Author Interview: Sky Kiss by Kathy Maresca

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Sky Kiss by Kathy Maresca, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Sky Kiss 
Author: Kathy Maresca 
Publisher: Porches & Planes Press 
Release Date: November 1, 2026 
Genre: Second Chance Romance

When love gets grounded, can it learn to fly again? 

The same day her special operations wing leaves for a rescue mission, Sergeant Rubi Wesson abruptly departs the Air Force. After becoming a successful counselor specializing in neurologic disorders, her military days seem like a distant dream. 

When the September 11th tragedy brings the country to its knees, Rubi learns about a plane crash involving Flynn Fletcher, the pilot she loved but could never land. Locked in a toxic marriage, she is tormented by lingering questions and unshakable regrets. 

The rehabilitation counselor becomes single again, daring to reconcile her losses. She uncovers what she buried so long ago, her what if. Will Rubi have the courage to reach into the past and chart a new course?  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

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Excerpt

“How are things going with that psychiatrist you’ve been talking to?” This time, Jewel’s voice is loud enough for both Rubi and the women at the next table to hear. All four ladies turn to look at her.

Rubi smiles and nods, briefly making eye contact with each woman and wondering what Sigmund Freud would do in this situation. The idea of a public discussion about her mental health causes her to lose her appetite. “Ladies. Mom. Dr. Emory is a neuropsychologist. I have a neurologic disorder, bad dreams, and a sore jaw from clenching my teeth. It can lead to pain that comes directly from a cranial nerve.”

“I do that too, clench my teeth,” says a woman with short auburn hair styled similar to a 1970’s shag. She raises her thick, painted eyebrows. “Maybe I should see somebody about my jaw. Sometimes it hurts like crazy.”

The three other ladies smile at Rubi, who looks back at her mother. She slowly shakes her head back and forth. Jewel wears a smirk. Rubi picks up her caramel-colored hobo handbag, fishes through it, and passes a business card to the next table. “I used to work with an excellent orofacial pain practitioner. She’s local and can give you sound advice about your jaw.”

“Thank you,” the woman says, giving Rubi a wide grin. “Shall I tell her who referred me?”

“Rubi. She’ll know.” She turns back to her mother.

“Sorry about that.” Jewel sniggers. Even at age eighty, her silver hair, sparkling green eyes, and beautiful complexion remind Rubi that her mom made a living in the beauty business.

“I know there is somebody out there who is perfect for you, girl. Don’t give up.”

Rubi stops herself from rolling her eyes. “Mama, we’ve been over this topic. Made it into a flag and raised it up on a pole. Can we at least bring it down to half-staff?”

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Also Available

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About the Author

Air Force veteran Kathy Maresca served at the USAF Academy and then in special operations at Hurlburt Field. She edited for the University of Florida and taught English, journalism, and drama. A trigeminal neuralgia overcomer, Kathy is a retired credentialed rehabilitation counselor who has helped others experiencing facial pain. She lives in North Carolina with her husband Keith and their three dogs. Her debut novel, Porch Music, was a Christy Awards finalist.

Connect with Kathy by visiting kathymaresca.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Author Interview

Q: What inspired you to write Sky Kiss? 

Kathy: I am an Air Force special ops veteran who wants the world to see how far women in the military have come. Once upon a time, we had to tolerate unsavory remarks and condescending attitudes. I want to celebrate women who have served even in the toughest times.

Q: How long did it take to write this book? 

Kathy: The first draft was women’s fiction, not a romance. It was under contract for eighteen months with a publisher who went under. That’s when I decided to rewrite it. I began in 2021, so it’s been a long time coming.

Q: What surprised you while researching/writing this novel? 

Kathy: Drawing on my own experiences I learned that truth really is stranger than fiction. I kept hearing from beta readers that some things weren’t believable, but they were in fact true. I listened to my readers and made the changes.

Q: Sky Kiss involves September 11th and a toxic marriage. Should readers prepare for an emotionally heavy novel? 

