Blog Tours

Focused Backstory by Carol Alwood – Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

January 4, 2020 by Suzie Waltner 4 Comments

About the Book

Book: Focused Backstory
Author: Carol Alwood
Genre: Non-fiction, writing resource
Release Date: June 26, 2019

Learn how to write characters readers will love.

Has an industry professional told you not to dump character history at the beginning of your story? If so, you aren’t alone. But what’s the solution to this common advice? Most writers take the time to design interesting characters with troubled pasts. They long for readers to care about the characters’ lives.

However, the sad truth is on page one, readers don’t care—yet. That’s why industry gurus tell writers to stop overusing character history, also called backstory, at the beginning of stories. Have you ever wondered… How to use backstory correctly? What are the ways other writers successfully incorporate backstory into their work? Do tools exist to help writers better plan stories so the backstory isn’t such a problem? In Focused Backstory: The Key to Writing Deep Character Journeys, you’ll find answers to these questions and more. You’ll learn how to avoid the dreaded info-dump and instead, harness curiosity so readers keep turning pages. This resource breaks down focused backstory into simple pieces to use flexibly in any story no matter what genre or length. Worksheets, tables, questionnaires, and templates will help you plan an engaging story with deep characters. Examples from popular stories will help you understand this method.

You’ll learn how to

• design a character around a troubled past.

• create additional characters around the main character.

• weave interesting sub-plots within a characters’ journey toward healing.

• design proper obstacles which interfere with characters’ goals.

• guide readers’ emotions so they have a satisfying reading experience.

No matter what kind of writer you are, if you take the time to analyze the use of backstory, it will enhance your style. Focused Backstory: The Key to Writing Deep Character Journeys is the missing gadget in your writing tool kit.

Click here to get your copy.

Daybreak by Beckie Lindsey – Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

January 1, 2020 by Suzie Waltner 8 Comments

About the Book

Book: Daybreak
Author: Beckie Lindsey
Genre: YA Fiction
Release Date: July, 2019

Every girl has a secret she hopes the light will never find—
but the demons already have.

Krystal, Mackenzie, Tammi, and Sadie fight a spiritual battle between unseen forces of good and evil that reaches deadly proportions.

When Krystal’s relationship with lifelong friend, Bryce, turns romantic, she is faced with the most important decision of her life. No matter her choice—everything will change forever.

As the friends rally to help Krystal, they each face their own battles against the forces of darkness and within themselves.
When tension between the group and members of a rock band continue to escalate, only time will tell which bonds will grow stronger and which will break.

“The thief comes only to kill, steal, and destroy.”

Click here to get your copy.

Powerplay by Heather B. Moore, Rebecca Connolly, and Sophia Summers – Review

December 30, 2019 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

About the Book

He’s ready to quit his pro-hockey career. She’s doing everything to keep her career afloat. And neither of them have time for distractions.

Jax Emerson, legendary forward for the Chicago Flyers, is ready to throw it all away when he uncovers the truth behind his NHL contract. The last thing he needs is more media attention, or his father to get involved in his contract, or a beautiful woman apologizing once again for an accident.

Meg Bailey didn’t think her life could get any worse, until it does. Time is running out before her business is forced to close. When Jax Emerson offers a solution, she knows that by accepting his help, she might be getting in too deep. And deep is not a place her heart is prepared to go.

Amazon | Goodreads | Bookbub

Welcome to Northbrook Hockey Elite!

Six professional hockey players used to play on an elite club team together, but have all separated and now play in the pro-hockey leagues. Not all of them were friends, yet circumstances bring them together, and for the greater good, maybe they can put aside their differences.

Visit us on Facebook: Swoony Sports Romances

Mistletoe Melody and Mistletoe Mission by Stacey Weeks – Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

December 28, 2019 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

About the Books

Book: Mistletoe Melody and Mistletoe Mission
Author: Stacey Weeks
Genre: Contemporary inspirational romance
Release Date: Book 1 (December 1, 2018) Book 2 (December 1, 2019)
Mistletoe Melody:

Former musician, Melody Staff, spends Christmas at a bed and breakfast in the village of Mistletoe Meadows. While everyone sings familiar carols of Christ drawing near, Melody stumbles over misplaced notes. Her recent diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis has scared off her fiancé and thrust her life into a grand pause. She’s not sure her heart will ever sing again.
Quentin Oxford has endured a devastating year. His preteen daughter suffered a stroke, and they’ve grieved his wife’s sudden death, but the Lord coaxes a surprising refrain from Quentin’s heart as God rewrites his and Melody’s score into a holiday love song that will last for Christmases to come.

Mistletoe Mission:

While her own relationships always end up doomed, Emily Colt is still determined to create happily-ever-afters through her wedding and event planning business. In hopes of expanding her business, she enters her latest project–staging the Christmas wedding of the year–into a town-wide contest. But between crossing paths with the first man to break her heart and dodging a saboteur, she doubts even career success is within her grasp.
Jilted pastor, Luca Wilson, fled to the mission field to escape a broken heart. All the hurt rushes back when he returns home to officiate his cousin’s wedding, and he finds Emily, the girl to whom he once promised forever, organizing the celebration. Despite his lost faith in love, their unforeseen reunion rekindles a spark, and Luca vows to help her save her struggling business. But to succeed, they will have to learn what it means to trust each other and believe in the God of Christmas miracles.

Click here to purchase Mistletoe Melody and here to purchase Mistletoe Mission.

The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson – Review & Excerpt

December 25, 2019 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

About the Book

Book: The Dating Charade
Author: Melissa Ferguson
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Romantic Comedy
Release Date: December 3, 2019

Cassie Everson is an expert at escaping bad first dates. And, after years of meeting, greeting, and running from the men who try to woo her, Cassie is almost ready to retire her hopes for a husband—and children—altogether.

But fate has other plans, and Cassie’s online dating profile catches the eye of firefighter Jett Bentley. In Jett’s memory, Cassie Everson is the unreachable girl-of-legend from their high school days. Nervously, he messages her, setting off a chain of events that forces a reluctant Cassie back into the dating game.
No one is more surprised than Cassie when her first date with Jett is a knockout. But when they both go home and find three children dropped in their laps—each—they independently decide to do the right and mature thing: hide the kids from each other while sorting it all out. What could go wrong?

Melissa Ferguson’s hilarious and warmhearted debut reminds us that love can come in very small packages—and that sometimes our best-laid plans aren’t nearly as rewarding and fun as the surprises that come our way.

Click here to get your copy!