I Welcome to my stop on the Celebrate Lit Tour for Meghan’s Choice. There is information on the book, author, and a giveaway. Be sure to sign up to win!

My Thoughts:

Meghan’s Choice by author Donna L. H. Smith is a Christian Historical Western Romance. It is the tale of Meghan Gallagher, a spoiled belle from St. Louis who ends up in the rowdy railroad town of New Boston, Kansas. It is filled with light, clean romance, some brawling violence, tender teaching about experiencing God, scripture, and drama.

The story is nice but I had a hard time engaging with the characters. For me they were not well rounded or developed. The conversations did not sound authentic or easy. It all sounded forced and out of the time period. There were a lot of characters that at times it was difficult to keep everyone straight.

The spiritual element was light until close to the end of the book. Then it was heavily laced and genuine. The author has injected humor and wit among the fighting and drama to make her story entertaining, but it needs more. The writing is uneven and at times sluggish.

Life lessons on hearing from God, equality, prejudice, trusting God, and helping others were the shining parts of the story. The sweet romance was a great lesson, too. Forgiveness, others and oneself, is discussed. I enjoyed the last third of the book much more that the beginning.

I was disappointed there were no Discussion Questions or Recipes. There was a lot of mention of cooking and dining so recipes would be a lovely addition. Group Questions would be helpful for a reading club.

I would recommend this for fans of Christian Western Historical fiction. It has the potential to be an excellent book with a few changes. A copy was provided by Celebrate Lit but these are my own opinions.

About the Book:

Book: Meghan’s Choice

Author: Donna L. H. Smith

Genre: Christian Historical Western Romance

Release Date: November, 2017

Meghan Gallagher complies with her father’s demand that she work on her own for a year by choosing to tutor eight children in a wild Kansas railroad town. But she had no idea just how wild it was until she was rescued by a local dance hall the day she arrived, and soon after hit by a stray bullet. In short order, she meets a dark, handsome cowboy and a wholesome, attractive doctor who both vie for her heart. As things heat up around town, Meghan’s love life catches fire as well. Is she scandalous to allow both men to court her at the same time? And—how close a relationship with God does Meghan want? Will she draw near?

Meghan’s Choice (pre-published) was named a semi-finalist in the 2014 Operation First Novel by Jerry B. Jenkins and an honorable mention for the Golden leaf Award in 2015. Since publication, Meghan’s Choice was a Selah Award finalist and also in the Will Rogers Medallion Award.

Published in connection with Hartline Literary Agency, serving the Christian book community. Visit us at www.hartlineliterary.com.

Click here to grab your copy.

About the Author

Donna L.H. Smith is a Kansas prairie girl transplanted to Lancaster County, PA. She is a graduate of Christian Writer’s Guild Craftsman program and holds two college degrees, both B.S. and M.A. in Mass Communication. She’s been married to a wonderful man named Kirby for thirty years. Her debut novel, Meghan’s Choice, made the finals of both the Selah and Will Rogers Medallion Awards. Rose’s Redemption, the sequel, was just released. She blogs, speaks at workshops and retreats and although she is at an age where many begin slowing down, she wouldn’t think of it. Recently, she took on the role of Managing Editor of Almost an Author.com, and serves as ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Mid-Atlantic Zone Director. She is also a member of AWSA’s Protégé program (Advanced Writers & Speaker’s Association).

More from Donna

Back in 2012, I wrote “Zorro” stories for Fan Fiction. I had an awful lot of fun with them, and people seemed to really like them. So, the thought came, what could I write for ‘real?’ I contemplated, prayed, and after a couple weeks or so, an idea came floating across my brain.

“Gunfight at Hyde Park.” Huh? I thought about it, and realized it was an obscure history lesson from my hometown in Kansas. I had Google it to get the details. I thought, well, I’m not gonna write a Christian romance novel just about a series of gunfights that killed and wounded more people than the OK Corral.

But I did think that the beginning of the gunfights could be the climax of the story.

Now, who should my heroine be? And the hero?

I started with that and took Christian Writer’s Guild’s Craftsman and the novel was completed in 2013—but only published in late 2017.

I’m proud of Meghan’s Choice. Pre-published it made the semi-finals of the last Operation 1^st Novel that CWG held and placed in a couple of smaller contests. Last year, it made the finals of the prestigious Selah Awards for published books through the BRMCWC, and the finals of the Will Rogers Medallion Award.

My hope is that you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it.