Cranberry-Pecan Chicken Salad - SO GOOD!

http://foodfolksandfun.net/2011/12/day-4-of-12-days-of-christmas-fun/

I just had this awesome delicious Cranberry-Pecan Chicken Salad at a recent cookie exchange I was invited to. The hostess sent me the link where she got the recipe. SOOO GOOOD! Here's the link for the recipe source (and the blog for the original chef, Jillian), but I've posted it below as well:
http://foodfolksandfun.net/2011/12/day-4-of-12-days-of-christmas-fun/

Cranberry-Pecan Chicken Salad

4 -12.5 oz can of chicken, drained (I get mine from Costco)
2 t olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
¼ C Miracle Whip
¼ C Non-Fat, Plain Greek Yogurt (I like the FAGE brand from Costco)
½ C cream or whole milk
2 t poppy seeds
1 C celery, chopped
1 T butter
½ C chopped pecans
1 C dried Cranberries

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Drain the chicken and cook in skillet until all the pink is gone (you may have to do this in batches depending on how big your skillet is). Place cooked chicken in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until cool, about 1 ½-2 hours.

In a small bowl, mix Miracle Whip, Greek yogurt, cream/milk, and poppy seeds until combined. Pour the mixture over the chicken and season to taste with salt and pepper again. Add in the chopped celery and mix until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
In a small pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the nuts and stir them often until they are toasted, about 4 minutes (they should be a little more than lightly browned and you’ll begin to smell them).

Add the toasted nuts and dried Cranberries just before serving, and mix until combined. Serve with split croissants.

Makes about 8-10 servings.

Crockpot French Toast Recipe

Crockpot French Toast Casserole (serves 8)

Photo Credit: http://momswithcrockpots.com/?s=crockpot+french+toast

A good friend of mine made this delicious dish for a church Christmas breakfast. IT. WAS. SO. GOOD! I got the recipe from her afterwards. She said it came from a woman with little time to cook (that might be all of us, right?) and who has mastered the aid of her crockpot for feeding her hungry family. She can be found at momswithcrockpots.com and Amanda@afewshortcuts.com. Thanks, Amanda, for the awesome recipe and thanks, Anne, for leading me to it. Here it is:

Ingredients:
1 loaf of bread sliced or diced (gluten free works okay too)
6 eggs
2 cups milk (Dairy free alternative can be used)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:
1/2 cup butter (or dairy free margarine), softened
1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans
Dash of nutmeg

Instructions:
Whisk together eggs, milk and cinnamon. Pour over diced bread in large mixing bowl. Cover and let soak overnight in fridge or at least 4 hours. When ready to bake, spray inside of crockpot (4-6 quart size works best) to avoid sticking. Pour in bread mixture. In small bowl, mix together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans and nutmeg. Crumble over top of bread mixture. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours. Let sit for 15-20 minutes and serve.

The Joey Parker Movement: Against All Odds

Here is the fun and energetic cover to Joey Parker's non-fiction "The Joey Parker Movement: Against All Odds"!

Read in more than 100 countries, JoeyParkerMovement.com forgoes snark, judgment, and tabloid-style gossip in favor of generating positive celebrity content, including coverage of celebrities’ charitable and philanthropic pursuits. In this offering, founder Joey Parker channels that positivity and sense of optimism as he seeks to give today’s youth a new and positive perspective on life, drawing on his own experiences and struggles. Among the topics he discusses are coming out in a conservative town, politics, and what it takes to find and make a positive name for oneself in the modern world. With endorsements and contributions from the likes of Paris Hilton, civil rights activist Justin Mikita, Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons, actors Ian Somerhalder, Denise Richards, and Lisa Rinna, and Real Housewives of New York star Aviva Drescher, The Joey Parker Movement looks to make a difference in the lives of its readers. Joey Parker is the founder and editor-in-chief of the Joey Parker Movement, which focuses on creating positive celebrity content while interviewing high-profile celebrities. He is also a contributing writer for the MTV Act blog and TheDailyLove.com. He lives in Idaho. 
- Amazon.com -

• 
  
• Publisher: Jolly Fish Press (April 1, 2014)

MY FIRST ICE STORM - CRAZY STUFF

My in-law's long, slanted driveway (garage behind the camera)

