New Young Adult from Susan Miura

Healer by Susan Miura

Young Adult Christian paranormal

Releasing January 31, 2018

330 pp

Print $16.99

Ebook a42.99

Buy on Amazon US

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Publisher, Vinspire Publishing

Read my review below.

About the Book:

Hovering just below the surface of Shilo Giannelli’s average existence lays an amazing spiritual power. Late one night, her world erupts with the revelation that, like her great-grandmother, she has The Gift. But the power to heal isn’t something she can share with the soccer team, her genius little sister, or her boyfriend, Kenji. Definitely not Kenji.

Deep beneath Misty Morning’s tough façade is a lifetime of abandonment, foster homes and broken dreams. When her two-year-old son is abused by her boyfriend, her fragile world shatters…until Shilo prays for Tyler, and he is healed, leaving Misty grateful but incredibly curious.

Shilo can’t give Misty the answers she needs; she only knows she has a God-given destiny, and despite facing strained relationships, impossible decisions, and the threat of being hounded day and night for her abilities, she will fulfill it.

The journey Misty and Shilo take together unites them as friends but invites danger into their lives. And it will take a miracle for these unlikely friends to elude a gang bent on revenge, keep The Gift a secret, trust God in extraordinary circumstances, and hold on to the people they love.

Susan, what do you love about this book?

The growth in the characters, the unlikely friendship that blooms between Shilo and Misty, the romance between Shilo and Kenji, the relationship between Shilo and her little sister, and Shilo’s determination to use the amazing gift God gave her despite the challenges and heartache inherent in doing so. 

Introduce us to your quirkiest character.

That would be Julia, Shilo’s little sister. She’s a genius and vegetarian who loves astronomy and geology. She does not have an athletic bone in her body, unlike Shilo. In short, she’s everything Shilo isn’t, and even though she drives Shilo crazy, they have a very close bond. Julia provides a little comic relief from time to time.

~I agree--I loved her, too!

Share two things you learned either about the era/genre or about publishing while writing this book.

Regarding the genre, you really have to make yourself go back in time and remember the thoughts and feelings you had as a teen, while keeping the setting and social scene current. As for publishing, the actual writing part is only half of what it takes to be a published author. At least, it feels that way to me. Marketing makes up the rest. It would be great to just write and not promote, but that would be a career killer.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on Healer Book 2, though I don’t know yet if that’s definitely happening.  I’m also writing my first young adult sci/fi and trying to get a contract for a women’s fiction manuscript that has always been special to me. It’s about a woman who accidentally kills her best friend’s five-year-old daughter, so it starts out with a pretty hard tug on the reader’s heart.

How do you overcome your biggest challenge to publication?

Prayer and walking is my way of overcoming any challenge. I’m also blessed with a great support system of family and friends. If I’m having a tough time with something, I take it to Jesus first, usually while I’m walking by the lake. I figure, if he can make a way for sinners to get into Heaven, he can help resolve my little challenges. Then I move on to people with skin. 

My review:

A young lady on the verge of adulthood is thrust into a lifestyle of secrets at a vulnerable time. Just when she can see an inviting future filled with college, music, faith, and especially a wonderful, almost too-good-to-be-true boyfriend, Kenji, Shilo learns of a fearsome and awe-inspiring family secret that’s been passed down through the generations. Under dire warning from her mother, Shilo must never, ever tell anyone. But it’s a secret Shilo can’t hide.

Sixteen, ready for the best summer of her life, Shilo experiences her second use of a God-given Gift when she accidentally heals a child. She learns early on, though, that the Gift cannot be taken lightly or for granted. Despite her mother’s warnings of becoming a media frenzy or even delusional with power, Shilo is put in an uncompromising position when her boyfriend’s life is at stake. Under the influence of enormous family stress, Shilo has pushed Kenji away, something that’s tearing her apart. Their reunion and subsequent revelations may not result in all that she or her family wish, but the words and actions cannot be undone.

Miura’s story is a nicely shaped and paced young adult story that’s well defined. The real angst of teenagers and tweens is lovingly created with a cast of characters that will leave a mark on the reader. Told through multiple first-person viewpoints, Shilo’s appeal as a young lady in love, mature, yet vulnerable, is a great story to share with young people. This is a lengthy book for young adult, so although I recommend for seventh grade and up, younger readers should be good readers. Younger readers should have parental supervision regarding some mature situations (teenage pregnancy, abuse, drug running, some violence, and serious injury).

The theme of obedience running through the story, speaking to trust, conscience, responsibility, obedience to authority figures such as teachers and pastor, parents, and especially to faith in God and acting on that faith, is wonderfully illustrated.

Month Long Multi Book Giveaway for February

Want to find a new writer, learn what novels some of your favorite authors are reading, or find new book reviewer and blogger recommendations?

Visit www.nnlightsbookheaven.com

 to participate in this new launch beginning in February. All genres are included whether it’s novels from debuting authors to award-winning/bestselling authors with multiple books and/or series. The best part -- it's all free for readers to enter, as authors are generously donating copies of their books each month to help find new fans and build up their reading communities. Be part of this wonderful new group right now! I’m excited to participate in this month’s giveaway and can’t wait to share with you all that will be offered in the coming months. You never know which surprising authors might just show up on the list this year!

February Giveaway

Literary Giveaway Portal

Track 9 by Sue Rovens

Track 9

By Sue Rovens

$1.99 eBook

$12.00 Print

Buy on Amazon

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About the Book

After a catastrophic railway accident leaves a trail of carnage and devastation in its wake, the small train station in Rain, Germany is shuttered. Six months later, Gary and Grace Wolf, returning home after their belated honeymoon, find themselves trapped inside the now defunct terminal. What they discover within its walls leads them to make harrowing decisions. What they learn about each other pushes them to the brink of disaster. Back in Bloomington, Illinois, their best friends, Mike and Sarah Waverly, await their return. A few hours before the plane is scheduled to land, Mike becomes tormented by troubling premonitions concerning Gary and Grace. Driven to find out the truth, Mike finds himself battling mysterious and inexplicable obstacles that plunge him into his own personal hell. Everyone's fate hangs in a precarious balance as the clock runs out.

