Thursday, December 13, 2018

E-book #SALE: Yours By Christmas by Jennifer Youngblood

  


 

Yours by Christmas by Jennifer Youngblood 

A recovering alcoholic turned firefighter, a mysterious woman with a secret, and the Christmas miracle that just might save them both. Beckett Bradshaw knows what it’s like to be on top of the world and then to come crashing down to the lowest form of human existence, living on the streets. It has taken a huge amount of hard work and self control to get where he is today. He’s content with his job as a firefighter and so incredibly grateful for the miraculous recovery of his young daughter. When a mysterious old lady shows up at the fire station and makes a prophecy that Beckett will find love by Christmas, he doesn’t believe it. Beckett doesn’t dare pray for the desires of his heart for fear that he’s used up all of his miracles. Then, Beckett meets the beautiful and vivacious Ava Lawrence and starts to hope that maybe he really can find love. Beckett is hesitant to tell Ava about his checkered past for fear that she won’t want him. However, Ava has a few secrets of her own that could destroy everything Beckett has built. Will a Christmas miracle be enough to bind two lonely hearts together or will the scars of the past prevent Beckett and Ava from finding the lasting love they most desire?

    

Excerpt:  

It was the kind of cold that would freeze a person’s toes and fingers off. In another time and place, Beckett wouldn’t have spent more than thirty minutes outside. Tonight, however, he was grateful for the cold. It sank through the holes of his worn shoes, moving up his legs and torso like morphine, numbing his aching heart. The cold snuffed out the fire raging in his head—the voice that screamed of his failures and how any path to redemption was forever barred. He trudged through the snow, oblivious to the trash littering the sidewalk or the bars covering the windows of the aging buildings. The sights and stench of the streets would’ve horrified him before, when he was donning two-thousand-dollar suits and driving a Lexus to his high-rise office in the center of downtown Salt Lake City. Now, it was as commonplace as breathing. The frigid wind picked up. He pulled his thin coat tighter around him as he tucked his chin into his neck and plodded forward.
Normally, Beckett’s senses were dulled to the point where he hardly remembered the life he lived before. Alcohol was the great cure-all. If he drank enough of it, he could hardly remember his own name. Today, however, was different. Today was Jasmine’s birthday. She was turning seven today. Beckett didn’t want to think about Jasmine with her happy, rosy cheeks and cocoa-colored ringlets. The trusting look in her deep brown eyes. The lilt in her voice when she called him daddy. Jasmine wanted a pink Barbie cake with sparkles. Tears pressed against his eyes as he swallowed. Unbidden scenes from the accident flashed before his eyes, the guilt knotting his gut.
It had been a normal day. Pressures at the office were increasing. Beckett was always behind. Nothing he did was enough to satisfy his bulldog boss. Before darting out of his office to pick up Jasmine from her dance class, he’d taken a few swigs out of the flask he kept hidden beneath a stack of files in his bottom desk drawer. One minute he was driving, the road a blur, Jasmine chattering about a new dance she’d learned. The next minute, everything changed. Beckett felt the blunt force of the crash the same instant he heard the sickening sound of crunching metal. Then came the worst—Jasmine’s terrified screams that gave way to intermittent whimpers. He’d called 911, screaming into the phone. It seemed to take forever before the wail of the sirens pierced the night air.
A few hours later, in a sterile hospital waiting room, a grim-faced doctor would deliver the blow. Jasmine’s ankle had been crushed. It would require multiple surgeries, and there was a chance she’d never walk again. Melinda’s face had crumpled, tears streaming down her cheeks. As Beckett went to hug her, she pushed him away, condemnation burning in her eyes. “This is all your fault!” she spat.
“Please, Melinda.” His voice had cracked with desperation. “I—I’m sorry. I never meant—” He reached for her again.
She got up in his face. “I can smell the alcohol on your breath.” For an instant, Beckett saw something in her eyes—a sliver of the love they’d once shared. Before he could blink, however, her eyes went flatter than dull pennies as she turned her back to him and walked away.
It was then that he’d known, he was dead to her. He loosened his silk tie and threw it into the garbage on his way out of the hospital.
That was six months ago.
He wet his dry lips, the thirst for a drink rising in him like a greedy vulture demanding to be satisfied. He paused and leaned against the side of a building, removing the bottle from inside his coat. Beckett took a long swig, appreciating how the liquid burned down his throat. Another couple of drinks helped ease the pain. The snow was falling harder, large blobs coating everything in white. Cars moved along the streets like cautious snails, trying to avoid contact. The world felt still, like he was in one of those snow globes Jasmine loved. Beckett’s breath pushed out a warm mist against the air as he continued to his destination.
