Today’s featured book is a Christian romantic suspense novel by Jennifer Pierce.

Author’s inspiration:

I wrote this book for a Love Inspired Suspense contest. I only had two paragraphs gathering dust on my hard drive when I started.

About the book:

​Private Investigator, Reid Lucas, and his mentor, Joe Lockhart, haven’t spoken in years, but when Joe wants to meet in a small-town diner, Reid’s interest is piqued. Without explanation, Joe calls and tells Reid he has five minutes to get waitress, Quinn Matthews, and her son out of the diner before they’re kidnapped by the group of thugs about to walk through the diner’s front door.

Quinn Matthews’ life is simple and safe, exactly how she likes it—until Reid Lucas walks into the diner. Now, she and her son are running for their lives, and she has no idea why. But when the father of her son shows up and dies saving them, she realizes they all have one deadly connection: Joe Lockhart. Now, she’ll have to trust the mysterious private investigator to not only save their lives but connect her past to her present so they can figure out who is after them. And why.

As the danger escalates, unexpected feelings arise. Reid doesn’t believe he’s worthy of Quinn’s love–or God’s. And Quinn is too worried about having her heart broken again and the effect of having a new man in her son’s life. Can they let go of their preconceived notions of love and relationships, or are they doomed to just let go of each other?

Excerpt:

Reid’s phone vibrated on the tabletop. He didn’t recognize the number. He contemplated ignoring it but decided against it. He swiped the screen and put it to his ear. “Reid.”

“Are you at the meet?” Joe’s voice boomed from the other side.

“Where are you? I’ve been waiting over an hour.” Reid let his annoyance be evident in his voice.

“I’m not coming.” The answer was clipped.

“You had me sit in this hole-in-the-wall for an hour and didn’t even bother to call and tell me you weren’t going to make it?” Annoyance turned to anger as he clenched his fist.

“Do you see the waitress behind the counter and the little red-haired boy that just ran in? Quinn Matthews and her son, JJ.”

Joe must be close by and watching if he knew the boy had just shown up.

“Yes, I see them. Along with the druggie busboy, thieving cashier, and ogling cook. What about them?”

“You have five minutes to get them out of there before men come in and try to kidnap them.”

“Five minutes! What is this? What’s going on, Joe?” His pulse pounded as adrenaline coursed through his veins. Joe couldn’t have called to have him get her out sooner. Now, the window of time was dwindling.

“There’s no time to explain. They’re here now. I’ll stall them as long as I can. Get those two out now!” The line went dead.

Great. Just great. He had mere minutes to convince that woman to grab her son and leave with him—a complete stranger. He wasn’t sure his rusty powers of persuasion would work this time, but he’d give it a shot. Joe had saved him several times, and he’d returned the favor on occasion. This was serious business, and Joe trusted him. Reid wouldn’t let him down.

About the author:

Jennifer currently lives in Arkansas with her husband and two children. Her debut novel, Hidden Danger, is a 2019 Selah Award winner, and her second novel, Expecting Danger is a 2019 Selah award finalist. Her third novel, Deadly Connection released on October 20, 2020. Giving Grace, a contemporary romance Christmas novella released on November 13, 2020. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and River Valley Writers.

Author media links:

Facebook.com/JenniferPierceauthor

Instagram.com/lovereadwriterepeat

http://www.jenniferpiercewrites.com

Buy Link:

https://www.anaiahpress.com/product/DeadlyConnection/76?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=3

I’ve spent a lot of time reading over the past year with the pandemic and not socializing very much. I don’t have as much time for books now that I’m working, but I still spend my off hours reading, when I’m not writing books of my own.

It isn’t always easy to find clean Christian romance when I’m searching on Kindle. Maybe you have that problem, also. The purpose for my Friday Feature is to showcase different Christian books that I’ve discovered and want to share with you.

I have a great lineup of books that I’ll be introducing you to over the next several weeks. Each Friday Feature will give you the author’s inspiration, a summary of the book, as well as an excerpt. I hope you will find the information helpful as you build your library, either in print or on Kindle.

I like both, but you’ll find me reading from the Kindle app on my phone most days. The lighted screen is a little easier on my eyes than a printed book. But there’s nothing like holding a book in your hands, curled up on the deck, listening to the sounds of nature as you lose yourself in a story.

For the rest of April, my Friday Feature theme will be Christian romantic suspense.

In May, the theme is Family. We’ll be celebrating Mother’s Day as well as featuring a book about characters who grew up in foster care and created a family of their own.

