Please help me welcome today’s guest, Julie Lence…
Hello Alicia. Thank You for having me as your guest today. It’s a pleasure connecting with you and your readers. No Luck At All was probably the easiest story for me to write. Racine spoke to me the entire way. Below, get to know her better and you’ll discover why she tugged at my heartstrings from beginning to end. 2 people will win a Kindle copy of No Luck At All just for leaving a comment. Hugs!
My pleasure, Julie! I’m thrilled to have you and I look forward to meeting Racine. Thank you for the giveaway!
Hello. I’m Racine, the youngest daughter of wealthy and respected Boston doctor, Donald Somerfield, and his socialite wife, Katherine. Mama hated me from the moment I was born. She had it in her mind that Papa wanted a son, and when I came out a fourth daughter, she blamed me for that mishap. She swore she would not jeopardize her figure and looks again to bear papa another child, moved into her own bedroom, and handed me and my care over to the servants.
My toddler years, I found it unbearable to not have Mama’s love and acceptance. My sisters, Valeen, Victoria and Valerie did. Mama would fuss over them, take them shopping and plan parties for them. She did none of that with me, which made me try all sorts of ways to gain her approval, none of which worked. I only earned her ‘rolling’ of the eyes, a stern lecture on how I was disobedient and very unladylike, and words of how no one would ever like me. I was unlovable.
I found that last part hard to believe. Papa loved me and spent as much time with me as his doctor duties allowed. Even the servants seemed to enjoy my company. Then one day, on a whim to make mama happy, I went to her flower garden to pick her some flowers. A stray dog leapt out from under the bushes and attacked me. His paw clawed my cheek and Papa had to stitch three deep cuts. When the bandages were removed, I had three long, red, ugly scars. Papa swore they would fade in time, But I knew that wasn’t true. Every year, they got bigger, more noticeable–this was proven when I overheard my sisters beg Mama to keep me hidden from their friends. They said I was hideous and would scare away the other girls.
After that, I took to spending a lot of time in my room, alone. The maids took pity on me and taught me how to sew. Sophie, our cook, taught me how to prepare delicious meals. My skills flourished under their guidance. Even Papa was impressed with the curtains I sewed for his den.
The years passed and I reached an age where Papa insisted I attend the dinner parties he held for his interns. I wanted nothing to do with socializing and retreated to my room on those occasions. One night, Papa ordered me to attend a dinner. Grudgingly, I did, and kept to the shadows most of the evening until one man asked me to dance. I wanted to decline his offer, but his warm smile drew me to him as his hand drew me out of the corner. I’m thankful I didn’t refuse him, for that night I met and fell in love with the most handsome, heavily muscled, kind-hearted man to ever exist―Creel Weston.
Creel courted me relentlessly. He took me to the park, to dinner, and for strolls around Mama’s flower gardens. He told me he loved me and wanted me to marry him. Part of me believed him. The other part was unsure, until he stood beside me at the altar, said his vows, and gave me a ring. I’ve never been so happy, and then that happiness disappeared as before my eyes Creel went from warm and caring to a cad on the eve of our wedding.
I don’t know what brought about the change in him, but I have a good idea. Somehow, he came to the conclusion he can’t bear looking at me and my hideous scars for the rest of his life. Though he’d never once commented on them, I gathered the preacher joining us together for all eternity sparked feelings in him he never knew existed. I can’t blame him―I am ugly. But I can hope for some semblance of comfort and accord between us. I thought I had found that after Creel and I hashed out some misunderstandings. But now, an old friend from Creel’s childhood claims he loves her. After replaying some events over and over in my mind, and pitting Amy’s beauty and refinement against my scars and lack of elegance, I fear she is right in that Creel loves her and not me.
No Luck At All is the 3rd book in the Weston Family series and available for purchase at Amazon:
Excerpt from No Luck At All:
“A sassy mouth isn’t becoming of you.” He sat across from her.
“Ungratefulness doesn’t become you, either,” she rallied back.
“Butchering me like a side of beef does?” He raised a brow.
“I butcher you?” Disbelief shone in her eyes. “You butcher me. Most of the time you don’t talk to me and when you do, you’re mean.”
“Have a heart, Racine. I’m doing the best I can.”
“If this is your best, I’d hate to see your worst.” She fidgeted with the sash on her robe. “What’s bothering you, Creel? Why do you think the worst of me?”
“Because,” he barked and instantly regretted it. Fear sprang into her eyes and she sank back in her chair, her shoulders trembling. “I apologize,” he said quietly, leaning forward and resting his arms on his thighs before folding his hands together to conquer the churning in his gut. If he wanted any kind of normalcy with her, it was now or never.
BIO:
Julie was born and raised in upstate New York. She married her high school sweetheart and accompanied him on his twenty-year career with the United States Air Force. Presently, she resides in the Pikes Peak region, where she’s a stay-at-home mom enjoying a career writing western historical romance.
Throughout her school years, Julie enjoyed reading and writing. A friend introduced her to the romance genre in the late 80’s and she was instantly hooked, crediting Judith McNaught and Johanna Lindsey as her inspirations to pen her own novels. As she puts it, Ms. McNaught’s voice is flawless and Ms. Lindsey’s Malory family is endearing and addictive. Combining her fondness for horses, John Wayne and the television series, Dallas, Julie settled into writing about cowboys, outlaws and the ‘old west’ early in her career.
Julie self-publishes her work at Amazon.com. She also designs her covers. When she’s away from her computer, she enjoys taking care of her family and home, exploring the Rocky Mountains and meeting fans of the romance genre. To connect with her, visit her here:
Website: www.julielence.com
Facebook page: https://facebook.com/#!/JulieLence
Twitter: https://twitter.com/julielence
Author Alicia Dean 