When my sister sent me a picture of her new Texas abode (or her car rather) covered in ice from her first ice storm, it reminded me of my first ice storm at the beginning of 2013 in Northern Utah (U.S.A.). I think it was Utah's first ice storm in 15-20 years and IT WAS NUTS! We were living with my in-laws at the time and they have a slanted driveway. We had to open their garage door when we pulled into the driveway because there was ZERO traction. The car slid (despite our brakes) toward the garage, but once our wheels hit the garage floor that was not covered with ice, the car stopped. SO NUTS! We actually had to do this twice in the same day (picking the kids up from school and then going out for essential groceries). The first time we returned home, the car slid straight forward for a perfect ride into the haven of the garage. The second time, however, the car turned at a 45 degree angle and slid that way toward the garage wall, nearly hitting the corner of the brick structure. But we came out of it unscathed (or rather the car did, anyway), but emotionally, I never wanted to experience that again. The girls had fun sledding down the driveway, though, so that was one good thing that came of it.

My girls using the driveway for sliding

Well, we've since moved out of my in-laws, but our new driveway is even MORE slanted than theirs. So far this winter, we've been doing all right in the snow with our 4-wheel drive vehicles, but if Utah gets another ice storm, we'll be in trouble on the driveway. Yeah, I don't care what people say about their 4-wheel drive vehicles being able to get through anything. ICE is no respecter of cars. What's the difference between a 2-wheel and a 4-wheel drive vehicle on ice? Nothing, except the latter has all four wheels spinning instead of just two. If another ice storm occurs, we'll either have to park up near the road, or simply not go anywhere at all (I like the latter thought complete with a cozy fire and hot cocoa).

In-law's truck covered with ice

 In this 2013 storm, we were finally able to walk around (get the mail and retrieve the trash can by the road) by wearing my husband's mountaineering "crampons" (metal spikes that attach to your boots). After that, walking around outside was actually fun!

Happy Holidays!

Ice-covered walkway

SQUISHY ANIMATION: An awesome company!

Check out this wonderful animation company, SQUISHY ANIMATION, with demos of their work - GREAT STUFF! I LOVE the main character logo: The fat, squishy rat! SO CUTE!

"Starting at $500 for a 2D animation and $1000 for a 3D animation, we will take your logo and make it dance, appear, transform or whatever you have in mind. Not sure what you want it to do? Most people don’t. Let us throw you our ideas. Use your new animated logo in your ads, on your web page, or bookending your powerpoint presentations.

"Want to dazzle your audience? Get their attention? Entertain them? Need an intro video to open your presentation or show? Let’s make your images dance!

"Need to show why your customers should choose you? Want to show how your services/product works? Do clients confuse your methods with a common misconception? Then let them SEE exactly why you are different. We build demonstration videos that explain what makes you unique and bring your expertise down to the level of understanding of your customers.

"Do you have a mascot or character who represents your company? Have you been thinking of one? Want something like the Geiko gecko or Pillsbury Doughboy? We can build it. Then make it talk, run, jump and represent!"
          - Kit and Nathan Rees (brothers) -

Check out their animated short, "Flex's New Workout."

http://vimeo.com/74342996

Squishy Animation Clients Include: Microsoft, Novell, Attachmate, Boy Scouts of America, Overland Storage, Ping Identity, NetIQ, Wasatch Wind, 10 TV News HD, Fifty Films, Cibus, Blue Print Columbus, NU SKIN, Time Warner Cable, and SUSE.

E-mail: INFO@SQUISHYANIMATION.COM
Web Site: http://www.squishyanimation.com/

Like them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SquishyAnimation

Not only has SQUISHY ANIMATION done an awesome animated DRAGON for the Fantasy Con site (scroll down to the bottom of the Fantasy Con site to see it), but they are huge participators in the entire event. Fantasy Con, 2014 will be in Utah, July 3,4,5th. So far, celebrities John Rhys-Davies (Gimli from The Lord of the Rings), Graham McTavish (Dwalin from The Hobbit), and Sylvester McCoy (Radagast from The Hobbit) are guests and I know they are in the process of contracting MANY MORE! COOL!

