Wednesday Writers–Love By the Numbers by Laura V. Hilton

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Amish author Laura HIlton, Amish fiction, Catherine Castle's Wednesday Writers blog series, clean romance, Love by the Numbers book excerpt, Sweet romance

Today’s guest on Wednesday Writers is Laura V. Hilton, author of Amish romances. She’ll be talking about her book Love By the Numbers and how God the faith message in the story for her characters. Welcome, Laura.

Story Behind the Story – Love by the Numbers

Caleb was a minor character in couple of my Amish books – I think he first made a by-name appearance in Amish Wanderer and Christmas Admirer. A minor character. Lydia was a very minor one-time appearance in those stories, too, a girl who happened to be in the room with Bethany and Susanna at a wedding. (This story is stand alone!) But I knew when Caleb first saw Lydia that they would end up together by the way he reacted to her presence. I wondered what their story was.

March and April is tornado season in Arkansas (and in many other states) and in 2011 we had a bad one. I was out and about that day, driving to the county seat with my five children, and there was something in the air. It was heavy, hard to breathe, and the sky was black off to the west. I’m sure I broke speed limits racing to Melbourne, and then home again so we wouldn’t be out in the storm.

Later that afternoon, tornado sirens went off. One went over our house – even from the basement we could hear the sound of a train roaring overhead. Scary. And still thanking God it didn’t touch down. Highland, Ash Flat, and Evening Shade, Arkansas were hit hard. Buildings completely gone. When we drove out that way later in the week there were pickup trucks in the tops of trees. Other things in odd and unusual places. I always wondered how they got the treetop pickups down. I would’ve stopped to watch if I’d been out there when it was done. I did hear that some of those trucks weren’t damaged at all. Unreal. My two sons and my husband both helped with clean up and my oldest son went with a crew to Joplin, Missouri, to help with clean up there.

There have been other occasions when I’ve been out in tornados. Once I was in the Walmart parking lot when a tornado went through a town west of it. We could see the funnel touching down from where we stood. It did hail when we were on our way home, praying our house was still standing. It was.

One of the verses my daughter had to memorize in Sunday School was 2 Corinthians 4:8-9. ‘We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.’ Perfect for the faith message in Love by the Numbers! I love how God always provides the perfect verse for my characters’ faith messages. I’m pretty sure this verse is one I never memorized, and I never would of thought of it on my own, but God put it in my daughter’s lessons for Sunday School, so she had to memorize it – and thus I did too since I help my daughters learn their verses every week.

I hope you’ll enjoy the story!

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Love by the Numbers

by Laura V. Hilton

After her fiancé dies in a buggy accident, Lydia Hershberger is invited to Jamesport to manage her Mennonite aunt’s gift store while her aunt and uncle are on a mission trip. While there, Lydia gets acquainted with her aentie’s best friend, Bethel Bontrager, and her grown son, Caleb. Lydia is surprised to find herself drawn to handsome clockmaker, Caleb Bontrager. But in spite of an instant flame of attraction between them, he doesn’t seem interested. In fact, pesky Caleb treats her like he doesn’t even like her.

Bright and sparkly. That’s Caleb’s first impression of Lydia. He’s always been attracted to sparkly things. In fact, his affinity for those things, and the trouble they can cause, are exactly why he’s determined to change his ways and settle down. With Lydia’s aentie gone, he is handling the books for the gift shop and is forced to spend too much time in her presence.

When God offers Lydia a second chance at love and family, will she take it? Or will the secret Caleb harbors cause her even more heartbreak?

 

Chapter 1

He was gorgeous. Simply gorgeous.

Lydia Hershberger leaned around the cash register and picked up the glassful of spilled hard candy sticks Aentie Judith’s kitten knocked over as she dashed past. She half-paid attention to arranging the candy. Her focus was fixed on him. She tried not to gawk but…

Wow. He was hot.

Tall. Sandy blond hair. Milk chocolate brown eyes. Clean-shaven.

He removed his straw hat as the door closed behind him, then glanced around the gift store. As his gaze moved in her direction, she quickly looked away. Wouldn’t do to be caught staring.

But she couldn’t resist a peek back.

He seemed to freeze when his gaze caught hers. Or hers caught his. Held it.

And… He scowled.

What?

This man, one she didn’t even know, glared at her? She had the right to be behind the counter of Aenti Judith’s gift shop while she was in, um, wherever she was, on a mission trip. Any other time, she could’ve spouted the information without thought. But not while she stared into the most incredible milk chocolaty eyes ever.

