To purchase your own copy of Going Up South, click here.

About the Book

No one told him he had a son.

Actor Dylan Conner is furious. Not only has he been left out of his child’s life, the baby boy has been given another man’s last name. Determined to be a better father than the sorry guy who’d left him and his mother, Dylan fights to ensure a significant place in his son’s life. Unfortunately, his bad-boy reputation overshadows his good intentions. Only one woman in this small town sees beyond his Hollywood image. And he’s falling for her. Too bad she’s the custody mediator.

After her scandalous divorce in the small town of Oxford, Mississippi, attorney Cassie Brooks has no intentions of practicing law again. The humiliating experience left a bitter taste for love, marriage, and her profession.

Now friends need Cassie’s help in a custody negotiation, and her role demands she remain objective. She never expected to be drawn to Dylan Conner—the actor who everyone warns is bad news. Not only is the mediation at stake, but so is her heart.

About the Author

Janet W. Ferguson grew up in Mississippi and received a degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Mississippi. She has served her church as a children’s minister and a youth volunteer. An avid reader, she worked as a librarian at a large public high school. Janet and her husband have two grown children, one really smart dog, and a few cats that allow them to share the space.

Guests Post from Janet W. Ferguson

Hi, I’m Janet W. Ferguson, and I’m so excited to meet the readers of Celebrate Lit!

I’ve always been an avid reader, but I’ve had an odd career path prior to writing.

With a Banking and Finance degree, I took my first job working at a brokerage firm handling their mutual fund trades. After the market crashed in the late 80s, I took a job managing a large, upscale apartment community. During this time, I married and became a stay-at-home mom and church volunteer. My volunteering eventually led to a staff position as children’s minister. After five years, I felt my calling had changed, and I left the job, not really sure what God had in store. Haphazardly, my husband suggested I apply at our local schools. Not long afterward, I certified in teaching and became the library media specialist at the large public high school near our home. I met so many wonderful young people as children’s minister and high school librarian.

During my times as a librarian, I had a story idea for about seven years, but never made time to try my hand at writing. Finally, after my elderly parents passed away, and I felt it was time. I wrote every evening for three months, and finished my first story which was Leaving Oxford. I spent the next three years learning about the craft of writing and editing that story. Yes, there was much to learn! In the meantime, one secondary character from Leaving Oxforddemanded his own story… From that, came Going Up South.

I tend to write what I know, and I’m from the peculiar and wonderful state of Mississippi. My first story was set mostly in Oxford, Mississippi. The charming town made the perfect backdrop for book 1. So book 2 is also mostly set in Oxford, although the characters go on a mission trip to Honduras.

The hero of Going Up South, Dylan Conner, is a funny and charming actor that made a number of appearances in Leaving Oxford. From outrageous costumes to intense flirting, he just had a personality as large as the characters he portrayed on the screen. In Going Up South, he realizes that he fathered a child, but he had been left out of the baby boy’s life. Though he’d never planned to have a family, due to his disappointment in his own father, seeing the child, his child, changes his mind.

Dylan’s not sure how he’ll raise a child or what to do, but he finds help in his new friend and custody mediator, Cassie Brooks.

The scripture theme for this series comes from Isaiah 61. This particular book draws on “He binds up the brokenhearted.”

The heroine, Cassie Brooks, is still hurting from her scandalous divorce in a small town. Unlike my last heroine in Leaving Oxford, Cassie had done things the way she’d been taught, avoiding alcohol, drugs, and sex outside of marriage. And her heart was still broken by an unfaithful husband. I wanted to show that life just hands out some tough blows, no matter how hard we try to do the right thing, but God is there in the midst of it all. He does bind up our broken hearts.

I pray that you are uplifted by this story, and whatever hurts life has dealt you, that you find comfort in the arms of our faithful Father. Blessings!

I love books that have a variety of characters that are well defined. The author has done an amazing job with making the characters believable and real. Their emotions were raw and at times heartbreaking. This is one book you don't want to miss.

Cassie and her son are on their own after her marriage fell apart. She has a hard time with trusting anyone but has very supportive family members. When she decides to mediate in a custody case for her friend, Cassie will take a hard look at her own life and learn to trust God.

What do you do if suddenly you find out that you are a father? That is what Dylan is facing  when he discovers a one night stand led to the birth of his son. He is hurt, angry and frustrated when he learns about his son. Can Cassie help Dylan and her friend find a way to work together for the sake of the baby? I really liked Dylan

 because even though he is famous, he is very humble and only wants what is best for his son.

There are some funny moments in the book that I really enjoyed. Wait till  you meet "Big Roy." He is Cassie's dad and full of life. He sure is protective of his family as Dylan will soon find out. Each character in the book is memorable and the theme throughout the book is trust. It is hard to trust again when you have been hurt . Will Cassie and Dylan be able to trust each other? Can they turn to God and allow Him to show them the path  they should take?

I especially liked the story line about mission trips. They are so important and lifesaving to others. Sometimes we forget what other people may be going through. I appreciate the author as she candidly writes  about the trials in this place they were sent to help. The heartbreak as you see kids that are sick and hungry was very emotional and written with such compassion. If you are looking for a book about second chances, forgiveness and trust, this is a perfect book for you. The author has a passionate way of writing that makes you really care about the characters and along the way learn to trust God for all your needs.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit for an honest review.

Blog St0ps

July 7: A Reader’s Brain

July 7: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations

July 8: Bigreadersite

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July 9: A Greater Yes

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July 15: His Grace is Sufficient

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July 18: Cassandra M’s Place

July 18: A Bakers Perspective

July 19: Texas Book-aholic

July 20: Book Bites, Bee Stings, and Butterfly Kisses

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Janet is giving away some fantastic prizes including a $50 Amazon gift card! Click here to enter: https://promosimple.com/ps/9e33