First Chapter Friday - Now and Forever 2, the Book of Danny

In honor of the recent celebration of Memorial Day, I thought sharing the first chapter of Now and Forever 2, the Book of Danny would be most appropriate, since Danny is a retired Army sharpshooter turned college professor. 

  

Danny goes to Willow Falls for a job at Kensington State University, finds love and fights post-traumatic stress disorder issues plus old demons.
Strong, handsome, smart he is determined to carve out a normal life and chooses the beautiful dean, Eliza Baines to join him. But the road to that new life is anything but smooth for our imperfect, perfect hero. Meet Capt. Danny Maine and read his story. Note: this is a stand-alone book. You do not have to have read the first in the series to understand this one.

                         CLICK HERE FOR 1ST CHAPTER.

A little bit about the book

Can the newest professor at Kensington State escape his previous life as a killer? Leaving the Army didn't mean the war left him so Capt. Danny Maine, now teaching English, must find a way to lead a normal life. Finding love and rekindling an old friendship are not enough to defeat old demons. Danny Maine fights to free himself from war memories and dangerous men, hoping that a new love and a new Glock will bring him peace. Now and Forever 2, the Book of Danny is a heartfelt story of love, loss and ultimate triumph that will touch your heart.

Like what you read? Click on any link to buy the book: 

Secret Cravings Publishing

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

All Romance eBooks

Bookstrand

Paperback, too!

FANCY A FREE READ?

Here's the story behind my free read on my publisher, the Secret Cravings website. In Now and Forever 3, Blind Love, my newest release, I introduced Sam Caldwell, a supporting character. Some of you may know his son, Mac, hero of Now and Forever 1, a Love Story and a recurring character in the other books in this series. Sam is 63 in Now and Forever 3, a widower who falls in love. He intrigued me,  I couldn't let him go. He kept tugging on my sleeve to tell his story. And I became curious about his first wife, Mac's mom, Ellen, who had past away so suddenly at a young age. 

That's how Now and Forever: The Beginning, Love Knows No Boundaries came into being. Sam wanted me to tell everyone how he met Ellen and fell in love. So their story has become my free read. If you have a few minutes, here is the first episode.



Part 1

Sam Caldwell folded his lean six foot two inch frame into a window seat on the Metroliner headed for D.C. Rain ran in rivulets down the windowpane, moving faster, streaking across the glass as the train picked up speed. On his way to his fortieth college reunion, Sam thought back to the first time he put his big feet on the campus of Jefferson College, smack dab in the heart of the nation’s capital. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the seat, giving his mind over to the image of that day and how it changed his life.

A twenty-two year old Viet Nam vet, Sam acquired the money to attend Jefferson College through his four years of Army service. He stood on the path to the quad off 20^th Street, his arms overloaded with handbooks, forms, the campus map and a small duffle bag. It was August and hotter than hell, typical of summertime in Washington. The humid heat weighed him down like a wet mattress balanced across his broad shoulders. He wore slacks and a short sleeve shirt which he had already sweated through. He chuckled as he heard complaints from other students as they walked by. This is nothing compared to ‘Nam in August…bunch a pussies.
As he approached the quad, he looked ahead and saw her. Standing on the grass, studying a small map was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Her blonde hair glistened in the sun like spun gold. Her sundress revealed peachy skin and perfect curves. Sam’s keen blue eyes traveled slowly from the tip of her head down to her bare sandals, not missing an inch. His mouth went dry. As if she felt his stare, she looked right at him and smiled. He felt suddenly awkward and dropped the book and papers he was holding.

When he finished gathering them up, he glanced up and she was gone. Damn! He heard someone clear their throat behind him…felt a small tug on his sleeve. He turned around and there she was, all five feet three inches of her, standing not two feet from him. Her large, soulful blue eyes were trained on his.

“Excuse me; do you know the way to the administration building?”

“Sorry. I’m a freshman. Don’t know my way around yet.”

She blushed. Pink had never been one of his favorite colors but he began to understand the attraction of that particular shade.

“Oh. I’m so sorry. I thought you were an upper classman…you look…older.”

“I am. A vet.”

“Viet Nam?” Her lips parted in a dazzling smile as her gaze connected with his.

He nodded as the ability to speak temporarily deserted his brain.

“Sam…Sam Caldwell.” He fairly sputtered his name.

“Ellen Wells.” She offered her hand and he covered her small one with his.

After letting go of her hand, he lifted the map from her fingers.

“Let’s take a look.”

A blond man appeared behind him. Sam whirled around. Shit!

“Hi, I’m Bill Ryan and you...”

“Ellen—“ 

“…are beautiful.”

 Come read the rest, it's FREE and Sam wants you to know his story. Click here to get all the parts to this story on pdf.  

Check out all the books in the Now and Forever series here

Check out all my books on my website. 

Tuesday Tale - Prompt "Chase"

Thank you for stopping by. Chase is the prompt word today. Here is a snippet from my work-in-progress, "If You Loved Me."

“Now Meg, you know I was only joking…”

She whacked him with the pillow then fell into a laughing fit. Chaz snatched the other pillow off the bed and smacked her bottom with it. He laughed as she widened her eyes in indignation.

 “Bash me with a pillow will you?”

Chaz took off, running naked down the hall with Megan, also nude, chasing him. She threw her pillow at him as he entered the living room and it knocked him off balance. He fell to the floor. She jumped on him, straddling his hips and reached for the pillow. He grabbed her hand with one of his and pummeled her with the pillow in the other. Both of them were laughing so hard they could barely breathe. Megan leaned down and blew on his neck. When he dissolved in laughter, she seized the moment and reached for her pillow. He raised his to hit her again and she blocked it. He hugged her to him with one arm and bounced the pillow off her bottom. 

 She pushed up a few inches and as he was about to kiss her, they both heard a creak. Their two heads turned to face the front door in time to see an astonished Mark, her twin brother and Penny, his wife, standing in the doorway, drop their suitcases.

Megan screamed. Penny tugged Mark out into the hall and shut the door while Chaz and Meg beat a quick retreat to the bedroom. Meg shut her bedroom door and leaned against it. They heard the front door slam, indicating Penny and Mark were in the apartment.

“Oh my God,” Meg breathed.

Chaz covered his face with his hand.

“Shit! Mark is going to kill me.”

Meg nodded slowly, “you first, then me.”

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