In All Places by Misty Moncur
To be released on December 10th, 2013
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
After
defeating their enemy at Manti, the Ammonite warriors are free to
return home. But for Keturah, returning home means putting her weapons
down and leaving the warriors she has come love. She misses Reb’s stupid
jokes and even the hard, awful work of being a soldier.
But
fighting Lamanites on the battlefield was easy compared to returning to
the life of a village girl. She wants to honor her family’s wishes and
marry Zeke, but honor will come at a steep price.
Zeke
might have won Ket’s loyalty with his blood on the battlefield, but he
knows he hasn’t won her heart. He’s tired of trying to make her love
him, and for Zeke, loyalty just isn’t enough.
Gideon
knows Keturah is practically betrothed to someone else. He thought he
was prepared to take her home to Melek and leave her there, but that was
before he let himself kiss her in front of the entire village.
Whether Keturah is at home or on the battlefield, there are still battles left to fight—the battles in her heart.
Fall
in love with Misty Moncur’s stripling warriors, who come alive against
her vivid Ancient American backdrop. An intriguing blend of adventure
and romance, In All Places is the unforgettable conclusion to her Daughter of Helaman trilogy.
BOOK EXCERPT:
“Heads up, Ket.”
We were halfway to the training ground. Hunger clawed at my stomach, my head ached from crying, and Gideon tossed a ball up between us. He wanted me to hit it back, but I snatched it from the air.
“I don’t feel like it,” I told him.
“Come on, Ket.”
I hadn’t even known he carried a ball like the other boys did. He never refused to play when someone else brought out a ball, but he never initiated a game either.
He took the ball from my hand and tossed it into the air again. After he hit it a few times with his knees and feet and elbows, he knocked it back in my direction.
“What’s the point?” I snatched it from the air again.
When he tried to take it back, I held it out of his reach— as far out of his reach as I could.
“Life is not meant to be a drudgery, even during hardship. Men are that they might have joy, Keturah.”
I stopped walking and put my hands on my hips. “And what about women?”
He made a grab for the ball again, but I quickly put it behind my back. In a playful attempt to get it back that was completely out of character for him, he snaked an arm around my waist and pried the ball from my fingers. But he didn’t let go of my hands.
“Women are that men might have joy, too,” he said.
A little gasp came from my throat, and I did something I hadn’t done in a long time, maybe since I had been at home with Cana. I giggled. I tried not to. I ducked my head so Gideon wouldn’t see my smile. He was so close, with his arm still around me, that my forehead rested on his chest, and I could feel his low chuckle.
It was entirely too wonderful.
“Let me go,” I said as I tried to wriggle away.
“I don’t want to,” he said, and he had no trouble holding me in place—maybe because he was strong, maybe because I wasn’t trying very hard to get away.
We were both laughing when I noticed Seth and some of his men coming up the path.
“Really, let me go,” I said. “They will see.”
“I don’t care who sees,” Gideon said, but he gave my hands a final squeeze and let me go.
In a moment, Seth and the others had stopped before us and we all stood awkwardly staring at each other. I sent a look to Gideon, a reprimand for embarrassing me. Gideon tried to wipe the grin off his face, he really did, but he just couldn’t. He raised his brows at me, and I covered my mouth to keep from laughing.
“Are you two going to the training ground?” Seth asked, looking between us.
I nodded and pulled my bow more securely onto my shoulder.
Gideon glanced at the sun. “Actually, no. I have to return to Captain Helaman at the government building.” He turned to me. “Have fun,” he said. Then he leaned close to my ear and whispered, “That’s an order.”
He tossed the ball up and caught it as he left.
Seth’s kohl-lined eyes were watching me closely.
“You all go ahead,” he said to his men.
None of them argued, and they moved away quickly, passing me without a word.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Between
working and raising a family, Misty fits in writing like other people
fit in breathing. Misty writes in the Romance, Young Adult, and
Religious genres. She lives in Utah with her husband, her Wii-addicted
son, and her curly-haired daughter. They spend a great deal of time
laughing and the rest of it eating pizza.
Book reviews on: http://www.sixmixedreviews.blogspot.com
Website: http://www.mistymoncur.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MistyMoncur
AUTHOR INTERVIEW:
1) Q - Can you tell us about your book, IN ALL PLACES, in fifteen words or less?
A - Is this a trick question? Haha J Here’s a couple tries.
Keturah returns from the war and tries to fit back into village life.
Keturah’s supposed to marry Zeke but fell in love with another soldier during the war.
A - Is this a trick question? Haha J Here’s a couple tries.
Keturah returns from the war and tries to fit back into village life.
Keturah’s supposed to marry Zeke but fell in love with another soldier during the war.
2) Q - What genre is In All Places?
A- In All Places is a YA historical fiction. It takes places in America in 64 BC among a group of
people who were converted to Christianity. It’s got some coming of age themes, some romance,
and some adventure.
A- In All Places is a YA historical fiction. It takes places in America in 64 BC among a group of
people who were converted to Christianity. It’s got some coming of age themes, some romance,
and some adventure.
3) Q - What was your favorite scene to write?
A - I have lots of favorites.
