Release Day Blitz
A Home For Christmas
by
Ann Vaughn
.JPG) |
| Publication Date: November 28, 2013 |
~ Synopsis ~
Single mom, Jenna Blackwell
wasn’t having a very good start to the Christmas season; her purse got stolen
on Black Friday. She’s cursing her luck and herself for even being out in the Black
Friday madness when the store manager brings in Riley Stanton, a former Navy
SEAL who chased down the thieves and recovered her
purse. Jenna is blown away by Riley: his looks, his smile, the fact that he ran
down the purse snatchers, everything.
Riley Stanton had no idea
when he chased down the kids who stole a few purses that he would walk into a
room and have his life changed forever. He looked into the eyes of Jenna and
saw a strength in her that he found intriguing.
Riley soon learns that Jenna
is everything he ever wanted in a woman. He falls for her and for her son
harder than he expected to. Jenna is cautious but welcoming and hopes that she
and her son can give Riley the one thing he hasn’t had in years, A Home for
Christmas.
~ Excerpt ~
Riley came over every evening
after work. He helped Cam with his
homework. he got
there before she did on Wednesday and he and Cam had
dinner ready by the time she
got home. Jenna had to fight tears as she
sat at the
table. It had been so long since someone had cooked for
her. To be honest,
other than her mother, she didn't think anyone ever
had. Wade, her ex,
certainly never did.
Watching Cam work so closely
with Riley, having Riley there filling the
role that Wade had abandoned,
even sitting at a table with candlelight
and roses and food she hadn't
had to prepare...it was a lot for her to
handle. She was
barely hanging on by a thread and when Riley had
initiated the blessing, she
lost it.
"Mom?" Cam asked,
uncertain of what was happening.
Jenna covered her face with
her hands, silently crying. She heard the
scrape of a chair and then
suddenly Riley was there, his arms around
her, lifting her from the
chair. She heard him say something to Cam
and then he carried her from
the room. He sat on the sofa and cradled
her in his lap and just held
her while she cried. After several
minutes, when her tears had
subsided somewhat, Riley reached down to
cup her chin in his hand and
lift her head so he could look into her
eyes.
"I'm sorry," she
whispered.
"Nothing to be sorry
about," he said, smoothing his hands over her
cheeks to wipe her tears
away.
"Mom?" Cam asked
again, drawing her attention. "You OK?"
"I'm good, bud, I'm
sorry."
Riley looked up at Cam and
made eye contact with him. Jenna wasn't
sure what passed between
them, but Cam got up and left, leaving her
there with Riley.
"Look at me," he
said, softly. When she raised her eyes to meet his
gaze, he lifted her hand and
kissed her knuckles. "What's going on?"
She took a deep
breath. "It's just...no one's ever done something like
this for me before."
"Like
what? Take care of you?" She nodded. "Better
get used to it,
babe. I'm not
going anywhere."
She squeezed his hand, tears
falling down her cheeks again. This time,
Riley leaned forward and
kissed them away before touching his lips to
hers. For the
first time, Jenna didn't hold herself back. Maybe it
was because Cam was just down
the hall and she knew it couldn't get
out-of-control. Whatever
the case, she turned in his arms and wrapped
her arms around his neck,
deepening the kiss.
"Thank you, Riley,"
she whispered when they pulled apart, pressing her
forehead to his, and placing
her fingertips against his lower lip. He
nipped her fingertip lightly,
then ran his tongue around her finger.
"Anytime," he
replied, "and I mean that. You don't have to do it all
alone any more."
"Riley," she
whispered, kissing him, "please don't make promises you
can't keep. My
heart is fragile enough, but Cam..."
He kissed her
back. "Quit while you're ahead. Don't piss me
off."
She smiled and combed her
fingers through the hair at his nape. "I'll
try."
"Good. Let me
take care of you, Jenna. You and Cam."
She took a deep
breath. "Tell you what. You're still here by
Christmas? We'll
talk," she said, giving him a final kiss then sliding
off his lap.
He watched her walk down the
hall to Cam's room. Closing his eyes and
letting his head fall back on
the couch, he reached down to adjust
himself in his
jeans. For the first time since leaving the Navy, Riley
felt like he wasn't just
spinning his wheels.
1. It's the Most Wonderful
Time of the Year by Andy Williams (for the
opening
scene when Jenna's sitting in the store manager's
office...because this version of this song
gets on my nerves so it would
grate in her nerves while she's sitting
there thinking about how stupid
she was to shop on Black Friday)
2.
Trenches by Pop Evil (during Cam's race
3. My
Songs Know What You Did in the Dark by Fall Out Boy (during Cam's
race)
4.
Feels Like Home by Chantal Kreviazuk
5.
Coming Home for Christmas by Jim Brickman
6.
O Holy Night by Celtic Woman
7.
I'll Be Home for Christmas by Amy Grant
8.
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Judy Garland
9. To
Get Me To You by Lila McCann
10.
Winter Wonderland by Kenny G
11.
All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey
12.
Auld Lang Syne by Jim Brickman
>
Other Books by Ann Vaughn......
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Publication Date: August 7, 2013
Shane McCanton and Tessa Kelly were childhood enemies. Everything was a
contest to them and Tessa always seemed to show Shane that nice guys finished
last. Things change, however, when hormones take over and Shane begins to see
the perpetual thorn-in-his-side as more than just his childhood nemesis...
Tessa had never meant to set into motion events that led to their childhood
rivalry, but once it started, she embraced it with gusto...until her world
started to fall apart and she realized that Shane was the one constant in her
life, her rock who would never leave her and help her find her Long Way Home...
Publication Date: November 4, 2013
Colt Harris wasn't on the hunt for love when he looked up
from his lunch and spotted Sarah. As cliched as it was, time stood still - all
he could see was her. Hearing her laugh sealed his fate; he knew his life was
about to change.
Sarah Sauter was used to being alone. She lost her parents when she was
eighteen and after a really bad love affair, had given up on ever finding love.
Since then, her life had been all about simply surviving. Little did she know
that when she went to lunch with her co-workers, she would have a chance
encounter with a man who would literally turn her world upside down.
When Colt steps into Sarah's life, he finds that things with her aren't exactly
as they appear to be. Secrets hidden deep in her past begin to surface,
dropping Colt and Sarah in the middle of a nearly twenty-seven year old
mystery. It will take all of Colt's strength, patience and resolve Finding Home
for Sarah.
~ About the Author ~
Ann Vaughn is a Native Texan now
living in Oklahoma. She's been writing since the seventh grade (many MANY moons
ago) when she and her friends were obsessed with the Sweet Valley High series.
Back then, access to books wasn't as easy as it is now, so to tide her over
between SVH releases, she began writing her own, Texas versions of SVH, full of
lots of Texas Friday Night Lights and pitfalls and perils of teenage life in
the 80s. Writing has always been a comfort and a release for her, though she
never expected to be published. It wasn't until a conversation with her husband
about the rise of eBooks that she decided to try her hand at self-publishing.
It was scary and exciting and ever since the release of her first book, Long
Way Home on August 7, 2013 she has been on a wild roller coaster ride that she
wouldn't trade for the world.
~ Connect with Ann ~
thanks for posting today! Happy Thanksgiving :)
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