08 February 2019

The Secret of Willow Inn | Excerpt + Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK


Two women fighting for their dreams, one who’s long lost hers, are united by tragedy and a long-held secret.

Pregnant with her first child, Emily Hayes is eager to help her mother finish transforming an estate into the Willow Inn and write a novel about Willow Falls’ colorful history. A tragic event threatens her parents’ plans to refurbish an abandoned hotel and transform the obscure Georgia setting into a tourist destination.

Sadie Lyles left Willow Falls a murderer who’d killed the town hero. She returns as a despised felon and seeks solace in the town’s café. Emily struggles to unite the close-knit community and becomes Sadie’s biggest advocate. She strives to uncover the truth about the crime and save her town from dying.

To appease her father, Rachel, a VP in his Atlanta real-estate-development firm, relegates her acting dream to secret performances for imaginary audiences. After meeting charming, flirtatious Charlie Bricker, manager for Willow Falls’ future vineyard, she vows to break free from her father’s control.

The tragedy and Willow Inn’s secret past launch Emily and Rachel on a collision course with destiny and truth.

Publisher: Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas
Release Date: January 10, 2019


EXCERPT

Rachel Streetman strolled past the high-dollar paintings and plush furniture to the window. Located on the thirty-eighth floor in a downtown Atlanta high-rise, her father’s office offered a spectacular view. She gazed down Peachtree Street toward the renowned Fox Theater. A smile curled her lips as she imagined standing center stage ready to entertain an adoring audience. Her mind drifted back to her senior year in college when she played Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street. The accolades fellow students showered on her remained as the last trace of a lifelong dream to act.

Greer Streetman breezed into the room, stood behind his daughter, and put his hands on her shoulders. “It's a great view from up here with the rest of the world at our feet.”

Her mental image vanished, along with her smile.

“In your new position I expect you to play a major role in expanding my business.”

While her mind urged her to tell him it wasn’t the role she was born to play, her heart compelled her to swallow the comment. She spun around and looked up into her father's brown eyes. “I understand.”


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pat Nichols is proving it’s never too late to follow your dreams.

During the spring, summer, and early autumn of her life this side of heaven, she and her high-school-sweetheart husband struggled and triumphed through life’s peaks and valleys. They raised two children, welcomed four grandchildren—one is with the angels—bought a Corvette, and ticked off every item on their travel bucket list. Now approaching her winter years, she ignores the minor aches that come with age and is grateful she can still paint her own toenails and dance with her hubby.

Following twenty-five years in six different management positions with an international beauty company, Pat launched career number two as a novelist and freelance editor. She chose women’s fiction to honor her daughter’s strength in the face of significant health issues and the loss of a child. Her corporate experience, working with hundreds of amazing women from all walks of life, inspires her to create stories about women who confront challenges in the pursuit of their dreams.

Although she writes five days a week, she and Tim—her best friend and number one fan—continue to celebrate their fifty-plus-year marriage. They lead a small group, volunteer for church guest services, participate in two social organizations, and spend time with family and friends. She thanks God for the blessings that brought her joy and the challenges that continue to strengthen her faith, skills, and resolve.

Pat was born in Illinois, grew up in Orlando, and has called Georgia home since the eighties. She lives in an Atlanta suburb, is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Word Weavers, Christian Pen, and Gwinnett Church (a campus of Northpoint Ministries).


GIVEAWAY


(1) winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card from the author.

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight February 4, 2019 and lasts through 11:59pm February 11, 2019. Open Internationally. Void where prohibited by law. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
TOUR SCHEDULE



3 comments:

  1. Rita Wray8/2/19 12:02

    I liked the excerpt, thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks so much for the chance to win. I’m looking forward to reading this book. Looks really good.

    faithdcreech at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I didn't have a good relationship with my father, so it's hard for me to relate when I read about it in books.

    ReplyDelete