Peggy Townsend Interview - The Beautiful and the Wild

Photo Content from Peggy Townsend

Peggy Townsend is longtime newspaper reporter who has won multiple state and national awards for her work. She has chased a serial killer through a graveyard at midnight, panhandled with street kids, and sat on a mountaintop with woman who counted her riches in each morning's sunrise. She has rafted rivers, come face-to-face with a grizzly bear and, twice, lived in her van for seven weeks while traveling across the country. She divides her time between the Central Coast of California and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

        

   

Beyond your own work (of course), what is your all-time favorite book and why? And what is your favorite book outside of your genre?
So many books, so much love to give them! My all-time favorite would probably be REBECCA by Daphne du Maurier. I remember reading it as a young teen and being blown away by its darkness and the twists and turns that happened. All these years later, I haven’t changed my mind. As far as books outside my genre, AN UNFINISHED LIFE by Mark Spragg is a novel I can read over and over. The writing is brilliant and spare, and the characters are just so memorable.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to have a life in writing?
I would say the best advice I could give is to write every day. Even if it’s only for an hour, sit in front of your computer or grab a legal pad and write. It’s a practice that strengthens your creative muscle and cements the idea that you are, indeed, a writer. Sometimes, what you write will be junk and, sometimes, it will be brilliant. But, in those daily words, you will not only find your voice but also the confidence to tell your stories.

What chapter was the most memorable to write and why?
For me, the most memorable chapter in the book as far as writing was probably the third chapter from the end. I went into the scene knowing that I needed to accomplish one thing in order to move the book toward its conclusion (I’m an obsessive plotter, by the way) but, suddenly, as I was writing, the characters took over. The scene swerved in a different direction than I’d planned and, yet, it worked better than the outline for the way it set the stage for what was to come. I also realized after I’d finished that the new direction reinforced one of the central themes of the book, which I hadn’t planned on doing. It’s a mystery to me how that kind of thing happens. Maybe it’s writerly magic or some otherworldly author portal. Or, maybe it was just one too many cups of coffee.

Has reading a book ever changed your life? Which one and why, if yes?
Actually, one book did change my life. I was working as a journalist and our newspaper was about to be sold to one of those companies I believed put profit over good journalism. I happened to read Jon Krakauer’s book, INTO THE WILD, and thought: When had I started living life so safely and avoiding change and when had I stopped making leaps of faith? So I quit my job. Eventually, that decision led me to fiction writing, which is all about leaps of faith and which makes me very happy.

TEN RANDOM FACTS ABOUT THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE WILD

• The setting for the book was inspired by a seven-week trip my husband and I took to Alaska in our van.
• While hiking to the Russian River in Alaska to fish one summer night, I came face-t0-face with two grizzly bears, which sparked a scene in the novel.
• As a journalist, I went inside a prison nicknamed “Gladiator School” by its inmates for the violence that went on there. I used the noise and feel of that overcrowded prison to help create the feel of the juvenile detention center in the book.
• The character, Xander, is based on children with Williams syndrome, a genetic condition which results in heart problems and learning challenges which come side-by-side with high verbal abilities, social personalities and a love of music. Xander is the truth-teller in the book.
• Because Xander loves music, I created a nine-song playlist for him which is available on Spotify.
• Secrets are at the heart of the book. According to research I found, the average person has thirteen secrets, five of which they have never told to another person.
• The “Witness Tree” in the book was inspired by an actual Witness Tree I found on a hike in the Sierra.
• A Witness Tree is used to mark surveying boundaries. However, it also can signify a tree which was alive when an historic event occurred around it.
• My protagonist, Liv, grew up on a beef cattle ranch. As a young 4-H Club member I raised Hereford cattle.
• I found my writing desk on the side of a road with a free sign on it.

Can you tell us when you started THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE WILD, how that came about?
I started THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE WILD, about two years ago. I was stacking a cord of firewood for winter and listening to podcasts when I heard the story about Billy Sipple, an ex-Marine who stopped the attempted assassination of President Gerald Ford. He was hailed as a hero and, in the process, outed as a gay man by the media. According to the podcast, his family hadn’t known about his sexuality and shunned him afterward and I thought: What if a good deed you’d done unmasked your deepest secret? If you know how big a cord of wood is, you’ll understand that I had a lot of time to spool out that thought. THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE WILD is ultimately about the tyranny of our secrets and the idea that we may not really know the person we love.

