True Love is Timeless

This week, to celebrate Valentine's Day, the members of Rachel Harris' Flirt Squad have put together a Flirtilicious Blog Hop.

I began the month full of excitement, counting down to February 15, when I'd decided I would post my installment of the blog hop. And on the morning of Valentine's Day, I sat down at my computer to write and schedule my fun and flirty blog post.

And then the news arrived that my 79-year-old grandmother had chosen to spend her Valentine's Day with her sweetheart. My grandfather died a little over a year ago, and we've all missed him terribly, but no one more than Grandma.

I remember, when I was a little girl, cuddling on the couch with Grandma as she told me about going to dances with Grandpa, and how he swept her off her feet.

She was only 16 (Grandpa was 17) when they ran off to get married. They didn't "have to" get married (no shotguns involved in this love story), but they were so in love that they didn't stop to think about the fact that they were much too young or that the odds were against them. They simply knew they didn't want to spend another day without each other. And so they didn't.

 
 Even as they grew older, and their health began to decline, they were an inseparable pair, full of life and imagination. (Grandpa even built a trailer to tow behind his electric scooter, so he and Grandma could still enjoy nature together.) It's no wonder Grandma was anxious to be reunited with her sweetheart this Valentine's Day. And so my Flirtilicious blog post is dedicated to the couple who taught me that true love can last forever, as long as you keep working to grow together.


Speaking of timeless love...

I have an excerpt from Rachel Harris' A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES to share with you:

I sit in stunned silence; my face presses into the warm comfort of his palm as the words you’re perfect wash over me again and again in spine-tingling waves.

Austin Michaels thinks I’m perfect.

And if that is true, then it has to mean he cares for me.

Drawing on every ounce of courage I’ve attempted to build within myself during this time-travel adventure, I grip the hard muscles of his arms and say, “But Austin, you did teach me. In the last ten days with you, I learned more about what it means to live than I have in the last sixteen years. But even more, you make me feel as though you can see all the tiny pieces of who I truly am inside, the real Alessandra that no one else knows—the woman who lives behind the girlish act of perfection I wear for the world. You may not agree with me all the time, and you exasperate me far more often than I’d like, but you respect me…and Austin, that means more to me than you’ll ever know.”

When I finish speaking, I realize I am trembling, but it’s not from the night air. In the distance, I hear the faint sound of music seeping from Lyric, but neither that nor the cars whooshing past just a few feet away on the street breaks the roar of silence between us.

Though I did not profess the full extent of my affection, I have no doubt Austin knows how much I care for him. And as his silence lengthens, I begin to think that perhaps I was mistaken. That he does not feel the same, and that he is now preparing to let me down gently. Pondering that thought, I fortify my heart for another man’s rejection, but even while I do so, I cannot regret sharing my feelings.

My faith remains in the truth I have fought so hard for my cousin to believe: the pain of not having Austin return my feelings may be excruciating, and it may not be worth the turmoil of heartache, but choosing to take a chance and living life always is.

Austin interrupts my somewhat dark and profound introspection by dipping his forehead to touch mine. And just like that, all thoughts are whisked away, and my senses are filled with the scent of mint.

With our gazes connected, we share a breath, one now sharpened with the same sting of awareness from the beach. My pulse quickens with the realization that this does not feel like rejection…this feels like desire.

And I’m so ready to experience another one of Austin’s kisses that I almost explode from the anticipation.

His darkened gaze drops to my mouth for a long moment, and the skin around it prickles to life, already tasting him. But instead of lowering his head and capturing my lips, he looks into my eyes. The fullness of my yet unspoken affection reflects back at me.

Then, with eyes so dark they blend into the night, Austin whispers, “I do see the real you, Alessandra.” He smiles. “And I think I’m falling for the girl I see.”

And don't miss the amazing giveaway going on as a part of this Flirtilicious blog hop! You could win one of 13 BOOKS, a gift card, swag, & more. I will be sending signed TWELVE STEPS bookmarks to five people, as well as this gorgeous, hand-made, eco-friendly bracelet to one lucky winner.

Grandma and Andi (the main character in my upcoming debut novel, TWELVE STEPS) share a love of daisies, and Grandma was the queen of repurposing things that others would throw away to create beautiful works of art. So I thought it fitting to donate this daisy bracelet, handmade from recycled plastic bags, to the giveaway. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 About the Author

Rachel Harris grew up in New Orleans, watching soap operas with her grandmother and staying up late sneak reading her mom's favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, she still stays up too late reading her favorite romances, only now, she can do so openly. She firmly believes life's problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain

situations. 

