Heaven Scent - Book Review

Book Description

Liza is in top form on the basketball court. She’s grace under pressure when it comes to sinking two key free throws to win the state basketball championship for the Aldrich Height’s girl’s team. Yet another pressure is building inside her and is about ready to explode.

Liza wanted her father to pay more attention to her, and she'd wanted her family to be like it used to be. She hadn't wanted everything to change so drastically that she may not even survive it. As she proves herself a basketball star, everyone - from college basketball recruiters to the gorgeous Kyle Reynolds - seems to take note of her. Everyone, that is, except her own father. While her father is busy at his law practice, Liza learns about a strange new religion from Kyle. Could Kyle's religion help her family? Or is it already too late for her father to make amends? When yet another broken promise finally leads to tragedy, Liza doesn't know if she will ever be able to forgive her father. It will take a good friend, a new belief, and a miracle straight from heaven to help Liza see that she still has a choice. The compelling story of a high school basketball star, this is a novel every girl will want, and none will be able to put down!

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed Heaven Scent. I felt like Rebecca Talley did a great job of creating multi-threaded story that can and should attract readers of both genders—whether youth or adult.

The main focus is on Liza and the challenges she faces with trying to rebuild a relationship with her father, understanding and being understood by her mother, and getting along with her brother. There’s also Kyle Reynolds, a gorgeous boy, as Liza puts it, with a strange religion. As Liza learns more about the religion she hopes can help her family. The real help, though Liza doesn’t begin to realize it, comes when tragedy strikes and she and her father are both compelled to be humble, though in different ways, and take a hard look at the important things in life.

Weaved in with Liza’s story is the story of her mother, trying to find back to a religion and a God that she’s ignored for years—hoping that doing so will somehow save her dying marriage and keep the family from being torn apart.

There’s also the story, though minor, of her brother Jason, and how he tries to cope with their father’s apparent abandonment of the family for his work.

And lets not forget the story of Liza’s father. Here’s a man who had a very happy family life before he got sucked into the “being successful at work and having lots of material things can make me and my family happy” vortex. Once in the vortex, he became oblivious to his own loss and didn’t have a clue as to what he had done to his family. Only a terrible tragedy that compelled him to be humble, could open his eyes to his loss and open the way for healing to begin.

In addition to the wonderful threads mentioned above, I believe the author had the idea that above all, finding a relationship with God leads to the healing of the heart and home. Throughout the story we get glimpses of how turning to God starts to change their family. Liza’s friendship with Kyle, Kyle and his Father’s visits, reading the Book of Mormon, some poignant nudging from Liza’s deceased mother Claire, and the sweet scent of Claire’s perfume all prepare the ground for reception of the comforting influence from God that, in the end, leads Liza and her Father to a place where healing can begin.

I only had three minor criticisms of the book. I felt at times that there was question overkill when Liza was thinking to herself. It got a little distracting. Also, I felt like some of the conflicts were resolved a little too easily. Additionally, I felt like the ending left a little too much hanging. I would have like to have known a little more about the development of Liza and her Father’s relationship as well as their relationship to God. Perhaps though, Rebecca left things hanging with the idea of a sequel in mind. If so, I won’t complain.

Overall, it’s a great book for a first time author. I give it a rating of 4 out of 5 stars!

Heaven Scent - Rebecca Talley Interview

Interview With Rebecca Talley – Heaven Scent

Heaven Scent author, Rebecca Talley, kindly consented to giving me an interview.

LDSNewcomers:

The overarching theme in this story seems to be the importance of parent child relationships and putting family first. Yet there are several other sub-themes, if you will: religion and its role in changing lives, faith, hope, repentance, forgiveness, listening to the promptings of the spirit. Did you start out intending to present so many themes or ideas, or did that just come about as a natural part of the creative process?

Rebecca:

I didn’t intend to present any themes, really. I just wanted to write the story that was in my head. As I worked on the story, I could see it developing themes, but I wanted to share the story first. These themes just seemed to be an innate part of this particular story.
LDSNewcomers:

In Heaven Scent you do a wonderful job of capturing, through Liza, what I like to call “brain twisting” awkward moments when someone you have a crush on is near and you can’t seem to think straight, let alone say something coherent. Did you write those scenes based solely on your own experience, or did you get some input from your own teenagers?

Rebecca:

I remembered those experiences from my own awkward teenage life, but I also watched and listened to my teenagers. I think it’s a universal sickness that happens to most, if not all, teenagers when a crush is near. I remember saying and doing things that were so embarrassing and I tried to capture that for my character.

LDSNewcomers:

You’ve mentioned, in a previous interview, that your parents passed away when you were young and that your grandparents raised you. How did the experience of losing your parents at a young age influence the writing of your story?

