Journal Jots – Blog

❤️ “Holy Joe, I think I’m in love!” ❤️

— A Wing and a Prayer by Julie Lessman

… and I MOST DEFINITELY AM — with my AMAZING husband after I saw the video he created for Gabe’s story, A Wing and a Prayer!! HOLY JOE, it is absolutely “hipper-dipper,” to coin a phrase from the 40s!

I’m hoping you think so, too, because I’ve attached it below with a giveaway to win one of three e-books, so I hope you enter.

And SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! I finally finished Love’s Silver Bullet, which I don’t mind telling you had me plenty worried because:

A.) I wasn’t sure I’d meet Amazon’s deadline for uploading, which threatens penalties if you miss it. I was two months behind on writing LSB due to massive edits on Gabe’s story, which I didn’t expect! 😳

B.) I had almost NO idea where the LSB plot was going because this is the first time I didn’t draft a detailed synopsis, so NEVER again!!

C.) My prayer partners and I and many of YOU literally prayed me through this plot, God’s truth, because I had NO excitement for it, which is deadly for me since I am an emotional writer. But the minute people started praying for me, BOOM!! I would get excited and go gangbusters till the next lull … then pray again! 👍

D.) I was really worried that the hero’s motivation for dodging the heroine throughout the entire book (don’t worry, I managed a number of pretty steamy kisses despite that because after all, I am Julie Lessman, the author obsessed with kisses, right??). So, I kept praying for decent motivation, but it didn’t come. Consequently, I just kept piling mediocre motivations on top of each other and then BAM!! Three chapters from finishing, God gave me a stellar motivation, so all is well! WHEW!!

And guess what?? I LOVE IT, which is something I don’t always say at the end of a book, so THANK YOU, GOD!! Hope you love it, too. Here’s the link to preorder AT A DISCOUNTED PRICE if you haven’t done so. Release date is MAY 31ST!

PRE-ORDER LSB HERE!

A Wing & A Prayer Video & Giveaway!

As I mentioned above, my sweet hubby made an AMAZING video for me for A Wing & a Prayer — uh, since his work  dried up and he has nothing to do but fish (he’s a designer for large meetings and events, so DUH!). So PLEASE check it out below because it’s heart-pounding, I promise! And if you leave a comment beneath it on Youtube, you will be entered to win an e-book copy for A Wing and a Prayer, so GOOD LUCK!

NOTE: Winners will be announced in my next Journal Jots blog, so if you are not subscribed to my blog, I recommend entering your e-mail in the box at the top right-hand side of this page so you will receive an email the next time I post.

A WING AND A PRAYER VIDEO

(Just arrow back when you’re done viewing!)

HELP — Reviews Requested — PLEASE!!

Hey, guys, I need your help! If you read and enjoyed either A Wing and a Prayer OR Isle of Hope and did NOT post a review on Amazon, would you PLEASE consider doing so?

It just takes a few seconds to post a brief (1- or 2-line) review on Amazon, and it can even be the same generic review posted for each book. Then please let me know if you do because I would LOVE to personally thank you, okay?

Most people don’t realize how critical good reviews are to authors — especially indie authors like me. But so many readers base book-buying decisions on the number of good reviews posted, that’s the best way to bless an author you like.

So, I encourage you to post reviews for EVERY author you like because TRULY, that’s the best way so thank them for all of their hard work on your behalf. PLUS … it helps ensure they will continue to write books you love.

CLICK HERE TO POST A REVIEW FOR A WING & A PRAYER

CLICK HERE TO POST A REVIEW FOR ISLE OF HOPE

A Wing & A Prayer Promo with Sarah Sundin!

Squeeeeeeeeeee!!! If you are even remotely a WWII buff, then Sarah Sundin needs no introduction as she is the creme de la creme of WWI authors!

So I am beyond blessed to be doing a promotion with her starting on May 8th — the 75th Anniversary of V-E Day, Victory in Europe! All you have to do is mark your calendars to come by this blog and Sarah’s starting on May 8th, and you can win signed copies of both of our books (three chances to do so!), a $50 gift card, and lots of other prices.

