At I Heart Lesfic, we believe the world could use a bit more kindness after one of the hardest and longest of years. Many authors have signed up to help IHL spread kindness in the world.

Today, the wonderful Carolyn Elizabeth is here to share a story. Also, Carolyn is giving away 1 ecopy of Zero Chill. Below the guest post, you’ll find more details about the giveaway.

Take it away, Carolyn.

Roadside Assistance

In 1999 I was in my mid-twenties, and through a series of terrible decisions, I lost my car, license, and job. It was a shitty job, but the only one I had. I took an even worse job for minimum wage, but which was closer to my apartment.

I caught the bus to work in the morning, but the bus schedule in the afternoon didn’t work for me for reasons I can’t recall. I walked or hitchhiked home. One day a car stopped and I found myself peering through the passenger window at a bald, goateed guy I recognized but didn’t know. His name was John and we both played with Seacoast Rugby Club and the men and women occasionally practiced together.

A mutual love of rugby pretty much immediately makes you family and while he gave me a lift home, I told him about my work situation and probably all sorts of other things about my misspent twenties.

It was the summertime and the club rugby 7’s schedule was in full swing. One Saturday afternoon we sat behind the try zone drinking beers, nursing our wounds, and watching the finals of a tournament we had long since been eliminated from. John came over and sat down with me and told me about his wife, Wendy. She worked for a young, fun, cutting-edge networking company and they were hiring. He handed me Wendy’s business card and encouraged me to call.

I started working for the company in August, making twice as much money as I had been and I received a raise, bonus, and promotion within six months. I worked for that company for two years and had some of the best times of my life.

I got laid off on my two-year anniversary—along with a lot of other folks—and a few years after that the company was bought out entirely. I had long since moved away and moved on as had John and Wendy and their family.

This photo is from my family vacation to Orlando four years ago. John and his family lived nearby and we met up in Cocoa Beach for an afternoon. It was the first time we’d seen each other in a very, very long time. He met my wife and gave my kids each a rugby ball from the team he coached, and Wendy joined us for lunch. I expect I will see them again when the GCLS conference rolls around to Orlando in 2024. I hope so.

John and I weren’t friends before that day on the road and I never would have known if he had just driven on by, but he chose to stop. I’m sure I would have managed some other way if he hadn’t ever given me Wendy’s business card, but he did and she hired me—and was a total boss boss. It was simply an act of kindness and the gift of their friendship.

GIVEAWAY

ZERO CHILL

by Carolyn Elizabeth

Corey Curtis and Thayer Reynolds are more than happy to put the days of their turbulent courtship behind them. With the holidays upon them, they’re looking forward to celebrating with friends and family, intimate moments alone, and festive surprises.

And in Corey’s world, nothing says Christmas quite like a frozen body. One that Corey must defrost in order to close out her next case. The discovery of the deceased’s possible connection to Thayer inflames the still healing wounds of their recent trauma and sends them both reeling back into a world of uncertainty and turmoil.

With her best friend in tow and the police not far behind, Corey ends up in the unlikeliest of places―a church. Along the way hate and violence erupt while corruption abounds. But from the ashes new relationships are kindled, and even the darkest moments are no match for Corey and Thayer’s love.

Zero Chill is the highly anticipated sequel to Dirt Nap and Gallows Humor.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Carolyn Elizabeth is a writer of Sapphic stories where serious camp meets upbeat macabre. Her sarcasm and love of pop culture are sprinkled throughout her stories and she would love to publish at least one novel in every subgenre.

Carolyn is a happily married mom of two sweet boys, living and working in London, Ontario. She enjoys weaving elements of her colorful and diverse life experiences, including her education in pathology, into her romantic blend fiction.

CONNECT WITH CAROLYN

ELIZABETH

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Thanks so much for stopping by today.