And another one I'm late with. I'm sorry, Ms. Gucker. Here she is:
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Description:
When does hiding the truth become an outright
lie?
As an Army psychologist, Sydney Porter has heard
her share of horror stories. The battle-scarred, down-trodden, and guilt-ridden
have come to her office, seeking her help. When a highly decorated soldier is
referred to her, she feels confident she can help heal his wounds. The chemistry
between herself and Sergeant Aiden Thane is instantaneous. Sparks
Torn between a voice of reason and her undeniable
feelings, Sydney
And does she really want to know?
Warning: This title is intended for readers over
the age of 18 as it contains explicit sex scenes and/or situations (including multiple
partners) and adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.
Dedication:
This book is dedicated to every man and woman who
has served as a soldier to defend freedom for all. You are heroes. It is also
dedicated to the families of those soldiers who give up their fathers, mothers,
husbands, wives, brothers, sisters and friends so that we can have those
freedoms. Your sacrifices do not go unnoticed. Thank you all.
Special dedication to the soldiers in my family,
My father, John P. Choida, grandfather Stephen P. Gaida, brother-in-law
in-Darren Dreher, my father-in-law Donald Gucker and my grand uncles who have
served or continue to do so for our country.
I want to give a special shout out to Battling
BARE for all their hard work to help soldiers and their families recover from
PTSD! They have a special place in this book!
EXCERPT
I set off downstairs to quickly
set the table, and then was off to the kitchen to begin making dinner.
I started out making the salad,
washing the greens and various vegetables. He was suddenly beside me, like he
had just materialized there. Startled, I jumped and had to catch my breath.
This seemed to make him chuckle.
He was out of his uniform, and
dressed comfortably in gray sweatpants and a black t-shirt. He looked amazing
even when he was dressed down. I could see his build underneath the thin
material of his shirt, and the sweats were hanging just perfectly to make my
mind wander.
“I hope I didn’t scare you. I’m
sure you’re not used to someone sneaking up behind you around here. Can I
help?”
“No worries. I’m pretty skittish
sometimes. And no, you’re a guest. I wouldn’t ask you to help. Just sit back
and relax. I’ve got it under control.” I continued with my dinner prepping. He
reached out and put his hand on my forearm.
“Please, let me help you. You’re
letting me stay with you, so the least I can do is pitch in. I can wield a mean
broom,” he offered. His voice was so calm and relaxing. It was like listening
to an angel.
“How are you with knives?” I
asked, hoping for him to take over the task of salad duty, so I could start
preparing sauce for the spaghetti. I hated chopping vegetables.
“I’m an expert, Ma’am. Trained in
all forms of weaponry.”
“I’m not sure if that makes me
feel scared or safe.” I giggled.
He smiled and reached for my
knife. His hand brushed mine, and I felt a quick flutter in my stomach. I
looked up at him from under my eyelashes. Now I was flirting. I took a step
back from him so he didn’t think I was some kind of freak, inviting soldiers to
stay with me so I could flirt and then have my way with them. In this instance,
I wouldn’t have minded, though.
He smirked, began chopping
carrots and slicing the tomatoes. We cooked the entire meal together. He seemed
to be at home in the kitchen, like I was. I loved to cook, and was excited to
have, not only someone to cook for, but someone to cook with.
We dined on our homemade Italian
meal with glasses of Merlot, and had the most amazing conversation. I told him
about my parents and my childhood. He never mentioned his family so I didn’t
press him. We talked about the war a lot. We had both experienced it, and it
brought us even closer together. We shared something that he couldn’t with most
other people. It was one of the reasons why I was so good at my job.
When dinner was finished, he
thanked me for a home-cooked meal, offering me a bit too much praise, which
made me blush again, and then we proceeded to clear the table together.
I grabbed our glasses and an
unopened bottle of wine, and we moved over to the couch in my family room. I
was really enjoying having company. This might actually turn out to be
beneficial for both of us.
I thought it might be a good time
to work with him, now that he seemed to be much more at ease. He was still
work, no matter how much I was enjoying spending time with him.
“So, can you tell me more about
what happened?”
“You mean, why I’m not still over
there?”
I nodded. He immediately tensed
up and sat straight back against the couch. He looked like a mannequin.
“Not yet. I’m not ready to talk
to you about that. Is that okay?”
