Book Review: Of Sword and Shadow by A. L. Sowards

About the Book:

Greece, 1379

She is known by many names, none of them her own. In truth, she is an unnamed slave, nothing more than a weapon in the hands of her owner in his attempts to provoke political mayhem. When she encounters a handsome young man while on an assignment, she thinks little of him—until he attempts to take what she has stolen. But in her line of work, failure is not an option.

Gillen is intrigued by the mysterious woman who thwarts his mission. But when his path crosses hers again, his intrigue turns to gratitude as the thief he comes to call Eudocia saves his life. The two form a bond of friendship and join forces to wrest control from a group of ruthless rulers. But as their camaraderie blossoms into something more, Gillen and Eudocia must fight for love even as they wage war for a better future.

Coming from Covenant in paperback, ebook, and audiobook, February 2021. Available for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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My Thoughts:

I loved reading Of Sword and Shadow by A. L. Sowards. The story quickly snagged my attention and my fascination with Eudocia kept me returning to the book nightly. Half-slave and half-apprentice, Eudocia possesses a keen intuition and healthy confidence derived from her training to be a thief. Despite her involvement in illegal activities, I admired Eudocia and her talents. While her thievery skills cannot set her free, these abilities spur her into a quest for truth about spiritual questions, her shrouded past, and an uncertain future.

For me, the romance in Of Sword and Shadow was secondary to Eudocia and her activities. However, I enjoyed the blossoming of Gil and Eudocia’s relationship. Themes of redemption and freedom were explored partly due to their relationship.

Of Sword and Shadow introduced me to the work of A. L. Sowards, and I look forward to exploring her previously published novels. I confess, I wish the final chapter had been a bit longer, but Of Sword and Shadow is a satisfying read that has a permanent home on my bookcase. Readers who enjoy a tale with unique characters, a slow burn romance, and substantial action/danger will likely enjoy this novel.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

First Line Fridays: Still the One by Rachel D. Russell and Susan May Warren

Happy Friday! 

First Line Fridays is hosted by Hoarding Books and participants share the first line from a nearby book.

Today, I'm sharing the first lines from Still the One by Rachel D. Russell and Susan May Warren.

"Anything had to be better than returning to Deep Haven."

Have you read Still the One? 📖 It just released earlier this month. Check out the book blurb below and read my review. 

What are you reading this weekend? I'd love for you to share your book's first line!

Happy reading!

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About the Book:

It’s never too late to finish a love story…
Former Army Ranger Cole Barrett has a new mission objective—sell his grandfather’s house in Deep Haven, and leave the town that contains his childhood hurts for good. Unfortunately, the tenant in the garage apartment refuses to move. Even worse? It’s his childhood crush, Megan Carter, and her son.

Wedding planner and single mom Megan Carter loves Deep Haven. To her, it’s the place where she makes dreams come true—at least, everyone else’s. Hoping to purchase a local B & B and turn it into a premier event venue, she’s oh, so close to her down payment…until Cole Barrett returns to Deep Haven. Even if he’s not back to fulfill a silly childhood promise to marry her, she never expected him to evict her!

When a blizzard strikes Deep Haven, and Megan is overrun with wedding catastrophes, it takes a former Ranger to step in and help. Besides, the more he comes to her rescue, the sooner she’ll be able to move out…and he can move on. And that’s what they both want, right?

Return to Deep Haven with this magical tale about the one who got away…and came back.

Author Interview & Giveaway: The Year of Thorns and Honey by Amy Willoughby-Burle

 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Year of Thorns and Honey by Amy Willoughby-Burle, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Year of Thorns and Honey
Series: Stand-alone follow-up to The Lemonade Year
Author: Amy Willoughby-Burle
Release Date: September 15, 2020
Genre: Clean Women's Fiction

Nina is a photographer who really appreciates control. She likes to set up just the right shot with the perfect composition, but life is not always as pretty as her pictures. The lighting is off, the timing is wrong, and the subjects just won’t do like she wants them to. 

She’s engaged to her ex-husband, her teenage daughter is testing all the boundaries, and her childhood memories have a For-Sale sign on them. She’s also keeping a secret about the chance of a lifetime, but what she’ll have to give up to get it might not be worth it. Just when she thinks she’s got it all figured out, an important someone resurfaces and forces her to take a hard look at what she really wants and why. 