My Review

Tying inexplicable zombie terror, bad donuts, wholly unlikeable clueless tourists and even worse friends, an obnoxious prescient child, a train that is and isn’t there, and tying it between small town Illinois and very small town Germany, is no mean feat.

Readers of horror will be intrigued by Rovens’s story of a very, very bad train wreck and the aftermath of ghoulish behavior by the survivors…and the non-survivors. Meanwhile, devious and dull, faithless and obsessive business partners and friends air their grievances as their fates play out both in Illinois and Germany. Mike can’t seem to realize he lives in nasty Gary’s pocket, even when Mike’s wife points it out and he agrees. Grace can’t seem to find a personality until it’s too late, and her husband, Gary…well, let’s just say everyone gets what he or she deserves in this adventure of a honeymoon gone horribly wrong.

Told in migrating viewpoints, the reader is treated to a devolution of humanity as fears are aired and hung out to wave in the gory breeze. Lots of body parts, phantom invasions, premonitions, and bumps on the head, let alone in the night. A nice big bang finishes the job. I did have to put it down and finish it in the morning…

About the Author

Sue Rovens is a suspense/psychological-horror indie author who is an active member of the Chicago Writers Association. Her two novels, Badfish and Track 9, are available in both paperback and Kindle formats. She also has two short story collections, In a Corner, Darkly: Volumes 1 and 2 - think Twilight Zone kicked up a notch.

Sue also runs a blog, suerovens.com, part of which features interviews with authors from a number of different genres. It's a very active blog with content being added a number of times per week.

Historical detective mystery from Sabrina Flynn

From the Ashes

Sabrina Flynn

c. 2014

A Ravenwood Mystery, book 1 of a 3-book series

Historical detective, California history, 1900

$4.99 eBook

$15.00 Print

Buy on Amazon 

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About the Book:

Atticus Riot took a bullet to his head the day his partner was killed. Three years later, Riot returns to San Francisco to put his ghosts to rest, but the abduction of an heiress snags his attention. Two ransom demands are delivered, and the husband of the abducted Isobel Kingston is hiding the truth. 

The clock is ticking. Can Riot find Mrs Kingston in time, or will she become one more regret among many? 

My Review:

I have to admit I always pick up review requests for self-published books with a jaundiced eye but I was more than pleasantly surprised by Flynn’s book. I was enthralled and wanted to immediately purchase the next two in the Ravenwood Mystery series posthaste, no matter how large my review pile. And that’s saying a lot for me.

Of course it helps that I love the era and genre, historical detective novels. Atticus Riot is a wonderfully developed character. We’ve obviously come in the rebirth end of things, for Atticus as well as the newest adventure he steps into. Thus, the title, well-fitting for this first book in a series. Riot returns to San Francisco from a sojourn in Europe to put an end to the former business he and his dead partner ran, the Ravenwood Detective Agency, conveniently located just up the block from Pinkerton’s. However, his manager, Tim, talks him into just one more case before he officially retires. An heiress has been kidnapped.

Throughout the case Riot is visited with the ghostly advice of his late partner, for whose death he cannot forgive himself. He’s haunted by past cases where he hasn’t been quick enough to prevent death and makes it a goal to see it doesn’t happen this time. As the body count rises, however, Riot’s last case may become a lost cause.

There is so much rich history in the era and area that Flynn could have easily lost us in detail. She does introduce a quirky cast of characters who have taken over the Ravenwood mansion and then drops them, but I hope we’ll see more of them in the future. The pacing is perfect, and the twist is that the reader is treated to events of the crime in a back-and-forth catch-up chase until one day time equals out.

Surprises, not exactly cheat-the-reader moments but very subtle hints and clues will keep readers who adore this type of fiction on their toes. Told in multiple viewpoints from Riot and the victim’s points of views, well-researched. Near flawless writing shows the care the author took with her book.

A review copy was provided through VoraciousReadersOnly.com

About the Author:

Sabrina lives in perpetual fog and sunshine with a rock troll and two crazy imps. She spent her youth trailing after insanity, jumping off bridges, climbing towers, and riding down waterfalls in barrels. After spending fifteen years wrestling giant hounds and battling pint-sized tigers, she now travels everywhere via watery portals leading to anywhere.

New Fiction from Tam May The Order of Actaeon

The Order of Actaeon, Waxwood Series, book 1

Tam May

c. Janurary 2018

Dreambook Press

Print ISBN 978-0998197920

Print $10.95

Ebook $2.99

Buy on Amazon

About the Book

Sometimes the hunter becomes the hunted.

Jake is heir to the fortune and name of the prominent San Francisco Alderdice family. Although dearly loved by his sister Vivian, his passion for art and his contemplative temperament make him a pariah in the eyes of his bitter, tyrannical mother Larissa.

Eight months after his grandfather dies, Larissa announces the family is going to Waxwood, an exclusive resort town in Northern California, for the summer. At first, Jake’s life seems as aimless in Waxwood as it was in the city. Then Jake meets Stevens. With paternal authority and an obsession for power and leadership, Stevens is the epitome of Larissa’s idea of a family patriarch. Jake develops a hero worship for Stevens who in turn is intrigued by Jake’s artistic talent and philosophical nature. Stevens introduces him to the Order Of Actaeon, a group of misanthropes who reject commercial and conventional luxuries for a “pure” life in the wild.

But behind the potent charms of his new friend and seductive simplicity of the Actaeon lifestyle lies something more brutal and sinister than Jake could have anticipated.

