LinkedinTwitterThe DetailsConnectBlog Facebook Meet the TherapistHome For Writers

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Therapeutic Review of Scattered Pieces (Plus My First Published Endorsement!)

A few months ago, someone took me up on my "therapeutic editing" services. Alice Lynn had written a book with a heavy psychological element and wanted my expert opinion on whether those scenes (and the story line in general) rang true.

I eagerly put on my editing hat and gave her several suggestions, mainly geared toward the time frame that the story was set in and the psychological premises that dominated my field during that era. Alice looked at my suggestions, made changes and tweaked as necessary, and that book saw the publishing light of day on September 3rd, 2011! Here's the cover:


Let me tell you....I had a blast doing this. It was fun to read therapist scenes and assess for feasibility. Of course, it doesn't hurt at all that the book was splendid, so when the author contacted me for an endorsement, I was all for it. Let me show you a copy of page two (a screen shot taken from my Kindle...click to enlarge) of my very first endorsement:


I didn't write those words lightly. From Chapter One, I truly was captured. Here's a blurb from Amazon:


When Katie’s little brother is snatched in 1946 it tears her family apart. It’s only through her friendship with the irrepressible Marilyn and Marilyn’s handsome brother Tom that she navigates a lonely childhood. In college, studying psychology helps Katie understand her mother’s mental illness and her own fears. And it leads to a client who may know something about her brother’s disappearance. 

Katie essentially narrates her life from the start of the incident when her brother is snatched. Alice delves deeply into the confusion and horror that would arise as a little girl, entrusted to watch her brother, loses him. The moment impacts Katie forever, and nothing remains the same.

I loved that she chooses to go into psychology. This is so true to life! Many therapists and psychologists are in fact, wounded healers, attracted to a field/career of healing in oftentimes vain attempts to fix what's wrong with ourselves. Katie's journey is a page-turner. Once she gets into the clinical part of her schooling, where she sees clients and learns and makes mistakes in that arena...I had to stay up late finishing it. The ending is simply wonderful...very satisfying. This is good stuff, people!

Here's a bit about Alice:

A native Oregonian, Alice Lynn spent her formative years in the Willamette Valley. She has pursued interests that range from horseback riding and amateur theatricals, to sculpting, gardening, and sewing. Her mother, who was a great reader, instilled in her a love of books. Writing seemed to flow naturally after that and has always been a part of her life. She graduated with a degree in psychology from Marylhurst University in 1999. Currently she resides in Oregon City with her husband and three cats. Alice just released her third book, Scattered Pieces.

You can find Scattered pieces at the following online retailers:
http://amzn.to/ScatteredPieces, http://bit.ly/BNScatteredPieces, http://bit.ly/SmashwordsSP. Alice is also the author of Wrenn: Egypt House and Volunteer for Glory.

Connect with Alice online:



For a chance to win Julie Lessman's newest release, A Heart Revealed, click here!

8 comments:

Kristen said...

This is fantastic! Congrats, Alice!! And you too, Jeannie, on your first published endorsement!!
have a great day:)

Lisa Nowak said...

I was introduced to Scattered Pieces when it was still a first draft, and it was wonderful then. I loved watching Alice craft it into the page-turner it is now. She was so excited to work with you and get your feedback on the psychological aspects. Congratulations to both of you.

L.J. Kentowski said...

Alice is such a great writer and I can't wait to start reading Scattered Pieces. Congrats Alice on this fantastic review. And kudos to you, Jeannie, on all the help you've given in making it successful.

Miss Sharp said...

So awesome! Congrats to Alice and Jeannie. Can't wait to get my hands on a copy!

Miss Sharp said...

Just had to post again to say I checked out Alice's blog and read about her son, Joe. My gosh, what a touching story and so well-written.

Patricia Lichen said...

Terrific! Alice's two other books, "Wrenn: Egypt House" and "Volunteer for Glory," can be found on Amazon.

Juniper said...

What an interesting idea, to have your characters "shrunk." Especially for a psychological thriller with the twists and turns of personalities and a nicely written story. Perhaps I'll send one of my characters to your virtual sofa.

mplanck said...

I'm overwhelmed at the encouragement that comes through in the comments above. Thank you so much, Kristen, LJ, Miss Sharp, Patricia, Lisa, and Kat. Every single word of support means so much. And, of course, kudos to Jeannie for her expertise, insight, and review. Alice

Post a Comment

Both comments and questions are welcome. I hope you enjoyed your time on the couch today.