When Swans Dance a Contemporary Romance by Katie Eagan Schenck ➱ Book Tour with Guest Post and giveaway
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A new business. The wedding of the year. But when a health scare jeopardizes their plans, can Steven and Rose learn to dance or will this be their swan song?
When Swans Dance
The Love Birds Book 2
by Katie Eagan Schenck
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary Romance
A new business. The wedding of the year. But when a health scare jeopardizes their plans, can Steven and Rose learn to dance or will this be their swan song?
Fresh off the closing of his late mother's estate, Steven is ready to start the next chapter of his life—marrying Rose. Though he struggles to find that ever elusive work/life balance, he's optimistic about the future of his new law practice.
One double shift too many makes Rose an unhappy nurse, but all that overtime will not only help fund her upcoming nuptials, it might earn her the coveted head nurse position as well.
But when Steven suffers a health emergency, suddenly all of their plans—and finances—are thrown into a tailspin. Postponing the wedding makes the most sense, but Steven won't hear of it. Rose fears if he doesn't slow down, he'll make her a widow before she ever becomes a wife. As questions arise over whether they'll ever take that walk down the aisle, can a pair of swans help them find their way back to each other?
When Swans Dance continues the emotional saga of The Love Birds women’s romantic fiction series. If you like spunky heroines, tenacious heroes, and stories of rekindled love then you’ll adore Katie Eagan Schenck’s bittersweet tale.
Buy When Swans Dance to learn the steps today!
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When Cardinals Appear
The Love Birds Book 1
She has a promise to keep. But when her plans are thrown into a tailspin, will a persistent red bird show her how to let her dreams take flight?
Lanie McAllister is ready to move on. Wrestling with her mom’s death, the young woman just wants to settle the estate and soar off for good to her boyfriend in California—far away from painful memories. But she suspects the lucky cardinal she keeps seeing is trying to send a message when a flat tire puts her back in the path of the man who broke her heart.
With fate constantly throwing the man her mother always hated in her way, Lanie can’t seem to shake the wounds of the past. And when her current love makes a serious misstep and she discovers her ex harbors a secret, she starts to rethink what will make her truly happy.
Questioning her vow to her mother to never look back, is the cardinal a clue Lanie’s true happiness is hiding in plain sight?
When Cardinals Appear is the emotional first book in The Love Birds women’s romantic fiction series. If you like heroines who grow, overcoming loss, and second chances, then you’ll adore Katie Eagan Schenck’s bittersweet tale.
Buy When Cardinals Appear to read the signs today!
**Only .99cents!**
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When Swans Dance Excerpt
“There’s something I want to show
you,” she said.
“Are we going swimming?” Steven
joked as they neared the water’s edge.
Once they reached the fence, Rose
locked the wheelchair’s brakes before stepping around to kneel beside Steven.
She searched the pond for her favorite birds.
“Look,” she said when she spotted
them. “Those are our resident swans.”
Steven followed her finger and
smiled. “They’re quite beautiful.”
“Aren’t they, though?”
The swans glided through the
water, seemingly without a care in the world. Rose couldn’t help envying them.
How simple their lives must be in comparison to hers. Find a mate, raise a
brood of cygnets, and live in such a peaceful place.
“Did you know there’s an ancient
belief that swans sing before they die?” Steven asked.
Rose frowned. “Really? Why?”
He shrugged. “No idea, but that’s
where the term ‘swan’s song’ comes from. The idea is they’re mute most of their
lives, but right before they die, they sing a sweet, mournful song.”
That didn’t sound right to her.
“They aren’t mute. I can hear them grunting from here.”
“I’m sure it’s just some old
folklore,” Steven said with a laugh.
Like Lanie’s cardinal. A
smile tugged at her lips. She liked having her own legend, especially since she
could share it with Steven.
“Did you know swans have their own
mating dance?” Rose asked, remembering the man she had seen fishing the last
time she was at the pond.
“Most animals do.” Steven winked
at her. “But I’d rather not sit around waiting to see if they start going at
it.”
A laugh bubbled up in her throat.
“Too true. We should get back anyway. I need to start dinner if we want to eat
before midnight.”
He took her hand and kissed her
knuckles. “I wouldn’t mind if it meant I got to spend more time with you.”
Her heart melted. She missed
moments like that. Sometimes she worried they got too caught up in the
day-to-day of life and didn’t take time to really enjoy each other’s company.
With the accident, there had been even less opportunity.
Impulsively, she leaned forward
and cupped his cheek before pressing her lips softly against his. He wrapped
his arms around her waist and tugged her into his lap, almost tipping over his
chair in the process.
Her laughter echoed off the
buildings, and she kissed him once more before standing and brushing off her
clothes. “Come on. Let’s go home.”
