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Wishes, Lies, & Fireflies (A Sewing Circle Suspense) Cozy Mystery by Claire Yezbak Fadden ➱ Book Tour with Giveaway

 


 


A Sewing Circle Suspense 

Wishes, Lies, & Fireflies

A Sewing Circle Suspense Book 1

by Claire Yezbak Fadden

Genre: Cozy Mystery 



Addie Burhan never allowed the choice she made eighteen years ago to control her life. A goal not easily accomplished in 1940, when an unplanned pregnancy left women with few options. But after hearing gossip about her former boyfriend Barry Gallatin at the weekly Sewing Circle – codename for ladies’ poker night–Addie realizes everything she held sacred is about to be crushed.

Barry and his family have returned to her sleepy town in southwestern Pennsylvania. It’s bad enough that he broke her heart to marry her then-friend, Nora, but now Addie’s close-knit circle wants to welcome the two-faced woman back into their group.

Within weeks, her teenage son meets the Gallatins’ daughter. A romance blooms, swirling Addie into a panic. She can't let him fall in love with this girl. Her Lebanese upbringing and strong faith have kept her from revealing her past. And now that secret will destroy two families. But if she doesn’t tell the truth–those same lives will be shattered.


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Addie passed her a Lucky Strike. She clicked open the lid of her silver lighter and flicked the flint wheel. Sparks ignited the wick, and seconds later, Beth blew smoke out her mouth in a billowy puff. “Okay, let’s hear it.”

“Hear what?”

“Cut the crap. You’ve been dying to tell me everything wrong with Nora and why she’s not welcome.”

Addie lit her own cigarette, rolled down her window, and blew a puff of smoke into the atmosphere. “For God’s sake, Beth. You know what she did to me. What he did to me. How could you even consider being her friend again? After all these years.”

“Exactly, after all…these…years.” For as strong and smart as Addie had proven to be, Beth couldn’t understand how a high-school broken heart had ruined her little sister in small ways. Not that most folks would notice. Giant chunks of Addie’s soul had been ripped out and died somewhere during the summer of 1939. Only her stubborn streak survived.

“You’re my sister. That’s a bond that can’t be changed, broken, or diminished. I will always love you. I will always be here for you.”

Addie shook her head. “Yeah, I know. You love your family, but you choose your friends. Isn’t that what Nora always said?”

“Sure, she said that because she didn’t have a sister. Just a mess of brothers who never gave her the time of day until she married well.”

Addie huffed. “That she did.”

“You know I love you above anyone else, except my kids, of course.” Beth rested her case. “What?” she finally asked when no response came.

“I’m waiting for the but…”

“There is no but,” Beth said.

“Then why are we having this conversation?”

Beth didn’t answer.

“I’ll tell you why. Because you want to pick up where you left off eighteen years ago. I don’t…I can’t.”

“We’re different people now,” Beth pleaded. “This isn’t high school anymore. This is real life.”

“Real life. You want to know what’s real life? Having your heart squashed by the man you thought loved you and then finding out that he dumped you for your sister’s best friend.”

Addie tapped the ash off her cigarette, sending residue cascading into the darkening night. “I couldn’t even come crying to you.” She swallowed. “I turned to Ahren.” The words were whispered so quietly Beth could barely hear.

“Playing the heartbroken damsel was your choice. And now you want to blame Nora. Well, baby sister, that ship has sailed. Grow up. And move the hell on.”

Addie sucked on the end of her cigarette, filling her lungs before releasing a long, slow stream of smoke through her lips. “You are inviting her to join us?”

“Don’t know yet. Either way, this has nothing to do with Barry Gallatin breaking your heart during senior year. Who knows? Maybe she doesn’t want anything to do with me, you, or the ladies.”

“I doubt that,” Addie said. “But I can hope.”

“Hope what? That you’ll spend the rest of your days envying a life you chose not to live?” Beth tossed her extinguished cigarette butt out the window, turned the key, and the engine jumped to life. “Is that what you want? I hope not. You have a husband who adores you and a son who needs you. And frankly, all of us who love you deserve better than the meager effort you’ve shown lately.”

“You are so dramatic. How do you know what choices I made? This isn’t a movie where you get to make big, sweeping statements about my life.”

“That’s not fair—”

“Fair? You think this is about what’s fair?” Beth watched Addie’s eyes fire with rage. “You think you know me, but sister, you don’t. You haven’t known me. I think you never knew me at all.”

Beth turned from Addie, moved the gear shift into drive, and pulled away from the curb.

Maybe she didn’t know everything there was to know about her sister and that summer. The events after Addie’s graduation blurred together. Had she missed something? Something important. Something seminal in Addie’s life.

She could keep guessing or ask Addie to tell. But tonight wasn’t the time. She’d wait for the right moment. That much she did know.

Addie was as stubborn as a red wine stain on a white silk blouse. Unless you handled her carefully and used the right amount of coaxing, Addie wouldn’t budge.

Driving down the quiet street, Beth decided to be patient. With Nora back in town, the long-buried truth, the reason why Addie had never embraced her life, would surface.

And yes, whatever reality faced Addie, Beth would be there for her.

 




Pennsylvania-native Claire Yezbak Fadden lives in Orange County, California with her husband and two spoiled dogs. She spends her spare time playing with her four grandchildren and immersing herself in the words of other authors.


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Comments

  1. I hope your followers will enjoy meeting Addie and Beth and the rest of the Sewing Circle ladies. Thank you for featuring Wishes, Lies, & Fireflies featured on your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The excerpt sounds really good. I would enjoy reading this one.

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