Free Book Friday--Everyday Wisdom for Latter-day Saints

Winner of Haunts Haven by Joan Sowards is Angie Lofthouse. Congratulations.

Today's free book is Everyday Wisdom for Latter-day Saints.



Entering is easy, but you must be done by MIDNIGHT MST THURSDAY, AUGUST 5th. Winner will be announced August 6th.

To enter, leave us a comment with the answer to the weekly question. Make sure to include your email address if it isn't found on your blog profile.

The weekly question is "What piece of advice has had the most impact on your life?"

To help get through life, everyone needs a little help and instruction. Pearls of wisdom can come from almost anywhere, but the best source is the word of God - the counsel of the One who loves His children perfectly. Everyday Wisdom for Latter-day Saints is a collection of scriptural lessons and advice that will put you on the path to happiness and success.

First Chapter Wednesday--Simple Steps to More Meaningful Prayer

Need a little prayer pick-me-up?

Then these steps from Simple Steps for More Meaningful Prayer
by Leigh Brown is your solution.



Introduction

It all begins and ends with prayer. Church meetings begin and end with prayer. Family home evenings begin and end with prayer. Each day of our lives should, if we heed the prophets, begin with prayer and end with prayer. We’re blessed as babies and our graves are dedicated when we die. The standing joke is that if Mormons had their way, car repair would begin and end with prayer.

But there is a great principle underlying our propensity to pray. Prayer is the most fundamental expression of spirituality and the foundation for all religious experience. President David O. McKay called it the “the pulsation of a yearning, loving heart in tune with the Infinite” (David O. McKay, Pathways to Happiness [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1957], 225). And echoes of its fundamental importance are quite deliberately all around us. The Book of Mormon begins and ends with prayer. It starts with the humble prayer of a prophet yearning for the righteousness of his people: “Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of this people. And it came to pass that as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much” (1 Nephi 1:5–6). And it ends in much the same way. In the last chapter of the Book of Mormon, the prophet Moroni exhorts us to pray: “Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them . . . that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true” (Moroni 10:4).

In our own dispensation, all the glories of the Restoration quite pointedly begin with prayer: “At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to ‘ask of God,’ concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture. So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt” (Joseph Smith—History 1:13–14).

The truth is that we cannot begin our own spiritual journey without prayer. In the second chapter of the Book of Mormon, young Nephi tells us the foundation of his own spiritual quest: “And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart and I did believe in the words which have been spoken by my father” (1 Nephi 2:16).

It will begin and end with prayer for us too. And how we learn to pray—how effective our communications with Deity become from day to day—has everything to do with how things go in the middle.

President Brigham Young declared, “Were I to draw a distinction in all the duties that are required of the children of men, from first to last, I would place first and foremost the duty of seeking unto the Lord our God until we open the path of communication from heaven to earth—from God to our own souls” (Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, comp. John A. Widtsoe [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1954], 41). President Heber J. Grant taught, “Earnest, honest, and sincere prayer to God is worth more to you than all I can say or write” (Heber J. Grant, Improvement Era, Apr. 1938 [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 2009]). And President Gordon B. Hinckley stated that “nothing helps so much as putting a matter in the hands of the Lord. . . . Prayer is a marvelous and miraculous resource, the most marvelous and miraculous resource we have available to us” (Gordon B. Hinckley, address given 20 Apr. 1996 at Smithfield/Logan Utah Regional Conference).


Prayer is the purest form of worship. It doesn’t require a pulpit or any equipment. It doesn’t take a group, although we can pray with others. It doesn’t have to be done in certain places or at certain times; in fact we are commanded to “pray always” (Luke 21:36) and to “pray . . . in [our] heart” (D&C 19:28) wherever we go. Yet power in prayer is a lifetime pursuit.

This book contains dozens of ideas for more meaningful prayer. Some are practical suggestions about how, when, and where we pray. Some clarify the doctrine of prayer. The ideas are supported by scripture and by counsel from Church leaders.

The Lord wants each of us to be powerful in prayer. We hope that as you read through this collection of ideas, you will discover new ways to improve your prayers and come closer to Heaven. Ultimately, it will be the Spirit of God that will teach you to pray, but the words of scripture and inspired leaders can help point the way.


Let Your Prayers Come from the Heart

Sometimes when we pray, we say the words but our heart is not involved and our mind is not focused. The Lord Himself declared, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). President Joseph F. Smith taught, “True, faithful, earnest prayer consists more in the feeling that rises from the heart and from the inward desire of our spirits to supplicate the Lord in humility and in faith, that we may receive his blessings. It matters not how simple the words may be, if our desires are genuine and we come before the Lord with a broken heart and contrite spirit to ask him for that which we need” (Joseph F. Smith, Conference Report, Apr. 1935 [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1935]). Praying from the heart means that we send a bit of our souls heavenward. President David O. McKay instructed, “Prayer is the pulsation of a yearning, loving heart in tune with the Infinite. It is a message of the soul sent directly to a loving Father. The language is not mere words” (David O. McKay, Treasures of Life, comp. Clare Middlemiss [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co.,1962], 308).


