Throstleford by Susan Evans McCloud


Title: Throstleford

Author: Susan Evans McCloud

Publisher: Deseret Book

Release Date: September 3, 2008

ISBN: 978-1590389423

Size: 384 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Historical

When two American missionaries visit the English village of Throstleford in the early 1840s, they forever change the life of the village- and the villagers. Esther and her father, the local vicar, are the first to receive copies of the Book of Mormon. Both recognize truth in the book, but recoil from the challenges this knowledge brings. The new message affects the lives of other villagers as well: the Lutheran minister, the grocer, the stone mason, the local squire’s son, the stable boy who finds a discarded Book of Mormon, and the innkeeper and his sons, who spearhead the opposition to this new faith. Faith, charm, and romance permeate this glimpse into nineteenth-century England and the early Church.

A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck


Title: A Short Stay in Hell

Author: Steven L. Peck

Publisher: lulu.com (self)

Release Date: September 3, 2008

ISBN: 978-0557004959

Size: 102 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: General

This book is not eligible for a Whitney award.

How long is eternity?

In a Hell borrowed from a Jorge Borges story and constructed by a God he had never heard of, an ordinary man struggles to find meaning in a library, the dimensions of which are measured in light years. What does it mean to live forever? Is there any meaning in an existence that never ends?

The Sound of Rain by Anita Stansfield


Title: The Sound of Rain

Author: Anita Stansfield

Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.

Release Date: 2008

ISBN: 978-1598116887

Size: 6×9, softcover

Genre: Romance

Friendships and relationships formed and forged through the fiery furnace of experience have left Jayson Wolfe wiser, sadder, and anxious to embrace new hopes and dreams. In the life he’s reconstructing, his music is essential and failure is unimaginable. But does life ever go as planned?

In this first volume of her new series, acclaimed LDS storyteller Anita Stansfield reaches out to her readers’ hearts, minds, and spirits as she explores the joy and grief of relationships. The Sound of Rain is compelling and intense-a deeply rooted love story with heart-stopping consequences.

Her Good Name by Josi S. Kilpack


Title: Her Good Name

Author: Josi S. Kilpack

Publisher: Deseret Book

Release Date: August, 2008

ISBN: 978-1590389652

Size: 342 pages, 6″ x 9″, softback

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Chrissy is having an identity crisis. As a single woman and convert to the Church, she has always managed to find her place in life– at least until someone else begins using her credit cards, her bank account, and, most important, her name. Now the real Chrissy must prove her innocence against a growing pile of collection notices and unpaid bills. But with no job, no money, a warrant for her arrest, and a closet full of high- heeled shoes, a girl can only get so far.

When Chrissy meets Micah Heet, the other half of a blind date gone bad, the two discover they are facing the same battle and join forces to find the perpetrators. Little do they know that the small semblance of life they have left will be put on the line in the process.

The Santa Letters by Stacy Gooch-Anderson


Title: The Santa Letters

Author: Stacy Gooch-Anderson

Publisher: Sweetwater Books (Cedar Fort)

Release Date: 2008

ISBN: 978-1599551456

Size: 190 pages, 6×8, hardcover

Genre: General, Christmas

One year ago on Christmas Eve, William died. For Emma, the hit-and-run driver killed more than her husband; he killed her joy in life itself. Now, as Christmas approaches again, Emma Jensen finds herself sinking into a depression that nothing can breach; not her job, not her love for her children, and certainly not the season. Money is tight, and emotions are taut, and this year Christmas will be a meager, empty, and painful experience. Only six-year-old McKenna believes in miracles and the magic of Christmas. The rest of the family knows that Christmas can never be the same. But when a mysterious package and an ornate letter arrive on the doorstep, things begin to change. Each day, a package and a letter signed Santa arrive for the family, and together they come to understand that the joy of Christmas does not have to be lost forever, and that God s love can heal any wound, no matter how deep. The Santa Letters will take the Jensens on a journey through a Christmas experience that will have the power to heal them all.

Lightland by Kenny Kemp


Title: Lightland

Author: Kenny Kemp

Publisher: Alta Films Press

Release Date: September 1, 2008

ISBN: 978-1892442390

Size: 464 pages, softcover

Genre: Speculative

THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING

A deadly virus rages across ancient Africa and young tribesman K’tanu is the only one who is immune. Yet without counting the cost, he gives his life to save his loved ones.

