I’m going to be offline for a week or so, and since I had planned to share a few of my own reviews here and there, I figured today would be a perfect chance to do so without cluttering up our Tuesday posts. Hope you’ll enjoy this one, and perhaps check out this spinoff novella. It can be read as a stand-alone, but it does have a slight spoiler going back to the book it originated from. (Finding Hunter). I don’t think it’s enough to bother most readers, but thought I should let you know. In the meantime, hope you’ll enjoy what one (familiar) reader though of it. 🙂
REVIEW:
June 14, 2018 Verified Purchase
Was Gabe Angelino, the mysterious truck driver in Finding Hunter: Riverbend Book 2, really an angel, as Willow Green believes? Or was he simply a good man, determined to help a stranger in need? Find out, as author Marcia Meara reveals the truth in the first Riverbend spinoff novella, The Emissary.
An angel’s work is never done—that’s part of the gig. But angels hadn’t been created to deal with such a vastly over-populated planet, rife with misery, suffering, and general chaos. Helping souls in peril has become a nearly impossible job, and even angelic tempers are frayed.
The archangel Azrael has had enough. He believes he’s found a way to ease their burden while saving jeopardized humans, too—hired help.
When Jake Daughtry lost his life rescuing a total stranger from certain death, he was on the fast track to Heaven. But that was before Azrael pulled him right out of line at the Pearly Gates. Now, as an Emissary to the Angels, Jake is taking to the highway in a quest to help souls in trouble. But the innate stubbornness of human beings bent on self-destruction is a challenge unlike any he’s ever faced.
It’s up to Jake and Azrael to bridge the gap between humans and angels. Will they ever convince the Council of Angels this endeavor is worthwhile? Can Jake figure out how to play by Azrael’s complicated rules? Will Azrael ever master the use of contractions in general conversation?
To find out the answers, hop on board Jake’s big red-and-white semi and travel the roads from the Florida Keys to north Georgia on an adventure that will make you laugh hard and cry even harder.
Author Marcia Meara & “Happy”
Marcia Meara lives in central Florida, just north of Orlando, with her husband of over thirty years, four big cats, and two small dachshunds. When not writing or blogging, she spends her time gardening, and enjoying the surprising amount of wildlife that manages to make a home in her suburban yard. At the age of five, Marcia declared she wanted to be an author, and is ecstatic that at age 69, she finally began pursuing that dream. Her belief in the redemptive power of love is a unifying factor in both of her popular series and her poetry. Today, she’s still going strong, and plans to keep on writing until she falls face down on the keyboard, which she figures would be a pretty good way to go!
Marcia has published six novels, one novella, and one book of poetry to date, all of which are available on Amazon:
Wake-Robin Ridge
A Boy Named Rabbit: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 2
Harbinger: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 3
Swamp Ghosts: A Riverbend Novel
Finding Hunter: Riverbend Book 2
That Darkest Place: Riverbend Book 3
The Emissary: A Riverbend Spinoff Novella
Summer Magic: Poems of Life & Love
You can reach Marcia via email at marciameara16@gmail.com or on the following social media sites:
The Write Stuff: https://marciamearawrites.com/
Twitter: @marciameara
Facebook: www.facebook.com/marcia.meara.writer
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marciameara/
Reblogged this on Campbells World.
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Thank you so much for reblogging, Patty. I very much appreciate it! 🙂
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I have nearly finished reading Finding Hunter so this should be good. I like the idea of spin offs – I’ve got three published before the novel is actually finished!
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So glad you are reading Finding Hunter, and I hope you are enjoying it. Though Rabbit is usually everyone’s favorite character from my books, I have to say MY favorite is Hunter Painter. 🙂 And reading The Emissary between Finding Hunter and That Darkest Place will not cause a problem at all. Hope you’ll enjoy it, if you decide to check it out.
As for novellas as spinoffs, I was a bit worried about being able to write one, being the wordy soul I am, but it was SO much fun. I had the whole thing done from draft to publication in two months, and that was LOVELY. Plus, I enjoyed taking a minor character from one book and turning him into a major one in another. I’m currently working on The Emissary 2, and hoping to publish before summer’s end. Fingers crossed.
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Janet! I’ll be interested in hearing your thoughts on Finding Hunter when you finish. 😀 ❤
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I must confess that The Emissary got bumped off the first page of my Kindle and I keep forgetting to read it. I will move it up to next on the tbr list! Sounds like just what I need right now.
I love writing novellas, and I didn’t think I would. About to start a new one for my service dog series.
