Showing posts with label second chances. Show all posts
Showing posts with label second chances. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

BACK TO THE BEGINNING



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Christina Ann Gist will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.



Mer Harbor is a small, coastal town in Southern California. Everyone knows everyone, and nothing is a secret among Mer Harbor residents. Some hope to escape someday, while others find the charm of the town enticing, and never leave.

Everley Romero and Heath Mitchell had always planned to take on the world together. To leave Mer Harbor and pursue their dreams. It all seems to crumble when a tragic loss sends them in different directions.

 Almost ten years later, Everley finds herself on the receiving end of a bitter divorce, leaving her no choice but to return to the home - and past - she'd hoped to leave behind for good. 

Heath is building a good life for himself in Mer Harbor. When he crosses paths with Everley, he learns that they'll both have to face a past full of heartbreak and loss that they've both tried to bury.









EXCERPT

“Why the hell did you even bother?” Benny was shouting again, this being what seemed like their millionth fight this week. “It's obvious you don't love me, so why didn't you just stay in Mer Harbor?”

“I do love you!” she shouted back, “I don't know how else I'm supposed to prove it to you!”

“Get over him!”

“Screw you!”

It was always the same argument, and it happened every year around her daughter's birthday. Why couldn't he see her sadness was about the child she’d lost and not his high school rival?

Running away had been a mistake, but Mer Harbor had become so suffocating that she saw no other option. Besides, she usually had fun with Benny. How could she have predicted he'd forever be jealous of a relationship that had ended years ago?

“Six years, Everley,” he started up again. “It's been six damn years and he hasn't come looking. He doesn't care about you anymore.”

She knew he wasn't looking, and she knew exactly where he was. Heath had returned to Mer Harbor shortly after she left, and he wouldn't look for her, because he hated her.

Mistake or not, she was determined to make what she had with Benny work. She owed him that much. “What do you want from me?”

“Be with me,” his expression softened, and he stopped shouting, “and I mean really be with me. Stop putting it off and marry me.”







Telling stories before she could even write, Christina Ann Gist grew up knowing she wanted to be an author. She “published” her first stories with construction paper and handwritten pages for her family and friends. Now, with the magic of technology, she’s able to share her characters and stories with the world.

When she’s not writing, you can find her dabbling in her other favorite hobbies such as photography, stargazing, and of course: looking for her next adventure.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinaanngist
Website: https://www.thesaltynomad.com

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Back-Beginning-Mer-Harbor-Book-ebook/dp/B088NGYB4H/ref=sr_1_1







Wednesday, January 22, 2020

SECOND CHANCES


Don't forget the Rafflecopter giveaway at the end of this post!


Second Chances 
by
Larry Yoke
Genre: Romance Fiction


Second Chances is an adult fiction romance novel: Hunter O’Conner has a rough childhood, so it’s not surprising when he turns down the wrong path. Growing up with an abusive father, we can’t help but feel sorry for him and wish, as he does, that “Mr. Wilson was his father” instead. He’s not, but this father figure helps teach Hunter some lessons which will ultimately help him turn his life around when he gets a proverbial “second chance.” It is a captivating story that teaches us it’s never too late to change and do the right thing. 





He has been writing short stories and poems since a child. Now his writing entertains and contains current social messages taken from the pages of today’s headlines. His poetry and books have won national awards in 2018, 2019 and his writings have seen their way into several anthologies. He has proven his mettle as an established author worthy of reading. His books are found at online book stores and his social media and author sites. 












$10 Amazon – 2 winners!
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Monday, May 30, 2016

TINA GAYLE'S #Romanticidea AND INTERVIEW

Tina Gayle is my special guest today. She conceived the idea of the #Romanticidea blog trade in which several authors are participating. It’s only fitting that Tina should be my first #Romancticidea guest.

Please tell us about growing up. Siblings? Locale?

I grew up in the great state of Texas and have three sisters. We lived in a small town near Houston. I loved being outside and playing games. Strangely, I also love school, which my children tell me is just strange. I think it was because I liked to get away from home and meeting new people, which is still true today. I love going places and discovering new stories about the people I meet.

So do I love to travel and discover new stories. Tina. Were you the shy kid or the tomboy? Married, single? Children?

I wasn’t very outgoing as a child, kinda shy. But as the years went by I decided to work harder at pushing myself forward. I’ve been married almost 30 years and have two wonderful boys. A great job is being a mom. A better job is being a grandmother. Though I haven’t had the pleasure yet, I’m looking forward to someday having grandchildren.

Being a mom was one of my two favorite jobs—the other is being my Hero’s wife. Who are your favorite authors and favorite genres?

