13 days until the
first day of summer!
What can I say about me? I have a wonderful husband and seven (almost eight!) children whom I adore. I am Canadian, but married an American and settled in the States. I have the best of both worlds! My claim to fame is that I met Princess Diana when I was twelve years old. I love to travel and my favorite cities are probably Athens, Paris, Ottawa, and London. I would love to visit Australia and Scotland someday. And New Zealand. Ooh, and Ireland. Well, you get the picture. I’m learning to play the bagpipes and I’m not very good at it, (I think I sound like a sick moose) but I’m working on it. I teach a journalism course for BYU Continuing Education, which makes me happy since I’m able to use my Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education-English Teaching for something other than a conversation piece. I love to read, write, teach, play volleyball or badminton, and take long bubble baths (which doesn’t happen too often, but I love it when it does). I have the most amazing supportive family and being a published author fulfilled a lifelong dream.Visit Julie's website: www.juliebellon.com and read her Thursday blog posts on Six LDS Writers and a Frog.
LSDWBR: What activities do you and/or your family participate in every summer? Do you have plans to try something or go somewhere new this year?
JULIE: Every summer we travel to a different state since we are trying to get to every state. So far our family has visited seventeen so we still have a long way to go. We have loved seeing some amazing things so far, like Mount Rushmore, the Redwoods, Mesa Verde, Yellowstone Park, Glacier Park, two presidential museums, John Wayne's birthplace, and of course, Disneyland to name a few.
LDSWBR: Do you have a favorite summer food or drink? If so, are you willing to share the recipe?
JULIE: I really, really love raspberry lemonade in the summer. Sometimes I just wish I had a verandah so I could sit on it with my tall glass of lemonade. For now, I just make do with my ordinary porch.
LDSWBR: What books are on your summer reading list?
JULIE: Mockingjay, the third in the Hunger Games trilogy, Alma the Younger by H.B. Moore, A Time to Die by Jeffrey S. Savage, and Cold as Ice by Stephanie Black. I'm currently reading Between the Lines by Erin Klingler and just finished Wrong Number by Rachelle Christensen. There's so many great books out now, I can hardly walk into a bookstore because there's so many I want to get!
LDSWBR: Thanks, Julie!
Dangerous Connections by Julie Coulter Bellon (Covenant Communications; March 2010) is available for purchase at Deseret Book and Seagull Book.
Do you or your family have a vacation goal, such as visiting all 50 states like Julie and her family? How many states have you visited in your lifetime?
Tweet this today for an entry in the drawing:
Dangerous Connections by Julie Bellon - Countdown to Summer 2010- Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card & books! http://bit.ly/9LC8xs #ldswbr2010
If you read and liked the book by this author, nominate it for a Whitney Award! Visit the LDS Publisher blog for a list of several fiction books published by LDS authors in 2010.
***Countdown to Summer 2010 Contest***
LDSWBR will hold a drawing on June 26, 2010 for a $25 Amazon Gift Card, as well as a variety of books being offered by some of the LDS authors that will be featured on the blog.
Book prizes generously donated by the authors:
- Abish: Daughter of God by K.C. Grant
- TRAPPED by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen
- The Road Show by Braden Bell
- Awakening Avery by Laurie Lewis
- Courting Miss Lancaster by Sarah M. Eden
- Summer in Paris by Michele Ashman Bell
- Hometown Girl by Michele Ashman Bell
- Alma the Younger by Heather (H.B.) Moore
- Queen in Exile OR The Guise of a Gentleman by Donna Hatch (winner's choice)
- The Silence of God by Gale Sears (book or audio- winner's choice)
- Dangerous Connections by Julie Coulter Bellon
- Critique of three chapters (up to 30 pages) from Nichole Giles
How to enter:
- Post a thoughtful comment on the Countdown to Summer 2010 author posts. Comments can be added on any of the author posts anytime during the contest period (June 1, 2010 through June 21, 2010). Only one comment per person per "Countdown to Summer" author post will be entered into the drawing. Feel free to comment more than once per post if you'd like, but only one comment will be accepted as an entry.
- Follow us on Twitter: @LDSWBR - then send us a direct message to let us know you want to be entered in the Countdown to Summer 2010 Contest. If you are already a follower you need to send us a direct message telling us you want to be included in the contest.
- Tweet about that day’s author post using the tweet message included in each author post. Send an email to ldswbr at gmail dot com with the link to your tweet.Only one tweet per day counts so no need to harass your friends :). LDSWBR must be able to see the tweet in order for you to get an entry into the contest.
- Tweet this message each day (one entry per day). Just copy and paste into your twitter message window to send it: LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2010 at http://ldswbr.blogspot.com! Enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card & some great books! @ldswbr #ldswbr2010
- Follow LDSWBR on Facebook, then send an email to ldswbr at gmail dot com that you’d like to be entered into the Countdown to Summer 2010 Contest. If you already follow LDSWBR on Facebook, send us an email to let us know you’d like to be included in the contest.
- Blog about this contest on your blog in a post that includes the link to the LDSWBR blog, then send us the link to your specific blog post.
Here are the rules:
- LDSWBR reserves the right to decide what determines a "thoughtful" comment.
- Contest ends at 12:00 Midnight MDT on June 25, 2010. Drawing winners will have until 12:00 Midnight MDT on July 3, 2010 to claim their prize. After that time, another name will be drawn to receive the prize.
- Book prizes can only be shipped within the contiguous United States.
Please join us in counting down to summer with some great reads!
When I was a kid my parents must have had the goal to visit as many states as possible because I have been to about half of the states. I would love to visit more with my own family now.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great interview. I admire Julie alot. I've hardly traveled anywhere! I think I could count all the states on one hand. I would like to see more, though.
ReplyDeleteI think Julie's book sounds awesome. I have a goal to see the east coast.
ReplyDeleteNo, sadly we don't. I am travel deprived. I've only been to Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah of course, Nevada, I'll be living in Arizona for a year and a half, and then my family and I drove from Utah to Illinois when I was five. So about 6-7 states plus those I drove through when I was little which I don't remember much.
ReplyDeleteJulie's awesome and not just because she lives near me!
ReplyDeleteWe try and go to Bear Lake every summer.
All of you commenters are my new best friends! And Angie and Taffy, you're going to make me cry. Thanks for commenting and for the spotlight, LDSWBR. :)
ReplyDeleteJulie Bellon
I would LOVE to visit more states. The only ones I have been to are Wyoming, California, Nevada, and Idaho. I'm kind of a little homebody living in Utah, but would love to go to the East Coast someday.
ReplyDeleteI counted 10 or maybe 11 states I've been in.
ReplyDeleteMost of the states out west. My favorite was to Hawaii, when I was in my teens.
I have only been to California and Wyoming. I would love to visit more places though..someday!
ReplyDeletechaleese@comcast.net