׺°”˜`”°º× Runaway Groom Release Day! ׺°”˜`”°º×

I have wanted to share this story with you for a long, long time. Braxton and Abby first came to me a couple years ago and I was SURE, positive even, that theirs was a cute little short story. My crit partner, Heather Long, insisted there was more to it...so I sat down and quit trying to rush it and let them tell me their story.

What came out wasn't the short story I planned to write. Braxton and Abby hurt, bled, laughed, and lived on the page and I'm more than thrilled to finally be able to share them with you.

Without further preamble, here's a bit of my Runaway Groom.

He’s ready and waiting. She’s wanting…but wary.

Runaway Groom

Watkin’s Pond, Book 1

Links
Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

The groom is back in town.

Abigail lost her best friend years ago when he ditched her at the altar like a loaf of stale bread. Now he’s back and determined to do whatever he has to—even lie, apparently—to get under her skin. Although he makes her hormones rev to life in a way that no one has since he left, she is equally determined not to fall for his boy-next-door charm.

His bride-to-be is somewhat reluctant.

Braxton Dean was too young and stupid to know better when he walked away. Years of trying to fill the Abby-shaped hole in his heart have left him empty, and now he’s going to win back his girl—or get over her. But first he needs answers. Particularly why she never responded to any of his letters.

It might take a whole town to make this wedding happen.

With the help of their friends, the two battle it out. The army? An entire town of busybodies. The prize? Happily ever after.

Warning: Contains indignant old ladies, steamy sex (but not with indignant old ladies), seduction cake, and condom bouquets. Yes, we went there.

Enjoy the following excerpt for Runaway Groom:

Counting it down to Runaway Groom : Two of my favorite small town authors...

I can’t believe we’re almost to the release day of Runaway Groom!! *squeaks*

That said, I LOVE small town stories. Sweet Home Alabama might be my favorite small town movie, or maybe The Proposal and that little town in Alaska…wait, let’s talk about books because I am a HUGE fan of these two authors.

2. Mariah Stewart 

I have never in my entire life eaten as much ice cream as I did while I read Almost Home, The Chesapeake Diaries Book 3. Aside from writing a lovely and intimate small town, Stewart also made me want to visit it. I wanted to eat at the ice cream shop, fall in love with the hero, all of it. Just great stuff.

1. Kristan Higgins

I know, I know. If you’ve read my blog before or my facebook, you knew I’d mention Higgins. I’m a huge fangirl and if I ever meet her, I’m sure to be so speechless, someone will post a pic of it and share my frozen shock with the world. That said, she has SO MANY SMALL TOWN AWESOME BOOKS. From the Blue Heron series and the beauty of wine country to the Maine coast, Higgins transports us smack dab into a town full of folks who know each other and have such easy familiarity with each other that it is impossible to resist falling in love with them. Start with The Best Man if you haven’t read them. No, wait, do Until There Was You. No, ignore me…start with My One and Only. Oh, shoot…just read them all like I did and we’ll talk about them, okay?

Counting it down to Runaway Groom : Four Reasons to Avoid Small Towns

4. We aren’t going to forget that thing you did…

I know, you were twenty. I know, you were drunk. I don’t care, we won’t forget. We’ll forgive you, since you grew up to be such a nice adult and all, but we won’t forget.

3. No, seriously…

Ever. We won’t forget. We’re telling your grandkids about it.

2. We really do only accept cash.

We don’t care that all the places you’ve ever been to before accept your little plastic card, we don’t. There is an ATM over there. Use that, bring us money. Kthxbai.

1. You may never want to leave.

We grow on you. Like mold. It might be insidious, but it happens. You’ll fall in love with us and you’ll put some roots down and you’ll never see a reason to live anywhere else…even if they don’t get buried in ten feet of snow and have a Starbucks. This will become home and that will be what matters at the end of the day.

You were warned. O.o

Counting it down to Runaway Groom : Five Reasons to Live in a Small Town

5. You won’t get lost.

I mean, there aren’t that many roads.

4. Everyone knows you.

If they don’t know you, they know a whole lot about you because they’re friends with your relatives.

3. When something bad happens, they rally around you.

Seriously, whether you want them or not, your freezer will be full of food and folks will be stopping by to check in on you.

2. There is a sense of history.

We relive our glory days as often as possible. So, well, you know that if the rest of the world forgets you, we won’t. We’ll keep your memory alive long after you’re long gone by telling stories about you and smiling in remembrance.

1. Crime? We don’t have a lot of that.

You don’t have to lock your door like those city folks. You can bet if someone robs you, one of the neighbors saw it. Chances are good one of the neighbors went ahead and beat them up then called the cops for you. Like I said, we take care of our own.