Wishing on Baby Dust-- By Lydia Winters (Lindzee Armstrong)

(Read through for the Give-A-Way Information!)

This novel holds a special place in my heart for multiple reasons. 

I met Lindzee Armstrong (AKA Lydia Winters) when I joined her writer's critique group back in early 2013. She sent out chapters of this novel during that time, and I immediately fell in love with the novel. 

Infertility seems to be a rising problem, but in actuality, women are being more open about it. There are so many couples who struggle to get pregnant, whether they have "small" issues, larger ones, or don't even know why they aren't getting pregnant. This is a heart-breaking time. 

For me, it took a year and a half of trying before I got pregnant, and then I miscarried. I was devastated, and I was terrified that something was wrong, that I may never have children. I cried and I begged God to give me children--a righteous desire--for years. After over two years, I got pregnant with my sweet (and now 3!) Caleb. When trying for our second, it took a year and another miscarriage to get pregnant with my daughter. The time it takes, being unsure if it will happen at all, and the heart break when losing a baby, are things many women go through.

This book deals with all that. It deals with the fear of infertility, the frustration, the questions that run through our minds, the tears, and the heart break. These characters and their similar frustrations of infertility, though each unique in the hows and whys, made me laugh, made me cry, made me want to throw my book against the wall, and made me get on my knees and thank my Heavenly Father for the children I have. For the experience which taught me patience (Heavenly Father knows that I need a lot of trials that give me patience. Sigh), and taught me to have faith and hope. 

I believe this book is for those who struggle with infertility AND for those who don't. It's hard to understand what other people go through, but reading enlightens our minds. Reading gives us a bit of experience we wouldn't otherwise have. Wishing on Baby Dust does exactly that.

Back of book:

Infertility stinks. No one knows that better than Megan. After six years of insanity-inducing hormone drugs and desperate prayers, all she has to show for her efforts are enough negative pregnancy tests to fill a bassinet. All around her women are accidentally getting pregnant—like her star piano student—while Megan remains hopelessly barren. Megan’s never felt so alone. But she’s not the only one struggling. 

Christina has just entered the world of infertility, made worse by the fact her husband isn’t ready to be a father. Their marriage, already hanging in the balance, is being torn apart. 

Then there’s Kyra, the mother of a precocious three-year-old. She’s shocked to be struggling with secondary infertility. A baby is priceless, but sometimes Kyra feels like she’s being forced to choose which commandment to keep: stay out of debt, or multiply and replenish the earth. 

When Megan and Christina are assigned as Kyra’s visiting teachers, they all realize that what you see isn’t necessarily what’s beneath the surface. Some secrets aren’t worth the cost of keeping them. 

This book is definitely better than chocolate. 

Lindzee Armstrong now has four novels and three novellas published. If you're ever looking for a clean romance, hers are excellent! 

http://www.amazon.com/Lydia-Winters/e/B00R3KYWK4/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

http://www.amazon.com/Lindzee-Armstrong/e/B00UJVLI88/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1450203506&sr=1-1

Good news! I have a copy of Wishing on Baby Dust for one lucky person. :) Free give-a-way to a random draw. To enter, all you have to do is comment below. Tell me an experience you have with infertility or with someone you know who has infertility. Tell me something you love about being a parent, or maybe something that is so hard about being a parent. Or if you've read this book, tell me what you like about it. :)

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

By Kathy Lipscomb

Alas, with the craziness that a beautiful baby girl brought to my life, the business a loving but strong-willed toddler keeps in my life, and my own lofty goals of vacation, birthdays, holidays, and writing novels, I’ve been sorely behind on this blog. Honestly, I’ve been behind on reading period, which I miss way too much.

So I’m going to pull a book from my all-time favorite group, one that I read as a child:

Ella Enchanted.

 

First of all, please don’t think it’s the same (or remotely close) to the movie. It’s not. The movie took a girl with a curse and put her in a completely different story. A horrible story with weird music and tacky people trying to be king. Bleh.

Second, I know there are SO many Cinderella remakes now a days, but this one is my favorite. Others feel the same. And while I get that retellings are hard, because they follow a plot already laid out, Ella Enchanted gave Cinderella much needed magic (better magic) and spunk.

