Souls of Valor by Trudi Jackson

Souls of Valor by Trudi Jackson

This stunning debut historical novel by Trudi Jackson, Cheri Crane's younger sister, was a big page-turner. I felt like I was right there experiencing everything that was happening.

This story takes place during the First World War in the deep trenches of France. When Alex Cannigan, an embittered former soldier who was injured in the war, crosses Elizabeth Randolph's doorstep in Gray's Harbor, Idaho, both their lives change in ways neither expects.
Elizabeth leaves her home in Boston when her family and those around her scorn her for joining The Mormon Church. She finds the answer to her prayers by an ad in the newspaper for a schoolteacher in a one-room schoolhouse in the middle of nowhere. She learns how to take care of herself, faces the elements with courage, faith and determination, even to tangling with the children she teaches.
When Alex has issues with believing in a God who allows pain and suffering, Elizabeth attempts to teach him about God's love. When both Elizabeth and Alex find trouble with a couple of outlaws, they get their friends to help them thwart them.
When Elizabeth finds her father sick with the Influenza, she goes to his bedside. With this epidemic sweeping all over the world, with people of all ages and from all walks of life being stricken, Elizabeth and Alex are overburdened with challenges.
This is a sweeping historical novel with deep characters throughout, making you come to feel close to them. Trudi has done an outstanding job of writing about this troubling time in America's history. I guarantee you will treasure ths book as I did. Bravo, Trudi!!!
I received my revew copy from Granite.

Published by: Granite Publishing & Distribution LLC
Date Publishing: March 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59936-051-5
349pp

Becoming Kate by Dixie Owens

Becoming Kate by Dixie Owens

This stunning debut novel by Dixie Owens is just the perfect novel to curl up with. Liz Lindsay, a twenty-nine year old wife and mother to two young children, doesn't know that today will be her last day of life as she knows it. When Liz is hit head-on by a semi, she wakes up in the hospital in the body of eleven year old Kate, who has spent most of her life in the hospital.
With this devastating turn of events, Liz finds she has retained all her memories of her former life and with the help of Marcy, her Physical Therapist, is able to keep abreast of the comings and goings of her family.

Kate/Liz become embroiled in a media frenzy when Kate is allowed to go home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, having the news media camped out in her new family's yard.
Dr. Jamison, the surgeon who performed the Brain Transplant, wants to keep Kate/Liz in the hospital as long as possible. He needs to feel in control of his special patient, who he suspects is very unique, as she is the only Brain Transplant patient of his to survive and he wants to find out why.

Kate's new brother, fifteen year old Josh, feels left out because of all the concern for Kate, so becomes filled with resentment towards Kate. When Kate/Liz comes up with words and phrases only an adult should know, he becomes suspicious, believing Kate to be "possessed."

When Kate/Liz asks Marcy to help her to attend her own funeral, things get out of hand, as they need to make sure Kate is not seen for a couple of hours.
When Liz sees her family, it's all she can do not to tell them she is basically alive. She comes to realize that love is the most important thing in her life, knowing she loves her new family more than ever.
This is such a unique story and is well-written. I would very highly recommend this debut novel.
I received this review copy from Cedar Fort.

Published by: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Date Published: July 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59955-402-0

