Release Day! Go for Love by Laura Chapman ~ My Thoughts #GoForLove

Happy Release Day! 

Congratulations Laura

on the release today of

Go For Love!

Go for Love by Laura Chapman
Go for Love series, book #1

103 pages
Publication Date: April 28, 2020

Tech start-up darling Sarah Burton is branching out with a new company aimed at connecting adventurous professionals with overseas companies—like grown-up study abroad. When a glitch threatens her launch, only one person can help.

Beck Spencer swore he’d never give his ex-girlfriend another chance to break his heart. But with his own business in need of cash, and the big money she's offering, he can’t say no. To taking her on as a client or falling for her all over again.

Despite their attempts to keep it professional, the spark between Sarah and Beck reignites hotter than ever. Is this their second chance at true love? Or will the differences that drove them apart keep them from being together?

Go for Love is a standalone romantic comedy series about strong women looking for adventure and finding surprise romance around the world and the men who join them along the way. Go for Love is a prequel novella—no cliffhanger.

Purchase Go for Love

My thoughts about Go for Love ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"Spending a few days without the Internet wouldn't kill Sarah Burton. But it just might bury her career six feet under. She could practically read the tombstone."

I always know when I start a Laura Chapman story that I'm going to be able to escape the 'real world' for a little while and start an exciting, fun adventure. Go for Love is all that, and more. Her stories always feel so real to me, with characters who I'd want as friends.

This was a quick read—a sweet, entertaining novella that is kicking off a new series for Laura, promising more fun and oodles of adventures. I can't wait! Check it out!! 

Book #2 releasing on May 26!

About the author

Laura Chapman is the author of sweet and sexy romantic comedies, including Playing House, The Marrying Type, the Queen of the League series, and other stories. A native Nebraskan, she loves football, Netflix marathons, and her cats, Jane and Bingley. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Laura

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Blog

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Release Day! Let It Be Me by Laura Chapman ~ and a Trailer #LetItBeMe

Happy Release Day! 

Congratulations Laura

on the release today of

Let It Be Me!

Let It Be Me by Laura Chapman

Series: Amarillo Sour #2

Published September 20, 2019

Let It Be Me, the latest rom-com from award-winning author Laura Chapman, is now available!

Who says history is boring?

Professor James Mitchell has a rock star reputation. With a waitlist for all his classes, a best-selling book, and the requisite leather jacket, the university and publisher are eager to capitalize on this British sensation. But after his girlfriend leaves him for another man, James goes from rising scholar to spiraling bad boy. Forget contracts and tenure, James wants out—of his job, his book deal, and, better still, the country. He’s well on his way when his boss’s daughter walks into his favorite bar . . .

Aspiring filmmaker Ali Ferguson-Day doesn’t scare easily. She’s been given the means to make a film of her own—on the condition she tames the professor. As the daughter of a famed documentarian and a renowned historian, she’s more than ready to step out of her parents’ shadows and shine on her own. She won’t let anyone—not even an unexpected charmer—get in her way.

James and Ali butt heads from the start, but it isn’t long before their sparring gives way to attraction. There’s the promise of even more, if they can get past the fear of history repeating itself to let love in...

Purchase Let It Be Me

Amazon | Apple | B&N | Google Play | Kobo

Book #1

I loved Counting on You ~ read my thoughts here. I'm reading Let It Be Me right now and am loving it.

Watch the trailer for Let It Be Me

About the author

Laura Chapman is the award-winning and Amazon best-selling author of sweet and sexy romantic comedies. A born and raised Nebraska girl, she loves watching football, traveling, crafting, and baking. When she isn’t writing her next story, she is probably working at a museum by day and binge-watching Netflix with her cats Jane and Bingley at night. So, basically, she’s living large.