TWISTED by Tayla Durham

Locked up in the Nansterdome crown castle prison, Aster the Terrible has little to look forward to, except his execution. All this changes when a wraith steals and important relic from the castle. Aster is pulled out of prison to steal for the king to combat the wraith. Things get twisted when Aster and his newfound rival, Allie Taylor learn that the wraith of isn't the enemy, but the one protecting them from the actual threat.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Twisted/168658493335482
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Tayla-Durham-ebook/dp/B00FWT4BHW

Cover to FIRES OF MAN by Dan Levinson! AWESOME!

In a world where a gifted few can manipulate reality with their minds, two great nations—Calchis and Orion—employ these psionic powers in a covert war for global superiority. In the heart of Calchis, a young psion named Aaron is kidnapped and forcibly conscripted into the Calchan army. To the north, in the capital, a dastardly plan is hatched to decimate Orion, to be carried out by the ruthless operative known only as “Agent.” Meanwhile, across the vast desert that separates the two warring states, Orion recruit Stockton Finn finds himself thrown into a new world of incredible powers he has never dreamed of. And Orion officers Nyne Allen and Kay Barrett navigate the aftermath of their shattered love affair, oblivious to the fact that Calchis is drawing ever closer to destroying the tenuous peace between their two lands. Finally, in the arctic land of Zenith, Calchan archaeologist Faith Santia unearths a millennia-old ruin that may shed light on the history of psionic powers and a deeper mystery that could shake the foundations of all mankind.

DAN LEVINSON is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of Arts and has dabbled in acting, screenwriting, and writing for the stage. He lives in Great Neck, New York.

Dan's Blog:  http://www.danlevinsonwriting.com/blog/fires-man-cover-reveal

Cover Reveal: DEPENDENT by Brenda Corey Dunne - SO GREAT!

Blurb:

When 45-year-old Ellen Michaels loses her husband to a tragic military accident, she is left in a world of gray. For 25 years her life has been dictated by the ubiquitous They—the military establishment that has included her like chattel with John’s worldly goods—his Dependents, Furniture, and Effects. They—who have stolen her hopes, her dreams and her innocence, and now in mere months will take away the roof over her head. Ellen is left with nothing to hold on to but memories and guilt and an awful secret that has held her in its grip since she was 19. John’s untimely death takes away her anchor, and now, without the military, there is no one to tell her where to go, what to do— no one to dictate who she is. Dependent deals with issues ever-present in today’s service families—early marriage, frequent long absences, the culture of rank, and posttraumatic stress, as well as harassment and abuse of power by higher-ranking officials. It presents a raw and realistic view of life for the lives of the invisible support behind the uniform.

Brenda originally trained as a physiotherapist and worked several years as a Physiotherapy Officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force before meeting the love of her life, RCAF Colonel Tom Dunne, and becoming a military dependent herself. She has ridden the RCAF posting train with her Air Force husband and family, living in such places as Nova Scotia (Canada), Watchfield (England), and Elizabeth City (North Carolina, US). She also volunteered on the Board of Directors at a Military Family Resource Center.

Brenda completed her first manuscript in 2008 as a bucket-list item and caught the reading bug. Since then, she has self-published a YA historical fiction and is working on multiple writing projects. Brenda currently resides on a small hobby farm in Eastern Ontario, Canada, with her husband and three children.

COVER REVEAL: Confessions of the Very First Zombie Slayer (that I know of)

CONFESSIONS OF THE VERY FIRST ZOMBIE SLAYER (THAT I KNOW OF) by F.J.R. Titchenell!

Confessions of the Very First Zombie Slayer (That I Know of) blurb:

The world is Cassie Fremont’s playground. Her face is on the cover of every newspaper, she has no homework, no curfew, and no credit limit, and she spends her days traveling the country with her friends, including a boy who would flirt with death just to turn her head. Life is just about perfect—except that those newspaper headlines are about her bludgeoning her crush to death with a paintball gun, she has to fight ravenous walking corpses every time she steps outside, and one of her friends is still missing, trapped somewhere in the distant, practically impassable wreckage of Manhattan. Still, Cassie’s an optimist. More prone to hysterical laughter than hysterical tears, she’d rather fight a corpse than be one, and she won’t leave a friend stranded when she can simply take her road trip to impossible new places to find her, even if getting there means admitting to that boy that she might just love him, too. Skillfully blending effective horror with unexpected humor, this diary-format novel is a fast-paced and heartwarming read.

