Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Sugarplum Dreams (The Candy Collection) Excerpt

Sugarplum Dreams


Title: Sugarplum Dreams Book Four of The Candy Collection
Authors: Michele Richard, Lisa Bilbrey, M.E. Feeney, R. E. Hargrave
Publication Date: December 2012
Publisher:  Renaissance Romance Publishing
Available Formats: Paperback and eBook
Blog Tour: Jitterbug PR

The Stories:

Broken Roads & Dusty Dreams

Riley Farris and Natalie Sloane were the best of friends who spent every summer together on the sandy beach of Mustang Island. Then, just when Riley’s getting set to spend another summer with Natalie, she disappears. As the years pass, he struggles to understand what happened to the girl he knew. Until, one night while walking on the beach, he stumbles upon a woman who is broken and lost.

Right Click, Love

Disheartened about not being able to find “Mr. Right” on the London dating scene, best friends Jodie Lynch and Louise Hewson create a blog to not only document their disastrous dates with the numerous “Mr. Wrongs” and “Mr. Okay-for-nows” but also to help those going through the same experiences and to see where they’re going wrong. How will they deal with everything the dating scene has to throw at them — planned or otherwise?

Sugar & Spice

Lacey Harrison has been dealt an unexpected hand in life: being a single mom. With her father's help and that of the residents at Royal Hills Nursing Home, she thrives and goes on to become a successful baker. She is content with her life but knows that she and her daughter Candy are missing something. Will things change for the better when Trent Childress moves into town and adds some spice to her sugar?

The Roommates

Spring break changes everything for Daphne Hobbs. A one-night stand leaves her pregnant and alone. She soon discovers that the father is an identical twin, and she's unsure of which one turned her world upside down. She’ll be forced to share her apartment with them until she can discover the truth. Julius and Jordan Sweet share everything in their lives — almost to the point of living one life. Will Daphne uncover who’s the daddy?

Excerpt from Sugar & Spice

Running down my ingredient list in my mind, I pushed the grocery cart towards the back section of the store to where the eggs were kept. I needed five dozen; then I could be on my way back to the bakery up the street. Sugar and Spice was small, but it was mine — all that I had besides my daughter Candace, who would be ten in August.

Her father had been my first, and last, crush. A dashing senior, Mark Reynolds had been the star quarterback at Union High School. I became smitten with him when I was a sixteen-year-old junior. I’d been entranced by his bright blue eyes and easy smile, which were always framed by his shaggy brown hair, and his carefree approach to life — it seemed when he smiled, things fell into place for him. Case in point: when he showed signs of struggling in History, a smile was all it took for me to offer my help. Over time, those study sessions drifted into make out sessions, and then more.

He'd seemed so sweet to my naïve self. I never questioned it when he suggested that we meet at the old library downtown — I thought he had an honest concern about the noise volume. I understood when he had practice or a game and didn't have time for “real” dates. It was exciting when he'd drive me home from the library, taking the long route through the park. In the back of my mind, I'd known his touches should not have been so exploratory, but they made me feel alive. Or so I'd thought at the time.

Our so-called relationship had continued, with secret touches in the hallways and stolen kisses under the bleachers in the spare moments before practice — kisses that always had me melting under his spell and left me blind to his rough dismissals when he'd tell me I would distract him if I stayed to watch. That spell had been shattered when I started experiencing flu symptoms that wouldn't go away, and my father took me to the doctor. Imagine both of our surprise when the doctor had come in with the news that I was going to be a mommy.

At first, my father had been crushed, thinking he had failed in raising me on his own. He berated himself, his ramblings of self-loathing revealed to me the true story behind my mother’s absence. In her opinion, she had been too young. She hadn't thought motherhood was for her – a decision she'd made in the middle of the night when I was four months old. That was the last time we'd seen or heard from her. However, once he'd had a couple of days to calm down, my father was prepared to stand at my side and help me get through it — starting with the visit to let Mark know he was going to be a daddy.

The Authors:

Lisa Bilbrey is a mom of three and has been married to her high school sweetheart since 1996. Finding a love in the written word, she started writing as a way to express herself. From the first word she wrote, she'd found her heart and soul. Always willing to learn, she's spends much of her time trying to improve as a storyteller. She's been blessed to find Michele Richard and Laura Braley, both of whom she spends hours every day writing with.

Connect with Lisa Bilbrey: Blog * Facebook * Goodreads * Twitter

M. B. Feeney is an army brat who finally settled down in Birmingham, UK with her other half, 2 kids and a dog. She's also a student teacher, a doodler and a chocoholic. Writing has been her one true love since she could spell, and publishing is the culmination of her hard work and ambition.

Connect with M. B. Feeney: Blog * Facebook * Goodreads * Twitter

Michele Richard created the Mocked series. From Mocked by Destiny to the trilogy Mocked by Faith, she writes what comes from the heart. A wife and the mother of two preteen girls, she spends her days spinning tales about what happens when what you believe in mocks your every turn.

When she’s not writing, her days are filled with her family, her bunny Geneva, and friends. Her greatest passions are learning new languages and traveling. She currently resides in the Northeastern part of the United States however; her family members live down the east coast as far as North Carolina.

She’s currently learning French and Spanish, and one day hopes to be fluent in both. Learning new things is always something she enjoys.

Connect with Michele Richard: Blog * Facebook * Goodreads * Twitter

R.E. Hargrave is a fledgling author who has always been a lover of books and now looks forward to the chance to give something back to the literary community. She lives on the outskirts of Dallas, TX with her husband and three children.

Connect with R. E. Hargrave: Website * Facebook * Goodreads * Twitter

Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Amazon and Book Depository links are affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.
Enhanced by Zemanta

2 comments:

I love hearing from you! Please share your thoughts with me :-)