After lying dormant for six thousand years, the virus, now known as Cobalt, reawakens and again begins its destructive march across the planet. When all seems lost, archeologists in Africa unearth a mummy whose perfectly-preserved heart is incredibly immune to the virus. In a final, desparate attempt to stop Cobalt, scientists illegally clone the mummy. At that moment, K’tanu’s soul is torn from his wife and children in the afterlife Lightland and thrust back into mortality.

At first K’tanu is just another medical marvel and the scientists who cloned him have no idea they have interfered with the journey of his soul. But he eventually remembers who he is and realizes that to be reunited with his family in Lightland, he must first return to Africa. He is joined on his perilous journey by Christopher Tempest, the brilliant but reckless archeologist who recovered the mummy, and Kate Seagram, the beautiful and tenacious researcher who is trying to unlock Cobalt’s deadly secrets. Together they will uncover two pasts… one future.

Santa’s Secret by Christy Hardman and Phil Porter


Title: Santa’s Secret

Author: Christy Hardman and Phil Porter

Publisher: Cedar Fort

Release Date: August, 2008

ISBN: 978-1-59955-178-4

Size: 128 pages, 5.5″ x 8.5″, Paperback

Genre: Children, Christmas

Of everything to do with Christmas, Phil Porter loves to play Santa Claus the most. When he puts on his Santa suit, something magical happens: for the people of his town, he becomes Santa.

The only problem is that Andrew, his own son, doesn’t know. And Phil doesn’t know how to tell him.

Phil wants everyone to keep the magic of Christmas for as long as possible, so how can he tell Andrew that he is Santa? Will Andrew lose the special magic of Christmas if he finds out the truth? But if Phil doesn’t tell Andrew, how can Phil balance his time being Santa with his time for his family? Will Phil have to miss Andrew’s Christmas in order to be Santa?

Santa’s Secret is the heartfelt story of the importance of family and the truth that being Santa isn’t about fame or attention—it’s about changing lives and fostering faith and hope.

The Legend of the Kukui Nut by Robert Brandon Henderson; illus. Mark McKenna


Title: The Legend of the Kukui Nut

Author: Robert Brandon Henderson

Illustrator: Mark McKenna

Publisher: Cedar Fort

Release Date: August, 2008

ISBN: 978-1-59955-119-7

Size: 32 pages, 8×9, Hardcover

Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Every child on the island of Lani knows that one day he or she will be chosen by Chief Makua to take the test of courage and faith and make the journey to the dark island of Honua and back – without losing the way.

When Melika’s turn comes, she is given a lamp and a bag of kukui nuts to light her way as she travels. The road is difficult, but with the oil from the kukui nuts, the lamp will always stay lit.

For Melika, the real trial will come when she has to choose between using the nuts for herself or using them to help others. Will Melika ever make it back to Lani if she gives all her kukui nuts away?

Join Melika as she strives to find her way from Honua back to her beloved home of Lani, and back to the safety of her family and Chief Makua. A Hawaiian parable, The Legend of the Kukui Nut teaches us that it is only through service that we can find our way back to our Father.

The Apple Trees of Tschlin by G.M. Kearney; illus. Rebecca Miller


Title: The Apple Trees of Tschlin

Author: G.M. Kearney

Illustrator: Rebecca Miller

Publisher: Cedar Fort

Release Date: August, 2008

ISBN: 978-1-59955-098-5

Size: 32 pages, 9×10, hardcover

Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Picture books are not eligible for Whitney awards.

Once there was a tiny kingdom called Tschlin. The people of this beautiful kingdom were happy, but its king and queen were not. Although they loved their three daughters, the law required that the heir to the throne be a man. The good king and queen simply didn’t know what to do – until one day, when an unlikely solution appeared at their door.

A story of virtue in a world that glamorizes vice, The Apple Trees of Tschlin is a beautiful tale of three young princesses, the choices they face, and the happiness that awaits the one who chooses the right.

Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale

Title: Rapunzel’s Revenge

Author: Shannon and Dean Hale

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books

Release Date: August 5, 2008

ISBN: 978-1599900704

Size: 144 pages, hardcover

Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade

Once upon a time, in a land you only think you know, lived a little girl and her mother . . . or the woman she thought was her mother.

Every day, when the little girl played in her pretty garden, she grew more curious about what lay on the other side of the garden wall . . . a rather enormous garden wall.

And every year, as she grew older, things seemed weirder and weirder, until the day she finally climbed to the top of the wall and looked over into the mines and desert beyond.

