Gaze Into Heaven by Marlene Bateman Sullivan . . . Giveaway!

Gaze Into Heaven is a collection of true near-death experiences from the lives of early-day Latter-day Saints. These accounts date back to the early 1800s and relate what Saints experienced when they visited the Spirit World. These accounts have been carefully researched and are interspersed with scriptures, insights, and quotes from latter-day prophets and other Church leaders. After reading this book you will never be able to think of life or death in the same way.

I asked author Marlene Bateman Sullivan if she'd share some information about the kind of research she had to do for this nonfiction work:

Researching means spending a lot of time in libraries, so make sure that is something you enjoy before delving into nonfiction.  I did most of my research at the Church History Library, the Church Archives, BYU Library, and at Utah State University. I also checked out the University of Utah and local libraries. 

I was researching for my first book, Latter-day Saint Heroes and Heroines, (true stories about people who risked their life for the gospel) when I came across a few near-death experiences.  I was fascinated by these stories, as most people are. I jotted down the references and put them aside, thinking I would come back to them after I finished up my other projects. Many writers do the same thing—come across stories that give you ideas for future books. Be sure and write these down in a file some place!

I got sidetracked as I researched because I found amazing stories about angels coming to comfort, inspire, or direct early latter-day Saints.  I then decided to do a book (which expanded into three) on angels. So for the next few years, I did research and wrote about angelic visitations for my next three books; And There Were Angels Among them, Visits from Beyond the Veil, and By the Ministering of Angels. There were so many experiences that I had to limit the experiences in the book to people who had either seen or heard an angel. These experiences all came from the lives of early Latter-day Saints.

Finally, I thought I would be able to start researching near-death experiences, but once again, got sidetracked and decided to finish up a novel I’d been writing for some time: Light on Fire Island. 

After that, I started researching near-death experiences in earnest to see if I could find enough to fill a book. I found more than enough.  So many, in fact, that I’d like to write a sequel.

A person could spend years in the library, so aspiring writers need to decide on a topic before going to do research. 

Computer searches are wonderful, but they are limited.  Make sure that you choose a search that pulls up information from ALL sources, not just search one collection.

Another thing that helped me is to type in different words in my searches. Of course I typed in near-death experiences.  Watch out for hyphens, though.  I also typed in near death experiences and got a different list.  Go through your thesaurus if you need to and come up with different words to describe what you are looking for.  For example, I didn’t just type in “heaven” I also typed in “Spirit World” and “next life.”  Also “death.”  You never know what word might bring up information that you can use.

Be sure to check out related subjects—these usually appear either at the side of the computer screen or at the bottom. They may lead you to rich new sources of material.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. The people at libraries are happy to assist you. During your first visit, ask them to explain the layout of the library. They will give you great advice. It really helps to get their expertise on how to use the computer to navigate their particular system.  Asking for their help will save you a lot of time! 

Anyone who writes nonfiction must love to research, and I do. I especially loved researching near-death experiences and was amazed at how similar they were to modern-day experiences. There were a few differences. For instance, many early Latter-day Saints who visited the Spirit World saw LDS Church leaders.  A number also saw the gospel being preached.  But most elements seen in modern day experiences were the same; such as being met by a guide or family member who escorts the person to heaven, experiencing feelings of great love and joy, being reunited with deceased family members and friends, and also the incredible beauty of the Spirit World. Every experience I found while researching was a testimony to me that God lives and loves us, that the Church is true, that life continues on, and that mortality is a time of testing and a time for us to gain knowledge.

Good luck and happy researching!

I have a copy of this inspirational read to give away--U.S. only. All you have to do is comment below indicating that you're interested--please provide your email address. I'll do the drawing on Monday.

It's available online or in physical bookstores (yes, they still have a few of those, here and there).

Amazon     Deseret Book     Seagull Books

What do you think of near-death experiences? My hubby had one once. Fell 32-feet out of a tree (before we were married). Bounced his spirit right out of his body. He watched from above as everyone came running to where he was on the ground. *shivers*

A Bite of Magic

Magic isn't a handful of sparkling dust, a star-topped wand, or a tame word captured on parchment.

It's alive. It has a mind of its own. And it's hungry.

To celebrate the release of Slippers of Pearl and Bitten: A Novel of Faerie, I'd like to offer a bite of magic to all those who love kidlit--and fairy tales in particular.

