Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where participants share excerpts of their books or works-in-progress. It’s a fun way to sample new books and find new authors! Be sure to check out their website. Today’s selection comes from my upcoming release, The Book of Joy. The full synopsis is below. In this snippet, long-time friends, Evelyn and Gail, have determined to set up their adult children, Shannon and Joya, using Evelyn’s summer party as a launching point for their matchmaking. Joya is happy to meet new people, but Shannon is suspicious of his mother.

Snippet:

“Don’t act innocent–I’m onto you,” Shannon told his mother, “You’re trying to set me up again; I told you, I don’t need help finding someone.” 

“How else am I supposed to get grandchildren?” she returned.

“If that’s all you want, go adopt one.”

“Well that defeats the purpose, doesn’t it, if I can’t return them at the end of the day.”

“Really Ma?”

“I am the only one of my friends without a daughter-in-law or grandchildren; and at the rate you’re going, I’m going to see your father before I see any of that.”

“Do you really think that I’d be attracted to any of these women?”

“I’m just giving you options.”

Synopsis: 

Shannon wants for nothing except the love of a good woman. However, he is so focused on his career and caring for his elderly mother Evelyn, he doesn’t realize he’s missing anything. Until he meets Joya, the widowed daughter-in-law of a family friend. She is a loving, generous woman who brings a much-needed spark into his life; but because she is younger than him and still dealing with the loss of her husband, he is hesitant to approach her.

Joya, for her part, maintains a good attitude about her situation and is appreciative of the people around her—especially Shannon, whose friendship fills the gaps in her life that would otherwise remain empty. But after burying her husband, she isn’t sure she has it in her to fall in love again.

This, of course, will not do for Evelyn, who sees the potential for love (and grandchildren) in them. Nor for Gail, the family friend, who has her own reasons for wanting to match the two. They go to great lengths to bring Shannon and Joya together. But as the four contend with the directions their lives are moving, they soon discover that sometimes life is more about letting yourself be loved than it is about falling into it.

The book will be released on August 8. You can pre-order the paperback at Amazon. The ebook will be available on Wednesday.

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