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EXCERPT CHAPTER 3 - RUSSELL'S RETURN

Harper's Rock perhaps?

Russell was so taken aback by Miranda’s calm behavior that he didn’t hear delicate footsteps approaching until they were right next to him and he heard the voice calling his daughter’s name. His heart started racing, a million emotions flashed through his mind and that ever annoying sense of doom was there too, albeit briefly. Emily Zane had indeed shown up for the picnic. Russell hadn’t seen her since their kiss over a week ago, but she didn’t look like she was holding it against him now. He felt oddly relieved even though he shouldn’t care one bit. Their delicious, passionate kiss was a mistake never to be repeated.

“Hello Miranda, how are you today?” The little girl dropped her book and hurried to give her school counselor a hug. Emily returned it. “Hello Russell.”

“Emily,” he nodded his greeting to her. He wasn’t sure what else to do, he felt like a school kid whose crush had just found out he liked her. But that couldn’t be right because he didn’t like her, he’d just been momentarily physically attracted to her. Russell Harper wasn’t capable of liking or even loving anyone right now. His daughter was his life and there was no room in it for anyone else.

“Miss Emily, can you have a picnic with us, please.” Miranda looked adoringly up at her new favorite person.

“I’m here with my mom sweetheart. We have our own picnic, but I think we’ll be setting up real close to you, right over there.” She pointed not two feet away. “I bet after lunch you could come over to my spot and have some of my mom’s famous chocolate chip cookies with me.”

“I guess I could do that,” was her quiet response. No tantrum though so all was well. Miranda skipped back over to her spot on their blanket and picked up her book again.

“She seems to be doing well,” Emily stated as she was spreading her blanket on the ground.

“She is. Here, let me help you,” Russell leapt up and grabbed one side of the blanket to help her get it spread out evenly. “She still has a multitude of problems, but she seems to have evened out a bit. There aren’t so many ups and downs.

“I’m so glad. I think she is actually starting to like school and that makes a world of difference.

“It does,” he agreed as he watched a tiny blond woman of about sixty walk up beside Emily and grab her hand.

“Oh, Russell Harper, this is my mother Margaret Zane, I don’t know if you remember her.”

He held his hand out to the pleasant looking woman. “Let’s see, Margaret Zane, ER nurse extraordinaire, helped me through a broken arm, a bloody nose, a sprained ankle and many other childhood mishaps.” He ticked the incidents off on his fingers one by one. “How are you Mrs. Zane?”

“Please, call me Margaret, and I’m just fine. How are you?”

“I’m good ma’am, all in one piece and have been for quite a while. Sweetie, come here,” he called to his daughter. “This is my daughter Miranda, Miranda this is Mrs. Zane, Miss Emily’s mother.” The little girl looked at her feet and mumbled a hello.

“It’s nice to meet you Miranda,” the woman said with a smile. Thank goodness Margaret Zane had kept it short and sweet so Russell could let his daughter sit down and read again.

“Well Emily, Margaret, it was great to see you, but my little one is probably getting hungry so I’d better go see about feeding her. Enjoy your picnic.” He turned to walk back to where Miranda was.

“You too Russell,” Emily smiled.

Her voice made his heart skip what seemed like a hundred beats and his hands shook the whole time he was setting out the dishes for their mini feast. Russell worked diligently to get all of their food put out and the two plates filled with fried chicken, his mom’s famous potato salad, garden fresh veggies and baked beans.

“Mind if I join you after all?”

Russell’s heart was doing that strange skipping thing again as he looked up into her eyes. He quickly looked away so she couldn’t work her evil magic on him again.

EXCERPT CHAPTER 2 - RUSSELL'S RETURN

Hi there everybody! Here is a sneak peek at chapter two of Russell's Return that TA and I hope to have out soon! As always this excerpt is unedited but still will be enjoyable. This book is about Russell Harper who returns to his home town with his troubled daughter. But then he runs into the girl who used to crush on his best friend. She's all grown up and living in Harper's Rock again. Well, needless to say, the sparks really fly...Oh and did I mention that she is the School Counselor at his daughter's new school???? Stay tuned!!!

Russell couldn’t help but think that maybe their move had been a good idea after all. He wondered if he even needed to warn the school counselor about Miranda’s behavioral quirks like he’d planned to do. Maybe he could just get a hold of Emily Zane and see if she could work with Miranda to try to keep her on an even keel. She was a counselor after all and probably had a practice somewhere downtown. He even made it all the way to his vehicle before he turned around and went back to the school’s main office. The thought of Emily Zane becoming a regular part of their lives was a bit too much for his brain, and his body, to comprehend. Ms. Zane went from a wild, skinny, slightly crazy teenager to a beautiful, curvy, sexy grown up. He just couldn’t go there. Ever.

