Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for This Ain’t No Promised Land by Tina Shelton, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: This Ain’t No Promised Land
Author: Tina Shelton
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Release Date: March 19, 2024
Genre: Christian General Fiction
"With stellar storytelling skills, Tina Shelton reminds us that while love isn't always enough to erase the hurts, it's the only way to survive them. A powerful read!"
--Julie Cantrell, New York Times & USA Today best-selling author of Perennials
When her husband dies, Charlotte can't face the things she's done that could tear her family apart. So she drops a goodbye letter in the cookie jar and flees south to escape everything--her life, her three daughters, the mistakes she's made, and the secrets eating her alive.
Now Gracey and her sisters are alone on Chicago's South Side with nothing but their home and belongings. They're doing everything they can to stay together, but young teens aren't meant to parent themselves. Their close-knit Black community gathers around them to keep them fed and clothed with the utilities on, but that's not enough to fix the damage of abandonment.
Hundreds of miles away, Charlotte is struggling to keep her own head above water. She's made a close friend who talks to her about God in a way Charlotte's never heard before. But when her demons catch up to her, the shaky peace she tried to build shatters. Even if she's able to find the courage to embrace motherhood again, will it be enough to save the family she left behind?
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub
About the Author
Tina Shelton is registrar at Chicago Theological Seminary and a pastor in the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church. She is also the mother of two young adults, and loves walking, working out, and traveling with her family. This is her first novel.
Connect with Tina by following her on Instagram @ts_walking
Author Interview
Welcome, Tina! Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and giving my readers a chance to get to know you and your new book This Ain’t No Promised Land.
When did you first discover you had a passion for writing?
I read a book called Aldo Applesauce in elementary school. I closed the book and said thought I wonder if I could grow up and do this when I grow up?
This is your debut novel. Congratulations! What was it like to see your words in print for the first time?
It’s great feeling. I’ve seen so many movies Like Julia Julia and then watched so many videos of authors opening that box for the first time and I always told myself, my turn would come. So when my box came, I Facetimed my children and we celebrated together.
What was the inspiration behind this story?
There was abandonment in my family. I saw the generational trauma it caused and I wanted to rewrite the story. What if she came back?
If you could describe your main character(s) in just three words each, what would those words be?
Charlotte is sensitive, thoughtful and strong
Gracie is resourceful, intuitive, and tenacious
Can you tell us a little bit more about This Ain’t No Promised Land?
It’s a story about resilience and the ways in which a family fights to stay together. Sometimes people leave simply because they don’t know how to stay, but that doesn’t mean they don’t love you–They just don’t know how. This is a story about learning to love even when the tools aren’t there.
What was the most challenging part of bringing this story to life?
There are some really sensitive issues in this story. I wanted to be mindful of what others may have gone through in their own lives and hopefully create safe space that could possibly lead to a layer of healing.
The most rewarding?
It was rewarding to see the finished product. The book feels like an physical addition to my family that’s always been there but never seen.
What do you hope readers will take away from the book?
I honestly hope they take away that it’s okay to trust your gut when it comes to love. God has a way of nudging us. If it feels in any way wrong, it probably is. And if it feels right, asnin if flows without hesitation, it likely is. It’s okay for a mother to hug her child after a hard fall. It’s okay to say, ‘I love you.’ It’s okay to say, ‘don’t worry, you’re going to be okay.’
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Before you go, where can readers follow along to see what’s coming next?
They can check me out on Facebook @authortineshelton or Instagram @ts_walking
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will win a signed copy of This Ain't No Promised Land and several book-related goodies, including a friendship bracelet, a mini journal, a pen, and a prayer tin.
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight March 18, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 25, 2024. 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 JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
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