Love Blossoms by Julie Anne Lindsey

On this cozy autumn Sunday, I'm thrilled to welcome cozy guest blogger, Julie Anne Lindsey, once again.  All-American girl, and Buffy look-alike, Julie Anne is a wife, mother of three young children, social media guru, and extremely gifted writer.  Her second romance novella, LOVE BLOSSOMS, was released last week by Turquoise Morning Press’Honey Creek imprint.

 

Writing, Romance & Escape

Author, Julie Anne Lindsey

Hi Cynthia!  First of all, I want to thank you for letting me visit your blog today! I’m so blessed to be a writer today when the Internet connects us. Our community of authors and aspiring writers is a phenomenal blessing. I’m honored and blushing and totally happy to be a part of it! My second sweet romance novella, Love Blossoms, released last week and it’s got me feeling all inspired again - LOL!  Such a delightful cycle.

I love to write about women in need of a smile. Sometimes they know they need to smile. Sometimes they have no clue. I think we all need to be swept off our pretty pink feet at least once in our lives, so I set out to create a lady who’d never see it coming. My newest story started this way.

Jillian Parker, my heroine, spoke to my heart and said, “I’ve been burned in love, and I want what’s coming to me. I want something real. Someone who means it when he kisses me. Someone worthy of my trust.” Jillian stayed so busy taking care of everybody else, she was lost in the dream of “someday.” Instantly, I wanted to give her what she asked for. So, I gave “someday” a cupid style bump into “right now.” (I love my job). My heart broke for hers, and Jillian Parker was born. I also knew she belonged in Honey Creek. I have a strong connect with the women of that town (a fictitious town in rural Ohio, the location for all stories in the Turquoise Morning Press’ Honey Creek imprint). I live in a similar place, complete with well-meaning neighbors and good old fashioned ideas. I get the culture, and I understand how hard it can be to wrangle feelings and reality. We want one thing but do another. Real life can be bumpy, but I guarantee all my heroines one thing reality doesn’t - they all get a toe curling, cheek pinking, happy ending!

True love conquers all in Honey Creek. I get swept away into every scene I write. I put myself in their town, see the fireflies over the lake, smell the tangy ash of a bonfire at my side, and I feel the warm wind whipping hair into my eyes. Every new story takes me away on location. The experience is simultaneously exhilarating and exhausting. I get completely carried away like that when I write. I’ve been a broken cowboy, angry and defeated, a teenage assassin waging intergalactic war, a woman solving a mystery so her high school sweetheart can go free – and then she can punch him in the nose for breaking her heart. One time I was in witness protection and didn’t even know it!  

No matter what story I’m writing or where my imagination takes me, I always find love. I think the most mesmerizing power in our world is attraction. The compulsion to walk through fire in the name of protecting someone we love is something I can’t ignore. So, I promise you, anything I write this side of death will always end in love. I’m hopeful like that.

If you’re in the mood for a sweet romantic read with a very happy ending, I hope you’ll visit Honey Creek. The sun is setting, bullfrogs are croaking and the crickets are singing, “Come on.” Sweet tea or hot cider.  Fresh summer strawberries or crisp fall apples. You’ll find it there. And taking a trip to Honey Creek is as easy as  Amazon : ) I hope to see you there! 

LOVE BLOSSOMS:

Jillian thought she had everything she needed until Jackson walked through her door . . .

There’s a wedding coming to Honey Creek and the whole town’s preparing for the party. When Jillian Parker agreed to host a few groomsmen at her inn, she had no idea what she was getting into. One of those groomsmen is Jackson Tate, and he’s making her concentration completely impossible. He’s funny, fascinating, frustrating, and leaving in a week. Jillian does not have time for that level of distraction. With Jackson nearby, events to coordinate, a bride to please, and an ex-fiancé to dodge, her peaceful life’s getting crazy fast. With any luck, she’ll survive the week and put the whole thing behind her as soon as possible.

 

. . . But, not if Jackson has anything to say about it.

Excerpt of LOVE BLOSSOMS:

“You used to cause quite a stir,” Jackson said into Jillian’s ear. “I bet you haven’t danced since you came home.”

Jillian smiled the demure smile she’d perfected long ago and slipped out into the night beside Danielle. A laugh split her friend’s face, and Danielle hollered into the night sky. Watermelon Crawl boomed from the truck speakers. An outrageous smile spread across Jillian’s face until her cheeks ached. Memories flooded over her, and she was instantly 10 years younger. Her muscles tingled, and the steps came back like a reflex to the sound of her friends’ laughter and the sight of embers floating in the night sky.

Her skirt swung left and right along with her toe. Material caught her thighs and infused her with energy. Beth’s squeal blasted out of the kitchen door, and she nearly took Jillian down dashing onto the dirt beside her.

“Wooooo!”

Nothing mattered. How could anything matter?

The small troop of dancers stomped and turned in the firelight. Fireflies and golden embers floated and blinked against the deep navy blue sky. No walls contained them; no neighbors complained about the noise; no traffic sounds interrupted the cricket and bullfrog chorus. There was no more freedom on earth than she had right there. A round of clapping went up as the bodies slowed and ambled in place, laughing and congratulating one another. They still had it.

Giggles seasoned the air, and the music changed smoothly to another lifelong favorite. Fishin’ in the Dark . She thought of all the groomsmen planning to night fish before Mrs. Prattle’s punch kicked in the night before. In a flash, men and women sided up ready to twirl and swing in pairs. For a moment, Jillian stepped back to watch the couples, but a massive shadow blocked the light from the fire. Jackson hitched an eyebrow and nodded her way.

In the space of a heartbeat, the group was in motion, and so was she.

“You haven’t lost it, I suppose,” he said as their bodies came together.

She made the most of the time they were apart, enjoying his audience, strutting her stuff. When they met again she said, “You’ve noticed.”

“Honey, every man in town’s noticed.”

The couples began to swing, but Jillian found her body airborne. Like a feather in the wind, her feet swung left then right of Jackson’s hips. Clapping and hooting ensued. No sooner was she grounded again than she began to twirl. The rush of endorphins and joy shot up from her feet to her hair, and her heart threatened to fly her to the moon.

About Julie Anne Lindsey: Mother of three, wife to a sane person and Ring Master at the Lindsey Circus. Most days you'll find me online, amped up on caffeine, and wielding a book. 

You can find my blogging about the writer life at Musings from the Slush Pile
Tweeting my crazy at @JulieALindsey
Reading to soothe my obsession on GoodReads
And other books by me on Amazon