I Know You By Heart: Navigating the Dementia Journey by Angie Swetland

In the U.S. today, over 5.8 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s Disease or related dementia. Each of these individuals has a story. And each one has caregivers, with stories of their own. You have questions – so many questions about what is happening now, and what is to come. How do I cope with this new manifestation of the disease? How do I prepare for an uncertain future? This is especially true when just navigating your way through each day can be overwhelming. Contained within these pages are answers to some of your questions as well as strategies for your future. In navigating this journey, it is important to remember two essential truths. The first is that the body may fail, and the mind may wander, but the spirit – the person inside - remains intact. The caregiver’s role is to maximize the remaining strengths of the person they care for. The second is that you are not alone. Caregiving is often an isolating experience. Stories from the lives of others let us know that our experiences are not unique. Be assured that many have gone before, and others are walking the same road today. This is "I Know You by Heart: Navigating the Dementia Journey"

Read an excerpt:

Ella 

Ella is ready. 

A former church organist and choir director, she is used to looking just so. These days she might emerge from her room with her wig askew, and her lipstick crooked. Still, she always tries to look her best. 

Ella lives in a Memory Care Community. 

Today she must go out for a doctor’s appointment. I am escorting her down to wait for her ride. It is warm for March in Minnesota. Ella is wearing a boiled wool suit in emerald green with a pillbox hat and has a light woolen coat on her arm. I offer to take her coat, which she hands me with thanks. She holds her handbag prettily in both hands. No one seeing her would ever dream that this elegant lady’s thoughts are blown about like sheet music in the wind. We enter the elevator with some trepidation. I know that Ella does not like elevators or closed spaces, but the stairs on her floor are secured, so this is the only exit. 

The elevator is crowded. I see one resident I recognize; others in winter coats are coming to visit relatives, or here on business. It is a small space, but I count one, two, three, four, five…seven people, including Ella and me. We only have three floors to go. The door closes, and the elevator begins to descend. 

Suddenly we all feel a jolt. The iron box we ride in has stopped between floors. There is a collective intake of breath, and people express dismay. 

Quietly, I suggest to the man next to the emergency panel that he use the button to call for assistance. We can speak to our helpers on the outside, and they assure us that it will only be a few minutes. 

Five minutes pass, then ten. The anxiety climbs, the muttering increases. People have places they need to be. One has a dentist appointment, and another must be back at the office, a third cannot imagine not meeting her child’s school bus. The other resident worries that she will miss her lunch. 

I glance at Ella. 

She has backed into the corner of the elevator. Her head is bowed, her shoulders hunched, her arms curled across her abdomen. She shudders. I step towards her, concerned that she is afraid, yes, but mostly worried about what she might do. 

Suddenly she throws back her head, flings her arms wide, and begins to sing her favorite song, “My Wild Irish Rose,” full voice. And what a lovely voice it is. I catch her eye and grin and begin to sing along. The muttering stops. Everyone turns to stare. 

We switch from “Irish Rose” to “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” and then to “I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen.” One by one, the others join in, as we sing “Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ra.” You see, it is St. Patrick’s Day. 

When the elevator doors open ten minutes later, we all exit singing.

Available on Amazon

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Angie Swetland

Cresting Wave Publishing

https://gocwpub.com/

Review of Spring at the Little Duck Pond Cafe by Rosie Green

Welcome to the book blast for Spring at the Little Duck Pond Cafe by Rosie Green! Today I have a sneak peek into this story, as well as my personal thoughts about it. Be sure to follow the tour for more excerpts and reviews and let the author what you think along the way. And of course, be sure to enter the great giveaway at the end!

Spring at the Little Duck Pond Cafe

Fleeing from a romance gone wrong, Ellie Farmer arrives in the pretty village of Sunnybrook, hoping for a brand new start that most definitely does not include love!

Following an unscheduled soak in the village duck pond, she meets Sylvia, who runs the Little Duck Pond Cafe. Renting the flat above the cafe seems like the answer to Ellie's prayers. It's only for six months, which will give her time to sort out her life, far away from cheating boyfriend Richard.

But is running away from your past ever really the answer?

Clashing with the mysterious and brooding Zak Chamberlain, an author with a bad case of writer's block, is definitely not what Ellie needs right now. And then there's Sylvia, who's clinging so hard to her past, she's in danger of losing the quaint but run-down cafe altogether.

Can Ellie find the answers she desperately needs in Sunnybrook? And will she be able to help save Sylvia's Little Duck Pond Cafe from closure?

