When Cardinals Appear by Katie Eagan Schenck ~ Book Tour and Giveaway

She has a promise to keep. But when her plans are thrown into a tailspin, will a persistent red bird show her how to let her dreams take flight?

When Cardinals Appear

The Love Birds Book 1

by Katie Eagan Schenck

Genre: Women’s Romance Fiction

She has a promise to keep. But when her plans are thrown into a tailspin, will a persistent red bird show her how to let her dreams take flight?

Lanie McAllister is ready to move on. Wrestling with her mom’s death, the young woman just wants to settle the estate and soar off for good to her boyfriend in California—far away from painful memories. But she suspects the lucky cardinal she keeps seeing is trying to send a message when a flat tire puts her back in the path of the man who broke her heart.

With fate constantly throwing the man her mother always hated in her way, Lanie can’t seem to shake the wounds of the past. And when her current love makes a serious misstep and she discovers her ex harbors a secret, she starts to rethink what will make her truly happy.

Questioning her vow to her mother to never look back, is the cardinal a clue Lanie’s true happiness is hiding in plain sight?

When Cardinals Appear is the emotional first book in The Love Birds women’s romantic fiction series. If you like heroines who grow, overcoming loss, and second chances, then you’ll adore Katie Eagan Schenck’s bittersweet tale.

Buy When Cardinals Appear to read the signs today!

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“I can’t believe you still have this car,” I finally said as I strolled over to him.

“She’s in mint condition,” Nate confirmed, a hint of pride in his voice.

I grinned as I climbed in and set my bags on the floor, feeling like I was stepping back in time. I recalled many evenings with Nate, cruising down back roads and stopping to take in the sunset over the water. It made me wish for a simpler time, before a broken heart and Mom’s death completely altered my life.

He slid in, a warm smile pulling on his lips. He had always loved that car, and the change in his mood was palpable. We pulled out onto the road, and I relished the vibration of the rumbling engine as he switched gears. Something about that moment felt more like coming home than anything I’d experienced since my plane landed.

Within a few minutes, we pulled up in front of an unfamiliar building with a sign outside that said McAllister and Associates. What? We’d already arrived? I bit my lip and tried to get control of myself. Get a grip, Lanie. The man was giving me a ride, not taking me on a date. I pulled the bag into my lap.

“Well, thanks for the ride.” I turned toward Nate with a forced smile. “And the rescue.”

“No problem.” He nodded toward the bag. “What’s all that?”

“My mother’s life, essentially.” I opened the bag and gestured to one pile. “This is to put her house on the market. The rest is her will and other related documents.”

“How long will you be in town?”

“Not long, I hope!” I met his gaze and realized a moment too late I’d suffered from foot-in-mouth syndrome for the second time that morning. The warmth he’d had moments ago disappeared in an instant.

“I hope it all works out for you,” he said, his voice hard and cold.

“Nate, I didn’t mean—”

“I’ll call you when the car is ready.” He stared at the road, and I took that as my dismissal.

“Thanks.” I snuck one last glance at him, but he refused to look at me. As soon as I climbed out and closed the door, he merged onto the highway, leaving me alone on the sidewalk.

“Welcome home, Lanie,” I whispered to myself.

Katie Eagan Schenck writes sweet romance and women’s fiction that warms the heart and gives all the feels. She has an MFA in creative writing from Queens University of Charlotte and her debut novel, A Home for Christmas, was released in October of 2022. When she’s not writing she’s either drafting regulations for the federal government, baking delicious treats, or binging Hallmark movies. She lives in Maryland with her husband, daughter, and their three cats.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

          The Love Birds series is currently a planned trilogy. Initially, I had planned to write When Cardinals Appear as a standalone, but then I received a really sweet rejection from an agent that noted how the story spanned multiple genres, specifically romance, women’s fiction, and family saga. The last genre caught my attention, and I thought: why not continue the saga? After all, Lanie’s brother, Steven, is engaged in the first book and her father, Max, has been a bachelor for a while. Why not give them their own stories?

          Book two is called When Swans Dance. It’ll pick up in the summer after the first book ends where Steven and his fiancée, Rose, are planning their wedding. Steven suffers a health event that changes the trajectory of their lives. The book was inspired by a YouTube video where a swan was reunited with its mate after being ill and the two performed an elaborate dance. Like Cardinals, Swans will feature a subplot about the signature bird.

          For the final book in the series, I plan to write it as more of a traditional romance. Max, will get a second chance at love, and we’ll get to see whether he rises to the occasion or squanders the opportunity. Readers will get updates on what’s going on with Lanie and Steven in the background while their father takes center stage. The current working title is When Doves Lament and was inspired by the song “Lonesome Dove” by Trisha Yearwood.

          I chose the series title to focus on the romantic aspects of each story as the species of birds mentioned in each title, for the most part, mate for life.

Sep 19
kickoff at Silver Dagger Book Tours
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