Navy SEAL's Match by Amber Williams (spotlight, guest post, and review) PUYB

NAVY SEAL'S MATCH 
by Amber Leigh Williams 

Contemporary Romance

 384 pp.

 $6.99 (paperback) $4.49 (kindle)

Blurb:

Former SEAL Gavin Savitt always knew who he was—until his last deployment ended tragically. Now he’s home, his mind hijacked by trauma and the shadow of his once-perfect sight. Yet in this new hazy, unclear world, one person stands out—Mavis Bracken.

There are a million reasons why Gavin shouldn’t be with Mavis, including that she’s his best friend’s little sister. Yet he longs for her touch, her freckles and her special way with wild, skittish beasts like him. He just needs the courage to take his life back. And Mavis won’t let him give up without a fight.

“I know it’d be better for you if I left.”

“You let me be the judge of that,” she advised.

“The moment you’re burdened by me,” he said, slowly, “I’m out of here.”

She didn’t agree. No. Instead, she raised herself onto her toes.

Gavin’s eyes closed and his breath hitched as her kiss washed breathily over his lips and blew him away. Answers cropped up inside him, bright like candles. His hand moved to the back of her head, no more able to snuff them out than he was to convince her to walk away.

 

Amber Leigh Williams is a romance writer who lives on the US Gulf Coast. She lives for beach days, the smell of real books and spending time with her husband and their two young children. When she’s not keeping up with rambunctious little ones (and two large dogs), she can usually be found reading a good book or indulging her inner foodie. Amber is represented by the D4EO Literary Agency.

Amber’s latest book is the contemporary romance, Navy SEAL’S Match.

 

 

 

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My review:

Navy SEAL’S Match. by Amber Leigh Williams is a Harlequin Superromance that is part of the ‘Fairhope, Alabama’ series and features Gavin Savitt, whose military service left him with both physical and emotional wounds. The unexpected contacts with his best friend’s sister, Mavis Bracken, help him deal with some of his challenges, but this may not be enough to keep him from repeating his pattern of fleeing from those who care about him.

This contemporary military romance has one of my favorite tropes, a wounded hero, and the author does a great job of depicting not only his challenges but some of the impact on those who care about him. I love Mavis’ quirky personality and her unconventional approach to various problems but I thought her handicap was a little glossed over and I was a little troubled about some of the blowback the pair had to deal with from those who should have been supportive. I understand the protective instincts, but I thought some of the actions were excessive and some of the following scenes seemed to be a little rushed. The parental issues that the hero has to deal with are creepy and didn’t seem to flow well with the rest of the story, even though they explain elements of Gavin’s pattern of behavior. The paranormal aspect of the story imparted an interesting twist, but I wish it had been expounded upon more.

Nonetheless, this story had a great combination of humor, romance, and a couple of appealing animals, and I was quickly invested in the relationship between the main characters as well as entertained by several of the secondary ones. This tale is part of a series and can be read as a stand-alone story but I have to wonder whether some of my reservations about the pacing come from not having read the previous books and being unfamiliar with much of the backstory. I like the author’s characters and I will be looking for more of her stories.

A copy of this title was provided to me for review.

What You Don't Learn in Film School by Shane Stanley (review)

What You Don't Learn in Film School 
by
Shane Stanley


Blurb:

Multi Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Shane Stanley writes a book anyone and everyone should read if they want an entertainment industry insider's professional guidance on how to create a movie. This book is an especially invaluable tool to those who have, or plan to, attend a college or university film school. Your Complete Guide To (Independent) Filmmaking. An in-depth, no holds barred look at making movies from ‘concept to delivery’ in today’s ever-evolving climate while breaking down the dos and don’ts of (independent) filmmaking. Learn invaluable industry secrets from top to bottom and discover the truth about independent film distribution as the lid is torn off the many myths surrounding sales agents and today’s release platforms that are certain to open reader’s eyes - and ruffle a few feathers



This is very overdue and I apologize for my tardiness!

4.5 stars

What You Don't Learn in Film School by Shane Stanley is a wonderful resource, both for those who are joining the filmmakers’ world and for anyone else who is going to be either a worker or a boss. Does that sound like most of us? Yes. The practical information and advice is beneficial not only to those who have gone through cinema school but to anyone entering the workforce. I was intrigued by the opportunity to read this book both because I grew up in LA and attended USC—so I interacted with multiple people bitten by the Hollywood bug—and a member of my extended family just graduated from Cinema School.  

