This is my stop during the book blitz for Promises Under the Peach Tree by Joanne Rock. This book blitz is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 2 till 8 September, you can view the complete blitz schedule here.
Promises Under the Peach TreeBy Joanne Rock
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age category: Adult
Release Date: 2 September 2014
Blurb:
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?
Excerpt 2
“I know you’re not sure about the Harvest Fest, Nina, but
can’t we move forward…as friends?”
She didn’t look at him for a long moment, her attention fixed
on some peeling paint on a low windowsill of the barn.
“It’s a nice idea,”
she said finally. “But that’s a lot of layers of hurt, Mack.”
For him, too. Not that he was going to say it so many words.
She ought to know better than anyone.
“How does the saying go—shoot for the moon and you’ll still
hit some stars? We could at least make a stab at forgiving each other.”
“I’d like that,” she
said finally, tucking her fidgeting hands into the pockets of loose jean
cutoffs. “I’ll try doing some of the baking for the Harvest Fest and we’ll see
what happens. I’m here, so I might as well be involved. Besides, it will be
good for me to get back to work.”
He was relieved she’d agreed, but her practical reasons
surprised him. Nina had changed more than he realized; some of her passionate
impulsiveness had been tempered.
“That’s great.” Normally, he’d shake hands to seal a deal,
but since he couldn’t risk touching her after what had happened the last time,
he ended up jamming his fists into his pockets, too. “I’m really glad. There’s
a festival meeting today at three in the town hall if you want to go.”
“I’ll try, but I have to supervise the movers. How about I
copy off your notes instead?” She arched an eyebrow at him before heading into
the shadows of the barn. “Just like in high school.”
“Suit yourself. If I could copy off someone else’s notes,
believe me, I’d ditch this committee gathering, too. But if you’re not going to
be there, you should set up some appointments to talk to some of the local
restaurant owners to see how they can contribute.” He followed her into the
cool, musty depths of the barn. “I’m supposed to be meeting a couple of guys
here who will be picking up the wagons. We can pull them out when they get
here.”
“Okay.” She stalked to the back of one wagon, and leaned
down to check a tire. “I just wanted to make sure there aren’t any flats. I’m
sure there’s an air compressor here somewhere—”
“We’ll be fine.” As much as he wanted to patch up their
relationship, he wasn’t ready to test it in the confines of a dark barn just
yet.
He still saw that pink bra strap when he closed his eyes.
“Okay.” She straightened. “If anyone comes to the house I’ll
send them back here.”
“The kid who cuts your grandmother’s grass is one of the
people I’m expecting. Ethan Brady.”
“Right.” She snapped her fingers. “I met him this morning.
He was going to pick peaches after he mowed the lawn, so I’m guessing he’s in
the orchard.”
Peaches. Orchard.
Mack was right back on a blanket beneath the stars on a
long, hot summer night. He closed his eyes to shut out the mental images of
their first time together, but new images crowded with the old ones.
Nina’s throaty laugh. The pink strap. Her flushed cheeks
when she remembered the day they’d fooled around in that little vacant
apartment…
“Mack?” Her voice was close to his ear.
He opened his eyes. Shook his head.
“Are you okay?” She stood just a couple of feet away.
It was dark and hard to see in the barn, but she was close
enough that he could smell the fragrance of her shampoo.
“I’m fine.” His voice was a heavy rasp of sound, his heart
thudding in his chest. “Allergies,” he explained. “From the hay.”
“Oh.” She stepped away, the delicate curve of her bare
collarbone still close enough he could have cupped her shoulder there. “Maybe
we should step out of the barn.”
“Good idea.” He stalked away from her toward the sunlight,
needing to breathe air that didn’t carry a hint of her fragrance.
Or ripe fruit.
Had he really told her they should try to be friends? Damn,
but coming home had messed with his head.
“Hey, isn’t that the boy you were looking for?” Nina
stretched an arm out, pointing toward the south with one long, bare arm.
“Ethan?”
Mack followed her gaze and saw a hint of a blue shirt
between the trees in the orchard beyond the field.
“Probably.” He pulled his phone from his pocket. “I’ll shoot
him a text and remind him to meet me over here.”
She nodded absently, her eyes still on the figure in the
distance.
“It’s been years since I picked peaches.” Her words hung in
the air.
A gauntlet dropped.
His gaze went to hers, but her gray eyes gave away nothing.
Did she realize she was killing him?
His fingers froze, hovering above the screen of his phone
while he wrestled with how to respond to that.
But then, her eyes slid toward him. A sly smile curved her
full lips. She turned on her heel and sauntered away.
Damn. Her.
This friendship thing was going to be the death of him.
It’s always a big undertaking to start a new book. And it
was particularly intimidating for me to write the opening of Promises Under the Peach Tree since it’s
my first book in a new-to-me Harlequin series, Superromance. I’ve read
Superromance for years and I brushed up all the more before I began writing. I
devoured tons of Sarah Mayberry (so hard to read just one…) and pulled out my
favorite books by Liz Talley, whose voice I’ve always adored. I savored reads
from friends Anna Sudgen and Colleen Collins. And while I felt like I’d learned
more about the line, I still worried about getting the sound just right.
Have you ever had the experience where you just try too darn
hard? That was my first—never to be seen—approach to my story. I wrote a scene
where the heroine leaves her job. I wrote a scene where the heroine thinks
about moving. I wrote a scene where we learn about the hero and heroine’s past
together. Thankfully, I have a brilliant critique partner (Catherine Mann of SHELTER
ME fame… great book!) who read my initial attempts, told me to cut most of
it, then circled a paragraph two chapters into the story and said “the book
starts here.” Well, of course it did. I made a total rookie mistake! Writers
often “over-write” the openings to stories because we’re getting to know the
characters. It’s work that needs to be done but it should be done in our minds
and not on the paper.
I read Cathy’s notes and knew what she meant. She has a
knack for being right, particularly when it comes to my storytelling, which she
seems to understand better than I do. For example, whenever I’m floundering
about during the black moment of a story, she articulates exactly the right
thing that should happen next in my book. I weep with gratitude while she
insists, “it was right there the whole time!” Obviously, I love her to no end.
Not only do I get the story right because of her sage advice, but she lets me
think I had a hand in it.
But I digress. With a new sense of purpose, I was able to
rework the opening of Promises Under the
Peach Tree into the story I really wanted to tell. Once I had that nailed
down, I was off and running. I fell in love with the whole town of Heartache,
Tennessee and had so much fun meeting all the people who live and love there.
Nina’s grandmother stole my heart. I wanted to write more about the local
salon, the sexy mayor, and Mack Finley’s whole family.
There will be a follow up Heartache book… two, actually. The
next one is slated for April 2015 and stars Max’s sister, Erin. I hope you’ll
join me for the new series and spend some time with my friends in Heartache.
You can buy Promises Under the Peach Tree here:
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- Kobo
- Books A Million
- IndieBound
- iBooks
About the Author: 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.
Learn more about Joanne's imaginative Muse by visiting her online:
- Website
- Goodreads
- Amazon page
- Google +
- Tumblr
- Youtube
- Joanne Rock’s Romance Wiki
There is a tour wide giveaway for the book blitz of Promises Under the Peach Tree, with one US only and one international prize! These are the prizes you can win:
- Romance and More prize pack, which includes 4 classic blaze title 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 Bookdepository of Shelter Me by Catherine Mann, Someone Like You by Karen Rock and Promises Under the Peach Tree by Joanne Rock (International)
You can enter the giveaway below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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