Fifteen minutes later, he went in through the backdoor of a shelter. A middle-aged, portly man with a tapered salt and pepper beard was sitting behind a metal desk, chewing on a pencil as he stared at the screen of his laptop. When he saw Beckett, he waved in recognition as he stood, pulling his pants over his belly. “Hey, Blanket Man. I wondered what time you’d show up here.” He went to a nearby counter and picked up a stack of blankets, depositing them in Beckett’s arms. “It’s a cold one tonight. The temperature’s falling into the single digits.”
“Yes.”
“I’m sure there’ll be plenty of people who can use these blankets. Some ladies from a local church dropped them off today. It’s mighty kind of you to deliver them. After you get done passing these out, there are plenty more.”
Beckett nodded. This was how the conversation always went, with Scotty making small talk and Beckett throwing in a few short answers and nods. Scotty didn’t seem to mind that Beckett didn’t want to talk. He was always pleasant, and he looked Beckett in the eye when he spoke to him. Most people didn’t. The homeless moved through the city like faceless ghosts, scavenging what they could to survive.
“Oh, by the way, I reserved you a spot at the shelter tonight. It’s too cold to be outside.”
“Thank you.” Beckett’s hands ached from the cold. He’d had a pair of gloves once, but they were long gone.
“Tell everyone you see that they need to get indoors.” Scotty’s mouth turned down in a frown as he pulled at his beard. “This is the kind of weather that kills people.”
If only Beckett could be so lucky. Death was preferable to his miserable existence. Several times, he’d looked up at the tops of the buildings, thinking how easy it would be to just jump and end it all. He didn’t know what was keeping him here. Maybe it was cowardice. Even now, he craved life and the bottle. Maybe it was Jasmine. His heart clutched as he pushed the thoughts away. He no longer had a wife or daughter. He was a nobody.
With the blankets in hand, Beckett went out the door. After the warmth of the shelter, the night felt colder. He suppressed a shiver, forcing himself to embrace the cold as his feet worked through the snow. His first stop was a group of four men at a nearby park. They were sitting on the ground, huddled close together, their backs resting against a waist-high concrete wall.
“It’s Blanket Man,” an older man named Beaker exclaimed in a hoarse voice. No one went by their real names on the streets. They used names that fit the person’s personality or features. Beaker had a large, pitted nose. He held up a gnarly hand. “Join the party,” he said glibly. “It’s a little cold, but what can ya do?” He laughed at his own joke.
Slim Jim, sitting next to him, barked out a raspy smoker laugh, his thin shoulders shaking. “Yep, we’re having us a party.” He raised a hopeful eye to Beckett. “Got anything to drink?”
“Or a cigarette?” a young man with greasy hair and glassy eyes asked.
A pang shot through Beckett. The kid was a newcomer. He couldn’t be more than eighteen or nineteen years old. His face was gaunt, his eyes ringed in hollow circles. It seemed such a shame for him to be here, strung out on drugs. Even as the thought ran through his mind, Beckett laughed inwardly. He, of all people, had no room to judge. No one on the streets would ever imagine that he used to be an executive at one of the most prestigious financial advisory firms in Salt Lake. Out here, he was a scruffy drunk who delivered blankets to those who didn’t have the presence of mind to seek shelter when the temperatures plummeted. He didn’t really know why he felt compelled to go out night after night, delivering blankets. Maybe it was a form of atonement for his past sins. All he knew was that he couldn’t seem to rest until the blankets were handed out.
“Nope, sorry. I’m all out of both,” Beckett lied, “but I do come bearing gifts.” No way was he sharing his booze. He’d spent a full day cleaning trash out of a yard to earn the money to buy this bottle. He handed them each a blanket. “It’s supposed to be down in the single digits tonight,” he said, repeating Scotty’s words. “It might be wise to get to a shelter.” The cold seeped into his bones, making him feel sluggish.
Beaker waved a hand. “Nah, too crowded. We’ll be all right.”
The young man started singing a song about them being all right.
“Suit yourselves.” Beckett moved on to the next stop, passing out more blankets. He suspected that a few of the people were so far gone in their minds that they didn’t even realize they were cold. One man was holding an animated conversation with an imaginary person, laughing one second and shouting curses the next. Maybe Beckett would end up that way—not having a clue who he even was. When the blankets were gone he returned to the shelter, intent on making one more round before hunkering down for the night.
“Hey,” Scotty said, “you’re back.”
Beckett gave a curt nod of acknowledgement and went to the counter, picking up an armful of blankets.