Yes, some of the concepts are proprietary to making movies, but the overall message…be prepared, treat everyone with respect, make connections, and be prepared (yes, that’s a deliberate repetition)…is applicable to any profession.

The author is generous about sharing his experiences and hard-won knowledge and isn’t afraid to relate his mistakes or his gems. The writing style is comfortable and easily absorbed, and the advice about things like getting decent insurance, writing certain details into contracts, being wary of deals that seem too good to be true, and making sure your product is properly protected are all invaluable. I think that most professional schools cram their students’ heads full of information but frequently forget to cover practical elements of life. This book does a great job of covering some of that lack.

A copy of this title was provided to me for review

Amazon link

What You Don't Learn in Film school: A Complete Guide to Independent Filmmaking by Shane Stanley (Spotlight and excerpt) PUYB

WHAT YOU DON'T LEARN IN FILM SCHOOL 

by Shane Stanley

Nonfiction/Film/HowTo

 199 pp., $19.99 (paperback) $8.99 (kindle)

Multi Emmy-Award winning filmmaker Shane Stanley, a lifelong entertainment industry insider, has worked in every aspect of the film industry, covering a multitude of movies, television shows, and other projects. In his valuable new book, WHAT YOU DON’T LEARN IN FILM SCHOOL: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO INDEPENDENT FILMMAKING, Stanley takes a candid look at the film business and offers ambitious young filmmakers important information on how to navigate every aspect of making movies, from initial pitch to distributing a finished product. The book “is written for anyone who hopes to have a career in the industry at any position, but (is) geared for (the) total filmmaker,” Stanley says.

Producer Neal H. Moritz (“Fast & Furious,” “S.W.A.T.,” “21 and 22 Jump Street”), says that WHAT YOU DON’T LEARN IN FILM SCHOOL “pulls no punches. It’s one of the most insightful and accurate books ever written on the subject, a master class bridging the gap between school and real-life experience that will save you years of heartache. A must-read for anyone interested in pursuing a career in film.”

Jane Seymour, two-time Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner, actress, producer and founder of the Open Hearts Foundation, declares that Stanley’s “step-by-step guide is a must-read for anyone hoping to break into the world of independent cinema, along with many useful tips for those who desire to work within a studio or network system.”

Jeff Sagansky, former president of Sony Entertainment and CBS Entertainment, notes that “Shane Stanley takes you to a film school that only years of practical experience can teach. He covers both the business of independent filmmaking as well as the hard-earned secrets of a successful production. A must-read for anyone who wants to produce.”

A lifelong veteran of the film world, Stanley has directed and produced hundreds of film and television projects, including the 2006 No. 1 Box Office hit “Gridiron Gang,” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. His clearly-written guide to navigating the shoals of independent filmmaking comes from his hands-on experience, covering such topics as choosing what material to produce, raising independent capital, hiring a production crew and selecting the right cast.

WHAT YOU DON’T LEARN IN FILM SCHOOL is an essential book written by someone who clearly understands the independent film business from the inside.

I always advise new filmmakers to play in an arena they’re not only passionate about but also comfortable in. As you find your legs I think it’s wise to have all the bases covered of your chosen genre, which will aid when executing creative discussions with your filmmaking team and onscreen talent, but more so when pitching your project to potential investors. They’ll appreciate your expertise on the subject and sense the passion you possess as the gibberish naturally rolls off your tongue.

Remember, when you pitch an investor to finance a film, you’re selling something different. You’re selling the magic and the sizzle of Hollywood and most importantly, you’re selling yourself along with the upside (or fallacy) of what their investment might return. If someone is really in the position to write a check to finance a film, they’re probably pretty savvy. Trust me, they have been pitched everything from financing movies, to night clubs, clothing lines and widgets by someone a lot slicker and more qualified than you. Investors know they hold the key to unlocking the door to the dreams that can change your life, so go deep in thought when creating a presentation…because you’re pitching them on a fantasy (smoke and mirrors), not real estate or something they can look, touch or feel at the moment.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Multi-Emmy Award winning filmmaker Shane Stanley has worked in almost every capacity on and off the set starting with hit shows like “Entertainment Tonight” and “Seinfeld.”

