The Jacks of Her Heart

The Jacks of Her Heart

by Virginia McCullough

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

“A pure delight! I fell in love with Jack instantly—and the storybook town of Capehart Bay.”

—Lily Silver, Author of The Rock Star Next Door

Lorna Lindstrom and Jack Young just got married in the tropics—and their grownup kids don’t like it one bit...

Mere acquaintances in their hometown of Capehart Bay, Wisconsin, Jack and Lorna turn up on the same Caribbean cruise. They soon fall victim to moonlight, champagne, and dancing—and that leads to an impulsive wedding. But now they’re back home, feeling like a couple of fools. Both agree a quick divorce is their best way out of this embarrassing predicament. Lorna’s two kids and Jack’s daughter are all for that, but their meddling prompts the stubborn newlyweds to rethink their plan.

A professional organizer, Lorna is a little too proud of her spotless home. She fell in love with Jack’s generous heart, but must he rescue every abandoned dog in town? The owner of a popular ‘60s nostalgia café, Jack feels right at home in Lorna’s bedroom, but he might as well be a stranger everywhere else in her perfect house. Suspicions that Lorna’s up-and-coming professor son-in-law is a womanizer soon pushes Jack into a different kind of rescue mission. Meanwhile, Lorna steps up and organizes her elderly father-in-law’s move and offers her support to Jack’s daughter in a crisis with baby Joanie. Too bad those classic “irreconcilable differences” appear to doom the pair, even as their kids are beginning to warm to the marriage.

Maybe sharing a couple of romantic dances on the night Jack launches his Blue Sky Nostalgia Music Festival can bring this “opposites attract duo” together again. Will Jack and Lorna decide they can find a way to make peace with their dueling quirks and have some fun with their second-chance romance?

EXCERPT: 

Lorna inched to the edge of her bed, but before sliding out, she glanced over her shoulder to watch the even rise and fall of Jack’s back under the sheet. If she rolled toward him she could reach out and rest her palm against his bare shoulder and soak up the warmth of his skin. No. The man’s warmth—on all levels—got her into this trouble in the first place. That and moonlight, and okay, since she’d started a list, she might as well add the long nights of delicious slow dancing.

Once out of bed, Lorna tiptoed to her reading chair in the corner, retrieving her bra and panties from the floor along the way. Then she pulled the throw off the back of the chair and wrapped it around herself like a towel. Only dim light seeped through the closed blinds, but she felt around the floor and came up with the silk shirt and slacks she’d worn on the flight home the night before. With her clothes draped over her arm, she stepped around the open suitcase blocking the way to her bedroom door. She reached for the doorknob, ready to escape, but took a last look at the scene she was about to leave behind.   

A trail of jeans, a sport jacket, and a dark blue shirt led straight to the mound in the bed named Jack Young, age fifty-two, noteworthy only because, by coincidence, she and Jack were mere months apart in age.   

Loathing messes as she did, it took all Lorna’s strength not to grab the two half-empty glasses and the champagne bottle that sat as accusers on her nightstand. She slipped into the hallway and shut the door behind her. Home free—more or less. Leaning against the wall, she closed her eyes and exhaled a long breath to quiet her jittery stomach. It worked for a second or two. Next step, get to June’s house as fast as her legs would carry her there.

Lorna brushed her teeth and dressed quickly in her guest bathroom before grabbing her winter jacket off the hook in the kitchen. She escaped through her back door and jogged down the slope of her yard that led to the footpath bordering the lake, the fastest route to June’s house.

She maneuvered around the muddy patches and pools of water left behind from last night’s rain. The dampness left the April morning air fragrant with the promise of spring. Lacking a breeze to disturb it, the lake perfectly mirrored the trees and houses lining the water’s edge. In the stillness, the sounds of a barking dog and children’s voices carried across the water from the opposite shore. A mere day ago, she’d been more than a thousand miles away, tilting her face toward the sun and sighing from happiness as sultry tropical air caressed her skin. She and Jack had made love to the nearly imperceptible rhythm of the cruise ship, dodging any talk of what they’d do when they arrived back home in Wisconsin. 

What a disaster. Maybe she’d try to make light of their escapade. After all, Jack was a decent man, a really great guy, if also thoroughly unsuitable for her. He also had a terrific sense of humor. Maybe they could have a good hoot over their silly mistake. “Isn’t this the funniest thing?” she could say while trilling in a charming sort of way. Ha ha, titter titter. She could hold out her hand in a gesture of friendship. “What do you say? We figure out the easiest way to put this embarrassing little episode behind us?” More light-hearted laughter.