Connect with Laura

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Newsletter

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Release Day! Love in Charge by Jules Dixon, Laura Chapman, and Michelle Morgan #LoveInCharge

Love in Charge: Powerful Women, Powerful Love by Jules Dixon, Laura Chapman, and Michelle Morgan
Release Date: September 1, 2019
Available Formats: eBook and paperback on Amazon
Purchase from Amazon for only $3.99

When this woman steps into a room, heads turn and people listen. Whether she's commanding a new business venture, coaching a collegiate football team, or diagnosing and healing people, she's focused, influential, and passionate, and she's not about to apologize for it.

But there is loneliness and fear she can't ignore, and questions soon follow. Is a second chance meant to be, when the first was a disaster? Is her distrust of all men warranted when only one has truly ever hurt her? Can she set aside an age difference to find love?

Most of all...when a man who is everything she's never realized she wanted is right in front of her, will she be ready for the biggest undertaking of her life?

Lose yourself in these three novellas of powerful women learning that sometimes love is the one in charge.

All earnings from this anthology will be donated to the GLSEN Omaha chapter. GLSEN Omaha's mission is to "ensure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression."

About the stories

Go for Love

by Laura Chapman

When a glitch threatens Sarah Burton’s start-up launch, only one person can help. Beck Spencer swore he’d never give her another chance to break his heart, but he can’t say no to this offer. Despite keeping it professional, the spark between them might reignite hotter than ever.

Her Playbook

by Jules Dixon

Head football coach Hazel Stone’s childhood showed her she’d never trust another man. Payne Maxwell’s scarred face isn’t his deepest wound. Their attraction is a touchdown, but when Hazel finds a discrepancy in the department’s finances with Payne’s name attached, not to mention that he’s the ex-head coach’s son, foul flags fly in her head. When it comes to love, what play will be the right one?

No Turning Back

by Michelle Morgan

36-year-old chiropractor Cara Mann was doing just fine running her own practice and raising her young daughter—alone. When she hires Jack Dennis—the nerdy kid she used to babysit—for computer help in her office, he’s nothing like she remembers. But he certainly hasn’t forgotten her. Even if Cara can accept the help and support Jack is eager to offer, can she learn to love a much younger man?

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About the authors

Laura Chapman

Laura Chapman is the award-winning and best-selling author of sweet and steamy romances. A former journalist, she works at a museum by day and pens love stories at night. She also enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, sampling local libations, bingeing true crime podcasts and documentaries, and hanging out with her cats, Jane and Bingley.

Connect with Laura

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

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Jules Dixon

Fuzzy sock collector, martini connoisseur, baseball fanatic, and dandelion lover, author Jules Dixon is addicted to everything related to the amazing emotion of love, probably instigated by her own happily ever after of almost 30 years with her beer-brewing hubby. Their own love story created a spirited and artistic daughter and a computer genius but an ultrasarcastic son.

Jules is a 2018 RITA Finalist for her novella, In His Arms: Monroe Falls Romance . Jules explores the rich psychology of sexuality, choices, and conflicts of high school, college, and young adult characters with sizzle and humor in her novels and novellas. She’s a busy writer, and she loves it!

Connect with Jules

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Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Michelle Morgan

Michelle Morgan lives in Dallas, Texas with fellow writer, IT genius, and her real-life hero, Jeremy Morgan, and their two sons. She is a 2018 RITA Finalist Editor for the romance novella, In His Arms by Jules Dixon.

Nothing ignites Michelle’s passion for editing like working on her own fiction. Since publishing After Henry: A love story in 2014, Michelle released her first true romance novel, Work in Progress (Love in Progress Book 1) in Summer 2019. No Turning Back is a companion novella. A follow-up novella, No Stopping Now, will release in Spring 2020, followed by Life in Progress (Love in Progress Book 2) in 2020 or 2021.

Michelle is a member of Romance Writers of America and The Editorial Freelancers Association. To learn more about her editorial services and upcoming books, visit fictionedit.com. Or you can email Michelle at michellemorganromance@ gmail.com.

Connect with Michelle

Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

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Counting on You by Laura Chapman ~ My Thoughts

Counting on You by Laura Chapman

Series: Amarillo Sour #1

Print and e-book, 306 pages

Published August 17th 2018 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing

Is love worth the risk?