Along with his father, Stanley produced “The Desperate Passage Series,” which was nominated for 33 individual Emmy Awards and won 13 statues. In this series, five of the seven specials went No.1 in Nielson Ratings, which included “A Time for Life” and “Gridiron Gang.”

Stanley has produced films starring Marlon Brando, Mira Sorvino, Thomas Hayden Church, Donald Sutherland, Marisa Tomei and Martin Sheen. He co-wrote two of the films and has worked closely with top Hollywood executives.

Stanley has taught workshops at many film schools and universities. He is the founder of Visual Arts Entertainment, a production company based in Los Angeles. He is still active in teaching, working with several schools, film students, and recent grads as a mentor and guide.

His latest book is What You Don’t Learn in Film School: A Complete Guide to Independent Filmmaking.

 

 

 

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What Happens in Summer by Caridad Pineiro (Spotlight, guest post, and excerpt) PUYB

I have the pleasure of sharing a guest post by author Caridad Pineiro, who shares...

I love the summer for so many reasons. The sun and warmth. The sexy surfers down along the beachfront. Best of all, getting to spend a few hours lazing on the sand beneath my umbrella or on my little balcony with a fabulous beach read. I actually get most of my reading down during the summer months and maybe that’s why I love the season best!


When I decided to write a contemporary romance series I had no doubt that the first stories in the At the Shore series would be set during the summer in the quaint and enchanting Jersey Shore town of Sea Kiss!


I also knew that I wanted to explore a moment in women’s lives when a sudden change comes about. In the first book in the series, ONE SUMMER NIGHT, you meet Maggie, Connie and Emma, lifelong friends who are about to experience those changes.



In ONE SUMMER NIGHT, it’s an unexpected relationship between the heirs of two feuding families, Maggie Sinclair and Owen Pierce, that leads to life changes for all the friends. The ONE SUMMER NIGHT ebook is on sale if you’d like to check out that Romeo and Juliet story (but with a much happier ending).  

(Note from ELF, please check price before purchasing)



My latest release in the At the Shore series, WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER, is a book of my heart because I fell in love with Connie and Jonathan and their second chance love story.



Jonathan left Sea Kiss after ending a teenaged fling with Connie, but Jon has never been able to forget his first love. Now he's back in town to show her the man he's become… but is she ready to see it? When Connie and Jon are reunited as adults, they both have something to prove, but neither are prepared for the consequences of their lasting mutual attraction.



It was a lot of fun to explore the changes in Connie and Jonathan and how they deal with their past issues in order to re-kindle their love and build a relationship together.
I hope you’ll take a moment to check out WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER and find out why I love this story so much!

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WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER
by Caridad Pineiro

Contemporary Romance, 320 pp.

$7.99 (paperback) $4.99 (kindle)

The sizzling heat doesn’t always stay in summer. . .

Connie Reyes and Jonathan Pierce only discovered how different they were after a magical summer on the Jersey Shore. She was ambitious and practical; he was artistic and rebellious. Their parting was heartrending, and the intervening years have only made a reunion less and less possible.
Now, Jonathan is back in Sea Kiss, having made a fortune in tech. He has everything money can buy, but his bed is empty and his heart is hollow. He’s never stopped thinking about Connie, and he’ll do anything to show her the man he’s become. . .

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Google Play

Prologue

Sea Kiss, New Jersey

Playing it safe was far worse than taking a risk on what you wanted.

Jonathan Pierce knew just what he wanted.

He grabbed hold of the gnarly branch of the decades-old wisteria vine that climbed the side of the Sinclair mansion and boosted himself up. He’d made the journey so many times this past summer, he could do it blindfolded.

He scrambled up the vine, finding the familiar foot and handholds until he vaulted up and over the second floor railing, and landed silently as a cat burglar on the balcony. It ran the length of the immense oceanfront mansion, with elegant french doors offering views of the sea.

The first darkened doorway was Maggie Sinclair’s room. He rushed past it quietly; Maggie belonged to his older brother, Owen. Not that Owen had acted on it yet, but Jonathan had known for years that the two were meant to be together, family feud be damned.

The next doorway was usually Maggie’s dad’s, but the old man had stopped coming down to the Shore as often as he once had, so it was a good bet that room was unoccupied.

Reaching the third room, he saw the curtains wafting in the summer breeze and the dim light from behind the partially closed french doors. He smiled and his heart raced with pleasure.

