Jenna Dawlish: Author Interview and Giveaway

Today we have an extra special visitor to JDP NEWS! An interview with British author, Jenna Dawlish. In addition to the interview, Jenna has graciously agreed to donate a copy of her Victorian romance, Love Engineered as a giveaway to one lucky reader. I’ll tell you how you can enter to win a copy at the end of our interview!

JDP: Thank you for joining us today, Jenna. On your website, I see you refer to yourself as an author of "Vic-Lit". What is "Vic-Lit"?

JENNA: Hi Joyce, thank you for having me on your JDP NEWS blog, it's great to be here. "Vic-Lit" stands for "Victorian Literature". It's a play on the "Chick-Lit" term which I thought might be fun to use - it's very tongue-in-cheek.

JDP: Please tell us a little about your Victorian romance, Love Engineered.

JENNA: Love Engineered is a book about a single woman who happens to be a wealthy land and estate owner in Devon. She is very interested in the engineering world and falls for the civil engineer Charles Lucas, who is tipped to be the next Brunel. (For those who don't know, Brunel is the most famous Engineer in Britain). This should be simple, because surely, a wealthy woman is what every man wants? But Charles is only interested in his work and because he has encountered a lot of problems with landowners like Louise, he naturally (or stupidly) thinks she is like the rest. Of course, there is a happy ending, but a lot happens along the way; slowly Charles realises there is more to Louise than he realised and for the first time he stops thinking about work and listens to his heart. Louise learns she can't always get what she wants (well, not at first anyway). She is very much a woman in a man's world, which is similar to my own situation at work and at home.

JDP: The Victorian Era lasted over 60 years (1837-1901). Why did you choose 1855 for the setting of your novel?

JENNA: There are specifics in the novel which meant that was the perfect year. I mention the Great Exhibition happening a few years before, so 1855 is about the right time in that respect.

I love the early to mid Victorian period because whilst there are changes going on, the railways etc, there isn't the technology you get in the later period. So, by the time Queen Victoria died, there is electricity, telephones, telegrams etc. Communication is much more advanced. But in the 1850's the railways were still expanding and the postal service was still the only method of long distance communication. That makes things interesting if people have to wait days for a letter to arrive. 

 JDP: We’ve certainly been spoiled with e-mail in the internet age, haven’t we! What do you find most fascinating about the Victorian Era?

JENNA: It's a long time ago, yet it's not. Here in England where I live, the Victorians had a massive impact on us even now. It was a time of huge change - leaps in engineering, science and technology. Factories and industry meant poor people had a good chance of bettering their situation. When the Victorians built things they built them to last, which sadly isn't true these days. I also love the way that life was slower compared to now. Modern life is so hectic, and I think it very appealing to be able to escape back into the Victorian period when you need to slow down a bit. But I like to come back to now where there are votes for women and modern medicine!

JDP: As a medieval author, I’m definitely with you on that! I’m always interested in how authors research their historical novels. Could you tell us a little about how you researched the historical background for Love Engineered?

JENNA: I've done research in a number of ways. General research is part and parcel of reading Victorian novels (like the Brontes, Dickens, Wilkie Collins, Gaskell). You can pick up a massive amount of research this way. In a similar vein, TV or film adaptations of Victorian novels also help. If there is something specific I want to know about, then I'll look on the internet or visit my local library for a book. 

Here in the UK there are a number of museums which have recreated Victorian streets or towns. I love visiting these, as you can really get a feel for the era. I've dragged my family to many places in the name of research!

Specifically for Love Engineered, I visited a number of Brunel's works (more about this later) to get a feel for the life of a Victorian Engineer and had a book on Victorian civil engineering. I also read a number of biographies on Brunel.

I also have a huge pile of book on the Victorian Era. If I pass a second hand bookshop I always pop in to see if they have anything that might be useful. I've picked up some pretty strange ones. For example, I have one that is about Victorian inventions. It's fascinating to look at (and quite amusing). For example there are a number of bizarre flying machines all of which with our modern hindsight would never get off the ground. But there are also some examples of Engineers being ahead of their time. There is a picture for a Printing Press from 1881 being driven using the sun to drive the steam engine. Not quite solar panels as we know it, but still the inventor was on the right track.

