Movie Review of Just Let Go & Meridian Reviewed My Book!

I was so excited to see that Meridian Magazine reviewed my new novel, The Captive! My favorite part of the review was, ""This is a story that reads like today's headlines . . . The plot is strong and dynamic. Readers won't want to set this one down." Hooray! You can see the entire review here

And have you entered the giveaway to win a paperback copy of my new book? Just click the link at the top of the sidebar and it could be yours!

Today, I also wanted to review the new movie, Just Let Go, that stars Henry Ian Cusick. It's a true story of a man named Chris Williams who was driving to get ice cream with his pregnant wife and kids, when a drunk driver slammed into them, killing his wife, their unborn child, and two of his children. The movie is about the aftermath and what Mr. Williams and his family experience as they struggle to do what's right instead of what's expected.

This movie evoked a lot of discussion in my house. (It is rated PG-13 for the accident images and themes so I watched it with my older kids.) In the movie, the drunk who hit them is seventeen, but only a couple of months away from turning eighteen. If he is tried as an adult, he could be put away for thirty years. If he is tried as a juvenile, he would be out in three years and his record expunged. So, Chris is struggling to know what is best. He's lost so much. His son that survived has critical injuries, he is overwhelmed with grief but trying to keep it together, and medical bills just keep piling on. How this man keeps going is a miracle in itself. But what is merciful for the young man that hit them? How far does justice have to go to be satisfied?

The meat of the story is can someone whose life has been destroyed truly forgive and see the person who hurt them so deeply from another perspective? Do you bow to society's standards that demand the maximum punishment, then suing the other family for ever penny they have? I was impressed with the real and difficult struggle we witnessed as Mr. Williams decides what's right for him.  

I thought the movie was realistic and heart-wrenching, but there were light moments and inspiring moments as well. (The convenience store clerk stood out for me. "We're friends aren't we?" And there's a scene with Mr. Williams and his two surviving sons that was also really touching.) The film used a lot of flashbacks, which actually worked well and made it easier to showcase the complexity of the story while keeping it easy to follow.  There was solid local talent in the movie, but Mr. Cusick shines in bringing the emotions and subtleties to the main character. There were also some religious references, but it was kept non-denominational and not overly preachy. 

I don't know if I could emotionally survive if anything like this ever happened to me. I hope I never have to find out. But my heart was touched and I think this is a film that will stay with me for a long time.

Here's more about it and be sure to scroll down for the book trailer.

Henry Ian Cusick, Emmy Nominee, as Chris Williams in the true story "Just Let Go". After surviving a drunk driving accident that killed his pregnant wife and two kids, Chris Williams struggles to 'just let go' and forgive the young man who caused it.

As we begin the New Year, this message of forgiveness is an important reminder, that forgiveness can bring peace to your soul. “It has allowed a terrible tragedy … to be turned into, in many aspects, a tremendous blessing. That has been one of the most fascinating things to experience,” Williams said in a interview with the Deseret News. “To see the lives blessed since the crash, it has been overwhelming how many positive things have come from it.”

Writer Goal Wednesday

photo credit: plnaugle via photopin cc 

My goal last week was to write the first chapter of The Captain and I did that and more! The first two chapters just poured out of me. Hopefully the entire book will be that easy! 

It does help that I have a sprinting partner. We take an hour each week and just sprint. It's so motivating and it helps me draft. Getting it down is the main thing, right? The polishing and editing will come later. I'm excited for this story!

I also edited a novella for an author friend and as soon as her story comes out, I'll let you know. It was really good!

I am counting this as a very productive writing/editing week. I've started the new year off with a bang.

So, this week's goal will be:

• Write a chapter of The Captain
• Update my Press Kit
• Decide on whether to do a blog tour/launch party for The Captive 

What about you? How are your New Year's Resolutions holding up? Any new goals you're working on?

Has This Ever Happened To You?

I'm reading a book right now and I'm right at the good part!  There's only about 20% left and it's been a pretty good book up until this point with lots of plot lines that are intriguing.  I can't wait to see how they're going to be resolved. However, with such a short amount of time left in the book, I'm starting to wonder if the author is going to be able to tie things up in a satisfying way.

Sort of like this:

I'm hoping for the best! And I REALLY hope it's not going to end earlier than that with a lame preview of another book. I want all 20% in tying up this story!

Has that ever happened to you?

Book Review and $50 Giveaway!

Blog Tour Schedule

I'm so excited to be part of the blog tour for Karey White's newest book, Broken Things To Mend. It's part of the Power of the Matchmaker series that releases a new book every month, but can definitely be read as a stand-alone.

This book was tender and emotional. Two broken, yet brave people, are facing loneliness, loss, and just trying to get by. Celia is fleeing a painful past and with nowhere to go, she opens a map and when a stray tear falls on Sisters, Oregon, that's where she decides to try to start over.  She doesn't quite make it to her destination, however, and watches her bus leave without her, but a Chinese woman steps in to help. (Our Chinese matchmaker, Pearl, is such a fun character. I loved her interactions in the story.) Celia is drawn to her, but afraid to make any connections with anyone after what she's already been through. Coming to Sisters, though, changes her in a way that is all at once wonderful and scary at the same time.  Pearl, her Chinese guardian angel introduces her to Silas, a forest ranger that doesn't seem to be able to meet her eyes and doesn't stick around much whenever he meets up with her. Celia doesn't know what to make of him at first, but his quiet steadiness pulls at something in her and she starts to want to see more of who he really is.