Connie was waiting for him. Ever-responsible, ever-loyal Connie had broken her own rules to fall in love with him. Or at least he thought it was love. It definitely was on his part. With barely a week left before the girls all went back to school, he intended to let her know just how he felt.

He slipped carefully through the open doors and shut them behind him. He’d gone no more than a step when she launched herself at him, laughing and kissing him as she said, “What took you so long?”

“I missed you, too,” he said, knowing it was more about the separation to come in a week and not about the long hours since last night.

He bent his head and kissed her, his touch tender and caring, and she answered in kind, her lips soft and coaxing.

Although Maggie had been bringing her friends to the Jersey Shore every summer since they’d met freshman year in college, he’d never really paid much attention to Connie at first. He’d had his share of girls from his high school class fawning over him.

But when Maggie and her friends had come back the next year, he had finally, gratefully, noticed what a real woman should be. Like Connie: all luscious curves; also proud, smart, and independent,

As impatient as he might be to make love to her tonight, he wanted her to know how much this meant to him. How this wasn’t only a summer romance for him.

He leaned over her, his gaze locked on her face. He wanted to say the words—Lord, how he wanted to—but they stuck in his throat and so he let every kiss and touch tell her what he couldn’t voice.

Caridad Pineiro is a transplanted Long Island girl who has fallen in love with the Jersey Shore. When Caridad isn’t taking long strolls along the boardwalk, she’s also a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author with over a million romance novels sold worldwide. Caridad is passionate about writing and helping others explore and develop their skills as writers. She is a founding member of the Liberty States Fiction Writers and has presented workshops at the RT Book Club Convention, Romance Writers of America National Conference as well as various writing organizations throughout the country.


You can connect with Caridad at her website.

You can also find Caridad on:

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Getaway by Maureen Brady (Spotlight, excerpt, and review) PUYB

GETAWAY
by Maureen Brady

Publisher: Bacon Press Books

Pages: 230

Genre: Women’s Fiction

$14.99 (paperback) $8.99 (kindle)

 

After stabbing her abusive husband and leaving him dying on the kitchen floor, Cookie Wagner flees to remote Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. For a moment, she seems to have gotten away with murder. But, consigned to a secretive life with a new name and the need to be on constant alert, she faces all she has not gotten away with. She is helped by the recently widowed Mrs. Biddle, who offers her a place to stay, and the lobster fisherman Butch, who gives her a job and later falls in love with her. Walking the cliffs and beaches, taking in the scruffy windblown plants that survive the buffeting wind by growing at an angle, she begins to heal.

Yet, there is no leaving behind the notion that Warren is dead as the result of her action.
Or is he? And if not, will he one day come to find her?




Sexual harassment and abuse are all over the news these days, often involving celebrites and other well-known figures, but Cookie, the protagonist of Getaway, is no celebrity. She’s an ordinary woman married to a working class guy who drinks too much and resorts to violence. Their story reveals how endemic the phenomenon of abuse is, and the quandary Cookie lands in when she fights back.



Praise for Getaway

“Sensitive, sensual, and stirring. Getaway is a true page-turner, but one with heart and with context. I couldn’t put it down until I got to the end, not just to find out what happened, but also to discover who these intriguing and complex characters would develop into. An extremely satisfying read!”

Danielle Ofri, author of What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear, Editor-in-Chief, Bellevue Literary Review.

Amazon Link 

Cookie dove between the tall grasses, jarred with adrenalin. In the gloom, she could barely make out the blue cottage on the other side of the lake, but her eyes clung to it desperately. It was up for sale and she thought, unoccupied. Maybe if she bushwhacked around the lake and found her way there without being seen, she’d be able to hide behind it.

The air sparkled. Everything around her seemed to vibrate with too much life. When a bullfrog glugged in the reeds, she jumped, stood still, then made herself get moving again. This was no time to try to understand what she had done.

She inched along the shoreline, her feet sinking into the mud.

Her foot slipped off a root and twisted painfully. Damn weak ankle, she muttered, working it before she pushed on.

A three-quarter moon came up to light the way a bit, but it was getting cold. She stopped to put on her windbreaker, the one thing she’d managed to grab from the hook by the door. A good thing she had, even though it was a bright aqua, too colorful for someone

who wanted not to be seen.

Squatting, she buried her face in her hands. Her stomach roiled and she thought she might throw up. My God, Warren, why did you have to come after me like that?

