"Promises" Blog Tour


I'm not always the best at keeping promises. I try to be, but my procrastination often gets the best of me. For instance, I promised my friend Carolyn that I would read her new book, "Promises" and write a blog post about it by March 29th. As I type this post, it's about 10:30 p.m. on March 29th. Hopefully I'll have it up before midnight.

If the results of the photo finish come back and show that I made it - that my post went live before the date changed - does that mean I kept my promise? Technically, maybe. But I don't think that kind of finish inspires people to trust you to keep future promises. It sends a message that you didn't truly value them or the promise you made. I hate sending that message so consistently, but I haven't figured out how to break out of the cycle.

The problem, I think, is that I put things off, knowing that I have time to do it later and I have other fires to put out from other things I've procrastinated. When I buckle down and start working on the thing, whatever it is, I usually do have time to finish it without such a rush --- IF the world were perfect and nothing ever came up out of the blue, I never forgot any of the other critical things I also had to get done, I hit every green light, and none of the kids' shoes ever wandered off.

Sadly, although I do believe in the maxim, "Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today," I end up living the reverse: "Don't do today what you can put off until tomorrow."

So, what do you do to keep yourselves on track without getting in the vicious constantly-putting-out-fires cycle? I'd love to get some advice!

At any rate, here I am, ready to tell the world about Carolyn Twede Frank's new book, "Promises." It's about Hattie, who has to move to a new town as a 12-year-old and has to struggle to make new friends and adjust to a different lifestyle. She stumbles upon a mystery in the process, and that's when things start to really get interesting.

The book blurb says: Promises is a heartwarming story of friendship with a touch of mystery and adventure set in the days before Bryce Canyon became a national park. Drawn from the memoirs of Hattie Adair Jolley and her children, it is a realistic glimpse into the past and a delightful story for readers ages eight to eighty.

This is the first time I've read any of Carlyn's writing, and I'm impressed. I felt drawn into the story immediately, and I really liked Hattie. She was cute and spunky and just an all-around sympathetic character. I wish I had asked my daughters to read it, too, and get a kids' perspective before writing this, but of course, that didn't happen what with the procrastination and all. But I felt like her voice was authentic and I really enjoyed the story. I love historical fiction and I don't read enough of it, so this was a nice treat.

You can find out more about Carolyn by stopping by her blog.

Check out Cindy Hogan's blog, too, and find out about another book, "Protected," which is the second book in the "Watched" series.