MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTES

Thank you to all the men and women of the armed forces, and to their families, who also sacrifice and serve this nation. We will not forget.



How it began. . .

SPLASH INTO SUMMER BOOK BLOG HOP!!!

SPLASH INTO SUMMER BOOK BLOG HOP!!!

I'll soon be launching book five of my Free Men and Dreamers series, "IN GOD IS OUR TRUST," but since that release is still a few weeks away, I'm offering the winner their choice of two prizes--an autographed copy of the Free Men and Dreamers volume of their choice, or something special from book four's release, "OH SAY CAN YOU SEE?"

If you follow my books, you know I commission the creation of a signature piece of jewelry, fashioned by Sterling Obsessions, to especially reflect the theme of each book. For the release of "OH SAY CAN YOU SEE?" I had a special piece designed to reflect the upcoming bicentennial of the "War of 1812."

Only four of these necklaces were made.

The necklace being given away looks like the prototype below, except it has a blue and red bead, and a small silver banner that reads "1812-2012."

There are five chances to enter this giveaway. I use Random.org to select my winner so you MUST post each entry separately to have them each counted.

To enter. . .

1) Become a follower of this blog

2) "Friend me" on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/3cxqbu4

3) Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/laurielclewis

4) View the series trailer at http://tinyurl.com/3haevoj

5) Post the trailer on your Facebook page and post the address in your comment box

Thanks, and good luck! Now visit all the rest of the blogs between May 25 and May 31!

READERS and WRITERS for JOPLIN

The scenes coming from Joplin, Missouri and other leveled small towns in the tornadoes' paths are overwhelming. The destruction is almost biblical.

A record number of lives are lost, families are shattered, whole communities obliterated from the map, acres of farmland lie in ruin, but the people are rallying to their neighbors' needs. We see it along the Mississippi, in Oklahoma, in Texas.

But they need tools. They need cash.

In April, at the Worldwide Semi-annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, several Church leaders spoke of the increase in natural disasters and suffering going on around the world, and they counseled us to be more generous and giving in the coming months. Here is a need, and an opportunity.

So will you donate the cost or value of a single book to the Red Cross, LDS Humanitarian Fund, or another reputable humanitarian fund this week? If all the readers and writers pitched in just the cost of one book, we could substantially increase these organizations' ability to help those in need.

Feel free to repost and spread the call. Thank you!

BOOK NOOK REVIEW

CONVERSATIONS WITH A MOONFLOWER

by

Christine Hall

A friend called me with a book suggestion. "It's the greatest little book," she said. "I've already read it twice--once for fun and once to mark all the great quotes I want to remember."

She ran her copy over to me and sure enough, it was a darling book, small enough to tuck into a purse, but with ideas I would soon discover to be too great to absorb in one reading. As explained, its pages were indeed highlighted and underlined with notes written on most of the pages. Completely intrigued by this little treasure that had so captivated my friend, I dove in.


The story opens with the author's entire extended family attending to what at first seems like a sad chore--packing up generations of memories in their grandmother's old Cattaraugus County, New York farmhouse, tucked into the sweet innocence of Amish country. One of these Amish neighbors extends an invitation for the family to come and join them for an evening ritual of watching their moonflowers bloom. Intrigued, the author and several others attend this strange event, and they leave intrigued by this magnificent, fragile show that occurs at night, quite removed from the bustle of life, missed by all but those who stop long enough to enjoy it.

When the author is given a moonflower plant to take home as a gift, the very nature of this night-flowering spectacle requires her to slow down, stop, watch and wait, removing her from her normal routine and providing new and magnificent perspectives on life.


It is these treasured moments of great wisdom, shared while waiting on and sharing the moonflower's show, that are sprinkled throughout the book, like seeds of wisdom propagated by the gentle moonflower.


The brilliance of the book isn't the originality of the truths illustrated within its pages--insights on making judgments and on the astounding splendor of simple things; counsel to bloom when we're ready and to be gentle with ourselves; reminders of the power of simply being still sometimes--but rather in the way they are delivered. As the title suggests, they come through conversations Hall has with her floral friend, landing on our heart as gently as a butterfly, bringing no guilt, no judgment, only insight and peace imbued with encouragement.


