"The Face of the Earth" Blog Tour

About the Book:

When Mitchell Brannon's beloved wife of twenty years kisses him goodbye one autumn morning, he has little idea that his life is about to change forever. Mitch returns from work early that evening, surprised Jill's car isn't in the garage. Her conference in Kansas City is only a few hours' drive from their little town of Sylvia, Missouri. But her voice on the answering machine makes him smile. "Hey, babe, I'm just now checking out of the hotel, but I'll stop and pick up something for dinner. Love you."

Mitch sets the table with their best china and lights some candles, looking forward to their first weekend as empty nesters.

But at eight o'clock, the candles have burned to stubs and Jill still hasn't shown up. Mitch tries her cell phone only to get her voice mail over and over again. Their two college kids haven't heard from their mom either.

At midnight, Mitch's irritation turns to dread. And later, when the police and Missouri Highway Patrol have turned up nothing, the Kansas City hotel calls to say they've found property belonging to Jill in a hotel maid's possession.

Mitch enlists the help of their next-door neighbor, Jill's best friend, Shelley, and together they search for clues to Jill's disappearance. As days turn into weeks and weeks into months, Mitch and Shelley's friendship grows ever closer--and decidedly complicated with Jill as the tie that binds them together. Just when Shelley decides to finally reveal her feelings for Mitch, a clue to Jill's whereabouts is uncovered. But every lead seems to be a dead end, and Mitch wonders how he can honor the vows he made to a woman who has seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/kFdwM



Meet the Author:

Deborah Raney is the award-winning author of several novels, including "A Nest of Sparrows" and the RITA award winning "Beneath a Southern Sky" and its sequel, "After the Rains". Deborah's first novel, "A Vow to Cherish", was the inspiration for World Wide Pictures' highly acclaimed film of the same title, which in December 2004 aired on prime time network TV for the second time. Deb's novella, "Playing by Heart", was a National Readers Choice Award winner and a 2004 Christy Award finalist. Her novel for Howard/Simon & Schuster, "Yesterday's Embers", appeared on the ECPA Christian fiction bestseller list. Known for her sensitive portrayal of family struggles and relationships, Deb has also written nonfiction books and articles and often speaks at women's retreats and writers' conferences around the country. She and her husband, illustrator/author Ken Raney, have four children and make their home in Kansas.
 

Find out more at www.DeborahRaney.com



My Take:

I picked this book up to read – and by the next day I was finished with it! It was that captivating. When I first started reading, I was sucked into the story right away. I stayed interested in the book until about ¾ of the way through when I did get a little bit bogged down. I kept with it, and the conclusion ended up being believable and fitting.

In this novel, I got so involved with the characters and with the search for Jill that it was almost as if I knew them. I don’t normally read books with this type of storyline because of the emotional involvement, but this one intrigued me so much that I wanted to know what would happen. (I will say that I would not necessarily want my husband to read this book…it would stress him out too much!) The good thing about this book was that even though it was emotional, it was never without hope, without God. That is definitely what redeems a sad book for me, and this novel did that very well.

I thought the relationship between Mitch and Shelley was interesting in this novel, but I sometimes felt as if I wasn’t understanding the conflict. At times it seemed as if Shelley was pushing Mitch to move on with his life, and I just don’t understand that at all. If Jill was not confirmed dead, then he is still married. Period. From Mitch’s side, though, it seemed realistic, and his part in the relationship kept the novel from become more fantasy than reality.

Bottom line, though, The Face of the Earth was a great read. It was sometimes hard to read for different reasons, but the writing and the story were excellent.

I will give The Face of the Earth … 4 BookWorms.

 

 

 

 

See what other reviewers are saying here.

 

Deborah is celebrating with a fun "Date Night" Giveaway (win a $200 Visa Cash Card!) and an Author Chat Party on Facebook! {5/30}

   One winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa Cash Card (Use that to catch up with a loved one – your spouse, friend, sister, mom…whomever!)
• The Face of the Earth by Deborah Raney

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 29th. Winner will be announced at the "The Face of the Earth" Facebook Author Chat Party on May 30th. Connect with Deborah for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Deborah will also be sharing a sneak peek of her next book and giving away books and fun gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of The Face of the Earth and join Deborah on the evening of May 30th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 30th!

 

 

 

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Howard Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."