The final book in Heidi Renee Mason’s romantic suspense trilogy, The Vows. This is not a stand-alone romance.
Can You “Feel” Your Roots?
Can you “feel” your roots? In ‘Til Death Do Us Part, the final book in THE VOWS trilogy, Liam and Emma O’Reilly visit Ireland, a country that has always had my heart. As they are preparing to land, Liam speaks of the first time he visited the country of his parents. He says that he felt a primal calling of the land of his ancestors. Is this something you’ve experienced?
In my case, the name “Heidi” is quintessentially German. I grew up in a German family. Both my paternal and maternal grandfathers have distinct German surnames. Our customs and cuisine were German. The only family history that anyone knew was “we came from Germany.” As fascinated as I have always been with cultures, I remember not feeling a connection to German things. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing at all wrong with Germany. It is a beautiful culture, but I felt no personal connection.
On the other hand, I can’t remember a time when I haven’t been infatuated with all things Celtic. The landscape, the languages, the folk tales, and the music speak to me in a way that few things do. I hear Celtic music, and I feel it in my soul. Although I couldn’t explain it, it was there. I always wondered why, but simply passed it off.
For my birthday a few years ago, my best friend gave me a DNA kit. I had been researching my family tree for a while, and had been finding a lot of what I had always been told of my German ancestors. I had found ancestors from other places too, but overall there were no surprises. I excitedly opened the DNA kit, filled the tube with my saliva, put it in the mailbox, and anxiously counted down the weeks for the results. I expected that seeing my test results and understanding that my DNA was German would be a fact I couldn’t deny.
The day the results arrived, I was quite surprised. While I did indeed have some German DNA, it was quite a small section of my overall reading. The majority of my results were from England, but a large portion was from Scotland, and Ireland. Finally, the Celtic connection made sense!
In researching my family tree, I have found a sense of pride in all of my ancestors. I gained a complete understanding of the genes that make up the whole “me.” It explained a lot. I realized that my love of Celtic cultures was certainly not random. I felt connected because I am connected. My heart and soul understood something long before I had any proof.
So what do you think? Can we “feel” our roots? Does the blood of our ancestors call to us if we will listen? I know in my case, that’s exactly what happened.
In my case, the name “Heidi” is quintessentially German. I grew up in a German family. Both my paternal and maternal grandfathers have distinct German surnames. Our customs and cuisine were German. The only family history that anyone knew was “we came from Germany.” As fascinated as I have always been with cultures, I remember not feeling a connection to German things. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing at all wrong with Germany. It is a beautiful culture, but I felt no personal connection.
On the other hand, I can’t remember a time when I haven’t been infatuated with all things Celtic. The landscape, the languages, the folk tales, and the music speak to me in a way that few things do. I hear Celtic music, and I feel it in my soul. Although I couldn’t explain it, it was there. I always wondered why, but simply passed it off.
For my birthday a few years ago, my best friend gave me a DNA kit. I had been researching my family tree for a while, and had been finding a lot of what I had always been told of my German ancestors. I had found ancestors from other places too, but overall there were no surprises. I excitedly opened the DNA kit, filled the tube with my saliva, put it in the mailbox, and anxiously counted down the weeks for the results. I expected that seeing my test results and understanding that my DNA was German would be a fact I couldn’t deny.
The day the results arrived, I was quite surprised. While I did indeed have some German DNA, it was quite a small section of my overall reading. The majority of my results were from England, but a large portion was from Scotland, and Ireland. Finally, the Celtic connection made sense!
In researching my family tree, I have found a sense of pride in all of my ancestors. I gained a complete understanding of the genes that make up the whole “me.” It explained a lot. I realized that my love of Celtic cultures was certainly not random. I felt connected because I am connected. My heart and soul understood something long before I had any proof.
So what do you think? Can we “feel” our roots? Does the blood of our ancestors call to us if we will listen? I know in my case, that’s exactly what happened.
She chanted over and over again that it was not happening to her. Told herself that none of it was real. Consoled her fragile mind with the assurance that she would wake up and find herself in her own bed, sleeping beside her husband.
Even as she said the words, she didn’t believe them.
Xavier pivoted Emma’s body, and she didn’t resist. She glanced up at his face. The distant look she’d seen in his eyes only a few minutes before was gone. At that moment, he was aware, and completely invested in what was happening. There was no question in Emma’s mind that Xavier knew exactly what he was doing to her.
Lust and greed snapped in his cold eyes, and the look on his face chilled her to the bone. She was completely at his mercy. Emma knew what was coming next, and there was nothing at all she could do to prevent it.
She clutched her bra tightly, but Xavier pried her fingers loose and snatched the garment from her trembling hands. Emma stood before him, completely naked and vulnerable.
“Please,” she sobbed, “I’m begging you, don’t do this to me. If you have any feelings at all, please take me home.”
It was her one last-ditch effort to appeal to any trace of his humanity.
Xavier’s locked eyes with her. “Home? My darling, Emma, you are home. Now let’s clean you up. Your hair reeks of vomit.”
He grabbed her arm and led her to the shower. Placing his hand under the stream, he checked the temperature before he forced her inside. Emma’s brain yelled for her to fight back, but she didn’t. There was no fire left. She’d escaped Xavier once already, and then she’d escaped Morgan. Both times she’d fought as hard as she could to get away.
This time, everything felt different. Nothing mattered. Xavier had won. Nothing she did would ever make him stop. She’d never be free of him.
Even as she said the words, she didn’t believe them.
Xavier pivoted Emma’s body, and she didn’t resist. She glanced up at his face. The distant look she’d seen in his eyes only a few minutes before was gone. At that moment, he was aware, and completely invested in what was happening. There was no question in Emma’s mind that Xavier knew exactly what he was doing to her.
Lust and greed snapped in his cold eyes, and the look on his face chilled her to the bone. She was completely at his mercy. Emma knew what was coming next, and there was nothing at all she could do to prevent it.
She clutched her bra tightly, but Xavier pried her fingers loose and snatched the garment from her trembling hands. Emma stood before him, completely naked and vulnerable.
“Please,” she sobbed, “I’m begging you, don’t do this to me. If you have any feelings at all, please take me home.”
It was her one last-ditch effort to appeal to any trace of his humanity.
Xavier’s locked eyes with her. “Home? My darling, Emma, you are home. Now let’s clean you up. Your hair reeks of vomit.”
He grabbed her arm and led her to the shower. Placing his hand under the stream, he checked the temperature before he forced her inside. Emma’s brain yelled for her to fight back, but she didn’t. There was no fire left. She’d escaped Xavier once already, and then she’d escaped Morgan. Both times she’d fought as hard as she could to get away.
This time, everything felt different. Nothing mattered. Xavier had won. Nothing she did would ever make him stop. She’d never be free of him.
 | After the death of her husband, single mom Emma McCoy has given up on love. When the mysterious Liam O’Reilly shows up in town, Emma does her best to keep her distance. What Emma doesn’t know is that Liam is connected to her past in a way that she could never imagine, and it will put her future in jeopardy. In the small town of Beckland, Ohio, danger is the last thing that Emma expects, but since Liam’s arrival, danger is waiting around every corner. Book 1 of 3 in Heidi Renee Mason’s romantic suspense trilogy, The Vows. This is not a stand-alone romance. |
 | Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Emma survived a madman's attack, and now she is ready to put the pieces of her life back together. After the horror she has endured, that is easier said than done. Just as she begins to feel in control once again, Fate steps in with a plan of its own. Emma must find the strength inside of herself to protect those she loves before everything is stolen by forces who wish to destroy her. |
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