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What People are saying about my Books

My releases in 2009 include a cozy mystery for Barbour Books called The Gold Standard, the first of a planned series of four. The second book is Healing Grace, an inspirational women's fiction book published by Zumaya Publishing. Both books have reader's discussion guide quetions available.

Meander Scar, Feburary 2010

1/16/10

Lisa Lickel is a shining star of women’s fiction! To let go of her scarred past Ann Ballard must trust the one man who has loved her forever, but at what price? Meander Scar is an emotional read that will yank your heartstrings long after you’ve finished reading.

Linda Wichman author of Legend of the Emerald Rose

2006 ICRS Christy finalist, 2006 RWA FHL finalist, 2005 ACFW Book of the Year winner

1/20/10Plot twists and turns make Meander Scar a romantic read. I enjoyed the characters and how love and forgiveness always matter the most in the end. Julie Scudder Dearyan 1/20/10

Lisa Lickel has written an unforgettable tale of love -- and life. It's a real page-turner.

Andrea Boeshaar

author of "Unwilling Warrior" (Realms Fiction)

www.andreaboeshaar.com

1/27/10Sheesh woman, you are like a female Nicholas Sparks, but I LOVED IT!!!

Lisa Lickel is an author to watch. Never before have I read a story like this; a beautiful love story that moved me emotionally because of the message. It has a similar tone to Nicholas Sparks and there is emotion packed into every scene. The faith element is raw, honest, and bold. The writing is gripping and pulls you right in. The romance is absolutely breathtaking and powerfully done. I loved this story so much it's making my best fiction for 2010 list. I could not put this wonderful novel down. It really makes you think hard about your life and the people you love. That, in my opinion, is what makes a novel like this one so great.

Michelle Sutton
http://www.michellesutton.net
http://edgyinspirationalauthor.blogspot.com

2/1/10Meander Scar

By Lisa J. Lickel

Black Lyon Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-934912-23-2

Review by Michelle Griep

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.

Meander Scar, besides being an intriguing title, is quite the metaphor for the curve balls life often throws our way. A meander scar is basically the path water takes when confronted with a barrier so that it must split or bend, but then reunites to form a straight course. Author Lisa Lickel weaves a story that shows how hurt and healing frequently intersect.

The main issue tackled in this book is the appropriateness of love and romance between an older woman and a younger man. I had no idea about the stigmas attached to such a relationship. Because of the experiences of the main characters, Ann and Mark, I have a new understanding and compassion towards a situation I’d never even thought about.

I mostly related to Ann, which is kind of a given being that I’m a woman. But besides that, heroine Ann suffers from debilitating migraines. Lickel accurately portrays the symptoms and just how interrupting headaches can be to one’s life.

Meander Scar is not a light-hearted read. It’s a hard hitting drama that will make you think, and a fine addition to the Black Lyon contemporary romance line.

Reviews 2009

About Healing Grace

On Goodreads

Dawn kunda rated it:

Intensely emotional with a touch of magic.

On leastread.blogspot.com - John Otte

Monday, July 20, 2009

Healing Grace

I saw the ending coming. But that's only because I got to read this one before it was published. Insert big cheesy grin here.

No, seriously, it was my pleasure to read Lisa J. Lickel's book, Healing Grace. Lisa is one of my fantabulous critique partners and I got to read the end of this one when we first met. So for me, it was interesting to see how the book started.

It's the story of Grace Runyon. Grace is from a small town in Tennessee, a Christian community where gifts of the Spirit are alive and well. Grace has the gift of healing. Or at least, she did. But then tragedy up-ends her life in a major way and she runs as far as she can, all the way to the town of East Bay, Michigan. There she tries to recover from her loss.

Only to find herself on the verge of a new one. The house she buys belonged to a single father named Ted Marshall. Ted is battling serious health problems that will likely prove to be fatal. Even though Grace is still suffering from the traumatic scars of her previous life, she finds herself falling in love with Ted. That's a problem, because it seems as if God and her gift have abandoned her. What can she do when she's falling in love with a man that she could have healed but can't anymore?

Lisa's book was great. You really feel for Grace as she tries to cope with her loss and tries to construct a new life for herself. It isn't as easy as it sounds, especially since there are undercurrents in East Bay that threaten to take her down. Lisa especially weaves together some great mental images with her words, conjuring up the area around East Bay and making it live. And Eddy Marshall, Ted's son, has to be the most precocious fictional kid I've met in a long time.

So go and check this one out for yourself. You won't be disappointed!

On Facebook

About The Gold Standard

On Goodreads

08/12/09

Dawn kunda rated it:

Read in April, 2009

Easy to read combination of mystery, faith, and romance. Well done!

Davejrank's review

rating:

A worthy first effort. Interesting characters, well formed. The book could have benefitted from a little more room to more fully develop the plot.

On Facebook - Lisa's fan page,

Reader Linda Smith says:

Just wanted u to kno I did get your bk finished and loved the O' Henry ending--or was it an Elijah moment. Anyway it was a gripping page turner as they say. I like a little intrigue but not so much that I get tensed up trying to "relax" with a book. Just the right amount in H.G. I had a flashback with the Meijer's Superstore reference. We used to call it Meijer's Thrifty Taker's instead of Acres as it was know then. My first exp. w putting a bleeding chicken on same conveyer belt as sox and screwdrivers. Had to dig staples out of boxes ourselves which was also new. Anyway, I wanted to compliment you the most on such accurate reporting on the environment. You must do a lot of research or have a lot of travel experience. I felt just like I was there at each scene. And your adj. vocab and phraseology is really rich. Your questions were good but I didn't want to stretch my brain to answer them. I would have if I'd been in a bk club gr. but didn't want to work so hard for just my own edification:).