'm reading next. I've decided to read all the finalists in the historical category for the 2011 Whitney Award. I'm starting with Letters in the Jade Dragon Box, by Gale Sears.


Here's the back cover  blurb:

Truth. In mainland China from 1949 to 1976, truth is all but eradicated, suppressed and supplanted by the iron will of Mao Tse-tung. Millions of people suffer untold anguish as their history, their culture, and their lives are brought under communist rule. Many flee to Taiwan and Hong Kong. 

As a child, Chen Wen-shan was taken from her family home in mainland China and sent to live with her great-uncle — a former general in the Nationalist Chinese army who had become one of the first converts to the LDS Church in Hong Kong. For ten years, Wen-shan has carried the sorrow of abandonment in her heart, with few memories of her life before. But at the death of Chairman Mao, fifteen-year-old Wen-shan receives a mysterious wooden box that holds a series of beautiful paintings and secret letters that reveal the fate of the family she has not heard from in more than a decade. 


Stop back in on Tuesday and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you from Letters in the Jade Dragon Box!

What Am I Reading Now?

I've met YA author Janette Rallison at several writing-oriented functions and found her to be amazingly talented, witty, and kind. I've had one of her books, My Fair Godmother, in my TBR pile for quite awhile now. I thought it sounded like a fun book to kick off the new year. Here's the back cover blurb:

Finding your one true love can be a Grimm experience!

After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah Delano wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar: Savannah’s gum-chewing, cell phone–carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Showing why she’s only Fair—because she’s not a very good fairy student—Chrissy mistakenly sends Savannah back in time to the Middle Ages, first as Cinderella, then as Snow White. Finally she sends Tristan, a boy in Savannah’s class, back instead to turn him into her prom-worthy prince. When Savannah returns to the Middle Ages to save Tristan, they must team up to defeat a troll, a dragon, and the mysterious and undeniably sexy Black Knight. Laughs abound in this clever fairy tale twist from a master of romantic comedy.


Stop by on Tuesday and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you!

What Am I Reading Now?

Something about this time of year always makes me long for the warm and familiar. This includes my choice of reading material. Usually instead of starting a new book in December, I prefer to snuggle down with a well-loved favorite read from the past. This year my choice alighted on Powder and Patch, by Georgette Heyer. Here's the back cover blurb:

TO WIN HER HAND, HE MUST BECOME WHAT HE DESPISES...

Cleone Charteris's exquisite charms have made her the belle of the English countryside. But Cleone yearns for a husband who is refined, aristocratic and who is as skilled with his wit as he is with his dueling pistols.... Everything Philip Jettan is not. As much as she is attracted to the handsome squire, Cleone finds herself dismissing Philip and his rough mannerisms.

With his father's encouragement, Philip departs for the courts of Paris, determined to acquire the social graces and the airs of the genteel -- and convince Cleone that he is the man most suited for her hand. But his transformation may cost him everything, including Cleone....

Stop by on Tuesday and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you!