LuAnn's Library

The Week in Review: The Newport Ladies Book Club off to a great start

2012-02-10T09:00:00.002-07:00

The Robbins household looks perfect from the outside: no dust, no stains, no wrinkles. Yet a glimpse into its heart reveals no laughter, no closeness, no joy. Olivia thinks that if she keeps everything tidy and serves delicious meals on time, family life is bound to get better. But when her husband, Nick, misses their anniversary, she realizes no amount of domestic success will compensate for failure in their marriage, or for her own failure to develop her identity-always busy as a mother, wife, and neighbor, she has forgotten how to be a unique and vibrant individual.

Determined to make a change, Olivia joins a local book club, where she nurtures new friendships and explores new ideas. But her growing confidence falters when Nick declares his independence- and while her new friends lovingly encircle her with support, only Olivia can reach into the depths of her fledgling self to find the faith, hope, and love her troubled family needs.

What a wonderful way to start of a new year of reading! Olivia, the first book in the Newport Ladies Book Club series, was an absolute delight. Yes, the characters face struggles, yes the book brought on some tears, but the optimism of Olivia, the main character, continued to shine through, despite the difficult times she faced.
I wanted Olivia to be one of my best friends, then I remembers, I had author Julie Wright as a friend, and she is as much like Olivia as anyone can be when it comes to optimism. How lucky can I be?

In the novel, we also meet the women who will be telling their own stories in the books to follow. Daisy, Athena, and Paige are already feeling like friends, and I can hardly wait.

A MUST read for next year's General Fiction category of the Whitney Awards.Why not read it and nominate now? http://whitneyawards.com/wordpress/nominate/

Busy Busy Busy!!!!

2012-01-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

I've been out of the blogging loop the last few days because of:

1. The end of the term (I'm a school teacher with lots of final grading to do)

2. The last few days to read the nominees for the Whitney Award category I'm judging (there were 41 nominees in my category, most of which came in the LAST minute. Please nominate EARLY in 2012)

3. Finishing an edit for a client (557 page book)

4. Finishing a revision on my own book (Covenant is waiting!)

5. And my son received his call to serve an LDS mission (he will be leaving in March).

But as things start to settle back down, I WILL be back. Thanks for being patient.

Living in an Osmond World: Donny Call--Part Deux

2012-01-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I wrote about the phone call I got from Donny while I was working at Alan Osmond Productions. This week, I’ll tell you about another call I had with Donny, this time as a writer.

In the late 1980s I had the opportunity to be a book and movie reviewer for a local publication, LDS Lifestyle and Entertainment Magazine. My position as a reviewer took me to several movies and brought me lots of books to read. On occasion, I was given concert tickets as well, such as the jazz concert at Red Butte Gardens. My reviews were well received by the magazine’s editors and readers, so more opportunities to publish often came my way.

In addition to writing for the magazine, I was also writing for the Osmonds, producing the quarterly Osmond Brothers newsletter, as well as The Osmond Boys newsletter, and occasionally writing for Marie, Ink.

Over the next few years I had developed a writing resume that gave me the confidence to try new things. I also continued my love of traveling and attending concerts, and that’s what took me to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to see Donny in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

I had planned to write a review of the show, so I took along my notepad so that I could keep notes about what I thought of the production. I had learned to write in the dark, all those movies and concerts I’d been reviewing necessitated learning the skills, so I had several pages of things to say about the show after seeing it twice at the Historical State Theater.

Once at home, I wrote the review and submitted it to my editor at the magazine. He read it over and asked, “You know the Osmonds, don’t you?”

“Yes, I work for Alan,” I said.

“Do you think you could get us an interview with Donny? We’d like to do a cover article about him for an upcoming issue of the magazine,” my editor said.

By this time in my life, I’d met Donny numerous times on the road, gotten past that first phone call, and even been on the road, selling merchandise for a string of Donny and Marie concerts, but I still didn’t know Donny very well. And I certainly didn’t know how to get a hold of him to ask about an interview for a magazine cover article.

“I could ask Alan if he has a number,” I said.

My editor perked right up. “That would be great! I’ve always wanted to talk to Donny Osmond, and doing an interview for the magazine would be incredible.”

I gave a sigh of relief. I would be off the hook. My editor wanted to do the interview. He said he’d use my theater review alongside his interview in the magazine, so I knew what I’d written would also be published.

A few days later, I called the editor and said, “Alan gave me the number for Donny’s personal assistant. You can call her and see what has to be done to arrange the interview.”

I passed on the information and figured I’d done my part.

About a week later, I got a phone call from my editor. “He will only do the interview with you.”

“What?” I said, not sure who my editor was referring to, or exactly what he meant.

“Donny Osmond. He will only do the interview if it’s with you.” My editor sounded totally dejected.

“What are you talking about?” I started to get a little nervous.

