A Time for Singing by Carol James

Blurb:

Charlee Bennett is running from her past. Once deserted by her musician ex-fiancé, she’s vowed to avoid anything that reminds her of the pain of his betrayal.

Chance Jackson is starting over. Hoping to redeem the mistakes of his earlier life, he hopes to become the music and worship pastor of the largest church in Crescent Bluff.

Charlee tries to convince herself she should not be attracted to Chance. But then she discovers an old letter hidden in the secret drawer of an antique desk. The pain expressed by its author resonates deep within her.

Can the words of long ago soften Charlee's heart and help her discover that there is a time for singing?

Extract:

            So, who would it be tonight?

            From her table in the back corner, Charlee Bennett surveyed the inn’s small dining room. The only empty chair sat across from her, a sure sign she’d soon have a dinner companion.

            She smoothed the white linen napkin in her lap and sipped her water. Over the past few years, these monthly weekends at the Wayfarer Inn had become her favorites, times of pampering among the plodding.

            A tall man who definitely wasn’t from Crescent Bluff stepped into the doorway and leaned on the old oak pulpit now serving as the hostess stand. Michael presented his best maître d’ smile and then consulted the reservations list. The new diner nodded. Michael gathered a menu and silverware and turned in her direction.

            Perspiration prickled her face. Oh, no. Not this man. Anyone but him. Please…not a musician. She could spot them a mile away. After following Jake around for a year and then dating him for two more, she knew the look. PR. Painstakingly Relaxed

            Last month, she’d shared dinner with a trial judge from Amarillo, and the month before that, a retired humanitarian aid worker from Uganda. Not only had both men been fascinating, they’d also been safe. Both were old enough to be her grandfather. But as Michael led tonight’s guest toward her table, only one word resonated within her.

            Danger.

Bio:

Raised as an Air Force brat, the longest Carol James ever lived in one place was a year and a half. Maybe that’s why when she and her husband bought their first home forty-two years ago, they stayed.

Wife, mother, grandmother, and dog-mama, Carol loves writing stories of redemptive romance.

Sign up for her quarterly newsletter and receive a free short story: https://www.carol-james.com/staying-in-touch.html

Her newest release, A Time for Singing, is a story based upon the Secret Drawer Society she stumbled across as she was visiting Longfellow’s Wayside Inn in Sudbury, MA. The novel was released on June 24, 2022, and it currently available for purchase on Amazon and other major retailers.

Links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OnidVB

Barnes & Noble: bit.ly/3LLG7IS

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-time-for-singing

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60691395-a-time-for-singing

Booktopia: https://bit.ly/3y9B8h5

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/a-time-for-singing-by-carol-james

Pelican: https://bit.ly/3FTp8Ck

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Carol James said…

Thanks so much for featuring A Time for Singing today, Clare.

19 July 2022 at 17:28

Gail Pallotta said…

Oh, what an interesting extract. Thanks for sharing.

19 July 2022 at 19:23

Gail, Thanks for stopping by.

19 July 2022 at 19:55

Mary K. Marelli said…

Oooh, I love danger! This sounds like a very exciting read

19 July 2022 at 20:21

Mary, thanks for your comment. sometimes, I love danger, too! Especially if it's handsome danger. LOL