Rowing Off Course: The Celebrate Lit Blog Tour and Giveaway of the Lone Falcon

About the Book

Book: Lone Falcon
Author: Merrijoy Wennerlind Buist
Genre: Christian Romance/Coming of Age
Release Date: October 2, 2018

What if you had to choose between your friends and your faith?

It is 1971. Eighteen year-old Carrie Falconer goes to college and joins the rowing team, where she receives praise and popularity for the first time. She also finds her first boyfriend. Not just anyone, but the heart-throb men’s crew captain! As coxswain of the varsity squad, she leads her team to four gold medals, allowing them to qualify for Nationals. However, while pursuing her collegiate dreams, she has left behind most of her traditional religious beliefs. While preparing for the National tournament, she is hit by a life changing consequence and is forced to decide between pleasing her team or letting them down by following what she believes to be the right path. 

Click here to get your copy.

Book Review

When I first started this book, I was honestly unsure of it. But the more I got into it, the more I liked it. As a Christian college student attending a secular school, I was able to relate to some of the social pressures that Carrie felt throughout the book.

Carrie is definitely an interesting character to follow. She starts out as a naïve college student, coming from a strict Christian family, and having no idea what she’s getting herself into. Throwing her life into rowing and an ungodly boy, she abandons her faith.

Dealing with issues such as social pressures, abortion, a strict parent, being overshadowed by an older sibling, and much more (don’t want to reveal too much here), this book is not a light read. At first glance, it might seem to be, but going further into it, you can feel the heaviness of the pressures that Carrie feels. You sympathize with her, root for her, and pray that she doesn’t make the wrong decisions. All you want is for everything to work out for her and that she doesn’t forget her faith.

I would certainly recommend this book. It’s interesting and relatable, not only for college students, but for everybody. Since we all deal with social pressures and sometimes even give in, this book is a good reminder that God is a forgiving Father and will accept His prodigal son when he returns home.

I had received a copy of this book as part of the Celebrate Lit Blogging Team and was required to give an honest review. 

About the Author

The first four chapters of Lone Falcon and the general plot were written when Merrijoy Wennerlind, was a student at the University of Washington. The rest was finished up years later by Merrijoy (MJ.) Buist who worked hard to keep her 24-year-old spirit alive.

MJ. is currently a Diaconal Minister at the Anaheim United Methodist Church. A native of Seattle and a UW graduate, she lives in Santa Ana, California with her husband and two sons. She is currently working on the sequel, Lone Choices, which tells how Carrie lives out her decision. You can reach MJ. at her facebook page: Merrijoy Wennerlind Buist@mjwb

     

More from MJ

How far would you go to research your book? Would you sit on a narrow crew boat with eight other women and learn to row? That’s what I did to get a feel for what my main character, Carrie Falconer, in Lone Falcon experiences as she joins and excels in the college crew team. Why did I choose rowing over another sport? I couldn’t resist the metaphor of steering your own boat, which led me to the sport of rowing and its navigator, the coxswain. I fell in love with the idea of choosing your own path and what happens when one goes off course. You, the reader, will follow Carrie from her strict Christian upbringing to attending a secular college, experiencing her joys and victories as she rises to popularity, and of her first love, the hunky Lenny, men’s team captain. You will struggle along with her as she makes a life decision of whether to turn back to her faith or do what her friends ask. I originally wrote Lone Falcon in response to all the Young Adult (YA) books and T.V. shows of the times which said, “Your parents and their beliefs are all wrong, do what your friends and the times say.” In the wisdom I’ve acquired in my years of mothering, earning my master’s degree, and becoming a Minister, I adjusted my theme to making your own choices, not what others and society may tell you to do. I hope this book will encourage other brave young women to live up to what they believe within and not be influenced by what others without tell them to do.

                                                    Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, November 22

Rebecca Tews , November 23

Blossoms and Blessings, November 24 (Author Interview)

CarpeDiem, November 25

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 26

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 27

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, November 28

Texas Book-aholic, November 29

janicesbookreviews, November 30

Through the Fire Blogs, December 1 (Author Interview)

My Devotional Thoughts, December 2

A Reader’s Brain, December 3

Inklings and notions , December 4

Godly Book Reviews, December 5

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, M.J. is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Barnes and Nobles Gift Card, autographed copy of Lone Falcon, and autographed copy of Lone Choices when it comes out!!

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/f0bd/lone-falcon-celebration-tour-giveaway