Delivering Hope Blog Tour and Giveaway
Delivering Hope
by Jennifer Ann Holt
Paperback, 224 pages
Expected publication: February 8th 2012
by Cedar Fort, Inc.
ISBN 1599559021
Book Source: author
Book Source: author
Summary From Goodreads: Olivia Spencer wants to be a mom more than anything else in the world, but years of infertility have wounded her soul and strained her marriage.
Allison Campbell is a recent high school graduate who discovers that a moment of excitement has led to an unplanned pregnancy and an overwhelming heartache.
As the lives of these two women touch, we see that deep love can pave the way for sacrifice, and we all learn the true source of hope and healing.
Delivering Hope is born today! Happy Book Birthday Julie and thanks for asking Fire and Ice to be a part of your blog tour. For any woman who has ever struggled with infertility or young woman facing an unplanned pregnancy this is an inspirational educational read. It contains two parts- the first outlines the personal struggles of Olivia and Michael a married couple who have been tyring for years to get pregnant only to find out it is medically impossible. The strain emotionally and financially is overwhelming. But a glimmer of hope comes thanks to a journal left behind by Olivia’s great aunt. She finds solace in knowing someone close to her has felt the heartache and inadequacy deep within. Ultimately it is serve to others and turning one’s will over to the atonement that will save both women.
The second half of the book begins with Allison Campbell, a young woman just out of high school with a promising future in college and hopes of a medical career. One night’s cations change her life forever. She is pregnant, she feels ashamed and the father wants her to have an abortion. Olivia and Allison’s lives cross as Allison turns to her church leader and the gift of adoption.
While this was a hard read because it is so honest and heartfelt; I think it is a good teaching tool for all of us to be able to empathize with the emotions behind infertility and adoption. It shows the judgements, every day trials and soul searching that gets poured into two families lives. I would recommend it for older teens and adults, as well as social workers who counsel both birth mothers and adoptive parents.Hats off to Jennifer for writing about something so near and dear to her heart.
About The Author: My name is Jennifer Ann Holt. I grew up as a farm girl in Enterprise, Utah, so I have lots of experience moving sprinkler pipe and mucking out calf pens. I can hold my own when handling a tractor as well. I have always loved reading and really like the power of the written word to heal, bring people together, provide comfort and understanding, and uplift.
I graduated Cum Laude from Brigham Young University in December 1998 with a degree in Physical Education / Physical Therapy Emphasis. In March of 1999 I married my wonderful husband and we started our life together.After a couple years of marriage, and without having had a successful pregnancy, we began pursuing both adoption and increasingly aggressive fertility treatments. We were blessed to be chosen by an amazing birth mom, and we adopted our beautiful daughter as a newborn. Following several failed adoption attempts, and several more years of fertility treatments (including a couple of surgeries) I became pregnant with our youngest son. We were waiting to update our adoption portfolio until after the first trimester to make sure the pregnancy was going to stick, and when I was just about a week shy of that 12-week mark, a wonderful birth mom picked us as the family for her soon-to-be-born baby boy.
She didn’t mind that I was pregnant, she felt strongly that her baby boy was to join our family, and he did! We were excited at the prospect of our two boys only being 6 months apart. Then, my pregnancy took a nose dive. I developed severe toxemia almost overnight and had a small stroke. In addition, we discovered that the cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck 3 times. So, in order to save both of our lives, my doctor performed an emergency c-section and delivered our 2 lb. 8 oz. son about 3 months early. I was very blessed to recover with only some slight numbness on the left side of my face. And after spending 8 1/2 weeks in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit, and undergoing numerous blood transfusions, a surgery, and many scary moments, our youngest was able to come home and join his big brother and sister.
Today, my husband and I have three wonderfully healthy, happy children (including our two boys who are 3 months apart), and we feel at peace that all of the members of our family are here.
I love to speak about adoption and infertility, particularly about adopting and raising a multi-racial family and how to find healing through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I must say that my family and life has not turned out the way I always thought it would, but I know that my family has come in accordance to my Heavenly Father’s will. Because of this, it is better than I ever imagined, and I couldn’t be happier!
The Giveaway: Here is what the author is offering as a thank you to all who participate in the blog tour stops “As I mentioned in the invitation, I will be giving away a signed copy of the book to two individuals, and a signed bookmark and Delivering Hope magnet to five individuals. There will be several ways to enter, and your readers can enter using one or all of the ways.
1. Become a follower of her blog: http://www.jenshopefulwriting.blogspot.com/ and leave a comment letting me know you’re here!
2. “Like” the Delivering Hope facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/DeliveringHopeNovel
3. Watch the book trailer: www.bit.ly/peCixw and post a comment on the facebook page telling what you liked about it.
The winners will be randomly chosen at the conclusion of the blog tour and posted on both the author’s blog and the facebook fan page by 10:00 am on Saturday, February 11th. Good luck!
