THE MISTLETOE FAVOR - Jill Kemerer - One Free Book

Welcome, Jill. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters. Honestly, very little. My characters seem to have a life of their own. Sometimes I wish I had some of their qualities! But my outlook on life and personal experiences flavor every book.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? The quirkiest, huh? Probably singing Frank Sinatra karaoke in the middle of a mall in Guadalajara, Mexico, when I was a teenager.

James and I love Guadalajara. When did you first discover that you were a writer? I’ve always loved to read, and I wrote short books and even a magazine when I was a kid. But I didn’t discover novel writing until I was twenty years old. I’d just finished reading a romance novel, and I threw it across the room, yelling, “I could write better than that!” So I did.

I grabbed a spiral notebook and a pen and started writing a romance the way I thought it should go. By page 22, I had nothing left to write! It occurred to me there wasn’t much to say when your characters had no problems. But the writing bug was in me at that point, and it never left.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. I love reading! I read a ton of romance novels, nonfiction, memoirs, fantasy novels, classics, women’s fiction, some romantic suspense and historical fiction. I like to mix it up.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world? I don’t. Ha-ha! No, really, I force myself to keep business hours, or I’d work all the time. Basically, I leave my home office no later than 6pm and take weekends off.

I also start every day with a journal and my Bible. It sets the tone for the day and is such a relief to know God’s right there with me.

Other things that help? I keep my phone on silent all day and only allow notifications on two apps. Plus, I spend very little time on social media anymore. I need to check in more often, but I find the more I’m away, the less I miss it.

How do you choose your characters’ names? I keep a running list of names for men and women. Whenever I hear an unusual name, I add it to the list. Then, when I’m starting a new book, I think about the character and a name usually just jumps out to me as being a good fit.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of? On a professional level, I’m most proud of my first contract with Love Inspired. I’d written ten books (some category length, some trade length), and I’d been trying to get published for seven years. I was ready to quit. But God blessed me with that contract, and I’m so thankful for it!

It took me 8 years to get my first book contract. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why? A cat, for sure. They love naps, cuddle on their terms, don’t need a ton of attention and they’re curious.

What is your favorite food? Ooh, that’s a hard one. I love pizza and lasagna and caramels. Does coffee count, too? I love coffee!

I heard recently that coffee has things in it that are good for you, so I guess it is a food. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it? The mental game was—and is—my greatest roadblock. It’s hard to write day in and day out when you have no guarantees the book will get published (for books that aren’t under contract). It’s easy to doubt my voice and plot direction, too. I have to constantly trust God with my writing.

Tell us about the featured book. Well, it’s a Christmas book! The Mistletoe Favor is part of my Wyoming Ranchers series. It features rancher, Mac Tolbert, and Bridget Renna, the city girl who is new to Sunrise Bend. Here’s the back cover copy:

It will take one special cowboy To make this season bright.

After gaining guardianship of his half sister, wealthy rancher Mac Tolbert hopes a part-time job during the holidays will help the grieving teenager. New coffee shop owner Bridget Renna has been on her own since sixteen and is immediately drawn to the shy orphan—and her handsome brother. But as Bridget grows closer to the siblings, will her troubled past ruin their chance at a Christmas together?

Please give us the first page of the book.

What was the point of being rich if he couldn’t make Kaylee happy?

Mac Tolbert parked his truck on Main Street in Sunrise Bend, Wyoming. As his feet hit the pavement, he inhaled the crisp, autumn air. The downtown looked like it had been invaded by pumpkins and bales of straw. Soon they’d be replaced with Christmas lights and wreaths.

He strode toward the new storefront everyone around town was buzzing about. The window had fancy gold lettering that spelled out Brewed Awakening. After months without a coffee shop, the locals were ready for the grand opening next week. It had been a no-brainer for Mac to lease the building, including the apartment above, to Bridget Renna. Any friend of Sawyer Roth’s was a friend of his, and Bridget had plenty of experience managing a coffee shop in New York City.

Although they’d only met briefly at Sawyer’s wedding this summer, Mac had a favor to ask of Bridget, and he was more than willing to make it worth her while. He just prayed it would get his little sister, Kaylee, out of her funk.

How can readers find you on the Internet? Readers can find me at my website, jillkemerer.com, on Facebook, Instagram and Goodreads.

Thank you, Lena, for having me today!

