Deborah Raney: Reason to Breathe

By Kelly Bridgewater

 

 We are excited to introduce Deborah Raney's new series with a blog tour and giveaway for book #1-Reason to Breathe-hosted by JustRead Tours.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

From Amazon

Title: Reason to Breathe
Series: Chandler Sisters #1
Author: Deborah Raney
Publisher: Gilead Publishing
Release: October 23, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction / Romance


Phylicia thought life was passing her by, but maybe this was love's plan all along. . .About

At twenty-nine, Phylicia Chandler put her life on hold to care for her dying mother with her sisters, Joanna and Britt. Now Mom is gone and their father stuns them all by running off with a woman young enough to be their sister. Life is moving forward all around her, but Phylicia feels stuck--until her father's protégé, Quinn Mitchell, presents the sisters with an intriguing business opportunity to purchase a trio of cottages just outside of Langhorne, Missouri. Joanna and Britt are convinced the three of them should launch a vacation rental venture, but Phylicia remains skeptical.

To complicate matters, Quinn soon finds himself falling hard for Phylicia. But how can he pursue this beautiful, talented woman twelve years his junior when she's still reeling over her father's hasty engagement to a younger woman? Quinn is determined to give Phylicia her happily-ever-after. But first, he must help her come to terms with her discovery of long-held family secrets and persuade her that true love can transcend their differences.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads   Amazon   B&N  Christianbook   Book Depository

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My Thoughts:

Deborah Raney is a popular author of contemporary women's fiction. She has been around writing for a while and pretty well-known in the Christian fiction community. I can honestly say I haven't read that many of her books, but I do have a ton of them downloaded to my Kindle. Sometime I will get around to reading them. As for her first book in A Chandler Sister Novel series, Reason to Breathe, I enjoyed spending time with the three sisters and start learning more about them.

I enjoy a writer who has a good grasp on the basics when it comes to writing. A good writer should be able to dive into the character's perspective without jumping into other character's perspective. They should also be able to jump into the setting without overwhelming the reader but allow them to experience the setting as a compliment to the story. Raney does a wonderful job at both of these aspects.

Characters make or break a novel. Having a younger sister myself, I love the idea of a series told from each sister's point of view. I'm not that close to my sister, but I have always wanted a closer relationship. It was nice to see the three sisters and have them work together on the house. I enjoyed learning about the sister's from Phee's viewpoint as she traveled through the death of her mother. I really can't wait to see how the other two sisters' stories will develop.

The plot. After losing my daddy three years ago, I understand what it feels like to lose a parent. The only issue I have with the plot is the three sisters ability to carry on without really focusing on their deceased mother or their grief at all. Why didn't it come up at all? I know when I gathered with my brother and sister even now conversations always end back to our Daddy and something he had done. He didn't disappear from our lives. I wanted to see more of the realistic hurt of the grief. On the other hand, the twist with Phee's parentage was an interesting side story, and I wondered if Raney will return to that storyline.

Overall, Reason to Breathe by Deborah Raney is a wonderful tale of three sisters as they move on after the loss of their mother who died with cancer and how to handle a father who doesn't want to face the truth. I enjoyed the story. It reminded me a lot of a version of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, which I enjoyed. I believe fans of Beth K. Vogt and Catherine West might enjoy this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of Reason to Breathe by Deborah Raney from Gilead Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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About the Author:

From Amazon

DEBORAH RANEY's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title and launched Deb's writing career. Twenty-plus years, thirty-plus books, and numerous awards later, she's still creating stories that touch hearts and lives. Her awards include RWA's RITA® Award, ACFW's Carol Award, the National Readers Choice Award, and the HOLT Medallion. Deborah is also a three-time Christy Award finalist. She and husband, Ken Raney, traded small-town life in Kansas for life in the friendly city of Wichita. They love traveling to visit four children and a growing brood of grandchildren who all live much too far away. Find out more about Deb's newest releases at www.deborahraney.com.

FROM THE AUTHOR: I went from full-time stay-at-home mom for 20 years to full-time author. My passion is my family--my husband and I have four kids and eight darling grandkids...and counting! But since, if a mom does her job right, she eventually puts herself OUT of a job, I'm delighted to have discovered my next career.

I have written more than thirty books, have two non-fiction books published, and contributed to several anthologies. But my first love is fiction. The fifth and final book in my Chicory Inn Novels series for Abingdon Press released last year, and much of my backlist is being re-released via Raney Day Press. The first book in my new Chandler Sisters Novels series from Gilead Publishing will release in October 2018.

A typical writing day for me begins early--usually before 6 a.m.--with the business side of things: answering e-mail and reader mail, updating my website, writing blog posts, reading for research. Our routine is much quieter now than when we had four kids at home! When my writing time begins mid-morning, I have a routine that sets the stage: lighting scented candles, choosing music to write by, and brewing a perfect cup of coffee. I have a cozy office that looks out over our front yard, but I often take my laptop out to the back deck where the birds, squirrels, ducks, geese, bunnies, and an occasional egret (or even a rare coywolf or deer!) provide entertainment.

My husband and I enjoy movies, but believe it or not, my first choice of entertainment is READING! As much as I enjoy the actual process of writing, I am an extrovert by nature, and doubt I'd have lasted long in this business were it not for the company of several wonderful online writers' groups, connecting with other authors at retreats and conventions, and meeting aspiring writers when my husband and I teach at conferences around the country.

Probably the most exciting event in my writing life so far was having my first novel made into a movie by World Wide Pictures. Certainly a dream come true for any author, and I feel blessed beyond words to still get to be doing what I love as my day job. (Taken from Amazon.)

CONNECT WITH DEB:  Website   Facebook  Twitter   Pinterest  Instagram

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive (US only):

• a print copy of Reason to Breathe 
• $15 Amazon gift card

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below.

Giveaway will begin at midnight December 3, 2018 and last through 11:59pm December 10, 2018. US only. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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