Sunday Scenes: SEA OF HOPE

SEA OF HOPE won EPIC's ebook award in 2002 for Best Inspirational. 

 

The following scene opens in a hospital. One of the crew members on the fishing boat, the Merrichase needed an emergency appendectomy. The fishing boat had belonged to Doria's father, but he willed it to Murray not to his daughter, Doria. She joined on as a crew member for one last trip...


Then, from somewhere above her she heard Murray's voice shouting.

"Wake up," he demanded.

With her heart still racing wildly, Doria opened her eyes and blinked against the bright white lights overhead.

"What was that nightmare all about?" Murray asked.

Groggy, she fought to focus her gaze. When it dawned on her that her head lay in his lap, she sat up in horror and slid quickly to the other side of the vinyl-covered sofa.

Murray had the audacity to laugh. "You were the one who snuggled up to me like I was a pillow."

Doria shoved her curls back. "What time is it?" Her voice came out sounding hoarse and her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth.

He glanced casually at his watch. "About noon." The brows over his bloodshot eyes rose. "By the way, it's Tuesday, we're in a hospital in Virginia Beach, and Chad is in recovery. He'll be fine."

A small sigh of relief escaped her lips. She hated Chad, now; despised him for what he had done. But she hadn't wanted him to die. His appendix had ruptured before they docked, making the last hour of their journey a desperate race that had become a blur in Doria's mind. She tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes.

As soon as the Merrichase had been secured, they had taken a wild ride in the ambulance to the hospital. When Chad had lapsed into an unconscious state, she had become hysterical, believing that he had passed away. Murray's arm had come around her to soothe her and she had been so crazy with fear, she had allowed him to comfort her. She felt her cheeks blaze with embarrassment as she remembered her panic.

Murray told her that the paramedics had given Chad something to take away the pain and let him sleep. She could have guessed that herself if she'd been thinking properly, but she'd become so distraught.

"So are you going to forgive him for starting that rumor?" Murray asked as he scratched his chin and yawned.

"Never." She sat up straighter and tried to sweep the wrinkles out of her flannel shirt and her jeans. She cleared her throat. What she needed was a large cup of coffee.

"Why not?" His expression grew hard as granite as his lips thinned.

"Because I hate him." Despite the savagery of her reply, Murray didn't blink. His eyes stared at her, cold and remote, as dangerous as the deep fathoms of the ocean.

"I see," Murray commented mildly. "I assume he played a large part in your nightmare?"

Doria froze. Oh yes. He had heard her scream in her sleep. She ignored his question.

"I'm going back to the Merrichase," she said as she stood up. "I'm sorry for -- for falling asleep on your lap." She could feel the flush warming her cheeks.

He flashed a sudden, devastating smile. "My pleasure."

Her breath quickened. She turned her head away in shame. Why did this have to happen to her?

"Aren't you going to go in and say 'hi' to your former sweetheart?" he chided.

She whirled as hostility flashed through her. "He never was my sweetheart and I don't want to speak to him ever again. How could he do that to me? I have never been pregnant! I have never even -- " She stopped herself in time. She surprised herself with what she had been about to reveal and the silence in the room lengthened uncomfortably.

Murray's eyebrows lifted a fraction. "Never -- ?"

"That's none of your business," she blurted out.

He cleared his throat. "Right." Getting off the sofa, he headed to the door. "Come on. We'll check on Chad and then go back to the ship."

Doria narrowed her eyes. "There are nurses who can check on him."

His green eyes had a lethal quality that sent a shiver of fear racing through her. "We won't be long."

Doria decided on a counterattack. "You can't go walking through this hospital. You look terrible. You need a shave."

"Do I?" He drawled. "And you, my marsh mallow bloom, smell like a fishing boat."

That comment set off the sparks again as Doria seethed with fury. "What do you expect? George and I got stuck putting all those porgies on ice." Then she frowned. "Hey. Where is George?"

"Supporting the local phone company." The cynical twist to his smile marred his handsome profile. Her fingers itched to touch it and erase the cruel quirk that kept his features from perfection. It annoyed her that she should care.

"I think we'll have to take all those porgies to New York to get a decent price," he continued.

Doria's breath caught in her throat as the sight of that thirty-foot wave in her dream terrorized her thoughts.

"W-what's the forecast?" she asked, nearly choking on the question.

"The same," he responded roughly.

Doria swallowed hard. It had only been a dream after all. The Merrichase always made it back to Port Harbor. Always.

You can find the book at:

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And many other book distributors. 

Special Kindle Deals for the Month of August!

 For the month of August, Kindle has picked two of my books for special deals! An amazing list of Pelican Book Group authors are part of this promotion. too. Some of my other books will only be available for deals for one day. I'll list those next week.

