A Note from Zoe: Zoe James here. I want to introduce you to my
author, Carol James. She writes Redemptive Romance, and she has a new book out
entitled No Longer a Captive. You can read all about it below. You can
also connect with her on social media. But, if you REALLY want to know what
goes on behind the scenes in my author’s life, follow me and two of my friends
on Instagram at 3DogsandTheirAuthors.
Book Blurb:
When Ethne O’Connor's brother, Sean, tells her
of father’s unexpected death, he asks her to do something she promised herself
she’d never do. Come back home.
A victim of
childhood abuse, Ethne left her father and the small Texas town of Crescent
Bluff ten years ago on the night of her high school graduation. She's
determined to end the cycle of abuse and believes the only way to do that is
remain single. If she has no husband, she'll never have children that can be
abused.
Then she meets
Daniel Spenser, a handsome doctor with chocolate-kiss eyes. Daniel understands
her past in a way no one else does. He’s lived it.
Will Daniel be
able to help Ethne break the chains of captivity around her heart?
And will God
release her from her past, to be free to trust the man she comes to love?
Excerpt: (Please
let me know if you think this is too short or too long.)
No
Longer a Captive
“So
if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
John 8:36
The
gravel crunched beneath the tires as Ethne O’Connor
steered the box truck onto the shoulder of the narrow country road. Today would
be a scorcher. The clock hadn’t yet reached nine in the morning, and already
the numbers on her dashboard read ninety-two. The birth of another lovely
summer day in Central Texas.
The
heat waves rising from the pavement in front of her mirrored the waves of
nausea that had steadily intensified since she’d left Fort
Worth. She shifted the truck into park, flipped on the emergency flashers, and
turned the air conditioning on high. Closing her eyes, she pushed her head back
against the seat and begged the cold air to rush across her face and relieve
her churning stomach.
She
couldn’t believe she was doing this. One May evening ten
years ago, with her suitcase already packed in the trunk of her car, she walked
across the stage in the high school auditorium, received her diploma, and made
a promise to herself, a vow that had never been broken…until today.
Sean’s
pleading phone call on Monday had changed everything. She was returning home.
The
nausea somewhat under control, she shifted the truck into drive, pulled back
onto the roadway, and turned off the emergency flashers. One last mile to go.
Anticipation was a funny thing. When she wanted something to happen, it took
forever to come. If she dreaded an event, it arrived before she knew it. These
last several days had gone by way too fast.
Slowing
the truck, she turned left and began the journey down a meandering river of
asphalt. As she rounded the final curve and her childhood home came into view,
she gasped. In the ten years she’d been gone, absolutely nothing had changed. The
two-story farm house was still painted white with black shutters. Large Boston
ferns hung from under the edges of the front porch and swayed in the
ever-present Texas wind. Even the flowers waving in the pots beneath them were
the same—purple petunias.
Nine
o’clock and no
Sean, but she wasn't surprised. Punctuality had never been expected of him. On
the other hand, Vaughn had always demanded she be on time. Even early. That
requirement had served her well over the years, birthing in her the
organizational skills that helped her successfully start and run her business.
She
parked the truck at the top of the circular drive, and despite the heat,
slipped on her sweater, and inched across the pavement and up onto the porch.
She grasped the doorknob. As she expected, it was locked, and she didn’t
have a key. Years ago, she’d thrown hers away because she would never need
it again. If she’d kept it, she could have at least gone inside
and escaped the heat.
She
turned and walked toward one of the rocking chairs. A forgotten green turtle
with a chipped front leg smiled at her from underneath one of the pots of
flowers. She picked it up and slid back the door on its belly. A key fell out
into her hand. When she was a little girl, she always believed the key was
there for Sean and her—in case they got locked out and Vaughn was still at the
office. That was certainly one of the reasons, but when she was eleven, she’d
discovered another.
She
returned the oblivious little turtle to his home and then inserted the key into
the lock. Taking a deep breath, she turned the key and pushed the door open.
Cool, silent darkness greeted her as she stepped into the spotless—Vaughn would
have it no other way— foyer.
She
set the key on the console table beside the door and then tiptoed, for some
unexplainable reason, further in. She paused and glanced first toward the
living room to her right and then toward Vaughn’s home office
to her left. There was only one choice to make. She headed right and walked to
the wingback chair next to the fireplace. Sitting, she nestled into the
cushions. She pressed her nose against the fabric. Even after all these years,
she could imagine the soft fragrance of Mother’s perfume
lingering in the ivory brocade.
Heavy
draperies hung closed over the living room windows. A shaft of light shot out
from the middle space where the panels failed to meet completely and
illuminated a flock of dust motes as they floated in the bright morning sun.
When she was five, Mother told her the particles were tiny fairies dancing in
the sunshine, but they were usually invisible. Only the magic of the sun
unveiled them.
One
day, Ethne had asked Vaughn if she could borrow his magnifying glass to see the
fairies, but he’d refused, saying Mother had filled her head with
nonsense. Fairies weren’t real.
Turns
out, that was one of the few truthful statements he’d ever made
to her. She now knew the ‘fairies’ were
nothing more than a combination of dead skin cells, fabric fibers, pollen, and dirt.
He was right. Nothing magical about that.
As
she walked over to the window and threw open the curtains, the fairies
disappeared.
“So, the prodigal sister hath
returned.”
She
jumped and spun to face the foyer. Her little brother spanned the doorway. He
had grown up. The last time she’d seen him at his college graduation three years
ago, he was at that stage where the calendar said he was a man, but his body
was trying to catch up. He had certainly filled out, and he now sported a
short, precisely-trimmed, chestnut beard. His hair, unlike hers, had deepened
from bright copper to rich auburn.
“Sean. You’re
late,” she snipped. This was not the way she’d envisioned
their first meeting after all this time. She took a deep breath, reined in her
emotions, and smiled. “Or
maybe I’m a little early. I have a reputation for that.”
She pulled him into a sisterly hug.
His
grin answered hers. “Early, late, whatever. I’m just glad
you came. I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever see
you again.”
“The road runs both ways, you know.”
“Yeah. Sorry.” He held up the key
she’d
placed on the console table. “I see you remembered the turtle. I figured I’d
find you sitting on the porch in one of the rockers.”
He
set a small, black gym bag on the floor. “Where’s your
suitcase? Need me to get it out of the truck?”
“I’m
not staying here. I’ve got a room in town.”
Carol James
Bio and Media Links:
Carol James is
an author of inspirational fiction. She loves creating Redemptive Romance. She
lives in Lilburn, Georgia, a small town outside of Atlanta, with her husband,
Jim, and a perky Jack Russell Terrier, Zoe.
Having always
loved intriguing stories with happy endings, she was moved to begin writing to
encourage others as she'd been encouraged by the works of other authors of
inspirational fiction.
Her debut novel,
Rescuing Faith, was an Amazon number one best-seller. Visit her website
to sign up for her newsletter to be the first to learn about new releases:
www.carol-james.com
Just recently,
Carol allowed Zoe to start an instagram page with two of her dog friends.
Follow them at 3DogsandtheirAuthors to
learn the behind the scenes info about being a writer.
Carol enjoys
spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren, traveling with
friends, and serving in the production department at her church. And most days,
in the late hours of the night or the wee hours of the morning, she can be
found bringing her newest novel to life.
Book
Links: Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/56pdpzmy
Pelican: https://bit.ly/3lve7NN
B&N: https://tinyurl.com/4jnj8u7p
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/no-longer-a-captive
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/no-longer-a-captive-by-carol-james
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58857487-no-longer-a-captive
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