Book excerpt: If you are tired of romance novels with unrealistically “perfect” protagonists, then this story of love triumphing over self-doubt is for you… Callie St. Claire is from an abusive household and is overweight and self-doubting. But with a good heart, God, and prayer, she escapes the prison she knows as Indianapolis, Indiana and heads to the quaint, Hallmark-esque, bayfront town of Edenton, North Carolina in hopes of finding herself and her place in the world. When Callie arrives in Edenton and gets to know some of the locals, she finds everything she never knew she wanted or needed. Colt Andrews is a local Edenton rancher who has not fully come to terms with his father’s death, the sudden departure of his mother, and the loss of his girlfriend to another man. He takes solace in running Redemption Ranch, a place where horses and people alike can find redemption from whatever ills life had thrown their way. When Colt meets Callie, he finds everything he never knew he wanted or needed. Colt eventually offers Callie a job and a cabin at Redemption Ranch, where she quickly bonds with a horse named Warrior over their similar pasts of being abused by people who were supposed to love them. As Callie and Colt spend more time together, electricity sparks between them. But they both have past hurts that cause insurmountable insecurities. Can they move beyond this to mend their broken roads and live together in the love God has for them, or will they instead continue keeping each other at arm’s length? Find out here, in Book 1 of the Edenton Bay Romance Series.