DADDY WANTED is a sweet book about game designer in NYC who wakes up one morning to discover she has lost her job and her roommate is pregnant. Determined to solve both problems, she searches for jobs online and sets up an ad to find a daddy for the child. How hard could it be in a city of eight million people? She soon learns it is both risky and dangerous. She wonders if Russell, who lives downstairs, is a safer bet, but why is he always stalking her? And why is it that the only one who will listen to her is her roommate's turtle?

Russell, an IT repairman, is going to be the best man for a wedding in Minnesota. He needs a date, but the woman on his arm must be the Perfect Woman. According to his list of specifications, Grace will fit the bill—until he finds a pregnancy test kit box in the garbage. Deciding she's only a little bit pregnant, he offers her a business deal, an all expenses paid trip to Minnesota with no strings attached. But when Grace insists on bringing her roommate along, Russell is in for a surprise. You can find it HERE!

 CLEAR AS ICE is an inspirational Christmas Novella. It's about Ethan whose prayers for his mother's life go unanswered. So, he abandons his faith, tossing it out with his mother's Christmas ornaments. The loss of his hope leaves him empty and he begins to shy away from relationships, but when his dog Rufus, a rescue from a shelter, develops a fondness for a woman skating on the frozen lake behind his house, he's annoyed. Not only does he resent her using his pond, he doesn't understand her fear of dogs.

Haylie, once an Olympic figure skater, is afraid of more than just Ethan's dog. She lives in constant fear due to threats from a stalker, but one day Ethan's dog chases the danger away, so Haylie decides to try to lose her fear of dogs...But then the stalker's plans expand to include revenge toward Ethan as well. If they are to remain safe and live to see a happily-ever-after, Haylie and Ethan must put aside differences and learn to trust each other. This Christmas season promises to be the most challenging and the most meaningful of their lives.You can find it HERE!

Make sure you don't forget to stock up on all the deals in August. 

💗 💗 💗 💗 💗

Making Christmas Again!

My latest Christmas novella, MAKING CHRISTMAS AGAIN, will be released in November 2024. It's the story about Celeste, who lives in Kentucky. She returns home to New Jersey when her mother dies and discovers the basement of her mom’s house rented for use as a warehouse to a man who has a three-year-old Down Syndrome son. Celeste lost her faith when her Down Syndrome sister died. But Sawyer’s young son brings back sweet memories for her. Then she discovers her mother's will not permit Celeste to sell the house. 

Sawyer’s wife died and he struggles to care for his son. Celeste’s mother helped him switch to an online business allowing him more flexibility to care for his son. Sawyer helps Celeste with a power outage, threats from her boss, and her mother’s funeral. He hopes to convince her to rely on God. But he never wants to lose someone he loves again and vows to end the beginning of the relationship he started with Celeste.

 

Though hurt by Sawyer's rejection, with the return of her faith, Celeste focuses on living in Christmas joy no matter what. 

 

Sunday Scenes: HEAVEN'S BLUE

HEAVEN'S BLUE won the EPPIE Award in 2005 for Best Inspirational Fiction. It is the story of Samantha Lyons who works as a research scientist in Clam Creek, a sleepy little town on the marsh in New Jersey. She needs an assistant to complete her mosquito research if she wants to continue living at Field Station Number 37, the first real home she has ever had. When David Halpern drives into town, she is sure he is the answer to her prayers. David is out of options when he and his son find sustenance in the basement of Holy Redeemer and a job offer from Samantha. David assumes he'll be safe from discovery in the backwater town and accepts the position.

In this scene, David has made up his mind to leave the field station and move on. Samantha knows she won't be able to finish her research without him. When they pull up to the field station, Fish, Samantha's neighbor is waiting with a bucket of crabs.

James climbed out of the back of the car and stared down into the bucket with an air of resignation, an odd emotion in one so young. Samantha's heart ached.

“Do they bite?” he asked in a dull tone.

“Oh, they snap at your fingers something terrible with those claws.” Fish pulled out a can opener from his overalls and dangled it in front of the crabs. One crab lurched at it and hung on, even as Fish lifted the creature out of the bucket. “Make a grown man cry if one of those held on to his finger.”

James’ eyes widened in interest for a moment. Then David came around from the other side of the car and the youngster's shoulders sagged. Samantha wanted to hug James and never let go.

“Um, this is David Halpern, Fish.” Her heart felt wooden as she twisted a stray lock of hair around her finger. “James’father.”

Fish dropped the can opener with the crab still attached. He stuck out his hand to David. “Pleased to meet you.”

A few seconds passed by before David reached out to grasp Fish's hand. The reluctance on David's part seemed awkward and obvious to Samantha, like a social snub, but apparently it didn't bother Fish.

“You got a nice boy there,” Fish noted, grinning at James.

