Woohoo!

Jeri Gilchrist reviewed If I Should Die.  You can read it here.  Lynn Gardner did too.  You can read her review here. I don't get many reviews, (Few people review a reviewer! especially in a positive way) so I want to share.

You can read my Meridian review of Minor Adjustments by Rachael Renee Anderson here.  In fact you can read all of my recent reviews by clicking on this link then going to Books and under books, Book Reviews.  If you leave comments under any of this month's review here and/or there, they will count as entries in this month's Wish List contest.

I thought about posting a blog about 9-11 before Sunday, but found I couldn't do it.  That cowardly event impacted my family a great deal and I didn't want to go through all of that emotional upheavel again. At the present time I prefer to look ahead to supporting my country, my family, and my faith with greater gratitude, more tolerance, increased vigilance, and increasing my efforts toward true justice and freedom for all.

I'd Chew My Fingernails, But

Actually I'm not a nail biter; I'm just saying that after all these years I'm still a nervous wreck when I submit a manuscript.  I have the greatest editor in the world and I love Covenant's Managing Editor, still . . .

I wondered at times if I'd ever finish this manuscript.  With working two days at the temple and all of the good and bad events that have occurred in my family the past few years, finding time to work on this pair of books has been a challenge.  The first was accepted in the Spring, now I just hope this second companion novel will also be accepted.  My last two books were both Romantic Suspense, but these two are historical with a decidedly Western flavor.

Now while I wait to hear from my publisher, I plan to concentrate on a piece of good news I received this morning and something a bit scary.  The good news first: A court date has been set to finalize the adoption of my newest granddaughter and a date and time have been reserved for her to be sealed in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple to my daughter and son-in-law.  Now the other news isn't exactly bad, just a bit scary.  I'll be teaching a class on writing mystery/suspense novels on October 6 at Utah Valley University and also participating in a panel discussion for writers on getting their books reviewed. Whew!

IRKED AND ANNOYED

There's a television commercial that annoys my husband so much, he turns off the sound every time it comes on--and it comes on a lot.  Most commercials annoy me, but that one not as much as some. Come to think of it, most of the programming annoys me too.

Few things irk me more than sales calls, especially ones I know are fraud schemes.  I used to try to be nice to telephone salesmen; after all they are only trying to earn a living.  Not anymore.  I've had too many calls that start out telling me they're only calling to offer some kind of help with my credit card.  The moment someone mentions credit card over the phone, you can be sure it's a scam.  I do not have diabetes.  I do not want someone to clean my carpet.  If I were interested in selling my home, I'd contact a realtor , not the other way around.  And if I want to contribute to a political party or candidate , I'll initiate the contact or do it at the caucus.  I'm not interested in attending tea party meetings.  My name is on the do not call list SO STOP CALLING ME!

I'm definitely not a fan of talk radio, though I occasionally listen to Doug Wright.  I especially dislike a certain sports talk radio program where the commentator doesn't talk, he shouts and whines. 

Clothes that are too tight, too short, or require an act of God to keep them from falling off the rump are silly and juvenile, but they don't annoy me as long as I'm not the one expected to try them on in a fitting booth.  What does annoy me is the lack of stylish, attractive clothes that are designed to fit the human body available for real people to purchase in department stores.

I really don't care what color anyone's hair but mine is.  Purple is fine if you think it's right for you.  I once dyed a thin lock of my hair neon pink.  Short, long, curly, straight; I don't care.  Now dreadlocks are something else; they look matted, greasy, and unkempt.  They look like the wearer needs a shower.  If that's your style, so be it, just don't expect me to look at you; I can't get past your gross hair.

I dislike rudeness and find it irritating that so many people, push and shove, use crude language, play obnoxious music half the night, fail to show gratitude with a simple "thank you," take chances with other people's lives on the streets and highways, or let doors swing shut in the face of the person behind them.  Words such as please, excuse me, may I, thanks, and sorry, have disappeared from some people's vocabularies.

When it comes right down to it, most annoyances (not all; afterall there are still annoyances like mosquitoes, wasps, and gophers to deal with) are human caused.  Perhaps some can't be helped, but most are the product of inconsideration and lack of respect.  I suspect we could all serve society better by being annoyed less and avoiding providing annoyances more.

There's a good chance, every person alive has a list of things that annoy them.  Some of those annoyances, like fireworks at two in the morning, make us grumpy. Some just cause us to roll our eyes, but there are some that plant the seeds of major clashes or even war.  I've been told venting is good for easing tension, so tell me, what annoys, irks, or just plain bugs you?

Winners Announced

August Wish List winners are Lisa Paskins and Suzanne Perry.  Congratulations!  Please send a list of at least five books from your wish list, preferably books I have reviewed on Meridian to bhansen22 at msn dot com.  I'll also need your mailing address.

Check out my review of Hang 'em High on Meridian this morning. 

The September Wish List begins now!

THE END IS NEAR!

Okay, that title is a little dramatic, but I just wanted to let everyone know the August Wish List Contest ends tonight at midnight or when I get up in the morning and stagger my way to the computer.  I'll be gone most of the day, so it will be evening by the time I get the winners announced. 