I saw another, perhaps more powerful lesson in the book. For Hall, the moonflower was the catalyst to a different, less hurried, less harried lifestyle, but she shows us a broader truth, that wisdom can be found in small places and events all around each of us if we take the time to look and listen with our hearts.

We do not need a moonflower to learn these lessons, though Hall's book contains an offer to get moonflower seeds. She shows us that the real key was in her attitude that night in the New York countryside when she accepted the invitation to view the moonflower. Some could have discounted the night-blooming flower as wasted beauty, squandered during hours that didn't fit into the world's schedule. Like the Amish, Hall pondered the "why" of such a curious thing, and her answer? Some things are worth the wait.

Conversations with a Moonflower is a gem readers will keep close and return to many times. Though its lessons are genderless, it is written with a woman's perspective, and would make a perfect gift book.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW--Western Author--MARSHA WARD

MARSHA WARD

"Author of Westerns with Heart and Grit."

Members of the LDS, and western writing communities know Marsha Ward as an expert on the post-Civil War west, and an author whose tender/tough novels reflect that expertise. A author savvy in her own time period as well, Marsha Ward was one of the early novelists to foresee the potential of ebooks and she rushed to make sure all her beloved novels were formatted for ebook readers. She is now releasing some short stories in this popular format, and we're delighted to get the word out about these new offerings, as well as her highly popular books detaiing the Owen Family Saga.

The Man from Shenandoah

Young cavalryman Carl Owen returns from the Civil War to find the family farm destroyed, his favorite brother dead, food scarce, and his father determined to leave the Shenandoah Valley to build a cattle empire in Colorado Territory. Crossing the continent, Carl falls in love with his brother's fiancée while set to wed another girl, but he might lose everything if the murderous thug Berto Acosta has his way. Carl battles a band of outlaws, a prairie fire, blizzards, a trackless waterless desert, and his own brother—all for the hand of feisty Ellen Bates.

Ride to Raton

Thinking he's been treated unjustly by his father, James Owen leaves the family homestead to make a new life for himself. The turbulent world of post-Civil War Colorado Territory is fraught with danger and prejudice that increase his bitter loneliness as personal setbacks threaten to break him. Then James's journey brings him into contact with another wayfarer, beautiful young Amparo Garcés, who has come from Santa Fe to Colorado to marry a stranger. Through a twist of fate, their futures are changed forever when their lives are merged in a marriage of convenience. James and Amparo undertake a hazardous horseback trek over Raton Pass to Santa Fe, battling their personal demons, a challenging language barrier, and winter's raging storms.

Trail of Storms

Jessie Bingham put heartbreak away to tend to her sister's needs, but when she settled for second best in love, she didn't foresee that James Owen would come back into her life. The aftermath of the Civil War creates cruel circumstances for the Bingham family. A brutal attack on Jessie's sister, Hannah Fletcher, drives the extended family to flee to the West. They are soon joined by Heppie Bingham's beau George and his brother, Ned, who bring news that the Binghams are being pursued by cronies of Hannah's attacker. Even after they fight off that onslaught, poverty, bad weather, and Hannah's frightful secret plague their journey. Nursing her battered heart when she hears James Owen took a wife, Jessie accepts Ned's offer of marriage, but puts off the wedding until they reach Albuquerque. Then a stop on the trail holds surprises that launch Jessie into a bewildering tangle of values, emotions, and high adventure.

Short Stories and Poetry Collection:

No More Strangers:

Prose and Poetry of the West from acclaimed Western novelist Marsha Ward. Six short stories, three poems, and an excerpt from a forthcoming novel make up this collection of Western treasures, including the never-before-published "Thumps in the Night."

Stand-alone Short Stories

War Party

The Battle of Salt River Canyon took place at Skeleton Cave in Arizona Territory on December 28, 1872, and was an engagement of the decade-long Apache Wars in the late nineteenth century. In this short story, award winning writer Marsha Ward envisioned how it might have happened, when black smoke drew young Rolla Woods's eye, smoke where there should not be smoke. Then he heard the noise: high, piercing yips, and a woman's scream, and the flat report of gunshots. Bitter revenge and dawning awareness war within a young boy on the Arizona frontier.

