Journal Jots – Blog

“Monster cookies …

to tame the monster, no doubt.”

— Isle of Hope by Julie Lessman

What a whirlwind couple of days!! God dropped a great big blessing into my lap this week with an impromptu visit with my grandkiddos, and OH, what a blast we had!! Arrived home at 5:00 PM yesterday, and company for the weekend arrived at 6:00 PM, so I’ve not had much time for a JJ.

BUT … a wonderful reader friend by the name of Kate wrote me a lovely note about IOH and asked if I had any of the recipes from the book. Soooooo … I thought instead of not writing a JJ at all this week, I would give you the one recipe from the book that is mine and some pix to gander (not very good pix, mind you, but pix!)

I hope you all have a WONDERFUL weekend, and may you get more rest than me. 🙂

Hugs!

Julie

SOME PIX FROM MY LAST FEW DAYS:

JuJu & Rory playing puzzles … and not too well, either!

JuJu eating up every moment with my babies!!

RECIPE FOR CHOCOLATE CHIP PIE (FROM ISLE OF HOPE AND SOOOO GOOD!!)

Chocolate Chip Pie (makes one pie)

From: Julie Lessman

Serves: 8-10

Cooking time: 350 degrees for 45 minutes or longer. Can leave out or refrigerate.

¾    1 cup sugar

¾    ½ cup flour

¾    2 beaten eggs

¾    1 tsp. vanilla

¾    1 stick butter

¾    ¾ cup chopped pecans

¾    ¾ cup chocolate chips

¾    1 unbaked pie shell

¾    Vanilla ice cream and Magic Shell (optional)

Melt butter, cool in fridge while mixing sugar, eggs, flour and vanilla. Mix in butter, then add nuts and chocolate chips. Mix well.

Serve on individual plates and microwave each piece for about 30 seconds or until warm. Serve with vanilla ice cream (I streusel Magic Shell over ice cream and top pie with whipped cream and strawberry).

 

HUGE Sales!

All four of the Seeker Christmas novella collections (two historical, two contemporary) are now on sale for only 99 cents, so if you haven’t read Charity & Mitch’s story, “A Whisper of Hope” in the Hope for the Holidays collection or Lizzie & Brady’s “The Best Gift of All” in the Home for Christmas collection, this is a GREAT time to dive in!

Not only do you get to catch up with the O’Connors again (and all that lovely fun, passion, drama, and angst), you get to read novellas by award-winning authors Mary Connealy, Janet Dean, Debby Giusti, Audra Harders, Pam Hillman, Myra Johnson, Sandra Leesmith, Ruth Logan Herne, Tina Radcliffe, and Missy Tippens as well, and all for 99 cents per collection — that’s less than 25 cents per novella!!

Get a sneak peek at a scene from each of my novellas by clicking on last week’s Journal Jot link below and scrolling to the end of the page, then take advantage of this “cool” price for Christmas in July!

EXCERPTS FROM LAST WEEK’S JOURNAL JOT BLOG (then scroll to the bottom of the blog)

 Hope for the Holidays Contemporary Collection

Hope for the Holidays Historical Collection

A Heart Full of Christmas Contemporary Collection

Home for Christmas Historical Collection

 

 

 

 

Heart & Soul 99-Cent Sale Starts July 11th!

Imagine getting five novels from five award-winning authors for only 99 cents! Now you can with Heart & Soul, a book bundle of novels by Ruth Logan Herne, MaryLu Tyndall, Sally Bradley, Naomi Rawlings, and moi. That’s less than 20 cents per novel, and the sale won’t last long, so check it out HERE!

HUGE Favor & Cool Contest!!

I know most of you reading this blog have read my Marcy/Patrick prequel indie novel, A Light in the Window, and if you haven’t, hopefully this VIDEO starring my daughter will convince you!

BUT if you have read it and posted a review, I am asking a favor. PLEASE post that same review for Heart & Soul, and I will give you 10 points in my newsletter contest to have a character named after you in my next book and a free copy.

