About the Book

Book: A Heart for News

Author: Susan K. Beatty

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release date: May 30, 2023

Will a heart for news get a scoop on love?

Though Margo Durand invests her whole heart into working for her family’s newspaper, her father refuses to modernize, and she harbors a secret fear of approaching interviewees and all things dangerous—except riding her Vespa everywhere. But when Margo follows evidence that two government officials are corrupt, Margo discovers danger, intrigue, and a legal sort of blackmail.

Professional race car driver, Steve Grayson, arrives to finish recuperating and overcome his fear of getting back on the track while pursuing his desire to open a race car driving school on Le Cadeau Île. If he can find the money and convince the owner to sell.

When Margo’s best friend sets Margo up with Steve as a tour guide, conveniently forgetting to tell him Margo is a reporter, they tour the islands until Steve is willingly dragged into the investigation. The investigation only opens new questions, creates new trials, and has the potential to destroy their budding romance.

Does pursuing a relationship just before he leaves to take part in one last racing season even make sense?

Take a trip to the Suamalie Islands where palm trees sway, the sand and sea pulse with life, and the people will steal your heart.

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About the Author

Susan K. Beatty is in her third career—from journalist to homeschool tech writer to her life-long dream of becoming a novelist. She is proof you can start a new writing career late in life. Susan released her first published fiction in September 2019, and now an awarding winner author, this is her third novel, with several novelettes and short stories to her credit. She is passionate about finding courage through faith and grit. Susan lives with her husband of forty-nine years in Southern California. Add children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to the mix and she has little time for her favorite hobbies of reading, watching classic movies, British crime dramas, and traveling.

More from Susan

Long ago, when I was a journalism student and then a newspaper reporter, the idea of running a small-town newspaper “out west” fascinated me and was part of my daydreams. Of course, there hadn’t been an “out west” for decades before I had such ideas.

When Celebrate Lit asked me to be part of the Suamalie Islands series and I needed to choose a business for my main character, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to run a small-town newspaper, at least in fiction.

Margo, the main character, works for her father, the owner and publisher. But he’s stuck in the 20th century, and our modern heroin dreams of bringing the paper into the 21st century, much to her father’s despair. It was fun to explore the push and pull between generations, between old-school methods and new technology.

Although Margo is the heroine who finds the courage to expose the corrupt politicians, she has one major flaw, a fear, that hinders a news reporter’s job. I don’t want to reveal any spoilers, so you’ll have to read A Heart for News to find out what her problem was.

Then there’s the male main character, Steve Grayson, a famous race car driver, who comes to the Suamalies to recover from a racing accident and to face his own fears. And to pursue his own dream of building a driving school and racetrack.

After a rocky beginning, Margo and Steve collaborate to meet those fears head on and to see if, together, they can realize their impossible dreams, and just maybe find love.

I hope readers are encouraged overcome their fears and to pursue their own so-called impossible dreams.

My Thoughts

A Heart for News is written by Susan K. Beatty. This is book 4 in the Suamalie Island Series. The series is written by multiple authors - and they are all tied together by an island theme. In this story we meet Margo. She has invested her whole heart into working for her family’s newspaper. She soon finds out that two government officials are corrupt - and she finds evidence of blackmail.

Steve Grayson is heading to the island to recover. He is a race car driver. He has a fear of racing and is hoping that will change. Margo is his tour guide, and he does know that she is a reporter - and all of a sudden the rest and recharge he wanted is gone and he is pulled into the investigation.

Margo is a fun character, she is sassy and does not show fear. However she finds herself in danger with trying to uncover what is going on. I liked that there Mr. X wanted to give information to help bring down the corruption.

The author did such a great job with her descriptions - I could close my eyes and imagine the wind blowing and smell the ocean. I have enjoyed this series so far.

Thank You for the author, publisher and Celebrate Lit for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.