Whitney Award Winners

We have listed our Whitney Award votes and reviewed some of the nominees.  Now it's time to announce the 2012 Whitney Award winners!

Overall Awards:
Best Novel of the Year:  Rent Collector by Camron Wright
Even though we voted for Dancing on Broken Glass in the General Fiction category, Rent Collector was also excellent and inspiring and is definitely a deserving winner.

Best Youth Novel of the Year:  False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

Best Novel by a New Author:  Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

Category Awards:
Best General Fiction:  Rent Collector by Camron Wright

Best Historical Fiction:  My Loving Vigil Keeping by Carla Kelly

Best Romance:  Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

Best Mystery/Suspense:  Code Word by Traci Hunter Abramson

Best Speculative Fiction:  The Hollow City by Dan Wells

Best Young Adult General Fiction:  After Hello by Lisa Mangum

Best Young Adult Speculative Fiction:  Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Best Middle Grade Fiction:  False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

Congratulations to all the winners!

Dancing on Broken Glass

I just recently finished reading Dancing on Broken Glass by Ka Hancock which had been nominated for a  Whitney Award in general fiction.  I had not had time to read it before voting for the Whitney Awards, but Dalene had read it and recommended it.  She voted it the winner in that category.

I was very impressed with this book.  Here is part of the plot summary from the publisher.  "Lucy Houston and Mickey Chandler probably shouldn’t have fallen in love, let alone gotten married. They’re both plagued with faulty genes—he has bipolar disorder, and she has a ravaging family history of breast cancer. . . .  An unvarnished portrait of a marriage that is both ordinary and extraordinary, Dancing on Broken Glass takes readers on an unforgettable journey of the heart."

The characters felt genuine and real to me, and I became drawn in by their significant challenges and how they dealt with them.  The characters were not LDS, but I felt very comfortable within the framework of the story including the belief about life after death, commitment to family and marriage and the loving support of small-town neighbors and friends.  I needed a bunch of tissue to get through to the end, but when I got done I felt uplifted and like I wanted to go out and be a better person.

This book is available on Amazon--I didn't find it on LDS websites.  I checked it out from the Sunnyvale Library.

New Temple Hill Bookstore in Oakland

A new LDS Bookstore has opened up in Oakland across from the temple.  For directions and hours, check out their website and facebook page.  Childcare during temple sessions is also available.  Good luck to David Stewart on his new venture!

More Whitney Award rankings

Yesterday, April 29, was the day the Whitney Award ballots for 2012 were due.  Lora, Dalene and I put our heads together, reviewed the categories in which we were able to read all the entries, and came up with our selections for our ballot.  The Historical Fiction category was described in the previous post--below are the other categories for which we voted. 

General fiction:  There were some amazing books in this category.  Dalene ranked them in the following order:
1.  Dancing on Broken Glass
2.  A Night on Moon Hill
3.  The Rent Collector
4.  The 13th Day of Christmas
5.  Paige

Romance fiction:   Lora felt the stand-out in this group was her number one pick.  She did not care much for the last book listed.
1.  Edenbrooke
2.  Twitterpated
3.  Of Grace and Chocolate
4.  Smart Move
5.  Lady Outlaw

Mystery/Suspense fiction:  Lora thought these were all quite good which made ranking difficult. 
1.  Line of Fire
2.  Banana Split
3.  Deadly Undertakings
4.  Tres Leches Cupcakes
5.  Code Word

Young Adult-General fiction:  I thought After Hello was excellent, dealing with significant issues with complex characters and satisfying movement and resolution.  I thought the next two on the list were also quite good.  The last two I would not recommend for various reasons.
1.  After Hello
2.  The Space Between Us
3.  The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back
4.  V if for Virgin
5.  Finding June

The winners will be announced May 11.  Click here to read more about the Whitney Awards or to nominate great fiction by an LDS author published in 2013.

2012 Whitney Award Nominees for Historical Fiction

Susan's ranking:

1. My Loving Vigil Keeping
2. Espionage
3. Within the Dark Hills
4. Tie: The Five Books of Jesus and Spinster's Folly

It's interesting that two of these books are set in mining communities in the 19^th century. I certainly learned more about the occupation of my Welsh ancestors than I had before. Below are short summaries of the basic plots with my comments and personal thoughts. I know that different peoples' tastes and perspectives can result in widely varying opinions about the same book. With that disclaimer, I present my take on the 2013 Whitney nominees for historical fiction.

