Reluctant Hearts: Four Contemporary Romances by Linda Griffin

Four couples, four stories: 

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Credit: Cover art by Jennifer Greeff

💗Darien Francis and Richard Li meet during a bank robbery, but she’s afraid to love again.
💗Shane Kenniston and Beth Parker are reacquainted years after she had a crush on him, but she is a recent widow, and Shane’s life was upended by a false accusation.
💗David Early and Kate Howard meet in the laundromat, but her life is consumed by the needs of her disabled child, and David isn’t ready for the responsibility.
💗Realtor Frank Ellison meets Kayla Barnes at an open house, but a mistaken first impression derails any chance of romance.
Can they all overcome the obstacles to love?

Now for a 3-minute date with Linda…

Ice cream (favorite flavor)?

I can’t eat real ice cream, but I love Ben & Jerry’s cherry Garcia frozen yogurt. My store hasn’t had it lately, so I’ve been eating Kroger’s caramel praline. I like it best with raspberries, Hershey’s chocolate syrup, and Cool Whip. Yum!

What does your desk look like?

It’s pictured here. The photo is a bit dated, as you can see by the Windows 7 book on the shelf, but it hasn’t changed much. The chair is hard enough to be good for my back, and it’s also a family heirloom, as it originally belonged to my grandmother. 

Where is your favorite place you've visited (or wish to visit)?

It’s hard to choose just one. I loved both Alaska with its calving glaciers and Hawaii with its beautiful flowers and beaches. One place that was very meaningful to me was Helen Keller’s home in Alabama. The place I’d most like to visit and haven’t yet is the Netherlands. Samuel Pepys visited in the 17th century and John Adams in the 18th  and both noted how clean and friendly it was. It still has that reputation, plus art museums, canals, tulips, and windmills! 

If you could meet one famous person, living or dead, who would it be?

Another tough choice with lots of answers, but today I’ll say Sidney Godolphin. I fell in love with him (as played by John Standing) when the First Churchills first aired and read a great deal of background with the idea of writing a historical novel about him and his wife. I’d love to interview him. 

Favorite childhood book?

Lots of answers here too! My mother subscribed to the Readers Digest Condensed Books, and a favorite I found there was Karen by Marie Killilea, about her daughter who had cerebral palsy. I was so young when I first read it that I didn’t know what the word “decade” meant. Karen was my childhood hero, triumphing over all her challenges, and my sister and I would “play Karen” by using sticks as crutches, until the neighbors complained that we were mocking the disabled. That puzzled me, because when we pretended our bicycles were horses nobody thought we were mocking cowboys. Karen may be the reason two of my heroines have disabled children.

An excerpt…

It’s a good thing you’re not attracted to me.” 

“What?” 

She peered at him, sniffling, and dabbed at her eyes. “You’re not, are you?”           

“Which answer will get me in the least trouble?” he asked.

 She laughed shakily. She felt a lot better. “If you were before, you wouldn’t be now.” He gave her another tissue, and she managed to get most of the mascara off. He rubbed away a stray smudge with his thumb, and his fingers brushed her cheek. The soft touch was even more comforting than being held in his arms. She closed her eyes.                  

He kissed her. It was the briefest pressure of his lips against hers, gentle and sweet, but she felt it deep inside. She opened her eyes. His were wide with surprise. “I think we just went off the clock,” she said. 

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Credit: Photo by Laurens Antoine

Does Birth Order Matter? by Amber Cross

Birth Order Matters, Right?

by Amber Cross

I find it fascinating how birth order affects us and shapes our personalities, evident in my LOVE IN THE KINGDOM books.

Abby is the oldest child of parents who split up; an overachiever, spunky, brilliant, and absolutely devoted to her younger brothers. Meet her in Precedent for Passion:

Their attraction set a precedent no one else could match…

Abby's imagination hadn't been playing tricks with her memory. Glen Plankey is still so attractive he makes her toes curl, even fifteen years after first meeting him in a court room. And that voice! Deep and authoritative, she practically melts into a puddle at the sound of it. She can't wait to see more of him. Glen can't get away fast enough. Everything about Abby reminds him of a terrible day in his life, yet his brain turns to adolescent mush at her curves and his heart skips a beat every time she smiles. Soon undeniable attraction leads to scorching passion and grows into a true love affair. But is it strong enough to survive when he thinks she has played him for a fool?

I can’t remember if I planned to write the brothers’ stories when I began Precedent for Passion, but by the end I knew. Follow Romney’s story in Tender Possession:

Can he charm his way into her heart?

Emmeline Charbonneau spent most of her life protecting others from her father's violent mood swings and erratic behavior. Now that he's gone she isn't so much relieved as cast adrift. She desperately needs an anchor. Romney Wilson is his mother's second son and his father's second child. Success may take him all over the world, but he is still that youngest sibling trying to find his place in it. Quite simply, he needs to be needed. The connection between them is immediate and strong. But can she trust this impulsive and spontaneous charmer to stick around? And will he get past her wall of self-preservation only to scare her away?

David “grounds” his brilliant siblings. The reliable middle child. Unflappable until he meets the exciting Jonnie Moulton in Open Door to Love:

A hot chef in a cold climate makes this wild woman want to settle down…

Jonnie Moulton's chance for a fresh start as Somerset's marketing consultant might be over before it begins unless she can convince David Wang she knows what she's doing and isn't the desperate woman he met three years ago. This confident new Jonnie makes David's blood sizzle. He plans to keep her close and not just because she's living in one of his resort cabins. He "gets" her like no one else. She excites him more every day. But is this simply passion, or have they found an open door to love?

Find Amber’s books online:

I thought I was done, but Lisa had her own ideas. HR director at the hospital in Tender Possession, Jonnie’s best friend in Open Door to Love, she screamed, “Write my story!” So I did: A Full-Bodied Love.

Speed-dating round: 

Find Amber online: Website ~ Facebook page ~ Amazon Author Page ~ Bookbub Profile

In an alternate reality, what would be your dream job (besides author)?

I would be an acrobat in the circus, because I could do all the things I loved as a child-swing, ride ponies, twirl a baton, and strut to music.

Where would you visit if you could go anywhere?

St. Petersburg, Russia. I’d love to see the colorful houses and skate on the river.

If you could meet one famous person, living or dead, who would it be?

Queen Rania of Jordan. When she first came into power, she announced an ambitious and very progressive agenda for the women of her country. Since then, that agenda has been drastically scaled back but I think might be even more effective as a result. I’d love to sit with her for an afternoon.

You’re a new addition to the crayon box. What color would you be and why?

Flaming orange, because orange is my favorite color and there aren’t that many shades of it in the crayon box.

You find a $100 bill in your purse/bag, what would you spend it on?

Fresh flowers, a book, a big salad, and then I’d probably use the rest for mundane things like gas, bread, and milk.

Favorite childhood book?

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Favorite book of all time?

A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich (published 1928)