Tagged, Yet Again . . .

Tristi Pinkston has a nasty habit of tagging me almost every time she's tagged. Good thing I love her and good thing we're neighbors and colleagues. So, here we go again.

Four jobs I've had:
1. Office Manager at a commercial real estate company in Provo, UT.
2. Tradeshow Presenter at Novell in Provo, UT.
3. Marketing & Advertising at a now defunct production company in Orem, UT.
4. Executive Secretary at the Excelsior Hotel in Provo, UT.

Four places I have lived:
1. San Diego, CA
2. Omaha, NB
3. Missoula, MT
4. Dolores, CO

Four favorite T.V. shows:
1. The Closer
2. Bones
3. Criminal Minds
4. NCIS

Hmmm, there seems to be a theme with the shows I watch.

Four favorite foods:
1. Taco Salad
2. Roast Beef
3. Shepherd's Pie
4. Lasagna

Okay, I'm hungry now.

Four websites I frequent:
1. Amazon.com -- I'm there constantly checking on when my favorite authors new books are being released. Also, it is the main place I buy my books, movies and CDs. Not to mention, my books are available too.
2. Abebooks.com -- Here is my number one resources for locating out-of-print books. Without fail, I am able to locate 99% of all books that I am search for both theological learning, secular research and fiction. 80 million books from around the corner and around the world are at your fingertips. Not to mention, my books are available too.
3. My Dr. Chocolate -- This is where I keep up with all the medical studies and science behind the health benefits of unprocessed dark cocoa. As I am a chocoholic of the first order, this is a major source of information for me. So says Lady Candace of Cacao! Yes, I'm reading a book with lords, ladies, knights, dragons and bad guys.
4. Fiction Addition -- Great resource for writers. I used for queries, synopsis, writing skills and more.

Four places I'd rather be right now:
1. Taking a nap.
2. Reading.
3. At the movies.
4. Horseback riding in the mountains.

Four Movies I love:
1. Pride and Prejudice -- with Colin Firth.
2. Lord of the Rings Trilogy (As soon as Elder Jensen gets off his mission. He's coming back from Canada to visit and we are going to start early one morning and watch all of the extended version of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Oh yeah, and eat ourselves silly!.)
3. Harry Potter Series
4. White Christmas (Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye --- yeah, my favorite Christmas movie.)

Four Bloggers I tag next:
Carole Thayne -- Musings from Paradise
Katie Parker -- Somewhere North of the Rainbow
Rebecca Talley
A Chelsea Morning

And that's it for today. I'm done -- My husband and I are getting the house ready for the week long visit of Connor (10), Stormy (8), Brigham (7), Skye (3) and Elias (8 mo.) We're excited but positive we're going to exhausted beyond belief come Sunday.

Addicted to Blogging . . . I Hardly Think So!

A blogging addiction . . . that can't be right. I'm not addicted to anything, except Mountain Dew, books, food, air, water . . . but those are all necessities of life, right?

52%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Free Online Dating from Mingle²

Public Dollars to Build a Muslim School in New York

Okay, here we go with the political aspect of my life. I like to think I'm a relatively tolerant person, really, I swear that I am. I believe wholeheartedly in the Constitution of United States and the First Amendment is one that I vehemently support. It reads:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

So understand this clearly when you read the rest of this blog. I believe in the freedom of religion. Even though the government has not, in the past, honored the right "to petition the government for a redress of grievances" to all its citizens. But I digress.

The University of Michigan in Dearborn is using tax dollars to pay for Muslim foot baths at the school, to be ready for the incoming students, to be more specific, for the 11% of Muslim students. Did they pay for the LDS Institute building there? No. Have they accommodated the 37% of Catholic students at the university? No. Not a single dollar has been allocated or spent to create confessionals Catholic students may easily access.

Did tax dollars build Notre Dame? No. Did tax dollars build Brigham Young University? No. Did tax dollars build Abilene Christian University? No, no, and no.

Imagine my surprise that the New York City Public School District allocated funds and are in the process of building a Muslim school; with a religious advisory board, a Qu'uran driven curriculum and have absolutely no problem with it.

There are numerous, privately funded, religious K thru 12 schools in the United States. I didn't see tax dollars funding those places, not in the slightest.

Correct me if I'm wrong? Christians can't pray in school. Christian's can't pray at sporting events Christians can't display the Ten Commandments -- ANYWHERE! Christians cannot have religiously affiliated clubs at school. Christians can't . . . Christians can't . . . Christian's can't!
But Muslims are allowed to have their tax dollar built school in New York City?

Are you kidding me? Where's the outrage and the lawsuits now? Where are the outraged citizens demanding no religion in schools at all? No religion in our city parks? No religion on our city streets? No Christmas for anyone? Where are these people?

The double standard is amazing, okay, amazing is not the right word. Shocking, even stunning might be more accurate. Hannity and Colmes covered this story on their show this last week and you can believe that I will be researching this further. If tax dollars can fund a Muslim school unregulated by the public school system, then that sets the precedence for all other religions in the United States to get tax dollars to build religious curriculum driven K thru 12 schools in their cities and states as well. Get busy folks, there's a lot of petitioning and building to do. The precedence has been set.

What is Your Power Element?

Right on the Money!