My editor went on to tell me that he had talked with Donny’s assistant, and she had checked with Donny, but Donny refused to talk with my editor. “His assistant says he will only do the interview for the magazine if it comes from you. We need to set up a time for you to call him.”

Call him? Oh, no! Another phone call with Donny? Immediately the memories of getting all flustered the last time came back and I was nervous already. Now I would have to conduct an interview?

My editor must have sensed my trepidation. “It’s the only way he will do the interview, and we really need him on the cover.”

The magazine was still fairly new and sales would likely improve if we had Donny on a cover. I knew it, and the editor knew it. I agreed to do the interview. It was a good thing I already knew so much about not only Donny, but the play as well, but I still did all the research I could so that I had good questions to ask.

Within a few days, a time was arranged and I was given a phone number to call. I was teaching school, so the time was during my prep period, and since we were on the block schedule and it bumped up against my lunch, I had two hours free to make the call and organize me notes.

The bell rang to release my last group of students until the afternoon. I got out the notes I had taken for the interview and the brick phone I used at the time. (If you’re too young, you’ll have no idea what I’m talking about, so I’ll add a photo to the blog.) I waited until the second bell rang, making sure the announcements were over and all students were off in someone else’s class. I took a deep breath, and punched in the phone number my editor had given me.

The phone rang about six times, and I’d almost decided no one was going to answer when I heard a very deep and scratchy voice say, “This is Donny.”

Oh, my gosh! It was him, yet it didn’t really sound like him. It took me a half beat to regain my composure. “Hi, Donny. This is Lu Ann. I’m scheduled to do an interview with out for LDS Entertainment Magazine.”

“Oh, yeah. What time is it?” Donny said.

“Ten o’clock in Utah, so that makes it eleven in Minnesota, right?” I was afraid I’d some how screwed up the time and was calling him too early.

“Sorry,” he said. “I guess I overslept. Give me a minute, okay?”

“Sure. No problem,” I said.

From the sounds from the other end of the line, I suppose he put the phone down and got up from the bed. I woke up Donny Osmond!!! And he’s still in bed!!! I was suddenly totally embarrassed, but I had to calm my nerves because he was back.

“That’s better,” Donny said. “The show ran really late last night.”

“Should I call back another time?” I said. I didn’t want to bother him if this wasn’t a good time.

“No. No, I’m fine. I just needed to wake myself up a little better. Let’s do the interview.”

“Okay,” I said. There was no way I was going to ask him what he’d needed to do to wake up!

For the next hour we talked like we were old friends. I asked Donny the questions I had prepared, we laughed about how being an Osmond Brother was a little like being sold into slavery like Joseph had experienced at the hands of his brothers. (Of course, we all found out years later that Donny was experiencing severe panic attacks at the time of my interview, and it was likely he felt that exact way about his childhood experiences.) Talking with Donny like this was one of the most treasured experiences of my life.

I never did find out why he insisted that I do the interview rather than my editor. I’ve always assumed it was because he knew I worked for his brother, Alan. Maybe that connection made him feel safe, again my assumption after learning of the panic attacks. Whatever the reason, I was glad I got the chance to do the interview.

Whenever I see him now, he always acts like he knows he is supposed to know me, but he just can’t pull my name out of his memory bank. That’s okay. If he did, I might actually have to own up and tell him that talking to him on the phone gives me panic attacks of my own.

Writing Wisdom: Stephenie Meyer

2012-01-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

If you haven’t heard of Stephenie Meyer or the Twilight Saga, you must have been living under a rock during the past few years. Stephenie was writing Breaking Dawn when she spoke at the BYU Symposium I attended. The series of books, movies, and assorted licensed fandom paraphernalia that have been released through this series has made her a very successful author, and she shared several of her secrets.

“I love to write, and I can’t do without it,” Meyer said. “One day I was not a writer; the next day I was.” Her overnight success came, of course, once her agent sold the first book, Twilight, a book she originally wrote as a present for her sister, Emily, who said, “You have to get this published.”

“Nine out of ten people say they want to be an author, but the only way that happens is to actually write a book,” Meyer says. Too often people are unwilling to put in the work it takes to actually meet their dream when it comes to this publishing goal.

“Unrequited love is a popular theme,” Meyer told her audience, and the sales figures prove her theory to be true, “but the writing is the joy. Putting it out there is scary. I’d give back my advance to have the chance to rewrite Twilight. The story was very personal.” Meyer is not alone when it comes to the desire to revise a published work. Hemmingway was quoted as saying he would like to have one more rewrite of everything he ever wrote and sold.

Meyer says, “Rejections hurt, but everybody gets them. I got a rejection on Twilight (originally titled Forks) after Little Brown made their offer, and it still hurt.” Of course, since Little Brown published the book, that rejection means nothing now in the history of her career. At least she kept a positive attitude about rejections. “I have a scrapbook of my rejection letters,” she said.

