Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Wyatt by Susan May Warren

 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour & Giveaway for Wyatt, the fourth book of The Montana Marshalls series by Susan May Warren, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

 

Title: Wyatt 

Series: The Montana Marshalls, Book 4  

Author: Susan May Warren  

Publisher: SDG Publishing 

Release Date: October 2019  

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

He’s lost her twice…he’s not going to lose her again...

NHL Hockey Goalie Wyatt Marshall has everything--fame, money and a thriving career. But he’s hiding the two things that matter most...a career-ending injury, and his broken heart. He’s been in love with Coco Stanley since she walked into his life at age fourteen, a foster child for the Marshall family. She stole his heart years later, when, after a secret tryst, she returned to her home country of Russia. But she won’t let him back into her life—and he can’t figure out why.  

She’s harboring a secret that could cost lives...  

Coco Stanley is tired of living her life undercover. Or at least, with an assumed name, always pretending to be someone she’s not. And that’s not the only secret she’s harboring. If Wyatt discovers the real reason she left him, it might just destroy him. She’s resigned herself to loving him from afar...  

But when he discovers she’s in danger...  

Wyatt is horrified when he learns Coco has been shot and left in Russia, her fate unknown. There is nothing—nothing—that will stop him from finding her. So what if he’s not one of his super-heroic brothers, not a Ranger, not a SEAL...Wyatt is a hockey goalie, a special kind of crazy brave. Except, is he brave enough to face the secret Coco is keeping, or will it destroy everything he’s hoped for?  

What will it cost them to save her?  

What Wyatt and Coco don’t know is that revenge is stalking her and bringing her home just might cost them their long-awaited happy ending.  

Continue the breath-taking Montana Marshall series!
 

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

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EXCERPT FROM WYATT

 Chapter 1 

Usually Wyatt, goalie for the Minnesota Blue Ox NHL team, could shrug off his mistakes. Ignore the horn blaring behind his ears, block out the cheering—and occasionally the gloating of the opposing players.

Not today.

Wyatt Marshall hadn’t come all the way to Russia only to fail.

He glanced at the clock overhead, ignoring the sweat coating his body despite the cool breath of the arena, the slap of the puck at the other end of the rink.

Because if he failed, his entire life could be over in twelve minutes and thirty-two seconds.

Okay, he might be a little melodramatic, but it felt that way.

Lives were at stake.

No. One life.

The life of the woman he couldn’t get out of his head.

Especially since he’d made promises. To himself. And had, in fact, blurted out to his entire family that he would rescue Coco Stanley. I promise.

He wasn’t going home without her.

As long as he kept the Polish team from scoring, he bought himself more time in the Far Eastern town of Khabarovsk, where this international tournament was being held, to track down Coco and rescue her from a country trying to kill her.

Okay, maybe that was overstated. Not all of Russia was trying to kill Coco. And in fact, it might be only one very determined assassin by the name of Damien Gustov.

Even that Wyatt wasn’t sure of.

Just that the woman he loved had been shot.

Left in Siberia.

Hadn’t been heard from since.

Taken from Wyatt: The Montana Marshalls by Susan May Warren. Copyright © 2019 by SDG Publishing. Used by permission of SDG Publishing.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Susan May Warren is the USA Today bestselling, Christy and RITA award-winning novelist of over sixty-five novels. An eight-time Christy award finalist, a three-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Carol Award.

A seasoned women’s events speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: The Story Equation.

She is also the founder of MyBookTherapy.com, and Novel.Academy, a school for aspiring novelists.  

CONNECT WITH SUSAN: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Wyatt and a Montana Marshalls Magic Mug!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule shown below. Giveaway will begin at midnight October 2, 2019 and last through 11:59 PM EST on October 9, 2019. US only. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize.

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: One More River to Cross by Jane Kirkpatrick

About the Book:

Adversity can squelch the human spirit . . . or it can help us discover strength we never knew we had.

In 1844, two years before the Donner Party, the Stephens-Murphy-Townsend company leaves Missouri to be the first wagons into California through the Sierra Nevada. They enjoy a safe journey--until October, when a fierce mountain snowstorm forces difficult decisions.

