The Friessens: A New Beginning by Lorhainne Eckhart
(The Friessens: A New Beginning #1-4)
Genres: Adult, Romance
(The Friessens: A New Beginning #1-4)
Genres: Adult, Romance
Synopsis:
Synopsis book 1:
In THE DEADLINE, Andy Friessen has packed up everything and moved his family two states away, to Montana, to protect his wife, Laura, his newborn babies, and his stepson, Gabriel, from the threats of his mother. What Andy doesn’t know is that they’ll soon face a new threat, one he never saw coming.
Gabriel is sick, and a trip to the doctor confirms Laura and Andy’s worst nightmare: Without a lifesaving transplant, their son won’t survive.
What Andy doesn’t count on, as he tracks down the young man who fathered Gabriel, as well as Laura’s estranged parents, is that a whole host of problems are about to be unleashed.
THE FRIESSENS: A NEW BEGINNING:
The Deadline (Andy & Laura)
The Price to Love (Neil & Candy)
A Different Kind of Love (Brad & Emily)
A Vow of Love, A Friessen Family Christmas
**The stories in this series are romances filled with sexual tension, rough language, passion, the ideals of family, love and loyalty and The Friessen men in these stories are strong sexy alpha males. And are not your typical happily ever after.
In THE DEADLINE, Andy Friessen has packed up everything and moved his family two states away, to Montana, to protect his wife, Laura, his newborn babies, and his stepson, Gabriel, from the threats of his mother. What Andy doesn’t know is that they’ll soon face a new threat, one he never saw coming.
Gabriel is sick, and a trip to the doctor confirms Laura and Andy’s worst nightmare: Without a lifesaving transplant, their son won’t survive.
What Andy doesn’t count on, as he tracks down the young man who fathered Gabriel, as well as Laura’s estranged parents, is that a whole host of problems are about to be unleashed.
THE FRIESSENS: A NEW BEGINNING:
The Deadline (Andy & Laura)
The Price to Love (Neil & Candy)
A Different Kind of Love (Brad & Emily)
A Vow of Love, A Friessen Family Christmas
**The stories in this series are romances filled with sexual tension, rough language, passion, the ideals of family, love and loyalty and The Friessen men in these stories are strong sexy alpha males. And are not your typical happily ever after.
Purchase:
The Deadline - Excerpt
“Everything’s
loaded up,” Andy said as he strode into the hotel room. Laura was bundling up
the babies and buckling them into the carrier. Gabriel was still lying on the
bed, bundled in his coat, his pajamas on underneath. He still hadn’t shaken off
the flu bug, but hopefully he’d start to feel better once they were settled in
the house. “You ready yet?” Andy said. “I want to get there while it’s still
early enough to do something.”
He realized it had
come out a little sharp, as Laura flinched and hesitated before setting the
buckle in place over the twins. Andy ran his hand over his face a couple times
to try to ground himself.
“Why are you so
irritated this morning? Did I do something?” Laura asked, sounding genuinely
hurt.
Andy groaned. He
really didn’t want to get into this right now. “You’ve been really tired
lately,” he said.
“Yes, of course I
have. I feel like a damn dairy cow. How many times am I up at night, feeding
the babies——and during the day? If they woke up at the same time, I would be
getting more sleep. But right now, I get one down and the other one wakes up.
I’m sorry, Andy. I’m doing the best I can,” she said.
Well, now he felt
like crap. Laura was all but falling over with exhaustion, and it didn’t help
that he wanted to paw at her like some randy teenager. If he didn’t do
something about this soon, the tension between them would ramp up and the
distance between them would grow. The fact was that he needed her. “Okay,” he
said, holding up his hand as if letting her know he’d decided what they needed
to do. “First things first, we get settled in the house. Then, I’m going to
hire help for the kids.”
Laura’s expression
took on a hurt he hadn’t seen in a long time. Along with being tired——she was
misunderstanding everything he said. “I’m not irresponsible, Andy,” she
snapped. “I’m capable of looking after my own children.”
