Fishing! by Sarah Stonich Blog Tour & Giveaway

Having fled the testosterone-soaked world of professional sport fishing, thirty-something RayAnne Dahl is navigating a new job as a consultant for the first all-women talk show about fishing on public television (or, as one viewer’s husband puts it, “Oprah in a boat”). After the host bails, RayAnne lands in front of the camera and out of her depth at the helm of the show. Is she up for the challenge? Meanwhile, her family proves as high-maintenance as her fixer-upper house and her clingy rescue dog. Her dad, star of the one-season Big Rick’s Bass Bonanza, is on his sixth wife and falling off the wagon and into RayAnne’s career path; her mother, a new-age aging coach for the menopausal rich, provides endless unwanted advice; and her beloved grandmother Dot—whose advice RayAnne needs—is far away and far from well.

But as RayAnne says, “I’m a woman, I fish. Deal with it.” And just when things seem to be coming together—the show is an unlikely hit; she receives the admiration of a handsome sponsor (out of bounds as he is, but definitely in the wings); ungainly house and dog are finally in hand—RayAnne’s world suddenly threatens to capsize, and she’s faced with a gut-wrenching situation and a heartbreaking decision.

First published in 2015 under a pseudonym, this first installment in a trilogy filled with hilarity and heartbreak unspools with the gentle wit and irresistible charm that readers of Sarah Stonich have come to expect. Fishing! eases us into unsuspected depths as it approaches the essential question . . . when should life be steered by the heart, not the rules?

Print Length: 280 Pages
Genre: Women's Fiction
ISBN-10: 1517908981
ISBN-13: 9781517908980
ASIN: B085LZ4324

Fishing! is available to purchase at Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Bookshop.org. You can also add this book to your reading list over at GoodReads.

Book Giveaway Contest

To win a copy of the book Fishing! by Sarah Stonich, please enter using Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post. Giveaway ends on June 14th at 11:59 PM EST. We will announce the winner the next day on the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!

Praise for Fishing!

You'll wish you could spend an afternoon fishing with RayAnne, but diving into this witty, charming novel is the next best thing." —Sarah Pekkanen, author of Things You Won’t Say

"Poignant and honest, funny and wise . . . a novel to cherish. Populated with authentic and engaging characters, written with style and ease, this novel taught me that happiness can be found down unexpected paths, and that the meaning of life exists in the simplest of things. I loved every moment I spent with this delightfully witty, refreshingly progressive read."—Marissa Stapley, author of Mating for Life

"A lighthearted, comedic novel for women that isn’t all about landing a man (fishing pun intended)." —Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Told in spot-on, often hilarious dialogue that brings these nice people to lively, lovely life." —St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Recommended for readers who appreciate female characters, family drama, an absorbing sense of place, and, of course, fishing." —Library Journal

About the Author, Sarah Stonich

Sarah’s first novel, These Granite Islands was awarded a Loft McKnight Award and was a Barnes & Noble Great New Writers pick. That novel was translated into eleven languages. Her second, The Ice Chorus, was also widely translated and won several honors. Her memoir Shelter: Off The Grid In The Mostly Magnetic North won a Northeast Minnesota Book Award.

Sarah is best known for her Northern Trilogy, beginning with Vacationland, followed by Laurentian Divide, winner of the 2019 Minnesota Book Award and the NEMBA award, as well as being a 2019 National Reading Group Month selection by National Women’s Book Association. In March/April 2020, WPRI, Wisconsin Public Radio International’s longest running program, Chapter A Day chose Laurentian Divide to be read on air by Jim Flemming. That novel won the Minnesota Book Award, and along with Vacationland, has been chosen as a community read in two dozen midwestern and Canadian cities including most recently in Willmar, Inver Grove Heights, Grand Forks, and Thunder Bay. She’s currently researching and writing Watershed, the final volume of the Northern Trilogy.

Fishing!,the first installment of her feminist chick-lit Fishing With RayAnne trilogy published by the University of Minnesota Press in March of 2020, is to be followed by Reeling in 2021. Sarah is currently working on Leaping and hopes to see it published in 2022. Sarah is adapting the trilogy to a television series, as well as writing original screenplays.

You can follow her online at:

http://www.sarahstonich.com

Twitter: @sarahstonich
Instagram: sarahstonichwriter

--- Interview by Nicole Pyles

WOW: First of all, congratulations on your book Fishing!. What inspired you to write this book?

Sarah: My character RayAnne wears a t-shirt that says 'I'm a woman, I fish. Deal with it.' I wanted to break stereotypes about sportswomen and write a story where women's interactions aren't in urban settings or centered around shopping or going out to brunch or dating - and maybe this is a timely book because it's not like we can do any of those things at this Covid moment! Getting out in nature IS something we can do. I hope more women find the value in that.

WOW: I hope so too! You have a quote on your website that I absolutely love. You say, "Once I plot a story and begin, the characters own it. When they pull me along to places where I'm unsure what might happen next, I know I'm writing." Can you tell me a little bit about your writing process and how you get to the point of the characters owning the story?

Sarah: I think the challenge is to create complex enough characters that their personalities and strengths (and weaknesses) began to dictate their actions. Fishing! has four very distinct characters from different generations. While I have a good idea what needs to happen to move a story forward, the experience of writing six novels has taught me the value of giving up control and getting out of my own way, which allows things to unfold more naturally, and makes room for characters to surprise me.

