Today I'd like to share a NEW RELEASE with you.
I had the pleasure of beta reading this book and it is wonderful!
If you enjoy clean romance, then you'll love this book.
Sometimes things get so messed up you have to pick up and get the heck out of Dodge. That’s what Liz Ruthersford does. Memories can be weapons, and hers have become incoming missiles. Fleeing home and her parents’ pity, she seeks refuge on a remote ranch in Montana where no one knows her tragic past. When she meets Bentley and Rawson Law, brothers with wounds of their own, life veers off course. Embers of hope flicker to life, but will bias, bitterness, and misunderstanding smother them before they burn bright enough to warm her heart? Or will she hit the highway and run once again? For readers who crave a clean, yet heart-pounding romance and redemption story, this one’s for you.
My review:
Between Hope and the Highway is an epic tale of romance, unconditional love, redemption, and the power of the human spirit to survive and transform amidst adversity. The metamorphosis of the hero makes this a highly gratifying read. He grows with each flip of the page, leaving behind a trail of optimism. This book will make you smile as you witness a true change of heart.
See the book trailers HERE.
About the author:
Charissa Stastny is married to her high school sweetheart and has four children who are the light of her life. She’s an avid reader, happy writer, BYU graduate, and lover of irises, clouds, chocolate, sushi, and nature. Though born and raised in Las Vegas, she has never pulled a handle of a slot machine and can’t shuffle cards to save her life. She shuffles kids, laundry, and church responsibilities rather well! though. She currently lives in Utah with her family, where shuffling cards isn’t required.
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Author Q & A:
How did you get started as an author?
I’d always wanted to write a book, but never seemed to have time between being a mother, a caregiver, and then a preschool and art teacher. As my children matured, I suddenly found myself spending lots of time waiting for them at sports practices. That’s when I started bringing notebooks and hashing out a story (which ended up being my Bending Willow Trilogy). That hooked me on the writing process…and now I don’t want to stop.
Most writers are readers. What are some of your favorite books?
I love The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy, any of the Harry Potter books, Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, and anything by C.S. Lewis. Contemporary romance authors I can’t get enough of are Jennifer Peel, Taylor Dean, and Amy Harmon. I can reread their stories and not tire of them.
What suggestions would you give a potential author to help them become a better writer?
There are so many great writing books out there. Read as many of them as you can, and apply new techniques as you learn them. Go to a writing conference each year if you can, and learn how to plot. I’ve done the pantser method for my first three books, and it’s fun…but very inefficient. Story Engineering by Larry Brooks has been the most helpful writing book I’ve found for me.
Who is your favorite author and why?
Probably C.S. Lewis. His words are amazing; his thoughts so clear and inspiring. Everything he wrote deserves a place on my shelf and his quotes on my fridge.
Tell us a little about your family.
My husband and I are high school sweethearts and married after his mission. We have four children—3 daughters (one married who is an interior designer/architect, one who served a mission in S. Korea and is now in school for dental hygiene, and one who’s leaving on a mission to Armenia/Georgia and speaking Georgian for the next year and a half before studying to become a P.A.) and one incredible son in high school. We love being together and our favorite activities include biking, hiking, camping, and going to Disneyland.
What got you started on your writing journey?
I’ve dabbled with writing since I was a kid. I loved reading clean romance as a teen and wrote many cheesy scenes between handsome cowboys and milkmaids in my journal. The world will NEVER see these! They are cheesier than a Walmart tuxedo.
Do you have a favorite comment or question from a reader?
After my husband read my first book, he commented, “It would have been better with a zombie in it.” Since then, the Search and Find feature on Word has become my best friend. I always use it before I send out drafts to readers, because unfortunately, my husband is skilled at sneaking zombies into files. There is nothing worse than when the masculine hunk in my story tells the girl of his dreams that ‘he wants to eat her brains.’ Ugh!
How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?
Quite a lot. There is always one character I identify with—usually the shy, awkward one with a good heart who doesn’t know how to accessorize. My cool characters are my dreams of how I wish I could be. It’s fun as a writer to live vicariously through our characters.
What kind of trials do your main characters in your newest book have to endure?
Liz has been brought up by a hen-pecking mother who has always belittled her because her dreams didn’t align with hers. This has caused internal strife with regards to her self-esteem that she has to overcome (once she realizes it’s there). Liz has also just lost her fiancé in a terrible automobile accident. That’s why she leaves home to escape painful memories. Rawson and Bentley Law are dealing with survivor’s guilt from an accident they were involved in five years ago as well. They each have secrets that have the power to destroy their present happiness.
Why should we read your books?
Two reasons: 1) there is a powerful message of forgiveness and redemption woven into the pages that will make you appreciate life more fully, and 2) the characters are witty, vulnerable, charming, and just plain awesome! If you’re like me, you will fall in love with them.
FOLLOW CHARISSA:
Enjoy the following excerpt from BETWEEN HOPE AND THE HIGHWAY:
As I finished loading the last horse, Rawson
materialized and wrapped his arms around me. I jumped as he nestled his
stubbled chin into my neck. The tingling sensation he evoked sent delightful
shivers clear down to my toes.
“You ready to go, babycakes?”
Goosebumps erupted as he rubbed his chin
against my neck. I tried to escape, but Blondie stood nearby and Rawson acted
for all he was worth. Twisting me, he pulled me close and leaned in to kiss me.
I threw my hand over my mouth just before his lips made contact. At this angle,
the bimbo couldn’t tell he kissed the back of my hand quite passionately. Thank
goodness for small mercies. I might have passed out if he’d gone at my lips
with such gusto.
When he paused to wink at me, I whispered, “I
hate your guts.”
His blue-green eyes crinkled. “I know.” He
grabbed my slobbery hand and said over his shoulder, “It was a pleasure meeting
you, Kelsey.” He doffed his hat and closed the trailer. Opening my door, he
helped me inside his flashy truck. “There you go, sweetheart.”
When he climbed in the driver’s side, I hauled
off and punched his leg. “I can’t believe you kissed my hand like that.”
“I was going for your lips.”
“Gross!”
He laughed and glanced out the window. Catching
Kelsey watching us like lab rats, he leaned over to peck my cheek.
“Kiss me again and I’ll deck you,” I said
between clenched teeth.
“It might be worth it, especially if you move
your hand.”
“You’re impossible.”
He waved as we pulled away from the arena. “I
owe you big time for saving me from that blond nightmare. Thanks for playing
along.”
“You kind of forced me to,” I grumped.
His grin caused havoc in my heart. “Did you
see her face when you said all that garbage about what thing implied? It was
difficult to keep a straight face.”
I stuck my tongue out, making him
chortle.
“Ah, Lizzie, you’re all right.”
“And you’re an idiot.”
I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE BOOK AS MUCH I DID!
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