Kathy: Sky Kiss follows Rubi’s life, sometimes in a nonlinear style. We spend only a few moments with married Rubi, and her husband is not mentioned. The toxic marriage is only one aspect of her life that needs to be healed. Although it is not a book about divorce, a book about a special ops veteran is emotionally heavy story with an HEA ending. Rubi has an invisible disability, and it is pertinent to the story.

Q: Do you have a favorite quote from Sky Kiss?

Kathy: “Rubi hugged her steering wheel, her tears producing a liquid landslide of lost love. . .But he remained inside, silently telling her what she already knew. She was less than, just an enlisted girl who did not fit into a pilot’s flight plan. Seven minutes after leaving his kitchen, she turned her ignition key and drove home. Even with a tank full of gas, she was running on empty.”

Q: When did you first know you wanted to be an author? 

Kathy: I started writing short stories in elementary school. I wrote short plays, poetry, and short stories all my life. But sometime this millennium, I got the urge to write a novel.

Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers wouldn’t know? 

Kathy: A few weeks after graduating from high school, I drove by myself to meet my father for the first time. I was seventeen.

Q: What are you currently reading? 

Kathy: I am reading Isola by Allegra Goodman for book club.

Q: What is an upcoming book release are you looking forward to? 

Kathy: Kathleen Fuller’s Autumn at the Cat Café.

Q:  What is your favorite season and why? 

Kathy: I love autumn. A native Floridian, I was always happy for a crisp breeze to touch my face. The colors are spectacular, and Thanksgiving is a wonderful time even though I don’t like pumpkin pie.

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Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a $25 Amazon gift card plus a Sky Kiss tote bag, Sky Kiss microfiber cloth, and Sky Kiss coasters!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight November 11, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on November 18, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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Book Spotlight: A Bookshop for Christmas by Heidi Chiavaroli

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for A Bookshop for Christmas by Heidi Chiavaroli, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: A Bookshop for Christmas 
Author: Heidi Chiavaroli 
Publisher: Hope Creek Publishers 
Release Date: October 20, 2026 
Genre: Christian Women's Fiction

Seven estranged cousins. One ambitious project. A hundred ways it could all go very wrong. 

When Brooke’s beloved grandparents die unexpectedly, their final wish brings her scattered family back to Hope Creek, including Jeremiah, the boy she once loved—the same boy who abandoned them when the Chilton clan disintegrated years ago. Despite the long-held grudges and awkward secrets that kept them all apart, Brooke and Jeremiah convince the Chilton cousins to help honor their grandparents’ last request: to take the old church they saved from destruction and turn it into a bookshop that will serve their beloved community. 

And to do it all before Christmas. 

But repurposing the church building may be easier than healing the deep wounds that tore their family apart. Secrets, both old and new, threaten to destroy Brooke and Jeremiah’s hope that this project could be a new beginning for all of them. With the bookstore’s opening day fast approaching and everyone’s lives upended, each cousin must discover for themselves that the greatest inheritance their grandparents left behind wasn’t a building—it was the gift of forgiveness, the power of second chances, and the enduring hope of Christmas.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Author's Website | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

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Excerpt

Brooke was seven years old the first Christmas Jeremiah came to them. The snatch of time took up space in her mind like a sticky marshmallow ball of pleasant memories—gingerbread smiles, warm wool hats, clustered cousins, and grandparent giggles.

Jeremiah had climbed out of Uncle Curtis’s truck, his mother—Uncle Curtis’s new wife, Kendall—behind him.

The first thing Brooke noticed was the tear running down the side of Jeremiah’s coat. The second thing was of more worth—how his mother’s hands rested protectively on the puffy shoulders of that torn jacket. As if she was ready to do battle with anyone who so much as looked at her son sideways.

Brooke wondered what it would feel like to have a mom like that.

“Hey.” Six-year-old Shawn ran up to Jeremiah. “Want to build a snow fort?”

Kendall’s hands fell from her son’s shoulders as Jeremiah ran off with Shawn.

And just like that, Jeremiah was one of them. The cousins—a chaotic ball of energy and new ideas and adventure and igloo forts and stories and hot chocolate.

