Archives For Susan May Warren

Take a Chance on Me

Renee Ann Smith —  April 28, 2013 — 6 Comments

Jensen crop

I probably shouldn’t have started reading Take a Chance on Me right before bedtime on a school night. Then the next day the book distracted me from grading papers. This became slightly dangerous when my students realized I had a new book by a favorite author. But it was worth the risk. Yes, Take a Chance on Me was that good.

This romantic story is the first in Susan May Warren’s new series about The Christiansens: six adult siblings and their parents. Here’s Susan May Warren’s intro to this fictional family: “They’re a family like you might find next door. Or in your church. Or maybe they’re like your family. Parents trying to figure out the delicate steps of guiding adult children into responsibility, hoping to leave a legacy. When I crafted the Christiansen family, I Iooked close to home, at our family, and the families of our friends. At their challenges, and joys, and their hopes to raise children who embody the values they were raised with. Then I created a family I’d like to get to know and hang out with. To fall in love with. I hope you do too.”

What’s this book about? Best friends, Jensen Atwood and Darek Christiansen, become estranged after a tragic accident—when Darek’s wife is killed and Jensen ends up sentenced to community service for her death. Now years later both men must decide if they can take a chance on God’s forgiveness and the second chance at life He seems to be offering through two smart & savvy ladies named Ivy Madison and Claire Gibson. (I had fun imagining Jensen as a younger Jack Shepherd from Lost vs. Darek as a younger John Reese from Person of Interest!)

I experienced a strong emotional response to Take a Chance on Me. How can you tell if you’ll feel the same?

  • If you’ve ever had that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach when you fear you’ve ruined your chance at happiness,
  • Or felt a hole in your heart because you’ve hurt someone you love. And it can never be undone.
  • If life has made you bargain and beg and weep before God
  • Then, after all that, a moment arrived that stole your breath away—when God offered you a second chance
  • And you took it. You grabbed it with both hands
  • And God’s grace and forgiveness filled you until you felt like you could soar,

Then you will love this story.

Two characters quickly worked their way into my heart: Jensen Atwood, a handsome, under-appreciated, intent-on-beating-himself-up secondary hero. Fortunately, Jensen has Gibs. Jack Marshall Gibson, Grandpop or Gibs to his family and friends, Vietnam vet and man of God. Gibs gives Jens exactly what he needs: love, godly counsel, a good checkers game, and a wake up call. Here are some of Gibs’ best lines:

grandpop gibs crop

You can read about the individual members of the Christiansen Family—each to be the subject of an upcoming novel—here.

Tweetables: “You can’t make yourself & your life whole again. God can.” (Click to Tweet)

“So plan A is a bust. God can make a plan B better than plan A ever would have been.” (Click to Tweet)

“He’d settle for Peace.The kind that let you sleep thru’ the night & look at yourself in the morning.” (Click to Tweet)

Need more details? Here’s the back-cover copy: Darek Christiansen is almost a dream bachelor—oldest son in the large Christiansen clan, heir to their historic Evergreen Lake Resort, and doting father. But he’s also wounded and angry since the tragic death of his wife, Felicity. No woman in Deep Haven dares come near.

New assistant county attorney Ivy Madison simply doesn’t know any better when she bids on Darek at the charity auction. Nor does she know that when she crafted a plea bargain three years ago to keep Jensen Atwood out of jail, she was releasing the man responsible for Felicity’s death. All Ivy knows is that the Christiansens feel like the family she’s always longed for. And once she gets past Darek’s tough exterior, she finds a man she could spend the rest of her life with. Which scares her almost as much as Darek learning of her involvement in his wife’s case.

Caught between new love and old grudges, Darek must decide if he can set aside the past for a future with Ivy—a future more and more at risk as an approaching wildfire threatens to wipe out the Christiansen resort and Deep Haven itself.

***Thanks to Susan May Warren, Litfuse, and Tyndale House for providing a copy for me to review. You can purchase Take a Chance on Me at this link. (And remember, the teens in your life will enjoy this book, too!)

