Out of Darkness to Accepted Love

About the Book

C. Clyde Squires depicts accepted love in a print of a wedding scene. This artwork is a part of a series of five prints of the stages of love, given to my grandmother in 1916 for her bridal shower. The prints serve as an inspiration for the novels written for each. The first is mother love in Annie’s Love, the second is puppy love in Sophie Writes a Love Story. For Carol Braun the pathway to accepted love was long and difficult because of tragic events in her life, which led to counseling. Carol was a loner in college until she decided to try to force herself out of her shell of protection and face the demons haunting her since childhood. The result is disastrous. Jeff Lipton is a young businessman and vulnerable to a beautiful woman who takes advantage of him, manipulating his attraction to her to wreak havoc with his business and his personal life. His experience leaves him angry and unwilling to pursue another relationship. Out of Darkness to Accepted Love tells the story behind these two individuals who will put the past behind them. From this vintage print comes a present life story that addresses the mental effects of child abuse, rape, and manipulation. The application of counseling and religious guidance directs them to forgiveness and strength of character, and it can be a guide to any reader suffering from such tragedies.

About the Author

Linda Kay Christensen, a former farm girl from the central Illinois town of Delavan, has enjoyed many years as a bank manager, a self-employed accountant and tax preparer (CPA), and an online instructor for Keller Graduate School (DeVry University). She earned her bachelor’s degree in business management and her master’s degree in human resources from the University of Illinois, Springfield. Linda’s history in writing has included everything, from business communication, teaching, and journaling to occasional poetry and writing a daily blog. Her inspiration for Out of Darkness to Accepted Love comes from a series of five prints by C. Clyde Squires given to her grandmother in 1916 as a wedding gift. The people that the artist has created in these prints will come alive in Linda’s series of the five stages of love. Life in the time of the prints has changed dramatically, allowing for a new look at the stories with a modern view of the prints. Linda helped her mother, Wilma Diekhoff, complete her memoirs in a book that includes two hundred recipes from family and friends. Wilma held a book signing at Barnes and Noble at the age of eighty-two. Flavors from the Past: Memoirs and Recipes of Wilma Weiland Diekhoff is now only available in digital format with various e-book publishers. Linda’s first romance fiction novel published in August of 2014. Annie’s Love addresses a mother’s love in its various interpretations. It is available in digital and print. The second book, Sophie Writes a Love Story, was published in January 2015 and addresses puppy love. Linda is married to Jerry, a former engineer and now a master gardener. They live in Fredericksburg, Texas, and travel extensively, meeting many characters who contribute to Linda’s writings. She is a member of the Writers’ League of Texas in Austin. Follow Linda Kay at http://senioradventureswithlindakay.blogspot.com.