It’s always fun to discover new authors, new books and new blog tour coordinators. Today I’m delighted to be participating in the book blitz for PROMISES UNDER THE PEACH TREE by Joanne Rock, organized by Lola’s Blog Tours.PROMISES UNDER THE PEACH TREE is a contemporary romance story geared toward adults and releases today. To follow Joanne’s book blitz, which runs through Sept. 8, you can view the complete blitz schedule here.
As part of the book blitz, Joanne is sharing an excerpt from her book and hosting a tour-wide giveaway. Please see the end of the post for the more details on this awesome giveaway, which is open to both U.S. and international winners.
First, here’s a brief summary of the tantalizing story:
The trouble with Heartache
Nina Spencer swore she was done with Heartache, Tennessee, when she left the town—and her sexy ex, Mack—in her rearview mirror. But when her bakery business is rocked by scandal, she needs a place to regroup. What she doesn’t need is Mack Finley reminding her of peach-flavored kisses and the hold he still has on her.
Mack never forgot Nina—not that he didn’t try. Yet between caring for his family and organizing the annual Harvest Fest, he’s overwhelmed and he needs Nina’s help. They can work together without getting swept up in memories and the rush of brand-new passion…right?
You can find PROMISES UNDER THE PEACH TREE on Goodreads. You can buy the book at the following sites:
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- Kobo
- Books A Million
- IndieBound
- iBooks
Three-time RITA nominee Joanne Rock never met a romance subgenre she didn’t enjoy. The author of over sixty romances from contemporary to medieval historical, Joanne dreams of one day penning a book for every Harlequin series. A former Golden Heart recipient, she has won numerous awards for her stories.
You can learn more about Joanne’s imaginative Muse by visiting her online at the following locations:
- Website
- Goodreads
- Amazon page
- Google +
- Tumblr
- Youtube
- Joanne Rock’s Romance Wiki
AN EXCERPT ……….
“Mack?” She stopped, certain she recognized the shape of those shoulders.
His back was to her, but as he turned around, she was certain. The dark shadows from an overhanging live oak couldn’t hide the way he moved. Or the electric current that reached out through the night, a predictable tug in her chest that told her it was Mack.
“Calling it a night?” he asked, his swing drifting gently from side to side, his feet on the ground. The chains overhead clanked together as he pivoted around to see her.
Her heart rate kicked up. Another predictable side effect of Mack. How had she ever thought she was over him?
“I’m glad you’re here.” She started toward him, knowing she needed to do something about this strained awkwardness between them. “I wanted to apologize for sounding like Miss Marriage Know-It-All back there. I was shooting off at the mouth and not thinking about how it sounded. I was speaking from my own shadows—with my parents, I mean. Sounds stupid, doesn’t it, me offering marriage advice when I’ve never come close to tying the knot.”
“No?”
Something about the cool reserve in his tone told her that her earlier words still stung. She’d have to dig deeper if they were really going to have a chance at some kind of peace between them. Closure.
“Actually…” She fidgeted with the leather strap of her purse. “That’s not entirely true, I guess. There was one guy.”
She leaned against the cold metal pole of the swing support while Mack waited. “I thought we were close—that he might propose. But while he was shopping for engagement rings and asking about big, splashy vacations for our honeymoon, I was already decorating a baby nursery in my head.”
Some girls dreamed of huge weddings and fancy dresses, but she cared more about the happily-ever-after part. The picket fence. The kids.
“You rushed him,” Mack observed quietly. Accurately.
Just like she had rushed Mack.
“It’s hard to wait for a dream you want so much.”
Mack grabbed one of the chains on the swing beside him and hauled it closer, holding it out to her.
“Sit for a minute, Nina.” The rough edge of his voice, the masculine timbre of it, went right through her and warmed her from the inside out.
Stepping closer, she took the swing and lowered herself into the seat beside him. The canvas twirled a little beneath her, pivoting her back and forth. Mack leaned over and steadied it, his hand brushing her thigh as he held the chain for a long minute.
Heart in her throat, Nina felt her whole world close in on this moment, sitting in Heartache, the bluegrass band playing, white lights twinkling, stars overhead. And most of all, Mack Finley beside her.
“It wasn’t just what you said,” Mack admitted, his face in shadow from the trees overhead. “I’ve wondered the same thing myself—why I gave up on my marriage when I’m not the kind of guy to walk away from a commitment, even when I see the train wreck coming. So what you said earlier… You just articulated a thought that doesn’t sit well with me.”