About the Author: Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning novelist of over thirty novels. A five-time Christy award finalist, a two-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. She is also the founder of MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice. You can find her online at www.susanmaywarren.com. Continue Reading…

In Book Suggestions, Christian Living, Devotional Thoughts, I wish it were a Hallmark movie, Launch Team, The Christiansen Family , ,
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Baroness by Susan May Warren (review and giveaway)

Renee Ann Smith —  May 3, 2012 — 4 Comments

(You didn’t miss the Spring Fling Giveaway Hop–it’s at this link!)

If you love sagas that feature multi-generations of plucky, conflicted heroines and provide sweeping portraits of bygone eras, Susan May Warren’s Daughters of Fortune series will give you that same feeling.  For me, these books brought to mind Showboat, Giant, Forsyte Saga, Zoya, A Woman of Substance, even Downton Abbey, and all those richly-costumed, lose-yourself-in-the-story dramas from the golden age of TV mini-series.

The story begins in Heiress and continues with the next generation in Baroness. Set in the Roaring 20s, Baroness focuses on Rosie and Lilly, a pair of high society cousins whose family fortunes provide lives of ease. But the two girls want more. They set out searching for what makes life meaningful and end up in all the wrong places. We follow the girls’ adventures and misadventures from Paris to New York City to Chicago and the wilds of Montana as they pursue exotic careers.

Lilly becomes a wing walker on an airplane, and Rosie chases the dream of being a star on the silver screen. They rub shoulders with adventurers, baseball stars, pilots, and mobsters. Meanwhile, their families wait in the wings and hope for them to come to their senses. But the girls, for the most part, make disastrous decisions—until finally God gets through to one of them and we enjoy a half happy/half cliffhanger ending. Now I can’t wait for book three!

****Baroness is an eventful page-turner that will satisfy your dramatic cravings for quite some time!  You can purchase Baroness at this link. Thanks to Litfuse for providing a copy for me to enjoy and review.

Celebrate with Susan by entering her Roaring 20s Giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

  • A Kindle Fire
  • Signed copies of Baroness and Heiress by Susan May Warren

But hurry, the giveaway ends on 5/7/12. The winner will be announced on 5/9/12 on Susan’s blog, Scribbles!

Just click one of the icons below to enter! Tell your friends about Susan’s giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Enter via E-mail Enter via FacebookEnter via Twitter

About the author: Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning novelist of over thirty novels. A five-time Christy award finalist, a two-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: From the Inside-Out: Discover, Create and Publish the Novel in You! She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice. You can find her online at www.susanmaywarren.com.

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The Shadow of Your Smile by Susan May Warren (review, writing helps, giveaway and other good stuff)

Renee Ann Smith —  January 19, 2012 — 9 Comments

When I’m looking for a story that will satisfy all my readerly cravings, my go-to author is Susan May Warren. In whatever genre—romantic suspense, contemporary romance, historical fiction—I can find a SMW book to provide entertaining drama, heartwarming romance, Bible-based truths, and characters who—by the end of the story—seem like old friends. Her latest novel, The Shadow of Your Smile, is no exception.

The Shadow of Your Smile features two couples, younger and long-married, whose relationships need repair. I was drawn most to the mid-life couple, Noelle and Eli, and quickly became immersed in their drama. As they looked back at events and choices and asked the inevitable (and painful), “If I had to do it all over again . . .” questions, I hurt with them. And I loved how finding who they were in the Lord as individuals became the key to bringing their lives and love story full circle. Their sweet second courtship left me playing the song The Second Time Around (video below) in my head and smiling.

So if you have even the slightest touch of the long-cold-days, dark-too-soon, winter blahs, here’s my prescription: a hot cup of coffee or tea, some gentle music on your iPod, and this charming story. Purchase your copy at this link. (When you finish this one, I can recommend lots more Susan May Warren books.) ***Thanks to Litfuse Publicity and Tyndale House for providing a copy for me to re Continue Reading…

In Blog Tour Book Reviews, Blogging for Books, Book Suggestions, I wish it were a Hallmark movie , ,
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Giveaway from Susan May Warren

Renee Ann Smith —  January 18, 2012 — 2 Comments

Sometimes love requires a little forgetting … Come back to Deep Haven and find out what’s been happening in your favorite quaint hamlet. If you’re new to the Deep Haven series – this is the perfect book to start with – each book in the series is a stand alone story.

