A Few Lines From Hazel Statham

The shadows of the remaining light played across Caroline’s sleeping countenance and he smoothed a lock of hair that had strayed across her forehead. He knew the desire that his lips should follow his finger’s course, but even in his state of inebriation, he knew this would be foolish.

For several minutes, he watched his wife sleep, eventually placing his head upon the pillow beside her. His lips curved into a loving smile as his eyes drank in her sleep-softened

countenance and he felt her breath caress his cheek. The longing to hold her became an almost physical thing and his arms ached with the suppressed desire.

Eventually she stirred, muttering incoherently in her sleep, and he raised himself up. *What foolishness is this*, he thought. *I am acting like a callow youth, *and immediately he was on his feet. Snatching up the light, he went quickly out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

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Come back next week for a few lines from Betty Jo Schuler.

A Few Lines from Kat Attalla

This week, a few lines from Kat Attalla's China Blue:

At eight p.m., he drove to the camp. The dark skies overhead made it seem later than dusk. Just to make sure he covered his bases, he ran his Jeep off the road in a ravine deep enough to need a tow-truck to get out. By the time he reached her Craftsman house, he was soaked to the skin. Damn! He never thought a summer rain could be so freaking cold. A woman who fed the squirrels and birds would not turn her back on a stranded motorist. Would she? 

He knocked on the door and waited. The air rumbled with a distant thunder. In the past decade, he had thought about her many times: The sad young girl with the magnificent eyes. So he wasn't prepared for the woman who opened the door. Her eyes were that same bright blue, but the rest of her bore little resemblance to the skinny teenager in that hospitalbed. Her hair had grown back and fell below her shoulders in thick black waves. Denim jeans molded long legs and a fitted tee shirt revealed a hint of cleavage at the scoop neck. But her most striking feature was the rifle cradled in her arms.

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Please stop back next week for a few lines from Hazel Statham.

4 Star Review for Unlikely Dad

Reviewed by Natasha Jackson for Readers' Favorite What do you do when the man you think you want to spend the rest of your life with decides to up and leave? You do exactly what Rachel Dillon does; you move on and marry someone else. Then divorce him before running into your previous ex, looking more handsome than ever, at a wedding inside the school cafeteria. Sounds strange, but it is the perfect backdrop for Rachel and Chad’s story in Sydell Voeller’s Unlikely Dad. The stars have seemingly aligned to give Rachel and Chad another chance, but instead of being the young man ready to leave the small town of Oakville behind him, Chad is now a world famous and highly sought after wildlife photographer who spends his time in the wilds of Africa or the Australian Outback. Despite his growing relationship with Rachel’s son Michael, Chad is determined to leave again and pursue his dreams which definitely don’t include marriage.  Sydell Voeller does a good job of portraying small town life—-nosy neighbors and townsfolk, gossip and all—-while also shining a light on that one person who wants to break free of small town life and become something bigger than he has ever known. The lingering emotions between Rachel and Chad are palpable but what really makes this a heartfelt story is the relationship between Michael and Chad. The innocence of his requests, his subtle insightfulness and eagerness to please allows Chad to become a better man than even he knew he was capable of being. Unlikely Dad is a surprising romance that doesn’t necessarily follow the path one would expect. It is a slow-paced story that equals that slow pace of life in Oakville, giving the reader a glimpse into what Rachel loves and Chad loathes about a life lived in a small town. More than a tale of young love lost, Unlikely Dad is a story about a growing love that strengthens and endures, and grows into something far more than love.

A Few Lines From Juliet Waldron

A Few Lines From. . . Juliet Waldron

This week, A Few Lines from Juliet Waldron's Nightingale           



             "By the Blessed Mother, I shall not be your slave forever.  I swear it!"  

              Max stopped at the door, one powerful hand resting on the high latch, gazing back at her.