My review

Literary, and in this case, psychological fiction, is often hard to classify. It’s meant to be thought-provoking, and May’s full-length fiction certainly does that. I admit not having a base from which to understand the Alderdice family and others like them who can simply afford to move to a resort for several months, where the bulk of this story takes place. I’m also from a hunting family, so I also can’t personally understand the depth of horror others feel about killing for food. Maybe for perverse sport or torture, yes, but not as a necessity for gathering food.

That said, I also recommend readers understand the background of the very basic Greek myth of the hunter, Actaeon, before or during reading this novel. May does share the story in different ways through the book, but having a base knowledge first helps.

The Order of Actaeon is an oddly coming-of-age story about adult children who have never grown up in a family seemingly in isolation in many ways. The story begins in contemporary times in San Francisco and begins on a left foot in the purview of the family matriarch saying farewell to her dying father. Her view of her adult children seemingly sets one tone for the book that ends with the Introduction and Larissa’s voice. Jake takes up the storyline in chapter one. Jake will probably never step into the family patriarchal role of leader and business mogul. He has an artist’s soul, if not encouragement or self-acceptance. A character is introduced who has the power to send the family on a summer break, and then shoved off-stage. While on this summer break, another powerful man, Harding Stevens, steps into the gap and changes the course of their lives.

Another important aspect to appreciate this novel is to step into Jake’s shoes as he slowly reveals the depravation of his psyche and the desperation to fill it with love and admiration, no matter the source. May’s lyricism in describing the comparison Larissa makes between Jake and his father, no longer in the picture, show this beautifully when Jake broods that his mother has “kept photographs never taken and never thrown away” of his father. The love of his sister will never be enough. Jake’s need to garner the admiration of Stevens starts on the highest of proverbial pedestals, and you know what they say about the length of the fall. While he charms Larissa and repels Vivian who also has a strange attraction to him, Jake comes the closest to leaving his self-imposed funk.

The reader is led on an emotional awakening with Jake and Stevens. Toward the climax of the story, Stevens asks, “No one is going to alienate you anymore, isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?”

I’m not really sure how to describe what seems to be merely a prop, the Order of Actaeon as a group of men Stevens seemed to have stumbled upon. When I try to recall exactly the role of the group, I wonder if the story wouldn’t be just as good without them. But this is just the first book in a series, and I’m sure there are plenty more twists to come.

About the Author:

Tam May was born in Israel but grew up in the United States. She earned her B.A. and M.A in English and worked as an English college instructor and EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher before she became a full-time writer. She started writing when she was 14 and writing became her voice. She writes psychological fiction, exploring characters’ emotional realities informed by past experiences, dreams, feelings, fantasies, nightmares, imagination, and self-reflection.

Her first book, a short story collection titled Gnarled Bones And Other Stories, was nominated for a 2017 Summer Indie Book Award. The first book of her family drama series, The Waxwood Series, is out now in paperback. She is currently working on the second book of the series and a work of psychological women’s fiction titled House of Masks.

She lives in Texas but calls San Francisco and the Bay Area home. When she’s not writing, she’s reading classic literature and watching classic films.

For more information on Tam May and her work, feel free to check out her website at www.tammayauthor.com.

Leslie Hachtel Historical Time Travel with a twist

Released November 2017

EBook .99

Print $8.99

Historical romance

Historical time travel

Book 4 in a series, stand alone

Buy the book on Amazon

About the Book:

Lady Grace imagines escaping her cruel husband and miserable life. A portal into the past offers her so much more than she bargained for. Including meeting the man of her dreams whose life is at risk. Can she save him? Can he rescue her?

My Review:

Although I was asked to review this book, I was intrigued by the story and might have picked it up on my own. It is the fourth book in a series, but the first Leslie Hachtel book I've read. I like time travel stories, and the unique idea of traveling back in time from a time already long past was intriguing. The story was nicely done, full of romantic notions, pirates, lovely and spunky heroines with a punch, and juicy hints at romantic interludes. Although the author made appropriate nudges about the first three stories in this series, I never felt as though I was missing something, and am enticed to check out the other books as well as more of the author's work.

This is historical fiction from the early seventeenth century Britain, back in time to a moment of King Henry Viii. I changed my mind a couple of times about the identity of the smuggler ring, so that was a sweet success of a mystery to me. Nicely done, told in alternate viewpoints between the two main characters. Good research without getting boggy in detail. For those who like historical romances. Clean, with a lot of innuendo.

Song of the Shepherd Woman review

Song of the Shepherd Woman 

Carlene Havel

Sharon Faucheux

Biblical fiction

ISBN 978-1979693301

256 pp

9.99 paperback

.99 ebook

Buy on Amazon 

Buy on Barnes and Noble 

released November 2017

About the book:

In the first century, Channa’s stepfather gives her to her maternal great-uncle Avram to raise. Avram is known to be a peculiar, perhaps dangerous, man. His wife Yael cannot speak. Nevertheless, they are kind to Channah and teach her how to care for sheep. When her stepfather unexpectedly announces her betrothal to a Jerusalem tanner, the girl is forced to leave the only home she knows. 

Channah looks forward to a loving husband, but soon learns she is to be Enos the tanner’s second wife. The beautiful first wife is barren, and she resents her youthful rival. Channa struggles to adjust to marriage and city life, cherishing the hope of someday having her own child to love.

My review:

Song of the Shepherd Woman is a loving and faithful look at life in first century Biblical times. Havel and Faucheux have teamed up on several novels about biblical characters. All have been diligently researched and are thoughtful recreations of the period and possible events. The other characters have been well-known: Rahab, and Michal. The shepherd woman, however, is a typical country woman affected by profound events. Her uncle, generation earlier, was witness to an astonishing sight, but subsequently lost his faith.