Scotty touched his beard. “Uh, Beckett, before you head back out, there’s someone here to see you.”
Beckett frowned, hearing his own name. Not once, in all the times he’d come to this shelter to pick up blankets, had Scotty called him by his real name. Up until now, Beckett hadn’t even realized that Scotty knew his name. Suspicion stirred inside him. “Who is it?” he demanded. It had better not be his former boss! Jack Bisson had come lurking around once, about a month after Beckett had thrown in the towel. He urged Beckett to check himself into a rehab center, saying he’d even pay for the treatment. “Think of your wife and daughter,” Jack had said. “With Jasmine’s ankle in such bad shape, she needs you now more than ever.” Beckett laughed in his face, telling the pompous man in no uncertain terms exactly what he thought of him. Had Jack shown him an ounce of compassion when Beckett was working, instead of riding his case 24/7, Beckett might not have turned to alcohol. Then, he never would’ve been drinking the night he picked Jasmine up from her dance class, and he wouldn’t have had the car accident that shattered her ankle. Beckett balled his fist, squeezing the blankets. He’d refrained from punching Jack Bisson in the face the last time he showed up. This time, Bisson wouldn’t be so lucky. “Where’s Bisson?” he growled.
Scotty frowned. “I’m not sure who that is.” He scooted back his chair and stood, his eyes resting on the blankets in Beckett’s arms. “Maybe you should put those down and follow me.”
Reluctantly, Beckett complied. When they entered the large common room, Beckett scanned the crowd of people, packed like sardines into every available inch of floor space. When he saw them across the room, his breath froze in his throat. He couldn’t do it! His eyes narrowed as he spun around to Scotty. “What is this?”
Scotty held up a hand. “Your wife and daughter have gone to great lengths to find you. The least you can do is hear them out.” He lowered his voice. “I know your history, Beckett. That you’re a good man. You had a career, a wonderful family. That man is still in there. You just have to find him.”
Beckett let out a harsh laugh. “If I were a good man, my daughter wouldn’t be in a wheelchair.” Tears rose in his eyes as he cleared his throat and swallowed. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d dreamed of seeing Jasmine over the past few months. A hot anger coursed through his veins. Melinda had no right to bring Jasmine here. Maybe she wanted Jasmine to see firsthand how far her dad had fallen. Everything in him wanted to turn around and flee as far from here as he could get.
“Daddy!” Jasmine’s face lit up as she waved.
Too late to run. Beckett sighed in resignation as he forced his feet to move forward. When he reached them, he stood there awkwardly, at a loss for words. Melinda’s pinched face said it all—that he was an embarrassment. Melinda had always been concerned about social status and the image they portrayed to the world. He could only imagine what she must think of his ragged clothes, scraggly beard, grimy fingernails, his unwashed stench. He was a walking skeleton, a shadow of his former self.
Jasmine was beaming. She seemed oblivious to the change in him. “I’ve missed you so much.” She held out her hands for him to hug her. Beckett’s feet stayed rooted to the floor. He wanted to hug her, but life on the streets had hardened him to the point where personal contact seemed foreign. Finally, he patted her hand instead. She was soft, untouched by the ugliness of the streets.
“Good to see you, pretty girl.” His eyes settled on the cast, visible beneath her sweat pants. He hated himself in that moment, wished he could disappear into nothing. How dare Melinda bring Jasmine here! He wanted Jasmine to remember him as he was before. Not now, consumed by his vice. He glared at Melinda. “What’re you doing here?” Melinda looked thinner than he remembered, her face drawn and pale. It seemed like it had been another life when he’d loved her.
Melinda lifted her chin, a protective hand going over Jasmine’s shoulder. “I came here because of Jazzie,” she said stiffly. “It was her birthday wish.”
Jasmine gave him a searching look. “Come home with us, Daddy.” Her voice cracked. “Please.”
“For her sake,” Melinda added. “You need help.” Her jaw tightened. “It’s bad enough that Jasmine’s going through all the pain and suffering of her ankle. Must she lose her father too?” The words came out in short, angry bursts. She gave him a hard, resentful look. “You’re being selfish.”
Tears bubbled in Jasmine’s eyes, her lower lip trembling. “Please, Daddy, come home. We miss you.”
Selfish! Loser! Drunk! Beckett’s head felt like it was splitting in two. Oh, how he wished he could relive that dreadful night of the accident, that he could go back and nip the drinking in the bud before it turned into a hideous monster. He thought of the bottle beneath his coat, the need for a drink overwhelming. He hated this—loathed his weakness. Tears pooled in his eyes. Beckett Bradshaw was an illusion. There was nothing left of that man except pain and regret. “I’m sorry,” he uttered as he fled.
The last thing he heard before he darted out the door into the cold was Jazzie’s anguished cry. “Daddy!”