The Usual Game

In another of Marsha Ward's taut short stories, Verl returns to his boarding house after a hard day working construction in the Verde Valley of the new State of Arizona. He's dreaming of going home to Phoenix soon with his wages, home to sweet Betty's arms. Then he finds his landlord, Fong, ensnared in the usual game run by the local card shark, Happy Sam. If Fong can't get away, he's going to lose the money he's been saving for years to send for his wife in China. High stakes action in early Arizona.

Marsha Ward is a busy writer, researcher and mentor, but we caught up with her and she answered a few interview questions for us.

Marsha, I know you have good news for your fans.

Yes, for a while now, everyone has been asking me if my books are on Kindle. They mean, of course, "Are they available as electronic books for the Kindle ereader at Amazon.com?" While I have had the first two eBooks of my series available on Smashwords.com in the mobi format—which is the Kindle format—for about 18 months, I didn't have the three novels on Amazon as eBooks. Well, now I do! I also finally uploaded the third one, Trail of Storms, to Smashwords, so users of other ereading devices can acquire it, as well as The Man from Shenandoah and Ride to Raton.

In addition, I've created and uploaded three other works to both Smashwords and Amazon. One is a short story and poetry collection, No More Strangers. The other two are stand-alone short stories, War Party and The Usual Game.

That is exciting! Those titles will make readers think you only enjoy westerns. Is that true?

I actually have a long background in writing for other genres, ranging from poetry to newspaper and magazine articles, to essays. However, there's something about historical fiction that really vibrates in my soul. I grew up listening to Patsy Cline on the radio, and hearing my daddy talking about his life on farms in Mexico and southern Arizona. They dug wells by hand; excavated great holes for lakes with horse drawn scrapers; raised beans and other dry-land crops on the "Bean Ranch" in Sonoita, Arizona; and escaped to the mountains to avoid the heat of summer. My grandfather was a teamster (as in driving a team of horses, not a union man), and a great hand with horses and other animals.

It does sound as if you were born to keep the old west alive for a new generation.

MW: I always felt like I was born in the wrong century. Except for the very enjoyable modern conveniences that I have today, I feel an affinity for those hard times. I believe that's why I write about the 19th Century American family.

The reasons people write are so diverse. Why do you write?

MW: According to my older sister, I wrote from the time I could hold a pencil. I believe her. There's never been a time that I didn't have some kind of story to tell.

My characters are real people to me, and I've driven them up some high, rough trees and put crocodiles at the bases, with sharp, snapping teeth. I have to get my people out of danger and give them satisfying conclusions.

I had an epiphany several years ago when I realized that I write to let people know there is always hope, and to show them through the experiences of fictional characters that they can get through hard times, even really, really terrible times, and find happiness at the end of it all.

You've mentored a lot of writers through the years. What's the best advice you can give a writer just starting out?

MW: Believe in yourself, but learn all you can about writing, too. No first drafts are set in stone. Don't hang around negative people. Write at least 25 words a day. Listen to people to learn the flow of language. Find a good, encouraging group of writers who will show you the ropes. Read, read, read! When you start writing in earnest, find a good critique group. Reach down and help another writer along the way. Is that enough?

What is your next project?
MW: I'm writing Marie Owen's book, Spinster's Folly. It's coming along very well. I put snippets up on "The Characters in Marsha's Head" blog from time to time, if you want to know more. That's found at http://charactersinmarshahead.blogspot.com. [rushing over to write something fresh]

Where can readers find your books, both trade paperbacks and eBooks?
MW: All the online booksellers, such as amazon.com and bn.com, have the trade paperback books. The easiest way to find all my online eBooks is to go to my author pages at Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/marshaward and at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Marsha-Ward/e/B003RB9P9Q/

Thank you, Marsha! As always, it was a pleasure.

MW: It was my pleasure. Thank you for having me.

