A while back, a commenter, quite obviously a MORMON commenter, accused me of running this blog for one reason and one reason only: the almighty dollar. Or something like that. Since I rarely, if ever, mention my BOOKS in this blog, and no one pays me a penny for it, I was a little bit confuzzled. I guess he meant that the only reason I write this blog is to sell my books.

Yes, I write books, and yes, they are set in the Mormon culture in which I live, but I don’t usually say BUY MY BOOKS every other sentence, because a blog is an online journal. And I journal about my experiences living as an Ain’t in the land of Saints. It’s very real, and very cathartic, and I never run out of material. Remember, I am a writer. It’s what I do. I don’t make a ton of money off it, nor do I live in a big house, or drive an expensive car. In fact, I live rather tightly between royalty checks. I do this because I love it. I like Utah, I just don’t agree with some of the more interesting aspects of living in the land of the Mormons.

Still, it is necessary for Mormons to find some reason for what I do, and of course, because I do not agree with them, I must have nefarious reasons for blogging, such as THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR.

And since no one pays me a penny for this blog, that of course translates into my books.

And since I’m getting ACCUSED of writing this blog for that reason, I might as well actually DO it. So here is your blatant self promotion post.

WIVES AND SISTERS
BUY BUY BUY Wives and Sisters, which is a critically acclaimed book set in Mormon Utah.

Decades ago, young Allison Jensen and her best friend Cindy were separated in the woods. Cindy disappeared forever. Allison survived amid a web of small-town secrets and lies that greeted every anguished question she asked about that fateful afternoon.Years later, Allison has come home to the bedroom community of Farmington, Utah-back to the devout tyranny of her father, back to the close-knit society she rejected, and back to the conspiracy of silence that has plagued her with nightmares of guilt and loss. Out of her patchwork memory, the truth is emerging. So is Allison’s rage-and her hunger for justice. Now, in a courageous and terrifying voyage of self-discovery, it’s up to Allison to avenge the guilty…

Here are just a few of the reviews this book received.

“A white-knuckles ride all the way. Expert depiction of a young woman’s struggle with the oppressive “family values” of one kind of fundamentalism. Newcomer Collins is a talent to watch.”–Kirkus Reviews

“Collins…draws readers in with her strong writing and compelling plot. An outstanding introduction to Collins’ fiction, Wives and Sisters stirs up emotions in the reader that will resonate long after he or she has closed the book.”–January Magazine

Behind Closed Doors
BUY BUY BUY Behind Closed Doors, another book set in Mormon Utah. For twenty years, they had been closer than sisters, sharing girlhood secrets, their hopes and dreams for the future—and a soul-searing promise. Melissa was the only one who knew what had really happened to Jannie beyond the sacred walls of the Mormon Temple the night that changed her life forever….

UNTIL HER BEST FRIEND VANISHED WITHOUT A TRACE.
Now Melissa has gone missing, just days after entrusting Jannie with a mysterious box that someone would kill to possess. And someone has—leaving in their murderous wake an innocent victim and a trail of blood that leads to the heart of Jannie’s hidden burden. Desperate to protect her secret, and to find out what has happened to Melissa, Jannie trusts no one. Not the stranger whose piercing green eyes have already seen too much, nor the family and friends whose familiar fold may be shielding a cold-blooded killer who is lurking BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.

Here are a few reviews about this book:

“An intense, suspenseful, character-driven mystery that I couldn’t put down. Collins expertly weaves a journey of self-acceptance with a page-turning mystery….A gripping story from the chilling opening to the startling conclusion.”—Allison Brennan, author of The Kill

“With Behind Closed Doors, Natalie R. Collins doesn’t just treat readers to a taut, compelling mystery, she gives us a riveting look at the very heart of contemporary Mormonism. This book is not, however, fired by an apostate’s anger, but rather by one pilgrim’s bittersweet search for true justice, faith, and community in the wake of her own brutal loss of innocence.”—Cornelia Read, author of A Field of Darkness

Jenny T. Partridge Dance Mystery Series
Now, of course, there is my slightly different take on Utah, the Jenny T. Partridge Dance Mystery Series.

The first of those books, TUTU DEADLY, is available now. This is a lighthearted look at a dance teacher in Ogden, Utah, where the Mormon characters are mostly background. My very-Mormon mother read this book, and said she enjoyed it. And this book is also getting good reviews, although most admit it is a light, and fun book, and it won’t change anyone’s life. And that’s okay.

