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Sweet Saturday Samples/Abiding Echoes

Whew! Power outages and 100+ degree weather! NOT recommended, particularly when the storm was so large it swallowed many states with 70 MPH winds and put millions of people out into the heat! One day I might even write about the experience…except I think I killed a few brain cells waiting for the restoration! And of course, the first commercial I saw when I got power back and turned on the TV was for a new show called Revolution – in which the power all over the world goes out for some mysterious reason…

So here’s my awesome cover for Abiding Echoes, scheduled for release July 19!

Love is family…

The McGee family is devastated when their beloved patriarch, Justin, suffers a heart attack. Having lost their mother too soon, Ryan and Sean can only pray for their father’s recovery.

Love is endless…

Justin knows how much his children love and need him, but he’s tired and they have families of their own now. Watching his sons with their wives is bittersweet for him, because it makes him miss his beloved Beth all the more. Not a day goes by when he doesn’t think about her… want to be with her.

Love is timeless…

And suddenly, she’s there. With him, beside him in some strange way he doesn’t understand. But speaking and reminiscing with her about the day they met and how they fell in love seems more real than the heartbroken family holding vigil at his bedside.

Love is abiding…

Justin’s love for Beth has only strengthened over their years apart and he’s longed for the time when he’d see her again. Finally, that time is here. Who has the greater claim on him, his family… his grandchildren… or the love of his life?

Hope you enjoy this brief excerpt:

The crack of rifle fire interrupted the gentle teasing. Justin jerked taller in the saddle, and Zeke shied to the right, bumping into Gypsy. A second shot sounded. With a glance at the other two men, whose faces mirrored his alarm, Justin urged Zeke into a gallop.

They arrived in the stable yard just as another round was fired.

“Behind the house!” he shouted to Jim and Gus. Spurred by pure adrenaline, he jumped from the saddle and grabbed the Winchester from the holster.

On the run, he flipped off the safety and set the bolt on the rifle. He rounded the side of the house and skidded to a stop, just as Beth lifted a Winchester and pointed it at the two tin cans resting on upended logs next to the patio. She squeezed the trigger. A chunk of wood from one of the stumps flew into the air, accompanied by the crack of splintering wood. The can on top of the log shivered but didn’t even fall over. Beth opened the breech, and the spent shell casing flew up and to her right. She pushed the breech forward and rotated down, her movements a tad awkward, but manageable. She lifted the rifle again.

Was she closing her eyes?

She squeezed the round off and the bullet drove into the ground, raising a little cloud of dirt. Beth spat out a curse that singed the air, and Justin lowered his rifle, uncocking it and flipping on the safety. Adrenaline weakened his knees and threatened to explode his heart.

“Not bad. Gettin’ closer.” Mary handed Beth a couple of shells and pointed at the rifle. “Reload it like I showed you.”

“What in heaven’s name are you doing, woman?” bellowed Jim when he arrived at Justin’s side.

Justin gave his dad a quick assessing glance. His face was a little flushed and his breathing a touch heavy, but other than that he seemed all right.

“Teaching Beth how to shoot,” said Mary without looking up, her voice calm and resolute. She stepped back and motioned for her student to continue.

Mesmerized, Justin could only watch as Beth set the safety, opened the breech, and ejected the spent shell casing. One by one, she slid the cartridges into the chamber, pressing the last one with her thumb and then closing the bolt. She pulled in a deep breath and released the safety, then raised the rifle to rest against her cheek. When she shut one eye and squinted with the other, Justin cringed.

“She’s aiming too low,” murmured his dad.

“I don’t think she’s aiming at all,” muttered Gus, taking a step backward.

JULY 19! In the meantime, find me on Amazon and check out the first two books in The Echoes of Orson’s Folly series.