Excellent writing aside, the mindful story made me think deeply about events surrounding the birth, life, and death of Christ, and how everyday people might have heard and reacted to his ministry. Channa lived only two miles from Jerusalem, yet, as a young woman fleeing from a disastrous trouble, had no idea exactly where home was. I found this poignant and very truthful. Often what we are seeking is within reach, and we are unaware. Avram lost his faith for a simple reason—he knew all the boy babies had been killed and assumed the savior was among them. Also very believable.

This story is painfully realistic on many levels. Don’t get too entrenched with anyone, just love the moments. Told from Channa’s viewpoint, this beautifully, haunting story is sure to help you dig deeper into your beliefs and appreciate the ordinary lives in the first century.

About the Author:

Carlene Havel writes Christian-themed romances and historical novels set in Biblical times. She’s lived in Turkey, Republic of the Philippines, and all over the United States. Carlene worked for a banana importer, a software development company, and everything in between. She attended several colleges and universities, including one that—surprisingly—granted her a diploma.

New YA story from Tim Fox

Kindle $3.05

Young adult adventure, geared for ages 10-18

About the book:

Abandoned by her troubled mother, twelve-year-old Tracy moves to her Great-aunt Lynette's farm in southwest Wisconsin. At first lonely and feeling distant from the stern old lady, things change with the appearance of a stray cat. With the help of her neighbor, Mallory, and a conservation warden named Jamie, love begins to grow between Tracy and her aunt, and a friendship blooms among the unlikely group. Kitty and Tracy then begin exploring their surroundings—the farm, and a nearby wooded canyon. The adventure that follows solidifies their bond, and forever changes their lives.

Inspired in part by true events, A PLACE FOR YOU is a story of growth in love, friendship, and courage.

My review:

Tim Fox’s second adventure story for young people set in Wisconsin, A Place For You, is a sweet story for the young girl reader who loves cats and mysteries. Loosely based around the story of a leopard raised in India and released into the wild who comes to her former handler for help during a flood, Fox’s story opens with a viewpoint reflection from a sick housecat looking for help. Tracy, a tween girl recently taken from a neglectful parent and placed with a great-aunt, answers the cat’s plea, and a lesson in responsibility, friendship, and love changes what could have been a long, lonely summer into one of adventurous fun.

Fox also introduces his readers to Big Girl, a cougar raised by humans and released to nature. Big Girl recognizes that Tracy and her kitty are no harm to them, and eventually recognizes Tracy as a kindred spirit and instinctive helper.

Self-published. My review copy had a few easily fixable minor errors. Recommended particularly for about fifth graders who love adventure stories, aren’t afraid of adding to their vocabulary and in particular, love cats.

About the Author:

I live in southwest Wisconsin, not far from the Baraboo Hills.

Hiking and exploring Wisconsin’s state parks and wilderness areas, and working out (especially lifting things!) make for good times.

I was a teacher for 17 years. I’m now a personal fitness trainer and an “Olympic-style” weightlifting coach who runs a gym in his garage.

I live with my wife, Tammy, our three kids–Brian, Ben, and Abby, a chubby old cat named Ringo, and ex-stray kittens named Kitten and Oscar. On the web: http://www.journeysiceageadventure.com/

Review of Blues to Blessings by Suzette Webb

Review of Blues to Blessings: Moving from Fearful to Faithful

By Suzette Webb

c. 2017

Light of Mine Publishing, Chicago, IL

Spiritual autobiography

ISBN: 978-0-9961127-2-7

$4.99  eBook

$14.95  Print

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About the Book:

Blues to Blessings: Moving from Fearful to Faithful inspires people to leap from their comfort to their miracle by renewing their faith and trust in the Lord. With fitting Bible verses and engaging, powerful stories, it guides the reader to a place of deeper connection with God and with themselves to ensure they are living the fulfilling, purposeful life they were meant to live. For more information, visit www.bluestoblessings.com.

My Review:

The author approached me to ask if I would consider posting an article on my blog. I was impressed with her content which was about evaluating your life, supposedly in time for its name day on October 16. I happened to be in the middle of a move and, unusual for me, ended up missing the date, but posted anyway. Read it here. Suzette was gracious and later asked if I’d considered reviewing the book that inspired the message. To be honest, I work with many authors of the same type of material and was a little hesitant to read another one.

What I found was a raw, emotionally packed journey. Webb told her story with emotional candor, sparing no one and nothing, not even herself, as worked through self-discovery to learn what was causing her to sabotage her outwardly perfect life. Financially secure, upper class, married with children in a nice home in Chicago, Webb had achieved everything she thought was the epitome of success during her dysfunctional and abusive childhood in New Orleans. But more than being passed over for promotions during the economic downtown that was the early 2000s, more than increasing dissatisfaction with her career path, even more than reigniting her religious faith, she realized the only way she was going to effect a positive change in herself was to go deep and heal pain she wasn’t aware she’d harbored.

Even though I wanted to tread lightly through her story, I found myself eager to pick it back up every time I had to put the book down. I was fascinated by the way Webb learned to evaluate her motives and shared her life lessons with her readers. Written in an engaging manner, readers are encouraged to participate in the transformation process, the same way a butterfly moves from egg to flight.

Recommended for those who appreciate biographies with deep lessons, self-exploration and evaluation, and spiritual matters.

About the Author:

An accomplished entrepreneur, Suzette Webb founded Light of Mine (“LOM”) in 2006, a company that designs and manufactures high-performance lighting systems for military armored vehicles. The opportunity to support our military men and women has been an honor for her both professionally and personally.

She also produces and hosts a devotional podcast called B Moments, which airs daily on Moody’s Christian radio station. This unique devotional allows time-crunched people to pause, reflect on their faith, and set positive intentions for their day. B Moments encourages listeners to take a moment to “Be still…to Be fed by the Word of God, and to Be grateful.” For a catalog of these daily devotionals visit www.bmoments.org.