PLUS … you’ll get a sneak peek at both Sarah’s books and mine, SO PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

A Wing & A Prayer Paperback is Here!

So many of you have written me to ask if and when a paperback will be released for A Wing and a Prayer, and it’s my pleasure to tell you — IT’S HERE!!

I will warn you that I just ordered winner’s copies for contests I’ve held TODAY, and they are telling me delivery won’t be till May 1-5 if ordered today. Since it is an indie book, they print it on demand, which is why it takes so long, so I apologize I couldn’t get it up on Amazon any sooner than that. 😳

ORDER THE PAPERBACK FOR

A WING & A PRAYER HERE!

 Isle of Hope Free Download May 1-3!

During a time like this quarantine, everyone can use a little “hope,” so I’m doing my part with a free download of my award-winning novel, Isle of Hope: Unfailing Love, which is a true story of hope for me, since it’s loosely based on how God healed my dysfunctional relationship with my estranged father.

I am blessed to say that Isle of Hope was listed on Family Fiction magazine’s “TOP 15 NOVELS OF 2015” and currently has a 4.7 rating out of 5 on Amazon with 287 reviews, so it’s not a dog, I promise.

So, mark your calendars for my “WEEKEND OF HOPE GIVEAWAY,” MAY 1-3, 2020, and tell everybody you know who hasn’t read it to do the same, okay? THANK YOU!

God bless you and yours and keep you safe and well.

Hugs and Happy Reading!
Julie

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,

that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. —John 3:16

“Easter is very important to me, it’s a second chance.” —Reba McEntire

A Blessed Easter to One and All!

Ahhhh … thank God for second chances because I use a number of them every single day.

I know this may surprise some people, but to me, Easter is my favorite day of the year. Yes, Christmas is nice with all the magic of Christ’s birth, Christmas carols and cookies, the scent of pine and cinnamon, family and snow. But there is just something SO holy and SO special about Easter, you know? I guess because it helps me to remember all that Christ did for me—a sinner who never did and does not now—deserve either His grace or His shed Blood.

And yet I have both—a miracle that never fails to bring tears to my eyes. Why? Because I flat-out don’t deserve it. Yes, I’m a nice person who loves to encourage and love on people and seeks after God with all of my heart, but I am also flesh. And in my mind that flesh—be it road anger at someone driving too slow or jealousy over someone else’s contest win or failings that have hurt my heart AND His far too long—negates any goodness I may think I have. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23.

Yes, “fallen short” … and continue to do so every day of my life.

Which is EXACTLY why Easter is so important to me. To remember that despite a mountain of sins that seem to grow taller everyday, I am forgiven, washed clean by the Blood of Christ, prostrate and sobbing in the rain at the foot of the cross. No matter the wounds I inflicted on Christ’s broken body this very week alone, Easter looms—a beacon of hope that God loves me no matter what I do, say or am because the truth is I am His and with the mere utterance of my sorrow from a truly repentant heart, I am free. Free!! From myself and the guilt that constrains, free to be all He’s called me to be—a child of the King, cloaked in the holy warmth of God’s forgiveness, mercy and love. OH, what a joyous day!!

And so I remember. Remember not just what He did for me, but what He continues to do in the life of this staunch Christian who just can’t seem to get it right. I remember—with painful gratitude—that because He died, I live.

May each and every one of us take the time to remember this Easter and be found anew, resting in the arms of a gracious Savior and a truly glorious God.

A Wing & A Prayer Reading/Giveaway!

On WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, tune into video readings from 12 of your favorite authors, to hear excerpts from their latest books and chances to win the books or gift cards!

Just show up on my Facebook Author Page on the 15th for my reading from A Wing and a Prayer, and you will eligible to win my book PLUS prizes from some of the following authors on their readings, which I will give you the links to on my reading post:

Hannah Alexander, Tamera Alexander, Colleen Coble, Rachel Hauck, Denise Hunter, Robin Lee Hatcher, Julie Lessman, Cara Putman, Deborah Raney, Katherine Reay,
Becky Wade, & Beth Vogt

A Wing & A Prayer Video!