If you read A Light in the Window and have not written a review, all you have to do is post a 1- or 2-line review on Amazon for it (or for any of the other books if you read them) on the Heart & Soul page, and you will also get 10 points in my newsletter contest to have a character named after you in my next book and a free copy.

IF YOU POST A REVIEW, PLEASE LET ME KNOW VIA THE CONTACT JULIE TAB OF THIS WEBSITE OR MESSAGE THROUGH FACEBOOK, AND I WILL GIVE YOU THE POINTS!

Just FYI, the newsletter will be coming out in early September, so if you are not signed up to receive it, here’s the link:

SIGNUP FOR JULIE’S NEWSLETTER

“Love your family.

Spend time, be kind & serve one another.

Make no room for regrets. Tomorrow is not promised & today is short.”

— Anonymous

---

Boy, did I have fun last week!

Ten days ago, my hubby and I packed up the car and hightailed it to Birmingham to see my daughter and son-in-law, and we had SUCH a great time!

We biked, boated, manicured/pedicured, ate, watched fireworks with their friends, attended their fabulous church, and just hung out chatting and watching Person of Interest! It’s an 11-hour drive from Osage Beach to Birmingham (with food and restroom stops), but oh, SO worth it!!

I will admit, however, that I felt a wee bit guilty it rained/was overcast almost nonstop at Osage Beach the entire time we were gone while Birmingham was sunny and beautiful (albeit hot).

But hot or cold, rain or shine, isn’t family just THE BEST???

WHOO-HOO, I am SIX SCENES away from finishing book 2 in the Isle of Hope series, Love Everlasting, so prayers appreciated that I can get it wrapped up and edited this month for release in September. I do hope to put it up for preorder in August, so I will keep you posted here on Journal Jots. If you are not subscribed to Journal Jots, you may want to to do so in the “subscribe” box at the top right-hand side of this page.

Till then, I promised a sneak peek at the first chapter and am including that below, along with several great sales and a cool contest, so be sure to scroll all the way down!

Here’s to a sunny and rain-free weekend!

Hugs,

Julie

 

Blog Giveaway!

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2016: Join me on Seekerville next week when I debunk the “Sticks & Stones” myth for writers and get a chance to win my upcoming release, Love Everlasting, book 2 in the Isle of Hope series OR your choice of Isle of Hope, A Glimmer of Hope, or A Light in the Window. Here’s the link — hope to see you there!

SEEKERVILLE

 

HUGE Sales!

All four of the Seeker Christmas novella collections (two historical, two contemporary) are now on sale for only 99 cents, so if you haven’t read Charity & Mitch’s story, “A Whisper of Hope” in the Hope for the Holidays collection or Lizzie & Brady’s “The Best Gift of All” in the Home for Christmas collection, this is a GREAT time to dive in!

Not only do you get to catch up with the O’Connors again (and all that lovely fun, passion, drama, and angst), you get to read novellas by award-winning authors Mary Connealy, Janet Dean, Debby Giusti, Audra Harders, Pam Hillman, Myra Johnson, Sandra Leesmith, Ruth Logan Herne, Tina Radcliffe, and Missy Tippens as well, and all for 99 cents per collection — that’s less than 25 cents per novella!!

Get a sneak peek at a scene from each of my novellas by clicking on last week’s Journal Jot link below and scrolling to the end of the page, then take advantage of this “cool” price for Christmas in July!

EXCERPTS FROM LAST WEEK’S JOURNAL JOT BLOG

(scroll to the bottom of the blog)

 Hope for the Holidays Contemporary Collection

Hope for the Holidays Historical Collection

A Heart Full of Christmas Contemporary Collection

Home for Christmas Historical Collection

 

 

 

 

Heart & Soul 99-Cent Sale Starts July 11th!

Imagine getting five novels from five award-winning authors for only 99 cents! Now you can with Heart & Soul, a book bundle of novels by Ruth Logan Herne, MaryLu Tyndall, Sally Bradley, Naomi Rawlings, and moi. That’s less than 20 cents per novel, and the sale won’t last long, so check it out HERE!