Read an excerpt:

I have never climbed a tree in my life.

But I suppose there’s a first time for everything.

It’s a gaspingly cold mid-January morning with an ice-blue sky overhead – not exactly the ideal conditions in which to be lurking on the pavement outside a stranger’s house, nervously eyeing up the oak tree in their garden.

Camera gripped in my freezing hands, I stamp my feet and blow out misty breath as I psyche myself up to be bold. I’ve driven sixty miles from Newtown, where I live, to the pretty, chocolate-box village of Sunnybrook in Surrey – with the ultimate goal of climbing this very tree and taking photos of the view from up there.

The tree is almost exactly how I pictured it in my imagination – old and gnarled with broad, evenly-spaced branches. My eye homes in on one branch in particular. It reaches out to the left, a little over six feet from the ground; the perfect place to sit and gaze out over the village green and the duck pond. (As I knew it would be.)

Tears fill my eyes. But I’m smiling, too.

It’s all in a good cause.

Stop dithering and just do it!

When I push it open, the garden gate swings inwards without creaking and the windows remain blank. I drop my bag by the gate and head for the tree.

It’s amazing how fear can give you almost super-human powers. Under normal circumstances, I’d need someone to give me a bunk-up into this tree. But today, with adrenalin pumping through my system, I manage to swing myself up there with no problems at all . . .

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Read the whole series on Kindle Unlimited

**My thoughts**

I fell for Ellie right out of the gate because she manages to get herself into all kinds of embarrassing scrapes in the first few minutes of the story. I felt like we were kindred spirits. And then her life really starts to fall apart when she realizes she has to break things off with her cheating boyfriend. Plus her mother is suffering from early onset Alzheimer's and Ellie is understandably struggling with that. I don't have the misfortune of a recently cheating boyfriend, but I did recently lose my mother to Alzheimer's. So I understand Ellie's turmoil in these early days. And I need to note it because it is going to be a big factor in the plot of this book and subsequent books in the series, but isn't in the blurb.

Ellie is fortunate to literally fall into a new life in this small town of Sunnybrook. She thinks it is going to be temporary, but you know she is going to get sucked in to the small town life and all of the quirky new friends she is able to make. I want to hang out with these women and feel like they are going to be able to teach each other a lot in spite of their age differences. Plus when you have a hottie writer like Zak right there, how could you want to leave? He has his own damaged past and secrets, but I feel like the two of them could make things work and really heal each other.

I was slightly unsure about how I was going to feel when this story started. But then I found myself getting completely sucked in to all of their lives and was disappointed when I got to the end. I am glad to see that there is a whole series to follow this one and will likely continue on with it as time allows.

Thank you to the author and Goddess Fish for providing me a review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About Rosie Green

Rosie has been scribbling stories ever since she was little.

Back then, they were rip-roaring adventure tales with a young heroine in perilous danger of falling off a cliff or being tied up by ‘the baddies’.

Thankfully, Rosie has moved on somewhat, and now much prefers to write romantic comedies that melt your heart and make you smile, with really not much perilous danger at all – unless you count the heroine losing her heart in love.

Spring at the Little Duck Pond Café is the first in Rosie’s brand new series of novellas centred around life in a village café. Each novella is a ‘stand-alone’ read.

You can connect with Rosie Green on Twitter: @Rosie_Green1988

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Rosie-Green/e/B07CZYV7DW

Rosie Green will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Review of The Tears We Never Cried by Ryshia Kennie

Welcome to the book blast tour for The Tears We Never Cried by Ryshia Kennie. I felt compelled to take a review stop on this tour because I lost my own mother to Alzheimer's last year. My full thoughts are down below, as well as an excerpt from the book. You can find even more if you follow the tour.

The Tears We Never Cried

A mother’s tragic diagnosis.
A daughter’s life on hold.
An ending and a new beginning ...

Cassandra McDowall’s mother has been forgetful for a while, but she never anticipated rapid-onset Alzheimer’s to come out of nowhere and shake their world to its very core.

As Cassie puts her already-lackluster life on hold, her mom’s indomitable will and spirit of adventure prove to be a handful.

And as her mother fades, the two embark on one last adventure—a journey that reveals secrets on the brink of being lost, the joy of foreign sunsets, and love where she hadn’t thought it possible.

Read an excerpt:

“The car is stolen!”

Mother’s voice sliced through the swirls of sleep.