Visit Marsha's website at http://marshaward.com
Writer in the Pines blog at http://marshaward.blogspot.com
The Characters in Marsha's Head blog at http://charactersinmarshashead.blogspot.com.

STORYMAKER WISDOM GLEANED

Last weekend, like about 500 other published and aspiring authors, I attended a marvelous writing conference sponsored by the LDStorymakers. Packed with high-profile agents, authors and publishers, this event revs the brain, bursts mental blocks, humbles, and kicks desire into high gear.

Here are some of my personal highlights of the 2011 LDStorymakers' Conference wisdom.

1. If you want to be successful, treat your writing like a business--show up for work everyday, give it your best, come to the computer prepared to work. (I get too easily distracted by the Internet. . . and I don't dedicate time just for writing.

2. Know yourself--Write what you know, what you love, what fascinates you. Don't chase every trend. (I have to say I wished I could insert a vampire or two into my books...)

3. Take care of your instruments of writing--your mind, your body, your health. It's all connected. (I know my mood, my well-being and my attitude affect my writing. If I'm having a down day, so will my characters, and that has caused the need for a lot of rewriting. . .)

4. Keep your eyes open. Some of your greatest moments spent with people may have nothing to do with writing.

5. Be nice to everyone and be open to learning everywhere. I met such talented new writers, particularly during bootcamp. Some amazing books are being written and I'm sure you'll hear tremendous buzz about them soon.)

6. Don't gush over people. Elena Johnson, a Simon and Schuster author whose debut novel, Possession, launches this week, reminded us that gushing makes us all uneasy. (I'm prone to gushing . . . but I also know how awkward it is to be on the receiving end.)

7. Be humble and develop grace. (I was reminded of the power of this trait on Saturday. I sat at a table with some ladies I didn't know. Soon a woman and her daughter came and asked if they too could sit. Something came up and they had to leave for a moment. When they returned they were overwhelmingly appreciative that their seats had been saved. After listening to a presentation, she turned and saw my name tag and made a comment about enjoying my books. Not recognizing her name, I assumed she was a new writer. "Do you like historical fiction," I asked? "Oh, yes," she replied. "Are you working on a project now?" I continued. She spent a moment explaining that she had a current WIP, finishing with, "Good luck tonight at the Whitneys . . . I know you're a finalist. I'm in your category." "You are?" I racked my brain trying to figure this out. "Yes," she answered, "I'm Sandra Grey."

"Sandra Grey? Sandra Grey? You're a past winner of a Whitney! Oh my gosh!"

There she sat, quietly attending conference wearing a badge with her real name on it, without any hoopla or recognition, as if she were a new aspiring writer instead of using the successful, award-winning pseudonym she is known by. She was perfect grace. And by the way, she won the Whitney again. It was well-deserved.

8. Never stop learning and honing your craft. Dave Wolverton, forty-plus-book author, educator, and screen writer admits that he still sits in on classes at the conferences at which he speaks, still keeps learning. When you think you know it all, you're bound to get stale, which is professional death.

9. Master the basics. I sat in on a variety of classes, and through them all, this truth emerged. Learn the steps to good story-telling: strong conflict, satisfying resolution, great characters, clear expression of tightly-written sentences, proper pacing, and a host of others. But creating great characters your readers will invest in is the key that will buy you some forgiveness in other areas.

10. Work hard to give your "baby" some legs. No author loves marketing. In fact, it's the face-front aspect of writing most authors dislike because it can feel awkward and be painful. But in order to give your project the best chance at a strong launch, know the current market and marketing tools, and work hard.

11. Develop thick skin. You will have rejection. If you're writing something groundbreaking, you might face a lot of it before someone catches your vision, but hang in there, don't make it personal no matter how personal it feels, and remember the Godfather theory--"It's only business."

12. Prepare to be awed by the talent and abilities of others. Don't let it make you feel small. Learn from it and grow.

13. Remember to be grateful. No one gets published without help. Everyone owes thanks to someone, and probably many someones--their parents for that education that boosted their skills; the spouse and children who sacrifice lots of time so books can be written, the friends who critique, cheer and dry tears; the editors and publishers who give life to your words and dreams; the readers who place their hard-earned money and trust in your novel; and God who gave your talents in the first place.