Were there any leftover solid chocolate Easter bunnies in the store? She needed one. Now. She glanced toward the clearance rack, but it was devoid of candy of any type.

Her gaze snapped back to him.

“You.” His voice emerged as a growl.

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About the Author:

Laura V. Hilton is an award-winning, sought-after author with over twenty Amish, contemporary, and historical romances. When she’s not writing, she reviews books for her blogs, and writes devotionals for blog posts for Seriously Write.

Laura and her pastor-husband have five children and live in Arkansas. She is a pastor’s wife, and homeschools her two youngest children.

When she’s not writing, Laura enjoys reading, and visiting lighthouses and waterfalls

visit my blogs: http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com/   

twitter: @Laura_V_Hilton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Laura-V-Hilton/161478847242512

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/vernetlh/

Purchase my books:

Amazon   http://www.amazon.com/Laura-V.-Hilton/e/B004IRSM5Q 

CBD: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/easy_find?Ntt=laura+hilton&N=0&Ntk=keywords&action=Search&Ne=0&event=ESRCG&nav_search=1&cms=1

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/laura-hilton?store=allproducts&keyword=laura+hilton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tuesday Wedding Tales–Cindy’s Perfect Dance by Bonnie Engstrom

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Bonnie Engstrom, Catherine Castle's Tuesday Wedding Tales blog series, Cindy's Perfect Dance, clean romance, Inspirational romance, Sweet romance, The Candy Cane Girls series

 

Welcome to Tuesday Wedding Tales blog series, where wedding themed stories are the fare.

 

 

Today’s guest is Bonnie Engstrom. She’ll be talking about Cindy’s Perfect Dance, one of the books in her Candy Cane Girls Series. Bonnie is giving a way a copy of Cindy’s Perfect Dance, either ebook or a print copy, to one lucky commentor. To be entered in the drawing, just leave a comment on her post. Welcome, Bonnie.

 

 

 

Thanks, Catherine.

What if your best friend is getting married to a gorgeous hunk who is rich? And you are the Maid of Honor? And his brother is the Best Man?

Cindy never planned to be attracted to Rob, but because he felt it was protocol he insisted they dance together. Neither really expected to feel the chemistry between them. And, dancing in the parking lot? What was that all about?

Cindy and Rob’s story of love captured my heart. It was so surprising, especially with all the problems attached to it. Rob’s alcoholism and his commitment to AA, as well as his physical problems seemed monumental . . . at first. Cindy believes she can overcome those, until Emily confronts Rob saying she believed he loved her.

Cindy is a strong woman, but her love for Rob is stronger.

This story grew out of the first of The Candy Cane Girls Series. The six girls have a strong bond formed in a former high school swim team. They stick together in prayer and support.

I started to write this series before I realized it could become a series. Suddenly, it became close to my heart. I hope you will explore the series, now in its sixth book, Melanie’s Blue Skirt. In Cindy you will see all my grandchildren and a beautiful wedding on the beach of Playa Hermosa Costa Rica. I think it will make you want to follow the Candy Cane Girls to learn what Noelle, Candy and Connie and Natalie and Melanie have in their future. Oops, Doreen, too. But her story may be last. She’s in love with the most gorgeous man of all, an international model.

All the Candy Cane Girls stories are set in Newport Beach. I use many actual places in each story. Cindy and Rob shop for her engagement ring in Fashion Island outdoor mall. I wanted them to finally purchase it at Traditional Jewelers for several reasons; the owner attended my church (Mariners, which is also the church that sponsors the couple to mission in Costa Rica) and he and his family lived in my community. I had the scene where Rob goes to pick up the ring all set up, then he learns the owner suddenly died a few days ago. That is what actually happened, so I wrote it into the book.

I had also been searching for a way to include my grandchildren in a book. Since our son and his two boys live in Costa Rica I decided to have Cindy and Rob’s wedding take place there on the beach. (Costa Rica is also the mission assignment for the couple). The Arizona grandchildren flew there to share a wedding adventure with their cousins. It was a fun scene to write, including Lucy the Costa Rican French bull dog.

 

Cindy’s Perfect Dance

By Bonnie Engstrom

 

The Candy Canes are a tight-knit group; the six girls are like sisters. They share everything from successes to secrets. Even marriage doesn’t keep them apart. Then …

Cindy caught the bridal bouquet, and Rob caught the blue garter. Neither of them believed in fate or tradition. But, something happened when she stepped on his toes dancing.