The second book in this series, TAPPED OUT, will be available in October.

TWISTED SISTER
And then there is TWISTED SISTER, which will also be available in October, from Five Star. So far, I have nowhere to send you to buy this book. I’ll let you know when I find a link. I’m sure you will be waiting with baited breath.

Interestingly enough, the first book in the Sisters of Sin series, SISTERWIFE, is available on my Web site for FREE FREE FREE! Just click here to download it.

Fiction, ripped from the headlines: Prophesied to be the catalyst in a modern-day Armageddon, Kelsey Waite flees a life in Utah, freeing herself from a polygamous lifestyle and abusive father. She is forced to return to the state, and face her demons–and the charismatic cult leader who believes she is destined to be his second wife — when her daughter is kidnapped.

I watched a relatively new shot the other night, STANDOFF, which featured a scene much like one I have in this book. It shows the cowardly nature of many of these fundamental polygamists, like Warren Jeffs, who willingly hide behind women and children. The character in Standoff was even named Warren.

So, there you have it. My blatant self promotion post. Now all you who have been accusing me of seeking THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR can feel better.

There is a message being sent in Idaho, and that message is: It is NOT okay to be a former Mormon. If you had any doubt that Mormonism is a cult, please park those doubts in the garage and close the door. PostMormon.org, a kindler, gentler version of exmormon.org, both groups where former Mormons tend to go for community after leaving the faith. But, you see, no one is ALLOWED to leave. And the fact that someone might NOT believe is extremely offensive to believing Mormons. If you have left, they believe it is because you have sinned, or someone offended you. In other words, the problem could not POSSIBLY be the religion, it must be YOU.

There is to be NO criticism of their church, gentle, implied, or otherwise, and a gathering of people who have LEFT is criticism.

And so, in Idaho, a billboard touting the PostMormon.org group was removed a week early, because it happened to be posted on land owned by Mormons.

Barry South, president of Dome Technology Inc., also is an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He said his sons became concerned about the sign on Dome’s property after the Post Register newspaper ran a story two weeks ago.

Why would they be concerned? It wasn’t changing THEIR viewpoint. The sign did not say, “THE MORMON CHURCH IS A SHAM! VISIT MORMONSHAM.ORG!” (Disclaimer: That is not a real web site. At least I don’t think it is, and I’m not going to check. This is one of them thar examples.) Rather, it was a sign saying, “Hey, sometimes people leave, and if you did, here’s an alternative. A place to go for community and understanding.” Because let’s face it. Who can understand better than other former Mormons? But we are not to be allowed that. Oh no.

I had hoped, in the wake of all the negative publicity that the Mormon Church has received, that a wake up call would be sent to church members. STOP ACTING LIKE HOLIER-THAN-THOU ASSHOLES. If your church is so true, than a billboard is not going to shake that.

It was a useless hope. Mormons like South are cementing the concept that America holds about Mormons. They are not making things better. They are NOT helping in the mainstreaming of the Mormon Church. Maybe South should expect a letter from Gordo Hinckley, who wants nothing more before he dies than to see the Mormon Church accepted as a mainstream Christian religion.

In all reality, this will not happen. As long as they tout the Book of Mormon as true, mainstream Christianity will never embrace Mormonism. But a president can dream….

As long as Mormons treat former Mormons like this, there will remain a huge divide between the two groups, and there will always be a need for this blog, Trapped by the Mormons. You see, even when you leave, they try to control your actions, your thoughts, your destiny. Why do I blog? You’ve seen it firsthand here, brothers and sisters.

“It’s a form of religious discrimination,” Jeff Ricks, the Web site’s executive director, told the newspaper. “At the very least, it’s religious intolerance.”
Lamar Outdoor Advertising, based in Baton Rouge, La., owns the billboard space. Ricks said the agent for Lamar that he works with told him he had to remove the sign because South’s representatives said they didn’t like it.

Kent Marboe, the advertising company’s representative in eastern Idaho, on Friday told The Associated Press that the sign came down June 14. He declined to talk about why it came down.

I’m wondering if anyone can watch this and not sense some chaos coming in the days ahead. Whether Mitt Romney, or Big Love, or Warren Jeffs brought this about, the eye of the country, and world is on Mormonism, and it is not necessarily a good thing.