Life can be as prickly as it is sweet. Will Nina be able to let go of the perfect picture she had in her head and let her heart find the sweetness that life has to offer.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound | BookBub

RELATED BOOK

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amy Willoughby-Burle grew up in the small coastal town of Kure Beach, North Carolina. She studied writing at East Carolina University and is now a writer and teacher living in Asheville, North Carolina, with her husband and four children. She writes about the mystery and wonder of everyday life. Her contemporary fiction focuses on the themes of second chances, redemption, and finding the beauty in the world around us.

Amy is the author of the short story collection, Out Across the Nowhere, and the novels, The Lemonade Year and The Year of Thorns and Honey. Amy says, "God didn’t give me the desire to understand algebra or the knowledge of exactly when and where to use a semicolon, and I’m not that great of a speller, but He did give me a wild imagination, the ability to string words together, and the desire to tell stories. I hope I can do Him proud."

CONNECT WITH AMY: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW

What was the inspiration behind The Year of Thorns and Honey?

Amy: The Year of Thorns and Honey is actually a stand alone follow-up to my first novel, The Lemonade Year, so in some respects, of course, that was the inspiration. Readers wanted to know what happened next. But as you know, in any follow-up or sequel anything can happen, so the inspiration for the actual events was a desire to explore several things. Second chances in a relationship that has ended badly. Truth and trust in marriage. Parenting struggles and tough decisions. Faith and family.

How long did it take you to write this novel?

Amy: I wrote The Year of Thorns and Honey in about a year and a half, from drafting to publication. That’s not eight hours a day five days a week, though. There were weeks even months at a time when I wasn’t working on it at all. Times where it sat while other novels were in progress or life was busy. If I took all those times out it might have been 6-9 months of active writing. 

Do you have a favorite quote from this novel?

Amy: My funny quote: “I don’t like snow, so sue me.”

  

(That might be me talking, but don’t tell anyone.)

My serious quote: “I hold his gaze with a power only a sibling can wield—a power fueled by time and memory, tinged with spite and jagged around the edges, soothed with shared sorrow and gilded by grace, grown thick and electric with love until it’s a force that radiates under the skin--hot and untouchable.”

(That one is a sister talking about a brother. I love to explore sibling relationships. Who else have you spent your life with in such a way that the connection is marrow deep?)

What do you hope readers take away from The Year of Thorns and Honey?

Amy: I hope people leave with a sense of hope and happiness. As in all fiction, things don’t start out going that well, but the characters find their way through with each other’s help and with wisdom from above. I hope readers laugh. I hope they see themselves and their friends and family in the book and feel a sense of connection to people around them knowing that we’re experiencing the same things, fighting the same fights, loving, hoping, failing, finding our way through. 

Would you share something about yourself that most readers would not know?

Amy: I never learned to type the proper way and I’m terrible at spelling. Also, I always, no exceptions, have to put my left shoe on first. Really. 

What are you reading now?

Amy: Currently, I’m reading books for the high school literature class that I teach through a homeschool enrichment program. I’m reading Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata and Dear Martin by Nick Stone. I’m also reading the first books in the Sweet Magnolia series by Sherryl Woods. I watched that on Netflix and so of course, I have to read the books to see how they compare. 

How many bookcases are in your home?

Amy: What a cool question. Several, but spread throughout. I dream of a home with a library/workspace. I’m a sucker for all the Instagram and Pinterest posts about gorgeous bookshelves and home libraries. 

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Amy: Cooking with my kids is a current favorite. I have always enjoyed cooking and food (evidenced by my books) but in the past year I’ve really taken a look at how I spend my time and what’s important. My family and time with my children is something that I’d let my busy work life come between, I have to sadly admit. But 2020 definitely caused me to stop in my tracks and take a good look at my world and how I wanted to spend my time. So now, my two young sons and I are in the kitchen everyday cooking up sometimes reasonable and sometimes not (my youngest likes to get creative) dishes. It’s two fold: I want my kids to learn to love more foods than just the typical “kids menu” items and I love spending time with them making a mess and being silly. It’s the ultimate win/win. 

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a The Year of Thorns and Honey prize package!

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight January 26, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on February 2, 2021. 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 the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Glory Falls by Janine Rosche

 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Glory Falls by Janine Rosche, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Glory Falls
Series: Madison River Romance #3 
Author: Janine Rosche
Publisher: Berkley Books
Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 12, 2021

Two people scarred by past trauma have a chance to write a new chapter in their lives, overcome loss, and find love in the third entry in the Madison River Romance series. 

