Famous Family Nights - Anne Bradshaw, Editor

Several months ago, I was invited to participate in a book project by fellow-LDS author Anne Bradshaw. Her idea was to collect a series of short essays by other well-known LDS artists on the topic of family home evening. I didn’t know how the project would turn out, but I wrote my essay, helped her obtain essays from both Alan and Amy Osmond who are friends of mine, then sat back to see how the entire project would come together.

This month I found out. Famous Family Nights has been released by Cedar Fort Publishers, and as soon as I got my copy, I sat down to read. What a wonderful experience this has turned out to be. Each essay has touched my heart in some way. I’ve learned new ideas to try with my own children during home evening, felt the spirit as I’ve shared in the experiences of other families, and seen how holding home evening can make a difference, even when you’re wrangling a bunch of kids who claim they don’t want to be there.

The essays in this collection come from a wide range of contributors—authors, musicians, artists, and educators among them. There are names you might know—Susan Easton Black, David Glen Hatch, Rachel Ann Nunes, and Dian Thomas to name a few. I feel lucky to have my name among the illustrious group that make up the entire list of ninety-one.

Famous Family Nights is great reading, even if you are only a family of one. Readers will discover that their family and situation is much like that of others as we all do our best to nurture and teach those around us in the basics of the gospel, while building the relationship between members of the family.

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Illuminations from the Heart - Joyce DiPastena

Okay, I'll admit, I'm a sucker for a well-written romance. Throw in the fact that it's a well-researched and historically accurate romance and it makes me even happier. But, give me a well-written, historically accurate romance that remains clean, yet maintains just the right balance of romantic tension between the characters, and I am thrilled. This is exactly how I felt with Illuminations of the Heart by Joyce DiPastena.

Siriol de Calendri has been brought from her studies in the art of illumination in Venice to the guardianship of her brother's friend, Sir Triston de Brielle in Poitou, France. Although the purpose of her being there is to protect her from men who would hope to take advantage of her, Siri soon finds that the one man she truly wants is Sir Triston himself. However, her uncanny physical resistance to Triston's late wife, Clothilde, clouds the feelings of them both. And Triston's past may get in the way of their finding love--together.

Illuminations of theHeart is not a book to race through. It requires time to soak in the story, bask in the richness of the prose, and allow yourself experience the emotions of the characters. The detail and tone made me feel though I were in France in 1179, and it was a place I longed to be.

Now that I've experienced this novel, I look forward to reading DiPastena's first novel, Loyalty's Web as well. I'm sure I will not be disappointed.