Hi guys and gals!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Today, we're exploring a new title currently on tour with Rachel's Random Resources! We've got the spotlight ready to shine and a special EXCERPT just waiting for you to devour, so, if you're ready, KEEP READING for some bookish fun and then some!
A Leap of Faith at the Vineyard in Alsace
by
Julie Stock
About the book...
It’s winter at The Vineyard in Alsace, and wedding bells are in the air
How do you know when you’re ready for love?
Ellie Robinson has spent her life running from commitment following the breakdown of her parents’ marriage when she was young. She doesn’t believe in happy ever afters and the last thing she wants is to settle down in one place when she could be travelling the world.
Having moved from place to place throughout his childhood, Henri Weiss now calls the vineyard in Alsace home, and he loves the stability the vineyard and the people on it give him. While he enjoys travelling, it’s always good to come home again.
Following an extended travelling trip together, Ellie and Henri find their differences more marked than before, despite their love for each other being even stronger. Then a series of shocks in Ellie’s personal life throws things into turmoil, leaving Ellie unsure as to how to get everything she wants. And Henri facing the loss of the future he has dreamed of.
Can Ellie and Henri reconcile their very different desires and take a leap of faith on their love for each other? Will they get the happy ever after they’ve both been longing for?
Escape to The Vineyard in Alsace once again for this uplifting, romantic read and enjoy Christmas at Domaine des Montagnes.
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~~~ EXCERPT ~~~
This extract is from the middle of Chapter 2 of A Leap of Faith at the Vineyard in Alsace. Henri and Ellie have just returned to the vineyard after being on their travels for five months, but while Henri is delighted to be back and ready to settle down, Ellie is restless and would be ready to go off travelling again at the first opportunity.
Henri
Henri strode away from his house the next morning towards the vineyard, feeling more conflicted than ever about where his relationship with Ellie was going. Even though they’d only been together for just over a year, for him there was no doubt that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and he had expected her to feel the same when they got back from their trip. But she still didn’t seem ready to settle down with him. She had promised to get started on her blog idea today, but despite what he’d said, he wasn’t sure that would really be enough to help with her restlessness.
He turned onto the track that led to the vineyard estate. Just making this journey was usually enough to lift his spirits, even in the depths of winter as it was now when everything was dormant and almost all the leaves had fallen from the vines, but his mood was just too low today. The sky was dark and imposing, and it threatened to overwhelm him. He took in a deep breath and released it slowly, trying not to let his problems defeat him.
He was on his way to meet Thierry to catch up with him and to get his take on the situation with Ellie before going into the office. Thierry had been a good friend to him, and he trusted his judgment. Surely he would know what to do?
Lottie answered the door to him a few minutes later. It was the first time he’d seen her since finding out about the finances, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything to her about it outside of work. As it was, she had Marie balanced on her hip and looked flustered.
‘Hi, Henri, come on in. It’s lovely to see you.’ They exchanged kisses. ‘Sorry, I’ve been trying to get Marie to eat something all morning, but she’s playing hard to get today.’ She laughed but Henri could see how worn out she was.
‘Do you want me to try? It probably won’t work but it would give you a break at least.’
Lottie handed Marie over with a look of relief.
‘Ça alors, haven’t you grown?’ Henri said as Marie settled into his arms. ‘I’m not sure I can still call you ma petite any more.’ He sat down at the table with Marie on his lap and pulled a bowl of what looked like porridge towards him. He didn’t fancy it much himself so he sympathised with little Marie. But he played the game of wanting to eat it, taking the spoon Lottie offered him.
‘Mmm, this looks delicious. Shall I try it first?’
The little girl studied him with big, round eyes. He popped a tiny spoonful in his mouth and was surprised to find it quite tasty. To his delight, Marie picked up her spoon from the bowl and helped herself to a spoonful as well.
‘Mmm,’ she copied, and they both laughed.
‘Isn’t that just typical?’ Lottie muttered. ‘Can I get you a drink, Henri? Thierry should be back from his inspection soon.’
‘Yes, please.’ He carried on eating alongside Marie, although trying to encourage her to eat more than him. She was soon bored though and fidgeting to get down. He set her down on the floor and watched as she crawled towards her toys. ‘She must be getting around a lot on her own now.’
‘Yes, she’s managing a few steps, so it won’t be too much longer before she’s fully walking. It’s a full-time job keeping our eyes on her at the moment.’
Thierry arrived back then, and at the sound of the door closing, Marie started crawling towards the hallway. Lottie followed behind her to alert Thierry.
‘Bonjour, ma petite,’ he cried as he came into the lounge, swooping down to pick her up for a cuddle. He rubbed his beard gently against her cheek and she giggled.
‘Salut, Thierry,’ Henri said when his friend came into view.
‘Hey, good to see you. You’ve caught the sun, mon ami.’ Thierry smiled as they exchanged a quick hug. ‘Is everything okay?’
‘Yes, yes. Just fancied a chat before work if you’ve got time.’
‘I was about to take Marie for a walk so I’ll leave you to it,’ Lottie said.
Thierry helped her to gather her things and to pop Marie into the pushchair before kissing them both goodbye and closing the door.
‘So, how are things really? Are you settling back in okay?’ Thierry asked as he made another cup of coffee for himself.
Henri filled him in on the latest with him and Ellie since their return. ‘And with there being no money to pay for the work to be finished on the château, I’m worried she’s going to disappear off on her travels again, and if she does that, I’m sure that will be the end of everything between us.’
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About the author...
Julie Stock writes contemporary feel-good romance from around the world: novels, novellas and short stories. She published her debut novel, From Here to Nashville, in 2015, after starting to write as an escape from the demands of her day job as a teacher. A Leap of Faith at the Vineyard in Alsace is her eleventh book, and the third in the Domaine des Montagnes series set on a vineyard.
Julie is now a full-time author, and loves every minute of her writing life. When not writing, she can be found reading, her favourite past-time, running, a new hobby, or cooking up a storm in the kitchen, glass of wine in hand.
Julie is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and The Society of Authors. She is married and lives with her family in Cambridgeshire in the UK.
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YOUR CHANCE TO WIN...
...a signed copy of A Leap of Faith at the Vineyard in Alsace
plus some festive goodies!
(Open to UK Only)
Prize contains the following:
a signed paperback copy of A Leap of Faith at the Vineyard in Alsace
a sachet of Galaxy instant hot chocolate
a tin of RHS stem ginger cookies
a RHS Christmas bauble with a snowdrop decoration on it.
*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the excerpt to share. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today! Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun.
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
Thanks so much for hosting me on your blog today, Gina. I really appreciate it!
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