Virtual Launch for A Summer in Oakville

September 20, 2011 Press Release for the John 3:16 Marketing Network For Immediate Release John 3:16 Marketing Network Book Launch Tuesday, September 27,  2011 Amazon 24 hours ONLY Free e-gifts with purchase on launch day    A Summer in Oakville by Lisa Lickel and Shellie Neumeier   Set in Wisconsin, A SUMMER IN OAKVILLE is the story of a family reuniting to save the rural life they once cherished. One magical summer in fictional Oakville, Wisconsin, love finds its way through four entwined lives. Tessa's marriage hangs by a thread; her daughter, Lindsay, takes on the local town board and the developer who threatens to steal not only the farm but her heart. Tessa's widowed brother Art hasn't been home in twenty years; how can he send his out-of-control teenage son, Andy, to his aging parents? "We set out to tell the story of the changing landscape in rural Wisconsin," Lickel says. "We wanted to try something unique while using our individual strengths as authors. Shellie writes fiction for young adults, and I write older characters." "Our family, the Hasmers, could be anyone," Neumeier says. "They want to keep their heritage, while at the same time they struggle with the changing times. It's hard to make a living on a family-sized farm, and sometimes you have to make tough decisions."       "In our story, the adult siblings, Tessa and Art, have their own problems but come together in order to help their parents and their children," Lickel adds.       "Their children, Lindsay and Andy, are good kids who are also victims of the tough economic times and peer pressure today. But they have good hearts and learn from their grandparents' and parent's good family and faith values," Neumeier says. Black Lyon Publishing, LLC is an independently owned Oregon-based publishing house producing fiction titles in trade paperback and e-book formats, and the only Romance Writers of America recognized publisher in the state. Black Lyon titles are available at BlackLyonPublishing.com, local bookstores and most major online retailers. Shellie Neumeier  www.ShellieNeumeier.com Best-selling author Shellie Neumeier holds a degree in Secondary Education from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with a minor in Psychology, Sociology and Social Studies. A devoted mother of four, Shellie previously worked on staff with Northbrook Church as the King's Kids ministry assistant (serving children in grades 2nd through 5th). She is an active member of SCBWI and ACFW as well as a contributing author for various blogs. Lisa Lickel www.LisaLickel.com   Multi-published author Lisa J. Lickel also enjoys writing and performing radio theater, short story-writing, and is an avid book reviewer and blogger. She enjoys teaching writing workshops and working with new writers. She is the editor of both Wisconsin Writers Association's Creative Wisconsin magazine and Written World Communication's OtherSheep Magazine. She lives in a hundred and sixty-year-old house in Wisconsin filled with books and dragons. Married to a high school biology teacher, she enjoys travel and quilting.  Check out A Summer in Oakville Facebook fan page: Click Here What Others Are Saying "A SUMMER IN OAKVILLE is a cleverly-composed novel that addresses issues from the past, affecting four characters' present-day lives. Shellie Neumeier and Lisa Lickel are a dynamic writing duo!" Andrea Boeshaar, author of Seasons of Redemption "Like quills of bittersweet devotion that pierce the heart, yet warm with the matchless comfort of forgiveness-A SUMMER IN OAKVILLE is a beautifully woven series of unforgettable novellas." Tessa Stockton, author of The Unforgivable "Four sweet novellas combine to tell the charming story of A SUMMER IN OAKVILLE in Oakville. Saving your heritage, forgiving the past, and uncovering years of family secrets are weaved through four very different romances to create a delightful read that I looked forward to coming back to each day. Grab a cup of tea and enjoy." Cherie Burbach, author of Internet Dating Is Not Like Ordering a Pizza and Working Writers "You'll be hooked from the first page of A SUMMER IN OAKVILLE. This novel grabs the senses and doesn't let go." Carolyn Howard-Johnson, multi award-winning novelist and poet   Instructor for the renowned UCLA Extension Writers' Program Author of the multi award-winning series of HowToDoItFrugally books: The Frugal Book Promoter The Frugal Editor The Great First Impression Book Proposal Great Little Last-Minute Edits

The Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers Summer Tour

                  

Hey, everyone! Summer isn’t over until September 21, ya know. However, I do understand that most of you are out of “Summer” mode at this point. But don’t let that stop you from picking up some pretty awesome reads and cuddling on the deck for a few hours of bliss.

I see I’m in history mode, as I often am, with my picks to share with you.  

Wounded Spirits by April Gardner was a delight to find. From the little-explored time in American history, the early nineteenth century era of expansion and settlement, Gardner tells an evocative, thoughtful, and sensitive tale of pioneers, warriors, and Creek Nation people battling for identity in an innocent land. Gently exploring touchy issues such as slavery, romance in all the unusual places, pride and fall, readers will ask for more when finished. And you’ll be glad to know that you won’t have long to wait.

Yesterday’s Tomorrow was my surprise exciting read of the year. Cathy West’s awesome debut will knock your socks off so you can wiggle your toes in the sand. If you like true characters, the grit and the emotional pit of modern warfare in the Vietnam era, blood and guts and dirt in your wounds, you’ll be entranced by this gripping read. A young woman reporter finds more than other people’s stories when she goes to cover the war.

Undercurrent. What can I say? Lust, Vikings, Blood, ships, medieval history. Time travel. I’m on reading cloud ninety-nine. Michelle Griep is so excellent in her research, which I discovered with her first novel, Gallimore. Griep takes us back to the early days of Viking exploration, a time when petty kings ruled by magic, dark power, lust and the strength of their bodies and spirits. When a contemporary history professor is caught in a eddy of time, she must use her training and wits to survive and return to the 21st century.

Meander Scar: well, I guess I’m tooting my own horn here, but if you’re in the mood for an almost squeaky clean tale of forbidden love and faith, a twist of fate and a gasping ending, perhaps you’ll consider this contemporary love story of missing persons and love for all the right reasons. I’m also delighted to announce that A Summer In Oakville is releasing this week from the same publisher. Shellie Neumeier and I wrote a story that might have taken place in our own back yards. It’s gotten some great early reviews, has a blow-out fantastic cover and will transport you down a country lane full of angst, pride, love and faith while making peace with the past and welcoming a new future.