Doubt Not and Fear Not

Feelings of doubt and fear can cast out faith, which is essential to effective prayer. Joseph Smith taught, “Doubt and faith do not reside in the same person at the same time” (Joseph Smith, Lectures on Faith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1835], 6:12). To ensure a powerful prayer, we must root out any doubt before we pray. Elder Gene R. Cook said, “One of the greatest difficulties of trying to accomplish something through faith and prayer is to really believe it will happen. Doubt and fear are so powerful that they can sometimes dissuade you from starting the endeavor in the first place, or when you get started they can motivate you to quit” (Cook, Answers, 54–55). Doubt can hinder our righteous desires. “When we worry about the future,” Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin explained, “we create unhappiness in the present. Righteous concern may lead us to take appropriate action, but worrying about things we cannot control can paralyze and demoralize us” (Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Improving Our Prayers,” Ensign, Mar. 2004, 24).


Strive to Better Understand the Character of God

The Prophet Joseph Smith observed that “it is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, and to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses with another” (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1938], 345). Improving our understanding of the character of God is not only important, but it is necessary for more meaningful prayer. As emphasized by Elder Bernard P. Brockbank, “To pray meaningfully requires that one, insofar as possible, knows the true character of God . . . we have been commanded to know God. Prayer leads to salvation, and ignorance is a deterrent to that goal” (Bernard P. Brockbank, “Prayer to Our Heavenly Father,” Ensign, Nov. 1979, 58). To learn the character of God we must study the scriptures. Joseph Smith emphasized the importance of searching God’s word to better understand His character: “As we have been indebted to a revelation which God made of himself to his creatures, in the first instance, for the idea of his existence, so in like manner we are indebted to the revelations which he has given to us for a correct understanding of his character, perfections, and attributes; because without the revelations which he has given to us, no man by searching could find out God” (Smith, Lectures, 3:7). But prayer itself can be a means to coming to know God. Charles W. Penrose taught how prayer is necessary to better comprehend the character of God: “No man by his own researches can find out God. He may, by reason and reflection, by observing and pondering upon the wonders of creation, by studying his own internal and external nature, come to the sure conclusion that there is a God, and to a very small extent make an estimate of his character. But without the Almighty manifests Himself in some manner, finite man can never obtain a knowledge of infinite Deity” (Charles W. Penrose, Contributor, vol. 2 [Oct. 1880–Sept. 1881], no. 1 [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 2009], 7).


Acknowledge That You Need the Lord’s Help

While we sometimes long to be independent, we must recognize that we ultimately need to rely on God in order to make it successfully through life. President Gordon B. Hinckley emphasized, “You can’t do it alone. You know that. You cannot make it alone and do your best. You need the help of the Lord . . . and the marvelous thing is that you have the opportunity to pray, with the expectation that your prayers will be heard and answered” (Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1997], 468). “No person possesses intelligence, in any degree,” noted Brigham Young, “that he has not received from the God of heaven, or, in other words, from the Fountain of all intelligence, whether he acknowledges his God in it or not. No man, independent of the Great Ruler of the universe, is capable of devising that which we see and are well acquainted with. All mechanism, good government, wholesome principle, and true philosophy of whatever name or nature, flows from God to finite man” (Young, Discourses, 148). Acknowledging our dependence on our Father in Heaven is a way for us to develop a humble and contrite heart as we petition for His love and support.


Ask Heavenly Father to Manifest His Love for You

“One of the greatest daily evidences we have of God’s great love for each of us,” Elder Marvin J. Ashton declared, “is our relationship to Him in our prayers” (Marvin J. Ashton, Ye Are My Friends [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1972], 36). Our Heavenly Father loves us beyond measure and desires to express His love to us. When we ask Him with humility for a manifestation of this love, we can receive a powerful witness. “When filled with God’s love,” Elder John H. Groberg testified, “we can do and see and understand things that we could not otherwise do or see or understand. Filled with his love, we can endure pain, quell fear, forgive freely, avoid contention, renew strength, and bless and help others in ways surprising even to us” (John H. Groberg, “The Power of God’s Love,” Ensign, Nov. 2004, 9).


