Excerpt

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: “Losing Eva”

November 11, 2015 1 Comment

“Losing Eva” by Jennifer Sivec

Blurb: Tragedy often seeks us out at the very moment we least expect it.

Brynn and Adam Michaels are rebuilding their lives after Brynn’s painful and cruel past threatened to tear them apart. Just when Brynn lets her guard down and imagines that she and Adam can have a happy life, a stranger arrives, threatening everything.

And when the one thing holding them together is ripped cruelly from their lives, they are irreparably changed, their fragile life together, teetering dangerously on the edge.

Losing Eva is the deeply complex, emotional sequel to Leaving Eva, and the second novel in the Eva Series. Caution: Eva’s story contains graphic violence, strong language, drug abuse, domestic abuse, and chid abuse.

Jennifer Sivec, author of women’s fiction, once again creates a deeply beautiful story of hope and promise, while exploring the dark edges of the human spirit and questioning how much suffering one can endure, until they are finally lost forever.

**Get the book now, (it’s FREE)!: Amazon

**About the author:

Women’s fiction writer, Jennifer Sivec, has always found an escape in books and beautiful stories. In writing, she has discovered refuge and sanctity her entire life, which quiets the chaos while giving her perspective and peace of mind. She finds inspiration in the balance of beauty and tragedy, which is something she has experienced personally.

Jennifer was born in Seoul, Korea and then abandoned at a very young age. At the age of three, she was adopted and has lived in Ohio for most of her life. She is married to her best friend, Jeff, and together they share two incredible, funny boys.

Jennifer is the author of The Eva Series and the standalone novel, I Run to You. Leaving Eva is her first complete work and was originally released in April of 2013. Losing Eva is the sequel and continuation of Eva’s heartbreakingly beautiful story. The Eva series is an intense journey into abandonment, abuse, alcoholism, and cutting, with numerous twists and turns that will keep the reader holding their breath until the very end.

You can stay up to date with Jennifer by visiting and signing into her website http://www.jennifersivec.com/apps/guestbook/.

**Contact Jennifer: Website Blog Facebook Author Page Facebook Profile Street Team Group

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EXCERPT of “Lowcountry Bordello” and INTERVIEW by Susan M. Boyer

November 10, 2015 3 Comments

“Low country Bordello” by Susan M. Boyer

Blurb: The Charleston streets are dressed for the holidays in sophisticated Southern style: topiaries adorned with red ribbons, garland entwined with white lights, and poinsettias potted in gold planters. The high class bordello in a stately historic home is certainly no exception. When Private Investigator Liz Talbot’s dear friend Olivia swears she saw a dead body in the parlor of this bordello, one Olivia accidentally co-owns, Liz promptly comes to her aid.

With her wedding back home on Stella Maris less than a week away, Liz must juggle one elderly madam, two ex and future in-laws, three ghosts in the bordello, four giddy bridesmaids, five lovely courtesans, six suspicious patrons…and a partridge in a pear tree as she tries to keep her bridesmaid out of jail and live to walk down the aisle.

Related subjects include: women sleuths, private investigator mystery series, murder mysteries, whodunit mysteries (whodunnit), book club recommendations, Southern fiction, Southern humor, Southern living.

EXCERPT

A Day in the Life of Liz Talbot, PI, by Susan M. Boyer

The dead are not altogether reliable. Colleen, my best friend, calls herself a Guardian Spirit. I can’t argue with the facts at hand: She’s been dead seventeen years, and she watches my back. I’m a private investigator, so situations arise from time to time wherein my back needs watching. Technically, Colleen’s afterlife mission is to protect Stella Maris, our island home near Charleston, South Carolina, from developers and all such as that. Since I’m on the town council and can’t abide the notion of condos and time-shares on our pristine beaches, protecting me falls under her purview.

Solving my cases, however, does not. She’ll tell me that in a skinny minute should I happen to mention how she could be more helpful. But she has been known to toss me the occasional insight from beyond that provokes a train of thought, which, upon reflection, proves useful. Here’s the thing: Colleen shows up when she detects I’m in danger. Sometimes she warns me in advance. Occasionally she drops by just to chat. But she doesn’t come whenever I think of her or call her name. It rarely works like that.

One Monday in December, I really could’ve used Colleen’s perspective. We were closing in on Christmas, and I was getting married on the twentieth—in five days. I was a teensy bit distracted, is what I’m saying.

It was a little after ten in the morning, and I was at my desk in the living room of my beachfront house, which doubles as my office. I was deep into research on a criminal case Nate, my partner and fiancé, and I were working for Andy Savage. Andy was a high profile Charleston attorney, and while this case didn’t amount to much more than fact-checking, we hoped it would lead to a lucrative relationship for Talbot and Andrews, our agency.

I stared at my computer screen and reached for one of Mamma’s Christmas cookies. My phone trilled out the ringtone named Old Phone. Old Phone was reserved for old friends. I grabbed my phone instead of the cookie.

Robert Pearson. He’d been a year ahead of me in high school, the same age as my brother, Blake. He’d married one of my best friends. Robert was also our family attorney, and he and I were both on the Stella Maris town council.

I tapped the green “accept” button.

After we exchanged the usual pleasantries, he said, “I wondered, if you’re not too busy, could you drop by this afternoon? There’s something I want to run by you.”

“I have an appointment at one that’s going to take most of the afternoon.” Multi-toned highlights are a maintenance issue, especially with hair as long as mine. My natural sandy blonde would turn Tweety Bird yellow if Dori looked at it wrong. She always took her time, but five days before my wedding she’d be excruciatingly meticulous. I couldn’t walk down the aisle with yellow hair.

“Noon?” he asked.

“Sure. See you then.”

“Thanks, Liz. I really appreciate it.” He sounded way too grateful for such an ordinary request. This is what should’ve tipped me off that something was up.

**Buy “Lowcountry Bordello” now: Amazon B&N iBooks Kobo Fiction Addiction

**About the author: Susan M. Boyer is the author of the USA TODAY bestselling Liz Talbot mystery series. Her debut novel, Lowcountry Boil, won the 2012 Agatha Award for Best First Novel, the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, and garnered several other award nominations, including the Macavity. Lowcountry Boneyard, the third Liz Talbot mystery, was a Spring 2015 Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Okra Pick. Lowcountry Bordello, the fourth book in the series, was released November 3, 2015. Susan loves beaches, Southern food, and small towns where everyone knows everyone, and everyone has crazy relatives. You’ll find all of the above in her novels.