There will be eleven winners and six different prizes available:

A Bite of Cobbler

3 Chapter Sample Here

Shoes, unlike magic, are predictable. They don’t change shape, bite, or alter a person’s destiny.

And that’s just how Faryn likes it.

But his Uncle Harvey has a bad habit of dying. While inconvenient, this hasn’t ever been a problem until now. Thanks to an evil witch and a poisoned apple turnover, Harvey is dead again—permanently this time.

As his uncle’s heir, Faryn has to give up shoemaking in order to accept and refine his magic.

Magic he never wanted.

Unwilling to let go of his dream, but unable to escape his destiny, Faryn combines the two and discovers a knack for making magical shoes. He also learns that turning a person into a goose is a lot easier than turning her back, and that he severely underestimated how much trouble magic can be.

The witch who killed his uncle is trying to control all the magic of the land, and it’s up to Faryn to stop her. If only he can get his magic to cooperate in time. 

an autographed copy of Slippers of Pearl

a magical pouch to keep it in

and a Slippers of Pearl bookmark

A Bite of Faerie

(Available October 2nd-ish)

Fourteen-year-old Cherrie Wilding stopped believing in fairies after her Grams had a stroke that left her a silent, empty stranger. But whether she believes in them or not, one of them bit her, and now the venom is spreading through her system and causing  . . . complications. Like an allergy to iron and a craving for milk.

It turns out that fairy venom has the power to turn mortals into small, winged versions of themselves. And it gets better. Grams's stroke was the result of her light—her fairy soul—being stolen. The fairy who bit Cherrie demands her to help steal Grams’s light back. 

As much as Cherrie wants to save Grams, her need to protect her older brother from the fairies and the rest of the real world wins out. Who knows what lurks in a world populated by winged menaces? But when the fairy talks Cherrie’s brother into going to the fairy realm, Cherrie mounts a rescue attempt to save him. To her surprise, it’s not her brother who needs rescuing—it’s the fairies. Someone is stealing their lights and imprisoning them, and it’s up to Cherrie and her brother to free them. But saving the fairies, keeping her brother safe, and returning home requires the help of the Phoenix. And the price for his aid doesn’t come cheap. If Cherrie wants to succeed, she must be willing to part with her greatest possession: her heart.

an autographed copy of Bitten: A Novel of Faerie

a faerie habitat

a Bitten bookmark

A Bite of Books

1 $25 Amazon Gift Card

Two Bites of Music

2 $15 iTunes Gift Cards

Six Bites of Braun Books Certificates

6 $10 gift certificates to Braun Books; redeemable in store or through Amazon

(A special thanks to Megan at Braun Books!)

To enter, leave a comment. Extra entries available through the Rafflecopter below.

Thank you to all, and best of luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Searching for Arthur Book Giveaway

As you may remember, I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that my friend and mentor, Donna Hosie, had a book come out this month: Searching for Arthur. You can read my post about it here.

Donna's ready to steam up things a bit in her slow simmer launch (since it's the first book in a trilogy). Right now she's looking to give away five copies of Arthur.

Check out her blog, Musings of a Penniless Writer, for details.

I'm reading the book right now and loving it. Here's what it's about:

Legend tells of King Arthur, mortally wounded at the hand of the traitorous Mordred in the final battle of Camlann. Before he was taken to the magical Vale of Avalon, Arthur declared that one day he would return, when the kingdom of Logres was once more in need of his leadership.

That day has now come.

It is hard to make friends when you’re constantly on the move. Seventeen-year-old Natasha Roth’s father is a diplomat, and so her mother – who is paranoid about terrorists – has moved Natasha and her brother, Arthur, to their eighteenth house in seventeen years: Avalon Cottage, deep in the heart of a Welsh forest.

Yet the terrorists are closer than they realize.

While out running, Natasha falls into a hidden tomb and awakens the legendary knights of Camelot: young warriors who have been in an enchanted sleep for a thousand years. All have been waiting patiently for the return of Arthur from the mysterious land of Avalon.

And now the knights are awake, they intend to reclaim their king.

When Arthur goes missing, Natasha joins forces with his girlfriend, “Slurpy” Samantha, in order to look for him. Natasha believes Samantha has fewer brain cells than an amoeba; Samantha believes Natasha is a freak. Retracing Natasha’s original steps to the hidden tomb, they bicker their way into a Welsh mountain and beyond, to the realm of Logres where the Knights of the Round Table are rallying once more.

