Yellow Bricks and One Smooth Stone

When I took my first step on the yellow-brick road to Oz (aka The Elusive Land of Book Publication), I expected I would encounter witches, flying monkeys, and other obstacles along the way. What I didn’t fully realize was how many amazingly cool and talented traveling companions I would “meet” as I journeyed.
It has been fun to cheer others on as they’ve reached their goals, and today I’m happy to share a press release for a fine Canadian author I first met through Dave Long’s faith*in*fiction discussion board.
Meet Marcia.
And her book, One Smooth Stone.
And now for the press release:
Third Book Is A Winner.
Walter Wellesley Smith once said, “Writing is easy. All you have to do is
sit down at a keyboard and open a vein.” Not all writing is that intense,
but Marcia Lee Laycock admits that it’s not easy. “You do make yourself
vulnerable in some ways,” she says, “and once it’s out there, you can’t take
it back, but you just have to take a deep breath and go for it.”
Laycock believes the key to being successful is to just keep writing. “You
can’t wait for inspiration to strike,” she says, “you have to be disciplined
and write on a regular schedule, even when you don’t feel like it. That’s
the only way to get it done.”
Mrs. Laycock, a pastor’s wife now living in Central Alberta, Canada, has
proven that her system works. Her third book, One Smooth Stone, won the Best
New Canadian Christian Author Award in 2006 and was published by Castle Quay
Books in September of this year. (Distributed by Augsburg Fortress Books).
It has been garnering rave reviews and Marcia is pleased that readers have
shared how the book has made a difference in their lives. “That’s what it’s
all about,” Laycock states. “That’s why I write.”
One Smooth Stone is classed as a contemporary novel with strong elements of
suspense, wrapped in a story about a young man named Alex Donnelly who is
trying to hide from his past, the police, and from God. He runs north to the
Yukon where he succeeds for a time, until a lawyer shows up on his doorstep
to tell him he has inherited a sum of money. Alex is skeptical – being
raised as a foster child did not lead him to believe anyone would give him
money. But to find the details he must return to his birthplace. Nervous
about contact with the police, Alex is haunted by the ghosts of his past and
then discovers a disturbing truth about his mother. Angry and hurt he runs
back to the Yukon and tries to hide even deeper in the wilderness. But God
has another plan for his life.
A reviewer wrote – “Laycock’s own experience of living in the Yukon no doubt
helped in her depiction of Yukon life, which is not only plausible but
colorful. The barren landscape, peopled with more than its share of social
misfits who then face the challenge of surviving some of the cruelest
conditions on earth, feels completely believable. As well, the stark,
isolation sets off the rugged strength of the characters and fits this story
well. I was glued to the story to the last page. The chain of events feels
natural, and trouble heaped upon trouble keeps the pace brisk. The tight
plot is enhanced by Laycock’s efficient story-telling style. Her prose isn’t
showy and doesn’t get in the way of the story’s spell.
All in all, the trim (252 page) One Smooth Stone would make a perfect
stuffer for a Christmas stocking and a lively winter companion on a blowy
night.”
You can view a trailer and read an excerpt of the book on Laycock’s website,
www.vinemarc.com The book is available through any Christian book store or contact the author through her website.
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Congratulations, Marcia! I’m proud and happy for you!