Out Now
Burning Bridges
by
Anne Krist
Publisher: Nomad Authors Publishing
Release date: January 20, 2020 (2nd
edition. First release June, 2008)
Price: $2.99 (for eBook), $9.99 (for
paperback)
Word count: 82,995
Blurb:
Letters delivered decades late send shock waves through Sara
Richards’s world. Nothing is the same, especially her memories of Paul, a man
to whom she'd given her heart years before. Now, sharing her secrets and
mending her mistakes of the past means putting her life back together while
crossing burning bridges. It will be the hardest thing Sara’s ever done.
Back of the book:
Consider the role of strangers in our
lives. An unknown postman in Virginia hides a bag of mail one day. His simple
action set in motion untold consequences for many others—strangers—all over the
country. How many bridges were burned in that forgotten mail pouch?
Sara Richards’s world is
rocked when three love letters from 1970 are delivered decades late. The
letters were written by Paul Steinert, a young sailor who took her innocence
with whispered words of love and promises of forever before leaving for
Vietnam. Sara is left behind, broken hearted and secretly pregnant, yearning
for letters she never received.
Then Paul died.
Now, years later, she
discovers the betrayal wasn’t Paul’s, when her mother confesses to a sin that
changed their lives forever. How can Sara reveal to Paul’s parents that they
have a granddaughter they’ve missed the chance to know? Even worse, how will
she find the words to tell her daughter that she’s lived her life in the shadow
of a lie?
Picking her way through the
minefields of secrets, distrust, and
betrayal, Sara finds that putting her life together again while crossing
burning bridges will be the hardest thing she’s ever done.
Excerpt:
Sara stared at the letters arranged
before her in numerical order. The moment in time she and Paul shared was long
ago, yet her dream had conjured his presence as though she’d just seen him. In
her mind, his blue eyes darkened with passion before his lips captured hers,
and he moaned his appreciation when their tongues met. She tasted his sweetness
and knew the steel of his arms as he held her. How many nights had she put
herself through hell reliving those memories? Too damn many.
After the concert, they’d met
clandestinely on weekends, mostly at Sandbridge, where they could walk and talk
undisturbed. With each meeting, stirrings built deep in Sara that pushed her to
want more, but Paul insisted they restrain themselves because of her age.
Then the weekend before he shipped
out, she'd planned a surprise and her life changed forever.
The kettle screeched, bringing her
back to the present. Sara prepared a cup of tea and then picked up the envelope
marked twenty-eight. At one time, she
would have given her right arm to hold this letter. Now, curiosity and the
desire for a brief escape drove her more than the passion of youth. Blind love
had faded when she’d had no word to bolster her during the long weeks after the
ship left.
First had come the waiting. No
letters arrived, even though she wrote him daily. There were no phone calls, no
notes, no anything, for days that dragged into weeks then crept into months.
Anticipation morphed into anxiety.
She worried he was sick or hurt and unable to write.
One day she admitted that Paul
must be afraid to write for some reason, and she feared what he would say if
she did receive a letter. That their
time together had been a mistake, that she was too young to be in love. That he
really loved someone else and Sara had been only a stand-in while he was in
Virginia. Perversely, she began to sigh with relief when she arrived home and
found no word.
Now, knowing why she hadn’t
received mail, what would she feel if she opened this letter and her old fears
proved to be true?
“Nothing,” she murmured. “Paul’s
dead. He can’t hurt me anymore.” At the very least, his letters might allow her
to put his ghost to rest. For that reason alone, she had to read them.
She slid her thumb under the flap
and ripped the envelope open. A single sheet held his hurried scrawl.
Author Anne Krist:
A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in
the morning fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love,
became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots
of sex.
After a while, Dee split her personality into thirds. She writes as
Anne Krist for sweeter romances, and Jenna Stewart for ménage and shifter
stories. All three of her personas are found on the Nomad Authors website.
Also, once a month, look for Dee’s Charity Sunday blog posts, where your
comment can support a selected charity. Contact Anne at annekrist@nomadauthors.com.
Reader and Reviewer comments:
Readers:
"I loved it! And now my daughter's reading it." Sherry, a
reader
"I just finished reading BURNING BRIDGES. Thank you for writing
such a powerful story about how real love can overcome all obstacles. I
appreciate the fact that Sara and Paul were imperfect and made mistakes. They
needed each other to polish off their rough edges and make them complete. How
nice that characters of middle age were written as attractive and sexual human
beings." A reader, Virginia
"I give Burning Bridges 6 stars out of 5!! A true love
story...I'm ready for more." - A reader, Byron, TaylorMade Bod
"I loved it, just loved it! I was going to take it with me on
vacation but I started reading and didn't want to stop. It was addictive."
- Chiara, a reader
"Loved it. Just loved it." - Beverly, a Beaufort reader
Reviewers:
"…an emotionally captivating tale from beginning to end. … a
beautiful story about a young love ripped apart that burns bright through two
decades of separation."
5 Ribbons, Chrissy Dionne, Romance Junkies
"I absolutely adored this story ... packed with real emotion
... There was a powerful "WOW" factor..."
5 Hearts and Reviewer Top Pick, Diana, Night Owl Romance
"Rarely does a story come along which touches one in countless
ways from every affecting scene, yet this writer does so with her first
release. The name of Anne Krist will become recognized as an author who conveys
genuine and heightened feelings between her memorable characters.
With surprising twists and believable interplay between characters,
BURNING BRIDGES is an unforgettable love story filled with passionate desires
and potent emotions."
5 Stars, Amelia, eCataRomance, eCataromance Reviewers’ Choice Award Winner
"Burning Bridges is a yummy romance. Anne Krist has a talent
for conveying great emotion. Keep a box of tissues close at hand when you read
Burning Bridges. I was wiping tears throughout the book. The plot quickly
captured my interest, and I felt I was part of the drama. The tension between
Paul and Sara (both are stubborn and hardheaded) left me tingling. The love
they shared was obvious. I did not want this story to end. Fans of romance
should place Burning Bridges at the top of this summer's reading list."
5 Stars, Anne, Review Your Book
"...a strong and poignant love story... Displaying unwavering
talent when dealing with delicate situations, Anne Krist's BURNING BRIDGES
stayed with me long after I finished."
5 Pixies Recommended Read, Twila King, Dark Angel Reviews
"Ms. Krist has a heart-warming, emotional story on her hands.
... This is one I highly recommend!"
5 Cups, Krista, Coffee Time Romance