Love romance. I started reading it when I was in my teens and have been hooked ever since. I read and enjoyed so my authors. It’s hard to name just one.

Very tactful answer. When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite way to relax and recharge?

I enjoy planting flowers and watching them bloom, but I’m not always good at keeping them alive. I also enjoy reading but don’t always find the time I’d like to do it.

I may have terminal black thumb but I love have flowers in bloom. How long have you been writing?

I started my first book in 2000. So I guess I’m going on 16 years.

Where do you prefer to write? Do you need quiet, music, solitude? PC or laptop?

I like it to be quiet with just me and my laptop.

I like classical music or quiet. Are you a plotter or a panzer?
 
Can I be both? I start out as a panzer, then around the 3rd chapter, I work out the plot. So I guess I’m a combination of both.

Yes, you can be both. I suspect most of us are what’s known as a Plotzer, a combination of plotter and panzer. Do you do your research before you begin a new project, or as you go along?

I tend to do a little of both. I research first for interesting information about the area or the idea then while I’m writing I check for additional information.

Tell us about your writing schedule. Do you set goals? Do you write daily?

I try to look at writing as a job, which I do every day during the week. I usually come up with a schedule for the year. Plan out the time period each will take and adjust as the year goes by.

You’re more organized than I am, but I also write every day and schedule which books I’ll do for the year. Do you write full time or do you have a day job. If you have a day job, what is it?

I’m lucky in that right now I don’t have a job outside of writing.

Isn’t being a writer the greatest job ever? Tell us something about yourself that might surprise readers.

I’m not a girly, girly. I don’t usually wear makeup or dress up. I get up put on a t-shirt and jeans and get to work. No shoes and a cup of coffee, I sit down and work. The joys of working from home.

Right, I love working at home. What do you hope your writing brings to readers?

Joy. Each of us struggles with the challenges of life. I hope my books bring a sense of hope that they can be anything they want to be.

What advice would you give to unpublished authors?

Follow your passion, but if it doesn’t work out don’t let it get you down. It’s about what makes you happy.


TINA GAYLE’S #RomanticIdea:
Young or old, we all enjoy a night out.
Instead of going to the same old place, try some place new. Maybe a place with music for dancing or a winery for a tasting.
There are all sorts of new things to try. Do it with your lover and make a new memory.

Blurb for CFO’s AFFAIR:
Sylvia Donovan is emotionally wounded from the unexpected death of her husband and still haunted by their last conversation: his request for a divorce and his confession of love for another woman.  Her husband gone, her only daughter off to college, Sylvia faces the challenges of learning to live alone and move on with her life.
Vince Wilshire, enchanted with Sylvia, is more than willing to do what it takes to capture the heart of the hurting and untrusting Sylvia.
Can he help her forget the past and make her believe in love again?


Excerpt for CFO’s AFFAIR:
          A knock sounded on the window beside her and she jumped. Her head swiveled around and she stared at the man looking at her through the window.
          Vince Wilshire's handsome face could make any woman melt with desire. With it so close to hers—the glass being the only thing separating them—a rush of adrenaline swept into her system. She leaned sideways in her seat and knocked her hand against the steering wheel. The horn beeped and she muttered, "Damn it, Knox, why did you..."
          The sound of his laughter sent anger flooding through her, the muscles in her arms tightening with the need to strike out. She lowered the phone and clicked the disconnect button in retaliation to his attempt to manipulate her.
          Vince opened the driver's side door and cold air rushed into the car. "Hey, beautiful, are you heading inside?"
          "What is this? Are you guys ganging up on me?" Sylvia ignored the man beside her and glanced in the rear view mirror, checking to make sure her tears hadn't caused any lasting effect.
          A warm hand landed on her shoulder and Vince toyed with her hair. "Not at all, I like the idea of entering the building with a gorgeous woman on my arm."
          "Right," she protested and stuffed her phone into her purse before turning to stare into his bedroom-brown eyes. The spark in their depths had her reevaluating her impression of the man. Yes, he had the face and body to rival every other Casanova in the world, but he also had a sense of humor. That alone sent a shiver of awareness through her.
          She fought the desire gathering in her stomach and waved her hand at him so he'd move out of the way, letting her exit the car. "Did Knox make you wait out here in the parking lot to make sure I would come inside?"
          Vince grinned and held her door open while she stepped onto the asphalt. His gaze fell to her legs.
          She stared at her new, high-heel, red pumps and silently prayed she wouldn't land face first in the dirt when she tried to walk across the pitted parking lot in them.
          A low whistled sounded beside her. "Man, are you ever hot."
          She ignored the comment and didn't turn until she heard the car door slamming closed. "And there's not a woman you've ever met you haven't wanted."