F.J.R. Titchenell bio:

F.J.R. Titchenell is an author of Young Adult Sci-Fi and Horror fiction. She is represented by Jennifer Mishler of Literary Counsel and currently lives in San Gabriel, California with her husband and fellow author, Matt Carter, and their pet king snake, Mica.
The "F" is for Fiona, and on the rare occasions when she can be pried away from her keyboard, her kindle, and the pages of her latest favorite book, Fi can usually be found over-analyzing the inner workings of various TV Sci-Fi universes or testing out some intriguing new recipe, usually chocolate-related.

Links:

Website: www.fjrtitchenell.weebly.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FjrTitchenell

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FJR_Titchenell

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4384865.F_J_R_Titchenell

Amazon listing: http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Very-First-Zombie-Slayer/dp/1939967309/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1383006679&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=confessions+of+the+very+first+zombie+slayer

  

Other details:

Confessions of the Very First Zombie Slayer (That I Know of) is F.J.R. Titchenell’s debut novel, to be released May 6^th, 2014. It is a Young Adult Horror-Comedy.

Pizza Bubble Bread

 Photo Credit: http://mandygirlsfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/08/pizza-bubble-bread.html

PIZZA BUBBLE BREAD
(makes 10-12 appetizers)
1 package (10 count) refrigerator biscuits
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
1/2 to 1 cup miniature pepperoni
1 cup (4 oz) mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cornmeal
        Sprinkle a greased 12-inch  pizza pan with the cornmeal. Separate biscuits and snip each into 4 pieces. Place in medium mixing bowl. Add sauce, and toss to coat. Arrange dough pieces in an 8-inch circle on the pizza pan. Sprinkle with oregano, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes, or until golden.

NEW SIGHT cover reveal! Intriguing and mysterious!

 Title: New Sight

Author: Jo Ann Schneider

Genre: YA Fantasy/Adventure

Expected Date of Publication: April 2014

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18722333-new-sight

Giveaway code:

<a id="rc-0606e80" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0606e80/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>

Book Blurb:

Addiction equals power, but at what cost?

After succumbing to the sudden and terrifying urge to rip people's eyes out of their sockets, sixteen-year-old Lysandra Blake finds herself tied down in a psych ward, convinced she's crazy. The doctors have no answers, and Lys is ready to give up when the mysterious Jeremiah Mason appears, telling Lys that she's not insane—she's addicted to a rare and deadly drug that she has no recollection of using. Mr. Mason offers to take her to his facility where he can treat her.

Desperate yet suspicious, Lys agrees to go with Mr. Mason to his facility where she meets with a fellow addict, the tall and handsome Kamau. Together they discover that Mr. Mason may not have told them the truth about their condition—they're thrown headfirst into a world of daunting powers that are not only unbelievable, they are dangerous. Very dangerous.

Excerpt:

     The cobblestone driveway looked about a thousand miles below her. Lys slid over and dipped one toe out of the SUV. The tennis shoes she wore hit the ground, and she let the bottom of her foot succumb to gravity. The other foot followed, and as she stood, Lys felt her knees wobble. One hand reached out to use the roof of the vehicle for support, and she took a step. She tried another, but her foot stopped in mid-air, her body distracted by something much more insistent than gravity. The Need.

     Emotions, a week repressed by medication, came bubbling up from the bottom of a cauldron. Anger, fear, hunger—the Need. It swelled in her stomach and ached to make her fingers move. She doubled over, trying to contain it.

     “Lys, what's wrong?” Someone pulled on her arm.

     “Get away!” she pleaded. “Please.” She felt herself start to shake. She fell to her hands and knees and put her head down on the cobblestones, squeezing her eye shut. A voice said her name, but she didn't care.

     She wanted the feeling back. The feeling like after she ripped the frog's eyes out—euphoria. She was a hungry monster, demanding to be fed. The Need gnawed through her mind, screaming at her to do something. To hurt someone.

     On their own accord, Lys' fingers began to twitch. Why did he take the handcuffs off?

     The image of her mom's bandaged face sprung into her mind. All of the times her dad flinched away from her, and all of the looks the doctors gave her paraded through her memory. No, she wouldn't hurt anyone else. Not while she had an ounce of control left in her. She laced her fingers together and squeezed until her arms shook.

     # # #

     The dark behind her eyelids flared to life, and Lys found herself in another place. She stood in her room, looking at her bed. Everything was exactly as she'd left it, except the blood on the carpet. Someone had cleaned that up. Her MP3 player sat on the dresser, and her school bag lay on the chair.

