Upon Your Return (33 page)

“I had Eric go back to fetch it last night. We'll send for the rest of your wardrobe later.”

The gift, even though it hadn't been purchased, meant more to her than any bauble he could ever offer. Her feelings of gratitude were beyond words as she leaned over to kiss him. As he pulled her close, her mind reeled with thoughts of the future.

Now she could be with her whole family; now she felt complete. They were traveling to another land... another world that might accept them, perhaps even to New Orleans, where she knew her uncle had provided a property of plantation as her dowry as well as the money. It couldn't get much better than that. And Grant would always be the man she loved...it would never end, even if her belly became filled with child again, which was absolutely certain to happen if Grant continued to love her as he did. But, it was not as if she minded. No, not at all.

About the Author

Marie Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and three cats.  She has been writing for over twenty years.  She has more works in progress than she can count on two hands. 

At the tender age of nine, she began writing stories.  Her imagination fueled a lot of her early child’s play.  Even growing up, she entered writing contests and received a certificate for achieving the second round in one.  She majored in Creative Writing in college because that was all she ever wanted – to be a writer.  While there, she published two works in a university publication, and was a copy editor on the staff of an online student journal.  After graduating from college, she sought out her dream to publish a book. 

Since then, Marie has published sixteen other books. 
Marie Lavender’s real love is writing romances, but she has also written mysteries, literary fiction and dabbled a little in paranormal stories.  Most of her works have a romantic element involved in them. 
Upon Your Return
is her first historical romance novel. 

Feel free to visit her website at http://marielavender.webs.com/ for further information about her books and her life.  Marie is also on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Acknowledgments

Ten years is a long time, especially when you’re an unpublished author.  But, no matter how long this project took, both in writing and perfecting, I have eternal gratitude for so many people.

I owe thanks to the moral support of my family.

I am so grateful for my fiancé.  Without his love, constant support and the occasional push, I’m not sure where this journey might have ended up. 

I have to offer my gratitude to the Romance Writers Critique group on Yahoo.  Those girls (and guys, I’m sure, because I want to be politically correct) are so helpful, and they took time out of their busy schedules to help me polish my manuscript.

And thanks to Solstice Publishing for taking a chance on a girl from Indiana. You are so great!

Other Solstice Books that might be of interest

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On assignment collecting relics in Indonesia, independent curator Gail Weaver learns that an ephemeral plant sprouting prolifically on Sumatra can transform all hair types into gorgeous locks.
  Seizing an opportunity to make a fortune in the cosmetic market, Gail smuggles plant clippings into the US and sways her apprehensive sister Fran to help seek financing for a shampoo she’s made with the Indonesian plant.  But dreams of impending wealth are quelled by the shocking revelation of the shampoo’s horrifying side effects. 

             
Against a backdrop of career and money problems, shady competitors, legal challenges and romance, Fran, Gail and an exotic Indonesian scientist must race against biological, corporate and media forces to save Fran’s boss, and a legion of young women whose quest for beauty is transforming them in ways they never imagined. 

             
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BLOOM FOREVERMORE

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              Detouring from her plans, Sonia attempts to rescue Margaret.

             
In this quest, Sonia discovers an intriguing man and quickly loses her heart.

P.A. Estelle

Katherine Gardner is awakened at 6:30 in the morning with a call from a strange woman who claims to have her granddaughter, Rio. This woman is calling the police if Katherine doesn’t make arrangements for somebody to pick this little girl up.

             
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Kathleen Janz-Anderson

Orphaned at birth in 1940, Emily lives the next eighteen years on her grandfather’s farm with four thankless men and an indifferent aunt nearby. When the school board forces Grandfather’s hand and allows her to attend school, she experiences a beautiful friendship, and the thrill and pain of an innocent young love. Still, there is an underlying loneliness, and a secret she bears alone.

In 1958, the day finally arrives when she prepares to leave the farm forever. Then a tragic mistake thrusts her into a harrowing run for her life. She escapes the horror and hops a train to San Francisco. With a stout heart and a fire in her belly, she fights for her sanity and welcomes the stirrings of a grown-up love.

