Audiobook Giveaway

AUDIOBOOK GIVEAWAY!

Every week until December 28, 2014, I'll be giving away copies of four of my titles currently available on Audible including THE DEADLINE, SAVED, LOST AND FOUND and THE ONE.

Click here to enter this week's contest! Four lucky winners will be selected at random per week, and each winner will receive one of the aforementioned titles. 

 

Good luck and happy listening! 

Friendy Fire Release Day Book Blast

Friendly Fire (The Wilde Brothers)
Author: Lorhainne Eckhart
Publication: May 20, 2014
Genre: Adult/Contemporary Romance/Women’s Fiction/Western Romance

**CONTENT WARNING: Although this series is filled with ideals of family, love and loyalty, the Wilde brothers are strong sexy alpha males. Each book and short story in this series is filled with sexual tension, steamy romance, rough language, and passion. It is for those who enjoy adult contemporary romance, women’s fiction, western romance.






SYNOPSIS
“I wish I could find a man like the Wilde Brothers.” - Tina

“Read the whole thing in 1 day. A page turner from start to finish. Makes me wish I lived in Idaho.” – Diane

In FRIENDLY FIRE, after a roadside bomb ends his career in the marines, Logan Wilde struggles to put his life back together. When he takes a job as a sheriff in a small Idaho town, he expects a quiet, peaceful life that will bore him to tears. However, Logan hides a painful secret: He suffers from sleepless nights and flashbacks that come out of nowhere, and anything can be a trigger.

From the moment the new sheriff walks through the door of Julia Cooper’s cafe, she fights the attraction between them, especially after Logan shoots a carafe right from her hands when he’s startled by a car backfiring in the street outside. Julia has seen that wild look before: She saw it in her father’s eyes right before he shoved a gun to his head and killed himself.

Julia decides she needs to meet someone average, someone who has never handled a gun. Everyone is convinced that her daughter’s teacher is the perfect match for her, but when she’s with him, she misses the sparks that always sizzle between her and Logan—and when her daughter goes missing, it’s Logan who’s there for her, Logan who searches with her, and Logan she leans on.

Worse, Logan suspects that the teacher knows something about the disappearance, and he may not be the safe, dependable guy Julia believes him to be.


THE WILDE BROTHERS:
The One (Joe & Margaret)
The Honeymoon, A Wilde Brothers Short
Friendly Fire (Logan & Julia)
A Matter of Trust (Ben & Carrie) Coming Summer 2014<

THE OUTSIDER series:
The Forgotten Child (Brad & Emily)
A Baby And A Wedding (An Outsider Series Short)
Fallen Hero (Andy, Jed & Diana)
The Search (An Outsider Series Short)
The Awakening (Andy & Laura)
Secrets (Jed & Diana)
Runaway(Andy & Laura)
Overdue (An Outsider Series Short)
The Unexpected Storm (Neil & Candy)
The Wedding (Neil & Candy)

THE FRIESSENS: A NEW BEGINNING:
The Deadline (Andy & Laura)

WALK THE RIGHT ROAD SERIES:
The Choice
Lost And Found
Merkaba
Bounty
Blown Away, The Final Chapter




EXCERPT

Logan saw the sign over the door, a big oval carved with a tree and roots. A plastic sign on the door said “Open.” Logan pulled in front, angling into a parking spot.

When he stepped out, Clinton shut the passenger door and pointed to his phone. “I generally go home for lunch,” he said. “Let me give my wife a call. I’ll be right in, Sheriff.”

Logan took in his deputy. The gun strapped to his side should have given him confidence, but the way he spoke about his wife made his courage seem fleeting.

“I’ll be inside,” Logan said.

He took in the coffeehouse, with about half a dozen tables and a glassed-in counter holding baked goods, sandwiches, and deli meats. He scanned the chalk menu board and strode up to the counter, where a woman with cropped dark hair had her back to him. She wore a white apron over a black long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans, and she turned around and glanced up at Logan with a bright smile and round face—and the most stunning green eyes he’d ever seen.

She hesitated, holding a plated sandwich. “Hey, there. I’ll be right with you,” she said. She had a killer smile as she strode around the counter and over to a table, setting a sandwich in front of an older man wearing a cowboy hat. She said something and then hurried back behind the counter. She had a neat and trim figure, with a small, rounded ass, and she wore sneakers.