Newbery Honor-winning author Shannon Hale teams up with husband Dean Hale and brilliant artist Nathan Hale (no relation) to bring readers a swashbuckling and hilarious twist on the classic story as you’ve never seen it before. Watch as Rapunzel and her amazing hair team up with Jack (of beanstalk fame) to gallop around the wild and western landscape, changing lives, righting wrongs, and bringing joy to every soul they encounter.

Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show by Orson Scott Card


Title: Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show

Author: eds. Edmund R. Schubert and Orson Scott Card

Publisher: TOR Books

Release Date: August 5, 2008

ISBN: 978-0765320001

Size: 432 pages, 5.5×8″ softcover

Genre: Fantasy

This is a collection of short stories, and therefore not eligible for a Whitney Award. LDS authors featured in this anthology are Orson Scott Card, David Farland, Eric James
Stone
, and Scott M. Roberts.

Bestselling writer Orson Scott Card founded the online magazine Intergalactic Medicine Show in 2006. It has been a big success, drawing submissions from well-known sf and fantasy writers, as well as fostering some amazing new talents. This collection contains some of the best of those stories from the past year.

There is fiction from David Farber, Tim Pratt, and David Lubar among others, also four new Ender’s Game universe stories by Card himself. This collection is sure to appeal to Card’s fans, and be a great ambassador to them for these other talented writers.

The Divine Talisman by Eldon Thompson


Title: The Divine Talisman (vol. 3)

Author: Eldon Thompson

Publisher: EOS

Release Date: July 22, 2008

ISBN: 978-0060741549

Size: 544 pages, hardcover

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Crimson Sword (vol. 1), The Obsidian Key (vol. 2)

To protect his people from the demonic Illysp, Torin, king of Alson, made the ultimate sacrifice. Now, as his best friend and his former love seek to salvage the shattered lands beyond their borders, a treacherous assault costs them their most powerful weapon—the fabled Crimson Sword.

Hopelessly outmatched, Pentania’s citizens must fight to flee their conquered homeland or else perish. Yet an even greater threat looms, for the Leviathan has been awakened, an unfathomable creature whose wrath could single-handedly destroy the entire world.

Hope—if any remains—lies in the efforts of a lone elf, a mad witch, and a fallen hero charged with unraveling a series of divine riddles. Yet to do so they must first find a way to break the very bonds of fiendish possession. . . .

Watch Me by Brenda Novak


Title: Watch Me (The Last Stand, vol. 3)

Author: Brenda Novak

Publisher: Mira Books

Release Date: August 1, 2008

ISBN: 978-0778325260

Size: 448 pages, softcover

Genre: Thriller

Series: Trust Me (vol. 1), Stop Me (vol. 2)

(Caution: May contain objectionable content)

Sheridan Kohl was just a teenager parked at the lake in Whiterock, Tennessee with a boy named Jason when a stranger wearing a ski mask shot them both. Sheridan lived but Jason died–and the stranger was never caught. Twelve years later, by working at The Last Stand, Sheridan has learned a thing or two about investigating crime. She returns to Whiterock, intent on achieving answers at last.

But someone doesn’t want the truth to come out. Someone unexpected. Someone who is willing to resort to murder. Again.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer


Title: Breaking Dawn

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Release Date: August 2, 2008

ISBN: 978-0316067928

Size: 768 pages, hardcover

Genre: Speculative Romance

Series: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse

When you loved the one who was killing you, it left you no options. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?

To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, she has endured a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife to reach the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fate of two tribes hangs.

Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating and unfathomable consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella’s life—first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse—seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed. . .forever?

Shadow of the Crown by Jeri Gilchrist


Title: Shadow of the Crown

Author: Jeri Gilchrist

Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.

Release Date: August 1, 2008

ISBN:

Size: 6×9 softcover

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Teira Palmer, a bright, savvy young woman who was raised on the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen, receives a plum assignment to help in the acquisition of a Scandinavian branch of the international telecommunications company for which she works. She returns to her mother’s birth country with mixed feelings.

As a child, Teira was tucked into bed with the magical stories of Hans Christian Andersen intermingled with Danish family history: stories of kings and queens, beautiful castles, and golden crowns in a kingdom far away across the sea. There, loyal and courageous subjects lay down their lives for their country. The bravest and best of all the warrior princes was her own grandfather. Teira had grown up idolizing him until the day reality stepped in and showed that the hero of her dreams was actually a traitor.

Teira’s grandfather, Soren Pedersen, had been involved as a saboteur in the resistance movement and part of the Freedom Council during the occupation of Denmark during WWII. Soren died only weeks before the war ended during the act of his treason. He had betrayed kingdom, crown, country and, Teira thought resentfully, his family.

