Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Resurrection Project by Tanya Sparks Belvin, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: The Resurrection Project
Series: The Resurrection Project Series #1
Author: Tanya Sparks Belvin
Publisher: Tonya Belvin Publishing
Release Date: September 11, 2023
Genre: Christian Futuristic, Medical Mystery
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon (ebook/audio) | Amazon (print) | Barnes & Noble
More Books in This Series
Excerpt
I stood in the doorway of the cafeteria staring at L2 as she finished her cup of blueberries and steel-cut oats with eight ounces of skim milk. The Grindland Institute, located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, provided its subjects with superfood choices given in precise portions to meet
the exact nutritional requirements for ultimate sustenance and growth. L2’s shoulder-length chestnut hair glistened like the stainless steel throughout the cafeteria’s antiseptic side. This area was reserved for the residents of Grindland’s Resurrection Project.
The six-year-old’s white top, knee-length khaki shorts, and specially-designed blue and white athletic shoes, fit her small frame perfectly. As I observed her, I couldn’t stop thinking that she was much too young to be so independent. Already accustomed to her daily schedule filled with physical and academic requirements, L2 was still too short to sit on the bench and have her feet touch the ground.
A natural-born music aficionado, L2 always seemed to have a private music channel continually playing in her mind. As I watched, L2’s tiny fingers started drumming a beat on the table, and she began singing her favorite song, “Little Liza Jane.”
About the Author
Tanya Sparks Belvin is a retired middle school teacher, with thirty-two years of experience. Her passion is serving the Lord, reading, writing, and entertaining her seven grandchildren. Tanya, her husband, Ron, and her mother, Tommie Moton, enjoy lakeside living in Denver, North Carolina. Tanya and Ron have three adult children. The Resurrection Project is her debut novel.
Connect with Tanya by visiting tanyasparksbelvin.com.
Author Interview
Tanya: I retired after thirty-two years of teaching in 2015 to watch a granddaughter. Because she was an infant I had a lot of time on my hands. My love for reading had developed over the years as did my desire to try my hand at writing. I had a dream one night about a young girl, who appeared to be in a sterile medical facility. She with her back towards me, kicking her legs back and forth, and swinging her shoulder-length brown hair from side to side as she sang a song. When I awoke, it couldn't get that dream out of my mind, and so began chapter one of The Resurrection Project.
Q: How long did it take to write this book?
Q: How long did it take to write this book?
Tanya: It took four months for me to write the first draft of my novel, but as any writer will tell you, many changes are made between that initial writing and the published novel. I finished writing my initial draft in April 2016, but it was not published until September 2023.
Q: What surprised you while researching/writing this novel?
Q: What surprised you while researching/writing this novel?
Tanya: This book was truly God inspired. I didn't have a storyboard or make a preplan as I wrote each chapter. I just started writing. When I began to go off course, I was guided to move in another direction. When I would get to a point where I didn't know where to go, I waited and eventually was led to an answer. So, I guess you could say that this was a faith-walk journey for me. It was such a precious adventure, that I have written the sequel, Rescuing the Remnant. It was also written in four months. It has the same number of chapters and the journey was very similar to what I experienced with The Resurrection Project.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote from The Resurrection Project?
Q: Do you have a favorite quote from The Resurrection Project?
Tanya: This question makes me smile!! Here is another God story. In chapter seven, page 41, Ellen is studying in her room at Grindland and she comes across a poem entitled "The Partnership".
In a darkened room, I stand beside my patient.Family has gathered to say their last goodbyes.There are many places I could be now,But I feel compelled to stay until it is finished.
The vital signs indicate that it's only a matter of minutes.My patient has rallied before to remind those closest of how much they are loved,And to offer me thanks for all the attempts made to stop the killer within.All possibilities appeared to be exhausted, yet we continued to research for other answers.
When you take the time to truly know your patient, you create a partnership.The patient's hope becomes your hope. You become the backbone of the support system,Steering the journey of recovery, or, at least, extending time.The unification of souls creates a bond that cannot be broken.
As the time comes when the final breaths are about to be taken,There may be a moment when the doctor's and the patient's eyes meet.Without saying a word, the patient indicates the battle is over.Cocoons are opened, and two butterflies take flight.
Dr. James SloanNovember 13, 2017
The reason this is one of my favorite quotes is that, as I was writing, I found a poem that I thought would go well to support Ellen's research. I wrote to the poet to see if I could include it in my book, but received no response. I couldn't find anything that would fit there. Then, in the middle of the night, I was awakened to go back to my writing. This poem came to me within a half an hour, and I felt it was a perfect way for Ellen to understand the importance of developing a relationship with her patients. (By the way, the "poet" is a reference to my dad, Jim Sparks. His mother's maiden name was Sloan, and my Dad's heavenly homecoming was November 13.)
Q: When did you first know you wanted to be an author?
Tanya: At the end of every school year, I spent hours monitoring EOG testing. Throughout several years, along with other teachers, I began to develop practice tests. Eventually, I wrote my own reading selections and developed questions. That little taste of creative writing made me consider authoring a larger text. When I retired, I had plenty of time to begin my novel.
Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers wouldn’t know?
Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers wouldn’t know?
Tanya: When I was a student, I disliked reading. I was in academically gifted classes where we spent a lot of time reading high vocabulary classics. I spent so much time trying to decipher the wording, I totally missed out on the joy of reading. When I moved to a charter school without a library to teach, I had the most fun setting up my personal classroom library. I encouraged my students to find books that they felt their peers would enjoy reading, and I continually read and promoted middle school literature that I hoped would excite and inspire them. Now, a day doesn't go by when I don't have a book in my hand.
Q: What are you currently reading?
Q: What are you currently reading?
Tanya: I just recently finished reading The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers.
Q: What is your favorite genre to read?
Q: What is your favorite genre to read?
Tanya: I enjoy Christian fiction, medical mysteries, historical fiction. To be honest, I enjoy any genre as long as it is well-written.
Q: What is your favorite hobby?
Q: What is your favorite hobby?
Tanya: I thoroughly enjoy baking and cooking. I'm such a foodie. My favorite thing to do is watch cooking shows on Saturday morning and make a list of what I want to copy for the week to come.
Q: What is your favorite season and why?
Q: What is your favorite season and why?
Tanya: Summer has always been a favorite time of the year for me. As a teacher, it was the time I could relax and focus on my family. We are blessed to live on Lake Norman, and we invite family and friends to our house to swim and participate in water sports. I also enjoy making snowcones and homemade ice cream!
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a print copy of The Resurrection Project and its sequel, Rescuing the Remnant, as well as a $25 Amazon gift card!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 20, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on January 27, 2025. 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!
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