My sweet hubby — uh, since he has nothing else to do but fish — is making a video for me for A Wing & a Prayer, so it’s coming soon, I promise! I am sooooo excited and soooooo grateful to this wonderfully talented man I was blessed enough to marry!

A Wing & A Prayer Promo with Sarah Sundin!

Squeeeeeeeeeee!!! If you are even remotely a WWII buff, then Sarah Sundin needs no introduction as she is the creme de la creme of WWI authors!

So I am beyond blessed to be doing a promotion with her starting on May 8th — the 75th Anniversary of V-E Day, Victory in Europe! All you have to do is mark your calendars to come by this blog and Sarah’s starting on May 8th, and you can win signed copies of both of our books (three chances to do so!), a $50 gift card, and lots of other prices.

PLUS … you’ll get a sneak peek at both Sarah’s books and mine, SO PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

A Wing & A Prayer Paperback Coming Soon!

So many of you have written me to ask if and when a paperback will be released for A Wing and a Prayer, and it’s my pleasure to tell you — VERY SOON!!

I expect the final proof from Amazon early this week, and then it’s just a matter of pressing a button to have the paperback go live for order, so I am thinking by end of this week, hopefully between 4/15 and 4/18.

BUT … either way, I will put a link here when it happens, so do check back, okay?

 Zoom Quarantine Q&As & Giveaways!

Want to see what some of your favorite authors (Tamera Alexander, Colleen Coble, Rachel Hauck, Denise Hunter, Robin Lee Hatcher, Julie Lessman, Cara Putman, Deborah Raney, Katherine Reay, Becky Wade, & Beth Vogt) are doing during the quarantine? Well, now you can via four different Zoom Q&As … PLUS win a book to boot!

Just leave a comment on each of the following five Zoom Q&As from my FB author page April 10-18, and Rafflecopter will select one person from each Q&A to receive a free copy of your choice of A Wing and a Prayer or Love’s Silver Bullet (release May 31st). So, here are the links and GOOD LUCK!

SHELTER-IN-PLACE Q&A #1

 SHELTER-IN-PLACE Q&A #2

SHELTER-IN-PLACE Q&A #3

SHELTER-IN-PLACE Q&A #4A (to be posted on Friday, 4-17)

 SHELTER-IN-PLACE Q&A #4B (to be posted on Saturday, 4-18)

 Isle of Hope Free Download May 1-3!

During a time like this quarantine, everyone can use a little “hope,” so I’m doing my part with a free download of my award-winning novel, Isle of Hope: Unfailing Love, which is a true story of hope for me, since it’s loosely based on how God healed my dysfunctional relationship with my estranged father.

I am blessed to say that Isle of Hope was listed on Family Fiction magazine’s “TOP 15 NOVELS OF 2015” and currently has a 4.7 rating out of 5 on Amazon with 284 reviews, so it’s not a dog, I promise.

So, mark your calendars for my “WEEKEND OF HOPE GIVEAWAY,” MAY 1-3, 2020, and tell everybody you know who hasn’t read it to do the same, okay? THANK YOU!

HELP — Reviews Requested, PLEASE!!

Hey, guys, I need your help! If you read and enjoyed either A Wing and a Prayer OR Isle of Hope and did NOT post a review on Amazon, would you PLEASE consider doing so?

It just takes a few seconds to post a brief (1- or 2-line) review on Amazon, and it can even be the same generic review posted for each book. Then please let me know if you do because I would LOVE to personally thank you, okay?

Most people don’t realize how critical good reviews are to authors–especially indie authors like me–but so many potential readers base their book-buying decisions on the number of good reviews posted, so that’s the best way to bless an author you like (and keep them in the business of writing books).

CLICK HERE TO POST A REVIEW FOR A WING & A PRAYER

CLICK HERE TO POST A REVIEW FOR ISLE OF HOPE

So, I encourage you to post reviews for EVERY author you like because TRULY, that’s the best way so thank them for all of their hard work on your behalf. PLUS … it helps ensure they will continue to write books you love.

