Tuesday, August 22, 2017

In the Moment

Jennifer talks about her next release...

I’m nine days away from my next book release, which is exciting and stressful at the same time. Exciting because, hey, it’s a book release! Stressful because I have a lot going on in my life and this is one more thing to add to the to-do list. But it’s a good problem to have and I’m not complaining.

The book, In the Moment, is special to me, because it was inspired by a beautiful house I toured a town over from me. I love touring old houses. I love the architecture, the lifestyle and thinking about the people who lived there. When I saw that a Victorian mansion was for sale, and that there was an open house, my girls and I jumped at the chance to see it. We wandered through every floor except for the basement, a converted wine cellar which was blocked off because apparently a deer had gotten inside through the outside entrance—wonder if she preferred white or red? The main floor had gorgeous moldings, wainscoting, fireplaces, floors and stained glass windows. The kitchen and powder room had been modernized and our jaws dropped as we wandered from room to room. The two upper floors were bedrooms. While the second floor had also been renovated—while keeping the charm and look of the time period—the third floor had not, and you could see the original wood planked floors in the servants’ quarters. It was a fascinating history lesson.

Since I didn’t have a spare couple of million dollars lying around to purchase and continue the updates, I decided to write about the house instead. It is now the main setting of In the Moment and I enjoyed revisiting the house through pictures as I wrote. And I worked really hard on the cover with the cover artist—I wanted to convey the tone of the book and include the house—I think she did a great job!


The book releases September 1, but is available for pre-order now. Here’s the blurb:

Cassie Edwards, a former foster child, purchases an 1870s Victorian mansion, the one home from her childhood where she felt like part of a family. She’s spending her summer lovingly restoring it, with dreams of one day raising a family of her own here. Rayne Tucket, a photojournalist, is haunted by the death of his best friend in Afghanistan, a death he thinks is his fault. He survives day to day. Forever is not in his vocabulary. Swearing off photography, he answers an ad for a handyman—mindless, no emotion involved. As the two of them renovate her house, can Cassie show Rayne that love is strong enough to heal all wounds?

And here’s a brief excerpt: The intimate closeness made her stomach flutter. The proximity of their bodies, the rush of the water, and his feathering touch on her lips made her dizzy. She gripped his arms for support. He grasped her waist, staring deep in her eyes.
He was going to kiss her. She knew it. His pupils dilated. Time slowed. The rushing water pounded around her. She opened her mouth, as much to drink in air as to get ready to kiss him back. His eyes narrowed, focused on her lips. She leaned toward him. Their wet bodies pressed against each other. Her breasts tingled, and her stomach heated at the contact. She wanted this to go on forever, but at the same time, she wanted him to hurry up and kiss her so their lips could finally meet. At the last possible second, he pushed away.
She stood there, confused and aching.
“I’m not the staying kind, Cassie.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“A woman like you needs a man who’ll stay forever. My time here has an expiration date.”

She ducked under the water. When she came up, she pushed her hair out of her face. “I know you’re leaving. You don’t have to, though.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Why?”

“Because I have a promise to keep.”
“What kind of promise?”

“The unbreakable kind.”
Here are buy links:


Please let me know what you think!




8 comments:

  1. I LOVE the premise of this story. My hubby and I bought an old house (It will be a hundred years old in a few years.) that was a two-flat. With a lot of blood, sweat, and tears we renovated and turned it into a home.

    I cannot wait to read this story!

    The cover is perfect...congrats on another release, Jen. You are just cranking them out these days. :)

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  2. Congrats on another release. That's a great kiss and also a page-turning 'after the kiss' conversation.

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    1. Thanks, Paula. Coming from you, that means a lot! :)

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  3. Love your story premise--and the snippet.
    Adore the cover's colors. It definitely has the proper Z eye-track.
    I'm eager to read this story. Will go order now.

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