June’s theme is all about Romance. I have some very popular Christian authors lined up who have graciously agreed to let me feature their books.

In July, the theme is Heroes, appropriate for a month when we’re celebrating patriotism.

The best part about my Friday Features is that all of the books in the coming months are Christian fiction. I hope you will find the features informational and a help to you in deciding what books add to your reading list.

Today’s featured book is my own Christian contemporary romance, The Reluctant Billionaire.

Author’s inspiration:

I originally wrote this story in 1994 late at night while my infant and toddler were asleep, but I really didn’t do much with it once it was finished. I got busy with life, raising my kids, working, etc., and the story essentially fell by the wayside. I began reading and loving billionaire books and decided that I would try my hand at one. So I dug this story out, dusted it off, revised it heavily to make Liam a billionaire (and to bring it up to date) and eventually sent it to Anaiah…

About the book:

With her husband’s ultimate betrayal, and the finalization of her divorce, Jessica Palmer’s dreams for her life go up in flames, leaving her devastated and lost. Now, she’s leaving Chicago and moving back into her parents’ house in an effort to rebuild her life. Longtime neighbor and friend, Liam Engstrom, is the only reason she hasn’t completely fallen apart, but the closer they get, the more she realizes the depth of his feelings.

Liam has loved Jessica since they were teens, but she never noticed him as more than a friend. Now that she’s single, he’s determined to show her how much he cares and that not all men are like her ex-husband–if she’ll let him.

Jessica is reluctant to trust again after what her husband did to her, and Liam refuses to be the rebound guy, but their attraction is hard to deny. So, together, with a little help from God, they decide to give love a chance. But between Liam’s recent inheritance and an unwanted public billionaire status that has people lining up with their hands out, and Jessica’s ex-husband monitoring her every move, their relationship is off to a rocky start. And when tragedy strikes, Liam pushes everyone away—including Jessica. Can they both learn to forgive and grow, or are they doomed to be alone?

Excerpt:

“Liam’s here.” Her dad’s voice carried from the living room, jarring Jessica from her thoughts.

She took a deep breath and left her bedroom. Despite this being a fake date, there was nothing fake about the way her heart started racing when she walked into the living room and saw Liam standing there. He looked red-carpet ready in his black tux. It fit him as naturally as his work clothes or swim trunks. His white shirt set off his suntanned face with his trimmed beard.

His mouth gaped as his gaze swept over her. “Wow, you look great.” He walked over and stood in front of her.

“You’re too tall for Liam,” Julie said. “You should ditch the heels for something shorter.”

He put his hand on Jessica’s shoulder, and she blushed. “It’s okay. I like to be able to look her in the eye,” he said.

“Are you sure? I have a different pair of heels that would put me a couple of inches shorter.”

“You’re fine.” His voice was husky.

Jessica held up a necklace and a string of pearls. “I can’t decide which to wear. What do you think?”

Liam pulled a velvet box out of his pocket. Jessica gasped when he opened it, revealing a silver necklace with diamonds and sapphires. The necklace was obviously a Douglas Engstrom original and probably worth a fortune.

“Would you consider this appropriate?”

“It’s beautiful.” Jessica lightly touched the gems. “But it’s too valuable to wear.”

“I thought you could wear it in memory of Dad.”

“Oh, but—” Her gaze flew to his. “You should save this for someone special.”

His face paled, and she could tell he struggled with what to say.

Jessica’s dad stepped forward. “I think it’s a great idea. Fasten that thing around her neck.”

Liam hesitated. The velvet box moved as his hand trembled. He was nervous.

“I can do it.” Her mom took the necklace out of the box. “Turn around, Jessica.”

When Jessica turned her back to Liam and her mom, she met Julie’s enraged expression. And her dad’s gentle one. He seemed pretty pleased Liam was asking her to wear the necklace. Did her dad have an ulterior motive in mind? Was he trying to be a matchmaker? That was an unusual thing for him to do.

She walked over to the hall mirror. The reflection was of a sophisticated woman with her hair swept up and perfect makeup. Her dress shimmered in the light, and the diamonds and sapphires sparkled at her throat.

Liam appeared in the mirror behind her. His admiring gaze nearly took her breath away.

“I guess I’m ready.” She spoke a little too loudly, stepping away from the mirror and picking up her silver clutch.