He let go of the chain slowly, setting her loose to swing free. Except that she kept her feet planted on the ground, cheating to stay closer to him.
“I have a way of blurting things out.” The urge to touch him was strong, so she tucked her fingers under her thighs to keep them to herself.
“But at least you say what you’re thinking.” He gave her a slow smile. “I always know where I stand with you, Nina. No guesswork there.”
Actually, he might be surprised to discover how much she’d been thinking about him since she’d returned home. She didn’t say anything, though, sensing he had more on his mind.
“I never knew with Jenny.” His expression became serious and Nina braced herself, not sure she was ready to hear more about his marriage. His jaw flexed, as if he were weighing words before he continued. “So it surprised the hell out of me when—right before she left—she accused me of never getting over you.”
His words stunned her. They rang through her with a dull hum.
“That’s—that’s ridiculous,” she said finally, her mouth too dry for words. “Did you tell her we hadn’t even spoken since that summer?”
When she’d begged him to come to New York and start a new life with her. When she’d given him ultimatums and he’d gone more and more silent with every phone call until there was no reason to call again.
“She was out the door before I thought of a comeback. And considering it took me that long to form a response, I had to wonder if she had a point.”
It was as if she was listening to someone speak to her through water. She could hear what he was saying, but she felt far away. Like all of this was unreal.
“You can’t be serious.” She didn’t want to think about what it meant if he still had feelings for her. She’d gotten use to hers—the healed over hurt that left a long scar. But if he still cared about her… “I thought we were going to try to be friends.”
“Is that even possible, Nina, when the air damn near crackles every time I get near you?” He stared at her in the moonlight, searching for answers. His shoulder pressed into the swing chain, the sleeve of his polo shirt riding up high enough to reveal some ink from a tattoo that hadn’t been there before.
Maybe she chose now to notice the tattoo because meeting his gaze meant she had to be honest with him. She swallowed hard.
“I don’t know.” Her voice was rough in her throat.
He reached toward her and her heartbeat went wild. His hand wrapped around the chain over her head and he dragged her closer. Closer. Her knees brushed his. Her thigh bumped his hip and the warmth of his body next to hers teased over her senses.
“Does this feel like friendship to you?” He tucked his hands behind her knees and swiveled her to face him. He palmed her calves through her jeans, pinning her knees to his…
His back was to her, but as he turned around, she was certain. The dark shadows from an overhanging live oak couldn’t hide the way he moved. Or the electric current that reached out through the night, a predictable tug in her chest that told her it was Mack.
“Calling it a night?” he asked, his swing drifting gently from side to side, his feet on the ground. The chains overhead clanked together as he pivoted around to see her.
Her heart rate kicked up. Another predictable side effect of Mack. How had she ever thought she was over him?
“I’m glad you’re here.” She started toward him, knowing she needed to do something about this strained awkwardness between them. “I wanted to apologize for sounding like Miss Marriage Know-It-All back there. I was shooting off at the mouth and not thinking about how it sounded. I was speaking from my own shadows—with my parents, I mean. Sounds stupid, doesn’t it, me offering marriage advice when I’ve never come close to tying the knot.”
“No?”
Something about the cool reserve in his tone told her that her earlier words still stung. She’d have to dig deeper if they were really going to have a chance at some kind of peace between them. Closure.
“Actually…” She fidgeted with the leather strap of her purse. “That’s not entirely true, I guess. There was one guy.”
She leaned against the cold metal pole of the swing support while Mack waited. “I thought we were close—that he might propose. But while he was shopping for engagement rings and asking about big, splashy vacations for our honeymoon, I was already decorating a baby nursery in my head.”
Some girls dreamed of huge weddings and fancy dresses, but she cared more about the happily-ever-after part. The picket fence. The kids.
“You rushed him,” Mack observed quietly. Accurately.
Just like she had rushed Mack.
“It’s hard to wait for a dream you want so much.”
Mack grabbed one of the chains on the swing beside him and hauled it closer, holding it out to her.
“Sit for a minute, Nina.” The rough edge of his voice, the masculine timbre of it, went right through her and warmed her from the inside out.
Stepping closer, she took the swing and lowered herself into the seat beside him. The canvas twirled a little beneath her, pivoting her back and forth. Mack leaned over and steadied it, his hand brushing her thigh as he held the chain for a long minute.
Heart in her throat, Nina felt her whole world close in on this moment, sitting in Heartache, the bluegrass band playing, white lights twinkling, stars overhead. And most of all, Mack Finley beside her.