Susan lives in Greenville, SC, with her husband and an inordinate number of houseplants.

**Contact Susan M. Boyer: Website Facebook Twitter Pinterest Henery Press

INTERVIEW

Describe yourself in five words: Do I need to make a sentence with them? Because that’s harder… Family-oriented book-freak-of-a karaoke-loving chocoholic wine enthusiast. Wait, that’s six… I don’t know what else to hyphenate.

When did you know you were a writer? I think from a very young age—early teens, maybe? But it was a long time before I could act upon my goals.

Salty or sweet? Oh, how to choose? I like them both, especially together.

Tell us about your writing/editing/publishing process? I like to have four months to produce a draft that I’m going to send to my editor. I don’t always have that, because life happens. When I’m writing, I write five days a week, sometimes seven. I typically start around nine in the morning and work throughout the day. The next day, the first thing I do is edit what I wrote yesterday. That gets me back into the story, and by the time I’ve finished the first draft, it’s already been edited once. I like to let the manuscript rest for a week, then dive back into an edit. Rinse and repeat. Once I’ve turned a manuscript in, I get high-level, developmental edits, then copy edits and proofreading. Once I get advance reader copies, there’s a last round of proofreading. Then I go into pre-launch/marketing mode. After the book is launched, I do some online events as well as some in person. Then the whole cycle starts over form the beginning.

Hard/paperbacks or eBooks? I love the feel of a hardback book in my hands. That said, I do read eBooks when I’m traveling for convenience and when I’m overcome by a moment of instant gratification syndrome, like when I finish one book in a series at midnight and can’t wait until the next day to start the next.

Is the social media a help or a hinder? Honestly, both. I love interacting with readers and keeping up with family, but at times I do get caught up and spend too much time online.

Where do you get your ideas coming from? Virtually anywhere. I have a vivid imagination. Something I overhear, sometimes just a few words, might start a story percolating. Or a picture, or a news story. It doesn’t take much to get me started.

If you could meet any other author who would it be? That’s a tough one. I’ve met and had the opportunity to speak with so many authors I admire through conventions and book festivals, and there are many I’d like to spend more time with. Among those I’ve never met who I’d like to spend some time with would be Stephen King. His book, On Writing has been very helpful to me, especially when I was beginning to write.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I’d like to have at least five more books in the Liz Talbot series out, and possibly the first book in a new series I’m just beginning to think about.

Every author must have (a): I think this may vary from author to author. I know I need a quiet place to write, free from distractions. But others love the coffee shop environment.

What do you want readers to take away from your books? Honestly, I just want readers to have fun reading my books. I want the books to be a pleasant escape into an alternate world where the reader can relax and enjoy a break.

What are you working on right now? The next Liz Talbot mystery, LOWCOUNTRY BOOK CLUB.

**Click HERE to see other stops on Susan M. Boyer’s Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours!

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EXCERPT of “Completions and Connections” and AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Kathryn R. Biel

November 6, 2015 1 Comment

“Completions and Connections” by Kathryn R. Biel

Blurb: Christine’s list of resolutions contains many clichés. Try something new. Buy a pair of heels. Get a promotion. Fall in love.

Seems simple, especially when Christine meets Patrick, the man who could be Mr. Right. He’s got the right credentials: a job, a sense of humor, a love of all things Indiana Jones, and best of all, he’s actually taller than Christine. But busy schedules take over and gets in the way of Patrick and Christine’s budding romance.

Life interferes, as it has a way of doing, and Christine wants to throw in the towel. Is the magic of the Christmas season enough to renew Christine’s faith in love?

EXCERPT

Me and four kids under four feet tall. I feel even more like a giant than I normally do.

And sadly, most of them are better skiers than I am.

After ninety minutes, I’ve learned to pizza and french fry enough to stop and start. The most challenging thing for me is to stand up once I’ve fallen down.

Wait, check that. The most challenging thing is the damn J-hook bar contraption that drags me up the bunny hill. You can’t sit. You can’t stand. You hang in a weird crouch, praying your skis don’t hit a rut knocking your ass over tea kettle into the other tow-ees, toppling them like bowling pins. Not that this happens. Okay, yes, it totally happens.

In a heap, one ski pointing one way, one ski lost, I’m pretty sure this skiing thing is not for me. And if I can figure out how to stand up, I’m going to go in the lodge and have a hot toddy. Or ten. And hope that this day passes quickly.

It’s just I don’t have a lot of free time. I work crazy hours. Free weekends are a rarity and to waste one on something I hate seems frivolous.

Maybe I’ll read while I’m in the lodge. That’s something on my list. To read three books this year. I’ve been trying to read the same book for about two years now. I never get through more than a page or two at a time, and anytime I get a large chunk of time to read, I have to start again because I can’t remember what I’ve read.

This is what I’m thinking about, lying in a heap, snow creeping down into my snow pants.

“You need a hand?”

I look up through my goggles to see another begoggled face leaning down over me. The face emits a voice with a deep timbre, which makes my belly twist a little bit. A thick-gloved hand extends and I grasp it. With apparent ease, he hauls me up to a standing position. I still only have one ski on. Not saying a word, he retrieves my ski and guides my boot back into the binding.

“Better?” His smile shows a row of white teeth. Just one looks crooked. It’s probably a good thing, though. Otherwise, I have a feeling he’d be too perfect. The best part—he’s looking down on me. Do you know how often the guys I meet are my height or shorter? I swear there’s a shortage of tall men out there.

“No. I’m still out here, making a fool out of myself.”

“I take it this is your first time.”

“Is it that obvious I’m a virgin?”

He lifts his goggles up, eyebrows raised. The bemused expression in his light green eyes highlights my faux pas. “Oh really? I didn’t know we were getting this personal.”

“Oh my God!” My mitten-covered hand, white with snow, flies to my mouth. Which, of course, results in me getting a face full of snow. “That’s um, not, crap. I’m not a virgin-virgin. I meant a skiing virgin. I have lots of experience with the other. Well, not lots. I mean, I’m not loose or anything. Oh crap, I should just stop talking.”

“No, keep talking. It’s quite amusing.”

“I’m going to go bury myself in a snow bank right now. Thanks for the help. It’s been nice knowing you.”

FYI, it’s impossible to storm off in a dignified manner when you’re wearing skis.