Math teacher Haleigh Parde has no desire to change her single status until she receives an invitation to her high school reunion. With her ex spreading rumors she needs a date and fast. Desperate times call for desperate measures and Haleigh finds herself meeting a blind date at a neighborhood bar called Amarillo Sour . . .

After watching Haleigh crash and burn, app developer Ian Henning makes her a proposition. If she'll provide honest feedback on his new dating app, he'll guarantee her a date to knock the socks off her former classmates. Even better, he—and the other Amarillo Sour regulars—will help her navigate the rocky road of dating.

Through setups ranging from awkward to absurd, Haleigh discovers her matchmaker might just be better than the matches. And Ian wonders if she's the answer to everything he's worked for professionally. Or is she something much, much more . . .

Purchase Counting on You

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Google Play | iTunes

My thoughts about Counting on You ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"There were so many ways to teach the Pythagorean theorem. Any way it played out, a-squared plus b-squared would always equal c-squared. It was a fact, and facts made sense."

Counting on You is full of very likable and entertaining characters. I loved every minute that I spent in Haleigh's world and in the Amarillo Sour bar. Once again, Laura has created a wonderful story that grabbed me from the first chapter. I was totally immersed in the story line and enjoyed watching Haleigh and Ian work through the dating app issues, and their own issues. I always feel so comfortable with her characters and I love reading about their lives.

Also, I'm so excited that this is only the first book in Laura's new Amarillo Sour series. There are so many other interesting characters in this book and I can't wait to learn their stories.

I received a copy of Counting on You in exchange for my honest review.

About the Author

Laura Chapman is the author of sweet and sexy romantic comedies. A born and raised Nebraska girl, she loves watching football, traveling, crafting, and baking. When she isn’t writing her next story, she is probably working at a museum by day and binge-watching Netflix with her cats Jane and Bingley at night. So, basically, she’s living large.

Connect with Laura

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Amazon | Instagram | Newsletter

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Book Blitz! Counting on You by Laura Chapman, an Excerpt and a Giveaway!

This is my stop during the book blitz for Counting on You by Laura Chapman. Read on for more information about of this book and check out the blitz giveaway. 

This book blitz is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from August 27 until September 2. Check out more stops on the tour here.

Counting on You (Amarillo Sour #1)

By Laura Chapman

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Age category: Adult

Release Date: 28 August 2018

Is love worth the risk?

Math teacher Haleigh Parde has no desire to change her single status until she receives an invitation to her high school reunion. With her ex spreading rumors she needs a date and fast. Desperate times call for desperate measures and Haleigh finds herself meeting a blind date at a neighborhood bar called Amarillo Sour . . .

After watching Haleigh crash and burn, app developer Ian Henning makes her a proposition. If she'll provide honest feedback on his new dating app, he'll guarantee her a date to knock the socks off her former classmates. Even better, he—and the other Amarillo Sour regulars—will help her navigate the rocky road of dating.

Through setups ranging from awkward to absurd, Haleigh discovers her matchmaker might just be better than the matches. And Ian wonders if she's the answer to everything he's worked for professionally. Or is she something much, much more . . .

Excerpt

In an effort to mask her embarrassment, she raised the glass to her lips.

“Wait.” He held out his glass to hers. “Here’s to taking chances.”

She could drink to that. She toasted his glass and sipped, appreciating the way the wine both chilled her throat and warmed her chest on the way down.

He drank his beer and set it down. “So, you know I couldn’t help overhearing your date with Patrick.”

“Yeah, we covered that.”

“And I know we only officially met a few minutes ago, but I feel like—what with the eavesdropping and all—we’ve gotten to know each other a little.”

“Or you’ve learned my most embarrassing secret. I only know you develop software and—based on how well you know the lay of the land—you apparently spend a lot of your time hanging out at a bar.”

“Which is pretty much all there is to know about me. Except that I like watching both sports and nerdy TV shows, and that I wish I could have a dog, but my apartment won’t let me.”