My Loving Vigil Keeping, by Carla Kelly: Della accepts a job as a teacher in a remote Utah mining town to escape the relatives who had taken her in after her father dies in a mining accident in Colorado. In Winter Quarters she gets drawn into the lives and community of the mostly Welsh and Finnish miners and their children and finds unexpected romance. Then disaster strikes the mine with unimaginable loss. This story is based on true events surrounding the Scofield mine disaster of 1900.

Susan's comments: I felt totally drawn into the story. The author did a good job of revealing layers of complexity of the characters as the story progressed. Even though I read the book dreading the ending as I knew that a mine disaster was coming, I couldn't help becoming invested in the romance and mining community depicted as well as the uplifting portrayal of dealing with some very significant challenges and tragedies through faith. This was the third of four books I've read by Carla Kelly, and she is becoming one of my favorite authors.

Espionage, by A. L. Sowards: Peter Eddy is an LDS soldier from Idaho who is sent into World War II France to identify a double-agent and spread disinformation about the timing and location of the Allied invasion. With the help of Jacques Olivier, his contact, and Jacque's sister Genevieve, he is investigating the suspects when betrayal results in capture. Loyalty and courage lead to escape and a thrilling and tense pursuit.

Susan's comments: Espionage had a strong story while exploring issues of trust, betrayal, loyalty and honor not to mention some romance. The violence of war was portrayed but not described in graphic detail. The suspense and action kept moving along, and the characters developed depth as we learn more about their history and motivations.

Within the Dark Hills, by Sian Ann Bessey: Set in a Welsh mining village during the mid-1800's, this story follows Annie, who is trying to escape the advances of her titled employer, and Evan, who is still mourning the loss of his beloved wife and who desperately needs someone to help take care of his little daughter Jane while he works in the mines. A kindly reverend arranges a marriage of convenience. They both work together to overcome the gossip and take care of Jane, Over time their feelings grow and ghosts from the past are confronted. Preaching by Mormon missionaries and a mine disaster change the course of their lives.

Susan's comments: I enjoyed this story more than I expected because I had been put off by the misleading cover. After my time in the book business, I certainly have come to appreciate how many people, including myself, judge a book by its cover. As I read was drawn to the characters and their struggles and triumphs. I liked the kindness portrayed by the Christ-like reverend who rescues Annie and counsels Evan. The Mormon missionaries that show up near the end seemed to be an afterthought which was rather skimmed over other than as a means of resolving some of the conflicts in the plot. The resolution in general seemed a little rushed, but overall this was an enjoyable book.

The Five Books of Jesus, by James Goldberg: The author combined the New Testament gospel accounts of Jesus's ministry into a novel form to try to tell the message of His life in a more accessible way to modern-day readers. More details and background are given to the disciples and well-known events to create a different perspective on the flow and context of this sacred story.

Susan's comments: There are some very interesting aspects to this version of the gospel story, including possible illuminating contexts to the Mary-Martha story and the betrayal by Judas as well as depictions of the apostles in the context of their lives. Unfortunately, I had a hard time with several other depictions which were so different from my beliefs that it distracted my efforts to stay involved in the story. I sympathize with the aims of the author to make the story of Christ more accessible to the casual reader, but I personally did not care for many of the liberties taken.

Spinster’s Folly, by Marsha Ward: This is the fourth book in a series about the Owen family after the Civil War. Marie Owen is approaching spinsterhood, and the limited choice of eligible men available in Colorado Territory are complicated by her father's prejudices. When her father attempts to make a match with a neighbor's son who turns out to be abusive, she is vulnerable to the attention of a deceitful, smooth-talking predator and soon finds herself in deep trouble. Fortunately for Marie, a ranch hand who has loved her from afar refuses to give up on her.

Susan's comments: The portrayal of the characters in Spinster's Folly seemed to be superficial, although perhaps reading the previous books in the series would have helped me to understand the back story better. The plot seemed a little stale and quite obvious. There was plenty of action, emotion, conflict and tension, but the depiction of all this seemed somewhat simplistic compared to the other books nominated with repetition appearing to substitute for complexity.

