Some Secrets Hurt, A Story of Healing by Linda Kay Garner, Illustrated by D Brandilyn Speth

 

I don’t usually review children's books for several reasons. First off, they are always so good. It’s like movie reviews for Disney films are almost guaranteed a five star rating. Secondly, LDSBookcorner doesn’t carry children’s books and the Daily Chapter doesn’t spotlight them. However, when I read Some Secrets Hurt, A Story of Healing by Linda Kay Garner, I decided to make an exception

There is nothing more frightening to a parent than the thought that someone might be physical or emotionally molesting their child. And unfortunately, no matter how many times a mom or dad sit down and try to teach the importance of sharing such crucial information, it’s not at all unusual for a child to suffer in silence.

As horrible as the thought is of a molested child, the idea that they might feel alone with the burden or guilty themselves is almost unbearable. Which is why Garner approached such a serious topic in a child’s picture book.

Despite the subject matter, this is not a threatening or graphic book. In simple easy to understand language Garner explains and teaches the importance of letting parents know when something bad is happening in a way that is both reassuring and empowering.

D. Bradilyn Speth’s beautiful water colors illustrate most of each page. Maggie, the main character is a charming child and the “stranger” that Maggie knows and trust is tastefully depicted as a dark human shaped shadow.

Years ago, when I was working in a church children’s organization, it came to our attention that one of the children from the neighborhood had been displaying behaviors that could signal abuse. We spent hours coming up with a presentation that could not only approach this problem, but also warn the other children under our care. How I wish Some Secrets Hurt had been available at the time.

Garner does school visits from Preschool up to High School and her thoughtful presentations have been well received by both students and teachers.

If you are a parent, a grandparent or have a child that you love, this book has got to be a part of their personal library.

Visit Linda Kay Garner at her website Some Secrets Hurt.

Trapped is a Captivating Summer Read

Last year I had the opportunity to run a novel by new author Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen on the LDS Bookcorner Daily Chapter. It was a book titled Missing and told the story of a young BYU student on tour with one of the schools performing choirs when she spots a young girl who’s been missing for months. I knew then that we would be seeing good things from this author.

Earlier in the spring, Hinrichsen released a second novel. Trapped is an interesting combination of fantasy and mystery. Set first in Florida and later in the mountains of Austria, this book takes you on a ride that includes romance, treachery, and other worldly magic.

Emi Warren awakens to a burglar prowling through the condo where she has been staying by herself. She manages to take refuge in the house of her elderly next door neighbor, but once the police arrive we realize that this was no common break in. The intruder wasn’t so interested in stealing valuables as setting up strange little shrines in various rooms of the house, and leaving a letter that would shatter Emi’s world and lead she and her friend Daniel half way around the world to uncover a secret curse that has haunted her father’s family for generations.

The settings, especially those in Austria were authentic and well written, and her bad guys were evil and slightly unhinged. Emi makes a strong female heroine who, despite her own insecurities and weaknesses, manages to solve the mystery and rise to the occasion when quick thinking is necessary.

It took me awhile before I realized the fantasy element in the story, and I wished I’d gotten that sooner, but the story was impelling, and I was drawn into the building suspense.

At 293 pages, this is a great summer read for women and girls of all ages. There is plenty of romance but it doesn’t over power the story. And Hinrichsen manages to keep the twists and turns coming, so hang onto your seat.

Click here to purchase Trapped through Amazon.com

A Forged Letter, A Golden Vial, An Ancient Curse...

Filled with family secrets, intrigue, and romance.

The blog tour (August 9-August 24) for Trapped by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen will
have it all.

Her expression remained somber, but excitement crept into her voice. You are the Firstborn She...You must go to them. You want me to act as bait? Not bait, Emi. A spy. Our Trojan horse.

When Emi Warrin wakes one night to find a thief in her mother's house, she has no idea the intruder has planted a trap - a mysterious letter that will change her life forever. Lured to the Austrian Alps with Daniel, the man she loves, Emi is thrown into a perilous, mafia-like world of feuding families and a devastating curse that spans generations. As the Firstborn She - the only firstborn female in hundreds of years - only Emi can free her family from the curse
that will soon afflict her as well. But for Emi to break the curse, she must delve into evil designs.

As Emi struggles to understand her destiny as the Firstborn She, she learns that everything isn't as it seems and that all choices have consequences. Can Emi break the curse before it's too late?

We will be giving away THREE autographed copies!


All you have to do is leave a comment (along with your email address if it isn't on your blog profile) and answer the following question:
Which Austrian city would you most like to visit?

The more blogs you comment on the more entries you'll receive.

All comments must be left by midnight MST on August 27 to be eligible.

August 9
Heather Gardner

August 10
Jewel Adams

August 11
Mary Greathouse
Teri Rodeman

August 12
Lynn Fowlstone
Christine Bryant

August 13
Valerie Ipson
Sheila Stayley

August 16
Deanne Blackhurst

August 17
Connie Hall
C.S. Bezas

August 18
Kimberly Job
Tristi Pinkston

August 19
Karen Hoover
Nichole Giles

August 20
Alison Palmer
Jessica Williams

August 23
Joyce DiPastena
Laurie Lewis

The Fourth Nephite by Jeffrey S Savage

 

Jeffrey S Savage is a talented writer with multiple books under his belt. He’s the writer of the Shaundra Covington Mystery Series, of which the third book was released earlier in the summer and will be spotlighted on the Daily Chapter next week. He’s also the author of a middle grade fantasy series Farworld (Water Keep and Land Keep) under the name of J Scott Savage that has a large and faithful following. However his newest book which will be released the end of this month, combines the best of both his mystery and YA skills with a dose of church history tossed in.

I recently received an advanced reading copy of The Fourth Nephite to review. And I was curious. An action packed, faith promoting, young adult thriller (with a little romance thrown in) is not the easiest book to write and I was anxious to see how Savage would handle it.

The story begins with Kaleo Steele a senior on the football team with high hopes for a future that includes football scholarships and perhaps a career in the NFL. What his future does not include is a mission. It isn’t that Kaleo doesn’t want to take two years out of his life; it’s that he doesn’t believe the church is true. He’s convinced that there were no golden plates and that the Book of Mormon was a creation from the imagination of Joseph Smith.

The night before the big game, Kaleo is spotted with a beer in his hand on school property by his seminary teacher. Despite the fact that he didn’t drink any, that’s a guaranteed ten day suspension which would not allow him to play before the college scouts the next day.
Brother Mortensen offers him a way out. If Kaleo will go into Salt Lake and look up a guy by the name of Ladan, Bro. Mortensen won’t say anything to the school authorities.

Thus begins an adventure like none other. Kaleo eventually finds himself in Palmyra, New York in the fall of 1827, a point in history where tensions are high. Joseph Smith has retrieved the golden plates but must keep them safe from the evil men who will stop at nothing, not even murder, to get their hands on the “treasure”.

Savage uses his modern day protagonist to bring a fresh perspective to a familiar time in church history. I found the pace exciting grabbing me right from page one and not letting go till the very last page. The characters are complicated, and the antagonist is a very frightening man who’s evilness seemed to jump off the page. As Kaleo searches for a way back home, he’s also trying to discover what he believes. There is nothing preachy about this book as the reader follows along the path of Kaleo’s self discovery.

This is a great book for any reader, but especially for the pre-teen and teen set. So if you’ve got a gift giving occasion coming up, you can’t go wrong. It’s also a wonderful book to read together as a family at FHE or before bed. I am neither a pre-teen nor a teen myself, but I loved it.