Where I Was Planted by Heather Norman Smith – Guest Post & Giveaway

Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for Where I Was Planted by Heather Norman Smith, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Where I Was Planted
Author: Heather Norman Smith
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Ambassador International
Release Date: July 16, 2019

In the spring of 1961, ten-year-old Nate “Weenie” Dooley has a revelation-his father is not a good one.

Inspired by National Geographic, his favorite thing next to the Bible storybook his mother gave him before she died, Nate plans to leave his father and their home in the Smokies to set out on an adventure.

When he discovers that his father has left him first, it will take the help of a stray dog, some kind neighbors, a one-man-band, letters from a long-lost-aunt, and a new understanding of God to figure out he isn’t really alone.

Will he find that Copper Creek is where he’s always belonged? Or will his wanderlust keep him from ever coming back?

In her second novel, Heather Norman Smith demonstrates that love makes a family, and that while fathers may leave, our Heavenly Father is faithful, and He has a plan for all of us.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Christianbook

GUEST POST

The connection between Where I Was Planted and your previous novel, Grace & Lavender was a nice little surprise in the author’s note. Can you share how you came to the determination to connect the two books?

What a fun question! The connection actually came as a surprise to me, too.

As a foster/pre-adoptive parent, I want to be an advocate for children and shed light on the topics of foster care and adoption, so those are major themes in my first book, Grace & Lavender, which is a contemporary story. In that book, there is a reference to the fact that the main character, Colleen Hill, was adopted at age three.

In Where I Was Planted, set in 1961, we learn that the main character’s mother died when he was four. I wrote that she had cancer and it wasn’t discovered or treated while she was pregnant with her second child, Nate’s sister. The dad was unable to care for the baby after the mother died and gave her away, but kept Nate. When I realized that the dates aligned between Colleen’s age and the timeframe of Where I Was Planted, I thought, “Oh my goodness! Nate’s baby sister is Colleen!” It just felt so perfect, almost confirmation that both stories were meant to be.

The two novels stand alone. They are very different kinds of books—different genres, different styles, etc. But it was special for me to be able to connect them in a small way. I think readers who love the character of Colleen Hill in Grace & Lavender will appreciate knowing where she came from. It was also fun to incorporate the meaning of her name, because name meanings are another big theme in Grace & Lavender. Colleen means girl, and we find out that while she was still living with Nate and their father, Nate only referred to her as the girl, because he associated the new baby to his mother dying.

I hope those aren’t spoilers, but rather will encourage someone to learn more about Nate, and about Colleen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Heather Norman Smith is a Christian Fiction and devotions author. Her goal is to use the written word to entertain and encourage while illuminating the redemptive love of God. Heather is proud to be a life-long North Carolinian and aims to present the beauty of the Tar Heel State in her fiction. Her home is just outside Winston-Salem, NC, where she lives with her husband and their four children, two cats, two dogs, and some fish.

CONNECT WITH HEATHER: Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(2) winners will receive a paperback copy of Where I Was Planted by Heather Norman Smith!

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 December 2, 2019 and last through 11:59 PM EST on December 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

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

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