Beehive votes for the Whitney Awards

 Even though Beehive Bookstore is now closed,  Lora, Dalene and I are all busy reading 2012 Whitney Award nominees so that we can cast votes.  One of the fun things about the bookstore was having conversations about what we read, what we liked, what we didn't and why.  The Whitney Awards give us an opportunity to do that in a big way.

Never heard of the Whitney Awards?  They are an awards program named after Elder Orson F. Whitney, an early LDS apostle, to honor fiction written by LDS authors.  Each year books are nominated by any reader in a variety of categories, and final nominees are voted on by members of the academy.  Click here to read more about the Whitneys.  As a bookstore, Beehive was a voting member, and we plan to cast the Beehive vote one last time.  To vote in a particular category, all books in that category must be read.  While working in the bookstore, none of us had time to read all the nominees, so we have divided most the categories up between us and will consolidate our vote.

We plan to share our thoughts about the various nominees that we have a chance to read and explain our votes and recommendations.  Stay tuned for the first summary of the Whitney Awards 2012 nominees, starting with Historical Fiction.  Better yet, become a follower of our blog so you will know whenever we have a new post to share!

Susan

Beehive Bookstore farewell & thanks

Amidst the chaos of closing Beehive, I have had little time to reflect on the passing of Beehive Bookstore as a San Jose/South Bay LDS institution which has been around for more than 30 years. As things slow down, I wanted to take time to share some thoughts and express appreciation to many who have become part of our bookstore "family."  

When we took over the bookstore in the summer of 2007 from Randy and Kathy Winn, we felt like we were embarking on a grand adventure.  I was excited to learn about and work with the LDS books and products we carried in the store and meet the needs of our customers for uplifting, inspiring resources that would educate, motivate, entertain and bless their families.  Little did I know how much I would learn about the bookstore business and how rewarding my associations with so many wonderful people would become.  As much as I have enjoyed learning more about the products we carried, I have enjoyed much more meeting and interacting with our wonderful customers.  I have had lively discussions about fiction, doctrine, history, art, jewelry, videos, music and children's books and enjoyed every one.  I have been inspired as I have listened to challenges and triumphs.  I have been humbled by the honesty, generosity and good wishes that have been extended.  What a blessing it has been to work in a place with inspiring art, uplifting music and wonderful employees and customers.

As I look back on our bookstore experience would like to express my appreciation to many who have been part of our bookstore blessings:

To Randy and Kathy Winn for their generous sharing of their experience and mentoring until we figured out what we were doing and for their ongoing interest and encouragement.

To the wonderful and reliable employees with whom I have been privileged to work with over the years.  No words can properly express my appreciation for their diligence in helping our customers and with store operations not to mention the moral support amidst tears and laughter (with each other and with our customers). 

To the elders of the San Jose Mission in Feburary 2008 and members of the BYU Management Society's Silicon Valley Women who helped us when we moved to our Bascom Ave store.  The missionaries who visited our store from time to time always brought a very special spirit with them.

To the many helpful publisher and distributor representatives and officials with whom I have worked and whose friendly association I will greatly miss.

To the officers and board of the LDS Booksellers Association for all they do to help independent bookstores succeed with the annual convention and ongoing programs and networking.

To other store owners with whom I have associated with, learned from and been inspired by.

To local church leaders who, as appropriate, supported us as a resources to local members.

To our fabulous customers, both loyal and casual, who let us serve them.

And most of all, to my wonderful husband who kept the financial records and paid the bills and whose support and encouragement made it all possible.

We will miss so much about our bookstore experience.  We regret that we were not able to find someone to take over the bookstore and adapt to the changes brought about by the digital revolution, but it was not to be.  We are looking forward to a new phase in our life with new challenges and adventures. 

So, with mixed emotions we say farewell to the Beehive.  Thanks to all who have been part of the Beehive Bookstore community.

Susan Fredrickson

2012 Beehive Bookstore Christmas Jar Report

Below is the report from the winner of our 2012 Christmas-Jar-to-giveaway drawing.

The family that received the Christmas Jar for 2012 was extremely happy for the unexpected gift.  The father of the family had been out of work for many months.  The mother only worked a few hours.  They have four children.  The oldest son is on a mission.  Extended family and ward members pay for most of his mission costs.  The family knew that their Christmas would be very modest.  Two younger sons had part-time jobs in their neighborhood.  Between them they spent their earnings to make sure that each person had at least one present.  The Christmas Jar was a great gift, not only for the money, but for the love that many had made a sacrifice that came to their family.  

