About Me I am a retired librarian and I now support books and authors through my reviews.

I have always loved to read and I was able to share that love through my work as a public librarian for 22 1/2 years. I now promote literacy by reading, and then writing reviews. I love to support authors by sharing my reviews with others!

Friday, April 5, 2019

When You Are Near by Tracie Peterson--Tour, Review, and Giveaway with Celebrate Lit


About the Book



 
Book: When You Are Near  
Author: Tracie Peterson  
Genre: Christian Historical Romance  
Release Date: March 5, 2018

After her father’s death, Lizzy Brookstone, a trick rider in the all-female Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza, wants nothing more than to quit her role as the star of the show and live a quiet life on her family’s ranch. But returning home would bring Wesley DeShazer, the ranch’s foreman and the man who broke her heart, back into her life. In addition, the Brookstones’ new manager fears that Lizzy’s departure could doom the already cash-strapped show. Hope grows in Lizzy during a stopover at Fleming Farm. Ella Fleming not only has a natural talent for trick riding and could easily replace Lizzy, but she’s eager to join the show to flee a forced betrothal. However, while there, one of the show’s wranglers is killed in a manner Lizzy finds suspicious. And during her escape from the farm, Ella stumbles across a secret that could affect all of their lives, as well as the future of the Brookstone Extravaganza.

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MY THOUGHTS.....

 It is 1900 and the Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza is a very successful wild west show that is made up entirely of young women performers. Elizabeth "Lizzie" Brookstone is the star performer but she is about ready to hang it up at the end of the current tour and return with her mother to the family ranch. Lizzie is 28, she is still grieving the death of her father and she has decided that she will never allow herself to love someone so completely that she would be destroyed if they should die and leave her alone.  As Lizzie struggles with these doubts and with the feelings that she has long felt for the ranch foreman, she also finds herself offering protection to Ella Fleming, a young woman who has fled from the unscrupulous man that her father has chosen for her to marry.

This famous wild west show is the focus of When You Are Near and it features horses, trick riders and even a female sharp-shooter. There is also a mystery concerning the death of a wrangler on the Fleming farm and the possibility that  Ella's fiancee has committed several murders.

This is a warm, family oriented story and I truly enjoyed the special relationship between Lizzie and her mother and the strong faith element that Rebecca Brookstone possesses. She often mentions that physical death is not truly the end and she also encourages Lizzie to not be afraid to love. In one conversation, she admonishes Lizzie "Don't avoid loving Wes because you fear what might happen should you lose him. Don't harden your heart against loving Wes."

I found myself hoping that Lizzie could overcome her fear of love and loss and find true happiness with the young man that she has always wanted. When You Are Near is the first book in the Brookstone Brides series and I look forward to learning more about these special young women who are part of the Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza.

.I received a copy of this book from the author and Celebration Lit Tours and I have chosen to leave this review


About the Author




Tracie Peterson (www.traciepeterson.com) is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 100 novels. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Montana.


Guest Post from Tracie


Introducing…When You Are Near! I’m excited about the new Brookstone Brides series and had so much fun researching for the various characters and locations. This is a story about a fictional Wild West show with all female performers. Prior to the rodeos we see today, the Wild West shows traveled throughout America and Europe to entertain people and give city dwellers a taste of what the American frontier was like. At least their version. Buffalo Bill Cody was famous for his shows, which brought Native Americans and their culture into the world of people who might otherwise never have even seen an “Indian.” Pawnee Bill was another entertainer who sought to keep these shows alive.  




For the fictional show in my novels, I wanted to focus on three female characters who became a part of the Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza for varying reasons. Lizzy Brookstone is the heroine in book one, When You Are Near, and as the daughter of one of the show’s owners, she has enjoyed a starring role as a trick rider. For research I went to Pueblo, Colorado to the ranch of Karen Vold, a famous trick rider and rodeo star. Linda Scholtz, a famed trick rider, was teaching a clinic there along with Karen at the Red Top Ranch Trickriding School. These are two remarkable Christian trick riders who have long worked to keep the sport alive. I spent three days getting to know them and what they do and learned so much. And just to prove that we weren’t all work and no play, I thought I’d share my attempt at trick riding. What I won’t do for research! The series will have three books, as usual, and each book will focus on a different lady and her skills. Mary is a trick shooter like Annie Oakley, and Ella is a Roman rider who stands on the backs of two horses for her part in the act. It was so interesting learning about each of these types of performers, and I hope you’ll get a chance to read all three and enjoy the stories of the Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza.

Blog Stops

Among the Reads, March 26

Vicky Sluiter, March 27
Carpe Diem, March 28
The Avid Reader, March 28
Genesis 5020, March 28
The Lit Addict, March 29
Back Porch Reads, March 29
Splashes of Joy, March 30
Emily Yager, March 31
EmpowerMoms, April 1
Remembrancy, April 3
Pause for Tales, April 4
Stories By Gina, April 5
Book by Book, April 5
Bigreadersite, April 6
The Becca Files, April 8

Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Tracie is giving away a grand prize of When You Are Near, Tracie’s A $25 Barnes and Noble Gift card, and the three books in The Heart of Alaska series and three other winners will receive a copy of When You Are Near!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/dcdd/when-you-are-near-celebration-tour-giveaway
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3 comments:

  1. Rita WrayApril 5, 2019 at 10:58 AM

    Sounds like a great book.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Debbie PApril 5, 2019 at 4:12 PM

    This book sounds like a very interesting read.

    ReplyDelete
  3. SavingsInSecondsApril 7, 2019 at 8:45 AM

    I love when a book has a wise, mentor-type character. It sounds like this one does.
    Dianna

    ReplyDelete

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