Thursday, April 30, 2009
The Icing on the Cake
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Not Entirely British Guest blog
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Jr. High teacher publishes book about Herrin twins
On August 7-8, 2006, the whole world watched as a team of doctors performed a miracle at Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. For the first time, four-year-old twins Maliyah and Kendra Herrin were having surgery--in separate rooms. Born conjoined from mid-torso down, these two angels captured the hearts of millions of people around the world!
Like most Utah residents, Mrs. Lu Ann Staheli was also aware of the birth and eventual separation surgery of the conjoined twins, having seen numerous medical updates as the girls progressed. "Of course, I never anticipated that someday I would be the one to write it," Mrs. Staheli said.
But this past August, that very opportunity came to her. "I was approached by Richard Paul Evans (The Christmas Box) to work with the girls' mother, Erin, to get their story down in the form of a book. As soon as I met Erin, I knew the story of her entire family needed to be told through her eyes and voice. Hundreds of emails flew back and forth between the two of us, but now we have a book we can both be proud of."
The early reviews have already been positive. Evans says, "It's a great book, a story of faith and the power of a mother's love." Others are also excited about the publication which has a May 1st release date.
TLC recently completed a special about the girls set to air in June, and Oprah can't wait to read the book. She plans to have the family on her show again this summer to celebrate the day the girls receive their prosthetic legs.
Royalties from this book will go into trust funds for the girls.
Copies can be purchased at www.WhenHeartsConjoin.com.
Book Launch Party TONIGHT!
You and a friend are cordially invited to a very rare and special reception to meet the world famous Herrin Twins, hosted by #1 best-selling author Richard Paul Evans.
Come celebrate with the Herrins the release of their new book:
WHEN HEARTS CONJOIN—the miraculous true story of the Herrin twins, with author Lu Ann Staheli
(The Herrin twins have been seen on Oprah, Good Morning America, Today Show, NBC News, Access Hollywood, 20/20, People Magazine, Glenn Beck and many other major media outlets worldwide)
Who are the Herrin Twins?
On August 7-8, 2006, the whole world watched as a team of doctors performed a miracle at Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. For the first time, four-year-old twins Maliyah and Kendra Herrin were having surgery—in separate rooms. Born conjoined from mid-torso down, these two angels captured the hearts of millions of people around the world!
When Hearts Conjoin is the heart-warming story of Erin Herrin, her husband Jake, and Maliyah and Kendra. It is also a story of faith, hope and the power of a mother’s love.
Excerpt from the book:
At 5:45 a.m. we started getting ready for the big day. We awoke Kendra and Maliya, wanting to hold them for the last time as conjoined twins.
“Is it Cut-Apart Day?” Kendra asked.
“Today is the day,” I said, hoping she wasn’t worried, like I was.
I’m not sure worried was a strong enough word to describe how I felt. Terrified might be better. My nerves were raw, my emotions ready to erupt. I tried to stay positive so the girls wouldn’t see how upset I was and become frightened themselves. If anything went wrong today—if I lost one or both of my precious daughters, I’d never be able to live with myself.
This is an extremely rare opportunity to meet these remarkable little girls, one you will likely never have again. Books are just $12.95 and not available at bookstores. Also available: Special Editions signed by the girls. Author royalties from this book go to the girls’ special medical trust fund.
This beautiful book will make a great gift for your friends, family and loved ones.
Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 / 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Magnolia Grove Reception Center
1117 W. South Jordan Parkway (106th South)
South Jordan, Utah
We will be limiting attendance
RSVP to Diane Glad: 801-676-3068 or info@richardpaulevans.com
Light refreshments
Media will be in attendance
Monday, April 27, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
My Baby has been born!
Nine months ago, I was asked to write the story of the Herrin twins, Kendra and Maliyah who were born conjoined. Like most residents of Utah, I had heard a lot about these two little girls on the local news almost since their birth. When I first heard that a member of their family was planning to write a book, the thought went through my mind, "Wow! I wish I were writing that book." And now, nine months later (just as though I was giving birth to a baby), I was not only the one to write it, but I am actually holding the book in my hands while cases of additional copies sit in Richard Paul Evans' Publishing offices, ready to be shipped to people from across the county and around the world who have already ordered them. Of course, I owe this great opportunity to not only Rick, but also to the entire Herrin family. Jake and Erin have allowed me to delve into some very private moments of their life so that the story we told would not only touch the hearts of parents of conjoined twins, but also those who may be struggling in any way and need to see that a bit of hope is always there for them---that miracles do happen every day. If you'd like to own When Hearts Conjoin, visit the website www.whenheartsconjoin.com. You might want to buy one of the special edition books, autographed by both Kendra and Maliyah or the option to have one autographed by Erin. Royalties from these editions go into a special trust fund for the girls.
