A heartfelt story about a woman trying to find herself after losing her father and then finding the man she's married to isn't who she thought he was. Check out the excerpt and giveaway below...
by Rose Chandler Johnson
Inspirational Romantic Suspense
Paperback & ebook, 314 pages
March 13th 2016
March 13th 2016
Summary
“At once a sweet romance and a page-turning thriller." (Christy Award–winning author Ann Tatlock).
Growing up, life is idyllic for Lily Rose Cates due to one constant – her father’s love. But in her sixteenth summer, all that changes without warning. There begins Lily’s struggle to find herself and the life she’s lost. . . . Marriage promises fulfillment, but her happily-ever-after barely survives the honeymoon. Her husband’s sophisticated façade hides a brooding man with even darker secrets. When all illusions shatter, Lily must make hard choices – abandon her husband or risk losing much more than her marriage. She flees their home in Detroit and sets out on a fearful journey to a house in Georgia that her husband knows nothing about. This is one woman’s compelling tale of love and survival as she finds her way back home to who she’s meant to be . . . in her father’s house.
Growing up, life is idyllic for Lily Rose Cates due to one constant – her father’s love. But in her sixteenth summer, all that changes without warning. There begins Lily’s struggle to find herself and the life she’s lost. . . . Marriage promises fulfillment, but her happily-ever-after barely survives the honeymoon. Her husband’s sophisticated façade hides a brooding man with even darker secrets. When all illusions shatter, Lily must make hard choices – abandon her husband or risk losing much more than her marriage. She flees their home in Detroit and sets out on a fearful journey to a house in Georgia that her husband knows nothing about. This is one woman’s compelling tale of love and survival as she finds her way back home to who she’s meant to be . . . in her father’s house.
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Excerpt
Chapter One
“Go on, Darling, and see
about the colt,” I said. He stirred a cup of steaming coffee, and then handed
it to me. When my hands wrapped around the warm ceramic mug, he leaned down and
gently pressed his lips to my forehead. I closed my eyes, grateful for his
touch.
“I love you,” he said, while taking
me by the shoulders and gently pulling me into the circle of his arms. I laid
my head against his chest and felt its rise and fall.
“Go,” I whispered. “I’m going to take a walk and look at the
gardens.”
He rubbed my back in wide slow
circles.
“I’m grateful she died in the
spring,” I said.
“I won’t be long. I imagine I’ll find you sitting
under the magnolia when I return.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I’ll join you there,” he said.
I followed him out onto the porch
and watched him walk to the truck, stop, and turn. He fixed his gaze on me, and
I knew he didn’t want to leave. I smiled then, and he nodded before getting in
and backing down the driveway. He waved, and something about his smile and the
gentle blue of the sky strengthened my heart. I watched him disappear down the
street before I turned and walked back inside.
Yesterday we buried the woman who
raised me, tethering my heart strings to both heaven and earth. Full of simple
goodness, her love never let me go. She wanted to be buried next to her
husband, and so she is, and before we lowered her body into the red Georgia
clay, we read the 23rd Psalm. The words flowed like a soothing balm.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
This morning the words are
whispering to my soul, and I can’t help remembering.
About the Author
My Father’s House is Rose’s first novel. Her devotional journal, God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea: Experiencing God in the Midst of Everyday Moments won the Georgia Author of the Year Finalist Award in 2014. It was also awarded the Selah Finalist Award in the same year. Rose enjoys writing for her blog, Write Moments with God and engaging with her readers. A native Georgian, Rose has lived in a suburb of Augusta for the last thirty years. Before retiring from Georgia’s public school system, Rose taught English, French, and ESOL. She is currently an adjunct English instructor at a community college. In addition to reading and writing, Rose enjoys cooking, sewing, gardening, and spending time with her six children and their growing families. And yes, sweet iced tea is her beverage of choice.
Tour Schedule
November 14th: Launch
November 15th: The Silver Dagger Scriptorium
November 16th: Wishful Endings
November 17th: Falling Leaves
November 18th: Rockin' Book Reviews & Tell Tale Book Reviews
November 20th: Jessica and Gracie's Tree
November 21st: Grand Finale
Tour-Wide Giveaway
Ends November 26th
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