Week 3 highlights for Illuminations of the Heart

I can't believe that we are now half way done with Illuminations of the Heart blog tour! Where does time go?

Musings for an LDS writing mom


Joyce has a way of bringing the locations to life with her descriptions and deep research. . . . The characters draw you into the story and make you want to read to the end so that you can figure out how everyone gets out of this impossible situation. grin. I don't want to give it all away...but you got to read it. Especially if historical romance is your cup of tea. Really!


Queen of the Clan

My very, very favorite part of Joyce's new book, is the romance. OK - I know you were all waiting for me to say that! . . . Joyce weaves a wonderful story, creates an attraction and tension between Triston and Siri, and never once do I have to skip sentences or flip pages. I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that I can read such a powerful romance book and never cringe. I can safely keep reading and enjoy every single one of those melt-my-knees kisses without worry it's going to lead somewhere my eyes, mind, and imagination don't want to go. I have so many friends and teenagers who raid my library of books and am so grateful I don't have to give any "disclaimers" before lending out of Joyce's books. THANK YOU, JOYCE!

I highly, highly, highly (I can add about a dozen of those!) recommend both of Joyce's books for the romance addict in your life - no matter if it's you, your teenager, or your wife (guys - you're lady love will give you lots of kisses and hugs after receiving this gift!). So, if you're just dying to get your hands on her books and can't dash out to the nearest store, simply click on the Amazon links below and you'll have your books in just a few days!

Write Bravely

This story is filled with rich characters and setting. As Tristan learns to cope with his anger and his guilt, the depth of his personality shines through. Siri was likeable and I found myself rooting for her. What really impressed me was the complexity of the plot and how there would always be one more twist even when I Thought everything had been figured out. . . . I couldn't put the book down. If you love clean romance with lots of excitement read this book.

Dreams of Quill and Ink

Illuminations of the Heart is a historical romance set during the middle ages. Lest you think it’s all swooning and kisses, let me illuminate (pun intended) some things I particularly enjoyed about this book.

The story is woven seamlessly with the time period. It is so organically done that one almost doesn’t notice—though the attention to detail and fact is there. I learned things about history that I didn’t know but in such a way that it didn’t feel like it intruded on the story.

As if that wasn’t enough, this romance is blended with mystery, suspense, and action. The plot doesn’t just move forward, it propels. I couldn’t stop reading.

The characterization is rich and satisfying. The characters live and breath from the page. Their histories, individual stories, and interactions blend in such a way that one would not be surprised to discover that they actually lived long ago.

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