Excerpt: Reclaiming Hope in Wishing Bridge by Ruth Logan Herne

Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for Reclaiming Hope in Wishing Bridge by Ruth Logan Herne, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Whenever I am given a choice of excerpts to share, one usually jumps out at me as “the one” that I enjoy or find the most intriguing and hope you do as well. If I could, I would share all of the excerpts from Reclaiming Hope in Wishing Bridge – no surprise when Ruth Logan Herne is the author! .I chose this excerpt as it is the first time Hank sees Heather when she returns to Wishing Bridge as well as being a pivotal moment early in the story. Enjoy and don’t forget to check out the giveaway!

EXCERPT

“This isn’t Lou’s fault.”

“Read it again.” Fee stomped the cane against the floor, marking each syllable. Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

Erin had moved to the back side of the room, near Miss Lana. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Heather and Megan, coming around the corner of the old Ryan place next door. 

Eric had said she was here, and there she was, tall, strong and just as beautiful as ever. A beauty she’d never seen as a girl.

Megan hesitated.

Heather slung an arm around her shoulders. Megan looked up.

Heather looked down.

The resemblance was more than skin deep. More than appearances. They shared God-given traits, the ability to face the wind and not run. 

He’d see it before, sure. They’d all seen it, and Alicia had never stopped hoping they’d mend fences and Heather would meet these three children, including the one who was so much like her.

The lawyer drew a deep breath.

Hank eased nearer. Fee and that cane were a little too close for comfort. Lou took a smart step back and raised the hard copy in his hand. 

“Guardianship of our three minor children, Erin Marie Bronson, Megan Heather Bronson and Timothy Michael Bronson is granted to their maternal aunt, Heather Rose Johnstone of Mount Haven, New York. At Ms. Johnstone’s discretion, our estate should be liquidated and moneys garnered from said liquidation should be placed in a trust account to be used at Heather Johnstone’s discretion for the raising of the children.”

Fee screeched.

Surprised by the sound, Heather stopped their progress with a light hand to Megan’s shoulder at the outer edge of the deck.

Erin shrunk back, against Miss Lana, and Tim grabbed hold of Hank’s hand again.

The gauntlet had been thrown. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Reclaiming Hope in Wishing Bridge
Series: Wishing Bridge #5
Author: Ruth Logan Herne
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: October 22, 2022
Genre: Women’s Fiction with romantic elements (clean)

She swore she’d never come back to Wishing Bridge.

She needed nothing. No family. No links to a past that broke her heart. Heather Johnstone was successful in her own right, by her own actions. She’d built a pristine life and gave no one the right or opportunity to disrupt it, but then her father called… the one person who’d loved her. Who’d cared.

And there was no other choice, it seemed.

She’d go back and face a past that was now tragically changed and fairly unimportant, but that’s the thing about growing up. You don’t always know what’s important until it’s too late.

Hank Reynolds had spent over a decade trying to inspire change. Change in a shrinking town adjacent to Wishing Bridge, and a school district that serviced several towns. Hank took his teaching and coaching seriously. Seriously enough to help no small number of kids find their way to success, but when a tragic flood takes a major toll on the little town of Hopewell, the aftermath stuns the surrounding communities with the loss of life and livelihood. Who can help? Who can help them re-establish the good old days in a place that had lost their grip on good a long time ago?

Hank knows what the school needs the minute he sees Heather. Northeast Wyoming Central needs an administrator that puts kids first, all the time. Not just when it looks good for a photo op. And when his phone calls bring back more of their high school football teammates, Hank knows something else is happening… Coming back to Wishing Bridge isn’t just good for the town and the schools… It’s good for the prodigals.

Because whoever said you can’t go home again was wrong and Hank Reynolds intends to prove it, but when Heather’s life takes a sudden turn, he realizes something else: sacrificial love means putting others first. Even if it’s the person you love more than anyone else on the planet.

Grab a cup of coffee, a Coke or a spot of tea and join the folks of Wishing Bridge, NY as they gather folks in to help, to love, to fix, to nurture… Welcome back to Wishing Bridge… where prayers and wishes mingle to make dreams come true.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Multi-published, award-winning and bestselling inspirational author Ruth Logan Herne has worked with multiple publishers and has published over seventy novels and novellas: Basically, Ruthy is living her dream of being a published author and having a great deal of fun doing it! With words to warm the heart and ease the soul, Ruthy takes her readers on the journeys of some unforgettable characters and situations, but in the spirit of being a true Pollyanna at heart, she loves a happy ending! She has a heart for women as overcomers and that spirit of faith and strength shines through every one of her stories. A mother of six with a seventh “daughter of her heart”, Ruthy has fourteen grandkids, runs a busy big pumpkin farm with her husband Farmer Dave, and has an absolute love for God, Jesus, her family, country, dogs, chocolate and coffee….

Connect with Ruth by visiting ruthloganherne.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a lovely book bundle from Ruthy including several books, chocolate, and a $20 Amazon Gift Card… cozy just got a little bit better.

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight November 14, 2022 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on November 21, 2022. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

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