The dangers of Alaska aren't limited to storms, starvation, and grizzly bears. Sometimes the most dangerous thing is the person you love.

It’s summer in Alaska and the light surrounding the shipping-container-turned-storage shed where Liv Russo is being held prisoner is fuzzy and gray. Around her is thick forest and jagged mountains. In front of her, across a clearing, is a low-slung cabin with a single window that spills a wash of yellow light onto bare ground. Illuminated in that light is the father of her child, a man she once loved. A man who is now her jailor. Liv vows to do anything to escape.

Carrying her own secrets and a fierce need to protect her young son, Liv must navigate a new world where extreme weather, starvation, and dangerous wildlife are not the only threats she faces. With winter's arrival imminent, she knows she must reckon with her past and the choices that brought her to the unforgiving Alaskan landscape if she is ever going to make it out alive.

A story of survival in the wilds of Alaska, The Beautiful and the Wild explores the question of whether we can ever truly know the person we love—or ourselves.

You can purchase The Beautiful and the Wild at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you PEGGY TOWNSEND for making this giveaway possible.

1Winner will receive a Copy of The Beautiful and the Wild by Peggy Townsend.

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Devon Daniels Interview - The Rom Con

Photo Content from Devon Daniels

Devon Daniels is a born-and-bred California girl whose own love story found her transplanted to the Maryland shores of the Chesapeake Bay. She's a graduate of the University of Southern California (fight on!) and in her past life worked in marketing, product design, and music.

Devon loves writing books that make people laugh, cry, and swoon, and feels incredibly lucky that her job is to make people happy. Her debut novel Meet You in the Middle was chosen as one of the Best Books of 2021 by USA Today.

When she's not writing, you'll find her clinging to her sanity as mom, chef, chauffeur, and referee to four children, or sneaking off with her husband for date nights.

        

When/how did you realize you had a creative dream or calling to fulfill?
I’ve always known that I’m a creative, right-brained person, though I didn’t even consider writing as a profession until 2016 or so, when I started writing my debut novel, Meet You in the Middle. I’d always been an avid reader, and at a certain point I started thinking, “Could I do it better?” The time finally came for me to put my money where my mouth was.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
Getting such moving, thoughtful emails from readers. Despite being an avid reader, I’d never written a ‘fan letter’ to an author before becoming one myself. I’m so surprised by how many people do this, and especially by how meaningful they are to receive. It keeps me motivated!

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to have a life in writing?
You should make sure you really love the actual process of writing (rather than just the ‘glamorous’ idea of seeing your book on the shelf) because the challenges associated with the publishing industry will test you at every stage. You need extreme perseverance to succeed in publishing—and probably a day job to pay your bills.

What was the single worst distraction that kept you from writing this book?
Social media. I want to interact with every person who reads my books and reaches out to me. Building a passionate reading audience is important, but all that time creating content for social media takes away from the actual act of writing.

What chapter was the most memorable to write and why?
I loved writing the chapter where Cassidy and Jack go out on a double date with her sister and brother-in-law. I think it’s the funniest scene in the book—there are several storylines intersecting, rapid-fire dialogue, and a ruse that’s rapidly going off the rails. It reminds me of the dinner table scene in While You Were Sleeping where there are 25 different conversational threads going on (“These mashed potatoes are so creamy!”), and you start laughing so hard you can’t hear all the lines. Every time I read the double date scene, I cackle out loud (which is quite a feat when I’ve read it several hundred times!)

Why is storytelling so important for all of us?
I take it very seriously that it’s my actual job to make people smile and laugh and feel something through my storytelling. Reading allows us to tap into certain parts of our personality that we may not always feel comfortable showing to others, and I love that my books help people feel giddy or swoony or allow them to let out their inner ‘hopeless romantic.’ It’s an honor I don’t take lightly.

Can you tell us when you started THE ROM CON, how that came about?
Years ago, I stumbled across a viral Facebook post that stopped me in my tracks. A woman had been treasure-hunting at a garage sale when she came across a cache of vintage magazines. Among them was an issue of McCall’s from January 1958, and when she flipped through it, one article in particular jumped out: “129 Ways to Get a Husband.” The list of tips was as entertaining, outlandish, and dated as you might expect (“Look in the census reports for places with the most single men,” “Read the obituaries to find eligible widowers,” and “Get lost at a football game” will give you some flavor). She posted the retro romantic advice to Facebook, where it quickly went viral.