**Buy “Completions and Connections” now: Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo iTunes Smashwords

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**About the author: Telling stories of resilient women, Kathryn R. Biel hails from upstate New York and is a spouse and mother of two wonderful and energetic kids. In between being Chief Home Officer and Director of Child Development of the Biel household, she works as a school-based physical therapist. She attended Boston University and received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from The Sage Colleges. After years of writing countless letters of medical necessity for wheelchairs, finding increasingly creative ways to encourage the government and insurance companies to fund her clients’ needs, and writing entertaining annual Christmas letters, she decided to take a shot at writing the kind of novel that she likes to read. Her musings and rants can be found on her personal blog, Biel Blather. She is the author of Good Intentions (2013), Hold Her Down (2014),I’m Still Here (2014), Jump, Jive, and Wail (2015), and Killing Me Softly (2015).

**Contact Kathryn: Blog Facebook Twitter Goodreads Pinterest Amazon Author Central Newsletter

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INTERVIEW

Describe yourself in five sentences: I’m not good at this sort of thing. I put it out on Facebook and my friends gave me sentences that included, “Hugely loveable,” “Has a smile that will slay the devil at 50 paces,” Loyal…sassy…quick…funny…creative,” and “I am one fabulous broad.” These are my friends’ words, but I agree. 😉

What is your writing/editing/publishing process like? I write by the seat of my pants meaning I write what comes to me. I generally have an idea of where the story is going, and then I see if it actually ends up there. I send my book out to one or two trusted friends and take their input. Sometimes they get the work along the way to help me figure out where it’s going. Then, I send it out to 4-5 more people, in rounds, making changes based on feedback along the way. Then, I get it edited. If I could focus, I could do the whole process in a few months. As it is now, it takes me about 9 months from first sentence to release. But I usually have one going while one is being edited.

When did you know you wanted to be an author? About 5 years ago, I started writing, but didn’t think about the word author. I still have trouble with it, even though I have five full-length novels out.

Hard/paperbacks or eBooks? E-books. So portable.

Do you have any writing rituals? Not really. I like to drink green tea while writing. That’s about it. Each book is different in what I do while writing it.

Salty or sweet? Sweet. Unless it’s sea salt caramel. Then both.

If you could meet any other author, who would it be? I’d love to hang with Colleen Hoover, because she seems like loads of fun. I also have huge author crushes on Rachel Hollis and Darynda Jones.

Who and/or what inspires characters from your books? My everyday life. Things I hear, things I see, things I read. Everyday things around me.

What do you want your readers to take away from your books? That life is not a fairy tale, and you do have it in you to rise above and keep on going.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Hopefully fitting into the same size pants. Or smaller pants. That would be good.

Every author must have (a): Team of honest people to tell them when they are writing crap and when they need to keep going.

What are you working on right now? I’m working on my 6^th novel, tentatively titled Live for This. It’s rather dramatic and maybe a little dark. I’ve already got a chick lit novel planned for after that to lighten the mood.

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**GIVEAWAY**

**Click HERE to enter to win a $5 Amazon Gift Card, (for 3 winners)

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EXCERPT: “This One’s For You” by Brandy Jellum

November 4, 2015 1 Comment

“This One’s For You” by Brandy Jellum

Blurb: All alone in a new state, Brennan Daniels has only the memories of her best friend, Reagan, to keep her company as she starts college.

Reagan is the reason for everything Brennan does—before she died, she made Brennan promise to stay good until she found a man worth keeping. No boys, no dating, and definitely no falling in love—those were the rules for college, and Brennan carved them into the brick walls guarding her heart…

But there’s a fire burning behind those walls, and when Brennan meets Owen Scott, the (mysterious) new guy across the hall, she can’t deny the pull between them. He is everything she should never want. Everyone warns her to stay away—even Owen himself—but the heart wants what the heart wants, even if it knows that it’s going to get hurt—even if it means throwing old promises to new flames…

EXCERPT

My body started to shake as the first tears streamed down my cheeks. I slid down to the floor, pulling my knees to my chest, and rocked back and forth. As more tears fell, my sobs became louder. Everything I had been holding in until that moment burst free from the dam I had carefully built.

Every emotion: anger, sadness, guilt, desperation, fear, anxiety, remorse, and rage overcame me in that single second. Everything I was afraid to let myself feel, I was feeling all at once. My body shook violently as the tears continued to stream down my face, and my throat was hoarse from crying.

It happened—I finally broke.

For the first time in almost a year, I let myself feel something—really feel something. The tears I had shed in the past were nothing compared to the ones I was crying now. The pain was unbearable. I wanted it to all go away. I wanted to rewind the clock just a little bit. I’d rather deal with my brothers acting like fools than to feel this.

This was the moment everyone close to me was waiting for, the moment when I finally let everything sink in. They were waiting for me to break. I was surprised it wasn’t sooner.

My sobs echoed the breaking of my heart. Speaking for the things I couldn’t say—the one thing I wanted to shout loud enough for everyone to hear; it wasn’t fair! Why was the most beautiful person I’d ever known stripped from this earth before it was her time?

Seeing Ronnie, hearing his plan, brought everything to the surface. Why couldn’t he stay away? Everyone was constantly pushing me, and this time they pushed me too far. I went right over the cliff, and there was no end in sight.

I barely heard the soft knock against the bathroom door over the sound of my own sobs. I held my breath, waiting to see if it was just my imagination, when there was another rap against the wooden door.

I heard a loud sigh and a soft thump against the sturdy wood. My chest heaved as I kept as quiet as I could, my face soaked with tears. I wiped at them furiously, trying to get them to stop. The more I fought against it, the faster they seemed to fall.

My mouth was dry. I licked my lips, tasting the saltiness of my broken heart.

“Brennan . . .” Owen said.

“I’ll be out in a moment.”

I bit my bottom lip. I had to get myself together. I needed to get up off the floor, put a smile on my face, and go on like nothing happened. There was a reason why it had taken so long for me to break—I kept pretending I was fine. It wasn’t healthy, but staying on the cold bathroom floor bawling wasn’t either.

I had to go back to the way I was prior to this. I had to grin it and bear it. Like nothing in the world could get me down. It was the only way I was going to survive.

**Find “This One’s For You”: Amazon Barnes & Noble Goodreads

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**About author, Brandy Jellum: Brandy’s passion for writing began long before she actually sat down to write. As a child, she has had an obsession with reading, everything from the classic stories by Jane Austen to YA Fiction by Richelle Mead. Finally, in 2012, she decided to create her own stories for people to fall in love with. Brandy bounces back and forth writing both Romance and Young Adult Fiction (which is mainly just for fun). At the beginning of 2014, Brandy signed a contract with publishing company Booktrope. She is very excited about the next chapter of her life and cannot wait to share her books and passion with readers. When she isn’t writing, she can be found chasing after her husband, her four children and her black lab, Diesel. Or curled up on her favorite corner of the couch with her newest book.

