Excerpt from What A Girl Wants

Hi Everyone!

What A Girl Wants is book two in my Brookhollow Series and this one is about Bailey Sheppard and Ethan Bishop-the local mechanic and hockey coach/firefighter from book one-The Trouble With Mistletoe. If you loved Luke and Victoria from the first story-rest assured, they do make appearances in this next book, and I'm hoping you will enjoy Bailey and Ethan's story just as much. Here is a short, fun excerpt:)

At Victoria's bridal shower...

 

“Okay, well, if you aren’t seeing anyone, who have you been texting all night?” Rachel asked. “I saw those smiles, and it definitely wasn’t a female friend.”

Wow, these women were observant. Bailey waved a hand. “Oh, that was just Ethan.”

“Ethan, huh?” Lindsay pulled out the chair next to her and sat, leaning her elbows on the table and resting her chin in her hands. “Tell us more about that dreamboat.”

“You two are awfully close,” Victoria said, then added quickly, “Not judging.”

No, just interested in gossip like everyone else in town. “There’s really not much to tell. We’re friends…and lately I’ve served as a shoulder to cry on,” she said wryly.

“He has to be getting over Emily by now.” Lindsay refilled her glass, emptying the bottle.

“I don’t know about that, but he’s not moping around town as much anymore.”

Silence filled the room as all three women stared at her expectantly.

“What?”

Victoria finally spoke for the three of them. “We’re  just wondering when you plan on asking him out yourself.”

Bailey hesitated. It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought of it since Emily had left town, but to hear it suggested by others…

“Didn’t you just say you wanted a guy with similar interests?” Victoria asked. “Personally, I think you two would be perfect together.”

“Don’t say you haven’t thought about it,” Lindsay insisted.

These women were relentless. “Ethan’s a great guy and I like him…as a…”

“If you say brother, I’ll die,” Victoria interrupted. “I’ve met your brothers. Ethan couldn’t be more different than Brandon and Jordan. Those two are big and burly and tough.…”

“Hot in their own way,” Lindsay chimed in.

“But not Ethan hot,” Rachel interjected.

“Agreed,” Lindsay said with a nod.

These women were insane and they wouldn’t ease up until she confessed. “Fine, I’m attracted to him, but who in this room isn’t?” Bailey countered.

Victoria’s lone hand shot up, then she slowly lowered it. “He’s a firefighter, it’s the uniform. I may be getting married, but I’m not blind.” She took another sip of her coffee, then added, “Don’t tell Luke I said that. Poor guy is terrified that I’m going to back out of this wedding again and take off to New York while he’s out of town. As if I’d be that stupid again.” Her eyes took on a faraway, dreamy look.

“Anyway, I think you should make a play for him,” Rachel said with a definitive nod.

“No way.” Bailey stood. She had to get out of there, before they suggested that they call him right now and ask him out for her. A little too much wine had been consumed that evening.

“Why not?” Lindsay asked.

“He’d never go for it.” There. The truth was out. The main reason she would never gather the courage to ask Ethan out was her fear of being rejected. The same reason she hadn’t approached him years before and had stood by while Emily had asked him to prom. It didn’t matter though. Ethan had only ever seen her  as a friend, and with or without Emily, that didn’t seem to change.

 

      Hope you enjoyed this glimpse into What A Girl Wants, releasing Feb 1, 2014 from Harlequin Heartwarming.

Cover Reveal-What A Girl Wants

Hi everyone!

Book one in my Brookhollow Series-The Trouble With Mistletoe just released almost three weeks ago, but since book two is releasing Feb 1, 2014, I thought it might be time for a cover reveal...especially for those of you who have read The Trouble With Mistletoe and are asking about the next book:)

So, here it is...the cover for What A Girl Wants!

Back cover Blurb:

Friendship is overrated, if you ask her. She's always just been one of the guys...until she falls in love with one of the guys. Except Bailey Sheppard has carried a torch for firefighter Ethan Bishop since high school. And now that his long-term girlfriend has left him brokenhearted, she's free to go after what she's always wanted.
Not that Ethan sees Bailey as anything but a friend. A best friend maybe, but still not a woman he'd be interested in. Pining for his ex has made him blind to the possibility of happiness with anyone else...But can Ethan resist a woman who knows what she wants?