Pray for Strength through Trials and Chastisement

Often, our trials are not meant to be removed but to be endured, for our own growth and benefit. Elder Richard L. Evans proclaimed, “Most of us might be disposed to pray for unbroken good fortune, for uninterrupted happiness, for perpetual prosperity, for victory, for assured success, for affluence and ease. But life isn’t an uninterrupted holiday; nor, obviously, was it intended to be. Rather it is a time of training, and often of trial, of education, and of self-effort, . . . Prayer is not a matter of asking only. It should not be always as the beggar’s upturned hand. Often the purpose of prayer is to give us strength to do what needs to be done, wisdom to see the way to solve our own problems, and ability to do our best in our tasks. We need to pray not only for freedom from difficulty but for strength to endure, for faith and fortitude to face what sometimes must be faced” (Richard L. Evans, The Man and the Message [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1973], 289). Following counsel and chastisement from the Lord also requires more strength in order for us to move forward and progress through our difficulties. As Brigham Young taught, “I know it is hard to receive chastisement, for no chastisement is joyous, but grievous at the time it is given; but if a person will receive chastisement and pray for the Holy Spirit to rest upon him, that he may have the Spirit of truth in his heart, and cleave to that which is pleasing to the Lord, the Lord will give him grace to bear the chastisement, and he will submit to and receive it, knowing that it is for his good” (Brigham Young in Journal of Discourses, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 2009], 3:47).


Forget the Cares of the World during Prayer

Worldly concerns can become a barrier between a petitioner and Heavenly Father. Release anxious thoughts during your prayer and let your mind become clear to receive spiritual inspiration. Paraphrasing President David O. McKay, Harold B. Lee said, “It’s a great thing to be responsive to the whisperings of the Spirit, and we know that when these whisperings come it is a gift and our privilege to have them. They come when we are relaxed and not under pressure of appointment” (Harold B. Lee, The Teachings of Harold B. Lee [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1996], 415). Then President Lee explained, “If we are worried about something and upset in our feelings, the inspiration does not come. If we so live that our minds are free from worry and our conscience is clear and our feelings are right toward one another, the operation of the Spirit of the Lord upon our spirit is as real as when we pick up the telephone” (Ibid). Let us follow the counsel of a beloved hymn: “There is an hour of peace and rest, unmarred by earthly care; ’tis when before the Lord I go, and kneel in secret prayer” (“Secret Prayer,” Hymns, no. 144).


Recall Heavenly Father’s Answers to You in the Past

President David O. McKay recalled powerful responses from the Lord to his humble petitions: “These experiences are part of my very being and must remain so long as memory and intelligence last” (David O. McKay, Conference Report, Apr. 1969 [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 2009], 153). Moments of personal revelation are sacred and should be recalled often to help us retain and strengthen our testimony of God’s love for us. As we treasure up in remembrance God’s answers to our prayers, our faith in prayer is increased and our prayers become more powerful. In the Book of Mormon, Alma asks if we have “sufficiently retained in remembrance” the Lord’s blessings and if we can still feel in our hearts to “sing the song of redeeming love” (Alma 5:6, 26). In 1829, the Lord commanded Oliver Cowdery to remember important answers that he had received from prayer: “Behold, thou knowest that thou hast inquired of me and I did enlighten thy mind . . . if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart. . . . Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?” (D&C 6:15, 22–23).


Know That the Lord is Always There

“But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them” (2 Chronicles 15:4). God has blessed us with unlimited access to Him through prayer. President James E. Faust taught, “Access to our Creator through our Savior is surely one of the great privileges and blessings of our lives. . . . There is no limit on the number of times or how long we can pray each day. There is no quota of how many needs we wish to pray for in each prayer. He is reachable at any time and any place” (James E. Faust, “The Lifeline of Prayer,” Ensign, July 2002, 67–69). Know that whenever you need your Father in Heaven, you can pray and He is there. At the end of the book of Matthew the Lord promises, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). Since we have been baptized and received the gift of the Holy Ghost, we have special assurance that we can receive guidance and direction whenever we need it. We should have confidence that the Lord will be there for us, and we should call upon Him frequently.



Be Specific

We need to be specific in our prayers—pray for people by name, ask for specific blessings, and make specific promises to our Heavenly Father. Elder Gene R. Cook declared, “The Lord will be involved in the specifics of your life if you invite him to be . . . I bear testimony that the problem with most of us is that we do not ask specifically enough or perhaps with the strength of real intent. How much the Lord wants to bless us, and yet many of us will not ask” (Cook, Answers, 54). Concerning prayers of repentance and forgiveness, Elder Neal A. Maxwell cautioned, “A vague prayer is hardly a prayer at all. . . . We may be too embarrassed to bring before the Lord specific weaknesses we have, yet he knows of them anyway. We thus prevent ourselves from gathering and gaining the strength we might need to overcome them. Admitting aloud (though in private) our weaknesses and stating our promises is sometimes better than just thinking of them. Dealing with our specific weaknesses is far better than simply praying that we will be more righteous” (Maxwell, “What Should We Pray For?” in Prayer, 50–51).