**Contact Brandy: Website Facebook Twitter

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**GIVEAWAY**

**Click HERE to enter to win the Rafflecopter giveaway!

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EXCERPT: “Clutch: A Novel”

November 3, 2015 1 Comment

“Clutch” A Novel” by Lisa Becker

Blurb: Clutch: A Novel is the laugh-out-loud, chick lit romance chronicling the dating misadventures of Caroline Johnson, a single purse designer who compares her unsuccessful romantic relationships to styles of handbags – the “Hobo” starving artist, the “Diaper Bag” single dad, the “Briefcase” intense businessman, etc. With her best friend, bar owner Mike by her side, the overly-accommodating Caroline drinks a lot of Chardonnay, puts her heart on the line, endures her share of unworthy suitors and finds the courage to discover the “Clutch” or someone she wants to hold onto.

EXCERPT

Mimi Johnson was casually dressed in a brightly-colored blouse with enormous turquoise jewelry and equally-oversized glasses. Despite that largesse, the only thing truly bigger than her personality (and her bosom) was her handbag. It was always perfectly matched to her clothing, shoes, and jewelry. She was like a walking Chico’s advertisement, if you added forty years, forty pounds, and a Virginia Slims cigarette. From her Mary Poppins-like bag, she pulled out a box, impeccably-wrapped in glossy pink paper with a white grosgrain ribbon bow. A cigarette teetered between her two fingers while she produced a lung-hacking cough.

“Open it… <cough, cough> …sweetie. Open it,” she said to her seven-year-old great niece, Caroline, a beautiful and vibrant girl with long blonde hair and oversized blue eyes.

Alive with anticipation, sweet young Caroline eagerly took the box and smiled up at Mimi. She gingerly removed the ribbon, planning to save it for later. The glossy paper was less of interest and she ripped through it quickly. She opened the box and gently lifted out a hot pink purse, adorned with pale pink flowers and rhinestones. An enormous smile overcame her. Caroline nearly set her own hair on fire from Mimi’s cigarette as she bounded into her aunt’s arms.

“Oh, thank you, Aunt Mimi. It’s lovely.”

And that was when Caroline’s love of handbags began. From big and loud ones that would make Mimi proud to unimposing wristlets, from bowler bags to satchels; it didn’t matter if they were made of canvas or calf-skin leather, were distressed or embellished with metal studs. Hell, she didn’t care if you called them pocketbooks or purses. She just loved them all – almost as much as she loved Mimi.

By the time she was a junior in high school and well on her way to being class valedictorian, it was the hundreds of bags Caroline owned that helped her conceptualize her ticket out of her suffocating small Georgian town. She would design handbags. And it was Mimi who was her steadfast cheerleader.

“Caroline, sweetie… <cough, cough> …you find something you love and you just hold onto it.” It had never mattered if Caroline was asking Mimi’s advice about a friend, lover, or career. The advice was always the same: “Find something you love and hold onto it.”

Mimi’s words ever-present in her mind, Caroline headed to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and spent four years in Los Angeles learning everything there was to know to pursue her passion. Then, right out of college, she spent three years working in the design and marketing departments of two of the world’s leading high-end handbag designers.

She was schooled in beauty and how to accessorize the perfectly-coiffed women on the way to their Botox appointments. But Caroline was pulled by the nagging feeling that the very person who had inspired her career, Mimi, could never afford the bags she designed, even if Caroline used her generous employee discount on Mimi’s behalf. And God forbid Mimi would ever accept one as a gift, always preferring to give rather than receive. But Caroline believed there was no reason for anyone to be denied the ultimate in accessories. She saw an untapped market of designing beautiful and affordable bags, but she just wasn’t sure she was start-up potential. Again, it was Mimi who nudged her to learn the business side of things and apply to MBA programs. When Caroline was accepted to Harvard Business School, Mimi of course encouraged her.

“You’ve got this, sweetie. <cough, cough>,” she said. “It’s in the bag.”

***

Caroline was sitting in Financial Reporting and Control on her first day of Harvard classes (and yes, the class turned out to be as boring as it sounded). That’s when she first eyed Mike, who was wearing a faded pair of Levi jeans, a washed-out vintage Rolling Stones T-shirt, and Converse sneakers. He oozed charisma. Turning her head away from him and back toward the front of the lecture hall, Caroline thought that if he were a handbag, he would be a grey leather tote – confident and dependable, but not trying too hard.

Mike surveyed the large lecture hall as he walked in, a Starbucks coffee cup in each hand. After descending the steps slowly, he took a seat next to Caroline and planted one of the white and green cups on her desk.

Flashing a wide, dimpled smile, which she mused he reserved for getting girls to drop their panties, he said, “Here. You look like you’re going to need this.”

“Thanks,” she replied in a suspicious tone, turning her head sideways to look at him and raising an eyebrow.

“I’m Mike,” he said, again flashing a smile and reaching out for a handshake.

“I’m Caroline. Thanks for the…”

“Latte.”

“Latte,” she confirmed. “Thanks. But just so you know, I’m not gonna sleep with you,” she said in an apparent attempt to establish up front she wasn’t taken in by his obvious charm.

“I know,” he replied matter-of-factly.

Before she could respond, Professor Beauregard, a stout man with excessive eyebrows, spoke up.

“Please take note of where you are seated. I will send around a seating chart for you to mark your spot. This will be your seat for the remainder of the semester.”

“Looks like we’ll be seatmates,” Mike said, grinning at her.

“Looks like it,” she replied.

***

About three months into the first semester, Caroline learned that her fun-loving, easy-going new best buddy Mike wasn’t exactly who he appeared to be.

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About the author: In addition to Clutch: A Novel, Lisa Becker is the author of the Click Trilogy, a contemporary romance series comprised ofClick: An Online Love Story, Double Click and Right Click. She’s written bylined articles about dating and relationships for “Cupid’s Pulse,” “The Perfect Soulmate,” “GalTime,” “Single Edition,” “Healthy B Daily” and “Chick Lit Central” among others. She lives in Manhattan Beach, California with her husband and two daughters.

**Contact Lisa: Web Facebook Twitter YouTube Pinterest

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**Click HERE to enter to win a Beaded Clutch from Mei Vintage!

