Song of Joy (True Love Novellas #5) - EBOOK PRE-RELEASE

NOW AVAILABLE - HERE ONLY - AS A PRE-RELEASE!

After eBook Order:

📧Check email for link & instructions from BookFunnel 

Downloadable on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Apple products and more....

➡️ Send to preferred reading device and enjoy! 

ABOUT THE BOOK 

Official Release: January 6, 2025

Can their love survive the racial hatred in his family?

Many waters cannot quench love... -Song of Solomon 8:7 💦

Joy Maxwell is carving out a different path in life as she embarks upon her senior year in college. After a terrible breakup with a man who led a secret life, she is determined to focus on her future by putting her love life on the back burner. That was until she met a handsome stranger who initially piqued her interest for the wrong reason.

Chase Carlington, a southern gentleman to his core, is mesmerized by Joy's striking beauty and fascinated by her intriguing personality. However, it is her unwavering faith in God that truly captivates him. Despite his attraction to the beautiful black woman, as a white man, Chase is plagued by the racially charged hatred that exists in his bloodline.

Will Joy and Chase have a chance at love, despite the evil vying to keep them apart?

Song of Joy is the fifth book in the True Love Novellas series. 

EXCERPT | Chapter One

“I can’t believe you did this.” Joy’s voice quivered through clenched teeth. “How could you do this to me?” She squinted as if trying to figure out who the man was standing in front of her. With trembling hands, her quiet composure quickly spiraled into fiery rage. “I’ve defended you to everybody!” She exploded on him, striking his chest with a powerful shove backwards. “After almost a whole year, this is how you repay me for all that I’ve done for you?”

Rico stumbled, but quickly regained his footing. “I never meant to get you involved. You’ve got to believe me.” He anxiously fidgeted with the keys in his right pocket.

“Believe you? Did you just say believe you?” She cautiously took a step toward him, her skin soaked with sweat. “I’ve believed you for months and look at where it’s gotten me.” Joy needled her finger into the crevice of his shoulder, irritating a recent injury.

Rico stepped back and put his hand over his shoulder, wincing in pain.

“I practically put everything on the line for you and this is what I get in return?” Her eyes welled with tears. “How dare you bring that stuff in my house!” Joy shouted. “I found traces of white powder in the bathroom and small baggies in the side drawer. Do you want me to get kicked out of school? Do you want the police busting down my door?”

Rico looked away from her as he snatched his black notebook from a nearby desk. He feverishly flipped through the pages before extending the book with symbol-marked pages in Joy’s direction.

“See for yourself,” he urged her. “When I tell you that your name is nowhere, I’m telling you the truth.” Rico revealed to her his use of burner phones and public WiFi spots for anonymity. “I don’t write anybody’s name down. When you loaned me that money, anybody can see that it was legit.”

Joy snatched the notebook away from him and squinted as she feverishly flipped through the pages. “Are you crazy? I didn’t sign up to date a drug dealer!” She sucked her teeth and slammed the notebook onto a nearby coffee table. “You borrowed money and have yet to pay me back! I trusted you...” Her anger inadvertently revealed her weakness.

“You can trust me, Joy.” He dared to brace his hands on her shoulders, trying to calm and reassure her. “I’m sorry that I got you mixed up in this, but I just needed the money to float me for a while. When I got pulled over for speeding and the cops saw all that cash on me, they confiscated it. You know I couldn’t show up for the court case. How could I explain having all that money on me? I counted that as a loss.” He sighed. “Look, I can make the money back, I just need a little time.”

Joy’s eyes shifted from his to the packed suitcase partially obscured behind a coat rack near the front door. “A little time, huh? For what, Rico?” She knocked his arms away as her chest heaved with anger. “To run back to Cali?”

Rico’s shoulders lowered as he avoided eye contact with her. Joy watched as he retreated to another part of the room and swept random notes from the corner desk into a waiting leather satchel. Only seconds ticked past before he stood at the threshold of the front door, gripping the handle of a suitcase at his side. His favorite brown school bag, the one now bulging from its contents, rested across his tall wiry body.

“My flight leaves in an hour and a half,” he said to her. “Call you later?”

Her eyes held questions that defied a response.

“Okay?” He insisted on an answer, walking closer to her.

Infuriated by his actions, Joy folded her arms and refused to respond. Rico leaned in and tried to kiss her on the cheek. She snapped her head in the opposite direction and scoffed.

With a slight nod he acknowledged her anger and edged away. As he turned, Rico inadvertently bumped into the weathered console table. When the narrow legs of the shelf shifted, he flinched as the ornamental glass filled with seashells and sand crashed to the floor. Joy stared as the sand poured onto the hardwood.

“I’m sorry, Joy.” He met her bitter glare. “I didn’t mean to do that.”

Joy ignored his apologies as she reached for the broken pieces of glass that bore a message and the engraved letters of their names: Rico and Joy, Always & Forever.

Before she could fully form the sentences in her mind to respond, he added, “I have to go. I can’t miss my flight.” Rico hurriedly grabbed the notebook she had discarded only moments before with one hand and the handle to his suitcase with the other.

“Don’t come back.” Joy smeared tears from her cheeks as she watched him open the front door. “I don’t ever want to see you again.” She swallowed hard and gritted her teeth. “I mean it. Either you fix this now or walk out that door forever.”

“Joy, I am going to fix this,” he pleaded. “I’m going to get everything back to you. You know me. I’m good for it.”

Joy held up a hand to silence him. “I’m tired of the games, Rico. Fix this now or I’m done.” It was her last attempt to recoup what she had foolishly given to him. To keep her parents out of her business, Joy was hesitant to dip into her joint account with them that was slated as an emergency fund to cover her losses.

Rico sighed and watched as headlights from his rideshare pulled into the driveway of Joy's townhome. After an awkward balancing act while shuffling out the door, he briefly met her gaze and without hesitation disappeared into the night.