by
BETHANY TURNER
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy
Publisher: Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group
Date of Publication: October 3, 2017
Number of Pages: 304
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Becoming a Christian is the best and worst thing that has ever happened to Sarah Hollenbeck. Best because, well, that’s obvious. Worst because, up to this point, she’s made her very comfortable living as a well-known, bestselling author of steamy romance novels that would leave the members of her new church blushing. Now Sarah is trying to reconcile her past with the future she’s chosen. She’s still under contract with her publisher and on the hook with her enormous fan base for the kind of book she’s not sure she can write anymore. She’s beginning to think that the church might frown on her tithing on royalties from a "scandalous" book. And the fact that she’s falling in love with her pastor doesn’t make things any easier.
With a powerful voice, penetrating insight, and plenty of wit, Bethany Turner explodes onto the scene with a debut that isn’t afraid to deal with the thorny realities of living the Christian life.
“The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck is a rare treat packed with humor, hope, and heart. Sarah’s struggles are real and nearly tangible, and she feels like a friend we’ve all had. I laughed with her and fell in love alongside her and couldn’t wait to hear her whole story. What a charming, delightful book!”
—Liz Johnson, bestselling author of The Red Door Inn
CHARACTER INTERVIEW WITH SARAH HOLLENBECK
From The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck
By Bethany Turner
The name of the book is The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck, so let’s start there. Tell us a little bit about your secret life.
My name is Sarah Hollenbeck, but most of the world probably knows me by my pen name, Raine de Bourgh. Under that pen name, I wrote and published some scandalous little books which, regrettably, went on to become bestsellers. Of course, there is much more to all of that “secret” business than just that, but that’s a big part of it.
You say they “regrettably” went on to become bestsellers. Why is that regrettable?
I suppose that is a strange thing to say, taken at face value. Yes, why would it be a bad thing that these books I worked very hard on took the world by storm? Well, I wrote them before I became a Christ-follower. Now that I have made that commitment, those books go against some things I believe – but because they were such big hits, I just can’t seem to escape them!
What makes Ben Delaney so irresistible?
Oh my goodness! How much time have you got? I mean, he smells really good and he has these gorgeous brown eyes, and in the course of his busy life, he still finds time to go to the gym. (I’m pretty sure I, on the other hand, haven’t been to the gym since around the time the series finale of Lost aired.) But even more than all of that, Ben is irresistible because he’s loyal to the people he loves and passionate in his dedication to Christ. And, you know…also the gym thing.
What are the pros and cons of falling for a pastor?
There are a million pros to falling for Ben Delaney in particular. But for a pastor in general? I don’t know. I mean, I guess for someone like myself, who hasn’t been a Christ-follower for very long, it’s nice to have someone around who can answer my questions about faith and the Bible and such. But beyond that, there are honestly more drawbacks than benefits – at least for me. Any woman involved with the pastor is bound to be subject to scrutiny by the congregation. (And I’m a bit more subject to scrutiny than most as it is already.) And then of course there’s the fact that he is literally always on call. And when you’re super attracted to the guy giving the sermon, sometimes it’s tricky to focus on some of the less enticing plot points in certain Bible stories. You know, such as plagues and beheadings and the like.
If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want to have with you?
Oh, no. That won’t do at all. I wouldn’t survive ten minutes on an island by myself. I mean, I assume that I have to choose things and not people? If Ben could be there, and my best friend, Piper, maybe I would make it. (If I can choose people, I would also choose Julie Andrews. With Julie there, I’m pretty sure I could accomplish anything I set my mind to.) But since I’m pretty sure you mean actual things, I’ll go with some Diet Coke, popcorn, and my laptop so I could write and watch movies and read books. I could survive on Diet Coke and popcorn for about the same amount of time the battery would last in my laptop, and then I would be ready to go home to Jesus.
If you could go back in time, what would you choose to do differently?
Hmm. My mind goes to any number of things – writing those books, my first marriage, losing touch with Piper for so long, my unfortunate perm phase… But if I’ve learned anything at all, it’s that God works for good through all things. Without the books, without failed relationships, without conflicts and challenges, would any of the good things ever have come along? I just don’t know, so I don’t think it would be worth changing anything. I wouldn’t be willing to take the risk that I would miss out on the good things. Although, with the perm, I’m pretty sure nothing good came from that, so I guess I would take you up on the offer to go back in time – specifically to 1993.
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Bethany Turner is the director of administration for Rock Springs Church in Southwest Colorado. A former VP/operations manager of a commercial bank and a three-time cancer survivor (all before she turned 35), Bethany knows that when God has plans for your life, it doesn’t matter what anyone else has to say. Because of that, she’s chosen to follow his call to write. She lives with her husband and their two sons in Colorado, where she writes for a new generation of readers who crave fiction that tackles the thorny issues of life with humor and insight.
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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
Grand Prize: Copy of The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck + a typewriter tote bag + a typewriter notebook + Columbia Jo's coffee + Novel Teas teabags
2nd Prize: Copy of The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck + a typewriter hardcover journal + typewriter enamel lapel pin
3rd Prize: Copy of The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck + $10 Barnes & Noble Gift Card
October 19-October 28, 2017
CHECK OUT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
19-Oct
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Author Interview
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20-Oct
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Guest Post #1
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21-Oct
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Review
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22-Oct
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Deleted Scene
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23-Oct
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Review
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24-Oct
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Guest Post #2
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25-Oct
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Review
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26-Oct
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Playlist
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27-Oct
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Review
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28-Oct
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Character Interview
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