C. LaRene Hall

2009-11-11T07:34:00.001-08:00

The LDS Humor committee just announced that, Mormon Mishaps and Mischief is going to press. They told us to expect it to be available in the stores around the second week of December.

So why am I telling you this? Because my name will be in print in an actual book. They told those of us that wrote short blurbs that we could announce this happy news on our blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and any other social networking site or place where we feel it's appropriate. I can announce to the world that I’m going to be published. They also encouraged us to point out what a great holiday gift this little book would make. Everyone wants a smile for Christmas. I’m going to buy several.

More Pictures

2009-11-08T14:11:00.000-08:00

Nichole took some pictures of Mark Shurtleff's book launch party so I'm showing them to you.

Missing

2009-11-07T20:49:00.001-08:00

One of the best books I’ve read this year is, Missing by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen. Even though I had read the beginning of this book, I needed to see what happened next, and then it was difficult to put down. After each chapter, I had to keep going. This story kept my attention until the very end. Yes, I would buy this book for my teenage granddaughters and other people on my Christmas list.

During a musical performance, Stacie saw a kidnapped child in the audience, but the girl disappears. Stacie had the courage to pursue the child even when no one except a handsome Matt believed her. He helps her in the search, while she tries to resist the attraction she feels for him. Stacie puts her own life on the line to find this child and bring her to safety. Even though Stacie faced many difficult trials in her life, she still listened to the whisperings within her own heart. The characters in the book were real and I could picture each scene. I would recommend this book to everyone who likes a good mystery and romance. This is an amazing book, and I give it a big 10.

Mark Shurtleff's Book Signing

2009-11-03T21:01:00.000-08:00

My daughter accompanied me

Mark Shurtleff and myself

Here are some pictures that I took at Mark Shurtleff's book signing on Tuesday, November 3, 2009. I think the book signing went very well. I have only had his book for a few days and I'm only into it about 120 pages, but I LOVE IT!

Candace introducing me

The program was pretty close to the following schedule:

5:30 to 6:00 p.m. Calvary Baptist Choir
6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Booksigning
7:00 p.m. to 7:05 p.m. Alex Boye' Performs
7:05 to 7:10 p.m. Reading of "Cry for Freedom" Winning Entry
7:10 to 7:20 p.m. Lynn Jackson (Great-great granddaughter of Dred Scott)
7:20 to 7:25 p.m. Alex Boye' Performs
7:25 to 8:00 p.m. Reading and Q&A with Mark L. Shurtleff
8:00 to 8:30 p.m. Booksigning

If you haven't purchased the book yet, you really should. It's great.

Keith, me, Daron, and BJ

Russ, Me & Cindy

Many more friends were there, but I didn't get a picture with everyone. I think Nichole took some pictures, but I haven't seen those yet.

Standing Up for Freedom

2009-10-26T09:24:00.000-07:00

Most people desire to be free from fear or want, and they wish for freedom of speech and belief. To me freedom means a person has the ability to act according to his or her own will. It also suggests that I can stand up for liberty. The fight between good and evil on earth will never end, but here in the United States of America I have the right for freedom.

The war between good and evil started in our pre-existence, our life with God before we were born. The scriptures are full of events concerning noble, righteous deeds. There are also many examples of wicked, malicious men, as well as decent, respectable men. My hero is Moroni, a strong and mighty man in the Book of Mormon, who rallied his people to defend their religion. He sought after the glory of God, and the welfare of his country. Moroni stood up and fought for liberty and the freedom of his country.

In 1626, some of my courageous ancestors boarded the Mayflower and left the old world behind for a new land where they could worship God after the dictates of their own hearts. A hundred-fifty years later, their children fought for freedom in the Revolutionary War. What they did for us was not without cost. Thousands of people gave their lives for this country because they wanted the right to choose. It is my belief that you are only free if you have choices. Those people didn't want a king. Instead, they wanted new laws. Just like Moroni, they wanted liberty.

It makes me angry to see so many people sit back and take what they have for granted. It's almost as though they don't want independence. Maybe they are afraid of liberty, because having freedom means responsibility. Many people fail to vote, and they don't take an interest in their community or the things going on around them. They only live life for what it can do for them, giving little of themselves or their time. I believe that everyone owes it to those in upcoming generations to give back something so that freedom carries on to the next generation.

I'm grateful for the privilege of citizenship in this great country. Here I have the power to make decisions without constraint. Because of my ancestors and millions of other people, I can and do vote for those leaders that I feel will lead our country down the correct path so that everyone living in the United States has the right for freedom.