I leapt out of bed, glanced at the clock and tripped over the unfamiliar flannel sheet. On the wall was a poster of a rock band I’d loved at fifteen. I was back in the room of my childhood.

I’d brought Mother home to live with me for that first night after the Christmas card debacle. One night was about all either of us could tolerate. My apartment was too small. It had taken me only a few days to get my stuff together, notify my landlord and move in with Mother.

“Hang on, Mom.” I fought to catch my breath as I reached for my housecoat.

“Cassie!” Her voice cracked across the layer of frost that collected on the window frame overnight and slammed through the partially open window. I have a penchant for fresh air. Sleeping with a window open even in the midst of winter is normal for me, and made it easy to hear Mother’s shriek outside as it erupted a second time loud enough to roust the neighbors. Her screech had me excited but not panicked. Not until my conscious and my unconscious married those two thoughts together—outside and Mother.

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**My thoughts**

My friends thought I was crazy when I said I was going to read and review this book. "Are you sure you want to do that to yourself?" "Protect yourself while you read that. I can't believe you're going to." It has nothing to do with the book itself, per se. It's because I just lost my own mother a year ago to Alzheimer's and am a very, very emotional person.

Honestly, I had a harder time with Cassie's friend being named Russ Thomas, because I just lost a work acquaintance and friend's husband a few months ago who was actually named Russ Thomas. So that was weird to read repeatedly through the book.

As for the story of Cassie and her mother Jess, it was pretty real. Every experience that they had together triggered a memory of my own with my mother: the supposedly stolen car, the denial that anything is wrong, the wandering, the constantly picking up trash, the tantrums, the slipping away. Fundamentally, I think any of us who have dealt with a parent with Alzheimer's is going to recognize those situations with our own personal twist. In a way, it makes you part of an exclusive club that none of us wants to join.

I think for us, though, the difference was we had much less denial about our mother's condition than Cassie does. We had been through it with other family members (her mother) and it was a much slower decline. Our roadblocks were more getting the professionals to actually listen to us that something was wrong. But I know so many more people go through a lot more of that denial. I've helped friends through it. And my mother started showing signs 15 years before she passed. She was in a memory care facility for seven years.

I admire Cassie for taking her mother on vacation to Cuba. Traveling with an adult with dementia is so difficult. I kept thinking of taking my mother 45 minutes away to a football game in Ann Arbor for one day, and that was hard enough. I also admire her for moving in with her mother to be her caregiver. I personally think she held on too long in her stubbornness to do it all herself. But again, each family is different. And when Mom hit that point, we knew none of us could do it anymore. Each situation is different. But the author does a great job showing how exhausting it is to be a caregiver and presents options for finding help.

Normally I would have a read a book this length in one evening, or possibly spread out over two. But because of the emotional aspect, I knew I had to break it up into smaller chunks and read it over several days, interspersing it with other, lighter stories. And there is more to this story, including a budding romance and Cassie finding out some family secrets. But I admit I was focused more on the Alzheimer's story and her relationship with her mother.

You know that this was written by someone who has intimate experience with a close loved one who was taken away from this disease. Others can come close to capturing the emotions involved, but only a person who has really been there is going to be able to convey all of it in such a familiar way. I am surprised that I didn't cry, but I think it's more because it is the holiday season and I have been a bit more numb. Two months ago or two months from now, it could have been a different story. I think most people reading it are going to need a tissue. I honestly had to just sit for half an hour and just let my thoughts wander as I let it all wash over me. And I know I'll be lost in thought for a while. That's part of the reason my review is a little long and maybe a little rambling.

I truly give kudos to the author for reaching deep within and writing this story. It's the kind of story that I hope to write some day. It gave me comfort to know that I was not alone in my experience. I already knew that intellectually, but I really felt it while reading this. I hope others who have dealt with a parent with Alzheimer's can read this and find comfort in it. And those who have not had that experience perhaps can find a new level of sympathy for friends going through this. Thank you to the author for writing this.

About Ryshia Kennie

The winner of her city’s writing award, Ryshia Kennie’s novels have taken her characters from the depression era prairies in her first book “From the Dust” to a across the globe and back again. There’s never a lack of places to set a story as the too long prairie winters occasionally find her with travel journal in hand seeking adventure on foreign shores. While facing off a Monitor Lizard before breakfast or running through the Kasbah chased by an enraged Water Carrier aren’t normal travel experiences and might never find a place in one of her stories, they do make great travel stories. When not collecting odd memories from around the world, she’s writing mainly romantic suspense and women’s fiction.

