Child of Mine
The Masonville Series
Book One
Jana Richards
Genre: contemporary small-town romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Date of Publication: February 20, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5092-2481-4
ASIN:
Number of pages: 262
Word Count: 64,880
Cover Artist: Rae Monet
Tagline: Is Lauren’s love for Cole stronger than her fear of scandal in her hometown?
Book Description:
Lauren didn't intend to sleep with her brother-in-law Cole on the day of her husband's funeral. But now that she is pregnant, she's not sorry. Cole's given her a baby, a long-wished-for miracle. He's been her friend forever, though she never told him or anyone else how unhappy her marriage to his cheating brother was. And she's afraid to tell the small town that considered her husband a hero that the baby isn't his.
Cole's been in love with Lauren since he was sixteen. It kills him that everyone believes the baby is his dead brother's. All he wants is to claim the baby, and Lauren, as his own. Though she marries him, will Lauren's heart ever be his?
Lauren must tell the truth or risk losing Cole. Is her newly-discovered love for him greater than her fear of scandal in her hometown?
Excerpt
#2 – 299 words:
#2 – 299 words:
Cole wrapped her
in his arms. He held her securely, whispering reassurances. “It’s all right,
Lauren. Don’t cry. It’s going to be okay, sweetheart.”
in his arms. He held her securely, whispering reassurances. “It’s all right,
Lauren. Don’t cry. It’s going to be okay, sweetheart.”
She clung to
him, her face buried against his neck. How wonderful to be held, to be touched.
It had been so long—
him, her face buried against his neck. How wonderful to be held, to be touched.
It had been so long—
What was she
doing? This was Cole, her friend. She pulled away from him. “I’m sorry.”
doing? This was Cole, her friend. She pulled away from him. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have
anything to apologize for.”
anything to apologize for.”
She turned away
and tried to wipe the tears from her face. After she got her tears under
control, she made herself smile at him. “Do you remember the homecoming dance?
The time I tripped in my new high heels and sprained my ankle?”
and tried to wipe the tears from her face. After she got her tears under
control, she made herself smile at him. “Do you remember the homecoming dance?
The time I tripped in my new high heels and sprained my ankle?”
“Of course I do.
You couldn’t walk, so I carried you from the school gym to Billy’s car, and he
drove you home. I remember you were a lot heavier than you looked.”
You couldn’t walk, so I carried you from the school gym to Billy’s car, and he
drove you home. I remember you were a lot heavier than you looked.”
She swatted his
shoulder, hiccupping laughter mixing with her tears. “Very funny. I was trying
to make a point.”
shoulder, hiccupping laughter mixing with her tears. “Very funny. I was trying
to make a point.”
He wiped the
tears from her cheek with the pad of his thumb, his dark eyes full of tenderness.
“So what was your point?”
tears from her cheek with the pad of his thumb, his dark eyes full of tenderness.
“So what was your point?”
“You’re a good
friend. You’ve always been there every time I’ve needed you, and here you are
again. Thank you.” He stared into her eyes, but said nothing. She couldn’t look
away. He continued to stroke her cheek with his thumb, the tiny caress acting
like a balm to her battered heart. She placed her hand on his cheek.
friend. You’ve always been there every time I’ve needed you, and here you are
again. Thank you.” He stared into her eyes, but said nothing. She couldn’t look
away. He continued to stroke her cheek with his thumb, the tiny caress acting
like a balm to her battered heart. She placed her hand on his cheek.
“Cole.”
They reached for
each other in mutual need. He pulled her against his chest, his mouth
descending on hers in a hungry, urgent kiss. She sighed against his mouth, and
he brought her closer. He wants me. It had been so long since someone had
wanted her. Only her.
each other in mutual need. He pulled her against his chest, his mouth
descending on hers in a hungry, urgent kiss. She sighed against his mouth, and
he brought her closer. He wants me. It had been so long since someone had
wanted her. Only her.