Hugs and Happy Reading & Reviewing!
Julie

HAPPY EASTER AND …

God Bless & Keep You and Yours Safe & Well!

Hello, everyone — I hope each of you are staying safe and well!

Granted, Psalm 118:24 is not an easy thing to do during this difficult time of the coronavirus, but all the more reason to do it, in my opinion, because it’s a good reminder to kickstart each new day with our focus on God instead of our trials. I have been making a point of praying this Scripture every morning because the truth is, God DID make this day, which means it belongs to Him and so do we!

Which in and of itself is reason enough to rejoice. But when you realize that praise and thanksgiving (which is how I rejoice) unleashes the power of heaven in every situation of our lives, WHOA, baby, why wouldn’t we do it? Good question! 😉

Before I get into my news I have to share, I’d like to tell each of you about a reallllly cool anti-coronavirus tool available.

It’s called Unite714, an exciting movement that is uniting churches, pastors, leaders, and individuals across the globe to pray for a miraculous healing of our lands from the coronavirus, as well as a spiritual awakening among the nations. It is based on God’s directive in 2 Chronicles 7:14:

✈️ A Wing & A Prayer is Here!

 Yep, the grown-up Gabe O’Connor is here, so buckle up for some high-flying adventures that will give you a whole new respect for Gabe’s father, Patrick O’Connor, as well as the hero, Alex Kincaid. And, if you can’t afford to order now, I totally understand, so I have a number of giveaways  listed below.

ORDER A WING & A PRAYER HERE!

✈️ & 🙏 Giveaways for A Wing & A Prayer:

Come on by to each of my blog-tour stops for a chance to win a $15 gift card and an e-copy of A Wing and a Prayer. All you have to do is leave a comment, and you’re in the draw!

Giveaway ends April 8 at 11:59pm MT, so be sure to comment on every blog to increase your chances to win. Plus, there are snippets of the book and an interview where I talk about my experiences with being bullied, which is one of the themes in Gabe’s story.

Here are the links and hope to see you there!

March 30: Hallie Reads (Review + Extras: Snippet of a chapter in the book)

March 31: Beauty in the Binding (Review)

April 1:  Christian Bookaholic (Review)

April 2:  Radiant Light (Review + Extras: character interview)

April 2: Reading Is My SuperPower (Review)

April 3- MJH (Review only, no comments)

April 3 – Britt Reads Fiction​ (Review + Extras: Snippet of a chapter in the book)

April 3 – My Favorite Pastime (Review)

✈️ More Giveaways!

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8: Want to have some safe and easy fun during this stupid coronavirus and win a book in the process? Well, here’s your chance for a Zoom Q & A with some of your favorite authors, so just leave a comment, and you are automatically entered to win your choice of an e-book of A Wing and a Prayer or Love’s Silver Bullet.

AUTHOR NAMES AND LINK TO COME (PLEASE CHECK BACK)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15: Here’s more fun with video readings by some of your favorite authors of their latest book, so I hope you come by to each and every one at the links given below.

For my video, I will be reading a clip from Love’s Silver Bullet, and if you come by and leave a comment, you are automatically entered to win your choice of an e-book of A Wing and a Prayer or Love’s Silver Bullet. So mark your calendars to come see me on my AUTHOR FACEBOOK PAGE page on April 15.

Here’s the list of all the authors participating. Be sure to check out each of their readings.

FACEBOOK VIDEO READINGS ON WED., APRIL 15:
Cara Putman — 
https://www.facebook.com/cara.putman
Deborah Raney — 
https://www.facebook.com/deborah.raney
Robin Lee Hatcher — https://www.facebook.com/robinleehatcher/
Colleen Coble — https://www.facebook.com/colleencoblebooks/
Tamera Alexander — https://www.facebook.com/tamera.alexander
Becky Wade — https://www.facebook.com/authorbeckywade/
Rachel Hauck — https://www.facebook.com/rachelhauck/
Denise Hunter — https://www.facebook.com/authordenisehunter/
Katherine Reay — 
https://www.facebook.com/katherinereaybooks/
Beth Vogt — https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBethKVogt/
Hannah Alexander — 
https://www.facebook.com/author.HannahAlexander/
Julie Lessman — https://www.facebook.com/JulieLessmanAuthor/

✈️ Excerpt for Love’s Silver Bullet!