Website: http://www.ryshiakennie.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryshiakennie?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author.RyshiaKennie/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryshiakennie/?hl=en

The author is giving away a $15 Amazon/BN gift card via Rafflecopter during the tour.

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Review of As the Light Fades by Catherine West #LightFadesTour

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Welcome to the book tour for As the Light Fades by Catherine West! This is a book that is going to stay with me for quite some time. Read my full review below and then follow the tour for more reviews and some excerpts. And there is an amazing giveaway at the end!

As the Light Fades
By Catherine West
Women's Fiction
Paperback & ebook, 362 Pages
September 10th 2019 by KDP

Sometimes we’re placed in the strangest of circumstances for the most important reasons.

After her carefully constructed life crumbles, Liz Carlisle finds herself back on Nantucket, picking up the pieces. With the family estate under renovations, the solitude she craves seems out of reach.

Matthew Stone intends to steer clear of his new tenant. She’s carrying a load of baggage, but as long as she pays the rent, he’ll let her be. He’s got enough to deal with caring for his wayward niece, Mia.

Liz doesn’t have time for teenagers and her track record with men is abysmal, but an unlikely friendship forms between the three.

When her former boyfriend is charged with assault, Liz is called to testify against him. But he knows the darkest secrets of her life—secrets she’d hoped to keep buried forever, and he’s ready to reveal them. Telling the truth is the right thing to do, but it may cost her everything she’s worked so hard for, and all she’s come to love.

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**My thoughts**

This book hurt me a bit to read, but not in a bad way. It was because I related to it so well and I absolutely loved it.

Liz has had a rough time lately and has come home to essentially start over again. She has left behind an abusive fiance. Her father has recently been placed in a nursing home with Alzheimer's. And she has basically already been kicked out of her childhood home while her siblings are having it remodeled into a B&B. Her siblings all seem to have their ducks in a row and she still feels like she is floundering.

She ends up renting a small place from Matt, who has also returned to Nantucket to essentially start over, but with his moody niece Mia in tow. She is understandably angry at her situation and is also struggling.

This story is one where these broken people are brought together by fate and end up healing each other in more ways than they could ever imagine. Families finally find ways to make amends for past misunderstandings. Friends learn the importance of friendship and just being there for each other. Individuals are finally able to reach deep inside and finally find their inner strength. And romances are a more realistic slow burn of caution and the creation of a solid foundation.

I loved all of these characters and really felt their pain and journeys.

The parts that hurt me the most were the chapters told from the point of view of Liz's father, who has Alzheimer's. I felt like the author really captured that ebb and flow between confusion and clarity that plagues people who suffer from this horrid disease. I sobbed every tie, because I lost my mother to Alzheimer's last year, and I vividly remember her days like this. Also, Drake is an artist, specializing in landscapes, as was my late father. So this beautiful story just made me nostalgic for my own family, while reminding me of my own journey.

It was well done and I loved soaking up every word of it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

About the Author

Catherine West is an award-winning author of contemporary women’s fiction. When she’s not at the computer working on her next story, you can find her taking her Border Collie for long walks or reading books by her favorite authors. She and her husband reside in Bermuda, and have two adult children and one beautiful granddaughter. Catherine is the winner of the 2015 Grace Award (Bridge of Faith) and the Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope & Love Reader’s Choice Award (The Things We Knew). Where Hope Begins released May 2018, and her latest novel, As the Light Fades, releases September 2019.

Website│Goodreads│Amazon│Facebook│Twitter│Pinterest│Instagram

Tour Schedule

Tour Giveaway

One winner will receive a $75 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of The Things We Knew by Catherine West (print to US/CAN, ebook to INT)

Ends October 23, 2019

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Review of 'Adding Lib' and Author Kathryn Elliott on Real-Life Dementia

Hi Andi and thanks for hosting!

I think the best way to start is with dreaded backstory. (I hate prologues as much as the next gal, but in this case I’ll toss the ‘show don’t tell’ wisdom out the window and go for it!)

With each book club I visit, with each lecture to the dementia and Alzheimer’s community, I inevitably get the same question: “Is Adding Lib autobiographical?” No, Adding Lib is fiction, plain and simple. The story centers on Libby O’Rourke’s relationship with her mother, Mae McGinn and the struggles that accompany her early dementia diagnosis. However, my grandfather Jack’s battle with Alzheimer’s planted the seed for the story, and through my work with the American Alzheimer’s Association and the Brain Injury Association of Connecticut, Adding Lib took shape.

