Hello, all! Here is another Clean Reads author, Lucie Ulrich, sharing about her latest release and offering a GIVEAWAY!!! (Giveaway details are below.) The book on spotlight today is Book 2 in The Cooper Family Series. So, let me step out of the way and let you check out the book!
Finding Hope
Nearly sixteen years after relinquishing the rights to his unborn child, Noah Cooper is stunned to discover his daughter, Hope, wants to meet him. With the love and support of his family, Noah sets off from Elk Flats, Montana to Albany, New York, having no idea what changes are in store for him.
Cancer survivor and widow, Beth Peterson, is more than a little nervous to meet her daughter’s birth father. Their initial meeting goes well, but things decline in a hurry when Noah invites Hope to spend time at the ranch without speaking to Beth about it first.
Determined to meet her new family, a battle of wills ensues between Hope and her mother. While Hope longs for a connection, Beth fears losing her daughter to virtual strangers—strangers who live two thousand miles away.
Struggles and misunderstandings abound between Noah and Beth, despite their growing attraction for one another. Noah is ready to commit, while Beth can’t let go of the memory of her husband and the imperfections cancer has forced her to live with.
Will hope, patience, and prayer be enough to pull this family together?
Enjoy an Excerpt
Over dinner Hope chatted on about school, her dreams to become a veterinarian, and the school play she was taking part in. “I have a really good part. Do you think you could come back to see me, Noah?”
“As much as I’d like to, I’m not sure I could get away so soon.”
“Honey, that’s a lot to ask. The play is only a month away, and Noah doesn’t exactly live across town.”
“Sure.” Hope swirled the mashed potatoes on her plate with her fork. “I understand.”
The downward bent of Hope’s mouth tore at Noah’s insides. He’d barely made contact and was already letting her down. He swallowed his final bite of meat. “Maybe you could spend some time at the ranch over the summer.”
Hope’s frown quickly turned to a face-splitting grin. “That would be amazing. I can’t wait to tell Jenny.”
Fire practically shot from Beth’s eyes, and Noah knew he’d put his foot in it big time.
****
Beth asked Hope to clear the table and clean the kitchen. “I’m going to show Noah the garden. We’ll have dessert when we come back.”
“Sure, Mom.”
“The garden’s this way.” Beth walked past Noah toward the sliding glass door. She opened it with more force than necessary, causing the door to slam into its metal casing. Cringing at the racket, she was less forceful with the screen.
Noah followed her onto the deck. “Look, I know I spoke—”
“Not here.” She descended the stairs at a brisk pace and walked across the yard until she reached the gazebo. The walk and cool air did nothing to calm her nerves. Spinning around, she faced him. “You had no right to extend an invitation like that without speaking to me first.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. The words just came out before I had a chance to think about what I was saying.”
“Yeah, well, sorry isn’t going to help when I have to tell Hope she won’t be going. I opened my home to you so that you could meet your daughter, not for you to whisk her away at the first opportunity.”
He held up his hands. “Whisk her away? No, you’ve got it all wrong. I expect you to come with her. Hope has other family, which means you do, too. I think she’d enjoy a couple of weeks of ranch life, and you’re both going to love my family.”
“You assume a lot for someone who’s barely known me for twenty-four hours and my daughter half that amount of time. And, yes, I did say my daughter. You may have fathered her, but I raised her.”
“That’s a low blow, Beth.” Noah’s easy smile vanished. He leaned against the railing and crossed his arms over his chest. The mixture of hurt and anger in his eyes pained her. She knew she was overreacting but couldn’t help herself. He was moving too fast. Surely he realized that. “I think it might be best if you don’t stay for dessert. I’ll explain to Hope.”
“I’ll be the first to admit that my enthusiasm may have gotten the better of me.” He uncrossed his arms and pointed to her. “But you’re the one who invited me into Hope’s life. You asked if I was in for the long-haul, so I assumed you understood I’d want to bring Hope to Montana from time to time.”
“It’s too early for this to be about what you want.”
Buy Links
Amazon: http://amazon.com/dp/B071D8LFX6
BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finding-hope-lucie-ulrich/1126230185?ean=2940157307264
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/finding-hope-26
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/finding-hope/id1225485559?mt=11
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/718348
In case you missed the first book, The Rose Ring
With a will that reads like a piece of fiction, the return of his long-lost brother, and the possibility of losing the family ranch, Micah Cooper calls on high school friend, Sky Baxter, to bail him out of a bad situation.
Though her brain tells her no, Sky’s heart says yes. She accepts Micah’s in-name-only proposal, knowing it’s unlikely anything permanent will come of it. She’s been in love with him since the ninth grade, and if he hasn’t figured it out by now, there’s little chance he ever will.
When an unexpected kiss ignites a spark, giving Micah hope for a possible future with Sky, a tragic accident threatens to take it all away. Torn between following his heart, doing the right thing, and forgiving the past, Micah is lost in a whirlwind of pain and emotions. Will he make it through the next two years, or will a long-kept family secret be the undoing of all of the Cooper Family?
Find it on Amazon or other online retailers
About the Author
Lucie Ulrich is an award-winning author of inspirational fiction. Her books are filled with stories of faith, family and forgiveness. She was honored to receive a RONE Award for her second novel, “The Rose Ring.”
A former performing arts director, Lucie now enjoys going on photo shoots with her husband, and taking long (or short) road trips. She continues to find inspiration as she and her husband explore the four corners of the United States.
Connect with Lucie and her books
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inspywriter/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LucieUlrich
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lucie-Ulrich/e/B00K6NC2H0/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1491669701&sr=8-2-ent
Website: http://lucieulrich.com/
GIVEAWAY!!!
Lucie Ulrich is offering an e-copy of “The Rose Ring” and “Finding Hope” to a single winner. The winner will be selected at random from those who comment on this post. Entries (comments) for the contest will be accepted for the giveaway until November 2, 2017 at 11:59 pm (CST). Please feel free to share your thoughts on the post or answer this question:
If a secret from your past showed up in the present would you embrace it or run from it?