Blog Tour Excerpt & Giveaway: Robin's Reward by June McCrary Jacobs

 

Welcome to my tour stop for Robin's Reward by June McCrary Jacobs!
There's a great excerpt and a link to the tour giveaway below...

Robin's Reward (Bonita Creek Trilogy, #1)Robin's Reward
(Bonita Creek Trilogy #1)
by June McCrary Jacobs
Adult Inspirational Contemporary Romance
Paperback, 271 Pages
April 28th 2015

Summary

Bonita Creek’s librarian Robin Bennett is heartbroken after being abandoned by her husband, Thomas. The mysterious and handsome Jeff Clarke arrives unexpectedly and touches Robin’s life with his wit and warmth. Then, without warning, Jeff’s harsh words and abrasive actions scare her off, and Robin’s hope of finding true love withers again.

Just when it seems Robin and Jeff might have a future, Susan Stinson, whose cruel taunting has plagued Robin since they met as young teens, decides Jeff should be hers, not Robin’s. Susan’s anger and jealousy escalate dangerously. Her vindictiveness threatens the foundation of Jeff and Robin’s young relationship.

Robin’s journey through the peaks and valleys of her life meanders along the twists and turns of new challenges. Is a relationship which began with both parties harboring secrets destined to survive? Can they move past their troubles and the obstacles in their path to find love and happiness together? When their pasts rear their ugly heads, Jeff and Robin must use their faith to remain strong and true. But will it be enough for them to embrace a life of love, trials, and blessings . . . together?

Endorsement

"Robin's Reward, a sweet romance with great characters, is as refreshing as a walk among flowers."
— Author Rebecca H. Jamison, Sense & Sensibility: A Latter-Day Tale.

 

Excerpt
Chapter One

     Im as hot and sticky as the center of a freshly-roasted campfirmarshmallow, Miss Praise.” Perspiration trickled past Robin’s sunburned neck, undehecollar, and down her back. Her blouse was plastered to her skin.
     I’m not feeling very feminine or lady-like in this condition, if you catch my drift. This brings us to my next question. What was I thinking starting up with this garden renovation project on the hottest Marcafternoon ever recorded in Bonita Creek? Am I nuts? Wait—don’t answer that.
     Some sympathy from Miss Praiselike purring or even winding herself around Robin’s legswouldve beecomforting. Instead, the elderly tabby wadozing comfortably in her cozy quilt- lined basket on the shaded porch. Robin was drained from tangling with her vintage hydrangea bush for the past four hours.
     She’d read gardening was great exercise, but it gave Robin’s thoughts too many chances to wander. She dreaded those dark, dreary spaces in her mind permanently occupied by unhappy memories and heart-wrenching regrets. Since she wasn’t accomplishing mucanyway, she released her shovel to take a break with a refreshing glass or two of her favorite iced tea. She straightened up and stretched her aching arms over her head.
     I’m parched, hoabout you? Want something cold to drink? She spoke in the direction of the faded gray cat. Apparently, Miss Praise haheard enough of Robin’s whining. The cayawned, stretched, flicked her tail, and hoppedaintily out of hebasket. She lumbered down the
brick path to seerefuge in the peaceful back garden. Naturally, Robin hadnt expected Miss Praise to respond, but talking to the cat helped her feel connected to heGrandma Estelle. The older woman hapassed on a few years agand Robin still ached for her grandmothers presence. She kneadehefatigued lower back with her knuckles and sighed deeply.
     As she untied the ribbon of her straw hat and shook out her damp curly hair, Robin sensed someone’s gaze. A prickly feeling caused her to rotate her body where she came face-to-face with an unfamiliar—but attractive—man. A hint oamusement lit up his clean-shaven face as he stood on the walkway in front of her garden gate. When the strangechuckled, Robins damp cheeks flamed scarlet. She wondered how long hed been standing there listening to her grunt and groaand, well, whine.
     Since he couldn’t possibly have seen Miss Praise, he probably assumed Robin had been talking to herself. Swell. Just another example of the truckload of awkward moments in life when
Robin wished she could vanish on demand. Speaking througclenched teeth, she attempted to use humor to cover up her self-consciousness.
     Instead of breaking your neck staring at me, how about making yourself useful by helping me dig up this stubborhydrangea? Her embarrassment grewhen the strangers sole response was a chorus of boisterous laughter. Lord, please get me out of here—now! Robin’s humiliation took over her common sense, and her sole goal was to flee. Grabbing her garden hat, she slammed it onto the gate post as she wrenched off hework gloves and tossed them on the ground neahebirdbath. The sound of the mans hearty laughteechoing in heears brought her lifelong dislike of being the object of teasing and taunting racing to the surface.
     Like most school children, she’d suffered through her share of teasing and even some bullyingTruth be told, she was still occasionally bullied by a former classmate, Susan Stinson, almost ten years after theyd graduated. Robin had expectedand hoped—in hecurrent stage of life, halfway between twenty-five and thirty, she wouldve overcome this affliction. The scorching feeling in her cheeks told her otherwise. I so do not want to deal with this guy.
     Attempting to give the illusion of self-confidence, Robin lengtheneher spine and held hechin higas she stalketoward her cottage. In the safety of her cottage’s interior she’d find the solace and peace she was seeking. Far too often in the past she’d alloweher pride and confidence to be battered by a male. Okay, one male in particular. She vowed to handle her reaction in the current situation differently. She was determined to spare herself one more millisecond of humiliation. Today I’m going to stand up to my tormentors. All right, so maybe this stranger isnt exactly tormenting me. Still, everyone knows laughing at a lady isn’t polite.
     Robin wasn’t going to stand there and let some stranger, however handsome he might be— and this guy was definitely above-average in the looks department—laugh at her in her own garden. Hot, briny tears stung her eyes. Time seemed to slow down, and she couldnt make it to the front door fast enough. Embarrassing incidents from her not so distant past charged to the forefront of her mind ashe made heway up the front porch steps.
~*~
     At the front gate, Jeff froze. He’d offended her. His body felt as if he’djust finished running five miles at a training paceas it had been since he’d first happened upon the woman. His heart thundered in his ears when he’d first seen her, his vision honed in on a lovely brunette. She was hard at work in her garden on such an oppressive afternoonHe’d neveseen anyone so focused on one task. She appeared to be in a frenzy, trying to free the roots of a bush from the sun-dried, hardened soil.
     He had to admit, she lookeas if she were accustomed to hard work. Strongfit arms and legs peeked out from her short-sleeved blouse and khaki shorts. She sported a wide-brimmed haand appeared unafraid of hard work if the sweaty sheecovering heneck and face were any kind of evidence. Smudges of dirt adorned her elbows, knees, and—he couldn’t help but notice—shapely calves.
     He’d been walking through the streets surrounding his rental home. Historical architecture was one of his hobbies, and he was checking out the architectural styles located on the streets in this older section of Bonita Creek, California. Healready identified Craftsman, Victorian, Italianate, Tudor, cottageranch, and bungalow style homes. His mind, locked on his thoughts, was jarred whehe heard a frustrated voice asking why she was trying to renovate her garden on this hot afternoon. The voice held such conviction he stopped to see if the speaker was seeking his personal opinion. When he realized the sun-kissed gardener was alone in the garden, he became enthralleby her movements and the timbre of her voice.
     Unsure of how long he’d been staringJeff was jerked out of his trance when the woman turnearound and challenged him to come into the garden to help her dig up the bush. Embarrassed he’d beecaught staring, his natural reaction was to laugh. Now the woman rushed away from him toward the door of the cottage dominating the center of the property.
     This scenario was not unfolding ahe wanted. He blamed his complete lack of understanding of women and their mysterious ways for this latest gaffeNow you’ve done it. You are clueless, ClarkeHe needed to come up with something witty and wise to redeem himself.
     Otherwise, he’d lose a chance to meet this fascinating gardenewho had his curiosity.