Russell and Emily

The school office was a madhouse. Parents, teachers, and staff members were mingling around and Russell didn’t know if he would ever get someone’s attention. “Excuse me,” he tried to flag down one of the secretaries.

“Just a moment sir.” She stopped at one of the desks then she left the room

One moment turned to five or six before someone acknowledged him. “Can I help you sir?” It was, he assumed, the principal’s secretary.

“Yes, I really need to speak with the counselor about my daughter please.”

“She’s with another parent. If you would care to have a seat, she shouldn’t be much longer.”

“Thanks.” Russell took a seat to wait while the place slowly cleared out. Parents did what they needed to do and left. Teacher’s headed out to start classes. And he was finally left alone with the school’s two secretaries.

Harper's Rock, WY

Russell picked up a magazine to leaf through and was amazed to see that they could get a full publication written on the state of education in today’s world. When he looked up, proud of himself for finishing a whole article without falling asleep, his eyes rested on one very beautiful redhead. One very familiar redhead with amazing soft green eyes, happy on the surface and sad underneath. Emily Zane was standing directly in front of him with her hand stretched out. His heart skipped a beat. But not from surprise, it was more likely lust induced.

“Hi.” She had that bright smile that did justice to all of her years of dental torture. “I hear you needed to see me.”

Russell stood up and took her hand in both of his for a warm shake. Despite his misgivings about seeing her again, he was suddenly happy that she was standing there in front of him. “I had no idea that when you said Licensed Counselor, you meant School Counselor.”

COVER REVEAL - COMING DOWN BY CARRIE ELKS!!!

Coming: September 24, 2014

Twenty-eight-year-old Beth Lawrence finally has her life back on track. A job she loves, a wealthy husband and a beautiful home are a far cry from the tragedy that struck when she was nineteen. But now that her past seems firmly behind her, an old flame walks back into her life. Bringing back painful memories of a time she's worked hard to forget, reviving a passion she tried to bury years before.

Niall Joseph is an up-and-coming artist, recently returned from success in America. Volunteering to teach in an inner-city drug clinic, the last person he expects to see is the girl who broke his heart nine years earlier. Working closely together allows their old wounds to heal, forging a deeper connection between them. One that slowly starts to burn.

As she becomes tangled up with a neglected child and her drug-addict mother, Beth finds herself drawn to Niall. But neither of them can anticipate how hard it is to tread the thin line between friendship and desire.

“What’s your name?”
“Beth.”
“Are you a student here?”
His question makes me roll my eyes. I’ve been following him and his friends around like a devoted puppy for the best part of my first year. Not that he’s ever noticed. He’s always too busy. Painting. Smoking. Looking beautiful. He’s good at all these things. I know, I’ve studied him like he’s my favourite subject.
“Art History,” I say.
“One of the thinkers.” He gives me a smile. It’s wicked and dirty and makes me want to lick his lips. “Do you paint?”
“No.”
“Shame. Do you model?”
I blush at this one. “No.”
“You should. Come and model for me. I want to paint you.” His words slur but his voice is still seductive and lyrical. Somewhere, far beneath my high, I know he’s spinning me a line.
I bite, nonetheless.
“I’m not pretty enough.”
“Yes you are.”
“Or interesting enough.”
He pulls me closer, his erection digging into my hip. “Yes you are.”
My heart starts to hammer against my chest. This is Niall Joseph holding me. I made Niall Joseph get hard. I don’t think about the drugs or the rain or the fact he’s ignored me all year. I’m too worked up for that.
“I want to kiss you.” He murmurs it softly. Then he presses his lips to my forehead. My skin feels like it’s burning. Hot and fevered. This time, the rain does nothing to cool it down.
“Okay.” I’m almost breathless. He drags his mouth down to my jaw, peppering my skin with kisses.
“You fucking taste like rain, too.”

Carrie Elks lives near London, England and writes contemporary romance with a dash of intrigue. At the age of twenty-one she left college with a political science degree, a healthy overdraft and a soon-to-be husband. She loves to travel and meet new people, and has lived in the USA and Switzerland as well as the UK. An avid social networker, she tries to limit her Facebook and Twitter time to stolen moments between writing chapters. When she isn’t reading or writing, she can usually be found baking, drinking wine or working out how to combine the two.

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EXCERPT CHAPTER 1 - RUSSELL'S RETURN - A HARPER'S ROCK ROMANCE

Hi there everybody! Here is a sneak peek at chapter one of Russell's Return that TA and I hope to have out soon! As always this excerpt is unedited but still will be enjoyable. This book is about Russell Harper who returns to his home town with his troubled daughter. But then he runs into the girl who used to crush on his best friend. She's all grown up and living in Harper's Rock again. Well, needless to say, the sparks really fly...Oh and did I mention that she is the School Counselor at his daughter's new school???? Stay tuned!!!

