Welcome to this stop in the
One More Second Chance
Release Day Blitz,
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For my stop, I'm featuring an
excerpt with mini-review!
There's also a BBT giveaway!!
One More Second Chance
Jana Richards
Digital Edition, 255 pages
The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
February 6, 2015
Contemporary Romance, Social Justice
Dr. Alex Campbell has an agenda—finish his contract to provide medical
services in Maine, pay off his medical school debt, and head back to his
real life in San Diego. But when he meets Julia, all his carefully laid
plans are put in jeopardy. Julia Stewart, Lobster Cove’s high school
principal, swears she’ll never let another man drag her away from the
home she loves. Her aging parents need her, and the Cove is where she
wants to raise her daughter. When her mother’s illness brings her and
the big city doctor closer together, panic sets in. Her marriage taught
her men don’t stay. Can she put aside the heartaches of the past and
trust Alex enough to accept the love he’s offering? Or will her fear of
abandonment mean she’ll send him away forever?
The following excerpt of this novel caught my attention right away, holding it until the very end. In fact, I wanted to have the book already, so I could continue what is clearly a very compelling story! With terse dialogue and a minimum of description, Richards has skillfully told us a lot about her two main characters. For instance, I think it's very clear that Dr. Campbell has been abused himself, and this has been a factor in his having become a doctor. As for Julia Stewart, she sounds like a workaholic, someone who deals with emotional pain through work, someone who might be prone to denial of obvious clues....
Their dialogue not only reveals their personalities and motivations, but also sets up the story.
I also get a clear picture of the two of them, fiercely defending their own positions.
It takes a very talented author to immerse a reader in their story, in just a few short paragraphs!
Another thing I like about the book is that it raises awareness of the important issue of child abuse, which is often ignored until much too late....
Ms. Richards has penned a novel I most definitely want to read, as soon as I possibly can!
Their dialogue not only reveals their personalities and motivations, but also sets up the story.
I also get a clear picture of the two of them, fiercely defending their own positions.
It takes a very talented author to immerse a reader in their story, in just a few short paragraphs!
Another thing I like about the book is that it raises awareness of the important issue of child abuse, which is often ignored until much too late....
Ms. Richards has penned a novel I most definitely want to read, as soon as I possibly can!
“What did the
x-ray find?” she asked.
“A spiral fracture
of the right arm.” He paused for a moment and took a deep breath as if trying
to control his emotions. “I’ve seen this kind of injury before. A fracture like
this can be the result of a fall, but it can also be an indication of child
abuse. An arm as small as Ava’s will break like a twig if it’s twisted hard
enough. I’m obligated to contact the authorities if I suspect abuse.”
Julia stared at
him in mute shock, her brain struggling to process his words, as if trying to
translate some unintelligible language. The words 'child abuse' rang in her ears.
Finally she found her voice.
“You think
someone deliberately hurt her?”
“Her injuries
are consistent with abuse.”
“I don’t give a
damn what they’re consistent with. Ava has not been mistreated. My mother said
she fell down the stairs, and if that’s what she said, then that’s what
happened.”
“I believe
there’s more to the story than a simple fall.”
“If it comes
down to believing you or believing my mother, I’m going with my mother.”
“Perhaps you
don’t know your mother as well as you think you do.”
Julia sucked in
a breath and stared into Dr. Campbell’s dark, accusing eyes. The idea that her
mother would hurt Ava was ridiculous. She adored Ava, would do anything for
her…
She blinked and
looked away, remembering an incident the other day. She’d heard her yelling at
Ava about the milk she’d spilled on the kitchen floor, making such a huge deal
of it that Ava had cried. It had struck her as strange, since she couldn’t
remember her mother yelling at anyone, ever. She wasn’t as patient as she used
to be. And how did she explain her strange phone call telling her Ava had been
hurt? Of course she’d been upset, but her mother had been nearly incoherent
with distress. Was something going on she wasn’t aware of? She was seventy-one
now. Maybe looking after a rambunctious five-year-old was too much for her.
No. She shook
her head to reject the disloyal thought. Dr. Campbell was the one who was
wrong.
“I know my
mother. She didn’t do this. It was an accident.”
“We’ll soon find
out. Sharon is questioning Ava now.”
Julia stared at
the door. “She’ll be scared, all by herself.”
“Sharon’s very
good at what she does. She has a way of making kids feel comfortable.”
Julia turned on
him, the anger and despair she’d been holding inside spilling out. “And you? Do
you enjoy upsetting five-year-olds and turning families’ lives upside down?
Does it make you feel powerful to sic the authorities on us?”
“Look, Mrs.
Stewart, I take no pleasure in bringing in the authorities. But I’ve seen child
abuse, up close and personal, and I can tell you it’s damn ugly. The things
parents and caregivers are capable of doing to defenseless children…”
He stopped
abruptly, his chest heaving. Closing his eyes, he averted his face and took a
deep breath. When he turned back to her, his steely control was back in place.
“So yeah, if I have even the smallest suspicion that a child has been abused,
I’m going to ask questions. And I’m not going to apologize for it.”
Purchase Links
Digital Edition
Amazon US/Amazon UK
Amazon CA
Barnes & Noble
Paperback Edition
Amazon US
When Jana Richards read her first
romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories
running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily-ever-after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s
never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance,
romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths
ranging from short story to
full-length novel.
Just for fun, she throws in
generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the paranormal. Her
paranormal romantic suspense, Seeing Things, was a 2008 EPPIE finalist.
In her life away from writing,
Jana is an accountant/admin. assistant, a mother to two grown daughters, and a
wife to her husband Warren. She enjoys golf, yoga, movies, concerts, travel and
reading, not necessarily in that order. She and her husband live in Winnipeg,
Canada with their Pug/Terrier cross, "Lou", and several unnamed goldfish.
Website/Blog/Facebook/Twitter
Goodreads Author Page
Amazon Author Page
Google + Profile
Newsletter Signup
Be sure to enter the AWESOME,
Bewitching Book Tours giveaway!!!
Website/Blog/Facebook/Twitter
Goodreads Author Page
Amazon Author Page
Google + Profile
Newsletter Signup
Be sure to enter the AWESOME,
Bewitching Book Tours giveaway!!!