Teira arrives to find that her ancestral home has fallen into serious disrepair and learns that an old man and his menacing son know more about her grandfather’s death—and his life and work on the Freedom Council—than they are willing to say. It makes her wonder: was Soren Pedersen a traitor, or was he the honorable man her grandmother still believed him to be?

Soon Teira is balancing her work at Com Tech with a personal quest to turn Denmark upside down if necessary in order to finally uncover the truth. At her side is Christian Tanner, the charismatic head of the company who is knee-deep in mysterious trouble of his own. As the two draw closer to the truth – sometimes by accident – danger increases. It’s a race against time to discover the secrets once thought to have been buried with the past.

Only one thing can bring the mystery of Teira’s grandfather’s death to light, but it may cost another’s life in the process.

Surprise Packages by Anderson, Littke and Carroll


Title: The Company of Good Women: Surprise Packages (vol 3)

Author: Nancy Anderson, Lael Littke and Carroll Hofeling Morris

Publisher: Deseret Book

Release Date: July, 2008

ISBN: 978-1-59038-908-9

Size: 360 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: General, Women’s Fiction

Series: Three Tickets to Peoria (v1), Almost Sisters (v2)

In Surprise Packages, the satisfying conclusion of The Company of Good Women series, Juneau, Deenie, and Erin deal with a new set of challenges.

Deenie, now living in Gainesville, Florida, begins to question everything she has believed about herself as she sees her actions through others’ eyes. Juneau’s feelings of guilt come to a head when a secret from her childhood and the mystery of her great-grandmother, Letitia, combine to force her to confront her past. And Erin, whose painful divorce has made her cynical about love and marriage, must decide if she can take a risk when she has a second chance for love.

Staying in touch through phone calls, e-mails, and periodic vacations together, the friends offer one another support, sometimes in the form of blunt feedback. But as they anticipate reaching their goal to become Crusty Old Broads, life takes a turn that puts their twenty-five-year pact in doubt.

A Soldier’s Secret by RaeAnne Thayne


Title: A Soldier’s Secret

Author: RaeAnne Thayne

Publisher: Silhouette

Release Date: July 22, 2008

ISBN: 978-0373249183

Size: 224 pages, 4×6, softcover

Genre: Romance

To find out who was claiming ownership of the only place he’d ever called home, Harry Maxwell knew he’d have to practice a little deception. So the wounded lieutenant changed his name a little. Altered a few facts. All for a good cause—get in, get the truth, get out.

Until he met the Brambleberry House heir presumptive. Anna Galvez was captivating in ways he hadn’t even known existed. Still, after spending time with her, he wanted the house more than ever.

Anna Galvez’s life is tangled enough. She doesn’t need any more complications. One of her two giftshops is faltering, she’s embroiled in an ugly legal battle with a man she trusted and thought she might have been coming to care for, she has debts up to her ears from his treachery, and the Victorian mansion she inherited from a dear friend needs far more work than she can ever afford.

But when she rents the attic apartment of Brambleberry House to a wounded helicopter pilot looking for a quiet place to recover, she finds herself instantly attracted to him. Army Chief Warrant Officer Harry Maxwell seems dangerous, mysterious and edgy, all the things Anna is not.

But Anna has no idea just how mysterious the helicopter pilot is — or how dangerous he might prove to her heart!

Lost Luke by Leora Potter


Title: Lost Luke

Author: Leora Potter

Publisher: Jorlan Publishing, Inc.

Release Date: July 7, 2008

ISBN: 978-1933830056

Size: 204 pages, 6×9, hardback

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Luke Wilde’s curiosity about a strange customer causes him to become a prisoner of Dr. Rollins. The doctor offers Luke $50,000 for one of his kidneys. Doc plans to sell it on the black market for transplant. The doctor gets greedy and decides Luke will not survive the operation and Dr. Rollins will have lots of body parts to sell on the black market. Nick, the doctor’s PA, learns of the deadly plan and helps Luke escape. As Nick and Luke try to outrun and outsmart the doctor, the suspense intensifies.

Runaway Amanda by Leora Potter


Title: Runaway Amanda

Author: Leora Potter

Publisher: Jorlan Publishing, Inc.