Logan couldn’t take his eyes off her. He sat on one of the stools and took in her figure. Something about her had captivated him. She glanced his way, her wide eyes rimmed with long, dark lashes, all natural and so exotic. She wore not a stitch of makeup. Natural beauty, he loved it. He couldn’t help himself from taking in her round face, those soft, pink lips. She cleared her throat, setting both her hands on the counter, and his eyes went right there. No ring.

“You must be the new sheriff,” she said. As she watched him, all the light in her eyes vanished, replaced with something hard, as if she had figured him out in two seconds flat.

“I’m Logan Wilde,” he said. There was something about the way she was standing, so ramrod straight, that kept him from sticking his hand out to shake hers. No, what he wanted to do was put his hands on her, but that would definitely get him slapped. “And you are?” he finally asked, raising an eyebrow until she finally relaxed—almost, anyway. He realized this lady was not one to be toyed with. She was a difficult woman, strong, who reeled in his interest.

“Julia Cooper,” she replied. She clutched a dish rag and then tossed it down, extending her hand. “I own this place.”

Logan couldn’t help the smile that touched his lips as he took her tiny hand in his. Her soft, firm handshake stirred his interest further and scrambled all his good sense, too. “Nice to meet you, Julia.”

“So what can I get you, Sheriff?” she asked. He could tell she was still holding on to something. She had put up a wall and seemed ready to scurry behind it at any time. Logan couldn’t help wondering what that was all about. Did she have some trouble, or had something made her naturally cautious? That wasn’t necessarily such a bad thing, though it bothered him to think something had scarred her. He realized it wasn’t safe for her to take anyone at face value, anyway.

“Heard you make a mean sandwich. What do you recommend?” he asked, taking in the wide selection she gestured to on the chalkboard.

“Well, I have to say today’s special is pretty good: chicken and goat’s cheese on focaccia with a side of soup, your choice of minestrone or spinach and bean.”

He tapped his fingers on the counter. “Either sounds good. Why don’t you choose for me?”

She gave him a quick nod. “You got it, Sheriff,” she said, turning and opening the cooler, lifting out chicken, vegetables, and other fixings.

He couldn’t take his gaze off her back, with her slim curves—and that butt. Logan had never considered himself one of those guys who was a breast or ass man, but there was something about this woman. He wanted to figure out a way to get to know her a whole lot better. She was far from a super model, but she filled out a pair of plain old jeans. She wasn’t tall, either, and he was pretty sure he probably had a foot on her, but she’d sure fit nicely in his arms.

He wondered, for a moment, how responsive she’d be to his touch, or to him whispering to her in the dark. A tightening in his groin overcame him, and he swore under his breath. There had to be something wrong with him. Hell, he’d gone stretches before without a woman, but this last time…well, it had been over a year. Maybe that was his problem. He cleared his throat, trying to clear his head as well, forcing his thoughts to the meeting with Stan and Johnny Rhodes, but he just couldn’t shake the thought of Julia, who was such a distraction. The door chimed, and Logan glanced over his shoulder as Clinton strode in.

“Hey there, Julia,” Clinton said, also nodding to the older man eating a sandwich in the corner. “Slow today?” he asked as he took a seat beside Logan at the counter.

“Hi there, Clinton. Yeah, it’s been a little slow, but it should be picking up, with tourist season coming. I hope so, anyway. How’re your wife and that new baby of yours?” she asked. She had a sweet, soft voice, and Logan thought he could listen to her talk all day.

“Oh, they’re great. Annie is sleeping through the night now. She’s so sweet, and she has such a pretty smile,” Clinton said. He was already pulling out his cell phone, showing off baby pictures, and Julia leaned across the counter, taking in the photos with a natural excitement, as if she really was happy to see pictures of someone else’s baby. Maybe that was a female thing. To Logan, seeing baby photos was about as interesting as seeing some realtor’s face plastered across a billboard. He couldn’t even pretend interest.

Julia actually took the phone and touched her chest. “Oh, look at her! You have to bring her in. Tell Jenny to bring that baby over next time she’s in town.”