When Rob agreed to help his brother by working in the Love In Bloom Floral Shop while Braydon was on his honeymoon, he asked Cindy to join him. He didn’t know what to expect, especially over Christmas break. Would she take over with her promotional ideas and anger his mother, the owner?

Would their relationship flower? Could Cindy accept Rob’s secrets? How would that change her love for him? And, what about Emily, the woman who claimed Rob loved her?

Cindy has decisions to make. She is supposed to receive her unique engagement ring on Valentine’s Day. Should she accept it, or say no to Rob because of the secrets he recently shared? If she accepts, they will have a lifelong commitment. Is she strong enough to go through with the plan, or should she back out and be safe?

 

EXCERPT

“Ouch!”

“What?”

“You stepped on my toes.”

He said it so matter of factly that Cindy wondered if he was kidding. She looked down at his black patent shoes. Aw, oh. A scuff on the right one. Guess Rob was right. Question was … his fault for not being a good leader or hers for being a bad follower?

“Sorry.”

“S’okay.” He pulled her closer and she felt her body melt into the warmth of his.

Don’t forget to leave a comment to be entered in the drawing for a free copy, either ebook or print, of Bonnie’s book Cindy’s Perfect Dance. Winners will be chosen next Tuesday, March 27, 2018.

 

About the Author:

My husband Dave and I were blessed to raise our three children in Newport Beach, California. When our first grandchild, Miss Mookie, was born twelve years ago in Arizona we moved to Scottsdale to be near to her. Since then she has acquired three siblings, a younger sister, and twins, a boy and a girl. We don’t miss Newport at all, except for our wonderful friends and neighbors, and Bible study fellowships. Now, we spend many afternoons picking kids up after school and taking them to gymnastics, doctor appointments and chess tournaments. It’s a different life we thrive on.

We both thought we would retire. Didn’t happen. I am especially blessed to be multi-published by Forget Me Not Romances, a dream come true. You can see almost all my books at http://amzn.to/2Ish792. Dave quips he is the oldest new hire in the U.S. by accepting the position as a Core Counseling Faculty member at the University of Phoenix, for which he also teaches many online classes. He is on the staff at Honor Health Hospital in Scottsdale where he teaches pre-op and post-op classes for bariatric surgery. Honor Health is recognized in several of my books. Not a surprise!

Our grandparenting and our situations keep us busy.

To meet all of our grandchildren read Cindy’s Perfect Dance. They all play a part in Cindy and Rob’s wedding on the beach in Costa Rica. Or, visit my website at http://www.bonnieengstrom.com/ to see Dave and me with the crew. You can also sign up for my newsletter there and a chance to win great prizes. In the last contest I gave away a Kindle Fire!

I love connecting with my readers, so I hope you will write to me at bengstrom@hotmail.com and especially tell me what you want to see happen to Cindy and Rob in the future. Will they be successful in their church planting mission? Your ideas inspire me. I feed on them.

Thank you for reading my books. Writing them for you is a privilege and a blessing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers–Trés Chic by Sherri Stewart

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Catherine Castle's Wednesday Writers blog series, clean romance, scruffy heroes, Sherri Stewart, Sweet romance, Très Chic, wholesome romance

 

Today’s Wednesday Writer’s guest author is Sherri Stewart. Sherri will be dishing the scoop on her own romance and how it relates to the romance in her book Trés Chic. Welcome, Sherri!

 

 

A Different Kind of Handsome

By Sherri Stewart

As I reflected on one of the lessons my main character, Nicole, deals with in my book Très Chic, I realized that some of my other books feature the same lesson. Simply put, Nicole, a flight attendant, judges a man based on outward appearance. How superficial, I thought. Don’t most people overcome that in their teenage years?

In Très Chic, Nicole is set up on a date with a scruffy-looking guy with bloodshot eyes. They enjoy a wonderful evening, but Nicole has planned her future around a debonair passenger who flies first class every Monday on her New York-to-Paris flight. Patrick—she knows his name because she checked the manifest—hasn’t given her a second glance, but she doesn’t give up and even enlists Scruffy-Guy’s help.

In two other books, the female characters make assumptions about the male leads based on their outward appearances. Of course, looks are deceiving, and the men’s inner strength, compassion, and convictions win the women over. Nothing original here. Turn on any Hallmark movie, lower the volume, and just by looking at the male characters, you can predict that the guy with stubble growing on his face will be the hero of the story, while the man in the Brook Brothers suit will make an involuntary exit.