WHOO-HOO!! Book 2 in my Silver Lining Ranch series, LOVE’S SILVER BULLET, is now available for pre-order on Amazon at a reduced price, so please don’t wait till it comes out on May 31st. To whet your appetite, I’ve included a short excerpt below, so enjoy!

She’s targeting his love.
He’s aiming to steer clear.
Till true love picks them off
in a bull’s-eye of the heart

PRE-ORDER LSB HERE!

Unedited Excerpt from Love’s Silver Bullet

(So please excuse any typos)

 SETUP: Against his will, Jake is teaching Sheridan how to shoot, and when the attraction gets so strong, he backs away, tripping right over a big rock. To avoid further “closeness” with Sheridan, he plays dead.

Sweet mother of mercy—please—let me be comatose. Jake lay flat on his back with eyes closed, an ache in his back that matched the one in his chest, nothing moving but his lips, begging for mercy.

“Jake!”

He knew that voice, and God help him, it didn’t bode well for his state of mind.

Or his body.

“Oh my goodness—are you all right?” He heard the hurried rustle of a skirt.

No. And not sure I ever will be again.

A flurry of activity flickered the sun beyond his closed lids, and the last thing he wanted to do was open them again. To see once more the blue of those eyes that had rounded in shock, as surprised as he when she’d unexpectedly turned, her lips aligned mere inches from his own. A moment in time when paralysis had claimed them both, separated only by rasps of ragged air and a craving so potent, he’d felt the fire clear to his toes.

God help him, for one thundering heartbeat, all he could think about was tasting those pink lips, caressing them, fondling them, coaxing them with his mouth to places he had no right to go.

“Jake!” Gentle fingers stroked his jaw, luring a groan up his throat that he quickly squelched because it had nothing to do with the pain in his body, only his heart. The same shameful pain that plagued his dreams for the last two years, now slipping out in a moment of stun, exposing a weakness he hoped and prayed she hadn’t seen in his eyes.

Attraction.

Longing.

A love forbidden … and desire denied.

“I don’t want to smell even a whiff of romance around that girl for a long time to come … so, promise you’ll help us keep her path clear until then.”

Another groan almost sandpapered his throat, but he quickly cut it off.

Heck, Sul, she’s practically your little sister, so you’re the big brother who can protect her from herself.”

God help him, he was trying, but the Almighty sure wasn’t making it easy …

“Jake, open your eyes, please!” More fabric rustling, and the deadly scent of lavender shivered him as much as her gentle shake on his arm. His eyelids almost jerked open at the sudden catch of her breath when her hand gently touched the back of his head. “Oh, no—you’re bleeding!” she rasped, and the panic in her voice unleashed an onslaught of guilt. Fortunately, it also unleashed an idea to save him from a lesson he did not want to continue. Maybe—just maybe—if she thought he was knocked unconscious, she would go for help …

Wouldn’t she?

He barely breathed as he lay perfectly still, pretty sure this was his best option. Because the last thing he wanted was to return to a lesson where he was besotted with creamy bare shoulders, bewitched by a deadly neckline, or betrayed by a look of longing—in both his eyes and hers.

“Jake, wake up!” She rattled him but good this time, and a part of him felt almost guilty at the terror that laced her tone, but it was for her own good, he told himself. It took everything in him to battle a gulp. And mine.

“Oh … J-Jake!” Tears wobbled her voice as she threw herself across his chest to hug his neck, her weeping racking his soul as much as his body. “Don’t die, please!”