It’s my pleasure featuring you.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

http://ow.ly/mYH550L76UP

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com 

WINNERS

IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners  - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you don't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY.

Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win.

Melissa (TN) is the winner of Jeanette's Gift by Blossom Turner. 

Abigail (OK) is the winner of Crossfire by Lynette Eason.

If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. Reviews are such a blessing to an author.

Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... and this blog. Thank you.

Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

If you won an ebook or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to. Remember, you have 2 weeks to claim your book. 

DECEPTION - Patricia Bradley - One Free Book

Welcome back, Patricia. Can you please provide a brief summary of your new novel, Deception? After being forced to kill an FBI agent gone rogue in self-defense while working the violent crimes unit for the Investigative Services Branch, ISB ranger Madison Thorn is comfortable with her move to the fraud and cyber division. At least numbers don’t lie. So she’s less than thrilled when a white crime investigation in Natchez, Mississippi, turns violent. She could also do without being forced to work with former-childhood-enemy-turned-infuriatingly-handsome park ranger Clayton Bradshaw.

When a woman who looks just like Madison is attacked on the same night Madison’s grandfather is shot, it becomes clear that there is something much bigger going on here and that Madison herself is in danger. Madison and Clayton will have to work together—and suppress their growing feelings for one another—if they are to discover the truth before it’s too late.

What can you tell us about Madison and her professional background? Madison has always liked to solve puzzles, and until a colleague almost kills her, she loved digging into a case and finding the clues that put the bad guys away. But she’s good with numbers and goes after fraud cases with the same tenacity as she did murder cases.

Madison and Clayton have a history. Can you elaborate on why their relationship is complicated? Madison doesn’t trust men, partly because her adoptive father was always so aloof and she never felt he loved her. And then there was Chad Turner, who professed to love her but only used her to try and get his son back. The only positive male role model she has is her grandfather, Judge William Anderson.

She knew Clayton from when she would visit her grandfather every summer as a child, but he always seemed to be in cahoots with her bullying cousins. When they meet again, she doesn’t have a very high opinion of him.

Clayton Bradshaw is a recovering gambler and ladies’ man. But he’s a changed man when he meets Madison again, and even though he’s attracted to her, he holds back because he’s made a commitment not to have causal relationships.

What inspired the idea for this series? I’ve always wanted to be a park ranger, and I love the Natchez Trace and the town of Natchez. Writing this series has given me the fun of living that dream.

What makes this series stand out from the other books you’ve written? While I think all of my series are good, I learn something from each one that makes the next one better. Learning about the Natchez Trace Park rangers and Investigative Service Branch rangers has made this series different. I like the unexpected twists I’ve come up with for each book in the series.

What do you hope readers will gain from reading Deception? I hope readers see how unforgiveness poisons but forgiveness heals. When you need to forgive someone, you can hold on to unforgiveness and thoughts of revenge, or you can forgive and get on with your life.

What are you working on next? I’m starting a new series set in the Cumberland Plateau near Chattanooga. It will feature a female sheriff, a chief of police who wanted the sheriff’s job, and a mayor who wants tourists to discover the small town of Pearl Creek, Tennessee. This is not the wish of Apacola County Sheriff Alexandra (Alex) Stone or Police Chief Sean Landry. And when two murders happen shortly after Alex takes office, she determines that a serial killer has followed her to Pearl Creek.

How can readers connect with you? I have a blog that I post on twice a week—Tuesdays (Mystery Question Day) and Fridays (Book Review Day). And I love to connect with readers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and I’m starting a Pinterest board for the Pearl Creek series and the characters in the stories.

Website https://ptbradley.com/

Blog https://ptbradley.com/blog/

Facebook www.facebook.com/patriciabradleyauthor

Twitter https://twitter.com/PTBradley1

Amazon https://amzn.to/2S6DKGY

Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/patricia-bradley

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7789445.Patricia_Bradley

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ptbradley1/

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/ptbradley/

Thank you, Patricia, for sharing this new book with my blog readers and me. I love reading your stories.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

http://ow.ly/PFHN50L3qjO

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com 

A FATHER'S GIFT - Paula Peckham - One Free Book

Welcome back, Paula. Why do you write the kind of books you do? My talent for writing, such as it is, is a gift from God, and I want to honor Him in what I write. So I chose to write Christian fiction. I write historical because I love learning about the past. And I write romance because I wanted to share an honest depiction of what love is like. Being a Christian doesn’t automatically mean there are no problems in your life. My characters to show how they deal with the issues life throws their way, but do it with God’s help.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life? That’s a hard question to answer. Maybe the birthdays of my children. Maybe the day I married John. Maybe the day my mother told us she did NOT, in fact, have cancer after all.