Dementia isn’t something to joke about. But in my family, we do; often.

Now don’t assume we’re an insensitive group of heartless tools – although, we are Yankees fans so there’s an element there, however we do know firsthand the healing power of laughter, especially when the brightest of minds falls under the shadow of Alzheimer’s.

My grandfather, Jack, was the first officially diagnosed in our family, however there’s evidence the disease extended back to his parents and beyond. We’re Irish, the odd behaviors and forgetfulness were easy to chalk up to scotch, but in truth the problem was deeper and the symptoms more menacing than booze could explain.

It was the little things at first, the 700th telling of the same story, switching up names of family and friends – nothing alarming, all symptoms synonymous with the joy that is aging. God willing, we’ll all get there someday. But once Jack’s behavior progressed to more unsettling patterns, reality set in and a very proud and accomplished man began disappearing by inches.

A decorated Navy veteran, Jack was the pillar of dignity, and nothing shatters a man of pride faster than a loss of independence - a car accident was the catalyst.

Not major, no injuries, but with the loss of ignition keys came a loss of self-worth and an increased amount of time under the watchful eye of family. It was then the true depth of his illness became apparent, and with symptoms impossible to mask under twenty-four hour supervision, the ugly face of Alzheimer’s made itself known – and feared.

Fear is consuming; it eats up everything in its path and often families affected by dementia feel guilty embracing the joys and smiles of life in the midst of the uncertainty and emotional pain. Through countless interviews with dementia patients and their families, as well as my own experiences, one thing became undeniably clear before the first words of Adding Lib came to life on the page – laughter heals.

Laughter vanishes when any type of dementia diagnosis is handed down. But its warm tones are familiar, comforting to those battling the disease as well as those who love them struggling with what to say and do to lessen the mounting fear.

Adding Lib is the first in the McGinn series and a true labor of love. Its humor and heartstrings approach was crafted in hopes the relatable characters and honest dialogue resonates with the dementia community, and all those who appreciate the healing power of laughter.

Thank you!

Adding Lib

by Kathryn Elliott 

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

BLURB:

Libby O'Rourke has a short fuse. Her mother, Mae, carries a big match. Engulfed in the never-ending life-juggling of suburbia, Libby fails to notice Mae's emerging dementia symptoms until a kitchen fire puts the problem on the front burner.

Proficient in the art of denial, Mae brushes the shattering diagnosis aside and sets her sights on a matchmaking crusade for her eldest son. After all, if her lucid days are numbered, Mae’s going to make damned sure he makes it down the aisle while she still recognizes the groom.

It’s going to take a razor wit and an iron stomach to handle Mae's diagnosis. Thankfully, just like her mother Libby has both.

Read an excerpt:

Libby felt the weight of the coming conversation bear down on her shoulders like a lead blanket and struggled to find the right words.

“It’s all right, Libby,” Mae said, interrupting her thoughts. “Say what you need to. We’re here for a reason. We both know it.”

Shocked by her mother’s perception, Libby stared at Mae.

The older woman’s eyes were moist but holding back. She continued. “Spit it out, honey. I won’t have a public tantrum. It’s obvious you have something important to talk to me about, and I think you’ve delayed long enough.”

Libby’s shoulders slumped. “How’d you know?”

“Well, let’s examine the facts...” Mae grinned despite the gravity of the moment. “You took me to church, plied me with brunch, and now you’re standing there biting your bottom lip raw. Daddy used to call that your tell. We always knew something was wrong if your bottom lip looked like it had a run-in with a cheese grater.”

“Huh?” Libby ran her tongue over her bottom lip. “I never noticed.”

“In your teens, we were pretty sure you were going to bite clean through it,” Mae joked. “At least your nervous habit isn’t offensive; whenever Kevin lies, he grabs his testicles. Since the day he was born that boy treated his penis like an accessory. It’s terribly inappropriate, especially at parties.”

Buy links

Amazon / Wild Rose Press / iTunes / Barnes & Noble

**My thoughts**

I loved this book. I needed this book. Alzheimer's and dementia are serious issues, but a sense of humor is always such a breath of fresh air. My mother has Alzheimer's. We took her problems quite seriously, but always had to look at situations with a sense of humor. If you don't, you could very well go mad.

Libby and her husband have an amazing relationship. They understand each other and work well together. Family support is crucial when going through these hardships. She also has an amazing strength about her, which keeps her going, but isn't afraid to let people know when she needs help.