Silas is the tall silent type. He's dealt with loss in his life, but his stutter compounds that so he puts up walls around himself so he doesn't have to deal with mocking and pity. He is wary of Celia at first, but when he sees how vulnerable she is, it draws all his protective instincts out. He begins to get past his unease and embarrassment about his stutter and thinks more of her and how to get to know her better. Their relationship builds into something more and it was so sigh-worthy sweet. Everything is going along well until her secrets trickle out and the reader just knows no one will ever be the same after that.

This book will draw on every emotion you have as a reader. You can't help but feel for Celia and all she's been through and want to root for her to have a happy ending. But she's facing a lot of painful decisions with no right answers. Silas is such a strong hero, but even he isn't sure how to best help her. I was up so late turning pages just to see how the book would end for them. The ending wasn't what I expected, but was good and solid and left me with a smile as I closed the book.  This author has really outdone herself in giving the reader three dimensional characters and a setting that is beautiful and adds to the story, but it's the emotional decisions, right and wrong, that make this a standout. I highly recommend this one.

(Don't forget to scroll down to enter the $50 giveaway!)

Here's the back copy:

Celia is in desperate need of a change--a change of scenery, a change of pace, and a complete redo of all relationships. Not knowing what else to do, she opens a map, closes her eyes, and lets fate decide her future. Then she packs her meager belongings and buys a one-way ticket to a little town on the fringes of Oregon's Deschutes National Forest called Sisters. She's wanted a family for years. Will she find one in Sisters? What Celia doesn't plan to find is a strange Chinese woman whose meddling ways keep throwing her in the path of a handsome, but reserved, forest ranger. But no matter how kind or dependable Silas seems to be, there are some things in Celia's past that neither of them can escape, and this time, the damage might be too much to mend.

 

 
About the Author:

Karey White grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist. She loves to travel, read, bake treats, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four great children. She teaches summer creative writing courses to young people and is currently working on her next book.

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads

Blog Tour Giveaway - $50 Amazon Gift Card or $50 in Paypal Cash Ends 2/2/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Two Friday Freebies Today!

Today's Friday Freebie is a hilarious fairy tale retelling by Janette Rallison called My Fairly Dangerous Grandmother, that has enough twists and surprises to keep you turning pages! You won't want to miss this one.

Here's the back copy:

Some people bomb auditions. Sadie Ramirez throws up during hers. Her performance on America’s Top Talent is so bad it earns her a fairy godmother through the Magical Alliance's Pitiful Damsel Outreach Program. Enter Chrysanthemum Everstar: a cell-phone-carrying, high-heel-wearing fairy godmother in training who is every bit a teenage girl. She misinterprets Sadie's wishes and sends her back in time to be a part of The Little Mermaid story and then makes her one of the twelve dancing princesses. Wishes are permanent, and if Sadie wants to get back to her home, she'll have to strike a magical bargain—one that involves stealing a goblet from a powerful fairy queen. With a little help from a handsome and talented thief, she might be able to pull it off.

With romance, humor, and magic, My Fairly Dangerous Godmother is the sort of fairy tale that both teen girls and their mothers will love.

You can download your free Kindle copy here

Ms. Rallison also has her teen comedy My Double Life for free right now.  Load up your Kindles! Here's the back copy of that one:

Her whole life, Alexia Garcia has been told that she looks just like rock star Kari Kingsley. But being a famous person's doppelganger hasn't turned out to be the teen fantasy you'd expect. People look at Alexia like she must be as ditzy as her counterpart. One day when Alexia's photo filters through the Internet, she's offered a job as Kari's double. This would seem like the opportunity of a lifetime--or at least a way to make some fast cash--but Alexia's mother has always warned her against celebrities. They can't be trusted. They'll use her.

Alexia can't resist the siren call of fame. Who could say no to Hollywood, hot guys, and . . . um, did we mention hot guys already? She flies off to L.A. and gets immersed in a celebrity life. Not only does she have to get used to getting anything she wants, she also romances the hottest lead singer on the charts and finds out that her own father is a singing legend. Through it all, Alexia must stay true to herself, which is hard to do when you are pretending to be somebody else!

This Prince and the Pauper retelling is teen comedy at its best.

Download your free Kindle copy here 

If The Captive Were A Movie

Someone wrote and told me that when they read my newest novel, The Captive, they imagined this woman as Mya:

If any of you have seen my Pinterest board, you know that I was imagining this woman when I wrote Mya's character:

So, kind of close! They are both beautiful women for sure and really capture the look I was going for in Mya. It was the eyes that drew me, really, and the strength in the face. Love that!

And if I were to cast Commander Jake Williams, I would have chosen this man:

I don't know his name, but he was so close to how I imagined Jake. The only difference was Jake's eyes were blue.

Sometimes it's fun to refer to pictures when I'm writing to get the looks right for a character. Do you ever imagine certain actors or people as a character in a book? I do it all the time and not only for my own books!

(And if you want to see my Pinterest board for If My Books Were Movies I Would Cast you can see it here)

Writer Goal Wednesday

photo credit: plnaugle via photopin cc 

Well, it's a new year and I'm ready to hit the ground running on my writing goals.

I had a hard time deciding which project to start first, so after a lot of thought, I've decided to go with working on The Captain.  I've got it pretty much outlined (in a broad sense of the word) and this week I'd like to get the first chapter written.  I've had so many ideas and scenes running through my head for this one, it might be a relief just to get started. Or it could be horrible! Just kidding, writing is never horrible. Well, unless I'm editing! Ha!

Anyway, I'm just concentrating on babysteps and setting my sights on something achievable each week.

What are your goals? Any fun resolutions you made last week?