Where the Heart Is
by Jennie
Marsland
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Historical
Romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
When
Rochelle McShannon moves with her father from Morgan County, Georgia to the
Yorkshire Dales, she thinks she’s leaving behind everything that matters to
her. Her mother has passed away, her twin brother is going west to avoid the
looming Civil War, and her family’s unpopular views on slavery and secession
have destroyed her relationship with the man she hoped to marry. If returning
to her father's childhood home eases his grief, Chelle asks for nothing more.
Martin
Rainnie understands grief. Since the loss of his wife in childbirth, he’s known
little else, except anger. He’s retreated to his farm and turned his back on
the world, including his baby daughter, who’s being fostered by Chelle’s
relatives. With little Leah drawing them together, Martin begins to wonder if
he can love again – and convince Chelle to do the same.
But the
war overseas has far-reaching consequences, even in a small English village.
Can Martin and Chelle overcome danger, loss, and bitterness to make a home
where the heart is?
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EXCERPT:
“I never thought I’d see this place again. What do
you think of it, lass?”
As the horse paused to breathe at the top of a
hill, Rochelle McShannon looked down on the huddle of stone buildings that made
up the village of Mallonby, her father’s childhood home. Slate roofs glistened
black from the shower that had just passed by. The sun was breaking through the
clouds now, checkering the distant dales with patches of light and dark. Out
there, a tracery of stone walls patterned the green hills. Grazing sheep showed
as moving dots on the landscape. The river Mallon wound through it all, a
shimmering ribbon in the fitful sunlight. A pretty view, Chelle had to admit,
though she missed the pines of home.
“I don’t know, Dad. Ask me when spring comes.” With
a shiver, Chelle shrugged deeper into her cloak. She’d been cold since they’d
sailed from New York. Back in Georgia, the days would be bright and warm. Her
mother’s azaleas and the white French lilac would be in bloom, perfuming the
air around the empty house. Chelle pushed the thought away with another shiver.
Could it really be only six weeks since they’d laid Maman to rest? Since the
world Chelle knew had turned upside down?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and
Links:
AUTHOR
BIO: Jennie Marsland lives in Halifax,
Nova Scotia, on Canada’s beautiful East Coast.
She has had a lifelong love affair with words and history, starting with
her family’s stories of life in Nova Scotia in earlier times. Jennie teaches
English, science and history at a local private school, and when she isn’t
writing, spends her free time cooking, gardening, playing guitar, and catering
to the whims of her two very spoiled Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers.
AUTHOR
WEBSITE(S) (list URLS):
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and
RAFFLECOPTER CODE
Jennie will be awarding a
digital copy of Where the Heart Is to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter
during the tour. Use the link below to enter.
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteGlad to be here! I'm working today, but will drop by later this afternoon to respond to comments.
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