I Won

2009-10-26T08:50:00.000-07:00

I'm still in shock, but really excited.

Valor Publishing Group wrote -- "The Winner of the "Cry for Freedom" Contest is Connie Hall, "Standing Up for Freedom". Connie has won dinner with Mark L. Shurtleff at the Market Street Grill and a free copy of "Am I Not a Man? The Dred Scott Story".

To enter, Connie and many others submitted 600-word essays on the concept of Freedom. We were very pleased with the number of entries in addition to the many different viewpoints on what freedom meant to so many people. We thank each of you for entering the contest. The top three entries were only one point apart, so congratulations to all of you for a job well done.

Connie will be reading her winning essay aloud at Mark's Book Launch Party on November 3, 2009 at Barnes & Noble at The Gateway in Salt Lake City."

I, like so many other writers, didn't believe in myself. I didn't think my essay was good enough. I had a real battle with myself, and almost didn't submit it. The last thing I expected in my inbox last week was an announcement from anyone telling me I had won something. It was a pleasant surprise, and it taught me that I shouldn't underestimate myself.

Sorry

2009-10-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

I’m sorry that I’ve haven’t written anything for the past month because life has been crazy. There have been some good moments and some not so good times.

My mother passed away on the evening of September 22. During the month of May, I wrote several tributes to her. We had to wait for more than a week to hold her funeral services – I have a brother who is a long-haul truck driver and he was about as far away as he could have been.

We’ve had lots of company this past month. Some friends from Boise visited with us for a couple of days prior to their going to the MTC before leaving to go to Nauvoo on a mission. My son and his family (6 children) came to stay with us prior to my mom’s funeral for about 5 days. This past weekend a friend from high school who now lives in Oregon came to visit for 3 days. I can’t remember the last time I had so much company.

I’ve also been away for a couple of days. My youngest sister and I drove my brother to Nevada so he could pick up a truck and get back to work.

I promise to get back to writing on this blog right away.

Saving Madeline by Rachel Ann Nunes

2009-09-24T18:25:00.000-07:00

Today I’m dedicating my blog to one of my favorite romance authors, Rachel Ann Nunes. She has not disappointed me with her newest novel, Saving Madeline. It’s a story about a hard-working, dedicated defense attorney, Caitlin McLoughlin, with daily challenges in her professional and personal life. Her new client, Parker Hathaway, is charged with kidnapping his four-year-old daughter, Madeline. He claims he did it to protect her from her mother’s carefully concealed drug use. Can Caitlin find the proof she is looking for before it’s too late, or will her client go to prison?

This was a fast-paced story and drew me in immediately. I highly recommend it to everyone, but suggest that you don’t start reading it late at night. If you do, you may not get any sleep because you’ll have to keep turning the pages to see the next surprising plot twist. It’s a story with plenty of suspense, and romance.

I was touched when I realized Rachel received inspiration for this novel after reading newspaper headlines concerning an infant’s death after ingesting meth she had found in a plastic bag on the floor of her home. Weeks earlier, her father had forcibly taken her across state lines, hoping to protect her from her mother’s substance abuse. Authorities found the child, and placed her back with the mother and sent the father to jail. I’m so glad that this and other true-life experiences inspired Rachel to write such a compelling book. She did an outstanding job telling this story concerning difficult choices.

I had a short email interview with Rachel.

C. LaRene: Which book was the hardest for you to write?

Rachel: Of all my novels, the hardest to write was A Heartbeat Away, which tell the story of a kidnapping. I wrote it right after several girls in Utah were actually taken from their bedrooms during the night, and though that didn't happen in my book, as I researched for the novel, my eyes were really opened to the terrible things people do and how many missing child cases are unsolved. I ended up enduring five months of sleepless nights as I wrote the book because I worried constantly about my own children, especially my young daughters. I had to keep making sure they were sleeping peacefully in their beds and double check all the doors and windows. I eventually alarmed the entire house, though that was after the novel was out. I started sleeping again once I'd turned in the book.

C. LaRene: How do you determine your writing goals?

Rachel: I've always hit about 2,000 words a day because that's what I can write in two or three hours, which in the past has really been all the time I've had at the computer. Now that my children are all in school, that might go up, but I've been rewriting instead of drafting and that's a different thing altogether, so I'm not sure where I'll end up with drafting goals. Basically, I stay as long as I can at the computer without neglecting my family or other important duties. It's a fine line to walk sometimes. You must set priorities.

