Synopsis:
Love, loss, and a smoky red…
When Audrey Montgomery’s carefully planned life collides with the self-destructive path Tyson Dawes is on, neither of them can predict what will happen next.
Audrey is a diligent and self-reliant culinary student at Portland’s prestigious Cordon Bleu. She has a clear picture of her future in mind, and it allows little room for the steely-eyed and tormented young man she bumps into by chance while wine tasting with friends.
Tyson Dawes had a perfect childhood, raised among the vines in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. But even the most idyllic of upbringings couldn’t have prepared him for what he would face as a Marine. He returns to his childhood home angry and haunted by the storms of what he has faced and by those he has lost.
Do opposites truly attract? Can the lure of Audrey’s apparent clarity and innocence offer Tyson hope in the face of his emptiness?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Redemption Red
Excerpt:
THE
WINDOWS OF the restaurant were tinted to the point where Tyson couldn’t see
more than a dark shape approach as he stood outside the door waiting. He
thought that the people who’d started the place could’ve probably stretched a
bit to come up with something more original than “Fork,” but that’s what they’d
gone with. He shook his head, chuckling at the lack of irony in the name as the
door swung open. On the other side of the door, in the tall industrial space of
one of the hottest restaurants in Portland, was Audrey, the girl Tyson hadn’t
been able to banish from his mind since the day before.
Even
though their interaction hadn’t exactly been rewarding, Tyson found himself
fantasizing about the girl with the thick dark hair and coppery eyes almost
constantly. He wasn’t fantasizing anything particularly sexual, though his mind
would have gone there willingly if he’d let it. He just wanted to talk to her,
be near her for some reason.
“Tyson.”
She said his name simply, quietly, as if she’d fully expected that he would
show up here.
Suddenly,
he felt uncertain of himself. The heavy bag of wines was pulling down on his
shoulder, making him feel lopsided and awkward. Anxiety began to claw its way
up his throat, and he felt his vision beginning to darken. He pushed the
sensation away.
“Audrey,
right?” He willed his body to stop shaking and focused on her amber eyes,
feeling himself calm.
“Right.”
“I had no
idea you worked here.”
“Of course
not. There’s no way you could have known.”
“So we’ve
established that I’m not stalking you.” He smiled.
She tilted
her head, and the thick hair fell away from her graceful neck on one side.
Tyson fought back an urge to run his hand along her delicate jawline. Something
about her was a contradiction. She appeared fragile and delicate, but there was
such strength in her eyes and attitude.
“Was there
some question that you might?” The half smile again. Tyson felt butterflies
jump into action in his gut. Why does
this girl have such an effect on me?
“Of course
not,” Tyson laughed easily then. He nodded down toward the cooler bag. “You
didn’t really get a chance to taste through the wines. Think we could try a…”
Just then
a loud squealing sound erupted from the street, followed by the sickening
crunch of metal. A Volvo SUV had just rear-ended a much smaller Kia, and the
entire rear end of the Kia was crumpled and smashed.
As the
noise began, Tyson felt his entire body start to vibrate. His heart exploded in
his chest and adrenaline flooded his body. Before he knew it, he had pushed
Audrey inside the restaurant, one hand on her chest, sending her flying inside
where she landed hard against the long table. He slammed the door shut behind
himself and ended up in a crouch behind it, hands frantically searching for his
weapon. He peered out the tinted window at the street, his hands still
uselessly seeking anything he could use to protect himself.
Inside the
restaurant, Florence and the Machine played loudly, and a longhaired skater guy
was jabbering away on the phone at the podium. Tyson glanced around to find
another woman, a redhead with a serious expression, sitting at the bar and
staring at him with her pen raised in mid-air, while Audrey had slipped down into
a chair at the table and was eyeing him with a mixture of fear and irritation.
His
breathing slowly returned to normal and he stood up, wishing he could just
disappear. He smoothed his clothing and eventually shoved his hands into his
pockets where he hoped they would stay still.
“Um…” he
looked up at Audrey.
She was
rubbing her shoulder.
Horror
crept through him as he started to remember exactly what had just happened.
He’d shoved her. Hard.
“Oh,
God,” he said, crossing the floor to where she sat, looking dazed. “Are you
hurt?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
***Please Note that all shipped prizes are open to US winners only and an eBook or eBook set can be offered in lieu of for international winners***
GIVEAWAY PRIZE LIST:
3 eCopy sets of “A Rare Vintage” & “Redemption Red”
2 signed paperback copies of “Redemption Red”
*Oenophilia Wine Glass Puzzle & 1 eCopy of “Redemption Red”
*Wine Wars: A Trivia Game for Wine Geeks and Wannabes & 1 eCopy of “Redemption Red”
*Fashion Women Bubble Bib Bead Statement Party Necklace & 1 eCopy of “Redemption Red”
*Lova Jewelry "Days of Wine and Roses" Reddish-Purple Murano Glass Beaded Stella Fashion Bracelet & 1 eCopy of “Redemption Red”
Author Bio:
Stewart has lived on both coasts, in big cities and small towns. She's been a pharmaceutical rep, a personal trainer and a direct sales representative for a French wine importer.
A military spouse and the mother of two small boys, her current job titles include pirate captain, monster hunter, Lego assembler and story reader. She tackles all these efforts at her current home near Washington D.C.
Author links:
GR RR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18133675-redemption-red
Redemption Red Blog Tour Schedule and Links for Stops
Oct. 21st First Class Books
Oct. 21st Literary Mania Reviews
Oct. 21st Cajun Book Lover
Oct. 21st The SubClub Books
Oct. 22nd Mindy's Book Addiction
Oct. 22nd The Book Hookers
Oct. 22nd The Path - J. Collyer's Writing Blog
Oct. 23rd Sweets Books
Oct. 23rd Reviews by Tammy and Kim
Oct. 23rd Through the Writer's Lens
Oct. 24th Alison G. Bailey
Oct. 24th Aspired Writer
Oct. 24th Jeni's Bookshelf, Reviews, Swag, & More!
Oct. 25th Shh Moms Reading
Oct. 25th My Daily Romance
Oct. 25th Love N Books
Oct. 26th Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews
Oct. 26th Into the Night Reviews
Oct. 26th Dirty Books And Dirty Boys
Oct. 26th Army Wife Reviews
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