Natasha falls in love with Sir Bedivere, the most loyal of knights to Arthur. He may be in dire need of a 21st Century razor, but he still possesses a set of lime-green eyes that can melt the soul. Yet just as Natasha starts to find confidence in this mystical land, Samantha deserts her. People who play by the rules are of no use to “Slurpy”. Samantha will take her own path to Arthur, aided and abetted by the dark arts which she willingly absorbs from a hot young stranger called Mordred.

A race across magical yet deadly lands is on. Natasha battles dwarf-riders, dragons, and eventually “Slurpy” to reach Camelot, where Arthur is held captive by the barbarian Saxon, Balvidore.

Natasha’s woes become numerous. What will happen to her and Arthur when the knights realise the eighteen-year-old boy they thought was their king, is in fact a math student with appalling taste in girls? Can two people with a one thousand year age gap really have a relationship? And for the love of all things holy, how is a girl supposed to ride bareback in a pair of skinny jeans?

Oh, and Cassie Mae gave me the 7 x 7 award. Since I've already responded to it once, I'll thank her and provide a link here if anyone cares to check out those seven posts I highlighted.

Ebook Giveaway - "The Most Important Catch" by Jaclyn M. Hawkes

Book Description:
Run or die!

She knew too much, and she'd seen too much.

And the police refused to help.

Knowing that she was to be the next scheduled death, Kelly Campbell hid under head to toe black leather and a tinted motorcycle helmet and ran for her life. When the weather turned cold, she turned south. She ended up in North Carolina, home to one of the most famed and eligible NFL football stars in the whole league; only she didn't know that. She thought he was a businessman. Not being a huge fan, all she knew was that he was incredibly attractive, kind, generous, and that she was safe with him.

Or was she? His brand of fame proved to be all but deadly, but his fame wasn't nearly as lethal as his attraction. He kept her safe and protected. All except for her heart.
This book is definitely targeted for the LDS market, so there are religious references. If they don't bother you, I think you'll enjoy it.

I loved the development of the two characters, Kelly and Robby, as they got to know each other. My favorite parts were the scenes where they just worked together fixing up his house and learned to care for each other. I loved how comfortable they were together and how comfortable that made me feel. Their similar senses of humor made me smile, and I felt like I would like to know both of them--even if they were both gorgeous. Hawkes kept giving me enough references to how much Kelly missed her family so it was believable and the snippets about the bad guys still hunting her maintained the suspense.

There's a point where my heart just broke for both Kelly and Robby. We're told as writers to hurt our characters and then hurt them some more. And then some more. If you want them to have a happily ever after, they're going to have to earn it.

I've read three of Hawkes' books now, and each one gets better than the last.

So, I'm going to be giving away an ebook copy. It's simple and painless. All you have to do is (1) note in the comment section that you're interested; and (2) include your email address.  I'll let random.org choose the winner first thing on Friday morning.

• Amazon 
• Barnes & Noble
• Book Depository

And the winner is . . .

The winner

of

Twitterpated

by

 Melanie Jacobson 

is

ilima

Since tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, the day when anyone in the U.S. can pretend to be Irish (I am, and my two older children are even more so, since they get it from both sides of the family), I thought I'd post a couple of pictures from my trip to Ireland last April. 

This is at the Poulnabrone Dolmen--a portal tomb in County Clare. It's older than Stone Henge.

The Cliffs of Moher

Even their asphalt is green. lol This is in Connemara where they have world famous marble.

Kylemore Abbey - they have beautiful gardens there but we got there a few minutes too late.

The is from the town of Cong, where they filmed a bunch of stuff for The Quiet Man. There're also amazing ruins of an abbey there. They have a gorgeous recreation area where we took a hike.

Cong Abbey

This is the Ross Errilly Friary--they abandoned this place in the 1600s. For an American, where something is old when it's 150-200 years old, this is mind boggling.

We also made it to Dublin and visited St. Patrick's Cathedral and Christ Church, toured Dublinia and tons of other stuff and generally had too much fun.

Now that I've bored you with my travelogue, I have to say that I loved my visit. I SO have to go back. Really. And I have a great excuse. One of my future books is going to take place there, so I'll need to refresh my memory. Right?

Have any of you visited a real location for research for a book? 