Thank you to all who donated.

I would like to echo the thanks to all of our great Beehive customers who donated towards our Christmas Jar in 2012.  The jar contained $84.22 this year.  I hope that even though Beehive Bookstore will not be here next Christmas to do another Christmas Jar each of you will find a way to include the Christmas Jar spirit in your Christmas celebrations each year, whether through doing your own Christmas Jar or another way.  Merry Christmas!

Fall Ladies Night--lots of fun!

Stephanie Black and her books

Madison, Lora, Dalene, Susan & Stephanie

Some of our great customers celebrating Ladies Night with us!

We had a great time at our Ladies Night festivities on October 6, 2012.  Whitney Award-winning LDS suspense author Stephanie Black was there to sign her new book Shadowed plus her other titles and to chat about her books and writing.  There were balloons to pop for extra discounts or free stuff plus door prizes.  JoAnn Fitzpatrick was the winner of the RSVP drawing for The Beginning of Better Days.  Then there was the food--yum!  Lora brought Tres Leches cupcakes from the recipe in the book from the same name by Josi Kilpack.  We enjoyed the fun and energy with many ladies of our Beehive Bookstore community.  Thanks for being our friends and supporters!

Fall Ladies Night welcomes Stephanie Black

   Fall Ladies Night at Beehive Bookstore

October 6, 2012, 4 to 7 pm

We have lots of fun planned for our Fall Ladies night.  We will have balloons with discounts and coupons for free stuff plus door prizes and a drawing for The Beginning of Better Days for those who RSVP to attend.  Click here to RSVP.  You do not need to RSVP to attend, but you do need to RSVP to be entered into the drawing

Whitney Award-winning author Stephanie Black will be signing her new book, Shadowed.  We asked her some questions about her writing, and her responses are below.  She also has a website with links go previous interviews that has some pretty interesting info, like how playing with Barbies helped her become a suspense writer.  Click here to check out her website and here to go to her blog.


Beehive:  How do you come up with ideas for books?

Stephanie:  My first book grew out of a short story that I wrote for a high school creative writing class (the novel was totally different from that short story, but that story is where the process began). My second book emerged from an idea that had been percolating for a long time, but my other books started with a blank computer screen and brainstorming. I like to sit down at the computer, start a brainstorming file, and type out ideas and questions like "Who is the main character?" "What does she want?" And so on, jotting things down until an idea for a story finally starts to emerge. This is NOT a fast process--it can take me a long time to form that story idea. Once I have enough of an idea in mind, I'll write a very rough outline, and that's enough to get me started on the book. Over the course of working on that first draft, I'll return to my brainstorming file many times to work out what happens next, or to work through problems. I won't know the details of how the novel unfolds until I actually write it. Needless to say, my first drafts are a mess, since I'm finding the story as I write the story. My goal is to get that first draft written, no matter how messy it is. Then I can go back and revise, revise, and revise some more. I actually love revising, working with a manuscript to make it better. 

Beehive:  How do you do such a good job of keeping us guessing whodunit?

Stephanie:  I think the key is to provide plausible red herring characters. The reader needs a choice of suspects to divert attention from the real villain--other characters who could have had a reason for committing the crime. 

It's also a balancing act to reveal enough about the villain so that when the villain is revealed at the end, it's believable to the reader, but to not reveal so much that the reader nails the villain on page twenty.

Beehive:  How do you manage writing around your family commitments?

Stephanie:  When my children were young, their nap time was my golden writing time. No way was I going to clean the house during nap time (unless it was an emergency, like guests were coming over!). When I got the chance, I loved to sprint for the computer and write. Now that my kids are older, my writing time is more flexible. The challenge is both in being disciplined to use my time well, instead of frittering it away, and in putting my writing aside when it's time to focus on something else. I still struggle with both of those things.

Beehive:  Do you think you will continue to focus on suspense or are you interested in exploring other genres?

Stephanie:  My first book was a dystopian science fiction novel (The Believer). I'd enjoy doing some more sci fi, and I have a sci fi novel that I started and would like to get back to, as well as a sequel to The Believer that I'd like to revise.

Beehive:  Are you working on another book yet?

