Blog Tour and Giveaway: Stefan's Promise by Sam Rennick

 

Join us for this tour from Jan 27 to Feb 7, 2020!

Book Details:

Book Title:  Stefan's Promise by Sam Rennick
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +),  546 pages
Genre:  Literary Fiction
Publisher:  Hugo House Publishers
Release date:   September 3, 2019
Tour dates: Jan 27 to Feb 7, 2020
Content Rating: PG: Some adult themes but no bad language.

“We were at war in Vietnam and my fiancé was drafted the day after he proposed to me. I hadn’t thought of that September day for so long, and then I began "Stefan’s Promise." Soon I was recalling that day and others, events and circumstances shared by those of us who lived through the “tumultuous year of 1968” and the following 35 years. In the Preface, Sam Rennick states his intention to deliver a completely absorbing tale. He does!”

—D.W.G.Artist

The author brings great sensitivity to one powerful scene after another. There is Mike Huxtable, victim of an unprovoked blow, aimlessly wandering the aisles of a drug store, day after day. There is Stefan Kopinski, half-pondering his friend’s illness, half-observing the Midwestern city in which he finds himself. These scenes but two among many in this compelling novel.”
—Silvia Lorente-Murphy, PhD Professor Emerita Purdue University

Book Description:

The Vietnam War Changed America. Two Best Friends Weren't Spared. Only One Was Drafted.

It’s 1968. America is rocked by assassinations, war protests and political upheaval. Alan Young, 21, is brooding over having been dumped by his girlfriend. This won’t last long. His draft notice is in the mail. Stefan Kopinski isn’t about to let the war get in his way. He spends his days at the mercy of his reckless ambition. When fate steps in, will he finally understand what has been right in front of him for 30 years? "Stefan’s Promise" is the story of Alan and Stefan. Circumstances part them and sharply diverging temperaments further erode their bond. Yet, Alan and Stefan are wrong in supposing their friendship has ended. It’s just getting started.

Buy the Book:
Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Hugo House
Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:   

Sam Rennick began writing Stefan’s Promise forty years ago, but it wasn’t until fairly recently, when he retired from his law practice that he was able to take his manuscript from its drawer and finish it. He admits he wishes he could say he planned this all along, since the two books comprising the novel, though written many years apart, combine perfectly into a compelling narrative.

While many authors have influenced him, he singles out Somerset Maugham as his muse, observing that Maugham always starts with a good story, but often finds a way to insert that “something extra” separating merely a nice tale from literature. Sam’s interest in books is only exceeded by his love for baseball, which began when he was nine years old.

Connect with the author:   Website ~  Facebook 

Guest Post:

If I were stuck on a desert island, which three books would I want to have with me?

I would want one of the “big books” of world literature. There are many to choose from, but I believe I would select “Anna Karenina.” This vast book contains two linked, parallel stories, that of Anna and that of Levin. Both are satisfying. Levin, of course, is Tolstoy, and while authors who put themselves in their books generally damage the story, Tolstoy pulls it off. The portrait the author draws of Czarist Russia in its waning years is superb. The inequality between the “haves” and the “have-nots” is staggering. This novel is an entire literature. It’s inexhaustible. A second choice would be “Thurber Carnival” by James Thurber. This is a potpourri of stories, cartoons and miscellany. It’s somewhat uneven, but the good pieces, and there are many, are often laugh out-loud funny. This will offset “Anna Karenina,” because the one thing missing from the novel is humor. Some of the titles in Thurber’s compendium are familiar, like ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ and ‘The Catbird Seat.’ For my money, the best are ‘The Macbeth Murder Mystery’ and ‘If Grant Had Been Drinking at Appomattox.’ This book is just delightful. Third, how about a book about how to build a boat? Given circumstances, this seems eminently practical.

Tour Schedule:
Jan 27 – Rockin' Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
Jan 27 – Viviana MacKade – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Jan 27 - @momfluenster – book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 28 – Over Coffee Conversations – book review / giveaway
Jan 29 – My Reading Journeys – book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 29 - Olio by Marilyn – book review / author interview / giveaway
Jan 30 – Ani's Books – book review / author interview / giveaway
Jan 30 – Miz B – book review
Jan 31 – StoreyBook Reviews – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Feb 3 – eBook Addicts – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 3 - Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 4 – Library of Clean Reads – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Feb 5 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / guest post / giveaway
Feb 5 - Svetlana's reads and views – book review
Feb 6 – Jypsylynn – book review / giveaway
Feb 7 - She Just Loves Books – book review
Feb 7 - On My Bookshelf - book review / guest post / giveaway 

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My Review: 

Stefan’s Promise is a great debut for Sam Rennick. It begins during the turmoil of 1968 with college best friends, Alan Young and Stefan Kopinski. During that period of time, there are protests all over the United States, assassinations of political and important civil rights leaders, and Vietnam War. The two friends soon find themselves at odds and, sadly, soon lose touch.

Stefan’s Promise is one of those unique novels that reads like a memoir of actual events and what feels like real people. I was engaged with this book from the start to finish. I have to admit, I was little intimidated with the size of it but quickly found out that the story flowed well and was easily able to turn the pages. I was intrigued with Alan and Stefan’s lives through the many decades and years. I was sorry to see that they lose their bond. I was not expecting where the two ended up. I really loved how the author was able to create relatable characters that was hard to forget long after I finished reading the last page.

I am giving Stefan’s Promise four and a half stars. I would love to read more by Mr Rennick in the future. I would love to find what other stories he comes up with. I highly recommend this one for readers who like to read a novel that invokes numerous emotions out of them, a sense of loyalty and friendship and one that can warm their heart and soul.

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.