Now, who doesn’t love the combination of magic and spunk? Okay, there are people, but I LOVE it.

I felt that a lot of the plot holes of Cinderella were explained. It showed how her mother died, and the great relationship they had. It showed why Ella does as she’s told in a fun, creative way that I believed. It also gave Cinderella a lot more personality, and it showed why the dad married the horrible woman who becomes the evil step-mother. Even better, I felt it captured all the essence of a young girl that most girls of any age will enjoy.

I’ve always been the fairy tale princessy girl, and this story gave me more spark, more life, and more reason to question why the girl needs to be saved. How can we be the princess and find ways to solve our own problems (while still getting the hot prince, hello!).

Oh and the prince? So much better than prince Charming. While he is Charming, he’s also funny, brave, intelligent, and yeah, a little drool worthy. J Everything a princess needs in a prince, right?

LOVE this book! So much better than chocolate. 

Miss Match by Lindzee Armstrong

Oh, Miss Match.

I've mentioned before that I'm not your typical romance novel reader. My mother in law is. She LOVES them. She's the kind of person that watches all the Hallmark movies, then goes back and watches all the "good parts." You know, the best romantic scenes.

But me? Most romances all have the same story, through no fault of the writer. Romances have rules. To be a romance, it must have a happy ending where the girl and guy end up together. I like my novels with twists and turns and emotions and feels--to the point I'm okay if it's not always happily ever after.

But my writing buddy and amazing published author, Lindzee Armstrong (AKA Lydia Winters for LDS Fiction), writes fantastic romance novels.

It's about the feels, you know? The characters and the story make or break a romance and Miss Match certainly has great characters and a fun story.

It's about Brooke who is a professional matchmaker (and she's engaged) who tries to match-make her best friend Luke to keep the company she works for afloat. Problem is, Luke is madly in love with Brooke.

It leads to great scenes that are funny, cute, and sometimes heart-wrenching. Luke obviously has issues from the beginning, but he's so lovable and I loved watching his character grow as the story progressed. Also, the best friend? I want her as my own best friend. :)

The characters are realistic and lovable, the plot is fun and adorable, and the pacing is perfect. This is a great romance that is Definitely More Tempting than Chocolate. And isn't the cover beautiful?

Mania by Jenn Johansson

I was lucky enough to read Mania by Jenn Johansson before it comes out on July 8th. Two years of The Night Walkers has been awesome, and I'm sad to see the close of this series.

The last book is the best of them all. The characterization is still strong despite the ever growing cast of the book. I get moments with all the characters I love, and Jenn somehow makes me love even more of them. Of course, she puts them through the ringer...

Which proves what excellent conflict she has. I couldn't put the book down. I mean, I needed to take care of my family, maybe eat and sleep a little, so I carried the book around with me, reading at any chance I got. Nursing has been difficult for me, but now I am grateful for the many hours a day I spend nursing. It's great reading time.

There are twists and turns that I didn't expect, and the moment they were revealed or hinted at, I got so excited! Each one escalated of the previous to make an intense climatic novel. My own heart raced as I read, and I couldn't figure out how everything could end well.

I won't spoil it by telling you how it ends, because you need to read it. I want to read it again. It's so much better than chocolate. Remember, it comes out July 8th--that's tomorrow! If you haven't picked up the series, get going on Insomnia.

Excuse me while I go read the series again...

Remake by Ilima Todd

I was privileged to read and review this book before it came out in October 2014. I left my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, but now that I have this new blog, I knew it NEEDED to be on here.

I tell everyone about this novel. It's different, it's beautiful, and I'm so in love with it. 

Remake is a YA Dystopian Romance. Actually, I'm not positive that it's "classified" as a romance, but I totally would call it one. And the coolest part about this book is how it's a dystopian and also a Christian novel. I love the mix of theses two genres that bring out this wonderful story about how important families are. 

Here's the blurb:

Nine is the ninth female born in her batch of ten females and ten males. By design, her life in Freedom Providence is without complications or consequences. However, such freedom comes with a price. The Prime Maker is determined to keep that price a secret from the new batches of citizens born, nurtured, and raised androgynously. 

