This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Julia grew up Southeastern Wisconsin, the fourth of five children. She studied at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where she graduated with a degree in Secondary English and Theatre Education. While attending college, she had several short stories published in the university literary arts magazine, The Muse. In addition, one short story, “Sea of Glass,” won first-place prize for prose in the university’s annual writing competition in 2008. In 2015, Julia was awarded the Individual Artist Grant from the Region 2 Arts Council.
Julia taught high school Shakespeare and advanced composition classes until she decided to follow her heart and write. Seven Stones was a story that began as a daydream in high school and has since turned into a dream come true. When she isn’t writing, Julia can be found twisted into a variety of yoga poses, gardening, experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, eating chocolate, flying kites, playing board games, reading, cheering for the Packers, and embarking on adventures with her impossibly wonderful husband, Shane.
She currently resides in Northern Minnesota where she is pursuing a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science. Seven Stones is her first novel.
Reviewed by Melinda Hills for Readers' Favorite
Being different is hard for Keilann Douglas in Chicago, but even worse when the family moves to a small town in Scotland where her father takes a position at a university. Of mixed Ojibwa and Scottish heritage, Keilann discovers a gift drawn from both cultures – a sensitivity to dreams. Plagued by nightmares for months, Keilann is confronted by one of the figments in real life after she enters the circle of seven stones, one of many stone circles throughout the land that are said to contain spiritual energy. Each time she encounters this red-haired girl, she is drawn deeper and deeper into an unfolding story from Scotland’s past. Meanwhile, Keilann also suffers from the antagonism of school bully, Connor, and tries harder than ever to just blend in and go unnoticed. The plot of Seven Stones by Julia Lee centers around these physical and psychic challenges through which Keilann discovers she is not alone. Will she live up to her potential and overcome the obstacles preventing her from fitting in and enjoying her last year of high school?
Julia Lee has created wonderful, complex characters and placed them in an unconventional setting with special challenges in Seven Stones. Mixing two such diverse cultures that share a similar regard for the power of dreams is certainly unique and the background provided is interesting without becoming overwhelming. Many of the issues that plague teenagers are tackled with sensitivity and there is ample opportunity for the characters to grow, learning how to rise above the negative. Entertaining, engrossing and thought provoking, Seven Stones is an excellent story, well worth reading for many reasons.