Book Giveaway - Twitterpated by Melanie Jacobson

You guys are in for a treat. This week on my blog, I'm doing a giveaway for the fabulous Melanie Jacobson, the author of The List and Not My Type (both Whitney Award nominees, by the way--can you imagine competing against yourself? Some nationally known Whitney recipients/finalists include: Orson Scott Card, Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, Brandon Mull, Dan Wells, Janette Rallison, Ally Condie, James Dashner, Aprilynne Pike, and David Farland to name a few).

Those of you who have followed me for a bit know that last May I went to the Storymaker writing conference and also signed up for Bootcamp. Melanie was my Drill Instructor, and she recently signed with Alyssa Henkin at Trident Media Group for a national project (under the name Melanie Bennett). 



Well, Melanie has a new book coming out. Twitterpated. And you have the chance to win a copy!

About the book:

Jessie Taylor is furious when her roommate secretly posts her picture on the dating website LDS Lookup—furious, that is, until she spends all night instant messaging Ben Bratton, a man whose wit and warmth just might make Jessie forget the train wreck of her last romantic relationship. Their first date is a smashing success (literally), but Ben’s overall awesomeness can’t save Jessie from having to deal with Craig, her competitive coworker whose baiting behavior sets new standards for obnoxiousness. Determined to beat Craig at his own game, Jessie spends long office hours finishing projects and putting out fires, but while her performance wows her boss, it only makes Ben skittish—after a failed engagement to an up-and-coming lawyer, he’s not about to pair up with someone who’s married to her job. Will Jessie figure out how to be true to herself and take her big chance at love before it’s gone with a click of the mouse?

What do you have to do to be considered? It's easy:

1. Be a follower of this blog.
2. Post a comment (with your email) that you'd be interested in having your name entered.

I'll do the drawing first thing on FRIDAY morning, March 16th, and announce the winner on my blog.

And don't forget to check out Melanie's other books (I LOVED them!)

Twenty-three-year-old Pepper Spicer is not living the dream. She ended her engagement at the last minute because fiance—a musician an soon-to-be reality TV star—wanted her to sacrifice her own career ambitions for his. Now she's stuck at home sharing a room with her little sister, trying to pay off massive debt for a wedding that didn't happen, and spending Friday nights Facebook-stalking everyone who has a better life. Her therapist father urges her to choose her career dreams and count her blessings by writing weekly thank-you notes, but gratitude is a tall order when she botches an important job interview and has to settle for writing an undercover dating web-zine column—the last thing in the world she wants to do. Still, as Pepper (byline:Indie Girl) chronicles her bizarre and hilarious blind dates, she gives her father's challenge a try and slowly finds herself leaving self-pity behind. Life takes a major upswing as Pepper's column hits the big time and she tastes the exhilarating thrill of success. But there's one tiny problem: the intensely hot man she's falling for is having issues with her job (again). Will Pepper trade her personal ambition for another chance at love?

Ashley Barrett doesn’t want to get married. At least, not anytime soon. She doesn’t care how many of her friends and family members and fellow churchgoers had weddings before they finished college — the last thing she needs in her fun-loving twenties is the dead-weight of some guy. And that’s why she created The List. By the time she completes all twenty-five goals — from learning a language to skydiving to perfecting the art of making sushi — she’ll be more ready to settle down. Maybe.

This summer in California is a prime time for Ashley to cross two items off the list: learn to surf (#13) and have a summer romance (#17). And Matt Gibson, the best surf instructor in Huntington Beach and the most wanted guy in the singles ward, is the perfect man for the job. Ashley hatches a plan to love him and leave him before heading off to grad school in the fall (#4, get a master’s degree). But when Matt decides he doesn’t like the “leaving” part, Ashley’s carefully laid plans are turned sideways. Now Ashley faces an unexpected dilemma: should she stick to the safety of The List, or risk everything for a love that may tie her down — or might set her free?

And the Winner Is . . .

The winner of the ebook is Bonnie!

Anybody going to Life, the Universe and Everything (LTUE) this week? It's a killer deal at $30 for three days. 

Here's my post from last year's event.

What Are You Doing When You Think You're Writing . . . and a Book Giveaway

Article

Valerie Ipson shared this fun post by Dan Berstein on The Barnes & Noble Review  about what you're really doing when you think you're sitting down to write.

It's worth the read and should give you a guilty smile.

