CFBA Presents Stand-In Groom by Kaye Dacus

I'm probably the world's worst when it comes to hanging with a book if it doesn't grab me immediately. My daughter gets disgusted with me. She reads about 40 books a year, HUGE, THICK classics and best-sellers, while I read about 140 first pages a year. I'm searching for . . . for what? That perfect first page? No, I'm trying to find a book that will make me forget I'm reading fiction. A book that will suck me right into the story as if I'm there, living, breathing, laughing, hurting with the characters. I expect those characters to mean something to me, become my friends. Am I asking too much? I don't think so.

I'm happy to introduce Stand-In Groom by Kaye Dacus. I started reading the first page and before I knew it, I was on the second chapter, and then the third and then . . . What really thrilled me about this book is that I don't only like the heroine Anne Hawthorne, I admire her. She's real. She's not a cliche. She's a lady I'd like to know in real life. In fact, she the kind of lady I might like to be. I'm not finished with Stand-In Groom but I can assure you I'm enjoying every well-constructed sentence. If this debut novel is a hint of things to come from new author Kaye Dacus, then we readers are in for a real treat. She's a perfect example of a writer who has learned the craft of writing; she's an expert at characterization. For certain, she's an author to watch.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Stand-In Groom Barbour Publishing, Inc (January 2009) by Kaye Dacus

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kaye Dacus is an author and editor who has been writing fiction for more than twenty years. A former Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers, Kaye enjoys being an active ACFW member and the fellowship and community of hundreds of other writers from across the country and around the world that she finds there.

She currently serves as President of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers, which she co-founded in 2003 with three other writers. Each month, she teaches a two-hour workshop on an aspect of the craft of writing at the MTCW monthly meeting. But her greatest joy comes from mentoring new writers through her website and seeing them experience those “aha” moments when a tricky concept becomes clear.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When wedding planner Anne Hawthorne meets George Laurence, she thinks she's found the man of her dreams. But when he turns out to be a client, her "dream" quickly turns into a nightmare. Will Anne risk her heart and career on this engaging Englishman?

George came to Louisiana to plan his employer's wedding and pose as the groom. But how can he feign affection for a supposed fiancee when he's so achingly attracted to the wedding planner? And what will happen when Anne discovers his role has been Stand-In Groom only? Will she ever trust George again? Can God help these two believers find a happy ending?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Stand-In Groom, go HERE

What they're saying about it:

“Dacus pulls off a delightful story that places readers in the heart of the South with the debut of the Brides of Bonneterre series. Readers will enjoy this look at how lives are transformed through devastating events and how forgiveness is the key to a promising future. Nothing is as it seems in this heartwarming story.”
–Romantic Times, 4-Star Review

“Absolutely delightful! I enjoyed Stand-In Groom from cover to cover! Ms. Dacus’s clever story and wonderful prose will draw you away to a place deep in the heart of Louisiana, surrounding you with the scents, sounds, and sights of the deep south. A story filled with romance and intrigue, betrayal and forgiveness, I found myself laughing, crying and rejoicing right along with the characters.”

–M.L. Tyndall, author of The Falcon and the Sparrow and the award-winning Legacy of the King’s Pirates series

“Stand-In Groom is as sweet, beautiful, and chaotic as a perfectly planned wedding. Anne is a bright and wounded heroine you’re going to care about for a long time. George is a hero to capture your heart. Kaye Dacus will take you along for a fun, poignent ride in Stand-In Groom.”
–Mary Connealy, author of the Lassoed in Texas series and Of Mice...and Murder