#FantasyforChristmas! Blood & Brute & Ginger Root by Melissa Wright

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Melissa Wright for
Days of Fantasy for Christmas

Blood & Brute & Ginger Root
(A Bad Medicine Novella)
By Melissa Wright
Paranormal
ebook, 121 Pages
July 21st 2019 by Melissa Wright

Diana Coulton doesn’t have time for love. She’s got Bad Medicine—the family herb & book shop—to take care of, not to mention her chaotic sisters and censorious cat. No matter what Diana might want, romance is on the back burner for this Coulton sister.

Until the night well-meaning Bernadette decides to fix all that. Bernie knows better. Magic used to spur romance has a tendency to go haywire, all witches know that. She’s going to have to stop it.

If she can only remember how.

Before long, the local fire marshal shows up on Diana’s front step. But he’s not there to inspect the shop. He’s been caught in Bernie’s spell, and worse, he doesn’t even believe magic exists. Miles tries to get away from Bad Medicine, but he’s bewitched, and providence is not on his side.

Forces of nature conspire to throw Miles and Diana together, and time is running out to cure the enchantment. If they can’t figure out how to undo the magic hexing them, Diana could lose everything. But if they do, she might lose Miles.


Excerpt

You did not focus intent. You did not point. It was far too dangerous, even for little girls.

From a grown witch of Bernie’s caliber, it could be deadly.

Diana stepped forward, crunching a wayward twig beneath her shoe. At the sound, a hundred moths took flight, coming from under shelves and out of foliage in a swarm of wings and dust. They’d transformed, in a matter of hours, and fluttered like a moving cloud through the shop, circling Diana where she stood before shifting and coursing toward the open front door. They swarmed closer together, a dark mass, and then disappeared into the night.

How had it become night already?

Belle followed the path of the moths, swinging wide past Bernie to slam the front door closed and drive home the locks.

She turned, and each of them stared at the man at Bernie’s feet.

Diana inched closer, and finally, when she felt brave enough, squatted beside the body. He had a handsome face, but his chin was a little scruffy and shadows ringed his eyes. She wondered what the spell had wrought on him. She reached gingerly toward his jacket, pinching the edge of it between the tips of two fingers, and flipped it to the side.

She sucked in a breath and stood straight up, nearly knocking Bernie off balance where she waited leaned-in to see what Diana might find.

Staring back at them was an embroidered badge that read Fire Marshal.

Diana groaned, suddenly sick. “No,” she whispered. “No, no, no!” Her eyes found Belle, pleading. “This has got to be Abby’s doing. She hates us! She sent him to find a reason to shut us down and now we’ve…” She gestured helplessly toward the body on the floor. Her arms came in again to wrap around her middle. “This is going to cost us our business license.”

Belle’s lips pursed, shifted sideways as she tilted her head. She nudged the body with the toe of her boot. “I don’t know. I mean, if she hates you so much why did she send you a hunky fireman?”

