It has been far too long since my last visit to Paris,
but I can still say that I love France!
My romantic travel picture is a photo of a painting I
did. I am not a painter, but with the encouragement of a couple glasses of
wine, I tried my best. La
Ville Lumière will always be one of my
favorite romantic spots.
Seeking Hope
In the Emerging From Darkness trilogy, we meet Jessica
Winters. Sheis determined to dig her way out from under the dark clouds of
depression and once again find the light of life, love, and happiness. With
help from Dr. Matthew Moi, a psychiatrist/sex therapist who has been secretly
in love with her for years, she finds herself living again. But with someone
out to get Jessica, Matthew pledgesto stop at nothing to protect the love of
his life.In time, he seizes an opportunity for a safe havenat his family home
in France. With their wedding on the horizon, will he get Jess to safety in
time?Will things end tragically, or will their journey to The City of Light be
more than romantic?
Blurb for Seeking Hope (Emerging From Darkness Trilogy
Book 3), contemporary romance 18+
I’d been given
promises in the past, all of which were broken.
Inevitably, they
broke me.
I wouldn’t let
those broken promises stop me from believing in new ones, though.
I couldn’t.
Matthew Moi was
different.
His dimpled
smile and witty sexual banter has held me spellbound since day one.
Falling in love
with him came easy.
Marrying him—a dream
come true.
Now, he wants
something I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready for.
As I struggle,
he faithfully remains at my side.
Through it all,
his protective nature shields me from an evil I didn’t see coming.
Together, we
have it all—love, passion, trust.
Apart, the
possibilities are endless, even death.
Seeking Hope is
the final book in the Emerging From Darkness trilogy, and as such, is not
intended to be a standalone. The trilogy reads as: Seeking Love, Seeking
Redemption, & Seeking Hope.
Follow Jessica
and Matthew’s captivating and steamy love story from the beginning—start the
trilogy today!
Excerpt:
Late
September
For
the first time in a long time, I had an itch to do something ridiculous—two
things, in fact. One was the reason I was sitting in the back of a musty
old van. The other might just be the solution to my Holly problem.
At least I hoped so, because while my mind should have
been racing with thoughts of my upcoming wedding, it wasn’t. Instead, I was
thinking of my best friend. Problem was, no matter how I launched my plan to
help Holly move beyond her commitment issue with Burdick, it wasn’t going to go
over well. And the more I thought about her, the more I dreaded the growing
possibility of a headache. I’d just gotten over a nasty headache and was now
attempting to shake off the likelihood of another when the van rolled to a stop
and the driver’s voice muttered in the distance.
“We’re here.”
Okay, Jess. You’ve got your plan and it’s a
good one.
I was about to remind myself to stick to said plan
when the driver hopped out and moved to my side of the van, his open door
ushering in a blast of autumn air that chilled my skin. I shivered and scooted
to the edge of my seat, waiting for what was to come next. The shrill of metal
sliding over metal pierced my ears as the door slid open, and rough skin
wrapped a secure hold on my wrist. This was it.
“End of the line.” His gruff tone registered somewhere
between the brief time it took him to pull me out and when his tall, burly
features came into full view. He snickered as I pulled the hem of my pullover
down and worked to smooth it out. Judging by the way his eyes scanned up my
body, I presumed his outburst had everything to do with my appearance. After
all, this was the first time I’d pieced together an outfit for such an
outdoorsy occasion. Eventually, he calmed and took my hand, turning it palm up.
“You don’t want to forget this.”
Instinctively, my fingers clasped a tight grip around
the cold steel as I stood, staring down at the black metal, hoping I’d do it
right. I’d never held a gun before. They all made me nervous. Fact was, with a
gun in the wrong hands, things could quickly turn ugly.
I knew all about ugly.
Drawing my attention his way, the driver stretched a
tattooed arm, pointed a finger, and then offered his last words of advice.
“Never give up.”
I swallowed back a lump of fear, absorbing a deeper
meaning of the phrase, and took off running. For what seemed like forever, I
ran up and down hills, climbed over a few sizeable rocks, jumped a tiny brook,
and pushed forward until I needed to recharge and bring my thoughts back into
focus.
At best guess, I’d been in the woods for several
hours, alternating between steady jogs in the direction I was supposed to go
and quick respites to catch my breath. I wasn’t sure exactly where I was, but
as far as I could see, there was nothing but dense forest—and me. Panting, I
leaned against a tree and listened to the rustle of withered leaves moving with
the breeze.
One thing was comforting: I hadn’t run into anyone.
Yet.
Crack.
Buy links:
Bio:
J.M. Maurer started
working as a registered nurse in the Pediatric Intensive
Care Unit where she
cared for critically ill children, transported them from outlying hospitals,
and even picked up overtime hours treating patients of all ages while inside a
hyperbaric chamber. Holding a Bachelor's degree in nursing, she loves to write
about strong characters and their struggles in life.
When not writing, you can find her spending time with family and friends,
exploring the outdoors, or attempting most any sport. She resides in Chicago
with her husband and son.
Social Media Links:
I love the painting! The cover is great and the opener is perfect!
ReplyDeleteHi, Carmen! :)
Thanks, Sandra. The painting was a sisters' night out evening of fun. I had a hard time keeping up with the instructor who was behind me and eventually decided to pour another glass and wing-it. An evening painting could be another romantic travel idea. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteHi back!
DeleteThank you for checking our tour. Yes, Jackie's book sounds captivating and the picture is quite nice.
What a lovely cover! The heroine sounds very engaging to me. I like that she is trying to come out from under depression, and I love protective heroes. Paris-- great choice!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Flossie. Jess has come a long way since book 1, Seeking Love, when she was so angry at the world. She'd be the first to tell you she didn't fight alone. But what she discovers in the end is far greater than finally allowing herself to trust and love another man. I can't wait to visit Paris again. And now with Carmen's awesome pictures of Romania that she is sharing on my blog, I'm going to have to plan a side trip! Thanks for stopping by. :)
DeleteI love the cover, too. Thank you Flossie for stopping by!
DeleteBest of luck, Jackie, with your release, and have a beautiful trip in Paris!
ReplyDeleteRomania is a country worth visiting, indeed. Full of contrasts, wild scenery, poor and rich, modern and Middle Ages looking dwellings, too!
Many thanks for hosting me and book 3 of the Emerging From Darkness trilogy. I always appreciate being here, Carmen. Big hugs to you...all the way from Chicago! <3
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