The Enchanted Tunnel: Book2 Escape From Egypt by Marianne Monson

The Enchanted Tunnel: Book 2 Escape From Egypt by Marianne Monson

Escape To Egypt starts off with the twins in class sharingall their newfound knowledge of pioneer days. When Church is over, they hightail it to the cultural hall to find some pioneer clothing , so they'd fit in better and they are hoping the Enchanted Tunnel will still work tor them. They come prepared this time with snack food, better shoes and a GPS.
When they come out at the end of the tunnel, they find themselves amidst palm trees and desert. And, it's very hot. Nathan and Aria come upon Rachel and Eli, two kids approximately their own age. The twins, with help from the GPS, are able to understand their language and find they are in Egypt at the time of the exodus.
Nathan tastes a leek that he doesn't like, as it tastes like an onion. They were shown how the people painted their doors with lamb's blood to keep the last plague from hitting their home. They have a passover feast with Rachel's and Eli's family before leaving on the exodus.
When the twins say goodbye, they don't realize they will be helping Eli find his family. They decide to help Eli, rather than try to find the cave. They wind up helping Eli get through the parting of the Red Sea, even for Aria getting help from Moses. They aren't sure they will find the cave since they can't go through the Red Sea.
When they do find the cave, and find themselves back in the Cultural Hall, they see their mom scolding them for getting dirty again.
Bothbooks have fun facts and interesting reading selections for further information. And, there are more volumes on the way for those hooked on these first two like I am. I will be giving these to my 9 year old granddaughter for Christmas.

I received this review copy from Deseret Books.

Published by: Deseret Books
Date Published: October 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60641-670-9
86pp

The Enchanted Tunnel: Book 1 Pioneer Puzzle by Marianne Monson

The Enchanted Tunnel: Book One Pioneer Puzzle by Marianne Monson
Book One of The Enchanted Tunnel begins in a cultural hall just like every other Latter-day Saint congregates in every Sunday. We find Nathan and Aria, ten year old twins, bored from their Primary lesson in Bro. King's class. After Church, they decide to play in the Cultural Hall while their mother attends a meeting.
They decide to crawl underneath stage where the chairs and tables are kept. They encounter endless darkness, a weird sensation, then coming out of a cave to see a covered wagon passing by. As it turns up, they end up meeting Joseph F. Smith helping his mother, Mary Fielding Smith, cross the plains to Salt Lake.
Nathan helps Joseph, the future Prophet, and Hyrum's son, to find the missing oxen, Aria learns how to milk their cow with help from Joseph's sister and they even get to eat Johnny-cakes. How the two get back to the tunnel and back to their own time is something you'll have to read in order to find out.
At the back of the book, there is a fun fact page, the recipe for Johnny-cakes and alist of other reading selections for more information.
I highly recommend this book and the second book of this delightful series for kids. And, the cover is awesome.

I received this review copy from Deseret Books.

Published by: Deseret Books
Date Published: September 2010
85pp

My Gift To You by Lori Nawyn

My Gift To You by Lori Nawyn
Before I started reading Lori's debut novel, just by reading the back liner notes, I couldn't really tell what the novel was about or if it was a Christmas novel or not. I was in for a big surprise, as this is a great debut and is a Christmas novel as well.

Trish Ingram has been working hard to be the perfect wife, the perfect mother, while all the while feeling inferior, that she's not worth anything. Her husband, Paul, and her nineteen year old daughter, Sienna, feel distanced from her and leave her.
When Trish arrives home to find Paul gone, a mysterious envelope under the Christmas tree, she then takes a drive to a cemetery to find closure to her demons she's had for years. When both Paul and Sienna find Trish missing, they both believe she has "disappeared." When Paul sends a bunch of his biker buddies out in search for Sienna, Paul fears the worst, but Sienna just gets caught in a blizzard and attempts to stay awake until help arrives.
Trish is devastated when her sister-in-law dies from Cancer, but the gift she gives to Trish before she dies, is a life-changing moment and she begins by volunteering at a place for troubled teens. When a young teen girl she has been working with leaves a note, it sends everyone to searching for her.
With the devastation of her husband and daughter leaving her, she is faced with the challenge to have faith to move forward. And to realize she is loved for who she is, that she doesn't need to pretend to be who she isn't.
I highly recommend this debut novel, especially around the Christmas holidays.

I received this review copy from Lori.

Published by: Covenant Communications, Inc.
Date Published: October 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60861-101-0
185pp

The Apology by Janet & Michael Weaver

The Apology by Janet & Michael Weaver
This debut Christmas novel that started as a 12 year old dream for Janet, was well worth the wait. Martha Day is a recent widow who has had regrets that her grown children haven't been as close as she'd like, so she set out to write a letter, inviting each of her three children for Thanksgiving.
Her son Bill has been having struggles, Charlotte is just too busy to stay in contact with her mother and Nellie has a secret she is afraid to share.
Martha is putting her memories together to give to her children, hopefully for Christmas, and it isn't until a complete stranger appears at Martha's door days before Christmas, do things come to a head.
This is a very heartwarming and honest portrayal of family relationships, identity, and most of all, forgiveness. This should be a Christmas classic for all families to read during the holiday season.

