Sunrise Publishing – Writer of Sweet Small Town Stories of Love and Family

Book Talk Tuesday: RIGHT HERE WAITING

Published on November 9, 2021 by Live Vi-Carrie-ous

Well, it’s a bittersweet day. I’m happy because I get to go back to Deep Haven, but sad because it’s the end of the Sunrise Publishing Season 1, Deep Haven Collection.

Book #6, RIGHT HERE WAITING, by Susan May Warren and Michelle Aleckson released today. I was so happy to see it appear on my e-reader this morning. I had read an advance copy, but I always like to see the final version too. Any day I get to spend in Deep Haven is a good day! The fact that in my little corner of Central California, it finally feels like Fall here, with a bit of rain, a bit of wind, and colors in the trees made it a perfect day for curling up with a book set in the freezing temperatures of Minnesota in November was a bonus.

CRAZY FOR YOU is different and the same as the other Deep Haven books.

It’s the same because it’s in Deep Haven (duh). It features believable characters on the Minnesota North Shore of Lake Superior. There’s a strong thread of romance and faith.

It’s different because our heroine, Jae Washington, is Korean-American. It was nice to get a glimpse of another culture in Deep Haven and how she was welcomed. We also learned about Korean food. I confess, I’m not a fan of kimchee, but I love Korean fried chicken.

I also love the movie, You’ve Got Mail, and RIGHT HERE WAITING gives a strong wink and a nod to Kathleen Kelly and Joe Fox.

We met Nick Dahlquist in CRAZY FOR YOU, because he’s Peter’s cousin, that book’s hero. Now Nick gets his own book.

Nick is training his sled dog team for an upcoming race, hoping for sponsors. He needs new sponsors or he might lose not just his dogs, but his home and business.

Jae accepts a job with the new Deep Haven Crisis Response Team as the new helicopter pilot. She knows Nick from his vlog, the one that pulled her from a depression. But he has no idea that Jae is the person he’s been Direct Messaging with.

I loved this book for so many reasons. Nick and Jae felt like real characters and I never questioned their feelings for each other. I enjoyed the plot and the problems each of them faced and overcame.

Susan May Warren is a gifted writing teacher and I follow her principles. This book could be a text for her Story Equation teaching. It has all the elements she teaches. The Dark Moment Story, the Wound, the Lie, the Flaw, the (Wo)Man in the Mirror Moment, etc.

I loved this book and I highly recommend it!

I received a free advance copy of this book from the publisher, but that did not induce me to review it, positively or not.

Book Talk Tuesday: HANGING BY A MOMENT

Published on September 14, 2021 by Live Vi-Carrie-ous

I’m so excited! It’s time to go back to Deep Haven, Minnesota with Andrea Christianson and Susan May Warren.

Hangin’ By a Moment is a story of second chances and of choosing to move past fears and trusting again.

Jack made some mistakes but he’s ready to embrace a new life in Deep Haven and put the past behind him. Unfortunately, the past seems determined to follow him.

Colleen Decker grew up in Deep Haven and left it behind. But when fear chases her home again, she finds the time-out she needs.

Jack is a former pararescue jumper and Colleen is a trauma nurse. They work together to help the newly formed Deep Haven Crisis Response Team. As they grow closer, they realize they each have secrets they need to share and issues they need to deal with.

I enjoyed this entry in the Deep Haven collection a lot. We met Colleen Decker in Susie’s previous book, YOU DON’T KNOW ME, so we know a bit of Colleen’s back story and why she ran from Deep Haven. Jack’s secret involves prison time for a mistake he deeply regrets. He knows it could have been much worse, but he still has a hard time forgiving himself and letting it go. It doesn’t help that it seems no one else will let it go, either.

I like how the authors showed Jack’s and Colleen’s journeys from broken people to healed and whole. The plot and characters grew organically. At times, Colleen’s assumptions about Jack seemed a bit misguided or naïve, but that’s a small quibble.

I highly recommend this book!

I received a free advance copy of this book from the publisher. This did not induce me to write a review, favorable or otherwise.

Book Talk Tuesday on a Thursday: CRAZY FOR YOU

Published on May 20, 2021May 20, 2021 by Live Vi-Carrie-ous

May is an odd numbered month, so we’re back in Deep Haven! Yay!

CRAZY FOR YOU is the third offering from Sunrise Publishing and I snagged an advance reader copy. It will release Tuesday, May 25. It can be pre-ordered right now for $4.99, and the price will go up once it’s released, so grab it now!

Deep Haven Fire Chief Pete Dahlquist is related to half of Deep Haven. Which makes dating difficult. And all sides of the family want something different from him.

Former military paramedic Ronnie Morales is new to town and needs to keep her job with the newly formed Crisis Response Team. She moved to Deep Haven to get her little brother out of the big city and away from the friends and trouble he was drawn toward.

Sparks (both the good and the bad kind) fly when Pete and Ronnie meet. When tragedy strikes, sides are taken and lines are drawn. Both Pete and Ronnie have to learn hard lessons about forgiveness and humility.

Michelle Sass Aleckson has captured Susan May Warren’s characters, setting, and voice in a wonderful addition to the Deep Haven canon. I loved everything in this story. From Pete’s dilemma of choosing his family or his town to Ronnie having to dial back her intensity to show the people of Deep Haven that she can fit in.

I highly recommend CRAZY FOR YOU!

I received a free advance copy of this book, but it did not induce me to review it favorably or not. I just happened to love it!

Woe! It’s Wednesday … Catching Up on What a Year!

Published on May 5, 2021May 5, 2021 by Live Vi-Carrie-ous1 Comment

It’s been quite a while since I posted anything other than a book review. But I recently looked back at some of my posts from when we were traveling with the drug education trailer and I really enjoyed reading about our adventures and the people we met and the food we ate and the sights we saw and the sites we visited.

The Chihuly Gallery remains a favorite. I’d love to return there someday.

Anyway, I thought I should give an update about what we’ve been up to since we’ve been sidelined.

David took care of some long planned house projects. We put in new flooring, painted our wood-burning stove and hearth, as well as the living room, dining room, kitchen and hallway. We also bought some new furniture pieces and painted some others. The house feels bigger and cleaner!

I kept busy with my day job working in agriculture media and pesticide safety. And I received a long-awaited and very exciting offer to sign a publishing contract with Sunrise Publishing! I’m co-writing a romance novel with Rachel Hauck, a New York Times best-selling author. It will be set in her beloved fictional town of Hearts Bend, Tennessee. We’re hard at work on it now and having a blast. I love being a part of the Sunrise family. Everyone there is a joy to work with. The book will debut in February. I’ll be releasing the name and cover on social media in the next few months.

We were able to take some trips to Yosemite and one to Hawaii. It’s been a blessing to be able to keep in contact with friends and family via Zoom, FaceTime, and WhatsApp. We mostly attended church online, but are starting to go in person again. Social media is both a blessing and a curse and I have a love/hate relationship with it.

We’re not sure when we’ll be back on the road with the drug education trailer. But I’ll keep the blog updated when we know something.

Thank you for reading this far! Talk to you soon!