BLOG TOUR UPDATE

The Dawn's Early Light Blog Tour begins shortly. Twenty-four "blog-stops" are planned, with opportunities for prizes at each one. You can also host an "Ad Stop" on your blog, or Facebook page, or by posting on Twitter. Just post the cover image of "Dawn's Early Light" or a link to http://www.laurielclewis.com/ on your social sites, and return to my blog to post a comment with your sites' address(es). You'll receive additional entries for each place you post. Easier yet, become a follower of this blog. Prizes--free books and a gift certificate to Applebee's!

"The Reckoning" Book Trailer

This wonderful trailer provides a glimpse into Tanya Parker Mills' double-award-winning novel, "The Reckoning." Brimming with intrigue and suspense, "The Reckoning" would make a perfect gift for those on your list who enjoy an intelligent, enlightening read. Available at Amazon.

BIGGA-BIGGA PRIZE PACKAGE

Wanna win some great prizes? Dinner for two at Applebee's? Always dreamed of being a crafty creator of handmade items worthy of presenting as beautiful gifts? Take it from one of the craft-challenged women in the world, sometimes you need a step-by-step guide to rev up the creative juices, and then a good supper to soothe the soul.

Wanna win and also help the aforementioned craft-challenged-author-person get the word out about her new book?

I'm expecting to hold the first copy of Dawn's Early Light in my hands in about a week. As exciting as that is, that's about three weeks behind the book's planned release date, so I need help to spread the news. In return, I'm offering a prize package worth almost $80 retail in books and gift certificates.

Book one is a guide to designing and creating beautiful handmade jewelry titled, Elegant Wire Jewelry, by Kathy Frey. Book two, Bits and Pieces, by Karen Costello Soltys, contains patterns and instructions for making eighteen small quilts. I'm also tossing in a $25 gift certificate to Applebee's, making the value of the prize package over $80!

Break the package up into three lovely Christmas gifts, or use the books to create beautiful handmade gifts for everyone on your list, then treat yourself to a nice Applebee's night out!

You can enter up to 4 times! Here's how:

1. Insert the image of my soon-to-be-released novel, DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT, on your blog sidebar with a link back to my web site at http://www.laurielclewis.com/. Then return and post a comment telling me the address of your blog site.

2. Would you like to enter again? Now post the cover image of DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT on your Facebook page with a link back to my web site. Send me a message when it's up and you'll get a second entry.

3. Wanna third entry? Post a link on Twitter.

4. Fourth? Become a Follower of this blog.

The drawing will be November 20th. Lots of time to enter, lots of chances to win!

And as always, thanks for your support of my books!


Warmly,

Laurie LC Lewis

BOOK NOOK REVIEW

SIMPLY SINGING TIME

by

Alison Palmer

My good friend, and eight-time author, Alison Palmer, has dedicated her talents to providing principle-based Primary supplements that enhance Sunday sharing times. Her newest release, Simply Singing Time, is a dream for choristers. Written to coordinate with the 2010's Primary theme, "I Know My Savior Lives", Simply Singing Time helps choristers reinforce powerful Gospel principles through Palmer's entertaining games.

For example, in lesson 4, "The Lord is My Shepherd," the game plan allows the chorister to review up to twelve songs in a format that reinforces the principles that 1) Jesus is the Good Shepherd, 2) we are His sheep, and 3) we can find safety in His green pastures.

Each of the twenty-five lessons is laid out with instructions, a rudimentary materials list, instructions for play, and the Gospel idea behind the game. Once created, each game can be used again and again, with different songs and age groups.

I was once a Primary Chorister. I adored the children and the singing, but coming up with a series of entertaining activities that would hold the older children's interest without overwhelming the younger children was a daunting weekly task. This is Alison Palmer's forte, having six volumes of Sharing Through Primary Songs, and two other children's resource books on the topic of faith already under her belt.

But Simply Singing Time has application possibilities beyond Sharing Time. This is a great tool to add to any family's Family Home Evening arsenal. My daughter, the mother of a nine-month-old, saw the book on my counter and tried to snag it. She saw so many opportunities to prepare games that would bless her family for years to come.

As a mother of grown children and grandchildren, I'm looking forward to using Alison's ideas to add new dimensions to our family's group FHE's, and to teach my little ones important Gospel principles in a playful format.

