Braden Bell had this to say after previewing, "In God Is Our Trust"--
In the final installment of this epic series, Lewis deftly blends the many strands she began earlier. This final book is a well-executed and engrossing tale. But it is also a powerful meditation on freedom and bondage, and the many ways in which we can lose freedom and become enslaved. Through the eyes of her characters, the reader comes to appreciate the blessings of liberty and more fully grasp the responsibilities that come to those who are free. Elegantly connecting the dots between our three great responsibilities, God, Family, and Country, Lewis leaves the reader with a visceral appreciation of those who have gone on before and a commitment to stand more firmly in the moment that is now ours. A week after staying up all night to finish it, the characters and themes of this masterpiece haunt my mind and heart.
Pinch me!
September has been a busy family month, so thank heavens for pre-scheduled blog posts or I would have had a barren blog. Family time was great, but our last visitor—our oldest grandson—left for home today, and now it’s time to get back to work.
As soon as my editor hands me the cover image for “In God Is Our Trust,” crazy things will begin to happen professionally. This volume takes us full circle to the original intent of the series—to illustrate how the War of 1812, and the events in America, were preparing this nation to become the cradle of the Restoration. The tender Pearson saga continues, carrying our friends through the post-war recovery, and into a new day as American comes into her own, seeing herself not as a young upstart nation, but as a major player on the world stage.
This new sense of political identity is overshadowed by religious division in America. As science and philosophy begin casting greater doubts on miracles, and spiritual manifestations, a young boy from New York State attests to miracles and manifestations not considered since biblical times, and the Constitution’s guarantee of religious freedom and tolerance is put to the test as tensions rise. With carefully conducted research, “In God Is Our Trust” will toss my readers into this very confusing and marvelous period.
We’re going to have ads in most LDS print publications and on LDSradio announcing the release of this fifth and final volume of Free Men and Dreamers. And I’ll be launching a new, improved web site, and fan page on Facebook. We’ll have lots of contests and drawings for some really lovely prizes, so please check back.
Candace Salima has invited me to be a guest on her radio talk show in October as well, and we’re planning signings in Washington, Utah, and Los Angeles. It’s going to be exciting!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
THE CHANGE IN MY HEART WROUGHT BY 9/11
I'm going to be on an airplane on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, with Tom, our grandson Tommy, and Amanda's family as we fly home from vacation. My first thought as we booked these tickets was that this would likely be the safest day of the year to fly. Surely vigilance would be ramped up because of the significance of the date, and then we heard the recent reports of an unconfirmed but credible warning of an impending attack on a bridge or tunnel in New York or DC. we're flying into Baltimore. I have to admit we're a little less comfortable, but still confident that all will be well.
Like all Americans my thoughts are on that day ten years ago. I was offered an opportunity to share my opinion on how September 11th changed me spiritually. Here are my thoughts. This article appeared in the Deseret News on September 8th, section c, page nine, and in the Mormon Times, I believe. Once I gave thought to this question, I realized 9/11 was the catalyst to my increased love of America, my increased interest in the chapters of scripture that discuss the special role this nation was designed to play in human events, and it was the springboard to my desire to visit America's hallmarks--Philly, Williamsburg, Fort McHenry--where the ideas for my books were born.
That day changed us all a bit. Here's my story:
I remember the impressions of that day so well, but the memories are jumbled up in emotion rather than logic. I had left my position with the school system. That fall was the beginning of a less-complicated, more peaceful writer's life. Or so I thought, until I turned on the news and saw the loop of the attack on the towers.
We live in the hot zone between DC, the biological-weapon storehouse at Fort Detrick, and the Underground Pentagon to the north. My mind immediately ran an inventory of our family members. The phone lines were jamming and hearing each voice was mission one. From family, our thoughts turned to friends.
I couldn’t tear myself from the news as the great symbols of America’s financial, military, and political strength fell victim to the attacks. Never before had I felt so vulnerable. Never before had I felt so angry.
The president I most wanted to hear was President Hinckley’s warm reassurance. I slipped to my knees and prayed a disjointed, jumbled plea for protection to Heavenly Father—for my family, for my country, for the leaders who would have to sort this all out. I was grateful for the counsel to prepare, grateful for a living prophet, grateful for the organization of the Church in the event we would need to protect and care for one another and our neighbors. And in the event of catastrophe, I was grateful for my Savior and the Plan of Salvation that would make everything all right.
