One More Second Chance by Jana Richards - Excerpt and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jana will be awarding $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the rest of the tour stops.

Dr. Alex Campbell has an agenda—finish his contract to provide medical services in Maine, pay off his medical school debt, and head back to his real life in San Diego. But when he meets Julia, all his carefully laid plans are put in jeopardy.

Julia Stewart, Lobster Cove’s high school principal, swears she’ll never let another man drag her away from the home she loves. Her aging parents need her, and the Cove is where she wants to raise her daughter. When her mother’s illness brings her and the big city doctor closer together, panic sets in. Her marriage taught her men don’t stay.

Can she put aside the heartaches of the past and trust Alex enough to accept the love he’s offering? Or will her fear of abandonment mean she’ll send him away forever?

Enjoy an exclusive excerpt:

As he stepped from his car and walked toward the side door of the house, a figure appeared in the carport, startling him.

“Is Polly home?” she asked.

He took in the woman’s long, graying hair and her petite stature. She was perhaps sixty or seventy, barefoot, and wearing what appeared to be a sleeveless nightgown.

What the hell? “Polly?”

“Yes, Polly,” she said in irritation, as if he should know what she was talking about. “She’s my friend. She lives here.”

“I’m sorry. I’m the only person who lives here.”

She shook her head emphatically. “No, Polly lives here.”

“Where do you live?”

“Oh, you know.”

Alex took a step closer to her. Did she have some form of dementia? Who was she? He was pretty sure he’d never seen her in the ER or at the family clinic. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket.

“Maybe I can call Polly for you. What’s her number?”

She rattled off a series of meaningless numbers. Alex dialed nine-one-one. A dispatcher picked up immediately.

“Nine-one-one. What is your emergency?”

“This is Dr. Alex Campbell,” he said softly into the phone, turning away so she wouldn’t hear. “There’s a woman on my doorstep who appears to have dementia. I think she may have wandered from her home, and I don’t know who she is.”

“I’ll send a patrol car by. What’s your address?”

He told her, and she said there’d be a car at his house within five minutes. He repocketed his phone and approached the woman.

“There, I’ve called. Someone will be by for you soon.”

She shivered in the cool, damp night air, wrapping her arms around herself. Alex took off his jacket and placed it gently over her shoulders. Confusion filled her face.

“What am I doing here?”

“You said you were looking for your friend Polly.”

“Polly?”

The utter bewilderment he saw in her eyes tore at his heart. He couldn’t imagine how terrifying it must be to fall into the rabbit hole of dementia, to lose a sense of what was real and what wasn’t.

“Don’t worry,” he said gently. “Someone will be by soon to help you find your way home. Can you tell me your name?”

She thought for a moment before answering in a whisper, “Dora.”

About the Author:

When Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily ever after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun, she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the paranormal. Her paranormal romantic suspense “Seeing Things” was a 2008 EPPIE finalist.

In her life away from writing, Jana is an accountant/admin assistant, a mother to two grown daughters, and a wife to her husband Warren. She enjoys golf, yoga, movies, concerts, travel and reading, not necessarily in that order. She and her husband live in Winnipeg, Canada with their Pug/Terrier cross Lou and several unnamed goldfish. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.janarichards.com

Social media links:

Website: http://www.janarichards.com
Blog: http://janarichards.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards_
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards
Newsletter Signup: http://www.eepurl.com/m3UnT
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2892274Jana_Richards
Google+ Profile: https://plus.google.com/100820406211390323245

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Home Fires by Jana Richards - Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway!

Today we're welcoming author Jana Richards to the blog on her tour with Goddess Fish Promotions for the historical WWII romance, "Home Fires".  I admit, I was pretty clueless about the war brides, so have added this story to my TBR pile.

Jana is giving away a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter at the end of the tour, so comment today AND follow her tour (if you click on the banner over there on the left, it'll take you to a list of her tour stops)! The more you read and comment, the better your odds of winning. You could be introduced to a great new author AND win a GC!

In the meantime, Jana was kind enough to share five things about her that we might not have guessed, so settle in for some deep, dark secrets (or maybe fun, informative ones):

1. I grew up on a farm in Saskatchewan, Canada. Back when I was growing up, things were pretty basic on the farm. We didn’t have running water in the house until I was in my teens, and the summer I moved away from home, my parents got a flush indoor toilet.

2. I love country music. Carrie Underwood is one of my favorite singers. I get some flack from my office mates about my choice in music, but I don’t mind. I think a romance novel is like country music; both get little respect, yet each is tremendously popular. I’m glad to listen to music, and to write in a genre, beloved by so many.

