Books are food for my soul! Pull up a beach chair and stick your toes in the sand as the Jersey surf rolls in and out, now open your book and let your imagination take you away.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Write from the Heart by Heather Hummel


Write from the Heart by Heather Hummel
Published By: PathBinder Publishing, LLC
Release Date: July 12, 2011
Format: Paperback - 254 pages / Kindle - 507 KB
ISBN: 0983030847
ASIN: B005GPRDY0
Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Contemporary Romance / Chick Lit / Women's Fiction


About The Author:






Heather Hummel is a "photonovelist" who blends her love for photography with her award-winning career as an author. Her published works include:

Journals from the Heart Series:
Whispers from the Heart (2011)
Write from the Heart (2011)


Nonfiction:
Go Bike & Other Signs from the Universe (2011)
Gracefully: Looking and Being Your Best at Any Age (McGraw-Hill, 2008)


Essays: 
Messages of Hope and Healing (Sunpiper Media, 2006)
Blue Ridge Anthology (Cedar Creek, 2007) with David Baldacci and Rita Mae Brown


Awards:
2009 Mature Media Awards, Merit Award
2009 New York Book Festival, Honorable Mention


Heather's books have appeared in newspapers such as: Publishers Weekly, USA Today and the Washington Post; and in magazines that include: Healthy, Body & Soul, First, and Spry Living, a combined circulation of nearly 15 million. A graduate with High Distinction from the University of Virginia, Heather holds a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree concentrations in English and Secondary Education. She is currently earning a Ph.D. in Metaphysical Sciences.


AUTHOR WEBSITE
PHOTOGRAPHY WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
GOODREADS
Heather Hummel's Write From The Heart Tour Page on Chick Lit Plus


BUY THE BOOK: Write from the Heart
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE


Disclaimer: At the request of the author, publisher and Chick Lit Plus, a Kindle edition of the book was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest review and participation in the virtual book tour event.

Virtual Book Tour Event: On Monday, March 12, 2012, in association with Chick Lit Plus, author Heather Hummel participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post on Jersey Girl Book Reviews. http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/03/author-guest-post-heather-hummel-author.html


Write From The Heart Virtual Book Event Contest: Win A $10 Amazon Gift Card

To enter the contest, click on the above link and post a comment on Heather Hummel's Write from the Heart Tour Page on Chick Lit Plus to win a $10 Amazon gift card! If you purchase your copy of Write from the Heart before March 19th and send your receipt to Samantha@ChickLitPlus.com , you will get five (5) bonus entries!


Book Description:


Journals are a woman's best friend ... When Samantha Sounder quits her office manager job the day after yet another boyfriend breaks up with her, the emotional havoc of these two events launches the beginning of her new life. Samantha dives into therapy with Ragnar Axel, a traditional therapist who explores her failed relationships and sends her on a wild goose chase through her old journals to rediscover herself. Despite the unsettling reactions of her best friend, Amanda, and Ragnar, Samantha decides to walk away from the corporate world and follow her dream as a novelist. She sets out to craft her first novel, Winter's Truth. Hesitantly, she accepts the unexpected guidance from Craig, an unlikely man she meets at the coffee shop. Along her journey, Samantha picks up a new journal and titles it her "Positive Journal," declaring to only write positive thoughts in it. Samantha's life transforms from one of despair and loss to hope and faith as she navigates through new territory and explores the possibility of finding love over lattes.


My Book Review:


Samantha Sounder has been looking for love in all the wrong places for many years. When her latest boyfriend Robert broke up with her, she did the unthinkable, she quit her job as an office manager the next day, and decided to follow her dream to become an author. Samantha also decided to seek out answers to why all her past relationships didn't last, and why she couldn't find the love she so badly wanted. She contacted a therapist, Ragnar Axel, who recommended that they should explore her history of failed relationships, and encouraged her to read her journals from the past seven years to see if there were any patterns that may have developed from the relationships. While rereading her journals, she discovers that they contained a pattern of negative thoughts, a lot of complaining and venting, which was a real eye opener for her. She realized that she had been continuing the cycle of creating negative experiences in her relationships over and over again. She decided from that point on she had to change her way of thinking and writing, so she started a new journal of "Positive Thoughts," where she would focus and write only positive thoughts down in the hope of transforming her life for the better. As she begins writing her first novel, Winter's Truth, at her favorite coffee shop, she meets Craig, a fellow aspiring author, who assists in helping her learn the ropes. With the support and guidance of Craig and her best friend Amanda, Samantha embarks on a journey of self-discovery, where the power of positive thinking could change her life if she followed its doctrine to believe, to allow and to have unconditional faith that everything you desire can come to fruition.

Last October, I read the author's first book from the Journals from the Heart Series, Whispers from the Heart, and absolutely loved it, so I was eager to read the second book, Write from the Heart, which did not leave me disappointed. Write from the Heart is a warmhearted, feel good story that captivated me from the beginning, and resonated deep down in my soul. The author provides a storyline that is well written and intriguing, it compels the reader to follow along on Samantha's journey of self-discovery, and ponder about their own life and way of thinking. This story is so much more than the typical chick-lit romance story, the author provides the readers with a lesson in the power of positive thinking concept, and how effective a tool journal writing can be if one wants to go on their own journey of self-discovery. I was really intrigued by the concept of the power of positive thinking and journal writing, that I'm considering keeping a journal. The characters were realistic and fun, their engaging personalities made it so much fun to get to know them. I really admired Samantha's character, and was cheering her on as she went on her journey of self-discovery. I could relate to Samantha's character in a lot of ways, and the lessons she learned on her journey gave me a lot of food for thought about my own life. I absolutely loved Craig's character, he is everything that a woman would be very happy to call her own. I liked how the author also gives the readers a look inside the author and publishing world, I thought it was fascinating, and it gave me a new appreciation for all the authors that provide us with such wonderful stories.

Write from the Heart's positive and inspiring message is one that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. This novel is a must read, it provides the reader with a nice mix of romance and positive personal lessons that will not leave you disappointed.


RATING: 5 STARS *****





3 comments:

  1. Thanks, Kathleen! Glad you loved this one, too!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you Samantha and Heather for allowing me the opportunity to read, review and host the virtual book tour for Write from the Heart. It truly is a wonderful story that is a must read. :)

    ReplyDelete