So why did I choose that lesson? I didn’t; it chose me because I’ve had to deal with judging others on outward appearances. I’m a starer. You won’t find that word in the dictionary, but it describes a person who, like me, watches people. For some reason, starers believe that others won’t notice that they’re staring at them. But sometimes, they do. Then we starers glance away and look for the nearest exit. I’ve read that writers are great observers of life around them. I like that—it puts a better spin on the act of staring.

I married a scruffy-looking guy. We met in a diner. I taught French in a high school full time during the day but couldn’t make ends meet without working a night job. The first time I saw him I wasn’t impressed. He sat on a stool at the counter and showed me how to make a proper cup of tea. Not the kind where you float a teabag in a cup of hot water, but the kind where you steep the tea in a pot. He worked for a hockey team. I wasn’t impressed. I’d never liked hockey. But then he asked me out, but not only that, he told me I could pick any restaurant. I was in Hog Heaven. Imagine choosing a restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, when your diet consists of different flavors of Ramen Noodles. Bill Gates and Apple hadn’t been born yet, so I conferred with friends, students, faculty members, and finally chose Anthony’s—an Antebellum restaurant—très chic! Two years later, we had our wedding reception there.

It takes time to fall for a scruffy-looking guy. His clothes needed pressing and his car smelled like a locker room. It came by the smell honestly—the backseat was full of hockey skates. But I noticed things about him—the way he searched for a watering can for a Russian defenseman who was having trouble growing a houseplant. Or the way he always brought me back a candy bar or a keychain from whatever city they were playing in.

I learned to love hockey—I’ve been to over a thousand games—and we’ve been married for forty years. He still doesn’t care about a crease in his pants, and he leaves crumbs on the table, but my husband is a kind, thoughtful, sensitive, trustworthy, gentle, loving man.

Appearance can get in the way of sound judgment. In I Samuel 16:7, God warned Samuel about Saul. “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” I’m so glad I wasn’t deceived by the polished, debonair Patricks of my youth, but gave the scruffy guy a second glance.

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Trés Chic

By Sherri Stewart

Nicole has her eye on Patrick Duryea, the passenger in 3B on her weekly New York to Paris flights. He doesn’t know it yet, but she’s going to marry him someday. That is, if he can satisfy the requirements on her list of ten attributes of a perfect husband.

The other man in her life, her friend Sal whom she met on a blind date, sets out to prove that lists don’t work when it comes to love, and he’s willing to help her win over the elusive passenger in order to prove his point.

When push comes to shove onto a New York street, will the list prevail or fail?
Contains mild Christian references.

Want to see how the scruffy guy romance turns out in Très Chic? Check out the book on Amazon.

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About the Author:

Sherri Stewart loves a great suspense novel, sprinkled with romance and a strong underlying message that challenges her faith. Her work as a freelance editor gives her the opportunity to read a lot of great books. Sherri lives in the Orlando area with her family. She’s a member of Word Weavers, ACFW, Christian Pen, and the California Bar. When not working, Sherri likes to visit potential settings for future books. Her next trip—Israel. Well-founded Fear of Death, Inn Danger, and Noah’s Rescue won Word Weaver’s Tapestry awards. Sherri would love to chat with readers about what interests them. Contact her at http://www.stewartwriting.com/.

Other Books by Sherri Stewart may be found on her Amazon Author Page

 

Tuesday Wedding Tales–The Bridesmaid Got Waylaid by Kassy Parris

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Catherine Castle's Tuesday Wedding Tales blog series, clean romance, Excerpt from The Bridesmaid Got Waylaid, Inspirational contemporary romance, Kassy Paris, The Bridesamaid Got Waylaid, Wedding Themed Romances

Welcome to Tuesday Wedding Tales blog series, where wedding themed stories are the fare.

It’s week four in the Trying Out for Love promo and giveaway. Each week readers can enter the Rafflecopter at the end of the post’s book excerpt for a chance to win one of six books in the Trying Out for Love boxed set or the complete boxed set of six books. Seven chances and seven winners! Be sure to read to the end of the post for an excerpt  of The Bridesmaid Got Waylaid and enter the Rafflecopter for your chance at a free ebook.

Today’s featured book in the boxed set is The Bridesmaid Got Waylaid, by Kassy Paris.

 I’m not sure if any of the original bridezilla’s bridesmaids got waylaid, but I do know from the news article the sister of the bride, who refused to bid on a bridesmaid slot, got plenty of flack from the bride-to-be and the mother of the bride as well, according to the article that started this whole series idea. The sister of the bride took to her social media outlets and asked the opinions of others about the bridesmaid auction. I’m wondering what you all think of the bridesmaid auction. As for those of us who chose to write about it, we think it sparked some grand book ideas.