The next day, fear and fright turned to defiant patriotism. The lines at the fabric store swelled as I waited in lines with others hungry for some scrap of ribbon to show our unity. Every face became a friend. Every hand seemed outstretched.
The Book of Mormon scriptures about America as the land of promise, and the warnings in Ether 9 against the danger of secret combinations bent on overthrowing liberty and freedom, became personal. I became enamored with history, seeing connections between American history and the scriptures, and in the lives of the Smith family, recognizing God’s hand in the formation and preservation of America as she was being prepared to become the cradle of the Restoration.
I realized that mothers or father, soldier or civilian, we are each the guardians of liberty, for liberty requires faith, and faith requires liberty to flourish.
I remember the impressions of that day so well, but the memories are jumbled up in emotion rather than logic. I had left my position with the school system. That fall was the beginning of a less-complicated, more peaceful writer's life. Or so I thought, until I turned on the news and saw the loop of the attack on the towers.
We live in the hot zone between DC, the biological-weapon storehouse at Fort Detrick, and the Underground Pentagon to the north. My mind immediately ran an inventory of our family members. The phone lines were jamming and hearing each voice was mission one. From family, our thoughts turned to friends.
I couldn’t tear myself from the news as the great symbols of America’s financial, military, and political strength fell victim to the attacks. Never before had I felt so vulnerable. Never before had I felt so angry.
The president I most wanted to hear was President Hinckley’s warm reassurance. I slipped to my knees and prayed a disjointed, jumbled plea for protection to Heavenly Father—for my family, for my country, for the leaders who would have to sort this all out. I was grateful for the counsel to prepare, grateful for a living prophet, grateful for the organization of the Church in the event we would need to protect and care for one another and our neighbors. And in the event of catastrophe, I was grateful for my Savior and the Plan of Salvation that would make everything all right.
The next day, fear and fright turned to defiant patriotism. The lines at the fabric store swelled as I waited in lines with others hungry for some scrap of ribbon to show our unity. Every face became a friend. Every hand seemed outstretched.
The Book of Mormon scriptures about America as the land of promise, and the warnings in Ether 9 against the danger of secret combinations bent on overthrowing liberty and freedom, became personal. I became enamored with history, seeing connections between American history and the scriptures, and in the lives of the Smith family, recognizing God’s hand in the formation and preservation of America as she was being prepared to become the cradle of the Restoration.
I realized that mothers or father, soldier or civilian, we are each the guardians of liberty, for liberty requires faith, and faith requires liberty to flourish.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
BOOK NOOK REVIEW
RIVER WHISPERSby
Kathi Oram Peterson
It’s a wonderful thing to find a book you can become so immersed in that laying it aside is a burden. Kathi Oram Peterson has written such a book. ”River Whispers” is one of my favorite reads this year.
The storyline is engaging, the list of suspects is endless, and Peterson's setting in small town Trailhead, Idaho’s Snake River country provides a complicated web of tangled lives and plot lines, but it’s Peterson’s writing style that captivated me. She writes like a painter—creating perfect moments and clear images that drew me in and made me love her characters.
Trailhead is far too small a town to bottle up Regi Bernard’s mistrust of two men. Samuel Tanner abruptly ended their romance when he abandoned both Regi and Trailhead without a word of explanation. Worse yet, when he returned years later, he seemed bent on making her and her husband miserable at every opportunity, clear up until Earl’s death. Curtis Romney, a local park ranger, abandoned her daughter after dragging her reputation through the mud. It’s no secret how Regi feels about either man.
On a particularly unpleasant trip into town, Regi has run-ins with each of these irritants, and her temper lets loose. In a moment of frustration, Regi issues a scalding warning to Curtis, and when she stumbles upon his corpse a day later, she becomes the prime suspect.
Peterson does a splendid job casting doubt on everyone’s innocence, which casts a pall of suspicion over those Regi loves most, leaving her mistrustful of their assistance until she believes only she can prove her innocence.
The tangle of lives is tight and convenient at times, but Peterson’s deft writing style fleshes out the situations nicely. Her characters are rich and complex, and she releases tidbits about them like a cracker trail through the woods readers will be delighted to follow.Clearly, Peterson knows her setting well. Raised in southeastern Idaho, Kathi Oram Peterson developed a love for the Snake River region early on, while her research on fly fishing, Indian culture, and ranching enriches the story and draws the reader in.
