CHARISSE by Fay Lamb

Contemporary Romance

Charisse Wellman’s husband has been gone a year, and she’s about to lose the only home her son, V.J., has ever known. She’s quit law school but the money just isn’t there. Her only option is to work as a law clerk for her ex-friend, Gideon Tabor. The only problem: Gideon is the judge who let her husband’s killer go free, and Gideon doesn’t know the connection.

Gideon Tabor can’t believe that the woman interviewing for the job is the girl he loved in high school. Charisse is hesitant about accepting his job offer, and when she does, Gideon makes every attempt to apologize for his relationship-ending blunder in high school. Charisse accepts his apology, but she keeps him at a distance. When Gideon learns that Charisse’s anger actually stems from his release of the man who ran down her husband, he tries to explain, but Charisse doesn’t want Gideon’s excuses or the love he has to offer. She wants her husband’s killer to pay.

EXCERPT:

Charisse stepped forward, peering around the corner. An unexpected sight drew her into the room like a chance glimpse at a beautiful painting.

Gideon and V.J. were sprawled on the floor with a large sketch board and the cars and trucks used in courtroom testimony to depict accident scenes. Together, they’d created a city of streets and buildings, and on the roads they rolled the miniature vehicles. V.J. laughed and rolled in hysterics as Gideon’s car hit the drawing of a tree and flipped over, complete with Gideon’s dramatic sound effects.

Charisse had to turn away. Her heart raced. With eyes closed, she took a steadying breath. V.J. didn’t see his father die. Gideon’s antics wouldn’t hurt her son.

Not the way they cut into her soul.

She concentrated on V.J.’s continued laughter and then Gideon’s chuckle, but still, she could not face them.

“There’s your mommy,” Gideon said.

Another deep breath and Charisse turned.

V.J.’s laughter stopped and only a trace of his carefree happiness remained. “Mommy, do we have to go now?”

“In a few minutes.”

“Judge Tabor?” He turned his attention to his new playmate.

Gideon stretched. “Yeah, Veej.”

Charisse shook her head. He’d started calling V.J. by that name on Saturday. A fallback from his football days when the players gave each other nicknames, she guessed

“We have show-and-tell day at school. We can bring a person, a place, or a thing. Will you come tomorrow as my person?” V.J. picked up the cars.

Gid packed them away and lifted the sketchpad, tearing off the drawing. “Mind if I keep it here for your next visit?” He snatched tape from the roller on this desk and stuck the drawing on his wall with his diplomas and certificates.

She wished with all her heart he hadn’t pasted it there where she would see it each day.

“I can come back?” V.J. spun toward Charisse.

She wrenched her gaze from the drawing and shrugged.

“Whenever you want, but next time no missing school, okay?” Gid moved to the personal calendar he kept and flipped a few pages. “So what time tomorrow?”

“We have show-and-tell at ten thirty and then go to lunch. Show-and-tell people can stay and have lunch if they wanna. Do you wanna?”

Gideon hesitated, studying the page in front of him. He flipped it over and back. Charisse held her breath. He had a special hearing. She’d scheduled it for him. V.J. was in for another dose of disappointment.

Gideon looked up. “I’m all yours, Veej.”

V.J. ran to her and threw his arms around her hips. “Mommy, he can do show-and-tell.”

“Thank you,” Charisse mouthed her gratitude.

Gideon nodded and picked up his phone. “Marlene, I need you to reschedule the eleven o’clock hearing on tomorrow’s calendar. Just tell them something very important has come up and give them my apology. Thanks.”

AUTHOR BIO:

Fay Lamb’s emotionally charged stories remind the reader that God is always in the details. Fay has contracted with Write Integrity Press for three series. Stalking Willow and Better than Revenge, Books 1 and 2 in the Amazing Grace romantic suspense series are currently available for purchase, as is Charisse the first releases in her The Ties That Bind contemporary romance series. Future Write Integrity Press releases from Fay are: Everybody’s Broken and Frozen Notes, Books 3 and 4 of Amazing Grace and Libby, Hope and Delilah, Books 2, 3 and 4 from The Ties that Bind. Also, look for Book 1 in Fay’s Serenity Key series entitled Storms in Serenity. Fay and her husband, Marc, reside in Titusville, Florida, where multi-generations of their families have lived. The legacy continues with their two married sons and six grandchildren. Fay’s website is www.faylamb.com.