Diana’s fisted hands snapped down at her sides. “He’s not a fireman!” She took a breath through her teeth. “This isn’t a joke. He is a fire marshal. As in, enforcing code.” She took a sudden step back, hand flying over her mouth. Her sisters were staring at her, so she let her fingers curl slowly into her palm to whisper, “Are caterpillars against code?”

Belle sighed, waving her hands. “Okay, let’s all just take a second to regroup.”

Leave it to Belle to have the clear conscience and level head when they’d just killed a man.

“He’s not dead,” Belle said.

Diana’s gaze snapped to hers.

“All I’m saying, is it will all be okay. We have done nothing illegal thus far.”

Bernie snorted. “Thus far.”

Belle shrugged. “Look, I’m not going to rule anything out. But we need to have a plan and panic will get us nowhere.” She looked at Bernie. “What was your intent?”

“Stop. That was basically all I had time to think.”

Belle nodded. “Great. So, nothing permanent.”

Bernie bit her lip, unsure.

Belle rubbed her face, took hold of Diana’s shaking hands. “Tea. Tea first, then a plan.”

About the Author

Melissa is the author of the Frey Saga, Descendants Series, and KING OF ASH AND BONE. She is currently working on the next book, but when not writing can be spotted collecting the things she loves at Goodreads and Pinterest. Contact her through the web at www.melissa-wright.com or follow her blog at authormelissawright.blogspot.com.

For info on contests and new releases, sign up for the newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/zbisj.


Tour Schedule
(Links won't work until the posts go live.)

December 1st: Launch
December 2nd: Gillian Bronte Adams - The Songkeeper Chronicles
December 3rd: Morgan L. Busse - Mark of the Raven
December 4thEvangeline Denmark - Curio
December 5th: Kate Avery Ellison - A Gift of Poison
December 6th: J.M. Hackman - Spark
December 7th: Ronie Kendig - Embers
December 8th: C.E. Laureano - Oath of the Brotherhood
December 9th: Belle Malory - The Twelfth Keeper
December 10th: Melissa McShane - Voyager of the Crown
December 11th: J. Ellen Ross - The Remembered Queen
December 12th: Jennifer Silverwood - Silver Hollow
December 13th: Melissa Wright - Blood & Brute & Ginger Root
December 14th: Morgan Wylie - The Age of Alandria Series
December 15th: Grand Finale

Tour Giveaway


Grand Prize #1: Winner will receive a FIRE HD 8 TABLET along with the following ebooks (open to those who are eligible for the Fire Tablet in their area can receive Kindle gifted copies of ebooks):
- CURIO, MARK OF BLOOD and ALCHEMY (The Curio Prequel), and THE ICE CHILD (a holiday novelette) by Evangeline Denmark
- A GIFT OF POISON by Kate Avery Ellison
- THE TWELFTH KEEPER by Belle Malory
- SERVANT O THE CROWN or VOYAGER OF THE CROWN (winner's choice) by Melissa McShane
- THE REMEMBERED QUEEN by J. Ellen Ross
- SILVER HOLLOW by Jennifer Silverwood
- THE FREY SAGA (Books 1-3) ebook box set by Melissa Wright

Grand Prize #2: Winner will receive the following print books (open to continental US residents):
- ORPHAN'S SONG by Gillian Bronte Adams
- MARK OF THE RAVEN by Morgan L. Busse
- SPARK by J.M. Hackman
- ABIASSA'S FIRE 3-book collection by Ronie Kendig
- The complete set of SONG OF SEARE TRILOGY by C.E. Laureano
- SILENT ORCHIDS by Morgan Wylie

Ends December 19, 2018





Wednesday, December 12, 2018

12 Days of Clean Romance: Author Rebecca Connolly & Giveaway

 

 https://amzn.to/2QLjgUo  

The Spinster and I by Rebecca Connolly  

Poor, unfortunate Spinster... 

Prudence Westfall, spinster, has unexpectedly had the greatest misfortune of all: she has inherited a fortune, and is now an heiress. But as a Spinster, and a stammering shy one, nothing could be worse than having a bevy of suitors pay her attention. Opportunity strikes at a house party when the most unlikely person offers the perfect solution. Camden Vale is no gentleman, and he’s not prone to saving anyone, but something about Prue changes all that. When his offer to befriend her extends beyond the house party, and his feelings extend beyond expectation, no one is more surprised than he. Except, perhaps, for the other Spinsters, and they have much to say on the subject. 

