It is my extreme pleasure to bring back to our Spotlight Pelican Book Group's talented and prolific, Mary Manners with the debut title to her brand new, Wildflowers and Wishes series, Daffodils and Danger!
Mary’s debut novel, Mended Heart, was nominated Best Inspirational Romance and was finalist for the Bookseller’s Best Award and her follow-up, Tender Mercies, was awarded an outstanding 4 ½ star rating from The Romantic Times Book Reviews and was also a finalist for the Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Buried Treasures, her third novel, was named Book of the Year by The Wordsmith Journal. Light the Fire took top honors for the Inspirational Readers Choice Award while Wisdom Tree garnered National Excellence in Romance Fiction. Mary was named Author of the Year by Book and Trailer Showcase. She writes romances of all lengths, from short stories to novels—something for everyone.
Learn more about Mary Manners at her website: www.MaryMannersRomance.com.
Danger fails to bloom in the shadow of faith and family...
Wyatt Cutler manages to break away from family-owned Cutler Nursery--and Clover Cove—until his father perishes in a tragic accident. With no choice but to abandon his prestigious position at world-renowned Messer Dynamics and return to Clover Cove, Wyatt's only goal is to help his mother and brother, Reese, keep Cutler Nursery in business.
The laughter that surrounds Kami Moretto at her family's pizzeria has faded. Her mom is gone and, for her dad, depression has set in. With Pappy’s Pizzeria hanging on by a thread, Kami longs for days of the past and a time when her faith carried her through every storm. Across the street, she watches Wyatt scowl as he works and wonders how he can take his family—and his business—for granted when hers is in such shambles.
When tragedy strikes, Wyatt realizes he must let go of the past and cling to hope for the future; he’s in danger of losing his family, his business, and the only woman he’s truly loved.
Excerpt:
A bell over the front door chimed, signaling another customer had arrived. Conflict bit at Kami’s belly. She was thankful for the business that would help them stay afloat another week, but dragging on her feet. She prayed for the strength to make it to closing time. She couldn’t let her dad see how exhausted she felt. It would just add more worry to his already overflowing plate. She drew a deep, cleansing breath and turned toward the door. Philippians 4:13 washed over her, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’
The breath whooshed out.
“Hi, Kami. How are you today, my dear?” Hattie Cutler’s grin was contagious, but that wasn’t what stopped Kami in her tracks. It was the man at Hattie’s side—her eldest son, Wyatt Cutler. Dark and mysterious…that’s how Kami always thought of him; the most elusive of the Wyatt clan and so different from his three younger siblings.
“I’m…fine.” Kami found it hard to speak while Wyatt’s eyes, like two pieces of polished bronze, scanned the length of her. A scowl formed as a single furrow along his forehead deepened into a thin line. Dark hair tumbled over the collar of his long-sleeved navy shirt in mussed waves of rich russet. How was it possible for any human to possess such impossible good looks? Suddenly, the carafe she held weighed fifty pounds. Her hands felt weak as globs of gelatin. She swallowed hard and managed a raspy, “Hello, Wyatt.”
“Kami?” His gaze narrowed and the scowl widened as he wrestled the wobbling carafe from her. “Don’t drop this. You’ll burn yourself. Are you OK?”
“Yes, of course I’m OK.” She smoothed her French braid, grimacing at the flyaway strands that had escaped an elastic band to dance around her heated face. Dad must have turned up the thermostat against the rainy chill, because suddenly she was sweltering. The palms of her hands were slick as she snatched the carafe back from him. “And give me this. I’m perfectly capable of handling it. What’s wrong with you, Wyatt? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Do I look so different from the last time you saw me?”
“It’s been a long time, so yes…I mean, no.” He jammed his hands into the pockets of his jeans, his gaze capturing hers and holding tight. “It’s just…you’ve grown up.”
“Well, that’s a real shocker.” Frazzled nerves sizzled and popped as she swiped her free hand along the thigh of her jeans and adjusted her apron, splattered with a full day’s worth of preparing and serving meals. Her feet screamed in worn tennis shoes and her lower back cried out through a tangle of nerves. “Time does that to a person, you know.”
Looks like another winner, Mary!
Daffodils and Danger can be purchased directly from Pelican Book Group, at Amazon and B&N!
Well Friends, hope you've enjoyed this spotlight! Stay tuned next week for another Egg-cerpt exchange title on Tuesday Treasures, new Thursday Thoughts and of course another Saturday Spotlight!
Until then....take care, God Bless and remember....Live fully~laugh often~love deeply~forgive freely & you will create magic wherever you go!
Pamela S. Thibodeaux
"Inspirational with an Edge!" ™
