The Dog Days of Summer mean summer is winding down, but any time something ends, you often have something new to take its place.
Last summer I had a thirty plus year teaching career
come to an end. I retired. And headed out on a new journey with my husband in
an RV for six months. You can check my FaceBook, Instagram, or Twitter feeds for
information on that trip as I documented it in many pictures. One of my
earliest posts on Romance Gems also listed the good and the not-so-good of our
trip.
So now I’m starting on my new adventure of full-time
writer. I have to say I’ve been busier than ever. Part of that is the new
grandson who was just added to the family. No grandmother can resist cuddling
and holding a newborn baby. Such sweetness.
The other thing keeping me busy is the new series I’ve
got coming out soon. So many people say, “Write what you know,” and I’ve lived
in New England my whole life so I’m pretty familiar with the place. The series
is a small-town contemporary revolving around the Storm family who originate
from the community of Squamscott Falls, New Hampshire.
It’s a fictional town, but the name comes from the
original name of one of the towns near Portsmouth. There is an actual
Squamscott River and Squamscott Falls. And the Storm family is one of the best
I know. They’ve all got their quirks and faults, but they love each other and
stand by each other unconditionally. This is something I know also. My family
are the best and have been so supportive of my retiring early so I can follow
my newly discovered passion of writing.
The first story, Elusive Dreams, follows one of the
older cousins, Erik Storm. He’s moving into his grandparents’ house on the
coast of Maine so he can adopt and raise two orphaned children he saved
overseas. But an injury has left him barely able to walk, so he enlists the
help of his introverted loner neighbor, Tessa, to help him. They embark on a
marriage of convenience but both have issues they need to face before they can
become a true family.
The second book, True Dreams, follows Sara Storm, the
youngest sister of Erik, looking to find herself in the small town of Hyannis
on Cape Cod. Instead she finds TJ Bannister, guilt ridden, tortured hero, and
son of major rock and roll icons, who wants nothing to do with that life anymore. (release in 2020)
There are many more Storms to come in the Storms of
New England series so keep your eye out for them. Elusive Dreams releases Aug.
26, 2019 on most retailers.
Here’s an excerpt:
By the time she got the child
settled and went back to the family room, Matty lay next to Erik on the couch,
his eyes closed. Erik sat sprawled, his head back and eyes also shut. She sat
in the comfy chair next to the couch and waited for him to notice her.
Silence hung in the air for a few
moments, then he spoke softly. “Thank you for trying to help. I appreciate it.
I’m not sure anything would have worked.”
“Erik, these kids need you. I’m
sorry I jumped in with that marriage thing, but it was all I could think of so
you could keep them.”
“It was a great idea, Tessa. I can’t
ask you to do that though.”
Her heart broke into little pieces
at his words. It was a great idea. Just
not with you. Isn’t that what he meant? Maybe it would have worked with
some other pretty girl who wasn’t a freak of nature. Who could be in a crowd
and actually talk to people without twitching and having a fit.
“Maybe if I call and ask for a
different social worker.”
“Maybe.” Nothing else would come
out.
When Miss Abernathy was here and she’d
mentioned the marriage thing, Erik had perked up. It hadn’t been her
imagination. Obviously, it was only because of the children. When he actually thought
about it, he must have realized what life with the frigid freak would be like.
And even the children couldn’t make him do that.
For a few short minutes, she’d actually
thought she could have Erik Storm as her husband. The elusive dream she’d tucked
away since she was a teen. Not that she wanted him forced against his will. But
it would have gone a long way toward fulfilling her dreams of a husband and
family.
Matty slept soundly and Erik looked
like he might be too. She swallowed the sorrow that rose up inside her. It
wasn’t like this was any different than anything else in her life. Why should
she be disappointed now? Because she’d stupidly believed for one brief moment she
might have a normal life. Kind of.
Standing quietly, she walked toward
the door. Would he even know she’d left? If he needed her, he’d call. Maybe he
wouldn’t. It might be too big a price to pay.
When she twisted the knob, he rustled
on the couch.
“I need to think about this, Tess. Let’s
sleep on it and talk tomorrow.”
Translation: I’ll figure out a way
to keep the kids without marrying you.
~~~
Preorder now:
For up-to-date information on all my books, sales, and
new releases, sign up for my mailing list.
www.karilemor.com
Don't forget to enter our August Rafflecopter Giveaway. We are celebrating the Dog Days of Summer with great prizes as well as free books. Check out our GIVEAWAY tab above for complete information. You can also reach the entry by clicking HERE.
~~~
Don't forget to enter our August Rafflecopter Giveaway. We are celebrating the Dog Days of Summer with great prizes as well as free books. Check out our GIVEAWAY tab above for complete information. You can also reach the entry by clicking HERE.
