Jean Joachim: 3/28/21

Sunday, March 28, 2021

NEW RELEASE - "SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL"

NEW RELEASE! "SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL"

Dear Readers,

I struggled to write "Some Kind of Wonderful", book 7 in the Pine Grove series (but reads as a stand-alone) this during the last six months as pandemic sapped by strength and focus. But I love Jackie & Jeff and had to get their poignant story written and now it is. SO, I am posting the blurb and an excerpt today.

I will post a new excerpt every day for a week. If you don't buy the book on the first day, be sure to come back and read the other snippets until you are so hooked you have to have the book!

Here's the blurb:

Life sucks for Jeff Barrett. His girlfriend hates his hometown, and his mother hates his girlfriend. His alcoholic father dies and leaves his ramshackle bar to Jeff. He can’t even tear down the dilapidated building because it’s landmarked! He puts it on the market with one caveat – the buyer can’t make it a bar again.

Jackie Stone’s life grinds to a halt when the IRS closes the restaurant she managed, and her boyfriend skips to Montana with another woman. While visiting tiny Pine Grove, looking for a bar to own and run herself, Jackie gets lost. She flags Jeff down to ask directions. The attraction is instantaneous.

It’s smooth sailing on the sea of relationships until Jackie makes an offer for his bar and Jeff refuses. The irresistible force meets the immoveable object. Who wins the tug-of-war? Will the winner find a tornado of trouble is just picking up steam?

Now, the excerpt:

July, New York City

Jackie Stone narrowed her eyes to read the sign on the door of Chuck’s Wagon, the steakhouse where she worked as a manager.

SEIZED!

Big black letters on a bright orange piece of paper plastered on the inside of the glass door shouted out. A huge padlock secured the knob and prevented entry. Puzzled, Jackie tugged on it anyway. The door rattled but stayed shut. She shook her head. How stupid. Like the padlock is gonna fall off because you pull on it?

She whipped out her cell phone and dialed her boss, Chuck Gregory.

“Hey, Chuck. What’s going on? The door’s padlocked. There’s a sign saying ‘seized’ in the window. What the hell?”

“Tax man cut us off.”

“What do you mean, the tax man cut us off?”

“I’m a little behind in taxes. So, they took the restaurant.”

“A little behind?” She paced up and down on the sidewalk in front of the big plate glass windows of the empty eatery.

“Okay. Maybe a lot behind.”

“Chuck. You lost the restaurant?” She stopped, her mouth fell open.

“Yeah, so I’m going out west. Sindara’s got a house in Montana. I figure I’ll find a place out there and open another steakhouse.”

“You’re going where?” She fished a bottle of water from her purse.

“Montana. Is there something wrong with your hearing, Jackie?”

“Nothing wrong with my hearing. Just my choice of boyfriends.”

“You and I were never serious.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. How could you let this happen? I told you to put money in a separate account. And then when tax time came around, you’d have it.”

“Yeah, well, Sindara wanted to buy a house. She needed the down payment.”

“You gave your tax money to your other girlfriend?” She shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand.

“It was a good move because now I have a place to go.”

“What about me? And our staff? Have you told anyone else?” The sun beat down on the back of her neck.

“Nope. They’ll find out soon enough. Like you did.”

“I can’t believe this.” She resumed pacing.

“Believe it. Have a good life, Jackie. I’m changing my number, so don’t try to get in touch with me.”

“What about my stuff?” She guzzled water.

“What stuff?”

“Change of clothes, some baking stuff.”

“Sorry. Everything in there belongs to the tax man now. Gotta go. Good luck.”

Her phone went dead. Screwing her face up, her hand drew back as if to throw the phone but stopped. Hell, it was her phone. She’d have to pay to replace it. Pay. Pay with what? She didn’t have any income, as of like ten minutes ago.

She sank down on a nearby stoop. Tears burst forth. Chuck—what a dirty, lowdown bastard. Two-timing her and squandering the restaurant’s money. Leaving her with nothing. Branded a failure. Thirty years old and no job, a small savings account, and no place to go.

Opening her phone again, she scrolled through her contacts. When her father’s name came up, she hesitated for a moment before pressing the button.

“Jackie?” The familiar gruff voice set her on edge.

“Hi, Dad.”

“What’s up? Aren’t you working today?”

“That’s what I’m calling about.”

“Oh?” She could hear her father raise his eyebrows.

“Yeah. See, uh, Chuck…kinda didn’t pay his taxes.”

“What?”

“Yeah.”

Silence.

“So the feds shut him down, right?”

Jackie closed her eyes and took a deep breath, preparing herself for the giant “I told you so.”

“Yeah.” Her voice was almost a whisper. She drew her knees up and rested her forearms on them.

“So you’re out of a job?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, then…”

“Aren’t you gonna say it?” Her head bowed.

In a soft tone she’d not heard since she was six, he said, “I’m not gonna say it. Why don’t you come home for a while? You could use a break.”

“Come home?”

“Yeah. I’ll fire up the grill. I’ve got some chops in the freezer.”

“Really?” She sat up straight.

“Sure. You work plenty hard. Take a couple of weeks off. Come out here. We’ll put our heads together and come up with something.”

“Really?”

“Are you hard of hearing or something, Jackie?”

She laughed. “Chuck asked me the same thing.”

“I hope that scoundrel is out of your life now.”

“Oh, he is. Count on it. We’re so done.”

“Every cloud has a silver lining. Hold on a sec.”

Jackie grinned. Could it be true old Cecil Stone would actually come through for her? And without a lecture? Maybe the lecture was yet to come? She’d deal with it.

“Okay. I’m back. The schedule says there’s a three thirty train. Can you be ready in time?”

“I can.”

“Good. I’ll pick you up at the station.”

Her tears returned. “Thanks, Dad. You’re the best. I didn’t think. I just—”

“Oh, hush. That’s what dads are for, see you at four fifteen.” He ended the conversation.

Buy the book here:

AMAZON

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09157583H/

AMAZON U.K.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09157583H

AMAZON CA

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09157583H