Understand That Receiving Answers Will Not Always be Easy

When we petition the Lord for an answer, we should not automatically expect an immediate response. As a general rule, we must prove ourselves to the Lord before He can bless us, and this can take time and effort. “Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings” (Bible Dictionary, “Prayer,” 753). Often, we must work hard to receive revelation from the Lord. Elder Bruce R. McConkie stated, “It is not, never has been, and never will be the design and purpose of the Lord—however much we seek him in prayer—to answer all our problems and concerns without struggle and effort on our part. This mortality is a probationary estate. In it we have our agency. We are being tested to see how we will respond in various situations; how we will decide issues; what course we will pursue while we are here walking, not by sight, but by faith. Hence, we are to solve our own problems and then to counsel with the Lord in prayer and receive a spiritual confirmation that our decisions are correct” (McConkie, “Why the Lord Ordained Prayer”).

Simple Steps for More Meaningful Prayer can be purchased from Amazon and of course your local LDS bookstore.

Get to know you Monday

Have you wanted to know a little bit more about the staff of Walnut Springs Press? Here's your chance.

Linda Prince Mulleneaux (Managing Editor) grew up in New Harmony, Utah, where she spent most of her time riding horses and doing chores on the farm. Linda graduated from Southern Utah University with a bachelor's degree in English literature. She has worked for Leatherwood Press for almost three years. Linda enjoys reading (of course!), singing, cooking, gardening, weight training, yoga, and being a stepmom to six great kids.




Get to know Linda

1. What is your favorite food? mashed potatoes and gravy
2. Do you prefer chocolate or vanilla ice cream? chocolate, of course
3. What is one food you despise? olives
4. What was your favorite childhood picture book? The Big Tidy-Up by Nolah Smaridge 5. Is there a book that changed your life? Other than the Book of Mormon? :) Hollywood vs. America, by Michael Medved
6. If you could go back in time, where would you go? medieval France, but I’d be a princess, not a serf. :)
7. What is your favorite sport?
To do: weight training. To watch: horse racing

8. What one place would you like to visit that you haven’t? Greece
9. When you have an hour of free time, what do you like to do? read a history book
10. Have you ever met a famous person? several, but Glenn Beck was the most impressive 11. What was a favorite childhood memory? camping and fishing with my family
12. Are you a 'morning' or 'night' person?
night, for sure

13. Are you a beach, country, or city person? country, but the beach is great too
14. If you knew could you try anything and not fail, what dream would you attempt? write a best-seller that would change people’s lives for the better
15. What super-power would you most like to have, and why? flying…..what a view!
16. Are you a collector of anything? anything with hippos or rhinos
17. What is your favorite color? sage green
18. Do you have any celebrity crushes? Absolutely! Johnny Depp, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom
19. What is your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night?
eat Indian food and go Latin dancing

20. What are you favorite smells? lilacs, roses, barbecue, my husband’s cologne
21. What book are you reading now? several nonfiction books plus The Brothers by Chris Stewart (my husband’s pick)
22. If won a million dollars, what would you do with it?
after tithing and other donations, I’d build a barn and buy some horses



Linda and her husband, JJ, 2009

Mulleneaux family, wedding day, 2010

Wedding day, 2010

Stepson's baptism, 2009

Band performance, 2009

Best friends, Halloween

Tulip Festival, 2009

Lake Tahoe


Amy Orton (Marketing Director) grew up in Provo, Utah, where she learned to bleed blue. Amy graduated with a bachelors of fine art degree (BFA) in Graphic Design from Brigham Young University. She's been with Leatherwood Press for almost five years. She loves old movies, the color yellow, the smell of lemons, taking photographs, summer rain storms, spending time with her family, and of course reading.




1. What is your favorite food? Ice Cream. I'd eat it at every meal if I could.
2. Do you prefer Chocolate of Vanilla Ice Cream? I live by the motto, the more chocolate the better.
3. What is one food you despise? Raisins
4. What was your favorite childhood picture book? A is for Annabell by Tasha Tudor. I can still recite the words, A is for Annabell grandmothers doll, B is for box that she stores in the hall. C is the cloak she takes out with care. . . .
5. Is there a book that changed your life? There've been number of books that have changed my life: The Boxcar Children series (established my love of reading), The Betsy-Tacy series (helped to define me), Les Mis (showed me the beauty of the gospel in action), of course the scriptures.
6. If you go back in time where would you go? I love history so that's hard. I'd most like to go back to the 1940's and 50's as I've always admired the strength of that generation. Plus, the woman wore some amazing clothes.
7. What one place would you like to visit that you haven’t yet? Israel, Egypt and Jordan are at the top of my travel list.
8. Do you like to dance? Love it!
9. What are three adjectives best describe you? Creative, loyal, spiritual
10. What is the strangest food you ever ate? Cow's tongue or octopus
11. Have you ever lived in another country? Study abroad in England.
12. Tell me about a favorite event of your adulthood. In college I was given a grant to take photographs of early LDS church history sites in England. Being able to travel through England and visit, preserve, and connect with those early saints was blessing and a life-changing event.


