Linda Weaver Clarke
Clarke is the author of the historical fiction series, "A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho," which includes the following novels: Melinda and the Wild West - a semi-finalist for the "Reviewers Choice Award 2007," Edith and the Mysterious Stranger, Jenny´s Dream, David and the Bear Lake Monster, and Elena, Woman of Courage. A new mystery series, The Adventures of John and Julia Evans, includes the following novels: Anasazi Intrigue, Mayan Intrigue, Montezuma Intrigue, and Desert Intrigue.
Articles by Linda Weaver Clarke
September 04, 2009
The importance of family legacy can never be over emphasized. Do your children know their heritage? Who are your ancestors? What were their traditions? What religion were they? What beliefs did they have? Did they fight for a cause and what was it about?
Each of us has a story from our ancestors ...
September 01, 2009
The "Roaring Twenties" was a time of great change, when women raised their hemlines and bobbed their hair. It was a time of adventure, courage, and independence.
In the 1920s, the new generation spoke a language that their parents didnīt understand. They had words like: Catīs pajamas! Ah, horsefe...
July 20, 2009
Enter the world of "Make Believe" and read about the legend of the Bear Lake Monster, long family traditions, a tender love story, and a few mysterious events!
Scotland has the Lock Ness Monster and Bear Lake Valley has theirs. Do they really exist? The mystery of the Bear Lake Monster has been...
June 24, 2009
The waves splashed gently upon the shore and the full moon shone brightly upon Bear Lake, making the water shimmer. A deep foreboding was in the air and the fawn, sipping from the lake, could sense it. His ears perked up and he stood still while his eyes searched the area. Only the sounds of nature ...
December 12, 2008
If we can see a bright future for ourselves, we will work hard and not give up. The reason we work so hard is because we have hope for the future. Hope helps us to bear our afflictions. Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, "Hope sustains us through despair. Hope teaches that there is reason to rejoice even when...
November 25, 2008
Dreams are a part of life and they come straight from the heart. In fact, dreams eventually become our goals. If you work hard enough, you can accomplish anything you put your mind to. This was Jenny's philosophy.
When reading historical fiction, the reader feels transported to another time and p...
October 27, 2008
In the history of the Rocky Mountains, there have been many bears that roamed the mountains and fields. Early settlers knew the temperament of these animals, and that it was not wise to sneak up on a bear and surprise him. There was one such grizzly whose story has been told at several campfires to ...
September 25, 2008
After a book is published, an authorīs responsibilities are just beginning. Many people think that an author can now relax after the book has been written and begin their next book, but itīs not so. An author must promote his or her book by doing four things that will enhance the bookīs success.
...
August 27, 2008
Emotion is the secret of holding a reader, the difference between a slow or dynamic recounting of a story. When you feel the emotion inside, so will your readers. By giving descriptions of emotion, it helps the reader feel part of the story as if he were actually there himself. Emotions of a charact...
July 31, 2008
Holiday traditions make life worth living! We anxiously await that special day when we can celebrate with our loved ones. These traditions help to create a bond with one another. Each holiday has a special nostalgia that tugs at our hearts. We think of our stomachs and delectable food on Thanksgivin...
June 25, 2008
When we pledge allegiance to our country, what does that mean to us? Do we have tears well up in our eyes as we see our flag waving in the distance? Do we take our freedom for granted? Many countries have no rights and are not at liberty to say what they feel or to worship as they please. In some co...
June 15, 2008
Life is full of choices and we can choose any vocation we desire. What we do with those choices will make our future. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: "The future belongs to those who prepare for it."
We must develop our talents and acquire skills, gain knowledge and learn the lessons of life, no matte...
June 03, 2008
Enter the world of Make Believe with Edith and the Mysterious Stranger (ISBN: 978-1-58982-469-0), a historical/fiction novel. This book is filled with adventure and romance. With mysterious letters, cattle rustlers, a spunky woman, the liar's fire, Halloween, and young love, there is always somethin...
March 18, 2008
Historical fiction helps us to understand the past. It educates and entertains us at the same time. History books give us the facts, but historical fiction helps us to understand history in a special way.
February 26, 2008
Rugged mountains, lush valleys, and bright red patches of Indian paintbrush that seem to set the land on fire; grizzly bears, outlaws, and the Bear Lake Monster! Idahoīs Bear Lake Valley, located in the tops of the Rocky Mountains, has fascinating history. Here mountain men held many a rendezvous, t...
January 22, 2008
We enter the "Make Believe World" when we open a book and begin to read. In that little corner is a world that can fill us with wonder, where dreams can come true, where we can go on an adventure, learn about history, or we can fall in love all over again...reminding us of the first time we fell in ...
January 08, 2008
Family is important. It takes commitment and hard work to improve family relationships. With all the negative influences around us, we struggle to hold our families together. But itīs a battle that is well worth it.
Family must come first and foremost before anything else, even before our career....
October 01, 2007
"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." Anais Nin (1903-1977)
Friendship is a most precious gift that will endure the eternities. Cicero (106-43 BC) said, "Life is nothing without friendship." ...
