Featured on KBoards The Heart Leads Home

"The Heart Leads Home," by Sydell Voeller

The Heart Leads Home, by Sydell Voeller
Price: $3.99
186 pages, with a 5.0-star rating from 6 reviews

"This is a book that you will love to read and a romance that you want to end happily ever after. This is not your typical romance novel simply because you have a truly gifted author. Voeller writes a different kind of romance story about two people you would never have thought should end up together." -- Readers' Favorite

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?
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Meet the AuthorSydell Voeller grew up in Washington State, but has lived in Oregon for over thirty years. Throughout her twenty-plus-year writing career, her published novels for teens and adults have reflected her love for the Pacific Northwest's ocean beaches, inlets and waterways, evergreen forests, and mountains. Sydell resides in Oregon with her husband. They married in 1972 and have two grown sons and five grandchildren. Pet lovers, the Voellers have provided a home for several cats, a dog, gerbils, hamsters, and a turtle--especially when their sons were growing up. (A small rodent cemetery still occupies one corner of their backyard.) She and her husband enjoy camping, reading, playing Scrabble, day trips to the Oregon coast, and spending time with their two pampered feline.

When Sydell isn't writing, she enjoys camping, walking, amateur astronomy, reading, and surfing the web. In 1987 after the publication of her first novel, she was named by the Washington County Mushaw Center, Woman of the Year in Communications.

Formerly a registered nurse, Sydell now teaches long distance learning writing courses, sponsored by the Long Ridge Writer's Institute. Visit Sydell on her website to view her book lists, bio, and photos: www.sydellvoeller.com

More from this Author
   

Featured today on KBoards, A House Divided

http://kboards.blogspot.com/2014/09/free-and-bargain-kindle-books-tuesday.html

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A House Divided, by Sydell Voeller, only 99 cents!

Save $3 today on this Kindle Countdown Deal!

"Rebecca and Mark do find themselves attracted to each other, however, and struggle with their conflicting feelings. Sydell Voeller's descriptions of characters and setting bring the story to life and leave a lasting impression. A twist in the plot comes as a real surpise, but fits the story. Highly recommended! " -- Amazon reviewer

Rebecca Lorenzo, the young widow of a Hollywood actor who was killed by a crazed fan, is struggling to raise their young daughter, Wendy. Rebecca is embittered that God allowed her precious husband to die. She has turned her back on Him. Rebecca and Wendy move from L.A. to Rebecca's hometown on the Oregon coast.

Due to a miscommunication, Rebecca mistakenly believes she can buy a Victorian house there. She hopes to cocoon herself in the security of her "safe" hometown. Rebecca meets the handsome, enigmatic homeowner, Mark Simons, and learns of his plans to tear down the house. Mark, a psychiatrist, is attempting to raise money to build a halfway house on the property, and he is admittedly a workaholic. He believes this project is God's will for him. Mark refuses to budge when Rebecca approaches him about selling the house. As Rebecca and Mark struggle to battle their individual demons from the past, they also struggle to resist their growing love for each other. 

The Fisherman's Daughter is featured today on kboards blogsite! Check it out!
http://www.kboards.blogspot.com/

Press Release

Canadian Publisher Signs “Neglected” Great Authors of Yesteryear; Rescuing their Discriminating Fiction from Sea of Self-Published Works.

