16 Nov 2021

#Giveaway ~Release Party! A snowy Christmas in a small town… A LIGHTHOUSE CAFE CHRISTMAS (a Bluestar Island novel) by Jennifer Faye… #excerpt #books #NewRelease #readers #amreading

by | posted in: Release Party, New Release, Excerpt, Giveaway | 32

Hi! *waves madly*

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Today is the release of the third book in the Bluestar Island series. But if you haven’t read any of them, no problem. They are each standalone reads, so feel free to dive in anywhere.

 

A LIGHTHOUSE CAFE CHRISTMAS

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As Bluestar Island prepares for a very special Christmas wedding, Santa’s sleigh crashes into The Lighthouse Café, reuniting Bluestar’s beloved waitress with her former fiancé.

In this holiday novella, Darla Evans has carved out a quiet life for herself as a waitress at The Lighthouse Café. Up until this point, she’s conveniently avoided the one man who shattered her heart and her dreams. But when a wedding draws him back to the island, she knows their meetup is unavoidable.

Tech entrepreneur William “Will” Campbell has returned to his childhood home to be the best man in his father’s wedding. But first his father has a very special task for him—to restore a sleigh in time for the wedding. However, there’s not much time until Christmas. He just might need some help.

As snowflakes cover the small town of Bluestar, Will and Darla work together to make it a very special holiday wedding. With the past looming between them, will the magic of the season open their hearts and allow them to find love again?

Includes a holiday recipe for Darla’s frosted sugar cookies!

 

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EXCERPT

CHAPTER TWO

What had started as a dusting of snow had morphed into large flakes.

William “Will” Campbell didn’t smile. This unpredictable winter weather was making everything more difficult. At least he remembered how to drive under these conditions: slow and steady.

He’d just flown from his home in San Francisco to the East Coast that morning. His father, Fire Chief Walter Campbell, had picked him up at Boston Logan International Airport. There was no point in Will renting a car, seeing as cars weren’t permitted on the island—at least not without a good excuse and a day pass.

His father had been in a great mood, happier than he’d seen him in years. And he had good reason to be—his father was getting married. Will had returned to the island to be his father’s best man. He was happy for his father to have found love again. He didn’t think his father would ever move on after Will’s mother had died more than nineteen years ago. It was a long time to be alone.

But to see his father with Helen Bell, you could see the happiness on his face and hear it in his voice. The man looked at least ten years younger. Even his steps were lighter and not quite as fast. He was no longer racing toward something because he’d already found what he wanted: love and happiness.

Will wished he could say the same thing about himself. When he’d finished high school and started college, he’d thought he had life all figured out. He knew what he wanted—a stellar career in the tech industry. And though he’d reached heights only few could achieve, it wasn’t the complete fulfillment he thought it would be. There was still something missing.

But he didn’t have time to worry about that at the moment. Will had returned to the island a couple of weeks ahead of the Christmas Eve wedding because he’d needed to speak to his father. In fact the conversation had been long overdue.

So, while they had been on the mainland, Will told his father that he had been sick. The kind of sick that isn’t fixed with a hot bowl of chicken soup and a couple of painkillers. His father had been shocked, worried, and then relieved that Will was now in remission. It was a lot for his father to absorb, but Will didn’t want to linger on his health issues. There was an upcoming wedding that needed their attention.

His father wanted to surprise his bride with a horse-drawn sleigh to whisk them away from the church. Will didn’t see the need for so much fuss. What was wrong with a decorated golf cart? It’d be a lot simpler. But his father wouldn’t hear of it.

However, there was a catch. Wasn’t there always? The sleigh was old and it hadn’t been used in years. In order for it to be ready for the wedding, it needed to be worked on. That was where Will came in. The plan was to move the sleigh from the Evans’s small garage over to his father’s two-bay garage, which had been all cleared out for the sleigh.

Lucky for him the sleigh had wheels or at least he’d thought he was lucky until they went to roll the sleigh onto the trailer. The wheels didn’t want to turn. Everything was rusted and needed lubrication. Trying to get the sleigh ready in time for the wedding felt like it was going to be a full-time job.

It had taken Mr. Evans, Greg Hoover, Will’s father, and himself to get the sleigh loaded onto the trailer. It had been quite a job too. At least they could leave it on the trailer until they got all of the wheels working smoothly.

He just had to sneak it through town because his father lived on the other side of town from the Evans’s. And it was too late in the day to get a day pass, and he didn’t want to wait. He needed to start the restoration work right away. He’d just zip across town with a pickup that his father had borrowed from Sam Bell—Will’s future stepbrother. How hard could this be?

As he made his way through Bluestar, a few people did a doubletake when they saw him coming down the road in Sam’s pickup. They hesitated and then waved. He waved back. He hoped they didn’t notice the lack of a bright orange permit in the window and call the sheriff on him.

Finding Atlantic Drive too congested with golf carts, he zigzagged through town and ended up on Main Street—the road his father lived on. As he crawled down the road, he turned up the windshield wipers. When he tapped the brakes, he noticed the roads were growing slick. And Bluestar’s limited road maintenance crew hadn’t been out yet.

He was almost to The Lighthouse Café. He knew from his father that Darling, erm, Darla had been working there ever since she’d moved back to the island.

And then the familiar black wooden sign came into sight. A spotlight mounted to the lighthouse-shaped building highlighted the sign. He smiled as he took in the painted image of a red and white lighthouse and the name, The Lighthouse Café, scrolled out in white paint. Boy had he missed frequenting it.

Every time he passed by the café, he was tempted to step inside. In fact, he had eaten at the café but Darla was never around when he was in town visiting his father. He had a feeling it was intentional. She hadn’t forgiven him for upending their wedding plans.

 

 

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32 Responses

  1. Sherry
    |

    I would love to have a new Kindle paper white and Amazon gift cards.

    • Victoria S
      |

      I would like a new kindle or Amazon gift cards for more books.

  4. Lori R
    |

    I don’t want anything this year. except to be with my family. We just lost our mom a month ago.

  19. Amy Woolard
    |

    This may sound silly, but I want to have my house cleaned! Just once!

  20. Danielle Hammelef
    |

    I have books, gift cards, and chocolate on my Christmas list.

  22. Penney Wilfort
    |

    Peace and for my oldest daughter to get well and feel great.
    Penney

  24. Joy C Hannabass
    |

    I don’t need another Kindle, but books would be good for Christmas. Also shoes. I love shoes so I love getting them as gifts.