Despite the late hour the sun was still shining on Harper‘s Rock Wyoming. This was usually Russell Harper‘s favorite time of day in late summer. All the colors of the world around him were rich and deep and tranquil. He should be feeling peaceful, at ease with himself and the world around him. But not today. Today he felt as if he were about to suffocate.

“Okay Miranda, what do you think? This is where your ol’ dad grew up.” Russell peeked at the rear view mirror into the perpetually sad brown eyes of his nine year old daughter as they made their way down the main drag of Harper‘s Rock, Wyoming, population 6,114 at last count. Only one hundred more people than when Russell left town sixteen years ago.

If ever there was a picture perfect small western town, this was it. The cars that were parked along Main Street actually looked out of place; horses tied to the posts that lined the sidewalks would perhaps have looked more appropriate. Mom and Pop businesses, most with apartments above, dotted the streets throughout the oldest parts of town. Any newer structures were just outside of town, still on Main Street, but far enough away not to interfere with the aura of the perfect small western settlement.

“That’s the grocery store over there, the big brown building with the blue awning. The second story is an apartment where your Uncle Logan lives.” Russell made an attempt at a contented sigh to help emphasize the statement he was about to make. “That store has always had a fresh bakery that makes the most amazing donuts you've ever eaten, and I know you love donuts. We could probably even get a discount since Uncle Logan owns the store now.”

Complete silence enveloped them and another peek in the rear view told Russell that his beautiful, highly intelligent daughter was looking in the opposite direction, paying him and his ramblings absolutely no attention. Her favorite food and favorite uncle hadn’t worked to break the long silence of their two day trip from Las Vegas to Harper‘s Rock. His shoulders sagged as he realized he would have to try something else. Something involving another of her favorite things maybe, but for the life of him he didn’t know… and then he saw it. “Over there is the hardware store. Grandma says they still have a toy section to rival any big city toy store. Maybe we could stop by later. What is it you’re into now, you know, those little talking Critters? Didn‘t they just come out with a new one?”

But not even the promise of a new toy got him a response from the back seat. So it was on to the next landmark. And he knew the perfect one. Just six buildings down from the hardware store was her favorite place on earth. “Do you see the red brick building over there next to the feed store? That’s the library. I bet you’ll be spending a lot of time there huh? Grandma even said she’ll take you to get a library card after school tomorrow!” If that didn’t get him a response, nothing would. His daughter absolutely loved libraries and books. She had two tall bookcases packed full, or at least she would again once they were unpacked. And her collection seemed to grow pretty quickly. His wallet was glad that the little town still didn’t have its own bookstore. He would have been in big trouble if they did. To make up for moving her here he probably would have had to buy out the entire kids’ section.

But the backseat remained quiet and he didn’t know of any other landmarks on Main Street that might catch her interest. They rode in silence for a while until he just couldn’t stand it anymore. “Sweetie please, you have to talk to me. Tell me what you really think of Harper‘s Rock, it should be a nice place to live right? Just look at the beautiful scenery, doesn’t it take your breath away? Plus we’ve got yummy donuts, lots of toys to choose from and a really nice library. Oh yeah, and don’t forget about your Grandma and your uncles.

“I hate it and I hate you,” she wailed in a high pitched screech that sounded more like someone being murdered than an unhappy nine year old.

INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW NOVEL - RUSSELL'S RETURN

Introducing the main characters of our next novel - Russell's Return

Russell Harper

A Wyoming country boy who couldn't wait to get out of the small town that bears his family name
Ended up in Las Vegas where he married, had a kid and built a successful corporation that owns and runs three high end restaurants.
His young daughter, nine-year-old Miranda, is a troubled child that Russel now parents alone. He has a hard time dealing with her and coping with her eccentricities but loves her more than anyone.
He reluctantly returns home to Harper's Rock, Wyoming where his mother, Evelyn Harper, can help him with his daughter. His ex-wife left them without a word and has nothing to do with their child.
He leaves his restaurant in capable hands and takes over the family business for his mother. He is sometimes overwhelmed with stress from having two full time jobs and a problem child.
He runs into the nerdy girl that used to crush on his best friend - Emily Zane. And now she is far from the nerdy girl he used to know.

Emily Zane

A Wyoming country girl who couldn't wait to get out of the small town she grew up in.
She ended up in Seattle where she went to college and started on her dream of helping troubled children and families.
A tragedy sent her back to the safety of her small hometown. She's happy to be home - she didn't realize what a great thing she had when she lived there before.
She runs into the best friend of her old High School crush - Russell Harper
She becomes the school counselor at Miranda's new school.
She finally figures out what is wrong with the little girl and agrees to work with Russell to get Miranda the help she needs.