“Will do,” Clinton said, taking his phone back, a big smile on his face.

Logan could tell that his deputy was constantly distracted. With all the marines he had trained, he had hammered into them that they had to get their heads in the game. Clinton had two pretty faces waiting at home, but there was a time and a place for those thoughts. Logan couldn’t help wondering, if and when trouble hit, how Clinton would respond. He was soft, and the last thing Logan needed to worry about was having to knock on Jenny’s door and tell her she was a widow—and that her baby no longer had a father.

“What can I get for you, Clinton?” Julia asked, wiping her hands on a red and white dishtowel.

Clinton glanced over at the chalkboard and gestured to the special. “Special looks good, with minestrone. Would love one of them cappuccinos, with cinnamon on top, too, if you don’t mind.”

Julia nodded with a big smile. “You got it, Clinton,” she said, but when she faced the sheriff, her whole demeanor changed. She was back on guard, her smile now gone. “Sheriff, do you want something to drink?”

“Just a regular coffee would be great,” he replied, and she turned away, poured the coffee, and set it in front of him.

“Cream, sugar?”

“Just a little milk,” he said. She set a creamer in front of him, and he watched her as she turned away again and started fixing his lunch.

“I’m just going to wash up, Sheriff. I’ll be right back,” Clinton said, disappearing through a door in the back.

Logan slid around on the stool, taking in the big front window. Cars and a couple pickups drove by, a few people walking past here and there—unhurried, nothing like the way people were in the city. Everyone wore cowboy hats and blue jeans, and the way they all walked and talked said “Midwest ranching community.”

He sniffed the air at the hiss of the espresso machine, frowning out the window at an older white Cadillac that drove past. His heart was racing, his hand shaking on the counter as if he knew what was about to happen. There was a high-pitched whistle, then a bang as the car backfired in the street, and his chest squeezed as he waited for the explosion. Everything was moving in slow motion, everything louder. Where had the explosion come from? He heard the sound of gunfire.

For a moment, it felt as if he wasn’t even there. Julia was screaming, shouting at him, and he stared and stared, blinking, hearing only his breath, long and loud. Her face was terrified, and his hand trembled around his pistol—aimed toward her. It took him a minute to take it in: the shattered glass, the handle she was holding, all that was left of the carafe. There was now a hole in the espresso machine.



AVAILABLE FROM:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple | Kobo |

AUTHOR BIO:
Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter |
Lorhainne Eckhart is a 2013 Readers Favorite Award winner, frequently a top 100 bestselling author on Amazon in Romance, Westerns and Police Procedural. Author of 25 titles which includes novels, collections, and short stories. She writes three genres, western romance, romantic suspense and military romance and has sold more than 250,000 eBooks since her bestseller The Forgotten Child landed on the Amazon #1 Bestseller list for Westerns and Western Romance.
The German Foreign rights for The Forgotten Child have since been acquired by a major publisher, retitled The Forgotten Boy and released March 18, 2014, now a top 100 overall bestseller on Amazon. Lorhainne lives on sunny Salt Spring Island with her family where she is working on her next book.


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How to romance your Lady

I thought it would be fun to create a post about all the Alpha’s, the cops, the cowboys and the military captain that I write about, and how each one of them would put together a romantic dinner for his special lady.

Let’s start with sexy Joe Wilde from The One. A man tucked away on his rural acreage in Post Falls Idaho a cowboy barely getting by, and the one woman who he realized is The One, Margaret Tanner a former surgeon who has a gift with horses. Since Joe, is the backyard barbeque type, beers and burgers, and no love for fancy restaurants, he is more likely to try and whip up a dinner, something simple a meatloaf or burgers with a couple beers. This man is not a wine drinker. Then he’d take his girl out on the deck perched on his lap and take in the stars and keep her warm his way.

Now sexy big brother Brad Friessen who you met in The Forgotten Child, has grown up from his days of being a fast talking hot sexy rancher who appreciates beauty vs brains hanging off his arm. No with Emily, the first woman to ever show him what true love meant. He’d hire a sitter and take his sweet wife out to a nice steak dinner in Hoquiam, and maybe finish the evening off with some ballroom dancing, before taking her home and surprising her with whatever new lacy negligee he bought her from Victoria Secret.