But Nine isn't like every other batcher. She harbors indecision and worries about her upcoming Remake Day--her seventeenth birthday, the age when batchers fly to the Remake facility and have the freedom to choose who and what they'll be.

When nine discovers the truth about life outside of Freedom Province, including the secret plan of the Prime Maker, she is pulled between two worlds and two lives. Her decisions will test her courage, her heart, and her beliefs. Who can she trust? Who does she love? And most importantly, who will she decide to be?

Beautiful cover too.

Nine's world is different and seems to have all the freedoms anyone in the world could possibly want, but in order to do that, they give up having a family. No one has children. The children are instead made up in batches.

The characters had me with every word and moment. They are lifelike and lovable. Theron is actually my favorite character, and I can't wait until the next novel comes out--hopefully with more of him in it!  :)

The antagonists are complex, and the pages grab you, "Don't put me down. Read me. You don't need sleep...or to go to the bathroom...or food..." Yeah, it's a good thing I read this on a Sunday when my husband was home or I probably wouldn't have eaten anything (Plus, he focused on my toddler so I could read. He's so awesome). I could not put this one down. 

I'd much rather read this book than eat chocolate. Loved, loved, loved it!

Rynn

Paranoia by Jenn Johansson

I'll admit that I just read this book recently. I wanted to read this second novel in The Night Walker series soooo bad after Insomnia, that I nervously messaged Jenn to ask her when it would come out. And secretly I was hoping she'd let me read it before it came out.

Why in the world would anyone hand over their rough draft, a piece of their soul, to anyone they didn't know and trust? I didn't ask her, but the hope vanished when I remembered my sanity again. I had to wait a year like everyone else.

But when it came out a little over six months ago, I remembered how hard it was to wait, and knowing there's a third book, decided to do the waiting until then.

But I caved. Paranoia is amazing. I didn't read this novel in one sitting, but this time I have a toddler. Anyone else have, have had, or know a toddler? Yeah, you get me. However, despite my attention demanding, sweet bundle of energy for a son, I still managed to read it in one day.

It was that good.

Highlight the next two paragraphs only if you've read the first book! :) Here's the back:

In the aftermath of the events that nearly killed him, Parker Chipp is trying to learn to cope better with life as a Watcher. And it seems to be working...until he wakes up in jail with a hangover and 12 hours of missing time. Darkness has somehow taken control and Parker doesn't have a clue how to stop him. He finds an unlikely ally in Jack, the mysterious guy in the motorcycle jacket who offers to help Parker master his abilities as a Watcher. But even as they practice, the darkness inside Parker is getting more and more powerful, taking over Parker's body and doing everything he can to destroy Parker's life.

When Jack reveals that there is another kind of Night Walker, known as a Taker, Parker starts to wonder if the strange things happening in Oakville are more than just a coincidence. After all, people are more than just sleepwalking. They're emptying their savings accounts with no memory of doing so, wandering into strange parts of town and disappearing, they're even killing other people--all in their sleep. If Parker wants to find out what's happening or have any hope of seeing his father again, he'll have to defy Jack and put his own life in danger...because the more he learns about these other Night Walkers, the more certain he becomes that his life isn't the only one that could be lost.

I loved it. This story provided a lot more answers to the many questions left in the first one. Jenn cleverly added conflict in ways I didn't expect that kept the pace up and made me, again, not want to put the book down. I didn't finish until 9:30pm! Okay, I know you're all, "Uh, that's not late." For me, it SO is. I'm in my third trimester with my second baby, and I'm more of a morning person. I know, weird people like me exist. Here's the best part: I'm dead exhausted by 8pm. Yep, you read that right. My two year old son and I go to sleep at the same time. Now, when my baby girl gets here and lets me sleep through the night, that will go back to between 9-10, but for now, it's 8. I need my sleep.

I love my sleep.

And I didn't even think about sleep until I finished this book.

Sigh. Jenn, you really need to stop doing this to me. ;) Just kidding. Please keep it up.

To get myself back on track, all the characters we loved in the first book are back. Finn has more great T-shirts that I wish I could buy. Seriously, the first shirt Finn wears had me laughing and then longing for it in a pajama size. I loved the relationships, and though I sometimes wanted to smack some characters, they never veered off from who they are. I also loved the more complex story that made guessing the end oh so much harder.