Thanks everyone for your continued support!

xo
Jen

Release Day!

Hi Everyone:)

I'm so excited that today is the launch of the Brookhollow series with the first book The Trouble With Mistletoe.  Over November and December I will be on a blog tour-please visit me and say hi for a chance to win copies of the book and other prizes:) Stops will be posted on Facebook and Twitter.

Thank you to everyone who pre-ordered a copy and to the bloggers and reviewers hosting my launch.

xo
Jennifer

Countdown to release day...

Hi Everyone!

So, it is only 28 days until the release of The Trouble With Mistletoe...I can't wait for all of you to read it. I challenge all of you not to fall in love with Luke Dawson:)

Here is another excerpt. I'd love to hear what you think. Leave a comment below for a chance to win a copy upon release.

xo
Jen

Excerpt:

“Oh, relax. I saw him earlier today, replacing the burnt out bulbs in Ginger’s Christmas lights and he said he was looking forward to seeing you again, so I invited him to dinner.”

            “Mom, he is my ex-fiancé, in case you’ve forgotten, and we haven’t spoken in twelve years. Not to mention my company is working for the store trying to buy out Legend’s.” Victoria paced back and forth in the kitchen.

            “Business is business, honey.  I’m sure you two will figure that stuff out. But can’t you just put it aside for the evening and have a pleasant dinner with an old friend? I’m sure Luke has long gotten over the fact you left him at the altar…. Even if his mother hasn’t,” she mumbled, rolling out the pie crust.

“I didn’t leave him at the altar.” Victoria stopped pacing, wondering how many times she’d had this conversation with her mom. Too many. “I called off the wedding two weeks before,” she added, “and, besides, he certainly didn’t try to stop me.”

Memories of those last few weeks before her supposed wedding day were painful to recall. The stress of the preparations—her mother and Luke’s mother forcing her to taste wedding cakes and try on dress after dress—even though her heart wasn’t in it. The entire time, hidden in her bedside table drawer had been the acceptance letter for a position with Clarke and Johnson Acquisitions. When she’d applied the summer before she’d never imagined the big firm in New York would accept her application based on her two-year business diploma. But they had and she’d had a month to decide. Keeping the offer to herself and struggling with her conflicted heart had created tension between her and Luke and had made her question her commitment to him. Their ideas about a life together had seemed worlds apart.

She’d chosen an unpaid internship with a dream of a future so different from the one he’d been planning, and left him behind. And whenever she wondered about her decision, she forced herself to remember that he hadn’t tried to stop her.

            Her mother waved a hand. “You know what I mean. Anyway, it’s in the past. At least I’ve learned to keep it there…unlike some people.”

            Victoria shook her head. Her mother was impossible, and Luke’s mother would be furious if she found out. The two women, once best friends, hadn’t spoken since the day Victoria left town. According to her mother, she’d let the feud between them die, but Luke’s mother still held a grudge.

Ding Dong!

Her heart skipped a beat. How was she supposed to sit at the same table with him, after everything they’d been through? She was here to do battle with him over a store. And this was supposed to be a pleasant evening? She peered through the glass opening of the kitchen door.

Luke shifted from one foot to the other on the front porch. Wearing clean jeans and his leather jacket, his short hair gelled into a spiky, controlled mess, he’d obviously gone home to shower and change.

Victoria made no move to let him in. Why couldn’t he have gotten fat? Or bald? Or both?

            “Victoria, go take off your suit jacket and brush your hair, while I get the door.” Sheila removed her apron and straightened her sweater.

             Victoria held out an arm to block her mother’s escape. “I have a better idea. You go get pretty for Luke, and I’ll let him in. He may as well get used to seeing me at my worst.”

 

Cover Reveal-The Trouble With Mistletoe

Here it is:) The cover to my November 2013 release from Harlequin Heartwarming! And below is the ad designed by Linda Horn for RWR Magazine.

We'd love to hear your thoughts!

The Story that started it all...

The Trouble With Mistletoe

Book one in my small town sweet contemporary series started several years ago as a 'what if' moment. What if...you could change a path taken? What if...you were given a second chance? I hadn't intended the book to be a part of a series, but after it was completed, the secondary characters and the town that had come to life in my mind demanded more Brookhollow stories to be told...so I listened.