Ping. I
glanced down, and my stomach dropped.
Hey, Nate here. I need to drop off my
contribution as well. Happy to pick you up on the way, Lanie.
I set my phone down and grabbed the mug,
gulping down the scalding liquid and instantly regretting it. My throat burned,
and for a moment, I thought I might be sick. But I yanked a chair out and slid
into it, laying my head on my hands. The nausea passed, and I took another
tentative sip of coffee. Still too hot, but the warmth and caffeine helped to
wake up my brain.
What should I do? On the one hand, I needed a
ride, and Nate’s offer was more than gracious, though I suspected he felt
obligated since my car was still in his shop.
On the other hand, my attempts to avoid Nate
had so far been unsuccessful, and agreeing to a ride would be the equivalent of
admitting defeat. How many more awkward conversations could one person be
expected to survive?
I weighed my options. Rose and Steven were
both off that day. However, they were planning to visit a caterer for a
tasting. While they could likely drop me off on their way, I would be stuck at
the school until they were finished, giving the universe ample opportunity to
throw Nate in my face again. Perhaps it would be better to accept my fate and
meet him willingly. Then I would avoid any surprises like the other day at
lunch.
Torn over what to do, I picked up my coffee
and stepped to the window. My eyes swept over the backyard, taking in the
shortening shadows as the sun rose in the sky. A familiar flash of red caught my
attention, and I leaned toward the glass. The little cardinal was back, perched
on the railing and staring right at me.
“Am I crazy to see him again?” I asked. The
bird flitted closer and settled on a branch right outside the window. I’d never
seen a cardinal so close before. The distinctive black dots resembling freckles
were clear near its beak, confirming it was the same cardinal I’d seen before.
“It feels like a bad idea,” I continued as
the little bird flitted closer to the window.
“Maybe I should say no and take my chances
with Steven and Rose.” The bird cocked its head and chirped. Was it my
imagination, or was there a hint of disapproval in the bird’s song? Shaking
my head, I tried to snap out of it, but something about the tilt of the bird’s
head and the way it fluffed its wings was eerily reminiscent of a look Mom used
to give me.
Before I could process the resemblance, the
bird flew away, and I was left disquieted. I ran a hand over my face. Great, I
was talking to birds. Was I going crazy? I returned to the table and drained
the last of my coffee. The weird resemblance between the cardinal and Mom meant
nothing. My confusion over Nate was causing me to wish my mom was there. That
was all. With that justification, I rinsed out the mug in the sink.
As I picked up my phone, Nate’s message
stared at me, waiting, mocking. With a sigh, I typed a message back, hoping I
wouldn’t live to regret it.
Sounds good. Thanks, Nate.
What inspired you to write this book?
After I wrote When Cardinals
Appear, I realized I wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to the characters.
I’d also received a kind rejection letter from an agent that made me realize I
had written a book that was so much than a romance. Between Cardinals’
elements of women’s fiction and family saga, I wondered what other stories I
could tell about the McAllisters.
Then I remembered a video I had seen
a while ago of two swans who had been separated when one of them took ill. When
they were reunited weeks later, they shared a sweet dance together. I later
learned that this is considered their mating dance, but it’s also used to
strengthen their bond. The Love Birds trilogy is inspired by different bird
species that mate for life, and I already had my eye on swans as one of the
birds I would use in my stories.
Since the swans in the video were
already a matched pair, I thought they would be perfect to represent Steven and
Rose. At the end of When Cardinals Appear, Lanie’s brother, Steven, is
on the precipice of marrying Rose. Weddings almost never go as smoothly as we
would like, but I imagined there might be more to this particular wedding
story.
Steven was pretty well established
as a workaholic in the first book, and with his new law firm, it’s not hard to
imagine how stressed out he is. So, I began to ask “what if” questions. What if
Steven’s focus on his business causes him to neglect his health? What if his
workaholic tendencies are already putting a strain on his relationship with
Rose? And what if that strain becomes exacerbated after Steven has an accident?
As with When Cardinals Appear,
I wanted to incorporate the bird in the title into the story; however, the
swans serve a different purpose in When Swans Dance than the cardinal
did in the first book. Here, the swans are meant to parallel Steven and Rose’s
relationship. The familiar themes of family, second chances, and love are
explored here, but there’s a deeper dive into the true meaning of commitment
that I hope resonates with readers.
Katie Eagan Schenck writes sweet romance and women’s fiction that warms the heart and gives all the feels. She has an MFA in creative writing from Queens University of Charlotte and her debut novel, A Home for Christmas, was released in October of 2022. When she's not writing she's either drafting regulations for the federal government, baking delicious treats, or binging Hallmark movies. She lives in Maryland with her husband, daughter, and their three cats.
The cover is beautiful. The story sounds really good.
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