Mormon Bloggers

Aloe, Key Chain (Teach) and Squeeg I have some pretty amazing kids! Did I tell you that before? See that cute girl in the middle? That’s Teach and the other two are her very best friends. They have been close since elementary school and even though they are all attending different universities, they still find time to do stuff together. Squeeg and Aloe both have blogs of their own. I love  Read More →

Me Teach and I work at the same Smith’s grocery store. We work in different departments though, some days all I see of my little sis are when she’s leaving the house in the mornings or when I’m clocking in at night. Today was one of those days. So when I got home from work, I was glad to get to see her. She even got a little finger-wave as we passed: Teach to make toast with fresh apricot  Read More →

Randy Lindsay asked me recently about my launch party last month for Marriage is Ordained of God, but Who Came Up with Dating?, and I realized I hadn’t blogged about it. I make the excuse that it was in the middle of one of my nonblogging months, but that doesn’t really hold water, so I’ll just say I’m a little slow and mention it now. It was a blast! We didn’t have enough people to unbalance the earth’s magnetic pole, but I was so glad people came, and some even bought books. We had it at the Fairview museum and had balloons (in the color theme of the book), cake (see above), cookies (also color themed like the book), games, tables, chairs, books, pens, giveaways, music download cards, a woolly mammoth, and tons of Doritos, I wish I’d gotten more pictures, because it really was a cool setup, and I think those who came had a great time. Thanks to all of you who made it, and especially all you who bought books! You keep me writing! You can’t... Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t know what I’ve googled or what email I’ve opened that has caused me to get these types of emails.  Daily.  Several times a day. Meet single people in your area Eligible black bachelors Jewish singles in your area Cougar dating Maybe it’s nothing I’ve done, but something one of my friends or children has done.  Haven’t opened any.  Not that I mind black, Jewish, or young single white males.  It’s just that I’m already happily dating my husband. When I haven’t been deleting dating emails this week, I actually did some writing, writing that doesn’t include incomplete grocery lists and checks.  I actually finished the rough, rought draft of a middle-grade fiction novel that I started 3 years ago. . .  You see, my problem is that I think about writing, I plan on writing, I read about writing, and I read what other people write, but I actually have a hard time sitting down and writing. ... Read the rest of this entry »

I had my first signing a couple weeks ago. It was at BYU Idaho Bookstore. I’ve heard lots of horror stories about signings, especially first signings. But I liked it. I’m sure it helped that I was warned ahead of time not to just sit behind the desk and wait for people to come, but be up and about, meeting people. I think that helped a lot. I’m not a naturally outgoing person, and it takes a lot of worked up energy to get the guts to approach people, but I do enjoy talking with people. I enjoy social events. I’ve mentioned before how much I hate advertising (passionately), and I know there is a certain amount of necessity about it, something of a necessary evil. So I came up with a method that puts my mind at ease and helps me step a little out of my comfort zone. I don’t know for sure yet how effective it is, but I’m certain it’s going to prove to be a good approach for me personally. It’s simply this: whenever I have an author event, whether... Read the rest of this entry »

I want to want to blog today, but I just don’t.  Usually my mind is mulling over people and happenings and such.  Today my mind is quiet.  I’ve always thought of my husband’s mind as a very well organized drawer.  He always knows where his scissors are, he never runs out of led in his mechanical pencil, and he never loses the end of his tape.  My mind on the other hand is like opening the dryer door when one of my kids has done the laundry (not my husband).  There are all different colors and fabrics and mismatched socks rolling around.  There’s probably some loose marbles, a Chapstick and a crayon in there too.  I think the problem is that I cleaned out my bathroom drawers today just like my husband would have.  I didn’t look at every item, analyze it, and categorize it, and fret over what to do with it which is typically what I do.  I opened the drawer, pulled out big essentials like toothpaste... Read the rest of this entry »