REVIEWS/NOTICES/AWARDS:

I love Fay Lamb's books. She has mastered the art of inspirational romance, and CHARISSE is no exception. ~ Anne Baxter Campbell, Christian author, multi-published of children's books

This was an enjoyable read--a well-written and compelling story which held my attention until the end. There's a strong Christian message inherent in the character development which seemed realistic and not just tacked on so it could be labeled "Christian" fiction. This novel would appeal to teens as well as adults. I purchased this book at a writers' conference after attending an excellent characterization workshop taught by the author. ~ Rose Chandler Johnson, Christian writer

Lamb's usual mix of humor and love, suspense and spiritual growth play well together in her latest release, Book One in the Ties that Bind Series. Her characters come alive on the pages, making this book difficult to set down. But I'm used to that, having read two other novels authored by Fay. Betty Thomason Owens, Christian writer

FAY, WHY DID YOU WRITE THIS NOVEL?

I wrote this novel as an answer to a call with five other authors—my critique partners. Each author took a character from a fictional Bible study and wrote a story about that character. Then we combined it, and we sent them off to a publisher, who liked the story, but didn’t like the fact that none of us were published. So, when we got that rejection letter, we decided to take our stories back and each of us do what we wanted with our characters. I kept Charisse a novella for a number of years, but then I decided that she had more of a story to tell. This novel is the result. 

TELL US SOMETHING TOPICAL, INTERESTING, FUNNY, OR SOMETHING WE WOULD NOT EXPECT ABOUT THE WRITING OR RESEARCH FOR THIS NOVEL.

Charisse (and all the gals in The Ties that Bind series) are close to my heart. They live in my little area of the world, Central Florida. Each girl struggles with issues that I’ve had over the years: showing grace, lack of self-esteem, lack of home, and pride. And one of the gals is me, except she’s kinder, stronger, and more courageous than I have ever been.

PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon/Kindle. http://amzn.to/17EiACZ 

Inspirational Ebooks Will Become 'The Inspired Pen'

On November 1st, Inspirational Ebooks will not be making any huge changes in format, but it's name will change to 'The Inspired Pen'.

As The Inspired Pen the blog will remain a place to showcase traditional Christian, Biblical fiction, and fiction with a Christian worldview. It will also showcase realistic, and/or gritty and edgy Christian novels, as well as values imbued, family friendly stories and those novels that edify, take an ethical stance, and have a strong moral to the story. The Inspired Pen will showcase not only ebooks, but print books as well.

In other words, The Inspired Pen will showcase fiction of value and worth.

Although The Inspired Pen will not regularly feature reviews, we will from time-to-time have guest reviewers telling us about a novel they think is superlative and should not be missed.

We will also at times venture into other aspects of the written word and comment on exceptional nonfiction works as well as noteworthy television shows and movies.

DOG TAGS by Heidi Glick

Romantic Suspense

When disabled ex-Marine Mark Graham reconnects with his best friend’s sister, he finds himself falling in love. But Beth Martindale’s presence is a constant reminder of events he’d rather forget. Mark wants to move forward, but the secrets surrounding her brother’s death as well as his own confinement to a wheelchair threaten to tear them apart. When a psychopath who calls himself The Knight fixates on Beth, Mark is determined to give her the protection he failed to give her brother on the battlefield, yet he discovers that a wheelchair isn’t the only impediment he has to keeping Beth safe. Will terror win or can Mark find the strength of mind and body to rescue Beth and find his own redemption?

 

Excerpt:

The Knight’s mind clouded over, like fog settling over the local San Diego metro area. One thing was clear as he sat in his white, sparsely furnished living room: his goal. He must continue his quest to help damsels in distress, ones like Juanita. He hoped she’d listen to him, that she’d understand he only tried to protect her, that she’d appreciate his chivalry. But as he’d learned from experience, the women he chose to rescue might not alwayss be cooperative. Being a knight in shining armor did not always prove an easy task. 

The finger in the jar atop the entertainment center served as a reminder: death was far kinder than the fate Juanita could have suffered at the hands of that other man. No matter what society thought, the Knight had done the right thing.