“You’re right,” she said. “We’re practically married. Should we spend Christmas with your family or mine?”

He snorted. “Now that we’re friends, and I know that you need a date to your reunion and you’re on a deadline, I wanted to run something by you.”

Her heart fluttered. Was this guy she just met going to help her get a date? No, that was crazy. But maybe he had some advice. She’d been sarcastic when she’d asked for it earlier, but it really couldn’t hurt.

In fact, it might be better coming from a stranger than any of her work friends. It would certainly keep Nina from spreading the details through the rumor mill.

“I’m listening. Not that I know if you have the credentials to give lectures on—”

“It’s not a lecture. And I’m not a dating expert. Well, not exactly. I’m not an expert,” he repeated and cleared his throat. “But I have done a lot of research on dating. Or at least my company has, and I’ve used it for my job.”

“I thought you build apps.”

“We do. Our new app—one that’s coming out next month—is a dating app.”

“Like Tinder?”

“Kind of, but not really.” He launched into an explanation about how the app was part game, part matchmaker. That it helped connect people who’d really get along without making the process cumbersome. So far, it sounded good.

But how did she fit into this?

“We’re actually trying to find one more person to try it out.”

Oh. He needed a guinea pig. “Why?”

“We’re close to the launch date. While our feedback has been good, it hasn’t been personal. We haven’t been able to see it from the inside.”

“Why doesn’t one of your employees try it?”

He shook his head. “That’s not objective enough. We need someone who can give us an inside look, while not influencing the outcome. Someone local. Someone who can find a good match that we can brag about to our investors. Someone with a good story.”

Someone desperate enough to give it a try with an audience. Someone like her.

She could see the logic. That didn’t mean she liked where this was going. “So, you want me to try your app and report back.”

Purchase Counting on You

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Google Play | iTunes

About the Author

Laura Chapman is the author of sweet and sexy romantic comedies. A born and raised Nebraska girl, she loves watching football, traveling, crafting, and baking. When she isn’t writing her next story, she is probably working at a museum by day and binge-watching Netflix with her cats Jane and Bingley at night. So, basically, she’s living large.

Connect with Laura

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Amazon | Instagram | Newsletter

There is a tour wide giveaway for the book blitz of Counting on You. One winner will win a Amarillo Sour Starter Kit, that includes two shot glasses, two coasters, a bottle opener and pens with the bar’s logo on them plus a $10 Amazon card. US Only.

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Release Day! Counting on You by Laura Chapman

Happy Release Day!

Counting on You by Laura Chapman

Series: Amarillo Sour #1

Print and e-book, 306 pages

Published August 17th 2018 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing

Is love worth the risk?

Math teacher Haleigh Parde has no desire to change her single status until she receives an invitation to her high school reunion. With her ex spreading rumors she needs a date and fast. Desperate times call for desperate measures and Haleigh finds herself meeting a blind date at a neighborhood bar called Amarillo Sour . . .

After watching Haleigh crash and burn, app developer Ian Henning makes her a proposition. If she'll provide honest feedback on his new dating app, he'll guarantee her a date to knock the socks off her former classmates. Even better, he—and the other Amarillo Sour regulars—will help her navigate the rocky road of dating.

Through setups ranging from awkward to absurd, Haleigh discovers her matchmaker might just be better than the matches. And Ian wonders if she's the answer to everything he's worked for professionally. Or is she something much, much more . . .

Purchase Counting on You

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Google Play | iTunes

Congratulations Laura

on the release today of

Counting on You!

I've already read Counting on You and loved being swept up in Haleigh's world. My thoughts will be posted next week. And be sure to stop by on Sunday for my blitz stop which will include an excerpt and a giveaway!!

About the Author

Laura Chapman is the author of sweet and sexy romantic comedies. A born and raised Nebraska girl, she loves watching football, traveling, crafting, and baking. When she isn’t writing her next story, she is probably working at a museum by day and binge-watching Netflix with her cats Jane and Bingley at night. So, basically, she’s living large.

