I'm thrilled to announce that my Christmas story, CHRISTMAS AT SOLACE LAKE, is now available for pre-order! I couldn't be more excited, mainly because at one point I wasn't sure I would ever get here. Last summer, I hit a brick wall and for too long I couldn't write at all. Consequently, progress on this book came to a grinding halt. It took me a while to be able to write again. It may be a year late, but I'm so happy, and relieved, that CHRISTMAS AT SOLACE LAKE is available now!
Here it is!
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Blurb:
An emergency
brings Drew Barnes to Solace Lake Lodge, an inn deep in the Minnesota woods
owned by his aunt and uncle. He’s sure desperation is the only reason they’d
allow him to fill in as their bookkeeper. No one in his family has believed in
him since his mistake got him fired from his previous job. Soon after he arrives, Drew is
disheartened to discover a series of thefts and financial irregularities. The
last thing he wants is to be put in the middle of another crime.
Sous chef Celeste Bishop has made a good life for
herself and her nine-year-old daughter in the three years she’s worked, and
lived, at Solace Lake Lodge. After being unfairly fired, this was the only job
she could get, and she’s grateful her gamble on the lodge paid off. The only
sticking point is the isolation since she never learned to drive. How can she
show her daughter independence when she’s always relying on others?
Drew sees Celeste’s frustration and offers to teach
her to drive. A powerful attraction ignites between them, and soon deeper,
stronger emotions blossom. Drew is all in, but Celeste resists her feelings.
She’s nine years older than Drew. An interracial relationship didn’t work for
her parents. And loving Drew feels like a betrayal of her deceased husband.
As Christmas approaches, the thefts escalate. Can Drew
stop the thief and redeem himself in his family’s eyes—and his own? And can he convince Celeste they deserve
the gift of a happily ever after this Christmas?
He put his hand on her
arm. “Celeste, whatever happened, it’s going to be all right. I promise you.”
She looked at him then,
her eyes filling with tears. “I finished the exam before anyone else. I could
see all the answers in my head like I was reading them from a screen. The
person who gave the exam told me I got all the answers right, one hundred
percent.” Tears streamed down her face as she pulled a crumpled piece of paper
from her pocket. “I got my permit.”
The wonder in her eyes,
the relief and joy, made him smile. Though he’d promised himself not to touch
her today, he simply couldn’t resist. He pulled off his glove and, leaning
across the console, laid his hand on her soft cheek. Drew stared into her beautiful
dark eyes. The intoxicating combination of her warm, welcoming scent and the
silky feel of her skin made his heart soar and his body catch fire. The need to
kiss her nearly overpowered him, but he held back, knowing it wasn’t what she
wanted.
She signaled her
withdrawal with a soft sigh as she turned her head and leaned back against her
seat, out of his reach. Drew let his hand drop and sat back in his seat as
well. He stifled his own sigh as he pulled his glove back on.
Would she always be out
of his reach?
Pre-Order your ecopy here!
If you prefer print, you can buy it now!
Those brick walls are killers, aren't they? And we all run into them at some point! Good luck with the release, Jana. Beautiful cover!
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