 

Heidi Glick has a B.A. in biology, a minor in Bible from Cedarville University, and a passion for writing Christian fiction. Additionally, she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and has written two articles for Intercom. When not working, Heidi spends time with her husband, son, and two dogs, Cocoa and Sparky. She attends Grace Chapel in Mason, Ohio.

Reviews/Notices/Awards:

In DOG TAGS, author Heidi Glick, composes a provocative and compelling novel. This gripping suspense story has well-developed, realistic characters, and a scintillating plot line. I couldn't put it down until I'd finished it! ~ Marcy G. Dyer, author of DOWN AND OUT.

Breakout author, Heidi Glick, scores with a brilliantly fast-paced romance infused with a mystery that has twists and turns you'll never see coming. ~ Suzanne Hartmann, author of Fast Track Thrillers, Peril and Conspiracy

Heidi Glick accomplished her mission with DIG TAGS. Her debut novel is a great mix of suspense, mystery and romance. Mark and Elizabeth are both authentic and delightful as they navigate through secrets and danger on the way to love. Well-researched, beautifully told, DOG TAGS is a winner. ~Carole Towriss, IN THE SHADOW OF SINAI, November 2012 (DeWard Publishing Co.)

 

 

Heidi, why did you write DOG TAGS?

 

I write because I like to share my faith through fiction.

With this particular story, I took a romance novella I'd written and revamped it to make it a suspense novel. The suspense version made for a better story.

I wanted a story with a villain with certain weaknesses that might help lead to his demise, but at the same time, I wanted the villain to be able to capitalize on the weaknesses of the hero. Also, I wanted a strong female as my heroine.

Purchase Links:

Amazon/Kindle. http://is.gd/0711Q0

Barnes and Noble/Nook. http://is.gd/N403uK

Pelican Group/ebook. http://is.gd/Kxx8YE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hide and Seek by H.L. Wegley

 

Espionage Thriller with Romance  

 

He expected security breaches, but the conspiracy she discovers sends them running for their lives.

HIDE AND SEEK is an espionage thriller about an ingenious plot to neutralize several critical U.S. military weapons systems using cyber-warfare. When the two very bright MCs, Lee and Jennifer, discover the sinister plot, they are targeted for elimination before they can disclose their findings.

A computer security breach within a US defense contractor’s firewalls leads investigators, Lee Brandt and beautiful, brilliant Jennifer Akihara, onto the cyber-turf of terrorists, where they are detected and targeted for elimination. Lee leads them on a desperate and prayer-filled flight for survival into the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Will Jennifer’s pursuit of truth about the conspiracy, and the deepest issues of life, lead her into the clutches of terrorists, into the arms of Lee Brandt, or into the arms of the God she deems untrustworthy?

 

 

Excerpt: from chapter 6

 

            Lee escorted Jennifer out of the compound and walked past the gate shack. No Randy. Good. He wouldn’t have to expose Jennifer to more suggestive remarks.

When they entered the north end of the parking area he glanced at her. “You can follow me over to Joe’s place. It’s just about a mile east of here, a block off from North Fourth Avenue.”

“OK. When you tell Joe I’m involved in the investigation…”

“Don’t worry about Joe. I can handle him.” A short way down the lot he stopped, smiled, and gestured to their left. “There’s my car.”

Jennifer pivoted towards his car and stopped. Her eyes lit up and checked out his Mustang like a scanner digitizing an image. She smiled warmly at him. “A classic. Very nice, Lee.”

It was the second genuine smile she’d shown him. What that smile did for an already beautiful face was incredible.

Good taste in cars. I wonder about her taste in men.

No, I don’t wonder anything about her.

Now in control, the right side of his brain turned a deaf ear and continued to savor the smile.

“I’ll swing by your parking spot and lead you to a shortcut through a couple adjacent lots. And about National Aerospace Computing Security…have no fear, Lee is here.”

Even in the dimly-lit parking lot he could see the rolling eyes. She strode down the lot towards her car.

In her presence he couldn’t turn a decent phrase. But he sure could turn a decent phrase into something stupid. He pulled out his keys, stopped, and snapped his fingers.

Jennifer’s visitor’s badge.