She homeschools her two beautiful girls and loves watching reality television with her amazing husband. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult Fun, Flirty Escapes, and LOVES talking with readers!

Twitter | Facebook | Website | Goodreads  

 

 

Time Travel and Family Ties

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormon church), family is super important to me. The genealogy (family history) program coordinated by the church is awe-inspiring. The Family History Library in Salt Lake City contains thousands of records, many of which have been made available for free public use online (and any that haven't yet been digitized are still available for the public use, for anyone willing to travel). And a worldwide volunteer force works around the clock to catalog and index new records, so that more and more information is available for family history research every day.

We believe that it's important to know who we are and where we came from, because we believe that family is not just a "here on earth" luxury. We believe that families can be sealed together for all eternity. That our spirits live on when our bodies die, and that we can be together with those we love far beyond this life on Earth.

And the more I get to know my own family through family history research, the more I love and wish I could know them personally.

When Rachel Harris issued a challenge to her Flirt Squad this week to blog about where we would go if Reyna sent us on a journey through time, I immediately thought of my family. Like Cat in MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY, I would like to visit some of my family in the past. I'd love to get a sense of how they really lived and have the opportunity to form fast friendships, like Cat did. (Although it would still be super cool to have one of my ancestors visit me, like Less in A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES, I'd rather get a sense of the history by traveling back in time to meet them.)

The question is: if I had to choose only one, which ancestor would I want to visit?

 



I would love to take a trip back to England in the year 1173, to meet Eleanor of Aquitaine. I'm fascinated by this amazingly-strong woman who divorced her first husband and then was imprisoned for convincing her son, John Lackland (the Prince John from the Robin Hood stories) to try to overthrow his father, her second husband Henry II.

I want to know the real woman behind this story of a woman who had so much power and influence at a time when women were supposed to be completely powerless. And I'd really like to get to know John. I'd love to understand why he, as his father's favorite and the one likely to inherit everything, he was willing to throw it all away for his mother's favor. (Incidentally, I always laugh like crazy at the Disney animated version of Prince John, who moans "Mother always did like Richard best." - Because as far as I can tell, sibling rivalry... trying to get his mother's approval... was the sole reason John was willing to throw away everything he had and risk being disinherited. Disney appears to have been spot-on in their portrayal!)

But I'd also love to take a trip to a more recent era. I want to ride the rails with my grandpa during the Great Depression. I want to witness his adventures and get to really know the grandfather I always idolized. I'd love to be there when he tried to save some walking time by jumping out of a moving train into a beautiful lake (he hit the lake so hard that he skipped across like a giant stone and woke up in the hospital days later). I want to taste the long strips of "bacon" that he said were the most delicious he'd ever tasted (although he couldn't eat any more when he discovered that he was eating smoked rattlesnake). And I'd love to be there to see the look on the face of the down-on-his luck man that Grandpa gave a car to, when he won it in a raffle.

There are many holes in my family tree. Places where the records aren't available to fill in the gaps, ancestors I haven't yet found. And I'd love to bounce my way through history to find these people. I want to learn their stories.

I could never pick just one.

I'm so grateful for the advances in technology that allow me to travel around the world at the speed of the Internet, discovering documents and photographs that allow me a small peek into the lives of these distant (and not-so-distant) family members.

Book Review: A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES by Rachel Harris

Yay!! It's here! The wait is finally over, and  

A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES is available today!!

 

Anyone who orders a copy of A Tale of Two Centuries this week and forwards a receipt to Rachelharris1 at gmail dot com will receive exclusive swag including an Austin trading card, a ticket to Alessandra's play, and a signed bookplate. And yes, ebook orders count! 

As I mentioned yesterday, MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY by Rachel Harris is one of my favorite books. I love Cat and Less and their friendship that crosses lifetimes. And as you know, I've been anxiously waiting for the sequel, A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES. (I was one of the lucky few who didn't have to wait quite as long. I managed to talk Rachel's fabulous publicity team into letting me read an advance copy, so that I could post this review today!!)

If you haven't read MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY yet, go do that now. I'll wait. You don't want to spoil it with advance knowledge of the future, would you?