HUGE Favor & Cool Contest!!

I know most of you reading this blog have read my Marcy/Patrick prequel indie novel, A Light in the Window, and if you haven’t, hopefully this VIDEO starring my daughter will convince you!

BUT if you have read it and posted a review, I am asking a favor. PLEASE post that same review for Heart & Soul, and I will give you 10 points in my newsletter contest to have a character named after you in my next book and a free copy.

If you read A Light in the Window and have not written a review, all you have to do is post a 1- or 2-line review on Amazon for it (or for any of the other books if you read them) on the Heart & Soul page, and you will also get 10 points in my newsletter contest to have a character named after you in my next book and a free copy.

IF YOU POST A REVIEW, PLEASE LET ME KNOW VIA THE CONTACT JULIE TAB OF THIS WEBSITE OR MESSAGE THROUGH FACEBOOK, AND I WILL GIVE YOU THE POINTS!

Just FYI, the newsletter will be coming out in early September, so if you are not signed up to receive it, here’s the link:

SIGNUP FOR JULIE’S NEWSLETTER

AND NOW … THE FIRST CHAPTER OF MY UPCOMING NOVEL, LOVE EVERLASTING!

 

LOVE EVERLASTING

Book 2 in the Isle of Hope Series

By Julie Lessman

I have loved you with an everlasting love;

therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.

Again I will build you up again, and you will be rebuilt …

—Jeremiah 31:3-4

 

Chapter One

Isle of Hope, Georgia, May 2015

“Okay, smile pretty—hot guys at three o’clock.”

Shannon O’Bryen smiled, more because of her friend Margo’s mumbled man alert than the need to charm any “hot guy.” Tugging the neckline of her sequin halter dress a bit lower, Margo casually skimmed a pinky along the rim of her Diet D.P., nonchalantly chatting about a book she’d discussed with Shannon, Cat, and Amy not five minutes ago. When her finger slid from the rim into her soda, Shannon could do nothing but giggle. The sound set off a chain reaction of laughter around the table in the middle of a fancy fundraiser for Memorial Hospital.

Peeking over her shoulder, Shannon expelled a sigh of relief, grateful the “hot guys” were only her brother Jack and his coworker, Sam Cunningham. Because although each of the girls around the table were looking for Mr. Right, Shannon was definitely not one of them. Despite the slinky blue dress and four-inch heels her twin sister Cat had coerced her to wear. Nope, she preferred her Prince Charming confined between the covers of a book, thank you very much, where he couldn’t stomp on her heart.

“Well, one viable ‘hot guy,’ anyway,” Shannon’s twin sister Cat said with a lazy smile, a twinkle in her blue eyes as she fluffed the back of her long strawberry blonde hair. “My brother Jack is taken, but his doctor friend, Sam Cunningham, is still very available.”

“And very, very attractive,” Amy whispered with a gulp while Margo sucked DP off of her finger. Both girls covertly tracked the progress of Jack and Sam as they headed their way through a sea of people and tables.

Too attractive. Shannon watched as Sam flirted with every girl he could on the way to their table, Jack’s warning that Sam was a “player” resonating deep in Shannon’s soul. No matter the boyish twinkle in brown eyes that made every girl feel special or a crooked smile always tipped with tease, Shannon had no doubt that beneath that magnetic façade was a man whose good looks and lust for women spelled doom for any girl sucked into his orbit. Whirling them around and around in a lovelorn spin that only made them dizzy.

And so sick that avoidance was the only cure.

“Heeeeeey, ladies, I’m in dire need of a dance partner, so who’s willing to help me out?” Dr. Sam Cunningham ambled forward with hands in the pockets of his tux, his shirt and tie as disheveled as the dark curls that spilled over his forehead.

“You’re in dire need, all right,” Jack said with a slant of a smile, his eyes far more sober than Sam appeared to be, “of a lift home.” Looping an arm around Sam’s shoulder, he homed in on Shannon. “Shan, would you mind driving Sam home? I’m up next on the podium for some announcements, so I can’t take him right now, and he’s pretty hammered. He’s feeling no pain, but I’ll tell you what—his bar tab will give him sticker shock on the next credit card statement.”