Monday, March 23, 2009
New Cover for When Hearts Conjoin

This is a copy of the new cover for my book. Every day this past week has provided a new and exciting step along the way to making the publication of my first book a reality. I got tears in my eyes when I actually saw the PDF file showing the layout and read the dedication I wrote myself to my family. Come on! I shouldn't cry when I wrote it, should I?
Anyway, I spent an hour proofreading the PDF yesterday (it amazes me how many mistakes appeared between the final draft I sent in and the one they sent back from the designer. Do they just go through and toss in spelling errors, take out italics, and change punctuation marks for the fun of it?)
The official release date is still May 1st, but pre-orders are going great on the website. If you want a copy autographed by Erin or the girls, you can get those there. If you want me to autograph your copy, we'll have to work something out between us.
Thanks for all the support everyone has been through this crazy process!
Friday, February 27, 2009
When Hearts Conjoin
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Monday, February 16, 2009
Book Updates
The Herrin book is getting very close to the release date. I've submitted the final draft to the printer, cover photos of the Herrin girls are being taken this week, and the web site should be up and running by March 1st, ready for pre-sale orders. They believe the book will be ready by the end of March or the first of April. The Herrins are going to Disney World in March to tape a TLC special (maybe along the lines of jon & Kate, Plus 8). I haven't heard a date for an Oprah appearance yet, but that should be coming as well, and Oprah will also link her website to the direct-sale site for the book. The book will credit me on the front cover, so it will say: "When Hearts Conjoin" Erin Herrin at the top, and with Lu Ann Brobst Staheli at the bottom. I'll post the cover, exact release dates, and website info for ordering copies as soon as that comes in from the publisher.
In the meantime, I've started my next book, a biography of David Osmond. Did you see him on American Idol? He had laryngitis and got kicked off the show during group auditions. That was hysterically funny to those of us who know him because he's been singing in a group since he was 4! Anyway, I've been running his blog, helping with his website, and writing some promotional materials about him as well, just like I used to do when he was a kid! Life goes in such circles. He's going to release a single on iTunes February 20th, so he's off on a radio tour for several weeks promoting the song. He performed it on Entertainment Tonight a couple of weeks ago and we've had lots of positive response.
I may be doing some signings of my own soon, but in the meantime, I will be presenting at the UVU Forum on Children's Literature in March and for the Wordcraft chapter of the League of Utah Writers in April. My topic for UVU is "When they STILL Won't Read," and for the LUW, "How Show, Not Tell, Can Help You Find your Voice." I'll also be on a panel for UVU, "Books I Wish I Had Written or Edited."
If any of you have conferences coming up and you need a speaker, please let me know and I'll send a proposal for a topic that could fit your need.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Insanity: Thy Name is Lu Ann
It was until the night we attended the symphony at the L.A. county arboretum, and I took my great fall. To make a long story short, when I got back to Utah and we got past the July 4th holiday, we discovered that what we thought was a sprain and a simple fracture in both of my arms, turned out to be a dislocated elbow and a crushed radial head.
I couldn't do surgery until my two day required face-to-face graduate class presentation was complete, so my left arm was in a sling for about six weeks once all was said and done. Two days after surgery I wrote my final grad paper, finishing the class and graduating with a 4.0, and I returned to my own classroom a couple of weeks later.
But that's not all that I've finished since then, while my arms were nearly non-functional. I wrote a screenplay adaptation of an LDS novel, "Seasons of Salvation", which is in pre-production.
I wrote and published several magazine articles, including "Bringing the Library Back to Life after the Library Dragon is Slain" which will be in the March issue of Library Media Connection Magazine and "Mr. & Mrs.: What's in a Name" in the current issue of Desert Saints Magazine.
