Lisa has graciously offered an e-book version of her story to one lucky reader, so as usual, leave your comments below with how you can be reached.
About Lisa
Lisa Lickel is a Wisconsin native who writes inspirational novels with Midwest flavor. She and her husband live in a hundred and fifty-year-old house built by a Great Lakes ship captain, filled with books and dragons. She enjoys travel, filling the bird feeders, reading and quilting and visiting with friends and family.
About Meander Scar
Love can heal even the deepest scars …
After seven years with no clue as to the whereabouts of Ann Ballard’s missing 
husband, nearly everyone presumes him dead. Now forty-something, Ann is ready for her stagnant life to flow again. Then one day, a dark-haired younger man from her past shows up on her doorstep offering a river of hope in place of tears.
Former neighbor Mark Roth has secretly loved Ann for years. A respected attorney, he’s returned home to help Ann face down disapproving family members and the legal maneuvering of her likely deceased husband’s family— while quietly winning her heart.
When the hidden truth of Ann’s situation turns their lives on end and another tragedy strikes, the two must come to terms with family, faith and the depths to which true love can run.
Hi, Lisa! What’s your latest book?
Thank you for letting me visit, Roseanna. My newest book bears the unusual title Meander Scar. It released February 15 in both print and Kindle eBook format from Black Lyon Publishing.
Definitely an intriguing title! What’s your favorite part of the story?
My favorite part is when Ann discovers what happened to her husband. I love all that suspense stuff, and using Ann’s inner turmoil to take the reader on her quest to solve this mystery – whether she even wanted to. She questions her sanity, her evidence, and herself, all the way through the process. Both Ann and Mark had trials to face as they decided to enter into a relationship. How far was Ann willing to go to keep Mark on her side? That concept was interesting to explore.
Oo, gotta love the deep, winding paths we have to take through ourselves! Is there a theme to this book?
I start all my books with themes. For this book I chose to explore the definition of family. As I wrote and rewrote over the course of editing, agents, and readers, and finally, the publisher, this theme evolved into the exploration of staying power. The title refers to the course of a river that bends when it runs into, say bedrock, or something that diverts it away from a naturally straight course. The water curves until it meets the original path. The abandoned water-filled curve eventually dries from a lake to a swamp, then heals leaving a meander scar. In a way, the book took a meander of its own when I was asked to rethink large chunks of story. I loved the idea of using a natural phenomenon to describe relationships. Everyone hits a hard place and has to make decisions. Those decisions affect the people around us. How far will we go off course when we struggle? What happens to get the path running true again? Healing, like writing, takes a lot of determination.
Well, I just learned something! And how cool to use something like nature as a metaphor! Nothing like tapping into God’s creativity, eh? Are there any people (family, writing group, editors) who you rely on when writing?
I have several people in my writing life upon whom I rely. My anatomy/science teacher husband makes a great thesaurus when I ask him strange questions, like “what’s this bone called again?” pointing to my leg. I also belong to a couple of critique groups and have a special writing partner. A couple of years ago at Easter, I needed to brainstorm names for places in this manuscript, and asked all family members for suggestions for the rehab center. I also rely on my readers. Especially for this story, the ending seemed muddled to me until Deidre said at lunch one day, “it’s time we had a story that says Christian men don’t leave their wives.” The rest of the story fell into perfect clarity after I heard that.
Ah, the “click.” Love it when a story gets one of those. =) Aside from writing, what takes up most of your time?
I’m a local historian and work with local society programs and preservation. I also spend a lot of time working with other writers through critique, mentoring, and book reviews.
“That’s so cool!” says this history buff! What writing goal have you set for yourself that would be the hardest (or unlikeliest) but most rewarding to achieve?
Do I look like too much of a snob when I say I’d love to win a Pulitzer? That’s just the top for me. I read books like Marilynn Robinson’s Gideon and think, wow—to be able to weave a story like that would be a reward unto itself. My real goal is to eventually write a book that can be reviewed in the Library Journal.
I think that is a fabulous goal! And not too snobby at all. Here’s rootin’ for ya! Do you remember where you were when you got your first or most important call about a book contract?
The publisher for Meander Scar is half the continent and two time zones away from me. I was at my local writing club when I got the call to discuss the contract. I had a hard time focusing on critiques after that.
I bet the others were very understand, LOL. What are you writing right now?