Screenwriter Cecilia "Blue" Walker is victim to life's worst plot twists. Having lost her daughter to the depths of the Madison River and her husband to the arms of another woman, she finds herself yearning for something to restore her brittle faith and once-vibrant career. 

Hope arrives in the form of her childhood friend, Thomas Beck, a firefighter with a legacy of larger-than-life rescues who doesn't see himself as a hero. Haunted by his past, Thomas only agrees to a movie adaptation of his story if Blue, his longtime crush, is the screenwriter. 

However, as Blue and Thomas work together to bring his heroism to the big screen, the glitz and glamour of Hollywood threaten to shed light on secrets that could tear their fragile relationship and their lives apart.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound | Christianbook | BookBub

BOOKS IN THIS SERIES

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EXCERPT 

Before he reached the top step, the door opened. Out walked the prettiest girl he’d ever seen. She touched her hair, which had been curled and pinned back giving sight to her lovely neck. The few blond curls that framed her face also brought light to her striking eyes. Blue glanced down at her dress—sky blue on the bodice and lightening in color as the skirt flowed down—and smoothed the front of it. Was she insecure about the way she looked?

No, he didn’t want that. He needed to say something. Too bad there were better odds that his dog, back in Montana, could speak at this moment than him.


Actions would have to do. He finished his steps and met her at the top. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. The moment his lips touched her skin, it was as if an electric current passed between them, so he let the kiss linger several seconds until it got awkward. Robbie said he should be himself, after all. He was nothing if not awkward.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Prone to wander, Janine Rosche finds as much comfort on the open road as she does at home. This longing to chase adventure, behold splendor, and experience redemption is woven into her Madison River Romance series. When she isn’t writing or traveling, she teaches family life education courses to college students, takes too many pictures of her sleeping dogs, and embarrasses her four children and husband with boy band serenades.

CONNECT WITH JANINE: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a Glory Falls prize package including a paperback copy of Glory Falls, a Society 6 Mountain Dusk Tote Bag, “Nevertheless She Persisted” Journal, Huckleberry Haven Candle, Kawaii Pen Shop Feather Bookmarks, and a $10 Amazon Gift Card! (total prize package value $60)

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight January 25, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on February 1, 2021. 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 the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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

 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

Book Review: Occasional Moments of Happiness by Shana Donyaei

About the Book:

All Shana Lesser ever wanted growing up was to be one of the popular, pretty girls sitting at the back of the school bus, flirting with all the cute boys. But that never happened for this shy, lanky girl, voted quietest by her classmates. 

A perpetual dreamer, she poured out all her secret hopes and fears through the pages of her soul confidant—her journal. Seeking comfort in the confidence of a friend, she learned to be a follower. During her teenage years, she found herself in the party scene, searching for her knight-in-shining grunge rocker, someone to make her whole and fill the empty places inside her. The question being, how many toads would stomp on her heart until she finally found her prince?

Occasional Moments of Happiness is a bittersweet and quirky account of one woman’s journey to find lasting joy not dependent on the number on the scale, the guy from the night before who promised to call but never did, or her fizzled supermodel dreams. Set during the eighties and nineties in Seattle’s rainy coffee culture, it’s a roller-coaster ride you won’t want to miss.

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My Thoughts:

In Occasional Moments of Happiness, Shana Donyaei bravely shares the story of her life from childhood through early thirties (I think). Much of this highly entertaining memoir reads like a novel. Though my reading speed varied throughout the book, my interest never waned. I breezed through Shana’s early years; but my speed slowed with the increase of darker, heavy content (partying, an eating disorder, mistreatment by men, and sexual forays). Without being explicit, Shana’s experiences expose a dark side of party culture and serve as a cautionary tale.

As I waded through the deep, hard portions of Occasional Moments of Happiness, it seemed the author held nothing back and I loved the depth. Shana’s voice rang authentic as she admitted her mistakes and explained the reasons for her choices. Thankfully, Shana’s story did not end in darkness and destruction. Rather, in the final chapter, Shana shares about positive, life-changing decisions she made. I wish the content of this chapter had been expanded with the same probing depth and shared over the course of several chapters.