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A snippet from Heartfelt, due out Fall 2012:

After giving Trish a quick kiss through the passenger window, Bella galloped off. Trish watched until her daughter’s red T-shirt blended with the other red-shirted day campers. Sending Bella to Camp Laurel had been a huge step in the process of letting go of the child to let her make her own way in the world. But it hadn’t been an easy one. If Trish had her way, her daughter would stay by her side, safe and protected.

“You have that same look on your face every time we drop her off,” murmured Ashley from behind the wheel of her midsize sedan.

Startled by the observation, Trish slumped back in her seat and sent her friend a sideways glance. “What look is that? And how do you know what I look like anyway, since I was looking out the window?”

Sunlight filtered through the windshield and flashed off of shiny red nail polish as Ashley pointed to the side view mirror. “The look that says you want to go with her and make sure she doesn’t have to fight any battles today.”

A soft laugh escaped Trish’s lips. “I guess I just got so used to doing it from the time she was little.”

Ashley lifted an eyebrow. “It’s the same look you lay on Danny when you send him off for the day.”

The laugh stuck in Trish’s throat and she nearly choked on the indignation that rose like bile. “I do not look at Dan like that. He’s the most capable man I’ve ever met, even without his sight.”

“Well, there’s capable and there’s… capable.” Ashley shrugged and turned the ignition key. “And there are definitely things you shelter your man from the same way you shelter your daughter.”

The thought of needing to shelter Dan from anything was ludicrous. He’d walked blind through a hurricane to save Bella, for Pete’s sake. Trish shook her head. “You’re crazy.”

“Am I?” Ashley spun the wheel and they made a left onto the road that would carry them to Morehead City. “Why didn’t you tell Dan about your appointment today?”

Trish puffed out her cheeks and then released the breath through pursed lips. “Because I’m having a sonogram. The last one before I deliver, barring any problems.”

“Trish, that’s a big deal!” Ashley spared her a brief glance before returned her eyes to the road. “Why wouldn’t you want Danny along?”

This time the chuckle that squeezed out wasn’t so amused. “You’re kidding, right? He can’t see the pictures.”

“Oh, like you couldn’t describe them to him in exquisite detail.”

They turned onto the four-lane Atlantic Beach Causeway and the buildings they passed became a blur of rental condos and charter fishing outfits. A pawn shop advertised military surplus items. Close enough to Camp Lejeune that personnel willing to make the nearly hour-long drive lived there, but with perfect access to beaches and ocean fishing, Morehead City was an odd mix of tourists and Marines.

Trish swallowed over the lump of emotion in her throat. “It hurts him… Ash. It hurts him that he’ll never see the baby. It disappoints him when the baby stops moving and he can’t feel him kicking.”

The tires hit the long bridge and began to sing along the pavement as they left the causeway behind. The fishy smell of the ocean hit her nostrils and her stomach began to protest. Trish closed her eyes. Probably even before the road whine began, Dan would have known exactly where they were if he’d come along. Sounds and smells. That was how Dan found his way most of the time. Sounds, smells, his sharp memory. His guide dog, Jack. Her arm and her descriptions. Even Bella was learning to adapt to Dan’s blindness, though that was a doubly good thing since he required her to talk more and her speech had improved as a result.

They approached an intersection in time for the light to flash up to yellow and then red. Ashley eased off the accelerator, sending another quick look in Trish’s direction as she braked to a stop behind a sporty red SUV. “And you know this how?”

“It’s all over his face.” Trish sighed. “He couldn’t feel the baby kick this morning.” The baby had been so active but the minute Dan had touched her belly, all the internal pokes and jumps and waves had stopped—almost as though someone had waved a magic wand. Dan had grinned and shrugged but his brow had pinched ever so slightly and a small sigh had escaped. It broke Trish’s heart every time that happened, and lately she’d seen it happen a lot.

Still time to read the first three installments in the Heartsight stories before Heartfelt is released! Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

A snippet from Heartfelt, due out Fall 2012:After giving...