She was struck by the sound of twigs breaking underfoot. A bear or a coyote? Someone coming after her? That got her moving again, making low, humming noises to keep whatever it was at bay.

When she finally came out to the clearing, she scooted through tall tufts of grass in front of the blue cottage and crept around back.

The building blocked the moonlight as she huddled against the cinderblock cellar wall, her arms wrapped around her legs, her feet wet and freezing. She stared into the night as the fireflies spit tiny patches of light before flickering out.

As she adjusted to the dark, she noticed a hump a few feet away, a rounded Bilco cellar door. She stood and lifted the handle.

Detecting a little give, she lifted again, hard, and one side came up. Three steps down, there was a wooden door. It, too, had been left unlocked, so the knob turned and she was in.

She sunk to the cellar floor and wrapped her windbreaker around her wet pant legs but couldn’t stop her teeth from chattering. Trying to still her jaw only made her whole arm shake. She remembered once as a child when her teeth had rattled on this way. It had been fear, not cold that time her father had raised his large square hand but stopped just short of slapping her across the face.

When she finally found the remains of a matchbook in her pocket, the first match she struck crumbled. She stood up and struck another. The light flared up shockingly fast and extinguished itself before she’d seen a thing. She caught a glimpse of a stairway, which she shuffled toward, hands out ahead of her, searching for a light switch.

In the flare of the last match, she spotted a worktable under the stairs. Patting along its surface, she touched something soft and squishy, almost like human skin. She jumped back, horrified.

Gathering her courage, she reached out again but she must have turned when she jumped back because, where the squishy thing had been, there was nothing, not even the bench. She made a quarter turn and reached out again. Still nothing! At least it wasn’t the squishy thing, but where the hell was she and what was that anyway?

Though Maureen Brady wrote the humor column of her junior high school newspaper, she didn’t actually comprehend that she was a writer until after she had moved to New York City in her twenties, where she began taking writing workshops at The New School and then fell headlong into the consciousness raising groups of the early 1970’s.

She published her first novel, Give Me Your Good Ear, in 1979, and it was published by The Women’s Press in England in 1981. Her novel, Folly, was excerpted in Southern Exposure, received wide critical acclaim, was nominated by Adrienne Rich for an ALA Gay Book Award and was reprinted as a classic by The Feminist Press. She published a collection of short stories, The Question She Put to Herself, in 1987, then turned to writing nonfiction in the ’90’s, publishing Daybreak: Meditations for Women Survivors of Sexual Abuse and Midlife: Meditations for Women. She returned to fiction with the novel, Ginger’s Fire, and her most recent novel, Getaway.

Her recent work has appeared in Sinister Wisdom, Bellevue Literary Review; Just Like A Girl; Cabbage and Bones: Irish American Women’s Fiction, Mom, In the Family, and Intersections: An Anthology of Banff Writers. Brady’s essays and stories have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and were finalists for the Katherine Anne Porter Fiction Prize and the Nelsen Algren Short Story contest.

An Adjunct Assistant Professor, she teaches creative writing at New York University and New York Writers Workshop @ the Jewish Community Center, and works as a free-lance editor and tutor, helping writers across the spectrum take their writing to the next stage.

A co-founder of Spinsters Ink, Brady edited such books as The Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde and The Woman Who Breathes Fire by Kitty Tsui. She also served as a panelist for The New York State Council on the Arts Literature Program and as a fiction judge for Oregon Literary Arts. She is a founding member of The New York Writers Workshop and has long served as Board President of Money for Women Barbara Deming Memorial Fund.

She has received grants from the Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation; New York State Council on the Arts Writer-in-Residence; New York State Council on the Arts CAPS grant; Holding Our Own; Briarcombe Foundation; and The Virginia Center for the Creative Arts Fellowship to The Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Ireland. She was the winner of the Saints and Sinners short story contest for 2015 and is also a Saints and Sinners Hall of Fame winner.

She lives in New York City and Woodstock with her long term partner, Martha, and their joy dog, Bessie.

Visit Maureen’s website

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My review:

4.5 stars

“Getaway” by Maureen Brady follows Cookie Wagner as she finally fights back against her abusive husband. Her flight takes her to Canada and a new way of life, but she fears her newfound freedom will be cut short at any time so she can’t plan for the future, just live one day at a time.