Still, what makes Kathi Oram Peterson one of my favorite authors is her unique descriptive passages. She works hard for her readers, bypassing trite descriptions in favor of rich, colorful, original thoughts that satisfy.
The book is written in third person, but the reader is constantly in the characters’ minds, as they ruminate over, and rehash, the same questions over and over. These passages slow the read a bit in places, but Peterson’s efforts to insert the reader into the characters’ thoughts adds urgency early on.
The mystery is well-formed and keeps you turning pages as does the romantic tension between Regi and Samuel. While these two are clearly drawn to one another, they also suspect one another, and with good cause. Peterson doesn’t tip her hand about their innocence or guilt to the very end. Nicely done.
I’m nominating River Whispers for a Whitney Award. The e-book version is available at Amazon. Readers can pick up copies at Deseret Books or at your local LDS bookstores, where you can also purchase Kathi Oram Peterson's other fine books.
Readers can contact Kathi through her website, www.kathiorampeterson.com, and her blog, www.kathiswritingnook.com.
Monday, September 5, 2011
The Kensington, Maryland VFC's 9/11 Memorial Serves as a Reminder of the Enduring Human Sipirit
As Tom and I were driving to the D.C. Temple we noticed a crowd gathering in front of the Kensington Volunteer Fire Department's Station 5 house. Afterwards, I Googled the station to see what had been going on there, and discovered they were dedicating a 9/11 memorial. We stopped by and two of Station 5's members were gracious enough to give me a interview. Gracious with their time, John E. Thompson and Jean Ward provided living examples of the spirit engrained in these first-responders. Here is the story.
The events of 9/11 are deeply personal to the volunteer firefighters who call Kensington Maryland's Station 5 “home.” When hijackers crashed a plane into the Pentagon, Station 5’s members gathered at the house, overcrowded their ambulance and engine, and raced to the scene,
rescuing the wounded, recovering the dead, and battling the fires at the emblem of America’s military might.
James Stanton, KVFD fire chief is understandably proud of his crew. “We didn't have to call them. We didn't have to send out a page. They knew they were needed, and they showed up."
Days later, Station 5 volunteers responded to another 9/11 need when a request arrived from New York City for help at the embattled World Trade Center site where thousands perished when two hijacked planes brought the Twin Towers down.
Speaking of that call for help, Master Firefighter John E. Thompson, a 43-year veteran of the KVFD said, “We were asked to provide an engine company and an ambulance, and we were there for several days. . . They had to fight the guys off because everyone wanted to go.”
A small crowd gathered Saturday, June 25, at Kensington Volunteer Fire Department’s Station 5 for the dedication of a very special set of monuments. 16-foot twisted beam of steel juts from an inscribed black base which reads:
“THIS TWISTED AND SCARRED PIECE OF STEEL FROM THE POINT OF IMPACT AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 MEMORIALIZES THE 2976 PERSONS LOST THAT DAY IN NEW YORK CITY, THE PENTAGON, AND SHANKSVILLE, PA. IT ALSO SERVES AS AN ENDURING TESTAMENT TO THE AMERICAN SPIRIT. WE SHALL NEVER FORGET. GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.”
Nearby, a piece of granite, pulled from the point of impact at the Pentagon, rests upon a similar base inscribed with these words:
“FROM THE POINT OF IMPACT ON THE FAÇADE OF THE PENTAGON, DAMAGED BY THE TERRORIST ATTACKS OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. WE REMEMBER THE 184 CITIZENS WHO SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES THERE THAT DAY SO THAT WE MAY LIVE IN FREEDOM. WE SALUTE THE KFVD UNITS AND THE REST OF THE COUNTRY WHO RESPONDED TO THIS TRAGEDY.”
The half million dollar memorial project, the vision of KVFD President Steven R. Semler, was funded through donations and volunteer labor. The 9/11 Families Association assisted Station 5 in acquiring the beam. “This beam is from the point of impact between the 91st and 94th floors. It was given to us by the Port Authority of New York City and the 9/11 Families Association. We went up there, picked it out and brought it back,” said John E. Thompson. The Department of Defense provided the block of granite from the Pentagon.