He just might because the moment her body landed on top of his, he’d stopped breathing altogether, so much heat scorching through him, it was a wonder she didn’t go up in smoke. He couldn’t see because his eyelids were pasted to his eyeballs, but he sure in the devil could feel, giving his mind’s eye a vision he’d seen more than once in his dreams. The press of her chest against his, the clutch of her fingernails into his back, the scent of lavender surrounding him like the silk of her hair, which now splayed haphazardly across his mouth. Tears dampened his neck as she wept, her heaves nearly twitching his arms with the impulse to hold her, comfort her.

Sheridan, go get help, he mentally commanded, desperate to get her off of his chest, away from his arms, miles from his lips. But she just continued to cry, drenching his neck with her tears while her sorrow drenched his conscience with guilt. She moved a hair, and his body went to stone at the touch of something warm and soft on his neck, the caress of her lips kindling a fire deep down inside. No! Please, God, make her go …

“J-Jake, I’m so -s-orry …” she whispered, her voice nasal with grief as she hugged him close once again while her hair tickled his nose. “I’m going to go get help, so don’t you move …”

Move? Well, he sure didn’t want to, but God help him, a tingling sensation began to burn inside his nostrils, mounting every time Sheridan’s hair grazed the tip of his nose … until …

Nooooo!! But it was no use. Against his will, his body drew in a sharp breath that tightened the muscles in his chest, eyes squeezing shut while he …

“Ah-choo!”

—————

Sheridan froze, body jolted from the force of Jake’s sneeze. “Jake?” She shot up, fingers trembling as she gripped his shirt, lips parted in hope while she scanned his face for some sign of recovery. “Jake—wake up—please!” she begged, but his eyes remained closed as his breathing suspended. She saw a faint twitch in his eyelid, and in one erratic beat of her heart, it all came back, something Maggie had once told her.

As a nurse at St. Mary Louise Hospital in Virginia City, Maggie had cared for an adorable little boy named Wally who was recovering from a particularly nasty case of influenza. All the staff loved him, of course, but the little stinker hated taking his medicine. So every time the nurses tried, little Wally Wilder would pretend to be asleep. “Let him sleep,” the doctor ordered, “because he needs that more than anything, then treat him when he’s not.” So, every time Maggie arrived to give his medicine, of course Wally was sleeping. Until one day he sneezed. “People don’t sneeze when they’re sleeping, unconscious, or in a coma,” Maggie explained, so she promptly tiptoed over and tickled Wally into a fit of giggles that won her his heart, a game they continued until the day his parents took him home.

Sheridan’s eyes narrowed as she studied Jake with more precision—his even breathing, his face an unmovable mask save the almost imperceptible flicker of his lids, body stone-cold still and silent …

Except for that sneeze.

A slow smile slid across her lips as she hiked a teasing brow. Ah-ha! Playing games, are we now, Mr. Sullivan? Well, I’ve got a few games to play too …

Smiling, she leaned in to breathe warm in his ear, her words laden with concern. “Now, don’t you worry, Jake—I’ll be right back with help. She pressed a soft kiss to his cheek and couldn’t help a grin when that formidable jaw tightened hard as rock.

Pretending to rise, she sat up to admire him because heaven knows she may never get this close again. Ridiculously long lashes as thick as his ebony hair rested on high cheekbones in a hard-sculpted face that had always melted her with a smile.

Until today.

No, today, Jake Sullivan had shown her a side of his personality she’d never seen before.

Hard. Determined. Dangerous.

Scared.

With a shy grin tugging at her mouth, she grated her teeth against her lower lip while she studied olive skin bronzed by the sun and peppered with a shadow of dark bristle. She supposed she could tickle him like Maggie had with that little boy, but that would only make him laugh. Her chin nudged up in a show of resolve despite the nervous lump in her throat. And she didn’t want him to laugh. She swallowed hard as she stroked his sandpaper jaw with trembling fingers. No, she wanted him to groan in surrender when her lips finally caressed his …

“And trust me, Chica, with a mula like Jake, only a kiss can do that.”