Yeah, she had
definitely taken it the wrong way. He took a step closer to her, then another
step, until he had backed her against the wall. He traced his thumb over her
lip, her cheek, sliding his hand into her hair, taking in her startled green
eyes. The weariness that had been there a second ago was now replaced with
surprise, and he stepped closer still, pressing into her with all his hardness.
Her breath caught. He rubbed his nose against hers, his warm breath fluttered
across her lips, and her tongue flicked out and over her lower lip. He was so
close to her, almost touching her, that she wrapped her arms around his neck,
trying to pull herself closer. He started to lift her and was about to strip
her right there when the baby squealed. He nearly dropped her, stepping back
quickly and glancing at Gabriel, who was still asleep on the bed, his back to
them.
“Oh my God. What
the hell was I thinking?” he said.
Laura was standing
there, dazed, and he wondered if the hint of pink on her cheeks was the start
of a blush. She slid her hands through her short hair but didn’t say a word as
she stared at him, licking her lower lip again. Did she have no idea what she
did to him when she looked at him like that? His eyes went instantly to her
lush tongue, and his thoughts went running to images of his own tongue over her
sweet lips, tasting her. Her eyes widened as she took in his arousal. He
couldn’t hide it, which only added to his agony.
“Andy, the kids…”
she started.
“We’re hiring help
for the kids so you can get some rest,” he began, stepping toward her again,
closer. He knew she understood his meaning. “If I don’t get my wife back soon,
well, let me be clear——my mood is unlikely to improve. I want you willing,
rested, and an active participant when I have you under me again.” He set his
hand around her chin and pulled her closer, nipping her lower lip between his
teeth and kissing her deeply before stepping away. “Understand?”
She was out of
breath. She swallowed, her cheeks flushed. “Yes.”
“Good,” he said.
The Price to Love - Excerpt
Everyone turned her way. Maybe they’d
forgotten she was there. She couldn’t help feeling like a third wheel,
considering how Carmen darted a glance between her and Neil as if she’d already
figured out who made the decisions in their relationship.
“Maria is nineteen,” Carmen said with
authority, as if talking down to Candy.
Candy started around the easy chair closest
to Neil. “That’s very young for what you’re offering to do. I wonder if you’ve
really considered all the ramifications,” she said. She didn’t need to look at
Neil to know he wasn’t pleased, but at least he wasn’t saying anything to
undermine her—well, not yet, anyway. “Maria,” she continued, “have you thought
about what might happen if you become pregnant and decide you can’t go through
with it? I mean, you’ll carry a baby inside you for nine months and then be
expected to walk away and have no contact with the child. Are you telling me,
honestly, that you can do that?”
Maria’s smile faded. She was watching Candy
with an odd look in her light brown eyes. There was something there that was
young and old at the same time. She was beautiful, and her face had a radiance
that Candy found attractive. There was innocence, but also something that
suggested this young woman was experienced beyond her age. Then again, perhaps
Candy might have been reading too much into her expression. It was an awkward
situation.
“Of course it won’t be easy, but, to me,
this is a gift, something I can offer a childless couple who could give their
child everything,” she said.
“You’ll be paid, though, of course,” Candy
added.
Carmen turned, giving Candy all her
attention. “My Maria understands, very clearly, what this is about.” She
gestured with the flat of her hand to Neil. “My daughter will sign your
contract, and you will pay for all medical care and living expenses, and she
will be compensated for her time. This is a business arrangement, nothing
more,” she said.
The woman was blunt, and Candy watched
Maria closely as her mother spoke for her. The young lady glanced at her hands,
which were folded together in her lap, her expression neutral, giving nothing
away. Candy wondered what was really going on in her head.
“We won’t begin anything until the contract
is signed and all the terms are agreed to,” Neil said. “My lawyer will handle
all the details, and there’s mandatory counseling, as well.”
