Love Starts with Elle by Rachel Hauck - Blog Tour and more

A while back, you might remember my ranting and raving about Rachel Hauck's new series that includes book #1 Sweet Caroline and book #2 Love Starts With Elle. Well, I'm not in on this current blog tour, but I think that you should be informed about it! Go read reviews, watch the trailer, and enter to win a copy on various blogs.

The book is so worth it! And in case you missed it before, here are my review.

Love Starts with Elle by Rachel Hauck

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I do not know if I shall scream or cry or both. Love Starts with Elle is officially one of my favorite books of all time. It is by far my favorite book of contemporary Christian fiction. I enjoyed Sweet Caroline immensely, but it does not fully compare with the power and wonder of Elle. This is a sequel, but does stand alone on a firm foundation of Christ no less.



Elle is an artist, well in her heart. She mets Mr. Wonderful, who I did not like from page one, but he's so right. Until he's not, but really who is perfect? Well I did not see how in the world the plot could get her out of one situation or get her into another, but after reading the book in entirety I'm impressed. I cannot believe all that has happened. My goodness, our God is a mighty God.



Usually, I really do not like contemporary, because it's so real and harsh and there is just not enough "light". Rachel Hauck gives contemporary a good name. It is real, there is some harshness and full tears. But there is love and light beyond the darkness. The characters are so real, and I want to move to their town and lives near their lives. After Sweet Caroline I just could not see how the story could continue on in Elle's life, but it did and in such a neat way. I had my tears and my giggles. I got angry at people and frustrated when they did not head my suggestions. I cherish their joys and I cannot wait for more works to come from the wonder that I have found in Rachel's words on a page.


View all my reviews.

So, here's the dibs on the tour. Main page on Rachel's blog, click here. And then you can see all the links and dates for the various tour stops!

Have fun!!!

Sweet Caroline by Rachel Hauck: a review

Sweet Caroline by Rachel Hauck

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sweet Caroline is quite the book, and she is quite the person. She is a normal human being, in a normal life. Tough decisions need to be made, and only Christ knows if she is making the right choices. This book grips your heart and doesn't let it go. I love it from the heart-head-ear conversations to the screaming in my head what I thought she should do. :) This story of a girl in her late twenties growing up is something that anyone could benefit from reading. Caroline's situations remind me of some of Jane Austen's tales, where you really want it to end one way, but with more thought you want it how it is, and then you go back to the other. Over all this book was a comfy read and caused more giggles and grins that I care to admit. The whole cast of characters was a hoot and found a warm place in my heart. I cannot wait to read more through Love Starts with Elle. Rachel Hauck has a real winner here and I'm definitely putting her future books on my TBR lists.


View all my reviews.

Interview with Rachel Hauck for Sweet Caroline

Hey Rachel,

A couple things I was curious about... I'm not through yet, but so
far I'm thoroughly enjoying Sweet Caroline.

How did you come up with
the internal dialogue that she has? (heart speaking to head etc) I
absolutely love it!!

RH: That is a good question! I can't really remember, but I think as I was writing, I felt stale and bogged down, so I just jumped to some other form of writing to communicate what Caroline felt, to show the internal struggles we all have with our emotional side and logical side.


Also, so far this story is reminding me of Sweet
Home Alabama... where does your obvious love of small town life come
from?

Rh: I've lived in small towns or small communities most of my life. While I don't consider myself a small town girl because my high school years were in Tallahassee, I lived in small town in Kentucky and Oklahoma, and my father was the quintessential small town kid, living in the small Ohio town all through high school.


My last question is with your background how did you end up
writing Christian Fiction?

RH: I've been a Christian since I was a child, raised in a Christian home, so it's a natural part of me to weave spiritual aspects into a story. I started writing Christian fiction in the '90s because I was reading Christian fiction. We've grown a lot since those days. I'm honored to be among so many great authors.

Thanks so much!!!

Rachel


Thanks for your time!!

MJ

Sweet Caroline by Rachel Hauck

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Sweet Caroline(Thomas Nelson February 12, 2008
by
Rachel Hauck

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I graduated from Ohio State University (Go Buckeyes!) with a degree in Journalism. As a member of Phi Mu sorority, I partied my way though the last few years of college.

But, the truth is, and always will be, I belong to Jesus. At the age of six, I knelt at the altar of a Tulsa Methodist church and gave my life to the One who loves me.

After graduation, hired on at Harris Publishing as a software trainer, determined to see the world. And I did it without a laptop, a cell phone, an IPod or portable DVD player. Those were hard times.

But, I traveled to Ireland, Spain, Venezuela, Mexico, Australia, Canada and the U.S. from California to Maine. But, life on the road is difficult. Working twelve to fourteen hour days, one doesn't get to see many of the sites. In Ireland, our company's distributor drove me around at night so I could see something of Dublin.

I met Tony, my husband, in '87, at church, of all places. We got married in '92. Tony has been a pastor for twenty years. I've worked with him in eighteen of those twenty. Our heart is to see teens and adults passionate, radical and whole hearted for Jesus.

Tony and I don't have any children of our own, lots of kids-in-the-Lord and we love them all. However, we do have a very spoiled dog, and an even more spoiled cat.

I've always wanted to be a writer. My dad used to tell me, "You're a writer." I have letters he wrote me post college, exhorting me to write. In this, I believe he had the heart of God.

In '93, I started an epic WW2 novel with two plots. It was well rejected. After that ordeal, I took a break and put efforts into my job as a software project manager. But, I missed writing and in late ' 99, I took up the craft again.

With a little help from my friends, my first book was published in ' 04, Lambert's Pride, a romance novel. I love writing chick lit and romance. I love writing. What an honor.

Rachel has several other books that have been received with great praise, including Diva Nash Vegas and Lost In Nash Vegas

You can purchase copies of Rachel's books, signed personally for you,
at this site: Signed by the Author.com

ABOUT THE BOOK

When a Southern waitress inherits the Lowcountry cafe where she works, she suddenly has to balance more than just her next food order.

Caroline Sweeney has always done the right thing--the responsible, dependable thing--unlike her mother who abandoned her family. But when her best friend challenges her to accept an exciting job adventure in Barcelona, Spain, Caroline says "yes" to destiny.

Then, without warning, ownership of the run-down cafe where she's been waitressing falls right into Caroline's lap. While she's trying to determine the cafe's future, handsome Deputy Sherriff J.D. Rand captures Caroline's heart.

But when her first love, Mitch O'Neal, comes back to town, fresh from the heat of his newly-found fame as a country music singer in Nashville, Caroline must make some hard choices about love and the pursuit of the sweet life.

Review to come! (I'm not done yet, but loving it so far!) MJ