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Strong Enough
The Masonville Series Book 4
by Jana Richards
Genre: Small Town Contemporary Romance
Love can make you stronger, if you let it.
Charlotte Saunders has a full life—a rewarding career as a nurse, meaningful volunteer work at a dog shelter, and family, friends and pets she adores. But no matter how hard she tries, she can’t forget the horrible event that’s haunted her for ten years.
A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Damon Greyson now helps others who have suffered trauma. His experience and intuition alert him to trouble in Charlotte’s past, and he wants to help her, if only she’d let him.
As they work together to help veterans suffering from PTSD and neglected dogs needing loving homes, their feelings for each other deepen. But when the trauma from Charlotte’s past roars back to life, both are forced to confront their painful histories—or die trying.
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She looked away. “I’m sorry. I hate women who use tears to get what they want. It’s just that yesterday the shelter had to put down some dogs. There was this one old dog, Shep….” She shook her head, unable to finish.
He squeezed her elbow before letting her go. “I’m sorry, Charlotte.”
She nodded and again Damon sensed her vulnerability. Charlotte tried to give off an aura of strength. She was the caregiving nurse, the person others looked to for help. But who helped Charlotte?
After a few breaths, she straightened her shoulders and faced him, her composure once more back in place. “How long do you think it will be?”
“You mean until the retreat is up and running?” When she nodded, he blew out a breath. “I don’t know. My building’s in worse shape than I first thought.”
“If there’s anything I can do to speed up the process, let me know.”
“You know anything about unplugging sewer lines?”
She made a face. “You’re on your own, Greyson.”
Don’t I know it. “Hey, you asked. From now on I’ll only request your help when it comes to dogs.”
She chuckled. “Good plan.”
This time Charlotte’s smile was genuine, and for a moment Damon couldn’t breathe. He found himself wondering what it would be like to have the full force of her smile directed at him on a regular basis, and to know there was real affection for him behind the smile. The longing he experienced at that thought shocked him.
Better not to allow such thoughts to take root. Despite all the work he’d done over the years to overcome the harm done to him in the past, he still had questions. Would it ever be possible for him to have a normal, loving, long-term relationship with a woman? So far, the longest relationship he’d had lasted only six months.
Maybe he’d always be damaged goods.
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Unexpected
The Masonville Series Book 3
**On Sale at Amazon for .99cents June 3 – 17!!**
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Ben was assailed by an overwhelming need to talk to someone. Jamie had been a good listener. He’d told her more about his circumstances, and his feelings, than he’d shared with either his brother or sister. He wasn’t sure why he’d opened up to her. He only knew she’d been kind to the girls. And to him.
Before he could talk himself out of it, he was looking up the number for the clinic on his phone. A moment later he listened to the phone ring.
What the hell am I doing? She didn’t want to hear from him, especially in the middle of a busy day at work. He was about to end the call when someone answered.
“Masonville Veterinary Clinic. How can I help you?”
Ben cleared his throat. “Can I speak to Jamie, I mean Dr. Garven?”
“I’m sorry, she’s with a client right now—oh wait, she just left the examining room. Can I tell her who’s calling?”
Again, he considered hanging up. Instead he heard himself say, “It’s Ben Greyson.”
“One moment please.”
The line went silent as she put him on hold. Ben paced back and forth on a small patch of gravel road in front of the clinic. He stared at his shoes, noting the dust covering the smooth leather. He didn’t know what he was going to say to Jamie. Why was he even calling her?
“Hello, Ben?”
The moment he heard her voice, his whole body relaxed. “Hi. I’m sorry to bother you at work. I know you’re busy.”
“No problem. What can I do for you?”
“Well, the girls have been asking about meeting Hector. Do you think it would be all right if I brought them over some time?”
“Yes, of course. I’m not working on Friday. Why don’t you guys come over for dinner?”
“I wasn’t angling for a dinner invitation.”
“I know. I’m offering. I’m a fantastic cook, if I say so myself.”
That made him smile. “Now I’m intrigued. Thank you. What time should we be there?”
“Come a few minutes before five and I’ll introduce Bella and Sophie to Hector.”
“Okay. See you then.”
“See you. Bye.”
Ben grinned as he put his phone in his pocket and began walking back to his office.
Everything was going to be okay.
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To Heal a Heart
The Masonville Series Book 2
Two souls in pain, two hearts in need of rescue.
