A Change of Plans- Debut Novel by Donna K. Weaver

A Change of Plans
by Donna K. Weaver

When Lyn sets off on her supposedly uncomplicated and unromantic cruise, she never dreams it will include pirates. All the 25-year-old, Colorado high school teacher wants to do is forget that her dead fiancé was a cheating scumbag. Lyn plans a vacation diversion; fate provides Braedon, an intriguing surgeon. She finds herself drawn to him: his gentle humor, his love of music, and even his willingness to let her take him down during morning karate practices. Against the backdrop of the ship's make-believe world and temporary friendships, her emotions come alive.

However, fear is an emotion, too. Unaware of the sensitive waters he's navigating, Braedon moves to take their relationship beyond friendship--on the very anniversary Lyn is on the cruise to forget. Lyn's painful memories are too powerful, and she runs from Braedon and what he has to offer.

Their confusing relationship is bad enough, but when the pair finds themselves on one of the cruise's snorkeling excursions in American Samoa things get worse. Paradise turns to piracy when their party is kidnapped and Lyn's fear of a fairytale turns grim. Now she must fight alongside the man she rejected, first for their freedom and then against storms, sharks, and shipwreck.

Find it on Amazon!

About Mormon Author Donna Weaver
Donna K. Weaver has always loved reading and creating stories, thus she’s been ever entertained. A Navy brat and U.S. Army veteran, she’s lived in many U.S. states as well as South Korea, the Philippines, and Germany. An avid cruiser, she’s sailed the Pacific four times. When she retired from Shorei Kempo Karate with a black belt, she decided it was time to put her imaginary friends and places on paper. She lives in Utah with her husband. They have six children and eight grandchildren.

Whitney Award Winner for Speculative Fiction, "The Hollow City"

The Hollow City
By Dan Wells

Dan Wells won instant acclaim for his three-novel debut about the adventures of John Wayne Cleaver, a heroic young man who is a potential serial killer. All who read the trilogy were struck by the distinctive and believable voice Wells created for John.
Now he returns with another innovative thriller told in a very different, equally unique voice. A voice that comes to us from the  realm of madness.
Michael Shipman is paranoid schizophrenic; he suffers from hallucinations, delusions, and complex fantasies of persecution and horror. That’s bad enough. But what can he do if some of the monsters he sees turn out to be real?
Who can you trust if you can't even trust yourself? The Hollow City is a mesmerizing journey into madness, where the greatest enemy of all is your own mind.

"The Hollow City" won the 2012 Whitney Award for Best Speculative Fiction. 

Kindle: $11.04
Paperback: $7.99

About Mormon Author Dan Wells
Dan Wells lives in Orem, Utah, with his wife, Dawn, and four young children.
 

Compilation of Near-Death Experiences in LDS Church History

Gaze Into Heaven
by Marlene Bateman Sullivan

Gaze Into Heaven is a carefully compiled collection of more than 50 near-death experiences that occurred during the early years of the Church. These documented accounts give fascinating glimpses into the Spirit World by those who have actually been there. Besides being filled with stories of insight and inspiration, Gaze Into Heaven has pertinent quotes from latter-day Prophets and other leaders, scriptures, and perceptive commentary. After reading this book, you will never think of life—or death—in the same way.


Kindle: $6.15
Amazon Paperback: $14.01


About Mormon Author Marlene Bateman Sullivan
Marlene Bateman Sullivan was born in Salt Lake City, Utah.  She graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She is married to Kelly R. Sullivan and they are the parents of seven children.  Her hobbies are gardening, camping, and reading.  Marlene has published five non-fiction books and a novel--the best-selling, Light on Fire Island.

Whitney Award General Fiction Winner: The Rent Collector

2012 Whitney Award Winner- Best Novel, General Fiction
The Rent Collector
By Camron Wright

Survival for Ki Lim and Sang Ly is a daily battle at Stung Meanchey, the largest municipal waste dump in all of Cambodia. They make their living scavenging recyclables from the trash. Life would be hard enough without the worry for their chronically ill child, Nisay, and the added expense of medicines that are not working. Just when things seem worst, Sang Ly learns a secret about the ill-tempered rent collector who comes demanding money--a secret that sets in motion a tide that will change the life of everyone it sweeps past.
The Rent Collector is a story of hope, of one woman's journey to save her son and another woman's chance at redemption. It demonstrates that even in a dump in Cambodia--perhaps especially in a dump in Cambodia--everyone deserves a second chance.