Suzette holds an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, and a BA in Communications from Loyola University, New Orleans. She serves on the Board of Directors for International Teams, and is a member of Chicago Women in Publishing (CWIP). She is also a fund development services consultant for By the Hand Club for Kids, a faith-based after-school program that helps children who live in high-risk, inner-city neighborhoods have abundant resources and a fulfilling life. Suzette and her husband live in Chicago and have three sons. Visit her at: www.bluestoblessings.com.

Last Minute Christmas Buy for your reader Song of the Shepherd Woman with Carlene Havel

CarleneHavel writes Christian romance and historical stories set in Biblical times. I’ve been a long-time fan of her biblical fiction, from The Scarlet Cord about the story of Rahab to Daughter of the King, the story of Michal. Carlene shares some background on the creation of her latest release, Song of the Shepard Woman.

About the Book:

In the first century, Channa’s stepfather gives her to her maternal great-uncle Avram to raise. Avram is known to be a peculiar, perhaps dangerous, man. His wife Yael cannot speak. Nevertheless, they are kind to Channah and teach her how to care for sheep. When her stepfather unexpectedly announces her betrothal to a Jerusalem tanner, the girl is forced to leave the only home she knows. 

Channah looks forward to a loving husband, but soon learns she is to be Enos the tanner’s second wife. The beautiful first wife is barren, and she resents her youthful rival. Channa struggles to adjust to marriage and city life, cherishing the hope of someday having her own child to love.

A brief interview with the author:

Carlene, tell us how Song of the Shepherd Woman came about.

Carlene: What if events robbed a young man of his faith? What if he based his subsequent actions on a false belief? Suppose he learned the truth late in life. What if he was given another chance after he thought all hope was gone? Perhaps such a man could unwillingly take responsibility for a helpless child, a little girl who reminded him what simple trust looked like? These questions rattled around in my head, forming characters who became Avram and Channah in Song of the Shepherd Woman. After I fell in love with them, there was no choice but to write their story.

Song of the Shepherd Woman became a labor of love. Sharon Faucheux wove her historical research into my narrative, resulting in a story we hope readers will enjoy. We are offering this full length novel at an introductory price of 99 cents for a while, and it’s available just about everywhere ebooks can be found. 

Buy on Amazon or through Books2Read

Why Preventative Healthcare is Important

Hi, all - taking care of ourselves is a good idea. Healthline is a trusted website that provides good content. We're not going commercial in any way, just sharing solid information. And, yeah, I'm guilty, too. I live two hours away from my doctor, but have a virtual doctor visit available through my insurance. And just like the video at the survey site says...trying to get an appointment for a new doctor is crazy. It took nine months-no lie-with one health system out of Milwaukee WI to get established with a new internist. What country am I living in, again? But there are alternatives. Check the links and listen to the information. It's good.

~Lisa

Why You Should Get Regular Check-Ups

If you hate going to the doctor, you’re not alone. A survey by the medical scheduling company ZocDoc found that 80% of Americans delay getting preventative care, or forgo it all together.  Work responsibility was cited as the number one reason people cancel check-ups, while others cited not scheduling check-ups due to the difficulty of getting an appointment, or trying to self-treat with advice from the Internet. 

Despite all the obstacles to regular doctor visits, check-ups and preventative care are crucial pieces of maintaining your health long-term. 

Here’s a few reasons why you should make regular check-ups part of your routine. 

1. Find problems before they start. Early detection leads to better success with treatment and cure for conditions such as heart disease, cancer, STI’s, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Regular screening allows your clinician to treat problems before they become severe or even life-threatening.
2. Continuity in your medical records.  Your physician’s office will keep records of all your visits and can remind you when you need immunizations and screenings. Your primary care doctor can provide your medical records to specialists if and when you need them. 
3. Develop an ongoing relationship with your doctor. Seeing your primary care physician regularly ensures that he or she will have an ongoing knowledge of your health, and can be on the lookout for any changes that may signal a problem. Familiarity with your physician may also make you feel more comfortable discussing issues that require trust, such as substance abuse problems, domestic violence, or depression.
4. Ask questions about your health, or discuss any changes you have noticed.  While a variety of medical information is available on the Internet, Google can’t replace asking your primary care physician any questions you might have. If you’re worried about a strange looking mole or a swollen lymph node, seek medical advice from someone familiar with you and your health.
5. Ensure that you are maintaining a healthy diet and exercise routine.  Many health problems can be prevented or mitigated by eating nutritiously and exercising regularly.  Regular doctor visits can ensure that you’re checking in with someone at least once a year to make sure you’re eating properly and getting enough exercise. 
6. Keep up to date on immunizations.  Vaccines aren’t just for infants and toddlers. Adults may need booster shots for childhood immunizations, tetanus shots, or a yearly flu vaccine. If you’re traveling to a foreign country, you may need additional immunizations that your doctor will be able to inform you about. 

A physical examination is recommended at least once a year, especially for adults over 50. Women should receive regular Pap smears to check for cervical cancer and mammograms starting at age 40.  Men should be screened yearly for prostate cancer starting between age 40 and 50, depending on their risk factors.

New novel by GE Kretchmer

Bear Medicine

G Elizabeth Kretchmer

Women’s Fiction

Ebook $5.99

Print $18.93

ISBN 978-0-9961038-6-2

October 2017, Dancing Seeds Press

Buy on Amazon 

Buy on Barnes and Noble 

About the Book

Alternating between contemporary and historical times, Bear Medicine is a story about women helping women in a complicated, male-dominated world.

When Brooke sets off on a trail in Yellowstone National Park to train for an upcoming marathon, she is savagely attacked by a grizzly bear. One hundred forty years earlier, Anne accompanies her husband on a camping trip in the nation’s first national park and awakens one morning to find he’s been captured by Nez Perce warriors.