3. I love animals. I had pets from the time I was a little kid on the farm, though in those days, my mom wouldn’t let me bring any of the dogs and cats into the house. After we got married, my husband and I had cats for many years, but then in 2004, our family adopted a dog for the first time. We absolutely adore her. I have a story on my website called A Dog Named Lou. It’s all about how we came to have her in our lives. To see a picture of Lou, go to my Biography page and scroll down to the end.

4. I enjoy canning and freezing food from my garden. Must be my farm roots! I usually can tomatoes and make salsa or spaghetti sauce that we eat all winter. We don’t have a huge garden, but we have fresh vegetables in the summer and some canned and frozen things that we can enjoy through the fall and winter.

5. Like many people, I struggle with my weight. In the last couple of years I’ve made a concerted effort to get more exercise. I go to yoga and Pilates classes once a week, and to the gym for cardio and weight training two to three times a week. A writer spends a lot of time sitting on her butt, so unless I want my butt to expand even larger, I’ve got to keep moving!

Do you share any of my 5 things? I’d love to hear an interesting fact about you. Don’t forget that every comment you make gives you a chance to win the random draw for a $25 Amazon gift certificate.

To receive bonus entries for the GC, like me on Facebook, follow my blog at http://janarichards.blogspot.com or sign up for my newsletter and then email me at jana.richards@hotmail.com  to let me know. Winner of the gift certificate will be notified by July 15 and their name will be announced on my Contests page on my website. You can see a complete blog tour schedule here. Thanks so much for your support!

The fun doesn’t stop there. I’m having a special promotion between July 4 and July 18. If you buy a copy of “Home Fires” or any of my other titles, you will receive a free PDF copy of my romantic comedy “Rescue Me” as a bonus gift. All you have to do is email me at jana.richards@hotmail.com with the receipt number of your purchase and I’ll send you the book. It’s just that simple! You can find a listing of my titles at http://www.janarichards.net/Books.html To read a blurb and excerpt from “Rescue Me” please click here.

Anne Wakefield travels halfway around the world for love. But when she arrives in Canada from England at the end of World War Two, she discovers the handsome Canadian pilot she’d fallen in love with has married someone else. Heartbroken, she prepares to return to London, though she has nothing left there to return to. Her former fiancé’s mother makes a suggestion: marriage to her other son.

Badly wounded and scarred during the war, Erik Gustafson thinks he’s a poor substitute for his brother. Although he loves Anne almost from the first time he sees her, he cannot believe she would ever be able to love him as he is – especially as he might be after another operation on his bad leg. Anne sees the beauty of his heart. The cold prairie winter may test her courage, but can she prove to Erik that her love for him is real?

EXCERPT:

She whirled around to glare at him, her eyes blazing. “No! I’m not a child! I don’t have to be molly-coddled and baby-sat. I spent six years in a war zone, hiding in bomb shelters, never having enough to eat. I worked in a hospital treating blitz victims with wounds so horrendous grown men would gag to look at them. I faced those horrors every day. Sometimes things were so bad I thought I couldn’t go on. But I did. Because I had to. And I’ll face things here too. So don’t tell me to give up because I won’t!”

Erik pushed himself out of his chair to face her, awed by her spirit and courage. She lifted her chin as if defying him to contradict her, her hands clenched at her sides. Her dark hair curled in wild abandon as it dried, framing her pale oval face like a halo. Her beauty and ferocity were magnificent.

“I think you’re the strongest woman I know.”

Her eyes widened in surprise, her hands unclenching. He caught the quiver of her chin as she fought to hold back tears.

He opened his arms and she stepped into them, wrapping her arms around his waist and clinging to him. He held her tightly, inhaling the sweet, clean scent of her, never wanting to let her go.

“Don’t cry. Everything’s all right now.”

She lifted her head to look into his face, her dark eyes shiny with tears, her lips slightly parted. Erik stared at her mouth, wanting desperately to kiss her, to capture her sweetness. He slowly lowered his mouth to hers. To his surprise, she didn’t run off, or turn away in revulsion. He was so close her breath mingled with his, her breathing swallow and erratic. His heart slammed against his chest, his body thrumming with need. For the first time in over three years, he felt alive.

Jana Richards has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to full-length paranormal suspense and romantic comedy. She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side. She believes there’s nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick.

When not writing up a storm, working at her day job as an Office Administrator, or dealing with ever present mountains of laundry, Jana can be found on the local golf course pursuing her newest hobby.

Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren, and a highly spoiled Pug/Terrier cross named Lou. You can reach her through her website at http://www.janarichards.net

Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway: The Girl Most Likely by Jana Richards

Today we're welcoming author Jana Richards to the blog on her tour with Goddess Fish Promotions for the contemporary romance, "The Girl Most Likely".


Remember, Jana is giving away a $20 GC to The Wild Rose Press and a $20 Amazon GC to randomly drawn commenters during the tour. So comment today AND follow her tour (if you click on the banner above, it'll take you to a list of her tour stops) -- the more you read and comment, the better your odds of winning. You could be introduced to a great new author AND earn a GC to buy more books. It's win-win.

And now, without further ado, please welcome Jana who's here today to talk about the hero and heroine of her story.


The Characters in “The Girl Most Likely"

Cara McLeod is the heroine of “The Girl Most Likely”. She’s a woman who has definitely had ups and downs in her life. In high school she was one of the popular girls. Pretty and athletic, she was captain of the cheerleading squad and a member of the student government. After graduating, she married Peter, her high school sweetheart, and for many years lived a charmed life. At least that’s what it looked like from the outside.

But on the inside, Cara is constantly afraid of losing everything she has. In high school she devotes herself to being one the ‘in’ group not because she has a burning desire to be the most popular girl in school, but because she wants to please her mother. Cara desperately tries to live up to her mother’s expectations in order to win her approval. But no matter what she does, it’s never enough.

Her marriage to Peter starts out fine, but over the years cracks begin to appear. Again, Cara finds herself desperately trying to please someone else. Finally, on her 40th birthday, Peter tells her he no longer finds her attractive and he wants a divorce. To rub salt in her wounds, Peter begins dating a succession of skinny, much younger women.

So, when the story opens, Cara is at her lowest point. She’s divorced, overweight, and a single mother, raising two teenage daughters with issues of abandonment resulting from the divorce. After being out of the work force for many years, she finally manages to get an entry level job at a TV station. The job is okay, but it’s not going anywhere; she’s basically a gopher – go for coffee, go for lunch – you get the picture. And then she gets the invitation to attend her high school reunion and her whole life changes.

Enter Finn Cooper, physical trainer and the hero of “The Girl Most Likely”. Finn first meets Cara at her TV station where he’s a guest on the noon hour local events show. He’s immediately attracted to her and thinks she’s beautiful just the way she is. He’s impressed with her poise and grace under fire. Not being terribly smooth with women, Finn offers Cara a coupon for a free consultation at his gym, not knowing any other way of seeing her again. Unfortunately, Cara interprets the coupon as meaning he’s only interested in her as a client, and that he thinks she’s fat.

You see, Finn doesn’t have a lot of experience with women. Up until five years ago, he was obese and unhappy. When his doctor tells him on his thirtieth birthday that he could have a heart attack before he turns forty, he completely turns around his life. He begins exercising and eating better, eventually losing one hundred and twenty-eight pounds. He changes careers as well and becomes a trainer, dedicating himself to helping others lose weight and become healthy.

When Cara comes to him for help in losing weight for her reunion, he’s thrilled. He turns his schedule, and his life, upside down to spend time with her and her daughters. It doesn’t take long before he falls head over heels in love. But Cara doesn’t feel the same way. She can’t get over him being eight years younger. How can he convince her he loves her just the way she is? And how will Cara react when she learns his secret?

Jana here. Thanks for letting me visit with you today on your blog and to talk about two of my favorite people.



Cara McLeod, the girl most likely to have the perfect marriage, is now divorced and, in her own words, “fat, frumpy, and over forty.” The thought of facing former classmates—and the ex-husband who dumped her—at her high school reunion terrifies her. Cajoled into attending by her kids and her best friend, Cara enlists help at the gym to lose weight and look great for the reunion. Personal Trainer Finn Cooper is more than willing to help—but does he have to be so to-die-for gorgeous?

Finn thinks Cara is perfect just the way she is. She’s everything he wants in a woman, except for one thing—she can’t get past the fact that he's eight years younger. To Finn, age and weight are just numbers. But can he convince Cara the numbers she worries about add up to only one thing for him—love?


Jana Richards has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to full-length paranormal suspense and romantic comedy. She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side. She believes there’s nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick.

When not writing up a storm, working at her day job as an Office Administrator, or dealing with ever present mountains of laundry, Jana can be found on the local golf course pursuing her newest hobby.

Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren, along with two university aged daughters and a highly spoiled Pug/Terrier cross named Lou.

Website: http://www.janarichards.net
Blog: http://janarichards.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jana-Richards/157005711005866