Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Chasing Hope Blog Tour

chasing hope tour

Welcome to the blog tour for Chasing Hope by Kathryn Cushman!
Chasing Hope
A Personal Drama of Shattered Dreams and Second Chances

A talented runner fully committed to Olympic dreams, Sabrina Rice's future was shattered by a devastating diagnosis. One forfeited scholarship and several years later, she has new goals and dreams that have nothing to do with running--something that's become far too painful to think on. Until the day she sees Brandy Philip running across the community college campus, easily outpacing security. Sabrina immediately recognizes world-class speed, and it's all the more painful that it belongs to a teenage graffiti artist. When a chance encounter brings the two young women together, Sabrina becomes Brandy's best hope for staying out of juvenile hall. Soon, Sabrina begins to feel an uncomfortable nudge that her new life is just about to be toppled...that God may be calling her to minister to this talented but troubled girl.  

kathryn
 Author Kathryn Cushman

Kathryn "Katie" Cushman is a graduate of Samford University with a degree in pharmacy. She is the author of five novels, including Leaving Yesterday and A Promise to Remember, which were both finalists for the Carol Award in Women's Fiction. She is also the co-author of Angel Song with Sheila Walsh. Kathryn and her family currently live in Santa Barbara, California.  


Review:

Sabrina had it all going for her. Her talent in running had led to a full-ride at the University of Tennesse, and the Olympics didn't seem too far behind. Then something began to go wrong, and Sabrina saw her whole world falling apart. Struggling to find a new direction in life, Sabrina's grandma's friend asks Sabrina to take on her troubled granddaughter Brandy who also seemed to have a talent for running. As Sabrina and Brandy struggle to find common ground, they both find something even better- a new direction in life.

I was very intrigued by the concept of this book, so I really looked forward to reading it. It did not disappoint. The story very quickly drew me in, and I didn't want to stop reading. I found Sabrina to be sympathetic without being too whiny. I really thought that the character of Sabrina could easily cross over in to a really mopey person, but the author managed to find a really good balance between making her sympathetic to the reader but still keeping her as a hopeful person. Brady was another character that could have gone into a caricature almost of a troubled teen, but the author does a great job of making you want to root for her success.

This book was a super fast read. One really interesting aspect to me was the idea of what to do when your life doesn't turn out like you thought it would. Sabrina was so sure she was called to spread the love of God to everyone through her running, but then when she could no longer run she was so unsure about what she had felt. I think all of us feel this from time to time. We are so sure that our life is going one direction, and then suddenly we find ourselves way far away from where we thought we'd be. This book brings out the point that we can find our calling in life in different ways. Just because we think it's derailed does not mean it actually is. Overall this was an inspiring and interesting story. I really enjoyed it, and it will make a great escape while still leaving you with things to think about.

Book provided for review.


Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 10/17/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the publisher. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

   a Rafflecopter giveaway

1 comment:

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