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Ha, glad to hear you are bumping it back, Kass. It might give you a few laughs with a tear or two thrown in along the way. I’m going to be doing more novellas, I think, as they are so much less work, and give a lot in return. I’ll have to study how you approach it, too. I think they’re great, and heaven knows, they are hugely popular right now.
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment. I really appreciate that! 🙂 ❤
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In the Kate Huntington series I made the novellas a separate “parallel” series because they are a very different kind of read…much lighter with not a whole lot of character growth.
In the service dog series, which are cozies, I’m numbering the novellas as part of the series (so my first novella is #4 in the series and the 2nd one will be #6). They are selling A LOT better that way.
That novella is $0.99 but the Kate ones are $1.99, with the exception of the first one, which is $0.99. That may be making a difference in sales as well. For some reason $1.99 seems to be a no man’s land price point, but that may be changing as ebook prices are nudging upward some.
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These are the kinds of things that make my head hurt to think about, Kass. GAH. I just want to WRITE! But I know I have to pay more attention price points, etc. I’m making the Emissary books a series of their own because they aren’t in the same world as the Riverbend books, being paranormal, which Riverbend is not. I plan to print them as a “boxed” set of three, which will make the book a nicer size. We’ll see how that works. But they are numbered Emissary Books 1, 2, and 3. If it doesn’t work, I’ll adjust, I guess. But my next Riverbend book may be a novella, too, about another secondary character. Now that one would definitely work as #4 in the overall series, I think. There’s nothing paranormal or fantasy about this character, so I like that idea. Thanks!! 🙂
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Kudos on a great review, Marcia. The Emissary is a terrific book! Enjoy your break and keep cool. (It’s supposed to get near 100 here next week.) Hugs.
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Thank you SO much, Teagan! And thanks for the keeping cool suggestion. It’s been mid-90’s here for a couple of weeks, and growing hotter every day, but we will try to avoid the perils of heatstroke, at least. 😀 Thanks for stopping by, too. Always great to see you here. 🙂 ❤
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Marcia, I am intrigued and will check out that this is in. U.k..
With Mae Clair’s review and your blurb one can hardly stay untouched..
Will tell you how I get on.
Have a lovely week
miriam
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Thanks, Miriam. I hope you enjoy it, and as far as I know, it is available in the U.K. I believe I’ve set up all my books that way, though I’m bad about forgetting to include the link. Let me know if you have any problems. I sure had fun writing this one! 😀
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I’ve been meaning to read this for a while now, it sounds so good! Fantastic review, congrats!
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Thanks, Jacquie! I fell down on the marketing of this one, since it was published right before we got slammed by Irma and life banged us this way and that for a few months. I’d love to know what you think of it, if and when you get a chance to read it. And yes, Mae not only gave me that wonderful review, she emailed me to tell me MORE, and I was dancing on air all afternoon and evening yesterday! 😀
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment. 🙂 ❤
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Wow, that was nice! Mae is a sweetheart.
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You will get no argument from me, there. 😀 A sweetheart, indeed!!
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This book sounds lovely, Marcia. A great review.
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Thanks, Robbie. I loved the review. The books was more fun to write than any I’ve done, and I’m working on The Emissary 2 right now. There will be at least 3, so I can offer them as a “boxed set” in print. (They are two short to print singly, but I’ll keep the available as separate Kindle books.) Hope you get a chance to check them out someday! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
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I loved finding my review here, Marcia. EVERYONE needs to read The Emissary. I was hooked from the start and can’t wait for the next book. I do have to go back to read Finding Hunter and catch up with the goings-on in Riverbend. For some reason Jake, Azrael and Dodger struck a HUGE chord with me and I can’t wait for their next adventure. I’m a Rabbit fan, but the little guy has competition now with this trio 🙂
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I was very happy to share your review in this bonus post, Mae. It’s one of my favorites, and as the most recent, I really wanted to get it out there for new eyes to see. SO happy you enjoyed the book, and connected with Jake, Azrael, and Dodger. They were great fun to write about, for sure. And I won’t say a word to Rabbit about his competition! 😀 (He and Mac are a tough act to beat, but I fully understand the appeal of the three pretenders to the throne.) 😉
And I agree. Everyone needs to read it. EVERYONE. In the world! 😀
Thanks again for such an outstanding review. I’m very proud of it! 😀 ❤
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🙂 🙂 🙂
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Great review. Congratulations and have a good time off, Marcia.
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Thanks so much, Olga. I loved the review! And I expect to enjoy this next week, for sure. Will post an update when I return to the world of blogging once again. 😀
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What a wonderful review. The Emissary is the only one of your books I haven’t read yet – something which will be remedied soon.