Steve Heidenberger, president of Heidenberger Construction, served as project manager, reaching out into the community for contractors willing to contribute materials and labor. For Heidenberger, the project was deeply personal. His brother, Tom Heidenberger, lost his wife Michelle at the attack on the Pentagon. Steve Heidenberger said he wanted the memorial to be built from volunteer labor and goods, not money. His brother Tom hopes the memorial will also serve to teach future generations about 9/11. Said he, "They're going to ask, 'Mommy, daddy, what is this? Each of us will be able to explain to them what happened and the thousands of people who lost their
lives that day."
Following speeches and the dedication of the monuments, a 3500 pound bell, one of the “Bells of Remembrance,” inscribed with the names of the firefighters who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks, was rung in commemoration.
The monuments rest upon a red brick patio that pulls visitors out of the bustle. Gray bricks are interspersed throughout, engraved with the names of the contractors who contributed to the project. For a gift of $100, private individuals can have their own names or a message inscribed on a brick as a permanent remembrance. “The money raised [from the sale of the bricks] goes back to the 9/11 Families’ Association and other similar charitable efforts.”
In 2005 the firehouse was also invited to serve as the site one of four test rose gardens. The rose bushes are grown to determine climate hardiness for specific
varieties being considered for three memorial rose gardens in New York City, Washington D.C., and Shanksville, PA. Several of the varieties are named specifically to commemorate 9/11 with names such as “Veterans’ Honor” “Firefighters,” “Forty Heroes,” and “September Mourn.” Jean Ward, a lifetime member of the fire company, and caretaker of the rose garden, explained why roses were being chosen for the planned memorial gardens. “Because the rose is a sign of remembrance.”
With the tenth anniversary of 9/11 fast approaching, many remembrances will occur as Americans pause to reflect on the greatest attack on the Continental U.S. since the devastation of Washington during the war of 1812. This one is right in our nieghborhood, and worth a moment to stop, reflect and remember.
Families and organizations interested in buying a brick can submit requests to https://kvfd.engravedbricks.com/.
The events of 9/11 are deeply personal to the volunteer firefighters who call Kensington Maryland's Station 5 “home.” When hijackers crashed a plane into the Pentagon, Station 5’s members gathered at the house, overcrowded their ambulance and engine, and raced to the scene,
rescuing the wounded, recovering the dead, and battling the fires at the emblem of America’s military might.James Stanton, KVFD fire chief is understandably proud of his crew. “We didn't have to call them. We didn't have to send out a page. They knew they were needed, and they showed up."
Days later, Station 5 volunteers responded to another 9/11 need when a request arrived from New York City for help at the embattled World Trade Center site where thousands perished when two hijacked planes brought the Twin Towers down.
Speaking of that call for help, Master Firefighter John E. Thompson, a 43-year veteran of the KVFD said, “We were asked to provide an engine company and an ambulance, and we were there for several days. . . They had to fight the guys off because everyone wanted to go.”
A small crowd gathered Saturday, June 25, at Kensington Volunteer Fire Department’s Station 5 for the dedication of a very special set of monuments. 16-foot twisted beam of steel juts from an inscribed black base which reads:
“THIS TWISTED AND SCARRED PIECE OF STEEL FROM THE POINT OF IMPACT AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 MEMORIALIZES THE 2976 PERSONS LOST THAT DAY IN NEW YORK CITY, THE PENTAGON, AND SHANKSVILLE, PA. IT ALSO SERVES AS AN ENDURING TESTAMENT TO THE AMERICAN SPIRIT. WE SHALL NEVER FORGET. GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.”Nearby, a piece of granite, pulled from the point of impact at the Pentagon, rests upon a similar base inscribed with these words:
“FROM THE POINT OF IMPACT ON THE FAÇADE OF THE PENTAGON, DAMAGED BY THE TERRORIST ATTACKS OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. WE REMEMBER THE 184 CITIZENS WHO SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES THERE THAT DAY SO THAT WE MAY LIVE IN FREEDOM. WE SALUTE THE KFVD UNITS AND THE REST OF THE COUNTRY WHO RESPONDED TO THIS TRAGEDY.”
The half million dollar memorial project, the vision of KVFD President Steven R. Semler, was funded through donations and volunteer labor. The 9/11 Families Association assisted Station 5 in acquiring the beam. “This beam is from the point of impact between the 91st and 94th floors. It was given to us by the Port Authority of New York City and the 9/11 Families Association. We went up there, picked it out and brought it back,” said John E. Thompson. The Department of Defense provided the block of granite from the Pentagon.