On the subject of reviews

As many of my readers know, I write a weekly review column for Meridian Magazine.  Some time ago I extended my Wish List contest to include comments made about my reviews on the magazine's web site.  Today I'm going a step farther and including a link to today's review right here.  All you have to do to read my review is position your clicker over the word's highlighted and click.

Reviews can be a great resource for deciding where to spend book dollars. Paying $24.99 for a book then discovering it's boring or disgusting is a painful experience.  Some people never bother to read reviews and that's okay.  Some would like to read reviews if they felt they could trust the reviewer.  The blogosphere is clogged with reviews these days by friends of authors who agree to post sales pitch reviews for their friends' books.  That's okay too as long as you know the source of the review and understand the purpose behind the review.  There are also independent reviewers who choose which books to review and make an honest attempt to be impartial; some are very good too.  There are also print newspaper and magazine reviews.  Most of these reviewers are very good, though some have become a bit jaded and negative.  A new trend in some newspapers is to print amateur reviews of varying degrees of quality and often are no better than "friend's reviews".

I make no pretense of being the best reviewer around, but I've been at it for a long time and there are a few things I can promise my readers.  At Meridian I only review books intended for an adult LDS audience.  Occasionally I will review one that crosses the line between adult and teen interests.  I don't review books that are offensive in language or content. I read and consider both print and electronic formats.  And I'm honest.  Sometimes I hurt people's feelings, though never intentionally.  My goal is to let readers know just enough about a book to make an informed decision before they buy it, and to generally let readers know which new books are now available.  I don't review every book sent to me, but I read them all--unless they're so awful I can ony get through the first fifty pages.  I try to choose books to review that are fresh, well written, and have interesting characters and plots. I welcome comments from readers who let me know what they're looking for in a review.  So that's your cue.  What do you want to see in a review?

Stay in Your Lane

I feel lucky to be alive; I drove to Provo and back Tuesday. That strip of freeway between Salt Lake and Provo is not for the faint of heart.  It's confusing, but there are signs that say STAY IN YOUR LANE.  I wasn't too sure what the signs were trying to tell me, but I stayed in the lane I was in, although it took me through narrow canyons of walls and trucks, around odd curves, and over a lot of bumps.  There were far too many vehicles going much too fast and a huge truck taking up two lanes.  However, I survived by stubbornly staying in my lane.

Perhaps I'm getting a bit philosophical, but it seems to me, becoming a writer is a lot like that freeway.  There's all that white knuckle slogging through learning how to write which includes a lot of reading, research, practice writing, attending conferences, finishing and submitting a manuscript or multiple manuscripts, rejection letters, and rewriting.  It's scary, intimidating, and can easily discourage a would-be writer.  But then there's a welcome stretch when the work is accepted and it looks like smooth road ahead.  Ha!  Then begins the editing, rewriting, reading and rereading searching for the tiniest errors, making appearances, being interviewed, booksignings, and reviews.  Before there's time to catch your breath, it's time to do it all over again.

At BYU Education week a couple of people stopped by my table to tell me all about the great book they're going to write "someday."  This scenario happens over and over at book signings.  I love talking to people who are seriously working at becoming writers, the ones who are slogging through the early stages, but stubbornly moving forward.  It's the "someday" ones who make me wince.  These are the ones who have never committed a word to paper, the ones who think writing is so easy they can dash of a book anytime they get around to it, the ones who think they'll become great writers when they "find time."  One of those at this signing commented, "I don't read.  I don't have to be a reader to write a good book."  All I can say to these people is "Stay in your lane.  If you didn't pick a lane that leads to the destination you want, there's little chance you're going to get there."

There were a few drivers who wove from lane to lane, exceeded the speed limit, and made the trip more treacherous than it needed to be.  Life is like that.  There are spoilers who cause problems for themselves and others.  Writers meet their share of spoilers too; "friends" and "family" who attempt to discourage.  They laugh and ridicule.  They refuse to respect time set aside for writing.  They dish out guilt for not making more money or failing to do something else that is more important in their estimation.  They deliver patronizing, what-a-fun-little-hobby, comments and put downs.  It's not easy sticking to your goal or staying in your lane when those around you are speeding, cutting in, and failing to take your determination seriously. 

To be successful at anything, including writing, commitment is necessary. Getting published may take many years.  Some writers seem to have overnight success, but this perception is usually wrong.  The lane they picked only took a different route with its own bumps and obstacles. No one becomes a doctor, a concert pianist, or even a good parent without sticking to their determination to reach that goal and doing the work needed to get them there.  Writing is no different.  Talent is only the beginning; hard work, perseverance, and  stubbornly sticking to the chosen lane is the way to success.

Stay in your lane.  Deal with the distractions without childish anger or seeking shortcuts and you'll be the one collecting royalty checks instead of the one sitting beside the road with a highway patrolman handing you a "double fine in work zone" ticket.

