About the Book

Book Title: Dare to Dream Again

Author: Alana Terry

Genre: Christian Romance

Release date: May 8, 2018

Will love bloom just as sweet the second time around?

Losing her husband has taught Gloria more than anything else how to rely on God.

His grace alone gave her the strength to raise her children — a sweet angel with cerebral palsy as well as a daughter who wants nothing more than to serve God as a missionary on foreign soil.

Gloria couldn’t be prouder of her girls, but a future without them both by her side sounds empty and hollow.

When God thrusts a godly man like Derek into her path, Gloria isn’t sure she’s ready to jump headfirst into a relationship.

But maybe God’s giving her the chance for a happily ever after … a second time around.

About the Author

Alana is a pastor’s wife, homeschooling mom, self-diagnosed chicken lady, and Christian suspense author. Her novels have won awards from Women of Faith, Book Club Network, Grace Awards, Readers’ Favorite, and more. Alana’s passion for social justice, human rights, and religious freedom shines through her writing, and her books are known for raising tough questions without preaching. She and her family live in rural Alaska where the northern lights in the winter and midnight sun in the summer make hauling water, surviving the annual mosquito apocalypse, and cleaning goat stalls in negative forty degrees worth every second.

Guest Post from Alana

Hey everyone! Fall is here. Our family had a great summer. Everything in Alaska is gorgeous in the summertime. One of my favorite childhood memories that my husband and I have introduced our kids to is Vacation Bible School (VBS). With so many volunteers giving of their time to build relationships with each other and the kids who attend, it’s a week filled with so many great Jesus moments. I thought it would be fun to write a book about VBS. Dare to Dream Again is about two VBS volunteers who not only become friends, but just may dare to fall in love.

The author has the ability to write a story that digs down deep into your soul. She is able to compel your sense of emotions and bring them to the surface to feel what each character is  feeling. This story is not just about a woman finding love again, but about finding herself. Gloria is one of those rare people who have the gift of compassion. She demonstrates it through the care of her daughter with cerebral palsey with love, patience and devotion. I never once heard her complain or say poor me. I loved Gloria so much that I wanted more of her story. Her love for her husband was undeniable. 

I loved reading about VBS and the author displays a very accurate account of what goes on at one. The children are excited to be there and they are hungry for attention. There is a very special young boy who attends that stole my heart. This child wanted to know who Jesus was so bad that he endured the abuse of his father just to be there. I wanted to hug him and shout out to the world that Jesus has his back. I appreciate the openness about abuse in the story. having taught VBS many years I have encountered parents who were offended that we talked about Jesus.  I never backed down and I admired how calm Gloria was in a similar situation. 

The other main character in the story is Derek. That man is truly amazing. He is humble, giving and has  integrity pouring through his veins. I loved how the relationship between him and Gloria was not rushed. One thing that really stuck out to me was the mention that Gloria realized she might have idolized her husband. That revelation changed her outlook on so many things. Has God brought these two together ? Will Gloria be able to let go of her husband's memory and allow a new man into her life? 

There are a few things I have to say about the book that may seem picky to others. I don't like that the author rushed the ending . The other thing that really bothered me was the over use of the word crass. After awhile I cringed every time I saw it. There are so many other words that could have been used in place of crass and I wished the author had done that. I will say that this author is one of my favorites and I always come away with a sense of a deeper relationship with God each time I read her books. I am looking forward to the next book that continues the story and hope to get some closure on questions that the story didn't answer.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

Just the Write Escape, October 23

Real World Bible Study, October 24

Inklings and Notions, October 25

Quiet Quilter, October 26

Bibliophile Reviews, October 27

Mary Hake, October 28

Artistic Nobody, October 29 (Spotlight)

Texas Book-aholic, October 30

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 31

Janices book reviews, November 1

Carpe Diem, November 2

The Christian Fiction Girl, November 3

A Baker’s Perspective, November 4

Bigreadersite, November 5

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Alana is giving away a $30 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d56d/dare-to-dream-again-celebration-tour-giveaway