Amazon Kindle: $13.79
Paperback:  $10.79
Hardback: $16.79

About Mormon Author Camron Wright
Camron Wright holds a masters degree in writing and public relations. He says he began writing to get out of attending MBA school, and it proved the better decision. His first book, Letters for Emily, was a Readers Choice award winner, as well as a selection of the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild. In addition to North America, Letters for Emily was published in several foreign countries. Camron lives with his wife, Alicyn, in Utah. They are the parents of four children.

Whitney Award Winners Announced

The Whitneys are an awards program for novels written by LDS authors. Elder Orson F. Whitney, an early apostle in the LDS church, prophesied “We will yet have Miltons and Shakespeares of our own.”

The goal of the Whitney Awards is to be a part of that journey toward excellence by honoring the LDS writers also working toward that goal.

Awards were presented in the following categories:
General Fiction-- The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

Romance-- Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

Suspense/Mystery-- Code Word by Traci Hunter Abramson

Speculative Fiction-- The Hollow City by Dan Wells

Speculative Young Adult Fiction-- Everneath by Brodi Ashton

General Young Adult Fiction-- After Hello by Lisa Mangum

Middle Grade (new category)-- The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Historical-- My Loving Vigil Keeping by Carla Kelly

Best Novel of the Year-  The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

and Best Novel by a New Author-- Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

Novels can be nominated by any reader and nominees are voted on by an academy of industry professionals, including authors, publishers, bookstore owners, distributors, critics, and others.

The 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award went to Lael Littke. 
2012 Outstanding Achievement honors went to Carol Lynch Williams. 


The 2013 Whitney Awards will be presented April 26, 2014 at the Whitney Award Gala, Davis Convention Center, Layton, Utah
Learn more about the Whitney Awards here.

Inspirational Short Story from Stacy Coles

Enjoy Today... Before It Slips Away
By Stacy J. Coles

An inspiring short story for anyone who loves their mother. A tender reminder to look at life's situations as treasured blessings. An endearing story that you will want to read and share with your children, sisters, mother, grandmother, and friends. Enjoy today before it slips away, because we never know how many more tomorrows we have.

Amazon Paperback: $8.99
Barnes and Noble:  $8.99

About Mormon Author Stacy J. Coles

Stacy J. Coles graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Communications, Public Relations and a minor in Technical Writing just three months after losing her mother to cancer. 

Finding a silver lining in the face of adversity isn't easy for anyone. Stacy found writing to be self-healing. Using this passion she inherited from her mother, Stacy began writing stories that would encourage a positive attitude and self-image with her readers.

Fun New LDS Romantic Comedy with a Mystery Twist from Mormon Author Rachel Terry

Sister WhoDat, NY Agent
By Rachel Tolman Terry

Megan McCoy has pursued a solitary dream for the past six years: to become a New York literary agent. She has always achieved every goal she has pursued. She never missed a day of seminary, she was the girls' camp extraordinaire, and she edited her high school and college newspapers. It seems that Megan McCoy is unstoppable, even if she's just five feet and one-and-one-quarter inch tall.
Now, after graduating from Kansas State and saving enough money for her internship, she has a chance to prove herself once again and take the first step in her career at one of the most prestigious agencies around. But once she arrives in the Big Apple, she realizes that maybe she's not the superhero she thought she was.
Maybe getting rejected from the ward choir is just the start. Maybe, just maybe, reaching this goal will take every ounce of strength she's got. Will it be enough?

Kindle: $3.99

About Mormon Author Rachel Tolman Terry
Rachel Tolman Terry has worked as a parking lot attendant, a dance teacher, a writing tutor, a publishing acquisitions editor, and a ghostwriter. She recently moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, after having lived in a whole bunch of other places that have considerably more traffic. Rachel would love to hear from you. Visit her at www.racheltolmanterry.com or follow her on Twitter @_rachelterry_. 

Chest of Souls, Books 1 & 2, a New Epic Fantasy Series By Michelle Erickson

Chest of Souls Book One
By Michelle Erickson

Talon and Brenna have been hunted their entire lives by the very evil they must destroy.

No one will tell them that when they finally meet that evil, they may not win.

Brenna doesn’t know that her mother is Hi-Sha of Eyes, or that her father was an assassin and he’s supposed to be dead.

