This book will be available to purchase on April 28, 2015
2015, 290p, Clean Christian Romance
Book Blurb:
Bonita Creek’s librarian Robin Bennett is heartbroken after being abandoned by her husband, Thomas. The mysterious and handsome Jeff Clarke arrives unexpectedly and touches Robin’s life with his wit and warmth. Then, without warning, Jeff’s harsh words and abrasive actions scare her off, and Robin’s hope of finding true love withers again.
Just when it seems Robin and Jeff might have a future, Susan Stinson, whose cruel taunting has plagued Robin since they met as young teens, decides Jeff should be hers, not Robin’s. Susan’s anger and jealousy escalate dangerously. Her vindictiveness threatens the foundation of Jeff and Robin’s young relationship.
Robin’s journey through the peaks and valleys of her life meanders along the twists and turns of new challenges. Is a relationship which began with both parties harboring secrets destined to survive? Can they move past their troubles and the obstacles in their path to find love and happiness together? When their pasts rear their ugly heads, Jeff and Robin must use their faith to remain strong and true. But will it be enough for them to embrace a life of love, trials, and blessings . . . together?
Endorsement:
"Robin's Reward, a sweet romance with great characters, is as refreshing as a walk among flowers."
Author Rebecca H. Jamison, Sense & Sensibility: A Latter-Day Tale
Excerpt
Chapter One
"I’m as hot and sticky as the center of a freshly-roasted campfire marshmallow, Miss Praise.”
Perspiration trickled past Robin’s sunburned neck, under her collar, and down her back. Her blouse was plastered to her skin.
“I’m
not feeling very feminine or lady-like in this condition, if you catch
my drift. This brings us to my next question. What was I thinking
starting up with this garden renovation project on the hottest March
afternoon ever recorded in Bonita Creek? Am I nuts? Wait—don’t answer
that.”
Some
sympathy from Miss Praise, like purring or even winding herself around
Robin’s legs, would’ve been comforting. Instead, the elderly tabby was
dozing comfortably in her cozy quiltlined basket on the shaded porch.
Robin was drained from tangling with her vintage hydrangea bush for the
past four hours.
She’d
read gardening was great exercise, but it gave Robin’s thoughts too
many chances to wander. She dreaded those dark, dreary spaces in her
mind permanently occupied by unhappy memories and heart-wrenching
regrets. Since she wasn’t accomplishing much anyway, she released her
shovel to take a break with a refreshing glass or two of her favorite
iced tea. She straightened up and stretched her aching arms over her
head.
“I’m
parched, how about you? Want something cold to drink?” She spoke in the
direction of the faded gray cat. Apparently, Miss Praise had heard
enough of Robin’s whining. The cat yawned, stretched, flicked her tail,
and hopped daintily out of her basket. She lumbered down the brick path
to seek refuge in the peaceful back garden. Naturally, Robin hadn’t
expected Miss Praise to respond, but talking to the cat helped her feel
connected to her Grandma Estelle. The older woman had passed on a few
years ago and Robin still ached for her grandmother’s presence. She
kneaded her fatigued lower back with her knuckles and sighed deeply.
As
she untied the ribbon of her straw hat and shook out her damp curly
hair, Robin sensed someone’s gaze. A prickly feeling caused her to
rotate her body where she came face-to-face with an unfamiliar—but
attractive—man. A hint of amusement lit up his clean-shaven face as he
stood on the walkway in front of her garden gate. When the stranger
chuckled, Robin’s damp cheeks flamed scarlet. She wondered how long he’d
been standing there listening to her grunt and groan and, well, whine.
Since
he couldn’t possibly have seen Miss Praise, he probably assumed Robin
had been talking to herself. Swell. Just another example of the
truckload of awkward moments in life when Robin wished she could vanish
on demand. Speaking through clenched teeth, she attempted to use humor
to cover up her self-consciousness.
“Instead
of breaking your neck staring at me, how about making yourself useful
by helping me dig up this stubborn hydrangea?” Her embarrassment grew
when the stranger’s sole response was a chorus of boisterous laughter.
Lord, please get me out of here—now! Robin’s humiliation took over her
common sense, and her sole goal was to flee. Grabbing her garden hat,
she slammed it onto the gate post as she wrenched off her work gloves
and tossed them on the ground near her birdbath. The sound of the man’s
hearty laughter echoing in her ears brought her lifelong dislike of
being the object of teasing and taunting racing to the surface.
Like
most school children, she’d suffered through her share of teasing and
even some bullying. Truth be told, she was still occasionally bullied by
a former classmate, Susan Stinson, almost ten years after they’d
graduated. Robin had expected—and hoped—in her current stage of life,
halfway between twenty-five and thirty, she would’ve overcome this
affliction. The scorching feeling in her cheeks told her otherwise. I so
do not want to deal with this guy.