Randy wasn’t in the gate shack and he forgot to return her badge. When he glanced down the lot Jennifer was nearly to her car. He trotted towards her. “Hey, Ms. Akihara…Jennifer. I forgot—“

The area lit up like mid-day. A deafening boom sounded behind him. The shock wave blindsided him with the force of an NFL linebacker, knocking him forward to the concrete. He stuck out his arm to protect his face. His body rode on his right forearm for several feet, while the rough concrete rasped off his coat sleeve and much of the skin underneath it.

He lay sprawled out on the parking lot pavement. His mind struggled to comprehend what had happened. When he picked himself up, he shook his head to remove the cobwebs. There were too many of them. Blood ran down his right forearm. Pain brushed some of the cobwebs away.

Explosion.

Arm burning and ears ringing, he looked for the source of the blast. It came from what had been his car—from what was now only a blackened shell. The sense of loss hit him in his gut. He might never be able to replace that car. He brushed away a few more cobwebs. The clearing of his mind brought a bigger worry. Better a bombed car than a bombed body. But the bombing attempt had failed, so…

The air emptied from his lungs and he drew a deep breath. His pulse quickened. The realization hit him like a stinging slap on the face. They were in big trouble, but the incoming flak wouldn’t be the kind that got one fired. It would be the kind that got fired at one—bullets from people who killed to keep secrets.

Despite their delicate search on the infected computer their foray must’ve triggered attention and it wasn’t all coming from some hacker halfway around the world.

 



Author Bio:

H. L. Wegley served in the USAF as an Intelligence Analyst and a Weather Officer. He is a Meteorologist who worked as a Research Scientist in Atmospheric Physics. After earning an MS in Computer Science, he worked more than two decades as a Systems Programmer at Boeing before retiring in the Seattle area, where he and his wife of 46 years enjoy small-group ministry, their seven grandchildren, and where he pursues his love of writing. He has a 3-book romantic-thriller series, Pure Genius Series, contracted with Harbourlight Books, Pelican Book Group and has been requested to write a 4^th book in that series. Book 1, Hide and Seek, released in February 2013. He also published his childhood adventures in a humorous memoir, Colby and Me: Growing up in the 50’s


Reviews/Notices/Awards:

"Mr. Wegley—let's see more of Jennifer & Lee. Either write faster, or get your publisher to publish faster. I'm waiting!" ~~ Kate Hinke

"...the story really comes alive and pulls you along for a heart-stopping ride. Hide and Seek by H.L. Wegley is a definite keeper if you love suspense with a touch of romance. " ~~ Ginger Solomon

“Wow, Mr. Wegley definitely keeps you on the run and out of breath through this whole story.”

~~ author, Donna M. Basinow

“I started reading this book because it had something to do with computer security, since I work in this area. However, while that is part of the very exciting story, there is much more to the book than that with a number of different plots, including a great romance story and surprises along the way. The author has done a great job of weaving a very exciting, well-written story together that I could not put down until I finished it in one reading.” ~~ Thomas Hinke

 

 

Harry, why did you write HIDE AND SEEK?

 

Over the span of my three careers, I saw a lot of incidents that, woven together, would make a good thriller. But besides telling a suspenseful story and a story about first love, I had a couple of things in mind when I wrote Hide and Seek. For those who know our Lord and Savior, I hope they will see that the barriers to faith in others' lives are most often the heart-rending existential questions, not the big intellectual issues. We have the answer to all their questions, the Person of Jesus Christ, and we need to share that answer with them. For those who don't know our Savior, Hide and Seek is my heroine's redemption story. I hope readers will see that a relationship with the one true God is available to them through Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

 

 

Purchase Links:

 

Amazon: http://amzn.to/XgFo3E

B&N: http://bit.ly/11uiZ8m

Christianbook: http://bit.ly/Ufqeit

Pelican Book Group: http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/hide-and-seek

 

 

 

 

 

Captured by Moonlight,Book 2 of the series, Twilight of the British Raj, by Christine Lindsay

Historical Romance


Prisoners to their own broken dreams…

After a daring rescue goes awry, Laine Harkness and her friend Eshana flee to the tropical south of India…and headlong into their respective pasts.

Laine takes a nursing position at a plantation in the jungle, only to discover that her former fiancé is the owner…but fun-loving Laine refuses to let Adam crush her heart like he had years ago.

