New Release: Dilemma of the Heart

My Inspirational historical, Dilemma of the Heart, released this month. I’m very happy to have this one out in the world. It was my first contracted historical even though The Heart Never Lies actually released sooner. Dilemma will have a sequel, Emancipation of the Heart-a full novel. The antagonist in Dilemma will become the hero in Emancipation. Stay tuned for more on that. Below I've posted a couple excerpts. It is available now at The WIld Rose Press.

Excerpt #1:

Placing her hat on the bench, she removed the golden charm from around her neck and held it in the palm of her hand. She opened it and admired the lock of lovely golden brown hair held inside. She touched the strands of Frederick’s hair, the softness causing deep emotions to stir within her. A hand came to her mouth to stifle the sob forming in her throat. With him, she had formed all her hopes and dreams. All that was gone. Now the future only seemed to spread before her like an empty, desolate land.

Lord, why? Why did you allow Frederick to die? Why did he have to leave me? Why? Huge tears began to tumble down her cheeks.

Snapping the locket shut, she shot to her feet as her hands bunched into fists. These thoughts were a poison to her soul. It was as if she was determined to make herself continue in perpetual grief. Her life had become a vale of tears and she was tired of it. She had to let him go if only to allow her heart to rest. She knew that would only come by allowing God to heal her pain but she couldn’t. If she permitted herself to stop hurting over Frederick, it would be like admitting she had forgotten him.

Excerpt #2:

“Cass, what are you doing here?” Frederick said quite casually, breaking the silence between them. He set the comb in his hand down on a bench and then tousled a hand through his sun-lightened brown hair. Though his eyes revealed no displeasure at her sudden appearance, he seemed unsure of her intent. At this point, she wasn’t sure what she was doing there either. Her stalwart resolutions back at home seemed to be disappearing into the inky dark night. If he had come home hoping to marry her as they had promised, then he sure wasn’t trying very hard to see that come to fruition.

“I…I’m not sure why I’m here.”

A slight smile curved in the corner of his mouth, the type of playful expression which commonly appeared on his features when they were younger. “It’s not like you to be indecisive, Miss Huddleston.” He said her name with a smirk as he leaned against a stall and crossed his arms.

Cassandra closed her eyes and tightly grasped the sides of her dress, trying to maintain her temper. “Will you please cease with the Miss Huddleston. It is becoming quite tedious, Mr. Adair.” She uttered his proper name with as much derision as she could muster.

He began to move toward her, his strides determined and sleek. “And how shall I address you when you’re married?” His voice drawled into a low and provocative tone, making her heart give a little leap.

She made the mistake of gazing into those deep, wonderful eyes of his and forgot to breathe as his eyes, no longer playful, seared into her, down to her beating heart. When she was finally able to gulp some air, her lungs began to pump again. “You may call me Cassandra as you always have…I hope.” Her voice came out breathy and weak.

“Oh, no, I don’t believe that would be proper.” He stepped right in front of her face and touched his forehead to hers. In that moment, it felt as if a dozen butterflies had been released inside her stomach. He grabbed her around the waist, but before he had the chance to kiss her, she returned to her senses. Pushing off from his chest, she moved down toward the stalls, keeping her back to him as she held a hand over her galloping heart.

Available Now at The Wild Rose Press!