Blurb:
Russell Walker’s life was spared
when his truck veered off the road and flipped. When he wakes after surgery, he
can only assume the medicines are making him see things, because the woman he
loved—who broke his heart—is taking his vitals.
Chelsea Quinn has spent the past four years keeping clear of Russell Walker after she married another man and had a baby. Now she is thrust back into his life as his caretaker, and living with his family when her ex-husband is let out of prison.
Some heartbreaks are too severe to recover from, and Russell is fighting every feeling he has as not to get his heart broken again. But sometimes the pull of love is just too strong, especially when the lives of those you love are threatened, and someone is looking for revenge.
Chelsea Quinn has spent the past four years keeping clear of Russell Walker after she married another man and had a baby. Now she is thrust back into his life as his caretaker, and living with his family when her ex-husband is let out of prison.
Some heartbreaks are too severe to recover from, and Russell is fighting every feeling he has as not to get his heart broken again. But sometimes the pull of love is just too strong, especially when the lives of those you love are threatened, and someone is looking for revenge.
Excerpt:
Russell felt the quick fatigue of
arguing with his brother begin to take over. He batted his eyes against it.
The next moment he opened them
the room was quiet. Faint light pushed through the drawn shade, and a woman
stood next to him. He smiled through the haze he was feeling.
She was holding his hand in her
hands. Blonde strands of hair hung around her face, but the rest was piled up
in a messy bun atop her head.
This was familiar, he thought as
he took a cleansing breath and then wiggled his nose because his nasal cannula
was making it itch.
“I didn’t mean to wake you. I was
just getting your vitals,” her voice was soft and oh so familiar.
“What time is it?” His voice was
barely functioning.
“Just past eight.”
“I was talking to Dane.”
She laughed now and that too was
familiar. “He left hours ago. He looked as though he needed some sleep. Pretty
exciting that he’s getting married to Gia. I enjoy her store.”
That danced around in his head
and so did whatever they’d put into his IV, but at least he wasn’t in any pain.
“You know Gia?”
“Of course I do.”
Russell lifted his hand, cords
and all, and rubbed his eyes. He wasn’t seeing clearly and his mind was
beginning to play tricks on him.
Now he turned his head so he
could better see the woman in the dimly lit room. Her head was hung as she
focused on reading the monitor at his side, but he knew the curves of her face.
He’d heard that dreams could be
vivid when you were on pain meds. Seriously that had to be what was happening.
“Chelsea?” Her name seemed louder
when he said it, but she lifted her head.
“Hello, Russ.”
An Author’s Need to Write
For an
author, there is the need to write. It doesn’t matter if an author makes the
mortgage with their books or has never seen a cent. The author has to write.
To
date, I’ve published 28 novels. I’ve lost count of how many I started and lost
track of before I was published, but one thing has always been true, writing
feeds me just as a good meal might. It feeds my soul, just as a religion might.
Authors,
myself included, feel every part of the book we write and share with others.
It’s a vulnerability that I don’t think anyone ever gets over. When a character
goes through something, we as authors go through it too. I’m sure my family
would like a white flag for those times when the attitude raging at them isn’t
really mine. I’m channeling someone else’s anger, hurt, or passion. And more
than once I’ve been asked by a child of mine, “Mom, are you okay? You’re making
funny faces.” How would one know what to write if they didn’t act it out a
bit—or a lot.
I find
that my writing calms me. I’m often asked, “How do you write with five kids
around?” It’s simple. Writing is part of me. I need to write. It becomes like
an itch that just needs constant scratching. Some days I can’t wait to get
home, or wake up in the morning just to put down a few words. I too am eager to
see where my characters’ journeys lead them. And sometimes I’m just as
surprised as the reader. When the real world around me doesn’t fall in line, I
can reach for my computer and create a world where it does fall into place—or
equally, I can make theirs fall apart harder than mine is.
Writing
is therapy, even if it’s not creative. However, I’d much rather create
something fun and new, than rehash something I was going through. I can let my
characters do that. After all, they have to serve some function, right?
August 23: Sharing Links and Wisdom
August 24: EskieMama Reads
August 25: Writers and Authors
August 25: Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess
August 26: Louise Lyndon Romance Author Hear Me Roar
August 26: Jen's Reading Obsession - promo
Author Bio and Links:
Bestselling Author Bernadette
Marie is known for building families readers want to be part of. Her series The
Keller Family has graced bestseller charts since its release in 2011, along
with her other series and single title books. The married mother of five sons
promises Happily Ever After always…and says she can write it, because she lives
it.
When not writing, Bernadette
Marie is shuffling her sons to their many events—mostly hockey—and enjoying the
beautiful views of the Colorado Rocky Mountains from her front step. She is
also an accomplished martial artist with a second degree black belt in Tang Soo
Do.
A chronic entrepreneur,
Bernadette Marie opened her own publishing house in 2011, 5 Prince Publishing,
so that she could publish the books she liked to write and help make the dreams
of other aspiring authors come true too. Bernadette Marie is also the CEO of
Illumination Author Events.
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteI totally relate to your need to write! I also get jittery when I go too long without writing. :)
ReplyDelete