Spotlight & Giveaway: Once in a Blue Moon by Sharon Sala

Posted August 20th, 2020 by in Blog, Spotlight / 43 comments

Today, HJ is pleased to share with you Sharon Sala’s new release: Once in a Blue Moon

 

Spotlight&Giveaway

 

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Sharon Sala brings you back to Blessings, Georgia

 

How often do you find a love like this?

Cathy Terry is tired of running. Full of fear and hope, she backpacked across the country to Blessings, Georgia, not knowing if or when her abusive ex-husband would catch up to her. In Blessings she glimpses a safe haven and the closest feeling to home she’s had in a long time—even more so when she meets Duke Talbot. The sweet, strong, and handsome rancher provides a shoulder to lean on. The stakes get higher as the community embraces her and her relationship with Duke deepens—but can Cathy claim a new home and family before her past claims her?

 

Enjoy an exclusive excerpt from Once in a Blue Moon 

It was just after 8:00 a.m. when Duke Talbot drove into Blessings and pulled up to the curb in front of Phillips Pharmacy. He was reaching for the list he’d put in the console when he caught movement from the corner of his eye and looked up just as a young woman in a long-sleeved T-shirt and sweatpants ran past the store. She was gone before he got a good look at her face, but all that curly red hair bouncing down her back was impossible to miss.
He couldn’t remember seeing anyone jogging here before and was curious as to who might have taken it up. He didn’t know any woman with hair that color, either, but considering the Curl Up and Dye was just down the street, Ruby or one of the girls could be responsible for that. He watched the jogger until she turned a corner and disappeared before he got out.
The bell over the door jingled as he entered the pharmacy.
LilyAnn Dalton looked up from behind the register and smiled.
“Good morning, Duke. You’re out early,” she said.
“Morning, LilyAnn. Just getting an early start on a long day.” He picked up a basket from the end of the counter and started down the aisle where the shampoo and conditioners were shelved, then stopped and turned around. “Hey, LilyAnn, I just saw a redheaded woman with long, curly hair jogging past the store. I don’t think I ever knew anyone to take up jogging here in Blessings. Who is she?”
“Oh, that’s Cathy Terry. She’s new here. She’s living in one of Dan Amos’s rental houses.”
“What’s she do?” he asked.
LilyAnn shrugged. “I don’t know. She comes in here now and again. Really nice lady, but she sort of keeps to herself.”
Having his curiosity satisfied, Duke began picking up the items he’d come for. It didn’t take long for him to get everything on the list, and then he was back in his truck.
He stopped and used the ATM drive-through at the bank for cash, and then realized he was still a little early for his haircut appointment, so he headed to the gas station to get his oil checked.
He was thinking about the day ahead when he realized the redhead he’d seen earlier was on the sidewalk running toward him. He had a clear view of her face, and despite the pink flush on her cheeks, his first thought was how pretty she was.
Then all of a sudden she was falling, and he groaned aloud at how hard she hit. He stomped the brakes, slammed the truck into park, and got out on the run.
He was down on his knees beside her in seconds, and when he saw the blood on the palm of her hand, he knew that was going to burn later. Then he saw her ankle, and was shocked by how much it was already swelling.
“Your ankle! Don’t move, it might be broken,” he said.
And then she looked up at him, and Duke took a deep breath. He’d never seen eyes that blue, and they were swimming in tears. It took everything he had not to sweep her up in his arms, but he was afraid to move her.
“Did you hit your head?”
She wasn’t sure. Maybe. She’d just watched a movie with Jeffrey Dean Morgan in it, and now either she was hallucinating, or his doppelgänger was leaning over her.
“Uh…I don’t think so. Just the right side of my body. My ankle turned, and I think I need a little help getting up.”
“My name is Duke Talbot. I saw you fall, and from the looks of your ankle, I think you need to go to the ER,” Duke said. “Will you let me take you, or would you rather go in an ambulance?”
Cathy frowned. “I don’t think I—”
“One or the other,” Duke said.
She sighed. Dictatorial male. Just what I don’t need. But both her hip and her ankle were throbbing now, and he did have a sweet, concerned expression on his face.
“If it’s not too much trouble, maybe you could just drop me off at the ER, then.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Duke said, and then reached toward her hair, but when she flinched and then ducked, he frowned. Those were instinctive reactions someone might make from fear of being struck. “I’m sorry. You have a piece of grass in a curl. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Cathy sighed. “Then, thank you,” she said, and closed her eyes as Duke pulled it out.
When she opened them again, he was on his feet and she was in his arms, and he was carrying her toward his truck.
At that moment, a police car pulled up, and Chief Pittman got out on the run.
“Hey, Duke! We just had a call come in that someone fell. I see you beat me to her,” Lon said, as he ran toward Duke’s truck and opened the door.
“I saw it happen,” Duke said, as he eased Cathy down inside and then quickly reclined the seat back. “I’m taking her to the ER.”
“I’ll lead the way,” Lon said. He glanced in the truck as Duke was buckling her in and recognized who it was. “Miss Terry, I don’t know if you remember me, but we were standing in line together at Crown Grocers last week. I’m Lon Pittman, the police chief here in Blessings. My wife, Mercy, and Duke’s sister-in-law, Hope, are sisters, which in the South means we’re all kin. You sit tight and we’ll get you to the ER in style.”
Cathy nodded, then closed her eyes. But even after he’d shut her in, she could still hear them talking. A couple of minutes later Duke got back in the truck, and as he made a U-turn in the street, she grabbed onto the console to steady herself.
“Lon’s just ahead of us, leading the way with his lights flashing. Just hang on for a few minutes more. Are you hurting very much?” he asked.
“Enough, and I really appreciate this,” she added.
Duke glanced down at her briefly. Again, their gazes locked, but this time she was the first to look away. He could tell he made her uncomfortable, so he turned his attention to driving.
As soon as he pulled up at the ER, everything began happening at once. Two orderlies came running out so quickly that Duke guessed the chief must have radioed ahead that they were inbound. He jumped out as they were transferring Cathy from his truck to a gurney, and then walked beside her as they wheeled her inside.
“Is there anyone I can call?” Duke asked.
“No, but I’m fine, and thank you again for all your help,” Cathy said.
Duke watched until they wheeled her out of sight and then shoved his hands in his pockets. He was still standing in the middle of the hall when Hope came around a corner. When she saw him, she came running.
“Duke? What are you doing here? Did something happen to Jack?”
“No, no, nothing like that,” Duke said. “I came in to get a haircut this morning. I was going to have my oil checked when I saw a woman take a bad fall. I just brought her in.”
“Oh no! Who was it?” Hope asked.
“Her name is Cathy Terry.”
“Oh, Mercy mentioned her a time or two. She’s renting from Dan Amos. Was she hurt bad?”
“I don’t know. I felt bad leaving her here on her own, but when I offered to call someone for her, she shook me off. I think I make her nervous…not me personally, but me being a man.”
Hope was a little surprised by Duke’s insight and concern. Most of the time her brother-in-law was either critical or dismissive of just about everything and everybody.
“I’m working in the ER today. I’ll check on her,” Hope said.
“Okay. If she needs help, let me know,” he said, then left the ER.
He got back in his truck and headed for the Curl Up and Dye for his appointment. The last barber had left Blessings some years back, so it was either a haircut at the ladies’ hair salon, a drive all the way to Savannah, or do it yourself. Duke had only tried DIY once when he was twelve, and the results had been disastrous. But his thoughts were no longer on the day ahead of him. He was thinking of the little redhead he’d left all alone in the ER.