Eshana, captured by her traditional uncle and forced once more into the harsh Hindu customs of mourning, doubts freedom will ever be hers again, much less the forbidden love for Dr. Jai Kaur that had begun to flower.

Amid cyclones, epidemics, and clashing faiths, will the love of the True Master give hope to these searching hearts?

 

 

Excerpt:

 

Searing pain jabbed into Adam’s calf.

He cried out. Light from the headlamps reflected two pinpoints of light. A snake scuttled into the bush, and Laine started to rush in his direction.

“Wait, Laine. Don’t come closer.”

“What is it?” she shouted over the gale.

“A snake.” He clenched his fists and bit down on his lip with the throbbing in his leg. “Ruddy thing bit me as I plodded along in my size ten boots. Blast! I should have known better.” He looked back at her. “Stay where you are. There might be more than one.”

He studied the ground in the dim light. Unable to see any sign of movement, he shivered. The blasted reptile had gone. All he’d been able to see in that quick flash was that it was green.

Laine, heedless of his warning, joined him. “Where is the wound?”

“I told you to stay where you were.”

“Is it your leg?”

“My calf.”

She slipped her shoulder under his arm and swung her arm around his back. “Stay calm. Do you hear me? No panic. Lean on me. Put as little weight on that leg as possible. I want to get you onto the truck box.”

He put his weight on her shoulders, and she walked him back to the vehicle.

“Balance yourself against that,” she said. “I’m going to hop up there, and if you push with your arms then I’ll pull. I’ve got to get you lying down.”

“I can make it up.”

“Sorry, me luv, but I’m giving you a hand anyway.” She spoke in a fake Cockney accent, no doubt the one she used to cajole many a soldier into treatment or help them withstand the terror of dying.

She hauled him up, and without a word had him soon lying down, covered with a blanket that the rain quickly soaked.

Her hair dripped and hung down as a curtain to frame her face as she pulled off his boot and ripped the bottom of his trouser leg up to his thigh. She bent to examine the punctures at the side of his left calf and then left him to go to the cab. A moment later she returned with her medical bag. “You know the routine, no panic.”

“I know, and I assure you, Matron, I’m doing my best.”

“No talking. Save your strength. That’s the ticket.”

He watched Laine screw open the wooden cylinder of the snake-bite kit and remove the lancet. He did know the routine only far too well. She had to clean the wound and hope the crystals did the trick. After that, unless he could get to a dispensary they could only pray the snake hadn’t injected a fatal amount of venom.

“What kind of snake was it?” she asked in her no-nonsense nursing tone counterbalanced with the jovial Cockney.

“Not sure...there are two types of green snake in this area. If it was the least venomous, the whip snake, I’ll be sick for a few days but live.”

“And the other?”

“Bamboo pit viper. I think you should know...if it was the viper...the outcome is...less optimistic, I’m afraid.”

She stopped momentarily. So momentarily only someone who knew her as well as he did would notice.

But she resumed her brisk composure and took the lancet in her hand with the container of potassium permanganate on the floor at her side. “Well, you’re my patient now, and I don’t allow morbid talk on my ward. As I’m sure you’re aware, this will hurt. So lie back, soldier. Grit your teeth. And think of England.”

 

 

Author Bio:

Christine Lindsay writes historical novels that range somewhere between a straight historical with a strong love story and historical romance. And she’s proud of her Irish roots. Her great grandfather and grandfather worked as riveters in the Belfast shipyard, and one of the ships they helped build was the Titanic. Another ancestor served in the British Cavalry in India, seeding Christine’s long-time fascination with the British Raj and became the stimulus for her series Twilight of the British Raj, and her debut novel, SHADOWED IN SILK. Her current release CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHTis Book 2 of that series. The Pacific coast of Canada, about 200 miles north of Seattle, is Christine’s home. She and her husband enjoy the empty nest, but look forward to all the noise when the kids and grandkids come home. And like a lot of writers, her cat is her chief editor.

Reviews/Notices/Awards

A worthy sequel to acclaimed debut novel Shadowed in Silk, Christine Lindsay's Captured by Moonlight depicts with rich imagery and historical authenticity the final years of India's British raj, capturing the stark contrasts between palace and slum, British administrators and conquered native, darkness and light, love and hate. Beyond an enjoyable read for any historical fiction fan, this story is a welcome reminder that love, sacrifice, and redemption are qualities still touching hearts and transforming lives in the midst of a troubled world." ~~ Jeanette Windle, award-winning author of Veiled Freedom, Freedom's Stand, Congo Dawn

Captured by Moonlight, the highly anticipated sequel to Shadowed in Silk, does not disappoint! Once again, Christine Lindsay’s descriptive prose pulled me into an amazingly detailed story world, back to Old India, that made me want to stay until the last page was turned. Lindsay's attention to detail, witty prose and moving story blend together to create a treat for the senses, leaving the reader satisfied and completely satiated by the end. Colorful characters and a haunting love story lure you in, but won't let go for a long while afterward.  ~~ Catherine West - award winning author of Yesterday's Tomorrow and Hidden in the Heart.

 

 

Christine, why did you write CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHT? 

 

I wrote this novel because: SHADOWED IN SILK, Book 1 of this series, only told part of this vivid tail. CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHT carries on with 2 of the characters from that debut novel, to show the amazing culture and beauty of exotic India, and a time in history that is as vivid and exciting as the Wild West was to the US.

 

I was always intrigued by the title of the classic novel, LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA. Now while I found that novel a bit of a bore, I wanted my novel set in dangerous times in India to be far more adventurous, and terribly romantic. That’s the thing about a book, you can write is as romantic as you like. And that’s what I’ve done with Captured by Moonlight. My romantic and dangerous tail of British Colonial India will be rounded out in the third and final book to this series, Veiled at Midnight, being released in 2014.

 

 

Purchase Links:

 

Amazon/Kindle. http://tiny.cc/p66yuw

 

Barnes & Noble. http://tiny.cc/u96yuw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Legacy of Deer Run by Elaine Marie Cooper

 

 

 

Historical Romance

 

The Year is 1800.

A young man makes weapons for the defense of America, still a fledgling nation. He also protects his heart from the allure of a young woman who seems so far above his station in life that he cannot win her.

 

The lady fights her own war against loneliness and grief. Despite her finery and airs, she is drawn to the young armory worker, who is distant yet disarming.Love is the not the only entanglement. The nation's enemies are afoot. They creep within the very walls where America’s defenses are being forged. Who are they? When will they strike? Who will survive their terrorism?

Intrigue of the heart and intrigue of the times are only part of this compelling story—Book 3 of the Deer Run Saga. This series finale is a gripping mix of romance and deception, faith and forgiveness, transgression and trial.

 

 

Excerpt:

 

Why did Father ask me to come here. I just want to go home.

At the thought of home, Susannah nearly burst into tears.

I cannot cry here. Certainly not in view of complete strangers.

She turned away from the kettles, widened her eyes and sniffed sharply. Refusing to give in to her grieving heart, she refocused on the task at hand.

The satiated workers began to vacate the tables one-by-one. Susannah watched most of the men stretch their limbs and pat their leather work belts before heading toward the wood frame of the new church building. But Green Eyes remained at his table, eating slowly.

Clearing away the dirty plates, Susannah felt someone’s hands gently grab her arms from behind. Missus Ashley was at her side, her sparkling smile brimming with mischief.

“Miss Dobbins, why don’t you sit for awhile? You’ve been working so hard and you are still recovering from your long journey to Springfield. Come sit here, my dear.”

Much to Susannah’s horror, Missus Ashley navigated Susannah over to the table where Green Eyes sat. He was obviously laboring to finish his first plate when Missus Ashley plopped Susannah down on the bench next to him, much too close.

She quickly inched away.

“Miss Dobbins, I would like you to meet Mr. Daniel Lowe. He is one of our fine workers at the armory as well as a regular congregant of First Church. A fine Christian man.”

Susannah narrowed her gaze.

She wanted to say, “Is that so?” Only her mother’s training in manners rescued her from inflicting insult.

She cleared her throat.

“So pleased to meet you, Mr. Lowe.”

“Miss.”

“There. Now you are acquainted, I shall return to my tasks.” Missus Ashley gave a positively mischievous grin to the two before heading back to the kettles.

An awkward silence followed the departure of Missus Ashley, though Susannah could hear the woman giggling in the distance with another cook.

