Forsaken Dreams Release Day!

Today is the official release date of Forsaken Dreams!!  I've had a great time posting my Pre-release party and giving away free books. Thank all of you so much for taking time to drop by and read my posts and engage in conversation.

This week's winner is: Callie Barrett      Congratulations, Callie!!!! 


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Now, for the answer to "Guess what the character will say next"     Here's the scene again to refresh your memory!

Swerving around, she knelt before him and placed a tray on the cot. “This will hurt a bit, Colonel. Would you care to bite down on a piece of wood?”

“I’ll manage, thank you.”

She drew a deep breath and threaded the needle. “How did this happen? Seems an odd thing to occur while hunting for pigs.”

“Boar.” Her scent filled his nose, tantalizing his senses. Blake cleared his throat. “I was hacking through the jungle when my blade slipped.”

“Hmm.” She slid the needle through his flesh.

It felt like she’d set his skin on fire. Blake closed his eyes, listening to the slap of water on the hull, the hammering and shouts from above, the screech of pelicans. Anything to distract him from the searing pain.

She must have noticed his discomfort for she uttered a “sorry” that sounded genuine.

Yet the pain was nothing compared to the suffering she had already caused him. “Pains of the flesh I can handle,” he muttered.

She met his gaze and swallowed before continuing her work. “I never meant to deceive you.”

Blake had never seen such lustrous eyes. “You didn’t even tell me your real name. How can that be unintentional?”

She slipped the needle through and tugged on the thread. Her lower lip trembled. “You are right. I should have been truthful.” She continued stitching his wound, but Blake could no longer feel the pain for the agony in his heart. He’d hardened himself to it.

“But then you wouldn’t have let me join your venture, would you?” she asked.

Lantern light crowned her head and glistened on her moist lips—lips he had almost kissed. He licked his own. “No.”

“I had to get away.” She clipped the thread and tied it. Then dipping her fingers into a poultice, she spread it over the stitches.

“We all needed to get away.” Blake couldn’t tear his eyes from the way her delicate fingers caressed his skin. “From Yankees.” He sighed. “You betrayed everyone on board.” Good, now the anger returned.

She cut a swath of bandage and wrapped it around his leg. “I was born and raised a Southerner just like everyone else on this ship.” She looked up at him. Her breath filled the air between them, her eyes just inches from his face. 

Blake looked away from the pain he saw in her gaze. He offered a caustic snort. “At least some of your story was true.”

“It was all true.” Her eyes narrowed. “Everything I told you about my past. I simply changed the names and omitted one year of my life.” 

“A year in which you betrayed your country.”

She jerked the bandage tight. Blake hid the pain from his face. With a huff, she gathered her tray and stood, turning her back to him. “Doesn’t my service as a war nurse count for anything?”

“Ah, so you hoped to make restitution.”

She spun around, her skirts knocking a tin cup to the deck with a clank. “No, that’s not why I served.”

 “Why didn’t you just stay with your husband’s family? I hear the Yanks love Southern traitors.”

“They tossed me out, if you must know.” She stooped to pick up the cup, her skirts billowing around her. “Although I wouldn’t have stayed anyway. They hated me for my Southern ties as much as you hate me for my Northern.” 

Blake tore his gaze from her, clenching his jaw against his rising sympathy, despite his best efforts to push it down.

She set the cup on the table. “I hope someday you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me.”  

Setting his injured leg on the deck, Blake rose, ignored the pain, and headed for the door. 

Now, choose what you think Blake said as he left the room



A. "You've given me much to consider, Mrs. Crawford. Thanks for tending my wound." 
B. "Perhaps someday, Mrs. Crawford, just not yet."
C. “I will never forgive you, Mrs. Crawford. Or any Yankee.”
D.  "How can I not forgive you after all God has forgiven me?"

The correct answer is:  C  

18 out of 42 of you got it correct!  (You have demented minds like me)
15 choose B   (There's kindness in your souls)
1 person chose A  (Another very kind person)
4 people chose D  (These are the Godly ones!)

Some of you may not know that I have a Motley Crew consisting of readers who love my writing and help me spread the word about my books. I LOVE MY CREW!!  Anyway, they get an advance signed copy of each of my books, among other privileges.  This time, each crew member took a picture of themselves with my book when it arrived so I created a Pinterest board of their pictures. It is really fun!  I hope you go check it out. Here's the Link

Thank you all for joining me on this Forsaken Dreams Journey!!  My next release, Elusive Hope is November 1st!  For more on that book and other fun topics, I'll see you back here every Friday!