Release Date: May 30, 2008

ISBN: 978-1933830049

Size: 196 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Amanda was a teen with an adult problem. Her charming stepfather was molesting her. When her mother, Kathy, would not listen to the truth, Amanda ran away and found life on the street challenging. Life in prison was even worse. Her dilemma was how to free herself from the demands of the nightmare. Doors were locked, windows nailed shut, and no phone to call out. Debbie, Amanda’s older sister, was willing to be taken prisoner to try to locate Amanda and free her. The suspense intensifies as the two girls fight for their freedom.

Flashback by J. Michael Hunter


Title: Flashback

Author: J. Michael Hunter

Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.

Release Date: July 2008

ISBN:

Size: 6×9, softcover

Genre: Mystery

Laura McClain has screamed herself awake again. Her old nightmare is back. And now the timid kindergarten teacher is convinced that someone is following her—watching her every move. It could just be coincidence that she and the chillingly memorable man seem to show up at all the same places. Perhaps her paranoia is just a result of her deep fear of change. After all, so much has changed in her life recently.

To make matters worse, Laura is now supposed to travel halfway across the country to take possession of a family estate she has inherited. As unnerved as she is with her “stalker” in St. Louis, the plantation in Virginia seems even more frightening to Laura. And what is a Mormon girl going to do with miles of tobacco crop?

But then again, maybe the family estate holds the secret to why Laura’s parents would never talk about their past. In hopes of finding clues to this mystery, Laura packs her bags and catches a bus to Bufordville, a tiny town with more than its fair share of rumors, suspicions, and deadly secrets. Then panic sets in as Laura finds her returning nightmare is, in fact, a twenty-year-old reality—a reality that could very well repeat itself.

Servant to a King by Sariah S. Wilson

Title: Servant to a King

Author: Sariah S. Wilson

Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.

Release Date: July, 2008

ISBN:

Size: 6×9, softcover

Genre: Historical Romance

When Isabel’s father offers her hand to a Nephite, she’s shocked and angry—and when the offer is refused, she’s utterly furious. How dare this Ammon refuse to marry the beautiful eldest daughter of King Lamoni! There could only be one explanation for this unforgivable dishonor: Ammon must be a spy.

Isabel closely watches her enemy, expecting to find evidence of treachery, but instead she finds evidence of loyalty, bravery, and kindness. Afraid to admit her growing affection for Ammon, Isabel hides her true feelings behind a headstrong façade. Yet when the vile Lamanite prince Mahlon threatens to take her as a bride and wrest the kingdom from Lamoni, Isabel must choose between her pride and her life. Meanwhile, the risks of love test Ammon’s faith and courage as never before.

Will Ammon thwart the marriage of Isabel and Mahlon before it’s too late? And could a Lamanite princess and a Nephite prince really live happily ever after?

Stop Me by Brenda Novak


Title: Stop Me (The Last Stand, vol. 2)

Author: Brenda Novak

Publisher: Mira Books

Release Date: July 1, 2008

ISBN: 978-0778324607

Size: 448 pages, softcover

Genre: Thriller

Series: Trust Me (vol. 1), Watch Me (vol. 3)

(Caution: May contain objectionable content)

Widower Romain Fornier lost his reason for living when his daughter was kidnapped and murdered. When the killer got off on a technicality, Romain used a gun to mete out his own justice. Now that he’s finally out of prison, free to return to his Cajun roots, the last thing he wants to learn is that he might’ve killed the wrong man. But that’s exactly what Jasmine Stratford of The Last Stand, whose job it is to help victims of violent crime, has come all the way from California to tell him.

Pillage by Obert Skye


Title: Pillage

Author: Obert Skye

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Release Date: July 1, 2008

ISBN: 978-1590389225

Size: 352 pages, hardcover

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

When fifteen-year-old Beck Phillips travels by train to the secluded village of Kingsplot to live with his wealthy but estranged uncle, Beck discovers some dark family secrets. A buried basement, a forbidden wall, an old book of family history with odd references to… dragons?

Beck’s life is about to be changed forever in this suspenseful tale about the destructive nature of greed and the courage to make things right.

Pillage is filled wtih Mr. Skye’s signature humor as well as some very intense moments. including a surprising ending, that will keep readers young and old engrossed and entertained.

The Journey by J Adams

Title: The Journey

Author: J. Adams

Publisher: Jewel of the West Publishing

Release Date: June 2, 2008

ISBN:

Size: softcover

Genre: Speculative

The war between good and evil is as old as time itself–

so is the absolute truth that each choice is accompanied by a consequence.

Ciran is about to be faced with both.

Two roads lie ahead. Only one leads home.

Which will she choose?