Yeah, it's more than eleven. I just keep thinking of great lessons brought to my memory this past weekend. Enjoy!

STORYMAKER WISDOM GLEANED

Last weekend, like about 500 other published and aspiring authors, I attended a marvelous writing conference sponsored by the LDStorymakers. Packed with high-profile agents, authors and publishers, this event revs the brain, bursts mental blocks, and kicks desire into high gear. Most importantly for me, it brought me back to the basic elements of why and how to write.

Here are some of my personal highlights of the 2011 LDStorymakers Conference wisdom.

1. If you want to be successful, treat your writing like a business--show up for work everyday, give it your best, come to the computer prepared to work. (I get too easily distracted by the Internet. . . and I don't dedicate time just for writing.

2. Know yourself--Write what you know, what you love, what fascinates you. Don't chase every trend. (I have to say I wished I could insert a vampire or two into my books...)

3. Take care of your instruments of writing--your mind, your body, your health. It's all connected. (I know my mood, my well-being and my attitude affect my writing. If I'm having a down day, so will my characters, and that has caused the need for a lot of rewriting. . .)

4. Be nice to everyone because today's aspiring author may well be tomorrow's mega-star. (I met such talented new writers, particularly during bootcamp. Some amazing books are being written and I'm sure you'll hear tremendous buzz about them soon.)

5. Don't gush over people. Elena Johnson, a Simon and Schuster author whose debut novel, Possession, launches this week, reminded us that gushing makes us all uneasy. (I'm prone to gushing . . . but I also know how awkward it is to be on the receiving end.)

6. Be humble and develop grace. (I was reminded of the power of this trait on Saturday. I sat at a table with some ladies I didn't know. Soon a woman and her daughter came and asked if they too could sit. Something came up and they had to leave for a moment. When they returned they were overwhelmingly appreciative that their seats had been saved. After listening to a presentation, she turned and saw my name tag and made a comment about enjoying my books. Not recognizing her name, I assumed she was a new writer. "Do you like historical fiction," I asked? "Oh, yes," she replied. "Are you working on a project now?" I continued. away. "Good luck tonight at the Whitneys . . . I know you're a finalist "Yes," she answered, humbly sharing a few details about her book. Then she blew mein the historical fiction category. I'm up against you . . . I'm Sandra Grey."

"Sandra Grey? Sandra Grey? You're a past winner of a Whitney! Oh my gosh!"

There she sat, quietly attending conference wearing a badge with her real name on it, without any hoopla or recognition, as if she were a new aspiring writer instead of using the successful, award-winning name she is known by. She was perfect grace. And by the way, she won the Whitney again. It was well-deserved.

7. Never stop learning and honing your craft. Dave Wolverton, forty-plus-book author, educator, and screen writer admits that he still sits in on classes at the conferences at which he speaks, still keeps learning. When you think you know it all, you're bound to get stale, which is professional death.

8. Master the basics. I sat in on a variety of classes, and through them all, this truth emerged. Learn the steps to good story-telling: strong conflict, satisfying resolution, great characters, clear expression of tightly-written sentences, proper pacing, and a host of others. But creating great characters your readers will invest in is the key that will buy you some forgiveness in other areas.

9. Work hard to give your "baby some legs." No author loves marketing. In fact, it's the face-front aspect of writing most authors dislike because it can feel awkward and be painful. But in order to give your project the best chance at a strong launch, know the current market and market tools, and work hard.

10. Have thick skin. You will have rejection. If you're writing something groundbreaking, you might face a lot of it before someone catches you vision, but hang in there, don't take it personal no matter how personal it feels, and remember the Godfather theory--"It's only business."

11. Remember to be grateful. No one gets published without help. Everyone owes thanks to someone, and probably many someones--their parents for that education that boosted their skills; the spouse and children who sacrifice lots of time so books can be written, the friends who critique, cheer and dry tears; the editors and publishers who give life to your words and dreams; the readers who place their hard-earned money and trust in your novel; and God who gave your talents in the first place.

