by Sydney Logan
“I’m ready,” Allie said, her voice brave.
Her mother smiled proudly at her daughter as they joined hands. Between them, the candle danced, casting shadows upon the walls. Allie closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and began to sing.
“True love and sweet whispers
Till death do us part;
Send someone to love
My Appalachian heart.”
Angelina gave her daughter’s hand a reassuring squeeze, and with her eyes still tightly closed, Allison swiftly blew out the yellow flame.
Also by Sydney Logan
Lessons Learned (Appalachian Heart Collection, Book 1)
A young girl needs to spread her wings, but a young woman needs roots.
High school teacher Sarah Bray never thought she’d return to Sycamore Falls, but a traumatic event at her inner-city school leaves her desperate for the sanctuary of her childhood home. Orphaned as a teenager and raised by her grandmother, she had severed all ties with the people of her hometown—including her best friend, Aubrey—in hopes of leaving everything behind her. By returning to her roots, an older and wiser Sarah hopes to deal with the demons of her present and confront the ghosts of her past.
While visiting the local hardware store, Sarah meets Lucas Miller, a history teacher who has recently transferred from New York. She discovers a kindred spirit in him and learns that he is battling demons of his own. As the newest faculty members of Sycamore High School, they form a friendship—bonding through Lucas’s culture shock and their mutual desire to build new lives in the secluded town. When they begin to open their wounded hearts and share their secrets, their friendship effortlessly evolves into romance, giving each of them hope that maybe they aren’t so wounded, after all.
Their newfound love is put to the test when Matt Stuart, the quarterback of the football team, shares his deepest secret with Sarah. Fearing the painful incident that drove her from the city has followed her to Sycamore Falls, Sarah grows fiercely protective of her student. Determined that history will not repeat itself, Sarah stands by Matt’s side as he faces the ridicule of his church, his teammates, and the school administration. When the conservative community finally learns his secret, Sarah and Lucas—along with the town of Sycamore Falls—are schooled in the lessons of acceptance, tolerance, and love.
Download a sample of this book at The Writer’s Coffee Shop.
About the Author
Sydney Logan is an Amazon bestselling author and holds a Master’s degree in Elementary Education. With the 2012 release of her first novel, Lessons Learned, she made the transition from bookworm to author. Sydney has a very unhealthy obsession with music, and her iPod is filled with everything from Johnny Cash to Eminem. She is also the author of two short stories: “Mistletoe Magic,” available exclusively on Amazon Kindle, and “Stupid Cupid,” which is featured in the Romantic Interludes compilation. When she isn’t reading or writing, she enjoys playing piano and relaxing on her front porch at her home in East Tennessee with her wonderful husband and their very spoiled cat.
Visit Sydney’s website at www.sydneylogan.com.
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, a special thank you to my readers. It is because of your encouragement that I felt confident enough to write a second book. Thank you for being so supportive.
Thank you to my lead editor, Wendy Depperschmidt. I’m so glad we had the chance to work together again! As proud as I am of our working relationship, I’m even prouder to call you my friend.
To my proofreader, Shaina Hanson. I’ve lost count how many stories this makes us! Thank you for being such a faithful friend.
To my copy editor, Elyse Evans. Your comments and suggestions were invaluable.
To Krista Richmond, Kathie Spitz, Jennifer Hensley, and Sandra Butler for reading this manuscript in its earliest stages. Your input was priceless.
Special thanks to Jada D’Lee for designing the beautiful book cover and for adding graphics to my website.
Thank you to Rebekah Moss for creating another perfect book trailer and to Sarah Cowart for composing the music for it. Thank you for sharing your talents with me!
Thank you to Amanda, Cindy, and Lea at TWCS for all that they do. I have to especially thank Jenny Pedroza in our marketing department for answering all my crazy questions and for wanting nothing but the best for my books.
Thanks to my brother, Jeff, for designing my author picture for the website.
Finally, thank you to my husband for loving everything I write. I love you.