“NO does not mean they are right,” she says. “The books that break the rules are the ones people love.”

“Agents are worth their 15%,” Meyer says, “but when you deal with them your word is your bond. I got a three book deal via phone, but it took 9-12 months to get the money to prove it. Long time, no pay,” she joked.

“Then comes the agony and the ecstasy of writing,” she said. “The editing process tries to change everything that you’ve done. Learn to balance between listening to yourself and your editor. Stand up for your characters.”

She adds, “Editors care be wrong, but they can be so right. It forces you to write so much better.”

Meyer thinks the copy editing stage is fun, but seeing the book on the shelves brings “the joy of panic and second-guessing.”

“Writing after you’ve been published is a whole new experience,” she said. “You need to continue to write the story for you. Turn off the red pen editor/agent voices in your hear. If you can’t put your own book down, then that’s what it should be.”

She suggests that authors distance themselves from reviews and reader feedback somewhat. “I was offended on Bella’s behalf when an Amazon review said ‘I never found vampires so boring,’ she said.

“Putting the words down is where the magic is,” she says. “Doing what I love and getting paid for it, writing in a room alone with the characters, that’s the magic. But when you have an idea, that’s when you must write it down—right then.”

“Once you have an editor, once you’re under contract, editors like books a little rough,” she says, “but it must be clean before it’s published, especially the first chapter. The first page is a make or break point to capture a reader.”

“Writing is a reward I give myself,” Meyer says. “Thank you for reading what I write.”

Been There, Done That: Lee Greenwood and Sally Struthers

2012-01-09T09:00:00.001-07:00

Because I had officially started working for Alan Osmond Productions in 1988, I often found myself in situations that allowed me to meet other celebrities, and to be in places that most people would not normally be. In November 1989, I was at Osmond Studios in Orem, Utah, in the hallway between the dressing rooms and the rehearsal hall when I had two close encounters of the celebrity kind. One of those I’ll save for next week, but today I’m going to tell you about how I got to pretend I was Marie Osmond.

Production was in full swing for the Marie Osmond Christmas Special, and The Osmond Boys were set to be guests. This was in the early days of their career, but I had been working with them for a couple of years already, so I was invited to be with them that day as they worked on the show. More on that in the blog for next week, though.

Alan gathered the boys and we all headed into the rehearsal hall. If you took a tour of the Osmond Studios back in the day, then you might remember what the rehearsal hall looked like. It’s a big box of a room with high cement walls and a ceiling to match. The floor was highly polished wood and at least two of the walls were covered with mirrors. These mirrors allowed the performers to watch themselves as their rehearsed their dance moves for various segments of the show.

When we entered the room, Marie was going through a musical routine with two of her guest stars, Sally Struthers and Lee Greenwood. I had met Lee a few times on the road and at his concerts, but I was here with Alan and the boys, and Lee was busy, so I didn’t say anything to him as we walked past.

Alan set up a tape recorder (yes, we had those back then), and the boys started running through their own number at the second set of mirrors to the right. I stood near them in case anyone needed me to go get something. Suzanne was there, but I’m thinking she had a baby in arms so she was not able to run to get things they might need.

The boys had gone through their number a time or two when I noticed that Marie had left Lee and Sally struggling through the routine on their own. Because the dance required them to all interact with each other, the two remaining where having trouble keeping the dance going without the third.

I turned back to Alan and the boys, who were just wrapping up their rehearsal, when the next thing I knew, someone had grabbed my arm. “Come over here. We need you.”

It was Lee Greenwood.

“What do you need me for?” I asked, completely surprised by his actions.

“You’re going to play Marie,” he said as he started leading me away from where I was standing.

I looked over my shoulder at Alan, who was laughing (something he does a lot of at my expenses it seems). “Go on, Lu Ann. You can do it,” he said.

Right! I thought. Me as Marie. I come from German stock. I’m big boned, and even then carried a few pounds too many. I was going to pretend to be the incredibly petit and tiny Marie. But that wasn’t the worst of it.

“We need you to help us with this dance routine,” Lee said once we got over to Sally Struthers. “I know we’ve met, but I can’t remember your name.”

“Lu Ann,” I said. Sally Struthers put out her hand to shake mine.

“Nice to meet you, Lu Ann,” she said. “You’ll do a great job.”

“You’ll be fine,” Lee added. “Mostly you just need to stand here, and we’ll move you around where you need to go.”

“Okay,” I said, and we got busy.

For the next twenty minutes or so, I played the role of Marie Osmond, first with Lee Greenwood guiding me around, then with Sally Struthers, and occasionally with me dancing on my own between them. I have to admit it was a lot of fun, and it was certainly nothing I ever imagined myself having the opportunity to do, dancing a musical number with two well-known celebrities such as these.