How has being published changed your life? I have more self-confidence as a writer now. To have someone in the industry tell me she thought my work was good enough to publish made it all feel real. It also gave me the confidence to feel I’m good enough to help others, even though I’m still learning so much myself.

That’s good. I learned that  wherever we are in our writing career, we should be learning from those who’ve walked longer in this journey, and we should be helping those who haven’t gone as far as we  have. What are you reading right now? A book written by a good friend of mine. It’s historical, and it’s magical realism. The book is titled River Witch, written by Cheryl Burman.

What is your current work in progress? Book three in my San Antonio series. It’s titled Accepted, and it tells the story of Jonathan, Manny’s best friend from Protected. It also includes a historical fact that, so far, 100% of the people I tell about it have not known.

I love learning historical facts. What would be your dream vacation? I love the ocean and I love scuba diving. I want to spend a month in Greece.

How do you choose your settings for each book? For the next little while, my setting will be San Antonio, because that is where my series is set. After that, we’ll see. It will undoubtedly be somewhere in Texas though.

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why? Sting. He is a poet, and I’d love to hear how he creates. I love music as much as I love reading, and I’m a huge fan. Also, I think Sting is a Christian. Like Bono, of U2, Sting writes lyrics that might not be obviously Christian to the casual listener.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading? I like to cross-stitch. I’m not artistically talented at all, and creating a cross-stitch design is the closest thing I can come to making art. I’d also love to learn how to quilt.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it? Staying disciplined about a writing schedule. There is so much other stuff to do when you write: marketing, editing, research, promoting, learning. I’m easily distracted.

What advice would you give to a beginning author? Find a critique group. Follow writers on social media. Take their recommendations about best books to read on learning the craft. Never stop learning how to be a better writer.

Tell us about the featured book. A Father’s Gift was originally published in a Christmas anthology titled Christmas Love Through the Ages. It continues the story of Abby and Manny from Protected. I asked my publisher if she’d be interested in reading it, and she liked it. So we added it to the series. When I originally started writing it, the third character in the book, Gabe, was going to be patterned from the angel Gabriel who announced the birth of Christ. Things quickly went sideways, as they tend to do, and the book morphed into something completely different. That’s always fun.

Please give us the first page of the book.

San Antonio, Texas, 1864

“Let’s go, boys. Time to head home.” Manny climbed onto the seat and slapped the reins against the backs of the long-suffering oxen. The wagon groaned, the wheels pressing deep ruts into the ground. He glanced behind him.

Maybe I got carried away.

He’d cut down some small trees where the creek ran parallel to the road in front of his property. He loaded the last of the cut wood, wiping sweat from his brow despite the chill in the early December air. His list of chores before the baby came just decreased by one. They would have plenty of fuel for warmth or cooking once his son arrived.

Enough wood to last two winters filled the bed of the wagon. He shrugged. Being prepared was a good thing.

Excitement and unease competed in his chest, the same as he’d felt when Dr. Simpson confirmed Abby’s hunch. Her pregnancy was a dream come true. But this dream dragged thunderclouds behind it. Manny swallowed the discomfort that sprang to mind every time he thought of the impending birth. He had little experience with fatherhood, none with babies.

His dad had disappeared. At the age of five, Manny didn’t understand why it had happened. He only knew his father never came home. Card games were more important to Mark Blair than his family. That wouldn’t happen with his son. He’d be there.

How can readers find you on the Internet? I have an author page on Facebook, Paula Peckham, Author. I have a website where I blog – www.paulapeckham.com. I’m on Twitter and Instagram, and occasionally I post on TikTok.

Thank you, Paula, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I absolutely love your writing.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

http://ow.ly/FJZb50L29RH

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com 

A HEART'S RESCUE - Release Day - Lena Nelson Dooley

It's Release Day!

I'm so excited to share this Wild Heart release with you! I hope you'll check out this historical romance by award-winning Lena Nelson Dooley!

A Heart's Rescue (Love's Road Home Book 4) is now available!