     Lys tried to look over at the mirror. Her head wouldn't move. She attempted to look up. Nothing happened. What was this? She floated out of her body. Had it taken too long to get here? Was she dead?

     Panic filled her mind, and she wanted to scream. The picture of her room faded, replaced by the dark.

About the Author:

Jo Ann Schneider grew up in Utah and Colorado, and wonders how people who live in flat places can tell where they’re going.  In her sixteenth year, Jo went with her family to Europe.  This spawned a travel bug that will never be satisfied.  One of Jo’s goals is to travel to all seven continents—five down, two to go.

Perhaps the most challenging thing Jo has ever done (besides write novels) was stick with her Shaolin Kempo classes long enough to earn her black belt.  Persistence, not an overabundance of mad skill, is what got her there, and she just keeps going back for more. An intervention may be in order at some point.

Being a geek at heart, Jo has always been drawn to science fiction and fantasy.  She writes both, and hopes to introduce readers into worlds that wow them and characters that they can cheer for.

Jo lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her adorkable husband, Jon, who is very useful for science and computer information as well as getting items off of top shelves. By day she is a mechanical designer of disgustingly expensive hand-crafted steel lights, and by night she is a ninja.  Woosh, woosh.

Author web links:

Blog: http://joannschneider.blogspot.com/

Twitter: twitter.com/JoSchneider_1

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JoannSchneiderAuthor?ref=hl

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/5894674.Jo_Ann_Schneider

CITADELS OF FIRE Cover Reveal. So Cool!

CITADELS OF FIRE by Liesel K. Hill has an awesome cover. It looks so dang cool!

Blurb:

In a world where power is paid for in blood, no one ever aspires to more than what they were born to, and danger hides in plain sight, Inga, a maid in the imperial Russian palace, must find the courage to break the oppressive chains she’s been bound with since birth. Inga’s life in sixteenth century Russia is bleak until a man she crossed paths with as a child returns to the Kremlin. Taras is convinced his mother’s death when he was a boy was no mere accident and has returned to try and discover what really happened, all during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, the most brutal and notorious ruler ever to sit the throne of Russia. While Taras finds only lies and silence where he seeks truth, Inga struggles with the feelings of oppression that have plagued her for most of her life. Taras gives her the chance to leave her loneliness behind forever, but the cost and future of such a liaison is uncertain and Inga is afraid. Up against the social confines of the time, the shadowy conspiracies that cloak their history, and the sexual politics of the Russian imperial court, Inga and Taras must
discover their past, plan for their future, and survive the brutality that permeates life within the four walls that tower over them all, or they may end up like so many citizens of ancient Russia: nothing but flesh and bone mortar for the stones of the Kremlin wall.


JFP Press Release:

PROVO, UT—Jolly Fish Press (JFP) is proud to announce the successful acquisition of L. K. Hill's stunning historical novel, Citadels of Fire, the first installment in Kremlins, a three-book series depicting the rise and fall of fifteenth-century Russia under the violent rule of Ivan the Terrible.

Following the literary traditions of Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth and Tracy Chevalier's Girl with a Pearl Earring, Citadels of Fire chronicles the unexpected turn of events that transpire within the walls of the Kremlin through the eyes of a palace maid as she is unwillingly pulled into the dangerous web of political espionage, royal scandals, rebellion, and savage wars, in her pursuit of love and a better life outside of the palace walls. In Citadels of Fire, Hill captures the grandeur of Russia in her meticulous description of a country that is both breathtaking and desolate, leaving the reader with the appetite for more, yet the fear of what comes next.

Hill has a degree from Weber State University, and has won numerous writing awards, including garnering first place in the 2011 League of Utah Writers Writing Contest. Citadels of Fire is slated for a Spring 2014 release.

ELEANOR Cover Reveal! Just beautiful!

Cover reveal for Johnny Worthen's young adult paranormal novel, ELEANOR! 

“Eleanor is a modest girl, unremarkable but extraordinary, young but old, malleable but fixed. She is scared and confused. She is a liar and a thief. Eleanor is not what she appears to be.”

ELEANOR is scheduled for release Spring of 2014, so the most we can do now is tease it. ELEANOR is a stand-alone title, but also the first of a three book series all to be published by Jolly Fish Press. 

