Countin’ on Jesse Epic Book Launch

About the Book

Book Title: Countin’ On Jesse

Author Name: Mary Pat Johns

Genre: (Inspirational) Contemporary Romance

Release Date: September 12th, 2023

Peeps’ gym owner Jesse seeks accreditation. Accountant Brenna wants to help Jesse

reach his goal. They’re a great team, but can she count on him when trouble strikes?

Accountant BRENNA MCKINLEY only wants what’s best for Peeps, the wildly popular

gym in Valiant, Texas. But when money goes missing, and she’s the obvious suspect, will she be

able to clear her name or face criminal charges? Keeping her dream job matters, but falling in

love with her boss isn’t part of the plan. Neither is the creepy guy stalking her.

Young veteran JESSE JACOBS manages and co-owns Peeps, an exercise facility in

Valiant, Texas. He needs help to gain accreditation for the gym, and his new accountant is all in.

But is she who she seems? Too bad he’s falling for her like a man with no parachute. When the

pressure builds, PTSD renders him moody and volatile, risking everything he loves.

About the Author

Mary Pat Johns’ writing career began once she retired from years of teaching speech and writing. She’s written devotions for an online publication and had short stories published by Chicken Soup for the Soul. She currently writes a biweekly faith column for the local newspaper.

Countin’ On Jesse is her debut novel, and she’s hard at work on the rest of the Valiant series. God put it in her heart to tell stories of brave veterans and their reintegration into civilian life after suffering the traumas of war. As she kept writing, her focus generalized to include ordinary people who learn how to move forward after devastating events. Her writing has a strong spiritual thread since she considers a return to faith in God the solution for what ails the civilized world.

She lives in South Texas with her husband and their two dapple dachshunds. Her grown children and five grandchildren are useful sorts who keep her grounded with her reading/writing obsession. You can find her at the gym, at her computer, or reading a good book.

Countin’ On Jesse placed second in inspirational contemporary romance in the TARA contest. It was also a finalist in the Crown and the Maggie contests for unpublished authors.

Book Excerpt 1

Brenna McKinley folded two five-dollar bills and handed them to Dicey. “Here’s your tip from Table Five.” “Thanks for the lookout. Nobody loses a dime on your watch.” Her fellow server grunted. Patting the slight bump in her pocket, Brenna sighed. If only she could take care of other people’s money on a larger scale. No way this part-time job stretched far enough to make ends meet.“Have you checked out the guy sitting at the church-folk table?” Dicey bumped her ample hip against Brenna and jutted her chin toward a large table. Dicey was nothing if not persistent regarding the opposite sex, but Brenna still loved Matt. However, she’d rather not open that can of dark wiggly things. “Yeah, I noticed.” Brenna donned a pair of disposable gloves as a rowdy chorus of “Happy Birthday” assaulted her ears. Determination flattened her lips. Waiting tables wasn’t even close to her dream job, but she could work at the restaurant as long as necessary. She’d scoured the ads, gone on interviews, and followed up. With zero results so far. Cowpokes, a popular steakhouse in Valiant, Texas, groaned to full capacity with the Saturday night crowd.