Book Giveaway

I won a couple of kewl prizes over at Laura Josephsen's blog for the Favorite Character Blogfest (it was random rather than competitive). The first was a ten-page critique by Melanie Billings at Whiskey Creek Press, so I'm excited.

I also won an ebook copy of Laura's book Confessions from the Realm of the Underworld (Also Known as High School). You can read what I thought of this book here. Hint: I LOVED it!

Since I already own the paper copy, I'm going to give away my ebook prize to one of you. All you have to do is be a follower of my blog and note in your comment below that you're interested in being part of the drawing. I'll announce the winner on Monday.

However, you might also want to note that Laura's getting ready to launch her next book, Rising (Part 1 Resistance). I'm reading this book right now and loving it.

Don't forget to post a comment with your email address if you'd like to have your name put in for the drawing.

The Winner is . . .

The winner of the book King's Envoy

by Cas Peace is Diana!

Book Review - Mistborn: The Alloy of Law

Brandon Sanderson's done it again. And that's why he's become one of my favorite authors. You can find an article on the Tor blog here where Brandon wonders if his 14-year-old self would approve of what he did in this fantasy book.

Well, I loved what he did.

Here's a synopsis:

Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is on the verge of modernity, with railroads to supplement the canals, electric lighting in the streets and the homes of the wealthy, and the first steel-framed skyscrapers racing for the clouds.

Kelsier, Vin, Elend, Sazed, Spook, and the rest are now part of history—or religion. Yet even as science and technology are reaching new heights, the old magics of Allomancy and Feruchemy continue to play a role in this reborn world. Out in the frontier lands known as the Roughs, they are crucial tools for the brave men and women attempting to establish order and justice.

One such is Waxillium Ladrian, a rare Twinborn who can Push on metals with his Allomancy and use Feruchemy to become lighter or heavier at will. After twenty years in the Roughs, Wax has been forced by family tragedy to return to the metropolis of Elendel. Now he must reluctantly put away his guns and assume the duties and dignity incumbent upon the head of a noble house. Or so he thinks, until he learns the hard way that the mansions and elegant tree-lined streets of the city can be even more dangerous than the dusty plains of the Roughs.

I'm good with some fight scenes in books. If they drag on too long I find myself getting bored and will skim ahead to see what the outcome is. What's surprising is how much I enjoyed the Mistborn trilogy's fight scenes using the unique magics of the world, both for the Allomancers (people who can "burn" metals and get power from it) and the Feruchemists (people who can store things like health, weight, strength, etc. into "metalminds" on their bodies).

I love what Sanderson's done in this new society where the main character can do both Allomancy and Feruchemy. Oh, my, the things he can do with it. In Brandon's article above, he spoke about the introduction of guns into this world. Adding this element to the already clever and exciting fight was brilliant. I grew up in a day when westerns were big on TV and in the movies. I remember Clint Eastwood before he became famous in the Spaghetti Westerns like The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly back when he was on Rawhide. The feel that Sanderson brought to the book matched well with my memories but, as always, with his own fascinating twist.

Brandon did a great job blending of our turn-of-the-century-type (the one before) technology with trains, horseless carriages, skyscrapers into the culture and political system we were familiar with in the earlier series. I loved what he's done with the place, so to speak.

And the characters. Brandon writes characters I love. I love their flaws (oh, my gosh, Wayne just makes me smile!), their strengths, their humor, and their interactions with each other. In the character Waxillium, you've got a brilliant mind mixed with amazing physical skills all set inside a man who's dealing with a terrible emotional burden. A man with a powerful sense of justice and a need to do something to make things better. Kind of a "saving people thing" that Harry Potter had--only Wax is no kid.

I'm glad this is the start of a new series. As always, Sanderson throws in some great twists that will keep you on your toes. I highly recommend this book.

Tomorrow is the last chance to enter to win The King's Envoy in The Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop. 
Click here to sign up. I'm choosing the winner at noon.

Also tomorrow, you  might want to stop over at Matt's place at The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment. He's going to post my query and critique it on Friday.

Should I or Shouldn't I?

Don't forget you can sign up painlessly to participate in the Give Books Blog Hop and get a book for Christmas (or other applicable gift-giving celebration this time of year). The Hop runs through December 15th, and I'll be getting the book out on the 16th. Click here for details and check out the others books you could win by visiting the following blogs.

Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop

1.	Inksplasher (US)	7.	Maria Hoagland (US)	13.	K.C. Grant Writer's Corner (US)
2.	Jennifer Hurst (INT)	8.	The Last Word (US)	14.	Jennifer K. Clark (US)
3.	FALL (INT)	9.	Weaving a Tale or Two (US)	15.	Publish Novels or Bust (US)
4.	Geek Girl (INT)	10.	Tristi Pinkston	16.	Heidi Murphy (US)
5.	Heart on a Chain (INT)	11.	LDS Publisher (INT)
6.	Immortal Mine (INT)	12.	Carolyn Frank (INT)

 
*sigh*

Yes, that's a really big sigh.

My goal this month is to finish the edit for WIP #1 and send the first fifty pages off to an editor. AND I need to finish my query. Well, it's finished. The dang thing's just not right yet. ETA for clarification: This query has been critiqued by both my online and in-person critique groups. It's been critiqued by some other writerly friends and in its essential form given a thumbs up from the author I won the query critique from. But everyone--and I mean every who hasn't read the book--thinks a critical thing referenced in the query (and which is the hook) is a major plot-line. But it's really just a catalyst and sets into motion what happens in the rest of the book.

I've thought of submitting to Matt over at The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment, and he said he'd be willing to look at it. Alex and Nancy have both said I should.

I just have this little problem about bearing myself in public, so to speak, and subjecting myself to ridicule. I'm good at my day job, and I work very hard to make sure I'm knowledgeable and up to date with my skills. I have to be because if I screw up I can get sued. Don't even mess with someone's bid to public office, believe me.

But I think the thing that really turns me into a quivering mess is the genre bias I talked about in this post. I'm not worried about Matt's comments. He a consummate professional and tactful besides. When I had one of my sons who's got a bright, creative mind (I love to bounce ideas off him) read an earlier version, his tone dripped with sarcastic cheese.

So, my adventure romance book's query could be said to have a melodramatic tone. If you read it the way my son did. Writing is so subjective I'm sure people will pick up on the cheese factor. And I'm so not into this:

Please note that my son made fun of the version approved by the author I won a query critique from.

It could just be him. Or it could be that the tone is there but fits the genre. The bottom line is that I'm at my wit's end over this thing. So I'm going to let you folks help me decide. On the right sidebar is a poll. Please comment here and tell me why you voted the way you did.

In the meantime, I'm going to be doing this:

Grammar Friday - Emphasis & Give Books Blog Hop

Don't forget you can sign up painlessly to participate in the Give Books Blog Hop and get a book for Christmas (or other applicable gift-giving celebration this time of year). Click here.






Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop

1.	Inksplasher (US)	7.	Maria Hoagland (US)	13.	K.C. Grant Writer's Corner (US)
2.	Jennifer Hurst (INT)	8.	The Last Word (US)	14.	Jennifer K. Clark (US)
3.	FALL (INT)	9.	Weaving a Tale or Two (US)	15.	Publish Novels or Bust (US)
4.	Geek Girl (INT)	10.	Tristi Pinkston	16.	Heidi Murphy (US)
5.	Heart on a Chain (INT)	11.	LDS Publisher (INT)
6.	Immortal Mine (INT)	12.	Carolyn Frank (INT)

Emphasis

Following are three sentences using commas, parentheses, or em-dashes to set off a portion of the sentence.

The supporters of the trade bill need the votes of three or more senators, the most likely ones to be won over are Smith, Jones, and White, if they are to get approval of the legislation.

The supporters of the trade bill need the votes of three or more senators (the most likely ones to be won over are Smith, Jones, and White) if they are to get approval of the legislation.

The supporters of the trade bill need the votes of three or more senators—the most likely ones to be won over are Smith, Jones, and White—if they are to get approval of the legislation.

Which is correct?

Source

They're all grammatically correct. As to which you should use depends upon your intent for the sentence and what you want to emphasize in it.

If you don't want to draw attention to the aside, commas would be a good option. Using the parentheses draws a little more attention.

Visually, if you really want to draw the reader's attention to the aside, you'd use the em dash because it really makes it stand out.

Bonus Question

And for that matter, what is an en dash or an em dash? Well, and en dash is basically the width of an "n" and and em dash is the width of an "m". Isn't it nice to know there really is some logic in all this? If you're interested in some nice examples of when and how to use dashes, there's a nice article here.

I have to confess that I interrupt myself all the time with asides, so they have a tendency to want to take over in my writing. Do you use dashes? Or are you a dash hater?