Brenna is safe because she is oblivious to all but Talon.   

Talon felt safe until he met Brenna.

Once he is ordered to protect her, he’s had to fight monsters he never knew existed, run away from an assassin, and escape a forest full of carnivores. 

His father burned down their cottage and left him with people he just met and he isn’t sure who to trust.

In the meantime, the Chest of Souls waits to be powered and neither child can guess the price.

 99 cents on Kindle

Western Historical Mormon Fiction from Charles Hackley

Levi's Stone
By Charles Moore Hackley III

Levi Jefferson Penrod is a strong, intelligent young man.  He dreams of adulthood and is constantly seeking to do something significant and outstanding for his family and the Church.  He fantasizes about manhood and proving himself and his worth to the world.  He is traveling with his family and contingent of others, all of whom have been called by President Brigham Young to move from the Salt Lake Valley to San Bernardino, to colonize a Mormon community.  Levi, the middle child of Preston and Wilma Penrod believes himself to be living an ordinary and dull life until that eventful week on the wagon trail.

Farsighted: The Mormon Mom's Guide to Money

Farsighted: The Mormon Mom's Guide to Money
By CK Abbott

Mormon moms tend to manage their money a little differently from their non-LDS friends. After all, Mormon moms pay tithing and fast offerings, save for kids' missions and possibly their own, and still make room in their budgets for college educations for their kids. Most Americans don't think about these extra expenses, and yet, there's a tendency for Mormon moms to compare their financial situations to their neighbors who are living different financial lives.

Farsighted: The Mormon Mom's Guide to Money gives LDS moms a new perspective. Instead of feeling the budget crunch of raising a larger family on less money, it's possible to put your many talents to work and broaden your vision. This book will teach you how to earn more than you spend, budget effectively, save and invest, and keep track of your finances like the pros.

Take the long view, and join the Mormon moms who build towers for their families to live in instead of dig holes for them to crawl out of. Secure your future for yourself and your family by being farsighted. 

 

Kindle: $2.99

 

About Mormon Author CK Abbott

C.K. Abbott is an LDS author who writes both fiction and non-fiction. She likes old stuff (like original copies of The Improvement Era), new stuff (like Grooveshark), and warm stuff (like homemade wool socks--made by somebody else).

Check out CK Abbott's mystery novel, "Last Entry First" also on Mormon Books and Authors.

 

 

The Great Horse Raid: The story of the greatest horse raid in the history of the American West  

By Charles Moore Hackley III

History comes alive in The Great Horse Raid!  Each chapter leads the reader into another adventure; deeper and further through a time of history only a few can so clearly and precisely describe.  The author is historically accurate and exact in every detail.  Each character, date, event and action did indeed take place.  Only the conversations are enhanced and flavored with the speech of the time for our enjoyment and total absorption into this story. These pages truly validate the saying that ‘truth is stranger than fiction’.

Kindle: $9.99
Paperback: $14.99

Canadian Author Jandy Branch Debuts the "Parakeet Princess" for YA Readers

Parakeet Princess
By Jandy Branch

Heather MacLean is in a new world. She's always been happy to be a Mormon but now, at age sixteen, she's moved to a small town where Mormons are mainstream instead of a minority. It's a shock to her system -- and her love life. 

She doesn't feel like she fits in at her new school, but finds friends at the restaurant where she works part-time. Her new friends aren't Mormons. But that doesn't keep some of them from being interested in more than friendship. 

The most tempting of them is her best friend's twin brother. His name is Wayne and he's got a natural charisma that makes Heather wonder if she'd like to follow him -- no matter where he leads. 

Guiding her through her growing pains is Heather's older brother's new best friend, Ben. He's an awkward, thoughtful boy who calls Heather "Parakeet" after his family's pet bird. Can Heather overcome her prejudices and Ben's reserve and find romance with him? Or will she take a giant step away from the way of life she's always known and follow Wayne? 

This is a clean, uplifting novel about growth, choice, and love. Set in the early 1990s, the story offers something for young adult readers and for older readers looking to revisit their own high school days. Look for its sequels, "Bats in Between" and "Swans in Sight" as well as Jandy's new series, "Hurricane Hana."

Currently FREE on Kindle

Paperback: $8.99

About Mormon Author Jandy Branch

Jandy Branch is a writer, researcher, wife, and mother living in western Canada.