Beta Readers Wanted: Source of Joy by Lynelle Clark

 

 

Source of Joy is the first book in the Connection series.

The document is available in Google Docs. Just email me for the link at lynelleclark@gmail.com.

I try to add a chapter a day so any feedback will be appreciated.

So far it is a 90k draft.

Genre: multi-generational family saga, Christian fiction, romance, mystery, and adventure.

 Questions to consider throughout the storyline:

1. How realistic do you find the characters?

2. Is there any part within the story that's unclear?

3. Since I know little about America or ranch life in general, your input in any of these topics will be taken into consideration. I try to do as much research as possible, but it's possible to still miss something. This will help to make the story more believable.

4. Are the characters realistic and relatable?

5. Does the storyline have a good flow or are there areas that needs to be rewritten?

Chapter 1 - 3 

 

Synopsis:

Source of Joy is a story of love and loss that brings a few generations together in a mutual bond of understanding and faith. Following the path of less resistance, be faithful to one’s dreams and God’s word might be harder than they thought.

One woman’s quest to be reunited with her son has a snowball effect on all she encounters. Trapped in a loveless marriage, Simone Stevenson walks a road of unfulfilled dreams while she remains in the shadows of a foolish man. As soon as her son follows his dreams, she withdraws in a shell of propriety and becomes a puppet with a lonely existence.

When she tastes the freedom at the Calloway Ranch, she realised she cannot return to her old manner of life. Back in South Africa, danger meets her as John Stevenson's secrets threaten to surface. She learns to cope with this growing tension and spend much time against the mountains of Camps Bay for guidance. That her son is happy helps to ease the pain of separation and she waits patiently for her next move.  

Bending the rules to keep his secret, John Stevenson will stop at nothing. Even commit murder if that will keep his secret safe. Living a double life, he soon realises that he has choices to make.

Against his father’s wishes, James Stevenson ends up on a Montana Ranch where the owner and his son teach him about ranch life, horses, and the freedom to follow your dream. Only during her brief visit does he realise the price she pays to visit him, and it leaves him with more questions.

Tripp Calloway leads a quiet existence in the Montana valley nestled between mountains and rivers where peace reigns. He heads the ranch with a strict hand and brook no excuses while he allows his son the space to grow. It is only when he meets Simone Stevenson that he realises he wants more in life. He, too, is challenged with lies that threaten to derail him and has to set his longing for a family aside. But a promise from God helps him to remain faithful to his dream and take this momentary delay as part of his process.

Celeste Stevenson knows about Simone, but Simone doesn’t know about Celeste. With her family at risk, she stop at nothing to keep her secret from being discovered.

All the characters involved in the plot trust God for a breakthrough in their lives. Will they listen or will life take its course and ran wild through them? How will the decisions they make now affect their futures later? Will Simone’s dream be fulfilled, or will she remain married to a foolish man?

Tracy Marshall is the daughter of Ben Marshall, a neighbouring ranch owner, with a crush on James. When Tripp offers her a position at the Conway Ranch, it gives her time to get better acquainted with the South African. But the two lovers might not overcome the brother's interference.

Travis Calloway has trust issues since his mother left him at a very young age. Simone helps him to get over this distrust and introduce him to a woman who works in the local diner. After an enormous loss, he asks God for help and has to trust His guidance as he continues to find his way.

A young flight attendant ends up in Billings, Montana. A world foreign to her. With nothing left to do, Mindy Botha follows a woman she has met once in her life to an unknown destination. The divine intervention connects her with a man so perfect for her she follows him blindly. Will she be able to put her dreams aside and follow God’s direction instead?