#MFRWHook – You Want Me to Go There? Seriously?”

Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. Readers have the chance to jump from one author to another who share hooks from their current WIP (work in progress) or any previously published books.

For this week’s edition of Book Hooks, I give you a teaser from Redeemed, book two in The Matawapit Family series, a second chance, contemporary romance and an Extasy Books Editor’s Choice award winner.

A single woman battles to keep her foster child from his newly-paroled father—a dangerous man she used to love.

Bridget Matawapit is an Indigenous activist, daughter of a Catholic deacon, and foster mother to Kyle, the son of an Ojibway father—the ex-fiancé she kicked to the curb after he chose alcohol over her love. With Adam out on parole and back in Thunder Bay, she is determined to stop him from obtaining custody of Kyle.

Adam Guimond is a recovering alcoholic and ex-gangbanger newly-paroled. Through counseling, reconnecting with his Ojibway culture and twelve-step meetings while in prison, Adam now understands he’s worthy of the love that frightened him enough to pick up the bottle he’d previously corked. He can’t escape the damage he caused so many others, but he longs to rise like a true warrior in the pursuit of forgiveness and a second chance. There’s nothing he isn’t willing to do to win back his son–and Bridget.

When an old cell mate’s daughter dies under mysterious circumstances in foster care, Adam begs Bridget to help him uncover the truth. Bound to the plight of the Indigenous children in care, Bridget agrees. But putting herself in contact with Adam threatens to resurrect her long-buried feelings for him, and even worse, she risks losing care of Kyle, by falling for a man who might destroy her faith in love completely this time.

Genre(s): Multicultural, contemporary romance, adult, inspirational.
Heat Rating: Level 3
Publication Date: April 19, 2019
Publisher: eXtasy Books

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Bridget rubbed her brow. “You have to let Logan know we can’t do anything until the police release the news.”

“We could do something while we’re waiting,” Adam said.

“What’s that?”

“Check The Gator.”

Bridget sputtered. “You can’t go there. It’s against the condition of your parole.”

“Neither can Logan.”

Did Adam mean Bridget was supposed to patronize the most notorious bar in the city? He was out of his mind. “I’m responsible for your son. If the caseworker finds out I went to a place like The Gator, this could put my care in jeopardy.”

“It’s just a bar.”

“It’s more than a bar. It’s where drug dealers go. It’s where criminals gather. It’s a dangerous place. You have to think of Kyle.”

“The program says to put everything in Creator’s hands.”

The familiar heat crept beneath Bridget’s skin—how dare he spout his twelve-step rhetoric. “How long have you been sober?”

“First week in the iron house. After they shanked my uncle in the shower.”

Bridget’s blood froze. Adam had never elaborated before when answering a question. She and Jude had guessed correctly about the uncle’s death impacting Adam’s decision to walk a straight path if he’d stayed sober in prison and while on day parole in Winnipeg.

“You want me to go to this bar and ask around about Sheena?”

“You’ll be fine. Tell the bouncer Adam sent you. Ed’ll make sure nobody gives you lip.”

“What am I supposed to say?” Bridget shifted on the couch, squirming.

“Ed’ll point you to who’s in the know. He’ll handle it.”

“Have you contacted this Ed already?”

“Nope. He’ll know. We served time in the iron house before. He’s clean now.”

Clean? And bouncing at the most notorious bar in the city?

“I’ll be nearby, kwe. I wouldn’t send you into a dangerous place without my protection.”

Bridget leaned against the back of the sofa. No, Adam wouldn’t. He was a lot of things, but he’d always looked after women properly. “It’s late. I need to think about this. Can I call you once I have an answer?”

“Yeah. Don’t think too long, kwe. Later.”

The line went dead.