Welcome to Monday Writers at the Window, the new and occasional feature. My first guest is Jana Richards, a long-time writer friend and one of the Word Wranglers. Please make her welcome.
Thank you for hosting me and
letting me tell you about my Masonville series. STRONG ENOUGH, the fourth and
final book in the series will release on June 22, 2022, so I’m taking this
opportunity to talk about the other books in the series as well.
From the beginning, I knew I
wanted to write about overcoming problems and deep traumas, and I wanted to
show how love might help heal those wounds—love from a romantic partner, of
course, but also love from community, family, friends and even pets. And especially
learning to love yourself. The characters in this series often come from a
place of deep shame, and part of their healing is coming to believe that they
are good, decent people who are worth loving.
In CHILD OF MINE, book one of
the Masonville series, Lauren’s shame is that she becomes pregnant on the day
of her husband Billy’s funeral when she sleeps with Billy’s older brother, Cole.
Cole’s been her friend since they were teenagers, and they connected because of
shared anguish and anger. But now that she’s pregnant, everyone in her small
town assumes the baby is Billy’s. How can Lauren overcome her shame and tell
the truth?
Lauren didn't intend to sleep with her
brother-in-law Cole on the day of her husband's funeral. But now that she is
pregnant, she's not sorry. Cole's given her a baby, a long-wished-for miracle.
He's been her friend forever, though she never told him or anyone else how
unhappy her marriage to his cheating brother was. And she's afraid to tell the
small town that considered her husband a hero that the baby isn't his.
Cole's been in love with Lauren since he
was sixteen. It kills him that everyone believes the baby is his dead
brother's. All he wants is to claim the baby, and Lauren, as his own. Though
she marries him, will Lauren's heart ever be his?
Lauren must tell the truth or risk losing
Cole. Is her newly-discovered love for him greater than her fear of scandal in
her hometown?
Here
are Five Things You Need to Know About CHILD OF MINE:
1. Cole
and Lauren have known each other since they were teenagers when Cole tutored
Lauren in chemistry. They stayed friends through the years, even after Lauren
married Cole’s younger brother, Billy. And even though Cole has been in love
with her all these years.
2. Billy
dies in a car accident, and Lauren comes back home to North Dakota to bury him.
She’s angry and grief-stricken and filled with guilt. She had a terrible fight
with her cheating husband before he died. Did their fight cause him to lose his
concentration on that Georgia Interstate?
3. Cole’s
a veterinarian and Lauren is a bookkeeper. Cole helps Lauren get a job at his
clinic as the receptionist/bookkeeper.
4. Mia, a
former girlfriend/mistress of Billy’s, also works at the veterinary clinic and
she’s determined to cause trouble for Lauren.
5. CHILD
OF MINE is set in North Dakota. Though I live directly north of North Dakota on
the other side of the 49th parallel, both areas are part of the
Great Plains of North America. I’m a true lover of the prairie landscape. To
me, the endless skies and vast vistas are awe inspiring. Don’t let anyone tell
you it’s boring!
Excerpt:
Cole wrapped her in his arms. He held her securely, whispering
reassurances. “It’s all right, Lauren. Don’t cry. It’s going to be okay,
sweetheart.”
She clung to him, her face buried against his
neck. How wonderful to be held, to be touched. It had been so long—
What was she doing? This was Cole, her friend.
She pulled away from him. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have anything to apologize for.”
She turned away and tried to wipe the tears
from her face. After she got her tears under control, she made herself smile at
him. “Do you remember the homecoming dance? The time I tripped in my new high
heels and sprained my ankle?”
“Of course I do. You couldn’t walk, so I
carried you from the school gym to Billy’s car, and he drove you home. I
remember you were a lot heavier than you looked.”
She swatted his shoulder, hiccupping laughter
mixing with her tears. “Very funny. I was trying to make a point.”
He wiped the tears from her cheek with the pad
of his thumb, his dark eyes full of tenderness. “So what was your point?”
“You’re a good friend. You’ve always been
there every time I’ve needed you, and here you are again. Thank you.”
He stared into her eyes, but said nothing. She
couldn’t look away. He continued to stroke her cheek with his thumb, the tiny
caress acting like a balm to her battered heart. She placed her hand on his
cheek.
“Cole.”
They reached for each other in mutual need. He
pulled her against his chest, his mouth descending on hers in a hungry, urgent
kiss. She sighed against his mouth, and he brought her closer. He wants me. It had been so long since
someone had wanted her. Only her.
Buy Links:
CHILD OF
MINE is on sale for .99
cents at Amazon from May 6-20, 2022. Download your copy today!
The
Wild Rose Press ~ Amazon.com ~ Amazon.ca ~ Amazon.UK ~ Amazon.au ~ Amazon.de ~ BN
iBooks ~ Kobo
(US) ~ Kobo (CA) ~ Google
Play ~ Walmart ~ BookBub ~ Goodreads
STRONG ENOUGH is currently available for preorder. Have
it automatically delivered to your ereader on June 22, 2022!
Charlotte
Saunders has a full life—a rewarding career as a nurse, meaningful volunteer
work at a dog shelter, and family, friends and pets she adores. But no matter
how hard she tries, she can’t forget the horrible event that’s haunted her for
ten years.
A
survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Damon Greyson now helps others who have
suffered trauma. His experience and intuition alert him to trouble in Charlotte’s
past, and he wants to help her, if only she’d let him.
As
they work together to help veterans suffering from PTSD and neglected dogs
needing loving homes, their feelings for each other deepen. But when the trauma
from Charlotte’s past roars back to life, both are forced to confront their
painful histories—or die trying.
Buy Links:
Amazon
~ Amazon
CA ~ Amazon UK
~ iBooks
~ BookBub
~ Goodreads
Author
Bio:
Jana Richards has tried her hand at many writing
projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to
full-length contemporary romance, paranormal suspense and romantic comedy. She
loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side. She believes there’s nothing more interesting
then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick.
When not writing up a storm or dealing with dust
bunnies, Jana can be found pursuing hobbies such as golf (which she plays very
badly) or reading (which she does much better).
Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren.
You can reach her through her website at http://www.janarichards.com
Social
Media Links:
Website: http://www.janarichards.com
Blog: http://janarichards.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards_
Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards
Amazon UK Author Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B002DEVWWG
Newsletter Signup: http://janarichards.com/contact.html#newsletter
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2892274Jana_Richards
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jana-richards
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