Attempting
to give the illusion of self-confidence, Robin lengthened her spine and
held her chin high as she stalked toward her cottage. In the safety of
her cottage’s interior she’d find the solace and peace she was seeking.
Far too often in the past she’d allowed her pride and confidence to be
battered by a male. Okay, one male in particular. She vowed to handle
her reaction in the current situation differently. She was determined to
spare herself one more millisecond of humiliation. Today I’m going to
stand up to my tormentors. All right, so maybe this stranger isn’t
exactly tormenting me. Still, everyone knows laughing at a lady isn’t
polite.
Robin
wasn’t going to stand there and let some stranger, however handsome he
might be— and this guy was definitely above-average in the looks
department—laugh at her in her own garden. Hot, briny tears stung her
eyes. Time seemed to slow down, and she couldn’t make it to the front
door fast enough. Embarrassing incidents from her not so distant past
charged to the forefront of her mind as she made her way up the front
porch steps.
~*~
At
the front gate, Jeff froze. He’d offended her. His body felt as if he’d
just finished running five miles at a training pace, as it had been
since he’d first happened upon the woman. His heart thundered in his
ears when he’d first seen her, his vision honed in on a lovely brunette.
She was hard at work in her garden on such an oppressive afternoon.
He’d never seen anyone so focused on one task. She appeared to be in a
frenzy, trying to free the roots of a bush from the sun-dried, hardened
soil.
He
had to admit, she looked as if she were accustomed to hard work.
Strong, fit arms and legs peeked out from her short-sleeved blouse and
khaki shorts. She sported a wide-brimmed hat and appeared unafraid of
hard work if the sweaty sheen covering her neck and face were any kind
of evidence. Smudges of dirt adorned her elbows, knees, and—he couldn’t
help but notice—shapely calves.
He’d
been walking through the streets surrounding his rental home.
Historical architecture was one of his hobbies, and he was checking out
the architectural styles located on the streets in this older section of
Bonita Creek, California. He’d already identified Craftsman, Victorian,
Italianate, Tudor, cottage, ranch, and bungalow style homes. His mind,
locked on his thoughts, was jarred when he heard a frustrated voice
asking why she was trying to renovate her garden on this hot afternoon.
The voice held such conviction he stopped to see if the speaker was
seeking his personal opinion. When he realized the sun-kissed gardener
was alone in the garden, he became enthralled by her movements and the
timbre of her voice.
Unsure
of how long he’d been staring, Jeff was jerked out of his trance when
the woman turned around and challenged him to come into the garden to
help her dig up the bush. Embarrassed he’d been caught staring, his
natural reaction was to laugh. Now the woman rushed away from him toward
the door of the cottage dominating the center of the property.
This
scenario was not unfolding as he wanted. He blamed his complete lack of
understanding of women and their mysterious ways for this latest gaffe.
Now you’ve done it. You are clueless, Clarke. He needed to come up with
something witty and wise to redeem himself. Otherwise, he’d lose a
chance to meet this fascinating gardener who had his curiosity.
~*~
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Award-winning author, June McCrary Jacobs, was the winner of Cedar Fort Publishing’s 2013 Holiday Tale Contest for her debut novella, ‘A Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom’. ‘Robin’s Reward’ is her first full-length novel, and is set in her favorite location in California—the Mendocino coastal region. This book is the first installment of the ‘Bonita Creek Trilogy’.
June’s original sewing, quilting, and stitchery designs have been published in over one hundred books, magazines, and blogs in the past few years. When she’s not writing, reading, or sewing, June enjoys cooking, walking, and visiting art and history museums. She also enjoys touring historic homes and gardens and strolling around the many historic Gold Rush towns in the Sierra Nevada foothills. In the summertime you can find June at a variety of county fairs and the California State Fair admiring the sewing projects, quilts, and handiwork other inspired seamstresses, quilters, craftspeople, and artists have created.
CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR:
June enjoys connecting with readers, authors, aspiring writers, bloggers, designers, sewers, quilters, and crafters. Please connect with June at the following platforms:
Email:junemccraryjacobs@gmail.com
Website & Blog:http://www.junemccraryjacobs.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/June-McCrary-Jacobs/153549754836128
Amazon.com Author Page:https://www.amazon.com/author/june-mccrary-jacobs
Goodreads Author Page:http://www.goodreads.com/June-McCrary-Jacobs
LinkedIn:www.linkedin.com/pub/june-mccrary-jacobs/a3/6a8/779
1 comments:
Great excerpt...sounds like it will be a good read :)
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