I also work with the seminaries, and I can see so many applications there as well. Though these games are geared to utilize songs with children 3-11, several of them could be modified and used to teach scripture mastery scriptures. And the age issue? My experience with Early Morning Seminary students assures me most would laugh and play along willingly.

So hats off to Alison Palmer for yet another resource to teach children the beautiful principles of the Gospel in a subtle, entertaining way.

Simply Singing Time, $8.99, is published by Horizon Publishers, and is available online at Amazon, and wherever LDS books and products are sold.

DAILY JOURNAL OF GRATITUDE

A few weeks ago, while poking around for a photo of "gratitude" for a post on that topic, I came across a most remarkable blog--"365 Days of Gratitude". It was a photo-blog with a daily image reflecting something for which the photojournalist was grateful. I thought the idea was lovely. The anonymous blogger has evidently moved from her roots because the first shot on her blog is featured here, a shot of the prairie where she was raised. The label was, "Today I am grateful for my visit home." Looking at the photo, can't you sense how true that statement is? I didn't go through every shot, but the ones I did see were more reminders that our efforts to take count of, and feel gratitude for, our blessings really magnifies the end-count, and we'll come to see how truly blessed our seemingly mundane lives actually are.

This blog reminded me of a Gratitude Book my daughter assembled for Thanksgiving 2007, with the intent of laying it out on the table where family members could jot down thoughts of gratefulness throughout the day. It was a wonderful, if under-utilized idea. I think we should give it another try.

There are lots of reasons why starting such a project like this is a beautiful idea. Thanksgiving, the day set aside for reflections of gratitude, is a mere three weeks away, and Christmas and New Years always seem to urge us to take stock, express love and gratitude, then set new goals.

Perhaps snapping a photo of something for which you are grateful would work for you, or perhaps the Gratitude Book is more doable. You can write a gratitude statement a day in your calendar blocks, or maintain a running list. Whatever works for you.

A creative woman used one of those table-top trees from which she dangled paper leaves with notes of gratitude written upon them. You can decorate a jar or a can and leave slips of paper upon which thankful notes can be recorded. I think the fridge would be a great place to post notes of gratitude. It sure would add positive value to those leftover-runs.

I'm sure you've got tons of ideas on how to take stock and record gratitude. Let's hear some. Leave a comment and I'll enter you in a drawing for a wonderful book titled, "Wednesday's Letters". Deadline for the drawing is Friday!

EARLY REVIEW OF "DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT"

An author's eyes go blind to their own work after a certain point. You know the manuscript so well you can practically recite it in your sleep, and so, when you attempt to edit it, your eyes skim over errors, seeing what's supposed to be there instead of what's actually typed on the page. Not good. . .

About three weeks ago, I sent five copies of the Dawn's Early Light manuscript out to a writer's conference in Washington state via good friend and fellow author, Liz Adair, (Counting the Cost). My hope was that a few conference attendees would read the manuscript and provide some early reviews. I ended up getting so much more out of that opportunity.

During that time I had hired an excellent editor to do a final copy edit on the manuscript before it headed to the printer. After her read-through, I felt completely confident that we were ready to start running copies. And then I received an email from one of my volunteer reviewers that included this disastrous line--

"I hope you caught that major typo on the back cover."

Major typo? On the back cover?

I read and reread the cover over and over. I saw nothing, and I felt for certain she had received an old, early rendition that had been long corrected. But just to be sure, I wrote back asking, "Could you point out that typo? I'm sure it's been corrected, but just in case. . ."

It hadn't been. Had she not pointed it out, Dawn's Early Light would have gone to print with a glaring error on its back cover. As it was, I barely was able to sneak the change in before it went off to the printer.

So here's a great big thank you to multiple award-winning author Tanya Parker Mills, (The Reckoning), to whom I now owe two great debts of gratitude . . . one for saving my cover, and one for the honor of receiving her crisp, detailed, and favorable review of Dawn's Early Light.

Click here to read her review, and while you're there, check out her celebrated titles as well.

Logan, the Sky Angel Cowboy

This 13-year-old Nebraskan boy called CBN one day to share this new understanding he received about the Atonement through a very difficult trial he had faced. It reminded me of a wise saying.

"When man wants to change the world he sends an army. When God wants to change the world, He sends a child."

Logan, you're changing the world.