Leslea Wahl

Author

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Book Review: The Perfect Blindside

This beautiful review was written by Emily Post on her website: Our Home, Mary’s Mantle

Review Wednesday – The Perfect Blindside

Today, I am reviewing The Perfect Blindside by Leslea Wahl. Before I start the review, I want to share a couple of links with you:

Lesley Wahl’s Site
Goodreads Giveaway of The Perfect Blindside (this is actually Ms. Wahl’s site too, but the information about the giveaway is there… and who doesn’t like a chance to win a book?!)

I really enjoy reviewing books for teens because my son is about to turn twelve and I want to make sure I have “the right kind of books” here for him to read. Sure, we love all the classics, but as our Priest said on Sunday (paraphrased), ‘As parents teaching your children about our Faith and morality, starts with you, at home. The love of God in your children’s hearts; the teaching of virtue and commandments ALL start with you.’ My immediate thought was – “NO PRESSURE!”

It is with that in mind that I know my husband and I have to make sure our almost teen is presented with the right type of reading material.  We do not believe in isolating him from society, but we do believe in insulating. He plays baseball and takes karate and is around non-homeschooled children on many occasions. Even when watching appropriate TV shows, he sees commercials we would rather him not see. He asks a lot of questions and we have constant dialogue.
I have to be honest, at first, the chapters going back and forth between perspectives of the main characters Jake and Sophie, put me off. Chapter 1 was Jake’s perspective, Chapter 2 was Sophie’s perspective… back and forth it went. But after the second chapter, I got it… and I really liked it. It’s different and frankly, I hope there are more books coming about these two and their little town.
This book is about good, old-fashioned mystery solved by two teenagers that could not have misjudged one-another more… and I love it!  We talk to our children about expectations and judgments. We tell them that things are not always what they seem… that people are not always what we perceive… that situations that may seem ______ could turn out to be ______. You just NEVER know until you get to know someone or go to the _______________. I left those blank intentionally because there are a zillion things any one of you may put in those blanks.
The two main characters are:
  1. Jake. Olympic Snowboarder with a silver medal. Egotistical. Teen sensation. Struggling with all the normal teen stuff AND how to manage fame. His parents moved him to a little town in Colorado in an effort to shield him from fame. And he’s torn between being cool in everyone’s eyes AND wanting to fit in like everyone else.
  2. Sophie. Honors student. Budding Photographer/Reporter. Small town sweetheart. Judgmental and a little bit OCD. She and her best friend Kate are like so many teen girls. It made me smile when they planned their first day of school outfits (we all used to… awww).
There are many twists and turns in this classic story about two people so determined not to like one-another that it becomes all they think about. They struggle with jealousy and insecurity. They struggle with their families, who are really good families (but teens struggle with authority figures).  They struggle with other teens at school (you know, some teens can be so cruel).
Through a series of unexpected events these two teens have to work together, learn to trust each other, and be humble enough to do God’s will… in order to save Jake’s reputation and their small town from a drug ring.  SO exciting!
This book is about learning virtues; appreciating the talents God gave us, and working together for the betterment of God and His people.  And this book is a great book to have your teens read. The way Mrs. Wahl writes is exceptional.
I highly recommend it. I’m so thankful I read it!
Blessings all,
Emily

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Congratulations Cassidy!

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A few weeks back I introduced you to Cassidy Klein and her incredible project through the Girl Scouts of America to create a library at the Joshua Station transitional housing facility here in Denver. The Tattered Cover bookstore collected donated books for the project and even donated one new book for every 10 books brought in.

I had the wonderful opportunity last week to attend the Grand Opening of the library. I was so honored to be there. Cassidy worked very hard to create this special place filled with books and comfy couches.  The library is a beautiful space for families facing difficult times to share with their children. It was truly touching to see the joy on the faces of the children as they celebrated this event.

I’m so proud of Cassidy and the amazing work she has done. She’s truly using her gifts to help other.

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Gratitude

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So grateful for this week. I’ve heard from 7 local bookstores that are interested in carrying the book – including The Tattered Cover. And due to great reviews, the book has now been listed as an Amazon Prime product. I’m excited to see where God leads me!

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The Nuns have been activated!

This week has been amazingly exciting for me with the long anticipated release of my book. The positive reviews and encouragement I have received from family and friends has been overwhelming.  I have been so blessed to work with the amazing staff at Pauline Books and Media which is run by the Sisters of St. Paul. Everyone there has been so helpful, professional and knowledgeable. Working with them has been a wonderful experience.

But alongside the joy has been some frustration. Amazon has not been able to list the book correctly so people can purchase it. The kindle version can be purchased but not the paperback. For a week the staff at Pauline has been emailing and calling trying to get the problem fixed to no avail. Since Amazon is a major player in the marketplace getting this fixed is critical to the success of the book.

But now I’ve heard that Pauline has resorted to their secret weapon, which helped the last time they had an issue with Amazon – a nun blast. This is where all the Daughters of St. Paul email Amazon with the same message. Watch out Amazon – the nuns have been activated!

I’ll keep you updated on the progress. In the meantime, if you are wanting to purchase a book you can through the Pauline website – store.pauline.org.

Blessings,

Leslea