And it wasn’t the last time I had to stand in place for Marie Osmond, but like I said, that’s a story for another time.

Sunday Wisdom: Resolutions Resolved

2012-01-08T09:00:00.001-07:00

Many of us have the annual tradition of setting resolutions to welcome in the New Year. Although most of those resolutions are soon forgotten, even as quickly as the end of the week, and most certainly by the end of the month, most of us continue to set them year after year. A quick perusal of early January journal entries from several years running may find us disappointed to learn that we keep setting the same goals, only to fail or forget them almost before the ink is dry.

How does this happen? Even if we set out with good intentions, day-by-day life happens. We skip a day of eating right or taking that fifteen minute walk we told ourselves we would faithfully do. We get distracted from scripture study or reading about a career path we’d like to pursue. We promise ourselves that tomorrow we will make the time or choices that will set us back on the path we promised, only to find that tomorrow never comes.

How can we change this pattern? How came we set resolutions that we can actually keep, ones that will move us forward on the path of self-actualization, the realization of our own true potential?

Picking the right goals is important to the process. Dr. Mike Murdock teaches, “Intolerance of your present creates your future.” We have to ask ourselves about the things we tolerate before we can honestly make a change in our patterns of behaviors that have led us where we are. Allowing ourselves to fluctuate between two clothing sizes doesn’t provide true motivation to stick with a lifestyle of healthier living. Fear of change will prevent us from moving forward with a new career, even to the point of stopping us from reading books or taking classes in the subject. Realizing that some of our friends or even family members are toxic to our emotional or spiritual well being, and that they must either change or be distanced from our lives gives us the power to move forward. Until we face what we can no longer tolerate and make the hard decisions to create a new future, we will be stuck in the same ruts we’ve long been walking.

Of course, the goals we make must be realistic. We may find it more helpful to master a set of smaller goals, rather than aiming toward the end. Of course it would be great to drop that extra 50 pounds, but it may take months to accomplish, and the journey can be discouraging. As a writer, I have goals to finish a manuscript, but I know I cannot write 70,000 words in a day. The process will take some time. Getting out of debt sounds like a wonderful idea, but draining your resources dry every month will cause more distress than chipping away at those credit card bills a smaller chunk at a time.

I find it is better to set specific goals. When goals are vague you never feel like you accomplish anything. Being debt free is too vague. Paying off one credit card before tackling the balance of another allows you to see that having and maintaining a zero balance can be done. Those 50 pounds come off easier than saying I want to be thin, no matter how daunting the number 50 might seem. Writing a novel at 500 words a day gets you more progress than telling people you want to write a novel someday. Sitting around for years complaining about how dissatisfied with your job will only make you miserable, and could lead to getting you fired, but taking steps toward improving your education could lead you to an even better position, even if it’s only within the same company. As we read in Mosian 4:27, “It is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength . . . All things must be done in order.” Setting smaller goals takes us toward the possibly, without making the journey impossible.

Of course we will continue to face difficulties and challenges along the way, but those are often the places we learn the most. Robert G. Allen shares, “I learned the most profound life lessons, from my own challenges; they are some of my core lessons in life.” As the Chinese proverb states, “If you get up one more time than you fall you will make it through.”

But that resolution to keep getting up and to make the change has to come from you. Michael Jackson told us if we’re going to change the world, we have to start with the “Man in the Mirror,” and that’s the same place we have to start to make the changes within ourselves. Get up one more time, break our goals into manageable steps, and choose goals that are worth are worth fighting for, and with the help of the Lord, we will make it through.

Home Cooking: Somen Noodles

2012-01-07T12:38:00.000-07:00

For a month this summer we hosted a Japanese foreign exchange student, and when it came to meals, my husband and several sons were in food heaven. You see, Mike served a two year mission for our church in Japan, and while he was there he learned to love Japanese food. He cooks it often for our family, and we go to the Japanese restaurant at least a couple times a year for special occasions.

Two of our sons are part Filipino and they have always loved foods from the Orient. Some how the other kids have learned to love it as well. I’m the only one in the house who shudders when we have Japanese, although I have learned to like several Chinese dishes.

For this meal, I had to smile and pretend I loved everything about the meal that our foreign exchange student made for us. It was part of his assignment to prepare a traditional Japanese meal for the American family. Somen noodles are not something I normally eat, but the rest of the family loved it.

Since the exchange student did the cooking, I had to borrow a recipe for this blog from the internet, but it looks very similar to what I observed him do in preparation, so I think it’s likely the same.

SOMEN NOODLES AND DIPPING SAUCE

4 bundles of somen noodles
2 ½ cups dashi
½ cup dark shoyu
4 tbsp mirin

Bring a large pot of water to a roiling boil. Prepare the noodles (each bundle is one serving), according to the package directions. Somen water is not used, so you can dump out the water into a colander and immediately run the somen under cool running water, tossing until cool. Serve with noodle dipping sauce.