Congratulations on a beautiful cover, Johnny. Jolly Fish Press has done an awesome job again!

Join Johnny at his "Blog Mansion" for more information and updates on ELEANOR.
http://johnnyworthen.blogspot.com/2013/11/eleanor-cover-reveal.html

CINDERSKELLA by Amie and Bethanie Borst

Cinderskella - a middle-grade fiction

Cindy is just a normal eleven and three-quarter year-old. At least until she wakes up one night and finds out she’s dead. Well, she isn't technically dead—she just doesn't have any hair . . . or a nose . . . or skin. Yep—all bones, no body. Human by day and skeleton by night, Cindy is definitely cursed. And because her mother recently died, Cindy has no one to turn to except a father who’s now scared of her and an evil stepmother who makes her do the housecleaning with a toothbrush. To make matters worse, the Spring Fling dance is approaching, and Ethan, the cutest boy in sixth grade, doesn’t seem to know Cindy exists. Of course, Cindy doesn’t think letting Ethan find out she’s part skeleton is the best way to introduce herself. While facing such perils as pickled pig’s feet, a wacky fortune teller, and a few quick trips to the Underworld, Cindy’s determined to break the curse—even for a single night.

Amie Borst still believes in unicorns, uses glitter whenever possible and accessorizes in pink. She enjoys eating chocolate while writing and keeps a well-stocked stash hidden away from her family. A native New Yorker she currently resides in Northern Virginia with her husband, three children and a cute dog named Lily. She wishes she had a hot-pink elevator with carnival lights to travel the world. But for now, her minivan will have to do.

Bethanie Borst is a spunky 13-year-old who is an avid archer with Olympic dreams, enjoys the outdoors, loves reading and is quick to make lasting friendships. When she is not writing, she swings on a star.

You can follow Amie and Bethanie on:

 Twitter – https://twitter.com/AmieBorst

 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AmieAndBethanieBorst

 Blog - http://www.amieborst.com/p/books.html

Where to check out the book:

Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cinderskella-amie-borst/1117023980?ean=9781939967251&isbn=9781939967244

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18311564-cinderskella?from_search=true

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Cinderskella-Amie-Borst/dp/1939967252/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382195857&sr=1-1&keywords=cinderskella

NEW HOME for the PARK FAMILY!

Front of house

Well, my husband and I finally found and bought a house (YAHOO!) that we will be in for a long time. The house is right next to my in-law's where were were temporarily living for 9 months. We had an easy time moving our belongings after my husband cut a gap in the fence between the properties (with his parent's permission, of course - LOL). Though I'm staying extremely busy with all the unpacking and organizing, I'm grateful to have found a good home on almost an acre of property where we plan to plant fruit trees, a garden and add some more lawn. The cute home was built in the early 80s, but has been well cared for by a great family. It isn't a big house, but fits within our tight budget, and also fits our family, so we're extremely happy and feeling blessed. :)

Maple trees with autumn leaves in front of house

Driveway lined with beautiful trees and vegetation

Side view of back patio surrounded by lovely trees

My husbands shop - his "man cave" : )

The biggest and most beautiful kitchen I've ever had (disregard the messy counters while I'm still organizing)

Living Room with our old couches, ratty coffee table, my digital piano and a giant plush fish under some pillows in the corner

BEEN MOVING - SLOW SOCIAL NETWORKING

Hi ya'll! Just a quick post to let you know that I've been really slow with social networking and posts because I bought a house (YAHOO!) and have been moving into it for the past seek. I am up to my eyeballs in unpacking and organizing. Will pick up on social interaction when things settle down for again.

Book Signing October 5th in Murray, Utah!

FOR THOSE IN MURRAY, UTAH, or close by, I'm signing books at the Murray Barnes and Noble (5249 South State Street) tomorrow, Saturday, October 5th from 12pm to 4pm. For those watching General Conference, you can come between sessions! :D (I'll be catching up on the talks later on the internet). If anyone knows anyone in the area who would be interested in the signing, please share, please please please! I'll also be signing on the 9th of November at the Sugarhouse Barnes and Noble.

Lehua Parker and ONE SHARK, NO SWIM

ONE SHARK, NO SWIM, is the second book in author Lehua Parker’s amazing Niuhi Shark saga for middle-grade and adult readers alike, the first book being ONE BOY, NO WATER.