I love when Lamech finds Keturah washing tunics and tells her Zeke doesn’t want to see her.
He’s such a little brat in that scene. I love how Ket pulls his hair and treats him like a little
brother.
I also loved writing the part where Jarom, Zeke’s little brother, blows the coals into flames on the
morning before they march on Manti. That was one of those plot twists that completely surprised
me, and I loved it so much I just went with it.
One of the new parts I added into the final version takes place when Ket’s unit escorts her
home after the war. They stop in Judea for the night and Eve runs into Zeke’s arms and makes
Keturah jealous. Ket’s been such a jerk to Zeke, I just loved seeing her get a little taste of her
own medicine.
But my most favorite part to write was when Gideon kisses Keturah goodbye in the middle of
the village in front of God and everyone—her brother and mother, Zeke’s parents, the other
warriors, and all the people of the village. It’s so unlike him, and yet exactly like him to do that.
A - I have lots of favorites.
I love when Lamech finds Keturah washing tunics and tells her Zeke doesn’t want to see her.
He’s such a little brat in that scene. I love how Ket pulls his hair and treats him like a little
brother.
I also loved writing the part where Jarom, Zeke’s little brother, blows the coals into flames on the
morning before they march on Manti. That was one of those plot twists that completely surprised
me, and I loved it so much I just went with it.
One of the new parts I added into the final version takes place when Ket’s unit escorts her
home after the war. They stop in Judea for the night and Eve runs into Zeke’s arms and makes
Keturah jealous. Ket’s been such a jerk to Zeke, I just loved seeing her get a little taste of her
own medicine.
But my most favorite part to write was when Gideon kisses Keturah goodbye in the middle of
the village in front of God and everyone—her brother and mother, Zeke’s parents, the other
warriors, and all the people of the village. It’s so unlike him, and yet exactly like him to do that.
4) Q - What was the hardest scene to write?
A - I loved writing the part where Gideon’s men hide in the ravine while the rest of the army lures
the enemy away so Gideon can sneak back and take the city. I love how they instinctively
squeeze in tight against the ravine wall while dirt and leaves rain down on them. I really loved
imagining how their hearts must have pounded to be that close to the huge enemy army, how
they must have worried about their friends that were essentially being used as bait, and how
they must have wondered if they would be strong enough to overtake the guards when they
snuck back to the city.
The reason this part was hard to write was because it would normally be the climax of a story.
Will they or won’t they take the city? But for this book, it fell in the middle of the story, so it
couldn’t be the climax. I had to find ways to tone it down, I guess, and I hated doing that to such
a heroic part.
A - I loved writing the part where Gideon’s men hide in the ravine while the rest of the army lures
the enemy away so Gideon can sneak back and take the city. I love how they instinctively
squeeze in tight against the ravine wall while dirt and leaves rain down on them. I really loved
imagining how their hearts must have pounded to be that close to the huge enemy army, how
they must have worried about their friends that were essentially being used as bait, and how
they must have wondered if they would be strong enough to overtake the guards when they
snuck back to the city.
The reason this part was hard to write was because it would normally be the climax of a story.
Will they or won’t they take the city? But for this book, it fell in the middle of the story, so it
couldn’t be the climax. I had to find ways to tone it down, I guess, and I hated doing that to such
a heroic part.
5) Q - Did you ever experience any writers block? How did you overcome that?
A - I did not experience any writer’s block while writing this book. The ideas came so fast and I
couldn’t get them down fast enough. I remember scribbling as fast as I could through so many
of my ten minute breaks at work. I wrote a good portion of this novel that way.
I have had writer’s block on other books, though. When that happens, I mostly just wait it out. I
think if you force it, it will sound terrible.
But sometimes, you just have to press on and hope you can fix things in editing. Simply writing
through it anyway, even if you’re not feeling it, can get the creative juices going. Maybe you
have to trash what you wrote during that time, but so what? Words are free.
Brainstorming with a friend can also help, or moving on to a part that is more exciting to write, or
fixing another part of your life that might be interfering with your ability or desire to write.
A - I did not experience any writer’s block while writing this book. The ideas came so fast and I
couldn’t get them down fast enough. I remember scribbling as fast as I could through so many
of my ten minute breaks at work. I wrote a good portion of this novel that way.
I have had writer’s block on other books, though. When that happens, I mostly just wait it out. I
think if you force it, it will sound terrible.
But sometimes, you just have to press on and hope you can fix things in editing. Simply writing
through it anyway, even if you’re not feeling it, can get the creative juices going. Maybe you
have to trash what you wrote during that time, but so what? Words are free.
Brainstorming with a friend can also help, or moving on to a part that is more exciting to write, or
fixing another part of your life that might be interfering with your ability or desire to write.
6) Q - Do you outline before you write or do you just dive in?
A - I try to outline, and I always recommend it to new writers, but with this series, it all came so
quickly. I wrote it faster than I could update my outline, and it ended up that the outline just got
in my way. So I would have to say that with this story, I just dove in.
A - I try to outline, and I always recommend it to new writers, but with this series, it all came so
quickly. I wrote it faster than I could update my outline, and it ended up that the outline just got
in my way. So I would have to say that with this story, I just dove in.
