Wounded Warriors Charity Blog Hop

I have so many lovely memories from the holidays I couldn't possibly pick just one. I have an amazing family and beautiful friends whom I love with all my heart. I'm able to spend time with them, enjoy Christmas trees and turkey. I can wrap gifts in pretty paper. I have these blessings in my life and the freedom to enjoy them because of the brave men and women who serve this country to ensure our ways of life aren’t taken away. So, to show my appreciation to our armed forces I will donate $30.00 for 30 comments. Just tell me what your favorite memory is!

 One lucky person will win a copy of my military novel, Courageous Dare. 

Blurb: Baylee Crawford thought she had her whole life figured out, right up until she accepts a scandalous little dare involving a mysterious man that makes her throw caution to the wind. When she falls completely in love with her mystery man, how will she cope when she has to say goodbye to him as he leaves for war? When a tragedy threatens to tear her world apart, Baylee is left feeling lost and has no idea how to help her family in the midst of this loss. Follow Baylee and Nash through a tale of love, passion, longing, war, and tragedy.

Excerpt: Baylee drove without knowing where to go. After an hour and half of traveling aimlessly through town, she finally stopped at the one place she hadn’t been in months.

She took a deep breath and got out, the rain pounded, soaking her instantly. The day, hot and humid, made the air thick. On trembling legs, she walked to her destination. Her knees buckled completely when she stopped. Baylee sat on the sopping ground, wrapped her arms around her body, and broke completely as she looked at her brother’s grave.

“You left me, you promised me you’d always be here for me, and now you’re gone!”

Finally she was able to recognize the gut wrenching feeling she’d suffered since she found out he had been killed. Sadness, of course, but the dominate emotion was overwhelming anger. Baylee raged at her brother for being gone.

She heard his voice in her head from when they were kids. “You’re my baby sister, B, and I’ll always be there for you.” He lied to her. Every promise he made had been false and meaningless.

“You’ll never know your nephew! You won’t experience his first steps or first words! You’ll never get to see him grow up!”

Baylee screamed at the head stone. She carried the fury around for months and couldn’t do it anymore.

“I want to hate you for leaving me here! I want to hate you so badly. I’m alone now! You’re gone, and I’m alone!”

She sobbed, no longer able to form words. Falling forward, she pounded on the sodden ground. She screamed, cried, and pulled at the grass. She begged God to bring him back, begged Ethan to forgive her for saying she hated him. She cried until she gagged but couldn’t stop.

Vile words left her mouth as a fresh round of agony tore through her. She couldn’t stop them from coming out. Half of them she had no knowledge of what she said, thinking she would die before this pain and anger finally left her. 

To donate to this wonderful cause CLICK HERE

For the next stop CLICK HERE