Road Trip Reads Giveaway (Mississippi): Guarding His Child by Karen Kirst

today’s book: Guarding His Child by Karen Kirst

We are moving right along on our summer-long Road Trip Reads Giveaway where we will be visiting all 50 states on the pages of recently released books. Because road trips are always better with friends – and books – right? So grab your fave snacks, a cold soda or bottled water, an upbeat playlist and let’s head south just a bit further.

today’s stop: Mississippi

GUARDING HIS CHILD by Karen Kirst
GENRE: Romantic Suspense (Christian)
PUBLISHER: Love Inspired Suspense
RELEASE DATE: February 21, 2023
PAGES: 235

He’s in a killer’s sights…

But it’s not just his life in danger.

Rancher Nash Wilder is just coming to terms with his surprise fatherhood when bullets start flying. His child’s mother has been murdered, and he’ll have to trust his nemesis, Deputy Skye Saddler, to keep them from following in her fate. Is the killer out for revenge or after his daughter? Can Nash and Skye put their differences aside to make sure they all live to see tomorrow?

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

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Birth of a Cover

by Karen Kirst, author of Guarding His Child

Have you ever wondered how book covers are made? I’m here to share with you how it works. Love Inspired Suspense authors submit three cover ideas—one including people and two without. We input character descriptions, clothing, setting and story information into Harlequin’s website, and their art department creates a cover. For the first book in my cowboy suspense series, I suggested they show the hero and heroine with his surprise daughter.

For the two scenes without people, I suggested a rodeo with a bull and a graveyard with a headstone. The art department chose to go with the first idea. This book is unique in that it underwent a title change late in the publication process. Here is the original cover showing the initial title:

Once a cover is complete, the author receives a preview to point out any glaring mistakes. I immediately noticed their eyes were very dark. In the book, rancher Nash Wilder has bright, vivid blue eyes, and so does Eden, the daughter he didn’t know he had. I communicated this in my cover art information, but it must’ve gotten overlooked. The updated cover included their eye color change, as well as a new title.

As you can see, the end result doesn’t always mirror the author’s vision. Some readers thought this hero resembled a teenage vampire instead of a former US Marine turned cattle rancher. 😊

Here’s the story description:

He’s in a killer’s sights…but it’s not just his life in danger.

Rancher Nash Wilder is just coming to terms with his surprise fatherhood when bullets start flying. His child’s mother has been murdered, and he’ll have to trust his nemesis, Deputy Skye Saddler, to keep them from following in her fate. Is the killer out for revenge or after his daughter? Can Nash and Skye put their differences aside to make sure they all live to see tomorrow?

You can order here: Guarding His Child – Kindle edition by Kirst, Karen. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Karen Kirst was born and raised in East Tennessee near the Great Smoky Mountains. She graduated from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. A lifelong lover of books, it wasn’t until after college that she had the grand idea to write one herself. The pursuit of her dream would take longer than she first anticipated…years, in fact. In the fall of 2010, she got the happy news that Harlequin Love Inspired Historical wanted to publish her manuscript-a true blessing from God. When that line closed, she switched to Love Inspired Suspense. Now she divides her time between being a wife, homeschooling mom, and romance writer. She and her husband, along with their three boys, said goodbye to military life and are thrilled to be back home in Tennessee. Connect with Karen at her website.

Karen Kirst is offering a print copy of Guarding His Child to THREE of my readers! (US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

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What about you? What makes you want to read Guarding His Child by Karen Kirst? Have you ever visited Mississippi?