This week’s guest author is Jana Richards, here to present Strong Enough, book four in her Masonville Small Town Romance series, coming June 22. To celebrate this new release, she’s offering discount prices on the other books in the series:
Child of Mine, book 1 – on sale for .99 cents at Amazon May 6-20, 2022 –https://www.amazon.com/Child-Mine-Masonville-Book-1-ebook/dp/B07MBVK9LY
To Heal a Heart, book 2 – on sale for .99 cents at Amazon May 20 – June 3, 2022 – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0875SLGK6
Unexpected, book 3 – on sale for .99 cents at Amazon June 3 – 17, 2022 – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09CG2MVS7
Strong Enough: Masonville Series Book Four
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.
Excerpt:
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.
Pre-order your copy of Strong Enough:
Amazon ~ Amazon CA ~ Amazon UK ~ iBooks ~ BookBub ~ Goodreads
About the Author:
Jana Richards has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to full-length contemporary romance, paranormal suspense and romantic comedy. She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side. She believes there’s nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick.
When not writing up a storm or dealing with dust bunnies, Jana can be found pursuing hobbies such as golf (which she plays very badly) or reading (which she does much better).
Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren. You can reach her through her website at http://www.janarichards.com
A Few Questions for Jana:
Tell us about your inspiration for this story.
STRONG ENOUGH is book 4 in my Masonville Small Town romance series. The theme in all the books in the series is overcoming obstacles and past traumas. With the love and support of partners, family, and friends, my characters learn to love themselves and begin to heal. Charlotte and Damon in STRONG ENOUGH have more problems to overcome than most people. The abuse they suffered in the past makes trust difficult to find.
What do you love about the genre you write in?
Small town romance focuses on the community as well as the couple in love. I like that the small town is almost like another character in the story, with its own quirks and foibles. Often the couple falls in love with each other while falling in love with the small town at the same time.
Do you write in other genres?
Yes. I write contemporary romance, romantic suspense and books set in World War Two. They are all genres I love. I’ve also added paranormal elements to some of my books and it’s a genre I want to explore. My next project is going to be a time travel romance series featuring a ghost named John that I’m really excited about. Can’t wait to sink my teeth into it.
What does your writing space look like?
It usually looks pretty messy! I’ve converted a small bedroom into my office and I love it. I’m surrounded by my books, my computers and printers, and all the pictures and tchotchkes that make me happy. My office has also doubled as my yoga studio since the pandemic began and classes went online. I love this space mostly because it’s all mine.
Do you have any particular writing quirks? A special object, snack, music, etc. that helps you with your writing process?
I guess my writing quirk is that I can’t have any music playing in the background while I’m writing. I’m so easily distracted I don’t dare play music or I’d never get anything done!
Authors always seem to have a teetering To Be Read pile. What’s in yours?
Right now my Kindle is bugling with unread books. But I have to make a confession. Since the pandemic began, I haven’t done nearly as much reading as I did previously. The only thing I’ve been reading is non-fiction about writing newsletters and creating Facebook ads. I used to listen to audiobooks constantly, at the gym or on long car reads. Well, I quit the gym at the start of the pandemic and haven’t been back. And I haven’t been on a long car ride in nearly three years. Before the pandemic I read between 30 and 50 books in a year, and I really want to get back to those numbers, especially for fiction.
What makes you put down a book without finishing?
Bad or asinine dialogue annoys me, as do characters who do unrealistic, uncharacteristic, or just plain stupid things. Nothing bothers me more than a character who’s too stupid to live.
Which authors have inspired you?
Nora Roberts has been an inspiration for a long time. I love her story telling and her ability to write in different romance genres. Her work ethic is certainly inspirational. The woman is crazy prolific! I want to be like Nora when I grow up!
Connect with Jana Richards on Social Media:
Website: http://www.janarichards.com
Blog: http://janarichards.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards_
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards
Amazon UK Author Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B002DEVWWG
Newsletter Signup: http://janarichards.com/contact.html#newsletter
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2892274Jana_Richards
Thanks for having me on your blog, Sadira!
Jana’s novel sounds like a heart wrenching story. Two lost souls finding each other. I can relate to that. It’s the basis of my most recent release. Best to you, Sadira. And thanks for showcasing Jana’s book.