Spotlight & #Giveaway – The Lullaby Sky by Carolyn Brown #excerpt #romance
Title: The Lullaby Sky
Author: Carolyn Brown
Release Date: September 13, 2016
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Synopsis
After seven years of misery and abuse, it’s all over—Hannah O’Malley is officially divorced. Hallelujah. It’s like every Christmas in her life all rolled up into one glorious day. Not only does Hannah get to keep her grandmother’s spacious old house, but she has full custody of her sparky five-year-old daughter. All Hannah has to do now is put the past behind her.
And now that she’s free, she wants to make a difference. With the help of her warm, close-knit circle of friends—including her high school crush, Travis Wilson—Hannah begins turning her home into a safe house for other women who’ve endured the pain she’s known. But even as life and laughter return to Hannah’s home, she’s haunted by the memory of her dangerously unstable ex. With a second chance at love on the horizon, Hannah must face down her past in order to let the sunshine back into her life.
Message from Carolyn Brown
Good mornin’, all y’all! Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to listen to me talk about The Lullaby Sky. I’m so excited about this book and hope that it touches the emotions of every woman who reads it. Hannah has found joy in giving back to others and has a brand new and budding relationship with Travis.
I asked her to give us some advice about second chance love. This is what she had to say:
I’ve known Travis my whole life and down deep in my heart I knew he was a good person, had a heart of gold and was a wonderful man. But after what I’d lived through the past several years, trust was a major issue. I had to learn to trust my heart again, to open it up and give Travis a chance.
So I had a long talk with myself and decided that it was not fair to judge this good man, by another man’s short comings. It was time to let go of the past and move on to the future. Then I rememberd something that my grandmother used to tell me and applied it to my life: Never shut the door to an opportunity. It’s better to open the door, invite it in and feed it chocolate cake than to chase it down the road after it’s already a mile away.
If you’ve been blessed with a second chance, if opportunity comes knocking on your door and there’s a hero standing there with paint on his shirt, a quirky little smile and a twinkle in his eyes, just open the door wide and tell him to come right on it. Feed him chocolate cake and give him a chance. You never know, the second chance might be the stars that light up a lullaby sky.
Excerpt
Hannah had paid for her marriage to Marty in nerves, nausea and migraines. She wrapped her arms around her body and shivered–never would she have to worry about him arriving unexpected and finding things out of order. Never would she have to send Sophie outside to play so she wouldn’t witness his wicked temper.
“It really is over,” she whispered. “So why don’t I feel like it is?”
“Because it’ll take time,” Travis whispered.
Startled, she jumped and shivered. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you come out of the house.”
“It’s okay, Hannah. You never have to apologize to me.” He smiled.
The limo came to a slow stop in front of the house and Sophie shot out of the door and jumped into her mother’s arm for the second, or was it the third time that day? She wrapped her legs around Hannah’s waist and hugged her, planting dozens of kisses on her face.
“I liked the ‘tentious car, Mama, but it’s too big for us. I like our car and Travis’s truck and Aunt Birdie’s van better than the big princess car.” She leaned back and looked Hannah right in the eye. “Did I really get a new name today or was you teasin’ me?”
“You really did. So did I. We are now Hannah and Sophie O’Malley,” Hannah answered.
“Sophie O’Malley,” Sophie whispered. “I like it. Do you like it, Travis?”
“Oh, yes, I do. It sounds just like a princess name.”
“Sophie O’Malley, princess of Aunt Birdie’s castle and queen of Hannah O’Malley’s house.” Sophie’s pecan-colored eyes danced with merriment.
“Oh, no, you don’t, young lady,” Hannah said. “You might be princess of Aunt Birdie’s house and mine, but I’m the queen and don’t you forget it.”
Sophie hopped down and ran into the house, no doubt to tell Aunt Birdie all about the limo. Travis kept his distance but his eyes locked with Hannah’s.
“What?” She wiped her cheek. “Do I have chocolate pie on my face?”
“No, I was thinkin’ maybe you shouldn’t forget it,” Travis said.
“Forget what?”
“Who’s queen of your house,” he said.
“Are you saying that I spoil Sophie too much?” Hannah asked.
“No, I’m saying that you’ve been spoiled too little, Hannah O’Malley,” he grinned.
About the Author
Carolyn Brown is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, as well as a RITA finalist. She has written several beloved and popular romance titles, ranging from historical to contemporary to cowboy-themed. She and her husband live in Davis, Oklahoma. They have three grown children, and enough grandchildren to keep them young.
