Please help me welcome author Allie Boniface. She’s sharing a riveting list of moments that changed her life, PLUS, her new release sounds like a fantastic read!
First off, thanks to Alicia for hosting me here today! I’m excited to be celebrating the re-release of my 4-book Pine Point series with Entangled Publishing: Summer’s Song, Winter’s Wonder, Spring Secrets, and Autumn Allure. They’re all set in the small town of Pine Point, where secrets, suspense, and quirky characters abound. I hope you’ll check them out!
And now, a little about me. Thinking of 10 moments that changed my life was a rather challenging task for this blog post. I’m sure there are others that might have made the cut, but in sitting down to write, these are the ones that came to mind (in roughly chronological order):
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- Going to college – This wasn’t really a single moment, but freshman year of college was so profound for me because I went from living in a small, very homogenous town to a competitive, prestigious university with students from all over the country. I met so many people from all walks of life, so many vastly intelligent people who’d experienced life so differently than I had to that point. It really opened my eyes.
- Adopting my first fur-baby – After I’d finished graduate school and was teaching in the community college system, living on my own in Cleveland, OH, I adopted my first cat, Smooch, from the local shelter. It might sound silly to some, but being wholly responsible for another living being for the first time really taught me a level of responsibility and compassion that I didn’t have before.
- My first (and current) full-time teaching job – In 1997, I accepted the job I currently have, teaching English at a career & technical education center. In the course of 20 years, I’ve learned a lot about teaching teenagers, won a couple of teaching awards, developed curriculum for a brand new program, mentored I-don’t-know-how-many other teachers, and met my husband. It definitely changed my life!
- My wedding day – My husband was actually on the interview committee that hired me. We started dating 6 months later (we were also team teaching in the same classroom!) and got married on July 6, 2001.
- September 11, 2001 – I live about an hour north of NYC, so the terrorist attacks literally hit close to home. I lost a friend from college, as well as neighbors who were working as firefighters that day. Most profoundly, though, that day was what kick-started my pursuit of writing seriously for publication. I had always said “Someday I’d like to publish a book.” September 11 reminded me that “someday” isn’t guaranteed. If we want to do things, we should do them now, and not wait for some other, better time down the road.
- Traveling abroad for the first time – I didn’t leave the USA until 2005, when my husband and I joined my sister and brother-in-law on a 10-day trip through Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. It was amazing, to say the least. I now love traveling to other countries, not just for the beauty and the history, but because you can learn so much about yourself and others when you’re out of your comfort zone. I recommend international travel to everyone!
- Publishing my first book – About 6 years after I decided to get serious about publishing a novel, The Promise of Paradise (originally titled Lost in Paradise) was published by The Wild Rose Press! I went on to publish with Samhain Publishing, Lyrical Press, and most currently, Entangled Publishing. I’ve also indie published several titles and hit the USA Today best-sellers’ list in 2015 with a boxed set, Passionate Kisses.
- My father’s death – On January 10, 2009, my father passed away from cancer. We were very close, and he was a young 66. I miss him every day.
- Losing my dream teaching assignment – In 2014, due mostly to political reasons in my school district, the program I had built from the ground up was dismantled. That was my dream job, teaching college English to honor students and mentoring students who wanted to pursue careers in the education field. Though I continue to teach at the same school, my assignment is now very different. I do miss my old position, though the change has forced me to find new ways to define myself outside of teaching.
- Founding a non-profit organization – One of these “new ways” has taken place in my very own small town, where I’ve joined a group of 8 other people in establishing a non-profit organization that recently bought a 100-year old school building in town, saving it from demolition. Our plans are to renovate the building and turn it into a community center that offers classes, events, activities, resources, and more for our rural area. It’s something I’ve never been involved with before, and I’m learning a lot!
Well, that trip down Memory Lane was kind of fun. Thanks for sticking around to find out about my “10 Moments.” I hope you’ll take a peek at Pine Point and my small town romance series before you go. Each book is only $0.99 through August 27th!
