by Pat Simmons
Unexpectedly, Drake bent and looked up with the most loving expression. Pepper panicked. There is no way in the world this man can be asking me what I think he’s about to in public—in a mall of all places! We’ve only been together about three months.
“Pepper Trudeau...”
“Drake, it’s too soon.”
Silently, he stared at her, then after a few minutes, he reluctantly stood. “Then consider this a practice run, so you’ll be ready for the real thing.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pat Simmons is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth. She is passionate about researching her ancestors, then casting them in starring roles in her novels, in hopes of tracking down distant relatives who happen to pick up her books. She has been a genealogy enthusiast since her great-grandmother died at the young age of ninety-seven in 1988.
Pat describes the evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost as an amazing, unforgettable, life-altering experience. She believes God is the Author who advances the stories she writes.
Pat has a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. She has worked in various positions in radio, television, and print media for more than twenty years. Currently, she oversees the media publicity for the annual RT Booklovers Conventions.
She is the multi-published author of several single titles and eBook novellas, including the #1 Amazon best seller in God’s Word, A Christian Christmas. Her awards include Talk to Me, ranked #14 of Top Books in 2008 that Changed Lives by Black Pearls Magazine. She is a two-time recipient of the Romance Slam Jam Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance for Still Guilty (2010) and Crowning Glory (2011). Her bestselling novels include Guilty of Love and the Jamieson Legacy series: Guilty by Association, The Guilt Trip, and Free from Guilt. The Acquittal (2013) kicked off her new Guilty Parties series. Given the success of the Jamieson men, Pat is elated to introduce the Carmen women in No Easy Catch, book one in her latest series, The Carmen Sisters, published by Whitaker House.
In addition to researching her roots and sewing, she has been a featured speaker and workshop presenter at various venues across the country.
Pat has converted her sofa-strapped, sports fanatic husband into an amateur travel agent, untrained bodyguard, GPS-guided chauffeur, and constantly on probation as an administrative assistant. They have a son and a daughter.
Readers may learn more about Pat and her books by visiting www.patsimmons.net, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn or by contacting her at [email protected] or P.O. Box 1077, Florissant, MO 63031.
OTHER BOOKS/EBOOKS by Pat Simmons
A CHRISTIAN CHRISTMAS. Christmas will never be the same for Joy Knight if Christian Andersen has his way. Not to be confused with a secret Santa, Christian and his family are busier than Santa's elves making sure the Lord's blessings are distributed to those less fortunate by Christmas day. Joy is playing the hand that life dealt her, rearing four children in a home that is on the brink of foreclosure. She's not looking for a handout, but when Christian rescues her in the checkout line; her niece thinks Christian is an angel. Joy thinks he’s just another man who will eventually leave, disappointing her and the children. Although Christian is a servant of the Lord, he is a flesh and blood man and all he wants for Christmas is Joy Knight. Can time spent with Christian turn Joy’s attention from her financial woes to the real meaning of Christmas—and true love? A Christian Christmas is a holiday novella to be enjoyed any time of the year.
David Andersen doesn’t have a problem indulging in Valentine’s Day, per se, but not on a first date. Considering it was the love fest of the year, he didn’t want a woman to get any ideas that a wedding ring was forthcoming before he got a chance to know her. So he has no choice but to wait until the whole Valentine’s Day hoopla was over, then he would make his move on a sister in his church he can’t take his eyes off of.
For the past two years and counting, Valerie Hart hasn’t been the recipient of a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner invitation. To fill the void, Valerie keeps herself busy with God’s business, hoping the Lord will send her perfect mate soon. Unfortunately, with no prospects in sight, it looks like that won’t happen again this year.
A WOMAN AFTER DAVID’S HEART is a Valentine romance novella that can be enjoyed with or without a box of chocolates.
A CHRISTIAN FATHER’S DAY. Three fathers, one Father’s Day and four children. Will the real dad, please stand up.
It’s never too late to be a father—or is it?
Christian Andersen was looking forward to spending his first Father’s day with his adopted children---all four of them.
But Father’s day becomes more complicated than Christian or Joy ever imagined. Christian finds himself faced with living up to his name when things don’t go his way to enjoy an idyllic once a year celebration. But he depends on God to guide him through the journey.