And the Winners Are . . .

The winners of my two copies of

Variant

by Robinson Wells

are

  Abby Fowers

at

Something to Write About

and

Robin Weeks

If you ladies will email me at donnakweaver(at)gmail(dot) com

and send me your mailing addresses, I'll get these off to you.

Congrats.

I have everyone confidence you'll enjoy this read.

NaNo Update

I did it! As of this posting I have 51,434 words and the end of the book is in sight.

Last Day for Book Giveaway

I've still got those two copies of Variant by Robison Wells.

Click here for details.

This book would make a great gift, and it won't even cost you anything.

Thanksgiving and the Book Giveaway

Book Giveaway Reminder

It's not too late to get in on my giveaway of two copies of

Robison Wells'

Variant

Click here for details.

A Day of Thanks

It's been a tough three years. As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving this week I'd like to take a minute and express my gratitude. My list is hardly all encompassing, but these are a few things I'm thankful for.

• Being married (28 years in January) to a wonderful man. When one of my betas told me the epilogue in my adventure romance showed the love interests still too into each other, I had to smile. I hadn't realized I'd based some of my my hero's more romantic characteristics after my hubby.
• Six amazing children. Being a mother changed and enriched my life in ways I could not understand until I'd experienced it. There's truth in the trite little saying that motherhood has a way of proving that your heart really can beat outside of your body. For all the anguish these smart and talented individuals gave us while they were growing up, all I can say is: what a ride. And we did it together.
• Seven (soon to be eight in December) grandchildren. Oh. My. Heck. Why didn't someone tell me how dang much fun being a grandmother would be? I'd have skipped the parent thing and gone right to Nana right away! All the fun with only a little of the responsibility!
• When so many people don't have a job, I do. I'll never be rich working for municipal government but I work with wonderful people, and I like to think what I do makes a difference.
• Belief in something bigger than myself.

Do you have any "attitude of gratitude" traditions in your family?

Book Giveaway - "Variant" by Robison Wells

Last week I participated in the book bomb hosted by author Larry Correia for the book Variant by Robison Wells. It gave me a thrill at the number of my friends who participated as well.

Why?

First, because it was a good cause. But second because I really enjoyed this book. You can read my review here.

Even though I already owned a copy of the audiobook and gave away a paper copy for Rachel Harrie's Campaign, I ordered two more copies, intending to give them away here.

Here's what you have to do to be entered into the drawing for the first copy (chosen randomly):

1. Follow me (if you're not already a follower).
2. Comment in this post that you'd like to be entered.
3. Tweet about this giveaway and encourage others to participate (you'll have to leave a link, sorry).
4. Facebook about this giveaway and encourage others to participate (you'll have to leave a link for this, too).

Since I'm approaching the big 500 follower mark, I've decided to link one of the books to that. I will put the names of everyone who does all the above AND blogs about the giveaway. Please provide me with a link to your post.

On black Friday I will do the drawing for both books.


On a side note, my hubby and I are driving to Wyoming for my uncle's funeral tomorrow, and I'm nervous. Years ago, on my way to visit them for Christmas, I was riding with another college student and we hit a patch of black ice. We nearly went over a cliff, but the driver's quick responses got us into a snow bank instead. I've never been comfortable driving in canyons since and especially not in bad weather.

And, to be honest, hubby's driving scares the crap out of me. His reflexes are great, but he's one of those driving multitaskers. I usually read to him when we drive, so I don't have to watch. It's better for my nerves and definitely better for our relationship.

So if you're prayin' folks, I wouldn't mind being included in yours. If you're not, positive vibes would help.

Have a great weekend.

I hope I'm here.

ETA: No trip to Wyoming. My cousin called to say they were forecasting 100 mph winds in the canyons.

I SO wish I could apparate.

Book Giveaway! "Not My Type" by Melanie Jacobson

It's not too late to get in on the

Banned Book Giveaway Hop here. 

Not My Type Book Giveaway

 Those of you who have followed me for a bit know that last May I went to the Storymaker writing conference and also signed up for Bootcamp. Well, my bookcamp Drill Instructor was the charming Melanie Jacobson, author of The List and the recently released Not My Type.

I'm reading Not My Type right now and thoroughly enjoying it. Because I was in the middle of another book, I lent this one to a coworker to read first. She loved it! This coworker seems to get to read all my books before I do. Ugh!

