My Favorite Things: Release Day & Giveaway

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Release Day & Giveaway

Cityscape Series Book 2: Come Alive by Jessica Hawkins

Synopsis:

Determined to move on with her life, Olivia Germaine has vowed to forget David Dylan. Struggling to keep her head above water, she focuses on her new promotion and refuses to drown in the memory of their night together.

But when Olivia realizes what life without David means, she must decide if she is willing to risk everything for him . . . and if she is ready to reopen the wounds of her past.

Can Olivia move forward with her marriage despite her feelings for David?

And can David stay away like he promised?

Excerpt:

I focused on the clicking of my heels against the pavement as I walked. Summer was ending, but it was warm and the sky was a clear blue. With each step toward my destination, I was a little lighter. Since seeing David Dylan again, my mind had been in overdrive, and I needed . . . something. I didn’t know what exactly, or even what I wanted, but I thought I knew where to find it.

A fifteen-minute walk; a lifetime hanging in the balance. A choice. I stopped in front of the sleek, modern doors of Pierson/Greer. Just inside was the one who haunted my thoughts, the one I couldn’t forget. I reached out for the gilded handle and paused. After a moment, my hand fell to my side again. I backed away from the entrance and pinched the bridge of my nose. Don’t do this, Olivia. Let it lie. Let it be. Don’t do this . . . . I wiped beads of sweat from my forehead and paced along the sidewalk. What did I want from him? What answers could he provide? I needed to know why this was happening. Why I was beginning to feel more and more like I was being torn in half.

I stopped my tread finally and sighed up the tall building. With sagging shoulders, I turned around and idled back the way I’d come.

At the first convenience store, I ducked inside. I was craving comfort food in a way I hadn’t been lately. I headed straight for the freezer, promising myself that things would get easier. I slid open the door and selected an ice cream sandwich, knowing I just had to stay strong. I walked to the cashier, determined not to break down in the middle of a convenience store. With one hand cradling my purchase, I used the other to fish out some dollar bills from my wallet.

“Hey, go easy on that ice cream, honeybee.” My heart leaped, and I turned to see David filling the doorway. He tilted his head and smiled at me. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “Shouldn’t you be over on Adams, making some Bachelors miserable?”

I just stared, blinking as sunlight illuminated him from behind.

His eyebrows folded. “Are you all right? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“No,” I said as his cologne slowly wafted into my orbit. “I mean yes, I’m fine. You startled me.”

“Well, I do work right down the street.”

“I know . . . .”

“Of course you do. Is that your lunch?”

I followed his curious gaze to my hands. “Um. N-no, I . . . ,” I stammered. I fumbled to set it on the counter. I shouldn’t be there. To run into him was one thing, but I had sought him out. Grasping the strap of my purse, I hurried to the doorway, where he swiveled to let me through.

“I never got to tell you how much I enjoyed the issue.”

My head snapped up, but I continued my stride. “What?”

“The Most Eligible issue,” David said. “The feature had a fresh, creative touch. You deserve that promotion.”

“Oh.” I slowed fractionally to sync with his relaxed gait. “Thanks.”

He handed me the ice cream sandwich. “Here.”

“Did you steal this?” I asked with widened eyes.

He laughed loudly. “No, of course not. I bought it for you.”

After a slight hesitation, I accepted the ice cream and started to peel away the wrapper. After all, I was hungry, wasn’t I?

And here is the Giveaway...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio:

Jessica Hawkins grew up between the purple mountains and under the endless sun of Palm Springs, California. She studied international business at Arizona State University and has also lived in Costa Rica and New York City. Some of her favorite things include traveling, her dog Kimo, Scrabble, driving aimlessly and creating Top Five lists. She is the helpless victim of an overactive imagination that finds inspiration in music and tranquility in writing. Currently she resides wherever her head lands, which lately is the unexpected (but warm) keyboard of her trusty MacBook.