KCGrant

Hmm, I thought this article in the Millennial Star could create some interesting debate! Being an LDS author I want to have an open mind and try to look objectively at my craft. Why I Don’t Read Mormon Fiction The Millennial Star

My latest novel is a romantic suspense novel that's set in Mexico City. A fun read with a lot of history of culture! home page for K.C. Grant, author of Abish: Daughter of God

What an exciting day! I went into the bookstore and saw my book had hit the shelves and then I came home and found my cache on the doorstep. Always exciting to hold the new creation in my hands. My latest is a suspense novel about a young LDS girl who gets caught up in some drug trafficking problems in Mexico City. I'm hoping to make it a series but that always depends on how well it does--so check it out and let me know what you think!

Being an English major, I've read a significant number of them. But I've been disappointed at my children's reading lists in school. So many of the classics aren't on them and instead have been replaced by popular fiction that the schools know the kids will be interested in. I'd rather have my daughter reading Rebecca or Tess of the D'urbervilles than Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.

Thanks for the feedback!

I want to take a quick poll and see who has and likes reading on an e-reader like Kindle or Nook. Do you think it changes the reading experience? Does the convenience outweigh any drawbacks? Will it make print books obselete one day? What does everyone think?!?

Thanks, Elphaba. I try!:)

I've started writing book reviews for the Deseret News and I have to write them from a "family values" perspective. That can be tough when there's a lot of violence and sex. But here's how I handled Iris Johansen's recent release in her new trilogy. 'Eve' part of a new missing child triology by Iris Johansen | Deseret News

Several LDS authors were recently honored at the Whitney Awards Gala, held in conjunction with the LDStorymakers Conference in Utah. So go check out the winners and see what some of the best authors of LDS fiction have to offer! http://www.whitneyawards.com/wordpress

I actually loved the book and still have a copy lurking around on a bookshelf somewhere. I think I'm more fascinated by the idea of when it was written and how "prophetic" some parts are rather than always the quality of writing or the flow of the story. He sure had our fixation with "reality" TV pegged.

Yikes, that title brings me back to Mrs. Beattie in my Jr. year Humanities class. What a memory!

Hmm, it sounds interesting. What's the author's background?

Hang in there--learning to write is a process and you never really finish and perfect a manuscript. Try and glean what suggestions you can and then keep submitting. Try having a group of other writers critique it so you can see maybe where you're going wrong. Abish is a woman mentioned briefly in the Book of Mormon. This sequel's focus is on the people of Ammon and their struggles, including the story of the 2,000 stripling warriors.

I didn't, but I heard some great things about it from my writer's group.

Abish: Mother of Faith is available at stores (Deseret Book, Seagull Book, Barnes and Noble) and online at the same sites. Also, Amazon has it in Kindle format now.

After a lot of delays and endless editing, I finally am holding my new book in my hands, Abish: Mother of Faith. Though at times it seems like an endless process, it's always worth it. If any of you are interested in writing, I suggest you check out your local writing groups and attend conferences. I give a little help on my blog, Writer's Corner by K.C. Grant and love to answer aspiring writers' questions.

I love the Fablehaven series and Brandon Mull is a nice guy.

Hmm, sounds interesting, I hadn't heard of it but it sounds like a good read. Kind of along the lines of "The Kingdom and the Crown" books by Gerald Lund maybe?

I'd never heard of the series, but I'm tempted to try it out. YA fiction has grown by such leaps and bounds (I'm guessing that's the genre?) that it really has a lot to offer. I used to read more sci-fi/fantasy novels in general when I was growing up because my brother was into it. In fact, I found one of his old Thomas Covenant series at my parents' house and borrowed it for awhile. They're a fun read.

My feeling is this...if you purchase an item, you have the right to do with it what you may. Whether it's blacking out words in a book so you don't have to see them every time you read it or using devices that edit out offensive content in movies so you can focus on the storyline. Does it change the author's original vision? Sure. But the author's editor and/or publisher probably already did that at some point and so labeling this 'censorship' is a bit dramatic. Most popular movies and books of today are commercially-minded and are designed to give the public "what they want." If you don't want something they're offering, you have the right to not buy it or to manipulate it to where it's something you do what.

I think that's true. Besides, I think my fascination with that side of human nature is because I'm trying to understand it and really it's just a battle between good and evil and how each of us deals with that. So whether you're in law enforcement or a social worker or even a parent, you're trying to make a positive influence on the lives around you and I think that makes a good story. Of course, I'm not too fond of slasher stories where they glamorize the villain and it's more about the gore than the story.

Here's an interesting dilemma--how to be a Mormon (LDS) and like to read scary novels? I have to admit that I've enjoyed a Stephen King from time to time and now that I've switched over to writing suspense novels, I'm trying to figure out how to reconcile being a "good" member of the church to being intrigued by all of the nastiness that can go on in people's minds. What makes someone turn into a murderer? What are some of the ways that people justify their wickedness? I find myself thinking about that much like perhaps a doctor would examine a cancer in someone's body. And I don't even mind a good hair-raising tale about paranormal creatures that couldn't possibly exist! I don't revel in it or become fixated on it. It just intrigues me the idea of it all.

Very interesting analysis!

It's great that there are so many options now. If your book is for a younger audience, there are sites like inkpop.com where you can post your work, get hits and depending on your popularity you might get a publishing deal! Get writing and good luck with whatever you decide!

A good place where you might want to share some of your writing is an author-based forum like the Nauvoo Workshop for LDS Writers. We're willing to take a look at members' work and give some suggestions.