What reviews are saying:
***5 stars for Courage that Counts by Elison Grace!! This is the first book in the Loveland Fire series, and it is both heart wrenching and heart warming!
PS. Elison, be sure to check your mail for my therapy bill. 🙂 ~Carla Thrasher, Stephanie’s Book Reports
There are happy, sad, heartbreaking, funny, and hot scenes in this one. Ellison gives you a little bit of everything. But keep the tissues handy! You are going to need them!!~Indies Steal Our Hearts
“very emotional” get your tissues ready, I cried, I laughed, and I would recommend this book, it’s a fabulous five stars from me and it is well worth every single one~ Wendy, YOUR NEXT HOT READ
Little girls and a man willing to share is feelings…nuff said~Ellie Keys, Author
Firefighters and best friends, Dylan and Roy, face death on a daily basis. Now they face death personally when Roy is diagnosed with a terminal disease.
Lana, a nurse, becomes the strength Dylan needs when everything is crashing down around him. Will he have the courage to push past the unknown?
When the life he has known goes up in flames will the love of his life rise out of the ashes?
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Elison’s inspiration for Dylan, Lana, Carrie, & Cory
DYLAN
I think I’m going to be sick. There is no way this is happening. My best friend did not just tell me that he has stage four cancer. I have to be dreaming. I need to wake up from this nightmare. Only, it isn’t a nightmare. It’s serious shit. Roy, my partner at the fire department, had been feeling off for a while, so his wife, Michelle forced him to go see a doctor. The doctor was concerned during the initial exam, so they ran some tests. The results came back and could be seen as nothing more than a death sentence. They spell out a diagnosis of cancer that is rapidly taking over his body. As of right now, they know it has spread to his liver, but they are not sure where the cancer originated from. The plan is for them to run more tests to gain more concrete answers.
I personally don’t care what the doctors say. Roy is a strong man and I will be right there with him as he kicks cancer’s ass. He will not give up. I won’t let him. Together, we will fight like hell to beat this. Failure is not an option. He has too much to live for. He cannot leave behind his amazing wife. I have never met two people who are better together. Leaving his two curly haired angels, ages six and three, without a father isn’t an option either. Hannah and Kelsey need their hero in their lives to get the “monsters” from under the bed and to chase off the boys that try to take them out on dates.
Roy came over for beers earlier this evening. It is something he has done countless times since the day I walked into the station five years ago and he gave me shit for being a lazy surfer punk. I could tell as soon as he stepped through the door that something was off with him. We both drank a beer and a half before he finally built up enough courage to tell me.
“Dylan listen,” he took a shuttering breath, but couldn’t bring himself to continue. I tried to push him to even though I had a very bad feeling about what he wanted to tell me.
“What is it? You can tell me anything.”
Roy still sat there looking at the kitchen island where we were standing after grabbing our second drinks. Finally, he grabbed ahold of the edge of the bar as if in need of support “Remember how I went to the doctor because I was feeling off?” he lifted his beer and took a couple of swigs before continuing. I did not like where this conversation was going and I wished he would just say it.
“Well, it’s bad man. The doctor says it’s ca…can…”his voice dropped to barely a whisper “cancer, stage four.”
He scrubbed his hand over his face. I am not sure if that was to prevent tears or to wipe them away. As the words left his mouth, I fell backwards onto the stool behind the island. It was a good thing it was there or I would have ended up in a heap on the floor. Roy gave me a sideways glance judging to see my reaction before continuing.
“They found it in my liver, but they say that’s not where it started. The original source is still unknown.”
I could see his whole body shaking as if he was using all of his willpower to get through this.
“They say it’s spreading fast.”
“Fuck!” I slammed my fist into the island rattling our beer bottles. “Roy,” my voice cracked at the use of his name. Then my words just seemed to rush out. “I can’t believe this. It can’t be right. I need you to give me all the details. We will figure this out. We need to make a plan. There has to be treatment or surgery, something. We will go to the best hospitals, get the best doctors. We can beat this. Look at the Cancer Center commercial. The lady on there says it doesn’t have to be a death sentence.” I couldn’t stop the verbal vomit that was spilling from my mouth.
“The details, doctors, and treatment are not important to me at this moment. I came here because you are my family, the closest thing I have to a brother.” His voice took on a pleading tone. “I need you to assure me that you will be there for Michelle and the girls. This is going to destroy them.”
He took several deep breaths trying to calm himself at the mention of his family. Slowly he started again. “Not only after I’m…” he sucked in a shaky breath, then let it out, “gone, but as I’m getting sicker.” Desperation had now taken over his tone. “They will need you to be their strength when I can’t.”
Talking about what this will do to his family put him over the edge and a tear slid down his cheek. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but I just need to hear you promise me that you will be there for them when I can’t be.”
I had never seen such a look of desperation and it was ripping me to shreds. I had tears streaming down my face and we both just let our tears flow.
I choked out “You don’t even need to ask. You are family and so are they. I have your back, always.”
This statement made Roy let out a deep breath. “I know it will be so fucking hard at times, but I will be the rock and the strength for all of you.”
I looked him straight in the eye and insist, “Anything any of you need, I will kill myself trying to provide.”
I scrubbed my hands over my face, trying to collect myself. I knew I was about to lose it. “I love you all and there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you or your girls.” Roy’s tears fell harder as I talked about taking care of his girls.
“Don’t forget that you have more than just me to fall back on for support. You have the whole department. Even if God forbid…” my words are trapped under the lump that had formed in my throat “…you don’t…”
I didn’t think I could finish my thought. I couldn’t even imagine putting it out there. I had to because we needed to have this conversation. “…make it through this, Michelle and the girls will always be taken care of, by all of us.”
Roy’s whole body visibly relaxed with my promise to take care of his family. My thoughts went to what a great man he is. He was always putting his girls first. Even now, when his life is on the line, he’s thinking of their well-being.
He gave me as much of a smile as he could come up with given the situation. “Thank you. I just needed to hear that you will be there. Gives me peace of mind.” He ran his hand through his short, brown hair.
“Funny you should mention the department,” he let out a little chuckle, but there was no real emotion behind it, “The other request I have is for you to have my back at the meeting Tuesday night when we tell everyone.”
“Out of everything you have asked of me tonight this is nothing. Of course I will be there for you Tuesday. I will even make the announcement if you need me to. For now don’t stress over it go home and enjoy the weekend with your family. I will pick you up Tuesday.”
I am a new author my debut novel is called Courage that Counts. I spend my time stalking cover models and blogging about amazing books that I have read. I love being emotionally shredded by a book and you can more often than not find me up late crying over a book. It was this love for books and some encouragement from Ashlee Taylor that drew me into this adventure of writing my own book.
For an ARC of Courage that Counts leave a comment on the blog and tell us what was the last book that made you ugly cry.
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