I received this review copy from Cedar Fort.

Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Date Published: November 2010
ISBN: 978-1=59955-450=1
86pp

The Christmas Stone by Liz Carlston

The Christmas Stone by Liz Carlston
Claire, a young and very successful businesswoman, is headed back to her childhood hom in Wisconsin to visit her parents, especially her father, who is in the hospital. It has been years since she has seen her parents, as her career has been more important.
Daniel, who left his wife and young son years earlier, is on his way to Wisconsin to see his son and ex-wife to ask for her forgiveness.
As Claire and Daniel's flight crash-lands in the icy Lake Michigan, they all learn just how fragile life can truly be and that Christmas can be the time for love, redemption, healing and second chances.
When Daniel gives Claire a special magic stone to carry after the crash, neither knows how magical that stone will be.
The Christmas Stone is that little gem of a story that will bring you closer to what Christmas is all about. I absolutely love Christmas stories and you will love this little book as well.

Liz Carlston also authored another book in 2004 about surviving Columbine. This is a wonderful book about having faith and hope in the wake of a devastating tragedy. I highly recommend this book as well.

I received this review copy from Cedar Fort and Liz.
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Date Published: October 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59955-434-1
88pp

Christmas With The Prophets by Laura F. Willes

Christmas With The Prophets by Laura F. Willes
This wonderfully written and heartwarming collection of Christmas vignettes by all sixteen of Our beloved Prophets is a must for every Latter-day Saint library. Each chapter is devoted to little vignettes in each prophet's life during Christmas.
Joseph Smith's Christmas of 1838 was being incarcerated in Liberty Jail that had a ceiling so low, the few men couldn't even stand. Brigham Young doing Temple Ordinances all day on Christmas 1845, shows how much he cared for his people. John Taylor spent a Christmas hiding with members and one mother made him a pair of socks. Wilford Woodruff spent Christmas Day 1836 in the Kirtland Temple, which was common in those early days. Lorenzo Snow staged a play in his small log cabin on Christmas Day while in Mt. Pisgah in 1846. Joseph F. Smith, son of Hyrum Smith, felt so bad one Christmas because he couldn't afford even a dollar for his family, sobbed, then realized that his love for his family is the best Christmas gift he could give. Heber J.Grant, a man after my heart, loved to give books as Christmas gifts. George Albert Smith learned whenhe was quite ill how very important tithing was, so that Christmas became a "Tithing Christmas." David O. McKay spent one Christmas talking to some Japanese members, esp children, who sang "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam." Joseph Fielding Smith's fond Christmas was when one of hisd daughters, fearful of being caught coming down the stairs to see what Santa had left, hid underneath a table in the den while he kept reading. Harold B. Lee spotted a young boy walking in the snow without much in the way of clothes and helped this boy's family to have a good Christmas. Spencer W. Kimball started giving fifty dollars to a special member in need. Ezra Taft Benson loved to go into the canyon to cut their family tree and he had to find one that would reach the ceiling. Howard W. Hunter spent one Christmas as a boy going "Hookeybobbing" with his sister, fixing a sail to his "pushmobile." Gordon B. Hinckley made a make-shift chimney out of wood, as they didn't have a fireplace when he was growing up. Pres. Thomas S. Monson has always remembered the widows during the Christmas season, and started visiting each one in his ward when he was bishop.
At the end of each vignette, each prophet leaves a special message to stay close to the Savior, as He is the Reason For the Season. I absolutely love the cover of this special book on our beloved prophets.

Published by: Deseret Books
Date Published: November 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60641-825-4
191pp

I received this review copy from Deseret Books.

