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After Andrea "Andie" Matthews chooses her career over a marriage proposal and then loses a promotion she worked so hard for, she jumps at the chance to take a break and help run a friend's coffee shop.
Alone in Hawaii, Andie befriends the staff and quickly grows to care for them, making her determined to revive the company.
As luck would have it, she meets the mysterious Warren Yates on Christmas Eve. They share a cup of coffee, some conversation, and even a moment, which leads to many more in the coming weeks.
But when Andie learns who Warren really is—and what he actually wants—she is torn between her feelings and his deception.
Will Warren be able to win her heart back?
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The dolphins splashed and squealed and played, spinning around close enough to rock our board. Warren paddled backward, ensuring we kept a safe distance. We sat in silence for about ten minutes more until one by one, they swam away.
Don’t go. I thought. Make him hold me for a little while longer.
“I found them the other day and thought of you. Wanted you to see this.”
“Will they stay? How long will they be here?”
“Each pod is different. Some migrate, some just stay in one territory. It’s hard to tell whether these are the ones that I saw the other day. The reef makes for an abundance of food around here.” “What an experience. I’ve never been this close to anything
like that. Thank you for bringing me here.”
“This is what I want, Andie. I don’t know much about you. I know you’re probably just passing through. But while you’re here, I’m going to make sure that moments like this make it hard for you to forget me.”
I smiled from ear to ear, excited about what I’d just witnessed and amazed at the comfort I felt with someone I hardly knew.
“In fact,” he said, holding out his arms to make sure I didn’t fall while I turned around to face him, legs crossed in applesauce. “I’d like to give you a moment like this every week, no questions asked. We don’t have to explain anything to anyone, you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to about who you are or what you’ve done or didn’t do. No past, just the present. We can offer each other a fresh start.” His head moved closer, until my nose almost touched his. There was an undulating rhythm in the water. I rose up, he went down; he rose up, I went down. It only served to heighten the voltage that ran between his touch and my skin. His eyes turned dark and ominous. “And every weekend, until you leave, you’re mine.”
“Um, so weekends are really busy at the coffee shop,” I said with a flirtatious grin, trying to resist his charm. That smile was getting to me. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his mouth.
“Not so fast, pretty lady. Fridays then. We go on a Moments Tour every Friday. Deal?” He offered me his hand. What did I have to lose?
“Deal.”
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Read the First Chapter HERE!
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~ Check out Anna and Kristoffer’s PODCAST interview with Writing Community Podcast
~ March 9th at Barbara's Books, Chicago, Register here for FREE. 6PM (CT) | 7PM (EST)
~ March 9th at University Bookstore, Seattle (Ticketed Event). 6PM(CT) | 7PM (EST)
~ March 16th at BelCantoBookstore, LA (IG LIVE) 7PM(CT) | 8PM(EST)
~ March 18th at Facebook Live, Booktrib (LIVE INT) 7PM(CT) | 8PM(EST)
~ April 2nd at Writers Bloc Podcast, (LIVE) 12PM(CT) | 1PM(EST)
~ April 28th at Cuyahoga Public Library, Cleveland (LIVE Signing) 6 PM(CT) 7PM (EST)
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Four years ago, after experiencing a great loss in her life, Anna Gomez, who writes as Christine Brae, decided that it was time to channel her feelings on paper and see where it would take her. She never imagined that her words would touch the hearts of many women with the same stories to tell. With an established fan base and a dedicated following, Anna Gomez has published six novels, three of which have won Literary Awards: The Light in the Wound series, Insipid, In this Life, Eight Goodbyes and the Year I Left . Her books have debuted in the top 1,000 at Amazon and continued to rank in the Top 100 in the months following their release.
Anna Gomez is a hopeless romantic who writes about real life, flawed characters and the saving grace of unconditional love. Her experience of living and growing up in a foreign country plays a large part in her stories. Her full-time career and ability to travel extensively also add flair and individuality to the vividly written settings in her books. They transport the reader to faraway places and make them feel like they’ve been there before. Anna’s inspiration stems from the people she meets and the places that she’s seen. Her stories are realistic and honest, thought-provoking and impactful. Her love for poetry is evident in her writing style.
Anna holds a senior executive position at one of the world’s largest global advertising agencies and lives in Chicago with her husband and three children.
Kristoffer Polaha is best-known for his long starring role in the critically acclaimed series Life Unexpected (The CW). Other TV series credits include Get Shorty with Ray Romano and Chris O’Dowd, the limited series Condoropposite William Hurt and Max Irons, The CW’s Ringer (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Valentine, as well as North Shore(FOX).
In addition to co-starring with Rainn Wilson in Backstrom (FOX), he had a multi-season role on the acclaimed series Mad Men (AMC) and Castle (ABC). Polaha is also well-known for starring in Hallmark Channel movies such as Dater’s Handbook with Meghan Markle, and the Mystery 101 franchise on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.
Polaha first received attention for his portrayal of John F. Kennedy, Jr. in the TV movie, America’s Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story, opposite Portia de Rossi. He has appeared in numerous independent features, including Where Hope Grows, Devil’s Knot (Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon), and the Tim Tebow film, Run the Race.
Polaha has a featured role opposite Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman 1984 and in Jurassic World: Dominion.
In addition to his work as an actor, producer, and director, Polaha is branching into the book world by co-authoring a new series. He is also involved with several charitable organizations, including being an ambassador for World Vision, a board member for HerArtsInAction, and The Polaha Family Circus Foundation.
Polaha was born in Reno, Nevada, and he is married to actress Julianne Morris. They have three sons.
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