LDS British Church Historical Sites Photography Exhibit, 2006


13. What are your hobbies? Sewing, reading, photography, traveling, dancing, and learning.
What countries have you visited? England, Scotland, Wales, Mexico, Spain, Ireland, Germany, and Austria.
14. Are you a 'morning' or 'night' person? Most definitely a night person.
15. Are you a beach, country or city person? I'm a little of all three. My dream would be to live in a medium size town on a beach near the mountains.
16. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be? England.
17. What super-power would you most like to have, and why? The ability to predict the future as it would make decision making so much easier.
18. What's your favorite color? Yellow, green, and pink.
19. If you could have 3 wishes granted, what would they be? The ability to make a difference in someone's life, more time with my family, and a husband. :)
20. What is your favorite sport? I love watching football and soccer. I'm a huge BYU football fan. I love to play soccer, tennis, and golf.


Orton family, 2009

Washington DC, 2004


Cardiff Castle, London Study Abroad, 2003


Tower of London, 2005

Volcano crater lake, Iceland, 2010



Provo High School Student Body Officers, 2000


SLC Winter Olympics, 2002

Church History Museum Docent, 2010

Free Book Friday--Haunts Haven

Congratulations to Lynn Parsons winner of last week free book, Redemption by Susan Dayely.


Today's free book is Haunts Haven by Joan Sowards.

Entering is easy, but you must be done by MIDNIGHT MST THURSDAY, JULY 29. We will announce the winner July 30.

To enter, leave us a comment with the answer to the weekly question. Make sure to include your email address if it isn't found on your blog profile.

The weekly question is "Would you move into a supposedly haunted building?"



When Callie Wilford inherits a century-old inn in southern Arizona, locals tell her of a ghost who "guards" the inn. But Callie doesn't believe in ghosts, and she plans to turn the inn into a bed and breakfast. Then things start to happen - strange, spooky things - and she begins to wonder if there is some truth to the ghost stories. If that weren't bad enough, Callie discovers a mysterious grave in the cellar. As she confronts the inn's tragic secrets, she also faces her lonely past and learns to embrace her heritage. But it takes a handsome cowboy and a charming rancher to prove that Callie's long-guarded heart can love again.
Love chocolate? Love Jane Eyre?
Then you're going to love the blog tour (July 26-August 6)
for Chocolate Roses by Joan Sowards.


Janie Rose Whitaker’s world revolved around her chocolate shop until Roger Wentworth and his young daughter moved into the apartment across from Janie’s. Anyone would think Roger fit the mold of the “perfect” guy, but soon Janie discovers secrets that could keep them apart forever. Though she resists getting involved in Roger’s complicated life, they are drawn further into a bittersweet relationship.

You will laugh, cry, and crave chocolate as you read this LDS parody of the classic novel Jane Eyre.



We have two great prizes up for grabs! Win either a copy of the book (2 winners) or this fabulous apron created by Joan!



All you have to do is leave a comment (along with your email address if it isn't on your blog profile) and answer the following question.

What's your favorite type of chocolate: white, dark, or milk?
The more blogs you comment on the more entries you'll receive.
All comments must be left by midnight MST on August 8 to be eligible.


July 26
Nichole Giles--Star Crossed Book Reviews
Joyce DiPastena--JDP News

July 27
Deanne Blackhurst--Annie Speaks Her Mind
Tristi Pinkston--*Tristi Pinkston

July 28
Taffy Lovell--Taffy's Candy
Alison Palmer--Tangled Words and Dreams

July 29
Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen--The Write Blocks
C.S. Bezas--For the Love of the Written Word

July 30
Sheila Stayley--Why Not? Because I Said So!
LDSWomen's Book Review

August 2
Kerry Blair--Now & Here
Marsha Ward--Writer in the Pines

August 3
Kaylee Baldwin--Kaylee Baldwin
Amy Orton--Amesbury Reads

August 4
Anna del C.--Anna del C. Dye's Blog
Laurie Lewis--A View from the Other Side

August 5
Valerie Ipson--Of Writerly Things
Anna Arnett--Insights and Ramblings from Anna Arnett

August 6
Danyelle Ferguson--Queen of the Clan
Lynn Parsons--Parson's Posts

Chocolate Roses can be purchased from Deseret Book, Amazon, and of course your local LDS bookstore.

