Kelowna, British Columbia
Local author writes book about teens and adoption.
Kelowna resident Johanna Van Zanten released GUARDIANS’ BETRAYAL, a novel for adults and teens about a fictional family with adopted children whose difficulties threaten to tear them apart.
Johanna started writing later in life. “I’ve always wanted to write a book,” Ms. Van Zanten said. As a social worker in various areas of the human services field throughout her career, she just started writing short stories first, and published On Thin Ice in 2012 (a short story collection) with help from a local business, The Word Is Out Writing Services: with Dona Sturmanis – deceased – and editing partner Rand Zacharias, who both were also involved in the new novel GUARDIANS’ BETRAYAL.
She took courses in the UBC creative writing programs with local author Laisha Rosnau, and on line with UBC professors Annabel Lyon and Nancy Lee.
Johanna had some success with her short stories: Fort Good Hope about her first trip to Canada was published in the MTLS (2011), short-listed for the Okanagan Short Story contest. Another story, Without A Home, made honorary mention in the contest for new writers in Glimmer Train (2012), a story made the short list in a CBC contest, and Birth of a Book was published journal Sage-ing (Okanagan Institute) and included in the anthology Creative Aging 2015.
Her blog is www.babyboomerwrites.wordpress.com.
GUARDIANS’ BETRAYAL – a fictional story – starts seven years after adoption, when the biological dad of the two adopted girls tries to get in touch and seventeen-year-old Shayla hits a wall. KIRKUS Reviews writes about the book: “An often emotionally insightful portrait of family life.”
The Kirkus full review can be read on the Kirkus book page Kirkus page (https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/johanna-van-zanten/guardians-betrayal/)
GUARDIANS’ BETRAYAL is available as a printed book with Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s Books, Ingram, Baker & Taylor, with a delivery time of 7 – 11 days and is available as an eBook with Amazon Kindle Select, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, GB, Scribd, Copia, Sentra.
The price for an eBook is CAD $9.99 and US $4.99, which is no fair exchange rate, and seems to me disproportionately expensive for Canadians. The price of CAD 6.50 would be closer to equivalent value. I wonder if Trump also slapped a 300% tariff on intellectual goods from Canada…
I am trying to set up a three-week special for people to download on line the book for a reduced rate of US $1.99 or for a review with Readers Review and Story Cartel and Goodreads. Let me know if you are interested and if it worked through these sites.
You can download a book at the Amazon link below.
Amazon site of Guardians’ Betrayal
This book is Johanna’s 2nd fiction that I was honoured to be one of the first to read.
As a friend I was reading through ready to provide constructive criticism. But this lady had been diligent in getting her story written not leaving any room for any needed change..
I have been looking at my stack of books and thinking about how I need to finish reading them.
With Guardians Betrayal, I started reading and finished. This is a true compliment as it captivated me and I could relate to so much of the story and dynamics of the characters.
Having been a social worker..adopted ..married…ect… I felt she caught the emotions with such insight. Well written and from her brilliant mind and heart.
Proud to call Johanna a dear friend and to recommend her books .
Dear Lisa, what a nice commment and a big honour from you, a staunch reader. Thanks so much!