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Thursday, March 06, 2008

Blog Tour - Susan May Warren and Taming Rafe

I'm so excited to share the latest book from this author with you today. Not only do you get a spotlight, but you also get the chance to enter a content Susie is hosting on Rafe's blog and enter for a chance to win a FREE copy of this book.

The other sites participating in this blog tour can be found here at Rafe's very own blog: Who's Rafe?. It began back on the 23rd of February and ends on the 7th of March (tomorrow) but you can still check out the other blogs and enter the contests available.

You can learn more about Rafe and his family, as well as check out the "meaty" contest Susan is sponsoring for the tour! "Win a steak dinner (an Omaha Steaks gift certificate) with Rafe".

Yum...red meat! :)

Oh...and here's a peak at the video trailers for Reclaiming Nick and Taming Rafe.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan May Warren is the award-winning author of seventeen novels and novellas with Tyndale, Steeple Hill and Barbour Publishing. Her first book, Happily Ever After won the American Fiction Christian Writers Book of the Year in 2003, and was a 2003 Christy Award finalist. In Sheep's Clothing, a thriller set in Russia, was a 2006 Christy Award finalist and won the 2006 Inspirational Reader's Choice award. A former missionary to Russia, Susan May Warren now writes Suspense/Romance and Chick Lit full time from her home in northern Minnesota.

TAMING RAFE
by Susan May Warren
Published by Tyndale House

Buy Your Copy Today!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Meet Nick's younger brother--Rafe!

In less than eight seconds, two-time world champion bull rider Rafe Noble lost his title, his career, his best friend-all on the dirt floor of a noisy rodeo arena. Now he has no choice but to head back to the Silver Buckle, but not before he accidentally destroys philanthropist Katherine Breckenridge's NY Charity event. Now she's in town, wanting his money - or his help. And the last thing this broken bull rider is going to do is give her his heart. But Nick's little brother is going to learn just was it takes to tame the heart of a rebel!

Read the first chapter!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. Finally! The long-awaited sequel on Nick's brother, Rafe. Many women drooled over his picture at the ACFW conference last year, and many more had fun walking around with the stickers on their badges. Once again, you have crafted a story full of adventure, romance and downright grit. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

That was SO fun!! Thanks to all my good-sports/victims who wore the RAFE badge!! I love everything cowboy, and grew up going to rodeo and watching with awe the amazing bull-riders and bronc busters. I began to wonder what it might be like for a bull rider at the top of his game who has a terrible wreck, and how he puts his life back together. Especially how he finds that courage to get back on the bull. The story of Taming Rafe is how he get’s back on…but as a different kind of man.

2. How much of your own experiences influenced the characters of Rafe and katherine? What aspects became traits that were theirs and theirs alone?

I know that Kat's desire to make a difference in the world echoes my own. The images Kat experiences, and her sense of helplessness I took from my own work in orphanages in Russia. That feeling like I needed to do SOMETHING, but not feeling adequate. Also, Rafe's despair as he feels like he's caused his friend’s death – I remember my own despair when I blamed myself for an attack on our family that happened in Russia. So, although I've never been on top of a real bull, or been an heiress (yeah, I wish!), I've felt much of the same emotions that Rafe and Kat feel.

3. What themes exist in Taming Rafe that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

Taming Rafe is the story of bull-rider who finds himself caught in his worst nightmare. A friend of his has died, and Rafe has destroyed his career, and he's broken and at the end of his rope. Enter Kat Breckenridge, a philanthropist from NYC who is trying desperately to keep her charitable organization from going under. It doesn't help when Rafe decimates her event – so she goes looking for him, hoping he’s a decent guy and will help her out of bankruptcy. Uh…sorry, no. Rafe's too wrapped up in his own problems to help her. But she's persuasive, and she's going to help him heal. In the process she also discovers a few secrets about herself that will change her life. It's one of my favorite stories because I just adore Rafe. He's a great hero – unwilling to see his need for someone until they practically force themselves into his life, but underneath that prickly exterior is a man with a great capacity to give, and love. Add to that the beauty of Montana, the excitement of bull-riding, a delicious subplot with a couple locals, and a spiritual theme about God at work in our lives. It's story I am very grateful to have been allowed to tell.

4. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

I agonized, fasted and prayed over Kat's spiritual epiphany. There is SO much I could have written, and keeping it streamlined and focused was a challenge. Also, I really wanted the suspense to be well, suspenseful, and yet, because there as SO much other story, working that thread in took a lot of pondering and care. Because of the "story in a story" aspect of the book, it was probably my most ambitious because of the pacing and the many voices. I'm very aware of the Lord's help in writing it!

5. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

I'm very excited for my next book – Wiser than Serpents. Set in Taiwan, where I lived for about a month, it's a story about an FSB agent who goes undercover inside a human trafficking ring, in the hopes of finding her abducted sister. Of course, there is also a handsome Delta Force captain who has to come to her aid when she destroys his cover. Together they face some pretty bad fellas with the hope of finding her sister, and other woman caught in the web of human trafficking. I'm really excited because I'm donating a portion of the proceeds of this book to the International Justice Mission, a real-live organization dedicated to rescuing women and fighting human trafficking around the globe. Wiser than Serpents comes out in May 2008.

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Thank you, Susie, for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of Taming Rafe.

If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post. Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net) or that it's available for viewing in your blogger profile. Wouldn't want you to miss out on winning a book. :)

And if you want to make certain you don't miss anything, check the box that says 'email follow-up comments to:" when you leave a comment and type the email address where you'd like them sent. That way you'll be notified of any comments and will know when I announce the winner.

This week, the contest is open to U.S. residents only.

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10 comments:

Patty said...

I would love to win a copy of this book. I haven't read any of Susan's books yet and have been wanting to. This would be the perfect opportunity. It sounds like a great book.

pleblanc_1 at charter dot net

Anonymous said...

I have heard about the book and it soudns great, please enter me, thanks!

Anonymous said...

I loved Reclaiming Nick, this book looks even better.

Cassie Greutman

cgreutman at yahoo .com

Maureen said...

This looks like a very good story.

mce1011[at]aol[dot]com

tetewa said...

Count me in! tWarner419@aol.com

windycindy said...

Another wonderful book giveaway. I appreciate it. Please enter me in the hat! Thanks very much.....Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com

Janna said...

This book looks so good - please enter me!

Janna
ryanx6[at]msn[dot]com

Susan May Warren said...

Thanks so much for sharing Rafe with your readers!

Susan May Warren

ChristyJan said...

Please enter me to win an autographed copy of Taming Rafe

Tiffany Amber Stockton said...

We have a winner for this book, and that is:

MAUREEN

Congratulations! I've emailed you confirm and already have your mailing address, so your book will be mailed tomorrow.

5 other winners announced for the month of March. Take a look in the March archives to see if you're one of them.

Thanks for your continued support.