Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Suddenly Rural Girl by Dann and Kennedy Hurlbert, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Suddenly Rural Girl:
Author: Dann & Kennedy Hurlbert
Publisher: Kirk House Publishers
Release Date: February 1, 2024
Genre: Young Adult & Middle Grade Contemporary Christian Fiction
After her dad is tragically killed, Dakota Moore’s mom moves her to northern Minnesota where Dak discovers an outcast classmate may be a reclusive miracle worker. She thinks she found him too late. The truth is, she met him just in time. Will Dak discover the miracle worker’s secrets before the next tragedy strikes?
Now, tucked into a secluded A-frame near a beaver-infested creek with her strong Sioux mom and her lisping little brother, Dak faces a new school and a trio of mean girls. Seemingly alone, she buries herself in a design app and self pity until an old blind man, his curly-haired horse named Eyeballs, a quirky dragon-doodling classmate, and a strawberry blonde with delicious sun-kissed freckles give her four reasons to keep on living. Then she decides to do more than just survive; Dak intends to thrive. When tragedy strikes again, she confronts the intriguing and repulsive miracle worker, but he doesn’t help their mutual friend. Learning why will change her life.
Suddenly Rural Girl is a friend and faith-finding journey, featuring a strong, female, multiracial protagonist and is loaded with laugh-out-loud characters and gorgeous northern Minnesota beauty. The magnificent landscapes haunt like William Kent Kreuger’s Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land, and the quick-witted dialogue is reminiscent of Jenny B. Jones’ There You’ll Find Me and In Between books. The combination makes it an excellent YA read with cross-over into Contemporary Christian audiences. The novel also has a companion study guide full of plot-related questions for classrooms and theme based discussion prompts for book groups!
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop
Excerpt
THE QUARRY, CHAPTER 16
"Hey!!!" Someone yelled from the crowd down below. "You gonna jump or what?!"
"Yeah! Jump!" Another voice echoed. I scanned what had been a short line in front of us; the old couple, the college students, and the prepubescent girls must have already taken the leap. A few more voices eagerly picked up the chant.
"Jump! Jump! Jump!" the chorus and my uneasiness both crescendoed.
Liam looked me through the eyes. Not in the eyes, into my eyes, and then he asked sincerely, "You ready for this? ‘ Cuz you don't have to." I glanced briefly at Mary. She smiled and winked. Liam extended his hand, perhaps an offer to hold hands and jump with me?
"I got this," I said, turning away from Liam's hand and stepping toward the edge. If a girl's gonna make something of herself, she can't do it holding hands with some boy—no matter how cute he is. My stomach was a mess of nerves, eggs, and applesauce, but I wasn't going to be some damsel in distress with both Mary and Liam wondering if I needed saving. I curled my toes over the lip, offered a terrified smile to the chanting crowd, and pushed off. Almost as an afterthought, I started a quick prayer: Dear God, please—
Freefall is what happened next. The whole drop took less than two seconds, but I heard the crowd cheer in those two seconds. I counted no fewer than thirty-one innertubes on the lake. I saw Liam's blue eyes and freckled face in the back of my mind, and I decided I would let that boy kiss me someday. Then I heard Taylor yell, "Feet together, girl!!!" before jerking my knees and toes together.
Splash!
About the Authors
Dann Hurlbert has BSED in English and Theater Education from the University of South Dakota, an MFA in Digital Cinema from California’s National University, and has spent many years as an educator and professional actor and director. He currently serves as a Media & Design Specialist at Minnesota’s Carleton College. He’s a sucker for the Great Outdoors, Caribou Coffee, and his beautiful wife, and three impressive kids.
Kennedy Hurlbert is a cheerful and creative teenager who inspired much of the SRG story and corrected all her dad’s teen lingo. She enjoys being with friends, whipping up sweet and tasty desserts, and spending time at the lake. Any lake. She loves lakes. Especially the Boundary Waters. But any lake will do. She also likes sports and cuddling with the family Golden Retrievers.Connect with Dann at dannhurlbert.com to follow him on social media and sign up for email updates.
Author Interview
Q: What inspired you to write Suddenly Rural Girl?
"My English teacher gave us a writing prompt, so I wrote a one page short story about a scary day in the woods . . . and then asked my dad if we could turn it into a full book. My story became the first chapter of our book, and then we kept going from there!" --kennedy
Q: How long did it take to write this book?
"It took us about two years to write, but because of our busy schedules, we were mostly only able to write on Saturday mornings together. That became a neat routine. Kennedy and I would wake up early, go to a local coffee shop, and brainstorm, and research, write, and watch our story develop!" --dann
Q: What was the co-writing process like?