Saving Madeline, is published by Shadow Mountain Publishers, and is scheduled for a mid-September release. It will be available on Amazon.com, at Deseret Bookstores, and at the stores listed in the following link: http://www.ranunes.com/whereToBuy.php.

If you comment on this review, your name will automatically be entered to win a personalized copy of this novel. The winner will be chosen after the last review is posted tomorrow, and the winner can be found at http://www.rachelannnunes.com/ on Sept. 26.

The Winner Is

2009-09-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I attended the LUW Writers Conference at the Homestaed. I can tell you about some of the things I learned, but nothing takes the place of actually being there. Conferences like this and mingling with others in the same field give writers the incentive to keep trying.

On Friday evening, following the banquet, Richard Paul Evans, spoke to evryone there. He spoke about how powerful books are. They give us the power to look beyond. Every "major" change started with a book. Books change history. He encouraged us each to be true to our self, and write what matters to us. He also told us to take chances, and remember that failure is part of the process. All of us must pay the price.

On Saturday, I had a table set aside so I could sell my book, Martha's Freedom Train. If you bought one, I entered your name in a drawing for a gift bag. This afternoon I used a rnadom select devise to choose the winner. The winner is RONDA HENRICHSEN. I appreciate those people who supported me in this. Thanks and congratulations to Ronda.

The Jump

2009-09-16T16:21:00.001-07:00

Last week I blogged about my friend, Jill Vanderwood, and her Leap for Literacy, on Saturday, September 12. Yes, I was there. She didn’t just skydive from 12,500 feet – it was 13,000 feet. Below are some of the pictures I took of her before and after the jump, and some pictures from the video while she was in the air.

before boarding plane

On the plane

Flying through the air

At the end

This was a fun day and it's hard to believe I could watch something so spetacular. My husband bought me my birthday present early - a pair of binoculars - and watching it like that was unbelievable. Never had I seen people flying through the air before. Without the binoculars it would have just been little specks. They made the entire thing come alive for me.

Leap for Literacy

2009-09-09T07:18:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to spread the word--My friend Jill Vanderwood's book, What's It Like, Living Green has just won the National Teen Development Award--In the Pre-teen Nonfiction Category. This is in addition to the National Indie Excellence Award, earlier this year. This book is available through Amazon.com. It's a great book and I learned a lot about living green. I posted a blog about it earlier this year.

Please find the enclosed information sheet for Jill's Leap for Literacy, which will be held on Saturday, September 12. You can help a child or adult to read by making a donation for literacy, to the Literacy Action Center, or the Reading Tub.
http://childrens-literacy.com/2009/09/01/leap-for-literacy-take-your-reading-sky-high/

I'm going to be there lending my suffort to my friend Jill and to the Literacy program, as Jill makes a leap, 12,500 feet above Ogden this coming Saturday at 10 am. Jill hopes to make a difference for the next generation. You can learn more about Jill, her books, and her projects to make a difference on her author website.

2009-09-04T21:21:00.001-07:00

July 6, 2006 – the day we were going to head home to Utah. We had missed some of our vacation because of car problems, so we decided to go back to the places we were going to visit before we went to Colorado. This time we took one other granddaughter with us.

Our destination for the day was Nebraska, and it wasn’t far. I was anxious to stop at Courthouse and Jail Rocks in the North Platt Valley. They are supposed to be two of the most famous landmarks of westward migration.

Next, we drove to Chimney Rock. I‘m fascinated by this famous rock and did mention it in my book, Martha’s Freedom Train. This was my first time to see it, except in pictures. I wanted to get closer, but the barbwire fence kept me away. The other direction, across the dirt trail from where we parked, was an old graveyard that begged me to wander around, looking for familiar names. I didn’t see anything that drew my interest. Then we went to the visitor’s center. I’m glad my husband waited until all us had settled in the car before telling us a snake had crossed our path after we had all gone into the cemetery. I wasn’t surprised because this is desolate territory.

We headed back towards Colorado through Wyoming because I wanted to go to the Fort Laramie. Frontier Trading Post, but I’m not sure why, because as everyone told me, there isn’t much there now. It was disappointing to find it closed, but I still took pictures.

I’m glad we decided to explore a little. We drove out to the river and found an old Platt River Bridge. The girls loved it, and I was glad for a good look at the river that had been a trial for all the saints to cross on their westward trek.

That was the last of our adventures for this trip. We arrived back in Colorado a little late for dinner, but in time to see everyone before bed. The next morning we headed home. We didn’t really do anything along the way. I think we were tired and ready to be home.