He’s been tasked to protect her, but his heart has become far too involved.   Angelina de la Fuente Delgado, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is on her way home from a trip to Spain when her ship is attacked by pirates. The brigands capture her and her aunt and steal all the merchandise on the ship. After forcing most of the crew to walk the plank, they sink the vessel into the Atlantic. Brian O'Doule was sent by Angelina’s father to protect her, but keeping her safe among the dangers of the sea is as hard as concealing his love that’s been growing for years. When they’re kidnapped by pirates, he does everything in his power to protect the women and to find a way for them all to escape. Will Angelina ever see her home and her beloved father again? Or will she be forced to marry the fierce pirate captain?

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON

APPLE

KOBO

BARNES & NOBLE

I hope you'll check out this book!! Misty and Wild Heart Books

 

WINNERS

IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners  - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you don't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY.

Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win.

Perrianne (TX) is the winner of The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold. 

Sharon (SC) is the winner of Protected by Paula Peckham.

If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. Reviews are such a blessing to an author.

Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... and this blog. Thank you.

Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

If you won an ebook or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to. Remember, you have 2 weeks to claim your book.  

CROSSFIRE - Lynette Eason - One Free Book

Welcome back, Lynette. Crossfire is the second book in your Extreme Measures series. What is the connecting element for all the books in this series? The books are all connected by the four female protagonists. They met as teenagers in juvie.

Your female protagonist, Julianna Jones, is a hostage negotiator. What event from Julianna’s past influenced her desire to work in this field? Julianna survived a school shooting where one of her best friends was killed. She couldn’t talk the shooter down and vowed to make sure she could help anyone ever caught in the same situation.

Clay Fox, your male protagonist, is working as a high school resource officer. But his skill set is far more in depth. Can you please explain his background and how that comes into play in Crossfire? Clay used to be a sniper in the Army. He’s was Special Forces, but after a betrayal that resulted in the death of an innocent man, he found himself unable to pull the trigger. He left the Army to take a position as a school resource officer while he figures out what the future holds for him.

What do you hope readers will gain from reading Crossfire? I hope they will be thoroughly entertained and that the characters will resonate in some way with them.

What do you love most about writing novels in the romantic suspense genre? I love that there’s always a happy ending. I love that the characters work hard to overcome adversity, learn something about themselves, fight for justice, and fall in love. In other words, I can’t pick just one thing that I love about the genre!

What are you working on next? I’m currently working on the third book in the Extreme Measure series.

How can readers connect with you? I’m on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lynette.eason and Twitter at @lyentteeason and Instagram at @lynetteeason.

Thank you, Lynette, for sharing this new book with my blog readers. I love reading your romantic suspense novels.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

http://ow.ly/mUYu50KX8yW

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com 

JEANETTE'S GIFT - Blossom Turner - One Freebook

Bio: Blossom Turner is a freelance writer published in Chicken Soup and Kernels of Hope anthologies, former newspaper columnist on health and fitness, an avid blogger and published novelist of the Word Guild semi-finalist Anna’s Secret. However, she has found her home in the writing of historical fiction. The power of love and romance is authentically woven into the Shenandoah Bride Series about five sisters and their love stories. She and her husband, David, have two grown children and live in beautiful British Columbia, Canada.

Author Links:

https://blossomturner.com

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/blossom-turner

https://www.facebook.com/BlossomTurnerAuthor/

http://twitter.com/blossomhoneybee

Welcome, Blossom. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters. In this last book of the Shenandoah Brides series, Jeanette’s Gift, I would have to say I wrote myself into the book more than any of the others. This book in particular is near and dear to my heart because it deals with the age-old problem of feeling inadequate and struggling with low self-worth. So many women battle to feel good about themselves, as I did. I pray through the character of Jeanette that God’s message on how to overcome in this area will shine bright and resonate with the reader, for His truth is ever timeless.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? Hmm, let me think. I’ve jumped out of a plane skydiving tandem with a guy who said, “good thing I’m not feeling suicidal today” just before we jumped. Is that quirky or just crazy?

Maybe a little of both. When did you first discover that you were a writer? I have always enjoyed journaling, playing with poetry, and working with the wonder of words, but I did not discover the adventure of writing and the depth of my imagination until I was slowed down by sickness in my forties. Out of sheer boredom my writing career sprouted wings and took flight.

Actually, I started writing books in my 40s, too. Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. I enjoy the Bible and reading commentaries on the history and profound multi-faceted meanings found within its pages.