At last June’s white frame cottage came into view. Lorna hurried up the stone path and through the picture window spotted her friend standing at her kitchen table with a tall pile of laundry in front of her. Lorna waved to get her attention and when June looked up her face broke into a welcoming smile.

“Come in, come in,” June said after she’d opened the door and with a sweeping gesture invited Lorna inside. “I hoped you’d come over this morning. Help yourself to coffee and tell me all about your exciting cruise while I make my way through my boring laundry basket.”

Shrugging out of her jacket, Lorna peered around the corner of the kitchen into the hallway looking for any sign of June’s nine-year-old. “Is Bonnie gone?”

“The school bus picked her up a little while ago. Why?”

“I want to be sure we’re alone.” Lorna surveyed the table, with the laptop and a pile of fat file folders and legal pads at one end and the heap of laundry at the other. A full basket of clothes sat on the floor. “You’re really busy. I could come back later.”

“Don’t be silly,” June said, shaking out a crumpled bath towel. “This is laundry, not legal analysis.” 

Lorna filled a mug from the carafe and went back to the table. Then she drew in a breath. “I’ve done something really stupid.”

June’s eyes narrowed. “Sit down and tell me about it.”

Lorna made a fast decision to blurt it out. “I got married. To Jack Young. In the Dominican Republic…”

A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR:

1.What's the best and worst part of being an author?

Since I’ve been a writer all my adult life, for me, financial insecurity was always the worst part of being a writer. Oh, when I think about the negative voices that told me I’d never earn a fulltime income as a writer—it couldn’t be done! But I had a great business advisor who believed in me and emotional support from many quarters helped me make that happen—and prove the naysayers wrong. I found niche markets in nonfiction writing, including clients who were doctors and professional speakers and needed help with books, and that’s how I became a ghostwriter/editor and writing coach. Now, many years later, I’m pursuing my dream of writing novels. The best part of writing is the pleasure it brings me, and it’s allowed me to be independent and work for myself. I’m one of the lucky people who really loves to write!

2.Which book of yours is your favorite? Why

The Jacks of Her Heart is my current favorite, because I’m immersed in it, and I so enjoyed the ‘60s and ‘70s nostalgia theme and the idea of passion and chemistry between two fiftyish people. My other books certainly include humor—and lots of it—but they tend to focus on more serious topics of loss and crisis. My books all deal with hope, healing, and plenty of second chances. But The Jacks of Her Heart starts from a lighter-side premise of this couple’s impulsive marriage in the tropics. Seduced by moonlight and dancing and love and romance, they have to come home and “face the music.” 

3.What are your favorite authors in the genre that you write?

Now that’s an easy question. I’ve been reading Barbara Delinsky, Nancy Thayer, and Luanne Rice for years and years. Barbara O’Neal, Karen White, Cassandra King, Susan Wiggs, Diane Chamberlain, and Erin Hilderbrand came along, too, and I so enjoy what they bring to what I would call women’s fiction, or family drama/love stories, and sometimes romance.

4.Which of your characters is most like you?

I suppose I’d have to say that Lindsey Foster in Greta’s Grace is most like me—she jumps in without looking first, and sometimes speaks up without thinking. But she’s also a professional speaker and gives presentations about the power of women’s stories and friendships, areas that interest me. Like me, her work is important to her, and she has another trait I share—she’s curious and wants information about things, even if they aren’t any of her business. She’s physically a bit like me—but I gave her thick wavy hair, the kind I envy! (The digital edition of Greta’s Grace is currently the first book in a boxset called “Women of Today,” available on amazon.com. The print edition is available widely through online retailers.)

PLAY LIST:

The Jacks of Her Heart is a lighthearted story about finding love, the second time around. The romantic lead in this story is Jack, a laidback café owner who loves the nostalgia of music popular in the sixties and seventies. Listening to these songs provided great inspiration while I was writing the book, and they served as namesakes for the menu items in Jack’s café. Listing—or sing—along with these classic tunes.

