Blurb:
Delany
Fleet, a widowed former indentured servant living in the colonial port of
Norfolk, Virginia, dreams of having an estate of her own where she will never
have to compromise her freedom.
When
the only man she ever loved shows up with a load of smuggled firearms, Delany
is forced to leave her home and her livelihood to protect her family and
property from Lord Dunmore's raids and the conniving plots of a man who claims
to be her friend.
Now,
with her destiny forever altered, Delany must find a new way to happiness. Can
reconnecting with her husband's family and a former love be the path that God
has for her?
Excerpt:
Delany swung back into her shop looking for something to punch and rushed
right into Field Archer’s chest. At once surrounded by strong arms and a strong
need to bathe, Delany forgot to breathe.
“Aunt Delany,” Ben laughed “Mr. Archer is here to see you.”
“So I see, Ben.” She looked up into his twinkling brown eyes and stepped
back a proper distance. Of course his height had not changed, but he had filled
out. His chest was broad and solid. She pulled her hands back to her chest
before she let them slide over to his shoulders. It was Field Archer. He was
right here in her shop.
“Mrs. Fleet.” His baritone strummed a girlish cord of humiliation that
she thought long gone.
Before she could respond, the door opened again.
“Well, Mrs. Fleet, that’ll show them, won’t it?” John Crawley’s fat face
was slick with glee. His small black eyes gave her the usual once over that
made her feel exposed. She squelched a shudder and moved behind the counter.
Field turned his back to them and moved toward the toy shelves.
“The association will back down now.” Crawley wiped his hands down the
front of his brown frock coat. “It won’t be long before we can get our ships
out of here. We are saved, Mrs. Fleet.”
“What does his lordship want with a printing press?”
“To silence the dirty-shirts.”He hooked his thumbs in the pockets of his
coat. “No voice. No followers.”
“It remains to be seen, Mr. Crawley, what the militia will do.”
“We just saw what those yellow-bellies will do.” He bent forward over the
counter, enough that she could smell his luncheon ale. “It will all be over
soon, and we can get back to business.”
“Was there something you needed, Mr. Crawley?” Delany stepped back from
the counter and took a glance at Field hoping for an interruption. Seeing only
his back, she gazed at the shelf beneath. A new box of wax inserts for missing
teeth caught her eye. “Some plumpers for Mrs. Crawley, perhaps?”
The red in Crawley’s face deepened to crimson. “No, thank you.” He
checked his tone. “My mother is in need of nothing at the moment.” This time
when he leaned in, the gleam in his eye hinted of impropriety.
Delany leaned back.
“Were you frightened?” He rocked back on his heels, looked over his
shoulder at Field, rested his elbows on the counter, and breathed a rotten
cloud. “I will protect you.”
Over my dead body. "Thank you, Mr. Crawley,
for your offer, but I can take care of myself." She came out from behind
the counter. "Now if there is nothing else" I really shouldn't keep
my customers waiting." After a last glance at her" and then
Field" he exited.
Delany wiped the counter of his greasy imprint.
When the doorbells tinkled, indicating the departure of Mr. Crawley,
Field turned toward Mrs. Fleet. The insinuation in Mr. Crawley’s declaration of
protection gave Field pause. Perhaps his mother had been wrong to send him
here.
Buy Links:
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Shopkeepers-Widow-Izzy-James-ebook/dp/B089HP6HXM/
iBooks: The
Shopkeeper's Widow
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-shopkeepers-widow-izzy-james/1137112901?ean=9781522303015
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=the+shopkeepers+widow
GooglePlay:
https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Izzy_James_The_Shopkeeper_s_Widow?id=kJLoDwAAQBAJ
Contact:
Website:
echull.com
Facebook:
www.Facebook.com/IzzyJamesAuthor
Twitter: @chevyhull
Instagram: izzy.james
Comments
PamT
And Clare, thank you so much for supporting Pelican Book Group Authors!
I agree, Nicola did a magnificent job on the cover! :-)