 Here’s Kassy, who will talk about her Inspirational Contemporary Romance The Bridesmaid Got Waylaid.

Thanks, Catherine.

The Bridesmaid Got Waylaid was a struggle to write, until I decided to send Colleen on her journey to the bridesmaid auction in California by way of Wyoming. After that, the story wrote itself.

I’m Texan through and through and wouldn’t dream of living anywhere else, unless it might be Wyoming. I have a spot picked out in Hoback Canyon, which is just south of Jackson, Wyoming. From that point north, you drive through some of the most beautiful landscape God created. My best friend, Elaine, and I drove through Hoback Canyon about seven times either going to or coming from Yellowstone National Park.

One time we left Yellowstone out of the northeastern exit and headed east along Highway 14. When we got to where Highway 14 splits into the scenic route, Highway 14A, we decided to take the high road and drove into the Big Horn Mountains. As we reached the highest point on our drive, Elaine announced that the car had no power.

We stared at one another for a few seconds, prayed over her car, and put Carmen’s praise CD into the stereo. With no other help near, we depended on God to get us through the pass, singing along with Carmen as we drove. Five minutes later, the engine returned to normal, and we continued on our way.

A short time later, we drove around a hill and a valley stretched out in front of us. A rainbow arced across the sky and touched down in the middle of the open space. God’s way of telling us everything was okay. When you read the part in The Bridesmaid Got Waylaid about Colleen and Drew seeing a rainbow, you’ll know the incident could really have happened.

So after abandoning the first version of the story, struggling with the second and getting nowhere, God reminded me of that trip through Wyoming, and I had my story.

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The Bridesmaid Got Waylaid

By Kassy Paris

Colleen Decker sets off for California with her camera to participate in a bridesmaid auction set up by an old friend. She has an idea for two photo spreads she can pitch to her editors. The road trip will give her the opportunity she’s always wanted—to see Wyoming and take loads of pictures.

The bridesmaid auction is unique. Leave it to her friend to come up with such a crazy idea, but the auction will give Colleen a fantastic, unique photo essay to sell. What she doesn’t anticipate, though, is car trouble and a rockslide around the Big Horn Mountains.

Drew Murphy, a veterinarian living with his mother and brother in the Big Horn Mountains, rescues Colleen, not once, but twice, and risks losing his heart to the young photographer who is just passing through his mountains and his life. He refuses to open his heart to love anyone because it hurts too much to lose them.

 

Excerpt:

Colleen needed music to wipe Drew’s face from her mind. Her CDs lined the front of the console. Carmen’s praise album occupied the front slot. Perfect. She could get lost in singing along. Music filled the interior, and she joined her voice with his. Once she arrived at the highway, she headed toward Cody.

The overlook came into view, and she decided to pull over to take a few pictures. She wished she had thought to take some while she was with Drew’s family. Wasn’t too far. She could go back. But then what would she tell them? They would think it silly to go back to take some pictures of a family who had lent her a helping hand and she wouldn’t ever see again.

Her camera bag rested on the back seat close enough to grab. She unzipped it and took out her digital Nikon. The wide-angle lens would be best to capture the vast expanse spread out before her. When she had snapped a half dozen shots, she switched to the standard lens and took some pictures of the rugged rock wall behind her.

She’d love to sit here until sunset and gets some pictures from this high vantage point of the valley down below. But she remembered her promise to Drew about not driving down the mountain in the dark. Back in the SUV, she repacked her camera then headed west. Two hundred yards later, she noticed a sign warning of falling rock. She glanced up the rocky bluff beside her and decided that could be another problem driving in the area in the dark. Thirty seconds later a loud rumble cut through Carmen’s voice. Huge boulders bounced down the side of the mountain, hit the roadway, and tumbled off the side.

She slammed on her brakes. The SUV fishtailed and slammed into a car-sized boulder. The momentum bounced Colleen’s head against the window, and for the second time that day, she blacked out.

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Want to read more? Enter the Rafflecopter for your chance to win the book. No purchase necessary. Or if you can’t wait, The Bridesmaid Got Waylaid is available on Amazon. Winners will be announced February 20 at the end of the Trying Out for Love author guest posts. Remember, all six authors are giving away an ecopy of their book in the series. A boxed set of Trying Out for Love is also in the giveaway. Seven chances and seven winners! Click on the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win.

