The Stranger She Married

Disclaimer: I purchased this book and received no compensation from the author for this review.

Back of the book:
When her parents and only brother die within weeks of each other, Alicia and her younger sister are left in the hands of an uncle who has brought them all to financial and social ruin. Desperate to save her family from debtor's prison, Alicia vows to marry the first wealthy man to propose. She meets the dashing Lord Amesbury, and her heart whispers that this is the man she is destined to love, but his tainted past may forever stand in their way. Her choices in potential husbands narrow to either a scarred cripple with the heart of a poet, or a handsome rake with a deadly secret.

Cole Amesbury is tormented by his own ghosts, and believes he is beyond redemption, yet he cannot deny his attraction for the girl whose genuine goodness touches the heart he'd thought long dead. He fears the scars in his soul cut so deeply that he may never be able to offer Alicia a love that is true.

After yet another bizarre mishap threatens her life, Alicia suspects the seemingly unrelated accidents that have plagued her loved ones are actually a killer's attempt to exterminate every member of her family. Despite the threat looming over her, learning to love the stranger she married may pose the greatest danger to her heart.

I have always loved a good romance! My definition of good romance is not Danielle Steele-esque, but rather follows the old fashioned Victoria Holt style. So, did I think this was a good romance story? Yes, I did. Enough romance to satisfy the romantic in me and enough adventure to keep me hooked. I read this one in a day - took it with me in the car as I chauffeured around my kids. Departing from my usual loathing of red lights, I actually hoped for them so I could read a few more paragraphs as I waited. The characters were appealing and well-developed and there were enough twists and turns that I had to keep on reading. The characters stayed with me even after I finished reading. There were a few copy errors, but that aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this read. I have thought about lending out my copy, but can't part with it yet. So, for now, I highly recommend buying your own and reading it. To read an excerpt from this novel and check out other works by Donna Hatch, check out her website at http://www.donnahatch.net/.

I am looking forward to her novel 'Guise of a Gentleman' coming in April 2010.

ANWA Conference

Yesterday was the ANWA Conference, "Start Write Now". It was at the Dobson Ranch Inn in Mesa, AZ. The facilities were roomy and nice; lunch was a delicious buffet of salads and sandwich fixings. We all chuckled at the pitchers of iced tea on each table - after all, how much iced tea will a bunch of Mormons drink? The speakers all did a great job of teaching and inspiring and challenging us. J Scott Card was the Keynote Speaker and one of the presenters. I really enjoyed his comments. The presentations I attended were all very informative and I enjoyed each. I will blog about them later. Afterward various authors and the presenters had their books for sale. I got my Waterworld book signed and bought a bunch of other books.

Heroes and Heroines

Last Friday marked the beginning of a biennial event that I absolutely love and I always feel a tinge of sadness when it ends. Of course, I then look forward to the next Olympic Games two years away. I cheer for the athletes when it all comes together. Their training and hours and hours of work grant near perfection – to the awe of audiences around the world. I sorrow for these amazing people when disappointment overwhelms them because even with all their preparation they have an ‘off’ day. And, naturally, I am mortified when morals and integrity take a back seat to winning (i.e. French judges and Tonya Harding).

As I thought about this it reminded me of the characters in my novel. I want to create heroes and heroines that readers will cheer for in their successes and ache for when things go askew. Then there is the antagonist – if they had morals or integrity it would make things less interesting in my fictional world. So, here’s to Master Kael and Siri as they fight their unknown foe who is determined at every turn enslave the elves and usurp all power in the elfin kingdom of Enyls. 

LA Trip

Why does it take a trip to LA to get a little writing done? Because for three hours I had some peace and quiet in our Millenium Biltmore Hotel room. My sister Mindy and her daughter Jordyn and my two daughters McKenna and Ashlynne went to the Nick Jonas and the Administration concert and I, I had a glorious few hours of time to write. It was beautiful! My goal was 1000 words this last week - and thanks to this road trip with the girls, I did it!

Valerie's contest

Writer, Valerie Ispon, has a great contest going right now. Check it out and become a follower!

valerieipson.blogspot.com

Single mom

This week I sent my husband to the Diamondbacks Fantasy Camp in Tucson. He had a great time playing baseball and hanging out with DBacks players - Steve Finley was his coach. He hit the first ever out-of-the-park home run at Fantasy Camp. Cool! Since he was gone, I got a lot of writing done (and no house cleaning). Maybe one of these days (or years) I'll actually be done.

LDS Storymakers Conference

It's official. I've signed myself up for the LDS Storymakers Conference in April in Provo, UT. I am going with some amazing women from our chapter of ANWA (American Night Writers Assoc) and I'm really looking forward to it.