Garrett Saunders’ world changed two years ago on a road in Afghanistan. Back home, he feels like a stranger. As he struggles to find his place in the world, he meets a horse destined for the slaughterhouse and a woman bent on rescuing the strays of the world, including him.
Blair Greyson moves to Masonville to look after her ailing grandfather and give her rescue horses a home. Right away she butts heads with a surly former Marine. Despite a rocky start, they come to an agreement: Blair will board Garrett’s rescue horse and he’ll help with repairs around her farm.
Garrett finds purpose working with Blair—and falls in love with her. But she’s hiding a secret. Can she forgive herself and accept Garrett’s love, or will she let guilt and regret continue to rule her life?
**On Sale at Amazon for .99cents May 20 – June 3!!**
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“Do you remember the last summer I saw you, just before I joined the Marines? Your brothers were both working for the summer, so you came out to your grandparents’ farm on your own.”
Blair’s face grew hot at the memory. She pulled his shirt from his jeans and laid her palm against the warm, hard muscles of his abdomen. “You mean the summer I threw myself at you and you totally rejected me? No, I barely remember that at all.”
He chuckled as he pushed her shirt off her shoulders. “I was sorely tempted that summer. There you were, prancing around in your short shorts and bikini top, working in your grandmother’s garden while I mowed the lawns. You must have known you were driving me crazy.”
Actually, she hadn’t known. He’d done a great job of ignoring her and making her believe she was nothing but a nuisance. She looked up at him, tilting her head to one side. “If you were so tempted, why did you tell me to take a hike when I tried to seduce you?”
“You were fifteen, Blair. Three years younger than me and just a kid. If you’d known what I wanted to do with you…” His unfinished sentence shimmered between them.
He was such an honorable man. He hadn’t wanted to take advantage of a young girl with a case of raging hormones and too little sense. A girl who believed her only worth was in what her body could give to a boy.
“Perhaps you can show me now.” Blair slowly lowered the zipper of his pants. “I’m not a kid anymore.”
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Child of Mine
The Masonville Series Book 1
Is Lauren’s love for Cole stronger than her fear of scandal in her hometown?
Lauren didn’t intend to sleep with her brother-in-law Cole on the day of her husband’s funeral. But now that she is pregnant, she’s not sorry. Cole’s given her a baby, a long-wished-for miracle. He’s been her friend forever, though she never told him or anyone else how unhappy her marriage to his cheating brother was. And she’s afraid to tell the small town that considered her husband a hero that the baby isn’t his.
Cole’s been in love with Lauren since he was sixteen. It kills him that everyone believes the baby is his dead brother’s. All he wants is to claim the baby, and Lauren, as his own. Though she marries him, will Lauren’s heart ever be his?
Lauren must tell the truth or risk losing Cole. Is her newly-discovered love for him greater than her fear of scandal in her hometown?
**On Sale at Amazon for .99cents until May 20!!**
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Cole wrapped her in his arms. He held her securely, whispering reassurances. “It’s all right, Lauren. Don’t cry. It’s going to be okay, sweetheart.”
She clung to him, her face buried against his neck. How wonderful to be held, to be touched. It had been so long—
What was she doing? This was Cole, her friend. She pulled away from him. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have anything to apologize for.”
She turned away and tried to wipe the tears from her face. After she got her tears under control, she made herself smile at him. “Do you remember the homecoming dance? The time I tripped in my new high heels and sprained my ankle?”
“Of course I do. You couldn’t walk, so I carried you from the school gym to Billy’s car, and he drove you home. I remember you were a lot heavier than you looked.”
She swatted his shoulder, hiccupping laughter mixing with her tears. “Very funny. I was trying to make a point.”
He wiped the tears from her cheek with the pad of his thumb, his dark eyes full of tenderness. “So what was your point?”
“You’re a good friend. You’ve always been there every time I’ve needed you, and here you are again. Thank you.”
He stared into her eyes, but said nothing. She couldn’t look away. He continued to stroke her cheek with his thumb, the tiny caress acting like a balm to her battered heart. She placed her hand on his cheek.
“Cole.”
They reached for each other in mutual need. He pulled her against his chest, his mouth descending on hers in a hungry, urgent kiss. She sighed against his mouth, and he brought her closer. He wants me. It had been so long since someone had wanted her. Only her.
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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. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.janarichards.com
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