Saturday Sampler - Road to Serendipity by Jannine Gallant

Road To Serendipity

Three Reunion Stories

by

Jannine Gallant

Blurb:

Will a twenty year high school reunion inspire old classmates to risk it all for love?

Lonely Road To You

Kate Abbott is perfectly content with the secure life she’s built in Seattle, even if her son thinks she’s in an uninspired rut. Former rock star Tyler North has no intention of shaking up his routine on the Montana ranch where he fled to escape the ravages of fame and fortune. Neither plans to attend their twenty year high school reunion, but fate throws them together, leading them on a journey of discovery. As Kate and Tyler fight unexpected attraction and old insecurities on a road trip full of surprises, can they put aside fear of change and rejection to take a chance on love?

Rough Road Ahead

For Chantal Day success is the name of the game—until her cosmetics company is consumed in a hostile takeover, leaving her broke and homeless. Abandoning Manhattan for the backwoods of the Adirondack Mountains, she discovers her old high school flame is back in Hilltop. Widowed with a daughter to raise, Flynn McKenna isn’t interested in a difficult, sexy woman like Chantal tying his life up in knots. Twenty years before they broke each other's hearts. Neither is looking for a repeat performance. Will Flynn and Chantal heal old wounds to find common ground before a decades old threat finds them?

Winding Road Home

Adam York attends his twenty year high school reunion hoping to see his old running pal, Chloe. Her absence is a disappointment, despite the fact they’d never been more than friends. When Chloe Lane walks off the set of Get Lei’d with her dignity in shreds, the armor around her heart is firmly in place. After a series of disastrous dates spawned by her brush with reality TV, she swears off men…until she runs into Adam on the course of the Lake Tahoe Marathon. Attraction sizzles, threatening their friendship with the promise of something more, but will Chloe risk her heart before it’s too late?

Excerpt: From Winding Road Home

She pumped her fist in the air. “We made it. Let’s sprint to the end.”

He stared at her through glazed eyes. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Come on, Adam. Show me your stuff.”

He sprinted at her side down the home stretch, past the cheering onlookers to the finish line. Someone draped a finisher’s medal around his neck and handed him a bottle of water.

“We did it in just over four hours. Unbelievable.”

All he could think about was collapsing in an exhausted heap on the sand at the edge of the lake and quite possibly never moving again. His race time was the last thing he cared about. “Terrific.”

Chloe laughed, a sound of sheer joy, and threw her arms around his neck. Somehow he found the strength to hug her back. She felt slim and sweaty and delightful in his arms.

“This is why I run. Because it feels so good when it’s over. Wow!”

She danced away, ran down to the beach and pulled off her shoes. Adam followed at a slower pace, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. By the time he’d removed his shoes, she was already splashing into the lake.

The cold water soothed his burning, aching feet. He walked out further as Chloe dived in, swam a few strokes then came up laughing.

“My God, it’s freezing.”

“Think I don’t know that. You don’t see me jumping in with you.”

She waded toward him, water streaming off her body, hair hanging in wet strings around her face. Her running clothes clung to her, and goose bumps pebbled her arms and legs. She looked amazing. Knee deep in Lake Tahoe, Adam fell hard for Chloe Lane for the second time around.

Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MMTMCTY

Website: http://www.janninegallant.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JannineGallant.Author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JannineGallant

Bio:

Write about what you know. Jannine Gallant has taken this advice to heart, creating characters from small towns and plots that unfold in the great outdoors. She grew up in a tiny Northern California town and currently lives in beautiful Lake Tahoe with her husband and two daughters. When she isn’t busy writing or being a full time mom, Jannine hikes and snowshoes in the woods around her home.

Whether she’s writing contemporary, historical, or romantic suspense, Jannine brings the beauty of nature to her stories. To find out more about this author and her books, visit her website at www.JannineGallant.com.

The Roses of Prose Have Free Stories For You

Ten authors at The Roses of Prose blogsite (yours truly included) http://www.rosesofprose.blogspot.com/ have a special treat for you during the month of December. An Unexpected Holiday. 

An Unexpected Holiday is a series of romance short stories, each penned by a different author, each with different characters and events, each beginning with the same first line, This was the last place she expected to spend Christmas.

Stop by each day and see the stories unfold. Our first story "Santa and the Elf" by Jannine Gallant starts today. For a brief description of each story, see yesterday's post at http://www.rosesofprose.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-month-of-christmas-stories.html

I haven't written a short story since high school English Composition class a very long time ago so I was a little nervous. Once I got started, I found it was more fun than I expected. I hope you'll enjoy all of our stories.