“But … but … what if I d-do it wrong?” Sheridan had said the next day when Sophia and Laurie Mae had helped her get ready, any boldness she’d had the day before as damp as the palms of her hands. “I’ve never been kissed, so I don’t know how.”

Sophia had rolled her eyes. “Bah! Those brothers of yours are handsome, si, but they stick to you like a Puttington agent deeped in tar.”

“Pinkerton,” Sheridan had corrected with a smile, pretty much in agreement with Sophia’s assessment. Between Uncle Finn, Blaze, Dash, and Jake, Sheridan had never even been alone with a boy or man—not on the ranch, not at the annual rodeo dances, not in town, not even at church. A wispy sigh breezed from her lips. So, how on earth was she going to kiss Jake?

“But … but … what if he hates it?” she’d asked with a bite of her thumbnail, a sliver of nail flying through the air.

A low throaty laugh had bubbled from Sophia’s lips. “A man would have to hit his head on a rock, chica, out cold to hate a kiss from you in this.” She tugged Sheridan’s blouse lower on her shoulders.

Close. But a rock was involved …

Sheridan blinked, her focus returning to the comatose man lying beside her.

If, that is, Jake really was out cold.

Only one way to find out. And like Sophia said, this could be her last chance.

“Jake,” she whispered, voice as quivery as her stomach, “before I go, there’s something I need to tell you while you’re unconscious because I don’t know if I’d have the courage to say it when you’re awake …” Fortifying with a deep ingest of air, she expelled it again in one long, trembling exhale before lowering to carefully brush her lips against his. She forced herself to ignore the sudden jolt of his body—and hers—to focus on giving his lower lip a gentle scrape with her teeth just like Sophia had instructed. “As easy as breathing,” her friend had said, and oh, sweet mother of mercy, it was—and ragged breathing at that! Heart pumping, she lost herself in the wonder of Jake, the delicious taste of mint and man muddling her mind while she suckled his lower lip, body tingling so much, she felt like she was floating on air.

Whoooooosh!

“What in Sam Hill do you  think you’re doing?” Jake croaked, tumbling her on her back so fast she caught her breath with a grunt, blue fire shooting from his gaze while he pinned her to the ground. “Are you crazy?” His shout echoed across the lake, the whites of his eyes as wild as his hair, which dangled precariously over his forehead and hers.

“I … am crazy, Jake …” Her voice trembled as much as her insides, and she didn’t miss the tremble of his own arms as he hovered over her, biceps bulging with the strain of his weight. “Over you.” A knot ducked in her throat. “And I think you’re crazy for me too.”

Hissing what might have been a swear word, he shook his head with a scowl. “Your head is full of pipedreams, little girl, so you need to get rid of any cock-eyed notions that you and I will ever get together, Sher, you hear me? Because I am not attracted to you that way, Half-Pint, and you need to face that.” He gave her a little shake, every word out of his mouth pooling more tears in her eyes. “For pity’s sake, Sheridan, I’m twelve years older than you, so I only see you as a little sister!”

Liar! Sheridan wanted to smack him, but his hands still shackled her arms, holding her in place.

He softened his tone, the tears trailing her cheeks obviously having an effect. Gently wiping the wetness from her face, he started to rise. “I’m sorry to be so blunt, Half-Pint, but—”

Arms suddenly free, she lunged for his neck, determined to show Jake Sullivan once and for all that he was lying through his teeth. He was attracted to her and she knew it. If not from his strained moan when she’d kissed him, then surely from his glazed look when their eyes met during the lesson. Now, she just had to prove it to him …

Catching him off-guard, she hurtled all of her weight against him, toppling him on his back with a grunt of shock. Flopping down, she kissed him with everything she had, pulse pounding as she waited for him to push her away.

Only he didn’t.

With a pained groan that literally melted in her mouth, he rolled her over so quickly, she had time for only one quivering breath … before he descended with a kiss that stole it all over again.

Hope you enjoyed the excerpt, and trust me–there’s plenty more where that came from, so your continued prayers appreciated.

God bless and stay well!

Hugs,

Julie