I’ve been wanting to join in the celebrating of ebook week and it has sped by without hardly an acknowledgement from me. Though, I have been reading ebooks this week. Since I have a few days left, I’ve decided to post some excerpt to finish up the week.
Faith, Fireworks and Fir: David Maxwell comes to Evergreen, Michigan to persuade his beloved elderly aunts to sell their bed and breakfast and retire to Phoenix to be closer to him. His aunts have no intention of retiring and enlist Faith Turner, manager of a year-round Christmas store, to persuade their nephew to change his mind.Can Faith help her friends and avoid falling in love with soon-to-be-gone David?
Excerpt:
“Are you here about the angels?”
Faith Turner leaned against the checkout counter hoping a big problem was about to be solved.
“My aunts are dears, but I’ve never heard them called angels,” the tall, dark-haired man said smiling warmly.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I just assumed—I mean, our customers don’t wear suits and ties. They’re mostly tourists, and when I saw your dark suit….”
“You thought I was here about angels?”
“Blown glass angels,” Faith explained, feeling a little flustered by the intensity of the gorgeous dark eyes focused on her. “We received a shipment with more than half the ornaments broken. The company promised to send a sales rep with replacements. I was hoping you were it. July is a busy month, and we’re doing a special promotion on the angels. At least we were until they arrived all smashed up. I cried when I saw how many were ruined. But you don’t want to hear my problems. How can I help you?”
She was talking too much, a habit she’d tried hard to kick. What was it about this stranger that made her chatter on instead of finding out what he wanted? A lot of strangers came to The Christmas Store, so what was so special about the tall, lean man on the other side of her counter?
“I’m David Maxwell. A girl cleaning rooms at my aunts’ bed-and- breakfast said Cora and Carrie might be here.”
“You just missed them. They came to check on a wreath I special- ordered for them. It’s nice to meet you at last. Your aunts talk about you a lot. Oh, I’m Faith Turner. This is my parent’s Christmas store, but I’m managing it for them.”
The sisters were dear friends of her family, and she was happy to see their elusive nephew after hearing about him for years. They hadn’t exaggerated how handsome he was, and the pictures on display in their parlor didn’t begin to capture his vibrant good looks. His hair was such a dark brown it was nearly black, and he had the longest lashes she’d ever seen on a man.
“Do you know where they might have gone?” His resonant voice reminded her of his reason for being there.
“I think Carrie went to a hair appointment, and Cora was going to the supermarket. They didn’t want to bother with the wreath until their errands were done, so I expect at least one of them to come back later.Maybe you can catch up with them at Angela’s Beauty Salon or the Budget Buy store. They’re both on Fort Street, about a quarter mile down from us.”
“Maybe it would be easier to wait at inn. By the way, I’m impressed with your store. I expected it to be full of plastic Santas and mass- produced collectibles. You seem to be preserving the true meaning of Christmas. Do you mind if I look around while I’m waiting to catch up with my aunts?”
“Please do. My parents always tried hard to emphasize the spiritual side of Christmas. We have a full line of items for the holiday, but both my mom and dad worked to find decorations appropriate to celebrate Christ’s birthday. If you like, I can give you a tour.”
She was pleased he’d noticed the quality of their stock, and even happier when he took her up on her offer. The more she looked at him, the more obvious it became that Cora and Carrie’s photographs didn’t capture his ‘wow’ factor. He was far and away the best-looking man to step foot in the store in a long time.
Bio: Pam Andrews Hanson and her mother, Barbara Andrews, have written a wide range of women’s fiction together for nearly 20 years. Pam blogs about family, faith, and aging at pamshanson.blogspot.com. Please stop by to say hello!You can also ‘like’ her on on Facebook at her official author page.
The Self-Rescue Princess 