Celebrate the season with fantastic authors, cozy holiday reads and fun giveaways.
Help me welcome Sandra Sookoo today! Be sure to check out her giveaway at the end of the post!
Hi
there and thanks for hosting me today! My name is Sandra Sookoo, and I
specialize in writing romantic fiction that’s funny, emotional and a little bit
quirky in mostly contemporary and the Regency genres.
Why
did I write Andy’s Gift? Because sometimes love is bittersweet and full of
emotional memories. Love is messy. It’s tear-filled and snotty. It takes you to
the greatest heights and plunges you to the lowest depths. But love is the
backbone of life and it’s always there. In this story, it takes place during
the Christmas season, but the holiday isn’t the focus. It’s about being a
survivor after someone you love has died, about picking up the pieces and
realizing life and love can still be something special. I hope you enjoy the
blurb and excerpt.
Blurb
for Andy’s Gift:
Devastated
after her fiancé dies in Iraq, Claudia Foster packs up her life and moves to
the city of Indianapolis. She wants to
lose herself in the noise, sights and sounds of a place so foreign from her
upbringing that she’ll forget her guilt surrounding Andy’s death. But fate has other plans.
Daniel
Sorenson has put all thoughts of his brother Andy’s death from his mind just to
get through the day yet running into Claudia again stirs up all the hidden
feelings he has struggled so hard to hide.
How can you love the girl who was supposed to marry your dead brother?
As
the two share their grief, they also share something deeper: laughter. But is it enough? As they bond over a
pre-Christmas prank, memories, secrets and postponed love come to the
forefront, forcing them both to work through them and accept one last thing:
Andy’s gift.
Excerpt: As she glanced around, she couldn't exactly climb down from her perch
without crashing into at least three people, one of whom had a tattoo of a
snake on the back of his neck. As quickly as she could, she took a few steps
sideways, then her feet seemed to freeze, preventing her escape as a very
familiar scent assailed her.
Fresh and clean, like a recent snowfall with a tiny hint of pine, her
stomach clenched in sudden panic while her heartbeat accelerated. That was what
Andy had smelled like. Sure, probably dozens of other men in the city used the
same cologne but to her it would forever call up memories of him. Quiet summer
nights on the porch swing at his farmhouse or bundled under quilts watching
movies in the dead of winter in his bedroom.
Even though she knew it was impossible, she craned her neck, searching
for a glimpse of Andy. The crowd shifted once more, pressing in on her vantage
point. Claudia lost her balance and clutched at the first set of shoulders she
came to -- the guy who stood next to the tattooed man.
As he jerked and turned around, an apology sprang to her lips.
Sapphire blue eyes sparkled in the sun. Andy's eyes! With a
surprised squeak, she released him as if he was on fire. She teetered, arms
wind milling before finally half-stumbling, half-falling into the fountain's
pool.
It couldn't be...
As the few inches of cold water seeped through her jeans, she stared
up at all six-feet of broad shoulders, fit body hidden by a designer suit and
dark, sandy-blond hair cut trendy short.
She felt stunned when he reached out a hand, a small smile lifting one
corner of his mouth, and she gawked even more.
There was only one person with a grin like that.
"Daniel?" She had no idea he would be at the rally let alone
in this part of the city.
Warmth invaded her body, centering low in her belly as she stared into
the face of the man who had been the first guy to kiss her, the first guy to
break her heart, the first guy she had ever loved -- her dead fiancé's brother.
Buy
links for Andy’s Gift:
Publisher:
http://tinyurl.com/mmdsdnb
Amazon:
http://tinyurl.com/mn2h98j
ARe:
http://tinyurl.com/kn76av3
Barnes
and Noble: http://tinyurl.com/mmdsdnb
Have
you connected with me on social media? Here’s where you can find me:
Believing is Seeing blog: http://sandrasookoo.wordpress.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/sandrasookoo
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sandra.sookoo
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2931453.Sandra_Sookoo
Amazon
page: amazon.com/author/sandrasookoo
GIVEAWAY!
Giveaway
for this post: A $10.00 Amazon gift card plus book swag and keychain (pictured).
Please remember to leave your contact information, and answer this question:
Have you ever experienced the “one who got away” love interest, and did you win
them back?