On another note, my friend Jessica E. Subject is having an Ebook Giveaway. One of the books she's giving away is my science fiction romance THE PILOT. Check out the others at http://www.markofthestars.com/wp/fill-your-ereader-holiday-ebook-giveaway-romance/

Free Books

Giving Away Free Books With A Little Help From My Friends

by Margo Hoornstra

My good friend and fellow writer Diane has generously offered her space here to help me get the word out about a giveaway I’m doing today with some of my other friends.

Did you ever wonder what happened to…The Prom Queen? The guy most likely to serve time in a federal prison? The couple voted most likely to succeed? If intrigued with the opportunity to rewrite a bit of history…or exact a little revenge…The Last Rose of Summer invites you to a reunion of The Class of ’85.

That was the original call for submissions from The Wild Rose Press and over twenty inter-related books were the result. Five of these books are available for FREE today on KDP Select exclusively on Amazon.

Download Lonely Road To You by Jannine Gallant for free here.

Kate Abbott isn’t looking for excitement and is perfectly content with the secure life she’s built in Seattle, even if her son thinks she’s in an uninspired rut. Former rock star Tyler North has no intention of shaking up his life on the Montana ranch where he fled years before to escape the ravages of fame and fortune. Neither plan to attend their 25 year high school reunion in Summerville, but fate throws them together on a lonely road, leading them on a journey of discovery.

From the majesty of Yellowstone to the shores of Lake Ontario, Kate and Tyler fight unexpected attractions and old insecurities. Their journey is full of surprises and odd twists. From bison and bears to a deep crevasse and a crazy old man, they work together to overcome the obstacles in their path. But will these two opposites be able to put aside fear of change and rejection to take a chance on the promise of love?

Download To Be, Or Not by Margo Hoornstra for free here.

Barry Carlson had it all, a successful career in professional baseball and the adoration of any woman he wanted. Except one. Forced to retire in his prime, Barry returns to his hometown of Summerville, New York to coach the Minor League Hornets.

Twenty years ago, Barry broke through Amanda Marsh’s trust issues. He melted her ice, won her love, then walked away without a backward glance to survey the wreckage. Now Amanda is the head of public relations for the Hornets and happily single—until Barry slides back into her life.

Still reluctant to trust, Amanda gives Barry another chance. But the announcement of their twenty-fifth high school reunion leads to an asinine bet between Barry and his old buddies, and threatens to ruin their newfound relationship. As scandals of the past and present converge, can Barry and Amanda get beyond their differences to find their second chance at love?

Download Embraceable You by Kat Henry Doran for free here.

Award-winning photojournalist Dru Horvath doesn't stay in one spot for too long. Her vocation of documenting abuses against women worldwide prevents her from risking her heart. Every day working stiff Rory McElroy is a two-time loser when it comes to women—and he doesn't plan to take a chance on a relationship again, thank you very much.

But when Dru comes back into his life, he's not sure which poses the greater risk: protecting her from third world thugs who want to silence her permanently—or allowing the one woman who captured his heart years ago to embrace him for good.

Download Promises, Promises by Silver James for free here.

Betrayed former society wife Kelly Kincaid only wants to make things right. Paying off her ex-husband’s debt of honor is tough when a minimum-wage job back in her hometown is the only one she can find. Could the answer to her problems be right in front of her?

The moment pub owner Michael Doogan sees Summerville High School’s former golden girl at the train station, he loses his heart. Again. He’d give Kelly Kincaid the world on a platter, but the stubborn woman is intent on going her way alone. A threat to her safety provides him the incentive to stand up for what he wants, but will he have the patience to win her love?

Download Something More by Keena Kincaid for free here.

If she could, Nora Emerson would demand a "do over" of the last twenty-five years. An emotionally abusive marriage, failed fertility treatments and a nasty, public divorce have left her bruised, skittish and determined to remain independent at all costs.

With an all-consuming business and a furious teenage sister on his hands, Nora is a complication Nick McPherson doesn't need. It's one he wants. Her vulnerability and kick-ass competency intrigue him, and the sexual sparks between them could set Summerville on fire. The more she insists the sex is just for fun, the more determined he becomes to turn their fling into something more.

All five authors, me included, have multiple books published with the Class of ’85 series. We hope you’ll try out these titles and maybe come back for more.