The party separates in three directions. Some go overland around Lake Tahoe. Others stay to guard the heaviest wagons. The rest of the party, including eight women and seventeen children, huddle in a makeshift cabin at the headwaters of the Yuba River awaiting rescue. The months ahead will be long and at times terrifying. But with friendship, family, and enough courage to overcome their fear, these intrepid pioneers will discover what truly matters in times of trial.

My Thoughts:

One More River to Cross by Jane Kirkpatrick is a stand-alone novel based on historical events surrounding the Stephens company and its journey to California. I appreciate that the author chose to stick to certain happenings, as odd as they seem to today’s readers. While some of these events led to character development and/or relational healing in the book, other events seemed to pass without sufficient time given to dealing with the trauma they must have caused and I wished those events had been more thoroughly addressed.

Much of One More River to Cross is devoted to highlighting the powerlessness of women in that time period and how the women’s mindsets changed. I enjoyed seeing the women find their own reasons to hope and persevere through their severe hardship. They learned to speak up despite oppression from companions and loved ones. They learned to take action when necessary. The themes about powerlessness and gender equality echo into today’s society and are still relevant.

Despite its prose being well-written with its smooth dialogue and vibrant descriptions, I struggled to finish One More River to Cross because I never developed deep interest in the characters. There were just so many of them and the story hopped all around in so many different minds that even when I was a third of the way through the book, I needed to refer to the character list.

If you have enjoyed previous historical fiction novels by Jane Kirkpatrick, you may enjoy One More River to Cross. While it didn’t captivate my attention, long-time fans of Jane Kirkpatrick will likely be interested in her newest release.

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

September Reading and Expected October Reads

My September 2019 Reads:

Today I'm sharing a bit about what I've been reading and what I hope to read. Mostly, I'm just wondering how it is October already? 🍁🍁🍁 In September, I finished:

1. The Reckless by Marylu Tyndall. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


2. CALLED to Inspire by Marsha DuCille. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


3. The Devotional Poetry of Donne, Herbert, and Milton by Leland Ryken. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐


4. How to Survive a Shipwreck by Jonathan Martin. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Review to come soon.


5. Shadows of Ladenbrook Manor by Melanie Dobson - ⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


6. One More River to Cross by Jane Kirkpatrick  - ⭐⭐⭐ - Review to come soon.


7. One Final Breath by Lynn H. Blackburn. - ⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.

My favorite book this month was...... The Reckless by Marylu Tyndall! This captivating novel had it all: romance, adventure, suspense, and character development! My review is available here!

Expected October 2019 Reads:

In October, I expect to read:

1. Outbreak by Davis Bunn. - My local book club's October selection.


2. Unscripted by Davis Bunn - Two books by Davis Bunn this month? Yes, please!


3. Woe Is I by Patricia T O'Connor - Yeah, still working on this one....


4. How to Say No Without Feeling Guilty by Patti Breitman and Connie Hatch. - Currently reading! So many good examples of using the powerful word: no.


5. Courage to See: Daily Inspiration from Great Literature by Greg Garrett and Sabrina Fountain. - Literature combined with a devotional. Can't go wrong with that!


6. We Hope for Better Things by Erin Bartels - Ever since I read (and loved) The Words Between Us, I've wanted to read this one. Fortunately, my library had it available! 


7. The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis - I've wanted to read the Narnia series for some time now and my husband recommended starting with this one.


8. A Distance Too Grand by Regina Scott - A new-to-me author!

 What will you read this month?

First Line Fridays: Confident Moms, Confident Daughters

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 Confident Moms, Confident Daughters: Helping Your Daughter Live Free From Insecurity and Love How She Looks by Maria Furlough:

"I'll never forget the first time I saw what a confident woman looked like."

If you're interested in this book, check out my review here.

What are you reading this weekend?

Have a great weekend! Happy reading!


About the Book:

What we say to our daughters lasts a moment. What we show our daughters lasts a lifetime.

No matter how much we try to tell our daughters that they are beautiful and lovable as they are, words are not enough. And if we're honest, we don't always set the best example. How can we build up confident girls if we struggle to be confident ourselves?

With deep compassion, Maria Furlough delves into the root causes of our insecurity, offers biblical guidance for seeing ourselves as God sees us, and shows how to model our newfound confidence to our impressionable daughters. Speaking as a daughter, a youth leader, and a mother, Furlough shares her own struggles and triumphs, as well as expert advice from a pediatrician, a nutritionist, a Christian counselor, and more.