Neil Friessen the extravagant middle brother is all class with his million dollar deals and not a hair out of place. No he’d insist on the finest dining experience with no expense spared. He’d whisk his sweet Candy off to Paris to one of the finest dining experiences then on to the theatre for a musical or play or something that’s received a lot of praise, and finish off the evening with an eight thousand dollar bottle of wine. Rose petals scattered to the bedroom and candlelight in the background.

Now baby brother Jed Friessen walked away from his family fortune. A cowboy who insists on doing things his way with no help from anyone. You met him in Fallen Hero and again in Secrets with his sweet wife Diana, the woman he loves more than his next breath. The mother of his children, and a woman he’ll go to his grave protecting. No Jed, would saddle up their horses and whisk Diana off for a picnic in the meadow. Hold hands and lay with her on a blanket under the deep blue sky. With no one around them to interrupt them.

Their wealthy cousin Andy Friessen is a man with a dark side that you first saw in Fallen Hero, but when he rescued his wife Laura this alpha is definitely a force to be reckoned with. You saw this in The Awakening, and then again in Runaway, he’s a man who doesn’t give his heart easily. Andy is a man every woman wants, but few could handle. For his romantic evening he’d make all the arrangements to surprise Laura, including ordering her a stunning cocktail dress that she’d find laid across the bed for her to slip on. He’d arrange for a limo to whisk them away to some out of the way dining experience, a four course meal, and then later dancing would be Salsa and something slow and sexy where he could have his hands all over his wife.

And then there is Eric Hamilton a US Navy Captain from Saved and Vanished, a man who fills many woman dreams of taming. A difficult, strong willed and opinionated man. He’s a military man in the blood, and loves Abby deeply. He’d surprise her with dinner. And it would be something special and creative some cuisine he’d learned from one of the many ports he’d been stationed around the world. He’d cook at home where the kids would be tucked in bed for the night and he’d slip on some romantic music something low and soft and he’d take her in his arms after dinner and dance with her.

Now, let’s move on to Sam Carre the cop and DEA agent you met in, The Choice. He pined for his dead wife for years even though she’d been a dishonest woman on the take. But when he met Marcie she stirred something in him he never dreamed he’d feel. With Marcie, he’d plan a romantic beach getaway, somewhere hot, sandy and exotic where she’d be in a bikini and he could appreciate the view.

Richard McCafferty from Lost And Found, a dark haired sexy man who could turn every woman’s head. A man in partnership with a dishonest scumbag, and really walks a fine line between truth and lies. Richard only has eyes for Maggie, his dark haired wife. Richard is a difficult man to read and you really wouldn’t know what he’d plan, but it would be somewhere private, where he could have his wife alone and his hands all over her. Dinner would be romantic a dark private booth in a restaurant a bottle of red wine and maybe a hotel room for the night.

Now last but not least, Zac, the gorgeous sexy scarred trauma surgeon who carries his own secrets and baggage from his years in the military. Diane’s new man you met in Bounty. He’d keep Diane at home where he could have her all to himself. He wouldn’t take her to his place, he’d cook dinner for her at her place and then he’d put on some soft music and he’d listen to Diane, let her talk and then show her how special she is to him.

There is only one thing all these strong Alpa’s have in common and that is they are strong willed men who are by no means a pushover for anyone. But each one of these sexy complex men has their own story, their own baggage, and each one of them is fiercely protective of his lady.

SECRETS ~ Next in Finding Love ~ THE OUTSIDER SERIES

Sorry everyone for the long gap in between blog posts. This has been a hectic spring, not only did we take time out for Disneyland, which was awesome. I've been working every spare minute on finishing two books from two series. Today marks the release for SECRETS. Secrets follows The Awakening in Finding Love~The Outsider Series. And here it is, available now at Amazon: 

 

"Jed always told me he'd take care of everything. And I believed him, I trusted him, I loved him." 

For Diana, Jed was the first man she trusted. He was the first man to show her what true love was. He was the father of her child, the one man she could always count on. Until one spring day Jed falls from the roof of the barn and Diana's world as she knows it begins to unravel. 