As you can see in the photos, the exchange student made our meal a little more decorative by twisting the cooked noodles around his finger before putting them onto the plate. The dipping sauce was in a cup, so to eat you picked up the entire roll, dipped then popped it into you mouth.

Although there was nothing wrong with the food, I was tired of the flavor by the third roll, but custom and courtesy dictated I had to finish my serving. The boys loved it so much he made the meal a second time. I opted for something else.

The Week in Review: Lights, Camera, Action-packed Sequels

2012-01-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Christmas break always means family time at the movies for the Staheli family. This year’s selection wasn’t as appealing perhaps as in recent years, but I still managed to find two movies that I really enjoyed, maybe more than I liked the previous installments if the truth be told. The target audience for both might have initial been of the male persuasion, but add a little eye-candy and women like me will enjoy them too.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Okay, so Tom Cruise got a little wild when he jumped on Oprah’s couch, and maybe Knight and Day didn’t make a billion dollars for Hollywood (although I personally enjoyed it very much!), and maybe Valkyrie was a little too dramatic for you, but surely you can’t hold that against Tom forever.

The Mission Impossible franchise is back, and on top—on top of the tallest building in the world as well, a stunt that Tom actually did himself, albeit with lots of harnesses that magically disappear in the final movie. Even though my mind knew those harnesses were there while they filmed, I still found myself emotionally involved when the dust storm was coming and the specially designed grabber glove failed. Oh my!

And the eye candy? Tom was more than cute in this movie. There were certain scenes when he was downright sexy. A subtle look, the way he stood, the clothes he wore all added up to make those years melt away and he was HOT! Sorry, getting a little carried away here.

Anyway, I loved the movie. The addition of humor enhanced not only the plot, but the total viewing experience. And the potential promise of more to come made this movie-goer very happy. I think I’ll have to hit the theater a second time when it comes to my hometown.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Robert Downey, Jr. is another actor that has had his ups and downs. Thanks heavens he is on the upside now (and not bad eye-candy himself, despite the sometimes grimy condition he gets himself into in this movie). Both Iron Man movies have been stellar, we’re looking forward to the Avengers (did you catch his small part at the end of Captain America?), and now a second Sherlock that I think was better than the first.

This isn’t the Sherlock Holmes your grandparents knew, but that’s okay. The story takes up exactly where the last one leaves off, adds a little more steam punk, tosses in some intriguing use of slow motion photography and rewinding time techniques, and the audience begins to see things the way the mind of Sherlock does when he unravels a mystery.

I predicted the end of this film only because I was familiar with the history of the Sherlock Holmes stories, but let it be said that this one leaves itself also wide open for yet another film to follow. And it must! After all, aren’t movies and books meant to be trilogies, rather than a simple duo?

Getting Ahead of Myself

2012-01-05T09:00:00.001-07:00

A rare thing has happened. I’ve actually gotten ahead on the postings for my blog this week, and therefore posted some of the entries earlier than they should have been scheduled. Don’t expect that to happen very often.

Part of the reason I got off schedule because I’m using the entries I have been doing on Tuesdays, Writing Wisdom, for a new book that I hope to have available in the next couple of months. The book will be a collection of what I’ve learned from authors, editors and agents over the years which I hope will teach potential authors things they need to know as they make their first forays into the business, and will motivate those of us who are already writing and publishing to try new things that could enrich our careers. I was so busy organizing and editing the previous blogs on this topics that I forgot to write a new one.

No matter how far ahead I seem when it comes to the blog, I’m still behind in too many other areas. I have a revision to finish this month on a manuscript, and I won’t even tell you how many books I am behind on my reading for the contest I’m judging! The number of entries in my category this year is INSANE!

And that’s how many of you view me because of the number of things I try to accomplish all at the same time. Maybe I am, but I like the challenge.

How about you?

All in the Family: John Arthur Heffner

2012-01-04T09:00:00.003-07:00

Born September 1, 1867 in Watsontown, Pennsylvania, John Arthur Heffner was the fourth child of John Sylvestor Heffner and his wife Mary Elizabeth Watts. It appears there were nine children born to this union, but the only sibling names I have been able to come up with in my research are George W., Lillie, Thomas M., John Arthur, and a younger sister names Goldie. Much research needs to be done yet on this family it seems.

John married Meribah Webb June 18, 1889 in Elwood, Indiana. They were the parents of three children, Lewis Orvil, Ethel Rose, and Herbert Arthur Heffner. The 1900 census shows that Meribah went by the nickname of Mollie, and the lived at 1126 S. K Street in Elwood.