David cleared his throat. “Thanks.”

“Neptune stopped swimming in the can,” James stated quietly.

“That can happen,” Fish rumbled sympathetically. “But I found you some new friends. A whole bunch of ‘em. They're as lively as any of God's marvelous creations.”

James lifted his face, and Samantha saw the light of hope spark ever so faintly.

Fish lumbered back to his truck.

“We aren't taking any souvenirs with us,” David warned in a low voice.

“Miss Samantha will keep them for me,” James responded with confidence.

“Yes, I will,” Samantha said firmly. “Forever.”

They followed Fish to the truck. He slid another big bucket out of the back, and then lowered it below the level of James’chest.

“Hermit crabs,” Fish said. “Crazy little things. They don't have a home of their own. They go creeping around looking for empty shells that some other animal left behind. Then they crawl inside and make it their own.”

“Squatters,” David commented, giving a sardonic twist to his mouth.

“Nah.” Fish shook his head. “They're just using shells that are already empty. Doing what the good Lord wants ‘em to do. Nothing goes to waste in His creation.” He stuck one hand down deep into the bucket and picked up one of the small creatures.

“Here ya go, son. They don't bite. Open up your hand and let this little guy tickle you.”

Samantha saw eagerness shining in James’ eyes as he reached out for the hermit crab.

“What's his name?” James asked as the animal sat in the middle of his palm with all of its spindly legs drawn up inside the shell.

“Why, that one there you can name yourself, son,” Fish decreed.

James’ smile spread slowly. “He's gonna be Kyle, like my friend.”

“Any man with a true friend is a king,” Fish said.

Samantha saw the old man's eyes water a bit, and found a lump welling in her own throat. Fish had the tender heart of a poet, and Samantha wished she knew what had hurt him so badly that the pain still plagued him. Undoubtedly, any probing questions would upset him further and she would never do that.

The little animal in James’ hand gingerly stretched its tiny legs out from under the shell and started to scurry across James’ palm.

James giggled. “He's tickling me.”

“Now don't let him fall down.” Samantha cupped her hands beneath the young child's.

“Hey, Kyle,” James laughed. “You're so funny.”

Fish pulled a red bandanna out from his pocket and blew his nose. “Well, I better get moving,” the old man said in a gravelly rumble. “I was up at three this morning.”

“Why don't you join us for supper?” Samantha offered.

“No, thank you. But it's mighty kind of you to ask.”

“Oh, Fish,” Samantha sighed. “You've given me so much, it would be nice if you would help me eat some of it once in a while.”

Fish gave her a shy smile. “Those are from God's bounty. You best be thanking Him and not me.”

“Miss Samantha always thanks God,” James piped up.

“She's a good woman.” Fish nodded. “A special gift for some lucky man.”

Slowly, Fish's gaze turned to David. He stared long and hard, without saying a word for several moments. Samantha watched as David shifted uneasily from one foot to the other.

Then Fish, obviously finished with his assessment, scratched the beard on his chin and turned to push up the tailgate on his pickup.

Samantha stole a quick glance at David. His eyes had a stony resignation in them that chilled her. Tension crackled in the air as she watched David's jaw stiffen.

The old fisherman shuffled around to the front of the vehicle and pulled himself up into the driver's seat. “Won't be any rain now for a good long time. Gonna dry up the marsh, keep an eye out for smoke.”

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, and other distributors.

Irons In The Fire Now On HOOPLA!

 

     Draft2Digital put IRONS IN THE FIRE on HOOPLA, the library app. I am delighted. I often use Hoopla to borrow books. It’s free with your library card. Irons in the Fire was the first book I finished, though the second one to be published and was a nominee for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award.
     Long and Short Reviews gave it 4 1/2 Stars and said, "The twists in this one were totally unexpected. There are surprises all along the way to the final revelation of who was behind all of the evil in the town. I did not expect some of this at all. I like that in a mystery--not knowing is the best kind of plot. The romance builds slowly, and for each step these two take toward each other, they take two steps back. I loved it when they finally acknowledged their feeling were real, and the passion they finally let loose was wonderful." 

     So please sign up for the Hoopla app and borrow Irons in the Fire! 

The Bay Beach on the Fourth of July

 

Pictured above is the bay beach where I spent my childhood. It’s not a fancy beach. There aren’t any big waves. There aren’t any lifeguards either. But the beach is free and the water is far cooler than the air. Today the parking lot was full, but there were a few spaces left on the other side of the creek where the short boardwalk has been repaired with all new wood. I stood on the boardwalk for a while and watched the red-winged blackbirds flit back and forth over the marsh. But it was hot, so I didn’t stay there long.

Hoping everyone enjoyed the day at the beach. Happy Fourth of July! 🇺🇸