Diana is forced to face two things, her husband's secrets, and what if... there was no Jed.

Danger ~ Deception ~ Devotion

In my new romantic suspense series, Walk the Right Road, I've introduced some interesting characters one of which is Dan McKenzie, a man who is not as he seems. But as a man he is in fact a predator. If you've read The Choice you may identify with how Marcie was preyed upon and maybe you too had at one time in your life been the victim of a predator? Or could you be now?

There are many species of predators. Do you understand the difference? A predator is something that hunts prey. Prey is something that is attacked. A predator feeds off his prey.

There’s a particular predator that has the ability to slip in under the radar and prey on women’s vulnerability. With an ability to cloud the invisible barrier of right and wrong. From my novel, The Choice, Dan McKenzie is the epitome of this type of predator.

This is a moral dilemma, a social problem. At which point does it become criminal? Who holds these predators who flood society accountable? How does society fuel a predators power? Would you recognize the signs? Predators have the ability to focus solely on you with that intense charm, charisma--that gifted ability in an instant to transfer all their attention on you.

Who’s their target?

The special needs, smart educated women, professionals, single mothers, married women, children, a specific race. No one’s immune. And they choose their victims carefully going after the weak that lack self esteem and are filled with self doubt. They read your thoughts. They know how to feed your ego with compliments. The attention is bewitching. They feign interest in everything you do. But make no mistake this an illusion.

They seem to understand and completely get you. They reel you into their web of lies with a gift to make you want to do anything for them. What would you do for someone you love?

Who are they and where are they? Don’t be fooled they’re everywhere, and they can present themselves as respectable members of society. They can be careworkers, politicians, teachers, contractors, church workers, and police officers. They are gifted with an ability to mimic emotions without feeling them. They have an explosive charm that seduces you. Reeling you in.

Then they hurt you. And this can be done in any subtle form. Physical, emotional or spiritual. And remember, after, their genuinely sorry. They do this to keep you off balance for what they truly are. Someone with no remorse--no conscience, and no sense of responsibility.

They’ll take the credit; but never the blame. And when they hurt you again, it was your fault, or you made him do it. They truly believe you are fortunate to be given their time and attention.

Why do they need to hurt you? It is their sole purpose. To them it is pleasure to create much emotional turmoil, guilt, self-doubt and depression. They practice this trickery--honing their skill.

Similar to darkness, the only way for it to survive is to destroy the light. The goal is to destroy you emotionally.

Ask yourself if you have what it takes to stand up to a predator?

Remember Rosa Parks? She is known as the woman who refused to give up her seat to a white man. Her quotes:

The only tired I was, was tired of giving in.

I knew someone had to take the first step and I made up my mind not to move.

At the time I was arrested I had no idea it would turn into this. It was a day like any other day. The only thing that made it significant was that the masses of people joined in.

As times change so do predators. They come in many forms and not always the same skin.

And remember a predator will come again and repeat the performance.

So what is a predator? Someone whose sole purpose is to eliminate your power. Like Marcie in The Choice, have you ever had to stand up to a Predator?

 "From the Pacific Northwest to New Orleans, with its rich Cajun heritage, dialect, food...and voodoo, comes this spellbinder from Ms Eckhart. From drugs to the DEA, all combines into a masterful book of suspense...you cannot put down, or look away from." Elysabeth Fasland

A Freak Accident.
A Drug Bust Gone Bad. 

One Haunting Question. What would you do for someone you love?

Walk the Right Road Series - Short Story - Running Late

For those of you who’ve read my new release The Choice, Book 1 of the Walk the Right Road Series. Running Late is a short story when Marcie and Dan met.

Running Late

Marcie frowned as she hurried to stuff the last of the rosemary in a small plastic bag. Scribbling a price on a white, sticky tag, pasting it to the bag, and arranging it with the other herbs displayed on the small rectangular table at this Saturday’s Farmers Market, this early spring morning. She brushed her fingers lightly over the three dozen small bags of herbs that only filled half the table. She was late, she’d forgotten the peppermint, the lemongrass her homemade soap; her biggest sellers. “Well crap.” She closed her eyes for a second picturing the full dark blue Tupperware container, sitting beside the door. She cursed under her breath and shuffled around the sparse table. Her Granny would’ve made sure she’d brought everything. She was an organized woman, who’d protected Marcie, loved her, and raised her. But it’d been a little over a month since she’d buried her Granny, which sucked Marcie into her head, to relive her agonizing loss over and over.  