My next novel, Sprig of Thyme, is about a governess. So I bought a non-fiction book called The Victorian Governess by Kathryn Hughes which has helped a great deal. However, I've also read Jane Eyre and Agnes Grey both of whom are governesses, and they taught me a great deal.

JDP: Can you share with us your top three favorite research books or other resources for the Victorian Era?

Jenna: 1. A TV series called: "The Seven Wonders of the Industrial World", a brilliant set of seven hour long episodes which explain great engineering feats: The London Sewerage System, The Panama Canal, The Bell Rock Lighthouse, The Great Eastern Ship, The Transcontinental Railway, The Brooklyn Bridge and The Hoover Dam. It really brings history to life and gives the personal struggles behind those who built them.

2. A great book called What the Victorians Did For Us by Adam Hart-Davies. This gives a great general overview of what went on in the Victorian period.

3.  A Website: Victorian London (http://www.victorianlondon.org/) Even if your book or story is not set in London, this website gives you a great deal of general information about the Victorian period and what everyday life was like.

JDP: Are there any historical figures from the Victorian Era who particularly intrigue you?

JENNA: Definitly Prince Albert. If anyone saw the film last year "The Young Victoria" [JDP: Oooo, I wanted to see that, but the movie theater playing it was too far away! L ] then you'll know what an amazing man he was. He was ahead of his time. A philanthropist, and because of his experience with his parents broken marriage, he was a faithful husband and very moralistic. He even assisted Queen Victoria each time she gave birth, which was unheard of at the time. He has all the characteristics of a great hero for a novel. No wonder Queen Victoria mourned him for 30 years. 

I'm also a BIG fan of Brunel (if you couldn't tell already!). He was such an amazing man. Most of his work is still standing and I love visiting them when possible. Clifton Suspension Bridge, Royal Albert Bridge, the railway in Dawlish, SS Great Britain and tunnels in London which are now part of the London Underground. He was totally driven to become the worlds best engineer and I think he achieved his dream. He was a family man too, and whilst he was away from home a lot, he looked after his wife and children well.

JDP: What inspired you to write Love Engineered?

JENNA: It was the 2004 TV adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's novel North and South that kicked if off. I'd read the book before, but was intrigued how the heroine of the novel (Margaret) became the hero's landlord (John Thornton). This happens at the end of the book.  So I began to imagine what it would be like to have a lonely and wealthy female landowner who falls for a mill owner tenant of hers. Eventually the mill owner became an engineer and I changed other circumstances too, but you'll have to read my book to find out!

For those of you haven't seen the TV show or read the book North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, I heartily recommend it.

JDP: Are you working on any new projects?

JENNA: Yes, I have my second novel out in May called Sprig of Thyme. As I mentioned before, this is about a governess who becomes engaged to the tutor who works at the same country house. He has a BIG secret and ends up breaking the engagement. Then, five years later the story is picked up when they meet again in Bath. It's a classic, "love lost, but regained" story which is the type of novel I love to read myself. The reader gets to find out the secret and how they rebuild their relationship.

I'm always writing and have just started a new novel about a Victorian writer and her publisher, but it's very much in the early stages. 

JDP: Your books all sound so fascinating! Where can readers obtain copies of Love Engineered?

JENNA: From Amazon.com, (also available in Kindle version), Amazon.co.uk, The Book Depository (free worldwide delivery) or direct from my publisher as an ebook or paperback:www.escapewithabook.com

Later in the year my books will be available as an iPhone application.

JDP: Wow! iPhone! Very cool! (I’ve always wanted an iPhone, but so far…oh well, maybe someday!)

Thank you so much for joining us today, Jenna!

Okay, now for the giveaway portion of our program. If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Love Engineered, by Jenna Dawlish, please do one, two, or all three of the following:

(1) Visit Jenna's website to find out where in England Jenna lives. Send me the answer to jdipastena@yahoo.com with "Love Engineered #1" in the subject line, AND INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS.

(2) Visit Jenna's blog and tell me the name of the wharf clerk who's diary Jenna will be following all year. Email me the answer to jdipastena@yahoo.com with "Love Engineered #2" in the subject line, AND INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS.

