~ TUESDAY CHRISTMAS ROMANCE
STORY COLLECTION FEATURE ~
-- 'I'LL BE HOME' --
AUTHORS: SARA DAVISON,
DARLENE L. TURNER, HELENA SMRCEK
& MELANIE STEVENSON
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Welcome to the Blog Tour for I'll Be Home by Sara Davison, Darlene L. Turner, Helena Smrcek, and Melanie Stevenson, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
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About the Book
Title: I'll Be Home
Authors: Sara Davison, Darlene L. Turner, Helena Smrcek, & Melanie Stevenson
Publisher: Independent (Fab Four Press)
Release Date: October 29, 2024
Genre: Contemporary Christmas anthology
With chaos and confusion all around them, can they find their way home this Christmas?
The people in these four stories are all searching for something—an escaped convict, a job promotion from a love interest, connection to a lost parent, answers across time.
Christmas should be a time of wonder and celebration, but the obstacles each faces seem insurmountable. Even, at times, life-threatening.
Perhaps they will find what they are seeking during this season of miracles and hope. Or maybe, with God’s help, they will discover that the longing of their hearts takes them to places—and people—they didn’t even know they’d been searching for.
I’ll Be Home is a collection of four stories of faith, hope, love, (and trains) that will warm your heart, encourage your soul, and draw you home this Christmas.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
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EXCERPTS:
From "Mistletoe
and Mayhem in the Rockies" by Darlene L. Turner
Emory’s
gaze flew to Hunter’s. His contorted expression revealed the same thought as
hers.
They
still had a killer to catch.
If
they didn’t, whoever had poisoned Rose Watson would get away with it.
The
cowbell clanged, announcing breakfast.
Thirty
minutes later, after yummy pancakes, Autumn rose from the table. "Time to
get the turkey in the oven and then the kids can open their gifts."
Their
Christmas feast finished mid-afternoon after the kids enjoyed playing with
their new toys. The group had scattered to finish packing, since they were
leaving shortly.
"Sissy,
can you get me some canned peaches from the root cellar?" Autumn asked. "I
want to make a fresh peach cobbler for tonight. We’re gonna have a quiet
evening. Joel, can you get more firewood? Hunter, can you stoke the fire in the
living room? I don’t want it going out."
"Yes,
Mom." Emory saluted before walking into the hallway and snatching the coat
from the last hook. She put it on and stuffed her hands into the pockets.
And
fingered a velvet bag. Wait—what?
She
looked closer at the coat. Same dark color as hers, but not hers. Emory pulled
the bag out and opened it, dropping the contents into her hand. Pearls. A ruby
ring. An emerald necklace.
Rose
Watson’s jewelry, but whose coat was Emory wearing?
"I
wish you hadn’t done that," a sinister voice whispered.
Emory
gasped and pivoted, staring down the barrel of a shotgun.
And
into the eyes of the Double H Ranch’s killer.
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From "Love
Across Time" by Helena Smrcek
Beth took her heavy coat off the hook in
the staff room and slipped into it. It was the first day of December, and the
English winter had a bite. The damp weather seemed to burrow straight into her
bones. She picked up the remnants of her first attempt at decorating the ward
for Christmas. The men who had rushed in earlier that afternoon had knocked
over the coffee tin she used as a vase and trampled over the evergreen
branches. She’d toss them back into the woods on her way to the nurses’
accommodations and pick fresh ones as she walked to the hospital tomorrow
morning. The men in her hospital should have something festive to look at, if
only twigs and berries.
Beth
took her warm gloves out of her purse, then quietly closed the staff room door
behind her, mindful of the injured.
As
she walked to the front door, she passed the night nurse and Beth’s good
friend, Henrietta, carrying a tray of tea to the ward.
Beth
touched Henrietta’s arm. "Send for me if there is an emergency."
"It
will be a quiet night. The fog is thick today. The night bombers are grounded."
"A
good night’s sleep sounds fabulous."
"See
you in the morning," Henrietta said, her voice already weary.
They
were all tired. Exhausted. The airmen, their crews, ground personnel, support
staff, doctors, and nurses. How much longer could this go on?
