Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Countin' on Jesse by Mary Pat Johns

 

Book: Countin’ On Jesse

Author: Mary Pat Johns

Genre: (Inspirational) Contemporary Romance

Release Date: September 12, 2023

Peeps’ gym owner Jesse seeks accreditation. Accountant Brenna wants to help Jesse reach his goal. They’re a great team, but can she count on him when trouble strikes?

Accountant BRENNA MCKINLEY only wants what’s best for Peeps, the wildly popular gym in Valiant, Texas. But when money goes missing, and she’s the obvious suspect, will she be able to clear her name or face criminal charges? Keeping her dream job matters, but falling in love with her boss isn’t part of the plan. Neither is the creepy guy stalking her.

Young veteran JESSE JACOBS manages and co-owns Peeps, an exercise facility in Valiant, Texas. He needs help to gain accreditation for the gym, and his new accountant is all in. But is she who she seems? Too bad he’s falling for her like a man with no parachute. When the pressure builds, PTSD renders him moody and volatile, risking everything he loves.

 

Click here to get your copy!

Inspirational Contemporary Romance is a favorite genre of mine to read. Countin’ On Jesse by Mary Pat Johns is the latest in this genre that I have had the opportunity to read. It is Book 1 in the Romance in Valiant series. 

Jesse Jacobs is a Veteran who Co-Owns Peeps Gym in Valiant, TX. He suffers from PTSD and when things get off track he gets angry and loses his temper. Brenna McKinley is an Accountant and has been newly hired as the Account for Peeps Gym. Brenna is excited about her new job, which is her Dream job as she has always wanted to help Peeps. Things get tense when money goes missing and someone is stalking Brenna. Brenna is the suspect in the missing money as she is the account and she is worried about losing her dream job. Brenna and Jesse team up to find her stalker and to help solve the mystery of the Missing Money. They also find they are falling in love with each other. Will they discover what happened to the money? Will there be a Romance between the pair? 

The Storyline and the Characters had my attention from the very first page of this book. I finished the book in about 4hrs because it was so intriguing. Brenna and Jesse make a great team for both work and romance. They handled the situations that arose, money missing and the stalker, very well and stood together. The twists and turns in the plot were very interesting. I also like that there were humorous times  considering the tension within the story. Mary Pat Johns really did a GREAT job in her Debut Novel. I am very much looking forward to future books in this series! FANTASTIC BOOK!

Mary Pat Johns’ writing career began once she retired from years of teaching speech and writing. She’s written devotions for an online publication and had short stories published by Chicken Soup for the Soul. She currently writes a biweekly faith column for the local newspaper.

Countin’ On Jesse is her debut novel, and she’s hard at work on the rest of the Valiant series. God put it in her heart to tell stories of brave veterans and their reintegration into civilian life after suffering the traumas of war. As she kept writing, her focus generalized to include ordinary people who learn how to move forward after devastating events. Her writing has a strong spiritual thread since she considers a return to faith in God the solution for what ails the civilized world.

She lives in South Texas with her husband and their two dapple dachshunds. Her grown children and five grandchildren are useful sorts who keep her grounded with her reading/writing obsession. You can find her at the gym, at her computer, or reading a good book.

Countin’ On Jesse placed second in inspirational contemporary romance in the TARA contest. It was also a finalist in the Crown and the Maggie contests for unpublished authors.

More from Mary

I wrote Countin’ On Jesse because I couldn’t NOT write it, though learning to write fiction was an act of faith. My son is an army vet and deployed to Afghanistan during the war. When he returned, the adjustment back to civilian life was difficult. The PTSD he suffered was real. His dad and I prayed often for his restoration. I also experienced an urgency to share how people recover from traumatic experiences, but it’s not my MO to tell a sad story. I used humor, but never downplayed the seriousness of the hero’s issues with PTSD and anger. My goal was to impart hope.

One added sweet note. My son helped me craft a short story as a prequel for the series. I believe it was healing for him to revisit the Afghanistan setting through the perspective of time and distance. Readers have shared they felt like they were in the story. In truth, there was an eyewitness. I’m forever grateful that he came home to tell me of such events.

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 27

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, November 28 (Author Interview)

The Lit Lady, November 28

Texas Book-aholic, November 29

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 30

Back Porch Reads, December 1 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 2

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 3

A Reader’s Brain, December 4 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, December 5

Beauty in the Binding, December 6 (Author Interview)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 6

Cover Lover Book Review, December 7

Holly’s Book Corner, December 8

For the Love of Literature, December 9 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, December 10

To celebrate her tour, Mary is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 gift Amazon gift card and a signed 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.

https://promosimple.com/ps/29099/countin-on-jesse-celebration-tour-giveaway

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Countin' on Jesse by Mary Pat Johns

Pin It