Stephanie:  I'm currently working on a short novel, or novella. This is for a project I'm doing with two other authors, Traci Abramson and Gregg Luke. We're each writing a suspense novella with the common theme of Halloween--other than that common theme, we're each writing whatever story we want. If our publisher likes the project, they stories will be published together. It's fun writing something shorter and more straightforward than my full-length novels!  

Ladies Night Report

We enjoyed seeing so many of our regular customers plus new friendly faces at our Ladies Night at Beehive Bookstore event March 31, 2012, during the priesthood session of conference.  There was our usual yummy food and goodies plus samples of Utah Truffles, orange and raspberry sticks, Thrive freeze-dried food, Thrive Simply Peace punch and Hawaiian rolls baked by Lora from the recipe in the culinary mystery Banana Split.  Lots of balloon got popped for the additional prizes and/or discounts beyond the extra 10% off everything.  We had door prizes every half-hour, and Paula Pea was the lucky winner of the drawing from RSVP entries for the Road to Emmaus framed print from Liz Lemon Swindle.  Our one regret is that we were so busy enjoying the fun that we forgot to snap some pictures to share.  We express our appreciation to Sounds of Zion, Cedar Fort Incorporated & Foundation Arts for their help with prizes we gave away to happy customers.  Thanks to all who came and partied with us!

Review: Adventurers Wanted: Slathbogs Gold

I had been wanting to read this book for a couple of years as it looked intriguing.  In the meantime two sequels came out, so I finally decided to read it.  The story follows 15-year-old Alex Taylor on as he becomes an adventurer in a magical world after curiosity leads him to inquire about a recruiting sign for adventurers in a shop window on an unusually deserted street.  We meet his fellow adventurers (including the obligatory dwarves & elves) and learn about the adventure (ridding the kingdom of a dragon and claiming his hoard) they are to complete along with the rewards and code of adventuring.  Along the way, Alex discovers much about his companions, the magical world he is visiting and his own abilities and potential.

This book is written for a much younger audience than I had expected, more for elementary school ages.  Although it is definitely several steps up from a beginning chapter book and includes danger, peril and fighting, there is an absence of any intensely scariness on the order of Harry Potter or Fablehaven.  This makes it a perfect read-a-loud story for younger children introducing them to elements of classic magical quest stories, including trolls, codes of honor, oracles and visits to a dwarf kingdom and an elf forest along the way.  I felt the climatic battle with the dragon could have used a little more detail and complexity, but overall I enjoyed the story very much once I got used to the tone of cheerful positivity.  The story was a fast, run read, and I look forward to finally reading the sequels as well.

Click here to read more about Slathbog's Gold, here for Horn of Moran (book 2) and here for Albrek's Tomb (book 3).

Christmas Jar Report Christmas 2011

This account comes from the winner of the Beehive Bookstore Christmas Jar in December 2011.  Just after Christmas, she moved out of state so we are glad she finally found a few minutes to tell us about her experience giving away our store's Christmas Jar--the total of which was $133.85 thanks to all of our generous customers who contributed!

The Christmas Jar

A couple of years ago as it was getting close to Christmas I casually asked someone at church if they were all ready for Christmas ~ she replied “We aren’t having much of a Christmas this year”. I could see that her response had caught her off guard. She really didn’t want anyone to know that their family was struggling that year.

Her response haunted me for the next few days as the Spirit whispered to me that I needed to do something for them. Not many years before I had been where they were. The Lord had blessed me with a wonderful job and now I had the ability to help them.

I enlisted a very close friend to help me deliver the presents, gift cards and cash that I’d put together for her family. When I picked her up, her husband said to her ~ “Don’t forget to go by the bank and “make the deposit” on your way.” We dropped by the bank on the way and when she came back to the car she had a $250 dollar deposit to add to the “Christmas Jar.”

At Christmas time a year later my friend's father was critically ill & her son (Chris) came all the way from Maine to California to see his Grandfather, even though money was very tight for him and he was getting married in less than a month.

While Chris was in California I won the “Christmas Jar” at the Beehive Bookstore. I wondered who I should give it to ~ then the Spirit whispered to me “give the jar to Chris and his fiancé, along with a copy of the book “The Christmas Jar.” Tell him the story of our “Christmas Jar” gift the year before. Along with the Jar& book I included a little note, telling him the wonderful experience his mother and I had shared the year before and that I hoped he & his wife could carry on the wonderful tradition of “The Christmas Jar” in their new family.