I’m putting the finishing touches on a manuscript I wrote while my oldest son was courting his wife. I’d started it before I met the young lady but the parallels between them and my main characters are going to be hard to convince the family otherwise. A missionary who is determined not to let anything or anyone come between him and serving his field clinic, and a guarded young lady using a pre-arranged relationship as a crutch even though she longs for a bigger life have to regroup when God interferes in their plans. I’m also writing the third mystery in my cozy series that began with Barbour’s The Gold Standard, book one of the Buried Treasure series.
Can’t wait to see them out!
~*~
Readers, you can check out more about Lisa and her books at http://lisalickel.com and visit her blog at http://livingourfaithoutloud.blogspot.com. Her book can be purchased from the publisher or in Kindle format.
Contest ends 3/25/10. Void where prohibited by law. Winner will have two weeks to claim the book before another winner is chosen.
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.
Thank you for posting about this book because I had never heard of Lisa or Black Lyon Publishing. The description of Meander Scar really appeals to me and I love to read on my Kindle. Thank you for an interesting interview and chance to win a copy.
cjarvis [at] bellsouth [dot] net
I find that neat that Lisa is a local historian. I'm sure that opens up new avenues for research. As a former assistant librarian, I am a resarch junkie, too. Please enter me. Sounds like a great read.
julesreffner(at)gmail(dot)com
Looks interesting!
We posted about this giveaway at Winning Readings: winningreadings.blogspot.com/2010/03/meander-scar-ebook.html
janemaritz at yahoo dot com
Sounds like a very intriguing book. I would like to find out if her husband appears on the scene after she's fallen for someone else.
Please sign me up. And I found out about this giveaway from Carmans site.
Deborah M.
debbiejeanm[at]gmail[dot]com
This comment has been removed by the author.
Enjoyed the interview and would love to be entered into your giveaway. Thank you for the opportunity.
Smiles & Blessings,
Cindy W.
countrybear52[at]yahoo[dot]com
Wow thats one book id really like to read! Please enter me 🙂 caren sent me
me_cheerful at hotmail dot com
Please enter me. Thanks!
krhmoseslake[at]gmail.com
Hello to Carmen and Casey and pbclark – I'd love to continue to chat about any questions anyone has about any of my books.
Looks like a great book!
Thanks for the chance. 🙂
caseymh18(at)gmail(dot)com
Please enter me for this book. I'd love to read it. Thanks.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net
Please enter me. The book's theme sounds intriguing. Thank you!
desertrose5173 at gmail dot com
Hi Lisa…I would LOVE to read your fabulous novel…thanks for the opportunity.
And to Roseanna, a fabulous posting…as always 🙂
karenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com
And thank you, Janet – that's sweet. I'm glad you liked the mystery. I guess I put a little mystery in everything I write, although this book is a little "tougher" than the sweet romance. I hope someday the sequel to GS comes out, which takes place three years later, when Hart and Judy are having a baby. Lots of excitement all around.
Thanks, everone – you're making my day, especially since we woke up to an inch of new snow. It's pretty, but,um–it is the first day of spring you know.
Stephanie, the title is something that's stuck with me since I learned the term. I think hitting a hard spot in life that causes your path to meander is different than a picturesque winding nature trail. But the fact that a meander eventually comes back to itself is intriguing. I just loved the idea and the story grew around it.
I want to enter!
tiffanyniekro at hotmail dot com
Sounds so fascinating!
What a fantastic interview! I just loved hearing Lisa's son courted. That's awesome.
I'd love to win this book. Please add me to the drawing.
Thanks so much
tweezle at gmail dot com
Loved your answers, Lisa! And Ro, I'd love to win this book (coax, coax, coax) Big smiles & hugs too!
Thanks for sharing.
You haven't forgotten my email have you, R?
LOL
I would love to be entered to win Lisa's book. I loved The Gold Standard. Blessings, Janet
Please enter me as well! Stephanie (at) StephanieMorrillBooks (dot) com
Lisa, how did you come up with the title "Meander Scar"?
Hi, Jackie, I'm honored you've heard about it. Thank you to Roseanna for hosting me. I love to chat and answer questions, too.
Lisa
Please enter me for Lisa's book….have heard so much about it! Thanks!!!
jackie.smith(at)dishmail(dot)net