While "Bound On Earth," is largely aimed at LDS readers, Hallstrom, who grew up in West Valley, hopes the book has crossover appeal and said it is ideal for the wave of book clubs that are popular across the country.
Hallstrom has already visited one local book club and is slated to speak at two others.
Hallstrom's novel, Bound on Earth, was recently published by the small Maryland press Parables. The company hopes to have the book available in LDS bookstores later this year, said Parables Editor Elizabeth Bentley.
Portions of the book have won awards from the Utah Arts Council and The Association for Mormon Letters - but Hallstrom understands that readers, and especially book-club members, are discriminating in their reading choices.
Hallstrom is an adjunct instructor at Salt Lake Community College who currently teaches three English courses. And since the LDS Relief Society's instigation of "small interest group," enrichment activities in 2006, book clubs have taken off in LDS wards, Hallstrom said.
"Attending book clubs has been a fabulous experience for me as an author," said Hallstrom in a written statement. "Not only do I get to discuss the ideas and themes that are present in the novel, but I get to see the readers' faces. I get to hear what moved them and what surprised them. And I hope the book clubs find it a worthwhile experience as well."
Hallstrom, who attended Cyprus High School, said "For a long time, I thought I wanted to be an actress. But I soon found out that I could tell stories as a writer without sets and costumes and orchestras. I could create a whole world, and all I needed was a computer with a keyboard."
Hallstrom, a mother of four, is a BYU graduate who majored in English before teaching locally at West Jordan High and Bingham High. After moving with her family to Minnesota in 1998, she earned a master's in creative writing at Hamline University in St. Paul.
"Utah is what I know and love," she said. "It's what I write about. I have these images of the people in the book hanging out at the Valley Fair Mall."
Most of the book was written while Hallstrom lived in Minnesota, and since the family's return in 2006, she's worked to have the book published.
Although the literary term for the book's style is a "novel in stories," Hallstrom prefers to view the work as a "book club" book. Each of the book's chapters can stand alone or be taken together.
The story recounts a story from the points of view of various family members.
"It's not a traditional novel, not a collection of short stories, it's in between," Hallstrom said.
Parables is a new publisher distributing more "artistic" and less conventional books to LDS readers than has been considered typical, Hallstrom said.
The print-on-demand publisher, which began during the 1980s, is working on distributing a second title later this year, Bentley said.
Parables specializes in realistic fiction, which is different fare than what Deseret Book offers, Bentley said. Hallstrom's book is part of an effort to attract readers who read national best-sellers.
Bentley wants her company to feature books that challenge readers.
"(Hallstrom's) book features some very complex characters," Bentley said. It centers on people who have problems they don't resolve.
"If you're looking for a book that says everything is going to turn out rosy in the end, this is not that book," Bentley said. She's currently working to ensure "Bound On Earth" is available in LDS bookstores later this year.
Hallstrom, who is working around the Salt Lake Valley to promote her "Bound On Earth," has also started work on another book.
Reading Saturday
* Local author Angela Hallstrom will read from and sign copies of her novel, "Bound on Earth," from 1-4 p.m. Saturday at the Barnes & Noble Sandy store, 10180 S. State St.
* Any area book clubs wishing to schedule an author availability with Hallstrom, should visit her Web site at www.angelahallstrom.com. Bound on Earth is now available at Barnes & Noble and online retailers including Amazon.com, as well as in area county and city library systems.