Shannon blinked, stomach roiling over going anywhere with Sam Cunningham. “Uh … sure, Jack, but wouldn’t a cab be better?”

“I don’t wanna go home,” Sam interrupted, a faint slur of his words a perfect complement to the glassy look in his eyes. “I wanna dance.”

“Yeah, well you can dance your way to Shan’s car, dude, because you’re in no shape to do anything but crash.”

“I’ll drive him home.” Cat jumped up so fast, she jolted the table, sploshing everyone’s drinks along with it. She caught her lip with her teeth, giving a waggle of brows while she reached for her purse. “I’ve been wanting to get to know Sam better anyway.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Sam said with a wayward grin. “Jack’s been way too possessive of you girls, if you ask me.” He gave Cat a slow wink. “Forbidden fruit, I suppose.”

“In your dreams, Dr Love.” Jack flashed Cat a wry smile, resorting to his role of annoying big brother that Cat always accused him of. “Sorry, Catfish, but that would be the blind leading the blind, so I’ll stick with the sober and sensible twin.” He zeroed in on Shannon once again, the plea in his eyes weakening her defenses. “Shan, I really hate to ask, but I don’t trust Sam in a cab because he’ll just go to a club and drink.”

“What are you, O’Bryen, my mother?” Sam scowled, and even that looked good on him.

Shannon chewed at her lip, not sure why Jack would put her in a situation like this with a Romeo he’d warned both Cat and her about.

“Come on, Cat, let’s dance …” Sam extended his hand to her sister, practically tripping on the leg of a chair when he rounded the table.

Ignoring Sam’s comment, Jack bent close to Shannon’s ear, kneading her shoulder in a coaxing manner. “Normally I wouldn’t let Sam within a mile of either you or Cat, sis, but he’s hurtin’ pretty bad because Jazz showed up with another guy.” Jack glanced across the ballroom to where Jasmine Augustine—both his and Sam’s ex-girlfriend—laughed and danced with some good-looking guy. “So I don’t trust him to go straight home.” His smile was laced with apology. “Nor do I trust him with any woman in this room but you, Shan. Unlike most players, Ham has an innate kindness and sensitivity that naturally disarms people. I swear he’s so lousy with a bone-deep charisma, the man can charm the spots off a leopard. So I need someone mature and levelheaded, with an immunity to players.”

Shannon sighed. Ah yes, my immunity to players. I’ve definitely been inoculated by the best.

“All right, Jack.” She tossed her purse strap over her shoulder with a heavy sigh as she rose. Pushing her chair in, she gave him a twist of a smile. “But you owe me, big brother.”

“And then some,” Jack said with a kiss to her head. He tucked a finger to her chin. “And don’t let him bamboozle you, Shan. The man has a masters in roguery, so it might be good to lend him an ear, but nothing else.” He tugged on her hair. “He keeps a key under the potted palm by his front door, and his address is 665 Parkway, Apt. B.”

“The operative word being “potted,” she said with more sarcasm than normal.

He grinned. “I have his car keys, so Lacey and I will drive his car home later, okay? Just get him inside and make sure he stays there.”

Shannon’s mouth went flat. “You want me to tuck him in too?”

Jack grinned. “Might be a nice touch, but not necessary.” He leveled a finger at her with a mock glare. “I don’t want you within twenty feet of his bedroom, young lady, you got that?” He winked. “I’m trusting you, Shan.”

“Glad one of us does,” she mumbled, shaking her head when she turned to see Sam dipping Cat in a dance move next to the table, almost dropping her.

“Okay, come on, Twinkletoes.” Jack pulled Sam away from Cat to hook an arm over his shoulder, carefully guiding him toward the door. He tossed Cat an off-center grin. “And if I ever see you dancing with this joker again, Catfish, I’m going to toss you into the river, got it? He’s off-limits to you and Shan because he’s dangerous to women’s health.”