California Dreamin’ (John Phillips, Michelle Phillips, 1965)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/california-dreaming/id160595564?i=160595610

Happy Together (The Turtles, 1967)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/happy-together/id79087172?i=79087150

Forever Young (Bob Dylan, 1974)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/forever-young/id181458392?i=181458740

Black Magic Woman (Peter Green, 1968, cover, Carlos Santana, 1970)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/black-magic-woman/id265816081?i=265816708

Wild Thing (Chip Taylor, cover, The Troggs, 1966)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/wild-thing/id5519761?i=5519739

Love Me Tender (Elvis Presley, 1956)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/love-me-tender/id217633715?i=217634062

Scarborough Fare (Traditional, cover, Simon & Garfunkle, 1966)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/scarborough-faire/id487969609?i=487969614

Knocking on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan, 1973)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/knockin-on-heavens-door/id157451373?i=157451710

Nights in White Satin (Justin Hayward, cover Moody Blues, album, Days of Future Passed, 1967)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/nights-in-white-satin-single/id50973?i=50942

Going to the Chapel (J. Barry, E. Greenwich, P. Spector, cover, The Dixie Cups, 1964)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/going-to-the-chapel/id778417979?i=778417997

Woodstock (Joni Mitchell, 1970)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/woodstock/id217611592?i=217611673

Mellow Yellow (Donovan, 1966)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mellow-yellow/id388255900?i=388255993

Brown-eyed Girl (Van Morrison, 1967)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/brown-eyed-girl-single-version/id171111560?i=171111572

Roses are Red (Al Byron and Paul Evans, cover, Bobby Vinton, 1962)

Forever Young (Bob Dylan, 1974)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/forever-young/id181458392?i=181458740

A Whiter Shade of Pale (Keith Reid, Procol Harum, 1972)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/a-whiter-shade-of-pale/id389238?i=389236

Sweet Surrender (John Denver, 1974)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sweet-surrender/id216424764?i=216426228

Peaceful, Easy Feeling  (Jack Tempchin, cover, The Eagles album, 1972)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/peaceful-easy-feeling/id635829435?i=635829534

Chelsea Morning  (Joni Mitchell, 1968, cover, Judy Collins album “Living,” 1971

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/chelsea-morning/id74769392?i=74769080

Here Comes the Sun (George Harrison, 1965)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/here-comes-the-sun/id401186200?i=401187150

Good Vibrations (Brian Wilson and Mike Love; The Beach Boys album, All Summer Long, 1964)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/good-vibrations/id794095053?i=794095205

Strawberry Fields Forever (John Lennon, 1967)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/strawberry-fields-forever/id400835735?i=400835740

I’m Into Something Good (Gerry Goffin and Carole King, cover, Herman’s Hermits, 1965)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/im-into-something-good/id76535832?i=76535836

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

A lifelong writer, Virginia McCullough has coauthored or ghostwritten over 100 books for doctors, therapists, lawyers, professional speakers, and many others. Her other award-winning novels include Amber Light, Greta’s Grace, The Chapels on the Hill, and Island Healing. The Jacks of her Heart is Book 1 of her Capehart Bay series. Asked to sum up the themes of her fiction, she says her books are all about hope, healing, and plenty of second chances.

Website:  http://www.virginiamccullough.com/

Newsletter:  http://virginiamccullough.us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?

u=e79f425dc656ab237e3bb869e&id=51f9f1aead

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/virginia.mccullough.7?fref=ts

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/VEMcCullough

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/468913.Virginia_McCullough?from_search=true

Virginia will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Use the link before to enter. You can find her other stops at http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2015/05/vbt-jacks-of-her-heart-by-virginia.html

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Violet Crow

THE VIOLET CROW

by Michael Sheldon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

How do you solve the ultimate mystery, where the murder victim has no identity and there’s no physical evidence? You go psychic—deep psychic—and hire Bruno X. Sure, you’re going to have to put up with some Yiddish trash talk and recycled borsht belt shtick. But he’s the only one who can who can stop the crime spree in the ordinarily placid Quaker community of Gardenfield, New Jersey.

Follow Bruno X in Michael Sheldon's fictional debut, THE VIOLET CROW as he fends off rabid journalists and feckless politicians; untangles webs of deceit in Professor Littlejohn’s Deviant Behavior 101 class; reveals why the Quakers are still fighting over decades-old military medical experiments; and finally, uncovers the secrets of the biotechnology firm whose symbol is The Violet Crow.