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BOOK EXCERPT: “Up To I Do”

September 30, 2015 1 Comment

Blurb: Emerson Sinclair, twenty-seven year old hotel heiress, has said yes. With just over a year to plan her extravagant, over the top nuptials to Logan Worthington, it’s all hands on deck with the wedding plans. A Sinclair marrying into the Worthington family is the talk of their small New Hampshire town, and ideas include filming the wedding for a TV segment. But as the items get checked off the list, plans start to go … not as planned. From not getting a designer dress to a selfish bridesmaid and unaccountable best man, Emerson is afraid her wedding will be more a joke than anything.
When both her mother and sister seemingly begin to lose interest in her wedding plans in favor of their own personal lives, Emerson fears her big day will turn into the forgotten wedding. With the pressure to pull off a beautiful and elegant event that everyone expects from their respectable families, Emerson starts to forget the reason why she is saying I Do in the first place.

EXCERPT

Chapter Nine

MyWeddingPlans.com Status Update: Nearly lost a bridesmaid today. #needaredo #redhotmess

The day of the bridesmaid dress appointment felt similar to picking out my wedding dress. Once again, Mom, Grams, Milly, Sienna, and the rest of the bridesmaids gathered at the house for breakfast. Delilah had even made the trip down once again, and we were going to have a sleepover at Milly’s that night with the three of us. I couldn’t wait.

Once we were finished eating, we were off in the limo once again to the bridal shop where I had purchased my dress. I had to put my foot down on this. Evie (and also Honor and a tad bit of Tatiana if I’m honest) pushed for a New York trip to find the bridesmaid dress, throwing out all these top-notch shops filled with designer dresses. But . . . if I couldn’t have a designer dress, why would my maids wear one? I had finally come to terms that I had my dream dress and it just happened not to be a big name designer. I couldn’t handle if the other girls had one. The men were wearing Vera Wang for God’s sake. Cut me a little slack here.

Once we arrived at the store and were greeted warmly by Sandra, the owner, she ushered us to the back and I sat on the throne—a big fluffy red chair reserved for brides. Milly handed me scorecards that she had made so I could rate each dress from 1-10, and Sandra explained what would happen. We had fifteen minutes to walk around the store and grab dresses, then the fun would begin. Pretty simple.

On her mark, the lot of us scattered like marbles on a wood floor, on the hunt for the perfect bridesmaid dress. I managed to pull two, getting overwhelmed quickly by all the choices. How would I ever find one? Maybe each girl could wear a different dress in the same color. Would that be too busy? Did I care? Why was I here? Couldn’t I have made Katrina handle this on her own? But no, she probably would have been sucked into going to New York as well. It was better I was here and in control.

“Time!” Sandra stood in the middle of the floor, and I realized then that we were the only people in the store, which I had to think was unusual for a Saturday morning. I wondered if Mom had reserved the space solely for us. That was sweet and a necessity I hadn’t even thought of because I wasn’t sure I could concentrate if a bunch of other bridesmaids were traipsing along the aisles.

After handing my choices over to Sandra and taking a seat at the throne, I waited anxiously for the girls to come out. Each was coming out first in a pick of their own, and I was curious to see what each girl’s style was going to be. Milly was the exception. Since she was my maid of honor, I was going to let her off the hook for trying dresses on. I figured we had enough girls around. She had thanked me profusely that morning for the favor.

“Got your scorecards at the ready?” Sienna asked me, her eyes bright. As the countdown to the big day got closer, Sienna seemed to be more and more in her element. I think Mom was relieved she was taking some of the pressure off her, especially with the pageant taking up more time than she expected it to.

I held up the thick cards that Milly had clearly put a lot of time into. “Ready to roll!”

Sandra cleared her throat and started listing off the designer names and the dress features. Honor was in a strapless dress that fell to the knee, with a belted waist and crumb catcher top. Delilah’s dress also featured a crumb catcher top (these two were so alike it could be scary) but hers had no belt and was less structured than Honor’s. Tatiana had a long strapless dress with a keyhole in the chest area—a little too risqué in my opinion. Evie . . . Evie. Evie was in a short hot pink dress that dipped low in the back, nearly to her crack, and her boobs were pushed up so high I was sure a nip slip was going to happen in the store. How in the world that was a suitable bridesmaid dress for anyone was beyond me. I couldn’t even look at her.

“Gabby’s dress is my favorite out of this group,” I said, my eyes immediately going to her soft chiffon dress with delicate straps and a ruched bodice. It fit her well and looked so pretty and feminine. And to be honest—a crumb catcher scared me. Even the name was just plain weird.

“You have a little diversity here with styles and even lengths,” Sandra said, standing by me. “Let’s focus on Honor and Delilah first, since they are similar. Do you like the crumb catcher top?”

I held up a scorecard with a 4 on it. “Sorry, ladies. I think those tops are weird.”

“Emerson!” They both screeched, looking at one another and laughing. Milly joined in from her perch on the chair next to me.

“I bet this would look great in your wedding,” Delilah said, patting Honor on the arm, who I think turned a little pale at that. “Or yours, Milly. And I can’t wait to hear all about this Miles tonight!”

Milly blushed as we all—even Grams and Sienna—hooted at her. “Yeah, yeah, let’s get back to the task at hand. So nothing fashion forward for the bride. No crumb catcher. Got it.”

“How about Tatiana’s? What do you think of a long dress?” Sandra asked.

I flipped through my stack and held up a 7. “I like this one more, but I’m not sure about long. Most of the pictures I’ve been pinning are short.”

“Long tends to work better for more formal weddings,” Mom said as her cell phone started to ring, piercing through the quiet store. “My gracious, my apologies. I thought I turned the ringer off.” She fumbled in her Prada for her phone, looking at the screen and frowning. “It’s the pageant. Again. Third call this morning. I’m sorry, let me just step outside quick and I’ll be back in a shake.” She rushed outside without even grabbing her coat, and I stared at her retreating back, frowning. For someone who was donating her time and efforts to the pageant cause, she sure was pretty invested in that event.

Shaking my head, I focused again at the task at hand. “Let’s keep it long then,” I said. “I like the idea of a more formal wedding, so if that will help with the pictures, let’s do it. And it’ll be September, so not like the girls will be overheated or anything.”

“Long it is,” Grams confirmed.

“Let’s move to Gabby’s,” Sandra suggested.

“I thought you didn’t want chiffon,” Milly said, remembering a conversation we had in the past about bridesmaid dresses.