 Click on the Rafflecopter link below to get entered in the giveaway!

 

 

About the Author:

Kassy Paris is a retired elementary teacher. She began writing toward publication in 1997 when her best friend, Elaine Powell, passed along a message from God that they two of them should write books together. Being published had been a secret desire Kassy had not shared with anyone, even Elaine.

The pair of them had four books published together as Kasandra Elaine before Elaine moved to heaven in May 2015. Their fifth book, Murder in Maggie Valley, was published in March 2017. The rough draft had been completed before Elaine changed addresses.

Kassy has also been writing independently of Elaine since 1997. Kassy is concentrating on her writing and editing businesses, specializing in mentoring writers new to the writing business.

You can connect with Kassy on her Social Media links below:

Facebook: Blog: Website:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers–Pick a Date and Win an eBook from Catherine Castle

Tags

A Groom for Mama, author Catherine Castle, Book excerpt from A Groom for Mama, Catherine Castle Wednesday Writers series, clean romance, disasterous dates, ebook giveaway, romantic comedy, Sweet romance

Welcome to Wednesday Writers!

I’m departing a bit from the usual Wednesday Writers posts because today is release day for A Groom for Mama, Catherine Castle’s sweet romantic comedy with a touch of drama, from Soul Mate Publishing.

Normally, you’d see a post about some aspect of the book—but today, since this is my website and it’s such a special occasion, I’m celebrating the book’s release by offering a free eBook to the commenter who picks the correct bad date my heroine, Allison Walters, got stuck with from the list of disastrous dates below. If more than one commenter chooses the correct date, the winner will be chosen randomly from those answering correctly. I hope you’ll join in the fun and let your friends know about the giveaway as well. Please leave your email, written as janedoe(at)myserver(dot)com (to deter internet robots), and insure I can reach you if you are the winner. All readers commenting will be eligible to be in the drawing, but if your name is drawn and I cannot find your email, I will have to draw again.

Winners will be announced on Tuesday, September 12, 2017.

If you haven’t heard about the story yet, here’s a brief blurb.

 

A Groom for Mama

by Catherine Castle

 Beverly Walters is dying, and before she goes she has one wish—to find a groom for her daughter. To get the deed done, Mama enlists the dating service of Jack Somerset, Allison’s former boyfriend.

 he last thing corporate-climbing Allison wants is a husband. Furious with Mama’s meddling, and a bit more interested in Jack than she wants to admit, Allison agrees to the scheme as long as Mama promises to search for a cure for her terminal illness.

 A cross-country trip from Nevada to Ohio ensues, with a string of disastrous dates along the way, as the trio hunts for treatment and A Groom For Mama.

And now for the date challenge. Which of the disastrous dates listed below did Allison get stuck with?

• Birdwatching for the black-throated blue warbler
• Illegal bungee jumping from a skyscraper and subsequent arrest
• Karaoke in a downtown dive bar with a date who can’t sing
• Spelunking for bats in crawl-on-your-belly shallow cave
• A wresting match with Balderdash and Balls
• A SAVE THE WHALES protest rally
• A lecture on the physics of the collapse of the WTC towers

Do you know which date is the real one for Allison? Be sure to leave your choice in a comment for a chance at the free eBook, A Groom for Mama.

And now for a peek at the book:

Excerpt from A Groom for Mama

By Catherine Castle

With a sweep of his hand, Jack spread the photos out on the table in front of Allison and Beverly. “Here’s a few I just grabbed from the database. Any of them interesting?” He studied Allison’s reaction. She didn’t bat an eyelash as she scanned the men’s pictures. Then, without warning, she scooped them up and shoved them at him.

“I told Mama I wasn’t going to do this. It’s a stupid idea.”

“I’ll admit it’s not the ‘some enchanted evening, see a stranger across the room’ romantic way to find a husband, but it’s not totally unacceptable. Several of the couples my company has brought together have married.”

“And lived happily ever after?” she retorted.

“It’s a new company, Allison. I don’t have the stats yet.” He pushed the photos across the table. “Just take a peek. What harm can it do?”

Beverly grabbed the photo of a particularly handsome man. “How about this one? His coloring complements yours. You’d have beautiful children.”

Mama!” Allison snatched the photo away. “We’re not going to discuss my possible, yet unlikely, progeny in front of Jack.”

A flash of Allison kissing this guy flew through his head. He grabbed the photo from her. “He’s not your type anyway.”

“And just how do you know?” she asked.

“I dated you, remember? You ditched me for some suave, corporate hotshot. At least it’s what you said.”