EXCERPT:

Introducing Gardenfield and Chief Buddy Black

The borough of Gardenfield is home to some 35,000 peaceful souls nestled in the friendly confines marked by Tiny’s Package Store to the north, the J. Kilmer Pub to the east, Lillian’s Tavern to the south, and the Tiki Lounge to the west. A Philadelphia suburb, it is a prosperous community with colonial roots and a variety of pretensions, including a prohibition on the sale of alcoholic beverages within Gardenfield proper. In fact, thirsty Gardenfielders simply have to drive past the town limits on any of the major roads, in order to enjoy a beer or a cocktail.

Buddy Black was not a drinking man by habit. Nor was he averse to dropping by a tavern from time to time, to see what the locals were up to and let off some steam after work. Tonight he made a beeline for Lillian’s. It had been a while. Lillian greeted him at the door. Rail thin and dyed blond, she appeared to be in her 60s and to subsist on nothing but whisky, cigarettes, and conversation. She welcomed Buddy with a hug. “Hi, hon. Nice to see you again. She’s expecting you.”

“How could she be expecting me? I only decided to come here 10 minutes ago.”

“We read the papers, too, y’know.”

“I’m that predictable…?” The Chief freed himself from Lil’s embrace and headed for the bar. “Daisy, did you really know I’d come here tonight?”

The woman behind the bar was dressed in tight jeans and a low-cut flower-print top. She was busy polishing a wine glass, and didn’t look up until she’d finished her task. Then she flashed a smile that was warmer than Lil’s rather spectral hug. “Buddy! I haven’t seen you since—what?—Bay of Pigs. It’s about time you came to see me.” Without asking she opened a bottle of Rolling Rock and set it down in front of the Chief.

Michael was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Haddonfield, New Jersey. His father was a dentist, which accounts for his sense of humor. His mother, a Jewish mother without peer, instilled in him the idea that the world doesn’t owe you a living—and a love of raw oysters and dry martinis. His training in the craft of storytelling came from reading the masters beginning with Chaucer and Rabelais, through Sterne, to MacDonald and Westlake.

http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Sheldon/e/B002ONJDVI

https://www.libertyislandmag.com/creator/misheldon/home.html

http://msheldon.com/

https://twitter.com/TheVioletCrow

BUY Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Violet-Crow-Psychic-Detective-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00XKJA9FY/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-violet-crow-michael-sheldon/1121924355?ean=9781504014090

Michael is giving away a $10 Amazon/B&N gift certificate to one lucky commenter. Use the rafflecopter link below to enter. You can see his tour stops at http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2015/06/book-blast-violet-crow-by-michael.html?zx=b9cf5807b26bf41b

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Snippet Sunday and Weekend Writing Warriors

Welcome to Snippet Sunday and Weekend Writing Warriors, your chance to sample the work of a talented group of authors. When you finish here, you can find more excerpts at:

http://wewriwa.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnippetSunday/

I'm sharing excerpts from Return Engagement. To recap, my hero and heroine meet on a beach ten years after his father a powerful senator broke them up. They've had hot dogs at the beach and gone to a carnival where he won her a stuffed cat. In spite of the fact that she's engaged to another man, the attraction between them is as strong as ever. We pick up where we left off last week.

“You are so sweet,” she declared, giving him a warm smile.

“I don’t believe it! Is that what I get for winning the cat? Sweet? I don’t want to be sweet.” 

Ignoring the crowds of people all around them, he jerked her close which made her breath leave her in a little woof. “I want to be your lover. I want you to say I’m sexy and that you want me. I can’t believe you think I’m sweet.”

Elizabeth willingly threw both discretion and Alex to the wind.  

Saturday Sample: Blue 52

Welcome to Saturday Sample. I'm continuing today where I left off last week in Blue 52. If you'd like to read last week's post to refresh your memory, you can find it here. Basically, we've learned that the senator's son Richard was the President of the US. He and his wife are dead, and their bodies will have to be relocated because a high tech train line needs to go through the cemetery. We also learned that the senator has arthritis. Here we go with that excerpt. We are in the senator's point of view.

Richard Henry Lovinggood III, Hank to his family and friends, entered the study and gave his grandmother a kiss. “Hey, Grandma. What’s wrong with you?”

