Tuesday, February 26, 2019

" The Deceived" by Kelly Harrel Book Tour And GiveAway


About the Book



Book: The Deceived  
Author: Kelly Harrel
Genre: Christian Contemporary/ young adult  
Release Date: January, 2019

My dream is to be a screenplay writer. When my characters come alive, so do I. Writing is like air to me; take that away and I’ll suffocate. My dad’s dream is for me to play professional baseball. I hate baseball, but I’m really good at it. And if I play the game right, I can use it to get a full-ride scholarship to my dream film school. That’s the plan, anyway. As long as I don’t mess up. But the other thing I’m really good at? Messing up. Don’t believe me? The girl who likes me is an atheist. I have to out drink my teammates at parties so they know to take me seriously. I’m pretty sure I’m addicted to pain pills. I made an absolute fool of myself during the most important game of the year. Obviously God hates me. Why else would He stick me with an overbearing father who’s only happy if I’m the best of the best—on field and off? Why else would He take away my one chance to live my dream? Hi, my name’s Danny Morton. Welcome to my messed up life and the start of how God saved me.

Click https://www.amazon.com/Deceived-Once-Lost-Book-ebook/dp/B07N5LQY6F/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?crid=U85HB5YVVZ7W&keywords=the+deceived+kelly+harrel&qid=1551200419&s=gateway&sprefix=The+deceived+ke%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-1-fkmrnull  to purchase your copy.  

My Review:
"The Deceived" by Kelly Harrel is a story about Danny Morton. Danny wants to be a screenplay writer and is really good at it. He has a problem. It is his father who wants him to make a career of baseball. He is a great shortstop but he really hits the game. His father makes him feel he isn't good enough. So he starting drinking and because of  an injury be gets hooked on drugs.

This book shows that there are many Christians that just plays the part and wants to look good on the outside for others but no really good on the inside.  This book brought up many feelings from my past, I have felt insecure and unworthy and etc. I am just glad I never took the road that Danny did but I can easily understand his choices.

This book shows clearly that you can't judge people by what you think you know about them like with Brett, a character who in the beginning of the story, Danny is very critical of him.

This book is about drug usage, alcohol usage by teens and the pressure to have unmarried sex. I would recommend this book to mature teens and adults. I think parents should read this book to understand more of what their children are facing today and to remind them that we all need to be accepted for who we are not how we can make them look better to the outside world.

I am including this quote from the author's note at the beginning of the novel " This novel became a personal reminder that lukewarm Christianity can destroy those we love the most." This novel certainly does show that.

I am going to include a few quotes to show that even through this book deals with all the negative issues that teens deal with, it also shows how God relates to us " God keeps following us, even when we hate Him" and " He wants us to be on His Side." and, "You're never too bad for God to love you."

My two favorite quote are
 " I realized what matters the most is He sees me for who I am-His creation, royalty because He is the King Of Kings. I'm chosen, redeemed, His beloved..... Nothing can separate me from His love or cause Him to love me less. And when He said, 'Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone,' I realized everyone is messed up in some way. Everyone has insecurities, downfalls, and sins we struggle with.".
"God sees your hurt.He cares about what you're going through. Even if you feel like no one understands or loves you, He does, and He wants us to share that love with others. To sit with the kids who are alone at lunch, to talk to the kid others make fun of to pray for those who push you away. You non't need to be a spiritual giant to a friend, you just need to step out of your comfort zone. Life is easier when go through it together."

So, I think this book is really a good reminder to us that life is hard and that God does love us regardless of our age.

The novel doesn't end on a good note,  Danny has not given up his bad choices but there are more novels coming and I am on my way to Amazon to check out the "Lauren Drake Series" because the  "Once Lost series" is a spinoff from that series.

I received a complimentary copy from the author and Celebrate Lit. These opinions are my own.



About the Author



Kelly Harrel is the author of the Lauren Drake series and its spinoff, the Once Lost series. Convertible rides to the beach with the love of her life, Jeff, are her favorite. She also loves hanging out with her son and daughter, and she adores peppermint mochas. Kelly strives to usher others into a deeper relationship with Christ through her speaking and writing. To learn more about Kelly or to book a speaking engagement, visit www.kellyharrel.com.  

More from Kelly

I fell in love with Danny Morton when I first heard his voice at two am. His biting remarks made me laugh and cringe at the same time. They also made me jump up to take notes. Maybe because once upon a time I was a sarcastic teen who lived too much in my own mind. Or maybe because I had a lot of questions about God at his age too. Like Danny, I yearned for a close relationship with God even though I felt surrounded by hypocrites. Yes, I fell in love with Danny from the very beginning. It was impossible not to. His passion is inspiring. Even as young as he is, he has a dream he’s determined to pursue. All he wants is to write, which is also something I can understand. As soon as I began writing his story, I knew there were a lot of deeper issue to deal with. Being the mother of two teens, I’ve seen firsthand how independent they can be. They have their own ideas, personalities, and desires. Two questions came to mind. Why do teens raised in the church fall into drugs and alcohol and fall away from the Lord? Is there a way to prevent it? Finding no simple answers, I cried out to the Lord to help me understand. I asked Him to give me Danny’s story to teach and inspire others. That’s when not only Danny but his entire family came alive to me. I thought the most disturbing thing about The Deceived might be Danny’s drugs and alcohol abuse. Yet with each revision of the book, something else became more disturbing—the way his family treated him. This novel became a personal reminder that lukewarm Christianity can destroy those we love the most. I pray this young adult novel will be picked up by all generations. Parents should examine their own relationship with the Lord, how they treat their teens, and the pressures their teens face every day. My prayer is that teens will find a friend in Danny as well as the determination to recognize and stand against the temptations they face. One of my favorite scenes in The Deceived is when Danny goes to a party the day after Thanksgiving. Not being a very social guy, he comes up with a hilarious way to identify people. You might need to search different types of trees while you read the scene but you will laugh out loud. While Danny has a lot of great one-liners, the conversations I enjoyed writing the most were those between him and his sister, Lydia. I was blessed with a great relationship with my older brother in our teen years, and those conversations remind me of our late-night talks. The Deceived will make you laugh, cry, and consider family dynamics and your faith in a new way. And when you get to the last page, remember, there’s more to come.  

Blog Stops


 
To celebrate her tour, Kelly is giving away a grand prize of a
$25 Amazon Gift Card plus the entire Lauren Drake Series on Kindle (The adult Danny Morton is in books 2 – 4) 1st place winner will receive a paperback copy of The Deceived 2nd – 4th place winners will receive an eBook copy of The Deceived!!
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/ddd6/the-deceived-celebration-tour-giveaway
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1 comment:

Julie Waldron said...

Thanks for the chance! This sounds like a wonderful book!

February 27, 2019 at 6:47 AM

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