“Allison!” Beverly exclaimed. “You never told me that.”

Allison shot him a fierce scowl. “I’m not comfortable discussing my love life with you, Mama. Besides, what’s done and over with should be buried . . . in the past.” She picked up another photo. “What about him? Or him and him?” She pointed to two nerdy-looking fellows. “They seem corporate.”

Mama leaned over and checked out the pictures Allison had indicated. “Too ugly,” she said. “He’s got to be handsome. Like Jack. I want to know my grandbabies will be as beautiful as you two.”

He grinned. “Thanks for the compliment, but I know I’m not your daughter’s type.” He laid a sheet of paper on the counter. “Fill this out. Then I can get a better idea of what you want in a husband.”

“I don’t want—”

“I know,” he interjected. “But, for your mom’s sake, just pretend you do.”

 

Want to read more? Check out A Groom for Mama on Amazon.

 

For more fun posts about the book, check out the month-long A Groom for Mama blog tour Catherine will be having by going to the blog tour page on this website.  Follow daily for new insights into the book and more chances to win your own eBook of A Groom for Mama.

About the Author:

Multi-award-winning author Catherine Castle has been writing all her life. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. Besides writing, Catherine loves traveling with her husband, singing, and attending theatre. In the winter she loves to quilt and has a lot of UFOs (unfinished objects) in her sewing case. In the summer her favorite place to be is in her garden. She’s passionate about gardening and even won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club.

Her debut inspiration romantic suspense, The Nun and the Narc, from Soul Mate Publishing was an ACFW Genesis Finalist, a 2014 EPIC finalist, and the winner of the 2014 Beverly Hills Book Award and the 2014 RONE Award. Her most recent release, A Groom for Mama, is a sweet romantic comedy from Soul Mate Publishing. Both books are available on Amazon.

Social Media links for Catherine:

Catherine’s website: https://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com/

Catherine’s blog: https://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com/blog/

Catherine’s Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/catherinecastle

Catherine’s Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7085414.Catherine_Castle

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorCCastle   @AuthorCCastle

Facebook: https://facebook.com/catherinecastleauthor

Stitches Thru Time: http://stitchesthrutime.bogspot.com/

SMP authors blog site:   http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers-Denise Gwen Returns

Tags

book excerpt from Molly's Folly, Catherine Castle Wednesday Writers series, clean romance, contemporary romance, Denise Gwen, Molly's Folly, Sweet romance

 

 

Today Wednesday Writers welcomes Denise Gwen with an excerpt from her sweet romance Molly’s Folly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Molly’s Folly

By Denise Gwen

 

A high-powered Washington insider, Molly Brandenburg has been sent back to Bellefleur, a sleepy river-town on the banks of the Ohio, to set up a headquarters for her senator boss. But when she runs back into the guy who took her to the senior prom, Michael Carson, her one true love, she begins to wonder if perhaps she didn’t make a mistake when she kicked the dust of Bellefleur off her heels sixteen years earlier? 

Because, on the fateful night when Mike told her he loved her, something happened be-tween them that would change their lives forever after. 

 

Excerpt:

As Molly eased off Highway 32, the James A. Rhodes Appalachian Highway, and headed north onto Highway 7, her heart flooded over with a thousand sensations. After seventeen years away, she was coming back home, and she didn’t quite know how she felt.

Meredith, snuggled down in the front passenger seat, stirred and looked out the window. “Wow,” Meredith murmured, “what’s that?”

No wonder the enormous power plant attracted Meredith’s attention. This particular power plant, with its high-spiraling towers emitting steam and fire at all times of the day and night, and with its strange assortment of tall silos and dangerous-looking pipes and windowless concrete bunkers, possessed a strange and terrifying power in Molly’s mind. At night, when the lights on all the towers shone, the power plant took on an eerie, mystical transcendence, looking like a modern-day castle.

“The power plant.”

“It’s huge.”

“It sure is. When I was little, and my mother drove me back home to Bellefleur after the holidays in Cincinnati, I used to keep an eye out for it.”

“Why?”

“Because,” Molly said, blinking back tears, “whenever I saw the power plant, it meant we’d made it back home.”

Meredith scoffed. “A power plant, taking up valuable land on a river, and with enormous cooling towers billowing out noxious smoke? You thought of that as home, Mom?”

Molly smiled through her tears. “I know. Lame, right?”

“So lame.” Meredith settled back down, but remained awake. She gazed out at the open road with wide-awake eyes. “That’s an interesting story, Mom.”