Okay, one more thing before I finally stop talking: Great bad guys. I'm talking the kind you root for, the kind where you don't know if you want to beat them to a bloody pulp or give them a hug because they are so troubled they just need one. I love complex antagonists. Don't get me wrong, there are ones you just want to beat up in this book, but the most important one for me was done the best. I love this bad guy.

Okay, I'm done. If I haven't convinced you to read the book, then maybe you don't like amazing YA thrillers. ;) Just teasing. Definitely would rather read this book than eat chocolate.

Rynn

Elevated by Elana Johnson

Here's a great YA contemporary romance for all you romance readers. :) I love me a romance, and this one does not disappoint.

Don't be afraid of the fact that Elevated is written in verse. I'll be the first person to admit that I don't like poetry. Nothing wrong with it for those who love it--it's just not my thing. But my lack of love for anything in verse did nothing to stop me from loving this book. It's fantastic.

Here's the premise:


Getting stuck on an elevator with your ex will really get your heart rate ELEVATED...

The last person seventeen-year-old Eleanor Livingston wants to see on the elevator—let alone get stuck with—is her ex-boyfriend Travis, the guy she's been avoiding for five months.

Plagued with the belief that when she speaks the truth, bad things happen, Elly hasn’t told Trav anything. Not why she broke up with him and cut off all contact. Not what happened the day her father returned from his deployment to Afghanistan. And certainly not that she misses him and still thinks about him everyday.

But with nowhere to hide and Travis so close it hurts, Elly’s worried she won’t be able to contain her secrets for long. She’s terrified of finally revealing the truth, because she can’t bear to watch a tragedy befall the boy she still loves.


Elly is stuck on an elevator with the boy she loves but is trying to avoid. How can this not have the romantic tension we all love to read, what we romance readers crave to read? Elana does an amazing job making the scenes come to life and helping her readers feel the tension and desires both to run away from Trav and wrap him up in our arms.

Elana weaves past with present in a brilliant way. I always understood where and when the characters were as Elly's story and secrets unfold. And a few pages in, I forgot the whole thing was written in poetry. The words were so beautiful (and easy for me to understand, because let's face it, the main reason I'm not a reader of poetry is how complicated it can be) that I lost myself in them. 

I loved the characters, loved the story, and tried not to cry at the events that were heartbreaking.

The last one I totally failed at.

I'd rather read this book than eat chocolate. Or should I say, I'd rather read this book THEN eat chocolate, because chocolate and crying kind of go together. :) 

If you love YA and/or romance, you should really try this one. It's worth every minute you take to read it.

Rynn

Insomnia by J R Johansson

I told you about my favorite author ever--now let me tell you about my second favorite author ever. Funny thing is, she's local too. You'd think all my favorite authors would be super famous and known nationally. Nope. I don't think fame makes a great author or a great book.

Great writing does.

I met Jenn Johansson at an LDStorymakers conference (awesome place for writers of any level). Her debut book, Insomnia had not quite been released, but during the book signing, she posted on Facebook that the next two people to come up to her and say "Insomnia's better than nightmares" would get a free arc.

Umm, yeah. My friend and I ran to her the moment we saw it, and that's how I got my copy from an unknown author. Now, I'd done a bad thing by that time already--I'd purchased about $200 worth of books. I know, I know. But I couldn't help myself! They had a large bookstore, and I was there without my husband to stop me!

Yeah . . . it's my own fault. I know.

So the funny thing is, when I got home, I had about twenty books to choose from. But all I could think about reading first was the one book I'd been given for free, and here's why:

Cover:




Back of the book:

Instead of sleeping, Parker Chipp enters the dream of the last person he's had eye contact with. He spends his nights crushed by other people's fear and pain, by their disturbing secrets--and Parker can never have dreams of his own. The severe exhaustion is crippling him. If nothing changes, Parker could soon be facing psychosis and even death.

Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissful rest that is utterly addictive. Parker starts going to bizarre lengths to catch Mia's eye every day. Everyone at school thinks he's gone over the edge, even his best friend. And when Mia is threatened by a true stalker, everyone thinks it's Parker.

