Marlene Bateman is a busy, talented author of both fiction and inspirational non-fiction. She always delivers something special, and I think readers are going to find that her track record of successes continues with "For Sale By Owner."
AND . . . Marlene's publisher is allowing us to give a copy away to one of our guests today. So, leave a comment below about the book, and you'll be entered in a drawing to win either an ecopy, or a paperback if you live in the U.S. The winning name will be drawn after midnight tonight! Now, on to the book.
Here's the back cover blurb:
Stressed by a year of intense, ongoing
problems, McKenzie Forsberg decides to quit her high-powered job and move back
to her hometown. Determined to rebuild her life, Kenzie desperately needs the
peace and security she is sure will come from buying the home she grew up in.
But when she arrives in town, Kenzie discovers that a handsome widower, Jared
Rawlins, has already put an offer on the house.
However, he can only close the deal if he sells his own house by
Christmas Eve.
When Kenzie unexpectedly runs into a couple who
are considering buying Jared’s house, she unthinkingly gives them information
that changes their mind. Jared, who had been more than a little interested in
Kenzie, has second thoughts when he begins to believe Kenzie may have deliberately
tried to sabotage the sale of his home. Feeling bad, Kenzie apologizes but the
damage may be too much for their relationship to overcome.
Despite his misgivings, and Kenzie’s own
concerns, sparks of attraction between Jared and Kenzie grow into something
more. Then, Kenzie makes a stunning discovery about her past. In that moment,
everything changes. Will the power of love be enough to bring Jared and Kenzie
together and allow them to find their happily ever after?
Excerpt
“What made you decide
to move to Lake Forest?” Kenzie asked.
“I’ve always loved it
here,” Jared said. “It’s a beautiful area, and there’s a special atmosphere
here. People are so friendly. I guess part of the reason I came is because I
needed to go someplace new and kind of start over, you know?”
Kenzie
did know. That was exactly what she was doing now. She’d gotten over Larry, but
she needed to go someplace new and reinvent herself and her life.
“Now let me ask you,”
Jared said. “What made you decide to
come back?”
“A
lot of reasons. I need a fresh start too. I’m tired of the hectic pace in
Chicago.” Impulsively she added, “Also, I had to get away from my job at
Midwest. A guy was causing some real problems for me—” She stopped. Their eyes
met and lingered. Jared’s compassion was evident and the expression on his face
kind. She felt so comfortable talking with him—as if they were kindred spirits.
Something in her heart softened into a spreading pool, and she smiled at him.
Tearing open his
packet of Oreo cookies., Jared took one and dunked it in his hot chocolate.
Kenzie frowned.
“Figures. You’re a dunker.”
“And I bet you’re a
twister.”
Snatching up a cookie,
Kenzie twisted it open and took a bite of the creamy middle. “Ummm.”
Jared shuddered.
“That’s wrong in so many ways.”
Picking up her mug and
warming her fingers, Kenzie sipped her hot chocolate. “This is wonderful!”
“It’s a secret
recipe—been in my family for generations.”
“Really?”
“No,
but it sounds good, doesn’t it?”
You can get "For Sale By Owner" here:
For Sale by Owner is available at Deseret Book and Seagull Book and can also be purchased online at:
Bio
Marlene Bateman Sullivan was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and grew up in Sandy, Utah. She graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor's degree in English. She is married to Kelly R. Sullivan and they live in North Salt Lake, Utah with their two dogs and four cats. Marlene has been published extensively in magazines and newspapers and wrote the best-selling romance/suspense novel, Light on Fire Island. She has written three other mysteries; Motive for Murder, A Death in the Family, and Crooked House.
Marlene has also written a number of LDS, non-fiction books: Latter-day Saint Heroes and Heroines, And There Were Angels Among Them, Visit’s from Beyond the Veil, By the Ministering of Angels, Brigham’s Boys, Heroes of Faith, Gaze into Heaven; Near-death Experiences in Early Church History, and The Magnificent World of Spirits; Eyewitness Accounts of Where We Go When We Die.