Your Power Element is Wood

Your power colors: green and brown Your energy: generative Your season: spring Like a tree, you are always growing and changing. And while your life is dynamic, you are firmly grounded. You have high morals and great confidence in yourself and others. You have a wide set of interests, and you make for interesting company.

What's Your Power Element?

I will post a blog later, but I have a mission farewell a couple of hours away to go to. So today's blog will be posted tonight -- in the meantime -- haven't you always wanted to know what power element might be yours?

What's a Moaning Meme?

Anne Bradshaw, from the Not Entirely British blog tagged me with something called a Moaning Meme . . . huh? So I clicked over to her blog and found the description, "it’s a piece of digital content that spreads rapidly, widely from person to person." Sounds a little bit like the plague, but okay, I'll play because I love Anne.

5 people who will be annoyed I tagged them:

Let's see (picture a wicked grin, me rubbing the palms of my together and "heh, heh, heh," coming from my mouth . . . you know, the problem with these tags is you never know whose already been tagged.

• Alison Palmer: Tangled Words and Dreams
• Cindy Bezas: Seriously . . .
• Josi Kilpack: What is a Sundial in the Shade?
• Kerry Lynn Blair
• Mental Tesserae
  

4 things that should go into room 101 and be removed from the face of the earth:

• Bugs, bugs, and more bugs. All bugs of every variety, shape and species. Ugh!
• Evil people -- Room 101, oh please, phase them into the ether so they cease to exist!
• Poverty
• Greed
  

3 things people do that make you want to shake them violently:

• I'd love to violently shake all those who think evil can be negotiated with.
• I'd like to do more than violently shake all those who hurt the innocent, regardless of the innocent's age.
• And without question, He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Name (that would be the fallen Son of the Morning, not Voldemart) needs a serious butt kickin'!
  

2 things you find yourself moaning about:

• Lack of funds.
  
• Inability to help my husband and family in the way I want.
  

1 thing the above answers tell you about yourself:

I'm a warrior with a soft heart who really hates bugs! And just because we're talking about this, I think if there are bugs in heaven and I still have to clean . . . oh yeah, that's a problem!

Review of "The Judas Strain" by James Rollins

I'm new to James Rollins work. I was doing a book signing at Waldenbooks last year when the paperback of his release Map of Bones hit the shelves. Intrigued by the title and on the recommendation of one of the employees, I bought it. Hallelujah, I'd found another author I really liked. I hit Amazon to find out what else he'd written and slowly bought every book the man had out.

The Judas Strain is Jame Rollins' latest book. I picked it up as soon as I saw it and couldn't wait to break it open. I kicked back on the couch that night while my husband watched t.v. and turned to the first page. I couldn't put it down.

Rollins has an incredible ability to yank you right into a story and keep you on a wild roller coaster ride page after page. He builds likable and believable characters, horrifyingly possible circumstances and plot twists and turns that keep you gasping.

Take a centuries old plague, throw in Marco Polo, the Vatican, a twisted terrorist organization (really bad people,) heroes with the Sigma Force (that would be the good guys) and James Rollins has another page turner! The man can write!

At the end of this book, on the very last page, Rollins words actually caused me to gasp aloud and race for my computer to see when the next book comes out. Since this book was just released, I am doomed to wait and see if one of my favorite characters survived or died.

It is a definite must buy!

Two thumbs up!

Huh -- what do you a think of this thumbs up? Isn't he cute? With me being a Leo and all, I couldn't resist.

I'm a Writer!

You know, although this is my personal blog --- meaning I'm pleased as all get out that I get to write whatever I want, whenever I want without anyone restricting the topic, editing me into banality, blah, blah, blah ---I've been reading a lot of blogs lately, probably too many as its cutting into my writing time, and have been reminded as to why I am a writer.

From the time I was old enough to read (Mom made sure everyone of her children could read before they ever entered kindergarten) books were my haven from the world. I started with the standards, you know . . . See Jane run ---- then on to The Pancake Story, Johnny Tremaine, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys and so it goes. Now I own thousands of books in every genre except erotica and horror, beautifully housed in the library my husband built me.

I began writing original stories, badly, when I was eleven. From there it was just upward and onward. I read and I write romantic suspense, sports biography (one time shot), religious nonfiction and action suspense.

I have to be honest, over the last eighteen months I've let life get in the way and have not produced as much as I should. In fact, I've thrown away more than I've produced. I lost the love of it, and did it because of deadlines and pressure. I'm pretty sure that's why I'm not happy with anything I'm writing.

So, back to the point. In reading the blogs of other writers, readers, publishers, agents, etc. The flame that used to rage in my heart and mind is being fanned into that raging fire again from the ember it had become. I opened the two main manuscripts I'm working on today and quickly saw the flaws and the direction I needed to head. So thank you, one and all, for blogging. Who knew it could make such a difference.?

Today, if I can find a spot in the mountains that isn't on fire, or in danger of being on fire, or . . . you get the point - I'm going to spend my birthday at a beautiful spot on the Provo river and write. I'm going to take RaeAnne Thayne's suggestion and just take pen and paper and let that muse that's been so dormant get back to work. Either that or I'm going to kick her butt for lying down on the job.

Gosh, I LOVE pansies. Maybe it's from the days of old when I was singing "Little purple pansies touched with yellow gold --" in Primary, but whatever it is, they are my favorite flower to plant and look at. Books and flowers, can life really get better than that? Okay, throw in a massage, a facial, a hot fudge brownie sundae from Brick Oven, and my sweetheart and life would be perfect.