A snippet from Heartfelt, due out Fall 2012:

After giving Trish a quick kiss through the passenger window, Bella galloped off. Trish watched until her daughter’s red T-shirt blended with the other red-shirted day campers. Sending Bella to Camp Laurel had been a huge step in the process of letting go of the child to let her make her own way in the world. But it hadn’t been an easy one. If Trish had her way, her daughter would stay by her side, safe and protected.

“You have that same look on your face every time we drop her off,” murmured Ashley from behind the wheel of her midsize sedan.

Startled by the observation, Trish slumped back in her seat and sent her friend a sideways glance. “What look is that? And how do you know what I look like anyway, since I was looking out the window?”

Sunlight filtered through the windshield and flashed off of shiny red nail polish as Ashley pointed to the side view mirror. “The look that says you want to go with her and make sure she doesn’t have to fight any battles today.”

A soft laugh escaped Trish’s lips. “I guess I just got so used to doing it from the time she was little.”

Ashley lifted an eyebrow. “It’s the same look you lay on Danny when you send him off for the day.”

The laugh stuck in Trish’s throat and she nearly choked on the indignation that rose like bile. “I do not look at Dan like that. He’s the most capable man I’ve ever met, even without his sight.”

“Well, there’s capable and there’s… capable.” Ashley shrugged and turned the ignition key. “And there are definitely things you shelter your man from the same way you shelter your daughter.”

The thought of needing to shelter Dan from anything was ludicrous. He’d walked blind through a hurricane to save Bella, for Pete’s sake. Trish shook her head. “You’re crazy.”

“Am I?” Ashley spun the wheel and they made a left onto the road that would carry them to Morehead City. “Why didn’t you tell Dan about your appointment today?”

Trish puffed out her cheeks and then released the breath through pursed lips. “Because I’m having a sonogram. The last one before I deliver, barring any problems.”

“Trish, that’s a big deal!” Ashley spared her a brief glance before returned her eyes to the road. “Why wouldn’t you want Danny along?”

This time the chuckle that squeezed out wasn’t so amused. “You’re kidding, right? He can’t see the pictures.”

“Oh, like you couldn’t describe them to him in exquisite detail.”

The turned onto the four-lane Atlantic Beach Causeway and the buildings the passed became a blur of rental condos and charter fishing outfits. They passed a pawn shop advertising military surplus items. Close enough to Camp Lejeune that personnel willing to make the nearly hour-long drive lived there, but with perfect access to beaches and ocean fishing, Morehead City was an odd mix of tourism and Marines.

Trish swallowed over the lump of emotion in her throat. “It hurts him… Ash. It hurts him that he’ll never see the baby. It disappoints him when the baby stops moving and he can’t feel him kicking.”

The tires hit the long bridge and began to sing along the pavement as they left the causeway behind. The fishy smell of the ocean hit her nostrils and her stomach began to protest. Trish closed her eyes. Probably even before the road whine began, Dan would have known exactly where they were if he’d come along. Sounds and smells. That was how Dan found his way most of the time. Sounds, smells, his sharp memory. His guide dog, Jack. Her arm and her descriptions. Even Bella was learning to adapt to Dan’s blindness, though that was a doubly good thing since he required her to talk more and her speech had improved as a result.

They approached an intersection in time for the light to flash up to yellow and then red. Ashley eased off the accelerator, sending another quick look in Trish’s direction as she braked to a stop behind a sporty red SUV. “And you know this how?”

“It’s all over his face.” Trish sighed. “He couldn’t feel the baby kick this morning.” The baby had been so active but the minute Dan had touched her belly, all the internal pokes and jumps and waves had stopped—almost as though someone had waved a magic wand. Dan had grinned and shrugged but his brow had pinched ever so slightly and a small sigh had escaped. It broke Trish’s heart every time that happened, and lately she’d seen it happen a lot.

Still time to read the first three installments in the Heartsight stories before Heartfelt is released! Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Sweet Saturday Sample from Heartfelt

Happy Father’s Day weekend!