Jeremiah didn’t look like them. While the hair atop the six cousins’ heads was an array of yellow one might find in a paint store selection and their skin the result of their English heritage, Jeremiah’s skin was darker, his hair and eyes as brown as milk chocolate.

And yet Brooke always thought there was something golden about him. As if the fringes of him were lit by an ethereal glow. As if he belonged in the Storybook Bible that Gram had given her, a picture of a host of angels announcing the birth of the tiny Savior.

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Also Available

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About the Author

Heidi Chiavaroli is the award-winning author of several books, including Freedom’s Ring, The Orchard House, The Orchard House Bed and Breakfast series, and the bestselling Draw Close to Jesus: 40 Encounters with the Savior for the Sacred Season of Lent. She makes her home in Massachusetts with her husband and their two sons.

Connect with Heidi by visiting heidichiavaroli.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a copy of A Bookshop for Christmas and a $75 Amazon Gift Card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight November 3, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on November 10, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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Author Interview: From This Day Forward by Deb L. Brown

Welcome to the Blog Tour for From This Day Forward by Deb L. Brown, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: From This Day Forward 
Series: Dearly Beloved #2 
Author: Deb L. Brown 
Publisher: Peshina Publishing 
Release Date: November 2, 2026 
Genre: Contemporary Christian Women's Fiction

Can a woman rediscover herself after spending decades putting everyone else first? 

With an empty nest and a marriage that leaves her feeling less like a soulmate and more like a roommate, Brenda throws herself into helping everyone around her. But no amount of serving can fill the ache inside. When her mother's health fails, Brenda embraces the role of caregiver, convinced that the only way for her to feel loved is by being needed. 

As the responsibilities of caring for an aging parent intensify, she slowly loses sight of herself. The more she pours her energy into serving others, the more depleted she feels. A friend's divorce forces her to take a hard look at her own marriage, while Marcus's health struggles reveal a side of her husband she has overlooked for years. 

Caught in the midlife demands of the sandwich generation, Brenda wonders if she can find purpose after motherhood.  

From This Day Forward is a stand-alone book in the Dearly Beloved series. This Christian novel has themes of marriage renewal, caregiving, and reinventing yourself in the second half of life. For fans of Karen Kingsbury, Katie Powner, Sara Brunsvold, and Amanda Cox.  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookBub

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Excerpt

The baby is still sleeping when Elise and Paul come home. Standing in the doorway with their arms intertwined, Elise rests her head on Paul’s shoulder. “How did it go?”

I rise from my seat. “No trouble at all. She was a little fussy. I think she’s teething. I let her suck on some ice cubes, and it seemed to help.”

The smile fades from Elise’s face. “Ice cubes are dangerous, Mom. It’s a choking hazard.”

“It was fine. I wrapped them in a washcloth. That’s what I did for you kids. She stopped crying, so it seems to have worked.” A smug smile tugs my lips upward. I’m not as incompetent as they think.

“Sucking on frozen things can damage her gums. The pediatrician says it’s better to give something chilled, not frozen.”

Mom pipes up from her seat. “I told you we should have rubbed some whiskey on her gums.”

Elise stares at her, dumbfounded. “You didn’t give my baby alcohol, did you?”

I tip my head to the side. “Of course not. I’m smarter than that. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with a little ice to numb the pain, though.”

She crosses the room and places her hand on my arm. “It’s okay. You’re still learning. I’m going to go check on her.” She bustles down the hall, my arm suddenly cold where she had touched it. Still learning, my foot! You would think my experience would count for something.

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More in This Series

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About the Author

Deb L. Brown is an Amazon bestselling author and Carol Award finalist who writes stories that explore loyalty in marriage and faith in God in the face of life’s challenges. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Women’s Fiction Writers Association, her books handle heavy issues with a touch of humor. She’s mom to her five children and Graham Cracker to her grandchildren. She lives with her husband in Minnesota.

Connect with Deb by visiting debbrownauthor.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Author Interview

Q: What inspired you to write From This Day Forward? 

Deb: A number of years ago, I felt inspired that we need more literature about married couples because marriage is the beginning of the story, not the end. I had an idea to take each phrase from the traditional marriage vows and create a story around it. This is the second book (each one is a stand-alone) and it is about an empty nest couple. That’s the stage that I am in, along with my peers. The collective journey through perimenopause, parenting adult children, and caregiving for aging parents that people experience in this stage of life was inspiration for this book.