7) Q - Did any music inspire you while writing In All Places?
A - I know it’s like the cool thing to have a playlist/soundtrack that inspired a book, but I prefer to
write in silence. Just me and the click of the keys or the scratch of the pen.
But during other times, like when I’m driving or doing dishes, I will listen to one or two songs
over and over that keep me in the mood of where I am at in the manuscript. Depending on if I
am writing a fight scene or a romantic scene, my music choices will reflect that. For example, I
listened to (If You’re Wondering If) I Want You To by Weezer a lot, because even by the end,
Gideon is still not sure of Keturah’s feelings. And of course, who could write teen romance
without some Taylor Swift going on, am I right?
A - I know it’s like the cool thing to have a playlist/soundtrack that inspired a book, but I prefer to
write in silence. Just me and the click of the keys or the scratch of the pen.
But during other times, like when I’m driving or doing dishes, I will listen to one or two songs
over and over that keep me in the mood of where I am at in the manuscript. Depending on if I
am writing a fight scene or a romantic scene, my music choices will reflect that. For example, I
listened to (If You’re Wondering If) I Want You To by Weezer a lot, because even by the end,
Gideon is still not sure of Keturah’s feelings. And of course, who could write teen romance
without some Taylor Swift going on, am I right?
8) Q - What is your favorite quote from In All Places?
A - “Sometimes, the fiercest battles in life are not fought on the battlefield. They are fought inside
the heart.” The reason I love this so much is because it’s Zeke’s mother who says it to Keturah
when Keturah tells her she is trying to choose between Zeke and another boy.
There is also this part where Keturah is sure Zeke is going to tell her she’s a big-time screw-
up and a distraction to all the warriors, but he says, “Keturah, you are what every man wants to
fight for.”
the heart.” The reason I love this so much is because it’s Zeke’s mother who says it to Keturah
when Keturah tells her she is trying to choose between Zeke and another boy.
There is also this part where Keturah is sure Zeke is going to tell her she’s a big-time screw-
up and a distraction to all the warriors, but he says, “Keturah, you are what every man wants to
fight for.”
9) Q - Are you currently working on anything else?
A - I have written eight books in this series. The first three are about Keturah, and the other five
are about some of the other warriors in the army with her. They are told through point of view of
the girls they fall in love with when they come home. I am currently working on getting these all
published and available, and in my spare time, I am working on book nine in the series, which is
about Gideon’s youngest brother.
There are a few other books I would like to work on, but this series will be keeping me busy for
a long time. I’ve got a contemporary YA, a western romance, and a YA Dystopian on the back
burner.
A - I have written eight books in this series. The first three are about Keturah, and the other five
are about some of the other warriors in the army with her. They are told through point of view of
the girls they fall in love with when they come home. I am currently working on getting these all
published and available, and in my spare time, I am working on book nine in the series, which is
about Gideon’s youngest brother.
There are a few other books I would like to work on, but this series will be keeping me busy for
a long time. I’ve got a contemporary YA, a western romance, and a YA Dystopian on the back
burner.
10) Q - Misty Moncur’s Holiday Traditions
A - One of my favorite holiday traditions is a Thanksgiving one. Instead of having potatoes and
turkey gravy, we have mashed potatoes in a bowl with homemade chicken noodle soup over the
top. I remember this from all our Thanksgivings with my mom’s family growing up, and now that
I’m grown, I’ve taken on making the soup because it is a tradition that I want to carry on.
We also have a quirky little birthday tradition. My family always sings a second verse to the
Happy Birthday song. Instead of singing, “Happy Birthday to you,” we sing, “’Tis love brings
us here.” Every time I hear it at my birthday or someone else’s in my family, I try to remember
that the reason everyone is there singing, eating cake, laughing and supporting each other, is
because of love.
I prefer the older, family traditions instead of trying to do every new thing you see on the
Pinterest or hear about other families doing. I like writing out Christmas cards like my mom used
to do as opposed to, say, moving some creepy elf around my house. Making new tradition can
be fun, and even necessary when times change, but I think the old traditions that you pass on
hold the most meaning.
A - One of my favorite holiday traditions is a Thanksgiving one. Instead of having potatoes and
turkey gravy, we have mashed potatoes in a bowl with homemade chicken noodle soup over the
top. I remember this from all our Thanksgivings with my mom’s family growing up, and now that
I’m grown, I’ve taken on making the soup because it is a tradition that I want to carry on.
We also have a quirky little birthday tradition. My family always sings a second verse to the
Happy Birthday song. Instead of singing, “Happy Birthday to you,” we sing, “’Tis love brings
us here.” Every time I hear it at my birthday or someone else’s in my family, I try to remember
that the reason everyone is there singing, eating cake, laughing and supporting each other, is
because of love.
I prefer the older, family traditions instead of trying to do every new thing you see on the
Pinterest or hear about other families doing. I like writing out Christmas cards like my mom used
to do as opposed to, say, moving some creepy elf around my house. Making new tradition can
be fun, and even necessary when times change, but I think the old traditions that you pass on
hold the most meaning.
Prize: 1 ebook copy of IN ALL PLACES
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