Candy wondered if her shock showed on her
face. Why was this the first time she was hearing of this? She wanted to pull
Neil aside and say something, but she realized, as she looked back at Carmen,
who was watching her intently, that the sharp woman had picked up on her
confusion.
“Yes, we understand the counseling, but
perhaps your wife does not?” she said.
To Candy, her words sounded callous and
undermining, but Neil must have interpreted her another way, as he looked to
Candy, stepping closer and sliding his arm around her waist. “My wife
understands everything,” he said. He held her tightly for a moment, and she
wondered whether he had picked up on how stiff she was as she did everything to
hold herself together and not snap at him. He walked over to the sofa table and
picked up some papers she hadn’t even noticed were sitting there. “This is the
contract—what is expected of you and what you can expect from me. Take the time
to carefully look it over so that you understand what you’d be agreeing to.
This will be overseen by my attorney, of course, but you’re welcome to have
your own lawyer look over the contract. I think you’ll see that I’ve been
extremely generous.”
Neil held out the contract to Maria. She
hesitated for a moment, maybe wondering whether she should take it. When her
mother went to reach for it, Neil pulled back. “No, I’m sorry, Carmen. This
contact must be agreed to in its entirety by your daughter. She needs to understand
clearly her responsibilities, otherwise this won’t work. You’re welcome to
support your daughter and be there for her emotionally, but the details of this
must be understood and agreed to solely by her.”
Carmen pulled back in her seat and gestured
to Maria. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. Maria, take the papers. You need
to read them over.”
Candy just watched the exchange. Her alarm
bells were going off. There was something about the mother and daughter that
seemed problematic. Neil was so astute in business, but when she looked over at
him, his expression was that of a man pleased with where things were headed.
What was wrong with him? He would have been all over this if it had been some
ordinary business deal.
“Thank you for coming by. If I could have
your answer by Friday?” Neil added.
This time, Maria stood up and said, “Of
course, Mister Friessen―”
“Neil,” he said, interrupting her with his
characteristic warmth. “Please call me Neil.”
“Neil, yes. I will read this carefully, but
if you would like my answer now, it’s yes. I can’t imagine it changing. I just
knew when I spoke with you on the phone that you sounded like a nice man, and
now, meeting your wife…well, I’m very excited.”
She had talked to him on the phone? Candy
couldn’t hide the warmth in her cheeks, so she turned away, not considering how
rude it would appear. She needed to have more than a few words with Neil. This
was something they needed to discuss together, not with strangers.
“Thank you, Neil—and thank you, Missus
Friessen,” Maria called out to her softly.
Candy turned around with her hand to her
chin. The two women were watching her from the stairs, and she had to look
away. She could feel Neil’s eyes on her, but she wasn’t about to look his way,
because then he’d know how angry and hurt she was. Right now, in front of these
woman, that was a vulnerability she couldn’t show.
AUTHOR BIO:
USA Today bestselling author Lorhainne Eckhart’s books have been described as Longmire meets old school Dallas and she recently received the 2013 Readers’ Favorite Award for Romantic Suspense for her title Lost and Found. With over 30 titles under her belt, she is frequently a top 100 bestselling author in multiple genres such as Romance, Westerns and Mystery/Suspense, including such series as The Outsider, Walk the Right Road, The Wilde Brothers, The Saved and her most recent addition The Friessens: A New Beginning.
Lorhainne lives on sunny Salt Spring Island with her family where she is working on her next novel.
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Lorhainne lives on sunny Salt Spring Island with her family where she is working on her next novel.
Sign up for Lorhainne's newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/ZHFNz
Visit Lorhainne's website at: www.LorhainneEckhart.com
Follow Lorhainne on twitter at: www.twitter.com/leckhart
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GIVEAWAY
Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)
- $100 Amazon Gift Card
- 3 Audio Books each of
- The Forgotten Child
- The One
- Lost And Found
Sounds like a great series! Thanks for sharing, I'm looking forward to checking it out :)
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