Shivering, she yanked on her Granny’s light brown sweater, over her green cotton dress just as her handwritten sign was picked up by a sudden breeze. Her wooden sign was at home, most likely beside the box of herbs, all forgotten, as she’d raced late to the morning ferry that shuttled her from her Island home, Las Seta, to the mainland.  

“Oh no, what else could possibly go wrong?” She darted after the hand written sign as it fluttered across the dirt path over to the lettuce lady who decorated her table with a bright red and orange tablecloth. That was just one more thing forgotten, her blue checkered tablecloth. “Stop it.” She swept back her long wavy hair that blew in her face. Could today get any worse? 

So focused on that sign and her self-consuming frustration Marcie didn’t see the long, lanky legs step in front of her just as she bumped into the solid thigh with the top of her head. She landed on her bum in the dirt, and for a minute, she’d swear she saw stars. 

“Are you okay?” He was in her face. She blinked. And he had the most spectacular hazel eyes. She felt her face heat as his dimpled smile widened over his perfectly straight white teeth. He was a magnificent looking man, just as she’d remembered. Dan McKenzie ran his hands over her shoulder and grasped her elbow, as he pulled her up. Oh crap was he tall. And looking up at him, she was sucked in by this nice wave of comfort. There was something so surreal about him that sent all those butterflies pounding in her stomach. And man he smelled good.

She brushed her hand over her swirly green dress, and looked down at her bare toes that popped out of her red flip-flops. She wanted to hide her dingy feet, as she looked around at all the other gorgeous women, with their painted, pedicured and manicured fingernails and toes. 

“I’m good. I’m so sorry; I can’t believe what a klutz I am. I didn’t see you. I was ... oh my sign.” Her face was burning. She wanted to hide. 

Dan looked behind him, and bent over so elegantly, picking up her paper sign stuck under the lettuce ladies table. He brushed the dirt smudged over the childlike handwriting. His fingers brushed her hand as he handed it back. And this time when he looked at her, she’d swear he could read her every thought. And for a second, it was almost a comfort not having to speak.

But then it happened again, her face heated, she knew damn well she was blushing. Every day she prayed she’d be able to shed this awkward stage of blushing at the drop of a hat.

Dan chuckled and glanced away, before giving her his entire focus. He stepped closer and touched her arm in such a kind tender way. “Marcie right?” This time when his caring eyes washed over her, they were filled with such gentle support as if he was preparing to be her knight in shining armor.

He always was a charmer; so nice. She’d remembered him from High School. They never hung out, but he was always the King of his people, but that was ten years ago. All the kids flocked to him. But even then, he was the life of a party. Everyone wanted him around. So did Marcie. She’d always worshipped him from afar, never fitting in to his circle.

“Yah.” Marcie turned to walk away. 

“So I didn’t know you had a table here? What do you sell?”

He was following her. He seemed interested. He was so close she could feel his warmth. But how could he be interested in someone as unsophisticated and boring as her? She was nothing like the gorgeous blondes she’d always seen draped around him.

She scurried behind her table. Safe at last, now she could focus on her herbs. “I sell herbs, rosemary, oregano, sage, lavender. I’ve even bottled some essential oils. I’m sorry it’s so sparse today. I just wasn’t organized this morning, and I almost missed the ferry. And I forgot the peppermint, lemongrass... and I’m rambling. I’m sorry.” She didn’t know where the giggle came from. She covered her mouth, as Dan crossed his solid arms over his broad chest. His short reddish hair seemed to glow under the glistening sun. And this time she saw humor shine down from his mesmerizing eyes, not in a ridiculing way, but in a supportive captivating loving way.

“Well Miss Marcie. It was good to see you. I’ll be seeing you around I think.” 

“You too Dan. Thanks for your help.” He saluted her in a casual fun way, as he strode away. And Marcie couldn’t help admiring the fine package that he was, hoping he would truly stop by and see her again.