“It wasn’t just what you said,” Mack admitted, his face in shadow from the trees overhead. “I’ve wondered the same thing myself—why I gave up on my marriage when I’m not the kind of guy to walk away from a commitment, even when I see the train wreck coming. So what you said earlier… You just articulated a thought that doesn’t sit well with me.”
He let go of the chain slowly, setting her loose to swing free. Except that she kept her feet planted on the ground, cheating to stay closer to him.
“I have a way of blurting things out.” The urge to touch him was strong, so she tucked her fingers under her thighs to keep them to herself.
“But at least you say what you’re thinking.” He gave her a slow smile. “I always know where I stand with you, Nina. No guesswork there.”
Actually, he might be surprised to discover how much she’d been thinking about him since she’d returned home. She didn’t say anything, though, sensing he had more on his mind.
“I never knew with Jenny.” His expression became serious and Nina braced herself, not sure she was ready to hear more about his marriage. His jaw flexed, as if he were weighing words before he continued. “So it surprised the hell out of me when—right before she left—she accused me of never getting over you.”
His words stunned her. They rang through her with a dull hum.
“That’s—that’s ridiculous,” she said finally, her mouth too dry for words. “Did you tell her we hadn’t even spoken since that summer?”
When she’d begged him to come to New York and start a new life with her. When she’d given him ultimatums and he’d gone more and more silent with every phone call until there was no reason to call again.
“She was out the door before I thought of a comeback. And considering it took me that long to form a response, I had to wonder if she had a point.”
It was as if she was listening to someone speak to her through water. She could hear what he was saying, but she felt far away. Like all of this was unreal.
“You can’t be serious.” She didn’t want to think about what it meant if he still had feelings for her. She’d gotten use to hers—the healed over hurt that left a long scar. But if he still cared about her… “I thought we were going to try to be friends.”
“Is that even possible, Nina, when the air damn near crackles every time I get near you?” He stared at her in the moonlight, searching for answers. His shoulder pressed into the swing chain, the sleeve of his polo shirt riding up high enough to reveal some ink from a tattoo that hadn’t been there before.
Maybe she chose now to notice the tattoo because meeting his gaze meant she had to be honest with him. She swallowed hard.
“I don’t know.” Her voice was rough in her throat.
He reached toward her and her heartbeat went wild. His hand wrapped around the chain over her head and he dragged her closer. Closer. Her knees brushed his. Her thigh bumped his hip and the warmth of his body next to hers teased over her senses.
“Does this feel like friendship to you?” He tucked his hands behind her knees and swiveled her to face him. He palmed her calves through her jeans, pinning her knees to his…
GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
There is a tour-wide giveaway as part of the book blitz for PROMISES UNDER THE PEACH TREE, with one U.S. only and one international prize!
These are the prizes you can win:
* Romance and More prize pack, which includes 4 classic Blaze titles by Joanne Rock, The Sweet Spot by Stephanie Evanovich, a keepsake vintage Harlequin notebook, sticky-note weekly calendar, lotion and nail polish (US only).
* Paperbacks from The Book Depository: Shelter Me by Catherine Mann, Someone Like You by Karen Rock and Promises Under the Peach Tree by Joanne Rock (International).
To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the directions. It may take the widget a few seconds to load, please be patient.
Thanks so much for stopping by today during Joanne’s tour. Hope the excerpt has enticed you to check out PROMISES UNDER THE PEACH TREE and enter the giveaway. Does the thought of peach trees bring good memories to your mind?
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a Rafflecopter giveaway
Congratulations on your new book, I can't wait to read it, I love the super romances
ReplyDeletePenney
Congratulations, Joanne. Could be part of a whole fruit tree series.
ReplyDeleteCool stuff. Do you giveaway e-books? I'll be on the watch for e-book contests. Have a great week, Mason!
ReplyDeleteJoanne, glad to be a part of your book blitz tour. Your book sounds intriguing. Wishing you much success.
ReplyDeleteHi, all. Thanks so much for stopping by.
sounds peachy :)
ReplyDeleteMason - Thanks for hosting Joanne.
ReplyDeleteJoanne - One of the nice things about romances is that they have that optimistic, 'new chances' feel to them. I wish you much success with yours.
Sounds like fun! Great to meet Joanne.
ReplyDeletePromises Under a Peach Tree sounds like it should take place in Georgia!
ReplyDelete