The Forgotten Carols Written & Narrated by Michael McLean & illustrated by Brandon Dorman

The Forgotten Carols by Michael McLean with illustrations by Brandon Dorman

This newly beautiful rendition of The Christmas Carols is an instant classic for children of all ages, even for us "older" children. The beautiful illustrations blend in beautifully with the story.

The story begins with Isaac and his sister Eliza believing Christmas won't be the same without their father, who passed away while fighting in a war far, far away, leaving them alone with just their mother, who has to work for a living. The two children want their mother to stay home with them, but she tells them she has to go to work. The two feel they have to pretend to love Christmas, but they really can't.
Their mother tells Isaac and Eliza Rose that a f riend from work will come and watch over them while she's at work. The friend from work tells their mother she will come on two conditions-that there not be a Christmas tree up and that she bring dinner. When the lady arrives, she brings items out of her bag one at a time and has each of them hang a special ornament on their wreath over the fireplace mantel. The first ornament is an inn andIsaac is asked to put it on the wreath. After each ornament is placed on the wreath, a personage appears. The first was a man that looked like the Innkeeper. The second was a shepherd boy playing a flute, then singing. The next ornament was some swaddling cloth tied in the shape of a bow. A woman who looked like Mary appeared to sing, then disappeared. The sitter then brought out of her backpack some sandwiches. After they ate, she took out a manger and placed it on the wreath as well. This last man was Joseph.

After these personages left and all the ornaments were on the wreath, the sitter had helped to make this a Christmas to love.

There is a CD attached to the book and there are 4 fold out pages with each of the 4 songs on each page. This beautifully illustrated book is a perfect Christmas gift for your child or grandchild. I haven't as yet played my CD, but plan on it tomorrow when my good friend is here.

I received my review copy from Deseret Books.

Publisher: Deseret Book
Date Published: Nov 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60641-844-4
33pp

Cartels And Combinations by Mike McPheters

Cartels And Combinations by Mike McPheters

When Mike called me a few weeks ago to ask me if I would be interested in reviewing his upcoming new fiction novel, I was very excited, as he had called me last year to ask my assistance in setting up a Fireside in my Stake here in Kennewick WA and to ask if I'd be interested in reviewing his first book Agent Bishop: True Stories From An FBI Agent Moonlighting As A Mormon Bishop. One interesting sidenote to mention is that a retired police officer in my ward, our SA Rep, also helped set that Fireside up since he worked with Mike when they both lived in Pendleton, Oregon and that Mike was Don's Bishop.
Anyway, Mike has hit a homerun with his first novel. This riveting novel is an eye-opener to the world of drug cartels and drug lords and how and why they do what they do. This novel is based on a true story.
Elena Guzman, almost 18 and about ready to go off to BYU-Idaho, isn't so gung-ho on her parents Mormon faith. While standing at a Youth Conference to bear her testimony, she feels a warm feeling as she shares her feelings. A few hours later, while her grandfather is sharing the family history with her, a drug cartel abucts her and whisks her away deep into Mexico. Elena learns how her Uncle Ruben and another relative, who work in the orchards and being treated by two white teen brothers. These brothers felt that the Mexicans should not be getting the jobs that the white people should be getting. The Mexicans could actually get paid more in the US than in Mexico and Ruben and Hector would work hard.
Elena's father, Enrique, is a DA and has been working very hard in convicting these drug traffikers and sending them to prison. Enrique's nephew, Tito, son of Ruben, takes over The Brotherhood, promising his father to run the business without shedding any blood. The competition is The Vultures, the head drug lord having been kicked out of The Brotherhood by the Crocodile, who dies, leaving Ruben to take over.

The reason Elena has been taken is due to El Gordo's three sons being in jail in San Diego, so Elena is being held in exchange for releasing his sons. Federico, one of The Brotherhood, has infiltrated into The Vultures, has promised to look after Elena and to help her escape.