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Q: How long did it take to write this story? 

Deb: My first draft took about three months. From outlining to publication, it was about a year total.

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Q: What surprised you while researching/writing this novel? 

Deb: I realized how much care and support the caregiver needs, and I suspect it is hard for them to tap into resources for themselves because their focus is often on their loved one.

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Q: Do you have a favorite quote from From This Day Forward? 

Deb: “I never met a cookie I didn’t like.” “You don’t have to be the star to follow the way.”

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Q: When did you first know you wanted to be an author? 

Deb: I didn’t go searching for it. It came to me. When God put it on my heart that I was to write these stories, then a desire grew within me. It didn’t happen until my early fifties.

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Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers wouldn't know? 

Deb: I love public speaking. For most people, that’s one of their top fears, but for me, it is a passion and talent that I have invested in developing over the years.

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Q: What are you currently reading? 

Deb: Brighter than Before by Courtney Walsh

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Q:. What is your favorite hobby? 

Deb: Reading or baking.

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Q: What is your favorite season and why? 

Deb: I love the hope of Spring. Seeing buds on the trees and flowers poking through the ground is inspiring.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of From This Day Forward and To Have and to Hold plus a $25 Amazon Gift Card and some surprise swag to go with each book!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight November 2, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on November 9, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Book Review: The Heiress and the Woodsman by Christine Hill Suntz

About the Book:

Charlotte Carruthers must find her brother. Joshua Robertson needs the funds to free his. On the road into the Canadian wilderness, they become reluctant allies in a race to save their siblings before brewing rebellion tears the colony apart.

Canada, 1837. Charlotte is determined to hold onto her family’s crumbling estate—the last vestige of their former place in Toronto society before her mother’s death and her father’s financial ruin. But when her missing brother Simon is suspected of aiding a political rebellion, Charlotte heads north to find him before his impulsive decisions ruin what’s left of their family’s standing and break her ailing father’s heart.

Joshua has worked tirelessly to carve a home from the wilderness for the younger brother he was forced to leave behind, only to learn his first harvest is nearly worthless and his brother has been sold into an indenture Joshua can’t afford to redeem. When a stranger offers him work tracking down a settler in the bush, he’s desperate enough to agree.

Nothing has prepared Charlotte for the challenges of surviving the wilderness. When Joshua comes to her aid, she offers to pay him for guidance through the bush. Though he knows a spoiled city girl will slow him down, he can’t refuse the money. As Charlotte and Joshua face the dangers of travel through rough terrain, admiration and friendship grow, even as class divides and hidden truths complicate their bond. But when they are caught in the crossfire of rebellion, they must decide if the futures they’ve fought for are truly their hearts’ desire—or if something unexpected awaits.

Read an excerpt from The Heiress and the Woodsman on the publisher's website.

Purchase at: Tyndale ⏐ Amazon

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My Thoughts:

I enjoyed reading The Heiress and the Woodsman by Christine Hill Suntz. I related to Charlotte’s struggle to deal with internal and external pressure, her desire to hold everything together, and the drama of family loyalties pulling in opposite directions. Enter Joshua, a protective woodsman with his own family struggles, who makes Charlotte feel safe and cared for. Their relationship blossomed beautifully. The ending was wonderfully satisfying without feeling cheesy or predictable.

The Heiress and the Woodsman shared characters with Christine Hill Suntz’s previous novel, The Lawyer and the Laundress. The cameos tied in neatly, but The Heiress and the Woodsman makes a fine standalone book for those who have not read the prior story. Recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction focusing on personal struggles and romantic relationships. Four stars!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book from the author or publisher. My review reflects my honest opinion.