(3) Quick! Without looking back to the beginning of this interview, tell me what Vic-Lit stands for! Email me your answer to jdipastena@yahoo.com with "Love Engineered #3" in the subject line, AND INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND MAILNG ADDRESS.

There you go, easy as Pi. (Or is that Pie?)

Please don't combine your entries, or you may only be counted once. Deadline for entries is February 21, midnight PST. The winner will be announced here on JDP NEWS on Monday, February 22.

Good luck to one and all!

Tuesday Teaser

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme (rhymes with “cream"), hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. (I’ve borrowed it from LDS Women’s Book Review.) Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share at least two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

I’m adapting the rules slightly: I’ll be quoting some random lines from the last page I read before I post my teaser. Also, because I’m a slow reader, I may quote from the same book more than once over a period of two or three Tuesdays. Then again, if I’m reading more than one book at a time, I may vary my teaser from book to book. Anyway, I think this sounds like fun, so here we go!

Tuesday Teaser:

"You must marry for love, Philo, not to save your mother."

"Love is not how you chose a wife, as well you know. A man marries that a wife may run his home well, and bring him honor. Love is incidental." But I think of the way my father loved my mother and envy him. 

"You need to marry for love," insists Xenia.

"How would I recognize love?"

"As two lighted windows exactly opposite one another."

Apollo's Child, by Joan Smith, p 110

If you'd like to share a Teaser from a book you're currently reading, I'd love you to do so in the comment section. And you don't even have to share it on a Tuesday! Be sure to include the title, author, and page number in case others would like to check out the book you're reading, too!

You Gotta Read Reviews Gives Loyalty's Web Their Highest Rating!

Val, at You Gotta Read Reviews, has given my sweet medieval romance, Loyalty's Web, their highest rating: You GOTTA Read!

Here's a snippet from her review:

Loyalty's Web took me on a journey into the twelfth century that I will not soon forget. A tale of intrigue, manipulation, lust and conflict, this book was exquisitely written and showed how love can defy any evil that comes against it.

Elegant descriptions, a juicy plot line and some "hold your breath" action scenes made this my favorite historical to date. The one thing I loved about it, my teenage daughter is able to read it and I don't have to worry about what she's reading. This book is truly deserving of the You Gotta Read rating I am giving it. Pick up Loyalty's Web, you will be so happy that you did! It is a book to be read several times over.

You can read the entire review here.

Winner of my "OOPS! Contest"

Congratulations to Tara Woods of Alabama! Tara is the winner of my OOPS! Contest for a copy of Illuminations of the Heart with a slightly scratched cover.

Thank you to everyone who entered my drawing!

Summary Sunday

Some writers I know write much faster than I do. Some writers I know write slower. Some writers I know write more hours a day than I do. Some writers I know write less. One thing I've learned. I cannot successfully complete a new book if I worry about comparing myself to others, therefore...I write the number of words a day that I write. I write the number of hours a week that I write. When my efforts feel so small that I sometimes wonder if it's worth it to continue, I take this verse as my mantra:

"Out of small things proceeds that which is great." (Doctrine & Covenants 64:33)

Today I begin a weekly summary of my often "small" writing efforts. And just for fun, I'm throwing in one "new" sentence a day from my daily writing. These sentences may or may not make the final editing cut when all is said and done, so enjoy them while you can!

Thanks for joining me on my journey!

Monday: 704 words

Sentence: "He flew out to rescue the 'distressed damsel' before I could stick out my foot to trip him, as I indeed sought to do."

Tuesday: 0 (not home)

Wednesday: 697 words

Sentence: He had been annoying and maddening and rattling of tongue, and a frightened, desperate part of her half-wished he'd been struck blind years ago before he'd ever juggled and tumbled and sung for the Earl of Gunthar in the halls of Pennault Castle.

Thursday: 873 words

Sentence: Joslin watched the fluid expression of guilt that flowed across Bricot's face, and wondered if Acelet's barb about the ink struck less deeply than knowing himself the cause of Acelet's wet, muddy morning, as well.