So Happy Birthday to me. I'm looking forward to the next year!

What Season Woman Are You?

Sorry guys, you're out of luck. This one is for the ladies.

You Are Fall!

Thoughtful Expressive Creative Poetic Smart

What Season Woman Are You?

Are Mormons Christian?

Not that the LDS Church has been hiding its light under a bushel, but with the advent of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, the church has been thrust into the spotlight, and sometimes in a not very good way.

The LDS Church is one of the most misunderstood, lied about churches on the face of the earth. So I thought I would take the time, once a week, to take one concept or precept and give everyone the straight scoop on it.

Let's start with the basic "Mormons aren't Christians." Blatant falsehood. Al Sharpton is delighting in spreading that rumor far and wide, but to be fair, he's not the only one.

I say to you, unequivocally, we are Christians in every sense of the word. I heard some poor misguided fool say on the Sean Hannity show the other day that Mormons don't believe in the same Jesus Christ everyone else does. Oh yeah, we do . . . except we believe He has hung on to that resurrected body that is so carefully described and tested in the New Testament. We do not believe Him to be something wafting about in the ether.

But it is better to hear it from the prophet and apostles of the church -- that way, no one can say I don't know what I'm talking about:

The Living Christ
The Testimony of the Apostles
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

"The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Ensign,

Apr. 2000, 2

As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.

He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. Under the direction of His Father, He was the creator of the earth. "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:3). Though sinless, He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. He "went about doing good" (Acts 10:38), yet was despised for it. His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill. He entreated all to follow His example. He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead. He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come.

He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great atoning sacrifice. He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary's cross. He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.

We solemnly testify that His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary. He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world.

He rose from the grave to "become the firstfruits of them that slept" (1 Cor. 15:20). As Risen Lord, He visited among those He had loved in life. He also ministered among His "other sheep" (John 10:16) in ancient America. In the modern world, He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, ushering in the long-promised "dispensation of the fulness of times" (Eph. 1:10).

Of the Living Christ, the Prophet Joseph wrote: "His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:

"I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father" (D&C 110:34).

Of Him the Prophet also declared: "And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

"For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

"That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God" (D&C 76:2224).

We declare in words of solemnity that His priesthood and His Church have been restored upon the earth—"built upon the foundation of ... apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone" (Eph. 2:20).

We testify that He will someday return to earth. "And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together" (Isa. 40:5). He will rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords, and every knee shall bend and every tongue shall speak in worship before Him. Each of us will stand to be judged of Him according to our works and the desires of our hearts.

We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.

Every Wednesday I'll pick a new gospel concept and address it. I'll generally pull them out of the headlines, they are so abundant these days.

What color blue are you?

So I pulled this off A Writer's Ramblings blogspot. I thought it was way cool.

You Are Navy Blue

You're a true adventurer. You constantly find yourself drawn to new experiences, people, and places. Sometimes you feel quite scattered and bored. If something exciting isn't going on, you feel a bit lost.

What Color Blue Are You?

Wow, I sound cool! Take the test -- it's kind of fun.

Review of "High Noon" by Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts is one my favorite writers, bar none. With her lyrical style of writing, her incredible ability to create characters we can laugh, cry, love and cheer on and the stories that flow from her mind . . . yeah, you guessed it. I'm a huge fan.

High Noon is another in a long line of novels written by Nora Roberts. I was there bright and early on that Tuesday morning (that's the day of the week books hit the shelves) at my local Barnes and Noble to pick up my copy. Then, like the Harry Potter book, I had to wait until I was done with work, housework and taking care of my husband before I could settle in.

Nora Roberts takes us into the hearts and lives of a Hostage Negotiator and the man who steals her heart in High Noon. Very soon, it becomes obvious that Police Lieutenant Phoebe MacNamara has been targeted by a criminal who is always one step ahead. She must find out who he is before he kills one more person she loves. The plot twists and turns that then ensure . . . Oh yeah, I gave this book two thumbs up . . . hey, maybe I should find my own graphic of that. Sorry, I digress.

High Noon was well-paced, well-written and thoroughly enjoyable. Sadly, even with 467 pages, it was over too soon. Add it to your library, you'll be glad you did. I know I slipped it onto the shelf, right next to the rest of her books.

I had to share!

I am seriously into genealogy, family history and researching the past. When I saw this cartoon I just about fell off my chair laughing.

Enjoy -- check out the real blog I wrote today below. It's on a much more serious topic.

Laugh, laugh and then laugh some more.

On a more serious note, check out www.familysearch.org to find out about your ancestors. Free and truck loads of information.

Evacauted . . . what would I save?

Utah's on fire. There's no other way to say it, it simply is. About 45 miles south of our charming city the fire is encroaching and causing evacuation of city after city. As the Salt Creek fire grows closer and closer:

"So far, more than 18,000 acres are burned, and this morning, the blaze is about 15 percent contained. More than 100 homes and structures are still threatened, and several small towns have been evacuated. Officials estimate the cost to fight the fire is nearing one million dollars.

