Reviews for Chronicle of the Mound Builders

It's always nice to hear what people think of my work. Here are some reviews for Chronicle of the Mound Builders:

Kudos for an Entertaining Book
"I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing is tight and the story is well constructed. The story consists of two story lines -- the first being the story of an Aztec father and son who are forced to flee their home, and the second being the story of a modern day archeology team that discovers a well-preserved jar containing a codex depicting the ancient story. The codex is sought by others, hoping it will lead to a talisman with supernatural power. Both stories draw the reader in and make you eager to find out what happens."

Awesome and Fresh Read
"I loved this book. It is a new concept on history facts and was a wonderful read. Kept my interest for the whole book. I live in St Louis and loved that it was incorporated into the book. Also learned some new facts about St Louis history. I would recommend this to people who love history with a new twist. Very well written and you can tell research was done."

I LOVE IT!!!!!
"I just finished the Chronicle and really loved the story. Fascinating! I liked the back and forth in time with each chapter. It was definitely my kind of story line. When does the movie come out?"

Read more reviews at Amazon.com (average 4.5 stars) and goodreads.com (average 4 stars).

Reviews for Living the Thin Life

I put a lot of time into writing Living the Thin Life, with the hopes that it would help my readers lose weight and then maintain that healthy weight for life. So I love hearing their reviews of my book and their success stories!

Entertaining and Informative
"This little book is designed for REAL people. Easy to read, entertaining, informative - a departure from the "one-size-fits-all" mentality of most diet books, it offers practical solutions that can be adapted to any lifestyle. I especially enjoyed the chapter on eating personality - it really helped me figure out the best diet plan for me. If you're frustrated with complicated diets, punishing exercise routines, and lack of motivation, this book's for you!"

Handy Reference Plus Recipes
"What I really loved about this book is that the author is not a professional nutritionist or fitness instructor. Elle Meyer is a woman who has figured out how to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle and is sharing her tips and tricks in this book. There are also a lot of recipes at the end of the book, that I can't wait to try out. This book is a easy read with loads of great information and I feel like this will be a handy reference for the rest of my life."

I Am Lion - Hear Me Roar!
"I am always trying to eat less, exercise more - something. So I loved the tips that this book and website have. The recipes and downloadable forms are great to help keep you on track - if nothing else to make you think about what you are eating. And I loved finding out my eating personality.....apparently I am a lion...roaaar! Which means I need a high protein low carb diet plan. Interesting! Which one are you?"

Check out more reviews on Amazon!

Author Interview for Living the Thin Life

Want to learn a bit more about Living the Thin Life? Check out this interview, conducted by my daughter, Vicki Lesage:

 

Have any more questions about Living the Thin Life? Ask in the comments!

Say What?

Got your tongue in a twist from trying to pronounce the Aztec and Mississipian characters' names in Chronicle of the Mound Builders? You're not alone! While these names are typical of the time period, they can be hard for modern speakers to pronounce. Listen to the audio samples to get an idea of what the Chronicle world sounded like.

Aztec Characters

Chipahua			Tototl
Nenetl			Ituha
Ichtaca			Milintica
Xipilli			Itztli

Native American Characters

Kaga			Gawonii
Midanga			Mina
Habatu			Nonnunge

Gods

Quetzalcóatl			Huitzilopochtli
Mictecacihuatl			Kwan'wala

Places

Zempoala			Tizaapan
Mexìcâ			Acólhua
Migaduha			Hiwaziki

Chronicle of the Mound Builders is on Tour Again

Chronicle of the Mound Builders is on tour with Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours:

May 20: Chick Lit Plus: Novel Spotlight
May 20: Lavender & Camomile: Excerpt
May 21: Every Free Chance Book Reviews: Guest Post & Excerpt
May 21: Amie's Reviews: Review
May 22: A Blue Million Books: Guest Post, Q&A & Excerpt
May 23: Ai Love Books : Review & Excerpt
May 24: Murder! She Read : Review
May 27: Brooke Blogs : Review & Guest Post
May 27: Samantha March : Q&A & Excerpt

Be sure to stop by each site and check out the reviews, excerpts, Q&A, and guest posts!

Chronicle of the Mound Builders is on Tour

Chronicle of the Mound Builders is on tour with Historical Fiction Book Tours:

Monday, May 13
Guest Post at Historical Fiction Connection

Tuesday, May 14
Review at Cheryl's Book Nook
Review at Confessions of an Avid Reader

Wednesday, May 15
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Thursday, May 16
Review at The Book Garden
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Friday, May 17
Guest Post at Flashlight Commentary

Monday, May 20
Review at Turning the Pages
Interview & Giveaway at The Maiden's Court

Tuesday, May 21
Review at Words and Peace

Wednesday, May 22
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Thursday, May 23
Review at The Musings of a Book Junkie
Interview & Giveaway at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Friday, May 24
Review at Bibliophilic Book Blog
Be sure to stop by and check out the reviews and interviews!

What's Cooking?

Serve up some Chili Tabasco Fish for dinner tonight, courtesy of my featured recipe in the "What's Cooking" section of the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Here's the article:

Elle Meyer is one of that rare breed who doesn't watch television. Her kids had left home, and she found herself with a lot of free time. So she decided to write a book.

"I took it up almost as a hobby," Meyer says. "I wanted to share with other people how best to maintain your weight once you've lost some."

Meyer lost about 20 pounds 10 or so years ago. Since then, she's collected recipes and adapted them to decrease the calories, carbohydrates and fat.

"I have a very picky husband, so the recipes have to be tasty, too," Meyer says. "Since I always seem to have other things to spend my time on besides cooking, I look for quick and easy-to-prepare meals."

Finding herself with all those recipes, she also starting asking friends and family members about their experiences keeping weight off.

She combined what she learned in "Living the Thin Life: Creative Ways to Maintain Your Weight For Life," which she self-published this year. The book is priced at $12 and is available at the Borders in Chesterfield Mall and online at www.ellemarieauthor.blogspot.com.

The book begins with disclaimers noting that Meyer isn't a doctor or nutritionist and that her advice isn't intended to replace professional advice. Rather, the book is a compilation of ways various people have lost weight and kept it off — and a recognition that the motivation and strategy for getting and staying thin is different for everyone.

"Sometimes I got completely conflicting stories," Meyer says. "Some people said they didn't eat as much at night, and some said they didn't eat as much in the morning. Some had positive role models and some had negative role models — people they didn't want to be like. People need to discover what uniquely motivates them."

Meyer's recipe for Chili Tabasco Fish was inspired by a meal she had last spring.

"I asked our waiter for the recipe, but all he would tell me is that the sauce contained chili sauce over a glaze," Meyer says. "It was the perfect combination of sweet and heat, so I tried to duplicate it at home. Using Tabasco Sweet and Spicy gives the fish its slightly sweet flavor."