Review and Questions--House of Diamonds By Karen Jones Gowen

Please give a warm welcome to Karen Jones Gowen. *insert claps and cheers* She is stopping by today on her blog tour of her current release House of Diamonds.

 

Before I ask Karen some questions, here is some info about her.

Karen was born and raised in central Illinois, the daughter of a Methodist minister from Indiana and a school teacher from Nebraska, Karen has down-to-earth Midwestern roots.

She attended Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, then transferred to the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. After converting to Mormonism at the age of 20, she transferred to Brigham Young University in Provo, UT, where she met her future husband. She obtained her degree at BYU in English and American Literature.

Karen and Bruce have lived in Utah, Illinois, California and Washington, currently residing near Salt Lake City. They are the parents of ten children. Not surprisingly, family relationships are a recurring theme in Karen's writing.

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Karen this was such a great story and I was wondering if we will see any more stories about the McGill's (crosses fingers)? I have another one roughed in, called "Promise Diamond", about the McGill's moving to San Jose, CA and living there when the big earthquake hits. I also want to feature more of Marcie's sister Linda and the struggles she has in her marriage. So if I do it, the novel would have these two basic stories.

At some points in the story I had to take out my box of tissues. How did writing those intense scenes effect you?  I knew I had captured some of those scenes right when I went back in to revise and got a bit teary myself, because normally I stay objective when I write. The story of baby Jordan follows closely what really happened. (My sister who Cindy is based on recently posted her review of the novel on Goodreads.) Marcie's story is more fictionalized than is Cindy's and Jordan's.


Before you go I have one more little question. If you want to follow Karen at her blog, CLICK HERE. For those of you who already follow her and see the pictures of the cookies she bakes that we all drool over, well this question is for you. *winks*


Will you give us your cookie recipe? You have to marry into the family to get it *smile*

Darn it! I tried!

Here is a summary of House of Diamonds.

In this sequel to Gowen’s debut novel, Uncut Diamonds, she follows sisters Cindy and Marcie as they reach a crossroads in their lives. House of Diamonds tells the story of two women, one facing opportunity the other tragedy. Can their bond endure?

Marcie pursues her dream of becoming a published writer while Cindy faces a terrible tragedy. In this gripping story of faith, loss and the transcending nature of sacrifice, Gowen gives voice to a beloved baby who has none. She shows the incredible power that comes to families when they pull together to overcome challenges. It is at these times that a house of pain can become a house of diamonds.

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If you've been a follower of my blog for a while, you know I adore love, drool over, and make evil plans to get my hands on YA books about creepy dark characters and weird plot lines. Don't faint on me, but yes, I often read outside of that genre. So, when Karen was looking for readers for House of Diamonds, I was happy to answer the call. It was refreshing to read a story with no mythical creatures--just a story about the real world and real people. What I loved most was the authenticity of her characters. Don't call me creepy, but I wanted to hug them all at the end of the story. But enough with the mushy and on with my review and be sure to check out a neat deal from the publisher about House of Diamonds below.

House of Diamonds is a sincere story that will pull at your heartstrings and remind you just how precious life is. It follows sisters Marci McGill, as she raises seven children while trying to attain success in her writing, and Cindy, who is confronting an illness that leaves her young son fighting for his life.

This family goes through inconceivable heartbreak, yet, perseveres through their faith in God and the strength they find within each other. I laughed when the McGill’s were happy and I cried when they were sad. It was easy to connect to the characters and ache with them, as this could be anybody’s family. Karen Gowen has a book with an excellent voice and writing. 

Some of my favorite passages:

“Elder Maxwell spoke of God‘s need to let us go through difficult experiences here on earth, experiences to stretch us like violin strings that must be kept taut to play in tune. That we must accept the difficulties which come our way like an obedient child bowing to the will of a loving father, knowing these things are for our good.”

“Until she reminded herself that this man was only a doctor, a pediatrician, he was not God. Only God would have the final verdict on the outcome of baby Jordan‘s life experience.”

“Wanting did not guarantee results. It only meant that you have an ache and a hunger for something, not that you will get what you desire.”

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To Buy House of Diamonds:

Order a print book House of Diamonds from the publishers website and get Uncut Diamonds for free!   <-----Yay! Thanks Karen!

House of Diamonds for the Kindle or for the Nook.

House of Diamonds is now available on the new online bookstore, Celerytree.com, in all formats.

If you are interested in more books by Karen CLICK HERE to visit her website.

Thanks Karen and happy reading everyone.

Week Five: Upcoming Dark YA

This is the last week of I Love Dark YA Blogfest hosted by YAtopia. It has been fun reading other participants posts and it's always fun to make new blogger friends. Thank you for following my blog! And thank you YAtopia!

The theme for this week is upcoming books.

 

Some upcoming books that I can't wait for are...

Wings of the Wicked (Angelfire book 2) by Courtney Allison Moulton February 14, 2012

Last Rite (Book 3) by Lisa Desrochers May 2012

Torn by H.M. Ward (Book 3 of Demon Kissed) November 10, 2011

The Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices) by Cassandra Clare December 6, 2011

City of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments) By Cassandra Clare May 8, 2012

I have no problem with my house looking like this.

So, what is on your must have list?

Help Harry Help Others

I'm really excited to announce that the Campaigner Challenge 2011 ebook is now available for purchase.

There are 176 flash fiction stories from 81 different authors. There is a story in here for everyone. All proceeds will go to "Help Harry Help Others" for cancer research.

Click here for the links to purchase this book.

And thank you for your support!