"A specialized, highly-trained federal firefighting crew is now in Utah to help battle the Salt Creek fire. They've set up base camp at Juab High School in Nephi. The area almost looks like a popular vacation spot, with tents, bathrooms and caterers on the scene. It's rib-eye for dinner and a dry place for firefighters to rest their eyes. It's all for the men and women fighting the Salt Creek fire, which continues to burn, near Nephi, threatening homes and power lines." www.ksl.com

Over the last few days, while my mind was occupied with Harry Potter and a myriad of other things, I have been contemplating; What would I take with me if I had to evacuate?

1. 72-Hour kit which would include: Alvin's medication, First-Aid kit, water, toothbrushes, toothepaste, Oil of Olay Regerenist Wet Wipes, Wet Wipes, lotion, moisturizer, portable, food.

2. Scriptures, books, games

3. Sleeping Bags and pillows

4. Pictures, wedding albums, etc.

5. I'm packing a suitcase, as soon as I'm done blogging, with clothing for one week.

6. External Hard Drives with all my electronic data and laptop

7. Cases of home canned chili beans, stew, fruit, vegetables, etc.

I can't think of anything else right off the top of my head. But I know that this is a very serious situation. Over the last few months I have been attending, because of a job offer, numerous Emergency Management, Disaster Preparedness and Homeland Security seminars. What I have learned, much to my dismay, is that the citizenry is woefully unprepared.

When a natural disaster such as fire, flood, earthquake, or unnatural disasters such as acts of war occur, a city's only priority is to re-establish the infrastructure. So if you are lying bleeding on the street, an ambulance will race right by you because the citizenry is not the priority. We are on our own. I remember asking someone from Rocky Mountain Power, "What happens to those individuals at home who have life support equipment, dialysis equipment, etc." She said to me, without even pausing, "They die." I learned that the citizenry must plan for up to six weeks without utilities or support.

So, I ask each of you reading this blog to look around at your family, your home and your circumstance . . . are you ready?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I'M FINISHED!!!!!!!!! It rocked! Yesterday morning a friend of mine took me to get a pedicure for my birthday. My favorite place to get this done is at my local Wal-Mart. As we walked inside the doors, ten hours after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released, there were only 150 left of the 5,000 books that had been put out at midnight. I didn't know this before I sat down in the pedicure chair.

I was in the middle of said procedure when I saw a friend of ours walking by with two Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in his bag. I called out to him and we spoke for a few minutes before he mentioned the rapidly dwindling supply. So there I was, literally trapped in the middle of a pedicure (the best ever, by the way) and unable to grab a couple of copies. Another woman, waiting for her manicure asked if I wanted her to go get me my copies (one for me, one for my sister)? Oh yeah, I jumped all over that. She was so sweet and was back in moments with my treasure. See, there are still really nice people left in the world.

It was 9:00 p.m. before I was able to sit down and open that book. I thought I was going to expire from curiosity. I turned page 784 at 3:46 a.m. the next morning. I'm 43, soon to be 44 (next week), and the thought that I would stay up all night reading a book never even crossed my mind. I was too tired, too exhausted, too busy, too everything. Nevertheless, there I was, breathlessly turning every page, scared that Harry was going to bite the dust in the next chapter. J.K. Rowling is really, really good.

This book was a well-written and well-paced story. Twists and turns, exciting duels, people going down EVERYWHERE until I wondered if she was going to kill everyone off at the end of the book. But never worry that I will spoil the end. You'll have to read the book yourself and find out who lives, who dies and what happens to them.

Two thumbs up baby! I'm sad the series is over.

If you had thirty minutes with God, what would you ask?

I was driving to Logan for the charity book signing I mentioned in an earlier blog. On the way, since I was by myself, I had a lot of thinking time. In the process, I was hit with a blinding flash for my next book.

From the time I was a child (no, that's not me --- just an incredibly beautiful picture) I began compiling a list of questions for God for the day I would get to have a sit-down with Him. If I asked questions no one could answer then those questions would go on my mental list. As I have grown older and studied the gospel of Jesus Christ more, most of those questions have been answered and now I am left with only three.

This is the premise of my new book. I am asking everyone I know, and don't know, to tell me what they would ask God if they had thirty minutes with Him. I've had some great feedback and am in the process of framing the book. I want to know what women, men, teenagers and children would ask God if they had that thirty minutes.

So now I ask you . . . if you had thirty uninterrupted minutes with God what would you ask Him?

Needed the laugh!

Check out the actual blog I wrote below. This one is just for fun!

Aren't kids the greatest? Love that Calvin & Hobbes --- heeeeyyyyyy, where is Hobbes?

Life without Sons and Daughters

Today I've been browsing around the internet looking at all the different blogsites. It's a great thing to find a new one and then check out all their links. As I was doing that very thing today I came across a blog on infertility. While this is not something I talk or write about often, it is indeed a topic that is very near and dear to my heart.

My husband and I married late in life, not on purpose, that's just the way it worked out. I was almost 32 when we married and we began to start our family right away. We both come from very large families and we wanted a large family of our own. We decided we didn't have any time to waste if we wanted more than 2 or 3 children.

After eight miscarriages in eight years, it was simply too much for me. I could no longer physically, emotionally or spiritually handle miscarriage after miscarriage. My husband and I discussed, prayed over it and made the decision to stop trying. It was heartbreaking because adoption was not an option for us (my husband has kidney failure.)

