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❤️ IT’S TIME TO FALL IN LOVE ❤️
Treasure Hunt!
Ready for today’s treasure hunt? Good!
Just read the blog below and answer the question
in the Rafflecopter box at the end of this post.
New to the hunt? No worries!
Details on what you can win and how
can be found HERE.
Welcome to my Journal Jots Blog!
Today, you get a quick glimpse into my good friend MaryLu Tyndall’s brand-new release, Charity’s Cross, and I have to tell you that I have this book on my Kindle, and it’s KILLING me not to be able to read it since I am reading Rita books on deadline. But as soon as I am done, MaryLu’s is next up and trust me when I say, this woman is on my auto-buy list, so if you like my writing — I promise you will like hers too!!
❤️💜❤️💜❤️💜❤️
Here’s the book blurb for Charity’s Cross:
Suspected of killing her husband, Charity Westcott flees on the first ship leaving England. Loathing all men after her abusive marriage, she hopes to reunite with her family in Charles Towne, but the ship ends up in Nassau. Chased by her husband’s brother, who is intent on seeing her hang, Charity is forced to accept the help of a missionary, Elias Dutton. But Elias is on a mission to rescue his sister in Barbados, one he cannot fail. Pirates, storms, shipwreck, and betrayal threaten to delay the couple in their journey even as they fight their growing attraction. Elias believes he has finally found a woman with a pure heart. Until he discovers she is a murderer and is now faced with two choices: letting her go or turning her in to the authorities.
MaryLu’s Bio:
Christy Award nominee and best-selling author MaryLu Tyndall describes herself as an introvert, patriot, the neighborhood cat-lady, tall ship enthusiast, friend of pirates and mermaids, obsessive compulsive control freak, history lover, hopeless romantic, and a sword wielding princess-warrior of the King of Kings. Her books are filled with adventure and romance guaranteed to touch your heart! She has published over seventeen novels and currently lives in California with her husband, six kids, 3 grandkids and several stray cats.
MaryLu’s Post and Question:
MaryLu Tyndall here! Today we are playing a fan-favorite game of mine called “Guess what the character will say next?” I usually do this for every new release and it ends up being a lot of fun. I hope you enjoy it too. Below I have posted a small excerpt from my new release, Charity’s Cross. It contains a brief dialogue between the hero and heroine. At the end I give you a multiple choice question in which you get to choose what you think the character will say next. It’s just a fun way to get to know the characters. If you didn’t read my post on the hero and heroine of this story, click HERE to go read up on them so you’ll be able to choose wisely.
So here we go: Elias the hero is speaking first:
“Which are you then, mermaid vixen? Foolish, mad, or desperate?”
She grabbed a tangle of hair and tugged on it, eyes narrow and defensive as if she feared he’d assault her any moment. “I‘ll admit to all three, Sir.” Her gaze lowered to the knife sheathed at his belt. “In truth, because you rescued me from the bay, I assumed you might be a decent man.”
“You certainly didn’t treat me as such in town.”
“I am sorry for that.”
Feet pounded above as shouts echoed over the ship.
Elias leaned back against the bulkhead and crossed arms over his chest. “You mean you don’t always jump over the railings of perfectly good ships? And you don’t always pretend to be married to a man so he’ll pay for your passage?”
She gave a sarcastic huff, a slight tilt to her lips. “Only on Sundays.”
He wanted to smile but didn’t. “You’ve nothing to fear from me, Miss.”
“Then why agree to my charade? There must be something you want.”
He shrugged. “You seemed terrified, in need of help.”
“Nobody helps someone for nothing.”
Her hopeless, defeated tone saddened him. Yet, if she truly believed that, then why put herself in harm’s way?
The creak and groan of wood filled the silence as water purled against the hull.
She picked at the lace drooping at her cuff. “My father has land in Charles Towne. He’s an admiral in the Royal navy. He will pay you for your help.”
“Hmm. You are aware that you boarded a ship to Barbados?”
She made no reply.
Elias pushed from the bulkhead. “I have no desire nor need of your money, mermaid.”
“Stop calling me that.” She wrapped arms around her belly, her eyes aflame. “’Tis all I have to give you, Mr. Dutton.” Her gaze traveled to the knife at his hip again, and he wondered if she intended to stab him with it. Ludicrous. This frightened mermaid wouldn’t be so daring. Though she was plenty foolish. Elias had seen enough foolish women to last a lifetime—trusting women, naïve women who threw themselves into dangerous situations. Two of his sisters still paid for such careless behavior.
The deck canted. She gripped the edge of the cot and seemed about to fall. Elias headed toward her, but she jumped to her feet and backed away, glancing around the room as if just noticing where they were. “You can’t stay in here with me.”
“Miss, if I do not stay in here, our ruse will be forfeit, and the crew will assume you are ripe for the plucking.”
“Surely not!”
“You don’t know sailors, Miss.”
“And you do?”
He did. More than she realized. “I know men,” he responded.
She looked away, her cheeks reddening. “Well, you needn’t worry, Mr. Dutton. I can take care of myself.”
“Apparently not or we wouldn’t be in this situation.”
She frowned and narrowed her eyes.
Elias sighed. Surely, God must be testing him—testing his patience, his resolve to control his urges, to do the right thing, to help a woman in need and protect her from whomever or whatever she was running from.
He took another step toward her, hands raised. “I call a truce, Miss Mermaid. Why don’t we—”
What is Charity’s response? (This is your RAFFLECOPTER Question of the day)
A. “Both stop talking and you leave this cabin at once!”
B. She plucked the knife from his belt and held the sharp tip to his chest. “Touch me and I’ll gut you.”
C. She grabbed his knife and waved it before his face. “I will only agree to a truce if you allow me to keep this knife.”
D. Charity touched his arm and nodded. “I agree. Forgive me. You’ve been most kind.”
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OKAY … to enter my contest for a $50 GIFT CARD, A COPY OF A GLIMMER OF HOPE, A COPY OF ISLE OF HOPE, AND A CHARACTER NAMED AFTER YOU IN MY NEXT BOOK, just answer the question for February 26 in the Rafflecopter box below.
NEXT … before you go, make sure you WRITE DOWN THE FOLLOWING WORD CLUE in our 15-word sentence that you’ll need to enter the Kindle giveaway Feb. 29–March 3.
WORD CLUE #11: AND
THEN HEAD ON OVER TO DEBBIE’S AND MARYLU’S BLOGS FOR MORE CLUES AND PRIZES.
Happy Treasure Hunting & Good Luck!
PLEASE NOTE: ENTRY FOR THE FOLLOWING KINDLE GIVEAWAY
DOESN’T BEGIN UNTIL FEBRUARY 29 AFTER ALL BLOGS HAVE BEEN
VIEWED AND WORD CLUES COLLECTED.