Both women encounter a sacred but savage landscape. Both fall under the care of American Indian women. Ultimately, Brooke and Anne will need to overcome multiple obstacles, with the help of their new friends and native lore, to find what she seeks.

My Review

Seeking and Finding are complicated…discovering what you need and what you want, and how you are needed can result in very different journeys from your starting point. In Kretchmer’s new novel, a simple camping trip, and a week away from distractions turn into life-altering challenges for two women separated by centuries.

The author maintains her story is about women helping women in a male-dominated world. That was certainly true for Anne, the nineteenth century wife who was forced to accompany her husband on an adventure in the wild west. Brooke, the twenty-first century wife, chose her destination, as well as her destiny. In this lengthy novel, Kretchmer weaves a story of how sacrifices in the past provided a haven in the present. Both main characters of different times were enslaved by societal ideals and customs; both discovered they were capable people in their own ways.

While the journeys of both historical and contemporary women parallel the other, the author takes time to flesh out events that lead them on the route to self-discovery. Historically, a widowed Nez Pierce woman and Anne team up to create a new settlement; Brooke finds a place of healing and communal healing as a result of that teamwork. I found Brooke hard to take on many levels. She was a compliant wife to an endlessly clueless and snarky overbearing man who, once on her own, became attractive to several different men in her new environment, even while whiny and needy. Her kids were disasters, but her journey to self-discovery was worth following. I wasn’t always sure where the author was going to take me, and at times, it seems she wasn’t, either.

The setting of the story was lush and rich and the characters nicely developed. Readers who appreciate historical struggles for women’s independence and modern day struggles for women’s assertion will love Bear Medicine. I found myself wishing to spend a couple of weeks at Maggie’s Place, the haven Kretchmer created as the Wyoming settlement strictly for women.

From the Author

Bear Medicine is my third full-length work. Originally from Chicago, I’ve also published The Damnable Legacy, a novel set in Alaska about how far we’ll go to achieve our goals and at what cost, and Women on the Brink, a collection of short stories about women facing life’s unwelcome realities. My short work has appeared in The New York Times as well as various anthologies and other publications. I hold an MFA in Writing from Pacific University and a BS in Accounting from Indiana University. When I'm not writing, I'm facilitating wellness-writing workshops, advocating for the environment, or working on my organic farm in the Pacific Northwest.

Media links:

www.gekretchmer.com
www.facebook.com/G-Elizabeth-Kretchmer
twitter.com/gekretchmer

debut historical fiction from Jennifer Trethewey

Tying the Scot

Jennifer Trethewey

Historical Romance

Series

c. November 2017

Entangled Amara

Ebook $3.99

Print – coming soon

Audible

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About the Book:

At age eleven, Alex Sinclair pledges an oath to the Duke of Chatham promising to serve and protect his illegitimate daughter, Lucy FitzHarris. Nine years later, the duke unexpectedly takes Alex up on his vow, offering the future Laird of Balforss his daughter’s hand in marriage.

Now a man, hotheaded Alex has difficulty convincing Lucy—who would rather starve to death than marry a vulgar Scot—to go through with the arranged marriage. Once Lucy arrives in Scotland, she cannot resist the magic of Balforss or the allure of her handsome Highland warrior. But when Alex seemingly betrays Lucy right before their wedding, she is tricked into running away. Alex must rein in his temper to rescue his lady from unforeseen danger and Lucy must swallow her pride if she hopes to wed the Highlander she has come to love.

My review:

Charming and delightful debut novel, wonderfully done. As described, it’s a marriage meant to be in the best interest of all parties—the illegitimate daughter of a Duke will never be accepted in London society, so is given to her father’s good friend and business partner’s son. Unfortunately, Lucy must travel north, away from everything she’s loved and known. Fortunately, Alex has grown up into a fine man. Lucy learns quickly there is much to love about Balforss, Alex’s home, and Alex, too—temper, playfulness, loyalty. Never having had a mother, she quickly takes to Alex’s family and their ways, and just when she’s decided that marriage better come fast before she and Alex get carried away, her past catches up to her.

I must say, with all the hype anticipating this book I was prepared for a bedroom romp, but the story is far from it. Sure, there’s sensual tension, but nothing out of the ordinary, and leads up to a highly anticipated wedding night. Well done, well crafted story to avoid being another cliché romance.

Told in multiple viewpoints from several characters, the author’s first book in the series shows adept, organic handling of customs, language and historical events without banging the reader over the head with brogue or unusual, unexplained practices or words. Some language. Tender and tough in all the right places. Recommended for those who enjoy Scottish or otherwise early nineteenth century historical romance and intrigue.

About the Author

Hi, I’m Jennifer Trethewey and I write about men in kilts because, hey, what’s not to love about a man in a kilt? I was lucky enough to travel to Scotland twice. I have fallen in love with the Highlands and all things Scottish: the people, their language, cuisine, customs, idioms, humor, history, intense sense of pride, and, most of all, the land—the perfect setting for sweeping romantic tales of love, strife, and glory. As they say, Scotland is pure dead brilliant!

I’m an actress, former co-artistic director of a professional theater company, and my husband and I operate an improv comedy club. I live with my comedian husband in the Midwest where I’ve been ever since college.

I write both contemporary and historical fiction full time. I like to read romance, mystery, fantasy, and paranormal, as well as literary fiction and non-fiction. I love movies and music and dogs and good wine and I love to enjoy them all with my friends.

FREE OFFER! - read the interview below to see terms.