But the biggest project of all is the book I wrote with Erin Herrin titled "When Hearts Conjoin". This is the true story of the Herrin family, including their daughters Kendra and Maliyah who were born conjoined in 2002 and separated in 2006 at Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City. We're both excited about this project because the family will soon be featured on a TLC special and Oprah will have them on her show again as well.
One thing all of this has shown me is that, no matter what the obstacles, if I just keep plugging away at my writing, good things can be accomplished. Even though there have been times when I thought I was losing my mind, that a project was too hard or taking too much time, I managed to make it through in the end. I think it all turned out okay, despite the stress and pain.
But then of course, the insane usually do believe their lives are normal.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Good News for Joey + Rory
There is stiff competition:
Big & Rich, Brooks & Dunn, Montgomery Gentry and Sugarland.
You can check out all the other nominees online at acmcountry.com
Monday, January 12, 2009
From the Typewriter to the Bookstore: A Publishing Story
Thursday, January 01, 2009
New Year's Day: A Time for Goals
The New Year has begun, so it's time for me to talk about accomplishments and set some new goals (or at least let all of you know where I'm heading.)The biggest accomplishment the past few weeks has been that I finished the rough draft of Conjoined at the Heart: The True Story of the Herrin Family. I know there is much work to be done, but I wanted to be able to say I had finished the all the chapters that were on the outline I was given, and I did. This is a pretty good accomplishment since I started in August and wrote while teaching school and healing from my elbow replacement surgery!
I also wrote and retyped an entire screenplay for Seasons of Salvation at the same time. The last word I hear was that
production could begin in February.
Enough with the updates, here's what's happening in the next few months with my writing and editing careers:
I'll be writing books this year with both Alan and David Osmond. We've started the drafting on Alan's and have David's partially outlined.
I'll be editing Devin Davis's new book in the next weeks.
I'm drafting Fablehaven Teacher Guides for Shadow Mountain Publishers.
I've queried a couple of magazine articles and I'm just waiting to see.
I have future projects already lined up with Deborah Dennis and BookWise Publishers.
That's enough for now. It's wearing me out already just thinking about it!
Hope all of you had a great Christmas and and enjoyable New Year's. I'll be at work on these projects again tomorrow and Saturday, then Monday it's back to the grind of teaching school! (Although the year IS nearly half-way over.)
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Look what I found

I am a woman of many occupations, and one of them is freelance editor. I was surfing books on amazon when I ran across this book from Shadow Mountain that I did the final proofread edit for. It was a pretty good story, and kids will like it. The book will be released February 4, 2009. I'll do a full review then, but just letting all of you know to watch out for it.
"What is courage? What is honor? What does it feel like to have friends you would give your life for? And what role do fear and apprehension play when a person is faced with life-changing choices? Slathbog's Gold, the first book in an exciting new young adult epic fantasy series, sends fifteen-year-old Alex Taylor on the adventure of a lifetime. Right at a time when Alex is wishing his life could change, he sees a sign in Mr. Clutter s bookshop window: Adventurers Wanted. Apply Within. The sign seems to be referring to him. Moreover, not just anyone can enter Mr. Clutter s bookshop. But Alex does, and the adventure begins. Alex is the eighth man needed to complete a band of adventurers seeking the lair of Slathbog the Red an evil dragon with a legendary treasure. Along the way, Alex learns about honesty, integrity, honor, and, most importantly, friendship."
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Lewis Black on Writing a Book
http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m2V8K4RI7ULD39
Monday, December 01, 2008
An Interview with Richard Paul Evans: The King of Christmas Fiction
Please visit them ONLINE.
by Lu Ann Brobst Staheli
Nearly sixteen years ago, Rick Evans wrote a book—The Christmas Box—as a present for his daughters, Jenna and Alyson. But like all good things, this story soon took on a life of its own. Passed from hand to hand among friends and neighbors, the book was an instant favorite with those who read it, and soon they were begging for copies to give to their friends
and family. Unable to find a traditional publisher, Evans self-published the eighty-seven page novella in paperback and distributed copies to bookstores in the Salt Lake City area.