Occasional Moments of Happiness by Shana Donyaei will likely appeal to readers who enjoy memoirs. Due to the content of this memoir (drugs, drinking, partying, bulimia, promiscuity, and occasional mild profanity), I recommend it for mature, discerning teens and adults. Five stars!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: For the Love of Joy by Janet W. Ferguson

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for For the Love of Joy by Janet W. Ferguson, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: For the Love of Joy
Series: Coastal Hearts
Author: Janet W. Ferguson
Release Date: January 1, 2021
Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance / Southern rom-com

Years ago, a Dear John letter and then an IED explosion overseas rocked Davis Donnelly’s world and left him unclear about his marital status. He’d signed divorce papers, but broken mentally and physically, he’d never bothered to find out if his marriage actually ended. Now that he’s about to start a new position as an outreach minister, it’s time to settle things once and for all. At the moment he tracks down his wife—or former wife?—she takes a tumble while chasing a little boy. Her son. And that’s when life flips upside down. 

Joy Jennings Donnelly made her share of mistakes. But one thing she never considered a mistake was her child, and she’ll do anything to protect him. Even keep his paternity a secret. When she’s suddenly injured with not a soul to help her or her son, Joy is forced to rely on the man who has the most reasons to hate her.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository | BookBub

BOOKS IN THIS SERIES

 

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EXCERPT

Without permission, his arms lifted to encircle her. Warmth shot through every fiber of his being. Exploded really, but a good explosion. Nothing about this woman ever made sense. She’d impressed him from the get go, but she infuriated him at the same time. “What am I going to do with you, Joy?”

Those blue eyes held his. “What do you mean?”

He released a shaky breath. “I’ve never loved anyone but you.”

“Not Gabby? I mean, she’s so good, and…” Her lips pressed together for a moment. “I think she likes you. A lot.” Her gaze dropped. “If I were you, I’d choose Gabby.”

The shame in her voice pierced his heart. He nudged her chin to bring those eyes back to him. Every muscle in him ached to hold her. To kiss her. He swallowed past the tightness in his throat. “You’re not me,” he managed in a hoarse whisper. Then he cupped her cheeks, years of emotion for this woman drawing his lips to hers.

Deep familiar waters of sweetness and passion rushed over him when she responded, her mouth searching his. Her arms slid around his neck. Her fingers feathered through his hair. This woman full of stubbornness and sass wrapped around his heart like she always had. For a few breathless moments, he let himself get lost in the electricity. Get lost in the fire of her touch.

Exactly what had landed them in a mess years before, yet he couldn’t pull himself away.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Janet W. Ferguson is a Grace Award winner, FHL Readers Choice Winner, and a Christy Award finalist. She grew up in Mississippi and received a degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Mississippi. She has served as a children’s minister and a church youth volunteer. An avid reader, she worked as a librarian at a large public high school. She writes humorous inspirational fiction for people with real lives and real problems. Janet and her husband have two grown children, one really smart dog, and a cat that allows them to share the space.

CONNECT WITH JANET:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a wetcat Hug Yourself Turkish beach towel, beach bookmark, Meyers lavender soy candle, signed book, note, and shell from the author! Dream beach 2021!

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight January 19, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on January 26, 2021. 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 the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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

 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

First Line Fridays: A Cowboy For Keeps by Jody Hedlund

Happy Friday! 

First Line Fridays is hosted by Hoarding Books and participants share the first line from a nearby book.

Today, I'm sharing the first lines from A Cowboy for Keeps by Jody Hedlund.

"'Stop or we'll shoot.' A dozen feet up Kenosha Pass, three robbers with flour sacks over their heads blocked the way, their revolvers outstretched."

Have you read A Cowboy for Keeps? 📖 It just released earlier this month, but I got to enjoy it back in December when I was laid up with Covid. 😷 Check out the book blurb below and read my review. 

What are you reading this weekend? I'd love for you to share your book's first line!

Happy reading!

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About the Book:

Greta Nilsson's trip west to save her ailing little sister, Astrid, could not have gone more wrong. First, bandits hold up her stagecoach, stealing all her money. Then, upon arriving in Fairplay, Colorado, she learns the man she was betrothed to as a mail-order bride has died. Homeless, penniless, and jobless, Greta and her sister are worse off than when they started.