The Prescience 

By Lorilyn Roberts

Inspirational Young Adult Fantasy

Print: $14.95

EBook: $.99

November, 2017

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About the book:

Seventh Dimension – The Prescience, A Young Adult Fantasy, is the fifth book in the Seventh Dimension Series that combines contemporary, historical, and fantasy elements into a Christian “coming-of-age” story. When bombs fall on Jerusalem, Shale and Daniel rescue an orphan and return to the first century. Amid supernatural tribulation, they hope to unravel the mysterious disappearance of Daniel’s father and the goal of the New World Order. When multiple realities collide, God reveals once again time is an illusion until the appointed times.

Lisa Lickel's review:

This is so far my favorite of the series. Although you do want to know what went before, it’s not necessary in order to immerse yourself in this story’s possibly real near future—the big one, where no one survives. The series takes a contemporary young lady, Shale, on journeys back in time, mostly to the biblical time of Christ where she experiences life in the first century AD. She meets and falls in love with a young man whose family is involved in the time portals responsible for these adventures. Shale and Daniel are on an ever-increasingly amazing rush toward the biblical end times.

Daniel knows he’s one of the special chosen, the 144,000 Jews of the book of Revelation, who will make the final stand against evil. He’s in love and wants to marry Shale. Problem, besides needing to find his father who may or may not be part of the events, is that the chosen are men who have not been with a woman—unmarried, or virgins. He needs to respect his calling, as well as Shale. This leads to a new phase in their relationship as they travel back to biblical times and other traumatic eras to unravel family secrets.

Temptation, more chariot racing, supernatural powers, good guys, bad guys, scary guys, and time dancing all make this thrilling next-to-last edition of The Seventh Dimension series a great inspirational read.

Told through multiple viewpoints, The Seventh Dimension series is geared for Young Adult readers, but anyone will enjoy the books. The Prescience is part of a series.

An interview with Lorilyn Roberts:

Question:  You’re near the end of the Seventh Dimension Series. Share with us some of the challenges and joys of writing a series.

Lorilyn:  The joys far outweigh the challenges. I’ve enjoyed spending the last five years with these characters talking to me in my head. The overarching story compelled me to search for answers to questions that arose as the series progressed. I wanted everything to be as historically accurate as possible. Many afternoons and evenings were spent reading the Bible and Christian nonfiction books, and I’ve watched dozens of YouTube videos about hard-to-understand topics like the Book of Revelation. Young people who read a lot have probably read scores of books about vampires, dragon slayers, and witches. I wanted to raise the bar. I wanted realism in my series, but I also wanted a taste of fantasy because that opens possibilities.

Writing the Seventh Dimension Series has allowed me to explore far more than could be covered in just one book. With only The Howling left to complete the six-book series, I’m looking especially forward to finishing it. I believe the ending will capture the reader’s heart, mind, and imagination. I never thought when I wrote the first book, Seventh Dimension – The Door, that I would end up writing six in the series. God kept showing me insights and great plotlines, so I just kept writing.

Probably the biggest challenge has been keeping track of what the two protagonists knew and when they learned it. Three books have been written from Shale’s POV and three will have been written from Daniel’s POV when the sixth book is finished. So they learned different things at different times and interpreted things differently from each other. So I’ve had to go back and re-read chapters along the way to make sure my memory was accurate. When I do that, I’ll find something that I think could have been written better. So I never quit editing my own work, even after the book is published, and that drives me crazy. I want my writing to be perfect, but there probably has never been a perfect book written except the Bible.

Question: Do you have a favorite scene in The Prescience?

Lorilyn:  I have one scene that’s particularly special to me. It’s a garden scene where Shale and Daniel are waiting in the train. The scene comes from something in my own life. When I was seven, my adoptive father wanted to take me on a train trip to see the fall colors in the North Georgia Mountains, but the train never left the station because of a broken coupler. Through the years, from time to time, I would think about that train trip that we never finished, wistfully longing that someday we would. Then, when I was thirty-seven, Gene was diagnosed with a brain tumor that we knew he wouldn’t survive. Through a series of events God orchestrated, we had the opportunity to make that train trip shortly before he went to heaven.

While the scene in the book has no direct correlation to that, the broken coupler happens in the story, and what Shale learns through waiting is something God has been trying to teach me my whole life. I’m just a slow learner. Because it’s such an unusual scene, I think readers will remember it long after they read the book. At least I hope so.

Question:  You’ve been through a life challenge while working on this story. Has your experience changed your writing style?

Lorilyn:  Absolutely. I wrote the first couple of chapters at the end of December 2016 and was diagnosed with breast cancer the first week in January. I wrote like crazy through January and February to get the first draft completed before my surgery on February 22. All I could think about was if I didn’t survive the surgery, I wanted the story to “live on.” I was still consumed with it after my surgery because I didn’t quite get the first draft completed, and then when I got to ninety thousand words, I realized I couldn’t complete the story in one book. It would have to be stretched into two. So I slowed down and began editing, editing, and editing—and finally relaxed. I began to realize God wasn’t in a hurry for me to complete it. He wanted me to make the most of each day, rest in His arms, so to speak, through my treatment, and give Him the glory for every trial I encountered along the way.

I remember many, many years ago, when I was about ten, I read a book that I’ve never forgotten. I can’t remember the title or the author, but the plotline was about a young girl who was in a hurry to grow up. She got her wish and grew up really, really fast, but she regretted it in the end because she missed out on so many things.

As I’ve gone through this last year, I found I couldn’t rush the treatments. I had to take each day as it came, and make the most of it. If I wasn’t up to writing, I didn’t feel guilty. If I couldn’t blog as much, which I definitely couldn’t, it was okay. So I’ve learned, I think, to be more patient, to take my time, not work as much, get more sleep, and spend more time with friends and family. I love to write, and it draws me near to God when I do, but God wants me to find my joy in Him completely. I can’t do that if I’m in a hurry all the time. That means taking the time and not living under compulsion to accomplish something every single minute of the day. Psalm 46:10 says: “Be still and know that I am God.” God made me slow down, and to be honest, I think it’s made me a better person. I have more defined boundaries.

