Fifteen Minutes of Delusion

Recently, I received an email from my friend Tristi Pinkston, Senior Editor of the new Valor Publishing Group , asking if I would read and review Am I Not A Man? The Dred Scott Story as part of its virtual book tour. The book was written by Utah Attorney General Mark L. Shurtleff, and is the first title to be published by Valor. I jumped at the chance to read and review this book, as I have heard a lot about it, and the story it tells marks a pivotal moment in the history of this great nation. Plus, I'm always happy to let someone send me a free book. The complete description of this book can be found below, but in a nutshell, Dred Scott was a slave who took his fight for freedom all the way to the U. S. Supreme Court. The Court's decision in the case of Scott vs. Sanford galvanized both sides in the slavery debate, and was referenced heavily in the successful presidential campaign of Abraham Lincoln. Am I Not A Man? The Dred Scott Story is a very powerful book. It is a nove...

Today I have the privilege of hosting a virtual book tour stop for Kathi Oram Peterson's novel The Forgotten Warrior . Forgiveness has never been an attribute of sixteen-year-old Sydney Morgan's. Loyal and loving to her mother and sister, a crisis forces her to find her absent father, which in turn begins a chain of events leading her to the last place and time she would have ever expected. The Forgotten Warrior follows Syd as she is transported back to Book of Mormon times by touching a mysterious clear stone. She meets Chief Captain Helaman; nursemaid, Mariah; and the stripling warriors. They believe Syd to be a boy, and worse yet, Helaman's second-in-command, Tarik, thinks Syd is a Lamanite spy and threatens to kill her. Come follow Sydney as she desperately tries to find her way back home, fights to gain Helaman's respect, and despite herself, falls in love with Tarik. I'm glad I was asked to be a part of this book tour. I enjoyed reading The Forgotten Warrior...

As part of today's Virtual Book Tour, I am including an interview with the author of The Forgotten Warrior , Kathi Oram Peterson. Have you always wanted to be a writer? I have always enjoyed reading novels, but the writing bug didn’t bite until after I’d had my first child. My first book was dreadful. I’ve written many unpublished books and with each one I’ve learned more. Tell us a little bit about your book/s. Which ones are your favorites if you have more than one, and briefly let us know what they are about. Pay particular attention to your most recent book and/or your first book: The first few books I wrote were romantic suspense. I love the challenge of plotting a good suspense and I’ve always been partial to romance. When the time comes, I hope I can revisit those books and make them marketable. The Forgotten Warrior, which is my debut young-adult novel, was a pleasure to write. My son suggested I write about the stripling warriors. I wanted to have a young woman as my prot...

I had the great privilege this past summer to preview the first book in the new Far World series, Water Keep, by J. Scott Savage. I've learned a lot from J. Scott, (also known as Jeffrey S. Savage) by reading his blogs ( here and here ) and attending his workshops at writer's conferences. Plus, Jeff and Scott are good friends with James Dashner , and I trust his judgment. Other people may see thirteen-year-old Marcus Kanenas as an outcast and a nobody, but he sees himself as a survivor and a dreamer. In fact, his favorite dream is of a world far away, a world where magic is as common as air, where animals tell jokes, and trees beg people to pick their fruit. He even has a name for this place-Far World. When Marcus magically travels to Far World, he meets Kyja, a girl without magic in a world where spells, charms, and potions are everywhere, and Master Therapass, a master wizard who has kept a secret hidden for thirteen years, a secret that could change the fate of two worlds. ...

A few months ago, I was asked by Janet Kay Jensen to review her book Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys . My schedule got a bit out of whack this summer, but I have finally put a review together. This is Janet's first novel, though she has quite a bit of writing experience. You can learn more about her at her website here . Gather 'round, girls, and listen to my noise, Don't you marry the Mormon boys; If you do your fortune it will be, Johnnycake and babies is all you'll see. -old western folksong When Andy McBride met Louisa Martin, he knew he had found the girl for him. There was only one problem: polygamy - a lifestyle that Louisa could not escape and Andy would not embrace. As medical students at the University of Utah, Andy and Louisa fall in love - but can a mainstream Mormon and a Fundamental polygamist overcome the cultural barriers between them? Both r...

"Fifteen years after meeting at Education Week at Brigham Young University, Juneau, Deenie, and Erin face new challenges. Deenie, now living in Gainesville, Florida, begins to question everything she has believed about herself as she sees her actions through others' eyes. Juneau's feelings of guilt come to a head when a secret from her childhood and the mystery of her great-grandmother, Letitia, combine to force her to confront her past. And Erin, whose painful divorce has made her cynical about love and marriage, must decide if she can take a risk when she has a second chance for love. "Staying in touch through phone calls, e-mails, and periodic vacations together, the friends offer one another support, sometimes in the form of blunt feedback. But as they anticipate reaching their goal to become Crusty Old Broads, life takes a turn that puts their twenty-five-year pact in doubt." Surprise Packages is the third and final book in The Company of Good Women series...

In honor of back to school time, it's book blog tour week at Fifteen Minutes of Delusion. Tomorrow (Monday, August 25) I host Surprise Packages by the Crusty Old Broads. On Wednesday, August 27, I talk about Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys by Janet Kay Jensen. Then on Friday, I will host Far World Water Keep , by J. Scott Savage. As an added bonus, I will be running a contest August 26-28, where you can win your very own copy of this exciting new book, which is not even in stores yet. So stay tuned. I will also try and keep you up to date on the many happenings as the girls start back to school tomorrow. In less than 12 hours. Not that I'm counting or anything.

I am honored to host a stop on Rebecca Talley's Heaven Scent Blog Tour . Heaven Scent is the story of Liza Compton, a high school basketball star who deals with disappointment and tragedy when her father confuses his priorities and begins seriously neglecting his family. Kara and I both thoroughly enjoyed reading this book together. The story starts off with an exciting and effective beginning - so effective that I was inspired to spend days reworking the beginning of my story. The characters are likable and realistic, and the story is compelling and believable. Heaven Scent was written for the Young Adult market, and the cover is decidedly feminine, but the story will definitely appeal to male and female readers of nearly every age. I had the privilege of asking Rebecca some questions, and her answers are below. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? Ever since I was a kid, I've wanted to write. I started with "The Velt Book," a book made from felt (I do k...

I am honored to have been asked to participate in a blog tour for my internet writing buddy, Tristi Pinkston and her new book Season of Sacrifice . This book is at the top of my summer reading list. It has received very good reviews (See them here: 1 2 3 4 ), and I am excited to read it myself. Her other books have all been greatly enjoyed by everyone here at the Carey house. Click here to learn more about Tristi's works. I first "met" Tristi through the October Book In A Month (BIAM) challenge she hosted on her blog last year. This has been followed by two other BIAM challenges in the last few months. Tristi, what prompted you to host these challenges on your blog? I'm the kind of person that needs accountability in order to really succeed. When I report my progress to others, it helps me stay on track. I started the Book in a Month Challenges for myself, to give me an accountability system. When I feel tempted to slack off, I think, "yeah, but I don't...