Wednesday, May 30, 2012

I'm thrilled to Have . . .

Linda Rondeau here today talking about her recently released The Other Side of Darkness and her America II: The Reformation due out in July. Linda just won the Selah Award at the Blue Ridge Writing Conference, for best debut novel. Congratulations, Linda!

Welcome, Welcome!


“Hegel was right when he said that we learn from history that man can never learn anything from history.” --George Bernard Shaw

I love history and am a museum freak. Then why don’t I write historical novels though I enjoy reading them?

Maybe someday I will. For now, I enjoy blending history into my novels. In my first book, The Other Side of Darkness, an inspirational romantic suspense written under the name Linda Wood Rondeau, I weave historical references into a contemporary setting that creates an ethereal aura throughout the book.


Back Cover:
Haven: a perfect vacation spot filled with mystery and romance except for a killer bent on revenge.

Manhattan prosecutor Samantha Knowles is stranded in a quirky but intriguing Adirondack town. But she must return to NYC to repair the unraveling case against convicted child killer, Harlan Styles.

Teacher Zack Bordeaux fears he is doomed to a life of mediocrity if he remains in Haven but would be willing to stay if it means a life with Sam.

Landscape artist Jonathan Gladstone feels bound to an estate he both loathes and loves, haunted by the deaths of his wife and son until he falls in love with a spirited attorney and rediscovers his artistic passion.

These three, betrayed and betraying, must find their way from the darkness of broken hope to the light found only in Christ, our surest haven.     

 

******

M soon to be released novel, written under L.W. Rondeau, America II: The Reformation, begins the saga of a post apocalyptic world, a global government on the verge of civil war. It tells of the struggle of freedom, and the never-dying quest for individuality.


Early America was formed by individuals who sought to make a better world in a new land, many to pursue religious freedom. Like-minded colonies banded together forming a separate government yet remained loyal to their mother country. As the colonies flourished, they became stronger, diminishing their dependence upon England. They even formed government apart from English rule. However, England could not afford to lose the wealth and goods the colonies provided. English rule became oppressive and the colonies rebelled to form a new nation.

In America’s future, all nations have surrendered their sovereignty to form a global democratic government called The Accord, short-lived and replaced by an oppressive faux democracy called the Constitutional Government, so named for its Fourteen Articles of Constitution, where religious observance of any kind is forbidden. However, dissidents could leave the fortified cities and fend for themselves in uninhabitable areas called the outland, much like the colonists traveled to a new world for their religious beliefs.

The Western America outland learned to band together and thrived, their goods and tribute to the Constitutional Government invaluable. When these communities formed a cohesive government called the Network, the core of The Constitutional Government: one nation, one world, one vision, becomes threatened, especially if these dissidents claim themselves an independent land. If they secede, other outlands are likely to follow suit, thus splintering the Constitutional Government, plunging the world into global civil war once again.


To prevent this, the in-coming President of the Constitutional Government, has designed a Preservation Act which will make all dissidence, past and present, an act of treason punishable by death. The harsh stance of the Constitutional Government cannot quell the deafening cry for freedom. 

The difference between . . . 
COLONIAL AMERICA

. Thirteen colonies
. King George
. Sought religious freedom
. Came from other lands
. Tamed a wild land
. Independent government patterned after British law
. Declaration of Independence

and . . .

AMERICA II

. Five communities
. Edwin Rowlands
. Seeking religious freedom
. Defectors from fortressed cities
. Tamed an uninhabitable land
. Fashioned a government after the principles of The Accord, the earlier global government


Back cover:
Following unprecedented climatic changes, resultant pestilence and war brought the world into chaos. Eventually, each nation surrendered its sovereignty to form a global democracy, initially known as The Accord. However, the democratic government proved too weak and was soon replaced by a faux democratic rule.

The year is 2073, and current governor of Western America Province, Edwin Rowlands, is poised to become the Constitutional Government’s second president. Many fear that the sweeping reforms found in his proposed Preservation Act will set him up as a dictator. If enacted, defection both past and present would become a crime punishable by death, thus bringing all outlands into crushing subjection.

While most believe reform is critical, factions disagree on how to prevent the Preservation Act from becoming law. Ahmed Farid, second President, believes reform can be managed within the existing government. Leader of the Revolutionary Army, Jimmy Kinnear, trusts only in military intervention. However, Jacob Goodayle, Chairman of Western America’s illegal outland government, favors separatism.

As tensions rise, civil war seems imminent. Who will be the voice of reason in a world on the verge of a third dark age?


******
A graduate of Houghton College, Rondeau has spent a previous career in the field of human services, often engaged with families in crisis. She credits these experiences in human drama as the edge in creating unforgettable characters. Furthermore, her prior work has shaped her vision of a future world should current sociological issues remain unchecked over the next several decades.

After more than thirty years in the Adirondack region of Northern New York, Rondeau now resides in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband Steve and their cat Duffer. When not writing, she enjoys theater, golf, and hiking.

The author welcomes your comments via Facebook, Linked In, Goodreads, or Twitter or visit her on the web at www.lindarondeau.com.

To purchase TOSOD:





Thank you, Linda.
Folks, check back here later in the summer for an interview with Linda.
Blessings, all.

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