Blue Moon
Praise for
Blue Moon
“Romance, a lost treasure, and all the charm of Mexico rolled into one intriguing novel. Stories like this come along once in a
Blue Moon
. . .”
âDiann Hunt, author of
Hot Flashes & Cold Cream
“Mix a little adventure, a little intrigue, and a lot of romance and you've got the recipe for Linda Windsor's
Blue Moon
.”
âDenise Hunter, author of
Finding Faith
“
Blue Moon
is a rollickingly fun read, complete with a devilishly handsome captain, a search for a sunken ship, and a romance set in the salt-laden air of Mexican waters.”
âColleen Coble, author of
Alaska Twilight
“Linda Windsor's touch with romantic comedy is light and lovely. Enjoy the fun!”
âGayle Roper, author of
Allah's Fire
“
Blue Moon
shines brightly with fine writing, quirky characters, a fascinating setting, and an exciting plot that will keep you reading long after the sun comes up!”
âKathryn Mackel, author of
Outriders
“Windsor's writing reaches new heights, plunging us into the depths of
Blue Moon
's pages to uncover a story that is the true treasure.”
âLinda Mae Baldwin, roadtoromance.ca
“
Blue Moon
has it allâexotic setting, high adventure, sassy romance, and hilarity, all woven together with a strong thread of faith.”
âDeborah Raney, author of
Over the Waters
and
A Nest of Sparrows
“Some things happen once in a
Blue Moon
, but readers are always guaranteed a gripping yet gentle story every time they pick up a Linda Windsor novel.”
âLoree Lough, author
“Familiar readers who love and expect Windsor's witty way with words will find a treasure trove of their own, with humor coming much more often than once in a blue moon.”
âMargo Carmichael, reviewer
“If you've never taken that longed-for vacation to the sun, sands, and ships of the Mexican coast, fear not: just pick up
Blue Moon
and you'll be there.”
âJane Kirkpatrick, award-winning author of
All Together in One Place
“Engaging, intriguing and inspiring,
Blue Moon
is a treasure in its own right.”
âVickie McDonough, author and book reviewer for the American Christian Fiction Writers newsletter
“
Blue Moon
is a rare treat. A book with an adventure, characters rich in texture, both flawed and gifted, and a Christian message that is subtle, sophisticated, and right on target.”
âLinda Lea Castle, best-selling author
“A romantic suspense, this book contains enough technical details to take readers into watery depths digging for the sunken treasure themselves.”
âLena Nelson Dooley, award-winning author of
Pirate's Prize
and
Never Say Never
“A romantic romp that gives
Romancing the Stone
major competition.”
âLinda Wichman, author of
Legend of the Emerald Rose
“This story will make you long for moonlit nights and mariachi bands!”
âVennessaNg, Assistant Editor, Focus on Fiction Magazine
“
Blue Moon
is Linda Windsor at her best-an exotic location, a strong heroine and a swashbuckling hero.”
âLyn Cote, author of the Women of Ivy Manor series
“
Blue Moon
is a gift of joy and of hope.”
âJanelle Clare Schneider, author
“Once again Linda Windsor has struck gold . . . there couldn't have been a better conclusion to the trilogy.”
âAmber Miller, Webmaster, American Christian Fiction Writers
“A fun and exciting read-it's good to know Linda Windsor won't let you down.”
âJennifer Lynn Cary, contributing author to
God Answers Moms' Prayers
“For an entertaining read, one can not do better than
Blue Moon
.”
âMarjorie Vawter, freelance editor
BLUE MOON
LINDA WINDSOR
Copyright © 2006 by Linda Windsor
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansâelectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherâexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by WestBow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc.
WestBow Press books may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].
Scripture quotations are from The King James Version of the Bible.
Publisher's Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Windsor, Linda.
Blue moon / Linda Windsor.
p. cm. â(Moonstruck series ; 3)
ISBN 0-7852-6064-1 (pbk.)
I. Title.
PS3573.I519B58 2006
813'.54âdc22
2005028607
Printed in the United States of America
06 07 08 09 10 RRD 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
To Jim, my beloved husband, for a
lifetime of support and the closest thing
to unconditional love this side of heaven.
Until we meet again, the words “thank you”
will have to suffice.
CONTENTS
The fragrance of evergreen and holiday baking filled the air as the Madison family gathered around the table for the traditional Christmas dinner. Dr. Jeanne Madison sat between her brother Mark and mother, Neta, at one end of the table as Blaine, the eldest of the Madison siblings, bowed his head to ask the blessing at the other.
“Heads up, everyone,” he said, taking his wife, Caroline's, hand on his right and their adopted son, Berto's, on his left. At his signal, the rest of the gang linked hands.
“Heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day . . .” Blaine began.
As her brother prayed, Jeanne's heart filled with thanksgiving that she was united with those at the table not only by blood, but by the spirit flowing in and among them. Joy bubbled in her heart, finding voice in her fervent “Amen” at the end of Blaine's prayer. She loved Christmas, she loved her family, and she loved life.
“Okay, folks, let's get this food moving before it gets cold.” Mark took up a platter of Neta's roasted turkey and helped himself to a king-sized portion before serving his wife equally.
“Mark, I can't eat all that,” Corinne protested, her blue eyes widening.
“You're eating for two,” he reminded her.
“I have only one stomach.”
“I don't want my . . .” Mark hesitated, scowling beneath the shock of sandy brown hair on his forehead. He and Corinne had decided not to know the sex of the next addition to the Madison clan. “My whatever,” he went on, “to come out malnourished.”
“No chance of that, Mark,” Caroline assured him. “You should have seen what she was packing away in the kitchen while we were dishing up the food.”
“Snitch,” Corinne accused her sister-in-law.
“Will you guys just get over it and pass the turkey?” Blaine's daughter, Karen, exclaimed. “I'm starved.”
“Yeah, they don't feed us this good at college,” her stepsister Annie chimed in.
“I'd rather have peanut butter and jelly,” Berto said to no one in particular.
“That's why I made you this.” Neta Madison tugged a plasticbagged sandwich from the pocket of her apron and passed it down to her grandson.
“You are spoiling him, Neta,” Caroline chided, her smile belying any real admonishment.
“That's what grandmoms are for,” Neta replied.
“So, Jeanne,” Mark said above the melee of food passing and intermittent conversations, “what's the latest on the
Blue Moon?”
Jeanne squirmed in her chair with childlike excitement. “We're targeting a March expedition.”
“She's going to miss the baby festivities,” Neta Madison told them, disappointment dampening her voice.
“Festivities?” Corinne echoed, glancing at her husband for an explanation.
“Mom makes a big deal over any baby. When Karen was born, she got showers and all this knitted stuff . . . enough to smother the kid once she was here.”
“Babies are special,” Neta said in self-defense.
“Was I special?” Berto asked.
Neta winked. “You got your favorite sandwich, didn't you?”
At Berto's bright-eyed nod, everyone laughed.
“Have you found a boat yet?” Blaine asked, bringing the family back to the topic at hand.
Leave it to Blaine, always the CEO, even at the dinner table. “I have a lead on one,” Jeanne answered. “The problem is, we can't afford to hire out a ship as well-equipped as the
Calypso
was.”