Rebecca:

I’ve often felt my parents’ presence, especially my mom’s. I wanted to write a story that explored my feelings that those we’ve loved and lost are never far from us.

LDSNewcomers:

In the book you do a great job of presenting multiple story threads—Liza’s relationship, or lack thereof, with her father; Liza relationship with her mother and brother; Liza’s budding friendship with Kyle; Liza’s Dad’s relationship with the family; Claire’s relationship with her husband; Claire’s rediscovery of her relationship with God; Liza’s, and even her Father’s, budding relationship with God. It’s really a story-weaving masterpiece. What advice would you give to aspiring authors in regard to developing a strong plot and multiple sub-plots?

Rebecca:

I think there needs to be a strong main plot and that the sub-plots all need to support the main plot. I wanted all the sub-plots to come together and have an effect on the main plot. I think when the main plot is cooler, the sub-plot(s) needs to heat up so that there’s always something going on. The main plot has to be important enough to matter to the reader and the sub-plots need to make sense to the story as a whole.
LDSNewcomers:

Others have asked about whether or not you are going to do a sequel. I have the same question, but with a twist. Being a man, what I’d like to know is whether or not you’d ever consider doing one from the Father’s point of view – him trying to find his way back to Liza and find his way to God?

Rebecca:

Yes, I have been asked about writing a sequel. Though I have a sequel in my head, I’m not sure I’d have the opportunity to write it until we see how well Heaven Scent is received. I would certainly be interested in writing a sequel. And, yes, I would consider writing in her father’s POV for a portion of the story. That’s an interesting idea.

LDSNewcomers:

You’ve also written a children’s book Grasshopper Pie and an article in The Friend magazine. You seem to have a wonderful knack for keeping things simple and easygoing. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors in this regard?

Rebecca:

I’m not a flowery writer, that’s just not my style. I think it’s an individual choice and each author has his or her own way of writing. I think writers should write in a way that pleases them, whether that’s in a simple way or a more complex style. I like to write in a way that makes reading my work easy.

LDSNewcomers:

Any other thoughts or ideas you’d like to share with aspiring authors?

Rebecca:

Keep writing, don’t ever give up. Dreams really do come true.

LDSNewcomers:

Thanks Rebecca, for taking the time to share your expertise. I really appreciate it.

Rebecca:

Thank you for hosting my book on your blog. I appreciate it!

The Short and the Long of IT

My last post talked about the importance of short sentences. There are times, however, when using a longer sentence makes more sense. The following example illustrates this idea:

He was hungry. He went to McDonald's. He bought a Big Mac. He ate it.
He was hungry so we went to McDonald's, bought a Big Mac, and ate it.

The short sentences above are choppy and fail to convey a complete idea in and of themselves. However, when combined into one sentence, we get a more complete picture without the choppiness.

"Long sentences--like short sentences--can work well at the beginning or the ending of a chapter or a book. . . beginnings and endings allow poetic license, and a longer opening or ending can engage readers, allow them to settle in (or out). Like the opening and closing shots of a film (which are often much longer), readers are open for anything at those precious moments, and thus more willing to allow an unusual style."

Noah Lukeman, A Dash of Style: The Art and Mastery of Punctuation, Norton, 2006 p. 29

How many times have you heard the term hook? Many times a hook at the beginning of a book will consist of several long, well formed sentences that meld together to present an intriguing idea that makes you want to read more. A perfect example of this is the opening paragraph form A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens:

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."

That one sentence's ability to draw readers in like a fisherman reeling in a fish is a powerful part of why A Tale of Two Cities is still considered a classic today. I can't read it without feeling enticed in like a bear looking for honey.

Another suggestion Lukeman makes for the use of longer sentences is to use them to help distinguish between the differing viewpoints of two characters in the same book. If you are having difficulty in distinguishing between the viewpoints of the two characters, you might try using longer sentences for one character and shorter sentences for the other.

It takes time to develop the ability to know when to use shorter or longer sentences and incorporate that ability into your writing while at the same time not allowing the effort to do so to drown out your own voice. It's an art form that I'm still working on. How about you? What are your thoughts?

Short Sentences can be a powerful tool.

"Short sentences can deliver a big "bang" that long sentences cannot. They also help emphasize a point that might get glossed over in a longer sentence, and help create contrast by breaking up a series of longer sentences. The short sentence in the following example achieves all three of these effects:

Charlotte new the time had come to tell her boss how she really felt, to let him know that she wouldn't take it a second longer. She slammed open her door and marched down the hall, past the unbelieving faces of the secretaries, and into her boss' office. She looked into his eyes, summoned all her courage, and took a deep breath.

She couldn't speak."

