New Mormon Books

I had a hard time getting into this book at the beginning. I suppose I didn’t relate to Abe and Maddie as well as I did to Lizzy in Lyon’s previous book House on a Hill. Abe seemed to be too modern minded for the historical time period and that threw me off. His first point of view chapter felt too preachy for me to really get sucked into the story at the start, but I ended up enjoying his character later on. I also felt for Maddie as she tried to heal from the death of her fiancee. While on the surface this seems like the typical LDS romance plot—girl converts boy to gospel and they marry—Lyon’s characters have layers that made it feel unique and fresh.

At Journey’s End by Annette Lyon
By Gamila
Gamila’s Review: YA and LDS Fiction, July 18, 2009.
http://gamilareview.blogspot.com/2009/07/at-journeys-end-by-annette-lyon-abe.html

Camille Call Whiting wanted grieving mothers to know they were not alone in their heartache, so she decided to write a book relating her experiences of losing a son and a daughter.

Book: ‘For They Shall Be Comforted’
By Molly Farmer
Deseret News, June 11, 2009
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705310019/Book-For-They-Shall-Be-Comforted.html?linkTrack=rss-44

The author’s spare style keeps the action moving at a rapid pace, but doesn’t leave the reader feeling like the plot isn’t developed well enough. Mystery and suspense readers of any age or gender will love this one.

GIVE-AWAY - International Suspense, All’s Fair, by Julie Coulter Bellon
By Anne Bradshaw
Not Entirely British, June 10, 2009
http://annebradshaw.blogspot.com/2009/06/give-away-romantic-intrigue-alls-fair.html

I got the cover for Methods of Madness today. Seeing a cover for the first time is one of those Big Moments on the path to the publication of new book. It’s thrilling, and a little scary.

Covered
by Stephanie Black
Six LDS Writers and a Frog, June 24, 2009
http://sixldswriters.blogspot.com/2009/06/covered.html

Smith’s latest talk on CD, “Thou Shalt Be Nice!” is based off of his own “Laura Larsen Challenge,” a challenge he created based on his own observations of his childhood friend.

Speaker teaches about pecking order
By Helen Hovenier
BYU Daily Universe/Newsnet, 9 Jun 2009
http://nn.byu.edu/story.cfm/73005

The book hooked me from the first page and I couldn’t put it down. I had to see how the hero and heroine would get together… I was coming close to the end, with maybe ten pages left and I seriously wondered to myself, “how is she going to wrap this up in such a short time.” The answer was, she didn’t… Betsy Brannon Green had become a cliffhanger writer and I didn’t like it.

My Apology to Betsy Brannon Green
by Julie Coulter Bellon
Six LDS Writers and A Frog, June 18, 2009
http://sixldswriters.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-apology-to-betsy-brannon-green.html

I didn’t want to take away from the stripling warriors strong faith and their courage in facing a mighty foe. But I alsowanted young women to realize that with proper training they can do most anything they set their minds to.

Book Column.
By Lu Ann Brobst Staheli
Read All About It, June 15, 2009
http://readallaboutitluannstaheli.blogspot.com/2009/06/book-column.html

In For They Shall Be Comforted, [Whiting] writes candidly about the personal grief she experienced when her son Ammon died two days after he was born and her daughter Kija was stillborn.

Book: ‘For They Shall Be Comforted’
By Molly Farmer
Mormon Times, Jun. 12, 2009
http://mormontimes.com/arts_entertainment/books/?id=9150