Now Available ~ Book 2 of the Walk the Right Road Series ~ Lost and Found

Losing Power

Losing Power

The winds blew, twelve foot waves pounded the shore in the early evening Sunday. An amazing sight to watch from shore, and in the safety of our house. The wind blew shaking the thick fir, pine, and maple trees that shelters our home. And late Sunday night the power was knocked out to several islands, and the mainland. 

So come Monday morning the power still out, the school now closed and my editor waiting for my current manuscript. I dug out the old landline, plugged it in and dialed hydro. And of course they’re experiencing a high volume of outages, thousands, but we’re expected to have power restored Tuesday at 4:00. With the storm still raging the ferry was cancelled, no one was coming on the island or leaving. Of course I can live with that, it’s only a day. So I used up what battery power was left on my two laptops. Cooked over our woodstove, hauled water from the rain barrels I’d set up in the fall, as the wind blew, the rain fell, and the kids on the island celebrated their day off from school.  

It was fun really, playing little house on the prairie. And by the end of the day with no electro magnetic fields, and absolute quiet we all felt great.

Day two the kids still can’t go to school, and of course I can’t write, and the power people still can’t get here because of the thousands of others without power elsewhere. And we’re now scheduled for Wednesday. By this point we’re getting close to using every dish in the house and we’d really like a shower. Thankfully I have enough drinking water to last until Wednesday morning, and I’m one of the fortunate ones to have rain barrels filled with water I can use to heat up and wash with. Others aren’t so lucky, they’re collecting water from ditches to boil and wash up with.

With the woodstove cranked I send the kids out to chop more wood so we can cook, keep warm, and heat lots of water on the woodstove to clean up some the dishes, the kitchen, which takes hours. 

Day three of course we slept great. But still no power and another call to hydro, and they apologize again, no power is expected until the 14^th, which is Thursday. The candles are getting low, but we still have lots of wood, but hauling in water and boiling it first on a woodstove just to have a cup of coffee first thing in the morning is an exercise in patience and makes you really appreciate that high tech coffeepot. Then you hear the unmistakable whirr of an engine and everyone who’s outside gazes at the big beautiful oceanfront home not far from you, and you know that sound anywhere. A generator. And you look with power longing at that house who now has water, lights, electricity, and hot water. And you have none. But wait, late afternoon someone spots a hydro truck on the island, word gets out, and suddenly half the island has power. We wait but nothing happens for us. And then hydro unexpectedly leaves the island-- presuming powers been restored to us all.

Day four, still no power, everything in my deep freeze has unthawed the meat, the berries. And the fridge is warm. But hallelujah the school’s got power, and their up and running. So in the cold early morning, we haul water, heat up the woodstove, and get cleaned up. The rest of my small section of the island starts phoning hydro. And the first ones were told they must be mistaken, they have power it was restored yesterday. But after several calls, including mine we’re now told it’ll be another day as another storm has blown in and again the ferry shut down. With my hair slicked back, as clean as we can get I load the kids up in my vehicle, and dodge debris from the trees as I drive them to school. With my laptop packed up, I find a spot in the school to borrow their precious power and do some work. 

But wait, early afternoon by some miracle Hydro was spotted back on the Island. Our wonderful ferry people found a way to shuttle a hydro truck over a special ferry. And late in the afternoon, while down at the small corner store on our island news spread when the Hydro guys popped in the store and announced power was now up and running. Of course I shouted from the till after paying for my groceries, “wait don’t let them leave until I race home and see if I have power.” And I along with others raced home, and hallelujah the power was back. 

If a power outage hits you are you prepared?

A Valentine's Story - I Matter to Him

A Valentines Day short story about Marcie and Sam, two characters from my new release, The Choice, Walk the Right Road Series, Book 1

I Matter to Him

“Candles, wine, and what’s this?” Marcie lifted a silver plate warmer.

A light breeze drifted in the open patio doors fluttering the thin gauze of her white swimsuit cover. She peered up at Sam when he didn’t answer. He never failed to take her breath away. The way he looked in his white cotton shirt, his khaki shorts as he lit the candles on the small table in their beachfront suite in Mazatlan.

