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 of Billy’s, also works at the veterinary clinic
and is 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:
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, book 4 in the Masonville series, is
currently available for preorder. Have it automatically delivered to your
ereader on June 22, 2022!
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
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
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