First Chapter Wednesday--Chocolate Roses

Today's first chapter comes from Chocolate Roses
PROLOGUE

In high school, my English teacher required us to read Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. I related to poor Jane not because her deceased uncle’s family abused her—because my Aunt Lucy, whom my sister Kylee and I went to live with after our parents’ fatal car accident, treated us royally—but because as an orphan, Jane had to be strong and find her own place in the world. I wanted more than anything to find my own niche in life . . . and my own Mr. Rochester.

--Janie Rose Whitaker


ONE

I had not intended to love him; the reader knows I had wrought hard to extirpate from my soul the germs of love there detected; and now, at the first renewed view of him, they spontaneously revived, great and strong! He made me love him without looking at me.

At 9:00 AM every Tuesday, Roger Wentworth walks into my chocolate shop. There is nothing unusual about his entrance. He walks in just like anybody else. I can predict his order even before he parts those perfectly shaped lips of his: one chocolate rose to be sent to Eden’s Garden—an upscale psychiatric hospital—and one small chocolate figure to take with him.
He hardly looks my way as I slip the rose and tissue into a box bearing the store’s label. As the artist, I sign the box with my name—Janie.

Tuesday is our slowest day of the week. Even though I arrive at the shop at 7:00 AM, put on my cute apron bearing the Chocolate Art Forever logo, and set to work, at 8:56 something awakens in me. Blood pumps wildly through my veins, causing my heartbeat to knock loudly in my ears. My hands shake. I try not to glance toward the door, but sure enough, at 9:00 sharp, the bell over the door chimes and in walks Mr. Gorgeous. My knees suddenly go weak.

In spite of the faraway look of sadness in his dark blue eyes, he is always dressed like he just stepped out of a Nordstrom catalog, wearing a suit and tie and colored shirt, with his dark brown hair perfectly combed. He walks up to the counter like a man with a purpose and looks over the prices—as if he doesn’t already have them memorized—posted above my specially combed Tuesday hairdo (dark and straight to the shoulders as always). He hardly looks at me, so I’ve grown to admire his profile—a lot. Then he gives me his order. Today, it is the usual Signature chocolate rose and a two-inch-high laughing clown. Last week he chose a swan.

Mr. Wentworth never signs a card, so I have no clue what relationship the recipient is to him. But since she has a dated first name, I imagine Winnie Wentworth as an elderly lady with white hair, hot-rodding around in wheelchair, completely out of her mind.

I wrap the small figure carefully (as carefully as one can with trembling hands) and he gives me his debit card. I rub my thumb over the raised letters printed there—Roger Wentworth III—and stifle a sigh as I swipe the card, knowing our hands almost touched. Sappy, huh?

I hand him his debit card, then say as professionally as possible, “Thank you, Mr. Wentworth. We’ll send the rose immediately.”

He smiles politely without ever really seeing me, takes the tiny gift box, and heads toward the door. The bell chimes again as the door closes behind him.

So, that’s the way it goes every week. Hardly any variation. Yep, it’s that predictable. And if you guessed that I’ve fallen in love with Roger, you’re right, I have. Okay, I’m infatuated, at the very least. Not that I have much hope anything will ever come of it. At first I resisted falling for him, but he won me over with the way he walks, his voice, the color of his blue eyes, even the way he pulls the wallet from his back pocket and flips out his debit card. He totally owns my heart, without even trying.

Once in a while, he will smile, which sets my heart a-thumping. Sometimes he will say, “Have a nice day,” before he turns and walks out. Seeing Roger every Tuesday makes my day, so why should he tell me to have a nice one? Oh, how I wish he would stay and talk, if only for half a minute.

I’ve imagined the way our relationship will blossom. After lingering at the counter that extra half minute for a few weeks, he will ask me for my phone number. I’ve imagined sitting beside him in his Lexus, holding hands as we walk around the temple, and even our first kiss.

But none of this has happened. He still treats me as if I’m merely the counter girl, week after week.

I know. I’m hopeless. Someday I will lift the extended counter separating me from the public, walk out there, and put out my hand. “Hi, I’m Janie,” I’ll say. “Shall we sit and get to know each other?” I’ll point to one of our four parlor tables with matching chairs, and he’ll gladly sit. We’ll talk, and then he will ask me out to dinner.

Such fantasy. At the rate this relationship is going now, it will never happen.

