Day of Reckoning Blog Tour: Book Review + Giveaway

 **I received a complimentary copy of this book for consideration. All thoughts are my own. 

About the Book

Book:  Day of Reckoning

Author: Valerie Massey Goree

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release date: August, 2019

International Retrieval Organization Agent Lela Ortiz is assigned the kidnapping case of businessman, Chuck Davenport. When her boss allows Chuck’s brother-in-law to assist, Lela accepts the help with reservations, especially when Jay Vashon prays to God at the most inopportune times.

Jay would do anything to help bring his brother-in-law home, even work with hesitant Agent Ortiz. As Jay helps Lela decipher the clues sent to Chuck’s special-needs son, Jay begins to fall for the feisty IRO agent.

Can Jay break through the barrier Lela has constructed around her heart? Will Lela be able to overcome her distrust of men and God? And what of Chuck? Can the pair locate him before the ransom deadline?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

 

American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award winner Valerie Massey Goree resides with her husband on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula of Washington State.

 

After serving as missionaries in her home country of Zimbabwe and raising two children, Glenn and Valerie moved to Texas. She worked in the public school system for many years, focusing on students with special needs. Now retired in Washington, Valerie spends her time writing, and spoiling her grandchildren.

 

Novels include: Deceive Me Once; Colors of Deceit; The Stolen Lives Trilogy, Weep in the Night; Day of Reckoning; and Justice at Dawn, to be released July, 2021. Valerie’s latest novel Forever Under Blue Skies, is now available from Amazon.

 

Valerie loves to hear from her readers.

 

Check Valerie’s website to learn more about her books: www.valeriegoreeauthor.com

 

More from Valerie

“Dressed in black, Lela stretched out of the chair like a panther on the hunt.” Would that sentence entice you to know more about Lela?

 

It worked for me, and I wrote the sentence!

 

Here’s how it all came about. When I outlined the plots for my Stolen Lives Trilogy, I knew that an International Retrieval Organization (IRO) agent mentioned in Book One would became the star in Book Two, and an agent highlighted in Book Two would take the lead in Book Three.

 

I first ‘met’ Lela Ortiz two-thirds of the way into writing Weep in the Night, Book One in the trilogy. She was a minor character, a proficient agent, but serious and quiet. Up until that point, I still hadn’t decided which agent would go on to fame in the next book. However, when I wrote the sentence already quoted, I knew Lela was my gal.

 

Ooh. I fell in love with that description of her and had to delve into her backstory. Why was she so serious? What happened in her past to make her such a good agent? At first, I decided she was an orphan, but she ‘informed’ me she had a loving family. Scratch that idea. If her troubles didn’t stem from her immediate family, where did they originate?

 

Quite often a character will ‘give’ me details during a conversation with another member of the cast. My plan might be for the plot to veer left, then lo and behold, the character will say something that takes the story in a completely different direction. This may sound strange to some readers, but believe me, many authors will agree that if your character isn’t ‘talking’ to you, maybe it’s because you’re taking them in the wrong direction. Lela certainly did that with me. And I think her story is so much richer and deeper than the one I’d originally planned.

 

After you read about her life before becoming an agent, you’ll understand her desire to help people, and why her boss holds her in high regard.

My Thoughts

Day of Reckoning is book number two in Valerie Massey Goree's The Stolen Lives trilogy. I personally had not read the previous book in the series and found this read just fine as a standalone. This is in fact the very first book I've ever had a chance to read from this author... but I can say with certainty that it won't be the last. 

With romantic suspense being my personal favorite genre, its safe to say I have read a LOT of this type of book. Most feature characters in some sort of law enforcement agency--- police, FBI, CIA, etc... This book was unique in that the heroine of the story Lela Ortiz worked for a private agency they helped with the retrieval of kidnapped victims. I thought this added a unique aspect to the story that I hadn't seen in other books in the genre. It did take me a little bit to get into the story in the beginning, but once I was in, I was hooked. I enjoyed Lela and Jay's budding relationship. I found myself hoping in the end that perhaps we'll see glimpses of this couple in the next book.

The action was fantastic, and kept things excited... but I definitely felt like the characters and their growth throughout the book really drove this story. The messages of faith in this story were really fantastic to see, and something I personally enjoyed very much. It wasn't at all preachy, but it was definitely a huge part of the story.

Overall, this was an enjoyable high paced suspense that fans of Christian suspense are sure to want to check out. I cannot wait to see what comes next. 

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, June 5

For Him and My Family, June 6

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 7

Texas Book-aholic, June 8

deb’s Book Review, June 9

The Sacred Line, June 9

Inklings and notions, June 10

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 11

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, June 12

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, June 13

Betti Mace, June 14

Stories By Gina , June 15 (Author Interview)

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 15

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 16

CarpeDiem, June 17

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, June 18

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Valerie is giving away the grand prize package of a copy of the book, wall plaque saying ‘Wait on the Lord’, a writing journal, and Aromatherapy Lavender Foam Bath crystals!!

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/10d05/day-of-reckoning-celebration-tour-giveaway