I couldn’t stop thinking about what an amazing rom-com this old-fashioned dating advice would make. What if a contemporary woman decided to test out the retro tips on some unsuspecting suitors? Better yet, what if she tested them on her unsuspecting nemesis? And what if our thoroughly modern heroine found—much to her chagrin—that this old-fashioned advice actually worked? And so The Rom Con was born.

What were your feelings when you first saw the cover of the finished product?
I’m so in love with my cover! Some of the inspiration images I provided included vintage 1950s movie posters, as well as the NYC skyline, where the book takes place. I also obsessed over what my heroine would be wearing, since fashion plays a unique role in the story. Somehow, the Berkley cover designers managed to take my vague vision of “like a retro movie poster, but make it contemporary” and translate it into a stunningly perfect cover.

What were your inspirations for the character development?
I like to write heroines who are reflective of the women I surround myself with in real life: smart, fierce, imperfect women with strong opinions. Cassidy is passionate, headstrong, and independent. While this story is of course a romance first and foremost, there are a lot of other layers to Cassidy’s character that I think all women can relate to: mustering the courage to go after secret dreams, dealing with disappointment when life milestones don’t happen on the same timeline as friends, and tackling the challenges women face in their desire to strike a successful balance between a purposeful career and a fulfilling relationship and home life.

For her counterpart in Jack, I wanted to write a man who would both surprise and challenge her, who’d be confident in himself while being supportive of her. I gave Jack alpha male, power CEO-energy, but with some surprising insecurities and flaws of his own.

Your Favorite Quotes/Scenes from THE ROM CON

• “Some try hard to stand out, while others stand out without trying.”
• “Once you find your last, you’ll wish they were your only.”
• “I realized I could live without her – and I want someone I can’t live without.”
• “Anger is like fire – if you don’t feed it, it eventually burns out.”
• “If I say I’m going to call, you can trust I’m going to call. And if I say I want to see you again, then that’s exactly what I mean. I won’t make you guess.”
• “If life were fair, every dress would have pockets.”

TEN RANDOM FACTS ABOUT THE ROM CON

• It took me 2+ years to write.
• The book is dedicated to my grandmothers, and I named my main character, Cassidy, after my maternal grandmother, Cassie. My paternal grandmother’s initials, LSH, also made it into the book.
• I wanted the book to feel like a mash-up of all our favorite early-aughts rom-com movies like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, 27 Dresses, The Ugly Truth, and Down With Love.
• All of Cassidy’s fashion in the book is based on actual vintage dresses I own or found online.
• A hilarious scene in the book is when Cassidy attempts to make Engagement Chicken for Jack – though my husband is the one who makes the Engagement Chicken at our house!
• A fun - and slightly eerie – story: Early on in my writing process, I saved an image of a cherry-print apron to a Pinterest board as inspiration for the vintage apron Cassidy wears during the Engagement Chicken scene. Once I finished writing, I decided to track down the apron so I could buy it for myself as a memento. When I finally located it, I learned it's actually called...the Betty apron (if you've read The Rom Con, you'll understand why this freaked me out!) There are truly no coincidences.
• Music plays a special role in The Rom Con, so I created an oldies-themed Spotify playlist to listen to while writing. As a result, my most-played song of 2021 was Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me.”
• I initially resisted setting The Rom Con in New York City (so many books take place there!), but once I decided it needed to be NYC, I leaned in to it and tried to include as many famous landmarks as possible, like Times Square, Arthur Ashe tennis stadium in Flushing Meadows, and Central Park.
• My kids provide endless inspiration when I’m stuck on something - my teenage son came up with the idea for Cassidy to jump into the leaf pile.
• My dad is one of my most enthusiastic early readers (and editors).

What is the first job you have had? 

Babysitter and piano teacher.

What is your happiest childhood memory? 

Going on family road trips in our minivan. I loved reading and inhaled every book in The Baby-Sitters Club series, but my parents would never let me read in the car because it made me sick.

What was your favorite subject when you were in school and why? 

I was good at English/language arts and math, but hated science. I was a perfectionist A student and would cry if I got an A-.

Name one thing you miss about being a kid. 

The lack of financial responsibilities!

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning? 

I’m tired.

What is your most memorable travel experience? 

Every year for Thanksgiving, we go on a road trip with our kids. We choose a destination within driving distance (basically, our surrounding states—we’ve visited towns in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and New York). Being flexible and doing little planning is part of the fun—one of everyone’s favorite memories was the year we couldn’t find a single restaurant open on Thanksgiving and ended up having Thanksgiving dinner at Waffle House.