Suffering blackouts, Parker begins to wonder if he is turning into someone dangerous. What if the monster stalking Mia is him after all?

Umm, how does that not sound like an absolutely amazing novel? I read it first and am so glad I did. I loved it! There were a lot of things about this book that could have gone in the direction of every other story out there, but never did. Everything about the plot was different. I did guess the ending, but my husband thinks that's my super power. When lots of people can't guess the ending, I can. That could be the reader or writer in me. However, despite knowing the end, I loved every second of this book. Jenn kept me guessing at many other things, and she did succeed at making me question my ending guess several times.

I've never really tried reading YA Thrillers before, but it seems they're one of my favorite genres. I could not put this book down. I read it in one sitting. Writers dream to make a book so interesting that the reader has to keep turning the pages, and Jenn totally succeeded with Insomnia. This is definitely a "I'd rather read this book than eat chocolate." Oh so much.

Okay, AND the second one is out and the third is coming out this summer, so there's not too much waiting to finish the story. I'd lend you my copy, but my sister has already borrowed it. Go to a library, borrow it, or better yet, buy it. It's worth every penny.

Rynn

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

If you're not a fan of Brandon Sanderson, you should be. And if you haven't read any of his books because he's mostly a Science Fiction/Fantasy author and that's not your normal read, there are plenty of books to try. Take it from me. I'm less likely to pick up a Fantasy or Science Fiction and a lot more likely to hang around the YA shelves at Barnes and Noble over speculative romance. I love me a romance.

And Brandon's not known for romance.

So why has Brandon Sanderson become my number one favorite author? Because he's a brilliant writer. He knows how to craft a story that keeps me up all night. And so you know, I LOVE my sleep. I need it not only to stay pretty, but to keep from winning the grumpiest mom and wife in the world award. And Brandon's stories make me want to give up both my beauty and happy demeanor just so I can get in "one more chapter..."

So I'm going to start with The Rithmatist.



Don't let the cover scare you away or the "fantasy" aspect. It's YA, fast-paced, and with enough world-building to please fantasy lovers (like my husband) but not so much that people like me start to skim. Here's the back cover flap:

More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Chosen by the Master in a mysterious inception ceremony, Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings—merciless creatures that leave mangled corpses in their wake. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles.

As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students learn the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing—kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery, one that will change Rithmatics—and their world—forever.

I loved this book. LOVED! If I had to choose between my favorite chocolate in the whole world or to read The Rithmatist, I would pick to read this book. No doubts. It's fun, creative, fast-paced, and a genre that seems to push the boundaries of normal fantasy. It feels less like the fantasy norm and more like an alternate reality with amazing elements that I could never even dream up. The characters are real. I'm certain they live in this alternate universe that I just can't travel to. They're too realistic not to. And they're interesting. They aren't your average Joe and Susan, yet they're relatable. I also kept guessing at what would happen. I'm pretty good at figuring endings out, as I try to write novels myself, but this one kept me on my toes until the end.

And there is a little romance. Brandon Sanderson, you dog, you! It's nothing intense, and you can tell he's new to the whole writing a romance thing, but it's sweet and it works with the story. It's blossoming slowly and fills my need for anything romantic.

The only bad thing is we're waiting for him to write the next book. And though Brandon can crank out two amazing books in a year, he has many projects. I can't wait for book #2. I'll buy it the day it comes out, even if I have to not eat chocolate for a whole year to pay for it!

Read it, guys. It's really good.

Rynn

Yo to anyone out there looking for a good book

You may notice the lack of posts on this blog. Not to worry! It's brand new and will be up and running starting now.

Alas, I do not have the time to put in a bunch of reviews all the first day. I will, however, put up a new review each week. My reviews will not use the 1-5 star system, but have more of reference to how much I'd rather read the book or eat chocolate.

In order:

• I'd rather read this book than eat chocolate!
• Maybe it's best to consume both at the same time.
• I need some chocolate to help me get through this book. 
• I'll just eat some chocolate. 

I look forward to sharing my thoughts on the many novels out there each week. :)

Rynn