Jennifer Snow's Blog: A Brookhollow Story... - Posts Tagged "harlequin"
Excerpt from Book 1-The Trouble With Mistletoe
Hi Everyone!
Welcome to my Brookhollow Blog:) With my third book in the series releasing in four days, I thought I'd post several excerpts this week from book 1-The Trouble With Mistletoe and book 2-What A Girl Wants.
Excerpt from The Trouble With Mistletoe:
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.”
I'd love to hear your thoughts below:) Stay tuned for an excerpt from What A Girl Wants tomorrow!
xo
Jen
Welcome to my Brookhollow Blog:) With my third book in the series releasing in four days, I thought I'd post several excerpts this week from book 1-The Trouble With Mistletoe and book 2-What A Girl Wants.
Excerpt from The Trouble With Mistletoe:
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.”
I'd love to hear your thoughts below:) Stay tuned for an excerpt from What A Girl Wants tomorrow!
xo
Jen
Excerpt from Book 2-What A Girl Wants
Hi Everyone!
As promised, here is an excerpt from book two in the series-What A Girl Wants:)
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.
xo
Jen
As promised, here is an excerpt from book two in the series-What A Girl Wants:)
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.
xo
Jen
SnowGlobe Award Contest
Hi Everyone!
The SnowGlobe Award contest is now open for entries, but due to the amazing level of interest this year, if you wish to enter, you will need to have contacted me for an entry form by Oct 1st, as space is filling up:) The facebook page for the contest is www.facebook.com/snowglobeaward Please like us to get contest updates and info about mini-contests and giveaways throughout the season!
Thanks!
xo
Jen
www.snowglobeawardcontest.vpweb.ca
The SnowGlobe Award contest is now open for entries, but due to the amazing level of interest this year, if you wish to enter, you will need to have contacted me for an entry form by Oct 1st, as space is filling up:) The facebook page for the contest is www.facebook.com/snowglobeaward Please like us to get contest updates and info about mini-contests and giveaways throughout the season!
Thanks!
xo
Jen
www.snowglobeawardcontest.vpweb.ca
A Brookhollow Story...
A blog about my Harlequin Heartwarming small-town contemporary romance series.
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