The Christmas Box became a local best-seller, and the next year it hit #2 on the New York Times best-seller list, despite it’s humble beginnings and self-published status. National publishers clamored for the opportunity to release the book in hardcover. After a bidding war that is now historic, Simon & Schuster came out victorious, releasing the book in hardcover and paperback in 1993, where both editions hit the number-one position on the Times lists simultaneously, a feat never before accomplished. And The Christmas Box has been a seasonal favorite ever since.
I had the opportunity to interview Rick, the undisputable king of Christmas fiction, and I learned about not only The Christmas Box, but also about his family.
How did The Christmas Box change his life? Evans was quick to respond: “I could write an entire book on this…in fact I did—The Christmas Box Miracle.” But, all joking aside, he also says, “Besides taking me away (from home) every Christmas since I wrote the book, it fundamentally changed everything.” Evans had been in marketing before, but with a run-away bestseller like this, his new business became writing.
But not all of his books carried on the theme of Christmas, although recently he has returned to his literary roots. I asked Rick what brought him to focus so strongly on this season as the focus of so many of his novels. “There is wisdom in the saying, ‘Dance with who brung you to the dance,’” he said. “After The Christmas Box trilogy, I tried to distance myself from Christmas. (The Last Promise, The Locket, The Carousel, The Looking Glass, The Letter) It was a mistake. I’ve now reclaimed the season and my books have done even better.”
And the theme of Christmas has become a centerpiece for both Evans’ life and work. In addition to his novels (Timepiece, The Locket, A Perfect Day, Finding Noel, The Gift, and this year’s best-seller, Grace), children’s books (The Christmas Candle, The Light of Christmas), non-fiction (The Christmas Box Miracle), and special publications (Christmas Every Day, First Gift of Christmas), Evans has inspired the dedication of Christmas Angel statues in the U.S., Canada, France, and Japan, as well as Christmas Box Houses across America and a sponsored orphanage in Peru.
With all this Christmas spirit surrounding him all the time, it might be easy for Evans to want to step away, becoming more like Scrooge than feeling like Santa, but he tells me, “When it comes to Christmas in my own home, I’m more like…Santa? Definitely Santa. I love Christmas and giving.”
I asked about a typical Christmas in the Evan’s household, and discovered they are very traditional. “My in-laws are Italian, my mother Swedish,” Rick says. “So we’ve taken the best of both of these worlds—celebrating Christmas with my mother on Christmas Eve after a festive Italian dinner at my in-laws. Unfortunately with the recent passing of my mother and Keri’s father, the traditions we’ve so cherished will change somewhat. But we’ll do our best to keep them.”
One tradition has always been to keep the kids close to home, and even though their oldest, Jenna, recently married, Evans thinks this Christmas will be even better than before. “We didn’t lose a daughter, we gained a son,” he says. “Jenna’s been gone away for school for quite awhile, so she’s actually closer now.”
This year, the Evans family—Rick, Keri, Alyson, Abby, Michael, McKenna, Jenna, and her new husband—plan to honor their traditions, and celebrate the memories of the family members who have passed away, while Rick’s fans enjoy yet another Christmas story by their favorite author.
Evan’s most recent novel, Grace, opens with the story of The Little Match Girl, then takes readers into a poor neighborhood in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1962, where we meet two brothers who spend as much of their free time as possible looking for treasures in the garage and working on their tree house. When the older boy, Eric, meets a young runaway girl, Grace, and decides to help her by allowing her to stay in the tree house, he doesn’t realize that it will be his life that is changed forever. And so will yours as you read Grace.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Writing the Novel
Carol Lynch Williams and Cheri Pray Earl are holding two one-day novel-writing classes in January and February 2009. The January class is for writers who have never written a novel before (Level I) and the February class is for writers who have perhaps begun a novel but need work completing and polishing it (Level II).
Dates: Saturday, January 10th, 2009 and the tentative date for the Level II class is Saturday, February 7th.
Place: The Provo Library, Bullock Room
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (brown bag lunch discussion at noon: Plunging into Publication)
Cost: $50 for each workshop
What you can expect to learn from each class:
Both classes are interactive and discussion oriented and will include some hands-on writing exercises; neither includes a formal critique/workshop session.
Level 1: Structure; coming up with ideas; voice; good versus not-so-good prose; genre distinctions; plotting the novel; beginnings, middles, and ends.
Level II: *For this class students should have a novel-in-process or the outline of a novel to work from in class.