WOW: Oh I completely agree! I couldn't help but smile at one of your reviews that said this was a novel for women that wasn't all about landing a man. I love it! What do you hope readers take away from reading this book?

Sarah: The value of our female relationships. There are so many important girls and women we meet along the journey that help form us, yet society lays more value on that one romantic relationship that leads to commitment; the holy grail of marriage and having kids. But life isn't a one-size-fits all, and while Rom-Com dynamics do exist in Fishing! they don't drive it. This first volume in the RayAnne trilogy introduces her as she's navigating the broader world after years in the nearly tribal male environment of pro-sport fishing. Trying to build her best life with not all the blocks in place while navigating a new career gives RayAnne a new appreciation for women who lift each other up.

WOW: I think that sounds amazing. You have an awesome author photo that showcases to me your love of fishing and the outdoors. How much of your own love of fishing and outdoors play into writing this book?

Sarah: I love being near water - it's very grounding for me

WOW: What makes this book different from the others you have written?

Sarah: Fishing! couldn't be more different than my other novels. For one thing it's written specifically with women in mind. We've had a lot of setbacks lately - that the battle for equality is still being fought in 2020 is crazy to me. This book is for those that have fought the good fight for decades and those young women that maybe hadn't expected they'd have to become warriors just to hang on to their basic rights. But here we are, all in it together.

WOW: I love that message and it really resonates in this time period for sure. What are you working on next? What can we look forward to from you?

Sarah: I should say Fishing! is the first in a trilogy, launching RayAnne into the world. I've just finished the second installment, Reeling in which she and Cassi take the show on the road to New Zealand where she navigates an entirely new landscape; meets a lot of amazing women and comes to terms with a few realities (I can't be too specific, because spoilers!) I'm about to start writing Leaping the third and final book in the Trilogy. RayAnne Dahl isn't going away anytime soon.

WOW: I can't wait! Thank you so much for your time and I look forward to this tour!

--- Blog Tour Dates

June 8th @ The Muffin
What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Visit WOW's blog The Muffin today and celebrate the launch of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing! by reading an interview with the author and enter to win a copy of the book.
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

June 10th @ Madeline Sharples' Blog
Visit Madeline's blog today and you can read a guest post by Sarah Stonich about inviting authors to your book group.
http://madelinesharples.com/

June 12th @ Tongue Tied Magazine
Come by Tongue Tied Magazine today and you can read Sean's review of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing!.
https://tonguetiedmag.com/

June 13th @ Boots, Shoes & Fashion
Visit Linda's blog today and you can read her fascinating interview with author Sarah Stonich, author of the book Fishing!
http://bootsshoesandfashion.com/

June 15th @ Michelle Cornish's Blog
You can visit Michelle's blog and read a guest post by Sarah Stonich about how reader reviews support authors - and help authors write better books.
https://www.michellecornish.com/blog

June 16th @ Bookapotamus
Visit Kate's blog and you can read her review of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing!.
https://bookapotamusblog.wordpress.com/

June 17th @ The New England Book Critic
Visit Victoria's blog today and you can read her review of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing!
http://www.thenewenglandbookcritic.com

June 20th @ Coffee with Lacey
Visit Lacey's blog today and read her review of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing!.
https://coffeewithlacey.com/

June 22nd @ Beverley A. Baird's Blog
Visit Beverley's blog today and read her review of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing!.
https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/

June 24th @ Literary Quicksand
Visit Jolissa's blog today and read her review of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing!
http://www.literaryquicksand.com/

June 25th @ The Frugalista Mom
Stop by Rozelyn's blog today and you can read her review of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing! You can also enter to win a copy of the book too!
https://thefrugalistamom.com

June 26th @ Lady Unemployed
Visit Nicole's blog today and read author Sarah Stonich's guest post about feminists we adore.
http://www.ladyunemployed.com

June 28th @ Reviews and Interviews
Join Lisa as she interviews author Sarah Stonich about her book Fishing!.
http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com/

June 29th @ Beverley A. Baird's Blog
Stop by Beverley's blog again today and you can read Sarah Stonich's guest post about what fictional heroines can teach us.
https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/

July 1st @ It's Alanna Jean
Visit Alanna Jean's blog today and you can read a guest post by author Sarah Stonich featuring 10 books every girl and woman should read.
http://itsalannajean.com/

July 3rd @ The World of My Imagination
Author Romalyn Tilghman will be reviewing Sarah Stonich's book Fishing! as a guest reviewer at Nicole's blog.
https://theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com/

July 5th @ Jill Sheet's Blog
Visit Jill's blog today and you can read her Sarah Stonich's inspiring guest post about change starts on the page.
http://jillsheets.blogspot.com/

July 7th @ Michelle Cornish's Blog
Visit Michelle's blog and read her review of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing!
https://www.michellecornish.com/blog

July 8th @ Chapters Through Life
Visit Danielle's blog today and you can read her review of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing!
http://chaptersthroughlife.blogspot.co.uk

July 9th @ Journalling Joy on Sahar's Blog
Visit Sahar's blog and read her review of Sarah Stonich's book Fishing!.
http://www.saharsblog.com/

***** BOOK GIVEAWAY *****

To win a copy of the book Fishing! by Sarah Stonich, please enter using Rafflecopter below. Giveaway ends on June 14th at 11:59 PM EST. We will announce the winner the next day on the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway