The Promise: A Story of The Quake
A Sinner’s Grove Novella
By: A.B. Michaels
Released June 24th, 2016
Red Trumpet Press
HE’LL RISK EVERYTHING TO KEEP HIS WORD
April 18, 1906. A massive earthquake has decimated much of San Francisco, leaving thousands without food, water or shelter. Patrolling the streets to help those in need, Army corporal Ben Tilson meets a young woman named Charlotte who touches his heart, making him think of a future with her in it. In the heat of the moment he makes a promise to her family that even he realizes will be almost impossible to keep.
Because on the heels of the earthquake, a much worse disaster looms: a fire that threatens to consume everything and everyone in its path.
It will take everything Ben’s got to make it back to the woman he loves—and even that may not be enough.
The Promise, a stand-alone novella, is the latest offering from A.B. Michaels’ multi-genre series “Sinner’s Grove.”
Link to Follow Tour: HERE
Part
of the Sinner's Grove series, The Promise is a heart-warming tale of
love and hope set against the devastating earthquake in San Francisco
in 1906.
Charlotte
'Charlie' Lindemann is in San Francisco with her young sister 'Berry'
Beryl. They are staying with their widowed aunt Marget, who's health
and mobility has suffered since the death of her husband and son.
Away from home, it's a time of reflection for eighteen year old
Charlie. Her sweetheart Richard Klausen wants to announce their
engagement but she's not so sure of how she feels about the man she's
known most of her life. The quake changes everything when amid the
chaos, she sees a soldier who's kindness and looks take her breath
away.
Benjamin
'Ben' Tilson left his homestead in Oregon to become become a soldier.
Now aged twenty-three he's only five months away from civilian life
again. The only thing he knows about his future is that he wont be
working on the farm. After a night out resulting in a fight, he and a
friend miss the last ferry back to their company's barracks, so bed
down in the Army stables. The noise of spooked horses awakens them near dawn and alerts them to what is about to happen. Earthquake. The
ensuing mayhem brings Ben face to face with a young woman who's looks
literally take his breath away. With a promise to fulfil, he doesn't
know if he will ever see her again, but determination, despite the
desperate time spurs him on.
"Why
did he ask if I was the one?"
"Because
you are," she said "You are the one."
A
beautiful love story interwoven with fascinating historical facts,
the author creates vivid imagery with words that transported me back
in time, bringing the story to life. This is the first book I have
read by this author although I am aware of the other books in this
series. I own two and now I need to bring them to the top of
my TBR list because The Promise has reminded me why I was drawn to
this multi-genre series in the first place. The writing is sublime,
the protagonists are strong, showing depth of their character during
a time of adversity. Yet, the story is bursting with hope which
develops into an overwhelming sense of love
conquers all.
Lastly,
as a keen cook and baker, any novel that mentions food and then adds
recipes at the end deserves an extra star.
***arc
generously received courtesy of the author via Tasty Book Tours***
I
was rolling out a pie crust, thinking about how Richard and I were
going to break the news of our broken engagement to my father, when a
man entered the kitchen. I looked up and thought perhaps I was
imagining things. The stranger was tall and dark, with a full but
neatly trimmed beard and mustache. He was wearing a light flannel
shirt and dungarees and held a felt hat in his hand. His eyes
were . . . they were Ben’s eyes. I stopped what I
was doing, caught my breath, and immediately reached to check my
hair, forgetting that my hands were covered in flour.
“Miss
Lindemann?” he asked in that same calm, comforting voice I
remembered.
“Corporal
Tilson?” At once I realized I must look a fright, with my hair
coming out of its coil and my apron covered with flour dust and
spatterings of dough. My heart was dancing in my breast and I tried
to settle down by breathing slowly.
He
walked toward me, wearing a slight smile and gazing at me with those
beautiful gray eyes. I was caught by them, like a most willing prey.
“You’re . . .
you’re not in uniform,” I managed to say.
He
looked down at his shirt, as if he’d forgotten he was wearing
anything at all. “I’m on leave,” he said. He held his hands out
and grinned. “This is the real me, I guess.”
I
couldn’t help myself, I grinned back and held out my own arms. “And
this is the real me, too.”
We
both laughed, and if you asked me what the sensation was that arced
between us in that moment, I’d tell you it was joy. Pure and simple
joy.
But
all too soon I remembered he wasn’t mine to feel joyful about. He
belonged to another. I tried to put us back on more formal footing.
“You’ve
come a long way,” I said. “I trust it’s because of your promise
to Berry.”
He
nodded. “Among other things, yes. I said I would be back, and here
I am.”
“I
know Berry will understand about not finding the doll,” I said,
attempting to reassure him. “But I’m very glad you came. She was
so hoping to see you again.”
He
looked at me, his eyes growing more intense. As he stepped closer, he
asked, “Were you hoping to see me?”
I
could feel the blush starting at the base of my neck and working its
way up. If he only knew how much I’d hoped.
Born and raised in northern California, A.B. Michaels holds master's degrees in history and broadcasting, and worked for many years in the public relations and marketing fields. An avid quilter and bocce player, she currently lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband and two furry "sons" who don't seem to realize they're just dogs
Rafflecopter Giveaway (a Print Copy of THE PROMISE, and a Sourdough Starter Kit with Whisk)