Molly chuckled inwardly. How typical of her little girl to not see it through Molly’s eyes. And it struck her as funny, the disdainful manner in which her daughter spoke to her. Never, ever, had Molly spoken to her mother in the same tone of voice Meredith reserved for her. Was it a generational thing? Or had her mother, Vera Brandenberg, simply not tolerated the withering condescension of her then-teenage daughter? Still smiling to herself, she drove past the massive power plant and tried to recall what, exactly, it was about the place that used to send such shudders of fear and awe through her heart. The terrifying structure, with its eerie stacks and white steam and bright lights on every turret, resembled a gothic city-state, with secrets tucked away inside every chimney.

On every trip back from Cincinnati, she had looked for it. “When I was little,” she said softly, “I called it the castle.”

Meredith turned to look and nodded. “Yeah, I can see that.”

“Whenever I saw the castle, with its ghostly lights and steam billowing out, I knew I’d arrived home.”

“Uh, huh,” Meredith noted politely, then fell silent.

A lump formed in Molly’s throat. Home? Who was she kidding, referring to Bellefleur as home? And thoughts of her mother, wow. It marked the first time she’d thought of her mother in how many years? Then again, back when she was Meredith’s age, her mother had already been struggling with cancer. In her first year of the horrible disease, her mother wasn’t in the least condition to be teased or kidded, let alone censoriously looked down upon with the withering condescension of a teenage girl.

“I was poor growing up,” Molly said.

“I know, Mommy,” Meredith said kindly. “You told me.”

“And yet, I never felt at a disadvantage, at least not when it came to my mother.”

Meredith said nothing, but gravely turned her gaze to Molly.

“At least not in that way,” Molly continued. “No, I simply accepted it as a given. My mother and I formed a family, our own insular unit.”

“Mmmm hmmmm.”

“We weren’t wealthy, but Mommy was so good, so clever, at scouring the thrift stores and the day-old bread stores for provisions. Mommy knew how to stretch a dollar to the breaking point. Despite our poverty, I always wore clean, fresh, new-looking clothing, and the fridge was always full.”

Meredith remained still.

Molly couldn’t help it. She simply could not stop talking. She’d loosened the flood gates when she passed the electric plant, and she simply had to share her history, even if it might be a bit dark and bleak to share with a teenager. Molly simply could not help it. “Of course, growing up in a working-class town like Bellefleur, it was actually kind of easy to be poor, because everybody else was poor, too. It was easy, quite frankly, to fit in. On a fraction of the budget, I still managed to look like the rich, fashionable, girls at school.”

“We wear uniforms,” Meredith noted, “so we don’t have that problem, but then everybody’s rich.”

“That’s true,” Molly agreed. “The rich girls always showed up at school the first day after the summer break, wearing their brand new outfits from the fancy stores. But I didn’t pay those girls any mind. And, up until my fifteenth birthday, I never really wanted for anything.”

“What happened when you turned fifteen?”

“My mother got cancer.”

“Oh,” Meredith said in a small voice.

As Molly glanced through the rearview mirror and saw the enormous city of lights and vapor she recalled another memory. It was always dark, for some reason, whenever she and her mother drove back into Bellefleur. And in the dark, whenever she saw the plant, Molly felt safe and warm and protected. The hard, cold city loomed outside her window, but inside, seated beside her mother, with her mother’s competent hands securely on the steering wheel, guiding her home, Molly felt secure in the protective bubble of her mother’s presence. She wanted to tell Meredith all these things, to share all these thoughts and emotions and sensations, but she resisted the impulse. She’d already shared enough. Sometimes it was too hard, and too painful, to bring up every memory from the past.

Want to read more? Check out the book at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

 

About the Author:

One night, when Denise was thirteen years old, her mother kept her up half the night, in order to edify her and make her aware of the many charms and talents of Jane Austen.

Her mother then proceeded to act out key scenes from a copy of Emma, which her mother then presented to her as a gift. Denise read Emma and didn’t really ‘get’ Jane Austen. Not right away, in any event. It wasn’t until she read Pride and Prejudice, that Denise finally ‘got’ Jane Austen, and instantly became a convert and worshipful admirer of all things Austen.

Denise hopes that one day her writing will reach the same sublime level as a Jane Austen novel; all she can do in the meantime, however, is continue to work at her craft.

Denise lives in Cincinnati with her husband and two cats, one of whom is an excellent mouser, the other one, not so much. The cat, you know.

 

Check out Denise’s other posts on this site here.