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You are SO sweet, Mary! I hope you do get a chance to read it. (It’s short. About 100 pages, and easy to read in an hour or an hour and a half. I love that about novellas!) And if you do, I really hope you enjoy it. So much fun to write. I was thrilled to see Mae’s review, and very happy I had time to share it today. I’m taking a blogging break tomorrow for a week or ten days, so it was just in the nick of time for me to share here. THANKS for checking it out and for taking a few minutes to comment. 🙂 ❤
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Are you off to visit the new grandbaby? We want pictures when you come back. Enjoy your break.
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I suspect we will find time for her in there somewhere! 😀 😀 😀 And never fear about pictures. There will be plenty. Mom sends me one or two nearly every day, too. 😀
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Well, they change so much in those early days.
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You won’t hear me complaining. I look forward to those texts with photos every day! 😀 And she’s already a week old (yesterday), too! Imagine!! I should have cake in her honor tonight. 😀
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You should. Maybe I could some, too. Actually, I’m raising a glass of wine! It’s to keep me motivated as I try to write a blog post for my new book, Secret Dumfries, which came out today and I hadn’t even the wit to have a post prepared. Doh!
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I didn’t know you had a new one coming out, that’s how out of the loop I am. But as soon as I get back, we’ll have to share the news here “officially.” And as soon as you have a review you love, we’ll share that, too. 🙂 Best wishes and good luck with it!! 🙂
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Mae’s review is so well-written that anyone reading it would be hard-pressed NOT to buy the book! So glad you shared it, Marcia…for you and for us ❤
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P.S. Happy trails! 🙂
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I simply could not resist! So glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you’ll check it out when you can. It was FUN to write. 😀 And thanks for the Happy Trails wishes. Don’t know for sure when we’re leaving or when we’ll be home, but we’ll be offline the whole time, regardless. An overdue break! 😀 ❤
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Glad to hear it! Take care and enjoy ❤️
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What a great review – enough to make me immediately go off to purchase this! I love this kind of story
I also love the picture of you and Happy – I have a little ‘rescue’ who is similar in colour but not so fluffy. His name is Choccy and now he is also very ‘happy’! 🙂 Enjoy your break!
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Wow, I’m delighted to hear this made you want to buy the book right away. It IS a lovely review, for sure, and I do think the book is fun. It’s more fantasy-oriented than anything else I’ve ever done, though certainly not heavy-duty stuff, and I really enjoyed writing it. Hope you’ll have fun reading it!
The little dog belongs to my son’s family. It came up to my DIL at an outside café area, and no one claimed it, so she took it to her vet. There was a chip, but when they reached the son of the owner, he said the dog was his elderly mother’s and she had forgotten she even had one. He was glad to have them adopt it, and the dog is without a doubt, the happiest and best behaved little guy I’ve ever seen. My own dogs (dachshunds) are opinionated, obnoxiously loud, and full of themselves. I love them dearly, but they are NOT well behaved, sadly, by any stretch of the imagination. *sigh* And they are both elderly now, so not too much hope of changing that. They do love us. They just don’t mind us. 😯 All they really want to do these days is eat and sing us the songs of their people. 😀
Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I hope you’ll let me know what you think, if you have a chance to read The Emissary. 🙂 ❤
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‘Rescues’ are just so loving and grateful! Choccy was kept shut up for the first two years of his life and had no idea how to play or behave like a ‘dog’ with other dogs. It took over two years of patience and rewards before he would go up to another dog without barking and spinning, but it was just defensive, he hasn’t got a nasty bone in his body and just loves children and people. ‘The Emissary’ is on my Kindle. It may take a while to read it as I have a massive TBR list and am trying to finish my own WIP, but I am sure I’ll enjoy it when I do!
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Both of our dogs and all four of our cats are rescues, and I love it that way. Sometimes it takes a while to get them socialized, but it’s usually worth it.
Thanks so much for downloading The Emissary. I know about TBR piles, for sure, so I’ll just say I hope you will let me know your thoughts when you get to it. Thanks! 🙂
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Reblogged this on DSM Publications and commented:
Check out this review of Marcia Meara’s book, The Emissary, from Mae Clair as posted on The Write Stuff blog.
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Reblogged this on Viv Drewa – The Owl Lady.
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Enjoy your week away Marsh. Hope the little babe is doing well. 🙂 I love anything angels, so I can’t wait to read this book! ❤ Congrats on a rave review from Mae. ❤
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