Susan is celebrating the release of The Shadow of Your Smile by giving away a prize pack worth over $200 from 1/9-1/28. Continue Reading…

In Blog Tour Book Reviews, Blogging for Books , ,
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Enjoy the ride! (guest post by Susan May Warren)

Renee Ann Smith —  December 20, 2011 — 2 Comments

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas!

Enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from some of today’s most beloved writers as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched lives during this most wonderful time of the year.

AND just for fun … there’s also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 – 12/25 and the winner will be announced on 1/1. (US and Canadian residents only.) You may enter once per day.

Enjoy the Ride!
by Susan May Warren

We sit poised on the top of a cliff, a near drop off before us, that falls to a rushing river. In the middle, a bridge of snow and ice hints at our destination. My husband guns the snowmobile engine. “Ready?”

Ready? For a face plant into a tree, maybe reconstructive surgery? To feel my stomach ripped from my body as we plummet down the mountain?

Let’s do it!

We live on five acres of woods in northern Minnesota that butts up to a national forest. Hence, our backyard is about a hundred thousand acres. Aside from harboring deer, lynx, fox, cougar and bear, it also makes excellent snowmobile terrain. And not long ago, Mrs. Claus gave her Santa a snowmobile for two.

I love snowmobiling. Flying over the snow, catching air over drifts. I love to drive, to be at the helm of the beast as I weave around trees and over hill and dale, my husband sitting behind me. I also love riding behind my husband as he drives, feeling those powerful arms as he’s muscling the snowmobile into the wilds. We follow unknown trails, driven by a Magellan spirit, hoping that we have enough gas to get us back to civilization. I love hanging on, simply trusting him, knowing that wherever he’s taking me, he’s going first. Continue Reading…

In Christmas, Devotional Thoughts, Giveaways
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Missions of mercy: saving the world is all in a day’s work (and giveaway)

Renee Ann Smith —  May 28, 2011 — 6 Comments

As a romantic suspense enthusiast from way back when, I jumped at the chance to check out Susan May Warren’s Love Inspired Suspense Series: Missions of Mercy. Susan’s a prolific author, but I’ve only read one of her books. So I was eager to see what she would bring to the table for the romantic suspense genre. Here are the pros and cons of what her LI series has to offer . . .

First, the pros:

  • Exotic locations: check
  • Heart-stopping suspense: check
  • Plucky, resourceful heroines: check
  • Tough heroes with big hearts: check
  • Just the right amount of romance and humor as befits the danger: check
  • Perfect length for me to finish while proctoring exams: check
  • Strong inspirational themes: check
  • For a bonus, these guys are ex-military: Two checks!

Now, the cons:

  • As far as I could discover, she’s only published three in this series.
  • Which definitely left me wanting more!

My favorite aspect of the Missions of Mercy Series is that the books are written from a Christian worldview. Kudos to Susan May Warren for making faith an integral part of her characters’ lives. And the spiritual issues they wrestle with are not superficial. They matter in the real world. As I wrote earlier this week, when the man with the gun facing down a relentless physical enemy can also operate in the spiritual realm–now that’s a great story!

The first book, Point of No Return, features Chet Stryker. Chet’s just your ordinary former Delta Force operative now running his own international security company, with a price on his head in Georgia—the country. His beautiful ex-flame Mae, a former military pilot, asks for his help rescuing her teenage nephew who’s been kidnapped in . . . Georgia, of course. And since Chet had been the one to dump Mae—totally to protect her from the dangers life at his side might hold—sparks fly when he decides to join her on her mission of mercy.

By the end of this book, Chet Stryker had become one of my favorite male characters. I loved his inner voice, sense of humor, and heroic spirit. Mae came across as both vulnerable and brave, a fascinating combination for a heroine.

