Please help me welcome today’s guest, Jennifer Wilck and the other authors of her Ticket to True Love multi-author series. Such a clever idea. And the covers are fabulous! Sounds like a fantastic series. Congrats, ladies!
Thanks so much, Alicia, for hosting me on your blog today! Better Together in Boston is a contemporary romance that released on June 11. It’s part of the Ticket to True Love multi-author series. I’m excited to tell you a little about the book, as well as to share some of the other books in the series.
Anna Levinson has long since come to terms with the understanding that “having it all” is impossible if she wants a successful career. Despite being left at the altar twice, Ben Diamond still believes his soul mate is out there. A long-distance relationship isn’t what either of them has in mind, and Anna isn’t about to ruin another person’s dreams; however, giving each other up is harder than it looks.
Here are a few of my favorite lines from the story:
This was it. The moment she’d waited for and dreaded at the same time.
The seventh inning stretch.
Anna was not like the other women she’d grown up with and knew. She’d never dreamed of a happily ever after for herself. Her mom was strong and independent, and she was, too. Regardless of how much guilt Anna carried, she never felt the need to depend on a man, so marriage had never been one of her goals. And once she started achieving professional success, a relationship would just be one more thing pulling at her time.
But every time she came to a baseball game with her mom, there was always someone nearby who would lean over and kiss his or her partner while everyone else rose during the seventh inning stretch. As a child, she’d been fascinated. As a teen and a young adult, she’d been at first horrified and then a little envious. But as she matured, she decided it was stupid, especially if the couple was unlucky enough to be shown on the Jumbotron.
Seriously, who wanted their kiss broadcast to the world? It gave an intimate moment too much weight.
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Better-Together-Boston-Springs-Contemporary-ebook/dp/B09432941B
Jennifer’s links:
Website: http://www.jenniferwilck.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jennifer-Wilck-201342863240160/
Newsletter: https://www.jenniferwilck.com/contact.html#newsletter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JWilck
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjenniferwilck/
Fun Fact: Boston is known for the “Freedom Trail,” but it also has an entire literary district, including the homes of famous authors and even a statue based on the story, Make Room for Duckling!
The most difficult thing about writing with other authors is making sure the things that carry through all our stories, such as the small town of True Springs, are consistently portrayed.
The best thing about writing with other authors is that I get the benefit of their knowledge and I have a built-in support system, whether it’s for blurb help or advertising.
And now, let me introduce you to the others!
Georgia Grace by Savannah Kade
Blurb: Equal parts determined and petrified, Grace is leaving her abusive boyfriend for good. Hopping on the the back of a stranger’s bike isn’t the worst decision she’s ever made. How can two broken and scarred hearts give in to love when they’ve each vowed never to lose themselves again?
Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CFSVYZ1/
Favorite Lines: He’d woken up and everything he’d ever wanted, everything he was supposed to get, was gone. And he could never get it back.
Fun Fact: I’ve been to every place they visit! Even the fictional towns. Ha!
Most Difficult Thing: Just making sure we had everything lined up!
Best Thing: Great ideas I got from reading the other stories.
FB: https://www.facebook.com/ReadSavannahKade
website: https://www.savannahkade.com/
Yearning in Yellowstone by Holland Rae
Blurb: It was supposed to be a summer road trip in an RV with old friends. She never expected the adventure to be love. Big skies may call to both of them, but work is waiting for Rhiannon and Nick has never claimed one place as home. They only have a few days to decide what’s worth risking and what they’re willing to live without…or they might just find that what matters most is already gone.
Quotes:
“It was the first national park,” he said. He hadn’t let go of her hand and she hadn’t pulled away. “Seems an auspicious place to run into each other, no?”
They were the same passes their group had used to get into Indiana Dunes, into Theodore Roosevelt National Park, into Cuyahoga. But this time, knowing that Nick would be joining them all for dinner, that she was seeing him again in just a few short minutes, they felt like tickets to a far greater adventure
This time, he was here with Rhiannon.
And that made all the difference.
“It’s yours. The whole sky, it’s yours.”
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08WKNRGD1/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
Fun Fact: This story was very much written as my love letter to young women who are still trying to navigate the world and their place in it. The inspiration of a group of summer camp friends who have stayed in touch and grown up together came from my very own group of summer camp friends. We have traveled together, grown together, and continue to be part of each other’s lives, no matter how far away we move.