This video, honestly, gave me a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. These missionaries are just boys. They don’t know the Bible. They don’t have the knowledge to fight this. How long before one of them is killed, because the truth is, there is no shield. Those garments are not protecting them. THEY ARE STILL TEENAGERS.

Jesus Guy may know his Bible, but his companion is anger, and wrongdoing, and the desire to SET THESE BOYS straight. He is guided by the same sense of I HAVE THE ONLY TRUE THING. I know where this comes from, but this disturbs me greatly. I sense a tide turning, and it’s not a good tide.

I am concerned.

I refer to one of my favorite poems, and leave you to interpret what you may.

Slouching towards Bethlehem
W.B Yeats

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in the sands of the desert.

A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

This is not a post about Mormons, or non-Mormons, or ex-Mormons, or Mormons-with-delusions-of-grandeur–like-”Call-me-President.”

I–along with the rest of this state, most of the nation, and even some of the world–was stunned with the news that an 11-year-old boy was dragged from his tent during a family camping trip to American Fork Canyon. He was mauled to death by a black bear.

It is what is BELIEVED to be the first human death attributed to a black bear in Utah history. Generally, black bears are afraid of humans, but because they are BEARS, they are, of course, dangerous. You don’t make it through life without knowing that.

My heart aches for this family. I was stunned to hear about the death, and frankly, as a mother, the hair went up on my arms. What a horrifying thing to have happen to your child.

But I take issue with the apparent finger-pointing now going on. The grandfather of the boy is now pointing the blame at the Forest Service, and the Division of Wildlife Resources. Apparently, because the bear had earlier attacked another group camping, they believe that not enough was done to warn campers.

This is despite the fact that after the first attack, where no one was injured, a full-on search to find–and kill–the bear was mounted. While DWR and other agencies and hunters with dogs were tracking the bear, and very, very busy, the family of Samuel Ives made camp, excited to try out the new tent that they had given their stepfather for Father’s Day.

Because no warnings had been handed out individually to campers, or the campsites closed, the family believes that the government agencies were–and are–somewhat responsible for Samuel’s death.

We are a camping family. We camp regularly, and often, and every time we go out, we are aware of the risk. You can drown in any lake. You can fall off a cliff. You can tumble down a mountain. You can also, unfortunately, be attacked by a bear, because in the MOUNTAINS you are in the bear’s home. Not the other way around.

While I agree that it would have been nice for the camping area to have been closed, I’m pretty sure that DWR and the Forest Service were pretty damn busy trying to FIND the bear, and given the rarity of black bear attacks, were more worried about removing the threat. There are SIGNS posted all over the forests, everywhere you go, WARNING that this is bear country.

My heart still goes out to this family, and I think it is natural to want to place blame when a tragic event occurs. Perhaps, even, DWR and the Forest Service can consider this for future protocol when an event like this happens, but I don’t really feel like they had enough time to personally warn every camper in this area of the attack. It was a primitive area, and they focused their efforts on getting the bear. It’s horrible that it had this result.

I would imagine that more than one of the people involved in this are heartsick right now, devastated for this family and their horrible loss. I’ve known a few DWR and Forest Service employees, and they do NOT do what they do for the money. Believe me, it ain’t there. They love the land. They love wildlife. They want others to enjoy and love it, too.

For young Samuel, I wish you Godspeed. I’m sorry your encounter with nature turned out so tragically. I ache for your family. And I am not alone.

Samuel, rest in peace.

Interesting story about a genetic disorder that is plaguing the fundies down in Colorado City.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19232005/

(Note, this is not unusual. The Kingston clan, in SLC, is also plagued with genetic disorders.)

Props to Azteclady for pointing this story out to me.

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A Republican presidential candidate, Sam Brownback, has been forced to apologize for an aide who reported sent anti-Mormon materials to other GOPs, using her personal email.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070617/ap_on_el_pr/brownback_romney

Has it occurred to anyone else that these candidates should just stop TALKING about Romney? I mean, the controversial church he belongs to is raising enough red flags. It seems like it would be safer to just skirt the issue. (Note to candidates. Don’t really stop talking about him. It gives me lots to blog on.)

Props to Dej for sending this tidbit along.

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And this one (also courtesy of Dej), just made me kind of go “ick!”

http://salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/2007/06/12/sister_wife/index.html