Review: Banana Split by Josi Kilpack

There seems to be a lot of new fiction from LDS publishers now arriving in the store, many of them from familiar and favorite authors about familiar characters.  The store sometimes receives advance copies of books.  Unfortunately, I often time do not have time to read them all, but when we got our advance copy of Banana Split, I decided I needed to just indulge myself and read it right away.

Banana Split is the latest in a series of culinary mysteries by Josi Kilpack featuring Sadie Hofmiller who loves to cook.  Each story can be read alone, but I have really enjoyed reading them in order because I feel the development of the characters has really grown with each book.  In the first couple of books, I really enjoyed the mystery/puzzle to be solved which oft took very surprising twists and turns along with the really fun recipes.  However, I often felt the characters were not very deeply explored and did not feel like I could relate to Sadie.  However, as the series has progressed, Sadie's character has also become more complex with fascinating layers that are weaved into the story and who-dunnit plots making for more satisfying reading.  Pumpkin Roll came out last fall, and I have talked to many who feel it was the best to that point.  I think Banana Split is a continuation of the high level reached in Pumpkin Roll and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Sadie is in Hawaii house-sitting a friend's condo complex while trying to come to terms with the traumas experienced a few months earlier in Boston (the climax of Pumpkin Roll).  Her anxiety and depression have trapped her into a very un-Sadie-like existence where she hardly leaves the condo.  As things seem to go for Sadie, she discovers a body, which trauma causes her finally seek professional help for her emotional issues.  Although she is trying to come out of the hole into which she has fallen, she has no interest in knowing anything more about the victim who is generally believed to have died from a drug overdose.  However, when Charlie, the 11-year-old son of the victim approaches Sadie for answers about his mother, Sadie's reluctant attempts to help him find closure not only helps her begin to emerge from her depression but also helps her find out she is stronger than she thinks she is when she is trying to help someone she has grown to care about.  

 

I felt that the mystery, subplots, pacing and characterizations all were well-done, meaning I was drawn into the story which kept me thinking, caring and guessing all along the way to a satisfying conclusion.  Oh, and the recipes really looked delicious.  I can't say I've tried them out as when I could be cooking, I'd rather be reading.  To check out Banana Split on our website, click here.

Postmortal Spirit World Customer Review and Book Signing

Postmortal Spirit World is the result of a multi-year project by Mark Sheffield, a local San Jose CPA and personal friend for 35 years.  His love and enthusiasm for the gospel and doctrinal knowledge is infectious.  It has been interesting to watch the journey to bring this work to press.  He has published other small projects (What Would Jesus Do? and Read the Instructions to name a couple), but this has been a major undertaking resulting in the formation of Shiloh Press to publish and distribute this work as well as other projects and items.  Shiloh Press was formed as a non-profit with proceeds going to benefit charity.  Officers and authors do not take monetary compensation.  To read more about Shiloh Press and the other items they publish click here. 

It has been interesting to see customers' reactions to this book.  The title captures their attention as this is a subject of widespread interest to most folks.  We have had a customer buy the book and come back after reading it to buy copies for all his children.  Everyone who has read has been very positive.  Click here for a link to a scholarly review posted at the Association of Mormon Letters.  Just yesterday I was on the phone with Charlene who used to live locally but now lives in Mississippi.  She was calling to order another copy of Postmortal.  She had seen our email about the book and ordered it online.  She could not put it down when she started reading and was so impressed she has been telling her friends about it.  She lent her copy to a friend who after reading it wanted her own copy, so Charlene gave her that copy as a gift and was calling to order another one as she wanted to keep one as a reference.  She gave me her permission to share her comments as a customer review.

Charlene found the book well-written, self-explanatory and easy to understand.  She commented that "You don't have to be a scholar to understand it."  She liked the question and answer format and found many of the diagrams to be extremely informative and helpful.  She had no idea there was so much information from the scriptures and general authorities about this topic and found it fascinating and inspirational.  She has been a member of our church for over 30 years and had never heard about many of topics mentioned and explained in this book.  I think if there had been more time to chat she could have kept going giving me additional examples of exciting insights she had gained.

Saturday, November 19, 2011, Mark Sheffield will be at our store signing Postmortal Spirit World and other Shiloh Press titles between 1-3 pm.  If you can't make it but would like to have one of these books signed by the author, let us know and we will be happy to arrange with him to have them signed.  Click here to read more about the book on our website.