Before Ruben dies, he has Tito attend a meeting with other drug lords and he, along with Ruben feel uncomfortable with all the secret oaths, signs and secret combinations that these evil men are doing because they are doing Satan's bidding. Tito had never committed any murders, as he felt that was wrong. Ruben's nephew Miguel had served his mission in Mexico and he invited Miguel and his companion to visit and have dinner and having them there was foreign to him, but he started reading parts of the Book of Mormon and had Tito read a few highlighted scriptures while he was on his deathbed. Tito's sister was so impressed with what the Missionaries had to say and how they acted, she became baptized.
How Enrique, his FBI friends and Tito are able to rescue Elena, is a surprising turn, so won't spoil the ending and aftermath for you. Mike has a great way of implementing very unique, but viable solutions to the drug trafficing and illegal immigration issues. We need to work together as a nation to train and educate the illegal immigrants in their countries.

This novel will make you look at issues with a better perspective, esp since this novel was written by one who knows his subject only too well.

I received this book from Cedar Fort, though indirectly from Mike.

Published by: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Date Published: November 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59955-487-7
239pp

Cartels And Combinations by Mike McPheters

Cartels And Combinations by Mike McPheters

When Mike called me a few weeks ago to ask me if I would be interested in reviewing his upcoming new fiction novel, I was very excited, as he had called me last year to ask my assistance in setting up a Fireside in my Stake here in Kennewick WA and to ask if I'd be interested in reviewing his first book Agent Bishop: True Stories From An FBI Agent Moonlighting As A Mormon Bishop. One interesting sidenote to mention is that a retired police officer in my ward, our SA Rep, also helped set that Fireside up since he worked with Mike when they both lived in Pendleton, Oregon and that Mike was Don's Bishop.
Anyway, Mike has hit a homerun with his first novel. This riveting novel is an eye-opener to the world of drug cartels and drug lords and how and why they do what they do. This novel is based on a true story.
Elena Guzman, almost 18 and about ready to go off to BYU-Idaho, isn't so gung-ho on her parents Mormon faith. While standing at a Youth Conference to bear her testimony, she feels a warm feeling as she shares her feelings. A few hours later, while her grandfather is sharing the family history with her, a drug cartel abucts her and whisks her away deep into Mexico. Elena learns how her Uncle Ruben and another relative, who work in the orchards and being treated by two white teen brothers. These brothers felt that the Mexicans should not be getting the jobs that the white people should be getting. The Mexicans could actually get paid more in the US than in Mexico and Ruben and Hector would work hard.
Elena's father, Enrique, is a DA and has been working very hard in convicting these drug traffikers and sending them to prison. Enrique's nephew, Tito, son of Ruben, takes over The Brotherhood, promising his father to run the business without shedding any blood. The competition is The Vultures, the head drug lord having been kicked out of The Brotherhood by the Crocodile, who dies, leaving Ruben to take over.

The reason Elena has been taken is due to El Gordo's three sons being in jail in San Diego, so Elena is being held in exchange for releasing his sons. Federico, one of The Brotherhood, has infiltrated into The Vultures, has promised to look after Elena and to help her escape.

Before Ruben dies, he has Tito attend a meeting with other drug lords and he, along with Ruben feel uncomfortable with all the secret oaths, signs and secret combinations that these evil men are doing because they are doing Satan's bidding. Tito had never committed any murders, as he felt that was wrong. Ruben's nephew Miguel had served his mission in Mexico and he invited Miguel and his companion to visit and have dinner and having them there was foreign to him, but he started reading parts of the Book of Mormon and had Tito read a few highlighted scriptures while he was on his deathbed. Tito's sister was so impressed with what the Missionaries had to say and how they acted, she became baptized.
How Enrique, his FBI friends and Tito are able to rescue Elena, is a surprising turn, so won't spoil the ending and aftermath for you. Mike has a great way of implementing very unique, but viable solutions to the drug trafficing and illegal immigration issues. We need to work together as a nation to train and educate the illegal immigrants in their countries.

This novel will make you look at issues with a better perspective, esp since this novel was written by one who knows his subject only too well.

I received this book from Cedar Fort, though indirectly from Mike.

Published by: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Date Published: November 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59955-487-7
239pp