Author Interview: The Heartfelt Formula by Leslie Kirby DeVooght

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Heartfelt Formula by Leslie Kirby DeVooght, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Heartfelt Formula 
Author: Leslie Kirby DeVooght 
Publisher: Lanier Price Publishing 
Release Date: October 22, 2026 
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Women's Fiction/Romantic Comedy

After another breakup, Atlanta attorney Hope Elliot decides to stop waiting for her happily-ever-after and write it herself. Inspired by her beloved Christmas romance movies, Hope crafts The Heartfelt Formula: a foolproof plan including snowball fights, cookie baking, and a perfectly timed first kiss. 

Trading the big city for coastal Georgia, Hope sets out to find her small-town soulmate. But the actors in her carefully plotted scenes keep shuffling—especially when Brennan Taylor, her ambitious co-counsel continues to fill in for Cole Walker, the carefree furniture maker, who Hope cast as her hero. 

Between courtroom drama, a mismatched leading man, and a mistletoe mishap, Hope must decide if she’ll trust her formula or accept a plot twist that might leave her all alone, or perhaps, with the happiest ending of all. 

 A faith-filled romantic comedy for anyone who believes love, like Christmas, can still surprise you.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

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Book Excerpt

“I have an idea.” I snatched the remote from Lottie and stopped the movie. “I’m going to fall in love, and this time it will work out perfectly.”

“Does this mean we’re not finishing the movie?”

“Not at all.” I leapt off the couch and ran to my room. After grabbing supplies from my desk, I hurried back and dropped onto the couch. “Here, you can help.” I tossed Lottie a pen and notebook.

“What am I supposed to do with these?”

“Take notes.”

“On the movie?”

“Precisely. Why has it taken me so long to figure this out? It’s brilliant.”

“I’m glad you’ve found this brilliant solution, but slow down and explain exactly what we’re doing.” Lottie opened the notebook.

“We’re going to study this movie, and maybe one or two more, and figure out the formula.”

“The formula?”

“The formula to fall in love with the perfect man and live a wonderful life.” At the top of the first page, I wrote The Heartfelt Formula and underlined it.

“Hope, I don’t think—”

“I’ve been going about this relationship thing the wrong way. Leaving it up to chance.”

Lottie scrunched her brows. “Or faith?”

“I have faith.”

“Good. I was getting worried.” Lottie doodled a string of hearts across the page.

“Faith that God gave me these movies to develop this plan.”

Lottie stopped drawing and tapped the pen against her chin. “I don’t think that’s how faith works.”

“Nothing wrong with giving faith a little help. Besides, this feels like divine intervention.”

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Also Available

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About the Author

PW Best-Selling Author Leslie Kirby DeVooght writes women’s fiction inspired by romcoms, coastal Georgia, and fried okra! While Leslie and her family live in Jacksonville, Florida, they often visit her hometown of St. Simons Island, Georgia, where she loves to go for long walks on the beach. A graduate of Florida Southern College and Mercer Law School, Leslie is always revising her life from prosecutor to judge to PTA president to author of happily-ever-afters.

Connect with Leslie by visiting lesliedevooght.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Author Interview

Q: What inspired you to write The Heartfelt Formula? 

Leslie: One of my writing friends, Kimberly Duffy, suggested I write a story where the girl tries to use the formula from Hallmark Christmas movies to find romance. She said she couldn’t do it because she’d try to give someone cholera, but it was the perfect platform for my voice. I was in the middle of another project, but I couldn’t let go of the idea.

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Q: How long did it take to write this story? 

Leslie: I started planning the first draft of this book in 2020. It was so long ago that I don’t remember how long it actually took, but it usually takes me about eight weeks for a first draft. When I finished revising and editing it, I entered it in the ACFW Genesis contest and the book was a semi-finalist in 2022. Originally, the story was told in third person, but in 2024, I decided to re-write it in first person and see how it sounded. Without telling anyone, I entered the newly revised story in the ACFW Genesis Contest, and this time it won. From there, I revised it two more times and sent it to the line editor in July 2026.

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Q: Do you have a favorite quote from The Heartfelt Formula?

Leslie: Here are two I like: 

“Faith is about trusting God when you can’t see the happily ever after.” 

“A starry-eyed girl once told me, ‘there can never be too much Christmas’.”

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Q: Do you have any special Christmas traditions? 

