Sapphyria's Books
by Jackie Ashenden
Publication Date: 3/30/2021
About the Book:
Coming home was the easy part. Facing her will take everything he’s got…
Silas Quinn hasn’t been back to
Deep River, Alaska, in years, not since he joined the army. He left behind the best
friend he’d ever had. But he knew Hope Dawson was meant for bigger things than
Deep River—and he—had to offer. What he didn’t know was that when he left, he
took Hope’s dreams right along with him…
Then tragedy strikes and sends Silas home, and the entire town is thrown into chaos when they learn what brought him back—he’s inherited ownership of the town and the newly discovered oil reserves under it!
Hope gave up on ever getting out
of Deep River. Her mom needed her, then her grandfather died and left her the
local hangout to run. Now Si is back in town, stirring up old
feelings—including her anger at being left behind. His return brings Hope an
offer that can change her life. Love, or adventure, are almost within reach—but
she can’t have both…
Meet the Author:
Jackie Ashenden has been writing fiction since she was eleven years old. She used to balance her writing with the more serious job of librarianship until a chance meeting with another romance writer prompted her to devote herself to the true love of her heart – writing romance. She particularly likes to write dark, emotional stories with alpha heroes and kick-ass heroines. She lives in Auckland, New Zealand.
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Read an Excerpt:
Damon Fitzgerald woke with an excruciating headache and the sense
that he was being stabbed slowly but relentlessly through one eye. The headache
was familiar—usually a sign he’d imbibed a little too heavily the night
before—but the stabbing sensation not so much.
Cautiously,
he raised one hand to touch the eye currently being stabbed only to encounter
his own eyelid. So. Not being stabbed then. That was a relief.
He was still
a little disoriented though, and his mouth felt like the bottom of a birdcage,
so it took him some time to realize that the stabbing sensation was coming from
the sunlight shining through a gap in the curtains and straight into one eye.
Sun. He
hadn’t seen the sun for at least three days, due to the weather being crap,
which was strange for LA…
Which was
when he remembered that he wasn’t in LA. He wasn’t even in Juneau, where he’d
been for the last couple for weeks.
No, it was
worse than that. Way worse.
He was in a
room over the Happy Moose bar in a tiny, privately owned town called Deep
River, smack bang in the middle of nowhere, Alaska. And he’d been stuck here
for three days because the weather had been so bad he hadn’t been able to fly
out.
Damon lay
there for a moment as the realization settled through him, trying to reorient
himself, because he’d definitely over imbibed the night before and this
hangover had teeth. Then with a sudden start, he remembered that sun was a good
thing.
Sun meant the
weather was better, which in turn meant he could get the hell out of here and
back to LA.
Rolling off
the bed, he dragged himself over to the french doors that led onto the room’s
tiny balcony, shoved them open, and stumbled out onto the balcony itself, just
to check that the sun was real.
Sure enough,
though it must have been early in the morning, the sun was actually shining,
the sky a bright, almost painful blue, making the white caps of the mountains
looming on all sides look extra white and extra sharp.
Ahead of him
was the deep, rushing green of the river the town was named for. Deep River. It
had been settled during the gold rush at the end of the nineteenth century by
the West family, who’d bought the land Deep River sat on and leased out bits of
it to anyone who wanted a place to call home.
A quirky
little town, as Damon had spent the last three days finding out.
Deep River
consisted of a ramshackle series of buildings clustered on the side of the
river, connected by a boardwalk that projected out over the water and a narrow
street that ran behind the buildings on the land side. They were old, those
buildings, the paint on them faded, the wood cracked and worn through long
exposure to rain and sun and snow. Not as picture-postcard as the ones in
Ketchikan to the south, but there was definitely a certain vintage charm to
them. Like a group of elderly ladies whose beauty was a little faded and
careworn, they still possessed the ghost of their stunning youth, a certain
timeless magic that tugged at the heartstrings.
Houses very
similar to those at the water’s edge were scattered up the hill behind the
town, and there were a few more buildings along from the boardwalk, huddling
against the hill’s side.
A set of
wooden steps led down from the boardwalk to a dock where several fishing boats
and trawlers were tied up, but since it was comparatively empty, most of the
boats must have gone up the river to the sea for a day working the nets.
Damon took a
deep breath and then another, the fresh bite of the air settling his headache
and cooling his skin, waking him up. He wasn’t a small-town kind of guy, but
there was something quite majestic about the mountains and the forested hills
that loomed above him. Especially now the sun was shining.
He’d complained
about the rain the night before to one of the locals, who’d then informed him
of Deep River’s average rainfall, which was some horrendous amount that sounded
just wrong to someone from LA.
Still, it did
explain the solid three-day downpour and made him feel lucky that it was a
beautiful day now.
Movement
below him caught his eye, and he glanced down at the boardwalk.
The kid was
there again, skulking by the big wooden pole stuck in the boardwalk that had
“Middle of Nowhere” painted down the side. A tall, gangly teenager dressed in
jeans and a black hoodie.
He always
seemed to be in Damon’s vicinity, and if Damon didn’t know any better, he’d say
he was being followed.
Though surely
it was a little too early in the morning for teenagers? Weren’t they supposed
to sleep past twelve or something?
The kid was
looking straight at him, though he was too far away for Damon to see what
expression was on his face. The fixed way the kid was staring was slightly
unnerving.
