Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, where I share snippets from new and past releases and works-in-progress, and occasionally con author buddies into doing the same. Which is what’s happening today!
First up, news from the Hein house.
Erm… not a lot to be honest. Although some of you may recall that my culinary blowtorch died a few months ago, annoyingly at the peak of my lockdown baking lunacy (the proceeds of which we’re still eating). Well, I finally bought a replacement and it’s a cracking thing.
Here’s a highly unflattering photo of me with the new torch after brulee-ing the tops of a couple of vanilla rice puddings. If you’ve never done that to rice pudding, it’s something I highly recommend. Totally delicious!
Have a look at that flame. I never thought I’d say that I was glad my old blowtorch died but I am, because this flame is the goods. And unlike the previous one, it’s super easy to change canisters too.
Hmm… I might have to put crème brûlée on the menu next weekend just so I can play with it again.
Anyway, on to our faaaaaabulous guest.
Please give a very hearty welcome to Dakota Harrison, who is making her Teaser Tuesday debut. If you love rural romance – and OF COURSE you do! – you are going to adore Dakota and her “With Love, From Kurrajong Crossing” series. The first book in the series, Feels Like Home, released only last week and the reviews are incredible.
This is a book, series and author you will not want to miss. So without further ado, here’s Dakota to tell you a little bit about Feels Like Home and to share an excerpt.
Oh, and make sure you read to the end. There could be a giveaway and you know how we luuuurve giveaways!
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Catherine van Alden and Zac Hart have history, but they haven’t seen each other in twelve years due to a terrible accident that claimed the life of Cat’s younger sister. The whole town blames him for her death, but the truth is he’s protecting someone close to him and refuses to break that trust.
Zac gives Cat his most cherished possession – his newly-won Grammy Award – to try and apologize for skipping out on her all those years ago. He’s desperately hoping she’ll listen and open her heart, even the tiniest bit, to allow him to say his piece.
What Cat doesn’t know is that some people in her town have been keeping secrets of their own. Ones that have kept her and Zac apart – on purpose. But why? What do they have to gain?
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James hugged him back, hard. “Let’s do this!”
Zac chuckled, the emotional roller coaster of the last few minutes settling to a vague churning. They turned, only to come face-to-face with Helen van Alden.
The bottom dropped out of Zac’s gut. The one person who would be harder to face than Cat, was her mother.
Holly’s mother.
He knew his face blasted his shock and utter horror at being caught off guard in her presence, but he couldn’t help it. Couldn’t stop it. He dropped his gaze to the floor and moved to step around her and hurry out the door.
“Zac.”
Her voice stopped him cold. Soft, calm, sad. It hit him with the force of a typhoon.
He swallowed, unable to utter a single word, his throat parched and tight. His heart raced as if he’d sprinted the full length of the main street.
“James, would you mind giving us a moment?”
That brought his head up. She wanted to speak to him?
Why?
James looked between them, undecided, worried.
Helen placed her hand on his arm. “It’s all right. I’m not here to make a scene.”
James nodded and backed out the door, pointing at the doorway as he did. His meaning was clear, he’d be waiting just outside in case he was needed.
Satisfied that James had at least left the immediate vicinity, Helen faced him.
“It’s been too long, Zac.”
So many responses came into his head. This woman had been like another mother to him for so long. He’d loved her like a son would, he’d adored her, sought her opinion on many things, given her goofy Mother’s Day presents that only a mother could like. Selena had been a godsend to an abused kid looking for a safe harbour; but Helen, she’d been his conscience.
Too many words took up space in his head for what he wanted to say. Unable to articulate what was crowding his brain, he said nothing.
She stepped closer. He tensed.
She placed her hand on his suit-covered forearm. Even so, he flinched as if struck.
He struggled to breathe.
“It’s okay.”
He gasped in a breath, certain he’d heard wrong. He looked into blue eyes so similar to Cat’s it was uncanny.
“What?” he rasped.
She squeezed his arm. He could feel the heat of her palm through the expensive material all the same.
“I said, it’s okay. It’s okay that you’re here for James. It’s okay that you want to patch things up with Cat. It’s okay to feel.”
Tears stung his eyes. Tears he’d thought dried up long ago. He gritted his teeth, grinding his jaw closed as if to fuse it together by sheer will alone, and kept his gaze averted.
Her hand left his arm and cupped his jaw.
God no. Why is she doing this?
“It’s okay to come home.”
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Wow, this one sounds like a real heart-tugger, doesn’t it? Which means you’ll want to snap up a copy of Feels Like Home ASAP. Which you can do right now from any of these stores:
Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon UK
Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Barnes & Noble
As hinted at in the intro, we have a…
GIVEAWAY!
To be in the draw to win an ebook copy of Feels Like Home, simply leave a comment about what you think makes a home a home.
This is something I’ve contemplated a lot over the years. We’ve moved houses, cities, states and even countries, and I came to the simple conclusion that home was wherever Jim was.
Perhaps for you it’s different. Maybe it’s shelves of photos of family and friends or meals around the table. Or it could be that comfortable old chair in a patch of sunlight, the rug across the back of the lounge that your gran made for you, or the smell of a home-cooked meal.
Share what you feel makes a home and you could win.
Please note: Giveaway closes midnight Friday, Australian Eastern Standard Time, 31st July 2020. Ebook only. Open worldwide. Yay!
If you’d like to learn more about Dakota and her books, please visit her website. You can also connect via Facebook.
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