What do you usually think about right before falling asleep? 

I’m up too late.

If you had to go back in time and change one thing, if you HAD to, even if you had “no regrets” what would it be? 

I’d take more chances in just about every area of life (I played it too safe!)

If you could go back in time to one point in your life, where would you go? 

The one year I was married without any kids! And I’d do a lot of sleeping in.

First Love? 

Dean Cain as Clark Kent/Superman in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

At a movie theater which arm rest is yours? 

Both.

What is your greatest adventure? 

Being a mom of four.

Best date you've ever had? 

Not really a date, but when I met my husband at a wedding in 2005. It was love at first sight and I said, “I’ve met the man I’m going to marry.”

What event in your life would make a good movie? 

Meeting my husband at a wedding, then learning that he lived 3000 miles away.

What is one unique thing are you afraid of? 

Not finding a bathroom in time.

When was the last time you told someone you loved them? 

Every day to my husband and kids.

What were you doing the last time you really had a good laugh? 

Probably scrolling TikTok.

What decade during the last century would you have chosen to be a kid? 

I would choose exactly what I had, 80’s and 90’s. I’m so grateful to have grown up without the internet and social media! The late 90’s/early 2000s boy band era is the best era ever, and we were the luckiest to live through it.

A modern battle of the sexes about a journalist who hatches an elaborate plan to take down her industry adversary, from the author of Meet You in the Middle.

After a particularly brutal breakup, Cassidy Sutton has had it with dating. So when her grandmother gives her a 1950’s dating guide entitled 125 Tips to Hook a Husband, she decides to turn the retro advice into an ironic “What not to do” article for Siren, the popular online women’s publication she writes for. And who better to secretly test the old-fashioned tips on than Jack Bradford, chauvinistic creator of rival men’s site Brawler? She’ll write an article that will entertain female readers everywhere and embarrass their sexist nemesis at the same time. Two birds, one stone.

But her perfect plan soon proves to be anything but. Those vintage courtship tips Cassidy was so quick to poke fun at? They actually seem to work, calling her most closely-held beliefs into question. Even worse? Jack isn’t falling for any of her tricks—and it’s not long before their ‘fake’ relationship starts to feel like the realest one of her life. As her cat and mouse game starts to spiral out of control, Cassidy has to decide if she’s playing to win, or if she’s willing to lose it all for love.

You can purchase The Rom Con at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you DEVON DANIELS for making this giveaway possible.

1 Winner will receive a Copy of The Rom Con by Devon Daniels.

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Lenore Borja Interview - The Lost Portal

Photo Content from Lenore Borja

Lenore Borja grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. She attended Arizona State University before moving to New York City to study acting at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. After a brief career as an actress, she spent several years working in executive search and human resources in New York and San Francisco. She now resides in Fort Collins, Colorado with her husband and a bossy feline named Maximus. When she’s not writing, she enjoys adventure travel and anything that gets the heart racing, whether it’s hiking, running, or getting lost in a good book.

        

MEET THE CHARACTERS

Introducing the huntresses of the Mirror Realm! For years, these fierce young women have been battling demons and gods, defending humanity while navigating the choppy waters of their personal lives. Each of them possesses unique strengths that complement one another, creating a formidable team.

Of course, they’re not without their flaws—who is? But what sets them apart is their commitment to growth, learning from their mistakes, and supporting one another through every challenge. Their bond transcends friendship; it’s a sisterhood built on trust and strengthened by an unbreakable spiritual connection.

I can’t wait for you to get to know them!

HADLEY: (The Muscle) Tall, blond, blue-eyed siren—a walking magazine cover. But her drop-dead gorgeous looks are the least interesting thing about her. Raised in a family of car thieves, she learned how to pick a lock, hot-wire a car, and throw an elbow strike when other kids her age were playing with dolls. She loves junk food, driving with the top down, and most of all, her friends.

Personal style: Motorcycle chic.

Allergies: Cats and men who try to boss her around. (Good luck with that)

Quote: “Of course I’m afraid to die. That’s part of being a mortal. But I’m also a huntress, and it’s my job to protect other mortals.”

SOXIE: (The Money) Hot-tempered, brutally honest, and chock full of snarky quips. She doesn’t just tell it like it is—she tells it how it should be. Always looks like a million bucks and has the trust fund to match, but generous with what she has and fiercely loyal when it comes to her friends. She’s a lioness in high heels & couture clothing.