“Yeah?” Sam mumbled, stumbling along beside Jack, “then how come it’s my health that took the hit this time?”

“Have fun, you lucky duck,” Margo called as Shannon followed Jack and Sam to the door. “Sure wish it were me.”

“Me too,” Shannon muttered, wondering if she could talk Jack into putting Sam in the trunk.

“Jack, I’m fine, I swear.” Sam’s argument sounded convincing enough except for a near miss with a chair, and Shannon couldn’t help the ghost of a smile when her brother gave him a Gibbs smack to the back of the head.

Shannon could have kissed Jack when he dumped Sam into the back seat of her car instead of the front, where a low groan coaxed another smile to her lips.

“I think I’m gonna die …” His voice was no more than a croak as he lay face down across the seat of her mother’s 1999 Chevy Impala, his bristled jaw flat against her beige upholstery.

“No you won’t, Ham,” Jack said, employing the nickname Sam had earned in residency because of his practical jokes and show-off tendencies. “You just need to get past this obsession with Jasmine and move on with your life, man. There are other fish in the sea.”

A hiccough interrupted Sam’s moan. “I don’t like fish. I like her. She’s one in a million.”

“Yeah, and so’s the headache you’re gonna have come morning, bro, if you don’t get some decent sleep.” He shoved the rest of Sam’s legs into the car and slammed the door, opening the passenger side to offer Shan a penitent smile. “I can’t thank you enough, Shan. Jazz dumped him for some new intern, and it’s been a rough week for him, you know?”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she whispered, her heart aching for him despite his inebriated state. “Is there anything else I can do to help cheer him up?”

“Yeah, you can pray for him, and maybe even share some of that wisdom you’re so famous for. Never seen Ham this down before, and it has me a little worried, you know?”

“Sure, Jack.” She peeked into the back seat where snores could be heard while drool puddled on the upholstery. “I feel bad for the poor guy.”

Jack grinned. “I knew you would because of your oversized heart of gold, kiddo, but not too much, okay? Ham has been known to take advantage of the kindness of strangers.”

A grin tugged at Shannon’s lips as she glanced over her shoulder. “Doesn’t look like he could take advantage of much of anything right now.” She wrinkled her nose. “Except Mom’s car seat.”

“Yeah, well that’s when he’s at his most dangerous, I’m afraid, catching woman off-guard with his little-boy charm. So unconscious or not, keep your distance, okay?”

She started the car with its customary sputter and a growl, shifting into gear as she slid Jack a wry smile. “Distance would be a cab, Jack, but I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good girl.” With two firm taps of her roof, Jack closed the door, hands in his pockets as he watched her drive away.

A snort sounded from the back seat and Shannon had no choice but to smile. A cab, definitely.

In another state

“It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.”

~W.T. Ellis

Oh. My. Goodness!!! I woke up this morning and suddenly the year was half over — YIKES!!

Happy July 1st, everybody, and I hope you’re gearing up to celebrate our great country with a great Fourth of July!

But … if you don’t mind, for today’s Journal Jot, I’m going to take my cue from Hallmark Movie Channel and bring you “Christmas in July”!

Why?

Because all four of the Seeker Christmas novella collections (two historical, two contemporary) are now on sale for only 99 cents, so if you haven’t read Charity & Mitch’s story, “A Whisper of Hope” in the Hope for the Holidays collection or Lizzie & Brady’s “The Best Gift of All” in the Home for Christmas collection, this is a GREAT time to dive in!

Not only do you get to catch up with the O’Connors again (and all that lovely fun, passion, drama, and angst), you get to read novellas by award-winning authors Mary Connealy, Janet Dean, Debby Giusti, Audra Harders, Pam Hillman, Myra Johnson, Sandra Leesmith, Ruth Logan Herne, Tina Radcliffe, and Missy Tippens as well, and all for 99 cents per collection — that’s less than 25 cents per novella!!