Week Four: I Love Dark YA--#YASAVES

How has Dark YA impacted my life? That's the theme for this week brought to you by our hosts at YAtopia. So here I go getting all sappy on you.

My inspiration to become a YA writer lays in all the books that took me to faraway fantastical places. Characters that were flawed, dark, with edgy topics. My thirst for a good story that ended and I still needed to know what happened next.

It's nice to know when I type THE END, well it's not really an end, because I envision where my characters will be in say 10 or 20 years. There never will be an actual end and that makes me happy.

I easily lose myself in my writing and the world I'm creating and when someone reads my book, I want them to do the same.

Now it's not dark, but a recent book I read, Inheritance (Eragon series) by Christopher Paolini left me breathless, happy, and hungry for more after finishing the series. I hope Eragon lives on and Christopher revisits the magical world he has created. After being in Alagasia so long, like Eragon, it was hard to leave.
Here is an article from The Wall Street Journal by Christoper about saying goodbye Click Here.
So, thank you young adult authors and thank you Yatopia for hosting this great bloghop.

What books or authors are your inspiration? Or what has inspired you after reading a certain book?

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Week Three: Dark YA Movie and Music Fun

Welcome to week three of I love dark YA and thank you hosts at YAtopia. I would love to see The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan come to the big screen.

                                                                 

Why should it go to the big screen? Here is a blurb from Goodreads.

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

Coming soon to a theater near you, The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Starring Selena Gomez as Mary.

Theme song by Linkin Park, "Waiting for the End."

Who would you add to the cast?

Week Two: I Love Dark Ya-Flash Fiction

This week our hosts at YAtopia wants us to write a 500 word or less flash fiction story about the picture below. This picture didn't inspire me at all. Like zero and zilch. I knew if I was to complete this weeks post for the bloghop, I was going to have to reach down deep to my muse to get creative.

So I flipped her over and walla! Some inspiration. My story came in at 363 words.

Control

The girl dangled upside down from the tree holding her hands to her face crying. She had walked right into the hunters trap. He ensnared her fast and his ego swelled. Her ankle was red from being bound in the thick rope, but he only cared about winning.

He hid behind a tree with a satisfied smirk on his face. The fog rolled in off the river cloaking the girl like a blanket, but she wasn’t safe—not even close.  He had watched and waited, isolating her from family and friends. He followed her every move like a lion seeking its prey. He would own her.

Even when he was hunting her the girl looked over her shoulder smothered by his presence. He liked that it drained her energy, threatening to take all her life giving air, and suffocating her until she felt defeated. It’s how he captured her to begin with.

He would have his way. The girl would comply because he would cling to her like morning dew affixes to a blade of grass. He came out from behind the tree making his presence known. It would always be known from here on out.

The girl struggled. Her eyes were puffy and red. Her hair hung like a curtain of silk, but she was still pretty. His mouth quirked up and his chest puffed out as he walked toward the girl with a silver blade.

The blade sliced through the rope with a single swipe and the girl fell to the ground. Her crying turned to loud sobbing. She rubbed at her ankle, but he pulled at her arm until she stood.

And then the crying stopped.

White light flashed around her. Her frown became a wide smile. Her shoulders pulled backwards until her back was straight. She now stood taller than the hunter. The hunter’s eyes widened.

“You will only make me feel inferior if I allow it and news flash, I won’t allow it!”

The girl walked away limping leaving the hunter sitting on the ground crying, wallowing in his self- pity and doubt.

The girl prayed for the hunter before the ground opened up and swallowed him whole.

For more flash fiction stories visit YAtopia for a list of participants.

Week One: My Favorite Dark YA Books

There are so many great dark YA books, it's hard to say which is my absolute favorite. I love settings that takes place in the depths of Hell, have an epic war between good and evil, and a touch of romance. I've come up with two books that landed in my top 10 list.

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton was epic. Loved it!

Ellie is haunted by nightmares and the nightmares really happened--but in her past lives. Ellie dies to be reincarnated again and holds the power to hunt and kill reapers. She meets Will. Will isn't any ordinary boy, he is her warrior. He waits for her to be reborn to wake her dormant powers. Every time Ellie comes back it gets harder and harder for her to remember. Ellie realizes her and Will have a love that spans centuries.

Why I love it--It's dark, they hunt monstrous grim reapers, Will is great, Ellie is a kick butt heroine, and it is full of awesome!

Wings of the Wicked is coming out in February and I *squee* can't wait.

Ok, another stellar read is Demon Kissed by H.M. Ward.

Here is a blurb from Amazon and enough said.

The Valefar boy tricked Ivy Taylor into kissing him, but he took much more than a kiss—he stole her soul and left her within inches of death. By surviving, Ivy is drawn into the conflict between the Martis and the Valefar. The war between these two immortal forces has raged for millennia without distraction. Until now.

Ivy is an anomaly—she is the only person who has ever walked away from a demon kiss alive. Her survival gives her unique and deadly abilities. Too powerful to ignore, Ivy is a threat to both armies. These two ancient enemies will stop at nothing to kill the seventeen-year-old.

Surviving is nothing new for headstrong Ivy, but her survival has never depended on another person before. This time it does. And if she misplaces her trust, she's dead. To her horror, she starts falling in love at the worst possible time—with the enemy. He appears to be protecting her. But she can't be certain if he is trying to help her, or help himself to her power. For Ivy, trusting the right person is the difference between love and survival, or a deadly demon kiss.

Cursed (Demon Kissed 2) Is out now and it delivers!

A notable mention is Personal Demons and Original Sin by by Lisa Desrochers.

I'm excited to find out what makes my fellow bloghoppers lists! Click here to see and thanks YAtopia!