**GIVEAWAY** Showcase Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone by Phaedra Patrick

Some of you might remember when I reviewed Phaedra's debut novel, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper. Well now she's back with her sophomore offering, Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone, which I can't wait to read. And it's one of the first releases by a new Harlequin/Harper Collins imprint Park Row Books.
Sit back and learn a bit about her new book, or go back HERE and read our interview about her debut, then be sure and enter to win a copy of her new book, details below.

ISBN-13: 9780778319993
Publisher: Park Row Books
Release Date: 05-16-17
Length: 368pp
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible

Overview:

Moonstone for empathy. Azurite for memories. Lapis lazuli for truth… In the quiet village of Noon Sun, Benedict Stone has settled into a complacent and predictable routine. Business at his jewelry shop has dried up; his marriage is on the rocks. His life is in desperate need of a jump start…

And then a surprise arrives at his door.

Gemma is Benedict's audacious teenage niece—the daughter of his estranged brother, Charlie. The two Stone brothers had a falling out and haven't spoken in almost two decades, since Charlie left for America. Reckless and stubborn, Gemma invites herself into Benedict's world and turns his orderly life upside down. But she might just be exactly what he needs to get his life back on track…

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Excerpt––

1.

WHITE OPAL

hope, desire, fidelity

AS BENEDICT STONE HUFFED HIS WAY TO WORK, the sweet smell of the cherry scones in Bake My Day made him forget for a moment that his wife, Estelle, had packed her purple suitcase and moved out of their home.

His mouth watered and he stopped, sniffed and needed something weighty in his stomach to help sugarcoat his sorrows. He curled his fingers into his palms and tried to resist, but it was like an ultrastrong magnet pulled him in­side the baker’s shop.

A fella like you needs more than just a slice of toast, a sausage roll, bought by a schoolboy, said.

You need something sweet, too, a chocolate cookie, on dis­play in the glass counter, chipped in.

Benedict tried his best to ignore them, but the lure of a succulent bacon sandwich and an oozy jam doughnut was too strong. He bought both and devoured them before he reached the front door of his shop, Stone Jewelry, just a few meters away.

When he unlocked the door, his stomach dropped as he glanced at the 25% Off Sale sticker he’d taped into his window three months ago.

He switched on the light and took off his jacket. Gray-aluminum-and-glass cabinets lined the walls of the two-man-deep and two-and-a-half-man-wide space. The walls were all painted dolphin gray, and the floor was gray, too. Benedict thought that the color scheme was calm and el­egant, though his assistant, Cecil, claimed it needed more vavoom.

A black door behind the counter led through to Bene­dict’s workshop. The small, square room housing his work­bench was his sanctuary. When he shut himself away in there, he could block out the outside world and almost con­vince himself that all was still fine with his wife.

He went inside and straightened up a file on his bench. He liked his tweezers, pliers, scissors and soldering iron laid out in lines like a surgeon’s instruments. If Cecil moved his mallet by as little as a centimeter, Benedict could tell. Even with few entries in his appointment book, he felt driven to work. He crafted silver bangle after silver bangle, which he stacked like miniature tires on the shelf.

Benedict slumped into his chair and placed his hands on his rounded stomach. He imagined the food dancing in there, laughing at him. Ha-ha. Benedict Stone is a big guy but he has no self-control.

Shaking his head with remorse, he picked up a brooch he’d been working on. He switched on his gooseneck lamp and his face reflected in the black shiny metal.

Stone was a good name for him. His hair was short, swept back and graphite gray, the same color as the stubble that peppered his upper lip and chin. Estelle said that he had a kind face, like when kids draw eyes and a smile into uncooked pastry. His hands were so large they looked as if they’d been inflated by a bicycle pump, but his fingers were surprisingly nimble when handling delicate silver findings.

Everything he wore was neutral, from his suit to his socks, except for his size 14 burgundy loafers. He’d or­dered them custom-made, online, but the company had sent the wrong shade.

I’m sure you can live with a bit of color in your life for once, Estelle had said with a sigh. Dark red shoes won’t kill you.

But each time Benedict wore them, he felt conspicu­ous. His width and height attracted attention, and now he sported berry-hued loafers.

As usual, Cecil arrived at the shop ten minutes late. He had a tropical dress sense, wearing a powder blue suit, with a peach shirt and an emerald green tie. His white hair was waxed into a small triangle that reminded Benedict of a budgerigar’s quiff. Cecil spent a lot of time with his two young nieces, so often spoke as if he was on social media.
Each day, he brought his cat, the fearsome Lord Puss, into work. A white Persian who thought he was superior to humans, Lord Puss sat on a purple velvet cushion on the counter, where he greeted customers with narrow lemon eyes and a flex of his claws.

Praise:

Publishers Weekly

03/20/2017
In her delightful second novel, Patrick once again imbues objects with magic. In her first book, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, bracelet charms transform a widower’s life. Here, gemstones—their singular qualities head every chapter—take on special meaning for jeweler Benedict Stone (yes, “Stone”). His bleak life—Estelle, his wife of nearly 10 years, is taking a “time out” from their marriage—is upturned when Gemma (yes, “Gemma”) the teenage daughter of his estranged brother, Charles, shows up from America on the doorstep of his home in Noon Sun, a small English village. Although instinct tells him Gemma may be running from something, Benedict allows her to stay and shows her something dear to him: his late father’s notebook about gems and their meanings, to which Gemma adds additional comments. It’s particularly poignant for Benedict to connect with his niece because his temporary separation from Estelle was provoked by their being unable to have children of their own. Gemma comes up with some ideas for him to win Estelle back (“WEB”) and, in the process, gets him on an exercise and better eating routine, helps renovate his tired store, rejuvenates his passion for work, and alters the lives of countless Noon Sun villagers. More importantly, a long-held secret is divulged, a feud ended, and the varied meanings of family explored. (May)

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Meet Phaedra:Phaedra Patrick studied art and marketing and has worked as a stained glass artist, film festival organizer and communications manager. She has won numerous prizes for her short stories, and now writes full time. She lives in the UK with her husband and son.

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