The Hand That Holds Mine

By Jennifer Loren

Adeline Beal, is a successful author who aspires to make all of her dreams come true. But when cancer takes hold of her and gives her little time left, she becomes determined to leave behind her best novel yet. But when she faces writers block and a money hungry husband, her past characters come alive to help her battle through her toughest moments and give her inspiration for a whole new world and a new love. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jennifer Loren
• Release date: Jul 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9780985702915

Jennifer Loren

Jennifer Loren graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a Fine Arts Degree, specializing in Architecture and Design. She currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her German shepherd, Nick. In addition to the vastly popular, top mafia romance and bestselling series, The Devil’s Eyes, Ms. Loren has successfully published bestselling romantic suspense novel Finding Ava and its sequel Reckless and the bestselling short story, The Hand That Holds Mine. Her mafia series, The Laws of Kings, and its sequel Dethroning the King along with standalone novel Undercover – Secrets & Lies have also been released with great reviews. Her writing genre is considered dark, romantic suspense, and mafia romance. Her books tend to have a lot of humor, which is why she is currently branching out into comedic books and children's books. Her first children's book, the award-winning The Awkward Puppy has been highly rated and loved by children and adults.  @JenniferLorenDE https://www.jenniferloren.com https://www.facebook.com/JenniferLoren.Author http://www.youtube.com/user/LorenJennifer Books By Jennifer Loren The Finding Ava Series Finding Ava Reckless The Long Road The Devil’s Eyes Series The Devil’s Eyes The Devil’s Revenge The Devil’s Son The Devil’s Masquerade: The Poison The Devil’s Masquerade: The Remedy The New Devil in Charge The Devil Forgotten Fate Escape The Laws of Kings Series The Laws of Kings Dethroning the King Undercover Undercover: Secrets & Lies Short Story The Hand That Holds Mine

Book preview

Overcome

The sun rises bright and beautiful as if it feels no pain.

It must not see, it must not hear, it can’t possibly or it would not be able to overcome so defiantly.

My bed creaks and whines when I leave it behind.

I don’t know why it tries so hard to hold onto me but yet I continue to try and overcome.

I put on my shirt, my pants that fit me, find my socks and glue my heel back to my boot.

My gloves are lost, my coat is torn but my scarf still keeps me warm and so I continue to try and overcome.

Work has no pride, no place for me but I have no other place to be.

My broken dreams continue to rise, my hopes continue to fade but still I try to overcome.

A broken window and a gas tank on E, it’s not Friday so I have to walk each day for at least another three.

And so I walk while the world cries and pleas and tries to swallow me but still I continue and try to overcome.

My lock on my door only turns halfway, but I don’t have anything to steal anyway.

My fridge is bare but my cabinet still holds three so I continue to try and overcome.

The news haunts me, the weather threatens to rain down on me but another day has gone by.

And I have overcome, I have overcome ... I have overcome - the sun has nothing on me.

Prologue

~ Adeline ~

How many blows from life’s fists can one person take before they stop believing?  

My name is Adeline Beal, I was born with next to nothing but aspired for everything. The world around me has always moved quickly, and with a darkness that hovers over me like a never-ending storm. My life was set to be like my mother’s, working day and night, caring for children she couldn’t afford and taking care of a dying husband until she had nothing left of herself. She had strength like no one woman could but still ... the world beat her down. The world took my parents from me and sent my brothers and sisters to places I could never find. The world has a way of taking more from you than it is ever willing to give. When you are born, no one promises fairness or even hope. The only thing you are given is a life and it is up to you to make the best of it but I wanted to do more than simply - make the best of it. I have never spent a moment not dreaming, not believing in another place, another world, a better world. I refused to believe that this was going to be my life, that - struggle, and heartache, were going to be the only life I know.

With what I had learned from my own life experiences and my imagination, I escaped to write my first book - in the backroom of a sandwich shop. My manager was kind enough to allow me breaks long enough to get a chapter a day done. The man I married called it a waste of time, a foolish hobby, an annoyance that he was sick of hearing about. Books and writing, all fantasies that have no place in real life and no security for what he wanted. Two years after I finished my first book it was published, and six years later, I completed my best-selling series and made enough money to live a life I had always dreamed of. I could finally buy a home, have children, and a dog to sleep at my feet as I write. A chance to travel to places I had only seen in pictures. My road was becoming brighter and brighter and I felt as if I could almost touch that beaming light at the end of my jagged road. That I could reach out and it would warm my hand and instantly set me free from my past.

In every book I read as a child, it always ended with, And they lived, Happily Ever After. Happily ever after?