During an economic depression, John and Mollie placed the children into the Soldier’s and Sailor’s Children’s Home in Knightstown, Indiana. Ethel and Herb were “adopted” by a family from Hancock’s Chapel, Indiana. Lew ran away to join the carnival as a carpenter. Eventually they were all reunited when Lew, as an adult, located where his siblings had been taken and moved his wife and daughters there to be closer to them.

John was a carpenter and did fine woodworking. He often traveled to Ohio for work, eventually settling in Hamilton, after he and Mollie divorced. Hamilton was a manufacturing town, with available jobs in John’s field of expertise.

John married a second time, to Anna Teeters, who my mother called Grandma Annie. No children came from this union.

John died May 8, 1938 in Covington, Kentucky. He was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery. Both of his wives outlived him by many years, Annie passing away in 1847 and Meribah dying in 1953. John’s body was move to the Evergreen Cemetery in 1847 to be with Annie’s body.

This is. . .Donny Osmond

2012-01-03T09:00:00.001-07:00

dedica.la

“We need more songs for the album,” Alan said to me one day in 1989, while we were working in the basement office of his house on Osmond Lane.

The album in question was going to be the first with Curb Records for the Osmond Boys, and Alan wanted everything to be perfect. The single Hey Girl was a shoo in because we’d already seen some success on local radio when DJ Tom Timmons put the single in a “Battle of the Bands” and it won for several nights in a row. I was sort of proud of that because, not only had I taken a big part in organizing Utah fans to vote for the song, but I’d also suggested that the boys do a remake of the song, which had been a hit for their Uncle Donny.

“What about Donny?” I asked. “Does he have any other songs we can use?”

Alan looked at me like I had two heads. “What are you talking about?”

“Does he have any songs the boys could record to put on the album?” I said.

I knew Donny had not only been looking for songs to record for himself, but also that he’d been writing music recently. Maybe he had some ideas for something the boys could record.

“Well, there is the song All Tied Up,” Alan said. “It would be great for the boys, but I don’t think Donny would want us to record it after he did. Beside, Jimmy already recorded it, too, and I don’t want to stir up a family feud. It's sort of all tied up.” Alan laughed at his own joke.

“It doesn’t hurt to ask him,” I said.

Alan chuckled. “I don’t know how to get a hold of him. I think he’s changed his phone number again.”

Now it was my turn to laugh. Merrill and Donny were always changing their phone numbers, so I wasn’t surprised that Alan didn’t have Donny’s current number. Not surprised at all. But I knew where I could get hold of it.

“Don’t worry. I’ll get it for you,” I said.

“Good! Then you can make the call.” Alan started to walk away from the office.

“You’re his brother. What am I supposed to say to him?”

“You’ll figure it out. You always do,” Alan said then he disappeared from the doorway, likely headed upstairs into the house itself.

“Sure, I’ll figure it out. I always do,” I repeated.

Five minutes later I had the new phone number in hand, but it took me another twenty to get up the nerve to make the call. And wouldn’t you know it, I got an answering machine.

“Um, this is Lu Ann in your brother, Alan’s office,” I said, leaving a message. “We are putting together a playlist for a new CD from the boys, and we wanted to talk with you about some songs. If you could give us a call, we’d appreciate it. Thanks.” I added the office phone number and hung up the phone, relieved that I had at least been able to make sense in the message, and probably more relieved that I hadn’t actually had to talk to Donny.

I’d talked with Donny in person on many occasions, but usually with lots of other people around—fans, like I was when I was on the road. But this—this was business and I was suddenly terrified of talking with Donny on the phone. If just leaving a message had been this hard, I was glad I hadn’t had to actually talk to him.

It was late in the day, so I finished up my work and headed home. I figured if Donny called back, Alan would pick up the phone since the work line rang into the house as well.

The next morning, I was back in the office, alone, working on details for Stadium of Fire, when the phone rang.

“Alan Osmond Productions. This is Lu Ann,” I said when I answered.

There was a beat of silence then someone on the other end of the line cleared his throat. “This is. . .Donny Osmond.” His voice had dropped down sort of low and seductive on the last two words.

My heart gave a leap then fell into the pit of my stomach. What on earth was I going to say to DONNY OSMOND!!! I suddenly felt like a twelve-year-old school girl who had just met her teen idol for the first time. Where had that reaction come from? I didn’t know, but I think Donny was getting tired of waiting for me to reply.

“You called me yesterday?” he said.

Somehow I got my mouth to work and my brain caught up more quickly than I ever would have though possible. “I. . .I did. We’re looking for some songs, for the Osmond Boys, and I thought maybe you had run across something we could use.” I mentioned the possibility of All Tied Up.

“Not a problem with me,” he said. “I’m not going to use it on an album or anything.”

One brother down, maybe another to go on getting permission for that one, I thought. Then I remember the other suggestion I had. “Have you written anything that might work for the boys? Mike Curb is producing, and I’m sure he’d love to see something on there by you.”