Connect with Laura

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Amazon | Instagram | Newsletter

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

Release Day Blitz: Love Unlimited Anthology #FREE ~ 11 Authors, 11 Stories

Happy Release Day!!

Love Unlimited Anthology

Love Unlimited Anthology

Stories by: Bryana Beecham, Geralyn Corcillo, Laura Chapman, Katie Leonard, Kelly Cain, Anne Hamilton, Zainab Muhammad Shahid, Samantha Bryant, Lizbeth Durano, Therese Gilardi, Amy Gettinger

Release Date: August 23, 2017

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Explore the unlimited nature of love and its many incarnations in the Love Unlimited Anthology, featuring eleven stories that cross generations, cultural backgrounds, and borders. Love Unlimited will warm your heart, tickle your funny bone, and envelop you in the wonderful and complex human emotion the world calls “Love.”

Bryana Beecham—Love Letters to the Universe

Geralyn Corcillo—In Her Space

Laura Chapman—Smyth Saves the Date

Katie Leonard—SuperMom and the Theory of Mind

Kelly Cain—Summer Healing

Anne Hamilton—The Shining Girl

Zainab Muhammad Shahid—Kaneez's Bulbul

Samantha Bryant—Flygirl's Second Chance

Therese Gilardi—Paris in April

Lizbeth Durano—Starting Over

Amy Gettinger—Kiss My Sweet Skull

Where to Find Love Unlimited ~

Get it FREE right now! 

Goodreads | Purchase Links

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Romantic Summer Reading Challenge

Hey, book lovers! 

Remember those summer reading programs from when we were kids? You would read a certain number of books and get a pizza. Or maybe if you completed a list of books you received a certificate and a prize from the librarian. Why should the fun end just because we're adults? Join us this summer for the inaugural Romantic Summer Reading Challenge.

Now through midnight (CDT) September 4, read all ten books on our reading list to win prizes. This year’s featured books include:

The Lady Travelers Guide to Scoundrels and Other Gentlemen by Victoria Alexander

New Attitude by Kathryn R. Biel

Playing House by Laura Chapman

Makeup & Murder by Stephanie Damore

Click Date Repeat Again by KJ Farnham

Love, Hate, and Other Lies We Told by Deirdre Riordan Hall

Tequila & Tailgates by Andrea Johnston

Reality Rocks by Liberty Kontranowski

Pas de Deux by Wynter S.K.

This is 35 by Stacey Wiedower

How does it work? 

When you finish each book on the list, leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Then, once you are done with all ten, copy the links on the entry form, complete the rest of the information, and submit it. 

After September 4, everyone who completes the challenge will receive a free ebook from one of the authors’ backlist. You will also be entered in the drawing for a chance to win one of ten prize packages created by the authors (valued at $20 each) and the grand prize of a $100 Amazon gift card. (No purchase necessary to win. Prize packages limited to U.S. residents only this year.)

What if you’ve already read one (or more) of the books on this list? It still counts. Just post your review and share the link on the form.

If this sounds like fun way to discover new authors, score a free book, and enter for a chance to win prizes, please join us! You can also follow the Facebook page, which will include author takeovers that give you a chance to interact with authors and other readers throughout the summer.

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Release Day! Playing House by Laura Chapman

Happy Release Day!

Playing House

Playing House by Laura Chapman
Print and e-book, 354 pages
Published: March 21st 2017 by CreateSpace

She's a work in progress . . .

Bailey Meredith has had it. As an assistant at a prestigious interior design firm, she’s tired of making coffee and filing invoices. She’ll do just about anything to get out from under the paperwork and into the field for real experience. Then she sees an ad for a job that seems too good to be true.

He's a fixer upper . . .

Wilder Aldrich knew she would be perfect for the crew the moment he saw her. His hit home improvement show only hired the best, and Bailey had potential written all over her. It isn’t just her imaginative creativity and unmatched work ethic that grabs his attention. There’s just something about her.