Diagnosing structural problems; developing ideas; strengthening voice; identifying strengths and weaknesses in the prose; defining the genre; improving the elements of the story arc; writing spectacular beginnings and unforgettable endings; brainstorming the murky middles.
If you’re interested in either or both of these classes, email Carol (carolthewriter@yahoo.com) or Cheri (cheri_earl@byu.edu).
Carol Lynch Williams is the author of more than 20 books for young readers. Her novels include The True Colors of Caitlynne Jackson, If I Forget, You Remember, Pretty Like Us, and her most recent book The Chosen One, due out in May ’09. Her books have been recognized as ALA Best Books for Young Adults, IRA Teacher’s Choice Award, PEN Nomination among others. She co-writes the early mid-grade novel series George and Gracie, Just in Time (Fall ’09) with Cheri Pray Earl. She has her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults and is the mother of 7 children.
Cheri Pray Earl graduated with her M.A. in Creative Writing from Brigham Young University in 1995. She began teaching freshman and advanced writing courses for the Honors program in 1993, where she continues to teach. As a part-time instructor, she has created and helped to write courses for Honors, including "Writing for Publication" as well as "The Publishing Lab,"
to encourage students to write for publication. She also teaches Creative Writing for the BYU English Department and the BYU Honors Summer Scholars Academy and was awarded Honors Professor of the Year in 2005.
Cheri considers herself a young adult novel writer, winning the Utah Original Writing Competition in 1994 in the YA novel category and taking honorable mention in 1997. However, her first publications are for younger readers. She is the co-author of an early chapter book series with Carol Lynch Williams, published by Peachtree Publishing (the first two books in
the series are scheduled to come out in the fall of 2009). Cheri also co-authored an American Girl non-fiction book with Rick Walton (scheduled to launch in the spring of 09). She lives in Provo, Utah, with her husband and three of her five children, two cats, and a dog.
Carol and Cheri organize the annual BYU-sponsored Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Workshop which is now in its 10th year.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Star Trek - The Wait is Over
My husband got the chance to work on a few days of the new Star Trek movie, and finally the trailer has been released so we can see how those scenes came together. Click the link and you can see it, too.STAR TREK TRAILER
My Crazy Life

If you haven't been over to check out Josi's blog on Writing on the Wall about "Write What You Know," and this comic rings all too true for you, then now could be the time to read what she has to say.
In the meantime, I have three minutes to write an update of my crazy life. Two weeks ago, I attended and presented at the Book Camp for WriteWise in Salt Lake City. Heather Moore and I teamed up for two classes: How to Work with Your Editor and Self-Editing Your Manuscripts.
Last week, I was again off to Salt Lake to attend T. Harv Ecker's Millionaire Mind Intensive where I learned lots of ways to increase my income and avoid the pitfalls of today's economy.
I took a few hours off from that on Thursday night to take my boys to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in concert at the E-Center. I've been to a tons of concerts in my life, and I'm here to tell you this, one ranks as #1. The place was sold out, the concert was rockin', and I think we've just found a new Christmas tradition in our house.
Today I was the guest lecturer for Dr. Kay Smith's Young Adult Literature and Literacy Methods classes at UVU. It was really great to have the chance to talk with next semester's student teachers, as well as future English teachers and writers about the things that I know from all these years in the classroom and as a writer.
Tonight I taught my online class for WriteWise, and tomorrow night it's back to the E-Center for the Carrie Underwood concert.
Wrapped around all of that were actual days teaching my regular classes at Payson Jr. High School, working on a screenplay and the Herrin book, and trying to balance time with my family. It's a good thing Thanksgiving break is almost here. Maybe I can stop long enough to think about all that I am grateful for!
Saturday, November 01, 2008
PARENT Job Description
PARENT Job Description
If it had been presented this way, I don't believe any of us would have done it!
POSITION:
Mom, Mommy, Mama, MaDad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop
JOB DESCRIPTION:
Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
The rest of your life! Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5.00. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.
POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION:
None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:
None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.
WAGES AND COMPENSATION:
Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.
BENEFITS:
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.
** A FOOTNOTE:
THERE IS NO RETIREMENT -- EVER!!! ** If you are fortunate enough you will become grandparents!