To help get you in the Christmas spirit, I am posting a short clip from both Charity & Mitch’s story and Lizzie & Brady’s at the end of this blog today, so here are the links if you want to do some early Christmas shopping! 🙂

Home for Christmas Historical Christian Romance Collection

A Heart Full of Christmas Contemporary Inspirational Holiday Romance

Hope for the Holidays Historical Collection

Hope for the Holidays Contemporary Collection

 

WHOO-HOO … WE HAVE A WINNER FROM LAST WEEK’S KISSING CONTEST!

Mega thanks to all of you who entered my favorite-kiss contest, and I was thrilled to see that the winning kiss was also my favorite — #2 between Katie & Luke, THE KISS THAT UNLEASHES HIDDEN ATTRACTION.

So without further ado, the winner of an ecopy of both my new contemporary, Isle of Hope, and its prequel novella, A Glimmer of Hope is:

TARA HART

SUPER CONGRATS to Tara, and if you already have IOH for AGOH, I’ll substitute with book 2 in the Isle of Hope series, Love Everlasting, which releases this September.

 

COVER REVEAL!!!

And speaking of Love Everlasting, I promised a cover reveal for this upcoming book 2 in the Isle of Hope series, so here it is!  

Love Everlasting is the love story for Shannon O’Bryen and Sam Cunningham, Shannon’s brother, Jack’s, “player” doctor coworker. Here’s the jacket blurb:

He sets hearts on fire.

She’s been burned by love.

Can hope survive the flames of the past?

School teacher by day, ghostwriter by night, sweet and shy Shannon O’Bryen doesn’t mind writing romance on the sly, but to live it? No, thank you, not since the man she loved turned out to be a player who broke both her heart and her spirit. Now focused more on her faith and her fiction, she vows the next time she falls in love, it will be safely—through the pages of a book.

Dr. Sam Cunningham is a charismatic player who breaks hearts as regularly as he washes his pearl-white Corvette. Abandoned as a baby, Sam was an orphan shuffled through the foster-care system, bitterly driven to prove he is worthy of love—the kind that lasts forever. Once he learns Shannon is a romance writer, he enlists her help in winning back his ex-girlfriend. She teaches him about faith and the true definition of love, and he soon discovers he’s been seeking it in the wrong place all along—and with the wrong girl. But can he convince a woman who’s been burned by love to open her eyes—and her heart—to a love everlasting?

I am hoping to release Love Everlasting in September, so stay tuned for the actual date, okay? And come back next week, and I’ll give you a sneak peek at the first chapter!

 

NEW CONTEST!!!

As you know, I am part of the Heart & Soul book bundle of five novels from five award-winning authors, and we need reviews!!

So anyone who has read A Light in the Window (my novel in the bundle) or any of the other four novels can post a short review on only one of the books or more. And if you do, just email me through the CONTACT JULIE tab of this website or message me on FACEBOOK, and I will give you ten points in my contest to have a character named after you in Love Everlasting as well as a copy of that book.

OR … if you have already written a review for A Light in the Window or any of the other novels in the bundle, PLEASE post that review for Heart & Soul as well.

If you haven’t reviewed any of the books but have read one or more of them, PLEASE consider posting a short 1- or 2-line review stating you liked the book or books, okay? That would be a HUGE help to me and the other authors in Heart & Soul. Here’s the link where you can post your review and THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!!

HEART & SOUL BOOK BUNDLE ON AMAZON

 

ROMANCE FIREWORKS!!!

And now, in honor of both Fourth of July and Christmas in July, I thought it might be fun to give you a few “fireworks” with similar love scenes from both Lizzie & Brady’s story and Charity & Mitch’s.

Happy Fourth, Happy Weekend, and Happy Reading!

Hugs,

Julie

Excerpt from

Home for Christmas Historical Romance Collection

Teddy led Molly from the room, and Brady lost no time in tugging Lizzie onto his lap, where she leaned against his chest as he told her about his day. His voice was as serene and mesmerizing as when Lizzie was a lovesick little girl of thirteen, and Brady the new business partner of her brother-in-law Collin. Closing her eyes, she smelled the peppermint candy he kept at the shop for children, and the scent ushered back the feelings of awe and hero worship she’d always had for John Brady.