About the author:

Carol Underhill lives in rural Michigan a few miles from the farm where she grew up. She is mom to three adult children and a spoiled Lab. Her household also includes several rescued cats. She likes finding new authors on Kindle and binge-reading all their books. Carol rewards herself for meeting deadlines with a cup of fudge-flavored coffee. She enjoys quiet mornings and spending time with her family.

https://facebook.com/authorcarolunderhill

https:twitter.com/@carolunderhill7

Website and blog: https://authorcarolunderhill.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57493857-the-reluctant-billionaire

Bookbub: @carolunderhill26

Buy Link:

For Print copy: https://www.anaiahpress.com/product/TheReluctantBillionaire/91?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=2

For Kindle copy:

THE RELUCTANT BILLIONAIRE

IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR SALE

The day that I’ve been waiting for has arrived. My new book, The Reluctant Available, is now available to the public.

What is the book about?

With her husband’s ultimate betrayal, and the finalization of her divorce, Jessica Palmer’s dreams for her life go up in flames, leaving her devastated and lost. Now, she’s leaving Chicago and moving back into her parents’ house in an effort to rebuild her life. Longtime neighbor and friend, Liam Engstrom, is the only reason she hasn’t completely fallen apart, but the closer they get, the more she realizes the depth of his feelings.

Liam has loved Jessica since they were teens, but she never noticed him as more than a friend. Now that she’s single, he’s determined to show her how much he cares and that not all men are like her ex-husband–if she’ll let him.

Jessica is reluctant to trust again after what her husband did to her, and Liam refuses to be the rebound guy, but their attraction is hard to deny. So, together, with a little help from God, they decide to give love a chance. But between Liam’s recent inheritance and an unwanted public billionaire status that has people lining up with their hands out, and Jessica’s ex-husband monitoring her every move, their relationship is off to a rocky start. And when tragedy strikes, Liam pushes everyone away—including Jessica. Can they both learn to forgive and grow, or are they doomed to be alone?

https://anaiahpress.com

Author media links:

https://facebook.com/authorcarolunderhill

https:twitter.com/@carolunderhill7

Website and blog: https://authorcarolunderhill.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57493857-the-reluctant-billionaire

Bookbub: @carolunderhill26

Buy link:

https://www.anaiahpress.com/product/TheReluctantBillionaire/91?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=2

Beauty from Ashes describes my writing journey. It began in second grade, when I started a new school. My problems began on the first day. The maintenance person came around to raise the desks of taller students. Trying to fit in, I asked him to raise mine too, even though I was very short. A couple of other students laughed, and I was embarrassed.

The day ended worse than it started. When it was time to go home, I couldn’t remember which bus to ride, and I cried. That was the beginning of many episodes of crying as I failed to adjust to my new school.

I attended sessions with a school counselor. Two other students were in the group with me. We played a game where she started a story, and we went around the circle as each one added to it.

One day, the counselor told us to go home and write a story. I wrote about a real bunny that we’d brought into the house to take care of because it was so small. The counselor had me read it aloud to the kindergarten class.

An author was born.

From that moment on, I was hooked on writing. I continued making up little stories until seventh grade, when I wrote my first romance. In high school, classmates and teachers read my stories as fast as I could write them. However, when I went off to college, I became wrapped up in the excitement of living and pursued other interests.

It wasn’t until I became a stay-at-home mom that I started writing again. I worked on my novel late at night after the kids were sleeping. Then I’d get up before they did and write some more. I set it aside as I got busy with life and raising my kids.

In the years since I wrote that novel, I’ve experienced my own heartache and loss. My husband passed away in 2010 from a work accident. I’ve had to discover what my life could be without him. I spent the first few years concentrating on my kids and helping them get settled in life. When it was time to put myself first, I didn’t know what path God wanted me to take.

I worked different jobs and wrote in my spare time. I read a lot, also. I liked the billionaire books and realized the novel that I wrote in 1994 would make a good billionaire story. I brought out the manuscript, dusted it off, revised and updated it, then sent it to Anaiah Press. A few days later, they sent me a contract .

In my book, Jessica, the main character returns home after her divorce, devastated by her husband’s betrayal. Her longtime friend and neighbor, Liam, who has been in love with her since they were teens, is there to help her pick up the pieces of her life. Beauty from Ashes describes their love story.

Having The Reluctant Billionaire published is my own Beauty from Ashes story. I’ve had a lifelong dream of becoming a published author. I’ve gone through heartache and grief, but God has blessed me by making this dream a reality.

Years ago, I wrote these words in my journal. They are true for the characters in The Reluctant Billionaire, and also for myself.

There were so many broken dreams,

so much sadness,

And yet she felt the hope she had in Christ.

God could build beauty from ashes.

God had a plan for her life,

But He willed her to be patient

As He healed her heart.

She knew that she could trust God

With her future.