# SERENDIPITY HOUSE women's fiction w/romance



## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

Editing to add that I'm reviving my thread and if you go to the end, you'll find a new excerpt dated Nov. 15, 2015. Thanks.

Sylvie was a pleaser. She did as her mother pleased, and she did as her fiance pleased. Then she did as she pleased. Raised by a domineering mother, Sylvie doesn't like the submissive woman she's become. Determined to take back her life, she heads to the hills instead of the altar on her wedding day. Coming across a quaint, country inn with an intriguing name, she impulsively checks into Serendipity House. Peopled with an odd assortment of characters, the inn has clearly seen better days. Even the regulars have a bit of wear on them. When attractive Alex arrives and is strangely comfortable vacationing among the geriatric set, Sylvie does her best to ignore him. 

But Alex will not be ignored, pushing her buttons until she admits, if only to herself that she's falling for him. Not until she's hired to manage the inn does she learn he's not the businessman he pretends to be, but a streetwise PI hired by her ex to find her. Adding insult to injury, he's bought the inn and asks for her help in restoring it to its former glory. 

Forced to work together, both learn about relationships, expectations, and acceptance--among family members as well as strangers who become like family.

Thanks for reading , and I hope you'll visit Serendipity House.


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)




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## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

Edited to add that the previous cover pic has been changed to the one in my signature line.

Joyce


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Believe me, if I can do it, it's not hard.  I used the old version of our link-maker.  
It's at the top of the page with some pretty easy directions.
deb


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Joyce,

try again first with the text version.  You are using Linkmaker 1.0, right?  After you put the title in the correct box, press "create KindleBoards Link" then scroll down and click on "select" then make sure you copy (CTRL-C) or (Command-C on the Mac) to copy the text in the box.

Then paste it in your message.

Edit:  It sounds like, from your last, post, that it worked fine; you just need to do the copy part.

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

It's the same, you just have to do the copy step.  Clicking on "select" does not actually copy the link, it just selects it in the box for you to then copy.

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

You can copy the link once you've done it.  Click on quote or modify on your last message and you'll see the link code that you can copy.

Now, try the image link!  The biggest difficulty with that one for most people is getting the image link.  Let me know if you have trouble.

You can get the image code that Deb posted for you below by quoting her message and then copying the code.

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

When you do the quote select the code between the [ quote] [ /quote] and it will show by itself. Then it will be a clean link.

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Hi Joyce,

Welcome to KindleBoards and congratulations on your book! Glad to see you figured out the linkmaker; once you get the hang of it, it seems much simpler! If you want to save the code to paste it any time, you might want to just copy the code to a text file that you leave on your desktop. Then anytime you want to put your link up, you can just copy and paste.

And now for the standard welcome note. 

We invite you to use your book cover as your avatar and have links to your book and website in your signature. Be sure to read the fine print below. By all means start a thread about your book in the Book Bazaar, our forum where we feature our KindleBoards authors, and bookmark it so you can update it. Although self-promotion is limited to the Book Bazaar, most of our authors have found the best way to promote their books is to be as active throughout KindleBoards as time allows. This is your target audience--book lovers with Kindles!

Thanks for being part of KindleBoards! Feel free to PM us if you have any questions.

Betsy & Ann
Book Bazaar Moderators

_The fine print:
Please add to your existing book thread when you have news about your book rather than start a new one, it helps the members who are trying to follow you. You may have a separate thread for each of your books. We recommend you bookmark your post so that you can find it in the future.  You may respond to all posts, but if there have been no member posts, we ask that you wait a week before "bumping" the thread by posting back-to-back posts of your own. And we ask that Amazon reviews not be repeated here as they are easy to find at your book link. Also, full reviews from other sites should not be posted here, but you may post a short blurb and a link to the full review instead. All this, and more, is included in our Forum Decorum. From time to time our site rules may change; be sure to check Forum Decorum (http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,36.0.html) for the current guidelines and rules. _


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## D.M. Trink (Apr 8, 2010)

Hi Joyce,
Welcome and congratulations on your book--I'm fairly new here too and had such problems trying to get the link-maker to work also. Everyone is great on this site and helped me out.

Delyse


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## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

Hi Ann and Delyse, and thank you also for the nice welcome. Yes, I'm finding out everyone here is quite helpful. I hope to be able to contribute wherever appropriate. Thanks again.