She startled when he buried his head in her neck, his warm sigh tickling her skin. The scent of soap and ink and peppermint filled her senses. “I need you, Lizzie,” he said quietly.

She pulled away, heart racing at the gravity of his tone. “Why, John? What’s wrong?”

He shook his head, a faint smile shadowing his lips as he studied her. “Nothing,” he assured, the dark bristle on his jaw giving him an almost reckless air. So unusual for her rock-steady husband, an unshakable man of God. His broad chest rose and fell as he fondled a lock of her hair. “Do you have any idea how long it’s been since we’ve been alone?”

She squinted, trying to understand his question. “But, we’re alone every night, John.”

He traced her chin with the pad of his thumb, his eyes locked on hers with an intensity that made her mouth go dry. “No, Lizzie, I mean really alone, when I can talk to you without interruption and when we’re not too exhausted to connect like we used to. Where I can hold you and share what’s in my heart, pray with you, and make love to you without anything else stealing your attention away.”

Blood heated her cheeks and she swallowed hard. “What do you mean?” she whispered.

His quiet smile heated the rest of her body in a manner she hadn’t felt in a long, long while. Feathering her jaw, his fingers trailed her throat. “Twenty-nine years old, ten years of marriage, three children and one on the way, and you’re still the most innocent woman I’ve ever met.” He leaned in to nuzzle her ear. “I mean,” he emphasized, tone sober, “I need you, Lizzie—your laughter, your encouragement, your gentleness, your love—and not just in my bed. I need you in my heart and my mind, to feel your love like before, when it was just you and me.”

Her eyes drifted closed. Oh, Brady … we’re parents now. It could never be the same as before—didn’t he understand that? She was a mother, with responsibilities to her children …

As if sensing her hesitation, he cupped her face, eyes searching hers with a vulnerability she’d never seen in John Brady before. “Come to bed with me, Lizzie,” he whispered. “I need to be close to you, hold you, talk to you, pray about where I’ve been in my mind lately.”

She stroked his cheek, heart expanding. “Oh, John, there’s nothing I’d rather do.”

With a low groan, he drew her close, his mouth capturing hers with a passion that took her breath away. “So help me, Elizabeth, I grow more desperately in love with you every day.”

“M-Mama?”

Brady’s hold stiffened as Lizzie looked up. Molly stood at the door in her nightgown, feet bare and tears swimming in her eyes. Her little chest heaved as she clutched a ragdoll to her chest. “T-teddy t-told me about Hansel and Gretel, and I’m s-scared a witch is under my bed.”

Excerpt from

Hope for the Holidays Historical Romance Collection

Charity gave him a shaky smile and bolted from the room with Runt on her heels, obviously frantic to get upstairs and fall fast asleep. A faint smile shadowed his lips as he sank into the couch. But tonight is not the night, little girl. Between working late, bouts of the flu, and sheer exhaustion, they hadn’t made love in weeks, and Mitch was not a man to be deterred. The edge of his lip crooked. Nor was Charity a woman who could go without his affections for long.

He actually finished the entire paper, but it was a sad attempt at best. The print only blurred in his mind, thoughts of Charity invading without mercy. Gaze glued to a newspaper he didn’t really see, Mitch released a heavy sigh. No, something was definitely up, and he had a sinking suspicion it had to do with more babies.

It always did.

Somehow his wife had always envisioned a houseful of children, but it wasn’t to be, evidently, at least not with children of their own, a fact Charity had finally accepted—or so he thought. Until both Charity’s parents and Sean and Emma had to go and stir the pot by adopting last year. Suddenly Mitch was battling the threat of adoption at every turn, stomach clenching whenever he’d spotted that glint of longing in Charity’s eye. A dilemma that usually occurred after she’d visited the home for unwed mothers with Emma, where she and Sean had adopted Daniel last Christmas.