She arrives in San Francisco wide-eyed and filled with hope. Alone in a strange town, she is vulnerable to a world of crime and those who take advantage of her. Yet, with no one to count on but the rebel inside her, she never gives up even when each turn and every door opened greets her with another unwelcome surprise.

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Rosemary O’Brien

Angela has been trying to reunite her feuding grandmother and older sister all of her adult life. When Angela’s 19-year-old unmarried sister Lisa announced she was pregnant, a stormy argument ensued between Lisa and their traditional Italian grandmother who had raised the two girls ever since their parents died tragically six years earlier. The rift lasted between them for over twenty years. To help mend the family she loves, Angela creates a scrapbook to be presented to her grandmother on her 85th birthday. Will it work?

             
It may only be a scrapbook, but it’s a scrapbook of memories enjoyed, memories missed and the woman determined to piece the scraps together into a family.

OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL VEXATION

John Paulits

It’s 1964 and Smitty, Mouse, and Kelso are in their last semester of high school with one thing on their minds—girls. 

In their never-ending pursuit of this most elusive quarry, they manage to land themselves in some ridiculous, bizarre, and hilarious situations.

Whether it’s the parish dance, a friend’s funeral, a wedding reception, or a first sexual encounter, these are engaging, entertaining and sometimes ribald slices of life that will strike a chord or two.

Laura Graham

A long relationship ends. At 48, house taken by the bank, Lorri has little money. What can she do? And where can she go? Gathering her meager savings and her two beloved cats, she escapes England for a new life in a remote Italian village, never imagining the intrigue, passion and adventure she will find.

              Unable to speak Italian, she survives by letting her bedroom to English tourists. She sleeps in the sitting room; it’s stifling on the floor, but earning €50 a night makes every flea-bitten moment worth it. When she meets Ronaldo, seven years younger than her, she embarks on a tempestuous love affair. But, having been raised in an institution with the priests since the age of three, nothing is easy for him and he is unaccustomed to love.

             
Meanwhile, a Quasimodo-like character is watching Lorri in the alleyway; anonymous letters arrive; there’s a young rival for Ronaldo’s affection; and Sherif, a mysterious man in a black suit, constantly follows her… And hovering in the background is Lionello, the undisputed “wise man”, giving advice while enjoying the wonderful theater Lorri brings to his village.

             
Then disruptive friends arrive and create havoc: Maudie has given up sex and drink and become spiritual; Julian, a Glaswegian hairdresser with dreams of becoming an actor, brings Lorri face-to-face with her ex. A final choice has to be made.

ANNA’S VISIONS

           
Joy Redmond

Anna Morgan is a seer, and she sees visions of impending doom for her granddaughter, Tori Hicks, the day Tori is born. Through the years, she experiences more unnerving visions, but she can’t put the pieces together and figure out how to save Tori. 

             
Tori is an only child coming of age in a small town in Kentucky where no one locks their doors and everyone knows everyone. From her earliest childhood, she has lived a fairytale life along with her best friend, Jill. When she and Jill enter high school, Tori meets Wesley Asner, the love of her life. But when tragedy strikes, Tori and Wesley find their lives torn apart.

             
Broken-hearted and desperate for a change, Tori sneaks off to Florida for what she hopes will be a romantic adventure that will take her mind off Wesley. On the beach, she meets Cody Baxter, a handsome young pharmacist who is hiding a dark and dangerous secret…

IN THE NAME OF JOANNA

Jean Valli

A mystery about love, friendship and loyalty

              Samantha was happy enough with her life in Dublin. Now working in the manor house of Glendora - where a woman named Joanna died a year before - she finds herself torn between her romantic feelings for a man who people around her seem to believe is a murderer and her loyalties to those who have befriended her.

As she struggles to break the enigma that is Damon Bartholomew, temptingly close but hidden beneath the surface, something she can't quite perceive, shifts and changes as a shocking discovery begins to emerge.

Her dilemmas and choices are forever changing as secrets are discovered, and Samantha must play a waiting game...as each, in their turn reveal their true natures.

The underlying questions are: Was Joanna murdered? And can a woman, who has been conditioned to love men who are bad for
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It seems she can.

As a determined wraith begins to slip back through the cracks between this world and the next...one must wonder, can the spirit avenge murder?

              Is death really the final straw?

Samantha has always thought so...until now...but... she has second thoughts…