Leslie: My extended family owns a tree farm on the South Georgia coast with house that is over 200 years old. We grow our own Christmas trees, and we cut them down each year. I love this time together.

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Q:  When did you first know you wanted to be an author? 

Leslie: While I’ve always loved writing and tried to write fiction books in high school. I don’t think I really knew I wanted to be an author until about 15 years ago when I wrote my first book.

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Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers wouldn’t know? 

Leslie: My first position out of law school was as an Assistant District Attorney, and my main focus was crimes against women and children. Hope, the main character in The Heartfelt Formula, has a similar job, and one of the main subplots involves the sad consequences of domestic violence that I witnessed first hand in my work.

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Q: What are you currently reading? 

Leslie: First Comes Marriage…Then Comes Murder by Donna Mumma (not my normal genre, but Donna and I were in a writing workshop years ago at the Florida Christian Writers Conference, and I’ve been dying to read one of her books. The covers are fantastic.) I’m also reading A Very Bavarian Christmas by Katie M. Reid.

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Q: What is an upcoming fiction release are you looking forward to? 

Leslie: Like so many, the 9th volume of The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion.

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Q: What is your favorite hobby? 

Leslie: Travel, it doesn’t really matter where. I love checking out new towns, museums, restaurants, hotels, hiking trails, historic houses… all of it. I love a long walk in a city, on a mountain trail, or along the seashore. Whether man-made or in nature, I love seeing all of God’s creation.

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Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a Coastal Christmas ornament, plus signed copies of Taking a Second Shot, Stealing Magnolias, and The Heartfelt Formula!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 21, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 28, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Book Spotlight: The Stand-In by Kit Hawthorne

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Stand-In by Kit Hawthorne, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Stand-In 
Author: Kit Hawthorne 
Publisher: Highsmith Books 
Release Date: October 13, 2026 
Genre: Contemporary Romance

He reinvented himself. Now the truth could cost him everything. 

For years, Halverson Ramsay Ford cultivated a reputation for brilliance and reckless arrogance. But after a devastating accident leaves him with a permanent limp, the notorious biotech genius disappears from public view…and emerges as a very different man. 

Intelligent, sensitive, and scarred by a past betrayal, librarian Tamryn Page has no interest in falling for a charming billionaire—especially one with Hal’s history. Yet the man she comes to know is thoughtful, vulnerable, and kind, with a love of history and literature to match her own. 

But the relationship is built on a lie. And when the truth comes to light, it threatens to destroy not only the future of Hal’s company, but the trust of the only woman who has ever truly seen him. 

Now Hal must choose whether to step out from behind the identity he created—or lose the woman he loves forever.  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | KitHawthorne.com | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

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Book Excerpt

Resting her head against Hal’s perfect chest, Tamryn felt absolutely content. With one hand he was stroking her back, softly and slowly, while the other rested on the fashionably worn denim that covered his own shapely thigh.

She edged her pinky finger toward his, and suddenly they were holding hands. His heart thumped against her cheek.

Then he asked, “Is this our first date?”

She lifted her head. In his eyes was something sweet and yearning, shy and unsure, far more attractive than masterful confidence. Incredible as it seemed, the great Halverson Ramsay Ford was nervous.

“What?”

He swallowed. “Is this our first date? Because if it is, then I’d be out of line if I kissed you. But maybe the day at the coffee shop was our first date, and maybe the day I took you to lunch was our second date, in which case this would be our third date, and a kiss might be on the table.”

It was all she could do to keep her voice steady. “We can’t count the coffee shop. A date by definition is prearranged, and we ran into each other by accident.”

She expected a witty comeback, but he only said, “Okay”—humbly, as if accepting a polite rejection.

“But as far as kissing goes,” she said, “we don’t need to be bound by a strict timeline.”

“Really?” he said. “Well…how about…now?”

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About the Author

A lifelong resident of the American South, Kit Hawthorne lives on a Texas farm that’s been in her husband’s family for two centuries. She used to play in a Celtic folk band, and the only sport she understands is Highland games.

Connect with Kit by visiting kithawthorne.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a copy of The Stand-In and a $30 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 19, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 26, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!