Calgary, Alberta – In this day and age, most self and vanity publishing services will take a cheque from anyone willing to hand one over. This leaves critics and readers with the disheartening task of having to sort the literary wheat from the chaff. However, one Canadian publisher is on a bold mission to not only re-connect readers with fiction written by master wordsmiths with decades of experience, but to re-ignite the careers of acclaimed and much-loved authors that readers thought had dropped off the radar for good.Calgary-based and independent Books We Love Ltd. is highly exclusive about who they sign; opting for previously-published authors who were left stranded after their small to mid-size publishers were swallowed up by the big guys. Many of these genre authors became bestsellers and literary legends in their own rights, only to find their careers pushed under the rug and readers crying out for their return.
Authors under their wing include Joan Hall Hovey (known to many as Canada’s “Queen of Suspense”), Juliet Waldron, known for such historical favorites as Mozart’s Wife and Hand Me Down Bride, Kat Attalla who has over a dozen available romance titles and Jamie Hill, who is celebrating the print release of her new romantic suspense, ‘Pieces of the Past’ book one in her ‘Witness Security’ series. With over fifty authors to explore, the BWL Publishing Inc. bibliography is a true Hall of Fame.
“We’re releasing new and re-printed books only from authors who have a solid reputation for quality and credentials to match. They have won awards, dominated the former mid-lists and are often authority figures in their own professional industry,” explains Judith Pittman, Publisher for BWL Publishing, Inc. “However, they were literally left with nowhere to turn after their publishers were incorporated into others and their works delisted. Considering many of these authors spent decades refining their skills and had loyal fan bases – it’s a travesty.”
Continuing, “The good news is that they have now found a home at BWL, Publishing, Inc. and we’re passionate about connecting them with their former readers, as well as garnering a new audience. You’ll often hear people asking what happened to that author they were once addicted to; well, he or she could very well be with us!”
Of course, any great author would be oppressed without an extensive distribution network for their work. To that end, BWL Publishing, Inc. has just signed a deal to distribute their books in print in the USA, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. Red Tuque will also be handling a portion of the distribution in Canada, with both distributors releasing a combined twenty-five titles this coming fall.
“This print distribution is a big step for our authors, returning their work to its original format. Of course, we’ve not forgotten about eBooks and currently have over four-hundred titles exclusively available through Amazon Kindle. With each book priced at $4.99 or under, getting some of literature’s forgotten heroes into your hands has never been cheaper,” Pittman adds.
In all, it’s a busy period of growth for BWL Publishing, Inc. who have long-term plans to continue uncovering supposed ‘bygone’ authors and giving them back the careers they once thrived within.
For more information on the company and their authors, visit: http://bwlpublishing.ca/

Friday Freebits: Daisies Are Forever (Books We Love Ltd.)

Synopsis:

April Heatherton, history teacher and volunteer firefighter, is determined to protect the land she holds dear, particularly the grave of an unknown pioneer woman who once trekked the Oregon Trail. Proposed logging operations are encroaching, and April soon finds herself organizing a local task force to try to stop them. Yet when April meets handsome Matt Spencer, son of the owner of Johnson Brothers Logging Company, she much reckon with her escalating attraction to him. Matt, one of a growing breed of displaced loggers, is also determined to fight for his beliefs - the right to make an honest living harvesting the timber. Can April and Matt overcome their differences? Or will their convictions forever keep them apart?

          It was nearly five. April hadn't slept all night. Wrapping her bathrobe around her, cinching the tie tightly, she padded down the hall.

            She needed to call Matt. Tell him she’d changed her mind about Wednesday morning. Even though she’d been counting on this opportunity to take him to the grave-site, she knew now she’d only be tempting fate by seeing him again.

            Last night, thank goodness, she’d had the good sense to call an abrupt halt to their kissing. What a romantic ninny she’d been. Hadn't she learned her lesson in love the first time when she’d so recklessly given her heart to Eric?  How close she’d come to making that same, fatal mistake again.

            But now it was time to get back on track. There was work to do. A lot of work. She needed to keep a clear head without images of Matt Spencer always haunting her, constantly reminding that every letter she wrote, every phone call she made, she’d be only widening the chasm that already existed between them.

            Her hands trembled as she begin punching in his number. She stopped mid-way, as her courage faltered. What if she awakened him from a sound sleep? No matter. Loggers were typically early risers anyway. Besides, all she’d have to do was talk quickly, get it over with and say good-bye.

            She lifted her cell phone again to continue calling. Yet her stomach twisted into a cold, tight knot, stopping her. She couldn't go through with it. No, she simply could not.

Buy Link:  
http://www.amazon.com/Daisies-Forever-Books-Contemporary-Romance-ebook/dp/B009NT3K8S

(July 2015 note:)  Please check the Books Page on this blog for a complete listing of "buy links.")