Two Special Days

2009-09-02T14:09:00.001-07:00

I haven’t told you about one of the exciting things on our trip. I encouraged my granddaughters to bring their recommend for the Temple, so they could do baptisms for the dead, while I attended an endowment session.

The first day of our vacation, we drove to Rexburg and attended the Temple. For those who haven’t seen the beautiful building I do have to show you my best picture.

After trekking through Yellowstone, we went to Montana and of course, had to see the Billings’ Montana Temple. Both of these temples were a special part of our trip, and helped make the day brighter for all of us.

Oh, No!

2009-09-01T16:28:00.000-07:00

On all vacations there always has to be a day when everything goes wrong. Ours was no exception. Early the next morning we headed towards South Dakota. We made it as far as Spearfish. After eating lunch, the car started to make an awful noise. Thinking back, I think I heard that sound a little earlier in the trip, but it didn’t last so I thought nothing of it. By the time we reached Rapid City, the noise was extremely loud. We stopped at a service station with a garage and they informed us that the noise was the clutch on the air conditioner.

Great – miles from home and we had a broken car. The last thing I wanted to do was stay in a motel while someone fixed the car. I knew it would take forever. That wasn’t going to happen if I could do anything about it. I called our son in Colorado and told him about our predicament. He said we should drive straight there and he’d call the Honda dealer and schedule an appointment for the next day. It wasn’t exactly what we had planned for that day, but I knew it was a good thing because the 4th of July weekend was fast approaching.

We stopped at Mount Rushmore long enough for everyone to snap some quick pictures and then we were on our way. We saw Crazy Horse in the distance and with windows slightly rolled, we headed out for Windsor, Colorado. It was a long drive, and we only stopped for gas and food.
After leaving Cheyenne, it started to rain. By the time we were near Fort Collins, we could hardly see the road. Finally, about 10:30 pm we arrived at our destination.

We didn’t get our car back for a couple of days, but with their two vehicles, we were able to have a good visit. One day we went to the mountains and had a delicious picnic on a beautiful green lawn, and a long hike up a hot mountain, but the wildflowers were gorgeous. We spent time at the lake near our son’s home watching a movie one evening, and wading in the lake part of a day. This was certainly much better than being stuck in a motel room far from anything fun to do. The evening of the 4th of July, we watched fireworks from a park just down the street. I enjoyed our visit with his family a whole lot more than staying in a motel room for days.

Main Destination

2009-08-31T14:04:00.000-07:00

Our main destination for this vacation was North Dakota. Once we arrived there, it made the 50th state for my husband to visit. On the agenda was the Medora Musical program presented in the Burning Hills Amphitheatre. It consisted of many groups of western singers – The Coal Diggers, Job Christenson, and Buffalo Dale with The Burning Hills Singers.

I’m always impressed with a good presentation of the flag – The Medora Trail Riders rode in with flags of all the neighboring states as well as the USA.

The featured attraction for the night was The Peking Acrobats. They performed daring maneuvers on top of a pagoda of chairs. I couldn’t believe my eyes, how would anyone have the courage to stand atop so many chairs? I loved watching two acrobats dressed as a dog as they tumbled and did all sorts of somersaults. Some of the performers did juggling and balancing acts as well as all types of gymnastics.

Then the other performers gave a tribute to Theodore Roosevelt played by Jim France, and the grand finale presentation was “Proud to be an American.” This was a very impressive program.

Vacation Continues

2009-08-28T15:35:00.000-07:00

The following day we travelled to a beautiful valley north of Joliet, Montana, where along highway 212 is a grotto-style rock environment called Pathway Through the Bible. It’s a rock garden illustrating famous Biblical characters. The path starts in the Garden of Eden and it ends at the empty tomb.

I spent lots of time taking pictures and wandering around the garden. It would take too long to post all the pictures, but thought you might want to see a few of them.

Adam & Eve

Abraham & Isaac

Jacob

Mary’s well

Daniel in the Lion’s Den

Joseph’s Granary

John the Baptist

That's all I'm going to show - I guess if you are interested you should go visit this unique place along the roadside.

Third Day

2009-08-27T14:24:00.001-07:00

Early the morning of our third day in Yellowstone, we headed towards the North entrance. The first place we stopped was Norris Geyser Basin. I was anxious to see the Steamboat Geyser.