Excerpt. ©Sharon Sala. Posted by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.
 
 

Giveaway: A paperback copy of Once in a Blue Moon by Sharon Sala

 

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and post a comment to this Q: What did you think of the excerpt spotlighted here? Leave a comment with your thoughts on the book…

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Meet the Author:

HARON SALA has over one hundred books in print and has published in five different genres. She is an eight-time RITA finalist, five-time Career Achievement winner from RT Book Reviews, and five-time winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award. Writing changed her life, her world, and her fate. She lives in Norman, Oklahoma.
Author Website: https://www.facebook.com/sharonkaysala/

Purchase Links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3cQJg8B
B&N: https://bit.ly/3cOgBkL
Apple: https://apple.co/36i3YMe
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2ZTSiwx
Bookshop: https://bit.ly/2WNiZTb
BAM: https://bit.ly/36o4Y1u
 
 
 

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43 Responses to “Spotlight & Giveaway: Once in a Blue Moon by Sharon Sala”

  4. carol L

    Love reading Sharon Sala’s books. I also enjoyed the excerpt, very much . Thank you for the opportunity.
    Carol Luciano
    Lucky4750 at aol dot com

  10. hartfiction

    Fabulous excerpt! I already love Duke and the charming town of Blessings, and I want to know more about Cathy’s backstory. The names Hope and Mercy are sweet and seem like they fit their owners. 🙂

  11. Sheila Bonuso

    I am definitely intrigued by the excerpt and looking forward to reading this book. I love any book by Sharon Sala.

  18. JoAn V.

    I’m intrigued by Cathy Terry and the town of Blessings. I’ll be putting this on my wish list.

  19. JoAn V.

    I am intrigued by Cathy Terry and the town of Blessings. I’ll be looking for the book now so I can find out more.

  21. Joanne B

    I want to know what happens between Cathy and Duke. Love the entire Blessings, Georgia series. Thanks for the chance.

  23. Kathleen Bylsma

    Sharon knows how to get the reader invested in characters from the first few words….does the same here!

  26. dbranigan

    I think I would really enjoy this book. Thanks for the lengthy excerpt. I really wanted to read more. It seems like it will be a nice story in the end.

  27. Diana Hardt

    Nice cover. I really liked the excerpt. It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.

  34. Shannon Capelle

    This excerpt was just amazing and I cant wait to read this whole book! Love her books and this one sounds like another great one!!

  39. Patricia B.

    I loved the excerpt. It sounds like this book will be dealing with a problem that has always been much bigger than most people believed and many still do. The excerpt does a good job of introducing the main characters of the book and several of the supporting cast. The story seemed to hold true to small southern towns and her reactions certainly were accurate for one who has suffered abuse. His sister-in-law’s observation that he is more insightful than expected is interesting. This sounds like a good story and I look forward to seeing where it goes.