What a summer this has turned out to be. I bet you it’s the summer you’ll never forget. Most of us living in Florida and other places have been on lockdown. And when on lockdown what do you do? Writers write. Readers read. I’ve been doing a lot of both.
First up, this summer, was my new release By Heart, the second in the H. E. Caldwell series about the department store that almost went under if not for Elle Stanford, Caldwell’s newly hired sales associate. This time it’s Cyndy Lawsen’s story of finding romance or rather romance finding her in the store. The link to purchase this novella is below, or alternatively, click on the book cover.
Here is an excerpt of By Heart:
The phone rang and rang. She waited for voice mail to pop on.
“Jacques Moreau. Can I help you?”
The sound of Jacques voice left her breathless and goosebumps popped out on her forearms. She had to say something. “Jacques, it’s Cyndy. Cyndy from Caldwell’s.”
“Bonjour Cyndy from Caldwell’s. I’ve been meaning to call. Unfortunately, I had to go out of town unexpectedly.”
The warmth of his greeting reassured her. Cyndy plunged on. “I’m calling because the courier isn’t able to deliver the gift you need for Valentine’s Day. . .”
“What!”
“Not to worry. I can fix this.”
“But I trusted you to get it there.” The slight edge to Jacques’ voice couldn’t be missed. “You promised me. What happened?”
He was making her feel guilty. Just who was Eva, and why was she so important? And, why if she meant so much to him, wasn’t he spending Valentine’s Day with her? It seemed silly to be jealous of a complete stranger. One dinner did not a relationship make.
Keeping her voice even, Cyndy got down to business. “Can I confirm the address we have on record is the correct one?”.
Jacques repeated the address, confirming it to be the one on record.
“And the unit number?”
“501. Cheri, didn’t I give you the number?”
“I am not your cheri,” thought Cyndy.
Cyndy’s diplomacy kicked in. “This may be my fault. Unfortunately, the courier doesn’t have the unit number.”
“So how do I get my Valentine’s gift to Eva on time?” Jacques asked.
Damn Eva! And he still hadn’t said a word about Valentine’s Day and them. “I’ll handle it,” Cyndy said. “We’re Caldwell’s. We’ll do what it takes.”
***
Next up, and released in August is Last Chance Beach: Summer’s End, a collaboration with thirteen other bestselling authors. These are 14 sweet to sassy short romances, choc-a-block full of hot alpha males and heartwarming heroes. I can’t think of one person who won’t like a second chance at love.
Last Chance Beach: Summers’s End can be purchased on Amazon at the bargain price of 99 cents. If that’s not bargain enough, download the free companion cocktail recipe, then pull up a beach chain and join us on Last Chance Beach.
My story is titled One Last Shot. Imagine an up and coming sitcom star in hiding from the press. Turns out, the guy next door just happens to be a disgraced celebrity photographer. Will he accept tabloid money for pictures of her? Or will he choose love over jumpstarting his career?
There’s even a legend that comes with this island; a very sweet and poignant second chance romance that will leave you in tears. Poor boy begs passage on wealthy tycoon’s ship and falls in love with owner’s daughter. Dad forbids the romance and banishes his guest to the ship’s hold. Man escapes and swims to shore where is rescued by a minister and his wife. The daughter goes in search of him, runs out of money and is taken in by the same minister and his wife. The couple reunites. By then he is lame.
So, pull up a beach chair and pour yourself a beverage, preferably made from this free drink recipe book you can download by clicking on the link below, or the book cover:
Make this the summer you read, and I’ll continue to write. Stay happy and stay safe!
About Marcia King-Gamble
Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This former travel industry executive and current world traveler has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. Her free time is spent at the gym, traveling to exotic locales, caring for her animal family, and trying to keep sane.