ONE SHARK, NO SWIM overview:

There's something bugging adopted Zader Westin, something more troubling than his water allergies where one drop on his skin burns like hot lava. It's bigger than his new obsession with knives, designing the new murals for the pavilion with Mr. Halpert, or dealing with Char Siu's Lauele Girlz scotch tape makeover. Zader can't stop thinking about a dream, the dream that might not have been a dream where Lē'ia called him brother then jumped into the ocean and turned into a shark. Zader's got a lot of questions, not the least being why he's hungry all the time, restless at night, and why he feels a constant itch on the back of his neck. It's making him feel like teri chicken on a pūpū platter, but Zader doesn't want to think about chicken, not with his growing compulsion to slip it down his throat-raw. With Jay busy at surf camp and Uncle Kahana pretending nothing's happening, Zader's left alone to figure things out, including why someone-something-is stalking him before it's too late. Summer in Lauele Town, Hawaii just got a little more interesting.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781939967107

Publisher: Jolly Fish Press

Publication date: 9/21/2013

Pages: 302

Product dimensions: 5.50 (w) x 8.50 (h) x 0.68 (d)

Find ONE SHARK, NO SWIM here:           

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/One-Shark-Swim-Lehua-Parker/dp/1939967104/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379752439&sr=8-1&keywords=one+shark+no+swim

Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-shark-no-swim-lehua-parker/1114940697?ean=9781939967107

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18114896-one-shark-no-swim

ONE BOY, NO WATER overview:

11 year old Alexander Kaonakai Westin (Zader for short) is allergic to water. One drop on his skin sears like white-hot lava. Too bad a lifetime of carrying an umbrella and staying away from the beach isn't the answer, especially when his popular almost twin brother Jay looks destined to become the next Hawaiian surfing sensation.But avoiding water is just the tip of Zader's troubles. Eating raw seafood and rare meat gives him strange dreams about a young girl in a red cape and nightmares about a man with too many teeth. There's also the school bullies who want to make Zader their personal punching bag, the pressure of getting into Ridgemont Academy, and the mysterious yearly presents from his birth family that nobody talks about. It's enough to drive Zader crazy, especially when he suspects old Uncle Kahana and 'Ilima know a secret that explains his unusual biological quirks. After all, they were the ones who found him newborn and abandoned on a reef and brought him to the Westins to adopt. Uncle Kahana swears Zader is 'ohana-family-by blood as well as adoption.  Too bad he's not saying more. When Jay quits surfing after a shark scare, Zader decides it's time to stop hiding in the shadows and start searching for answers. Growing up adopted in Hawai'i just got a little weirder.

Find ONE BOY, NO WATER here:               

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/One-Boy-Water-Lehua-Parker/dp/0984880127/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379789539&sr=8-1&keywords=lehua+parker

Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-boy-no-water-lehua-parker/1112184898?ean=9780984880171

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15713351-one-boy-no-water?from_search=true

Author Biography:

Lehua Parker is originally from Hawaii and a graduate of The Kamehameha Schools and Brigham Young University. In addition to writing award-winning short fiction, poetry, and plays, she is the author of the Pacific literature MG/YA series the Niuhi Shark Saga published by Jolly Fish Press. One Boy, No Water and One Shark, No Swim are available now. Book 3, One Fight, No Fist will be published in 2014.

So far Lehua has been a live television director, a school teacher, a courseware manager, an instructional designer, a sports coach, a theater critic, a SCUBA instructor, a playwright, a web designer, a book editor, a mother, and a wife. She currently lives in Utah with her husband, two children, three cats, two dogs, six horses, and assorted chickens. During the snowy Utah winters she dreams about the beach.

Connect with Lehua Parker here:

Blog & Free Short Stories: http://www.lehuaparker.com/

All things Niuhi Shark Saga: http://www.niuhisharksaga.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LehuaParker

Twitter: @LehuaParker

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6426317.Lehua_Parker

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lehuaparker/

Email: AuntyLehua@LehuaParker.com

ONE BRAVE KNIGHT instrumental ballad from SHADOWS OF VALOR now on Youtube!