Personal style: Anything that highlights her emerald green eyes and wild, curly red hair. (so long as it’s designer and impeccably made)

Allergies: Fast fashion and authority of any kind.

Quote: “Hang on, Captain America. We should have known better. Share the blame once in a while.”

OLIVIA: (The Mind Reader) Keeps her golden-brown skin and dark, almond-shaped eyes hidden behind heavy makeup, blunt-cut bangs, and all-black clothing. Fashion doppelgängers are Wednesday Addams and Lydia Deetz. (But don’t tell her that—or even think it!) She’s always the smartest person in the room and prefers the company of animals to people, but would be lost without her friends.

Personal style: Dark and unapproachable.

Allergies: Pastels and people in general. (her huntress sisters excluded)

Quote: “You’re acting like Alice did last year, pretending that the weight of everything falls on your shoulders. That’s not how we operate. One of us goes down, we all go down.”

ALICE: (The Magic) Old soul. Really old soul. Strong, confident, and independent, but also stubborn to a fault. Think reluctant—and sometimes reckless—hero, in a petite, 5-foot, 3-inch frame. Despite her white hair and fairy-like build, she’s a powerful and formidable foe. (Just ask Hades) She’d die for her friends (and already has—a couple of times!), but she’s also just a normal girl dealing with the abnormal pull of fated love.

Personal style: Whatever fits, and doesn’t wash out her pale skin and snow-white hair.

Allergies: Hair dye, the God of the Underworld, and life without her soulmate.

Quote: “I know there’s no such thing as happily-ever-after. But it sounds nice, doesn’t it?”

Now that you know the players, I can’t wait for you to spend more time with them. There are gods to challenge, secrets to uncover, and plenty of funny and heartfelt moments. It’s a fantasy adventure you won’t want to miss, so hang on and enjoy the ride!

The Mirror Realm—and the girls—are waiting.

Happy reading!

For fans of Kendare Blake’s Goddess War series comes this second installment in a gripping YA fantasy series that follows a band of huntresses taking on a world of demons and gods.

For years, Hadley Caldwell kept humanity safe by hunting demons. But that came to an end when the Mirror Realm disappeared. Now her life is filled with bridesmaid dresses, family pressures, and—oh yeah—hosting ancient deities in her sleep. It’s not world-saving work, but if dream-hosting is all it takes to keep the gods happy, she’s willing to play along and leave her huntress days behind her. That is, until the gods demand something the Portal of Osiris.

The Portal was part of the Realm. It shouldn’t exist anymore. But the gods believe it does, and claim it holds the key to their salvation. The quest for the Portal takes Hadley and her band of huntress sisters on an enigmatic adventure to the sands of Egypt and beyond. But chasing a portal isn’t as easy as outrunning your past, and soon the only things Hadley knows for certain are that the gods can’t be trusted . . . and some portals should never be found.

Join Hadley, Alice, Olivia, and Soxie in this electrifying second book of the Mirror Realm series as they traverse the globe on an ancient scavenger hunt full of mystery, magic, intrigue, and sisterhood.

You can purchase The Lost Portal  at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you LENORE BORJA for making this giveaway possible.

1 Winner will receive a Copy of The Lost Portal by Lenore Borja.

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Miri White Interview - Eight Nights to Win Her Heart

Photo Content from Miri White

Miri White and her quirky family live in Massachusetts in a home filled with games, sarcasm, and a hefty amount of pets. When not writing she can be found trapped under a purring cat, drinking copious amounts of flavored coffee, and hoping her music making teenager will compose something to go along with her books—no such luck yet. Writing has always been a passion for her and bringing underrepresented characters into the spotlight is a thrill.

Miri White is a pen name for Laura Brown. More about her and her books can be found below.

        

  

When/how did you realize you had a creative dream or calling to fulfill?
I’d always been interested in writing, but didn’t start focusing on it until college when I dipped my toe into fan fiction. When I graduated and was working on the “what next” phase, I turned back to my writing and took my favorite fan fiction and turned that into my first book attempt.

Beyond your own work (of course), what is your all-time favorite book and why? And what is your favorite book outside of your genre?
Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie. I went through a reading drought a while back and Bet Me was the one book I read again, and again, it always brings me such job. For outside my genre, Too Young To Die, a Hannah Senesh story. This book was a scholastic book I read as a kid, and I used it for two different book reports. Hannah was a writer herself, and I have some of her poetry still memorized. We absolutely lost a talent when her life was taken in WWII.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to have a life in writing?
Write for yourself first and foremost. Writing is hard and there are many ups and downs. Make sure the actual process of writing is a good one.