About the Author:
When Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily ever after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun, she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the paranormal. Her paranormal romantic suspense “Seeing Things” was a 2008 EPPIE finalist, and in 2018 “Lies and Solace” won Best Contemporary romance in the I Heart Indie contest.
In her life away from writing, Jana is an accountant/admin assistant, a mother to two grown daughters, and a wife to her husband Warren. She enjoys golf, yoga, movies, concerts, travel and reading, not necessarily in that order. She and her husband live in Winnipeg, Canada with their Pug/Terrier cross Lou.
She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards_
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards
Amazon UK Author Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B002DEVWWG
Newsletter Signup: http://janarichards.com/contact.html#newsletter
Google+ Profile: https://plus.google.com/100820406211390323245
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jana-richards
a Rafflecopter giveawayInterview with Jana Richards
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
For the most part, I’m in control of my story. If I have a good handle on who my character is, and have done the work to understand their motivations, I’ll know what they’re going to do in most situations. But sometimes, even when I think I understand my character, they will do or say something that totally surprises me and might even change the direction of the story. When that happens, it’s both exciting and terrifying, because it means stepping into the unknown. And for a control freak like me, that’s uncomfortable. But sometimes it results in a better story.
Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
CHILD OF MINE is a friends to lovers story with a twist; Cole has been in love with Lauren forever, but she loves Cole’s brother Billy. When she marries him, Cole has to put aside his feelings for her. But falling out of love with Lauren proves impossible for Cole. He hides his feelings so that they can remain friends through Lauren’s marriage.
Lauren has a secret, too. Her marriage to her cheating husband is unhappy, but she’s too proud and too embarrassed to tell Cole or anyone else the truth. She’s on the verge of leaving Billy when he dies in a car accident.
On the day of Billy’s funeral, both are grieving and they turn to each other for comfort. Comfort quickly turns to white hot passion and they make love. When a child is conceived, Cole convinces Lauren that the best thing for their baby is to have two parents. Lauren will only agree to marriage if they keep secret the fact that baby is Cole’s rather than his brother’s. Cole reluctantly agrees. It hurts Cole to know Lauren is ashamed that he’s the baby’s father, and that’s why she won’t even tell her family the truth. Will she ever tell their child the truth? She wishes the baby had been fathered by his brother instead of him. He’ll never be anything but a poor second choice for her.
Lauren can’t help feeling like she’s an obligation to Cole. He asked her to marry him out of a sense of duty, rather than any real feelings for her. As her pregnancy progresses, Lauren realizes she wants much more than a marriage of convenience; she wants Cole’s love. But neither of them is brave enough to tell the other the truth. Until everything blows up.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
Yes, I’ve got a couple of unpublished novels under the proverbial bed. But they’ll forever stay there, because frankly, they’re not very good! Those are my first efforts when I was learning to write. So, just like a baker may have a few flops when she’s learning to bake, so does a writer!
The good news is that those failed attempts helped me become a better writer. I now have published 18 novels and novellas that I’m very proud of. You can find them on my website: https://www.janarichards.com/books.html
Pen or type writer or computer?
Definitely a computer. It’s faster and more convenient. When you cut and paste and insert and edit as much as I do, a word processing program is a necessity! The only time I use pen and paper is when I’m brainstorming the plot. There’s something about the act of physically writing that seems to help me with the plotting process.
Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
I just want to say that I so appreciate you! There’s a lot of competition out there in the romance world, and I hope you find my books worth your time and money. To anyone who hasn’t sampled my writing, I’d like to offer you RESCUE ME, a full-length contemporary romance that is free at all retailers. The sequel to this book in my Victorian Mansion series is TAKE A CHANCE ON ME, and it’s $2.99 or FREE if you sign up for my newsletter. I invite you to ‘take a chance on me’ and give both books a read!
Thank you for hosting me today!
ReplyDelete