The second book, Mission Out of Control, features Chet’s partner, Brody “Wick” Wickham, a former Green Beret turned security agent.

Wick’s mission is to protect the beautiful rock star Vonya, whose edgy performances shock his sensibilities. In spite of the animosity that springs up between them, Wick feels compelled to discover the real woman beneath the tawdry costumes—because Vonya has as many personas as she does names. Veronica is the proper senator’s daughter. Ronie is the humanitarian with a heart for children. And Ronyika is the vulnerable woman whose trust Wick seeks to win.

At the beginning of this story, I wasn’t sure I liked Ronie/Veronica/Vonya. So her character really brought home to me the theme that God’s acceptance is not based on the estimation of others but on how He sees us. No matter how wayward, we are His cherished children.

The third, and sadly last book, Undercover Pursuit, features Luke Dekker. Luke mistakes unassuming Scarlett Hanson for an undercover operative and drags her into his mission: to protect an agent named Lucia. Lucia is staging a wedding to quasi-criminal Benito in order to flush out his father, a ruthless human trafficker. Once Luke realizes Scarlett is not his contact, he tries to fix things, but complications soon abound.

I appreciated Scarlett the most of the three women protagonists. I enjoyed how she lost herself in the books she read and loosed the power of her imagination to help Luke out of a few tight spots. And the comedic elements of Luke and Scarlett’s story made me smile.

Follow this link to Susan May Warren’s Amazon Author’s page. (Maybe you can pick up all three books today!)

Now that you’ve read my review, you should definitely take the time to enter Susan’s giveaway. To celebrate the series, Susan is giving away a Missions of Mercy Prize Pack worth over $200! One grand prize winner will receive:

* A brand new FLIP HD Camera
* The entire Missions of Mercy series

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. You may enter once per email, facebook, and twitter. The contest ends on May 31st. Tell your friends! Winner will be announced on June 1st at the Litfuse Publicity site and at Susan May Warren’s website. (While you’re there, check out her rockin’ new website!)

Enter via E-mail Enter via FacebookEnter via Twitter

About the author: Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of thirty novels with Tyndale, Barbour, Steeple Hill and Summerside Press. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-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: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you! She is also the founder of MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

For more about Susan and her other books, please follow this link to visit her website.

***Thanks to Litfuse Public Relations for sending me these books to review for Susan’s blog tour. You can read what other reviewers are saying about the books here.


In Blog Tour Book Reviews, Book Suggestions , , , , ,
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What’s been keeping me busy lately (or why and what I write)

Renee Ann Smith —  May 25, 2011 — 23 Comments

What have I been up to lately? Finishing the school marking period and squeezing in moments to write. Writing has become such a joy to me over the past few years. Actually, I’ve always been interested in writing but didn’t get serious about it until I lost my job. When the Christian school I’d ministered in for nineteen years closed in 2008, I found myself at loose ends and began to read books on the writing craft to pass the time. Within a few months, I’d written a mystery novel. (Not a good one!)

Reading my finalist info from the contest coordinator

I began to explore the possibilities writing had to offer, started this blog, and joined American Christian Fiction Writers. After taking an online class, I revised my mystery novel and turned it into Inspirational Romantic Suspense. In March, I entered the first pages of my novel in the ACFW Genesis Contest–a competition for unpublished writers of inspirational fiction. Now I’m a finalist in the Inspirational Romantic Suspense category!

I plan to attend the ACFW Conference this September in St. Louis, where the contest winners will be announced. However, whether I win or not, being a Genesis finalist is one of the most encouraging signs I’ve received on my writing journey. And now that God has provided me this open door, I’m working to refine my manuscript so that I’ll have something exciting to share with the editors, agents, and publishers who attend the conference.

Why do I write?

Ian Charleson as Eric Liddell

Once someone asked me why I write when I could be doing other “more worthwhile” things. All I could think of was Eric Liddell’s explanation. When asked why he took time from Bible study and missionary work to run races, he said: “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.”