That, however, is not the point. Throughout those years, my sister (Heather) and her husband (Aaron) had children. Connor, then Stormy followed by Brigham, and then came along Skye and finally sweet baby Elias. As each of these children came into our lives Heather and Aaron generously shared their children with us. If I began to miscarry I would call her and she would respond with "I'll be right over with the babies."

The babies healed us. Without question, those sweet children would throw their arms around my husband and me and kiss us and whisper "I love you, Auntie and Uncle." And they would stay with us until the tears were gone.

Sweet Connor, who you see to the left, has labeled himself my protector, even from the early age you see here. (He's almost ten now.)

I was on bedrest again, with yet another pregnancy, and Connor was cuddled up with me on my bed. We were watching his favorite movie, Galaxy Quest, and enjoying ourselves immensely. There was one part, when the cute little aliens turn into scary monsters and indulge in cannibalistic behavior, which I knew scared him. So as that part was coming up, I cuddled him close and said, "Connor, here comes the part that scares me." He jumped up into a crouch, spread his arms and said in his two-year-old-voice, "I'll protect you, Auntie." Any wonder that my heart melted right on the spot?

Over the years these children have continued to heal us every possible way until we have come to love them as if they were our own.

What is my point you ask? While life may have dealt us a hand we were not expecting, we can certainly turn it into aces high if we open our hearts to those around us. There's no question we help my sister when we take her kids for a couple of days. But, there is also no question that these times are treasured by Alvin and me. We love having those children around.

So while we remain without children of our own, we are not childless. And this is a blessing Heavenly Father has given that can never be counted in value, because it is priceless.

Interview with Candace Salima

I ran into this interview on "Running with Quills" the blogspot for several famous romance writers. I adapted it and am answering the questions from my perspective as an author. At the end, I will tag several authors to do the same. The questions are good --

Which book would you like to see made into a movie and who would your dream cast be?

Oh, without question, it would be "Out of the Shadows Into the Light" . . . always and forever Romantic Suspense will be my favorite genre although I do dip into other genres with my other books.

"Out of the Shadows Into the Light" would make a great, sitting-on-the-edge-of-your-seat movie. As to the cast, wow, if my wishes were met without a blink of an eye, it would be as follows:

Caroline Duncan: Sandra Bullock
Slade Taggart: Matthew McConahey

Yeah, that's who I'd like to see.

Do you think that most romance novelists marry their ideals?

I don't know. Certainly if they are happily married, as I am, the heroes take on the qualities of their husbands, if not the physical appearance. In "Out of the Shadows Into the Light" Slade has the qualities of my husband and a hybrid appearance of my husband and brother.

If there was one thing you could go back and change in your writing career, what would it be and why?

I would have started much sooner. I wrote and published my first book at the age of forty. I wish that I hadn't spent as much time on trying to get an independent film production company financed and started writing books much sooner.

Has there ever been a book you've written, that you wish now you hadn't?

Book, no. Movie, yes. My very first screenplay had a lot of technical and structural difficulties. As I have studied and honed my skill as a writer over the years and looking at the first screenplay -- oh yeah, right into the round file.

For all the Storymakers...if you weren't writers, what would be your dream job?

I would be a bookstore owner. I would create something like Nora Roberts wrote about in her "Face the Fire (Three Sisters Island Trilogy)" of the Three Sisters Island Trilogy. Cute little cafe, great bookstore with art and knick knacks . . . the closest I've come to that is my bookstore on my website, Renewal. But one day, regardless of how successful I am in the future (and here's hoping I eventually have the kind of career Nora Roberts, Jayne Ann Krentz and Kay Hooper have) I will have that little bookstore that will be a "home away from home" for all my shoppers.

Do you reread your own work? And, if you are doing a series with follow-up from previous books, do you reread differently?

After having re-written a manuscript at least 20 or 30 times, no - I do not reread my work. I'm thoroughly sick of it by the time I'm done, no matter how good it is. And when I'm doing a sequel, yes, I list all the characters, their bios and a synopsis for each one of what has occurred so far in their fictional lives. Then I write the new one.

Has turning your art into your "job" in anyway detracted from the joy you take in writing? Have you ever felt like you had to do less than your best to meet a deadline?

A little. But still, there is a burning desire within my heart that cannot be extinguished by editors, publishers, deadlines and life.

I felt like I could have done a much better job on "13-0: Reflections of Champions". My publisher was pushing me so hard, initially only giving me four weeks to get the book done, that it was virtual impossibility. I had to track down the players of BYU's 1984 National Championship Football Team, then I had to convince them to talk to me! That was not an easy task. Eventually, I was able to track down 20 or so -- if I'd been given the time to do the job I wanted to, I would have tracked down every living player who would talk to me and interviewed them.

All in all, the book turned out great. I was pleased and very privileged to be able to write the book and bring their stories into the public eye.

Is there one book you've written, that you wish now you could have changed something major?

Oh yeah, see the above question and answers. As good as it was, "13-0: Reflections of Champions" could have been much, much better.

What are your top ten romance novels you would take to the beach?

I'd have to go with series --- while I like stand-alone novels, I much prefer a series. When I travel I always take one or two of these ten series or books. If I was headed to the beach --- hmm, I'm at six already with these two.