"I started with a lot of enthusiasm, but it was taking a lot longer than I thought. Plus, I had soccer and other activities some Saturdays, so my dad kept going when he had time. He'd ask me lots of questions about characters, and he'd ask me to write passages or letters between the two characters, while he kept the plot moving. Then he asked me to review all his writing--especially the texting, to be sure it sounded like something teens would say or text." --kennedy
"The research and writing was a lot of fun. We learned a bit more about horses, and Minnesota foliage and wildlife, and about how long and slow writing a full-length novel can be. But, I'm really glad Kennedy proposed the idea of working on it together. That, by itself, was really rewarding. We also learned a lot about things like Beta Readers, Publishers, Querying, and now we're learning more about the distribution and marketing process. Living is learning, and it's been a fun process . . .and I'll apply lots of what we learned to book #2!" --dann
Q: Do you have a favorite quote from Suddenly Rural Girl?
There are lots of great quotes in Suddenly Rural Girl. Here's one of our favorites from our protagonist, Dak:
"I got this,” I said, turning away from Liam’s hand and stepping toward the edge. If a girl’s gonna make something of herself, she can’t do it holding hands with some boy–no matter how cute he is."
Here's another quote about Dak's new neighbor, and the owner of the horse Dak begins to ride and care for:
George Washington Young was old, blind, and a pocketful of kindness. He was the kind of treasure you didn’t know you needed but can’t imagine living without. And it was all wrapped up in a pair of faded overalls and a smile.
Here's a quote that captures one of the themes in our novel, everyone carries some hidden struggle:
Taylor’s lips parted into a genuine smile, and the melancholy girl next to me was transformed into a beaming teenage girl—who was missing her front left tooth. My eyes shifted briefly to the small dark rectangle where the tooth should have been, and her wide grin immediately vanished. Taylor pulled in her thin lips, drawing them into a flat line where her smile had just been.
Aaaaannnd, there are some passages that we love, too! Here's one that carries the reader into some danger that Dak needs to overcome:
I had to give back. His dad helped me, and now his dad might be in trouble.
"Mary," I said firmly, turning Eyeballs toward her. "I need you to call the police. Tell them to head to the Redrickson house on Mill Creek Lane."
"OK."
"Then, can you run a couple miles back to my house?"
"Can I run a couple of miles?" She smiled like Joan of Arc. "I was born for this."
"I mean, can you find my house?"
She pointed. "That way, over the bridge, turn left." Then she realized what I was asking. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to help Jackson find his dad."
"Ok," she said, pulling her phone out of her pocket.
The sun was a sickle now, shaving the horizon, and I knew it would slip into the dark's sheath in no time. I also knew Mary could run like the wind, and she'd have no problem finding our house again. What I didn't know was how my horse would react to letting Jackson climb on his back—or if Jackson would be interested or able to. I leaned forward, clicked my tongue, and Eyeballs and I were galloping after Jackson.
And here's a favorite passage about Ms. Bousta, an important teacher Dak comes to appreciate:
Bousta's leg-sized arm shot forward and pointed toward the door. The flab under her arm swung like an oversized flesh cocoon. Without turning around, Ms. Bousta sweetly added, "Dakota, I'd like you to tippytoe along with us, too. I imagine Principal Arpan will be interested in hearing how your first day is going."
Sophia swung around on her heels and stormed out, exasperated.
"Ugggh!" She plowed between Makayla and Teagan, flicking her hands free of the remaining spuds.
Bousta quietly whispered "OK" to herself, relieved at having prevented a bigger scene. Then, she took a fateful step directly into Sophia's lunch.
What happened next can only be described as something between incredible contortion and amazing performance art: Ms. Bousta's size fifteen shoe slipped forward on the grease, leaving her enormous torso with nothing to support it. As her shoulders and head fell backward, she made a quarter turn and planted her right hand on the tile while simultaneously swinging her left leg over—spinning her chest-down in mid-air. But she didn't faceplant! She somehow tucked her head and left arm like a gymnast doing a roll onto her shoulders, flinging her legs above her head and into a spin like some helicopter move you'd see in a breakdancing movie! Her massive body rotated like a top three or four times on her upper shoulders before she kicked out of it, landing comfortably on the floor with one leg extended and one hand behind her head like a plus-plus-sized supermodel posing on the beach.
It happened in the blink of an eye. But no one blinked. Everyone in the lunchroom had just seen potatoes thrown at point-blank range miss their mark. Then they all witnessed Ms. Bousta flip what could have been a terrible flop into a legendary dance move.
"Whooo!" Ms. Bousta exclaimed after a shaky breath. "I haven't done that one in a while."
Q: What are you currently reading?
Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther. --kennedy
I Cheerfully Refuse by Lief Enger --dann
Q:What is your favorite genre to read?
YA Christian novels with a female main character --kennedy
Contemporary or Historical Fiction with some moral truths woven throughout --dann
Q: What is your favorite hobby?
I love playing soccer. --kennedy
I need a creative outlet. That's taken the shape of writing and directing plays and musicals, designing and manufacturing a teleprompter, creating videos, and now writing novels.! --dann
Q: What is your favorite season and why?
Summer. We both love the summer sun . . . and lakes. --dann & kennedy
Tour Giveaway
(3) winners will win a signed paperback copy (or ebook) of Suddenly Rural Girl!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight July 16, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on July 23, 2024. 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.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
This looks like a great read. Thanks for sharing and hosting this tour.
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