Friday: 996 words

Sentence: Even after a good hour by the fire, her heart still felt like ice, her emotions so angry, so bitter, so...so vengeful..that she suffered a wave of self-hatred almost as strong as the hatred she felt for the man who had ruined her life.

Saturday: 1270 words

Sentence (and a half): ...Acelet remained agoggle. She could hardly blame him as Bricot's increasing cadence betrayed his enthusiasm for his improvised tale.

If anyone would like to start a Summary Sunday on their own blog, you're welcome to share my idea. All I ask is that you link back to this specific blog link. Maybe we can start a new meme (rhymes with "cream") for working writers!

What Am I Reading for My 2010 New/Old Reading Challenge?

I just finished reading He Walked the Americas, by L. Taylor Hansen, an "old" book for my 2010 New/Old Reading Challenge.

Now on to another "new" book! I don't recall where I stumbled across it, but it must have been in my TBR pile for a considerable time, for alas, Apollo's Child is no longer in print! That "Alas!", is for you, not for me, because although I've only read one chapter so far, I anticipate this being a thoroughly enjoyable read and I'm fortunate enough to have a copy. You, "Alas!", will have to go hunt up a used one if you feel inclined to check out this book. (The copyright date is 1989, but it's doubtful that I bought my copy quite that far back.)

From the chapter I've read so far, I would classify Apollo's Child, by Joan Smith, as a Young Adult novel. Here's a description from the book jacket blurb:

For a Greek medical student on the island of Cos in 418 BC, life is exciting and demanding. Philo, apprenticed to Hippocrates the physician, is one of a lively group of students which includes Nicodemus, arrogant but humorous, and cynical Timocrates, ambitious for Olympic glory. Besides their work they must deal with false healers, sly herb gatherers, and people who wish them ill. They are faced too with the victims of earthquake and epidemic.


When family tragedy besets Philo, he realises the strength of the bond that exists between himself and Xenia, the slave girl. But, "People should manage their own lives," says Xenia, "I will make mine as I want it." And she wants to be free.


Can anyone in these times fashion their own destiny? In this unusual, richly woven novel, Xenia, Philo and his fellow students must endure many strange twists of fate before they find the answers to this question.


Stop by on Tuesday, and I'll have read enough to share a Tuesday Teaser with you!

If you'd like to join my 2010 New/Old Reading Challenge, its not too late! Click here and here for more information. And remember, there are prizes involved if you join us! :-)

"Missing", by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen: Review, Author Interview, and Giveaway

Back Cover Blurb for Missing:

A BYU-Idaho choir tour in British Columbia turns out to be anything but ordinary when soloist Stacie Cox spots a kidnapped child from Rexburg during a performance. Before Stacie can alert the authorities, the little girl disappears. Stacie vows to find and rescue her, a choice that forces her to deal with her guilt-ridden past and another little girl that haunts her dreams. When the handsome Matt Brennan helps Stacie in the search, she tries to resist the attraction she feels for him. Yet as he gains her friendship and trust, her resolve to never fall in love begins to crumble. And after a series of harrowing events, Stacie must decide if she is willing to sacrifice her life - and a possible future with Matt - to save a stranger.

In the spirit of full disclosure, Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen is one of my sister authors at Walnut Springs Press. When Illuminations of the Heart was published this summer, Ronda generously agreed to participate in my book blog tour. So when her debut novel, Missing, came out, I volunteered to read and review it, not only to return the favor, but because I was curious about the story. That’s a good thing, because curiosity about the story is what drives me to crack open the covers of any book and give it a try.

Missing’s subtitle, An LDS Mystery Novel, is slightly inaccurate as Missing is actually more of a suspense novel than a mystery. We know almost from the beginning who committed the “crime”, but that in no way detracts from the fast-paced twists and turns that await the reader. The heroine, Stacie, is a warm and sympathetic character, while Adrienne, the villain, is so diametrically the opposite that the reader will find great pleasure in wincing at her awfulness and rooting for her defeat. Missing includes a romantic subplot, but I would not personally classify the book as a romance. My definition of a romance (and mind you, this is my personal definition only!) is when a hero and heroine unite to thwart the villain. While Matt Brennan, the man Stacie grows to love, indeed helps Stacie significantly in her determination to save an innocent child, he does not participate in the final rescue. This leaves the ultimate victory to Stacie alone, a perfectly acceptable finale since, in truth, this is Stacie’s story from first to last. (Romantics will not be disappointed, though. “Subplot” though I call it, the romantic aspects of the story are nevertheless strong and highly satisfying.)