“I didn’t think I did, but seeing it on her, it looks really good. I especially like how it’s tight in the middle. I think it would be really flattering on everyone.” I eyed the dress, liking it more with each passing second. I held up a 9. “This is a serious contender.”

Sandra cleared her throat. “And how about . . . Evie’s?”

Everyone was silent. “No,” I said simply.

Evie stomped a foot. “But, Emerson, this color is gorgeous! And not to diss any of these other top-notch dresses, but this one really is the best.” Her tone dripped in sarcasm.

I raised a brow. “No,” I said again. “I’m not even going to touch on how hideous that dress is—no offense, Sandra—or how inappropriate it would be for not only my wedding, but the majority of weddings that take place. Now go back, pick a dress that is actually suitable, and come back. Or leave. I honestly don’t care which.” I folded my arms and stared at her.

She wavered under my glare—I saw it. “Fine.” She flounced away and everyone stood frozen to their spots, not sure of what to say.

Sandra cleared her throat. “Well, um, a successful first round. Let’s head back into the dressing room and I’ll do one of your picks, Emerson, along with picks from the others in the group.” Sandra ushered my maids away and I leaned back in the chair, replacing all the score cards and gearing up for round two.

**Check out the “Up To I Do” book links: Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo Goodreads

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**About the author: Samantha March is an author, editor, publisher, blogger, and all around book lover. She runs the popular book/women’s lifestyle blog ChickLitPlus, which keeps her bookshelf stocked with the latest reads and up to date on all things health, fitness, fashion, and celebrity related. In 2011 she launched her independent publishing company Marching Ink and has three published novels – Destined to Fail, The Green Ticket and A Questionable Friendship. When she isn’t reading, writing, or blogging, you can find her cheering for the Green Bay Packers. Samantha lives in Iowa with her husband and Vizsla puppy.

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AUTHOR & BOOK FEATURE: “Afraid of Her Shadow” by Carol Maloney Scott

September 29, 2015 Leave a Comment

“Afraid of Her Shadow” by Carol Maloney Scott

Blurb: Forty something, self-proclaimed cougar, Rebecca is committed only to her cats and her career. Her veteran single girl lifestyle has been peaceful and happy – that is until she started dating age-appropriate Steve, an entomology professor with a sweet smile and demeanor to match. Who knew an insect scientist could be so appealing?

The problem? Steve is a widower with baggage to spare. Memories of his late wife fill his home. Smiling photos and jars of bugs serve as constant reminders of Steve’s continued attachment to his dearly departed wife, Noreen, who shared his passion for creepy crawlies!

Now that Rebecca is facing her commitment phobia by moving in with Steve, she is becoming more unhinged. Behaving more like her zany friends than her level-headed self, she burns her butt at the tanning salon, crashes on energy drinks, and even loses a hamster. Throw into the mix a few delusional relatives, a sarcastic teenager, and a fluffy dog who sheds a new dog every day, and Rebecca doesn’t recognize her old self.

And if that isn’t enough to push her over the edge, her smokin’ hot ex returns, reminding her of a simpler time with a man who carries no more baggage than a wallet.

EXCERPT

Steve is an Entomology professor at the state university downtown. Yes, I am dating a nerdy science guy. Apparently, there are a handful of students who are passionate about bugs, or “insect biology.” I took Bio in ninth grade and I tried to be sick as much as possible during the bug study unit. Steve’s wife, Noreen was a high school Biology teacher. The love of creepy crawlies was something they apparently had in common. Something I can’t give him.

“My ass isn’t little anymore, and I love your stories, except when you start to explain about the claustrophobic foundation and the genital grabbers.” My eyes cross when he brings up these topics, but it is an awesome insomnia treatment, especially when coupled with hair caressing. I just love having my head… “What did you say?”

Steve is practically doubled over in his chair. “Love, its claustral foundation and genital claspers.”

I look down and bite my lip. “Oh. Honestly, I don’t even see how the first one is different. Don’t the termite king and queen hide and make babies by feeding off their fat or something? And I know some other bug grabs its mate during sex. Claspers, grabbers, close enough.”

He rubs his eyes beneath his glasses and smiles. “Hey, there’s something I want to tell you.” Steve gently places his wine glass on the table and rolls the stem between his fingers.

My breath catches just in time for the waitress to appear with our food and all sorts of enthusiasm. Steve told her it was our anniversary so she is hamming it up. I want her to drop the crabs (which look like big bugs) and run, so I can hear this big announcement. He doesn’t have a little velvet box in…?

**Find “Afraid of Her Shadow” now! Amazon Goodreads

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Describe your writing style in five words: Witty. Fresh. Real. Honest. Brave.

What made you want to be an author? As a little girl I wrote non-stop, churning out story after story. Then it all stopped in adolescence – so I had writer’s block for about 30 years.

Now the flood gates have opened, and the universe has unplugged my creative blockage – and the words are flying out of me. In the car – I have to pull off the road. In the shower – I need waterproof paper. In bed – I dream of new stories and have to sleep with my iPhone and it’s many lists.

So that bitch, Writer’s Block, is now history. The words are flowing like a waterfall or the liquor at an Irish wedding. I am no longer expecting any dry days ahead, now that I have rediscovered my first love.

I write because I can’t stop. I love it.

Hard/paperback or eBooks? I love the feel of a real book in my hands, and I especially love to see many books on my shelves. Books are a beautiful decorative home accessory. But I have embraced the Kindle as well. The convenience and the lower cost of e-books have made it impossible to resist.

Do you have any writing rituals? I like to have a drink nearby, and I write better when no one is home. Even if my husband or son are not in my space, just knowing I might be interrupted at any moment messes with my creative flow. I would greatly benefit from a solitary writer’s retreat weekend every now and then.

Salty or sweet? Hmm. I love those candy bars with the peanuts. Payday, that’s what they’re called. They are the perfect combination of both tastes. However, my sweet tooth will always win out!

Where do you get ideas for your books? My books are inspired by real life events, but much of the stories come out of my never ending imagination. I can’t stop thinking of ideas. Of course I don’t sleep very well and stare into space a lot.

If you could meet any other author, who would it be? I would like to meet Laurie Notaro. Her hilarious stories of her own life, as well as her fiction, have inspired me to write. And I know I would have a fabulous time hanging out with her, talking about dogs and stupid things we’ve both done – two of her favorite things that I share.

What time of day do you seem to work best? I am not a morning person. I prefer to sleep through morning and pretend it never happened. Afternoons are best for me, or early evening. Too late in the evening my creativity wanes again.

