Change of Address
by
Natalie-Nicole Bates
Contemporary Romance
Published by Sweet Cravings Publishing
Release Date: December 2011
Heat Level: Sensual
Word Count: 40,000
Buy Links
BookStrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/change-of-address
Blurb
Saved
from a traumatic past and successful in her present as a home care nurse,
Josselyn Adler’s dream of home ownership in the idyllic town of Unity are
dashed to pieces when Dr Ben Parnell, a cancer specialist, shows up on her
doorstep claiming to be the rightful owner of the house—and Ben has a will to
prove it! To Josselyn, the house
represents a new start in her life. With a stable home, hopefully a much wanted
family wouldn’t be far behind.
After
a near career-ending allegation is made, Ben has returned home to lick his
wounds. But now he must prove Josselyn’s claim to be a fake, that she used her
position as a live-in nurse to his sick father to ingratiate herself into his
good graces. But as he gets to know her, he can tell by her shy, often
standoffish behavior, that Josselyn is a woman who has been deeply hurt in her past.
Although he is attracted to the dark haired beauty that has invaded his life,
he is still suspicious of her true motives and her past involvement with his
father.
Excerpt:
When
she arrived at the foot of the stairs, the front door rattled. Fear, cold and
stark, rose up in her throat and choked her as she heard the lock snap and
watched, rooted to the floor, the creaky old door jiggle in its frame. The
anticipation mingled with fright, produced a potent, sick feeling churning
inside her like the bad horror movie she’d recently viewed on late-night cable
television.
After
what seemed an eternity, the door flung open. The first thought entering her
brain was a ghost had entered her home. A younger, blonder visage of Morgan
stood in the threshold. Before she could utter his name, a second, more
coherent thought followed; a ghost wouldn’t use a key.
The
man in the doorway took one step inside and stopped abruptly, clenched his jaw,
and stared. The familiar stranger invading her new home could only be one
person.
“My
goodness, you’re Ben! You’re Morgan’s son!” she exclaimed.
“Well,
we know who I am. Now who the hell are you, and why are you trespassing in my
house?”
“Your
house?” she asked with disbelief. “This is my home. Morgan gave it to
me!”
“I
don’t know who you are, lady, but I suggest you get a move on it. I’ll give you
five minutes before I call the police.” He pointed to his platinum-cased
wristwatch for emphasis.
“Don’t
bother waiting.” She reached into her handbag and removed her cell phone. With
shaking fingers, she punched in 911.
The
line connected after the second ring. “911, what is your emergency?” asked the
female dispatcher.
“My
name is Josselyn Adler. I’m the new owner of 22 Little Pine Road. A man has let
himself into my home and is now threatening me.” Although she was quaking on
the inside, she strove to keep her voice and demeanor strong and confident.
“I
have an officer on the way, Ms. Adler. Would you like to stay on the line with
me until he arrives?” she offered.
“No,
thank you. I’ll be fine,” she assured her.
As
she disconnected her phone, Ben’s gaze burned into her. She wouldn’t give him
the satisfaction of showing any fear. While growing up, she had dealt with her
share of tormentors. One forty-year-old, blond-haired bully was not going to
intimidate her or drive her from a home that was rightfully hers.
“Very
nice performance,” he said snidely.
“Excuse
me?” She furrowed her brow and made eye contact. Ben Parnell had his father’s
glacial, blue eyes.
“Any
moment one of Unity’s finest will be arriving to play knight in shining armor
and save the poor maiden from the big, bad wolf.”
Before
she could utter a word in reply, a black patrol car came to a screeching halt
on the street. An officer threw open the car door and made long, quick strides
to the house. His uniform and Unity Police Department baseball cap matched the
color of his car.
A
lump formed in her throat. As she was growing up, a police car in front of the
house and an officer at the door meant her father was in some sort of trouble
yet again.
“Good
evening, Miss. I’m Officer Smith.” He looked to Ben. “It’s certainly been a
long time since you’ve been around, Ben.” Not waiting for an answer from him,
he turned his attention back to Josselyn. “What seems to be the problem
tonight?”
He
knew Ben by his first name. They looked to be about the same age, and in this
small town, it was likely they knew each other growing up. Although Officer
Smith seemed friendly enough, would he side with the hometown boy rather than
with the stranger girl?
“This
is my house. Morgan Parnell left it to me in his will. Now he...” She paused
and pointed at Ben. “He thinks it’s his house.”
“I
have a will, too,” Ben loudly interrupted. “And mine is legitimate!”
His
deep voice vibrated through her, causing her head to ache. Flustered, she
pulled an envelope from her handbag. Morgan’s attorney gave to her a copy of
the will a few days earlier. She handed it to Officer Smith. To her dismay, Ben
also produced a document from a briefcase.
This is very bad.
She
hoped Ben had been bluffing.
About the Author
Natalie-Nicole
Bates is a book reviewer and author. Her
passions in life include books and hockey along with Victorian and Edwardian
era photography and antique poison bottles. Natalie contributes her
uncharacteristic love of hockey to being born in Russia UK
Connect with Natalie-Nicole Bates
Twitter: BatesNatalie
Natalie-Nicole Bates Interview
My Devotional Thoughts
1. Do you ever experience writer's block? And if you do, how do you
overcome it?
No, I don’t experience writer’s
block, I experience more of not being able to get as much writing done as I
would like. Promoting takes up a huge chunk of my time, and of course, there’s
life in general.
2. Is there anything about your personality you would describe as
"quirky" or unusual? If so, would you mind telling us about it?
I think I’m quirky in general (at
least that’s what people tell me!) but I can’t put it down to anything in
general. I don’t like to be mainstream, I march to the beat of my own drum and respect
everyone else’s right to individuality. I just ask the same in return.
3. How do you deal with criticism as an author?
I understand that not everyone is
going to like my style of writing and I accept and respect that fact. My
thoughts are, If you like my stuff that’s
great, if you don’t, keep walking.
4. What has been the most successful way that you have discovered to market
your books?
I’m still on the hunt all the time
for great promotion and marketing. What works for one book may not necessarily
work for the next and so forth. Marketing and promotion is a lot of trial and
error, but it is a necessity. I’ve come
up with my own perfumes and lip balms each inspired by my stories, and everyone
seems to love them.
5. When writing a story, what is your method for coming up with the names
or the characters and/or the titles of your book?
I have been blessed that I never have
any trouble coming up with names or titles. It’s just something that seems to
come naturally to me. It’s very rare for me to go back and change names or a
title.
6. What has been the biggest challenge you have faced in your life?
How did you deal with it?
I have lived in several
countries from the time I was very
small, and found this to be very difficult at times, especially with language
and cultural differences, but I learned to roll with it and accept the changes
as they came. Now as an adult, I feel grateful for my experiences.
7. How have your families and friends received your books? Do they
support you, not support you, etc.?
My family has always been very
supportive of my writing and books. I am very grateful for their support.
Giveaway Info:
Prize is $25 Amazon Gift Card. Contest is tour-wide, open internationally and ends Feb 25. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
Prize is $25 Amazon Gift Card. Contest is tour-wide, open internationally and ends Feb 25. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
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Thank you so much for hosting Change of Address at your amazing blog!!
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