Tossing his paper aside, he lumbered to his feet, determined to squelch Charity’s plan for more babies once and for all. For pity’s sake, he was sixteen years older than his wife, which meant he might not even be around to provide for another baby, much less his eleven-year-old twins. Jaw grinding, he kneaded the left side of his chest, where he’d recently experienced pain whenever he worked out at the gym. Hope and Henry were only eleven—barely two years older than he’d been when his own father died—and although Charity was a wonderful mother, children needed a father. His mouth sloped off-center as he turned out the lights. Especially a son like Henry.

Locking the front door, Mitch thought of all the years Charity and he had been trying for more children to no avail, and now he was glad. The thought of another baby scared the living daylights out of him. He’d just be that much older, that much closer to dying and leaving them without a father like his father had done to him. For the love of family, if something were to happen to him now, Henry and Hope would already be well on their way, but a new baby? A familiar pain suddenly flared in his chest as a chill iced his spine. No! Glancing at his watch, he made a beeline for the stairs, scaling them as briskly as a man half his age. And confound it, he could keep up with the younger pups if it weren’t for this infernal cramp in his chest.

By now Charity should have both kids tucked into their beds, stories read, and prayers said before cuddling with Hope, one of the most precious times of her day. Avoiding the squeak of the middle step, Mitch quietly ascended, hoping he’d timed it just right. A smile skimmed his lips when he spied her hovering outside Hope’s door, easing it shut in her robe before she gingerly tiptoed toward their room at the end of the hall.

“Ah, perfect timing,” he said, grinning when she jerked around, hand splayed to her chest as if she’d just sprinted a mile. “Oh, sweet heavens, Mitch, you scared me half to death …”

Chuckling, he pulled her into his arms, butting her to the wall with a heated look in his eyes. “Sorry, little girl, but I can always revive you with mouth to mouth if need be—just give me the word.” He bent to nestle his lips to her neck with a low, aching moan. “Blue blazes, Charity, do you have any idea how long it’s been since I really held you in my arms?” She caught her breath when his mouth took hers with a vengeance, and sweeping her up, he strode down the hall into their bedroom, kicking the door closed behind him.

“Mitch, what are you doing?” Her voice was a raspy squeal beneath his wandering lips.

“Putting you to bed,” he whispered, tone husky while he untied the sash to her robe. Side-stepping Runt, he carefully laid her down and buried his lips in the crook of her neck, the scent of lilac water warming his blood. “I swear, Mrs. Dennehy, I love you more with every breath I take …”

“Wait!” Breathless, she halted him with two hands to his chest. “Did you remember to secure the latch? What if Hope or Henry were to come in?”

A growl rumbled from his throat as he jumped up and strode to the door. He locked it and turned, searing her with intent as he jerked off his tie, almost ripping it in two. His eyes all but devoured her as he moved toward the bed, fingers fumbling with the buttons of his shirt—

“Mitch—I didn’t lock the back door! Did you lock the back door?”

He froze, white oxford shirt half off, revealing corded arms still sore from the gym. His facial muscles all but cramped with pain. “For the love of mercy, Charity, I’ll lock it later.”

She sat up, sheet tugged high. “No, Mitch, please! I would worry, I just know it, and wouldn’t be able to relax. Please check the doors and hurry back.” She rubbed her jaw with a sheepish smile. “And do you mind shaving? Your beard feels like sandpaper.”

He groaned and unlocked the door.

She sat up higher. “Oh, and Hope wants you to kiss her good-night.”

He turned, lips as tight as his hand on the knob. “I did—downstairs.”

“I know, but she wants another.” She shrugged, her smile repentant before she stifled a yawn. “And I’m so tired, I think I may have forgotten Runt’s water—can you double-check?”

With an unhappy grunt, he heaved the door wide, brandishing a finger. “Don’t you dare fall asleep, do you hear?” He stormed out, feet bare and shirt flapping.

He checked doors and water bowl in record time, then ducked in to give both Henry and Hope a final kiss before reentering his bedroom. He paused, hand on the lock of the door. “Charity? Are you asleep?”