I do feel a special communion with the Lord when I’m creating stories. So even if I never improve enough to be published, I’ll never stop writing—it’s too much a part of who God made me.

True love on display in The Best Years of Our Lives. She's determined to marry him in spite of his crippling war wounds.

Why write stories which include a romantic thread? God, Himself, celebrates romance. He calls Christians His bride. He created courtship and marriage as way of wearing His heart on His sleeve. Each time we read of a noble man wooing his pure-of-heart bride, I believe we’re to be reminded of the One who pursues us. And God recorded romances in the Bible. I love the stories of Ruth and Rahab and the good men who loved and claimed them.

Suspense, humor, romance in Rear Window.

Why focus on suspense? I think I’m drawn to romantic suspense because when done well, the books present everyday, ordinary people rising to extraordinary challenges. Just like the background of war gives a male character a chance to prove himself a hero, a classic romantic suspense gives a young woman a chance to become a heroine. These stories show us at our best.

What I especially love about my genre: The Inspirational Romantic Suspense genre highlights the relationship between the two spheres Christians function in every day–the physical and the spiritual. These books showcase how the good vs. evil battle plays out in both worlds.

When the man with the gun facing down a relentless physical enemy can also operate in the spiritual realm—now that’s a great story!

Later this week, I’ll be reviewing a romantic suspense series by Christian author Susan May Warren. Be sure to come back and enter her blog tour contest!

Do you enjoy romantic suspense or comedic romantic suspense in your books and movies? What are your favorites? Here are a few of mine . . .

Digitalis

Point of No Return

Casablanca

Moonraker's Bride

Nine Coaches Waiting

Random Harvest

The Mountains Bow Down

Rebecca

Stars in the Night

In Book Suggestions, Devotional Thoughts, Life on Glenwood Boulevard , , , , , , , , , ,
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A breath of fresh air (or I wish it were a Hallmark movie)

Renee Ann Smith —  March 23, 2011 — 19 Comments

Some days more than others, I hunger and thirst for the things that are “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy.” I long to soak them in and make them a part of me. Where do I find these sources of beauty? In any person, movie, story, or song that reflects the attributes of my Lord.

Without a doubt, My Foolish Heart by Susan May Warren is one of those sources. This story of healing and second chances reminded me of what God can do in the lives of hurting, damaged people . . . people just like you and me.

I loved the main characters: Isadora, who wants desperately to escape the trauma that haunts her; Caleb, a warrior who is fighting his way back from a debilitating injury; Lucy, whose bad choices have led her far away from the woman she thought she’d become; and Seb, a former athlete who is certain his best years are behind him. Oh, and I can’t forget the Coach, whose fragile body belies the powerful faith within him.

I rooted for the characters as they worked through their troubles and found some scenes incredibly touching. The sweet romance was a breath of fresh air. In fact, elements of the plot brought to mind one of my favorite old movies, The Shop Around the Corner–where two people who rub each other the wrong way in daily life are unaware that they’re secretly anonymous pen pals who are falling in love with each other.

If I had to choose one word to describe this novel, it would be Refreshing. And the key verse? Philippians 4:23: “Receive and experience the amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, deep, deep within yourselves.”

I’d love to see this story turned into classic Hallmark–one of those movies that shows people at their best, living in faith, taking risks for love, and honoring one another with thought, word, and deed.

My advice? Treat yourself to this story. You can follow this link to pre-order a copy of Susan’s beautiful book!

Susan’s bio: Growing up in Minneapolis and attending the U of MN, Susan learned to love city life, although she’s a woodsy girl at heart. Or maybe she’s an adventurer–having lived and traveled all over the world, including Siberia, Russia, as a missionary for eight years. Probably that’s why her characters can’t sit still and seem to get into one scrape after another. They’re too much like her! Susan loves God, her family, her country, her church, and feels privileged every day to be able to write stories that inspire and entertain!

**Thanks to Tyndale, who sent me a copy of this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion.

In Book Suggestions, I wish it were a Hallmark movie ,
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