    

“Didn’t you hear how they flattered me? You said yourself, men lie through their teeth.” 

He hissed, and she looked over at him only to see him shaking his head. “Prue, I didn’t mean… Sometimes we are sincere. Sometimes we do mean everything we say. And you should like it and take it as a compliment.” 

Prue smiled a very tight, thin smile. “They never have before, so I have no taste for it.” She exhaled and looked back into the ballroom, clasping her hands before her. “I just wish to be left alone.” 

“Well,” he sighed, “then we have another problem.” 

She looked up at him wryly. “And that is?” 

He shrugged, something new in his dark eyes. “I don’t think I can leave you alone.” He stared at her for a long moment, his hand stilled on her back, and added, “I know I can’t.” 

Her head tilted in a question. “Why not?” 

 “Because I see you,” he admitted with a rawness she did not anticipate. “And I like what I see.”



      

You know we say "a good clean book" to indicate, yes there is no sex, no obscenities and very little kissing but a good read nonetheless? There is no "nonetheless" here. It is a good book without qualification. Nothing was missing. Prue was a character who faced serious debilitating problems communicating with others and villainous family members and Cam, who fought his own demons, helped her as she helped him. Her blossoming was realistic and touching. The writing was good and the treatment of characters and flaws sensitive and well developed. A good read. 

Rebecca Connolly creates vivid characters who want to fight for, to laugh and cry with. Sweet and breathtakingly romantic. I read this book in kindle unlimited, but now I'm going back to purchase it. I really like Ms. Connolly's books! 

I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Prue and Cam. They appear to be complete opposites but they truly are wonderful for each other. I especially love how they helped each other heal without even trying or realizing. And of course, I love both Prue and Cam's friends. So much loyalty. A wonderful clean read for a hopeless romantic like myself. The next book can't come soon enough! Thank you for another enjoyable read Rebecca Connolly, I needed this escape! 


       

   

Author Rebecca Connolly 


Rebecca Connolly writes romances, both period and contemporary, because she absolutely loves a good love story. She has been creating stories since childhood, and there are home videos to prove it! She started writing them down in elementary school and has never looked back. She currently lives in the Midwest, spends every spare moment away from her day job absorbed in her writing, and is a hot cocoa addict. 
   
  

       




Giveaway Details $25 Amazon Gift Code or $25 in PayPal Cash Ends 1/6/19 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner may be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, BookBub, Instagram, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader & Clean Wholesome Romance and is sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.   





Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: Silent Days, Holy Night by Phyllis Clark Nichols


Silent Days Holy Night blog tour

Let's all get in the mood for Christmas with this blog tour and giveaway for Silent Days, Holy Night by Phyllis Clark Nichols, hosted by JustRead Tours.

ABOUT THE BOOK

silent days, holy night Title: Silent Days, Holy Night  
Author: Phyllis Clark Nichols  
Publisher: Gilead Publishing  
Release Date: October 30, 2018  
Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction/Christmas  

The sounds of Christmases past echo through a silent house...  

Everyone in town knows Emerald Crest, the green granite mansion atop the highest hill: the legendary, lavish Christmas festivities that used to light up the nights— and the silence that followed when the parties abruptly stopped many years ago. And everyone has heard whispers about the reclusive, mysterious master of the manor, Henry Lafferty the Second . . .

When eleven-year-old Julia Russell steps into the great house for the first time and meets Mr. Lafferty, the entire course of her life is altered. She meets a man who is nothing at all like the rumors she’s heard from neighbors and classmates. He’s kind and extraordinarily talented—he also happens to be deaf and uses a wheelchair. And when she overhears a secret about him, Julia decides it’s time for the town to bring Christmas back to Emerald Crest—an act that will change them all forever.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | CBD | Book Depository

EXCERPT

H hung up. I looked at the clock. 6:38. I ran to the garage. “Dad, H just called.” I forgot I wasn’t supposed to call him that. “You must go, and you have to get there fast. He used all capital letters.”

“What? Julia, slow down.” Dad came down the attic stairs.

“It’s another broken window, and Mr. Lafferty wants you to come right now.”

“How do you know this?” Dad shuffled the rest of the bins out of the pathway to the mudroom. “Oh, yes, the TTY. I forgot.”