Instead of captioning seven days a week, I now caption only five and a half. I’m on a daily reading schedule to read through the Bible in a year. I went to see a movie with my prayer group, the first one I’ve been to in at least five years. My daughters and I have gone to three theme parks in the last couple of months. I’m learning how to live again and not work all the time. How does that translate into writing? I think it makes me more productive when I do write. I’m not so tired and not so drained. It’s hard to be creative when you’re working night and day, seven days a week.

Question:  Can you share a hint about what we might expect for the next book in the Seventh Dimension Series?

Lorilyn:  The final book, Seventh Dimension – The Howling, is written from Daniel’s POV and takes place in the future. All the characters that have been introduced in the previous books will make an appearance, including the animals. The fate of all the main players will be revealed, and the reader will be left with much to ponder as he contemplates his own future. I also promise this:  The ending will be glorious!

Question:  What are you reading now?

Lorilyn:  Currently I’m reading Gone Missing from Emma Right’s Dead Dreams Series, and when I finish that, I want to read The Landlord by Cheryl Colwell. I’ve read books by both Indy authors and like their style of writing. If readers have authors they love who write suspense, mystery, or fantasy, I hope they will leave their recommendations in the comments section below. If I see one I decide to pick up on Amazon, I’ll send him or her a free coupon for a Kindle copy of Seventh Dimension - The Prescience as a thank you. 

About the author:

Lorilyn Roberts graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Alabama in 1993 with a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Humanities/Social Sciences. She won an award for "Outstanding Senior Project" upon graduation for her coursework that was done at the Institute of Holy Land Studies in Jerusalem. Ms. Roberts received her Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Perelandra College and is a graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature. Follow her Facebook Fan Page, https://www.facebook.com/LorilynFanPage/, and visit her website, http://www.lorilynroberts.com

Great gift book for your nature nut

Walking Home Ground book review

By Robert Root

Hardcover: $22.95

Paperback: $22.95

224 pages

ISBN: 978-0-87020-786-0

E-book: $9.99

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About the book

A lyrical mix of memoir, travel writing, and environmental history When longtime author Robert Root moves to a small town in southeast Wisconsin, he gets to know his new home by walking the same terrain traveled by three Wisconsin luminaries who were deeply rooted in place—John Muir, Aldo Leopold, and August Derleth. Root walks with Muir at John Muir State Natural Area, with Leopold at the Shack, and with Derleth in Sac Prairie; closer to home, he traverses the Ice Age Trail, often guided by such figures as pioneering scientist Increase Lapham. Along the way, Root investigates the changes to the natural landscape over nearly two centuries, and he chronicles his own transition from someone on unfamiliar terrain to someone secure on his home ground.

In prose that is at turns introspective and haunting, Walking Home Ground inspires us to see history’s echo all around us: the parking lot that once was forest; the city that once was glacier.” Perhaps this book is an invitation to walk home ground,” Root tells us. “Perhaps, too, it’s a time capsule, a message in a bottle from someone given to looking over his shoulder even as he tries to examine the ground beneath his feet.”

My review

Root begins his story by admitting he’s a non-native Wisconsinite, though claims home territory along the Great Lakes. A naturalist, an observer, teacher, and one endowed with curiosity, Root endeavored to discover and begin to learn all he could about his final home in a way few even bother to consider. Having just relocated from one side of the state to another to settle on a farm we’ve owned for over twenty years, I was enamored by Root’s introspection and tenacity to uncover secrets of the land, and perhaps, portend the future. He kept a detailed journal of his hikes, research, and thoughts for several years.

As mentioned in the blurb, Root follows three of our more known historical naturalist homeboys on his tour after becoming familiar with his immediate new neighborhood west of Milwaukee. He visits John Muir’s boyhood territory in Marquette County, as well as August Derleth’s Prairie du Sac/Wisconsin River, and Aldo Leopold’s sand country. These three lived and wrote about south central Wisconsin. Root spent hours with maps and literature from Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources and the Ice Age Trail Alliance, as well as dozens of resources about the authors, nature, topography, geography, history, and so forth about the area. The book is filled with generous details of the types of land, the differences between fen, bog, and marsh, the type of flora during the different seasons, underground, soil, native and invasive species. His knowledge of bird and animal life leaves me envious.

A somewhat saddened note sounds toward the end of the book in the section “The Land Itself.” “Settlement eliminated a great deal of Wisconsin life,” Root writes. Early pioneers describe a wondrous mix of topography and its supporting flora and fauna. “The last bison was killed in 1832,” he says, with a litany of now missing creatures. In his epilogue, Root invites us to “see the land as a community to which” we belong, and urges us to consider our lifestyle’s impact on the environment. He’s encouraged me to get to know my little piece of Wisconsin better.

Detailed and thought-provoking, Walking Home Ground is for those who love Wisconsin and enjoy nature and environmental reading. It’s a subtle call to action, and a request to remember where and who we are.

Any quibbles I had are the lack of maps, though I understand the reader is encouraged to get out his own map, or better yet, go. The book is detailed as mentioned above; once or twice I almost expected a test at the end of the segment. Included is an Index and a Resource list.

About the author

Bob Root (Robert L. Root Jr.) believes he has been a writer since he was around eight years old, when he came home with a friend from a showing of Superman and the Mole Men, pried open the lock on his mother’s typewriter, and created a series of very short adventures about Tiger Boy. 

A frequent presenter on creative nonfiction and composition at national, international, and regional conferences, his scholarship and teaching led to many articles and books. 

From 2008 until 2017 Bob was a visiting faculty member in creative nonfiction in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at Ashland University in Ohio. He is currently a teaching artist at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and a freelance editor of essays, memoirs, and literary nonfiction. He lives in Waukesha, Wisconsin.