“It most certainly is. This is on
your timeframe. So when you feel more comfortable.” I smiled and placed my hand
on his to let him know I meant it. We had plenty of time to talk, so I
certainly didn’t need to rush him. I didn’t want to. I needed to take things
slowly with him. I wanted him to trust me.
Before I even realized it was
happening, we had begun gravitating toward each other on the couch. I’m not
sure if it was the wine or the company. It was probably a little bit of both.
He became quiet, and just looked
into my eyes. I just couldn’t look away. I was lost there. The pull towards him
was unstoppable and I felt myself start to lean in his direction. He gravitated
back. My breathing became shallow as we inched closer and closer. Soon, we were
so close that I could feel his breath on me, and smell the sweet scent of him.
I took in a deep breath with the hopes of being able to taste him. He reached
up and cupped my cheek.
“You’re quite beautiful, you
know.” I had no words; I couldn’t speak and just waited, hoping he would lean
in and kiss me first; and he did. His soft lips pressed against mine, and I
felt the familiar humming that happened every time we touched, along with the
now fluttering stomach I had recently acquired. I stayed perfectly still;
afraid to let myself go. He pulled back and looked at me.
“I’m not going to break, you
know. You can kiss me back, if you want to, of course. I can’t remember the
last time I actually kissed someone. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be so forward
and don’t even know if you’re already spoken for. Hope I’m not overstepping any
boundaries.”
That was all I needed to hear. I
reached up, twisted my fingers into his hair, and pulled his face slowly back
to mine without ever breaking eye contact. I kissed him deeply, darting my
tongue between his lips. He responded in kind and our tongues began to swirl
together. I felt light-headed, but at the same time, I felt completely
comfortable. We were completely in sync.
Reviews:
5.0 out of 5 stars – from KimCheck
5.0 out of 5 stars – from KimCheck
“I have read 2 of Christie's books and
one of her short stories and I have to say I'm very impressed with her writing.
I have had the pleasure of meeting her as she was so very gracious to call in
to my book club and chat about her books and her writing which impressed me
even more! The Purple Heart was a story that draws you in and makes you feel
like you are living within the story line. This story took me to a place I did
not expect at all. The characters in the book became so alive in my head that I
truly felt connected to every turn the story took. I highly recommend The
Purple Heart and will be sure to let everyone know how great it is.”
5.0 out of 5 stars – from tori muise
“This book had me on the edge of my seat
and I couldn't put it done! Beautiful book and I've been telling everyone I
know to read it!!!”
5.0 out of 5 stars – from Ireland
“This book was one that I could not put
down. I started it on Friday night and finished it on Saturday night, it was
that good! I did not want it to end. I can't wait to read the next book that
Christie Gucker writes!”
5.0 out of 5 stars – from BRIAN E
LAROCQUE
“Her best book yet! Great story and
great characters! I loved the Cheryl and Gina story as well. I'm sure we will
be reading more great stories from this new author!”
5.0 out of 5 stars – from Newest Fan
“Although I am an avid reader, I seldom
feel the need to write a review for a book. With The Purple Heart, I just had
to. I discovered this book by accident, wanted something to read on a cold
winter's day. I no way expected to be pulled into this love story. It pulled me
in alright. Pulled at my heart strings. What a beautiful love story. Classic,
romantic but completely unpredictable. Discovering this book and this author,
Ms. Gucker was a delightful surprise. Can't wait to read your other works.”
About the Author:
Christie A.C. Gucker lives in NJ with her
husband, two daughters and a menagerie of pets. Being a mother is one of the
greatest joys of her life. She has worked in the advertising industry for over
20 years as a degreed artist, but also works in the fine arts, especially
sculpting out of stone or snapping photographs. Christie is also a singer and
musician, and can be found singing on a few CDs.
After the death of her father, Christie searched
for something to fill her desire to make a mark in this world. Her love of the
arts and creativity allowed her to search for a new medium, which she found
with a pen instead of a brush. Being an avid reader her whole life, and with
her family cheering her on, she decided to take her shot, and began writing.
Christie is fascinated by the supernatural and
sharks, and studies both avidly. You’ll be sure to find something spooky
lurking somewhere in her stories. Her greatest joy is sitting on a beach with
her family while surf fishing, flying kites or building sandcastles with her
girls.
Christie is on FOUR Amazon Best Selling Lists:
Romance, Short Story Paranormal Romance and Fantasy.
Connect with
Christie A.C. Gucker
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