I am so excited to be a part of this blog tour, and to help promote Lynette Endicott's latest book in her Starting Over Series! Please see below for a description of the book, a bio on Lynette, a great giveaway, and last but not least...my review of this book, as well as my interview with the author! Grab a cup of coffee, put some music on, and relax...because this is a great read!
Gliterary Girl
Book Tours presents the blog tour for the release of OUT OF AGONY, Book #4
in the Starting Over Series, by Author Lynette Endicott.
Brian Van Pelt has barely survived an anguished year of loss,
hiding his sorrows under the facade of a cool and uncaring attorney. Not able
to deny his grief any long, heartache drives him to collapse and his life takes
an unexpected turn.
When Jessie Ingram comes to work at his law firm, she is
intrigued by the conflicting darkness of Brian's behavior and the tender
inconsistencies that hint at something deeper within him.
Despite her interest, she has her own pain, supporting her
niece Sara, who has a virulent cancer with aggressive treatments that take such
a toll they would not be worth it — except they are Sara's only hope of
survival.
Will life’s hardships bring Brian and Jessie together? Will
they be able to heal and possibly find love?
Lynette Endicott grew up in Illinois, met her husband in Western
Nebraska, lived 25 years in Kansas where their daughter was born, and has been
in Fresno, California since 2000. She has a son-in-law (who lives with her
daughter nearby), and has rescued a dog, a bird and three cats. She and Ollie,
her terrier mix, volunteer as a team at the local library, where children read
to the dog.
At a youth camp when she was 14 the editor and teacher of a
writing class challenged her to submit something to his youth magazine. She did
and it was the first of 10 articles and stories accepted by the publication
over the next few years.
Nothing like front end success to keep her writing! Lynette
enjoys reading contemporary romance and speculative fiction and writes both.
Her debut book, Starting Over Book One: More Than A Job, and two more books in
that series, The Return of Joy and Finding Her Voice are available now. The
first three of the Time After Time Saga with Tami Dee are available now,
including Animal Instinct, Survival Instinct and Pioneer Instinct. The fourth
in the series of six, Protective Instinct, will release in August 2014.
Because she didn't have pets until after her 50th birthday
the animals she enjoys find their way into all her books. Usually you will also
find a character with a disability as part of the day-to-day fabric of the
story. In More Than A Job, Paige works in services to people with disabilities
until she loses her job and starts over. In The Return of Joy, Atlas, the
yellow lab, becomes a Therapy Dog. In the Time After Time series animal helpers
assist the hero and heroine in all six of the books in the series.
Lynette loves
hearing from her fans! Please connect with her on:
To celebrate the release of OUT OF AGONY, Lynette will
be giving away a $20.00 Amazon Gift Card to one grand prize winner, a $10.00
Gift Card to either Starbucks or Teavana to the second runner up and an ecopy
of OUT OF AGONY to the third runner up. Enter the giveaway every day for
more chances to win. All entries must be received by July 25th before
midnight.
Debbie's Review:
Brian is a man in deep turmoil, with a past that just won't let him forget...or move on. And what else would you expect from a man who has literally lost it all? His daughter Trudy has recently passed away, his divorce just became final, and his attitude toward light is dim, at best. We also meet Jessie, who is experiencing her own agony in this engaging plot as she is trying to help her brother cope with the cancer diagnosis of his daughter Sara, while at the same time trying to deal with her own grief of the situation. This is where we find what sets the stage for the common ground Brian and Jessie experience, in the suffering of life-altering events, and in understanding where the other is at in life...and leads to the question of whether they can find love and healing together in the midst of their circumstances. And if they do, can either of them learn to trust again and not let fear and the agony that the thought of being left alone again brings if it doesn't?