Steve Heidenberger, president of Heidenberger Construction, served as project manager, reaching out into the community for contractors willing to contribute materials and labor. For Heidenberger, the project was deeply personal. His brother, Tom Heidenberger, lost his wife Michelle at the attack on the Pentagon. Steve Heidenberger said he wanted the memorial to be built from volunteer labor and goods, not money. His brother Tom hopes the memorial will also serve to teach future generations about 9/11. Said he, "They're going to ask, 'Mommy, daddy, what is this? Each of us will be able to explain to them what happened and the thousands of people who lost their
lives that day."Following speeches and the dedication of the monuments, a 3500 pound bell, one of the “Bells of Remembrance,” inscribed with the names of the firefighters who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks, was rung in commemoration.
The monuments rest upon a red brick patio that pulls visitors out of the bustle. Gray bricks are interspersed throughout, engraved with the names of the contractors who contributed to the project. For a gift of $100, private individuals can have their own names or a message inscribed on a brick as a permanent remembrance. “The money raised [from the sale of the bricks] goes back to the 9/11 Families’ Association and other similar charitable efforts.”
In 2005 the firehouse was also invited to serve as the site one of four test rose gardens. The rose bushes are grown to determine climate hardiness for specific
varieties being considered for three memorial rose gardens in New York City, Washington D.C., and Shanksville, PA. Several of the varieties are named specifically to commemorate 9/11 with names such as “Veterans’ Honor” “Firefighters,” “Forty Heroes,” and “September Mourn.” Jean Ward, a lifetime member of the fire company, and caretaker of the rose garden, explained why roses were being chosen for the planned memorial gardens. “Because the rose is a sign of remembrance.”With the tenth anniversary of 9/11 fast approaching, many remembrances will occur as Americans pause to reflect on the greatest attack on the Continental U.S. since the devastation of Washington during the war of 1812. This one is right in our nieghborhood, and worth a moment to stop, reflect and remember.
Families and organizations interested in buying a brick can submit requests to https://kvfd.engravedbricks.com/.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
BACK TO SCHOOL BLOG HOP
Thanks go out once again to Kathy at "I'm a Reader, Not A Writer" and "Buried in Books" for sponsoring this Back to School Blog Hop.
DRUM ROLL please. . .
I'm concluding my eight-year, five book historical fiction series, FREE MEN and DREAMERS, with the October release of volume five, "IN GOD IS OUR TRUST!!!"
I'll be hosting giveways and contests every week from mid-September to November, so stop back often.
For this hop, I'm giving away 2 autographed copies of any of my books. Visit my web site to see the selection. I'll personalize them for someone else if you'd like to give them away as gifts.
1. To enter, you must be become a FOLLOWER BY EMAIL of this blog. Please enter your email address in the box to the right.
Additional entries may be obtained by doing the following, but you MUST respond separately for each entry to count:
2. Follow this blog the standard way or let me know if you already are a follower
3. Visit my current online article at http://tinyurl.com/3uofqej and report back. (You don't need to read it, just visit it.)
4. Friend me on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/3bcwtgs
5. Pop over to my newest online article at http://www.ksl.com/?nid=968&sid=17048108
That's it! Now enjoy all these other stops on the blog tour! Entries close at midnight September 7th! Enjoy!
DRUM ROLL please. . .
I'm concluding my eight-year, five book historical fiction series, FREE MEN and DREAMERS, with the October release of volume five, "IN GOD IS OUR TRUST!!!"
I'll be hosting giveways and contests every week from mid-September to November, so stop back often.
For this hop, I'm giving away 2 autographed copies of any of my books. Visit my web site to see the selection. I'll personalize them for someone else if you'd like to give them away as gifts.
1. To enter, you must be become a FOLLOWER BY EMAIL of this blog. Please enter your email address in the box to the right.
Additional entries may be obtained by doing the following, but you MUST respond separately for each entry to count:
2. Follow this blog the standard way or let me know if you already are a follower
3. Visit my current online article at http://tinyurl.com/3uofqej and report back. (You don't need to read it, just visit it.)
4. Friend me on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/3bcwtgs
5. Pop over to my newest online article at http://www.ksl.com/?nid=968&sid=17048108
That's it! Now enjoy all these other stops on the blog tour! Entries close at midnight September 7th! Enjoy!
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