Contemporary Romance, Romantic Drama, Women’s Fiction
Date Published: 11-21-2025
determined to jumpstart her career in the safety of a Minnesota wilderness,
feisty and wary of entanglements, she piques the interest of a bored Native
American rock star.
A pandemic is spreading across the globe. A national lockdown looms in the
United States. A Southern journalist sees a chance to protect her health and
jumpstart her career by escaping north to a Minnesota wilderness. Feisty and
wary of entanglement, she piques the interest of a bored Native American rock
star on his way home.
Robby Song’s career may be on hold, but Grace Wheeler is on a mission to
build hers. To Robby, she’s an intriguing challenge. To Grace,
he’s a distraction she’s not ready to handle. But the brutal
Northwoods winter is coming. Grace flees back south . . . to soul-searching
isolation and a puzzling middle-of-the-night call.
Excerpt
“Interesting.” He looked out at the lake. “This is so different.”
“Different from what?”
“What I’m used to . . . when I come home. I’m not used to having conversations anymore with people I don’t know or who don’t know who I am. I’ve been away for sixteen years . . . living a totally different life. Normally, when I’m here, I have a sort of agenda. I know who I’m going to see — family and old friends. This time, I have no schedule, no pending dates, nothing to make me leave. I hadn’t realized I’ve been so isolated from dealing with people . . . with strangers . . . like you.” He leaned forward to get up and looked over at Grace. “And the women I’m around don’t treat me like you do. They’re much more agreeable.” He stood up. “I need food. You want to come or not?”
Grace looked up at him, pulling her hair back away from her face with her right hand. “I can imagine how the women you meet act, now that I know who you are. You’ve been living in a bubble, but who you are doesn’t mean a thing to me. And if you think I’m disagreeable, you’re in for a bad time if this pandemic lasts. In the real world, women have lives, and they’re not all focused on stroking . . . male . . . egos.” She stood up. “Not every woman is interested in being your groupie. The world has changed while you’ve been in your bubble.”
“Well, if you’re any indication, I should invest in a suit of armor.”
“Probably not a bad idea.”
horses, but brain cancer changed her life. Surgeries and treatments have left
her with a new brain, one that does not have skills to teach middle school
English or balance to ride horses . . . but loves to create stories.
Jan lives on the coast of South Carolina with strong ties to northern
Minnesota. Growing up was filled with rich but conflicting narratives. Her dad
told stories about his pioneering Minnesota family, egalitarian values, and
the importance of self-reliance. They made annual trips to family cabins on a
lake north of Duluth. But in her friends’ homes back in Charleston, she
was immersed in plantation lore, tales of the Confederacy, and exclusive
traditions of a social set that she was not born into. She is married to a
musician who is also a mental health therapist. They have three children.
https://mybook.to/STRINGSJanMerritt
