BLURB:
Ryan Malloy has
lost it all. After his fiancée dies in a tragic accident, he enlists in the
army, only to lose his best friend in a roadside bombing. Wracked with guilt
and grief, Ryan finds life unbearable—until a job offer from his former
commander gives him a glimmer of hope. And in the tiny town of Perfect,
Indiana, the man who thought he had nothing left to live for meets the only
woman who can tempt him into risking his battered heart one last time...
Paige Langford
has it all: wealth, beauty, and ambition. But when her boyfriend’s betrayal
leads to the loss of her job and her reputation, she retreats to her brother’s
rural Indiana home to regroup. There she meets Ryan Malloy, a gruff, hard-drinking
loner whose surly temper can’t hide the haunted misery in his eyes. He is
everything Paige never wanted, yet he may be exactly what she needs—if only
they can overcome their personal demons to forge a love strong enough to save
them both.
EXCERPT:
“Hi,
honey. I’m home.” Ryan’s voice reverberated through the stillness, bounced off
the bare walls, and came back to mock him. He set his lunchbox on the kitchen
counter and leaned over to retrieve his supper from under the sink—a brand-new
bottle of Johnnie Walker Red.
Gripping
the bottle by the neck, he moved to the living room and set it on the coffee
table next to his vintage .357 revolver, the letter he’d written to his folks,
and the picture of his platoon, Task Force Iron, First Armored Division, Fourth
Brigade. One more item, and he could begin his nightly ritual. He retrieved the
snapshot of Theresa from his billfold, laid it down, and took his place on the
couch.
Letter.
Pictures. Gun. Bottle.
Theresa. Reaching out, he traced the laminated photo with his
finger. His throat tightened. God, he missed her. How different his life would
be if he hadn’t insisted they go riding that morning five years ago. He’d be
coming home every evening from some swank advertising agency job. They’d have a
couple of kids by now. A family. His family. He’d be surrounded by love instead
of this soul-sucking loneliness.
Ah, but he
wasn’t entirely alone, not if the hollow-eyed ghosts plaguing him counted. He
closed his eyes, and images from the suicide bombing near Mosul played across
his shattered mind.
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
As a child, Barbara Longley moved frequently, learning early on how to
entertain herself with stories. Adulthood didn’t tame her peripatetic ways: she
has lived on an Appalachian commune, taught on an Indian reservation, and
traveled the country from coast to coast. After having children of her own, she
decided to try staying put, choosing Minnesota as her home. By day, she puts
her master’s degree in special education to use teaching elementary school. By
night, she explores all things mythical, paranormal, and newsworthy, channeling
what she learns into her writing.
LINKS:
http://www.barbaralongley.com
GIVEAWAY:
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Thank you for hosting
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a sensitive and sweet romance. I really love the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteI feel sorry for Ryan.
ReplyDeleteKit3247(at)aol(dot)com
Sounds like a really hard hitting emotional novel. I hope they can heal each other
ReplyDeletefencingromein at hotmail dot com
Thanks for hosting me today, and thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteI love that the cover looks so hopeful.
ReplyDeletemarypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Ryan seems so sad! You just wanna hold him!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the blurb and excerpt!
andralynn7 AT gmail DOT com