Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Two Reviews! "Her Best Catch" by Lindi Peterson and Montezuma Intrigue by Linda Weaver Clarke


Back Cover: Allison Doll's mother is rebelliously turning fifty, her two best friends have started dating and a gorgeous injured relief pitcher named Ashton Boyd has joined her Sunday school class, rocking her world into confusion, heartache and temptation, places she hasn't visited in a long time, much less all at once.

But with the help of family, old friends she really hasn't lost, a new friend she can really count on, and God, she begins to find out whether she'll always be a girl waiting for life to happen or a woman who's ready to commit to her best catch.


About: Lindi Peterson definitely believes happy endings are just the beginning. She lives out her real life romance with her husband in a small Georgia town. When she's not writing, she loves to read, bowl and spend time with her family.

Here is what Ane Mulligan, editor of Novel Journey, has to say about "Her Best Catch."
The cover is captivating and reminiscent of Breakfast at Tiffany's (in my opinion). And the story is dynamite! I read it in two sittings, and only put it down the first night because the hubs made me. Allison Doll is fun to be with, and I'm sure I saw a couple of her friends at my church. There is much more to this story than just romance, but with a hot hunky hero and a funny heroine that makes you laugh out loud, you might want to read it more than once. I do. Novel Journey and I give Her Best Catch our highest recommendation. It's a 5-star read.


Montezumas treasure, mysterious events, family secrets, and the importance of learning about your ancestors are themes in Montezuma Intrigue. When a leather parchment of Montezuma s map is found in great-grandfather Evans old chest, April and the twins know this summer is going to be a memorable one. With Julia s help, she and the girls convince John to go on a treasure hunt. Is Montezuma s treasure a legend or reality? Whatever the case, John insists on keeping their little treasure hunt a secret. If certain people find out about it, the family could be in danger.


Linda Weaver Clarke travels throughout the United States, teaching a “Family Legacy Workshop” at libraries, encouraging others to write their family history and autobiography. Clarke is the author of the historical romance series, “A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho” and a new mystery series, “The Adventures of John and Julia Evans.” E-mail Linda at: linda@lindaweaverclarke.com



Celebrating the Book Launch of Montezuma Intrigue
In celebration of the official Book Launch for Montezuma Intrigue, Linda Weaver Clarke is having several Book Give-Aways from June 27 - July 7: Win a mystery/adventure novel with a touch of romance, at http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com.

Adventure, suspense, romance, intrigue, humor, the search for Montezuma's treasure, family secrets, and a good-looking rogue!

When a leather parchment of Montezuma’s map is found in great-grandfather Evans’ old chest, April and the twins know this summer is going to be a memorable one. The girls want to search for it but their father is against it for some mysterious reason. With Julia’s help, she and the girls convince John to go on a treasure hunt. Is Montezuma’s treasure a legend or reality? Whatever the case, John insists on keeping their little treasure hunt a secret. If certain people find out about it, the family could be in danger.

But that’s not all! There will be more gifts for you! You may also be eligible to receive 6 free books as part of this contest: a fantasy by Serena Clarke, children’s books by Sherrill S. Cannon and Lorilyn Roberts, and more.


Here is what Amazon.com reviewer had to say about Montezuma Intrigue:
The whole Evans family is back for another wild and dangerous adventure. This time they have Grandpa along for the ride. When John and Julia's three daughters discover a hidden family treasure map, they convince their parents to conduct their own search for the fortune. They run into all sorts of danger along the way - including an enemy of Julia's who is intent to make her pay for their past troubles.

Julia's daughter, Faith, meets up with a handsome archaeologist who seems just a bit too interested in their hunt for the treasure. Faith is sure the guy's only interest is in her, but her friends and family fear he has ulterior motives.

As the search begins, Julia's father tells the family of how he met their grandmother. A story he never told anyone before, not even Julia. The family is enraptured by his tale and eager to learn more about their family's history, but the story comes to a crashing halt when their lives are threatened by treasure seekers.

This story mixes adventure, suspense and romance into one captivating story. The addition of Julia's parents' romance makes a nice backdrop to the mystery surrounding the hidden treasure. Readers will be enchanted by the entire family, as well as gripped by the terror inflicted on them by the bad guys.

I do hope we will visit with the Evans' family again. They are so enjoyable to get to know.

To order either book just click on the book on the right side of my blog. It will take you directly to Amazon.com.

HAPPY READING!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

The Character Therapist

Please help me welcome a new website for readers and especially writers. Here is all the information you need to learn more about The Character Therapist!

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BIO: Jeannie Campbell is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California. She is Head of Clinical Services for a large non-profit and enjoys working mainly with children and couples. She has a Masters of Divinity in Psychology and Counseling and bachelors degrees in both psychology and journalism. Two of Jeannie’s “therapeutic romance” manuscripts have garnered the high praise of being finalists in the Genesis Contest for unpublished writers, sponsored by the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), of which she is an active member. She writes a popular monthly column for Christian Fiction Online Magazine and has been featured in many other e-zines, newspapers, and blogs.

WHAT IS CHARACTER THERAPY:

Character Therapy is what I do when I use my professional training and experience as a licensed clinician to evaluate and diagnose fictional characters.
How can you—a published or aspiring writer—benefit?


1) Write characters more realistically.
Using a search engine to find out information about a mental disorder yields a very different result than asking a therapist who has treated those same problems in real life. Instead of getting a bunch of stale facts, I can help you breathe life into your characters while taking into consideration your unique story world.


2) Plot more feasibly.
Plotting the external conflict around your character’s internal conflict is essential to create tension on every page. Understanding the character’s driving goals and motivation in relation to their emotional state will help you figure out what plot points need to occur to maximize the character’s arc to its fullest potential.


3) Avoid clichéd or incorrect depictions of mental disorders.
My passion is helping those not afflicted with mental disorders understand those who are. Since one in four adults have a mental disorder, the likelihood of one of your characters having one is pretty high. But you want every nuance to ring true about the character, not feel cardboard cutout or stereotyped. So pick my brain instead of yours to avoid pitfalls of re-writing later.

PLEASE CONTACT JEANNIE OR VISIT HER WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

HAPPY READING!