Well, to help celebrate the release of Melanie's new book, I'm hosting a giveaway. Some lucky person is going to win a copy of Not My Type. So what's it about? Here's what the back of the book says:

Twenty-three-year-old Pepper Spicer is not living the dream. She ended her engagement at the last minute because fiance—a musician an soon-to-be reality TV star—wanted her to sacrifice her own career ambitions for his. Now she's stuck at home sharing a room with her little sister, trying to pay off massive debt for a wedding that didn't happen, and spending Friday nights Facebook-stalking everyone who has a better life. Her therapist father urges her to choose her career dreams and count her blessings by writing weekly thank-you notes, but gratitude is a tall order when she botches an important job interview and has to settle for writing an undercover dating web-zine column—the last thing in the world she wants to do. Still, as Pepper (byline:Indie Girl) chronicles her bizarre and hilarious blind dates, she gives her father's challenge a try and slowly finds herself leaving self-pity behind. Life takes a major upswing as Pepper's column hits the big time and she tastes the exhilarating thrill of success. But there's one tiny problem: the intensely hot man she's falling for is having issues with her job (again). Will Pepper trade her personal ambition for another chance at love?

And if you're still not sure you want this book (and I'm tellin' you, you want this book), you can read the first chapter here.

Now that you've whetted your appetite with that little appetizer of a chapter, I bet you're wondering what you have to do to win the book.

Well ...

This is what you MUST do:

• Comment here that you're interested in being entered in the drawing
• Since some of this romance also has to do with Pepper's job/career, share a job that you've had some time in your life

This is what you CAN do if you so choose:

• Follow me if you aren't already doing so
• Follow Melanie here

This is going to be a short contest,

and I will announce the winner on my post

on Friday morning.

And don't forget to check out The List:

Ashley Barrett doesn’t want to get married. At least, not anytime soon. She doesn’t care how many of her friends and family members and fellow churchgoers had weddings before they finished college — the last thing she needs in her fun-loving twenties is the dead-weight of some guy. And that’s why she created The List. By the time she completes all twenty-five goals — from learning a language to skydiving to perfecting the art of making sushi — she’ll be more ready to settle down. Maybe.

This summer in California is a prime time for Ashley to cross two items off the list: learn to surf (#13) and have a summer romance (#17). And Matt Gibson, the best surf instructor in Huntington Beach and the most wanted guy in the singles ward, is the perfect man for the job. Ashley hatches a plan to love him and leave him before heading off to grad school in the fall (#4, get a master’s degree). But when Matt decides he doesn’t like the “leaving” part, Ashley’s carefully laid plans are turned sideways. Now Ashley faces an unexpected dilemma: should she stick to the safety of The List, or risk everything for a love that may tie her down — or might set her free?

 Since I'm asking  you to tell about a job you had, I'll lead out. One of the jobs I had in college was folding T-shirts. Well, shorts, too, since it was the laundry for the university gym, but there wasn't anything to folding shorts. Have you dropped dead from boredom, yet? It was so badwe'd have contests to see how many t-shirts we could fold in an hour. O_o

It's amazing the things people would leave with their gym clothes. I mean, come on. I realize a guy might not notice when he left his jock strap behind, but a girl's panties or bra? We used to have fun with those and slip them into the neatly folded clothes of members of the opposite sex. Bear in mind that I attended a conservative religious university *coughBYUcough*. We tend to be a little tight about stuff like that, especially back before there was dirt.

What can I say?

So, what dumb job have you had?

Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop

Hard Cover

Anybody who knows me knows I'm a rabid Harry Potter fan. The books and films have been so wildly popular that some of you may have forgotten that there were (and still are) lots of people who would like to see them banned.

So no one should be surprised that the banned book I'm giving away for the Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop is one of Harry's books.

    And another ...

 

But to spice things up, I'm going to have a second winner. This winner will get a hard copy of another banned book. A Pulitzer Prize winning book.

Hard Cover

You only have to do two things for your name to be entered in the giveaway:

1. Comment here that you're interested in participating in the drawing.
2. Tell what your favorite banned book is and why.

I invite you to do the following but neither is required:

1. Visit the other members of the Banned Book Giveaway Hop and see what books they're giving away. You can find the list here. The Giveaway lasts a week, so you don't have to hit them all at once.
2. Feel free to follow me if you aren't already.