I just got a contract for Heartfelt, the next in my Military Romance, Heartsight series – visiting some dear old friends…lots of them, actually.

Dan eased a breath out and he steered her toward the kitchen table. “Okay, so let’s sit down and you can tell me what’s up. What’s this about a job offer?”

“Jay’s going to help me by cleaning the rooms during the week and doing some of the cooking, said Trish brightly. She startled Dan by directing him to the seat Bella usually sat in. Then she settled in her own chair with a lot of grunting and heavy breathing.

“I’m off until school starts again and I’ve been told I’m a fair cook, so I’m happy to help,” said Harris from across the table, apparently occupying Dan’s seat.

“It was a stroke of genius on Ashley’s part to think of Jay when Dr. Peroli told me to take things easier.” Trish squeezed Dan’s hand.

“Pure genius,” Dan found himself agreeing through lips stiffened by his strained attempt at a smile. He’d be certain to thank the little mastermind for being such a good problem solver later.

“And convenient that Jay was at loose ends.” Trish giggled. “Well, convenient for us anyway.”

“Yes… ah… convenient.” He nodded toward the seat across the table. His seat across the table. “Thanks, man.”

“Hey, can’t let Montgomery House close for the summer when I’m right here, ready and able.” Jay laughed softly.

Ready and able, huh? Dan opened his mouth. Closed it again and forced a smile. In the face of his wife’s tangible excitement, it was apparent that suggesting they should shut the B and B down until the baby came wouldn’t go over well. He’d do better to keep his mouth shut.

Even if hiring a man to do Trish’s job did feel weird and uncomfortable.

<><>And if you haven’t read the beginning of this continuing story, Heartsight and Operation: Christmas Hearts are still on sale at Amazon. <><>

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Sweet Saturday Samples

By the time they reached the front porch, Justin had regained his internal balance. She did that for him. Just being with her made him not want to waste even a second of their precious time together. By some kind of unspoken agreement, they both stopped just outside the front door. In silence they moved into each other’s arms. The kiss started out with gentle caring, but quickly heated. With the slightest pressure of his lips, Beth parted hers, and he sampled her honey-sweet essence. Craving more, needing her with every part of him, Justin slipped a hand beneath the jacket she wore and gripped her along the rib cage. With a soft groan, she bent backward, exposing her neck to his trailing lips.

The porch light flared and she jumped back, pulling from his embrace with eyes somehow wide and blinking at the same time. “What happened? What is that?” She stared at the yellow bulb as though just learning about electricity.

Justin chuckled. “That’s my mom keeping her promise to your dad and looking out for your virtue.”

“My virtue?” Beth turned her blinking gaze onto him. “My virtue was in danger?”

Justin offered a shrug. “Getting there. Definitely getting there.”

A slow grin spread across Beth’s face. “Fa-ar out…”

<><><>Abiding Echoes<><><>

Love is family…

The McGee family is devastated when their beloved patriarch, Justin, suffers a heart attack. Having lost their mother too soon, Ryan and Sean can only pray for their father’s recovery.

Love is endless…

Justin knows how much his children love and need him, but he’s tired and they have families of their own now. Watching his sons with their wives is bittersweet for him, because it makes him miss his beloved Beth all the more. Not a day goes by when he doesn’t think about her… want to be with her.

Love is timeless…

And suddenly, she’s there. With him, beside him in some strange way he doesn’t understand. But speaking and reminiscing with her about the day they met and how they fell in love seems more real than the heartbroken family holding vigil at his bedside.

Love is abiding…

Justin’s love for Beth has only strengthened over their years apart and he’s longed for the time when he’d see her again. Finally, that time is here. Who has the greater claim on him, his family… his grandchildren… or the love of his life?