GOD BLESS THE USA

GETTING MY GAME-FACE ON

I’m in Salt Lake City today, attending the last day of the LDStorymakers’ Conference, and enjoying every minute of it. Tonight is the Whitney Banquet where the award-winners will be announced. “Oh, Say Can You See?” is a finalist in the Historical Fiction category, so this year has had an extra bit of fun attached.

I began this visit with family, the same delicious way it will end. My two married sons noticed the changes I had incurred since they last saw me—beauty adjustments I had submitted to in the last week actually, and one thing led to another until a rip-roaring bit of advice from my five-year-old granddaughter sent me racing to a salon for some needed care. Allow me to set things up.
I confess to a certain level of vanity. I do not to go out in public without make-up, I try to avoid obvious color or pattern clashes, and a good hair day is the deal-breaker between being seen in public and hunkering down behind the drapes.

Public functions like weddings, book signings and writing conferences raise the appearance ante, and I respond with the necessary panic to “pull things together.” First on the list was my dowdy hair, since my roots were again overtaking the older, chemically-treated strands. Remembering I had a bottle of something under the sink, I decided to delay a trip to the salon while shaving a few dollars off the family budget by dyeing my hair at home. Things turned out just fine, or so I thought, and so I moved on to problem two.

First, I decided that squinting through my wire-frame glasses was a rather glaring sign the time had come for an eye check and new specs. After the eye check, the owner of the practice, a courtly older gentleman with an Israeli accent, sat me down to help me select the perfect frames. He pulled a daring, clunky dark brown pair with pearl arms from the wall. “These will look like jewelry on your face,” he said. That day I needed a little above-the-shoulders bling, so I said, “sold.”

Three weeks later, the great debate began—will my hair grow out before the conference? Fearing it would, I called the salon. Sadly, my regular stylist wasn’t available, so I was booked with “the new girl.” Not comforting. . . In the short meantime, I picked up the new funky glasses. Not knowing me, nor my normally sedate style, she tossed the card with my “hair-history” aside, (Yes, we ladies have these.) and proceeded to “give me a better color match.”

I assumed she was trying to match the self-treated color which was only mildly darker than normal. Nuh uh. . . She saw a funky pair of glasses and wanted to match my look to that attribute. In fifty-nine minutes I was transformed---to Elvira of Halloween and werewolf fame. There was no time for further correction. The plane was about to fly and with me and this ebony hair and glasses combo.

Interestingly enough, it wasn’t the glasses or the funky hair that caught my granddaughter’s attention when I arrived in Utah after my five-hour flight.. That evening, perched upon her father’s knee she asked, “Why does Grandma have a moustache?” My son, in an effort to alert me to something he thought I’d want to address, shared this conversation with me, and my response? Another race to another salon for the painful lip-waxing.

I should have just gone with a lampshade that really would have solved all my problems.

A DAY OF GOD AND COUNTRY

I went to bed early and awoke to the news that many Americans had fallen asleep with--Usama Bin Laden is dead, and buried at sea where he cannot be turned into a shrine or a martyr.

The news is spectacular for Americans and the world, and while dozens of questions are already springing up about the timing of last week's shake-up in the US Intelligence community, the Pakistanis' seeming failure to catch the beast hiding in plain sight in a giant mansion/fortress, the success of Gitmo in delivering the key piece of intel, the subsequent delay in putting the pieces together, and the need for vigilance against retaliation--today we celebrate. And posted below are some videos of those celebrations.

Note the icons of America pouring into the streets--the flag, the singing of the "Star Spangled Banner," "American the Beautiful," and "Amazing Grace" on the Firefighters' Scottish pipes. Courts and lawyers may say what they will, but God and Country are inseparable in this
land, and in the moments of great national joy and sorrow, no court can separate the mingling of these founding themes. Enjoy, America!


President Obama

AMERICANS ALL at the WHITE HOUSE

Celebrants at Ground Zero

New York City Fire Fighters at Ground Zer0

Penn State Students