Missing is strongly tilted towards an LDS readership, although anyone enjoying inspirational fiction will enjoy this, too. Some of the terminology, such as “Primary room”, “Relief Society room”, and “Cultural Hall” are distinctive to the LDS culture. Non-LDS readers can easily avoid confusion by understanding that these are simply names of specific rooms in an LDS meetinghouse.

When Ronda participated in my blog tour, she generously included an interview, not only with myself, but with my heroine, Siri. I warned her at the time that one day “turn about would be fair play”, so it is now my delight to share with you a few questions and answers with Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen, followed by an interview with her intrepid heroine, Stacie Cox. And if you stick around to the very end, I’ll tell you how you can enter for a chance to win your very own copy of Missing!

JDP: Welcome, Ronda. Thank you for joining us today. I’m sure you’ve been asked this before, but perhaps my readers haven’t read your answer. What inspired you to write Missing?

RONDA: The initial idea came while I was walking in a parking lot several years ago. I saw a man get out of his car and tell a child to stay inside. The child was crying and the man was angry. After the man walked away, the kid looked straight at me with a terrified look on his face, and my first thought was, “What if that kid was kidnapped?”

But you know, Joyce, one of the amazing things about the writing process is the uncanny way fiction melds with true life. Like the story about Tracie Dean I saw on Oprah one afternoon while I was writing Missing. She, like my lead character, Stacie Cox, had a chance encounter with a child (and adult) that unsettled her to the point that she contacted several police agencies, believing the child had been kidnapped. Finally, after having no success with the authorities, she returned to the place she'd originally seen the girl and eventually helped the police rescue her and uncover the truth: she and another boy were sexual abuse victims. Yes, my story is fiction, but heroines like Stacie Cox really do exist.

JDP: Why did you choose to make both your heroine, Stacie Cox, and her romantic interest, Matt Brennan, music majors. Do you have a strong music background of your own?

RONDA: It’s the age old rule, “write what you know.” Yes, I have a strong musical background, but there was never any question in my mind about Stacie’s and Matt’s similar connection to music. Music has a tremendous ability to unite hearts and minds, so initially, it was what brought them together.

 JDP: Is Stacie, or any of you other characters, based on people you know in real life?

RONDA: No. They, like each of us, are their own people; however I did use the real life experiences of several people as a basis for a few of them. For instance, I have a dear friend who grew up in the Indian Placement program, just as Janice’s mother did.

 JDP: In your bio in Missing, you mention S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, and how it inspired you to want to write “golden words”. For those of us who have not read The Outsiders, can you tell us a little about the book and its influence on you?

RONDA: At its core, The Outsiders is a drama about young men from two gangs growing up and facing a world where they have little going for them. At the end of the story, Johnny, one of the youngest characters, writes a letter to his friend Ponyboy. In it he discusses a poem by Robert Frost titled “Nothing Gold Can Stay.” Here’s a quote from the book:

“I’ve been thinking about it, and that poem, that guy that wrote it, he meant you’re gold when you’re a kid, like green. When you’re a kid everything’s new, dawn.”

He then encourages his friend to “Keep that way.” As I mentioned in my bio, when I heard those words, I knew I wanted to write words that would encourage others to hold on to that gold—that light and goodness—that’s inside them. To stay “new.” If we can stay gold, perhaps that which is dark will dissipate.

JDP: What a beautiful thought! Thank you so much, Ronda. Now I have a few questions for your heroine, Stacie Cox:

JDP: Thank you for joining us today, Stacie. I’m very excited to have you here. Tell us a little about yourself. How long have you been studying music? Why did you choose to make that your major at BYU-Idaho?

