Review: Mary's Song by Susan Count with Giveaway

BeachBoundbooks is pleased to be coordinating a Blog Tour for the children's adventure book, Mary's Song by Susan Count. The tour will run December 12, 2016 - January 2, 2017.

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MARY'S SONG

 Dream Horse Adventure Book 1 

by Susan Count 

Children's Fiction

Hastings Creations Group

 October 20, 2016

122 pages

Mary’s heart breaks over the pending destruction of a beautiful, but damaged filly. When life is not fair, the courageous challenge the obstacles. Twelve-year-old Mary was disabled at the age of four by the same virus that took the life of her mother. While she longs to have a horse of her own, she’s limited to reading horse books. A talented artist, she spends her days on a blanket in the grass sketching the horses at the farm next door. She falls in love with one of the foals and is outraged to learn the filly is considered worthless as it was born lame. Mary befriends and enlists the help of twelve-year-old Laura, whose family owns the horse farm. Against the better judgment of the farm manager, a brief reprieve is negotiated for the foal’s life. The girls conspire to raise money to save her, but time is running out. Sadly, it appears the expensive surgery the foal needs has little chance to correct her problem anyway. Mary isn’t about to give up. She sacrifices what she holds dear, including the trust of her papa, to gain her heart’s desire. Will she lose everything in her struggle to save the foal?

   

MY TIDBITS

Full of warmth, faith, and love, this book leads through an engaging tale, which touches the heart and soul.

Mary adores horses and would love nothing more than to ride and train them, but since a fever has left her in a wheelchair unable to walk, she's not sure this dream can ever become a reality. Then she meets Laura, a girl her age from the neighboring farm who's family raises, breeds and shows horses. When the two decide to save a lame filly, the adventure begins.

This is a beautiful story in so many ways. The writing is natural, drawing the reader into the world as if they'd always been there. The characters are kind, determined and just the sort of girls one would wish as their best friends. When Mary and Laura decide to join together to save a foal from being put to sleep, it's impossible not to cheer them on. The two are level-headed despite their tenacity, and sweet even though they tend to be a little snippy and can carry a bite of snark.

There are many messages in this book, all wholesome and encouraging for the intended audience. The Christian values come across loud and clear while remaining natural. It's a gentle read, so there's nothing for concerned parents to worry about. The pacing is well done, and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep it interesting from beginning until the very end. As a special plus, at only around 110 pages, it's short enough not to scare away reluctant readers.

Book Buzz

"An excellent and engaging book from start to finish. A must read." - Amazon Review

"Susan Count knows how to write about horses, family, friendship, love, faith, and sacrifice. Her true-to-life characters easily engaged me in wanting to know more about them and how their conflicts would be resolved." - Geoffrey W.

"A genuinely touching story about friendship and recovery. I strongly recommend this to anyone looking for a good horse book perfect for middle age girls!" - Amazon Review

And here she is. . .

 

One day...I began to write with no preconceived ideas about anything. I’d read what I had written the day before and add another scene to the adventure. No one could have been more astounded than I was when it turned into a book. The whole process gave me great joy and restored my spirit after a season of loss. My motivation was my desire to bless one particular young lady with a story to show her a love relationship in a family, with the Lord, and with a horse. I truly thought the story would remain in a drawer until she was old enough to read it. Surprise.

I write at an antique secretary desk which belonged to the same grandmother who introduced me to horse books. The desk has secret compartments and occupies a glass room with a forest view. Bunnies and cardinals regularly interrupt my muse, as do my horses grazing in a clearing. 

Though I am a rider and lover of horses, I make no claims of expertise in any riding discipline. I hope that my research keeps me from annoying those who would know. 

The only thing more fun than riding might be writing horse adventure stories. Saddle up and ride along!

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GIVEAWAY!!!

Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize(winner’s choice) Giveaway ends: January 2, 11:59 pm, 2017
Open to: Internationally.
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Susan Count and is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional questions feel free to send an email to stacie@BeachBoundBooks.com. 

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