Contemporary Fiction, Review

Baggage Claim by Cathe Swanson + guest post

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About the Book

Genre: Christian Suspense/Romance
Release Date: February 14, 2017

There had to be at least one healthy branch on his family tree…

Baggage Claim by Cathe SwansonWho 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?

goodreads | amazon

 

My Thoughts

Hold onto your seats for a crash course in white collar crime with a side of family drama. This intriguing story has a wide variety of characters and perspectives.

Ben is at a unique crossroads in life. He is a young widower with four small children who is attending college while engaging in an increasingly hostile work environment. My heart went out to him even when I wanted to shake some sense into him.

Teresa knows a little something about escaping threating situations and staying hidden but now the stakes are higher than ever with her four young charges in tow. She seems to have lost touch with her genuine self sometime during her frantic attempts to stay below the radar in her past.

I have to say my favorite scenes are the ones with Ben and his four little ones. The story held my interest and the children are completely endearing.

I requested the opportunity to read and review this title through CelebrateLit. The opinions expressed are my own.

 

About the Author

Cathe SwansonCathe 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.

website | facebook | twitter

 

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.

Also Available


goodreads | amazon

 

Tour 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

Giveaway

Baggage Claim Giveaway Prize Pack

To celebrate her tour, Cathe Swanson is giving away a 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!!

Use the form below or click to enter.

Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!

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5 thoughts on “Baggage Claim by Cathe Swanson + guest post”

  1. I have to read this book! I practically grew up in the UP and went to college there. I have such fond memories of catching toads and frogs. I love the two characters this author has put together.

    Like

  2. Thanks for the review and guest post, Beth. This book looks and sounds so intriguing. It’s going on my TBR list. The cover is absolutely adorable!

    Like

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