About the Book

Book: Relinquished

Author: Susan K. Beatty

Genre: Christian Woman’s Fiction

Release date: May 16, 2023

No one takes her kid and gets away with it.

When Teagan Parsons discovers that the Amber Alert on a celebrity couple’s child is actually her daughter, she’s determined to rescue the daughter she relinquished years ago. If she’d only realized the emotions her mission would rekindle…

Having a cousin in the FBI gets her closer to the case than she could have dreamed, but instead of listening to the lead FBI agent’s warnings to “leave the job to the professionals,” Teagan begins following everyone she suspects. That old saying, “Don’t quit your day job,” has never been truer, but she’ll do whatever it takes to bring her daughter home safe.

Mitch McCartney has enough trouble on his hands without dealing with a guilt-ridden, biological mother bent on making up for past sins. Teagan seems to have developed a talent for getting things wrong and putting herself in danger. Oh… and she’s adding theft to her rap sheet—theft of his heart, anyway.

Then Teagan goes missing.

Learning you can’t undo the past is a tough enough lesson without adding on more mistakes, but with Mitch’s help, Teagan may, with the Lord’s Guidance, forge a brighter future this time.

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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

The seeds of a story sometimes lay dormant in an author for years. Then they grow and grab the author, demanding to be told. Until eventually the author gives in.

In my case, I didn’t have to give in. I knew I would write some version of the story eventually.

It began in 1968, when I was young, unmarried, and pregnant. It continued through 1969 when I gave my child up for adoption. Of course, any birth mother will tell you the actual story doesn’t end there.

After I became a Christian in 1973, I grew into a better understanding of my journey. New emotions had to be dealt with when my daughter and I were reunited in 1988 when she was nineteen. We enjoyed getting to know each other despite our differences in faith, but those lost years could not be regained—another set of emotions to come to terms with.

I couldn’t write our story, but I wanted to write something that revealed the emotional dilemma birth mothers wrestle with: forgiveness, regret, accepting that one won’t take part in the baby’s childhood, and, if there is a reunion, accepting a new reality. This usually means discovering, despite a newfound relationship, the birth mother will never be that child’s mom.

But I also wanted to show God’s grace, healing, and a hope for a future (including the addition of light romance).

Not wanting the book to get weighed down in maudlin narrative, I tried to lift it above the muck and show the birth mother’s strength and courage. What better way to do that than throw her in the middle of a dangerous, life-threatening situation?

Note to birth mothers: If you have unresolved issues, there may be triggers in Relinquished. I urge you to spend time in prayer and allow the Lord to heal you regardless of whether you read the book. And, if you need it, there is no shame in getting counseling.

Note to adoptive mothers: I hope you get a glimpse into the other side of the story.

Note to all readers: Praying the Lord shines through Teagan’s story to illuminate your heart.

My Interview:

What is the most difficult part about writing for you?

The toughest part of writing for me is plotting. I start out with an idea and characters. I know generally where the story is going and how it’s going to end up. But the scenes and turning points along the way sometimes have me pulling my hair out, because outlining every scene in advance gives me the heebie-jeebies. As I write, I love to watch my characters take a story in a direction I never thought about. I’m not a plotter (obviously), I’m a pantser (writing by the seat of my pants). But writing to see where the story goes can get a writer in trouble and before you know you’ve backed your plot into a corner, which means more rewriting.

What is the definition of success as an author for you?

For me, the definition of success is a hard one. Deep in my heart, I write to show the glory of God through the characters’ struggles. And if a reader gets what I’m trying to reveal and sees the Lord in it, I rejoice and praise Him.

But authors get caught up in the world’s definition of success—hundreds of reviews, big royalty checks, winning awards. I would be less than honest to say none of that matters to me, so I remind myself constantly these are fleeting and will become like ash; none of those things will go with me to heaven. I’m letting Him work on me.

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

Relinquished is my eighth book and my ninth releases in two weeks. I can’t really pick a favorite. I love each of them for different reasons. (Kind of like your children.) The stories in each of my three stand-alone novels, Faces of Courage, The Fragrance of Violets, and Relinquished, were ones that wouldn’t leave me alone until I told them. The most personal book is Relinquished because I, too, am a birth mother. But the one closest to my heart is probably Faces of Courage, inspired by my daughter’s courageous metastatic breast cancer journey. My daughter did not have a domestic abuse situation (Praise God!); I added that to deepen the character’s need for courage.

Each of my books carries the thread of “Courage: At the intersection of faith and grit.”

What is the most surprising thing you discovered while writing your book(s)?

Over many decades, as I bided my time for the Lord to give me the go-ahead to write fiction, I thought writing novels would be easy. After all, I’d been reading them all my life, even read every “Writers Digest Magazine” as I was growing up. I also wrote a few short stories in high school and college. But nothing prepared me for how many parts an author had to juggle while writing a book. Character arcs, plot points, themes, using non-cliché phrases, stunning dialogue, strong verbs, few adverbs and adjectives, etc., etc. It was a rude awakening. But, as they say, few things worth doing is easy.

What do you hope your readers take away from this book?

Relinquished is about loving and forgiving yourself as Christ does, of accepting His plan for your life, and how He works things for good despite our running ahead of Him but still suffering the consequences of our actions. I would love the reader to see God’s hand in these circumstances and perhaps recognize His work in their own lives.