Side-by-side, they both looked down at the table. Susannah fidgeted with her thumbs and Mr. Lowe nervously rubbed his hand through one side of his hair. Just when Susannah thought she could not take the tension any further, the workman spoke up.

“Miss Dobbins, it is quite obvious how…uncomfortable…you are in my presence. Please do not feel obliged to remain here and entertain me.” His voice was surprisingly smooth and well spoken. Not at all what she imagined.

She glanced up at his eyes, which were fixed upon her. She cleared her throat.

“Mr. Lowe, it is not that I am uncomfortable…” She closed her mouth when he began to shake his head and gave a low, dismissive grunt.

“Please, Miss Dobbins. There is no need to explain. ’Tis quite obvious that I am not…shall we say…well-suited to your station in life.” His face grew sober and he rubbed his head as though it were in pain.

“It is not just your station, sir…”

“Ah, see, I was right.”

She flustered and sat up straighter. “That you are a workman notwithstanding, your behavior of last night was appalling. I find it quite shocking that you would carry on with your drunkenness and then make a mockery of helping to build a church. The Lord’s meetinghouse!”

Mr. Lowe glared back. He kept his voice low but his words were pointed.

“Is it your custom, Miss Dobbins, to display yourself at your window for all to see?”

Susannah gasped and threw her hands across her bodice.

“How dare you accuse me of such behavior! I…I…was merely preparing to retire for the night when I was disturbed by you and your drunken friends.”

His gaze penetrating her to the core, Mr. Lowe leaned closer.

I wish his eyes were not so disarming. He was leaning so close she could feel his breath.

“You seem to so easily pass judgment on me, Miss Dobbins.”

She thought she saw pain glaze across his expression. He continued. “You know naught of me. And perhaps it is better that way…for both of us.”

He grabbed his cloth napkin and wiped it fiercely across his mouth. Throwing it on the table, he stood up and lifted his long legs one at a time over the bench. Grabbing his hammer from his work belt, he stormed toward the construction site.

She sat there for a moment, heart pounding and temples throbbing.

Insufferable man!

 

Author Bio:

Elaine Marie Cooper is the author of The Road to Deer Run (Finalist in Next Generation Indie Book Awards for Religious Fiction, Honorable Mention in Romance at 2011 Los Angeles Book Festival) and The Promise of Deer Run (Romance Winner for 2012 Los Angeles Book Festival, Finalist in Religious Fiction for ForeWord Review Book of the Year). Cooper is also a contributing writer for Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home by Edie Melson and has a short story, “The Tea Set,” in the romance anthology, I Choose You. She is a wife, mom, GiGi to triplets, and a registered nurse. Her historical fiction, Fields of the Fatherless, will be released in 2013 by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas.

 

Reviews/Notices/Awards

This is a stellar read of the early American period. Elaine Cooper is a gifted wordsmith who brings the era to life vividly and leaves you wanting more. Bravo! — Laura Frantz, Author, Love’s Reckoning

 

“A plot to wound the baby nation of America, trusted friends who turn into enemies, death, faith, and life, all blend into a tragic yet beautiful tale of life and passion in 1800.” — Lisa J. Lickel, Author, The Map Quest

 

“It's no wonder Elaine Marie Cooper is an award-winning author. Her writing shines with an artistic flair to blend deep-heart issues with light romance, love and adventure. Danny and Susannah capture the heart with their innocent love, yet honor and faith. Their story resonates with courage, commitment, faith and victory.”  —Janet Perez Eckles, Author, Simply Salsa

 

Legacy of Deer Run is a truly beautiful, heart-warming tale that will appeal to readers who enjoy historical romantic Christian fiction.  — Lynn Dove, Author, the Wounded Trilogy

 

Elaine, why did you write LEGACY OF DEER RUN?

Legacy was the third and final book of the Deer Run Saga that begins in 1777. This novel, set in 1800, brings the story of the British soldier that became an American in Book 1 (The Road to Deer Run) full circle, as we follow his oldest son into adulthood, intrigue, and romance. It was a culmination of my vision to see this story, loosely based on my ancestors, come together as readers could hopefully understand Early America in a way that brings our history to life. It was a joy to recreate in words the lives of those who worked so hard to ensure the success of the fledgling United States of America!

 

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