I can't believe it!

It is hard to believe that another year is gone and that it is time to start looking forward to a new opportunity of new beginnings.

I also want to say that with this post I have accomplished writing 50 entries this year in my blog. Now that may not seem like a lot to some of you die hard bloggers out there, but I am pretty impressed. I way surpassed the amount I wrote the previous year and I feel like I know more about the blogging world than I used to.

now that doesn't by any stretch of the imagination mean I am an expert. I still have a ton to learn, but I hope in the coming year to keep growing as a blogger. And more importantly a writer!~

Well off to celebrate what's left of this year with my family and with that said~

HAPPY NEW YEAR~!!!

Book Review: Cold River by Liz Adair

Cold River By Liz Adair is a romantic suspense thriller based on the author's own experiences while living in a little town where she taught for several years in Washington.

Cold River is the kind of story I love reading. I instantly fell in love with this fast paced intriguing story, where the people of the small town Mandy comes to work in make being there a bit of a challenge. She doesn't fit in with her big city ways and has to work to convince the town's people that she is right for the job as the new superintendent, even though they still turn to the former one for all their answers.

But Mandy is tough and determined to show them that she knows what she is doing and begins to make some connections. In doing so they come to trust her, but even more so, she finds that she is losing her heart along the way to the most unlikely person. Who she ends up with, you will have to read to find out. That is part of the fun of reading Cold River.

I loved the way Liz developed the story, and as Mandy grows and learns about her depth and determination, she discovers someone wants her gone so much they are willing to kill her to achieve it. But Mandy proves tougher than her assailant expects, and with the arrival of Mandy's little sister, the stakes on keeping them both safe soar. And Mandy decides to do a little investigating of her own, and as a result the surprises in Cold River keep mounting.

I loved to watch the character arc develop with the main and side characters. The changes they went through as their views of events and people change and how they come to see that maybe there is more to be gained by trusting each other.

I found myself up late into the early hours of the morning turning pages to see what happens next, would Amanda survive the next attempt on her life? Would she make it out alive with all the crazy unexpected events that any of the less than friendly members of the town could easily be suspect? Does Mandy stand strong against it all, or give in to the idea that there are other places that she can go that might be safer? And who of all the men interested in Mandy does she ultimately give her heart to? I couldn't help myself, I had to find out the answers, and was so sad to see the story end.

Find out all the answers to these questions by picking up Liz's book Cold River by clicking here, and you can catch up on what Liz is doing on her blog by clicking here. You won't be sorry you took the time to read Cold River. I know you will love it as much as I did.

Disclaimer: While at times I do receive copies of books to review, my opinion is and will always remain my own.

Book Review: Heir to Power by Michele Poague

Heir to Power By Michele Poague is the first book in The Healing Crystal Triolgy. It is a YA science fiction novel about lost technology, the morality of power and the creation of religious and political philosophy.

Overview:
The colony of Survin has been hidden for centuries, protecting an ancient religious artifact called the Healing Crystal from men who would steal or destroy it. Kairma, heir to the Crystal, is destined to mate with the handsome Naturi and become the leader of the reclusive colony, but she is too young to realize the peril soon to arrive.

At sixteen, Kairma is too young to realize many things .... Kairma would rather go spelunking with her brother and his best friend than study ancient medicine and religious laws, but the discovery of a tomb containing ancient artifacts leads Kairma to question her religion and the true nature of the Crystal. To further complicate Kairma's ascent, a childhood illness has left her resembling a nearby race of men both hated and feared by the people of Survin. Because of this, Kairma's younger sister Kinter, who is in love with Naturi, believes she is the rightful heir.

Disease and infertility have decimated Survin, but bigotry and religious laws forbid the introduction of new members so things heat up when a traveling archeologist stumbles upon the reclusive colony and introduces a powerful new weapon. Forced into a larger world, the Survinees discover they hold an object of unimaginable power, a power other men covet, a power that might save or forever damn the human race.

My take:
I liked that in Heir to Power, Kairma starts off feeling maybe she really isn't able to live up to everything everyone always expects of her, that becoming the hier to power is more of a burden than anything else. She resents it in many ways. But I loved the character Arc as she grows throughout the story and discovers inside of her strenghts and abilities she never new she possessed in addition to finding some mysterious things that cause her to question what is going when the White Ones begin to show up around her. She also begins to embrace her differences rather than hide from them.