This contemporary women’s fiction story is both thought-provoking and entertaining. The author’s voice allows the reader to experience the shock and challenge of dealing with the pressure and repercussions of an abusive relationship. The frantic journey north and the struggle to blend into a tightly knit small community and learn a new way of life are vividly depicted. Those who are concerned with such should be aware that there are multiple points of view that come and go in places and a couple of dangling threads that didn’t get tied up completely, but the overall story is compelling and I love the message of acceptance that permeates the story. Serious life challenges are explored and tension is kept throughout the story even as a gentle romance develops. I was on tenterhooks until the end and invested in Cookie’s journey and enjoyed watching her relationships develop.

A copy of this title was provided to me for review

 

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Sunset Beach by Christine Donovan (Book blast, excerpt) PUYB

SUNSET BEACHby
Christine Donovan
 

Publisher: Independent
Pages: 328
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb:

Until Sarah Kennedy is 17 she spends her summers at Sunset Beach with a close-knit group of friends. They are young, carefree, and just a tad wild—as teenagers tend to be. They share secrets, love, and a deep connection. But that final summer life as the friends know it begins to unravel. Domestic violence plagues one family, one of their group becomes a criminal. Sarah severs all ties with her friends and disappears.

Fifteen years after the summer that changed Sarah’s life forever, she receives a letter about a reunion. Can she bury her fears, curb her anxiety enough to attend and finally unearth who attacked her and changed the trajectory of her life forever? She also hopes to reconnect with the one man she gave her heart and soul too—Jake Ferroli. She wonders if his life faired any better than hers after his family tragedy and his downfall into drugs and alcohol.

Sarah locks down her demons and rents a cottage for the summer. To her surprise Jake is still single and they slowly reconnect. But so does her attacker. He is good at eluding the police. Somehow he has gone on attacking women for fifteen years without so much as being a suspect. Pictures, letters, and threats against Sarah now come on a daily basis. Jake and Sarah hire a private detective and as they get closer and closer to revealing the identity of the perpetrator, he strikes. Can Jake rescue Sarah before their so-called friend rapes her, or even worse, kills her as he did to his last victim?



***********************



Excerpt:

When he stepped close to her, he could sense rather than see her retreat. Her eyes darted toward the door then back to him, suddenly full of panic. Why? It tore at his heart to know someone or something traumatized her.

 

“Why don’t you take a seat and relax.” He reached out to touch her arm and she all but flinched. It appeared ever so quickly, but he noticed it. On an exhale, he let his arm fall, frowned at her behavior, and sat down. She slid into the chair opposite him. 

 

“So, tell me why you’re so jumpy? Is it me, or are you always like this?” God, please don’t let it be me.

 

She shot him a look of disbelief. “I’m not jumpy.”

 

Clearing his throat, he said, “If you say so.”

 

“Have you kept in touch with everyone?”

 

The desperation he witnessed flash in her eyes nearly broke his heart. “Yeah, I have. You know about Drew and Alyssa. Tom’s a doctor. He works at Mass General and he’s still single. Dylan lives in his mother’s old house. He’s a local cop here. Had a nasty divorce a few years back, but I don’t know all the details. I believe he has one kid, a daughter. Mitch is a detective with the Boston Police Department. He married a fellow police officer and they have two kids. Heather married some guy last year, I haven’t met him. Tracy’s single and I think she’s the only one not coming.”

 

“I had no idea what became of anyone.” Tears pooled in her eyes. “Except Charlotte.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “You took me by surprise when I saw you pull up today.”

Exhaling, he said, “Likewise. I didn’t expect you to come after fifteen years of silence.” He ran his hands threw his hair and asked, “Why did you come?”

 

“I don’t know. I thought it was time.”

She had a strange, vacant look on her face, so Jake decided to drop the subject. He would push for more answers later. And he wanted answers. Something had been eating a hole in his heart all these years, and he wanted to know why.

 

 

Amazon Buy Link

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Author info:

Christine Donovan is an International Bestselling Author who writes romance that touches the heart, soothes the soul and feeds the mind. She is a PAN Member of RWA and belongs to Novelist, Inc. and Rhode Island Romance Writers.
She lives on the Southeast Coast of Massachusetts with her husband, four sons, four cats and one spoiled golden retriever. As well as writing contemporary romance, she also writes historical and paranormal. All her books have some degree of suspense. In her spare time, she can be found reading, painting or gardening. She loves to tackle DIY projects.

 

 

 

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