With chemistry on screen, it’s only a matter of time before sparks fly behind the scenes as well. But with Bailey’s jaded views on romance and a big secret that could destroy Wilder and everyone he cares about are either of them willing to risk it all for love?

Purchase Playing House

https://books2read.com/playinghouse

 

Congratulations, Laura Chapman, on the release today of your wonderful novel, Playing House. 

I loved Playing House (read my thoughts here) and I have loved watching the growth of this author over the years. This is one you will not want to miss. 

About the author

Laura Chapman is the author of First & Goal, Going for Two, Three & Out, The Marrying Type, and Playing House. A native Nebraskan, she loves football, Netflix marathons, and her cats, Jane and Bingley. She loves talking to readers.

Connect with Laura

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Website | Blog |Newsletter

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On Tour: Playing House by Laura Chapman ~ My Thoughts, an Excerpt, and a Giveaway!

Playing House

Playing House by Laura Chapman
Expected publication: March 21st 2017

She's a work in progress . . .

Bailey Meredith has had it. As an assistant at a prestigious interior design firm, she’s tired of making coffee and filing invoices. She’ll do just about anything to get out from under the paperwork and into the field for real experience. Then she sees an ad for a job that seems too good to be true.

He's a fixer upper . . .

Wilder Aldrich knew she would be perfect for the crew the moment he saw her. His hit home improvement show only hired the best, and Bailey had potential written all over her. It isn’t just her imaginative creativity and unmatched work ethic that grabs his attention. There’s just something about her.

With chemistry on screen, it’s only a matter of time before sparks fly behind the scenes as well. But with Bailey’s jaded views on romance and a big secret that could destroy Wilder and everyone he cares about are either of them willing to risk it all for love?

Available on March 21! Find it here: 

Amazon | Apple | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

 

My thoughts about Playing House ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"Bailey tended to worry more than anyone else in her family." 

I have read all of Laura's previous books so how could I not read this one? I know even before I start one of her books that it is going to be a fun read and that I'm going to love the world she takes me to. Playing House is wonderful story, just like her other ones, but this one has a much different feel to it.

With Playing House, Laura has taken her writing to a whole new level. This book is more complicated and evolved, the characters have more depth and seemed more real to me. I felt like I connected with them and came to care about them as they struggled through their issues, just trying to find happiness.

I absolutely love this new side to Laura's writing and I really hope we will be seeing more stories from her at this level. She definitely has a winner on her hands with Playing House.

I received a copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily reviewing it.

Excerpt

Keeping a close distance, she followed Waverly up the cracked path to the house. Bailey took quick mental notes of her surroundings. The exterior needed a lot of work. The sagging roof missing gutters made her think they’d find the inside in similar disarray. They stepped through the front door, nearly tripping over Wilder Aldrich, who was measuring the entryway.

“Hey!” He sprang to his feet and out of their way. “What did I tell you about waiting until I gave you the all clear?”

“You were taking for-frickin’-ever, and some of us were freezing our tits off.” She pursed her lips and took on a warrior stance, seemingly daring him to say something else.

Conceding victory to her, Wilder turned and flashed an apologetic grin at Bailey. “Hey.” He offered a hand. Warmth permeated through the thin material of her glove. “Welcome to Casa de Waverly.”

Giving him a smug grin, Waverly sipped her coffee and faced Bailey. “Do you have a smart phone?”

Bailey stared blankly for a second, still dazzled by seeing Wilder up close. But she quickly snapped to attention and dug her phone out of her coat pocket. 

“Good,” Waverly said after inspecting it. “While you’re on the job, I’d like you to snap some photos for our social media accounts. I’ll want to vet everything before we post it, but we need to start building the buzz for the next season while we’re filming. In exchange, we’ll cover your phone payments to take care of your data usage. Understood?”

“I can do that.”

“Good. Now . . .” She pulled out her own phone. It was the latest model that had come out on the market a month ago. With all of its reported bells and whistles, it put Bailey’s poor phone to shame. “I’m going to make a quick call. I’ll be back in a few minutes, and we can get started on,” she gestured around her, “this mess.”