Joyce


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## 13500 (Apr 22, 2010)

Congratulations! That is fantastic news.


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## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

Thanks, Karen. Appreciate the good wishes.

Joyce


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

Today's featured author at the Indie Spotlight is

Thursday: Joyce DeBacco - Serendipity House

http://www.theindiespotlight.com

Come up and read and leave a comment.

Edward C. Patterson
& Gregory B. Banks


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## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

Thanks for posting this, Edward.

Joyce


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## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

Bumping up with something different. You already know what my book is about. So instead of repeating my blurb, I thought I'd tell you about the themes in my full-length women's fiction novel. 

Although Serendipity House begins and ends like a romance, in between is a multi-layered story about the diverse relationships between family members as well as strangers who become like family. Besides a mystery and a romance, the characters deal with the realization that we're all the children of imperfect parents, the growing friendships between people of dissimilar backgrounds, and the quest to be accepted and loved regardless of our flaws. 

To read the first two chapters as well as a section from the middle, please visit my website, joycedebacco.com. Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll visit Serendipity House.


Joyce


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

Nice to know

Ed Patterson


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## 13500 (Apr 22, 2010)

Congratulations!


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## 13500 (Apr 22, 2010)

Hello.

I am well, thank you, but a bit flummoxed by the kids being out of school and trying to organize my time efficiently. I'll figure it out soon.  

I sampled your novel, by the way, and am looking forward to reading the whole thing. 

Glad to see some good press coming your way.

Karen


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## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

Thanks, Karen. I'm looking forward to reading yours too. The premise is great. As for the kids underfoot, I used to send mine outside to play and told them the door would be locked for an hour. I'm a mean mama, I guess.

Joyce


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## Nancy C. Johnson Author (Apr 28, 2010)

Thanks, Joyce, for the link for the free chapters.

Love the cover of your book too!

I'll be adding this one to my TBR list.

Best of luck.  

Nancy


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## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

Thanks, Nancy. Your book is already on my TBR list.

Joyce


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

In my quest to actually start _reading_ more of the many KB authors' books I've bought , I read this one yesterday, Joyce. Very enjoyable! The quirky supporting characters were a delight and the inn is somewhere I wish I could go for a little R&R for a few weeks...or months.

As Joyce has said in a couple of her posts in this thread, it's a romance, but there's more to it than that. Some light mystery, some grit-your-teeth family dynamics, a bit of old-flame interference -- it all combines for a good read.


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## Nancy C. Johnson Author (Apr 28, 2010)

Hi, Joyce

I meant to say hello yesterday, but I was so busy I forgot.

Yours is another book I plan to read on my new Kindle once my birthday arrives. Yippee!

Hopefully my life will slow down enough to allow me to read more, as it is one of my very favorite things!!

Anyway, just want to support our writers here at Kindleboards as much as possible!

Have a great day!

Nancy


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## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

Just now checking my thread to bump and saw Nancy and Steph's posts. Thank you to Nancy for her interest in my book, and to Steph for her nice review. It warms this writer's heart.

Thanks.

Joyce


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## 13500 (Apr 22, 2010)

Joyce DeBacco said:


> I would like to have posted this sooner, but I had to wait for my day to bump.
> 
> A review of my book, Serendipity House, was featured yesterday, July 14 at The New Book Review. The site has been named to Online Universities' 101 Book Blogs You Need to Read and has useful information for both readers and writers. Readers can learn about new books, and writers will find valuable resources on writing and promoting by clicking on the links in the blogger's profile directly following each review.
> 
> ...


Congratulations on your review. I will check out the blogspot--thanks for passing along the information.


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## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

Hi Karen,

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you find that site useful.

Joyce


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## caseyf6 (Mar 28, 2010)

Just wanted to let you know that I read your book and quite enjoyed it.  Thought that might give your day a bump.


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## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

Yes, it certainly did give my day a bump. Glad you enjoyed it, and thank you so much for letting me know. I appreciate it.

Joyce


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## Rob Alex (Jul 6, 2010)

I will say I am love anything to do with Serendipity so I will have to check it out.


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## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

Thank you for checking it out, Rob. Yes, serendipity plays a big part in all our lives whether we know it or not.

Joyce


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## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

I don't normally post reviews, but 5 stars from Red Adept for Serendipity House is an exception. Check it out here: http://redadeptreviews.com/?p=4283#more-4283

Thanks for reading.

