The Dark Guest Blog Tour: Guest Post + Giveaway

 

 

 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Dark Guest by Sarah Hamaker, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Dark Guest 

Series: The Cold War Legacy #1 

Author: Sarah Hamaker 

Publisher: Seshva Press LLC 

Release Date: May 15, 2022 

Genre: Christian, Romantic Suspense 

The Cold War is over, but The Wolf is still at the door. 

When Violet Lundy isn’t cleaning rooms at Happy Hills Assisted Living Facility, she loves spending her free time with resident Rainer Kopecek. Hearing his stories of the dangerous life he led behind the Iron Curtain in East Berlin makes her own life seem more tolerable. But when Rainer is found dead and his room in disarray, Violet suspects foul play. 

Dr. Henry Silverton lives among his books, teaching and writing about the Cold War. A letter about an East German traitor known only as “The Wolf” propels Henry out of academia and into Violet’s life. Together, they embark on a perilous quest to uncover the truth about Rainer’s death and the traitor’s identity. 

Can Violet and Henry uncover the secrets of the past before one of them ends up as The Wolf’s next victim?

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Hamaker loves writing books “where the hero and heroine fall in love while running for their lives.” She’s written romantic suspense novels and nonfiction books, as well as stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul volumes. As a writers coach, her heart is encouraging writers. She’s a member of ACFW; ACFW Virginia Chapter; and Faith, Hope and Love, as well as the president of Capital Christian Writers Fellowship. Her podcast, “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” can be found wherever you listen to podcasts. Sarah lives in Virginia with her husband, four teenagers, a preschool foster child and three cats.

Connect with Sarah by visiting sarahhamakerfiction.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

GUEST POST

On Winning the American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award
by Sarah Hamaker

I’ve been entering writing contests since I was a teenager and submitted a short story to the Assemblies of God Fine Arts Festival for high school juniors and seniors. My story went all the way to nationals, and although it didn’t win or place, I got valuable feedback on my story. As a young adult, I was also privileged to judge one of the writing categories for the festival.

While I dabbled in writing while working fulltime as a young single, it wasn’t until I was married and started having children that I became series about writing—and finishing—novels. I connected with the American Christian Fiction Writers and learned about their Genesis Award for unpublished writers. Soon, I was entering something each year. The Dark Guest was a story I entered multiple times, semi-finaling for three years and taking the feedback from the judges to make the story better. In 2015, the story made it to the finals, and won at the 2015 conference.

Naturally, winning was super exciting on so many levels. Validation that yes, I could write romantic suspense topped the list, followed by peer and industry support. Finaling in the contest garnered interest from a publisher for a proposal. The win also helped me get an agent and the proposal in front of a second publisher. Although both ultimately decided The Dark Guest wasn’t for them, the confidence I received from winning gave me the inner push to continue writing. Eventually, I did receive a contract from Love Inspired Suspense for a different book, and have had two books published with that line.

But I’ve always loved Violet and Henry’s story, which I’d envisioned as part of a trilogy loosely linked by separate mysteries based in 1980s East Berlin, so last year, I decided to finish book 2 and then wrote book 3 in early 2022 with the idea to indie publish The Cold War Legacy Series starting this year. The Dark Guest and The Dark Atonement (book 2) are out now, with The Dark Reckoning (book 3) slated to be released in early 2023.

For me, entering contests hasn’t stopped! This year, I entered my 2021 indie published book, Protecting Her Witness, in three for published authors, including the ACFW’s Carol Awards, the Virginia Romance Writers’ HOLT Medallion Award (finalist in the Virginia author category) and the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference’s Selah Awards (won in the romantic suspense category).

I also enjoy giving back as a judge for contests, such as ACFW’s Genesis and First Impressions; Faith, Hope and Love’s Touched by Love; and ACFW Virginia’s Crown Awards. Offering constructive feedback to unpublished writers is my way of providing some of the encouragement I received as a young writer.

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a copy of The Dark Guest (print or ebook, winner's choice), a 20 oz Wolf Tumbler-Stainless Steel Travel Mug With Lid And Straw, a Wolf Wristlet Keychain, an assortment of specialty teas, a The Dark Guest tote, and The Dark Guest notebook.

(1) additional winner will receive an ebook copy of The Dark Guest, a Wolf Wristlet Keychain, an 

assortment of specialty teas, and The Dark Guest notebook.

 

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 11, 2022 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 18, 2022. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!