STACIE: Thank you for inviting me, Ms. DiPastena. I feel really honored to be here. It’s interesting you asked me about music in relation to myself, because, while both my parents died when I was young—my father in a car accident, then later when I was thirteen, my mother from cancer—most people don’t know my mother was also a musician. She played the violin. Actually, the violin was my first instrument, and my mother and I used to play duets together in church. When it was time to start college, I considered a few other professions—law of all things!—but I finally settled where my heart knew I should be. Music connects me to so many people, especially my mother and Matt, that I’ll never give it up.

JDP: Do you have any other hobbies or interests?

STACIE: Oh, yes! I swim. I also love hiking in the mountains. And something I’m just beginning to realize is that I really enjoy working with children. Matt suggested I start a children’s choir. I’m seriously considering doing that.

JDP: My sister’s talked about starting a children’s choir someday. I wish you the best of luck with that goal! I know that your parents both died when you were young and that you were raised by an aunt and uncle. Were these relatives on your mother’s or father’s side? Did they have any children near your age? What was your relationship with them growing up?

STACIE: Aunt Kathy is my father’s oldest sister. She and Uncle Frank were never able to have children, so when I went to live with them after my mom died, I was like their only child.

JDP: You suffered other tragedies, in addition to your parents’ deaths, early in life. How did your aunt and uncle help you cope with your emotional turmoil? Or did they?

STACIE: They did a great job, actually. They always told me the truth, no matter how hard it was, yet at the same time they were always ready with a shoulder to cry on. I’m not sure I could have ever come to terms with my mother’s death without them.

The one thing they couldn’t change, though, was the way others treated me. Like Mrs. Smythe. She hated me. No matter how hard I worked to overcome my past mistakes, she tried to stop me. It was like I was constantly fighting the same battle over and over again. My aunt and uncle intervened when they could, but their efforts usually lead to more persecution. Even now, Mrs. Smythe finds ways to come after us.

JDP: Yes, she sounds like a dreadful woman. I’m so sorry to hear that she’s still hounding you after all this time. And speaking of dreadful women…when you tore off all alone over the foreign Canadian countryside in an attempt to rescue the child, Becka, from her kidnapper, Adreinne Doyle, what was going through your mind? You didn’t have any weapon with you. You were indeed very brave, but what were you planning to do if you caught up to her? Do you feel you were thinking clearly, or in retrospect were you acting on instinct or inspiration or something else?

STACIE: Honestly, Becka had no one else to help her. Yeah, I was terrified, and I knew I was in way over my head, but I didn’t think I had any other choice but to go after them.. At first, my only hope was Adrienne would leave Becka alone for a moment, just long enough for me to get her away from her, but after Becka’s mother begged me to save her child—well, could you have told her “no, I’m not prepared?”

 JDP: No, I suppose not. Okay, nobody gets out of an interview on JDP NEWS without tackling at least one historical question. J (Actually, consider this one question with two follow-ups.) Members of the LDS Church are renowned for their interest in tracing their family history. (I should know…my sister works for the Family History Library in Salt Lake City!) How far back have you traced your ancestry? If you’ve traced any of them out of the United States, what were their countries of origin?

STACIE: We came from England. And I hate to say this, but all I’ve done is fill out my own pedigree chart with the information my mother had copied from her mother. That act alone was pretty hard for me since so many of the women lived such a short time, but I’ll eventually get back to it.

JDP: Do you have any funny or heartwarming or simply interesting stories about any of your ancestors that you would like to share with us?

STACIE: The first Cox’s to join the Church were newlyweds from Boston. It was in the late 1860’s. When they came out West, they went by way of the new Continental Railroad. I don’t really know much else about their lives, but when I was a little girl, my parents and I used to pretend the people in our Christmas village were our ancestors. My dad once told me one of the little boys—he called him William Cox—used to wrap cardboard around his feet so he could ice skate on the pond. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I always liked that story.

JDP: You fall in love with your pianist, Matt Brennan, in a very short span of time—a single week’s choir tour in Victoria, Canada. What made you fall in love with him so quickly?

STACIE: Sorry, I didn’t mean to smile when you referred to Matt as my accompanist. Yes, he was that, but he was also so much more to me. He stood by me, helped me, believed in me when so many didn’t. To me, that’s what true love is, and that’s what won my heart. Even my best friend, Janice, doubted me more than he did. I suppose that’s why I realized I was in love with him during that week, but the truth was, I’d known him for most of the year, in class and such, so I already had a fairly good idea of who he was.

