In celebration of her latest release, Dana has graciously offered to give away a copy of the book (US Only). To enter, see the Rafflecopter box at the bottom of this post. (Contest ends May 6, 2016.) If you are the randomly chosen winner, I'll contact you and pass on your information. Good luck!
A Word from Dana...
Dogs, dogs, dogs!
I realized my writing was going to the dogs when I started writing both a K-9
continuity series for Love Inspired Suspense and a dog-themed lighthearted
romance for Harvest House at the same time! How did this come about? Well, I
love dogs and I love writing lighthearted stories (which I don't get to do very
often), so when my agent told me Harvest House was looking for someone to write
a dog-themed series, I took off my suspense hat, wagged my tail, and said,
"Yes!" Hence, I found myself writing two dog-themed stories at once.
For the suspense
novel, I was busily researching the amazing abilities of the bloodhound, and
for the other, getting familiar with the ins and outs of baseball and doxies. Things
were going along swimmingly until the event that I'd long dreaded finally
happened. My beloved Nala, my neurotic, gentle-hearted canine companion of
thirteen years, passed away. Our Mentink hearts were broken, and it was
difficult to continue to write about these various fictional dogs. The book Sit, Stay, Love was especially hard,
since Tippy, the star of that book, is a thirteen-year-old mutt. Tippy is
actually based on a real dog that was rescued by the Muttville group, a
nonprofit organization based here in San Francisco which finds homes for senior
dogs. Part of the proceeds from the book will go to this excellent
organization.
In spite of our
sad goodbye to my dear Nala, Tippy found a special place in my heart and in the
novel. She is gentle and true, devoted and impulsive, the very best kind of
friend. I hope that you will enjoy
reading about her antics as she brings two loving hearts together. As they say
in the book, "There's just something about Tippy!"
My Review...
Cal Crawford is a big shot professional pitcher, and
he has no time for a relationship with a woman or animal. Therefore, he is less
than thrilled to learn that he has inherited his mom’s overweight Doxie mix,
Tippy. Gina Palmer wants to be a teacher, but she needs money so she agrees to
fill in for her cousin as a pet sitter for Tippy. She falls in love with Tippy,
but finds Cal anything but endearing. In fact, he is downright crabby. She is
determined to save Tippy from being sent to the pound. Cal just wants to play
baseball, but it appears that God may have different plans. Is it possible for
Tippy to teach them both lessons about life?
“There's just something about Tippy!” She is truly the star
of this book. It’s a winner for animal lovers and baseball fans alike, as well
as anyone who enjoys a quick, lighthearted read. There is more depth than I
initially expected to find, and numerous scenes had me laughing and crying. Cal
undergoes some great character development, and Gina is a sincere, friendly
character. It is easy to root for the hero and heroine, and Tippy, and to see
God working in their lives. Though this book is a bit different from some of
Mentink’s, she definitely hits a home run! The second book in the series will
be out in August.
Disclaimer:
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon link for purchase...
About Dana...
Dana Mentink is a two-time American Christian Fiction Writers
Carol Award winner. She is the author of over thirty titles in the suspense and
lighthearted romance genres. Her suspense novel, Betrayal in the Badlands,
earned a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award, and she has also been honored with a
Holt Medallion Award of Merit. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s
Love Inspired Suspense and Harlequin Heartwarming. Besides writing, she busies
herself teaching third grade. Mostly, she loves to be home with Papa Bear,
Yogi, Boo Boo, a naughty terrier mix with a sock fetish, a chubby box turtle, and a feisty parakeet.
You can find her online at:
website: http://www.danamentink.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanaMentink
I love dogs--and books. Books about dogs? It's a win/win situation for me! I have an eleven-year-old golden retriever named Ginger and a two-year-old Goldendoodle named Laci. They want me to read this book!
ReplyDeleteAww...Ginger and Laci sound cute :) Yes, this book certainly sounds like a perfect one for you! Thanks for stopping by, and good luck.
DeleteNo, I don't have any dogs right now. But we have cats and I feed stray cats outside as well. I would love to have another dog but I'm not sure it would go over well with the pampered cats. I have seen this book so many places online and I'm so excited to have a chance to win it. Thank you for the giveaway opportunity!
ReplyDeleteDeanne, I can imagine the dogs and pampered cats might not get along very well, lol :-) You're very welcome! Good luck, and thanks for visiting my blog.
DeleteGreat review, Leslie! I read Sit Stay Love and absolutely loved it! It was such a cute story. I laughed and cried. I have an overweight, geriatric dachshund myself, so it was lots of fun reading about Tippy. (I'm a cat lover, too. I have a 17-pound black cat in my lap as we speak!)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carol! Glad to see you here. It really is an enjoyable story. I love how you were able to identify with Tippy, too :) What's your cat's name?
DeleteMidnight. I know, not very creative, huh? He super sweet, sometimes to the point of being annoying. When he wants to be petted, he comes up and bats your arm until you pay attention to him. We rescued him from the pound a few hours before he was going to be gassed. (I'm so tenderhearted, I was a basket case watching people bringing in their animals, knowing they would probably be killed. The lady at the desk kept asking me if I was going to be okay!)
DeleteMidnight hates being left alone, so when we travel, we always try to take him with us. Fortunately, he's a good rider.
Totally understand, as I had a black dog named Midnight as a child :) I love that he's a rescue pet! I've heard it said that those are the animals who truly know how much they are loved. I'm sure that would have bothered me (at the pound), too. We have a few no-kill shelters near us, which is wonderful. I'm glad he's a cooperative rider :)
DeleteThe no-kill shelters are awesome. I wish we had more around here, because our Animal Control (pound) is terrible. You're right, rescued pets seem to really sense how much they're loved. I think they know what we saved them from and give us so much love in return. (I'm trying to type this with Midnight's paws wrapped around my hand while he licks me!)
ReplyDelete