Also the growth Collin , her and her brother's best friend goes through is very fun to be a part of as he realizes the importance of bringing new information into the colony and wants to explore beyond it even though it is forbidden. With the arrival of the stranger, Trep, Collin becomes fascinated with what is beyond their little valley and is determined to leave, and bring back innovations that will help their community to grow and protect themselves more efficiently. He is also the most willing to accept Trep for who he is and sees that it is a good thing that he came, and tries to convice those in the colony not to be threatened by him Trep's presense. He also realizes how much he is willing to fight for what is important to him, and on top of that list is Kairma. He knows that Naturi is expected to be her mate, but he will not let it be easy for Naturi to take her.

Naturi, has always known he would be the one to stand by Kairma when it came time to take a mate. He has trained all his life to take his place in the healing family and lead the community. It is something he has looked forward to all his life, but when Collin leaves the colony with the stranger, he along with Kairma's brother go with him. While gone he discovers there is more to life than what he expected and he begins to see things differently.

I found the changes and discoveries the characters made fascinating, and was drawn in by each new thing they found about themselves and the world around them. I looked forward to what would happen between Naturi and Collin. I loved how Kairma found that she was ok with who she was and that she could be confident too. I really liked how all the little things play in together to create intrigue and mystery, that make me excited about the next book in the trilogy.

Heir to Power was a fast paced page turner. It drew me into a world that was familiar in many ways, but had so many differences that I wanted to see how they overcame them. I liked the interaction between the many different characters. I found the prejudice over simple things the members of the colony display toward things that are different or unfamiliar. There is suspicion and intrigue brought out. It was nice to see how each character handled the different challenges that came and how growth resulted. I am really excited to see what is in store next in the next book, to see who wins Kairma, Collin or Naturi.

Personally, I hope Collin wins Kairma's hand. He is one of my favorite characters. His independent thinking and strength really called to me. I am keeping my fingers crossed and look forward to the next book to see what happens.

Heir to Power is appropriate for all ages. I didn't want the story to end, and look forward to finding out what happens next. If you want to see what all the excitment is about then you need to get your Copy of Heir to Power right away by clicking here. To learn more about Michele Poague and the things she is working on next, click here to go to her website. You will be glad that you didn't miss out on all the fun.

Disclaimer: While at times I receive copies of books to review, my opinions will always be my own.

Book Revie:The Assassination of Governer Boggs by Rod Miller

The Assassination of Governor Boggs By Rod Miller is fictional exploration written from the view point of Detective Calvin Pogue who was hired by William Boggs the son of Governor Boggs to find out who shot his father in the head so many years ago, to gain a sense of closure. A name is given as who the family suspects was the gunman. When asked who, one legendary Mormon was named as the shooter, Porter Rockwell.

The cold case takes Pogue across the country, as he interviews various individuals who knew of or had contact with the either the situation or Rockwell himself. Taken from the neutral eyes of Pogue, each character interviewed displays his personal feelings for the situation and their opinion about Rockwell, or Boggs. The venom or unease from either side of the story is clearly evident. And the reader learns how biased some individuals still remained regarding the events of years gone by.

As the case unfolds, Pogue's travels take him to where it all began and then across country to Utah, and eventually to old Porter himself. All ending with an unexpected ending that will leave your heart racing.

I enjoyed learning the different points of view and gaining a better understanding of the events surrounding the shooting of Governor Boggs. The letters, documents, interviews, and journal entries help build the story.

I do wish there was more showing in the story instead of telling about past events through dialogue with different characters. But I did come away from the story with a better sense of what happened during that time frame as told through the experiences of prominent individuals during that period of time.

If you are a lover of early LDS Church History, at a time of turmoil and unrest when great persecution towards the saints was rampant, and if you enjoy those off the beaten path kinds of individuals like Porter Rockwell, then The Assassination of Governor Boggs by Rod Miller is the book for you.

To get your copy click here, then you can step into one of the biggest unsolved mysteries of the time period and see if you can determine who really shot Governor Boggs.

Disclaimer: At times I do receive copies of books to review, but my opinions are and will always remain my own.