Wyatt McQuaid is struggling to get his new ranch up and running and is in town to purchase cattle when the mayor proposes the most unlikely of bargains. He'll invest in a herd of cattle for Wyatt's ranch if Wyatt agrees to help the town become more respectable by marrying and starting a family with Greta. But when old insecurities and surprising revelations arise, can a union born out of desperation survive?

Book Review & Giveaway: Still the One By Susan May Warren and Rachel D. Russell

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Still the One by Rachel D. Russell presented by Susan May Warren, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Still the One
Series: Deep Haven Collection #1
Author: Rachel D. Russell presented by Susan May Warren
Publisher: Sunrise Publishing
Release Date: January 12, 2021
Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

It’s never too late to finish a love story… 

Cole Barrett, former Army Ranger, has a new mission objective. Sell his grandfather’s house and put Deep Haven, a place that holds too many hurts, in his rearview mirror as fast as possible. Recently divorced, single, and unattached, Cole just wants a new life as a US Marshal. One where he can forget the past and start new. 

Unfortunately, there’s a tenant in the garage apartment who’s refusing to move. Even worse? It’s his childhood crush, Megan Carter, and her son. 

Wedding planner and single mom Megan Carter loves Deep Haven. To her, it’s the place where she makes dreams come true—at least, everyone else’s. Her big dream is to purchase the Black Spruce Bed & Breakfast to turn it into a premier event venue and, if she can stay booked for enough weddings over winter, she’ll have the needed funds to buy the inn, move out of Grandpa Barrett’s garage apartment, and finally give her nine-year-old son, Josh, the life he deserves. She just needs four thousand dollars in the next thirty days. 

Still, she’s oh, so close…until Cole Barrett returns to Deep Haven. Even if he’s not back to fulfill a silly childhood promise to marry her, but she never expected him to evict her! The last thing she needs is more expenses. Or for another man to walk into her heart…and break it. 

When a blizzard strikes Deep Haven, and Megan is overrun with wedding catastrophes, it takes a former Ranger to step in and help. Besides, the more he comes to her rescue, the sooner she’ll be able to move out…and he can move on. And that’s what they both want, right? 

Return to Deep Haven with this magical tale about the one who got away…and came back.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound | BookBub

BOOKS IN THIS SERIES

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MY THOUGHTS

Still the One by Rachel D. Russell and Susan May Warren kickstarts the Deep Haven Collection Series. Although it functioned as a stand-alone, I recognized the Deep Haven setting and the Christiansen family members from Susan May Warren’s original Christiansen family series. This novel had its own characters to love, but brought back Darek, Ivy, Casper, Raina, and a few others. Rachel D. Russell’s writing style felt akin to Susan May Warren’s current style.

I enjoyed reading Still the One and stayed interested throughout the story despite some plot points feeling formulaic and predictable. The second-chance romance was clean and included a relaxed level of tension (not the I-can’t-put-it-down kind). I could relate to both Cole’s wrestling with unforgiveness and Megan’s struggle to trust God with situations.

Still the One is a solid debut novel by Rachel D. Russell that fuses romance, spiritual issues, and life situations into a story that points to the God who can redeem all things. Readers who have enjoyed Susan May Warren’s prior Deep Haven novels will likely enjoy Still the One by Rachel D. Russell and Susan May Warren.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Susan May Warren is the USA Today best-selling novelist of 80 books. With more than 1.5 million books in print, she is beloved by reviewers and readers around the world. Visit Susan at www.susanmaywarren.com.

CONNECT WITH SUSAN: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter 

Rachel D. Russell is a member of Oregon Christian Writers and My Book Therapy’s Novel Academy and is a regular contributor to the Learn How to Write a Novel blog. The mother of two teenagers, she often interrogates her husband on his own military and law enforcement experience to craft believable heroes in uniform. The rest of her time is spent cantering her horse down the Oregon trails. Visit Rachel at www.racheldrussell.com. 

CONNECT WITH RACHEL: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter 

Merging the creative energies of best-selling authors Susan May Warren and Lindsay Harrel, Sunrise Publishing is the matchmaker for established authors who want to build on their current success for future growth and aspiring authors looking to break out, build an audience, and hone their writing skills.

  

CONNECT WITH SUNRISE: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | admin@sunrisepublishing.com

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a $15 Amazon gift card + 3 Still the One ebooks (one ebook for the winner and two to give to friends)!

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight January 18, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on January 25, 2021. 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 the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.