So, you ask, who is this hopeless person? My name is Janie Rose Whitaker. My sister Kylee and I own Chocolate Art Forever, a small shop in downtown Tempe, Arizona. Kylee is the brains of our outfit—accountant, advertiser, store manager—and I am the talent. I wish I could also say I’m the beauty, but I’ll have to settle for talent. Blame it on the chocolate.

I am single, of course, or I wouldn’t be gawking over Roger Wentworth every Tuesday morning. And I am twenty-seven, so I’m still categorized as a “young adult” in our Mormon culture.
Besides Kylee and me, six people work in our shop. There’s Carmen, who comes in every morning at 5:00 and looks after the chocolate-making cycle (what would I do without her?). Then there’s Carmen’s teenage daughter Cricket, who has that name because she has an eternal, random hiccupping problem. There’s Linc, our deliveryman, and Willa (named after Willa Cather), who is our jack-of-all-adventures afternoon help. Our shop is open Friday and Saturday evenings to catch the downtown Tempe nightlife, and Tessa and Frank Ship, a semi-retired couple, take over at 5:00 PM.

As you can see, each person on my staff is unique and important. Oops! I’ve dumped a lot of information on you. Can you remember it all? You’d better because there is a quiz later (really).


If you want to read beyond the first chapter, you can purchase Chocolate Roses from Deseret Book, Amazon, and of course your local LDS bookstore.

Chocolate Roses Blog Tour Dates

Love chocolate? Love Jane Eyre?
Then you're going to love the blog tour (July 26-August 6)
for Chocolate Roses by Joan Sowards.


Janie Rose Whitaker’s world revolved around her chocolate shop until Roger Wentworth and his young daughter moved into the apartment across from Janie’s. Anyone would think Roger fit the mold of the “perfect” guy, but soon Janie discovers secrets that could keep them apart forever. Though she resists getting involved in Roger’s complicated life, they are drawn further into a bittersweet relationship.

You will laugh, cry, and crave chocolate as you read this LDS parody of the classic novel Jane Eyre.



We have two great prizes up for grabs! Win either a copy of the book (2 winners) or this fabulous apron created by Joan!



All you have to do is leave a comment (along with your email address if it isn't on your blog profile) and answer the following question.

What's your favorite type of chocolate: white, dark, or milk?
The more blogs you comment on the more entries you'll receive.
All comments must be left by midnight MST on August 8 to be eligible.


July 26
Nichole Giles--Random-ish by Nichole
Joyce DiPastena--JDP News

July 27
Deanne Blackhurst--Annie Speaks Her Mind
Tristi Pinkston--*Tristi Pinkston

July 28
Taffy Lovell--Taffy's Candy
Alison Palmer--Tangled Words and Dreams

July 29
Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen--The Write Blocks
C.S. Bezas--For the Love of the Written Word

July 30
Sheila Stayley--Why Not? Because I Said So!
LDSWomen's Book Review

August 2
Kerry Blair--Now & Here
Marsha Ward--Writer in the Pines

August 3
Kaylee Baldwin--Kaylee Baldwin
Amy Orton--Amesbury Reads

August 4
Anna del C.--Anna del C. Dye's Blog
Laurie Lewis--A View from the Other Side

August 5
Valerie Ipson--Of Writerly Things
Anna Arnett--Insights and Ramblings from Anna Arnett

August 6
Lynn Parsons
Danyelle Ferguson--Queen of the Clan


Chocolate Roses can be purchased from Deseret Book, Amazon, and of course your local LDS bookstore.

Get to Know You Monday

I can't think of a better start to the week than a get to know you session with our authors.

Today we are getting to know
Joan Sowards

author of


Haunts Haven: An LDS Ghost Story and Chocolate Roses: An LDS Parody of Jane Eyre

Get to know you questions

1. What is your favorite food? Mexican

2. Do you prefer Chocolate or Vanilla Ice Cream? Chocolate

3. What is the strangest food you ever ate? Frog legs.

4. Do you have a life-changing book? The Book of Mormon of course would be first. Beyond the Darkness by Angie Fenimore. Her testimony and touching account of the afterlife had a powerful strengthening effect on my faith in God the Father and Jesus Christ.

5. What was your favorite picture book as a child? I don’t remember having a favorite picture book. My parents had bookshelves full of books, including encyclopedia, Life and National Geographic, the classics, and Josephus. They were both educators so there was never a shortage of books.

6. Where did you grow up? Mesa, Arizona. My great-great grandfathers came here in the early days when Brigham Young sent settlers in the 1870’s.

7. If you could go back in time, where would you go? I would visit ancestors. The first novel I wrote (many years ago) is a fictional account of a girl who went back to 1820 and visited her 4th great-grandmother.

8. What is your favorite kind of music? Rock music with a great melody and a singer with a straightforward voice like Karen Carpenter’s who sings so you can understand the words.