Your book is about to be published, now what do you do? When you received word that your book was going to published, the excitement which poured through you was tremendous. As the rewriting, editing, and final edits commence, the cover design, etc. there comes that moment when you realize, as much as you wish it were different, that all the marketing, branding, booksignings, schedulings are all on your shoulders. That can be a very daunting thing. But lucky for you, Candace Salima has been there, done that, and has developed a day-long training which will give you all the knowledge she had to gather for herself. At the conclusion of this training, you will have the knowledge you seek, and will only have to put in the blood, sweat, and tears to make it happen. Marketing your book well will guarantee your success. The harder you work, the more it gets out there, the happier your publisher will be. It’s a win/win. Let me teach you how to make yourself a successful author. Saturday... Read the rest of this entry »

***If you are looking for my normally happy self, please skip today’s post. Maybe I’ve been reading a little too much of Shell’s Pour My Heart Out stuff…well, see what you think.*** I don’t know why I’m suffering from Writer’s Block this week. I generally have plenty to say. Teach just came in from hanging out with her friends and asked if I wanted pics put on my post yet. When I told her I  Read More →

“I haven’t received notification of any new blog postings recently, ” a friend wrote. “I really miss reading your thoughts and insights.” He reminded me that I have an audience for my writing, which is something hard to cultivate and worth keeping. My writing continues off blog, but not out of sight. I’m publishing in [...] All Content Copyright (C) 2007-2009 TJ Hirst. No content may be reproduced without the copyright owner’s express written consent.The Writerly Life  Read More →

One of my favorite things to read on a blog is author interviews. Especially when the author wrote a book that I’m excited to read. That’s why I was excited when Mandi Tucker Slack was willing to let me interview her about her book and writing in general. You’ve all got to check out The Alias. I’ve posted the trailer at the bottom of the interview, because it’s awesome! You can learn more about The Alias and Mandi on her website, http://www.mandituckerslack.com and her blog,  http://heyyouslackers.blogspot.com (I love that URL).   Tell us a little about yourself and your book(s)? I’m a mom of three great kids. I have two boys, ages 6 and 5 and a little girl, who is 2. I’ve been married for 11 years and we love living in Utah. I grew up in Emery County and I feel very blessed for the memories I have. I love the desert and mountains, and I’ve been interested in everything from archeology to paleontology…and I could go on and on. Really, I just... Read the rest of this entry »

I am thrilled that Tim and I will be interviewing NYT best-selling author, Steve Berry on our Buy Back America radio show on June 7th. I adored his latest book: The Jefferson Key. It was a page-turner that kept me up until the wee hours of the morning. It’s a must-read and I recommend it to one and all!  I found a wonderful article on Steve Berry, where he talks about turning failure into success. I really wanted to share with my fellow bloggers. It is good. So I’m stepping away from politics for the moment, and delving back into the world of literacy which is my first love. As published on Evergreen Park Patch: New York Times Best Selling Author Steve Berry speaks candidly about perseverance and his long awaited road to success at the Evergreen Park Public Library Thursday night. By Amanda Edwards If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again; famous words that accurately describe American novelist, Steve Berry and his award-winning writing career. This New York... Read the rest of this entry »

Last weekend, like about 500 other published and aspiring authors, I attended a marvelous writing conference sponsored by the LDStorymakers. Packed with high-profile agents, authors and publishers, this event revs the brain, bursts mental blocks, humbles, and kicks desire into high gear. Here are some of my personal highlights of the 2011 LDStorymakers’ Conference wisdom. 1. If you want to be successful, treat your writing like a business–show up for work everyday, give it your best, come to the computer prepared to work. (I get too easily distracted by the Internet. . . and I don’t dedicate time just for writing. 2. Know yourself–Write what you know, what you love, what fascinates you. Don’t chase every trend. (I have to say I wished I could insert a vampire or two into my books…) 3. Take care of your instruments of writing–your mind, your body, your health. It’s all connected. (I know my mood, my well-being and my attitude affect my writing.... Read the rest of this entry »