Book Review: CALLED to Inspire Journal by Marsha DuCille

About the Book:

Do you sense God prompting you to do something special with your life? Do you feel totally unprepared to answer his call?

Get ready for your heart to be emboldened and your faith strengthened! In CALLED to Inspire, Marsha DuCille, founder and publisher of CALLED magazine, leads you through a 52-question devotional experience to help you discover a rich, victorious life guided by God. With each weekly devotion, you’ll find compelling answers to life’s most significant questions. Each reading is accompanied by a powerful prayer, a meaningful verse to hide in your heart, a declaration to defend and fortify your faith, and journaling space to record your thoughts.

Let CALLED to Inspire encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and give you the strength and confidence to hear God’s calling in your life. Cling to this companion week after week—and dare to render your answer.


My Thoughts:

Just last week I told some friends how journaling has been a life-giving experience for me. When CALLED to Inspire by Marsha DuCille arrived in the mail and I held this gorgeous journal in my hands, I had a bit of instant love. It’s a beautifully designed, smooth surface, hard cover journal. The built-in bookmark, floral images, and gold foil letters lend a touch of elegance.

Being practically in love with the cover and excited about the prospect of journaling, I didn’t delay in reading through the devotions and accompanying prompts in CALLED to Inspire, though I didn’t attempt to respond to them all right away. Each topic comprises a set of four pages. The first two pages ask a question and provide a devotional thought. The third page has a prayer, a Scripture, a statement to declare and limited writing space. The fourth page features a short journal prompt to respond to and a larger writing space. Personally, I wouldn’t want to attempt a topic each day. It seems more suitable to contemplate the topic and respond over the course of 3-4 days, letting its message really seep into one’s mind and heart. A week on each might be too long, but there are 52 topics, so one per week would make for a year-long journey.

As far as content, I liked and agreed with most of the topics. I especially liked #24 – Is the Baby Protected? (Protecting your dream), #28 – Does It Hurt? (The power of your mind), and #49 -What is Joy (True joy versus happiness). There were a few that I didn’t care for, but I would still take the time to consider and respond if only to examine and affirm or alter my own position.

CALLED to Inspire by Marsha DuCille could be used by any one seeking to move forward in their personal calling. However, it is definitely slanted toward women with career-style callings. Those, like me, who consider mothering their primary calling for this season, can still benefit as there are plenty of applicable topics and I’m aware there may be other callings from God on my life that I’ll pursue at another time.

Visit the publisher's website to view an excerpt from CALLED to Inspire by Marsha DuCille.

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

Cover Reveal: My Fair Spinster by Rebecca Connolly

About the Book

Title: My Fair Spinster
Series: The Spinster Chronicles
Genre: Adult, Historical, Regency, Romance
Publisher: Phase Publishing
Publication date: October 1, 2019

The spinster next door… Grace Morledge is a failure. Or so her father believes, as she is unmarried despite her advantages. In his mind, Grace must have significant flaws to be a spinster and something must be done about them. To her mortification, he demands she be fully examined and all flaws recorded. And the man he chooses is the worst possible candidate of all. Aubrey Flint, Lord Ingram, has known Grace since childhood, but he never anticipated Lord Trenwick demanding he examine her for flaws. How can perfection have faults? Reluctantly, he accepts the assignment, and finds far more than he bargained for, and perfection becomes more and more tempting.

Watch for links to Goodreads and Amazon coming soon...

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About the Author

Rebecca Connolly writes romances, both period and contemporary, because she absolutely loves a good love story. She has been creating stories since childhood, and there are home videos to prove it! She started writing them down in elementary school and has never looked back. She currently lives in the Midwest, spends every spare moment away from her day job absorbed in her writing, and is a hot cocoa addict.

GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

BOOKBUB | WEBSITE | NEWSLETTER | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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The Cover Reveal

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Giveaway

(1) winner will receive an ecopy of the book upon release.

Giveaway ends September 30th at 11:59pm MT.

 Giveaway is subject to policies HERE.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Cover Reveal Blog Stops

Check out the other stops participating in the cover reveal HERE.