REVIEW OF “HEALING GRACE” by AUTHOR LISA LICKEL

Healing Grace by Lisa Lickel HEALING GRACE BY LISA LICKEL   Grace Runyon could fix anyone — until her husband developed cancer and died. Believing no one would forgive her, Grace runs from the life she knew, hoping even God wouldn’t find her in a little out-of-the-way town in Michigan. It takes a very sick man and his little boy to help her face her past, accept who she is and battle her way back to redemption. Just when they begin to hope for the future, he relapses. Grace faces the ultimate choice once again: Trusting God to work through her precious gift, or letting a terminally ill man die. What if the price is more than she can pay? Healing Grace can be purchased directly from the Publisher or it is available on Kindle & Nook!

Meet Lisa Lickel! Lisa Lickel lives with her husband in an old house built by a Great Lakes ship captain, collects dragons and enjoys travel. Her published novels include the Buried Treasure cozy mystery series, Meow Mayhem, the award-winning romance Meander Scar, the linked novella anthology A Summer in Oakville with best-selling author Shellie Neumeier, and the paranormal romance Healing Grace.  She is a freelance feature writer for local news, writes short stories, magazine articles and radio theater. She is the editor in chief of Creative Wisconsin magazine and loves to encourage new authors. Lisa also is an avid book reviewer, a freelance editor, a writing mentor, a hostess at Clash of the Titles.com, and enjoys blogging at The Barn Door and Author Culture.

MY REVIEW

OF

HEALING GRACE

Healing Grace is a story of powerful interactions in the relationships between characters that are at first strangers to one another. Two members of this large cast in particular have severe emotional and physical injuries that could lead to destruction of faith in one soul, and death to another. 

Lisa Lickel has authored a compelling story of healing through the various ways God has provided. Ms Lickel’s writing is thought provoking, intense, rich in emotion and complex. Her character’s personalities are thoroughly developed, realistic and vividly imagined in my mind’s eye. Her story is mysterious but not mystic. Let me share a bit about this story with hopeful intention that you will add Lisa Lickel’s “Healing Grace” to your reading list. 

Grace Runyon finds herself in unfamiliar East Bay, Michigan without memory of how she got there. She had fled from the graveside of her husband Jonathan’s burial, overwhelmed with guilt and grief. Ashamed and blaming herself because she couldn’t save him through her God given gift – one that had been passed through the generations before her. Believing everyone including God had abandoned her. She wanted to erase the past, which was impossible – so she ran and hid herself from anyone in Woodside, Tennessee from finding her.

 Impetuously Grace bought a house in East Bay that had been neglected and empty over a year. Grace learned the house had belonged to Ted Marshall of the prominent Marshall family living next door. Ted was too ill to maintain the house and properly care for his small son after being critically injured in an auto accident. Ted was divorced from his flighty wife who subsequently disappeared. The Marshall “house next door” became an immediate thorn in Grace’s side and intrusive when Ted Marshall and son Eddy appeared at her door with a loaf of bakery bread to welcome her. Ted’s appearance startled her almost speechless at seeing him leaning on a crutch nervously beginning to sweat with his left leg and arm quivering. 

“This man, God but all screamed in her inner ear. This is why I brought you here. For your touch.” 

Ted also had a motive for visiting Grace that first day. He asked Grace for a favor that would be life changing in every respect. Little did Grace know what lie ahead of her in East Bay. It was not going to be easy. Still mourning her great losses, her entire family – Jonathan being the last, would not stop haunting her. Grace wanted away from death and illness – to heal herself. Grace’s occupation as a Physical Assistant, coincided well with her “gift of healing” soon found her employed at the local clinic. She was compelled to use her gift successfully in a couple of incidents, however could not bring it about again and considered God was denying her the gift and she was a failure. East Bay residents became skeptical and suspicious of Grace. They called her a witch among other things that ruined her reputation. Grace is constantly harangued. Hard criticism and pressure tested Grace almost beyond her capabilities. 

Would Grace lose her mind? Maybe. 

Romance for Grace and Ted? Perhaps. 

Has God taken away her gift? Grace fears so. 

Would Eddy be orphaned if Grace’s touch cannot heal Ted? 

So many questions that can only be answered in Lisa Lickel’s brilliantly written book. Guess you had better buy it and find out. 

Healing Grace is categorized as paranormal, however I personally can’t see God working miracles through earthly beings as abnormal, paranormal or not normal in any way. It’s real and totally believable. 

This being my first read of Ms Lickel’s works, it definitely won’t be my last. With exquisite narrative I was drawn into Grace’s life, as though she were my best friend. Lisa wrote in riddles so perplexing that I honestly couldn’t guess the ending until the last “i” was dotted and “t” crossed…leaving me enthralled with this story where grace abounds Grace Runyon. 

Thank you, Lisa, for sharing your “gift” of imagination glorifying God. You are indeed blessed. 

♦♦♦♦♦♦

There hasn’t been a post here for the past month because I’ve been in Portland, Oregon visiting my 94 year old mother and my brother.  Even at her age, she loves and cares for her garden and flowers, is an avid reader and bakes cookies every Saturday for the church fellowship hour on Sunday.  My brother lives with her as her caregiver, who I thank God for, because I live too far from them geographically to be of help.  While I’m with my mother, my brother flys to the East coast to visit his daughters – so I can help her during that time.  Mama amazes me – she still insists in cooking the meals and does a remarkable job.  We are so blessed to still have her with us and I pray that the Lord will allow her to stay as long as possible in her good health.  I am with her for at least four months of the year and cherish every minute.  Just wanted to share that with you and say that I’m glad to be back with you again.  I’m praying that you all will be blessed by grace.

In Christian Joy,

Barb