She spun on her heel and waltzed out of the room, cooing into the phone. 

Wilder cleared his throat, and Bailey turned to give him her full attention. She estimated he was only a couple of years older than herself—maybe in his late twenties or early thirties. He looked younger in real life than he did on TV. He was leaner and a little shorter—though she still had to crane her neck a little to meet his gaze. 

He was also more handsome. Not the GQ model, your tongue-sticks-to-the-top-of-your-mouth kind of sexy. But he was hot in the same way the guy you sat next to in Chemistry was. It was enough to distract you from formulas and Bunsen burners every so often, but not enough that you’d ever set the lab on fire or forget to finish your final exam. 

So far, he seemed much more serious. Where was the guy who scared Waverly with a stuffed dummy in a closet in the last episode she’d watched before calling an end to the marathon?

He was, she realized, studying her every bit as closely, with those hazel eyes speckled with green. Noting that, she didn’t feel quite as rude taking mental notes on the man in front of him.

At least she looked good. She’d laid out three outfits that morning in the hotel room. The first was a long, silky turquoise tunic that she’d paired with a pair of black leggings and knee-high boots. It was similar to the clothes Waverly favored on screen—only hers weren’t name-brand knockoffs. Then she had the casual jeans, a gray T-shirt that she could dress-up with a navy blue blazer. And there was option three: dark-wash, fit jeans, a chambray shirt, and a scarf. It was an ensemble that fell somewhere in the middle. It was the one that looked the most like her when she inspected herself in the mirror. 

It was the one that felt most like her now in the middle of the foyer.

She wondered what he saw when he looked at her. Did he see a confident young woman ready to tackle major projects adeptly? Or did he see someone who was desperate to create, no matter what happened? Both were correct, but which one shone through right now? 

Like a light switch, that triggered something in her. She offered her hand again. “We haven’t officially met. I’m Bailey Meredith.”

Visit other stops on the tour here.

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About the author

Laura Chapman is the author of First & Goal, Going for Two, Three & Out, The Marrying Type, and Playing House. A native Nebraskan, she loves football, Netflix marathons, and her cats, Jane and Bingley. She loves talking to readers.

Connect with Laura

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Website | Blog |Newsletter

This month, during the Playing House blog tour, you can enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win one of 1 free Audible copy each of The Marrying Type, First & Goal, Going for Two or 1 $20 Amazon gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Release Day Blast! Making Christmas & What Happens at Midnight by Laura Chapman @TastyBookTours @lchapmanwrites

Check out the other stops on the tour HERE.

Brings the warmth of the holiday season to life.

MAKING CHRISTMAS

A Novella

Laura Chapman

Releasing Nov 8th, 2016

While settling into a new career in a new community, Ivy is determined not to let the holiday season pass her by. Enter the grownup advent calendar: twenty-four days of festivities to celebrate Christmas. What begins as a bit of fun turns into a mission to spread cheer when she meets Everett.

After learning about his bad Christmas attitude, she invites him to join her quest. Despite his initial reservations, Everett quickly gets caught up in the spirit of the calendar. But when new feelings surface and are impossible to ignore, Everett’s inner curmudgeon threatens to put a damper on the whole experience.

This holiday novella from Laura Chapman brings the warmth of the holiday season to life.

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“About my project,” she begins. “I’ve always loved the holiday season. Everything from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve then Christmas and New Year’s Eve—it’s a magical time. Plus, I was born on Christmas, so the holidays are extra special. But the past few years I’ve been so busy with work and . . . stuff . . . that I kind of lost track of them. It was always more important to focus on getting the next big ad campaign out than stopping to smell the sugar plums.”

“Ad campaigns? You’re in advertising?”

“No—not anymore.” She taps her fingers on the edge of the counter. “I left my old agency earlier this year to start an Internet-based company with my friend. We moved to Lincoln in October because it’s a welcoming place for startups. Anyways, the past few years the holidays have gone by in a hazy, chaotic blur. I want to make sure it doesn’t happen again this year. I’m going to stop and smell those sugar plums.”

