Night Stars and Mourning Doves
by Margo Hoornstra
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Wild Rose Press
Published by: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 22, 2013
Length: 90 Pages
Elyse Monroe may be her sister’s maid of honor, but that doesn’t mean she has to follow the bride’s example and fall in love. Battle-scarred and weary from previous relationships, she has no desire to take a chance on another–no matter how many hints her little sister drops about the best man.
Devastating life events have taken a toll on Eric Matthews. After losing his wife and unborn daughter, he’s come home to heal. Serving as best man at his kid brother’s wedding is the only relationship he cares to contemplate–no matter how attractive the maid of honor.
Thrown together again and again by wedding duties, Elyse and Eric reluctantly agree to explore a possible relationship–only to have their casual date turn into a glorious night of passion. Can two hearts, convinced a happily ever after will never happen, recognize love when it finds them?
Night Stars and Mourning Doves – Excerpt
“I have to tell you, Eric Matthews, you are not what I expected.”
“Not sure how to take that. You always prejudge people before you get to know them?”
“Just those I think may have the chance to impact my life.”
“Impact in a good way or bad?”
“Makes no difference.”
He put his hands on either side of her, effectively trapping her between the wall behind and his body in front. “It always makes a difference.”
“Your mother talked to me about you a little. You’re just not how she described you.”
“My mother’s been saying for weeks I needed to get out.”
“Is that why you called me? For your mother?”
“Not a chance.”
There was no opportunity for further discussion as his mouth reclaimed hers. On one part surprise and three parts delight her arms wrapped around his neck, hands clutching his hair as she, not Eric brought their kiss to another level.
As always with this man, heat emanated from the places he touched her. Except tonight after what they shared, the sensation was different.
“I want to make love to you, Elyse. I don’t want to wade through the formalities.” The words came out short and urgent.
Her reply was firm and breathless. “Every book on dating etiquette is telling me how wrong this is.”
His hands gently cupped her face as his lips tasted hers. “You need to quit reading.”
“I definitely need to quit reading.”
Only If You Dare
by Margo Hoornstra
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Wild Rose Press
Published by: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 26, 2013
Length: 117 Pages
All the pleasures and none of the pain, that’s what Cynthia Buckingham wants in a relationship these days. A one-night stand with Jonah Colt seems to fit that bill perfectly. Newly divorced, she’s too busy planning her daughter’s wedding for any serious involvement. Besides, her true passion is helping victims of PTSD reclaim their lives.
Waking up after spending the night with a woman he barely knows, Jonah is stunned to realize sex for the sake of sex isn’t enough for him anymore. A veteran of more military battles than he cares to count, he wants to forget it all and focus on peaceful civilian life. Except flashbacks won’t allow it.
Falling for Cynthia makes Jonah regret his weakened state, but he’d rather hide the truth than face it. When she sets aside everything she believes in to help him heal, can he accept her help–and her love?
Only If You Dare – Excerpt
“Jonah. I was wrong, and I’m so very sorry.”
His hand froze on the gear shift. “About picking up your car? I can just give you a ride home then.”
He obviously wasn’t going to make this easy for her, but who could blame him?
“You know, I always tell my patients they need to focus on reality, to believe in what is, and go from there.”
“I understand you care about your patients. I’m not one of them.”
What did he think? That she was creating notes for one of her counseling session? “I was wrong about—I should have admitted to myself how much you mean to me and let you know, too.”
“It might have been nice.” He didn’t respond with anything more, just put the car in gear and pulled away from the hospital.
The litany of confessions had already formed in her mind and, when she couldn’t contain them any longer, began to gush out. “I tried to pretend what we had together—” She paused when her voice cracked. “—wasn’t incredibly special. I wanted to believe I could enjoy a physical relationship and dismiss my emotions.” Her voice lowered. “As irrelevant.” She laid her hand on his arm, and a bicep muscle twitched then tensed. “And that was my biggest mistake of all.”
“You were only doing what was working for you, I suppose.”