I love clean romance with the same kind of spice the Song of Solomon exemplifies.

A good mystery with a splash of romance is always enjoyed.

Poetry

Chicken Soup short stories

June Cotner’s anthologies of quotable quotes.

And anything that makes me laugh. Phil Callaway tickles my funny bone.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world? Spending time with Jesus grounds me. I notice on the days I think I’m too busy for my devotions how scattered my day goes. I have this little reminder I tell myself. “Spending time with Jesus, saves scattered, schizo, stormy moments of self-inflicted chaos.”

How do you choose your characters’ names? For my historical romance I often go on-line and read documents written during that time period to find the names most readily used. But my hero and heroine must have names I absolutely love regardless of the time period.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of? Loving my family well.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

I would be a dog. They are fun-loving, always up for a walk, and get to sleep lots.

What is your favorite food? Bread…all types with fresh butter.

I love bread fresh out of the oven when the butter melts quickly. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it? Finding time is the greatest roadblock. I had to quit a well-paying job to make the time to write.

Tell us about the featured book. The theme of the featured book, Jeanette’s Gift, is near and dear to my heart. I write each book with a message of hope. My desire is to share an authentic walk with Christ through the characters of my book, all the while maintaining an entertaining read. This fifth in the Shenandoah Valley Series is special because the struggle of having good self-worth seems to be an area in which Satan attacks women on a large scale. No matter how beautiful they are on the inside, the outside seems to trump the narrative. It took me many years and traveling a very hard road to come to the place where I see myself the way Christ does…fearfully and wonderfully made. I pray this message through the enjoyment of a love story will speak into the hearts of women and they will find the beauty that lies within them.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Spring 1881 Shenandoah Valley

Jeanette Williams’s body wilted and sagged, pulling her thin shoulders forward. Twenty-nine felt like ninety-nine. Until this birthday, Jeanette had held a smidgeon of optimism that she would someday marry and have a family of her own. All hope was gone. God had somehow forgotten her. The cheery frosted cake that sat on the table seemed to mock her dreary existence.

“Auntie Jeanette?” Her four-year-old niece, Geena, pulled on her hand. “Can I help you blow out the candles?”

The child could extinguish them all for all Jeanette cared. At her nod, Geena jumped up and down and smiled, the mirror image of her raven-haired, blue-eyed mama, Katherine. Seemed everyone from the youngest to the oldest was attractive—except Jeanette.

“Not until it’s time, Geena,” Colby said. “So quit bothering your auntie.”

Jeanette glanced at the child’s father before she lifted Geena into her arms. “You’re not a bother, are you pumpkin?”

Geena wrapped her chubby arms around Jeanette’s neck and pressed in a hug. An ache rose within. Oh, how she wanted one of these little ones of her own.

She gazed around Katherine’s parlour at those trying their best to give her a birthday celebration and forced a smile. Tears bit behind her lids, and she pushed her glasses higher on her nose glad she could hide behind Geena to conceal the watery flow. Present were Pa, Katherine and Colby and their brood of kids, Lucinda and Joseph with their family, and Gracie and Matthew visiting from Richmond with their four-month-old baby. Despite being surrounded by those she loved most, Jeanette’s throat constricted to an impossible ache, and acute loneliness crushed in. She stooped down to let the squirming Geena go and stood with her shoulders squared. She best get used to spinster‐ hood. She had a lot of living yet to do. Didn’t she?

How can readers find you on the Internet? Readers are welcome to go to https://blossomturner.com/ and sign up for my monthly newsletter. I also love to communicate one on one with my readers and have a section under contact at https://blossomturner.com/contact to discuss any topic that is important to them.

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SM85TRR

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jeanettes-gift-blossom-turner/1141015588?ean=2940166241412

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/jeanette-s-gift

https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1610447357

Thank you, Blossom, for sharing Jeanette’s story with my blog readers and me.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

WINNERS

IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners  - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you don't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY.

Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win.

ptclayton (IA) is the winner of Forgotten Memories by Penny Zeller.

Maryann (NY) is the winner of Sea Glass Cottage by Irene Hannon. 

Anne (NM) is the winner of Elysium Tide by James R Hannibal.

If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. Reviews are such a blessing to an author.

Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... and this blog. Thank you.

Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

If you won an ebook or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to. Remember, you have 2 weeks to claim your book.