I almost ask what sugar plums smell like but go with a question that makes more sense. “So you’re celebrating the holidays with a Christmas coffee?”

“Today,” she agrees. “Then tomorrow I’ll have another festive activity waiting for me.”

She digs into her purse and removes a piece of red card stock. It’s covered with tiny green paper pockets, each neatly printed with a number counting up to twenty-four. Twenty-four.

“It looks like an advent calendar.” Just like the ones my grandma gave my sister and me every Christmas until we graduated college.

Her eyes light up. “That’s exactly what it is. This is my grown-up advent calendar. I saw one on Pinterest—though, they had twenty-four bottles of wine lined up in a rack to drink every day of December leading up to Christmas. I like wine, but I’m not a big fan of all the varieties, which would defeat the purpose of drinking twenty-four different wines. It also didn’t seem like the best way to celebrate the season. Do you connect binge-drinking wine with Christmas?”

“No. But maybe some people do?”

“I suppose, which is kind of sad. But I probably shouldn’t judge what works for other people.” She shakes her head. “Anyway, over Thanksgiving I started thinking about what I wanted to do this holiday season. Books I wanted to read. Movies I wanted to watch. Experiences I wanted to have. So I made a list. Using the list, I created a calendar with each of the items reserved for a different day. I wrote everything down on different pieces of paper. I folded them up and randomly scheduled them throughout the month. That way, I’ll be surprised every day.”

“You made a random schedule? How will you know if you have time or the materials you need to do it?”

“I’ll make the time.” She turns to the counter when the barista arrives with three cups. Over her shoulder, she asks, “Do you want to try gingerbread or eggnog?”

I don’t know. “Eggnog.” I guess.

She hands me one of the cups and takes the other two. “Actually, I do know what I’ll be doing one day because I had to buy tickets. I want to see The Nutcracker—I haven’t been since I was a little girl. But everything else will be a surprise.”

I’m listening to her explanation so closely I don’t even realize we’ve stepped out of the coffee shop until the cold bites my face. She has certainly shaken up my morning routine. “Do you really think a Christmas to-do list will suddenly make the holidays better?”

“I do.” She grins when I shake my head. “Do you doubt it will?”

“I don’t know.” I lift a shoulder. “It seems like a stressful way to spend the month. And for what? An overly commercialized holiday that only racks up charges on our credit cards while people are starving and struggling in the world. All the while, people miss their deadlines and pile more work on your desk because you’re the single guy in the office and they have to get to their kids’ Christmas programs or go bake cookies at their mother-in-law’s house. Christmas was fun when we were kids, but as adults, it kind of sucks.” I shake my head again. “No offense to you and your plan, but most years I want to get through the month of December with as little fanfare as possible.”

“Interesting.” She says nothing else but studies my face again for a couple of seconds. I nearly squirm under the intensity of her gaze. “Well, I hope you enjoy the coffee. Merry Christmas.”

********************************

WHAT HAPPENS AT MIDNIGHT

A Novella

Laura Chapman

Releasing Nov 8th, 2016

Romantic comedy junkie Natalie lives out those fantasies in real life three New Year's Eves in a row when fate throws her together with the same handsome stranger. A heartbreaking turn of events leaves her swearing off of love, forevers, and the holidays (bah humbug). That is until the mystery man from her past reappears years later. Over a holiday season, Natalie struggles to reconcile the whimsical notions of her past with the practical sensibilities she has worked so hard to develop. With the countdown to a new year looming, she must decide whether or not she is willing to give happily ever after another shot.

In this holiday novella by Laura Chapman, celebrate the holiday season with a love story about second, and fifth, chances and learning to trust your heart.

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Laura Chapman is the author of First & Goal, Going for Two, Three & Out, and The Marrying Type. A native Nebraskan, she loves football, Netflix marathons, and her cats, Jane and Bingley.

Connect with her online on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube and on her website at www.laurachapmanbooks.com.

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