ABIDING ECHOES – COMING THIS SUMMER FROM ASTRAEA PRESS

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Sweet Saturday Sample/Abiding Echoes Excerpt

From my July release! Abiding Echoes:

Part of his mind recognized a hospital room, though it had been a while since he’d seen one from flat on his back. The ceiling seemed farther above him than it should have been, and the walls surrounding him felt tight, as though he was looking upward from the bottom of a long shaft. A movement to his right caught his eye, and Justin became aware that he wasn’t alone.

Turning his head slightly, his gaze locked on the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen in his life. A riot of blonde curls reminded Justin of a lion’s mane as they cascaded to her shoulders. Her lips curved gently upward and her emerald green eyes crinkled at the corners.

“Hey there, cowboy. I see you’re awake.”

“Dilly?” Justin tried to smile through the fog of confusion.

She laughed, a full-bodied sound that he remembered well. He closed his eyes again and let it wash over him like a babbling brook through a dry desert.

“And who else were you expecting?”

Justin frowned, trying to understand what was going on, but his mind felt as leaky as a rusty old bucket with holes in the bottom.

“Where am I?” he whispered. “What happened?”

“You’re in the hospital,” she said, scooting her chair closer. “You had another heart attack… a bad one this time.”

Beth touched him on the arm and he jerked. Her hand was warm and firm.

“You’re real?” he murmured, trying to recall why he thought she wouldn’t be.

Her lips tilted upward again and nodded.

Memory filtered in. Something had happened… the river. They’d had a funeral. He frowned. Hadn’t they? Or had he lost his grasp on what memories reflected reality? “Why are you with me?”

She shrugged. The wide lacy collar of her yellow dressed slipped off one delicate shoulder with the movement. “I’m just keeping you company while you’re here.”

Justin was afraid to ask but he supposed he had to know sometime. “Am I dead, then?”

<><><><>

Thank you for stopping by!

If you haven’t read the first two in the Echoes of Orson’s Folly series, find them out on my Amazon page!

<><><>

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Memorial Day Weekend Sweet Saturday Samples

In honor of our military personnel on Memorial Day, I’ve chosen just a little teaser from the Heartsight Series – this is from Operation: Christmas Hearts – but is from one of the scenes that takes place in May. 

The roar and crash of the surf gradually crowded back into Ashley’s awareness and she stretched. The sun wasn’t as warm. Or as bright. It must have gone behind one of the clouds that had been on the horizon earlier. Shuffling sounds in the sand nearby let Ashley know she wasn’t alone. Bella and Trish had probably returned from their walk.

“Did you find anything pretty, sweetie?” she asked the little girl without opening her eyes.

“Yep, darlin’, I did,” murmured a deep voice. “And if I’d known mermaids sunbathed here, I’d have volunteered for beach patrol years ago.”

Ashley’s eyes flew open to the vision of a pair of white athletic shoes filled with sports crew socks that led to well-shaped male shins. She looked up the muscular bare legs to the black running shorts and then up…and up…and up along a bare chest with a fine sheen of sweat… This had to be the tallest, leanest, fittest body she’d ever seen. She raised a hand to block the sun and continued her appraisal. A strong jaw, clean-shaven. A grin, flirty but not leering. Short sandy-brown hair. Hazel eyes glimmered down at her, crinkled at the edges as though in silent laughter.

“Hello, handsome,” she murmured with a smile. And hello, Summertime.

<><><><>Operation: Christmas Hearts BLURB<><><><>

Ashley Torrington never cared much about Christmas before. But this year she’s having a particularly blue holiday because Marine Special Operations Team member, Nick Turner got under her skin just before he was deployed to Afghanistan. With her neighbors’ precocious daughter Bella volunteering Ashley for a special project at school, and a mysterious white-haired stranger named Estelle in town buying gifts from Ashley’s shop, not to mention the odd assortment of presents Ashley’s been receiving from an anonymous source, she shouldn’t have time to worry about her guy. But when he and his team go missing the week before Christmas, she realizes only a Christmas miracle will reunite them.