JDP: Finally, how are things now that you’re back in Rexburg, Idaho? Are you pushing ahead with your wedding, or do you still have cold feet?

STACIE: If it was only “cold feet” that made me resist Matt, I’d have got over that in a heartbeat. How could I not? You know, you’ve seen him! Matt’s both amazing and hunky, right?

No, my hesitancy wasn’t cold feet. It was concern about the future my children might face. I didn’t want them to grow up as I had done, so the only way I could ensure that wouldn’t happen was to not have them. To not marry. Little did I know Heavenly Father would take until I saved Becka to help me find hope. And Matt.

Oh! And we’re getting married in August. I’ll send you an invitation to my reception, if you’d like?

JDP: I’d love it! Thank you so much! Now what about Adrienne? I presume she’s been arrested and is being brought to trial for her crimes. Have you been following the court case? Can you update us on the case’s status, what defense, if any, Adrienne is pursuing, and what you think the odds are for a conviction?

STACIE: I’m sorry. I thought everyone knew about that. At least, there’s always something about her or Becka or Becka’s family in the Rexburg Journal. Adrienne Doyle did an awful thing, and Becka and her family are still trying to come to terms with what happened, but in a surprise turn of events, Doyle pleaded “No Contest.” I understand she used to be a policewoman. Maybe her scruples kicked in?

JDP: Not all of us live in Rexburg, Idaho, Stacie. You have many fans in many other states, so thank you for the update! Thank you so much for taking time to talk with us today. And do give all our best wishes to Becka and her family!

Missing, by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen, can be purchased in Deseret Bookstores and online at DeseretBook.com and Amazon.com.

Now, I promised a giveaway, didn’t I? How can you win a copy of Missing, by Ronda Gibbs Hinrichsen? By doing one of the following three things:

(1) Visit Ronda’s website to find out what Ronda’s favorite dessert is. Then email the answer to jdipastena@yahoo.com with “Missing #1” typed in the subject line. AND INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS.

(2) Visit Ronda’s blog to find out what Ronda’s “Writing Must Haves #1” is. (Hint: This is something I always struggle with myself!) Then email the answer to jdipastena@yahoo.com with “Missing #2” typed in the subject line. AND INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS.

(3) Ronda’s heroine, Stacie Cox, learned to play the violin at an early age. Email me at jdipastena@yahoo.com and tell me what your favorite musical instrument is. Type “Missing #3” in the subject line, and INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND MAILNG ADDRESS.

Please don’t combine your entries into a single email, or you may only be counted once for the drawing. Deadline for entries is February 12^th, midnight PST. The winner will be announced here on JDP NEWS on February 13^th.

Thanks and good luck!

For the FTC: Walnut Springs Press generously sent me a free copy of Missing for review. This has in no way influenced my comments above.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme (rhymes with “cream”—I just learned that on Google!), hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. (I’ve borrowed it from LDS Women’s Book Review.) Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share at least two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

I’m adapting the rules slightly: I’ll be quoting some random lines from the last page I read before I post my teaser. Also, because I’m a slow reader, I may quote from the same book more than once over a period of two or three Tuesdays. Then again, if I’m reading more than one book at a time, I may vary my teaser from book to book. Anyway, I think this sounds like fun, so here we go!

Today's Tuesday Teaser:

Among the people are trading legends, and on the ships of the traders rode the Prophet. All the merchants wished to have Him for He had a magical power over the ocean.

We only know that we can trace Him throughout the lands of South America, not only by His Wakea names when His hair was light brown with its reddish highlights, but also with names as different as the tribes who remember, and with hair as white as the snows of winter.

They always remember His hands which were healing, His hatred of war and of sacrificing. They know the Peace Sign of His religion, and often speak of His control of the water and how He walked at will on its surface.

He Walked the Americas by L. Taylor Hansen, p 146

If you'd like to share a Teaser from a book you're currently reading, I'd love you to do so in the comment section. And you don't even have to share it on a Tuesday! Be sure to include the title and author, in case others would like to check out the book you're reading, too!