HER DRESS. Sometimes a woman just wants to splurge on something new, especially when she’s about to attend an event with movers and shakers. Find out what happens when Pepper Trudeau is all dressed up and goes to the ball, but another woman is modeling the same attire.
At first, Pepper is embarrassed, then the night gets interesting when she meets Drake Logan. Her Dress is a romantic novella about the all too common occurrence—two women shopping at the same place. Maybe having the same taste isn’t all bad. Sometimes a good dress is all you need to meet the man of your dreams.
A MOTHER’S LOVE. (Making Love Work #1) To Jillian Carter, it’s bad when her own daughter beats her to the altar. She became a teenage mother when she confused love for lust one summer. Despite the sins of her past, Jesus forgave her and blessed her to be the best Christian example for Shana. Jillian is not looking forward to becoming an empty-nester at thirty-nine. The old adage, she’s not losing a daughter, but gaining a son-in-law is not comforting as she braces for a lonely life ahead. What she doesn’t expect is for two men to vie for her affections: Shana’s biological father who breezes back into their lives as a redeemed man and practicing Christian. Not only is Alex still goof looking, but he’s willing to right the wrong he’s done in the past. Not if Dr. Dexter Harris has anything to say about it. The widower father of the groom has set his sights on Jillian and he’s willing to pull out all the stops to woo her. Now the choice is hers. Who will be the next mother’s love”?
LOVE AT WORK (Making Love Work #2). How do two people go undercover to hide an office romance in a busy television newsroom? In plain sight, of course. Desiree King is an assignment editor at KDPX-TV in St. Louis, MO. She dispatches a team to wherever breaking news happens. Her focus is to stay ahead of the competition. Overall, she's easy-going, respectable, and compassionate. But when it comes to dating a fellow coworker, she refuses to cross that professional line. Award-winning investigative reporter Bryan Mitchell makes life challenging for Desiree with his thoughtful gestures, sweet notes, and support. He tries to convince Desiree that as Christians, they could show coworkers how to blend their personal and private lives without compromising their morals.
WORDS OF LOVE (Making Love Work #3). Call it old fashion, but Simone French was smitten with a love letter. Not a text, email, or Facebook post, but a love letter sent through snail mail. The prose wasn’t the corny roses-are-red-and-violets-are-blue stuff. The first letter contained short accolades for a job well done. Soon after, the missives were filled with passionate words from a man who confessed the hidden secrets of his soul. He revealed his unspoken weaknesses, listed his uncompromising desires, and unapologetically noted his subtle strengths.
Yes, Rice Taylor was ready to surrender to love. Whew. Closing her eyes, Simone inhaled the faint lingering smell of roses on the beige plain stationery. She had a testimony. If anyone would listen, she would proclaim that love was truly blind.
Candace Clark has a phobia about crossing the street, and for good reason. As fate would have it, her daughter's principal assigns her to crossing guard duties as part of the school's Parent Participat
ion program. With no choice in the matter, Candace begrudgingly accepts her stop sign and safety vest, then reports to her designated crosswalk. Once Candace is determined to overcome her fears, God opens the door for a blessing, and Royce Kavanaugh enters into her life, a firefighter built to rescue any damsel in distress. When a spark of attraction ignites, Candace and Royce soon discover there's more than one way to stop traffic.
Yes, diamonds are a girl's best friend, but unless the jewel is going on Solae Wyatt-Palmer's ring finger, they hold little value to her.
When she meets Fire Captain Hershel Kavanaugh, their magnetism is undeniable and there’s no doubt that it’s love at first sight.
Since Solae adores Hershel’s two boys from his failed marriage, she wouldn’t blink at the chance to become a mother to them. But when it seems as if Hershel doesn’t have a proposal on his agenda, she has no choice but to cut her losses and move on.
But Christmas is coming. And in order to win Solae back, Hershel must resolve some past issues before convincing her that she possesses everything he wants.
TESTIMONY: IF I SHOULD DIE BEFORE I WAKE.
It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning, great is Thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
God’s mercies are sure; His promises are fulfilled; but a dawn of a new morning is God’ grace. If you need a testimony about God’s grace, then If I Should Die Before I Wake will encourage your soul. Nothing happens in our lives by chance. If you need a miracle, God’s got that too. Trust Him. Has it been a while since you’ve had a testimony? Increase your prayer life, build your faith and walk in victory because without a test, there is no testimony.
GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION. How important is a name? To the St. Louis Jamiesons who are tenth generation descendants of a royal African tribe—everything. To the Boston Jamiesons whose father never married their mother—there is no loyalty or legacy. Kidd Jamieson suffers from the “angry” male syndrome because his father was an absent in the home, but insisted his two sons carry his last name. It takes an old woman who mingles genealogy truths and Bible verses together for Kidd to realize his worth as a strong black man. He learns it’s not his association with the name that identifies him, but the man he becomes that defines him.
THE GUILT TRIP. Aaron “Ace” Jamieson is living a carefree life. He’s good-looking, respectable when he’s in the mood, but his weakness is women. If a woman tries to ambush him with a pregnancy, he takes off in the other direction. It’s a lesson learned from his absentee father that responsibility is optional.
Talise Rogers has a bright future ahead of her. She’s pretty and has no problem catching a man’s eye, which is exactly what she does with Ace. Trapping Ace Jamieson is the furthest thing from Taleigh’s mind when she learns she pregnant and Ace rejects her. “I want nothing from you Ace, not even your name.” And Talise meant it.
FREE FROM GUILT. It’s salvation round-up time and Cameron Jamieson’s name is on God’s hit list.
Although his brothers and cousins embraced God—thanks to the women in their lives—the two-degreed MIT graduate isn’t going to let any woman take him down that path without a fight. He’s satisfied with his career, social calendar, and good genes. But God uses a beautiful messenger, Gabrielle Dupree, to show him that he’s in a spiritual deficit. Cameron learns the hard way that man’s wisdom is like foolishness to God. For every philosophical argument he throws her way, Gabrielle exposes him to scriptures that makes him question his worldly knowledge.
Two worlds apart, but their hearts dance to the same African drum beat. On a professional level, Dr. Rainey Reynolds is a competent, highly sought-after orthodontist. Inwardly, he needs to be set free from the chaos of revelations that make him question if happiness is obtainable. His father, the upstanding OB/GYN socialite is currently serving prison time after admitting his guilt in an old crime. His older sister refuses to move past the betrayal and attempts to use Rainey as a crutch, but her bitterness is only keeping the family at odds as his twin sister, Cheney Reynolds Jamieson, tries to rebuild a damaged relationship caused by decisions she made in the past. To get away from the drama, Rainey is willing to leave the country under the guise of a mission trip with Dentist Without Borders. Will changing his surroundings really change him? If one woman can heal his wounds, then he will believe that there is really peace after the storm.
Ghanaian beauty Josephine Abena Yaa Amoah returns to Africa after completing her studies as an exchange student in St. Louis, Missouri. She’ll never forget the good friends she made while living there. She couldn’t count Rainey in that circle because she rejected his advances for good causes. Josephine didn’t believe in picking up the pieces as the rebound woman from an old relationship that Rainey seems to wear on his sleeve. Although her heart bleeds for his peace, she knows she must step back and pray for Rainey’s surrender to Christ in order for God to acquit him of his self-inflicted mental torture. In the Motherland of Ghana, Africa, Rainey not only visits the places of his ancestors, will he embrace the liberty that Christ’s Blood really does set every man free.
NO EASY CATCH, COMING April 2014. Shae Carmen hasn’t lost her faith in God, only the men she’s come across who profess to follow Him. Heartbroken and humiliated after discovering that her boyfriend was not only married but also on the verge of reconciling with his estranged wife, she flees her job in Nebraska for St. Louis, Missouri, and starts over with a fresh slate as a weekend TV news anchor/reporter.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Rahn Maxwell had been coasting along in life until an attempted carjacking awakened him to the reality of his feeble faith. When a local television station lands an exclusive interview, Rahn shares his testimony and commits to getting right with God. Meeting a lovely news anchor named Shae, a committed Christian, further compels his quest to follow Christ—and to win Shae’s heart.
Just when Shae lets her guards down, another scandal rocks her world. This time, the stakes are higher, and she and Rahn aren’t immune to the aftershocks. For a second time, Shae’s heart is on the line, along with her professional credibility. Will she strike out at love again? Or will she hit a home run and give God the glory?