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Okay, now, wasn't that AMAZING??? I knew you'd love it. And aren't you glad you can jump right into A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES now?? Me too!!

The official blurb:

Alessandra D’Angeli is in need of an adventure. Tired of her sixteenth-century life in Italy and homesick for her time-traveling cousin, Cat, who visited her for a magical week and dazzled her with tales of the future, Alessandra is lost. Until the stars hear her plea.

One mystical spell later, Alessandra appears on Cat’s Beverly Hills doorstep five hundred years in the future. Surrounded by confusing gadgets, scary transportation, and scandalous clothing, Less is hesitant to live the life of a twenty-first century teen…until she meets the infuriating—and infuriatingly handsome—surfer Austin Michaels. Austin challenges everything she believes in…and introduces her to a world filled with possibility.

With the clock ticking, Less knows she must live every moment of her modern life while she still can. But how will she return to the drab life of her past when the future is what holds everything she’s come to love?

I didn't think it was possible, but I seriously love this book even more than I did the first one! Less was adorable and fun in the sixteenth century, and I didn't want to let go of her when Cat came back to modern times. (I was so terribly excited when I saw that Less was going to come visit for the second adventure!!) Who knew that she would be freaking amazing in the "future?" This girl was totally born in the wrong century, guys! I wanted her to come hang out with me for a few days.

As for the romance, I thought Lorenzo was a swoon-worthy love interest in MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY, but Austin, the boy who steals Less' heart and teaches her how to be her best self in A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES, totally blew him out of the water!! This boy has layer upon layer of awesomeness, all wrapped up in a beautiful package and sealed with a smirk. I'm not usually a fan of the "bad boy," but Austin had so much depth to his character that I could immediately see the diamond shining beneath his rough exterior. And the way he pushes Less to follow her dreams and to be more than what she dreamed she was capable of becoming? Yep, he totally captured my heart. Hook, line and sinker.

The best part about this book? Even though it's totally Less' story, Cat is very much there, and we get to see the continuation of her story as well, in the aftermath of her trip to the sixteenth century. I have to admit, in reading book one, I wasn't sure how I felt about Lucas. On the one hand, I knew Cat couldn't stay in the sixteenth century with Lorenzo for the rest of her life, and I didn't want her to be forever heartbroken and alone, but on the other hand, the whole "finding a true soul mate in the descendant of the love left behind" is a total time-travel cliche, and I wasn't sure if I liked it. But he totally won me over in book two, and I can't wait to see more of Cat and Lucas in the next book!!

Oh!! And because I'm a member of Rachel's Flirt Squad, she's given me permission to share this deleted scene from A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES with you all. Enjoy!!

“Anything with you is exciting, Princess.” He moves his hand beneath my thick hair and plays with the wisps at the nape of my neck. Brushing his lips against mine, just a tease, he then lifts his head and grins. “And, it just so happens I like pizza”—another light brush—“and movies.” His mouth presses more firmly this time for a prolonged, lingering touch, and then he shrugs. “And I guess the company is decent enough.”

“Oh, is that right?” I ask, trying to feign insult, but mostly succeeding in sounding breathless. “Only decent?”

He glides the tip of his nose against mine. “Mmm hmm.”

I pinch the taut skin at his waist and he chuckles. The sound does glorious things to my insides. Then, finally, Austin strengthens his hold around me, crushing me to his chest, and tilts his head, capturing my lips in a long, searing kiss that has me clinging to his shoulders.

“Oh yuck,” a disgusted voice says a little later. “No offense, Alessandra, but I really don’t want to see my brother doing that.”

With an abrupt laugh of embarrassment, I pull away and bury my head in the crook between Austin’s neck and shoulder.

He sighs. “Jamie, your timing is excellent as always.”

“Hey, it’s a gift.” At the spirited tone in her voice, I look up. Jamie scrunches her nose. “But seriously, it should be illegal for big brothers to make out in public. It’s traumatizing.”

A ghost of a smile plays on Austin’s slightly kiss-swollen lips. “Well, you know, next time you could just walk away and not interrupt.”

“But where’s the fun in that?” she asks with a mock-frown. Then she grabs my hand and tugs me away from Austin’s arms and into her own—the enthusiasm of her hug nearly knocking me over. “And dude, why didn’t you tell me the two of you were hooking up? You do realize we’re practically sisters now. Sisters spill the deets.”

