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Monday, February 3, 2020

Stefan's Promise by Sam Rennick (Book Spotlight, Author Interview & Giveaway!)


A story of friendship and the Vietnam War. Check it out and enter the giveaway to win a copy!

Book Details:

Book Title: Stefan's Promise by Sam Rennick
Category: Adult Fiction, 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.


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.

Praise for Stefan's Promise:

“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


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My Interview with Sam Rennick:

LCR: Thank you for joining me in this interview. Stefan's Promise sounds like a very compelling story. Can you describe your story in 20 words or less?

SR: Friendship of two men, framed by college and middle age. No bond the 30 years in-between. Portentous circumstances re-unite them.

LCR: In your bio, it's stated that you began to write Stefan's Promise forty years ago. Is there a reason you did not complete it then? What propelled you to, once again, pick up your writer's pen so to speak and continue your story?

SR: I shelved it because more pressing matters, like earning a living, came first, but I never forgot my manuscript. I felt it had potential, and that I could complete it someday. Retirement gave me the opportunity.

LCR: What was the easiest thing about writing your novel? The hardest?

SR: There was nothing easy. The hardest would be the second draft. I wrote the novel three times. First draft was very rough. The second involved converting that rough draft into something resembling a story. The third was working out the remaining issues, which wasn’t easy either, but not as demanding as the second draft.

LCR: What advice would you give to a budding writer?
SR: Put the manuscript away. Get on with your life. Maybe you’ve chosen a trade, or maybe a profession. Regardless, you’re earning a living. What is more important than this? You’ll know when you can resume on that manuscript.

LCR: If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

SR: I’d return to my boyhood. It was a happy time, mostly. Our childhoods are filled with wonder, which we lose as adults. I’d like to recapture that.

LCR: Thank you for your time!



About 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




Enter the Giveaway:
Ends Feb 14, 2020

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4 comments :

  1. Thank you so much for sharing this interesting interview about this heart warming novel.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear Ms. Fabiani,

    Thank you for featuring my novel, "Stefan's Promise," on your blog today. I'd be happy to answer questions your visitors may have.

    Sincerely yours,
    Sam Rennick

    ReplyDelete
  3. intriging cover. loved the interview and the book does sound interesting
    sherry @ fundinmental

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for commenting! I appreciate your feedback.

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