• Nora Robert's "The Circle Trilogy: Morrigan's Cross, Dance of the Gods, Valley of Silence (Set of 3 Vampire Romance Novels)"
• Jayne Ann Krentz's "Eclipse Bay Series: Eclipse Bay, Dawn in Eclipse Bay, Summer in Eclipse Bay (Set of 3)
• Christine Feehan's latest in the Drake Sisters Series "Safe Harbor (Drake Sisters, Book 5)"
• Kay Hooper's ""Bishop" Special Crimes Unit Series: Hunting Fear, Sleeping with Fear (Set of 3 Suspense Novels)"
  

Those right there probably put me right over the top. I would just as easily take any of Iris Johansen, Sherryl Woods, Sharon Sala, Maggie Shayne, Jayne Castle, Amanda Quick or more.

What comes first, characters or plot? What happens when it's characters first? Does the plot just flow naturally from a discovery of those characters, or do you find it difficult to weave a story together to fit the characters you want to write?

Usually, for me, the title of the book comes and then I build a premise around the title. In fact, that is how it always works for me. Then comes the plot which is developed through a basic outline and then serious research. Research will change the plot. Once the plot is relatively solid, although remaining fluid, I then start building the characters using Dr. Taylor Hartman's "The Color Code: A New Way to See Yourself, Your Relationships, and Life".

After all this, then I begin to write the book.

After reading all the Storymaker blogs for a while now and learning what hectic schedules you all keep between your writing and other activities, how do you find time to read other authors books? Is there one particular author that you ALWAYS read no matter what? What is your favorite book of all time?

I don't read as much as I used to. I used to at least get in a book a day. Now I'm lucky if I get four or five a month. But I am always first at the store on the morning of release dates for Nora Roberts (and J.D. Robb), Jayne Ann Krentz (and Amanda Quick, Jayne Castle), Linda Howard, Iris Johansen, Kay Hooper, James Rollins and Chris Stewart. I never miss them. Ever

In other markets, I never miss Matthew B. Brown, Willard Boyd Gardner, Jeffrey S. Savage, Hugh Nibley or Dean Hughes.

My favorite book of all time? Oooh, that's a hard one. If I ever think of one, then I'll do a blog on it and review it.

When you don't want to sit in the chair and write…what do you do to make yourself sit there? Duct tape? Crazy glue?

I have to tune out the world. Every single day, I sit down at my computer and work for a minimum of four hours with my writing. Then the remainder of the day is spent in marketing and other business. Duct tape does fix everything --- hmmmm. But seriously, it really requires a tremendous amount of discipline to write every day. It doesn't matter if you're turning out good stuff or bad. I deleted almost everything I've written in the last year. With the two books I'm currently working on, only four chapters survived of the one and six of the other. So I have to just keep plugging along because I can't wait to see what happens to these characters.

If a person had never read any of your books, which one would you want them to read first and why?

"Out of the Shadows Into the Light"- it's my romantic suspense and I absolutely love the story and the characters. Although I'm very proud of my other work, Shadows remains my favorite.

Do any of you work on more than one project at a time? I find myself doing this more and more lately and it's about ready to drive me insane. All these people just keep bumping around inside my head.

Yes, I do. I have four books I am currently working on. Two fiction and two nonfiction. When I get stuck with one, I minimize it and pull up another and work on that one --- it keeps my brain and creativity fresh and I invariably figure out the problem of the first while working on the second. Although, RaeAnne Thayne's tip of writing longhand has proven to be a marvelous tool for getting over the block.

Is there a novel (famous or otherwise) which you wish you had written?

I can't think of one right off hand. I just want to write and publish more.

How do you organize research? Do you try to do it all ahead of time?

Yes, I do most of it ahead of time. I have files full of different types of research which are at my fingertips. I then plot the story on index cards and tape them to the walls of my home. (Yes, I have a very patient and loving husband.) Then I can locate plot problems that I can rectify by simply moving the cards around and following suit in the manuscript. With the index card system I can see where research is lacking as well and get that done before I continue.

What happens when you run into something that you need to look up before you can finish the scene? Do you just type {research blah} and keep going, or stop then and look it up, or some other option I haven't thought of?

Sometimes I stop and do more research, make a note in the manuscript or just type what I'm looking for into the internet and grab the answer.

Do any of you find that having a clear notion (such as a map) of the area you're setting the story in is worth the time it would take to set it up?

Absolutely. Setting is critical. There are so many conflicts that can come up if you are fully aware of the setting.

My question to all of you is, do you find the ancillary activities inseparable from being a professional writer a welcome balance and counterpart to the intense concentration of actually writing, or just a distracting pain in the neck?

Sometimes its a welcome balance, but most of the time I resent the time away from my writing. I do everything else to make money and promote my work so that I can keep writing. I look forward to the day when I am so famous that I am making enough to replace a full-time job and can just write, write, write.

I now tag every single Storymaker to answer these same questions and post them on their blogspots, websites or both. Tag, you're it!

What do I love most about Jesus Christ?

When I pause to think what I love most about Jesus Christ, this quote comes to mind.

"We come to this world in many colors, shapes, sizes, and circumstances. We don't have to be rich, tall, thin, brilliant, or beautiful to be saved in the kingdom of God--only pure. We need to be obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ and keep His commandments. And we can all choose to do that regardless of where we live or what we look like."

