Embers of Hope

Savanna Thompson knows what it’s like when you blink and your life shatters. She’s been hiding her divorce from her best friend Cassie, but she knows she can’t any longer. Cassie’s husband, a firefighter, just died. Savanna rushes home, along with her one-year-old daughter to help, and now she’s staying with Cassie in a nursery meant for a baby that won’t ever exist.

She will fix their relationship, but it’s complicated with Jason around. He’s the firefighter who saved Savanna’s life two and a half years ago. He just lost his best friend, and like Cassie, he blames himself for Mike’s death. When he convinced Mike to remain with the department, how could he know Mike would die fighting a house fire?

Though hurting herself, something deep inside her won’t let her walk away. Jason needs her but she’s off limits on so many levels. She’s falling for this sexy firefighter but he confuses her to no end. Being stuck in the middle is enough stress, plus her own problems are festering behind her helping smile. Can Savanna find the balance between loving Jason, helping Cassie, and taking care of herself and her daughter? Or is she going to lose this bet and her best friend?

Second Edition. Edited by Carol Teegarden.

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What are readers saying?

"I was looking forward to a good story about friendship and love, and your story did not disappoint! I haven’t been in Savannah’s or Cassie’s situation personally, but I was able to feel all of the emotions they were going through as they dealt with the changes in their lives. I can’t imagine the overwhelming feeling of loss and hopelessness that Cassie was facing after her husband died. I think you did a great job of showing her in a bit of a free fall – distancing herself from friends and family, changing the outside of her life (taking down the pictures of her and Mike) but unable to change her inner feelings of anger and hurt, and acting out by doing things she might not ordinarily do.

I really loved how both Savannah and Jason both were deeply affected by their “first” meeting. The way you described it from both perspectives was great and really helped the reader “see” what they were going through in those scary moments in the fire. It gave them some history without a history, if that makes any sense. It also added an additional layer to the complications in Savannah and Cassie’s friendship, as well. I really liked the way everything wrapped up – but I feel like Cassie may have more love in her still, so maybe she needs a follow-up romance of her own!" ~from an email from a reader.