HEART’S DESIRE
The Healing Harts Series
by T. J. Kline
coming April 28, 2015 from Avon Impulse
About The Healing Hart Series:
The
Healing Harts series came to me one night as I was just falling asleep. It
jerked me awake, making me sit up in bed. It was one of those ideas that came
completely formulated, an entire series, like a lightning bolt to the brain,
and I haven’t been able to shake loose of it until it was written down. A
family, rocked by loss, each member with a desire to help others in their own
way.
In the
first book, Heart’s Desire, Jessie is faced with running the family dude ranch
alone after her parent’s unexpected death. Unbeknownst to her siblings, she and
her father were transitioning the ranch to an abused horse rescue facility but
she’s floundering to keep it afloat and bankruptcy is looming. Her brother,
Justin, decides it’s time to call his college buddy, Nathan Kerrington, for
help – the same man who shattered her heart eight years earlier.
Nathan
Kerrington knows he hurt Jessie but he had a good reason for it. Now he just
has to prove that to her and regain her trust. But, as old hurts rise to the
surface, they must resolve their past before they can attempt to save her
future and some hurts aren’t easily forgiven.
Choosing the cover for HEART’S DESIRE:
When we
started looking for covers for Jessie and Nathan’s story, I had a very clear
picture in my mind. I knew exactly what my characters look like and the feel I
wanted for the series as a whole. We had also decided very early to go with
only the main characters on these books. I also knew that while all three books
should tie together, I wanted Jet, one of Jessie’s horses, on the cover
somewhere. He plays an important part in discovering herself at different
points in the story.
But Jessie
is such a strong, independent character, she fought me at every step, whether
it was in the first draft or the final cover. We went through several pictures
and many would have worked with the mood of the book but there was always
something that didn’t suit Jessie’s personality. Again, Jessie was determined
to have her own way.
In the
end, she chose her own photo. As soon as I saw it, I knew this was Jessie and
there was no need to look further for a cover photo. This cover portrays
Jessie’s character better than words – pensive, wistful and ambitious. The fact
that Jet was able to be part of this cover was the icing on the cake for me.
EXCERPT FOR HEART’S DESIRE:
"I came to apologize, Jess. I shouldn't
have said those things."
She ignored the way her nickname slid easily
from his lips or the way it made her heart trip over her ribs and start
fluttering like a baby bird learning to take flight. She'd quit buying into
romantic notions a long time ago thanks to him. Now, if only she could convince
her body to let them go. She set the rake against the wall and walked into the
aisle way.
"It's Jessie. Jessie. We are not friends,
remember?"
His green eyes flashed, the golden flecks
lighting them from within, and she saw frustration in the set of his jaw.
"No?"
"No. Let's keep our roles in perspective.
You're the financial genius here to do a favor for my brother, and I'm just his
idiot little sister who bought your load of crap years ago and can't manage to
keep this ranch afloat now."
His long strides ate the distance between them
in seconds but she stood her ground, staring up at him, daring him to argue.
His lips were tight, set in a grim line and a deep crease lined his perfect
brow. She wanted to back away, but years of working with her father wouldn't
allow her to show any signs of intimidation. Cowgirl up, she recited the mantra
in her head, although not nearly as confidently as she usually did.
"Don't do that," he ordered, staring
down into her eyes, his voice quiet but insistent.
She could feel the heat emanating from him as
sparks of desires burst in her chest, sending shivers over her skin. She tried
to control it, to stop herself from trembling at his nearness but she couldn't
stop her breath from catching in her throat. "Don't do what?" Her
voice was a hoarse whisper.
"Don't belittle yourself. You are far more
than that. You've always been more than that to me." His hands grasped her
upper arms and he dipped his head toward her, his eyes never leaving hers.
"You're a talented, kind, giving, passionate woman."
It wasn't what Jessie expected. His words were a
balm to her chapped and aching heart, exactly what she needed to hear, but she
knew she couldn't let him break past her walls. Who knew what damage he could
cause her heart when he left again. She'd barely managed to piece together the
shards last time. She pressed her hands against his chest, intending to push
him away from her, but he gently circled her wrists with his fingers. Their
eyes locked and she refused to be the first to look away.
"Nathan." She meant for it to be a
warning but it came out sounding more like a plea.
"What, Jess?"
He placed his palms over the back of her hands
and twined his fingers between hers. His touch made her weak and she felt a
wave of need break over her, threatening to drown her. She'd been so in love
with him, and it had left a gaping hole in her, one she’d never managed to
fill, not even with her work.
Nathan walked her backward until she felt the stall
behind her. With the hard wall of his body pressing against the front of her,
pinning their hands between them, there was nowhere for her to escape the
explosion of yearning that began in the middle of her chest, spreading outward,
heating her and leaving her breathless. Every inhalation filled her with the
scent of his expensive cologne, reminding her again how out of place he was. He
didn't belong here. But seeing the desire in his eyes, feeling it in every inch
of him pressing up against her, made Jessie want to wrap her legs around his
waist and let him take her right here in the barn.
She couldn't possibly feel this way about him
again. She couldn’t imagine feeling any other way about him. She needed this
man. Not just wanted him, needed him, and that scared the crap out of her.
He was going to kiss her, and she was going to
melt under his touch. There was no doubt in her mind. If that happened, she was
a goner. Because, for her, this wasn't about sex, this was about how Nathan
made her feel, how he'd always made her feel - understood and validated and
worthy. The only other time Jessie felt that way was when she worked with her
horses.
How had this man recognized the weakness in her,
buried deeply, and unearthed it so easily? Panic set in. She had to protect
herself. She couldn't let Nathan in, couldn't let him get close again. She
shoved against his hands, using her body to knock him off balance, backward
against the handles of the wheelbarrow and into the bucket.
"You can finish the stalls."
She ran out of the barn, refusing to look back
at the man trying to piece together a full sentence from where he landed,
inside a wheelbarrow full of fresh horse manure.
About the Author:
T. J.
Kline was raised competing in rodeos and Rodeo Queen competitions since the age
of 14 and has thorough knowledge of the sport as well as the culture involved.
She has written several articles about rodeo for small periodicals, as well as
a more recent how-to article for RevWriter, and has published a nonfiction
health book and two inspirational fiction titles under the name Tina
Klinesmith. She is also an avid reader and book reviewer for both Tyndale and
Multnomah. In her spare time, she can be found laughing hysterically with her
husband, children, and their menagerie of pets in Northern California.
2 comments:
awww...I love that...its such a cute cover. Avon does so great with their covers. I read the first book and really enjoyed it, so I am excited to try this one out as soon as it becomes available. Thanks for sharing.
It is a cute cover, isn't it, Renee?
Gives us a lot to look forward to, eh? Thanks for stopping by. xo
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