The Birds and the Bees Blog Tour: Author Interview + Giveaway

 

 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour & Giveaway for The Bird and the Bees by Neena Gaynor, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Title: The Bird and the Bees
Author: Neena Gaynor
Publisher: Mantle Rock Publishing 
Release Date: April 21, 2020
Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

When Larkin Maybie buries her mother in the foothills of Appalachia, she is left all alone. Her only inheritance? A crazy aunt, a mountain of debt, and a run-down, secluded cabin left by a mysterious benefactor. While Larkin thinks an escape to a cabin miles from anything familiar might be exactly what she needs, the quick answer to her problems only leaves her with more questions... Questions concerning her true identity.

As Larkin searches for her link to the Lewandowski Estate, she begins to accept the kindness of strangers on Presque Isle and the affection of professional baseball player, Ketch Devine. Charged with caring for the cabin’s honey bees and haunted by past choices, Larkin struggles to move forward in a new direction and is running out of time. With summer and baseball season coming to an end, she must decide: what is the value of true love?

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

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When not chasing after her two joyful little boys, Neena Gaynor enjoys beekeeping, a good cup of coffee, and writing.

She's spent much of the last decade traveling with her husband, Wade, a former professional baseball player. Throughout the 29 changes of address and the stresses of moving a young family, Neena has learned to embrace the peace that only comes from the steady accompaniment of Christ.

CONNECT WITH NEENA: Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

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Hi Neena! Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and giving my readers the chance to get to know you and your new book- The Birds and the Bees a little bit better!  I always like to start these interviews the same way with something fun! Tell us 5 random facts about you we WON’T find in your bio.

Thanks so much for having me!  

1.       I’m pretty sure I’ve watched more baseball games from the bleacher seats than any other gal in America. (My dad was a baseball coach, and my brother played collegiately, is now a coach, and also introduced me to my husband who played professionally in Detroit’s system. Now, my two little boys are playing peanut baseball. Play ball!!...right?)

2.       Despite all the athletic prowess in my family, I have bragging rights for the biggest trophy. In elementary school, I won a conservation essay contest. I still remember the title, “S.O.S.: Save Our Soil!”

3. I became a Master Gardener in 2019. It’s a designation given to volunteers trained by local cooperative extension offices on the science and art of gardening. Basically, I geek out over plants.

4. I consider my cornbread to be the quiet culinary hero of suppertime. 

5. I love a good period drama like Downton Abbey or Poldark.

Let’s talk writing! Did you always know that you wanted to write? How did that love of writing come about for you?

I’ve always had an appreciation for writing and a mother and grandmother who encouraged reading good books. Writing a novel seemed like an unattainable dream, but when you marry a professional athlete, they’re familiar with hard-to-reach aspirations and the chase. Wade was the one who gently pushed me to pursue the dream, but it wasn’t until I grew deeper in my faith that I realized how important it was for me not to just have a novel published, but to use a talent for Christ.

As the wife to a former professional baseball player, you have traveled a lot. How have those experiences influenced your writing?

For starters, after living out of a suitcase for seven years, I’ve never felt the need for a desktop computer. ;) Truly though, our travels took us places we never would’ve imagined and made great us friends with a variety of souls. I pray those experiences help me craft realistic stories and characters with depth.

The Birds and the Bees is your first novel. Congratulations! What was your reaction to finding out your book was going to be published and seeing your words in print for the first time?

It’s exciting to see and hold the product of years of work. Launching a debut novel during a pandemic is far from any writer’s dream, though I consider it a blessing to have a story about hope released when the world needs such a reminder. I’m also a sucker for any reason to celebrate.

Can you tell us a little bit about The Birds and the Bees?

The Bird and the Bees follows struggling nurse Larkin Maybie through the dual settings of Appalachian Kentucky to the far shores of Pennyslvania’s Presque Isle. When she meets a kind professional baseball player, the walls around her heavy heart begin to crumble. Larkin’s story is about second chances, true identities, and how love never fails.

What do you hope readers will take away from the book?

While the book is a "Christian Contemporary Romance," it's my hope that the story inspires readers to fall deeper in love with Jesus. The theme of The Bird and the Bees is the power of choice. While there are many circumstances in life we would never choose from flat tires to a global pandemic, we aren't alone. The best response is always to embrace the redemptive, unconditional love of Jesus. Always!

This sounds like a great book and one that I cannot wait to read. I have found that writers are so often some of the best readers too. If we were to take a look at your TBR, what would we find there?

Thank you! My TBR list is a pile of fiction and nonfiction. On my nightstand today is a book club book, C.S. Lewis’ “Screwtape Letters,” a book about container gardening, another about homeschooling (a new adventure for us), the new Christian historical fiction novel by Ann Gabhart, “An Appalachian Summer,” a devotional, a compilation of short stories by Flannery O’Connor, and (of course) my Bible. I thrive on the mix and bouncing back and forth.

Thank you again for taking the time to answer these questions. Before you go, are there any other projects you are currently working on that you can share? 

Mum’s the word today… but I hope to share good news soon! Thanks again for having me! 

 (1) winner will receive a $15 Chick-fil-A gift card!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway will begin at midnight September 15, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on September 22, 2020. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

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