Read 1st chapter at http://www.tinagayle.net/CFO'sAffairChpt.htmlhttp://www.tinagayle.net/CFO'sAffairChpt.html


Tina Gayle, Author

Tina Gayle grew up a dreamer and loved to escape into the world of books.
After years of working in the business world doing a variety of jobs, she decided to try her hand at writing. Her books touch the heart and show the true joy of being a woman.

Read the first chapter of any of her books by visiting her website.

Find Tina Gayle everywhere:
Home - www.tinagayle.net
Blog - www.tinagayle.blogspot.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorTinaGayle
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/tina.gayle
Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Tina-Gayle/e/B002BM9GR8
Google + - https://plus.google.com
LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tina-gayle/11/689/759




Monday, December 15, 2014

IF YOU BELIEVE - A CHRISTMAS ROMANCE BY MYA O'MALLEY


If You Believe (1)


Synopsis of IF YOU BELIEVE by Mya O'Malley

Sometimes love only comes once in a lifetime. For some lucky people, it is possible to love again.

Melody and Jack had shared an unforgettable love story that abruptly came to an end. Melody, left picking up the pieces, finds herself alone years later, with no hope or desire to date again. With the holiday season approaching, Melody finds it particularly difficult to get Jack out of her thoughts.

Jack isn’t sure if he’s an angel or a ghost, but his mind is set on one thing only, finding a new love for Melody by Christmas Eve at midnight. Easier said than done, with many obstacles to tackle, Jack underestimates how difficult the task is. With conflicting emotions, Jack takes it upon himself to find a man for a woman he still loves.

With the clock ticking as the holidays approach, this charming story of finding love the second time around will have you laughing and crying, but ultimately, it will have you believing in true love.

If you believe






add to goodreads






Excerpt of IF YOU BELIEVE:

Excerpt from If You Believe- Mya O’Malley

He stood, watching her, feeling every ounce of her pain, her anguish. He was probably the only one who understood what it was like to lose the person you loved, the person who was everything in the world to you.
If only he could just touch her, reach out to her, make her feel happy again. But that was just selfish on his part, wasn’t it? It wouldn’t be fair to Melody. Anybody could see that even three years later, she was still struggling. Hadn’t he always told her that if something happened to him, he would want her to fall in love again? It saddened him to think that if she continued down this cold and lonely path, she would be alone forever.
Melody had wanted it all, a home filled with children, a loving marriage. Thinking back to how happy they had once been, it broke his heart to see her this way, and it was always saddest to see her like this around the holidays, which were quickly approaching.
Jack’s mind was whirling with ideas, if only...He wished that he could talk to her just one more time, but alas, that was against the rules. If only there was some way, if only he could help her see the light. The corners of Jack’s mouth crept up as his mind took hold of an impossible thought. Would he be able to pull this off? If he did, could he ever be the same again? …
The electricity was undeniable. It was something that he should have considered, knowing how powerful their attraction and love had been in life. The look on Melody’s face was shock, confusion and curiosity all rolled into one. He would have to remember not to touch her again, it was simply too much of a risk to take. He knew that if his cover was revealed, the rules stated that he could never make contact with her again.
“What was...did you feel?” Poor Melody peered at him with those gorgeous light brown eyes of hers. There was something different about her eyes now; once they had been filled with spark and mischief, but now they were sadder, as if the light had somehow gone out. The same eyes that had looked at him with varying degrees of emotions for all those precious years they had shared together. The same eyes that held him spellbound right now. Jack didn’t know what to expect; he had no way of knowing how hard it would be to not reach out and touch this woman who was his wife, the love of his life. She evoked so much emotion in him that he had to turn his head before she saw the tears that sprang from his eyes. He had known this would be hard, but Melody took his breath away. Melody was always beautiful, but now she also appeared slightly sad and fragile. Looking down at her so many times before, he knew of her sadness, of course, but standing right here beside her, Jack could practically feel her strong emotions within his own heart.
Since he had gone to great lengths to disguise his true identity, Jack would have to do better than this. There was no way that she could recognize him by his appearance. He was once tall, standing six foot three inches tall, maintaining a trim physique with messy light brown hair. He now stood barely five foot seven with wavy dark hair and a stocky build. The only thing about his appearance that Jack wasn’t able to change was his eyes. Nobody could change their eyes, because it was a fact that eyes were the windows to the soul.
Melody stood before him, her mouth gaping open as if she were caught in a spell. Think of something, quick, he told himself.
“Melody. I heard great things about your store. You see, I’m new to this area and I was just walking around and I figured I’d come check out your store.”
Melody appeared as if she had composed herself slightly. Clearing her throat, she finally spoke. “Where are you from, if you don’t mind me asking.”
He really should have been more prepared, how could he have forgotten how inquisitive Melody was?
“Um, I’m from down south, Florida.”
“Whereabouts? I have a friend from the Orlando area.” He should have also remembered her old college roommate from Orlando. Was Miami far enough away to field off further questions?
“Miami.”
“Miami? What brings you all the way up north to the New York area?”
Wow, she should have been a lawyer instead of owning a business. “My job. I work in the city now and live here in the suburbs.”
“What do you do for work?”
Thinking quickly on his feet, Jack steered away from his real occupation in life, working for an insurance company.
“I work for a pharmaceutical company. I’m in sales.” That ought to do it. He was reminded of a time when Melody had quizzed him nonstop when they had first met, he had felt like he was interviewing for a job. They had laughed many times together over that memory.
“Oh. Well, who is it that recommended you to my store?” Her eyes peered cautiously through her striking auburn hair. The long hair that was always slightly out of place, always in her eyes. Wishing that he could reach out and touch her beautiful hair just once more, he reeled himself back in.
“Just some guy at a diner recently. He raved about the selection of books and the coffee. Hmm, if I recall, he also said that you have the best cheesecake in town.” That should do it. Melody loved to bake and could go on and on about her desserts.
And that she did, thank goodness for the distraction of a good cheesecake. When Melody had stopped gushing about how she prepared her cheesecake, she caught herself and chuckled.
“You must think I’m something, rambling on like this. I’m sorry, I just realized that I didn’t catch your name.”
My name, my name. Something unusual perhaps, but fitting for a friend. “Oliver.” Where did that come from?
“Oliver. Well, Oliver, I don’t usually do this because we are closed, but would you like to try some of the cheesecake? We happen to have some left over.”
“Oliver” could tell that he had gotten on Melody’s good side. She wasn’t a particularly outgoing person. As a matter of fact, she was usually pretty shy, but he was delighted to see that he had made an impression on her. Or perhaps it was just good business sense. Either way, Oliver had succeeded in completing the first step of his mission: meeting Melody.
****
Melody couldn’t recall the last time that she had felt so comfortable with a total stranger. It wasn’t like she was even physically attracted to him, Oliver wasn’t her type at all. He was the complete opposite of Jack in every way. Well, in every way except for those captivating blue eyes. It was uncanny how much Oliver’s eyes reminded Melody of Jack’s eyes. It wasn’t just the color or the shape, but it was the intensity of his gaze. That was probably why Melody had felt so comfortable with him from the start.
“I know that you’re going to think this is forward, but would you mind showing me around town sometime?”
Melody sucked in a breath and inwardly panicked.
“My girlfriend is coming up in a few weeks and I wanted to show her around a bit.” He finished.
Melody’s shoulders visibly dropped as she let out a sigh. “Sure, yes, Oliver, I think that would be fine.”
Two finished slices of chocolate cheesecake and decaf coffees later, Melody realized this was the best evening she’d had in, well, just about three years.



Mya Omalley
Mya O'Malley, Author
Mya O’Malley was born and raised in the suburbs of New York City, where she currently lives with her husband, daughter and three step-daughters. The family also consists of two boxers; Destiny and Dolce and a ragdoll cat named Colby. Mya earned an undergraduate degree in special education and a graduate degree in reading and literacy. She works as a special education teacher and enjoys making a difference in the lives of her students.

Mya currently has three new releases: AT FIRST SIGHT, a contemporary romance about dating in the modern world, published by Astraea Press, and WHERE THERE IS LOVE, a contemporary romance in which a woman struggles with past obstacles, ultimately faced with whether or not she will open her heart to love. WHERE THERE IS LOVE is published with Solstice Publishing. Mya is excited to say that Astraea Press released her contemporary holiday paranormal romance titled IF YOU BELIEVE. Due to be released late January is THE CALM AFTER THE STORM, published by TouchPoint Press. This novel is a contemporary romance taking place in the setting of Hurricane Sandy. The story revolves around the idea of a utility worker from Georgia falling in love with a woman in New York.

Mya’s passion is writing; she has been creating stories and poetry since she was a child. Mya spends her free time reading just about anything she can get her hands on. She is a romantic at heart and loves to create stories with unforgettable characters. Mya likes to travel; she has visited several Caribbean Islands, Mexico and Costa Rica. Mya is currently working on her sixth novel.



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