ONE BRAVE KNIGHT instrumental ballad from SHADOWS OF VALOR now on Youtube!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQWeQmS-374

ONE BRAVE KNIGHT (instrumental) is one of three ballads I composed for my medieval romantic fiction, SHADOWS OF VALOR, first published by Jolly Fish Press and then aquired and reissued by Amberjack Publishing. I mixed this arrangement on my Cubase music program, adding in some fun instruments not available on my digital piano. The sheet music to this, and my other two ballads, can be found on this blog at: http://elsiepark.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_16.html

A WONDERFUL BOOK LAUNCH!

Cover Model: Brady Knighton. Photo by Yelena Baykova.

I had a great time at my book launch for my medieval romantic fiction, SHADOWS OF VALOR at Barnes and Noble (an awesome host). I saw SO MANY family members, good friends, Jolly Fish Press reps, fellow authors, and met fantastic new people as well. I was nervous to play my musical medley in front of a crowd, but all went well and people told me the music sounded beautiful *phew*. The sheet music that accompanies my story can be downloaded for free on this blog at http://www.elsiepark.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_16.html. I enjoyed chatting with everyone and loved hearing about their own writing projects and lives. I was flattered that so many people came to see me and get the book signed. Made me feel SO special. One of the cover models for Shadows of Valor, Brady Knighton, a sweet young man (and a perfect portrait of my hero, The Shadow), stopped in to chat and buy the book he’s featured on. In turn, he graciously signed my own personal copy of my book :). AWESOME! Thanks everyone for making my night a wonderful experience.

Now I just need Paulina Baykova (female cover model who portrayed Elsbeth) to sign my book and my personal copy will be complete :)

SHADOWS OF VALOR - BOOK LAUNCH THIS SATURDAY!

SEPTEMBER 21, 2013 - Book launch for SHADOWS OF VALOR at the Layton, Utah, Barnes and Noble (1780 North 1000 West,  Layton, UT 84041) from 5:00 - 8:00pm. I will be playing a 5-minute piano medley of the songs I composed for the story and then having a short reading before the book signing, so come at 5:00pm if you want to see all that. Can't wait to see you all there!

DESERET NEWS' Awesome Review of SHADOWS OF VALOR!

The Deseret News featured and reviewed my novel, SHADOWS OF VALOR and it was 100% positive! *squeeee* I'm SO EXCITED!!!

"SHADOWS OF VALOR," by Elsie Park, Jolly Fish Press, $16.99, 252 pages (f)

In “Shadows of Valor,” Elsie Park weaves a medieval spell in her page-turner of a historical romance.

This first-time novelist creates a believable heroine in the scarred Lady Elsbeth Rawley. A woman with issues many readers can relate to, Elsbeth doubts her own self-worth and feels unworthy of romantic affection.

Sir Calan Beaumont, the man Elsbeth has loved since being a young teenager, is the perfect blend of dashing and honorable. However, due to his many experiences with the baser members of society, he has difficulties seeing the good in others. As this lord and lady unite to face danger and solve a mystery, their hearts are opened to love.

Everything changes when the Shadow, King Edward’s mysterious emissary for justice, enters Graywall Village. Adding to this intrigue are various interesting characters: an aunt who suffers from amnesia, a cousin with unrivaled beauty, a mysterious maid and a lecherous wool merchant. These and others make "Shadows of Valor" easy for readers to be pulled into 14th-century England. Park has a gift for making the good guys human and even the vilest of characters pitiable.

Park understands the role religion played in medieval England and brings God, faith and repentance into her novel. With characters from the very devout to the uncaring, Park puts the perfect amount of faith into her romance without coming across as preachy.

A book for those who love happy endings, “Shadows of Valor” has grin-inducing romance and mild violence but is clean enough to comfortably lend to Grandma.

Park has worked in exciting careers: police officer, firefighter, security guard. A graduate of Weber State University, she currently supports her military husband and cares for her three children in northern Utah.

If you go ...

What: "Shadows of Valor" book launch party and Elsie Park book signing

When: Saturday, Sept. 21, 5 p.m.

Where: Layton Market Center, 1780 N. Woodland Park Drive, Layton

Web: barnesandnoble.com, elsiepark.blogspot.com

Elizabeth Reid has bachelor degrees in economics and history. She has worked in retail, medical billing, catering, education and business fields. Her favorite occupation is that of wife and mother. Her email isbizziereid@gmail.com.

Here's the link:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865586352/Book-review-6Shadows-of-Valor7-is-a-delightful-historical-romance.html