Captain Nicholas Turner never backed down from challenges—on the battlefield or in his personal life. But he’d never met a challenge like Ashley, who doesn’t want to be anyone’s “girl back home.” Now he’s on the other side of the world, wanting to be anywhere but in Afghanistan for Christmas. About to embark on one of the most dangerous missions of his life, he needs Ashley to know she’s much more than the girl he’d left behind, and he does plan to come home to her. But in the meantime, a little Christmas magic would be appreciated. Little does he know, he’s about to get his wish.

For Memorial Day weekend only, e-versions of Operation: Christmas Hearts and the story that started it all, Heartsight, are on sale for just 99 cents each. Click the picture below to go to my Amazon page for more information: 

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HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE MEMORIAL DAY 2012.

 

 

Abiding Echoes/Sweet Saturday

Jim nodded toward the mountains in the distance. “See those specks flying up there?”

Beth squinted. A pair of birds circled, so far away they were tiny as ants. “Are those…vultures?” Her stomach did a slow flip. Had someone or something else been killed up in the hills?

“Nope. Those are eagles.” He shaded his eyes with one hand. “Looks like bald eagles.”

She followed his lead and shaded her eyes with one hand. “You can tell from here?”

“That they’re bald eagles and not goldens? Nah.” Chuckling, Jim dropped his hand. “But I know bald eagles tend to range up that way…near the Green River. I see ‘em up there a lot…soaring and gliding. I had a Shoshone friend once who told me eagles are considered of the earth by not in it…kind of spiritual overseers.” He watched them for a few minutes in silence as he rubbed his fingertips along his jaw, obviously deep in thought.

In turn, Beth studied Jim. She supposed it wasn’t exactly ironic that father and son would both have an appreciative affinity for flying objects. Had Jim ever taken Justin kite flying?

He sighed deeply and returned his focus to Beth. “You know as high as they are, they can still spot a trout flashing too close to the surface just begging to be their next meal? They’ll glide up in the sky for hours waiting for it…or they’ll set up in a tree perfectly still makin’ sure their shadow doesn’t fall across the river. Soon as they see that sparkle of scales, they’ll be on that trout like a lightning bolt.”

“They just wait? They don’t go hunting?”

Jim shrugged, more with his face than his shoulders. “That is hunting for them. Never seen an animal with so much patience as an eagle.” He gazed into the distance again. “I reckon the view from up there likely makes just as good a reward for all that patience as the meal itself.”

A breathy laugh escaped Beth’s lips. “Heights kind of make me dizzy.”

He swung his gaze back in her direction and winked. “Guess it’s a good thing you have your feet on the ground then. But whatever view you like best, patience earns the reward in the end.”

She stared at the eagles. From so far away they barely seemed to move. They appeared to have just been suspended against the sky.

“I think I’ll go pester Mary about baking some oatmeal cookies.” Jim pushed off the fence and tipped his hat at Beth. “Justin’s in the cow barn pulling a calf.”

Beth stared after Justin’s father as he ambled to the house. His gait was steady if a little slow and tired. Before he opened the back door, he tossed a casual wave in her direction. She raised her hand but he was already stepping through the door. A chill tickled the base of Beth’s spine.

Patience…not even close to her strong suit. But if she listened to Jim McGee, very rewarding to enjoy the view while she waited. If only she knew what she was waiting for.

She turned her head and stared at the cow barn. What exactly was pulling a calf?

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Abiding Echoes on Sweet Saturday Samples

It’s finished and under contract! Hopefully you’ll see it this summer. Abiding Echoes, Justin and Beth’s sweet love story.

“Justin, come look at the sky!”

Justin strolled over to the blanket and sat, taking care to keep to the edge without being obvious. He’d seen the stars over Wyoming many times while sleeping out on the trail during roundups. But as he eased onto his back and allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness, he took on a new appreciation for the vastness of the sky.

Beth rolled onto her back again with a sigh and began to speak in a soft voice. “Back home, we have too many city lights, so we only see a few stars. I can’t imagine being able to walk outside any night to look up and see this view. It’s like holes in a curtain…or maybe a comfortable old blanket with little pieces of heaven shining through.”