Joyce


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## 13500 (Apr 22, 2010)

Great review. Congratulations, Joyce!


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## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

Thanks, Karen. I appreciate your response.

Joyce


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## lmolaski (May 16, 2011)

Congrats on the positive review.... I just bought your book and its on my TBR list


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## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

lmolaski said:


> Congrats on the positive review.... I just bought your book and its on my TBR list


Aha, so you're the one! Thanks.

I hope you enjoy it.

Joyce


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## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

I'm very happy to report that Serendipity House was chosen by Lynn O'Dell at Red Adept Reviews as the best indie romance of 2011. Please check out her site for reviewers' favorites in other categories. redadeptreviews.com

Joyce


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## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

I'm reviving my thread on Serendipity House and thought you might like to read an excerpt. I hope you like it.

A week after becoming a full-fledged member of the staff, Sylvie checked in her first guests. Although business lagged compared to other resorts in the area, she had more than enough work to keep her going, saving any sadness she may have felt over her disastrous love life for the brief interval between supper and bedtime. Though even those blue periods were occurring less often due to the sheer exhaustion she felt by day’s end.
She hadn’t quite finished cleaning the kitchen after breakfast when someone began pounding on the bell at the front desk. “Hello, can I get some service here,” a harsh voice demanded.
Wiping her hands on a dish rag, she hurried out to find the rude man from New York attacking the bell. Shaped like a pear with beady eyes, he reminded her of a squirrel without the bushy tail. “Yes, Mr. Smith, what can I do for you?”
“I need more towels,” he said.
“I put fresh towels in your room this morning,” she said, her voice pleasant.
“I need more.”
Biting her tongue, Sylvie fetched the towels from the downstairs supply closet. “Here you go,” she said, handing them over.
Mr. Smith snatched the towels and headed for the stairs.
“You’re welcome,” she called after him. The unpleasant man pivoted, and his little, rodent eyes bored into her. Turning away, Sylvie grabbed the desk bell and hid it under the counter. When she looked up again, she saw a familiar face sidestepping the pushy Mr. Smith.
“Any room at the inn for an old friend?” Alex asked, striding forward.
“Oh, it’s you,” she said in a not so friendly tone. “What brings you back to Shangri-La? Or is it Hicksville? I can’t remember.”
******
Serendipity House has a 4.5 star average.


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## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

Here is an excerpt that follows the one above.

Alex answered her question with another. “Is this your new line of work now, innkeeping?”
In a mood to do battle, Sylvie faced him squarely. “Yes. And if you don’t want your sheets shorted, I suggest you be nice to the help.”
“Aren’t I always?”
She opened the guest book and shoved it at him. “Don’t you have an important job back in the city?”
Alex scribbled his name in the book. “I’m the boss. I don’t have to punch a time clock. And I have a competent staff who manage splendidly without me.” He slid the book back to her. “So what prompted this sudden shift to domesticity, may I ask?”
“Is that a dig? Because if it is—”
“Oh, don’t get your knickers in a twist. It’s just that I seem to recall you saying something about keeping house not being very high on your list of priorities. Isn’t this like keeping house, only on a larger scale?”
“If you must know, I’m learning the hospitality trade.”
His eyes widened, and she waited for his putdown, her annoyance growing by the second.
“Okay,” he said, shrugging. “And how are Brad and Cindy making out with their newborn? A girl, right?”
“How did you know that?”
He grinned. “I ran into Mrs. Pulaski on the porch.”
“Oh. Yes, they’re fine. They stopped by with the baby last week, in fact.”
“And you behaved yourself?”
She gritted her teeth. “Of course I did.”
“Then the big romance is over, I presume.”
Sylvie slammed the guest book shut. “It never was a big romance,” she said in a harsh whisper.
His teasing voice took on a more serious tone. “Sylvie, I say this only because I care. You’re not like Brad or Cindy. These mountains are their home. They were born here, they’ll raise their children here, and they’ll die here. And that’s fine—for them. But you’ve seen a bit of the world, and you know what’s out there. So if there’s something here at Serendipity House that beckons you, I say, go for it, see where it leads. But if it doesn’t work out, remember, you have other options.”
The gleam returned to his eyes. “Actually, it just might be the perfect career for you. You get to satisfy your nesting instincts without leaping into the shark-infested waters of matrimony.”
With that, he tipped an invisible top hat, swung an invisible walking stick, and swaggered up to his room like a cock bird to his roost.
***********


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