After watching this geyser for awhile, I noticed a sign that pointed down a trail that said it would take you to the museum without having to climb all the steps. That’s where we were headed, so why not? My husband was waiting for us there. I honestly thought it would be a good idea. Wow, was I wrong. No, I didn’t have to climb any steps, but I sure had to walk a lot farther than if I had just climbed up those steps. That hike was much longer than I had anticipated.

Next, we drove to Mammoth Hot Springs. On our drive up the canyon to see the Undine Falls, we also saw elk along side the road. I think if I had put my hand out the window I could have touched him.

Before leaving the park, we stopped along the roadway in town to see some mule deer.

We completed the day by going to a barbeque and great entertainment by the Bridger Creek Boys at the park in Gardiner Montana.

Second Day in Yellowstone

2009-08-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

I took all the photographs I'm posting myself. With a notebook in my hand I carefully wrote the name of each place as soon as I was done snapping the pictures. If any of them are messed up, it wasn't my fault, and my memory isn't as good as it used to be.

On our second day in the National Park, we saw the Black Sand Basin geyser area.

West Thumb area

One of the fun things we did that day was cruise on Yellowstone Lake. We sailed around Stevenson Island, where a bald eagle was hanging out in a tree.

Then we saw the Lake Hotel and the Conoco roof on the general store at Fishing Bridge. (above)

Our next stop was at the LeHardys Rapids. I stood in wonder watching the water cut a path as the impressive swift water rushed by. I certainly wouldn’t want to get in its way.

I had almost forgotten how breathtaking the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is. Even though I took lots of pictures of it and the lower and upper falls, they didn’t begin to capture the beauty I saw.

Finally we are back at Old Faithful and finally have time to sit and watch.

First Day in Yellowstone

2009-08-25T14:59:00.000-07:00

I guess I should tell you about our first day in Yellowstone National Park. After we saw the Firehole Fall’s we stopped at all the geyser and pool sights along the way to Old Faithful.

Clepsydra Geyser

Midway Geyser Basin

Turquois Pool

These are only a few of the things we saw. After checking into the Inn there was still plenty of time to sightsee, except it was raining and it didn’t appear that it would stop anytime soon. After eating we visited the souvenir shop, and that was the end of day one.

Contest Winner Is -

2009-08-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

Today is the big day to announce the winner in the contest to win a free book of Loyalty's Web. Next time I shall use the random method instead of my favorite response. I didn't think this would be so hard. I can relate to Cheri because she said she needs something to read. It's awful when you run out of things to read. I think everyone needs a copy of the book and Rachelle that's a good reason to want it. To my twin sister Cindy, you are right we should read the same things so if you don't get one soon I'll go buy you one. Ronda is such a good sister and I hope you are able to get this book for your sister.

The response I loved the very most was from Bonnie. She listed three reasons why she wanted the book, but it was number three that hooked me. I am working on becoming a published author myself and I love to see how other people write. That is one of the reason I read. That, and the fact that I love reading. Bonnie will you please respond to me within the next week with your mailing address, or I will use the random method to choose another winner. My eamil address is connie.c.hall@comcast.net.

Summer Is Almost Gone

2009-08-24T16:11:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that's it's almost fall. Where did the summer go? It went real quick and I didn't get many blogs written. It's not that I didn't have anything to write about because I had lots to tell you.

In June my husband, and two fifteen-year-old granddaughter went with me on a two-week vacation. On our 2nd day we drove from Rupert to Yellowstone. Our first stop there was to see some waterfalls.

Also that day we saw our first bison/buffalo - we obeyed the signs and stayed near the car while we took the pictures.

We stayed at the Old Faithful Inn, but it took us until late the following day to get any pictures of the geyser. It started raining almost the very minute that we checked in to our room. Saturday we left early to sightsight and we were just never around when it was errupting.

Next time I'll share some pictures of some of the other things we saw.

KREATIV AWARD

2009-08-20T15:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks Nichole – (Random-ish by Nichole at nicholegiles.blogspot.com) for nominating me for the Kreativ Award.

You are an inspiration to me and I can’t begin to tell you how much you have influenced me in my writing. You are the best.

Here are the rules:
1. Thank the person who nominated you for this ward. (Thanks Nichole)
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated your for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might not know.
5. Nominate 7 Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate. (Links are on my blog page)
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

Following are 7 things that you may not know about me.

1. When I was a young girl in the 3rd grade I was almost kidnapped. It happened as I was waiting at a bus stop. To get away from the man I ran across a street almost getting hit by an oncoming car. I hid in a store until I saw my bus coming. No, I never told anyone. I felt lucky to be riding the bus because my parents were very protective of me. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be allowed to ever ride the bus again and I was sure my violin lessons would stop. Many times since then I’ve wondered if some other unsuspecting girl was kidnapped in my place.