What was the single worst distraction that kept you from writing this book?
Life! I began writing Eight Nights in 2022, as I was heading back to work after being off for the pandemic. I was juggling a new life balance and working with my kid on her own balance. I’m truly amazed I managed to finish!

Why is storytelling so important for all of us?
Can you tell us when you started EIGHT NIGHTS TO WIN HER HEART, how that came about?
Every holiday season for quite a few years I would get inspired to write a Chanukah Romance. I wanted to see my holiday up there with all the wonderful Christmas romances. This began a start and stop scenario, where I would play with an idea during the holidays, but then get sidetracked with other projects. I finally got to a point where I was determined to make it happen, pulled out the ten pages of a novella idea, and reworked it into what became Eight Nights to Win Her Heart.

Meet the Characters
ANDIE WILLIAMS is a twenty-five-year-old preschool teacher. I took inspiration for Andie from my favorite movie, While You Were Sleeping, and the main character Lucy. Like Lucy, Andie has recently lost her father and never really knew her mother, and is sad at facing a holiday season alone. Andie loves her job and loves children. She’s creative and fun and yearns to have a large family of her own. Her current school is closing, and there are no local job prospects, so she’s about to move far away for a job offer.

LEO DENTZ is twenty-eight-years-old, and he works for the family antique business. The business was started by his grandfather, and Leo wants to take over with his younger brother. Only his father doesn’t see either son as capable of taking over the business. Leo is skilled at refurbishing and wants to fix the grandfather clock that got damaged when he was a teenager, but his father won’t let him. Leo’s hard of hearing (like me) after being very sick as a teenager and still trying to be seen as valuable to his father. He’s been focusing solely on work, not asking out his cute neighbor, Andie, until she’s already set to move. He’s hoping to change more than a few things this Chanukah season.

What is the first job you have had?
Dunkin Donuts. Revealing my age here, but this was during the Coolatta years and my work trainer taught me to use the coffee cups for the Coolatta machine to get it for free!

Name one thing you miss about being a kid.
No Bills and all my meals taken care of. I remember wanting to be on my own so badly, but there is something to be said about the lack of responsibilities.

When was the last time you told someone you loved them?
Yesterday to my fourteen-year-old!

What is your most memorable travel experience?
Maui. Visiting Hawaii was a bucket list item and I’m so grateful I got the chance to go. More so after Lahaina was destroyed by fires. I cherish being able to visit that area.

What do you usually think about right before falling asleep?
When I’m falling asleep, I like to step into a story world, either a book I’m writing or a book I’m reading. A little happy place while falling asleep!

If you had to go back in time and change one thing, if you HAD to, even if you had “no regrets” what would it be?
Surgery on my right ear. I’m perfectly happy with being hard of hearing and having that ear be my deaf ear, but the surgery limited my mobility as an eight-year-old, and gave me increased tinnitus, so going back and changing that would certainly have its benefits!

If you could go back in time to one point in your life, where would you go?
I would go back to the days where I would spend Saturday with my aunt and cousin. Both have since passed and while they were not blood family, they were my family, and I miss them greatly.

Most horrifying dream you have ever had?
I had a dream where I was trying to visit my cousin in the hospital (he had had a heart attack the previous week) and was stuck waiting for an elevator. When it finally arrived, I crammed in with other people. The elevator kept climbing, past the numbers, then a light flashed, and I was alone with my cousin. I reached out and held his hand and woke up. An hour later I learned I had woken at his time of death.

Bask in the warm glow of the menorah in this debut Jewish rom-com featuring a hard of hearing hero and a Chanukah meet-cute.

Andie Williams is not looking forward to spending her first Chanukah alone after her father’s death. About to lose her job, with her only prospect for another work opportunity across the country, she could use some chutzpah to make it through the eight nights alone.

Leo Dentz has had a crush on the girl across the hall from his apartment for years but has never had the courage to say anything—until she drops her grocery bags and he notices her drug store Chanukah candles. Ready to take a chance outside of his comfort zone, Leo offers to join Andie on the first night, sharing his dinner with her. As Andie and Leo fall for each other one night at a time, and the clock ticks down on Andie’s move, will this season of miracles light their way forward?

You can purchase Eight Nights to Win Her Heart at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you MIRI WHITE for making this giveaway possible.

1 Winner will receive a Copy of Eight Nights to Win Her Heart by Miri White.

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