“What’s the occasion?”  Marcie touched the pink roses with sprigs of baby’s breath in the center glass vase. She leaned over and breathed in the perfume and glanced shyly up at Sam. His wavy hair had lightened from the two weeks they’d spent in the bright Mexican sun. His tanned face appeared relaxed as if he’d left all his worries behind. But then she still couldn’t believe he resigned from the DEA. And after the investigation collapsed, he whisked her away protecting her as if he could shelter her from everything. 

“Valentine’s Day, did you forget?” 

Maybe it was the way she stood so still and watched him that had him striding around the table and lifting her long windswept hair over her tanned shoulder. She leaned into his touch and needed to breathe. He was so damn good-looking, and still turned every woman’s head. But Sam was faithful to her. So it shouldn’t surprise her he’d plan something like this, but old wounds were hard to shake. With Dan, the one who fooled her, she’d told herself a hundred times it didn’t matter each time he ignored her on those special days. And she’d let him. 

“Hey babe are you crying?” She reached for his wrist after he wiped away her tears.

“Will I ever get used to what an amazing man you are, I matter to you. And I can’t help this. Because I can’t believe I found you. That you love me. And you never turned your back on me—not once. Even after you found out what I’d done.”  

He didn’t smile but the heat from his mesmerizing blue eyes left no doubt he’d move heaven and earth to be with her. Marcie kissed his palm when he cupped her cheek. And she allowed him to pull her into his solid arms as he rested his chin on top of her head.  

“So what’s for dinner?” She linked her fingers with his. He slid out her chair— helped her sit, and rested his hand possessively—protectively on her bare shoulder, when the wide neckline of the soft cotton slipped down, exposing the thin purple bikini strap.

“Maybe I should change.” Marcie started to get up, but Sam leaned down and touched his lips with hers. 

“No. You look fabulous, all sexy under that sheer dress you got going on there over that band aid you call a bathing suit. It’ll be less to peel off that sexy body of yours.” His smile was intoxicating as he lifted the metal plate warmer. “Rack of lamb, asparagus with hollandaise.”

“Mm” Marcie scooped back her hair and breathed in the fragrant aroma. “I’m starving. Thank you for doing this. I should have thought of it.” The truth was she had but a lingering fear of rejection poked its ugly head, like an unwelcome guest. Take a chance and believe was something she worked on with Sam—every day. Not once had he used her. He was the genuine knight she’d always asked for. And she loved every moment they spent together, whether sleeping, talking, sitting or just holding hands.

The candles flickered in the dim room as the sun lingered at the edge of the ocean—the perfect horizon—the perfect romantic setting with her Mr. Right. 

Sam uncorked the light blush wine and filled her glass. The fruity aroma she’d loved the first few times in Mexico, but lately turned her stomach. Sam held up his glass. “To the most beautiful honest woman who turned my life upside down and made me believe once again that truelove’s possible.” 

Her throat thickened and she tried to swallow past the lump wedged in her throat. She’d barely shed a tear her entire life, but since meeting Sam it felt as if she constantly blinked back that endless sting of tears burning her eyes. She wasn’t one of those weepy women, so why? Maybe, for the first time in her life she had a man who truly loved her—who truly believed in her.

“I love you. Damn you—look what you do to me.” Her hand trembled as she raised her glass and touched his. When he took a drink she didn’t. She set down her glass, and dropped her gaze to her plate. Picking up her fork and knife she cut into the lamb, took a bite and nearly groaned as the savory tender lamb melted in her mouth. All the while she could feel his eyes burning into her. 

She swallowed as she looked up. Sam tilted his head and swirled the light peachy colored wine in his glass. “Something up?”

Marcie blinked and wiped her mouth with the blue cloth napkin. 

“You’ve not had a sip of wine in a week. And don’t think I haven’t noticed you turned two shades of gray each time you get a whiff of that Mexican food wafting in from those outdoor stands. And you’ve been tired, unusually so. But then again, after what you’ve been through I just thought…” He shoved an index finger at her glass. “And you’re not drinking again. You feeling okay?”

She bit her lip. Set down her fork and rested her napkin in her lap. Marcie warmed as she met the gaze of the man she loved, who didn’t have a dishonest bone his gorgeous body. “Sam how do you feel about kids?”