The Hunt for CrossRiver Authors, Stop #3

Welcome to stop #3 on the CrossRiver Author Hunt. 

After you read my blog post I wrote just for you today, feel free to peruse my site 
and get to know me a bit, then enter the giveaway at the bottom of the blog post. 
Join Linnette's E-News (<<< click here)
EXCLUSIVE CONTENT in your email box.

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Before you head over to the next stop, collect the clue at the bottom of the post. 

You’ll need it to enter the drawing for CrossRiver Media’s giveaway.

Grand prize:

One winner will receive a Kindle loaded with CrossRiver books! 

Winner will be chosen randomly from among those who enter the correct phrase.

Other prizes:

Four winners will receive hard copies of 3 different CrossRiver books, signed by the author!

Now, no skipping the good stuff, though. Here's an unedited scene between Tiffany and Beth from my "Loving Tiffany" manuscript (never seen before anywhere) that you'll only see here! Check it out!

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“I can’t wait for next week to get here.” Beth nudged the porch and set the swing in motion.

Tiffany, perched in her usual spot on the rail, took in Beth’s radiant face. “So, how are the wedding plans coming?”

“Awesomely.” She sighed and leaned her head back. “Oh, Tiff. Part of me can’t wait to be Mrs. Adam Blythe and another part aches at the thought of being so far from family and friends. I’m really gonna miss you.”

Her stomach clenched. “Well, we still have seven months, right?”

“Right.” Beth straightened and locked gazes with her. “So. What’s going on?”

Tiffany’s heart-rate picked up. She glanced at the boys to make sure they were well occupied.

How could she possibly tell Beth what she’d been going through? How could she not? Panic coursed through her.

“Tiff?” The concern in Beth’s voice was nearly her undoing.

She shook her head. “I can’t talk about it. Not here. Not now.”

Beth’s face scrunched in thought as she studied her. “Please tell me your triggers aren’t returning.”

Her mouth dropped open. She snapped it shut and said, “How… how did you know?”

Beth groaned and stared at the porch ceiling for a long moment. “I can just tell. You know. Takes one to know one?” She locked gazes with her again. “I could see it in your eyes. Your posture. Your distractedness.”

Tiffany scrunched her brows and studied her for a moment. “Are you still having flashbacks?”

“Not as often. But sometimes. Yeah.”

“Oh, Beth. Will it never end?” Tears pooled in her eyes. The trembling started. She slid off the rail and joined Beth on the swing. She hugged her knees and rested her chin on them, watching her boys play.

“I had hoped there would be an end to them.” The defeat in Beth’s voice drew her gaze.

“I don’t think you’ll have much to worry about. Yours will probably go away once you get happily settled into married life. Adam will make sure you’re loved and safe. As for me? My flashbacks are probably coming back because I never really dealt with it.” She shrugged. She didn’t really know what she was talking about, but she needed to offer Beth some sort of hope… comfort.

Warm arms came around her and hugged her tight. She stiffened in surprise and then relaxed, absorbing all the love she could from her best friend. She leaned in to her. Warmth radiated through her, penetrating her heart. Tears spilled from her eyes. No sobbing. No trembling. Just warm salty drops. One chasing after another… after another. There was no stopping them. When her nose dripped, she pulled away. Beth stuffed a tissue into her hand. Where had that come from? She raised an eyebrow while she blew her nose.

Beth shrugged. “Woman’s intuition.”

Tiffany laughed and set the swing in motion, wiping her eyes and nose.

“So. Been pretty bad, huh?” Beth’s voice took on a casual tone as she watched Danny tackle Jake for possession of the ball.

She nodded. “Yeah. Insecurities. Vomiting. Flashback. Vomiting. Voices. Vomiting. Nightmares. More vomiting… You name it and my heads in the toilet.”

“I noticed you looked a little thinner today.” Beth shook her head. “Michael isn’t going to like it. He’s already worried about you.”

Her heart fluttered. “He is?”

“Yep.”

Her stomach clenched. “But, why?”

Beth looked at her like she’d gone loco. “Maybe because he cares about you?”

“But he can’t. He can’t care about me.” Her lungs pumped and her skin tingled. Her vision tunneled.

“Why not?” Beth’s voice sounded tinny and distant.

A warm hand on Tiffany’s arm slowed her heart rate and her breathing. The backyard came back into view. Sound stopped echoing in her ears.

“Tiff. He does care and there’s nothing you can do about it. Even if you stopped speaking to him and seeing him, he’d still care. That’s who he is. He’s a friend and that’s what friends do. They care about each other.”

She rubbed both hands down her face and tucked her hair behind both ears. She plopped her feet on the floor, crossed her arms over her chest and stared unseeing across the Gallagher’s back yard. She really needed to get a grip. This coming unglued at every little thing was really starting to annoy her.

Routine. That’s what she needed. She should take the boys home, give them their bath and bedtime routine. Then she could have her own bedtime routine and get up for work in the morning.

Reese Carrington’s face flashed through her mind and her head started spinning again. Why? Why is this happening? Why did he have to manage our bank? Why couldn’t they let Kathy manage? She squeezed her eyes shut. I will not do this! She had to get a handle on her emotions concerning Reese or she may as well start job searching. No! She wouldn’t do that. She would not give in to this. She’d defeat it somehow. She always did.

“You don’t always have to be so strong, you know.” Beth’s soft voice penetrated the muck in her brain.

“But I do. I have two boys depending on me. I have to be strong for them. If I could erase Jake’s memory, I would. I’d give him a whole new set. But I can’t. I can only move on and make the best of the life we have.”
           “Do you stop to think that maybe God has something bigger and better in mind for you?”

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To celebrate the scavenger hunt, I'm giving away a
$10 AMAZON GIFT CARD!

To enter, Go to my Facebook Page and comment on today's Facebook Post: 
1) tell me you're hunting the prize, 
2) tell me one reason you want to read "Finding Beth", 
3) tell me one reason you can't wait until "Loving Tiffany" is out, 
4) like the Facebook post, 
5) share the post with you friends on Facebook (and tell me you shared). 
For each thing you do, you get one entry into the drawing.

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Thank you for stopping by during the 

CrossRiver Author Hunt! 

Before you go to the next stop collect your clue below.

You’ll need this to enter the giveaway on the CrossRiver website.  

"high-quality"

Next stop on the CrossRiver Author Hunt: Sharon Garlock Spiegel. 

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Have you stumbled onto the Author Hunt 

or forgotten what you’re supposed to do next? 

Here’s a quick review: 

~Visit every author’s site that is a part of the hunt. 

~Collect the clue provided at each author blog. 

~Sign up for each author’s email list/newsletter for extra chances at fun giveaways. 

~Stop back at the CrossRiver Media's website after you visit the last blog in the hunt and enter your clues for a chance to win the grand prize.

~Click here for a complete list of the rules.

Happy hunting

Linnette R Mullin is the author of Life-changing Romance, freelance writer for Lexington Life Magazine, Founder and Coordinator of PCWN, member of ACFW and HACWN. Be sure to follow her on your favorite social media. Links below:
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