Oh, No, You Don’t!

Some things are meant to be. And when you know, you know.

But what if your life is on track, and you’re perfectly happy when an interloper pops up seemingly out of nowhere and decides to take what you have? That’s exactly what happens to Avery Markham, the female main character in THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT when she finds herself unexpectedly defending her relationship with Rhys Williams, the male main character.

Avery and Rhys are in a committed relationship when the book begins so she has the high ground. But new character, Harlee Oliver, has a longstanding history with Rhys and he’s pulled in two directions.

Is Avery and Rhys’ union strong enough to withstand the challenge? Read the book and find out!

Why Not Me?

No doubt, all of us have been attracted to or had a crush on someone, only to find that the object of our desire likes someone else. We wonder what that person has that we don’t have. It’s frustrating, upsetting, and usually hurtful.

But, it’s this life experience that helps to create realistic, credible characters who have the same emotions. And that’s what happens to Harlee Oliver in THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT, the third book in The Green Mountain Trilogy.

What does Rhys Williams see in Avery Markham when he could have Harlee?

Taking The Bull By The Horns

Rhys Williams is on the horns of a dilemma, all right, because he has a problem in the person of one Harlee Oliver. She was his college sweetheart, but they went their separate ways after graduation as they pursued their careers and eventually married other people.

Rhys hadn’t seen Harlee in thirty-five years until she suddenly turns up living in Vermont, just a few miles away. Is this an unwelcome surprise?

In THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT, the third book in The Green Mountain trilogy, it sure is, and not just for him! Harlee’s agenda has repercussions for Rhys, for his very significant other, Avery, and for most of their friends. Rhys needs a plan of action before the situation spirals out of control, and after a few sleepless nights, he determines to take the bull by the horns, resolving the crisis in the best way possible.

Not So Fast

In the first book of The Green Mountain Trilogy, SUNRISE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, Avery Markham doesn’t offer her heart easily or quickly. She initially took an instant and thorough dislike to her late husband, Andrew, but he won her over, and once committed, she loved him deeply.

Years later, as the story progressed through HEART SO TRUE, she initially detested Rhys Williams (and he her), but she warmed to him over time as their business relationship developed into mutual admiration, then friendship, and then in THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT, into much more.

When a former girlfriend from Rhys’ past thinks she can pick up where they left off, Avery wastes no time in making her position clear—to everyone.

Hey, Jolene

“Oh, I’m begging of you, please don’t take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don’t take him even though you can.”

Even those who aren’t fans of country music are familiar with Dolly Parton’s lament about a woman trying to steal another woman’s man. In The Stars Shine Bright, the third book in The Green Mountain Trilogy, Avery Markham and Rhys Williams have come to realize how much they care for one another and believe they have a solid commitment—readers have watched their relationship grow and develop.

But what happens when an old flame from Rhys’ past decides she wants him back and comes to town, fully intending to push Avery right out of the picture?

Can she or can’t she? Read the book and find out!

Not Everyone’s On Board

Westfield, Vermont’s newest resident, Harlee Oliver, meets people and makes friends the way most people do. She buys a property, renovates it to suit, and establishes her business. She posts fliers and leaves business cards where they will attract customers.

Slowly but surely, she attains her goal, the reason she moved to Vermont in the first place. Now widowed, she uses her married name and flies under the radar. Her first conquest is Rhian Williams, Rhy’s half-sister. Next is Marley Wainright and, through her, Jerica and Colin, then Sienna.

Soon she’s friends with Rhys’ closest friends. She circles closer and closer to Rhys, who is in a committed relationship with Avery. The plot thickens when Avery realizes that Harlee Oliver, aka Lee Weldon, has insinuated herself deep into the fabric of her life, and SHE IS NOT HAPPY.

Avery’s friends are nothing if not loyal to her, but now they have a problem. How do they get Harlee OUT once they included her?

A Woman Scorned

The very last thing Harlee Oliver considered was that her long-ago flame, college sweetheart and the love of her life, Rhys Williams, might not be receptive to the idea of fanning the embers and reigniting the fire.

After all, thirty-five years have passed since they last saw each other. Decades during which they each married someone else and ultimately lost their respective mates.

Now, both are single once more, and Harlee imagines they’ll pick up where they left off. Harlee’s been thinking of Rhys, planning the joyful reunion.

But Rhys hasn’t been thinking about Harlee at all. As far as he’s concerned, she was out of sight and out of mind. In the third book of The Green Mountain trilogy, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT, Harlee’s past collides with Rhys’ present.

Read the book to find out how he responds!

The Fox in the Henhouse

Who hasn’t inadvertently let the proverbial fox into the henhouse a time or two? I know I have, generously introducing a new acquaintance to my best friend and suddenly finding myself the ‘odd man out’, or encouraging a new acquaintance to join a group I was a member of. In the worst-case scenario, I recommended that two fellow realtors leave their agency and join mine, and, oh, how I wished I hadn’t.

When that happens, it’s like alchemy, and once done, can’t be undone (kind of like putting two elements together and forming a compound; you can’t separate them—as much as you’d like to).

That’s exactly what happened to Marley Wainright in THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT, the third book in The Green Mountain Trilogy. She certainly meant well but NEVER would have developed a friendship with newcomer Lee Weldon if she’d had an inkling the newcomer was a manipulative backstabber and had a hidden agenda.

Marley was horrified when she realized she’d opened the henhouse door and invited the fox in, and she knew she somehow had to make it right.

Surprise! Surprise!

And NOT in a good way!

There’s nothing more disconcerting than receiving startling news when you’re not in a position to do anything about it and have to stifle your feelings until you can.

That’s what happened to Rhys William in the third book of The Green Mountain Trilogy when visitors rave about the fabulous furniture maker they discovered, and he sees her business card, finally connecting the dots, putting two and two together, learning that the craftsperson is none other than a former girlfriend.

Rhys had lost touch with her, hadn’t thought about her for years, so WHAT is she doing in Vermont? Living in Vermont, practically in his backyard.

Feelings that Rhys thought were long buried have surfaced. Will she disrupt his comfortable, happy life, or is it too late?

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

It IS cold in Vermont, but it’s not just the outdoor temperature that’s dropping in THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT, the third book in The Green Mountain Trilogy.

As Rhys seeks grief counseling and comes to terms with his loss, his frozen heart melts, and he allows himself to find happiness again.

It’s Rhys’ warm, mellow manner that Harlee Oliver remembers from their college days, and she’s taken quite by surprise when the enthusiastic reception she anticipated gets frostier and frostier as the months go by. Nor had she expected the cold shoulder from Rhy’s friends.