Guest Review for Jacob T. Marley

I have read Jacob T. Marley but haven't taken the time to write a review.  Here is one from Kay Curtiss which closely reflects my opinion.

Kay's Kritique:  A tradition I have is watching A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens every year.  My favorite is the one with George C. Scott as Scrooge - although I also really enjoy the 1951 version with Alastair Sim as old Ebenezer.  So when I saw this title coming out, I thought - "Yes I always wanted to know a little more about Jacob Marley!" and Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennett did not disappoint.  The writing is very "Dickenish" -- and when looking at Marley's life with the aid of some "spirits", it caused me to pause and reflect on my own life . . . (click here to read the full review and summary of the book)

Surprise visit by author Bill Bennett, formerly of San Jose

Bill Bennett, the author of last year's The Christmas Gift, came by the store October 26 while he was in town for another event.  We were interested to find out he and his family used to live in San Jose, and he actually joined the church here 30 years ago.  He signed all our copies of his new book, Jacob T. Marley, and met some family friends who came by to chat. 

We learned that Bill had always wanted to write and quit his job at Franklin Covey a couple of years ago to pursue this dream.  He self-published The Christmas Gift  which did very well.  The film rights to the book have recently been sold.  Deseret Book is publishing his new book about Jacob Marley, Scrooge's old partner from A Christmas Carol,  and he is looking forward to a book tour before Christmas which will include several Dickens festivals.  Bill explained that he had always wondered about Jacob Marley and what happened to him, whether he ever get a chance to redeem himself after warning Ebeneezer Scrooge.  If you have ever wondered who Marley was, how he got to be the way he was, and what happened to him after he died that brought him back to warn Scrooge, this is the book for you.

Bill is already well into the process of writing his next book which will be an allegory about how difficult it is to explain something intangible (like faith) to someone who has never experienced it.  Below some photos of Bill in our store and with the family friends that came to visit.

Guest Book Review

Since I don't have enough time to read as I'd like, I'm including a guest review of a book I want to read soon.  I've read the first two Secret Sisters mysteries and enjoyed them.  

Here is a guest review from Kay Curtiss of Keepin' Up with LDS Bookstores.  Click here to read more about this book and the author on Kay's blog:

Kay's Kritique:  Ida Mae Babbit  (who has her own Facebook page) and her cohorts are at it again in another Secret Sister Mystery that take them to a Dude Ranch in Montana which Ida Mae's son, Keith, owns.  This crew will keep you laughing with their antics (especially Ida Mae's late night, flannel PJs, bare-back horse chase) as they solve the mystery of the sabotage of the Dude Ranch.   Tristi has created some fun, great characters and her descriptive writing keep you laughing throughout with the "visuals" she creates in your mind. Hang 'em High was a great escape for me on a rainy weekend when you just want to curl up with a good book - which I did!  This is definitely one you won't want to miss!

Ladies Night Report

Here are some photos of our Ladies Night festivities October 1, 2011.  We had refreshments, treasure hunts & sales plus lots of fun chatting and seeing friends.  One of the big hits of the evening was Dalene's cake bites made using recipes from 101 Gourmet Cake Bites by Wendy Paul--yummy!

Recent reads

While on a trip I was able to finish these two books which I have been wanting to read for a while.  Foggy with a Chance of Murder is from one of my favorite authors, G. G. Vandagriff.  Set on the foggy Southern California coast, the two main characters are dealing with issues of loss and betrayal while one of them becomes the target of terrorists.  A neighbor becomes a trusted confidant who shares his testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I enjoyed the character development in this story.  The suspense part of the plot was not as much of the focus, and some of it was a little far-fetched but still enjoyable.  I would have liked to see more loose ends tied up at the end, but overall I found this a fun and inspiring read.

Garden Plot is by a new author to me, Kristen McKendry.  Set in Eastern Canada, the main character is also dealing with loss and betrayal while trying to keep her business, a high-end half-way house for those coming out of drug rehab, going and taking care of her daughter.  This process is complicated by finding the body of a resident in her garden.  The characters in this story were appealing and drew me into story.  The plot follows a more traditional mystery format complete with police detective and with elements of romance and a misunderstood visiting teacher. The main character used humor to keep herself sane which also kept me smiling. I enjoyed this book even more than Foggy.