(Clate W. Mask Jr., "Standing Spotless before the Lord," Ensign, May 2004, 93 )

So here I will list the things I love most about Jesus Christ:

• He is no respecter of persons. What does this mean? Exactly what the quote says above, we need to only be pure in spirit and body, not perfect, but pure, in order to return to His presence.
• Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, descended from His heavenly throne and came in the meridian of time into a mortal body. He lived the mortal experience, going one-on-one with Satan, on more than one occasion. He loved us so much that He willingly entered the Garden of Eden and suffered for all of mankind. Although He asked for that bitter cup to be removed, He submitted to the will of the Father and fulfilled His mission as the Savior for all mankind. Because of Him we will live forever. Because of Him we have the opportunity to reach the highest of eternal rewards.
  
• He loves us. He really, really loves us. If you can imagine the greatest love you have experienced in mortality, whether from your parents, a sibling, a spouse or a friend, times that by a billion and you will have an inkling of the unconditional love the Savior has for each of us. He knows every hair on our head. He knows our wants and desires. He knows our fears and worries. He knows our trials, tragedies, triumphs and joys. He knows YOU. This I absolutely love.
• Jesus Christ still pulls for us in every way. He is our advocate. He wants us to succeed and has placed everything on the earth that will that path visible to our physical and spiritual eyes. He has restored the gospel and continues to reveal truths to His living prophet. He has not left us alone.

Really, all I can say is I long for the day when I will gaze upon His face once again. I long for that day when He will gather me in His arms and I hope, beyond all hope, that I will hear, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

My Weekend -- Not from Hell, but approaching the 1st Level

Okay, anyone who knows Dante knows my 1st level reference.

Through me the way into the suffering city,
through me the way to the eternal pain,
through me the way that runs among the lost.
Justice urged on my highest artificer;
my maker was divine authority,
the highest wisdom and the primal love.
Before me nothing but eternal things
Abandon every hope, who enter here.

"Abandon every hope, who enter here." Hmmm . . . okay, maybe the weekend wasn't that bad. In fact, it actually had many bright points.

On Friday, I drove to Logan to sign books for a charity book signing. The downside, it was 97 degrees outside and we were put under a black tarp on the sidewalk. So needless to say it was hot! Also, I only signed two books . . . a far cry from my 162 books at my best signing. (Of course, Coach LaVell Edwards played into that one, I have to be honest.) Although there were lots of people walking by, no one, okay maybe one or two, was in the mood to buy books. Sadly, the place this lack of interest hurt was The Child and Family Support Center (a center for suffering from abuse.) That is who the proceeds were going to . . . so if anyone is interested in donating to this wonderful charity, please check out their website.

Now, the upside of the night: My table was next to RaeAnne Thayne, author for Silhouette, which is one of the top publishers of womens fiction in the world. Her latest book High-Stakes Honeymoon is on my night table and I am anxious to dive in. RaeAnne and I had a great conversation and I made a new friend that night. It was a lot of fun! Also there were Cami Checketts, Janet Jensen, Matthew Buckley and many more authors. It was fun. Cami had cut the tips of three of her fingers off and her left hand was wrapped in gauze and propped on a pillow. Ouch! Talk about being a real trooper, I saw one that night. So despite the heat and lack of public interest, it was a lot of fun. Of course, once I realized the drive to and from Logan was the exact same distance to my mother's farm in southwestern Colorado I was a bit taken aback. Gas prices you know.

TIP: RaeAnne gave me a great writers tip . . . one that really helped. She said when she gets stuck with a story she takes a pen and pad of paper and starts writing that way. She said that it accesses a different part of the creative process in the brain. I don't know if she's right or not, but it works!

And so now we move to the next portion of my weekend. My mother's benefit dinner/auction. I thought I'd spread the word. I'd certainly solicited help to sell tickets, sold some myself and still the turnout was dismal. The food was great! Thanks to the dutch oven catering company Let's Go Dutch. The company better, everyone there was extremely generous . . . but the amount of money I'd wanted to raise for my mother was an impossibility. While I was very down at heart Saturday night, on Sunday I decided to just keep plugging away. So, Monday morning I created a section on my website for a Benefit Auction. There is certainly more than one way to skin cat, although why one would want to I cannot begin to guess.

I wish to express my gratitude to all who donated auction items, some of which are up for auction on the above mentioned link, to those who helped organize, to those who donated money and to those who love my mother, my family and me. We can, as a family, never show enough gratitude for what you have done. Thank you.

Through the entire weekend, despite disappointments in certain areas, I was reminded of the phenomenal friends, family and associates I have. The generosity of these people was tremendous and my heart was filled to overflowing.

And so I am reminded . . . even in the darkest hour the greatest light will shine from the hearts of those you love. So no, I didn't even dip a toe into Dante's levels of hell, not even the first one. I will not abandon hope . . .

Announcing the launch of The Whitney Awards

I am so incredibly pleased to announce the launch of The Whitney Awards! This is an exciting addition to the world of literature. So named for Apostle Orson F. Whitney, I feel so privileged to be publishing and to teaching others to write and do the same. So read on . . .

Provo, Utah - 18 June, 2007 - WRITING GROUP ANNOUNCES PRESTIGIOUS NEW LDS FICTION AWARD

“We shall yet have Miltons and Shakespeares of our own. . . . In God’s name and by His help we will build up a literature whose tops will touch the heaven, though its foundation may now be low on the earth.”

When Latter-day Saint Apostle Orson F. Whitney first spoke these words, the literary canon of his people didn’t contain many works. Fast forward over a hundred years, and literally thousands of novels are published, enjoyed by readers each year.