What must every author have? A private writing space decorated with their favorite things. A good quality computer. Pretty pens – I have a wiener dog pen that makes my chuckle. Colorful notebooks. Oh, and something inspiring. I have a Wonder Woman stuffed doll from the Hallmark store. Oh, and good lighting. I can’t see a damn thing anymore.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I see myself with at least 10-15 books published, and a revenue stream that will allow me to quit my day job. I also see myself blogging regularly and traveling to promote my books.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given? Don’t skimp on quality, whether it be in editing, cover design, formatting, advertising, etc. Pay the pros and invest in your business. You are investing in yourself.

Can you tell us about any of your upcoming projects? Book 3 of my Rom-Com on the Edge series is due out in January! The first draft is complete and I am hard at work on the polishing before it goes to my editor for his suggestions. It’s called The Juggling Act and is the continuation of Claire’s story from There Are No Men, my first book in the series.

My first two books, There Are No Men and Afraid of Her Shadow were told in first person, present tense from a single character’s point of view. The Juggling Act mixes it up a bit and will be narrated in first person present tense, but from the point of view of four characters. It was great fun to get into the heads of the other characters, and I hope readers will enjoy a different twist on my existing story line.

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About the author: Carol Maloney Scott, author of the Rom-Com on the Edge series, is a frazzled new bride and wiener dog fanatic. Recently unearthing a childhood passion for writing, she can once again be seen carrying around a notebook and staring into space. Her stories are witty, fresh and real, just like life.

**Contact Carol: Email Facebook Twitter

BOOK FEATURE: “Love on the Rocks: A Positano Tale”

September 16, 2015 1 Comment

“Love on the Rocks: A Positano Tale” by Catie Costa

Blurb: Two American women spend a summer in Positano, Italy, the Pearl of the Amalfi, where there is no shortage of delicious food, sparkly prosecco, and romantic confusion.

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EXCERPT

Bridget flipped through the photo album labeled “Positano.” She and her best friend, Kit, had started the album two summers ago when they had returned from their first visit to the seaside resort. The girls conceded that the cliffside town had cast some sort of spell over them that summer. What had it been about that first summer: the lazy beach days; the hot, prosec- co-downing nights at the disco? Yes, of course. But more than those things, it had been about the people they’d met there.

Bridget perused the pages of the album and sighed nostalgically. There was Tino in front of his ceramics shop; the Americans they’d met at the disco; there was bespectacled Lassino sticking his tongue out at Kit; and there was Paolo. Paolo, with his prominent nose, bright-blue eyes, and gor- geous white teeth. Paolo and Bridget, well, what had transpired between them during this last trip had been completely harmless, although a bit out of character for Bridget. There was nothing wrong with what she’d done, per se. Everybody did stuff like that on vacation. That’s what they said. Whoever “they” were. Bridget remembered the night all too well…

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**About author, Catie Costa: Catie has traveled all over Western Europe, with repeated trips to Ireland and Italy. She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay area.

**Contact Catie: Website Facebook Twitter

BOOK BLITZ: “When Girlfriends Find Love”

August 26, 2015 1 Comment

“When Girlfriends Find Love” by Savannah Page

Blurb: Sophie Wharton is in control. Whether life is going according to plan or throwing her for a loop, Sophie is determined to remain calm and in charge. It’s no wonder she’s the successful owner of one of Seattle’s most charming cafés, The Cup and the Cake. Her lemon meringue cupcakes, petite French treats, and cappuccinos always leave customers coming back for more. Naturally, her camaraderie of college girlfriends are still thick as thieves a decade later. And it should come as no surprise that she has her own cozy apartment in the hip part of town and grand goals for her future.

Of course Sophie has had her share of rough times, and recently some unexpected surprises have emerged. Her best friend Claire has moved across the state, the demands of her café are mounting, and some major changes among her circle of friends are shaking things up. But it’s nothing Sophie can’t handle.

When it comes to her love life, however, Single Sophie’s at a loss. She approaches it the way she does nearly everything in life–by trying to call all the shots. But love doesn’t work that way, and as Sophie examines her past relationships–thinking back on romantic trysts in Paris; college mistakes; the relationship responsible for the Year of Heartbreak–she must come to accept that love is an unpredictable, untamable, and often unexpected force.

This is the witty and heartwarming conclusion of the When Girlfriends collection, a novel about examining the past, moving forward, and following your heart. It’s a story about friendship, relationships, acceptance, and learning to love again. About what happens when girlfriends find love.

EXCERPT

“You’re crazy, girlfriend!” Jackie wails loudly over the quiet jazz music streaming from the iPod dock in my living room. “A guy asks you out on a date—single Sophie on a date—and you say no?! What are you smoking?”

“Stop it,” I say, carefully cutting out a picture of a swanky forest-green wingback chair from a magazine page. “If the spark’s not there, the spark’s not there.”

“Here,” Lara says. She reaches over me to retrieve a pair of scissors.

Jackie’s been pleading with all the girls to help her cut out pictures of interior decorating items for what she calls her “Inspiration Notebook.” She insisted that it was something all the girls did in her sorority when they wanted to redecorate their room, plan a party, even figure out what kind of gown to wear to the philanthropic ball. She’s certain it’ll help her with indecisive clients who don’t quite know what they want for their interior design project but aren’t fans of letting go and giving in to experimentation, allowing Jackie to work her magic unapproved.

I asked Jackie if she’d ever heard of Pinterest, and she told me to shut up and just cut.

“Oh, this book will look great!” Jackie gushes, looking fondly at the mess of cut-out images covering my large coffee table, some having floated to the carpet below. She excitedly claps her hands, scissors in one, a magazine page in the other.

“But not to get off topic.” Jackie points the scissors at me accusingly.

“Oh, Jack,” I moan. “Stop it or I’ll cut this picture all jig-jag.”

“You will not.” She purses her lips as she goes to work on her own cut-out. “You don’t have the balls.” She snickers. “Just like you don’t have the balls to go out on a date. Gaw.”

“Come on, Jack,” Lara says, pulling out that maternal card of hers. “Don’t pester her too much. If the guy’s not the right one, he’s not the right one.”

“Thanks, Lara,” I say.

“How will she ever know if he’s the right one if she’s not goin’ out on a date and hittin’ the sheets?” Jackie cackles loudly, tossing her head back in mirth.

“Whatevs, Jackie.” I finish cutting out the wingback chair, not a single crooked cut. “I’m just not…I don’t know…ready.”