The couple work closely together and start to fall in love. They start to put the past behind them and move on. But when tragedy strikes will they let it tear them apart, or will it push them to become closer than either one of them imagined possible.

For those of you who have read my Sunset Destiny Series, Evelyn Harper (Russell's mom) is the twin sister of the Mannon family patriarch Ethan Mannon. You are first introduced to Evelyn in the novel The Heart of Alaska. Don't forget to visit the buy page for a link to the books.

THE HEART OF ALASKA RELEASE DAY!!!

The Heart of Alaska is here!

The long awaited prequel to the Sunset Destiny Romances is live. This is a stand alone novel and you do not have to read the Sunset Destiny Romances first. It may, however, enhance the experience.

SYNOPSIS

Two couples, one unforgettable summer.

Charlotte and Ethan – Fate brought them together as children and phone calls and letters solidified their bond. When tragedy struck, they were torn apart until one fateful summer morning when they meet again. Will they be able to acknowledge the love that fate decreed, or will they let the opportunity of a lifetime slip through their fingers?

Francesca and Jackson – They met as children and became a couple as teens. At twenty she must let her one true love follow his conscience into war. Can their relationship stand the test of time and bring them to the happily ever after they’ve always dreamed of, or will their perfect world be shattered?

Join two amazing young couples as they learn to live, laugh and love while working at The Heart of Alaska Lodge in the summer of ’69.

EXCERPT

A short while later they were sitting on the loveseat, wrapped in each other’s arms. They found themselves talking about anything and everything. Just like they used to do during their late night phone calls.

“After I told you we should back off, I would sit in the den waiting for the phone to ring,” Ethan told her.

“And when it didn’t I would pick it up and dial your number before hanging up and going to bed."

“I cried myself to sleep many nights, wishing my phone would ring just once,” she whispered.

“I’m so sorry, Princess. How much longer until your nineteenth birthday? Ten months right?”

“Yeah," she sighed, snuggling into his arms. “Why?”

“In many of those conversations we used to have, I promised you that I would ask you to marry me when we were eighteen. That means I only have ten months left to make good on it."

There was no response from Charli so Ethan looked down at her. She was asleep, breathing peacefully
against his chest. It was blowing his mind how he went from not wanting a relationship to thinking of asking her to marry him in a day's time. He had promised her and now there was no way he could imagine not following through. The day she muttered ‘goodbye Ethan, I love you,' as she hung up the phone was the day he knew she would always be a part of him – no matter how much he told himself differently. Fate. The word everyone was tossing at him had stuck. Charlotte Goldstein was his fate.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

JJ Ellis is first and foremost a mom to five kids, four girls and one boy, ranging in age from 3-18. After that, she is a physically limited wife, blogger and now an author. She holds a degree in Communication Studies (Public Relations) from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas but never thought she would chose writing as a career, especially at the age of 42. She once wanted to be a publicist in the entertainment industry, but never a writer. Then one day when she was in her mid thirties she was going through what can only be described as an early 'midlife crisis' and ideas just started to come to her and she felt compelled to write them down. She finished her first book relatively quickly, but life got in the way and it took her eight years to revisit it and then publish her first novel. She can honestly say that now she is finally right where she wants to be.

JJ has been married to her college sweetheart (and romance novel hero) for twenty years and they reside in Casper, WY with their kids and one crazy mutt named Kreuger. She enjoys reading, writing, blogging, computing, and graphic design. She will try anything that will allow her creativity to be released.

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TA Ellis is married to best selling romance Author JJ Ellis and is the father to five kids, four girls and one boy, ranging in age from 3-18. He holds a degree in Secondary Education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and has flirted with the idea of writing for years. He however did not expect to be writing romance as Sci-fi/horror/fantasy are more to his liking. But as a sounding board for his wife, he realized he had some good ideas and the team of JJ & TA Ellis was born.

TA lives in Casper, WY with his wife and kids and one crazy mutt named Kreuger. He enjoys reading, video games and grilling. He is excited to embark on this romance journey...after all, he's been happily married for twenty years.

AUTHOR LINKS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

A LIFE OF ROMANCE BLOG

SUNSET DESTINY WEBSITE

FACEBOOK TA ELLIS

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THE HEART OF ALASKA TEASERS - pt. 2

As you know (or are about to find out) I do a collage teaser for each book as publication day draws near so here is the new one for The Heart of Alaska. This will give you an idea of some of the basic ideas that will appear in the book. Enjoy!

I am also adding a few other teasers that weren't in the previous teaser post. And don't hesitate to click on a picture if you need to see it better! Love you you all

JJ and TA Ellis