Squaring up in her seat, she concentrated on the scenery passing by outside. He’d said very little as she went on and on. Because she hadn’t given him a chance to speak? Or because there was nothing he cared to share with her? Either way, she had to go for broke.
“I love you, Jonah.”
About Margo Hoornstra
Like many writers, it’s hard to determine exactly when my fiction writing career began. I remember composing a short story in grade school (I have no idea about what) which was chosen for publication in an all school anthology. A journalism class taken in junior high school led to a job on the school newspaper and a weekly column.
I always loved reading. I loved writing too. Someday, I thought, maybe when I grew up and received the right training, I could actually write a book. After all, I was often told, laughingly most times, I had an extremely vivid imagination.
Through the years, the desire to write was always there. I had so many ideas and characters roaming around in my head, so many stories. But the business of living—going to college, getting married then raising a family—took precedence over something as frivolous as writing a book.
Then one day out of the blue I was downsized—effective immediately—from a job I’d held for over thirty years. What seemed so unfair at the time, I now recognize the tremendous gift I was given that day. As I’m now able to spend more and more time doing what I love—writing romantic fiction—I find I really do have an abundance of stories to share.
The Giveaway
]]>
[I love the book title’s play on words, and Miss Nettie’s unintentionally humorous church newsletter column alone is worth the price of the book. See the excerpt below. :)]
Bringing in the Thieves introduces us to irreverent Frankie Lou Birmingham McMasters, a preacher’s prodigal daughter, whose former bad girl reputation still clings to her like hair on soap.
“Oh, it’s good to be bad.” So say the villains in recent Jaguar commercials on TV. Not so for Frankie Lou. When she returns to her hometown of Ruby Springs, Texas, she soon finds out that it’s not all that good to be bad, that people have long memories, and that Thomas Wolfe was probably right. You Can’t Go Home Again.
Here’s the author herself to tell you more. Welcome, Lora Lee!
Life’s Joyful Moments
Many, many thanks to my friend, Jolana Malkston for inviting me to be a guest here on Serious Whimsy today. I hope my post will bring a bit of joy to your day.
Since my newest release, BRINGING IN THE THIEVES, is the first book in the Joyful Noise Mysteries, I thought a post about the joyful moments in life would be appropriate. I’ve had a few of them and I imagine you’ve had some, also, so let’s talk about them, okay? Let’s celebrate our joyful moments!
Childhood memories of happy times are often exaggerated as we grow older. We remember our birthday parties as bigger than they really were. Our grades in school were better in those memories, too. And our social life – well, that was plain awesome. Sure it was. But I’m not talking about those kind of memories. I’m talking about the joyful moments that made a difference in your life. A monumental moment like when you graduated from high school or college, or when you got that first important paying job. How about when you met your soul mate and said, “I Do”? The birth of a child, your first Mother’s Day as a real mommy, that first Christmas together as a family – all important and joyful moments. Or how about when you met someone who influenced your life in a positive way? A teacher, perhaps, who saw your potential and encouraged you to follow your dream. Even a total stranger could’ve impacted your life by bringing you joy. Have you visited a special place that filled you with joyful moments? The list could go on and on, but for brevity’s sake I’ll share only one of mine here with you today.
Eight years ago my husband had a heart attack and emergency open-heart surgery. Thanks to the finest heart surgeons and excellent care at the heart center, his recovery was a good one. During his stay at the hospital, he had several nurses and aides who cared for him. One nurse in particular was a glowing ray of sunshine each time she entered his room. Funny, compassionate, full of laughter, she made hubby’s day a little easier for him to endure. She encouraged him and assured him he would get better. She told us she was a single mom, studying nights to further her medical career. She was an LPN but wanted to advance and become an RN. Her name was Tammy and she was putting herself through nursing school. She was following a dream. She signed hubby’s heart pillow and we thanked her and wished her the best when we left the heart center. A joyful moment, indeed!