Mailbox Monday

I've noticed that quite a few bloggers have a Mailbox Monday these days. Most (if not all) of them are book reviewers, so it makes sense that they would want to share their excitement over receiving a new shipment of books to add to their review piles each Monday.

I have no aspirations to become a book reviewer, but I nevertheless have been feeling slightly left out by the Mailbox Monday phenomenon. So today, I present to you my own Mailbox Monday. Strap on your seat belt! My mailbox doesn't get much more exciting than this!

Today I received in the mail:

• A Pyramid Collection catalog
• An FJH Piano Teacher Catalog (even though I am not teaching piano lessons this semester)
• A thank you note for a wedding gift
• An introductory offer from Amsterdam Printing for a great sale on personalized envelopes! (I previously ordered some promotional pens from Amsterdam Printing and am now on their permanent mailing list. Alas, I am no more in search of personalized envelopes just now than I am for new piano instruction books.)

I must say, my mailbox wasn't a complete disappointment, since it did not include any new bills to pay! (At least today.)

Now wasn't that fun? I may make Mailbox Monday a regular post on JDP NEWS! And I know you'll be waiting with bated breath to know...will next week's mailbox surpass the excitement of this week's? Only time will tell!

What Am I Reading for My 2010 New/Old Reading Challenge?

How are you doing with your New/Old Reading Challenge this year? I thought the least I could do is keep you updated on how I'm doing with my own challenge.

I recently finished reading my first new book of 2010: Missing, by Ronda Gibbs Hinrichsen. A review and author interview (and possibly a giveaway) will be following soon, so stay tuned! (My reading of Haunts Haven by Joan Sowards didn't quite count towards my challenge, as I began my reading of Joan's book in 2009.)

I will not be reviewing every book I read this year with you. This is not a full-time book review site, after all. But I will keep you posted on the titles and descriptions of the books I am reading as we go along.

Now that I've finished a "new" book for the year, I am reading an "old" book, i.e., a title that I've read before. The book I've chosen is called He Walked the Americas, by L. Taylor Hansen. This book was first published in 1963, but I read it in 1979 while still in college.  I hadn't thought about it in years, but discovered it still on my shelves when I went looking for an "old" book to read, so obviously I classed it as a "keeper".

Here's a description of He Walked the Americas, with a little bio of the author:

Almost two thousand years ago a mysterious white man walked from tribe to tribe among the American Nations. He came to Peru from the Pacific, He traveled through South and Central America, among the Mayans, into Mexico and all of North America, then back to ancient Tula, from where he departed across the Atlantic to the  land of his origin. Who was this white Prophet who spoke a thousand languages, healed the sick, raised the dead, and taught in the same words as Jesus Himself?


These are true Indian legends, gathered during twenty-five years of research by L. Taylor Hansen, archaeologist, from many different tribes all over the Americas. By consulting museums, libraries and experts on folk-lore, it has been possible to correlate the findings into this fascinating book, backed up by the spades of the diggers into ancient ruins, and by all the sciences with which L. Tayor Hansen is familiar.

Bio:

L. Taylor Hansen, the author of this book, is the daughter of Professor Taylor, who was co-originator of the famous Taylor-Wegener Theory of Continental Drift, which is now universally accepted. She is also author of "The Ancient Atlantic", a scholarly history of that ocean and the peoples and lands around it. She holds her Masters Degree in Archaeology, Anthropology and Geology from Stanford University. She is an authority on the Indians of North and South America, having studied among them for thirty years; and is also an expert Egyptologist, having researched many years in North Africa.


So, what books have you read so far for our 2010 New/Old Reading Challenge? If you haven't joined our challenge but would like to, it's not too late. Click here and here for more information. And remember...there are prizes involved if you join us! :-)

Winner of "Haunts Haven"

Congratulations to Rachelle Christensen of Utah! Rachelle thinks Arizona rocks, and has won a copy of Haunts Haven, by Joan Sowards.

Thank you to everyone who entered. Don't forget that my OOPS! giveaway is still in progress for another week, so it's not too late to jump into that drawing. And coming up soon, I'll be posting a review and giveaway of Missing, by Ronda Hinrichsen, so stay tuned!