“Well whatevs,” Jackie says all huffy as she retrieves a few magazines from her large Louis Vuitton handbag. “When you’re tired of cutting we can go back to searching. I brought tons of mags.” She waves the magazines about.

“Yes, please,” Lara says with a sigh. She immediately turns in her scissors for a copy of Design & Redesign. “My fingers are going to fall off.”

“I don’t even know why you’re waiting, Sophie, sitting around and passing on dates like this.” Jackie looks at me with a blank face. “I mean, what the hell are you waiting for? You think love’s just going to come a-knocking? You’ve got to search for it!” She slaps the top of the coffee table with vivaciousness. “Go after it, attack it, fight for it!”

“Damn,” Lara says, peering over her opened magazine. “Someone’s a tiger.”

“That’s right.” Jackie sits up higher on her legs, which are tucked underneath her in her seat on the floor. “You have nothing to lose by dating this Dean guy, right? It could be a nice way to get you back out on the market. You have been off the market for so long. I mean, when’s the last time you had sex, Sophie? You’ve probably forgotten how to do it!”

“Ha, ha. Whatever.” I try to dismiss the topic. “I’m not interested in Dean for sex, anyway.”

“Or for anything, I take it?” Lara says judiciously.

“Yeah.” I give a one-armed shrug. “I guess.”

“How about you go out on one date just to get to know him?” Jackie raises both brows inquisitively.

“I’ve gotten to know him, Jack. He’s at the café all the time. We’ve talked before. And,” I lean into the coffee table and point the scissors at Jackie, “if after all that I still have no interest in him…then…well…”

“Take a chance!”

“Take a chance?” I wag my head.

“We’ve all taken chances!” Jackie looks from me to Lara, who’s now abandoned her magazine and is looking at the both of us thoughtfully.

“Me with Andrew,” Jackie continues, “getting back together this summer! Major chance. Claire and Conner getting married! Robin and Bobby tying the knot, too. Marriage is one big chance. And Lara!” Her eyes dart back to Lara. “She’s taking a chance on Worth, even though that Nathan guy tore her heart out, the son-of-a-bitch-bastard. I so should have given him a real piece of my mind…slashed his tires, or—”

“Thanks, Jack,” Lara says with a flutter of the lashes.

Jackie crosses her arms over her chest and huffs and puffs a bit. Then she blurts out, “And after she shacked up with that Paul guy from work!”

“Thank you, Jackie,” Lara says, her words louder and more pronounced. “We get the picture.”

“She’s made some horrible choices along the way,” Jackie runs on.

I try my hardest to suppress a big burst of laughter at Lara’s growing exhaustion at hearing the run-down of her life’s less-than-stellar choices when it comes to the opposite sex.

“And I’ve made some horrible ones, too!” Jackie says, finally taking the heat off her BFF. “I’ve done a ton of jacked-up shit in my life, and I can’t even begin to tell you the number of lousy choices I’ve made, chances I’ve taken. But babe.” She rests a manicured hand on my arm. “Oh, Sophie, Sophie. If you don’t take those chances and risk something, even if it means your dignity, your virginity, or your homecoming crown, once upon a time.” She titters like a little girl. “If you don’t take a risk, you’ll end up living a half-lived life. Trust me, I know all about that.”

“Girls,” I sigh. I lean back against the sofa and cross my arms, sinking slightly further down in my position on the floor.

“She’s kind of got a point,” Lara says. “I mean, I disagree with a good seventy-five percent of what she’s spewing.” She puckishly tosses a wadded magazine page at Jackie. “But, she does have a point. It’s one date. One harmless date. If things truly aren’t going anywhere, then you can just tell Dean thanks but no thanks and move on.”

“At least you tried!” Jackie cuts in.

“Yeah,” Lara says with a nod, “at least you tried.”

“Make it a no-strings-attached kind of thing.” Jackie flashes me her bleach-white, million-dollar smile.

“I’m not sleeping with him, Jackie, if that’s what you’re hinting at.” I raise one brow.

“I’m not saying you need to test out those goods,” she defends with a groan. “Although that’s not the worst idea ever.” She simpers to herself. “Just a…you’ve-got-nothing-to-lose thing.”

“No strings, yeah,” Lara agrees. “You expect nothing, he expects nothing. Just—I don’t know—I guess let him know you’re not really looking for a relationship—”

“Liiiiie,” Jackie interrupts in a high-pitched, singsong voice. “You so want a relationship, Sophie. You want that L-O-V-E! I can see it in your eyes.”

“Whatever,” Lara brushes off, leaving Jackie to her own personal bout of giggles. “He expects nothing from the date, and you expect nothing from it; no-strings-attached. Nothing but fun and getting to know someone.”

“Yes!” Jackie shouts. She makes a fist and pumps it against her side. “Just fun!”

“Come on.” Lara opens her magazine, eyes still on me. “Think about it.”

“Fine,” I say at last. “But not until after Thanksgiving. The holidays are a busy time, and—”

“That’s just around the corner,” Jackie cuts in.

Lara says that’s right as Jackie presses with, “We have a deal then, yes? A no-strings-attached, crawling-out-of-your-hole, getting-some-action date in a couple of weeks?”

I pick up a loose cut-out from the floor and say, “I don’t like the idea.”

“Sophie,” Jackie drawls.

“Fine,” I say, reluctant. “Deal.”

It’s not like I haven’t done a no-strings-attached arrangement before, I think as I busy myself with a new cut-out. That just didn’t go as planned, that’s all. Sex was involved, so that was probably the problem. The thing totally spiraled out of control. But that’s okay, because I’ve learned from my mistakes. I can forge ahead a wiser and more experienced woman now.

I catch Lara’s eyes on mine over the top of her magazine, and I give a weak smile. “No strings attached, Sophie,” she says merrily. “And you’ve got weeks to think about it, anyway.”

“Yeah,” I say, but I think, I don’t need weeks to think about a no-strings-attached arrangement. All I need to do is close my eyes and remember.

**Buy “When Girlfriends Find Love”: Amazon – US Amazon – UK iBooks Kobo Nook

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**About author, Savannah Page: Savannah Page is the author of the seven-novel When Girlfriends collection, heartfelt women’s fiction that celebrates friendship, love, and life sprinkled with drama and humor. When she isn’t writing, Savannah enjoys a good book with a latte and jazz tunes, Pilates, and exploring her home of Berlin as an American expat.

**Contact Savannah: Website & Blog Facebook Instagram Twitter

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