Lynette allows Brian's character to unfold from page one in a way that grips you and keeps your eyes moving to paragraph after paragraph. She is able to convey her characters with such emotion and writes in a such a way that you can actually visualize each scene in its entirely, as if you were there watching it unfold. Other characters in the book, no matter how large or small their role, are brought into the story with a beautiful flow and allows the characters (particularly Brian and Jessie) to capture you in a profound way and draw you in, causing you to almost speak to the characters yourself as if trying to help them along towards the outcome. I loved the length of this book. It was not incredibly long, which was a draw for me because with all of the "on-the-edge-of-my-seat" material as this book contains, it is long enough to convey an amazing story which is written in an attention grabbing way, but still leaves you wanting more. Lynette has a gift in the structure of her words and the way she unfolds a story for her readers. This was truly a great read, and the end will leave you biting your fingernails as you wait for the next book in the series to reveal itself!
Debbie's Interview With Lynette:
Debbie: What has been your biggest milestone in writing this series of books?
Lynette: When I finished Finding Her Voice, what I believed at the time was the last book in the series, readers asked me to tell the story of the ex-husband, the man who deserted his wife after they lost their daughter. Now I didn't like him very much, but to have more than one reader ask me for the next story was a writing milestone for me.
Debbie: What do your readers/reviewers say they connect with most when reading your books?
Lynette: Everyone has had tough moments, or knows people who have. My readers like the real life difficulties, and the process of finding a way through the difficulties. They want to see the hero or heroine manage and one day even experience joy on the other side of the event that caused them to start over.
Debbie: When you tend to draw a blank in the process of writing a new book, what things help you to reignite your creativity again?
Lynette: I have a three-prong strategy. First, I walk away from the keyboard a few minutes. Usually I make another cup of tea. If that doesn't work I take my keyboard outside and look at my garden and let my mind wander a few minutes. Each of these is a 5-10 minute exercise. If neither of these work I just sit back down and type anyway. I let it wander, and type and type some more. When writing a book I give it my full attention for a couple of hours a day and write until the story unfolds. Do I have to edit out some sloppy transitions? Sure. But these moments of being stuck have revealed some of the most interesting and unexpected plot twists.
Debbie: What inspired the idea for this particular book (Out Of Agony) in the series?
Lynette: When I wrote the first book in the series, the heroine lost a job. The stakes got higher book by book -- the loss of a spouse, the loss of a child. There are people in my life who have lost a child, and there is no more devastating event. There is no “getting over” the loss of a child. Somehow, though, the grieving parent has to move through the days, to put one foot in front of the other, to somehow keep going. I wanted to capture that journey, and to show that he or she could move forward in faith, even through this loss.
Debbie: How has being a published author changed your life?
Lynette: I still have to pinch myself now and then. This is book 7. Isn't that amazing? I still live in the same house, still have a day job. I guess we are the same inside whatever else happens.
Debbie: What advice would you give (and what hard truths should be known) to up-and-coming writers, or those whose dream about becoming an author and seeing their books in print?
Lynette: Readers often tell me that they want to be authors. When I ask them what they are writing they tell me, “Well, I have this idea.” Whatever your idea is, you are only a writer if you write it. Sit down and put in time at the keyboard. Get words down. You will find people to help you hone your craft. We can give you advice about how to sell that book once it is written. But the first three chapters, carefully honed for contests, are still not a book. To follow your dream, you first need to finish the book.
I hope you all have enjoyed this jam-packed post! Where else can you get the heads-up on a great new book, enter a giveaway, read the book's review, and get an interview with the author all in one place! Please feel free to leave any comments below, and thank you for spending this time with me! Be sure to save this title (and all of the books in her series) to your wish list. Happy reading!
This is a pity party...this is the enemy's scheme. I felt The Holy Spirit come over me and urge me to look to the "Who" I am supposed to be focusing on instead of the "What" we don't have. Only when we take time with God can we be reminded of how blessed we truly are in all circumstances. My attitude immediately shifted and went to the things that bring me joy and fulfillment, instead of the things that are lacking or feel like they are breaking me. Yes, we barely squeak by...but we DO squeak by. Yes, we may not have gas to go all the places we want...but we have our own vehicle and the ability to get where we need to. Yes, I may have the sole responsibility of all of my children emotionally, physically, and financially...but I also never miss a moment of their lives and it makes my heart whole to know I'm sacrificing everything in my life so I can give everything to theirs. I was called to be a mother, and that is exactly what I am doing, albeit not in the circumstances one ever intends or hopes for.
