Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, where I share snippets from new and past releases and works-in-progress and occasionally twist the arms of author buddies to do the same.

We have another guest this week. Yay!

First, some news from the Hein house…

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram then you would have seen the news about Tessa and the Dinner Date, a free short Levenham Love Story that I’ve written for newsletter subscribers.

Today is your last chance to join the team and ensure you’ll get access to Tessa and the Dinner Date along with everyone else because the newsletter will be going out tomorrow. So get your skates on, my lovelies, and join today. We all need heart-warming things in our lives right now and Tessa’s lovely story will warm you to cozy wonderfulness.

In other news, my comfort baking obsession has returned in force. I blame today’s guest, rural romance author Maya Linnell, who kindly invited me to her Cooking the Books House Party, an online event we recorded yesterday, and which involved much food and book discussion and required scones (more details on how you can catchup on this event coming soon).

French custard tart

To get back into the baking mood I made my favourite carrot cake with date and cream cheese frosting, followed by French custard tart. The tart resulted in a bunch of leftover egg whites and I couldn’t let them go to waste, could I? So that led to a batch of chocolate and hazelnut friands and then there were scones for the event (I’ve shared my scone recipe here so you can get the baking bug too).

The freezer is back to overloaded which means I’ve been banned from making my favourite sherry-soaked prune, walnut and chocolate cake for a while. Bah humbug. I love that cake and had planned to make it this week. Oh well. The wait will give me something to look forward to.

On to today’s guest!

I’m delighted to welcome Maya Linnell back to Teaser Tuesday. You’ll remember Maya’s last visit, when she shared a snippet from her debut rural romance Wildflower Ridge. Today she’s here to tantalise you with an excerpt from her second release, Bottlebrush Creek.

You’ll love this one. It sounds faaaaabulous.

Here’s Maya to tell you more.

Hi Cathryn,

So lovely to pop into you Tuesday Teasers again, always lovely hanging out with somebody who has such fond memories of my hometown, the very tiny Tantanoola! It’s been a wonderful week with Bottlebrush Creek hitting the book stores in paperback, eBook and audiobook.

I’ve set my second book in south west Victoria, close to where I live along the coast, and it’s pure escapism with plenty of on-farm family drama, troublesome tradies and a meddling mother-in-law. Readers have contacted me to say they’re thrilled to revisit their fav characters from my debut rural romance Wildflower Ridge and meet new friends too.

Bottlebrush Creek focusses on the youngest McIntyre sister Angie – a bubbly beautician who loves baking – and her partner Rob Jones. The couple have a young daughter Claudia and dream of owning their own rural property.

The scene I’ve chosen for Tuesday Teasers is right at the start of Bottlebrush Creek, when Angie and Rob find the perfect little ‘fixer-upper’ cottage on 200-acres. Angie hopes this new project will cement their little family together, but she soon discovers it may be the very thing that drives them apart…

..

Angie buckled a tired Claudia into the car seat, watching her daughter’s eyelids flutter close. She joined Rob and the real estate agent in a surreal conversation about timelines and deposit options, unable to believe that they may have finally found their dream cottage. Enough land to run a few cattle. Close to the ocean. With a little orchard. Room to plant a weeping cherry tree in memory of her mum, Annabel. The perfect place to turn Claudia into a little green thumb, and, maybe one day, expand their little family.

‘Cooooeee.’

Angie swivelled towards the familiar voice. No, it can’t be . . .

‘Yoo hoo. Is that the birthday boy and his beautiful girls?’

It wasn’t until Angie spotted Rosa Jones striding across the paddock that she noticed the black-and-white Friesian cows, and the thick bottlebrush hedges that camouflaged the neighbouring property. She flashed Rob a look of disbelief and sucked in a sharp breath. What is his mother doing here?

Angie barely had time to comprehend the situation before she was squeezed in a vice-like hug, complete with back pats, murmurs of delight and the scent of roses.

‘Oh Angie, isn’t this great? I’ve barely slept a wink.’

Okay, how did Rosa know about this before me?

The real estate agent drove off with a toot and a wave. Rob strode over to his mum, his tall frame dwarfing Rosa as she gave him a tight squeeze. They shared the same black wavy hair and olive skin, but Rob had definitely inherited his father’s height.

‘What did you think? And where’s my beautiful granddaughter?’

‘Mum, she’s aslee—’

Rosa yanked the back door open. A sharp cry escaped from the car. Angie and Rob both grimaced.

‘Oops, Granny woke you up. Let’s get you out of that seat, poppet.’ Rosa fumbled with the five-point harness. ‘I’ve got some beautiful new calves to show you.’

Claudia shook her head mutinously. Angie knew exactly how she felt.

‘Here, Mum, let me.’ Rob squeezed in and lifted Claudia out.

Rosa stepped in closer. ‘Granny’s missed you, poppet. And haven’t you grown tall!’

Standing on tiptoe, Angie whispered to Rob. ‘It’s within walking distance of the dairy? How could you not mention that?’

‘Would you’ve come?’

Angie groaned, now spying the Jones’s dairy and farmhouse further down the road. Of all the fixer-uppers in the country, had she just fallen in love with the one right next door to Rob’s folks?

.

Doesn’t this sound cool? Love it. You’ll want to get your twitchy, book-lovin’ fingers on a copy of Bottlebrush Creek ASAP, won’t you? You can do it right now by clicking any of the stores below.

Amazon AU | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play

Booktopia | Angus & Robertson | Bookdepository

Discover more about Maya and her books by visiting her website. You can also connect via Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for her monthly newsletter here.