Welcome to Sherry’s blog! My name is Elaine Cantrell, and I’ve been blogging for Sherry for the last two days. If you’re interested in me and my writing, check out my website at http://www.elainecantrell.com. I have some nice free reads there.
If you’ve been following for the last few days, you know I’ve been talking about people who get jilted-just like my heroine Marley Matthews in The Table in the Window. The book is coming out in the next few days and can be purchased at http://www.astraeapress.com. Continuing with my jilted theme, I’d like to talk a bit about my other Astraea Press release A New Dream.
What do you do when you lose everything?
After an auto accident destroys his NFL career, Matt McCallum struggles to find a new dream for his life, but nothing engages him the way football did. After a stint in rehab, he takes a job managing a grocery store where he meets Violet Emerson.
Violet works in the bakery department, but her dreams carry her far beyond the doors of Chef’s Pantry. As soon as she can save the money, she plans to open a catering business. And she thinks the new manager’s broad shoulders and blue eyes are simply divine.
Thrown together at work, Matt and Violet find a common dream for their lives, but a loose end from Matt’s past returns to jeopardize their future. Will love be enough to save their new dream before it turns into a nightmare?
Of course, before Matt meets Violet he had a fiancée, Stacey Thomas. In this excerpt from A New Dream Stacey agonizes over the accident that took Matt’s football career away.
~~~
Stacey shuddered and splashed some more water on her face. The nausea had passed now. She staggered back into her bedroom and threw herself across her bed. Matt’s legs looked horrible! She’d give anything not to have been at the hospital when the bandages came off. It had been bad enough when a sheet covered Matt, but to actually see his mutilated legs turned her stomach and made her feel faint.
She knew one thing, though. Until this afternoon she hadn’t really understood that Matt’s football career had ended. Oh, she realized he had lost a leg, but somehow it hadn’t been real to her until she saw it for herself. Rolling over, she curled into a tight, little ball. She had had such fun going places with Matt. People always recognized him
and wanted his autograph. He had plenty of money too, and he wasn’t stingy with it. The fame and money had thrilled her, but it was all over and done with now. No more autographs or big money.
Her stomach lurched again. She had more than just fame and money to worry about. Matt had wanted to kiss her this afternoon. In fact, when the doctor came in to take off Matt’s bandages he had caught her sitting on the edge of the bed kissing Matt. The doctor had kidded him about it, but she hadn’t minded being interrupted at all. She…didn’t like to touch him too much now.
Her thoughts drifted to the afternoon of their accident. Their parents wouldn’t approve, but she and Matt had gone to Greenville and checked into a luxury hotel that morning. They had spent his last day of freedom in bed together. She drew a deep, shaky breath.
The day had been everything she’d dreamed it could be. Her body tightened with the faint echo of passion. Matt was a good lover.
Oh, why did they have to have such a terrible accident? What would happen to Matt now? Her engagement ring winked and twinkled as it caught the light. She stared at it for a moment and began to cry.
~~~
Pretty bad, huh? Yeah, she jilted him the next day. She didn’t have the nerve to do it face-to-face. She returned her engagement ring by messenger. What a witch! Oh, well. If she hadn’t jilted Matt, he never would have met Violet. In my story Violet works in a bakery before she opens her own catering business. If you’ll leave me your email address in a comment I’ll email you a PDF copy of her favorite dessert recipes.
Can I brag for a minute? Romance Junkies gave the book a 4.5 out of 5 stars and said, A NEW DREAM is a wonderful contemporary romance with heartwarming characters and heartfelt moments. Elaine Cantrell creates a beautiful, believable relationship with old fashioned values that adds sweetness to the story. All of her characters were likable with emotions and reactions that one can relate to. My favorite though had to be the hero Matt, who had to face a very difficult reality. His growth and the way Ms. Cantrell portrayed his struggles with coming to terms with the changes in his life was nicely done. This is one of the best inspirational romances I’ve read in a while.
Romantic Times gave it four and a half stars and said, Readers will love this touching and inspirational story in which a former football player learns to live his life under new terms after a tragic accident.
I’m also tickled pink to tell you that A New Dream is on the publisher’s bestseller list!
The book is available at http://www.astraeapress.com/#ecwid:category=677872&mode=product&product=2676585 or at http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_12?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=a+new+dream+by+elaine+cantrell&sprefix=a+new+dream+
In a few days I’ll pick the winner of the contest I offered yesterday. I hope each and every one of you have the merriest holiday season ever, and don’t forget to give books to the readers on your list. Sherry, thanks so much for letting me come. I’ve enjoyed being with you and your readers.
Congratulations, Elaine, and best wishes with your new Christmas book, thank you, too, for visiting with us here these last few days.
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