“He just called. He said Mr. Hornsby was chasing two guys. He watched them from the window.”

“Two. One is vandalism. Two? That’s trouble.” Dad looked at Mom. “Could you get me the key to the mansion? It’s in my top right-hand desk drawer, and it’s labeled.” Then he looked at Jackson. “Son, get your heavy jacket. You’re going with me.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll get the big flashlight from the gun closet. You want me to get my gun?” “No. Don’t need to shoot anybody over a broken window. Just the light, and let’s get going.” Dad looked at me. “Did Mr. Lafferty say anything else?”

“No, sir, just to get there as soon as you can.” I followed Dad inside.

“I’m getting my jacket too.”

“No, you’re not. You’re staying here with your mom.” Dad grabbed his heavy coat and gloves.

“But Mr. Lafferty’s my friend, and Jackson doesn’t even know him. I can make him feel okay. And besides, you can’t even communicate with him.”

“Not happening, Julia. You’ll be more help here talking to him on the TTY. Come on, Jackson.”

Mom returned with the key. Dad and Jackson were in the truck and out of the garage in less than three minutes.   



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Phyllis-Publicity750x1000

Phyllis Clark Nichols’s character-driven Southern fiction explores profound human questions using the imagined residents of small town communities you just know you’ve visited before. With a strong faith and a love for nature, art, music, and ordinary people, she tells redemptive tales of loss and recovery, estrangement and connection, longing and fulfillment . . . often through surprisingly serendipitous events.

Phyllis grew up in the deep shade of magnolia trees in South Georgia. Born during a hurricane, she is no stranger to the winds of change: In addition to her life as a novelist, Phyllis is a seminary graduate, concert pianist, and cofounder of a national cable network with health- and disability-related programming. Regardless of the role she’s playing, Phyllis brings creativity and compelling storytelling.

She frequently appears at conventions, conferences, civic groups, and churches, performing half-hour musical monologues that express her faith, joy, and thoughts about life—all with the homespun humor and gentility of a true Southern woman.

Phyllis currently serves on several nonprofit boards. She lives in the Texas Hill Country with her portrait-artist husband.  

CONNECT WITH PHYLLIS: website | Facebook | Twitter

silent days, holy night giveaway

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive (US only):
  • a print copy of Silent Days, Holy Night by Phyllis Clark Nichols
  • a print copy of Sleigh Bells Ring by various authors
Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight December 10, 2018 and last through 11:59pm December 17, 2018. US only. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
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Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Review: Wait For Me by Susan May Warren



The sixth book in the Montana Rescue series

https://amzn.to/2QIbAzm

My Rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

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Synopsis

Pete Brooks can't believe he's waited an entire year for Jess Tagg to return to Montana, only to have her break his heart by getting engaged to her ex-fiancé. Worse, a series of mistakes on the job have cost lives, and Pete isn't sure he wants to continue to work in Search and Rescue. Maybe if he can just get over Jess, he can figure out how to move forward.

EMT Jess Tagg has returned to Montana to finally give her heart to Pete, but it seems he's no longer interested. When a terrible fight between them sparks an impulsive decision, she finds herself crashed on the side of a highway along with Esme Shaw. And just when she thinks things couldn't get any worse, she and Esme are taken captive and into the untamed Montana wilderness--with murderous intent.

Now Pete and the other PEAK Rescue Team members are in a race against time, the elements, and the actions of a vengeful man. Pete will have to use everything he's learned to find Jess and Esme--and pray that his past mistakes don't cost him the life of the woman he can't stop loving.


My Review

I have a horrible habit of putting off reading the last book in a series I've loved because then that would mean there are no more books to look forward to. Completely irrational, since I know the author has another exciting series coming. All the books have been full of adventure, action, and angst, and this one is no different. Pete and Jess have provided some of the relationship drama in the previous books, and it was satisfying for them to finally grow, communicate, and have a resolution. They had quite the build-up! There is also a romance between Esme/Shea and a young man she met in the previous book, which gave us a nice break from the Pete and Jess drama. The murder case involving Esme's friend also comes to an end with the unexpected villain made known and it brought the elements of suspense and danger to the plot. It was nice to have everything wrapped up, and I'm ready for some fresh love stories from the author!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)