Blurb:
- Summer Thompson doesn’t remember the night her brother died, and she certainly doesn’t want to go back to Pine Point and face any memories that might be awoken there. But ten years after leaving her small hometown, she’s back to settle her estranged father’s estate and be rid of the half-renovated mansion she’s inherited. What she doesn’t expect is to find the house occupied by a hunky handyman reluctant to talk about his past.Damian Knight has been helping his mother and sister hide from a brutal stalker, but now the peace and carefully guarded safety they’ve found in Pine Point is in danger. The refuge they live in is about to be sold out from under them by the lovely but haunted Summer, a woman who quickly finds her way through Damian’s defenses and steals his heart.But in a small town full of powerful secrets, the past won’t remain buried. Summer has to face her memories and could lose the man she loves, and maybe even her life.Each book in the Pine Point series is a standalone story that can be enjoyed in any order:
Book #1: Summer’s Song
Book #2: Winter Wonder
Book #3: Spring Secrets
Book #4: Autumn Allure
Excerpt:
- “Hey, you can’t go up there.” A strong hand grabbed her elbow.Summer turned with a start. “Why not?”“Not safe yet.” He motioned to the steps, and when she looked closer, she saw a missing riser that gaped like a placid crocodile, ready to snatch up her unsuspecting foot.“Oh.” She smiled an apology at Mac’s assistant.
He was tall, with light brown hair and deep blue eyes, and his broad, shirtless chest shone with sweat. Muscular biceps, no doubt made strong from summer labor, twitched as he reached for an itch between his shoulder blades. Summer swallowed and tried to chase away a crazy urge to scratch the spot for him.
“I’m Summer Thompson, by the way.” She reached out a hand in greeting. “The—ah—the new owner of this place.
He studied her with a serious expression. “So I guessed. Damian Knight.”
The one who’s renting the farmhouse. “Listen, I…” She meant to talk to him about that, but she couldn’t quite process the words as his blue eyes locked with hers. He hadn’t yet dropped her hand, which she didn’t mind in the least. Strong. Warm. Sending electricity straight through her
“Summer!”
Mac’s hand on her shoulder broke her reverie. Summer turned and plastered on a smile she hoped looked normal. “Hi, Mac.”
“Can’t believe you’re here.” He shook his head and grinned, and she glimpsed the chipped front teeth she remembered from high school.
“Well, I wanted to see the house. I just…” She faltered. “I just found out about it.”
“I know. Your father wanted it to be a surprise for you. Sorry about your loss, by the way.” He looked over his shoulder. “He did a great thing, buying this place. Wish he could have seen it finished.” Mac gestured around the yard. “We’re working on the roof today, obviously. Got another day or so before it’s done. There’s some interior work to do after that. And don’t use these front steps, okay? We still gotta replace a few.”
“Can I see the inside?” she asked. She wanted an idea of the mess she was dealing with. But her doubt grew as she looked around. The needed repairs seemed overwhelming, and those were just the ones she could see.
Damian ran one hand through his hair and sent a cloud of sawdust flying. A grin touched his eyes and, for a brief second, Summer saw her own reflection in his gaze. She looked small and dark, a little girl floating on the blue of his iris. He smiled, and in the sunlight, the blue deepened until she felt like she was falling inside it, floating, forgetting who and where she was. Something jumped in her stomach, and her palms tingled. Knights in Pine Point? There hadn’t been any for as long as she could remember
Don’t fall for the guy whose heart you have to break tomorrow…
Buy link(s):
Entangled Store: https://entangledpublishing.com/summer-s-song.html
Amazon: http://bit.ly/SummersSongAmazon
Apple: http://bit.ly/SummerSongApple
B&N: http://bit.ly/SummersSongNook
Bio:
- Allie Boniface is the USA Today best-selling author of over a dozen novels, including the Cocktail Cruise, Hometown Heroes, and Pine Point series. Her books are most often set in small towns and feature emotional romance with relatable characters you’ll know and love.A graduate of the University of Rochester and Case Western Reserve University, Allie is a full-time high school English teacher in the beautiful Hudson Valley of New York. When she isn’t teaching or writing, she and her husband love to travel.Take some time to browse around Allie’s website, check out new and upcoming releases, and sign up for her newsletter. You can join Allie’s All-Stars too, an exclusive readers’ group on Facebook where fans and friends chat about life, characters and story ideas, and have exclusive access to prizes, giveaways, and early sales!
Contact links:
Website: www.allieboniface.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorAllieBonifaceAllie’s All-Stars: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AllieBonifaceAllStars/
Twitter: @AllieBoniface1
Newsletter Sign-up: http://bit.ly/AlliesNews
Author Alicia Dean 