Justin’s heart did a little flip-flop and he concentrated on slowing his breathing. “Do you reckon someone’s out there looking back on us as we’re looking at them?”

Beth shifted back onto her side and propped herself on one elbow. Her hair shone pale in the dim moonlight. “As big as the universe is, I can’t believe we’re the only ones here. But if they are looking at us? I wonder if they think Earth is really all that interesting.”

Justin rolled over and propped his head on one arm so they faced each other. He knew something on Earth that interested him. Or rather someone.

Beth moved closer and Justin stopped breathing while she arranged herself on her back against his side. “See the Big Dipper?”

She pointed into the sky and he tried to follow her gesture. Finally, with a helpless shake of the head, he gave up, wishing he’d at least learned how to find a couple of constellations while he’d been out on the cattle drives.

Beth picked up his hand, holding it with the back against her palm. She nudged his forefinger apart and used it to draw an imaginary line in the sky. “See that bright star there?”

Following the line of his arm as Beth held it, Justin surprised himself by picking up a star that was definitely brighter than others around it. “Yeah.” He nodded, excitement taking over. “Yeah, I do!”

Beth gave Justin’s hand a quick squeeze. “That’s Dubhe. It’s part of the cup on the Big Dipper. So if you follow a line down, the next bright star almost underneath it? That’s Merak. And then move across…this way…” She drew the line with his hand. “You’ll see Phecda. Then up a little to Megrez, over to Alioth, to Mizar, and a little bit down to Alkaid. See it?”

He did. Quite clearly. Lightness eased into his heart for the first time in months and he laughed with her. “It’s a little like playing connect the dots, isn’t it”

She laughed with him, and then began pointing to other stars, naming the ones she knew, making up outrageous names for the ones she didn’t.

In the meantime, why not check out the first two books in the Echoes of Orson’s Folly series?(Click on the picture below to learn more.)

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Sweet Saturday Sample from New WIP!

Heartfelt

Bella’s laughter filtered through the headset plugged into Dan’s laptop and he paused the program that had been reading to him. The Internet version of the AP wire could wait. Dan slipped the Earbuds off and laid them on the table.

“What’s so funny?” he asked the nearly eight-year-old.

“Mama’s tummy. It’s moving.”

He couldn’t help it. The grin spreading over his face wouldn’t be denied. It was the same way whenever he thought about the baby. They’d about given up hope of ever having one and then bam! Out of the blue a Christmas miracle.

Well, Bella was convinced it was anyway. The miracle part Dan couldn’t deny, given the grim prognosis for future progeny handed to them by every one of the top specialists they’d seen. And he supposed it was a Christmas miracle, considering that was when they’d found out about the little guy.

“Oh!” Trish squealed. “I think he’s dancing a jig this morning.”

“Here.” She touched Dan on the forearm, then lifted his hand and pulled it across her abdomen.

The soft cotton top stretched tightly over her growing abdomen. Had she grown that much just overnight? He added his other hand and cradled her belly.

Nothing happened.

“Huh!” Trish laughed. “It’s so weird how he calms down whenever you tough him.”

Dan concentrated on not frowning. Because the fact was he wasn’t touching the baby. Only Trish’s rounding belly. Other people got to see his acrobatics but not him. And except for one time when the baby had first kicked, Dan hadn’t felt anything either.

“Hello? Hello?” He moved one thumb back and forth next to Trish’s belly button. “Are you in there, Little Boy Blue?”

Bella giggled. “That is not—his name.”

Dan chuckled and dropped his hands. “It will be if we don’t agree on what we’re going to call him.”

Time enough to feel his son move. After all, he was due in just under a month.

Also in this series (click on a pictures for details) – Camp Wedding for Kindle will be free at Amazon today:

Heartsight print copy giveaway on Goodreads. Sign up today!

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