A woman came
suddenly into view. She had shoulder-length blond hair, and it was blowing
around in the wind, a bright counterpoint to the plain jeans-and-T-shirt-combo
she wore, a parka pulled on over the top, and she moved with great purpose to
where the kid stood. She spoke to him a second and then turned her head, and
Damon found himself under the intense scrutiny of two people.
His skin
prickled, cool air moving across it. Moving everywhere across it.
Aw hell. He’d
neglected to dress before stumbling out onto the balcony, and since he always
slept naked… Yeah, no wonder both the woman and the kid were staring.
***
Excerpted from Deep River Promise by Jackie Ashenden. © 2021 by Jackie Ashenden. Used with
permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks
Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.
Publisher: Outskirts Press
About the Book:
Transformation: 30 Years is an autobiographical yet fictionalized account of a young woman's journey through many facets, or serious issues, of life such as racism, domestic violence, bullying, eating disorders, lost love, alcoholism, low self esteem, poor self image, overcoming poverty, stereotypes...These are just some of the issues that are addressed in this book. The protagonist resents her "overprotective" mother keeping her from the "fun and mystery" of the darkness. When she finally "escapes" to college and has the power to "live life her own way" she experiences some of the lowest points of her life. Had it not been for the Grace of a Risen Savior, she would have perished. She was, "Saved by Grace." The book is an easy, quick read that speaks to varying age groups. There is something in the book for anyone who reads it. The book is a ray of hope for those going through various struggles in life to be "tenacious," and have hope because your Transformation is on the way!!!
The rampant partying continued even after classes had started. Even after a couple of years had passed. Even after it all became unfun. Partying and drinking had become a lifestyle that got in the way of the intended purpose of being there to learn and pursue a degree leading to a career. Jenny had frequent bouts of home sickness and was sinking deeper and deeper into depression. The late nights had become unfun; the hot wings, steamed oysters, and the pitchers of beer had become unfun. The frat parties with their free kegs and anything-goes antics had become unfun. The stories of drunken stupors, hellacious hangovers and promiscuous hook ups had become unfun. Depression was beginning to overtake her to the point of having suicidal thoughts. If life was going to be like this, why live?...
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April May Fall
Christina Hovland
Published by: Entangled: Amara
Publication date: October 26th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
April Davis totally has her life in order. Ha! Not really. Yes, she’s the Calm Mom—a social influencer with a reputation for showing moms how to stay calm and collected through yoga, even when life is going totally off script—but behind the scenes, she’s barely holding it all together. Raising tiny humans alone is exhausting, but that’s just the chewed-up cherry on the melted sundae of her life. Her kids aren’t behaving, her husband left her for his skydiving instructor, and her top knot proves she hasn’t showered in days.Jack Gibson has one job—to ensure the media conglomerate that has purchased April’s brand makes money from it. Lots and lots of money. To do this, they’re expanding her influence from Instagram and her blog to a podcast and MyTube channel. There’s even talk about a Calm Mom cookbook.When a video of the “always chill” April goes viral and she’s most definitely not, Jack is pulled in to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Suddenly, the guy with no intention of ever having children is lost in the land of the tooth fairy and toddler tea parties. When sparks fly between Mr. Mogul and the Calm Mom, he’s not the only one out of his depth. Together they’ll have to figure out if keeping it all together really can lead to happily ever after…About the Book:
Meet the Author:
USA Today Bestselling Author Christina Hovland lives her own version of a fairy tale--an artisan chocolatier by day and romance writer by night. Born in Colorado, Christina received a degree in journalism from Colorado State University. Before opening her chocolate company, Christina's career spanned from the television newsroom to managing an award-winning public relations firm. She's a recovering overachiever and perfectionist with a love of cupcakes and dinner she doesn't have to cook herself. A 2017 Golden Heart® finalist, she lives in Colorado with her first-boyfriend-turned-husband, four children, and the sweetest dogs around.
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Date Published: April 1, 2021
Publisher: Literary Wanderlust
About the Book:
Veterinarian Piper is pragmatic enough to know her marriage wasn't working, which is why she left Dylan a year ago and pretends it hasn't hurt like hell every day since. Then Dylan calls out of the blue and tells her to come right away for an animal emergency. Piper arrives on the ranch that used to be her home to find her horse savagely killed. She can't fathom what could have done it. One thing, however, is obvious. Piper still loves Dylan.
Dylan isn't over Piper, not by a long shot. After her horse was ripped apart by something he's pretty sure wasn't a bear, it feels so good to hold Piper in his arms again. If only they could find a way to undo the mess that drove them apart.
An epic blizzard hits, trapping Piper and Dylan on the ranch for what just might be their one chance at reuniting. But as things get a whole lot scarier, it's clear something evil has brought them together.
Hunted by the supernatural, they must fight for their lives, but can they also fight for their love?
Read an Excerpt:
Piper’s ex-husband peered at her wound, his breath warm on her thigh. It was strange that it was strange to have him touch her. This man knew every last inch of her body intimately, had taken it many times, owned it as only a husband could. His hands all over her had once been natural. Now it was thrilling in its strangeness—familiar and forbidden all at once.
He looked up at her with those hazel eyes, and her breath caught. For several heartbeats, they stared at one another until she cleared her throat. “I don’t like waiting here like sitting ducks.” Waiting for—no, she didn’t want to think of that now. She didn’t want to think of it ever again.
“I know. But this barn is new and well-built. Everything is locked up tight.” He bent once more to inspect the scratch. “We’re going to need more guns and way more ammo, too.”
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