              "The day will come when I shall relinquish you to whatever fate devises," he replied evenly, as if this, too, was an outcome he would control.  "But, Klara, haven't your teachers explained that words should be chosen precisely?  You are not my slave.  A more perfect metaphor would be that of a little brown nightingale kept in a fine and luxurious cage for her own good."

             "Your pet!"

              "My sweet, sweet songbird." Tenderness, for the first time in this encounter, entered his voice.  "My beautiful and wonderfully talented Nightingale."

              As she began to weep, he'd said, "Now listen to me, Maria Klara and listen well!  I charge you to always remember, I am the one who holds the key to your cage."

http://www.amazon.com/Nightingale-ebook/dp/B00D8MEL8E/ 

http://julietwaldron.com/nightingale/index.htm

and/or

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Coming next week, a few lines from author Kat Attalla.

The Heart Leads Home Now Available in New Platforms!

Don't own a Kindle?  No problem!  I'm happy to announce that my latest contemporary romance, The Heart Leads Home (published by Books We Love) is now available at B&N, Kobo, Smashwords--as well as Amazon.

Check out the links below:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Heart-Leads-Home-ebook/dp/B00DFAVVAK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1373045848&sr=1-1&keywords=the+heart+leads+home+voeller

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/326647

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-heart-leads-home-sydell-voeller/1115678233?ean=2940016506302

http://store.kobobooks.com/books/The-Heart-Leads-Home/TRi3gJqKLUSlyg1KlKnekg

Sarah Pendleton, a first grade teacher in Portland, Oregon, feels duty-bound as she returns to her hometown of Mistletoe Valley--and to her conflicted past. While growing up in her small, rural community Sarah lived with her grandparents, who served their community well--especially her grandfather, a pastor. Yet Sarah despised being the “perfect preacher’s kid” in a small town where everyone knew everyone else’s business. Rebellious, she fell for a stereotypical “bad boy” during high school and after graduation, they married. When they learned she was pregnant, he left her for parts unknown. Unable to support the baby, Sarah gave her up for adoption, yet ever since, guilt has consumed her. She believes she doesn’t deserve to have a second chance at being a mother again.

Now a decade later, she is the sole inheritor of her grandparents’ estate. She must decide whether to sell the property, or make the painful choice of staying in a town where folks remember her rebellious past. 

She meets the strikingly handsome real estate agent Rich Stevens. He also works as a youth pastor at the church where her grandfather had served. Her attraction to Rich is immediate and powerful, but she’s faced with not one, but two prickly thorns: He is a grieving widower, and his 8-year-old daughter, Carly, is grieving too. He believes that there can never be another woman in his life, and he can succeed in raising his daughter alone. 

Sarah grapples with her own push-pull feelings for Rich. Should she hire him to sell her grandparents’ property, knowing full well he’s more than just a business acquaintance to her? Should she stay in Mistletoe Valley, or go back to her job in Portland? The truth is, if she were to fall in love with him, a man of the collar, she’d be right back to where she started as a child—struggling in vain to live up to others’ expectations. Worse, Rich’s daughter, Carly, is the embodiment of the baby she left behind, and if Sarah allows herself to get too close to Carly, that would only complicate her feelings for Rich. 
Can Sarah and Rich overcome their personal demons and making a lasting commitment to each other? Can the two of them—plus Carly--become a forever family?

Just a Few Lines Shirley Martin

Just A Few Lines from Wolf Magic by Shirley Martin

This scene takes place after the heroine has been jailed for stealing.

He reached her cell and–
Annwn?
Shock rendered him speechless, his throat dry. His heart pounded wildly.
Sitting on the floor, she held her shift in clawed hands, her arms and
legs covered with fur. Her face red with shame, she turned away from him. He
heard her sobs, saw her trembling.
This is Annwn?
He clenched his hands, fighting for control. Helpless to do anything, he
could only stare. He discarded his shock; his heart turned over with love
and pity for her.

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Juliet Waldron is next on July 16