Noah Lukeman, A Dash of Style: The Art and Mastery of Punctuation, Norton, 2006 p. 22

Why is the short sentence above so effective? It takes four long sentences to build the Charlotte's emotions in the reader's mind. Then boom, like the air exploding from a pin pricked balloon, only three short words perfectly describe Charlotte's, and the reader's, deflation when Charlotte looks into her boss' eyes. In this case, less is more.

The same effect is captured in the shortest verses in the Bible and the Book of Mormon. "Jesus wept," (John 11:35) and "And my father dwelt in a tent" (1 Nephi 2:15). The words "Jesus wept" evoke deep emotion in the reader's heart that couldn't be reached with more words. The description of Lehi dwelling in a tent captures all the faith and humility of this wealthy man and the sacrifice he was willing to make in order to obey and serve the Lord. Again, less is more.

We have to be careful though, according to Lukeman, not to overuse the period -- meaning creating to many short sentences. Otherwise we can introduce amateurish choppiness into our writing.

That's the thoughts for today. What are your thoughts? Let me know what you think!

Insights

It's now been over a month since I last posted. I've got my blog up and working - though it needs a lot more work. Still it's there with some links to books that have been a big help.

I've been away on vacation and family life has caught up to me. Since I last wrote, I've gained some interesting insight. Alma 37:6 states: Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. I've learned a lot over the last month about that scripture and how it applies to me. I've learned that top priorities have to take precedence over everything else. I want to write, and I am, but is taking a lot longer than I thought it would. That can't be helped when you work full time, are married and have four children. Trying to balance everything -- me time, wife time, children time, family time, work time, writing time, reading time, play time -- is a tremendous challenge, especially for someone like myself who has never been really organized. Bottom line, I'm learning that I can't do it all and do it well. I have to start out small and work up from there. I'd like to take the LDS market by storm. I can't. I would love to be able to post every day, and write tons everyday, but I can't do that and still do all the other things I need to. Still, I'm going to try to post as often as I can.

Have any of you been through this? What do you do to balance things. I'd love to hear from you.

Outside Looking In

Do you remember a time in your life when you were the new comer? You were in a new ward, going to a new school, starting a new job. How did you feel? Nervous? Scared? Excited? Anxious? Did your stomach do somersaults? Would your choice be all of the above?

Like you, I've been there. I'm there now. I'm new to the publishing world--LDS or otherwise. I've never before attempted to have anything published. I don't have a portfolio of written articles, or great stories. Oh sure I wrote papers in college, both creatively and for research, and got good grades. Ask me where any of those papers are now and I couldn't tell you. I got married while still in college and after graduating with a degree in Near Eastern Studies, reality set in. Unless I want to go to school for another ten years, which I don't, I'd better acquire some marketable skills--quickly. Such were my thoughts back then. I've been extremely blessed since then and have never lacked the means to take care of my family. However, on the path to that success, some things got thrown in the waiting pile--writing being one of them.

Now I'm at a stage in my life where writing is taking a more prominent role. Given what I've said above, however, you may be asking yourself, "Why would you start a blog for newcomers when you are complete newcomer yourself? What do you know about writing? What do you have to offer me? Why should I listen to anything you have to say--you're a novice?" I can understand those questions. However, my purpose in starting this blog is not to tout my expertise. I'm using it as a platform to share information gathered on the path to my becoming an expert -- something that is fully obtainable as I put the effort into it. I want to share my journey with you, and I invite you, if you will, to share your journey with me.

So, here I stand, on the outside looking in at a crowd of well-written, published LDS authors. I want to be part of that crowd, but it is going to take some time. Here's what I've done to take some initial steps. I've collected a small library of books about writing -- showing, telling, plot, structure, character, viewpoint, description, self-editing, punctuation, etc. I'll be posting the list in the next few days. I've joined the latterdayauthors.com forum and made a few posts. I've posted a few comments and asked questions at LDSpublisher.com. I've contacted an already published author, Rebecca Talley, and had her review a children's story I've written. I've polished and honed my story per her suggestions, as well as the suggestions of others, and am getting ready to submit it to several publishers. I should have all in order by about the third week in May. I'm still looking for a good LDS writer's group if anyone has any suggestions. I've joined The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. I've written down the titles for a series of children/YA books I've had in my head for a while and started outlining them. I've started this blog as well as others - to be listed in my links - as a means of practicing my writing. I plan to attend the LDStorymakers conference next year (still up in the air right now because I currently live in England and travel back to the states isn't cheap).

What have you done toward reaching your goal of becoming published? What has your experience been like? What insights do you have to share? I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Ready or Not, Here I Come

I've done it. I've started a new blog for newcomers. I'm a nearly complete novice when it comes to the publishing world (LDS or otherwise). However, I'm learning, and as I learn I want to share with others who may be in the same boat I'm in. I invite those of you who are novices to get on the boat with me and come along for the journey to from novice to expert.

I'll be adding more soon!