September 09, 2007
We live in a world of hard knocks, a world where we can learn and progress and gain knowledge. We grow from the many experiences we have in life. Many times our sorrows and problems help us to understand another personīs sorrow. When we go through similar trials, then we are more sympathetic to othe...
August 24, 2007
Tribulation is part of life. No one can avoid it. Just as life begins to hand us something wonderful, then something inevitably pulls us down. Sometimes we have physical or mental stress put upon us at the most inconvenient time of our lives. We just want life to go smoothly, as it was before, with ...
August 01, 2007
Dreams are a part of life and they come straight from the heart. Mack David wrote, "A dream is a wish your heart makes." If you work hard enough, you can accomplish anything. Itīs all a state of mind. If you believe in yourself, then nothing else matters.
First, make a list of your goals. Write t...
June 11, 2007
Freedom is precious to all of us. It isnīt free, but itīs fought for. Have you ever wondered why tears so freely come to our eyes when we hear the Star Spangled Banner as our flag waves in the distance? Why do we value our freedom and hold it so close to our hearts?
Samuel F. Smith wrote, "My cou...
May 08, 2007
I wrote an article about "labeling students," describing the dangers of negative labels. In my article, I was trying to help teachers realize the importance of positive labels and how it can reinforce good behavior. Negative labels can reinforce bad behavior.
Sometime later I received some feedba...
April 29, 2007
"I shall pass through this world but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do, let me do it now; Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again." Grellet
Is it possible to make the community that we live in just a little better place?...
April 03, 2007
"Melinda and the Wild West" was a semi-finalist for the "Reviewers Choice Award 2007." Author Linda Weaver Clarke submitted her novel, a historical fiction love story to Reader Views Contest last fall. Irene Watson, managing editor for Reader Views in Austin, Texas, wrote, "We had a huge turnout of ...
March 01, 2007
The secret of happiness is a great mystery to many people, constantly searching for joy in everyday life. Iīve heard people say: "When I finally graduate from college, then my life will be better." "Iīll truly be happy when I get a better job." "As soon as my new home is built, I know Iīll be more c...
December 18, 2006
Christmas is a season of giving, a time when we show our love to others. During this season, how many times have we thought about giving of ourselves? The importance of serving others can never be over-emphasized. The measure of our love shows in what we do for one another. How many times has someon...
December 11, 2006
Dreams can come true, no matter what age you are. Dreams are a part of life and they come straight from the heart. Mack David wrote, "A dream is a wish your heart makes." In fact, dreams eventually become our goals. If you work hard enough, you can accomplish anything you put your mind to. Itīs all ...
December 04, 2006
Many times our every day lives can overwhelm us and we desperately need a break. Being a wife, homemaker, and mother can be a challenge and some days we feel discouraged. Thatīs the time when we would like to enter the world of Make-Believe. Perhaps after we do the dishes, change a diaper, and put o...
September 22, 2006
"Strong family relationships don´t just happen. It takes time. It takes commitment, it takes prayer, and it takes work." -- Eugene Hansen
Raising a family isn´t easy but if one has strong family relationships, then we can make better choices. We´re human and make mistakes but th...
August 31, 2006
There is a Law of Life that relates to everyone. This law is something we have no control over, but if we knew the importance of this law, we would accept it more readily. Most laws seem to be for our own good, to protect our rights and our safety. This Law of Life works a little differently. It wor...
August 14, 2006
Teachers have a great responsibility. They are not only teaching young minds, but they are shaping the future. Who knows if just one student in their class might become the next senator or a George Gershwin who was the king of jazz, men who made life a little better for all of us? The sad thing is t...
August 14, 2006
"No amount of success can compensate for failure in the home
(To be a parent is) the greatest trust that has been given to human beings." (David O. McKay) Being a parent is a great responsibility and many times we can get discouraged. So many times we feel disheartened because our children will not ...
May 15, 2006
"Do I really have to practice?" came the disgruntled voice of a teenager.
How many times have we heard this? I remember when my mother encouraged me to practice my instrument and how I tried to find one excuse after another to get out of it. Soon, she was sitting at the piano, willing to help me ...
April 21, 2006
"Friends, companions, and lovers
are closest to us who best understand what life means to us, who feel for us as we feel for ourselves, who are bound to us in triumph and disaster, who break the spell of our loneliness." Henry Alonzo Myers
Marriage is a sacred bond between man and woman, but ...
March 18, 2006
"Storms make oaks take deeper roots," my mother reminded me. She always told me that trials made us better people. They help us mature and grow. If a tree never had to fight for sun and water, but had everything given to it, it would become a scrubby little thing. In other words, the stronger the wi...
March 13, 2006
What did "family unity" mean to the pioneer family or the people who settled our country? For many of these noble people, family unity was both a necessity and a natural way of life. They relied heavily on each other for survival. Like families of the past, we have an even stronger need for unity to...
March 03, 2006
The importance of serving others can never be over emphasized. What are we here for if not to serve our friends and loved ones? The golden rule says, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." King Benjamin said, "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service ...