Donny hesitated for a second, as though he were thinking. “Yeah, I think so. Let me see what I can do.”

“That sounds great,” I said.

“Tell Alan I’ll give him a call soon,” Donny said.

“Thanks again, and I will,” I said as he hung up the phone.

I sat there a minute just staring at the phone before replacing the handset into the cradle. I’d been working for Alan for two years, and I’d never responded this way with him, or any of the other of his brothers in person or on the phone. What was that all about? I didn’t know.

But to this day, just thinking the words, “This is. . .Donny Osmond,” still brings a little tingle to my spine.

On a side-note, Donny did call Alan back and he came through with a song for the boys. The third track, “Wait on Love,” was co-written by Donny Osmond.

The Year of the Book

2012-01-02T09:00:00.001-07:00

Just as I was getting read to close out 2011, I happened to run across an entry on Twitter about 2012 being the Year of the Book. Now, as you likely know, I am a huge fan of reading. Last year I set my goal on GoodReads to read 100 books. I met the goal, and surpassed it by much more than the icon registers because I couldn’t enter ARCs and I didn’t enter picture books.

This year I decided to truly make this my year of the book by challenging myself to read 366 books, one for each day of the year. (It’s Leap Year, in case you didn’t know.) I’ll enter everything I read onto my 2012 Books page here on my blog so you can see my true running total. Plus, I’ll enter all the books I read into GoodReads, providing they have actually been released or are coming so soon that they have an entry on GoodReads.

In the meantime, here are my Top Ten books I read last year. My complete list of books—all 102 of them—is still on the 2011 Books page on the blog. Maybe you’ll find something there to help you along with the 2012 Challenge.

Good reading!

Fiction

Variant –Wells

Circle of Secrets—Little

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda—Angleberger

Wintergirls—Anderson

Non-Fiction

The Reading Promise—Ozma

Writing Movies for Fun and Profit—Garant and Lennon

I’m All Over That—MacLaine

Damn! Why Didn’t I Write That?—McCutcheon

If You Ask Me—White

Stories I Only Tell My Friends—Lowe

The Book of Mormon Challenge

2012-01-01T15:48:00.000-07:00

If you happen to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then you know that 2012 is a Book of Mormon year. If you’re not a member, and therefore unfamiliar with the way classes work within the LDS church, that just means that this year the focus of study in Sunday School will be on the teachings of the Book of Mormon.

We go on a four year rotation schedule, with each year being a different segment of what we call the Standard Works, spending one year each on the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine & Covenants/Pearl of Great Price.

If you happen to live near a book store that carried LDS products, you will see an increase this year in books that support members’ study of The Book of Mormon. Of course, reading and studying the scriptures alone can provide a wonderfully spiritual experience, but like you might find as you study the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament, sometimes using outside resources can help you discover a deeper understanding than you might have had on your own.

I’ve taken the challenge to reread the Book of Mormon in 2012. By reading only one chapter each day, I will finish the book by the end of August. I’d like to invite you to do the same. If you don’t own a copy of The Book of Mormon, or if you prefer to have a digital copy, you can find links at http://lds.org/scriptures?lang=eng. This link also gives you access to all sorts of supplementary materials like videos, user-friendly tools like word/subject search, and cross-references to others of the standard works. There are also links where you can have a free copy of The Book of Mormon delivered to you by the missionaries.

I hope many of you will join me in my reading this year. Whether you are LDS or not, by reading this book you will find a strength of spirit that comes from learning more about Jesus Christ, Our Lord.

May this coming year bring you the blessings of the tender mercies of spoken of in 1 Nephi 1: 20, “But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.”

Week in Review – Chan Staheli, At the Movies

2011-08-05T09:00:00.000-06:00

Any of you who know my son Chan knows that he is not only a movie affectinado, but also that his life intention is to be an actor and film director. You also know that Chan is not afraid to let the public know about his passions. This has been evident quite a bit lately from his appearances as a variety of film characters as he attends the opening night shows of new movies starring his favorite characters. I’ve been three of those movies with him recently myself, and it’s those films I’ll write about today. Of course, I’ll also let you get a chance to see just what life can be like with Chan Staheli in the house. Why did I think since I had no daughters that I would ever have to worry about playing dress up?

