"Baggage Claim"
By Cathe Swanson
Author: Cathe SwansonBook: Baggage Claim
Genre: Christian Suspense/Romance
Release Date: February 14, 2017
There had to be at least one healthy branch on his family tree…
Who can he trust?
Ben Taylor, widower and father of four lively children, enjoys his easy, uncomplicated life. He likes his work and has a competent nanny to manage his household. Everything is good until he decides to seek out his biological parents and discovers a family tree with tangled roots and broken branches.
His comfortable life crumbles when he gets caught up in a criminal network of fraud and conspiracy at his new job. When Ben is forced into a dangerous alliance, he scrambles to find a safe situation and protection for his children before setting out to clear his name—all without getting himself killed in the process.
A nanny with a past…
Becoming a nanny was the perfect solution when Teresa Cooper needed a place to hide ten years ago, but now that she’s no longer in danger, she’s ready to move on and make a new life for herself. When Ben asks her to take the children to an unknown relative in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, she finds herself in hiding again, this time with four children in tow.
As the children explore the wilderness of the Upper Peninsula, Teresa begins to wonder about God’s plan for her future. Who is this stranger Ben trusts with his children? Why here? Can a city-bred nanny find joy in this wild corner of God’s creation?
My Thoughts:
The cover of this book immediately attracted my attention!! What a delightful scene, the sweet feet of a baby girl on Daddy's sneakers!! Who can resist opening this book, once your heart is caught up in this adorable picture?
I was caught up in this story immediately and found it very difficult to put this book down. The characters are realistic and so believable that the reader quickly becomes emotionally involved with them in their heartbreaks and trials that they encounter. They have their flaws just as you and I do. Teresa was an unusually strong individual that held this young family together in the toughest of times, while Ben was a struggling dad of four youngsters, trying to keep afloat while trying to keep his sanity. His helplessness was felt deep within as this novel progressed.
The plot moves quickly with just enough twists and turns to keep one on the edge of the chair. Just when you think the road of life becomes a bit smoother, another block appears. The underlying message of faith and trust in God in the darkest moments of life keeps the reader hopeful of a happy ending.
The clear message of God's saving power shines through this story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I am eagerly awaiting another book from this author!!
I was caught up in this story immediately and found it very difficult to put this book down. The characters are realistic and so believable that the reader quickly becomes emotionally involved with them in their heartbreaks and trials that they encounter. They have their flaws just as you and I do. Teresa was an unusually strong individual that held this young family together in the toughest of times, while Ben was a struggling dad of four youngsters, trying to keep afloat while trying to keep his sanity. His helplessness was felt deep within as this novel progressed.
The plot moves quickly with just enough twists and turns to keep one on the edge of the chair. Just when you think the road of life becomes a bit smoother, another block appears. The underlying message of faith and trust in God in the darkest moments of life keeps the reader hopeful of a happy ending.
The clear message of God's saving power shines through this story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I am eagerly awaiting another book from this author!!
This book was received as a gift. The thoughts and opinions expressed are honest and my own.
Click here to purchase your copy.
About the Author
Cathe Swanson lives in Wisconsin with her husband of 32 years. They enjoy spending time with their family and being outdoors, kayaking, hiking, birdwatching and fishing, but summer is short in Wisconsin, so it’s important to have indoor hobbies, too. Cathe has been a quilter and teacher of quiltmaking for over 25 years, and she enjoys just about any kind of creative work, especially those involving fiber or paper. She enjoys writing stories with eccentric characters of all ages. Her books will make you laugh and make you cry – and then make you laugh again.
Guest Post from Cathe Swanson
When I was in high school, I thought I might like to become an occupational therapist. Instead, I got married, had babies, raised the children and launched them into the world. I took a few years to regroup, and then I started thinking about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.
Shortly after that, my dad had a stroke, and when he came home from the hospital, I was fascinated by the work of the visiting therapists. I did some research and learned that physical and occupational therapy assistants make pretty good money and are able to do the best part of the job – the therapy. Therapists are often bogged down in paperwork and periodic assessments. The assistant has all the fun, and it’s just a 5-semester program.
So I trotted on down to the local community college and asked what I had to do to get signed up. The counsellor talked for a while about prerequisites, petitions, waiting lists, internships, and other such things. Eventually I realized she was trying to tell me that I was too old to embark on this career. Too taken-aback to be offended, I went home and wrote a book about it instead. After all, I’d invested a lot of time in research.
I’d been writing stories for years, and already had the bones of Baggage Claim. Once I gave my young hero a job as a physical therapy assistant, the story took on life. My mother’s interest in genealogy had sparked a question: What if a nice, normal person wanted to track down their biological family and it blew up in their face? So that’s where I sent my hero, and as one of my reviewers said, “It was not a Hallmark moment.”
I’m very happy as an author and have no real interest in becoming an occupational therapist. Indeed, that rejection was a turning point for me. I could have pushed forward and got that degree, but instead I went home and wrote. I have no regrets.
Blog Stops
March 28: Books. Books. And More Books.
March 28: Book Reviews From an Avid Reader
March 29: Chas Ray’ s Book Nerd Corner
March 29: A Greater Yes
March 30: Genesis 5020
March 31: Reading Is My SuperPower
April 1: Quiet Quilter
April 2: autism mom
April 2: Avid Reader Book Reviews
April 3: Moments Dipped in Ink
April 3: Faithfully Bookish
April 4: Inklings and notions
April 5: Blossoms and Blessings
April 6: Blogging With Carol
April 7: Carpe Diem
April 7: A Baker’s Perspective
April 8: Christian Bookaholic
April 8: Karen Sue Hadley
April 9: History, Mystery and Faith
April 9: Bigreadersite
April 10: His Grace is Sufficient
April 10: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations
Make sure to enter the author's giveaway!!
To celebrate her tour, Cathe is giving away Grand prize themed gift box that will include:
A decorative suitcase box
Earl Grey Tea
A handmade mug rug
A pretty mug
14 handmade all-occasion cards
And a paperback copy of Baggage Claim!! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/b2c8
A decorative suitcase box
Earl Grey Tea
A handmade mug rug
A pretty mug
14 handmade all-occasion cards
And a paperback copy of Baggage Claim!! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/b2c8
I like that this book was highly recommended, and I love Christian suspense/romance, too, especially those including children. Now, I would love to read about a book written from my profession's point of view - a speech-language pathologist. We work with adults and children, too.
ReplyDeleteJanice
pjrcmoore@windstream.net
Baggage Claim by Cathe Swanson sounds like an awesome book. I look forward to reading it. Thanks for the chance to win the cool Baggage Claim Celebration Tour giveaway.
ReplyDeleteThis was my favorite book so far this year. I ended up reading one scene to my husband because it fit so well with a conversation we were having.
ReplyDeleteWhat did he think? My own husband read it, but he HAS to say he likes it. ;)
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