The quality of fiction has significantly increased in recent times. New writers are finding it harder to break into the industry each year. This is hard for upstart writers, but great for readers.

While LDStorymakers began several years ago to serve only as a support group and opportunity for networking for LDS writers, it has morphed into a powerful force into LDS market.

Today they unveil their newest project, the brainchild of LDStorymaker and novelist Robison Wells: an annual fiction award named after Orson F. Whitney, honoring his vision of having LDS “Miltons and Shakespeares.”

“The Whitney Award will be given annually in conjunction with the LDStorymaker writing conference each March,” Wells, the author of three novels published through Covenant, explains. “This is an exciting time to be part of the LDS fiction industry, and we hope the Whitney will become a prestigious and sought-after award.”

Anyone can nominate a novel published during the previous calendar year in any of six categories, and a final academy of industry professionals will vote on the final ballot. Nominations are being taken for books published in 2007 by LDS authors at the Whitney Awards website: www.whitneyawards.com

So remember to read, read, read and then head on over to The Whitney Awards website and start nominating. This is really exciting for the authors, I hope readers will become just as excited! Read on, my friends.

I've been Tagged by Rebecca Talley and Tristi Pinkston!

Okay, here's the crazy thing. I just created my blogspot yesterday and I've already been tagged by Tristi Pinkston. Wow! Word sure spreads quickly! So, I'm supposed to answer all these questions - tell me, why am I not in bed yet?

What were you doing ten years ago: Ten years ago, let's see, that would be 1997 -- I can't remember. I would have been married to my college sweetheart for two years. His little brother, who lived us for the first year of our marriage, had moved on to another brother. Oh wait! I remember. 1997 was the year I was laid off from Novell (which I campaigned very hard for) and I began studying under Paul Gray, one of the best story structurists in Hollywood. That began a year where almost everything I learned in college was chucked out the window and a whole new way of writing screenplays was introduced to me. Whew -- one down and how many to go?

What were you doing one year ago: Geez, what's with the questions and having to remember where I was ten years ago or one year ago. A better question, what was I doing yesterday?

Five snacks you enjoy: home-made chocolate chip cookies, Colorado popcorn, tortilla chips/salsa/guacamole (craved that one with every pregnancy), baby carrots and peanuts. Do I have to stop at five?

Five songs you know all the lyrics to: That would be none. I am the queen of taking first, second and third verses and merging them together for my very own version of every song I know. Although, I can safely say I know "Popcorn Popping," and "I Am a Child of God" and those are the only two I can claim to knowing completely.

Things you would do if you were a millionaire: Invest half of whatever the IRS doesn't steal with their grubby little hands, pay off my mother's farm and debts and then pay her a monthly stipend, pay off our debts, build our food storage back up and better prepare for any disasters coming down the line. This is one thing I cannot joke about as money is tight in the family right now.

Five bad habits: Eating too much junk food when I know how bad it is for me, not exercising like I used to, procrastinating cleaning my house (I really, really hate to clean but love a spotless house, what a conundrum!) And quickly abandoning work to go play (I really do that, I've had to exercise more control as of late) and last, but certainly not least, I must, WITHOUT QUESTION, kick my Mountain Dew habit. Ugh!

Five things you like to do: Write, read, snuggle with my husband, snuggle with my nephews and nieces, and visit with good friends and family. Oh heck, I'll add one more. I love to study the gospel too.

Things you'll never wear again: A swimsuit, bell-bottoms, peasant shirts, really --- anything from the 70's! Man, it was ugly the first time around - I don't know why we're repeating it. Oh, and Rebecca's right, blue eye shadow, but I really miss my big hair!

Five Favorite toys: Uh, uh, uh . . . hmmmm. I have no idea. Does Quiddler count? That's the best game known to mankind for anyone who doesn't know what Quiddler is.

Where will you be in ten years? Owner of a publishing house, movie studio and record label. Debt free and still living frugally. I will have more books published (other than the five I have right now) and movies produced on the screen and in everyone's DVD library. Nah, I don't want much.

Five people to tag: Anne Bradshaw, Jeffrey Savage, Willard Boyd Gardner, Annette Lyon and James Dashner.

That's it for me tonight -- tomorrow I'll tell you about the book signing I did tonight and the benefit I'm throwing for my mother tomorrow evening -- or would that be today -- well, that would July 14, 2007 (oh yeah, Saturday evening). More details at www.candacesalima.com/benefit.htm

Tristi Pinkston took this test, so I had to too! How Evil Am I?

You Are 4% Evil

You are good. So good, that you make evil people squirm. Just remember, you may need to turn to the dark side to get what you want!

How Evil Are You?

Tristi took this test and then I looked at her blog and had to laugh! I may not be evil, but I am dang tough!

Welcome to my little corner of the world!

I thought I'd join the blogging generation. While I have blogged professionally, I've never had one of my own before. How fun will it be to write about what I want to, rather than what I am paid to write.

So, I don't have much to say today -- but I'm excited for everything coming up in my life. New books, movies, more genealogy, more time spent with family and friends. Simply can't wait for some calmer times.

So welcome to my little corner of the world. I'll try to blog every other day or so and cover the variety of subjects that interest. So, that could be religion, politics, history, life, genealogy, football, basketball, family, friends, health . . . oh, I could go on and on, and no doubt I will!