Author
letter, A WINNING SEASON by Rochelle Alers
***
Dear Reader,
All good things
eventually come to an end and it is no different with
the Wickham Falls Weddings series when it concludes with A Winning Season. I’d
decided to set the series in a fictional small town in rural West Virginia. It
is also in a coal-mining region that at one time propelled the town’s economy,
but after the mines closed, many of the young men and women enlisted in the
military, which is another theme that resonates throughout many of the titles.
The common thread
connecting each novel is the sacrifice the hero or heroine are willing to make
for their families. The residents look out for and support one another, and it
is no different when, as a graduating high school senior, Zoey Allen becomes
the legal guardian for her two younger brothers after the death of her father
and stepmother. She defers her dream to become a nurse, and having a
relationship is out of the question. But she did not count on Sutton Reed
returning to Wickham Falls and renting the house next to hers.
Sparks fly and sexual
tension crackles between Zoey and Sutton. Sutton wants to prove to Zoey that he
is the role model her teenage brother needs, and to convince her he can help
her realize her dream. He soon discovers that Zoey has carefully mapped out her
future, but it is when he interferes with a family member from her past that he
fears losing her forever.
A Winning Season is filled with loss, abandonment,
passion, hope, redemption and forgiveness, and hopefully you will enjoy it as I
bring the curtain down on the Wickham Falls Weddings series.
Happy reading!
-Rochelle Alers
***
Sliding home…for a lifetime.
The girl next door…or a grand slam love?
Baseball ace Sutton Reed’s returned home triumphant after years in the majors. When he moves next door to a troubled young man, he’s determined to help—for the boy’s sake and for the boy’s gorgeous older sister, Zoey Allen. After sacrificing everything to keep her family together, Zoey has no time for romance…even with a hometown hero. But will this unlikely combo be the home run love story they all deserve?
Buy Links
Sutton
handed Harper a pair of tongs when he saw his cousin. “Take over, chef. Once
the steaks begin to brown around the edges, you can take them off the direct
heat and place them on the side of the burners to keep them warm. I’ll be right
back.”
His gaze
lingered briefly on the curve of Zoey’s slim hips in a pair of fitted white
jeans before he averted his eyes because he didn’t want her to catch him ogling
her. And if he was truly honest with himself, he liked staring at her. Dipping
his head, he dropped a kiss on Georgina’s curly hair. “Hey, Georgi. Should I
assume you two know each other?”
Georgina
nodded. “Zoey and I occasionally see each other around town.” She slipped her
arm through Sutton’s. I’m sorry to barge in on you while you have company, but
could you call me later to-night because I’d like to discuss something with
you.”
“Of
course. I hope you’re going to hang out long enough to eat with us.”
“I’d
love to, but I can’t.”
“Are you
sure?”
“Yes.”
“Did you
not chastise me for grilling and not calling you?”
“Yes,”
Georgina repeated, “because if you had, then I wouldn’t have made prior plans
to eat with someone.”
“Do you
care to enlighten me as to who this some-one is?”
Georgina
stared at something over his shoulder. “I suppose if I don’t tell you you’ll
find out soon enough. I’m seeing Langston Cooper.”
“The
Langston Cooper who’s the editor of The Sentinel and was one of the finest
pitching prospects the Falls ever had before he decided he preferred journalism
to baseball?”
Her grin
was dazzling. “One and the same, dear cousin.”
“All
right, all right, all right,” he drawled in his best Matthew McConaughey
imitation.
Georgina
swatted at him. “Should I assume that you approve of me dating one of your
former high school classmates?”
“It
doesn’t matter whether I approve or disapprove. I’m just glad you found someone
who makes you happy.”
“He
makes me laugh, Sutton.”
His
expressive eyebrows lifted. “So, you’re not serious?”
“No. We
are just friends.” Sutton tried to imagine his high school friend and
classmate dating his cousin and failed. They were complete opposites. Langston
was worldly, while Georgina at thirty-two had spent all of her life under her
parents’ roof in Wickham Falls.
“Good
for you, Georgi.”
“I’m
going to leave now so you can get back to your guests.” She turned on her heel
and smiled at Zoey. “Don’t forget to stop in whenever you have time.”
“I
won’t,” she said.
Sutton
waited for Georgina to leave before he moved closer to Zoey and reached for her
hand. “We just put the steaks on, and the corn is done, so it’s almost time to
eat.” He did not react when her fingers tightened on his.
She
smiled up at him. “Perfect timing, because my stomach is making rumbling
noises.”
He
curbed the urge to kiss her mouth to find out if it was as soft as it appeared.
“Come sit and I’ll bring you what you want.”
About the Author
Hailed by readers and booksellers alike as one of today's
most popular African-American authors of women's fiction, Ms. Alers is a
regular on the bestsellers list, and has been a recipient of numerous awards,
including the Vivian Stephens Award for Excellence in Romance Writing and a
Zora Neale Hurston Literary Award. Visit her on www.rochellealers.com.
Social Links
0 comments:
Post a Comment