The Trouble With Mistletoe is the story of Victoria and Luke and their second chance at a lifetime of love together:)

Blurb:

You can't say no to a mistletoe kiss, no matter who’s under it!
Since leaving Brookhollow and her fiancé, Luke Dawson, twelve years earlier, Victoria Mason hasn’t looked back.  She’s traded the small-town dream of marriage, kid and family Christmas dinners for late nights working at a high-powered acquisitions firm, lunches at trendy New York restaurants and jet-set vacations on the slopes.
So her latest work assignment, to acquire Brookhollow’s sporting goods store, poses a challenge for Victoria, in more ways than one. Because it’s almost Christmas, and she’s got other holiday plans. And the owner is reluctant to sell. And the owner is Luke.  
If she can just wrap up the deal before she gets caught up in her old life and her old love… or becomes trapped under the mistletoe. Again.

Excerpt:

Victoria’s gaze fell to his left hand. No wedding band. Her relief both irritated and confused her.

            “Well, we’re not actually interested in owning this store,” she explained. “My company’s client ran into complications obtaining a permit to build one of their own, with Legend’s still doing business nearby.”

            “Well, I guess they’re out of luck. I just bought the place and I plan on keeping it.” Luke collected the discarded packing paper from the new stock boxes. He crumpled the sheets and tossed them into a wastebasket near the counter.

She narrowed her eyes. “I’m surprised you’re interested in owning a run-down sporting goods store.” The Luke she used to know would rather remodel the old-fashioned buildings in the downtown core, not own a retail store in one of them. He’d always had a talent for designing and building things. When they were kids, his derby cars were always the best in the race and she remembered the lemonade stand he’d made for her from the wood left over from building his sister’s treehouse.

            “We haven’t spoken in a long time. Maybe I’m not the same guy you remember.” Pulling a Swiss Army knife out of his jeans, he tore into the remaining cardboard boxes, breaking them down.

Victoria had noticed the changes in him, despite her best efforts. Time had been good to him. He was bigger now, muscular and slightly wider around the waist. No longer the physique of a struggling, young, architectural student. His face showed signs of maturity, but the fine lines around his mouth and eyes only enhanced his looks.

Luke straightened and his gaze met hers. “Besides, this store has a history in the community. That means something to most of us.”

            Of course. Luke had worked in the store every summer when they were teenagers. His interest in preserving it made sense. “Okay, well I guess we should get to work.” She faked a smile, forcing her professionalism. She didn’t need or want any more time to get to know this man over again. What she wanted was for him to sign her contract so she could get out of Brookhollow. “I’ll have an offer by Wednesday, but we should go over the preliminary paperwork as soon as possible.” She scanned the store for a place to lay out her documents. “The major chain store interested in purchasing Legend’s…”

Luke turned off the lights and unplugged the strand of multicolored Christmas lights draped across the window. Only the glow from the pole lamp outside illuminated them.

 “Do you prefer we do this in the dark?” she asked sarcastically.

He slipped his coat on and wrapped his scarf around his neck. “I have dinner plans.” He stood next to the door.

The familiar scent of his musky cologne made her pulse race. She suddenly remembered the nights she’d fallen asleep in his T-shirt, when he’d been away at college. “Tomorrow, then.” She stepped out into the frigid air. “I’ll come by in the morning,” she said through the icy burst of wind and snow. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a silver monogrammed cardholder.  She popped it open with her freshly manicured fingernails and slid one of her cards free. Her hand shook as she handed it to Luke.

“Your card?” he asked.

 “It has my cell number on it.” Victoria’s teeth chattered.

“Victoria, this is Brookhollow.” He laughed. “I could stand in the center and call to you, and wherever you are, you’d hear me.”

The rich, deep sound of his laughter caught her off guard. Not at all the boyish laugh she remembered.

“What?” He asked, giving her a puzzled look.

Her cheeks heated and she looked away. “Anyway, let’s not test that theory. Use the cell number.”



Hope you enjoyed this glimpse into The Trouble With Mistletoe. Cover reveal coming soon!!