Wakulla Book Review: A Summer in Oakville by Lisa Lickel and Shellie Neumeier, Review by Booker T.

Four of the Hasmer family are about to learn about love, forgiveness, and God. Contessa, known as Tessa, is seeking to divorce her husband Phil who has moved away to a big city and a job promotion—or so it seems. An old boyfriend is back in town, whom she’s attracted to.

Lindsey is a college graduate who can’t find a job so she moves in to her grandparents’ home and takes up the fight to save their farm.

Andy is an out of control teenager who’s lost his mom in a helicopter crash and is unable to connect with his father.

Arthur, or Art, is Andy’s father and is suffering from his wife’s death, his son’s out of control behavior, and his own demons concerning his brother Otto’s death years ago

Back on the farm in the summer, they find Oakville, Wisconsin to bring therapy, love, and a relationship with Christ into all four lives.

Purpose: One story has many different sides. The authors show how it differs from person to person.

Themes: Broken marriages and renewals. Letting loose and taking a chance on love. Forgiving yourself and others. Connecting and communicating to stop the pain.

This is a really good book. I enjoyed having the story from each of the four main characters. It really put a different spin on the whole story each time and left me sorting through my mind to connect the facts, feelings, and realities in the end. Good job, ladies.

Wakulla Book Review

Review by Booker T.

To purchase A Summer in Oakville, Click Here

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I want to personally thank all the men who are reviewing the books written by JOHN 3:16 AUTHORS. I am thankful that we are able to bless them and appreciate the encouragement given to us by their reviews. 

Each WEEK (usually on Tuesday), we are posting reviews from 

Wakulla Correctional inmates of John 3:16 books. 

Inmates are loving the new books from John 3:16 authors. 

Chaplain Steve Fox is adding the new books to the prison library in this initiative to "change lives to ensure a safer Florida."

Wakulla Book Review: A Summer in Oakville, by Lisa J. Lickel

The book has a great idea tell the same story from 4 people’s perspective, the four people in the story. It is good to see how different people see and talk about the same thing happening, but have a completely different take on it. It reminds me of the four gospels. They all tell the same story but all highlight different parts of the story.

The book is designed for older teens and adults. At times it was hard to keep up with [some of the characters]. It is a story about faith. Faith in God and other people. Cn you trust your family? It talks about our past and how our past can influence our present and future.

The story is based on a small Farmington town called Oakville, WI. It is a story about big business and the takeover of the small farmer. It is a story about how the younger generation must help the older generation. It is a about the survival of the family farm. More than of these, is the belief in how big is your God. The God of the Bible is able to overcome pride, your past, your future, big business, and more importantly, yourself.

Overall the book was good. As I said before, at times, it was hard to keep up with some of the characters. Some needed more of a backstory. Their past played into the current situation and I had to go back a couple of times to find why they were doing or saying certain things. Overall, though, it was a good read.

Reviewed by Ken B., a Wakulla Book Review

Purchase A Summer in Oakville from Amazon by clicking here

*~*~*~*

I want to personally thank all the men who are reviewing the books written by JOHN 3:16 AUTHORS. I am thankful that we are able to bless them and appreciate the encouragement given to us by their reviews. 

Each WEEK (usually on Tuesday), we are posting reviews from 

Wakulla Correctional inmates of John 3:16 books. 

Inmates are loving the new books from John 3:16 authors. 

Chaplain Steve Fox is adding the new books to the prison library in this initiative to "change lives to ensure a safer Florida."

A Summer in Oakville, New Book, Launch Tuesday, September 20!

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