Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for The Eyes of River by Cindy K. Sproles, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! I've read several of Cindy's books and was drawn in from the VERY beginning of each one! This cover is so compelling I can't wait to dive in. I received the book for this tour! Be sure to
About the Book
A heart-wrenching Appalachian novel from a best-selling, award-winning author
In the shadowed hollers of the early-twentieth-century Appalachian Mountains, Lizzy Haney is on the run. She's been falsely accused of murder and is desperate to reunite with her brother, River, whose unforgettable green eyes haunt her. The secret in her past is a stinging wound, but it motivates her toward her goal: freedom.Book Excerpt
“Shhh.” Daddy slobbered as he tried to shush himself. He swiped the drool with the tail of his undershirt. “That River is evil. Child shoulda never been born.”
“Oh hogwash. He’s no such a thing. He’s a little boy. Your son, God help him.” I grabbed a dish towel and lifted the kettle from the stove. I lowered it to the floor and then straddled the heavy kettle while I carried it. The steam rose in twirls as I poured it into the big basin in Daddy’s room.
“The boy gives me the evil eye. It’s like he can see right through to my soul.”
“I told you to keep your voice down. And if you had a soul, that would be something. River just sees you for what you are. A louse. Youngin watched you kill his momma! Now take your coffee, go to your room, and bathe. I washed clothes yesterday, so you have clean ones in your drawer. You stink. Go. Ain’t nothing worse than the stench of a dirty, sweaty body.”
Daddy sat on the hearth and snuffed a minute before he finally stumbled to his room. He stopped at his door and turned. “That boy is evil. He needs to be at the bottom of the lake.”
“River ain’t the issue. You’re the reason Momma died. That second shove was intentional.” I growled. “All River did was see you roll her dead body out the door. You’re afraid he’ll tell. That’s why you hate him.”
“I ain’t afraid of that youngin.”
“Sure you are, and the only reason I’m still standin’ is because you need me to take care of you and River. You need a workhorse!”
Daddy stood at his door, head on his arm. He took one swig of his coffee and flung the cup at me. I dodged, and it slammed against the wall.
“Go bathe!” I gritted my teeth.
He slammed his door behind him.
I sat on the big rocker by the fireplace, my hands shaking. Tears filled my eyes, and anger boiled in me like the water in the kettle. The pent- up rage made me want to throw things.
Why couldn’t it have been Daddy that died? Why couldn’t it have been him? Momma would still be here. That was the day I quit thinkin’ Daddy might be hidin’ deep inside hisself. What I saw was pure evil. I no longer gave him credit that he might have good in him. Even if we’d been poorer than the poorest, we’d have been much better off if Daddy was dead. Leaning back in the big pine rocker, I took hold of Momma’s Bible and flipped it open to the book of John. Momma kept a passage marked with a crocheted bookmark.
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
If I told the truth, Daddy would kill me and River. I read and reread the Scripture. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. And I wondered for a moment if dying was the truth that would set me free.
About the Author
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a signed copy of The Eyes of River and a $20 Amazon gift card!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight June 24, 2026 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on July 1, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
