Book Spotlight: The Mercy Seat by Henry O. Arnold

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Mercy Seat by Henry O. Arnold, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Mercy Seat
Series: The Urban Chronicles #1
Author: Henry O. Arnold
Publisher: Mountain Brook Ink
Release Date: March 5, 2024
Genre: Christian Contemporary Fiction

Hells Canyon is a neighborhood in Richland, Tennessee where tourists never venture, and locals fear to tread.

Maxwell Crane, former Marine chaplain and pastor of The Mercy Seat church, struggles to provide a beacon of hope. 

But others have their eyes set on Hells Canyon: power elites, robber barons, and street gangs seek their own gain at the cost of the beleaguered urban neighborhood. For the people who live there, it’s been a fight to exist their whole lives, and that fight is getting harder. 

Maxwell doesn’t have to stay in Hells Canyon. He and his family could leave to live a comfortable middle-class existence. Instead, Maxwell chooses to risk his life—and the lives of those around him—to stand against the oppressors. 

But what happens when this pastor crosses a line, taking justice into his own hands? Will his family, his community, and his God ever forgive him? Will he ever forgive himself?  

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

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Excerpt

“God forgive me. God forgive me. God forgive me.” How many times would he have to say those words before forgiveness would prove itself true? Maxwell paced. He crawled on all fours and then fell prostrate on his face, weeping, pleading for the glimmer of hope he urgently needed to feel. “I know, I know, I know,” he cried, broken, crushed, and desperate. He hoped beyond hope that the Psalmist’s words were true, that God would not despise the contrite heart.

Sometime in the night, while Maxwell lay still on the floor, he sensed a trembling hand on the back of his neck and felt the electric snap of live flesh touching live flesh. Kenda knelt beside him. He took her hand into his own and held it against his face. This was not a vision. After an anguished night of sweat and tears—he felt as though his body had drained a rain forest leaving him with a desert thirst—the kind touch of his wife’s warm hand was a spark of life against total exhaustion and his wilted power began to revive.

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About the Author

Mr. Arnold's career as an actor/author spans over five decades with multiple stage and film credits. His most recent film is The Hiding Place. He has recorded over one hundred audiobooks and is the author of the multi-volume biblical/historical fiction series entitled The Song of Prophets and Kings. When not writing he can be found hiking on a trail somewhere on the planet. He and his lovely wife Kay have two beautiful daughters, married to two handsome men, with three above-average grandchildren.

Connect with Henry by visiting henryoarnold.com to follow him on social media and sign up for email updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will win a print copy of The Mercy Seat & $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight March 11, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 18, 2024. 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!