CAMPING ADVENTURES

When our children were small and we had very little money, we only took two kinds of vacations.  We spent a week with my family in another state and we spent part of a week tent camping in the abundant camping spots near our home.  Our children still plan a summer camping trip each year and go to the same places we took them as children.  Now they're introducing their children to those places and the joys and hardships of tent camping.

Many things have changed at those camp sites. One spot now has flush toilets and rangers who patrol the area.  Trails are marked better.  Where we encountered only a handful of other campers, now the camp sites number over a hundred and most are filled, many with fancy camp trailers, and instead of hiking and wading in the creek, the children race their bikes up and down paved roads.

Much has stayed the same.  No one cares how dirty the kids get.  Food tastes better cooked over a campfire.  Squirrels and chipmunks still scavenge for dropped crumbs. Melted marshmallows smashed between two graham crackers and a chocolate bar are pure ambrosia. There's something fascinating and mysterious about a tent, though sometimes the tent isn't quite so thrilling when night comes and with it bedtime.  There's time to talk and laugh together without the distraction of television.  Unfortunately there are now telephones.

Getting everything together for a camping trip and cleaning up afterward often make young parents wonder if the experience is worth it. In the end though our children must think it is because they treasure the memories from their childhood camping trips enough to want to give their children equally warm and enduring memories.

A few pictures from last week's camping expedition:

And a few from those long ago camping trips:

SPEAKING OF CLUTTER

My office is a cluttered mess.  The rest of my house is just fine; it's just my office. I'm basically a neat, orderly person, but somehow my office gets out of hand at times.  It's the catch-all for things I mean to look at later or my husband doesn't know where else to put.  On my walls are a poster of one of my early books, an award with a framed copy of The Bracelet, a painting of one of my book covers, four framed certificates, a picture of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, drawings by four of my grandchildren, a small framed picture with the names of a previous Primary class surrounding the Savior, a painting of a horse by one of my daughters, and half a dozen family photographs.  Oh, and a calendar with big squares to write in and kittens to make a grandson, who is crazy about kittens, happy when he visits me.

My desk is worse.  Along with a stack of envelopes that need to be filed, a box of tissue, and the DSL modem, there's an accumulation of mementos from friends and readers such as a decorated rock, a sugar Easter egg, a purple stemmed goblet from a Mystery Dinner, a handmade ceramic pitcher, a plush goose, a paperweight style award, and a heart-shaped box.  That's just the top.  The so-called writing surface holds my monitor, keyboard, telephone, rolodex, pens, pencils, piles of paper, a couple of small files, notebooks, a bottle of lotion, and one of my sets of scriptures. That's also where the bare bones of my work in progress resides. 

I'll spare you the details of three floor to ceiling bookcases, a printer, a paper cutter, four file cabinets, two plastic bins and all the accumulated boxes, office equipment, and sundry items that adorn or occupy space under an eight feet long table.  On one shelf of the bookcase is my stack of "to read" books.  At least I try to keep the piles neat.

I already said I'm basically a neat, orderly person so every once in awhile, but not often enough, I tear the whole room apart, go through every paper, clean every file, shred, discard, clean, and reorganize.  No matter how much I itch to do a thorough cleaning while writing, I don't.  Most of the time I vacuum, dust what I can, and keep the piles neat.  A thorough cleaning only happens between books.

My writing style is a lot like my office or my office is the way it is because of my writing style.  I research before and during without throwing anything out.  I never know what I might need.  Sometimes I outline; sometimes I don't. I write notes to myself.  I create lists of names and characteristics.  I utilize two notebooks, a file folder, post-its, and several notepads. I jot down ideas. I make quick scene outlines.  Sometimes I print out a few pages for fast reference when I'm writing a follow up scene.  Add to that my notes for reviews in progress.

Once I think the story is in pretty good shape, I send it off to my beta readers.  I don't throw anything away.  When I get the readers' feedback, I plunge back into the story, fixing this, fixing that, and discover ideas have been circulating in my head while waiting that need to be incorporated into the story or used to strengthen a point.  When I'm satisfied I've done the best I can do, I send it to my editor.  I still don't clean up or discard anything. 

After varying lengths of time, if and when I get an acceptance, the rewrites begin and I refer to my notes and scribbles.  I'm glad I didn't throw anything away. I add exchanges with my editor, print outs of various stages , etc. to my files and clutter.

At last the book is off to the printer and out of my hands.  Do I clean up all the clutter at last?  Not really.  I scoop it all into a file to sort through later.  You see, I started another book while waiting for word from my beta readers; added to it while waiting for a yes or no from my editor, and I have a whole new pile of clutter.

*The August Wish List contest is on!  I'm not setting a specific theme this month, so just comment on any of my August blogs here or on the V-Formation or my Meridian reviews.

July Wish List Winners

My computer isn't behaving well this morning.  It might be the new operating system and it might be the huge rainstorm outside.  Anyway it's time to announce the winners of the July Wish List contest.  They are the Taylorfamily83316 and An Ordinary Mom.  Congratulations!  Please contact me by Saturday, August 6th.  Please send me your mailing address (US Postal) and a list of five or more LDS novels (more is better) you would like to have and I will select one from your list to send to you.  Be sure to include "July Wish List" in your subject line.