Cowboys and Aliens
The second we heard this movie would be starring Harrison Ford, there was no question but that Chan, and the rest of the family, would be seeing this one. If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you’ve probably already seen photos of Chan, or perhaps watched his movies, of Star Wars and Indiana Jones, seeing him in his full costume regalia. Harrison Ford is not only an icon, but he is nearly worshiped in Chan’s world. I’m happy to say that Harrison Ford did not let us down. Okay, the concept sounds dorky---a Western town invaded by scary aliens? And one cowboy’s ability to fight them because of some incredibly chunky bracelet he wears? The screenwriter was kidding, right? Nope, and it turned out to be okay. If you like westerns, you’ll love this film. If you like frightening aliens, you’ll also love it. Put the two together, add Harrison Ford and stir in some Daniel Craig, and Cowboys and Aliens was a winner!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The boy wizard has been part of our lives from the beginning. I was the first one to discover Harry, having read Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets long before the series became the phenomenon it is today. We have Harry Potter dolls, wands, and board games at our house. My husband became so addicted he listened to the CDs every time he commuted to Los Angeles from Utah, which is quite often since that’s where he works and we live in Utah. He would read the books themselves in the first 24 hours after they were released. He, along with Chan, Kent and I have enjoyed the movies as well, usually going together as a family on opening weekend. As luck had it, my husband was working in L.A. for this time around and he was bummed---not only would we see the movie before he did, but we also had early tickets to see it before the midnight show. But that didn’t stop the rest of us from going, and enjoying it enough that we’ve been back to see it a second for Zach and me, and third time for Chan and Kent. This is the darkest and most violent of the films, but if you’ve grown up with Harry, you’ll definitely need to see this one. It’s already made it into the Billion Dollar Club with worldwide tickets sales, so I know many other people agree with me. Either Chan or Kent had a Harry Potter costume one year for Halloween, but somehow the one Chan put together for this event seemed a little more authentic.

Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides
We are a Disney family. We have annual passes and have been to Disneyland several times already this year. The last time we went as an entire family, Chan wore part of his Captain Jack Sparrow costume into the park and had a great time feeling the part on the Pirates of the Carribean ride and at the Pirate’s Lair on what used to be Tom Sawyer’s Island. When you get a look at this photo of Chan (yep, that’s really him and not Johnny Depp) is it any wonder that we’ve seen the newest version of Pirates several times? I really enjoyed this movie, loved the subtlety of the jokes broadness of the physical comedy. We already have the Blue Ray 3 pack DVD set on order, and I’m sure we will be watching this one again and again. But until it arrives, we always have Chan around to remind us of the best lines from the movie.

Anybody want to hire this kid for a personal appearance at a child's birthday party?

Books, Books and More Books: A Parent and Teacher’s Guide to Adolescent Literature

2011-08-01T13:01:00.000-06:00

In 1994, I had the wonderful opportunity to being selected as Utah’s Christa McAuliffe Fellow. For that fellowship, I read 100 Middle Grade and Young Adult novels—I know, such hard work!—and prepared Discussion Guides for each of them. I also wrote chapters about ways to help teen readers improve their literacy skills, ideas for both classroom and home school teaching strategies, and ways to use books to increase literacy and provide a safe ground for discussing problems that teenagers often face. All of this work came together into one volume, which had limited release on a CD-ROM.

With the advent of e-publishing, specifically through Kindle, I am now happy to make this book more widely available to teachers, parents, librarians, or anyone who is interested in finding some great books to read. In case you don’t have a Kindle, let me remind you that a free Kindle app is available for your PC, iPhone, iTouch, iPad, Blackberry, or Android.

I’m currently working on making two additional sets of 100 Discussion Guides available in the next few weeks, and I’m starting to organize a third set for books published in 2010-2011. Check back at here for release dates and at Amazon to order.

In the meantime, here’s the Product Description for Volume 1.

Reluctant Readers. Individualized Instruction. Too many books and not enough time to read them all. What’s a teacher supposed to do? Where can a parent turn for help to find that perfect book for their teenage readers? Where can they find teaching strategies and books guaranteed to motivate students for a pattern of reading success?

At last those problems are solved. Award-winning author and educator, Lu Ann Brobst Staheli shares the methods she has used successfully for 30+ years in guiding students to become motivated readers, while bringing adults into the world of 100 books they can share with their teens.

In an easy-to-read format, each guide includes thought-provoking questions and extension activities sure to improve student engagement with reading, while making the job of finding just the right book a little easier for teachers and parents.

Includes 100 book guides by authors David Almond, Laurie Halse Anderson, Avi, Joan Bauer, Gary Blackwood, Meg Cabot, Orson Scott Card, Eoin Colfer, Caroline Cooney, Sharon Creech, Chris Crutcher, Christopher Paul Curtis, Paula Danzinger, Kate DiCamillo, Jack Gantos, Sharon Draper, Paul Fleischman, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Will Hobbs, Kimberly Willis Holt, Gail Carson Levine, Norma Fox Mazer, Carolyn Meyer, Walter Dean Meyers, Claudia Mills, Gary Paulsen, Richard Peck, Phillip Pullman, Ann Rinaldi, Louise Rennison, John H. Ritter, J.K. Rowling, Pamela Munoz Ryan, Louis Sachar, Lemony Snicket, Jerry Spinelli, Carol Lynch Williams, Virginia Euwer Wolff, Jacqueline Woodson, Lawrence Yep, plus many more.