About the Author

Award-winning author, June McCrary Jacobs, was the winner of Cedar Fort Publishing’s 2013 Holiday Tale Contest for her debut novella, ‘A Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom’. ‘Robin’s Reward’ is her first full-length novel, and is set in her favorite location in California—the Mendocino coastal region. This book is the first installment of the ‘Bonita Creek Trilogy’.

June’s original sewing, quilting, and stitchery designs have been published in over one hundred books, magazines, and blogs in the past few years. When she’s not writing, reading, or sewing, June enjoys cooking, walking, and visiting art and history museums. She also enjoys touring historic homes and gardens and strolling around the many historic Gold Rush towns in the Sierra Nevada foothills. In the summertime you can find June at a variety of county fairs and the California State Fair admiring the sewing projects, quilts, and handiwork other inspired seamstresses, quilters, craftspeople, and artists have created.

June enjoys connecting with readers, authors, aspiring writers, bloggers, designers, sewers, quilters, and crafters. Please connect with June at the following platforms:



Tour-Wide Giveaway

June is giving away two signed copies of 'Robin's Reward' on her website. (United States residents only. No purchase necessary.) The Rafflecopter contest will end on May 31st, and June would like to invite readers to enter for a chance to win one of these paperbacks. Go to her website to enter.

14 comments

  1. Going to check this out -- sounds like a perfect summer read!
    Jen at YA Romantics

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  2. Jessica Samuelsen4/28/15, 12:15 PM

    Thanks for sharing. This looks like fun! On my kindle now!

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  3. Sounds like an interesting book. :)

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  4. Sounds like some good drama going on in this book ;) Thanks for sharing the excerpt and giveaway!

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  5. Hope that either I win, or that my library gets this soon! Would love to read this.

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  6. This book is definitely going in my never ending TBR pile and I can't wait to read it :)

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  7. I have had this book on hold for months; since I first saw it on Goodreads! Today was a long time coming.

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  8. Thanks for stopping by, Heidi!

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  9. This is one that's been on my tbr for some time. I'm hoping I'll love it.

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  10. Me too, Ally! This is one that I don't have.

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  11. Lol! I think I have the same pile as you. Never ending. ;)

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  12. Hurray for you! I hope you love it!!

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  13. I really liked it and it's definitely worth free. :)

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  14. It's a good read. I really enjoyed it, so I hope you do too!

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