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From "Where
My Heart Belongs" by Melanie Stevenson
I turn towards a coffee shop, head down to block the wind, intending to
step inside to call an Uber. I may as well have ice skates on, as I have taken
to sliding my shoes along the ground instead of actually lifting them. The last
thing I need is a concussion.
It’s in this assumed position that I skid into a post, which knocks me off
balance. I grasp it to right myself, but it’s not attached to the ground. Me,
the post, and whatever is hanging from the post tip over.
Now I’m laying prostrate in an ice puddle among, inexplicably, a barrage
of coins and bills. I lift my head to watch my suitcase skid down the hill,
bump over the sidewalk, and launch off the side of a staircase. It disappears
over the edge alongside the plastic ball of money.
Hello day of the fallen books, my old friend.
As if that isn’t bad enough, I look up and, wait for it, the snow boots
in my line of vision belong to an exceedingly tall Santa Claus who, mid-ring of
a bell dangling from his hand, is staring down at me with dazzling blue eyes.
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From "Just
a Gilbert Blythe Kind of Girl" by Sara Davison
The first rehearsal was in two hours.
How was she going to get there? Could she hitchhike?
Lucy shuddered at the thought of what
her dad—and August—would have to say about that. She did know exactly what Anne
Shirley would have to say about this situation. This is the most tragical thing
that has ever happened to me. A tear of frustration slid down her cheek and
onto the steering wheel, leaving a splotch in the dust. Like her dreams.
Crumbled to death in the dust. Her forehead still pressed to the center of the
wheel, Lucy sighed.
A soft rapping against her window yanked
her from her thoughts, and she swiped at her cheek as she straightened. August.
Lucy reached for the manual handle and lowered the glass an inch. "I’m
fine."
"Clearly." His lips twitched. "Anything
I can do?"
His amusement was not contagious. "Thank
you for your offer of assistance, Mr. Dorey, but it is not required."
He let out a short laugh. "Getting
into character already, I see." Resting a hand on the roof of the car, he
ducked a little to peer through the window. "Look. I was wrong to say this
car was worth a penny."
"Thank you," she said archly,
both hands still on the steering wheel.
"And by wrong, I mean generous."
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Also Available
About the Authors
Sara Davison is the author of The Night Guardians, The Rose Tattoo, two sparrows for a penny, and In the Shadows series, as well as the standalone, The Watcher. A finalist for more than a dozen national writing awards, including the Christy Award, Davison is a Holt Medallion, Cascade, and two-time Carol Award winner for romantic suspense. She lives in Ontario with her husband, Michael. Like every good Canadian, she loves coffee, hockey, poutine, and apologizing for no particular reason.
Connect with Sara by visiting saradavison.org to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.
Darlene L. Turner is an award-winning and a Publishers Weekly best-selling author and lives with her husband, Jeff in Ontario, Canada. Her love of suspense began when she read her first Nancy Drew book. She’s turned that passion into her writing and believes readers will be captured by her plots, inspired by her strong characters, and moved by her inspirational message.
Connect with Darlene by visiting darlenelturner.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.
Helena Smrcek is an award-winning author, screenwriter, public speaker and writing coach. She is known for her thrilling and heartwarming stories. Her career began as a high school freelancer, leading to three decades in publishing. She co-founded Write!Canada and The Word Guild and has graduated from multiple writing programs.
Connect with Helena by visiting helenasmrcek.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.
Melanie Stevenson is an award-winning author and lives in Ontario, Canada, surrounded by her husband and four children. She attended the University of Waterloo and obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts. Melanie's first book, One More Tomorrow, was shortlisted in the Word Alive Press publishing contest out of over two hundred entries across North America and was published in 2019. In 2020, she won Best Romantic Fiction for One More Tomorrow and Best New Canadian Author at The Word Awards—Canada's top Christian literary awards. Her mission is to create stories of excellence that impact hearts and lives. Paper, canvas, and dirt are her favorite blank pages.
Connect with Melanie by visiting melaniestevenson.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon card plus a paperback copy of I'll Be Home!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 29, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on November 5, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
