Texas Hearts Series by Emily Josephine

Tragedy and guilt follow Sheila Carson around like a sick puppy, causing continual estrangement from her family and a heavy fear of getting too close to other people, especially other people of the opposite sex. She cannot bear the thought of accidentally destroying another man’s life again. Then she meets Hank Johnson. At first, the new fourth-grade teacher gets on Sheila’s nerves, especially after a run-in between one of his students and one of her Kindergarteners... moreTragedy and guilt follow Sheila Carson around like a sick puppy, causing continual estrangement from her family and a heavy fear of getting too close to other people, especially other people of the opposite sex. She cannot bear the thought of accidentally destroying another man’s life again. Then she meets Hank Johnson. At first, the new fourth-grade teacher gets on Sheila’s nerves, especially after a run-in between one of his students and one of her Kindergarteners. But Hank’s rugged handsomeness and fun-loving personality begin to win Sheila over when he ends up one day after school, helping her to search for her favorite student, Diana, who mysteriously goes missing. Sheila’s faith in God compels her to take a personal interest in Dianas’s broken home life, and at the same time makes her begin to wonder if Hank might be part of God’s plan for her life. But while Hank attends church and seems to have his own brand of faith, he is hiding his own past tragedy that has caused him to doubt God’s love for him during the past several years. So when Sheila’s heart begins to lead her in the direction of missions, Hank abruptly drops his relationship with her. But it cannot end there. A mysterious envelope that Hank has forgotten about turns out to be an intricate and shocking connection between both their tragic paths. Will Sheila ever receive the forgiveness she desperately needs? Will Hank ever admit his love for Sheila – and shake off the past hurt that threatens to keep them apart? “The Envelope” weaves together the lives of one man, one woman and an innocent five-year-old girl to bring about a heart wrenching story of healing, forgiveness and God’s persistent love. less

*****PRAISE FOR “THE ENVELOPE” – BOOK ONE IN THE SERIES***** "I would recommend this to anyone without hesitation." "Heart-gripping." "A book worth sharing." "The book kept me reading to see what would happen next... more*****PRAISE FOR “THE ENVELOPE” – BOOK ONE IN THE SERIES***** "I would recommend this to anyone without hesitation." "Heart-gripping." "A book worth sharing." "The book kept me reading to see what would happen next." ************************************************ Rosa Manriquez is trapped in a disreputable job working for a nefarious boss, known to everyone as simply “Eddie”, who does not allow his topless dancers to leave his employ without his express permission – for which Rosa has been waiting for years. She is finally released from the prison when she finds the him dead on the adult club dance floor. Wanting to start a new, clean life, she ends up getting a job at a motel in Fort Worth, Texas. The owner of the motel, a Zimbabwe native named George Marima, is instantly as attracted to her as she is to him. But nothing about their relationship ends up being easy. First, he is thrown for a loop when he finally finds out what she previously did for a living, and then she becomes convinced that because of her past, she can never be good enough for George. As they work through their personal struggles, so must Tina, a single mother of three who used to work for George and is growing more and more desperate to salvage her family and find a job. In the meantime, a former co-worker of Rosa’s decides to take the murder matter into his own hands. What he discovers and brings to George and Rosa shocks them, but not nearly as much as when the killer shows up at a motel staff meeting, threatening to shatter the lives – and love – of everyone there. This full-length contemporary fiction novel melds the modern world, old-fashioned romance, and suspense with the themes of redemption and purity. It is the sequel to “The Envelope”, and the second book in the “Texas Hearts” series. HOWEVER, a reading of the first novel is NOT necessary in order to follow the plot of "Guns And Rosa." ***** PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This contemporary fiction work is also an expansion of two of Emily Josephine’s short stories, “Pure Rosa” and “Guns And Rosa.” In addition, be aware of THIS DISCLAIMER: while this novel is inspirational in nature, we are reluctant to bill is as “Christian fiction” as it does contain occasional mild profanity to make the rougher characters more realistic. However, there are no sex scenes. FULL LENGTH NOVEL: ABOUT 240 PAGES ***** Emily Josephine has a passion to help others to draw closer to God by writing inspirational fiction that makes a difference. She fits in her writing between homeschooling her son and living the simple homesteading life with her husband. less

**********ACCLAIM FOR EMILY JOSEPHINE’S INSPIRATION FICTION************ “Emily puts the romance back in romance.” “Heart-gripping.” “Great story!” “I look forward to reading more from this author.” ************************ In this sequel to “The Envelope” and “Guns And Rosa,” George Marima finally marries Rosa Manriquez. As they head off to George’s home country, Zimbabwe, on their honeymoon, both are excited... more**********ACCLAIM FOR EMILY JOSEPHINE’S INSPIRATION FICTION************ “Emily puts the romance back in romance.” “Heart-gripping.” “Great story!” “I look forward to reading more from this author.” ************************ In this sequel to “The Envelope” and “Guns And Rosa,” George Marima finally marries Rosa Manriquez. As they head off to George’s home country, Zimbabwe, on their honeymoon, both are excited. Rosa is thrilled to see Hank and Sheila Johnson, former teachers in her niece’s school and now missionaries in wild Africa. George reunites with family he hasn’t seen in over a decade. But despite her joy at having found a good man who wants her, and being able to see friends she thought she might never see again, Rosa carries a burden that she dare not share with her new husband for fear that the news will devastate him – and possibly their relationship. In the meantime, George’s nephew, Nashe, has grown disillusioned with the whole church scene. At sixteen, he is tired of the responsibility of being a pastor’s kid. When offered the chance to accompany the newlywed couple back to the village where Hank and Sheila serve, he jumps at it, hoping this will be his way out. But his plans are foiled when his new aunt shows up in the middle of the bush, having run from his Uncle George’s reaction to her not-so-little secret that will impact their marriage in a huge way. Now, Nashe must somehow protect both of them from the dangers of the African bush. The best thing to do, of course, would be return to the village. Unfortunately, both Nashe and Rosa are hopelessly lost – and Nashe is without a gun. A search party from the village, including George and Hank, goes out to find them. Their desperate task, to find Nashe and Rosa before any predators do, cause both men to shift their thinking about their respective wives and their relationships to them. In the meantime, Nashe discovers that his own priorities and attitudes are a little skewed. No one will escape from this adventure unchanged, facing hidden fears, injury, wrong beliefs and even death. NOTE: This piece of Christian fiction can stand on its own to a large extent. However, the reader will follow the characters with much greater ease having read the Christian novels that precede this one, Books One and Two in the Texas Hearts series. [FULL LENGTH NOVEL, about 240 pages.] *********** Emily Josephine has a passion to help others to draw closer to God by writing inspirational fiction that makes a difference. She fits in her writing between homeschooling her son and living the simple homesteading life with her husband. less