Then, one year later we were back at the heart center. This time, I was the patient undergoing open-heart surgery. Lo and behold, who walked into my room after my surgery but . . . yes, Tammy. Laughing and asking why I’d gone to such drastic measures to see her again, she blew away my troubles and cheered my hubby with her smiles. She’d seen my last name on the door to my room and recognized it, so she came in to see us and ask if we were okay with her being my nurse. She wanted to request a change of her station and take care of me like she’d cared for my husband. Of course, we said yes. She finished her night classes, she told us, and was now an RN. She would be working as a surgical nurse soon, something she’d always dreamed of doing. It was by chance that she was still working on the floor where we were. We were surprised and happy to see her again, especially because I knew she would take good care of me. I was there two weeks because of all the inside repair my old ticker needed. My joyful moment finally came when I was wheeled out of the room to the car holding my own signed, red heart pillow against my chest. Tammy hugged us both and I cried when I thanked her. Such a special person she was and how fortunate we were to have known her. And we never even knew her last name. But she’d brought us joy at extremely stressful times in our lives and we will remember her smiles and laughter.
I have a little plaque on the wall in my office with one of my favorite sayings on it . . . “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” Dancing in the rain can be a joyful moment, too. Try it and you’ll see.
I wish you many joyful moments in your life,
Lora Lee
Joyful Noise Mysteries – Book One
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Published by: Bell Bridge Books
Release Date: December 9, 2014
Length: 168 Pages
Frankie Lou’s back and Poppy’s madder than a wet hen.
Create a church choir filled with teenage misfits?
Over Poppy’s dead body.
Minister’s daughter Frankie Lou McMasters has come back to Ruby Springs, Texas with her daughter, Betsy, eleven years after running off to marry the town bad boy. Her mild notoriety as a bad girl is prime gossip for her childhood enemy, Poppy Fremont, now choir director of Faith Community Church–where Frankie Lou’s daddy, now retired to Florida, was the preacher.
When Frankie Lou comes to the deacons with a request to add a youth choir of at-risk teens she’s been coaching, Poppy throws a fit. A few hours later, Frankie Lou finds her dead in the baptistery pool. And Poppy’s not playing possum.
Frankie Lou sets out to clear her name as the main suspect, and tries to locate the real killer. Could he be sexy Joe Camps, the father of one of her teen singers? In the meantime, her momma shows up from Florida to take charge of Frankie Lou’s life. Bless her heart.
Lora Lee also writes as Loralee Lillibridge. Learn more about her contemporary romances and keep in tune with the Joyful Noise at lora-lee.com
Excerpt
About Lora Lee
You can’t be a preacher’s kid and raise a little hob without some serious repercussions. Yes, ma’am, that’s the gospel truth. Lora Lee’s JOYFUL NOISE mystery series for Bell Bridge Books, sheds a little light on just how serious those consequences can be when Frankie Lou Birmingham McMasters returns to her hometown of Ruby Springs, Texas after ten years in hopes of putting some shine on her tarnished reputation, but finds herself in the middle of murder and mayhem instead.
Though author Lora Lee insists the series isn’t about her in any way, shape or form, she does admit to being a real-life P.K. (that’s preacher’s kid, in case you didn’t know.) She was born in Texas and her Southern blood runs deep. Her daddy told her any place below the Mason-Dixon line was part of the South, including the Lone Star State.
Since living in West Michigan most of her married life, she’s lost some of her Texas twang, but once in awhile, a might could and a y’all or two slips into her conversation with her critique partners. They love her, anyway. So does her husband of fifty-plus years and their children. With a current family count of twenty-three, get-togethers often resemble an old time revival when they all gather for fun and food.
Lora Lee is a member of Romance Writer’s of America, Mid-Michigan RWA, Sisters-in-Crime, RWA’s specialty chapter Kiss of Death and is currently published in contemporary romance. She is also a proud graduate of the Grand Rapids Citizens Police Academy.
When not writing or trying to keep up with her ever-growing family, she enjoys reading, music and travel.
The Giveaway