2. When I’m trying to concentrate I require complete silence. I don’t listen to music as I write – I enjoy hearing nothing. Now, some of you are wondering about my fairy fountain – yes, sometimes when I write I sit next to it and gather my thoughts as ideas twirl around in my head, but after awhile it too has to go off. I’m not saying that I don’t like music, because I do. Just not when I’m trying to concentrate. I LOVE QUIET.

3. I hate going out for dinner. I would rather stay home where it is quiet and peaceful. The noise in a restaurant drives me crazy. The only time I enjoy a restaurant is when I am meeting friends. It’s not the food I enjoy, it’s the company.

4. Shopping is my least favorite activity. It doesn’t matter what kind of shopping – grocery, clothing, or furniture. I hate it all. If you don’t want me to go somewhere with you, just say we’re going shopping. I will always find an excuse as to why I can’t go.

5. If you want me to go somewhere with you tell me we are going someplace I’ve never been. I will move a mountain to go with you. I love seeing new things. I don’t have any preference, just somewhere different.

6. I’m not a traditional person. Some people like family traditions, but I like doing unusual things. My philosophy is – If we did that last year or the year before let’s do something different this year.

7. I love to cook. I don’t do a lot of it, because it’s not as easy to cook for two especially when one of them hates all the good stuff such as dessert.

I’m supposed to pass this award on to seven other deserving bloggers. And the winners are –

Darvel Hunt
Daron Farley
Marsha Ward
Joyce DiPastena
Cathy Wetbeck
Gaynell Parker
Karen Hoover

This was hard to choose only seven because many people have helped me so much. Each one of the people listed above have pushed me hard and encouraged me with their actions. They are talented, unique people, and I appreciate them. Some people that have also helped me have already received this award.

Good luck with this gang – I’ll be anxious to see seven things about each of you that I don’t already know. It’s fun learning about the people you care for.

I'm Having a Contest

2009-08-14T07:40:00.001-07:00

I just finished reading a book review by Rachelle called Illuminations of the Heart by Joyce DiPastena. After reading Joyce's last book, I'm anxious to get this one. Rachelle is having a contest on her blog at http://www.rachellewrites.blogspot.com/. If I don't win this book, I'm planning on buying it because it's one that is on my list to read.

I'm also going to have a contest for someone to read Joyce's other book Loyalty's Web that I reviewed. I didn't want to give up my copy, but then decided I was being a little bit selfish and that I should pass it on to someone deserving and anxious to read the wonderful story. To win this contest you need to become a follower of my blog and give me one good reason why you, instead of someone else, should win the book.

This contest ends August 22, 2009. Be sure to check back and see if you won! I will announce the winner on August 25. Anonymous comments are not eligible, you must leave your name, how else will I know who you are. If you win, email me: connie.s.hall@comcast.net with your mailing address by the end of August, or another winner will be selected.

Good luck!

Book Review

2009-07-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

Loyalty's Web by Joyce DiPastena is a history, mystery and romance all bound into one book. My advice to anyone reading this is to make sure you have plenty of time, because once you start you won't be able to put it down.

The main characters, The Earl of Gunthar and Helene deLaurant, have many things get in the way of any feelings they may have for each other; arranged marriages, several assassination attempts, betrayals, and secrets, that need to be resolved to save all those they care about.

Joyce is a great storyteller and kept me on the edge of my seat. If you love a good mystery - men or women - this is the book for you.

The Party

2009-07-23T07:27:00.000-07:00

My book launching party was a huge success. Both myself and the illustrator signed each book sold. Some friends came early, and then people just kept coming, even after the time alloted for the event. I appreciate the efforts that everyone made to come and for their support.

The children had fun with the games and someone said that some of them didn’t want to go home. I’m sure there were plenty of prizes and it would have been a perfect day if it had been a bit cooler outside. I regretted not having time to visit with each guest that came.

A wonderful woman brought an Underground Railroad quilt to display. The refreshements were unique, but enjoyed by those brave enough to partake.

I’m happy to report that I sold fifty-six books that day and a few since then. Several people have reported they read the book in one night and want to know when the sequel is coming. I honestly hadn’t thought about writing more of the story, but with this many requests I have started one.

If anyone is wanting a signed copy I still have copies to sell. Leave a comment here or contact me at connie.s.hall@comcast.net and we'll make arrangements to get one to you.