I loved her banter with her brothers. Siblings are another essential support system when dealing with a failing parent. Kevin, Sean, and Libby obviously love each other very much. I only have one sister, but know that I depended on her immensely as we dealt with our parents.

Mae is an amazing woman. She is crass, mouthy, and outspoken, and I love her for it. She is terrified as her sentence is imposed, which is quite understandable. Yet, she is determined to fight with whatever she has left, even as she is in denial. She would embarrass the hell out of me, but I would be proud to call her my mother.

Anyone who has ever been down the dementia road with a parent should be able to relate to this story. We have all been through a kitchen fire, or a similar version of it. We have had to confront our parents about their mental failing. We have had those arguments and felt all of those frustrations. I really felt like I was reading about my own story in a parallel universe.

This was one of those books that made me feel all kinds of emotions. I found myself laughing out loud. I found myself crying. I savored every page and the journey on which it took me. I am impressed that this is the author's debut novel.

In addition to the dementia part of the story are revelations of family history and secrets that helped to shape their current relationships. Romances are brewing in more than one generation. There are so many stories yet to be told in this family and I can't wait to read more about their journey.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Kathryn Elliott is a lifetime journalist with awards in political satire, human interest, and commentary. A Connecticut native, she is a happily married mother of two sons with high hopes one of them will pay for a delightful rest home.

A true believer in laughter's healing power, Kathryn writes characters whose flaws resonate with readers long after "The End."

ADDING LIB is her debut novel, and the first in The McGinn Series.

Links:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/KathrynElliottAuthor?ref=bookmarks

TWITTER: @CandidKathryn

BLOG LINK: http://candidkathryn.com/

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5961246-kathryn-elliott

Kathryn will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn host. Follow the tour for more chances to win!

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Review of 'One More Second Chance (Lobster Cove)' by Jana Richards

One More Second Chance
Lobster Cove Series
The Wild Rose Press

by Jana Richards

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Date of Publication: February 6, 2015
Number of pages: 331
Word Count: 82,083 words
Cover Artist: Tina Lynn Stout

Book Description:

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?

Excerpt: 

“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.”

**My thoughts**

Julia has had a lot on her plate. As the principal of the local high school, she is facing ridicule by some for her inventive idea to implement a daycare, so that young mothers can find a way to return to classes. She is a single mother, raising a five year-old daughter on her own, after her ex-husband decided to abandon them. She is essentially estranged from her in-laws. Her parents are suffering from some serious health concerns. Her best friend is having her own crises. And Julia just plain cares too much about everyone in her life. She carries the weight of the world on her shoulders, and always drives full force into whatever life throws at her. This is one of her greatest strengths, but her stubbornness is also one of her biggest challenges.

Alex was merely looking for escape. He needed a break from his family in California. He sought an easier way to repay his staggering school bills. And though a desire to stay near an ocean was part of the reason he choose Lobster Cove, he really didn't know how much he simply needed a small town to help him learn more about himself and how wonderful people could be. 

The two of them were destined to meet, no matter what, thanks to the small town. Unfortunately, their first encounter is a less than positive one. If it weren't for Julia's daughter, Ava, and her innocent attachment to the good doctor, it is quite possible that Julia would have never given Alex a second thought. Children are intuitive creatures, though. This threesome learns a lot about love and life as they learn how to trust both themselves and the world around them.

While I loved the romance part of this book, I was also extremely drawn into Julia's story about dealing with her aging parents. I went through something almost identical with my own parents a few years ago. I perfectly understood her struggle to accept the diagnoses, her desire to do what is best, and the drive to protect them at all costs. Her advantage, at least, is that they are in the same town. So, that storyline really stood out for me.

A few other medical storylines are thrown in there. It seems crazy that a small town would have so much happening within it all at once, but it is possible over the length of time that passes through this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and am now interested in what other stories may lie within Lobster Cove.

Buy links:

 Amazon * The Wild Rose Press * Chapters * Kobo * iBooks

About the Author:

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.

She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.janarichards.com

Blog: http://janarichards.blogspot.com

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Dr. Vincent Fortanasce has intimate knowledge of the horrors of Alzheimer's disease, as he watched his father plummet down the black hole. Through much research, he has developed a diet and exercise program to help himself, and others like him, to reduce their risk of this debilitating disease.

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Andrea Coventry is a reviewer for Bookpleasures.com