To read additional 6-line excerpts from other authors, go to http://mizging.blogspot.com

Friday Freebits: Six Lines from Summer Magic (Books We Love, Ltd)

"And now ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages,”  the ringmaster boomed, "world-renowned Michael Figaro will perform one of the most daring acts in circus history!  The triple somersault!"

A hush blanketed the coliseum.  The drums rolled.  From somewhere overhead, the spotlights dimmed, casting a dramatic hue over the performers.  Lisa's heart pounded.  Every nerve in her body stood on end.  Oh, Michael.  Please be careful, she silently pleaded.

Michael dusted his hands with resin.  Then he began to swing.  The intensity was etched clearly on his face.  His taut muscles revealed the strength in his torso and upper arms.  Last year when she'd witnessed Michael's performance, she'd secretly vowed he was the most gorgeous man alive. Tonight was no exception. Higher and higher he arched.  With a quick thrust, he tucked himself into a ball and whirled through the air.

The drums stopped rolling.  Lisa felt her hands grow clammy as she braced herself on the edge of her seat. Suddenly Michael's body straightened and his hands connected with the catcher's.  The applause exploded.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the ringmaster hollered, "you have just witnessed the most important feat on the face of the earth!" While the crowds went wild, Lisa went limp with relief.

Oh, Michael, no wonder you came back, her heart cried out.  His performance was commanding.  Michael Figaro was destined for stardom.  How easy it would be to fall in love with him--only to end up heart-broken once again.  There must be at least a hundred women, watching him this very moment, who would give their souls just to touch his hand.  She could no more hold onto Michael than she had Charles.

http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Magic-Sydell-Voeller-ebook/dp/B007D0CGSO

Update July 2015:  (Please check the Books Pages for the complete list of "buy links.")

To read more "Six Lines" from other participants in Friday Freebits, go to http://mizging.blogspot.com

Friday Freebits--Her Sister's Keeper

The lead in:  Logan, R.N., is apprehensive about allowing her little sister, Kim, who suffered a spinal injury in the plane accident that ended their mother's life, to attend a summer camp for children with physical challenges. The recommendation was first initiated by sexy Dr. Zack Dellinger, the camp director, whom Logan finds too appealing.  She silently wars against her attraction to him.  In order to keep an eye on Kim to make sure she's not pushed beyond her comfort level, Logan volunteers as the camp nurse. Her most unsettling fear, however, is centered on Kim's participation in the therapeutic horseback riding program.

Overhead, the sun shone hot and white puffs of clouds scudded across the azure sky. She inhaled deeply, unexpectedly refreshed. Thinking again about her sister's recent blush of improving health, she decided maybe all along she herself had needed some of this pristine outdoor life as well. In fact, ever since the accident, taking a vacation had been the farthest thing from her mind.

Too bad it had been Zachary Dellinger's idea that Kimberly come to Camp Rippling Waters and not Logan's. If Kimberly were to accomplish the feats of recovery he'd suggested earlier, Logan would be loath to give him the credit. Besides, last thing he needed was one more female beholden towards him, for any reason.

As the stables came more plainly into view, she stopped short and blinked. There were Zack, Betty Jo and Kim, backs turned in her direction as they stood inside facing Midnight. It appeared Kim was leaning forward, feeding the black Arabian something from her flattened palm while Betty Jo and Zack stood flanked on either side of her wheelchair.

Logan stiffened. Zack promised her he'd go easy. He'd save the horseback riding till later. Though she had agreed half-heartedly to the planned activities he'd suggested for Kimberly last night, the horseback riding had still left her apprehensive.

Watching them, new dread washed over her. Why was Zack rushing this? Had his promise to her last night, a softly spoken prelude to his heated embrace, served merely as a tool to break down her resistance? Without a doubt, he was a master at breaking down a woman's resistance.

Promises, she thought dully as she forced herself to turn away and blot out the scene before her. Empty, hollow promises. Now, in the revealing light of day, what good were they?

Buy Link for Her Sister's Keeper:  http://amzn.com/B007ULHBXQ

(July 2015 Update: Please check the Books Pages for the complete list of "buy links.")

To read more "Six Lines" from other participants in Friday Freebits, go to http://mizging.blogspot.com