A warm welcome to author T.A Chase joining us today @ Love Bytes 🙂
Hello! I’m T.A. Chase and I’m here to chat about my newest release, A Coal Miner’s Son. It’s available at Dreamspinner right now. J I hope you go check it out.
It’s kind of an enemies-to-lovers story, plus rich guy/poor guy sort of plot. Lol But I featured West Virginia and the coal mining towns as well. I wanted to show how close knit they are. Willing to help each other out, even though none of them really have much to begin with.
I thought I’d share an exclusive excerpt with you. Hope you enjoy it.
A Coal Miner’s Son
TA Chase
Copyright 2017
Publisher: Dreamspinner
Blurb:
James Callahan is the only son of Nicholas Callahan, owner of the Willow Hollow mine in West Virginia—but he’s never considered himself any better than the miners. He’s best friends with Owain Rees, one of the miners’ kids, and he’s been attracted to Cai, Owain’s older brother, for years. James gets the feeling he might not be the only one sensing the tension between them, but Cai avoids him religiously.
Cai has been working the mine since he was sixteen. He acknowledges James is cute, but he’s grown up privileged while Cai’s family has always been working class, and Cai fears that chasm is too wide to cross. When family drama pushes them together, will Cai and James see they’re more alike than they realized?
Take a leap of faith as two men from different worlds, employer and employee, rich and poor, discover that love transcends social barriers.
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He liked driving through the countryside. The sound of the wheels burring over the asphalt soothed his nerves as it created a low background hum to the music playing on his iPod. James stopped one last time when he pulled off the highway to head toward the two-lane roads. He topped off his gas tank, then sent another short text to Owain. He had one of the sandwiches Betty had packed while parked off to the side, out of the way of the traffic.
The ringtone he’d chosen for Owain sang out and James grinned as he answered. “Hey man, I’m having a snack and will be back on the road in a few.”
“Cool. Don’t forget to stop and pick up some beer. Oh, and can you get some groceries for Ma?”
“Sure. Send me the list and I’ll grab them.” There was a Walmart just down the street from where he’d parked. He could get what he needed there. “I got the beer while I was in Charleston.”
Owain snorted. “Thanks, Jim. Pay you back when you get here.”
James shook his head, even though Owain couldn’t see him. “No, you won’t. At some point, your mom’s going to ask me for dinner and the least I can do is pay for the food that’s feeding me. Plus I know things have been a little tight for you all lately, having to pay for Bronwen’s schooling.”
“That’s the truth. The whole town’s a little strapped this month.” Owain chuckled. “One more year and Willow Hollow will have its very own doctor.”
It had been a community effort. When Owain’s youngest sister, Bronwen, said she wanted to be a doctor—at the tender age of twelve—the entire town took her at her word. Bronwen had been a smart child and had grown into one of the most intelligent people James had ever met. He’d managed to talk his father into sponsoring her at a boarding school where she’d get the best opportunities to reach her goals, and there she’d been nominated for a scholarship to a university. However, she’d still needed money for rent and food, and so her hometown had banded together and sent her what she needed. In return, Bronwen had promised that as soon as she got her license, she’d return to her hometown and set up her own practice.
Willow Hollow was a poor Appalachian town. Being a mining town didn’t make that much of a difference. It was rare for children to finish high school, so Bronwen was unique. There wasn’t anywhere else for the people to work. The men went to the mines and the women took care of the children. They had a one-room schoolhouse and Callahan Mining Corporation paid for two teachers to work there. Just another thing James had fought for, along with electricity and phone lines for the entire town, not just the mine buildings.
“Is your mom the only one who needs groceries?” He didn’t have a problem buying supplies for anyone in the Hollow.
Owain cleared his throat. “Yeah.”
James stuffed his trash in a bag, then climbed out of the truck to throw it away. “Send me a list for everything, Owain. I’ll buy it all and bring it with me. I’ve got my truck, so room isn’t an issue.”
“Folks aren’t going to be happy, knowing you bought them food,” Owain informed him. “They’re proud people around here.”
“Then don’t tell them I bought it. Just say I was delivering the stuff because I was coming this way.”
Owain laughed. “No one’s going to believe that.”
James shrugged. “Doesn’t matter whether they believe you or not. It’ll help them save face. It’s not like I’m going to brag about it. I’m not my father.”
“I know, Jim, but you’re still the boss’s son, and it’s hard for them to trust you, even after all these years.” Owain hummed under his breath, then said, “I got your place open and aired out. Ma washed the sheets and shit. Just make sure you have food yourself.”
“Thank your mom for me. Now don’t forget to send me the list of groceries and things. I’ll text you when I’m done packing the truck and heading to the Hollow.” James got back in the truck to head to Walmart.
“Be safe and I’ll see you later.” Owain ended the call.
A few minutes later, James’s phone vibrated twice and there were two lists of items needed. He read them, then drove to the store. He’d buy everything on the lists and whatever else he could think of.
Thanks for having me today and I hope the excerpt sparked some interest. J
Author Bio:
T.A. Chase lives in the Midwest with her neurotic but still wonderful senior cat. She believes there is beauty in every kind of love, so why not live a life without boundaries? Experiencing everything the world offers fascinates T.A., and writing about the things that make each of us unique is how she shares those insights. When not writing, she’s watching movies and reading. She’s also a part of a line-dancing group that takes over a bar on Tuesday nights and entertains at assisted living homes. It’s all about living life to the fullest.
She loves hearing from fans. But don’t be too upset if she doesn’t get back to you right away. Life has a way of making her lose track of days and hours. Don’t worry, though. You will hear back at some point.
Social Media:
Twitter: @TaChase