The senator’s heart gave a little leap. He looked so much like Richard! Tall and well-built with blond hair and beautiful blue eyes, he turned feminine heads everywhere he went. The expression in his eyes was different, though. Richard had burned within, but Hank had a peaceful, calm center. Elaine always said it was probably a legacy from his cursed mother because he sure didn’t get it from Richard’s side of the family. She was undoubtedly right about that.

Senator Lovinggood joined them in front of the fire. His old bones liked the warmth. “She’s upset because Morton Williams called today.”

“And?”

“Your parents will be disinterred on the twenty-third. We have to make arrangements.”

“I see.”

Senator Lovinggood blew his nose, the honking sound reverberating around the room. “Do you have any ideas about where you want to put them, Hank?”

“I do. I knew you couldn’t block the train forever, so I’ve been looking around. I visited a very nice cemetery this afternoon. Have you ever heard of Crystal Rivers?”

Elaine shook her head. “No. Where is it?”

“It’s about thirty minutes from here. It’s not a new cemetery, but it’s beautiful as far as cemeteries go.”

Elaine shrugged. “One place is as good as another.”

“If it isn’t a new cemetery, is there enough room for us to be buried there as well?” Senator Lovinggood worried.

“Yes, sir, there is. They’re willing to set aside an entire block of spaces for us.”

Senator Lovinggood’s face smoothed out. “Good. If you like it, Hank, that’s what we’ll do. Do you want to call Williams, or do you want me to? I know you don’t know him, so I’ll be glad to take care of it for you.”

“I’ll call him, Grandpa.”

Elaine cocked her head and stared at Hank. “Why have you decided to call Williams? You always tell Henry to take care of things like this.”

“Oh, no reason.” His eyes rested on the photo on the desk. “It’s just something I can do for Mother and Dad.”

Senator Lovinggood blew his nose again and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. “I know exactly how you feel. I’d give my right arm for the chance to help Richard one more time.”

Hank kissed his grandmother’s cheek. “Don’t worry, Grandma. It’ll be over and done with before you know it. Just think how proud Dad would be. His administration laid the groundwork for the Flash Train.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

The senator’s chest swelled with pride. “I’m proud of it too. The Flash Train can travel over three hundred fifty miles per hour.”

Hank rose to his feet. “I want to change clothes before dinner. I’ll see you guys in a minute.”

He dropped a kiss on his grandmother’s cheek and dashed upstairs.
“Just like Richard used to do,” Senator Lovinggood observed.

“Richard didn’t always change before dinner,” Elaine disagreed.

“No. Run up the stairs. Richard used to do that too.”

Elaine rolled her eyes. “I think I’ll change for dinner too.”

“You look fine to me.”

“No, I feel like changing.”

The senator shrugged. “I’m fine as I am.”

Elaine shot him a look he couldn’t define. “If you say
so.”

Really! Now what did she mean by that? 

Blue 52 is the sequel to Return Engagement. I'm sharing excerpts from that on Sundays if you'd care to take a look. Blue 52 is for sale at Amazon and http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com

Fashionista Friday

Glam Pink by irina-ny featuring round sunglasses

Zara pink tank top
zara.com

Abercrombie & Fitch skinny pants
abercrombie.com

Nicholas Kirkwood sandals
lanecrawford.com

Michael kors purse
macys.com

Charlotte Russe black choker
charlotterusse.com

Tory Burch tech accessory
toryburch.com

Tom Ford round sunglasses
sunglasshut.com

I Want To Be Like Beverly Cleary

Beverly Cleary doesn't write romance. She's a children's author so why would a romance writer want to be like her? Simple. This lady can flat out write. When she does a story, her characters are so true to life that you'll think you're old friends with them.

The first Cleary book I ever read as a child was Ellen Tebbits. As a fourth or fifth grader, I totally identified with Ellen. Years later when I re-read the book as an adult, I was awed by her skill and ability to get into the mind and emotions of children. In my opinion, few authors have surpassed her.

Creating memorable characters is my goal as well. I don't want stereotypical, flat characters whether they're villains or heroes. I want to be like Cleary and people my novels with characters people will remember their whole lives.

My latest hero is a WWE style wrestler who bought an old, falling down house that people say is haunted. There's no windows in the house, and it's early spring so he wears a red sweat suit with a dalmatian head on the shirt. He also wears slipper socks and is in the witness protection program.

Will this guy be as memorable as Ellen Tebbits? I don't know yet, but I have a super example to follow as I perfect my craft.

The cover is the first edition cover.