“Uh,” I say intelligently, more than a little confused on how to proceed. I lean back and look at Austin. “Well—”

“Because maybe some people have class?” Austin softens his words by rubbing the top of his sister’s head. Jamie rolls her eyes and slaps his hand away, but the apparent affection between them makes me smile despite my previous mortification.

“Whatever,” she says. “For real, I’m just glad you finally wised up. You’re lucky my girl put up with you until you did. Are you done with rehearsal?” This last part she directs at me, swinging her eyes back to me as swiftly as the topic change.

“Just finished,” I confirm. Though my head still spins from her chaotic way of speaking, I can’t help feeling proud of my ability to keep up. If I can navigate the muddy waters of Jamie’s conversation with ease, there’s no doubt I’ve become fully acclimated to this world. “And my driver is waiting outside, or else I’d stay for yours. I am sure you’ll be wonderful.”

She licks her finger and makes a sizzling noise as she touches her shoulder. “You know it.” She laughs again and gently shoves my shoulder toward Austin. “I’m gonna let you two say your mushy good-byes in private, ’cause seeing that once in a lifetime is more than enough.” Wiggling her fingers in a wave she says, “Laters, bro.”

I watch Jamie walk away and turn to find Austin doing the same with a tender smile on his face. Something in my chest squeezes and I fall for him all the more.

When the stage door closes shut behind her, he turns and locks his hands around my waist. “My sister’s nuts, but she was right about one thing.”

“And what is that?”

His forehead dips down to mine. “I am lucky you hung around until I wised up.”

“Well, it certainly took you long enough.”

I loop my arms around his neck with a grin, and Austin laughs. “What can I say? Guys aren’t exactly known for being quick on the uptake.” On the stage behind us, the shuffling sounds of the crew laying out another scene hints at the busyness to come and I exhale a frustrated breath, knowing it’s time to go. Austin rubs his hands up and down my arms, almost as if he’s hesitant to let me. “I have to stay and bring Jamie home after her scene, but I’ll come by your house after.” His eyes grow serious. “And you better save me some pizza, woman.”

I shrug. “I shall try. But I am feeling awfully hungry. Rehearsals take a lot out of a girl.”

He gives me one of his devilish grins and kisses me again, and a minute later I walk away with my own wide smile, backside tingling from the playful swat he gave it for daring to tease him about something as important as food. As my driver closes the door behind me and takes off for home, I watch the theatre grow smaller through my back window and decide that Jamie was wrong. I am the one who is lucky. Thanks to Signore and a little gypsy magic, I’m experiencing an opportunity of a lifetime. I have a cousin who is more like a sister to share it with, a handful of caring friends, and a boy who makes me feel more special and loved than I ever have before.

Regardless of what the future holds for me, Fate has been unbelievably kind.

 

Book Review: MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY by Rachel Harris

Tomorrow, A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES by Rachel Harris will be released, and I'm so excited about it!! - But I realized that I never actually posted my review to the first book in the series, MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY. And I should do that first, right?

Cat Crawford has spent her life trying to stay out of the spotlight created by her tabloid-fodder mother. The last thing she wants is an extravagant, televised, Sweet Sixteen gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So when her curiosity on a family vacation to Florence, Italy lands her in the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, she's happy to escape reality for a while. Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But life in Renaissance Italy is a bit too constricting for a modern girl. And when the much-older Niccolo sets his sights on her, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted and totally creepy suitor. 

I absolutely ADORED this book! I'm always a bit of a sucker for time travel, and I loved the way Cat came to know herself more fully as she got to know her ancestors personally. I totally fell in love with Lorenzo right from the start. I picked up this book after a particularly stressful week, because I needed something fun to read while my daughter was in an early-morning planning meeting for her youth group. I figured I'd read while waiting for her, and then I'd go home and go back to bed. But I was so engrossed in the story that I couldn't put it down. I didn't even want to stop reading long enough for the ten-minute drive back home when my daughter's meeting was over! I tossed my plans to nap out the window and kept right on reading, and by the time I was finished an hour or two later, I felt great! Better than a nap, this book was like taking a mini-vacation. 

The only part I didn't like about this book was waiting months to read the sequel, A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES. But you're in luck! You don't have to wait, because book two comes out tomorrow!!! (Happy dance) - See? I knew there was a reason I postponed this review. I was just thinking of you guys. ;)