Fiction

A Promise Forged by Cara Putman – Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

August 10, 2018 by Suzie Waltner 5 Comments

About the Book

Book Title: A Promise Forged

Author: Cara Putman

Genre: World War 2 Romance

Release date: Originally released in 2010, Re-released in 2017

Kat transformed in front of him. Her chin came up, her fingers stopped twitching with the fabric of her gown, and a real sparkle bubbled in her eyes. It was like watching Snow White come to life when the prince kissed her.

A heartwarming WWII historical from award-winning author Cara Putman:

Kat Miller has dreamed of playing baseball her entire life. When she earns a spot on a team in the All-American Girls Professional Softball League, she finds that things aren’t as glamorous as she imagined. She struggles with long road trips, grueling practices, and older teammates who are jealous of her success. And to top it all off, an irritating reporter is constantly getting under Kat’s skin.

Events in Jack Raymond’s career have left him cynical and distanced from God. He never wanted to write at a small paper, and he certainly didn’t want to be assigned to something as inconsequential as a women’s softball team. Then Kat walks into his life. The fiery, young softball player somehow climbs the walls around his heart and makes him want to hope again.

When lies fly and the league appears to fail, will Kat and Jack’s new love survive?

Click here to purchase your copy!

Can’t Wait Wednesday – No Less Days

April 11, 2018 by Suzie Waltner 5 Comments

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here, at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. If you’re continuing with WOW, feel free to link those up as well! Find out more here.

Steal Away Home by Billy Coffey (Review)

January 4, 2018 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

One of the things I love about books is that even though one of them may not be something I particularly fell in love with, someone else will get more out of that same read. Billy Coffey’s January release is proof of this (just check out the pan of review ratings for Steal Away Home).

In My Opinion

This book moved at the pace of a baseball game—slow. While I’ve never been a baseball fan because the sport moves so sluggish after a season of watching the speed of hockey players on the ice, I can appreciate what athletes pour into their sports.

But Steal Away Home was difficult to get into. During the course of Owen Cross’s first major league game, he reminisces about the girl he once loved. Instead of chapters, the book has “innings”—top and bottom with too many flashbacks throughout.

None of the characters (with perhaps the exception of Owen’s mother) were very likable. I could blame that on the fact most of them were teenagers but even the adults felt selfish and self-serving. While Own and Michaela had a decent start, as I got further in the book, I liked them together less and less.

Road Trip to Delusion by Jean Ann Williams Blog Hop

August 14, 2017 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

Genre: Contemporary, Christian
Publisher: Love Truth
Publication date: June 22, 2017A fifteen-year-old takes a road trip with her two younger sisters and their strong-willed great-granny, and circumstances force her to drive her granny’s Cadillac through a freeway-closing-down blizzard which brings everyone and everything to a standstill.

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Jean Ann Williams is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She writes regularly for Putting on the New blog and Book Fun Magazine on the topic of child suicide loss. Her book “God’s Mercies after Suicide: Blessings Woven through a Mother’s Heart” started out as a blogged book on her Love Truth blog. Jean Ann and her husband of forty-six years have thirteen grandchildren from their two remaining children. They reside on one acre in Southern Oregon where they raise a garden, fruit orchard, goats, and chickens. Jean Ann’s favorite hobbies are practicing archery, hiking through the woods, and big game hunting with her bow.

GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON | BLOG

My heart sank to my navel as I grip-hugged my cookbook.
Granny slammed on the gas pedal of her Cadillac Fleetwood, and the vehicle chugged onto Highway 101. Her eagle eyes never wandered from the beams of the headlights.
I shook my head for I had a huge regret. I wasn’t able to talk Granny out of taking this trip.
In the backseat, my middle sister thirteen-year-old Leah Be-de-ah jumped on the freeway of reason. “And, Granny, don’t you think we should tell someone?”
Granny’s head barely crested the top of the seat. “Your Grand, James, is gone, so it’s just me now.” She lifted her chin.
Little sister Mia Babe sat next to Leah. “Kari?”
Twisting in my seat, I faced them. “What?”
“Mom says Grand’s in paradise, but where’s that?”
Ah, Mia, an old soul at the age of seven. “Well, from what Mom taught me, it’s a spiritual place where people go when they die.”
“Oh.” Mia rubbed her eye.
A scary notion surfaced, and I slapped my forehead. “Granny, do you even know how to get to Oregon?”
“Of course.” She flicked her blinker and passed a small car. “James and I visited Oregon when your mama was a slip of a teenager.”
“But Granny—” Leah counted. “This was twenty-five years ago. Right, Kari?”
“Right.” I rolled my eyes to the car roof and refocused on the headlight-brightened pavement. “I don’t think, Leah, they moved the state.” But, does Granny remember the route

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Review: Ascension of Larks by Rachel Linden

June 14, 2017 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

I was excited to read this new book by a new author set in the San Juan Islands off the Washington Coast. Though I have family living in Washington State, I’ve never visited this area.

The first part—probably about the first quarter—of the book was hard for me to get through. Authors are told over and over again to “show, not tell” but that can be taken to an extreme. In Ascension of Larks, Rachel Linden spends so much time describing everything in the first 25% of the book, it bogged the story down for me a bit.

Yes, I get that Maggie is an artist and her attention to detail is what makes her an excellent photographer and it’s part of her personality to notice these things. And others may enjoy that much detail but it slowed me down a bit.

With that said, it did get better. As Maggie settles into her new reality, the story turns from details about her surroundings to the emotional aspect of what she’s experiencing. Personally, drawing me into a character’s emotions is what makes a story great.