Petra, Jordan

Hello, I hope you are having a wonderful December! Can you believe Christmas is so soon? 

I wanted to finish my travel logs by posting about Petra today, and Jerusalem tomorrow. After that I'll just be wishing you a Merry Christmas! 

After visiting Turkey, our group traveled to Israel, then crossed the Jordanian border. A two-hour drive through the desert later, we made it to Petra. 

To get to the rock carved Treasury, you wind through a series of narrow rock passageways. 

Then, the magnificent Treasury comes into view. 

It is absolutely incredible. I can't even fathom the time and energy it took to carve and create this palace of stone. What's even crazier is that Petra wasn't known to the Western World until 1812, even though it is believed to be built 312 BC. 

Though the Treasury is the most well known (and seen on movies such as Indiana Jones and Transformers) there are several other carved buildings beyond the Treasury. 

The Urn Tomb.

2,000 years ago, this theater was originally carved by the Nabateans to hold 3,000 people. Later, the Romans expanded it to hold 8,500 people. 

There were plenty of donkeys, horses, and camels throughout Petra. I was lucky enough to ride a camel in front of the Treasury. This, everyone, is Petro the camel. 

Did you know that camels don't actually spit? 

Some of the architecture carvings are so intricate! And unfortunately, Indiana Jones was wrong, there was no Fountain of Youth inside the Treasury. But it was still amazing. 

Many of these pictures were taken by my friend Malissa, and I'm so glad she captured certain details that I missed. There was so much to see! 

Visiting Petra was one of my favorite parts of the trip. History was brought to life as I got to see this beautiful rock architecture. Once again, I've received so much inspiration for future stories!  

Chasing June Blog Tour and Giveaway!

I'm so stoked to announce the release of Chasing June by the fabulously talented Shannen Crane Camp. Chasing June is the second book in the series and Finding June, book one, was nominated for a Whitney Award! Yeah, she's pretty awesome, and I'm so happy I get to be a part of the same writing group. 

 One thing I love about Shannen is that her fun, enthusiastic personality is contagious, and it shows through in her writing. She has such a good sense of humor and I always LOL (for real) when I read her novels. You don't want to miss this release! 

Read about Chasing June and enter the giveaway below.

June Laurie has it all—a budding career on the hit crime drama Forensic Faculty, a supportive and perfect boyfriend in her best friend Joseph Cleveland, and hopes of transferring her acting skills to the stage at college. But in a series of plot twists as dramatic as any Hollywood storyline, June's dreams dim with a heavy dose of grown-up reality. Once she starts school at BYU, June's days become filled with classes and the new challenge of dealing with jealous theatre majors who seem determined to give her the cold shoulder. Her happy plans for a future with "the one" take a turn, too, when Joseph dumps her to focus on preparing for his   two-year LDS mission. Casting directors and the siren call of stardom beckon her back to California, while an old co-star appears on the scene to confuse things even more. Caught up in the drama of life—the type that has more intrigue, subplots, and unexpected romance than a murder mystery game—June starts to wonder if maybe her life's script might end with a grand finale she never saw coming.

Add it to your shelf on Goodreads!

Check out the first book, "Finding June" here.

Shannen Crane Camp was born and raised in Southern California, where she developed a love of reading, writing, and anything having to do with film. After high school, she moved to Utah to attend Brigham Young University, where she received a degree in Media Arts and found herself a husband in fellow California native Josh Camp. The two now live in either California or Utah... they still can't decide.
Shannen loves to hear from readers, so feel free to contact her at Shannencbooks@hotmail.com or visit her website for more information: http://shannencbooks.blogspot.com

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Chasing June

by Shannen Crane Camp

Giveaway ends December 08, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Les Miserables and other wonderful things.

Today I was listening to my music on shuffle and Phantom of the Opera came on. I had to go back and listen to the whole album while I was driving, and it was then that I realized how much of a sucker I am for musicals. I watched My Fair Lady over Thanksgiving break, reminisced about how much fun I had seeing Seven Brides for Seven Brothers with my sisters in the summer, and I even put the release date for Les Miserables in my phone calendar! 

I can't sing or play any musical instruments, so maybe that's why I appreciate a good musical so much. I love Broadway musicals, classical musicals, and listening to Pandora stations with musicals. When I was dating my husband and found out he was musically talented, had been in choir his whole life, and even play Dodger in Oliver when he was little, I swooned :)

I know I should be counting down the days until the Hobbit (and I am excited for it), but I can't wait for Les Miserables to come out. 

I love The Phantom of the Opera, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Wicked, and West Side Story, and I've been lucky enough to see them on Broadway. I haven't seen Les Miserables live, but I hope to one day have the opportunity. For now I'm just excited to see the movie. 

What are your favorite musicals? 

If you haven't seen it yet, here is the trailer for Les Miserables.