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Celebrate Lit: Persuade Me Not by Joanne Markey


About the Book

Book: Persuade Me Not

Author: Joanne Markey

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release date: April 4, 2023


Forgiveness is only a prayer away… or is it? As the oldest daughter at Kellynch Station, Elizabeth Elliot prides herself on her exemplary public image. In fact, women could learn a thing or two by following her example—her public example.

There are things Liz doesn’t want known, and she guards them closely. In fact, keeping everyone except her best friend from ever seeing the truth behind her impenetrable facade is the only thing she can control.

Enter Michael Page. Unassuming and too stubborn for his own good, Mick bucks trend by bringing sheep back to cattle country. Just a small flock at first, but their numbers are growing. There’s just one problem to deal with now. Liz Elliot.

With all her airs and fancy ways, and the unreasonable demands she makes of the town and its people, Liz is a walking antagonism. Maybe he should’ve stayed home after that first meeting, but something keeps bringing him back. If nothing else, someone has to foil her outrageous attempts to do who-knows-what with the town.

Then a carefully worded slip of the tongue hints at a mystery that might be worth digging into. As the truth comes to light, and Liz’s carefully crafted world comes crashing down, who can either of them trust?

Click here to get your copy!


About the Author

Originally from Australia, Joanne Markey now lives in Ohio with her husband and seven children. When she’s not reading or writing, you might find her wandering the property with her kids in search of whatever seasonal treasure they’re trying to find.

More from Joanne

I don’t remember exactly when it was that I first started thinking about writing Persuade Me Not. I know I was still writing Persuade Me, the first book in the Daughters of the Bush series. At the time I started writing, I only planned to write one book in that setting. However, the more I wrote, the more I thought about the other characters. And somewhere along the way, I started thinking that, if Liz ever got her happily-ever-after, it would have to be with someone unexpected.

That idea slowly took hold. It would have to be a man as unlike her father as it was possible to be. Someone humble and down-to-earth. Someone with both the integrity to dig deeper to find the truth, and the stubbornness to knock down all the walls Liz had put up.

Right about then I came across an interesting coffee table book about old shearing sheds in Australia. Being an Aussie living in the US and finding that book on the shelves in a store here meant I instantly bought it. And after flicking through the pages, another idea started to form…

At one point in time, Clermont—the town where my book is set—had a substantial wool industry. Which meant sheep. Which meant it could theoretically be possible for there to be a run-down shearing shed on one of the cattle stations in that area. And, to Walter Elliot, what could be worse than running sheep in cattle country?

As far as Walter Elliott is concerned, he is a cattleman with a long and illustrious heritage. Therefore, only those who emulated his lifestyle would be worthy of the attention of his daughter. (Obviously, no other man would rise to the heights of perfection as he, but they could try.)

I don’t know if there are any sheep in the Clermont area now, but if there are, they’re not a big thing. I don’t remember ever seeing any when I lived there as a kid. It was cattle country, and sheep were something we saw when we were driving to visit my grandparents in Victoria (south of the dingo fence, in other words).

With all of that in mind, if, for the sake of the story, one man brought sheep back… and that one man ended up being stubborn and determined to uncover the truth… we’d have a book.


And that is how Persuade Me Not came to be.

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, May 7 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, May 12 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, May 12

Guild Master, May 13 (Author Interview)

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, May 14 (Author Interview)

For the Love of Literature, May 15 (Author Interview)

Blossoms and Blessings, May 17 (Author Interview)



Giveaway


To celebrate her tour, Joanne is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.


My Review:


First, this book is set in Queensland, Australia (you'd know that if you read the synopsis carefully, which I may have when I signed up to review it a few months ago but had forgotten when I first started to read).


So, there are words and attitudes that confused me and put me off, at first. Also, the heroine was set up, at first, to be someone you wouldn't want to call friend.


Then, the story got interesting. The hero was a manly sheep station owner (not sure if I got the vernacular wrong and it's so hard to look up in an e-book), but he was a good character. I also like that he led her to the Lord.


The villain was evil and I winced a number of times, but the setting for me ruled the story. So interesting to learn about another culture.


So, I recommend this book if you want to learn about Australia but maybe be prepared for a few ugly scenes--not over the top, but so hard to understand why people hurt other people the way they do, and that may make the story realistic. Bless us all.

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8 Comments


Roxanne Cruz
Roxanne Cruz
May 08, 2023

It has been a while since I have read a book set in Australia. Persuade Me Not would be a nice change of setting, and I appreciate books that are realistic.

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ChristinaSinisi-Author
ChristinaSinisi-Author
May 08, 2023
Replying to

You will enjoy this one--just hang in there for a little bit to get past the heroine's early persona...to have a redemption arc, she had to start out that way, right?

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Guest
May 08, 2023

Thanks for sharing!

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ChristinaSinisi-Author
ChristinaSinisi-Author
May 08, 2023
Replying to

Thanks for visiting the blog--have a fabulous day!

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Debra Pruss
Debra Pruss
May 07, 2023

Happy Sunday! Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you both. Have a wonderful week.

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ChristinaSinisi-Author
ChristinaSinisi-Author
May 08, 2023
Replying to

Thank you so much--hope you have a great week!

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Lana Hicks Burton
Lana Hicks Burton
May 07, 2023

Joanne Markey’s book, Persuade Me Not, sounds like a book I want to read and I would like to have it in my library! She sounds so very interesting, herself! Moving to America, and she’s raised seven children..very interesting lady! im sure she has lots of tales to tell! ♥💖💙🥰

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ChristinaSinisi-Author
ChristinaSinisi-Author
May 07, 2023
Replying to

I agree! Reading these books that I might not have bought for myself is turning out to be an adventure--I'd never heard of her before and what a great way to meet new authors. :)

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