9. Do you have a favorite song? There are too many great ones to choose from. I want “I Write the Songs” sung at my funeral because it always brings tears to my eyes. I’d love to write songs that the whole world sings.

10. Do you like to sing? I love to sing and sang solos and in choirs for many years—BYU a cappella, ASU a cappella and the Tempe Institute’s Joyful Noise, AZ All State, and Arizona Deseret Choral.

11. Do you play a musical instrument? Yes. I play the flute, folk guitar, and piano.

12. What one place would you like to visit that you haven’t yet? Alaska

13. What is one of your favorite memory as an adult? Visiting Thailand (where my husband served his mission) and taking our five children, ages 19-10.

The Soward's Thailand adventure, 2000

14. What countries have you visited? The Scandinavia countries, Thailand, Hong Kong, Mexico, and Canada.

15. What is your favorite thing about yourself? My faith in Christ. I feel so privileged to be born into an LDS family so that I have the gospel in my life. I don’t know that I could have found it on my own.

16. When you have an hour of free time, what do you like to do? Family history.

17. What was a favorite childhood memory? When I was six, my dad worked in Duluth, Minnesota during the summer and took the whole family along. We rented a Jewish lady’s creaky old, three-story house that included a basement, an attic, balcony, and Jewish tokens in the doorframe. The LDS met in a small, converted home and we held primary in the basement. Being from the desert, living in Minnesota was an adventure with plush green growing everywhere, rain, lakes and rivers. What a treat!

18. What are your hobbies? Family history, writing, sewing, and composing music.

19. Are you a beach, country or city person? I love vacationing on the beach, (and going to the mountains to camp.) The desert is beautiful, but wouldn’t want to have to rough it here! I’d love to spend an entire summer in a house with an ocean view. The novel I’m currently working on is about a college grad who takes a summer journalist job in a coastal village in Oregon. I guess I’m living my dream by making the coast the setting for a novel.

20. What super-power would you most like to have, and why? To heal people physically and mentally.

21. What's your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night? Be with my husband, go to dinner, park under a full moon, watch a movie, and play Super Scrabble.


The Soward's family, 1995

The Soward's family, 2009

Why I Write

In 5th grade, I started writing a Nancy Drew wannabe novel. I had no plot planned, only characters, but I knew there should be a lot of weird happenings, ticking clocks, and hidden passageways. It came to a point when I knew the story was going nowhere. One day at school, I told the substitute teacher about my book. She must have had a vendetta against authors for she made some derogatory remarks aimed at them. I didn’t keep that story, but I wish I had so that today I’d have a sample of my first work. :-)


I’ve written songs and lyrics all my life and thought my talents were limited to singing and composing. Since the Nancy Drew incident, I hadn’t tried writing fiction again except that I made up stories on demand for my children. After my last child was born, I was very involved in family history research. I found a name of a woman whom I thought might be by ancestor, but couldn’t prove it. I continually felt prompted to sit down and write how an interview with her would go. When I finally gave in and started, the woman’s reaction surprised me. I kept writing until the story grew into a novel.


That experience opened up a whole new world. I learned I loved developing plots, characters, subplots, and everything about the craft of writing novels. I don’t have an agenda in my themes, just the desire to tell a story, something that might be pure enjoyment for readers.


It’s never too late to start writing. It’s never too late to discover new talents. I love the premise of the American Night Writers’ Association that we are daughters of God with talents that need to be discovered and developed, and as mothers, wives, and career women, our writing is often postponed until after everyone else has gone to bed.

Free Book Friday

We're really excited for our new Friday feature--FREE BOOK FRIDAY! Yep, you heard us right. Every Friday we will be giving away a free title.

Entering is easy, but it must be done by midnight MST for your entry to be eligible.

To enter, leave us a comment with the answer to the weekly question and your email address.

Today's free book is Redemption, by Susan Dayley. The weekly question is "Who is your favorite Old Testament Prophet and why?"



It is eighth century BC. No Hebrew will purposely venture into the Assyrian Empire, whose practice of barbarous slaughter casts a shadow of fear over all of Israel. But God calls Jonah, an Israelite prophet, to cry repentance to the evil empire's capital - the great and terrible city of Nineveh. Fearing the Assyrians and doubting the wisdom of the divine call, Jonah flees in the opposite direction. But in a series of miracles, God gives Jonah a second chance to obey.

Journey with Jonah in a wealth-laden ship of Tarshish, hear his prayers inside the belly of a great fish, witness his struggles working in a desert caravan, and feel his terror as he finally arrives in Nineveh. And while Jonah does eventually preach in the great city, the prophet still has some lessons to learn...

With historically accurate details, Redemption is a story of repentance, trust, and God's love for all his children.