Not only was Rhiannon’s relationship with her friends based on the real life friendship—and many of the real life conversations and experiences—of my own camp friends, but many of the stories in Yearning in Yellowstone are from camp, as well, if altered slightly. While nearly a decade has passed since I worked at a sleepaway camp, it was one of the most unique and challenging and exciting experiences of my life—and it definitely comes with stories. Camp taught me how to think on my feet and how to find joy in the in-between moments, and for that, I’ll be forever grateful. I’m also eternally grateful that I never have to deal with several dozen vomiting children again…
Working With Other Authors:
The Ticket to True Love writing process has been nothing but wonderful. I love the excitement of seeing where each of the stories are going to be set and how each other blends the series rules with their own style and story. The series guides, with the water and the tickets, really gave me a chance to push the story and try new things and I enjoyed taking Yellowstone to a whole new level. Ironically enough, the summer camp where I actually worked isn’t very far from where True Springs can be found, which helped inspire the very start. It’s also been so fun running parties and creating a community with such amazing authors surrounding romance and adventure and a little bit of the magic of love.
Find Holland:
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/HollandRae
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/196337010993469
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaeRomance
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollandraeromance/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rubymayqueen?lang=en
HollandRae.com
Practically Persuaded in Pittsburgh by JB Schroeder
Blurb:
In this friends-to-lovers, interracial story with a small-town feel, Sadie agrees to a fake marriage for a good cause, but she has to fess up about other plans when Jake begins playing for keeps!
Amazon and Kindle Unlimited: https://amzn.to/34jiNht
A few favorite lines from the story:
“Are you offering me some kind of partnership? Just spit it out already.” Sadie didn’t have time for this, and Jake was cracked if he thought she had any kind of capital for some kind of family-ruining buyout. “I’m going to be late.”
“No—it’s bigger than that.” Jake sucked in a big breath. “I’m asking you to marry me.”
Sadie’s mouth dropped open. Her heart stuttered with shock and then recovered, as if Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage had appeared and then vanished all in the space of a second.
She barked out a laugh—because really, what other way was there to react? “You are out of your mind.”
“I’m completely serious.”
She scrunched up her face and peered at him. His hair was mussed, but his eyes were clear and he wasn’t muttering or drooling or frothing. Not drugs, not a psychotic episode, not even sleepwalking.
And sadly, most definitely not some romantic notion blown out of proportion as a result of one heart-stopping kiss seven years ago.
Fun Fact: I grew up in Pittsburgh but the Strip District has had a complete blossoming since I’ve been gone!
Most Difficult Thing: Keeping everyone excited and motivated!
Best Thing: The camaraderie and sharing of ideas.
www.JBSchroederAuthor.com
www.facebook.com/JBSchroederAuthor
www.instagram.com/jbschroederauthor/
www.goodreads.com/JBSchroeder
Sure to Fall in Sedona by Julie Strauss
Blurb:
Tiffani Lemmen worked hard to get clean. If she can stay out of trouble and away from men, she’ll inherit her grandmother’s fortune.
Danny Ibanez is the most promising young cop on the South Sedona police force. The law is black and white, and when you’re the son of the most crooked cop in Arizona, you follow the rules. All of them. The last thing Danny plans to do is fall for an ex-junkie with a criminal past.
Resisting each other is impossible. Falling in love with cost them everything.
Buy Link: https://amzn.to/34JUJ7s
Favorite lines:
She hit the water back-first. The basin was deeper than she expected, and the water came up over her face. The cold surprised her, and she opened her mouth to gasp. Water filled her mouth, and she choked on it. Suddenly, time sped up, and she struggled to stand up. Her clothes had grown heavy and waterlogged, and her flip-flops had fallen off, so her bare feet couldn’t get purchase on the slippery tiled bottom. She managed to struggle over onto her hands and knees, coughing and spitting out water.
She looked up at the two young men in front of the statue, who had stopped mid-makeout to gaze at her.
“Well,” observed one of them, “that’s one way to find your true love.”
Fun fact about the story:
After I wrote the initial draft of “Sure to Fall in Sedona,” I sent it to a cop friend of mine. She replied, “Did you actually research police work? Have you ever met a cop? Have you ever even seen a cop show?” I had to admit the truth: all I really know about police work was that one time I’d been out to lunch with a girlfriend of mine and their was a bachelor party in the room next to us and a stripper in a cop uniform showed up and stripped down to his g-string. I corrected the actual police work in the book, but I left in a few cracks about ogling handsome men in uniform. Like I’m gonna pass up that opportunity!
The most difficult part of writing with other authors: I admire the other writers so much, and I was pretty sure they made a mistake when they invited me to join them. I was (and still am!) afraid that I could never match their level of excellence.
The BEST part about writing with other authors: I loved that we were all working with similar parameters and coming up with such different stories. I think the experience made me a better writer.
Contact Links:
Website/Instagram/Podcast
Author Alicia Dean 